Digital literacy of youth and young adults with intellectual disability predicted by support needs and social maturity.

PubMed

Seok, Soonhwa; DaCosta, Boaventura

2017-01-01

This study investigated relationships between digital propensity and support needs as well as predictors of digital propensity in the context of support intensity, age, gender, and social maturity. A total of 118 special education teachers rated the support intensity, digital propensity, and social maturity of 352 students with intellectual disability. Leveraging the Digital Propensity Index, Supports Intensity Scale, and the Social Maturity Scale, descriptive statistics, correlations, multiple regressions, and regression analyses were employed. The findings revealed significant relationships between digital propensity and support needs. In addition, significant predictors of digital propensity were found with regard to support intensity, age, gender, and social maturity.

A Right to Be Heard: Learning from Learners with Additional Needs in Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPhillips, Therese; Shevlin, Michael; Long, Louise

2012-01-01

This study aimed to explore the consultation experiences of pupils who have additional needs in literacy. An opportunistic sample of eight schools--four in Northern Ireland and four in the Republic of Ireland--were chosen by the researchers; selected pupils were receiving additional literacy support. Focus group discussions and arts-based creative…

Key Players in Inclusion: Are We Meeting the Professional Needs of Learning Support Assistants for Pupils with Complex Needs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Lesley; McConkey, Roy; Dobbins, Michael

2011-01-01

Under the aegis of inclusion, greater numbers of learning support assistants (LSAs) in mainstream and special schools are increasingly required to assist teachers with pupils who have complex needs across the full age range. Because of the numerous and wide-ranging learning difficulties and learning disabilities in addition to sensory impairment,…

Does a Measure of Support Needs Predict Funding Need Better Than a Measure of Adaptive and Maladaptive Behavior?

PubMed

Arnold, Samuel R C; Riches, Vivienne C; Stancliffe, Roger J

2015-09-01

Internationally, various approaches are used for the allocation of individualized funding. When using a databased approach, a key question is the predictive validity of adaptive behavior versus support needs assessment. This article reports on a subset of data from a larger project that allowed for a comparison of support needs and adaptive behavior assessments when predicting person-centered funding allocation. The first phase of the project involved a trial of the Inventory for Client and Agency Planning (ICAP) adaptive behavior and Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN)-Brief Research version support needs assessments. Participants were in receipt of an individual support package allocated using a person-centered planning process, and were stable in their support arrangements. Regression analysis showed that the most useful items in predicting funding allocation came from the I-CAN-Brief Research. No additional variance could be explained by adding the ICAP, or using the ICAP alone. A further unique approach of including only items from the I-CAN-Brief Research marked as funded supports showed high predictive validity. It appears support need is more effective at determining resource need than adaptive behavior.

Nurses in need of additional support: web sites offering information in eldercare nursing environments.

PubMed

Matusitz, Jonathan; Breen, Gerald-Mark; Marathe, Shriram S; Wan, Thomas T H

2010-01-01

Studies have shown the usefulness of telemedicine and telecare in multiple settings. One form of telemedicine is e-health. Residents of nursing homes are a unique population that may significantly benefit from the e-health resources available to their caregivers. E-health Web sites appear to be viable, feasible, and timely interventional methods to provide the additional knowledge and support practitioners in these settings may need to provide preventative, reactive, and remedial care for frail residents.

Family-based treatment of eating disorders in adolescents: current insights

PubMed Central

Rienecke, Renee D

2017-01-01

Eating disorders are serious illnesses associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Family-based treatment (FBT) has emerged as an effective intervention for adolescents with anorexia nervosa, and preliminary evidence suggests that it may be efficacious in the treatment of adolescents with bulimia nervosa. Multifamily therapy for anorexia nervosa provides a more intensive experience for families needing additional support. This review outlines the three phases of treatment, key tenets of family-based treatment, and empirical support for FBT. In addition, FBT in higher levels of care is described, as well as challenges in the implementation of FBT and recent adaptations to FBT, including offering additional support to eating-disorder caregivers. Future research is needed to identify families for whom FBT does not work, determine adaptations to FBT that may increase its efficacy, develop ways to improve treatment adherence among clinicians, and find ways to support caregivers better during treatment. PMID:28615982

Family-based treatment of eating disorders in adolescents: current insights.

PubMed

Rienecke, Renee D

2017-01-01

Eating disorders are serious illnesses associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Family-based treatment (FBT) has emerged as an effective intervention for adolescents with anorexia nervosa, and preliminary evidence suggests that it may be efficacious in the treatment of adolescents with bulimia nervosa. Multifamily therapy for anorexia nervosa provides a more intensive experience for families needing additional support. This review outlines the three phases of treatment, key tenets of family-based treatment, and empirical support for FBT. In addition, FBT in higher levels of care is described, as well as challenges in the implementation of FBT and recent adaptations to FBT, including offering additional support to eating-disorder caregivers. Future research is needed to identify families for whom FBT does not work, determine adaptations to FBT that may increase its efficacy, develop ways to improve treatment adherence among clinicians, and find ways to support caregivers better during treatment.

The Virginia Geocoin Adventure: An Experiential Geospatial Learning Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Laura; McGee, John; Campbell, James; Hays, Amy

2013-01-01

Geospatial technologies have become increasingly prevalent across our society. Educators at all levels have expressed a need for additional resources that can be easily adopted to support geospatial literacy and state standards of learning, while enhancing the overall learning experience. The Virginia Geocoin Adventure supports the needs of 4-H…

Finding Basic Writing's Place.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan-Rabideau, Mary P.; Brossell, Gordon

1995-01-01

Posits that basic writing serves a vital function by providing writing support for at-risk students and serves the needs of a growing student population that universities accept yet feel needs additional writing instruction. Concludes that the basic writing classroom is the most effective educational support for at-risk students and their writing.…

Supporting Tertiary Students with a Disability or Mental Illness. Good Practice Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2015

2015-01-01

Having a disability or ongoing ill health (including mental health conditions) can significantly disrupt an individual's educational attainment and employment prospects, potentially creating lifelong social and economic disadvantage. These students may need additional support to help them successfully complete their studies. In addition, education…

Support for Special Education Administrators: A Framework for Building and Sustaining Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, James S.

2013-01-01

Research supports evidence indicating a nationwide concern that administrative training programs are not meeting the needs of Special Education Administrators. Additionally, researchers suggest that the need to have well prepared special education administrators (SEAs) is greater now than ever before and the demand for SEAs exceeds the supply of…

The Unmet Supportive Care Needs of Arab Australian and Arab Jordanian Cancer Survivors: An International Comparative Survey.

PubMed

Alananzeh, Ibrahim M; Levesque, Janelle V; Kwok, Cannas; Salamonson, Yenna; Everett, Bronwyn

2018-05-14

Research exploring the unmet supportive care needs of Arab cancer survivors is limited, with most conducted with immigrant groups. No study has compared the unmet supportive care needs of immigrant Arab cancer survivors with Arab cancer survivors living in their native country. To explore the unmet supportive care needs of both Arab Australian and Arab Jordanian cancer survivors. Arab people living in Sydney, Australia, and Amman, Jordan, and diagnosed with cancer within the last 5 years were invited to complete a questionnaire that measured unmet supportive care needs, depression, and language acculturation. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of unmet supportive care needs. Seventy-seven Arab Jordanian and 66 Arab Australian cancer survivors were recruited. Australian participants were older than their Jordanian counterparts (61.5 vs 52.3 years; P < .001) and reported higher levels of overall unmet needs (44.9 vs 36.1; P = .012). Controlling for age and stage of cancer diagnosis, higher levels of depression (β = .34) and living in Australia (β = .26) were significant predictors of unmet needs and explained almost 17% of the variance. These findings have extended our understanding of the unmet supportive care needs of Arab cancer survivors and confirm disparities in unmet needs in immigrant populations. Greater attention is needed to ensure the supportive care needs are met for immigrant patients with cancer. Additional strategies to address physical and psychological needs are particularly needed in this group.

Use of Coaching and Behavior Support Planning for Students with Disruptive Behavior within a Universal Classroom Management Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinke, Wendy M.; Stormont, Melissa; Herman, Keith C.; Wang, Ze; Newcomer, Lori; King, Kathleen

2014-01-01

Even with the use of effective universal classroom management practices, some students will need additional behavioral supports. However, to translate implementation of new strategies into the classroom, professional development programs need to be adaptive to the complexities teachers face in providing instruction and managing classroom behaviors…

Signing Avatars: Using Virtual Reality to Support Students with Hearing Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zirzow, Nichole K.

2015-01-01

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) need additional support to learn curricular content and achieve academic outcomes. Students who attend rural schools may face greater challenges since they may have more limited access to services provided specially trained deaf educators. Yet, they need specialized instruction in learning how to use…

A refined protocol for coding nursing home residents' comments during satisfaction interviews.

PubMed

Levy-Storms, Lené; Simmons, Sandra F; Gutierrez, Veronica F; Miller-Martinez, Dana; Hickey, Kelly; Schnelle, John F

2005-11-01

This study's objective was to refine a method for coding nursing home (NH) residents' comments about their perceptions of care into unmet needs specific to the manner and frequency of care delivery. NH residents (N=69) were interviewed with both closed-ended (i.e., forced-choice) and open-ended (i.e., residents' own words) questions about their perceptions of care across eight care domains. Unmet needs included comments indicating that residents desired a change in staff- and non-staff-related care. Staff-related unmet needs were further coded into unmet emotional support (i.e., emotional support or manner of care delivery) and instrumental (i.e., instrumental support or frequency of care) needs. Of 66 residents who commented, 66% expressed at least one unmet need across eight care domains. Among these 44 residents, 52% and 84% had unmet emotional support and instrumental support needs, respectively (kappa=68 and.92). An additional 18% expressed both unmet emotional support and instrumental support needs. The refined method offers a systematic way to code residents' comments about their care into unmet needs related to the manner and frequency of care delivery. The findings have direct implications for the identification of care areas in need of improvement from the resident's perspective and the evaluation of improvement efforts.

Addressing tuberculosis patients' medical and socio-economic needs: a comprehensive programmatic approach.

PubMed

Contreras, Carmen C; Millones, Ana K; Santa Cruz, Janeth; Aguilar, Margot; Clendenes, Martin; Toranzo, Miguel; Llaro, Karim; Lecca, Leonid; Becerra, Mercedes C; Yuen, Courtney M

2017-04-01

For a cohort of patients with tuberculosis in Carabayllo, Peru, we describe the prevalence of medical comorbidities and socio-economic needs, the efforts required by a comprehensive support programme ('TB Cero') to address them and the success of this programme in linking patients to care. Patients diagnosed with tuberculosis in Carabayllo underwent evaluations for HIV, diabetes, mental health and unmet basic needs. For patients initiating treatment during 14 September, 2015-15 May, 2016, we abstracted data from evaluation forms and a support request system. We calculated the prevalence of medical comorbidities and the need for socio-economic support at the time of tuberculosis diagnosis, as well as the proportion of patients successfully linked to care or support. Of 192 patients, 83 (43%) had at least one medical comorbidity other than tuberculosis. These included eight (4%) patients with HIV, 12 (6%) with diabetes and 62 (32%) deemed at risk for a mental health condition. Of patients who required follow-up for a comorbidity, 100% initiated antiretroviral therapy, 71% attended endocrinology consultations and 66% attended psychology consultations. Of 126 (65%) patients who completed the socio-economic evaluation, 58 (46%) reported already receiving food baskets from the municipality, and 79 (63%) were given additional support, most commonly food vouchers and assistance in accessing health care. Carabayllo tuberculosis patients face many challenges in addition to tuberculosis. A collaborative, comprehensive treatment support programme can achieve high rates of linkage to care for these needs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Foot pressure analysis of gait pattern in older Japanese females requiring different personal care support levels.

PubMed

Takayanagi, Naoto; Sudo, Motoki; Fujii, Masahiko; Sakai, Hirokazu; Morimoto, Keiko; Tomisaki, Masumi; Niki, Yoshifumi; Tokimitsu, Ichiro

2018-03-01

[Purpose] This study evaluated gait parameters and foot pressure in two regions of the feet among older females with different personal care support needs to analyze factors that contribute to higher support requirements. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-two older females were divided into support-need and care-need level groups. Gait parameters (speed, cadence, step length, step width, gait angle, toe angle, double support phase, swing phase, and stance phase) and foot pressure during a 5-m walk were measured and analyzed in the two groups. [Results] The percentage of the double support phase on both feet and the right stance phase were significantly higher in the care-need level group, while that of the right swing phase was significantly lower than that of the support-need level group. Additionally, the phase showing peak pressure on the left rear foot was significantly delayed and the left forefoot pressure in the terminal stance was significantly lower in the care-need level group than in the support-need level group. [Conclusion] These findings show that the temporal duration parameters and foot pressure on a particular side were significantly different between the two groups and suggest that these differences were associated with a higher care level.

Technical Assistance Needs Assessments (TANAs)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Technical Assistance Needs Assessment (TANA) is a process to identify whether a community requires additional support from EPA in order to understand technical information and have meaningful participation in the Superfund decision-making process.

Arctic Planning: DOD Expects to Play a Supporting Role to Other Federal Agencies and Has Efforts Under Way to Address Capability Needs and Update Plans

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

example, in 2014 DOD tested a new communication system— the Mobile User Objective System—that is intended to provide a secure, ultra -high-frequency...national security needs, stating that DOD does not anticipate a need to begin construction of additional bases or a deepwater port in Alaska before 2020.b...in Nome, Alaska, to support a deepwater port. Page 21 GAO-15-566 Arctic Planning Capability need Actions taken by the Department of

Special Insights from the Hill: A Bilateral Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanford, Terry

1990-01-01

Higher education has two main needs of Congress: the need for student aid and the need for increased and sustained scientific research support. The problem is that ever-more-aggressive competition for earmarked funds does not necessarily generate additional resources for institutions to share. (MLW)

43 CFR 3140.6 - Use of additional lands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Use of additional lands. 3140.6 Section... additional lands. (a) The authorized officer may noncompetitively lease additional lands for ancillary facilities in a Special Tar Sand Area that are needed to support any operations necessary for the recovery of...

43 CFR 3140.6 - Use of additional lands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Use of additional lands. 3140.6 Section... additional lands. (a) The authorized officer may noncompetitively lease additional lands for ancillary facilities in a Special Tar Sand Area that are needed to support any operations necessary for the recovery of...

43 CFR 3140.6 - Use of additional lands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Use of additional lands. 3140.6 Section... additional lands. (a) The authorized officer may noncompetitively lease additional lands for ancillary facilities in a Special Tar Sand Area that are needed to support any operations necessary for the recovery of...

When small losses do not loom larger than small gains: effects of contextual autonomy support and goal contents on behavioural responses to small losses and small gains.

PubMed

Chatzisarantis, Nikos L D; Kee, Ying Hwa; Thaung, Hannah Kyaw; Hagger, Martin S

2012-12-01

Based on the tenets of self-determination theory, the present studies examined the moderating effects of interpersonal contexts or goal conditions that afforded satisfaction of psychological needs on loss aversion effects. We hypothesized that behavioural responses to small losses would be stronger relative to behavioural responses to small gains under goal conditions or interpersonal contexts that did not support psychological needs. We also expected the effect to be minimized under goal conditions or interpersonal contexts that supported psychological needs. This prediction was supported in Study 1 that induced satisfaction of psychological needs via manipulations of interpersonal context and in Study 2 that instigated satisfaction of psychological needs via manipulations of goal contents. In addition, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that psychological needs reduced the classic loss aversion effect by increasing behavioural and affective responses to gains and not because psychological needs altered affective or behavioural responses to losses. Results of the present studies support the conclusion that contextual autonomy support and the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic goals proposed by self-determination theory define a boundary condition of the loss aversion hypothesis. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Portage in the UK: recent developments.

PubMed

Russell, F

2007-11-01

Portage provides home-based, early intervention and support to families who have a young child with additional needs. Working in the context of the Every Child Matters agenda, the National Portage Association (NPA) aims to develop inclusive, high-quality provision. This paper reviews their recent work, presents a summary of the findings of a national survey of Portage and discusses their implications. All Portage services known to the NPA and local authorities in England were asked to complete a questionnaire and forward another to families using early years' services to evaluate the support they receive. The survey identified the extent and gaps in Portage provision and the level of unmet need. Families who contributed said they valued Portage because it helped their child and provided support for the whole family. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS: The survey identified 31 local authorities in England, where Portage is not available. Geographical gaps were most notable in the North East and West Midlands regions. Despite a small increase in the extent of Portage provision, it is estimated that services only meet the needs of a small proportion of families that are eligible. Current work may help overcome geographical gaps through supporting the development of high-quality Portage services but, in endeavouring to meet the needs of families waiting for Portage, it is important not to diminish the quality of support already provided. Portage aims to provide flexible support for families to respond to their individual needs. Evaluating its effectiveness is problematic because of its complex nature but this survey provided an opportunity for families to share their views at a national level. Continued development work can help Portage provision become more accessible and one of the options routinely available to families who have a young child with additional needs.

Delay Tolerant Networking - Bundle Protocol Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

SeGui, John; Jenning, Esther

2006-01-01

In this paper, we report on the addition of MACHETE models needed to support DTN, namely: the Bundle Protocol (BP) model. To illustrate the useof MACHETE with the additional DTN model, we provide an example simulation to benchmark its performance. We demonstrate the use of the DTN protocol and discuss statistics gathered concerning the total time needed to simulate numerous bundle transmissions.

Utilization of on-site resources for regenerative life support systems at Lunar and Martian outposts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ming, Douglas W.; Golden, D. C.; Henninger, Donald L.

1993-01-01

Lunar and martian materials can be processed and used at planetary outposts to reduce the need (and thus the cost) of transportng supplies from Earth. A variety of uses for indigenous, on-site materials have been suggested, including uses as rocket propellants, construction materials, and life support materials. Utilization of on-site resources will supplement Regenerative Life Support Systems (RLSS) that will be needed to regenerate air, water, wastes, and to produce food (e.g., plants) for human consumption during long-duration space missions. Natural materials on the Moon and/or Mars may be used for a variety of RLSS needs including (1) soils or solid-support substrate for plant growth, (2) sources for extraction of essential plant-growth nutrients, (3) sources of O2, H2, CO2, and water, (4) substrates for microbial populations in the degradation of wastes, and (5) shielding materials surrounding outpost structures to protect humans, plants, and microorganisms from radiation. In addition to the regolith, the martian atmosphere will provide additional resources at a Mars outpost, including water, CO2 and other atmospheric gases.

Cultural differences in the relationships among autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction, subjective vitality, and effort in British and Chinese physical education.

PubMed

Taylor, Ian M; Lonsdale, Chris

2010-10-01

Using basic psychological needs theory (BPNT; Ryan & Deci, 2000) as our guiding framework, we explored cultural differences in the relationships among physical education students' perceptions of teacher autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction, subjective vitality and effort in class. Seven hundred and fifteen students (age range from 13 to 15 years) from the U.K. and Hong Kong, China, completed a multisection inventory during a timetabled physical education class. Multilevel analyses revealed that the relationships among autonomy support, subjective vitality and effort were mediated by students' perceptions of psychological need satisfaction. The relationship between autonomy support and perceptions of competence was stronger in the Chinese sample, compared with the U.K. sample. In addition, the relationship between perceptions of relatedness and effort was not significant in the Chinese students. The findings generally support the pan-cultural utility of BPNT and imply that a teacher-created autonomy supportive environment may promote positive student experiences in both cultures.

Logic Models as a Way to Support Online Students and Their Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strycker, Jesse

2016-01-01

As online enrollment continues to grow, students may need additional pedagogical supports to increase their likelihood of success in online environments that don't offer the same supports as those found in face to face classrooms. Logic models are a way to provide such support to students by helping to model project expectations, allowing students…

Characteristics of Teacher-Identified Students with Special Educational Needs in Dutch Mainstream Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruggink, M.; Goei, S. L.; Koot, H. M.

2013-01-01

Background: Traditionally, special educational needs (SEN) were often defined in terms of child deficits. Recently, there has been a tendency to define SEN in terms of (additional) support needed in the classroom. However, little is known about how teachers define students with special educational needs. To close this gap, characteristics of…

Material need support interventions for diabetes prevention and control: a systematic review.

PubMed

Barnard, Lily S; Wexler, Deborah J; DeWalt, Darren; Berkowitz, Seth A

2015-02-01

Unmet material needs, such as food insecurity and housing instability, are associated with increased risk of diabetes and worse outcomes among diabetes patients. Healthcare delivery organizations are increasingly held accountable for health outcomes that may be related to these "social determinants," which are outside the scope of traditional medical intervention. This review summarizes the current literature regarding interventions that provide material support for income, food, housing, and other basic needs. In addition, we propose a conceptual model of the relationship between unmet needs and diabetes outcomes and provide recommendations for future interventional research.

Supporting Pupils with EAL and Their Teachers in Ireland: The Need for a Co-Ordinated Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murtagh, Lelia; Francis, Tracy

2012-01-01

Since the establishment of a Language Support Service in 1999, all newcomer children with limited English skills arriving in schools in Ireland are entitled to two years of additional English language support. This is provided mainly by designated Language Support Teachers (LSTs). During the peak of the Celtic Tiger, there was a sharp growth in…

New Developments in Forage Varieties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Forage crops harvested for hay or haylage or grazed support dairy, beef, sheep and horse production. Additional livestock production from reduced forage acreage supports the need for forage variety improvement. The Consortium for Alfalfa Improvement is a partnership model of government, private no...

Self-determination theory and diminished functioning: the role of interpersonal control and psychological need thwarting.

PubMed

Bartholomew, Kimberley J; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Ryan, Richard M; Bosch, Jos A; Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie

2011-11-01

Drawing from self-determination theory, three studies explored the social-environmental conditions that satisfy versus thwart psychological needs and, in turn, affect psychological functioning and well-being or ill-being. In cross-sectional Studies 1 and 2, structural equation modeling analyses supported latent factor models in which need satisfaction was predicted by athletes' perceptions of autonomy support, and need thwarting was better predicted by coach control. Athletes' perceptions of need satisfaction predicted positive outcomes associated with sport participation (vitality and positive affect), whereas need thwarting more consistently predicted maladaptive outcomes (disordered eating, burnout, depression, negative affect, and physical symptoms). In addition, athletes' perceptions of psychological need thwarting were significantly associated with perturbed physiological arousal (elevated levels of secretory immunoglobulin A) prior to training. The final study involved the completion of a diary and supported the relations observed in the cross-sectional studies at a daily level. These findings have important implications for the operationalization and measurement of interpersonal styles and psychological needs.

Teachers' Capacities to Meet Students' Additional Support Needs in Mainstream Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruggink, M.; Goei, S. L.; Koot, H. M.

2016-01-01

Mainstream primary school teachers generally acknowledge the need to implement adaptive teaching; however, meeting a variety of students' needs is a challenge. Studies have addressed the conditions under which teachers attribute their (in)capacities, but these have mainly involved vignettes. Therefore, it remains unknown whether teachers are…

Family roots of empathy-related characteristics: the role of perceived maternal and paternal need support in adolescence.

PubMed

Miklikowska, Marta; Duriez, Bart; Soenens, Bart

2011-09-01

Theories on empathy development have stressed the role of socialization in general and the role of parental support in particular. This 3-wave longitudinal study of middle adolescents (N = 678) aimed to contribute to the extant research on the socialization of empathy (a) by examining the relative contribution of perceived maternal and paternal need supportive parenting on over-time changes in adolescents' emotional and cognitive aspects of empathy (i.e., empathic concern and perspective taking, respectively) and (b) by considering the possibility of reciprocal relations between perceived parenting and adolescent empathy. Whereas paternal need support consistently predicted over-time changes in perspective taking in both sons and daughters, perceived maternal need support predicted changes in empathic concern among daughters only. In addition, although less consistently so, empathy dimensions also predicted over-time changes in perceived parenting. Results are discussed in terms of the nature of empathy and in the light of domain-specific effects of each parent.

Leukemia Support Groups: How Are They Doing?

PubMed

Moss

1997-10-01

BACKGROUND: Support groups help their participants to cope with the emotional and practical impact of their illnesses. METHODS: The effectiveness of the Leukemia Society of America support groups in enhancing the quality of life for their participants is reviewed. The groundwork, purpose, and structure of such groups, as well as alternate sources of support, are presented. Evaluation and future directions for oncology groupwork are discussed. RESULTS: Support groups complement the therapies provided by clinical practitioners and scientists by addressing the additional needs of cancer patients over the course of illness and survival. CONCLUSIONS: New concepts and methods that address the needs of specific age-groups and incorporate the newly generated data on cancer treatments will further enhance the benefits provided by support groups.

Psychosocial Care Needs of Melanoma Survivors: Are They Being Met?

PubMed Central

Fischbeck, Sabine; Imruck, Barbara H.; Blettner, Maria; Weyer, Veronika; Binder, Harald; Zeissig, Sylke R.; Emrich, Katharina; Friedrich-Mai, Peter; Beutel, Manfred E.

2015-01-01

Patients who have survived malignant melanoma for more than five years may lack the opportunity to talk about their burden. As a consequence their psychosocial care needs remain undetected and available supportive interventions may not be utilised. Therefore, the psychosocial burden of this patient group needs to be assessed using specific screening instruments. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychosocial burden of long-term melanoma survivors, their psychosocial care needs and the determinants of these needs. We wanted to find out if the use of professional support corresponds to the care needs defined by experts. Using the cancer registry of Rhineland-Palatinate, melanoma patients diagnosed at least 5 years before the survey were contacted by physicians. N = 689 former patients completed the Hornheide Questionnaire (short form HQ-S) to identify psychosocial support need (scale cut off ≥ 16 or item-based cut-off score) and the potential psychosocial determinants of these needs. Additionally, they were asked about their utilisation of the professional support system. More than one third (36%) of them was in need for professional psychosocial support. The highest burden scores concerned worry about tumour progression. Younger age (< 50), higher general fatigue, higher symptom burden, lower general health, negative social interactions and unfulfilled information needs were significant predictors of the need for psychosocial intervention. Related to the percentage of survivors identified as ‘in need’, the professional support system was underused. Further studies should investigate whether using the HQ-S to routinely identify burdened melanoma patients could lead to better fulfilment of their intervention needs, ultimately enhancing health-related quality of life. PMID:26296089

Industry-Supported Team Students' Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glozman, Vladimir

The industry-supported team students' project enhances professional, intellectual, and personal development of students while addressing the needs of local industry. In addition to achieving academic excellence, the students are exposed to industry requirements, and excel in effective oral communication and cooperative teamwork. The teamwork…

A Needs Assessment in Employee Services--Industrial Recreation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitlock, Michael; And Others

1980-01-01

Industrial recreation is becoming an important company support service. Budgets for recreation are modest compared to services offered and additional sources are needed. Employees take an active part in administration of programs. Competitive athletics, special social programs and local services are popular. (JAC)

New Direction of NASA Exploration Life Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambliss, Joe; Lawson, B. Michael; Barta, Daniel J.

2006-01-01

NASA's activities in life support Research and Technology Development (R&TD) have changed in both focus and scope following implementation of recommendations from the Exploration System Architecture Study (ESAS). The limited resources available and the compressed schedule to conduct life support R&TD have required that future efforts address the needs of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) and Lunar Outpost (LO). Advanced Life Support (ALS) efforts related to long duration planetary bases have been deferred or canceled. This paper describes the scope of the new Exploration Life Support (ELS) project; how it differs from ALS, and how it supports critical needs for the CEV, LSAM and LO. In addition, this paper provides rationale for changes in the scope and focus of technical content within ongoing life support R&TD activities.

Optimizing the Office Visit for Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs.

PubMed

Nathawad, Rita; Hanks, Christopher

2017-08-01

Youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) experience health care disparities and often need additional support to receive optimal medical care, particularly in adolescence as they prepare to transition to adult care. Many medical practices struggle to address their needs. Here, we discuss approaches to improve medical care in office-based settings for YSHCN. Office visits can be optimized by training staff in developmentally appropriate care and ensuring that the physical office space facilitates care. Participating in previsit preparation, including managing patient registries of YSHCN, engaging in regular team huddles, and incorporating previsit planning, can improve preparation and ensure that important needs are not overlooked. Additionally, approaches to improve patient and medical provider comfort with office visits with YSHCN, including approaches to measuring vital signs, examining patients, and communicating with patients with various disabilities, are reviewed. Finally, we discuss methods of supporting adolescents with special health care needs in developing self-management skills that will allow them to be better prepared to enter adult health care settings when appropriate. Although YSHCN can present challenges to medical teams, their care can be improved by developing office-based changes and processes to support improved care for these patients. This may help overcome the health care disparities they experience and increase comfort for all members of the medical team. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Beyond the Call of Duty: A Qualitative Study of Teachers' Additional Responsibilities Related to Sexuality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Marla E.; Madsen, Nikki; Oliphant, Jennifer A.; Resnick, Michael

2011-01-01

Seven focus groups were conducted with sexuality educators in Minnesota to explore ways that teaching sexuality education differs from teaching other health education content and to determine if additional supports or resources are needed for sexuality educators. Teachers described many specific additional responsibilities or concerns related to…

Do Hospitals Support Second Victims? Collective Insights From Patient Safety Leaders in Maryland.

PubMed

Edrees, Hanan H; Morlock, Laura; Wu, Albert W

2017-09-01

Second victims-defined as health care providers who are emotionally traumatized after a patient adverse event-may not receive needed emotional support. Although most health care organizations have an employee assistance program (EAP), second victims may be reluctant to access this service because of worries about confidentiality. A study was conducted to describe the extent to which organizational support for second victims is perceived as desirable by patient safety officers in acute care hospitals in Maryland and to identify existing support programs. Semistructured interviews (using existing and newly developed questions) were conducted with 43 patient safety representatives from 38 of the 46 acute care hospitals in Maryland (83% response rate). All but one of the responding hospitals offered EAP services to their employees, but there were gaps in the services provided related to timeliness, EAP staff's ability to relate to clinical providers, and physical accessibility. There were no valid measures in place to assess the effectiveness of EAP services. Participants identified a need for peer support, both for the second victim and potentially for individuals who provide that support. Six (16%) of the 38 hospitals had second victim support programs, which varied in structure, accessibility, and outcomes, while an additional 5 hospitals (13%) were developing such a program. Patient safety officers thought their organizations should reevaluate the support currently provided by their EAPs, and consider additional peer support mechanisms. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Concurrent Validity of Office Discipline Referrals and Cut Points Used in Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Kent; Campbell, Amy L.; Carter, Deborah Russell; Zumbo, Bruno D.

2009-01-01

Office discipline referrals (ODRs) are commonly used by school teams implementing schoolwide positive behavior support to indicate individual student need for additional behavior support. However, little is known about the technical adequacy of ODRs when used in this manner. In this study, the authors assessed (a) the concurrent validity of number…

The Antecedents of Coaches' Interpersonal Behaviors: The Role of the Coaching Context, Coaches' Psychological Needs, and Coaches' Motivation.

PubMed

Rocchi, Meredith; Pelletier, Luc G

2017-10-01

This study explored how the coaching context influences coaches' psychological needs, motivation, and reported interpersonal behaviors, using self-determination theory. In Study 1, 56 coaches identified how contextual factors influence their coaching experience. Coaches identified administration, athlete motivation, colleagues, parents, professional development, time, and work-life as having the largest impact on them. In Study 2, 424 coaches reported on their perceptions of the factors identified in Study 1 and their psychological needs, motivation, and interpersonal behaviors. Structural equation modeling analyses suggested perceptions of the coaching context supported or thwarted their psychological needs, which positively or negatively predicted their autonomous and controlled motivation. Coaches' autonomous motivation predicted their reported supportive interpersonal behaviors and controlled motivation predicted thwarting behaviors. Overall, the results provided additional support for understanding how the coaching context, coaches' psychological needs, and their motivation for coaching relate to their coaching behaviors.

Longitudinal associations between case management and supportive services use among black and Latina HIV-positive women in New York City.

PubMed

Halkitis, Perry N; Kupprat, Sandra A; Mukherjee, Preetika Pandey

2010-01-01

The literature analyzing the relationship between case management and supportive service use longitudinally among African American and Latina HIV-positive women is limited. This retrospective analysis of participant case management, supportive service, and medical charts sought to examine both descriptive and relational data on use of case management and supportive services over a 2-year period from 2002 to 2005 and to analyze moderating person- level or institution-level factors. The analyzed case management, supportive service, and medical charts revealed that participants interacted with their case manager four times and received 3.6 supportive services per month. Transportation, primary healthcare/medical specialists, and support groups were the services most used, with rates ranging from 70% to 80%. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), the unconditional growth models showed that case management and supportive service use patterns remained constant over the 24-month period. Additionally, the multivariate unconditional model suggests a significant positive relationship between case management and supportive services. No moderation was indicated in the association between case management and supportive service use by person-level (e.g., mental illness, substance use) and institution-level (i.e., service delivery model) factors. Participants use supportive and case management services in a similar manner based on individual need. This synergistic relationship suggests that increases in either may result in retaining women in care. Implications for service delivery point to the need for skills building training for case managers, outreach workers, or system navigators to assist with short-term goals of establishing rapport and maintaining the client relationship, as this may lead to HIV-positive women accessing services. Additionally, outreach and engagement strategies need to be developed for those who typically underuse these services.

Issues in Biomedical Research Data Management and Analysis: Needs and Barriers

PubMed Central

Anderson, Nicholas R.; Lee, E. Sally; Brockenbrough, J. Scott; Minie, Mark E.; Fuller, Sherrilynne; Brinkley, James; Tarczy-Hornoch, Peter

2007-01-01

Objectives A. Identify the current state of data management needs of academic biomedical researchers. B. Explore their anticipated data management and analysis needs. C. Identify barriers to addressing those needs. Design A multimodal needs analysis was conducted using a combination of an online survey and in-depth one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Subjects were recruited via an e-mail list representing a wide range of academic biomedical researchers in the Pacific Northwest. Measurements The results from 286 survey respondents were used to provide triangulation of the qualitative analysis of data gathered from 15 semi-structured in-depth interviews. Results Three major themes were identified: 1) there continues to be widespread use of basic general-purpose applications for core data management; 2) there is broad perceived need for additional support in managing and analyzing large datasets; and 3) the barriers to acquiring currently available tools are most commonly related to financial burdens on small labs and unmet expectations of institutional support. Conclusion Themes identified in this study suggest that at least some common data management needs will best be served by improving access to basic level tools such that researchers can solve their own problems. Additionally, institutions and informaticians should focus on three components: 1) facilitate and encourage the use of modern data exchange models and standards, enabling researchers to leverage a common layer of interoperability and analysis; 2) improve the ability of researchers to maintain provenance of data and models as they evolve over time though tools and the leveraging of standards; and 3) develop and support information management service cores that could assist in these previous components while providing researchers with unique data analysis and information design support within a spectrum of informatics capabilities. PMID:17460139

Diabetes empowerment and needs for self-management support among people with type 2 diabetes in a rural inland community in northern Sweden.

PubMed

Isaksson, Ulf; Hajdarevic, Senada; Abramsson, MaiGreth; Stenvall, Jessica; Hörnsten, Åsa

2015-09-01

Self-management among people with T2D includes being responsible for attaining a blood sugar level within the normal range, eating healthy food, exercising and following prescriptions for medication, something that may need support. In rural areas, access to health care may be limited, and support from family members becomes important. The aim of this study was to describe perceptions and associations of diabetes empowerment, self-management ability and needs of self-management support among people with T2D in a northern rural community of Sweden. People with T2D (n = 159) living a rural municipality in northern Sweden answered the SWE-DES-23 questionnaire and additional questions concerning self-management and needs for self-management support. A higher diabetes empowerment was associated with longer diabetes duration and support from healthcare professionals and relatives. Women rated a need for self-management support significantly higher than men did. Nonretired persons rated a significantly higher need for self-management support and a lower perception of support from healthcare professionals compared to retired persons. Cohabitant persons had a significantly higher perception of support from relatives and also estimated a higher need for relatives' involvement in clinical visits compared to persons living alone. Both the newly diagnosed and also those people with a diabetes duration of 10-15 years rated a higher need for group support. Higher self-awareness and readiness to change were apparent among people with short and long diabetes duration. Furthermore, self-management ability, support from healthcare professionals and from relatives and lastly diabetes duration was associated with diabetes empowerment. Not only people newly diagnosed with T2D should be offered patient-centred group support, strengthening patient empowerment. For future, family-focused care and education and training in person-centred care among diabetes specialist nurses is recommended. © 2014 Nordic College of Caring Science.

What Do Secondary Computer Science Teachers Need? Examining Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Contextual Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadik, Olgun

2017-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to identify secondary computer science (CS) teachers' needs, related to knowledge, skills, and school setting, to create more effective CS education in the United States. In addition, this study examined how these needs change based on the participants' years of teaching experience as well as their background…

Family Resource Coalition Report. Focus: Families of Children with Special Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Family Resource Coalition Report, 1988

1988-01-01

This special issue of a periodical focuses on building support and resources for families of children with special needs. It contains 13 articles in addition to descriptions of 10 programs serving special needs families at the local level, a list of 15 resource organizations and 10 publications/audiovisual aids, and a message from the coalition's…

Supportive care needs of women with breast cancer in rural Scotland.

PubMed

Hubbard, Gill; Venning, Christine; Walker, Alison; Scanlon, Karen; Kyle, Richard G

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to identify the supportive care needs and unmet needs of women with breast cancer (BC) in rural Scotland. In 2013, a survey of supportive care needs of rural women with BC was conducted using the short-form Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34). Semi-structured interviews were subsequently conducted with a purpose sample of questionnaire respondents. Forty-four women with BC completed the survey and ten were interviewed. Over half of participants reported at least one moderate to high unmet need (56.8 %, n = 25), a tenth reported low needs (11.4 %, n = 5), and around a third reported no unmet needs for all 34 items (31.8 %, n = 14). The most prevalent moderate to high needs were 'being informed about cancer in remission' (31.8 %, n = 14), 'fears about the cancer spreading' (27.3 %, n = 12), 'being adequately informed about the benefits and side-effects of treatment' and 'concerns about the worries of those close to you' (both 25.0 %, n = 11). Interviews highlighted the following unmet needs: information about treatment and side effects, overview of care, fear of recurrence, impact on family and distance from support. Rural women with BC report similar unmet needs to their urban counterparts. Fear of recurrence is a key unmet need that should be addressed for all women with BC. However, they also report unique unmet needs because of rural location. Thus, it is critical that cancer services address the additional unmet needs of rural women with BC and, in particular, needs relating to distance from services.

Easing the transition: sSupport for the new graduate nurse in long-term care.

PubMed

Burgess, Jennifer; D'Hondt, Allison

2007-01-01

As our population continues to age, more nurses will be needed to enter the specialty of LTC nursing to meet the needs of our senior population. To promote this area of nursing and retain new graduate nurses in LTC, more research is required to support the specific challenges faced by LTC nurses compared with those of other areas of nursing. The authors suggest implementation of support strategies that may include a formal preceptorship program of at least one month in duration, additional clinical support on night shifts, coaching and mentoring models, learning opportunities based on a learning needs assessment, and orientation to the overall culture and environment of the home including time spent with all departments. LTC homes need to examine their approaches to leadership, providing comprehensive orientation and resource support for new graduates and developing strategies specific to their organization's mission and vision that will empower and provide support to ease the unique transition to LTC. These strategies lead to promoting positive relationships, professional development and overall positive outcomes with workplace satisfaction in the LTC setting. The authors encourage federal and provincial government officials to examine this more closely and to better support this effort with the financial resources that are greatly needed in LTC homes to provide the exemplary care that our seniors deserve.

Using a supportive care framework to understand and improve palliative care among cancer patients in Africa.

PubMed

Busolo, David S; Woodgate, Roberta L

2016-06-01

Cancer incidence and mortality are increasing in Africa, which is leading to greater demands for palliative care. There has been little progress in terms of research, pain management, and policies related to palliative care. Palliative care in Africa is scarce and scattered, with most African nations lacking the basic services. To address these needs, a guiding framework that identifies care needs and directs palliative care services could be utilized. Therefore, using the supportive care framework developed by Fitch (Fitch, 2009), we here review the literature on palliative care for patients diagnosed with cancer in Africa and make recommendations for improvement. The PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Medline databases were searched. Some 25 English articles on research from African countries published between 2004 and 2014 were selected and reviewed. The reviewed literature was analyzed and presented using the domains of the supportive care framework. Palliative care patients with cancer in Africa, their families, and caregivers experience increasing psychological, physical, social, spiritual, emotional, informational, and practical needs. Care needs are often inadequately addressed because of a lack of awareness as well as deficient and scattered palliative care services and resources. In addition, there is sparse research, education, and policies that address the dire situation in palliative care. Our review findings add to the existing body of knowledge demonstrating that palliative care patients with cancer in Africa experience disturbing care needs in all domains of the supportive care framework. To better assess and address these needs, holistic palliative care that is multidomain and multi-professional could be utilized. This approach needs to be individualized and to offer better access to services and information. In addition, research, education, and policies around palliative care for cancer patients in Africa could be more comprehensive if they were based on the domains of the supportive care framework.

Realities and Challenges of Support for Children with Special Needs in Nursery Schools

PubMed Central

Ishiguro, Kaori; Yoshioka, Shin-ichi

2016-01-01

Background Nursery schools and kindergartens have been struggling to cope with increasing numbers of children with special needs. Hence, we conducted a study on what nursery school teachers (NSTs) will require regarding learning and societal resources for supporting such children in the future. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted for 2,476 NSTs employed in 154 nursery schools in Shimane and Kochi Prefectures. The questionnaires were sent by post to officials at each nursery school. The completed questionnaires were collected by the school officials and returned by post. In addition to statistical processing of the survey results, the content of the free description responses was analyzed using the KJ method. Results Responses were obtained from 1,509 NSTs at 118 nursery schools. Of the respondents, 90.7% had experienced difficulties coping with children with special needs, and 83.9% were in charge of caring for such children. Such children were enrolled in every childcare facility participating in the survey. The NSTs primarily needed to learn about specific coping methods, the illness, and skills for supporting parents; concerning the societal resources, they needed the addition of assistant NSTs, the implementation of age-five check-up, and the recruitment of mentors. The free description responses were categorized into the following five categories: demand for child care administration, cooperation with professional staff, support for parents, developmental health checkups, and on-site needs for nursery childcare. One of the specific demands was to develop human resources capable of providing parents with appropriate advice. Conclusion The results have shown that all NSTs are required to deal with children with special needs. Future challenges for providing support for such children are: ⅰ) to raise awareness of such children; ⅱ) to eliminate regional disparities; ⅲ) to provide professional training for NSTs specializing in developmental disorders; ⅳ) to train and re-educate assistant NSTs and ⅴ) to enhance infant screening. PMID:27046948

Realities and Challenges of Support for Children with Special Needs in Nursery Schools.

PubMed

Ishiguro, Kaori; Yoshioka, Shin-Ichi

2016-03-01

Nursery schools and kindergartens have been struggling to cope with increasing numbers of children with special needs. Hence, we conducted a study on what nursery school teachers (NSTs) will require regarding learning and societal resources for supporting such children in the future. A questionnaire survey was conducted for 2,476 NSTs employed in 154 nursery schools in Shimane and Kochi Prefectures. The questionnaires were sent by post to officials at each nursery school. The completed questionnaires were collected by the school officials and returned by post. In addition to statistical processing of the survey results, the content of the free description responses was analyzed using the KJ method. Responses were obtained from 1,509 NSTs at 118 nursery schools. Of the respondents, 90.7% had experienced difficulties coping with children with special needs, and 83.9% were in charge of caring for such children. Such children were enrolled in every childcare facility participating in the survey. The NSTs primarily needed to learn about specific coping methods, the illness, and skills for supporting parents; concerning the societal resources, they needed the addition of assistant NSTs, the implementation of age-five check-up, and the recruitment of mentors. The free description responses were categorized into the following five categories: demand for child care administration, cooperation with professional staff, support for parents, developmental health checkups, and on-site needs for nursery childcare. One of the specific demands was to develop human resources capable of providing parents with appropriate advice. The results have shown that all NSTs are required to deal with children with special needs. Future challenges for providing support for such children are: ⅰ) to raise awareness of such children; ⅱ) to eliminate regional disparities; ⅲ) to provide professional training for NSTs specializing in developmental disorders; ⅳ) to train and re-educate assistant NSTs and ⅴ) to enhance infant screening.

Improving Outcomes through Transformational Health and Social Care Integration - The Scottish Experience.

PubMed

Hendry, Anne; Taylor, Alison; Mercer, Stewart; Knight, Peter

2016-01-01

The Scottish Parliament recently passed legislation on integrating healthcare and social care to improve the quality and outcomes of care and support for people with multiple and complex needs across Scotland. This ambitious legislation provides a national framework to accelerate progress in person-centred and integrated care and support for the growing number of people who have multiple physical and mental health conditions and complex needs. Additional investment and improvement capacity is helping to commission support and services that are designed and delivered with people in local communities and in partnership with housing, community, voluntary and independent sectors.

Nursing role implications for family caregiving.

PubMed

Grant, Marcia; Ferrell, Betty

2012-11-01

To describe the clinical, education, and research roles of professional nurses caring for family caregivers. DATA SCORES: Review of literature and Websites on the professional nursing role and family caregivers. The growing number of family caregivers of cancer patients will need education and support. The professional oncology nurse is best suited to assess, teach, and support these family caregivers, as well as contribute to the evidence base of these areas of practice. Professional nurses caring for oncology patients need to expand their role to include additional support and education of family caregivers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expanding roles in a library-based bioinformatics service program: a case study

PubMed Central

Li, Meng; Chen, Yi-Bu; Clintworth, William A

2013-01-01

Question: How can a library-based bioinformatics support program be implemented and expanded to continuously support the growing and changing needs of the research community? Setting: A program at a health sciences library serving a large academic medical center with a strong research focus is described. Methods: The bioinformatics service program was established at the Norris Medical Library in 2005. As part of program development, the library assessed users' bioinformatics needs, acquired additional funds, established and expanded service offerings, and explored additional roles in promoting on-campus collaboration. Results: Personnel and software have increased along with the number of registered software users and use of the provided services. Conclusion: With strategic efforts and persistent advocacy within the broader university environment, library-based bioinformatics service programs can become a key part of an institution's comprehensive solution to researchers' ever-increasing bioinformatics needs. PMID:24163602

How can we deal with mental distress in the dissection room?-An evaluation of the need for psychological support.

PubMed

Boeckers, Anja; Brinkmann, Anke; Jerg-Bretzke, Lucia; Lamp, Christoph; Traue, Harald C; Boeckers, Tobias M

2010-12-20

The dissection course (DC) is an essential part of the preclinical medical curriculum that mediates professionalism. The process of dissecting, however, has an inherent additional stress potential. Our study determined student mental stress, their need of psychological support and factors influencing this need. A quantitative longitudinal query before, during and after the DC was performed including the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) as well as self-formulated questions used a 5-point Likert scale. Half of the students who anticipated dissection to be a stress factor reported that this declined significantly over time. Instead, student fear of not being able to cope with the work load increased significantly. As many as 64% of the students favored psychological support on the first course day, while 75% rejected this during the period of dissection and 39% appreciated this after the course. Moreover, 42% emphasized the importance of the funeral ceremony. Additionally, 75% documented their need for support in coping with stress and learning strategies. Gender, previous medical training, and BSI levels were identified as psychosocial influence factors. A majority of students named friends, members of their family or workmates as partners with whom they could talk about mental stress. Our results document the need to develop an optimum support during the DC taking into account the ascertained indicators. Exemplarily the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Ulm University suggests several options like a step by step approach for optimization. These measures reduce mental stress and help students to cope with it by the development of "detached concern" towards their "first patient" as this will decisively influence their future professional behavior. 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Towards Supporting Patient Decision-making In Online Diabetes Communities

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jing; Marmor, Rebecca; Huh, Jina

2017-01-01

As of 2014, 29.1 million people in the US have diabetes. Patients with diabetes have evolving information needs around complex lifestyle and medical decisions. As their conditions progress, patients need to sporadically make decisions by understanding alternatives and comparing options. These moments along the decision-making process present a valuable opportunity to support their information needs. An increasing number of patients visit online diabetes communities to fulfill their information needs. To understand how patients attempt to fulfill the information needs around decision-making in online communities, we reviewed 801 posts from an online diabetes community and included 79 posts for in-depth content analysis. The findings revealed motivations for posters’ inquiries related to decision-making including the changes in disease state, increased self-awareness, and conflict of information received. Medication and food were the among the most popular topics discussed as part of their decision-making inquiries. Additionally, We present insights for automatically identifying those decision-making inquiries to efficiently support information needs presented in online health communities. PMID:29854261

[Analysis of the factors related to the needs of patients with cancer].

PubMed

Lee, Jung A; Lee, Sun Hee; Park, Jong Hyock; Park, Jae Hyun; Kim, Sung Gyeong; Seo, Ju Hyun

2010-05-01

Limited research has investigated the specific needs of patients with cancer. This study was performed to explore patients needs and the related factors. The data were collected by 1 National Cancer Center and 9 regional cancer centers in Korea. An interview survey was performed with using a structured questionnaire for the subjects (2,661 patients who gave written informed consent to participate) survey 4 months after diagnosis and review of medical records. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. When comparing the relating factors related with patient needs to the sociodemographic characteristics, the female group showed a higher level of recognition for physical symptoms, social support needs. The younger group showed a significantly higher level of recognition for health care staff, psychological problems, information and education, social support, hospital services needs. In addition, the higher educated group showed a higher level of recognition for health care staff, physical symptoms, social support needs. The higher income and office workers group showed a higher level of recognition for hospital services needs. When comparing the relating factors related with patient needs to the cancer, the breast cancer group showed a higher level of recognition for all needs excluding physical symptoms, accessibility and financial support needs. The combined radiotherapy with surgery and chemotherapy group showed a higher level of recognition for psychological problems, information and education, social support needs. This study showed that needs on patient with cancer was significantly influenced by female, higher education, lower income, having religion, office worker, liver cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, chemotherapy, and combined therapy.

System Engineering Concept Demonstration, System Engineering Needs. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

changeability, and invisibility. "Software entities are perhaps more complex for their size than any other human construct..." In addition, software is... human actions and interactions that often fail or insufficient in large organizations. Specific needs in this area include the following: " Each...needed to accomplish incremental review and critique of information. * Automi ..-’ metrics support is needed for the measuring ikey quality aspects of

Pedagogy for Ethnic Minority Pupils with Special Educational Needs in England: Common yet Different?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Andrea Geok Poh; Ware, Jean; Norwich, Brahm

2017-01-01

The increasing ethnic diversity in the UK has highlighted the importance of supporting primary school pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL), some of whom also have special educational needs (SEN). However, there is relatively little research carried out in the UK on children with both EAL needs and SEN. This paper presents the…

Teacher-Education Student Perceptions for Stages of Concern Related to Integrating Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quadrini, Virginia Horak

2013-01-01

In this study, research includes support for technology integration in the classroom. The National Education Technology Plan Summary (2010) included research to support the requirement of teachers to integrate technology into instruction. Teacher-education student programs need to include additional training for integrating technology into…

Enhancing the Security Cooperation Marine Air Ground Task Force to Satisfy the Needs of the Uncertain Global Security Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-12

and 2004 National Military Strategy (NMS) continue to germinate . Discussions surrounding the spread of effective democracies and alternate...additional civil-military operation capabilities such as enhanced engineering, additional medical and dental support, and transportation tailored for

Psychosocial intervention for children with narcolepsy: Parents' expectations and perceived support.

PubMed

Kippola-Pääkkönen, Anu; Härkäpää, Kristiina; Valkonen, Jukka; Tuulio-Henriksson, Annamari; Autti-Rämö, Ilona

2016-04-18

The study focuses on the parents of children who were affected by narcolepsy after a pandemic influenza and vaccination campaign in Finland. The main aim of the study was to clarify parents' expectations and perceived support from the intervention and to assess their need for additional support. The data were gathered using questionnaires. Fifty-eight parents answered the baseline questionnaire and 40 parents the final questionnaire. Parents' expectations of and perceived support from the intervention mainly related to peer support. The intervention offered an arena for sharing information and experiences and provided encouragement for coping in everyday life. Many expectations were not met, especially those concerning information about needed services, financial benefits and availability of local support. The results highlight that for persons with rare disorders and their families, an inpatient psychosocial intervention can offer an important arena to receive both informal and professionally led peer support. Comprehensive psychosocial and other support services are also needed in the community. Listening to parents' perspectives on the intervention and perceived support can help to establish multiform family-centred support for families with children affected by a rare chronic disabling condition. © The Author(s) 2016.

Female partners of patients after surgical prostate cancer treatment: interactions with physicians and support needs

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Few studies have explored the women's experiences as a result of a partners' diagnosis of prostate cancer. This study begins to explore women's interactions with physicians (primary care and urologist) and the support needs associated with the diagnosis and treatment of their partners' prostate cancer. Methods Two focus groups (n = 14) of women whose partners were diagnosed with prostate cancer (diagnoses' 1 - 18 months). A trained facilitator used open-ended questions to explore ideas. The framework approach was used to analyze the transcripts. Results Three main themes emerged: 1. More support. Validation and information is needed for women including emotional support and opportunities to share experiences. 2. Role of the physician. The transfer of care once specialized treatment is no longer needed remained poorly defined, which increased confusion and feelings of abandonment related to the role of the primary physician. 3. Partners' relationship changes. Men became more dependent on their partners for support and to act as the primary communicator and caregiver. Conclusions Additional research is needed in this field to confirm the importance of training primary care physicians to consider holistic treatment approaches that recognize the partner and family needs as important in the complete physical and emotional healing of their patients. PMID:20211019

Space station needs, attributes and architectural options study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

All the candidate Technology Development missions investigated during the space station needs, attributes, and architectural options study are described. All the mission data forms plus additional information such as, cost, drawings, functional flows, etc., generated in support of these mission is included with a computer generated mission data form.

Capabilities Development for Transient Testing of Advanced Nuclear Fuels at TREAT

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

Woolstenhulme, N. E.; Baker, C. C.; Bess, J. D.

2016-09-01

The TREAT facility is a unique capability at the Idaho National Laboratory currently being prepared for resumption of nuclear transient testing. Accordingly, designs for several transient irradiation tests are being pursued to enable development of advanced nuclear fuels and materials. In addition to the reactor itself, the foundation for TREAT’s capabilities also include a suite of irradiation vehicles and supporting infrastructure to provide the desired specimen boundary conditions while supporting a variety of instrumentation needs. The challenge of creating these vehicles, especially since many of the modern data needs were not historically addressed in TREAT experiment vehicles, has necessitated amore » sizeable engineering effort. This effort is currently underway and maturing rapidly. This paper summarizes the status, future plans, and rationale for TREAT experiment vehicle capabilities. Much of the current progress is focused around understanding and demonstrating the behavior of fuel design with enhanced accident tolerance in water-cooled reactors. Additionally, several related efforts are underway to facilitate transient testing in liquid sodium, inert gas, and steam environments. This paper discusses why such a variety of capabilities are needed, outlines plans to accomplish them, and describes the relationship between transient data needs and the irradiation hardware that will support the gathering of this information.« less

Beyond Mentoring: A Review of Literature Detailing the Need for Additional and Alternative Forms of Support for Novice Music Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell-Robertson, Catherine G.

2015-01-01

Support for music teachers new to the profession is important and necessary. Some school districts use traditional mentor-mentee pairings as their primary support for novice music teachers; however, many factors in the professional lives of music teachers, such as traveling among multiple schools or a lack of subject-specific colleagues often…

43 CFR 3141.1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... may noncompetitively lease additional lands for ancillary facilities in a Special Tar Sand Area that are shown by an applicant to be needed to support any operations necessary for the recovery of tar... lease or permit to use additional lands shall be filed under the provisions of part 2920 of this title...

43 CFR 3141.1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... may noncompetitively lease additional lands for ancillary facilities in a Special Tar Sand Area that are shown by an applicant to be needed to support any operations necessary for the recovery of tar... lease or permit to use additional lands shall be filed under the provisions of part 2920 of this title...

Parents of children with Asperger syndrome or with learning disabilities: family environment and social support.

PubMed

Heiman, Tali; Berger, Ornit

2008-01-01

The study examined the family environment and perceived social support of 33 parents with a child diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and 43 parents with a child with learning disability, which were compared to 45 parents of children without disabilities as a control group. Parents completed the Family Environment Scale and Social Support Scale questionnaires. The comparison revealed significant differences for expressiveness and family system organization and for social support. Parents with an Asperger child perceived their family's expressive feelings as lower and the family organization as higher, and perceived their friendships and other support as lower than the other groups of parent. Parents of the control group reported the highest family support. The study highlighted the need for additional social support for parents with a child with special needs, and accentuated the importance of developing awareness and intervention programs to facilitate parents' coping abilities and their family interactions.

[Social support and living conditions in poor elderly people in urban Mexico].

PubMed

Pelcastre-Villafuerte, Blanca Estela; Treviño-Siller, Sandra; González-Vázquez, Tonatiuh; Márquez-Serrano, Margarita

2011-03-01

The aim of this paper was to analyze social support and living conditions among poor elderly people in Mexican cities. A qualitative study with eight focus groups was carried out in Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, Chilpancingo, and Culiacan, Mexico, in 2005. Forty men and 63 women participated in the study. The main support for the elderly in daily living came from their immediate family and in some cases from neighbors. Social support was basically material and economic, in addition to providing company and transportation for medical appointments. Daily emotional support, companionship, and social inclusion were minimal or absent. The study identified a significant lack of support from government and religious or civil society organizations. The family is still the main source of support for the elderly. Increased government collaboration is dramatically needed to combat the misconception that the needs of the elderly are the individual family's responsibility rather than a collaborative effort by society.

The need for psycho-oncological support for melanoma patients: Central role of patients' self-evaluation.

PubMed

Mayer, Simone; Teufel, Martin; Schaeffeler, Norbert; Keim, Ulrike; Garbe, Claus; Eigentler, Thomas Kurt; Zipfel, Stephan; Forschner, Andrea

2017-09-01

Despite an increasing number of promising treatment options, only a limited number of studies concerning melanoma patients' psycho-oncological distress have been carried out. However, multiple screening tools are in use to assess the need for psycho-oncological support. This study aimed first to identify parameters in melanoma patients that are associated with a higher risk for being psycho-oncologically distressed and second to compare patients' self-evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support with the results of established screening tools.We performed a cross-sectional study including 254 melanoma patients from the Center for Dermatooncology at the University of Tuebingen. The study was performed between June 2010 and February 2013. Several screening instruments were included: the Distress Thermometer (DT), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the patients' subjective evaluation concerning psycho-oncological support. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors that indicate the need for psycho-oncological support.Patients' subjective evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support, female gender, and psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment at present or in the past had the highest impact on values above threshold in the DT. The odds ratio of patients' self-evaluation (9.89) was even higher than somatic factors like female gender (1.85), duration of illness (0.99), or increasing age (0.97). Patients' self-evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support indicated a moderate correlation with the results of the screening tools included.In addition to the results obtained by screening tools like the DT, we could demonstrate that patients' self-evaluation is an important instrument to identify patients who need psycho-oncological support.

Protecting the world from secondhand tobacco smoke exposure: where do we stand and where do we go from here?

PubMed

Barnoya, Joaquin; Navas-Acien, Ana

2013-04-01

Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandates all signatory countries to "protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and indoor public places." Even though there has been great progress in the implementation of Article 8, still most of the world population remains exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). In this article, we sought to summarize the research that supports Article 8, where do we stand, and current research gaps and future directions. Secondhand smoke is an established cause of heart disease and several types of cancer. Additional research is needed to reach final conclusions for diseases where evidence is only suggestive of causality. The only solution to SHS exposure in public places is banning smoking indoors. Research on the gaming industry and nightclubs, particularly in developing countries, needs to be disseminated to support their inclusion in smoke-free laws. Aside from indoor bans, additional research is needed for outdoor and multiunit housing bans and in support of measures that protect children and other vulnerable populations. The impact of smoke-free laws on other health outcomes, besides heart disease and respiratory outcomes, is another area where further research is needed. Thirdhand smoke assessment and health effects are also likely to be a topic of further research. As new tobacco products emerge, evaluating SHS exposure and effects will be vital. Furthering research in support of Article 8 can contribute to reach the final goal of protecting everyone from SHS exposure.

The support needs of parents having a child with a chronic kidney disease: a focus group study.

PubMed

Geense, W W; van Gaal, B G I; Knoll, J L; Cornelissen, E A M; van Achterberg, T

2017-11-01

Parents of children with a chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a crucial role in the management of their child's disease. The burden on parents is high: they are often exhausted, depressed and experience high levels of stress and a low quality of life, which could have a negative impact on their child's health outcomes. Support aiming at preventing and reducing parental stress is essential. Therefore, it is necessary to have insight in the problems and support needs among these parents. Our aim is to describe parents' support needs regarding the problems they experience in having a child with CKD. Five focus group interviews were conducted with parents of children: (i) with hereditary kidney disease, (ii) with nephrotic syndrome, (iii) with chronic kidney failure, (iv) using dialysis and (v) after renal transplantation. The children were treated at a paediatric nephrology unit in one university hospital in the Netherlands. The data were thematically analysed. Twenty-one parents participated in the focus groups. Parents need more information about their child's CKD and treatment options, and managing their own hobbies and work. Furthermore, parents need emotional support from their partner, family, friends, peers and healthcare professionals to help them cope with the disease of their child. Additionally, parents need practical support to hand over their care and support in transport, financial management and regarding their child at school. Needs regarding balancing their personal life are seldom prioritized by parents as the child's needs are considered more important. Therefore, it is important that healthcare professionals should not only attend to the abilities of parents concerning their child's disease management, but also focus on the parents' abilities in balancing their responsibilities as a caregiver with their own personal life. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Count Us In. Achieving Success for Deaf Pupils. Practical Examples from Primary, Secondary, and Special Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, 2007

2007-01-01

"Count Us in: Achieving Success for Deaf Pupils" is a timely report. It comes when schools are becoming more confident in dealing with a wide range of additional support for learning needs. Schools are also more aware that they need to personalise experiences in order to meet pupils' learning needs. The report does point to strengths…

Teacher Support Resources, Need Satisfaction and Well-Being.

PubMed

Doménech-Betoret, Fernando; Lloret-Segura, Susana; Gómez-Artiga, Amparo

2015-03-03

Based on Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R), this study examines the relationships among teacher support resources, psychological need satisfaction, engagement and burnout in a sample of 282 Spanish secondary school teachers. Nine teacher psychological needs were identified based on the study of Bess and on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Self-report questionnaires were used to measure the constructs selected for this study and their interrelationships were examined by structural equation modeling. The results reveal a good model fit to the data (NNFI = .88; CFI = .90; GFI = .90; RMSEA = .061). The analyses indicate a positive and significant effect of latent variable Psychological Need Satisfaction on engagement (β = .74, p < .05), and a negative and significant effect on burnout (β = -.78, p ≤ .05). Furthermore, the results show the mediator role played by Psychological Need Satisfaction in the relationship between teacher support resources and both engagement and burnout (additional paths did not improve the model fit: Δχ2(2) = 2.428, p = .29). Finally, practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Drug Control: Additional Performance Information Is Needed to Oversee the National Guard’s State Counterdrug Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

analysis General support a. Domestic cannabis suppression and eradication b. Transportation Reconnaissance and observation a. Ground...mapping analysis n/a n/a n/a 433 433 Training or administrative 5,321 1,431 3,650 2,878 13,281 General support Cannabis eradication 23,679

Catalogue Support Systems Study. Final Report for British Columbia Library Development Commission.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacDonald, R. W.; And Others

To determine the need for additional bibliographic resources in the libraries of British Columbia, Canada, an evaluation was undertaken which included visits to libraries and existing operational catalog support systems, and meetings with advisory committees. Recommendations included: (1) implementation of a province-wide, on-line catalog system;…

K-3 Support: Blending Teaching, Counseling, and Social Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derrington, Mary Lynne; Mendonsa, Cathie

1992-01-01

To meet student needs, the Port Angeles School District (Washington) K-3 Support Program has certified staff that serve as a blend of social service providers, counselors, and teachers. They provide in-class lessons, staff consultation, direct student services, and parenting classes. Appended is a list of eight additional resources. (MLF)

The Influence of Kinetic Structure in Films on Biology Students' Achievement and Attitude.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, Ellen Stephanie

1980-01-01

Tested and supported was the hypothesis that students receiving high-structured film narrations will acquire more knowledge and will respond more favorably than those receiving low-structured film narrations. Results contribute additional data to evidence supporting the need for critical application of the kinetic structure theory in evaluating…

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

Wahanani, Nursinta Adi, E-mail: sintaadi@batan.go.id; Natsir, Khairina, E-mail: sintaadi@batan.go.id; Hartini, Entin, E-mail: sintaadi@batan.go.id

Data processing software packages such as VSOP and MCNPX are softwares that has been scientifically proven and complete. The result of VSOP and MCNPX are huge and complex text files. In the analyze process, user need additional processing like Microsoft Excel to show informative result. This research develop an user interface software for output of VSOP and MCNPX. VSOP program output is used to support neutronic analysis and MCNPX program output is used to support burn-up analysis. Software development using iterative development methods which allow for revision and addition of features according to user needs. Processing time with this softwaremore » 500 times faster than with conventional methods using Microsoft Excel. PYTHON is used as a programming language, because Python is available for all major operating systems: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS/2, Mac, Amiga, among others. Values that support neutronic analysis are k-eff, burn-up and mass Pu{sup 239} and Pu{sup 241}. Burn-up analysis used the mass inventory values of actinide (Thorium, Plutonium, Neptunium and Uranium). Values are visualized in graphical shape to support analysis.« less

Toward a Cultural Advancement of Tinto's Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guiffrida, Douglas A.

2006-01-01

Despite the broad appeal of Tinto's (1993) theory, it is not well supported by empirical research, especially when applied to minority students. While prior critiques of the theory indicate the need to modify Tinto's concept of "breaking away" when applying the theory to diverse students, research suggests a need for additional refinements. In…

A Conceptual Framework for Tiered Intervention in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dauenhauer, Brian; Keating, Xiaofen; Lambdin, Dolly; Knipe, Robert

2017-01-01

Our goal as physical educators is to help all students develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be physically active for a lifetime. Despite efforts to address the diverse needs of students through quality physical education, the reality is that some students still need additional support beyond physical education to achieve their full…

The nitrogen index as a tool to reduce nitrogen loss to the environment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Continued population growth creates a need for increased productivity of agricultural systems around the world. Increased agricultural productivity will be needed to support a population that is anticipated to have an additional 2.5 billion people by the year 2050. Nitrogen was part of the 20th cent...

Implementing California's School Funding Formula: Will High-Need Students Benefit?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Laura; Ugo, Iwunze

2015-01-01

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) reformed California's K-12 school finance system. It replaced a patchwork of formulas and specific (or "categorical") programs with a focus on local control, funding equity, and additional support for the large share of students (63%) who are "high needs"--that is, low-income, English…

Psychosocial burden and desire for support in outpatients with skin cancer.

PubMed

Buchhold, Britta; Wiesmann, Ulrich; Bahlmann, Johannes; Lutze, Stine; Eggert, Claudia; Arnold, Andreas; Daeschlein, Georg; Jünger, Michael; Hannich, Hans-Joachim

2016-04-01

An important basis for adequate psycho-oncological and psychosocial care of cancer patients is the regular assessment of their psychosocial distress and thus their need for care. For this purpose, there are numerous questionnaires available. The objective of the present study was to assess whether distressed patients require professional support and which screening instrument outpatients with skin cancer prefer. In a cross-sectional survey, we asked outpatients with skin cancer to fill out three questionnaires assessing psychosocial stress, and to indicate which one they considered most adequate. Patients were offered the following three instruments: Hornheide Questionnaire (27 items), Hornheide Screening Instrument (7 items), and the Distress Thermometer. In addition, we inquired about the patients' desire for support. (1) Comparing subjective distress and patients' declared desire for support revealed a marked divergence. While one-third of the 137 patients were identified as being in need of care, only 11.5% of the sample requested such support. (2) 63.7% of patients chose the long version of the Hornheide Questionnaire. In addition to their psychosocial burden, patients' desire for support should be assessed. Moreover, apart from screening tools, other ways to provide access to psychosocial care should be considered. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

43 CFR 3140.6 - Use of additional lands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... facilities in a Special Tar Sand Area that are needed to support any operations necessary for the recovery of... be filed at the time a plan of operations is filed. (b) A lease for the use of additional lands shall... include, but are not limited to, reservoirs, pipelines, electrical generation systems, transmission lines...

Manned Mars mission accommodation: Sprint mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cirillo, William M.; Kaszubowski, Martin J.; Ayers, J. Kirk; Llewellyn, Charles P.; Weidman, Deene J.; Meredith, Barry D.

1988-01-01

The results of a study conducted at the NASA-LaRC to assess the impacts on the Phase 2 Space Station of Accommodating a Manned Mission to Mars are documented. In addition, several candidate transportation node configurations are presented to accommodate the assembly and verification of the Mars Mission vehicles. This study includes an identification of a life science research program that would need to be completed, on-orbit, prior to mission departure and an assessment of the necessary orbital technology development and demonstration program needed to accomplish the mission. Also included is an analysis of the configuration mass properties and a preliminary analysis of the Space Station control system sizing that would be required to control the station. Results of the study indicate the Phase 2 Space Station can support a manned mission to Mars with the addition of a supporting infrastructure that includes a propellant depot, assembly hangar, and a heavy lift launch vehicle to support the large launch requirements.

Different models to mobilize peer support to improve diabetes self-management and clinical outcomes: evidence, logistics, evaluation considerations and needs for future research.

PubMed

Heisler, Michele

2010-06-01

Much of diabetes care needs to be carried out by patients between office visits with their health care providers. Yet, many patients face difficulties carrying out these tasks. In addition, many adults with diabetes cannot count on effective support from their families and friends to help them with their self-management. Peer support programmes are a promising approach to enhance social and emotional support, assist patients in daily management and living with diabetes and promote linkages to clinical care. This background paper provides a brief overview of different approaches to mobilize peer support for diabetes self-management support, discusses evidence to date on the effectiveness of each of these models, highlights logistical and evaluation issues for each model and concludes with a discussion of directions for future research in this area.

Different models to mobilize peer support to improve diabetes self-management and clinical outcomes: evidence, logistics, evaluation considerations and needs for future research

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Much of diabetes care needs to be carried out by patients between office visits with their health care providers. Yet, many patients face difficulties carrying out these tasks. In addition, many adults with diabetes cannot count on effective support from their families and friends to help them with their self-management. Peer support programmes are a promising approach to enhance social and emotional support, assist patients in daily management and living with diabetes and promote linkages to clinical care. This background paper provides a brief overview of different approaches to mobilize peer support for diabetes self-management support, discusses evidence to date on the effectiveness of each of these models, highlights logistical and evaluation issues for each model and concludes with a discussion of directions for future research in this area. PMID:19293400

American Indian Women Cancer Survivor's Needs and Preferences: Community Support for Cancer Experiences.

PubMed

Burnette, Catherine E; Roh, Soonhee; Liddell, Jessica; Lee, Yeon-Shim

2018-03-15

Cancer (the focus of this inquiry) is the leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women. The purpose of this study was to identify American Indian women cancer survivors' needs and preferences related to community supports for their cancer experience. This qualitative study examined female American Indian cancer survivors' needs and preferences about community support. The sample included 43 American Indian women cancer survivors (the types of cancer survivors included cervical cancer: n = 14; breast cancer: n = 14; and colon and other types: n = 15) residing in the Northern Plains region, in the state of South Dakota. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and were collected between June of 2014 and February of 2015. When asked about their needs and preferences, 82% of participants (n = 35) of female American Indian cancer survivors reported at least one of the following most commonly reported themes: cancer support groups (n = 31, 72%), infrastructure for community support (n = 17, 40%), and cancer education (n = 11, 26%). In addition to the aforementioned themes, 33% of participants (n = 14) indicated the need for an improved healthcare system, with 11% (n = 5) of participants expressly desiring the integration of spirituality and holistic healing options. The majority of American Indian women cancer survivor participants of this study identified a need for more community-based support systems and infrastructures to aid with the cancer survivor experience. Results warrant a community approach to raise awareness, education, and support for American Indian cancer survivors.

"I might not have cancer if you didn't mention it": a qualitative study on information needed by culturally diverse cancer survivors.

PubMed

O'Callaghan, Clare; Schofield, Penelope; Butow, Phyllis; Nolte, Linda; Price, Melanie; Tsintziras, Spiri; Sze, Ming; Thein, Thida; Yiu, Dorothy; Mireskandari, Shab; Goldstein, David; Jefford, Michael

2016-01-01

Immigrants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds diagnosed with cancer face multiple challenges with health systems foreign to them. There is scarce understanding about their needs following cancer treatment in the survivorship phase. Unmet needs were examined in immigrant Chinese and Greek cancer survivors in order to assist development of relevant and useful information resources for these CALD groups. Qualitative descriptive design was used. Adult cancer survivors, whose native language was Mandarin, Cantonese or Greek, were recruited through ethnic cancer support groups and cancer specialists in two Australian cities. Six focus groups were conducted, two in each native language group. Recorded responses were transcribed, translated into English, and thematically analysed. Thirty-nine CALD cancer survivors participated from Greek (11), Cantonese (14) and Mandarin (14) backgrounds. Thematic findings included as follows: ongoing cancer-related stressors, cancer misunderstandings, coping strategies, 'survivor' seldom reflects self-appraisal, and additional CALD survivorship information needed. Immigrant cancer survivors may prefer 'recovery' to 'survivorship' descriptors and need information similar to Caucasian cancer survivors alongside as follows: resources for navigating health care, financial and community entitlements; caregiver-directed information to enhance their support; explanations about differences in health care approaches between survivors' original and adopted countries; and acknowledgment of survivorship diversity within CALD groups. Immigrant cancer survivors' additional requirements to native survivors likely reflect challenges in dealing with foreign environments and varied levels of acculturation within group members. Identification of immigrant cancer survivorship issues may support development of targeted resources for promoting survivors' self-care and capacity for finding, choosing, and using existing support options.

Stakeholders' Voices: Defining Needs of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Transitioning between School Settings.

PubMed

Buchanan, Rohanna; Nese, Rhonda N T; Clark, Miriam

2016-05-01

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) too often do not receive adequate services or care in their school settings, particularly during transitions in educational placements. In addition, school support teams often struggle with creating transition plans that honor the needs of students with input from key stakeholders responsible for supporting student success. This article presents findings from the information-gathering phase of an iterative project that aims to develop a support program for students with EBD transitioning from day-treatment schools to district schools. We conducted 5 semistructured, qualitative focus groups with parents and teachers to explore needs during students' transitions between school settings. Five themes emerged from the focus groups: (a) consistent, behavior-specific feedback and positive reinforcement are vital to sustaining learned prosocial skills; (b) students benefit from regular opportunities to learn and practice social skills; (c) transition programming should emphasize communication between school and home; (d) routines at home and school should be coordinated; and (e) parents need support at school meetings. We will use findings from this study to develop a multifaceted intervention that aims to support students, their caregivers, and their teachers during transitions between the aforementioned types of schools.

Stakeholders’ Voices: Defining Needs of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Transitioning between School Settings

PubMed Central

Buchanan, Rohanna; Nese, Rhonda N. T.; Clark, Miriam

2017-01-01

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) too often do not receive adequate services or care in their school settings, particularly during transitions in educational placements. In addition, school support teams often struggle with creating transition plans that honor the needs of students with input from key stakeholders responsible for supporting student success. This article presents findings from the information-gathering phase of an iterative project that aims to develop a support program for students with EBD transitioning from day-treatment schools to district schools. We conducted 5 semistructured, qualitative focus groups with parents and teachers to explore needs during students’ transitions between school settings. Five themes emerged from the focus groups: (a) consistent, behavior-specific feedback and positive reinforcement are vital to sustaining learned prosocial skills; (b) students benefit from regular opportunities to learn and practice social skills; (c) transition programming should emphasize communication between school and home; (d) routines at home and school should be coordinated; and (e) parents need support at school meetings. We will use findings from this study to develop a multifaceted intervention that aims to support students, their caregivers, and their teachers during transitions between the aforementioned types of schools. PMID:29706679

Self Reflections of Undergraduate Students on Using Web-Supported Counterintuitive Science Demonstrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, David Devraj; Dunn, Jessica

2018-03-01

Analysis of self-reflections of undergraduate education students in a project involving web-supported counterintuitive science demonstrations is reported in this paper. Participating students (N = 19) taught science with counterintuitive demonstrations in local elementary school classrooms and used web-based resources accessed via wireless USB adapters. Student reflections to seven questions were analyzed qualitatively using four components of reflection (meeting objectives/perception of learning, dynamics of pedagogy, special needs accommodations, improving teaching) deriving 27 initial data categories and 12 emergent themes. Overall the undergraduates reported meeting objectives, engaging students in pedagogically relevant learning tasks including, providing accommodations to students with special needs, and gaining practice and insight to improve their own teaching. Additional research is needed to arrive at generalizable findings concerning teaching with web-supported counterintuitive science demonstrations in elementary classrooms.

Resolving mobility constraints impeding rural seniors' access to regionalized services.

PubMed

Ryser, Laura; Halseth, Greg

2012-01-01

Rural and small town places in developed economies are aging. While attention has been paid to the local transportation needs of rural seniors, fewer researchers have explored their regional transportation needs. This is important given policies that have reduced and regionalized many services and supports. This article explores mobility constraints impeding rural seniors' access to regionalized services using the example of northern British Columbia. Drawing upon several qualitative studies, we explore geographical, maintenance, organizational, communication, human resources, infrastructure, and financial constraints that affect seniors' regional mobility. Our findings indicate that greater coordination across multiple government agencies and jurisdictions is needed and more supportive policies and resources must be in place to facilitate a comprehensive regional transportation strategy. In addition to discussing the complexities of these geographies, the article identifies innovative solutions that have been deployed in northern British Columbia to support an aging population. This research provides a foundation for developing a comprehensive understanding of the key issues that need to be addressed to inform strategic investments in infrastructure and programs that support the regional mobility and, hence, healthy aging of rural seniors.

Beyond resettlement: long-term care for people who have had refugee-like experiences.

PubMed

Phillips, Christine

2014-11-01

Since 1945, more than 700 000 refugees and displaced persons, survivors of conflicts in over 60 countries, have resettled in Australia. Every general practitioner (GP) will have patients who have had refugee-like experiences. To describe the health needs of survivors of war and conflict in the immediate and long-term resettlement periods. In the immediate post-settlement period, refugees and asylum seekers will need assessment, catch-up primary healthcare and, in some cases, psychological support. Although refugees are generally a resilient group, enhanced support may be needed over key life periods: childbirth, rearing of young children and entering frail age. Asylum seekers (who do not have permanent visas) often face structural impediments to healthcare access and may be unable to meet basic health needs; GPs need to be aware of the enhanced need for psychological safety in addition to catch-up healthcare in this population.

The importance of social support for people with type 2 diabetes - a qualitative study with general practitioners, practice nurses and patients.

PubMed

Goetz, Katja; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Campbell, Stephen; Rosemann, Thomas; Rueter, Gernot; Raum, Elke; Brenner, Herrmann; Miksch, Antje

2012-01-01

Social support is an important element of family medicine within a primary care setting, delivered by general practitioners and practice nurses in addition to usual clinical care. The aim of the study was to explore general practitioner's, practice nurse's and people with type 2 diabetes' views, experiences and perspectives of the importance of social support in caring for people with type 2 diabetes and their role in providing social support. Interviews with general practitioners (n=10) and focus groups with practice nurses (n=10) and people with diabetes (n=9). All data were audio-recorded, fully transcribed and thematically analysed using qualitative content analysis by Mayring. All participants emphasized the importance of the concept of social support and its impacts on well-being of people with type 2 diabetes. Social support is perceived helpful for people with diabetes in order to improve diabetes control and give support for changes in lifestyle habits (physical activity and dietary changes). General practitioners identified a lack of information about facilities in the community like sports or self-help groups. Practice nurses emphasized that they need more training, such as in dietary counselling. Social support given by general practitioners and practice nurses plays a crucial role for people with type 2 diabetes and is an additional component of social care. However there is a need for an increased awareness by general practitioners and practice nurses about the influence social support could have on the individual's diabetes management.

Investigating Human Impact in the Environment with Faded Scaffolded Inquiry Supported by Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Todd; Longhurst, Max; Duffy, Aaron M.; Wolf, Paul G.; Nagy, Robin

2012-01-01

Teaching science as inquiry is advocated in all national science education documents and by leading science and science teaching organizations. In addition to teaching science as inquiry, we recognize that learning experiences need to connect to students' lives. This article details how we use a sequence of faded scaffolded inquiry supported by…

Teachers' and Education Support Professionals' Perspectives on Bullying and Prevention: Findings from a National Education Association Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Waasdorp, Tracy E.; O'Brennan, Lindsey M.; Gulemetova, Michaela

2013-01-01

Given growing concerns regarding the prevalence and seriousness of bullying, the National Education Association recently drew upon its membership to launch a national study of teachers' and education support professionals' perceptions of bullying, and need for additional training on bullying prevention efforts and school-wide policies. The data…

Statutory Assessment of the Class? Supporting the Additional Needs of the Learning Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rix, Jonathan

2009-01-01

This paper considers issues of funding of support for students facing difficulties in learning, and the role of assessment and labelling within this process. It explores the tensions within this process using a Foucauldian framework, and from the key perspectives of social justice and rights. Drawing on a range of literature it identifies the…

Operational Use of the US Army Reserve in Foreign Disaster Relief to Support the United States Government’s Strategic Use of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

FDR). Global climate change , urbanization, growing natural resources scarcity, and other factors will increase the need for humanitarian assistance......additional military support to the United States Government’s agencies in Foreign Disaster Relief (FDR). Global climate change , urbanization, growing

Image Understanding Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

architecture to support real-time, knowledge -based image understanding , and develop the software support environment that will be needed to utilize...NUMBER OF PAGES Image Understanding Architecture, Knowledge -Based Vision, AI Real-Time Computer Vision, Software Simulator, Parallel Processor IL PRICE... information . In addition to sensory and knowledge -based processing it is useful to introduce a level of symbolic processing. Thus, vision researchers

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (For Teens)

MedlinePlus

... prescribed for someone who has diarrhea a lot. Nutrition Therapy It is important for people with IBD ... Someone who's not growing well may need additional nutrition support. Looking Ahead Although it can be challenging ...

A content analysis of cognitive and affective uses of patient support groups for rare and uncommon vascular diseases: comparisons of may thurner, thoracic outlet, and superior mesenteric artery syndrome.

PubMed

Walker, Kimberly K

2015-01-01

Rare disease patients are the predominant group of patients who are now connecting online to patient support groups, yet research on their uses of support groups has received little attention. This is a content analysis of three vascular diseases of differing degrees of rarity. Wall posts from Facebook patient support groups for May Thurner syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, and superior mesenteric artery syndrome were analyzed over a period of two years. Using Uses and Gratifications as the theoretical framework, the study purpose was to assess how variations in health condition and rarity of condition affect online support group user needs. Results indicated common main cognitive and affective uses across conditions, indicating a consistent pattern of needs communicated by all patients. However, there were nuanced differences in subcategories of cognitive and affective uses between the most and least rare disorders, which inform areas for tailored support mechanisms. Additionally, these vascular patients used their respective support groups primarily for cognitive reasons, especially for the rarest conditions, which informs of basic medical informational needs these patients face related to tests, treatment, surgery, and diagnoses.

Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: measuring satisfaction of the needs.

PubMed

Taormina, Robert J; Gao, Jennifer H

2013-01-01

For each of the 5 needs in Maslow's motivational hierarchy (physiological, safety-security, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization), operational definitions were developed from Maslow's theory of motivation. New measures were created based on the operational definitions (1) to assess the satisfaction of each need, (2) to assess their expected correlations (a) with each of the other needs and (b) with four social and personality measures (i.e., family support, traditional values, anxiety/worry, and life satisfaction), and (3) to test the ability of the satisfaction level of each need to statistically predict the satisfaction level of the next higher-level need. Psychometric tests of the scales conducted on questionnaire results from 386 adult respondents from the general population lent strong support for the validity and reliability of all 5 needs measures. Significant positive correlations among the scales were also found; that is, the more each lower-level need was satisfied, the more the next higher-level need was satisfied. Additionally, as predicted, family support, traditional values, and life satisfaction had significant positive correlations with the satisfaction of all 5 needs, and the anxiety/worry facet of neuroticism had significant negative correlations with the satisfaction of all the needs. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the satisfaction of each higher-level need was statistically predicted by the satisfaction of the need immediately below it in the hierarchy, as expected from Maslow's theory.

Cancer treatment in older adults: implications for psychosocial research.

PubMed

Given, Barbara; Given, Charles W

2009-11-01

The purpose of this article is to describe areas in need of psychosocial research for older adults who are currently receiving cancer treatment. Areas in which there are gaps in knowledge related to psychosocial research are outlined. Topics discussed for future research include comorbidity, physical function, cognitive status, frailty, and geriatric syndromes. In addition, the need for intervention to support patients and family caregivers is outlined. There are numerous areas of concern to older patients with cancer receiving treatment that warrant further study. Research is needed to identify ways to support patients and families at the time of cancer treatment so that they can make informed decisions and actively participate in cancer treatment.

Considering the Role of K-2 Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Place Value in Mathematics Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juenke, Carl W.

2017-01-01

A significant number of students receive special education services for mathematics learning disabilities, however, many additional students need mathematics intervention to support their learning in the regular education classroom. A Response to Intervention (RtI) model has been identified as effective in addressing these students' needs;…

Stakeholders' Voices: Defining Needs of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Transitioning between School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchanan, Rohanna; Nese, Rhonda N. T.; Clark, Miriam

2016-01-01

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) too often do not receive adequate services or care in their school settings, particularly during transitions in educational placements. In addition, school support teams often struggle with creating transition plans that honor the needs of students with input from key stakeholders responsible…

Interprofessional Work in Early Childhood Education and Care Services to Support Children with Additional Needs: Two Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Sandie; Press, Frances

2017-01-01

In Australia, over 900,000 children attend some type of early childhood education and care service. Many of these children have learning difficulties and early childhood teachers play a significant role in identifying children's needs and working with other professionals to instigate and/or implement appropriate interventions. When educators and…

State-Wide Evaluation of the New Hampshire ESEA Title II, Part D Grant Program. Interim Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knestis, Kirk; Smoke-Zur, Naomi; Higgins, Cathy

2010-01-01

The Title II-D grant program, "Enhancing Education Through Technology," (EETT) provides financial assistance to higher poverty school districts that have the greatest need for technology support or have been identified as being in need of improvement. In 2009, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) provided an additional $650…

State-Wide Evaluation of the New Hampshire ESEA Title II, Part D Grant Program. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knestis, Kirk; Smoke-Zur, Naomi; Gibson, Rachel; Pike, Jessica Yusaitis; Higgins, Cathy

2011-01-01

The Title II-D grant program, "Enhancing Education Through Technology," (EETT) provides financial assistance to higher poverty school districts that have the greatest need for technology support or have been identified as being in need of improvement. In 2009, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) provided an additional $650…

The Shifting Role of the Special Needs Assistant in Irish Classrooms: A Time for Change?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keating, Stephanie; O'Connor, Una

2012-01-01

The education of pupils with special educational needs in Ireland has generally been influenced by national and international inclusion policy and legislation so that the majority of these children now take their place alongside peers in mainstream classrooms. In Ireland, a support network comprising the teacher and additional classroom assistance…

Improving the management and care of refugees in Australian hospitals: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Ross, Lindsey; Harding, Catherine; Seal, Alexa; Duncan, Geraldine

2016-01-01

Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate healthcare provider perceptions of the impact of refugee patients at two public hospitals, one rural and one urban, in designated refugee resettlement areas. Healthcare professionals' views regarding improvements that could be made in this area were also sought. Methods Two-page anonymous questionnaires containing demographic, quantitative and open-ended questions were distributed to 150 healthcare providers at each research site. Results Response rates at the rural and urban sites were 50% and 49%, respectively. Refugees were seen at least monthly by 40% of respondents. Additional support was requested by 70% of respondents. Confidence was associated with being born overseas (P=0.029) and increased time working with refugees (r s =0.418, P<0.001). Only 47% of respondents felt confident managing social and psychological needs of refugees. Midwives saw refugees more than nursing and allied healthcare staff combined, and this was significant at the rural hospital (P<0.001). Rural respondents reported that working with refugees enhanced their practice (P=0.025), although felt significantly less confident (P<0.001) than urban respondents. Themes that arose regarding barriers to care included language and cultural barriers, paucity of knowledge and issues accessing available services, including appropriate interpreters, Medicare eligibility and patient factors, including lack of patient trust in government systems. Desire for support was more pronounced in the rural setting (P=0.001). Conclusions Refugees were seen frequently in both settings and most respondents requested additional support, highlighting that caring for refugees in Australian hospitals is a significant challenge. Additional support and education should be targeted to those caring for refugees most frequently, particularly midwifery services, to reduce barriers to care. What is known about the topic? Refugees are a vulnerable group, often with complex health needs. These needs are often unmet because of issues including language and cultural barriers. What does this paper add? Refugees were seen frequently in the two public hospital settings involved in the present study and most often by midwifery services. Healthcare professionals require more support, more information about available services and better access to interpreter services. These issues were more pronounced in the rural setting where very limited research exists. What are the implications for practitioners? Implementing additional support and education regarding refugee health needs could increase knowledge and confidence when managing refugees, reducing barriers to care and improving quality of care.

Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vickers, John

2015-01-01

The Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) project is developing technology to build structures on planetary surfaces using in-situ resources. The project focuses on the construction of both 2D (landing pads, roads, and structure foundations) and 3D (habitats, garages, radiation shelters, and other structures) infrastructure needs for planetary surface missions. The ACME project seeks to raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of two components needed for planetary surface habitation and exploration: 3D additive construction (e.g., contour crafting), and excavation and handling technologies (to effectively and continuously produce in-situ feedstock). Additionally, the ACME project supports the research and development of new materials for planetary surface construction, with the goal of reducing the amount of material to be launched from Earth.

Creating Supportive Environments and Thriving in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous World.

PubMed

Pabico, Christine

2015-10-01

Nurse executives (NEs) are operating in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world. NEs must create supportive environments that promote staff empowerment, resilience, and alignment, to ensure organizational success. In addition, NEs need to be transparent and create a culture of partnership with their staff. The ability of NEs to create and sustain this environment is vital in supporting teams to successfully navigate in today's healthcare environment.

Protecting the World From Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure: Where Do We Stand and Where Do We Go From Here?

PubMed Central

Barnoya, Joaquin

2013-01-01

Introduction: Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandates all signatory countries to “protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and indoor public places.” Even though there has been great progress in the implementation of Article 8, still most of the world population remains exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). In this article, we sought to summarize the research that supports Article 8, where do we stand, and current research gaps and future directions. Discussion: Secondhand smoke is an established cause of heart disease and several types of cancer. Additional research is needed to reach final conclusions for diseases where evidence is only suggestive of causality. The only solution to SHS exposure in public places is banning smoking indoors. Research on the gaming industry and nightclubs, particularly in developing countries, needs to be disseminated to support their inclusion in smoke-free laws. Aside from indoor bans, additional research is needed for outdoor and multiunit housing bans and in support of measures that protect children and other vulnerable populations. The impact of smoke-free laws on other health outcomes, besides heart disease and respiratory outcomes, is another area where further research is needed. Thirdhand smoke assessment and health effects are also likely to be a topic of further research. As new tobacco products emerge, evaluating SHS exposure and effects will be vital. Conclusions: Furthering research in support of Article 8 can contribute to reach the final goal of protecting everyone from SHS exposure. PMID:23072872

EARLY PARENTING SUPPORT AND INFORMATION: A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE.

PubMed

Morawska, Alina; Weston, Kate; Bowd, Courtney

2018-03-01

The transition to parenthood is a period of both joy and challenge for most parents. There is a recognized need to support parents during this period, yet existing interventions have shown limited evidence of efficacy. This study takes a consumer-focused approach to examine the needs and preferences of parents both prenatally (n = 77) and postnatally (n = 123) for parenting support. The study used a cross-sectional design with a purpose-built online survey. Parents were recruited via online forums, Facebook and parenting blogs, childcare centers, and playgroups. In general, all parents were satisfied with their current levels of both formal and informal support, and about one fourth of parents had accessed a parenting intervention. Parents expressed a moderate level of interest in additional parenting information, and parents expecting their first baby indicated preferences for information about basic baby care needs whereas postnatally, parents expressed more interest in topics around self-care and behavior management. The implications for developing interventions and engaging families are discussed. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Does Prevention Pay? Costs and Potential Cost-savings of School Interventions Targeting Children with Mental Health Problems.

PubMed

Wellander, Lisa; Wells, Michael B; Feldman, Inna

2016-06-01

In Sweden, the local government is responsible for funding schools in their district. One funding initiative is for schools to provide students with mental health problems with additional support via extra teachers, personal assistants, and special education classes. There are evidence-based preventive interventions delivered in schools, which have been shown to decrease the levels of students' mental health problems. However, little is known about how much the local government currently spends on students' mental health support and if evidence-based interventions could be financially beneficial. The aim of this study was to estimate the costs of providing additional support for students' mental health problems and the potential cost-offsets, defined as reduced school-based additional support, if two evidence-based school interventions targeting children's mental health problems were implemented in routine practice. This study uses data on the additional support students with mental health problems received in schools. Data was collected from one school district for students aged 6 to 16 years. We modeled two Swedish school interventions, Comet for Teachers and Social and Emotional Training (SET), which both had evidence of reducing mental health problems. We used a cost-offset analysis framework, assuming both interventions were fully implemented throughout the whole school district. Based on the published studies, the expected effects and the costs of the interventions were calculated. We defined the cost-offsets as the amount of predicted averted additional support for students with ongoing mental health problems who might no longer require receiving services such as one-on-one time with an extra teacher, a personal assistant, or to be placed in a special education classroom. A cost-offset analysis, from a payer's perspective (the local government responsible for school financing), was conducted comparing the costs of both interventions with the potential cost-savings due to a reduction in the prevalence of mental health problems and averted additional support required. The school district was comprised of 6,256 students, with 310 students receiving additional support for their mental health problems. Of these, 143 received support in their original school due to either having ADHD (n = 111), psychosocial problems (n = 26), or anxiety/depression (n = 6). The payers' total cost of additional support was 2,637,850 Euro per school year (18,447 Euro per student). The cost of running both interventions for the school district was 953,643 Euro for one year, while the potential savings for these interventions were estimated to be 627,150 Euro. The estimated effects showed that there would be a reduction of students needing additional support (25 for ADHD, eight for psychosocial problems, and one for anxiety/depression), and the payer would receive a return on their invested resources in less than two years (1.5 years) after implementation. Preventive school interventions can both improve some children's mental health problems and be financially beneficial for the payer. However, they are still limited in their scope of reducing all students' mental health statuses to below clinical cut-offs; therefore, the preventive school interventions should be used as a supplement, but not a replacement, to current practices. The findings have political and societal implications, in that payers can reallocate their funds toward preventive measures targeting students' mental health problems, while reducing the costs. When evaluating public health actions, it is necessary to consider their economic impact. The resources are scarce and the decision makers need knowledge on how to allocate their resources in an efficient way. Cost-offset analysis is seen as one way for decision makers to comprehend research findings; however, such analyses tend to not include the full benefits of the interventions, and actual impacts need to be fully evaluated in routine implementation.

Establishment of a Research Pharmacy to Support Ebola Clinical Research in Liberia

PubMed Central

Pierson, Jerome F.; Kirchoff, Matthew Carl; Tyee, Rev Tegli; Rhie, Julie K.; Montello, Michael J

2017-01-01

Objective This paper describes the establishment of a research pharmacy to support the PREVAIL vaccine study for Ebola Virus Disease. Setting This paper describes the establishment of the pharmacy element to support the overall research program during an Ebola outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia in 2014 and 2015. Practice Innovation The need to rapidly establish infrastructure to support the Liberian-US joint clinical research partnership in response to the emerging Ebola Virus Disease provided the opportunity for collaboration among Liberian and US pharmacists. Evaluation and Results Experiences of the Liberian and US pharmacists involved in the program are described. Conclusion The partnership was successful in the conduct of the study, but more importantly, capacity for Liberian pharmacists to support clinical research was established. Additionally, the US team learned several important lessons that will help prepare them for responding to research needs in future infectious disease outbreaks. PMID:28610940

Evaluating change in virtual reality adoption for brain injury rehabilitation following knowledge translation.

PubMed

Glegg, Stephanie M N; Holsti, Liisa; Stanton, Sue; Hanna, Steven; Velikonja, Diana; Ansley, Barbara; Sartor, Denise; Brum, Christine

2017-04-01

To evaluate the impact of knowledge translation (KT) on factors influencing virtual reality (VR) adoption and to identify support needs of therapists. Intervention will be associated with improvements in therapists' perceived ease of use and self-efficacy, and an associated increase in intentions to use VR. Single group mixed-methods pre-test-post-test evaluation of convenience sample of physical, occupational and rehabilitation therapists (n=37) from two brain injury rehabilitation centres. ADOPT-VR administered pre/post KT intervention, consisting of interactive education, clinical manual, technical and clinical support. Increases in perceived ease of use (p=0.000) and self-efficacy (p=0.001), but not behavioural intention to use VR (p=0.158) were found following KT, along with decreases in the frequency of perceived barriers. Post-test changes in the frequency and nature of perceived facilitators and barriers were evident, with increased emphasis on peer influence, organisational-level supports and client factors. Additional support needs were related to clinical reasoning, treatment programme development, technology selection and troubleshooting. KT strategies hold potential for targeting therapists' perceptions of low self-efficacy and ease of use of this technology. Changes in perceived barriers, facilitators and support needs at post-test demonstrated support for repeated evaluation and multi-phased training initiatives to address therapists' needs over time. Implications for Rehabilitation Therapists' learning and support needs in integrating virtual reality extend beyond technical proficiency to include clinical decision-making and application competencies spanning the entire rehabilitation process. Phased, multi-faceted strategies may be valuable in addressing therapists' changing needs as they progress from novice to experienced virtual reality users. The ADOPT-VR is a sensitive measure to re-evaluate the personal, social, environmental, technology-specific and system-level factors influencing virtual reality adoption over time.

An Investigation of Multitiered Behavioral Interventions on Disruptive Behavior and Academic Engagement of Elementary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunch-Crump, Kimberly R.; Lo, Ya-yu

2017-01-01

This study examined the effects of a multitiered system of support using Check-In Check-Out (CICO) as a secondary intervention and function-based self-monitoring (FBSM) as a tertiary intervention on the disruptive behavior and academic engagement of four elementary students identified as being in need of additional behavioral supports. A multiple…

Integrating forest stand projections with wildlife occupancy models to develop a decision support tool

Treesearch

Michelle F. Tacconelli; Edward F. Loewenstein

2012-01-01

Natural resource managers must often balance multiple objectives on a single property. When these objectives are seemingly conflicting, the manager’s job can be extremely difficult and complex. This paper presents a decision support tool, designed to aid land managers in optimizing wildlife habitat needs while accomplishing additional objectives such as ecosystem...

Still Off-Limits? Staff Views on Supporting Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People with Intellectual Disabilities to Develop Sexual and Intimate Relationships?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, David; Howarth, Joyce

2007-01-01

Background: In the UK and elsewhere, there is a growing policy and legislative imperative to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities are supported to develop relationships, including sexual ones. However, gay, lesbian and bisexual people with intellectual disabilities may have additional needs or face particular barriers in this area of…

Mark IVA microprocessor support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burford, A. L.

1982-01-01

The requirements and plans for the maintenance support of microprocessor-based controllers in the Deep Space Network Mark IVA System are discussed. Additional new interfaces and 16-bit processors have introduced problems not present in the Mark III System. The need for continuous training of maintenance personnel to maintain a level of expertise consistent with the sophistication of the required tools is also emphasized.

Two Years of Case Management: Final Findings from the Communities in Schools Random Assignment Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parise, Leigh M.; Corrin, William; Granito, Kelly; Haider, Zeest; Somers, Marie-Andrée; Cerna, Oscar

2017-01-01

While high school graduation rates are on the rise nationwide, too many students still never reach that milestone, with 7,000 on average dropping out every day. Recognizing that many students need additional support to succeed in school, Communities In Schools (CIS) works to provide and connect students with integrated support services to keep…

Genetics Home Reference: hypomyelination and congenital cataract

MedlinePlus

... have reduced sensation in their arms and legs (peripheral neuropathy). In addition, affected individuals typically have speech difficulties ( ... need support, and they usually do not have peripheral neuropathy. Learn more about the gene associated with hypomyelination ...

Care and support for older adults in The Netherlands living independently.

PubMed

Verver, Didi; Merten, Hanneke; Robben, Paul; Wagner, Cordula

2018-05-01

The growth in the numbers of older adults needing long-term care has resulted in rising costs which have forced the Dutch government to change its long-term care system. Now, the local authorities have greater responsibility for supporting older adults and in prolonging independent living with increased support provided by the social network. However, it is unclear whether these older adults have such a network to rely upon. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the providers of formal and informal care to older adults, and to assess possible differences between older adults who are frail and those who are not. In addition, we investigated their care and support needs. We used data from a quantitative survey using a cross-sectional design in different regions of the Netherlands from July until September 2014 (n = 181). Frailty was measured using the Tilburg Frailty indicator. To analyse the data chi-square tests, crosstabs and odds ratios were used for dichotomous data and the Mann-Whitney U-Test for nominal data. The number of formal care providers involved was significantly higher (median = 2) for those deemed frail than for those not deemed frail (median = 1), U = 2,130, p < .005. However, more than one-third of the respondents deemed frail did not get the care or support they needed (33.7%). There was a significant positive association between being frail and having an informal care provider (χ 2  = 18.78, df = 1, p < .005). However, more than one-third of those deemed frail did not have an informal care provider (36.8%). One-third of older adults deemed to be frail did not have their needs sufficiently addressed by their care network. For a substantial part of this group of older adults, the informal network seems to be unable to support them sufficiently. Additional attention for their needs and wishes is required to implement the policy reforms successfully. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Coping with an altered mouth and perceived supportive care needs following head and neck cancer treatment.

PubMed

Pateman, K A; Ford, P J; Batstone, M D; Farah, C S

2015-08-01

Oral health is essential to general health and well-being and is severely impacted by head and neck cancer (HNC) and its treatment. This study aimed to describe how people who have been treated for HNC cope with altered oral health and function and to identify their supportive care needs. A qualitative, descriptive approach was used. Data was collected from individual interviews with six participants 6 months after treatment. Data analysis was performed by qualitative content analysis involving inductive and directed approaches. Directed content analysis was guided by the Stress, Appraisal and Coping Model. Three themes describing changed oral health were identified from the data: dimensions of eating, maintaining oral health after treatment and adapting to the chronic side effects of treatment. A strong use of problem-focussed coping was described, in addition to the importance of peer support in adapting to the psychosocial outcomes of treatment. Support needs identified related to increased access to specialist dental oncology services post treatment, information needs and a need for more psychological support. The study findings describe the experience of a sample of people who have received treatment for HNC. Due to a demographically homogenous sample and the strong use of positive coping strategies, the results presented may not describe the experience of the wider HNC population; however, these results provide insight into factors that may influence positive coping.

ATHLETE as a Mobile ISRU and Regolith Construction Platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, A. Scott; Wilcox, Brian; Barmatz, Martin; Voecks, Gerald

2016-01-01

The All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) robotic mobility platform can provide precision positioning and mobility for site preparation and regolith construction needs. ATHLETE is a multi-use platform designed to use swap-out tools and implements that can be applied to any number of tasks that need precision limb manipulation or mobility. Major capabilities include off-loading habitats, transporting surface assets, robotically assembling outposts from multiple mission manifests, and supporting science and technology objectives. This paper describes conceptual approaches for supporting NASA regolith construction research, such as additive construction, modular brick and panel factory, and mobile ISRU platform.

Inclusive practices for children and youths with communication disorders. Ad Hoc Committee on Inclusion for students with Communication Disorders.

PubMed

1996-01-01

An array of inclusive service delivery models is recommended for the implementation of services to children and youths with communication disorders. Inclusive practices are intervention services that are based on the unique and specific needs of the individual, and provided in a context that is least restrictive. There are a variety of models through which inclusive practices can be provided, including a direct (pull-out) program, in classroom-based service delivery, community-based models, and consultative interventions. These models should be seen as flexible options that may change depending on student needs. The speech-language pathologist, in collaboration with parents, the student, teachers, support personnel, and administrators, is in the ideal position to decide the model or combination of models that best serves each individual student's communication needs. Implementation of inclusive practices requires consideration of multiple issues, including general education reform, cost effectiveness, and program efficacy. In addition, administrative and school system support, personnel qualifications, staff development, flexible scheduling, and the effects of inclusive practices on all learners need to be considered. At present, available research suggests guarded optimism for the effectiveness of inclusive practices. However, many critical questions have not yet been addressed and additional research is needed to assess the full impact of inclusive practices for students with communication disorders.

Nature-based supportive care opportunities: a conceptual framework.

PubMed

Blaschke, Sarah; O'Callaghan, Clare C; Schofield, Penelope

2018-03-22

Given preliminary evidence for positive health outcomes related to contact with nature for cancer populations, research is warranted to ascertain possible strategies for incorporating nature-based care opportunities into oncology contexts as additional strategies for addressing multidimensional aspects of cancer patients' health and recovery needs. The objective of this study was to consolidate existing research related to nature-based supportive care opportunities and generate a conceptual framework for discerning relevant applications in the supportive care setting. Drawing on research investigating nature-based engagement in oncology contexts, a two-step analytic process was used to construct a conceptual framework for guiding nature-based supportive care design and future research. Concept analysis methodology generated new representations of understanding by extracting and synthesising salient concepts. Newly formulated concepts were transposed to findings from related research about patient-reported and healthcare expert-developed recommendations for nature-based supportive care in oncology. Five theoretical concepts (themes) were formulated describing patients' reasons for engaging with nature and the underlying needs these interactions address. These included: connecting with what is genuinely valued, distancing from the cancer experience, meaning-making and reframing the cancer experience, finding comfort and safety, and vital nurturance. Eight shared patient and expert recommendations were compiled, which address the identified needs through nature-based initiatives. Eleven additional patient-reported recommendations attend to beneficial and adverse experiential qualities of patients' nature-based engagement and complete the framework. The framework outlines salient findings about helpful nature-based supportive care opportunities for ready access by healthcare practitioners, designers, researchers and patients themselves. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Dynamic composition of medical support services in the ICU: Platform and algorithm design details.

PubMed

Hristoskova, Anna; Moeyersoon, Dieter; Van Hoecke, Sofie; Verstichel, Stijn; Decruyenaere, Johan; De Turck, Filip

2010-12-01

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an extremely data-intensive environment where each patient needs to be monitored 24/7. Bedside monitors continuously register vital patient values (such as serum creatinine, systolic blood pressure) which are recorded frequently in the hospital database (e.g. every 2 min in the ICU of the Ghent University Hospital), laboratories generate hundreds of results of blood and urine samples, and nurses measure blood pressure and temperature up to 4 times an hour. The processing of such large amount of data requires an automated system to support the physicians' daily work. The Intensive Care Service Platform (ICSP) offers the needed support through the development of medical support services for processing and monitoring patients' data. With an increased deployment of these medical support services, reusing existing services as building blocks to create new services offers flexibility to the developer and accelerates the design process. This paper presents a new addition to the ICSP, the Dynamic Composer for Web services. Based on a semantic description of the medical support services, this Composer enables a service to be executed by creating a composition of medical services that provide the needed calculations. The composition is achieved using various algorithms satisfying certain quality of service (QoS) constraints and requirements. In addition to the automatic composition the paper also proposes a recovery mechanism in case of unavailable services. When executing the composition of medical services, unavailable services are dynamically replaced by equivalent services or a new composition achieving the same result. The presented platform and QoS algorithms are put through extensive performance and scalability tests for typical ICU scenarios, in which basic medical services are composed to a complex patient monitoring service. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

20 CFR 418.1250 - What evidence will you need to support your request that we use a more recent tax year?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... request that we use a more recent tax year? 418.1250 Section 418.1250 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY... determine your income-related monthly adjustment amount, we will ask for evidence of the major life-changing..., additional evidence documenting the major life-changing event(s) will not be needed. ...

Growing Talent for Inclusion: Using an Appreciative Inquiry Approach into Investigating Classroom Dynamics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doveston, Mary; Keenaghan, Marian

2006-01-01

This paper reports on an Appreciative Inquiry project called "Growing Talent for Inclusion" which has been running since 2002. The project grew out the authors' work in a Local Authority Support Service assisting schools to meet the needs of pupils with a range of additional educational needs. Faced with a large number of individual referrals,…

20 CFR 418.1250 - What evidence will you need to support your request that we use a more recent tax year?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... request that we use a more recent tax year? 418.1250 Section 418.1250 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY... determine your income-related monthly adjustment amount, we will ask for evidence of the major life-changing..., additional evidence documenting the major life-changing event(s) will not be needed. ...

User interface issues in supporting human-computer integrated scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Lynne P.; Biefeld, Eric W.

1991-01-01

Explored here is the user interface problems encountered with the Operations Missions Planner (OMP) project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). OMP uses a unique iterative approach to planning that places additional requirements on the user interface, particularly to support system development and maintenance. These requirements are necessary to support the concepts of heuristically controlled search, in-progress assessment, and iterative refinement of the schedule. The techniques used to address the OMP interface needs are given.

Structured social relationships: a review of volunteer home visiting programs for parents of young children.

PubMed

Byrne, Fiona; Grace, Rebekah; Tredoux, Jaimie; Kemp, Lynn

2016-06-01

Objective The aims of the present paper were to: (1) review the research literature that contributes to an understanding of the role of volunteer home visiting programs in supporting the health and well being of families with young children; and (2) propose a conceptual model outlining service pathways for families in need of additional support. Methods An integrative literature review method was used, with a mix of electronic and manual search methods for the period January 1980-January 2014. Forty-five studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for review and were coded according to themes developed a priori. Results There is little formal research that has examined the effectiveness of volunteer home visiting programs for supporting family health and well being. The available research suggests that volunteer home visiting programs provide socioemotional support through structured social relationships; however, there is limited empirical evidence to explicate the factors that contribute to these outcomes. Conclusion In recognition of the importance of peer support for new parents, the not-for-profit sector has been involved in providing volunteer home visiting services to families for decades. However, the body of research to support this work is characterised by methodological limitations, and rigorous evidence is limited. What is clear anecdotally and qualitatively from the existing research is that parents who are in need of additional support value engagement with a community volunteer. These structured social relationships appear to fulfil a service need within the community, helping build bridges to support social networks, and thus complementing professional services and relationships. Overall, structured social relationships in the form of volunteer home visiting programs appear to provide an important pathway to support family health and well being. Findings from the existing research are mixed and often characterised by methodological limitations, pointing to a need for further rigorous research. What is known about the topic? Volunteer family support programs have been an important part of the service landscape for vulnerable families, both nationally and internationally, for many years. Anecdotal reports suggest that this is a valued form of support that increases a sense of community connectedness and breaks down barriers for families in accessing other community support services. What does this paper add? This paper proposes a model identifying broad service pathways impacting on family health and well being that takes into account the importance of structured social relationships and social connectedness. What are the implications for practitioners? The proposed model may encourage discussion by practitioners and organisations interested in models of support for families who are socially isolated and/or in need of assistance to access and engage with services within the community.

Improving access to supportive cancer care through an eHealth application: a qualitative needs assessment among cancer survivors.

PubMed

Lubberding, Sanne; van Uden-Kraan, Cornelia F; Te Velde, Elisabeth A; Cuijpers, Pim; Leemans, C René; Verdonck-de Leeuw, Irma M

2015-05-01

To gain insight into cancer survivors' needs towards an eHealth application monitoring quality of life and targeting personalised access to supportive care. Supportive care in cancer addresses survivors' concerns and needs. However, many survivors are not taking advantage of supportive care provided. To enable cancer survivors to benefit, survivors' needs must be identified timely and effectively. An eHealth application could be a solution to meet patients' individual supportive care needs. A qualitative approach. Thirty cancer survivors (15 head and neck and 15 breast cancer survivors) participated. The majority were female (n = 20·67%). The mean age was 60 (SD 8·8) years. Mean time interval since treatment was 13·5 months (SD 10·5). All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. During the interviews, participants were asked about their unmet needs during follow-up care and a potential eHealth application. Data were analyzed independently by two coders and coded into key issues and themes. Cancer survivors commented that they felt unprepared for the post-treatment period and that their symptoms often remained unknown to care providers. Survivors also mentioned a suboptimal referral pattern to supportive care services. Mentioned advantages of an eHealth application were as follows: insight into the course of symptoms by monitoring, availability of information among follow-up appointments, receiving personalised advice and tailored supportive care. Cancer survivors identified several unmet needs during follow-up care. Most survivors were positive towards the proposed eHealth application and expressed that it could be a valuable addition to follow-up cancer care. Study results provide care providers with insight into barriers that impede survivors from obtaining optimal supportive care. This study also provides insight into the characteristics needed to design, build and implement an eHealth application targeting personalised access to supportive care from the survivors' perspective. Future studies should address the viewpoints of care providers, and investigate the usability of the eHealth application prototype to facilitate implementation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Who Should We Target? The Impact of Individual and Family Characteristics on the Expressed Need for Community-Based Treatment Support in HIV Patients in South Africa.

PubMed

Wouters, Edwin; Booysen, Frederik le Roux; Masquillier, Caroline

2016-01-01

Reviews of impact evaluations of community-based health workers and peer support groups highlight the considerable variability in the effectiveness of such support in improving antiretroviral treatment (ART) outcomes. Evidence indicates that community-based support interventions targeting patients known to be at risk will probably display better results than generic interventions aimed at the entire population of people living with HIV. It is however difficult to identify these at-risk populations, rendering knowledge on the characteristics of patients groups who are in need of community-based support a clear research priority. The current study aims to address the knowledge gap by exploring the predictors of the willingness to (1) receive the support from a community-based health worker or (2) to participate in a support group in public sector ART programme of the Free State Province of South Africa. Based on the Individual-Family-Community framework for HIV research, the study employs a comprehensive approach by not only testing classical individual-level but also family-level predictors of the willingness to receive community-based support. In addition to individual-level predictors-such as age, health status and coping styles-our analysis demonstrated the importance of family characteristics. The results indicated that discrepancies in the family's changeability level were an important predictor of the demand for community-based support services. Conversely, the findings indicated that patients living in a family more flexible than deemed ideal are more likely to require the support of a community health worker. The current study expands theory by indicating the need to acknowledge all social ecological levels in the study of chronic HIV care. The detection of both individual level and family level determinants of the expressed need for community-based support can inform health policy to devise strategies to target scarce resources to those vulnerable patients who report the greatest need for this support. In this way, the study results are a first step in an attempt to move away from generic, broad based community-based interventions towards community support that is tailored to the patient needs at both the individual and family level.

Perceptions of diabetes, barriers to disease management, and service needs: a focus group study of working adults with diabetes in Hawaii.

PubMed

Fukunaga, Landry L; Uehara, Denise L; Tom, Tammy

2011-03-01

Research about the support needs for and barriers to successful disease management of working adults with diabetes is limited. Our objective was to gain an in-depth understanding of how working adults in Hawaii perceive diabetes, barriers to disease management, and the services needed to keep people healthy and working. From November 2008 through March 2009, we conducted focus group interviews with 74 employed adults with diabetes enrolled in the Hawaii Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment project. Responses to questions were analyzed within and across groups to identify recurring themes. A third layer of analysis examined themes across responses to all questions, specifically, how barriers related to identified service needs. Employed participants with diabetes experienced pervasive effects on their lives as a result of the disease, although they interpreted these effects positively or negatively. Barriers to disease management, such as additional health issues, social prejudice, and lack of social support, indicated a need to educate the general public about the disease. Participants identified needing social support from other people with diabetes, psychological support to address the emotional side of diabetes, and coordinated teams of specialists to address medication side effects and other health-related barriers to disease management. Many participants discussed the challenge of integrating diabetes management with work and family responsibilities and the need for monetary support. This study provides insight into how employed adults perceived their disease and what they perceived as challenges to successfully managing diabetes. The findings provide future directions for community and workplace diabetes initiatives.

After initial treatment for primary breast cancer: information needs, health literacy, and the role of health care workers.

PubMed

Schmidt, Anna; Ernstmann, Nicole; Wesselmann, Simone; Pfaff, Holger; Wirtz, Markus; Kowalski, Christoph

2016-02-01

After a short hospital stay of just some days follows long-term outpatient care for breast cancer patients. The aim of the study is to describe the information needs of breast cancer outpatients and to get in touch with aspects of health literacy, as well as contact various health care workers. In a multicenter study, patients were asked about their information needs 10 weeks after surgery. The analysis on hand includes data about 1248 female patients. In addition to descriptive analyses identifying the most prevalent information needs, logistic regression analyses were calculated to identify factors associated with these. The results show that information needs of breast cancer outpatients are mainly in "follow-up after acute treatment", "coping with long-term side effects", and "heredity of breast cancer". In addition to sociodemographic patient characteristics, perceived helpful contacts with various health care workers as well as a satisfactory patient's level of health literacy reduced the probability of unmet information needs. Breast cancer outpatients have numerous information needs. In addition to provide information at the right time regarding a specific disease phase, it is important that health professionals' support affected breast cancer patients in coping with the new situation.

The experience of older patients with cancer in phase 1 clinical trials: a qualitative case series.

PubMed

Kvale, Elizabeth A; Woodby, Lesa; Williams, Beverly Rosa

2010-11-01

This article explores the experiences of older patients with cancer in phase 1 clinical trials. Conducting a case series of face-to-face, in-depth, open-ended interviews and using qualitative methods of analysis, we find that the psychosocial process of social comparison is relevant for understanding older adults' phase 1 clinical trial participation. Social comparison influences decisions to enroll in a phase 1 clinical trial, shapes perceptions of supportive care needs, and encourages the utilization of hope. Additional research should develop strategies for addressing supportive care needs among this patient cohort whose use of social comparison can inhibit articulation of pain, suffering, and symptom burden as well as use of informal support systems.

Identifying state resources and support programs on e-government websites for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Fisher, Kathleen M; Peterson, Justin D; Albert, Jon D

2015-01-01

This descriptive cross-sectional study identified resources and programs that are available nationwide on the Internet to support individuals and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), with a focus on intellectual disability. This evaluation included easily identifiable information on specific resources and highlighted unique programs found in individual states that were linked from e-government websites. Researchers documented the ease of access and available information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A number of disparities and areas for improvement were recorded for states and I/DD websites. The researchers conclude that a number of additional health and support services will be needed to address the growing needs of this vulnerable population.

Need for Cost Optimization of Space Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry W.; Anderson, Grant

2017-01-01

As the nation plans manned missions that go far beyond Earth orbit to Mars, there is an urgent need for a robust, disciplined systems engineering methodology that can identify an optimized Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) architecture for long duration deep space missions. But unlike the previously used Equivalent System Mass (ESM), the method must be inclusive of all driving parameters and emphasize the economic analysis of life support system design. The key parameter for this analysis is Life Cycle Cost (LCC). LCC takes into account the cost for development and qualification of the system, launch costs, operational costs, maintenance costs and all other relevant and associated costs. Additionally, an effective methodology must consider system technical performance, safety, reliability, maintainability, crew time, and other factors that could affect the overall merit of the life support system.

48 CFR 3452.216-70 - Additional cost principles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... scientific, cost, and other data needed to support the bids, proposals, and applications. Bid and proposal... practice is to treat these costs by some other method, they may be accepted if they are found to be...

48 CFR 3452.216-70 - Additional cost principles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... scientific, cost, and other data needed to support the bids, proposals, and applications. Bid and proposal... practice is to treat these costs by some other method, they may be accepted if they are found to be...

78 FR 20502 - Energy Conservation Program: Availability of the Preliminary Technical Support Document for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-05

... Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) jointly requested a four-week extension of the comment period. ASAP and NEMA stated the additional time was needed for interested parties to consider and respond to...

Investigating the Self-Perceived Science Teaching Needs of Local Elementary Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carver, Cynthia G.

Elementary teachers in one school system have expressed low self-efficacy teaching science and desire more support teaching science. However, little research has been conducted on how best to meet these teachers' needs. The theories of perceived self-efficacy, social cognition, and behaviorism make up the conceptual framework of this study. The focus of this qualitative project study was on the needs of local elementary educators. These teachers were asked what they felt they needed most to be more effective science educators. The methodology of phenomenology was used in this study in which local elementary teachers were questioned in focus groups regarding their own science teaching efficacy and perceived needs. Using inductive analysis, data were coded for links to discussion questions as well as any additional patterns that emerged. Findings indicated that local elementary teachers desire improved communication among administrators and teachers as well as better science content support and training. Focus group participants agreed that teacher self-efficacy affects the time spent, effort toward, and quality of elementary science education. Using the results of the study, a science mentor program was developed to support the needs of elementary teachers and increase teacher self-efficacy, thus improving local elementary science education. Implications for positive social change include the development and support of elementary science programs in other school systems with the goal of improving science education for elementary students.

Facilitation of learning: part 2.

PubMed

Warburton, Tyler; Houghton, Trish; Barry, Debbie

2016-04-27

The previous article in this series of 11, Facilitation of learning: part 1, reviewed learning theories and how they relate to clinical practice. Developing an understanding of these theories is essential for mentors and practice teachers to enable them to deliver evidence-based learning support. This is important given that effective learning support is dependent on an educator who possesses knowledge of their specialist area as well as the relevent tools and methods to support learning. The second domain of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice relates to the facilitation of learning. To fulfil this domain, mentors and practice teachers are required to demonstrate their ability to recognise the needs of learners and provide appropriate support to meet those needs. This article expands on some of the discussions from part 1 of this article and considers these from a practical perspective, in addition to introducing some of the tools that can be used to support learning.

Factor structure and validation of the Attentional Control Scale.

PubMed

Judah, Matt R; Grant, DeMond M; Mills, Adam C; Lechner, William V

2014-04-01

The Attentional Control Scale (ACS; Derryberry & Reed, 2002) has been used to assess executive control over attention in numerous studies, but no published data have examined the factor structure of the English version. The current studies addressed this need and tested the predictive and convergent validity of the ACS subscales. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor model with Focusing and Shifting subscales. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis supported this model and suggested superior fit compared to the factor structure of the Icelandic version (Ólafsson et al., 2011). Study 3 examined correlations between the ACS subscales and measures of working memory, anxiety, and cognitive control. Study 4 examined correlations between the subscales and reaction times on a mixed-antisaccade task, revealing positive correlations for antisaccade performance and prosaccade latency with Focusing scores and between switch trial performance and Shifting scores. Additionally, the findings partially supported unique relationships between Focusing and trait anxiety and between Shifting and depression that have been noted in recent research. Although the results generally support the validity of the ACS, additional research using performance-based tasks is needed.

Delivering information: A descriptive study of Australian women’s information needs for decision-making about birth facility

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Little information is known about what information women want when choosing a birth facility. The objective of this study was to inform the development of a consumer decision support tool about birth facility by identifying the information needs of maternity care consumers in Queensland, Australia. Methods Participants were 146 women residing in both urban and rural areas of Queensland, Australia who were pregnant and/or had recently given birth. A cross-sectional survey was administered in which participants were asked to rate the importance of 42 information items to their decision-making about birth facility. Participants could also provide up to ten additional information items of interest in an open-ended question. Results On average, participants rated 30 of the 42 information items as important to decision-making about birth facility. While the majority of information items were valued by most participants, those related to policies about support people, other women’s recommendations about the facility, freedom to choose one’s preferred position during labour and birth, the aesthetic quality of the facility, and access to on-site neonatal intensive care were particularly widely valued. Additional items of interest frequently focused on postnatal care and support, policies related to medical intervention, and access to water immersion. Conclusions The women surveyed had significant and diverse information needs for decision-making about birth facility. These findings have immediate applications for the development of decision support tools about birth facility, and highlight the need for tools which provide a large volume of information in an accessible and user-friendly format. These findings may also be used to guide communication and information-sharing by care providers involved in counselling pregnant women and families about their options for birth facility or providing referrals to birth facilities. PMID:22708648

It is a marathon rather than a sprint: an initial exploration of unmet needs and support preferences of caregivers of children with SCI.

PubMed

Ryerson Espino, Susan L; Kelly, Erin H; Rivelli, Anne; Zebracki, Kathy; Vogel, Lawrence C

2018-03-01

Focus group study. Explore unmet needs and support preferences of caregivers of youth with spinal cord injury (SCI). One pediatric specialty rehabilitation hospital system in the United States. Four focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of 26 caregivers who were primarily mothers (96%) and married (65%), and had at least some college education (85%). Children living with SCI were on average 12.8 years old (SD = 3.3, 8-18). The average age of injury was 4.7 years (SD = 4.4, 0-16.2); mean injury duration was 8.2 years (SD = 3.9, 2-16); 77% had paraplegia; and 58% were male. Focus groups were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using thematic analysis and NVivo. Qualitative data highlighted caregiver perspectives on unmet needs relating to two phases of care: acute and rehabilitation vs. current life with SCI, and two kinds of stressors: those associated with SCI and care vs. those related to other areas of the caregivers' lives, especially their families. Caregivers described stressful interactions with care systems and community services, articulated several concerns regarding well-being of family members, and noted that both they and their children with SCI experienced isolation. Caregivers articulated preferences for additional support from professionals and peers. Data suggest the need for ongoing caregiver interventions and strengthened family-centered care systems, including professional assistance navigating health systems and peer support. Intervention development would benefit from further qualitative data collection with additional caregivers of youth with SCI, including multiple family members, and families from more diverse care settings.

Delivering information: a descriptive study of Australian women's information needs for decision-making about birth facility.

PubMed

Thompson, Rachel; Wojcieszek, Aleena M

2012-06-18

Little information is known about what information women want when choosing a birth facility. The objective of this study was to inform the development of a consumer decision support tool about birth facility by identifying the information needs of maternity care consumers in Queensland, Australia. Participants were 146 women residing in both urban and rural areas of Queensland, Australia who were pregnant and/or had recently given birth. A cross-sectional survey was administered in which participants were asked to rate the importance of 42 information items to their decision-making about birth facility. Participants could also provide up to ten additional information items of interest in an open-ended question. On average, participants rated 30 of the 42 information items as important to decision-making about birth facility. While the majority of information items were valued by most participants, those related to policies about support people, other women's recommendations about the facility, freedom to choose one's preferred position during labour and birth, the aesthetic quality of the facility, and access to on-site neonatal intensive care were particularly widely valued. Additional items of interest frequently focused on postnatal care and support, policies related to medical intervention, and access to water immersion. The women surveyed had significant and diverse information needs for decision-making about birth facility. These findings have immediate applications for the development of decision support tools about birth facility, and highlight the need for tools which provide a large volume of information in an accessible and user-friendly format. These findings may also be used to guide communication and information-sharing by care providers involved in counselling pregnant women and families about their options for birth facility or providing referrals to birth facilities.

Maternal parental self-efficacy in newborn care and social support needs in Singapore: a correlational study.

PubMed

Shorey, Shefaly; Chan, Sally Wai-Chi; Chong, Yap Seng; He, Hong-Gu

2014-08-01

To examine the correlation between maternal parental self-efficacy and social support as well as predictors of self-efficacy in the early postpartum period. Maternal parental self-efficacy is important for mothers' adaptation to motherhood. Lack of support could result in decreased maternal parental self-efficacy in newborn care. Limited studies have focused on maternal parental self-efficacy in the postpartum period in Asia and none in Singapore. A correlational study design was adopted. Data were collected from both primiparas and multiparas during the first to third days postpartum in a public hospital, using the Perceived Maternal Parental Self-efficacy and Perinatal Infant Care Social Support Scales. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Maternal parental self-efficacy in newborn care and the level of social support that mothers received were moderate. In terms of the social support subscales, informational and instrumental support was lower than emotional and appraisal support. Informal support from husbands, parents and parents-in-law was the main source of support. A significant correlation was found between maternal parental self-efficacy and total social support in addition to the informational, instrumental and appraisal subscales of functional support. The predictors of maternal parental self-efficacy were parity, social support and maternal age. The findings highlight the predictors and correlates of maternal parental self-efficacy in newborn care and the social support needs of mothers in the early postpartum period. Healthcare professionals could provide more information and instrumental support and involve family members to enhance maternal parental self-efficacy. Because maternal parental self-efficacy and social support in the early postpartum period are interrelated components, they could be assessed to identify at-risk mothers. There is a need to develop perinatal educational programmes to provide culturally competent individualised support to mothers in need. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Instructional support and implementation structure during elementary teachers' science education simulation use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonczi, Amanda L.; Chiu, Jennifer L.; Maeng, Jennifer L.; Bell, Randy L.

2016-07-01

This investigation sought to identify patterns in elementary science teachers' computer simulation use, particularly implementation structures and instructional supports commonly employed by teachers. Data included video-recorded science lessons of 96 elementary teachers who used computer simulations in one or more science lessons. Results indicated teachers used a one-to-one student-to-computer ratio most often either during class-wide individual computer use or during a rotating station structure. Worksheets, general support, and peer collaboration were the most common forms of instructional support. The least common instructional support forms included lesson pacing, initial play, and a closure discussion. Students' simulation use was supported in the fewest ways during a rotating station structure. Results suggest that simulation professional development with elementary teachers needs to explicitly focus on implementation structures and instructional support to enhance participants' pedagogical knowledge and improve instructional simulation use. In addition, research is needed to provide theoretical explanations for the observed patterns that should subsequently be addressed in supporting teachers' instructional simulation use during professional development or in teacher preparation programs.

Supportability Technologies for Future Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Kevin; Thompson, Karen

2007-01-01

Future long-duration human exploration missions will be challenged by resupply limitations and mass and volume constraints. Consequently, it will be essential that the logistics footprint required to support these missions be minimized and that capabilities be provided to make them highly autonomous from a logistics perspective. Strategies to achieve these objectives include broad implementation of commonality and standardization at all hardware levels and across all systems, repair of failed hardware at the lowest possible hardware level, and manufacture of structural and mechanical replacement components as needed. Repair at the lowest hardware levels will require the availability of compact, portable systems for diagnosis of failures in electronic systems and verification of system functionality following repair. Rework systems will be required that enable the removal and replacement of microelectronic components with minimal human intervention to minimize skill requirements and training demand for crews. Materials used in the assembly of electronic systems (e.g. solders, fluxes, conformal coatings) must be compatible with the available repair methods and the spacecraft environment. Manufacturing of replacement parts for structural and mechanical applications will require additive manufacturing systems that can generate near-net-shape parts from the range of engineering alloys employed in the spacecraft structure and in the parts utilized in other surface systems. These additive manufacturing processes will need to be supported by real-time non-destructive evaluation during layer-additive processing for on-the-fly quality control. This will provide capabilities for quality control and may serve as an input for closed-loop process control. Additionally, non-destructive methods should be available for material property determination. These nondestructive evaluation processes should be incorporated with the additive manufacturing process - providing an in-process capability to ensure that material deposited during layer-additive processing meets required material property criteria.

Using Computer-Adaptive Assessments of Literacy to Monitor the Progress of English Learner Students. REL 2016-149

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foorman, Barbara; Espinosa, Anabel; Wood, Carla; Wu, Yi-Chieh

2016-01-01

A top education priority in the United States is to address the needs of one of the fastest growing yet lowest performing student populations--English learner students (Capps et al., 2005). English learner students come from homes where a non-English language is spoken and need additional academic support to access the mainstream curriculum. These…

5 Key Findings for Middle Grades from "Looking Forward to High School and College"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allensworth, Elaine M.; Gwynne, Julia A.; Moore, Paul; de La Torre, Marisa

2014-01-01

Preparation for college and careers begins when students are young, yet, it can be difficult for middle grade educators to know how best to prepare these students for future success. Middle grade practitioners need to know what to pay attention to and who needs additional support. Without knowing how to identify students who are on-track for high…

Selective control of gait subtasks in robotic gait training: foot clearance support in stroke survivors with a powered exoskeleton

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Robot-aided gait training is an emerging clinical tool for gait rehabilitation of neurological patients. This paper deals with a novel method of offering gait assistance, using an impedance controlled exoskeleton (LOPES). The provided assistance is based on a recent finding that, in the control of walking, different modules can be discerned that are associated with different subtasks. In this study, a Virtual Model Controller (VMC) for supporting one of these subtasks, namely the foot clearance, is presented and evaluated. Methods The developed VMC provides virtual support at the ankle, to increase foot clearance. Therefore, we first developed a new method to derive reference trajectories of the ankle position. These trajectories consist of splines between key events, which are dependent on walking speed and body height. Subsequently, the VMC was evaluated in twelve healthy subjects and six chronic stroke survivors. The impedance levels, of the support, were altered between trials to investigate whether the controller allowed gradual and selective support. Additionally, an adaptive algorithm was tested, that automatically shaped the amount of support to the subjects’ needs. Catch trials were introduced to determine whether the subjects tended to rely on the support. We also assessed the additional value of providing visual feedback. Results With the VMC, the step height could be selectively and gradually influenced. The adaptive algorithm clearly shaped the support level to the specific needs of every stroke survivor. The provided support did not result in reliance on the support for both groups. All healthy subjects and most patients were able to utilize the visual feedback to increase their active participation. Conclusion The presented approach can provide selective control on one of the essential subtasks of walking. This module is the first in a set of modules to control all subtasks. This enables the therapist to focus the support on the subtasks that are impaired, and leave the other subtasks up to the patient, encouraging him to participate more actively in the training. Additionally, the speed-dependent reference patterns provide the therapist with the tools to easily adapt the treadmill speed to the capabilities and progress of the patient. PMID:23336754

10 CFR 603.825 - Government approval of changes in plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Government approval of changes in plans. If it is an expenditure-based award, a TIA must require the... result in a need for additional Federal funding (this is unnecessary for a fixed-support TIA because the...

36 CFR 13.1136 - How can an individual apply for a commercial fishing lifetime access permit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... statistical areas 114-70 through 114-77. For salmon, the Superintendent may need additional documentation that supports the applicant's declaration of Glacier Bay salmon landings. For halibut and Tanner crab, the...

Additional Research Needs to Support the GENII Biosphere Models

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

Napier, Bruce A.; Snyder, Sandra F.; Arimescu, Carmen

In the course of evaluating the current parameter needs for the GENII Version 2 code (Snyder et al. 2013), areas of possible improvement for both the data and the underlying models have been identified. As the data review was implemented, PNNL staff identified areas where the models can be improved both to accommodate the locally significant pathways identified and also to incorporate newer models. The areas are general data needs for the existing models and improved formulations for the pathway models.

Interprofessional education about patient decision support in specialty care.

PubMed

Politi, Mary C; Pieterse, Arwen H; Truant, Tracy; Borkhoff, Cornelia; Jha, Vikram; Kuhl, Laura; Nicolai, Jennifer; Goss, Claudia

2011-11-01

Specialty care involves services provided by health professionals who focus on treating diseases affecting one body system. In contrast to primary care - aimed at providing continuous, comprehensive care - specialty care often involves intermittent episodes of care focused around specific medical conditions. In addition, it typically includes multiple providers who have unique areas of expertise that are important in supporting patients' care. Interprofessional care involves multiple professionals from different disciplines collaborating to provide an integrated approach to patient care. For patients to experience continuity of care across interprofessional providers, providers need to communicate and maintain a shared sense of responsibility to their patients. In this article, we describe challenges inherent in providing interprofessional patient decision support in specialty care. We propose ways for providers to engage in interprofessional decision support and discuss promising approaches to teaching an interprofessional decision support to specialty care providers. Additional evaluation and empirical research are required before further recommendations can be made about education for interprofessional decision support in specialty care.

Information management to enable personalized medicine: stakeholder roles in building clinical decision support.

PubMed

Downing, Gregory J; Boyle, Scott N; Brinner, Kristin M; Osheroff, Jerome A

2009-10-08

Advances in technology and the scientific understanding of disease processes are presenting new opportunities to improve health through individualized approaches to patient management referred to as personalized medicine. Future health care strategies that deploy genomic technologies and molecular therapies will bring opportunities to prevent, predict, and pre-empt disease processes but will be dependent on knowledge management capabilities for health care providers that are not currently available. A key cornerstone to the potential application of this knowledge will be effective use of electronic health records. In particular, appropriate clinical use of genomic test results and molecularly-targeted therapies present important challenges in patient management that can be effectively addressed using electronic clinical decision support technologies. Approaches to shaping future health information needs for personalized medicine were undertaken by a work group of the American Health Information Community. A needs assessment for clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to support personalized medical practices was conducted to guide health future development activities. Further, a suggested action plan was developed for government, researchers and research institutions, developers of electronic information tools (including clinical guidelines, and quality measures), and standards development organizations to meet the needs for personalized approaches to medical practice. In this article, we focus these activities on stakeholder organizations as an operational framework to help identify and coordinate needs and opportunities for clinical decision support tools to enable personalized medicine. This perspective addresses conceptual approaches that can be undertaken to develop and apply clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to achieve personalized medical care. In addition, to represent meaningful benefits to personalized decision-making, a comparison of current and future applications of clinical decision support to enable individualized medical treatment plans is presented. If clinical decision support tools are to impact outcomes in a clear and positive manner, their development and deployment must therefore consider the needs of the providers, including specific practice needs, information workflow, and practice environment.

Information management to enable personalized medicine: stakeholder roles in building clinical decision support

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Advances in technology and the scientific understanding of disease processes are presenting new opportunities to improve health through individualized approaches to patient management referred to as personalized medicine. Future health care strategies that deploy genomic technologies and molecular therapies will bring opportunities to prevent, predict, and pre-empt disease processes but will be dependent on knowledge management capabilities for health care providers that are not currently available. A key cornerstone to the potential application of this knowledge will be effective use of electronic health records. In particular, appropriate clinical use of genomic test results and molecularly-targeted therapies present important challenges in patient management that can be effectively addressed using electronic clinical decision support technologies. Discussion Approaches to shaping future health information needs for personalized medicine were undertaken by a work group of the American Health Information Community. A needs assessment for clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to support personalized medical practices was conducted to guide health future development activities. Further, a suggested action plan was developed for government, researchers and research institutions, developers of electronic information tools (including clinical guidelines, and quality measures), and standards development organizations to meet the needs for personalized approaches to medical practice. In this article, we focus these activities on stakeholder organizations as an operational framework to help identify and coordinate needs and opportunities for clinical decision support tools to enable personalized medicine. Summary This perspective addresses conceptual approaches that can be undertaken to develop and apply clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to achieve personalized medical care. In addition, to represent meaningful benefits to personalized decision-making, a comparison of current and future applications of clinical decision support to enable individualized medical treatment plans is presented. If clinical decision support tools are to impact outcomes in a clear and positive manner, their development and deployment must therefore consider the needs of the providers, including specific practice needs, information workflow, and practice environment. PMID:19814826

Assist-as-needed path control for the PASCAL rehabilitation robot.

PubMed

Keller, Urs; Rauter, Georg; Riener, Robert

2013-06-01

Adults and children with neurological disorders often require rehabilitation therapy to improve their arm motor functions. Complementary to conventional therapy, robotic therapy can be applied. Such robots should support arm movements while assisting only as much as needed to ensure an active participation of the patient. Different control strategies are known to provide arm support to the patient. The path controller is a strategy that helps the patient's arm to stay close to a given path while allowing for temporal and spatial freedom. In this paper, an assist-as-needed path controller is presented that is implemented in the end-effector-based robot PASCAL, which was designed for children with cerebral palsy. The new control approach is a combination of an existing path controller with additional speed restrictions to support, when the arm speed is too slow, and to resist, when the speed is too fast. Furthermore, a target position gain scheduling is introduced in order to reach a target position with a predefined precision as well as an adaptable direction-dependent supportive flux that supports along the path. These path control features were preliminarily tested with a healthy adult volunteer in different conditions. The presented controller covers the range from a completely passive user, who needs full support to an actively performed movement that needs no assistance. In close future, the controller is planned to be used to enable reaching in children as well as in adults and help to increase the intensity of the rehabilitation therapy by assisting the hand movement and by provoking an active participation.

Family functioning, health and social support assessed by aged home care clients and their family members.

PubMed

Hautsalo, Katja; Rantanen, Anja; Astedt-Kurki, Päivi

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to describe aged home care clients' and their family members' experiences of their family functioning, family health and social support received. An additional purpose was to determine which factors are connected with social support. Increasing life expectancy and ageing of the population require consideration of the adequacy of home care services and the role of family members as care providers. The older population is a very heterogeneous group because of their variable needs and several disabilities. To ensure the quality of home care, experimental information is needed from clients and their family members. A survey design with convenience sampling. The home care client and a family member of his/her answered a questionnaire together, including background questions, the Family Functioning, Health and Social Support instrument and an open question about support received from home care. Statistical methods were used to describe quantitative data, and content analysis was used in analysing the replies to the open question. Family health was noted as good, and family functioning and overall social support fairly good. An older person's higher basic education, higher age of the family member, better family health and male gender were connected with better social support received. The relationship of the older person and the family member as well as the duration of home care service use had an effect on social support received. The content analysis raised expectations related to time, planning of service, organisational factors and caring practise. Home care clients' and families' needs for support vary, and therefore, the assessment of needs, care planning and updating are important. The variable support needs of older people and their family members require flexible and adaptable home services. Cooperation between all participants involved in care would promote the well-being of the older person and the entire family. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Summary of Liquid Propulsion System Needs in Support of the Constellation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorier, Terry; Sumrall, Phil; Baine, Michael

2008-01-01

In January 2004, the President of the United States established the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) to complete the International Space Station, retire the Space Shuttle and develop its replacement, and expand the human presence on the Moon as a stepping stone to human exploration of Mars and worlds beyond. In response, NASA developed the Constellation Program, consisting of the components shown in Figure 1. This paper will summarize the manned spaceflight liquid propulsion system needs in support of the Constellation Program over the next 10 years. It will address all liquid engine needs to support human exploration from low Earth orbit (LEO) to the lunar surface, including an overview of engines currently under contract, those baselined but not yet under contract, and those propulsion needs that have yet to be initiated. There may be additional engine needs for early demonstrators, but those will not be addressed as part of this paper. Also, other portions of the VSE architecture, including the planned Orion abort test boosters and the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program, are not addressed here as they either use solid motors or are focused on unmanned elements of returning humans to the Moon.

The Effects of Age and Set Size on the Fast Extraction of Egocentric Distance

PubMed Central

Gajewski, Daniel A.; Wallin, Courtney P.; Philbeck, John W.

2016-01-01

Angular direction is a source of information about the distance to floor-level objects that can be extracted from brief glimpses (near one's threshold for detection). Age and set size are two factors known to impact the viewing time needed to directionally localize an object, and these were posited to similarly govern the extraction of distance. The question here was whether viewing durations sufficient to support object detection (controlled for age and set size) would also be sufficient to support well-constrained judgments of distance. Regardless of viewing duration, distance judgments were more accurate (less biased towards underestimation) when multiple potential targets were presented, suggesting that the relative angular declinations between the objects are an additional source of useful information. Distance judgments were more precise with additional viewing time, but the benefit did not depend on set size and accuracy did not improve with longer viewing durations. The overall pattern suggests that distance can be efficiently derived from direction for floor-level objects. Controlling for age-related differences in the viewing time needed to support detection was sufficient to support distal localization but only when brief and longer glimpse trials were interspersed. Information extracted from longer glimpse trials presumably supported performance on subsequent trials when viewing time was more limited. This outcome suggests a particularly important role for prior visual experience in distance judgments for older observers. PMID:27398065

Initiatives and resources to promote antimicrobial stewardship.

PubMed

Paño-Pardo, José Ramón; Campos, José; Natera Kindelán, Clara; Ramos, Antonio

2013-09-01

The development of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) requires institutional support. However, obtaining sufficient institutional support is often a complex task that requires convincing the hospital's managers of the benefits of these programs. Additionally, in the design and implementation of an ASP, antimicrobial stewardship (AS) leaders need tools for diverse purposes, such as measuring antimicrobial consumption, education and training and designing protocols. In this review we provide useful information for AS promoters to facilitate the task of designing and implementing an ASP. First, we summarize information about various institutions that promote AS and include evidence that supports the need for and benefits of these programs. Then, several campaigns promoting AS are described. Finally, online resources for professionals dealing with AS are briefly summarized. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Conceptual Model of Iodine Behavior in the Subsurface at the Hanford Site

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

Truex, Michael J.; Lee, Brady D.; Johnson, Christian D.

The fate and transport of 129I in the environment and potential remediation technologies are currently being studied as part of environmental remediation activities at the Hanford Site. A conceptual model describing the nature and extent of subsurface contamination, factors that control plume behavior, and factors relevant to potential remediation processes is needed to support environmental remedy decisions. Because 129I is an uncommon contaminant, relevant remediation experience and scientific literature are limited. Thus, the conceptual model also needs to both describe known contaminant and biogeochemical process information and to identify aspects about which additional information needed to effectively support remedy decisions.more » this document summarizes the conceptual model of iodine behavior relevant to iodine in the subsurface environment at the Hanford site.« less

Refocusing and Evolving Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Services in NOAA's National Weather Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timofeyeva-Livezey, M. M.; Horsfall, F. M. C.; Silva, V.; Mangan, M. R.; Meyers, J. C.; Zdrojewski, J.

2017-12-01

NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) recently completed a reorganization to better support its goal to build a Weather-Ready Nation. As part of the reorganization, NWS streamlined its 11 national service programs, including climate services, to provide a more structured approach to supporting service delivery needs. As the American public increasingly requests information at sub-seasonal and seasonal time scales for decision making, the NWS Climate Services Program is striving to meet those needs by accelerating transition of research to operations, improving delivery of products and services, and enhancing partnerships to facilitate provision of seamless weather, water, and climate products and services at regional and local scales. Additionally, NWS forecasters are requesting more tools to be able to put severe weather and water events into a climate context to provide more effective impact-based decision support services (IDSS). This paper will describe the activities to more effectively integrate climate services into the NWS suite of environmental information, the roles of the NWS offices supporting or delivering sub-seasonal and seasonal information to the US public, and engaging NWS core and deep-core partners in provision of information on climatological risks and preparedness as a part of IDSS. We will discuss the process by which we collect user requests and/or needs and the NWS process that allows us to move these requests and needs through a formal requirements validation process and thus place the requirement on a path to identify a potential solution for implementation. The validation of a NWS climate-related requirement is also key to identify research, development, and transition mission delivery needs that are supported through the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Climate Program Office (CPO). In addition, we will present the outcomes of key actions of the first ever NWS National Climate Services Meeting (NCSM) that was held in May 2016 with the participation of more than 250 NWS climate services staff and key partners from across the country. The key actions include understanding core and deep-core partners, advancing training for NWS staff focused on IDSS, and better organization of service delivery at regional and local levels.

Aboriginal parent support: A partnership approach.

PubMed

Munns, Ailsa; Toye, Christine; Hegney, Desley; Kickett, Marion; Marriott, Rhonda; Walker, Roz

2018-02-01

This study was positioned within a larger action research study relating to a peer-led Aboriginal home visiting parent support program in an urban Western Australian setting. The aims for this study component were to identify program elements, exploring participants' perceptions of the program's suitability, feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness to inform program model recommendations and add to the body of knowledge on effective Aboriginal peer-led program models. The ability of Aboriginal parents to develop positive family environments is crucial, with parent support needing to be reflexive to local needs and sociocultural influences. Culturally appropriate service provision needs meaningful and acceptable strategies. This study was situated within a critical paradigm supporting Participatory Action Research methodology, using Action Learning Sets as the participant engagement and data collection setting. Within ten Action Learning Sets, focus group interviews were carried out with Aboriginal peer support workers, a non-Aboriginal parent support worker, an Aboriginal program coordinator, an Aboriginal education support officer and non-Aboriginal program managers (n = 8), and individual interviews with parents (n = 2) and community agencies (n = 4). Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Five themes were derived from peer support worker and community agency cohorts: peer support worker home visiting skills; responding to impacts of social determinants of health; client support and engagement; interagency collaboration; and issues addressing program sustainability. Parent responses augmented these themes. Participants identified five key elements relating to peer-led home visiting support for Aboriginal parents. These are uniquely placed to inform ongoing program development as there is little additional evidence in wider national and international contexts. Engagement with communities and peer support workers to develop culturally relevant partnerships with Aboriginal families is integral to contemporary child health practice. Ongoing nurse support is needed for peer support worker role development. Indigenous Australian peoples are people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Respectfully, throughout this paper, they will be described as Aboriginal. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ready or not? School preparedness for California's new personal beliefs exemption law.

PubMed

Wheeler, Marissa; Buttenheim, Alison M

2014-05-07

This paper describes elementary school officials' awareness of and preparedness for the implementation of California's new exemption law that went into effect on January 1, 2014. The new law prescribes stricter requirements for claiming a personal beliefs exemption from mandated school-entry immunizations. We used cross-sectional data collected from a stratified random sample of 315 schools with low, middle, and high rates of personal beliefs exemptions. We described schools' awareness and specific knowledge of the new legislation and tested for differences across school types. We additionally tested for associations between outcome variables and school and respondent characteristics using ordered logit and negative binomial regression. Finally, we described schools' plans and needs for implementing the new legislation. Elementary school staff reported an overall low level of awareness and knowledge about the new legislation and could identify few of its features. We observed, however, that across the exemption-level strata, respondents from high-PBE schools reported significantly higher awareness, knowledge and feature identification compared to respondents from low-PBE schools. Multivariate analyses revealed only one significant association with awareness, knowledge and identification: respondent role. Support staff roles were associated with lower odds of having high self-rated awareness or knowledge compared to health workers, as well as with a reduced log count of features identified. Though most school officials were able to identify a communication plan, schools were still in need of resources and support for successful implementation, in particular, the need for information on the new law. Schools need additional information and support from state and local agencies in order to successfully implement and enforce California's new school immunization law. In particular, our results suggest the need to ensure information on the new law reaches all levels of school staff. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New technologies emerge.

PubMed

Gray, S P

1997-01-01

Technology vendors continue to invent new devices, systems and processes to sell to the health care industry. Drugs, instruments and procedures continue to improve and address disease and injury treatment needs. In addition to these direct medical treatment innovations and enhancements, a number of new supporting systems and products have emerged. These support technologies hold significant promise for managers to make day-to-day execution of health care delivery more cost effective and customer friendly.

Cost accounting in health care: fad or fundamental?

PubMed

Kaskiw, E A; Hanlon, P; Wulf, P

1987-11-01

The drastic changes in the environment affecting hospitals have caused management to look toward capturing and reporting cost information to make decisions. These decisions will, in part, shape the way hospitals continue to do business. This article focuses on the data requirements necessary to support product and operational management decisions facing today's hospitals. In addition, the difference in data needed to support product and operational management is explored.

The South Eastern Europe Brigade: An Option for NATO-Led Peace Support Operations?

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-10

Exercise CSSB Combat Service Support Battalion DOS Day of Supply DRO Disaster Relief Operations EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal ETF Engineer Task...the adoption of the second Additional Protocol, the SEEBRIG member nations established an Engineer Task Force ( ETF ). The concept embeds purpose...capabilities, like the ETF structure, could be used as niche military capabilities by outside organizations that may need them. SEEBRIG engineer capabilities

Novel Overhang Support Designs for Powder-Based Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nabors, Sammy A.

2014-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, in collaboration with the University of Alabama, has developed a contact-free support structure used to fabricate overhang-type geometries via EBAM. The support structure is used for 3-D metal-printed components for the aerospace, automotive, biomedical and other industries. Current techniques use support structures to address deformation challenges inherent in 3-D metal printing. However, these structures (overhangs) are bonded to the component and need to be removed in post-processing using a mechanical tool. This new technology improves the overhang support structure design for components by eliminating associated geometric defects and post-processing requirements.

Doula support during first-trimester surgical abortion: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Chor, Julie; Hill, Brandon; Martins, Summer; Mistretta, Stephanie; Patel, Ashlesha; Gilliam, Melissa

2015-01-01

The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of doula support on first-trimester abortion care. Women were randomized to receive doula support or routine care during first-trimester surgical abortion. We examined the effect of doula support on pain during abortion using a 100 mm visual analog scale. The study had the statistical power to detect a 20% difference in mean pain scores. Secondary measures included satisfaction, procedure duration, and patient recommendations regarding doula support. Two hundred fourteen women completed the study: 106 received doula support, and 108 received routine care. The groups did not differ regarding demographics, gestational age, or medical history. Pain scores in the doula and control groups did not differ at speculum insertion (38.6 [±26.3 mm] vs 43.6 mm [±25.9 mm], P = .18) or procedure completion (68.2 [±28.0 mm] vs 70.6 mm [±23.5 mm], P = .52). Procedure duration (3.39 [±2.83 min] vs 3.18 min [±2.36 min], P = .55) and patient satisfaction (75.2 [±28.6 mm] vs 74.6 mm [±27.4 mm], P = .89) did not differ between the doula and control groups. Among women who received doula support, 96.2% recommended routine doula support for abortion and 60.4% indicated interest in training as doulas. Among women who did not receive doula support, 71.6% of women would have wanted it. Additional clinical staff was needed to provide support for 2.9% of women in the doula group and 14.7% of controls (P < .01). Although doula support did not have a measurable effect on pain or satisfaction, women overwhelmingly recommended it for routine care. Women receiving doula support were less likely to require additional clinic support resources. Doula support therefore may address patient psychosocial needs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social support and vulnerability: state of the art in relation to families and children.

PubMed

MacElveen-Hoehn, P; Eyres, S J

1984-01-01

The purpose of this presentation is to review the concepts of social support and vulnerable families and children, propose a theoretical model on coping and adaptation, and ascertain any significant implications for the delivery of health care services and future research. The review of the literature indicates that major problems persist in the classification, conceptualization, empirical investigation, and clinical application of social support due to a lack of clarity regarding the definition of social support and how it works. Related perspectives such as bonding, child development, and child rearing also reaffirm the need for and the utilization of social support. High-risk factors, such as low maternal age, poverty, single parenthood, and long-term health problems, increase the vulnerability of families and children. This literature strongly suggests that the interactions of adults and children with supportive members of their social networks are important in the development of essential cognitive and social skills, as well as for the promotion of security and comfort. Supports from individuals, families, and groups also are associated with more successful adaptation and favorable outcomes. Despite numerous articles and research projects, however, questions concerning how social support works to assist vulnerable children and families remain. Seven factors are proposed as a theoretical model to identify threatening situations and coping difficulties so that appropriate support can be provided. These factors are surprise, experience, confusion, perceived effectiveness, perceived allies, perceived uniqueness of threat, and overload. Additional testing is required for this model so that a more meaningful investigation and utilization of social support can be established. Additional research also is indicated to determine the specific types of support needed in the presence of certain factors, network style preferences, the supply and demand for support over the life span, and cultural aspects of coping and support processes. The position that appropriate social support will promote mastery and self-determination has significant implications for health professionals.

Developing Professional Learning for Staff Working with Children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs Combined with Moderate-Severe Learning Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Carolyn

2011-01-01

This article presents research undertaken as part of a PhD by Carolyn Anderson who is a senior lecturer on the BSc (Hons) in Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Strathclyde. The study explores the professional learning experiences of 49 teachers working in eight schools and units for children with additional support needs in…

Do Antenatal and Postnatal Parental Psychological Distress, and Recognized Need of Help Predict Preadolescent's Psychiatric Symptoms? The Finnish Family Competence Cohort Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pihlakoski, Leena; Sourander, Andre; Aromaa, Minna; Ronning, John A.; Rautava, Paivi; Helenius, Hans; Sillanpaa, Matti

2013-01-01

In a prospective population-based study, mothers and fathers of 1,247 children reported their physical and mental health during pregnancy, after delivery, within the child's first 18 months of life, and at 12 years. Additionally, maternal health clinic nurses rated parents' well-being and perceived need for support. At age 12, child outcomes were…

The Politics of Schools and Money: Building Awareness about Channeling Practices for Supplemental Resource Allocations to Serve English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okhremtchouk, Irina S.

2017-01-01

One of the aims of K-12 supplemental programs is to maximize the potential for success of students who bring special needs into a classroom. Therefore, the intent behind a large majority of these additional resources is to support programs that are designed to address the needs of otherwise marginalized students by leveling the playing field. The…

Science, bad science, and pseudoscience.

PubMed

Giuffre, M

1997-12-01

The American public is being overwhelmed with scientific sounding claims for products to be ingested and/or applied to the body that have no research support. To protect ourselves and our patients from potential harm or unnecessarily wasting their resources, we need to be aware of the problem. In addition we need to apply the standards we have learned for critiquing research to the claims made by the purveyors of these products.

Dr Google Is Here to Stay but Health Care Professionals Are Still Valued: An Analysis of Health Care Consumers' Internet Navigation Support Preferences.

PubMed

Lee, Kenneth; Hoti, Kreshnik; Hughes, Jeffery David; Emmerton, Lynne

2017-06-14

The Internet offers great opportunities for consumers to be informed about their health. However, concerns have been raised regarding its impact on the traditional health consumer-health professional relationship. Our recent survey of 400 Australian adults identified that over half of consumers required some form of navigational support in locating appropriate Web-based health information. We propose that support provided by health professionals would be preferred by consumers; this preference is regardless of whether consumers have a need for navigational support. Secondary analysis of the survey dataset is presented here to quantify consumer-reported support preferences and barriers when navigating Web-based health information. We aimed to quantitatively identify consumers' support preferences for locating Web-based health information and their barriers when navigating Web-based health information. We also aimed to compare such preferences and barriers between consumers identified as needing and not needing support when locating Web-based health information. Chi-square (χ 2 ) tests identified whether each listed support preference differed between subgroups of consumers classified as needing (n=205, 51.3%) or not needing (n=195, 48.8%) navigational support; degree of association, via phi coefficient (φ) tests, were also considered to ascertain the likely practical significance of any differences. This was repeated for each listed barrier. Free-text responses regarding additional support preferences were descriptively analyzed and compared with the quantitative findings to provide a richer understanding of desired support for health information searches. Of the 400 respondents, the most preferred mode of navigational support was involvement of health professionals; this was reported by participants identified as needing and not needing navigational support. While there was a significant difference between groups, the degree of association was small (χ 2 1 [N=400]=13.2; P<.001; φ=.18). Qualitative data from the free-text responses supported consumers' desire for health professional involvement. The two most commonly reported barriers when navigating desired Web-based health information were (1) volume of available information and (2) inconsistency of information between sources; these were reported by participants with and without a need for navigational support. While participants identified with a need for navigational support were more likely to report volume (χ 2 1 [N=387]= 4.40; P=.04; φ=.11) and inconsistency of information (χ 2 1 [N=387]= 16.10, P<.001, φ=.20) as barriers, the degrees of association were small to moderate. Despite concerns in the literature that the popularity of the Internet could compromise the health consumer-health professional relationship, our findings suggest the contrary. Our findings showed that health professionals were found to be the most commonly preferred mode of navigational support, even among consumers classified as not needing navigational support. Further research into how health professionals could assist consumers with Web-based health information seeking could strengthen the health consumer-health professional relationship amidst the growing use of "Dr Google." ©Kenneth Lee, Kreshnik Hoti, Jeffery David Hughes, Lynne Emmerton. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 14.06.2017.

Dr Google Is Here to Stay but Health Care Professionals Are Still Valued: An Analysis of Health Care Consumers’ Internet Navigation Support Preferences

PubMed Central

Hoti, Kreshnik; Hughes, Jeffery David; Emmerton, Lynne

2017-01-01

Background The Internet offers great opportunities for consumers to be informed about their health. However, concerns have been raised regarding its impact on the traditional health consumer-health professional relationship. Our recent survey of 400 Australian adults identified that over half of consumers required some form of navigational support in locating appropriate Web-based health information. We propose that support provided by health professionals would be preferred by consumers; this preference is regardless of whether consumers have a need for navigational support. Secondary analysis of the survey dataset is presented here to quantify consumer-reported support preferences and barriers when navigating Web-based health information. Objective We aimed to quantitatively identify consumers’ support preferences for locating Web-based health information and their barriers when navigating Web-based health information. We also aimed to compare such preferences and barriers between consumers identified as needing and not needing support when locating Web-based health information. Methods Chi-square (χ2) tests identified whether each listed support preference differed between subgroups of consumers classified as needing (n=205, 51.3%) or not needing (n=195, 48.8%) navigational support; degree of association, via phi coefficient (φ) tests, were also considered to ascertain the likely practical significance of any differences. This was repeated for each listed barrier. Free-text responses regarding additional support preferences were descriptively analyzed and compared with the quantitative findings to provide a richer understanding of desired support for health information searches. Results Of the 400 respondents, the most preferred mode of navigational support was involvement of health professionals; this was reported by participants identified as needing and not needing navigational support. While there was a significant difference between groups, the degree of association was small (χ21 [N=400]=13.2; P<.001; φ=.18). Qualitative data from the free-text responses supported consumers’ desire for health professional involvement. The two most commonly reported barriers when navigating desired Web-based health information were (1) volume of available information and (2) inconsistency of information between sources; these were reported by participants with and without a need for navigational support. While participants identified with a need for navigational support were more likely to report volume (χ21 [N=387]= 4.40; P=.04; φ=.11) and inconsistency of information (χ21 [N=387]= 16.10, P<.001, φ=.20) as barriers, the degrees of association were small to moderate. Conclusions Despite concerns in the literature that the popularity of the Internet could compromise the health consumer-health professional relationship, our findings suggest the contrary. Our findings showed that health professionals were found to be the most commonly preferred mode of navigational support, even among consumers classified as not needing navigational support. Further research into how health professionals could assist consumers with Web-based health information seeking could strengthen the health consumer-health professional relationship amidst the growing use of “Dr Google.” PMID:28615156

A Synthesis Of Knowledge About Caregiver Decision Making Finds Gaps In Support For Those Who Care For Aging Loved Ones.

PubMed

Garvelink, Mirjam M; Ngangue, Patrice A G; Adekpedjou, Rheda; Diouf, Ndeye T; Goh, Larissa; Blair, Louisa; Légaré, France

2016-04-01

We conducted a mixed-methods knowledge synthesis to assess the effectiveness of interventions to improve caregivers' involvement in decision making with seniors, and to describe caregivers' experiences of decision making in the absence of interventions. We analyzed forty-nine qualitative, fourteen quantitative, and three mixed-methods studies. The qualitative studies indicated that caregivers had unmet needs for information, discussions of values and needs, and decision support, which led to negative sentiments after decision making. Our results indicate that there have been insufficient quantitative evaluations of interventions to involve caregivers in decision making with seniors and that the evaluations that do exist found few clinically significant effects. Elements of usual care that received positive evaluations were the availability of a decision coach and a supportive decision-making environment. Additional rigorously evaluated interventions are needed to help caregivers be more involved in decision making with seniors. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Options for the Future of the US National Strong-Motion Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1997-01-01

This report constitutes the requested 'Options Document'. This report considers three options. Option I assumes a constant level of financial support for Operating Expenses (OE) with not additional personnel support. Option II assumes a slight increase in OE support of $150K for FY 99 and beyond. Option III considers the role that a NSMP must play if the nation's urgent need to record the main earthquake at locations of significance for society is to be met. Two parts of Option III are considered. The first part of this option, termed Option III A, considers the role that strong-motion recording in and near man-made structures must play if a near-real time hazard initiative is to be implemented in the United States; The second part of Option III; termed Option III B, considers the scope of a NSMP needed to address society's needs to record the main earthquake in locations of significance for future public earthquake safety.

Who Should We Target? The Impact of Individual and Family Characteristics on the Expressed Need for Community-Based Treatment Support in HIV Patients in South Africa

PubMed Central

Wouters, Edwin; Booysen, Frederik le Roux; Masquillier, Caroline

2016-01-01

Reviews of impact evaluations of community-based health workers and peer support groups highlight the considerable variability in the effectiveness of such support in improving antiretroviral treatment (ART) outcomes. Evidence indicates that community-based support interventions targeting patients known to be at risk will probably display better results than generic interventions aimed at the entire population of people living with HIV. It is however difficult to identify these at-risk populations, rendering knowledge on the characteristics of patients groups who are in need of community-based support a clear research priority. The current study aims to address the knowledge gap by exploring the predictors of the willingness to (1) receive the support from a community-based health worker or (2) to participate in a support group in public sector ART programme of the Free State Province of South Africa. Based on the Individual-Family-Community framework for HIV research, the study employs a comprehensive approach by not only testing classical individual-level but also family-level predictors of the willingness to receive community-based support. In addition to individual-level predictors—such as age, health status and coping styles—our analysis demonstrated the importance of family characteristics. The results indicated that discrepancies in the family’s changeability level were an important predictor of the demand for community-based support services. Conversely, the findings indicated that patients living in a family more flexible than deemed ideal are more likely to require the support of a community health worker. The current study expands theory by indicating the need to acknowledge all social ecological levels in the study of chronic HIV care. The detection of both individual level and family level determinants of the expressed need for community-based support can inform health policy to devise strategies to target scarce resources to those vulnerable patients who report the greatest need for this support. In this way, the study results are a first step in an attempt to move away from generic, broad based community-based interventions towards community support that is tailored to the patient needs at both the individual and family level. PMID:27741239

Telephone Crisis Support Workers' Psychological Distress and Impairment.

PubMed

Kitchingman, Taneile A; Wilson, Coralie J; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian; Woodward, Alan

2018-01-01

In order to respond to crises with appropriate intervention, crisis workers are required to manage their own needs as well as the needs of those they respond to. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to examine whether telephone crisis support workers experience elevated symptoms of psychological distress and are impaired by elevated symptoms. Studies were identified in April 2015 by searching three databases, conducting a gray literature search, and forward and backward citation chaining. Of 113 identified studies, seven were included in the review. Results suggest that that telephone crisis support workers experience symptoms of vicarious traumatization, stress, burnout, and psychiatric disorders, and that they may not respond optimally to callers when experiencing elevated symptoms of distress. However, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn due to the paucity and methodological limitations of available data. While the most comprehensive search strategy possible was adopted, resource constraints meant that conference abstracts were not searched and authors were not contacted for additional unpublished information. There is an urgent need to identify the impact of telephone crisis support workers' role on their well-being, the determinants of worker well-being in the telephone crisis support context, and the extent to which well-being impacts their performance and caller outcomes. This will help inform strategies to optimize telephone crisis support workers' well-being and their delivery of support to callers.

Lean and Efficient Software: Whole-Program Optimization of Executables

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-03

staffing for the project  Implementing the necessary infrastructure ( testing, performance evaluation, needed support software, bug and issue...in the SOW The result of the planning discussions is shown in the milestone table (section 6). In addition, we selected appropriate engineering

76 FR 35398 - Scoria Mining Addition, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-17

... material is available for road construction and maintenance in order to support required maintenance and... 20 acres in any given year, for the purpose of using that scoria on adjacent roads needed for coal...

Treading the clinical pathway: a qualitative study of advanced practice nurses in a local health district in Australia.

PubMed

Luck, Lauretta; Wilkes, Lesley; O'Baugh, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Career planning in nursing is often haphazard, with many studies showing that nurses need personal motivation, education, and the support of workplaces, which are often dominated by political and fiscal agendas. Nurses often need institutional and personal support to plan their careers and make decisions regarding their career aspirations. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Data were gathered using semi-structured digitally recorded interviews and analysed for common categories. Twenty seven (n = 27) participants were interviewed. There were four categories revealed by the participants who described their career progression experiences: moving up the ladder, changing jobs for career progression, self-driven and the effects of institutional environments. Many of the participants' careers had been shaped serendipitously. Similar to other studies, these nurses felt political, institutional and financial factors impacted on their career opportunities. There are implications for nursing managers with more support required for nurses to plan their career trajectories. In addition to an organisation centred approach to career planning, nurse leaders and managers must take into account the personal and professional requirements of their nurses. Nurses themselves also need to take personal responsibility for career development. Greater support for nurses' career planning and personal drive will help organisations to plan their future workforce needs.

Children with new onset seizures: A prospective study of parent variables, child behavior problems, and seizure occurrence.

PubMed

Austin, Joan K; Haber, Linda C; Dunn, David W; Shore, Cheryl P; Johnson, Cynthia S; Perkins, Susan M

2015-12-01

Parent variables (stigma, mood, unmet needs for information and support, and worry) are associated with behavioral difficulties in children with seizures; however, it is not known how this relationship is influenced by additional seizures. This study followed children (ages 4-14 years) and their parents over a 24-month period (with data collected at baseline and 6, 12, and 24 months) and investigated the effect of an additional seizure on the relationship between parenting variables and child behavior difficulties. The sample was parents of 196 children (104 girls and 92 boys) with a first seizure within the past 6 weeks. Child mean age at baseline was 8 years, 3 months (SD 3 years). Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, and repeated measures analyses of covariance. Relationships between parent variables, additional seizures, and child behavior problems were consistent across time. Several associations between parent variables and child behavior problems were stronger in the additional seizure group than in the no additional seizure group. Findings suggest that interventions that assist families to respond constructively to the reactions of others regarding their child's seizure condition and to address their needs for information and support could help families of children with continuing seizures to have an improved quality of life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children with New Onset Seizures: A Prospective Study of Parent Variables, Child Behavior Problems, and Seizure Occurrence

PubMed Central

Austin, Joan K.; Haber, Linda C.; Dunn, David W.; Shore, Cheryl P.; Johnson, Cynthia S.; Perkins, Susan M.

2015-01-01

Objective Parent variables (stigma, mood, unmet needs for information and support, and worry) are associated with behavioral difficulties in children with seizures, however, it is not known how this relationship is influenced by additional seizures. This study followed children (ages 4 – 14 years) and their parents over a 24-month period (with data collected at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months) and investigated the effect of an additional seizure on the relationship between parenting variables and child behavior difficulties. Methods The sample was parents of 196 children (104 girls and 92 boys) with a first seizure within the past 6 weeks. Child mean age at baseline was 8 years, 3 months (SD 3 years). Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, and repeated measures analyses of covariance. Results Relationships between parent variables, additional seizures, and child behavior problems were consistent across time. Several associations between parent variables and child behavior problems were stronger in the additional seizure group than in the no additional seizures group. Conclusions Findings suggest that interventions that assist families to respond constructively to the reactions of others regarding their child's seizure condition and to address their needs for information and support could help families of children with continuing seizures to have an improved quality of life. PMID:26520879

Identification of a common language describing paediatric physiotherapy practice for children with additional support needs, to support communication with those outside the physiotherapy profession.

PubMed

Hunter, Cathleen; Maciver, Donald; Howden, Stella; Forsyth, Kirsty; Adamson, Amanda; Bremner, Lynne

2013-03-01

Children with additional support needs (ASNs) often require physiotherapy intervention to help maximise their participation within the primary school setting. The aim of this research was to investigate paediatric physiotherapy practice in supporting primary school aged children with ASNs, in order to identify a language to describe this, which could be used to support communication with teachers, parents and others outside the profession. Using a qualitative research multiple methods design, 2 focus groups and 5 structured interviews were held to investigate physiotherapy practice for this group. Senior paediatric physiotherapists (n=13) from a range of specialities, with experience of supporting primary school aged children with ASNs. Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed to establish links and patterns: followed by a cyclical process of respondent validation, and expert review. Eight targets for physiotherapy intervention and twelve technique headings were synthesised from the data. The language used for labelling and description of these was aimed to be easily understood by colleagues outside the profession. The findings clearly identified the role of the paediatric physiotherapist as being to support primary school aged children with ASNs to acquire aspects of postural control, mobility and cardio-respiratory function. By grouping the data into eight areas of challenge as the focus of intervention, and twelve commonly used techniques, the researchers generated a language which can be used by paediatric physiotherapists to support communication with teachers, parents and others outside the profession, when describing their intent and interactions regarding these children. Copyright © 2012 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Establishment of a research pharmacy to support Ebola clinical research in Liberia.

PubMed

Pierson, Jerome F; Kirchoff, Matthew Carl; Tyee, Rev Tijli; Montello, Michael J; Rhie, Julie K

This article describes the establishment of a research pharmacy to support the Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccines in Liberia (PREVAIL) vaccine study for Ebola virus disease. This article describes the establishment of the pharmacy element to support the overall research program during an Ebola outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, in 2014 and 2015. The need for the rapid establishment of infrastructure to support the Liberia-United States joint clinical research partnership in response to the emerging Ebola virus disease provided the opportunity for collaboration among Liberian and U.S. pharmacists. Resource austere and research naïve. Research pharmacy prepared and randomized 1500 vaccinations in support of PREVAIL. Experiences of the Liberian and U.S. pharmacists involved in the program are described. The partnership was successful in the conduct of the study. More importantly, the capacity for Liberian pharmacists to support clinical research was established. In addition, the U.S. team learned several important lessons that will help prepare them for responding to research needs in future infectious disease outbreaks. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Executing Military Family Programs in the New Fiscal Reality

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

these family programs to the Army’s Installation Management Command (IMCOM) G9, Family Moral Welfare and Recreation. IMCOM G9 refines policy and... Family Support Centers manages Navy Family Support Initiatives. 35F36 Additionally, to ensure that family needs are met, the Navy places family ...service members and their families . The 2008 DOD survey of active duty spouses concluded that managing childcare during deployment was a problem for 65

Future experimental needs to support applied aerodynamics - A transonic perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gloss, Blair B.

1992-01-01

Advancements in facilities, test techniques, and instrumentation are needed to provide data required for the development of advanced aircraft and to verify computational methods. An industry survey of major users of wind tunnel facilities at Langley Research Center (LaRC) was recently carried out to determine future facility requirements, test techniques, and instrumentation requirements; results from this survey are reflected in this paper. In addition, areas related to transonic testing at LaRC which are either currently being developed or are recognized as needing improvements are discussed.

MOOSE IPL Extensions (Control Logic)

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

Permann, Cody

In FY-2015, the development of MOOSE was driven by the needs of the NEAMS MOOSE-based applications, BISON, MARMOT, and RELAP-7. An emphasis was placed on the continued upkeep and improvement MOOSE in support of the product line integration goals. New unified documentation tools have been developed, several improvements to regression testing have been enforced and overall better software quality practices have been implemented. In addition the Multiapps and Transfers systems have seen significant refactoring and robustness improvements, as has the “Restart and Recover” system in support of Multiapp simulations. Finally, a completely new “Control Logic” system has been engineered tomore » replace the prototype system currently in use in the RELAP-7 code. The development of this system continues and is expected to handle existing needs as well as support future enhancements.« less

Do Inclusion Practices for Pupils with Special Educational Needs in the English as a Foreign Language Class in Israel Reflect Inclusion Laws and Language Policy Requirements?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russak, Susie

2016-01-01

The study of additional languages is mandatory for all pupils in most European countries. Usually, the first foreign language is English. This is due to the status of English as a global language. According to inclusion laws, pupils with special educational needs (SEN) should be taught in regular classes with support services by teachers with…

The application of parallel wells to support the use of groundwater for sustainable irrigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suhardi

2018-05-01

The use of groundwater as a source of irrigation is one alternative in meeting water needs of plants. Using groundwater for irrigation requires a high cost because of the discharge that can be taken is limited. In addition, the use of large groundwater can cause environmental damage and social conflict. To minimize costs, maintain quality of the environment and to prevent social conflicts, it is necessary to innovate in the groundwater taking system. The study was conducted with an innovation of using parallel wells. Performance is measured by comparing parallel wells with a single well. The results showed that the use of parallel wells to meet the water needs of rice plants and increase the pump discharge up to 100%. In addition, parallel wells can reduce the influence radius of taking of groundwater compared to single well so as to prevent social conflict. Thus, the use of parallel wells can support the achievement of the use of groundwater for sustainable irrigation.

Supporting change in chronic disease risk behaviours for people with a mental illness: a qualitative study of the experiences of family carers.

PubMed

Bailey, Jacqueline M; Hansen, Vibeke; Wye, Paula M; Wiggers, John H; Bartlem, Kate M; Bowman, Jennifer A

2018-03-27

People with a mental illness experience greater chronic disease morbidity and mortality, and associated reduced life expectancy, compared to those without such an illness. A higher prevalence of chronic disease risk behaviours (inadequate nutrition, inadequate physical activity, tobacco smoking, and harmful alcohol consumption) is experienced by this population. Family carers have the potential to support change in such behaviours among those they care for with a mental illness. This study aimed to explore family carers': 1) experiences in addressing the chronic disease risk behaviours of their family members; 2) existing barriers to addressing such behaviours; and 3) perceptions of potential strategies to assist them to provide risk behaviour change support. A qualitative study of four focus groups (n = 31), using a semi-structured interview schedule, was conducted with carers of people with a mental illness in New South Wales, Australia from January 2015 to February 2016. An inductive thematic analysis was employed to explore the experience of carers in addressing the chronic disease risk behaviours. Two main themes were identified in family carers' report of their experiences: firstly, that health behaviours were salient concerns for carers and that they were engaged in providing support, and secondly that they perceived a bidirectional relationship between health behaviours and mental well-being. Key barriers to addressing behaviours were: a need to attend to carers' own well-being; defensiveness on behalf of the family member; and not residing with their family member; with other behaviour-specific barriers also identified. Discussion around strategies which would assist carers in providing support for health risk behaviours identified a need for improved communication and collaboration between carers and health services accessed by their family members. Additional support from general and mental health services accessed by family members is desired to assist carers to address the barriers to providing behaviour change support. Carers have the potential to support and extend health service interventions aimed at improving the chronic disease risk behaviours of people with a mental illness but may require additional information, and collaboration from services. Further research is needed to explore these constructs in a large representative sample.

Beyond using composite measures to analyze the effect of unmet supportive care needs on caregivers' anxiety and depression.

PubMed

Lambert, Sylvie D; Hulbert-Williams, Nicholas; Belzile, Eric; Ciampi, Antonio; Girgis, Afaf

2018-06-01

Caregiver research has relied on composite measures (eg, count) of unmet supportive care needs to determine relationships with anxiety and depression. Such composite measures assume that all unmet needs have a similar impact on outcomes. The purpose of this study is to identify individual unmet needs most associated with caregivers' anxiety and depression. Two hundred nineteen caregivers completed the 44-item Supportive Care Needs Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (minimal clinically important difference = 1.5) at 6 to 8 months and 1, 2, 3.5, and 5 years following the patients' cancer diagnosis. The list of needs was reduced using partial least square regression, and those with a variance importance in projection >1 were analyzed using Bayesian model averaging. Across time, 8 items remained in the top 10 based on prevalence and were labelled "core." Three additional ones were labelled "frequent," as they remained in the top 10 from 1 year onwards. Bayesian model averaging identified a maximum of 3 significant unmet needs per time point-all leading to a difference greater than the minimal clinically important difference. For depression, none of the core unmet needs were significant, rather significance was noted for frequent needs and needs that were not prevalent. For anxiety, 3/8 core and 3/3 frequent unmet needs were significant. Those unmet needs that are most prevalent are not necessarily the most significant ones, and findings provide an evidence-based framework to guide the development of caregiver interventions. A broader contribution is proposing a different approach to identify significant unmet needs. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Life support for aquatic species - past; present; future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slenzka, K.

Life Support is a basic issue since manned space flight began. Not only to support astronauts and cosmonauts with the essential things to live, however, also animals which were carried for research to space etc together with men need support systems to survive under space conditions. Most of the animals transported to space participate at the life support system of the spacecraft. However, aquatic species live in water as environment and thus need special developments. Research with aquatic animals has a long tradition in manned space flight resulting in numerous life support systems for them starting with simple plastic bags up to complex support hardware. Most of the recent developments have to be identified as part of a technological oriented system and can be described as small technospheres. As the importance arose to study our Earth as the extraordinary Biosphere we live in, the modeling of small ecosystems began as part of ecophysiological research. In parallel the investigations of Bioregenerative Life Support Systems were launched and identified as necessity for long-term space missions or traveling to Moon and Mars and beyond. This paper focus on previous developments of Life Support Systems for aquatic animals and will show future potential developments towards Bioregenerative Life Support which additionally strongly benefits to our Earth's basic understanding.

Supporting employees' work-family needs improves health care quality: Longitudinal evidence from long-term care.

PubMed

Okechukwu, Cassandra A; Kelly, Erin L; Bacic, Janine; DePasquale, Nicole; Hurtado, David; Kossek, Ellen; Sembajwe, Grace

2016-05-01

We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from U.S.-based employees in 30 long-term care facilities. Analysis of semi-structured interviews from 154 managers informed quantitative analyses. Quantitative data include 1214 employees' scoring of their supervisors and their organizations on family supportiveness (individual scores and aggregated to facility level), and three outcomes: (1), care quality indicators assessed at facility level (n = 30) and collected monthly for six months after employees' data collection; (2), employees' dichotomous survey response on having additional off-site jobs; and (3), proportion of employees with additional jobs at each facility. Thematic analyses revealed that managers operate within the constraints of an industry that simultaneously: (a) employs low-wage employees with multiple work-family challenges, and (b) has firmly institutionalized goals of prioritizing quality of care and minimizing labor costs. Managers universally described providing work-family support and prioritizing care quality as antithetical to each other. Concerns surfaced that family-supportiveness encouraged employees to work additional jobs off-site, compromising care quality. Multivariable linear regression analysis of facility-level data revealed that higher family-supportive supervision was associated with significant decreases in residents' incidence of all pressure ulcers (-2.62%) and other injuries (-9.79%). Higher family-supportive organizational climate was associated with significant decreases in all falls (-17.94%) and falls with injuries (-7.57%). Managers' concerns about additional jobs were not entirely unwarranted: multivariable logistic regression of employee-level data revealed that among employees with children, having family-supportive supervision was associated with significantly higher likelihood of additional off-site jobs (RR 1.46, 95%CI 1.08-1.99), but family-supportive organizational climate was associated with lower likelihood (RR 0.76, 95%CI 0.59-0.99). However, proportion of workers with additional off-site jobs did not significantly predict care quality at facility levels. Although managers perceived providing work-family support and ensuring high care quality as conflicting goals, results suggest that family-supportiveness is associated with better care quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supporting employees’ work-family needs improves health care quality: longitudinal evidence from long-term care

PubMed Central

Okechukwu, Cassandra A.; Kelly, Erin L.; Bacic, Janine; DePasquale, Nicole; Hurtado, David; Kossek, Ellen; Sembajwe, Grace

2016-01-01

We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from U.S.-based employees in 30 long-term care facilities. Analysis of semi-structured interviews from 154 managers informed quantitative analyses. Quantitative data include 1,214 employees’ scoring of their supervisors and their organizations on family supportiveness (individual scores and aggregated to facility level), and three outcomes: (1), care quality indicators assessed at facility level (n=30) and collected monthly for six months after employees’ data collection; (2), employees’ dichotomous survey response on having additional off-site jobs; and (3), proportion of employees with additional jobs at each facility. Thematic analyses revealed that managers operate within the constraints of an industry that simultaneously: (a) employs low-wage employees with multiple work-family challenges, and (b) has firmly institutionalized goals of prioritizing quality of care and minimizing labor costs. Managers universally described providing work-family support and prioritizing care quality as antithetical to each other. Concerns surfaced that family-supportiveness encouraged employees to work additional jobs off-site, compromising care quality. Multivariable linear regression analysis of facility-level data revealed that higher family-supportive supervision was associated with significant decreases in residents’ incidence of all pressure ulcers (−2.62%) and other injuries (−9.79%). Higher family-supportive organizational climate was associated with significant decreases in all falls (−17.94%) and falls with injuries (−7.57%). Managers’ concerns about additional jobs were not entirely unwarranted: multivariable logistic regression of employee-level data revealed that among employees with children, having family-supportive supervision was associated with significantly higher likelihood of additional off-site jobs (RR 1.46, 95%CI 1.08-1.99), but family-supportive organizational climate was associated with lower likelihood (RR 0.76, 95%CI 0.59-0.99). However, proportion of workers with additional off-site jobs did not significantly predict care quality at facility levels. Although managers perceived providing work-family support and ensuring high care quality as conflicting goals, results suggest that family-supportiveness is associated with better care quality. PMID:27082022

Restraint of children with additional needs in motor vehicles: knowledge and challenges of paediatric occupational therapists in Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

Baker, Anne; Galvin, Jane; Vale, Lisa; Lindner, Helen

2012-02-01

This research project aimed to understand the challenges faced by occupational therapists when making recommendations regarding the restraint of children with additional needs in motor vehicles in Victoria, Australia. A cross-sectional survey design was used to explore current practice in relation to the prescription of motor vehicle restraints in Victoria, Australia. An electronic survey was sent to occupational therapists working with children aged from birth to 18 years in early intervention services, hospitals, schools, community services or private practice.   Challenges faced by occupational therapists related to a lack of knowledge of relevant standards and legal requirements, issues seating children with behavioural difficulties, families' inability to purchase recommended equipment and constraints as a result of funding issues. Further work is required to develop appropriate resources which support occupational therapists to make car seating recommendations for children with additional needs which comply with Australian legal requirements and standards. © 2011 The Authors. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2011 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Information needs of case managers caring for persons living with HIV.

PubMed

Schnall, Rebecca; Cimino, James J; Currie, Leanne M; Bakken, Suzanne

2011-05-01

The goals of this study were to explore the information needs of case managers who provide services to persons living with HIV (PLWH) and to assess the applicability of the Information Needs Event Taxonomy in a new population. The study design was observational with data collection via an online survey. Responses to open-ended survey questions about the information needs of case managers (n=94) related to PLWH of three levels of care complexity were categorized using the Information Needs Event Taxonomy. The most frequently identified needs were related to patient education resources (33%), patient data (23%), and referral resources (22%) accounting for 79% of all (N=282) information needs. Study limitations include selection bias, recall bias, and a relatively narrow focus of the study on case-manager information needs in the context of caring for PLWH. The study findings contribute to the evidence base regarding information needs in the context of patient interactions by: (1) supporting the applicability of the Information Needs Event Taxonomy and extending it through addition of a new generic question; (2) providing a foundation for the addition of context-specific links to external information resources within information systems; (3) applying a new approach for elicitation of information needs; and (4) expanding the literature regarding addressing information needs in community-based settings for HIV services.

Is there evidence to support a forefoot strike pattern in barefoot runners? A review.

PubMed

Lorenz, Daniel S; Pontillo, Marisa

2012-11-01

Barefoot running is a trend among running enthusiasts that is the subject of much controversy. At this time, benefits appear to be more speculative and anecdotal than evidence based. Additionally, the risk of injuries is not well established. A PubMed search was undertaken for articles published in English from 1980 to 2011. Additional references were accrued from reference lists of research articles. While minimal data exist that definitively support barefoot running, there are data lending support to the argument that runners should use a forefoot strike pattern in lieu of a heel strike pattern to reduce ground reaction forces, ground contact time, and step length. Whether there is a positive or negative effect on injury has yet to be determined. Unquestionably, more research is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Imprisoned Husbands: Palestinian Wives and Experiences of Difficulties.

PubMed

Shehadeh, Amer; Dawani, Sama; Saed, Mohammed; Derluyn, Ilse; Loots, Gerrit

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate difficulties experienced by the wives of Palestinian men arrested and held in Israeli prisons. 16 captives' wives were interviewed using a semi-structured interview to provide them with a greater opportunity to speak about their experiences. Three main research questions were discussed; community difficulties, social support, and coping strategies. A thematic analysis was used throughout the interviews. We concluded that in addition to the stress of being separated from their husbands, the frustrating visitation process to prison and the ongoing political conflict, the wives expressed a frustrating social network characterized by constant interferences in their personal lives and the choices they make. Most women expressed a lack in psychosocial support given through governmental and non-governmental organizations; in addition they expressed a need for that kind of support. Coping strategies ranged from religious, acceptance, distraction, to planning strategies.

Role perceptions of occupational therapists providing support and education for caregivers of persons with dementia.

PubMed

Toth-Cohen, S

2000-01-01

This pilot study explored occupational therapists' perceptions of their roles as interventionists providing education and support for caregivers of persons with dementia. The intervention was provided in caregivers' homes as part of a larger funded study. Interviews were conducted with four occupational therapists to elicit their reflections on practice and their views on occupational therapy services on the basis of their experiences providing support and education for caregivers in the funded study. Key themes consisted of the contrasts between the therapists' roles in the study and their customary practices and the professional and personal impact of their role in the study. Their recommendations for occupational therapy services emphasized the need to (a) collaborate with patients, families, and other health care staff members to solve problems; (b) acknowledge others as experts; (c) include family perspectives; and (d) fully address the needs of patients and families in their home environments. Providing support and education for caregivers in the community can be a major transition for therapists accustomed to practicing in more traditional settings. Additional research is needed to explore the ways in which specific practice contexts influence delivery of occupational therapy services.

Women at the Top.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vail, Kathleen

1999-01-01

Profiles Diana Lam, Gerry House, and Esperanza Zendejas, who accomplished what few women do: they became school superintendents. Qualified female candidates for superintendents are out there. School boards need to pay attention to the way they hire personnel and focus on leadership skills. In addition, boards can support professional memberships…

Automatic Selective Documentation Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Ray L.

User needs studies often present figures indicating that documentation services systems which rely on the mails are inherently incapable of effectively supporting more than half of all research and development tasks. In addition to investigating faster ways of transmitting information, DDC has also been developing and testing systems based on…

Applied Linguistics and Primary School Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Sue, Ed.; McCartney, Elspeth, Ed.

2011-01-01

Modern primary teachers must adapt literacy programmes and ensure efficient learning for all. They must also support children with language and literacy difficulties, children learning English as an additional language and possibly teach a modern foreign language. To do this effectively, they need to understand the applied linguistics research…

75 FR 45093 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-02

...; student tracker database updates, 16 hours. Burden Hours: 11,328. Needs and Uses: Under the authority of... application, by academic professors/advisors. NOAA OEd student scholar alumni are also requested to provide... tracker database with the required student information. In addition, the collected student data supports...

Supporting Universal Prevention Programs: A Two-Phased Coaching Model

PubMed Central

Becker, Kimberly D.; Darney, Dana; Domitrovich, Celene; Keperling, Jennifer Pitchford; Ialongo, Nicholas S.

2013-01-01

Schools are adopting evidence-based programs designed to enhance students’ emotional and behavioral competencies at increasing rates (Hemmeter, Snyder, & Artman, 2011). At the same time, teachers express the need for increased support surrounding implementation of these evidence-based programs (Carter & Van Norman, 2010). Ongoing professional development in the form of coaching may enhance teacher skills and implementation (Noell et al., 2005; Stormont, Reinke, Newcomer, Darney, & Lewis, 2012). There exists a need for a coaching model that can be applied to a variety of teacher skill levels and one that guides coach decision-making about how best to support teachers. This article provides a detailed account of a two-phased coaching model with empirical support developed and tested with coaches and teachers in urban schools (Becker, Bradshaw, Domitrovich, & Ialongo, 2013). In the initial universal coaching phase, all teachers receive the same coaching elements regardless of their skill level. Then, in the tailored coaching phase, coaching varies according to the strengths and needs of each teacher. Specifically, more intensive coaching strategies are used only with teachers who need additional coaching supports whereas other teachers receive just enough support to consolidate and maintain their strong implementation. Examples of how coaches used the two-phased coaching model when working with teachers who were implementing two universal prevention programs (i.e., the PATHS® curriculum and PAX Good Behavior Game [PAX GBG]) provide illustrations of the application of this model. The potential reach of this coaching model extends to other school-based programs as well as other settings in which coaches partner with interventionists to implement evidence-based programs. PMID:23660973

Psychosocially Supportive Design: The Case for Greater Attention to Social Space Within the Pediatric Hospital.

PubMed

McLaughlan, Rebecca

2018-04-01

Models of patient and family-centered care advocate catering to psychosocial needs when designing healthcare facilities yet there is little evidence available to determine how the built environment can cater to psychosocial needs. This article highlights the obstacles to overcoming this knowledge deficit in the pursuit of evidence-based guidelines to inform social provisions within the pediatric hospital setting. It will propose a working definition for psychosocial space and identify new research directions to enhance understandings of the relationship between social space and well-being. While traditional multibed ward configurations afforded opportunities for peer support relationships to develop, both for patients and caregivers, the contemporary preference for single-occupancy rooms intensifies the need to critically examine social spaces within the pediatric hospital. Research suggests a correlation between social support and well-being. This article reviews the research underpinning contemporary understandings of this relationship; it positions literature from sociology, environmental psychology, and evidence-based design to highlight the limitations of this knowledge and identify where additional research is required to inform evidence-based design guidelines for psychosocially supportive spaces within pediatric healthcare settings. Evidence regarding the therapeutic value of social support within the pediatric hospital is not sufficiently sophisticated or conclusive to inform guidelines for the provision of social space with pediatric hospitals. There is an urgent need for targeted research to inform evidence-based design guidelines; this will demand a broad disciplinary approach.

Defense Contracting: Actions Needed to Explore Additional Opportunities to Gain Efficiencies in Acquiring Foreign Language Support

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-25

Directive 5160.41E, Defense Language Program . 10GAO-11-456. Page 5 GAO-13-251R Defense Contracting types of foreign language support that DOD has acquired...Language Transformation Roadmap, (January 2005), and Department of Defense Directive 5160.41E, Defense Language Program . Page 15 GAO-13-251R Defense...examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help

Diabetes educator mentorship program: mentors requested.

PubMed

Beck, Joni K; Traficano, Sheryl E

2015-02-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the Diabetes Educator Mentorship Program, communicate mentors' experiences and perceptions during the first 3 years following implementation, and provide strategies to encourage mentoring. Creation of this collaborative program has fostered successful attainment of additional certified diabetes educators who obtained diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) practice requirement hours through a voluntary Diabetes Educator Mentorship Program. There is a significant need for additional mentors to meet the growing need for mentoring partnerships. Increasing the number of mentors will provide more opportunities to those seeking to gain DSMES experience and will ultimately expand the number of health professionals available to educate those with diabetes or prediabetes. © 2014 The Author(s).

Life Support and Habitation Systems: Crew Support and Protection for Human Exploration Missions Beyond Low Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; McQuillan, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently expanded its mission set for possible future human exploration missions. With multiple options there is interest in identifying technology needs across these missions to focus technology investments. In addition to the Moon and other destinations in cis-lunar space, other destinations including Near Earth Objects and Mars have been added for consideration. Recently, technology programs and projects have been re-organizing to better meet the Agency s strategic goals and address needs across these potential future missions. Life Support and Habitation Systems (LSHS) is one of 10 Foundational Domains as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s Exploration Technology Development Program. The chief goal of LSHS is to develop and mature advanced technologies to sustain human life on missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to increase reliability, reduce dependency on resupply and increase vehicle self-sufficiency. For long duration exploration missions, further closure of life support systems is of interest. Focus includes key technologies for atmosphere revitalization, water recovery, waste management, thermal control and crew accommodations. Other areas of focus include technologies for radiation protection, environmental monitoring and fire protection. The aim is to recover additional consumable mass, reduce requirements for power, volume, heat rejection, crew involvement, and meet exploration vehicle requirements. This paper provides a brief description of the LSHS Foundational Domain as defined for fiscal year 2011.

Decision support systems for clinical radiological practice — towards the next generation

PubMed Central

Stivaros, S M; Gledson, A; Nenadic, G; Zeng, X-J; Keane, J; Jackson, A

2010-01-01

The huge amount of information that needs to be assimilated in order to keep pace with the continued advances in modern medical practice can form an insurmountable obstacle to the individual clinician. Within radiology, the recent development of quantitative imaging techniques, such as perfusion imaging, and the development of imaging-based biomarkers in modern therapeutic assessment has highlighted the need for computer systems to provide the radiological community with support for academic as well as clinical/translational applications. This article provides an overview of the underlying design and functionality of radiological decision support systems with examples tracing the development and evolution of such systems over the past 40 years. More importantly, we discuss the specific design, performance and usage characteristics that previous systems have highlighted as being necessary for clinical uptake and routine use. Additionally, we have identified particular failings in our current methodologies for data dissemination within the medical domain that must be overcome if the next generation of decision support systems is to be implemented successfully. PMID:20965900

Unmet needs and service satisfaction of victim support for the direct and indirect victims of serious violence: Results from a cross-sectional survey in Taiwan

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Victim support services, in mature societies, aim to help victims recover after suffering a traumatic event. The effectiveness of victim support has traditionally been evaluated through rates of service utilization and incidence of psychopathology such as posttraumatic stress disorder. The current study, instead, inquires into service users’ unmet needs and satisfaction, and identifies factors that mediate such subjective measures, using data from a national cross-sectional survey on victims and surviving families of violent crime in Taiwan in 2011. The results reveal: 1) a gap between available and expected services, and 2) a correlation between service utilization and satisfaction, both consistent with previous studies. In addition, the current study identifies unsatisfied service users: They are homicidally bereaved, live with their spouse, suffer from post-crime financial distress and are still waiting for a court verdict on the incident. Victim support that helps victims heal through tailored services incorporating relationship counseling is proposed. PMID:29466463

Inequality in Black and White High School Students' Perceptions of School Support: An Examination of Race in Context.

PubMed

Bottiani, Jessika H; Bradshaw, Catherine P; Mendelson, Tamar

2016-06-01

Supportive relationships with adults at school are critical to student engagement in adolescence. Additional research is needed to understand how students' racial backgrounds interact with the school context to shape their perceptions of school support. This study employed multilevel, latent variable methods with a sample of Black and White students (N = 19,726, 35.8 % Black, 49.9 % male, mean age = 15.9) in 58 high schools to explore variation in perceived caring, equity, and high expectations by student race, school diversity, and socioeconomic context. The results indicated that Black students perceived less caring and equity relative to White students overall, and that equity and high expectations were lower in diverse schools for both Black and White students. Nonetheless, racial disparities were attenuated in more diverse schools. The findings point to the need for intervention to improve perceptions of school support for Black youth and for all students in lower income and more diverse schools.

Whats the story? Information needs of trauma teams.

PubMed

Sarcevic, Aleksandra; Burd, Randall S

2008-11-06

This paper reports on information needs of trauma teams based on an ethnographic study in an urban teaching hospital. We focus on questions posed by trauma team members during ten trauma events. We identify major categories of questions, as well as information seekers and providers. In addition to categories known from other critical care settings, we found categories unique to trauma settings. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for information technology support for trauma teams.

Evaluation of moral case deliberation at the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate: a pilot study.

PubMed

Seekles, Wike; Widdershoven, Guy; Robben, Paul; van Dalfsen, Gonny; Molewijk, Bert

2016-05-21

Moral case deliberation (MCD) as a form of clinical ethics support is usually implemented in health care institutions and educational programs. While there is no previous research on the use of clinical ethics support on the level of health care regulation, employees of regulatory bodies are regularly confronted with moral challenges. This pilot study describes and evaluates the use of MCD at the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate (IGZ). The objective of this pilot study is to investigate: 1) the current way of dealing with moral issues at the IGZ; 2) experience with and evaluation of MCD as clinical ethics support, and 3) future preferences and (perceived) needs regarding clinical ethics support for dealing with moral questions at the IGZ. We performed an explorative pilot study. The research questions were assessed by means of: 1) interviews with MCD participants during four focus groups; and 2) interviews with six key stakeholders at the IGZ. De qualitative data is illustrated by data from questionnaires on MCD outcomes, perspective taking and MCD evaluation. Professionals do not always recognize moral issues. Employees report a need for regular and structured moral support in health care regulation. The MCD meetings are evaluated positively. The most important outcomes of MCD are feeling secure and learning from others. Additional support is needed to successfully implement MCD at the Inspectorate. We conclude that the respondents perceive moral case deliberation as a useful form of clinical ethics support for dealing with moral questions and issues in health care regulation.

What Can Be Learned from Existing Investigations of Weight-Related Practices and Policies with the Potential to Impact Disparities in US Child-Care Settings? A Narrative Review and Call for Surveillance and Evaluation Efforts.

PubMed

Larson, Nicole; Ayers Looby, Anna; Frost, Natasha; Nanney, Marilyn S; Story, Mary

2017-10-01

Child-care settings and the combination of policies and regulations under which they operate may reduce or perpetuate disparities in weight-related health, depending on the environmental supports they provide for healthy eating and activity. The objectives of this review are to summarize research on state and local policies germane to weight-related health equity among young children in the United States and on how federal policies and regulations may provide supports for child-care providers serving families with the most limited resources. In addition, a third objective is to comprehensively review studies of whether there are differences in practices and policies within US child-care facilities according to the location or demographics of providers and children. The review found there is growing evidence addressing disparities in the social and physical child-care environments provided for young children, but scientific gaps are present in the current understanding of how resources should best be allocated and policies designed to promote health equity. Additional research is needed to address limitations of prior studies relating to the measurement of supports for weight-related health; complexities of categorizing socioeconomic position, ethnicity/race, and urban and rural areas; exclusion of legally nonlicensed care settings from most research; and the cross-sectional nature of most study designs. There is a particularly great need for the development of strong surveillance systems to allow for better monitoring and evaluation of state policies that may impact weight-related aspects of child-care environments, implementation at the program level, and needed implementation supports. Copyright © 2017 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What’s Past is Prologue: A Scoping Review of Recent Public Health and Global Health Informatics Literature

PubMed Central

Dixon, Brian E.; Pina, Jamie; Kharrazi, Hadi; Gharghabi, Fardad; Richards, Janise

2015-01-01

Objective: To categorize and describe the public health informatics (PHI) and global health informatics (GHI) literature between 2012 and 2014. Methods: We conducted a semi-systematic review of articles published between January 2012 and September 2014 where information and communications technologies (ICT) was a primary subject of the study or a main component of the study methodology. Additional inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to filter PHI and GHI articles from the larger biomedical informatics domain. Articles were identified using MEDLINE as well as personal bibliographies from members of the American Medical Informatics Association PHI and GHI working groups. Results: A total of 85 PHI articles and 282 GHI articles were identified. While systems in PHI continue to support surveillance activities, we identified a shift towards support for prevention, environmental health, and public health care services. Furthermore, articles from the U.S. reveal a shift towards PHI applications at state and local levels. GHI articles focused on telemedicine, mHealth and eHealth applications. The development of adequate infrastructure to support ICT remains a challenge, although we identified a small but growing set of articles that measure the impact of ICT on clinical outcomes. Discussion: There is evidence of growth with respect to both implementation of information systems within the public health enterprise as well as a widening of scope within each informatics discipline. Yet the articles also illuminate the need for more primary research studies on what works and what does not as both searches yielded small numbers of primary, empirical articles. Conclusion: While the body of knowledge around PHI and GHI continues to mature, additional studies of higher quality are needed to generate the robust evidence base needed to support continued investment in ICT by governmental health agencies. PMID:26392846

Transportation node space station conceptual design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A number of recent studies have addressed the problem of a transportation node space station. How things would change or what addition facilities would be needed to support a major lunar or Mars initiative is a much often asked question. The support of a lunar base, requiring stacks on the order of 200 metric tons each to land 25 m tons on the lunar surface with reusable vehicles is addressed. The problem of maintaining and reusing large single stage Orbit Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) and single stage lander/launchers in space are examined. The required people and equipment needed, to maintain these vehicles are only vaguely known at present. The people and equipment needed depend on how well the OTV and lander/launcher can be designed for easy reuse. Since the OTV and lander/launcher are only conceptually defined at present, the real maintenance and refurbishment requirements are unobtainable. An estimate of what is needed, based on previous studies and obvious requirements was therefore made. An attempt was made to err on the conservative side.

Combating poor-quality anti-malarial medicines: a call to action.

PubMed

Bassat, Quique; Tanner, Marcel; Guerin, Philippe J; Stricker, Kirstin; Hamed, Kamal

2016-06-01

The circulation of poor-quality medicines continues to undermine the fight against many life-threatening diseases. Anti-malarial medicines appear to have been particularly compromised and present a major public health threat in malaria-endemic countries, negatively affecting individuals and their communities. Concerted collaborative efforts are required from global, regional and national organizations, involving the public and private sectors, to address the problem. While many initiatives are underway, a number of unmet needs deserve urgent and increased multisector attention. At the global level, there is a need for an international public health legal framework or treaty on poor-quality medicines, with statutes suitable for integration into national laws. In addition, increased international efforts are required to strengthen the governance of global supply chains and enhance cooperation between national medicine regulation authorities and law enforcement bodies. Increased investment is needed in innovative technologies that will enable healthcare teams to detect poor-quality medicines at all levels of the supply chain. At the regional level, a number of initiatives would be beneficial-key areas are standardization, simplification, and reciprocal recognition of registration processes and development of quality control capacity in regional centres of excellence that are better aligned with public health needs; improved surveillance methods and creation of a framework for compulsory and transparent reporting of poor-quality medicines; additional support for national medicine regulation authorities and other national partner authorities; and an increase in support for regional laboratories to boost their capabilities in detecting poor-quality medicines. It is vital that all stakeholders involved in efforts against poor-quality anti-malarial medicines extend and strengthen their actions in these critical areas and thus effectively support global health development and malaria elimination programmes.

Event-Driven Technology to Generate Relevant Collections of Near-Realtime Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graves, S. J.; Keiser, K.; Nair, U. S.; Beck, J. M.; Ebersole, S.

2017-12-01

Getting the right data when it is needed continues to be a challenge for researchers and decision makers. Event-Driven Data Delivery (ED3), funded by the NASA Applied Science program, is a technology that allows researchers and decision makers to pre-plan what data, information and processes they need to have collected or executed in response to future events. The Information Technology and Systems Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has developed the ED3 framework in collaboration with atmospheric scientists at UAH, scientists at the Geological Survey of Alabama, and other federal, state and local stakeholders to meet the data preparedness needs for research, decisions and situational awareness. The ED3 framework supports an API that supports the addition of loosely-coupled, distributed event handlers and data processes. This approach allows the easy addition of new events and data processes so the system can scale to support virtually any type of event or data process. Using ED3's underlying services, applications have been developed that monitor for alerts of registered event types and automatically triggers subscriptions that match new events, providing users with a living "album" of results that can continued to be curated as more information for an event becomes available. This capability can allow users to improve capacity for the collection, creation and use of data and real-time processes (data access, model execution, product generation, sensor tasking, social media filtering, etc), in response to disaster (and other) events by preparing in advance for data and information needs for future events. This presentation will provide an update on the ED3 developments and deployments, and further explain the applicability for utilizing near-realtime data in hazards research, response and situational awareness.

A support system for assessing local vulnerability to weather and climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coletti, Alex; Howe, Peter D.; Yarnal, Brent; Wood, Nathan J.

2013-01-01

The changing number and nature of weather- and climate-related natural hazards is causing more communities to need to assess their vulnerabilities. Vulnerability assessments, however, often require considerable expertise and resources that are not available or too expensive for many communities. To meet the need for an easy-to-use, cost-effective vulnerability assessment tool for communities, a prototype online vulnerability assessment support system was built and tested. This prototype tool guides users through a stakeholder-based vulnerability assessment that breaks the process into four easy-to-implement steps. Data sources are integrated in the online environment so that perceived risks—defined and prioritized qualitatively by users—can be compared and discussed against the impacts that past events have had on the community. The support system is limited in scope, and the locations of the case studies do not provide a sufficiently broad range of sample cases. The addition of more publically available hazard databases combined with future improvements in the support system architecture and software will expand opportunities for testing and fully implementing the support system.

Incompletely characterized incidental renal masses: emerging data support conservative management.

PubMed

Silverman, Stuart G; Israel, Gary M; Trinh, Quoc-Dien

2015-04-01

With imaging, most incidental renal masses can be diagnosed promptly and with confidence as being either benign or malignant. For those that cannot, management recommendations can be devised on the basis of a thorough evaluation of imaging features. However, most renal masses are either too small to characterize completely or are detected initially in imaging examinations that are not designed for full evaluation of them. These masses constitute a group of masses that are considered incompletely characterized. On the basis of current published guidelines, many masses warrant additional imaging. However, while the diagnosis of renal cancer at a curable stage remains the first priority, there is the additional need to reduce unnecessary healthcare costs and radiation exposure. As such, emerging data now support foregoing additional imaging for many incompletely characterized renal masses. These data include the low risk of progression to metastases or death for small renal masses that have undergone active surveillance (including biopsy-proven cancers) and a better understanding of how specific imaging features can be used to diagnose their origins. These developments support (a) avoidance of imaging entirely for those incompletely characterized renal masses that are highly likely to be benign cysts and (b) delay of further imaging of small solid masses in selected patients. Although more evidence-based data are needed and comprehensive management algorithms have yet to be defined, these recommendations are medically appropriate and practical, while limiting the imaging of many incompletely characterized incidental renal masses.

Neural network based architectures for aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ricart, Richard

1987-01-01

A brief history of the field of neural networks research is given and some simple concepts are described. In addition, some neural network based avionics research and development programs are reviewed. The need for the United States Air Force and NASA to assume a leadership role in supporting this technology is stressed.

75 FR 32911 - Notice of Informational Meeting for the i6 Challenge Under EDA's Economic Adjustment Assistance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

... new, multi-agency innovation competition led by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a... are in need of additional support, in order to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems. Applicants... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economic Development Administration Notice of Informational Meeting for the...

77 FR 74187 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Announcement of Board Approval Under Delegated...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-13

...: The voluntary Retail Payments Surveys are designed to collect information needed to support the... wholesale payments, these surveys are designed to collect information on retail payments and the systems or... assisting with the survey design conducted industry outreach calls to obtain additional insights into the...

Effect of a Targeted Early Literacy Intervention for English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arellano, Elizabeth Michelle

2013-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a targeted early literacy intervention among Spanish-speaking kindergarten English Learners (ELs). Using a Response to Intervention (RtI) framework, participants were screened in English to ensure a need for additional literacy support. Selected students were then screened in Spanish, and students with…

Cornell University Library Distance Learning White Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Philip; Finlay, Constance; Cosgrave, Tony; McDonald, Peter

This report identifies potential issues that the Cornell University Library (CUL) might face in supporting distance learning, and recommends solutions. While the precise budgetary implications are uncertain, additional resources, services, and personnel will need to be accounted for in the cost of serving distance learners. The report addresses:…

Community Resource Development. A Community Education Guidebook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassidy, Maureen; Cassidy, Frank

This book is intended as a practical guidebook for those involved in continuing education, in particular, and for the boards and staff of nonprofit organizations and community groups, in general. It is designed to show these individuals how to develop community resources when additional support is needed for community education. Specific…

Technology: An Additional Tool for Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smart, Linda; Fennessy, Ben

It is increasingly necessary to encourage lifelong learning in order to keep pace with the Information Age. As learners increasingly take charge of their own learning, however, they will require support to enable them to achieve their goals--and a variety of learning opportunities will need to be created. Learners' interests, imagination, and…

Georgia AVC Meets Student and Community Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, William E.; Roberts, Ann M.

1974-01-01

The Houston Vocational Center's scheduling system provides for an innovative sharing of facilities by secondary and postsecondary students in 14 vocational education fields. Community support for the Center is high; the businessmen are looking forward to employing competent graduates and none were asked to bear any additional financial burden. (AG)

Planning Guidelines for Primary Schools, Issue 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education and Science, Tullamore (Ireland). Planning and Building Unit.

This planning guide, reflecting recent changes in the educational system in Ireland, offers guidelines for designing primary schools that need to provide additional space for the growing range of teaching and support services. It addresses increased sizes of general purpose rooms, extra floor area provision for classroom storage, administration,…

Positive Behavior Support for Students with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Janet

2011-01-01

Due to atypical neurological development, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are affected by a range of issues on a daily basis--physical pain, confusion about requests, difficulty communicating wants and needs, and sensory issues--that might trigger behavior that interferes with teaching and learning. In addition, students on the autism…

77 FR 19026 - Designation of Syrian Arab Republic for Temporary Protected Status

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-29

...\\ The Secretary can designate a foreign state for TPS based on one of three circumstances. One... Syrian military have also shot unarmed protestors, including children, medical doctors, ambulance drivers...--Syria.'' Do I need to submit additional supporting documentation? If one or more of the questions listed...

The Role of Assessment in a Prevention Science Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Keith C.; Riley-Tillman, T. Chris; Reinke, Wendy M.

2012-01-01

The articles in this Special Topic issue present a range of assessment models and challenges for improving the identification and early intervention of students in need of additional supports. Although each article targets a unique aspect of student learning (learning behaviors, math skills, reading comprehension, behavioral functioning, and…

Post-Mission Assessment for Tactical Training-Trends Analysis (PMATT-TA): Usability Analysis Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

information, PMATT-TA also supports data calls to understand fleet readiness and proficiency. Additionally, PMATT-TA addresses a need for a digitally based...Software Quality Journal, 4(2), 115-130. Gray, W. D., & Salzman, M. C. (1998). Damaged merchandise ? A review of experiments that compare usability

Parents' perspectives on supporting children during needle-related medical procedures.

PubMed

Karlsson, Katarina; Englund, Ann-Charlotte Dalheim; Enskär, Karin; Rydström, Ingela

2014-01-01

When children endure needle-related medical procedures (NRMPs), different emotions arise for the child and his/her parents. Despite the parents' own feelings, they have a key role in supporting their child through these procedures. The aim of this study is to describe the meanings of supporting children during NRMPs from the perspective of the parents. Twenty-one parents participated in this study. A reflective lifeworld research (RLR) approach was used and phenomenological analysis was applied. The essential meaning of the phenomenon-supporting children during an NRMP-is characterized as "keeping the child under the protection of one's wings," sometimes very close and sometimes a little further out under the wingtips. The essential meaning is additionally described through its constituents: paying attention to the child's way of expressing itself, striving to maintain control, facilitating the child's understanding, focusing the child's attention, seeking additional support, and rewarding the child. The conclusion is that parents' ability to be supportive can be affected when seeing their child undergo an NRMP. To regain the role as the child's protector and to be able to keep the child "under the protection of one's wings," parents need support from the staff.

Skin toxicities and unmet supportive care needs of patients with cancer undergoing EGFR-inhibitor therapy

PubMed

Matzka, Martin; Stöhr, Doreen; Colditz, Alexandra; Köck-Hódi, Sabine; Koller, Martina; Mayer, Hanna

2017-01-01

Background: Targeted therapies, such as the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) inhibitor therapy, are being used to treat patients with various solid and metastatic tumours. Skin toxicities are a common side effect of this therapy. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of skin toxicities on quality of life of patients with cancer undergoing EGFR inhibitor therapy, as well as their unmet supportive care needs. Method: Embedded design. A standardised quantitative survey was administered and analysed. In addition, memos and audiotaped material of insightful conversations with the patients after survey administration were included in the analyses. Results: Among the three domains of the effects of skin toxicities on quality of life, physical symptoms (e. g. itching skin, rash) were most frequently reported to impair quality of life, while associated emotional and functional impairments were less frequently reported. Patients don’t consider the management of skin toxicities to be a priority during their treatment, skin toxicities are rather perceived in context of the total symptom burden. Yet, we observed significant correlations between the assessed quality of life and unmet supportive care need domains, especially concerning physical and psychological needs. Conclusions: Although no clinically significant impairment of quality of life of patients undergoing EGFR inhibitor therapy was found, skin changes should be addressed in supportive interventions embedded in routine symptom management.

Students' experiences of embedded academic literacy support in a graduate entry nursing program: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Ramjan, Lucie M; Maneze, Della; Everett, Bronwyn; Glew, Paul; Trajkovski, Suza; Lynch, Joan; Salamonson, Yenna

2018-01-01

Graduate entry nursing (GEN) programs were designed to address the predicted nursing shortfall. In Australia, although these programs attract students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, the workload is compounded by cultural differences and a new academic learning environment which presents additional challenges. This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences of GEN students enrolled in the introductory unit of their nursing program with embedded academic literacy support in Sydney, Australia. Twenty-four commencing GEN students were interviewed in January 2016. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Three main themes emerged which illustrated that GEN students were 'diamonds in the rough'. They possessed a raw natural beauty that required some shaping and polishing to ensure academic needs were met. To ensure retention is high, institutions need to evaluate how best to support and harness the potential of these unique students. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The roles of adult siblings in the lives of people with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Hall, Sarah A; Rossetti, Zach

2018-05-01

Siblings of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often assume key roles to support their brothers and sisters. For people with more significant support needs, siblings may undertake additional roles and responsibilities throughout their lives. The purpose of the present study was to identify and describe the roles of adult siblings who have a brother or sister with severe IDD. Seventy-nine adult siblings from 19 to 72 years of age completed an online survey with open-ended questions about the roles they play in their relationships with their brother or sister. Thematic analysis resulted in identification of several roles including caregiver, friend (social partner), advocate, legal representative, sibling (teacher/role model), leisure planner and informal service coordinator. Siblings assume key roles in the lives of people with IDD and need support from family and professionals to perform these roles. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Health care of youth aging out of foster care.

PubMed

2012-12-01

Youth transitioning out of foster care face significant medical and mental health care needs. Unfortunately, these youth rarely receive the services they need because of lack of health insurance. Through many policies and programs, the federal government has taken steps to support older youth in foster care and those aging out. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Pub L No. 110-354) requires states to work with youth to develop a transition plan that addresses issues such as health insurance. In addition, beginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Pub L No. 111-148) makes youth aging out of foster care eligible for Medicaid coverage until age 26 years, regardless of income. Pediatricians can support youth aging out of foster care by working collaboratively with the child welfare agency in their state to ensure that the ongoing health needs of transitioning youth are met.

Telephone calls postdischarge from hospital to home: a literature review.

PubMed

Hand, Kristin E; Cunningham, Regina S

2014-02-01

The oncology population is particularly affected by hospital readmissions because hospitalized patients with cancer often have complex needs. The complexity and diversity of care requirements create substantial challenges in planning for appropriate postdischarge support. Implementing postdischarge telephone calls in the population of patients with cancer could offer a low-cost intervention to address the complex needs of patients during the transition from hospital to home. The goal of the current literature review is to provide an understanding about postdischarge telephone calls in patients with cancer. Findings from this review support the notion that discharge phone calls could improve care continuity for patients transitioning from hospital to home. The literature review outlines information related to telephone call content, timing, and structure for healthcare systems that want to use a postdischarge telephone intervention for patients with cancer. However, additional research is needed to develop and test cancer-specific protocols.

Relationship between mathematics teacher subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and professional development needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajudin, Nor'ain Mohd; Chinnappan, Mohan; Saad, Noor Shah

2017-05-01

Two key variables emerged from the literature review is that Specific Matter Knowledge [SMK] and Pedagogical Content Knowledge [PCK] can influence the mathematics teachers' Professional Development [PD] needs. However, the key variables of SMK and PCK that were being investigated were not defined clearly. Empirical evidence that support relationship between SMK and PD and PCK and PD were not verified. In addition, how does PCK mediate SMK and PD is not clear and somewhat lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between primary mathematics teacher's SMK, PCK and PD needs. Results of path analysis with SmartPLS indicated that the direct effect of SMK on PD was mediated via PCK. This data provide support for the claim that PD programs for future teachers of primary mathematics should be driven by a more nuanced understanding of the link between SMK and PCK.

Designing a Clinical Data Warehouse Architecture to Support Quality Improvement Initiatives.

PubMed

Chelico, John D; Wilcox, Adam B; Vawdrey, David K; Kuperman, Gilad J

2016-01-01

Clinical data warehouses, initially directed towards clinical research or financial analyses, are evolving to support quality improvement efforts, and must now address the quality improvement life cycle. In addition, data that are needed for quality improvement often do not reside in a single database, requiring easier methods to query data across multiple disparate sources. We created a virtual data warehouse at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital that allowed us to bring together data from several source systems throughout the organization. We also created a framework to match the maturity of a data request in the quality improvement life cycle to proper tools needed for each request. As projects progress in the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control stages of quality improvement, there is a proper matching of resources the data needs at each step. We describe the analysis and design creating a robust model for applying clinical data warehousing to quality improvement.

Designing a Clinical Data Warehouse Architecture to Support Quality Improvement Initiatives

PubMed Central

Chelico, John D.; Wilcox, Adam B.; Vawdrey, David K.; Kuperman, Gilad J.

2016-01-01

Clinical data warehouses, initially directed towards clinical research or financial analyses, are evolving to support quality improvement efforts, and must now address the quality improvement life cycle. In addition, data that are needed for quality improvement often do not reside in a single database, requiring easier methods to query data across multiple disparate sources. We created a virtual data warehouse at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital that allowed us to bring together data from several source systems throughout the organization. We also created a framework to match the maturity of a data request in the quality improvement life cycle to proper tools needed for each request. As projects progress in the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control stages of quality improvement, there is a proper matching of resources the data needs at each step. We describe the analysis and design creating a robust model for applying clinical data warehousing to quality improvement. PMID:28269833

Challenges and opportunities for early-career Teaching-Focussed academics in the biosciences.

PubMed

Hubbard, Katharine; Gretton, Sarah; Jones, Katherine; Tallents, Lucy

2015-01-01

Twenty-seven percent of academics in UK Higher Education (HE) are in Teaching-Focussed positions, making major contributions to undergraduate programmes in an era of high student expectations when it comes to teaching quality. However, institutional support for Teaching-Focussed academics is often limited, both in terms of peer networking and opportunities for career development. As four early-career stage Teaching-Focussed academics working in a variety of institutions, we explore what motivated our choices to make teaching our primary academic activity, and the challenges that we have faced in doing so. In addition to highlighting the need for universities to fully recognise the achievements of teaching staff, we discuss the role that the various biosciences learned societies have in supporting Teaching-Focussed academics. We identify that there is a need for the learned societies to come together and pool their expertise in this area. The fragmented nature of the Teaching-Focussed academic community means that clear sources of national support are needed in order to best enable the next generation of bioscience educators to reach their full potential.

The use and application of assistive technology to promote literacy in early childhood: a systematic review.

PubMed

Burne, Brian; Knafelc, Valerie; Melonis, Maureen; Heyn, Patricia C

2011-01-01

The Individuals with Disabilities Act was implemented in 1975 to assure that all children aged 0-21 years old have access and the right to an equal education. However, young children with disabilities continue to need additional support to meet the reading readiness standards as outlined in The No Child Left Behind legislation (2004). Although all children benefit from readiness skills, it is essential for children with special needs. With the technology boom of the past decade, assistive technology (AT) has been used increasingly to enhance emerging literacy skills. In order to identify current trends in the use of AT as a means to enhance emergent literacy skills in young children with disabilities, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken. The findings from this review support the scarcity of empirical research demonstrating the benefit of AT to promote emergent literacy with young children with disabilities. We also found a need for evidence supporting education approaches for the proper use of AT in early childhood literacy as well as little family knowledge regarding the implementation and instructional use of AT.

Challenges and opportunities for early-career Teaching-Focussed academics in the biosciences

PubMed Central

Hubbard, Katharine; Gretton, Sarah; Jones, Katherine; Tallents, Lucy

2015-01-01

Twenty-seven percent of academics in UK Higher Education (HE) are in Teaching-Focussed positions, making major contributions to undergraduate programmes in an era of high student expectations when it comes to teaching quality. However, institutional support for Teaching-Focussed academics is often limited, both in terms of peer networking and opportunities for career development. As four early-career stage Teaching-Focussed academics working in a variety of institutions, we explore what motivated our choices to make teaching our primary academic activity, and the challenges that we have faced in doing so. In addition to highlighting the need for universities to fully recognise the achievements of teaching staff, we discuss the role that the various biosciences learned societies have in supporting Teaching-Focussed academics. We identify that there is a need for the learned societies to come together and pool their expertise in this area. The fragmented nature of the Teaching-Focussed academic community means that clear sources of national support are needed in order to best enable the next generation of bioscience educators to reach their full potential. PMID:25977754

Verbal Social Support for Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients during Surgical Decision-Making Visits

PubMed Central

Nazione, Samantha; Silk, Kami J.; Robinson, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

This study reports an analysis of verbal social support strategies directed by surgeons and patients’ companions to breast cancer patients using the social support behavior code (SSBC). Additionally, the influence of companions on the provision of social support is examined. Forty-six videotapes of appointments where treatment regimens were being decided were analyzed. Results demonstrated that the majority of units spoken by surgeons were coded as verbal social support, primarily in the form of informational social support. Companions’ social support was lower (relative to surgeons) in nearly every category of social support assessed. Patients who brought companions were found to receive more network social support from surgeons. Overall, these results point to low emotional support from surgeons and companions for patients during these appointments, which indicates a need for modifications in empathy training for medical providers. PMID:29081835

Using a logic model to evaluate the Kids Together early education inclusion program for children with disabilities and additional needs.

PubMed

Clapham, Kathleen; Manning, Claire; Williams, Kathryn; O'Brien, Ginger; Sutherland, Margaret

2017-04-01

Despite clear evidence that learning and social opportunities for children with disabilities and special needs are more effective in inclusive not segregated settings, there are few known effective inclusion programs available to children with disabilities, their families or teachers in the early years within Australia. The Kids Together program was developed to support children with disabilities/additional needs aged 0-8 years attending mainstream early learning environments. Using a key worker transdisciplinary team model, the program aligns with the individualised package approach of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This paper reports on the use of a logic model to underpin the process, outcomes and impact evaluation of the Kids Together program. The research team worked across 15 Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres and in home and community settings. A realist evaluation using mixed methods was undertaken to understand what works, for whom and in what contexts. The development of a logic model provided a structured way to explore how the program was implemented and achieved short, medium and long term outcomes within a complex community setting. Kids Together was shown to be a highly effective and innovative model for supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities/additional needs in a range of environments central for early childhood learning and development. The use of a logic model provided a visual representation of the Kids Together model and its component parts and enabled a theory of change to be inferred, showing how a coordinated and collaborative approached can work across multiple environments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From the Office of the National Coordinator: the strategy for advancing the exchange of health information.

PubMed

Williams, Claudia; Mostashari, Farzad; Mertz, Kory; Hogin, Emily; Atwal, Parmeeth

2012-03-01

Electronic health information exchange addresses a critical need in the US health care system to have information follow patients to support patient care. Today little information is shared electronically, leaving doctors without the information they need to provide the best care. With payment reforms providing a strong business driver, the demand for health information exchange is poised to grow. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Department of Health and Human Services, has led the process of establishing the essential building blocks that will support health information exchange. Over the coming year, this office will develop additional policies and standards that will make information exchange easier and cheaper and facilitate its use on a broader scale.

Social-support needs among adolescents living with HIV in transition from pediatric to adult care in Cambodia: findings from a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Toth, Graham; Mburu, Gitau; Tuot, Sovannary; Khol, Vohith; Ngin, Chanrith; Chhoun, Pheak; Yi, Siyan

2018-03-28

Understanding the circumstances of adolescents living with HIV is critical in designing adolescent-friendly services that will facilitate successful transition from pediatric to adult care. This study describes access, utilization and ongoing social support needs among adolescents living with HIV aged 15-17 in transition from pediatric to adult HIV care in Cambodia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 328 adolescents, randomly selected from 11 antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics across the country. Descriptive analyses were conducted to summarize their characteristics, access to social support and ongoing support needs among male and female adolescents. Mean age of the study participants was 15.8 (SD = 0.8) years. Just over half (55.2%) were male. Most had at least one deceased parent (mother 50.9%; father 60.5%), and majority were living with biological parents (40.8%) or relatives (49.3%). A third came from families with an ID poor card, and 21.0% were working for pay. Almost half (46.6%) reported that their family had received social support for their health care, including food support (76.5%), school allowance (62.1%), transport allowance to ART clinics (53.6%), psychosocial counseling (35.3%), vocational training (22.9%) or home visits (11.1%). Several ongoing social support needs were identified, including ongoing inability to cover health expenses unless they are supported by health insurance or health equity fund (55.0%). In addition, adolescents reported having been asked to come back earlier than their scheduled appointment (13.7%), having had to purchase their own drugs (2.7%), experiencing HIV stigma (32.0%), having been denied housing or food due to HIV (8.2%) or failing to attend school within the past month partly because of HIV (16.8%). Two-thirds did not have access to peer support groups. Social protection mechanisms are reaching some adolescents in need, while other remain without social support due to discontinuities in health and social care. Multi-sectoral interventions, supporting school attendance, adolescent-friendly clinic scheduling, reductions in child employment, mitigation of HIV-related stigma and strengthening of peer-to-peer support are required to improve coverage of social protection interventions for adolescents in transition.

Support for New Physics Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adrian, Brian W.; Zollman, D.; Stevens, S.

2006-12-01

Teachers of physics can often lack the type of support they desperately need. The Physics Teaching Web Advisory (Pathway) is a dynamic digital library for physics teaching that is designed to offer such support. Carnegie Mellon University’s synthetic interview technology provides the foundation for a system that allows physics teachers to ask questions of a virtual mentor and get video responses. A log of the questions asked of our system provides a rich database of information about just what types of support teachers are requesting. This talk will present a summary of the common types of questions teachers ask. Such information is valuable as we design support systems for physics teachers, both new and experienced. In addition, recent progress and developments will be discussed. Supported by NSF grant numbers DUE-0226157, DUE-0226219, ESI-0455772 & ESI-0455813

Science for Managing Riverine Ecosystems: Actions for the USGS Identified in the Workshop "Analysis of Flow and Habitat for Instream Aquatic Communities"

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bencala, Kenneth E.; Hamilton, David B.; Petersen, James H.

2006-01-01

Federal and state agencies need improved scientific analysis to support riverine ecosystem management. The ability of the USGS to integrate geologic, hydrologic, chemical, geographic, and biological data into new tools and models provides unparalleled opportunities to translate the best riverine science into useful approaches and usable information to address issues faced by river managers. In addition to this capability to provide integrated science, the USGS has a long history of providing long-term and nationwide information about natural resources. The USGS is now in a position to advance its ability to provide the scientific support for the management of riverine ecosystems. To address this need, the USGS held a listening session in Fort Collins, Colorado in April 2006. Goals of the workshop were to: 1) learn about the key resource issues facing DOI, other Federal, and state resource management agencies; 2) discuss new approaches and information needs for addressing these issues; and 3) outline a strategy for the USGS role in supporting riverine ecosystem management. Workshop discussions focused on key components of a USGS strategy: Communications, Synthesis, and Research. The workshop identified 3 priority actions the USGS can initiate now to advance its capabilities to support integrated science for resource managers in partner government agencies and non-governmental organizations: 1) Synthesize the existing science of riverine ecosystem processes to produce broadly applicable conceptual models, 2) Enhance selected ongoing instream flow projects with complementary interdisciplinary studies, and 3) Design a long-term, watershed-scale research program that will substantively reinvent riverine ecosystem science. In addition, topical discussion groups on hydrology, geomorphology, aquatic habitat and populations, and socio-economic analysis and negotiation identified eleven important complementary actions required to advance the state of the science and to develop the tools for supporting decisions on riverine ecosystem management. These eleven actions lie within the continuum of Communications, Synthesis, and Research.

Is There Evidence to Support a Forefoot Strike Pattern in Barefoot Runners? A Review

PubMed Central

Lorenz, Daniel S.; Pontillo, Marisa

2012-01-01

Context: Barefoot running is a trend among running enthusiasts that is the subject of much controversy. At this time, benefits appear to be more speculative and anecdotal than evidence based. Additionally, the risk of injuries is not well established. Evidence acquisition: A PubMed search was undertaken for articles published in English from 1980 to 2011. Additional references were accrued from reference lists of research articles. Results: While minimal data exist that definitively support barefoot running, there are data lending support to the argument that runners should use a forefoot strike pattern in lieu of a heel strike pattern to reduce ground reaction forces, ground contact time, and step length. Conclusions: Whether there is a positive or negative effect on injury has yet to be determined. Unquestionably, more research is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn. PMID:24179586

Public health for paediatricians: engaging young people from marginalised groups.

PubMed

Rigby, Emma; Starbuck, Lindsay

2017-08-10

Young people from marginalised groups can be excluded from health services because of reduced access, increased stigma and health inequalities. In addition, the stress associated with discrimination and stigma can have serious effects on individual health. This article explores how stigma affects young people's access to services and how health professionals can improve their practice and support for marginalised young people to achieve the best possible health outcomes. A better understanding of local populations of young people and their needs is key to improving services and support. Working in partnership with voluntary and community sector organisations is also important. In addition, improvements can be made by promoting better communication with young people and providing extra support to help them follow treatment plans. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Need fulfillment in the sexual relationships of HIV-infected men who have sex with men.

PubMed

Craft, Shonda M; Smith, Sarah A; Serovich, Julianne M; Bautista, Dianne T

2005-06-01

This article explores the associations among sexual need fulfillment, partner selection, and risky sexual behavior, using a functional/motivational perspective. The authors suggest that sexual needs influence partner selection (e.g., steady versus nonsteady), and engaging in UAI is influenced by sexual needs and partner selection. A sample of 108 HIV-positive gay men completed measures of sexual frequency, sexual risk-taking behaviors, and sexual need fulfillment. Results indicated support for both objectives. These men were more likely to choose a steady partner when they possessed greater relationship needs, whereas while men with higher substitution and pleasure needs were more likely to select nonsteady partners. In addition, only men who reported greater substitution needs were more likely to engage in UAI. The results suggest that certain sexual needs influence partner selection, but that sexual needs also influence what activities occur in the encounter.

“What’s the Story?” Information Needs of Trauma Teams

PubMed Central

Sarcevic, Aleksandra; Burd, Randall S.

2008-01-01

This paper reports on information needs of trauma teams based on an ethnographic study in an urban teaching hospital. We focus on questions posed by trauma team members during ten trauma events. We identify major categories of questions, as well as information seekers and providers. In addition to categories known from other critical care settings, we found categories unique to trauma settings. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for information technology support for trauma teams. PMID:18999288

Improving colon cancer screening in community clinics.

PubMed

Davis, Terry; Arnold, Connie; Rademaker, Alfred; Bennett, Charles; Bailey, Stacy; Platt, Daci; Reynolds, Cristalyn; Liu, Dachao; Carias, Edson; Bass, Pat; Wolf, Michael

2013-11-01

The authors evaluated the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of 2 interventions designed to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in safety-net settings. A 3-arm, quasi-experimental evaluation was conducted among 8 clinics in Louisiana. Screening efforts included: 1) enhanced usual care, 2) literacy-informed education of patients, and 3) education plus nurse support. Overall, 961 average-risk patients ages 50 to 85 years were eligible for routine CRC screening and were recruited. Outcomes included CRC screening completion and incremental cost effectiveness using literacy-informed education of patients and education plus nurse support versus enhanced usual care. The baseline screening rate was <3%. After the interventions, the screening rate was 38.6% with enhanced usual care, 57.1% with education, and 60.6% with education that included additional nurse support. After adjusting for age, race, sex, and literacy, patients who received education alone were not more likely to complete screening than those who received enhanced usual care; and those who received additional nurse support were 1.60-fold more likely to complete screening than those who received enhanced usual care (95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.42; P = .024). The incremental cost per additional individual screened was $1337 for education plus nurse support over enhanced usual care. Fecal occult blood test rates were increased beyond enhanced usual care by providing brief education and nurse support but not by providing education alone. More cost-effective alternatives to nurse support need to be investigated. © 2013 American Cancer Society.

Getting safely through the shift: a qualitative exploration of the administrative supervisor role.

PubMed

Weaver, Susan H; Lindgren, Teri G

2017-09-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the administrative supervisors' perspective of their managerial practices and how these practices contribute to nurse and patient safety. The position of administrative supervisor, often referred to as house supervisor on the evening and night shifts, lacks empirical data supporting efficacy. A focused ethnographic study was conducted with 30 administrative supervisors from acute care hospitals, using in-depth interviews and job descriptions. Regardless of the size, location or type of hospital, the interviews revealed the administrative supervisor as the hospital shift leader, who achieves nurse and patient safety when performing his/her role responsibilities, despite being disconnected from the nursing management team. To support patient care quality and safety, the administrative supervisor competencies need to be developed along with role-specific education programmes. Additionally, there is a need to recognise these off-shift leaders as a key stakeholder on the nursing leadership team. Although nurse leaders in many countries may believe they understand this role, this is among the first empirical studies. These results can lead discussions on enhancing nurse and patient safety with additional support for administrative supervisors, along with the discussion of a best practice model for off-shift leadership. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Care in subsequent pregnancies following stillbirth: an international survey of parents.

PubMed

Wojcieszek, A M; Boyle, F M; Belizán, J M; Cassidy, J; Cassidy, P; Erwich, Jjhm; Farrales, L; Gross, M M; Heazell, Aep; Leisher, S H; Mills, T; Murphy, M; Pettersson, K; Ravaldi, C; Ruidiaz, J; Siassakos, D; Silver, R M; Storey, C; Vannacci, A; Middleton, P; Ellwood, D; Flenady, V

2018-01-01

To assess the frequency of additional care, and parents' perceptions of quality, respectful care, in pregnancies subsequent to stillbirth. Multi-language web-based survey. International. A total of 2716 parents, from 40 high- and middle-income countries. Data were obtained from a broader survey of parents' experiences following stillbirth. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and stratified by geographic region. Subgroup analyses explored variation in additional care by gestational age at index stillbirth. Frequency of additional care, and perceptions of quality, respectful care. The majority (66%) of parents conceived their subsequent pregnancy within 1 year of stillbirth. Additional antenatal care visits and ultrasound scans were provided for 67% and 70% of all parents, respectively, although there was wide variation across geographic regions. Care addressing psychosocial needs was less frequently provided, such as additional visits to a bereavement counsellor (10%) and access to named care provider's phone number (27%). Compared with parents whose stillbirth occurred at ≤ 29 weeks of gestation, parents whose stillbirth occurred at ≥ 30 weeks of gestation were more likely to receive various forms of additional care, particularly the option for early delivery after 37 weeks. Around half (47-63%) of all parents felt that elements of quality, respectful care were consistently applied, such as spending enough time with parents and involving parents in decision-making. Greater attention is required to providing thoughtful, empathic and collaborative care in all pregnancies following stillbirth. Specific education and training for health professionals is needed. More support for providing quality care in pregnancies after stillbirth is needed. Study rationale and design More than two million babies are stillborn every year. Most parents will conceive again soon after having a stillborn baby. These parents are more likely to have another stillborn baby in the next pregnancy than parents who have not had a stillborn baby before. The next pregnancy after stillbirth is often an extremely anxious time for parents, as they worry about whether their baby will survive. In this study we asked 2716 parents from 40 countries about the care they received during their first pregnancy after stillbirth. Parents were recruited mainly through the International Stillbirth Alliance and completed on online survey that was available in six languages. Findings Parents often had extra antenatal visits and extra ultrasound scans in the next pregnancy, but they rarely had extra emotional support. Also, many parents felt their care providers did not always listen to them and spend enough time with them, involve them in decisions, and take their concerns seriously. Parents were more likely to receive various forms of extra care in the next pregnancy if their baby had died later in pregnancy compared to earlier in pregnancy. Limitations In this study we only have information from parents who were able and willing to complete an online survey. Most of the parents were involved in charity and support groups and most parents lived in developed countries. We do not know how well the findings relate to other parents. Finally, our study does not include parents who may have tried for another pregnancy but were not able to conceive. Potential impact This study can help to improve care through the development of best practice guidelines for pregnancies following stillbirth. The results suggest that parents need better emotional support in these pregnancies, and more opportunities to participate actively in decisions about care. Extra support should be available no matter how far along in pregnancy the previous stillborn baby died. © 2016 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Needs Assessment for the Use of NASA Remote Sensing Data in the Development and Implementation of Estuarine and Coastal Water Quality Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spiering, Bruce; Underwood, Lauren; Ellis, Chris; Lehrter, John; Hagy, Jim; Schaeffer, Blake

2010-01-01

The goals of the project are to provide information from satellite remote sensing to support numeric nutrient criteria development and to determine data processing methods and data quality requirements to support nutrient criteria development and implementation. The approach is to identify water quality indicators that are used by decision makers to assess water quality and that are related to optical properties of the water; to develop remotely sensed data products based on algorithms relating remote sensing imagery to field-based observations of indicator values; to develop methods to assess estuarine water quality, including trends, spatial and temporal variability, and seasonality; and to develop tools to assist in the development and implementation of estuarine and coastal nutrient criteria. Additional slides present process, criteria development, typical data sources and analyses for criteria process, the power of remote sensing data for the process, examples from Pensacola Bay, spatial and temporal variability, pixel matchups, remote sensing validation, remote sensing in coastal waters, requirements for remotely sensed data products, and needs assessment. An additional presentation examines group engagement and information collection. Topics include needs assessment purpose and objectives, understanding water quality decision making, determining information requirements, and next steps.

The Effects of Viewing and Preferences for Online Cancer Information Among Patients' Loved Ones.

PubMed

Lauckner, Carolyn

2016-01-01

Emotional and psychological distress is common among loved ones of cancer patients, who sometimes report more severe mental health issues than the patients themselves. In addition, many loved ones feel as though their information needs are not being met, which can lead them to seek out additional information online. This survey research examined the experiences of cancer patients' loved ones in viewing online content about the disease and the emotional outcomes of such browsing sessions. Participants (N = 191) were recruited from cancer- and caregiver-related nonprofits and online discussion boards. Results indicated that patients' loved ones were active users of online cancer Web sites. They primarily viewed and expressed a desire for information-based, rather than support-based, content. Many individuals desired in-depth treatment information, and those who viewed it had significantly more hope. Interestingly, multiple regression analysis revealed that viewing user-generated content was associated only with negative emotions, illustrating the potential dangers of social media spaces. Overall, this study shows the need for supporting patients' loved ones during their almost inevitable viewings of online cancer information. More research is needed in order to determine the best methods of mitigating potential negative effects of cancer Web sites and developing a useful online resource for this population.

Advanced Nuclear Technology. Using Technology for Small Modular Reactor Staff Optimization, Improved Effectiveness, and Cost Containment, 3002007071

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

Loflin, Leonard

Through this grant, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will review several functional areas within a nuclear power plant, including fire protection, operations and operations support, refueling, training, procurement, maintenance, site engineering, and others. Several functional areas need to be examined since there appears to be no single staffing area or approach that alone has the potential for significant staff optimization at new nuclear power plants. Several of the functional areas will require a review of technology options such as automation, remote monitoring, fleet wide monitoring, new and specialized instrumentation, human factors engineering, risk informed analysis and PRAs, component andmore » system condition monitoring and reporting, just in time training, electronic and automated procedures, electronic tools for configuration management and license and design basis information, etc., that may be applied to support optimization. Additionally, the project will require a review key regulatory issues that affect staffing and could be optimized with additional technology input. Opportunities to further optimize staffing levels and staffing functions by selection of design attributes of physical systems and structures need also be identified. A goal of this project is to develop a prioritized assessment of the functional areas, and R&D actions needed for those functional areas, to provide the best optimization« less

Survey of solar thermal test facilities

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

Masterson, K.

The facilities that are presently available for testing solar thermal energy collection and conversion systems are briefly described. Facilities that are known to meet ASHRAE standard 93-77 for testing flat-plate collectors are listed. The DOE programs and test needs for distributed concentrating collectors are identified. Existing and planned facilities that meet these needs are described and continued support for most of them is recommended. The needs and facilities that are suitable for testing components of central receiver systems, several of which are located overseas, are identified. The central contact point for obtaining additional details and test procedures for these facilitiesmore » is the Solar Thermal Test Facilities Users' Association in Albuquerque, N.M. The appendices contain data sheets and tables which give additional details on the technical capabilities of each facility. Also included is the 1975 Aerospace Corporation report on test facilities that is frequently referenced in the present work.« less

NASA Science Mission Directorate Forum Support of Scientists and Engineers to Engage in Education and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, S.; Grier, J.; Meinke, B. K.; Schneider, N. M.; Low, R.; Schultz, G. R.; Manning, J. G.; Fraknoi, A.; Gross, N. A.; Shipp, S. S.

2015-12-01

For the past six years, the NASA Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums have supported the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its E/PO community by enhancing the coherency and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums have fostered collaboration and partnerships between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. As part of this work, in collaboration with the AAS Division of Planetary Sciences, we have interviewed SMD scientists, and more recently engineers, to understand their needs, barriers, attitudes, and understanding of education and outreach work. Respondents told us that they needed additional resources and professional development to support their work in education and outreach, including information about how to get started, ways to improve their communication, and strategies and activities for their teaching and outreach. In response, the Forums have developed and made available a suite of tools to support scientists and engineers in their E/PO efforts. These include "getting started" guides, "tips and tricks" for engaging in E/PO, vetted lists of classroom and outreach activities, and resources for college classrooms. NASA Wavelength (http://nasawavelength.org/), an online repository of SMD funded activities that have been reviewed by both educators and scientists for quality and accuracy, provides a searchable database of resources for teaching as well as ready-made lists by topic and education level, including lists for introductory college classrooms. Additionally, we have also supported scientists at professional conferences through organizing oral and poster sessions, networking activities, E/PO helpdesks, professional development workshops, and support for students and early careers scientists. For more information and to access resources for scientists and engineers, visit http://smdepo.org.

Validation of the Nurses' Perception of Patient Rounding Scale: An Exploratory Study of the Influence of Shift Work on Nurses' Perception of Patient Rounding.

PubMed

Neville, Kathleen; DiBona, Courtney; Mahler, Maureen

2016-01-01

Hourly rounds have re-emerged as standard practice among nurses in acute care settings, and there is the need to identify nurses' perceptions regarding this practice. Further use of the Nurses' Perception of Patient Rounding Scale (NPPRS) is needed to further validate this new instrument. In addition, there exists a dearth of literature that examines the impact of hours worked and shift on nurses' perceptions of patient rounding. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore nurses' perception of the required practice of patient rounding, to examine the influence of nurses' shift on nurses' perception of rounding practice, and to provide additional psychometric support for the NPPRS. The NPPRS, a 42-item scale in 5-point Likert format, and a demographic information sheet were used in the study. The NPPRS yields three subscales: communication, patient benefits, and nurse benefits. Using a convenience sample of anonymous nurse participants, 76 nurses from five medical-surgical units at a medical center in the northeast corridor of the United States participated in the study. Further psychometric support for the NPPRS was demonstrated. Excellent reliability coefficients via Cronbach's alpha for the total scale (0.91) and each of the subscales were obtained. A statistically significant difference was noted among nurses working 8 hours versus 12 hours or combined 8- and 12-hour workloads. Perceptions of nurse benefits were statistically significantly higher for nurses working 8 hours. In addition, results indicated that nurses perceived rounding to be more beneficial to their own practice than to patients. Analyses revealed that leadership support was instrumental in successful rounding practice. Further support for the NPPRS was obtained through this study. Strong nursing leadership, supportive of rounding, is essential for successful rounding. Further research should examine the efficacy of nurse rounding-developed protocols specific to the shift and unit of nursing practice.

Supporting universal prevention programs: a two-phased coaching model.

PubMed

Becker, Kimberly D; Darney, Dana; Domitrovich, Celene; Keperling, Jennifer Pitchford; Ialongo, Nicholas S

2013-06-01

Schools are adopting evidence-based programs designed to enhance students' emotional and behavioral competencies at increasing rates (Hemmeter et al. in Early Child Res Q 26:96-109, 2011). At the same time, teachers express the need for increased support surrounding implementation of these evidence-based programs (Carter and Van Norman in Early Child Educ 38:279-288, 2010). Ongoing professional development in the form of coaching may enhance teacher skills and implementation (Noell et al. in School Psychol Rev 34:87-106, 2005; Stormont et al. 2012). There exists a need for a coaching model that can be applied to a variety of teacher skill levels and one that guides coach decision-making about how best to support teachers. This article provides a detailed account of a two-phased coaching model with empirical support developed and tested with coaches and teachers in urban schools (Becker et al. 2013). In the initial universal coaching phase, all teachers receive the same coaching elements regardless of their skill level. Then, in the tailored coaching phase, coaching varies according to the strengths and needs of each teacher. Specifically, more intensive coaching strategies are used only with teachers who need additional coaching supports, whereas other teachers receive just enough support to consolidate and maintain their strong implementation. Examples of how coaches used the two-phased coaching model when working with teachers who were implementing two universal prevention programs (i.e., the PATHS curriculum and PAX Good Behavior Game [PAX GBG]) provide illustrations of the application of this model. The potential reach of this coaching model extends to other school-based programs as well as other settings in which coaches partner with interventionists to implement evidence-based programs.

Identifying User Needs and the Participative Design Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meiland, Franka; Dröes, Rose-Marie; Sävenstedt, Stefan; Bergvall-Kåreborn, Birgitta; Andersson, Anna-Lena

As the number of persons with dementia increases and also the demands on care and support at home, additional solutions to support persons with dementia are needed. The COGKNOW project aims to develop an integrated, user-driven cognitive prosthetic device to help persons with dementia. The project focuses on support in the areas of memory, social contact, daily living activities and feelings of safety. The design process is user-participatory and consists of iterative cycles at three test sites across Europe. In the first cycle persons with dementia and their carers (n = 17) actively participated in the developmental process. Based on their priorities of needs and solutions, on their disabilities and after discussion between the team, a top four list of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions was made and now serves as the basis for development: in the area of remembering - day and time orientation support, find mobile service and reminding service, in the area of social contact - telephone support by picture dialling, in the area of daily activities - media control support through a music playback and radio function, and finally, in the area of safety - a warning service to indicate when the front door is open and an emergency contact service to enhance feelings of safety. The results of this first project phase show that, in general, the people with mild dementia as well as their carers were able to express and prioritize their (unmet) needs, and the kind of technological assistance they preferred in the selected areas. In next phases it will be tested if the user-participatory design and multidisciplinary approach employed in the COGKNOW project result in a user-friendly, useful device that positively impacts the autonomy and quality of life of persons with dementia and their carers.

Body dysmorphic concerns, social adaptation, and motivation for psychotherapeutic support in dermatological outpatients.

PubMed

Ritter, Viktoria; Fluhr, Joachim W; Schliemann-Willers, Sibylle; Elsner, Peter; Strauß, Bernhard; Stangier, Ulrich

2016-09-01

Dermatologists are increasingly confronted with patients affected by body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). BDD is characterized by excessive preoccupation with one or more perceived defect(s) or flaw(s) in physical appearance which are not observable or appear slight to others. So far, there have been only few studies examining the prevalence of BDD in dermatological outpatients. In addition, the need for psychotherapeutic support in dermatological outpatients with body dysmorphic concerns has not yet been systematically examined. The objective of the present study was therefore to investigate the frequency of body dysmorphic concerns as well as social adaptation and the need for psychotherapeutic support in the aforementioned patient group. A total of 252 dermatological outpatients seen at a German university hospital were consecutively enrolled, and examined using the Dysmorphic Concerns Questionnaire, the Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale, and the German version of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale. 7.9 % of all outpatients (unselected sample) showed positive test results, suggesting clinically relevant body dysmorphic concerns. Patients with clinically relevant body dysmorphic concerns exhibited poor social adaptation. Contrary to expectations, these patients revealed a high motivation for change, indicating the necessity for psychotherapeutic support. Our findings confirm previous prevalence rates of BDD in dermatological outpatients, and highlight the need for providing psychotherapeutic support to dermatological patients. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Intense parenting: a qualitative study detailing the experiences of parenting children with complex care needs.

PubMed

Woodgate, Roberta L; Edwards, Marie; Ripat, Jacquie D; Borton, Barbara; Rempel, Gina

2015-11-26

Increased numbers of children with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities who have complex care needs are living at home. Along with the transfer of care to the home setting, parents assume the primary responsibility of their child's complex care needs. Accordingly, it becomes even more important to understand the evolving roles and challenges faced by parents of children with complex care needs in order to better support them. The aim of this paper is to present research findings that add to our understanding of the roles parents assume in parenting their children with complex care needs. To arrive at a detailed and accurate understanding of families' perspectives and experiences, the qualitative research design of ethnography was used. In total, 68 parents from 40 families were recruited. Data collection strategies included ethnographic methods of interviewing and photovoice. Several levels of analysis generated a sociocultural theme with subthemes representing how parents experienced raising children with complex care needs within the context of their life situations. Intense parenting as the overarching theme refers to the extra efforts parents had to commit to in raising their children with complex care needs. Parenting was described as labour-intensive, requiring a readiness to provide care at any time. This left parents with minimal time for addressing any needs and tasks not associated with caring for their child. The main theme is supported by four sub-themes: 1) the good parent; 2) more than a nurse; 3) there's just not enough; 4) it takes a toll on the health of parents. Overall, parents of children with complex care needs take on more roles as well as work more intensely at these roles than parents of healthy children. This, in turn, has led to the need for additional supports and resources for parents. However, to date, parents of children with complex care needs are still lacking adequate services and supports necessary to help them in their role of intense parenting. The findings sensitize professionals to the issues confronted by parents caring for children with complex care needs. Implications for further research and clinical practice are discussed.

The role of community-based and philanthropic organizations in meeting cancer patient and caregiver needs.

PubMed

Shelby, Rebecca A; Taylor, Kathryn L; Kerner, Jon F; Coleman, Ellen; Blum, Diane

2002-01-01

We examined information from community-based and philanthropic organizations to document the cancer-related services that are currently available, establish which services are still needed, and determine who utilizes these formal support networks. In Phase I, 32 of 41 eligible organizations participated in a survey conducted from December 1999 to March 2000. The most common mission focus among participating organizations was information/referral-centered. The most common services provided were referrals to information resources and provision of cancer-related information. Only two of the organizations in Phase I provided client demographic information and both indicated that client populations were predominantly white, female, and over age 40. Phase II of the study involved analyzing patient data from Cancer Care, Inc., a national service organizations for cancer patients. Between 1983 and 1997, there were 2,714 prostate cancer patients and 9,451 breast cancer patients included in the Cancer Care database. Their most commonly reported problems were related to personal adjustment to illness, financial, home care, and transportation needs. There were significant differences in problems reported depending upon age and disease status. In addition, the results of this study support the idea that those at highest risk for developing and dying of cancer are the least likely to utilize formal support networks. Further, a gap in service provision for assistance with practical needs (e.g., transportation, home care, child care, psychosocial support) was identified. Due to the increasing use of outpatient care for cancer patients, a greater demand for practical assistance can be expected in the future. The availability of practical services will need to be increased in order to effectively meet cancer patient needs.

Influences on students' assistive technology use at school: the views of classroom teachers, allied health professionals, students with cerebral palsy and their parents.

PubMed

Karlsson, Petra; Johnston, Christine; Barker, Katrina

2017-09-07

This study explored how classroom teachers, allied health professionals, students with cerebral palsy, and their parents view high-tech assistive technology service delivery in the classroom. Semi-structured interviews with six classroom teachers and six parents and their children were conducted. Additionally, two focus groups comprising 10 occupational therapists and six speech pathologists were carried out. Ethical and confidentiality considerations meant that the groups were not matched. Results revealed that it is often untrained staff member who determine students' educational needs. The participants' experiences suggested that, particularly in mainstream settings, there is a need for support and guidance from a professional with knowledge of assistive technology who can also take a lead and guide classroom teachers in how to meet students' needs. Students' motivation to use the technology was also found to be critical for its successful uptake. The study points to the need for classroom teachers to be given sufficient time and skill development opportunities to enable them to work effectively with assistive technology in the classroom. The participants' experiences suggest that such opportunities are not generally forthcoming. Only in this way can it be ensured that students with disabilities receive the education that is their right. Implications for Rehabilitation Classroom teachers, allied health professionals, students, parents need ongoing support and opportunities to practise operational, strategic and linguistic skills with the assistive technology equipment. System barriers to the uptake of assistive technology need to be addressed. To address the lack of time available for training, programing and other support activities around assistive technology, dedicated administrative support is crucial. Professional development around the use of the quality low cost ICF-CY checklist is recommended for both school and allied health staff.

The role of family carers in the use of personal budgets by people with mental health problems.

PubMed

Hamilton, Sarah; Szymczynska, Paulina; Clewett, Naomi; Manthorpe, Jill; Tew, Jerry; Larsen, John; Pinfold, Vanessa

2017-01-01

Personal budgets aim to increase choice and independence for people with social care needs but they remain underused by people with mental health problems compared to other disability groups. The use of personal budgets may impact on families in a variety of ways, both positive and negative. This paper draws on interviews, undertaken in 2012-2013 with 18 family carers and 12 mental health service users, that explored experiences of family involvement in accessing and managing personal budgets for a person with mental health-related social care needs. The sample was drawn from three sites across England, with additional carers being recruited via voluntary sector networks. Our findings show that for many people with severe mental health needs who lack motivation and confidence to negotiate access to personal budgets, carers may provide the necessary support to enable them to benefit from this form of social care support. We illustrate the role carers may play in initiating, pursuing and maximising the level of support available through personal budgets. However, some carers interviewed considered that personal budget funding was reduced because of practitioners' assumptions about carers' willingness and ability to provide support. We also report perceived tensions between family carers and practitioners around appropriate involvement in decision-making. The study findings have implications for local authorities, practitioners and family carers in supporting the involvement of family carers in support for people with severe mental health problems. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Patients of the future: a survey of school nurse competencies with implications for nurse executives in the acute care settings.

PubMed

Newell, Mary E

2013-01-01

School nursing in the United States has been in existence for many decades but has become increasingly more complex, as student health needs have escalated and the role itself has expanded in scope of practice. Given the changes in health care delivery mandated by the Patient Safety and Affordable Care Reform Act, and the increasing complexity of school nursing practice, it is important to determine whether nurses who enter this area of practice are educationally prepared to do so. The objective of this study was to determine the perceptions of currently practicing school nurses regarding their baccalaureate nursing education and whether they felt adequately prepared to effectively practice as a school nurse. The survey The Perceptions of School Nurses' Educational Preparation: Survey of Washington State School Nurses was sent to school nurses in Washington State. This was a descriptive, quantitative online survey that asked school nurses to assess their initial nursing education and whether their baccalaureate preparation adequately prepared them for this specialty role. There are a total of 17 school nurse standards, and 8 of the standards (47%) were identified as minimally achieved upon graduation. In addition, school nurses self-assessed gaps in their ongoing continuing educational needs, such as needing additional education regarding special education laws (81%), 504 accommodations (90.5%), diabetic care (76%), and delegation skills (68.6%). The findings from this study have illustrated the need for additional didactic and clinical practicum components that could be incorporated into baccalaureate nursing programs to better prepare graduates for school nursing practice in Washington State. Participants were able to identify areas in need of further education within their baccalaureate program, and also during their orientation to the role and responsibilities of a school nurse. Nurse executives must be able to use this knowledge to support staff nurses with an understanding of school nurses' increasing responsibilities to improve both inpatient care and outpatient support.

The use of technology enhanced learning in health research capacity development: lessons from a cross country research partnership.

PubMed

Byrne, E; Donaldson, L; Manda-Taylor, L; Brugha, R; Matthews, A; MacDonald, S; Mwapasa, V; Petersen, M; Walsh, A

2016-05-10

With the recognition of the need for research capacity strengthening for advancing health and development, this research capacity article explores the use of technology enhanced learning in the delivery of a collaborative postgraduate blended Master's degree in Malawi. Two research questions are addressed: (i) Can technology enhanced learning be used to develop health research capacity?, and: (ii) How can learning content be designed that is transferrable across different contexts? An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was adopted for the evaluation of technology enhanced learning in the Masters programme. A number of online surveys were administered, student participation in online activities monitored and an independent evaluation of the programme conducted. Remote collaboration and engagement are paramount in the design of a blended learning programme and support was needed for selecting the most appropriate technical tools. Internet access proved problematic despite developing the content around low bandwidth availability and training was required for students and teachers/trainers on the tools used. Varying degrees of engagement with the tools used was recorded, and the support of a learning technologist was needed to navigate through challenges faced. Capacity can be built in health research through blended learning programmes. In relation to transferability, the support required institutionally for technology enhanced learning needs to be conceptualised differently from support for face-to-face teaching. Additionally, differences in pedagogical approaches and styles between institutions, as well as existing social norms and values around communication, need to be embedded in the content development if the material is to be used beyond the pilot resource-intensive phase of a project.

Issues in the support and disaster preparedness of severely disabled children in affected areas.

PubMed

Tanaka, Soichiro

2013-03-01

Relative to their numbers, more than twice the number of disabled children fell victim to the Great East Japan Earthquake than did normal people. It was important to find out needs and provide support, as the needs of disabled children vulnerable to the disaster, such as a shortage of diapers of the right size for disabled children in the affected areas, were not given priority. In addition, the role of coordinators to spread word of who needed what and where, and linking this to specific support, was important. Regions and authorities need to determine how disabled children are to be evacuated in a disaster. Each household should prepare, as disaster prevention measures, their own private power generator and carry medical information for oral or other medicine. Each region should prepare, as a local disaster measure, welfare evacuation areas for disabled children. One thing that was felt acutely in this recent disaster is that disaster preparations and manuals need to be revised from the point of view of welfare, and that the most reliable people were those who, whether as assisters or the assisted, were involved with the disabled on a daily basis from before the disaster. The existence of disabled children as a familiar part of society, and supporting agencies networking based around the children as part of normal operations, plays a very large part. Raising children as part of their local communities is the biggest factor in saving them from disasters. Copyright © 2012 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variation at local government level in the support for families of severely disabled children and the factors that affect it.

PubMed

Forsyth, Rob; McNally, Richard; James, Peter; Crossland, Kevin; Woolley, Mark; Colver, Allan

2010-11-01

The aim of this study was to examine geographical variability in the support for families caring for children with severe disabilities as well as the relationships between this variability and local government social and educational performance indicators. Data were collected from a cross-sectional, self-completed postal survey of the families of 5862 children and young people (aged 0-24 y, mean 10 y 7 mo; 68% male) with severe disabilities resulting in a variety of impairments (21% with autism spectrum disorders, 16% with learning disabilities,* 13% with emotional and behavioural difficulties, and 13% with cerebral palsy [CP]). Data on the severity of intrinsic impairment were assessed using the Health Utilities Index, and the need for support was assessed from the results of a novel parent-completed questionnaire, the European Child Environment Questionnaire (ECEQ). These responses were related to data published by local authorities on educational and social policy. Higher levels of unmet need and lack of support, as reported by parents of children and young people with severe disabilities, are associated with greater impairment but not with socioeconomic deprivation. After controlling for impairment and diagnosis, variation at local government level is of the order of 1 to 1.5 ECEQ standard deviation scores. The best- and the worst-performing local authorities--in terms of the averages of the 'support' scores reported by their surveyed residents--cluster in urban areas. For children with CP, a positive correlation was found between the reported unmet educational support requirements in each local authority area and rates of mainstream school placement for children with special educational needs. This indicates that the placement of children with disabilities into mainstream schools is associated with reported unmet need (r=0.60; p=0.01). In the case of children with autism spectrum diagnoses, the provision of additional basic educational support in mainstream primary education was associated with lower average local authority scores for unmet need, suggesting that this support was appreciated by residents (r=-0.75; p=0.005). Parent-reported unmet need in the care of children with disabilities shows significant geographical variation after adjustments for severity, type of impairment, and socioeconomic deprivation. Associations between some aspects of reported unmet need and local authority performance indicators suggest that support for families of children with severe disabilities may be improved by policy changes at local government level. © The Authors. Journal compilation © Mac Keith Press 2010.

How Are Conditions for Participation Expressed in Education Policy Documents? A Review of Documents in Scotland and Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Gregor; Granlund, Mats

2011-01-01

This study approaches inclusive schools by looking at how conditions for participation are expressed for pupils with additional support needs in education policy documents in Sweden and Scotland. By using five dimensions of the environment--availability, accessibility, affordability, accommodability and acceptability--expressions of conditions for…

Attitudes toward Rape.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larsen, Knud S.; Long, Ed

While the perception of rape has been studied intensely in recent years, most scales focus on rape myths as the content domain. The need exists for a more general instrument which would include items from a variety of sources, e.g., attitudes toward rape awareness, sexual history, age, virginity, community support, etc., in addition to the myth of…

Your H.E.R.O.: Thriving as an Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Professional

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaRocco, Diana J.; Sopko, Kim Moherek

2017-01-01

Personal factors that might contribute to beginning special education teachers needing additional support or leaving their positions are dissatisfaction, frustration, and discouragement emanating from role-related problems such as work overload (Billingsley, 2004; Jones & Youngs, 2012). Role-related stressors can be buffered and commitment to…

Alternatives for At-Risk and Out-of-School Youth. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerka, Sandra

Educators are considering ways to help youth identified as "at-risk" succeed in school and beyond. Alternative programs (AP) can be effective environments for students who may not fit the mainstream mold and need additional support. Effective AP use a holistic approach that encompasses social, academic, psychological and career-related…

Comfort Food: Nourishing Our Collective Stomachs and Our Collective Minds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troisi, Jordan D.; Wright, Julian W. C.

2017-01-01

Food is a powerful motivator in human functioning--it serves a biological need, as emotional support, and as a cultural symbol. Until recently, the term "comfort food" has been inadequately and unscientifically defined. In addition, the popular media have oversimplified the concept of comfort food as purely unhealthy food, often consumed…

Changing Legislation and Its Effects on Inclusive and Special Education: Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddell, Sheila; Weedon, Elisabet

2014-01-01

This article, by Sheila Riddell and Elisabet Weedon of the Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh, analyses recent policy developments and outcomes in the field of additional support needs in Scotland in the context of devolution and austerity, drawing on a critical analysis of policy and administrative…

Missing Mirrors, Missing Windows: Children's Literature Textbooks and LGBT Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smolkin, Laura B.; Young, Craig A.

2011-01-01

Concerns for the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and the children of families who so self-identify suggest that teachers may need additional support in fostering classrooms that welcome all students. The field of children's literature has long-standing interests in multiple cultures and the literature…

Using Data to Individualize a Multicomponent, Technology-Based Self-Monitoring Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruhn, Allison Leigh; Vogelgesang, Kari; Fernando, Josephine; Lugo, Wilbeth

2016-01-01

Technology in schools is abundant as is the call for evidence-based interventions for students who need additional support to be successful. One promising use of technology is for self-monitoring interventions aimed at improving classroom behavior. In this study, two middle school students with disabilities used a multicomponent, self-monitoring…

Adoption of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Kari; Metzler, Michael

2017-01-01

Recent research has provided preliminary insight into the implementation of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) components in P-12 schools, but additional empirical support is needed to establish the CSPAP model as a viable conceptual framework. The purpose of this review is to examine the extent to which the CSPAP framework is…

Ability as an Additional Support Need: Scotland's Inclusive Approach to Gifted Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Margaret; Stack, Niamh

2014-01-01

The present paper provides an overview of the current national legislation, policies, curriculum and practice relating to gifted education within Scotland. It begins by providing an overview of the national context and historical background that, to this day, underpin the egalitarian ethos that permeates Scottish education. We discuss how…

Mentorship Efforts to Support Part-Time Social Work Faculty Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shobe, Marcia A.; Murphy-Erby, Yvette; Sparks, Jared

2014-01-01

Social work faculty experience increasing demands to develop and maintain a research portfolio that includes external funding and publications. Given the increase in research expectations, more part-time instructors are needed to teach courses. In addition to the literature review, we briefly describe a pilot part-time faculty mentorship project…

Some Additional Lessons from the Wechsler Scales: A Rejoinder to Kaufman and Keith.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macmann, Gregg M.; Barnett, David W.

1994-01-01

Reacts to previous arguments regarding verbal and performance constructs of Wechsler Scales. Contends that general factor model is more plausible representation of data for these scales. Suggests issue is moot when considered in regards to practical applications. Supports analysis of needed skills and instructional environments in educational…

Teacher Candidate Mental Health and Mental Health Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dods, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Providing teacher candidates with a strong foundation in mental health literacy during their teacher education program is crucial in ensuring novice teachers are prepared to support the mental health needs of their students. In addition to responding to students, teacher candidates are typically at an age when mental health disorders are common…

Job Satisfaction of Elementary Principals in Large Urban Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Cathryn M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine job satisfaction levels of elementary principals in "major urban" districts in Texas and to identify strategies these principals used to cope with the demands of the position. Additionally, the project sought to find structures and supports needed to attract and retain principals in the…

Characteristics and Motivational Factors of Major Donors to Bowling Green State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latta, Marcia Sloan

2010-01-01

With declining state support, increased financial need on the part of the fastest growing demographic sections of the population, and public policy that discourages major increases in tuition for public higher education, the only logical source of additional finances for public colleges and universities is increased private funding through…

The Mediator Role of Need Satisfaction between Subjective Well-Being and Romantic Relationships Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eryilmaz, Ali; Dogan, Tayfun

2013-01-01

Problem Statement: The most important part of identity exploration for emerging adults is love. Establishing healthy intimate relationships support the process of identity exploration. In addition to the positive and negative factors that affect romantic relationships, the concept of quality is also very important in these romantic relationships.…

Distributed Memory Compiler Methods for Irregular Problems - Data Copy Reuse and Runtime Partitioning

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

addition, support for Saltz was provided by NSF from NSF Grant ASC-8819374. i 1, introduction Over the past fewyers, ,we have devoped -methods needed to... network . In Third Conf. on Hypercube Concurrent Computers and Applications, pages 241-27278, 1988. [17] G. Fox, S. Hiranandani, K. Kennedy, C. Koelbel

A Case Study of Dual Language Program Administrators: The Teachers We Need

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lachance, Joan R.

2017-01-01

In support of growing numbers of dual language programs nation-wide, dual language school administrators seek to find teachers who are specifically prepared to work with dual language learners for additive biliteracy. For this research the author utilized a case study design to explore practicing dual language administrators' perspectives…

Implications of Leader-Member Exchange Theory and Research for Human Resource Development Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Janet Z.; Otte, Fred L.

1999-01-01

Leader/member exchange theory is proposed as an alternate approach to the study of organizational leadership. Recent research supports the theory but additional development work is needed. The theory seeks to explain how leader/member relationships develop and the behavioral components of leadership relations. Contains 74 references. (Author/JOW)

Social Justice and Provision for Children with Additional Support Needs in Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddell, Sheila; Weedon, Elisabet

2017-01-01

Since the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, successive administrations have reaffirmed their commitment to social justice. However, despite high-level equality policies, social-class inequality is a major feature of Scottish society, affecting all social policy domains, including education. In this article, we provide a brief…

Database Driven 6-DOF Trajectory Simulation for Debris Transport Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, Jeff

2008-01-01

Debris mitigation and risk assessment have been carried out by NASA and its contractors supporting Space Shuttle Return-To-Flight (RTF). As a part of this assessment, analysis of transport potential for debris that may be liberated from the vehicle or from pad facilities prior to tower clear (Lift-Off Debris) is being performed by MSFC. This class of debris includes plume driven and wind driven sources for which lift as well as drag are critical for the determination of the debris trajectory. As a result, NASA MSFC has a need for a debris transport or trajectory simulation that supports the computation of lift effect in addition to drag without the computational expense of fully coupled CFD with 6-DOF. A database driven 6-DOF simulation that uses aerodynamic force and moment coefficients for the debris shape that are interpolated from a database has been developed to meet this need. The design, implementation, and verification of the database driven six degree of freedom (6-DOF) simulation addition to the Lift-Off Debris Transport Analysis (LODTA) software are discussed in this paper.

Venus Global Reference Atmospheric Model Status and Planned Updates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, H. L.; Dwyer Cianciolo, A. M.

2017-01-01

The Venus Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Venus-GRAM) was originally developed in 2004 under funding from NASA's In Space Propulsion (ISP) Aerocapture Project to support mission studies at the planet. Many proposals, including NASA New Frontiers and Discovery, as well as other studies have used Venus-GRAM to design missions and assess system robustness. After Venus-GRAM's release in 2005, several missions to Venus have generated a wealth of additional atmospheric data, yet few model updates have been made to Venus-GRAM. This paper serves to address three areas: (1) to present the current status of Venus-GRAM, (2) to identify new sources of data and other upgrades that need to be incorporated to maintain Venus-GRAM credibility and (3) to identify additional Venus-GRAM options and features that could be included to increase its capability. This effort will de-pend on understanding the needs of the user community, obtaining new modeling data and establishing a dedicated funding source to support continual up-grades. This paper is intended to initiate discussion that can result in an upgraded and validated Venus-GRAM being available to future studies and NASA proposals.

Evaluating the Usability and Usefulness of a Mobile App for Atrial Fibrillation Using Qualitative Methods: Exploratory Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Mansour, Moussa; Sperber, Jodi; Agboola, Stephen; Kvedar, Joseph; Jethwani, Kamal

2018-01-01

Background Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia and a potent risk factor for stroke. Nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are routinely prescribed to manage AFib stroke risk; however, nonadherence to treatment is a concern. Additional tools that support self-care and medication adherence may benefit patients with AFib. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived usability and usefulness of a mobile app designed to support self-care and treatment adherence for AFib patients who are prescribed NOACs. Methods A mobile app to support AFib patients was previously developed based on early stage interview and usability test data from clinicians and patients. An exploratory pilot study consisting of naturalistic app use, surveys, and semistructured interviews was then conducted to examine patients’ perceptions and everyday use of the app. Results A total of 12 individuals with an existing diagnosis of nonvalvular AFib completed the 4-week study. The average age of participants was 59 years. All participants somewhat or strongly agreed that the app was easy to use, and 92% (11/12) reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the app. Participant feedback identified changes that may improve app usability and usefulness for patients with AFib. Areas of usability improvement were organized by three themes: app navigation, clarity of app instructions and design intent, and software bugs. Perceptions of app usefulness were grouped by three key variables: core needs of the patient segment, patient workflow while managing AFib, and the app’s ability to support the patient’s evolving needs. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that mobile tools that target self-care and treatment adherence may be helpful to AFib patients, particularly those who are newly diagnosed. Additionally, participant feedback provided insight into the varied needs and health experiences of AFib patients, which may improve the design and targeting of the intervention. Pilot studies that qualitatively examine patient perceptions of usability and usefulness are a valuable and often underutilized method for assessing the real-world acceptability of an intervention. Additional research evaluating the AFib Connect mobile app over a longer period, and including a larger, more diverse sample of AFib patients, will be helpful for understanding whether the app is perceived more broadly to be useful and effective in supporting patient self-care and medication adherence. PMID:29549073

Listening to the Patient: Women Veterans' Insights About Health Care Needs, Access, and Quality in Rural Areas.

PubMed

Brooks, Elizabeth; Dailey, Nancy K; Bair, Byron D; Shore, Jay H

2016-09-01

Many work to ensure that women veterans receive appropriate and timely health care, yet the needs of those living in rural areas are often ignored. This is a critical oversight given the multitude of reports documenting rural access problems and health disparities. Lacking this, we are unable to plan for and evaluate appropriate care for this specific group. In this project, we spoke with rural women veterans to document service needs and quality of care from their perspective. Rural women veterans' views about health care access and quality were ascertained in a series of five, semistructured focus groups (n = 35) and completion of a demographic questionnaire. Content analysis documented focus-group themes. Participants said that local dental, mental health, and gender-specific care options were needed, as well as alternative healing options. Community-based support for women veterans and interaction with female peers were absent. Participants' support for telehealth was mixed, as were requests for gender-specific care. Personal experiences in the military impacted participants' current service utilization. Action by both Veterans Affairs and the local community is vital to improving the health of women veterans. Service planning should consider additional Veterans Affairs contracts, mobile health vans, peer support, and enhanced outreach. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Needs of informal caregivers across the caregiving course in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a qualitative analysis

PubMed Central

Carney, Sile; Corr, Bernie; Mays, Iain; Pender, Niall; Hardiman, Orla

2018-01-01

Objectives Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), is a debilitating terminal condition. Informal caregivers are key figures in ALS care provision. The physical, psychological and emotional impact of providing care in the home requires appropriate assistance and support. The objective of this analysis is to explore the needs of informal ALS caregivers across the caregiving course. Design In an open-ended question as part of a semistructured interview, caregivers were asked what would help them in their role. Interviews took place on three occasions at 4-month to 6-month intervals. Demographic, burden and quality of life data were collected, in addition to the open-ended responses. We carried out descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis of qualitative data. Setting and participants Home interviews at baseline (n=81) and on two further occasions (n=56, n=41) with informal caregivers of people with ALS attending the National ALS/MND Clinic at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Results The majority of caregivers were family members. Hours of care provided and caregiver burden increased across the interview series. Thematic analysis identified what would help them in their role, and needs related to external support and services, psychological-emotional factors, patient-related behaviours, a cure and ‘nothing’. Themes were interconnected and their prevalence varied across the interview time points. Conclusion This study has shown the consistency and adaptation in what caregivers identified as helpful in their role, across 12–18 months of a caregiving journey. Support needs are clearly defined, and change with time and the course of caregiving. Caregivers need support from family, friends and healthcare professionals in managing their tasks and the emotional demands of caregiving. Identifying the specific needs of informal caregivers should enable health professionals to provide tailored supportive interventions. PMID:29374665

Experiences and Concerns of Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual Survivors of Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

Baughman, Allyson; Clark, Melissa A; Boehmer, Ulrike

2017-05-01

To identify the experiences and needs of lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) survivors of colorectal cancer (CRC) and to expand the current understanding of LGB survivorship by obtaining in-depth knowledge of survivorship among individuals with a cancer other than breast or prostate. 
. Qualitative, semistructured individual interviews via telephone.
. Participants were recruited using social media, flyers, word of mouth, and contact with LGB and cancer organizations during a four-month period.
. Eight LGB individuals with a diagnosis of stage III CRC from 2009-2014. 
. All interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis performed by more than one analyst was used for the interview transcripts. 
. Participants described experiences with social support and isolation, cancer care from an LGB perspective, and substantial economic impacts of their cancer diagnosis. In addition, they reported struggles with health insurance coverage, employment, and housing during and after their treatment for CRC. 
. In addition to issues regarding sexual identity disclosure and social support, economic impacts of CRC exist; these are likely critical to healthy survivorship in LGB men and women. 
. Attention should be paid to the economic impact of CRC on LGB individuals, along with issues of social support and sexual identity disclosure. Oncology nurses could play an important role in determining the economic and social needs of patients with CRC, accepting the often nontraditional support networks of LGB individuals, and facilitating disclosure of an LGB identity.

Qualitative systematic review of barriers and facilitators to self-management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: views of patients and healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Russell, Siân; Ogunbayo, Oladapo J; Newham, James J; Heslop-Marshall, Karen; Netts, Paul; Hanratty, Barbara; Beyer, Fiona; Kaner, Eileen

2018-01-17

Self-management interventions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can improve quality of life, reduce hospital admissions, and improve symptoms. However, many factors impede engagement for patients and practitioners. Qualitative research, with its focus on subjective experience, can provide invaluable insights into such factors. Therefore, a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative evidence on COPD self-management from the perspective of patients, carers, and practitioners was conducted. Following a systematic search and screening, 31 studies were appraised and data extracted for analysis. This review found that patients can adapt to COPD; however, learning to self-manage is often a protracted process. Emotional needs are considerable; frustration, depression, and anxiety are common. In addition, patients can face an assortment of losses and limitations on their lifestyle and social interaction. Over time, COPD can consume their existence, reducing motivation. Support from family can prove vital, yet tinged with ambivalence and burden. Practitioners may not have sufficient time, resources, or appropriate skills or confidence to provide effective self-management support, particularly in regard to patients' psychosocial needs. This can compound patients' capability to engage in self-management. For COPD self-management to be effective, patients' psychosocial needs must be prioritised alongside medication and exacerbation management. In addition, patients' personal beliefs regarding COPD and its management should be reviewed periodically to avoid problematic behaviours and enhance positive adaptions to the disease. Patients with COPD are not a homogenous group and no one intervention will prove effective for all. Finally, practitioners require greater education, training, and support to successfully assist patients.

Social Support for Exercise as a Predictor of Weight and Physical Activity Status Among Puerto Rican and Mexican Men: Results From the Latino Men's Health Initiative.

PubMed

Craven, Meredith R; Keefer, Laurie; Rademaker, Alfred; Dykema-Engblade, Amanda; Sanchez-Johnsen, Lisa

2018-07-01

Social support is an important factor in increasing positive health outcomes and positive health behaviors across a variety of disease states including obesity. However, research examining the relationship between social support for exercise and weight and physical activity status, particularly among Latino men, is lacking. This paper examined whether social support for exercise predicted weight and physical activity status and whether the direction of these relationships differ as a function of Hispanic/Latino background (Puerto Rican/Mexican). Participants were 203 men who participated in a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study addressing culture- and obesity-related variables. Both family participation social support and f amily rewards and punishment social support predicted higher weight status ( p < .005 and p < .05, respectively). Friend participation social support did not predict weight status. The direction of the relationship between weight status and family participation social support, family rewards and punishment social support, and friend participation social support did not significantly differ as a function of Hispanic/Latino background. The direction of the relationship between physical activity status and family participation social support, family rewards and punishment social support, and friend participation social support did not significantly differ as a function of Hispanic/Latino background. Findings suggest that increased social support for exercise from family members may be focused on those who need it most-overweight and obese participants. Additional research is needed to explore sociocultural factors that may promote social support, physical activity, and weight loss and maintenance in Puerto Rican and Mexican men.

Psychometrics of a Child Report Measure of Maternal Support Following Disclosure of Sexual Abuse

PubMed Central

Smith, Daniel W.; Sawyer, Genelle K.; Heck, Nicholas C.; Zajac, Kristyn; Solomon, David; Self-Brown, Shannon; Danielson, Carla K.; Ralston, M. Elizabeth

2018-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to develop a psychometrically sound child-report measure of maternal support following disclosure of child sexual abuse. Maternal support following disclosure of child sexual abuse is an important predictor of child adjustment; however, this construct is not well defined, and a psychometrically sound method to assess maternal support from a child’s perspective does not exist. Methods Demographic and abuse-specific information was collected via structured interview from 146 mother-child dyads presenting for an initial forensic evaluation at a child advocacy center. Mothers completed the Maternal Self-report Support Questionnaire, and children completed the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children and 32 items considered for inclusion in a new measure known as the Maternal Support Questionnaire – Child Report (MSQ-CR). Results Exploratory factor analysis of the MSQ-CR resulted in a three factor solution: Emotional Support (9 items), Skeptical Preoccupation (5 items), and Protection/Retaliation (6 items). Each factor demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability. Analyses with the Maternal Self-report Support Questionnaire and the Trauma Symptom Checklist supported the construct and concurrent validity of the new measure. Conclusions The MSQ-CR demonstrated sound psychometric properties. Future research is needed to determine whether the MSQ-CR provides a more sensitive approximation of maternal support following disclosure of sexual abuse, relative to measures of global parent-child relations. Additional research is needed to contextualize discrepancies between mother and child ratings of maternal support. Important limitations of the investigation are reviewed. PMID:28471341

[The Need for Psychosocial Support of Parents of Children in Neonatal Care].

PubMed

Schäfer, Nicole; Karutz, Harald; Schenk, Olaf

2017-10-01

Background Advances in neonatal care have reduced mortality but increased morbidity in babies born pre-maturely or after high-risk pregnancies. However, this often increases the burden on the family and the parents in particular. A systematic review of the literature was conducted that demonstrated the importance of psychosocial support for parents of children in neonatal care. Methods A systematic search of Pubmed, Psyndex, CINAHI and medpilot was conducted. Reference lists of the included articles were also searched for relevant publications. A free-text search found further publications. Together, 78 publications (from 1975-2015) were included in our review. Results A shift from a biomedical model and child-centred treatment to family-centred care has already taken place in neonatal care. However, there is still a considerable gap between theory and practice. Although there is awareness of the need for psychosocial support of parents, the focus of day-to-day care is still on medical interventions and life-supporting treatment for the child. In particular, while the importance of an assessment of needs as a basis for family-centred psychosocial support appears to be well-known, validated screening instruments are rarely used. In addition, the demand for psychosocial support of parents is not just solely determined by the child's medical risk. Conclusions The results highlight the challenges of delivering individualised psychosocial support to families within a healthcare system of limited resources, with practitioners having to take into account the developing parent-child relationship as well as health economics. In future, psychosocial support should be based on evidence rather than intuition. Attachment theory and research, and health psychology can contribute to this development. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Parents’ perspectives on supporting children during needle-related medical procedures

PubMed Central

Karlsson, Katarina; Englund, Ann-Charlotte Dalheim; Enskär, Karin; Rydström, Ingela

2014-01-01

When children endure needle-related medical procedures (NRMPs), different emotions arise for the child and his/her parents. Despite the parents’ own feelings, they have a key role in supporting their child through these procedures. The aim of this study is to describe the meanings of supporting children during NRMPs from the perspective of the parents. Twenty-one parents participated in this study. A reflective lifeworld research (RLR) approach was used and phenomenological analysis was applied. The essential meaning of the phenomenon—supporting children during an NRMP—is characterized as “keeping the child under the protection of one’s wings,” sometimes very close and sometimes a little further out under the wingtips. The essential meaning is additionally described through its constituents: paying attention to the child’s way of expressing itself, striving to maintain control, facilitating the child’s understanding, focusing the child’s attention, seeking additional support, and rewarding the child. The conclusion is that parents’ ability to be supportive can be affected when seeing their child undergo an NRMP. To regain the role as the child’s protector and to be able to keep the child “under the protection of one’s wings,” parents need support from the staff. PMID:25008196

The primacy of basics in advanced life support.

PubMed

Chamberlain, Douglas; Frenneaux, Michael; Fletcher, David

2009-06-01

The standards required for optimal effect of chest compressions and the degree to which most practice falls short of ideal have not been widely appreciated. This review highlights some of the important data now available and offers a haemodynamic explanation that broadens current concepts. New techniques have permitted a detailed examination of how compressions are performed in practice. The implications of recent experimental work adds a new imperative to the need for improvement. In addition to highlighting the need for improved training and audit, the greater understanding of mechanisms in resuscitation suggest that guidelines for management of adult cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac origin need further revision and simplification.

SAGE celebrates 25 years of learning geophysics by doing geophysics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jiracek, G.R.; Baldridge, W.S.; Sussman, A.J.; Biehler, S.; Braile, L.W.; Ferguson, J.F.; Gilpin, B.E.; McPhee, D.K.; Pellerin, L.

2008-01-01

The increasing world demand and record-high costs for energy and mineral resources, along with the attendant environmental and climate concerns, have escalated the need for trained geophysicists to unprecedented levels. This is not only a national need; it's a critical global need. As Earth scientists and educators we must seriously ask if our geophysics pipeline can adequately address this crisis. One program that has helped to answer this question in the affirmative for 25 years is SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience). SAGE continues to develop with new faculty, new collaborations, and additional ways to support student participation during and after SAGE. ?? 2008 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal social support: cancer and older adults.

PubMed

Robinson, James D; Turner, Jeanine

2003-01-01

Although cancer occurs throughout the life span, many of the most frequently occurring types of cancer increase as we grow older. In fact, only cardiovascular disease accounts for more deaths in adults 65 years of age and older. One of the ways that cancer patients cope or adapt to their illness is through socially supportive communicative interactions and relationships. Cutrona and Russell (1990) argued that social support is multidimensional and suggested that social support is most effective when the support needs of the individual are consistent with the type of social support being offered by the support provider. From the communicative perspective, the notion of optimal matching between the types of social support desired and the type of social support offered is extended to include the type of relationship between the communicants. In addition, it is argued that computer-mediated social support can be superior to face-to-face social support. This article attempts to identify some of the conditions under which this is true.

Developing genomic knowledge bases and databases to support clinical management: current perspectives.

PubMed

Huser, Vojtech; Sincan, Murat; Cimino, James J

2014-01-01

Personalized medicine, the ability to tailor diagnostic and treatment decisions for individual patients, is seen as the evolution of modern medicine. We characterize here the informatics resources available today or envisioned in the near future that can support clinical interpretation of genomic test results. We assume a clinical sequencing scenario (germline whole-exome sequencing) in which a clinical specialist, such as an endocrinologist, needs to tailor patient management decisions within his or her specialty (targeted findings) but relies on a genetic counselor to interpret off-target incidental findings. We characterize the genomic input data and list various types of knowledge bases that provide genomic knowledge for generating clinical decision support. We highlight the need for patient-level databases with detailed lifelong phenotype content in addition to genotype data and provide a list of recommendations for personalized medicine knowledge bases and databases. We conclude that no single knowledge base can currently support all aspects of personalized recommendations and that consolidation of several current resources into larger, more dynamic and collaborative knowledge bases may offer a future path forward.

Developing genomic knowledge bases and databases to support clinical management: current perspectives

PubMed Central

Huser, Vojtech; Sincan, Murat; Cimino, James J

2014-01-01

Personalized medicine, the ability to tailor diagnostic and treatment decisions for individual patients, is seen as the evolution of modern medicine. We characterize here the informatics resources available today or envisioned in the near future that can support clinical interpretation of genomic test results. We assume a clinical sequencing scenario (germline whole-exome sequencing) in which a clinical specialist, such as an endocrinologist, needs to tailor patient management decisions within his or her specialty (targeted findings) but relies on a genetic counselor to interpret off-target incidental findings. We characterize the genomic input data and list various types of knowledge bases that provide genomic knowledge for generating clinical decision support. We highlight the need for patient-level databases with detailed lifelong phenotype content in addition to genotype data and provide a list of recommendations for personalized medicine knowledge bases and databases. We conclude that no single knowledge base can currently support all aspects of personalized recommendations and that consolidation of several current resources into larger, more dynamic and collaborative knowledge bases may offer a future path forward. PMID:25276091

Mechanism change in a simulation of peer review: from junk support to elitism.

PubMed

Paolucci, Mario; Grimaldo, Francisco

2014-01-01

Peer review works as the hinge of the scientific process, mediating between research and the awareness/acceptance of its results. While it might seem obvious that science would regulate itself scientifically, the consensus on peer review is eroding; a deeper understanding of its workings and potential alternatives is sorely needed. Employing a theoretical approach supported by agent-based simulation, we examined computational models of peer review, performing what we propose to call redesign , that is, the replication of simulations using different mechanisms . Here, we show that we are able to obtain the high sensitivity to rational cheating that is present in literature. In addition, we also show how this result appears to be fragile against small variations in mechanisms. Therefore, we argue that exploration of the parameter space is not enough if we want to support theoretical statements with simulation, and that exploration at the level of mechanisms is needed. These findings also support prudence in the application of simulation results based on single mechanisms, and endorse the use of complex agent platforms that encourage experimentation of diverse mechanisms.

Evaluating the self-assessed support needs of women with breast cancer.

PubMed

Lindop, E; Cannon, S

2001-06-01

The first aim of the study was to identify the self-assessed support needs of women with breast cancer at various points of illness and, secondly, to establish if these needs formed clusters which could provide the basis for developing a standardized scale of needs for use by breast care teams in the evaluation of care. It has been found that support given to women with breast cancer has a positive effect upon their reactions to the illness and may even prolong their survival. Given that breast cancer affects a large number of women it is obviously important that those affected receive, in addition to the best available medical treatment, the type of support that best meets their needs. This study aimed to provide information on the impact of breast cancer and the need for various types of support by examining women's own assessment of their needs at different stages of their illness. A purposive sample of 12 women with a diagnosis of breast cancer was selected in one health authority in England, United Kingdom (UK). Women selected represented a wide age range (between 26 and 58), were married or in long-term cohabiting relationships and were at different points on the illness trajectory. Women were invited to take part in a semi-structured interview about their experiences of breast cancer. The data from these interviews were analysed using the software package Qualitative Solutions and Research, Nonnumerical Data Indexing, Searching and Theorizing (QSR*NUDIST). Following this content analysis, a questionnaire was formulated which divided statements into seven categories: diagnosis, treatment, support, femininity and body image, family and friends, information and after care, to be rated on a Likert scale ranging from "of no importance" to "extremely important". Questionnaire data were analysed by means of a one-way analysis of variance (for three independent variables) or t-test for two independent variables. Results. The questionnaire was sent to 971 women and achieved a response rate of 50.4%. The mean score for statements of need reached the level of point 4 on the Likert scale (important) with three exceptions: having professional help with family problems and domestic upheaval, coping with feelings of anger and dealing with the question "why me?" With the above three exceptions, women experienced a high level of need associated with a diagnosis of breast cancer. Studies of this kind should enable resources to be targeted to areas of highest need.

Trapping self-propelled micromotors with microfabricated chevron and heart-shaped chips† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Supporting videos (S1; S2 and S3). See DOI: 10.1039/c3lc51419f Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Restrepo-Pérez, Laura; Soler, Lluís; Martínez-Cisneros, Cynthia S.; Schmidt, Oliver G.

2014-01-01

We demonstrate that catalytic micromotors can be trapped in microfluidic chips containing chevron and heart-shaped structures. Despite the challenge presented by the reduced size of the traps, microfluidic chips with different trapping geometries can be fabricated via replica moulding. We prove that these microfluidic chips can capture micromotors without the need for any external mechanism to control their motion. PMID:24643940

Family perceptions of intellectual disability: Understanding and support in Dar es Salaam

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

When attempting to understand the construct of intellectual disability in different contexts, speaking to family members in addition to the individual with the disability may provide new insight about understandings of and responses to intellectual disability in society and may help to identify the forms of support that are available or needed to ensure the quality of life of people with disabilities. This article outlines and discusses interviews that were conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with family members of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. These interviews explore how families came to understand that their child had an intellectual disability; the availability of family support; and family hopes and dreams for the future, and were a part of a wider exploratory study that gathered insight from individuals with disabilities, families, and other providers of support to explore understandings and perceptions of disability in Dar es Salaam. Understanding family experiences will help researchers, policy makers, non-governmental organisations, and others to identify family strengths and family support needs which can ultimately improve family quality of life and the quality of life of the member with a disability. PMID:28729979

Adolescent perspectives on social support received in the aftermath of sexual abuse: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Schönbucher, Verena; Maier, Thomas; Mohler-Kuo, Meichun; Schnyder, Ulrich; Landolt, Markus A

2014-04-01

The extent and quality of social support provided to young survivors of sexual abuse (SA) have only rarely been examined. This qualitative study aimed to investigate adolescent perspectives on social support received in the aftermath of SA. A total of 26 sexually victimized adolescents (15-18 years old) participated in a qualitative face-to-face, in-depth interview that focused on perceived social support. Qualitative content analysis was conducted as per Mayring (2008) using the qualitative data analysis program ATLAS.ti. In addition, quantitative correlational analyses were conducted to identify characteristics of SA and their associations with perceived social support. Although participants perceived parental support as the most necessary type of support, they were much more satisfied with support from peers. In particular, adolescents stated that they wished they had received more emotional support from their parents in order to better cope with the abuse. About half of participants reported having received counseling, and counseling was seen as very helpful in dealing with the consequences of SA. Only a few adolescents mentioned their school as a source of support. Intra-familial abuse, younger victim age at the time of abuse, an adult perpetrator, and severe abuse were all negatively associated with satisfaction with perceived support. Our results suggest that support for young survivors of SA needs to be improved. Prevention of SA needs particular focus on improving parental reactions to SA, facilitating access to professional support, and raising teacher awareness of the importance of their role in the provision of support for sexually victimized children.

Regenerative life support systems--why do we need them?

PubMed

Barta, D J; Henninger, D L

1994-11-01

Human exploration of the solar system will include missions lasting years at a time. Such missions mandate extensive regeneration of life support consumables with efficient utilization of local planetary resources. As mission durations extend beyond one or two years, regenerable human life support systems which supply food and recycle air, water, and wastes become feasible; resupply of large volumes and masses of food, water, and atmospheric gases become unrealistic. Additionally, reduced dependency on resupply or self sufficiency can be an added benefit to human crews in hostile environments far from the security of Earth. Comparisons of resupply and regeneration will be discussed along with possible scenarios for developing and implementing human life support systems on the Moon and Mars.

Testing the economic independence hypothesis: the effect of an exogenous increase in child support on subsequent marriage and cohabitation.

PubMed

Cancian, Maria; Meyer, Daniel R

2014-06-01

We examine the effects of an increase in income on the cohabitation and marriage of single mothers. Using data from an experiment that resulted in randomly assigned differences in child support receipt for welfare-receiving single mothers, we find that exogenous income increases (as a result of receiving all child support that was paid) are associated with significantly lower cohabitation rates between mothers and men who are not the fathers of their child(ren). Overall, these results support the hypothesis that additional income increases disadvantaged women's economic independence by reducing the need to be in the least stable type of partnerships. Our results also show the potential importance of distinguishing between biological and social fathers.

Difficult decisions: Migration from Small Island Developing States under climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelman, Ilan

2015-04-01

The impacts of climate change on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are leading to discussions regarding decision-making about the potential need to migrate. Despite the situation being well-documented, with many SIDS aiming to raise the topic to prominence and to take action for themselves, limited support and interest has been forthcoming from external sources. This paper presents, analyzes, and critiques a decision-making flowchart to support actions for SIDS dealing with climate change-linked migration. The flowchart contributes to identifying the pertinent topics to consider and the potential support needed to implement decision-making. The flowchart has significant limitations and there are topics which it cannot resolve. On-the-ground considerations include who decides, finances, implements, monitors, and enforces each decision. Additionally, views within communities differ, hence mechanisms are needed for dealing with differences, while issues to address include moral and legal blame for any climate change-linked migration, the ultimate goal of the decision-making process, the wider role of migration in SIDS communities and the right to judge decision-making and decisions. The conclusions summarize the paper, emphasizing the importance of considering contexts beyond climate change and multiple SIDS voices.

Providing indigent care: strategic issues in management, marketing and ethics.

PubMed

Summers, J

1986-08-01

Uncompensated cares poses considerable management, marketing and ethical challenges to health care managers. A variety of responses are examined which offer the possibility of reducing the need for inpatient care and the cost of that care as well as for the enhancement of the organization's positioning in the marketing and sales environment. Some of the programs will require support from local community agencies or employers, but others will be quite feasible without such support. Additionally, the programs build on sensitivity to the hospital mission as opposed to turning away from it.

[Psychosocial interventions in dementia].

PubMed

Kurz, A

2013-01-01

Psychosocial interventions improve cognitive abilities (cognitive stimulation, cognitive training), enhance emotional well-being (activity planning, reminiscence), reduce behavioral symptoms (aromatherapy, music therapy) and promote everyday functioning (occupational therapy). Through these effects they reinforce and augment pharmacological treatments for dementia. In addition, psychosocial interventions complement the treatment of patients by supporting family caregivers (educational groups, support programs). The potential of psychosocial interventions in dementia needs to be explored further in studies using improved methodology to determine effective components, clinical relevance and duration of effects, predictors of individual treatment response and health-economic implications.

The Continued Need for USAF Light Attack post OEF/OIF: A Survey of West African Infrastructure to Support Tactical Air Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

Mauritania’s two main airfields, at Nouakchott and Atar , have 9,800 foot runways that A-10s could operate from. In addition to those airfields...running road passes through Atar , Zouerat and Bir Moghrein on the way to Algeria. Without the use of the bases at Zouerat and Bir Moghrein the highway...runs almost 400 miles beyond extended duration air support from Atar . With the legacy platforms currently available, the USAF could provide air

Evidence-Based Technology Design and Commercialisation: Recommendations Derived from Research in Education and Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher-Watson, Sue

2015-01-01

The proliferation of mobile technologies and apps raises questions for researchers in the field of educational technology. Many apps are marketed as having impact on learning or therapeutic outcome in populations with additional support needs. This paper briefly outlines three possible academic responses to the rise of therapeutic technologies for…

Responding to Diversity: Examination of a Small, Rural School's Response to a Changing Demographic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Joelle Wall

2009-01-01

As the nation's schools continue to increase in diversity, teachers are faced with numerous challenges regarding how to meet the needs and strengths of diverse student populations. In addition, small, rural schools tend not only to lack in resources, but may not be adequately prepared to understand student backgrounds, unable to support diverse…

Especially Social: Exploring the Use of an iOS Application in Special Needs Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campigotto, Rachelle; McEwen, Rhonda; Epp, Carrie Demmans

2013-01-01

A five-month exploratory study was conducted with iOS mobile devices in two Toronto area schools with students in grades 7 through 12. Both classrooms were identified as Special Education classes by the Ontario Ministry of Education, and each student was identified as having exceptionalities requiring additional support and differentiation within…

On-Entry Assessment of School Competencies and Academic Achievement: A Comparison between Slovenia and Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidmar, Maša; Niklas, Frank; Schneider, Wolfgang; Hasselhorn, Marcus

2017-01-01

The foundation of school success is laid early in children's lives. Consequently, assessments of academic precursors may help to identify children in need of additional support. Such early assessments could also be interesting from an international perspective when educational systems are compared. This analysis is used to inform on the…

Innovation in Data-Driven Decision Making within SWPBIS Systems: Welcome to the Gallery Walk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Michael J.; Mimmack, Jody; Flannery, K. Brigid

2012-01-01

Schools implementing school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) at the high school level face the same challenges as elementary and middle schools, but also encounter an additional set of barriers all their own. To name but a few, these barriers include the need to focus on dropout prevention, postsecondary outcomes,…

Severity of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Current Conceptualization, and Transition to DSM-5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehling, Margaret H.; Tassé, Marc J.

2016-01-01

Mirroring the evolution of the conceptualization of autism has been changes in the diagnostic process, including the most recent revisions to the DSM-5 and the addition of severity-based diagnostic modifiers assigned on the basis of intensity of needed supports. A review of recent literature indicates that in research stratifying individuals on…

The global land-potential knowledge system (LandPKS): Supporting evidence-based, site-specific land use and management through cloud computing, mobile applications and crowdsourcing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural production must increase significantly to meet the needs of a growing global population with increasing per capita consumption of food, fiber, building materials, and fuel. Consumption already exceeds net primary production in many parts of the world. In addition to reducing consumptio...

Personalised Learning with Mobile Technologies in Mathematics: An Exploration of Classroom Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willacy, Helen; West, Amie; Murphy, Carol; Calder, Nigel

2017-01-01

Personalised learning is generally understood to be of benefit to students' learning. In addition, the flexible nature of mobile technologies (MTs) and the variety of available apps are seen to respond to the needs of individual students, and hence have the potential to support personalised learning. This paper reports on an aspect of a larger…

Fertility and Birth Rates: Indicators of Child and Youth Well-Being. Updated. October 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2016

2016-01-01

Tracking trends in fertility and birth rates is essential in planning for the current and future needs of multiple generations. Sustained high fertility rates lead to disproportionately large populations of young dependents, driving demand for supports for young families, for additional schools, and for affordable child care. For example, during…

Establishing Mobility Measures to Assess the Effectiveness of Night Vision Devices: Results of a Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zebehazy, Kim T.; Zimmerman, George J.; Bowers, Alex R.; Luo, Gang; Peli, Eli

2005-01-01

In addition to their restricted peripheral fields, persons with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) report significant problems seeing in low levels of illumination, which causes difficulty with night travel. Several devices have been developed to support the visual needs of persons who have night blindness. These devices include wide-angle flashlights,…

How Individualised Are the Individualised Education Programmes (IEPs): An Analysis of the Contents and Quality of the IEPs Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanches-Ferreira, Manuela; Lopes-dos-Santos, Pedro; Alves, Sílvia; Santos, Miguel; Silveira-Maia, Mónica

2013-01-01

The Individualised Education Programme (IEP) is a fundamental document that describes all educational responses to the additional support needs of students, setting up the guideline for their learning and developmental experiences. Specifically, the IEP goals represent the personal destination translated into desirable behaviours and skills that…

Post-Fire Analysis of Solid-Sawn Heavy Timber Beams

Treesearch

Robert H. White; Frank E. Woeste

2013-01-01

After fire exposure, design professionals are sometimes called upon to determine if the charred heavy timbers (Figure 1) are safe for future use without additional support or repairs. In this article, the authors present a sequence of reasoned steps that will help design professionals analyze charred timbers and gain the type of information needed to...

Creating Interactive Student Workbook for Primary Education Social Studies Class and Researching Its Efficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulu Kalin, Özlem

2017-01-01

Student workbook is an education material including components that support learning, help ensuring knowledge and ability to students in line with the acquisitions stated in teaching programs. Students have different learning styles and necessities. Their needs should be satisfied by benefiting from some additional materials in order to make their…

Intelligence Is as Intelligence Does: Can Additional Support Needs Replace Disability?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Samuel R. C.; Riches, Vivienne C.; Stancliffe, Roger J.

2011-01-01

In many developed cultures there is an assumption that IQ is intelligence. However, emerging theories of multiple intelligences, of emotional intelligence, as well as the application of IQ testing to other cultural groups, and to people with disability, raises many questions as to what IQ actually measures. Despite recent research that shows IQ…

77 FR 19391 - Notice of Proposed Intelligent Mail Indicia Performance Criteria With Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-30

... products designed to meet new customer needs for access to postage. In addition, changes within the United... opportunities for PES providers to propose new concepts, methods, and processes to enable customers to print pre... support the USPS PES Test and Evaluation Program (the ``Program''). The intent is for the volumes to fully...

Planning Jobs for People. Annual Report, No. 5, 1 July 71-30 June 72.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Economic Development Administration (DOC), Washington, DC.

The study reports on activities which include 59 management assistance projects resulting in 1,983 jobs and payrolls amounting to $9,097,000. In addition, the report describes work with local community leaders to make available information and techniques needed to provide public facilities in support of economic development. The report describes…

START! The Successful Transitions and Retention Track Program: A Comprehensive Approach to Supporting GED Holders Entering College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nix, J. Vincent; Michalak, Megan B.

2012-01-01

Students entering college face many obstacles to success. Students who received a General Education Development (GED) face additional barriers that must be addressed in order for success in higher education. The Successful Transitions and Retention Track Program employs a holistic approach to addressing the needs of GED holders entering college.

36 CFR 1280.72 - What additional rules apply for a NARA approved event?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... for a NARA approved event? 1280.72 Section 1280.72 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL... approved event? (a) Approved applicants must provide support people as needed to register guests... for the use of food and drink at your event. (d) No food or drink may be present or consumed in areas...

36 CFR 1280.72 - What additional rules apply for a NARA approved event?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... for a NARA approved event? 1280.72 Section 1280.72 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL... approved event? (a) Approved applicants must provide support people as needed to register guests... for the use of food and drink at your event. (d) No food or drink may be present or consumed in areas...

36 CFR 1280.72 - What additional rules apply for a NARA approved event?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... for a NARA approved event? 1280.72 Section 1280.72 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL... approved event? (a) Approved applicants must provide support people as needed to register guests... for the use of food and drink at your event. (d) No food or drink may be present or consumed in areas...

Higher-Order Factor Structure of the Differential Ability Scales-II: Consistency across Ages 4 to 17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keith, Timothy Z.; Low, Justin A.; Reynolds, Matthew R.; Patel, Puja G.; Ridley, Kristen P.

2010-01-01

The recently published second edition of the Differential Abilities Scale (DAS-II) is designed to measure multiple broad and general abilities from Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory. Although the technical manual presents information supporting the test's structure, additional research is needed to determine the constructs measured by the test and…

What Teachers Need to Know to Support Children with Asthma in the Preschool Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Margaret Polmear

2014-01-01

The literature review demonstrated that the chronic disease of asthma is increasing in prevalence in the preschool classroom, presenting unique challenges for the educators of young children. This study explored teachers' perceptions in terms of their preparedness and capability in integrating a child with asthma in their classroom. In addition,…

Prediction of Postpartum Social Support and Symptoms of Depression in Pregnant Adolescents: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logsdon, M. Cynthia; Cross, Rene; Williams, Beverly; Simpson, Theresa

2004-01-01

Many pregnant adolescents remain in school, creating unique challenges for professionals to meet their educational and health needs. In this descriptive pilot study of pregnant adolescents (n = 26), 68% demonstrated symptoms of depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). In addition, there was an…

Scaffolding Students' Use of Learner-Generated Content in a Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Dijk, Alieke M.; Lazonder, Ard W.

2016-01-01

Having students inspect and use each other's work is a promising way to advance inquiry-based science learning. Research has nevertheless shown that additional guidance is needed for students to take full advantage of the work produced by their peers. The present study investigated whether scaffolding through an integrated support tool could bring…

The Importance of Coaches' Autonomy Support in the Leisure Experience and Well-Being of Young Footballers.

PubMed

Balaguer, Isabel; Castillo, Isabel; Cuevas, Ricardo; Atienza, Francisco

2018-01-01

Drawing on the self-determination framework, the study examined the effect of coaches' autonomy support on the leisure experience of young male football players. Specifically, a model was tested analyzing the long-term predictive power of the players' perceptions of the coaches' autonomy support at the beginning of the season on the subjective vitality of young football players at the end of the season, through needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation (IM). Moreover, we tested whether the effects of coaches' autonomy support on the aforementioned variables (needs satisfaction, IM, and subjective vitality) at the end of the season remained at the beginning of the following season. Because the coach in the second season was not the same one as in the first season, the perception of coaches' autonomy support at the beginning of the second season was used as a control variable. Three hundred and sixty football players ( M age = 12.60 years; SD = 0.52) completed a questionnaire on the variables of interest at the beginning of the first season (T1), at the end of the first season (T2), and at the beginning of the second season (T3). The results of the path analyses showed that players' perceptions of coaches' autonomy support at the beginning of the season (T1) positively predicted needs satisfaction at the end of the first season (T2), which in turn predicted IM at the end of the first season (T2). Additionally, IM significantly and positively predicted subjective vitality at the end of the first season (T2). Finally, needs satisfaction, IM, and subjective vitality at the end of the second season (T2) positively predicted these same variables at the beginning of the second season (T3). Results emphasized the importance of the autonomy support offered by the coach in promoting the quality of young people's leisure experience playing football and its benefits for their well-being.

The Importance of Coaches’ Autonomy Support in the Leisure Experience and Well-Being of Young Footballers

PubMed Central

Balaguer, Isabel; Castillo, Isabel; Cuevas, Ricardo; Atienza, Francisco

2018-01-01

Drawing on the self-determination framework, the study examined the effect of coaches’ autonomy support on the leisure experience of young male football players. Specifically, a model was tested analyzing the long-term predictive power of the players’ perceptions of the coaches’ autonomy support at the beginning of the season on the subjective vitality of young football players at the end of the season, through needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation (IM). Moreover, we tested whether the effects of coaches’ autonomy support on the aforementioned variables (needs satisfaction, IM, and subjective vitality) at the end of the season remained at the beginning of the following season. Because the coach in the second season was not the same one as in the first season, the perception of coaches’ autonomy support at the beginning of the second season was used as a control variable. Three hundred and sixty football players (M age = 12.60 years; SD = 0.52) completed a questionnaire on the variables of interest at the beginning of the first season (T1), at the end of the first season (T2), and at the beginning of the second season (T3). The results of the path analyses showed that players’ perceptions of coaches’ autonomy support at the beginning of the season (T1) positively predicted needs satisfaction at the end of the first season (T2), which in turn predicted IM at the end of the first season (T2). Additionally, IM significantly and positively predicted subjective vitality at the end of the first season (T2). Finally, needs satisfaction, IM, and subjective vitality at the end of the second season (T2) positively predicted these same variables at the beginning of the second season (T3). Results emphasized the importance of the autonomy support offered by the coach in promoting the quality of young people’s leisure experience playing football and its benefits for their well-being. PMID:29896146

UK women's experiences of breastfeeding and additional breastfeeding support: a qualitative study of Baby Café services.

PubMed

Fox, Rebekah; McMullen, Sarah; Newburn, Mary

2015-07-07

Whilst 81 % of UK women initiate breastfeeding, there is a steep decline in breastfeeding rates during the early postnatal period, with just 55 % of women breastfeeding at six weeks. 80 % of these women stopped breastfeeding sooner than they intended, with women citing feeding difficulties and lack of adequate support. As part of efforts to increase breastfeeding continuation rates, many public and voluntary organisations offer additional breastfeeding support services, which provide practical support in the early postnatal period and beyond. This paper focuses on the qualitative experiences of UK users of Baby Café services to examine their experiences of breastfeeding and breastfeeding support. The study was based upon in-depth interviews and focus groups with users of eight Baby Café breastfeeding support groups across the UK. Thirty-six interviews and five focus groups were conducted with a total of fifty-one mothers using the service. Interviews and group discussions were analysed using N Vivo software to draw out key themes and discussions. Whilst each mother's infant feeding journey is unique, reflecting her own personal circumstances and experiences, several themes emerged strongly from the data. Many women felt that they had been given unrealistic expectations of breastfeeding by professionals keen to promote the benefits. This left them feeling unprepared when they encountered pain, problems and relentlessness of early infant feeding, leading to feelings of guilt and inadequacy over their feeding decisions. Mothers valued the combination of expert professional and peer support provided by Baby Café services and emphasised the importance of social support from other mothers in enabling them to continue feeding for as long as they wished. The research emphasises the need for realistic rather than idealistic antenatal preparation and the importance of timely and parent-centred breastfeeding support, particularly in the immediate postnatal weeks. The findings suggest that effective social support, combined with reassurance and guidance from skilled practitioners, can help women to overcome difficulties and find confidence in their own abilities to achieve their feeding goals. However, further work is needed to make sure such services are readily accessible to women from all sectors of the community.

Humanitarian and primary healthcare needs of refugee women and children in Afghanistan.

PubMed

Higgins-Steele, Ariel; Lai, David; Chikvaidze, Paata; Yousufi, Khaksar; Anwari, Zelaikha; Peeperkorn, Richard; Edmond, Karen

2017-12-11

This Commentary describes the situation and healthcare needs of Afghans returning to their country of origin. With more than 600,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan and approximately 450,000 Afghans returned from Iran in 2016, the movement of people, which has been continuing in 2017, presents additional burden on the weak health system and confounds new health vulnerabilities especially for women and children. Stewardship and response is required at all levels: the central Ministry of Public Health, Provincial Health Departments and community leaders all have important roles, while continued support from development partners and technical experts is needed to assist the health sector to address the emergency and primary healthcare needs of returnee and internally displaced women, children and families.

Impact of a comprehensive supportive care team on management of hopelessly ill patients with multiple organ failure.

PubMed

Field, B E; Devich, L E; Carlson, R W

1989-08-01

We developed a supportive care team for hopelessly ill patients in an urban emergency/trauma hospital. The team includes a clinical nurse specialist and a faculty physician as well as a chaplain and social worker. The supportive care team provides an alternative to intensive care or conventional ward management of hopelessly ill patients and concentrates on the physical and psychosocial comfort needs of patients and their families. We describe our experience with 20 hopelessly ill patients with multiple organ failure vs a similar group treated before the development of the supportive care team. Although there was no difference in mortality (100 percent), the length of stay in the medical ICU for patients with multiple organ failure decreased by 12 days to 6 days. Additionally, there were 50 percent fewer therapeutic interventions provided by the supportive care team vs intensive care or conventional ward treatment of multiple organ failure patients. We describe the methods that the supportive care team uses in an attempt to meet the physical and psychosocial comfort needs of hopelessly ill multiple organ failure patients and their families. This multidisciplinary approach to the care of the hopelessly ill may have applications in other institutions facing the ethical, medical, and administrative challenges raised by these patients.

Do nursing homes for older people have the support they need to provide end-of-life care? A mixed methods enquiry in England

PubMed Central

Seymour, Jane E; Kumar, Arun; Froggatt, Katherine

2011-01-01

Nursing homes are a common site of death, but older residents receive variable quality of end-of-life care. We used a mixed methods design to identify external influences on the quality of end-of-life care in nursing homes. Two qualitative case studies were conducted and a postal survey of 180 nursing homes surrounding the case study sites. In the case studies, qualitative interviews were held with seven members of nursing home staff and 10 external staff. Problems in accessing support for end-of-life care reported in the survey included variable support by general practitioners (GPs), reluctance among GPs to prescribe appropriate medication, lack of support from other agencies, lack of out of hours support, cost of syringe drivers and lack of access to training. Most care homes were implementing a care pathway. Those that were not rated their end-of-life care as in need of improvement or as average. The case studies suggest that critical factors in improving end-of-life care in nursing homes include developing clinical leadership, developing relationships with GPs, the support of ‘key’ external advocates and leverage of additional resources by adoption of care pathway tools. PMID:21282349

Directly observed treatment, short-course strategy and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: are any modifications required?

PubMed Central

Bastian, I.; Rigouts, L.; Van Deun, A.; Portaels, F.

2000-01-01

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) should be defined as tuberculosis with resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin because these drugs are the cornerstone of short-course chemotherapy, and combined isoniazid and rifampicin resistance requires prolonged treatment with second-line agents. Short-course chemotherapy is a key ingredient in the tuberculosis control strategy known as directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS). For populations in which multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is endemic, the outcome of the standard short-course chemotherapy regimen remains uncertain. Unacceptable failure rates have been reported and resistance to additional agents may be induced. As a consequence there have been calls for well-functioning DOTS programmes to provide additional services in areas with high rates of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. These "DOTS-plus for MDRTB programmes" may need to modify all five elements of the DOTS strategy: the treatment may need to be individualized rather than standardized; laboratory services may need to provide facilities for on-site culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing; reliable supplies of a wide range of expensive second-line agents would have to be supplied; operational studies would be required to determine the indications for and format of the expanded programmes; financial and technical support from international organizations and Western governments would be needed in addition to that obtained from local governments. PMID:10743297

Structural analysis for preliminary design of High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhatia, Kumar G.

1992-01-01

In the preliminary design environment, there is a need for quick evaluation of configuration and material concepts. The simplified beam representations used in the subsonic, high aspect ratio wing platform are not applicable for low aspect ratio configurations typical of supersonic transports. There is a requirement to develop methods for efficient generation of structural arrangement and finite element representation to support multidisciplinary analysis and optimization. In addition, empirical data bases required to validate prediction methods need to be improved for high speed civil transport (HSCT) type configurations.

Exploration Medical System Technical Architecture Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cerro, J.; Rubin, D.; Mindock, J.; Middour, C.; McGuire, K.; Hanson, A.; Reilly, J.; Burba, T.; Urbina, M.

2018-01-01

The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element Systems Engineering (SE) goals include defining the technical system needed to support medical capabilities for a Mars exploration mission. A draft medical system architecture was developed based on stakeholder needs, system goals, and system behaviors, as captured in an ExMC concept of operations document and a system model. This talk will discuss a high-level view of the medical system, as part of a larger crew health and performance system, both of which will support crew during Deep Space Transport missions. Other mission components, such as the flight system, ground system, caregiver, and patient, will be discussed as aspects of the context because the medical system will have important interactions with each. Additionally, important interactions with other aspects of the crew health and performance system are anticipated, such as health & wellness, mission task performance support, and environmental protection. This talk will highlight areas in which we are working with other disciplines to understand these interactions.

Trash to Supply Gas (TtSG) Project Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hintze, Paul; Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo; Kulis, Michael J.; Lytle, John K.; Fisher, John W.; Vaccaro, Helen; Ewert, Michael K.; Broyan, James L.

2012-01-01

Technologies that reduce logistical needs are a key to long term space missions. Currently, trash and waste generated during a mission is carried during the entire roundtrip mission or stored inside a logistic module which is de-orbited into Earth's atmosphere for destruction. The goal of the Trash to Supply Gas (TtSG) project is to develop space technology alternatives for converting trash and other waste materials from human spaceflight into high-value products that might include propellants or power system fuels in addition to life support oxygen and water. In addition to producing a useful product from waste, TtSG will decrease the volume needed to store waste on long term space missions. This paper presents an overview of the TtSG technologies and future plans for the project.

"You Get More Than You Give": Experiences of Community Partners in Facilitating Active Recreation with Individuals who have Complex Communication Needs.

PubMed

Hajjar, David J; McCarthy, John W; Benigno, Joann P; Chabot, Jennifer

2016-06-01

Recreation is an essential part of life that provides enriching experiences that may define one's life course similar to careers or other interests. An understanding of the role of volunteers in active community-based recreational programs can help to generate ways to enhance participation and contribute to additional communication opportunities with people who have complex communication needs. Nine volunteers from two adaptive ski programs and one therapeutic horseback-riding program in the Northeast region of the United States participated in semi-structured interviews. Audio-recordings were transcribed and analyzed and resulted in five thematic areas: (a) benefits, (b) why individuals volunteer, (c) barriers, (d) successful program supports, and (e) who are the riders and skiers using AAC. The findings provided insight to support the notion that active community-based recreational activities foster an environment for communication, meaningful engagement, and social relationships between volunteers and people with complex communication needs.

Integrating Doulas Into First-Trimester Abortion Care: Physician, Clinic Staff, and Doula Experiences.

PubMed

Chor, Julie; Lyman, Phoebe; Ruth, Jean; Patel, Ashlesha; Gilliam, Melissa

2018-01-01

Balancing the need to provide individual support for patients and the need for an efficient clinic can be challenging in the abortion setting. This study explores physician, staff, and specially trained abortion doula perspectives on doula support, one approach to patient support. We conducted separate focus groups with physicians, staff members, and doulas from a high-volume, first-trimester aspiration abortion clinic with a newly established volunteer abortion doula program. Focus groups explored 1) abortion doula training, 2) program implementation, 3) program benefits, and 4) opportunities for improvement. Interviews were transcribed and computer-assisted content analysis was performed; salient findings are presented. Five physicians, 5 staff members, and 4 abortion doulas participated in separate focus group discussions. Doulas drew on both their prior personal skills and experiences in addition to their abortion doula training to provide women with support at the time of abortion. Having doulas in the clinic to assist with women's emotional needs allowed physicians and staff to focus on technical aspects of the procedure. In turn, both physicians and staff believed that introducing doulas resulted in more patient-centered care. Although staff did not experience challenges to integrating doulas, physicians and doulas experienced initial challenges in incorporating doula support into the clinical flow. Staff and doulas reported exchanging skills and techniques that they subsequently used in their interactions with patients. Physicians, clinic staff, and doulas perceive abortion doula support as an approach to provide more patient-centered care in a high-volume aspiration abortion clinic. © 2018 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Returning to School After Adolescent Cancer: A Qualitative Examination of Australian Survivors' and Their Families' Perspectives.

PubMed

McLoone, Jordana K; Wakefield, Claire E; Butow, Phyllis; Fleming, Catharine; Cohn, Richard J

2011-06-01

To examine key factors related to adolescent cancer survivors' return to school after cancer treatment completion, which can be a time of complex transition. Seventy semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 adolescent cancer survivors (mean age 16.1 years), 21 mothers, 15 fathers, and 15 siblings from 22 Australian families. The conceptual framework of Miles and Huberman (1994) was employed to analyze interview data and emergent themes were organized using the software package QSR NVivo 8.0. Barriers to successful school re-entry included symptoms of fatigue, anxiety (particularly regarding examinations), and poor communication between families and the broader school community. Changing grade or school typically extinguished pre-existing support networks and was perceived by parents as a period of unmet need. Support from friends, teachers, tutors, and the hospital outreach nurse were seen as instrumental in creating a positive school re-entry experience. However, the majority of participants reported that support from the school counselor was minimal. Siblings reported this period as relatively non-impactful regarding their own education. Additional support is needed to help parents navigate the education system and to advocate effectively for their child's academic needs beyond the immediate re-entry period. There is strong potential for school counselors to increase the level of support they provide adolescents and their parents during the school re-entry period. The impact of this period on siblings' education is under-studied and warrants further research.

Daily actions, challenges, and needs among Dutch parents while supporting the participation of their child with a physical disability at home, at school, and in the community: a qualitative diary study.

PubMed

Piškur, Barbara; Beurskens, Anna J H M; Ketelaar, Marjolijn; Jongmans, Marian J; Casparie, Barbara M; Smeets, Rob J E M

2017-01-11

Parents have a vital influence on the participation of their child with a physical disability. The aim of this study is to gain insight into parents' own daily actions, challenges, and needs while supporting their child with a physical disability at home, at school, and in the community. An additional objective of this study is to refine the preliminary thematic framework previously identified in a scoping review. A qualitative research inquiry was performed based on using a diary over a 7-day period to gather data. To systematically organise data into a structured format, content analysis has been applied using both inductive and deductive reasoning guided by the existing preliminary thematic framework. Analysis of the eligible diaries shows that the actions mentioned by the 47 parents describe several efforts to enhance participation of their children with a physical disability by using, enabling, or changing the social and physical environment, or by supporting their child to perform or engage in meaningful activities. Those parents' actions are primarily a result of challenges caused by restrictions in social and physical environments. Parental responses highlighted, above all, the need for environments designed for all people. Based on the findings a redefined thematic framework is presented. Parents' actions, challenges, and needs are mainly directed towards the social or/and physical environment. The presented thematic framework can offer practitioners knowledge to support parents. More work is necessary to provide tailored approaches. Paediatric rehabilitation may need to address the importance of the environment on the participation of a child with a physical disability.

Greater involvement of HIV-infected peer-mothers in provision of reproductive health services as "family planning champions" increases referrals and uptake of family planning among HIV-infected mothers.

PubMed

Mudiope, Peter; Musingye, Ezra; Makumbi, Carolyne Onyango; Bagenda, Danstan; Homsy, Jaco; Nakitende, Mai; Mubiru, Mike; Mosha, Linda Barlow; Kagawa, Mike; Namukwaya, Zikulah; Fowler, Mary Glenn

2017-06-27

In 2012, Makerere University Johns - Hopkins University, and Mulago National Referral Hospital, with support from the National Institute of Health (under Grant number: NOT AI-01-023) undertook operational research at Mulago National Hospital PMTCT/PNC clinics. The study employed Peer Family Planning Champions to offer health education, counselling, and triage aimed at increasing the identification, referral and family planning (FP) uptake among HIV positive mothers attending the clinic. The Peer Champion Intervention to improve FP uptake was introduced into Mulago Hospital PMTCT/PNC clinic, Kampala Uganda. During the intervention period, peers provided additional FP counselling and education; assisted in identification and referral of HIV Positive mothers in need of FP services; and accompanied referred mothers to FP clinics. We compiled and compared the average proportions of mothers in need that were referred and took up FP in the pre-intervention (3 months), intervention (6 months), and post-intervention(3 months) periods using interrupted time series with segmented regression models with an autoregressive term of one. Overall, during the intervention, the proportion of referred mothers in need of FP increased by 30.4 percentage points (P < 0.001), from 52.7 to 83.2 percentage points. FP uptake among mothers in need increased by over 31 percentage points (P < 0.001) from 47.2 to 78.5 percentage points during the intervention. There was a positive non-significant change in the weekly trend of referral β 3  = 2.9 percentage points (P = 0.077) and uptake β 3  = 1.9 percentage points (P = 0.176) during the intervention as compared to the pre-intervention but this was reversed during the post intervention. Over 57% (2494) mothers took up Depo-Provera injectable-FP method during the study. To support overstrained health care work force in post-natal clinics, peers in trained effective family planning can be a valuable addition to clinic staff in limited-resource settings. The study provides additional evidence on the utilization of peer mothers in HIV care, improves health services uptake including family planning which is a common practice in many donor supported programs. It also provides evidence that may be used to advocate for policy revisions in low-income countries to include peers as support staff especially in busy clinic settings with poor services uptake.

Unmet counselling need amongst women accessing an induced abortion service in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

Birdsey, Graeme; Crankshaw, Tamaryn L; Mould, Sean; Ramklass, Serela S

2016-11-01

Provision of objective, evidence-based counselling in the context of induced abortion services is considered global good practise. However, there is limited understanding over the counselling needs of women accessing abortion services, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to explore the content and quality of pre-abortion counselling amongst women accessing an abortion service in South Africa as well as client experience of the counselling process. Perceptions of nurse counsellors were also sought. This was a mixed methods study conducted at a Choice of Termination of Pregnancy clinic based at a district level hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Sixty women requesting an abortion were interviewed via a semi-structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews were conducted with four nurses who provided pre-abortion counselling at the clinic. Interviews were coded for emergent themes and categories. Clinic nurses had widely variable counselling training and experience, ranging from less than 2 months to 8 years, but all clients reported that they had been treated with respect at their counselling session. The group-based counselling format and biomedical and health promotion content did not accommodate clients' differential counselling needs, which included requests for support from women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). There was limited provider awareness of client's additional counselling needs. Abortion counselling services should be tailored to clients' differential counselling needs. Group-based counselling followed by optional one-on-one counselling sessions is one possible strategy to address unmet client need in South Africa. Provision of abortion provider training in IPV is recommended as well as establishment of referral pathways for women experiencing IPV. Paying attention to the differential counselling needs of women seeking an abortion should be a key component to the provision of abortion services. In this way, abortion services can provide a gateway to additional support for women living in violent relationships and/or other adverse social circumstances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Design and Role of Mobile Apps for Healthcare Providers to Find Teratogenic Information

PubMed Central

Lie, Lily; Shetty, Vishwas; Gupta, Karan; Polifka, Janine E; Markham, Glen; Albee, Sarah; Collins, Carol; Hsieh, Gary

2017-01-01

Healthcare providers (HCPs) caring for pregnant patients often need information on drug risks to the embryo or fetus, but such complex information takes time to find and is difficult to convey on an app. In this work, we first surveyed 167 HCPs to understand their current teratogen information-seeking practices to help inform our general design goals. Using the insights gained, we then designed a prototype of a mobile app and tested it with 22 HCPs. We learned that HCP ’s information needs in this context can be grouped into 3 types: to understand, to decide, and to explain. Different sets of information and features may be needed to support these different needs. Further, while some HCPs had concerns about appearing unprofessional and unknowledgeable when using the app in front of patients, many did not. They noted that incorporating mobile information apps into practice improves information access, can help signal care and technology-savviness, in addition to providing an opportunity to engage and educate patients. Implications for design and additional features for reference apps for HCPs are discussed. PMID:29854178

Social Support, Help-Seeking, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Veterans in Non-VA Facilities: Results from the Veterans’ Health Study

PubMed Central

Adams, Richard E.; Urosevich, Thomas G.; Hoffman, Stuart N.; Kirchner, H. Lester; Hyacinthe, Johanna C.; Figley, Charles R.; Boscarino, Joseph J.; Boscarino, Joseph A.

2017-01-01

Using a stress process model, the authors examined social and psychological resources to better understand mental health outcomes among veterans. For this study, we surveyed 700 U.S. veterans who were outpatients in the Geisinger Health System. Independent variables included demographic factors, stressful and traumatic events, social support measures, and psychosocial factors. Using logistic regression, the authors examined 4 types of social connections: social support, help-seeking support, social capital, and other mental health support to predict mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide ideation, alcohol misuse, mental health service use, and Veterans Affairs service use. Results suggested that help-seeking support since deployment was a risk factor for 5 adverse outcomes, whereas social support was protective for 1 outcome. We concluded that high levels of help-seeking support since deployment among veterans was associated with a higher prevalence of mental health problems. These findings were unexpected and suggest the need for additional social support-related research among veterans. PMID:29098116

AMIE Delivers Innovation

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

Sawyer, Karma; Green, Johney; Jackson, Roderick

ORNL and many industry partners developed the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) demonstration to address electricity supply and reliability challenges via an integrated approach to power generation, storage, and use. AMIE demonstrates rapid innovation through additive manufacturing (3D printing) to connect a natural gas-powered hybrid electric vehicle to a high-performance building that produces, consumes, and stores renewable energy. To offset power supply disruptions, the vehicle’s engine can provide complementary power to the building. Fitted with an advanced power control system and then scaled up, this concept can support electricity needs worldwide.

AMIE Delivers Innovation

ScienceCinema

Sawyer, Karma; Green, Johney; Jackson, Roderick; Love, Lonnie

2018-01-16

ORNL and many industry partners developed the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) demonstration to address electricity supply and reliability challenges via an integrated approach to power generation, storage, and use. AMIE demonstrates rapid innovation through additive manufacturing (3D printing) to connect a natural gas-powered hybrid electric vehicle to a high-performance building that produces, consumes, and stores renewable energy. To offset power supply disruptions, the vehicle’s engine can provide complementary power to the building. Fitted with an advanced power control system and then scaled up, this concept can support electricity needs worldwide.

Support during pregnancy for women at increased risk of low birthweight babies.

PubMed

Hodnett, Ellen D; Fredericks, Suzanne; Weston, Julie

2010-06-16

Studies consistently show a relationship between social disadvantage and low birthweight. Many countries have programs offering special assistance to women thought to be at risk for giving birth to a low birthweight infant. These programs may include advice and counseling (about nutrition, rest, stress management, alcohol, and recreational drug use), tangible assistance (e.g., transportation to clinic appointments, household help), and emotional support. The programs may be delivered by multidisciplinary teams of health professionals, specially trained lay workers, or combination of lay and professional workers. The primary objective was to assess effects of programs offering additional social support compared with routine care, for pregnant women believed at high risk for giving birth to babies that are either preterm or weigh less than 2500 gm, or both, at birth. Secondary objectives were to determine whether effectiveness of support was mediated by timing of onset (early versus later in pregnancy) or type of provider (healthcare professional or lay woman). We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (January 2010). Randomized trials of additional support during at-risk pregnancy by either a professional (social worker, midwife, or nurse) or specially trained lay person, compared to routine care. We defined additional support as some form of emotional support (e.g., counseling, reassurance, sympathetic listening) and information or advice or both, either in home visits or during clinic appointments, and could include tangible assistance (e.g., transportation to clinic appointments, assistance with care of other children at home). Two review authors evaluated methodological quality. We performed double data entry. We included 17 trials (12,264 women). Programs offering additional social support for at-risk pregnant women were not associated with improvements in any perinatal outcomes, but there was a reduction in the likelihood of antenatal hospital admission (three trials; n = 737; RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.92) and caesarean birth (nine trials; n = 4522; RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.97). Pregnant women need the support of caring family members, friends, and health professionals. While programs which offer additional support during pregnancy are unlikely to prevent the pregnancy from resulting in a low birthweight or preterm baby, they may be helpful in reducing the likelihood of antenatal hospital admission and caesarean birth.

The Role of Resilience and Anti-Resilience Behaviors in the Romantic Lives of Black Same Gender Loving (sgl) Men

PubMed Central

Applewhite, Sheldon; Littlefield, Marci Bounds

2016-01-01

This study examines the role of resilience in the romantic lives of Black same gender loving romantic male couples in the nyc metropolitan area. Twenty in-depth interviews (N=40) were conducted, ranging in age from 18 to 67, and were predominately low income and moderately educated. Research questions were: 1) What strategies do Black sgl couples use to preserve and improve their relationships and (2) What are the potential problems or barriers your relationship experiences? The data from interviews were aggregated and three major themes emerged: direct communication strategies, relationship support, and intentional and thoughtful decision making. Additional themes identified as anti-resilient to Black sgl couples were relationship discord, hostile neighborhood climate, poor communication, and lack of support. Findings show that additional research Black gay couples is needed to identify the contextual factors that influence their romantic relationships and the resilient strategies that they uses to support their romantic relationships. PMID:28042598

Position Paper: Designing Complex Systems to Support Interdisciplinary Cognitive Work

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Melissa T.; Papalambros, Panos Y.; Mcgowan, Anna-Maria R.

2016-01-01

The paper argues that the field we can call cognitive science of interdisciplinary collaboration is an important area of study for improving design of Large-Scale Complex Systems (LaCES) and supporting cognitive work. The paper mostly raised questions that have been documented in earlier qualitative analysis studies, and provided possible avenues of exploration for addressing them. There are likely further contributions from additional disciplines beyond those mentioned in this paper that should be considered and integrated into such a cognitive science framework. Knowledge and awareness of various perspectives will help to inform the types of interventions available for improving LaCES design and functionality. For example, a cognitive interpretation of interdisciplinary collaborations in LaCES elucidated the need for a "translator" or "mediator" in helping subject matter experts to transcend language boundaries, mitigate single discipline bias, support integrative activities, and correct misaligned objectives. Additional research in this direction is likely to uncover similar gaps and opportunities for improvements in practice.

Evaluation methodology for comparing memory and communication of analytic processes in visual analytics

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

Ragan, Eric D; Goodall, John R

2014-01-01

Provenance tools can help capture and represent the history of analytic processes. In addition to supporting analytic performance, provenance tools can be used to support memory of the process and communication of the steps to others. Objective evaluation methods are needed to evaluate how well provenance tools support analyst s memory and communication of analytic processes. In this paper, we present several methods for the evaluation of process memory, and we discuss the advantages and limitations of each. We discuss methods for determining a baseline process for comparison, and we describe various methods that can be used to elicit processmore » recall, step ordering, and time estimations. Additionally, we discuss methods for conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses of process memory. By organizing possible memory evaluation methods and providing a meta-analysis of the potential benefits and drawbacks of different approaches, this paper can inform study design and encourage objective evaluation of process memory and communication.« less

The influence of day care centres designed for people with dementia on family caregivers - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Tretteteig, Signe; Vatne, Solfrid; Rokstad, Anne Marie Mork

2017-01-05

Dementia is one of the most challenging age-related illnesses for family caregivers, whose care-related burden is well known. Research indicates that day care centres (DCCs) can reduce the caregiver burden and help family caregivers to cope with demands; however, the current body of knowledge is still tentative and inconsistent, and more research is recommended. The aim of this study is to provide an extended understanding of the situation of family caregivers and to examine to what extent DCCs can meet their need for support and respite. This study has a qualitative descriptive design using in-depth interviews with 17 family caregivers of people with dementia attending DCCs. The data analysis was undertaken using systematic text condensation. Caregivers experience a complex role, with added responsibilities, new tasks, and emotional and relational challenges that are expressed through distressing emotions and demands for interaction. Additionally, the caregiving role leads to positive experiences, such as acceptance and adaptation, support and help, and positive changes in the relationship. Day care relieves family caregivers by meeting the person with dementia's needs for social community, nutrition, physical activity, and structure and variety in everyday life. Using a DCC led to a higher quality of time spent together and easier cooperation, but it also produced some hard feelings and challenging situations. DCCs gave the caregivers a feeling of freedom and increased the time available to be spent on their own needs, to be social and to work or do practical tasks undisturbed. DCCs for people with dementia can give family caregivers support and relief and have a positive impact on the relationship between the family caregiver and the person with dementia. A more individualized program, in addition to flexible opening hours, would make DCCs even more effective as a respite service, positively influencing the family caregiver's motivation and ability to care and postponing the need for nursing home placement.

Urban school leadership for elementary science education: Meeting the needs of English Language Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alarcon, Maricela H.

Science education reform and state testing accountability call upon principals to become instructional leaders in science. Specifically, elementary school principals must take an active role in science instruction to effectively improve science education for all students including English Language Learners. As such, the research questioned posed in this study centered on How are elementary school principals addressing the academic needs of Latino Spanish-speaking English language learners within science education? This study employed a qualitative research design to identify the factors contributing to the exemplary performance in science, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), for English Language Learner students in three high poverty bilingual elementary schools based on a multiple case study. As part of the data collection process, interviews were conducted with three school principals, three science academic support teachers, and two 5th grade bilingual teachers. Additionally, observations were acquired through school principal shadowing. The findings revealed four attributes necessary for effective instructional leadership in science education. First, Positive School Culture was defined as the core that linked the other three instructional leadership attributes and thus increased their effectiveness. Second, Clear Goals and Expectations were set by making science a priority and ensuring that English language learners were transitioning from Spanish to English instruction by the fifth grade. Third, Critical Resourcing involved hiring a science academic support teacher, securing a science classroom on campus, and purchasing bilingual instructional materials. Fourth, principal led and supported Collaboration in which teachers met to discuss student performance based data in addition to curriculum and instruction. These research findings are vital because by implementing these best practices of elementary school principals, educators are positioned to lay the foundation for science needed for ELLs to continue their educational career with the tools needed to succeed in future science classes and in turn college, answering the call to effectively improve science within the educational system.

Apollo experience report: Real-time auxiliary computing facility development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allday, C. E.

1972-01-01

The Apollo real time auxiliary computing function and facility were an extension of the facility used during the Gemini Program. The facility was expanded to include support of all areas of flight control, and computer programs were developed for mission and mission-simulation support. The scope of the function was expanded to include prime mission support functions in addition to engineering evaluations, and the facility became a mandatory mission support facility. The facility functioned as a full scale mission support activity until after the first manned lunar landing mission. After the Apollo 11 mission, the function and facility gradually reverted to a nonmandatory, offline, on-call operation because the real time program flexibility was increased and verified sufficiently to eliminate the need for redundant computations. The evaluation of the facility and function and recommendations for future programs are discussed in this report.

Needs of older caregivers of patients with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Daly, Barbara J; Douglas, Sara; Lipson, Amy; Foley, Helen

2009-11-01

To determine whether age or stage of cancer can be used to identify caregivers at high risk for excessive burden or distress. Descriptive data collected as part of a psychosocial research registry, comparing younger caregivers with older and caregivers of early-stage patients with those of later stage. Caregivers of newly diagnosed adult cancer patients. Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA), the Profile of Mood States (POMS), single-item indicators from the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System set, and the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support (MOS-SS) Scale. Patient information was obtained from the medical record. Younger caregivers and caregivers of patients with Stage I and II cancer identified a greater lack of family support than older caregivers and caregivers of patients with Stage III and IV cancer. Significant regression models were found for three CRA subscales (Disrupted Schedule, Lack of Family Support, and Health Problems), as well as for the POMS depression and fatigue scales. Caregiver social support (MOS-SS) made the only significant contribution to the models. There were significant differences between caregivers with high and low levels of social support on almost all measures of well-being. Incorporating formal assessment of social support may be useful in identifying at-risk caregivers. In addition, there is a need to further investigate which dimensions of social support are most strongly related to measures of well-being.

2013 Snapshot of NGSI Human Capital Development and Future Roadmap

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

Scholz, Melissa A; Poe, Sarah M; Dewji, Shaheen A

2013-01-01

Since its creation in 2008, the Human Capital Development (HCD) subprogram of NNSA s Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) has been striving to develop sustainable academic and technical programs that support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of the next generation of international safeguards professionals. This effort endeavors to develop additional human resources to equip a new cadre of safeguards and nonproliferation experts to meet the needs of both the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for decades to come, specifically in response to data that indicates that 82% of the 2009 safeguards experts at U.S. Laboratoriesmore » will have left the workforce within 15 years. This paper provides an update on the status of the program since its last presentation at the INMM Annual Meeting in 2010, including strengthened and integrated efforts in the areas of graduate and post-doctoral fellowships, young and mid-career professional support, additional short safeguards coursework, and expanded university engagement. In particular, the paper will cover the NGSI Human Capital Roadmap currently being developed in safeguards and nonproliferation education, training, and knowledge retention. The NGSI Human Capital Roadmap aims to provide additional data points and metrics on where the human capital demand lies, which disciplines and skill sets are needed in the field, and how NGSI HCD can best address these issues to meet future demand.« less

Consumer factors predicting level of treatment response to illness management and recovery.

PubMed

White, Dominique A; McGuire, Alan B; Luther, Lauren; Anderson, Adrienne I; Phalen, Peter; McGrew, John H

2017-12-01

This study aims to identify consumer-level predictors of level of treatment response to illness management and recovery (IMR) to target the appropriate consumers and aid psychiatric rehabilitation settings in developing intervention adaptations. Secondary analyses from a multisite study of IMR were conducted. Self-report data from consumer participants of the parent study (n = 236) were analyzed for the current study. Consumers completed prepost surveys assessing illness management, coping, goal-related hope, social support, medication adherence, and working alliance. Correlations and multiple regression analyses were run to identify self-report variables that predicted level of treatment response to IMR. Analyses revealed that goal-related hope significantly predicted level of improved illness self-management, F(1, 164) = 10.93, p < .001, R2 = .248, R2 change = .05. Additionally, we found that higher levels of maladaptive coping at baseline were predictive of higher levels of adaptive coping at follow-up, F(2, 180) = 5.29, p < .02, R2 = .38, R2 change = .02. Evidence did not support additional predictors. Previously, consumer-level predictors of level of treatment response have not been explored for IMR. Although 2 significant predictors were identified, study findings suggest more work is needed. Future research is needed to identify additional consumer-level factors predictive of IMR treatment response in order to identify who would benefit most from this treatment program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

[The supervisor has a crucial role in the medical student's degree projects. Experiences from seven semesters at Karolinska Institutet].

PubMed

Möller, Riitta; Shoshan, Maria; Ponzer, Sari

2015-01-13

In Sweden degree projects have a central role in evaluation of higher education, wherefore significant resources are spent on developing students' research competence. The undergraduate medical program at Karolinska Institutet introduced its degree project course in 2010. This paper gives an overview of the course and summarizes experiences from the first seven terms. In order to finalize their projects within one term, most students need substantial support. A highly structured course and frequent progress monitoring are advantageous. Other crucial factors are the quality of the supervision and students' verbal skills as well as support in scientific writing. In addition, increased awareness of the learning outcomes already at the beginning of the course may help students to achieve the expected results. Finally, students need to recognize their own responsibility for learning. 

Methodological requirements to test a possible in-group advantage in judging emotions across cultures: comment on Elfenbein and Ambady (2002) and evidence.

PubMed

Matsumoto, David

2002-03-01

H. A. Elfenbein and N. Ambady's (2002) conclusions concerning a possible in-group advantage in judging emotions across cultures are unwarranted. The author discusses 2 methodological requirements for studies to test adequately the in-group advantage hypothesis and an additional requirement in reviewing multiple judgment studies and examining variance in judgment effects across those studies. The few studies that Elfenbein and Ambady reported that support the in-group advantage hypothesis need to be examined for whether they meet the criteria discussed; if they do not, their data cannot be used to support any contention of cultural differences in judgments, let alone the in-group advantage hypothesis. Furthermore, the role of signal clarity needs to be explored in possibly moderating effects across studies; however, this was not done.

Innovation networks for improving access and quality across the healthcare ecosystem.

PubMed

Carroll, Mark; James, Judith A; Lardiere, Michael R; Proser, Michelle; Rhee, Kyu; Sayre, Michael H; Shore, Jay H; Ternullo, Joseph

2010-01-01

Partnerships between patient communities, healthcare providers, and academic researchers are key to stepping up the pace and public health impact of clinical and translational research supported by the National Institutes of Health. With emphasis shifting toward community engagement and faster translation of research advances into clinical practice, academic researchers have a vital stake in widening the use of health information technology systems and telehealth networks to support collaboration and innovation. However, limited interaction between academic institutions and healthcare providers hinders the ability to form and sustain the integrated networks that are needed to conduct meaningful community-engaged research that improves public health outcomes. Healthcare providers, especially those affiliated with smaller practices, will need sustainable infrastructure and real incentives to utilize such networks, as well as training and additional resources for ongoing technical assistance.

Space station accommodations for lunar base elements: A study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weidman, Deene J.; Cirillo, William; Llewellyn, Charles; Kaszubowski, Martin; Kienlen, E. Michael, Jr.

1987-01-01

The results of a study conducted at NASA-LaRC to assess the impact on the space station of accommodating a Manned Lunar Base are documented. Included in the study are assembly activities for all infrastructure components, resupply and operations support for lunar base elements, crew activity requirements, the effect of lunar activities on Cape Kennedy operations, and the effect on space station science missions. Technology needs to prepare for such missions are also defined. Results of the study indicate that the space station can support the manned lunar base missions with the addition of a Fuel Depot Facility and a heavy lift launch vehicle to support the large launch requirements.

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

Kasemir, Kay; Pearson, Matthew R

For several years, the Control System Studio (CS-Studio) Scan System has successfully automated the operation of beam lines at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). As it is applied to additional beam lines, we need to support simultaneous adjustments of temperatures or motor positions. While this can be implemented via virtual motors or similar logic inside the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) Input/Output Controllers (IOCs), doing so requires a priori knowledge of experimenters requirements. By adding support for the parallel control of multiple process variables (PVs) to themore » Scan System, we can better support ad hoc automation of experiments that benefit from such simultaneous PV adjustments.« less

Expanding the PACS archive to support clinical review, research, and education missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honeyman-Buck, Janice C.; Frost, Meryll M.; Drane, Walter E.

1999-07-01

Designing an image archive and retrieval system that supports multiple users with many different requirements and patterns of use without compromising the performance and functionality required by diagnostic radiology is an intellectual and technical challenge. A diagnostic archive, optimized for performance when retrieving diagnostic images for radiologists needed to be expanded to support a growing clinical review network, the University of Florida Brain Institute's demands for neuro-imaging, Biomedical Engineering's imaging sciences, and an electronic teaching file. Each of the groups presented a different set of problems for the designers of the system. In addition, the radiologists did not want to see nay loss of performance as new users were added.

The needs of parents of children with visual impairment studying in mainstream schools in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lee, Florence M Y; Tsang, Janice F K; Chui, Mandy M Y

2014-10-01

This study attempted to use a validated and standardised psychometric tool to identify the specific needs of parents of children with visual impairment studying in mainstream schools in Hong Kong. The second aim was to compare their needs with those of parents of mainstream school children without special education needs and parents having children with learning and behavioural problems. Cross-sectional survey. Mainstream schools in Hong Kong. Parents of 30 children with visual impairment who were studying in mainstream schools and attended assessment by optometrists at Child Assessment Service between May 2009 and June 2010 were recruited in the study (visual impairment group). Parents of 45 children with learning and behavioural problems recruited from two parent support groups (learning and behavioural problems group), and parents of 233 children without special education needs studying in mainstream schools recruited in a previous validation study on Service Needs Questionnaire (normal group) were used for comparison. Participants were invited to complete a self-administered Service Needs Questionnaire and a questionnaire on demographics of the children and their responding parents. The visual impairment group was asked additional questions about the ability of the child in coping and functioning in academic and recreational activities. Needs expressed by parents of the visual impairment group were significantly higher than those of parents of the normal group, and similar to those in the learning and behavioural problems group. Parents of children with visual impairment expressed more needs for future education and school support than resources for dealing with personal and family stress. Service needs of children with visual impairment and their families are high, particularly for future education and school support. More study on the various modes of accommodation for children with visual impairment and more collaborative work among different partners working in the field of rehabilitation will foster better service for these children and their families.

Better Together: The Making and Maturation of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group.

PubMed

Ritchie, Christine L; Pollak, Kathryn I; Kehl, Karen A; Miller, Jeri L; Kutner, Jean S

2017-06-01

To describe the growth and outcomes of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC). Despite advances, significant gaps remain in the evidence base to inform care for people with serious illness. To generate this needed evidence and bolster research capacity, the Palliative Care Research Cooperative (PCRC) group was formed. The PCRC supports investigators in the conduct of multisite clinical studies. After developing a governance structure and completing a proof of concept demonstration study, the PCRC expanded its infrastructure to include additional resource cores (Clinical Studies; Measurement; Data Informatics and Statistics; and Caregiver Studies). The PCRC also supports an Investigator Development Center as many palliative care investigators valued opportunities to advance their skills. Additional key aspects of PCRC resources include a Scientific Review Committee, a Publications Committee, and initiatives to purposefully engage investigators in a community of palliative care science. The PCRC has grown to over 300 members representing more than 130 distinct sites. To date, the PCRC has supported the submission of 51 research applications and has engaged in 27 studies. The PCRC supports investigator research development needs through webinars and clinical trials "intensives." To foster a sense of community, the PCRC has convened biannual meetings, developed special interest groups, and regularly communicates via a newsletter and its website. With a particular focus on facilitating conduct of rigorous multisite clinical studies, the PCRC fosters an engaged multidisciplinary research community, filling an important void in generating and disseminating evidence that informs the provision of high-quality care to people with serious illness.

Closing the gap between knowledge and clinical application: challenges for genomic translation.

PubMed

Burke, Wylie; Korngiebel, Diane M

2015-01-01

Despite early predictions and rapid progress in research, the introduction of personal genomics into clinical practice has been slow. Several factors contribute to this translational gap between knowledge and clinical application. The evidence available to support genetic test use is often limited, and implementation of new testing programs can be challenging. In addition, the heterogeneity of genomic risk information points to the need for strategies to select and deliver the information most appropriate for particular clinical needs. Accomplishing these tasks also requires recognition that some expectations for personal genomics are unrealistic, notably expectations concerning the clinical utility of genomic risk assessment for common complex diseases. Efforts are needed to improve the body of evidence addressing clinical outcomes for genomics, apply implementation science to personal genomics, and develop realistic goals for genomic risk assessment. In addition, translational research should emphasize the broader benefits of genomic knowledge, including applications of genomic research that provide clinical benefit outside the context of personal genomic risk.

Science on Drupal: An evaluation of CMS Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinay, S.; Gonzalez, A.; Pinto, A.; Pascuzzi, F.; Gerard, A.

2011-12-01

We conducted an extensive evaluation of various Content Management System (CMS) technologies for implementing different websites supporting interdisciplinary science data and information. We chose two products, Drupal and Bluenog/Hippo CMS, to meet our specific needs and requirements. Drupal is an open source product that is quick and easy to setup and use. It is a very mature, stable, and widely used product. It has rich functionality supported by a large and active user base and developer community. There are many plugins available that provide additional features for managing citations, map gallery, semantic search, digital repositories (fedora), scientific workflows, collaborative authoring, social networking, and other functions. All of these work very well within the Drupal framework if minimal customization is needed. We have successfully implemented Drupal for multiple projects such as: 1) the Haiti Regeneration Initiative (http://haitiregeneration.org/); 2) the Consortium on Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (http://beta.ccrun.org/); and 3) the Africa Soils Information Service (http://africasoils.net/). We are also developing two other websites, the Côte Sud Initiative (CSI) and Emerging Infectious Diseases, using Drupal. We are testing the Drupal multi-site install for managing different websites with one install to streamline the maintenance. In addition, paid support and consultancy for Drupal website development are available at affordable prices. All of these features make Drupal very attractive for implementing state-of-the-art scientific websites that do not have complex requirements. One of our major websites, the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), has a very complex set of requirements. It has to easily re-purpose content across multiple web pages and sites with different presentations. It has to serve the content via REST or similar standard interfaces so that external client applications can access content in the CMS repository. This means the content repository and structure should be completely separated from the content presentation and site structure. In addition to the CMS repository, the front-end website has to be able to consume, integrate, and display diverse content flexibly from multiple back-end systems, including custom and legacy systems, such as Oracle, Geoserver, Flickr, Fedora, and other web services. We needed the ability to customize the workflow to author, edit, approve, and publish content based on different content types and project requirements. In addition, we required the ability to use the existing active directory for user management with support for roles and groups and permissions using Access Control List (ACL) model. The ability to version and lock content was also important. We determined that most of these capabilities are difficult to implement with Drupal and needed significant customization. The Bluenog eCMS (enterprise CMS) product satisfied most of these requirements. Bluenog eCMS is based on an open source product called Hippo with customizations and support provided by the vendor Bluenog. Our newly redesigned and recently released SEDAC website, http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu, is implemented using Bluenog eCMS. Other products we evaluated include WebLogic portal, Magnolia, Liferay portal, and Alfresco.

[Needs and self-reported quality of life of people with severe mental illness in sheltered housing facilities].

PubMed

Wartmann, Lukas; Hartmann-Riemer, Matthias; Dinevski, Natascha; Siemerkus, Jakob; Fröbel, Rahel; Seifritz, Erich; Jäger, Matthias

2018-05-28

This paper investigates the subjective needs of psychiatric patients in relation to the housing conditions with an additional focus on inclusion and participation. Furthermore, it examines differences in clinical and socio-demographic parameters, self-measured quality of life, stage of recovery. In this quantitative cross-sectional study, we compared 50 patients in a psychiatric acute ward setting, who were looking for a residence in a sheltered housing facility with 50 patients in a sheltered housing facility using structured interviews. Patients living in a sheltered housing facility reported less unmet needs. However, no differences regarding inclusion and participation were found. More unmet needs were associated with poorer quality of life, and less social inclusion in both groups. Patients in sheltered housing facilities report less unmet needs. Nevertheless, more efforts are needed to regarding inclusion of these patients. A "supported inclusion"-approach should be considered.

Robot-supported upper limb training in a virtual learning environment : a pilot randomized controlled trial in persons with MS.

PubMed

Feys, Peter; Coninx, Karin; Kerkhofs, Lore; De Weyer, Tom; Truyens, Veronik; Maris, Anneleen; Lamers, Ilse

2015-07-23

Despite the functional impact of upper limb dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS), effects of intensive exercise programs and specifically robot-supported training have been rarely investigated in persons with advanced MS. To investigate the effects of additional robot-supported upper limb training in persons with MS compared to conventional treatment only. Seventeen persons with MS (pwMS) (median Expanded Disability Status Scale of 8, range 3.5-8.5) were included in a pilot RCT comparing the effects of additional robot-supported training to conventional treatment only. Additional training consisted of 3 weekly sessions of 30 min interacting with the HapticMaster robot within an individualised virtual learning environment (I-TRAVLE). Clinical measures at body function (Hand grip strength, Motricity Index, Fugl-Meyer) and activity (Action Research Arm test, Motor Activity Log) level were administered before and after an intervention period of 8 weeks. The intervention group were also evaluated on robot-mediated movement tasks in three dimensions, providing active range of motion, movement duration and speed and hand-path ratio as indication of movement efficiency in the spatial domain. Non-parametric statistics were applied. PwMS commented favourably on the robot-supported virtual learning environment and reported functional training effects in daily life. Movement tasks in three dimensions, measured with the robot, were performed in less time and for the transporting and reaching movement tasks more efficiently. There were however no significant changes for any clinical measure in neither intervention nor control group although observational analyses of the included cases indicated large improvements on the Fugl-Meyer in persons with more marked upper limb dysfunction. Robot-supported training lead to more efficient movement execution which was however, on group level, not reflected by significant changes on standard clinical tests. Persons with more marked upper limb dysfunction may benefit most from additional robot-supported training, but larger studies are needed. This trial is registered within the registry Clinical Trials GOV ( NCT02257606 ).

The Influence of Faculty and Staff Messaging on Black Male Community College and Transfer Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauer, Kara Lyn

2016-01-01

The exploratory research in this dissertation examined the need for faculty and staff to take additional measures to support and encourage Black males utilizing their services and learning in their classrooms. The focus is on messaging that can come from these campus leaders, and how it can influence Black male community college and transfer…

Transitioning to the Learning Management System Moodle from Blackboard: Impacts to Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varnell, Page

2016-01-01

What are the workload impacts to faculty during a Learning Management System (LMS) transition? What type of support is needed by faculty during an LMS transition? Transitioning to a new LMS may result in faculty problems with learning a new technology platform in addition to teaching. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the…

Flight dynamics analysis and simulation of heavy lift airships. Volume 2: Technical manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ringland, R. F.; Tischler, M. B.; Jex, H. R.; Emmen, R. D.; Ashkenas, I. L.

1982-01-01

The mathematical models embodied in the simulation are described in considerable detail and with supporting evidence for the model forms chosen. In addition the trimming and linearization algorithms used in the simulation are described. Appendices to the manual identify reference material for estimating the needed coefficients for the input data and provide example simulation results.

Improving College and Career Readiness by Incorporating Social and Emotional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dymnicki, Allison; Sambolt, Megan; Kidron, Yael

2013-01-01

This issue brief was written to assist state policymakers in better understanding how social and emotional learning (SEL) can help students to be college and career ready. The brief provides a short description of what SEL is, why it is needed, and what it looks like in practice. In addition, examples of standards that support SEL at the federal…

Training Health Service Technicians as Teacher Assistants in an Inpatient Residential Emotional/Behavior Disorder Classroom Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Walter E.

2012-01-01

Schools have identified that the use of Teacher Assistants often provides needed additional support in the school setting. In a Health Care Facility that provides inpatient psychiatric services, children ages 5-14 are required to engage in school activities. Currently there are no Teacher Assistants trained in the facility. This study focuses on…

Formation of the Arizona Riparian Council: An Example of Lasting Public Interest in Riparian Resources

Treesearch

Duncan T. Patten; William C. Hunter

1989-01-01

The increasing responses to symposia devoted to riparian resources in the past decade have created a need to channel this enthusiasm into a permanent organization. The Arizona Riparian Council was formally organized in October 1986 to provide an annual forum for local coordination of management and research activities. In addition, the Council draws support from...

Antidotes and treatments for chemical warfare/terrorism agents: an evidence-based review.

PubMed

Rodgers, G C; Condurache, C T

2010-09-01

This article reviews the evidence supporting the efficacy of antidotes used or recommended for the potential chemical warfare agents of most concern. Chemical warfare agents considered include cyanide, vesicants, pulmonary irritants such as chlorine and phosgene, and nerve agents. The strength of evidence for most antidotes is weak, highlighting the need for additional research in this area.

Parental Experiences of Dealing with Disputes in Additional Support Needs in Scotland: Why Are Parents Not Engaging with Mediation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Kevin; Stead, Joan; Riddell, Sheila; Weedon, Elisabet

2012-01-01

Partnerships with parents, particularly in the field of education, have featured prominently in policy rhetoric for many years, but routes of redress have not had much attention until relatively recently. The development of Alternative Dispute Resolution in the UK reflects the situation in several jurisdictions (e.g. Norway, Germany, the…

Mapping habitat suitability for at-risk plants and its implications for restoration and reintroduction

Treesearch

E. Questad; J.R. Kellner; K. Kinney; S. Cordell; G.P. Asner; J. Thaxton; J. Diep; A. Uowolo; S. Brooks; N. Inman-Narahari; S. Evans; B. Tucker

2014-01-01

The conservation of species at risk of extinction requires data to support decisions at landscape to regional scales. There is a need for information that can assist with locating suitable habitats in fragmented and degraded landscapes to aid the reintroduction of at-risk plant species. In addition, desiccation and water stress can be significant barriers to the...

Combining Drama Pedagogy with Digital Technologies to Support the Language Learning Needs of Newly Arrived Refugee Children: A Classroom Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Julie; Bundy, Penny; Woodrow, Nina

2012-01-01

Although significant research has been completed that examines the effectiveness of process drama as a pedagogical approach for developing additional languages and further work has focused on the affordances of digital technologies within drama work, scant attention has been paid to the possibilities which a combination of these approaches might…

What Educators Need to Do with Biased Children's Books on Religion, Gender and Race

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Hani; Forest, Danielle E.

2016-01-01

Children's books have frequently portrayed groups holding power more favorably than marginalized people. In this essay, we show how such books support a theoretical framework based on the notion that education can either preserve the status quo or change it. We use primary sources consisting of passages from various children's books in addition to…

Transition Activities: Finding "Treasures" within the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHugh, P. Sheehan

2007-01-01

Children have much less experience with transitions than adults. More often than not, they need additional guidance and support from adults to help them figure out what they are supposed to do, as well as when and how they are supposed to do it. This is particularly true for students who are vulnerable for failure in the early grades (Stormont,…

The role of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool in palliative home care: A qualitative study of practitioners' perspectives of its impact and mechanisms of action.

PubMed

Ewing, Gail; Austin, Lynn; Grande, Gunn

2016-04-01

The importance of supporting family carers is well recognised in healthcare policy. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool is an evidence-based, comprehensive measure of carer support needs to facilitate carer support in palliative home care. To examine practitioner perspectives of the role of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool intervention in palliative home care to identify its impact and mechanisms of action. Qualitative - practitioner accounts of implementation (interviews, focus groups, reflective audio diaries) plus researcher field notes. A total of 29 staff members from two hospice home-care services - contrasting geographical locations, different service sizes and staff composition. A thematic analysis was conducted. Existing approaches to identification of carer needs were informal and unstructured. Practitioners expressed some concerns, pre-implementation, about negative impacts of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool on carers and expectations raised about support available. In contrast, post-implementation, the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool provided positive impacts when used as part of a carer-led assessment and support process: it made support needs visible, legitimised support for carers and opened up different conversations with carers. The mechanisms of action that enabled the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool to make a difference were creating space for the separate needs of carers, providing an opportunity for carers to express support needs and responding to carers' self-defined priorities. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool delivered benefits through a change in practice to an identifiable, separate assessment process for carers, facilitated by practitioners but carer-led. Used routinely with all carers, the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool has the potential to normalise carer assessment and support, facilitate delivery of carer-identified support and enable effective targeting of resources. © The Author(s) 2015.

How family members of mentally ill offenders experience the internment measure and (forensic) psychiatric treatment in Belgium: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Rowaert, Sara; Vandevelde, Stijn; Lemmens, Gilbert; Audenaert, Kurt

Mentally ill offenders in Belgium can be subjected to mandated care under an "internment measure" if they are viewed as a danger to society. This study investigated how family members of mentally ill offenders experience this internment measure and view the (forensic) psychiatric treatment of their relative. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 relatives and analysed using Nvivo 11. Six different themes emerged: (1) the criminal offence and the internment measure as an additional stigma, (2) ambivalent feelings towards the judicial system, (3) prison is not the right place to be, (4) mental health support as an answer to problems, (5) fight a losing battle, and (6) while there is life there is hope. The experiences of family members indicate the need for improved treatment guidelines that allow earlier compulsory interventions to prevent crime and preferential admission to (forensic) psychiatric facilities rather than prisons. In addition, family members expressed the need for better communication from mental health professionals and the judicial system during the process and greater availability of peer support. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The experience of physicians in pharmacogenomic clinical decision support within eight German university hospitals.

PubMed

Hinderer, Marc; Boeker, Martin; Wagner, Sebastian A; Binder, Harald; Ückert, Frank; Newe, Stephanie; Hülsemann, Jan L; Neumaier, Michael; Schade-Brittinger, Carmen; Acker, Till; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Sedlmayr, Brita

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the physicians' attitude, their knowledge and their experience in pharmacogenomic clinical decision support in German hospitals. We conducted an online survey to address physicians of 13 different medical specialties across eight German university hospitals. In total, 564 returned questionnaires were analyzed. The remaining knowledge gap, the uncertainty of test reimbursement and the physicians' lack of awareness of existing pharmacogenomic clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are the major barriers for implementing pharmacogenomic CDSS into German hospitals. Furthermore, pharmacogenomic CDSS are most effective in the form of real-time decision support for internists. Physicians in German hospitals require additional education of both genetics and pharmacogenomics. They need to be provided with access to relevant pharmacogenomic CDSS.

NASA's Role in Aeronautics: A Workshop. Volume 2: Military aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

While the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 makes DOD primarily responsible for military aeronautics, it stipulates a role for NASA in providing direct and indirect support for national defense. The existing role of NASA in support of military aeronautics is working well and is well coordinated. The role needs only to be kept effective and then improved by increasing its responsiveness to changing military requirements and by the selective application of additional people. Funding resources should also be made available to NASA for research. Specific roles that NASA could or should play were examined. It was determined that the most important areas for this support are in basic research, generic technology evolution, and facility support in the fields of aerodynamics, structures and materials, and propulsion.

Coordinated Development and Deployment of Scenarios for Sustained Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipschultz, F.; Weaver, C. P.; Leidner, A. K.; Delgado, A.; Grambsch, A.

2017-12-01

There has been a clear need for a more coordinated Federal government approach for authoritative, climate-relevant scenarios to support growing demands by decision-makers, to meet stakeholder needs for consistent approaches and guidance, and to better address the needs of the impacts, adaptation and vulnerability community. To begin to satisfy these decision-support needs, in early 2015 the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) began coordinated production of scenario information for use across a suite of USGCRP activities. These have been implemented in the 4th National Climate Assessment (NCA4), the Climate Science Special Report and the Climate Resilience Toolkit (CRT), all of which are intended to help better organize, summarize, and communicate science to decision-makers as they think about our future. First, USGCRP introduced and implemented an explicit risk-framing approach across the entire scenario enterprise to encourage exploration of tail risks. A suite of scenario products was developed framed around three simplified storylines: `Lower', `Higher', and `Upper Bound' departures from current baselines. Second, USGCRP developed future climate information for the U.S. using Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 and RCP 4.5, including a weighted mean of Global Climate Models and adoption of an improved statistical downscaling approach across USGCRP products. Additional variables were derived from the downscaled parameters for use across USGCRP reports and in the CRT's Climate Explorer tool. Third, and given the need to address other tightly-coupled global changes in a more integrated way, a set of population, housing density, and impervious surface projections were developed based on global scenarios. In addition, USGCRP and the National Ocean Council developed scenarios of future sea-level rise and coastal-flood hazard for the U.S. and integrated them into existing Federal capabilities to support preparedness planning. To better convey these scenario components, next steps include capability for dynamic interaction between NCA4 products and CRT to permit users to explore and customize relevant information for their decision at spatial scales that matter to them, as well as links to more in-depth CRT content.

The needs and preferences of pregnant smokers regarding tailored Internet-based smoking cessation interventions: a qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Herbec, Aleksandra; Beard, Emma; Brown, Jamie; Gardner, Benjamin; Tombor, Ildiko; West, Robert

2014-10-14

Internet-based Smoking Cessation Interventions (ISCIs) may help pregnant smokers who are unable, or unwilling, to access face-to-face stop smoking support. Targeting ISCIs to specific groups of smokers could increase their uptake and effectiveness. The current study explored the needs and preferences of pregnant women seeking online stop smoking support with an aim to identify features and components of ISCIs that might be most attractive to this population. We conducted qualitative interviews with thirteen pregnant women who completed the intervention arm of a pilot randomized controlled trial of a novel ISCI for pregnant smokers ('MumsQuit'). The interviews explored women's views towards MumsQuit and online support with quitting smoking in general, as well as their suggestions for how ISCIs could be best targeted to pregnancy. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Framework Analysis. Participants expressed preferences for an accessible, highly engaging and targeted to pregnancy smoking cessation website, tailored to individuals' circumstances as well as use of cessation medication, offering comprehensive and novel information on smoking and quitting smoking in pregnancy, ongoing support with cravings management, as well as additional support following relapse to smoking. Participants also viewed as important targeting of the feedback and progress reports to baby's health and development, offering personal support from experts, and providing a discussion forum allowing for communication with other pregnant women wanting to quit . The present study has identified a number of potential building blocks for ISCIs targeted to quitting smoking in pregnancy. Pregnant smokers willing to try using ISCI may particularly value an engaging intervention offering a high degree of targeting of comprehensive information to them as a group and tailoring support and advice to their individual needs, as well as one providing post-relapse support, peer-to-peer communication and personal support from experts.

The bereavement experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people who have lost a partner: A systematic review, thematic synthesis and modelling of the literature

PubMed Central

Bristowe, Katherine; Marshall, Steve; Harding, Richard

2016-01-01

Background: Socially excluded populations have poorer access to care; however, little attention has been paid to lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people are at increased risk of certain life-limiting illnesses and may not receive the care and support they need at the end of life and into bereavement. Aim: To identify and appraise the evidence of the bereavement experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people who have lost a partner and develop an explanatory model of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* partner bereavement. Design: Systematic review (in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines) and thematic synthesis with assessment of reporting and rigour. Quantitative or qualitative articles reporting bereavement experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* partners were included, excluding articles reporting multiple losses in the context of HIV or AIDS. Data sources: PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library. Inclusion dates: database inception – 30 April 2015. Results: A total of 23 articles reporting on 13 studies were identified. Studies described universal experiences of the pain of losing a partner; however, additional barriers and stressors were reported for lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people, including homophobia, failure to acknowledge the relationship, additional legal and financial issues and the ‘shadow’ of HIV or AIDS. A novel model was developed to explain how the experience for lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people is shaped by whether the relationship was disclosed and acknowledged in life and into bereavement and how this impacts upon needs and access to care. Conclusion: There is a need for healthcare providers to avoid hetero-normative assumptions; be mindful of additional stressors in bereavement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people; and consider additional sources of support to deliver individualised holistic care. PMID:26944532

Sustainable Systems for exploration, stays with increased duration in LEO and Earth application -an overview about life support activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slenzka, Klaus; Duenne, Matthias

Solar system exploration with extended stays in totally closed habitats far away from Earth as well as longer stays in LEO requires intensive preparatory activities. Activities supporting life in a more or less close meaning are essential in this context -on a scientific as well as on a technical level. These needed activities are supporting life by e.g.: i) increasing knowledge about the impact of single and combined effects of different exploration related environmental conditions (e. g. microgravity, radiation, reduced pressure and temperature, lunar soil etc.) on biological systems. This is needed to enable safe life of humans itself as well as safe operating of required bioregenerative life support systems. Thus, different human cell types as well as representatives of bioregenerative life support system protagonists (algae, bacteria as well as higher organisms) needs to be addressed. ii) provision of required consumables (oxygen, food, energy equivalents etc.) on site, mainly via bioregenerative life support systems, Bio-ISRU-units etc. Preparation is needed on a scientific as well as technological level. iii) ensuring reduced negative effects on humans (and partially also equipment), which could be caused by living in a closed habitat in general (and thus being not space related per se): E. g. detection systems for the quality of water and air, antimicrobial and selfhealing as well as anti-icing materials without dangerous hazard substances, psychological health enhancing components etc. Referring payloads for above mentioned investigations (scientific evaluation and technology demonstration) must be developed. Extended stays and extended closure in habitats without the possibility of material transport into and out of the system are leading to the necessity of more autonomous technologies and sustainable processes. Latter one will rely mainly on biological processes and structures, which increases additionally the necessity of an intensive scientific and technological verification before routine use under extreme conditions during solar system exploration.

Evaluating the Usability and Usefulness of a Mobile App for Atrial Fibrillation Using Qualitative Methods: Exploratory Pilot Study.

PubMed

Hirschey, Jaclyn; Bane, Sunetra; Mansour, Moussa; Sperber, Jodi; Agboola, Stephen; Kvedar, Joseph; Jethwani, Kamal

2018-03-15

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia and a potent risk factor for stroke. Nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are routinely prescribed to manage AFib stroke risk; however, nonadherence to treatment is a concern. Additional tools that support self-care and medication adherence may benefit patients with AFib. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived usability and usefulness of a mobile app designed to support self-care and treatment adherence for AFib patients who are prescribed NOACs. A mobile app to support AFib patients was previously developed based on early stage interview and usability test data from clinicians and patients. An exploratory pilot study consisting of naturalistic app use, surveys, and semistructured interviews was then conducted to examine patients' perceptions and everyday use of the app. A total of 12 individuals with an existing diagnosis of nonvalvular AFib completed the 4-week study. The average age of participants was 59 years. All participants somewhat or strongly agreed that the app was easy to use, and 92% (11/12) reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the app. Participant feedback identified changes that may improve app usability and usefulness for patients with AFib. Areas of usability improvement were organized by three themes: app navigation, clarity of app instructions and design intent, and software bugs. Perceptions of app usefulness were grouped by three key variables: core needs of the patient segment, patient workflow while managing AFib, and the app's ability to support the patient's evolving needs. The results of this study suggest that mobile tools that target self-care and treatment adherence may be helpful to AFib patients, particularly those who are newly diagnosed. Additionally, participant feedback provided insight into the varied needs and health experiences of AFib patients, which may improve the design and targeting of the intervention. Pilot studies that qualitatively examine patient perceptions of usability and usefulness are a valuable and often underutilized method for assessing the real-world acceptability of an intervention. Additional research evaluating the AFib Connect mobile app over a longer period, and including a larger, more diverse sample of AFib patients, will be helpful for understanding whether the app is perceived more broadly to be useful and effective in supporting patient self-care and medication adherence. ©Jaclyn Hirschey, Sunetra Bane, Moussa Mansour, Jodi Sperber, Stephen Agboola, Joseph Kvedar, Kamal Jethwani. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (http://humanfactors.jmir.org), 15.03.2018.

Ill and substance-abusing parents: how can the general practitioner help their children? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Gullbrå, Frøydis; Smith-Sivertsen, Tone; Rortveit, Guri; Anderssen, Norman; Hafting, Marit

2016-11-08

Severe illness among parents may interfere with their parenting. Children having ill or substance-abusing parents are at risk of own health problems and psychosocial difficulties. The health care system should identify families in need of help and provide the help needed. For ill parents, it can be difficult to seek help and advices for their parenting. The aim of this study was to identify important factors for the general practitioner (GP) to bear in mind during encounters with ill and substance-abusing parents, to enable the GP to provide appropriate support for the children. A qualitative approach was chosen and the data material was semi-structured individual interviews with 12 parents with mental illness, substance abuse or severe somatic illness. The participants were recruited through GPs in Norway, and the interviews were performed in 2014. We used systematic text condensation for analysis. It was important for the participants that the GP was oriented about their family and children's situation. They wanted to be regarded as competent parents in ordinary families; however, they were aware that their illness affected their parenting. They expressed a need for advice about how to inform the children of their illness and talk to them about their challenges, and, if necessary, utilize helpers who could inform the children and talk to them directly. There were often many agencies involved, and it was important that the helpers cooperated and shared information. In addition, the parents were in need of information about support services. Ill parents in this study conveyed a double message to their helpers. They wanted to be considered as responsible and well-intended parents who wished the best for their children. At the same time they needed support in parenting. The GP should take the time to listen to the parents' first spontaneous description about an ordinary daily life (while realising that it may not necessarily be an accurate report), then explore their worries and needs of support.

A technology ecosystem perspective on hospital management information systems: lessons from the health literature.

PubMed

Bain, Christopher A; Standing, Craig

2009-01-01

Hospital managers have a large range of information needs including quality metrics, financial reports, access information needs, educational, resourcing and decision support needs. Currently these needs involve interactions by managers with numerous disparate systems, both electronic such as SAP, Oracle Financials, PAS' (patient administration systems) like HOMER, and relevant websites; and paper-based systems. Hospital management information systems (HMIS) can be thought of sitting within a Technology Ecosystem (TE). In addition, Hospital Management Information Systems (HMIS) could benefit from a broader and deeper TE model, and the HMIS environment may in fact represents its own TE (the HMTE). This research will examine lessons from the health literature in relation to some of these issues, and propose an extension to the base model of a TE.

Environmental Control and Life Support Integration Strategy for 6-Crew Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) crew compliment will be increasing in size from 3 to 6 crew members in the summer of 2009. In order to support this increase in crew on ISS, the United States on-orbit Segment (USOS) has been outfitted with a suite of regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) hardware including an Oxygen Generation System(OGS), Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC), and a Water Recovery System (WRS). The WRS includes the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) and the Water Processor Assembly (WPA). A critical step in advancing to a 6Crew support capability on ISS is a full checkedout and verification of the Regenerative ECLS hardware. With a successful checkout, the ISS will achieve full redundancy in its onorbit life support system between the USOS and Russian Segment (RS). The additional redundancy created by the Regenerative ECLS hardware creates the opportunity for independent support capabilities between segments, and for the first time since the start of ISS, the necessity to revise Life Support strategy agreements. Independent operating strategies coupled with the loss of the Space Shuttle supply and return capabilities in 2010 offers additional challenges. These challenges create the need for a higher level of onorbit consumables reserve to ensure crewmember life support during a system failure. This paper will discuss the evolution of the ISS Life Support hardware strategy in support of 6Crew on ISS, as well as the continued work which will be necessary to ensure the support of crew and ISS Program objectives through the life of station.

The Four-Tier Continuum of Academic and Behavioral Support (4T-CABS) Model: An Integrated Model for Medical Student Success.

PubMed

Stegers-Jager, Karen M; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke; Themmen, Axel P N

2017-11-01

Not all students cope successfully with the demands of medical school, and students' struggles may result in study delay or dropout. To prevent these outcomes, medical schools need to identify students who are experiencing academic difficul ties and provide them with timely interventions through access to support programs. Although the importance of early identification and intervention is well recognized, less is known about successful strategies for identifying and supporting struggling students.Building on the literature and their own empirical findings, the authors propose an integrated, school-wide model for medical student success comprising a continuum of academic and behavioral support. This Four-Tier Continuum of Academic and Behavioral Support (4T-CABS) model focuses on improving both academic and behavioral outcomes by offering support for students at four levels, which range from adequate instruction for all, to targeted small-group interventions, to individualized support, and also include exit support for students who might be better off in another degree program. Additionally, medical schools should provide both academic and behavioral support; set high, yet realistic expectations and clearly communicate these to students; and intervene early, which requires timely identification of at-risk students who would benefit from the different types and tiers of support. Finally, interventions should be evidence based and fit the needs of the identified groups of students. The authors argue that adopting the core principles of the 4T-CABS model will enable medical schools to maximize academic engagement and performance for all students.

Large Scale Computing and Storage Requirements for High Energy Physics

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

Gerber, Richard A.; Wasserman, Harvey

2010-11-24

The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) is the leading scientific computing facility for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, providing high-performance computing (HPC) resources to more than 3,000 researchers working on about 400 projects. NERSC provides large-scale computing resources and, crucially, the support and expertise needed for scientists to make effective use of them. In November 2009, NERSC, DOE's Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR), and DOE's Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) held a workshop to characterize the HPC resources needed at NERSC to support HEP research through the next three to five years. Themore » effort is part of NERSC's legacy of anticipating users needs and deploying resources to meet those demands. The workshop revealed several key points, in addition to achieving its goal of collecting and characterizing computing requirements. The chief findings: (1) Science teams need access to a significant increase in computational resources to meet their research goals; (2) Research teams need to be able to read, write, transfer, store online, archive, analyze, and share huge volumes of data; (3) Science teams need guidance and support to implement their codes on future architectures; and (4) Projects need predictable, rapid turnaround of their computational jobs to meet mission-critical time constraints. This report expands upon these key points and includes others. It also presents a number of case studies as representative of the research conducted within HEP. Workshop participants were asked to codify their requirements in this case study format, summarizing their science goals, methods of solution, current and three-to-five year computing requirements, and software and support needs. Participants were also asked to describe their strategy for computing in the highly parallel, multi-core environment that is expected to dominate HPC architectures over the next few years. The report includes a section that describes efforts already underway or planned at NERSC that address requirements collected at the workshop. NERSC has many initiatives in progress that address key workshop findings and are aligned with NERSC's strategic plans.« less

Rehabilitation goal setting with community dwelling adults with acquired brain injury: a theoretical framework derived from clinicians' reflections on practice.

PubMed

Prescott, Sarah; Fleming, Jennifer; Doig, Emmah

2017-06-11

The aim of this study was to explore clinicians' experiences of implementing goal setting with community dwelling clients with acquired brain injury, to develop a goal setting practice framework. Grounded theory methodology was employed. Clinicians, representing six disciplines across seven services, were recruited and interviewed until theoretical saturation was achieved. A total of 22 clinicians were interviewed. A theoretical framework was developed to explain how clinicians support clients to actively engage in goal setting in routine practice. The framework incorporates three phases: a needs identification phase, a goal operationalisation phase, and an intervention phase. Contextual factors, including personal and environmental influences, also affect how clinicians and clients engage in this process. Clinicians use additional strategies to support clients with impaired self-awareness. These include structured communication and metacognitive strategies to operationalise goals. For clients with emotional distress, clinicians provide additional time and intervention directed at new identity development. The goal setting practice framework may guide clinician's understanding of how to engage in client-centred goal setting in brain injury rehabilitation. There is a predilection towards a client-centred goal setting approach in the community setting, however, contextual factors can inhibit implementation of this approach. Implications for Rehabilitation The theoretical framework describes processes used to develop achievable client-centred goals with people with brain injury. Building rapport is a core strategy to engage clients with brain injury in goal setting. Clients with self-awareness impairment benefit from additional metacognitive strategies to participate in goal setting. Clients with emotional distress may need additional time for new identity development.

Challenges with Navigating the Precarious Hemostatic Balance during Extracorporeal Life Support: Implications for Coagulation and Transfusion Management.

PubMed

Andrews, Jennifer; Winkler, Anne M

2016-10-01

For the past four decades, extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has been used to treat critically ill adult and pediatric patients with cardiac and/or respiratory failure, and there are increasingly numbers of centers worldwide performing ECLS for numerous indications. Despite the progress with advancing the technology, hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications are frequently reported and associated with worse outcomes, but the exact cause is often elusive or multifactorial. As a result of the interaction between blood and an artificial circuit, anticoagulation is necessary and there is resultant activation of coagulation, fibrinolysis, as well as, an increased inflammatory response. While unfractionated heparin (UFH) remains the mainstay anticoagulant used during ECLS, there is a paucity of published data to develop a universal anticoagulation guideline and centers are forced to create individualized protocols to guide anticoagulation management while lacking expertise. From an international survey, centers often use a combination of tests, which in turn result in discordant results and confused management. Studies are urgently needed to investigate optimization of current anticoagulation strategies with UFH, as well as, use of alternative anticoagulants and non-thrombogenic biomaterials. Blood transfusion during extracorporeal support typically occurs for several reasons, which includes circuit priming, restoration of oxygen carrying capacity, maintenance of a hemostatic balance, and treatment of hemorrhagic complications. As a result, the majority of patients will have been exposed to at least one blood product during extracorporeal support and transfusion utilization is high. ECLS Centers have adopted transfusion thresholds based upon practice rather than evidence as there have been no prospective studies investigating the efficacy of red cell (RBC) transfusion in patients receiving extracorporeal support. In addition, RBC transfusion has been associated with increased mortality in ECLS in several retrospective studies. Additional studies are needed to establish evidence based thresholds for transfusion support and diagnostics to guide transfusion therapy to assess efficacy of transfusion in this population, as well as, exploration of alternatives to transfusion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Needs among persons with human immunodeficiency virus and intellectual and developmental disabilities in community mental health care: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Durbin, A; Sirotich, F; Lunsky, Y; Roesslein, K; Durbin, J

2017-03-01

The experience of having human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is often associated with co-occurring mental health issues. Community mental health services are an important source of support for persons with HIV living in the community. Persons with intellectual disability (ID) are vulnerable to HIV and may have unique support needs beyond those without ID receiving community care. This study compared support needs of men with HIV in community mental health programmes, with and without ID. The sample was composed of 138 HIV-positive men with and without ID receiving mental health case management from one community organisation in Ontario, Canada, on 31 March 2013. Staff-rated needs across 16 domains grouped into four clusters were measured using the Camberwell Assessment of Need: Basic needs (accommodation, food, public transportation, money and benefits); self-care/functional needs (looking after the home, self-care and daytime activities); health/safety needs (physical health, psychological distress, psychotic symptoms, safety to self and safety to others); and social needs (company, intimate relationships and sexual expression). Adjusted logistic regression models examined the association between ID and each need domain. One-quarter of the sample (n = 34/138, 24.6%) had co-occurring ID. Those with ID were more likely to have needs in the basic cluster [odds ratios: food 4.05 (1.14, 14.44), P:0.031; benefits 2.58 (1.05, 6.32), P:0.038)] and self-care/functional cluster [looking after the home (2.75 (1.17, 6.49), P:0.021); self-care (2.72 (1.18, 6.27), P:0.019)], but were less likely to have need for sexual expression: 0.35 (0.14,0.90), P:0.030) (social cluster). There were no differences in the domains in the health/safety cluster. Despite elevated cognitive needs in the basic and self-care/functional clusters for the ID group, limited other differences suggest that with moderate additional targeting, community mental health programmes for persons with HIV may be appropriate for men with ID. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

CCSDS Mission Operations Action Service Core Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, Walter F.; Lucord, Steven A.; Stevens, John E.

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the operations concepts of the command (action) services. Since the consequences of sending the wrong command are unacceptable, the command system provides a collaborative and distributed work environment for flight controllers and operators. The system prescribes a review and approval process where each command is viewed by other individuals before being sent to the vehicle. The action service needs additional capabilities to support he operations concepts of manned space flight. These are : (1) Action Service methods (2) Action attributes (3) Action parameter/argument attributes (4 ) Support for dynamically maintained action data. (5) Publish subscri be capabilities.

Modular survivable satellite support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, R. E.

The development of a highly mobile, survivable satellite system from the Transportable Mobile Ground Station (T/MGS) is proposed. The addition of advanced capabilities to the T/MGS such as telemetry processing equipment, and the flexibility of a modularly designed system are examined. The need to increase survivability and mobility while reducing life cycle costs is discussed. A modular survivable satellite support system which consists of a 40-foot van, a diesel tractor, and a multimedia communications subsystem is described. The use of planar and phased arrays to improve transportability and new materials and structural designs to enhance hardness are discussed. Diagrams of the system are provided.

JPSS Science Data Services for the Direct Readout Community

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chander, Gyanesh; Lutz, Bob

2014-01-01

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) High Rate Data (HRD) link provides Direct Broadcast data to users in real-time, utilizing their own remote field terminals. The Field Terminal Support (FTS) provides the resources needed to support the Direct Readout communities by providing software, documentation, and periodic updates to enable them to produce data products from SNPP and JPSS. The FTS distribution server will also provide the necessary ancillary and auxiliary data needed for processing the broadcasts, as well as making orbital data available to assist in locating the satellites of interest. In addition, the FTS provides development support for the algorithm and software through GSFC Direct Readout Laboratory (DRL) International Polar Orbiter Processing Package (IPOPP) and University of Wisconsin (UWISC) Community Satellite Processing Package (CSPP), to enable users to integrate the algorithms into their remote terminals. The support the JPSS Program provides to the institutions developing and maintaining these two software packages, will demonstrate the ability to produce ready-to-use products from the HRD link and provide risk reduction effort at a minimal cost. This paper discusses the key functions and system architecture of FTS.

Building sustainable multi-functional prospective electronic clinical data systems.

PubMed

Randhawa, Gurvaneet S; Slutsky, Jean R

2012-07-01

A better alignment in the goals of the biomedical research enterprise and the health care delivery system can help fill the large gaps in our knowledge of the impact of clinical interventions on patient outcomes in the real world. There are several initiatives underway to align the research priorities of patients, providers, researchers, and policy makers. These include Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-supported projects to build flexible prospective clinical electronic data infrastructure that meet the needs of these diverse users. AHRQ has previously supported the creation of 2 distributed research networks as a new approach to conduct comparative effectiveness research (CER) while protecting a patient's confidential information and the proprietary needs of a clinical organization. It has applied its experience in building these networks in directing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for CER to support new clinical electronic infrastructure projects that can be used for several purposes including CER, quality improvement, clinical decision support, and disease surveillance. In addition, AHRQ has funded a new Electronic Data Methods forum to advance the methods in clinical informatics, research analytics, and governance by actively engaging investigators from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded projects and external stakeholders.

Applied Operations Research: Augmented Reality in an Industrial Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, Stuart K.

2015-01-01

Augmented reality is the application of computer generated data or graphics onto a real world view. Its use provides the operator additional information or a heightened situational awareness. While advancements have been made in automation and diagnostics of high value critical equipment to improve readiness, reliability and maintenance, the need for assisting and support to Operations and Maintenance staff persists. AR can improve the human machine interface where computer capabilities maximize the human experience and analysis capabilities. NASA operates multiple facilities with complex ground based HVCE in support of national aerodynamics and space exploration, and the need exists to improve operational support and close a gap related to capability sustainment where key and experienced staff consistently rotate work assignments and reach their expiration of term of service. The initiation of an AR capability to augment and improve human abilities and training experience in the industrial environment requires planning and establishment of a goal and objectives for the systems and specific applications. This paper explored use of AR in support of Operation staff in real time operation of HVCE and its maintenance. The results identified include identification of specific goal and objectives, challenges related to availability and computer system infrastructure.

Technical Data to Justify Full Burnup Credit in Criticality Safety Licensing Analysis

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

Enercon Services, Inc.

2011-03-14

Enercon Services, Inc. (ENERCON) was requested under Task Order No.2 to identify scientific and technical data needed to benchmark and justify Full Burnup Credit, which adds 16 fission products and 4 minor actinides1 to Actinide-Only burnup credit. The historical perspective for Full Burnup Credit is discussed, and interviews of organizations participating in burnup credit activities are summarized as a basis for identifying additional data needs and making recommendation. Input from burnup credit participants representing two segments of the commercial nuclear industry is provided. First, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has been very active in the development of Full Burnupmore » Credit, representing the interests of nuclear utilities in achieving capacity gains for storage and transport casks. EPRI and its utility customers are interested in a swift resolution of the validation issues that are delaying the implementation of Full Burnup Credit [EPRI 2010b]. Second, used nuclear fuel storage and transportation Cask Vendors favor improving burnup credit beyond Actinide-Only burnup credit, although their discussion of specific burnup credit achievements and data needs was limited citing business sensitive and technical proprietary concerns. While Cask Vendor proprietary items are not specifically identified in this report, the needs of all nuclear industry participants are reflected in the conclusions and recommendations of this report. In addition, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) were interviewed for their input into additional data needs to achieve Full Burnup Credit. ORNL was very open to discussions of Full Burnup Credit, with several telecoms and a visit by ENERCON to ORNL. For many years, ORNL has provided extensive support to the NRC regarding burnup credit in all of its forms. Discussions with ORNL focused on potential resolutions to the validation issues for the use of fission products. SNL was helpful in ENERCON's understanding of the difficult issues related to obtaining and analyzing additional cross section test data to support Full Burnup Credit. A PIRT (Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table) analysis was performed by ENERCON to evaluate the costs and benefits of acquiring different types of nuclear data in support of Full Burnup Credit. A PIRT exercise is a formal expert elicitation process with the final output being the ranking tables. The PIRT analysis (Table 7-4: Results of PIRT Evaluation) showed that the acquisition of additional Actinide-Only experimental data, although beneficial, was associated with high cost and is not necessarily needed. The conclusion was that the existing Radiochemical Assay (RCA) data plus the French Haut Taux de Combustion (HTC)2 and handbook Laboratory Critical Experiment (LCE) data provide adequate benchmark validation for Actinide-Only Burnup Credit. The PIRT analysis indicated that the costs and schedule to obtain sufficient additional experimental data to support the addition of 16 fission products to Actinide-Only Burnup Credit to produce Full Burnup Credit are quite substantial. ENERCON estimates the cost to be $50M to $100M with a schedule of five or more years. The PIRT analysis highlights another option for fission product burnup credit, which is the application of computer-based uncertainty analyses (S/U - Sensitivity/Uncertainty methodologies), confirmed by the limited experimental data that is already available. S/U analyses essentially transform cross section uncertainty information contained in the cross section libraries into a reactivity bias and uncertainty. Recent work by ORNL and EPRI has shown that a methodology to support Full Burnup Credit is possible using a combination of traditional RCA and LCE validation plus S/U validation for fission product isotopics and cross sections. Further, the most recent cross section data (ENDF/B-VII) can be incorporated into the burnup credit codes at a reasonable cost compared to the acquisition of equivalent experimental data. ENERCON concludes that even with the costs of code data library updating, the use of S/U analysis methodologies could be accomplished on a shorter schedule and a lower cost than the gathering of sufficient experimental data. ENERCON estimates of the costs of an updated S/U computer code and data suite are $5M to $10M with a schedule of two to three years. Recent ORNL analyses using the S/U analysis method show that the bias and uncertainty values for fission product cross sections are smaller than previously expected. This result is confirmed by a similar EPRI approach using different data and computer codes. ENERCON also found that some issues regarding the implementation of burnup credit appear to have been successfully resolved especially the axial burnup profile issue and the depletion parameter issue. These issues were resolved through data gathering activities at the Yucca Mountain Project and ORNL.« less

Diabetes self-management support for patients with low health literacy: Perceptions of patients and providers.

PubMed

Fransen, Mirjam P; Beune, Erik J A J; Baim-Lance, Abigail M; Bruessing, Raynold C; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise

2015-05-01

The aim of the present study was to explore perceptions and strategies of health care providers regarding diabetes self-management support for patients with low health literacy (LHL), and to compare their self-management support with the needs of patients with LHL and type 2 diabetes. This study serves as a problem analysis for systematic intervention development to improve diabetes self-management among patients with LHL. This qualitative study used in-depth interviews with general practitioners (n = 4), nurse practitioners (n = 5), and patients with LHL (n = 31). The results of the interviews with health care providers guided the patient interviews. In addition, we observed 10 general practice consultations. Providers described patients with LHL as uninvolved and less motivated patients who do not understand self-management. Their main strategy to improve self-management was to provide standard information on a repeated basis. Patients with LHL seemed to have a different view of diabetes self-management than their providers. Most demonstrated a low awareness of what self-management involves, but did not express needing more information. They reported several practical barriers to self-management, although they seemed reluctant to use the information provided to overcome them. Providing and repeating information does not fit the needs of patients with LHL regarding diabetes self-management support. Health care providers do not seem to have the insight or the tools to systematically support diabetes self-management in this group. Systematic intervention development with a focus on skills-based approaches rather than cognition development may improve diabetes self-management support of patients with LHL. © 2014 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

NASA's Plans for Developing Life Support and Environmental Monitoring and Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, B. Michael; Jan, Darrell

2006-01-01

Life Support and Monitoring have recently been reworked in response to the Vision for Space Exploration. The Exploration Life Support (ELS) Project has replaced the former Advanced Life Support Element of the Human Systems Research and Technology Office. Major differences between the two efforts include: the separation of thermal systems into a new stand alone thermal project, deferral of all work in the plant biological systems, relocation of food systems to another organization, an addition of a new project called habitation systems, and overall reduction in the number of technology options due to lower funding. The Advanced Environmental Monitoring and Control (AEMC) Element is retaining its name but changing its focus. The work planned in the ELS and AEMC projects is organized around the three major phases of the Exploration Program. The first phase is the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). The ELS and AEMC projects will develop hardware for this short duration orbital and trans-lunar vehicle. The second phase is sortie landings on the moon. Life support hardware for lunar surface access vehicles including upgrades of the CEV equipment and technologies which could not be pursued in the first phase due to limited time and budget will be developed. Monitoring needs will address lunar dust issues, not applicable to orbital needs. The ELS and AEMC equipment is of short duration, but has different environmental considerations. The third phase will be a longer duration lunar outpost. This will consist of a new set of hardware developments better suited for long duration life support and associated monitoring needs on the lunar surface. The presentation will show the planned activities and technologies that are expected to be developed by the ELS and AEMC projects for these program phases.

A lack of vision: evidence for poor communication of visual problems and support needs in education statements/plans for children with SEN.

PubMed

Little, J-A; Saunders, K J

2015-02-01

Visual dysfunction is more common in children with neurological impairments and previous studies have recommended such children receive visual and refractive assessment. In the UK, children with neurological impairment often have educational statementing for Special Educational Needs (SEN) and the statement should detail all health care and support needs to ensure the child's needs are met during school life. This study examined the representation of visual information in statements of SEN and compared this to orthoptic visual information from school visual assessments for children in a special school in Northern Ireland, UK. The parents of 115 school children in a special school were informed about the study via written information. Participation involved parents permitting the researchers to access their child's SEN educational statement and orthoptic clinical records. Statement information was accessed for 28 participants aged between four and 19 years; 25 contained visual information. Two participants were identified in their statements as having a certification of visual impairment. An additional 10 children had visual acuity ≥ 0.3 logMAR. This visual deficit was not reported in statements in eight out of these 12 cases (67%). 11 participants had significant refractive error and wore spectacles, but only five (45%) had this requirement recorded in their statement. Overall, 10 participants (55%) had either reduced visual acuity or significant refractive error which was not recorded in their statement. Despite additional visual needs being common, and described in clinical records, the majority of those with reduced vision and/or spectacle requirements did not have this information included in their statement. If visual limitations are not recognized by educational services, the child's needs may not be met during school life. More comprehensive eye care services, embedded with stakeholder communication and links to education are necessary to improve understanding of vision for children with neurological impairments. Copyright © 2014 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Foundational Tests of the Need-Support Model: A Framework for Bridging Regulatory Focus Theory and Self-Determination Theory.

PubMed

Vaughn, Leigh Ann

2017-03-01

This article introduces the need-support model, which proposes that regulatory focus can affect subjective support for the needs proposed by self-determination theory (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and support of these needs can affect subjective labeling of experiences as promotion-focused and prevention-focused. Three studies tested these hypotheses ( N = 2,114). Study 1 found that people recall more need support in promotion-focused experiences than in prevention-focused experiences, and need support in their day yesterday (with no particular regulatory focus) fell in between. Study 2 found that experiences of higher need support were more likely to be labeled as promotion-focused rather than prevention-focused, and that each need accounted for distinct variance in the labeling of experiences. Study 3 varied regulatory focus within a performance task and found that participants in the promotion condition engaged in need-support inflation, whereas participants in the prevention condition engaged in need-support deflation. Directions for future research are discussed.

Eliminating the dichotomy between theory and practice in talent identification and development: considering the role of psychology.

PubMed

Abbott, Angela; Collins, Dave

2004-05-01

It is acknowledged that appropriate support and training are essential if talented individuals are to fulfil their potential. The early identification of talented athletes is an increasingly important consideration for researchers and practitioners alike. Once talented individuals have been detected, crucial but limited support resources can be optimally deployed to ensure that their needs are met and that their gifts are developed. However, there is considerable disagreement among experts on what talent is, and which factors can reliably be used within talent identification processes. This paper explores prerequisites to success in sport, and the comparative efficacy of employing these prerequisites within talent identification schemes. It is proposed that talent needs to be reconceptualized so that talent identification and talent development processes are perceived to be dynamic and interrelated. Additionally, the need to place greater emphasis on the capacity of a child to develop in sport and the psychological factors that underpin this process is highlighted. To this end, it is advocated that talent identification and development schemes, while emphasizing the multidimensional nature of talent, need to recognize the essential role of psychology in the ability of individuals to fulfil their sporting potential.

Earth-to-orbit propellant transportation overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fester, D.

1984-01-01

The transportation of large quantities of cryogenic propellants which are needed to support Space Station/OTV operation is discussed. Two ways to send propellants into space are: transporting them in dedicated tankers or scavenging unused STS propellant. Scavenging propellant, both with and without an aft cargo carrier system is examined. An average of two to four flights per year can be saved by scavenging and manifesting propellant as payload. Addition of an aft cargo carrier permits loading closer to maximum, reduces the required number of flights, and reduces the propellant available for scavenging. Sufficient propellant remains, however, for OTV needs.

Coping and caring: support resources integral to perioperative nurses during the process of organ procurement surgery.

PubMed

Smith, Zaneta; Leslie, Gavin; Wynaden, Dianne

2017-11-01

To discuss and explore the levels of support provided to perioperative nurses when participating in multi-organ procurement surgery and the impact to their overall well-being. Assisting within multi-organ procurement surgical procedures has been recognised to impact on the well-being of perioperative nurses leaving little opportunity for them to recover from their participation or to seek available support resources. To date, this area has remained largely unexplored with limited evidence of how nurses manage and cope with these procedures, in addition to the support received in the workplace. A qualitative grounded theory method. The study was informed by perioperative nurses (n = 35) who had previous participatory experience in these surgical procedures from two Australian states. Theoretical sampling directed the collection of data via semistructured in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method. Three components of levels of support were identified from the data: lacking support within the operating room organisation; surgical team support and access to external professional support. These findings offer new insights into how nurses manage and cope with their participation in organ procurement surgical procedures and what types of support resources can be seen as barriers or enablers to their overall experiences. The need for timely and adequate support is vital to their overall well-being and future participation in organ procurement surgery. These findings have the potential to guide further research with implications for clinical initiatives and practices, looking at new ways of supporting perioperative nurses within the clinical environment both locally and internationally. Healthcare organisations need to acknowledge the emotional, psychosocial and psychological health and well-being of nurses impacted by these surgical procedures and provide appropriate and timely clinical support within the work environment. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Supportability of a High-Yield-Stress Slurry in a New Stereolithography-Based Ceramic Fabrication Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Li; Song, Xuan

2018-03-01

In recent years, ceramic fabrication using stereolithography (SLA) has gained in popularity because of its high accuracy and density that can be achieved in the final part of production. One of the key challenges in ceramic SLA is that support structures are required for building overhanging features, whereas removing these support structures without damaging the components is difficult. In this research, a suspension-enclosing projection-stereolithography process is developed to overcome this challenge. This process uses a high-yield-stress ceramic slurry as the feedstock material and exploits the elastic force of the material to support overhanging features without the need for building additional support structures. Ceramic slurries with different solid loadings are studied to identify the rheological properties most suitable for supporting overhanging features. An analytical model of a double doctor-blade module is established to obtain uniform and thin recoating layers from a high-yield-stress slurry. Several test cases highlight the feasibility of using a high-yield-stress slurry to support overhanging features in SLA.

How Do Pharmacists Develop into Advanced Level Practitioners? Learning from the Experiences of Critical Care Pharmacists.

PubMed

Seneviratne, Ruth E; Bradbury, Helen; Bourne, Richard S

2017-07-07

The national UK standards for critical care highlight the need for clinical pharmacists to practise at an advanced level (equivalent to Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, Faculty Advanced Stage II (MFRPSII)) and above. Currently the UK is unable to meet the workforce capacity requirements set out in the national standards in terms of numbers of pharmacist working at advanced level and above. The aim of this study was to identify the strategies, barriers and challenges to achieving Advanced Level Practice (ALP) by learning from the experiences of advanced level critical care pharmacists within the UK. Eight participants were recruited to complete semi-structured interviews on their views and experiences of ALP. The interviews were analysed thematically and three overarching themes were identified; support, work-based learning and reflective practice. The results of this study highlight that to increase the number of MFRPSII level practitioners within critical care support for their ALP development is required. This support involves developing face-to-face access to expert critical care pharmacists within a national training programme. Additionally, chief pharmacists need to implement drivers including in house mentorship and peer review programmes and the need to align job descriptions and appraisals to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, Advanced Practice Framework (APF).

How Do Pharmacists Develop into Advanced Level Practitioners? Learning from the Experiences of Critical Care Pharmacists

PubMed Central

Seneviratne, Ruth E.; Bradbury, Helen

2017-01-01

The national UK standards for critical care highlight the need for clinical pharmacists to practise at an advanced level (equivalent to Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, Faculty Advanced Stage II (MFRPSII)) and above. Currently the UK is unable to meet the workforce capacity requirements set out in the national standards in terms of numbers of pharmacist working at advanced level and above. The aim of this study was to identify the strategies, barriers and challenges to achieving Advanced Level Practice (ALP) by learning from the experiences of advanced level critical care pharmacists within the UK. Eight participants were recruited to complete semi-structured interviews on their views and experiences of ALP. The interviews were analysed thematically and three overarching themes were identified; support, work-based learning and reflective practice. The results of this study highlight that to increase the number of MFRPSII level practitioners within critical care support for their ALP development is required. This support involves developing face-to-face access to expert critical care pharmacists within a national training programme. Additionally, chief pharmacists need to implement drivers including in house mentorship and peer review programmes and the need to align job descriptions and appraisals to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, Advanced Practice Framework (APF). PMID:28970450

Clinical nursing leaders', team members' and service managers' experiences of implementing evidence at a local level.

PubMed

Kitson, Alison; Silverston, Heidi; Wiechula, Rick; Zeitz, Kathryn; Marcoionni, Danni; Page, Tammy

2011-05-01

To describe the experiences of 14 clinical nursing leaders introducing a knowledge translation (KT) project into one metropolitan acute care hospital in South Australia. The study also explored team members' and service managers' experiences. KT strategies assume that local (nursing) clinical leaders have the capacity and capability to champion innovation combining positional leadership roles (ward leader) with a project lead role. There is limited evidence to support these assumptions. Semi-structured interviews of clinical nursing leaders and managers were undertaken at month 4 and 12 of the project. Data were also collected from the interdisciplinary team members (n = 28). Clinical nursing leaders identified risks and anxieties associated with taking on an additional leadership role, whereas managers acknowledged the multiple pressures on the system and the need for local level innovation. Team members generally reported positive experiences. With support, clinical nursing leaders can effectively embrace KT project leadership roles that complement their positional leadership roles. Clinical nursing leaders' experiences differed from nursing and medical managers' experiences.   Managers need to be more attuned to the personal risks local leaders experience, providing support for leaders to experiment and innovate. Managers need to integrate local priorities with broader system wide agendas. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Assessing School Wellness Policies and Identifying Priorities for Action: Results of a Bi-State Evaluation.

PubMed

Harvey, Susan P; Markenson, Deborah; Gibson, Cheryl A

2018-05-01

Obesity is a complex health problem affecting more than one-third of school-aged youth. The increasing obesity rates in Kansas and Missouri has been particularly concerning, with efforts being made to improve student health through the implementation of school wellness policies (SWPs). The primary purpose of this study was to conduct a rigorous assessment of SWPs in the bi-state region. SWPs were collected from 46 school districts. The Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT) was used to assess comprehensiveness and strength. Additionally, focus group discussions and an online survey were conducted with school personnel to identify barriers and supports needed. Assessment of the SWPs indicated that most school districts failed to provide strong and specific language. Due to these deficiencies, districts reported lack of enforcement of policies. Several barriers to implementing the policies were reported by school personnel; supports needed for effective implementation were identified. To promote a healthful school environment, significant improvements are warranted in the strength and comprehensiveness of the SWPs. The focus group discussions provided insight as to where we need to bridge the gap between the current state of policies and the desired beneficial practices to support a healthy school environment. © 2018, American School Health Association.

Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing the Uruguayan Dietary Guidelines in Everyday Life: A Citizen Perspective.

PubMed

Machín, Leandro; Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica; Patiño, Angelina; Moratorio, Ximena; Bandeira, Elisa; Curutchet, María Rosa; Martínez, Joseline; Bove, Isabel; Molina, Verónika; Giménez, Ana; Ares, Gastón

2017-12-01

An in-depth understanding of the citizen's perception and behavior is needed for the development of targeted public policies and interventions that can successfully encourage people to shift their dietary patterns and contribute to the prevention of non-communicable diseases. The present work aimed to identify barriers and facilitators for the adoption of the new Uruguayan dietary guidelines from a citizen perspective. Twelve semistructured focus groups were conducted with a total of 91 people (81% female, age 18-64 years) from 3 Uruguayan cities. Findings identified several multifaceted barriers, including lack of value given to food, meals and cooking, taste preferences for unhealthy foods, the unsupportive social context in terms of household preferences, customs and social norms, and lack of control of the situation through insufficient food capabilities, time scarcity, and an adverse food market environment. The potential facilitators discussed in the focus groups were mainly related to policies and regulations to discourage consumption of unhealthful products and the provision of more education and information. In addition, respondents acknowledged the need for own actions in terms of seeking greater cooking skills and enjoyment, incorporating changes in their daily routines and promoting a more supportive social environment. Results suggest that supportive actions are needed to support citizen's adoption of the new Uruguayan dietary guidelines.

Ovarian Cancer Survivors’ Experiences of Self-Advocacy: A Focus Group Study

PubMed Central

Hagan, Teresa L.; Donovan, Heidi S.

2014-01-01

Purpose/Objectives To explore ovarian cancer survivors’ experiences of self-advocacy in symptom management. Research Approach Descriptive, qualitative. Setting A public café in an urban setting. Participants 13 ovarian cancer survivors aged 26–69 years with a mean age of 51.31. Methodologic Approach Five focus groups were formed. Focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The content was analyzed using the constant comparison method with axial coding. In-depth interviews with 5 of the 13 participants occurred via telephone one to five months after each focus group meeting to clarify and expand on identified themes. Preliminary findings were shared with all participants for validation. Findings Two major themes emerged from the data: (a) knowing who I am and keeping my psyche intact, and (b) knowing what I need and fighting for it. Exemplar quotations illustrate the diverse dimensions of self-advocacy. In addition, a working female-centric definition of self-advocacy was attained. Conclusions Women have varying experiences with cancer- and treatment-related symptoms, but share a common process for recognizing and meeting their needs. Self-advocacy was defined as a process of learning one’s needs and priorities as a cancer survivor and negotiating with healthcare teams, social supports, and other survivors to meet these needs. Interpretation This phenomenologic process identified key dimensions and a preliminary definition of self-advocacy that nurses can recognize and support when patients seek and receive care consistent with their own needs and preferences. Knowledge Translation Self-advocacy among female cancer survivors is a process of recognizing one’s needs and priorities and fighting for them within their cancer care and life. Practitioners can support female cancer survivors through the process of self-advocacy by providing them with skills and resources in making informed choices for themselves. PMID:23454476

Ovarian cancer survivors' experiences of self-advocacy: a focus group study.

PubMed

Hagan, Teresa L; Donovan, Heidi S

2013-03-01

To explore ovarian cancer survivors' experiences of self-advocacy in symptom management. Descriptive, qualitative. A public café in an urban setting. 13 ovarian cancer survivors aged 26-69 years with a mean age of 51.31. Five focus groups were formed. Focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The content was analyzed using the constant comparison method with axial coding. In-depth interviews with 5 of the 13 participants occurred via telephone one to five months after each focus group meeting to clarify and expand on identified themes. Preliminary findings were shared with all participants for validation. Two major themes emerged from the data: (a) knowing who I am and keeping my psyche intact, and (b) knowing what I need and fighting for it. Exemplar quotations illustrate the diverse dimensions of self-advocacy. In addition, a working female-centric definition of self-advocacy was attained. Women have varying experiences with cancer- and treatment-related symptoms, but share a common process for recognizing and meeting their needs. Self-advocacy was defined as a process of learning one's needs and priorities as a cancer survivor and negotiating with healthcare teams, social supports, and other survivors to meet these needs. This phenomenologic process identified key dimensions and a preliminary definition of self-advocacy that nurses can recognize and support when patients seek and receive care consistent with their own needs and preferences. Self-advocacy among female cancer survivors is a process of recognizing one's needs and priorities and fighting for them within their cancer care and life. Practitioners can support female cancer survivors through the process of self-advocacy by providing them with skills and resources in making informed choices for themselves.

The Impact of Medical/Behavioral Support Needs on the Supports Needed by Adolescents with Intellectual Disability to Participate in Community Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, Hyojeong; Shogren, Karrie A.; Wehmeyer, Michael L.; Little, Todd D.; Palmer, Susan B.

2017-01-01

As adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) transition to adulthood, there is a need to plan for effective community-based supports that address the post-school life. There is also a need to plan for the impact of factors (e.g., medical/behavioral support needs) on supports needed for community participation. Data from the "Supports…

Responding to families with complex needs: a national survey of child and family health nurses.

PubMed

Rossiter, Chris; Schmied, Virginia; Kemp, Lynn; Fowler, Cathrine; Kruske, Sue; Homer, Caroline S E

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which Australian child and family health nurses work with families with complex needs and how their practice responds to the needs of these families. Many families with young children face challenges to their parenting capacity, potentially placing their children at risk of poorer developmental outcomes. Nurses increasingly work with families with mental health problems, trauma histories and/or substance dependence. Universal child health services must respond effectively to these challenges, to address health inequalities and to promote the best outcomes for all children and families. The descriptive study used cross-sectional data from the first national survey of child and family health nurses in Australia, conducted during 2011. Survey data reported how often, where and how child and family health nurses worked with families with complex needs and their confidence in nursing tasks. Many, but not all, of the 679 respondents saw families with complex needs in their regular weekly caseload. Child and family health nurses with diverse and complex caseloads reported using varied approaches to support their clients. They often undertook additional professional development and leadership roles compared with nurses who reported less complex caseloads. Most respondents reported high levels of professional confidence. For health services providing universal support and early intervention for families at risk, the findings underscore the importance of appropriate education, training and support for child and family health professionals. The findings can inform the organization and delivery of services for families in Australia and internationally. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Use of videos to support teaching and learning of clinical skills in nursing education: A review.

PubMed

Forbes, Helen; Oprescu, Florin I; Downer, Terri; Phillips, Nicole M; McTier, Lauren; Lord, Bill; Barr, Nigel; Alla, Kristel; Bright, Peter; Dayton, Jeanne; Simbag, Vilma; Visser, Irene

2016-07-01

Information and communications technology is influencing the delivery of education in tertiary institutions. In particular, the increased use of videos for teaching and learning clinical skills in nursing may be a promising direction to pursue, yet we need to better document the current research in this area of inquiry. The aim of this paper was to explore and document the current areas of research into the use of videos to support teaching and learning of clinical skills in nursing education. The four main areas of current and future research are effectiveness, efficiency, usage, and quality of videos as teaching and learning materials. While there is a clear need for additional research in the area, the use of videos seems to be a promising, relevant, and increasingly used instructional strategy that could enhance the quality of clinical skills education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Devices as destination therapy.

PubMed

Kukuy, Eugene L; Oz, Mehmet C; Rose, Eric A; Naka, Yoshifumi

2003-02-01

The use of circulatory support as destination therapy has been a goal for the treatment of endstage heart failure for several decades. Current investigations are evaluating several circulatory pumps with that particular objective. With continued modification of design, the current and future pumps will become more reliable and provide improved quality of life to patients in need of mechanical circulatory assistance. The new pumps on the horizon specifically address reliability, size, and cost, and are based on the centrifugal system. These devices use the Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) concept that allows for frictionless pumping, low thrombogenicity, minimal noise, and increased durability. Further research with this goal in mind and support from the federal government will be the key to the future use of circulatory assistance as destination therapy for heart failure patients. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of these devices will need to be maintained as the technology improves, as in any new technology that confronts a more intuitive option like the native heart.

Consideration of an Applied Model of Public Health Program Infrastructure

PubMed Central

Lavinghouze, Rene; Snyder, Kimberly; Rieker, Patricia; Ottoson, Judith

2015-01-01

Systemic infrastructure is key to public health achievements. Individual public health program infrastructure feeds into this larger system. Although program infrastructure is rarely defined, it needs to be operationalized for effective implementation and evaluation. The Ecological Model of Infrastructure (EMI) is one approach to defining program infrastructure. The EMI consists of 5 core (Leadership, Partnerships, State Plans, Engaged Data, and Managed Resources) and 2 supporting (Strategic Understanding and Tactical Action) elements that are enveloped in a program’s context. We conducted a literature search across public health programs to determine support for the EMI. Four of the core elements were consistently addressed, and the other EMI elements were intermittently addressed. The EMI provides an initial and partial model for understanding program infrastructure, but additional work is needed to identify evidence-based indicators of infrastructure elements that can be used to measure success and link infrastructure to public health outcomes, capacity, and sustainability. PMID:23411417

[Service robots in elderly care. Possible application areas and current state of developments].

PubMed

Graf, B; Heyer, T; Klein, B; Wallhoff, F

2013-08-01

The term "Service robotics" describes semi- or fully autonomous technical systems able to perform services useful to the well-being of humans. Service robots have the potential to support and disburden both persons in need of care as well as nursing care staff. In addition, they can be used in prevention and rehabilitation in order to reduce or avoid the need for help. Products currently available to support people in domestic environments are mainly cleaning or remote-controlled communication robots. Examples of current research activities are the (further) development of mobile robots as advanced communication assistants or the development of (semi) autonomous manipulation aids and multifunctional household assistants. Transport robots are commonly used in many hospitals. In nursing care facilities, the first evaluations have already been made. So-called emotional robots are now sold as products and can be used for therapeutic, occupational, or entertainment activities.

State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Volume VI--Targeting and Uses of Federal Education Funds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambers, Jay G.; Lam, Irene; Mahitivanichcha, Kanya; Esra, Phil; Shambaugh, Larisa; Stullich, Stephanie

2009-01-01

Achieving the goals of federal education legislation depends on how federal funds are distributed and used. Since the enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965, various federal programs have been created to support educational improvement and target additional resources to meet the educational needs of children who are…

"Sinigurisha! (You are Not for Sale!):" Exploring the Relationship between Access to School, School Fees, and Sexual Abuse in Rwanda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerver, Mollie

2013-01-01

In Rwanda, many victims do not report rape to the police because the perpetrators financially support their basic living needs and/or education. Victims who are impregnated by their perpetrators are even more financially dependent on them, both because of the additional expense of raising a child and because the possibilities of returning to…

The Narrative of Special Education in Sweden: History and Trends in Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hjörne, Eva

2016-01-01

Access to public education that provides equal opportunities for all is a democratic right for every person living in Sweden. In addition, every child should as far as possible be included in the mainstream school. An official story that is taken for granted in Sweden is that an extremely low proportion of children are in need of special support,…

Natural language processing and the Now-or-Never bottleneck.

PubMed

Gómez-Rodríguez, Carlos

2016-01-01

Researchers, motivated by the need to improve the efficiency of natural language processing tools to handle web-scale data, have recently arrived at models that remarkably match the expected features of human language processing under the Now-or-Never bottleneck framework. This provides additional support for said framework and highlights the research potential in the interaction between applied computational linguistics and cognitive science.

Inclusive Schooling: If It's so Good--Why Is It so Hard to Sell?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Rourke, John

2015-01-01

What does the take-up of new technology have in common with the adoption of inclusive pedagogies to support students with additional needs in regular classrooms? Both are profound changes in the way we do things. Both are in response to changes in society. Both are championed by true believers and villainised by those more resistant to change. In…

Tailoring the Acquisition Process in the U.S. Department of Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

and increase efficiency. In theory , those unique programmatic, technical, political, and economic characteristics should determine the management...need to exist for tailoring to be effective? Our objective was to determine whether this policy area would benefit from additional in-depth research...decision reviews, supportability analysis, and deci - sion levels consistent with all applicable statutory requirements. (DAU, 2012, p. B-223) The

How the Use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth Changed the Individualized Education Programs in Portugal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silveira-Maia, Mónica; Lopes-dos-Santos, Pedro; Sanches-Ferreira, Manuela

2017-01-01

Current Portuguese Public Law No. 3/2008 requires the use of the International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability for Children and Youth (ICF-CY) as a reference framework to guide assessment and intervention procedures for students with additional support needs. This study explores whether the ICF-CY use fostered multidimensional…

Composite Materials for Low-Temperature Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Composite materials with improved thermal conductivity and good mechanical strength properties should allow for the design and construction of more thermally efficient components (such as pipes and valves) for use in fluid-processing systems. These materials should have wide application in any number of systems, including ground support equipment (GSE), lunar systems, and flight hardware that need reduced heat transfer. Researchers from the Polymer Science and Technology Laboratory and the Cryogenics Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center were able to develop a new series of composite materials that can meet NASA's needs for lightweight materials/composites for use in fluid systems and also expand the plastic-additive markets. With respect to thermal conductivity and physical properties, these materials are excellent alternatives to prior composite materials and can be used in the aerospace, automotive, military, electronics, food-packaging, and textile markets. One specific application of the polymeric composition is for use in tanks, pipes, valves, structural supports, and components for hot or cold fluid-processing systems where heat flow through materials is a problem to be avoided. These materials can also substitute for metals in cryogenic and other low-temperature applications. These organic/inorganic polymeric composite materials were invented with significant reduction in heat transfer properties. Decreases of 20 to 50 percent in thermal conductivity versus that of the unmodified polymer matrix were measured. These novel composite materials also maintain mechanical properties of the unmodified polymer matrix. These composite materials consist of an inorganic additive combined with a thermoplastic polymer material. The intrinsic, low thermal conductivity of the additive is imparted into the thermoplastic, resulting in a significant reduction in heat transfer over that of the base polymer itself, yet maintaining most of the polymer's original properties. Normal polymer processing techniques can turn these composite materials into unique, custom parts for ground support, Shuttle, and Constellation needs. We fabricated test specimens of the composite and base materials for thermal and mechanical characterization and found that the strength of the composite material at nominal-percentage loading remained relatively unchanged from the base material.

The effect of head nurse behaviors on nurse job satisfaction and performance.

PubMed

Sorrentino, E A; Nalli, B; Schriesheim, C

1992-01-01

Many nursing executives ponder the repeated problems at the unit level and occasionally surmise that effective supervision at that level holds the key to quality patient care. These pragmatic concerns, while commonplace, have yet to be explored empirically. The relationship of head nurse direction and support on subordinate job satisfaction and performance is not clearly understood. This study examines these relationships in the context of three moderating factors--role clarity, job anxiety, and unit size. Additionally, head nurse support is examined as a moderator of relationships between head nurse direction and subordinate satisfaction and job performance. Using a sample of 103 registered nurses in a medium-capacity metropolitan general hospital, the results show some significant correlations between head nurse behavior and job satisfaction and performance, and in moderating the effects of job anxiety, unit size, and support. The study highlights the need for replication in other settings. Additionally, other variables relevant to job satisfaction and performance such as life stressors (death or illness in the family) require investigation. The findings of this study reveal implications for management at the unit level and the importance of understanding subordinate behaviors in the context of head nurse support and direction.

Hope for successful implementation of psychosocial/psychiatric rehabilitation in the forensic mental health setting.

PubMed

Brown, Stephanie A; Lewis, Kent

2015-12-01

To explore staff perceptions of the successes and barriers to implementation of the psychosocial/psychiatric rehabilitation (PSR) model in the forensic mental health setting and identify staff supports needed for greater implementation. A qualitative descriptive design was used and staff focus group data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. All aspects of PSR are being implemented in the forensic setting. Barriers limiting comprehensive implementation include hospital processes and functions, legal components, client clinical presentation, staff attributes and interactions, and lack of resources. To foster greater implementation, employees require support to improve interprofessional interactions and acquire additional resources and education. Strengthening existing successes and addressing barriers identified will foster greater PSR implementation in the forensic setting. Adjusting the physical environment, streamlining documentation, shifting focus from security to rehabilitation goals, and adapting PSR principles to various levels of illness acuity and stages of treatment would enhance PSR implementation. A management focus on improving staff morale, self-care, peer support, team cohesion, and communication would limit burnout and increase successful implementation of PSR. Additional educational opportunities and ongoing training are suggested to support a unified understanding and sustained approach to PSR implementation in the forensic setting. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Feeding preterm infants after hospital discharge: a commentary by the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition.

PubMed

Aggett, Peter J; Agostoni, Carlo; Axelsson, Irene; De Curtis, Mario; Goulet, Olivier; Hernell, Olle; Koletzko, Berthold; Lafeber, Harry N; Michaelsen, Kim F; Puntis, John W L; Rigo, Jacques; Shamir, Raanan; Szajewska, Hania; Turck, Dominique; Weaver, Lawrence T

2006-05-01

Survival of small premature infants has markedly improved during the last few decades. These infants are discharged from hospital care with body weight below the usual birth weight of healthy term infants. Early nutrition support of preterm infants influences long-term health outcomes. Therefore, the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition has reviewed available evidence on feeding preterm infants after hospital discharge. Close monitoring of growth during hospital stay and after discharge is recommended to enable the provision of adequate nutrition support. Measurements of length and head circumference, in addition to weight, must be used to identify those preterm infants with poor growth that may need additional nutrition support. Infants with an appropriate weight for postconceptional age at discharge should be breast-fed when possible. When formula-fed, such infants should be fed regular infant formula with provision of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Infants discharged with a subnormal weight for postconceptional age are at increased risk of long-term growth failure, and the human milk they consume should be supplemented, for example, with a human milk fortifier to provide an adequate nutrient supply. If formula-fed, such infants should receive special postdischarge formula with high contents of protein, minerals and trace elements as well as an long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supply, at least until a postconceptional age of 40 weeks, but possibly until about 52 weeks postconceptional age. Continued growth monitoring is required to adapt feeding choices to the needs of individual infants and to avoid underfeeding or overfeeding.

Investing in the foundation of sustainable development: pathways to scale up for early childhood development

PubMed Central

Richter, Linda M; Daelmans, Bernadette; Lombardi, Joan; Heymann, Jody; Boo, Florencia Lopez; Behrman, Jere R; Lu, Chunling; Lucas, Jane E; Perez-Escamilla, Rafael; Dua, Tarun; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Stenberg, Karin; Gertler, Paul; Darmstadt, Gary L

2018-01-01

Building on long-term benefits of early intervention (Paper 2 of this Series) and increasing commitment to early childhood development (Paper 1 of this Series), scaled up support for the youngest children is essential to improving health, human capital, and wellbeing across the life course. In this third paper, new analyses show that the burden of poor development is higher than estimated, taking into account additional risk factors. National programmes are needed. Greater political prioritisation is core to scale-up, as are policies that afford families time and financial resources to provide nurturing care for young children. Effective and feasible programmes to support early child development are now available. All sectors, particularly education, and social and child protection, must play a role to meet the holistic needs of young children. However, health provides a critical starting point for scaling up, given its reach to pregnant women, families, and young children. Starting at conception, interventions to promote nurturing care can feasibly build on existing health and nutrition services at limited additional cost. Failure to scale up has severe personal and social consequences. Children at elevated risk for compromised development due to stunting and poverty are likely to forgo about a quarter of average adult income per year, and the cost of inaction to gross domestic product can be double what some countries currently spend on health. Services and interventions to support early childhood development are essential to realising the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals. PMID:27717610

The Flash Environmental Assessment Tool: worldwide first aid for chemical accidents response, pro action, prevention and preparedness.

PubMed

Posthuma, Leo; Wahlstrom, Emilia; Nijenhuis, René; Dijkens, Chris; de Zwart, Dick; van de Meent, Dik; Hollander, Anne; Brand, Ellen; den Hollander, Henri A; van Middelaar, Johan; van Dijk, Sander; Hall, E F; Hoffer, Sally

2014-11-01

The United Nations response mechanism to environmental emergencies requested a tool to support disaster assessment and coordination actions by United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams. The tool should support on-site decision making when substantial chemical emissions affect human health directly or via the environment and should be suitable for prioritizing impact reduction management options under challenging conditions worldwide. To answer this need, the Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT) was developed and the scientific and practical underpinning and application of this tool are described in this paper. FEAT consists of a printed decision framework and lookup tables, generated by combining the scientific data on chemicals, exposure pathways and vulnerabilities with the pragmatic needs of emergency field teams. Application of the tool yields information that can help prioritize impact reduction measures. The first years of use illustrated the usefulness of the tool as well as suggesting additional uses and improvements. An additional use is application of the back-office tool (Hazard Identification Tool, HIT), the results of which aid decision-making by the authorities of affected countries and the preparation of field teams for on-site deployment. Another extra use is in disaster pro action and prevention. In this case, the application of the tool supports safe land-use planning and improved technical design of chemical facilities. UNDAC teams are trained to use the tool after large-scale sudden onset natural disasters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Framework of the outreach after a school shooting and the students perceptions of the provided support

PubMed Central

Turunen, Tuija; Haravuori, Henna; Pihlajamäki, Jaakko J.; Marttunen, Mauri; Punamäki, Raija-Leena

2014-01-01

Background A large number of bereaved family members, surviving students, and their relatives as well as school staff and the wider community were in need of psychosocial support as a result of a school shooting in Kauhajoki, Finland, 2008. A multilevel outreach project provided psychosocial care to the trauma-affected families, students, schools staff, and wider community for 2 years and 4 months. Objective This article is twofold. First, it presents the theoretical rationale behind the psychosocial support and describes the multimodal elements of the services. Second, it analyzes the trauma-exposed students’ help-seeking behavior and perceptions of the usefulness of the support they were offered in different phases of recovery. Method Information of students’ help-seeking and perceptions of support is based on a follow-up data from 4 months (T1, N=236), 16 months (T2, N=180), and 28 months (T3, N=137) after the shootings. Mean age of students was 24.9 (SD=10.2; 95% women). Their perceptions of the offered psychosocial support were collected with structured and open questions constructed for the study. Results The results confirmed the importance of enhancing the natural networks after a major trauma and offering additional professional support for those in greatest need. The students’ perceptions of the provided care confirmed that the model of the acute and long-term outreach can be used after major tragedies in diverse situations and in other countries as well. PMID:25018862

Framework of the outreach after a school shooting and the students perceptions of the provided support.

PubMed

Turunen, Tuija; Haravuori, Henna; Pihlajamäki, Jaakko J; Marttunen, Mauri; Punamäki, Raija-Leena

2014-01-01

A large number of bereaved family members, surviving students, and their relatives as well as school staff and the wider community were in need of psychosocial support as a result of a school shooting in Kauhajoki, Finland, 2008. A multilevel outreach project provided psychosocial care to the trauma-affected families, students, schools staff, and wider community for 2 years and 4 months. This article is twofold. First, it presents the theoretical rationale behind the psychosocial support and describes the multimodal elements of the services. Second, it analyzes the trauma-exposed students' help-seeking behavior and perceptions of the usefulness of the support they were offered in different phases of recovery. Information of students' help-seeking and perceptions of support is based on a follow-up data from 4 months (T1, N=236), 16 months (T2, N=180), and 28 months (T3, N=137) after the shootings. Mean age of students was 24.9 (SD=10.2; 95% women). Their perceptions of the offered psychosocial support were collected with structured and open questions constructed for the study. The results confirmed the importance of enhancing the natural networks after a major trauma and offering additional professional support for those in greatest need. The students' perceptions of the provided care confirmed that the model of the acute and long-term outreach can be used after major tragedies in diverse situations and in other countries as well.

Transforming user needs into functional requirements for an antibiotic clinical decision support system: explicating content analysis for system design.

PubMed

Bright, T J

2013-01-01

Many informatics studies use content analysis to generate functional requirements for system development. Explication of this translational process from qualitative data to functional requirements can strengthen the understanding and scientific rigor when applying content analysis in informatics studies. To describe a user-centered approach transforming emergent themes derived from focus group data into functional requirements for informatics solutions and to illustrate these methods to the development of an antibiotic clinical decision support system (CDS). THE APPROACH CONSISTED OF FIVE STEPS: 1) identify unmet therapeutic planning information needs via Focus Group Study-I, 2) develop a coding framework of therapeutic planning themes to refine the domain scope to antibiotic therapeutic planning, 3) identify functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system via Focus Group Study-II, 4) discover informatics solutions and functional requirements from coded data, and 5) determine the types of information needed to support the antibiotic CDS system and link with the identified informatics solutions and functional requirements. The coding framework for Focus Group Study-I revealed unmet therapeutic planning needs. Twelve subthemes emerged and were clustered into four themes; analysis indicated a need for an antibiotic CDS intervention. Focus Group Study-II included five types of information needs. Comments from the Barrier/Challenge to information access and Function/Feature themes produced three informatics solutions and 13 functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system. Comments from the Patient, Institution, and Domain themes generated required data elements for each informatics solution. This study presents one example explicating content analysis of focus group data and the analysis process to functional requirements from narrative data. Illustration of this 5-step method was used to develop an antibiotic CDS system, resolving unmet antibiotic prescribing needs. As a reusable approach, these techniques can be refined and applied to resolve unmet information needs with informatics interventions in additional domains.

Transforming User Needs into Functional Requirements for an Antibiotic Clinical Decision Support System

PubMed Central

Bright, T.J.

2013-01-01

Summary Background Many informatics studies use content analysis to generate functional requirements for system development. Explication of this translational process from qualitative data to functional requirements can strengthen the understanding and scientific rigor when applying content analysis in informatics studies. Objective To describe a user-centered approach transforming emergent themes derived from focus group data into functional requirements for informatics solutions and to illustrate these methods to the development of an antibiotic clinical decision support system (CDS). Methods The approach consisted of five steps: 1) identify unmet therapeutic planning information needs via Focus Group Study-I, 2) develop a coding framework of therapeutic planning themes to refine the domain scope to antibiotic therapeutic planning, 3) identify functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system via Focus Group Study-II, 4) discover informatics solutions and functional requirements from coded data, and 5) determine the types of information needed to support the antibiotic CDS system and link with the identified informatics solutions and functional requirements. Results The coding framework for Focus Group Study-I revealed unmet therapeutic planning needs. Twelve subthemes emerged and were clustered into four themes; analysis indicated a need for an antibiotic CDS intervention. Focus Group Study-II included five types of information needs. Comments from the Barrier/Challenge to information access and Function/Feature themes produced three informatics solutions and 13 functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system. Comments from the Patient, Institution, and Domain themes generated required data elements for each informatics solution. Conclusion This study presents one example explicating content analysis of focus group data and the analysis process to functional requirements from narrative data. Illustration of this 5-step method was used to develop an antibiotic CDS system, resolving unmet antibiotic prescribing needs. As a reusable approach, these techniques can be refined and applied to resolve unmet information needs with informatics interventions in additional domains. PMID:24454586

School-based service delivery for homeless students: relevant laws and overcoming access barriers.

PubMed

Sulkowski, Michael L; Joyce-Beaulieu, Diana K

2014-11-01

Schools in the United States are facing a record number of homeless students. These students are highly at-risk for experiencing negative life outcomes, and they face considerable academic and social-emotional functional impairments. To help address the complex needs of homeless students, this article reviews the intersection of laws and practices that impact homeless students, as well as contemporary school-based service delivery efforts to support the academic and social-emotional needs of these students. In addition, this article also reviews several barriers to school-based service delivery for homeless students and ways to overcome these barriers. These barriers include confusion regarding consent and record-sharing procedures, ineffectively utilizing homeless liaisons, and misapplying tenants of Multitiered Systems of Support (MTSS), which is a school-based service-delivery framework that has been adopted by and implemented in many U.S. schools. Ultimately, this article aims to provide members of school communities with practical information that they can use to support the homeless youth they encounter and serve. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.