Sample records for mutual support groups

  1. Mutual support groups for long-term recipients of TANF.

    PubMed

    Anderson-Butcher, Dawn; Khairallah, Angela Oliver; Race-Bigelow, Janis

    2004-01-01

    This study examined the effect of involvement in mutual support groups on long-term recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other vulnerable individuals. From qualitative interviews with nine group members, the study identified key themes, benefits, and barriers related to involvement in the groups. Content analysis of the data revealed insights about characteristics of effective self-help and mutual support groups, which social workers and other professionals can use to develop effective support groups in the future. Participants discussed benefits for themselves and their families, such as enhanced parenting and social skills, increased knowledge, and enhanced self-esteem.

  2. Religiosity and Participation in Mutual-Aid Support Groups for Addiction

    PubMed Central

    Atkins, Randolph G.; Hawdon, James E.

    2007-01-01

    Mutual-aid support groups play a vital role in substance abuse treatment in the United States. A national survey of mutual-aid support groups for addiction was conducted to identify key differences between participants in recovery groups. Survey data indicate that active involvement in support groups significantly improves one's chances of remaining clean and sober, regardless of the group in which one participates. Respondents whose individual beliefs better matched those of their primary support groups showed greater levels of group participation, resulting in better outcomes as measured by increased number of days clean and sober. Religious respondents were more likely to participate in 12-Step groups and Women for Sobriety. Non-religious respondents were significantly less likely to participate in 12-Step groups. Religiosity had little impact on SMART Recovery participation, but actually decreased participation in SOS. These results have important implications for treatment planning and matching individuals to appropriate support groups. PMID:17889302

  3. Mutual Support Groups for Long-Term Recipients of TANF

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson-Butcher, Dawn; Khairallah, Angela Oliver; Race-Bigelow, Janis

    2004-01-01

    This study examined the effect of involvement in mutual support groups on long-term recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other vulnerable individuals. From qualitative interviews with nine group members, the study identified key themes, benefits, and barriers related to involvement in the groups. Content analysis of the…

  4. Empowering Public Welfare Workers through Mutual Support.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherman, Wendy Ruth; Wenocur, Stanley

    1983-01-01

    Examines the organizational binds facing social workers concerned with the provision of services to clients in times of fiscal restraint. Suggests a mutual support group as a step toward empowerment. Workers may shift from a support group to a coalition for action as change agents within institutional settings. (JAC)

  5. Pharmacy students' attitudes about treating patients with alcohol addiction after attending a required mutual support group.

    PubMed

    Neville, Michael W

    2014-03-12

    To implement required attendance at mutual support groups for addiction recovery as a pharmacy skills laboratory exercise, and to evaluate how attendance affected pharmacy students' attitudes about caring for patients with addiction. Third-year (P3) pharmacy students enrolled in a Pharmacy Skills Laboratory course were required to watch an introductory video about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and then attend 2 "open meetings" during the semester. Students submitted a written reflection as proof of attendance. Pharmacy students who agreed to participate in the study completed the Short Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire (SAAPPQ) during the course orientation and again at the end of the semester. Mutual support group attendance significantly affected the students' attitudes within the domains of role adequacy, task specific self-esteem, and work satisfaction. Significant changes were not observed within the domains of motivation and role legitimacy. Mutual support group attendance exposed pharmacy students to the negative effects of alcohol abuse and increased their self-confidence to provide care to patients with alcohol addiction.

  6. Reducing Deviance Through Youths' Mutual Aid Group Dynamics.

    PubMed

    Cheung, Chau-kiu; Ngai, Steven Sek-yum

    2016-01-01

    The mutual aid group, as supported by the social worker, emerges to play a vital role in helping group members reduce their deviance or behavioral problem. However, how the collaboration of the group and social worker accomplishes the reduction has remained uncharted. Based on social capital theory, mutual aid and cohesion within the group and social workers' specific aid for the group are likely responsible for the reduction. The test of such hypotheses relies on a two-wave panel survey of the members of 60 mutual aid groups who had deviant behavioral problems, located in Hong Kong, China. These groups had 241 youths completing both initial and 1-year follow-up surveys. Results manifested the direct or unconditional contributions of mutual aid, group cohesion, and social workers' specific aid to reducing deviance. Hence, social workers can enhance the effectiveness of the mutual aid group in reducing youths' deviance. © The Author(s) 2014.

  7. Group Differences in the Mutual Gaze of Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bard, Kim A.; Myowa-Yamakoshi, Masako; Tomonaga, Masaki; Tanaka, Masayuki; Costall, Alan; Matsuzawa, Tetsuro

    2005-01-01

    A comparative developmental framework was used to determine whether mutual gaze is unique to humans and, if not, whether common mechanisms support the development of mutual gaze in chimpanzees and humans. Mother-infant chimpanzees engaged in approximately 17 instances of mutual gaze per hour. Mutual gaze occurred in positive, nonagonistic…

  8. A Mutual Support Group for Young Problem Gamblers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Binde, Per

    2012-01-01

    A Swedish mutual support group for young problem gamblers is described and discussed. During the study period, 116 weekly meetings occurred, usually involving six to ten participants; in total, 69 problem gamblers (66 male and three female), aged 17-25, and 23 partners and friends attended the meetings. Half the gamblers had problems with Internet…

  9. School-Based Mutual Support Groups for Low-Income Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simoni, Jane M.; Adelman, Howard S.

    1993-01-01

    School-based mutual support groups (MSGs) are proposed to enhance school involvement of parents from lower socioeconomic and ethnic minority backgrounds. A school-based MSG format is presented with results of a survey of interests from 62 parents (36 respondents and 26 nonrespondents) and a discussion of a pilot demonstration in 3 urban elementary…

  10. School-Based Mutual Support Groups for Parents: An Intervention Guidebook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simoni, Jane M.

    This handbook focuses on steps and tasks related to establishing mutual support groups for parents in a school setting. A sequential approach is described that involves: working within the school to get started; recruiting members; training parents how to run their own meetings; and offering off-site consultation as requested. The first section…

  11. The Self-Help Group Model: A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaques, Marceline E.; Patterson, Kathleen M.

    1974-01-01

    Self-help mutual aid groups are organized by peers who share a common problem. Through group identification, mutual support, and modeling, behavior is directed toward learning a new coping life style. The self-help group model is considered here as a viable and necessary part of a total rehabilitation service system. (Author)

  12. Effectiveness of Psychoeducation and Mutual Support Group Program for Family Caregivers of Chinese People with Schizophrenia

    PubMed Central

    Chien, Wai Tong

    2008-01-01

    Schizophrenia is a disruptive and distressing illness, not only for the person affected but also for family members. Family intervention, particularly in a group format using a diverse range of modalities, is thought to effectively satisfy the informational needs of families and enhance their coping abilities when caring for a relative with schizophrenia, and thus reduce a patient’s relapse from illness. This study tested the hypothesis that participants in a family psychoeducation and mutual support group would demonstrate significant improvements in levels of patient and family functioning and shorter duration of re-hospitalization than families in routine care. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with a sample of 68 Chinese families of schizophrenia sufferers in Hong Kong, who were randomly assigned to either a family psychoeducation and support group (n = 34), or a routine care group (n = 34). The interventions were delivered at two psychiatric outpatient clinics over a nine-month period. Results of multivariate analyses of variance test indicated that the psychoeducation and support group reported greater improvements on family and patient functioning and shorter lengths of patient hospitalizations at the two post-tests (one month and one year after completion of the intervention), compared with the routine care group. The findings substantiate that within a Chinese context, psychoeducation and mutual support group intervention can effectively help families care for a mentally ill relative. PMID:19319218

  13. Using Voice, Meaning, Mutual Construction of Knowledge, and Transfer of Learning to Apply an Ecological Perspective to Group Work Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orr, Jonathan J.; Hulse-Killacky, Diana

    2006-01-01

    Concepts of voice, meaning, mutual construction of knowledge, and transfer of learning are presented in this paper as critical ingredients that support the teaching of group work from an ecological perspective. Examples of these concepts are given to illustrate their application in group work classes. (Contains 1 table.)

  14. Computer-mediated support group intervention for parents.

    PubMed

    Bragadóttir, Helga

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a computer-mediated support group (CMSG) intervention for parents whose children had been diagnosed with cancer. An evaluative one-group, before-and-after research design. A CMSG, an unstructured listserve group where participants used their E-mail for communication, was conducted over a 4-month period. Participation in the CMSG was offered to parents in Iceland whose children had completed cancer treatment in the past 5 years. Outcome measures were done: before the intervention (Time 1), after 2 months of intervention (Time 2) and after 4 months of intervention (Time 3) when the project ended. Measures included: demographic and background variables; health related vulnerability factors of parents: anxiety, depression, somatization, and stress; perceived mutual support; and use of the CMSG. Data were collected from November 2002 to June 2003. Twenty-one of 58 eligible parents participated in the study, with 71% retention rate for both post-tests. Mothers' depression decreased significantly from Time 2 to Time 3 (p<.03). Fathers' anxiety decreased significantly from Time 1 to Time 3 (p<.01). Fathers' stress decreased significantly from Time 2 to Time 3 (p<.02). To some extent, mothers and fathers perceived mutual support from participating in the CMSG. Both mothers and fathers used the CMSG by reading messages. Messages were primarily written by mothers. Study findings support further development of CMSGs for parents whose children have been diagnosed with cancer. Using computer technology for support is particularly useful for dispersed populations and groups that have restrictions on their time. Computer-mediated support groups have been shown to be a valuable addition to, or substitute for, a traditional face-to-face mutual support group and might suit both genders equally.

  15. Experience of Wellness Recovery Action Planning in Self-Help and Mutual Support Groups for People with Lived Experience of Mental Health Difficulties

    PubMed Central

    Pratt, Rebekah; MacGregor, Andy; Reid, Susan; Given, Lisa

    2013-01-01

    The main aim of this research was to assess the relevance and impact of wellness recovery action planning (WRAP) as a tool for self-management and wellness planning by individuals with mental health problems from pre-existing and newly formed groups, where the possibilities for continued mutual support in the development of WRAPs could be explored. Interviews and focus groups were conducted and pre-post recovery outcome measures completed (Recovery Assessment Scale and Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale). 21 WRAP group participants took part in the research. The WRAP approach, used in groups and delivered by trained facilitators who could also share their lived experience, was very relevant and appeared to have a positive impact on many of the participants. The impact on participants varied from learning more about recovery and developing improved self-awareness to integrating a WRAP approach into daily life. The apparent positive impact of WRAP delivered in the context of mutual support groups indicates that it should be given serious consideration as a unique and worthwhile option for improving mental health. WRAP groups could make a significant contribution to the range of self-management options that are available for improving mental health and well-being. PMID:23365542

  16. The use of supportive-educative and mutual goal-setting strategies to improve self-management for patients with heart failure.

    PubMed

    Kline, Kay Setter; Scott, Linda D; Britton, Agnes S

    2007-09-01

    This study examined the effects of 2 home healthcare nursing approaches--supportive-educative and mutual goal setting--on self-management for patients with heart failure. Both approaches are specifically related to participants' understanding of heart failure and self-efficacy in managing the condition. An experimental, longitudinal, repeated-measures design was used with a sample of 88 participants. Although no significant difference was demonstrated in participants' understanding of heart failure, the supportive-educative group showed a significantly increased self-efficacy in managing heart failure symptoms.

  17. A 3-year study of addiction mutual-help group participation following intensive outpatient treatment.

    PubMed

    Kelly, John F; Stout, Robert; Zywiak, William; Schneider, Robert

    2006-08-01

    Addiction-focused mutual-help group participation is associated with better substance use disorder (SUD) treatment outcomes. However, little has been documented regarding which types of mutual-help organizations patients attend, what levels of participation may be beneficial, and which patients, in particular, are more or less likely to participate. Furthermore, much of the evidence supporting the use of these organizations comes from studies examining participation and outcomes concurrently, raising doubts about cause-effect connections, and little is known about influences that may moderate the degree of any general benefit. Alcohol-dependent outpatients (N=227; 27% female; M age=42) enrolled in a randomized-controlled telephone case monitoring trial were assessed at treatment intake and at 1, 2, and 3 years postdischarge. Lagged-panel, hierarchical linear models tested whether mutual-help group participation in the first and second year following treatment predicted subsequent outcomes and whether these effects were moderated by gender, concurrent axis I diagnosis, religious preference, and prior mutual-help experience. Robust regression curve analysis was used to examine dose-response relationships between mutual-help and outcomes. Mutual-help participation was associated with both greater abstinence and fewer drinks per drinking day and this relationship was not found to be influenced by gender, Axis I diagnosis, religious preference, or prior mutual-help participation. Mutual-help participants attended predominantly Alcoholics Anonymous and tended to be Caucasian, be more educated, have prior mutual-help experience, and have more severe alcohol involvement. Dose-response curve analyses suggested that even small amounts of participation may be helpful in increasing abstinence, whereas higher doses may be needed to reduce relapse intensity. Use of mutual-help groups following intensive outpatient SUD treatment appears to be beneficial for many different types of patients and even modest levels of participation may be helpful. Future emphasis should be placed on ways to engage individuals with these cost-effective resources over time and to gather and disseminate evidence regarding additional mutual-help organizations.

  18. The initiation of mutual-help groups within residential treatment settings.

    PubMed

    Salem, D A; Gant, L; Campbell, R

    1998-08-01

    Mutual- and self-help groups for persons with severe mental illness have typically been most accessible to individuals who live independently. In an effort to make their organization more accessible to those who live in residential treatment facilities, Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA) ran introductory mutual-help meetings in four group homes. The results of a quantitative/qualitative case study of this effort are reported. The SA meetings were characterized as more and less successful based on the criteria of residents' attendance, participation, evaluation of the meetings, and interest in continued participation. The following characteristics distinguished between more and less successful meetings: staff support, referent power (i.e., identification with group leaders), and resident characteristics (e.g., gender, education, marital status, level of symptomatology). In spite of behavioral and self-reported evidence of interest and involvement in the meetings and the potential for continued involvement in the organization, no group home residents continued their participation in SA following the introductory meetings. This finding is interpreted from an institutional theory perspective that focuses on incompatibility between the ideologies underlying mutual help and the residential treatment system.

  19. Divorce transition differences of midlife women.

    PubMed

    Sakraida, Teresa J

    2005-01-01

    Divorce transition experienced by and its influence upon midlife women's health is not fully understood. Interviews were conducted with 24 divorced women who self-classified into decider status groups: initiator (who first decided to end marriage), non-initiator (recipient of end of marriage decision), and mutual decider (shared decision to end marriage). Interpretive content analysis involving pattern coding was conducted. The divorce transition by initiators (n=8) included self-focused growth, optimism, and social support losses and opportunities, while the divorce transition by non-initiators (n=8) included being left, ruminating, vulnerability, and spiritual comfort. No profile emerged for the mutual-decider group (n=8). This study supports that differences in divorce transition exist for initiators and non-initiators.

  20. Facilitated peer support in breast cancer: a pre- and post-program evaluation of women's expectations and experiences of a facilitated peer support program.

    PubMed

    Power, Sinead; Hegarty, Josephine

    2010-01-01

    Peer support programs are associated with the provision of emotional, informational, and appraisal support. The benefits of peer support for women with breast cancer include reduced social isolation, enhanced coping, and access to information. The aim of this study was to conduct a pre- and post-program evaluation of a 7-week facilitated breast cancer peer support program in a cancer support house. Women with primary breast cancer (n = 8) participated in pre- and post-program focus groups. The interviews were recorded and were transcribed verbatim by the researcher. The data were analyzed using content analysis. Eight themes were identified. The key themes emerging from the pre and post programme focus groups included: The need for mutual identification; Post-treatment isolation; Help with moving on; The impact of hair loss; Consolidation of information; Enablement/empowerment; The importance of the cancer survivor; Mutual sharing. It is essential that facilitated peer support programs are tailored to meet the support needs of women with breast cancer. There is a particular need to facilitate mutual sharing and support for hair loss within these programs. Implications for practice emerging from this study include the importance of pre- and post-program evaluations in identifying whether peer support programs meet the expectations of women with breast cancer, the need for peer/professional programs to support women with treatment-induced hair loss, the importance of including cancer survivors in support programs, and the need to allow more informal sharing to occur in facilitated peer support programs.

  1. More than one way to be happy: a typology of marital happiness.

    PubMed

    Rauer, Amy; Volling, Brenda

    2013-09-01

    This study utilized observational and self-report data from 57 happily married couples to explore assumptions regarding marital happiness. Suggesting that happily married couples are not a homogeneous group, cluster analyses revealed the existence of three types of couples based on their observed behaviors in a problem-solving task: (1) mutually engaged couples (characterized by both spouses' higher negative and positive problem-solving); (2) mutually supportive couples (characterized by both spouses' higher positivity and support); and (3) wife compensation couples (characterized by high wife positivity). Although couples in all three clusters were equally happy with and committed to their marriages, these clusters were differentially associated with spouses' evaluations of their marriage. Spouses in the mutually supportive cluster reported greater intimacy and maintenance and less conflict and ambivalence, although this was more consistently the case in comparison to the wife compensation cluster, as opposed to the mutually engaged cluster. The implications of these typologies are discussed as they pertain to efforts on the part of both practitioners to promote marital happiness and repair marital relations when couples are faced with difficulties. © FPI, Inc.

  2. 12-Step Interventions and Mutual Support Programs for Substance Use Disorders: An Overview

    PubMed Central

    Donovan, Dennis M.; Ingalsbe, Michelle H.; Benbow, James; Daley, Dennis C.

    2013-01-01

    Social workers and other behavioral health professionals are likely to encounter individuals with substance use disorders in a variety of practice settings outside of specialty treatment. 12-Step mutual support programs represent readily available, no cost community-based resources for such individuals; however, practitioners are often unfamiliar with such programs. The present article provides a brief overview of 12-Step programs, the positive substance use and psychosocial outcomes associated with active 12-Step involvement, and approaches ranging from ones that can be utilized by social workers in any practice setting to those developed for specialty treatment programs to facilitate engagement in 12-Step meetings and recovery activities. The goal is to familiarize social workers with 12-Step approaches so that they are better able to make informed referrals that match clients to mutual support groups that best meet the individual’s needs and maximize the likelihood of engagement and positive outcomes. PMID:23731422

  3. Enhancing mutual accountability to promote quality, safety, and nurses' recovery from substance use disorders.

    PubMed

    Horton-Deutsch, Sara; McNelis, Angela; O'Haver Day, Pamela

    2011-12-01

    Year after year, the public view nurses at the top of the list of the most honest and ethical professionals. However, nurses impaired with substance use disorders are subject to the tremendous stigma associated with addiction. Successful treatment programs protect public safety and support nurses' recovery and reentry into practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the nurses' experience in an alternative-to-discipline treatment program, the Indiana State Nurses Assistance Program (ISNAP), administered by the Indiana State Nurses Association. For this study, focus groups were used to capture nurses' experience with the ISNAP, a nurse-monitoring program for substance use. Three focus groups were conducted with 25 participants. The overall theme of the focus groups was enhancing mutual accountability. Nurses' views were grouped into four major areas of importance, including accountability, clear expectations, addressing individual concerns, and educating others about substance use disorders. Nurses described how each of these factors supported and impeded their recovery. The findings support the need for further education and research on how to best promote and sustain recovery. 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Informal Social Support Interventions and their Role in Violence Prevention: An Agenda for Future Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Budde, Stephen; Schene, Patricia

    2004-01-01

    There is increasing interest among policymakers and practitioners in tapping the potential of family, friends, volunteers, peer support groups, and mutual aid organizations to help prevent violence. The popularity of these informal social support (ISS) interventions stems, in part, from their flexibility, responsiveness to individual needs, and…

  5. Breast and Prostate Cancer Survivor Responses to Group Exercise and Supportive Group Psychotherapy.

    PubMed

    Martin, Eric; Bulsara, Caroline; Battaglini, Claudio; Hands, Beth; Naumann, Fiona L

    2015-01-01

    This study qualitatively examined an 8-week group exercise and counseling intervention for breast and prostate cancer survivors. Groups exercised 3 days per week, 50 minutes per session, performing moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance training. Groups also underwent 90-minute supportive group psychotherapy sessions once per week. Survivors discussed their experiences in focus groups post intervention. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Survivors described how exercise facilitated counseling by creating mutual aid and trust, and counseling helped participants with self-identity, sexuality, and the return to normalcy. When possible, counselors and fitness professionals should create partnerships to optimally support cancer survivors.

  6. Evaluation of participatory training in managing mental health for supervisory employees in the financial industry.

    PubMed

    Yoshikawa, Toru; Ogami, Ayumi; Muto, Takashi

    2013-12-01

    Industry-specific primary prevention measures for promoting mental health of workers were undertaken in 2008 and 2009 as a result of participatory training involving 130 supervisory employees in workplaces of the financial industry. These measures included the following five points suggested to be effective in the industry: 1) proper opportunities for training and career building, 2) control of work time and improving work organization, 3) standardization of tasks, 4) job rotation for sharing work responsibilities, and 5) increasing communication and mutual support. A post-training follow-up survey revealed that participatory, action-oriented training facilitated sharing of feasible measures and mutual support, leading to the development of measures easily introduced and established at each workplace. We concluded that mutually supportive group work of teams composed of members who held similar duty positions and were engaged in similar operations, using the Mental Health Action Checklist as a guiding tool, was effective for realizing implementation of optimally practical and specific measures.

  7. The Influence of Learner Strategies on Oral Presentations: A Comparison between Group and Individual Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chou, Mu-hsuan

    2011-01-01

    Cooperative learning has frequently been used in language classrooms, from in-class task-based group work to group presentations. Research suggests that cooperative learning provides mutual support, as well as successful and effective learning outcomes of tasks. The present research addressed a number of problems discovered in group oral…

  8. Group Therapy with Patients in the Waiting Room of an Oncology Clinic.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arnowitz, Edward; And Others

    1983-01-01

    Describes a therapy group for cancer patients, conducted by cotherapists in an oncology waiting room. Group members provided mutual support and shared concerns and coping methods. Medical staff members became more involved and were more able to address the affective needs of the patients and their families. (JAC)

  9. Friendship Quality and Psychosocial Outcomes among Children with Traumatic Brain Injury

    PubMed Central

    Heverly-Fitt, Sara; Wimsatt, Maureen A.; Menzer, Melissa M.; Rubin, Kenneth H.; Dennis, Maureen; Taylor, Gerry; Stancin, Terry; Gerhardt, Cynthia A.; Vannatta, Kathryn; Bigler, Erin D.; Yeates, Keith Owen

    2014-01-01

    This study examined differences in friendship quality between children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and orthopedic injury (OI) and behavioral outcomes for children from both groups. Participants were 41 children with TBI and 43 children with OI (M age = 10.4). Data were collected using peer- and teacher-reported measures of participants’ social adjustment and parent-reported measures of children’s post-injury behaviors. Participants and their mutually nominated best friends also completed a measure of the quality of their friendships. Children with TBI reported significantly more support and satisfaction in their friendships than children with OI. Children with TBI and their mutual best friend were more similar in their reports of friendship quality compared to children with OI and their mutual best friends. Additionally, for children with TBI who were rejected by peers, friendship support buffered against maladaptive psychosocial outcomes, and predicted skills related to social competence. Friendship satisfaction was related to higher teacher ratings of social skills for the TBI group only. Positive and supportive friendships play an important role for children with TBI, especially for those not accepted by peers. Such friendships may protect children with TBI who are rejected against maladaptive psychosocial outcomes, and promote skills related to social competence. PMID:24840021

  10. Colleagues in Faith: Models of Shared Prayer and Collegial Support for Catholic Educational Leaders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Catholic Educational Association, Washington, DC.

    This publication provides a framework for spiritual leadership and mutual support for and among Catholic school administrators. The group sessions, written by Catholic school administrators, focus on a theme or season to pray, share, celebrate, relax, and show support for one another. Each section presents sample formats for a gathering, including…

  11. Technology Supported Facilitation and Assessment of Small Group Collaborative Inquiry Learning in Large First-Year Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawrie, Gwendolyn A.; Gahan, Lawrence R.; Matthews, Kelly E.; Weaver, Gabriela C.; Bailey, Chantal; Adams, Peter; Kavanagh, Lydia J.; Long, Phillip D.; Taylor, Matthew

    2014-01-01

    Collaborative learning activities offer the potential to support mutual knowledge construction and shared understanding amongst students. Introducing collaborative tasks into large first-year undergraduate science classes to create learning environments that foster student engagement and enhance communication skills is appealing. However,…

  12. Tips for Cutting Down on Drinking

    MedlinePlus

    ... card in your wallet, check marks on a kitchen calendar, or a personal digital assistant. If you ... help, such as a spouse or non-drinking friends. Joining Alcoholics Anonymous or another mutual support group ...

  13. Advocacy, support and survivorship in prostate cancer.

    PubMed

    Dunn, J; Casey, C; Sandoe, D; Hyde, M K; Cheron-Sauer, M-C; Lowe, A; Oliffe, J L; Chambers, S K

    2018-03-01

    Across Australia, prostate cancer support groups (PCSG) have emerged to fill a gap in psychosocial care for men and their families. However, an understanding of the triggers and influencers of the PCSG movement is absent. We interviewed 21 SG leaders (19 PC survivors, two partners), of whom six also attended a focus group, about motivations, experiences, past and future challenges in founding and leading PCSGs. Thematic analysis identified four global themes: illness experience; enacting a supportive response; forming a national collective and challenges. Leaders described men's feelings of isolation and neglect by the health system as the impetus for PCSGs to form and give/receive mutual help. Negotiating health care systems was an early challenge. National affiliation enabled leaders to build a united voice in the health system and establish a group identity and collective voice. Affiliation was supported by a symbiotic relationship with tensions between independence, affiliation and governance. Future challenges were group sustainability and inclusiveness. Study findings describe how a grassroots PCSG movement arose consistent with an embodied health movement perspective. Health care organisations who seek to leverage these community resources need to be cognisant of SG values and purpose if they are to negotiate effective partnerships that maximise mutual benefit. © 2017 The Authors. European Journal of Cancer Care Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Interactions of the NAEG information support project with other projects

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

    Pfuderer, H.A.

    In the past year the Information Support Project to the Nevada Applied Ecology Group has interacted with many other research projects on the transuranics and other radionuclides. Group interactions through symposiums, workshops, and responding to search requests have proven to be mutually beneficial. The NAEG Information Support Project will draw on the information resources of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to produce a bibliography of the radionuclides (other than the transuranics) of interest to the Nevada Test Site. (auth)

  15. A Guide to Selected National Genetic Voluntary Organizations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health, Washington, DC.

    The directory lists approximately 120 mutual support groups concerned with the medical and psychological impacts of genetic disorders and birth defects on individuals and their families. The groups are dedicated to serving the ongoing emotional, practical, and financial needs of these populations. The entries are arranged alphabetically and…

  16. Geospatial Engineering

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-02-22

    manages operations through guidance, policies, programs, and organizations. The NSG is designed to be a mutually supportive enterprise that...deliberate technical design and deliberate human actions. Geospatial engineer teams (GETs) within the geospatial intelligence cells are the day-to-day...standards working group and are designated by the AGC Geospatial Acquisition Support Directorate as required for interoperability. Applicable standards

  17. Adult Learning in Self-Help/Mutual Aid Support Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hammerman, Myrna Lynn

    Although the origins of self-help groups can be traced back to early history, the self-help movement as we know it today began almost 50 years ago. Approximately 15 million Americans currently belong to about 500,000 different self-help groups. Adults in transition are likely to seek both formal and informal sources of help when faced with…

  18. Teaching about Dying and Death in a Multidisciplinary Student Group.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barton, David; And Others

    1979-01-01

    Discusses dimensions which emerged in a multidisciplinary class of medical, nursing, social work, and theology students about dying and death. Group process was the most important aspect. Students evaluated their roles and transactions in caring for the dying. The recognition of solidarity of purpose, shared feeling, and mutual support emerged.…

  19. A Phenomenological Exploration of Children's Experiences in a Social Skills Group

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ware, Jenifer N.; Ohrt, Jonathan H.; Swank, Jacqueline M.

    2012-01-01

    This phenomenological study explored the perspectives of 6 children who participated in a social skills group. The children were identified as having significant social skills delays and 4 of the children had a disorder on the autism spectrum. Seven themes emerged: mutual acceptance and support, improved interpersonal skills, positive feelings…

  20. A Pilot Intervention to Promote Safer Sex in Heterosexual Puerto Rican Couples

    PubMed Central

    Pérez-Jiménez, David; Seal, David Wyatt; Ronis, David L.

    2014-01-01

    Although the sexual transmission of HIV occurs in the context of an intimate relationship, preventive interventions with couples are scarce, particularly those designed for Hispanics. In this article, we present the effect of a pilot intervention directed to prevent HIV/AIDS in heterosexual couples in Puerto Rico. The intervention was theory-based and consisted of five three-hour group sessions. Primary goals included increasing male condom use and the practice of mutual masturbation as a safer sex method, and promoting favorable attitudes toward these behaviors. Twenty-six couples participated in this study. Fifteen were randomly assigned to the intervention group and eleven to a control group. Retention rates at post-intervention and follow-up were 82% for the whole sample. Results showed that there was a significant increase in the use of male condoms with main partners in the intervention group when compared with the control group. Couples in the intervention group also had better scores on secondary outcomes, such as attitudes toward condom use and mutual masturbation, HIV information, sexual decision-making, and social support. We found that these effects persisted over the three month follow up. A significant effect was also observed for the practice of mutual masturbation, but not for sexual negotiation. These results showed that promoting male condom use in dyadic interventions among heterosexual couples in Puerto Rico is feasible. Our findings suggest that because vaginal penetration has been constructed as the sexual script endpoint among many Hispanic couples, promoting other non-penetrative practices, such as mutual masturbation, may be difficult. PMID:25512880

  1. A Pilot Intervention to Promote Safer Sex in Heterosexual Puerto Rican Couples.

    PubMed

    Pérez-Jiménez, David; Seal, David Wyatt; Ronis, David L

    2014-09-01

    Although the sexual transmission of HIV occurs in the context of an intimate relationship, preventive interventions with couples are scarce, particularly those designed for Hispanics. In this article, we present the effect of a pilot intervention directed to prevent HIV/AIDS in heterosexual couples in Puerto Rico. The intervention was theory-based and consisted of five three-hour group sessions. Primary goals included increasing male condom use and the practice of mutual masturbation as a safer sex method, and promoting favorable attitudes toward these behaviors. Twenty-six couples participated in this study. Fifteen were randomly assigned to the intervention group and eleven to a control group. Retention rates at post-intervention and follow-up were 82% for the whole sample. Results showed that there was a significant increase in the use of male condoms with main partners in the intervention group when compared with the control group. Couples in the intervention group also had better scores on secondary outcomes, such as attitudes toward condom use and mutual masturbation, HIV information, sexual decision-making, and social support. We found that these effects persisted over the three month follow up. A significant effect was also observed for the practice of mutual masturbation, but not for sexual negotiation. These results showed that promoting male condom use in dyadic interventions among heterosexual couples in Puerto Rico is feasible. Our findings suggest that because vaginal penetration has been constructed as the sexual script endpoint among many Hispanic couples, promoting other non-penetrative practices, such as mutual masturbation, may be difficult.

  2. Friendship relations from the perspective of children with experience of cancer treatment: a focus group study with a salutogenic approach.

    PubMed

    Einberg, Eva-Lena; Svedberg, Petra; Enskär, Karin; Nygren, Jens M

    2015-01-01

    Friendships are significant to child development and health but diseases such as cancer can interrupt the contact with friends. The purpose of this study was to describe perceptions of friendship from the perspective of children undergoing cancer treatment, in order to build knowledge that can be used in a health promotion intervention for these children. Fifteen children between 8 and 12 years of age participated in focus groups, where a mixture of informative and creative techniques were used. The focus group discussions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in three generic categories, "Common interests and experiences," "Mutual empathic actions." and "Mutual trust and understanding," incorporating seven subcategories. Based on children's descriptions from a salutogenic perspective, friendship emerged as An equal and mutual commitment that evolves over time and with interactions face-to-face and digitally, a child perspective on friendship should be central to the development of health promotion interventions designed to support friendship relations of children treated for cancer. © 2014 by Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses.

  3. [Acceptability of implementation of mutual health in a Senegalese rural area].

    PubMed

    Faye, A; Diop, C T; Ndiaye, P; Tal-Dia, A

    2011-10-01

    Funding for healthcare poses a major problem in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to assess public perceptions toward the implementation of mutual healthcare coverage in rural Senegal. A descriptive transversal study was conducted from 24/09/07 to 05/10/07 in a randomly selected sample of 208 heads of households living in the rural communities of Ngogom and Réfane. Data were collected by means of individual interviews and focus group discussions. Topics included population health, community solidarity, health insurance and implementation of mutual healthcare insurance. The sample population was 94% male, 91% married, 36% uneducated and 11% unemployed. Household income was irregular in 36% and 84% had no savings. In case of medical emergency, 43% relied on family for assistance, 36% had no recourse and 21% would have to contract, a loan. Nearly half the sample population, i.e., 46%, were familiar with the principle of mutual healthcare insurance and 98% wanted to join. The main reasons for wanting to join were to reduce medical costs (57%), improve access to care (25%) and build community solidarity (11%). In focus groups, people expressed the need for micro health insurance. Findings also showed good community dynamics and a tradition of pooling resources to implement collective activities. The public perception of mutual healthcare insurance is favorable. However, due to economic difficulties, support from political and health authorities will be needed.

  4. Following Through: Representing the Voice of Graduate Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amankwatia, Tonya; Barbour, Michael; Inan, Fethi A.; Parker, Preston; Slagter van Tryon, Patricia J.

    2007-01-01

    The 2006 Class of AECT Interns has from the outset been uniquely involved and proactive in supporting the goals of the ect Foundation and of AECT. This article further illustrates the good work this group is doing to support their mutual mission and goals. In the March/April 2007 issue of "Tech Trends," the authors outlined their plans for the…

  5. Evaluation of an ongoing psychoeducational inflammatory bowel disease support group in an adult outpatient setting.

    PubMed

    McMaster, Kristin; Aguinaldo, Laika; Parekh, Nimisha K

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies assessing efficacy of support groups for patients with inflammatory bowel disease showed mixed results in terms of attendance and overall effectiveness. In this study, researchers evaluated the use of an ongoing open psychoeducational support group for adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease in an outpatient tertiary setting. The sample consisted of 18 adults who have attended more than 2 meetings of the support group. Topics addressed in the support group include complementary medicine, diet and nutrition, the psychological impact of inflammatory bowel disease, medication and side effects, and insurance/disability. Participants were asked to complete the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, Multidimensional Support Scale, 11 general demographic questions, and a brief open-ended qualitative questionnaire developed by the researchers. Results demonstrated that participants reported very high satisfaction with the support group and rated the adequacy of peer support from others with inflammatory bowel disease higher than support from family/friends and professionals. A majority of group members reported joining the group for mutual support and education; this expectation was met through the psychoeducational structure of the group. This study demonstrates the potential for success of an ongoing psychoeducational inflammatory bowel disease support group for adult patients and their caregivers.

  6. A simple rule for the evolution of contingent cooperation in large groups

    PubMed Central

    Schonmann, Roberto H.; Boyd, Robert

    2016-01-01

    Humans cooperate in large groups of unrelated individuals, and many authors have argued that such cooperation is sustained by contingent reward and punishment. However, such sanctioning systems can also stabilize a wide range of behaviours, including mutually deleterious behaviours. Moreover, it is very likely that large-scale cooperation is derived in the human lineage. Thus, understanding the evolution of mutually beneficial cooperative behaviour requires knowledge of when strategies that support such behaviour can increase when rare. Here, we derive a simple formula that gives the relatedness necessary for contingent cooperation in n-person iterated games to increase when rare. This rule applies to a wide range of pay-off functions and assumes that the strategies supporting cooperation are based on the presence of a threshold fraction of cooperators. This rule suggests that modest levels of relatedness are sufficient for invasion by strategies that make cooperation contingent on previous cooperation by a small fraction of group members. In contrast, only high levels of relatedness allow the invasion by strategies that require near universal cooperation. In order to derive this formula, we introduce a novel methodology for studying evolution in group structured populations including local and global group-size regulation and fluctuations in group size. PMID:26729938

  7. Modeling of Mutual Anion-Cation Neutralization Processes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-07-01

    Chemical Kinetics, Plasma Chemistry 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT SAR 18, NUMBER OF PAGES 9 19a. NAME OF...understanding of elementary processes in plasma chemistry , conducted jointly with the research group of Dr. A. A. Viggiano at the AFRL and supported by

  8. Groupthink: one peril of group cohesiveness.

    PubMed

    Rosenblum, E H

    1982-04-01

    A group's aim is to make well-conceived, well-understood, well-accepted and realistic decisions to reach their agreed-upon goals. This aim applies equally to their own goals and those occasionally imposed by outsiders such as hospital administration, accreditation committees and the federal government. Effective groupwork requires group cohesion with its components of trust, risk taking, mutual support, and group esteem. With constant vigilance the group can maintain its positive dynamics, so that the unhealthy state of groupthink does not undermine its existence.

  9. Nursing teams: behind the charts.

    PubMed

    Bae, Sung-Heui; Farasat, Alireza; Nikolaev, Alex; Seo, Jin Young; Foltz-Ramos, Kelly; Fabry, Donna; Castner, Jessica

    2017-07-01

    To examine the nature and characteristics of both received and provided mutual support in a social network within an acute care hospital unit. Current evidence regarding the social network in the health care workforce reveals the nature of social ties. Most studies of social network-related support that measured the characteristics of social support used self-reported perception from workers receiving support. There is a gap in studies that focus on back-up behaviour. The evaluation included a social network analysis of a nursing unit employing 54 staff members. A 12 item electronic survey was administered. Descriptive statistics were calculated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Social network analyses were carried out using ucinet, r 3.2.3 and gephi. Based on the study findings, as providers of mutual support the nursing staff claimed to give their peers more help than these peers gave them credit for. Those who worked overtime provided more mutual support. Mutual support is a key teamwork characteristic, essential to quality and safety in hospital nursing teams that can be evaluated using social network analysis. Because of a discrepancy regarding receiving and providing help, examining both receiver and provider networks is a superior approach to understanding mutual support. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Effectiveness of Dual Focus Mutual Aid for Co-occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders: A Review and Synthesis of the “Double Trouble” in Recovery Evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Magura, Stephen

    2010-01-01

    Over five million adults in the U.S. have a co-occurring substance use disorder and serious psychological distress. Mutual aid (“self-help”) can usefully complement treatment, but people with co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders often encounter a lack of empathy and acceptance in traditional mutual aid groups. Double Trouble in Recovery (DTR) is a dual focus fellowship whose mission is to bring the benefits of mutual aid to persons recovering from co-occurring disorders. An evaluation of DTR was conducted by interviewing 310 persons attending 24 DTR meetings in New York City in 1998 and following them up for two years, in 1999 and 2000. The evaluation produced 13 articles in 12 peer reviewed journals, the main results of which are summarized here. The sample’s characteristics were: mean age, 40 years; women, 28%; black, 59%; white, 25%; Hispanic, 14%; never married, 63%; live in supported community residence, 53%; high school graduate or GED, 60%; arrested as adult, 63%; diagnoses of: schizophrenia, 39%; major depression, 21%; or bipolar disorder; 20%; currently prescribed psychiatric medication, 92%; primary substance used, current or past: cocaine/crack, 42%; alcohol 34%; or heroin, 11%. Overall, the findings indicate that DTR participation has both direct and indirect effects on several important components of recovery: drug/alcohol abstinence, psychiatric medication adherence, self-efficacy for recovery, and quality of life. The study also identified several “common” therapeutic factors (e.g., internal motivation, social support) and unique mutual aid processes (helper-therapy, reciprocal learning) that mediate the influence of DTR participation on recovery. For clinicians, these results underline the importance of fostering stable affiliation with specialized dual focus 12-step groups for their patients with co-occurring disorders, as part of a comprehensive recovery-oriented treatment approach. PMID:19016171

  11. Effectiveness of dual focus mutual aid for co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders: a review and synthesis of the "Double Trouble" in Recovery evaluation.

    PubMed

    Magura, Stephen

    2008-01-01

    Over 5 million adults in the United States have a co-occurring substance use disorder and serious psychological distress. Mutual aid (self-help) can usefully complement treatment, but people with co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders often encounter a lack of empathy and acceptance in traditional mutual aid groups. Double Trouble in Recovery (DTR) is a dual focus fellowship whose mission is to bring the benefits of mutual aid to persons recovering from co-occurring disorders. An evaluation of DTR was conducted by interviewing 310 persons attending 24 DTR meetings in New York City (NYC) in 1998 and following them up for 2 years, in 1999 and 2000. The evaluation produced 13 articles in 12 peer-reviewed journals, the main results of which are summarized here. The sample's characteristics were as follows: mean age, 40 years; women, 28%; black, 59%; white, 25%; Hispanic, 14%; never married, 63%; live in supported community residence, 53%; high school graduate or GED, 60%; arrested as adult, 63%; diagnoses of: schizophrenia, 39%; major depression, 21%; or bipolar disorder, 20%; currently prescribed psychiatric medication, 92%; primary substance used, current or past: cocaine/crack, 42%; alcohol 34%; or heroin, 11%. Overall, the findings indicate that DTR participation has both direct and indirect effects on several important components of recovery: drug/alcohol abstinence, psychiatric medication adherence, self-efficacy for recovery, and quality of life. The study also identified several "common" therapeutic factors (e.g., internal motivation and social support) and unique mutual aid processes (helper-therapy and reciprocal learning) that mediate the influence of DTR participation on recovery. For clinicians, these results underline the importance of fostering stable affiliation with specialized dual focus 12-step groups for their patients with co-occurring disorders, as part of a comprehensive recovery-oriented treatment approach.

  12. School-Based Mutual Support Groups for Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simoni, Jane M.

    Parental involvement in schooling has been shown to bolster student performance. However, eliciting parents' participation in their children's schooling has proven to be an elusive task, particularly among parents from lower socio-economic and ethnic minority backgrounds. To encourage parent involvement in the school setting, an intervention that…

  13. Mitochondrial genomes suggest that hexapods and crustaceans are mutually paraphyletic

    PubMed Central

    Cook, Charles E; Yue, Qiaoyun; Akam, Michael

    2005-01-01

    For over a century the relationships between the four major groups of the phylum Arthropoda (Chelicerata, Crustacea, Hexapoda and Myriapoda) have been debated. Recent molecular evidence has confirmed a close relationship between the Crustacea and the Hexapoda, and has included the suggestion of a paraphyletic Hexapoda. To test this hypothesis we have sequenced the complete or near-complete mitochondrial genomes of three crustaceans (Parhyale hawaiensis, Squilla mantis and Triops longicaudatus), two collembolans (Onychiurus orientalis and Podura aquatica) and the insect Thermobia domestica. We observed rearrangement of transfer RNA genes only in O. orientalis, P. aquatica and P. hawaiensis. Of these, only the rearrangement in O. orientalis, an apparent autapomorphy for the collembolan family Onychiuridae, was phylogenetically informative. We aligned the nuclear and amino acid sequences from the mitochondrial protein-encoding genes of these taxa with their homologues from other arthropod taxa for phylogenetic analysis. Our dataset contains many more Crustacea than previous molecular phylogenetic analyses of the arthropods. Neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian posterior probabilities all suggest that crustaceans and hexapods are mutually paraphyletic. A crustacean clade of Malacostraca and Branchiopoda emerges as sister to the Insecta sensu stricto and the Collembola group with the maxillopod crustaceans. Some, but not all, analyses strongly support this mutual paraphyly but statistical tests do not reject the null hypotheses of a monophyletic Hexapoda or a monophyletic Crustacea. The dual monophyly of the Hexapoda and Crustacea has rarely been questioned in recent years but the idea of both groups' paraphyly dates back to the nineteenth century. We suggest that the mutual paraphyly of both groups should seriously be considered. PMID:16024395

  14. Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies: Academic Program Year 2013-2014

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-02-01

    healthy relationships, active bystander intervention, social courage, and core values that support the establishment of mutual respect. In addition ... values that support the establishment of mutual respect. In addition , describe your efforts to review policies that influence culture and behavior at...and core values that support the establishment of mutual respect. In addition , describe your efforts to review policies that influence culture and

  15. "It Might Actually Work This Time": Benefits and Barriers to Adapted 12-Step Facilitation Therapy and Mutual-Help Group Attendance From the Perspective of Dually Diagnosed Individuals.

    PubMed

    Hagler, Kylee J; Rice, Samara L; Muñoz, Rosa E; Salvador, Julie G; Forcehimes, Alyssa A; Bogenschutz, Michael P

    2015-01-01

    Most U.S. healthcare professionals encourage mutual-help group involvement as an adjunct to treatment or aftercare for individuals with substance use disorders, yet there are multiple challenges in engaging in these community groups. Dually diagnosed individuals (DDIs) may face additional challenges in affiliating with mutual-help groups. Twelve-step facilitation for DDIs (TSF-DD), a manualized treatment to facilitate mutual-help group involvement, was developed to help patients engage in Double Trouble in Recovery (DTR), a mutual-help group tailored to DDIs. Given the promising role that TSF-DD and DTR may have for increasing abstinence while managing psychiatric symptoms, the aim of the current study was to systematically examine reasons for TSF-DD and DTR attendance from the perspective of DDIs using focus group data. Participants were a subset (n = 15) of individuals diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder as well as a major depressive, bipolar, or psychotic disorder who participated in a parent study testing the efficacy of TSF-DD for increasing mutual-help group involvement and reducing alcohol use. Analyses of focus group data revealed that participants construed DTR and TSF-DD as helpful tools in the understanding and management of their disorders. Relative to other mutual-help groups in which participants reported feeling ostracized because of their dual diagnoses, participants reported that it was beneficial to learn about dual disorders in a safe and accepting environment. Participants also expressed aspects that they disliked. Results from this study yield helpful empirical recommendations to healthcare professionals seeking to increase DDIs' participation in DTR or other mutual-help groups.

  16. Big City/Small Town Partnerships.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brouillette, Mary; Bothereau, Elizabeth

    1984-01-01

    Describes (1) the Dallas (Texas) Adopt-a-School program, which is a partnership not only between the Dallas Independent School District and business, its primary source of support, but also with higher education, civic groups, the religious community, and individual volunteers; and (2) Minneapolis Suburban Partnerships, a program of mutual benefit…

  17. A Guide to Selected National Genetic Voluntary Organizations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health, Washington, DC.

    The directory lists mutual support groups concerned with the medical and psychosocial impacts of genetic disorders and birth defects on affected individuals and families. Each organization included is dedicated to the ongoing emotional, practical, and financial needs of these populations. Entries are categorized by disorder, including: general,…

  18. A longitudinal study of the comparative efficacy of Women for Sobriety, LifeRing, SMART Recovery, and 12-step groups for those with AUD.

    PubMed

    Zemore, Sarah E; Lui, Camillia; Mericle, Amy; Hemberg, Jordana; Kaskutas, Lee Ann

    2018-05-01

    Despite the effectiveness of 12-step groups, most people reporting a prior alcohol use disorder (AUD) do not sustain involvement in such groups at beneficial levels. This highlights the need for research on other mutual help groups that address alcohol problems and may attract those who avoid 12-step groups. The current study addresses this need, offering outcome data from the first longitudinal, comparative study of 12-step groups and their alternatives: The Peer ALlternatives for Addiction (PAL) Study. Adults with a lifetime AUD were surveyed at baseline (N=647), 6months (81% response rate) and 12months (83% response rate). Members of the largest known secular mutual help alternatives, namely Women for Sobriety (WFS), LifeRing, and SMART, were recruited in collaboration with group directors; current 12-step attendees were recruited from an online meeting hub. Online surveys assessed demographic and clinical variables; mutual help involvement; and alcohol and drug use and severity. Analyses involved multivariate logistic GEEs separately modelling alcohol abstinence, alcohol problems, and total abstinence across 6 and 12months. Key predictors were baseline primary group affiliation (PGA); primary group involvement (PGI) at both baseline and 6months; and the interaction between baseline PGA and 6-month PGI. The critical effects of interest were the interactions, expressing whether associations between changes in PGI from baseline to 6months and substance use outcomes differed by primary group. None of the interactions between baseline PGA and 6-month PGI were significant, suggesting no differences in the efficacy of WFS, LifeRing, or SMART, vs. 12-step groups. Nevertheless, some PGA main effects emerged. Compared to 12-step members, those identifying SMART as their primary group at baseline fared worse across outcomes, and those affiliating with LifeRing showed lower odds of total abstinence. Still, these effects became nonsignificant when controlling for baseline alcohol recovery goal, suggesting that any group differences may be explained by selection of those with weaker abstinence motivation into LifeRing and (especially) SMART. This study makes a valuable contribution in view of the extremely limited evidence on mutual help alternatives. Results tentatively suggest that WFS, LifeRing, and SMART are as effective as 12-step groups for those with AUDs, and that this population has the best odds of success when committing to lifetime total abstinence. An optimal care plan may thus involve facilitating involvement in a broad array of mutual help groups and supporting abstinence motivation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Why power matters: creating a foundation of mutual support in couple relationships.

    PubMed

    Knudson-Martin, Carmen

    2013-03-01

    Research shows that equal power helps couples create intimacy and relationship success. However, though couples increasingly desire equal relationships, cultural models of mutual support are not well developed. Clinicians often approach heterosexual couple therapy as though partners are inherently equal, thus reinforcing unacknowledged gender inequities. This article examines research that shows why power imbalances are destructive to intimate relationships and focuses on four gender-related aspects of mutual support: (a) shared relational responsibility, (b) mutual vulnerability, (c) mutual attunement, and (d) shared influence. Case examples illustrate how socio-emotional attunement, interrupting the flow of power, and introducing alternative relational experience help couple therapists identify and address power disparities in these important relational processes. Encouraging the powerful person to take relational initiative and introducing alternative gender discourse are especially important. © FPI, Inc.

  20. The importance of coping, threat appraisal, and beliefs in understanding and responding to fear of victimization: applications to a male prisoner sample.

    PubMed

    Ireland, Jane L

    2011-08-01

    The current study explores conceptualizations of victimization by men, focusing on threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and beliefs, and seeking to apply protection motivation theory, the applied fear response model, and social cognition. Five hundred and sixty-six male prisoners, comprising adults and adolescents, completed a measure of victimization and perpetration (DIPC-SCALED) and of fear, appraisal, and beliefs (TAB). It was predicted that increased threat appraisal and ineffective coping appraisal would predict increased fear of victimization, particularly among the mutual perpetrator/victim group. This group was expected to select strategies for managing the threat of victimization, which carried more risk to them (e.g., such as an aggressive reaction) and to present with beliefs supporting the use of aggression as a response to victimization. Fear of victimization was predicted by threat and coping appraisal although the deficit for victims appeared in coping appraisal only. Mutual perpetrator/victims presented with a specific difficulty in appraising their ability to cope with threat. Differences in beliefs supporting an aggressive response to threat were also noted across perpetrator and/or victimization groups. The article concludes by outlining the implications for theory and clinical practice.

  1. Mutual Co-operation for Schools Development: Some Experiences from Asia and the Pacific. Report of a Study Group (Bangkok, Thailand, November 6-17, 1984).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific.

    Focusing on the use of networking structures as a means of promoting and mobilizing inter-institutional support for educational development, this publication reports on topics raised at a meeting held by the Study Group on Inter-Institutional and Other Co-operative Networking Structures. Chapter 1 reports on ways in which networking is taking root…

  2. Utilizing Mutual Aid in Reducing Adolescent Substance Use and Developing Group Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mogro-Wilson, Cristina; Letendre, Joan; Toi, Hiroki; Bryan, Janelle

    2015-01-01

    Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness of mutual aid groups for high school students. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was applied to 242 adolescents, where every other adolescent was assigned to the intervention or the control condition. The study evaluated the influence of implementing mutual aid groups in decreasing perceived risk…

  3. E-learning for healthcare students: developing the communities of practice framework.

    PubMed

    Moule, Pam

    2006-05-01

    This paper presents research considering whether healthcare students were able to develop characteristics of communities of practice when engaged in an online module. Little is known about whether the communities of practice framework can be applied to online learning, with no previous consideration of its potential use within healthcare education. Using a case study approach the research, completed in 2004, had two phases. A questionnaire was administered to a group of 109 healthcare students to gain information on which to base sampling for the subsequent phase. Phase 2 employed three strands of data collection: five students completed an online diary, the online interactions of seven students were captured on a discussion board and three students were interviewed. Data were analysed using a form of pattern matching. Students were able to develop essential elements of communities of practice: mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire, though this was not uniformly seen. Particular issues emerged for the online community, including enabling access to the online environment to support mutual engagement. The development of trust was also threatened by difficulties of presenting identities online. Joint enterprise was hampered by the online situation, although the virtual classroom proved essential for supporting endeavour. Not all students were committed to their groups. There was some evidence of group members developing shared repertoire, as routines of group working emerged. Professional understanding and computer skills were also enhanced. The framework can be applied to supporting online learning internationally amongst students and has applicability to professional groups. Those intending to employ the framework should ensure that students can gain access to the community and have the computer skills to engage. Course design should be considered to ensure support for developing the essential components of communities of practice.

  4. Correlates of Perceived Social Support in Chinese Adult Child Caregivers of Parent Stroke Survivors.

    PubMed

    Pan, Yuqin; Jones, Patricia S

    2017-10-01

    Prevalence of stroke and traditional filial responsibility involve adult children in caregiving to their parent stroke survivors in China. Support resources are insufficient because of the shrinking size of family and the underdeveloped support system. The aim of this study was to identify the correlates of perceived social support among adult child caregivers of parent stroke survivors in China. A cross-sectional correlational design was used in this study. A nonproportional quota sample of 126 adult child caregivers was recruited from Zhejiang Province, China. Data were collected at either the hospital stroke units or the respondents' homes using structured questionnaires of caregiving dyadic demographics and caregiving characteristics, 14-item Activities of Daily Living, 15-item Mutuality Scale, and 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. SPSS 17.0 was used for analysis. Caregivers' mutuality, education, full employment or being retired, monthly income, having a co-carer, and having a father as the care receiver were significantly positively associated with caregivers' perceived social support. However, mutuality was not significantly associated with caregivers' perceived social support after the other factors were adjusted. Adult child caregivers with higher levels of mutuality, education, or monthly income; who are fully employed or are retired; who have a co-carer; or who are caring for a father perceived more social support. Nursing strategies and social policies need to be directed to enhance caregiver mutuality and support caregiving efforts.

  5. Freedom and imperative: mutual care between older spouses with physical disabilities.

    PubMed

    Torgé, Cristina Joy

    2014-05-01

    This article explores mutual caregiving between older spouses aging with physical disabilities. Nine older couples, where both partners had lived long lives with physical disabilities, were interviewed as dyads about mutual caregiving. The couples not only had access to different kinds and degrees of formal support but also provided mutual care to each other in a variety of ways. Interview coding using grounded theory led to two overarching categories from which motivation for mutual caregiving could be understood. These categories were Mutual care as freedom and Mutual care as imperative. The results extend understanding about how older couples with disabilities attached meaning to their mutual caregiving, and why mutual care was sometimes preferable, despite the availability of other sources of help and despite practical difficulties of providing this help. These findings suggest that health care professionals need to be sensitive to the dynamics of the couple relationship and carefully explore the couple's preferences for how formal support can best be provided in ways that honor and sustain the integrity of the couple relationship.

  6. 77 FR 1778 - U.S.-EU High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-11

    ... Commission President Barroso, and European Council President Von Rompuy directed the Transatlantic Economic... measures to increase U.S.-EU trade and investment to support mutually beneficial job creation, economic... development of rules and principles on global issues of common concern and also for the achievement of shared...

  7. What Might We Learn from Heartache? Loss, Loneliness, and Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurst, Rachel Alpha Johnston

    2009-01-01

    This essay traverses back and forth across the institutionally-imposed boundary between storytelling and critical reflection to explore how the author's thinking about feminist pedagogical praxis has been irrevocably altered by the experience of losing a parent as well as facilitating mutual support groups for young adults whose parents or…

  8. African American women describe support processes during high-risk pregnancy and postpartum.

    PubMed

    Coffman, Sherrilyn; Ray, Marilyn A

    2002-01-01

    To explore social support processes in low-income African American women during high-risk pregnancy and postpartum. A qualitative grounded theory approach. Interview was the primary data collection technique and was combined with observation, medical chart review, and literature review. A high-risk pregnancy clinic and participants' homes. Ten pregnant women, 3 social network members, and 11 health care providers. Four of the women at high risk tell their in-depth stories in this article: Yolanda, coping with gestational diabetes; Frances, participating in drug rehabilitation; Trista, waiting to deliver a fetus with severe congenital anomalies; and Beatrice, HIV positive and carrying her seventh child. The substantive theory of support developed in the study was termed mutual intentionality. Narratives illustrate the mutual roles that women at high risk and support givers played in the helping process. Support themes included being there, caring, respecting, sharing information, knowing, believing in, and doing for the other. The theorsy of mutual intentionality suggests that social support is a process or transaction involving intentionality. For support to happen, the therapeutic relationship must be valued as a mutual resource.

  9. The Development of Mutuality in Natural Small Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Paul Morgan

    1983-01-01

    Describes factors affecting the development of mutuality of attraction in natural small groups, and tests the hypothesis of the acquaintance process in 41 female residents of three floors of a university dormitory over the course of a year. Two floors showed definite increases in dyadic mutuality over time. (JAC)

  10. A Guide to Interagency Support for DoD: Military Force Deployment, Civilian Noncombatant Repatriation, and Military Patient Regulation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-10-01

    organizations for facility support of bulk petrole - um products if necessary. Military construction of petroleum storage terminals is a joint responsibili...and MSC in arranging for domestic transport of petrole - um products. These two TOAs have specific responsibilities, depending on the type of vehicle...Military Liaison Office, Kuwait U.S. Liaison Office, Tunisia U.S. Mutual Defense Assistance Office U.S. Military Group U.S. Military Liaison Office U.S

  11. Regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults in Japan: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Komatsu, Hiroko; Yagasaki, Kaori; Saito, Yoshinobu; Oguma, Yuko

    2017-08-22

    While community-wide interventions to promote physical activity have been encouraged in older adults, evidence of their effectiveness remains limited. We conducted a qualitative study among older adults participating in regular group exercise to understand their perceptions of the physical, mental, and social changes they underwent as a result of the physical activity. We conducted a qualitative study with purposeful sampling to explore the experiences of older adults who participated in regular group exercise as part of a community-wide physical activity intervention. Four focus group interviews were conducted between April and June of 2016 at community halls in Fujisawa City. The participants in the focus group interviews were 26 older adults with a mean age of 74.69 years (range: 66-86). The interviews were analysed using the constant comparative method in the grounded theory approach. We used qualitative research software NVivo10® to track the coding and manage the data. The finding 'regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults' emerged as an overarching theme with seven categories (regular group exercise, functional health, active mind, enjoyment, social connectedness, mutual support, and expanding communities). Although the participants perceived that they were aging physically and cognitively, the regular group exercise helped them to improve or maintain their functional health and enjoy their lives. They felt socially connected and experienced a sense of security in the community through caring for others and supporting each other. As the older adults began to seek value beyond individuals, they gradually expanded their communities beyond geographical and generational boundaries. The participants achieved balanced health in the physical, mental, and social domains through regular group exercise as part of a community-wide physical activity intervention and contributed to expanding communities through social connectedness and mutual support. Health promotion through physical activity is being increasingly emphasized. The study results can help to develop effective physical activity programs for older adults in the community.

  12. Duration and mutual entrainment of changes in parenting practices engendered by behavioral parent training targeting recently separated mothers.

    PubMed

    Reed, Andrea; Snyder, James; Staats, Sarah; Forgatch, Marion S; Degarmo, David S; Patterson, Gerald R; Low, Sabina; Sinclair, Ryan; Schmidt, Nicole

    2013-06-01

    Parent management training (PMT) has beneficial effects on child and parent adjustment that last for 5 to 10 years. Short-term changes in parenting practices have been shown to mediate these effects, but the manner in which changes in specific components of parenting are sequenced and become reciprocally reinforcing (or mutually entrained) to engender and sustain the cascade of long-term beneficial effects resulting from PMT has received modest empirical attention. Long-term changes in parenting resulting from the Oregon model of PMT (PMTO) over a 2-year period were examined using data from the Oregon Divorce Study-II in which 238 recently separated mothers and their 6- to 10-year-old sons were randomly assigned to PMTO or a no treatment control (NTC) group. Multiple indicators of observed parenting practices were used to define constructs for positive parenting, monitoring and discipline at baseline, and at 6-, 12-, 18- and 30-months postbaseline. PMTO relative to NTC resulted in increased positive parenting and prevented deterioration in discipline and monitoring over the 30-month period. There were reliable sequential, transactional relationships among parenting practices; positive parenting supported better subsequent monitoring, and positive parenting and better monitoring supported subsequent effective discipline. Small improvements in parenting resulting from PMTO and small deteriorations in parenting in the NTC group may be sustained and amplified by mutually entrained relationships among parenting practices. These data about the change processes engendered by PMTO may provide information needed to enhance the power, effectiveness, and efficiency of behavioral parent training interventions.

  13. Mutually unbiased product bases for multiple qudits

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

    McNulty, Daniel; Pammer, Bogdan; Weigert, Stefan

    We investigate the interplay between mutual unbiasedness and product bases for multiple qudits of possibly different dimensions. A product state of such a system is shown to be mutually unbiased to a product basis only if each of its factors is mutually unbiased to all the states which occur in the corresponding factors of the product basis. This result implies both a tight limit on the number of mutually unbiased product bases which the system can support and a complete classification of mutually unbiased product bases for multiple qubits or qutrits. In addition, only maximally entangled states can be mutuallymore » unbiased to a maximal set of mutually unbiased product bases.« less

  14. Global contexts, social capital, and acculturative stress: experiences of Indian immigrant men in New York City.

    PubMed

    Bhattacharya, Gauri

    2011-08-01

    Immigrants depend on within-group social networks for social support during the acculturation process. Within-group social networks are linked to higher mutual concern and reciprocity, lower acculturative stress, and lower depression among immigrants Studies are limited, however, about immigrants' social support in the contexts of global connectedness and transnational connectivity. Grounded in social capital approach and immigrant health framework, this qualitative, community-based study examined the social networks of immigrant men from India to New York City. Drawing upon the participants' narratives, the author illustrates the ways that social capital influences social networking and acculturative stress in post-immigration sociocultural contexts along with its implications for community-based interventions.

  15. Psychiatric comorbidity, continuing care and mutual help as predictors of five-year remission from substance use disorders.

    PubMed

    Ritsher, Jennifer Boyd; McKellar, John D; Finney, John W; Otilingam, Poorni G; Moos, Rudolf H

    2002-11-01

    In a cohort of 2,595 male patients in VA intensive treatment programs for substance use disorders (SUD), we tested whether psychiatric comorbidity, outpatient care and mutual help group attendance during the first two follow-up years predicted remission status at Year 5, controlling for covariates. Logistic regression modeling of longitudinal data was used to test the hypotheses. Dual diagnosis patients were less likely to be in remission at Year 5 than SUD-only patients. Outpatient care was at best only weakly related to Year 5 remission status. By contrast, mutual help involvement substantially improved the chances of substance use remission at Year 5 for both SUD-only and dual diagnosis patients. Mutual help involvement did not, however, offset the poorer prognosis for dual diagnosis patients. Because mutual help groups specifically targeted to individuals with comorbid substance use and psychiatric disorders are currently rare, further research is recommended to investigate whether they are more effective than standard SUD mutual help groups in facilitating the recovery of persons with dual diagnoses.

  16. Professional identity development: Learning and journeying together.

    PubMed

    Bridges, Stephanie J

    2018-03-01

    Pharmacy students start to develop their professional values through engagement with the course, practice exposure, staff and fellow students. Group working is an element of pedagogy which draws on the social aspects of learning to facilitate knowledge and skills development, but its potential role in facilitating professional identity formation has as yet been under researched. This study aimed to explore the potential of mutual learning through group work to contribute not only to academic knowledge and understanding, but also to the development of students' professional values and selves. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 home and international first year undergraduate pharmacy students in a UK School of Pharmacy, to explore their experiences of interacting for learning with other students on the course. Thematic analysis of the interview data highlighted four main benefits of mutual learning, which are that it: promotes friendly interactions; aids learning about the subject and the profession; opens the mind through different opinions and ways of thinking; and enables learning about other people. Through working together students developed their communication skills and confidence; reflectively considered their own stance in the light of others' experiences and healthcare perspectives; and started to gain a wider worldview, potentially informing their future interactions with patients and colleagues. Some difficulties arose when group interactions functioned less well. Opportunity for collaboration and exchange can positively influence development of students' professional outlook and values. However, careful management of group working is required, in order to create a mutually supportive environment wherein students feel able to interact, share and develop together. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Mutual Group Hypnosis: A Social Interaction Analysis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanders, Shirley

    Mutual Group Hypnosis is discussed in terms of its similarity to group dynamics in general and in terms of its similarity to a social interaction program (Role Modeling) designed to foster the expression of warmth and acceptance among group members. Hypnosis also fosters a regression to prelogical thought processes in the service of the ego. Group…

  18. A Swedish Mutual Support Society of Problem Gamblers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Binde, Per

    2012-01-01

    Mutual support societies for problem gamblers have existed in Sweden for 20 years. They have helped more people with gambling problems than any other institution inside or outside the Swedish health care system. This paper outlines the background of these societies and describes the meetings of one of them. Data come from interviews with members…

  19. Groups of bats improve sonar efficiency through mutual suppression of pulse emissions.

    PubMed

    Jarvis, Jenna; Jackson, William; Smotherman, Michael

    2013-01-01

    How bats adapt their sonar behavior to accommodate the noisiness of a crowded day roost is a mystery. Some bats change their pulse acoustics to enhance the distinction between theirs and another bat's echoes, but additional mechanisms are needed to explain the bat sonar system's exceptional resilience to jamming by conspecifics. Variable pulse repetition rate strategies offer one potential solution to this dynamic problem, but precisely how changes in pulse rate could improve sonar performance in social settings is unclear. Here we show that bats decrease their emission rates as population density increases, following a pattern that reflects a cumulative mutual suppression of each other's pulse emissions. Playback of artificially-generated echolocation pulses similarly slowed emission rates, demonstrating that suppression was mediated by hearing the pulses of other bats. Slower emission rates did not support an antiphonal emission strategy but did reduce the relative proportion of emitted pulses that overlapped with another bat's emissions, reducing the relative rate of mutual interference. The prevalence of acoustic interferences occurring amongst bats was empirically determined to be a linear function of population density and mean emission rates. Consequently as group size increased, small reductions in emission rates spread across the group partially mitigated the increase in interference rate. Drawing on lessons learned from communications networking theory we show how modest decreases in pulse emission rates can significantly increase the net information throughput of the shared acoustic space, thereby improving sonar efficiency for all individuals in a group. We propose that an automated acoustic suppression of pulse emissions triggered by bats hearing each other's emissions dynamically optimizes sonar efficiency for the entire group.

  20. Groups of bats improve sonar efficiency through mutual suppression of pulse emissions

    PubMed Central

    Jarvis, Jenna; Jackson, William; Smotherman, Michael

    2013-01-01

    How bats adapt their sonar behavior to accommodate the noisiness of a crowded day roost is a mystery. Some bats change their pulse acoustics to enhance the distinction between theirs and another bat's echoes, but additional mechanisms are needed to explain the bat sonar system's exceptional resilience to jamming by conspecifics. Variable pulse repetition rate strategies offer one potential solution to this dynamic problem, but precisely how changes in pulse rate could improve sonar performance in social settings is unclear. Here we show that bats decrease their emission rates as population density increases, following a pattern that reflects a cumulative mutual suppression of each other's pulse emissions. Playback of artificially-generated echolocation pulses similarly slowed emission rates, demonstrating that suppression was mediated by hearing the pulses of other bats. Slower emission rates did not support an antiphonal emission strategy but did reduce the relative proportion of emitted pulses that overlapped with another bat's emissions, reducing the relative rate of mutual interference. The prevalence of acoustic interferences occurring amongst bats was empirically determined to be a linear function of population density and mean emission rates. Consequently as group size increased, small reductions in emission rates spread across the group partially mitigated the increase in interference rate. Drawing on lessons learned from communications networking theory we show how modest decreases in pulse emission rates can significantly increase the net information throughput of the shared acoustic space, thereby improving sonar efficiency for all individuals in a group. We propose that an automated acoustic suppression of pulse emissions triggered by bats hearing each other's emissions dynamically optimizes sonar efficiency for the entire group. PMID:23781208

  1. Has Group Work Education Lost Its Social Group Work Essence? A Content Analysis of MSW Course Syllabi in Search of Mutual Aid and Group Conflict Content

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sweifach, Jay Stephen

    2015-01-01

    This article presents the results of a content analysis of MSW group work course syllabi in an effort to better understand the extent to which mutual aid and group conflict, two important dimensions of social group work, are included and featured as prominent elements in MSW-level group work instruction.

  2. Physicians Mutual Aid Group: A Response to AIDS-Related Burnout.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garside, Bruce

    1993-01-01

    Describes origins and functioning of physician's mutual aid group for physicians providing primary care to people with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Offers suggestions related to overcoming resistance physicians might have to participating in such a group and reviews modalities that were helpful in facilitating participants' ability…

  3. The recovery paradigm - a model of hope and change for alcohol and drug addiction.

    PubMed

    Best, David W; Lubman, Dan I

    2012-08-01

    Alcohol and drug disorders remain major health and social problems in Australia, contributing enormously to the global burden of disease and the everyday practice of primary care. A recent growth in recovery research and recovery focused policies are starting to have an impact in Australia, with implications for how we attempt to resolve these problems. In this article we discuss recent international findings in recovery research, and explore their implications for primary care. Research indicates that over half of dependent substance users will eventually achieve stable recovery. Key predictors of recovery are active engagement in the community and immersion in peer support groups and activities. Recovery requires a twin track approach: enabling and supporting individual recovery journeys, while creating environmental conditions that enable and support a 'social contagion' of recovery, in which recovery is transmitted through supportive social networks and dedicated recovery groups, such as mutual aid.

  4. Butting in vs. being a friend: cultural differences and similarities in the evaluation of imposed social support.

    PubMed

    Dutton, Yulia E Chentsova

    2012-01-01

    Imposed social support can be more harmful than helpful due to its potential to threaten the recipient's autonomy. These findings may reflect cultural contexts that foster autonomy (e.g., European American [EA]). Imposed social support may be interpreted more positively in cultural contexts that place emphasis on mutual responsibility for solving problems (e.g., Russian [RU]). We compared EA (n = 128) and RU (n = 125) young adults' reports of recent episodes of support. EAs were more likely than RUs to be satisfied with these interactions, a difference mediated by levels of nondirective support. Cultural differences emerged in interpretations of support. Unsolicited support from family was interpreted more positively by RUs than by EAs. Thus, although nondirective support contributed to support satisfaction across cultural groups, cultural context influenced young adults' interpretations of imposed support.

  5. Using Object-Oriented Databases for Implementation of Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-03-01

    analytical process applied throughout the system acquisition program in order to define supportability related design factors and to ensure development of a...Node Alternatives Node Alternatives (NODEALTS) is a list of mutually exclusive nodes, grouped together by the fact that they apply to different...contextual situations. The content specific layer NODEALTS element is a reference to a set of nodes that might apply in different situations. No hierarchy

  6. Mutual friends' social support and self-disclosure in face-to-face and instant messenger communication.

    PubMed

    Trepte, Sabine; Masur, Philipp K; Scharkow, Michael

    2018-01-01

    In the present study, we investigated long-term effects of self-disclosure on social support in face-to-face and instant messenger (IM) communication between mutual friends. Using a representative sample of 583 German IM users, we explored whether self-disclosure and positive experiences with regard to social support would dynamically interact in the form of a reinforcing spiral across three measurement occasions. If mutual friends self-disclose today, will they receive more social support 6 months later? In turn, will this affect their willingness to self-disclose another 6 months later? We further analyzed spill-over effects from face-to-face to IM communication and vice versa. We found that self-disclosure predicted social support and vice versa in IM communication, but not in face-to-face communication. In light of these results, the impact of IM communication on how individuals maneuver friendships through the interplay between self-disclosure and social support are discussed.

  7. Phylogenetic placement of an unusual coral mushroom challenges the classic hypothesis of strict coevolution in the apterostigma pilosum group ant-fungus mutualism.

    PubMed

    Dentinger, Bryn T M; Lodge, D Jean; Munkacsi, Andrew B; Desjardin, Dennis E; McLaughlin, David J

    2009-08-01

    The approximately 50 million-year-old fungus-farming ant mutualism is a classic example of coevolution, involving ants that subsist on asexual, fungal biomass, in turn propagating the fungus clonally through nest-to-nest transmission. Most mutualistic ants cultivate two closely related groups of gilled mushrooms, whereas one small group of ants in the genus Apterostigma cultivates a distantly related lineage comprised of the G2 and G4 groups. The G2 and G4 fungi were previously shown to form a monophyletic group sister to the thread-like coral mushroom family Pterulaceae. Here, we identify an enigmatic coral mushroom that produces both fertile and sterile fruiting structures as the closest free-living relative of the G4 fungi, challenging the monophyly of the Apterostigma-cultivated fungi for the first time. Both nonparametric bootstrap and Bayesian posterior probability support the node leading to the G4 cultivars and a free-living Pterula mushroom. These data suggest three scenarios that contradict the hypothesis of strict coevolution: (1) multiple domestications, (2) escape from domestication, (3) selection of single cultivar lineages from an ancestral mixed-fungus garden. These results illustrate how incomplete phylogenies for coevolved symbionts impede our understanding of the patterns and processes of coevolution.

  8. Comparing Facilitator Priorities of Suicide Survivor Support Groups: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Between Japanese and American Groups.

    PubMed

    Feigelman, William; Feigelman, Beverly; Kawashima, Daisuke; Shiraga, Keisuke; Kawano, Kenji

    2017-08-01

    A total of 56 Japanese and 59 American survivor of suicide support group facilitators were asked to rank the mutual aid objectives of their groups following Shulman's scheme in terms of their frequency and importance. Both American and Japanese facilitators showed an emphasis on personal adaptation goals (such as helping bereaved feel less isolated in their grief or encouraging bereaved to share their coping with loss experiences) over collective goals (such as raising monies for more research on mental illness or trying to combat societal suicide stigma in their local communities). Differences were also noted with American facilitators evaluating helping with problem solving, sharing different ways of coping, viewing personal issues as societal problems, and advocating for promoting social change as significantly higher than the Japanese did. We believe some of these contrasts reflect differences in American and Japanese cultural values.

  9. Developing a strategic plan for a neonatal nurse practitioner service.

    PubMed

    Lee, Laurie A; Jones, Luann R

    2004-10-01

    Neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) have been in practice for over 3 decades. More recently, NNPs have begun to take ownership for building their group practice models. The purpose of this article is to present a detailed case study demonstrating how one NNP group used a 4-phase strategic planning process to turn a crisis into an opportunity. The article describes data obtained during the strategic planning process from an informal national survey of NNP managers that focused on key benchmarks, such as role definition, responsibilities, protected nonclinical time, NNP salary and benefits, and educational and professional development support. Using the strategic planning process, the group defined mutually agreed upon minimum safe staffing levels for NNPs, interns, residents and neonatologists in their setting. Based on the data generated, the group successfully justified additional NNP positions and organizational support for 10% protected nonclinical time. A sample operational budget, comparison of 3 staffing scenarios, and a timeline are also provided.

  10. Diabetes self-management among Arab Americans: patient and provider perspectives.

    PubMed

    Fritz, Heather; DiZazzo-Miller, Rosanne; Bertran, Elizabeth A; Pociask, Fredrick D; Tarakji, Sandra; Arnetz, Judith; Lysack, Catherine L; Jaber, Linda A

    2016-08-31

    Arab Americans have a high burden of diabetes and poor outcomes compared to the general U.S. Diabetes self-management (DSM) requires a partnership between patients and providers that fosters mutual understanding and shared decision-making. Cultural factors influence this process; however, little is known regarding the cultural impact on DSM or if perceptions differ between patients and providers. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze five focus groups-two groups with Arab American providers (n = 8) and three groups with adult Arab Americans with diabetes (n = 23). Focus groups examined patient and provider perspectives on the meaning of DSM and cultural barriers and facilitators among Arab American patients. Four distinct themes included limited resources for DSM education and support, stigma as a barrier to ongoing support, family support as an opportunity and challenge, and Arab American patient-provider relationships. Findings indicate several domains should be considered for clinical practice including a need to develop linguistically and culturally reliant educational materials and relevant supports for use in the Arab American population. Findings highlight differing views among providers and patients on the familial role in supporting DSM efforts and why some patients feel dissatisfied with clinical encounters.

  11. Understanding Online Health Groups for Depression: Social Network and Linguistic Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Background Mental health problems have become increasingly prevalent in the past decade. With the advance of Web 2.0 technologies, social media present a novel platform for Web users to form online health groups. Members of online health groups discuss health-related issues and mutually help one another by anonymously revealing their mental conditions, sharing personal experiences, exchanging health information, and providing suggestions and support. The conversations in online health groups contain valuable information to facilitate the understanding of their mutual help behaviors and their mental health problems. Objective We aimed to characterize the conversations in a major online health group for major depressive disorder (MDD) patients in a popular Chinese social media platform. In particular, we intended to explain how Web users discuss depression-related issues from the perspective of the social networks and linguistic patterns revealed by the members’ conversations. Methods Social network analysis and linguistic analysis were employed to characterize the social structure and linguistic patterns, respectively. Furthermore, we integrated both perspectives to exploit the hidden relations between them. Results We found an intensive use of self-focus words and negative affect words. In general, group members used a higher proportion of negative affect words than positive affect words. The social network of the MDD group for depression possessed small-world and scale-free properties, with a much higher reciprocity ratio and clustering coefficient value as compared to the networks of other social media platforms and classic network models. We observed a number of interesting relationships, either strong correlations or convergent trends, between the topological properties and linguistic properties of the MDD group members. Conclusions (1) The MDD group members have the characteristics of self-preoccupation and negative thought content, according to Beck’s cognitive theory of depression; (2) the social structure of the MDD group is much stickier than those of other social media groups, indicating the tendency of mutual communications and efficient spread of information in the MDD group; and (3) the linguistic patterns of MDD members are associated with their topological positions in the social network. PMID:26966078

  12. Understanding Online Health Groups for Depression: Social Network and Linguistic Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Xu, Ronghua; Zhang, Qingpeng

    2016-03-10

    Mental health problems have become increasingly prevalent in the past decade. With the advance of Web 2.0 technologies, social media present a novel platform for Web users to form online health groups. Members of online health groups discuss health-related issues and mutually help one another by anonymously revealing their mental conditions, sharing personal experiences, exchanging health information, and providing suggestions and support. The conversations in online health groups contain valuable information to facilitate the understanding of their mutual help behaviors and their mental health problems. We aimed to characterize the conversations in a major online health group for major depressive disorder (MDD) patients in a popular Chinese social media platform. In particular, we intended to explain how Web users discuss depression-related issues from the perspective of the social networks and linguistic patterns revealed by the members' conversations. Social network analysis and linguistic analysis were employed to characterize the social structure and linguistic patterns, respectively. Furthermore, we integrated both perspectives to exploit the hidden relations between them. We found an intensive use of self-focus words and negative affect words. In general, group members used a higher proportion of negative affect words than positive affect words. The social network of the MDD group for depression possessed small-world and scale-free properties, with a much higher reciprocity ratio and clustering coefficient value as compared to the networks of other social media platforms and classic network models. We observed a number of interesting relationships, either strong correlations or convergent trends, between the topological properties and linguistic properties of the MDD group members. (1) The MDD group members have the characteristics of self-preoccupation and negative thought content, according to Beck's cognitive theory of depression; (2) the social structure of the MDD group is much stickier than those of other social media groups, indicating the tendency of mutual communications and efficient spread of information in the MDD group; and (3) the linguistic patterns of MDD members are associated with their topological positions in the social network.

  13. Caregiving and mutuality among long-term colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies: qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Altschuler, Andrea; Liljestrand, Petra; Grant, Marcia; Hornbrook, Mark C; Krouse, Robert S; McMullen, Carmit K

    2018-02-01

    The cancer caregiving literature focuses on the early phases of survivorship, but caregiving can continue for decades when cancer creates disability. Survivors with an ostomy following colorectal cancer (CRC) have caregiving needs that may last decades. Mutuality has been identified as a relationship component that can affect caregiving. This paper discusses how mutuality may affect long-term ostomy caregiving. We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 31 long-term CRC survivors with ostomies and their primary informal caregivers. Interviewees were members of an integrated health care delivery system in the USA. We used inductive theme analysis techniques to analyze the interviews. Most survivors were 71 years of age or older (67%), female (55%), and with some college education (54%). Two thirds lived with and received care from spouses. Caregiving ranged from minimal support to intimate assistance with daily ostomy care. While some survivors received caregiving far beyond what was needed, others did not receive adequate caregiving for their health care needs. Low mutuality created challenges for ostomy caregiving. Mutuality impacts the quality of caregiving, and this quality may change over time, depending on various factors. Emotional feedback and amplification is the proposed mechanism by which mutuality may shift over time. Survivorship care should include assessment and support of mutuality as a resource to enhance health outcomes and quality of life for survivors with long-term caregiving needs and their caregivers. Appropriate questionnaires can be identified or developed to assess mutuality over the survivorship trajectory.

  14. Indochinese Mutual Assistance Association: Time for a New Role.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shotts, Kermit F.

    The role of Indochinese self-help groups in the Refugee Resettlement Program is examined in this paper. Drawing on the literature dealing with Indochinese self-help groups, the paper reviews the factors which contribute to the formation of these groups, more commonly called Mutual Assistance Associations or MAAs. In addition, the value of MAAs as…

  15. Accruals for HANDI 2000 business management system

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

    Wilson, D.

    The Data Integration 2000 Project will result in an integrated and comprehensive set of functional applications containing core information necessary to support the Project Hanford Management Contract. It is based on the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf product solution with commercially proven business processes. The COTS product solution set, of PassPort and People Soft software, supports finance, supply and chemical management/Material Safety Data Sheet, human resources. Accruals are made at the project level. At the inception of each project, Project Management and the Accounts Payable Group make a mutual decision on whether periodic accrual entries should be made for it.

  16. Can Addiction-Related Self-Help/Mutual Aid Groups Lower Demand for Professional Substance Abuse Treatment?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Humphreys, Keith

    1998-01-01

    Discusses the potential of self-help/mutual-aid groups as a way to reduce the demand for professional substance-abuse treatment and proposes a model that combines the two approaches for cost-effective and therapeutically effective networks of services. (SLD)

  17. A socio-emotional approach to couple therapy: linking social context and couple interaction.

    PubMed

    Knudson-Martin, Carmen; Huenergardt, Douglas

    2010-09-01

    This paper introduces Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT), an approach designed to intervene in socio-cultural processes that limit couples' ability to develop mutually supportive relationships, especially within heterosexual relationships. SERT integrates recent advances in neurobiology and the social context of emotion with social constructionist assumptions regarding the fluid and contextual nature of gender, culture, personal identities, and relationship patterns. It advances social constructionist practice through in-session experiential work focused on 4 conditions foundational to mutual support--mutual influence, shared vulnerability, shared relationship responsibility, and mutual attunement. In contrast to couple therapy models that mask power issues, therapist neutrality is not considered possible or desirable. Instead, therapists position themselves to counteract social inequalities. The paper illustrates how empathic engagement of a socio-culturally attuned therapist sets the stage for new socio-cultural experience as it is embodied neurologically and physically in the relationship and discusses therapy as societal intervention. 2010 © FPI, Inc.

  18. Women and couples in isolated extreme environments: Applications for long-duration missions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leon, Gloria R.; Sandal, Gro M.

    2003-08-01

    Expedition teams provide a number of analogs relevant to crew selection for long-duration space missions. Three groups were studied that varied in team composition. Group 1 was a two woman international dyad that traversed the Antarctic continent in 97 days. Similarities in problem solving approach, respect for each other's opinions, and a collaborative process of decision making were evident. Group 2 was composed of four women, all from different countries, engaged in a six week trek across Greenland. The most important factors in overcoming interpersonal difficulties and contributing to the successful completion of the expedition were mutual respect and motivation to maintain positive and supportive relationships. Group 3 consisted of three married couples from different countries icelocked on a boat in the High Arctic for a 9 month period. The emotional support of and ability to confide in their partner were extremely important in alleviating interpersonal tensions, and contributed to the generally effective functioning of the group. Women add an element of emotional support and help to other team members that is not as evident in all-male groups. Selection of couples with strong bonds to each other is another paradigm for crew selection for extended missions.

  19. Proceedings of the 8th US/German Workshop on Salt Repository Research Design and Operation.

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

    Hansen, Francis D.; Steininger, Walter; Bollingerfehr, Wilhelm

    This document records the Proceedings of the 2017 gathering of salt repository nations. In a spirit of mutual support, technical issues are dissected, led capably by subject matter experts. As before, it is not possible to explore all contemporary issues regarding nuclear waste disposal in salt formations. Instead, the group focused on a few selected issues to be pursued in depth, while at the same time acknowledging and recording ancillary issues.

  20. Requirements for effective academic leadership in Iran: A Nominal Group Technique exercise

    PubMed Central

    Bikmoradi, Ali; Brommels, Mats; Shoghli, Alireza; Sohrabi, Zohreh; Masiello, Italo

    2008-01-01

    Background During the last two decades, medical education in Iran has shifted from elite to mass education, with a considerable increase in number of schools, faculties, and programs. Because of this transformation, it is a good case now to explore academic leadership in a non-western country. The objective of this study was to explore the views on effective academic leadership requirements held by key informants in Iran's medical education system. Methods A nominal group study was conducted by strategic sampling in which participants were requested to discuss and report on requirements for academic leadership, suggestions and barriers. Written notes from the discussions were transcribed and subjected to content analysis. Results Six themes of effective academic leadership emerged: 1)shared vision, goal, and strategy, 2) teaching and research leadership, 3) fair and efficient management, 4) mutual trust and respect, 5) development and recognition, and 6) transformational leadership. Current Iranian academic leadership suffers from lack of meritocracy, conservative leaders, politicization, bureaucracy, and belief in misconceptions. Conclusion The structure of the Iranian medical university system is not supportive of effective academic leadership. However, participants' views on effective academic leadership are in line with what is also found in the western literature, that is, if the managers could create the premises for a supportive and transformational leadership, they could generate mutual trust and respect in academia and increase scientific production. PMID:18430241

  1. Requirements for effective academic leadership in Iran: a nominal group technique exercise.

    PubMed

    Bikmoradi, Ali; Brommels, Mats; Shoghli, Alireza; Sohrabi, Zohreh; Masiello, Italo

    2008-04-22

    During the last two decades, medical education in Iran has shifted from elite to mass education, with a considerable increase in number of schools, faculties, and programs. Because of this transformation, it is a good case now to explore academic leadership in a non-western country. The objective of this study was to explore the views on effective academic leadership requirements held by key informants in Iran's medical education system. A nominal group study was conducted by strategic sampling in which participants were requested to discuss and report on requirements for academic leadership, suggestions and barriers. Written notes from the discussions were transcribed and subjected to content analysis. Six themes of effective academic leadership emerged: 1)shared vision, goal, and strategy, 2) teaching and research leadership, 3) fair and efficient management, 4) mutual trust and respect, 5) development and recognition, and 6) transformational leadership. Current Iranian academic leadership suffers from lack of meritocracy, conservative leaders, politicization, bureaucracy, and belief in misconceptions. The structure of the Iranian medical university system is not supportive of effective academic leadership. However, participants' views on effective academic leadership are in line with what is also found in the western literature, that is, if the managers could create the premises for a supportive and transformational leadership, they could generate mutual trust and respect in academia and increase scientific production.

  2. Effectiveness of Mutual Learning Approach in the Academic Achievement of B.Ed Students in Learning Optional II English

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arulselvi, Evangelin

    2013-01-01

    The present study aims at finding out the effectiveness of Mutual learning approach over the conventional method in learning English optional II among B.Ed students. The randomized pre-test, post test, control group and experimental group design was employed. The B.Ed students of the same college formed the control and experimental groups. Each…

  3. Mutually unbiased bases and semi-definite programming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brierley, Stephen; Weigert, Stefan

    2010-11-01

    A complex Hilbert space of dimension six supports at least three but not more than seven mutually unbiased bases. Two computer-aided analytical methods to tighten these bounds are reviewed, based on a discretization of parameter space and on Gröbner bases. A third algorithmic approach is presented: the non-existence of more than three mutually unbiased bases in composite dimensions can be decided by a global optimization method known as semidefinite programming. The method is used to confirm that the spectral matrix cannot be part of a complete set of seven mutually unbiased bases in dimension six.

  4. Mental health network governance: comparative analysis across Canadian regions.

    PubMed

    Wiktorowicz, Mary E; Fleury, Marie-Josée; Adair, Carol E; Lesage, Alain; Goldner, Elliot; Peters, Suzanne

    2010-10-26

    Modes of governance were compared in ten local mental health networks in diverse contexts (rural/urban and regionalized/non-regionalized) to clarify the governance processes that foster inter-organizational collaboration and the conditions that support them. Case studies of ten local mental health networks were developed using qualitative methods of document review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups that incorporated provincial policy, network and organizational levels of analysis. Mental health networks adopted either a corporate structure, mutual adjustment or an alliance governance model. A corporate structure supported by regionalization offered the most direct means for local governance to attain inter-organizational collaboration. The likelihood that networks with an alliance model developed coordination processes depended on the presence of the following conditions: a moderate number of organizations, goal consensus and trust among the organizations, and network-level competencies. In the small and mid-sized urban networks where these conditions were met their alliance realized the inter-organizational collaboration sought. In the large urban and rural networks where these conditions were not met, externally brokered forms of network governance were required to support alliance based models. In metropolitan and rural networks with such shared forms of network governance as an alliance or voluntary mutual adjustment, external mediation by a regional or provincial authority was an important lever to foster inter-organizational collaboration.

  5. Burnout in the Helping Professions: Mutual Aid Groups as Self-Help.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spicuzza, Frank J.; De Voe, Marianne W.

    1982-01-01

    Offers some insight and understanding of the stress-producing components of counseling practice. Discusses some of the physical symptoms of burnout and examines why the syndrome is prevalent in the human services. Proposes the development of mutual aid groups as one solution to prevent or minimize burnout. (Author/RC)

  6. Mutual Assistance Associations: Refugee Self-Help Groups Play Key Role.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ranard, Donald A.

    1990-01-01

    The history and current status of Indochinese Mutual Assistance Programs (MAAs) is reviewed in the newsletter issue, and a description is provided of the six kinds of MAAs that are found in the United States. They include the following: (1) cultural preservation/social activities; (2) religious services; (3) special constituency groups; (4)…

  7. Dependency links can hinder the evolution of cooperation in the prisoner's dilemma game on lattices and networks.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xuwen; Nie, Sen; Wang, Binghong

    2015-01-01

    Networks with dependency links are more vulnerable when facing the attacks. Recent research also has demonstrated that the interdependent groups support the spreading of cooperation. We study the prisoner's dilemma games on spatial networks with dependency links, in which a fraction of individual pairs is selected to depend on each other. The dependency individuals can gain an extra payoff whose value is between the payoff of mutual cooperation and the value of temptation to defect. Thus, this mechanism reflects that the dependency relation is stronger than the relation of ordinary mutual cooperation, but it is not large enough to cause the defection of the dependency pair. We show that the dependence of individuals hinders, promotes and never affects the cooperation on regular ring networks, square lattice, random and scale-free networks, respectively. The results for the square lattice and regular ring networks are demonstrated by the pair approximation.

  8. A model parent group for enhancing aggressive children's social competence in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Li, Ming-Hui

    2009-07-01

    This paper presents a semi-structured psychoeducational model of group work for parents of aggressive children based on concepts of co-parenting and bidirectionality. The group was developed for enhancing five Taiwanese aggressive children's social competence by promoting positive interactions within family. Topics covered in the group included identifying parenting styles, forming parental alliances, fostering parent-child mutual initiations/mutual compliances, establishing parent-child co-regulation, and responding to aggressive children's negative emotions. Pre- and post-group comparisons suggested the effectiveness of the group model.

  9. Economic contract theory tests models of mutualism.

    PubMed

    Weyl, E Glen; Frederickson, Megan E; Yu, Douglas W; Pierce, Naomi E

    2010-09-07

    Although mutualisms are common in all ecological communities and have played key roles in the diversification of life, our current understanding of the evolution of cooperation applies mostly to social behavior within a species. A central question is whether mutualisms persist because hosts have evolved costly punishment of cheaters. Here, we use the economic theory of employment contracts to formulate and distinguish between two mechanisms that have been proposed to prevent cheating in host-symbiont mutualisms, partner fidelity feedback (PFF) and host sanctions (HS). Under PFF, positive feedback between host fitness and symbiont fitness is sufficient to prevent cheating; in contrast, HS posits the necessity of costly punishment to maintain mutualism. A coevolutionary model of mutualism finds that HS are unlikely to evolve de novo, and published data on legume-rhizobia and yucca-moth mutualisms are consistent with PFF and not with HS. Thus, in systems considered to be textbook cases of HS, we find poor support for the theory that hosts have evolved to punish cheating symbionts; instead, we show that even horizontally transmitted mutualisms can be stabilized via PFF. PFF theory may place previously underappreciated constraints on the evolution of mutualism and explain why punishment is far from ubiquitous in nature.

  10. Economic contract theory tests models of mutualism

    PubMed Central

    Weyl, E. Glen; Frederickson, Megan E.; Yu, Douglas W.; Pierce, Naomi E.

    2010-01-01

    Although mutualisms are common in all ecological communities and have played key roles in the diversification of life, our current understanding of the evolution of cooperation applies mostly to social behavior within a species. A central question is whether mutualisms persist because hosts have evolved costly punishment of cheaters. Here, we use the economic theory of employment contracts to formulate and distinguish between two mechanisms that have been proposed to prevent cheating in host–symbiont mutualisms, partner fidelity feedback (PFF) and host sanctions (HS). Under PFF, positive feedback between host fitness and symbiont fitness is sufficient to prevent cheating; in contrast, HS posits the necessity of costly punishment to maintain mutualism. A coevolutionary model of mutualism finds that HS are unlikely to evolve de novo, and published data on legume–rhizobia and yucca–moth mutualisms are consistent with PFF and not with HS. Thus, in systems considered to be textbook cases of HS, we find poor support for the theory that hosts have evolved to punish cheating symbionts; instead, we show that even horizontally transmitted mutualisms can be stabilized via PFF. PFF theory may place previously underappreciated constraints on the evolution of mutualism and explain why punishment is far from ubiquitous in nature. PMID:20733067

  11. Comparison of 12-step Groups to Mutual Help Alternatives for AUD in a Large, National Study: Differences in Membership Characteristics and Group Participation, Cohesion, and Satisfaction

    PubMed Central

    Zemore, Sarah E.; Kaskutas, Lee Ann; Mericle, Amy; Hemberg, Jordana

    2016-01-01

    Background Many studies suggest that participation in 12-step groups contributes to better recovery outcomes, but people often object to such groups and most do not sustain regular involvement. Yet, research on alternatives to 12-step groups is very sparse. The present study aimed to extend the knowledge base on mutual help group alternatives for those with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), sampling from large, active, abstinence-focused groups including Women for Sobriety (WFS), LifeRing, and SMART Recovery (SMART). This paper presents a cross-sectional analysis of this longitudinal study, using baseline data to describe the profile and participation characteristics of attendees of these groups in comparison to 12-step members. Methods Data from participants 18 and over with a lifetime AUD (N=651) were collected using web-based surveys. Members of alternative 12-step groups were recruited in collaboration with group directors, who helped publicize the study by emailing meeting conveners and attendees and posting announcements on social media. A comparison group of current (past-30-day) 12-step attendees was recruited from an online meeting hub for recovering persons. Interested parties were directed to a webpage where they were screened, and eligible participants completed an online survey assessing demographic and clinical variables; in-person and online mutual help involvement; and group satisfaction and cohesion. Analyses involved comparing those identifying WFS, SMART, and LifeRing as their primary group to 12-step members on the above characteristics. Results Compared to 12-step members, members of the mutual help alternatives were less religious and generally higher on education and income. WFS and LifeRing members were also older, more likely to be married, and lower on lifetime drug and psychiatric severity; meanwhile, LifeRing and SMART members were less likely to endorse the most stringent abstinence goal. Finally, despite lower levels of in-person meeting attendance, members of all the 12-step alternatives showed equivalent activity involvement and higher levels of satisfaction and cohesion, compared to 12-step members. Conclusions Results suggest differences across 12-step groups and their alternatives that may be relevant when advising clients on a choice of mutual help group. Meanwhile, findings for high levels of participation, satisfaction, and cohesion among members of the mutual help alternatives suggest promise for these groups in addressing addiction problems. PMID:28017180

  12. Comparison of 12-step groups to mutual help alternatives for AUD in a large, national study: Differences in membership characteristics and group participation, cohesion, and satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Zemore, Sarah E; Kaskutas, Lee Ann; Mericle, Amy; Hemberg, Jordana

    2017-02-01

    Many studies suggest that participation in 12-step groups contributes to better recovery outcomes, but people often object to such groups and most do not sustain regular involvement. Yet, research on alternatives to 12-step groups is very sparse. The present study aimed to extend the knowledge base on mutual help group alternatives for those with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), sampling from large, active, abstinence-focused groups including Women for Sobriety (WFS), LifeRing, and SMART Recovery (SMART). This paper presents a cross-sectional analysis of this longitudinal study, using baseline data to describe the profile and participation characteristics of attendees of these groups in comparison to 12-step members. Data from participants 18 and over with a lifetime AUD (N=651) were collected using Web-based surveys. Members of alternative 12-step groups were recruited in collaboration with group directors, who helped publicize the study by emailing meeting conveners and attendees and posting announcements on social media. A comparison group of current (past-30-day) 12-step attendees was recruited from an online meeting hub for recovering persons. Interested parties were directed to a Webpage where they were screened, and eligible participants completed an online survey assessing demographic and clinical variables; in-person and online mutual help involvement; and group satisfaction and cohesion. Analyses involved comparing those identifying WFS, SMART, and LifeRing as their primary group to 12-step members on the above characteristics. Compared to 12-step members, members of the mutual help alternatives were less religious and generally higher on education and income. WFS and LifeRing members were also older, more likely to be married, and lower on lifetime drug and psychiatric severity; meanwhile, LifeRing and SMART members were less likely to endorse the most stringent abstinence goal. Finally, despite lower levels of in-person meeting attendance, members of all the 12-step alternatives showed equivalent activity involvement and higher levels of satisfaction and cohesion, compared to 12-step members. Results suggest differences across 12-step groups and their alternatives that may be relevant when advising clients on a choice of mutual help group. Meanwhile, findings for high levels of participation, satisfaction, and cohesion among members of the mutual help alternatives suggest promise for these groups in addressing addiction problems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Help-Seeking and Social Support in Japanese Sojourners

    PubMed Central

    Arnault, Denise Saint

    2007-01-01

    Research shows that social support is essential for healthy psychological functioning. Help seeking and social support are social processes shaped by cultural understandings about how need should be expressed, to whom, and in what circumstances. This study used grounded theory methodology to examine how cultural factors regulate help seeking and social support in a sample of 25 Japanese sojourners' wives living in America. Culturally based social edicts such as mutual responsibility and in-group solidarity were found to promote help seeking and social support. In contrast, culturally specific factors such as enryo (polite deference), hierarchy, and the cultural rules governing reciprocity inhibited these behaviors. From these data, a cultural model of social exchange, allowing for cultural diversity, is proposed. This model can increase the effectiveness of nursing interventions aimed at community-based health promotion. PMID:11911381

  14. Phylogenetic placement of an unusual coral mushroom challenges the classic hypothesis of strict coevolution in the Apterostigma pilosum group ant-fungus mutualism

    Treesearch

    Bryn T.M. Dentinger; D.Jean Lodge; Andrew B. Munkacsi; Dennis E. Desjardin; David J. McLaughlin

    2009-01-01

    The ~50 million-year-old fungus-farming ant mutualism is a classic example of coevolution, involving ants that subsist on asexual, fungal biomass, in turn propagating the fungus clonally through nest-to-nest transmission. Most mutualistic ants cultivate two closely related groups of gilled mushrooms, whereas one small group of ants in the genus ...

  15. The Border Health Consortium of the Californias—Forming a Binational (California–Baja California) Entity to Address the Health of a Border Region: A Case Study

    PubMed Central

    Kozo, Justine; Zapata-Garibay, Rogelio; Rangel-Gomez, María Gudelia; Fernandez, April; Hirata-Okamoto, Ricardo; Wooten, Wilma; Vargas-Ojeda, Adriana; Jiménez, Barbara; Zepeda-Cisneros, Hector; Matthews, Charles Edwards

    2018-01-01

    The California–Baja California border region is one of the most frequently traversed areas in the world with a shared population, environment, and health concerns. The Border Health Consortium of the Californias (the “Consortium”) was formed in 2013 to bring together leadership working in the areas of public health, health care, academia, government, and the non-profit sector, with the goal of aligning efforts to improve health outcomes in the region. The Consortium utilizes a Collective Impact framework which supports a shared vision for a healthy border region, mutually reinforcing activities among member organizations and work groups, and a binational executive committee that ensures continuous communication and progress toward meeting its goals. The Consortium is comprised of four binational work groups which address human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis, obesity, and mental health, all mutual priorities in the border region. The Consortium holds two general binational meetings each year alternating between California and Baja California. The work groups meet regularly to share information, resources and provide binational training opportunities. Since inception, the Consortium has been successful in strengthening binational communication, coordination, and collaboration by providing an opportunity for individuals to meet one another, learn about each other systems, and foster meaningful relationships. With binational leadership support and commitment, the Consortium could certainly be replicated in other border jurisdictions both nationally and internationally. The present article describes the background, methodology, accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned in forming the Consortium. PMID:29404318

  16. A "safe space" for learning and reflection: one school's design for continuity with a peer group across clinical clerkships.

    PubMed

    Chou, Calvin L; Johnston, C Bree; Singh, Bobby; Garber, Jonathan D; Kaplan, Elizabeth; Lee, Kewchang; Teherani, Arianne

    2011-12-01

    The value of continuity in medical education, particularly during clerkships, is increasingly recognized. Previous clerkship-based models have described changes that emphasize continuity in patient care, learner supervision, and curriculum. The creation of continuous student peer groups can foster interactions that enhance mutual support through uncomfortable professional transitions during the clerkship years. Here, the authors describe a third-year clerkship model based at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center called VA Longitudinal Rotations (VALOR), designed explicitly to establish a supportive learning environment for small peer groups.Seven groups of medical students (42 total) completed VALOR across three academic years between 2007 and 2009. On clerkships during VALOR, one hour per week was designated for faculty-facilitated sessions amongst peer groups. Students' perceptions of peer group support and overall program satisfaction were determined with immediate post surveys and focus groups at the end of VALOR, and with follow-up surveys 5 to 27 months after completing VALOR. Students strongly valued several elements of VALOR peer groups, including support through clerkship challenges, meeting for facilitated reflection, and appreciating patient experiences across the continuum of care. Students' appreciation for their peer group experiences persisted well after the conclusion of VALOR. VALOR students performed the same as or better than traditional clerkship students on knowledge and skill-based outcomes. The authors demonstrate that their third-year clerkship program using peer groups has built supportive learning networks and facilitated reflection, allowing students to develop critical professional skills. Student communication around patient care was also feasible and highly valued.

  17. Intramolecular ketenimine-ketenimine [2 + 2] and [4 + 2] cycloadditions.

    PubMed

    Alajarín, Mateo; Bonillo, Baltasar; Sanchez-Andrada, Pilar; Vidal, Angel; Bautista, Delia

    2007-07-20

    Bis(ketenimines), in which the two heterocumulenic functions are placed in close proximity on a carbon skeleton to allow their mutual interaction, show a rich and not easily predictable chemistry. Intramolecular [2 + 2] or [4 + 2] cycloadditions are, respectively, observed when both ketenimine functions are supported on either ortho-benzylic or 2,2'-biphenylenic scaffolds. In addition, nitrogen-to-carbon [1,3] and [1,5] shifts of arylmethyl groups in N-arylmethyl-C,C-diphenyl ketenimines are also disclosed.

  18. Parasitism and mutualism in Wolbachia: what the phylogenomic trees can and cannot say.

    PubMed

    Bordenstein, Seth R; Paraskevopoulos, Charalampos; Dunning Hotopp, Julie C; Sapountzis, Panagiotis; Lo, Nathan; Bandi, Claudio; Tettelin, Hervé; Werren, John H; Bourtzis, Kostas

    2009-01-01

    Ecological and evolutionary theories predict that parasitism and mutualism are not fixed endpoints of the symbiotic spectrum. Rather, parasitism and mutualism may be host or environment dependent, induced by the same genetic machinery, and shifted due to selection. These models presume the existence of genetic or environmental variation that can spur incipient changes in symbiotic lifestyle. However, for obligate intracellular bacteria whose genomes are highly reduced, studies specify that discrete symbiotic associations can be evolutionarily stable for hundreds of millions of years. Wolbachia is an inherited obligate, intracellular infection of invertebrates containing taxa that act broadly as both parasites in arthropods and mutualists in certain roundworms. Here, we analyze the ancestry of mutualism and parasitism in Wolbachia and the evolutionary trajectory of this variation in symbiotic lifestyle with a comprehensive, phylogenomic analysis. Contrary to previous claims, we show unequivocally that the transition in lifestyle cannot be reconstructed with current methods due to long-branch attraction (LBA) artifacts of the distant Anaplasma and Ehrlichia outgroups. Despite the use of 1) site-heterogenous phylogenomic methods that can overcome systematic error, 2) a taxonomically rich set of taxa, and 3) statistical assessments of the genes, tree topologies, and models of evolution, we conclude that the LBA artifact is serious enough to afflict past and recent claims including the root lies in the middle of the Wolbachia mutualists and parasites. We show that different inference methods yield different results and high bootstrap support did not equal phylogenetic accuracy. Recombination was rare among this taxonomically diverse data set, indicating that elevated levels of recombination in Wolbachia are restricted to specific coinfecting groups. In conclusion, we attribute the inability to root the tree to rate heterogeneity between the ingroup and outgroup. Site-heterogenous models of evolution did improve the placement of aberrant taxa in the ingroup phylogeny. Finally, in the unrooted topology, the distribution of parasitism and mutualism across the tree suggests that at least two interphylum transfers shaped the origins of nematode mutualism and arthropod parasitism. We suggest that the ancestry of mutualism and parasitism is not resolvable without more suitable outgroups or complete genome sequences from all Wolbachia supergroups.

  19. Finding quasi-modules of human and viral miRNAs: a case study of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression encoded by a variety of organisms, including viruses. Although the function of most of the viral miRNAs is currently unknown, there is evidence that both viral and host miRNAs contribute to the interactions between viruses and their hosts. miRNAs constitute a complex combinatorial network, where one miRNA may target many genes and one gene may be targeted by multiple miRNAs. In particular, viral and host miRNAs may also have mutual target genes. Based on published evidence linking viral and host miRNAs there are three modes of mutual regulation: competing, cooperating, and compensating modes. Results In this paper we explore the compensating mode of mutual regulation upon Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, when host miRNAs are down regulated and viral miRNAs compensate by mimicking their function. To achieve this, we develop a new algorithm which finds groups, called quasi-modules, of viral and host miRNAs and their mutual target genes, and use a new host miRNA expression data for HCMV-infected and uninfected cells. For two of the reported quasi-modules, supporting evidence from biological and medical literature is provided. Conclusions The modules found by our method may advance the understanding of the role of miRNAs in host-viral interactions, and the genes in these modules may serve as candidates for further experimental validation. PMID:23206407

  20. Mother- and father-child mutuality in Anglo and Indian British families: a link with lower externalizing problems.

    PubMed

    Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Atzaba-Poria, Naama; Pike, Alison

    2004-12-01

    We observed mother- and father-child dyadic mutuality (responsiveness, interaction reciprocity, and cooperation), and its association with child behavior problems, in a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse sample of 125 male (51%) and female 7-to-9-year-old children. Dyadic mutuality and positivity were coded from in-home videotaped structured tasks, and parents completed ratings of child externalizing problems. Mothers showed more mutuality than fathers. The same child showed moderately similar mutuality with both of her or his parents (r = .47). Mutuality was higher among Anglo parents compared to Indian parents, an effect that was due in part to acculturation (i.e., years since immigration, native language use, traditional native culture attitudes). Greater mutuality, when coupled with dyadic positive affect, was associated with fewer externalizing problems (R2 = .24). This pattern held across gender, ethnic, and sociocconomic groups.

  1. Academia, advocacy, and industry: a collaborative method for clinical research advancement.

    PubMed

    Vanzo, Rena J; Lortz, Amanda; Calhoun, Amy R U L; Carey, John C

    2014-07-01

    Professionals who work in academia, advocacy, and industry often carry out mutually exclusive activities related to research and clinical care. However, there are several examples of collaboration among such professionals that ultimately allows for improved scientific and clinical understanding. This commentary recounts our particular experience (a collaboration between geneticists at the Universities of Minnesota and Utah, the 4p- Support Group, and Lineagen, Inc) and reviews other similar projects. We formally propose this collaborative method as a conduit for future clinical research programs. Specifically, we encourage academicians, directors of family/advocacy/support groups, and members of industry to establish partnerships and document their experiences. The medical community as a whole will benefit from such partnerships and, specifically, families will teach us lessons that could never be learned in a laboratory or textbook. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Language Acquisition and Language Learning: A Plea for Syncretism.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Higgs, Theodore V.

    1985-01-01

    Discusses the apparent opposition between the concepts of language learning and language acquisition in the context of adult second-language study. Proposes that these two concepts are mutually supportive, not mutually exclusive. Demonstrates how the implications of learning vs. acquisition can be integrated into a communicative…

  3. Professional Learning: A Fuzzy Logic-Based Modelling Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gravani, M. N.; Hadjileontiadou, S. J.; Nikolaidou, G. N.; Hadjileontiadis, L. J.

    2007-01-01

    Studies have suggested that professional learning is influenced by two key parameters, i.e., climate and planning, and their associated variables (mutual respect, collaboration, mutual trust, supportiveness, openness). In this paper, we applied analysis of the relationships between the proposed quantitative, fuzzy logic-based model and a series of…

  4. Utilities of gossip across organizational levels : Multilevel selection, free-riders, and teams.

    PubMed

    Kniffin, Kevin M; Wilson, David Sloan

    2005-09-01

    Gossip is a subject that has been studied by researchers from an array of disciplines with various foci and methods. We measured the content of language use by members of a competitive sports team across 18 months, integrating qualitative ethnographic methods with quantitative sampling and analysis. We hypothesized that the use of gossip will vary significantly depending on whether it is used for self-serving or group-serving purposes. Our results support a model of gossip derived from multilevel selection theory that expects gossip to serve group-beneficial rules when rewards are partitioned at the group level on a scale that permits mutual monitoring. We integrate our case study with earlier studies of gossip conducted by anthropologists, psychologists, and management researchers.

  5. Spatial Mutual Information Based Hyperspectral Band Selection for Classification

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    The amount of information involved in hyperspectral imaging is large. Hyperspectral band selection is a popular method for reducing dimensionality. Several information based measures such as mutual information have been proposed to reduce information redundancy among spectral bands. Unfortunately, mutual information does not take into account the spatial dependency between adjacent pixels in images thus reducing its robustness as a similarity measure. In this paper, we propose a new band selection method based on spatial mutual information. As validation criteria, a supervised classification method using support vector machine (SVM) is used. Experimental results of the classification of hyperspectral datasets show that the proposed method can achieve more accurate results. PMID:25918742

  6. Mental health network governance: comparative analysis across Canadian regions

    PubMed Central

    Wiktorowicz, Mary E; Fleury, Marie-Josée; Adair, Carol E; Lesage, Alain; Goldner, Elliot; Peters, Suzanne

    2010-01-01

    Objective Modes of governance were compared in ten local mental health networks in diverse contexts (rural/urban and regionalized/non-regionalized) to clarify the governance processes that foster inter-organizational collaboration and the conditions that support them. Methods Case studies of ten local mental health networks were developed using qualitative methods of document review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups that incorporated provincial policy, network and organizational levels of analysis. Results Mental health networks adopted either a corporate structure, mutual adjustment or an alliance governance model. A corporate structure supported by regionalization offered the most direct means for local governance to attain inter-organizational collaboration. The likelihood that networks with an alliance model developed coordination processes depended on the presence of the following conditions: a moderate number of organizations, goal consensus and trust among the organizations, and network-level competencies. In the small and mid-sized urban networks where these conditions were met their alliance realized the inter-organizational collaboration sought. In the large urban and rural networks where these conditions were not met, externally brokered forms of network governance were required to support alliance based models. Discussion In metropolitan and rural networks with such shared forms of network governance as an alliance or voluntary mutual adjustment, external mediation by a regional or provincial authority was an important lever to foster inter-organizational collaboration. PMID:21289999

  7. How Do Acquired Political Identities Influence Our Neural Processing toward Others within the Context of a Trust Game?

    PubMed

    Wu, Chien-Te; Fan, Yang-Teng; Du, Ye-Rong; Yang, Tien-Tun; Liu, Ho-Ling; Yen, Nai-Shing; Chen, Shu-Heng; Hsung, Ray-May

    2018-01-01

    Trust is essential for mutually beneficial human interactions in economic exchange and politics and people's social identities notably have dramatic effects on trust behaviors toward others. Previous literature concerning social identities generally suggests that people tend to show in-group favoritism toward members who share the same identity. However, how our brains process signals of identity while facing uncertain situations in interpersonal interactions remains largely unclear. To address this issue, we performed an fMRI experiment with 54 healthy adults who belonged to two identity groups of opposing political orientations. The identity information of participants was extracted from a large-scale social survey on the 2012 Taiwan presidential election. Accordingly, participants were categorized as either the Kuomintang (KMT) or the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters. During the experiment, participants played trust games with computer agents with labels of the same or the opposing political identity. Interestingly, our results suggest that the behaviors of the two groups cannot be equally attributed to in-group favoritism. Behaviorally, only the DPP supporter group showed a significant trust preference toward in-group members, which did not hold for the KMT supporter group. Consistently, neurophysiological findings further revealed that only the DPP supporter group showed neuronal responses to both unexpected negative feedback from in-group members in anterior insula, temporoparietal junction, and dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, as well as to unexpected rewards from out-group members in caudate. These findings therefore suggest that acquired identities play a more complex role in modulating people's social expectation in interpersonal trust behaviors under identity-relevant contexts.

  8. Equitable Partnerships for Mutual Learning or Perpetuator of North-South Power Imbalances? Ireland-South Africa School Links

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallwey, Susan Kresky; Wilgus, Gay

    2014-01-01

    This study examines how various components of a school-linking programme between Ireland and South Africa either support Development Education's goal of sustainable, equitable partnerships that enable mutual learning between Northern and Southern countries or, instead, promote power imbalances that reify stereotypic images of weak, needy…

  9. Mutual Adaptaion in Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siskin, Leslie Santee

    2016-01-01

    Building on an expanded concept of mutual adaptation, this chapter explores a distinctive and successful aspect of International Baccalaureate's effort to scale up, as they moved to expand their programs and support services in Title I schools. Based on a three-year, mixed-methods study, it offers a case where we see not only local adaptations…

  10. Factor structure of a standards-based inventory of competencies in social work with groups.

    PubMed

    Macgowan, Mark J; Dillon, Frank R; Spadola, Christine E

    2018-01-01

    This study extends previous findings on a measure of competencies based on Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups. The Inventory of Competencies in Social Work with Groups (ICSWG) measures confidence in performing the Standards. This study examines the latent structure of the Inventory, while illuminating the underlying structure of the Standards. A multinational sample of 586 persons completed the ICSWG. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability estimates, standard error of measurement estimates, and a range of validity tests were conducted. The EFA yielded a six-factor solution consisting of core values, mutuality/connectivity, collaboration, and three phases of group development (planning, beginnings/middles, endings). The alphas were .98 for the scale and ranged from .85 to .95 for the subscales. Correlations between the subscales and validators supported evidence of construct validity. The findings suggest key group work domains that should be taught and practiced in social work with groups.

  11. Impact of Mutual Mentoring on Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitten, Barbara; Blaha, Cynthia; Bug, Amy; Cox, Anne; Fritz, Linda

    2011-03-01

    In this talk we discuss one of the impacts of an NSF ADVANCE sponsored horizontal, mutual mentoring alliance. Our cohort of five women physicists at liberal arts colleges has found that mutual mentoring has had a profound impact on many aspects of our professional lives. In this talk we will give some specific ways that we have supported and helped to expand each other's research. For some new areas of research were opened, for others new focus was brought to existing areas, and still others found acceptance for where they were.

  12. Using the Virtual Reality World of Second Life to Promote Patient Engagement

    PubMed Central

    WEINER, Elizabeth; TRANGENSTEIN, Patricia; MCNEW, Ryan; GORDON, Jeffry

    2017-01-01

    Patients have typically been passive participants in their own healthcare. However, with a change in philosophy towards outcomes driven care, it has become necessary to make sure that patients mutually set their healthcare goals with their providers Both eHealth and mobile health applications have required patient participation in ways never before valued. The virtual reality world of Second Life offers one eHealth solution that requires computer literate patients to participate via avatars in synchronous healthcare visits and support groups, as well as explore online resources asynchronously. This paper describes the development of a Second Life environment that served as a platform for nurse practitioner driven care supplemented by a patient portal as well as the institutional electronic health record. In addition, the use of Second Life is described as an active exercise to expose students in a Consumer Health course to support groups and resources available to actively engage patients. PMID:27332190

  13. Aspects of mutually unbiased bases in odd-prime-power dimensions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaturvedi, S.

    2002-04-01

    We rephrase the Wootters-Fields construction [W. K. Wootters and B. C. Fields, Ann. Phys. 191, 363 (1989)] of a full set of mutually unbiased bases in a complex vector space of dimensions N=pr, where p is an odd prime, in terms of the character vectors of the cyclic group G of order p. This form may be useful in explicitly writing down mutually unbiased bases for N=pr.

  14. Effective professional networking.

    PubMed

    Goolsby, Mary Jo; Knestrick, Joyce M

    2017-08-01

    The reasons for nurse practitioners to develop a professional network are boundless and are likely to change over time. Networking opens doors and creates relationships that support new opportunities, personal development, collaborative research, policy activism, evidence-based practice, and more. Successful professional networking involves shared, mutually beneficial interactions between individuals and/or individuals and groups, regardless of whether it occurs face to face or electronically. This article combines nuggets from the literature with guidance based on the authors' combined experience in networking activities at the local, national, and international levels. ©2017 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

  15. Dependency Links Can Hinder the Evolution of Cooperation in the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game on Lattices and Networks

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xuwen; Nie, Sen; Wang, Binghong

    2015-01-01

    Networks with dependency links are more vulnerable when facing the attacks. Recent research also has demonstrated that the interdependent groups support the spreading of cooperation. We study the prisoner’s dilemma games on spatial networks with dependency links, in which a fraction of individual pairs is selected to depend on each other. The dependency individuals can gain an extra payoff whose value is between the payoff of mutual cooperation and the value of temptation to defect. Thus, this mechanism reflects that the dependency relation is stronger than the relation of ordinary mutual cooperation, but it is not large enough to cause the defection of the dependency pair. We show that the dependence of individuals hinders, promotes and never affects the cooperation on regular ring networks, square lattice, random and scale-free networks, respectively. The results for the square lattice and regular ring networks are demonstrated by the pair approximation. PMID:25798579

  16. ICPP: Approach for Understanding Complexity of Plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, Tetsuya

    2000-10-01

    In this talk I wish to present an IT system that could promote Science of Complexity. In order to deal with a seemingly `complex' phenomenon, which means `beyond analytical manipulation', computer simulation is a viable powerful tool. However, complexity implies a concept beyond the horizon of reductionism. Therefore, rather than simply solving a complex phenomenon for a given boundary condition, one must establish an intelligent way of attacking mutual evolution of a system and its environment. NIFS-TCSC has been developing a prototype system that consists of supercomputers, virtual reality devices and high-speed network system. Let us explain this by picking up a global atmospheric circulation group, global oceanic circulation group and local weather prediction group. Local weather prediction group predicts the local change of the weather such as the creation of cloud and rain in the near future under the global conditions obtained by the global atmospheric and ocean groups. The global groups run simulations by modifying the local heat source/sink evaluated by the local weather prediction and then obtain the global conditions in the next time step. By repeating such a feedback performance one can predict the mutual evolution of the local system and its environment. Mutual information exchanges among multiple groups are carried out instantaneously by the networked common virtual reality space in which 3-D global and local images of the atmospheric and oceanic circulation and the cloud and rain maps are arbitrarily manipulated by any of the groups and commonly viewed. The present networking system has a great advantage that any simulation groups can freely and arbitrarily change their alignment, so that mutual evolution of any stratum system can become tractable by utilizing this network system.

  17. Changing nurses' dis-empowering relationship patterns.

    PubMed

    Daiski, Isolde

    2004-10-01

    Nurses' inter- and intra-disciplinary relationships are frequently interpreted as oppressed group behaviours, contributing to their relatively dis-empowered status. In the context of restructuring in health care, this study examined the views of hospital staff nurses about their relationships with nursing colleagues and other health care professionals and their ideas for change. The aim of this paper is to report a study to add the views of staff nurses to the discourse on restructuring and to make visible the processes that contribute to their marginalization. The study was descriptive and exploratory. Staff nurses from various hospitals in a large Canadian city were selected by theoretical sampling. Twenty volunteer staff nurses were interviewed between 1998 and 1999, using broad, open-ended questions and prompts to explore nurses' various relationships in the health care system. This approach allowed for multiple responses and expansions of ideas, without losing focus. The interviews were audio-taped and later transcribed. Thematic analysis was carried out. Many participants were aware of inter-disciplinary hierarchies, particularly between nurses and physicians. Many also showed insights into their own intra-disciplinary hierarchies and mutual non-supportiveness. Both types of relationships were found to be inextricably linked, sustaining nurses' oppression through dis-empowering discourses. Nurses expressed many ideas about how to promote mutually supportive relationships. Change for the better needs to come from within the nursing profession. To develop effective strategies, bedside nurses have to be included in decision-making processes affecting them and their practice, about which they are the experts. Mutual respect, awareness-raising through education, development of caring nursing communities, mentorship and non-hierarchical leadership are key to stopping dis-empowering discourses and practices amongst nurses.

  18. Maximizing Social Model Principles in Residential Recovery Settings

    PubMed Central

    Polcin, Douglas; Mericle, Amy; Howell, Jason; Sheridan, Dave; Christensen, Jeff

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Peer support is integral to a variety of approaches to alcohol and drug problems. However, there is limited information about the best ways to facilitate it. The “social model” approach developed in California offers useful suggestions for facilitating peer support in residential recovery settings. Key principles include using 12-step or other mutual-help group strategies to create and facilitate a recovery environment, involving program participants in decision making and facility governance, using personal recovery experience as a way to help others, and emphasizing recovery as an interaction between the individual and their environment. Although limited in number, studies have shown favorable outcomes for social model programs. Knowledge about social model recovery and how to use it to facilitate peer support in residential recovery homes varies among providers. This article presents specific, practical suggestions for enhancing social model principles in ways that facilitate peer support in a range of recovery residences. PMID:25364996

  19. The 'Charter of Rights for Family Caregivers'. The role and importance of the caregiver: an Italian proposal.

    PubMed

    Antonella, Sisto; Flavia, Vicinanza; Daniela, Tartaglini; Giuseppe, Tonini; Daniele, Santini

    2017-01-01

    Cancer diagnosis not only shakes the lives of those who are affected, but also has impacts on the entire family system, which is involved as if it were itself an organism affected by cancer. The oncological illness may cause a breakdown of the existing balance in the family system and demands a progressive degree of mutual adaptation to family members. The 'VoiNoi' Listening Centre of the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital in Rome has been close to caregivers for several years, to support them in the difficult task of providing assistance through individual or group psychological support therapy and health education. The 'Charter of Rights for Family Caregivers' stems from the experience gained over the years, with the aim of protecting, supporting and strengthening the role and the assistance activity that families carry out in support of their loved ones under conditions of fragility.

  20. Online discussions with pregnant and parenting adolescents: perspectives and possibilities.

    PubMed

    Valaitis, Ruta K; Sword, Wendy A

    2005-10-01

    The Internet is an innovative strategy to increase public participation. It is important to include pregnant and parenting teens' perspectives when planning programs to meet their needs. This qualitative study explored online discussions as a strategy to enhance participation by this population. Findings showed that online communication was preferred over face-to-face group discussions. Being anonymous online encouraged open and honest feedback. Participants experienced various forms of social support, however, there was an overall lack of teen involvement online. Strategies to engage adolescents in online discussions and reduce barriers are discussed. Strategies included the use of teen moderators, home computer access, technical support, and engagement in naturally flowing online discussions to meet social support needs. Blending researchers' with teens' needs for social support in an online environment is encouraged. With careful planning and design, online communications can result in mutual benefits for researchers, service providers, and pregnant and parenting adolescents.

  1. On Mutual Transform Between Number-Difference State and Phase State Corresponding to Operational Phase Operator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Hong-Yi; Hu, Hai-Peng

    2005-09-01

    In the mutual transform between the number-difference state and the phase state corresponding to the operational phase operator we find that there exists an end-point ambiguousness. This problem can be avoided by Lighthill's method. The project supported by the Ph. D Tutoring Programme of the Educational Ministry of China

  2. Asteroid shapes and pole orientation from visual and infrared photometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tedesco, E. F.

    1986-01-01

    The shape and pole orientation of asteroid 16 Psyche was determined. New evidence supporting the shorter, five hour, period for 4 Vesta was presented. The first mutual eclipse event between Pluto and Charon was detected. The organization of an international campaign to obtain lightcurves and other data on the Pluto-Charon mutual events was started.

  3. Mutual Support: Give and Take in Canada's Aging Society = Donnant-Donnant: Soutien Mutuel Dans Une Societe Canadienne Vieillissante.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theilheimer, Ish, Ed.; Eisner, Kathy, Ed.

    1996-01-01

    This issue of the Canadian quarterly "Transition", in French and English language versions, examines issues related to the demographic shift Canada will experience as the baby boom generation enters "old age." Major articles in this issue are: (1) "Of Mutual Benefit," which outlines some of the challenges Canada faces…

  4. Perceptions of twelve-step mutual-help groups and their associations with motivation, treatment attendance and alcohol outcomes among chronically homeless individuals with alcohol problems.

    PubMed

    Grazioli, Véronique S; Collins, Susan E; Daeppen, Jean-Bernard; Larimer, Mary E

    2015-05-01

    Twelve-step mutual-help groups (TMGs) are among the most available forms of support for homeless individuals with alcohol problems. Qualitative research, however, has suggested that this population often has negative perceptions of these groups, which has been shown to be associated with low TMG attendance. It is important to understand this population's perceptions of TMGs and their association with alcohol outcomes to provide more appropriate and better tailored programming for this multiply affected population. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to (a) qualitatively examine perception of TMGs in this population and (b) quantitatively evaluate its association with motivation, treatment attendance and alcohol outcomes. Participants (N=62) were chronically homeless individuals with alcohol problems who received single-site Housing First within a larger evaluation study. Perceptions of TMGs were captured using an open-ended item. Quantitative outcome variables were created from assessments of motivation, treatment attendance and alcohol outcomes. Findings indicated that perceptions of TMGs were primarily negative followed by positive and neutral perceptions, respectively. There were significant, positive associations between perceptions of TMGs and motivation and treatment attendance, whereas no association was found for alcohol outcomes. Although some individuals view TMGs positively, alternative forms of help are needed to engage the majority of chronically homeless individuals with alcohol problems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The importance of mutual positive expressivity in social adjustment: understanding the role of peers and gender.

    PubMed

    Sallquist, Julie; DiDonato, Matthew D; Hanish, Laura D; Martin, Carol Lynn; Fabes, Richard A

    2012-04-01

    The relations between young children's mutual (reciprocated) and overall positive emotion (PE) with same- and other-gender peers and their social adjustment were explored. Children's PE and peers' PE were observed across the preschool year during peer interactions (N = 166; 46% girls; M age = 52 months). Results revealed that girls and boys had similar frequencies of overall PE and mutual PE when interacting with same-gender peers, but girls were marginally higher compared with boys in overall and mutual PE when interacting with other-gender peers. Girls and boys did not have greater rates of either type of PE after controlling for gender segregation during same- or other-gender interactions. Using structural equation modeling, children's mutual PE, regardless of their gender, positively predicted indicators of positive adjustment (e.g., prosocial behavior, cooperation) and negatively predicted indicators of negative adjustment (e.g., hyperactivity, disruption, exclusion by peers). Children's overall PE did not predict either type of adjustment. Findings support the importance of mutual PE for children's development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. The Importance of Mutual Positive Expressivity in Social Adjustment: Understanding the Role of Peers and Gender

    PubMed Central

    Sallquist, Julie; DiDonato, Matthew D.; Hanish, Laura D.; Martin, Carol Lynn; Fabes, Richard A.

    2011-01-01

    The relations between young children’s mutual (reciprocated) and overall positive emotion (PE) with same- and other-gender peers and their social adjustment were explored. Children’s PE and peers’ PE were observed across the preschool year during peer interactions (N = 166; 46% girls; M age = 52 months). Results revealed that girls and boys had similar frequencies of overall PE and mutual PE when interacting with same-gender peers, but girls were marginally higher compared to boys in overall and mutual PE when interacting with other-gender peers. Girls and boys did not have greater rates of either type of PE after controlling for gender segregation during same- or other-gender interactions. Using structural equation modeling, children’s mutual PE, regardless of their gender, positively predicted indicators of positive adjustment (e.g., prosocial behavior, cooperation) and negatively predicted indicators of negative adjustment (e.g., hyperactivity, disruption, exclusion by peers). Children’s overall PE did not predict either type of adjustment. Findings support the importance of mutual PE for children’s development. PMID:21859190

  7. Patients' and Caregivers' Attributes in a Meaningful Care Encounter: Similarities and Notable Differences

    PubMed Central

    Snellman, Ingrid; Gustafsson, Christine; Gustafsson, Lena-Karin

    2012-01-01

    In today's healthcare system, there is an imbalance between what patients expect of caregivers' care and their perception of the care they get. How is it possible to reduce this imbalance? The aim of this paper was to describe attributes associated with meaningful encounters in the Swedish healthcare system based on patients' and caregivers' written narratives and to note the differences and similarities between the attributes identified by the two groups. This paper is a qualitative descriptive study. The analysis was guided by qualitative content analyses. Based on patients' narratives, attributes associated with a meaningful encounter fell into four categories: the kind-hearted caregiver, the thoughtful caregiver, the mutually oriented caregiver, and the helpful caregiver. Based on caregivers' narratives, the attributes were categorized as being humane, caring through physical contact, caring by nurturing communication, joy and laughter in care, and a sense of mutuality. The results show that there are both similarities and differences in patients' and caregivers' opinions about the attributes of a meaningful encounter. Knowing more about the attributes associated with meaningful encounters makes it possible for caregivers to individualize care for patients and makes it easier to help and support patients in what they most need support with. PMID:22701802

  8. [Strengthening of social participation of Turkish seniors].

    PubMed

    Fietz, Jennifer; Stupp, Barbara

    2018-05-04

    Traditional municipal services are not successful at reaching Turkish seniors. Compared to native Germans Turkish seniors have a lower social participation. Do native language groups hosted by a German organization promote the social participation of Turkish seniors? How does social participation take place in the ZWAR networks (between work and retirement; a project to strengthen social participation of seniors) and which factors promote or reduce social participation? Qualitative structuring content analysis of two group discussions, which were based on guided interviews. The social participation of Turkish-speaking seniors was strengthened on three levels: (1) through regular meetings of the Turkish ethnic group social relationships were promoted and German language skills and other skills were improved. Through mutual sharing and understanding of the stressors specific to migration, emotional support was provided. The sharing of mutual cultural and linguistic backgrounds created a sense of community and meetings were perceived as an antidote to migrants' exhausting lives in German society. (2) At the organizational level, participation was promoted through extensive group events. Regardless of their cultural background all participants identified as equal ZWAR members. The ZWAR project functioned as an umbrella organization for participation in the intercultural context. (3) Participation in community events created contacts with community stakeholders and fostered volunteer work. Hence, participants were able to use their skills, and therefore broaden their horizons. Turkish ZWAR networks promoted the social participation of members because integration with their ethnic group reduced access barriers, broadened members' scopes of action, and created new opportunities for participation.

  9. Study of dyadic communication in couples managing prostate cancer: a longitudinal perspective

    PubMed Central

    Song, L; Northouse, LL; Zhang, L; Braun, TM; Cimprich, B; Ronis, DL; Mood, DW

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE Cancer patients and partners often report inadequate communication about illness-related issues, although it is essential for mutual support and informal caregiving. This study examined the patterns of change in dyadic communication between patients with prostate cancer and their partners, and also determined if certain factors affected their communication over time. METHOD Using multilevel modeling, this study analyzed longitudinal data obtained from a randomized clinical trial with prostate cancer patients and their partners, to examine their communication over time. Patients and partners (N=134 pairs) from the usual-care control group independently completed baseline demographic assessment and measures of social support, uncertainty, symptom distress, and dyadic communication at baseline, and 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS The results indicated that (1) patients and partners reported similar levels of open communication at the time of diagnosis. Communication reported by patients and partners decreased over time in a similar trend, regardless of phase of illness; (2) phase of illness affected couples’ open communication at diagnosis but not patterns of change over time; and (3) couples’ perceived communication increased as they reported more social support, less uncertainty, and fewer hormonal symptoms in patients. Couples’ demographic factors and general symptoms, and patients’ prostate cancer-specific symptoms did not affect their levels of open communication. CONCLUSIONS Perceived open communication between prostate cancer patients and partners over time is affected by certain baseline and time-varying psychosocial and cancer-related factors. The results provide empirical evidence that may guide the development of strategies to facilitate couples’ interaction and mutual support during survivorship. PMID:20967920

  10. Study of dyadic communication in couples managing prostate cancer: a longitudinal perspective.

    PubMed

    Song, Lixin; Northouse, Laurel L; Zhang, Lingling; Braun, Thomas M; Cimprich, Bernadine; Ronis, David L; Mood, Darlene W

    2012-01-01

    Cancer patients and partners often report inadequate communication about illness-related issues, although it is essential for mutual support and informal caregiving. This study examined the patterns of change in dyadic communication between patients with prostate cancer and their partners, and also determined if certain factors affected their communication over time. Using multilevel modeling, this study analyzed longitudinal data obtained from a randomized clinical trial with prostate cancer patients and their partners, to examine their communication over time. Patients and partners (N=134 pairs) from the usual-care control group independently completed baseline demographic assessment and measures of social support, uncertainty, symptom distress, and dyadic communication at baseline, and 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups. The results indicated that (1) patients and partners reported similar levels of open communication at the time of diagnosis. Communication reported by patients and partners decreased over time in a similar trend, regardless of phase of illness; (2) phase of illness affected couples' open communication at diagnosis but not patterns of change over time; and (3) couples' perceived communication increased as they reported more social support, less uncertainty, and fewer hormonal symptoms in patients. Couples' demographic factors and general symptoms, and patients' prostate cancer-specific symptoms did not affect their levels of open communication. Perceived open communication between prostate cancer patients and partners over time is affected by certain baseline and time-varying psychosocial and cancer-related factors. The results provide empirical evidence that may guide the development of strategies to facilitate couples' interaction and mutual support during survivorship. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Supervising international students in clinical placements: perceptions of experiences and factors influencing competency development.

    PubMed

    Attrill, Stacie; Lincoln, Michelle; McAllister, Sue

    2016-07-16

    Health professional education programs attract students from around the world and clinical supervisors frequently report that international students find learning in clinical placement contexts particularly challenging. In existing literature clinical supervisors, who support international students on placement have identified concerns about their communication and interactions within clinical environments. However, clinical supervisors' perspectives about their experiences with international students on placement and the strategies they utilise to facilitate international student learning have not been described. As a result we have little insight into the nature of these concerns and what clinical supervisors do to support international students' competency development. Five focus group interviews were conducted with twenty Speech-Language Pathology clinical supervisors, recruited from 2 Australian universities. Interview data were analysed thematically. Themes identified were interpreted using cognitive load and sociocultural learning theories to enhance understanding of the findings. Four themes were identified: 'Complex teaching and learning relationships', 'Conceptions of students as learners'; Student communication skills for professional practice', and 'Positive mutual learning relationships'. Findings indicated that clinical supervisors felt positive about supporting international students in clinical placements and experienced mutual learning benefits. However, they also identified factors inherent to international students and the placement environment that added to workload, and made facilitating student learning complex. Clinical supervisors described strategies they used to support international students' cultural adjustment and learning, but communication skills were reported to be difficult to facilitate within the constraints of placements. Future research should address the urgent need to develop and test strategies for improving international students' learning in clinical settings.

  12. A tailored intervention to improving the quality of intrahospital nursing handover.

    PubMed

    Bergs, Jochen; Lambrechts, Frank; Mulleneers, Ines; Lenaerts, Kim; Hauquier, Caroline; Proesmans, Geert; Creemers, Sarah; Vandijck, Dominique

    2018-01-01

    Nursing handover is a process central to the delivery of high-quality and safe care. We aimed to improve the quality of nursing handover from the emergency department to ward and intensive care unit (ICU). A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pre-test - post-test design was applied. Handover quality was measured using the Handover Evaluation Scale (HES). A tailored intervention, inspired by appreciative inquiry, was designed to improve the implementation of an existing handover form and procedure. In total 130 nurses participated, 66 before and 64 after the intervention. Initial structure of the HES showed no good fit to our data; the questions were reshaped into 3 dimensions: Quality of information, Interaction and support, and Relevance of information. Following the intervention, mean changes in HES factor scores ranged from -3.99 to +15.9. No significant difference in factor scoring by ward and ICU nurses was found. Emergency department nurses, however, perceived Interaction and support to be improved following the intervention. The intervention did not result in an improved perception of handover quality by ward and ICU nurses. There was improvement in the perception of Interaction and support among emergency department nurses. The intervention positively effected teamwork and mutual understanding concerning nursing handover practice amongst emergency nurses. In order to improve intrahospital nursing handover, hospital-wide interventions are suggested. These interventions should be aimed at creating a generative story, improving mutual understanding, and establishing a supportive attitude regarding standardised procedures to reduce human error. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. How Do Acquired Political Identities Influence Our Neural Processing toward Others within the Context of a Trust Game?

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Chien-Te; Fan, Yang-Teng; Du, Ye-Rong; Yang, Tien-Tun; Liu, Ho-Ling; Yen, Nai-Shing; Chen, Shu-Heng; Hsung, Ray-May

    2018-01-01

    Trust is essential for mutually beneficial human interactions in economic exchange and politics and people’s social identities notably have dramatic effects on trust behaviors toward others. Previous literature concerning social identities generally suggests that people tend to show in-group favoritism toward members who share the same identity. However, how our brains process signals of identity while facing uncertain situations in interpersonal interactions remains largely unclear. To address this issue, we performed an fMRI experiment with 54 healthy adults who belonged to two identity groups of opposing political orientations. The identity information of participants was extracted from a large-scale social survey on the 2012 Taiwan presidential election. Accordingly, participants were categorized as either the Kuomintang (KMT) or the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters. During the experiment, participants played trust games with computer agents with labels of the same or the opposing political identity. Interestingly, our results suggest that the behaviors of the two groups cannot be equally attributed to in-group favoritism. Behaviorally, only the DPP supporter group showed a significant trust preference toward in-group members, which did not hold for the KMT supporter group. Consistently, neurophysiological findings further revealed that only the DPP supporter group showed neuronal responses to both unexpected negative feedback from in-group members in anterior insula, temporoparietal junction, and dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, as well as to unexpected rewards from out-group members in caudate. These findings therefore suggest that acquired identities play a more complex role in modulating people’s social expectation in interpersonal trust behaviors under identity-relevant contexts. PMID:29456496

  14. Women's experiences of social support during the first year following primary breast cancer surgery.

    PubMed

    Drageset, Sigrunn; Lindstrøm, Torill Christine; Giske, Tove; Underlid, Kjell

    2016-06-01

    The aim of this qualitative follow-up study was to describe women's individual experiences of social support during their first year after primary breast cancer surgery. Individual semi-structured interviews with 10 women 1 year after surgery analysed by Kvales' meaning condensation method. Sharing experiences, being understood as an individual, continuity, and information and explanations were themes identified. Sharing mutual experiences increased the women's knowledge regarding cancer, increased experience of support and minimised rumination. After 1 year, the women felt that the network around them had 'normalised' and was less supportive. Being seen as a person, not as 'a diagnosis being treated', and continuity of professional support were important, giving feelings of security and trust. The women felt uncertainty after loss of professional support post-treatment. Information and explanations regarding treatment and treatment-related problems were essential. Mutual sharing of experiences is an important part of social support. Continuity, availability, information and respect were essential aspects of experienced professional support. © 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  15. Opportunism in Buyer-Supplier Relations: New Insights From Quantitative Synthesis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-03-20

    the variance in the opportunism relationships. This 4 is highly functional. Academicians and practitioners would each benefit from understanding, with...1999) also support the theory. In a franchisor- franchisee relationship, opportunism is reduced by the use of written contracts and explicit procedures...commonly operationalized as solidarity (common responsibilities and interests), mutuality (mutual benefit and trust), flexibility (good faith

  16. The Large Introductory Class as an Exercise in Organization Design.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, John A., III; Van Dyne, Linn

    1999-01-01

    Four methods for large group instruction differ in control and coordination dimensions: (1) centralization with mutual adjustment; (2) centralization with standardization; (3) decentralization with standardization; and (4) decentralization with mutual adjustment. Other factors to consider include class size and interests of various constituencies:…

  17. Using action research to develop midwives' skills to support women with perinatal mental health needs.

    PubMed

    Madden, Deirdre; Sliney, Annmarie; O'Friel, Aoife; McMackin, Barbara; O'Callaghan, Bernie; Casey, Kate; Courtney, Lisa; Fleming, Valerie; Brady, Vivienne

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the research was to identify and develop midwives' skills to support women with mental health needs during pregnancy, using an action research approach. A review of perinatal mental health services in a large Dublin maternity unit revealed a high number of referred women who 'did not attend' the perinatal mental health service with few guidelines in place to support midwives in identifying and referring women for specialist help. Action research using cooperative inquiry involved a mental health nurse specialist and a team of midwives, who were drawn to each other in mutual concern about an area of practice. Data were gathered from three Cooperative Inquiry meetings, which incorporated one main Action Research Cycle of constructing, planning, taking and evaluating action. Data were analysed using a thematic content analysis framework. Participants experienced varying levels of uncertainty about how to support women with perinatal mental health needs. Cooperative inquiry supported participants in making sense of how they understood perinatal mental health and how they managed challenges experienced when caring for women with perinatal mental health issues. Participants developed a referral pathway, highlighted the significance of education to support women with perinatal mental health issues and identified the value of using open questions to promote conversation with pregnant women about mental health. Midwives value education and support to identify and refer women at risk of perinatal mental health issues. Cooperative inquiry, with a focus on action and shared reflection, facilitated the drawing together of two professional groups with diverse knowledge bases to work together to develop practice in an area of mutual concern. Perinatal mental health is a significant public health issue and midwives need support to make psychosocial assessments and to negotiate access to specialist services where available and when required. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Mutual medication in capuchin monkeys – Social anointing improves coverage of topically applied anti-parasite medicines

    PubMed Central

    Bowler, Mark; Messer, Emily J. E.; Claidière, Nicolas; Whiten, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Wild and captive capuchin monkeys will anoint themselves with a range of strong smelling substances including millipedes, ants, limes and onions. Hypotheses for the function of the behaviour range from medicinal to social. However, capuchin monkeys may anoint in contact with other individuals, as well as individually. The function of social anointing has also been explained as either medicinal or to enhance social bonding. By manipulating the abundance of an anointing resource given to two groups of tufted capuchins, we tested predictions derived from the main hypotheses for the functions of anointing and in particular, social anointing. Monkeys engaged in individual and social anointing in similar proportions when resources were rare or common, and monkeys holding resources continued to join anointing groups, indicating that social anointing has functions beyond that of gaining access to resources. The distribution of individual and social anointing actions on the monkeys’ bodies supports a medicinal function for both individual and social anointing, that requires no additional social bonding hypotheses. Individual anointing targets hard-to-see body parts that are harder to groom, whilst social anointing targets hard-to-reach body parts. Social anointing in capuchins is a form of mutual medication that improves coverage of topically applied anti-parasite medicines. PMID:26456539

  19. Mutual medication in capuchin monkeys - Social anointing improves coverage of topically applied anti-parasite medicines.

    PubMed

    Bowler, Mark; Messer, Emily J E; Claidière, Nicolas; Whiten, Andrew

    2015-10-12

    Wild and captive capuchin monkeys will anoint themselves with a range of strong smelling substances including millipedes, ants, limes and onions. Hypotheses for the function of the behaviour range from medicinal to social. However, capuchin monkeys may anoint in contact with other individuals, as well as individually. The function of social anointing has also been explained as either medicinal or to enhance social bonding. By manipulating the abundance of an anointing resource given to two groups of tufted capuchins, we tested predictions derived from the main hypotheses for the functions of anointing and in particular, social anointing. Monkeys engaged in individual and social anointing in similar proportions when resources were rare or common, and monkeys holding resources continued to join anointing groups, indicating that social anointing has functions beyond that of gaining access to resources. The distribution of individual and social anointing actions on the monkeys' bodies supports a medicinal function for both individual and social anointing, that requires no additional social bonding hypotheses. Individual anointing targets hard-to-see body parts that are harder to groom, whilst social anointing targets hard-to-reach body parts. Social anointing in capuchins is a form of mutual medication that improves coverage of topically applied anti-parasite medicines.

  20. Antagonists in Mutual Antipathies: A Person-Oriented Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guroglu, Berna; Haselager, Gerbert J. T.; van Lieshout, Cornelis F. M.; Scholte, Ron H. J.

    2009-01-01

    This study investigated the heterogeneity of mutual antipathy relationships. Separate cluster analyses of peer interactions of early adolescents (mean age 11 years) and adolescents (mean age of 14) yielded 3 "types of individuals" in each age group, namely Prosocial, Antisocial, and Withdrawn. Prevalence analysis of the 6 possible combinations of…

  1. Stigma and recovery in the narratives of peer support workers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Dahl, Catarina Magalhães; de Souza, Flavia Mitkiewicz; Lovisi, Giovanni Marcos; Cavalcanti, Maria Tavares

    2015-01-01

    Stigma attaching to mental illness has been considered a major challenge to public policies, to the provision of care and to the well-being of people who live with the experience of mental illness worldwide. Here we discuss narratives from peer support workers which we obtained during the assessment of a new psychosocial intervention programme in Rio de Janeiro. We used a range of focus groups, in-depth interviews and clinical supervision notes to derive these narratives, which covered topics such as the peer support workers’ perceptions of family and social views, their sense of self and the experience of being stigmatised. We conclude that stigma appears to be a barrier to recovery. Peer support work for people with severe mental illness is a strategy that may help them to overcome stigma and discrimination. Fostering mutuality and hope in the context of peer support helps affected individuals to make sense of their being in the world and can facilitate their recovery. PMID:29093868

  2. Exploring community resilience in workforce communities of first responders serving Katrina survivors.

    PubMed

    Wyche, Karen Fraser; Pfefferbaum, Rose L; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Norris, Fran H; Wisnieski, Deborah; Younger, Hayden

    2011-01-01

    Community resilience activities were assessed in workplace teams that became first responders for Hurricane Katrina survivors. Community resilience was assessed by a survey, focus groups, and key informant interviews. On the survey, 90 first responders ranked their team's disaster response performance as high on community resilience activities. The same participants, interviewed in 11 focus groups and 3 key informant interviews, discussed how their teams engaged in community resilience activities to strengthen their ability to deliver services. Specifically, their resilient behaviors were characterized by: shared organizational identity, purpose, and values; mutual support and trust; role flexibility; active problem solving; self-reflection; shared leadership; and skill building. The implications for research, policy, practice, and education of professionals are discussed. © 2011 American Orthopsychiatric Association.

  3. Mechanical spin bearings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vranish, John M. (Inventor)

    1998-01-01

    A spin bearing assembly including, a pair of mutually opposing complementary bearing support members having mutually spaced apart bearing support surfaces which may be, for example, bearing races and a set of spin bearings located therebetween. Each spin bearing includes a pair of end faces, a central rotational axis passing through the end faces, a waist region substantially mid-way between the end faces and having a first thickness dimension, and discrete side surface regions located between the waist region and the end faces and having a second thickness dimension different from the first thickness dimension of the waist region and wherein the side surface regions further have respective curvilinear contact surfaces adapted to provide a plurality of bearing contact points on the bearing support members.

  4. Combating isolation: Building mutual mentoring networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cox, Anne J.

    2015-12-01

    Women physicists can often feel isolated at work. Support from a grant through the ADVANCE program of the National Science Foundation (U.S. government funding) created mutual mentoring networks aimed at combating isolation specifically for women faculty at undergraduate-only institutions. This paper will discuss the organization of one such network, what contributed to its success, some of the outcomes, and how it might be implemented in other contexts.

  5. Relationship between Primary School Teachers' Perceived Social Support and Organizational Trust Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tasdan, Murat; Yalcin, Tugba

    2010-01-01

    Perceived social support and organizational trust have gained importance in organizational life along with the human relationship among organizations. While social support concept has been accepted as the support obtained from individual's surroundings, organizational trust is defined as the result of consistent behaviors based on mutual respect…

  6. Perceived Support in Sibling Relationships and Adolescent Adjustment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Branje, Susan J. T.; Van Lieshout, Cornelis F. M.; Van Aken, Marcel A. G.; Haselager, Gerbert J. T.

    2004-01-01

    Background: Siblings may support each other, but also reveal fierce rivalry and mutual aggression. Supportive sibling relationships have been linked to the development of psychosocial competence of children. In the present longitudinal study, we will focus on the development of perceived support in sibling dyads and on the influence of sibling…

  7. Promoting Simulation Globally: Networking with Nursing Colleagues Across Five Continents.

    PubMed

    Alfes, Celeste M; Madigan, Elizabeth A

    Simulation education is gaining momentum internationally and may provide the opportunity to enhance clinical education while disseminating evidence-based practice standards for clinical simulation and learning. There is a need to develop a cohesive leadership group that fosters support, networking, and sharing of simulation resources globally. The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University has had the unique opportunity to establish academic exchange programs with schools of nursing across five continents. Although the joint and mutual simulation activities have been extensive, each international collaboration has also provided insight into the innovations developed by global partners.

  8. Semipermeable thin-film membranes comprising siloxane, alkoxysilyl and aryloxysilyl oligomers and copolymers

    DOEpatents

    Babcock, W.C.; Friesen, D.T.

    1988-11-01

    Novel semipermeable membranes and thin film composite (TFC) gas separation membranes useful in the separation of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, lower hydrocarbons, and other gases are disclosed. The novel semipermeable membranes comprise the polycondensation reaction product of two complementary polyfunctional compounds, each having at least two functional groups that are mutually reactive in a condensation polymerization reaction, and at least one of which is selected from siloxanes, alkoxsilyls and aryloxysilyls. The TFC membrane comprises a microporous polymeric support, the surface of which has the novel semipermeable film formed thereon, preferably by interfacial polymerization.

  9. Semipermeable thin-film membranes comprising siloxane, alkoxysilyl and aryloxysilyl oligomers and copolymers

    DOEpatents

    Babcock, Walter C.; Friesen, Dwayne T.

    1988-01-01

    Novel semiperimeable membranes and thin film composite (TFC) gas separation membranes useful in the separation of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, lower hydrocarbons, and other gases are disclosed. The novel semipermeable membranes comprise the polycondensation reaction product of two complementary polyfunctional compounds, each having at least two functional groups that are mutually reactive in a condensation polymerization reaction, and at least one of which is selected from siloxanes, alkoxsilyls and aryloxysilyls. The TFC membrane comprises a microporous polymeric support, the surface of which has the novel semipermeable film formed thereon, preferably by interfacial polymerization.

  10. Feel like you belong: on the bidirectional link between emotional fit and group identification in task groups

    PubMed Central

    Delvaux, Ellen; Meeussen, Loes; Mesquita, Batja

    2015-01-01

    Three studies investigated the association between members’ group identification and the emotional fit with their group. In the first study, a cross-sectional study in a large organization, we replicated earlier research by showing that group identification and emotional fit are positively associated, using a broader range of emotions and using profile correlations to measure group members’ emotional fit. In addition, in two longitudinal studies, where groups of students were followed at several time points during their collaboration on a project, we tested the directionality of the relationship between group identification and emotional fit. The results showed a bidirectional, positive link between group identification and emotional fit, such that group identification and emotional fit either mutually reinforce or mutually dampen each other over time. We discuss how these findings increase insights in group functioning and how they may be used to change group processes for better or worse. PMID:26300806

  11. Peer Interventions to Promote Health: Conceptual Considerations

    PubMed Central

    Simoni, Jane M.; Franks, Julie C.; Lehavot, Keren; Yard, Samantha S.

    2013-01-01

    Peers have intervened to promote health since ancient times, yet few attempts have been made to describe theoretically their role and their interventions. After a brief overview of the history and variety of peer-based health interventions, a 4-part definition of peer interveners is presented here with a consideration of the dimensions of their involvement in health promotion. Then, a 2-step process is proposed as a means of conceptualizing peer interventions to promote health. Step 1 involves establishing a theoretical framework for the intervention’s main focus (i.e., education, social support, social norms, self-efficacy, and patient advocacy), and Step 2 involves identifying a theory that justifies the use of peers and might explain their impact. As examples, the following might be referred to: theoretical perspectives from the mutual support group and self-help literature, social cognitive and social learning theories, the social support literature, social comparison theory, social network approaches, and empowerment models. PMID:21729015

  12. Longitudinal prediction and concurrent functioning of adolescent girls demonstrating various profiles of dating violence and victimization.

    PubMed

    Chiodo, Debbie; Crooks, Claire V; Wolfe, David A; McIsaac, Caroline; Hughes, Ray; Jaffe, Peter G

    2012-08-01

    Adolescent girls are involved in physical dating violence as both perpetrators and victims, and there are negative consequences associated with each of these behaviors. This article used a prospective design with 519 girls dating in grade 9 to predict profiles of dating violence in grade 11 based on relationships with families of origin (child maltreatment experiences, harsh parenting), and peers (harassment, delinquency, relational aggression). In addition, dating violence profiles were compared on numerous indices of adjustment (school connectedness, grades, self-efficacy and community connectedness) and maladjustment (suicide attempts, distress, delinquency, sexual behavior) for descriptive purposes. The most common profile was no dating violence (n = 367) followed by mutual violence (n = 81). Smaller numbers of girls reported victimization or perpetration only (ns = 39 and 32, respectively). Predicting grade 11 dating violence profile membership from grade 9 relationships was limited, although delinquency, parental rejection, and sexual harassment perpetration predicted membership to the mutually violent group, and delinquency predicted the perpetrator-only group. Compared to the non-violent group, the mutually violent girls in grade 11 had lower grades, poorer self-efficacy, and lower school connectedness and community involvement. Furthermore, they had higher rates of peer aggression and delinquency, were less likely to use condoms and were much more likely to have considered suicide. There were fewer differences among the profiles for girls involved with dating violence. In addition, the victims-only group reported higher rates of sexual intercourse, comparable to the mutually violent group and those involved in nonviolent relationships. Implications for prevention and intervention are highlighted.

  13. Capturing dynamic processes of change in GROW mutual help groups for mental health.

    PubMed

    Finn, Lizzie D; Bishop, Brian J; Sparrow, Neville

    2009-12-01

    The need for a model that can portray dynamic processes of change in mutual help groups for mental health (MHGMHs) is emphasized. A dynamic process model has the potential to capture a more comprehensive understanding of how MHGMHs may assist their members. An investigation into GROW, a mutual help organization for mental health, employed ethnographic, phenomenological and collaborative research methods. The study examined how GROW impacts on psychological well being. Study outcomes aligned with the social ecological paradigm (Maton in Understanding the self-help organization: frameworks and findings. Sage, Thousand Oaks 1994) indicating multifactorial processes of change at and across three levels of analysis: group level, GROW program/community level and individual level. Outcome themes related to life skills acquisition and a change in self-perception in terms of belonging within community and an increased sense of personal value. The GROW findings are used to assist development of a dynamic multi-dimensional process model to explain how MHGMHs may promote positive change.

  14. PLANiTS : structuring and supporting the intelligent transportation systems planning process

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-01

    PLANiTS (Planning and Analysis Integration for Intelligent Transportation Systems) is a process-based computer system that supports a series of mutually interdependent steps progressing toward developing and programming transportation improvement pro...

  15. Chinese perceptions of the interface between school and museum education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Changyun; Anderson, David; Wu, Xinchun

    2010-09-01

    The current political and social backdrop in China that is characterized by rapid educational reforms to the K-12 education system, rapid growth in the number of science museum institutions, and Central Government policy which encourages collaboration between museums and school has the potential to be fertile ground for meaningful engagement between museums and schools. Notwithstanding, the Chinese K-12 education system generally does not utilize museum resources to support the curriculum, as is common in Western countries. This hermeneutic phenomenographic study elucidates the current Chinese views and perceptions among three stakeholders—school teachers, museum staffs and science educators—around this collaborative concept. The outcomes demonstrate that strongly entrenched cultural views and long-standing practices among stakeholder groups are obstacles to meaningful collaboration despite Central Government policy which encourages such engagement. The cultural values and perceptual views of stakeholder groups were discerned with the purpose of promoting mutual understandings and ultimately enabling meaningful collaboration in support of K-12 education in China.

  16. Building alliances in unlikely places: progressive allies and the Tobacco Institute's coalition strategy on cigarette excise taxes.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Richard B; Balbach, Edith D

    2009-07-01

    The tobacco industry often utilizes third parties to advance its policy agenda. One such utilization occurred when the industry identified organized labor and progressive groups as potential allies whose advocacy could undermine public support for excise tax increases. To attract such collaboration, the industry framed the issue as one of tax fairness, creating a labor management committee to provide distance from tobacco companies and furthering progressive allies' interests through financial and logistical support. Internal industry documents indicate that this strategic use of ideas, institutions, and interests facilitated the recruitment of leading progressive organizations as allies. By placing excise taxes within a strategic policy nexus that promotes mutual public interest goals, public health advocates may use a similar strategy in forging their own excise tax coalitions.

  17. Cooperation Improves Success during Intergroup Competition: An Analysis Using Data from Professional Soccer Tournaments.

    PubMed

    David, Gwendolyn Kim; Wilson, Robbie Stuart

    2015-01-01

    The benefit mutually gained by cooperators is considered the ultimate explanation for why cooperation evolved among non-relatives. During intergroup competition, cooperative behaviours within groups that provide a competitive edge over their opposition should be favoured by selection, particularly in lethal human warfare. Aside from forming larger groups, three other ways that individuals within a group can cooperate to improve their chances of gaining a mutual benefit are: (i) greater networking, (ii) contributing more effort, and (iii) dividing labour. Greater cooperation is expected to increase the chances of gaining a group benefit by improving proficiency in the tasks critical to success-yet empirical tests of this prediction using real-world cases are absent. In this study, we used data derived from 12 international and professional soccer competitions to test the predictions that: 1) greater levels of cooperative behaviour are associated with winning group contests, 2) the three forms of cooperation differ in relative importance for winning matches, 3) competition and tournament-type affect the levels of cooperation and shooting proficiency in matches, and 4) greater levels of networking behaviour are associated with increased proficiency in the most critical task linked with winning success in soccer-shooting at goal. Winners were best predicted by higher shooting proficiency, followed by greater frequencies of networking interactions within a team but unexpectedly, fewer networking partners and less division of labour. Although significant variation was detected across competitions and tournament-types, greater levels of networking behaviour were consistently associated with increased proficiency in shooting at goal, which in turn was linked with winning success. This study empirically supports the idea that intergroup competition can favour cooperation among non-relatives.

  18. Examining Mutual Elements of the Job Strain Model and the Effort--Reward Imbalance Model among Special Education Staff in the USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shyman, Eric

    2011-01-01

    Two theories of occupational stress are often cited as being most supported by research: the job strain model (JSM) and the effort--reward imbalance model (ERIM). In order to investigate the applicability of mutual theoretical elements of both models to special education in the USA, a sample of 100 special education paraeducators in public and…

  19. [Influence of the social network on consumption in drug addicts exhibiting psychiatric comorbidity].

    PubMed

    Acier, D; Nadeau, L; Landry, M

    2011-09-01

    This research used a qualitative methodology and was conducted on a sample of 22 participants with concomitant substance-related and mental health disorders. Today, dual diagnosis patients represent the standard rather than the exception. Our objectives were to consider the elements and processes of the social network to explain variations in consumption of alcohol and drugs. The social network refers to all bonds established by patients, mainly family, couple, friends and therapist relationships. The 22 patients have used a specialized addiction treatment in Montreal (Canada). A focused qualitative interview was conducted with each participant using an audionumeric recording. The analysis follows the method of the mixed approach of Miles and Huberman, which combines the objectives of the grounded theory and the ethnography. All the interviews were transcribed then coded and analyzed with QSR N' Vivo 2.0. The method uses an iterative process making a constant return between verbatim and codes. The qualitative analyses present patients' perceptions on the increases and reductions in alcohol and drug consumption. Family network refers to participants where the family is named as supporting a decrease in drug consumption: couple network refers to intimate relations supporting a decrease in consumption. Mutual help network refers to alcoholics anonymous (AA) or other self-help groups. Several verbatim have been included. We propose strategies for the substance abuse treatment centers based on: (1) the paradox influence of the social network and the importance of clinical evaluation of patients of social networks; (2) emotions management, especially negative feelings, which include training of feeling, recognizing and naming, ability to the express and communicate to others; (3) importance of groups of mutual aid providing periods of sharing, validating individual experiences and pushing away loneliness; (4) function of social support of the clinical professionals as substitute of an overdrawn network. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  20. Inference of financial networks using the normalised mutual information rate.

    PubMed

    Goh, Yong Kheng; Hasim, Haslifah M; Antonopoulos, Chris G

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we study data from financial markets, using the normalised Mutual Information Rate. We show how to use it to infer the underlying network structure of interrelations in the foreign currency exchange rates and stock indices of 15 currency areas. We first present the mathematical method and discuss its computational aspects, and apply it to artificial data from chaotic dynamics and to correlated normal-variates data. We then apply the method to infer the structure of the financial system from the time-series of currency exchange rates and stock indices. In particular, we study and reveal the interrelations among the various foreign currency exchange rates and stock indices in two separate networks, of which we also study their structural properties. Our results show that both inferred networks are small-world networks, sharing similar properties and having differences in terms of assortativity. Importantly, our work shows that global economies tend to connect with other economies world-wide, rather than creating small groups of local economies. Finally, the consistent interrelations depicted among the 15 currency areas are further supported by a discussion from the viewpoint of economics.

  1. Inference of financial networks using the normalised mutual information rate

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we study data from financial markets, using the normalised Mutual Information Rate. We show how to use it to infer the underlying network structure of interrelations in the foreign currency exchange rates and stock indices of 15 currency areas. We first present the mathematical method and discuss its computational aspects, and apply it to artificial data from chaotic dynamics and to correlated normal-variates data. We then apply the method to infer the structure of the financial system from the time-series of currency exchange rates and stock indices. In particular, we study and reveal the interrelations among the various foreign currency exchange rates and stock indices in two separate networks, of which we also study their structural properties. Our results show that both inferred networks are small-world networks, sharing similar properties and having differences in terms of assortativity. Importantly, our work shows that global economies tend to connect with other economies world-wide, rather than creating small groups of local economies. Finally, the consistent interrelations depicted among the 15 currency areas are further supported by a discussion from the viewpoint of economics. PMID:29420644

  2. The effect of professional partnership on the development of a mutual-help organization.

    PubMed

    Salem, Deborah A; Reischl, Thomas M; Randall, Katie W

    2008-09-01

    The effects of partnership between Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA, a mutual-help organization) and the Mental Health Association in Michigan (MHAM, a professionally staffed advocacy organization) on SA's growth and development were explored. Following the initiation of a formal partnership, SA groups were more available throughout the state, more likely to be associated with formal mental health settings, and less likely to have leaders who had been participants in other SA groups. Groups with consumer leaders had significantly greater longevity than groups with professional leaders. Changes in the organizational structure and process of SA were also identified. SA leaders reported that SA moved from a collective to a more bureaucratic structure. As a result, there was greater consistency, administrative capacity, and response capacity. This enhanced capacity came with costs reported by SA leaders. The leadership role of SA members became less defined. SA members expressed concerns about the more hierarchical structure of SA's organization, decreased consumer control, increased professional involvement in SA, and an excessive focus on group development as opposed to group maintenance. Mental Health Association in Michigan staff reported that MHAM was also impacted by the partnership, both with regard to internal functioning and external perception. Implications for effective partnerships between mutual-help and professional organizations are discussed.

  3. Patient organizations in Finland: increasing numbers and great variation.

    PubMed

    Toiviainen, Hanna K; Vuorenkoski, Lauri H; Hemminki, Elina K

    2010-09-01

    There is very little research on patient organizations (POs), even though their numbers and influence seem to be increasing. The purpose of this study was to describe the establishment, membership, size, organization, decision making and basic funding of national POs in Finland. National POs (n = 130) were identified from their umbrella organizations and by Internet searches. Data were collected from POs' web pages (87% of POs had one), Finland's Slot Machine Association (RAY, an important public financier of POs), a relevant survey done by a local TV-company, and interviews and written materials of POs. Some current national POs were established around the turn of the 19(th) century. The rate of establishment of new POs increased from the 1970s and particularly in the 1990s when POs were characterized by increasing specialization. POs focused on different patient groups and diseases and were founded by philanthropists, physicians, patients, parents and the drug industry. Members could be patients, patient relatives, health-care professionals and organizations. POs widely varied in memberships (20-145 000, in 2002) and in number of paid personnel (0-1395, in 2002), organizational structure and decision making. Interest groups and financiers were often represented in decision-making organs. Activities included mutual support and service production, and, increasingly, informing and lobbying. POs had wide domestic and international co-operation and networking. Drug industry marketing was visible on PO web pages. Budget sizes varied (4000-15 million euros, in 2001). The main public financier was RAY. The old national POs were large and part of national social and health care, but newer ones were often established for mutual support and lobbying. National POs are not uniform but characterized by great variation. The number of national POs is increasing suggesting tighter competition for financing and visibility in the future.

  4. Network evaluation: principles, structures and outcomes of the German working group of Health Promoting Universities.

    PubMed

    Stock, Christiane; Milz, Simone; Meier, Sabine

    2010-03-01

    With more than 60 participating universities, the German working group of Health Promoting Universities (German HPU network) is the largest and most active network of universities as healthy settings. This study aims at evaluating processes and effects of the German HPU network and at supporting the future development of the network. The evaluation was based on the multi faceted network assessment instrument developed by Broesskamp-Stone (7). We used a document analysis, two expert interviews and a survey among members (n = 33) to collect relevant data for the assessment. The analysis showed that the visions of the network can be regarded as fulfilled in most aspects. The members of the network received network support through trustful and mutual relationships. The network ranked high on general network principles like implementation of mutual relationships, sharing of information, risks and resources, equal access to resources, responsibility and consensus orientation. However, a high degree of centralization was found as a negative indicator. Other critical aspects of the network's structures and processes have been the regional predominance of universities from the northern and middle part of Germany, the low representation of students in the network, and the low proportion of members that could successfully implement health promotion into the guiding principles of their university. Overall, the evaluation has shown that the network has worked effectively, has developed meaningful processes and structures and has formulated practical guidelines. Since its 12 years of existence the German HPU network has been able to adapt and to adequately respond to changing contextual conditions regarding health promotion at universities in Germany. The network should develop strategies to counteract the critical aspects and detected imbalances in order to further increase its impact on universities as healthy settings.

  5. Mutual Partner Violence: Mental Health Symptoms among Female and Male Victims in Four Racial/Ethnic Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prospero, Moises; Kim, Miseong

    2009-01-01

    This study examines racial/ethnic and sex differences in the prevalence of mutual intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health symptoms. The authors asked 676 university students in heterosexual relationships if they had experienced IPV, coercive victimization, and/or perpetration as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, hostility, and…

  6. Chinese and American Women: Issues of Mutual Concern. Wingspread Brief.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson Foundation, Inc., Racine, WI.

    This article briefly describes a conference of Chinese and American women held to discuss womens' issues and promote mutual understanding between the two groups. The cultural exchange of information at the conference focused on discussion of the All China Womens' Federation (ACWF); the roles of women in China and the United States in the areas of…

  7. Design of a Software Configuration for Real-Time Multimedia Group Communication; HNUMTP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Gil-Cheol

    This paper designs transport protocol of multi-session/channel method for real time multimedia group telecommunication and realizes it. The special features of the designed and realized protocol are first, that it solved the sync problem which is the specific character of multimedia telecommunication by using multi-channel method protocol. Usual multimedia telecommunication is assigned one channel by each media data. This paper shortened the phenomenon that waits data for sync of receiving part by assigning more than one channel for the channel that has a lot of data per hour as video data. The problem of intermedia synchronization that happens then could be solved by sending temporal/spacial related data among data assigning extra control channel. Second, that it does integrated management for sessions. Each session is one group telecommunication unit which supports mutual working environment that is independent. Each session communicates the participants in the group independently, the session manager manages all the communication among groups and lets media sources connected with all network be operated efficiently.

  8. Relationship styles of self-focused autonomy, other-focused connection, and mutuality among Mexican American and European American college students.

    PubMed

    Neff, Kristin D; Brabeck, Kalina M; Kearney, Lisa K

    2006-10-01

    The author examined relationship styles of self-focused autonomy (SFA), other-focused connection (OFC), and mutuality among 415 European and Mexican American young adults in 2 U.S. colleges. Mutuality was the most commonly reported style for both ethnic groups, although Mexican American men were more likely than the others to indicate that they had the SFA style. Mexican American participants perceived their fathers' styles as SFA more often than did the others regarding either of their parents' styles. Mutuality was associated with the best mental-health outcomes regardless of gender or ethnicity. The present results indicate that the cultural influences on autonomy and connection are complex and that collectivistic cultural contexts may sometimes promote autonomy concerns in men.

  9. Phylogeny of the pollinating yucca moths, with revision of Mexican species (Tegeticula and Parategeticula; Lepidoptera, Prodoxidae)

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

    Pellmyr, Olof; Balcazar-Lara, Manuel; Segraves, Kari A.

    2008-02-01

    ABSTRACT The yucca moths (Tegeticula and Parategeticula; Lepidoptera, Prodoxidae) are well-known for their obligate relationship as exclusive pollinators of yuccas. Revisionary work in recent years has revealed far higher species diversity than historically recognized, increasing the number of described species from four to 21. Based on field surveys in Mexico and examination of collections, we describe five additional species: T. californica Pellmyr sp. nov., T. tehuacana Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara sp. nov., T. tambasi Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara sp. nov., T. baja Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara sp. nov., and P. californica Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara sp. nov. Tegeticula treculeanella Pellmyr is identified as amore » junior synonym of T. mexicana Bastida. A diagnostic key to the adults of all species of the T. yuccasella complex is provided. A phylogeny based on a 2104-bp segment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the cytochrome oxidase I and II region supported monophyly of the two pollinator genera, and strongly supported monophyly of the 17 recognized species of the T. yuccasella complex. Most relationships are well-supported, but some relationships within a recent and rapidly diversified group of 11 taxa are less robust, and in one case conflicts with a whole-genome data set (AFLP). The current mtDNA-based analyses, together with previously published AFLP data, provide a robust phylogenetic foundation for future studies of life history evolution and host interactions in one of the classical models of coevolution and obligate mutualism. ADDITIONAL KEY WORDS: mutualism, pollination, molecular phylogenetics, mitochondrial DNA« less

  10. [Resilience and Spirituality Considered from Viewpoint of Existential Philosophy of Karl Jaspers].

    PubMed

    Kato, Satoshi

    2015-01-01

    After publishing "General Psychopathology" in 1913, Jaspers turned his attention to serious philosophical contemplation. Using the term grenzsituation (limit situation) as a key concept, he first presented a framework to shed light on the pathology of both individuals and groups, and this led on to include the perspective of resilience. He then used three more key concepts, transzendenz (transcendence), chiffer (cipher), and unverstädliche (unintelligible) to offer a framework to focus on the possibilities of human existence. In the field of medicine, this is useful to support a spiritual approach which is discussed in palliative treatment. The philosophy developed by Jaspers can be considered as indicating a practical form of guidance for people to find self-support from a limit situation where they have lost their own support, and finally, come to a degree of mutual acceptance. Mutual acceptance is made possible at the level of ciphers, in which specific meaning remains undefined, by directing both the self and the other toward a state of "transcendence". Nowadays there is a trend for those chaplains involved in spiritual care from a specialist point of view to be trained to effectively transcend any difference in religious belief. As a basic premise, the author considers there is a need to once again return to a state before the start of individual religions, and stand on a cross-sectional ground level, an area which could be regarded as common to all religions. When conducting such a task, in the author's view, the restrained spirituality that Jaspers expounded is thought-provoking.

  11. Workplace Relations: Friendship Patterns and Consequences (According to Managers).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berman, Evan M.; West, Jonathan P.; Richter, Maurice N., Jr.

    2002-01-01

    A survey of 222 large-city administrators indicated that 76.7% approved of co-worker friendships but fewer supported friendships across the vertical hierarchy. Despite risks (gossip, romances, distraction), there was strong agreement on rewards: mutual support, improved work environment and communication, support for diversity. Ways to encourage…

  12. [Marketing of medicinal products in the European Community. The Mutual Recognition and Decentralised Procedures].

    PubMed

    Bachmann, Peter

    2008-07-01

    The Mutual Recognition Procedure (MRP) and the Decentralised Procedure (DCP), which were first established in late 2005, can be regarded as the backbone for marketing authorisation of medicinal products in the European Community (EC) and the European Economic Area (EEA). Both procedures are compared and advantages and disadvantages are discussed. However, the focus is more related to current developments than the detailed comparison of both procedures. The role of the Coordination Group for Mutual Recognition and Decentralised Procedures-Human (CMD(h)) and the decision making process in relation to the MRP and DCP is also discussed.

  13. Assessment of mutual understanding of physician patient encounters: development and validation of a Mutual Understanding Scale (MUS) in a multicultural general practice setting.

    PubMed

    Harmsen, J A M; Bernsen, R M D; Meeuwesen, L; Pinto, D; Bruijnzeels, M A

    2005-11-01

    Mutual understanding between physician and patient is essential for good quality of care; however, both parties have different views on health complaints and treatment. This study aimed to develop and validate a measure of mutual understanding (MU) in a multicultural setting. The study included 986 patients from 38 general practices. GPs completed a questionnaire and patients were interviewed after the consultation. To assess mutual understanding the answers from GP and patient to questions about different consultation aspects were compared. An expert panel, using nominal group technique, developed criteria for mutual understanding on consultation aspects and secondly, established a ranking to combine all aspects into an overall consultation judgement. Regarding construct validity, patients' ethnicity, age and language proficiency were the most important predictors for MU. Regarding criterion validity, all GP-related criteria (the GPs perception of his ability to explain to the patient, the patient's ability to explain to the GP, and the patient's understanding of consultation aspects), were well-related to MU. The same can be said of patient's consultation satisfaction and feeling that the GP was considerate. We conclude that the Mutual Understanding Scale is regarded a reliable and valid measure to be used in large-scale quantitative studies.

  14. Equitability, mutual information, and the maximal information coefficient.

    PubMed

    Kinney, Justin B; Atwal, Gurinder S

    2014-03-04

    How should one quantify the strength of association between two random variables without bias for relationships of a specific form? Despite its conceptual simplicity, this notion of statistical "equitability" has yet to receive a definitive mathematical formalization. Here we argue that equitability is properly formalized by a self-consistency condition closely related to Data Processing Inequality. Mutual information, a fundamental quantity in information theory, is shown to satisfy this equitability criterion. These findings are at odds with the recent work of Reshef et al. [Reshef DN, et al. (2011) Science 334(6062):1518-1524], which proposed an alternative definition of equitability and introduced a new statistic, the "maximal information coefficient" (MIC), said to satisfy equitability in contradistinction to mutual information. These conclusions, however, were supported only with limited simulation evidence, not with mathematical arguments. Upon revisiting these claims, we prove that the mathematical definition of equitability proposed by Reshef et al. cannot be satisfied by any (nontrivial) dependence measure. We also identify artifacts in the reported simulation evidence. When these artifacts are removed, estimates of mutual information are found to be more equitable than estimates of MIC. Mutual information is also observed to have consistently higher statistical power than MIC. We conclude that estimating mutual information provides a natural (and often practical) way to equitably quantify statistical associations in large datasets.

  15. Adolescents, parents, and peers: what is one with or without the other?

    PubMed

    Valiant, G L

    1983-06-01

    The present study investigates the relationship between Asian and white adolescents, resident in Britain, and their parents and peers. Ninety Asian and 81 white youths aged between 11 and 16 years, completed questionnaires concerning the quality of relations with parents; conflict between parents and peers; and willingness to approach parents, peers, siblings, teachers, and religious leaders in particular situations. In addition, diaries of time spent with peers were kept for a one week period. The data tend to show that relations among youths and groups of would-be advisers are influenced by both age and cultural background. Also, they would further support the view that relations with parents and peers do not represent mutually exclusive domains, but must be seen as developing from both a consideration of the appropriateness of each group in particular circumstances as well as the availability of other groups of "significant" persons.

  16. Ghettos and enclaves in the cross-place realm: mapping socially bounded spaces across cities.

    PubMed

    Montgomery, Alesia F

    2011-01-01

    Since the early Chicago School, urban researchers have used residential proximity to assess contacts within and between racial and ethnic groups. This approach is increasingly limited. Diverse groups use email, social networking sites, instant messaging and mobile phones to communicate across urban zones and distant cities. These practices enable mutual support among far-flung family members and co-ethnics as they engage with an array of institutions throughout their day. Through interviews and observations that include women and men of diverse occupations, races and national origins, the author explores how and why cross-place enclosures of sociality and resources develop. Rather than framing the residential area as the locus of racial/ethnic concentration, the author focuses on cross-place concentrations in the technologically mediated workspace. This study enhances theorization of the structural negotiations, interpersonal pressures and group preferences that produce separate lifeworlds in globalizing cities.

  17. Group therapy of psoriasis. Duo formula group treatment (DFGT) as an example.

    PubMed

    Schulte, M B; Cormane, R H; van Dijk, E; Wuite, J

    1985-01-01

    Between 1978 and 1982 an experiment on group treatment for and by psoriasis sufferers was conducted, based on a pyramid of previous investigations since 1968. Each group was facilitated by a duo consisting of a fellow sufferer and a physician, both having trained together. The subjects practiced the procedure described, directed toward self-care and mutual aid facilitated and supported by the duo, in a series of ten 2-hour weekly sessions. A pretest/posttest control group design was used. Comparing the results of the quantitative analysis of the experimental groups with those of the control groups, the experimental groups showed significant change. The results of the qualitative analysis showed that decrease of anxiety correlated with mastering of the skills involved. The key element affecting outcome was the balance in cooperation within the duo, the expertise of the patient lying in his personal experience of the condition, and the expertise of the physician in his knowledge and skills. One of the method's main characteristics was the intrinsic complementarity of the duo partners.

  18. General practitioners' and students' experiences with feedback during a six-week clerkship in general practice: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Gran, Sarah Frandsen; Brænd, Anja Maria; Lindbæk, Morten; Frich, Jan C

    2016-06-01

    Feedback may be scarce and unsystematic during students' clerkship periods. We wanted to explore general practitioners' (GPs) and medical students' experiences with giving and receiving supervision and feedback during a clerkship in general practice, with a focus on their experiences with using a structured tool (StudentPEP) to facilitate feedback and supervision. Qualitative study. Teachers and students from a six-week clerkship in general practice for fifth year medical students were interviewed in two student and two teacher focus groups. 21 GPs and nine medical students. We found that GPs first supported students' development in the familiarization phase by exploring the students' expectations and competency level. When mutual trust had been established through the familiarization phase GPs encouraged students to conduct their own consultations while being available for supervision and feedback. Both students and GPs emphasized that good feedback promoting students' professional development was timely, constructive, supportive, and focused on ways to improve. Among the challenges GPs mentioned were giving feedback on behavioral issues such as body language and insensitive use of electronic devices during consultations or if the student was very insecure, passive, and reluctant to take action or lacked social or language skills. While some GPs experienced StudentPEP as time-consuming and unnecessary, others argued that the tool promoted feedback and learning through mandatory observations and structured questions. Mutual trust builds a learning environment in which supervision and feedback may be given during students' clerkship in general practice. Structured tools may promote feedback, reflection and learning. Key Points Observing the teacher and being supervised are essential components of Medical students' learning during general practice clerkships. Teachers and students build mutual trust in the familiarization phase. Good feedback is based on observations, is timely, encouraging, and instructive. StudentPEP may create an arena for structured feedback and reflection.

  19. Towards sustainable partnerships in global health: the case of the CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases in Peru.

    PubMed

    Miranda, J Jaime; Bernabé-Ortiz, Antonio; Diez-Canseco, Francisco; Málaga, Germán; Cárdenas, María K; Carrillo-Larco, Rodrigo M; Lazo-Porras, María; Moscoso-Porras, Miguel; Pesantes, M Amalia; Ponce, Vilarmina; Araya, Ricardo; Beran, David; Busse, Peter; Boggio, Oscar; Checkley, William; García, Patricia J; Huicho, Luis; León-Velarde, Fabiola; Lescano, Andrés G; Mohr, David C; Pan, William; Peiris, David; Perel, Pablo; Rabadán-Diehl, Cristina; Rivera-Chira, Maria; Sacksteder, Katherine; Smeeth, Liam; Trujillo, Antonio J; Wells, Jonathan C K; Yan, Lijing L; García, Héctor H; Gilman, Robert H

    2016-06-02

    Human capital requires opportunities to develop and capacity to overcome challenges, together with an enabling environment that fosters critical and disruptive innovation. Exploring such features is necessary to establish the foundation of solid long-term partnerships. In this paper we describe the experience of the CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, based at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, as a case study for fostering meaningful and sustainable partnerships for international collaborative research. The CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases was established in 2009 with the following Mission: "We support the development of young researchers and collaboration with national and international institutions. Our motivation is to improve population's health through high quality research." The Centre's identity is embedded in its core values - generosity, innovation, integrity, and quality- and its trajectory is a result of various interactions between multiple individuals, collaborators, teams, and institutions, which together with the challenges confronted, enables us to make an objective assessment of the partnership we would like to pursue, nurture and support. We do not intend to provide a single example of a successful partnership, but in contrast, to highlight what can be translated into opportunities to be faced by research groups based in low- and middle-income countries, and how these encounters can provide a strong platform for fruitful and sustainable partnerships. In defiant contexts, partnerships require to be nurtured and sustained. Acknowledging that all partnerships are not and should not be the same, we also need to learn from the evolution of such relationships, its key successes, hurdles and failures to contribute to the promotion of a culture of global solidarity where mutual goals, mutual gains, as well as mutual responsibilities are the norm. In so doing, we will all contribute to instil a new culture where expectations, roles and interactions among individuals and their teams are horizontal, the true nature of partnerships.

  20. Best Friends: Children Use Mutual Gaze to Identify Friendships in Others

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nurmsoo, Erika; Einav, Shiri; Hood, Bruce M.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined children's ability to use mutual eye gaze as a cue to friendships in others. In Experiment 1, following a discussion about friendship, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds were shown animations in which three cartoon children looked at one another, and were told that one target character had a best friend. Although all age groups accurately…

  1. Psychological and drug abuse symptoms associated with nonmedical use of opioid analgesics among adolescents.

    PubMed

    Boyd, Carol J; Young, Amy; McCabe, Sean E

    2014-01-01

    Approximately 18% of US adolescents engaged in prescription opioid abuse in 2013. However, this estimate may be misleading because it includes both medical misusers and nonmedical users, and there is evidence that these are 2 groups that differ relative to substance abuse and criminal risk. Thus, this study does not combine medical and nonmedical users; rather, it seeks to better understand the characteristics of nonmedical users. This was a school-based, cross-sectional study that was conducted during 2009-2010 in southeastern Michigan with a sample of 2627 adolescents using a Web-based survey. Three mutually exclusive groups were created based on responses regarding medical and nonmedical use of opioid analgesics. Group 1 had never used an opioid analgesic, Group 2 used an opioid analgesic only as prescribed, and Group 3 nonmedically used an opioid analgesic. In addition, Group 3 was divided into 2 mutually exclusive subgroups (self-treaters and sensation-seekers) based on reasons for nonmedical use. A series of multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to determine if the groups differed on the presence of pain, psychological symptoms (e.g., affective disorder, conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]), and drug abuse. Sixty-five percent (65.0%) of the sample was white/Caucasian and 29.5% was African American. The average age was 14.8 years (SD = 1.9). Seventy percent (70.4%; n = 1850) reported no lifetime opioid use, 24.5% (n = 644) were medical users, 3.5% (n = 92) were nonmedical users who used for pain relief only, and 1.6% (n = 41) were classified as nonmedical users for reasons other than for pain relief (e.g., to get high). Both medical users and nonmedical users reported more pain and substance abuse symptoms compared with never users. Those nonmedical users who used opioids for sensation-seeking motivations had greater odds of having psychological symptoms. These data support the need to further consider subgroups of nonmedical users of opioid analgesics.

  2. The influence student placement experience can have on the employment choices of graduates: A paediatric nursing context.

    PubMed

    Boyd-Turner, Danni; Bell, Elaine; Russell, Alison

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores how the student placement experience may influence employment choices in the context of paediatric nursing. A qualitative research methodology was used. Data was collected using semi structured interviews at a tertiary teaching hospital. The sample group comprised of six newly qualified nurses who had completed their Bachelor of Nursing less than 12 months before the interview. They had completed at least one clinical placement at the site of data collection in their 2nd or 3rd year of undergraduate nursing studies. The main themes contributing to the student nurse experience within the context of paediatric nursing included the wish to work with children, a job being available, support during clinical placements and assistance with future career planning while on placement. The support experienced by student nurses during their clinical placement was seen to have a very positive influence on their future employment choices. Group de-briefing to support mutual understanding and sharing was seen to be a highly positive aspect of a clinical placement. Also how students were treated by clinical staff was a key factor that influenced future employment choices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Building Alliances in Unlikely Places: Progressive Allies and the Tobacco Institute's Coalition Strategy on Cigarette Excise Taxes

    PubMed Central

    Balbach, Edith D.

    2009-01-01

    The tobacco industry often utilizes third parties to advance its policy agenda. One such utilization occurred when the industry identified organized labor and progressive groups as potential allies whose advocacy could undermine public support for excise tax increases. To attract such collaboration, the industry framed the issue as one of tax fairness, creating a labor management committee to provide distance from tobacco companies and furthering progressive allies' interests through financial and logistical support. Internal industry documents indicate that this strategic use of ideas, institutions, and interests facilitated the recruitment of leading progressive organizations as allies. By placing excise taxes within a strategic policy nexus that promotes mutual public interest goals, public health advocates may use a similar strategy in forging their own excise tax coalitions. PMID:19443832

  4. Community And Stakeholder Engagement With A University-Based Storm Research Team And Program During Events: Progressive Awareness, Cooperation And Mutual Support.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gayes, P. T.; Bao, S.; Yan, T.; Pietrafesa, L. J.; Hallstrom, J.; Stirling, D.; Mullikin, T.; McClam, M.; Byrd, M.; Aucoin, K.; Marosites, B.

    2017-12-01

    HUGO: The HUrricane Genesis and Outlook program is a research initiative spanning new approaches to Atlantic tropical season outlooking to a storm event-related interactively coupled model system. In addition to supporting faculty and student academic research it has progressively been engaged by diverse regional interests in the public and private sector. The seasonal outlook incorporates 22 regional-to-global climate drivers developed from the historical storm database and has shown good skill related to historical storm seasons within the development of the model as well as the last several years in an outlook capacity. The event scale model is a based upon a fully interactively coupled model system incorporating ocean, atmosphere, wave and surge/flood models. The recent cluster of storms impacting the Southeast US provided an opportunity to test the model system and helped develop strong collaborative interests across diverse groups seeking to facilitate local capacity and access to additional storm-related information, observations and expertise. The SC State Guard has actively engaged the HUGO team in carrying out their charge in emergency responders planning and activities during several recent storms and flooding events. They were instrumental in developing support to expand observational systems aiding model validation and development as well as develop access pathways for deployment of new observational technology developed through NSF sponsored projects (Intelligent River and Hurricane-RAPID) with ISENSE at Florida Atlantic University to advance observational capability and density especially during or immediately following events. At the same time an increasing number of county-level emergency and environmental managers and private sector interests have similarly been working collaborately towards expanding observational systems contributing to the goals of the growing storm-oriented cooperative and as well as broader national MesoUS goals. Collectively, the interaction and partnering have aided and advanced diverse interests, enabled direct and in-kind support towards mutual goals and enabled considerable leverage of resources focused on science and supporting applications.

  5. "We Are in This Together": Common Group Identity Predicts Majority Members' Active Acculturation Efforts to Integrate Immigrants.

    PubMed

    Kunst, Jonas R; Thomsen, Lotte; Sam, David L; Berry, John W

    2015-10-01

    Although integration involves a process of mutual accommodation, the role of majority groups is often downplayed to passive tolerance, leaving immigrants with the sole responsibility for active integration. However, we show that common group identity can actively involve majority members in this process across five studies. Study 1 showed that common identity positively predicted support of integration efforts; Studies 2 and 3 extended these findings, showing that it also predicted real behavior such as monetary donations and volunteering. A decrease in modern racism mediated the relations across these studies, and Studies 4 and 5 further demonstrated that it indeed mediated these effects over and above acculturation expectations and color-blindness, which somewhat compromised integration efforts. Moreover, the last two studies also demonstrated that common, but not dual, groups motivated integration efforts. Common identity appears crucial for securing majorities' altruistic efforts to integrate immigrants and, thus, for achieving functional multiculturalism. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  6. Vulnerability in patients and nurses and the mutual vulnerability in the patient-nurse relationship.

    PubMed

    Angel, Sanne; Vatne, Solfrid

    2017-05-01

    To examine the mutual vulnerability of patients and nurses, anticipating that an enhanced understanding of the phenomenon may help reduce vulnerability. Patient vulnerability is a key issue in nursing, aimed at protecting the patient from harm. In the literature, vulnerability is described both from a risk perspective and a subjective perspective. This implies that the objective dimension of patient vulnerability does not necessarily reflect the patient's own perception of being vulnerable. However, external judgment may influence internal perception. Adding to this complexity, attention has also been drawn to the vulnerability of the nurse. A definition deduced from central literature on vulnerability captures the complexity of objective versus subjective vulnerability. Based on the perspective of vulnerability in general, vulnerability in healthcare services shows how dependency may increase patient vulnerability. Further, despite education, training and supportive settings, patients may increase nurse vulnerability. The core of this mutuality is explored in the light of Martin Heidegger's philosophy of being. The patient's need for help from the nurse opens the patient to engage in supportive and/or harmful encounters. Thus, dependency adds to the vulnerability related to health issues. The nurse's vulnerability lies in her engagement in caring for the patient. If failing to provide proper care, the nurse's existence as 'a good nurse' is threatened. This is exacerbated if the patient turns against the nurse. Therefore, the core of vulnerability seems to lie in the fact that the patient and the nurse are both striving to be the persons they want to be, and the persons they have not yet become. Recognition of the mutual vulnerability in the patient-nurse relationship calls for collective acknowledgement of the demanding nature of caring relationships, for support and for a strengthening of professional skills. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Regulating Rumination by Anger: Evidence for the Mutual Promotion and Counteraction (MPMC) Theory of Emotionality

    PubMed Central

    Zhan, Jun; Tang, Fan; He, Mei; Fan, Jin; Xiao, Jing; Liu, Chang; Luo, Jing

    2017-01-01

    Unlike the strategy of cognitive regulation that relies heavily on the top-down control function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which was recently found may be critically impaired in stressful situations, traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine views different types of emotionality as having mutual promotion and counteraction (MPMC) relationships, implying a novel approach that requires less cognition to emotional regulation. Actually, our previous studies have indicated that anger responses could be successfully regulated via the induction of sadness, and this efficiency could not be influenced by stress, thus providing evidences for the hypothesis of “sadness counteracts anger” (SCA) proposed by the MPMC theory of emotionality (Zhan et al., 2015, 2017). In this study, we experimentally examined the MPMC hypothesis that “anger counteracts rumination” (ACR) which postulates that rumination may be alleviated by the anger emotion. In Study 1, all participants were initially caused state rumination and then induced anger, joy or neutral mood, the results showed that the rumination-related affect was alleviated after anger induction relative to that after joy or neutral mood induction. In Study 2, female participants with high trait rumination were recruited and divided into two groups for exposure to an anger or neutral emotion intervention, the result indicated that the anger intervention group exhibited a greater decline in trait rumination than the neutral emotion intervention group. These findings provided preliminary evidence supporting the hypothesis of ACR, which suggested a new strategy that employs less cognitive resources to regulating state and trait rumination by inducing anger. PMID:29249998

  8. Regulating Rumination by Anger: Evidence for the Mutual Promotion and Counteraction (MPMC) Theory of Emotionality.

    PubMed

    Zhan, Jun; Tang, Fan; He, Mei; Fan, Jin; Xiao, Jing; Liu, Chang; Luo, Jing

    2017-01-01

    Unlike the strategy of cognitive regulation that relies heavily on the top-down control function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which was recently found may be critically impaired in stressful situations, traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine views different types of emotionality as having mutual promotion and counteraction (MPMC) relationships, implying a novel approach that requires less cognition to emotional regulation. Actually, our previous studies have indicated that anger responses could be successfully regulated via the induction of sadness, and this efficiency could not be influenced by stress, thus providing evidences for the hypothesis of "sadness counteracts anger" (SCA) proposed by the MPMC theory of emotionality (Zhan et al., 2015, 2017). In this study, we experimentally examined the MPMC hypothesis that "anger counteracts rumination" (ACR) which postulates that rumination may be alleviated by the anger emotion. In Study 1, all participants were initially caused state rumination and then induced anger, joy or neutral mood, the results showed that the rumination-related affect was alleviated after anger induction relative to that after joy or neutral mood induction. In Study 2, female participants with high trait rumination were recruited and divided into two groups for exposure to an anger or neutral emotion intervention, the result indicated that the anger intervention group exhibited a greater decline in trait rumination than the neutral emotion intervention group. These findings provided preliminary evidence supporting the hypothesis of ACR, which suggested a new strategy that employs less cognitive resources to regulating state and trait rumination by inducing anger.

  9. Hierarchical clustering using mutual information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kraskov, A.; Stögbauer, H.; Andrzejak, R. G.; Grassberger, P.

    2005-04-01

    We present a conceptually simple method for hierarchical clustering of data called mutual information clustering (MIC) algorithm. It uses mutual information (MI) as a similarity measure and exploits its grouping property: The MI between three objects X, Y, and Z is equal to the sum of the MI between X and Y, plus the MI between Z and the combined object (XY). We use this both in the Shannon (probabilistic) version of information theory and in the Kolmogorov (algorithmic) version. We apply our method to the construction of phylogenetic trees from mitochondrial DNA sequences and to the output of independent components analysis (ICA) as illustrated with the ECG of a pregnant woman.

  10. Oklahoma Retailers' Perspectives on Mutual Benefit Exchange to Limit Point-of-Sale Tobacco Advertisements.

    PubMed

    Chan, Andie; Douglas, Malinda Reddish; Ling, Pamela M

    2015-09-01

    Businesses changing their practices in ways that support tobacco control efforts recently have gained interest, as demonstrated by CVS Health's voluntary policy to end tobacco sales. Point-of-sale (POS) advertisements are associated with youth smoking initiation, increased tobacco consumption, and reduced quit attempts among smokers. There is interest in encouraging retailers to limit tobacco POS advertisements voluntarily. This qualitative exploratory study describes Oklahoma tobacco retailers' perspectives on a mutual benefit exchange approach, and preferred message and messenger qualities that would entice them to take voluntary action to limit tobacco POS advertisements. This study found that mutual benefit exchange could be a viable option along with education and law as strategies to create behavior change among tobacco retailers. Many retailers stated that they would be willing to remove noncontractual POS advertisements for a 6-month commitment period when presented with mutual exchange benefit, tailored message, and appropriate messenger. Mutual benefit exchange, as a behavior change strategy to encourage voluntary removal of POS tobacco advertisements, was acceptable to retailers, could enhance local tobacco control in states with preemption, and may contribute to setting the foundation for broader legislative efforts. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  11. Oklahoma Retailers’ Perspectives on Mutual Benefit Exchange to Limit Point-of-Sale Tobacco Advertisements

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Andie; Douglas, Malinda Reddish; Ling, Pamela M.

    2015-01-01

    Businesses changing their practices in ways that support tobacco control efforts recently have gained interest, as demonstrated by CVS Health’s voluntary policy to end tobacco sales. Point of sale (POS) advertisements are associated with youth smoking initiation, increased tobacco consumption, and reduced quit attempts among smokers. There is interest in encouraging retailers to limit tobacco POS advertisements voluntarily. This qualitative exploratory study describes Oklahoma tobacco retailers’ perspectives on a mutual benefit exchange approach, and preferred message and messenger qualities that would entice them to take voluntary action to limit tobacco POS advertisements. This study found mutual benefit exchange could be a viable option along with education and law as strategies to create behavior change among tobacco retailers. Many retailers stated that they would be willing to remove non-contractual POS advertisements for a six-month commitment period when presented with mutual exchange benefit, tailored message, and appropriate messenger. Mutual benefit exchange, as a behavior change strategy to encourage voluntary removal of POS tobacco advertisements, was acceptable to retailers, could enhance local tobacco control in states with preemption, and may contribute to setting the foundation for broader legislative efforts. PMID:25767197

  12. A mutual information-Dempster-Shafer based decision ensemble system for land cover classification of hyperspectral data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pahlavani, Parham; Bigdeli, Behnaz

    2017-12-01

    Hyperspectral images contain extremely rich spectral information that offer great potential to discriminate between various land cover classes. However, these images are usually composed of tens or hundreds of spectrally close bands, which result in high redundancy and great amount of computation time in hyperspectral classification. Furthermore, in the presence of mixed coverage pixels, crisp classifiers produced errors, omission and commission. This paper presents a mutual information-Dempster-Shafer system through an ensemble classification approach for classification of hyperspectral data. First, mutual information is applied to split data into a few independent partitions to overcome high dimensionality. Then, a fuzzy maximum likelihood classifies each band subset. Finally, Dempster-Shafer is applied to fuse the results of the fuzzy classifiers. In order to assess the proposed method, a crisp ensemble system based on a support vector machine as the crisp classifier and weighted majority voting as the crisp fusion method are applied on hyperspectral data. Furthermore, a dimension reduction system is utilized to assess the effectiveness of mutual information band splitting of the proposed method. The proposed methodology provides interesting conclusions on the effectiveness and potentiality of mutual information-Dempster-Shafer based classification of hyperspectral data.

  13. Understanding the Phases of Recovery from Serious Mental Illness: The Roles of Referent and Expert Power in a Mutual-Help Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beeble, Marisa L.; Salem, Deborah A.

    2009-01-01

    This study explored an approach to studying recovery that is sensitive to the multiphase and contextual nature of the recovery process. The authors focused on the experience of recovery in a mutual-help group, Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA). Prior qualitative research conducted with SA revealed that SA participants experience four phases of…

  14. Potentials for mutually beneficial collaboration between FIA specialists and IEG-40 pathologists and geneticists working on fusiform rust

    Treesearch

    Ellis Cowling; KaDonna Randolph

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to encourage development of an enduring mutually beneficial collaboration between data and information analysts in the US Forest Service’s "Enhanced Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program" and forest pathologists and geneticists in the information exchange group (IEG) titled "Genetics and Breeding of Southern Forest...

  15. Extending Wi-Fi Direct for Automated Operations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-01

    functionalities. These added functionalities include: automatic device discovery, a mutual awareness of capabilities between devices (inter-device capability ...functionalities include: automatic device discove1y, a mutual awareness of capabilities between devices (inter-device capability awareness...Figure 7. P2P Device GO Negotiation Request (The P2P IE includes P2P Capability , P2P Device Info, Group Owner Intent, Configuration Timeout, Listen

  16. The Belief That Market Transactions Are Mutually Beneficial: A Comparison of the Views of Students in Economics and Other Disciplines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goossens, Amélie; Méon, Pierre-Guillaume

    2015-01-01

    Using a survey of a large group of first- and final-year students of different disciplines to study their beliefs in the existence of mutual benefits of market transactions, the authors observe significant differences between economics and business students versus students of other disciplines. These differences increase over time, due partly to…

  17. OA8 Caring for the family caregiver: working with volunteers to implement and improve a service to enable family caregivers to maintain their own wellbeing.

    PubMed

    Cohen, S Robin; Keats, Susan; Cherba, Maria; Allen, Dawn; MacKinnon, Christopher J; Bitzas, Vasiliki; Kogan, Naomi; Penner, Jamie L; Calislar, Monica Parmar; Feindel, Anna; Lapointe, Bernard; Baxter, Sharon; O'Brien, Suzanne; Stajduhar, Kelli

    2015-04-01

    Family caregivers suffer physically, mentally, and spiritually. Community volunteers play an important role in supporting patients at the end of life or former caregivers in bereavement. However, there are no research reports of volunteer services focused on maintaining the wellbeing of end-of-life caregivers. To have volunteers, a hired volunteer coordinator, health care providers, and researchers implement and formatively evaluate a volunteer service to enable family caregivers to maintain their well being while providing care and subsequent bereavement. This presentation will focus on the volunteers' roles with the project as both agents of change to the service and as support for the caregivers. A qualitative formative evaluation informed by Guba and Lincoln's Fourth Generation Evaluation (1989) participatory design was conducted. Data was collected through individual interviews, focus groups, participant observation during volunteer support meetings, and through volunteers' written reflections. Amongst the volunteers, volunteer coordinator, and principal investigator, there was mutual respect for and interest in learning about everyone's roles and experiences in the project. The experience was rewarding because they felt they helped the family caregiver and enjoyed developing and improving the service and working in a supportive team. Volunteers' challenges included being nervous for their first meeting with a caregiver, and frustration with some rules put in place to protect them (e.g. not helping the caregiver with direct care for the patient). Volunteers can be an effective part of the research team, while providing valuable support and encouragement for family caregivers to maintain their own wellbeing. © 2015, 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.

  18. The Group-lending Model and Social Closure: Microcredit, Exclusion, and Health in Bangladesh

    PubMed Central

    Johnston, Heidi Bart

    2009-01-01

    According to social exclusion theory, health risks are positively associated with involuntary social, economic, political and cultural exclusion from society. In this paper, a social exclusion framework has been used, and available literature on microcredit in Bangladesh has been reviewed to explore the available evidence on associations among microcredit, exclusion, and health outcomes. The paper addresses the question of whether participation in group-lending reduces health inequities through promoting social inclusion. The group-lending model of microcredit is a development intervention in which small-scale credit for income-generation activities is provided to groups of individuals who do not have material collateral. The paper outlines four pathways through which microcredit can affect health status: financing care in the event of health emergencies; financing health inputs such as improved nutrition; as a platform for health education; and by increasing social capital through group meetings and mutual support. For many participants, the group-lending model of microcredit can mitigate exclusionary processes and lead to improvements in health for some; for others, it can worsen exclusionary processes which contribute to health disadvantage. PMID:19761085

  19. The group-lending model and social closure: microcredit, exclusion, and health in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Schurmann, Anna T; Johnston, Heidi Bart

    2009-08-01

    According to social exclusion theory, health risks are positively associated with involuntary social, economic, political and cultural exclusion from society. In this paper, a social exclusion framework has been used, and available literature on microcredit in Bangladesh has been reviewed to explore the available evidence on associations among microcredit, exclusion, and health outcomes. The paper addresses the question of whether participation in group-lending reduces health inequities through promoting social inclusion. The group-lending model of microcredit is a development intervention in which small-scale credit for income-generation activities is provided to groups of individuals who do not have material collateral. The paper outlines four pathways through which microcredit can affect health status: financing care in the event of health emergencies; financing health inputs such as improved nutrition; as a platform for health education; and by increasing social capital through group meetings and mutual support. For many participants, the group-lending model of microcredit can mitigate exclusionary processes and lead to improvements in health for some; for others, it can worsen exclusionary processes which contribute to health disadvantage.

  20. The role of children's lay theories about the malleability of human attributes in beliefs about and volunteering for disadvantaged groups.

    PubMed

    Karafantis, Dina M; Levy, Sheri R

    2004-01-01

    Two studies with 9- to 12-year-old children supported the hypothesis that lay theories about the malleability of human traits impact judgments of and behavior toward groups in need of volunteer help. The more children endorsed an incremental view (attributes can change), the more they reported liking, desiring social contact with, and perceiving similarity between themselves and a disadvantaged outgroup (homeless, UNICEF-funded children). Moreover, children endorsing more of a malleable view reported greater past volunteering, active participation in collecting money for a UNICEF event, and intentions to volunteer again. These findings held when controlling for the effects of participants' gender, self-esteem, and perceived social pressure to help others. How a malleable view and intergroup volunteerism may be mutually sustaining is discussed.

  1. Customized Assessment Group Initiative: A Complementary Approach to Students' Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akindayomi, Akinloye

    2015-01-01

    This study, conducted in a US setting, examines the importance of group dynamics that emphasize cooperative team building through the proposed grouping strategy called Customized Assessment Group Initiative (CAGI). CAGI is a student grouping strategy designed to operationalize the mutual accountability concept central to the definition of teams by…

  2. Acculturation, Familism and Mother-Daughter Relations Among Suicidal and Non-Suicidal Adolescent Latinas

    PubMed Central

    Zayas, Luis H.; Bright, Charlotte L.; Álvarez-Sánchez, Thyria; Cabassa, Leopoldo J.

    2009-01-01

    We examined the role of acculturation, familism and Latina mother-daughter relations in suicide attempts by comparing 65 adolescents with recent suicide attempts and their mothers to 75 teens without any attempts and their mothers. Attempters and non-attempters were similar in acculturation and familistic attitudes but attempters report significantly less mutuality and communication with their mothers than non-attempters. Mothers of attempters reported lower mutuality and communication with their daughters than mothers of non-attempters. Small increments in mutuality decreased the probability of a suicide attempt by 57%. Acculturation and familism do not appear to play major roles in suicide attempts but relational factors may. Instituting school-based psychoeducational groups for young Latinas, particularly in middle school, and their parents, separately and jointly, and focusing on raising effective communication and mutuality between parents and adolescent daughters are important primary prevention strategies. PMID:19399622

  3. A mutual support mechanism through intercellular movement of CAPRICE and GLABRA3 can pattern the Arabidopsis root epidermis.

    PubMed

    Savage, Natasha Saint; Walker, Tom; Wieckowski, Yana; Schiefelbein, John; Dolan, Liam; Monk, Nicholas A M

    2008-09-23

    The patterning of the Arabidopsis root epidermis depends on a genetic regulatory network that operates both within and between cells. Genetic studies have identified a number of key components of this network, but a clear picture of the functional logic of the network is lacking. Here, we integrate existing genetic and biochemical data in a mathematical model that allows us to explore both the sufficiency of known network interactions and the extent to which additional assumptions about the model can account for wild-type and mutant data. Our model shows that an existing hypothesis concerning the autoregulation of WEREWOLF does not account fully for the expression patterns of components of the network. We confirm the lack of WEREWOLF autoregulation experimentally in transgenic plants. Rather, our modelling suggests that patterning depends on the movement of the CAPRICE and GLABRA3 transcriptional regulators between epidermal cells. Our combined modelling and experimental studies show that WEREWOLF autoregulation does not contribute to the initial patterning of epidermal cell fates in the Arabidopsis seedling root. In contrast to a patterning mechanism relying on local activation, we propose a mechanism based on lateral inhibition with feedback. The active intercellular movements of proteins that are central to our model underlie a mechanism for pattern formation in planar groups of cells that is centred on the mutual support of two cell fates rather than on local activation and lateral inhibition.

  4. A Mutual Support Mechanism through Intercellular Movement of CAPRICE and GLABRA3 Can Pattern the Arabidopsis Root Epidermis

    PubMed Central

    Savage, Natasha Saint; Walker, Tom; Wieckowski, Yana; Schiefelbein, John; Dolan, Liam; Monk, Nicholas A. M

    2008-01-01

    The patterning of the Arabidopsis root epidermis depends on a genetic regulatory network that operates both within and between cells. Genetic studies have identified a number of key components of this network, but a clear picture of the functional logic of the network is lacking. Here, we integrate existing genetic and biochemical data in a mathematical model that allows us to explore both the sufficiency of known network interactions and the extent to which additional assumptions about the model can account for wild-type and mutant data. Our model shows that an existing hypothesis concerning the autoregulation of WEREWOLF does not account fully for the expression patterns of components of the network. We confirm the lack of WEREWOLF autoregulation experimentally in transgenic plants. Rather, our modelling suggests that patterning depends on the movement of the CAPRICE and GLABRA3 transcriptional regulators between epidermal cells. Our combined modelling and experimental studies show that WEREWOLF autoregulation does not contribute to the initial patterning of epidermal cell fates in the Arabidopsis seedling root. In contrast to a patterning mechanism relying on local activation, we propose a mechanism based on lateral inhibition with feedback. The active intercellular movements of proteins that are central to our model underlie a mechanism for pattern formation in planar groups of cells that is centred on the mutual support of two cell fates rather than on local activation and lateral inhibition. PMID:18816165

  5. Accountable care organizations and radiology: threat or opportunity?

    PubMed

    Abramson, Richard G; Berger, Paul E; Brant-Zawadzki, Michael N

    2012-12-01

    Although the anticipated rise of accountable care organizations brings certain potential threats to radiologists, including direct threats to revenue and indirect systemic changes jeopardizing the bargaining leverage of radiology groups, accountable care organizations, and other integrated health care delivery models may provide radiology with an important opportunity to reassert its leadership and assume a more central role within health care systems. Capitalizing on this potential opportunity, however, will require radiology groups to abandon the traditional "film reader" mentality and engage actively in the design and implementation of nontraditional systems service lines aimed at adding differentiated value to larger health care organizations. Important interlinked and mutually reinforcing components of systems service lines, derived from radiology's core competencies, may include utilization management and decision support, IT leadership, quality and safety assurance, and operational enhancements to meet organizational goals. Such systems-oriented service products, tailored to the needs of individual integrated care entities and supported by objective performance metrics, may provide market differentiation to shield radiology from commoditization and could become an important source of new nonclinical revenue. Copyright © 2012 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Information flow to assess cardiorespiratory interactions in patients on weaning trials.

    PubMed

    Vallverdú, M; Tibaduisa, O; Clariá, F; Hoyer, D; Giraldo, B; Benito, S; Caminal, P

    2006-01-01

    Nonlinear processes of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) can produce breath-to-breath variability in the pattern of breathing. In order to provide assess to these nonlinear processes, nonlinear statistical dependencies between heart rate variability and respiratory pattern variability are analyzed. In this way, auto-mutual information and cross-mutual information concepts are applied. This information flow analysis is presented as a short-term non linear analysis method to investigate the information flow interactions in patients on weaning trials. 78 patients from mechanical ventilation were studied: Group A of 28 patients that failed to maintain spontaneous breathing and were reconnected; Group B of 50 patients with successful trials. The results show lower complexity with an increase of information flow in group A than in group B. Furthermore, a more (weakly) coupled nonlinear oscillator behavior is observed in the series of group A than in B.

  7. MIrExpress: A Database for Gene Coexpression Correlation in Immune Cells Based on Mutual Information and Pearson Correlation

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Luman; Mo, Qiaochu; Wang, Jianxin

    2015-01-01

    Most current gene coexpression databases support the analysis for linear correlation of gene pairs, but not nonlinear correlation of them, which hinders precisely evaluating the gene-gene coexpression strengths. Here, we report a new database, MIrExpress, which takes advantage of the information theory, as well as the Pearson linear correlation method, to measure the linear correlation, nonlinear correlation, and their hybrid of cell-specific gene coexpressions in immune cells. For a given gene pair or probe set pair input by web users, both mutual information (MI) and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) are calculated, and several corresponding values are reported to reflect their coexpression correlation nature, including MI and r values, their respective rank orderings, their rank comparison, and their hybrid correlation value. Furthermore, for a given gene, the top 10 most relevant genes to it are displayed with the MI, r, or their hybrid perspective, respectively. Currently, the database totally includes 16 human cell groups, involving 20,283 human genes. The expression data and the calculated correlation results from the database are interactively accessible on the web page and can be implemented for other related applications and researches. PMID:26881263

  8. Food sharing in vampire bats: reciprocal help predicts donations more than relatedness or harassment

    PubMed Central

    Carter, Gerald G.; Wilkinson, Gerald S.

    2013-01-01

    Common vampire bats often regurgitate food to roost-mates that fail to feed. The original explanation for this costly helping behaviour invoked both direct and indirect fitness benefits. Several authors have since suggested that food sharing is maintained solely by indirect fitness because non-kin food sharing could have resulted from kin recognition errors, indiscriminate altruism within groups, or harassment. To test these alternatives, we examined predictors of food-sharing decisions under controlled conditions of mixed relatedness and equal familiarity. Over a 2 year period, we individually fasted 20 vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) and induced food sharing on 48 days. Surprisingly, donors initiated food sharing more often than recipients, which is inconsistent with harassment. Food received was the best predictor of food given across dyads, and 8.5 times more important than relatedness. Sixty-four per cent of sharing dyads were unrelated, approaching the 67 per cent expected if nepotism was absent. Consistent with social bonding, the food-sharing network was consistent and correlated with mutual allogrooming. Together with past work, these findings support the hypothesis that food sharing in vampire bats provides mutual direct fitness benefits, and is not explained solely by kin selection or harassment. PMID:23282995

  9. MIrExpress: A Database for Gene Coexpression Correlation in Immune Cells Based on Mutual Information and Pearson Correlation.

    PubMed

    Wang, Luman; Mo, Qiaochu; Wang, Jianxin

    2015-01-01

    Most current gene coexpression databases support the analysis for linear correlation of gene pairs, but not nonlinear correlation of them, which hinders precisely evaluating the gene-gene coexpression strengths. Here, we report a new database, MIrExpress, which takes advantage of the information theory, as well as the Pearson linear correlation method, to measure the linear correlation, nonlinear correlation, and their hybrid of cell-specific gene coexpressions in immune cells. For a given gene pair or probe set pair input by web users, both mutual information (MI) and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) are calculated, and several corresponding values are reported to reflect their coexpression correlation nature, including MI and r values, their respective rank orderings, their rank comparison, and their hybrid correlation value. Furthermore, for a given gene, the top 10 most relevant genes to it are displayed with the MI, r, or their hybrid perspective, respectively. Currently, the database totally includes 16 human cell groups, involving 20,283 human genes. The expression data and the calculated correlation results from the database are interactively accessible on the web page and can be implemented for other related applications and researches.

  10. Sustained neural activity to gaze and emotion perception in dynamic social scenes

    PubMed Central

    Ulloa, José Luis; Puce, Aina; Hugueville, Laurent; George, Nathalie

    2014-01-01

    To understand social interactions, we must decode dynamic social cues from seen faces. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study the neural responses underlying the perception of emotional expressions and gaze direction changes as depicted in an interaction between two agents. Subjects viewed displays of paired faces that first established a social scenario of gazing at each other (mutual attention) or gazing laterally together (deviated group attention) and then dynamically displayed either an angry or happy facial expression. The initial gaze change elicited a significantly larger M170 under the deviated than the mutual attention scenario. At around 400 ms after the dynamic emotion onset, responses at posterior MEG sensors differentiated between emotions, and between 1000 and 2200 ms, left posterior sensors were additionally modulated by social scenario. Moreover, activity on right anterior sensors showed both an early and prolonged interaction between emotion and social scenario. These results suggest that activity in right anterior sensors reflects an early integration of emotion and social attention, while posterior activity first differentiated between emotions only, supporting the view of a dual route for emotion processing. Altogether, our data demonstrate that both transient and sustained neurophysiological responses underlie social processing when observing interactions between others. PMID:23202662

  11. Food sharing in vampire bats: reciprocal help predicts donations more than relatedness or harassment.

    PubMed

    Carter, Gerald G; Wilkinson, Gerald S

    2013-02-22

    Common vampire bats often regurgitate food to roost-mates that fail to feed. The original explanation for this costly helping behaviour invoked both direct and indirect fitness benefits. Several authors have since suggested that food sharing is maintained solely by indirect fitness because non-kin food sharing could have resulted from kin recognition errors, indiscriminate altruism within groups, or harassment. To test these alternatives, we examined predictors of food-sharing decisions under controlled conditions of mixed relatedness and equal familiarity. Over a 2 year period, we individually fasted 20 vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) and induced food sharing on 48 days. Surprisingly, donors initiated food sharing more often than recipients, which is inconsistent with harassment. Food received was the best predictor of food given across dyads, and 8.5 times more important than relatedness. Sixty-four per cent of sharing dyads were unrelated, approaching the 67 per cent expected if nepotism was absent. Consistent with social bonding, the food-sharing network was consistent and correlated with mutual allogrooming. Together with past work, these findings support the hypothesis that food sharing in vampire bats provides mutual direct fitness benefits, and is not explained solely by kin selection or harassment.

  12. Perspectives on family health, happiness and harmony (3H) among Hong Kong Chinese people: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Lam, W W T; Fielding, R; McDowell, I; Johnston, J; Chan, Sophia; Leung, G M; Lam, T H

    2012-10-01

    Family harmony, an important Confucian ideal in Chinese society is believed to determine family happiness and therefore health, but is this accurate? This is a qualitative study of 41 Hong Kong Chinese family members. Individual recorded interviews were thematically analysed describing perceived interactions between harmony, happiness and health. Family harmony comprised four components: communication, mutual respect, lack of conflict and family time [notably 'Gou tong' (in Cantonese )-opportunity and willingness to spend time together-requiring good interpersonal communication, emphasized by female respondents]. Lack of conflict was emphasized, while diverse values, parenting styles and financial difficulties were common causes of conflict. Respect required reciprocity. Family happiness comprised four elements: family harmony, an important pre-requisite; mutual caring and supportive orientation; sense of security emphasizing financial security in middle-class versus sense of togetherness in lower social class groups and contentment. Healthy families were harmonious; 'typical' (children/two-parent/two-grandparent); happy; caring and respectful, with individual health and healthy behaviours. Family harmony, happiness and health are interrelated and built on a communicative, respectful, caring and contented set of attitudes, in particular allowing for family time. Harmony is apparently a core element of good family functioning.

  13. Quality assurance, benchmarking, assessment and mutual international recognition of qualifications.

    PubMed

    Hobson, R; Rolland, S; Rotgans, J; Schoonheim-Klein, M; Best, H; Chomyszyn-Gajewska, M; Dymock, D; Essop, R; Hupp, J; Kundzina, R; Love, R; Memon, R A; Moola, M; Neumann, L; Ozden, N; Roth, K; Samwel, P; Villavicencio, J; Wright, P; Harzer, W

    2008-02-01

    The aim of this report is to provide guidance to assist in the international convergence of quality assurance, benchmarking and assessment systems to improve dental education. Proposals are developed for mutual recognition of qualifications, to aid international movement and exchange of staff and students including and supporting developing countries. Quality assurance is the responsibility of all staff involved in dental education and involves three levels: internal, institutional and external. Benchmarking information provides a subject framework. Benchmarks are useful for a variety of purposes including design and validation of programmes, examination and review; they can also strengthen the accreditation process undertaken by professional and statutory bodies. Benchmark information can be used by institutions as part of their programme approval process, to set degree standards. The standards should be developed by the dental academic community through formal groups of experts. Assessment outcomes of student learning are a measure of the quality of the learning programme. The goal of an effective assessment strategy should be that it provides the starting point for students to adopt a positive approach to effective and competent practice, reflective and lifelong learning. All assessment methods should be evidence based or based upon research. Mutual recognition of professional qualifications means that qualifications gained in one country (the home country) are recognized in another country (the host country). It empowers movement of skilled workers, which can help resolve skills shortages within participating countries. These proposals are not intended to be either exhaustive or prescriptive; they are purely for guidance and derived from the identification of what is perceived to be 'best practice'.

  14. Internet-based individually versus group guided self-help treatment for social anxiety disorder: protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Schulz, Ava; Stolz, Timo; Berger, Thomas

    2014-04-15

    Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most common mental disorders and causes subjective suffering and economic burden worldwide. Although effective treatments are available, a lot of cases go untreated. Internet-based self-help is a low-threshold and flexible treatment alternative for SAD. Various studies have already shown that internet-based self-help can be effective to reduce social phobic symptoms significantly. Most of the interventions tested include therapist support, whereas the role of peer support within internet-based self-help has not yet been fully understood. There is evidence suggesting that patients' mutual exchange via integrated discussion forums can increase the efficacy of internet-based treatments. This study aims at investigating the added value of therapist-guided group support on the treatment outcome of internet-based self-help for SAD. The study is conducted as a randomized controlled trial. A total of 150 adults with a diagnosis of SAD are randomly assigned to either a waiting-list control group or one of the active conditions. The participants in the two active conditions use the same internet-based self-help program, either with individual support by a psychologist or therapist-guided group support. In the group guided condition, participants can communicate with each other via an integrated, protected discussion forum. Subjects are recruited via topic related websites and links; diagnostic status will be assessed with a telephone interview. The primary outcome variables are symptoms of SAD and diagnostic status after the intervention. Secondary endpoints are general symptomology, depression, quality of life, as well as the primary outcome variables 6 months later. Furthermore, process variables such as group processes, the change in symptoms and working alliance will be studied. The results of this study should indicate whether group-guided support could enhance the efficacy of an internet-based self-help treatment for SAD. This novel treatment format, if shown effective, could represent a cost-effective option and could further be modified to treat other conditions, as well. ISRCTN75894275.

  15. An Online, Moderated Peer-to-Peer Support Bulletin Board for Depression: User-Perceived Advantages and Disadvantages

    PubMed Central

    Reynolds, Julia; Vassallo, Sara

    2015-01-01

    Background Online, peer-to-peer support groups for depression are common on the World Wide Web and there is some evidence of their effectiveness. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which Internet support groups (ISGs) might work. Objective This study aimed to investigate consumer perceptions of the benefits and disadvantages of online peer-to-peer support by undertaking a content analysis of the spontaneous posts on BlueBoard, a well-established, moderated, online depression bulletin board. Methods The research set comprised all posts on the board (n=3645) for each of 3 months selected at 4 monthly intervals over 2011. The data were analyzed using content analysis and multiple coders. Results A total of 586 relevant posts were identified, 453 (77.3%) reporting advantages and 133 (22.7%) reporting disadvantages. Positive personal change (335/453, 74.0%) and valued social interactions and support (296/453, 65.3%) emerged as perceived advantages. Other identified benefits were valued opportunities to disclose/express feelings or views (29/453, 6.4%) and advantages of the BlueBoard environment (45/453, 9.9%). Disadvantages were negative personal change (50/133, 37.6%), perceived disadvantages of board rules/moderation (42/133, 31.6%), unhelpful social interactions/contact with other members (40/133, 30.1%), and technical obstacles to using the board (14/133, 10.5%). Conclusions Consumers value the opportunity to participate in an online mutual support group for mental health concerns. Further research is required to better understand how and if these perceived advantages translate into positive outcomes for consumers, and whether the perceived disadvantages of such boards can be addressed without compromising the safety and positive outcomes of the board. PMID:26543919

  16. An Online, Moderated Peer-to-Peer Support Bulletin Board for Depression: User-Perceived Advantages and Disadvantages.

    PubMed

    Griffiths, Kathleen Margaret; Reynolds, Julia; Vassallo, Sara

    2015-01-01

    Online, peer-to-peer support groups for depression are common on the World Wide Web and there is some evidence of their effectiveness. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which Internet support groups (ISGs) might work. This study aimed to investigate consumer perceptions of the benefits and disadvantages of online peer-to-peer support by undertaking a content analysis of the spontaneous posts on BlueBoard, a well-established, moderated, online depression bulletin board. The research set comprised all posts on the board (n=3645) for each of 3 months selected at 4 monthly intervals over 2011. The data were analyzed using content analysis and multiple coders. A total of 586 relevant posts were identified, 453 (77.3%) reporting advantages and 133 (22.7%) reporting disadvantages. Positive personal change (335/453, 74.0%) and valued social interactions and support (296/453, 65.3%) emerged as perceived advantages. Other identified benefits were valued opportunities to disclose/express feelings or views (29/453, 6.4%) and advantages of the BlueBoard environment (45/453, 9.9%). Disadvantages were negative personal change (50/133, 37.6%), perceived disadvantages of board rules/moderation (42/133, 31.6%), unhelpful social interactions/contact with other members (40/133, 30.1%), and technical obstacles to using the board (14/133, 10.5%). Consumers value the opportunity to participate in an online mutual support group for mental health concerns. Further research is required to better understand how and if these perceived advantages translate into positive outcomes for consumers, and whether the perceived disadvantages of such boards can be addressed without compromising the safety and positive outcomes of the board.

  17. The epidemiology and surveillance workforce among local health departments in California: mutual aid and surge capacity for routine and emergency infectious disease situations.

    PubMed

    Enanoria, Wayne T A; Crawley, Adam W; Hunter, Jennifer C; Balido, Jeannie; Aragon, Tomas J

    2014-01-01

    Public health surveillance and epidemiologic investigations are critical public health functions for identifying threats to the health of a community. We conducted a survey of local health departments (LHDs) in California to describe the workforce that supports public health surveillance and epidemiologic functions during routine and emergency infectious disease situations. The target population consisted of the 61 LHDs in California. The online survey instrument was designed to collect information about the workforce involved in key epidemiologic functions. We also examined how the public health workforce increases its epidemiologic capacity during infectious disease emergencies. Of 61 LHDs in California, 31 (51%) completed the survey. A wide range of job classifications contribute to epidemiologic functions routinely, and LHDs rely on both internal and external sources of epidemiologic surge capacity during infectious disease emergencies. This study found that while 17 (55%) LHDs reported having a mutual aid agreement with at least one other organization for emergency response, only nine (29%) LHDs have a mutual aid agreement specifically for epidemiology and surveillance functions. LHDs rely on a diverse workforce to conduct epidemiology and public health surveillance functions, emphasizing the need to identify and describe the types of staff positions that could benefit from public health surveillance and epidemiology training. While some organizations collaborate with external partners to support these functions during an emergency, many LHDs do not rely on mutual aid agreements for epidemiology and surveillance activities.

  18. Bet hedging based cooperation can limit kin selection and form a basis for mutualism.

    PubMed

    Uitdehaag, Joost C M

    2011-07-07

    Mutualism is a mechanism of cooperation in which partners that differ help each other. As such, mutualism opposes mechanisms of kin selection and tag-based selection (for example the green beard mechanism), which are based on giving exclusive help to partners that are related or carry the same tag. In contrast to kin selection, which is a basis for parochialism and intergroup warfare, mutualism can therefore be regarded as a mechanism that drives peaceful coexistence between different groups and individuals. Here the competition between mutualism and kin (tag) selection is studied. In a model where kin selection and tag-based selection are dominant, mutualism is promoted by introducing environmental fluctuations. These fluctuations cause reduction in reproductive success by the mechanism of variance discount. The best strategy to counter variance discount is to share with agents who experience the most anticorrelated fluctuations, a strategy called bet hedging. In this way, bet hedging stimulates cooperation with the most unrelated partners, which is a basis for mutualism. Analytic results and simulations reveal that, if this effect is large enough, mutualistic strategies can dominate kin selective strategies. In addition, mutants of these mutualistic strategies that experience fluctuations that are more anticorrelated to their partner, can outcompete wild type, which can lead to the evolution of specialization. In this way, the evolutionary success of mutualistic strategies can be explained by bet hedging-based cooperation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The local implementation of a chronic disease management model for childhood overweight and obesity.

    PubMed

    Brink-Melis, Willy J; Derksen, Elze R E; Westerman, Marjan J; Renders, Carry M; Seidell, Jacob C; Visscher, Tommy L S

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study is to determine opportunities and barriers regarding the management of overweight and obese children in daily practice, and to show the value of using focus groups when developing an action plan for childhood overweight management in a local context. Seven focus groups and four semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 professionals from nine different care disciplines and 7 parents of overweight and obese children aged 4-19 years. After thorough analysis of the focus groups, issues concerning finding the most appropriate care and realising a long-term weight management in daily practice have become clear. Some examples of these issues are: lack of awareness, reluctance to discuss and refer, mutual cooperation, contradictory advice and expectations of treatment and lack of effective support strategies. Focus groups deliver important information on local issues that are important for the development and implementation of a childhood overweight management action plan. And, besides delivering necessary information, focus groups lead to an increased awareness and willingness to improve childhood overweight management in a local context. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

  20. On the mathematical foundations of mutually unbiased bases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thas, Koen

    2018-02-01

    In order to describe a setting to handle Zauner's conjecture on mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) (stating that in C^d, a set of MUBs of the theoretical maximal size d + 1 exists only if d is a prime power), we pose some fundamental questions which naturally arise. Some of these questions have important consequences for the construction theory of (new) sets of maximal MUBs. Partial answers will be provided in particular cases; more specifically, we will analyze MUBs with associated operator groups that have nilpotence class 2, and consider MUBs of height 1. We will also confirm Zauner's conjecture for MUBs with associated finite nilpotent operator groups.

  1. Patient and program factors that bridge the detoxification-treatment gap: a structured evidence review.

    PubMed

    Timko, Christine; Below, Maureen; Schultz, Nicole R; Brief, Deborah; Cucciare, Michael A

    2015-05-01

    Although completion of detoxification (detox) and a successful transition from detox to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and/or mutual-help groups are associated with better SUD outcomes, many patients do not complete detox or do not receive SUD care following detox. The purpose of this structured evidence review, summarizing data extraction on a yield of 26 articles, is to identify patient, program, and system factors associated with the outcomes of completion of alcohol detox and successful transitions from alcohol detox to SUD treatment and mutual-help group participation. The review found wide variability among studies in the rates at which patients complete a detox episode (45 to 95%) and enter SUD treatment or mutual-help groups after detox (14 to 92%). Within program factors, behavioral practices that contribute to both detox completion and transitioning to SUD care after detox entail involving the patient's family and utilizing motivational-based approaches. Such practices should be targeted at younger patients, who are less likely to complete detox. Although more studies using a randomized controlled trial design are needed, the evidence suggests that barriers to detox completion and transition to SUD care can be overcome to improve patient outcomes. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Computing algebraic transfer entropy and coupling directions via transcripts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amigó, José M.; Monetti, Roberto; Graff, Beata; Graff, Grzegorz

    2016-11-01

    Most random processes studied in nonlinear time series analysis take values on sets endowed with a group structure, e.g., the real and rational numbers, and the integers. This fact allows to associate with each pair of group elements a third element, called their transcript, which is defined as the product of the second element in the pair times the first one. The transfer entropy of two such processes is called algebraic transfer entropy. It measures the information transferred between two coupled processes whose values belong to a group. In this paper, we show that, subject to one constraint, the algebraic transfer entropy matches the (in general, conditional) mutual information of certain transcripts with one variable less. This property has interesting practical applications, especially to the analysis of short time series. We also derive weak conditions for the 3-dimensional algebraic transfer entropy to yield the same coupling direction as the corresponding mutual information of transcripts. A related issue concerns the use of mutual information of transcripts to determine coupling directions in cases where the conditions just mentioned are not fulfilled. We checked the latter possibility in the lowest dimensional case with numerical simulations and cardiovascular data, and obtained positive results.

  3. Modelers and policymakers : improving the relationships.

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

    Karas, Thomas H.

    2004-06-01

    On April 22 and 23, 2004, a diverse group of 14 policymakers, modelers, analysts, and scholars met with some 22 members of the Sandia National Laboratories staff to explores ways in which the relationships between modelers and policymakers in the energy and environment fields (with an emphasis on energy) could be made more productive for both. This report is not a transcription of that workshop, but draws very heavily on its proceedings. It first describes the concept of modeling, the varying ways in which models are used to support policymaking, and the institutional context for those uses. It then proposesmore » that the goal of modelers and policymakers should be a relationship of mutual trust, built on a foundation of communication, supported by the twin pillars of policy relevance and technical credibility. The report suggests 20 guidelines to help modelers improve the relationship, followed by 10 guidelines to help policymakers toward the same goal.« less

  4. Complexity and Health Coaching: Synergies in Nursing

    PubMed Central

    Mitchell, Gail J.; Wong, Winnie; Rush, Danica

    2013-01-01

    Health care professionals are increasingly aware that persons are complex and live in relation with other complex human communities and broader systems. Complex beings and systems are living and evolving in nonlinear ways through a process of mutual influence. Traditional standardized approaches in chronic disease management do not address these non-linear linkages and the meaning and changes that impact day-to-day life and caring for self and family. The RN health coach role described in this paper addresses the complexities and ambiguities for persons living with chronic illness in order to provide person-centered care and support that are unique and responsive to the context of persons' lives. Informed by complexity thinking and relational inquiry, the RN health coach is an emergent innovation of creative action with community and groups that support persons as they shape their health and patterns of living. PMID:24102025

  5. Learning from Simulation Games: Effects of Sociometric Grouping.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brand, Charles F.

    1980-01-01

    Study examined the influence of 141 fifth graders of two sociometric variables, mutual selection of playing partners and membership in a cohesive group, on learning from classroom simulation games. Although cognitive learning evidence existed, no effects of sociometric grouping were apparent. (CMV)

  6. Classification of adults with problematic internet experiences: linking internet and conventional problems from a clinical perspective.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Kimberly J; Finkelhor, David; Becker-Blease, Kathryn A

    2007-06-01

    This article utilizes data from clinical reports of 929 adults to examine whether various problematic Internet experiences are distinctly different from or extensions of conventional problems. A TwoStep Cluster Analysis identified three mutually exclusive groups of adults, those with (1) online relationship problems and victimization; (2) online and offline problems; and (3) marital discord. Results suggest some initial support for the idea that problematic Internet experiences are often extensions of experiences and behaviors that pre-date the Internet. However, the Internet may be introducing some qualitatively new dimensions-such as an increased severity, an increased frequency, or unique dynamics-that require new responses or interventions.

  7. ADC Mothers Reach Self-Sufficiency through Comprehensive Support and Family Development Services Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Randolph, Gayle C., II; McCarthy, Karen V.

    Families whose primary or sole means of financial support is derived from the welfare system are attempting to meet immediate survival needs in the same manner as families outside of the system. Project Self-Sufficiency is a program which dedicates time to building trusting relationships based on mutual respect and the belief that, with support,…

  8. Testing the emergence of New Caledonia: fig wasp mutualism as a case study and a review of evidence.

    PubMed

    Cruaud, Astrid; Jabbour-Zahab, Roula; Genson, Gwenaëlle; Ungricht, Stefan; Rasplus, Jean-Yves

    2012-01-01

    While geologists suggest that New Caledonian main island (Grande Terre) was submerged until ca 37 Ma, biologists are struck by the presence of supposedly Gondwanan groups on the island. Among these groups are the Oreosycea fig trees (Ficus, Moraceae) and their Dolichoris pollinators (Hymenoptera, Agaonidae). These partners are distributed in the Paleotropics and Australasia, suggesting that their presence on New Caledonia could result from Gondwanan vicariance. To test this hypothesis, we obtained mitochondrial and nuclear markers (5.3 kb) from 28 species of Dolichoris, used all available sequences for Oreosycea, and conducted phylogenetic and dating analyses with several calibration strategies. All our analyses ruled out a vicariance scenario suggesting instead that New Caledonian colonization by Dolichoris and Oreosycea involved dispersal across islands from Sundaland ca 45.9-32.0 Ma. Our results show that successful long-distance dispersal of obligate mutualists may happen further suggesting that presence of intimate mutualisms on isolated islands should not be used as a priori evidence for vicariance. Comparing our results to a review of all the published age estimates for New Caledonian plant and animal taxa, we showed that support for a vicariant origin of the island biota is still lacking. Finally, as demonstrating a causal relationship between geology and biology requires independent evidence, we argue that a priori assumptions about vicariance or dispersal should not be used to constrain chronograms. This circular reasoning could lead to under or overestimation of age estimates.

  9. Photoanthropometric face iridial proportions for age estimation: An investigation using features selected via a joint mutual information criterion.

    PubMed

    Borges, Díbio L; Vidal, Flávio B; Flores, Marta R P; Melani, Rodolfo F H; Guimarães, Marco A; Machado, Carlos E P

    2018-03-01

    Age assessment from images is of high interest in the forensic community because of the necessity to establish formal protocols to identify child pornography, child missing and abuses where visual evidences are the mostly admissible. Recently, photoanthropometric methods have been found useful for age estimation correlating facial proportions in image databases with samples of some age groups. Notwithstanding the advances, newer facial features and further analysis are needed to improve accuracy and establish larger applicability. In this investigation, frontal images of 1000 individuals (500 females, 500 males), equally distributed in five age groups (6, 10, 14, 18, 22 years old) were used in a 10 fold cross-validated experiment for three age thresholds classifications (<10, <14, <18 years old). A set of novel 40 features, based on a relation between landmark distances and the iris diameter, is proposed and joint mutual information is used to select the most relevant and complementary features for the classification task. In a civil image identification database with diverse ancestry, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to verify accuracy, and the resultant AUCs achieved 0.971, 0.969, and 0.903 for the age classifications (<10, <14, <18 years old), respectively. These results add support to continuing research in age assessment from images using the metric approach. Still, larger samples are necessary to evaluate reliability in extensive conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Empowerment in critical care - a concept analysis.

    PubMed

    Wåhlin, Ingrid

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this paper was to analyse how the concept of empowerment is defined in the scientific literature in relation to critical care. As empowerment is a mutual process affecting all individuals involved, the perspectives of not only patients and next of kin but also staff were sought. A literature review and a concept analysis based on Walker and Avant's analysis procedure were used to identify the basic elements of empowerment in critical care. Twenty-two articles with a focus on critical care were discovered and included in the investigation. A mutual and supportive relationship, knowledge, skills, power within oneself and self-determination were found to be the common attributes of empowerment in critical care. The results could be adapted and used for all parties involved in critical care - whether patients, next of kin or staff - as these defining attributes are assumed to be universal to all three groups, even if the more specific content of each attribute varies between groups and individuals. Even if empowerment is only sparsely used in relation to critical care, it appears to be a very useful concept in this context. The benefits of improving empowerment are extensive: decreased levels of distress and strain, increased sense of coherence and control over situation, and personal and/or professional development and growth, together with increased comfort and inner satisfaction. © 2016 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic College.

  11. Deformations of temporary wooden supports used to reduce building deflections in mining areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gromysz, Krzysztof

    2018-04-01

    Temporary supports, consisting of a stack of wooden elements and a hydraulic jack, are used in the process of removing deflections in buildings with one to three aboveground floors in mining areas. During uneven raising, the supports are loaded monotonically, unloaded and loaded cyclically. Laboratory tests were designed for the supports. For the investigated range of loads of 0 to 400 kN, under a growing load, a linear relationship exists between a load and the change in the stack length, which signifies that the deformations of wooden elements and displacements related to their mutual interactions increase proportionally. A seemingly higher stack stiffness is seen at the beginning of the unloading process and for cyclical loads, meaning that in this phase of loading, the material deformation of the wooden elements and the jack is responsible for changing the jack length in this load phase, with a negligible presence of mutual displacements of wooden elements. The support, after being unloaded, returns to the initial position and its permanent deformations are not observed. The stiffness of a temporary support decreases as the height of the stack of wooden elements increases.

  12. Care for a break? An investigation of informal caregivers' attitudes toward respite care using Q-methodology.

    PubMed

    van Exel, Job; de Graaf, Gjalt; Brouwer, Werner

    2007-10-01

    To investigate informal caregivers' attitudes toward respite care. Interviews with informal caregivers during open-house support groups (three) for informal caregivers, conducted late 2004 at Informal Care Support Centres in the city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. A Q-methodological study was conducted. Informal caregivers were asked to rank-order 39 statements regarding motivation for providing informal care; supporting capacity; physical, psychological, practical, financial, relational and social obstacles; subjective burden; need for support; experienced support; and propensity and impediments to make use of respite care. In addition, respondents explained their Q-sort in writing and completed a questionnaire regarding characteristics of the caregiver, the care recipient, and the objective and subjective burden of their care giving situation. Individual Q-sorts were analysed using PQMethod 2.11 (statistical method factor analysis with a varimax rotation). Objective of Q-analysis was to reveal a limited number of corresponding ways the statements were sorted. For the factors identified, composite sorts were determined. Factors were interpreted and described using the composite sorts, differences and similarities in rank value of statements between factors and the explanations by respondents. We found three distinct groups of caregivers: informal caregivers who need and ask for respite care, those who need but won't ask for respite care, and those that do not need respite care. Caregivers in the first two groups experience substantial burden, while those in the third group enjoy sufficient support and appear to manage pretty well. Caregivers in the second and third group derive considerable satisfaction from care giving. On balance, caregivers in the first two groups would sometimes rather have someone else take over their task. The first group feels misunderstood and undervalued by health and welfare organisations and has problems obtaining respite. The desire for respite of caregivers in the second group is not unambiguous, affected by care recipient resistance against respite. Respite care programmes should target caregivers in the first two groups. Regarding the second group, effort should be directed to both caregiver and care recipient. They need to be convinced that it is in their mutual interest to make the care giving task manageable in the long run, because they report serious burden from care giving coupled with a resistance to respite care.

  13. [Study of the Consumers' preference on the universal health coverage development strategy through health mutual in Ziguinchor Region, Southwest of Senegal].

    PubMed

    Sagna, O; Seck, I; Dia, A T; Sall, F L; Diouf, S; Mendy, J; Ka, O; Kassoka, B

    2016-08-01

    In Senegal, the informal and rural sector that accounts for over 80% of the population is covered only up to 7% by a health insurance system. That is why, for the implementation of development strategy of the universal health coverage (UHC) through mutual health insurance providers, the Government of Senegal has focused on this sector. The objective of this study was to assess the consumer's preference on the UHC development strategies through mutual health insurance providers. This was a qualitative and exploratory study based on a literature review, and indepth interview with the heads of households. It was also based on focus groups of people with and without health mutual membership, and the Expert Committee meetings. The results showed that the most critical attributes in the decision-making of consumers to join the health mutual in Ziguinchor were the membership units; the content of the benefit package, the payment modalities of the premium, the premium amount, the availability of transportation, the co-payment level, convention arrangement with health facilities, and health mutual governance. For a successful implementation of the UHC development strategy through health mutual organizations, policymakers should explore the possibility of introducing the modality of payment in kind, the revision of the co-payment amount, and the promotion of equity through the introduction of a differentiated premium contribution by income. They should also establish a crossborder strategy with The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau to improve health care access to people living in the borders. The promotion of innovative funding and risk equalization between health insurance schemes is also recommended. In areas where the microfinance institutions are well organized and structured their substitution to health mutuals should be an option the decision-makers have to explore.

  14. Psychological and Relational Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Profiles Among Pregnant Adolescent Couples

    PubMed Central

    Lewis, Jessica B.; Sullivan, Tami P.; Angley, Meghan; Callands, Tamora; Divney, Anna A.; Magriples, Urania; Gordon, Derrick M.; Kershaw, Trace S.

    2017-01-01

    We sought to identify relationship and individual psychological factors that related to four profiles of intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant adolescent couples: no IPV, male IPV victim only, female IPV victim only, mutual IPV, and how associations differ by sex. Using data from a longitudinal study of pregnant adolescents and partners (n = 291 couples), we used a multivariate profile analysis using multivariate analysis of covariance with between and within-subjects effects to compare IPV groups and sex on relationship and psychological factors. Analyses were conducted at the couple level, with IPV groups as a between-subjects couple level variable and sex as a within-subjects variable that allowed us to model and compare the outcomes of both partners while controlling for the correlated nature of the data. Analyses controlled for age, race, income, relationship duration, and gestational age. Among couples, 64% had no IPV; 23% male IPV victim only; 7% mutual IPV; 5% female IPV victim only. Relationship (F = 3.61, P < .001) and psychological (F = 3.17, P < .001) factors differed by IPV group, overall. Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, relationship equity, perceived partner infidelity, depression, stress, and hostility each differed by IPV profile (all P < .01). Attachment anxiety, equity, depression and stress had a significant IPV profile by sex interaction (all P < .05). Couples with mutual IPV had the least healthy relationship and psychological characteristics; couples with no IPV had the healthiest characteristics. Females in mutually violent relationships were at particularly high risk. Couple-level interventions focused on relational issues might protect young families from developing IPV behaviors. PMID:27135634

  15. Strategy Diversity Stabilizes Mutualism through Investment Cycles, Phase Polymorphism, and Spatial Bubbles

    PubMed Central

    Boza, Gergely; Kun, Ádám; Scheuring, István; Dieckmann, Ulf

    2012-01-01

    There is continuing interest in understanding factors that facilitate the evolution and stability of cooperation within and between species. Such interactions will often involve plasticity in investment behavior, in response to the interacting partner's investments. Our aim here is to investigate the evolution and stability of reciprocal investment behavior in interspecific interactions, a key phenomenon strongly supported by experimental observations. In particular, we present a comprehensive analysis of a continuous reciprocal investment game between mutualists, both in well-mixed and spatially structured populations, and we demonstrate a series of novel mechanisms for maintaining interspecific mutualism. We demonstrate that mutualistic partners invariably follow investment cycles, during which mutualism first increases, before both partners eventually reduce their investments to zero, so that these cycles always conclude with full defection. We show that the key mechanism for stabilizing mutualism is phase polymorphism along the investment cycle. Although mutualistic partners perpetually change their strategies, the community-level distribution of investment levels becomes stationary. In spatially structured populations, the maintenance of polymorphism is further facilitated by dynamic mosaic structures, in which mutualistic partners form expanding and collapsing spatial bubbles or clusters. Additionally, we reveal strategy-diversity thresholds, both for well-mixed and spatially structured mutualistic communities, and discuss factors for meeting these thresholds, and thus maintaining mutualism. Our results demonstrate that interspecific mutualism, when considered as plastic investment behavior, can be unstable, and, in agreement with empirical observations, may involve a polymorphism of investment levels, varying both in space and in time. Identifying the mechanisms maintaining such polymorphism, and hence mutualism in natural communities, provides a significant step towards understanding the coevolution and population dynamics of mutualistic interactions. PMID:23166478

  16. Strategy diversity stabilizes mutualism through investment cycles, phase polymorphism, and spatial bubbles.

    PubMed

    Boza, Gergely; Kun, Adám; Scheuring, István; Dieckmann, Ulf

    2012-01-01

    There is continuing interest in understanding factors that facilitate the evolution and stability of cooperation within and between species. Such interactions will often involve plasticity in investment behavior, in response to the interacting partner's investments. Our aim here is to investigate the evolution and stability of reciprocal investment behavior in interspecific interactions, a key phenomenon strongly supported by experimental observations. In particular, we present a comprehensive analysis of a continuous reciprocal investment game between mutualists, both in well-mixed and spatially structured populations, and we demonstrate a series of novel mechanisms for maintaining interspecific mutualism. We demonstrate that mutualistic partners invariably follow investment cycles, during which mutualism first increases, before both partners eventually reduce their investments to zero, so that these cycles always conclude with full defection. We show that the key mechanism for stabilizing mutualism is phase polymorphism along the investment cycle. Although mutualistic partners perpetually change their strategies, the community-level distribution of investment levels becomes stationary. In spatially structured populations, the maintenance of polymorphism is further facilitated by dynamic mosaic structures, in which mutualistic partners form expanding and collapsing spatial bubbles or clusters. Additionally, we reveal strategy-diversity thresholds, both for well-mixed and spatially structured mutualistic communities, and discuss factors for meeting these thresholds, and thus maintaining mutualism. Our results demonstrate that interspecific mutualism, when considered as plastic investment behavior, can be unstable, and, in agreement with empirical observations, may involve a polymorphism of investment levels, varying both in space and in time. Identifying the mechanisms maintaining such polymorphism, and hence mutualism in natural communities, provides a significant step towards understanding the coevolution and population dynamics of mutualistic interactions.

  17. The mutual extraction industry: drug use and the normative structure of social capital in the Russian far north.

    PubMed

    Pilkington, Hilary; Sharifullina, El'vira

    2009-05-01

    The article contributes to the literature on the role of social networks and social capital in young people's drug use. It considers the structural and cultural dimensions of the 'risk environment' of post-Soviet Russia, the micro risk-environment of a de-industrializing city in the far north of the country and the kind of social capital that circulates in young people's social networks there. Its focus is thus on social capital at the micro-level, the 'bridging' networks of peer friendship groups and the norms that govern them. The research is based on a small ethnographic study of the friendship groups and social networks of young people in the city of Vorkuta in 2006-2007. It draws on data from 32 respondents aged 17-27 in the form of 17 semi-structured audio and video interviews and field diaries. Respondents were selected from friendship groups in which drug use was a regular and symbolically significant practice. The risk environment of the Russian far north is characterised by major de-industrialization, poor health indicators, low life expectancy and limited educational and employment opportunities. It is also marked by a 'work hard, play hard' cultural ethos inherited from the Soviet period when risk-laden manual labour was well-rewarded materially and symbolically. However, young people today often rely on informal economic practices to generate the resource needed to fulfil their expectations. This is evident from the social networks among respondents which were found to be focused around a daily routine of generating and spending income, central to which is the purchase, sale and use of drugs. These practices are governed by norms that often invert those normally ascribed to social networks: reciprocity is replaced by mutual exploitation and trust by cheating. Social networks are central to young people's management of the risk environment associated with post-Soviet economic transformation. However, such networks are culturally as well as structurally determined and may be sites not only of cooperation, support and trust but also of mutual exploitation, deceit and distrust. This does not imply these regions are devoid of social capital. Rather it suggests that the notion of social capital as a natural by-product of a self-regulating economy and its institutions needs to be reconsidered in the context of local configurations of capital and social relations as well as their cultural and normative context. This reconsideration should include further reflection on whether the kinds of social networks described might be better understood not as motors for the generation of social capital but as sites of its 'mutual extraction'.

  18. Captive gorillas' manual laterality: The impact of gestures, manipulators and interaction specificity.

    PubMed

    Prieur, Jacques; Barbu, Stéphanie; Blois-Heulin, Catherine; Pika, Simone

    2017-12-01

    Relationships between humans' manual laterality in non-communicative and communicative functions are still poorly understood. Recently, studies showed that chimpanzees' manual laterality is influenced by functional, interactional and individual factors and their mutual intertwinement. However, what about manual laterality in species living in stable social groups? We tackled this question by studying three groups of captive gorillas (N=35) and analysed their most frequent manual signals: three manipulators and 16 gesture types. Our multifactorial investigation showed that conspecific-directed gestures were overall more right-lateralized than conspecific-directed manipulators. Furthermore, it revealed a difference between conspecific- and human-directed gestural laterality for signallers living in one of the study groups. Our results support the hypothesis that gestural laterality is a relevant marker of language left-brain specialisation. We suggest that components of communication and of manipulation (not only of an object but also of a conspecific) do not share the same lateralised cerebral system in some primate species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Automated space processing payloads study. Volume 2, book 1: Technical report. [instrument packages and space shuttles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    The extent was investigated to which experiment hardware and operational requirements can be met by automatic control and material handling devices; payload and system concepts that make extensive use of automation technology are defined. Hardware requirements for each experiment were established and tabulated, and investigations of applicable existing hardware were documented. The capabilities and characteristics of industrial automation equipment, controls, and techniques are presented in the form of a summary of applicable equipment characteristics in three basic mutually-supporting formats. Facilities for performing groups of experiments are defined along with four levitation groups and three furnace groups; major hardware elements required to implement them were identified. A conceptual design definition of ten different automated processing facilities is presented along with the specific equipment to implement each facility and the design layouts of the different units. Constraints and packaging, weight, and power requirements for six payloads postulated for shuttle missions in the 1979 to 1982 time period were examined.

  20. Coding "We-ness" in couple's relationship stories: A method for assessing mutuality in couple therapy.

    PubMed

    Gildersleeve, Sara; Singer, Jefferson A; Skerrett, Karen; Wein, Shelter

    2017-05-01

    "We-ness," a couple's mutual investment in their relationship and in each other, has been found to be a potent dimension of couple resilience. This study examined the development of a method to capture We-ness in psychotherapy through the coding of relationship narratives co-constructed by couples ("We-Stories"). It used a coding system to identify the core thematic elements that make up these narratives. Couples that self-identified as "happy" (N = 53) generated We-Stories and completed measures of relationship satisfaction and mutuality. These stories were then coded using the We-Stories coding manual. Findings indicated that security, an element that involves aspects of safety, support, and commitment, was most common, appearing in 58.5% of all narratives. This element was followed by the elements of pleasure (49.1%) and shared meaning/vision (37.7%). The number of "We-ness" elements was also correlated with and predictive of discrepancy scores on measures of relationship mutuality, indicating the validity of the We-Stories coding manual. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

  1. Mutual understanding: a communication model for general practice.

    PubMed

    Hantho, Arne; Jensen, Lena; Malterud, Kirsti

    2002-12-01

    To present our pursuits towards development of a simple model for clinical communication intended for application by the practitioner as a tool for enhancing mutual understanding. Inspired by theories about patient-centredness and interactive modes of understanding, and supported by the perspectives of the Danish philosopher Niels Thomassen, we reviewed audiotapes from our own consultations. Recognising four dimensions assumed to be essential for mutual understanding in the transcripts, we explored these dimensions further. We present a communication model consisting of the following dimensions: The Framework, within which the communication takes place; The Subject, about which the communication takes place; The Persons, between whom the communication takes place; and The Action, verbally and non-verbally, through which communication takes place. We describe these dimensions in detail. The nature of the dimensions indicates that there is an interrelationship between them, implying that the character of the communication may change if one of the factors is changed. Analysis of an ongoing or recent consultation completed in accordance with these four dimensions allows the doctor to refocus the communication, thus leading to a more extensive mutual understanding and perhaps enhanced freedom of action.

  2. Propulsion Control and Health Management (PCHM) Technology for Flight Test on the C-17 T-1 Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simon, Donald L.; Garg, Sanjay; Venti, Michael

    2004-01-01

    The C-I 7 T-l Globemaster III is an Air Force flight research vehicle located at Edwards Air Force Base. NASA Dryden and the C-17 System Program Office have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement to permit NASA the use of the C-I 7 T-I to conduct flight research on a mutually coordinated schedule. The C-17 Propulsion Control and Health Management (PCHM) Working Group was formed in order to foster discussion and coordinate planning amongst the various government agencies conducting PCHM research with a potential need for flight testing, and to communicate to the PCHM community the capabilities of the C-17 T-l aircraft to support such flight testing. This paper documents the output of this Working Group, including a summary of the candidate PCHM technologies identified and their associated benefits relative to NASA goals and objectives.

  3. Restructuring hospital-physician relationships for future success.

    PubMed

    Howard, Chris

    2003-01-01

    Integrating physicians into the Healthfirst administration through employment sowed seeds of mutual understanding among these two groups that would benefit the system immeasurably over the next several years. The immediate future, however, saw only cultural upheaval between our hospitals and newly employed physicians, hospitals and nonemployed physicians, employed and nonemployed physicians, as well as specialists and primary care providers. Traditional physician-relationship-building efforts became difficult, if not impossible, to maintain. Essentially, administration was forced to scrap ten years of physician-development plans in order to reconfigure a relations effort that would maintain hospital support from all sides while restructuring the employed medical group. This article describes the evolution of Healthfirst's approach to maintaining effective physician relationships within our healthcare system and its affiliated entities over the past decade. Specifically, the article details the manner in which our system has evolved physician-relations activity to maintain an effective strategy during times of significant change in the healthcare industry.

  4. Bases for qudits from a nonstandard approach to SU(2)

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

    Kibler, M. R., E-mail: kibler@ipnl.in2p3.fr

    2011-06-15

    Bases of finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces (in dimension d) of relevance for quantum information and quantum computation are constructed from angular momentum theory and su(2) Lie algebraic methods. We report on a formula for deriving in one step the (1 + p)p qupits (i.e., qudits with d = p a prime integer) of a complete set of 1 + p mutually unbiased bases in C{sup p}. Repeated application of the formula can be used for generating mutually unbiased bases in C{sup d} with d = p{sup e} (e {>=} 2) a power of a prime integer. A connection between mutually unbiasedmore » bases and the unitary group SU(d) is briefly discussed in the case d = p{sup e}.« less

  5. Patient organizations in Finland: increasing numbers and great variation

    PubMed Central

    Toiviainen, Hanna K.; Vuorenkoski, Lauri H.; Hemminki, Elina K.

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Objective  There is very little research on patient organizations (POs), even though their numbers and influence seem to be increasing. The purpose of this study was to describe the establishment, membership, size, organization, decision making and basic funding of national POs in Finland. Setting and participants  National POs (n = 130) were identified from their umbrella organizations and by Internet searches. Data were collected from POs’ web pages (87% of POs had one), Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY, an important public financier of POs), a relevant survey done by a local TV‐company, and interviews and written materials of POs. Results and conclusions  Some current national POs were established around the turn of the 19th century. The rate of establishment of new POs increased from the 1970s and particularly in the 1990s when POs were characterized by increasing specialization. POs focused on different patient groups and diseases and were founded by philanthropists, physicians, patients, parents and the drug industry. Members could be patients, patient relatives, health‐care professionals and organizations. POs widely varied in memberships (20–145 000, in 2002) and in number of paid personnel (0–1395, in 2002), organizational structure and decision making. Interest groups and financiers were often represented in decision‐making organs. Activities included mutual support and service production, and, increasingly, informing and lobbying. POs had wide domestic and international co‐operation and networking. Drug industry marketing was visible on PO web pages. Budget sizes varied (4000–15 million euros, in 2001). The main public financier was RAY. The old national POs were large and part of national social and health care, but newer ones were often established for mutual support and lobbying. National POs are not uniform but characterized by great variation. The number of national POs is increasing suggesting tighter competition for financing and visibility in the future. PMID:20579124

  6. Patients’ Perspective on Participation in Care With or Without the Support of a Smartphone App During Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Qualitative Study

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Background Patients with prostate cancer are often cared for as outpatients during radiotherapy, which can be an aggravating circumstance for patient participation. There is a need to evaluate whether an interactive smartphone app could enable participation in care, specifically during treatment for prostate cancer. The interactive app (Interaktor) used in this study is developed in codesign with patients and health care professionals; it includes daily reports of symptoms, a risk assessment model, evidence-based self-care advice, along with the provision of immediate access to clinicians. Objective The aim of this study was to explore how patients with prostate cancer perceived their participation with or without the support of the smartphone app during radiotherapy. Methods A total of 28 prostate cancer patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy were interviewed about their perceived participation in their own care. All the patients interviewed in this study participated in an intervention study where the control group received standard care that comprised having access to a contact nurse to turn to with any concerns during their treatment. In addition to standard care, the patients in the intervention group received the app downloaded in a smartphone. The patients’ age ranged between 57 and 77 years; 17 patients used the smartphone app. The interviews were analyzed with directed qualitative content analysis. Results The four dimensions of patient participation, which include mutual participation, fight for participation, requirement for participation, and participation in getting basic needs satisfied, were confirmed as valid perspectives in the interviews with the patients with prostate cancer, irrespective of whether they used the smartphone app. However, the patients who had used the smartphone app described it as a facilitating factor, especially for mutual participation. Conclusions Using innovative ways to communicate with patients, such as an interactive app for symptom management with contact with health care in real time, can successfully help achieve increased patient participation in care. PMID:28747294

  7. Visas and Immigration | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    U.S. techniques, methodologies, business practices, and expertise, which increase mutual understanding not support the pursuance of a waiver of the J-1 Exchange Visitor's Visa. NREL does not generally

  8. Network and Mutual Support for Parents Bereaved Following the Violent Deaths of Their 12- to 28-Year Old Children: A Longitudinal, Prospective Analysis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Shirley A.; Lohan, Janet; Dimond, Margaret; Fan, Juanjuan

    1998-01-01

    Examines types and frequency of posttreatment contacts among bereaved parents who participated in an experimental support program. Compares those who reported high versus low social support and high versus low numbers of network confidants on selected outcome and coping variables. Number of network confidants did not significantly affect the…

  9. Parental Involvement as a Important Factor for Successful Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ðurišic, Maša; Bunijevac, Mila

    2017-01-01

    To comply with the system of integrated support for their students, schools need to build partnership with parents and develop mutual responsibility for children's success in the educational system. In this way, parental involvement are increased, parents' effort to support schools are encouraged, and they are directly making a positive impact to…

  10. Assessing Peer Support and Usability of Blogging in Hybrid Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Y. J.; Chang, Y. S.

    2014-01-01

    Blogs provide contextualization of the information which is vital to the process of peer support. Through dialogues initiated by blog authors and followed by readers, blog platforms build a viable base of shared experiences and mutual relationships. We employ blogs as interactive learning tools for communities of practice in higher education.…

  11. Employee Benefits: New Directions. Corporate Support for Employees with Dependents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Little Rock.

    Written for employers, this pamphlet provides a concise picture of many aspects of employer supported child care. The influx of working parents into the workplace--especially mothers with young children--has increased stress and pressure for both employees and employers. This, in turn, has increased the mutual dependence between businesses and the…

  12. Positive Classroom Motivational Environments : Convergence between Mastery Goal Structure and Classroom Social Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patrick, Helen; Kaplan, Avi; Ryan, Allison M.

    2011-01-01

    In a series of 4 studies we investigated the relations of mastery goal structure and 4 dimensions of the classroom social climate (teacher academic support, teacher emotional support, classroom mutual respect, task-related interaction). We conducted multidimensional scaling with separate adolescent samples that differed considerably (i.e., by…

  13. Influential Factors for Knowledge Creation Practices of CTE Teachers: Mutual Impact of Perceived School Support, Transformational Leadership, and Work Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Song, Ji Hoon; Bae, Sang Hoon; Park, Sunyoung; Kim, Hye Kyoung

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the structural relationships among perceived school support, transformational leadership, teachers' work engagement, and teachers' knowledge creation practices. It also investigated the mediating effects of transformational leadership and work engagement in explaining the association between perceived school support…

  14. System of multifunctional laser polarimetry of phase and amplitude anisotropy in the diagnosis of endometriosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ushenko, Yu. O.; Dubolazov, O. V.; Olar, O. V.

    2015-11-01

    The theoretical background of azimuthally stable method Jones matrix mapping of histological sections of biopsy of uterine neck on the basis of spatial-frequency selection of the mechanisms of linear and circular birefringence is presented. The comparative results of measuring the coordinate distributions of complex degree of mutual anisotropy formed by polycristalline networks of blood plasma layers of donors (group 1) and patients with endometriosis (group 2). The values and ranges of change of the statistical (moments of the 1st - 4th order) parameters of complex degree of mutual anisotropy coordinate distributions are studied. The objective criteria of diagnostics of the pathology and differentiation of its severity degree are determined.

  15. Multifunctional polarization tomography of optical anisotropy of biological layers in diagnosis of endometriosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ushenko, O. G.; Koval, L. D.; Dubolazov, O. V.; Ushenko, Yu. O.; Savich, V. O.; Sidor, M. I.; Marchuk, Yu. F.

    2015-09-01

    The theoretical background of azimuthally stable method Jones matrix mapping of histological sections of biopsy of uterine neck on the basis of spatial-frequency selection of the mechanisms of linear and circular birefringence is presented. The comparative results of measuring the coordinate distributions of complex degree of mutual anisotropy formed by polycristalline networks of blood plasma layers of donors (group 1) and patients with endometriosis (group 2). The values and ranges of change of the statistical (moments of the 1st - 4th order) parameters of complex degree of mutual anisotropy coordinate distributions are studied. The objective criteria of diagnostics of the pathology and differentiation of its severity degree are determined.

  16. The ANU WellBeing study: a protocol for a quasi-factorial randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of an Internet support group and an automated Internet intervention for depression

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Recent projections suggest that by the year 2030 depression will be the primary cause of disease burden among developed countries. Delivery of accessible consumer-focused evidenced-based services may be an important element in reducing this burden. Many consumers report a preference for self-help modes of delivery. The Internet offers a promising modality for delivering such services and there is now evidence that automated professionally developed self-help psychological interventions can be effective. By contrast, despite their popularity, there is little evidence as to the effectiveness of Internet support groups which provide peer-to-peer mutual support. Methods/Design Members of the community with elevated psychological distress were randomised to receive one of the following: (1) Internet Support Group (ISG) intervention, (2) a multi-module automated psychoeducational and skills Internet Training Program (ITP), (3) a combination of the ISG and ITP, or (4) an Internet Attention Control website (IAC) comprising health and wellbeing information and question and answer modules. Each intervention was 12 weeks long. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-intervention, 6 and 12 months to examine depressive symptoms, social support, self-esteem, quality of life, depression literacy, stigma and help-seeking for depression. Participants were recruited through a screening postal survey sent to 70,000 Australians aged 18 to 65 years randomly selected from four rural and four metropolitan regions in Australia. Discussion To our knowledge this study is the first randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of a depression ISG. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN65657330. PMID:20211025

  17. 'Twin2twin' an innovative method of empowering midwives to strengthen their professional midwifery organisations.

    PubMed

    Cadée, Franka; Perdok, Hilde; Sam, Betty; de Geus, Myrte; Kweekel, Liselotte

    2013-10-01

    midwives need professional support from a national midwifery organisation to be able to provide the services that are by regulatory mechanisms and accreditation expected of them. Not all midwives in the world are united in a professional organisation. The aim of this project was to strengthen the midwifery organisations of Sierra Leone and the Netherlands. During the process of the project it was realised that the development of a platform of exchange at organisational level would be enhanced by introducing personal exchange between individual midwives. In response to this new insight the original project plan was adjusted by incorporating the twin2twin method. twin2twin is a feminist methodology of mutual exchange between twenty pairs of midwives from different organisations (in this case Sierra Leone and the Netherlands). The method can be distinguished by 10 specific steps. It was developed, used and (re)evaluated through focus group discussions, storytelling and written evaluations. twinning of organisations was strengthened by adding a human component to the process. With the use of the 'twin2twin' method, midwives were encouraged to invested in a professional and personal bond with their 'twin sister'. This bond was independent and went beyond the relatively short four year project period. Through personal engagement and mutual exchange of knowledge and skills, midwives empowered each other to build and strengthen their midwifery organisations both in Sierra Leone and the Netherlands. (Empowerment refers to the expansion in people's ability to make strategic life choices in a context where this ability was previously denied to them (Narayan, 2005); organisational empowerment includes processes and structures that enhance members' skills and provides them with the mutual support necessary to effect community level change (Zimmerman, 1995).). despite challenges we are convinced that twin2twin can be of additional benefit for the success of other projects involved in strengthening midwifery organisations in the long term. It can be used independently or alongside other forms of (co)development not only in midwifery but also in other professions. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Protocol for a systematic review of evaluation research for adults who have participated in the 'SMART recovery' mutual support programme.

    PubMed

    Beck, Alison K; Baker, Amanda; Kelly, Peter J; Deane, Frank P; Shakeshaft, Anthony; Hunt, David; Forbes, Erin; Kelly, John F

    2016-05-23

    Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) offers an alternative to predominant 12-step approaches to mutual aid (eg, alcoholics anonymous). Although the principles (eg, self-efficacy) and therapeutic approaches (eg, motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy) of SMART Recovery are evidence based, further clarity regarding the direct evidence of its effectiveness as a mutual aid package is needed. Relative to methodologically rigorous reviews supporting the efficacy of 12-step approaches, to date, reviews of SMART Recovery have been descriptive. We aim to address this gap by providing a comprehensive overview of the evidence for SMART Recovery in adults with problematic alcohol, substance and/or behavioural addiction, including a commentary on outcomes assessed, potential mediators, feasibility (including economic outcomes) and a critical evaluation of the methods used. Methods are informed by the Cochrane Guidelines for Systematic Reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statement. 6 electronic peer-reviewed and 4 grey literature databases have been identified. Preliminary searches have been conducted for SMART Recovery literature (liberal inclusion criteria, not restricted to randomised controlled trials (RCTs), qualitative-only designs excluded). Eligible 'evaluation' articles will be assessed against standardised criteria and checked by an independent assessor. The searches will be re-run just before final analyses and further studies retrieved for inclusion. A narrative synthesis of the findings will be reported, structured around intervention type and content, population characteristics, and outcomes. Where possible, 'summary of findings' tables will be generated for each comparison. When data are available, we will calculate a risk ratio and its 95% CI (dichotomous outcomes) and/or effect size according to Cohen's formula (continuous outcomes) for the primary outcome of each trial. No ethical issues are foreseen. Findings will be disseminated widely to clinicians and researchers via journal publication and conference presentation(s). CRD42015025574. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  19. A Comparison of Two-Group Classification Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holden, Jocelyn E.; Finch, W. Holmes; Kelley, Ken

    2011-01-01

    The statistical classification of "N" individuals into "G" mutually exclusive groups when the actual group membership is unknown is common in the social and behavioral sciences. The results of such classification methods often have important consequences. Among the most common methods of statistical classification are linear discriminant analysis,…

  20. Families living with acquired brain injury: a multiple family group experience.

    PubMed

    Charles, Nella; Butera-Prinzi, Franca; Perlesz, Amaryll

    2007-01-01

    Although the use of multifamily group work is well established within the mental health field, it remains an underutilised method of treatment for families affected by brain injury. This paper reports on a pilot project exploring multifamily group work with families with a parent with an acquired brain injury. Six families met for a total of 12 sessions over a period of 6 months, with session themes informed by the Bouverie Family tasks model of adaptation post-ABI. The project was evaluated using qualitative and quantitative research methods, with pre, post group and 3 month follow up measures of individual, couple and family functioning. Parents reported generally reduced levels of personal distress at follow up but continuing high levels of marital and family dysfunction. Children were generally reported to be well functioning, although parents were particularly concerned about the impact of family disruption and violence on their children. Families were unequivocally positive about their participation in the group with benefits including reduced feelings of shame and isolation, provision of mutual support, increased understanding of brain injury, sharing of difficult experiences and movement from blame to compassion. Further research is warranted on the specific applications of multifamily group work with acquired brain injury.

  1. Mutual information analysis and detection of interictal morphological differences in interictal epileptiform discharges of patients with partial epilepsies.

    PubMed

    Varma, N K; Kushwaha, R; Beydoun, A; Williams, W J; Drury, I

    1997-10-01

    The purpose of this paper is to compare the morphological features of interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) in patients with benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes to IED of those with symptomatic localization related epilepsies using information theory. Three patients from each clinical group were selected. Two-second epochs centered at the peak negativity of the sharp waves were analyzed from a referential montage during stage I sleep. The epochs from the two groups were compared using parametric and information theory analysis. Information analysis determined the likelihood of correctly identifying the clinical group based on the IED. Standard parametric, morphological and spectral analyses were also performed. We found no significant difference in the morphology of the sharp wave between the two groups. The after-going slow wave contained the greatest information that separated the two groups. This result was supported by morphological and spectral differences in the after-going slow wave. Greater distinguishing information is held in the after-going slow wave than the sharp wave for the identification of clinical groups. Information analysis may assist in differentiating clinical syndromes from EEG signals.

  2. Resilience Associated with Self-Disclosure and Relapse Risks in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders.

    PubMed

    Yamashita, Ayako; Yoshioka, Shin-Ichi

    2016-12-01

    The aim of this study was to clarify the self-disclosure and risks of relapse associated with promoting resilience of patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD) and participating in self-help groups. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey was administered to 48 patients with AUD and participating in self-help groups; this questionnaire consisted of basic attributes, a bidimensional resilience scale to assess both innate and acquired resilience factors, a scale to assess depth of self-disclosure, and a scale assessing relapse risks. We conducted an evaluation by dividing the respondents into a high group and low group based on their median values for both innate and acquired resilience. Innate/acquired resilience had a mutually reinforcing relationship, and, compared with the low resilience group, the high resilience group had significantly reduced risks for relapses and resulted in deeper self-disclosure. Patients with high resilience had lower risk of alcohol relapse and deeper self-disclosure. The results suggest that one way of supporting patients with AUD in recovery is assisting them in building personal relationships with others and in deepening self-disclosure in a setting where they can relax, thus promoting their natural ability to recover.

  3. Psychological and relational correlates of intimate partner violence profiles among pregnant adolescent couples.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Jessica B; Sullivan, Tami P; Angley, Meghan; Callands, Tamora; Divney, Anna A; Magriples, Urania; Gordon, Derrick M; Kershaw, Trace S

    2017-01-01

    We sought to identify relationship and individual psychological factors that related to four profiles of intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant adolescent couples: no IPV, male IPV victim only, female IPV victim only, mutual IPV, and how associations differ by sex. Using data from a longitudinal study of pregnant adolescents and partners (n = 291 couples), we used a multivariate profile analysis using multivariate analysis of covariance with between and within-subjects effects to compare IPV groups and sex on relationship and psychological factors. Analyses were conducted at the couple level, with IPV groups as a between-subjects couple level variable and sex as a within-subjects variable that allowed us to model and compare the outcomes of both partners while controlling for the correlated nature of the data. Analyses controlled for age, race, income, relationship duration, and gestational age. Among couples, 64% had no IPV; 23% male IPV victim only; 7% mutual IPV; 5% female IPV victim only. Relationship (F = 3.61, P < .001) and psychological (F = 3.17, P < .001) factors differed by IPV group, overall. Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, relationship equity, perceived partner infidelity, depression, stress, and hostility each differed by IPV profile (all P < .01). Attachment anxiety, equity, depression and stress had a significant IPV profile by sex interaction (all P < .05). Couples with mutual IPV had the least healthy relationship and psychological characteristics; couples with no IPV had the healthiest characteristics. Females in mutually violent relationships were at particularly high risk. Couple-level interventions focused on relational issues might protect young families from developing IPV behaviors. Aggr. Behav. 43:26-36, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Mutualism supports biodiversity when the direct competition is weak

    PubMed Central

    Pascual-García, Alberto; Bastolla, Ugo

    2017-01-01

    A key question of theoretical ecology is which properties of ecosystems favour their stability and help maintaining biodiversity. This question recently reconsidered mutualistic systems, generating intense controversy about the role of mutualistic interactions and their network architecture. Here we show analytically and verify with simulations that reducing the effective interspecific competition and the propagation of perturbations positively influences structural stability against environmental perturbations, enhancing persistence. Noteworthy, mutualism reduces the effective interspecific competition only when the direct interspecific competition is weaker than a critical value. This critical competition is in almost all cases larger in pollinator networks than in random networks with the same connectance. Highly connected mutualistic networks reduce the propagation of environmental perturbations, a mechanism reminiscent of MacArthur’s proposal that ecosystem complexity enhances stability. Our analytic framework rationalizes previous contradictory results, and it gives valuable insight on the complex relationship between mutualism and biodiversity. PMID:28232740

  5. Group cohesion and between session homework activities predict self-reported cognitive-behavioral skill use amongst participants of SMART Recovery groups.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Peter J; Deane, Frank P; Baker, Amanda L

    2015-04-01

    SMART Recovery groups are cognitive-behaviorally oriented mutual support groups for individuals with addictions. The aim of the study was to assess the extent to which the quality of group facilitation, group cohesion and the use of between session homework activities contribute to self-rated use of cognitive-behavioral skills amongst group participants. Participants attending SMART Recovery groups in Australia completed a cross sectional survey (N=124). The survey included measures of cognitive and behavioral skill utilization, group cohesion, quality of group facilitation and a rating of how frequently participants leave group meetings with an achievable between session homework plan. On average, participants had been attending SMART Recovery meetings for 9 months. Participants were most likely to attend SMART Recovery for problematic alcohol use. Regression analyses indicated that group cohesion significantly predicted use of cognitive restructuring, but that only provision of homework at the end of each group session predicted self-reported behavioral activation. Both group cohesion and leaving a group with an achievable homework plan predicted participant use of cognitive behavioral skills. The concrete actions associated with homework activities may facilitate behavioral activation. There is a need for longitudinal research to examine the relationship between the utilization of cognitive and behavioral skills and participant outcomes (e.g. substance use, mental health) for people attending SMART Recovery groups. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  6. Earth's oldest (approximately 3.5 Ga) fossils and the 'Early Eden hypothesis': questioning the evidence.

    PubMed

    Brasier, Martin; Green, Owen; Lindsay, John; Steele, Andrew

    2004-02-01

    We question the biogenicity of putative bacterial and cyanobacterial 'microfossils' from 3465 Ma Apex cherts of the Warrawoona Group in Western Australia. They are challenged on the basis of integrated multidisciplinary evidence obtained from field and fabric mapping plus new high-resolution research into their context, sedimentology, filament morphology, 'septation' and arrangement. They cannot be distinguished from (and are reinterpreted as) secondary artefacts of amorphous carbon that formed during devitrification of successive generations of carbonaceous hydrothermal dyke vein quartz. Similar structures occur within associated carbonaceous volcanic glass. The null hypothesis of an abiotic or prebiotic origin for such ancient carbonaceous matter is sustained until mutually supporting contextural, morphological and geochemical evidence for a bacterial rather than abiotic origin is forthcoming.

  7. Organizing phenological data resources to inform natural resource conservation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rosemartin, Alyssa H.; Crimmins, Theresa M.; Enquist, Carolyn A.F.; Gerst, Katharine L.; Kellermann, Jherime L.; Posthumus, Erin E.; Denny, Ellen G.; Guertin, Patricia; Marsh, Lee; Weltzin, Jake F.

    2014-01-01

    Changes in the timing of plant and animal life cycle events, in response to climate change, are already happening across the globe. The impacts of these changes may affect biodiversity via disruption to mutualisms, trophic mismatches, invasions and population declines. To understand the nature, causes and consequences of changed, varied or static phenologies, new data resources and tools are being developed across the globe. The USA National Phenology Network is developing a long-term, multi-taxa phenological database, together with a customizable infrastructure, to support conservation and management needs. We present current and potential applications of the infrastructure, across scales and user groups. The approaches described here are congruent with recent trends towards multi-agency, large-scale research and action.

  8. Employment Trajectories Beyond Retirement.

    PubMed

    Burkert, Carola; Hochfellner, Daniela

    2017-01-01

    Within the political and academic debate on working longer, post-retirement employment is discussed as an alternative to maintain older workers in the labor market. Our article enhances this discussion by studying determinants of transitions into post-retirement jobs within differing work environments of birth cohorts 1940-1942. We estimate proportional subhazard models accounting for competing risks using unique German social security data linked to pension accounts. Our findings suggest that individuals' preferences to take up post-retirement jobs are not mutually exclusive. Our study provides evidence that taking up post-retirement jobs is related to seeking financial security, continuity, and work ability, suggesting that public policy has to develop target-oriented support through a public policy mix of different measures aligned to the different peer groups in the labor market.

  9. Standard Modular Hydropower Technology Acceleration Workshop: Summary Report

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

    Smith, Brennan T.; DeNeale, Scott T.; Witt, Adam M.

    In support of the Department of Energy (DOE) funded Standard Modular Hydropower (SMH) Technology Acceleration project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) staff convened with five small hydropower technology entrepreneurs on June 14 and 15, 2017 to discuss gaps, challenges, and opportunities for small modular hydropower development. The workshop was designed to walk through SMH concepts, discuss the SMH research vision, assess how each participant’s technology aligns with SMH concepts and research, and identify future pathways for mutually beneficial collaboration that leverages ORNL expertise and entrepreneurial industry experience. The goal coming out of the workshop is to advance standardized, scalable, modularmore » hydropower technologies and development approaches with sustained and open dialogue among diverse stakeholder groups.« less

  10. The Emergence of Family-specific Support Constructs: Cross-level Effects of Family-supportive Supervision and Family-Supportive Organization Perceptions on Individual Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Hill, Rachel T; Matthews, Russell A; Walsh, Benjamin M

    2016-12-01

    Implicit to the definitions of both family-supportive supervision (FSS) and family-supportive organization perceptions (FSOP) is the argument that these constructs may manifest at a higher (e.g. group or organizational) level. In line with these conceptualizations, grounded in tenants of conservation of resources theory, we argue that FSS and FSOP, as universal resources, are emergent constructs at the organizational level, which have cross-level effects on work-family conflict and turnover intentions. To test our theoretically derived hypotheses, a multilevel model was examined in which FSS and FSOP at the unit level predict individual work-to-family conflict, which in turn predicts turnover intentions. Our hypothesized model was generally supported. Collectively, our results point to FSOP serving as an explanatory mechanism of the effects that mutual perceptions of FSS have on individual experiences of work-to-family conflict and turnover intentions. Lagged (i.e. overtime) cross-level effects of the model were also confirmed in supplementary analyses. Our results extend our theoretical understanding of FSS and FSOP by demonstrating the utility of conceptualizing them as universal resources, opening up a variety of avenues for future research. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Multiple Pathways from Stress to Suicidality and the Protective Effect of Social Support in Hong Kong Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Sheung-Tak; Chan, Alfred C. M.

    2007-01-01

    Two theoretical models were constructed to illustrate how stressful events, family and friends support, depression, substance use, and death attitude mutually influence to create cumulative risks for suicide. The models were evaluated using structural equation modeling. Results showed that suicidality was strongly predicted by death attitude,…

  12. Learning to Support Learning Together: An Experience with the Soft Systems Methodology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Adolfo; Mejia, Andres

    2008-01-01

    An action research approach called soft systems methodology (SSM) was used to foster organisational learning in a school regarding the role of the learning support department within the school and its relation with the normal teaching-learning activities. From an initial situation of lack of coordination as well as mutual misunderstanding and…

  13. Novel Labels Support 10-Month-Olds' Attention to Novel Objects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mather, Emily; Plunkett, Kim

    2010-01-01

    What is the source of the "mutual exclusivity" bias whereby infants map novel labels onto novel objects? In an intermodal preferential looking task, we found that novel labels support 10-month-olds' attention to a novel object over a familiar object. In contrast, familiar labels and a neutral phrase gradually reduced attention to a novel object.…

  14. Interaction between Tool and Talk: How Instruction and Tools Support Consensus Building in Collaborative Inquiry-Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gijlers, H.; Saab, N.; Van Joolingen, W. R.; De Jong, T.; Van Hout-Wolters, B. H. A. M.

    2009-01-01

    The process of collaborative inquiry learning requires maintaining a mutual understanding of the task, along with reaching consensus on strategies, plans and domain knowledge. In this study, we explore how different supportive measures affect students' consensus-building process, based on a re-analysis of data from four studies. We distinguish…

  15. Distributive justice in American healthcare: institutions, power, and the equitable care of patients.

    PubMed

    Putsch, Robert W; Pololi, Linda

    2004-09-01

    The authors argue that the American healthcare system has developed in a fashion that permits and may support ongoing, widespread inequities based on poverty, race, gender, and ethnicity. Institutional structures also contribute to this problem. Analysis is based on (1) discussions of a group of experts convened by the Office of Minority Health, US Department of Health and Human Services at a conference to address healthcare disparities; and (2) review of documentation and scientific literature focused on health, health-related news, language, healthcare financing, and the law. Institutional factors contributing to inequity include the cost and financing of American healthcare, healthcare insurance principles such as mutual aid versus actuarial fairness, and institutional power. Additional causes for inequity are bias in decision making by healthcare practitioners, clinical training environments linked to abuse of patients and coworkers, healthcare provider ethnicity, and politics. Recommendations include establishment of core attributes of trust, relationship and advocacy in health systems; universal healthcare; and insurance systems based on mutual aid. In addition, monitoring of equity in health services and the development of a set of ethical principles to guide systems change and rule setting would provide a foundation for distributive justice in healthcare. Additionally, training centers should model the behaviors they seek to foster and be accountable to the communities they serve.

  16. Deploying Team Science Principles to Optimize Interdisciplinary Lung Cancer Care Delivery: Avoiding the Long and Winding Road to Optimal Care.

    PubMed

    Osarogiagbon, Raymond U; Rodriguez, Hector P; Hicks, Danielle; Signore, Raymond S; Roark, Kristi; Kedia, Satish K; Ward, Kenneth D; Lathan, Christopher; Santarella, Scott; Gould, Michael K; Krasna, Mark J

    2016-11-01

    The complexity of lung cancer care mandates interaction between clinicians with different skill sets and practice cultures in the routine delivery of care. Using team science principles and a case-based approach, we exemplify the need for the development of real care teams for patients with lung cancer to foster coordination among the multiple specialists and staff engaged in routine care delivery. Achieving coordinated lung cancer care is a high-priority public health challenge because of the volume of patients, lethality of disease, and well-described disparities in quality and outcomes of care. Coordinating mechanisms need to be cultivated among different types of specialist physicians and care teams, with differing technical expertise and practice cultures, who have traditionally functioned more as coactively working groups than as real teams. Coordinating mechanisms, including shared mental models, high-quality communication, mutual trust, and mutual performance monitoring, highlight the challenge of achieving well-coordinated care and illustrate how team science principles can be used to improve quality and outcomes of lung cancer care. To develop the evidence base to support coordinated lung cancer care, research comparing the effectiveness of a diverse range of multidisciplinary care team approaches and interorganizational coordinating mechanisms should be promoted.

  17. Promoting student engagement in science: Interaction rituals and the pursuit of a community of practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olitsky, Stacy

    2007-01-01

    This study explores the relationship between interaction rituals, student engagement with science, and learning environments modeled on communities of practice based on an ethnographic study of an eighth grade urban magnet school classroom. It compares three interactional events in order to examine the classroom conditions and teacher practices that can foster successful interaction rituals (IRs), which are characterized by high levels of emotional energy, feelings of group membership, and sustained interest in the subject. Classroom conditions surrounding the emergence of successful IRs included mutual focus, familiar symbols and activity structures, the permissibility of some side-talk, and opportunities for physical and emotional entrainment. Sustained interest in the topic beyond the duration of the IR and an increase in students' helping each other learn occurred more frequently when the mutual focus consisted of science-related symbols, when there were low levels of risk for participants, when activities involved sufficient challenge and time, and when students were positioned as knowledgeable and competent in science. The results suggest that successful interaction rituals can foster student engagement with topics that may not have previously held interest and can contribute to students' support of peers' learning, thereby moving the classroom toward a community-of-practice model.

  18. The Moderating Role of Performance in the Link From Interactional Justice Climate to Mutual Trust Between Managers and Team Members.

    PubMed

    Martínez-Tur, Vicente; Gracia, Esther; Moliner, Carolina; Molina, Agustín; Kuster, Inés; Vila, Natalia; Ramos, José

    2016-06-01

    The main goal of this study was to examine the interaction between team members' performance and interactional justice climate in predicting mutual trust between managers and team members. A total of 93 small centers devoted to the attention of people with intellectual disability participated in the study. In each center, the manager (N = 93) and a group of team members (N = 746) were surveyed. On average, team members were 36.2 years old (SD = 9.3), whereas managers were 41.2 years old (SD = 8.8). The interaction between interactional justice climate and performance was statistically significant. Team members' performance strengthened the link from interactional justice climate to mutual trust. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. Cryptanalysis of Controlled Mutual Quantum Entity Authentication Using Entanglement Swapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Gan; Wang, Yue

    2017-01-01

    By using GHZ-like states and entanglement swapping, Kang et al. [Chin. Phys. B 24 (2015) 090306] proposed a controlled mutual quantum entity authentication protocol. We find that the proposed protocol is not secure, that is, the center, Charlie can eavesdrop the secret keys shared between Alice and Bob without being detected. Supported by the 2014-year Program for Excellent Youth Talents in University of Anhui Province and the Talent Scientific Research Fundation of Tongling University under Grant No. 2015tlxyrc01 and the Program for Academic Leader Reserve Candidates in Tongling University under Grant No. 2014tlxyxs30

  20. 78 FR 75923 - Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (OSTLTS)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-13

    ... among parties that leads to mutual understanding and comprehension. CDC believes that consultation is..., tribes and CDC leaders will engage in a listening session with CDC's director and roundtable discussions...

  1. Clinical, classroom, or personal education: attitudes about health literacy.

    PubMed

    Logan, Robert A

    2007-04-01

    This study explores how diverse attitudes about health literacy are assessed by medical librarians and other health care professionals. An online survey of thirty-six items was conducted using Q methodology in two phases in spring 2005 and winter 2006. Respondents (n = 51) were nonrandomly self-selected from a convenience sample of members of the Medical Library Association and a group of environmental health consultants to the National Library of Medicine. Three factors were identified. Factor 1 is optimistic and supportive of health literacy's transformative sociocultural and professional potential, if clinical settings become a launching point for health literacy activities. Factor 2 is less optimistic about health literacy's potential to improve clinical or patient outcomes and prefers to focus health literacy initiatives on classroom education settings. Factor 3 supports improving the nation's health literacy but tends to support health literacy initiatives when people privately interact with health information materials. Each factor's attitudes about the appropriate educational venue to initiate health literacy activities are different and somewhat mutually exclusive. This suggests that health literacy is seen through different perceptual frameworks that represent a possible source of professional disagreement.

  2. A meta-analysis of an implicit measure of personality functioning: the Mutuality of Autonomy Scale.

    PubMed

    Graceffo, Robert A; Mihura, Joni L; Meyer, Gregory J

    2014-01-01

    The Mutuality of Autonomy scale (MA) is a Rorschach variable designed to capture the degree to which individuals mentally represent self and other as mutually autonomous versus pathologically destructive (Urist, 1977). Discussions of the MA's validity found in articles and chapters usually claim good support, which we evaluated by a systematic review and meta-analysis of its construct validity. Overall, in a random effects analysis across 24 samples (N = 1,801) and 91 effect sizes, the MA scale was found to maintain a relationship of r =.20, 95% CI [.16,.25], with relevant validity criteria. We hypothesized that MA summary scores that aggregate more MA response-level data would maintain the strongest relationship with relevant validity criteria. Results supported this hypothesis (aggregated scoring method: r =.24, k = 57, S = 24; nonaggregated scoring methods: r =.15, k = 34, S = 10; p =.039, 2-tailed). Across 7 exploratory moderator analyses, only 1 (criterion method) produced significant results. Criteria derived from the Thematic Apperception Test produced smaller effects than clinician ratings, diagnostic differentiation, and self-attributed characteristics; criteria derived from observer reports produced smaller effects than clinician ratings and self-attributed characteristics. Implications of the study's findings are discussed in terms of both research and clinical work.

  3. Mutual information and phase dependencies: measures of reduced nonlinear cardiorespiratory interactions after myocardial infarction.

    PubMed

    Hoyer, Dirk; Leder, Uwe; Hoyer, Heike; Pompe, Bernd; Sommer, Michael; Zwiener, Ulrich

    2002-01-01

    The heart rate variability (HRV) is related to several mechanisms of the complex autonomic functioning such as respiratory heart rate modulation and phase dependencies between heart beat cycles and breathing cycles. The underlying processes are basically nonlinear. In order to understand and quantitatively assess those physiological interactions an adequate coupling analysis is necessary. We hypothesized that nonlinear measures of HRV and cardiorespiratory interdependencies are superior to the standard HRV measures in classifying patients after acute myocardial infarction. We introduced mutual information measures which provide access to nonlinear interdependencies as counterpart to the classically linear correlation analysis. The nonlinear statistical autodependencies of HRV were quantified by auto mutual information, the respiratory heart rate modulation by cardiorespiratory cross mutual information, respectively. The phase interdependencies between heart beat cycles and breathing cycles were assessed basing on the histograms of the frequency ratios of the instantaneous heart beat and respiratory cycles. Furthermore, the relative duration of phase synchronized intervals was acquired. We investigated 39 patients after acute myocardial infarction versus 24 controls. The discrimination of these groups was improved by cardiorespiratory cross mutual information measures and phase interdependencies measures in comparison to the linear standard HRV measures. This result was statistically confirmed by means of logistic regression models of particular variable subsets and their receiver operating characteristics.

  4. Using Negotiated Joining to Construct and Fill Open-ended Roles in Elite Culinary Groups.

    PubMed

    Tan, Vaughn

    2015-03-01

    This qualitative study examines membership processes in groups operating in an uncertain environment that prevents them from fully predefining new members' roles. I describe how nine elite high-end, cutting-edge culinary groups in the U.S. and Europe, ranging from innovative restaurants to culinary R&D groups, use negotiated joining-a previously undocumented process-to systematically construct and fill these emergent, open-ended roles. I show that negotiated joining is a consistently patterned, iterative process that begins with a role that both aspirant and target group explicitly understand to be provisional. This provisional role is then jointly modified and constructed by the aspirant and target group through repeated iterations of proposition, validation through trial and evaluation, and selective integration of validated role components. The initially provisional role stabilizes and the aspirant achieves membership if enough role components are validated; otherwise the negotiated joining process is abandoned. Negotiated joining allows the aspirant and target group to learn if a mutually desirable role is likely and, if so, to construct such a role. In addition, the provisional roles in negotiated joining can support absorptive capacity by allowing novel role components to enter target groups through aspirants' efforts to construct stable roles for themselves, while the internal adjustment involved in integrating newly validated role components can have the unintended side effect of supporting adaptation by providing opportunities for the groups to use these novel role components to modify their role structure and goals to suit a changing and uncertain environment. Negotiated joining thus reveals role ambiguity's hitherto unexamined beneficial consequences and provides a foundation for a contingency theory of new-member acquisition.

  5. Using Negotiated Joining to Construct and Fill Open-ended Roles in Elite Culinary Groups

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Vaughn

    2015-01-01

    This qualitative study examines membership processes in groups operating in an uncertain environment that prevents them from fully predefining new members’ roles. I describe how nine elite high-end, cutting-edge culinary groups in the U.S. and Europe, ranging from innovative restaurants to culinary R&D groups, use negotiated joining—a previously undocumented process—to systematically construct and fill these emergent, open-ended roles. I show that negotiated joining is a consistently patterned, iterative process that begins with a role that both aspirant and target group explicitly understand to be provisional. This provisional role is then jointly modified and constructed by the aspirant and target group through repeated iterations of proposition, validation through trial and evaluation, and selective integration of validated role components. The initially provisional role stabilizes and the aspirant achieves membership if enough role components are validated; otherwise the negotiated joining process is abandoned. Negotiated joining allows the aspirant and target group to learn if a mutually desirable role is likely and, if so, to construct such a role. In addition, the provisional roles in negotiated joining can support absorptive capacity by allowing novel role components to enter target groups through aspirants’ efforts to construct stable roles for themselves, while the internal adjustment involved in integrating newly validated role components can have the unintended side effect of supporting adaptation by providing opportunities for the groups to use these novel role components to modify their role structure and goals to suit a changing and uncertain environment. Negotiated joining thus reveals role ambiguity’s hitherto unexamined beneficial consequences and provides a foundation for a contingency theory of new-member acquisition. PMID:26273105

  6. Establishment of stable synthetic mutualism without co-evolution between microalgae and bacteria demonstrated by mutual transfer of metabolites (NanoSIMS isotopic imaging) and persistent physical association (Fluorescent in situ hybridization)

    DOE PAGES

    de-Bashan, Luz E.; Mayali, Xavier; Bebout, Brad M.; ...

    2016-03-03

    The demonstration of a mutualistic interaction requires evidence of benefits for both partners as well as stability of the association over multiple generations. A synthetic mutualism between the freshwater microalga Chlorella sorokiniana and the soil-derived plant growth-promoting bacterium (PGPB) Azospirillum brasilense was created when both microorganisms were co-immobilized in alginate beads. Using stable isotope enrichment experiments followed by high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging of single cells, we demonstrated transfer of carbon and nitrogen compounds between the two partners. Further, using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), mechanical disruption and scanning electron microscopy, we demonstrated the stability of their physicalmore » association for a period of 10 days after the aggregated cells were released from the beads. The bacteria significantly enhanced the growth of the microalgae while the microalgae supported growth of the bacteria in a medium where it could not otherwise grow. In conclusion, we propose that this microalga-bacterium association is a true synthetic mutualism independent of co-evolution. (155 words).« less

  7. The Mutual Relationship Between Men's Drinking and Depression: A 4-Year Longitudinal Analysis.

    PubMed

    Lee, Soo Bi; Chung, Sulki; Lee, HaeKook; Seo, Jeong Seok

    2018-03-17

    The purpose of the current study was to examine the longitudinal reciprocal relationship between depression and drinking among male adults from the general population. This study used a panel dataset from the Korean Welfare Panel (from 2011 to 2014). The subjects were 2511 male adults aged between 20 and 65 years. Based on the Korean Version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-K) scores, 2191 subjects were categorized as the control group (AUDIT-K < 12) and 320 subjects were categorized as the problem drinking group (AUDIT-K ≥ 12). An autoregressive cross-lagged modelling analysis was performed to investigate the mutual relationship between problem drinking and depression measured consecutively over time. The results indicated that alcohol drinking and depression were stable over time. In the control group, there was no significant causal relationship between problem drinking and depression while in the problem drinking group, drinking in the previous year significantly influenced depression in the following second, third and fourth years. This study compared normal versus problem drinkers and showed a 4-year mutual causal relationship between depression and drinking. No longitudinal interaction between drinking and depression occurred in normal drinkers, while drinking intensified depression over time in problem drinkers. This study found that problem drinking was a risk factor for development of depression. Therefore, more attention should be given to problem alcohol use in the general population and evaluation of past alcohol use history in patients with depressive disorders.

  8. Mutual information measures applied to EEG signals for sleepiness characterization.

    PubMed

    Melia, Umberto; Guaita, Marc; Vallverdú, Montserrat; Embid, Cristina; Vilaseca, Isabel; Salamero, Manel; Santamaria, Joan

    2015-03-01

    Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is one of the main symptoms of several sleep related disorders with a great impact on the patient lives. While many studies have been carried out in order to assess daytime sleepiness, the automatic EDS detection still remains an open problem. In this work, a novel approach to this issue based on non-linear dynamical analysis of EEG signal was proposed. Multichannel EEG signals were recorded during five maintenance of wakefulness (MWT) and multiple sleep latency (MSLT) tests alternated throughout the day from patients suffering from sleep disordered breathing. A group of 20 patients with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) was compared with a group of 20 patients without daytime sleepiness (WDS), by analyzing 60-s EEG windows in waking state. Measures obtained from cross-mutual information function (CMIF) and auto-mutual-information function (AMIF) were calculated in the EEG. These functions permitted a quantification of the complexity properties of the EEG signal and the non-linear couplings between different zones of the scalp. Statistical differences between EDS and WDS groups were found in β band during MSLT events (p-value < 0.0001). WDS group presented more complexity than EDS in the occipital zone, while a stronger nonlinear coupling between occipital and frontal zones was detected in EDS patients than in WDS. The AMIF and CMIF measures yielded sensitivity and specificity above 80% and AUC of ROC above 0.85 in classifying EDS and WDS patients. Copyright © 2015 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Does biological intimacy shape ecological network structure? A test using a brood pollination mutualism on continental and oceanic islands.

    PubMed

    Hembry, David H; Raimundo, Rafael L G; Newman, Erica A; Atkinson, Lesje; Guo, Chang; Guimarães, Paulo R; Gillespie, Rosemary G

    2018-04-25

    Biological intimacy-the degree of physical proximity or integration of partner taxa during their life cycles-is thought to promote the evolution of reciprocal specialization and modularity in the networks formed by co-occurring mutualistic species, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested. Here, we test this "biological intimacy hypothesis" by comparing the network architecture of brood pollination mutualisms, in which specialized insects are simultaneously parasites (as larvae) and pollinators (as adults) of their host plants to that of other mutualisms which vary in their biological intimacy (including ant-myrmecophyte, ant-extrafloral nectary, plant-pollinator and plant-seed disperser assemblages). We use a novel dataset sampled from leafflower trees (Phyllanthaceae: Phyllanthus s. l. [Glochidion]) and their pollinating leafflower moths (Lepidoptera: Epicephala) on three oceanic islands (French Polynesia) and compare it to equivalent published data from congeners on continental islands (Japan). We infer taxonomic diversity of leafflower moths using multilocus molecular phylogenetic analysis and examine several network structural properties: modularity (compartmentalization), reciprocality (symmetry) of specialization and algebraic connectivity. We find that most leafflower-moth networks are reciprocally specialized and modular, as hypothesized. However, we also find that two oceanic island networks differ in their modularity and reciprocal specialization from the others, as a result of a supergeneralist moth taxon which interacts with nine of 10 available hosts. Our results generally support the biological intimacy hypothesis, finding that leafflower-moth networks (usually) share a reciprocally specialized and modular structure with other intimate mutualisms such as ant-myrmecophyte symbioses, but unlike nonintimate mutualisms such as seed dispersal and nonintimate pollination. Additionally, we show that generalists-common in nonintimate mutualisms-can also evolve in intimate mutualisms, and that their effect is similar in both types of assemblages: once generalists emerge they reshape the network organization by connecting otherwise isolated modules. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2018 British Ecological Society.

  10. Someone To Talk to and Someone To Listen. The Development of a Support and Learning Network for Palliative Care Workers in the Country Area of the Barossa Valley in South Australia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elsey, Barry

    A palliative care support and training network was developed in a relatively isolated country area of the Barossa Valley in South Australia. The project was intended to help palliative care workers, volunteers, home carers, and others work collaboratively as a team (holistic model) for the purposes of mutually supporting, sharing information and…

  11. Weber-aware weighted mutual information evaluation for infrared-visible image fusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Xiaoyan; Wang, Shining; Yuan, Ding

    2016-10-01

    A performance metric for infrared and visible image fusion is proposed based on Weber's law. To indicate the stimulus of source images, two Weber components are provided. One is differential excitation to reflect the spectral signal of visible and infrared images, and the other is orientation to capture the scene structure feature. By comparing the corresponding Weber component in infrared and visible images, the source pixels can be marked with different dominant properties in intensity or structure. If the pixels have the same dominant property label, the pixels are grouped to calculate the mutual information (MI) on the corresponding Weber components between dominant source and fused images. Then, the final fusion metric is obtained via weighting the group-wise MI values according to the number of pixels in different groups. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed metric performs well on popular image fusion cases and outperforms other image fusion metrics.

  12. 17 CFR 250.93 - Accounts and records of mutual and subsidiary service companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ..., memoranda, papers, books, and other records in such manner and preserve them for such periods, as are... (a) records other than accounts, (b) records required by state law, (c) subaccounts or supporting...

  13. 20 CFR 628.410 - Private Industry Council.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... procedures for the development of the SDA job training plan and the selection of the grant recipient and... federation is an alliance of two or more organized labor unions for the purpose of mutual support and action...

  14. Student and Field Instructor as Group Cotherapists: Equalizing an Unequal Relationship.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schlenoff, Marjorie Litwin; Busa, Sandra Hricko

    1981-01-01

    In the training situation, the inherent inequality of the field instructor and social work student as group cotherapists can be improved. A variety of techniques can improve the feeling of mutuality and provide opportunities for student participation in the team effort. (MSE)

  15. Promoting group empowerment and self-reliance through participatory research: a case study of people with physical disability.

    PubMed

    Stewart, R; Bhagwanjee, A

    1999-07-01

    Despite the growing popularity of the empowerment construct among social scientists, relatively few empowerment studies involving groupwork with people with physical disabilities exist. This article accordingly describes and analyses the organic development of the empowerment process within a spinal cord injury self-help group, set against the backdrop of policy imperatives for disability in post-apartheid South Africa. The treatise on the group empowerment process is located within the context of a group evaluation conducted within a participatory research framework. Key variables informing the research approach included: quality of participation, control over resources and decision-making, shift in critical consciousness and understanding, malleability of roles within the group and role of the health professional. Group members assumed ownership of group management and decision-making and shifted from a professionally-led to a peer-led self-help group. Group objectives changed from providing mutual support to community education and outreach activities. The role of the health professional shifted from group facilitator to invited consultant. This case study demonstrates how group participation, promoted by a critically informed therapeutic and research praxis, can unlock the inherent potential for self-reliance and empowerment of socially marginalized collectives. It offers important insights with regard to group process, participatory research and the role of the health professional in creating opportunities for empowerment and self-reliance of people with disability.

  16. Supporting parent-child interactions: music therapy as an intervention for promoting mutually responsive orientation.

    PubMed

    Pasiali, Varvara

    2012-01-01

    Music therapists working with families address relationship and interpersonal communication issues. Few controlled studies exist in the literature but a growing body of documented practice is emerging. This study makes a contribution by documenting how music therapy supports mutuality and reciprocity in parent-child interactions. This study investigated mutually responsive orientation (MRO) behaviors of young children (aged 3-5) and their family members during music therapy. Participants were 4 families with low income and history of maternal depression as common risk factors. Data were collected by videotaping sessions, creating field notes and analytic memos, conducting parent interviews and reviewing parent journals. A cross-case analysis using MRO theory as a conceptualizing framework was used for the purpose of data reduction. Greeting and farewell rituals, and the flexibility of music-based therapeutic applications facilitated development of coordinated routines. Therapist's actions (e.g., encouraging and modeling musical interactions) and bidirectional parent-child actions (e.g., joint attention, turn-taking, being playful) facilitated harmonious communication. Behaviors promoting mutual cooperation were evident when adults attempted to scaffold a child's participation or when children sought comfort from parents, engaged in social referencing and made requests that shaped the direction of the session. The novelty of musical tasks captivated attention, increasing impulse inhibition. Parent actions (e.g., finding delight in watching their child participate, acting silly) and parent-child interactions (e.g., play exploration, shared excitement, cuddling) contributed to positive emotional ambiance. Music therapy assisted development of MRO within parent-child dyads by providing opportunities to rehearse adaptive ways of connecting with each other. Results of this study may serve as an archetypal model guiding clinical treatment planning.

  17. Interpersonal problems and negative affect in Borderline Personality and Depressive Disorders in daily life

    PubMed Central

    Hepp, Johanna; Lane, Sean P.; Carpenter, Ryan W.; Niedtfeld, Inga; Brown, Whitney C.; Trull, Timothy J.

    2016-01-01

    Theories of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) suggest that interpersonal problems in BPD act as triggers for negative affect and, at the same time, are a possible result of affective dysregulation. Therefore, we assessed the relations between momentary negative affect (hostility, sadness, fear) and interpersonal problems (rejection, disagreement) in a sample of 80 BPD and 51 depressed outpatients at 6 time-points over 28 days. Data were analyzed using multivariate multi-level modeling to separate momentary-, day-, and person-level effects. Results revealed a mutually reinforcing relationship between disagreement and hostility, rejection and hostility, and between rejection and sadness in both groups, at the momentary and day level. The mutual reinforcement between hostility and rejection/disagreement was significantly stronger in the BPD group. Moreover, the link between rejection and sadness was present at all three levels of analysis for the BPD group, while it was localized to the momentary level in the depressed group. PMID:28529826

  18. Job Sharing Their First Year: A Narrative of Two Partnered Teachers' Induction into Middle School Science Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eick, Charles J.

    2002-01-01

    Examines the induction of two middle school science teachers as partners in a job sharing arrangement in lieu of student teaching, describing how they worked together and supported each other's attempts to implement student-centered practices and likening their mutual support to a marriage partnerships. The two teachers mentored each other through…

  19. The "Flavor" of the Social Ecology Paradigm in Use: Building on Mutual Social Support in Preventing Drug Abuse.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thorsheim, Howard I.; Roberts, Bruce B.

    The "Bottled Pain" project, a drug abuse prevention program in 24 Lutheran congregations in southern Minnesota, is based on a social ecology paradigm designed to prevent drug abuse through the development of socially supportive relationshps and through using the environment as a natural strength within the community. According to the…

  20. Psychosocial student functioning in comprehensive dental clinic education: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Moore, R

    2018-02-17

    The aims were to describe first-year clinical dental students' psychosocial experiences in a known well-functioning comprehensive clinic teaching group (F+Grp) and a known dysfunctional group (Dys-Grp) and, thus, discover and describe phenomena related to psychosocial functioning of students. These groups were compared and contrasted regarding negative stress symptoms, perfectionism and coping with stress. Eight female dental students (mean 26 years old), four in each group, were interviewed after the first clinical year about learning and emotional experiences. The students also rated their perceived stress using a 0-10 scale, where 0 is no stress, and 10 is highest stress. Qualitative analyses involved searching for recurring themes and discovery of categories of clinical and social functioning. All 8 students were revisited as dentists after 8 years and filled out a 15-item survey as longitudinal validation of their first-year clinical experiences and to estimate group consensus and informant accuracy. Both groups suffered from negative stress symptoms attributed to lack of time for clinical tasks, worries about work quality with confusion about their own expectations and worries about how others perceived them. Dys-Grp experienced higher negative stress and maladaptive perfectionism and described crying behaviours, withdrawal and unwillingness to cooperate with others. In contrast, students in F+Grp provided rich content about mutual cooperation related to social networking and positive support. The 8 subjects exhibited high internal consistency (α  =  .98) in their responses to the follow-up survey about their first year of clinic. The comprehensive care teaching clinic environment with students working in groups appeared to provide a possibility for students to support each other for improved stress coping. Unfortunately, the opposite also occurred. Positive, supportive teacher supervision of student challenges related to perfectionism and stress is crucial and requires specific attention. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Evaluation of empowerment processes in a workplace health promotion intervention based on learning in Sweden.

    PubMed

    Arneson, Hanna; Ekberg, Kerstin

    2005-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate a theory-based method for workplace health promotion (WHP) with regard to possible facilitation of empowerment processes. The intervention tool was the pedagogic method known as problem-based learning (PBL). The aim of the intervention was to promote empowerment and health among the employees. The intervention was implemented in three organizations within the public sector in Sweden, in a bottom-up approach. All employees, including management, in each organization, were offered the opportunity to participate (n = 113) and 87% (n = 97) participated. The intervention was implemented in 13 groups of six to eight participants who met once a week over a period of 4 months. The predetermined overall goal of the intervention was to promote employee health within the organizational setting. A facilitator in each group and a group-specific mutual agreement guided the intervention, as did the problem solving process. The participants set goals and developed strategies to reach their goals between the meetings. Thirty informants were interviewed in seven focus groups after the intervention about the intervention method and the process, following a semi-structured theme guide. The phenomenographic analysis resulted in six descriptive categories: reflection, awareness and insight, self-direction and self-management, group coherence, social support and actions. The results correspond to established theories of components of empowerment processes. The method initiated processes of change at organizational, workplace and individual levels as the participants examined their work situation, determined problems and initiated solutions. Social support and group coherence were expressed as essential in order to transform challenging strategies into action and goal realization. The findings indicate that systematic improvements of social support and group coherence among employees ought to be facilitated by the organization as a health-promoting arena. PBL appears to be a profitable and powerful instrument with the potential to enable empowerment.

  2. Group benefit associated with polymorphic trichromacy in a Malagasy primate (Propithecus verreauxi)

    PubMed Central

    Veilleux, Carrie C.; Scarry, Clara J.; Di Fiore, Anthony; Kirk, E. Christopher; Bolnick, Deborah A.; Lewis, Rebecca J.

    2016-01-01

    In some primate lineages, polymorphisms in the X-linked M/LWS opsin gene have produced intraspecific variation in color vision. In these species, heterozygous females exhibit trichromacy, while males and homozygous females exhibit dichromacy. The evolutionary persistence of these polymorphisms suggests that balancing selection maintains color vision variation, possibly through a ‘trichromat advantage’ in detecting yellow/orange/red foods against foliage. We identified genetic evidence of polymorphic trichromacy in a population of Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) at Kirindy Mitea National Park in Madagascar, and explored effects of color vision on reproductive success and feeding behavior using nine years of morphological, demographic, and feeding data. We found that trichromats and dichromats residing in social groups with trichromats exhibit higher body mass indices than individuals in dichromat-only groups. Additionally, individuals in a trichromat social group devoted significantly more time to fruit feeding and had longer fruit feeding bouts than individuals in dichromat-only groups. We hypothesize that, due to small, cohesive sifaka social groups, a trichromat advantage in detecting productive fruit patches during the energetically stressful dry season also benefits dichromats in a trichromat’s group. Our results offer the first support for the ‘mutual benefit of association’ hypothesis regarding the maintenance of polymorphic trichromacy in primates. PMID:27910919

  3. Refining and Mutual Separation of Rare Earths Using Biomass Wastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inoue, Katsutoshi; Alam, Shafiq

    2013-10-01

    Two different types of adsorption gels were prepared from biomass wastes. The first gel was produced from astringent persimmon peel rich in persimmon tannin, a polyphenol compound, which was prepared by means of simple dehydration condensation reaction using concentrated sulfuric acid for crosslinking. This adsorption gel was intended to be employed for the removal of radioactive elements, uranium (U(VI)) and thorium (Th(IV)), from rare earths. The second gel was prepared from chitosan, a basic polysaccharide, produced from shells of crustaceans such as crabs, shrimps, prawns, and other biomass wastes generated in marine product industry, by immobilizing functional groups of complexanes such as ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid and diethylentriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). This gel was developed for the mutual separation of rare earths. Of the two adsorption gels evaluated, the DTPA immobilized chitosan exhibited the most effective mutual separation among light rare earths.

  4. Position in the Peer Group's Perceived Organizational Structure: Relation to Social Status and Friendship.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lease, A. Michele; Axelrod, Jennifer L.

    2001-01-01

    Compared adolescent's position in the perceived peer group organization with measures of social status and mutual friendship among fourth- through sixth-graders. Found that peer group members who were marginal in the perceived structure were more likely than others to have a rejected status and be friendless. However, most rejected students were…

  5. Effects of a mutual recovery intervention on mental health in depressed elderly community-dwelling adults: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chao; Hua, Yujie; Fu, Hua; Cheng, Longfeng; Qian, Wen; Liu, Junyang; Crawford, Paul; Dai, Junming

    2017-01-03

    The prevalence of depression in the elderly is growing worldwide, and the population aging in China makes depression a major health problem for the elderly adults and a tremendous burden to the society. Effective interventions should be determined to provide an approach solving the problem and improving the situation. This study examined the effectiveness of a mutual recovery program intervention on depressive symptom, sleep quality, and well-being in community-dwelling elderly adults with depressive symptom in Shanghai. Recruitment was performed between July 2012 and August 2012. Using a cluster randomized wait-list controlled design, we randomized 6 communities (n = 237) into either the intervention group (3 communities, n = 105) or to a wait-list control group (3 communities, n = 132). All participants met the inclusion criteria for depression, which were defined by The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). From March to May of 2013, participants in the intervention group underwent a 2-month mutual recovery program intervention. The intervention included seven 90-min, weekly sessions that were based on a standardized self-designed schedule. Depression was used as primary outcome at three measurement moments: baseline (T1), before intervention at 24 weeks (T2), and immediately after intervention at 32 weeks (T3). Well-being and sleep quality were used as the secondary outcomes, and were evaluated based on the WHO-5 Well-being Index (WHO-5) and the Self-administered Sleep Questionnaire (SSQ). Finally, a total of 225 participants who completed all the sessions and the three measurements entered the final analysis. Mixed-model repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to estimate the intervention effects. There was no significant difference in gender, marriage, age structure, post-work type, and education background between the intervention and control group at baseline. Multivariate ANOVAs showed that there was no significant difference within the groups in terms of sleep, well-being, and depression at baseline and before the intervention. Mixed-model repeated measures ANOVAs detected a group × time interaction on depression, sleep, and well-being and showed a favorable intervention effect within groups immediately after the intervention. The mutual recovery program could be a creative and effective approach to improve mental health in older community-dwelling adults with depressive symptom.

  6. 47 CFR 90.165 - Procedures for mutually exclusive applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ..., the Commission may use competitive bidding, random selection, or comparative hearings, depending on... exclusive applications in a renewal filing group are designated for comparative consideration in a hearing... applications in the filing group for comparative consideration in a hearing. In this event, the result of the...

  7. 47 CFR 90.165 - Procedures for mutually exclusive applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ..., the Commission may use competitive bidding, random selection, or comparative hearings, depending on... exclusive applications in a renewal filing group are designated for comparative consideration in a hearing... applications in the filing group for comparative consideration in a hearing. In this event, the result of the...

  8. 47 CFR 90.165 - Procedures for mutually exclusive applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ..., the Commission may use competitive bidding, random selection, or comparative hearings, depending on... exclusive applications in a renewal filing group are designated for comparative consideration in a hearing... applications in the filing group for comparative consideration in a hearing. In this event, the result of the...

  9. Testing the monophyly of Aesculus L. and Billia Peyr., woody genera of tribe Hippocastaneae of the Sapindaceae.

    PubMed

    Harris, A J; Fu, Chengxin; Xiang, Qiu-Yun Jenny; Holland, LaRinda; Wen, Jun

    2016-09-01

    Hippocastaneae is a well-supported clade in Sapindaceae that comprises 15+ species; 12+ in Aesculus, two in Billia, and one in Handeliodendron Rehder. The monophyly of Aesculus and Billia were widely assumed, but a recent molecular phylogenetic study of Sapindanceae used seven species of Aesculus and one each of Billia and Handeliodendron and showed that Billia and Handeliodendron were nested within Aesculus. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Aesculus and Billia are mutually monophyletic using phylogenetic analyses of seven molecular markers and 31 accessions of Hippocastaneae representing 14 species. We performed phylogenetic analyses using a dataset of concatenated genes as well as with coalescent method for constructing a species tree from individual gene trees. The analysis of seven concatenated markers and the species tree strongly supported the mutual monophyly of Aesculus and Billia. We also recovered support for the traditional arrangement of genera within Hippocastaneae: Aesculus and Billia comprising a clade that is sister to Handeliodendron. However, the relationships among the genera remain incompletely resolved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. A Mutual Hostility Explanation for the Co-Occurrence of Delinquency and Depressive Mood in Adolescence.

    PubMed

    Martínez-Ferrer, Belén; Stattin, Håkan

    2017-10-01

    Different interpersonal experiences are related to delinquency and depressive mood. In many studies, delinquency has been associated with exposing others to hostility, while depressive mood has been associated with being a victim of others' hostility. In this study, we proposed that adolescents with a co-occurrence of high delinquency and depressive mood may be both perpetrators and victims in their relations with parents at home, peers and teachers at school, and other people encountered in leisure time. We studied a normative sample of 1452 mid-adolescents (50.61% boys and 49.38% girls). Cluster analyses found a group with a co-occurrence of high delinquency and high depressive mood. Adolescents in this cluster group were highest on being exposed to hostility, exposing others to hostility, and being involved in mutually hostile interactions with others in different everyday contexts. The findings were especially strong when we examined being a victim and a perpetrator across contexts. The results were similar for boys and girls. We conclude that the co-occurrence of high delinquency and depressive mood among some adolescents is intimately linked to the mutually hostile interactions that these adolescents experience in their everyday interpersonal contexts.

  11. Heat transfer device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eaton, L. R. (Inventor)

    1976-01-01

    An improved heat transfer device particularly suited for use as an evaporator plate in a diffusion cloud chamber. The device is characterized by a pair of mutually spaced heat transfer plates, each being of a planar configuration, having a pair of opposed surfaces defining therebetween a heat pipe chamber. Within the heat pipe chamber, in contiguous relation with the pair of opposed surfaces, there is disposed a pair of heat pipe wicks supported in a mutually spaced relationship by a foraminous spacer of a planar configuration. A wick including a foraminous layer is contiguously related to the external surfaces of the heat transfer plates for uniformly wetting these surfaces.

  12. Perceived Benefits of Collaboration Between Local Health Departments and Schools and Programs of Public Health: A Mixed-Methods Study.

    PubMed

    Kovach, Kevin A; Welter, Christina R; Seweryn, Steven M; Torres, Griselle

    2018-06-20

    Collaboration between local health departments (LHDs) and schools and programs of public health (SPPH) may be a way to improve practice, education, and research. However, little is known about why LHDs and SPPH collaborate. This mixed-methods study addressed this issue by exploring what LHDs and SPPH perceive to be beneficial about their collaboration. A mixed-methods study using quantitative and qualitative data was conducted. A survey of 2000 LHDs that completed the 2013 National Profile of LHDs measured how important and effective LHDs perceived 30 indicators of the 10 essential public health services to be for collaboration with SPPH. Focus groups were held with LHD officials and the faculty from SPPH to further explore their perceptions of the mutual benefits of their collaboration. This study showed that LHD officials and the faculty from SPPH valued their collaborative work because it can improve education and training, support public health accreditation, enhance LHD credibility, enhance LHD technological capabilities, and improve research and evidence-based practice. Benefits increased with an increase in the degree of collaboration. This also showed that LHD officials would like to collaborate more closely with SPPH. Collaboration between LHDs and SPPH is mutually beneficial, and close collaboration can help transform public health practice, education, and research. In light of this, more attention should be paid to developing goals and objectives for a collaborative agenda. Attention should be paid not only to the immediate needs of the organizations and individuals involved but also to their long-term goals and underlying desires. Funding opportunities to support the development of partnerships between LHDs and SPPH are needed to provide tangible tasks and opportunities for taking a more long-term and strategic view for collaborative relationships.

  13. Educators’ perspectives about how older hospital patients can engage in a falls prevention education programme: a qualitative process evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Hill, Anne-Marie; McPhail, Steven M; Francis-Coad, Jacqueline; Waldron, Nicholas; Etherton-Beer, Christopher; Flicker, Leon; Ingram, Katharine; Haines, Terry P

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Falls are the most frequent adverse event reported in hospitals. Patient and staff education delivered by trained educators significantly reduced falls and injurious falls in an older rehabilitation population. The purpose of the study was to explore the educators’ perspectives of delivering the education and to conceptualise how the programme worked to prevent falls among older patients who received the education. Design A qualitative exploratory study. Methods Data were gathered from three sources: conducting a focus group and an interview (n=10 educators), written educator notes and reflective researcher field notes based on interactions with the educators during the primary study. The educators delivered the programme on eight rehabilitation wards for periods of between 10 and 40 weeks. They provided older patients with individualised education to engage in falls prevention and provided staff with education to support patient actions. Data were thematically analysed and presented using a conceptual framework. Results Falls prevention education led to mutual understanding between staff and patients which assisted patients to engage in falls prevention behaviours. Mutual understanding was derived from the following observations: the educators perceived that they could facilitate an effective three-way interaction between staff actions, patient actions and the ward environment which led to behaviour change on the wards. This included engaging with staff and patients, and assisting them to reconcile differing perspectives about falls prevention behaviours. Conclusions Individualised falls prevention education effectively provides patients who receive it with the capability and motivation to develop and undertake behavioural strategies that reduce their falls, if supported by staff and the ward environment. PMID:26656027

  14. Family, community and government: the value and the limits of local caregiving.

    PubMed

    Pilisuk, M

    1986-01-01

    More frail elderly, more seriously disabled infants, and more chronically ill persons are part of the contemporary health delivery scene than in times past. Their prime caregivers are family members, most frequently women, whose contribution is limited by the facts of geographic distance, competing pressures, and smaller families to share the burden. Added to the caregiving task are the special needs of individuals at stressful points, which, if unmet, increase the incidence of breakdowns. The support of families is often augmented by local services and by mutual help groups, but the need has far surpassed the resources now, and this has resulted in some unhealthy local competition. The caregiving issue is a matter of national priorities that cannot be solved without a shift from military to domestic spending.

  15. Counteracting 'Not in My Backyard': The Positive Effects of Greater Occupancy within Mutual-help Recovery Homes.

    PubMed

    Jason, Leonard A; Groh, David R; Durocher, Megan; Alvarez, Josefina; Aase, Darrin M; Ferrari, Joseph R

    2008-09-01

    Group homes sometimes face significant neighborhood opposition, and municipalities frequently use maximum occupancy laws to close down these homes. This study examined how the number of residents in Oxford House recovery homes impacted residents' outcomes. Larger homes (i.e., 8 or more residents) may reduce the cost per person and offer more opportunities to exchange positive social support, thus, it was predicted that larger Oxford Houses would exhibit improved outcomes compared to smaller homes. Regression analyses using data from 643 residents from 154 U.S. Oxford Houses indicated that larger House size predicted less criminal and aggressive behavior; additionally, length of abstinence was a partial mediator in these relationships. These findings have been used in court cases to argue against closing down larger Oxford Houses. 125 words.

  16. Probing coherence in microcavity frequency combs via optical pulse shaping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferdous, Fahmida; Miao, Houxun; Wang, Pei-Hsun; Leaird, Daniel E.; Srinivasan, Kartik; Chen, Lei; Aksyuk, Vladimir; Weiner, Andrew M.

    2012-09-01

    Recent investigations of microcavity frequency combs based on cascaded four-wave mixing have revealed a link between the evolution of the optical spectrum and the observed temporal coherence. Here we study a silicon nitride microresonator for which the initial four-wave mixing sidebands are spaced by multiple free spectral ranges (FSRs) from the pump, then fill in to yield a comb with single FSR spacing, resulting in partial coherence. By using a pulse shaper to select and manipulate the phase of various subsets of spectral lines, we are able to probe the structure of the coherence within the partially coherent comb. Our data demonstrate strong variation in the degree of mutual coherence between different groups of lines and provide support for a simple model of partially coherent comb formation.

  17. Combined Hydrocarbon Leasing Act of 1981. Hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-Seventh Congress, First Session on S. 1575, September 17, 1981

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

    Not Available

    The need to facilitate mineral leasing procedures and oil production from tar sand resources is the basis for S. 1575, which redefines oil so that oil and gas leases will be complementary rather than mutually exclusive. Witnesses at a September 17, 1981 hearing on the bill were supportive. The text of S. 1575 is followed by the testimony of the seven witnesses and additional material submitted for the record by the Wildnerness Society, which cautions that the environmental and socio-economic impacts of this infant technology are not known. The group suggests a prototype policy similar to the one for oilmore » shale leasing. (DCK)« less

  18. The Collaboration Model: The Effective Model for the Increasing Interdependence of Organizations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doan, Sheila R.

    Scarce resources have facilitated increasing interdependence among organizations. This paper describes the group dynamics of the cooperation and collaboration models and examines which one is most suitable for maintaining effective group involvement. The cooperation model is comprised of two organizations that reach a mutual agreement; however,…

  19. Group Identity, Deliberative Democracy and Diversity in Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fraser-Burgess, Sheron

    2012-01-01

    Democratic deliberation places the burden of self-governance on its citizens to provide mutual justifying reasons (Gutmann & Thompson, 1996). This article concerns the limiting effect that group identity has on the efficacy of democratic deliberation for equality in education. Under conditions of a powerful majority, deliberation can be repressive…

  20. Team Training for Command and Control Systems. Volume II. Recommendations for Research Program.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-04-01

    between individual and group goals and how they are set, the roles of hedonistic individual orientation and altruistic commitment to a group, and... boredom . They are not intended to be definitive, comprehensive, nor exhaustive. They are also not mutually exclusive and other partitionings of the

  1. The rehabilitation plan can support clients' active engagement and facilitate the process of change - experiences from people with late effects of polio participating in a rehabilitation programme.

    PubMed

    Lexell, Eva Månsson; Lexell, Jan; Larsson-Lund, Maria

    2016-01-01

    To explore how the rehabilitation plan influences the rehabilitation process and its outcome in people with late effects of polio participating in an individualised goal-oriented interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme. Four women and two men with late effects of polio were interviewed before rehabilitation, at discharge, and at follow-up. Data were analysed according to the constant comparative method of grounded theory. The participants' experiences formed one core category: "The same starting point but different rehabilitation processes". Before rehabilitation, all participants experienced a similar starting point: Naïve understanding of rehabilitation. During rehabilitation, two separate processes followed. Four participants experienced their rehabilitation as being a mutually shared process that led to a process of change. They were actively engaged, using the rehabilitation plan, and working towards goals targeting a broad perspective of daily activities. The remaining two participants experienced their rehabilitation as a staff-directed process, with limited use of the rehabilitation plan, focusing on goals mainly related to body functions and self-care, not leading to any substantial changes. When clients experience that they develop a mutually shared rehabilitation process, based on a rehabilitation plan, they became more engaged in their rehabilitation and gained a better understanding of their participation during the process. Knowledge of the differences in how clients use the rehabilitation plan during the rehabilitation process can support their active engagement during rehabilitation. This, in turn, can promote a more holistic view among clients and professionals during the rehabilitation for people with late effects of polio. Implications for Rehabilitation Clients who experience a rehabilitation that is mutually shared with professionals, have a better understanding of their engagement during the rehabilitation process. When clients and professionals use the rehabilitation plan as a mutual tool, clients become more actively engaged in their rehabilitation process. A structured rehabilitation plan can serve as a map, and support clients' process of change during the rehabilitation process, also after the rehabilitation period is completed.

  2. Division of labour and the evolution of extreme specialization.

    PubMed

    Cooper, Guy A; West, Stuart A

    2018-05-28

    Division of labour is a common feature of social groups, from biofilms to complex animal societies. However, we lack a theoretical framework that can explain why division of labour has evolved on certain branches of the tree of life but not others. Here, we model the division of labour over a cooperative behaviour, considering both when it should evolve and the extent to which the different types should become specialized. We found that: (1) division of labour is usually-but not always-favoured by high efficiency benefits to specialization and low within-group conflict; and (2) natural selection favours extreme specialization, where some individuals are completely dependent on the helping behaviour of others. We make a number of predictions, several of which are supported by the existing empirical data, from microbes and animals, while others suggest novel directions for empirical work. More generally, we show how division of labour can lead to mutual dependence between different individuals and hence drive major evolutionary transitions, such as those to multicellularity and eusociality.

  3. 12 CFR 163.74 - Mutual capital certificates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... amend the terms of such certificates unless it has obtained written approval of the appropriate Federal... section. (b) Eligibility Requirements. The appropriate Federal banking agency will consider and process an... applicant's charter, constitution or bylaws. (c) Application form; supporting information. An application...

  4. FRICTION-FREE BALANCE

    DOEpatents

    Carson, N.J. Jr.; Ostrander, H.W.; Munter, C.N.

    1964-03-01

    A weighing device having a load-supporting vertical shaft buoyed up by mutually repellant magnets is described. The shaft is aligned by an air bearing and has an air gage to sense vertical displacement caused by weights placed on the top end of the shaft. (AEC)

  5. LCD denoise and the vector mutual information method in the application of the gear fault diagnosis under different working conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiangfeng, Zhang; Hong, Jiang

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, the full vector LCD method is proposed to solve the misjudgment problem caused by the change of the working condition. First, the signal from different working condition is decomposed by LCD, to obtain the Intrinsic Scale Component (ISC)whose instantaneous frequency with physical significance. Then, calculate of the cross correlation coefficient between ISC and the original signal, signal denoising based on the principle of mutual information minimum. At last, calculate the sum of absolute Vector mutual information of the sample under different working condition and the denoised ISC as the characteristics to classify by use of Support vector machine (SVM). The wind turbines vibration platform gear box experiment proves that this method can identify fault characteristics under different working conditions. The advantage of this method is that it reduce dependence of man’s subjective experience, identify fault directly from the original data of vibration signal. It will has high engineering value.

  6. Faithful Pointer for Qubit Measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumari, Asmita; Pan, A. K.

    2018-02-01

    In the context of von Neumann projective measurement scenario for a qubit system, it is widely believed that the mutual orthogonality between the post-interaction pointer states is the sufficient condition for achieving the ideal measurement situation. However, for experimentally verifying the observable probabilities, the real space distinction between the pointer distributions corresponding to post-interaction pointer states play crucial role. It is implicitly assumed that mutual orthogonality ensures the support between the post-interaction pointer distributions to be disjoint. We point out that mutual orthogonality (formal idealness) does not necessarily imply the real space distinguishability (operational idealness), but converse is true. In fact, for the commonly referred Gaussian wavefunction, it is possible to obtain a measurement situation which is formally ideal but fully nonideal operationally. In this paper, we derive a class of pointer states, that we call faithful pointers, for which the degree of formal (non)idealness is equal to the operational (non)idealness. In other words, for the faithful pointers, if a measurement situation is formally ideal then it is operationally ideal and vice versa.

  7. Football metaphor and mental well-being: an evaluation of the It's a Goal! programme.

    PubMed

    Spandler, Helen; Mckeown, Mick; Roy, Alastair; Hurley, Margaret

    2013-12-01

    The It's a Goal! programme utilises football metaphor and football venues as a means to frame and deliver a non-clinical, group-based therapeutic intervention, targeting men with mental health needs. A pilot in the North West of England was hosted by seven professional football clubs in partnership with local Primary Care Trusts. To evaluate the impact of the intervention and to identify the benefits and key components of the approach from the perspective of participants. Analysis of impact utilised before and after well-being scores measured on a modified version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Focus groups provided additional qualitative data that were analysed thematically. Findings suggest that It's a Goal! had a significant impact upon participant's well-being. In addition, participants reported a range of positive benefits especially in relation to confidence, self-esteem and developing better coping mechanisms. Participants related these benefits to a number of key components, not least the therapeutic value of football metaphor, the focus on goal-setting and the mutual support developed within the groups. Using football metaphor to deliver a group therapeutic programme aimed at men appears to be an effective means of facilitating mental health benefits.

  8. From metabolism to ecology: cross-feeding interactions shape the balance between polymicrobial conflict and mutualism

    PubMed Central

    Estrela, Sylvie; Trisos, Christopher H.; Brown, Sam P.

    2012-01-01

    Polymicrobial interactions are widespread in nature, and play a major role in maintaining human health and ecosystems. Whenever one organism uses metabolites produced by another organism as energy or nutrient sources, this is called cross-feeding. The ecological outcomes of cross-feeding interactions are poorly understood and potentially diverse: mutualism, competition, exploitation or commensalism. A major reason for this uncertainty is the lack of theoretical approaches linking microbial metabolism to microbial ecology. To address this issue, we explore the dynamics of a one-way interspecific cross-feeding interaction, in which food can be traded for a service (detoxification). Our results show that diverse ecological interactions (competition, mutualism, exploitation) can emerge from this simple cross-feeding interaction, and can be predicted by the metabolic, demographic and environmental parameters that govern the balance of the costs and benefits of association. In particular, our model predicts stronger mutualism for intermediate by-product toxicity because the resource-service exchange is constrained to the service being neither too vital (high toxicity impairs resource provision) nor dispensable (low toxicity reduces need for service). These results support the idea that bridging microbial ecology and metabolism is a critical step towards a better understanding of the factors governing the emergence and dynamics of polymicrobial interactions. PMID:23070318

  9. Qualities in friendship - Within an outside perspective - Definitions expressed by adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Sigstad, Hanne Marie Høybråten

    2017-03-01

    This study examined how adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities define qualities of friendship and discussed the extent to which these definitions adhere to established definitions of close friendship. The study was based on qualitative interviews with 11 adolescents in secondary school. The interviews were supplemented with information from six parents. A thematic structural analysis was used to identify themes. Qualities of friendship were categorized as mutual preference, mutual enjoyment, shared interactions, care, mutual trust and bonding. The criteria for close friendship seem to be fulfilled, albeit to a moderate degree. Closeness and reciprocity appear to be significant in this study, although these features have been considered less relevant within this target group in previous research. Differences in definitions may explain divergent results compared with other studies, and the need to achieve equivalence in friendship may be another.

  10. Mutual caring of elderly Korean couples.

    PubMed

    Ahn, Taesung; Kim, Kwibun

    2007-01-01

    The article described the experiences of elderly couples caring for each other using ethnographic methodology. Ten couples were interviewed in depth. The presence of a support system was found to be the primary requirement of elderly couples. Three taxonomies comprised the support system: (a) desire for respect in care, (b) desire for reliance, and (c) expectation. The close linkage and interaction of desire for care, desire for reliance, and expectations were confirmed. The findings suggested establishing a holistic support network for these elders.

  11. A randomized trial of peer review: the UK National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Resources and Outcomes Project: three-year evaluation.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Christopher M; Stone, Robert A; Buckingham, Rhona J; Pursey, Nancy A; Lowe, Derek; Potter, Jonathan M

    2012-06-01

    Peer review has been widely used within the National Health Service to facilitate health quality improvement but evaluation has been limited particularly over the longer-term. Change within the National Health Service (NHS) can take a prolonged period--1-2 years--to occur. We report here a 3-year evaluation of the largest randomized trial of peer review ever conducted in the UK. To evaluate whether targeted mutual peer review of respiratory units brings about improvements in services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) over 3 years. The peer review intervention was a reciprocal supportive exercise that included clinicians, hospital management, commissioners and patients, which focused on the quality of the provision of four specific evidence-based aspects of COPD care. Follow-up at 36 months demonstrated limited significant quantitative differences in the quality of services offered in the two groups but a strong trend in favour of intervention sites. Qualitative data suggested many benefits of peer review in most but not all intervention units and some control teams. The data identify factors that promote and obstruct change. The findings demonstrate significant change in service provision over 3 years in both control and intervention sites with great variability in both groups. The combined quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that targeted mutual peer review is associated with improved quality of care, improvements in service delivery and with changes within departments that promote and are precursors to quality improvement. The generic findings of this study have potential implications for the application of peer review throughout the NHS. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Some Psychological Knowledge for Scientists' Use

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miclea, Mircea

    2008-01-01

    Relying on empirical evidences our paper presents the most salient personality traits, developmental factors and cognitive characteristics of the scientists. We claim that a sound exploration of scientists' mind and patterns of behavior could improve public support for science and enhance scientists' mutual understanding.

  13. Integration of Andragogy into Preceptorship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leigh, Katherine; Whitted, Kelli; Hamilton, Bernita

    2015-01-01

    Return of registered nurses to school dictates that mobility programs integrate principles and design elements of adult learning theory. The Decisional Matrix for Preceptorship Experiences (DMPE) was designed to support mutual needs assessment and identification of individualized clinical learning activities. Using the Andragogy in Practice…

  14. Turn "B" Teachers into "A+"s.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartolo, Don

    1988-01-01

    Valued, experienced teachers can give superior classroom performances with help from a dedicated principal and a performance management plan that involves (1) pinpointing the teaching skill needing improvement; (2) supportive confrontation; (3) mutual discussion of alternative solutions; (4) definition of responsibilities; (5) followup and…

  15. Two Superintendents, One Home.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pardini, Priscilla

    2000-01-01

    Spouses working as superintendents confront agonizing logistics while establishing ground rules for dinner talk. Couples sharing the same career risk eclipsing their personal lives with professional issues. Having one's personal support network under the same roof can be mutually beneficial and synergistic. A married superintendents roster is…

  16. An Aspect of Political Socialization of Student Movement Participants in Korea.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Byeong-chul

    1993-01-01

    Tests hypotheses from lineage socialization and generation unit perspectives on Korean student protest participation using 360 self-administered questionnaires collected at 3 Korean universities. Results indicate that these hypotheses are not mutually exclusive but support the generation unit model. (SLD)

  17. Variation and Mathematics Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leung, Allen

    2012-01-01

    This discussion paper put forwards variation as a theme to structure mathematical experience and mathematics pedagogy. Patterns of variation from Marton's Theory of Variation are understood and developed as types of variation interaction that enhance mathematical understanding. An idea of a discernment unit comprising mutually supporting variation…

  18. Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Angiogenesis Imaging by Mutual Information Analysis for Prostate Cancer Localization.

    PubMed

    Schalk, Stefan G; Demi, Libertario; Bouhouch, Nabil; Kuenen, Maarten P J; Postema, Arnoud W; de la Rosette, Jean J M C H; Wijkstra, Hessel; Tjalkens, Tjalling J; Mischi, Massimo

    2017-03-01

    The role of angiogenesis in cancer growth has stimulated research aimed at noninvasive cancer detection by blood perfusion imaging. Recently, contrast ultrasound dispersion imaging was proposed as an alternative method for angiogenesis imaging. After the intravenous injection of an ultrasound-contrast-agent bolus, dispersion can be indirectly estimated from the local similarity between neighboring time-intensity curves (TICs) measured by ultrasound imaging. Up until now, only linear similarity measures have been investigated. Motivated by the promising results of this approach in prostate cancer (PCa), we developed a novel dispersion estimation method based on mutual information, thus including nonlinear similarity, to further improve its ability to localize PCa. First, a simulation study was performed to establish the theoretical link between dispersion and mutual information. Next, the method's ability to localize PCa was validated in vivo in 23 patients (58 datasets) referred for radical prostatectomy by comparison with histology. A monotonic relationship between dispersion and mutual information was demonstrated. The in vivo study resulted in a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area equal to 0.77, which was superior (p = 0.21-0.24) to that obtained by linear similarity measures (0.74-0.75) and (p <; 0.05) to that by conventional perfusion parameters (≤0.70). Mutual information between neighboring time-intensity curves can be used to indirectly estimate contrast dispersion and can lead to more accurate PCa localization. An improved PCa localization method can possibly lead to better grading and staging of tumors, and support focal-treatment guidance. Moreover, future employment of the method in other types of angiogenic cancer can be considered.

  19. Physiotherapy students' perceptions of learning in clinical practice in Sweden and India.

    PubMed

    Gard, Gunvor; Dagis, Daina

    2016-01-01

    It is reasonable to assume that conditions for learning differ between universities and countries. Increased understanding of similarities and differences of student's perceptions of learning environment can be useful in the development of the physiotherapy education as well as of the profession as such. Through international comparisons the benefits and challenges of educational programmes can be made transparent and serve as base for improvement. The objective of this study is to describe and compare physiotherapy students' perceptions of their learning environment in clinical practice in India and Sweden. A questionnaire study was performed, covering physiotherapy students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment, the physiotherapy supervisor within the clinical context, their supervisory relationship and the role of the clinical supervisor at two Universities, Luleå in Sweden and Amity in New Delhi, India. Undergraduate students at two physiotherapy programmes, in New Delhi, India and in Luleå, Sweden participated in the questionnaire study. In general, both groups had high rankings of their perceptions of the clinical learning environment. The Swedish students ranked individual supervision, participation in meetings, the supervisor as a resource, being a part of the team and giving them valuable feedback higher than the Indian group. The supervisory relationship was equally satisfying in groups, providing valuable feedback and acknowledging equality and mutuality in the relationship. The Indian group ranked the supervisor as a colleague, as a support in learning, and that he/she made them feel comfortable in meetings higher than the Swedish group. Both groups had high ratings of the supervisor and the clinical learning context Participation at meetings was higher rated in the Swedish and the supervisor as a support in learning higher rated of the Indian students. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. TEAM ATTITUDE EVALUATION: AN EVALUATION IN HOSPITAL COMMITTEES.

    PubMed

    Hekmat, Somayeh Noori; Dehnavieh, Reza; Rahimisadegh, Rohaneh; Kohpeima, Vahid; Jahromi, Jahromi Kohpeima

    2015-12-01

    Patients' health and safety is not only a function of complex treatments and advanced therapeutic technologies but also a function of a degree based on which health care professionals fulfill their duties effectively as a team. The aim of this study was to determine the attitude of hospital committee members about teamwork in Kerman hospitals. This study was conducted in 2014 on 171 members of clinical teams and committees of four educational hospitals in Kerman University of Medical Sciences. To collect data, the standard "team attitude evaluation" questionnaire was used. This questionnaire consisted of five domains which evaluated the team attitude in areas related to the team structure, leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication in the form of a 5-point Likert type scale. To analyze data, descriptive statistical tests, T-test, ANOVA, and linear regression were used. The average score of team attitude for hospital committee members was 3.9 out of 5. The findings showed that leadership had the highest score among the subscales of team work attitude, while mutual support had the lowest score. We could also observe that responsibility was an important factor in participants' team work attitude (β = -0.184, p = 0.024). Comparing data in different subgroups revealed that employment, marital status, and responsibility were the variables affecting the participants' attitudes in the team structure domain. Marital status played a role in leadership; responsibility had a role in situation monitoring; and work experience played a role in domains of communication and mutual support. Hospital committee members had a positive attitude towards teamwork. Training hospital staff and paying particular attention to key elements of effectiveness in a health care team can have a pivotal role in promoting the team culture.

  1. 75 FR 61246 - Kaiser Federal Financial Group, Inc., Covina, CA; Approval of Conversion Application

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Thrift Supervision [AC-51: OTS No. H-4729] Kaiser Federal Financial Group, Inc., Covina, CA; Approval of Conversion Application Notice is hereby given that on September 28, 2010, the Office of Thrift Supervision approved the application of K-Fed Mutual Holding...

  2. Promoting child development through group-based parent support within a cash transfer program: Experimental effects on children's outcomes.

    PubMed

    Fernald, Lia C H; Kagawa, Rose M C; Knauer, Heather A; Schnaas, Lourdes; Guerra, Armando Garcia; Neufeld, Lynnette M

    2017-02-01

    We examined effects on child development of a group-based parenting support program ( Educación Inicial - EI) when combined with Mexico's conditional cash transfer (CCT) program ( Prospera , originally Oportunidades and Progresa ). This cluster-randomized trial included 204 communities (n = 1,113 children in final sample), stratified by community indigenous status, and assigned to receive either: (T0) CCT only; (T1) CCT plus availability of EI in the community; or (T2) T1 plus promotion of the EI program by the CCT program. Interviews were conducted with the mother or primary caregiver of each child at baseline (2008, children 0-18 months old), and at follow-up (2012, children 3-5 years old); the intervention began after baseline and continued for all eligible households. Cognitive development was assessed with the Extended Ages and Stages Questionnaire (baseline) and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Development (follow-up); assessors were blinded to treatment. All analyses were intention to treat. There were significant effects on child development when EI received support and promotion from the CCT program (T₂ vs. T₀: General Cognitive Index, β = 3.90; 95% CI [0.51, 7.30], Verbal Score, β = 4.28; 95% CI [0.51, 8.05], and Memory Score, β = 4.14; 95% CI [0.62, 7.66]), effects equivalent to 0.26-0.29 SD. There were no significant benefits when the programs operated independently (T₁ vs. T₀). In stratified analyses, EI showed significant effects in indigenous communities only. We found consistent results in regressions controlling for covariates, with some reductions in magnitude of differences. Our findings suggest that group-based, parenting support programs can improve child outcomes within the context of a CCT, but only when the 2 programs are integrated and mutually supportive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Benefits and costs of alcoholic relationships and recovery through Al-Anon.

    PubMed

    Young, Lance Brendan; Timko, Christine

    2015-01-01

    Codependence is an ambiguous and disputed term often used to characterize both those who maintain relationships with alcoholics and those who seek help through resources such as Al-Anon Family Groups. The purpose of this article is to better understand non-pathological reasons for maintaining alcoholic relationships and for help-seeking by detailing the costs and benefits of those choices. The costs and benefits both of remaining in an alcoholic relationship and of seeking help in Al-Anon were identified through a review of available research on alcoholic family systems, Al-Anon, and other mutual-support groups. Alcoholic relationships may benefit concerned others by preserving self-identity, social identity, values, security, stability, and hope. Costs of alcoholic relationships include physical symptoms, injury, mental problems, financial difficulty, legal troubles, and relational distress. Al-Anon is perceived beneficial for six primary reasons: Al-Anon philosophy, format, social support, accessibility, effectiveness, and potential to change the drinker's behavior. Possible costs of Al-Anon include marginalization of the concerned other, blame, codependent pathology, sexist stereotyping, substitute dependency, and perpetuating victimization. Conclusions/Importance: The identified costs and benefits of alcoholic relationships and help-seeking in Al-Anon can help to model decision-making processes using existing behavioral health frameworks without defaulting to the stigmatized and ambiguous codependence terminology.

  4. Online Learning in Divorce: How the Formation of a Community of Practice in a Divorce Support Website Enables and Inhibits Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paechter, Carrie

    2012-01-01

    This article is about the informal learning that took place in an online divorce support and advice forum. In it, the author discusses the formation of a community of practice among the members during the first nine months of the site's operation. The author shows how the key markers of mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire…

  5. Forging Partnership: CRDF in the FSU and the World

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Owens, Tom

    2006-04-01

    The founding legislation to facilitate non-proliferation, and to advance U.S. scientific, technical and human health objectives as well as U.S. foreign policy generally -- but also from private sources, to advance primarily humanitarian and educational goals. CRDF's experience melding public and private support for international scientific cooperation has yielded a unique set of procedures and programs that it seeks now to apply in new geographic arenas. Public Law 102-511 ``Freedom Support Act,'' Section 511, October 24, 1992 for CRDF clearly intended the organization to combine public and private purposes, and that it could and should receive funding from both public and private sources. It also gave CRDF specific formal Purposes that included building international partnerships for supporting high-quality research, helping weapons scientists find another line of work, and helping American industry and foreign scientists to work together for mutual benefit and economic progress. CRDF was expected to ``promote and support joint research and development projects for peaceful purposes between scientists and engineers in the United States and independent states of the former Soviet Union on subjects of mutual interest.'' CRDF has operated as a private foundation funding international research collaborations through peer-reviewed competitions, making more than 2,000 awards in ten years. It has carried out this work with resources provided largely by the U.S. government.

  6. The effects of contact with Asians and Asian Americans on White American college students: attitudes, awareness of racial discrimination, and psychological adjustment.

    PubMed

    Dinh, Khanh T; Weinstein, Traci L; Nemon, Melissa; Rondeau, Sara

    2008-12-01

    On the basis of acculturation theory, explicating mutual influences between different cultural or ethnic groups coming into contact, this study focused "on the other side of acculturation" theory by examining the effects of intercultural contact with Asians and Asian Americans on the psychosocial experiences of White American college students. Participants (N = 315), undergraduates attending a public university located within the state of Massachusetts, completed a survey that assessed demographic and personal characteristics, acculturation (extent of intercultural contact with Asian people and Asian cultures), attitudes towards Asians and Asian Americans, awareness of institutional discrimination and blatant racial issues, and psychological distress. Results indicated that White American students' intercultural contact with Asians and Asian Americans contributed significant variance to the prediction of their attitudes towards this ethnic group and awareness of discrimination and racial issues, but not to psychological distress. This study provides implications for understanding mutual acculturative influences between different ethnic groups in the United States.

  7. I have my own lease-So why the service plan again? Perspectives on service planning in supportive housing.

    PubMed

    Choy-Brown, Mimi; Hamovitch, Emily K; Cuervo, Carolina; Stanhope, Victoria

    2016-12-01

    This study aimed to understand multiple stakeholder perspectives implementing a recovery-oriented approach to service planning in supportive housing programs serving people with lived experience of mental illnesses. Multiple stakeholders (N = 57) were recruited to participate in focus groups (N = 8), including 4 with tenants, 2 with service coordinators, 1 with supervisors, and 1 with leadership. Supportive housing programs were purposively sampled from a recovery-oriented organization serving 1,500 people annually. Stakeholders' experiences with service planning and implementing a recovery-oriented approach to service planning were explored. The authors conducted inductive thematic analyses combined with a conceptual matrix, which yielded themes across and within multiple stakeholder focus groups. Three themes emerged: (a) an institutional reminder-service planning experiences elicited negative emotions and served to remind people of experiences in institutional settings, (b) one-size-fits-all service planning-stakeholders perceived the use of quality assurance tools within the planning process as rigid to others' interests beyond their own, and (c) rules and regulations-reconciling funder requirements (e.g., completion dates) while also tailoring services to tenants' particular situations challenged providers. Even in a recovery-oriented organization, findings suggest that service planning in supportive housing has limitations in responding to each tenant's iterative recovery process. Further, in this context where people can make their home, stakeholders questioned whether the very presence of ongoing service planning activities is problematic. However, tenant-service coordinator relationships predicated on mutual respect and esteem overcame some service planning limitations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Health-promotion in the context of ageing and migration: a call for person-centred integrated practice

    PubMed Central

    Lood, Qarin; Ivanoff, Synneve Dahlin; Dellenborg, Lisen; Mårtensson, Lena

    2014-01-01

    Objective For the aim of improving the implementation of a health-promoting intervention for older persons who are born abroad, this study aimed to explore health care professionals' experiences of facilitators and barriers for their possibilities to support a healthy ageing in the context of migration. Methods Qualitative data were collected from four focus groups with health professionals who all had experience of working with older persons who are born abroad. Data were analysed with the guidance from the method developed by Krueger and Casey, progressing from an empirical to an abstract level. Results Five different conditions were found to influence supporting healthy ageing in the context of migration: Sense of belonging through significant others, Emotional bonds to a place called home, Expectations on health and support during the ageing process, Mutual understanding as a means for communication and Heterogeneity as a point of departure. The one comprehensive theme complexity describes how those aspects are interrelated in a complex and unpredictable way. Conclusions The results point at the need for focusing on each person's experiences and health expectations, and the study provides a foundation for future research on the integration of whole-system and person-centred practice. PMID:24605072

  9. Exchange of Standardized Flight Dynamics Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martin-Mur, Tomas J.; Berry, David; Flores-Amaya, Felipe; Folliard, J.; Kiehling, R.; Ogawa, M.; Pallaschke, S.

    2004-01-01

    Spacecraft operations require the knowledge of the vehicle trajectory and attitude and also that of other spacecraft or natural bodies. This knowledge is normally provided by the Flight Dynamics teams of the different space organizations and, as very often spacecraft operations involve more than one organization, this information needs to be exchanged between Agencies. This is why the Navigation Working Group within the CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems), has been instituted with the task of establishing standards for the exchange of Flight Dynamics data. This exchange encompasses trajectory data, attitude data, and tracking data. The Navigation Working Group includes regular members and observers representing the participating Space Agencies. Currently the group includes representatives from CNES, DLR, ESA, NASA and JAXA. This Working Group meets twice per year in order to devise standardized language, methods, and formats for the description and exchange of Navigation data. Early versions of some of these standards have been used to support mutual tracking of ESA and NASA interplanetary spacecraft, especially during the arrival of the 2003 missions to Mars. This paper provides a summary of the activities carried out by the group, briefly outlines the current and envisioned standards, describes the tests and operational activities that have been performed using the standards, and lists and discusses the lessons learned from these activities.

  10. Variable Discretisation for Anomaly Detection using Bayesian Networks

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-01-01

    UNCLASSIFIED DST- Group –TR–3328 1 Introduction Bayesian network implementations usually require each variable to take on a finite number of mutually...UNCLASSIFIED Variable Discretisation for Anomaly Detection using Bayesian Networks Jonathan Legg National Security and ISR Division Defence Science...and Technology Group DST- Group –TR–3328 ABSTRACT Anomaly detection is the process by which low probability events are automatically found against a

  11. Stakeholder engagement in diabetes self-management: patient preference for peer support and other insights.

    PubMed

    Kwan, Bethany M; Jortberg, Bonnie; Warman, Meredith K; Kane, Ilima; Wearner, Robyn; Koren, Romona; Carrigan, Thomas; Martinez, Vincent; Nease, Donald E

    2017-06-01

    Self-management support (SMS) for patients with diabetes can improve adherence to treatment, mitigate disease-related distress, and improve health outcomes. Translating this evidence into real-world practice is needed, as it is not clear which SMS models are acceptable to patients, and feasible and sustainable for primary care practices. To use the Boot Camp Translation (BCT) method to engage patient, practice, community resource and research stakeholders in translation of evidence about SMS and diabetes distress into mutually acceptable care models and to inform patient-centred outcomes research (PCOR). Twenty-seven diabetes care stakeholders, including patients and providers from a local network of federally qualified health centres participated. Stakeholders met in-person and by conference call over the course of 8 months. Subject matter experts provided education on the diabetes SMS evidence. Facilitators engaged the group in discussions about barriers to self-management and opportunities for improving delivery of SMS. BCT participants identified lack of social support, personal resources, trust, knowledge and confidence as barriers to diabetes self-management. Intervention opportunities emphasized peer support, use of multidisciplinary care teams and centralized systems for sharing information about community and practice resources. BCT informed new services and a PCOR study proposal. Patients and family engaged in diabetes care research value peer support, group visits, and multidisciplinary care teams as key features of SMS models. SMS should be tailored to an individual patient's health literacy. BCT can be used to engage multiple stakeholders in translation of evidence into practice and to inform PCOR. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Curriculum Review. Volume 44, Number 6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2005

    2005-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The February 2005 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "Inspiring Words for Educators"; (2) "We Hear from Readers"; (3)…

  13. Curriculum Review. Volume 44, Number 3

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The November 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3)…

  14. A Nontraditional Education Model with Indian Indigenous Social Service Workers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelley, M. L.; Nelson, C. H.

    1986-01-01

    Describes educational processes to enable non-Indian social work educators to support development of Indian social service workers. Suggests holistic/ecological/systems perspective, facilitator/mentor role, mutuality, maximizing differences, empowerment, and structural approach. Discusses effective helping methods and roles for Indian social…

  15. Reflections on Interculturality in Relation to Education and Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lasonen, Johanna

    2005-01-01

    Internationalization and intercultural education may be contradictory concepts as the former supports globalization of the economy and the latter explains mutual learning and intercultural understanding. Higher education is preparing planners, leaders, managers, administrators, policy-makers and teachers to societies. Are pedagogical approaches of…

  16. Curriculum Review. Volume 44, Number 7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2005

    2005-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The March 2005 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "Correction"; (3) "What They're…

  17. Curriculum Review. Volume 44, Number 9

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2005

    2005-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The May 2005 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "District…

  18. A VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITY TO FACILITATE SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOR

    EPA Science Inventory

    Research to date on virtual learning communities suggests that electronic interaction can be a useful way to impact new skills and to encourage innovative practices by creating networked systems of mutual support. We expect that by being able to exchange information, trade tip...

  19. Factors influencing the quality of intimate relationships six months after delivery--first-time parents' own views and coping strategies.

    PubMed

    Ahlborg, Tone; Strandmark, Margaretha

    2006-09-01

    The aim of this study was to describe and analyze first-time parents' experiences of factors that affect the quality of their intimate relationship and the way they cope with their situation six months after delivery. The method used was inductive qualitative content analysis of two open questions in a larger questionnaire. The data is based on 535 respondents' statements. The factors affecting the quality of the intimate relationship were available or missing and could be classified into four categories. 1. 'Coping by adjustment to parental role', e.g., mutual support as new parents, 2. 'The couple's 'intimacy', i.e., togetherness and love, 3. 'Coping by communication', i.e., verbal and non-verbal mutual confirmation, and 4. 'Coping with external conditions', e.g., by seeking social support. The results are described in a model, which could constitute a basis for the promotion of health in family health care, with the aim, if possible, of preventing unnecessary separations/divorces after couples become parents.

  20. The impact of a natural disaster on altruistic behaviour and crime.

    PubMed

    Lemieux, Frederic

    2014-07-01

    Institutional altruism in the form of a public-sector intervention and support for victims and social altruism generated by mutual aid and solidarity among citizens constitute a coming together in a crisis. This coming together and mutual support precipitate a decrease in crime rates during such an event. This paper presents an analysis of daily fluctuations in crime during the prolonged ice storms in Quebec, Canada, in January 1998 that provoked an electrical blackout. Of particular interest are the principal crisis-related influences on daily crime patterns. A first series of analyses examines the impact of altruistic public-sector mobilisation on crime. A significant decline in property crime rates was noticed when cheques were distributed to crisis victims in financial need in Montérégie, and hence they were attributable to public intervention (institutional altruism). Moreover, the rate of social altruism (financial donations), which was more substantial in adjoining rather than distant regions, was inversely proportional to crime rates. © 2014 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2014.

  1. Seed traits and taxonomic relationships determine the occurrence of mutualisms versus seed predation in a tropical forest rodent and seed dispersal system.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhenyu; Cao, Lin; Zhang, Zhibin

    2014-06-01

    Although many studies have been carried out on plant-animal mutualistic assemblages, the roles of functional traits and taxonomy in determining both whether interactions involve mutualisms or predation and the structure of such assemblages are unclear. We used semi-natural enclosures to quantitatively assess the interaction strengths between seeds of 8 sympatric tree species and 4 rodent species in a tropical forest in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, Southwest China. We found 2 clusters of species in the seed-rodent network represented by 2 genera in the Fagaceae (Castanopsis, Lithocarpus). Compared to seeds of 3 Castanopsis species, seeds with heavy weight, hard coat or caloric content (including 3 Lithocarpus species) were eaten less and more frequently hoarded by rodents. In turn, hoarded seeds showed less predation and more mutualism with rodents. Our results suggest that seed traits significantly affected the hoarding behavior of rodents, and, consequently, the occurrence of mutualisms and predation as well as assemblage structure in the plant-animal seed dispersal system. Taxonomically-related species with similar seed traits as functional groups belong to the same substructures in the assemblage. Our results indicate that both seed traits and taxonomic relationships may simplify thinking about seed dispersal systems by helping to elucidate whether interactions are likely to be dominated by predation or mutualism. © 2013 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  2. Family cohesion and posttraumatic intrusion and avoidance among war veterans: a 20-year longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Zerach, Gadi; Solomon, Zahava; Horesh, Danny; Ein-Dor, Tsachi

    2013-02-01

    The bi-directional relationships between combat-induced posttraumatic symptoms and family relations are yet to be understood. The present study assesses the longitudinal interrelationship of posttraumatic intrusion and avoidance and family cohesion among 208 Israeli combat veterans from the 1982 Lebanon War. Two groups of veterans were assessed with self-report questionnaires 1, 3 and 20 years after the war: a combat stress reaction (CSR) group and a matched non-CSR control group. Latent Trajectories Modeling showed that veterans of the CSR group reported higher intrusion and avoidance than non-CSR veterans at all three points of time. With time, there was a decline in these symptoms in both groups, but the decline was more salient among the CSR group. The latter also reported lower levels of family cohesion. Furthermore, an incline in family cohesion levels was found in both groups over the years. Most importantly, Autoregressive Cross-Lagged Modeling among CSR and non-CSR veterans revealed that CSR veterans' posttraumatic symptoms in 1983 predicted lower family cohesion in 1985, and lower family cohesion, in turn, predicted posttraumatic symptoms in 2002. The findings suggest that psychological breakdown on the battlefield is a marker for future family cohesion difficulties. Our results lend further support for the bi-directional mutual effects of posttraumatic symptoms and family cohesion over time.

  3. Financial and Emotional Support in Close Personal Ties among Central Asian Migrant Women in Russia.

    PubMed

    Kornienko, Olga; Agadjanian, Victor; Menjívar, Cecilia; Zotova, Natalia

    2018-05-01

    This study advances research on the role of personal networks as sources of financial and emotional support in immigrants' close personal ties beyond the immediate family. Because resource scarcity experienced by members of immigrant communities is likely to disrupt normatively expected reciprocal support, we explored multi-level predictors of exchange processes with personal network members that involve (1) only receiving support, (2) only providing support, and (3) reciprocal support exchanges. We focus on an understudied case of Central Asian migrant women in the Russian Federation using a sample of 607 women from three ethnic groups-Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek-who were surveyed in two large Russian cities-Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan. The survey collected information on respondents' demographic, socioeconomic, and migration-related characteristics, as well as characteristics of up to five individuals with whom they had a close relationship. Multi-level multinomial regression analyses were used to account for the nested nature of the data. Our results revealed that closer social relationships (siblings and friends) and greater levels of resources (income and regularized legal status) at both ego and alter levels were positively related to providing, receiving, and reciprocally exchanging financial and emotional support. Egos were more likely to provide financial assistance to transnational alters, whereas they were more likely to engage in mutual exchanges of emotional support with their network members from other countries. Personal network size and density showed no relationship with support exchanges. These findings provide a nuanced picture of close personal ties as conduits for financial and emotional support in migrant communities in a major, yet understudied, migrant-receiving context.

  4. Non-additive benefit or cost? Disentangling the indirect effects that occur when plants bearing extrafloral nectaries and honeydew-producing insects share exotic ant mutualists.

    PubMed

    Savage, Amy M; Rudgers, Jennifer A

    2013-06-01

    In complex communities, organisms often form mutualisms with multiple different partners simultaneously. Non-additive effects may emerge among species linked by these positive interactions. Ants commonly participate in mutualisms with both honeydew-producing insects (HPI) and their extrafloral nectary (EFN)-bearing host plants. Consequently, HPI and EFN-bearing plants may experience non-additive benefits or costs when these groups co-occur. The outcomes of these interactions are likely to be influenced by variation in preferences among ants for honeydew vs. nectar. In this study, a test was made for non-additive effects on HPI and EFN-bearing plants resulting from sharing exotic ant guards. Preferences of the dominant exotic ant species for nectar vs. honeydew resources were also examined. Ant access, HPI and nectar availability were manipulated on the EFN-bearing shrub, Morinda citrifolia, and ant and HPI abundances, herbivory and plant growth were assessed. Ant-tending behaviours toward HPI across an experimental gradient of nectar availability were also tracked in order to investigate mechanisms underlying ant responses. The dominant ant species, Anoplolepis gracilipes, differed from less invasive ants in response to multiple mutualists, with reductions in plot-wide abundances when nectar was reduced, but no response to HPI reduction. Conversely, at sites where A. gracilipes was absent or rare, abundances of less invasive ants increased when nectar was reduced, but declined when HPI were reduced. Non-additive benefits were found at sites dominated by A. gracilipes, but only for M. citrifolia plants. Responses of HPI at these sites supported predictions of the non-additive cost model. Interestingly, the opposite non-additive patterns emerged at sites dominated by other ants. It was demonstrated that strong non-additive benefits and costs can both occur when a plant and herbivore share mutualist partners. These findings suggest that broadening the community context of mutualism studies can reveal important non-additive effects and increase understanding of the dynamics of species interactions.

  5. Protistan entomopathogens

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Protists, eukaryotes of mainly unicellular organization, are perhaps the most diverse and numerous of insect pathogens. As a group, protists exhibit the full range of symbiotic associations with insects, from mutualism and commensalism to parasitism and pathogenicity. However, most protistan etiolog...

  6. A Lunar Surface System Supportability Technology Development Roadmap

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oeftering, Richard C.; Struk, Peter M.; Taleghani, Barmac K.

    2009-01-01

    This paper discusses the establishment of a Supportability Technology Development Roadmap as a guide for developing capabilities intended to allow NASA's Constellation program to enable a supportable, sustainable and affordable exploration of the Moon and Mars. Presented is a discussion of "supportability", in terms of space facility maintenance, repair and related logistics and a comparison of how lunar outpost supportability differs from the International Space Station. Supportability lessons learned from NASA and Department of Defense experience and their impact on a future lunar outpost is discussed. A supportability concept for future missions to the Moon and Mars that involves a transition from a highly logistics dependent to a logistically independent operation is discussed. Lunar outpost supportability capability needs are summarized and a supportability technology development strategy is established. The resulting Lunar Surface Systems Supportability Strategy defines general criteria that will be used to select technologies that will enable future flight crews to act effectively to respond to problems and exploit opportunities in a environment of extreme resource scarcity and isolation. This strategy also introduces the concept of exploiting flight hardware as a supportability resource. The technology roadmap involves development of three mutually supporting technology categories, Diagnostics Test & Verification, Maintenance & Repair, and Scavenging & Recycling. The technology roadmap establishes two distinct technology types, "Embedded" and "Process" technologies, with different implementation and thus different criteria and development approaches. The supportability technology roadmap addresses the technology readiness level, and estimated development schedule for technology groups that includes down-selection decision gates that correlate with the lunar program milestones. The resulting supportability technology roadmap is intended to develop a set of technologies with widest possible capability and utility with a minimum impact on crew time and training and remain within the time and cost constraints of the Constellation program

  7. A Lunar Surface System Supportability Technology Development Roadmap

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oeftering, Richard C.; Struk, Peter M.; Taleghani, barmac K.

    2011-01-01

    This paper discusses the establishment of a Supportability Technology Development Roadmap as a guide for developing capabilities intended to allow NASA s Constellation program to enable a supportable, sustainable and affordable exploration of the Moon and Mars. Presented is a discussion of supportability, in terms of space facility maintenance, repair and related logistics and a comparison of how lunar outpost supportability differs from the International Space Station. Supportability lessons learned from NASA and Department of Defense experience and their impact on a future lunar outpost is discussed. A supportability concept for future missions to the Moon and Mars that involves a transition from a highly logistics dependent to a logistically independent operation is discussed. Lunar outpost supportability capability needs are summarized and a supportability technology development strategy is established. The resulting Lunar Surface Systems Supportability Strategy defines general criteria that will be used to select technologies that will enable future flight crews to act effectively to respond to problems and exploit opportunities in an environment of extreme resource scarcity and isolation. This strategy also introduces the concept of exploiting flight hardware as a supportability resource. The technology roadmap involves development of three mutually supporting technology categories, Diagnostics Test and Verification, Maintenance and Repair, and Scavenging and Recycling. The technology roadmap establishes two distinct technology types, "Embedded" and "Process" technologies, with different implementation and thus different criteria and development approaches. The supportability technology roadmap addresses the technology readiness level, and estimated development schedule for technology groups that includes down-selection decision gates that correlate with the lunar program milestones. The resulting supportability technology roadmap is intended to develop a set of technologies with widest possible capability and utility with a minimum impact on crew time and training and remain within the time and cost constraints of the Constellation program.

  8. Psychological problems of families and health workers dealing with people infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1.

    PubMed

    Maj, M

    1991-03-01

    The psychological problems of the families of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1)-infected people, and of the health workers taking care of them, have been addressed in a few empirical studies and in several anecdotal reports and theoretical contributions. Apparently, HIV-1 infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are able to elicit a wide range of emotional reactions, from rejection and refusal to provide care to immersion in the infected person's needs and burnout. Since irrational fears and attitudes play an important role in conditioning these reactions, education may not be sufficient to change behaviour. Counselling sessions and mutual support groups are often the most appropriate contexts where fears and concerns can receive an individually tailored response, and where formal and informal caregivers can be helped to manage stress.

  9. Buddhism as a Support System for Southeast Asian Refugees.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canda, Edward R.; Phaobtong, Thitiya

    1992-01-01

    Used ethnographic participant-observation research methodology to determine human services available through three Buddhist mutual assistance associations for Southeast Asian refugees living in Midwest. Found that Buddhism was linked to both traditional lifestyle and current efforts to overcome effects of war and trauma. Identified physical,…

  10. The Nonstop Shop.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Ellen

    1994-01-01

    Advancement staff at the private Potomac School (Virginia) has evolved from a part-time volunteer to a six-woman team. The program has achieved high productivity and substantial success. The management style is characterized by teamwork, enthusiasm, mutual support, personal loyalty to the school, and some specialization. Volunteers are welcomed.…

  11. Parallel Frames and Policy Narratives in Music Education and Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freer, Patrick K.

    2012-01-01

    The relationship between music education and physical education has often been portrayed as a competition for financial resources, student enrollment, instructional time, and community support. This article instead explores commonalities between the two disciplines, including their histories, curricular debates, shared concerns, mutual challenges,…

  12. Strategic Information Systems Planning in Malaysian Public Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ismail, Noor Azizi; Raja Mohd Ali, Raja Haslinda; Mat Saat, Rafeah; Hsbollah, Hafizah Mohamad

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The paper's purpose is to investigate the current status, problems and benefits of strategic information systems planning implementation in Malaysian public universities. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses dual but mutually supportive strands of investigation, i.e. a questionnaire survey and interviews. Findings: Malaysian public…

  13. A novel plant-fungal mutualism associated with fire

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Morchella, the genus of true morels, produces highly-prized edible fruiting bodies in temperate and boreal forests following fire, and other disturbances. Morels are not known to fruit in regions too dry to support forest. This restriction to forest may also be linked to the facult...

  14. Handbook of School-Family Partnerships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christenson, Sandra L., Ed.; Reschly, Amy L., Ed.

    2009-01-01

    Family-school partnerships are increasingly touted as a means of improving both student and school improvement. This recognition has led to an increase in policies and initiatives that offer the following benefits: improved communication between parents and educators; home and school goals that are mutually supportive and shared; better…

  15. Endangered Children and Environmental Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barry, Frank; Gunn, Hazel Dayton

    1996-01-01

    Community-based prevention-oriented approaches that provide basic supports to families are needed to address rising rates of violence, child abuse, and other socially disruptive behavior. Weak families, weak neighborhoods, and weak economies are mutually reinforcing and lead to negative behaviors by youth and others. In proposing a community…

  16. Tanks in the Street: Lessons Learned Through Bytes not Blood

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-02-02

    under armor protection. The crews relied on the vehicle’s vision blocks and sights to acquire targets. The simulation replicated these actions that...maintain mutually supporting fires. There is a delicate balance between remaining mobile and remaining under armor protection. A small force, squad

  17. History of Higher Education Annual, 1990.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    History of Higher Education Annual, 1990

    1990-01-01

    This annual compilation contains six papers depicting a complex array of relationships which have historically existed between the higher education academy and the community. These relationships reveal mutual involvement, dependence, support, and conflict. In "The University of Padua 1405-1600: A Success Story," (Paul F. Grendler) the beneficial,…

  18. Student Self-Efficacy and Gender-Personality Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fallan, Lars; Opstad, Leiv

    2016-01-01

    The present study examines the self-efficacy levels and self-efficacy strength for male and female students in a course in Principle of Economics. The groups of male and female students may be mutually heterogeneous when it comes to personality types in a business school (Fallan & Opstad, 2014). This study does not treat the gender groups as…

  19. Do Residential-Only Learning Communities Affect Measures of First-Year Student Success and Faculty Interaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Andrew Robert

    2013-01-01

    The history of higher education presents us with many examples of small groups of students living, working, and even eating together in mutually beneficial ways. In recent years, institutions have employed a variety of learning community (LC) models, including residential, academic, and mixed models, to recreate these small groups and encourage…

  20. If you get better, will I? An actor-partner analysis of the mutual influence of group therapy outcomes.

    PubMed

    Paquin, Jill D; Kivlighan, D Martin; Drogosz, Lisa M

    2013-04-01

    The effectiveness of group psychotherapy has been empirically studied and supported over several decades; however, there remains much to understand regarding the specific factors contributing to effective group psychotherapy. The current study uses Kashy and Kenny's (2000) actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) to examine the relationship between an individual group member's outcome and the outcomes of the other group members. This is the first study to examine the effects of the outcomes of other therapy group members on those of individual members. Specifically, we examined the relationship between an individual group member's presymptom score, the aggregated presymptom scores of the other group members, and the aggregated pre- to postsymptom change of the other group members on an individual group member's pre- to postsymptom change. We analyzed the change in pre-post posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of 105 women in 16 trauma-informed groups in a women's correctional facility. As hypothesized, an individual's presymptom measure (actor effect) and the aggregated presymptom measures of the other group members (partner effect) were positively related to the individual's change in PTSD symptoms. Contrary to our hypothesis, the aggregated pre-post change in PTSD symptom measures of the other group members (partner effect) was negatively associated with the pre-post change in PTSD symptom measures of an individual group member. Social comparison theory is discussed as an explanation for why a group member would report lowered amounts of change when in a group with others who are reporting a higher amount of change. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

  1. The transition from staff nurse to ward leader.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Caroline; Al-Sadoon, Tara; Hemmings, Laura; Jackson, Karen; Mulligan, Paul

    Moving from the staff nurse to ward sister role involves acquiring a range of skills to lead and motivate a team and ensure standards of care are high. Recognising new ward sisters' need for support, a trust developed a training programme to enable them to develop the necessary skills and provide mutual support. This article discusses the development of the programme and offers the reflections of three ward sisters who participated in it.

  2. Command History. United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam 1965. Sanitized

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1965-01-01

    support elements within the ARM battalion 4 ese methods of encadrement were studied in relation to language , security, support, mutual US/ARYN acceptance...problema, and conditions and capabilities within ARYN units, Problew comn to all three methods were the language barrier, increased ewosure of US...DECCU•(ACV took the position that US assmption of command was neither feasible nor desirable, vwng to the language barrier as won as the probable non

  3. Feature Selection for Chemical Sensor Arrays Using Mutual Information

    PubMed Central

    Wang, X. Rosalind; Lizier, Joseph T.; Nowotny, Thomas; Berna, Amalia Z.; Prokopenko, Mikhail; Trowell, Stephen C.

    2014-01-01

    We address the problem of feature selection for classifying a diverse set of chemicals using an array of metal oxide sensors. Our aim is to evaluate a filter approach to feature selection with reference to previous work, which used a wrapper approach on the same data set, and established best features and upper bounds on classification performance. We selected feature sets that exhibit the maximal mutual information with the identity of the chemicals. The selected features closely match those found to perform well in the previous study using a wrapper approach to conduct an exhaustive search of all permitted feature combinations. By comparing the classification performance of support vector machines (using features selected by mutual information) with the performance observed in the previous study, we found that while our approach does not always give the maximum possible classification performance, it always selects features that achieve classification performance approaching the optimum obtained by exhaustive search. We performed further classification using the selected feature set with some common classifiers and found that, for the selected features, Bayesian Networks gave the best performance. Finally, we compared the observed classification performances with the performance of classifiers using randomly selected features. We found that the selected features consistently outperformed randomly selected features for all tested classifiers. The mutual information filter approach is therefore a computationally efficient method for selecting near optimal features for chemical sensor arrays. PMID:24595058

  4. An intergenerational reminiscence programme for older adults with early dementia and youth volunteers: values and challenges.

    PubMed

    Chung, Jenny C C

    2009-06-01

    To examine the values of a reminiscence programme, adopting an intergenerational approach, on older persons with early dementia and youth volunteers. A pre- and post- one group design was adopted. Forty-nine elderly participants with early dementia and 117 youth volunteers participated in the study. Each elderly participant was assigned to two youth participants. This dyad group participated in a 12-session reminiscence programme. The youth participants acted as facilitators to prompt the elderly participants to share and discuss past events and experiences, and to support them to fabricate a personalized life-story book. An occupational therapist provided ongoing support and monitoring. The elderly participants were evaluated by the Chinese version of Mini-mental State Examination, Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease (QoL-AD), and Chinese version of Geriatric Depression Scale (CGDS) before and after the programme. Dementia Quiz (DQ), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and a 20-item feedback questionnaire on the programme were used to evaluate the youth participants. Significant pre- and postprogramme differences were found for QoL-AD (mean change = -1.91; 95% CI = -3.18, -0.64) and CGDS (mean change = 1.86; 95% CI = 0.92, 2.80) among the elderly participants, and for DQ (mean change = -1.14; 95% CI = -2.11, -0.17) among the youth participants. Volunteers also showed positive appreciation of older persons and opined that this community service provided them an opportunity to reflect on their relationship with elderly relatives. Some volunteers, however, commented the heavy workload of the reminiscence programme. The intergenerational reminiscence programme suggests mutually beneficial values for both groups of participants. Whilst it is feasible to involve trained volunteers in the implementation of dementia-related programmes, it is essential that they are adequately trained and that ongoing support and monitoring are provided.

  5. Experimental magnetism research in Dhaka, Hanoi and Uppsala

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nordblad, Per

    2015-04-01

    Promoting basic science in developing countries is the aim of the International Science Program at Uppsala University, Sweden. This program, that some years ago celebrated its 50th anniversary, has been the main supporting agency of my more than 30 years of collaboration with research groups in Dhaka at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and the Atomic Energy Commission, and research groups in Hanoi at the Vietnamese Academy of Science. Our common research on magnetism and magnetic materials has been built upon: (i) Longer visits (about half of their total PhD studies) by PhD students from Hanoi and Dhaka at Uppsala University that ends by PhD exams from their home Universities; (ii) short time visits (up to 2 months) by senior scientists to Uppsala for discussions and measurements; (iii) short visits by me and colleagues from Uppsala in Hanoi and Dhaka for discussions, workshops and conferences; (iv) mutual visits of scientists from Bangladesh and Vietnam to each other and neighboring countries (mostly India) for specific experiments and learning new methods and (v) some support for purchase of research equipment. The work with Dhaka and Hanoi and other countries has resulted in: development of internationally competitive research groups in Hanoi and Dhaka that independently publish in international journals, several PhDs that continue their work at the home institutes, numerous common publications in international scientific journals and not the least lasting professional and personal connections between scientists in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Eritrea, India and Sweden.

  6. [Requirements for the provision of healthcare to socially disadvantaged population groups: evaluation of 10 years of medical care provided to the homeless in Hanover].

    PubMed

    Meidl, Jana; Wenzlaff, Paul; Sens, Brigitte; Goesmann, Cornelia

    2012-01-01

    In 2007, the German Federal Government introduced a general health insurance obligation, but there are still vulnerable groups such as poor and homeless people without access to medical care. Especially for social fringe groups, a visit to the doctor involves many obstacles. Ten years ago the project "Outreach medical care for homeless people and people threatened by homelessness in Hanover" was established in order to reduce those gaps in healthcare provision. A continuously conducted evaluation of the project shows that low-threshold consulting hours are accepted and the transition to medical specialists is becoming increasingly easy. So the evaluation plays an important part in the development of the project. Since the healthcare reform in 2004, however, the number of cases has increased by 30 % while the actual homeless target group has remained the same. In order to guarantee access to the healthcare system for patients who cannot afford additional payments, the abolition of the quarterly practice fee and other additional payments for people on a low income is an important step. The growing requirements, resulting from a changing clientele and changes in the general conditions, are raising questions as to the nature of such projects and its future funding. In the long run it isn't the aim of this non-profit project to take on central tasks of a mutually supportive community. Therefore the data and results collected on the evaluation not only serve to improve the projects management, but also provide important information to other initiatives outside Hanover whether and how to support the respective groups of patients. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  7. Not Your Typical Simulation Workshop: Using LEGOs to Train Medical Students on the Practice of Effective Communication.

    PubMed

    Papanagnou, Dimitrios; Lee, Hyunjoo; Rodriguez, Carlos; Zhang, Xiao Chi C; Rudner, Joshua

    2018-01-21

    As students in the health professions transition from the classroom into the clinical environment, they will be expected to effectively communicate with their team members and their patients. Effective communication skills are essential to their ability to effectively contribute to their clinical team and the patient care they deliver. The authors propose an interactive workshop that can support students' deliberate practice of communication skills. The authors designed a simulation workshop that affords students the opportunity to practice their communication and peer-to-peer coaching skills. Using LEGOs, a one-hour workshop was conducted with medical students. Students were divided into groups of two. Each student took on a different role: teacher or builder. Teachers were tasked with instructing builders on how to construct a pre-made LEGO structure, not allowing builders to look at the structure. A group debriefing followed to evaluate the activity and explore the themes that emerged. Twenty first-year medical students and 25 fourth-year medical students participated in this activity. Most groups were successful in reproducing the pre-made structure. Groups that pre-briefed before building were most successful. Unsuccessful groups did not define orientation or direction in mutually understood terms, resulting in the creation of an incorrect mirror image of the structure - a common phenomenon seen during the teaching of procedures in the clinical learning environment. The workshop was well received. Students made requests to have similar sessions throughout their training to better support the development of effective communication skills. The workshop can easily be applied to other specialties to assist with procedural skills instruction or in workshops focusing on effective communication.

  8. Not Your Typical Simulation Workshop: Using LEGOs to Train Medical Students on the Practice of Effective Communication

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hyunjoo; Rodriguez, Carlos; Zhang, Xiao Chi C; Rudner, Joshua

    2018-01-01

    As students in the health professions transition from the classroom into the clinical environment, they will be expected to effectively communicate with their team members and their patients. Effective communication skills are essential to their ability to effectively contribute to their clinical team and the patient care they deliver. The authors propose an interactive workshop that can support students’ deliberate practice of communication skills. The authors designed a simulation workshop that affords students the opportunity to practice their communication and peer-to-peer coaching skills. Using LEGOs, a one-hour workshop was conducted with medical students. Students were divided into groups of two. Each student took on a different role: teacher or builder. Teachers were tasked with instructing builders on how to construct a pre-made LEGO structure, not allowing builders to look at the structure. A group debriefing followed to evaluate the activity and explore the themes that emerged. Twenty first-year medical students and 25 fourth-year medical students participated in this activity. Most groups were successful in reproducing the pre-made structure. Groups that pre-briefed before building were most successful. Unsuccessful groups did not define orientation or direction in mutually understood terms, resulting in the creation of an incorrect mirror image of the structure – a common phenomenon seen during the teaching of procedures in the clinical learning environment. The workshop was well received. Students made requests to have similar sessions throughout their training to better support the development of effective communication skills. The workshop can easily be applied to other specialties to assist with procedural skills instruction or in workshops focusing on effective communication. PMID:29568715

  9. Pharmacy and materiel management: a profitable alliance.

    PubMed

    Hester, F G

    1991-10-01

    According to the author, materiel management can be a catalyst to a mutually beneficial relationship between their department and the pharmacy, particularly in wholesaler selection, buying group decisions and inventory control--if they use the right approach.

  10. Pulse shaping of on-chip microresonator frequency combs: investigation of temporal coherence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferdous, F.; Miao, H.; Leaird, D. E.; Srinivasan, K.; Chen, L.; Aksyuk, V.; Weiner, A. M.

    2013-03-01

    We use pulse shaping to investigate the temporal coherence of frequency combs generated in microresonators pumped by a strong CW laser. We observe that different groups of comb lines have different mutual coherence.

  11. The sex reform movement and eugenics in interwar Poland.

    PubMed

    Gawin, Magdalena

    2008-06-01

    This paper focuses on the relations between a liberal group of sex reformers, consisting of writers and literary critics, and physicians from the Polish Eugenics Society in interwar Poland. It illustrates the paradoxes of the mutual co-operation between these two groups during the 1930s and analyses the reason why compulsory sterilisation was rejected by politicians. From the early 1930s two movements began to forge an alliance in Poland: the sexual reform movement which advocated freedom of the individual, and eugenics, which called for limiting the freedom of the individual for the collective good. This paper draws attention to several issues which emerged as part of this collaboration: population politics, the relationship between reformers, eugenicists and state institutions, and the question of how both movements--eugenics and sexual reform--perceived the question of sexuality, birth control and abortion. It will also focus on those aspects of their thinking that led to mutual co-operation.

  12. Sexual function and practice in elderly men of lower socioeconomic status.

    PubMed

    Cogen, R; Steinman, W

    1990-08-01

    Normal aging plus certain prevalent diseases are believed to render many elderly men impotent. Recent studies have suggested that educated middle-class and upper-class elderly men continue sexual activity, despite erectile dysfunction, by employing alternative practices such as mutual masturbation and oral sex. Few elderly men of lower socioeconomic background have been included in these studies, however. Using physician-administered interviews, 87 men attending an urban Veterans Administration geriatric clinic were studied to determine (1) the prevalence of erectile dysfunction, and (2) the sexual practices and attitudes of this group. Of the 87 men, 28% reported complete loss of erectile function, while 31% had frequent difficulties achieving vaginal intromission. Unlike economically advantaged groups, only 29% used mutual masturbation and 16% used oral sex. Attitudes toward these practices were negative. With one exception, men unable to perform coitus ceased all heterosexual activities.

  13. Interdisciplinary Team Collaboration during Discharge of Depressed Older Persons: A Norwegian Qualitative Implementation Study

    PubMed Central

    Holm, Anne Lise; Severinsson, Elisabeth

    2013-01-01

    In order to deliver effective care, it is necessary to organise interdisciplinary activities for older persons who suffer from depressive disorders. This paper evaluated the interdisciplinary team members' perceptions of cooperation in the discharge planning of depressed older persons based on the Chronic Care Model (CCM). A qualitative implementation design was used, data were collected by means of multistage focus groups, and a thematic analysis was performed. Three themes emerged: lack of effective team leadership in the community, the need to change the delivery system, and enhancing self-management support for depressed older persons as well as the participation of their families. It was concluded that nurse managers must find ways of supporting the depressed older persons by better structuring the care, increasing cooperation with organisational leadership, and creating an environment characterised by trust and mutual respect. Distrust can have serious implications for discharge planning collaboration. The development of a common vision of transparency in the organization is important as is a policy of change among leadership and in clinical practice. PMID:23766896

  14. Interprofessional team building in the palliative home care setting: Use of a conceptual framework to inform a pilot evaluation.

    PubMed

    Shaw, James; Kearney, Colleen; Glenns, Brenda; McKay, Sandra

    2016-01-01

    Home-based palliative care is increasingly dependent on interprofessional teams to deliver collaborative care that more adequately meets the needs of clients and families. The purpose of this pilot evaluation was to qualitatively explore the views of an interprofessional group of home care providers (occupational therapists, nurses, personal support work supervisors, community care coordinators, and a team coordinator) regarding a pilot project encouraging teamwork in interprofessional palliative home care services. We used qualitative methods, informed by an interprofessional conceptual framework, to analyse participants' accounts and provide recommendations regarding strategies for interprofessional team building in palliative home health care. Findings suggest that encouraging practitioners to share past experiences and foster common goals for palliative care are important elements of team building in interprofessional palliative care. Also, establishing a team leader who emphasises sharing power among team members and addressing the need for mutual emotional support may help to maximise interprofessional teamwork in palliative home care. These findings may be used to develop and test more comprehensive efforts to promote stronger interprofessional teamwork in palliative home health care delivery.

  15. The media-driven risk society, the anti-vaccination movement and risk of autismo.

    PubMed

    Vasconcellos-Silva, Paulo Roberto; Castiel, Luis David; Griep, Rosane Härter

    2015-02-01

    Marked changes have been seen in the epidemiological profile of infectious diseases among middle-class families in industrialized countries due to beliefs related to the risks of vaccination. These beliefs are proliferating globally due to internet sites, blogs and the influence of celebrities in the mass communication media. Due to the complexity of a cultural phenomenon of this nature, contemporary concepts aligned to the idea of reflexivity in the risk society are analyzed. The concept of a receptive media-driven society in which the announcement of danger and protection in mutual reference and contradiction are also assessed. The frequent emergence of tensions derived from cycles of utterances and baseless comments construed as symbolic "biovalues" are discussed. The persistent effect of threatening biotechnological and fraudulent utterances has influenced virtual networks for almost three decades, supporting the debate about the connection between autism and vaccines. The conclusion reached is that the processes of production of significance interconnect at various levels in which representations circulate that support communication and group identity based on historical and cultural references.

  16. The ecosystem approach to fisheries: management at the dynamic interface between biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.

    PubMed

    Jennings, Simon; Smith, Anthony D M; Fulton, Elizabeth A; Smith, David C

    2014-08-01

    The emergence of an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) was characterized by the adoption of objectives for maintaining ecosystem health alongside those for fisheries. The EAF was expected to meet some aspirations for biodiversity conservation, but health was principally linked to sustainable use rather than lower levels of human impact. Consequently, while policies including EAF concepts identified objectives for fisheries management and biodiversity conservation, the wording often reflected unresolved societal and political debates about objectives and gave imprecise guidance on addressing inevitable trade-offs. Despite scientific progress in making trade-offs and consequences explicit, there remain substantial differences in interpretations of acceptable impact, responses to uncertainty and risk, and the use of management measures by groups accountable for fisheries management and biodiversity conservation. Within and among nations and regions, these differences are influenced by the contribution of fisheries, aquaculture, farming, and trade to food security, consumers' options, and other social, economic, and environmental factors. Notwithstanding, mutual understanding of the motivations and norms of fisheries management and biodiversity conservation groups is increasing, and interactions between these groups have likely supported more progress toward meeting their stated objectives than would have otherwise been achievable. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

  17. Newcomers to Al-Anon family groups: Who stays and who drops out?

    PubMed

    Timko, Christine; Laudet, Alexandre; Moos, Rudolf H

    2014-06-01

    Al-Anon Family Groups (Al-Anon), a 12-step mutual-help program for people concerned about another's drinking, is the most widely used form of help for concerned others (COs) in the US. This study assessed the prevalence of dropout, and predictors of dropout, in the six months following newcomers' initial attendance at Al-Anon meetings. Al-Anon's World Service Office mailed a random sample of groups, which subsequently yielded a sample of 251 newcomers who completed surveys at baseline and 6 months later. At the 6-month follow-up, 57% of newcomers at baseline had dropped out (had not attended any Al-Anon meetings during the past month). At baseline, individuals who later dropped out of Al-Anon were less likely to have been referred to Al-Anon by their drinker's health care provider, and reported less severe problems than individuals who continued to attend, but dropouts were more often concerned about their drinker's psychological health; newcomers with these concerns may have found them incompatible with Al-Anon's philosophy. Dropouts reported high rates of problems, suggesting that COs who drop out of Al-Anon would benefit from ongoing help and support. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Enhancing Rehabilitation through Mutual Aid: Outreach to People with Recent Amputations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wells, Lilian M.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Describes outreach service in rehabilitation hospital through which volunteers with previous amputations visited patients with recent amputations, acting as role models and offering emotional support and information. Notes that patients who were visited had strong positive responses to the program, and identified critical components of the…

  19. Are the Major Agglutinative Languages Genetically Related?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hakola, H. P. A.

    1989-01-01

    Examination of accidental CVC and CV correspondences among languages representing 5 large families of agglutinative languages found that comparison pairs had much more similarity between basic 100-word vocabularies than would have been possible by mere chance, supporting the hypothesis that those 5 language families were mutually related.…

  20. "National Education" through Mutually Supportive Devices: A Case Study of Zionist Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dror, Yuval

    2007-01-01

    This book fills in the gaps in the research of nationality, regarding "national education" in its double meaning: compulsory national education for all and creating opportunities for fostering national consciousness. Studies in the field have emphasized the importance of a national language, compulsory education, curricula of the…

  1. Classroom Activities: Oral Proficiency in Action.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hahn, Sidney; Michaelis, Joyce

    It is important to introduce and facilitate oral activities in the second language classroom with enthusiasm in a climate of mutual support and cooperation. Students should understand that mistakes are inevitable but not fatal, and that each attempt will build greater ease and confidence in using the language for communication. Oral proficiency…

  2. Undergraduate Student Research Opportunities and Economic Revitalization through Urban Agriculture Initiatives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schläppi, Michael R.

    2017-01-01

    Through interactions with the recently formed Cooperative of the Institute of Urban Agriculture and Nutrition (CIUAN), a catalyst initiative co-governed by community organizations and academia to engage in mutually beneficial research and teaching projects, Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is supporting community efforts to bring…

  3. Curriculum Review. Volume 43, Number 6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The February 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Technology Update"; (4) "Sometimes the Payoff for…

  4. Simple scaling of cooperation in donor-recipient games.

    PubMed

    Berger, Ulrich

    2009-09-01

    We present a simple argument which proves a general version of the scaling phenomenon recently observed in donor-recipient games by Tanimoto [Tanimoto, J., 2009. A simple scaling of the effectiveness of supporting mutual cooperation in donor-recipient games by various reciprocity mechanisms. BioSystems 96, 29-34].

  5. Critical Text Analysis: Linking Language and Cultural Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wharton, Sue

    2011-01-01

    Many UK universities offer degree programmes in English Language specifically for non-native speakers of English. Such programmes typically include not only language development but also development in various areas of content knowledge. A challenge that arises is to design courses in different areas that mutually support each other, thus…

  6. Innovative Partnerships within a College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Neill, Michael; Higdon, Jo Ann

    In 1996, the faculty union and administration at Desert Community College District (DCCD) partnered to identify new funds that could be used to improve salaries and augment the budget. The administration entered into a written agreement to support a mutual short-term goal of achieving salary parity with peer colleges. A "Market Basket…

  7. Achieving Quality in e-Learning through Relational Coordination

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Margalina, Vasilica Maria; De-Pablos-Heredero, Carmen; Montes-Botella, Jose Luis

    2017-01-01

    In this research, the relational coordination model has been applied to prove learners' and instructors' high levels of satisfaction in e-learning. According to the model, organizations can obtain better results in terms of satisfaction by providing shared knowledge, shared goals and mutual respect mechanisms, supported by a frequent, timely and…

  8. Curriculum Review. Volume 44, Number 5

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2005

    2005-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The January 2005 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers" (Havelock Nelson); (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Technology Update"; (4) "Surf…

  9. The Tuition Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quehl, Gary H.

    1977-01-01

    It is time to drop the "zero sum style" that has public and private institutions divisively arguing over private and public funds, and adopt a posture of mutual support. The president of the Council for the Advancement of Small Colleges (CASC) emphasizes that both independent and state-owned colleges and universities are needed and an educational…

  10. The EUA Institutional Evaluation Programme: An Account of Institutional Best Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosa, Maria Joao; Cardoso, Sonia; Dias, Diana; Amaral, Alberto

    2011-01-01

    When evaluating the EUA Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP), Nilsson "et al." emphasised the interest in creating a data bank on good practices derived from its reports that would contribute to disseminating examples of effective quality management practices and to supporting mutual learning among universities. In IEP, evaluated…

  11. Curriculum Review. Volume 43, Number 5

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The January 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Technology Update"; (4) "Use Parent Nights to…

  12. Inconsistency of the Van't Hoff-Scholander Mechanism of Osmosis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howard, R.; Bradner, H.

    1977-01-01

    Scholander supports a concept of mutually non-interacting, independent solute and solvent pressures. He proposes that the solute can induce this tension in the solvent through bombardment of a free surface. Criticism includes the neglect of a virial expansion for the equation of state by Scholander. (Author/MA)

  13. The Hub of a Wheel: A Neighborhood Support Network.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosel, Natalie

    1983-01-01

    Describes a closely knit neighborhood network of mutual assistance that has developed among older residents, highlighting how the "old old" people help each other daily and how the assistance is taken for granted. Theoretical and practical implications for social integration and independent living are summarized. (Author/JAC)

  14. Connectedness and Autonomy Support in Parent-Child Relationships: Links to Children's Socioemotional Orientation and Peer Relationships.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Karen E.; Ladd, Gary W.

    2000-01-01

    Examined the constructs of connectedness and autonomy in relation to 5-year-olds' relational competence, including socioemotional orientation, friendship, and peer acceptance. Found that connectedness was correlated with children's socioemotional orientations, number of mutual friendships, and peer acceptance, and that the relation between…

  15. The acacia ants revisited: convergent evolution and biogeographic context in an iconic ant/plant mutualism

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses can enhance our understanding of multispecies interactions by placing the origin and evolution of such interactions in a temporal and geographical context. We use a phylogenomic approach—ultraconserved element sequence capture—to investigate the evolutionary history of an iconic multispecies mutualism: Neotropical acacia ants (Pseudomyrmex ferrugineus group) and their associated Vachellia hostplants. In this system, the ants receive shelter and food from the host plant, and they aggressively defend the plant against herbivores and competing plants. We confirm the existence of two separate lineages of obligate acacia ants that convergently occupied Vachellia and evolved plant-protecting behaviour, from timid ancestors inhabiting dead twigs in rainforest. The more diverse of the two clades is inferred to have arisen in the Late Miocene in northern Mesoamerica, and subsequently expanded its range throughout much of Central America. The other lineage is estimated to have originated in southern Mesoamerica about 3 Myr later, apparently piggy-backing on the pre-existing mutualism. Initiation of the Pseudomyrmex/Vachellia interaction involved a shift in the ants from closed to open habitats, into an environment with more intense plant herbivory. Comparative studies of the two lineages of mutualists should provide insight into the essential features binding this mutualism. PMID:28298350

  16. [Support for Adult ASD in Medical Rework Program: Mutual Communication Program and Psychodrama].

    PubMed

    Yokoyama, Motonori

    2015-01-01

    While carrying out the Medical Rework Program, we realized the necessity for a supplementary medical treatment program aimed at adult ASD. Consequently, we started the Mutual Communication Program, which consists of standard SST and the new element of psychodrama. As a result, 32 participants have returned to their workplace in the three-year period, and the rate of successfully continuing to work was 93.8% at the time of the investigation. Various psychological tests also indicated significant improvement. In this article, we present a case study, explain psychodrama techniques employed in the program, and discuss their usefulness. The results suggest that psychodrama is a very effective assistive technique when the characteristics of ASD are taken into consideration.

  17. The twelve-step recovery model of AA: a voluntary mutual help association.

    PubMed

    Borkman, Thomasina

    2008-01-01

    Alcoholism treatment has evolved to mean professionalized, scientifically based rehabilitation. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is not a treatment method; it is far better understood as a Twelve-Step Recovery Program within a voluntary self-help/mutual aid organization of self-defined alcoholics. The Twelve-Step Recovery Model is elaborated in three sections, patterned on the AA logo (a triangle within a circle): The triangle's legs represent recovery, service, and unity; the circle represents the reinforcing effect of the three legs upon each other as well as the "technology" of the sharing circle and the fellowship. The first leg of the triangle, recovery, refers to the journey of individuals to abstinence and a new "way of living." The second leg, service, refers to helping other alcoholics which also connects the participants into a fellowship. The third leg, unity, refers to the fellowship of recovering alcoholics, their groups, and organizations. The distinctive AA organizational structure of an inverted pyramid is one in which the members in autonomous local groups direct input to the national service bodies creating a democratic, egalitarian organization maximizing recovery. Analysts describe the AA recovery program as complex, implicitly grounded in sound psychological principles, and more sophisticated than is typically understood. AA provides a nonmedicalized and anonymous "way of living" in the community and should probably be referred to as the Twelve-Step/Twelve Tradition Recovery Model in order to clearly differentiate it from professionally based twelve-step treatments. There are additional self-help/mutual aid groups for alcoholics who prefer philosophies other than AA.

  18. 26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual fire insurance companies issuing perpetual policies, and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years...

  19. 26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual fire insurance companies issuing perpetual policies, and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years...

  20. 26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual fire insurance companies issuing perpetual policies, and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years...

  1. 26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual fire insurance companies issuing perpetual policies, and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years...

  2. Developmental Experience Alters Information Coding in Auditory Midbrain and Forebrain Neurons

    PubMed Central

    Woolley, Sarah M. N.; Hauber, Mark E.; Theunissen, Frederic E.

    2010-01-01

    In songbirds, species identity and developmental experience shape vocal behavior and behavioral responses to vocalizations. The interaction of species identity and developmental experience may also shape the coding properties of sensory neurons. We tested whether responses of auditory midbrain and forebrain neurons to songs differed between species and between groups of conspecific birds with different developmental exposure to song. We also compared responses of individual neurons to conspecific and heterospecific songs. Zebra and Bengalese finches that were raised and tutored by conspecific birds, and zebra finches that were cross-tutored by Bengalese finches were studied. Single-unit responses to zebra and Bengalese finch songs were recorded and analyzed by calculating mutual information, response reliability, mean spike rate, fluctuations in time-varying spike rate, distributions of time-varying spike rates, and neural discrimination of individual songs. Mutual information quantifies a response’s capacity to encode information about a stimulus. In midbrain and forebrain neurons, mutual information was significantly higher in normal zebra finch neurons than in Bengalese finch and cross-tutored zebra finch neurons, but not between Bengalese finch and cross-tutored zebra finch neurons. Information rate differences were largely due to spike rate differences. Mutual information did not differ between responses to conspecific and heterospecific songs. Therefore, neurons from normal zebra finches encoded more information about songs than did neurons from other birds, but conspecific and heterospecific songs were encoded equally. Neural discrimination of songs and mutual information were highly correlated. Results demonstrate that developmental exposure to vocalizations shapes the information coding properties of songbird auditory neurons. PMID:20039264

  3. 75 FR 24953 - Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-06

    ... Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P. G Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. G Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc... Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. G The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. G Pantheon Capital (Asia...

  4. Experiences with HPTN 067/ADAPT Study-Provided Open-Label PrEP Among Women in Cape Town: Facilitators and Barriers Within a Mutuality Framework.

    PubMed

    Amico, K Rivet; Wallace, Melissa; Bekker, Linda-Gail; Roux, Surita; Atujuna, Millicent; Sebastian, Elaine; Dye, Bonnie J; Elharrar, Vanessa; Grant, Robert M

    2017-05-01

    Placebo-controlled trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have reported challenges with study-product uptake and use, with the greatest challenges reported in studies with young women in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a qualitative sub-study to explore experiences with open-label PrEP among young women in Cape Town, South Africa participating in HTPN 067/Alternative Dosing to Augment Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Pill Taking (ADAPT). HPTN 067/ADAPT provided open label oral FTC/TDF PrEP to young women in Cape Town, South Africa who were randomized to daily and non-daily PrEP regimens. Following completion of study participation, women were invited into a qualitative sub-study including focus groups and in-depth interviews. Interviews and groups followed a semi-structured guide, were recorded, transcribed, and translated to English from isiXhosa, and coded using framework analysis. Sixty of the 179 women enrolled in HPTN 067/ADAPT participated in either a focus group (six groups for a total of 42 participants) or an in-depth interview (n = 18). This sample of mostly young, unmarried women identified facilitators of and barriers to PrEP use, as well as factors influencing study participation. Cross-cutting themes characterizing discourse suggested that women placed high value on contributing to the well-being of one's community (Ubuntu), experienced a degree of skepticism towards PrEP and the study more generally, and reported a wide range of approaches towards PrEP (ranging from active avoidance to high levels of persistence and adherence). A Mutuality Framework is proposed that identifies four dynamics (distrust, uncertainty, alignment, and mutuality) that represent distinct interactions between self, community and study and serve to contextualize women's experiences. Implications for better understanding PrEP use, and non-use, and intervention opportunities are discussed. In this sample of women, PrEP use in the context of an open-label research trial was heavily influenced by underlying beliefs about safety, reciprocity of contributions to community, and trust in transparency and integrity of the research. Greater attention to factors positioning women in the different dynamics of the proposed Mutuality Framework could direct intervention approaches in clinical trials, as well as open-label PrEP scale-up.

  5. Supporting early career health investigators in Kenya: A qualitative study of HIV/AIDS research capacity building.

    PubMed

    Daniels, Joseph; Nduati, Ruth; Kiarie, James; Farquhar, Carey

    2015-01-01

    Strategies to transfer international health research training programs to sub-Saharan African institutions focus on developing cadres of local investigators who will lead such programs. Using a critical leadership theory framework, we conducted a qualitative study of one program to understand how collaborative training and research can support early career investigators in Kenya toward the program transfer goal. We used purposive sampling methods and a semi-structured protocol to conduct in-depth interviews with US (N = 5) and Kenyan (N = 5) independent investigators. Transcripts were coded using a two-step process, and then compared with each other to identify major themes. A limited local research environment, funding needs and research career mentorship were identified as major influences on early career researchers. Institutional demands on Kenyan faculty to teach rather than complete research restricted investigators' ability to develop research careers. This was coupled with lack of local funding to support research. Sustainable collaborations between Kenyan, US and other international investigators were perceived to mitigate these challenges and support early career investigators who would help build a robust local research environment for training. Mutually beneficial collaborations between Kenyan and US investigators developed during training mitigate these challenges and build a supportive research environment for training. In these collaborations, early career investigators learn how to navigate the complex international research environment to build local HIV research capacity. Shared and mutually beneficial resources within international research collaborations are required to support early career investigators and plans to transfer health research training to African institutions.

  6. 'We are always in some form of contact': friendships among homeless drug and alcohol users living in hostels.

    PubMed

    Neale, Joanne; Brown, Caral

    2016-09-01

    Homeless drug and alcohol users are one of the most marginalised groups in society. They frequently have complex needs and limited social support. In this paper, we explore the role of friendship in the lives of homeless drug and alcohol users living in hostels, using the concepts of 'social capital' and 'recovery capital' to frame the analyses. The study was undertaken in three hostels, each in a different English city, during 2013-2014. Audio recorded semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 residents (9 females; 21 males) who self-reported drink and/or drug problems; follow-up interviews were completed 4-6 weeks later with 22 participants (6 females; 16 males). Data were transcribed verbatim, coded using the software package MAXQDA, and analysed using Framework. Only 21 participants reported current friends at interview 1, and friendship networks were small and changeable. Despite this, participants desired friendships that were culturally normative. Eight categories of friend emerged from the data: family-like friends; using friends; homeless friends; childhood friends; online-only friends; drug treatment friends; work friends; and mutual interest friends. Routine and regular contact was highly valued, with family-like friends appearing to offer the most constant practical and emotional support. The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) was central to many participants' friendships, keeping them connected to social support and recovery capital outside homelessness and substance-using worlds. We conclude that those working with homeless drug and alcohol users - and potentially other marginalised populations - could beneficially encourage their clients to identify and build upon their most positive and reliable relationships. Additionally, they might explore ways of promoting the use of ICTs to combat loneliness and isolation. Texting, emailing, online mutual aid meetings, chatrooms, Internet penpals, skyping and other social media all offer potentially valuable opportunities for building friendships that can bolster otherwise limited social and recovery capital. © 2015 The Authors. Health and Social Care in the Community Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. The Legacy Project Intervention to Enhance Meaningful Family Interactions: Case Examples

    PubMed Central

    ALLEN, REBECCA S.

    2009-01-01

    Manualized reminiscence and life review therapies are supported as an evidence-based, effective treatment for depression among older adults, but this therapeutic approach is usually individually administered and has rarely been applied in palliative care settings. We combined mutual reminiscence and life review with engagement in meaningful activity and examined the efficacy of this family-based dyadic intervention to decrease caregiving stress and increase family communication. Seventeen individuals living with chronic, life-limiting illnesses in the community and their family caregivers received three home visits with a master’s-level interventionist. During these sessions and through structured homework activities, the interventionist actively worked with the family to construct a personal Legacy Project, usually a scrapbook with photos, a cookbook, or audiotaped stories that celebrated the life of the ill individual. All participants in the intervention group initiated a Legacy Project and reported that Legacy activities improved family communication. Participation in Legacy creation also resulted in increased positive emotional experiences in patient and caregiver groups. These results are illustrated through careful examination of three case studies. PMID:20046967

  8. ‘Impact hunters’ catalyse cooperative hunting in two wild chimpanzee communities

    PubMed Central

    Gilby, Ian C.; Machanda, Zarin P.; Mjungu, Deus C.; Rosen, Jeremiah; Muller, Martin N.; Pusey, Anne E.; Wrangham, Richard W.

    2015-01-01

    Even when hunting in groups is mutually beneficial, it is unclear how communal hunts are initiated. If it is costly to be the only hunter, individuals should be reluctant to hunt unless others already are. We used 70 years of data from three communities to examine how male chimpanzees ‘solve’ this apparent collective action problem. The ‘impact hunter’ hypothesis proposes that group hunts are sometimes catalysed by certain individuals that hunt more readily than others. In two communities (Kasekela and Kanyawara), we identified a total of five males that exhibited high hunt participation rates for their age, and whose presence at an encounter with red colobus monkeys increased group hunting probability. Critically, these impact hunters were observed to hunt first more often than expected by chance. We argue that by hunting first, these males dilute prey defences and create opportunities for previously reluctant participants. This by-product mutualism can explain variation in group hunting rates within and between social groups. Hunting rates declined after the death of impact hunter FG in Kasekela and after impact hunter MS stopped hunting frequently in Kanyawara. There were no impact hunters in the third, smaller community (Mitumba), where, unlike the others, hunting probability increased with the number of females present at an encounter with prey. PMID:26503679

  9. SU-E-E-03: Shared Space Fosters Didactic and Professional Learning Across Professions for Medical and Physics Residents

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

    Dieterich, S; Perks, J; Fragoso, R

    Purpose: Medical Physicists and Radiation Oncologists are two professions who should be working as a team for optimal patient care, yet lack of mutual understanding about each others respective role and work environment creates barriers To improve collaboration and learning, we designed a shared didactic and work space for physics and radiation oncology residents to maximize interaction throughout their professional training. Methods: Physician and Physics residents are required to take the same didactic classes, including journal clubs and respective seminars. The residents also share an office environment among the seven physician and two physic residents. Results: By maximizing didactic overlapmore » and sharing office space, the two resident groups have developed a close professional relationship and supportive work environment. Several joint research projects have been initiated by the residents. Awareness of physics tasks in the clinic has led to a request by the physician residents to change physics didactics, converting the physics short course into a lab-oriented course for the medical residents which is in part taught by the physics residents. The physics seminar is given by both residency groups; increased motivation and interest in learning about physics has led to several medical resident-initiated topic selections which generated lively discussion. The physics long course has changed toward including more discussion among residents to delve deeper into topics and study beyond what passing the boards would require. A supportive work environment has developed, embedding the two physics residents into a larger residents group, allowing them to find mentor and peers more easily. Conclusion: By creating a shared work and didactic environment, physician and physics residents have improved their understanding of respective professional practice. Resident-initiated changes in didactic practice have led to improved learning and joint research. A strong social support system has developed, embedding physics residents into a larger peer group.« less

  10. [Attitudes of personnel monitoring intra-hospital adverse events in Colombia].

    PubMed

    Gaitán-Duarte, Hernando; Gómez Sánchez, Pió I; Eslava-Schmalbach, Javier

    2009-10-01

    Detecting adverse events (AE) is part of managing hospitalised patients' safety. Suitable AE monitoring is affected by many factors regarding any particular institution and its workers. This article was aimed at describing the difficulties emerging from identifying and evaluating events and suggested interventions from the workers' viewpoint. Qualitative research. A focus group was formed with key informants from previous research entitled 'The incidence and avoidability of adverse events in three institutions in Colombia, 2006.' A conceptual framework was constructed based on publications pertaining to AEs and health-providing institutions; summaries were made by topic regarding the content of the focus group's work by systematising, categorising and readjusting the data. The triangulation method was used for guar-anteeing its credibility, transferability, reliability and that it could be confirmed. It is commonly thought that monitoring AE only consists of taking inventories related to negative work consequences into account; this opinion has been determined by prior organisational culture. Strategies used for increasing AE reporting were: intrapersonal work, raising awareness that nobody is exempt from being involved in an adverse event and encouraging administrative support for resolving deficiencies. The prospective monitoring method becomes hampered when applying it to services involving a large volume of information. A tendency was observed for specialist committees to underestimate an event's association. Heath workers, support personnel and management must have mutual confidence and adopt team-work so that future AE may be prevented.

  11. The minyan as a psychological support system.

    PubMed

    Scheidlinger, S

    1997-08-01

    Most individuals participate in some of the rituals and/or regular activities of religious institutions such as churches or synagogues. Through such involvements, people are offered vital assistance in dealing with developmental changes, opportunities for personal development and for group support, and more generally, a sense of continuity and of meaning in life. This paper deals with only one small aspect of Jewish observance, an aspect of the centuries-old required weekly prayer groups-the minyan. The prime emphasis resides in the rarely recognized, nonliturgical dimension of this small group experience. Using psychoanalysis in the sense of a general psychology as background, I have considered the minyan as combining elements of a psychological support system and of a small group. In addition to the gratification of affiliative needs (social hunger) and the countering of loneliness and of isolation, this group experience helps its members maintain an intergenerational sense of personal identity and of self-esteem. In the face of marked life stressors such as death in the family, religious institutions such as the minyan, with its prescribed ritual steps for grieving (i.e., kaddish), fulfill especially significant preventive and restitutive mental health functions. I have also hypothesized that on a covert, fantasy level, the caring and nurturing family-like weekday minyan may even represent a mother-symbol (mother group) in line with people's universal need to establish a psychological union with others, thus restoring an earlier, conflict-free state of the child-mother bond. In an extended societal sense, the earlier emphasis in Western cultures on the virtual worship of individuality, autonomy, and independence has given way recently to a renewed appreciation of cooperation, communalism, and altruism. The minyan, as a small religious communal aggregate with its inherent climate of mutuality, reciprocity, and continuity, has, in a sense, anticipated these new developments. For as Herbert Simon (1990), the Nobel laureate, observed, "It is of no little moment for the human future whether people are necessarily and consistently selfish...or whether there is a significant place for altruism in the scheme of human behavior."

  12. The Emergence of Social Capital in Low-Income Latino Elementary Schools

    PubMed Central

    Shoji, Megan N.; Haskins, Anna R.; Rangel, David E.; Sorensen, Kia N.

    2014-01-01

    Scholars suggest that racial/ethnic and class disparities in school-based social capital contribute to educational inequalities. Previous studies demonstrate that social capital (relations of trust, mutual expectations, and shared values) between parents and schools supports children's development. Yet we know little about the emergence of social capital, that is, the processes through which it develops. In this study, we explore mechanisms of social capital emergence in predominantly low-income Latino school communities. We draw data from an experimental study that manipulated social capital through an after-school family engagement program. Based on interviews and focus groups with participating parents, teachers, and program staff in two elementary schools, we identified four types of interactions that act as mechanisms of social capital emergence: (1) responsive communication; (2) reciprocal communication; (3) shared experiences; and (4) institutional linkage. The article connects these mechanisms to theoretically linked sources of social capital and discusses implications for theory and practice. PMID:25246729

  13. The Economic Organization of Extended Family Households by Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status.

    PubMed

    Reyes, Adriana M

    2018-02-01

    This study examines differences in the amount of economic support or mutual benefit derived from extended family living arrangements by studying differences in monetary contributions to essential household expenditures across family units in extended family households. Using the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation, multivariate regression and selection models are estimated to assess racial differences in family contributions toward household expenses in extended family households. Extended family households have very unequal monetary contributions towards household rent and utilities, although Hispanics have less unequal monetary contributions compared to other racial groups. Hispanic and Asians extended family households experience decreasing inequality in financial contributions as the income of each family increases whereas no relationship between financial contributions and income is found for whites or blacks. This suggests a different cultural orientation to extended family living arrangements for Asians and Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic whites.

  14. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF ENHANCED HIV RISK REDUCTION AMONG PEER INTERVENTIONISTS

    PubMed Central

    Dickson-Gomez, Julia; Weeks, Margaret R.; Convey, Mark; Li, Jianghong

    2014-01-01

    The authors present a model of interactive social psychological and relational feedback processes leading to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk reduction behavior change among active drug users trained as Peer Health Advocates (PHAs). The model is supported by data from qualitative interviews with PHAs and members of their drug-using networks in the Risk Avoidance Partnership (RAP) project. Results suggest three mutually reinforcing social psychological processes that motivate PHAs to provide HIV prevention intervention to their peers and to reduce their own risk behaviors: development of a prosocial identity, positive social reinforcement from drug users and community members, and cognitive dissonance associated with continued risk behavior while engaging in health advocacy. These processes directly influence peer interventionists’ motivation and efficacy to continue giving intervention to their peers, and to reduce their HIV risk behaviors. The authors discuss implications of the model for continued research on effective HIV prevention in high-risk groups. PMID:25414528

  15. Suicide Risk at Young Adulthood: Continuities and Discontinuities From Adolescence

    PubMed Central

    Hooven, Carole; Snedker, Karen A.; Thompson, Elaine Adams

    2011-01-01

    Young adult suicide is an important social problem, yet little is known about how risk for young adult suicide develops from earlier life stages. In this study the authors report on 759 young adults who were potential high school dropouts as youth. At both adolescence and young adulthood, measures of suicide risk status and related suicide risk factors are collected. With a two-by-two classification on the basis of suicide risk status at both adolescence and young adulthood, the authors distinguish four mutually exclusive groups reflecting suicide risk at two life stages. Using ANOVA and logistic regression, both adolescent and young adult suicide risk factors are identified, with evidence of similarity between risk factors at adolescence and at young adulthood, for both individual-level and social-context factors. There is also support for both continuity and discontinuity of adolescent suicide risk. Implications for social policy are discussed. PMID:23129876

  16. NASA's Coordinated Efforts to Enhance STEM Education: Bringing NASA Science into the Library

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meinke, B. K.; Thomas, C.; Eyermann, S.; Mitchell, S.; LaConte, K.; Hauck, K.

    2015-11-01

    Libraries are community-centered, free-access venues serving learners of all ages and backgrounds. Libraries also recognize the importance of science literacy and strive to include science in their programming portfolio. Scientists and educators can partner with local libraries to advance mutual goals of connecting the public to Earth and Space Science. In this interactive Special Interest Group (SIG) discussion, representatives from the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public Outreach (EPO) community's library collaborations discussed the opportunities for partnership with public and school libraries; explored the resources, events, and programs available through libraries; explored NASA science programming and professional development opportunities available for librarians; and strategized about the types of support that librarians require to plan and implement programs that use NASA data and resources. We also shared successes, lessons learned, and future opportunities for incorporating NASA science programming into library settings.

  17. Bridging research and practice: community-researcher partnerships for replicating effective interventions.

    PubMed

    Rotheram-Borus, M J; Rebchook, G M; Kelly, J A; Adams, J; Neumann, M S

    2000-01-01

    Long-term collaborations among researchers, staff and volunteers in community-based agencies, staff in institutional settings, and health advocates present challenges. Each group has different missions, procedures, attributes, and rewards. This article reviews areas of potential conflict and suggests strategies for coping with these challenges. During the replication of five effective HIV prevention interventions, strategies for maintaining mutually beneficial collaborations included selecting agencies with infrastructures that could support research-based interventions; obtaining letters of understanding that clarified roles, responsibilities, and time frames; and setting training schedules with opportunities for observing, practicing, becoming invested in, and repeatedly implementing the intervention. The process of implementing interventions highlighted educating funders of research and public health services about (a) the costs of disseminating interventions, (b) the need for innovation to new modalities and theories for delivering effective interventions, and (c) adopting strategies of marketing research and quality engineering when designing interventions.

  18. Communal and Agentic Interpersonal and Intergroup Motives Predict Preferences for Status Versus Power.

    PubMed

    Locke, Kenneth D; Heller, Sonja

    2017-01-01

    Seven studies involving 1,343 participants showed how circumplex models of social motives can help explain individual differences in preferences for status (having others' admiration) versus power (controlling valuable resources). Studies 1 to 3 and 7 concerned interpersonal motives in workplace contexts, and found that stronger communal motives (to have mutual trust, support, and cooperation) predicted being more attracted to status (but not power) and achieving more workplace status, while stronger agentic motives (to be firm, decisive, and influential) predicted being more attracted to and achieving more workplace power, and experiencing a stronger connection between workplace power and job satisfaction. Studies 4 to 6 found similar effects for intergroup motives: Stronger communal motives predicted wanting one's ingroup (e.g., country) to have status-but not power-relative to other groups. Finally, most people preferred status over power, and this was especially true for women, which was partially explained by women having stronger communal motives.

  19. Cold comfort at the Magh Mela: social identity processes and physical hardship.

    PubMed

    Pandey, Kavita; Stevenson, Clifford; Shankar, Shail; Hopkins, Nicholas P; Reicher, Stephen D

    2014-12-01

    Humans inhabit environments that are both social and physical, and in this article we investigate if and how social identity processes shape the experience and negotiation of physically demanding environmental conditions. Specifically, we consider how severe cold can be interpreted and experienced in relation to group members' social identity. Our data comprise ethnographic observation and semi-structured interviews with pilgrims attending a month-long winter Hindu religious festival that is characterized by near-freezing conditions. The analysis explores (1) how pilgrims appraised the cold and how these appraisals were shaped by their identity as pilgrims; (2) how shared identity with other pilgrims led to forms of mutual support that made it easier to cope with the cold. Our findings therefore extend theorizing on social identity processes to highlight their relevance to physical as well as social conditions. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

  20. Low supply of social support as risk factor for mortality in the older adults.

    PubMed

    de Brito, Tábatta Renata Pereira; Nunes, Daniella Pires; Corona, Ligiana Pires; da Silva Alexandre, Tiago; de Oliveira Duarte, Yeda Aparecida

    2017-11-01

    To determine the relationship between social support and mortality in older adults, independent of other health conditions. This was a longitudinal study using the database of the 2006 SABE Study (Heath, Well-being and Aging), composed of 1413 individuals aged 60 years and over, living in São Paulo/Brazil. The present study used a questionnaire constructed for the SABE Study, which was reviewed by experts of Latin America and the Caribbean. The social network was evaluated using the variables: social support received; social support offered; number of members in the social network. The covariates included were age, gender, living arrangements, marital status, income, education, comorbidity, depressive symptoms, cognition and functional difficulties. Death as an outcome was evaluated after four years of follow-up. From a total of 1413 older adults at baseline, 268 died in a mean follow-up period of 3,9 years (SE=0,03). In the model adjusted offering social support and having networks composed of 9 or more members reduced the risk of death in the older adults. This study suggest that older adult who are offered support can benefit from mutual exchanges since reciprocity in relationships improves psychological well-being and is indicative of the quality of relationships. Thus, the older adults are part of a group of people whose role is not only to receive, but also to provide help to others, and the support offered seems to be as important as that received. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Advanced Visual and Instruction Systems for Maintenance Support (AVIS-MS)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-12-01

    Hayashi , "Augmentable Reality: Situated Communication through Physical and Digital Spaces," Proc. 2nd Int’l Symp. Wearable Computers, IEEE CS Press...H. Ohno , "An Optical See-through Display for Mutual Occlusion of Real and Virtual Environments," Proc. Int’l Symp. Augmented Reality 2000 (ISARO0

  2. Intergenerational Entrepreneurship in an Educational Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owen, Melissa; Wright, Paul

    Howe-To Industries is an intergenerational entrepreneurship project at the John de la Howe School, a state-supported institution for at-risk youth in rural McCormick County, South Carolina. Expansion of this type of program into public schools could engage the community and school system in a mutually beneficial relationship. John de la Howe…

  3. "The Greatest Librarians of the World...Were Not Graduates of Library School."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bak, Greg

    2002-01-01

    Lacking a regional library school in the 1930s, librarians of the Maritime Library Institute (MLI) did not view themselves as inferior to the "trained librarians" of central Canada, but crafted a professional identity through mutual support and shared expertise. This essay discusses creation of the MLI; transforming the Maritime Library…

  4. Language Acquisition by Children with Down Syndrome: A Naturalistic Approach to Assisting Language Acquisition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vilaseca, R.M.; Del Rio, M-J.

    2004-01-01

    Many child language studies emphasize the value of verbal and social support, of 'scaffolding' processes and mutual adjustments that naturally occur in adult-child interactions in everyday contexts. Based on such theories, this study attempted to improve the language and communication skills in children with special educational needs through…

  5. Curriculum Review. Volume 43, Number 8

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The April 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Technology Update"; (4) "Use Class Web Site to Host…

  6. Teaching the Nature of Physics through Art: A New Art of Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colletti, Leonardo

    2018-01-01

    Science and art are traditionally represented as two disciplines with completely divergent goals, methods, and public. It has been claimed that, if rightly addressed, science and art education could mutually support each other. In this paper I propose the recurrent reference to certain famous paintings during the ordinary progress of physics…

  7. Curriculum Review. Volume 44, Number 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The September 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Surf These Web Sites"; (4) "Technology Update";…

  8. Environment, Safety & Health at SLAC

    Science.gov Websites

    and safety of our staff, the community, and the environment as we carry out our scientific mission. We believe that safety, science, productivity, and quality are mutually supportive, and that safety is to protect our resources and biota. See the SLAC Environment, Safety and Health Policy for more

  9. Directory of Productivity and Quality of Working Life Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Center for Productivity and Quality of Working Life, Washington, DC.

    This directory was prepared to foster the mutually supportive relationships among the Productivity and Quality of Working Life Centers in the United States. It was also designed to be of value to innovative managers in the public and private sectors by making readily available sources of information on the various aspects of productivity and…

  10. Student and Teacher Attendance: The Role of Shared Goods in Reducing Absenteeism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banerjee, Ritwik; King, Elizabeth M.; Orazem, Peter F.; Paterno, Elizabeth M.

    2012-01-01

    A theoretical model is advanced that demonstrates that, if teacher and student attendance generate a shared good, then teacher and student attendance will be mutually reinforcing. Using data from the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, empirical evidence supporting that proposition is advanced. Controlling for the endogeneity of teacher and…

  11. Urban Education in Distress: South Africa and the United States--Mutual Dilemmas for Two Democratic Societies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uchitelle, Susan

    2000-01-01

    South Africa and the United States face similar problems: teachers' inadequacies in educating an increasingly diverse population; a culture of poverty undermining public support; urban decay and declining tax bases; insufficient resources; totally inadequate school facilities; and unrealistic expectations, considering allotted resources, faculty,…

  12. Curriculum Review. Volume 44, Number 8

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2005

    2005-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The April 2005 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Google Plans to Digitize Big Library Collections";…

  13. Value Organization Linkages, Educational Restructuring, and Historical Reforms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wirt, Frederick M.

    A century or more of reform in urban services, including schooling, has seen a competition over four core values: quality, equity, efficiency, and choice. These four are not always mutually compatible. Quality opposes equity and choice but is reinforced by efficiency, which is supported by equity. The choice value is incompatible with all the…

  14. Curriculum Review. Volume 44, Number 4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The December 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Surf These Web Sites"; (4) "Technology Update";…

  15. Autonomy, Participation and Learning: Findings from Argentine Schools, and Implications for Decentralization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eskeland, Gunnar; Filmer, Deon

    2007-01-01

    Student learning can be raised by school autonomy and parental participation through separate channels, but this paper suggests a mutually supportive effect. Increased school autonomy increases the rent that can be distributed among stakeholders at the school, while institutions for parental participation (such as a school board) empower parents…

  16. The Development of Educational Teams. Strategies of Organizational Change Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartz, Mitchell; And Others

    This monograph is designed as an introductory guide to developing effective educational teams in school districts. Aimed at both preservice and inservice educators, it shows how teams can be used to support collaboration and mutual problem-solving at all levels of the school district and describes various issues related to the development of…

  17. 13 CFR 130.700 - Suspension, termination and non-renewal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... the AA/SBDCs a written description of the unresolved issues, a summary of the positions of the District Office on the issues, and any supportive documentation. (5) The AA/SBDCs shall transmit a written... extension of time is mutually agreed upon by the recipient organization and the AA/SBDCs. (6) The AA/SBDCs...

  18. 13 CFR 130.700 - Suspension, termination and non-renewal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... the AA/SBDCs a written description of the unresolved issues, a summary of the positions of the District Office on the issues, and any supportive documentation. (5) The AA/SBDCs shall transmit a written... extension of time is mutually agreed upon by the recipient organization and the AA/SBDCs. (6) The AA/SBDCs...

  19. 13 CFR 130.700 - Suspension, termination and non-renewal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... the AA/SBDCs a written description of the unresolved issues, a summary of the positions of the District Office on the issues, and any supportive documentation. (5) The AA/SBDCs shall transmit a written... extension of time is mutually agreed upon by the recipient organization and the AA/SBDCs. (6) The AA/SBDCs...

  20. Curriculum Review. Volume 43, Number 7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The March 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Technology Update"; (4) "4 Ways to Give Students a…

  1. Educating for a Revitalization of the Cultural Commons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowers, Chet

    2009-01-01

    This article discusses how the cultural commons that exist in every community, both rural and urban, carry forward the intergenerational knowledge and skills that enable people to live more mutually supportive lives that are less dependent upon consumerism and that have a smaller ecological footprint. Also discussed is why public schools and…

  2. Rats and Bunnies: Core Kids in an American Mall.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, George H.

    1989-01-01

    Extensively interviewed over a six-week period regular, day-to-day adolescent frequenters (N=23) at a shopping mall. Found that subjects exhibited good deal of alienation from both family and school and used the mall as neutral ground on which to create fragile but mutually supportive community of kind. (Author/NB)

  3. Roots and Research in Urban School Gardens

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaylie, Veronica

    2011-01-01

    This book explores the urban school garden as a bridge between environmental action and thought. As a small-scale response to global issues around access to food and land, urban school gardens promote practical knowledge of farming as well as help renew cultural ideals of shared space and mutual support for the organic, built environment. Through…

  4. Analogical Encoding with and without Instructions for Case Comparison of Scientific Phenomena

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Lucia; Tornatora, Maria Caterina

    2016-01-01

    The study aimed to extend current research on conditions that better support analogical encoding through mutual alignment. We focused on two variables that have not been examined independently in previous studies: the joint presentations of two cases of a scientific phenomenon and the explicit instructions for comparison. One hundred and…

  5. Education Diplomacy for Improving Learning of Vulnerable Children in Community Schools in Zambia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murru, Anna C.; Miyato, Harriet; Vandenbosch, Tom E.

    2018-01-01

    Communities and governments can learn from each other to provide access to education and meet the learning needs of their most vulnerable children. Education Diplomacy can be used to prioritize education challenges, build mutual understanding, and shape consensus toward solutions that are supported by empowered parents/guardians, teachers, school…

  6. ICT Support for Collaborative Learning--A Tale of Two Cities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Consiglio, Teresa; van der Veer, Gerrit C.

    2013-01-01

    Based on experiences in teaching service design in a blended learning context, we developed an electronic learning environment (ELE) including features that turned out to be suitable for learners from different cultures. We used this ELE in Italy and in China. Students were guided through collaborative learning and mutual teaching. Students were…

  7. A Convergence of Corporate and Academic Governance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gee, Gordon

    2006-01-01

    One of the particular gifts in history for the present generation, is the increasingly large opportunity afforded to universities and corporations to be mutually supportive, not exploitative, of one another. As the federal Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has imposed new challenges on management of all stripes, this anti-corporate-fraud law also has…

  8. Neural evidence of motivational conflict between social values.

    PubMed

    Leszkowicz, Emilia; Linden, David E J; Maio, Gregory R; Ihssen, Niklas

    2017-10-01

    Motivational interdependence is an organizing principle in Schwartz's circumplex model of social values, which has received abundant cross-cultural support. We used fMRI to test whether motivational relations between social values predict different brain responses in a situation of choice between values. We hypothesized that differences in brain responses would become evident when the more important value had to be selected in pairs of congruent (e.g., wealth and success) as opposed to incongruent (e.g., curiosity and stability) values as they are described in Schwartz's model, because the former serve mutually facilitating motives, whereas the latter serve mutually inhibiting motives. Consistent with the model, choosing between congruent values led to longer response times and more activation in conflict-related brain regions (e.g., the supplementary motor area, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) than selecting between incongruent values. These results provide novel neural evidence supporting the circumplex model's predictions about motivational interdependence between social values. In particular, our results show that the neural networks underlying social values are organized in a way that allows activation patterns related to motivational similarity between congruent values to be dissociated from those related to incongruent values.

  9. What was the programme theory of New Labour's Health System Reforms?

    PubMed

    Millar, Ross; Powell, Martin; Dixon, Anna

    2012-01-01

    To examine whether the Health System Reforms delivered the promise of being a coherent and mutually supporting reform programme; to identify the underlying programme theory of the reform programme; to reflect on whether lessons have been learned. Documentary analysis mapping the implicit and explicit programme theories about how the reforms intended to achieve its goals and outcomes. Semi-structured interviews with policy-makers to further understand the programme theory. The Health System Reforms assumed a 'one size fits all' approach to policy implementation with little recognition that some contexts can be more receptive than others. There was evidence of some policy evolution and rebalancing between the reform streams as policy-makers became aware of some perverse incentives and unforeseen consequences. Later elements aimed to restore balance to the system. The Health System Reforms do not appear to comprise a coherent and mutually supportive set of levers and incentives. They appear unbalanced with the centre of gravity favouring suppliers over commissioners. However, recent reform changes have sought to redress this imbalance to some extent, suggesting that lessons have been learned and policies have been adapted over time.

  10. Three-dimensional analytical solution for the instability of a parallel array of mutually attracting identical simply supported piezoelectric microplates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Lei; Wang, Xu

    2017-12-01

    Three-dimensional analytical solutions are derived for the structural instability of a parallel array of mutually attracting identical simply supported orthotropic piezoelectric rectangular microplates by means of a linear perturbation analysis. The two surfaces of each plate can be either insulating or conducting. By considering the fact that the shear stresses and the normal electric displacement (or electric potential) are zero on the two surfaces of each plate, a 2 × 2 transfer matrix for a plate can be obtained directly from the 8 × 8 fundamental piezoelectricity matrix without resolving the original Stroh eigenrelation. The critical interaction coefficient can be determined by solving the resulting generalized eigenvalue problem for the piezoelectric plate array. Also considered in our analysis is the in-plane uniform edge compression acting on the four sides of each piezoelectric plate. Our results indicate that the stabilizing influence of the piezoelectric effect on the structural instability is unignorable; the edge compression always plays a destabilizing role in the structural instability of the plate array with interactions.

  11. Education and counselling group intervention for women treated for gynaecological cancer: does it help?

    PubMed

    Sekse, Ragnhild Johanne Tveit; Blaaka, Gunnhild; Buestad, Ingjerd; Tengesdal, Ellen; Paulsen, Anita; Vika, Margrethe

    2014-03-01

    Women who have been through gynaecological cancer, experience challenges on many levels after diagnosis and treatment. Studies show that, in order to help women in their rehabilitation process, there is a need for holistic care and follow-up. The aim of this qualitative study is to provide insight into women's own lived experiences of participating in an education and counselling group intervention after curative treatment for gynaecological cancer. A qualitative study based on data from three focus groups with 17 women who had participated in a nurse-led education and counselling group intervention after treatment for gynaecological cancer. The main findings show that participation in the rehabilitation group was described as a special community of mutual understanding and belonging. Education and the sharing of knowledge provided a clearer vocabulary for, and understanding of, the women's own lived experiences. The presence of dedicated and professional care workers was reported to be essential for the outcome of the group intervention. Attending a nurse-led education and counselling group intervention had a positive impact on various aspects of the women's lived experiences. The programme also provided professionals with important insights into the patients' views and feelings regarding cancer treatment, trajectories and rehabilitation. This knowledge has already proven itself useful in clinical practice for improving staff communication skills and psycho-social support related to gynaecological cancer care. © 2013 The Authors Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2013 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  12. An improved discriminative filter bank selection approach for motor imagery EEG signal classification using mutual information.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Shiu; Sharma, Alok; Tsunoda, Tatsuhiko

    2017-12-28

    Common spatial pattern (CSP) has been an effective technique for feature extraction in electroencephalography (EEG) based brain computer interfaces (BCIs). However, motor imagery EEG signal feature extraction using CSP generally depends on the selection of the frequency bands to a great extent. In this study, we propose a mutual information based frequency band selection approach. The idea of the proposed method is to utilize the information from all the available channels for effectively selecting the most discriminative filter banks. CSP features are extracted from multiple overlapping sub-bands. An additional sub-band has been introduced that cover the wide frequency band (7-30 Hz) and two different types of features are extracted using CSP and common spatio-spectral pattern techniques, respectively. Mutual information is then computed from the extracted features of each of these bands and the top filter banks are selected for further processing. Linear discriminant analysis is applied to the features extracted from each of the filter banks. The scores are fused together, and classification is done using support vector machine. The proposed method is evaluated using BCI Competition III dataset IVa, BCI Competition IV dataset I and BCI Competition IV dataset IIb, and it outperformed all other competing methods achieving the lowest misclassification rate and the highest kappa coefficient on all three datasets. Introducing a wide sub-band and using mutual information for selecting the most discriminative sub-bands, the proposed method shows improvement in motor imagery EEG signal classification.

  13. 12 CFR 575.12 - Conversion or liquidation of mutual holding companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conversion or liquidation of mutual holding... MUTUAL HOLDING COMPANIES § 575.12 Conversion or liquidation of mutual holding companies. (a) Conversion... stock issued by the parent mutual holding company in connection with the conversion of the parent mutual...

  14. Teamwork and Electronic Health Record Implementation: A Case Study of Preserving Effective Communication and Mutual Trust in a Changing Environment.

    PubMed

    Gross, Anne H; Leib, Ryan K; Tonachel, Anne; Tonachel, Richard; Bowers, Danielle M; Burnard, Rachel A; Rhinehart, Catherine A; Valentim, Rahila; Bunnell, Craig A

    2016-11-01

    This article describes how trust among team members and in the technology supporting them was eroded during implementation of an electronic health record (EHR) in an adult outpatient oncology practice at a comprehensive cancer center. Delays in care of a 38-year-old woman with high-risk breast cancer occurred because of ineffective team communication and are illustrated in a case study. The case explores how the patient's trust and mutual trust between team members were disrupted because of inaccurate assumptions about the functionality of the EHR's communication tool, resultant miscommunications between team members and the patient, and the eventual recognition that care was not being effectively coordinated, as it had been previously. Despite a well-established, team-based culture and significant preparation for the EHR implementation, the challenges that occurred point to underlying human and system failures from which other organizations going through a similar process may learn. Through an analysis and evaluation of events that transpired before and during the EHR rollout, suggested interventions for preventing this experience are offered, which include: a thorough crosswalk between old and new communication mechanisms before implementation; understanding and mitigation of gaps in the communication tool's functionality; more robust training for staff, clinicians, and patients; greater consideration given to the pace of change expected of individuals; and development of models of collaboration between EHR users and vendors in developing products that support high-quality, team-based care in the oncology setting. These interventions are transferable to any organizational or system change that threatens mutual trust and effective communication.

  15. Facilitators and barriers of adopting healthy lifestyle in rural China: a qualitative analysis through social capital perspectives.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yan; Ma, Defu; Cui, Renzhe; Haregot Hilawe, Esayas; Chiang, Chifa; Hirakawa, Yoshihisa; Hu, Yonghua; Wang, Peiyu; Iso, Hiroyasu; Aoyama, Atsuko

    2016-05-01

    Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the major public health concerns in China. However, little has been known yet about the background social factors that influence lifestyles as possible NCD risk factors. This qualitative study aimed to explore facilitators and barriers of adopting healthy lifestyles among residents in a rural community of China. Three age-stratified focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in Fangshan district of Beijing in 2013. A FGD guide was designed to elicit the participants' perception and experience regarding their lifestyles. The audio-records were transcribed, and data were qualitatively analyzed through thematic approach. Through social capital framework with bonding, bridging, and linking classifications, we identified the following facilitators and barriers to adopt healthy lifestyles. (1) Facilitators: mutual support from family/friends and motivation to participate in regular exercises (bonding); cooperative relationships with community health workers (bridging); and nationwide high level of healthy lifestyle awareness (linking). (2) Barriers: negative influence from family/friends, insufficient support from family/friends, peer pressure and tolerance towards unhealthy lifestyles (bonding); insufficient support from health professionals (bridging); and inequity in allocation of public resources (linking). This study revealed that bonding, bridging and linking social capital would work as facilitators and barriers to adopt healthy lifestyles among rural residents in China.

  16. Identifying relevant group of miRNAs in cancer using fuzzy mutual information.

    PubMed

    Pal, Jayanta Kumar; Ray, Shubhra Sankar; Pal, Sankar K

    2016-04-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as a major biomarker of cancer. All miRNAs in human body are not equally important for cancer identification. We propose a methodology, called FMIMS, which automatically selects the most relevant miRNAs for a particular type of cancer. In FMIMS, miRNAs are initially grouped by using a SVM-based algorithm; then the group with highest relevance is determined and the miRNAs in that group are finally ranked for selection according to their redundancy. Fuzzy mutual information is used in computing the relevance of a group and the redundancy of miRNAs within it. Superiority of the most relevant group to all others, in deciding normal or cancer, is demonstrated on breast, renal, colorectal, lung, melanoma and prostate data. The merit of FMIMS as compared to several existing methods is established. While 12 out of 15 selected miRNAs by FMIMS corroborate with those of biological investigations, three of them viz., "hsa-miR-519," "hsa-miR-431" and "hsa-miR-320c" are possible novel predictions for renal cancer, lung cancer and melanoma, respectively. The selected miRNAs are found to be involved in disease-specific pathways by targeting various genes. The method is also able to detect the responsible miRNAs even at the primary stage of cancer. The related code is available at http://www.jayanta.droppages.com/FMIMS.html .

  17. Centrifugal-reciprocating compressor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Higa, W. H. (Inventor)

    1984-01-01

    A centrifugal compressor is described which includes at least one pair of cylinders arranged in coaxial alignment and supported for angular displacement about a common axis of rotation normally disecting a common longitudinal axis of symmetry for the cylinders. The cylinders are characterized by ported closures located at the mutually remote ends thereof through which the cylinders are charged and discharged, and a pair of piston heads seated within the cylinders and supported for floating displacement in compressive strokes in response to unidirectional angular displacement imparted to the cylinders.

  18. Unlocking the limitations: Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and receiving care through telemedicine-A phenomenological study.

    PubMed

    Barken, Tina Lien; Thygesen, Elin; Söderhamn, Ulrika

    2018-01-01

    To describe the lived experiences of quality of life among a group of patients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who were included in a telemedical intervention after hospitalisation for disease exacerbation. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have high symptom burden, poor control of symptoms and a need for greater requirements in care. Telemedicine can provide benefits for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by improving self-management. Descriptive phenomenological approach. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients participating in a telemedical intervention. The collected data were analysed using a descriptive phenomenological research method. Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was experienced as creating physical and mental limitations of the diseased body and an increasing identity as a patient, which led to impaired quality of life. Being included in the telemedicine intervention increased accessibility to healthcare services and support from telemedicine nurses. Self-measurement of health data increased participants' clinical insight and created a mutual clinical language in dialogue with telemedicine nurses, which led to increased quality of life. However, receiving care through telemedicine was also experienced as a dual chore. Telemedicine can reduce the perceived limitations imposed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through four key elements: (i) improving accessibility to healthcare services, (ii) increasing support from health professionals, (iii) strengthening clinical insight and (iv) developing a mutual clinical language, thus increasing quality of life. The transparency facilitated through telemedicine in this healthcare context encourages open decision-making, where the participants can increase their knowledge and improve acknowledgement of and collaboration with telemedicine nurses. Telemedicine can be beneficial when rethinking care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by providing knowledge on how living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can affect the experience of receiving care through telemedicine and further determine for whom telemedicine is useful. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Amenable to reason: Aristotle's rhetoric and the moral psychology of practical ethics.

    PubMed

    London, A J

    2000-12-01

    An Aristotelian conception of practical ethics can be derived from the account of practical reasoning that Aristotle articulates in is Rhetoric and this has important implications for the way we understand the nature and limits of practical ethics. an important feature of this conception of practical ethics is its responsiveness to the complex ways in which agents form and maintain moral commitments, and this has important implications for the debate concerning methods of ethics in applied ethics. In particular, this feature enables us to understand casuistry, narrative, and principlism as mutually supportive modes of moral inquiry, rather than divergent and mutually exclusive methods of ethics. As a result, an Aristotelian conception of practical ethics clears the conceptual common ground upon which practical ethicists can forge a stable and realistic self-understanding.

  20. Mutual information-based facial expression recognition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hazar, Mliki; Hammami, Mohamed; Hanêne, Ben-Abdallah

    2013-12-01

    This paper introduces a novel low-computation discriminative regions representation for expression analysis task. The proposed approach relies on interesting studies in psychology which show that most of the descriptive and responsible regions for facial expression are located around some face parts. The contributions of this work lie in the proposition of new approach which supports automatic facial expression recognition based on automatic regions selection. The regions selection step aims to select the descriptive regions responsible or facial expression and was performed using Mutual Information (MI) technique. For facial feature extraction, we have applied Local Binary Patterns Pattern (LBP) on Gradient image to encode salient micro-patterns of facial expressions. Experimental studies have shown that using discriminative regions provide better results than using the whole face regions whilst reducing features vector dimension.

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