The Anticipated Positive Psychosocial Impact of Present Web-Based E-Health Services and Future Mobile Health Applications: An Investigation among Older Swedes.

PubMed

Wiklund Axelsson, S; Nyberg, L; Näslund, A; Melander Wikman, A

2013-01-01

This study investigates the anticipated psychosocial impact of present web-based e-health services and future mobile health applications among older Swedes. Random sample's of Swedish citizens aged 55 years old and older were given a survey containing two different e-health scenarios which respondents rated according to their anticipated psychosocial impact by means of the PIADS instrument. Results consistently demonstrated the positive anticipation of psychosocial impacts for both scenarios. The future mobile health applications scored more positively than the present web-based e-health services. An increase in age correlated positively to lower impact scores. These findings indicate that from a psychosocial perspective, web-based e-health services and mobile health applications are likely to positively impact quality of life. This knowledge can be helpful when tailoring and implementing e-health services that are directed to older people.

Assessing the value of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) in Everglades restoration: an ecosystem service approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richardson, Leslie A.; Keefe, Kelly; Huber, Christopher C.; Racevskis, Laila; Gregg, Reynolds; Thourot, Scott; Miller, Ian

2014-01-01

This study identifies a full range of ecosystem services that could be affected by a restoration project in the central Everglades and monetizes the economic value of a subset of these services using existing data. Findings suggest that the project will potentially increase many ecosystem services that have considerable economic value to society. The ecosystem services monetized within the scope of this study are a subset of the difference between the future-with the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and the future-without CEPP, and they totaled ~ $1.8 billion USD at a 2.5% discount rate. Findings suggest that the use of ecosystem services in project planning and communications may require acknowledgment of the difficulty of monetizing important services and the limitations associated with using only existing data and models. Results of this study highlight the need for additional valuation efforts in this region, focused on those services that are likely to be impacted by restoration activities but were notably challenging to value in this assessment due to shortages of data.

Infrastructure for large space telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacEwen, Howard A.; Lillie, Charles F.

2016-10-01

It is generally recognized (e.g., in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration response to recent congressional appropriations) that future space observatories must be serviceable, even if they are orbiting in deep space (e.g., around the Sun-Earth libration point, SEL2). On the basis of this legislation, we believe that budgetary considerations throughout the foreseeable future will require that large, long-lived astrophysics missions must be designed as evolvable semipermanent observatories that will be serviced using an operational, in-space infrastructure. We believe that the development of this infrastructure will include the design and development of a small to mid-sized servicing vehicle (MiniServ) as a key element of an affordable infrastructure for in-space assembly and servicing of future space vehicles. This can be accomplished by the adaptation of technology developed over the past half-century into a vehicle approximately the size of the ascent stage of the Apollo Lunar Module to provide some of the servicing capabilities that will be needed by very large telescopes located in deep space in the near future (2020s and 2030s). We specifically address the need for a detailed study of these servicing requirements and the current proposals for using presently available technologies to provide the appropriate infrastructure.

EPA's future midwestern landscapes (FML) study

EPA Science Inventory

EPA's ecological research program is initiating research to characterize ecosystem services and enable their routine consideration in environmental management and policy. The "Future Midwestern Landscapes (FML) Study" is one of four place-based studies being planned. Over a 13-st...

Family-centered services for children with complex communication needs: the practices and beliefs of school-based speech-language pathologists.

PubMed

Mandak, Kelsey; Light, Janice

2018-06-01

This study used an online focus group to examine the beliefs and practices of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who served children with complex communication needs regarding their provision of family-centered services. Participants revealed that despite their desire for family involvement and reported beliefs in the importance of family-centered services, there were barriers in place that often limited family-centered service provision. Across the SLPs, many were dissatisfied with their current provision of family-centered services. The SLPs varied in their reported practices, with some reporting family-centered services and others, professional-centered services. Future research is recommended in order to investigate which factors contribute to the variation among SLPs and how the variation impacts children who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and their families. Potential clinical implications for in-service and pre-service SLPs are discussed to improve future family-centered AAC services.

Creating an improvement culture for enhanced patient safety: service improvement learning in pre-registration education.

PubMed

Christiansen, Angela; Robson, Linda; Griffith-Evans, Christine

2010-10-01

The present study reports a descriptive survey of nursing students' experience of service improvement learning in the university and practice setting. Opportunities to develop service improvement capabilities were embedded into pre-registration programmes at a university in the Northwest of England to ensure future nurses have key skills for the workplace. A cross-sectional survey designed to capture key aspects of students' experience was completed by nursing students (n = 148) who had undertaken a service improvement project in the practice setting. Work organizations in which a service improvement project was undertaken were receptive to students' efforts. Students reported increased confidence to undertake service improvement and service improvement capabilities were perceived to be important to future career development and employment prospects. Service improvement learning in pre-registration education appears to be acceptable, effective and valued by students. Further research to identify the impact upon future professional practice and patient outcomes would enhance understanding of this developing area. Nurse Managers can play an active role in creating a service culture in which innovation and improvement can flourish to enhance patient outcomes, experience and safety. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Impact of perceived importance of ecosystem services and stated financial constraints on willingness to pay for riparian meadow restoration in Flanders (Belgium).

PubMed

Chen, Wendy Y; Aertsens, Joris; Liekens, Inge; Broekx, Steven; De Nocker, Leo

2014-08-01

The strategic importance of ecosystem service valuation as an operational basis for policy decisions on natural restoration has been increasingly recognized in order to align the provision of ecosystem services with the expectation of human society. The contingent valuation method (CVM) is widely used to quantify various ecosystem services. However, two areas of concern arise: (1) whether people value specific functional ecosystem services and overlook some intrinsic aspects of natural restoration, and (2) whether people understand the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules given in the contingent scenarios. Using a peri-urban riparian meadow restoration project in Flanders, Belgium as a case, we explored the impacts of residents' perceived importance of various ecosystem services and stated financial constraints on their willingness-to-pay for the proposed restoration project employing the CVM. The results indicated that people tended to value all the benefits of riparian ecosystem restoration concurrently, although they accorded different importances to each individual category of ecosystem services. A longer payment scheme can help the respondents to think more about the flow of ecosystem services into future generations. A weak temporal embedding effect can be detected, which might be attributed to respondents' concern about current financial constraints, rather than financial bindings associated with their income and perceived future financial constraints. This demonstrates the multidimensionality of respondents' financial concerns in CV. This study sheds light on refining future CV studies, especially with regard to public expectation of ecosystem services and the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules.

Impact of Perceived Importance of Ecosystem Services and Stated Financial Constraints on Willingness to Pay for Riparian Meadow Restoration in Flanders (Belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wendy Y.; Aertsens, Joris; Liekens, Inge; Broekx, Steven; De Nocker, Leo

2014-08-01

The strategic importance of ecosystem service valuation as an operational basis for policy decisions on natural restoration has been increasingly recognized in order to align the provision of ecosystem services with the expectation of human society. The contingent valuation method (CVM) is widely used to quantify various ecosystem services. However, two areas of concern arise: (1) whether people value specific functional ecosystem services and overlook some intrinsic aspects of natural restoration, and (2) whether people understand the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules given in the contingent scenarios. Using a peri-urban riparian meadow restoration project in Flanders, Belgium as a case, we explored the impacts of residents' perceived importance of various ecosystem services and stated financial constraints on their willingness-to-pay for the proposed restoration project employing the CVM. The results indicated that people tended to value all the benefits of riparian ecosystem restoration concurrently, although they accorded different importances to each individual category of ecosystem services. A longer payment scheme can help the respondents to think more about the flow of ecosystem services into future generations. A weak temporal embedding effect can be detected, which might be attributed to respondents' concern about current financial constraints, rather than financial bindings associated with their income and perceived future financial constraints. This demonstrates the multidimensionality of respondents' financial concerns in CV. This study sheds light on refining future CV studies, especially with regard to public expectation of ecosystem services and the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules.

The Integration of Synchronous Communication Technology into Service Learning for Pre-Service Teachers' Online Tutoring of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chao-Hsiu; Liao, Chen-Hung; Chen, Yi-Chieh; Lee, Chen-Feng

2011-01-01

To well prepare pre-service teachers for their future teaching, researchers and teacher-educators have been employing information and communication technology to improve pre-service teachers' learning of subject-matter knowledge, pedagogies, classroom-management skills, and so on. This study illustrates a service-learning project we conducted to…

Maternal, Child Health, and Family Planning Services. Hearings before the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, Second Session (February 25, 1988--Healthy Children: Investing in the Future; April 22, 1988--Title X of the Public Health Service Act).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Hearings were held to: (1) receive "Healthy Children: Investing in the Future," an Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) study on cost-effective strategies for improving the health of mothers and children; and (2) consider reauthorization of the Federal Family Planning Program (FFPP), Title X of the Public Health Service Act. This…

Examining Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perspectives on Teaching Practice Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basturk, Savas

2016-01-01

The courses "school experience" and "teaching practice" are undoubtedly among the central courses to be received by pre-service teachers who will be future teachers. Through them, pre-service teachers obtain the realistic information about their profession. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine pre-service teachers'…

Service Learning Inputs and Outcomes in a Personal Selling Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagenbuch, David J.

2006-01-01

To improve the use of service learning in the marketing curriculum, Petkus (2000) recommended that future research focus on empirical studies of service learning in specific marketing courses. Personal selling represents a key component of marketing that is quite amenable to service learning, yet very little research has examined the use of…

Portraits of Pre-Service Classroom Teachers: Exploring Intentions to Integrate Music through the Lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harney, Kristin

2014-01-01

The primary purpose of this short-term study was to examine pre-service classroom teachers' intentions to integrate music in their future classrooms. Using the theory of planned behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010) as a framework, and embedded, multiple-case study design, I developed case studies of six pre-service classroom teachers enrolled in…

[Land use and land cover charnge (LUCC) and landscape service: Evaluation, mapping and modeling].

PubMed

Song, Zhang-jian; Cao, Yu; Tan, Yong-zhong; Chen, Xiao-dong; Chen, Xian-peng

2015-05-01

Studies on ecosystem service from landscape scale aspect have received increasing attention from researchers all over the world. Compared with ecosystem scale, it should be more suitable to explore the influence of human activities on land use and land cover change (LUCC), and to interpret the mechanisms and processes of sustainable landscape dynamics on landscape scale. Based on comprehensive and systematic analysis of researches on landscape service, this paper firstly discussed basic concepts and classification of landscape service. Then, methods of evaluation, mapping and modeling of landscape service were analyzed and concluded. Finally, future trends for the research on landscape service were proposed. It was put forward that, exploring further connotation and classification system of landscape service, improving methods and quantitative indicators for evaluation, mapping and modelling of landscape service, carrying out long-term integrated researches on landscape pattern-process-service-scale relationships and enhancing the applications of theories and methods on landscape economics and landscape ecology are very important fields of the research on landscape service in future.

Integrating future scenario‐based crop expansion and crop conditions to map switchgrass biofuel potential in eastern Nebraska, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gu, Yingxin; Wylie, Bruce K.

2018-01-01

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been evaluated as one potential source for cellulosic biofuel feedstocks. Planting switchgrass in marginal croplands and waterway buffers can reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and improve regional ecosystem services (i.e. it serves as a potential carbon sink). In previous studies, we mapped high risk marginal croplands and highly erodible cropland buffers that are potentially suitable for switchgrass development, which would improve ecosystem services and minimally impact food production. In this study, we advance our previous study results and integrate future crop expansion information to develop a switchgrass biofuel potential ensemble map for current and future croplands in eastern Nebraska. The switchgrass biomass productivity and carbon benefits (i.e. NEP: net ecosystem production) for the identified biofuel potential ensemble areas were quantified. The future scenario‐based (‘A1B’) land use and land cover map for 2050, the US Geological Survey crop type and Compound Topographic Index (CTI) maps, and long‐term (1981–2010) averaged annual precipitation data were used to identify future crop expansion regions that are suitable for switchgrass development. Results show that 2528 km2 of future crop expansion regions (~3.6% of the study area) are potentially suitable for switchgrass development. The total estimated biofuel potential ensemble area (including cropland buffers, marginal croplands, and future crop expansion regions) is 4232 km2 (~6% of the study area), potentially producing 3.52 million metric tons of switchgrass biomass per year. Converting biofuel ensemble regions to switchgrass leads to potential carbon sinks (the total NEP for biofuel potential areas is 0.45 million metric tons C) and is environmentally sustainable. Results from this study improve our understanding of environmental conditions and ecosystem services of current and future cropland systems in eastern Nebraska and provide useful information to land managers to make land use decisions regarding switchgrass development.

The Motivation to Serve Others: Exploring Relations to Career Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffy, Ryan D.; Raque-Bogdan, Trisha L.

2010-01-01

The current study explored the relation between service motivation, or the desire to serve others through one's future career, and vocational outcomes across two studies. In the first study, using a sample of 225 undergraduate students, an instrument was developed to measure service motivation that demonstrated convergent and discriminant…

Social Services in the Workplace: Rhetoric vs. Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyers, Norman L.; Kaulukukui, Malina

1984-01-01

Cautions that the emergence of industry as an arena for social work practice warrants thoughtful study rather than rhetorical justification. Presents the results of one such study of the need for and nature of social services at the workplace. Discusses questions the study raises for future consideration. (Author/JAC)

Parameters of the Future Food Service World of Work. A Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Thomas F.; Swinton, John R.

The document is a study of the food service industry intended for use as a reference by food service teachers and curriculum planners. The purpose of the study is to map the economic and technological territory of the industry, to identify the dynamics shaping the industry today, and to consider questions crucial to an orderly consideration of the…

Service-Learning and Student Diversity Outcomes: Existing Evidence and Directions for Future Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holsapple, Matthew A.

2012-01-01

As today's business world and society become more diverse, it is essential for colleges and universities to prepare students to work and live in that diverse world, and service-learning is one tool for that education. This study presents a critical review of 55 studies of the impact of service-learning participation on students' diversity…

Assessing Hydrologic Impacts of Future Land Cover Change Scenarios in the San Pedro River (U.S./Mexico)

EPA Science Inventory

Long-term land-use and land cover change and their associated impacts pose critical challenges to sustaining vital hydrological ecosystem services for future generations. In this study, a methodology was developed to characterize hydrologic impacts from future urban growth throug...

Assessing Hydrologic Impacts of Future Land Cover Change Scenarios in the South Platte River Basin (CO, WY, & NE)

EPA Science Inventory

Long-term land-use and land cover change and their associated impacts pose critical challenges to sustaining vital hydrological ecosystem services for future generations. In this study, a methodology was developed to characterize hydrologic impacts from future urban growth throug...

A Service Design Thinking Approach for Stakeholder-Centred eHealth.

PubMed

Lee, Eunji

2016-01-01

Studies have described the opportunities and challenges of applying service design techniques to health services, but empirical evidence on how such techniques can be implemented in the context of eHealth services is still lacking. This paper presents how a service design thinking approach can be applied for specification of an existing and new eHealth service by supporting evaluation of the current service and facilitating suggestions for the future service. We propose Service Journey Modelling Language and Service Journey Cards to engage stakeholders in the design of eHealth services.

Pre-Service Career and Technical Education Teachers' Perceptions of Their Subject Matter and Learning to Teach It: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Jeffrey M.

2012-01-01

Our nation's public schools have been given the task of preparing our students for success in college as well as future careers. Determining how to best prepare future teachers is not an easy task, and the current state of public education has had an impact on what it takes to be a successful teacher. Involving pre-service career and…

Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Self as Inclusive Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tangen, Donna; Beutel, Denise

2017-01-01

Teacher education institutions play a key role in preparing pre-service teachers to graduate as competent and confident inclusive educators. Seeking to understand pre-service teachers' current perceptions of diversity and inclusion, and how they perceived themselves as future inclusive educators, this qualitative study employed inductive analysis…

Projecting supply and demand of hydrologic ecosystem services under future climate conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, Li-Chi; Huang, Tao; Lee, Tsung-Yu

2014-05-01

Ecosystems provide essential goods and services, such as food, clean water, water purification, soil conservation and cultural services for human being. In a watershed, these water-related ecosystem goods and services can directly or indirectly benefit both local people and downstream beneficiaries through a reservoir. Water quality and quantity in a reservoir are of importance for agricultural, industrial and domestic uses. Under the impacts of climate and land use changes, both ecosystem service supply and demand will be affected by changes in precipitation patterns, temperature, urbanization and agricultural activities. However, the linkage between ecosystem service provisioning (ESP) and ecosystem service beneficiary (ESB), and scales of supply and demand of ecosystem services are not clear yet. Therefore, to investigate water-related ecosystem service supply under climate and land use change, we took the Xindian river watershed (303 km2) as a case study, where the Feitsui Reservoir provides hydro-power and daily domestic water use of 3,450,000 m3 for 3.46 million people in Taipei, Taiwan. We integrated a hydrological model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool, SWAT) and a land use change model (Conversion of Land Use and its Effects, CLUE-s) with future climate change scenarios derived from General Circulation Models (GCMs), to assess the changes in ecosystem service supply and demand at different hydrologic scales. The results will provide useful information for decision-making on future land use management and climate change adaptation strategies in the watersheds. Keywords: climate change, land use change, ecosystem service, watershed, scale

Customer's Perceptions and Intentions on Online Travel Service Delivery: An Empirical Study in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongxiu; Suomi, Reima

With the wide adoption of e-commerce in travel and tourism industry, the Internet has become an important travel service delivery channel, and traditional travel agency has been under severe disintermediation threat. This paper reports on a survey conducted to explore the Chinese consumer's current usage of the Internet as the channel to search travel information and to book travel services. It also investigates customer's future intentions on using the Internet to book travel services. This paper aims to examine whether there are difference between different consumer segments in terms of gender and age, and to find the hypothesis of disintermediation or intermediation in travel industry. The results indicates that online travel service delivery has grown as a popular direct distribution channel in travel industry, but more of the customers still turn to the traditional travel agencies, which support both the disintermediation and intermediation in travel industry. The results also reveal that online travel services provided by travel service providers still need to be improved since the number of online bookers is declined. This paper concludes by discussing the limitation of this study and highlighting areas for the future research in online travel service field.

User Satisfaction Assessment To Edu-Eco Tourism Services Of Cibodas Botanical Garden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, I. W.; Winarni

2017-10-01

Cibodas Botanical Garden (CBG) is a government institution which has principal duties and functions as area of conservation ex situ of wet highland plants, research, education and tourism, it very closely related to aspect of the services to user. Good services will support the sustainability and existence of CBG as a world class edu-eco tourism destination. The purpose of this study was to measure the quality of services which delivered and improvement which necessary at the future. Assessments were made based on 14 criteria of services aspect for user which need research-education services and regular tourism services activities. The study was conducted by distributing questionnaires to users of these services. Questionnaires distribution was conducted in early August 2015 and August 2016, the respondents were 124 and 207. The results were showed the user satisfaction at good level, there were 77.685 in 2015 and 72.08 in 2016. Although still at a good level, there were a decline in satisfaction levels based on the value. In the future, the managerial needs to continuously to improve it, in order to get a good or very good valuation.

Implementation and outcomes of inquiry-based learning in mathematics content courses for pre-service teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laursen, Sandra L.; Hassi, Marja-Liisa; Hough, Sarah

2016-02-01

This mixed-methods study describes classroom characteristics and student outcomes from university mathematics courses that are based in mathematics departments, targeted to future pre-tertiary teachers, and taught with inquiry-based learning (IBL) approaches. The study focused on three two-term sequences taught at two research universities, separately targeting elementary and secondary pre-service teachers. Classroom observation established that the courses were taught with student-centred methods that were comparable to those used in IBL courses for students in mathematics-intensive fields at the same institutions. To measure pre-service teachers' gains in mathematical knowledge for teaching, we administered the Learning Mathematics for Teaching (LMT) instrument developed by Hill, Ball and Schilling for in-service teacher professional development. Results from the LMT show that pre-service teachers made significant score gains from beginning to end of their course, while data from interviews and from surveys of learning gains show that pre-service teachers viewed their gains as relevant to their future teaching work. Measured changes on pre-/post-surveys of attitudes and beliefs were generally supportive of learning mathematics but modest in magnitude. The study is distinctive in applying the LMT to document pre-service teachers' growth in mathematical knowledge for teaching. The study also suggests IBL is an approach well suited to mathematics departments seeking to strengthen their pre-service teacher preparation offerings in ways consistent with research-based recommendations.

Manned Systems Utilization Analysis. Study 2.1: Space Servicing Pilot Program Study. [for automated payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, R. R.

1975-01-01

Space servicing automated payloads was studied for potential cost benefits for future payload operations. Background information is provided on space servicing in general, and on a pilot flight test program in particular. An fight test is recommended to demonstrate space servicing. An overall program plan is provided which builds upon the pilot program through an interim servicing capability. A multipayload servicing concept for the time when the full capability tug becomes operational is presented. The space test program is specifically designed to provide low-cost booster vehicles and a flight test platform for several experiments on a single flight.

Elderly and disabled transportation plan for the Merrimack Valley

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

Not Available

1987-09-01

This report explores ways to meet the transportation needs of elderly and disabled people in a number of communities north of Boston, Massachusetts. The study uses a process which appears to have broad applicability in other jurisdictions. It examines the demographics in the communities involved first, projecting them into the future. It then conducts a detailed inventory of transportation services, including services for the general public and special users provided by the local transit authorities, private nonprofit services for special users, and privately provided services. Conducting a community-by-community review, the process notes overall levels of demand, concentrations of special usersmore » and their destinations, and the location of transportation routes relative to them. It then recommends new services or alterations to existing services to remedy present or future mismatches. The report should be of interest to transportation planners in communities of all sizes.« less

Reusing Information Management Services for Recommended Decadal Study Missions to Facilitate Aerosol and Cloud Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempler, Steve; Alcott, Gary; Lynnes, Chris; Leptoukh, Greg; Vollmer, Bruce; Berrick, Steve

2008-01-01

NASA Earth Sciences Division (ESD) has made great investments in the development and maintenance of data management systems and information technologies, to maximize the use of NASA generated Earth science data. With information management system infrastructure in place, mature and operational, very small delta costs are required to fully support data archival, processing, and data support services required by the recommended Decadal Study missions. This presentation describes the services and capabilities of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) and the reusability for these future missions. The GES DISC has developed a series of modular, reusable data management components currently in use. They include data archive and distribution (Simple, Scalable, Script-based, Science [S4] Product Archive aka S4PA), data processing (S4 Processor for Measurements aka S4PM), data search (Mirador), data browse, visualization, and analysis (Giovanni), and data mining services. Information management system components are based on atmospheric scientist inputs. Large development and maintenance cost savings can be realized through their reuse in future missions.

A model for planning local contraceptive services.

PubMed

Wilson, S

1989-09-01

Data were collected on abortion referral rates, single young maternity rates and uptake of contraceptive services in order to identify specific areas of unmet need in the Nottingham Health District. Comparisons were made between boroughs and in the City of Nottingham between electoral wards. There was a direct relationship between abortion rate, single young maternity rate and social disadvantage. Analysis of contraceptive usage suggested a more ineffective service in the inner city, which has implications for the more efficient use of resources in the future. Targeting of consumer acceptable services to residents of the inner city and teenagers in general was recommended as a result of the study. For future planning a more useful routine data set was developed to record the activity at family planning clinics.

Chaplains' Perspectives on Their Work in Tasmanian Government Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rayner, Christopher S.; Swabey, Karen J.

2016-01-01

School chaplaincy services aim to promote student and school community well-being. Given the community interest in chaplaincy services in government schools, it is important that research inform future developments to maximize the potential benefits of chaplaincy services to schools. In this study, 68 chaplains in the Australian state of Tasmania…

Investigating Pre-Service Teachers' Mathematics Anxiety Using the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Scale (RMARS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Sue

2012-01-01

Pre-service primary (elementary) teachers' mathematics anxiety affects their engagement with and future teaching of mathematics. The study measured the range of mathematics anxiety in 219 pre-service teachers starting a teacher education course in an Australian university. They responded to the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Scale (RMARS) and a set…

The Reading Experiences and Beliefs of Secondary Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daisey, Peggy

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe secondary pre-service teachers' past reading experiences, present attitudes and beliefs about reading, their attitudes and beliefs about a required content area literacy course, and their predicted use of reading in future instruction. Secondary pre-service teachers (N = 124) of diverse subject areas…

Service-Learning and Interior Design: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterling, Mary

2007-01-01

The case study approach was used to analyze experiential learning through its three components: knowledge, action, and reflection. Two interior design courses were integrated through a university service-learning project. The restoration/adaptive reuse of a 95-year-old library building was to serve as a prototype for future off-campus…

The Place and Future of Social Work in Palliative Care Services in Turkey: State of the Art.

PubMed

Isıkhan, Vedat

2017-04-03

Palliative care, which is a special type of care including alleviation of physical and psychosocial symptoms of individuals with life-limiting serious diseases, has long been neglected in Turkey. This has also affected the activity of social work and social workers in the presentation of health services. In the present study, the present status of social work in palliative care services in Turkey was analyzed. It has also been attempted to explain the historical place of social work in palliative care services from 2002 on under the guidance of the World Health Organization and Ministry of Health. In the present study, an analysis is carried out of stages social work profession went through in social care services, its strong and weak aspects, and its future perspectives. It is thought that the experience gained and accumulation of knowledge in this process as it has occurred in Turkey may serve as guidance for other countries that have only recently started to implement palliative care services, which are evaluated in the context of human rights at present.

Task Group on a Culture of Savings: Implementing Behavior Change in DoD

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Robert Hale Task Group Chairman – Navy Future Personnel and Pay Solution (FPPS) - Business Case November 30, 2009 – Case for Shared Services in the...Public Sector - Accenture Shared Services in Government - AT Kearney – 2009 Global Shared Services Survey Results - Deloitte – Shared Services - a...Benchmark Study - The Johnson Group – Economics of Business Process Outsourcing - Technology Association of Georgia – State of Shared Services and Business

Ecosystem service provision in a changing Europe: adapting to the impacts of combined climate and socio-economic change.

PubMed

Dunford, Robert W; Smith, Alison C; Harrison, Paula A; Hanganu, Diana

Future patterns of European ecosystem services provision are likely to vary significantly as a result of climatic and socio-economic change and the implementation of adaptation strategies. However, there is little research in mapping future ecosystem services and no integrated assessment approach to map the combined impacts of these drivers. Map changing patterns in ecosystem services for different European futures and (a) identify the role of driving forces; (b) explore the potential influence of different adaptation options. The CLIMSAVE integrated assessment platform is used to map spatial patterns in services (food, water and timber provision, atmospheric regulation, biodiversity existence/bequest, landscape experience and land use diversity) for a number of combined climatic and socio-economic scenarios. Eight adaptation strategies are explored within each scenario. Future service provision (particularly water provision) will be significantly impacted by climate change. Socio-economic changes shift patterns of service provision: more dystopian societies focus on food provision at the expense of other services. Adaptation options offer significant opportunities, but may necessitate trade-offs between services, particularly between agriculture- and forestry-related services. Unavoidable trade-offs between regions (particularly South-North) are also identified in some scenarios. Coordinating adaptation across regions and sectors will be essential to ensure that all needs are met: a factor that will become increasingly pressing under dystopian futures where inter-regional cooperation breaks down. Integrated assessment enables exploration of interactions and trade-offs between ecosystem services, highlighting the importance of taking account of complex cross-sectoral interactions under different future scenarios of planning adaptation responses.

The Past and Future of U.S. Passenger Rail Service

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-09-01

This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study-prepared at the request of the Senate Budget Committee-reviews past policies toward Amtrak and the fundamental economics of passenger rail service. The review suggests that there are only limited condition...

77 FR 5379 - Revision of Cotton Futures Classification Procedures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... 0581-AD16 Revision of Cotton Futures Classification Procedures AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service... for cotton futures quality classification services by using Smith-Doxey classification data in the cotton futures classification process. In addition, references to a separate and optional review of...

Supervisor vs. employee safety perceptions and association with future injury in US limited-service restaurant workers.

PubMed

Huang, Yueng-Hsiang; Verma, Santosh K; Chang, Wen-Ruey; Courtney, Theodore K; Lombardi, David A; Brennan, Melanye J; Perry, Melissa J

2012-07-01

Many studies have found management commitment to safety to be an important construct of safety climate. This study examined the association between supervisor and employee (shared and individual) perceptions of management commitment to safety and the rate of future injuries in limited-service restaurant workers. A total of 453 participants (34 supervisors/managers and 419 employees) from 34 limited-service restaurants participated in a prospective cohort study. Employees' and managers' perceptions of management commitment to safety and demographic variables were collected at the baseline. The survey questions were made available in three languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. For the following 12 weeks, participants reported their injury experience and weekly work hours. A multivariate negative binomial generalized estimating equation model with compound symmetry covariance structure was used to assess the association between the rate of self-reported injuries and measures of safety perceptions. There were no significant relationships between supervisor and either individual or shared employee perceptions of management commitment to safety. Only individual employee perceptions were significantly associated with future employee injury experience but not supervisor safety perceptions or shared employee perceptions. Individual employee perception of management commitment to safety is a significant predictor for future injuries in restaurant environments. A study focusing on employee perceptions would be more predictive of injury outcomes than supervisor/manager perceptions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Systematic Underpinning and Framing of the Servicescape: Reflections on Future Challenges in Healthcare Services

PubMed Central

Kwon, Gyu Hyun

2018-01-01

Ever since Bitner defined the term “servicescape” as the physical environment in which the service is assembled, several scholars have attempted to better understand the impact of the built environment in the context of different service settings. While servicescape is a topic of increasing academic interest among scholars and practitioners, most studies in the area are dedicated to understanding the built environment of hedonic service. More studies are needed to examine utilitarian servicescape and in this paper, we have focused on the healthcare environment. This study aims to identify the gap in servicescape and healthscape studies by providing a theoretical structure of the current servicescape literature and comprehend the academic differences between hedonic servicescape and utilitarian healthscape studies. After reviewing 44 selected papers based on rigorous criteria, we: (1) framed the servicescape factors; (2) analyzed the servicescape literature from the perspectives of terminologies, research fields, methodologies, and frameworks; and (3) identified the current paths of healthscape research. Through this work, we highlight the significance of adopting different dimensions and factors to evaluate the distinguished service environment by the servicescape type and propose several research agendas for future studies on healthscapes. The research findings can contribute to a deep understanding of healthscapes and can introduce a new viewpoint for interpreting the servicescape in diversified service settings. PMID:29534035

Evaluating hydrological response of future land cover change scenarios in the San Pedro river (U.S./Mexico) with the Automated Geospatial Watershed (AGWA) tool

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long-term land-use and land cover change and their associated impacts pose critical challenges to sustaining vital hydrological ecosystem services for future generations. In this study, a methodology was developed to characterize potential hydrologic impacts from future urban growth through time. Fu...

Evaluating Hydrological Response of Future Land Cover Change Scenarios in the San Pedro River (U.S./Mexico) with the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) Tool.

EPA Science Inventory

Long-term land-use and land cover change and their associated impacts pose critical challenges to sustaining vital hydrological ecosystem services for future generations. In this study, a methodology was developed to characterize potential hydrologic impacts from future urban gro...

Organizational Response to Conflict: Future Conflict and Work Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Susan

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how on organization's response to conflict affected the amount and intensity of future conflict and negative work outcomes. In this cross-sectional study of 3,374 government service workers, bivariate correlations and multiple regressions revealed associations between managers' conflict-handling style (CHS)…

AGING & HEALTH Expectations About Future Use Of Long-Term Services And Supports Vary By CurrentLiving Arrangement

PubMed Central

Henning-Smith, Carrie; Shippee, Tetyana

2014-01-01

Most Americans know little about options for long-term services and supports and underestimate their likely future needs for such assistance. Using data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, we examined expectations about future use of long-term services and supports among adults ages 40–65 and how these expectations varied by current living arrangement. We found differences by living arrangement in expectations about both future need for long-term services and supports and who would provide such care if needed. Respondents living with minor children were the least likely to expect to need long-term services and supports and to require paid care if the need arose. In contrast, respondents living alone were the most likely to expect that it was “very likely” that they would need long-term services and supports and to rely on paid care. Overall, we found a disconnect between expectations of use and likely future reality: 60 percent of respondents believed that they were unlikely to need long-term services and supports in the future, whereas the evidence suggests that nearly 70 percent of older adults will need them at some point. These findings both underscore the need for programs that encourage people to plan for long-term services and supports and indicate that information about living arrangements can be useful in developing and targeting such programs. PMID:25561642

Electronic Reserve--A Staff Development Opportunity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Robyn

1997-01-01

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Library's experience in developing an electronic reserve service is offered as a case study. Discussion includes the limited access service, technical components, academic community support, lending staff training, usage, copyright, and future scenarios and solutions. (AEF)

The Role of the Extension Service in Rural/Frontier Disaster

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eighmy, Myron A.; Hall, Thomas

2012-01-01

This study was conducted to determine what the Extension Service's community roles and responses were during flood events and what should be done to better prepare Extension staff for future flooding in rural and frontier counties. A survey was used to determine the extent Extension staff were prepared to respond to citizen requests for services.…

Pre-Service Teachers' Perception of and Technology Competency at Creating and Using E-Picture Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Yong Joon; Yang, Youjin

2013-01-01

This study investigated pre-service teachers' perception of and technology competency in creating and using e-picture books in their future classrooms. Participants were 114 pre-service teachers in a required Early Childhood Education undergraduate course at a mid-western university in the United States. As part of the course assignments,…

2001 Industry Studies: Financial Services

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

financial services firms are also positioning to compete here and abroad with international firms. Advances in information technology continue to provide...future. A veritable revolution is taking place within the financial services industry. Globalization, information technology and continuing... technological infrastructure that must be protected. Industry vulnerabilities will continue to increase as use of the Internet , e-commerce, and e-banking become

The Embeddedness of White Fragility within White Pre-Service Principals' Reflections on White Privilege

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hines, Mack T., III

2016-01-01

This study analyzes the prevalence of white fragility within the six white, pre-service principals' online responses to readings about white privilege. Six white, pre-service principals were asked to provide commentary to class readings on the relevance of white privilege to their preparation for future positions as principals. The findings showed…

Can They Plan to Teach with Web 2.0? Future Teachers' Potential Use of the Emerging Web

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kale, Ugur

2014-01-01

This study examined pre-service teachers' potential use of Web 2.0 technologies for teaching. A coding scheme incorporating the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework guided the analysis of pre-service teachers' Web 2.0-enhanced learning activity descriptions. The results indicated that while pre-service teachers were able…

Collaborative Science Learning in Three-Dimensional Immersive Virtual Worlds: Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nussli, Natalie; Oh, Kevin; McCandless, Kevin

2014-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to help pre-service teachers experience and evaluate the potential of Second Life, a three-dimensional immersive virtual environment, for potential integration into their future teaching. By completing collaborative assignments in Second Life, nineteen pre-service general education teachers explored an…

Exploring Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs about Using Web 2.0 Technologies in K-12 Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadaf, Ayesha; Newby, Timothy J.; Ertmer, Peggy A.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study explored pre-service teachers' behavioral, normative, and control beliefs regarding their intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future classrooms. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used as the theoretical framework (Ajzen, 1991) to understand these beliefs and pre-service teachers' intentions for why they…

Intelligent Technologies in Library and Information Service Applications. ASIST Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancaster, F. W.; Warner, Amy

The objective of this study was to gain enough familiarity with developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies to be able to advise the information service community on what can be applied today and what one might reasonably expect to be applicable to library and information services in the near future. The emphasis is on…

Modelling between Epistemological Beliefs and Constructivist Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çetin-Dindar, Ayla; Kirbulut, Zübeyde Demet; Boz, Yezdan

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to model the relationship between pre-service chemistry teachers' epistemological beliefs and their preference to use constructivist-learning environment in their future class. The sample was 125 pre-service chemistry teachers from five universities in Turkey. Two instruments were used in this study. One of the…

The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS): Context, Methods, General Findings, and Future Efforts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolbe, Lloyd J.; And Others

1995-01-01

The School Health Policies and Programs Study assessed health education, physical education, health services, food service, and policies prohibiting violence, tobacco use, and alcohol and other drug use at state, district, school, and classroom levels. State questionnaires found several common themes across the components of school health…

Operations analysis (study 2.6). Volume 4: Computer specification; logistics of orbiting vehicle servicing (LOVES)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The logistics of orbital vehicle servicing computer specifications was developed and a number of alternatives to improve utilization of the space shuttle and the tug were investigated. Preliminary results indicate that space servicing offers a potential for reducing future operational and program costs over ground refurbishment of satellites. A computer code which could be developed to simulate space servicing is presented.

Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil Management

PubMed Central

Crossman, Neville D.; MacEwan, Richard J.; Wallace, D. Dugal; Bennett, Lauren T.

2014-01-01

Soil degradation has been associated with a lack of adequate consideration of soil ecosystem services. We demonstrate a broadly applicable method for mapping changes in the supply of two priority soil ecosystem services to support decisions about sustainable land-use configurations. We used a landscape-scale study area of 302 km2 in northern Victoria, south-eastern Australia, which has been cleared for intensive agriculture. Indicators representing priority soil services (soil carbon sequestration and soil water storage) were quantified and mapped under both a current and a future 25-year land-use scenario (the latter including a greater diversity of land uses and increased perennial crops and irrigation). We combined diverse methods, including soil analysis using mid-infrared spectroscopy, soil biophysical modelling, and geostatistical interpolation. Our analysis suggests that the future land-use scenario would increase the landscape-level supply of both services over 25 years. Soil organic carbon content and water storage to 30 cm depth were predicted to increase by about 11% and 22%, respectively. Our service maps revealed the locations of hotspots, as well as potential trade-offs in service supply under new land-use configurations. The study highlights the need to consider diverse land uses in sustainable management of soil services in changing agricultural landscapes. PMID:24616632

Ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes: a spatially explicit approach to support sustainable soil management.

PubMed

Forouzangohar, Mohsen; Crossman, Neville D; MacEwan, Richard J; Wallace, D Dugal; Bennett, Lauren T

2014-01-01

Soil degradation has been associated with a lack of adequate consideration of soil ecosystem services. We demonstrate a broadly applicable method for mapping changes in the supply of two priority soil ecosystem services to support decisions about sustainable land-use configurations. We used a landscape-scale study area of 302 km(2) in northern Victoria, south-eastern Australia, which has been cleared for intensive agriculture. Indicators representing priority soil services (soil carbon sequestration and soil water storage) were quantified and mapped under both a current and a future 25-year land-use scenario (the latter including a greater diversity of land uses and increased perennial crops and irrigation). We combined diverse methods, including soil analysis using mid-infrared spectroscopy, soil biophysical modelling, and geostatistical interpolation. Our analysis suggests that the future land-use scenario would increase the landscape-level supply of both services over 25 years. Soil organic carbon content and water storage to 30 cm depth were predicted to increase by about 11% and 22%, respectively. Our service maps revealed the locations of hotspots, as well as potential trade-offs in service supply under new land-use configurations. The study highlights the need to consider diverse land uses in sustainable management of soil services in changing agricultural landscapes.

Estimation and Evaluation of Future Demand and Supply of Healthcare Services Based on a Patient Access Area Model

PubMed Central

Doi, Shunsuke; Ide, Hiroo; Takeuchi, Koichi; Fujita, Shinsuke; Takabayashi, Katsuhiko

2017-01-01

Accessibility to healthcare service providers, the quantity, and the quality of them are important for national health. In this study, we focused on geographic accessibility to estimate and evaluate future demand and supply of healthcare services. We constructed a simulation model called the patient access area model (PAAM), which simulates patients’ access time to healthcare service institutions using a geographic information system (GIS). Using this model, to evaluate the balance of future healthcare services demand and supply in small areas, we estimated the number of inpatients every five years in each area and compared it with the number of hospital beds within a one-hour drive from each area. In an experiment with the Tokyo metropolitan area as a target area, when we assumed hospital bed availability to be 80%, it was predicted that over 78,000 inpatients would not receive inpatient care in 2030. However, this number would decrease if we lowered the rate of inpatient care by 10% and the average length of the hospital stay. Using this model, recommendations can be made regarding what action should be undertaken and by when to prevent a dramatic increase in healthcare demand. This method can help plan the geographical resource allocation in healthcare services for healthcare policy. PMID:29125585

Ongoing child welfare services: Understanding the relationship of worker and organizational characteristics to service provision.

PubMed

Lwin, Kristen; Fluke, John; Trocmé, Nico; Fallon, Barbara; Mishna, Faye

2018-06-01

Ongoing child welfare services are put in place after completion of the initial maltreatment investigation when there is a perceived need to mitigate the risk of future harm. The knowledge of how clinical, worker, and organizational characteristics interact with this decision to provide ongoing child welfare services is not well integrated in the research literature. Using secondary data from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2008, this study's primary objective is to understand the relationship of clinical, worker, and organizational characteristics to the decision to transfer a case to ongoing child welfare services and their relative contribution to the transfer decision in Canada. Findings indicate that several clinical level variables are associated with families receiving ongoing services. Additionally, organizational factors, such as type of services offered by the organization and the number of employee support programs available to workers, significantly predicted the decision to transfer a case to ongoing services. While no worker factors, such as education, amount of training, experience, or caseload, were associated with ongoing service receipt, the intraclass correlation coefficient of the final three-level parsimonious model indicated substantial clustering at the worker level. Results indicate that Canadian child welfare workers make decisions differently based on factors not available in the current study and that what would be deemed as important worker characteristics do not necessarily predict this outcome. Findings and implications for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Population Accessibility to Radiotherapy Services in New South Wales Region of Australia: a methodological contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, Nagesh; Wickramasuriya, Rohan; Miller, Andrew; Perez, Pascal

2015-05-01

This paper proposes an integrated modelling process to assess the population accessibility to radiotherapy treatment services in future based on future cancer incidence and road network-based accessibility. Previous research efforts assessed travel distance/time barriers affecting access to cancer treatment services, as well as epidemiological studies that showed that cancer incidence rates vary with population demography. It is established that travel distances to treatment centres and demographic profiles of the accessible regions greatly influence the demand for cancer radiotherapy (RT) services. However, an integrated service planning approach that combines spatially-explicit cancer incidence projections, and the RT services accessibility based on patient road network have never been attempted. This research work presents this novel methodology for the accessibility assessment of RT services and demonstrates its viability by modelling New South Wales (NSW) cancer incidence rates for different age-sex groups based on observed cancer incidence trends; estimating the road network-based access to current NSW treatment centres; and, projecting the demand for RT services in New South Wales, Australia from year 2011 to 2026.

Mobile Device Intervention for Student Support Services in Distance Education Context--FRAME Model Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Lalita S.; Jamatia, Biplab; Aggarwal, A. K.; Kannan, S.

2011-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a study conducted to analyse the effect of mobile device intervention for student support services and to gauge its use for enhancing teaching--learning process as a future study in the context of offer of Distance Education programmes. The study was conducted with the learners of the coveted Post Graduate…

Life Stories of Pre-Service Teachers: Bids, Invitations, Resistance and Redemption, and the Hidden Alliance of Blessers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Thomas Alan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine how pre-service teachers' negative and/or positive life stories inform their future teaching practices. This study used Gee's (2000) theoretical work on identity, particularly his concepts of bids and invitations; and McAdams and Bowman's (2001) empirical study from life story research, focusing on the…

HIV Futures 8: Protocol for a Repeated Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Survey of People Living with HIV in Australia.

PubMed

Power, Jennifer; Brown, Graham; Lyons, Anthony; Thorpe, Rachel; Dowsett, Gary W; Lucke, Jayne

2017-01-01

More than 27,000 Australians currently live with HIV. Most of these people have access to quality clinical care and antiretroviral treatment (ART) and can expect good general health. However, HIV-related stigma is a problem and many people living with HIV experience poorer than average mental health. Issues of aging are also of increasing concern. This paper describes the methods and sample for the HIV Futures 8 study, a national survey of people living with HIV in Australia that aimed to identify factors that support health and well-being among this population. HIV Futures 8 forms part of a series of cross-sectional surveys (The "HIV Futures" studies) that have been repeated periodically since 1997. In the most recent survey, participants were able to opt into a prospective longitudinal study. HIV Futures 8 was open to people aged over 17 who were living with HIV. Data were collected in 2015/2016 using a self-complete survey that contained approximately 250 items related to physical and mental health, use of ART, HIV exposure and testing, financial security, social connectedness, relationships, life satisfaction, resilience, stigma, use of health and support services, and health literacy. To enable comparison of cross-sectional data over time, questionnaire items were consistent with those used in previous HIV Futures surveys. In HIV Futures 8, participants were invited to volunteer coded information that will allow longitudinal follow-up when participants complete subsequent HIV Futures surveys. The survey was advertised through the networks of HIV organizations, on social media and through HIV clinics and services. HIV Futures 8 was completed by 895 participants. This represents approximately 3.8% of the total number of people living with diagnosed HIV in Australia in 2014. Findings from HIV Futures 8 will contribute important insights into the complexity of factors that support physical and mental well-being among people living with HIV. The findings will also assist HIV services to align with broader public health goals related to increasing ART use and improving quality of life among people living with HIV.

Evaluating hydrological response to forecasted land-use change—scenario testing with the automated geospatial watershed assessment (AGWA) tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kepner, William G.; Semmens, Darius J.; Hernandez, Mariano; Goodrich, David C.

2009-01-01

Envisioning and evaluating future scenarios has emerged as a critical component of both science and social decision-making. The ability to assess, report, map, and forecast the life support functions of ecosystems is absolutely critical to our capacity to make informed decisions to maintain the sustainable nature of our ecosystem services now and into the future. During the past two decades, important advances in the integration of remote imagery, computer processing, and spatial-analysis technologies have been used to develop landscape information that can be integrated with hydrologic models to determine long-term change and make predictive inferences about the future. Two diverse case studies in northwest Oregon (Willamette River basin) and southeastern Arizona (San Pedro River) were examined in regard to future land use scenarios relative to their impact on surface water conditions (e.g., sediment yield and surface runoff) using hydrologic models associated with the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool. The base reference grid for land cover was modified in both study locations to reflect stakeholder preferences 20 to 60 yrs into the future, and the consequences of landscape change were evaluated relative to the selected future scenarios. The two studies provide examples of integrating hydrologic modeling with a scenario analysis framework to evaluate plausible future forecasts and to understand the potential impact of landscape change on ecosystem services.

Radio broadcasting via satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helm, Neil R.; Pritchard, Wilbur L.

1990-10-01

Market areas offering potential for future narrowband broadcast satellites are examined, including international public diplomacy, government- and advertising-supported, and business-application usages. Technical issues such as frequency allocation, spacecraft types, transmission parameters, and radio receiver characteristics are outlined. Service and system requirements, advertising revenue, and business communications services are among the economic issues discussed. The institutional framework required to provide an operational radio broadcast service is studied, and new initiatives in direct broadcast audio radio systems, encompassing studies, tests, in-orbit demonstrations of, and proposals for national and international commercial broadcast services are considered.

Identifying spatial priorities for protecting ecosystem services

PubMed Central

Luck, Gary W

2012-01-01

Priorities for protecting ecosystem services must be identified to ensure future human well-being. Approaches to broad-scale spatial prioritization of ecosystem services are becoming increasingly popular and are a vital precursor to identifying locations where further detailed analyses of the management of ecosystem services is required (e.g., examining trade-offs among management actions). Prioritization approaches often examine the spatial congruence between priorities for protecting ecosystem services and priorities for protecting biodiversity; therefore, the spatial prioritization method used is crucial because it will influence the alignment of service protection and conservation goals. While spatial prioritization of ecosystem services and prioritization for conservation share similarities, such as the need to document threats and costs, the former differs substantially from the latter owing to the requirement to measure the following components: supply of services; availability of human-derived alternatives to service provision; capacity to meet beneficiary demand; and site dependency in and scale of service delivery. We review studies that identify broad-scale spatial priorities for managing ecosystem services and demonstrate that researchers have used different approaches and included various measures for identifying priorities, and most studies do not consider all of the components listed above. We describe a conceptual framework for integrating each of these components into spatial prioritization of ecosystem services and illustrate our approach using a worked example for water provision. A fuller characterization of the biophysical and social context for ecosystem services that we call for should improve future prioritization and the identification of locations where ecosystem-service management is especially important or cost effective. PMID:24555017

Universal Telephone Service: Ready for the 21st Century? 1991 Annual Review of the Institute for Information Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aspen Inst., Queenstown, MD.

The common theme linking the contributions to this volume concerns the future of universal telecommunications service. The goal of having a universal telecommunications service has historically been to keep charges low enough that all but the poorest Americans could afford to make and receive telephone calls, even if they lived in remote and…

Evaluating the Relationship between Cognitive Style and Pre-Service Teachers' Preconceived Notions about Adopting Console Video Games for Use in Future Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDaniel, Rudy; Kenny, Robert

2013-01-01

This article explores the impact of perceptual cognitive styles on pre-service teachers' attitudes toward video games. Using a cognitive style continuum measuring field dependence and field independence, the authors conducted an exploratory study to measure the potential impact of cognitive style on pre-service teachers' dispositions towards the…

AnnAGNPS Model Application for the Future Midwest Landscape Study

EPA Science Inventory

The Future Midwest Landscape (FML) project is part of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s new Ecosystem Services Research Program, undertaken to examine the variety of ways in which landscapes that include crop lands, conservation areas, wetlands, lakes, and streams af...

Current status and future prospects for the assessment of marine and coastal ecosystem services: a systematic review.

PubMed

Liquete, Camino; Piroddi, Chiara; Drakou, Evangelia G; Gurney, Leigh; Katsanevakis, Stelios; Charef, Aymen; Egoh, Benis

2013-01-01

Research on ecosystem services has grown exponentially during the last decade. Most of the studies have focused on assessing and mapping terrestrial ecosystem services highlighting a knowledge gap on marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) and an urgent need to assess them. We reviewed and summarized existing scientific literature related to MCES with the aim of extracting and classifying indicators used to assess and map them. We found 145 papers that specifically assessed marine and coastal ecosystem services from which we extracted 476 indicators. Food provision, in particular fisheries, was the most extensively analyzed MCES while water purification and coastal protection were the most frequently studied regulating and maintenance services. Also recreation and tourism under the cultural services was relatively well assessed. We highlight knowledge gaps regarding the availability of indicators that measure the capacity, flow or benefit derived from each ecosystem service. The majority of the case studies was found in mangroves and coastal wetlands and was mainly concentrated in Europe and North America. Our systematic review highlighted the need of an improved ecosystem service classification for marine and coastal systems, which is herein proposed with definitions and links to previous classifications. This review summarizes the state of available information related to ecosystem services associated with marine and coastal ecosystems. The cataloging of MCES indicators and the integrated classification of MCES provided in this paper establish a background that can facilitate the planning and integration of future assessments. The final goal is to establish a consistent structure and populate it with information able to support the implementation of biodiversity conservation policies.

42 CFR 90.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS STUDIES OF... appropriate for the purposes of carrying out his or her responsibilities under CERCLA. Health assessment means... order to assess any current or future impact on public health, develop health advisories or other...

42 CFR 90.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS STUDIES OF... appropriate for the purposes of carrying out his or her responsibilities under CERCLA. Health assessment means... order to assess any current or future impact on public health, develop health advisories or other...

42 CFR 90.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS STUDIES OF... appropriate for the purposes of carrying out his or her responsibilities under CERCLA. Health assessment means... order to assess any current or future impact on public health, develop health advisories or other...

A comparison of trends in research into home care services in Japan and Korea

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The purpose of this study is to compare of the research trends for home care services in Japan and the Republic of Korea (Korea). In particular, it was compared as the research design, the method of data collection, and key words by literature review. Methods Original articles on home care services were selected from Japanese and Korean journals published from the year of 2004 to 2008. The articles were classified, and compared in terms of the number of articles per year. Results The research design was quite different. Quantitative research design was dominantly conducted in Korea, qualitative research design was used same level of design in Japan. In particular, outcome study was shown in Korean. Conclusions It is suggested that future collaboration be undertaken to improve the variety of research design and method especially in both countries under the aged society. In addition, it provides information concerning research concepts, which can be applied to optimize future home care services. PMID:23870373

The association between cognitive impairment and community service use patterns in older people living in Australia.

PubMed

Vecchio, Nerina; Fitzgerald, Janna A; Radford, Katrina; Fisher, Ron

2016-05-01

Family plays a vital role in supporting individuals with dementia to reside in the community, thus delaying institutionalisation. Existing research indicates that the burden of care-giving is particularly high for those caring for a person with dementia. Yet, little is known about the uptake of community services by people with a diagnosis of dementia. Therefore, this study aims to better understand the relationship between cognitive impairment and the receipt of community care services. In order to examine the relationship, secondary data collected across Queensland, Australia, from 59,352 home-care clients aged 65 and over during 2007-2008 are analysed. This cross-sectional study uses regression analyses to estimate the relationship between cognitive impairment and service mix, while controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. The dependent variables include formal services, informal care and total home-care service hours during a 12-month period. The findings of this study demonstrate that cognitive impairment is associated with accessing more hours of respite and day centre care but fewer hours of other formal care services. Additionally, the likelihood of support from an informal caregiver increases when a client becomes cognitively impaired. Therefore, this study demonstrates that there is an increased need for respite programmes to support informal caregivers in the future, as the population of people living with dementia increases. These findings support the need for investigations of new and innovative respite models in the future. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Identifying key areas of ecosystem services potential to improve ecological management in Chongqing City, southwest China.

PubMed

Xiao, Yang; Xiao, Qiang

2018-03-29

Because natural ecosystems and ecosystem services (ES) are both critical to the well-being of humankind, it is important to understand their relationships and congruence for conservation planning. Spatial conservation planning is required to set focused preservation priorities and to assess future ecological implications. This study uses the combined measures of ES models and ES potential to estimate and analyze all four groups of ecosystem services to generate opportunities to maximize ecosystem services. Subsequently, we identify the key areas of conservation priorities as future forestation and conservation hotspot zones to improve the ecological management in Chongqing City, located in the upper reaches of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China. Results show that ecosystem services potential is extremely obvious. Compared to ecosystem services from 2000, we determined that soil conservation could be increased by 59.11%, carbon sequestration by 129.51%, water flow regulation by 83.42%, and water purification by 84.42%. According to our prioritization results, approximately 48% of area converted to forests exhibited high improvements in all ecosystem services (categorized as hotspot-1, hotspot-2, and hotspot-3). The hotspots identified in this study can be used as an excellent surrogate for evaluation ecological engineering benefits and can be effectively applied in improving ecological management planning.

Breast cancer services in Vietnam: a scoping review.

PubMed

Jenkins, Chris; Minh, Luu Ngoc; Anh, Tran Tuan; Ngan, Tran Thu; Tuan, Ngo Tri; Giang, Kim Bao; Hoat, Luu Ngoc; Lohfeld, Lynne; Donnelly, Michael; Van Minh, Hoang; Murray, Liam

2018-01-01

Breast cancer incidence has been increasing consistently in Vietnam. Thus far, there have been no analytical reviews of research produced within this area. We sought to analyse the nature andextent of empirical studies about breast cancer in Vietnam, identifying areas for future research and systemsstrengthening. We undertook a scoping study using a five-stage framework to review published and grey literature in English and Vietnamese on breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. We focused specifically on research discussing the health system and service provision. Our results show that breast cancer screening is limited, with no permanent or integrated national screening activities. There is a lack of information on screening processes and on the integration of screening services with other areas of the health system. Treatment is largely centralised, and across all services there is a lack of evaluation and data collection that would be informative for recommendations seeking to improve accessibility and quality of breast cancer services. This paper is the first scoping review of breast cancer services in Vietnam. It outlines areas for future focus for policy makers and researchers with the objective of strengthening service provision to women with breast cancer across the country while also providing a methodological example for how to conduct a collaborative scoping review.

Breast cancer services in Vietnam: a scoping review

PubMed Central

Jenkins, Chris; Minh, Luu Ngoc; Anh, Tran Tuan; Ngan, Tran Thu; Tuan, Ngo Tri; Giang, Kim Bao; Hoat, Luu Ngoc; Lohfeld, Lynne; Donnelly, Michael; Van Minh, Hoang; Murray, Liam

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Breast cancer incidence has been increasing consistently in Vietnam. Thus far, there have been no analytical reviews of research produced within this area. Objectives: We sought to analyse the nature andextent of empirical studies about breast cancer in Vietnam, identifying areas for future research and systemsstrengthening. Methods: We undertook a scoping study using a five-stage framework to review published and grey literature in English and Vietnamese on breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. We focused specifically on research discussing the health system and service provision. Results: Our results show that breast cancer screening is limited, with no permanent or integrated national screening activities. There is a lack of information on screening processes and on the integration of screening services with other areas of the health system. Treatment is largely centralised, and across all services there is a lack of evaluation and data collection that would be informative for recommendations seeking to improve accessibility and quality of breast cancer services. Conclusions: This paper is the first scoping review of breast cancer services in Vietnam. It outlines areas for future focus for policy makers and researchers with the objective of strengthening service provision to women with breast cancer across the country while also providing a methodological example for how to conduct a collaborative scoping review. PMID:29473488

Space Mobile Network: A Near Earth Communication and Navigation Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israel, Dave J.; Heckler, Greg; Menrad, Robert J.

2016-01-01

This paper describes a Space Mobile Network architecture, the result of a recently completed NASA study exploring architectural concepts to produce a vision for the future Near Earth communications and navigation systems. The Space Mobile Network (SMN) incorporates technologies, such as Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) and optical communications, and new operations concepts, such as User Initiated Services, to provide user services analogous to a terrestrial smartphone user. The paper will describe the SMN Architecture, envisioned future operations concepts, opportunities for industry and international collaboration and interoperability, and technology development areas and goals.

Services for Adults With an Autism Spectrum Disorder

PubMed Central

Shattuck, Paul T; Roux, Anne M; Hudson, Laura E; Taylor, Julie Lounds; Maenner, Matthew J; Trani, Jean-Francois

2012-01-01

The need for useful evidence about services is increasing as larger numbers of children identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) age toward adulthood. The objective of this review was to characterize the topical and methodological aspects of research on services for supporting success in work, education, and social participation among adults with an ASD and to propose recommendations for moving this area of research forward. We reviewed the literature published in English from 2000 to 2010 and found that the evidence base about services for adults with an ASD is underdeveloped and can be considered a field of inquiry that is relatively unformed. Extant research does not reflect the demographic or impairment heterogeneity of the population, the range of services that adults with autism require to function with purposeful lives in the community, and the need for coordination across service systems and sectors. Future studies must examine issues related to cost and efficiency, given the broader sociopolitical and economic context of service provision. Further, future research needs to consider how demographic and impairment heterogeneity have implications for building an evidence base that will have greater external validity. PMID:22546060

Investigating consumers' and informal carers' views and preferences for consumer directed care: A discrete choice experiment.

PubMed

Kaambwa, Billingsley; Lancsar, Emily; McCaffrey, Nicola; Chen, Gang; Gill, Liz; Cameron, Ian D; Crotty, Maria; Ratcliffe, Julie

2015-09-01

Consumer directed care (CDC) is currently being embraced internationally as a means to promote autonomy and choice for consumers (people aged 65 and over) receiving community aged care services (CACSs). CDC involves giving CACS clients (consumers and informal carers of consumers) control over how CACSs are administered. However, CDC models have largely developed in the absence of evidence on clients' views and preferences. We explored CACS clients' preferences for a variety of CDC attributes and identified factors that may influence these preferences and potentially inform improved design of future CDC models. Study participants were clients of CACSs delivered by five Australian providers. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) approach undertaken in a group setting between June and December 2013, we investigated the relative importance to CACS consumers and informal (family) carers of gradations relating to six salient features of CDC (choice of service provider(s), budget management, saving unused/unspent funds, choice of support/care worker(s), support-worker flexibility and level of contact with service coordinator). The DCE data were analysed using conditional, mixed and generalised logit regression models, accounting for preference and scale heterogeneity. Mean ages for 117 study participants were 80 years (87 consumers) and 74 years (30 informal carers). All participants preferred a CDC approach that allowed them to: save unused funds from a CACS package for future use; have support workers that were flexible in terms of changing activities within their CACS care plan and; choose the support workers that provide their day-to-day CACSs. The CDC attributes found to be important to both consumers and informal carers receiving CACSs will inform the design of future CDC models of service delivery. The DCE approach used in this study has the potential for wide applicability and facilitates the assessment of preferences for elements of potential future aged care service delivery not yet available in policy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Future Educators' Explaining Voices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira, Janaina Minelli; Caballero, Pablo Buenestado; Camacho, Mar

2013-01-01

Teacher education programs must offer pre-service students innovative technology-supported learning environments, guiding them in the revision of their preconceptions on literacy and technology. This present paper presents a case study that uses podcast to inquiry into future educators' views on technology and the digital age. Results show future…

Evaluating hydrological response of future land cover change scenarios in the San Pedro River (U.S./Mexico) with the automated geospatial watershed assessment (AGWA) tool

Treesearch

William G. Kepner; I. Shea Burns; David C Goodrich; D. Phillip Guertin; Gabriel S. Sidman; Lainie R. Levick; Wison W.S. Yee; Melissa M.A. Scianni; Clifton S. Meek; Jared B. Vollmer

2016-01-01

Long-term land-use and land cover change and their associated impacts pose critical challenges to sustaining vital hydrological ecosystem services for future generations. In this study, a methodology was developed to characterize potential hydrologic impacts from future urban growth through time. Future growth is represented by housing density maps generated in decadal...

Current and planned shared service arrangements in Wisconsin local and tribal health departments.

PubMed

Madamala, Kusuma; Young, Nancy; Young, Dustin; Giese, Lieske; Brandenberg, Terry; Zahner, Susan

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore current and future use of shared service arrangements as a management strategy to increase capacity to provide public health essential services in Wisconsin. An online cross-sectional survey of 99 local and tribal health departments in Wisconsin was conducted. Select variables from the 2010 Wisconsin Local Health Department Survey were merged. Other data sources included results from a Board of Health governance analysis and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services region data. Descriptive analysis was performed of current and future shared service arrangements and the characteristics of the types of arrangements and agreements in place. Ninety-one of 99 Wisconsin local and tribal health departments responded, yielding a 92% response rate. Seventy-one percent of respondents currently share services with 1 or more other health departments. More frequent arrangements were present in programmatic areas than in departmental operations. Most frequently reported motivators include making better use of resources, providing better services, and responding to program requirements. Extensive qualitative comments indicate arrangements accomplished what the local health department hoped it would with perceived gains in efficiency and effectiveness. There is widespread use of shared services among health departments in Wisconsin. Extensive qualitative comments suggest participant satisfaction with what the arrangements have accomplished. Motivating factors in developing the arrangements and limited mention of expiration dates suggest continued study of how these arrangements may evolve. Further examination of shared services as a potential mechanism to advance service effectiveness and efficiency is needed.

Future of Department of Defense Cloud Computing Amid Cultural Confusion

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

enterprise cloud - computing environment and transition to a public cloud service provider. Services have started the development of individual cloud - computing environments...endorsing cloud computing . It addresses related issues in matters of service culture changes and how strategic leaders will dictate the future of cloud ...through data center consolidation and individual Service provided cloud computing .

Mental illness research in the Gulf Cooperation Council: a scoping review.

PubMed

Hickey, Jason E; Pryjmachuk, Steven; Waterman, Heather

2016-08-04

Rapid growth and development in recent decades has seen mental health and mental illness emerge as priority health concerns for the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). As a result, mental health services in the region are being redefined and expanded. However, there is a paucity of local research to guide ongoing service development. Local research is important because service users' experience of mental illness and mental health services are linked to their sociocultural context. In order for service development to be most effective, there is a need for increased understanding of the people who use these services.This article aims to review and synthesize mental health research from the Gulf Cooperation Council. It also seeks to identify gaps in the literature and suggest directions for future research. A scoping framework was used to conduct this review. To identify studies, database searches were undertaken, regional journals were hand-searched, and reference lists of included articles were examined. Empirical studies undertaken in the Gulf Cooperation Council that reported mental health service users' experience of mental illness were included. Framework analysis was used to synthesize results. Fifty-five studies met inclusion criteria and the following themes were identified: service preferences, illness (symptomology, perceived cause, impact), and recovery (traditional healing, family support, religion). Gaps included contradictory findings related to the supportive role of the Arabic extended family and religion, under-representation of women in study samples, and limited attention on illness management outside of the hospital setting.From this review, it is clear that the sociocultural context in the region is linked to service users' experience of mental illness. Future research that aims to fill the identified gaps and develop and test culturally appropriate interventions will aid practice and policy development in the region.

Integrating technology readiness into the expectation-confirmation model: an empirical study of mobile services.

PubMed

Chen, Shih-Chih; Liu, Ming-Ling; Lin, Chieh-Peng

2013-08-01

The aim of this study was to integrate technology readiness into the expectation-confirmation model (ECM) for explaining individuals' continuance of mobile data service usage. After reviewing the ECM and technology readiness, an integrated model was demonstrated via empirical data. Compared with the original ECM, the findings of this study show that the integrated model may offer an ameliorated way to clarify what factors and how they influence the continuous intention toward mobile services. Finally, the major findings are summarized, and future research directions are suggested.

Primary-care-based social prescribing for mental health: an analysis of financial and environmental sustainability.

PubMed

Maughan, Daniel L; Patel, Alisha; Parveen, Tahmina; Braithwaite, Isobel; Cook, Jonathan; Lillywhite, Rob; Cooke, Matthew

2016-03-01

Aim To assess the effects of a social prescribing service development on healthcare use and the subsequent economic and environmental costs. Social prescribing services for mental healthcare create links with support in the community for people using primary care. Social prescribing services may reduce future healthcare use, and therefore reduce the financial and environmental costs of healthcare, by providing structured psychosocial support. The National Health Service (NHS) is required to reduce its carbon footprint by 80% by 2050 according to the Climate Change Act (2008). This study is the first of its kind to analyse both the financial and environmental impacts associated with healthcare use following social prescribing. The value of this observational study lies in its novel methodology of analysing the carbon footprint of a service at the primary-care level. An observational study was carried out to assess the impact of the service on the financial and environmental impacts of healthcare use. GP appointments, psychotropic medications and secondary-care referrals were measured. Findings Results demonstrate no statistical difference in the financial and carbon costs of healthcare use between groups. Social prescribing showed a trend towards reduced healthcare use, mainly due to a reduction in secondary-care referrals compared with controls. The associations found did not achieve significance due to the small sample size leading to a large degree of uncertainty regarding differences. This study demonstrates that these services are potentially able to pay for themselves through reducing future healthcare costs and are effective, low-carbon interventions, when compared with cognitive behavioral therapy or antidepressants. This is an important finding in light of Government targets for the NHS to reduce its carbon footprint by 80% by 2050. Larger studies are required to investigate the potentials of social prescribing services further.

Special Education Teacher Education Research: Current Status and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sindelar, Paul T.; Brownell, Mary T.; Billingsley, Bonnie

2010-01-01

In this article, the authors propose an agenda for special education teacher education researchers, with particular attention to policy work and studies of innovations in pre-service preparation, induction and mentoring, and professional development. Because previous research is limited and unfocused, the foundation for future research is weak,…

AnnAGNPS Model Application for Nitrogen Loading Assessment for the Future Midwest Landscape Study

EPA Science Inventory

The Future Midwest Landscape (FML) project is part of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s new Ecosystem Services Research Program, undertaken to examine the variety of ways in which landscapes that include crop lands, conservation areas, wetlands, lakes, and streams af...

Assessing Hydrologic Impacts of Future Land Cover Change Scenarios in the South Platte River Basin (CO, WY, & NE)

EPA Science Inventory

Long‐term land‐use and land cover change and their associated impacts pose critical challenges to sustaining vital hydrological ecosystem services for future generations. In this study, a methodology was developed on the San Pedro River Basin to characterize hydrologi...

Future Science Teachers' Understandings of Diffusion and Osmosis Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomazic, Iztok; Vidic, Tatjana

2012-01-01

The concepts of diffusion and osmosis cross the disciplinary boundaries of physics, chemistry and biology. They are important for understanding how biological systems function. Since future (pre-service) science teachers in Slovenia encounter both concepts at physics, chemistry and biology courses during their studies, we assessed the first-,…

Feasibility study of using satellites for a disaster warning system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The development of requirements for the Disaster Warning System (DWS) was investigated in relation to the National Weather Service. Conceptual communication traffic flow patterns for the future of the NWS are studied to determine the impact of the DWS on the MWS. The planned warning systems, and satellite communications are discussed along with data collection, and communication services.

Are Science Teachers Prepared to Promote Argumentation? A Case Study with Pre-Service Teachers in Bogotá City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archila, Pablo Antonio

2014-01-01

This paper addresses the importance of argumentation in science education. A research project was done in order to know how a group of pre-service chemistry teachers has been prepared to promote students' argumentation. A Chemistry degree studies plan from a Colombian university was surveyed, and 18 future teachers' representations about…

Pre-Service Teacher Opinions about Eco-Friendly Person Activity Package Developed to Raise Environmental Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Candan, Sevcan; Erten, Sinan

2015-01-01

In this study, the effectiveness of Eco-Friendly Person Activity Package developed in order to raise environmental awareness in pre-service teachers and enable them to be an example of an eco-friendly teacher for their future students, and the responses about Eco-Friendly Person Activity Package were investigated. The study was conducted on 75…

Embarking on the Teaching Journey: Pre-Service Teachers Reflecting upon Themselves as Future Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyngsnes, Kitt Margaret

2012-01-01

This article reports on a research study that examined 25 reflective papers written by pre-service teachers a few weeks into attending primary teacher education. The overall aim of the study was to gain insight into the students' thoughts and ways of reflecting as a basis for taking action to improve lecturing, tasks and exercises which promote…

The Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers' Concerns about Integrating Web 2.0 Technologies into Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hao, Yungwei; Wang, Shiou-ling; Chang, Su-jen; Hsu, Yin-hung; Tang, Ren-yen

2013-01-01

Studies indicated Web 2.0 technologies can support learning. Then, integration of innovation may create concerns among teachers because of the innovative features. In this study, the innovation refers to Web 2.0 technology integration into instruction. To help pre-service teachers make the best use of the innovation in their future instruction, it…

7 CFR 1753.38 - Procurement procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... introduction of various future services; the relative costs of installing the necessary hardware and software initially as compared with the anticipated cost if installed at the time when the future services are to be...

78 FR 21919 - Public Availability of Fiscal Year 2012 Service Contract Inventory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-12

... Inventory AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Commodity Futures... Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Service Contract Inventory. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the Service Contract Inventory should be directed to Sonda R. Owens, Contracting Officer, in the...

Literacy Attitudes, Habits and Achievements of Future Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benevides, Tina; Stagg Peterson, Shelley

2010-01-01

Pre-service teachers' reading habits and their literacy abilities affect their views toward teaching reading and writing and how they implement literacy instruction. This study explored the relationship between the past and current reading habits of pre-service teachers in relation to their reading and writing abilities. Participating teacher…

Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Counseling Services among Chinese International Students: Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, and English Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jiaqi; Marbley, Aretha Faye; Bradley, Loretta J.; Lan, William

2016-01-01

The authors examined the help-seeking attitudes of 109 Chinese international students studying in the United States. Results revealed that significant relationships exist among acculturation, ethnic identity, English proficiency, and attitudes toward seeking professional counseling services. Limitations and recommendations for future research are…

General Economic and Demographic Background and Projections for Indiana Library Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foust, James D.; Tower, Carl B.

Before future library needs can be estimated, economic and demographic variables that influence the demand for library services must be projected and estimating equations relating library needs to economic and demographic parameters developed. This study considers the size, location and age-sex characteristics of Indiana's current population and…

Pre-Service and Beginning Teachers Rate the Utility of Virtual Museum Exhibits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iding, Marie; Nordbotten, Joan

2011-01-01

This study investigated criteria that 91 pre-service teachers used to evaluate award-winning virtual museum exhibits for future use in teaching. Individual differences affected ratings, including teaching experience, age and gender. A categorization of participants' reasons for selection included audience level, site design and information…

Pre-Service Primary School Teachers' Logical Reasoning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchis, Iuliana

2013-01-01

Logical reasoning skills are important for a successful mathematical learning and in students' future career. These skills are essential for a primary school teacher, because they need to explain solving methods and solutions to their pupils. In this research we studied pre-service primary school teachers' logical reasoning skills. The results…

Migrating an Online Service to WAP - A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klasen, Lars

2002-01-01

Discusses mobile access via wireless application protocol (WAP) to online services that is offered in Sweden through InfoTorg. Topics include the Swedish online market; filtering HTML data from an Internet/Web server into WML (wireless markup language); mobile phone technology; microbrowsers; WAP protocol; and future possibilities. (LRW)

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park : Assessment of Management of Kennesaw Mountain Drive and Bus Shuttle Service.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-07-06

The purpose of this study is to assess the management of the Kennesaw Mountain Drive, which runs from the Visitor Center to the : summit of Kennesaw Mountain, and assess the future of the shuttle service that operates on the road during weekends, inc...

Social and economic value of Portuguese community pharmacies in health care.

PubMed

Félix, Jorge; Ferreira, Diana; Afonso-Silva, Marta; Gomes, Marta Vargas; Ferreira, César; Vandewalle, Björn; Marques, Sara; Mota, Melina; Costa, Suzete; Cary, Maria; Teixeira, Inês; Paulino, Ema; Macedo, Bruno; Barbosa, Carlos Maurício

2017-08-29

Community pharmacies are major contributors to health care systems across the world. Several studies have been conducted to evaluate community pharmacies services in health care. The purpose of this study was to estimate the social and economic benefits of current and potential future community pharmacies services provided by pharmacists in health care in Portugal. The social and economic value of community pharmacies services was estimated through a decision-model. Model inputs included effectiveness data, quality of life (QoL) and health resource consumption, obtained though literature review and adapted to Portuguese reality by an expert panel. The estimated economic value was the result of non-remunerated pharmaceutical services plus health resource consumption potentially avoided. Social and economic value of community pharmacies services derives from the comparison of two scenarios: "with service" versus "without service". It is estimated that current community pharmacies services in Portugal provide a gain in QoL of 8.3% and an economic value of 879.6 million euros (M€), including 342.1 M€ in non-remunerated pharmaceutical services and 448.1 M€ in avoided expense with health resource consumption. Potential future community pharmacies services may provide an additional increase of 6.9% in QoL and be associated with an economic value of 144.8 M€: 120.3 M€ in non-remunerated services and 24.5 M€ in potential savings with health resource consumption. Community pharmacies services provide considerable benefit in QoL and economic value. An increase range of services including a greater integration in primary and secondary care, among other transversal services, may add further social and economic value to the society.

Influences of satisfaction with telecare and family trust in older Taiwanese people.

PubMed

Tsai, Chung-Hung; Kuo, Yu-Ming; Uei, Shu-Lin

2014-01-27

The level of trust given towards telecare by the family members of older people using the service is extremely important. Family trust may be an influential factor in deciding whether to use such services. This study focuses on older people's satisfaction with telecare and examines their family's trust in telecare services. Influences on intention to continue using telecare services are also explored. A questionnaire-based survey on 60 communities dwelling older people who had been receiving telecare services in the past two years was employed. This study developed a satisfaction and trust scale based on previous studies. Our results show that older people's satisfaction with telecare services and families' trust were influential in decided whether to continue to use of telecare services. These findings can help medical institutions to better insight into the user experience of telecare to help them provide future services that better comply with clients' desires and requirements.

Engaging Patients through Mobile Phones: Demonstrator Services, Success Factors, and Future Opportunities in Low and Middle-income Countries

PubMed Central

Hartzler, A.

2014-01-01

Summary Objectives Evolving technology and infrastructure can benefit patients even in the poorest countries through mobile health (mHealth). Yet, what makes mobile-phone-based services succeed in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) and what opportunities does the future hold that still need to be studied. We showcase demonstrator services that leverage mobile phones in the hands of patients to promote health and facilitate health care. Methods We surveyed the recent biomedical literature for demonstrator services that illustrate well-considered examples of mobile phone interventions for consumer health. We draw upon those examples to discuss enabling factors, scalability, reach, and potential of mHealth as well as obstacles in LMIC. Results Among the 227 articles returned by a PubMed search, we identified 55 articles that describe services targeting health consumers equipped with mobile phones. From those articles, we showcase 19 as demonstrator services across clinical care, prevention, infectious diseases, and population health. Services range from education, reminders, reporting, and peer support, to epidemiologic reporting, and care management with phone communication and messages. Key achievements include timely adherence to treatment and appointments, clinical effectiveness of treatment reminders, increased vaccination coverage and uptake of screening, and capacity for efficient disease surveillance. We discuss methodologies of delivery and evaluation of mobile-phone-based mHealth in LMIC, including service design, social context, and environmental factors to success. Conclusions Demonstrated promises using mobile phones in the poorest countries encourage a future in which IMIA takes a lead role in leveraging mHealth for citizen empowerment through Consumer Health Informatics. PMID:25123741

Engaging Patients through Mobile Phones: Demonstrator Services, Success Factors, and Future Opportunities in Low and Middle-income Countries.

PubMed

Hartzler, A; Wetter, T

2014-08-15

Evolving technology and infrastructure can benefit patients even in the poorest countries through mobile health (mHealth). Yet, what makes mobile-phone-based services succeed in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) and what opportunities does the future hold that still need to be studied. We showcase demonstrator services that leverage mobile phones in the hands of patients to promote health and facilitate health care. We surveyed the recent biomedical literature for demonstrator services that illustrate well-considered examples of mobile phone interventions for consumer health. We draw upon those examples to discuss enabling factors, scalability, reach, and potential of mHealth as well as obstacles in LMIC. Among the 227 articles returned by a PubMed search, we identified 55 articles that describe services targeting health consumers equipped with mobile phones. From those articles, we showcase 19 as demonstrator services across clinical care, prevention, infectious diseases, and population health. Services range from education, reminders, reporting, and peer support, to epidemiologic reporting, and care management with phone communication and messages. Key achievements include timely adherence to treatment and appointments, clinical effectiveness of treatment reminders, increased vaccination coverage and uptake of screening, and capacity for efficient disease surveillance. We discuss methodologies of delivery and evaluation of mobile-phone-based mHealth in LMIC, including service design, social context, and environmental factors to success. Demonstrated promises using mobile phones in the poorest countries encourage a future in which IMIA takes a lead role in leveraging mHealth for citizen empowerment through Consumer Health Informatics.

Current Status and Future Prospects for the Assessment of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Liquete, Camino; Piroddi, Chiara; Drakou, Evangelia G.; Gurney, Leigh; Katsanevakis, Stelios; Charef, Aymen; Egoh, Benis

2013-01-01

Background Research on ecosystem services has grown exponentially during the last decade. Most of the studies have focused on assessing and mapping terrestrial ecosystem services highlighting a knowledge gap on marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) and an urgent need to assess them. Methodology/Principal Findings We reviewed and summarized existing scientific literature related to MCES with the aim of extracting and classifying indicators used to assess and map them. We found 145 papers that specifically assessed marine and coastal ecosystem services from which we extracted 476 indicators. Food provision, in particular fisheries, was the most extensively analyzed MCES while water purification and coastal protection were the most frequently studied regulating and maintenance services. Also recreation and tourism under the cultural services was relatively well assessed. We highlight knowledge gaps regarding the availability of indicators that measure the capacity, flow or benefit derived from each ecosystem service. The majority of the case studies was found in mangroves and coastal wetlands and was mainly concentrated in Europe and North America. Our systematic review highlighted the need of an improved ecosystem service classification for marine and coastal systems, which is herein proposed with definitions and links to previous classifications. Conclusions/Significance This review summarizes the state of available information related to ecosystem services associated with marine and coastal ecosystems. The cataloging of MCES indicators and the integrated classification of MCES provided in this paper establish a background that can facilitate the planning and integration of future assessments. The final goal is to establish a consistent structure and populate it with information able to support the implementation of biodiversity conservation policies. PMID:23844080

Integrating Health and Mental Health Services: A Past and Future History.

PubMed

Druss, Benjamin G; Goldman, Howard H

2018-04-25

The authors trace the modern history, current landscape, and future prospects for integration between mental health and general medical care in the United States. Research and new treatment models developed in the 1980s and early 1990s helped inform federal legislation, including the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which in turn are creating new opportunities to further integrate services. Future efforts should build on this foundation to develop clinical, service-level, and public health approaches that more fully integrate mental, medical, substance use, and social services.

Decision Space and Capacities in the Decentralization of Health Services in FijiComment on "Decentralisation of Health Services in Fiji: A Decision Space Analysis".

PubMed

Bossert, Thomas J

2016-05-08

The study of decentralization in Fiji shows that increasing capacities is not necessarily related to increasing decision space of local officials, which is in contrast with earlier studies in Pakistan. Future studies should address the relationship among decision space, capacities, and health system performance. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Wearable Internet of Things - from human activity tracking to clinical integration.

PubMed

Kumari, Poonam; Lopez-Benitez, Miguel; Gyu Myoung Lee; Tae-Seong Kim; Minhas, Atul S

2017-07-01

Wearable devices for human activity tracking have been emerging rapidly. Most of them are capable of sending health statistics to smartphones, smartwatches or smart bands. However, they only provide the data for individual analysis and their data is not integrated into clinical practice. Leveraging on the Internet of Things (IoT), edge and cloud computing technologies, we propose an architecture which is capable of providing cloud based clinical services using human activity data. Such services could supplement the shortage of staff in primary healthcare centers thereby reducing the burden on healthcare service providers. The enormous amount of data created from such services could also be utilized for planning future therapies by studying recovery cycles of existing patients. We provide a prototype based on our architecture and discuss its salient features. We also provide use cases of our system in personalized and home based healthcare services. We propose an International Telecommunication Union based standardization (ITU-T) for our design and discuss future directions in wearable IoT.

Self-Injury, Help-Seeking, and the Internet: Informing Online Service Provision for Young People.

PubMed

Frost, Mareka; Casey, Leanne; Rando, Natalie

2016-01-01

Although increasing numbers of young people are seeking help online for self-injury, relatively little is known about their online help-seeking preferences. To investigate the perspectives of young people who self-injure regarding online services, with the aim of informing online service delivery. A mixed-methods exploratory analysis regarding the perspectives of a subsample of young people who reported a history of self-injury and responded to questions regarding preferences for future online help-seeking (N = 457). The sample was identified as part of a larger study (N = 1,463) exploring self-injury and help-seeking. Seven themes emerged in relation to preferences for future online help-seeking: information, guidance, reduced isolation, online culture, facilitation of help-seeking, access, and privacy. Direct contact with a professional via instant messaging was the most highly endorsed form of online support. Young people expressed clear preferences regarding online services for self-injury, supporting the importance of consumer consultation in development of online services.

Market-based demand forecasting promotes informed strategic financial planning.

PubMed

Beech, A J

2001-11-01

Market-based demand forecasting is a method of estimating future demand for a healthcare organization's services by using a broad range of data that describe the nature of demand within the organization's service area. Such data include the primary and secondary service areas, the service-area populations by various demographic groupings, discharge utilization rates, market size, and market share by service line and organizationwide. Based on observable market dynamics, strategic planners can make a variety of explicit assumptions about future trends regarding these data to develop scenarios describing potential future demand. Financial planners then can evaluate each scenario to determine its potential effect on selected financial and operational measures, such as operating margin, days cash on hand, and debt-service coverage, and develop a strategic financial plan that covers a range of contingencies.

Satellite Servicing in Mission Design Studies at the NASA GSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leete, Stephen J.

2003-01-01

Several NASA missions in various stages of development have undergone one-week studies in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Integrated Mission Design Center (IMDC), mostly in preparation for proposals. The possible role of satellite servicing has been investigated for several of these missions, applying the lessons learned from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing, taking into account the current state of the art, projecting into the future, and implementing NASA long-range plans, and is presented here. The general benefits and costs of injecting satellite servicing are detailed, including components such as mission timeline, mass, fuel, spacecraft design, risk abatement, life extension, and improved performance. The approach taken in addressing satellite servicing during IMDC studies is presented.

[Current State of Studies on Job-related Stress among Psychiatric Social Workers and Insights into Future Research].

PubMed

Yada, Hironori; Abe, Hiroshi; Odachi, Ryo; Iwanaga, Yasushi; Yamane, Toshie

2016-01-01

We studied the characteristics of psychiatric social workers (PSWs) and present research on job-related stress among them; we also provide insights into the future of such research. In recent years, studies on job-related stress among PSWs have been gaining interest. In particular, stress associated with the repeated revisions of related laws has increased. Subsequently, it was found that occupational stress in PSWs differs qualitatively and quantitatively depending on educational history, years of experience, and service department. However, no scale captures the specific characteristics of job-related stress among PSWs. Moreover, the development of a mental health care program for PSWs seems difficult. To develop a mental health care program that caters specifically to this group, future research should focus on developing a scale that determines the specific characteristics of job-related stress among PSWs, which should be evaluated on the basis of each PSW's educational history, years of experience, and service department.

Including customers in health service design.

PubMed

Perrott, Bruce E

2013-01-01

This article will explore the concept and meaning of codesign as it applies to the delivery of health services. The results of a pilot study in health codesign will be used as a research based case discussion, thus providing a platform to suggest future research that could lead to building more robust knowledge of how the consumers of health services may be more effectively involved in the process of developing and delivering the type of services that are in line with expectations of the various stakeholder groups.

Integrated orbital servicing study follow-on. Volume 3: Engineering test unit and controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

A one-g servicing demonstration system which can be used to investigate and develop, in a real time hands-on situation, a wide variety of the mechanism and control system aspects of orbital servicing in the form of module exchange is described including the engineering test unit and the servicer servo drive console. A series of recommendations for future work is given concerning the control problem and more efficient module exchanges, mechanical elements, and electronics.

Improving Support for America's Hidden Heroes

PubMed Central

Terri, Tanielian; Kathryn E., Bouskill; Rajeev, Ramchand; Esther M., Friedman; Thomas E., Trail; Angela, Clague

2018-01-01

Abstract The United States is home to more than 21 million veterans, many of whom deployed to support combat operations around the globe during their military service and sustained service-related conditions or disabilities. Supporting these wounded, ill, and injured warriors once home are millions of informal caregivers—individuals who provide unpaid support with activities that enable the service member or veteran to live in a noninstitutionalized setting. In this study, researchers describe elements of a research blueprint to inform future efforts to improve support for military and veteran caregivers. To construct this blueprint, researchers inventoried currently available research on caregiving for disabled adults and children and gathered stakeholder input by conducting a survey and facilitating an online panel. The study highlights the need for more studies that examine how military and veteran caregiver needs evolve over time, how programs are working, and how caregiving affects specific subgroups. The resulting blueprint should serve as a guide for the caregiver support community to use in prioritizing and facilitating future research. PMID:29416949

Improving Support for America's Hidden Heroes: A Research Blueprint.

PubMed

Terri, Tanielian; Kathryn E, Bouskill; Rajeev, Ramchand; Esther M, Friedman; Thomas E, Trail; Angela, Clague

2018-01-01

The United States is home to more than 21 million veterans, many of whom deployed to support combat operations around the globe during their military service and sustained service-related conditions or disabilities. Supporting these wounded, ill, and injured warriors once home are millions of informal caregivers-individuals who provide unpaid support with activities that enable the service member or veteran to live in a noninstitutionalized setting. In this study, researchers describe elements of a research blueprint to inform future efforts to improve support for military and veteran caregivers. To construct this blueprint, researchers inventoried currently available research on caregiving for disabled adults and children and gathered stakeholder input by conducting a survey and facilitating an online panel. The study highlights the need for more studies that examine how military and veteran caregiver needs evolve over time, how programs are working, and how caregiving affects specific subgroups. The resulting blueprint should serve as a guide for the caregiver support community to use in prioritizing and facilitating future research.

Improving Future Ecosystem Benefits through Earth Observations: the H2020 Project ECOPOTENTIAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provenzale, Antonello; Beierkuhnlein, Carl; Ziv, Guy

2016-04-01

Terrestrial and marine ecosystems provide essential goods and services to human societies. In the last decades, however, anthropogenic pressures caused serious threats to ecosystem integrity, functions and processes, potentially leading to the loss of essential ecosystem services. ECOPOTENTIAL is a large European-funded H2020 project which focuses its activities on a targeted set of internationally recognised protected areas in Europe, European Territories and beyond, blending Earth Observations from remote sensing and field measurements, data analysis and modelling of current and future ecosystem conditions and services. The definition of future scenarios is based on climate and land-use change projections, addressing the issue of uncertainties and uncertainty propagation across the modelling chain. The ECOPOTENTIAL project addresses cross-scale geosphere-biosphere interactions and landscape-ecosystem dynamics at regional to continental scales, using geostatistical methods and the emerging approaches in Macrosystem Ecology and Earth Critical Zone studies, addressing long-term and large-scale environmental and ecological challenges. The project started its activities in 2015, by defining a set of storylines which allow to tackle some of the most crucial issues in the assessment of present conditions and the estimate of the future state of selected ecosystem services. In this contribution, we focus on some of the main storylines of the project and discuss the general approach, focusing on the interplay of data and models and on the estimate of projection uncertainties.

Assessing the Intention to Use Technology among Pre-Service Teachers in Singapore and Malaysia: A Multigroup Invariance Analysis of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teo, Timothy; Lee, Chwee Beng; Chai, Ching Sing; Wong, Su Luan

2009-01-01

This study assesses the pre-service teachers' self-reported future intentions to use technology in Singapore and Malaysia. A survey was employed to validate items from past research. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a research framework, 495 pre-service teachers from Singapore and Malaysia responded to an 11-item questionnaires…

A Transforming Process in Honduras: Implementing Service Learning with Privileged Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jorgenson, Olaf

2001-01-01

Poverty-stricken Honduras offers unlimited service-learning opportunities. In one international school, service learning has become part of school culture. Innovative hospital and shelter projects have transformative potential for the school's aristocratic students, who are likely to become Honduras's future leaders and shape the country's future.…

Maniac Talk - Frank Cepollina

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-08-28

Frank Cepollina Maniac Lecture, August 28, 2015 Frank Cepollina, 2003 National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee, presented a Maniac lecture entitled "Servicing and NASA." Frank gave a rundown of his career in servicing spacecraft going back to 1970 and talked about the future of servicing and scientific missions working together in the future.

Mental Health Service Use Among Immigrants in the United States: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Derr, Amelia Seraphia

2016-01-01

Objective Immigrants face stressors unique to the experience of migration that may exacerbate or cause mental health problems but access care at rates far below the general population, leaving them at risk of untreated mental health conditions. This review synthesizes current findings on mental health service utilization among immigrants to inform future research efforts addressing disparities in access to care. Methods A systematic literature search of seven databases yielded 62 articles that met inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed reports of empirical studies based in the United States with an explicit focus on immigrant mental health service use. Each article was evaluated, and information was extracted by using a structured abstracting form. Results Studies have shown that immigrants from Asia, Latin America, and Africa use mental health services at lower rates than nonimmigrants, despite an equal or greater need. Lower usage has been found to be more pronounced among men, the uninsured, and the undocumented. Structural barriers to service use reported included lack of insurance, high cost, and language barriers. Studies have shown that social support is particularly important for immigrants and that those who seek help for mental health concerns tend to turn first to family, friends, or religious leaders. Conclusions Important areas for future research on disparities in mental health service use among immigrants include expanding research and analytic design to emphasize understudied groups and the heterogeneity of immigrant experiences over time, studying interventions that foster collaboration between formal and informal service sectors, and examining the role of social support in problem recognition and treatment initiation. PMID:26695493

Service climate as a mediator of organizational empowerment in customer-service employees.

PubMed

Mendoza-Sierra, Maria Isabel; Orgambídez-Ramos, Alejandro; Carrasco-González, Ana María; León-Jariego, José Carlos

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the mediating role of the service climate between organizational empowerment (i.e., dynamic structural framework, control of workplace decisions, fluidity in information sharing) and service quality (functional and relational). 428 contact employees from 46 hotels participated in the survey. Correlations demonstrated that dynamic structural framework, control decisions, and fluidity in information sharing are related to both functional and relational service quality. Regression analyses and Sobel tests revealed that service climate totally mediated the relationship between all three dimensions of organizational empowerment and relational service quality. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Online intervention, 'MePlusMe', supporting mood, wellbeing, study skills, and everyday functioning in students in higher education: a protocol for a feasibility study.

PubMed

Papadatou-Pastou, Marietta; Goozée, Rhianna; Barley, Elizabeth A; Haddad, Mark; Tzotzoli, Patapia

2015-01-01

Psychological and study skill difficulties faced by students in higher education can lead to poor academic performance, sub-optimal mental health, reduced study satisfaction, and drop out from study. At the same time, higher education institutions' support services are costly, oversubscribed, and struggle to meet demand whilst facing budget reductions. The purpose of the proposed study is to evaluate the acceptability of a new online intervention, MePlusMe, aimed at students in higher education facing mild to moderate psychological and/or study skill difficulties. The study will also assess the feasibility of proposed recruitment and outcome assessment protocols for a future trial of effectiveness. The system supports self-management strategies alongside ongoing monitoring facilitated by a messaging service, as well as featuring a built-in community of student users. It is based on current clinical guidelines for the management of common mental health problems, together with best practice from the educational field. Two hundred and forty two students will be recruited to a within-subjects, repeated measures study conducted over 8 weeks. Self-report measures of depression and anxiety symptoms, mental wellbeing, academic self-efficacy, and everyday functioning will be collected at baseline, and then at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. During this period, students will have access to the intervention system. UK higher education institutions Bournemouth University and University of Warwick will participate in the study. Data on student satisfaction and engagement will also be collected. Study findings will help to determine the most appropriate primary outcome and the required sample size for a future trial. This study will evaluate the acceptability of an online intervention system for students facing psychological and/or study skill difficulties and will test recruitment procedures and outcome measures for a future trial of effectiveness. The system is designed to be implemented as a stand-alone service or a service complementary to student support services, which is accessible to the majority of students and effective in improving student experience at higher education institutions.

Impacts of online and group perinatal education: a mixed methods study protocol for the optimization of perinatal health services.

PubMed

Roch, Geneviève; Borgès Da Silva, Roxane; de Montigny, Francine; Witteman, Holly O; Pierce, Tamarha; Semenic, Sonia; Poissant, Julie; Parent, André-Anne; White, Deena; Chaillet, Nils; Dubois, Carl-Ardy; Ouimet, Mathieu; Lapointe, Geneviève; Turcotte, Stéphane; Prud'homme, Alexandre; Painchaud Guérard, Geneviève; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre

2018-05-29

Prenatal education is a core component of perinatal care and services provided by health institutions. Whereas group prenatal education is the most common educational model, some health institutions have opted to implement online prenatal education to address accessibility issues as well as the evolving needs of future parents. Various studies have shown that prenatal education can be effective in acquisition of knowledge on labour and delivery, reducing psychological distress and maximising father's involvement. However, these results may depend on educational material, organization, format and content. Furthermore, the effectiveness of online prenatal education compared to group prenatal education remains unclear in the literature. This project aims to evaluate the impacts of group prenatal education and online prenatal education on health determinants and users' health status, as well as on networks of perinatal educational services maintained with community-based partners. This multipronged mixed methods study uses a collaborative research approach to integrate and mobilize knowledge throughout the process. It consists of: 1) a prospective cohort study with quantitative data collection and qualitative interviews with future and new parents; and 2) a multiple case study integrating documentary sources and interviews with stakeholders involved in the implementation of perinatal information service networks and collaborations with community partners. Perinatal health indicators and determinants will be compared between prenatal education groups (group prenatal education and online prenatal education) and standard care without these prenatal education services (control group). This study will provide knowledge about the impact of online prenatal education as a new technological service delivery model compared to traditional group prenatal education. Indicators related to the complementarity of these interventions and those available in community settings will refine our understanding of regional perinatal services networks. Results will assist decision-making regarding service organization and delivery models of prenatal education services. Version 1 (February 9 2018).

Early onset ageing and service preparation in people with intellectual disabilities: institutional managers' perspective.

PubMed

Lin, Jin-Ding; Wu, Chia-Ling; Lin, Pei-Ying; Lin, Lan-Ping; Chu, Cordia M

2011-01-01

Although longevity among older adults with intellectual disabilities is increasing, there is limited information on their premature aging related health characteristics and how it may change with increasing age. The present paper provides information of the institutional manager's perception on early onset aging and service preparation for this population. We used purposive sampling to recruit 54 institutional managers who care for people with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan. The present study employed a cross-sectional design using a self-administrative structured questionnaire that was completed by the respondents in November 2009. The results showed that more than 90% of the respondents agreed with earlier onset aging characteristics of people with ID. However, nearly all of the respondents expressed that the government policies were inadequate and the institution is not capable of caring for aging people with ID, and more than half of them did not satisfy to their provisional care for this group of people. With regard to the service priority of government aging policy for people with ID, the respondent expressed that medical care, financial support, daily living care were the main areas in the future policy development for them. The factors of institutional type, expressed adequacy of government's service, respondent's job position, age, and working years in disability service were variables that can significantly predict the positive perceptions toward future governmental aging services for people with ID (adjusted R(2) = 0.563). We suggest that the future study strategy should underpin the aging characteristics of people with intellectual disabilities and its differences with general population to provide the useful information for the institutional caregivers. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 236.1020 - Exclusion of track segments for implementation due to cessation of PIH materials service or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... December 31, 2015. In the case of future cessation of local service, the expectation may be documented by... anticipate future requests for service not in keeping with prior service patterns.(See § 236.1005(b)(3)). (2... procedures and using the same methodology as required for safety and security route analysis under 49 CFR 172...

Family support for the elderly in Korea: continuity, change, future directions, and cross-cultural concerns.

PubMed

Sung, K T

2001-01-01

This article discusses major issues and concerns regarding family support for parents and elderly people in industrialized and urbanized Korea. It summarizes new trends in family support for elderly members, continuing influences of the traditional value of family support (filial piety), growing needs for public services for elderly people and their families, urgent calls for the state to assume greater responsibilities for providing social security and services for the elderly, needs for cross-cultural studies of family support, and certain cultural similarities and differences to be considered. The article concludes with some suggestions for future research.

An overview of recent end-to-end wireless medical video telemedicine systems using 3G.

PubMed

Panayides, A; Pattichis, M S; Pattichis, C S; Schizas, C N; Spanias, A; Kyriacou, E

2010-01-01

Advances in video compression, network technologies, and computer technologies have contributed to the rapid growth of mobile health (m-health) systems and services. Wide deployment of such systems and services is expected in the near future, and it's foreseen that they will soon be incorporated in daily clinical practice. This study focuses in describing the basic components of an end-to-end wireless medical video telemedicine system, providing a brief overview of the recent advances in the field, while it also highlights future trends in the design of telemedicine systems that are diagnostically driven.

Patterns of dental services and factors that influence dental services among 64-65-year-old regular users of dental care in Denmark.

PubMed

Christensen, Lisa B; Rosing, Kasper; Lempert, Susanne M; Hede, Børge

2016-03-01

To describe the pattern of dental services provided to 64-65-year-old Danes who are regular users of dental care over a 5-year period, to analyse whether this pattern is associated with socio-demographic and/or socioeconomic factors, and if different uses of dental services are related to dental status and caries experience. Finally, to discuss the future planning of dental services aimed at the increasing population of elderly citizens. [Correction made on 21 March 2014, after first online publication: The sentence 'Data on elderly's dental service are scarce, although increased use is seen and more teeth are present in this age group.' was removed.] A cross-sectional study of all aged 64-65 (n = 37 234) who received a dental examination in 2009 was conducted. Clinical data comprised dental services received under the National Health Insurance reimbursement scheme, dental status and DMFT. Geographical, socio-demographic and socioeconomic data derived from public registers. Almost all received restorations, while periodontal treatment was received by <50% during 5 years. Heavy use of dental services was dominated by periodontal services. Periodontal services were most prevalent in the capital and the most affluent areas. Relatively more extractions were related to low income and persons in least affluent areas. Total number of services was highest among women, persons with ≥20 teeth, persons living in the capital, and where the ratio user per dentist was low. For future planning of dental care for elderly, dental status, geographical and social area-based factors and to some degree gender, income, and education must be taken into consideration as all these factors seem to influence the future demand for dental services. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Outsourcing in private healthcare organisations: a Greek perspective.

PubMed

Moschuris, Socrates J; Kondylis, Michael N

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a study carried out to investigate the extent of outsourcing, the decision-making process, the impact of outsourcing, and the future trend of outsourcing in private healthcare organisations in Greece. A survey instrument was designed and mailed to a random sample of 100 private healthcare organisations in Greece. A total of 25 usable questionnaires were received, representing a response rate of 25 percent. The survey instrument focused on the extent to which private healthcare organisations outsource services, the decision-making process for choosing an external service provider, the impact of outsourcing, and the future trend of outsourcing. Private healthcare organisations in Greece outsource a variety of activities. Cost savings, customisation, and customer satisfaction are the main factors affecting the outsourcing decision. The cooperation with a contract service provider has led to an improvement in customer satisfaction and to a cost reduction. Most users are highly satisfied with the performance of these companies and believe that there will be a future increase in the usage of these services. The paper provides a framework regarding outsourcing in private healthcare organisations. This research fills the gap in the area of outsourcing in private healthcare organisations in Greece.

Jumping through "Loops": A Reflective Study on Preparing Generalist Pre-Service Teachers to Teach Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyworth, John

2011-01-01

Generalist classroom teachers are being given more responsibility for music education in their schools. How confident and competent are they to do this? I find myself in a position where I am expected to train pre-service generalist teachers to be able to facilitate music in their future classrooms within one unit of music study over a four year…

A Study of In-Service Teacher Educator Roles, with Implications for a Curriculum for Their Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dwyer, John B.; Atli, Hilal Handan

2015-01-01

In-service educators have a crucial role to play in meeting the professional learning needs of teachers of the future, according to the Council of Europe's "ET 2020", although it is less clear what that role entails. This empirical study, undertaken in a university school of English language in Turkey, explores the everyday experience of…

Charcoal production in the Mopane woodlands of Mozambique: what are the trade-offs with other ecosystem services?

PubMed Central

Baumert, Sophia; Vollmer, Frank; Grundy, Isla; Fisher, Janet; Fernando, Jone; Luz, Ana; Lisboa, Sá N.

2016-01-01

African woodlands form a major part of the tropical grassy biome and support the livelihoods of millions of rural and urban people. Charcoal production in particular is a major economic activity, but its impact on other ecosystem services is little studied. To address this, our study collected biophysical and social datasets, which were combined in ecological production functions, to assess ecosystem service provision and its change under different charcoal production scenarios in Gaza Province, southern Mozambique. We found that villages with longer histories of charcoal production had experienced declines in wood suitable for charcoal, firewood and construction, and tended to have lower perceived availabilities of these services. Scenarios of future charcoal impacts indicated that firewood and woody construction services were likely to trade-off with charcoal production. However, even under the most extreme charcoal scenario, these services were not completely lost. Other provisioning services, such as wild food, medicinal plants and grass, were largely unaffected by charcoal production. To reduce the future impacts of charcoal production, producers must avoid increased intensification of charcoal extraction by avoiding the expansion of species and sizes of trees used for charcoal production. This is a major challenge to land managers and policymakers in the area. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Tropical grassy biomes: linking ecology, human use and conservation’. PMID:27502380

Futuring, Strategic Planning and Shared Awareness: An Ohio University Libraries' Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staley, David J.; Seaman, Scott; Theodore-Shusta, Eileen

2012-01-01

A critical component of strategic planning is creating a shared-awareness among library staff of the potential societal, political, economic and technological changes that will influence how future users will create and consume scholarly materials, what will be expected of library services, and how facilities will be used. The ACRL Futuring…

Perspectives on the Future of E-Books in Libraries in Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasileiou, Magdalini; Rowley, Jennifer; Hartley, Richard

2012-01-01

This article reports research into the perceptions and predictions of academic librarians regarding the future role and development of e-books, and e-book collections and services. A number of recent studies reported in the literature review indicate increasing interest in e-books. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 academic…

Occupational Outlets for Middle Level Training. What Is the Future of Middle Level Training?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Paul; Cesnich, Janine

This project intended to determine whether a middle-level employment base existed in manufacturing and service industries in South Australia and to examine current trends and future directions of middle-level (paraprofessional) vocational training. The study used the following methods: literature review; labor market analysis; surveys of…

Retirement, Retention, and Recruitment: The Future of Librarianship in Colorado. A Closer Look

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steffen, Nicolle; Lance, Keith Curry; Russell, Becky; Lietzau, Zeth

2004-01-01

For well over a decade, the "graying" of the library profession has been the subject of much discussion. To examine this issue the Library Research Service (LRS) initiated the study, "Retirement, Retention, and Recruitment: The Future of Librarianship in Colorado." During the last quarter of 2003, 1,241 librarians,…

Future talk in later life.

PubMed

Paoletti, Isabella; Gomes, Sandra

2014-04-01

This article focuses on the relevance that the dimension of the future has for promoting healthy and active aging. Older people generally have difficulties in talking about the future and when they do they generally express very negative perspectives on it. The data analyzed in this paper are part of an on-going interdisciplinary research project: "Aging, poverty and social exclusion: an interdisciplinary study on innovative support services" (https://apseclunl.wordpress.com/). The project aims at documenting good practices in social intervention with older people who are at risk of exclusion. This study describes and critically discusses an activity carried out in Portugal among older women in a poor area in the suburb of Lisbon entitled "self-awareness workshop on the future". Through a detailed discourse analysis within an ethnomethodological framework the study shows age membership categorizations in use and categorization processes, examining the workshop interaction. In particular, the article describes how the psychologist works at deconstructing and problematizing the negative connotations related to age membership categories. Taking into consideration the interactionally constructed nature of aging and the material consequences that different attitudes towards aging can imply is very important in particular in relation to the provision of services to older people. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stormwater management and ecosystem services: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudencio, Liana; Null, Sarah E.

2018-03-01

Researchers and water managers have turned to green stormwater infrastructure, such as bioswales, retention basins, wetlands, rain gardens, and urban green spaces to reduce flooding, augment surface water supplies, recharge groundwater, and improve water quality. It is increasingly clear that green stormwater infrastructure not only controls stormwater volume and timing, but also promotes ecosystem services, which are the benefits that ecosystems provide to humans. Yet there has been little synthesis focused on understanding how green stormwater management affects ecosystem services. The objectives of this paper are to review and synthesize published literature on ecosystem services and green stormwater infrastructure and identify gaps in research and understanding, establishing a foundation for research at the intersection of ecosystems services and green stormwater management. We reviewed 170 publications on stormwater management and ecosystem services, and summarized the state-of-the-science categorized by the four types of ecosystem services. Major findings show that: (1) most research was conducted at the parcel-scale and should expand to larger scales to more closely understand green stormwater infrastructure impacts, (2) nearly a third of papers developed frameworks for implementing green stormwater infrastructure and highlighted barriers, (3) papers discussed ecosystem services, but less than 40% quantified ecosystem services, (4) no geographic trends emerged, indicating interest in applying green stormwater infrastructure across different contexts, (5) studies increasingly integrate engineering, physical science, and social science approaches for holistic understanding, and (6) standardizing green stormwater infrastructure terminology would provide a more cohesive field of study than the diverse and often redundant terminology currently in use. We recommend that future research provide metrics and quantify ecosystem services, integrate disciplines to measure ecosystem services from green stormwater infrastructure, and better incorporate stormwater management into environmental policy. Our conclusions outline promising future research directions at the intersection of stormwater management and ecosystem services.

Inclusive Values: Exploring the Perspectives of Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mergler, Amanda; Carrington, Suzanne; Kimber, Megan; Bland, Derek

2016-01-01

Since the turn of the century there has been an increasing focus on inclusive education in Australian schools, and growing interest in understanding how the values of pre-service teachers impact on their willingness to implement inclusive principles in their future classrooms. The current qualitative study explored the values and views toward…

Teach the Partnership: Critical University Studies and the Future of Service-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fine, David J.

2016-01-01

Students, staff, and faculty ought to engender a culture of civic action and ethical accountability enhanced by rigorous coursework, but this goal necessitates resources: administrators must invest in service-learning to reap its full benefits. Issues arise, however, when one considers this investment in light of the academy's corporatization. As…

An Investigation into Pre-Service Special Education Teachers' Mathematical Skills, Self-Efficacy, and Teaching Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinton, Vanessa; Flores, Margaret; Burton, Megan; Curtis, Rebecca

2015-01-01

The purpose of this mixed method study was to investigate future special education teachers' preparation for effectively teaching mathematics. During the last semester of their program, pre-service special education teachers completed elementary level mathematics computation and problem solving assessments, a mathematics efficacy beliefs survey,…

Improving Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of Pre-Service English Language Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ersanli, Ceylan Yangin

2016-01-01

Developing as teachers and optimizing learning experiences for future students is the ultimate goal in technology use in teacher education programs. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a five-week workshop and training sessions on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of pre-service English language teachers. The…

Family and Consumer Sciences Program Recruitment: An Interdisciplinary Service-Learning Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roofe, Nina; Ryburn, Renee

2013-01-01

The family and consumer sciences (FCS) teacher shortage is one need that can be mitigated by exposing high school students to professional trends and future work settings via service-learning. Such exposure can affect student recruitment by influencing high school students' knowledge and attitudes toward FCS careers. This study explored the impact…

49 CFR 260.23 - Form and content of application generally.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... analyses and studies that have been performed to determine present and future demand for rail services or... with improved service; (2) Description of the impact of the project upon the projected freight or passenger traffic to be originated, terminated, or carried by the Applicant for at least the five years...

The Educational Psychologist in the Early Years: Current Practice and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shannon, Deborah; Posada, Susan

2007-01-01

Following suggestions for updated models of service within the early years educational psychologist (EP) role, the study aimed to provide exploratory research evidence of current models of service delivery and EP attitudes. Questionnaires were completed by 32 EPs. Interviews were conducted with three EPs. Quantitative data obtained were analysed…

Site Selection and Deployment Scenarios for Servicing of Deep-Space Observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willenberg, Harvey J.; Fruhwirth, Michael A.; Potter, Seth D.; Leete, Stephen J.; Moe, Rud V.

2001-01-01

The deep-space environment and relative transportation accessibility of the Weak Stability Boundary (WSB) region connecting the Earth-Moon and Sun-Earth libration points makes the Sun-Earth L2 an attractive operating location for future observatories. A summary is presented of key characteristics of future observatories designed to operate in this region. The ability to service observatories that operate within the region around the Lagrange points may greatly enhance their reliability, lifetime, and scientific return. The range of servicing missions might begin with initial deployment, assembly, test, and checkout. Post-assembly servicing missions might also include maintenance and repair, critical fluids resupply, and instrument upgrades. We define the range of servicing missions that can be performed with extravehicular activity, with teleoperated robots, and with autonomous robots. We then describe deployment scenarios that affect payload design. A trade study is summarized of the benefits and risks of alternative servicing sites, including at the International Space Station, at other low-Earth-orbit locations, at the Earth-Moon L1 location, and on-site at the Sun-Earth L2 location. Required technology trades and development issues for observatory servicing at each site, and with each level of autonomy, are summarized.

A Commentary on Telerehabilitation Services in Pakistan: Current Trends and Future Possibilities.

PubMed

Zahid, Zeshan; Atique, Suleman; Saghir, Muhammad Hammad; Ali, Iftikhar; Shahid, Amna; Malik, Rehan Ali

2017-01-01

A 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) study reported that almost 27 million people with disability live in Pakistan with fewer than one allied rehabilitation professional per 10,000 people. The current study sought to determine the attitudes toward telerehabilitation via a survey administered to 329 Pakistani rehabilitation professionals. Study results indicate that rehabilitation professionals in Pakistan are knowledgeable about telerehabilitation and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and are receptive to employing telerehabilitation programs and applications. Therefore, we can infer that the future of telerehabilitation can be bright in Pakistan but requires the attention of policy makers and non-government organizations to launch an appropriate program nationwide. The authors suggest that a range of telerehabilitation services (e.g., consultation, assessment, and therapy) could alleviate the shortage of rehabilitation personnel in Pakistan.

Cargo Logistics Airlift Systems Study (CLASS). Volume 3: Cross impact between the 1990 market and the air physical distribution systems, book 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burby, R. J.; Kuhlman, W. H.

1978-01-01

Book 2 of this volume is divided into the following sections: (1) commodities and system networks; (2) future mode choice decisions and commodity air eligibility; (3) comparative cargo transportation costs - air, truck, rail and water; (4) elasticities of demand; (5) operating cost; (6) operating profit, rate making, and returns; (7) importance of rate and service on future aircraft; (8) potential market demand for new aircraft; (9) scenario of events affecting system/market growth; and (10) future study and technology requirements.

[Urban ecosystem services: A review].

PubMed

Mao, Qi-zheng; Huang, Gan-lin; Wu, Jian-guo

2015-04-01

Maintaining and improving ecosystem services in urban areas and human well-being are essential for sustainable development and therefore constitute an important topic in urban ecology. Here we reviewed studies on ecosystem services in urban areas. Based on the concept and classification of urban ecosystem services, we summarized characteristics of urban ecosystem services, including the human domination, high demand of ecosystem services in urban areas, spatial heterogeneity and temporal dynamics of ecosystem services supply and demand in urban areas, multi-services of urban green infrastructures, the socio-economic dimension of ecosystem services supply and ecosystem disservices in urban areas. Among different urban ecosystem services, the regulating service and cultural service are particularly indispensable to benefit human health. We pointed out that tradeoffs among different types of ecosystem services mostly occur between supportive service and cultural service, as well as regulating service and cultural service. In particular, we emphasized the relationship between landscape design (i.e. green infrastructure) and ecosystem services supply. Finally, we discussed current gaps to link urban ecosystem services studies to landscape design and management and pointed out several directions for future research in urban ecosystem services.

The Future of the Telephone Industry; 1970-1985.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baran, Paul; Lipinski, Andrew J.

Projections about the growth of the telephone industry from 1970-1985 were made from forecasts of five panels of experts, in five areas: (1) the regulatory environment; (2) changes in U.S. society; (3) existing networks and services; (4) future networks and services; (5) future characteristics of the labor force and employee-management relations.…

48 CFR 9904.415-50 - Techniques for application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... service is performed for that part of the award attributable to such future service: (1) There is a... compensation award is to be satisfied by a future payment of money, other assets, or shares of stock of the contractor. (3) The amount of the future payment can be measured with reasonable accuracy. (4) The recipient...

48 CFR 9904.415-50 - Techniques for application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... service is performed for that part of the award attributable to such future service: (1) There is a... compensation award is to be satisfied by a future payment of money, other assets, or shares of stock of the contractor. (3) The amount of the future payment can be measured with reasonable accuracy. (4) The recipient...

Preparing Advocates: Service-Learning in TESOL for Future Mainstream Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Jessie l.

2013-01-01

Service-learning pedagogy can provide future educators a meaningful introduction to the field of TESOL and the English language learners (ELLs) it serves. This article briefly describes one approach to integrating service-learning into an Introduction to TESOL course and presents research findings on TESOL students' learning outcomes, which…

Double Consciousness and the Future of Service-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hickmon, Gabrielle

2015-01-01

The author begins this essay by reflecting on an article penned twenty years earlier, "Does Service-Learning Have a Future?" (Zlotkowski, 1995) that called educators to attend seriously to the academic aspects of service-learning (SL), to situate the pedagogy strongly within the academy as a means of legitimizing and expanding the work.…

SOA: A Quality Attribute Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-23

in software engineering from CMU. 6June 2011 Twitter #seiwebinar © 2011 Carnegie Mellon University Agenda Service -Oriented Architecture and... Software Architecture: Review Service -Orientation and Quality Attributes Summary and Future Challenges 7June 2011 Twitter #seiwebinar © 2011...Architecture and Software Architecture: Review Service -Orientation and Quality Attributes Summary and Future Challenges Review 10June 2011 Twitter

Competencies for government veterinary services of the future: Summary of ISVEE 14 Yucatan 2015 roundtable discussion.

PubMed

Stärk, Katharina D C; Goncalves, Vitor S P; McCluskey, Brian J; Pinto, Julio; Tsutsui, Toshiyuki; Gibbens, Jane

2017-02-01

This short communication summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of current organisational structures in government veterinary services, as well as future technical, financial and societal challenges and related necessary competencies for government veterinary services of the future as discussed by an expert panel at ISVEE2015. First, participating representatives of veterinary services of diverse geographical backgrounds and statements from the audience confirmed that non-technical skills such as ability to work in teams, adaptability to new environments and situations, social and communication skills are increasingly seen as important. The second challenge faced by veterinary services is related to capacity issues, i.e. to have enough manpower to plan and deliver according to legislation in a period of shrinking budgets. New and emerging diseases can result in sudden, massive increases in the workload of veterinary services. Technical complexity has also increased for some hazards. Staff skills in veterinary services therefore need to be continuously updated, and it is essential to establish cross technical collaboration with other sectors including food safety, public health and environment. ISVEE conferences were seen as an opportunity to provide a global platform to develop skills needed by veterinary services, now and in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lead users' ideas on core features to support physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a first step in the development of an internet service using participatory design.

PubMed

Revenäs, Åsa; Opava, Christina H; Åsenlöf, Pernilla

2014-03-22

Despite the growing evidence of the benefits of physical activity (PA) in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the majority is not physically active enough. An innovative strategy is to engage lead users in the development of PA interventions provided over the internet. The aim was to explore lead users' ideas and prioritization of core features in a future internet service targeting adoption and maintenance of healthy PA in people with RA. Six focus group interviews were performed with a purposively selected sample of 26 individuals with RA. Data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis and quantification of participants' prioritization of most important content. Six categories were identified as core features for a future internet service: up-to-date and evidence-based information and instructions, self-regulation tools, social interaction, personalized set-up, attractive design and content, and access to the internet service. The categories represented four themes, or core aspects, important to consider in the design of the future service: (1) content, (2) customized options, (3) user interface and (4) access and implementation. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study involving people with RA in the development of an internet service to support the adoption and maintenance of PA.Participants helped identifying core features and aspects important to consider and further explore during the next phase of development. We hypothesize that involvement of lead users will make transfer from theory to service more adequate and user-friendly and therefore will be an effective mean to facilitate PA behavior change.

Open access to Water Indicators for Climate Change Adaptation: proof-of-concept for the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lottle, Lorna; Arheimer, Berit; Gyllensvärd, Frida; Dejong, Fokke; Ludwig, Fulco; Hutjes, Ronald; Martinez, Bernat

2017-04-01

Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) is still in the development phase and will combine observations of the climate system with the latest science to develop authoritative, quality-assured information about the past, current and future states of the climate and climate dependent sectors in Europe and worldwide. C3S will provide key indicators on climate change drivers and selected sectorial impacts. The aim of these indicators will be to support adaptation and mitigation. This presentation will show one service already operational as a proof-of-concept of this future climate service. The project "Service for Water Indicators in Climate Change Adaptation" (SWICCA) has developed a sectorial information service for water management. It offers readily available climate-impact data, for open access from the web-site http://swicca.climate.copernicus.eu/. The development is user-driven with the overall goal to speed up the workflow in climate-change adaptation of water management across Europe. The service is co-designed by consultant engineers and agencies in 15 case-studies spread out over the continent. SWICCA has an interactive user-interface, which shows maps and graphs, and facilitates data download in user-friendly formats. In total, more than 900 open dataset are given for various hydrometeorological (and a few socioeconomical) variables, model ensembles, resolutions, time-periods and RCPs. The service offers more than 40 precomputed climate impact indicators (CIIs) and transient time-series of 4 essential climate variables ECVs) with high spatial and temporal resolution. To facilitate both near future and far future assessments, SWICCA provides the indicators for different time ranges; normally, absolute values are given for a reference period (e.g. 1971-2000) and the expected future changes for different 30-year periods, such as early century (2011-2040), mid-century (2041-2070) and end-century (2071-2100). An ensemble of model results is always given to indicate confidence in the estimates. The SWICCA demonstrator also includes user guidance, information sheets, tutorials, and links to other relevant websites. The aim of this service is to provide research data and guidance for climate impact assessments in the water sector. The main target group is consulting engineers (so called Purveyors) working with climate change adaptation in the water sector. By using indicators, climate impact assessments can be done without having to run a full production chain from raw climate model results - instead the indicators can be included in the local workflow with local methods applied, to facilitate decision-making and strategies to meet the future. Working with real users will ensure that useful data is inserted into the C3S Climate Data Store (CDS).

Future orientation: a construct with implications for adolescent health and wellbeing.

PubMed

Johnson, Sarah R Lindstrom; Blum, Robert W; Cheng, Tina L

2014-01-01

Multidisciplinary research has supported a relationship between adolescent future orientation (the ability to set future goals and plans) and positive adolescent health and development outcomes. Many preventive strategies - for example, contracepting, exercising - are based on taking actions in the present to avoid unwanted or negative future consequences. However, research has been hampered by unclear and often divergent conceptualizations of the future orientation construct. The present paper aims to integrate previous conceptual and operational definitions into a conceptual framework that can inform programs and services for youth and efforts to evaluate future orientation as a target for intervention. Recommendations focus on furthering the study of the construct through measurement synthesis as well as studies of the normative development of future orientation. Also suggested is the need to pair environmental intervention strategies with individual level efforts to improve future orientation in order to maximize benefits.

Future Orientation: A Construct with Implications for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

PubMed Central

Lindstrom Johnson, Sarah; Blum, Robert W; Cheng, Tina L.

2016-01-01

Multi-disciplinary research has supported a relationship between adolescent future orientation (the ability to set future goals and plans) and positive adolescent health and development outcomes. Many preventive strategies—for example contracepting, exercising—are based on taking actions in the present to avoid unwanted or negative future consequences. However, research has been hampered by unclear and often divergent conceptualizations of the future orientation construct. The present paper aims to integrate previous conceptual and operational definitions into a conceptual framework that can inform programs and services for youth and efforts to evaluate future orientation as a target for intervention. Recommendations focus on furthering the study of the construct through measurement synthesis as well as studies of the normative development of future orientation. Also suggested is the need to pair environmental intervention strategies with individual level efforts to improve future orientation in order to maximize benefits. PMID:24523304

Strategies for service-learning assessment in dental hygiene education.

PubMed

Burch, Sharlee

2013-10-01

A large body of literature exists on the instructional pedagogy known as service-learning. Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach characterized by the dental hygiene student's practical application of academic studies and occurs within a community setting, to the benefit of both the student and community. Dental hygiene educators use service-learning to enhance student knowledge and application of oral health curriculum. This manuscript reports on the importance of service-learning assessment to the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda as well as the future of the profession of dental hygiene and the successful strategies in service-learning evaluation available for utilization by dental hygiene educators.

W(h)ither the Sense of Wonder of Pre-Service Primary Teachers' when Teaching Science?: A Preliminary Study of Their Personal Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stolberg, Tonie L.

2008-01-01

This preliminary study seeks to explore whether wonder-based reflections are sources of inspiration for our future teachers of science. What experiences have brought them personally a sense of wonder and when, if at all, do they employ scientific explanations of those events? In all 140 pre-service primary teachers, when questioned, described 240…

Large-scale educational telecommunications systems for the US: An analysis of educational needs and technological opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, R. P.; Singh, J. P.; Rothenberg, D.; Robinson, B. E.

1975-01-01

The needs to be served, the subsectors in which the system might be used, the technology employed, and the prospects for future utilization of an educational telecommunications delivery system are described and analyzed. Educational subsectors are analyzed with emphasis on the current status and trends within each subsector. Issues which affect future development, and prospects for future use of media, technology, and large-scale electronic delivery within each subsector are included. Information on technology utilization is presented. Educational telecommunications services are identified and grouped into categories: public television and radio, instructional television, computer aided instruction, computer resource sharing, and information resource sharing. Technology based services, their current utilization, and factors which affect future development are stressed. The role of communications satellites in providing these services is discussed. Efforts to analyze and estimate future utilization of large-scale educational telecommunications are summarized. Factors which affect future utilization are identified. Conclusions are presented.

Linking organizational resources and work engagement to employee performance and customer loyalty: the mediation of service climate.

PubMed

Salanova, Marisa; Agut, Sonia; Peiró, José María

2005-11-01

This study examined the mediating role of service climate in the prediction of employee performance and customer loyalty. Contact employees (N=342) from 114 service units (58 hotel front desks and 56 restaurants) provided information about organizational resources, engagement, and service climate. Furthermore, customers (N=1,140) from these units provided information on employee performance and customer loyalty. Structural equation modeling analyses were consistent with a full mediation model in which organizational resources and work engagement predict service climate, which in turn predicts employee performance and then customer loyalty. Further analyses revealed a potential reciprocal effect between service climate and customer loyalty. Implications of the study are discussed, together with limitations and suggestions for future research. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

Georgia's Grow-Your-Own Teacher Programs Attract the Right Stuff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Peter B.

2011-01-01

There is a shortage of educators and there are various factors that account for the lack of teachers. Millions of new teachers will be needed in the near future and the present study juxtaposes the vocational personality profiles of adolescents (N = 262) participating in Future Educators of America programs in Georgia to in-service teachers'…

Which need characteristics influence healthcare service utilization in home care arrangements in Germany?

PubMed

Dorin, Lena; Turner, Suzi C; Beckmann, Lea; große Schlarmann, Jörg; Faatz, Andreas; Metzing, Sabine; Büscher, Andreas

2014-05-22

We see a growing number of older adults receiving long-term care in industrialized countries. The Healthcare Utilization Model by Andersen suggests that individual need characteristics influence utilization. The purpose of this study is to analyze correlations between need characteristics and service utilization in home care arrangements. 1,152 respondents answered the questionnaire regarding their integration of services in their current and future care arrangements. Care recipients with high long-term care needs answered the questionnaire on their own, the family caregiver assisted the care recipient in answering the questions, or the family caregiver responded to the questionnaire on behalf of the care recipient. They were asked to rank specific needs according to their situation. We used descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Respondents are widely informed about services. Nursing services and counseling are the most used services. Short-term care and guidance and training have a high potential for future use. Day care, self-help groups, and mobile services were the most frequently rejected services in our survey. Women use more services than men and with rising age utilization increases. Long waiting times and bad health of the primary caregiver increases the chance of integrating services into the home care arrangements. The primary family caregiver has a high impact on service utilization. This indicates that the whole family should be approached when offering services. Professionals should react upon the specific needs of care dependents and their families.

Which need characteristics influence healthcare service utilization in home care arrangements in Germany?

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background We see a growing number of older adults receiving long-term care in industrialized countries. The Healthcare Utilization Model by Andersen suggests that individual need characteristics influence utilization. The purpose of this study is to analyze correlations between need characteristics and service utilization in home care arrangements. Methods 1,152 respondents answered the questionnaire regarding their integration of services in their current and future care arrangements. Care recipients with high long-term care needs answered the questionnaire on their own, the family caregiver assisted the care recipient in answering the questions, or the family caregiver responded to the questionnaire on behalf of the care recipient. They were asked to rank specific needs according to their situation. We used descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Results Respondents are widely informed about services. Nursing services and counseling are the most used services. Short-term care and guidance and training have a high potential for future use. Day care, self-help groups, and mobile services were the most frequently rejected services in our survey. Women use more services than men and with rising age utilization increases. Long waiting times and bad health of the primary caregiver increases the chance of integrating services into the home care arrangements. Conclusion The primary family caregiver has a high impact on service utilization. This indicates that the whole family should be approached when offering services. Professionals should react upon the specific needs of care dependents and their families. PMID:24884598

Prospects and limitations for use of frequency spectrum from 40 to 300 GHz

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Catoe, C. E.

1979-01-01

The existing and future use of the electromagnetic spectrum from 40 to 300 gigahertz is discussed. The activities envisioned for this segment of the electromagnetic spectrum fall generically into two basic categories: communications and remote sensing. The communications services considered for this region are focused on the existing and future frequency allocations that are required for terrestrial radio services, space to ground radio services, space to space radio services, and space to deep space radio services. The remote sensing services considered for this region are divided into two groups of activities: earth viewing and space viewing.

Development of land use scenarios and estimation of ecosystem services for the Future Midwestern Landscapes Study

EPA Science Inventory

The Midwest is an important supplier of ecosystem services including food, fiber and fuel to the nation and the world, but these benefits of nature have come with trade-offs that include degraded water quality in the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie, loss of migratory bird habitat, d...

A Historical Analysis of Post-Genocide Rwandan Special Education: Lessons Derived and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyarambi, Arnold

2009-01-01

The purpose of this postcolonial historical study was to investigate the following: prevalence and nature of disabilities, programs, and services of special education in Rwanda before and after the 1994 genocide; and the utility, effectiveness, and importation of western-based special education models, programs, and services in Rwanda; and lastly…

77 FR 69920 - Notice of Availability for Public Review of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

... would provide an alternative to automobile, bus, and air travel by decreasing travel times, increasing... and need criteria by: decreasing travel times; increasing frequency of service; improving service... current and future demand for travel in the Study area. The need stems from travel demand and increasing...

A Mixed-Methods Study of Early Intervention Implementation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Supports, Services, and Policies for Young Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattern, Janet A.

2015-01-01

Participation in high quality early intervention programs is critical for eligible young children who experience atypical development for their future academic success. High quality programs promote access to services, incorporate instructional strategies that encourage children's participation, and advocate public policy that supports…

Does the Impact of Anti-Drinking and Driving Public Service Announcements Differ Based on Message Type and Viewer Characteristics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santa, Annesa Flentje; Cochran, Bryan N.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to inform future Public Service Announcement (PSA) development by examining the potential effectiveness of different types of anti-driving under the influence (DUI) PSAs for persons with different characteristics. PSAs utilizing empathy, fear, and informational approaches were shown to persons recruited from…

HRD as an Emergent and Negotiated Evolution: An Ethnographic Case Study in the British National Health Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sambrook, Sally

2001-01-01

Using a contingency framework, three stages in the evolution of human resource development (HRD) in the National Health Service were identified: tell (training enacted within the classical management paradigm); sell (a competence approach to development for all employees); and gel (strategic HRD linked to corporate goals and future needs).…

Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences of Scaffolded Learning in Science through a Computer Supported Collaborative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kukkonen, Jari; Dillon, Patrick; Kärkkäinen, Sirpa; Hartikainen-Ahia, Anu; Keinonen, Tuula

2016-01-01

Scaffolding helps the novice to accomplish a task goal or solve a problem that otherwise would be beyond unassisted efforts. Scaffolding firstly aims to support the learner in accomplishing the task and secondly in learning from the task and improving future performance. This study has examined pre-service teachers' experiences of…

"El pasado refleja el futuro": Pre-Service Teachers' Memories of Growing up Bilingual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Kyle

2017-01-01

This study examined the school memories of a cohort of bilingual pre-service teachers who experienced school as English Learners. As part of a course assignment, participants described a memory from elementary school and later used that memory to reflect on its future impact on their teaching. Data were inductively analyzed, and themes were…

Support Services for Mainstream Deaf College Student Writers: Three Institutional Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Heidi Maria

2017-01-01

This dissertation acknowledges the fact that research regarding deaf student writers at the post-secondary level is practically void. To initiate an avenue of research that is meant to foreground future research regarding support services for deaf college student writers, I set out to find how college institutions are serving deaf student writers…

Evidence of the economic benefit of clinical pharmacy services: 1996-2000.

PubMed

Schumock, Glen T; Butler, Melissa G; Meek, Patrick D; Vermeulen, Lee C; Arondekar, Bhakti V; Bauman, Jerry L

2003-01-01

We sought to summarize and assess original evaluations of the economic impact of clinical pharmacy services published from 1996-2000, and to provide recommendations and methodologic considerations for future research. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify articles that were then blinded and randomly assigned to reviewers who confirmed inclusion and abstracted key information. Results were compared with those of a similar review of literature published from 1988-1995. In the 59 included articles, the studies were conducted across a variety of practice sites that consisted of hospitals (52%), community pharmacies and clinics (41%), health maintenance organizations (3%), and long-term or intermediate care facilities (3%). They focused on a broad range of clinical pharmacy services such as general pharmacotherapeutic monitoring (47%), target drug programs (20%), disease management programs (10%), and patient education or cognitive services (10%). Compared with the studies of the previous review, a greater proportion of evaluations were conducted in community pharmacies or clinics, and the types of services evaluated tended to be more comprehensive rather than specialized. Articles were categorized by type of evaluation: 36% were considered outcome analyses, 24% full economic analyses, 17% outcome descriptions, 15% cost and outcome descriptions, and 8% cost analyses. Compared with the studies of the previous review, a greater proportion of studies in the current review used more rigorous study designs. Most studies reported positive financial benefits of the clinical pharmacy service evaluated. In 16 studies, a benefit:cost ratio was reported by the authors or was able to be calculated by the reviewers (these ranged from 1.7:1-17.0:1, median 4.68:1). The body of literature from this 5-year period provides continued evidence of the economic benefit of clinical pharmacy services. Although the quality of study design has improved, whenever possible, future evaluations of this type should incorporate methodologies that will further enhance the strength of evidence of this literature and the conclusions that may be drawn from it.

The impact of systematic landscape conservation planning on ecosystem: Chen Youlan river watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chi-ju

2017-04-01

Heraclitus said that "no man ever steps in the same river twice." Everything continues to change. Land use change will keep redefine itself and subject the Earth and humankind to collateral changes. Humankind benefits from ecosystem in many ways. The ecosystem provides people with nutrients, enriches soil with sediment, and sustains all living organisms with water; these benefits are known as ecosystem services. In Taiwan, land use change has impacted ecosystem and biodiversity on various levels. Thus, we took six land use scenarios from 1999 to 2005 in Chen Youlan river watershed as our case study, intending to observe the course of ecosystem and biodiversity changes and the cause of it. Systematic Landscape conservation planning (SLCP) framework can be adopted when designing land use policy to safeguard human interests and ecosystem. This study use SLCP to develop ecosystem services and biodiversity protection strategies. Several strategies were designed by using 1999 to 2005 data as provision to protect the intactness of future ecosystem services and biodiversity. This research explores the potential and possible impacts of different land use protection strategies in the future. It is possible to identify the conservation priority of a certain region by using the Zonation meta-algorithm. This study selects the zonation critical protection area (Joint set of Yushan National Park) as strategy A, B and C. Strategy D takes Yushan National Park as a protected area; unstable hot spots in 1999/03 (Joint set of Yushan National Park) are selected as strategy E. Next, we used Kappa statistical method to find the minimal ecosystem services change and biodiversity hotspots change of the five aforementioned strategies and compared with those from 1999/03. By the Kappa statistical method, we further prioritized the important conservation areas by strategy A, B, C, E in the future. The results can not only serve as management reference for government agencies, but also develop an ideal trajectory of policy making as well as human-nature dynamics, leading to a sustainable future. We do not have to be subject to changes passively, instead, we can evolve ourselves and actively initiate the evolutionary path towards sustainable coexistence with nature. Keywords: InVEST , CLUE-s , biodiversity , ecosystem services, ecosystem services hotspots, land use change, SLCP, Systematic Landscape conservation planning, Chen Youlan river

Siblings' coping strategies and mental health services: a national study of siblings of persons with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Friedrich, Rose Marie; Lively, Sonja; Rubenstein, Linda M

2008-03-01

This study examined the helpfulness of coping strategies and the relative importance of mental health services in coping with schizophrenia from the perspective of siblings. This article presents selected survey data from a national study of 746 respondents that investigated the impact of schizophrenia on siblings' lives. The authors developed the Friedrich-Lively Instrument to Assess the Impact of Schizophrenia on Siblings (FLIISS), a closed-ended questionnaire that included questions about coping strategies and mental health services. Respondents identified services for the ill sibling, including symptom control, adequate housing, and long-term planning, as more important than direct services for themselves. The top-ranked coping strategies were education about schizophrenia, a supportive family, and seeing the ill sibling suffer less because symptoms were controlled. Understanding that families were not to blame for schizophrenia was the most helpful coping strategy for nearly three-fourths of siblings. Siblings had little contact with providers in the past; yet the majority of siblings wanted providers to be available to answer questions and clarify their role in future care. At the time of the study, respondents provided social support and helped with crises, but few coordinated the total care. Siblings identified multiple ways that providers can support and assist them in coping with the impact of schizophrenia. Education and support for siblings without schizophrenia and services for their ill siblings will become increasingly important for the well-being of siblings as they are faced with the responsibility of being the primary caregivers in the future.

Assessment of the University of Michigan's dental hygiene partnership with the Huron Valley Boys & Girls Club: a study of students' and staffs' perceptions and service learning outcomes.

PubMed

Christensen Brydges, Sarah; Gwozdek, Anne E

2011-01-01

The Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) requires a health curriculum be taught. With the assistance of the University of Michigan (UM) Dental Hygiene program, these requirements have been addressed at the Huron Valley Boys & Girls Club (HVBGC) through dental hygiene students presenting oral health education to club members throughout the year. This study assessed the outcomes and benefits of the service learning initiative between the UM Dental Hygiene Program and the HVBGC from both the students' and staffs' perceptions. Three surveys were distributed: one to the HVBGC staff, one to UM's Dental Hygiene class of 2012 (with no service learning experience at the HVBGC) and one to UM Dental Hygiene classes of 2010 and 2011 (most of whom had experience at the HVBGC). Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and evaluated. The respondents from the class of 2012 were less knowledgeable about the BGCA and access to care issues. The members of the classes of 2010 and 2011, 79% of whom had HVBGC experience, identified they had benefitted from this service learning experience. The HVBGC staff survey indicated a high level of satisfaction with the student presentations and felt their curricular requirements were being met. Future topics of safety, orthodontics and gardening/nutrition were identified. This study indicates the service learning initiative has been beneficial for both the UM Dental Hygiene students and the HVBGC. Future studies should use a longitudinal design to obtain baseline and post-service learning data.

Launching into adulthood from institutional care with a serious mental health condition.

PubMed

Klodnick, Vanessa Vorhies; Davis, Kristin E; Fagan, Marc A; Elias, Allison

2014-02-01

This qualitative study explores the experiences of emerging adults with serious mental health conditions (e.g., bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder) before and after they emancipate from the child welfare system and exit a transitional living program. Sixteen participants were interviewed before and 13 were interviewed after aging out. Findings suggest that transitional living programs services were appreciated for the relationships and safety net they fostered. Future plans were positive, but vague, and worries about the future were prevalent. Struggles with independence post-emancipation were common despite adult service use. Additional research is needed to understand how to best support these at-risk emerging adults.

Offshoring of healthcare services: the case of US-India trade in medical transcription services.

PubMed

Kshetri, Nir; Dholakia, Nikhilesh

2011-01-01

- The issue of offshore outsourcing of healthcare services is a critical but little-examined problem in healthcare research. The purpose of this study is to contribute to filling this void. A library-based study was carried out of the development of the Indian medical transcription offshoring industry. Findings- Cost-saving potential and the degree of outsourceability are higher for medical transcription compared with most services. Offshoring experience, typically in a low-value BPO, helps to enhance productivity and international linkages required for the success of medical transcription. Research limitations/implications - An important area of future research concerns comparing India's factor endowments in medical transcription outsourcing with other services. Further research is also needed to examine how India differs from its regional competitors in terms of factors endowments associated with these services. Another extension would be to investigate the drivers of offshoring of higher value services such as radiological readings. Practical implications - ICT infrastructures needed for outsourcing require much less investment compared with leading capital-intensive industries. The development patterns of the Indian medical and offshoring industries indicate that India may attract higher skilled medical functions in the future. The Indian offshoring industry is shifting its focus from BPO to knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). Developing countries need to shift to greater automation and greater levels of skill training to retain and reinforce their comparative advantages. This paper's greatest value stems from the fact that it examines the drivers of a new but rapidly growing healthcare industry.

A Blueprint for School-Based Services. School of the Future: Dallas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iscoe, Louise

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health created the School of the Future (SoF) project to enable selected Texas schools to coordinate and implement school-based social and health services on their campuses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method of service delivery by evaluating the project. At each of four urban sites consisting of a…

Revisiting the School of the Future: The Evolution of a School-Based Services Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iscoe, Louise K.; Keir, Scott S.

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health created the School of the Future (SoF) project to enable selected Texas schools to coordinate and implement school-based social and health services on their campuses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method of service delivery by evaluating the project. This report documents the evolution of the SoF…

Mobile information and communication in the hospital outpatient service.

PubMed

Jen, Wen-Yuan; Chao, Chia-Chen; Hung, Ming-Chien; Li, Yu-Chuan; Chi, Y P

2007-08-01

Most healthcare providers provide mobile service for their medical staff; however, few healthcare providers provide mobile service as part of their outpatient service. The mobile outpatient service system (MOSS) focuses on illness treatment, illness prevention and patient relation management for outpatient service users. Initiated in a local hospital in Taiwan, the MOSS pilot project was developed to improve outpatient service quality and pursue higher patient safety. This study focuses on the development of the MOSS. The workflow, architecture and target users of the MOSS are delineated. In addition, there were two surveys conducted as part of this study. After a focus group of medical staff identified areas in which outpatient services might be improved by the MOSS, the first survey was administered to outpatients to confirm the focus group's intuitions. The second administration of the survey explored outpatient satisfaction after they used the MOSS service. With regard to outpatient attitudes, about 93% of participants agreed that the mobile outpatient service improved outpatient service quality. In the area of outpatient satisfaction, about 89% of participants indicated they were satisfied with the mobile outpatient service. Supported by our study finding, we propose that more diverse mobile outpatient services can be provided in the future.

[Application of ecosystem service value in land use change research: Bottlenecks and prospects].

PubMed

Zhang, Zhou; Wu, Ci-Fang; Tan, Rong

2013-02-01

In recent years, the application of ecosystem service value in land use change research is a hot topic in many famous international journals. However, policy makers are seldom taking into account the achievements of the related studies in practice. This paper summarized the three main bottlenecks in applying ecosystem service value in land management practices, i. e., the difficulty in measuring the service values, the complexity of driving factors, and the bias of evaluation criteria. Some solutions on the bottlenecks were provided, and the future research directions in China were prospected. It was suggested that in the studies of land use change based on ecosystem service value, it would be more appropriate to adopt comparative analysis method in small scale case studies, especially focusing on the natural ecological resources and the excessive loss of their values.

Evosystem Services: Rapid Evolution and the Provision of Ecosystem Services.

PubMed

Rudman, Seth M; Kreitzman, Maayan; Chan, Kai M A; Schluter, Dolph

2017-06-01

Evolution is recognized as the source of all organisms, and hence many ecosystem services. However, the role that contemporary evolution might play in maintaining and enhancing specific ecosystem services has largely been overlooked. Recent advances at the interface of ecology and evolution have demonstrated how contemporary evolution can shape ecological communities and ecosystem functions. We propose a definition and quantitative criteria to study how rapid evolution affects ecosystem services (here termed contemporary evosystem services) and present plausible scenarios where such services might exist. We advocate for the direct measurement of contemporary evosystem services to improve understanding of how changing environments will alter resource availability and human well-being, and highlight the potential utility of managing rapid evolution for future ecosystem services. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Service user engagement in health service reconfiguration: a rapid evidence synthesis.

PubMed

Dalton, Jane; Chambers, Duncan; Harden, Melissa; Street, Andrew; Parker, Gillian; Eastwood, Alison

2016-07-01

To assess what is known about effective patient and public engagement in health service reconfiguration processes and identify implications for further research and health care practice. Rapid systematic review of published and grey literature to identify methods or approaches to engagement in decisions about health service reconfiguration; and to examine how engagement has worked or not worked in specific examples of system change. Following a search for literature published in English from 2000 to March 2014, eight systematic reviews, seven primary studies and 24 case studies (of which 6 were exemplars) were included. We undertook a narrative synthesis to consider five aspects of engagement with health service reconfiguration. Engagement varied in nature and intensity, and efforts generally involved multiple methods. There was no evidence on the isolated impact of any particular engagement method or collection of methods. In general, engagement was most likely to be successful when started early, when led and supported by clinicians, and when it offered opportunities for genuine interaction. The impact of engagement was variably measured and demonstrated, and frequently defined as process measures rather than the outcomes of proposals for service reconfiguration. Little was reported on the potential negative impact of service user engagement. Patients and the public can be engaged through various methods. Problems often arise because decision-makers paid insufficient attention to issues considered important by patients and the public. Guidance setting out the stages of reconfiguration and opportunities for service user input could be a helpful practical framework for future engagement activity. Future evaluation and explicit reporting of engagement and impact is needed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Understanding the Association Between School Climate and Future Orientation.

PubMed

Lindstrom Johnson, Sarah; Pas, Elise; Bradshaw, Catherine P

2016-08-01

Promoting students' future orientation is inherently a goal of the educational system. Recently, it has received more explicit attention given the increased focus on career readiness. This study aimed to examine the association between school climate and adolescents' report of future orientation using data from youth (N = 27,698; 49.4 % female) across 58 high schools. Three-level hierarchical linear models indicated that perceptions of available emotional and service supports, rules and consequences, and parent engagement were positively related to adolescents' future orientation. Additionally, the school-level average future orientation was significantly related to individuals' future orientation, indicating a potential influence of contextual effects on this construct. Taken together, these findings suggest that interventions targeting school climate may hold promise for promoting future orientation.

Lead users’ ideas on core features to support physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a first step in the development of an internet service using participatory design

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Despite the growing evidence of the benefits of physical activity (PA) in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the majority is not physically active enough. An innovative strategy is to engage lead users in the development of PA interventions provided over the internet. The aim was to explore lead users’ ideas and prioritization of core features in a future internet service targeting adoption and maintenance of healthy PA in people with RA. Methods Six focus group interviews were performed with a purposively selected sample of 26 individuals with RA. Data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis and quantification of participants’ prioritization of most important content. Results Six categories were identified as core features for a future internet service: up-to-date and evidence-based information and instructions, self-regulation tools, social interaction, personalized set-up, attractive design and content, and access to the internet service. The categories represented four themes, or core aspects, important to consider in the design of the future service: (1) content, (2) customized options, (3) user interface and (4) access and implementation. Conclusions This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study involving people with RA in the development of an internet service to support the adoption and maintenance of PA. Participants helped identifying core features and aspects important to consider and further explore during the next phase of development. We hypothesize that involvement of lead users will make transfer from theory to service more adequate and user-friendly and therefore will be an effective mean to facilitate PA behavior change. PMID:24655757

Robust Engineering Designs for Infrastructure Adaptation to a Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samaras, C.; Cook, L.

2015-12-01

Infrastructure systems are expected to be functional, durable and safe over long service lives - 50 to over 100 years. Observations and models of climate science show that greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities have changed climate, weather and extreme events. Projections of future changes (albeit with uncertainties caused by inadequacies of current climate/weather models) can be made based on scenarios for future emissions, but actual future emissions are themselves uncertain. Most current engineering standards and practices for infrastructure assume that the probabilities of future extreme climate and weather events will match those of the past. Climate science shows that this assumption is invalid, but is unable, at present, to define these probabilities over the service lives of existing and new infrastructure systems. Engineering designs, plans, and institutions and regulations will need to be adaptable for a range of future conditions (conditions of climate, weather and extreme events, as well as changing societal demands for infrastructure services). For their current and future projects, engineers should: Involve all stakeholders (owners, financers, insurance, regulators, affected public, climate/weather scientists, etc.) in key decisions; Use low regret, adaptive strategies, such as robust decision making and the observational method, comply with relevant standards and regulations, and exceed their requirements where appropriate; Publish design studies and performance/failure investigations to extend the body of knowledge for advancement of practice. The engineering community should conduct observational and modeling research with climate/weather/social scientists and the concerned communities and account rationally for climate change in revised engineering standards and codes. This presentation presents initial research on decisionmaking under uncertainty for climate resilient infrastructure design.

Operations analysis (study 2.1). Contingency analysis. [of failure modes anticipated during space shuttle upper stage planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

Future operational concepts for the space transportation system were studied in terms of space shuttle upper stage failure contingencies possible during deployment, retrieval, or space servicing of automated satellite programs. Problems anticipated during mission planning were isolated using a modified 'fault tree' technique, normally used in safety analyses. A comprehensive space servicing hazard analysis is presented which classifies possible failure modes under the catagories of catastrophic collision, failure to rendezvous and dock, servicing failure, and failure to undock. The failure contingencies defined are to be taken into account during design of the upper stage.

Learning How to Teach Chemistry with Technology: Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences with Integrating Technology into Their Learning and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chittleborough, Gail

2014-01-01

The Australian Government initiative, Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF), was a targeted response to improve the preparation of future teachers with integrating technology into their practice. This paper reports on TTF research involving 28 preservice teachers undertaking a chemistry curriculum studies unit that adopted a technological focus.…

A Study of Child Variance, Volume 4: The Future; Conceptual Project in Emotional Disturbance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, William C.

Presented in the fourth volume in a series are a discussion of critical issues related to child variance and predictions for how society will perceive and respond to child variance in the future. Reviewed in an introductory chapter are the contents of the first three volumes which deal with conceptual models, interventions, and service delivery…

Flight Dynamics and GN&C for Spacecraft Servicing Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naasz, Bo; Zimpfer, Doug; Barrington, Ray; Mulder, Tom

2010-01-01

Future human exploration missions and commercial opportunities will be enabled through In-space assembly and satellite servicing. Several recent efforts have developed technologies and capabilities to support these exciting future missions, including advances in flight dynamics and Guidance, Navigation and Control. The Space Shuttle has demonstrated significant capabilities for crewed servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). Following the Columbia disaster NASA made significant progress in developing a robotic mission to service the HST. The DARPA Orbital Express mission demonstrated automated rendezvous and capture, In-space propellant transfer, and commodity replacement. This paper will provide a summary of the recent technology developments and lessons learned, and provide a focus for potential future missions.

Reexamining competitive priorities: Empirical study in service sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idris, Fazli; Mohammad, Jihad

2015-02-01

The general objective of this study is to validate the multi-level concept of competitive priorities using reflective-formative model at a higher order for service industries. An empirical study of 228 firms from 9 different service industries is conducted to answer the objective of this study. Partial least square analysis with SmartPLS 2.0 was used to perform the analysis. Finding revealed six priorities: cost, flexibility, delivery, quality talent management, quality tangibility, and innovativeness. It emerges that quality are expanded into two types; one is related to managing talent for process improvement and the second one is the physical appearance and tangibility of the service quality. This study has confirmed competitive priorities as formative second-order hierarchical latent construct by using rigorous empirical evidence. Implications, limitation and suggestion for future research are accordingly discussed in this paper.

Visual resource inventory and Imnaha Valley study: Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Treesearch

David H. Blau; Michael C. Bowie; Frank Hunsaker

1979-01-01

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area was established by an Act of Congress in December 1975. At that time, the U.S. Forest Service, which administers most of the land included, was given the responsibility of developing a Comprehensive Management Plan for the NRA within five years. In order to minimize future visual degradation, the Forest Service planning team for...

Outdoor recreation trends and futures: a technical document supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment

Treesearch

H. Ken Cordell

2012-01-01

This publication presents a national study of outdoor recreation trends as part of the Renewable Resources Planning Act Assessment by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The objectives are to review past trends in outdoor recreation participation by Americans, to describe in detail current outdoor recreation participation patterns, and to compare...

Free and Open Source Tools (FOSTs): An Empirical Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers' Competencies, Attitudes, and Pedagogical Intentions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asing-Cashman, Joyce G.; Gurung, Binod; Limbu, Yam B.; Rutledge, David

2014-01-01

This study examines the digital native pre-service teachers' (DNPSTs) perceptions of their competency, attitude, and pedagogical intention to use free and open source tools (FOSTs) in their future teaching. Participants were 294 PSTs who responded to pre-course surveys at the beginning of an educational technology course. Using the structural…

Meta-Reflective Service Learning Poster Fairs: Purposive Pedagogy for Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Trae

2008-01-01

Given that teachers need to present information in a concise, understandable way, to reflect on their practices to inform future actions, and to know how to create and use a teaching artifact, this article reports the findings from a study conducted to examine the impacts from a class-based poster session in teacher education. First, a review of…

Anticipating the Future of Mental Health Needs on Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonfiglio, Robert A.

2016-01-01

The provision of college mental health services is undergoing a dynamic evolution. The ability of mental health practitioners and administrators to balance multiple and sometimes opposing trends may determine the future course of mental health services in higher education.

The Library as Leader: Computer Assisted Information Services at Northwestern University. A Report of the NULCAIS Committee on the Present Status, and Proposals for the Future, of Computer Assisted Information Services at Northwestern University Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL. Univ. Libraries.

In March 1974, a study was undertaken at Northwestern University to examine the role of the library in providing information services based on computerized data bases. After taking an inventory of existing data bases at Northwestern and in the greater Chicago area, a committee suggested ways to continue and expand the scope of information…

Identification, definition and quantification of goods and services provided by marine biodiversity: implications for the ecosystem approach.

PubMed

Beaumont, N J; Austen, M C; Atkins, J P; Burdon, D; Degraer, S; Dentinho, T P; Derous, S; Holm, P; Horton, T; van Ierland, E; Marboe, A H; Starkey, D J; Townsend, M; Zarzycki, T

2007-03-01

This paper identifies and defines ecosystem goods and services provided by marine biodiversity. Case studies have been used to provide an insight into the practical issues associated with the assessment of marine ecosystem goods and services at specific locations. The aim of this research was to validate the definitions of goods and services, and to identify knowledge gaps and likely difficulties of quantifying the goods and services. A validated theoretical framework for the assessment of goods and services is detailed, and examples of the goods and services at a variety of case study areas are documented. These results will enable future assessments of marine ecosystem goods and services. It is concluded that the utilisation of this goods and services approach has the capacity to play a fundamental role in the Ecosystem Approach, by enabling the pressures and demands of society, the economy and the environment to be integrated into environmental management.

Integrating Service-Learning Pedagogy for Preservice Elementary Teachers' Science Identity Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Rachel E.; Bradbury, Leslie U.; McGlasson, Martha A.

2015-04-01

The purpose of this article is to explore how preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) interpreted their service-learning experiences within a pre-methods environmentally focused course and how their interpretations shaped their science teaching identities. Along a continuum of service-learning experiences were events that emphasized science learning, that focused on science teaching, and that were transitional, with elements of both science learning and science teaching. These various service-learning experiences were designed to be "boundary experiences" for professional identity development (Geijsel & Meijers in Educational Studies, 3(4), 419-430, 2005), providing opportunities for PSETs to reflect on meanings in cultural contexts and how they are related to their own personal meanings. We analyzed written reflections and end-of-course oral reflection interviews from 42 PSETs on their various service-learning experiences. PSETs discussed themes related to the meanings they made of the service-learning experiences: (a) experiencing science in relation to their lives as humans and future teachers, (b) interacting with elementary students and other PSETs, and (c) making an impact in the physical environment and in the community. The connections that PSETs were making between the discursive spaces (service-learning contexts) and their own meaning-making of these experiences (as connected to their own interests in relation to their future professions and daily lives) shows evidence of the potential that various types of science service-learning experiences have for PSETs in developing inbound science teaching identity trajectories (Wenger in Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998). The findings of this study point to positive outcomes for PSETs when they participate in structured service-learning experiences along a learning to teaching continuum (246).

A systematic review of service-learning in medical education: 1998-2012.

PubMed

Stewart, Trae; Wubbena, Zane C

2015-01-01

PHENOMENON: In the United States, the Affordable Care Act has increased the need for community-centered pedagogy for medical education such as service-learning, wherein students connect academic curriculum and reflections to address a community need. Yet heterogeneity among service-learning programs suggests the need for a framework to understand variations among service-learning programs in medical education. A qualitative systematic review of literature on service-learning and medical education was conducted for the period between 1998 and 2012. A two-stage inclusion criteria process resulted in articles (n = 32) on service-learning and Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine being included for both coding and analysis. Focused and selective coding were employed to identify recurring themes and subthemes from the literature. The findings of the qualitative thematic analysis of service-learning variation in medical education identified a total of seven themes with subthemes. The themes identified from the analysis were (a) geographic location and setting, (b) program design, (c) funding, (d) participation, (e) program implementation, (f) assessment, and (g) student outcomes. Insights: This systematic review of literature confirmed the existence of program heterogeneity among service-learning program in medical education. However, the findings of this study provide key insights into the nature of service-learning in medical education building a framework for which to organize differences among service-learning programs. A list of recommendations for future areas of inquiry is provided to guide future research.

The Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions: Past, present, and future operational challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ochs, William R.; Barbehenn, George M.; Crabb, William G.

1996-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope was designed to be serviced by the Space Shuttle to upgrade systems, replace failed components and boost the telescope into higher orbits. There exists many operational challenges that must be addressed in preparation for the execution of a servicing mission, including technical and managerial issues. The operational challenges faced by the Hubble operations and ground system project for the support of the first servicing mission and future servicing missions, are considered. The emphasis is on those areas that helped ensure the success of the mission, including training, testing and contingency planning.

17 CFR 242.401 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... price of such security future as shown by any regularly published reporting or quotation service, and... regularly published reporting or quotation service. If there is no recent closing sale price, the security... to financial relations between a security futures intermediary and a customer with respect to...

Who We Are Today is Who We Were When

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cepollina, Frank John

2015-01-01

This talk presents the past, present, and future of satellite servicing. The presentation will also explain the resulting spin-­-off benefits of the past servicing missions. This presentation hopes to inspire the attendees about the exciting new work of the future.

Vision and Operational Concept for Enabling Advanced Traveler Information Services : Operational Concept

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-01

EnableATIS is looking ahead to a future operational environment that will support and enable an advanced, transformational traveler information services framework. This future framework is envisioned to be enabled with a much more robust pool of real...

Future challenges for occupational health services can be prevented by proactive collaboration with the companies using the services: a participatory and reflection project

PubMed Central

Lydell, Marie; Hildingh, Cathrine; Söderbom, Arne; Ziegert, Kristina

2017-01-01

Background There is clearly a need for research in the field of occupational health service (OHS) for applying new perspectives. Proactive collaboration is needed between the OHSs and the companies. The customers of the companies using the services should be able to safeguard themselves from the health problems caused by the work environment through proactive collaboration with the OHSs. Objective The main purpose of this interdisciplinary study was to explore how the stakeholders reflected to create and agree on core values for future challenges in OHS, as seen from the perspectives of OHS professionals and customer companies. Methodology An action research process was conducted. This study was divided into three phases. In phase I, the data were collected from interviews and diaries of interdisciplinary occupational health professionals (n=12). A focus group that sampled the eight managers of the customer companies was also included. In phase II, a questionnaire was developed with 24 questions focusing on examining the future challenges for OHS. The questionnaire was sent to customer companies (n=116). In phase III, a scoping review was undertaken. Results Three categories emerged from the analysis: “Balancing complex situations” clarified the complexity regarding senior employees; “Working with a proactive approach” indicated the need for working with a new proactive approach supporting sustainable health; and “Collaborate internally and externally” showed good relationships between the customer and the OHS, which is a mutual responsibility to both the partners. Conclusion The results outlined that it is necessary to take action to apply new proactive health promotions, with a focus on workplace health promotion. The results also indicated that interventions for senior employees are of importance. This study was done in collaboration with the stakeholders from the occupational health care service center and the managers from the customer companies. The use of a participatory research design, including close collaboration with the participants, allows the researchers to see the challenges. PMID:28579793

Future challenges for occupational health services can be prevented by proactive collaboration with the companies using the services: a participatory and reflection project.

PubMed

Lydell, Marie; Hildingh, Cathrine; Söderbom, Arne; Ziegert, Kristina

2017-01-01

There is clearly a need for research in the field of occupational health service (OHS) for applying new perspectives. Proactive collaboration is needed between the OHSs and the companies. The customers of the companies using the services should be able to safeguard themselves from the health problems caused by the work environment through proactive collaboration with the OHSs. The main purpose of this interdisciplinary study was to explore how the stakeholders reflected to create and agree on core values for future challenges in OHS, as seen from the perspectives of OHS professionals and customer companies. An action research process was conducted. This study was divided into three phases. In phase I, the data were collected from interviews and diaries of interdisciplinary occupational health professionals (n=12). A focus group that sampled the eight managers of the customer companies was also included. In phase II, a questionnaire was developed with 24 questions focusing on examining the future challenges for OHS. The questionnaire was sent to customer companies (n=116). In phase III, a scoping review was undertaken. Three categories emerged from the analysis: "Balancing complex situations" clarified the complexity regarding senior employees; "Working with a proactive approach" indicated the need for working with a new proactive approach supporting sustainable health; and "Collaborate internally and externally" showed good relationships between the customer and the OHS, which is a mutual responsibility to both the partners. The results outlined that it is necessary to take action to apply new proactive health promotions, with a focus on workplace health promotion. The results also indicated that interventions for senior employees are of importance. This study was done in collaboration with the stakeholders from the occupational health care service center and the managers from the customer companies. The use of a participatory research design, including close collaboration with the participants, allows the researchers to see the challenges.

Operations analysis (study 2.1). Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, R. R.

1975-01-01

Subjects related to future STS operations concepts were investigated. The majority of effort was directed at assessing the benefits of automated space servicing concepts as related to improvements in payload procurement and shuttle utilization. Another subject was directed at understanding shuttle upper stage software development and recurring costs relative to total program projections. Space serving of automated payloads is addressed by examining the broad spectrum of payload applications with the belief that shared logistic operations will be a major contributor to reduction of future program costs. However, there are certain requirements for support of payload operations, such as availability of the payload, that may place demands upon the shuttle fleet. Because future projections of the NASA Mission Model are only representative of the payload traffic, it is important to recognize that it is the general character of operations that is significant rather than service to any single payload program.

Perspectives of intellectual disability in Latin American countries: epidemiology, policy, and services for children and adults.

PubMed

Mercadante, Marcos T; Evans-Lacko, Sara; Paula, Cristiane S

2009-09-01

The prevalence of intellectual disability is an estimated 1-4% worldwide. Etiological factors such as malnutrition, lack of perinatal care, and exposure to toxic and infectious agents, which are more common in low-income and middle-income (LAMI) countries, may contribute to a higher prevalence of intellectual disability in Latin America. This review summarizes the data on intellectual disability coming from Latin America, which is published in scientific journals and is available from official websites and discusses potential health policy and services implications of these studies. Methodologically rigorous studies on intellectual disability in Latin America are lacking. This paucity of basic epidemiological information is a barrier to policy and services development and evaluation around intellectual disability. Only two studies, one from Chile and another from Jamaica, allow for adequate population estimates of intellectual disability. Interestingly, the countries with the highest scientific production in Latin America, Brazil and Mexico, did not produce the most informative research in epidemiology, policy or services related to intellectual disability. The main conclusion of this review is that a lack of scientific evidence makes it difficult to properly characterize the context of intellectual disability in Latin America. Insufficient data is also a barrier to policy and services development for governments in Latin America. Although recently there have been efforts to develop government programs to meet the needs of the intellectual disability population in Latin America, the effectiveness of these programs is questionable without proper evaluation. There is a need for studies that characterize the needs of people with intellectual disability specifically in Latin America, and future research in this area should emphasize how it can inform current and future policies and services for people with intellectual disability.

US Military Service Members' Reasons for Deciding to Participate in Health Research.

PubMed

Cook, Wendy A; Melvin, Kristal C; Doorenbos, Ardith Z

2017-06-01

Researchers have reported challenges in recruiting US military service members as research participants. We explored their reasons for participating. Eighteen US military service members who had participated in at least one health-related research study within the previous 3 years completed semi-structured individual interviews in person or by telephone, focused on the service members' past decisions regarding research participation. Service members described participation decisions for 34 individual research experiences in 27 separate studies. Service members' reasons for participation in research clustered in three themes: others-, self-, and fit-focused. Each decision included reasons characterized by at least two themes. Reasons from all three themes were apparent in two-thirds of individual participation decisions. Reasons described by at least half of the service members included a desire to make things better for others, to improve an organization, to help researchers, and to improve one's health; understanding how they fit in studies; and convenience of participation. Findings may help researchers, study sponsors, ethicists, military leaders, and military decision-makers better understand service members' reasons for participating in research and improve future recruitment of service members in health research. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

US Military Service Members’ Reasons for Deciding to Participate in Health Research

PubMed Central

Cook, Wendy A.; Melvin, Kristal C.; Doorenbos, Ardith Z.

2017-01-01

Researchers have reported challenges in recruiting US military service members as research participants. We explored their reasons for participating. Eighteen US military service members who had participated in at least one health-related research study within the previous 3 years completed semi-structured individual interviews in person or by telephone, focused on the service members’ past decisions regarding research participation. Service members described participation decisions for 34 individual research experiences in 27 separate studies. Service members’ reasons for participation in research clustered in three themes: others-, self-, and fit-focused. Each decision included reasons characterized by at least two themes. Reasons from all three themes were apparent in two-thirds of individual participation decisions. Reasons described by at least half of the service members included a desire to make things better for others, to improve an organization, to help researchers, and to improve one’s health; understanding how they fit in studies; and convenience of participation. Findings may help researchers, study sponsors, ethicists, military leaders, and military decision-makers better understand service members’ reasons for participating in research and improve future recruitment of service members in health research. PMID:28185285

UK role 4 military infection services: past, present and future.

PubMed

Dufty, Ngozi E; Bailey, M S

2013-09-01

NATO describes 'Role 4' military medical services as those provided for the definitive care of patients who cannot be treated within a theatre of operations and these are usually located in a military force's country of origin and may include the involvement of civilian medical services. The UK Defence Medical Services have a proud history of developing and providing clinical services in infectious diseases and tropical medicine, sexual health and HIV medicine, and medical microbiology and virology. These UK Role 4 Military Infection Services have adapted well to recent overseas deployments, but new challenges will arise due to current military cutbacks and a greater diversity of contingency operations in the future. Further evidence-based development of these services will require leadership by military clinicians and improved communication and support for 'reach-back' services.

Cultural values and health service quality in China.

PubMed

Polsa, Pia; Fuxiang, Wei; Sääksjärvi, Maria; Shuyuan, Pei

2013-01-01

Several service quality studies show how cultural features may influence the way service quality is perceived. However, few studies specifically describe culture's influence on health service quality. Also, there are few studies that take into account patients' health service quality perceptions. This article seeks to present a first step to fill these gaps by examining patients' cultural values and their health service quality assessments. The study draws on published work and applies its ideas to Chinese healthcare settings. Data consist of hospital service perceptions in the People's Republic of China (PRC), a society that is socially, economically and culturally undergoing major changes. In total, 96 patients were surveyed. Data relationships were tested using partial least square (PLS) analysis. Findings show that Chinese patients' cultural values and their health service assessments are related and that the cultural values themselves seem to be changing. Additionally, further analyses provided interesting results pointing to which cultural values influenced service quality perceptions. The strongest service quality predictor was power distance. The sample is relatively small and collected from only one major hospital in China. Therefore, future research should extend the sample size and scope. Follow-up research could also include cross-cultural investigations of perceived health service quality to substantiate cultural influences on health service quality perceptions. In line with similar research in other contexts, the study confirms that power distance has a significant relationship with service quality perceptions. The study contributes to existing health service literature by offering patients' views on health service quality and by describing relationships between health service perceptions and cultural values--the study's main contribution.

Demonstration of Resolving Urban Problems by Applying Smart Technology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y.

2016-12-01

Recently, movements to seek various alternatives are becoming more active around the world to resolve urban problems related to energy, water, a greenhouse gas, and disaster by utilizing smart technology system. The purpose of this study is to evaluate service verification aimed at demonstration region applied with actual smart technology in order to raise the efficiency of the service and explore solutions for urban problems. This process must be required for resolving urban problems in the future and establishing `integration platform' for sustainable development. The demonstration region selected in this study to evaluate service verification is `Busan' in Korea. Busan adopted 16 services in 4 sections last year and begun demonstration to improve quality of life and resolve urban environment problems. In addition, Busan participated officially in `Global City Teams Challenge (GCTC)' held by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in USA last year and can be regarded as representative demonstration region in Korea. The result of survey showed that there were practical difficulties as explained below in the demonstration for resolving urban problems by applying smart technology. First, the participation for demonstration was low because citizens were either not aware or did not realize the demonstration. Second, after demonstrating various services at low cost, it resulted in less effect of service demonstration. Third, as functions get fused, it was found that management department, application criteria of technology and its process were ambiguous. In order to increase the efficiency of the demonstration for the rest of period through the result of this study, it is required to draw demand that citizens requires in order to raise public participation. In addition, it needs to focus more on services which are wanted to demonstrate rather than various service demonstrations. Lastly, it is necessary to build integration platform through cooperation between departments and branches. The data collected from various source while conducting service demonstration will provide meaningful suggestion in order to explore solution for resolving urban problems by applying smart technology in the future.

Preliminary Guidelines for Installation Product Line Land Management Suite (LMS) Product Developers

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

land use patterns might call a storm simulation model available as a CDF service to evaluate the ability of the pattern to maintain water quality ...Analysis GIS data Server Internal DIAS objects External DIAS objects External CDF services Fort Future DIAS Model GUI Figure 10. A Fort Future DIAS...31 iv ERDC/CERL TR-05-1 Are Programs that Analyze Data Being Developed as CDF Services

Hospital administrator's perspectives regarding the health care industry.

PubMed

McDermott, D R; Little, M W

1988-01-01

Based on responses from 52 hospital administrators, four areas of managerial concern have been addressed, including: (1) decision-making factors; (2) hospital service offerings: current and future; (3) marketing strategy and service priorities; and (4) health care industry challenges. Of the total respondents, 35 percent indicate a Director of Marketing has primary responsibility for making marketing-related decisions in their hospital, and 19 percent, a Vice-President of Marketing, thus demonstrating the increased priority of the marketing function. The continued importance of the physician being the primary market target is highlighted by 70 percent of the administrators feeling physician referrals will be more important regarding future admissions than in the past, compared to only two percent feeling the physicians' role will be less important. Of primary importance to patients selecting a hospital, as perceived by the administrators, are the physician's referral, the patient's previous experience, the hospital's reputation, and the courtesy of the staff. The clear majority of the conventional-care hospitals surveyed offer out-patient surgery, a hospital pharmacy, obstetrics/maternity care, and diabetic services. The future emphasis on expanding services is evidenced by some 50 percent of the hospital administrators indicating they either possibly or definitely plan to offer long-term nursing care, out-patient substance abuse programs, and cancer clinics by 1990. In addition, some one-third of the respondents are likely to expand their offerings to include wellness/fitness centers, in-patient substance abuse programs, remote or satellite primary care clinics, and diabetic services. Other areas having priority for future offerings include services geared specifically toward women and the elderly. Perceived as highest in priority by the administrators regarding how their hospital can achieve its goals in the next three years are market development strategies, followed by product/service development and finally, market penetration strategies. Clearly, the role of marketing will increase as new targets and new offerings dominate future, strategic decision-making. Specific hospital services having the highest future priority include out-patient services, in-patient care, cardiology, cancer/oncology, obstetrics, and services geared specifically to women and the elderly. Finally, when asked to identify the three most significant challenges facing the health care/hospital industry over the next five years, 12 challenges emerged, with five being mentioned by the majority of the administrators and seven by the minority.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Gender, Militarism and the View of the Future: Students' Views on the Introduction of the Civilian Service in Serbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milojevic, Ivana; Markov, Slobodanka

2008-01-01

What are some of the obstacles to demilitarization of society? What role does worldview in general, and views of gender, future and peace in particular, play in this process? What could be some aspects of the intervention when educating students and the wider community for peace? This article discusses the results from a pilot study that…

Are patient's simply unaware? A cross-sectional study of website promotion of community pharmacy adherence-related services in Tennessee.

PubMed

Hohmeier, Kenneth C; Borja-Hart, Nancy

Medication adherence rates can impact patient outcomes, quality of life, and health care costs. Community pharmacists who offer adherence-related services are well positioned to bolster medication adherence rates. One means for patients to learn more about these services is through the pharmacy's website. However, the prevalence of pharmacies' promotion of adherence services through the internet is unknown. The present study aimed to quantify the online promotion of pharmacies' adherence-related services. This was a cross-sectional, observational study of websites representing licensed community pharmacies. One-hundred and sixty-nine community pharmacy websites, representing 1161 of community pharmacies in Tennessee (U.S. State), were included in the observational analysis. The most commonly promoted adherence-related service was online refills (81.1%). Auto refill, medication synchronization, and packaging systems were promoted on <20% pharmacy websites. Types of promoted adherence services differed between chain and independent pharmacy websites. Despite 67% of pharmacies offering adherence-related services, only a fraction of them promote these services online. Patient awareness represents a hidden and often unaddressed variable in increasing adherence. Future studies should investigate whether increasing website promotion of these services would increase service use, and potentially improve adherence rates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk management for optimal land use planning integrating ecosystem services values: A case study in Changsha, Middle China.

PubMed

Liang, Jie; Zhong, Minzhou; Zeng, Guangming; Chen, Gaojie; Hua, Shanshan; Li, Xiaodong; Yuan, Yujie; Wu, Haipeng; Gao, Xiang

2017-02-01

Land-use change has direct impact on ecosystem services and alters ecosystem services values (ESVs). Ecosystem services analysis is beneficial for land management and decisions. However, the application of ESVs for decision-making in land use decisions is scarce. In this paper, a method, integrating ESVs to balance future ecosystem-service benefit and risk, is developed to optimize investment in land for ecological conservation in land use planning. Using ecological conservation in land use planning in Changsha as an example, ESVs is regarded as the expected ecosystem-service benefit. And uncertainty of land use change is regarded as risk. This method can optimize allocation of investment in land to improve ecological benefit. The result shows that investment should be partial to Liuyang City to get higher benefit. The investment should also be shifted from Liuyang City to other regions to reduce risk. In practice, lower limit and upper limit for weight distribution, which affects optimal outcome and selection of investment allocation, should be set in investment. This method can reveal the optimal spatial allocation of investment to maximize the expected ecosystem-service benefit at a given level of risk or minimize risk at a given level of expected ecosystem-service benefit. Our results of optimal analyses highlight tradeoffs between future ecosystem-service benefit and uncertainty of land use change in land use decisions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Demand for Skilled Workers in Commercial Printing as Perceived by Commercial Printers, Printing Educators, and Printing Trade Services Suppliers. A Summary Report of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Jesus J.

A study was conducted to determine if differences existed between and among the perceptions of commercial printers, printer educators, and printing trade services suppliers in Texas regarding current and future employment trends for skilled workers in commercial printing. A random sample of commercial printers, high school printing educators, and…

Translating national level forest service goals to local level land management: carbon sequestration

Treesearch

Steven McNulty; Emrys Treasure; Lisa Jennings; David Meriwether; David Harris; Paul Arndt

2017-01-01

The USDA Forest Service has many national level policies related to multiple use management. However, translating national policy to stand level forest management can be difficult. As an example of how a national policy can be put into action, we examined three case studies in which a desired future condition is evaluated at the national, region, and local scale. We...

A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Intention to Use Technology between Singaporean and Malaysian Pre-Service teachers: An Application of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teo, Timothy; Luan, Wong Su; Sing, Chai Ching

2008-01-01

As computers becomes more ubiquitous in our everyday lives, educational settings are being transformed where educators and students are expected to teach and learn, using computers (Lee, 2003). This study, therefore, explored pre-service teachers' self reported future intentions to use computers in Singapore and Malaysia. A survey methodology was…

With Due Consideration: Australian Human Service Practitioners' Understandings of Confidentiality and Disclosure Obligations in Regard to Cases Concerning Gambling-Related Theft

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patford, Janet; Tranent, Peter

2013-01-01

Preserving confidentiality is problematic for human service practitioners if they know that a client is seriously harming a third party or could do so in the future. The present study concerned financial harm, as generated by gambling-related theft. Clients who disclose gambling-related theft potentially create a dilemma for practitioners, who may…

Estimates of future water demand for selected water-service areas in the Upper Duck River basin, central Tennessee; with a section on Methodology used to develop population forecasts for Bedford, Marshall, and Maury counties, Tennessee, from 1993 through 2050

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutson, S.S.; Schwarz, G.E.

1996-01-01

Estimates of future water demand were determined for selected water-service areas in the upper Duck River basin in central Tennessee through the year 2050. The Duck River is the principal source of publicly-supplied water in the study area providing a total of 15.6 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) in 1993 to the cities of Columbia, Lewisburg, Shelbyville, part of southern Williamson County, and several smaller communities. Municipal water use increased 19 percent from 1980 to 1993 (from 14.5 to 17.2 Mgal/d). Based on certain assumptions about socioeconomic conditions and future development in the basin, water demand should continue to increase through 2050. Projections of municipal water demand for the study area from 1993 to 2015 were made using econometric and single- coefficient (unit-use) requirement models of the per capita type. The models are part of the Institute for Water Resources-Municipal and Industrial Needs System, IWR-MAIN. Socioeconomic data for 1993 were utilized to calibrate the models. Projections of water demand in the study area from 2015 to 2050 were made using a single- coefficient requirement model. A gross per capita use value (unit-requirement) was estimated for each water-service area based on the results generated by IWR-MAIN for year 2015. The gross per capita estimate for 2015 was applied to population projections for year 2050 to calculate water demand. Population was projected using the log-linear form of the Box-Cox regression model. Water demand was simulated for two scenarios. The scenarios were suggested by various planning agencies associated with the study area. The first scenario reflects a steady growth pattern based on present demographic and socioeconomic conditions in the Bedford, Marshall, and Maury/southern Williamson water-service areas. The second scenario considers steady growth in the Bedford and Marshall water-service areas and additional industrial and residential development in the Maury/southern Williamson water-service area beginning in 2000. For the study area, water demand for scenario one shows an increase of 121 percent (from 17.2 to 38 Mgal/d) from 1993 to 2050. In scenario two, simulated water demand increases 150 percent (17.2 to 43 Mgal/d) from 1993 to 2050.

Therapist, Parent, and Youth Perspectives of Treatment Barriers to Family-Focused Community Outpatient Mental Health Services

PubMed Central

Jenkins, Melissa M.; Haine-Schlagel, Rachel

2012-01-01

This exploratory qualitative study describes treatment barriers to receiving family-focused child mental health services for youths with disruptive behavior problems from multiple perspectives. Data were collected during a series of focus groups and interviews, including: 4 therapist focus groups, 3 parent focus groups, and 10 youth semi-structured interviews. Therapist, parent, and youth stakeholder participants discussed perceived barriers to effective treatment, the problems with current child outpatient therapy, and desired changes (i.e., policy, intervention, etc.) to improve mental health services. Results indicate similar themes around treatment barriers and dissatisfaction with services within and across multiple stakeholder groups, including inadequate support and lack of family involvement; however, parents and therapists, in particular, identified different contributing factors to these barriers. Overall, stakeholders reported much frustration and dissatisfaction with current community-based outpatient child therapy services. Study findings can inform service provision, intervention development, and future research. PMID:24019737

Cross support overview and operations concept for future space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stallings, William; Kaufeler, Jean-Francois

1994-01-01

Ground networks must respond to the requirements of future missions, which include smaller sizes, tighter budgets, increased numbers, and shorter development schedules. The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) is meeting these challenges by developing a general cross support concept, reference model, and service specifications for Space Link Extension services for space missions involving cross support among Space Agencies. This paper identifies and bounds the problem, describes the need to extend Space Link services, gives an overview of the operations concept, and introduces complimentary CCSDS work on standardizing Space Link Extension services.

SCaN Network Ground Station Receiver Performance for Future Service Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estabrook, Polly; Lee, Dennis; Cheng, Michael; Lau, Chi-Wung

2012-01-01

Objectives: Examine the impact of providing the newly standardized CCSDS Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes to the SCaN return data service on the SCaN SN and DSN ground stations receivers: SN Current Receiver: Integrated Receiver (IR). DSN Current Receiver: Downlink Telemetry and Tracking (DTT) Receiver. Early Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) prototype of the SN User Service Subsystem Component Replacement (USS CR) Narrow Band Receiver. Motivate discussion of general issues of ground station hardware design to enable simple and cheap modifications for support of future services.

Experienced and potential medical tourists' service quality expectations.

PubMed

Guiry, Michael; Scott, Jeannie J; Vequist, David G

2013-01-01

The paper's aim is to compare experienced and potential US medical tourists' foreign health service-quality expectations. Data were collected via an online survey involving 1,588 US consumers engaging or expressing an interest in medical tourism. The sample included 219 experienced and 1,369 potential medical tourists. Respondents completed a SERVQUAL questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to determine significant differences between experienced and potential US medical tourists' service-quality expectations. For all five service-quality dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) experienced medical tourists had significantly lower expectations than potential medical tourists. Experienced medical tourists also had significantly lower service-quality expectations than potential medical tourists for 11 individual SERVQUAL items. Results suggest using experience level to segment medical tourists. The study also has implications for managing medical tourist service-quality expectations at service delivery point and via external marketing communications. Managing medical tourists' service quality expectations is important since expectations can significantly influence choice processes, their experience and post-consumption behavior. This study is the first to compare experienced and potential US medical tourist service-quality expectations. The study establishes a foundation for future service-quality expectations research in the rapidly growing medical tourism industry.

"On solid ground": family and school connectedness promotes adolescents' future orientation.

PubMed

Crespo, Carla; Jose, Paul E; Kielpikowski, Magdalena; Pryor, Jan

2013-10-01

The present study investigated the role of connectedness to the family and school contexts on future orientation of New Zealand adolescents. Participants were 1774 young people (51.9% female) aged between 9 and 16 years at time 1 of the study, who reported their connectedness to family and school and their perceptions of future orientation at three times of measurement one year apart. Structural equation modelling was used to test the combined role of family and school connectedness on future orientation over time. Findings supported a multiple mediation model in that adolescents' connectedness to family and school predicted more positive perceptions of future orientation both directly and indirectly via the effect of the context variables on each other. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The high societal costs of childhood conduct problems: evidence from administrative records up to age 38 in a longitudinal birth cohort.

PubMed

Rivenbark, Joshua G; Odgers, Candice L; Caspi, Avshalom; Harrington, HonaLee; Hogan, Sean; Houts, Renate M; Poulton, Richie; Moffitt, Terrie E

2018-06-01

Children with conduct problems that persist into adulthood are at increased risk for future behavioral, health, and social problems. However, the longer term public service usage among these children has not been fully documented. To aid public health and intervention planning, adult service usage across criminal justice, health care, and social welfare domains is compared among all individuals from a representative cohort who followed different conduct problem trajectories from childhood into adulthood. Participants are from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a prospective, representative cohort of consecutive births (N = 1,037) from April 1972 to March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand. Regression analyses were used to compare levels of public service usage up to age 38, gathered via administrative and electronic medical records, between participants who displayed distinct subtypes of childhood conduct problems (low, childhood-limited, adolescent-onset, and life-course persistent). Children exhibiting life-course persistent conduct problems used significantly more services as adults than those with low levels of childhood conduct problems. Although this group comprised only 9.0% of the population, they accounted for 53.3% of all convictions, 15.7% of emergency department visits, 20.5% of prescription fills, 13.1% of injury claims, and 24.7% of welfare benefit months. Half of this group (50.0%) also accrued high service use across all three domains of criminal justice, health, and social welfare services, as compared to only 11.3% of those with low conduct problems (OR = 7.27, 95% CI = 4.42-12.0). Conduct problems in childhood signal high future costs in terms of service utilization across multiple sectors. Future evaluations of interventions aimed at conduct problems should also track potential reductions in health burden and service usage that stretch into midlife. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Current advance care planning practice in the Australian community: an online survey of home care package case managers and service managers.

PubMed

Sellars, Marcus; Detering, Karen M; Silvester, William

2015-04-23

Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of planning for future healthcare that is facilitated by a trained healthcare professional, whereby a person's values, beliefs and treatment preferences are made known to guide clinical decision-making at a future time when they cannot communicate their decisions. Despite the potential benefits of ACP for community aged care clients the availability of ACP is unknown, but likely to be low. In Australia many of these clients receive services through Home Care Package (HCP) programs. This study aimed to explore current attitudes, knowledge and practice of advance care planning among HCP service managers and case managers. An invitation to take part in a cross-sectional online survey was distributed by email to all HCP services across Australia in November 2012. Descriptive analyses were used to examine overall patterns of responses to each survey item in the full sample. 120 (response rate 25%) service managers and 178 (response rate 18%) case managers completed the survey. Only 34% of services had written ACP policies and procedures in place and 48% of case managers had previously completed any ACP training. In addition, although most case managers (70%) had initiated an ACP discussion in the past 12 months and viewed ACP as part of their role, the majority of the conversations (80%) did not result in documentation of the client's wishes and most (85%) of the case managers who responded did not believe ACP was done well within their service. This survey shows low organisational ACP systems and support for case managers and a lack of a normative approach to ACP across Australian HCP services. As HCPs become more prevalent it is essential that a model of ACP is developed and evaluated in this setting, so that clients have the opportunity to discuss and document their future healthcare wishes if they choose to.

Operationalizing Network Theory for Ecosystem Service Assessments.

PubMed

Dee, Laura E; Allesina, Stefano; Bonn, Aletta; Eklöf, Anna; Gaines, Steven D; Hines, Jes; Jacob, Ute; McDonald-Madden, Eve; Possingham, Hugh; Schröter, Matthias; Thompson, Ross M

2017-02-01

Managing ecosystems to provide ecosystem services in the face of global change is a pressing challenge for policy and science. Predicting how alternative management actions and changing future conditions will alter services is complicated by interactions among components in ecological and socioeconomic systems. Failure to understand those interactions can lead to detrimental outcomes from management decisions. Network theory that integrates ecological and socioeconomic systems may provide a path to meeting this challenge. While network theory offers promising approaches to examine ecosystem services, few studies have identified how to operationalize networks for managing and assessing diverse ecosystem services. We propose a framework for how to use networks to assess how drivers and management actions will directly and indirectly alter ecosystem services. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Redesign and commissioning of sexual health services in England - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Walker, I F; Leigh-Hunt, N; Lee, A C K

2016-10-01

Responsibility for the commissioning of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services transferred from the National Health Service to local authorities in England in 2013. This transfer prompted many local authorities to undertake new procurements of these SRH services. This study was undertaken to capture some of the lessons learnt in order to inform future commissioning and system redesign. A qualitative study was carried out involving semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with 13 local authority sexual health commissioners in Yorkshire and the Humber from 11 interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes from transcripts of the interviews with the 13 participants. Key themes identified were as follows: the challenge and complexity to those new to clinical commissioning; the prerequisites of robust infrastructural inputs to undertake the process, including technical expertise, a dependable project team, with clarity over the timescales and the budget; the requirement for good governance, stakeholder engagement and successful management of relationships with the latter; and the need to focus on the outcomes, aiming for value for money and improved system performance. Several key issues emerged from our study that significantly influenced the outcome of the redesign and commissioning process for sexual health services. An adapted model of the Donabedian evaluation framework was developed to provide a tool to inform future system redesign. Our model helps identify the key determinants for successful redesign in this context which is essential to both mitigate potential risks and maximize the likelihood of successful outcomes. Our model may have wider applications. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Norwegian Armed Forces Personnel Recovery Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

for Future Studies ...........................................................125 APPENDIX A. PR BIBLIOGRAPHY...THEORY ..................................................127 C. CASE STUDIES AND PR ACTOR–SPECIFIC LITERATURE .....128 D. CURRENT MILITARY POLICY...and Rescue SAS Special Air Service SB Stay Behind SD Study Draft SEAL Sea, Air, and Land SecDef Secretary of Defense SERE Survival, Evasion

Television Futures: A Social Action Methodology for Studying Interpretive Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Klaus Bruhn

1990-01-01

Presents a qualitative methodology employing workshop sessions for studying audience assessment of the mass media's service to the public. Finds that viewers are capable of a sophisticated critique of television, and raises implications both for the politics of communication and for further reception studies. (MG)

Developing Modern Information Systems and Services: Africa's Challenges for the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhury, G. G.

1996-01-01

Discusses the current state of information systems and services in Africa, examines future possibilities, and suggests areas for improvement. Topics include the lack of automation; CD-ROM databases for accessibility to information sources; developing low-cost electronic communication facilities; Internet connectivity; dependence on imported…

Experiences of adolescents and young adults with ADHD in Hong Kong: treatment services and clinical management.

PubMed

Cheung, Kerry K W; Wong, Ian C K; Ip, Patrick; Chan, Phyllis K L; Lin, Candy H Y; Wong, Lisa Y L; Chan, Esther W

2015-05-01

Specialist services for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood in Hong Kong are yet to be developed. This study aims to explore the experiences of adolescents and young adults with ADHD in accessing treatment and services, coping with ADHD-related impairment, and their expectations of future treatment in Hong Kong. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a semi-structured guide. Forty young adult patients aged between 16 and 23 were included in the study. The interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and anonymised. Data were analysed with a thematic approach based on key principles of Grounded Theory. Four meta-themes were developed: Accessing ADHD diagnosis and treatment services; ADHD-related impairment; Experience of ADHD treatments; and Attitudes and expectations of future ADHD treatment. The role of parents and schools were highly significant in accessing services for patients diagnosed with ADHD in childhood. In general, ADHD affected every aspect of patients' lives including academic outcome, employment, family and social relationships. Medications were the principal treatment for ADHD amongst the interviewees and were reported to be generally effective. Half of the patients received non-pharmacological treatments in childhood but these effects were reported to be temporary. There was general consensus that the needs of patients with ADHD could not be met by the current service. In particular, there is a lack of specialist service for adults with ADHD, follow-up by different clinicians, and insufficient provision of non-pharmacological treatments. The findings suggest that further development of specialist ADHD services and non-pharmacological options for young adults are essential to meet their diverse needs with a holistic approach.

Understanding Drug Use Over the Life Course: Past, Present, and Future

PubMed Central

Hser, Yih-Ing; Hamilton, Alison; Niv, Noosha

2009-01-01

Over the past 20 years, much exciting addiction research has been conducted. Extensive knowledge has been gathered about comorbid issues, particularly mental health disorders, HIV, and criminal justice involvement. Health services addiction research has become increasingly sophisticated, shifting its focus from patients to consider also services, organizations, and financing structures. Furthermore, through several long-term follow-up studies, empirical evidence convincingly demonstrates that drug dependence is not an acute disorder, and is best understood through a life course perspective with an emphasis on chronicity This article highlights three major directions for future addiction research: developing strategies for chronic care (including longitudinal intervention studies), furthering cross-system linkage and coordination, and utilizing innovative methods (e.g., growth curve modeling, longitudinal mixed methods research) to strengthen the evidence base for the life course perspective on drug addiction. PMID:21234276

Futures of elderly care in Iran: A protocol with scenario approach.

PubMed

Goharinezhad, Salime; Maleki, Mohammadreza; Baradaran, Hamid Reza; Ravaghi, Hamid

2016-01-01

Background: The number of people aged 60 and older is increasing faster than other age groups worldwide. Iran will experience a sharp aging population increase in the next decades, and this will pose new challenges to the healthcare system. Since providing high quality aged-care services would be the major concern of the policymakers, this question arises that what types of aged care services should be organized in the coming 10 years? This protocol has been designed to develop a set of scenarios for the future of elderly care in Iran. Methods: In this study, intuitive logics approach and Global Business Network (GBN) model were used to develop scenarios for elderly care in Iran. In terms of perspective, the scenarios in this approach are normative, qualitative with respect to methodology and deductive in constructing the process of scenarios. The three phases of GBN model are as follows: 1) Orientation: Identifying strategic levels, stakeholders, participants and time horizon; 2) Exploration: Identifying the driving forces and key uncertainties; 3) Synthesis: Defining the scenario logics and constructing scenario storyline. Results: Presently, two phases are completed and the results will be published in mid-2016. Conclusion: This study delivers a comprehensive framework for taking appropriate actions in providing care for the elderly in the future. Moreover, policy makers should specify and provide the full range of services for the elderly, and in doing so, the scenarios and key findings of this study could be of valuable help.

Demand and supply of emergency help: an economic analysis of Red Cross services.

PubMed

Hackl, Franz; Pruckner, Gerald Josef

2006-08-01

This paper analyzes supply and demand side characteristics of (voluntary) Red Cross services in Austria. The demand side analysis is based on a contingent valuation study on people's willingness to pay for emergency treatment, transportation services and disaster relief activities. The supply side is identified by a high percentage of volunteers in the Red Cross organization which makes the provision of emergency help at low cost possible. We find that aggregate benefits of Red Cross services exceed their cost of production. Policy conclusions are drawn with respect to future recruitment and funding: whereas intrinsic motivation is important for the decision to volunteer, and financial incentives play a minor role in general, the young Red Cross activists work voluntarily for self-realization reasons and to continue their education. Age-specific recruitment strategies accompanied by word-of-mouth advertising are recommended to address potential volunteers. As long as the volunteering character of Red Cross services will be maintained and cost of production will not go up an increase of funds does not seem necessary in the future. Moreover, a radical change in the structure of funding may crowd out both donations and voluntary labor supply.

The impact of inquiry-based learning on the critical thinking dispositions of pre-service science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsal, Zeki

2017-07-01

In the study, the impact of inquiry-based learning on pre-service teachers' critical thinking dispositions was investigated. The sample of the study comprised of 56 pre-service teachers in the science education teacher education programme at the public university in the north of Turkey. In the study, quasi-experimental design with an experimental and a control group were applied to find out the impact of inquiry-based learning on the critical thinking dispositions of the pre-service teachers in the teacher education programme. The results showed that the pre-service teachers in the experimental group did not show statistically significant greater progress in terms of critical thinking dispositions than those in the control group. Teacher educators who are responsible for pedagogical courses in the teacher education programme should consider that the inquiry-based learning could not be effective method to improve pre-service teachers' critical thinking dispositions. The results are discussed in relation to potential impact on science teacher education and implications for future research.

Psychiatric Emergency Services for the U.S. Elderly: 2008 and Beyond

PubMed Central

Walsh, Patrick G.; Currier, Glenn; Shah, Manish N.; Lyness, Jeffrey M.; Friedman, Bruce

2008-01-01

In 2011 the oldest baby boomers will turn age 65. Although healthcare researchers have started to examine the future preparedness of the healthcare system for the elderly, psychiatric emergency services (PES) have been widely overlooked. Research is needed to address PES need and demand by older patients, assess the consequences of this need/demand, and establish recommendations to guide PES planning and practice. The authors examined journal articles, review papers, textbooks, and electronic databases related to these topics. We outline the current PES environment in terms of facilities, characteristics, and visits, and discuss current geriatric patient PES use. Factors expected to impact future use are examined, including sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric illness prevalence, cohort effects, medical comorbidity, mental healthcare resources and utilization, and stigma. Consequences of these on future psychiatric care and well-being of the elderly are then explored, specifically, greater acute services need, more suicide, strained delivery systems, increased hospitalization, and greater costs. The following are proposed to address likely future PES shortcomings: enhance service delivery, increase training, standardize and improve PES, prioritize finances, and promote research. The degree to which the geriatric mental healthcare “crisis” develops will be inversely related to the current system's response to predictable future needs. PMID:18757766

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

PubMed

Farmer, Jane; Prior, Maria; Taylor, Judy

2012-11-01

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

Early Results from NASA's Assessment of Satellite Servicing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley A.; Reed, Benjamin B.; Townsend, Jacqueline A.; Ahmed, Mansoor; Whipple, Arthur O.; Oegerle, William R.

2010-01-01

Following recommendations by the NRC, NASA's FY 2008 Authorization Act and the FY 2009 and 2010 Appropriations bills directed NASA to assess the use of the human spaceflight architecture to service existing/future observatory-class scientific spacecraft. This interest in satellite servicing, with astronauts and/or with robots, reflects the success that NASA achieved with the Shuttle program and HST on behalf of the astronomical community as well as the successful construction of ISS. This study, led by NASA GSFC, will last about a year, leading to a final report to NASA and Congress in autumn 2010. We will report on its status, results from our March satellite servicing workshop, and recent concepts for serviceable scientific missions.

Preliminary construction of a service provider--informed domestic violence research agenda.

PubMed

Murray, Christine E; Welch, Metoka L

2010-12-01

This article presents the results of a statewide survey of domestic violence (DV) service providers that focused on the needs, background characteristics, and opinions of service providers related to research. The survey included an examination of service providers' motivation for working in the field, research background and training, and perceptions of research as well as the topics they believe are important for researchers to study, the resources they consult to learn about DV, and their suggestions to help researchers learn more about the nature of their work. The results are integrated into a preliminary agenda for future DV research that accounts for the needs and insight of service providers.

Recruitment of multiple stakeholders to health services research: lessons from the front lines.

PubMed

Kho, Michelle E; Rawski, Ellen; Makarski, Julie; Brouwers, Melissa C

2010-05-13

Self-administered surveys are an essential methodological tool for health services and knowledge translation research, and engaging end-users of the research is critical. However, few documented accounts of the efforts invested in recruitment of multiple different stakeholders to one health services research study exist. Here, we highlight the challenges of recruiting key stakeholders (policy-makers, clinicians, guideline developers) to a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funded health services research (HSR) study aimed to develop an updated and refined version of a guideline appraisal tool, the AGREE. Using evidence-based methods of recruitment, our goal was to recruit 192 individuals: 80 international guideline developers, 80 Canadian clinicians and 32 Canadian policy/decision-makers. We calculated the participation rate and the recruitment efficiency. We mailed 873 invitation letters. Of 838 approached, our participation rate was 29%(240) and recruitment efficiency, 19%(156). One policy-maker manager did not allow policy staff to participate in the study. Based on the results from this study, we suggest that future studies aiming to engage similar stakeholders in HSR over sample by at least 5 times to achieve their target sample size and allow for participant withdrawals. We need continued efforts to communicate the value of research between researchers and end-users of research (policy-makers, clinicians, and other researchers), integration of participatory research strategies, and promotion of the value of end-user involvement in research. Future research to understand methods of improving recruitment efficiency and engaging key stakeholders in HSR is warranted.

Forecasting the Future Reimbursement System of Korean National Health Insurance: A Contemplation Focusing on Global Budget and Neo-KDRG-Based Payment Systems

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

With the adoption of national health insurance in 1977, Korea has been utilizing fee-for-service payment with contract-based healthcare reimbursement system in 2000. Under the system, fee-for-service reimbursement has been accused of augmenting national healthcare expenditure by excessively increasing service volume. The researcher examined in this paper two major alternatives including diagnosis related group-based payment and global budget to contemplate the future of reimbursement system of Korean national health insurance. Various literature and preceding studies on pilot project and actual implementation of Neo-KDRG were reviewed. As a result, DRG-based payment was effective for healthcare cost control but low in administrative efficiency. Global budget may be adequate for cost control and improving the quality of healthcare and administrative efficiency. However, many healthcare providers disagree that excess care arising from fee-for-service payment alone has led to financial deterioration of national health insurance and healthcare institutions should take responsibility with global budget payment as an appropriate solution. Dissimilar payment systems may be applied to different types of institutions to reflect their unique attributes, and this process can be achieved step-by-step. Developing public sphere among the stakeholders and striving for consensus shall be kept as collateral to attain the desirable reimbursement system in the future. PMID:22661867

A population ecology perspective on the functioning and future of health information organizations.

PubMed

Vest, Joshua R; Menachemi, Nir

2017-11-01

Increasingly, health care providers need to exchange information to meet policy expectations and business needs. A variety of health information organizations (HIOs) provide services to facilitate health information exchange (HIE). However, the future of these organizations is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the environmental context, potential futures, and survivability of community HIOs, enterprise HIEs, and electronic health record vendor-mediated exchange using the population ecology theory. Qualitative interviews with 33 key informants representing each type of HIE organization were analyzed using template analysis. Community HIOs, enterprise HIEs, and electronic health record vendors exhibited a high degree of competition for resources, especially in the area of exchange infrastructure services. Competition resulted in closures in some areas. In response to environmental pressures, each organizational type was endeavoring to differentiate its services and unique use case, as well as pursing symbiotic relationships or attempting resource partitioning. HIOs compete for similar resources and are reacting to environmental pressures to better position themselves for continued survival and success. Our ecological research perspective helps move the discourse away from situation of a single exchange organization type toward a view of the broader dynamics and relationships of all organizations involved in facilitating HIE activities. HIOs are attempting to partition the environment and differentiate services. HIE options should not be construed as an "either/or" decision, but one where multiple and complementary participation may be required.

[The concept mapping of representations of the future of health services in French in linguistic minority].

PubMed

Bouchard, Louise

2013-06-06

In the context of institutional incompleteness affecting the official minority language communities, we examine how the Francophones in a minority context see the future of health services offered in French. The study is based on a participatory methodology: the concept mapping will serve to identify the conceptual universe of a given problem. From a master statement such as: "When I think about the future of health services in French, I think of ...", participants are invited to make as many statements as come to mind. These statements are then categorized individually and treated collectively through a multivariate analysis. The main themes emerging from the mapping exercise indicate the issues and challenges raised by the participants, namely the geographical context, specific needs, language rights, education and training, human resources, bilingualism and translation, the minority experience, active offer, the role of governmental bodies, community mobilization, collaboration and networking. The participatory approach that concept mapping allows is interesting in more than one way: its flexibility provides a space for both individual and collective reflection; it allows identification and structuring of the crucial dimensions of an issue; and the research outcomes are useful both to researchers and participants in guiding action and achieving goals. Social actors can therefore benefit from a collective dynamic to reflect on the foundations for the development and organization of health services in French.

Parents’ views on how health professionals should work with them now to get the best for their child in the future

PubMed Central

Marshall, Joyce L.; Green, Josephine M.; Spiby, Helen

2012-01-01

Abstract Background  Pregnancy and the first years of life are important times for future child well‐being. Early identification of families and children who might be likely to experience poorer outcomes could enable health professionals and parents to work together to promote each child’s well‐being. Little is known about the acceptability and feasibility of such an approach to parents. Objective  To investigate parents’ views about how health professionals should identify and work with families who may benefit from additional input to maximize their children’s future health and well‐being. Design  A qualitative study using focus groups. Setting and participants  Eleven focus groups were conducted with a total of 54 parents; 42 mothers and 12 fathers living in the north of England. Results  Parents welcomed the idea of preventive services. They strongly believed that everyone should have access to services to enhance child well‐being whilst recognizing that some families need additional support. Making judgements about who should receive additional services based on specific criteria evoked powerful emotions because of the implication of failure. Parents projected a belief in themselves as ‘good parents’ even in adverse circumstances. Conclusions  Targeted additional preventive services can be acceptable and welcome if health professionals introduce them sensitively, in the context of an existing relationship, providing parents are active participants. PMID:22512709

Forecasting the future reimbursement system of Korean National Health Insurance: a contemplation focusing on global budget and Neo-KDRG-based payment systems.

PubMed

Kim, Yang-Kyun

2012-05-01

With the adoption of national health insurance in 1977, Korea has been utilizing fee-for-service payment with contract-based healthcare reimbursement system in 2000. Under the system, fee-for-service reimbursement has been accused of augmenting national healthcare expenditure by excessively increasing service volume. The researcher examined in this paper two major alternatives including diagnosis related group-based payment and global budget to contemplate the future of reimbursement system of Korean national health insurance. Various literature and preceding studies on pilot project and actual implementation of Neo-KDRG were reviewed. As a result, DRG-based payment was effective for healthcare cost control but low in administrative efficiency. Global budget may be adequate for cost control and improving the quality of healthcare and administrative efficiency. However, many healthcare providers disagree that excess care arising from fee-for-service payment alone has led to financial deterioration of national health insurance and healthcare institutions should take responsibility with global budget payment as an appropriate solution. Dissimilar payment systems may be applied to different types of institutions to reflect their unique attributes, and this process can be achieved step-by-step. Developing public sphere among the stakeholders and striving for consensus shall be kept as collateral to attain the desirable reimbursement system in the future.

Modeling the effects of climatic and land use changes on phytoplankton and water quality of the largest Turkish freshwater lake: Lake Beyşehir.

PubMed

Bucak, Tuba; Trolle, Dennis; Tavşanoğlu, Ü Nihan; Çakıroğlu, A İdil; Özen, Arda; Jeppesen, Erik; Beklioğlu, Meryem

2018-04-15

Climate change and intense land use practices are the main threats to ecosystem structure and services of Mediterranean lakes. Therefore, it is essential to predict the future changes and develop mitigation measures to combat such pressures. In this study, Lake Beyşehir, the largest freshwater lake in the Mediterranean basin, was selected to study the impacts of climate change and various land use scenarios on the ecosystem dynamics of Mediterranean freshwater ecosystems and the services that they provide. For this purpose, we linked catchment model outputs to the two different processed-based lake models: PCLake and GLM-AED, and tested the scenarios of five General Circulation Models, two Representation Concentration Pathways and three different land use scenarios, which enable us to consider the various sources of uncertainty. Climate change and land use scenarios generally predicted strong future decreases in hydraulic and nutrient loads from the catchment to the lake. These changes in loads translated into alterations in water level as well as minor changes in chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentrations. We also observed an increased abundance of cyanobacteria in both lake models. Total phosphorus, temperature and hydraulic loading were found to be the most important variables determining cyanobacteria biomass. As the future scenarios revealed only minor changes in Chl-a due to the significant decrease in nutrient loads, our results highlight that reduced nutrient loading in a warming world may play a crucial role in offsetting the effects of temperature on phytoplankton growth. However, our results also showed increased abundance of cyanobacteria in the future may threaten ecosystem integrity and may limit drinking water ecosystem services. In addition, extended periods of decreased hydraulic loads from the catchment and increased evaporation may lead to water level reductions and may diminish the ecosystem services of the lake as a water supply for irrigation and drinking water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Public Library Service in Whitby. Part I, The Community, The Present Service and the Future. Part 2, A Building Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowron, Albert

A survey of the present service and future needs of the Whitby Public Library in Ontario, Canada was undertaken, and a new library building was planned. Part I describes the historical background of Whitby, the role of the present library in local history, the growth of the Town of Whitby from a population of 2,300 to 20,000, and the philosophy on…

Weather and age-gender effects on the projection of future emergency ambulance demand in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lai, Poh-Chin; Wong, Ho-Ting

2015-03-01

An accurate projection for ambulance demand is essential to enable better resource planning for the future that strives to either maintain current levels of services or reconsider future standards and expectations. More than 2 million cases of emergency room attendance in 2008 were obtained from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority to project the demand for its ambulance services in 2036. The projection of ambulance demand in 2036 was computed in consideration of changes in the age-gender structure between 2008 and 2036. The quadratic relation between average daily temperature and daily ambulance demand in 2036 was further explored by including and excluding age-gender demographic changes. Without accounting for changes in the age-gender structure, the 2036 ambulance demand for age groups of 65 and above were consistently underestimated (by 38%-65%), whereas those of younger age groups were overestimated (by 6%-37%). Moreover, changes in the 2008 to 2036 age-gender structure also shift upward and emphasize relationships between average daily temperature and daily ambulance demand at both ends of the quadratic U-shaped curve. Our study reveals a potential societal implication of ageing population on the demand for ambulance services. © 2012 APJPH.

Electrification Futures Study: End-Use Electric Technology Cost and Performance Projections through 2050

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

Vimmerstedt, Laura J.; Jadun, Paige; McMillan, Colin A.

This report provides projected cost and performance assumptions for electric technologies considered in the Electrification Futures Study, a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the effects of widespread electrification of end-use service demands in all major economic sectors - transportation, residential and commercial buildings, and industry - for the contiguous United States through 2050. Using extensive literature searches and expert assessment, the authors identify slow, moderate, and rapid technology advancement sensitivities on technology cost and performance, and they offer a comparative analysis of levelized cost metrics as a reference indicator of total costs. The identification and characterization of these end-use servicemore » demand technologies is fundamental to the Electrification Futures Study. This report, the larger Electrification Futures Study, and the associated data and methodologies may be useful to planners and analysts in evaluating the potential role of electrification in an uncertain future. The report could be broadly applicable for other analysts and researchers who wish to assess electrification and electric technologies.« less

Designing a placebo device: involving service users in clinical trial design.

PubMed

Gooberman-Hill, Rachael; Jinks, Clare; Bouças, Sofia Barbosa; Hislop, Kelly; Dziedzic, Krysia S; Rhodes, Carol; Burston, Amanda; Adams, Jo

2013-12-01

Service users are increasingly involved in the design of clinical trials and in product and device development. Service user involvement in placebo development is crucial to a credible and acceptable placebo for clinical trials, but such involvement has not yet been reported. To enhance the design of a future clinical trial of hand splints for thumb-base osteoarthritis (OA), service users were involved in splint selection and design of a placebo splint. This article describes and reflects on this process. Two fora of service users were convened in 2011. Service users who had been prescribed a thumb splint for thumb-base OA were approached about involvement by Occupational Therapy (OT) practitioners. A total of eight service users took part in the fora. Service users discussed their experience of OA and their own splints and then tried a variety of alternative splints. Through this they identified the active features of splints alongside acceptable and unacceptable design features. Service users focused on wearability and support with or without immobilization. Fora discussed whether a placebo group ('arm') was an acceptable feature of a future trial, and service users developed a potential design for a placebo splint. This is the first project that to involve service users in placebo design. Service users are increasingly involved in product and device design and are ideally placed to identify features to make a placebo credible yet lacking key active ingredients. The future trial will include research into its acceptability. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Telecommuting (Work-At-Home) at NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinidhi, Saragur M.

1994-01-01

This report presents a study in evaluating the viability of providing a work-at-home (telecommuting) program for Lewis Research Center's corporate employees using Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). Case studies have been presented for a range of applications from casual data access to interactive access. The network performance of telemedia applications were studied against future requirements for such level of remote connectivity. Many of the popular ISDN devices were characterized for network and service functionality. A set of recommendations to develop a telecommuting policy have been proposed.

Marketing concepts for pharmaceutical service development.

PubMed

Grauer, D W

1981-02-01

Marketing concepts as a mechanism to help pharmacy develop, communicate, and sell future pharmaceutical services to consumers are discussed. Pharmacy as a profession must define itself broadly to take advantage of future growth opportunities. These growth opportunities will be realized from unmet health-care needs and changing consumer life style trends and values. New services must therefore be oriented toward consumers (i.e., patients, health professionals, and third-party agencies) to gain acceptance. Dispensing and drug-knowledge-distribution pharmaceutical services are reviewed by a product life cycle analysis of sales profits versus time. A marketing mix for new pharmaceutical services is developed consisting of service, price, distribution, and promotion strategies. Marketing can encompass those key elements necessary to meet the organizational goals of pharmacy and provide a systematic, disciplined approach for presenting a new service to consumers.

The NASA Ground Network Vision for the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clson, Roger N.; Matalavage, Jill E.; Taylor, David A.

2008-01-01

This paper will highlight the GN's mission, motivation, and future plans, specifically in relation to the increase of commercialization for routine services and partnership opportunities for routine and unique services with the goal that other agencies can benefit from our approach as they pursue their science and exploration goals.

Back to the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helfer, Ray E.

1987-01-01

An informal review of early (1960s) materials publicizing the problems of child abuse led the author to suggest three resolutions for the future: (1) elimination of fragmented social services; (2) increased public recognition of the importance of children; and (3) expenditure of more money and effort on preventive family services. (DB)

Oregon State University | Oregon State University

Science.gov Websites

Services About Academics Research Outreach Athletics OSU150 Current Students Online Students Future Students Faculty and Staff Parents and Family Open Menu Open Search search for people and pages Search OSU - and ours. More Research. Virtual Tour Tools and Services Audience Menu Future Students Current

Oceans & Coasts | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Science.gov Websites

NOAA's National Ocean Service is positioning America's coastal communities for the future Focus_Area_oceanscoasts1.jpg NOAA NOAA's National Ocean Service is positioning America's coastal communities for the future them. Almost 40 percent of the country's population lives in coastal shoreline counties. These counties

Community College Roles in Teacher Education: Current Approaches and Future Possibilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, Barbara K.; Ignash, Jan M, ED.

2003-01-01

Examines the current role of community colleges in pre-service and in-service teacher education, including the development of the associate of arts degree in teacher education, the community college baccalaureate in teacher education, and alternative certification programs. Discusses factors influencing future trends and predictions about the…

Adult Services in the Third Millennium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monroe, Margaret E.

1979-01-01

Presents a four-step model for "planning" or "forecasting" future of adult services in public libraries: (1) identification of forces at work; (2) analysis of probable impacts of one force upon another; (3) identification of preferred (and rejected) elements of future with forces that control elements; and (4) strategies to be…

Financial Management of Libraries: Past Trends and Future Prospects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Stephen A.

2003-01-01

The financial environment within library and information services is reviewed and a structure for financial management is presented based on funding source and level of commercial activity. Objectives for financial management of library and information services is developed and reviewed in light of future trends and stakeholder perspectives.…

Course 2010. The Future of Work in Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehari, Elga; Stehr, Christoph; Lemmer, Ruth

1999-01-01

These three articles come from the series "Course 2010--A Decade in View" published in the Handelsblatt (Duesseldorf and Frankfurt/Main), an influential German business newspaper. "The Labor Market: With Flexibility into the Service Society" (Elga Lehari) states that the key to more employment in future is a service society…

Nursing service innovation: A case study examining emergency nurse practitioner service sustainability.

PubMed

Fox, Amanda; Gardner, Glenn; Osborne, Sonya

2018-02-01

This research aimed to explore factors that influence sustainability of health service innovation, specifically emergency nurse practitioner service. Planning for cost effective provision of healthcare services is a concern globally. Reform initiatives are implemented often incorporating expanding scope of practice for health professionals and innovative service delivery models. Introducing new models is costly in both human and financial resources and therefore understanding factors influencing sustainability is imperative to viable service provision. This research used case study methodology (Yin, ). Data were collected during 2014 from emergency nurse practitioners, emergency department multidisciplinary team members and documents related to nurse practitioner services. Collection methods included telephone and semi-structured interviews, survey and document analysis. Pattern matching techniques were used to compare findings with study propositions. In this study, emergency nurse practitioner services did not meet factors that support health service sustainability. Multidisciplinary team members were confident that emergency nurse practitioner services were safe and helped to meet population health needs. Organizational support for integration of nurse practitioner services was marginal and led to poor understanding of service capability and underuse. This research provides evidence informing sustainability of nursing service models but more importantly raises questions about this little explored field. The findings highlight poor organizational support, excessive restrictions and underuse of the service. This is in direct contrast to contemporary expanding practice reform initiatives. Organizational support for integration is imperative to future service sustainability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluating Long-term Outcomes of NHS Stop Smoking Services (ELONS): a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Dobbie, Fiona; Hiscock, Rosemary; Leonardi-Bee, Jo; Murray, Susan; Shahab, Lion; Aveyard, Paul; Coleman, Tim; McEwen, Andy; McRobbie, Hayden; Purves, Richard; Bauld, Linda

2015-11-01

NHS Stop Smoking Services (SSSs) provide free at the point of use treatment for smokers who would like to stop. Since their inception in 1999 they have evolved to offer a variety of support options. Given the changes that have happened in the provision of services and the ongoing need for evidence on effectiveness, the Evaluating Long-term Outcomes for NHS Stop Smoking Services (ELONS) study was commissioned. The main aim of the study was to explore the factors that determine longer-term abstinence from smoking following intervention by SSSs. There were also a number of additional objectives. The ELONS study was an observational study with two main stages: secondary analysis of routine data collected by SSSs and a prospective cohort study of service clients. The prospective study had additional elements on client satisfaction, well-being and longer-term nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use. The setting for the study was SSSs in England. For the secondary analysis, routine data from 49 services were obtained. For the prospective study and its added elements, nine services were involved. The target population was clients of these services. There were 202,804 cases included in secondary analysis and 3075 in the prospective study. A combination of behavioural support and stop smoking medication delivered by SSS practitioners. Abstinence from smoking at 4 and 52 weeks after setting a quit date, validated by a carbon monoxide (CO) breath test. Just over 4 in 10 smokers (41%) recruited to the prospective study were biochemically validated as abstinent from smoking at 4 weeks (which was broadly comparable with findings from the secondary analysis of routine service data, where self-reported 4-week quit rates were 48%, falling to 34% when biochemical validation had occurred). At the 1-year follow-up, 8% of prospective study clients were CO validated as abstinent from smoking. Clients who received specialist one-to-one behavioural support were twice as likely to have remained abstinent than those who were seen by a general practitioner (GP) practice and pharmacy providers [odds ratio (OR) 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2 to 4.6]. Clients who received group behavioural support (either closed or rolling groups) were three times more likely to stop smoking than those who were seen by a GP practice or pharmacy providers (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.7 to 6.7). Satisfaction with services was high and well-being at baseline was found to be a predictor of abstinence from smoking at longer-term follow-up. Continued use of NRT at 1 year was rare, but no evidence of harm from longer-term use was identified from the data collected. Stop Smoking Services in England are effective in helping smokers to move away from tobacco use. Using the 52-week CO-validated quit rate of 8% found in this study, we estimate that in the year 2012-13 the services supported 36,249 clients to become non-smokers for the remainder of their lives. This is a substantial figure and provides one indicator of the ongoing value of the treatment that the services provide. The study raises a number of issues for future research including (1) examining the role of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in smoking cessation for service clients [this study did not look at e-cigarette use (except briefly in the longer-term NRT study) but this is a priority for future studies]; (2) more detailed comparisons of rolling groups with other forms of behavioural support; (3) further exploration of the role of practitioner knowledge, skills and use of effective behaviour change techniques in supporting service clients to stop smoking; (4) surveillance of the impact of structural and funding changes on the future development and sustainability of SSSs; and (5) more detailed analysis of well-being over time between those who successfully stop smoking and those who relapse. Further research on longer-term use of non-combustible nicotine products that measures a wider array of biomarkers of smoking-related harm such as lung function tests or carcinogen metabolites. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme. The UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies provided funding for the longer-term NRT study.

Designing an ICT self-management service: suggestions from persons with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Gardsten, Cecilia; Mörtberg, Christina; Blomqvist, Kerstin

2017-01-01

This paper reports the wishes and needs of people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) for a future information and communication technology (ICT) self-management service to help manage their condition and their everyday life. Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting more and more people and placing increasing demands on health care. The self-management of diabetes includes instrumental and, decision-making skills and skills in managing daily activities, which may be supported by an ICT service. In this study we used a participatory design including two sessions of Future Workshop (FW) as part of a larger research project on the self-management of diabetes. Adults with type 2 diabetes participated in two FW sessions in which their expressed wishes and needs for an ICT service all fell under the broad category of Acceptance of the diagnosis, with three other suggestions; Trust in partnerships, Communication, and Individualized information. The participants' experience of the FW as a democratic process and their appreciation of mutual learning contributed to these results, which are consistent with the aims of person-centred care.

US computer research networks: Current and future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kratochvil, D.; Sood, D.; Verostko, A.

1989-01-01

During the last decade, NASA LeRC's Communication Program has conducted a series of telecommunications forecasting studies to project trends and requirements and to identify critical telecommunications technologies that must be developed to meet future requirements. The Government Networks Division of Contel Federal Systems has assisted NASA in these studies, and the current study builds upon these earlier efforts. The current major thrust of the NASA Communications Program is aimed at developing the high risk, advanced, communications satellite and terminal technologies required to significantly increase the capacity of future communications systems. Also, major new technological, economic, and social-political events and trends are now shaping the communications industry of the future. Therefore, a re-examination of future telecommunications needs and requirements is necessary to enable NASA to make management decisions in its Communications Program and to ensure the proper technologies and systems are addressed. This study, through a series of Task Orders, is helping NASA define the likely communication service needs and requirements of the future and thereby ensuring that the most appropriate technology developments are pursued.

The application of a feedback-informed approach in psychological service with youth: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Tam, H E; Ronan, Kevin

2017-07-01

Research with adults has consistently demonstrated that the use of regular client feedback in psychological services can improve outcomes. However, there appear to be fewer studies with youth. The purpose of the current review was to explore/assess (1) current developments in research on the use of feedback-informed approaches in mental health interventions or services for youth 10-19years of age; (2) the efficacy of client feedback in youth treatment settings; and (3) consider future directions for research. A total of 12 studies were included in this review, comprising a meta-analysis (n=9) and a qualitative review (n=3). Most studies assessed the benefits of a feedback framework in terms of symptom severity, functioning levels and/or goal attainments in therapy (i.e., ratings on the feedback-informed tools). The Hedges's g indexes of 0.20 (for independent-groups trials), 0.32 (single-group trials) and 0.28 (for all trials) suggest that the collection and application of continuous feedback from youth clients throughout the course of the interventions/services can boost and produce beneficial outcomes for the youth, while noting the feedback effect to be in the small range. Based on these initial findings, implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed, including considering fruitful research directions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN SAUDI ARABIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

PubMed Central

Sebai, Zohair A.; Milaat, Waleed A.; Al-Zulaibani, Abdulmohsen A.

2001-01-01

Health services in Saudi Arabia have developed enormously over the last two decades, as evidenced by the availability of health facilities throughout all parts of the vast Kingdom. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) provides over 60% of these services while the rest are shared among other government agencies and the private sector. A series of development plans in Saudi Arabia have established the infra-structure for the expansion of curative services all over the country. Rapid development in medical education and the training of future Saudi health manpower have also taken place. Future challenges facing the Saudi health system are to be addressed in order to achieve the ambitious goals set by the most recent health development plan. These include the optimum utilization of current health resources with competent health managerial skills, the search for alternative means of financing these services, the maintenance of a balance between curative and preventive services, the expansion of training Saudi health manpower to meet the increasing demand, and the implementation of a comprehensive primary health care program. PMID:23008647

Attitudes Toward e-Mental Health Services in a Community Sample of Adults: Online Survey

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Despite evidence that e-mental health services are effective, consumer preferences still appear to be in favor of face-to-face services. However, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) suggests that cognitive intentions are more proximal to behavior and thus may have a more direct influence on service use. Investigating individual characteristics that influence both preferences and intentions to use e-mental health services is important for better understanding factors that might impede or facilitate the use of these services. Objective This study explores predictors of preferences and intentions to access e-mental health services relative to face-to-face services. Five domains were investigated (demographics, technology factors, personality, psychopathology, and beliefs), identified from previous studies and informed by the Internet interventions model. We expected that more participants would report intentions to use e-mental health services relative to reported preferences for this type of support and that these 5 domains would be significantly associated with both intentions and preferences toward online services. Methods A mixed sample of 308 community members and university students was recruited through social media and the host institution in Australia. Ages ranged between 17 and 68 years, and 82.5% (254/308) were female. Respondents completed an online survey. Chi-square analysis and t tests were used to explore group differences, and logistic regression models were employed to explore factors predicting preferences and intentions. Results Most respondents (85.7%, 264/308) preferred face-to-face services over e-mental health services. Relative to preferences, a larger proportion of respondents (39.6%, 122/308) endorsed intentions to use e-mental health services if experiencing mental health difficulties in the future. In terms of the 5 predictor domains, 95% CIs of odds ratios (OR) derived from bootstrapped standard errors suggested that prior experience with online services significantly predicted intentions to use self-help (95% CI 2.08-16.24) and therapist-assisted (95% CI 1.71-11.90) online services in future. Being older predicted increased intentions to use therapist-assisted online services in future (95% CI 1.01-1.06), as did more confidence using computers and the Internet (95% CI 1.06-2.69). Technology confidence was also found to predict greater preference for online services versus face-to-face options (95% CI 1.24-4.82), whereas higher doctor-related locus of control, or LOC (95% CI 0.76-0.95), and extraversion (95% CI 0.88-1.00) were predictive of lower likelihood of preferring online services relative to face-to-face services. Conclusions Despite generally low reported preferences toward e-mental health services, intentions to access these services are higher, raising the question of how to best encourage translation of intentions into behavior (ie, actual use of programs). Strategies designed to ease people into new Internet-based mental health programs (to enhance confidence and familiarity) may be important for increasing the likelihood that they will return to such programs later. PMID:29459357

Predictors of Outreach Meetings Among Substance Using Homeless Youth.

PubMed

Carmona, Jasmin; Slesnick, Natasha; Guo, Xiamei; Murnan, Aaron; Brakenhoff, Brittany

2017-01-01

Homeless youth have high rates of substance use and often lack connection to social services. Outreach is critical for connecting youth to services, but factors influencing their outreach engagement are unknown. This study examined predictors of meetings with outreach workers among 79 non-service connected, substance using homeless youth between 14 and 24 years of age. Results provide direction to service providers in that older age, higher levels of depressive symptoms, fewer drug-related problems, and no use of hard drugs within the prior 30 days predicted higher meeting attendance. Future research is needed testing strategies that overcome barriers to outreach engagement.

An Assessment of Future Demands for and Benefits of Public Transit Services in Tennessee

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-03-01

This report documents results from a study carried out by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for the Office of Public Transportation, Tennessee Department of Transportation. The study team was tasked with devel...

State of Rhode Island Department of Administration Office of Library and Information Services. Five-Year State Plan for the Fiscal Years 2008 to 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services, 2008

2008-01-01

In preparation for its Five-Year Plan for the years 2008 through 2012, the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services has reviewed a variety of information resources, including studies, publications, surveys and stakeholder meetings, to assist in understanding the state, its people, its future and the potential role of libraries. This…

Patient preferences for community pharmacy asthma services: a discrete choice experiment.

PubMed

Naik-Panvelkar, Pradnya; Armour, Carol; Rose, John M; Saini, Bandana

2012-10-01

Specialized community pharmacy services, involving the provision of disease state management and care by pharmacists, have been developed and trialled and have demonstrated very good health outcomes. Most of these services have been developed from a healthcare professional perspective. However, for the future uptake and long-term sustainability of these services as well as for better and sustained health outcomes for patients, it is vital to gain an understanding of patients' preferences. We can then structure healthcare services to match these preferences and needs rather than around clinical viewpoints alone. The aim of this study was to elicit patient preferences for pharmacy-based specialized asthma services using a discrete choice experiment and to explore the value/importance that patients place on the different attributes of the asthma service. The existence of preference heterogeneity in the population was also investigated. The study was conducted with asthma patients who had recently experienced a specialized asthma management service at their pharmacy in New South Wales, Australia. Pharmacists delivering the asthma service mailed out the discrete choice questionnaires to participating patients at the end of 6 months of service provision. A latent class (LC) model was used to investigate each patient's strength of preference and preference heterogeneity for several key attributes related to asthma service provision: frequency of visits, access to pharmacist, interaction with pharmacy staff, availability of a private area for consultation, provision of lung function testing, type and depth of advice provision, number of days with asthma symptoms and cost of service. Eighty useable questionnaires (of 170 questionnaires sent out) were received (response rate 47.1%). The study identified various key elements of asthma services important to patients. Further, the LC analysis revealed three classes with differing patient preferences for levels of asthma service provision. Patients in the Minimalistic Model class valued provision of lung function testing and preferred more frequent service visits. Cost of service had a negative effect on service preference for patients in this class. Patients in the Partial Model class mainly derived utility from the provision of lung function testing and comprehensive advice at the pharmacy and also wanted more frequent service visits. The Holistic Model class patients considered all attributes of the service to be important when making a choice. While the majority of the service attributes had a positive effect on preference for patients in this class, cost of service and days with symptoms of asthma had a negative effect on service preference. These patients also preferred fewer service visits. The study identified various key attributes that are important to patients with respect to community pharmacy-based asthma services. The results also demonstrate the existence of preference heterogeneity in the population. Asthma service providers need to take these findings into consideration in the design and development of future service models so as to increase their uptake and ensure their long-term sustainability.

The determinations of remote sensing satellite data delivery service quality: A positivistic case study in Chinese context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Jiahua; Yan, Xiangbin; Tan, Qiaoqiao; Li, Yijun

2014-03-01

With the development of remote sensing technology, remote-sensing satellite has been widely used in many aspects of national construction. Big data with different standards and massive users with different needs, make the satellite data delivery service to be a complex giant system. How to deliver remote-sensing satellite data efficiently and effectively is a big challenge. Based on customer service theory, this paper proposes a hierarchy conceptual model for examining the determinations of remote-sensing satellite data delivery service quality in the Chinese context. Three main dimensions: service expectation, service perception and service environment, and 8 sub-dimensions are included in the model. Large amount of first-hand data on the remote-sensing satellite data delivery service have been obtained through field research, semi-structured questionnaire and focused interview. A positivist case study is conducted to validate and develop the proposed model, as well as to investigate the service status and related influence mechanisms. Findings from the analysis demonstrate the explanatory validity of the model, and provide potentially helpful insights for future practice.

Factors influencing the sustainability of volunteer peer support for breast-feeding mothers within a hospital environment: An exploratory qualitative study.

PubMed

Hopper, Heather; Skirton, Heather

2016-01-01

the objectives of this study were to explore breast feeding peer supporters' motivation to volunteer within a hospital environment, to describe their experiences of volunteering within a hospital environment, to examine the relationships between peer supporters and ward staff, and to identify factors contributing to the future sustainability of the service. a qualitative study; peer supporters and clinical ward staff were interviewed using a semi-structured schedule and data were analysed using Thematic Analysis with an inductive approach. six peer supporters and ten ward staff, whose role included giving breast feeding support, working on a maternity ward in one consultant-led unit in England that had been hosting breast feeding peer support volunteers for the previous three years. three main themes were identified: 1. What peer supporters brought to the maternity ward; this included providing breast-feeding mothers with confidence, reassurance and empowerment, and spending 'unhurried time' with mothers; 2. What motivated the peer supporters; this included an interest in midwifery as a future career and a desire to help people; 3. Factors contributing to the sustainability of the service; these included an existing rolling training programme, however recruitment processes were causing long delays and some aspects of operational management needed improvement. individuals with a passion for breast feeding were willing to volunteer as peer supporters and their experience of the activity was positive. Organisational processes did not always provide peer supporters with a positive experience of the organisation and these needed to be improved as they contributed to the future sustainability of the service. the study indicates that a sustainable hospital-based volunteer service for breast feeding peer support requires a rolling training programme for peer supporters, efficient recruitment processes and effective operational management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

47 CFR 22.709 - Rural radiotelephone service application requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Rural Radiotelephone Service § 22.709 Rural radiotelephone service... current and future demand for paging, two-way mobile and rural radiotelephone services (see § 22.719(c... channel pairs must include a statement explaining why BETRS technology is not being proposed. (f) Antenna...

The Health Services Research Workforce: Current Stock

PubMed Central

McGinnis, Sandra; Moore, Jean

2009-01-01

Objective To examine the size and characteristics of the health services research (HSR) workforce; the job satisfaction, job security, and future plans reported by the workforce; and the future of the HSR workforce supply. Data Sources (1) AcademyHealth active and lapsed members since 2000 and annual research meeting presenters and interest group participants; (2) principal investigators of research projects listed in the HSRProj database; and (3) authors of articles published in two HSR journals. Study Design Data on investigators conducting HSR in selected venues were collected and compared in order to identify the percentage of the HSR workforce represented in the “core” versus related disciplines and to investigate the extent to which the “core” researchers publish, present, or participate in disciplinary venues. Principal Findings The field appears to have grown dramatically since 1995, from an estimated 5,000 health services researchers to an estimated 11,596 in 2007. This is a broad workforce characterized by various levels of involvement in the field. Some researchers self-identify with the field of HSR, while others are associated primarily with venues related to specific disciplines. Many researchers who identify with HSR also publish in venues related to multiple other disciplines. Conclusions The field may face future challenges related to demographic change, such as an aging workforce and an increased need for diversity. International collaboration appears common, and in the future the field may need to be defined internationally rather than nationally. At the same time, there are also many indications that HSR is a good field to work in. Health services researchers reported high levels of satisfaction with their profession and current employer, as well as little desire to change jobs and little concern about job security. PMID:20459584

Identifying the Correlates and Barriers of Future Planning Among Parents of Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

PubMed

Burke, Meghan; Arnold, Catherine; Owen, Aleksa

2018-04-01

Although individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are living longer lives, fewer than half of parents of individuals with IDD conduct future planning. The correlates and barriers to future planning must be identified to develop targeted interventions to facilitate future planning. In this study, 388 parents of individuals with IDD responded to a national, web-based survey. Participants who were older, more educated, attended more parent training and support activities, and had children with fewer functional abilities, were more likely to engage in future planning. Reported barriers to future planning included: (a) lack of available services, (b) financial challenges, (c) reluctance of family members, (d) lack of time, (e) the emotional nature of future planning, (f) inertia, and (g) a lack of family members to be caregivers. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

The effects of fee bundling on dental utilization.

PubMed Central

Porter, J; Coyte, P C; Barnsley, J; Croxford, R

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine dental utilization following an adjustment to the provincial fee schedule in which preventive maintenance (recall) services were bundled at lower fees. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Blue Cross dental insurance claims for claimants associated with four major Ontario employers using a common insurance plan over the period 1987-1990. STUDY DESIGN: This before-and-after design analyzes the dental claims experience over a four-year period for 4,455 individuals 18 years of age and older one year prior to the bundling of services, one year concurrent with the change, and two years after the introduction of bundling. The dependent variable is the annual adjusted payment per user. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: The analysis was based on all claims submitted by adult users for services received at recall visits and who reported at least one visit of this type between 1987 and 1990. In these data, 26,177 services were provided by 1,214 dentists and represent 41 percent of all adult service claims submitted over the four years of observation. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Real per capita payment for adult recall services decreased by 0.3 percent in the year bundling was implemented (1988), but by the end of the study period such payments had increased 4.8 percent relative to pre-bundling levels. Multiple regression analysis assessed the role of patient and provider variables in the upward trend of per capita payments. The following variables were significant in explaining 37 percent of the variation in utilization over the period of observation: subscriber employment location; ever having received periodontal scaling or ever having received restorative services; regular user; dentist's school of graduation; and interactions involving year, service type, and regular user status. CONCLUSIONS: The volume and intensity of services received by adult patients increased when fee constraints were imposed on dentists. Future efforts to contain dental expenditures through fee schedule design will need to take this into consideration. Issues for future dental services research include provider billing practices, utilization among frequent attenders, and outcomes evaluation particularly with regard to periodontal care and replacement of restorations. PMID:10536976

National Ecosystem Assessments in Europe: A Review

PubMed Central

Schröter, Matthias; Albert, Christian; Marques, Alexandra; Tobon, Wolke; Lavorel, Sandra; Maes, Joachim; Brown, Claire; Klotz, Stefan; Bonn, Aletta

2016-01-01

Abstract National ecosystem assessments form an essential knowledge base for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. We analyze eight European (sub-)national ecosystem assessments (Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Flanders, Netherlands, Finland, and Germany) and compare their objectives, political context, methods, and operationalization. We observed remarkable differences in breadth of the assessment, methods employed, variety of services considered, policy mandates, and funding mechanisms. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are mainly assessed independently, with biodiversity conceptualized as underpinning services, as a source of conflict with services, or as a service in itself. Recommendations derived from our analysis for future ecosystem assessments include the needs to improve the common evidence base, to advance the mapping of services, to consider international flows of services, and to connect more strongly to policy questions. Although the context specificity of national ecosystem assessments is acknowledged as important, a greater harmonization across assessments could help to better inform common European policies and future pan-regional assessments. PMID:28533561

Cable Communications Revolution. Future: Broadband Communications, Local Origination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Robert W.

The revolution in two-way broadband communications envisioned for the future includes remote access to libraries, interactive educational programing, shopping at home, personal and property security, and many other services limited only by man's imagination and his ability to deliver the service at a price the consumer is willing and able to pay.…

Development of Mobile Communications in Slovenia: Looking to the Future Global Information (Mobile/Internet) Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonic, Tomaz; Mlinar, Tomi

2000-01-01

Discusses the planning and provision of mobile communications in Slovenia and suggests areas that will be developed in the future. Topics include the global mobile market; digital mobile networks; evolution from voice to multimedia services; wireless application protocol; the Internet; general packet radio service; and universal mobile…

The Future of Museums and Libraries: A Discussion Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2009

2009-01-01

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is committed to bringing together museums and libraries across the country for conversations dedicated to developing a better understanding of the roles of libraries and museums as providers of public service to communities. The Future of Libraries and Museums in the 21st Century Planning…

Future Direction of USDA Forest Service Research

Treesearch

A. Dan Wilson

1995-01-01

The USDA Forest Service has been involved in Texas oak wilt research since 1976. Despite research successes, there are still many important research areas that have not been addressed or sufficiently investigated to answer the key questions required for making sound disease management decisions. Some of the priority areas planned for future research by the Southern...

Community Services and Training (01-01-00 to 01-01-25!).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Hans A.; Cavan, John

2000-01-01

Presents opinions of the present and former presidents of the National Council for Continuing Education and Training (NCCET) as to the future of community services and workforce training. Predicts future trends for NCCET, such as: (1) partnering nationally; (2) staying on the cutting edge; (3) offering accountability and convenience; (4) being…

10 CFR 905.15 - What are the requirements for the small customer plan alternative?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... all reasonable opportunities to meet future energy service requirements using demand-side management... applicable, and contact person; (ii) Type of customer; (iii) Current energy and demand profiles and data on... and demand use for end-use customers; (iv) Future energy services projections; (v) How items in...

Importance/performance analysis: a tool for service quality control by clinical laboratories.

PubMed

Scammon, D L; Weiss, R

1991-01-01

A study of customer satisfaction with clinical laboratory service is used as the basis for identifying potential improvements in service and more effectively targeting marketing activities to enhance customer satisfaction. Data on customer satisfaction are used to determine the aspects of service most critical to customers, how well the organization is doing in delivery of service, and how consistent service delivery is. Importance-performance analysis is used to highlight areas for future resource reallocation and strategic emphasis. Suggestions include the establishment of performance guidelines for customer contact personnel, the enhancement of timely delivery of reports via electronic transmission (computer and fax), and the development of standardized graphics for request and report forms to facilitate identification of appropriate request forms and guide clients to key items of information on reports.

Positioning navigation and timing service applications in cyber physical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Yi; Wu, Xiaojing; Zeng, Lingchuan

2017-10-01

The positioning navigation and timing (PNT) architecture was discussed in detail, whose history, evolvement, current status and future plan were presented, main technologies were listed, advantages and limitations of most technologies were compared, novel approaches were introduced, and future capacities were sketched. The concept of cyber-physical system (CPS) was described and their primary features were interpreted. Then the three-layer architecture of CPS was illustrated. Next CPS requirements on PNT services were analyzed, including requirements on position reference and time reference, requirements on temporal-spatial error monitor, requirements on dynamic services, real-time services, autonomous services, security services and standard services. Finally challenges faced by PNT applications in CPS were concluded. The conclusion was expected to facilitate PNT applications in CPS, and furthermore to provide references to the design and implementation of both architectures.

National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

Forecast and Warning Services of the National Weather Service Introduction Quantitative precipitation future which is an active area of research currently. 2) Evaluate HPN performance for forecast periods

Development and validation of an instrument to assess future orientation and resilience in adolescence.

PubMed

Di Maggio, Ilaria; Ginevra, Maria Cristina; Nota, Laura; Soresi, Salvatore

2016-08-01

The study is aimed at providing the development and initial validation of the Design My Future (DMF), which may be administered in career counseling and research activities to assess adolescents' future orientation and resilience. Two studies with two independent samples of Italian adolescents were conducted to examine psychometric requisites of DMF. Specifically, in the first study, after developing items and examined the content validity, the factorial structure, reliability and discriminant validity of the DMF were tested. In the second study, the measurement invariance across gender, conducing a sequence of nested CFA models, was evaluated. Results showed good psychometric support for the instrument with Italian adolescents. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outcomes research in pediatric settings: recent trends and future directions.

PubMed

Forrest, Christopher B; Shipman, Scott A; Dougherty, Denise; Miller, Marlene R

2003-01-01

Pediatric outcomes research examines the effects of health care delivered in everyday medical settings on the health of children and adolescents. It is an area of inquiry in its nascent stages of development. We conducted a systematic literature review that covered articles published during the 6-year interval 1994-1999 and in 39 peer-reviewed journals chosen for their likelihood of containing child health services research. This article summarizes the article abstraction, reviews the literature, describes recent trends, and makes recommendations for future work. In the sample of journals that we examined, the number of pediatric outcomes research articles doubled between 1994 and 1999. Hospitals and primary care practices were the most common service sectors, accounting for more than half of the articles. Common clinical categories included neonatal conditions, asthma, psychosocial problems, and injuries. Approximately 1 in 5 studies included multistate or national samples; 1 in 10 used a randomized controlled trial study design. Remarkably few studies examined the health effects of preventive, diagnostic, long-term management, or curative services delivered to children and adolescents. Outcomes research in pediatric settings is a rapidly growing area of inquiry that is acquiring breadth but has achieved little depth in any single content area. Much work needs to be done to inform decision making regarding the optimal ways to finance, organize, and deliver child health care services. To improve the evidence base of pediatric health care, more effectiveness research is needed to evaluate the overall and relative effects of services delivered to children and adolescents in everyday settings.

Space station systems analysis study. Part 1, volume 1: Executive study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Potential space station system options were examined for a permanent, manned, orbital space facility and to provide data to NASA program planners and decision makers for their use in future program planning. There were ten space station system objectives identified. These were categorized into five major objectives and five supporting objectives. The major objectives were to support the development of: (1) satellite power systems, (2) nuclear energy plants in space, (3) space processing, (4) earth services, and (5) space cosmological research and development. The five supporting objectives, to define space facilities which would be basic building blocks for future systems, were: (1) a multidiscipline science laboratory, (2) an orbital depot to maintain, fuel, and service orbital transfer vehicles, (3) cluster support systems to provide power and data processing for multiple orbital elements, (4) a sensor development facility, and (5) the facilities necessary to enhance man's living and working in space.

Forecasting the Economic Impact of Future Space Station Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Summer, R. A.; Smolensky, S. M.; Muir, A. H.

1967-01-01

Recent manned and unmanned Earth-orbital operations have suggested great promise of improved knowledge and of substantial economic and associated benefits to be derived from services offered by a space station. Proposed application areas include agriculture, forestry, hydrology, public health, oceanography, natural disaster warning, and search/rescue operations. The need for reliable estimates of economic and related Earth-oriented benefits to be realized from Earth-orbital operations is discussed and recent work in this area is reviewed. Emphasis is given to those services based on remote sensing. Requirements for a uniform, comprehensive and flexible methodology are discussed. A brief review of the suggested methodology is presented. This methodology will be exercised through five case studies which were chosen from a gross inventory of almost 400 user candidates. The relationship of case study results to benefits in broader application areas is discussed, Some management implications of possible future program implementation are included.

Fracture liaison services for osteoporosis in the Asia-Pacific region: current unmet needs and systematic literature review.

PubMed

Chang, Y -F; Huang, C -F; Hwang, J -S; Kuo, J -F; Lin, K -M; Huang, H -C; Bagga, S; Kumar, A; Chen, F -P; Wu, C -H

2018-04-01

The analysis aimed to identify the treatment gaps in current fracture liaison services (FLS) and to provide recommendations for best practice establishment of future FLS across the Asia-Pacific region. The findings emphasize the unmet need for the implementation of new programs and provide recommendations for the refinement of existing ones. The study's objectives were to evaluate fracture liaison service (FLS) programs in the Asia-Pacific region and provide recommendations for establishment of future FLS programs. A systematic literature review (SLR) of Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (2000-2017 inclusive) was performed using the following keywords: osteoporosis, fractures, liaison, and service. Inclusion criteria included the following: patients ≥ 50 years with osteoporosis-related fractures; randomized controlled trials or observational studies with control groups (prospective or retrospective), pre-post, cross-sectional and economic evaluation studies. Success of direct or indirect interventions was assessed based on patients' understanding of risk, bone mineral density assessment, calcium intake, osteoporosis treatment, re-fracture rates, adherence, and mortality, in addition to cost-effectiveness. Overall, 5663 unique citations were identified and the SLR identified 159 publications, reporting 37 studies in Asia-Pacific. These studies revealed the unmet need for public health education, adequate funding, and staff resourcing, along with greater cooperation between departments and physicians. These actions can help to overcome therapeutic inertia with sufficient follow-up to ensure adherence to recommendations and compliance with treatment. The findings also emphasize the importance of primary care physicians continuing to prescribe treatment and ensure service remains convenient. These findings highlight the limited evidence supporting FLS across the Asia-Pacific region, emphasizing the unmet need for new programs and/or refinement of existing ones to improve outcomes. With the continued increase in burden of fractures in Asia-Pacific, establishment of new FLS and assessment of existing services are warranted to determine the impact of FLS for healthcare professionals, patients, family/caregivers, and society.

OU/OSU Study Committee, SB 1009.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma City.

An Oklahoma State Legislature directive formed a committee to study University of Oklahoma (OU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) services and programs and make recommendations for enhancement. The role of Oklahoma's two comprehensive research universities in the future of the state was the Committee's overriding consideration. Much discussion…

The ESA Space Weather Applications Pilot Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glover, A.; Hilgers, A.; Daly, E.

Following the completion in 2001 of two parallel studies to consider the feasibility of a European Space Weather Programme ESA embarked upon a space weather pilot study with the goal of prototyping European space weather services and assessing the overall market for such within Europe This pilot project centred on a number of targeted service development activities supported by a common infrastructure and making use of only existing space weather assets Each service activity included clear participation from at least one identified service user who was requested to provide initial requirements and regular feedback during the operational phase of the service These service activities are now reaching the end of their 2-year development and testing phase and are now accessible each with an element of the service in the public domain see http www esa-spaceweathet net swenet An additional crucial element of the study was the inclusion of a comprehensive and independent analysis of the benefits both economic and strategic of embarking on a programme which would include the deployment of an infrastructure with space-based elements The results of this study will be reported together with their implication for future coordinated European activities in this field

Outreach services in healthcare libraries: perceptions and impacts.

PubMed

Dorset, Rebecca

2014-03-01

Outreach services are becoming more prevalent throughout the health library sector both in the UK and abroad, and they have the potential to impact on information support for evidence-based medicine. This article reports on a study which explored the perceptions of UK health library staff about the term 'outreach' and demonstrated that a variety of services are being offered under this umbrella term. Whilst practitioners are also divided over the impact of outreach services, many of them see this as key to future service developments. The study was completed by Rebecca Dorsett as part of her MSc in Information and Library Management at Northumbria University. She was supervised by Sue Childs and graduated in 2012 with a Distinction. Rebecca is now due to commence a new role as Information Support Officer for the Ministry of Defence. AM. © 2014 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2014 Health Libraries Group.

Defining an Approach for Future Close Air Support Capability

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

may take on the form of a force-mix study that considers multiple joint scenarios and missions. viii Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank...the Army and other services on an approach for defining future CAS capability. 9 Colin Clark, “Air...unit; one British soldier was killed, and five others were wounded.15 Only one A-10 was shot down during all of OIF and OEF. However, it should be

Developing a framework of service convenience in health care: An exploratory study for a primary care provider.

PubMed

Tuzovic, Sven; Kuppelwieser, Volker

2016-01-01

From retail health clinics and online appointment scheduling to (mobile) kiosks that enable patient check-in and automate the collection of copays and open balances, convenience has become an important topic in the health care sector over the last few years. While service convenience has also gained much interest in academia, one common limitation is that authors have adopted a "goods-centered" perspective focusing primarily on retail settings. Results of this exploratory study reveal that health care service convenience encompasses seven different dimensions: decision, access, scheduling, registration and check-in, transaction, care delivery, and postconsultation convenience. Implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes From a Pilot Study of an Integrated Health-Mental Health Promotion Program in School Mental Health Services

PubMed Central

George, Melissa W.; Trumpeter, Nevelyn N.; Wilson, Dawn K.; McDaniel, Heather L.; Schiele, Bryn; Prinz, Ron; Weist, Mark D.

2014-01-01

The prevalence of unmet health and mental health needs among youth has spurred the growing consensus to develop strategies that integrate services to promote overall well-being. This pilot study reports on the feasibility and outcomes of a theory-driven, family-focused, integrated health-mental health promotion program for underserved adolescents receiving school mental health services. Parent and adolescent assessments conducted prior to and following the brief, 6-session promotion program showed significant improvements in family support, youth self-efficacy, health behaviors, and mental health outcomes. Clinician reports contributed to a characterization of the feasibility, acceptability, and future recommendations for the integrated program. PMID:24297005

Service provision in the wake of a new funding model for community pharmacy.

PubMed

Smith, Alesha J; Scahill, Shane L; Harrison, Jeff; Carroll, Tilley; Medlicott, Natalie J

2018-05-02

Recently, New Zealand has taken a system wide approach providing the biggest reform to New Zealand community pharmacy for 70 years with the aim of providing more clinically orientated patient centred services through a new funding model. The aim of this study was to understand the types of services offered in New Zealand community pharmacies since introduction of the new funding model, what the barriers are to providing these services. A survey of all community pharmacies were undertaken between August, 2014 and February, 2015. Basic descriptive statistics were completed and group comparisons were made using the chi squared test with significance set at p < 0.05. 528 responses were received. Education and advice on prescription and non-prescription medicines were the two top listed services provided. There were no significant differences in service provision between rural and metro based pharmacies. Many pharmacies were considering introducing new patient centred services. Four of the top ten frequently provided services have no public funding attached. Costs and staff availability are the most common barriers to undertake services, more predominantly in patient centred services. This study was the first to provide an evaluation of service provision in response to a new funding model for New Zealand Community Pharmacies. A broad range of services are being undertaken in New Zealand community pharmacies including patient-centred services. A number of barriers to service provision were identified. This study provides a baseline for the current levels of service provision upon which future studies can compare to and evaluate any changes in service provision with differing funding models going forward.

Science in 60 – Simulating Flames Helps Tame Future Wildfires

ScienceCinema

Lin, Rod

2018-01-16

FIRETEC presents a new way of studying fire and learning how to better manage and cope with it. The model provides additional scientific input for decisions by policymakers working in land management, water resources and energy. The team hopes it will eventually assist fire and fuel management operations. This research is done in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, Air Force Wildland Fire Center, INRA and Canadian Forest Service.

A focus group study of chiropractic students following international service learning experiences

PubMed Central

Boysen, James C.; Salsbury, Stacie A.; Derby, Dustin; Lawrence, Dana J.

2016-01-01

Objective: One objective of chiropractic education is to cultivate clinical confidence in novice practitioners. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how participation in a short-term international service learning experience changed perceptions of clinical confidence in senior chiropractic students. Methods: Seventeen senior chiropractic students participated in 4 moderated focus group sessions within 4 months after a clinical educational opportunity held in international settings. Participants answered standard questions on how this educational experience may have changed their clinical confidence. Two investigators performed qualitative thematic analysis of the verbatim transcripts to identify core concepts and supporting themes. Results: The core concept was transformation from an unsure student to a confident doctor. The service learning experience allowed students to deliver chiropractic treatment to patients in a real-world setting, engage in frequent repetitions of technical skills, perform clinical decision-making and care coordination, and communicate with patients and other health professionals. Students described increased clinical confidence in 9 competency areas organized within 3 domains: (1) chiropractic competencies including observation, palpation, and manipulation; (2) clinical competencies including problem solving, clinic flow, and decision-making; and (3) communication competencies, including patient communication, interprofessional communication, and doctor–patient relationship. Students recommended that future service learning programs include debriefing sessions similar to the experience offered by these focus groups to enhance student learning. Conclusion: Senior chiropractic students who participated in an international service learning program gained confidence and valuable practical experience in integrating their chiropractic, clinical, and communication skills for their future practices. PMID:27258817

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.

Incorporating future change into current conservation planning: Evaluating tidal saline wetland migration along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast under alternative sea-level rise and urbanization scenarios

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enwright, Nicholas M.; Griffith, Kereen T.; Osland, Michael J.

2015-11-02

In this study, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, quantified the potential for landward migration of tidal saline wetlands along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast under alternative future sea-level rise and urbanization scenarios. Our analyses focused exclusively on tidal saline wetlands (that is, mangrove forests, salt marshes, and salt flats), and we combined these diverse tidal saline wetland ecosystems into a single grouping, “tidal saline wetland.” Collectively, our approach and findings can provide useful information for scientists and environmental planners working to develop future-focused adaptation strategies for conserving coastal landscapes and the ecosystem goods and services provided by tidal saline wetlands. The primary product of this work is a public dataset that identifies locations where landward migration of tidal saline wetlands is expected to occur under alternative future sea-level rise and urbanization scenarios. In addition to identifying areas where landward migration of tidal saline wetlands is possible because of the absence of barriers, these data also identify locations where landward migration of these wetlands could be prevented by barriers associated with current urbanization, future urbanization, and levees.

[Patients as customers? The term "customer" in the perception of medical students at the end of their university training].

PubMed

Zimmermann, L; Körner, M; Geppert, E; Siegel, A; Stöbel, U; Bengel, J

2012-01-01

In the preceding decades a new perspective on the role of patients in the health-care system has gained ground, considering patients not merely as "suffering persons" but additionally as "customers". Physicians, however, tend to disagree with this approach because of the economic connotation of the term customer. Until now, there is only poor evidence of whether students of medicine - who are going to work as physicians in the future - agree or disagree with that approach and whether they are ready to accept patients as customers. In the following study students of medicine were interviewed on their perspectives towards that approach, in particular on their attitudes towards the idea of "the patient as customer", the appropriateness of the term consumer in different clinical settings and sectors of health care, the implementation of consumer orientation in clinical routine, and their favoured model of physician-patient relationship.As the study could not build upon data of prior similar studies, a quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional study with a descriptive-explorative design was conducted. Using a semi-standardised questionnaire, 313 medical students (response rate: 95%) were interviewed in Spring 2010. At the time of the survey, the students were enrolled at the faculty of medicine at Freiburg University, Germany, and were in their last semester which immediately preceded their exam.The future physicians do not consider patients primarily as customers. More than 80% of the respondents "absolutely" or "largely" supported the idea that patients are considerably more than customers. The analysis of the qualitative data of the study shows different results. Here, more statements were made that patients could equally be seen as customers (449 students supported this idea, 298 did not). Statements contradicting the customer approach referred mostly to the asymmetry of the physician-patient relationship and the special role of the patient. The highest level of acceptance of the customer approach was found in classical service settings such as pharmacies, the lowest level in emergency medical aid. According to medical students, a consumer orientation has been realised in different health service areas in correspondingly different degrees: On top of the list are plastic surgery clinics, followed by private health insurances and homeopathic clinics. A minority of medical students predict the implementation of consumer orientation in the emergency medical aid. Future physicians consider their relationship to patients largely as a relationship between a healing person and a person seeking help rather than a relationship between a service provider and a customer.Considering recent developments in the organisation of medical services and health services in general, it becomes increasingly important to know what kind of 'service behaviour' patients expect from their doctors and other health providers. Obviously, it is not self-evident for medical students to perceive their future patients as customers and to act as customer-oriented 'service providers'. In view of this, the faculties of medicine at universities - which provide professional training to students of medicine - should be aware of the challenge to 'socialise' their students so that they can keep up with patients' expectations. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Ecosystem services from a degraded peatland of Central Kalimantan: implications for policy, planning, and management.

PubMed

Law, Elizabeth A; Bryan, Bretr A; Meijaard, Erik; Mallawaarachchi, Thilak; Struebig, Matthew; Wilson, Kerrie A

2015-01-01

Increasingly, landscapes are managed for multiple objectives to balance social, economic, and environmental goals. The Ex-Mega Rice Project (EMRP) peatland in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia provides a timely example with globally significant development, carbon, and biodiversity concerns. To inform future policy, planning, and management in the EMRP, we quantified and mapped ecosystem service values, assessed their spatial interactions, and evaluated the potential provision of ecosystem services under future land-use scenarios. We focus on key policy-relevant regulating (carbon stocks and the potential for emissions reduction), provisioning (timber, crops from smallholder agriculture, palm oil), and supporting (biodiversity) services. We found that implementation of existing land-use plans has the potential to improve total ecosystem service provision. We identify a number of significant inefficiencies, trade-offs, and unintended outcomes that may arise. For example, the potential development of existing palm oil concessions over one-third of the region may shift smallholder agriculture into low-productivity regions and substantially impact carbon and biodiversity outcomes. While improved management of conservation zones may enhance the protection of carbon stocks, not all biodiversity features will be represented, and there will be a reduction in timber harvesting and agricultural production. This study highlights how ecosystem service analyses can be structured to better inform policy, planning, and management in globally significant but data-poor regions.

On Using Home Networks and Cloud Computing for a Future Internet of Things

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niedermayer, Heiko; Holz, Ralph; Pahl, Marc-Oliver; Carle, Georg

In this position paper we state four requirements for a Future Internet and sketch our initial concept. The requirements: (1) more comfort, (2) integration of home networks, (3) resources like service clouds in the network, and (4) access anywhere on any machine. Future Internet needs future quality and future comfort. There need to be new possiblities for everyone. Our focus is on higher layers and related to the many overlay proposals. We consider them to run on top of a basic Future Internet core. A new user experience means to include all user devices. Home networks and services should be a fundamental part of the Future Internet. Home networks extend access and allow interaction with the environment. Cloud Computing can provide reliable resources beyond local boundaries. For access anywhere, we also need secure storage for data and profiles in the network, in particular for access with non-personal devices (Internet terminal, ticket machine, ...).

Current Challenges Facing the Future of Secondary Education and Transition Services for Youth with Disabilities in the United States. Discussion Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), University of Minnesota, 2004

2004-01-01

This paper is intended to promote discussion among professionals, policymakers, employers, parents, and individuals with disabilities concerning current and future challenges facing secondary education and transition services nationally. The issues identified and discussed should not, however, be viewed as inclusive of the full range of possible…

The Project Coordinators: A Key to the School of the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iscoe, Louise K.

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health created the School of the Future (SoF) project to enable selected Texas schools to coordinate and implement school-based social and health services on their campuses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method of service delivery by evaluating the project. This booklet reports on one aspect of the…

The Health Clinic. School of the Future: Houston.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iscoe, Louise

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health created the School of the Future (SoF) project to enable selected Texas schools to coordinate and implement school-based social and health services on their campuses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method of service delivery by evaluating the project. SoF operated in four urban sites in Texas,…

Parent Volunteer Program. School of the Future: San Antonio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iscoe, Louise

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health created the School of the Future (SoF) project to enable selected Texas schools to coordinate and implement school-based social and health services on their campuses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method of service delivery by evaluating the project. This booklet focuses on the Parent Volunteer…

A Community Catalyst. School of the Future: Austin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iscoe, Louise

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health created the School of the Future (SoF) project to enable selected Texas schools to coordinate and implement school-based social and health services on their campuses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method of service delivery by evaluating the project. The projects, each of which involved a middle…

ESA personal communications and digital audio broadcasting systems based on non-geostationary satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Logalbo, P.; Benedicto, J.; Viola, R.

1993-01-01

Personal Communications and Digital Audio Broadcasting are two new services that the European Space Agency (ESA) is investigating for future European and Global Mobile Satellite systems. ESA is active in promoting these services in their various mission options including non-geostationary and geostationary satellite systems. A Medium Altitude Global Satellite System (MAGSS) for global personal communications at L and S-band, and a Multiregional Highly inclined Elliptical Orbit (M-HEO) system for multiregional digital audio broadcasting at L-band are described. Both systems are being investigated by ESA in the context of future programs, such as Archimedes, which are intended to demonstrate the new services and to develop the technology for future non-geostationary mobile communication and broadcasting satellites.

Synergy and sustainability in rural procedural medicine: views from the coalface.

PubMed

Swayne, Andrew; Eley, Diann S

2010-02-01

The practice of rural and remote medicine in Australia entails many challenges, including a broad casemix and the remoteness of specialist support. Many rural practitioners employ advanced procedural skills in anaesthetics, surgery, obstetrics and emergency medicine, but the use of these skills has been declining over the last 20 years. This study explored the perceptions of rural general practitioners (GPs) on the current and future situation of procedural medicine. The qualitative results of data from a mixed-method design are reported. Free-response survey comments and semistructured interview transcripts were analysed by a framework analysis for major themes. General practices in rural and remote Queensland. Rural GPs in Rural and Remote Metropolitan Classification 4-7 areas of Queensland. The perceptions of rural GPs on the current and future situation of rural procedural medicine. Major concerns from the survey focused on closure of facilities and downgrading of services, cost and time to keep up skills, increasing litigation issues and changing attitudes of the public. Interviews designed to draw out solutions to help rectify the perceived circumstances highlighted two major themes: 'synergy' between the support from medical teams and community in ensuring 'sustainability' of services. This article presents a model of rural procedural practice where synergy between staff, resources and support networks represents the optimal way to deliver a non-metropolitan procedural service. The findings serve to remind educators and policy-makers that future planning for sustainability of rural procedural services must be broad-based and comprehensive.

76 FR 78927 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-20

... estimates of the effectiveness of the programs. This component will use an experimental design. Program... inform decisions related to future investments in this kind of programming as well as the design and operation of such services. To meet the objective of the study, experimental impact studies with...

Volunteer Motivations and Rewards: Shaping Future Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClam, Tricia

Volunteerism is increasing today and helps to fill in the gaps created by funding and staff cutbacks in service-oriented agencies. It is critical not only to recruit new volunteers but to retain volunteers. This study examines hospice volunteers for motivation and rewards. Previous studies have found motivations to include altruism and…

Campus Support Services, Programs, and Policies for International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bista, Krishna, Ed.; Foster, Charlotte, Ed.

2016-01-01

Study abroad programs have proven beneficial for both the international student as well as the domestic community and school population interacting with the student. In an effort to promote cultural awareness, intercultural communications as well as opportunities for future study abroad program success, universities must take care to provide…

Waiting Online: A Review and Research Agenda.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Gerard; Valverde, Mireia

2003-01-01

Reviews 21 papers based on 13 separate empirical studies on waiting on the Internet, drawn from the areas of marketing, system response time, and quality of service studies. The article proposes an agenda for future research, including extending the range of research methodologies, broadening the definition of waiting on the Internet, and…

Goal Clarity and Financial Planning Activities as Determinants of Retirement Savings Contributions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stawski, Robert S.; Hershey, Douglas A.; Jacobs-Lawson, Joy M.

2007-01-01

Retirement counselors, financial service professionals, and retirement intervention specialists routinely emphasize the importance of developing clear goals for the future; however, few empirical studies have focused on the benefits of retirement goal setting. In the present study, the extent to which goal clarity and financial planning activities…

Peer-Delivered Recovery Support Services for Addictions in the United States: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Bassuk, Ellen L; Hanson, Justine; Greene, R Neil; Richard, Molly; Laudet, Alexandre

2016-04-01

This systematic review identifies, appraises, and summarizes the evidence on the effectiveness of peer-delivered recovery support services for people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Nine studies met criteria for inclusion in the review. They were assessed for quality and outcomes including substance use and recovery-related factors. Despite significant methodological limitations found in the included studies, the body of evidence suggests salutary effects on participants. Current limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current Capabilities, Requirements and a Proposed Strategy for Interdependency Analysis in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloomfield, Robin; Chozos, Nick; Salako, Kizito

The UK government recently commissioned a research study to identify the state-of-the-art in Critical Infrastructure modelling and analysis, and the government/industry requirements for such tools and services. This study (Cetifs) concluded with a strategy aiming to bridge the gaps between the capabilities and requirements, which would establish interdependency analysis as a commercially viable service in the near future. This paper presents the findings of this study that was carried out by CSR, City University London, Adelard LLP, a safety/security consultancy and Cranfield University, defense academy of the UK.

Factors affecting employment outcomes for people with disabilities who received Disability Employment Services in Taiwan.

PubMed

Jang, Yuh; Wang, Yun-Tung; Lin, Meng-Hsiu

2014-03-01

One of the most important rehabilitation goals is to return people with disabilities to paid employment. The purposes of this study were (1) to explore employment status and (2) to identify factors that may affect the employment outcomes of people with disabilities who received Disability Employment Services (DES). A retrospective study was conducted on clients who commenced and closed DES between January 2008 and December 2010 in a metropolitan city in Taiwan, using the files from the National Vocational Rehabilitation Services Documentary System. Sixty-nine percent (1,684 out of 2,452) of the clients in this study were engaged in paid employment after receiving DES. Logistic regression analyses indicated that clients with no psychiatric disability or mild impairment and with useful vocational qualifications, typical work experience, more post-employment services, and less pre-employment services were associated with a higher rate of successful employment outcomes. This study provides empirical evidence of the association between person- and DES-related factors and the employment outcomes of people with disabilities. Future improvements in health, school-to-work transition services, and vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities should place more emphasis on providing work-based work experience, professional vocational training, access to college/professional education, career exploration, effective supported employment services, and other post-employment services.

Interorganizational collaboration for health care between nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan.

PubMed

Gulzar, Laila; Henry, Beverly

2005-11-01

The complexity and cost of health systems requires innovative forms of organization to provide accessible health services of an acceptable quality and at an acceptable cost. Interorganizational collaboration (IoC) is an innovation to increase the availability of organizational resources, improve service effectiveness, and improve access to health care. In Pakistan, a weak health system and little collaboration limit access, especially of women and children, to health services. Many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) provide primary health care to the very poor, and some appear to collaborate to varying degrees; however, this has not been systematically analyzed. The purpose of this qualitative research, the first scientific study of collaboration between NGOs providing health services in Pakistan, was to describe collaboration between three pairs of NGOs providing community-based health services to women in Karachi. A long-term goal is to build a basis for future research linking IoC to access to health care and health outcomes. Findings indicated that collaboration was strongest when there was willingness to cooperate, a need for expertise and funds, and adaptive efficiency. In Pakistan's complex social environment, collaboration tended to be stronger when there was fairly high organizational formalization. Broader IoC appears to be positively associated with women's access to health care. Recommendations are made for future research, education, and management.

Communication strategies for a successful inpatient dermatology consultative service: a narrative review.

PubMed

Afifi, Ladan; Shinkai, Kanade

2017-03-01

Inpatient dermatology consultative services care for hospitalized patients with skin disease in collaboration with the primary inpatient team. Effective, efficient communication is important. A consultation service must develop strong relationships with primary inpatient teams requesting consults in order to provide optimal patient care. Prior studies have identified effective communication practices for inpatient consultative services. This narrative review provides a summary of effective communication practices for an inpatient dermatology consultation service organized into 5 domains: (1) features of the initial consult request; (2) best practices in responding to the initial consult; (3) effective communication of recommendations; (4) interventions to improve consultations; and (5) handling curbside consultations. Recommendations include identifying the specific reason for consult; establishing urgency; secure sharing of sensitive clinical information such as photographs; ensuring timely responses; providing clear yet brief documentation of the differential diagnosis, problem list, final diagnosis and recommendations; and limiting curbside consultations. Future studies are needed to validate effective strategies to enhance communication practices within an inpatient dermatology consultative service. ©2017 Frontline Medical Communications.

Predicting Urban Medical Services Demand in China: An Improved Grey Markov Chain Model by Taylor Approximation.

PubMed

Duan, Jinli; Jiao, Feng; Zhang, Qishan; Lin, Zhibin

2017-08-06

The sharp increase of the aging population has raised the pressure on the current limited medical resources in China. To better allocate resources, a more accurate prediction on medical service demand is very urgently needed. This study aims to improve the prediction on medical services demand in China. To achieve this aim, the study combines Taylor Approximation into the Grey Markov Chain model, and develops a new model named Taylor-Markov Chain GM (1,1) (T-MCGM (1,1)). The new model has been tested by adopting the historical data, which includes the medical service on treatment of diabetes, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease from 1997 to 2015 in China. The model provides a predication on medical service demand of these three types of disease up to 2022. The results reveal an enormous growth of urban medical service demand in the future. The findings provide practical implications for the Health Administrative Department to allocate medical resources, and help hospitals to manage investments on medical facilities.

What do clinicians want? Interest in integrative health services at a North Carolina academic medical center

PubMed Central

Kemper, Kathi J; Dirkse, Deborah; Eadie, Dee; Pennington, Melissa

2007-01-01

Background Use of complementary medicine is common, consumer driven and usually outpatient focused. We wished to determine interest among the medical staff at a North Carolina academic medical center in integrating diverse therapies and services into comprehensive care. Methods We conducted a cross sectional on-line survey of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants at a tertiary care medical center in 2006. The survey contained questions on referrals and recommendations in the past year and interest in therapies or services if they were to be provided at the medical center in the future. Results Responses were received from 173 clinicians in 26 different departments, programs and centers. There was strong interest in offering several specific therapies: therapeutic exercise (77%), expert consultation about herbs and dietary supplements (69%), and massage (66%); there was even stronger interest in offering comprehensive treatment programs such as multidisciplinary pain management (84%), comprehensive nutritional assessment and advice (84%), obesity/healthy lifestyle promotion (80%), fit for life (exercise and lifestyle program, 76%), diabetes healthy lifestyle promotion (73%); and comprehensive psychological services for stress management, including hypnosis and biofeedback (73%). Conclusion There is strong interest among medical staff at an academic health center in comprehensive, integrated services for pain, obesity, and diabetes and in specific services in fitness, nutrition and stress management. Future studies will need to assess the cost-effectiveness of such services, as well as their financial sustainability and impact on patient satisfaction, health and quality of life. PMID:17291340

Early intervention services of children with physical disabilities: complexity of child and family needs.

PubMed

Ziviani, Jenny; Darlington, Yvonne; Feeney, Rachel; Rodger, Sylvia; Watter, Pauline

2014-04-01

To gain insight into the special issues confronting parents when accessing early intervention for children with physical disabilities where child and/or family characteristics indicate complex needs within the unique Australian context. Qualitative interviews with families receiving early intervention for their children with physical disabilities (N=10). Families with complex circumstances such as having children with high support needs, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and single-parent families were recruited to the study. Families where parents had mental or health issues, parents/other family members had an identified disability, and/or where families lived in regional or rural locations were also purposively sampled. Participants highlighted issues around (i) the nature of early intervention services provided; (ii) the ways in which services were structured; and (ii) managing their child's needs/planning into the future. Parents stressed the importance of having access to a variety of early intervention services aside from therapy. They also emphasised the need for greater clarity about what to expect from services, the intensity of therapy, other services they could access and how long they would be able to receive these. Despite their complex circumstances and needs, participants' experiences of accessing early intervention services were largely consistent with the broader research literature. Of the parents interviewed, those with health problems and single mothers expressed most apprehension about managing their child's needs and planning for the future. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.

The WLCG Messaging Service and its Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cons, Lionel; Paladin, Massimo

2012-12-01

Enterprise messaging is seen as an attractive mechanism to simplify and extend several portions of the Grid middleware, from low level monitoring to experiments dashboards. The production messaging service currently used by WLCG includes four tightly coupled brokers operated by EGI (running Apache ActiveMQ and designed to host the Grid operational tools such as SAM) as well as two dedicated services for ATLAS-DDM and experiments dashboards (currently also running Apache ActiveMQ). In the future, this service is expected to grow in numbers of applications supported, brokers and technologies. The WLCG Messaging Roadmap identified three areas with room for improvement (security, scalability and availability/reliability) as well as ten practical recommendations to address them. This paper describes a messaging service architecture that is in line with these recommendations as well as a software architecture based on reusable components that ease interactions with the messaging service. These two architectures will support the growth of the WLCG messaging service.

Current challenges and future achievements of blood transfusion service in Afghanistan.

PubMed

Cheraghali, A M; Sanei Moghaddam, E; Masoud, A; Faisal, H

2012-10-01

Afghanistan is a country with population of over 28 million. The long term conflicts have devastated country's qualified resources including human resources. ANBSTS was established by MoPH as the country national blood service. Currently in addition to central and regional blood centers of ANBSTS many other hospitals have their own transfusion services. Blood donation in Afghanistan mainly depends on replacement donors. Donor selection and donor interview are not very efficient. Most of the blood in Afghanistan is administered as fresh whole blood. Although blood transfusion services in Afghanistan require more efforts to be fully efficient, based on recent improvements in working procedures of ANBSTS a promising future for blood transfusion services in Afghanistan is predicted. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 60388 - Revision of Cotton Futures Classification Procedures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-29

...-005] RIN 0581-AD16 Revision of Cotton Futures Classification Procedures AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing... update the procedures for cotton futures quality classification services by using Smith-Doxey classification data in the cotton futures classification process. In addition, references to a separate and...

Academic/State/Federal collaborations and the improvement of practices in disaster mental health services and evaluation.

PubMed

Watson, Patricia J; Ruzek, Josef I

2009-05-01

Academic, state, and federal agencies collaborated over the last 9 years to improve disaster mental health services and evaluation. This process, which included literature reviews, a number of expert panels, and case studies, is described. The products resulting from this process have included the development of a systematic cross-site evaluation of the federally funded crisis counseling program and field guides for interventions aimed at providing services to distressed individuals in the immediate aftermath of disasters and to individuals needing resilience skills training weeks or months after the event. Future improvement of disaster mental health services calls for continued research, evaluation, training, and intervention development.

Study of American and Chinese family members' evaluations on institutionalized care for their older parents: potential development in the future.

PubMed

Li, Yushi; Buechel, Annie

2007-01-01

The evaluations on institutionalized care facilities from family members, after their loved ones moved into such services, are very different from culture to culture, family to family and person to person. According to a recent survey in the United States and China, it is found that different cultures and the different health conditions of the residents strongly influence family member's viewpoints on institutionalized care services. It is also found that the availability of the institutionalized care facilities plays a significant role, which strongly affects family members' evaluations on nursing home services.

Fiber Optics: A Bright Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, James, Jr.

1980-01-01

Presents an overview of the impact of fiber optics on telecommunications and its application to information processing and library services, including information retrieval, news services, remote transmission of library services, and library networking. (RAA)

Future C loss in mid-latitude mineral soils: climate change exceeds land use mitigation potential in France

PubMed Central

Meersmans, Jeroen; Arrouays, Dominique; Van Rompaey, Anton J. J.; Pagé, Christian; De Baets, Sarah; Quine, Timothy A.

2016-01-01

Many studies have highlighted significant interactions between soil C reservoir dynamics and global climate and environmental change. However, in order to estimate the future soil organic carbon sequestration potential and related ecosystem services well, more spatially detailed predictions are needed. The present study made detailed predictions of future spatial evolution (at 250 m resolution) of topsoil SOC driven by climate change and land use change for France up to the year 2100 by taking interactions between climate, land use and soil type into account. We conclude that climate change will have a much bigger influence on future SOC losses in mid-latitude mineral soils than land use change dynamics. Hence, reducing CO2 emissions will be crucial to prevent further loss of carbon from our soils. PMID:27808169

Future C loss in mid-latitude mineral soils: climate change exceeds land use mitigation potential in France.

PubMed

Meersmans, Jeroen; Arrouays, Dominique; Van Rompaey, Anton J J; Pagé, Christian; De Baets, Sarah; Quine, Timothy A

2016-11-03

Many studies have highlighted significant interactions between soil C reservoir dynamics and global climate and environmental change. However, in order to estimate the future soil organic carbon sequestration potential and related ecosystem services well, more spatially detailed predictions are needed. The present study made detailed predictions of future spatial evolution (at 250 m resolution) of topsoil SOC driven by climate change and land use change for France up to the year 2100 by taking interactions between climate, land use and soil type into account. We conclude that climate change will have a much bigger influence on future SOC losses in mid-latitude mineral soils than land use change dynamics. Hence, reducing CO 2 emissions will be crucial to prevent further loss of carbon from our soils.

Postdeployment behavioral health screening: face-to-face versus virtual behavioral health interviews.

PubMed

Sipos, Maurice L; Foran, Heather M; Crane, Maria L; Wood, Michael D; Wright, Kathleen M

2012-05-01

Virtual behavioral health (VBH) services are used frequently to address the high demand for behavioral health (BH) services in the military. Few studies have investigated the relationship between the use of VBH services and BH outcomes or preferences for the use of VBH technologies. In this article, we evaluated BH interviews conducted via video teleconferencing (VTC) or face-to-face in terms of BH symptoms, satisfaction rates, stigma, barriers to care, and preferences for future use of BH care. Soldiers (n = 307) from the headquarters element of an operational unit were surveyed 4 months following a 12-month deployment to Iraq. There were no significant differences in satisfaction rates based on interview modality, but significantly more soldiers preferred face-to-face interviews over VTC interviews in the future. Soldiers who preferred face-to-face interviews also reported higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms than those who preferred VTC interviews. No significant age differences were found in terms of interview modality satisfaction or preference. Soldiers with greater deployment experience were more likely to report that they would not like using VTC if seeking BH care in the future than soldiers with less deployment experience. These findings highlight the importance of promoting choice in type of BH interview modality.

Linking families with pre-school children from healthcare services to community resources: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Burns, Jacky; Conway, David I; Gnich, Wendy; Macpherson, Lorna M D

2017-03-08

Poor health and health inequalities persist despite increasing investment in health improvement programmes across high-income countries. Evidence suggests that to reduce health inequalities, a range of activities targeted at different levels within society and throughout the life course should be employed. There is a particular focus on addressing inequalities in early years as this may influence the experience of health in adulthood. To address the wider determinants of health at a community level, a key intervention which can be considered is supporting patients to access wider community resources. This can include processes such as signposting, referral and facilitation. There is a lack of evidence synthesis in relation to the most effective methods for linking individuals from health services to other services within communities, especially when considering interventions aimed at families with young children. The aim of this study is to understand the way health services can best help parents, carers and families with pre-school children to engage with local services, groups and agencies to address their wider health and social needs. The review may inform future guidance to support families to address wider determinants of health. The study is a systematic review, and papers will be identified from the following electronic databases: Web of Science, Embase, MEDLINE and CINAHL. A grey literature search will be conducted using an internet search engine and specific grey literature databases (TRiP, EThOS and Open Grey). Reference lists/bibliographies of selected papers will be searched. Quality will be assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for quantitative studies and the CASP tool for qualitative studies. Data will be synthesised in a narrative form and weighted by study quality. It is important to understand how health services can facilitate access to wider services for their patients to address the wider determinants of health. This may impact on the experience of health inequalities. This review focuses on how this can be achieved for families with pre-school children, and the evidence obtained will be useful for informing future guidance on this topic. PROSPERO CRD42016034066.

Economic preferences and fast food consumption in US adults: Insights from behavioral economics.

PubMed

Shuval, Kerem; Stoklosa, Michal; Pachucki, Mark C; Yaroch, Amy L; Drope, Jeffrey; Harding, Matthew

2016-12-01

To examine the relationship between economic time preferences and frequency of fast food and full-service restaurant consumption among U.S. adults. Participants included 5871U.S. adults who responded to a survey conducted in 2011 pertaining to the lifestyle behaviors of families and the social context of these behaviors. The primary independent variable was a measure of time preferences, an intertemporal choice assessing delay discounting. This was elicited via responses to preferences for an immediate dollar amount or a larger sum in 30 (30-day time horizon) or 60days (60-day time horizon). Outcomes were the frequency of fast food and full-service restaurant consumption. Ordered logistic regression was performed to examine the relationship between time preferences and food consumption while adjusting for covariates (e.g. socio-demographics). Multivariable analysis revealed that higher future time preferences were significantly related to less frequent fast food intake for both the 30- and 60-day time horizon variables (P for linear trend <0.05; both). Notably, participants with the highest future time preference were significantly less likely to consume fast food than those with very low future time preferences (30-day: OR=0.74, 95%CI: 0.62-0.89; and 60-day: OR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.74-1.00). In comparison, higher future time preferences were not significantly associated with full-service restaurant intake (30-day: p for linear trend=0.73; 60-day: p for linear trend=0.83). Higher future time preferences were related to a lower frequency of fast food consumption. Utilizing concepts from behavioral economics (e.g. pre-commitment contracts) to facilitate more healthful eating is warranted using experimental studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Smallholder Farmers' Climate Change Perceptions: A Study from Farmers in Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habtemariam, Lemlem Teklegiorgis; Gandorfer, Markus; Kassa, Getachew Abate; Heissenhuber, Alois

2016-08-01

Factors influencing climate change perceptions have vital roles in designing strategies to enrich climate change understanding. Despite this, factors that influence smallholder farmers' climate change perceptions have not yet been adequately studied. As many of the smallholder farmers live in regions where climate change is predicted to have the most negative impact, their climate change perception is of particular interest. In this study, based on data collected from Ethiopian smallholder farmers, we assessed farmers' perceptions and anticipations of past and future climate change. Furthermore, the factors influencing farmers' climate change perceptions and the relation between farmers' perceptions and available public climate information were assessed. Our findings revealed that a majority of respondents perceive warming temperatures and decreasing rainfall trends that correspond with the local meteorological record. Farmers' perceptions about the past climate did not always reflect their anticipations about the future. A substantial number of farmers' anticipations of future climate were less consistent with climate model projections. The recursive bivariate probit models employed to explore factors affecting different categories of climate change perceptions illustrate statistical significance for explanatory variables including location, gender, age, education, soil fertility status, climate change information, and access to credit services. The findings contribute to the literature by providing evidence not just on farmers' past climate perceptions but also on future climate anticipations. The identified factors help policy makers to provide targeted extension and advisory services to enrich climate change understanding and support appropriate farm-level climate change adaptations.

Factors Influencing Smallholder Farmers' Climate Change Perceptions: A Study from Farmers in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Habtemariam, Lemlem Teklegiorgis; Gandorfer, Markus; Kassa, Getachew Abate; Heissenhuber, Alois

2016-08-01

Factors influencing climate change perceptions have vital roles in designing strategies to enrich climate change understanding. Despite this, factors that influence smallholder farmers' climate change perceptions have not yet been adequately studied. As many of the smallholder farmers live in regions where climate change is predicted to have the most negative impact, their climate change perception is of particular interest. In this study, based on data collected from Ethiopian smallholder farmers, we assessed farmers' perceptions and anticipations of past and future climate change. Furthermore, the factors influencing farmers' climate change perceptions and the relation between farmers' perceptions and available public climate information were assessed. Our findings revealed that a majority of respondents perceive warming temperatures and decreasing rainfall trends that correspond with the local meteorological record. Farmers' perceptions about the past climate did not always reflect their anticipations about the future. A substantial number of farmers' anticipations of future climate were less consistent with climate model projections. The recursive bivariate probit models employed to explore factors affecting different categories of climate change perceptions illustrate statistical significance for explanatory variables including location, gender, age, education, soil fertility status, climate change information, and access to credit services. The findings contribute to the literature by providing evidence not just on farmers' past climate perceptions but also on future climate anticipations. The identified factors help policy makers to provide targeted extension and advisory services to enrich climate change understanding and support appropriate farm-level climate change adaptations.

Attitudes Toward e-Mental Health Services in a Community Sample of Adults: Online Survey.

PubMed

March, Sonja; Day, Jamin; Ritchie, Gabrielle; Rowe, Arlen; Gough, Jeffrey; Hall, Tanya; Yuen, Chin Yan Jackie; Donovan, Caroline Leanne; Ireland, Michael

2018-02-19

Despite evidence that e-mental health services are effective, consumer preferences still appear to be in favor of face-to-face services. However, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) suggests that cognitive intentions are more proximal to behavior and thus may have a more direct influence on service use. Investigating individual characteristics that influence both preferences and intentions to use e-mental health services is important for better understanding factors that might impede or facilitate the use of these services. This study explores predictors of preferences and intentions to access e-mental health services relative to face-to-face services. Five domains were investigated (demographics, technology factors, personality, psychopathology, and beliefs), identified from previous studies and informed by the Internet interventions model. We expected that more participants would report intentions to use e-mental health services relative to reported preferences for this type of support and that these 5 domains would be significantly associated with both intentions and preferences toward online services. A mixed sample of 308 community members and university students was recruited through social media and the host institution in Australia. Ages ranged between 17 and 68 years, and 82.5% (254/308) were female. Respondents completed an online survey. Chi-square analysis and t tests were used to explore group differences, and logistic regression models were employed to explore factors predicting preferences and intentions. Most respondents (85.7%, 264/308) preferred face-to-face services over e-mental health services. Relative to preferences, a larger proportion of respondents (39.6%, 122/308) endorsed intentions to use e-mental health services if experiencing mental health difficulties in the future. In terms of the 5 predictor domains, 95% CIs of odds ratios (OR) derived from bootstrapped standard errors suggested that prior experience with online services significantly predicted intentions to use self-help (95% CI 2.08-16.24) and therapist-assisted (95% CI 1.71-11.90) online services in future. Being older predicted increased intentions to use therapist-assisted online services in future (95% CI 1.01-1.06), as did more confidence using computers and the Internet (95% CI 1.06-2.69). Technology confidence was also found to predict greater preference for online services versus face-to-face options (95% CI 1.24-4.82), whereas higher doctor-related locus of control, or LOC (95% CI 0.76-0.95), and extraversion (95% CI 0.88-1.00) were predictive of lower likelihood of preferring online services relative to face-to-face services. Despite generally low reported preferences toward e-mental health services, intentions to access these services are higher, raising the question of how to best encourage translation of intentions into behavior (ie, actual use of programs). Strategies designed to ease people into new Internet-based mental health programs (to enhance confidence and familiarity) may be important for increasing the likelihood that they will return to such programs later. ©Sonja March, Jamin Day, Gabrielle Ritchie, Arlen Rowe, Jeffrey Gough, Tanya Hall, Chin Yan Jackie Yuen, Caroline Leanne Donovan, Michael Ireland. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 19.02.2018.

Enhancing student perspectives of humanism in medicine: reflections from the Kalaupapa service learning project.

PubMed

Lee, Winona K; Harris, Chessa C D; Mortensen, Kawika A; Long, Linsey M; Sugimoto-Matsuda, Jeanelle

2016-05-09

Service learning is endorsed by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) as an integral part of U.S. medical school curricula for future physicians. Service learning has been shown to help physicians in training rediscover the altruistic reasons for pursuing medicine and has the potential to enhance students' perspectives of humanism in medicine. The Kalaupapa service learning project is a unique collaboration between disadvantaged post-baccalaureate students with an underserved rural community. This study was conducted to determine whether the Kalaupapa service learning curricula enhanced student perspectives of humanism in medicine at an early stage of their medical training. Program participants between 2008 and 2014 (n = 41) completed written reflections following the conclusion of the service learning project. Four prompts guided student responses. Reflections were thematically analyzed. Once all essays were read, team members compared their findings to condense or expand themes and assess levels of agreement. Emerging themes of resilience and unity were prominent throughout the student reflections. Students expressed respect and empathy for the patients' struggles and strengths, as well as those of their peers. The experience also reinforced students' commitment to service, particularly to populations in rural and underserved communities. Students also gained a deeper understanding of the patient experience and also of themselves as future physicians. To identify and address underserved and rural patients' health care needs, training programs must prepare an altruistic health care workforce that embraces the humanistic element of medicine. The Kalaupapa service learning project is a potential curricular model that can be used to enhance students' awareness and perspectives of humanism in medicine.

Accuracy of indexing coverage information as reported by serials sources.

PubMed Central

Eldredge, J D

1993-01-01

This article reports on the accuracy of indexing service coverage information listed in three serials sources: Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory, SERLINE, and The Serials Directory. The titles studied were randomly selected journals that began publication in either 1981 or 1986. Aggregate results reveal that these serials sources perform at 92%, 97%, and 95% levels of accuracy respectively. When the results are analyzed by specific indexing services by year, the performance scores ranged from 80% to 100%. All three serials sources tend to underreport index coverage. The author advances five recommendations for improving index coverage accuracy and four specific proposals for future research. The results suggest that, for the immediate future, librarians should treat index coverage information reported in these three serials sources with some skepticism. PMID:8251971

A comparison of the domestic satellite communications forecast to the year 2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poley, W. A.; Lekan, J. F.; Salzman, J. A.; Stevenson, S. M.

1983-01-01

The methodologies and results of three NASA-sponsored market demand assessment studies are presented and compared. Forecasts of future satellite addressable traffic (both trunking and customer premises services) were developed for the three main service categories of voice, data and video and subcategories thereof for the benchmark years of 1980, 1990 and 2000. The contractor results are presented on a service by service basis in two formats: equivalent 36 MHz transponders and basic transmission units (voice: half-voice circuits, data: megabits per second and video: video channels). It is shown that while considerable differences exist at the service category level, the overall forecasts by the two contractors are quite similar. ITT estimates the total potential satellite market to be 3594 transponders in the year 2000 with data service comprising 54 percent of this total. The WU outlook for the same time period is 2779 transponders with voice services accounting for 66 percent of the total.

On the Origin of Intermediary E-Government Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arendsen, Rex; Ter Hedde, Marc J.

The majority of SME’s tends to outsource administrative tasks, including their direct relationships with the (electronic) government. Commercial intermediary service providers therefore have to be part of governmental multi channel e-service delivery strategies. This research paper explores the origin, added value and future position of these intermediary organisations with respect to the delivery of e-government services to businesses. Results indicate that (re-)intermediation is more likely to occur within this context than disintermediation is. SME’s do not want to be captured within a non-profitable electronic hierarchical relationship with a governmental organisation. The empirical study on the impact of the legal obligation of the use of e-tax services illustrates that SME’s instead prefer the ‘save haven’ of a commercial relationship with an intermediary service provider. Thus creating and fuelling a new market of intermediary e-government services.

Employee assistance program services for intimate partner violence and client satisfaction with these services.

PubMed

Pollack, Keshia M; McKay, Tasseli; Cumminskey, Chris; Clinton-Sherrod, A Monique; Lindquist, Christine H; Lasater, Beth M; Walters, Jennifer L Hardison; Krotki, Karol; Grisso, Jeane Ann

2010-08-01

To describe intimate partner violence (IPV) services available through employee assistance programs (EAPs) and determine women's satisfaction with these services. A mixed-methods study consisting of semistructured telephone interviews with 28 EAPs about IPV-related services and a national web-based survey of 1765 women regarding their interactions with EAPs when seeking IPV-related assistance. Data were collected in the fall of 2008. EAPs provide fairly extensive services to individuals experiencing IPV. Satisfaction with EAP services for IPV was significantly associated with annual income and the type of help received from the EAP, but not with type of IPV experienced. EAP representatives described challenges with accurately identifying IPV victims and women expressed concerns with confidentiality. Future efforts to enhance the ability of EAPs to respond effectively to IPV should address confidentially and strengthen how IPV-related assistance is delivered.

Demand in Pediatric Dentistry for Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentist Anesthesiologists: A Survey of Directors of Dentist Anesthesiologist and Pediatric Dentistry Residencies

PubMed Central

Hicks, C. Gray; Jones, James E.; Saxen, Mark A.; Maupome, Gerardo; Sanders, Brian J.; Walker, LaQuia A.; Weddell, James A.; Tomlin, Angela

2012-01-01

This study describes what training programs in pediatric dentistry and dental anesthesiology are doing to meet future needs for deep sedation/general anesthesia services required for pediatric dentistry. Residency directors from 10 dental anesthesiology training programs in North America and 79 directors from pediatric dentistry training programs in North America were asked to answer an 18-item and 22-item online survey, respectively, through an online survey tool. The response rate for the 10 anesthesiology training program directors was 9 of 10 or 90%. The response rate for the 79 pediatric dentistry training program directors was 46 of 79 or 58%. Thirty-seven percent of pediatric dentistry programs use clinic-based deep sedation/general anesthesia for dental treatment in addition to hospital-based deep sedation/general anesthesia. Eighty-eight percent of those programs use dentist anesthesiologists for administration of deep sedation/general anesthesia in a clinic-based setting. Pediatric dentistry residency directors perceive a future change in the need for deep sedation/general anesthesia services provided by dentist anesthesiologists to pediatric dentists: 64% anticipate an increase in need for dentist anesthesiologist services, while 36% anticipate no change. Dental anesthesiology directors compared to 2, 5, and 10 years ago have seen an increase in the requests for dentist anesthesiologist services by pediatric dentists reported by 56% of respondents (past 2 years), 63% of respondents (past 5 years), and 88% of respondents (past 10 years), respectively. Predicting the future need of dentist anesthesiologists is an uncertain task, but these results show pediatric dentistry directors and dental anesthesiology directors are considering the need, and they recognize a trend of increased need for dentist anesthesiologist services over the past decade. PMID:22428968

Demand in pediatric dentistry for sedation and general anesthesia by dentist anesthesiologists: a survey of directors of dentist anesthesiologist and pediatric dentistry residencies.

PubMed

Hicks, C Gray; Jones, James E; Saxen, Mark A; Maupome, Gerardo; Sanders, Brian J; Walker, Laquia A; Weddell, James A; Tomlin, Angela

2012-01-01

This study describes what training programs in pediatric dentistry and dental anesthesiology are doing to meet future needs for deep sedation/general anesthesia services required for pediatric dentistry. Residency directors from 10 dental anesthesiology training programs in North America and 79 directors from pediatric dentistry training programs in North America were asked to answer an 18-item and 22-item online survey, respectively, through an online survey tool. The response rate for the 10 anesthesiology training program directors was 9 of 10 or 90%. The response rate for the 79 pediatric dentistry training program directors was 46 of 79 or 58%. Thirty-seven percent of pediatric dentistry programs use clinic-based deep sedation/general anesthesia for dental treatment in addition to hospital-based deep sedation/general anesthesia. Eighty-eight percent of those programs use dentist anesthesiologists for administration of deep sedation/general anesthesia in a clinic-based setting. Pediatric dentistry residency directors perceive a future change in the need for deep sedation/general anesthesia services provided by dentist anesthesiologists to pediatric dentists: 64% anticipate an increase in need for dentist anesthesiologist services, while 36% anticipate no change. Dental anesthesiology directors compared to 2, 5, and 10 years ago have seen an increase in the requests for dentist anesthesiologist services by pediatric dentists reported by 56% of respondents (past 2 years), 63% of respondents (past 5 years), and 88% of respondents (past 10 years), respectively. Predicting the future need of dentist anesthesiologists is an uncertain task, but these results show pediatric dentistry directors and dental anesthesiology directors are considering the need, and they recognize a trend of increased need for dentist anesthesiologist services over the past decade.

Research on Automatic Ticketing Interface Design of Tianjin South Station under the Background of Aging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhenghui, Zhao

2018-04-01

Based on the context of increasingly serious aging problem in China, the psychological characteristics of elders in using public self-service facilities and the development status and the future trend of public self-service ticketing service. The approach is analysing physiological and psychological characteristics, education level of the elderly and studying its characteristics of consumer psychology and regional cultural characteristics profoundly before conducting comprehensive analysis and research in combination with the interface features of public self-service ticketing machine. The interface design will be more personalized, intelligent, regional and international. Strategies of caring for the elderly in the regional public self-service facility interface design innovation develops the concept of taking care of the elderly in the entire region as an indispensable people-benefiting optimization system in the modern social services.

Outsourcing in public hospitals: a Greek perspective.

PubMed

Moschuris, Socrates J; Kondylis, Michael N

2006-01-01

The purpose of this research is to investigate the extent of outsourcing, the decision-making process, the impact of outsourcing, and the future trend of outsourcing in public hospitals in Greece. A survey instrument was designed and mailed to a random sample of 100 public hospitals in Greece and 43 usable questionnaires were received, representing a response rate of 43 percent. The survey instrument focused on the extent to which public hospitals outsource services, the decision-making process for choosing an external service provider, the impact of outsourcing, and the future trend of outsourcing in public healthcare organisations. Public hospitals in Greece outsource a variety of activities. Cost savings and customer satisfaction are the main factors affecting the outsourcing decision. The cooperation with a contract service provider has led to significant improvement in service quality levels. Most users are satisfied with the performance of these companies and believe that there will be an increase in the usage of these services in the future. It provides a decision-making framework regarding outsourcing in public healthcare organisations. This research fills the gap in the area of outsourcing in public hospitals in Greece.

Prior Military Service, Identity Stigma, and Mental Health Among Transgender Older Adults

PubMed Central

Hoy-Ellis, Charles P.; Shiu, Chengshi; Sullivan, Kathleen M.; Kim, Hyun-Jun; Sturges, Allison M.; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I.

2017-01-01

Purpose of the Study: Converging evidence from large community-based samples, Internet studies, and Veterans Health Administration data suggest that transgender adults have high rates of U.S. military service. However, little is known about the role of prior military service in their mental health later in life, particularly in relation to identity stigma. In this article, we examine relationships between prior military service, identity stigma, and mental health among transgender older adults. Design and Methods: We used a subsample of transgender older adults (n = 183) from the 2014 survey of Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study (NHAS). We employed weighted multivariate linear models to evaluate the relationships between psychological health-related quality of life (HRQOL), depressive symptomatology (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] scores), identity stigma, and prior military service, controlling for background characteristics. Results: Identity stigma was significantly related with higher depressive symptomatology and lower psychological HRQOL. Having a history of prior military service significantly predicted lower depressive symptomatology and higher psychological HRQOL. The relationships between psychological HRQOL, identity stigma, and prior military service were largely explained by depressive symptomatology. Prior military service significantly attenuated the relationship between identity stigma and depressive symptomatology. Implications: By identifying the role of military service in the mental health of transgender older adults, this study provides insights into how prior military service may contribute to resilience and positive mental health outcomes. Directions for future research are discussed. PMID:28087796

Association between personality traits and future choice of specialisation among Swedish doctors: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Bexelius, Tomas S; Olsson, Caroline; Järnbert-Pettersson, Hans; Parmskog, Malin; Ponzer, Sari; Dahlin, Marie

2016-08-01

Medical students' choice of their future specialty is influenced by several factors, including working conditions and type of patient relations. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the choice of specialty and personality traits. This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of 399 alumni from Karolinska Institutet Medical School who were assumed to undergo specialty training at the time of the survey in 2013. The Big Five Inventory was used to assess the personality traits extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience. Medical specialties were categorised as primary care, psychiatry, internal medicine and surgical and hospital service specialties. Adjustments were made for demographic factors and the method of selection for medical school admission. The response rate was 72% (n=289, of which 262 were in training to become specialists). Among these, surgeons scored lower in agreeableness than physicians in primary care, internal medicine and hospital services. Psychiatrists and hospital service physicians showed lower conscientiousness compared with surgeons. We found distinctive differences in personality traits between medical specialties even after adjusting for other potential explanatory variables. Since there are differences between specialties, for example, surgeons and psychiatrists, this supports previous findings that personality may affect medical students' specialty choice also in a Swedish setting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

A New Approach to Predict user Mobility Using Semantic Analysis and Machine Learning.

PubMed

Fernandes, Roshan; D'Souza G L, Rio

2017-10-19

Mobility prediction is a technique in which the future location of a user is identified in a given network. Mobility prediction provides solutions to many day-to-day life problems. It helps in seamless handovers in wireless networks to provide better location based services and to recalculate paths in Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET). In the present study, a framework is presented which predicts user mobility in presence and absence of mobility history. Naïve Bayesian classification algorithm and Markov Model are used to predict user future location when user mobility history is available. An attempt is made to predict user future location by using Short Message Service (SMS) and instantaneous Geological coordinates in the absence of mobility patterns. The proposed technique compares the performance metrics with commonly used Markov Chain model. From the experimental results it is evident that the techniques used in this work gives better results when considering both spatial and temporal information. The proposed method predicts user's future location in the absence of mobility history quite fairly. The proposed work is applied to predict the mobility of medical rescue vehicles and social security systems.

Care Models of eHealth Services: A Case Study on the Design of a Business Model for an Online Precare Service.

PubMed

van Meeuwen, Dorine Pd; van Walt Meijer, Quirine J; Simonse, Lianne Wl

2015-03-24

With a growing population of health care clients in the future, the organization of high-quality and cost-effective service providing becomes an increasing challenge. New online eHealth services are proposed as innovative options for the future. Yet, a major barrier to these services appears to be the lack of new business model designs. Although design efforts generally result in visual models, no such artifacts have been found in the literature on business model design. This paper investigates business model design in eHealth service practices from a design perspective. It adopts a research by design approach and seeks to unravel what characteristics of business models determine an online service and what are important value exchanges between health professionals and clients. The objective of the study was to analyze the construction of care models in-depth, framing the essential elements of a business model, and design a new care model that structures these elements for the particular context of an online pre-care service in practice. This research employs a qualitative method of an in-depth case study in which different perspectives on constructing a care model are investigated. Data are collected by using the visual business modeling toolkit, designed to cocreate and visualize the business model. The cocreated models are transcribed and analyzed per actor perspective, transactions, and value attributes. We revealed eight new actors in the business model for providing the service. Essential actors are: the intermediary network coordinator connecting companies, the service dedicated information technology specialists, and the service dedicated health specialist. In the transactions for every service providing we found a certain type of contract, such as a license contract and service contracts for precare services and software products. In addition to the efficiency, quality, and convenience, important value attributes appeared to be: timelines, privacy and credibility, availability, pleasantness, and social interaction. Based on the in-depth insights from the actor perspectives, the business model for online precare services is modeled with a visual design. A new care model of the online precare service is designed and compiled of building blocks for the business model. For the construction of a care model, actors, transactions, and value attributes are essential elements. The design of a care model structures these elements in a visual way. Guided by the business modeling toolkit, the care model design artifact is visualized in the context of an online precare service. Important building blocks include: provision of an online flow of information with regular interactions to the client stimulates self-management of personal health and service-dedicated health expert ensure an increase of the perceived quality of the eHealth service.

Care Models of eHealth Services: A Case Study on the Design of a Business Model for an Online Precare Service

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background With a growing population of health care clients in the future, the organization of high-quality and cost-effective service providing becomes an increasing challenge. New online eHealth services are proposed as innovative options for the future. Yet, a major barrier to these services appears to be the lack of new business model designs. Although design efforts generally result in visual models, no such artifacts have been found in the literature on business model design. This paper investigates business model design in eHealth service practices from a design perspective. It adopts a research by design approach and seeks to unravel what characteristics of business models determine an online service and what are important value exchanges between health professionals and clients. Objective The objective of the study was to analyze the construction of care models in-depth, framing the essential elements of a business model, and design a new care model that structures these elements for the particular context of an online pre-care service in practice. Methods This research employs a qualitative method of an in-depth case study in which different perspectives on constructing a care model are investigated. Data are collected by using the visual business modeling toolkit, designed to cocreate and visualize the business model. The cocreated models are transcribed and analyzed per actor perspective, transactions, and value attributes. Results We revealed eight new actors in the business model for providing the service. Essential actors are: the intermediary network coordinator connecting companies, the service dedicated information technology specialists, and the service dedicated health specialist. In the transactions for every service providing we found a certain type of contract, such as a license contract and service contracts for precare services and software products. In addition to the efficiency, quality, and convenience, important value attributes appeared to be: timelines, privacy and credibility, availability, pleasantness, and social interaction. Based on the in-depth insights from the actor perspectives, the business model for online precare services is modeled with a visual design. A new care model of the online precare service is designed and compiled of building blocks for the business model. Conclusions For the construction of a care model, actors, transactions, and value attributes are essential elements. The design of a care model structures these elements in a visual way. Guided by the business modeling toolkit, the care model design artifact is visualized in the context of an online precare service. Important building blocks include: provision of an online flow of information with regular interactions to the client stimulates self-management of personal health and service-dedicated health expert ensure an increase of the perceived quality of the eHealth service. PMID:25831094

Suicide prevention in primary care: General practitioners' views on service availability

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Primary care may be a key setting for suicide prevention. However, comparatively little is known about the services available in primary care for suicide prevention. The aims of the current study were to describe services available in general practices for the management of suicidal patients and to examine GPs views on these services. We carried out a questionnaire and interview study in the North West of England. We collected data on GPs views of suicide prevention generally as well as local mental health service provision. Findings During the study period (2003-2005) we used the National Confidential Inquiry Suicide database to identify 286 general practitioners (GPs) who had registered patients who had died by suicide. Data were collected from GPs and practice managers in 167 practices. Responses suggested that there was greater availability of services and training for general mental health issues than for suicide prevention specifically. The three key themes which emerged from GP interviews were: barriers accessing primary or secondary mental health services; obstacles faced when referring a patient to mental health services; managing change within mental health care services Conclusions Health professionals have an important role to play in preventing suicide. However, GPs expressed concerns about the quality of primary care mental health service provision and difficulties with access to secondary mental health services. Addressing these issues could facilitate future suicide prevention in primary care. PMID:20920302

Simulating and mapping the spatial and seasonal effects of future climate and land -use changes on ecosystem services in the Yanhe watershed, China.

PubMed

Chen, Dengshuai; Li, Jing; Zhou, Zixiang; Liu, Yan; Li, Ting; Liu, Jingya

2018-01-01

Effective information about ecosystem services is essential to help optimize and prioritize activities that support conservation planning in the face of land use and climate changes. This study shows an approach that integrates several dissimilar models for assessing water-related ecosystem services to predict values in 2050 under three land use scenarios in the Yanhe watershed. The simulated output variables pertaining to water yield and sediment yield were used as indicators for two ecosystem-regulating services, i.e., water flow regulation and erosion regulation, which were quantified using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model. The model results were translated into a relative ecosystem service valuation scale, which facilitated the analysis of spatial and seasonal changes and served as the basis for the applied mapping approach. The simulated results indicate that higher water-related regulation services were concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of rivers with high water yield and low sediment erosion. The highest water flow regulation services occurred in summer; nevertheless, this was when erosion regulation services were the lowest compared to other periods in 2050. A comparison of the three land use scenarios showed differences in the water-related regulation services. Scenario 1, with high forest coverage, had the highest erosion regulation services, but the water flow regulation services were the lowest. Scenario 3 showed the reverse pattern. Scenario 2 had intermediate water flow regulation and erosion regulation. Increasing vegetation cover in the watershed is conducive to controlling water and soil erosion but could lead to a decline in available water resources. Spatial mapping is a powerful tool for displaying the spatiotemporal differences in the water-related regulation services delivered by ecosystems and can help decision makers optimize land use in the future, with the goal of maximizing the benefits offered by ecological services in the Yanhe watershed.

Opportunities, challenges and systems requirements for developing post-abortion family planning services: Perceptions of service stakeholders in China

PubMed Central

Richards, Esther; Zhang, Weihong; Hu, Lina; Wu, Shangchun; Tolhurst, Rachel

2017-01-01

Post-abortion family planning (PAFP) has been proposed as a key strategy to decrease unintended pregnancy and repeat induced abortions. However, the accessibility and quality of PAFP services remain a challenge in many countries including China where more than 10 million unintended pregnancies occur each year. Most of these unwanted pregnancies end in repeated induced abortions. This paper aims to explore service providers’ perceptions of the current situation regarding family planning and abortion service needs, provision, utilization, and the feasibility and acceptability of high quality PAFP in the future. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were used with family planning policy makers, health managers, and service providers. Three provinces—Zhejiang, Hubei and Yunnan—were purposively selected, representing high, medium and relatively undeveloped areas of China. A total of fifty-three in-depth interviews and ten focus-group discussions were conducted and analysed thematically. Increased numbers of abortions among young, unmarried women were perceived as a major reason for high numbers of abortions. Participants attributed this to increasing socio-cultural acceptability of premarital sex, and simultaneously, lack of understanding or awareness of contraception among young people. The majority of service stakeholders acknowledged that free family planning services were neither targeted at, nor accessible to unmarried people. The extent of PAFP provision is variable and limited. However, service providers expressed willingness and enthusiasm towards providing PAFP services in the future. Three main considerations were expressed regarding the feasibility of developing and implementing PAFP services: policy support, human resources, and financial resources. The study indicated that key service stakeholders show demand for and perceive considerable opportunities to develop PAFP in China. However, changes are needed to enable the systematic development of high quality PAFP, including actively targeting young and unmarried people in service provision, obtaining policy support and increasing the investment of human and financial resources. PMID:29045434

Opportunities, challenges and systems requirements for developing post-abortion family planning services: Perceptions of service stakeholders in China.

PubMed

Jiang, Hong; Xu, Jieshuang; Richards, Esther; Qian, Xu; Zhang, Weihong; Hu, Lina; Wu, Shangchun; Tolhurst, Rachel

2017-01-01

Post-abortion family planning (PAFP) has been proposed as a key strategy to decrease unintended pregnancy and repeat induced abortions. However, the accessibility and quality of PAFP services remain a challenge in many countries including China where more than 10 million unintended pregnancies occur each year. Most of these unwanted pregnancies end in repeated induced abortions. This paper aims to explore service providers' perceptions of the current situation regarding family planning and abortion service needs, provision, utilization, and the feasibility and acceptability of high quality PAFP in the future. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were used with family planning policy makers, health managers, and service providers. Three provinces-Zhejiang, Hubei and Yunnan-were purposively selected, representing high, medium and relatively undeveloped areas of China. A total of fifty-three in-depth interviews and ten focus-group discussions were conducted and analysed thematically. Increased numbers of abortions among young, unmarried women were perceived as a major reason for high numbers of abortions. Participants attributed this to increasing socio-cultural acceptability of premarital sex, and simultaneously, lack of understanding or awareness of contraception among young people. The majority of service stakeholders acknowledged that free family planning services were neither targeted at, nor accessible to unmarried people. The extent of PAFP provision is variable and limited. However, service providers expressed willingness and enthusiasm towards providing PAFP services in the future. Three main considerations were expressed regarding the feasibility of developing and implementing PAFP services: policy support, human resources, and financial resources. The study indicated that key service stakeholders show demand for and perceive considerable opportunities to develop PAFP in China. However, changes are needed to enable the systematic development of high quality PAFP, including actively targeting young and unmarried people in service provision, obtaining policy support and increasing the investment of human and financial resources.

Reliability prediction of ontology-based service compositions using Petri net and time series models.

PubMed

Li, Jia; Xia, Yunni; Luo, Xin

2014-01-01

OWL-S, one of the most important Semantic Web service ontologies proposed to date, provides a core ontological framework and guidelines for describing the properties and capabilities of their web services in an unambiguous, computer interpretable form. Predicting the reliability of composite service processes specified in OWL-S allows service users to decide whether the process meets the quantitative quality requirement. In this study, we consider the runtime quality of services to be fluctuating and introduce a dynamic framework to predict the runtime reliability of services specified in OWL-S, employing the Non-Markovian stochastic Petri net (NMSPN) and the time series model. The framework includes the following steps: obtaining the historical response times series of individual service components; fitting these series with a autoregressive-moving-average-model (ARMA for short) and predicting the future firing rates of service components; mapping the OWL-S process into a NMSPN model; employing the predicted firing rates as the model input of NMSPN and calculating the normal completion probability as the reliability estimate. In the case study, a comparison between the static model and our approach based on experimental data is presented and it is shown that our approach achieves higher prediction accuracy.

Understanding the Impact of Socio-Economic Factors on Navy Accessions

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

concern for the future of our military force. With an increase in childhood obesity rates and decrease in the level of inactivity, Type 2 Diabetes...the course of our literature review, it was noted in a number of studies and articles on recruiting for military service, that obesity was a growing...Lee, 2007). With the increase in the proportions of obese adolescents and those with Type 2 diabetes, a disease disqualifying for military service

An Analysis of AAFES and Its Relevance to the Future of the Army and Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-12

benefits of this organization and are there any viable alternatives? Background and Significance AAFES provides retail goods and services to a select...relative to cost, benefit , and alternative options. Assumptions This study is based on the assumptions that AAFES and the MWR programs of the Army...AAFES is a joint Army and Air Force non-appropriated fund instrumentality (NAFI) charged with operating retail and service activities for the benefit

An Analysis of the Efficiency of Sourcing Knowledge-Based Services in the United States Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-30

those cost drivers that are unnecessary in order to cut costs. In 1996 , Coopers and Lybrand identified over 120 mandated cost drivers that contributed...to an 18% price premium for federally procured commodities and services (GAO, 1996 ). The top 10 cost drivers listed in this study (GAO, 1996 ) were... Peterson , 2011). The assessment collected data from 119 organizations over 25 industries to establish the baseline for current and future research

Repeater in the sky. [public service communications satellite program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cote, C. E.; Brown, J. P.

1977-01-01

The Public Service Communications Satellite (PSCS) program is intended to develop and demonstrate a space system aimed at stimulating future commercial markets in fixed and mobile applications. The services are envisioned for rural areas, regions beyond access to terrestrial systems, or for continuous cross-country applications. The system incorporates a UHF repeater for mobile voice and data experiments; 8 MHz of spectrum is specified for serving 70 channels. This paper describes the PSCS program and discusses some demonstration experiments. A future concept based on large structure multibeam antennas is also discussed.

Occupation is related to Weight and Lifestyle Factors among Employees at Worksites Involved in a Weight Gain Prevention Study

PubMed Central

Gans, Kim M.; Salkeld, Judith; Risica, Patricia Markham; Lenz, Erin; Burton, Deborah; Mello, Jennifer; Bell, Johanna P.

2015-01-01

Objective To examine the relationship between job type, weight status and lifestyle factors that are potential contributors to obesity including, diet, physical activity and perceived stress among employees enrolled in the Working on Wellness (WOW) project. Methods Randomly selected employees at 24 worksites completed a baseline survey (n=1700); some also an in-person survey and anthropometric measures (n=1568). Employees were classified by US Labor standards as: white collar (n=1297), blue collar (n=303), or service worker (n=92), 8 unknown. Associations were analyzed using Chi-Square, GLM procedures, and adjusted for demographics using Logistic Regression. Results In unadjusted models, BMI of service workers was higher than white collar workers; F&V intake was higher for service and blue collar than white collar; white collar workers reported highest stress levels in job and life. However, in models adjusted for demographics, the only significant difference was to physical activity (i.e., MET/min per week), with blue collar workers reporting higher levels of physical activity than service workers, who reported higher levels than the white collar workers. Conclusions Future research should further examine the relationship between health and job status to corroborate the results of the current study and to consider designing future worksite health promotion interventions that are tailored by job category. PMID:26461872

Occupation Is Related to Weight and Lifestyle Factors Among Employees at Worksites Involved in a Weight Gain Prevention Study.

PubMed

Gans, Kim M; Salkeld, Judith; Risica, Patricia Markham; Lenz, Erin; Burton, Deborah; Mello, Jennifer; Bell, Johanna P

2015-10-01

To examine the relationship between job type, weight status, and lifestyle factors that are potential contributors to obesity including, diet, physical activity (PA), and perceived stress among employees enrolled in the Working on Wellness project. Randomly selected employees at 24 worksites completed a baseline survey (n = 1700); some also an in-person survey and anthropometric measures (n = 1568). Employees were classified by US labor standards as white collar (n = 1297), blue collar (n = 303), or service worker (n = 92), and 8 unknown. Associations were analyzed using chi-square and general linear model procedures and adjusted for demographics using logistic regression. In unadjusted models, body mass index of service workers was higher than white collar workers; fruit and vegetable intake was higher for service and blue collar than white collar; white collar workers reported highest stress levels in job and life. Nevertheless, in models adjusted for demographics, the only significant difference was for PA (ie, metabolic equivalent [MET]/min/wk), with blue collar workers reporting higher levels of PA than service workers, who reported higher levels than the white collar workers. Future research should further examine the relationship between health and job status to corroborate the results of the current study and to consider designing future worksite health promotion interventions that are tailored by job category.

Self-Service Charge Systems: Current Technological Applications and Their Implications for the Future Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mardikian, Jackie

1995-01-01

Discusses a possible shift to self-service check-out systems for academic library patrons. Provides an annotated bibliography of 51 items that discuss the impact of self-service technology on the quality of service and customer satisfaction in libraries, service sectors, banking, and the vending industry. (LRW)

Positioning for capitation in long-term care: a profile of vertical integration strategies in health and social service organizations.

PubMed

Walsh, A M

1998-01-01

During the next decade, the population over age 65 is expected to increase by 11% while the population over age 85 is expected to increase by 42%. These projections suggest that many organizations which currently provide services to the aged will be required to design a range of new products and services for this diverse population. Vertically integrated services provide a viable opportunity to competitively position an organization to respond to the diverse needs of an aged market. Since vertical integration will be essential in negotiating capitate contracts for the aged in the future, this study examined the extent of vertical integration in 116 health and social service organizations in an urban market with an expanding geriatric population.

Exploring views on current and future cochlear implant service delivery: the perspectives of users, parents and professionals at cochlear implant centres and in the community.

PubMed

Athalye, Sheetal; Archbold, Sue; Mulla, Imran; Lutman, Mark; Nikolopoulous, Thomas

2015-09-01

The objective of this survey was to explore the perceptions of implant users/carers and professionals across the UK about current and future cochlear implant service delivery and the challenges. Data were collected via an online questionnaire consisting of totally 22 questions. The questionnaire contained both open- and close-ended questions. Totally, seven hundred and forty-eight responses were received. In spite of the wide range of respondents, there was a broad consensus of opinion across groups. The majority of participants were satisfied with the service they currently receive, but wanted some changes. They reported their current experience of implant services to be mainly driven by decisions made by the implant team. For the future, they preferred the service to be mainly driven by decisions made jointly by the team and the user and/or parent/carer. The majority of participants wanted the cochlear implant services to be integrated into local audiology and other services such as education. Restrictions on number of candidates funded and political decisions and issues were seen as major challenges. Qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses supported the questionnaire responses. This research highlighted the benefits and limitations of the current cochlear implant service delivery as well as the potential implications for the long term. While respondents were generally happy with the current cochlear implant service provision, they expressed some concerns about the long-term sustainability and management, wanting integration into the local services, and more involvement of parents and users in decisions.

Nonmarket economic values of forest insect pests: An updated literature review

Treesearch

Randall S. Rosenberger; Lauren A. Bell; Patricia A. Champ; Eric. L. Smith

2012-01-01

This report updates the literature review and synthesis of economic valuation studies on the impacts of forest insect pests by Rosenberger and Smith (1997). A conceptual framework is presented to establish context for the studies. This report also discusses the concept of ecosystem services; identifies key elements of each study; examines areas of future research; and...

Services Available to Visually Impaired Persons in New Zealand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaGrow, S.; And Others

1990-01-01

The Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind is primarily responsible for services to visually impaired people in New Zealand. The article describes its history, structure, services, and plans for the future. (Author/JDD)

Architecture Studies Done for High-Rate Duplex Direct Data Distribution (D4) Services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

A study was sponsored to investigate a set of end-to-end system concepts for implementing a high-rate duplex direct data distribution (D4) space-to-ground communications link. The NASA Glenn Research Center is investigating these systems (both commercial and Government) as a possible method of providing a D4 communications service between NASA spacecraft in low Earth orbit and the respective principal investigators using or monitoring instruments aboard these spacecraft. Candidate commercial services were assessed regarding their near-term potential to provide a D4 type of service. The candidates included K-band and V-band geostationary orbit and nongeostationary orbit satellite relay services and direct downlink (D3) services. Internet protocol (IP) networking technologies were evaluated to enable the user-directed distribution and delivery of science data. Four realistic, near-future concepts were analyzed: 1) A duplex direct link (uplink plus downlink communication paths) between a low-Earth-orbit spacecraft and a principal-investigator-based autonomous Earth station; 2) A space-based relay using a future K-band nongeosynchronous-orbit system to handle both the uplink and downlink communication paths; 3) A hybrid link using both direct and relay services to achieve full duplex capability; 4) A dual-mode concept consisting of both a duplex direct link and a space relay duplex link operating independently. The concepts were analyzed in terms of contact time between the NASA spacecraft and the communications service and the achievable data throughput. Throughput estimates for the D4 systems were based on the infusion of advanced communications technology products (single and multibeam K-band phased-arrays and digital modems) being developed by Glenn. Cost estimates were also performed using extrapolated information from both terrestrial and current satellite communications providers. The throughput and cost estimates were used to compare the concepts.

Climate change adaptation via targeted ecosystem service provision: a sustainable land management strategy for the Segura catchment (SE Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagaria, Cecilia; de Vente, Joris; Perez-Cutillas, Pedro

2014-05-01

Topical research investigating climate, land-use and management scenarios in the Segura catchment (SE Spain), depicts a landscape at high-risk of, quite literally, deserting agriculture. Land degradation in the semi-arid region of SE Spain is characterized by water shortage, high erosion rates and salinization, increasingly exacerbated by climatic changes, scarce vegetation cover and detrimental farming practices. Future climate scenarios predict increases in aridity, variability and intensity of rainfall events, leading to increasing pressure on scarce soil and water resources. This study conceptualized the impending crisis of agro-ecological systems of the Segura basin (18800 km2) as a crisis of ecosystem service deterioration. In light of existing land degradation drivers and future climate scenarios, the potential of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) strategies was evaluated to target three priority ecosystem services (water provision, sediment retention and carbon sequestration) as a means to achieve climate change adaptation and mitigation. A preceding thorough process of stakeholder engagement (as part of the EU funded DESIRE project) indicated five SLM technologies for potential implementation, all with a focus upon reducing soil erosion, increasing soil water holding capacity and soil organic matter content. These technologies have been tested for over four years in local experimental field plots, and have provided results on the local effects upon individual environmental parameters. Despite the growing emphasis witnessed in literature upon the context-specificity which characterizes adaptation solutions, the frequent analysis at the field scale is limited in both scope and utility. There is a need to investigate the effects of adaptive SLM solutions at wider, regional scales. Thus, this study modeled the cumulative effect of each of the five selected SLM technologies with InVEST, a spatial analyst tool designed for ecosystem service quantification and valuation. Scenario impacts upon the three prioritized ecosystem services were evaluated under present and expected future climate conditions (IPCC A1B scenario storyline for 2050) using ensemble regional climate model predictions. Results are given for both the entire Segura catchment as well as for delineated sub-catchments. This study's value lies in providing relevant stakeholders with quantitative information upon which SLM strategies result in greatest ecosystem service provision and tradeoffs, and thus greatest resilience to expected climate change impacts. Furthermore, this research hopes to contribute towards the mainstreaming of the ecosystem services concept in land management policy and research, and thus to familiarize relevant stakeholders with the concept, facilitating scaling-up processes by communicating the necessity and a means to successfully achieve climate adaptation.

General public's views on pharmacy public health services: current situation and opportunities in the future.

PubMed

Saramunee, K; Krska, J; Mackridge, A; Richards, J; Suttajit, S; Phillips-Howard, P

2015-06-01

To explore the experience of and willingness to use seven pharmacy public health services related to cardiovascular risk among the general public in England. Mixed-methods study. A mixed-methods study, involving a cross-sectional survey using multiple distribution methods followed by a focus group discussion (FGD) with a sample of survey respondents. From 3596 approachable individuals, 908 questionnaires were completed (response rate 25.3%). Few respondents (2.1-12.7%) had experienced any of the seven pharmacy public health services. About 40% stated they would be willing to use health check services, fewer (9.3-26.3%) were willing to use advisory services. More females, frequent pharmacy users and those in good health were willing to use services in general (P < 0.05). Smokers, overweight individuals and those with alcohol-related problems were most willing to use specific advisory services supporting their problems (P < 0.05). FGD identified barriers to service use; for example, frequent staff changes, seeing pharmacist as medicines suppliers and concerns about competence for these services. The general public are receptive to pharmacy public health services. Pharmacists must consider barriers if uptake of services is to increase. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of Civil Markets for Heavy-Lift Airships

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mettam, P. J.; Hansen, D.; Chabot, C.; Byrne, R.

1978-01-01

The civil markets for heavy lift airships (HLAs) were defined by first identifying areas of most likely application. The operational suitability of HLAs for the applications identified were then assessed. The operating economics of HLAs were established and the market size for HLA services estimated by comparing HLA operating and economic characteristics with those of competing modes. The sensitivities of the market size to HLA characteristics were evaluated and the number and sizes of the vehicles required to service the more promising markets were defined. Important characteristics for future HLAs are discussed that were derived from the study of each application, including operational requirements, features enhancing profitability, military compatibility, improved design requirements, approach to entry into service, and institutional implications for design and operation.

Program factors that influence utilization of adult day care.

PubMed Central

Conrad, K J; Hughes, S L; Wang, S

1992-01-01

Health planners, policymakers, and providers urgently require methods and information that explain the factors that affect health services utilization. This information is especially critical for planning programs that are effective in maintaining the burgeoning elderly population in community care. In this study, correlation and regression analyses examined the characteristics of adult day care (ADC) centers that were associated with utilization as operationalized by demand for and actual attendance in 822 centers. Community, client population, services and activities, and structural characteristics were associated with demand per center whereas the social environment of the ADC center was not. The attendance rate was most strongly affected by services and activities and structural characteristics. The significance of the study, its limitations, and future directions for research are discussed. PMID:1399653

Family needs of parents of children and youth with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Palisano, R J; Almarsi, N; Chiarello, L A; Orlin, M N; Bagley, A; Maggs, J

2010-01-01

Understanding the needs of families of children and youth with cerebral palsy (CP) is important for family-centred services. The aims of this study were to identify: (1) differences in the number and types of family needs expressed by parents based on the age and gross motor function level of their children with CP; (2) the most frequent family needs; and (3) needs that differ on gross motor function level. A total of 501 parents (77.6% mothers) of children and youth with CP completed a modified version of a Family Needs Survey and a demographic questionnaire. Children's gross motor function level was classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System. Total number of family needs differed based on gross motor function level (P < 0.001) but not age. Parents of children/youth who use wheeled mobility expressed the highest number of family needs, while parents of children/youth who walk without restrictions expressed the fewest needs. Family needs for Information (P= 0.001), Support (P= 0.001), Community Services (P < 0.001) and Finances (P < 0.001) differed based on children's gross motor function level. Over 50% of parents expressed family needs for information on current and future services, planning for the future, help in locating community activities and more personal time. Parents of children and youth who use wheeled mobility were more likely to express the need for help in paying for home modifications, equipment, services and locating sitters, respite care providers and community activities. The gross motor function of children/youth with CP has implications for collaboration with families to identify needs and co-ordinate services. Health professionals have a role to assist families with information needs and locating community services and leisure activities. Family needs for future planning suggest that health professionals should assist families to prepare for key periods in the lives of their children with CP.

Determining Science Student Teachers' Cognitive Structure on the Concept of "Food Chain"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çinar, Derya

2015-01-01

The current study aims to determine science student teachers' cognitive structure on the concept of food chain. Qualitative research method was applied in this study. Fallacies detected in the pre-service teachers' conceptual structures are believed to result in students' developing misconceptions in their future classes and will adversely affect…

Academic Libraries: "Social" or "Communal?" The Nature and Future of Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gayton, Jeffrey T.

2008-01-01

The apparent death of academic libraries, as measured by declining circulation of print materials, reduced use of reference services, and falling gate counts, has led to calls for a more "social" approach to academic libraries: installing cafes, expanding group study spaces, and developing "information commons." This study compares these social…

Science Student Teachers' Cognitive Structure on the Concept of "Food Pyramid"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çinar, Derya

2016-01-01

The current study aims to determine science student teachers' cognitive structure on the concept of food pyramid. Qualitative research method was applied in this study. Fallacies detected in the pre-service teachers' conceptual structures are believed to result in students' developing misconceptions in their future classes and will adversely…

75 FR 17207 - Electronic On-Board Recorders for Hours-of-Service Compliance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-05

... to data limitation, FMCSA used outdated studies in the analysis for this rule. For future HOS rulemakings, FMCSA will use updated studies and reports to analyze impacts. \\1\\ Estimates of benefits and... percent of the long-distance drivers in 2005 said there were EOBRs or other on-board computers in their...

Indicators of regenerative capacity for eastern hardwood forests

Treesearch

William H. McWilliams; Todd W. Bowersox; Patrick H. Brose; Daniel A. Devlin; James C. Finley; Steve Horsley; Kurt W. Gottschalk; Tonya W. Lister; Larry H. McCormick; Gary W. Miller; Kim C. Steiner; Susan L. Stout; James A. Westfall; Robert L. White

2004-01-01

Hardwood forests of the eastern United States are characterized by a complex mix of species associations that make it difficult to construct useful indicators of long-term sustainability, in terms of future forest composition and stocking levels. The Pennsylvania Regeneration Study examines regeneration adequacy in the state. The study uses the Forest Service's...

The Future of Information Literacy in Academic Libraries: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Laura

2009-01-01

Information literacy is a central tenet of academic librarianship. However, technological advancements coupled with drastic changes in users' information needs and expectations are having a great impact on this service, leading practitioners to wonder how programs may evolve. Based on a Delphi study, this article surveyed 13 information literacy…

Implementation and Outcomes of Inquiry-Based Learning in Mathematics Content Courses for Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laursen, Sandra L.; Hassi, Marja-Liisa; Hough, Sarah

2016-01-01

This mixed-methods study describes classroom characteristics and student outcomes from university mathematics courses that are based in mathematics departments, targeted to future pre-tertiary teachers, and taught with inquiry-based learning (IBL) approaches. The study focused on three two-term sequences taught at two research universities,…

21 CFR 71.6 - Extension of time for studying petitions; substantive amendments; withdrawal of petitions without...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL COLOR ADDITIVE PETITIONS General... limitation will begin to run anew. If nonclinical laboratory studies are involved, additional information and... to a future filing. Upon refiling, the time limitation will begin to run anew from the date of...

Emergency medical services : agenda for the future

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-08-01

The purpose of the EMS Agenda for the Future is to determine the most important directions for future EMS development, incorporating input from a broad, multidisciplinary spectrum of EMS stakeholders. This document provides guiding principles for the...

Family Centered Care. Triennial Report 1986-1989.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan State Dept. of Public Health, Lansing, MI. Div. of Services to Crippled Children.

The report describes services, administration, and future directions of the Children's Special Health Care Services program, part of the Michigan Department of Public Health. Division programs are carried out at local, regional, and state levels and provide: preventive services (through generic and newborn screening services and neonatal intensive…

Leisure Today: Equity Issues in Leisure Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dustin, Daniel L., Ed.; And Others

1990-01-01

Seven articles on equity issues in leisure services focus on conservation for the future, resource allocation inequities in wildland recreation, leisure services for people of color and people with disabilities, serving all children in community recreation, women and leisure services, and equity in public sector resource allocations. (JD)

Projection of future pharmacy service fees using the dispensing claims in hospital and clinic outpatient pharmacies: national health insurance database between 2006 and 2012.

PubMed

Ha, Dongmun; Song, Inmyung; Lee, Eui-Kyung; Shin, Ju-Young

2018-05-03

Predicting pharmacy service fees is crucial to sustain the health insurance budget and maintain pharmacy management. However, there is no evidence on how to predict pharmacy service fees at the population level. This study compares the status of pharmacy services and constructs regression model to project annual pharmacy service fees in Korea. We conducted a time-series analysis by using sample data from the national health insurance database from 2006 and 2012. To reflect the latest trend, we categorized pharmacies into general hospital, special hospital, and clinic outpatient pharmacies based on the major source of service fees, using a 1% sample of the 2012 data. We estimated the daily number of prescriptions, pharmacy service fees, and drugs costs according to these three types of pharmacy services. To forecast pharmacy service fees, a regression model was constructed to estimate annual fees in the following year (2013). The dependent variable was pharmacy service fees and the independent variables were the number of prescriptions and service fees per pharmacy, ratio of patients (≥ 65 years), conversion factor, change of policy, and types of pharmacy services. Among the 21,283 pharmacies identified, 5.0% (1064), 4.6% (974), and 77.5% (16,340) were general hospital, special hospital, and clinic outpatient pharmacies, respectively, in 2012. General hospital pharmacies showed a higher daily number of prescriptions (111.9), higher pharmacy service fees ($25,546,342), and higher annual drugs costs ($215,728,000) per pharmacy than any other pharmacy (p <  0.05). The regression model to project found the ratio of patients aged 65 years and older and the conversion factor to be associated with an increase in pharmacy service fees. It also estimated the future rate of increase in pharmacy service fees to be between 3.1% and 7.8%. General hospital outpatient pharmacies spent more on annual pharmacy service fees than any other type of pharmacy. The forecast of annual pharmacy service fees in Korea was similar to that of Australia, but not that of the United Kingdom.

Are Urban Ecosystem Services Useful for a Sustainable City?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenerette, D.

2014-12-01

In meeting the needs of rapidly expanding city residents, ecosystem functioning within the urban boundary may provide several key services ranging from life-sustaining services such as climate regulation and food production to services associated with recreation and aesthetics. In contrast, ecosystem disservices are associated with ecosystem characteristics that have a negative impact on residents and range from potentially injurious components such as increasing pollutant exposure or additional resource requirements such as irrigation water. Identifying trade-offs in both services and disservices is a priority for assessing how ecosystem functioning influences urban residents. Such assessments require a baseline understanding of their rates of production and acutely need expanded monitoring and modeling. Recent efforts at quantifying ecosystem services and disservices have relied on combinations of direct field surveys, in-situ environmental sensor networks, and remotely sensed vegetation. While much work has been conducted within single metropolitan regions, expanded efforts are underway to analyze networks of urban sites. Here I highlight recent findings associated with urban ecosystem services associated with variation in urban forests and urban gardens as two contrasting ecosystem types within a city. These research efforts are leading to improved understanding of the variation in the production of and specific desires for ecosystem services and disservices. Initial data across several studies suggests desires for services show sensitivity to both socioeconomic status as suggested by a hierarchy of needs hypothesis and local environmental conditions as suggested by an environmental determinism hypothesis. Consequently, the production of ecosystem services also varies dramatically across socioeconomic and climate gradients. Future projections of the rates of service production are highly uncertain with likely strong nonlinearities in responses to urban conditions. Designing for sustainable ecosystem services within cities such that benefits are maximized and costs are minimized as we prepare for a near future with 2.5 billion more urban residents.

A systematic composite service design modeling method using graph-based theory.

PubMed

Elhag, Arafat Abdulgader Mohammed; Mohamad, Radziah; Aziz, Muhammad Waqar; Zeshan, Furkh

2015-01-01

The composite service design modeling is an essential process of the service-oriented software development life cycle, where the candidate services, composite services, operations and their dependencies are required to be identified and specified before their design. However, a systematic service-oriented design modeling method for composite services is still in its infancy as most of the existing approaches provide the modeling of atomic services only. For these reasons, a new method (ComSDM) is proposed in this work for modeling the concept of service-oriented design to increase the reusability and decrease the complexity of system while keeping the service composition considerations in mind. Furthermore, the ComSDM method provides the mathematical representation of the components of service-oriented design using the graph-based theoryto facilitate the design quality measurement. To demonstrate that the ComSDM method is also suitable for composite service design modeling of distributed embedded real-time systems along with enterprise software development, it is implemented in the case study of a smart home. The results of the case study not only check the applicability of ComSDM, but can also be used to validate the complexity and reusability of ComSDM. This also guides the future research towards the design quality measurement such as using the ComSDM method to measure the quality of composite service design in service-oriented software system.

A Systematic Composite Service Design Modeling Method Using Graph-Based Theory

PubMed Central

Elhag, Arafat Abdulgader Mohammed; Mohamad, Radziah; Aziz, Muhammad Waqar; Zeshan, Furkh

2015-01-01

The composite service design modeling is an essential process of the service-oriented software development life cycle, where the candidate services, composite services, operations and their dependencies are required to be identified and specified before their design. However, a systematic service-oriented design modeling method for composite services is still in its infancy as most of the existing approaches provide the modeling of atomic services only. For these reasons, a new method (ComSDM) is proposed in this work for modeling the concept of service-oriented design to increase the reusability and decrease the complexity of system while keeping the service composition considerations in mind. Furthermore, the ComSDM method provides the mathematical representation of the components of service-oriented design using the graph-based theoryto facilitate the design quality measurement. To demonstrate that the ComSDM method is also suitable for composite service design modeling of distributed embedded real-time systems along with enterprise software development, it is implemented in the case study of a smart home. The results of the case study not only check the applicability of ComSDM, but can also be used to validate the complexity and reusability of ComSDM. This also guides the future research towards the design quality measurement such as using the ComSDM method to measure the quality of composite service design in service-oriented software system. PMID:25928358

Trends in Research with U.S. Military Service Member Participants: A Population-Specific ClinicalTrials.gov Review.

PubMed

Cook, Wendy A; Doorenbos, Ardith Z; Bridges, Elizabeth J

2016-08-15

ClinicalTrials.gov reviews have evaluated research trends for specific conditions and age groups but not for specific populations of research participants. No ClinicalTrials.gov reviews have evaluated research with military service member participants. Study objectives were (a) to use ClinicalTrials.gov to identify trends in biomedical research from 2005 to 2014 in which U.S. military service members actively participated as research participants and (b) to describe a search strategy for adaptation in future ClinicalTrials.gov reviews of specific participant populations. A systematic review of ClinicalTrials.gov was performed to identify studies that included U.S. service members as participants, either exclusively or with other groups of participants. U.S. service members were identified as participants in 512 studies. Service members participated together with other groups in 392 studies, while 120 studies included only service members. The top five conditions of interest were post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, amputations, burns, and ocular injuries/disorders. The number of studies started each year peaked in 2011 and declined from 2012 to 2014. Twenty-five percent of studies exclusive to service members aimed to enroll 500 or more participants. Research exclusive to Guard and Reserve service members during this period was limited. U.S. military service members participate in biomedical research. To address the health needs of U.S. service members, it is important to ensure there is not a prolonged decline in research among this population. The search strategy may be adapted to ClinicalTrials.gov reviews of specific participant populations for which straightforward searches are not possible.

Tolerating Uncertainty: Perceptions of the Future for Ageing Parent Carers and Their Adult Children with Intellectual Disabilities.

PubMed

Pryce, Laura; Tweed, Alison; Hilton, Amanda; Priest, Helena M

2017-01-01

Improved life expectancy means that more adults with intellectual disabilities are now living with ageing parents. This study explored older families' perceptions of the future. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine older parents and three adults with intellectual disabilities and analysed to produce an explanatory thematic framework. 'Tolerating uncertainty' was the major theme in participants' attempts to manage anxieties about the future, encompassing sub-themes of 'accepting the parenting role', 'facing challenges', 'being supported/isolated', 'positive meaning making', 're-evaluating as time moves on' and 'managing future thinking'. Some participants expressed preferences for their future which were in contrast to their parents' views, and provide a unique perspective that has often been neglected in prior research. This research has found commonalities in how families tolerate the uncertainty of the future, but also unique differences that require tailored interventions and prospective action by services. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

12 CFR 313.140 - Future benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Future benefits. 313.140 Section 313.140 Banks... CORPORATE DEBT COLLECTION Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund Offset § 313.140 Future benefits. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the FDIC may request that a debtor's anticipated or future benefit...

12 CFR 313.140 - Future benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Future benefits. 313.140 Section 313.140 Banks... CORPORATE DEBT COLLECTION Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund Offset § 313.140 Future benefits. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the FDIC may request that a debtor's anticipated or future benefit...

12 CFR 313.140 - Future benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Future benefits. 313.140 Section 313.140 Banks... CORPORATE DEBT COLLECTION Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund Offset § 313.140 Future benefits. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the FDIC may request that a debtor's anticipated or future benefit...

12 CFR 313.140 - Future benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Future benefits. 313.140 Section 313.140 Banks... CORPORATE DEBT COLLECTION Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund Offset § 313.140 Future benefits. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the FDIC may request that a debtor's anticipated or future benefit...

12 CFR 313.140 - Future benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Future benefits. 313.140 Section 313.140 Banks... CORPORATE DEBT COLLECTION Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund Offset § 313.140 Future benefits. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the FDIC may request that a debtor's anticipated or future benefit...

75 FR 1446 - Future Systems Technology Advisory Panel Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-11

... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION [Docket No. SSA-2010-0001] Future Systems Technology Advisory Panel... systems technology and electronic services at the agency five to ten years into the future. The Panel will recommend a road map to aid SSA in determining what future systems technologies may be developed to assist...

Air Traffic Services Performance Plan for Fiscal Years 2000-2002

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-10-01

Each year, Air Traffic Services (ATS) executives and staff assess the : organization's performance and actions taken to improve aviation services : during the previous 12 months, and evaluate the current and future challenges : facing its customers. ...

Servicing Large Space Telescopes with the Deep Space Gateway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, B. M.; Feinberg, L. D.; Greenhouse, M. A.; Grunsfeld, J. M.; Polidan, R. S.; Siegler, N.; Thronson, H. A.

2018-02-01

Future large space telescopes will require servicing to operate over lifetimes long enough to realize their full value and justify their expense. We discuss scenarios that will make servicing telescopes at Sun-Earth L2 possible.

Fishing for Novel Approaches to Ecosystem Service Forecasts

EPA Science Inventory

The ecosystem service concept provides a powerful framework for conserving species and the environments they depend upon. Describing current distributions of ecosystem services and forecasting their future distributions have therefore become central objectives in many conservati...

NOAA and the NRC America's Climate Choices Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koblinsky, C. J.

2010-12-01

The Department of Commerce Appropriations Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-161) called for NOAA to execute an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to: “…investigate and study the serious and sweeping issues relating to global climate change and make recommendations regarding what steps must be taken and what strategies must be adopted in response to global climate change, including the science and technology challenges thereof.” This led to the America’s Climate Choices study by the National Academy of Sciences. Consequently, NOAA has fully supported financially and endorsed the approach by the Academy. More recently, NOAA has proposed the formation of a Climate Service. Many of the recommendations from the America’s Climate Choices study address the foundations and future needs for climate science and services. In this presentation, I will describe how NOAA’s work in climate services is aligned with some of the recommendations in the America’s Climate Choices study.

Forecasts of county-level land uses under three future scenarios: a technical document supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment

Treesearch

David N. Wear

2011-01-01

Accurately forecasting future forest conditions and the implications for ecosystem services depends on understanding land use dynamics. In support of the 2010 Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment, we forecast changes in land uses for the coterminous United States in response to three scenarios. Our land use models forecast urbanization in response to the...

Urban Extension. A Look to the Future. Report on Focus Group Sessions (St. Paul, Minnesota, January 22-February 6, 1987).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Copeland, Harlan G.; Barber, Shirley L.

Eight focus groups were interviewed to determine the current strengths and weaknesses of the Ramsey County Extension Service as well as the directions that the service should take in the future so as to meet the county's needs for extension education in urban and suburban settings. The focus groups included extension professionals and support…

Financial Services and the Internet: What Does Cyberspace Mean for the Financial Services Industry?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, David; Young, Michael A.

1997-01-01

More than 30 million households own PCs and more than 20% of these use PCs to manage their finances. This article examines the Internet and financial services, consumer needs, and differentiation in service products and predicts future trends in retail financial services (cheaper niche products, cross-border selling, selling knowledge, payments,…

An exploration of chronic pain patients' perceptions of home telerehabilitation services.

PubMed

Cranen, Karlijn; Drossaert, Constance H C; Brinkman, Evelien S; Braakman-Jansen, Annemarie L M; Ijzerman, Maarten J; Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam M R

2012-12-01

To explore patients' perceptions regarding prospective telerehabilitation services and the factors that facilitate or impede patients' intentions to use these services. Using semi-structured interviews, patients reflected on the pros and cons of various scenarios of prospective telerehabilitation services. Patients' arguments were first arranged according to the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Next, using inductive analysis, the data for each UTAUT component were analysed and arranged into subthemes. Twenty-five chronic pain patients were selected from a rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands. Overall, participants considered telerehabilitation helpful as a complementary or follow-up treatment, rather than an autonomous treatment. Arguments mainly related to the UTAUT constructs of 'performance expectancy' and 'facilitating conditions'. Patients valued the benefits such as reduced transportation barriers, flexible exercise hours and the possibility to better integrate skills into daily life. However, many patients feared a loss of treatment motivation and expressed concerns about both reduced fellow sufferer contact and reduced face-to-face therapist contact. Few arguments related to 'social norms' and 'effort expectancy'. The effect of telerehabilitation on healthcare strongly depends on patients' willingness to use. Our study showed that chronic pain patients valued the benefits of telerehabilitation but hesitate to use it as an autonomous treatment. Therefore, future initiatives should maintain traditional care to some degree and focus on patients' attitudes as well. Either by giving information to increase patients' confidence in telerehabilitation or by addressing reported drawbacks into the future design of these services. Further quantitative studies are needed to explore patients' intentions to use telerehabilitation. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Understanding farmers' preferences for artificial insemination services provided through dairy hubs.

PubMed

Omondi, I A; Zander, K K; Bauer, S; Baltenweck, I

2017-04-01

Africa has a shortage of animal products but increasing demand because of population growth, urbanisation and changing consumer patterns. Attempts to boost livestock production through the use of breeding technologies such as artificial insemination (AI) have been failing in many countries because costs have escalated and success rates have been relatively low. One example is Kenya, a country with a relatively large number of cows and a dairy industry model relevant to neighbouring countries. There, an innovative dairy marketing approach (farmer-owned collective marketing systems called dairy hubs) has been implemented to enhance access to dairy markets and dairy-related services, including breeding services such as AI. So far, the rate of participation in these dairy hubs has been slow and mixed. In order to understand this phenomenon better and to inform dairy-related development activities by the Kenyan government, we investigated which characteristics of AI services, offered through the dairy hubs, farmers prefer. To do so, we applied a choice experiment (CE), a non-market valuation technique, which allowed us to identify farmers' preferences for desired characteristics should more dairy hubs be installed in the future. This is the first study to use a CE to evaluate breeding services in Kenya and the results can complement findings of studies of breeding objectives and selection criteria. The results of the CE reveal that dairy farmers prefer to have AI services offered rather than having no service. Farmers prefer AI services to be available at dairy hubs rather than provided by private agents not affiliated to the hubs, to have follow-up services for pregnancy detections, and to use sexed semen rather than conventional semen. Farmers would further like some flexibility in payment systems which include input credit, and are willing to share the costs of any AI repeats that may need to occur. These results provide evidence of a positive attitude to AI services provided through the hubs, which could mean that AI uptake would improve if service characteristics are improved to match farmer preferences. The dairy hubs concept is currently in the implementation phase with most hubs at startup phase, hence understanding which AI service characteristics farmers prefer can inform the design of high-quality and cost-effective AI services in the future.

Efficiency and economics of large scale hydrogen liquefaction. [for future generation aircraft requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, C. R.

1975-01-01

Liquid hydrogen is being considered as a substitute for conventional hydrocarbon-based fuels for future generations of commercial jet aircraft. Its acceptance will depend, in part, upon the technology and cost of liquefaction. The process and economic requirements for providing a sufficient quantity of liquid hydrogen to service a major airport are described. The design is supported by thermodynamic studies which determine the effect of process arrangement and operating parameters on the process efficiency and work of liquefaction.

The Twilight Future of a Function.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Arthur M.

1991-01-01

Discusses the position of community services within the community college, examining reasons that community services have not and likely will not reach parity with instructional and guidance services. Describes Navajo Community College as an example of an agency for community uplift--the whole college designed as a community service. (DMM)

No More Free Lunch: Commercial Fee-Based Information Services--Past, Present and Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, A. J.

This discussion of nongovernmental public- and private-sector fee-based information services in the changing library, social, and technological environment includes descriptions of the relationships between libraries and commercial firms, types of fee-based information services, and the services provided by commercial information vendors. Brief…

Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: An Assessment and Future Directions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernon, Peter; Nitecki, Danuta A.; Altman, Ellen

1999-01-01

Reviews the literature of library and information science to examine issues related to service quality and customer satisfaction in academic libraries. Discusses assessment, the application of a business model to higher education, a multiple constituency approach, decision areas regarding service quality, resistance to service quality, and future…

Comparison of emergency medical services systems in the pan-Asian resuscitation outcomes study countries: Report from a literature review and survey.

PubMed

Ong, Marcus E H; Cho, Jungheum; Ma, Matthew Huei-Ming; Tanaka, Hideharu; Nishiuchi, Tatsuya; Al Sakaf, Omer; Abdul Karim, Sarah; Khunkhlai, Nalinas; Atilla, Ridvan; Lin, Chih-Hao; Shahidah, Nur; Lie, Desiree; Shin, Sang Do

2013-02-01

Asia-Pacific countries have unique prehospital emergency care or emergency medical services (EMS) systems, which are different from European or Anglo-American models. We aimed to compare the EMS systems of eight Asia-Pacific countries/regions as part of the Pan Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS), to provide a basis for future comparative studies across systems of care. In the first phase, a systematic literature review of EMS system within the eight PAROS countries/regions of interest was conducted. In the second phase, PAROS site directors were surveyed for additional information about the demographics and characteristics of EMS services at their sites. The database and bibliography search identified 25 eligible articles. The survey of EMS systems was completed by seven PAROS directors. By combining information sources from phases 1 and 2, we found that all PAROS EMS systems were single-tiered, and most were public (vs private) and fire-based (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Korea). Ambulance personnel were primarily emergency medical technicians and paramedics, except for Thailand and Turkey, whose personnel include nurses and physicians. Personnel were trained to use automated external defibrillators and have basic cardiac life support certification. The service capability of each EMS system in terms of dispatch, airway management and medications, for example, varied greatly. We found variation in the EMS systems across the eight Asia-Pacific countries/regions studied. The findings will inform the construction of a multinational Asia-Pacific research network for future comparative studies and could serve as a model for international research networks. © 2012 The Authors. EMA © 2012 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Thinking on your feet: understanding the immediate responses of staff to adults who challenge intellectual disability services.

PubMed

Ravoux, Peggy; Baker, Peter; Brown, Hilary

2012-05-01

A gap prevails between the conceptualization of good practice in challenging behaviour management and its implementation in intellectual disability services. This study aimed to investigate staff members' perspectives of managing clients with challenging behaviours in residential services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven staff in two services. Additionally, service documents on challenging behaviour management were examined in these services. A qualitative methodology was used to investigate staff members' immediate responses to clients' difficult behaviours and their decision-making processes. The immediate responses of staff were conceptualized as the result of complex appraisals shaped by their service context involving the core processes of making the right choice and prioritizing the best interests of all involved. Staff members' responses were understood as a dynamic and retroactive process, where their past and current challenging behaviour management experiences in the service influenced their responses to clients in the future. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Study on a model for future occupational health: proposal for an occupational health service model in Japan.

PubMed

Higashi, Toshiaki

2006-10-01

The Study Model for Future Occupational Health (funded by a research grant from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor) is a joint research project involving various organizations and agencies undertaken from 2002 to 2004. Society has undergone a dramatic transformation due to technological developments and internationalization. At the same time a low birth rate and an aging population have resulted in an increase in both the percentage of workers experiencing strong anxiety and stress in relation to their jobs and the working environment and the number of suicides. As a natural consequence, occupational health services are now expected to provide EAP, consulting and other functions that were formerly considered outside the realm of occupational health. In consideration of this background, the present study propose the following issues to provide a model for future occupational health services that meet the conditions presently confronted by each worker. 1. How to provide occupational health services and occupational physicians' services: 1) a basic time of 20 minutes of occupational health services per year should be allotted to each worker and to all workers; 2) the obligatory regulations should be revised to expand the obligation from businesses each with 50 or more employees under the present laws to businesses each with 30 or more employees. 2. Providers of occupational health services and occupational physicians' services: (1) reinforcement of outside occupational health agencies; (2) fostering occupational health consultant firms; (3) development of an institute of occupational safety and health; (4) support of activities by authorized occupational physicians in the field; (5) expanding of joint selection of occupational physicians including subsidy increase and the extension of a period of subsidy to five hears; (6) licensing of new entry into occupational health undertaking. 3. Introduction of new report system: (1) establishment of the obligation to submit reports on risk evaluation and improvement measures; (2) establishment of the obligation to prepare a report on results of medical examinations in all sizes of businesses. 4. Introduction of a merit system into businesses in establishment of a new system: the application of the special merit system of the workers' compensation insurance shall be revised to add occupational health activities, cover business with 20 or more to 100 or less employees and expand the period of application for three years under the present laws to five years. 5. Ensuring of international coordination: harmonization of standards of individual countries for occupational health and safety; thorough (1) ensuring of international agreement on high-level specialist qualifications; (2) mutual recognition of qualifications of occupational physician, nurse, occupational hygienist, ergonomist, and counselor; (3) preparation of guidelines for occupations relating to occupational health businesses.

"The worst journey of our lives": parents' experiences of a specialised paediatric retrieval service.

PubMed

Colville, Gillian; Orr, Fiona; Gracey, David

2003-04-01

In this retrospective study, a sample of 233 parents were surveyed, by means of a postal questionnaire, about their experience of a specialised paediatric retrieval service (median time interval after child's retrieval=10 months). Although all parents were routinely provided with written information about the retrieval service, only 46% remember receiving it. Also, although generally high, satisfaction ratings relating to the period of the child's transit were significantly lower (P<0.005) than those relating to the other stages of the transfer. Two main reasons were given by parents for their dissatisfaction: distress at being separated from their critically ill child and logistic problems locating and parking at the new hospital. Implications for future service provision are considered.

Concurrent validity of Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory profiles: A secondary analysis of data from the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Worrell, Frank C; McKay, Michael T; Andretta, James R

2015-07-01

This paper examined the association between membership in profiles based on a shortened form of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI-S; McKay, Andretta, McGee, & Worrell, 2014) and other temporal and psychosocial variables. Participants consisted of 1620 adolescents attending high school in Northern Ireland. ZTPI-S scores had correlations with other temporal and psychosocial variables that were similar to those reported for ZTPI scores in previous studies. Four ZTPI-S profiles were identified-Balanced, Past Negative, Present Hedonistic, and Future-and results indicated that these profiles had theoretically meaningful relationships with self-esteem, self-efficacy, aggression, parental attachment, consideration of future consequences, and future temporal focus. Unlike studies of college students where the Balanced profile was related to more adaptive functioning, the Future profile was related to more adaptive functioning. Future studies are needed to establish the generalizability of these profiles and to determine if there are developmental differences in which profiles are more adaptive. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. All rights reserved.

Environmental Impacts of the Use of Ecosystem Services: Case Study of Birdwatching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kronenberg, Jakub

2014-09-01

The main reason for promoting the concept of ecosystem services lies in its potential to contribute to environmental conservation. Highlighting the benefits derived from ecosystems fosters an understanding of humans' dependence on nature, as users of ecosystem services. However, the act of using ecosystem services may not be environmentally neutral. As with the use of products and services generated within an economy, the use of ecosystem services may lead to unintended environmental consequences throughout the `ecosystem services supply chain.' This article puts forward a framework for analyzing environmental impacts related to the use of ecosystem services, indicating five categories of impact: (1) direct impacts (directly limiting the service's future availability); and four categories of indirect impacts, i.e., on broader ecosystem structures and processes, which can ultimately also affect the initial service: (2) impacts related to managing ecosystems to maximize the delivery of selected services (affecting ecosystems' capacity to provide other services); (3) impacts associated with accessing ecosystems to use their services (affecting other ecosystem components); (4) additional consumption of products, infrastructure or services required to use a selected ecosystem service, and their life-cycle environmental impacts; and (5) broader impacts on the society as a whole (environmental awareness of ecosystem service users and other stakeholders). To test the usefulness of this framework, the article uses the case study of birdwatching, which demonstrates all of the above categories of impacts. The article justifies the need for a broader consideration of environmental impacts related to the use of ecosystem services.

Racism and health service utilisation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Cormack, Donna; Harris, Ricci; Paradies, Yin

2017-01-01

Although racism has been posited as driver of racial/ethnic inequities in healthcare, the relationship between racism and health service use and experience has yet to be systematically reviewed or meta-analysed. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative empirical studies that report associations between self-reported racism and various measures of healthcare service utilisation. Data were reviewed and extracted from 83 papers reporting 70 studies. Studies included 250,850 participants and were conducted predominately in the U.S. The meta-analysis included 59 papers reporting 52 studies, which were analysed using random effects models and mean weighted effect sizes. Racism was associated with more negative patient experiences of health services (HSU-E) (OR = 0.351 (95% CI [0.236,0.521], k = 19), including lower levels of healthcare-related trust, satisfaction, and communication. Racism was not associated with health service use (HSU-U) as an outcome group, and was not associated with most individual HSU-U outcomes, including having had examinations, health service visits and admissions to health professionals and services. Racism was associated with health service use outcomes such as delaying/not getting healthcare, and lack of adherence to treatment uptake, although these effects may be influenced by a small sample of studies, and publication bias, respectively. Limitations to the literature reviewed in terms of study designs, sampling methods and measurements are discussed along with suggested future directions in the field. PMID:29253855

Racism and health service utilisation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ben, Jehonathan; Cormack, Donna; Harris, Ricci; Paradies, Yin

2017-01-01

Although racism has been posited as driver of racial/ethnic inequities in healthcare, the relationship between racism and health service use and experience has yet to be systematically reviewed or meta-analysed. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative empirical studies that report associations between self-reported racism and various measures of healthcare service utilisation. Data were reviewed and extracted from 83 papers reporting 70 studies. Studies included 250,850 participants and were conducted predominately in the U.S. The meta-analysis included 59 papers reporting 52 studies, which were analysed using random effects models and mean weighted effect sizes. Racism was associated with more negative patient experiences of health services (HSU-E) (OR = 0.351 (95% CI [0.236,0.521], k = 19), including lower levels of healthcare-related trust, satisfaction, and communication. Racism was not associated with health service use (HSU-U) as an outcome group, and was not associated with most individual HSU-U outcomes, including having had examinations, health service visits and admissions to health professionals and services. Racism was associated with health service use outcomes such as delaying/not getting healthcare, and lack of adherence to treatment uptake, although these effects may be influenced by a small sample of studies, and publication bias, respectively. Limitations to the literature reviewed in terms of study designs, sampling methods and measurements are discussed along with suggested future directions in the field.

Suicide among American Indian/Alaska Native military service members and veterans.

PubMed

O'Keefe, Victoria M; Reger, Greg M

2017-08-01

Many American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities experience high suicide rates. However, there is little discussion in epidemiological and empirical literature about suicide-related outcomes among AI/AN military service members or veterans. This article briefly reviews the literature on AI/AN suicide and discusses what is known about Native military service member and veteran suicide mortality and self-directed violence. Recent studies suggest high suicide death rates among AI/AN military service members and veterans. Discussion includes the potential for unique cultural protective and risk factors that could inform prevention efforts and some of the novel existing efforts to support AI/AN veterans are reviewed. Given concerning suicide rates among military service members and veterans, it is important for future research to clarify the risk to AI/AN military service members and veterans and how to best develop and implement effective suicide prevention/interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Financial management services in consumer-directed programs.

PubMed

Scherzer, Teresa; Wong, Alice; Newcomer, Robert

2007-01-01

Shifting from an agency-based model of personal assistance services to consumer direction has important consequences for both recipients and workers. In consumer direction, recipients assume the responsibilities of employing their attendants--for both self-directing their supportive services and being responsible for numerous fiscal responsibilities. Many states have eased these fiscal responsibilities among recipients in publicly financed personal care programs by using Financial Management Services (also known as fiscal intermediaries). This article introduces the major types of Financial Management Services organizations used by Medicaid consumer-directed personal care programs, and examines the extent to which the varied approaches can and do serve the needs of both recipients and workers. Despite the expansion of consumer-directed programs and the accompanying emergence of Financial Management Services, these organizations have not been extensively studied or evaluated. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges, opportunities, and policy implications of the current practice; and suggests directions for future research.

Impacts of forestry on boreal forests: An ecosystem services perspective.

PubMed

Pohjanmies, Tähti; Triviño, María; Le Tortorec, Eric; Mazziotta, Adriano; Snäll, Tord; Mönkkönen, Mikko

2017-11-01

Forests are widely recognized as major providers of ecosystem services, including timber, other forest products, recreation, regulation of water, soil and air quality, and climate change mitigation. Extensive tracts of boreal forests are actively managed for timber production, but actions aimed at increasing timber yields also affect other forest functions and services. Here, we present an overview of the environmental impacts of forest management from the perspective of ecosystem services. We show how prevailing forestry practices may have substantial but diverse effects on the various ecosystem services provided by boreal forests. Several aspects of these processes remain poorly known and warrant a greater role in future studies, including the role of community structure. Conflicts among different interests related to boreal forests are most likely to occur, but the concept of ecosystem services may provide a useful framework for identifying and resolving these conflicts.

Psychosocial service needs of pediatric transport accident survivors: Using clinical data-mining to establish demographic and service usage characteristics.

PubMed

Manguy, Alys-Marie; Joubert, Lynette; Bansemer, Leah

2016-09-01

The objectives in this article are the exploration of demographic and service usage data gained through clinical data mining audit and suggesting recommendations for social work service delivery model and future research. The method is clinical data-mining audit of 100 sequentially sampled cases gathering quantitative demographic and service usage data. Descriptive analysis of file audit data raised interesting trends with potential to inform service delivery and usage; the key areas of the results included patient demographics, family involvement and impact, and child safety and risk issues. Transport accidents involving children often include other family members. Care planning must take into account psychosocial issues including patient and family emotional responses, availability of primary carers, and other practical needs that may impact on recovery and discharge planning. This study provides evidence to plan for further research and development of more integrated models of care.

[Study on elasticity of medical service demand at the township level in China].

PubMed

Shi, Hong-xing; Lv, Jun; Xie, Yi-ping; Wang, Ying; Jia, Jin-zhong; Chang, Feng-shui; Duan, Lin; Sun, Mei; Wang, Zhi-feng; Hao, Mo

2010-06-18

To find out the economic laws regulating medical service demand in accordance with influencing factors at the township level, thus to provide references for further adjusting the medical service demand reasonably in the future. The model of medical service demand was established to measure the elasticity of demand in 49 township health clinics in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007. The price elasticity of outpatient and inpatient demand was stable during the four periods, and the average value was -0.029 and -0.132 respectively; the average value of income elasticity was 0.973 and 0.977, registering a downward trend in general. The medical service demand at the township level is price inelastic, indicating that it is a necessity for rural residents. The downward trend of income elasticity under the influence of some health policies illustrates a lightening in economic burden for medical service demand among rural residents in township health clinics.

A decade of experience evolving visiting dental services in partnership with rural remote Aboriginal communities.

PubMed

Dyson, K; Kruger, E; Tennant, M

2014-06-01

Embedding research capabilities and workforce development activities with clinical service entities promotes the development of sustainable, innovative, quality-focused oral health care services. Clinical and strategic governance is an important area of consideration for rural and remote dental services, posing particular challenges for smaller service structures. Sustaining remote area dental services has some significant complexities beyond those involved in urban service models. This study describes the sustaining structure of a remote area dental service with a decade of history. In the current climate, chief among these challenges may be those associated with dental workforce shortages as these impact most heavily in the public sector, and most particularly, in remote areas. As sustained workforce solutions come from developing a future workforce, an essential element of the workforce governance framework for remote dental service provision should be the inclusion of a student participation programme. Collaborative partnership approaches with Aboriginal health services promote the development and maintenance of effective, culturally sensitive dental services within rural and remote Aboriginal communities. Having sustained care for 10 years, this collaborative model of integrated research, education and service has demonstrated its effectiveness as a service model for Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. This descriptive study finds the core values for this success have been communication, clinical leadership, mentorship within effective governance systems all linked to an integrated education and research agenda. © 2014 Australian Dental Association.

Soil carbon management in large-scale Earth system modelling: implications for crop yields and nitrogen leaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olin, S.; Lindeskog, M.; Pugh, T. A. M.; Schurgers, G.; Wårlind, D.; Mishurov, M.; Zaehle, S.; Stocker, B. D.; Smith, B.; Arneth, A.

2015-11-01

Croplands are vital ecosystems for human well-being and provide important ecosystem services such as crop yields, retention of nitrogen and carbon storage. On large (regional to global)-scale levels, assessment of how these different services will vary in space and time, especially in response to cropland management, are scarce. We explore cropland management alternatives and the effect these can have on future C and N pools and fluxes using the land-use-enabled dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS (Lund-Potsdam-Jena General Ecosystem Simulator). Simulated crop production, cropland carbon storage, carbon sequestration and nitrogen leaching from croplands are evaluated and discussed. Compared to the version of LPJ-GUESS that does not include land-use dynamics, estimates of soil carbon stocks and nitrogen leaching from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems were improved. Our model experiments allow us to investigate trade-offs between these ecosystem services that can be provided from agricultural fields. These trade-offs are evaluated for current land use and climate and further explored for future conditions within the two future climate change scenarios, RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) 2.6 and 8.5. Our results show that the potential for carbon sequestration due to typical cropland management practices such as no-till management and cover crops proposed in previous studies is not realised, globally or over larger climatic regions. Our results highlight important considerations to be made when modelling C-N interactions in agricultural ecosystems under future environmental change and the effects these have on terrestrial biogeochemical cycles.

Status of Day Care in Canada, 1984: A Review of the Major Findings of the National Day Care Study, 1984 = Situation de la garde de jour au Canada, 1984: Revue des principales conclusions tirees de l'etude nationale menee en 1984 sur la garde de jour.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Day Care Information Centre, Ottawa (Ontario).

Intended to give Canadians a general overview of the country's day care services, the study was undertaken by the Social Service Programs Branch, Health and Welfare, Canada. Begun in 1971 and updated yearly since 1973, the national survey provides an inventory of day care spaces which can be used to measure future growth in day care and to…

Space Operations Center System Analysis: Requirements for a Space Operations Center, revision A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodcock, G. R.

1982-01-01

The system and program requirements for a space operations center as defined by systems analysis studies are presented as a guide for future study and systems definition. Topics covered include general requirements for safety, maintainability, and reliability, service and habitat modules, the health maintenance facility; logistics modules; the docking tunnel; and subsystem requirements (structures, electrical power, environmental control/life support; extravehicular activity; data management; communications and tracking; docking/berthing; flight control/propulsion; and crew support). Facilities for flight support, construction, satellite and mission servicing, and fluid storage are included as well as general purpose support equipment.

Alcohol use in the service industry.

PubMed

Larsen, S

1994-06-01

It is frequently alleged that hotel and restaurant personnel drink more than other groups in the service industry, although only indirect evidence has been presented to substantiate this allegation. This paper reports data from two surveys concerning alcohol use in different segments of the service industry. In the first study 84 students at three different colleges in the Stavanger region were interviewed concerning their alcohol habits using the screening instrument AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). The second survey concentrated on service employees in the Rogaland area. One hundred and five respondents answered the AUDIT questionnaire in this study. The results showed that hotel and restaurant affiliated individuals scored significantly higher on the AUDIT than the other respondents. The first survey indicated that students at the Norwegian College of Hotel Management obtained significantly higher AUDIT scores than other groups of students, whereas the second survey indicated that restaurant workers scored significantly higher than employees in other branches of the service industry. Implications of these results, as well as future research demands were indicated.

Ecosystem Services in Risk Assessment and Management

EPA Science Inventory

The ecosystem services concept provides a comprehensive framework for considering ecosystems in decision making, for valuing the services they provide, and for ensuring that society can maintain a healthy and resilient natural environment now and for future generations. A global ...

Identifying and describing patients' learning experiences towards self-management of bipolar disorders: a phenomenological study.

PubMed

Van den Heuvel, S C G H; Goossens, P J J; Terlouw, C; Van Achterberg, T; Schoonhoven, L

2015-12-01

Existing evidence suggest that patient education in promoting self-management strategies of bipolar disorder (BD) is effective. However, results across the full range of service users with BD vary. Learning experiences of service users look to be a crucial factor to take into account when designing, delivering, and evaluating effective interventions that promote self-management in chronic illness. What learning activities service users actually undertake themselves when self-managing BD that might explain varying success rates, and guide future self-management educational programmes has not been examined. Unlike previous studies that suggest that outcomes in self-management depend on individual learning activities, the current study found that learning to self-manage BD takes place in a social network that functions as a learning environment in which it is saved for service users to make mistakes and to learn from these mistakes. Especially, coping with the dormant fear of a recurrent episode and acknowledging the limitations of an individual approach are important factors that facilitate this learning process. Practitioners who provide patient education in order to promote self-management of BD should tailor future interventions that facilitate learning by reflecting on the own experiences of service users. Community psychiatric nurses should keep an open discussion with service users and caregivers, facilitate the use of a network, and re-label problems into learning situations where both play an active role in building mutual trust, thereby enhancing self-management of BD. Existing evidence suggest that self-management education of bipolar disorder (BD) is effective. However, why outcomes differ across the full range of service users has not been examined. This study describes learning experiences of service users in self-managing BD that provide a possible explanation for this varying effectiveness. We have conducted a phenomenological study via face-to-face, in-depth interviews, guided by a topic list, along service users with BD I or II (n = 16) in three specialised community care clinics across the Netherlands. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim prior to analysis in Atlas.ti 7. Unlike existing studies, which suggest that individual abilities of service users determine outcomes in self-management of BD, the current study found that self-management of BD is a learning process that takes place in a collaborative network. We identified five categories: acknowledgment of having BD, processing the information load, illness management, reflecting on living with BD, and self-management of BD. The success of self-management depends on the acknowledgment of individual limitations in learning to cope with BD and willingness to use a social network as a back-up instead. Especially, the dormant fear of a recurrent episode is a hampering factor in this learning process. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Smart information system for gachon university gil hospital.

PubMed

Park, Dong Kyun; Jung, Eun Young; Jeong, Byung Hui; Moon, Byung Chan; Kang, Hyung Wook; Tchah, Hann; Han, Gi Seong; Cheng, Woo Sung; Lee, Young Ho

2012-03-01

In this research, the hospital information system of Gachon University Gil hospital is introduced and a future strategy for hospital information systems is proposed. This research introduces the development conditions of hospital information system at Gachon University Gil hospital, information about the development of the enterprise resource planning (ERP), a medical service process improvement system, and the personal health record (PHR) system. The medical service process and work efficiency were improved through the medical service process improvement system, which is the most common hospital information system at Gachon University Gil hospital and which includes an emergency medical service system, an online evaluation system and a round support system. Gachon University Gil hospital developed medical service improvement systems to increase work efficiency of medical team and optimized the systems to prove the availability of high-quality medical services for patients and their families. The PHR-based personalized health care solution is under development and will provide higher quality medical service for more patients in the future.

Analysis and application of intelligence network based on FTTH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xiancheng; Yun, Xiang

2008-12-01

With the continued rapid growth of Internet, new network service emerges in endless stream, especially the increase of network game, meeting TV, video on demand, etc. The bandwidth requirement increase continuously. Network technique, optical device technical development is swift and violent. FTTH supports all present and future service with enormous bandwidth, including traditional telecommunication service, traditional data service and traditional TV service, and the future digital TV and VOD. With huge bandwidth of FTTH, it wins the final solution of broadband network, becomes the final goal of development of optical access network. Firstly, it introduces the main service which FTTH supports, main analysis key technology such as FTTH system composition way, topological structure, multiplexing, optical cable and device. It focus two kinds of realization methods - PON, P2P technology. Then it proposed that the solution of FTTH can support comprehensive access (service such as broadband data, voice, video and narrowband private line). Finally, it shows the engineering application for FTTH in the district and building. It brings enormous economic benefits and social benefit.

Smart Information System for Gachon University Gil Hospital

PubMed Central

Jung, Eun Young; Jeong, Byung Hui; Moon, Byung Chan; Kang, Hyung Wook; Tchah, Hann; Han, Gi Seong; Cheng, Woo Sung; Lee, Young Ho

2012-01-01

Objectives In this research, the hospital information system of Gachon University Gil hospital is introduced and a future strategy for hospital information systems is proposed. Methods This research introduces the development conditions of hospital information system at Gachon University Gil hospital, information about the development of the enterprise resource planning (ERP), a medical service process improvement system, and the personal health record (PHR) system. Results The medical service process and work efficiency were improved through the medical service process improvement system, which is the most common hospital information system at Gachon University Gil hospital and which includes an emergency medical service system, an online evaluation system and a round support system. Conclusions Gachon University Gil hospital developed medical service improvement systems to increase work efficiency of medical team and optimized the systems to prove the availability of high-quality medical services for patients and their families. The PHR-based personalized health care solution is under development and will provide higher quality medical service for more patients in the future. PMID:22509476

Stochastic Modeling of Airlines' Scheduled Services Revenue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamed, M. M.

1999-01-01

Airlines' revenue generated from scheduled services account for the major share in the total revenue. As such, predicting airlines' total scheduled services revenue is of great importance both to the governments (in case of national airlines) and private airlines. This importance stems from the need to formulate future airline strategic management policies, determine government subsidy levels, and formulate governmental air transportation policies. The prediction of the airlines' total scheduled services revenue is dealt with in this paper. Four key components of airline's scheduled services are considered. These include revenues generated from passenger, cargo, mail, and excess baggage. By addressing the revenue generated from each schedule service separately, air transportation planners and designers arc able to enhance their ability to formulate specific strategies for each component. Estimation results clearly indicate that the four stochastic processes (scheduled services components) are represented by different Box-Jenkins ARIMA models. The results demonstrate the appropriateness of the developed models and their ability to provide air transportation planners with future information vital to the planning and design processes.

Stochastic Modeling of Airlines' Scheduled Services Revenue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamed, M. M.

1999-01-01

Airlines' revenue generated from scheduled services account for the major share in the total revenue. As such, predicting airlines' total scheduled services revenue is of great importance both to the governments (in case of national airlines) and private airlines. This importance stems from the need to formulate future airline strategic management policies, determine government subsidy levels, and formulate governmental air transportation policies. The prediction of the airlines' total scheduled services revenue is dealt with in this paper. Four key components of airline's scheduled services are considered. These include revenues generated from passenger, cargo, mail, and excess baggage. By addressing the revenue generated from each schedule service separately, air transportation planners and designers are able to enhance their ability to formulate specific strategies for each component. Estimation results clearly indicate that the four stochastic processes (scheduled services components) are represented by different Box-Jenkins ARIMA models. The results demonstrate the appropriateness of the developed models and their ability to provide air transportation planners with future information vital to the planning and design processes.

Characteristics of a future aeronautical satellite communications system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sohn, Philip Y.; Stern, Alan; Schmidt, Fred

1991-01-01

A possible operational system scenario for providing satellite communications services to the future aviation community was analyzed. The system concept relies on a Ka-band (20/30 GHz) satellite that utilizes Multibeam Antenna (MBA) technology. The aircraft terminal uses an extremely small aperture antenna as a result of using this higher spectrum at Ka-band. The satellite functions as a relay between the aircraft and the ground stations. The ground stations function as interfaces to the existing terrestrial networks such as the Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN). Various system tradeoffs are first examined to ensure optimized system parameters. High level performance specifications and design approaches are generated for the space, ground, and aeronautical elements in the system. Both technical and economical issues affecting the feasibility of the studied concept are addressed with the 1995 timeframe in mind.

Characteristics of a future aeronautical satellite communications system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sohn, Philip Y.; Stern, Alan; Schmidt, Fred

1991-01-01

A possible operational system scenario for providing satellite communications services to the future aviation community was analyzed. The system concept relies on a Ka-band (20/30 GHz) satellite that utilizes multibeam antenna (MBA) technology. The aircraft terminal uses an extremely small aperture antenna as a result of using this higher spectrum at Ka-band. The satellite functions as a relay between the aircraft and the ground stations. The ground stations function as interfaces to the existing terrestrial networks such as the Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN). Various system tradeoffs are first examined to ensure optimized system parameters. High level performance specifications and design approaches are generated for the space, ground, and aeronautical elements in the system. Both technical and economical issues affecting the feasibility of the studied concept are addressed with the 1995 timeframe in mind.

Operations analysis (study 2.1): Shuttle upper stage software requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, R. R.

1974-01-01

An investigation of software costs related to space shuttle upper stage operations with emphasis on the additional costs attributable to space servicing was conducted. The questions and problem areas include the following: (1) the key parameters involved with software costs; (2) historical data for extrapolation of future costs; (3) elements of the basic software development effort that are applicable to servicing functions; (4) effect of multiple servicing on complexity of the operation; and (5) are recurring software costs significant. The results address these questions and provide a foundation for estimating software costs based on the costs of similar programs and a series of empirical factors.

Examining the support needs of ageing family carers in developing future plans for a relative with an intellectual disability.

PubMed

Taggart, Laurence; Truesdale-Kennedy, Maria; Ryan, Assumpta; McConkey, Roy

2012-09-01

Planning for the future care of adults with an intellectual disability after the main family carer ceases their care, continues to be a sensitive and difficult time posing challenges for service providers internationally. Limited research has been undertaken on this topic because until recently, people with intellectual disability usually pre-deceased their parents. This study examined ageing carers' preferences for future care and the support systems required to make such future plans. The study was conducted in one region of the United Kingdom with a high proportion of family carers. A mixed methods design was employed. In Stage 1, a structured questionnaire was used to collate information on the health, caregiving demands and future planning preferences of 112 parent and sibling carers; aged 60-94 years. In Stage 2, 19 in-depth semistructured interviews were undertaken with a sample of carers to explore a range of issues around future planning. Over half of the carers were lone carers, mainly female, with many reporting a wide range of health problems. A third of these carers reported that their caregiving resulted in high levels of anxiety. The main preference of the carers was for the person to remain in the family home, with either the family and/or paid staff to support them. A minority of parent carers preferred the person to move into the home of a sibling, although some favoured the person moving to a residential facility with other people with intellectual disabilities. The majority of carers did not want their relative to move into an older people's residential/nursing facility. In the qualitative data, four main themes were identified around future planning: unremitting apprehension, the extent of planning, obstacles encountered and solutions for future planning. Avoidance, lack of guidance and a lack of appropriate residential provision were cited as obstacles to making future plans compounded by the emotional upset experienced by carers in thinking about the future. Findings of this study clearly identify the emotional, informational and practical supports required by these ageing family carers. These findings have national and international relevance in influencing how governments and service providers support parent and sibling carers to proactively plan for the future, and in the development of both in-home and out-of-home options when a family carer can no longer provide care. This is more urgent than ever given the growing numbers of older persons with intellectual disabilities in future decades.

Design and impact assessment of watershed investments: An approach based on ecosystem services and boundary work

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

Adem Esmail, Blal, E-mail: blal.ademesmail@unitn.it; Geneletti, Davide

Watershed investments, whose main aim is to secure water for cities, represent a promising opportunity for large-scale sustainability transitions in the near future. If properly designed, they promote activities in the watershed that enhance ecosystem services while protecting nature and biodiversity, as well as achieving other societal goals. In this paper, we build on the concepts of ecosystem services and boundary work, to develop and test an operative approach for designing and assessing the impact of watershed investments. The approach is structured to facilitate negotiations among stakeholders. Its strategic component includes setting the agenda; defining investment scenarios; and assessing themore » performance of watershed investments as well as planning for a follow-up. Its technical component concerns data processing; tailoring spatially explicit ecosystem service models; hence their application to design a set of “investment portfolios”, generate future land use scenarios, and model impacts on selected ecosystem services. A case study illustrates how the technical component can be developed in a data scarce context in sub-Saharan Africa in a way that is functional to support the steps of the strategic component. The case study addresses soil erosion and water scarcity-related challenges affecting Asmara, a medium-sized city in Eritrea, and considers urban water security and rural poverty alleviation as two illustrative objectives, within a ten-year planning horizon. The case study results consist in spatially explicit data (investment portfolio, land use scenario, impact on ecosystem services), which were aggregated to quantitatively assess the performance of different watershed investments scenarios, in terms of changes in soil erosion control. By addressing stakeholders' concerns of credibility, saliency, and legitimacy, the approach is expected to facilitate negotiation of objectives, definition of scenarios, and assessment of alternative watershed investments, ultimately, to contribute to implementing an adaptive watershed management.« less

Quality of medical service, patient satisfaction and loyalty with a focus on interpersonal-based medical service encounters and treatment effectiveness: a cross-sectional multicenter study of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) hospitals.

PubMed

Kim, Chang Eun; Shin, Joon-Shik; Lee, Jinho; Lee, Yoon Jae; Kim, Me-Riong; Choi, Areum; Park, Ki Byung; Lee, Ho-Joo; Ha, In-Hyuk

2017-03-28

Treatment effectiveness holds considerable importance in the association between service quality and satisfaction in medical service studies. While complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use grows more prominent, comprehensive evaluations of the quality of medical service at CAM-oriented hospitals are scarce. This study assesses the quality of medical services provided at a CAM-oriented hospital of Korean medicine using the service encounter system approach and analyzes the influence of treatment effectiveness on patient loyalty. A survey study using one-on-one interviews was conducted using a cross-sectional design in outpatients visiting one of fifteen Korean medicine facilities located throughout Korea. A total of 880 surveys were completed from June to July, 2014, and 728 surveys were included in the final analysis after excluding incomplete or incorrect questionnaires. The reliability and validity of the surveys was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis, and a structural equation modeling analysis was performed to verify causality and association between factors (quality of medical service, treatment effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and intent to revisit). The measured factors of physician performance and quality of service procedures had a positive effect on treatment effectiveness. The impression of the facilities and environment directly impacted satisfaction rates for interpersonal-based medical service encounters, while treatment effectiveness positively affected satisfaction regarding quality of medical service. However, treatment effectiveness had a more significant effect on satisfaction compared to facilities and environment, and it indirectly affected satisfaction and directly influenced intent to revisit. Treatment effectiveness and satisfaction both positively influenced intent to revisit. The importance of treatment effectiveness should be recognized when examining quality of medical services, and we hope that these findings may contribute to future studies.

Stated choice for transportation demand management models : using a disaggregate truth set to study predictive validity

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

Discrete choice models have expanded the ability of transportation planners to forecast future trends. Where new services or policies are proposed, the stated-choice approach can provide an objective basis for forecasts. Stated-choice models are subj...

A STUDY OF FRINGE BENEFITS.

DTIC Science & Technology

Fringe benefits as a term was coined by the War Labor Board during World War II to describe the various indirect benefits which industry had devised...trends for the future. The appendix contains an analysis of comparative costs of fringe benefits in industry and the military services. (Author)

Environmental Literacy of Pre-Service Teachers in Israel: A Comparison between Students at the Onset and End of Their Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavetz, Bela; Goldman, Daphne; Pe'er, Sara

2009-01-01

The adequate preparation of teacher education students in environmental education is a prerequisite for their future ability to design and implement effective environmental education. This longitudinal study compared the environmental literacy of 214 students at the onset and towards the end of their studies, in three academic colleges of…

Impact of Using Facebook as a Social Learning Platform to Connect High School Students with Working Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamauchi, Yuhei; Fujimoto, Toru; Takahashi, Kaoru; Araki, Junko; Otsuji, Yusuke; Suzuki, Hisashi

2012-01-01

This study examines "the Socla study program" to build a social learning community for high school students using Facebook and other Internet services. In the two-week program, the students worked on individual study projects that focused on their future plans. With the help of volunteer supporters and facilitators, the students found…

The unique experience of home for parents and carers of children with disabilities.

PubMed

Aplin, Tammy; Thornton, Heloise; Gustafsson, Louise

2017-01-24

The aim of this paper was to investigate the experience of home for parents and carers of children with disabilities in Australia. Data for this qualitative study were gathered using semi-structured interviews with four families living in their own homes. An inductive thematic analysis revealed two main themes. The first was titled 'Aspects making everyday life easier' explored the aspects of the home environment that facilitated home life for the child, including access to transport, services, family and home modifications. The second theme 'Decisions and efforts to create opportunities for the child' emphasized the efforts made by parents and carers to promote their child's independence and participation including a strong consideration for their children's future needs. The study indicated that the location of home, appropriate home modifications and planning for the future defined the experience of home for parents and carers. These findings identify some important considerations for occupational therapists when providing services in the homes of families with children who have a disability.

Information specialist for a coming age (1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Kunihiko

It is said that a drastic progress is being made in information service today. Author guesses what talent and quality will be needed for future information specialist, on the assumption of image of the future information service. In the highly computerized society, information specialist will be required to make a quick delivery of high quality information. To meet such a high level request from researchers, information specialist will have to acquire much more information technology than ever. In the coming age of SIS, information specialist should have a qualification for librarian and researcher, and try to offer the active service with the enhanced technology.

Measuring service quality and its relationship to future consumer behavior.

PubMed

Headley, D E; Miller, S J

1993-01-01

The authors adapt the SERVQUAL scale for medical care services and examine it for reliability, dimensionality, and validity in a primary care clinic setting. In addition, they explore the possibility of a link between perceived service quality--and its various dimensions--and a patient's future intent to complain, compliment, repeat purchase, and switch providers. Findings from 159 matched-pair responses indicate that the SERVQUAL scale can be adapted reliably to a clinic setting and that the dimensions of reliability, dependability, and empathy are most predictive of a patient's intent to complain, compliment, repeat purchase, and switch providers.

Multidisciplinary management--an opportunity for service integration.

PubMed

Cameron, M

1997-01-01

The management team of the future will enter an environment requiring facilitation, participation, clinical, and empowerment skills. Those individuals who possess a clinical orientation as well as business expertise will be sought to manage multidisciplinary units. The rapid changes in the health-care environment have forced organizations to restructure their operations. To achieve quality care, customer satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency, service integration across the organization will be required. As we approach the 21st century, this standard will evolve until "all levels are managing patient care." Some of the restructuring trends occurring in the health-care industry have been collaboration service integration, management consolidation, and job elimination. The emphasis for the multidisciplinary manager of the future will include integrating the professional and clinical services, managing information, building community partnerships, promoting physician collaboration, and managing the change process. A model organization in the next century will move toward a people-oriented system with inclusion and empowerment initiatives. Service integration will affect all organizations, but the disciplines within the Clinical Support System will be the most affected. Future opportunities of leadership will exist for pathologists, nurses, or medical technologists as the professional silos of managers and clinicians continue to crumble.

The Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on Prison Health Services and Offender Management.

PubMed

Piccolino, Adam L; Solberg, Kenneth B

2014-07-01

A large percentage of incarcerated offenders report a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with concomitant neuropsychiatric and social sequelae. However, research looking at the relationship between TBI and delivery of correctional health services and offender management is limited. In this study, the relationships between TBI and use of correctional medical/psychological services, chemical dependency (CD) treatment completion rates, in-prison rule infractions, and recidivism were investigated. Findings indicated that TBI history has a statistically significant association with increased usage of correctional medical/psychological services, including crisis interventions services, and with higher recidivism rates. Results also showed a trend toward offenders with TBI incurring higher rates of in-prison rule infractions and lower rates of CD treatment completion. Implications and future directions for correctional systems are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Discrete choice experiments in pharmacy: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Naik-Panvelkar, Pradnya; Armour, Carol; Saini, Bandana

2013-02-01

Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) have been widely used to elicit patient preferences for various healthcare services and interventions. The aim of our study was to conduct an in-depth scoping review of the literature and provide a current overview of the progressive application of DCEs within the field of pharmacy. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, ECONLIT) were searched (January 1990-August 2011) to identify published English language studies using DCEs within the pharmacy context. Data were abstracted with respect to DCE methodology and application to pharmacy. Our search identified 12 studies. The DCE methodology was utilised to elicit preferences for different aspects of pharmacy products, therapy or services. Preferences were elicited from either patients or pharmacists, with just two studies incorporating the views of both. Most reviewed studies examined preferences for process-related or provider-related aspects with a lesser focus on health outcomes. Monetary attributes were considered to be important by most patients and pharmacists in the studies reviewed. Logit, probit or multinomial logit models were most commonly employed for estimation. Our study showed that the pharmacy profession has adopted the DCE methodology consistent with the general health DCEs although the number of studies is quite limited. Future studies need to examine preferences of both patients and providers for particular products or disease-state management services. Incorporation of health outcome attributes in the design, testing for external validity and the incorporation of DCE results in economic evaluation framework to inform pharmacy policy remain important areas for future research. © 2012 The Authors. IJPP © 2012 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

An Alternative Futures Analysis of Ecosystem Service Trade-offs in Agricultural Production, Water Quality and Water Yield from the Soyang Lake Watershed in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tenhunen, J. D.; Kang, S.; Huwe, B.; Kim, B.; Koellner, T.; Ok, Y.; Nguyen, T.

2009-12-01

The international consortium project TERRECO (Complex Terrain and Ecological Heterogeneity) applies a transdisciplinary modelling approach to examine current and potential future natural resource use within the largest reservoir system of South Korea, Soyang Lake Watershed. Due to intensive fertilization, small catchments within the watershed export some of the world’s highest levels for N and P, while steep terrain and monsoon rains result in extremely high material transport. To consider alternative future management, integrated modelling approaches are required for land surface processes and production, for hydrological phenomena and transport, for economic evaluation of ecosystem services, and for management and decision-making. These in turn are supported by ground-based studies of ecosystem physiology and agricultural yield, of soil properties and erosion, of runoff and stream transport and flows, of groundwater exchange, of farm economic balances, of county and provincial statistical data bases, and of individual preferences in decision-making within a particular regulatory and economic framework. Experimental design and intial results from these project components are reported. A required partnership with agencies that currently have the mission to carry out land use planning and to advise in policy making is described. A common interest among project participants and agency planners exists, since scenarios should quantify the effects of land use decisions that are in tune with stakeholder demands. Additional evaluations go beyond stakeholder desires to consider land use contributing to sustainable ecosystem services. Progress is reported in addressing the scaling issues critical to transdisciplinary integration, which over the long-term will allow assessments of alternative futures in resource use and in ecosystem services. Information flows and bridging undertaken and planned within the TERRECO project which examines trade-offs in agricultural production versus water quality and water yield in the Soyang Lake watershed of South Korea.

7 CFR 735.112 - Terminal and futures contract markets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Terminal and futures contract markets. 735.112 Section... Warehouse Licensing § 735.112 Terminal and futures contract markets. (a) DACO may issue service licenses to... in satisfaction of futures contracts in such contract markets or as may be prescribed in any...

Farmers' contribution to landscape services in the Netherlands under different rural development scenarios.

PubMed

Pfeifer, Catherine; Sonneveld, Marthijn P W; Stoorvogel, Jetse J

2012-11-30

Landscape services represent the benefits human populations derive, directly or indirectly, from (agro-)ecosystem functions at the landscape scale. Many of these services are the result of farmers' decision making to allocate resources to other activities than food production and therefore are the result of farm the adoption of on-farm rural activities. With changing agricultural and rural policies, the future provision of landscape services to fulfill societal demands is not guaranteed. This study aims at mapping the spatial distribution of the adoption of on-farm rural activities under different explorative scenarios. For a Dutch landscape, storylines at the landscape scale were developed by combining global storylines, resulting from the Global Environmental Outlook, with local storylines resulting from key informant interviews. Subsequently these storylines were translated into quantitative scenarios that were implemented into a simulation procedure based on spatially explicit econometric models of farmer's decision making. Results show that further market liberalization leads to a decrease of landscape services in the study area. In our study, only increased cooperation between government, farmers and citizens appears to result in a general increase of all landscape services across the entire landscape. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Hospital Services Based on Patient Experience Data: Current Feedback Practices and Future Opportunities.

PubMed

Kaipio, Johanna; Stenhammar, Hanna; Immonen, Susanna; Litovuo, Lauri; Axelsson, Minja; Lantto, Minna; Lahdenne, Pekka

2018-01-01

Patient feedback is considered important for healthcare organizations. However, measurement and analysis of patient reported data is useful only if gathered insights are transformed into actions. This article focuses on gathering and utilization of patient experience data at hospitals with the aim of supporting the development of patient-centered services. The study was designed to explore both current practices of collecting and utilizing patient feedback at hospitals as well as future feedback-related opportunities. Nine people working at different hierarchical levels of three university hospitals in Finland participated in in-depth interviews. Findings indicate that current feedback processes are poorly planned and inflexible. Some feedback data are gathered, but not systematically utilized. Currently, it is difficult to obtain a comprehensive picture of the situation. One future hope was to increase the amount of patient feedback to be able to better generalize and utilize the data. Based on the findings the following recommendations are given: attention to both patients' and healthcare staff's perspectives when collecting feedback, employing a coordinated approach for collecting and utilizing patient feedback, and organizational transformation towards a patient-centric culture.

Intrauterine devices: learning from the past and looking to the future.

PubMed

Petta, C A; McPheeters, M; Chi, I C

1996-04-01

This paper reviews the historical development of the IUD, describing the challenges and successes, and attempts to offer a balanced perspective for family planning service workers today. Modern IUDs are an important component of family planning services and an excellent contraceptive choice for properly screened women, providing contraception that is safe, effective, long lasting and cost effective. Potential research strategies for the future are also discussed.