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Sample records for professional support network

  1. Identity and Professional Networking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raj, Medha; Fast, Nathanael J; Fisher, Oliver

    2017-06-01

    Despite evidence that large professional networks afford a host of financial and professional benefits, people vary in how motivated they are to build such networks. To help explain this variance, the present article moves beyond a rational self-interest account to examine the possibility that identity shapes individuals' intentions to network. Study 1 established a positive association between viewing professional networking as identity-congruent and the tendency to prioritize strengthening and expanding one's professional network. Study 2 revealed that manipulating the salience of the self affects networking intentions, but only among those high in networking identity-congruence. Study 3 further established causality by experimentally manipulating identity-congruence to increase networking intentions. Study 4 examined whether identity or self-interest is a better predictor of networking intentions, providing support for the former. These findings indicate that identity influences the networks people develop. Implications for research on the self, identity-based motivation, and professional networking are discussed.

  2. Effective professional networking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goolsby, Mary Jo; Knestrick, Joyce M

    2017-08-01

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

  3. Exploring Practice-Research Networks for Critical Professional Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Appleby, Yvon; Hillier, Yvonne

    2012-01-01

    This paper discusses the contribution that practice-research networks can make to support critical professional development in the Learning and Skills sector in England. By practice-research networks we mean groups or networks which maintain a connection between research and professional practice. These networks stem from the philosophy of…

  4. An Implementation of a Twitter-Supported Personal Learning Network to Individualize Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deyamport, W. H., III.

    2013-01-01

    In this action research study, eight teachers at an elementary school were trained in the use of Twitter to support the development of a personal learning network as a strategy to address non-differentiated professional development at the school. The main research question for this study was: In what ways, if any, can the use of a…

  5. The relationship between continuing education and perceived competence, professional support, and professional value among clinical psychologists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, Stacy; Drapeau, Martin; Destefano, Jack

    2012-01-01

    Continuing education is one of the means by which professionals maintain and increase their level of competence. However, the relationship between continuing education and the professional's sense of personal competence and other practice-related variables remains unclear. This study examined practicing psychologists' continuing education activities and how these relate to feelings of perceived competence, professional value, and professional support. Psychologists (n = 418) licensed to practice in Quebec were surveyed by pencil-and-paper mail-in survey concerning their continuing education activities, as well as their perceptions of their competence in practice, and their feelings of being professionally valued and professionally supported. Results indicated that feelings of competence in practice were related to professional reading, taking courses/workshops, years being licensed, and attending psychology conferences/conventions. Feelings of professional value were related to age and participating in psychology networking groups, and feelings of professional support were related to participating in case discussion groups, supervision groups, and psychology networking groups. The results showcase the complexity of professional development. Although relationships were found between continuing education activities and the 3 factors of interest, these relationships were moderate. Findings are discussed in the context of their value to individual psychologists, as well as to psychology licensing and regulatory boards, such as promoting participation in those activities related to feelings of competence and support. Copyright © 2012 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

  6. Networking for knowledge capacity building of procurement professionals in Ghana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kissi Ernest

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The role of public procurement professionals in achieving value for money in public procurement activities is widely acknowledged around the globe. This has inspired the organisation of training programmes and workshops for procurement professionals, particularly those in developing countries in order to hone their knowledge and skills for proper management of government projects. This paper sought to explore the opportunities in networking for knowledge capacity building of procurement professionals in Ghana. The study adopted quantitative research methods for both data collection and analysis. The paper revealed that professional networking can offer procurement professionals the opportunity to acquire new knowledge from external professionals, know global trends about procurement practice, and obtain new information from other institutions about procurement. It is recommended that a platform that can support a network of procurement professionals in Ghana should be developed in order to ensure effective interaction and communication among procurement professionals for their capacity building.

  7. The Influence of Recognition and Social Support on European Health Professionals' Occupational Stress: A Demands-Control-Social Support-Recognition Bayesian Network Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Herrero, Susana; Lopez-Garcia, Jose R; Herrera, Sixto; Fontaneda, Ignacio; Báscones, Sonia Muñoz; Mariscal, Miguel A

    2017-01-01

    Healthcare professionals undergo high levels of occupational stress as a result of their working conditions. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop a model that focuses on healthcare professionals so as to analyze the influence that job demands, control, social support, and recognition have on the likelihood that a worker will experience stress. The data collected correspond to 2,211 healthcare workers from 35 countries, as reported in the sixth European Working Condition Survey (EWCS). The results obtained from this study allow us to infer stress under several working condition scenarios and to identify the more relevant variables in order to reduce this stress in healthcare professionals, which is of paramount importance to managing the stress of workers in this sector. The Bayesian network proposed indicates that emotional demands have a greater influence on raising the likelihood of stress due to workload than do family demands. The results show that the support of colleagues, in general, has less effect on reducing stress than social support from superiors. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis shows that, in high-demand and low-control situations, recognition clearly impacts stress, drastically reducing it.

  8. Networked professional learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sloep, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Sloep, P. B. (2013). Networked professional learning. In A. Littlejohn, & A. Margaryan (Eds.), Technology-enhanced Professional Learning: Processes, Practices and Tools (pp. 97–108). London: Routledge.

  9. Head teacher professional networks in Italy: preliminary results of a national survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurissens Isabel de

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we present the preliminary results of a national survey conducted by INDIRE on head teachers communities and professional networks. About one-fourth of the total population of Italian public school leaders participated in the survey. One of the main intents of this research is to contribute to understanding of the phenomenon of professional networks frequented by school leaders and to pave the way for a further reflection on how to use such networks for head teachers’ training so as to support their daily professional practice conducted too often in isolation.

  10. Growing a professional network to over 3000 members in less than 4 years: evaluation of InspireNet, British Columbia's virtual nursing health services research network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisch, Noreen; Atherton, Pat; Borycki, Elizabeth; Mickelson, Grace; Cordeiro, Jennifer; Novak Lauscher, Helen; Black, Agnes

    2014-02-21

    Use of Web 2.0 and social media technologies has become a new area of research among health professionals. Much of this work has focused on the use of technologies for health self-management and the ways technologies support communication between care providers and consumers. This paper addresses a new use of technology in providing a platform for health professionals to support professional development, increase knowledge utilization, and promote formal/informal professional communication. Specifically, we report on factors necessary to attract and sustain health professionals' use of a network designed to increase nurses' interest in and use of health services research and to support knowledge utilization activities in British Columbia, Canada. "InspireNet", a virtual professional network for health professionals, is a living laboratory permitting documentation of when and how professionals take up Web 2.0 and social media. Ongoing evaluation documents our experiences in establishing, operating, and evaluating this network. Overall evaluation methods included (1) tracking website use, (2) conducting two member surveys, and (3) soliciting member feedback through focus groups and interviews with those who participated in electronic communities of practice (eCoPs) and other stakeholders. These data have been used to learn about the types of support that seem relevant to network growth. Network growth exceeded all expectations. Members engaged with varying aspects of the network's virtual technologies, such as teams of professionals sharing a common interest, research teams conducting their work, and instructional webinars open to network members. Members used wikis, blogs, and discussion groups to support professional work, as well as a members' database with contact information and areas of interest. The database is accessed approximately 10 times per day. InspireNet public blog posts are accessed roughly 500 times each. At the time of writing, 21 research teams

  11. Issue Professionals in Transnational Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Lasse Folke; Seabrooke, Leonard

    Professionals and organizations both seek to exploit and cooperate with each other. Professionals seek alliances in their own peer networks while organizations do the same. These networks carry not only information that inform incentives but norms about appropriate forms of governance and practices...

  12. Organized network for supporting the amateur-scientist co-operation in Finland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mäkelä, V.; Haukka, H.; Oksanen, A.; Hentunen, V.-P.

    2014-04-01

    PROAM network is a working group of Ursa Astronomical Association [1] for supporting Finnish amateur astronomers participating to co-operation projects between professional and amateur astronomers. The network relays the information on projects, maintains professional contacts and arranges training on technical skills for research work.

  13. Use of professional and informal support by African Americans and Caribbean blacks with mental disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodward, Amanda Toler; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Bullard, Kai McKeever; Neighbors, Harold W; Chatters, Linda M; Jackson, James S

    2008-11-01

    This study investigated the use of professional services and informal support among African Americans and Caribbean blacks with a lifetime mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder. Data were from the National Survey of American Life. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test the utilization of professional services only, informal support only, both, or neither. Analyses controlled for sociodemographic characteristics, disorder-related variables, and family network variables. The analytic sample included 1,096 African Americans and 372 Caribbean blacks. Forty-one percent used both professional services and informal support, 14% relied on professional services only, 23% used informal support only, and 22% did not seek help. There were no significant differences in help seeking between African Americans and Caribbean blacks. Having co-occurring mental and substance use disorders, having a severe disorder in the past 12 months, having more people in the informal helper network, and being female increased the likelihood of using professional services and informal supports. When men sought help, they were more likely to rely on informal helpers. Marital status, age, and socioeconomic status were also significantly related to help seeking. The significant proportion of black Americans with a mental disorder who relied on informal support alone, professional services alone, or no help at all suggests potential unmet need in this group. However, the reliance on informal support also may be evidence of a strong protective role that informal networks play in the lives of African Americans and Caribbean blacks.

  14. The Significance of Kinship for Medical Education: Reflections on the Use of a Bespoke Social Network to Support Learners' Professional Identities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatzipanagos, Stylianos; John, Bernadette; Chiu, Yuan-Li Tiffany

    2016-03-03

    Social media can support and sustain communities much better than previous generations of learning technologies, where institutional barriers undermined any initiatives for embedding formal and informal learning. Some of the many types of social media have already had an impact on student learning, based on empirical evidence. One of these, social networking, has the potential to support communication in formal and informal spaces. In this paper we report on the evaluation of an institutional social network-King's Social Harmonisation Project (KINSHIP)-established to foster an improved sense of community, enhance communication, and serve as a space to model digital professionalism for students at King's College London, United Kingdom. Our evaluation focused on a study that examined students' needs and perceptions with regard to the provision of a cross-university platform. Data were collected from students, including those in the field of health and social care, in order to recommend a practical way forward to address current needs in this area. The findings indicate that the majority of the respondents were positive about using a social networking platform to develop their professional voice and profiles. Results suggest that timely promotion of the platform, emphasis on interface and learning design, and a clear identity are required in order to gain acceptance as the institutional social networking site. Empirical findings in this study project an advantage of an institutional social network such a KINSHIP over other social networks (eg, Facebook) because access is limited to staff and students and the site is mainly being used for academic purposes.

  15. [Social networks in drinking behaviors among Japanese: support network, drinking network, and intervening network].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshihara, Chika; Shimizu, Shinji

    2005-10-01

    The national representative sample was analyzed to examine the relationship between respondents' drinking practice and the social network which was constructed of three different types of network: support network, drinking network, and intervening network. Non-parametric statistical analysis was conducted with chi square method and ANOVA analysis, due to the risk of small samples in some basic tabulation cells. The main results are as follows: (1) In the support network of workplace associates, moderate drinkers enjoyed much more sociable support care than both nondrinkers and hard drinkers, which might suggest a similar effect as the French paradox. Meanwhile in the familial and kinship network, the more intervening care support was provided, the harder respondents' drinking practice. (2) The drinking network among Japanese people for both sexes is likely to be convergent upon certain types of network categories and not decentralized in various categories. This might reflect of the drinking culture of Japan, which permits people to drink everyday as a practice, especially male drinkers. Subsequently, solitary drinking is not optional for female drinkers. (3) Intervening network analysis showed that the harder the respondents' drinking practices, the more frequently their drinking behaviors were checked in almost all the categories of network. A rather complicated gender double-standard was found in the network of hard drinkers with their friends, particularly for female drinkers. Medical professionals played a similar intervening role for men as family and kinship networks but to a less degree than friends for females. The social network is considerably associated with respondents' drinking, providing both sociability for moderate drinkers and intervention for hard drinkers, depending on network categories. To minimize the risk of hard drinking and advance self-healthy drinking there should be more research development on drinking practice and the social network.

  16. Transnational organizing: Issue professionals in environmental sustainability networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henriksen, Lasse Folke; Seabrooke, Leonard

    2016-09-01

    An ongoing question for institutional theory is how organizing occurs transnationally, where institution building occurs in a highly ambiguous environment. This article suggests that at the core of transnational organizing is competition and coordination within professional and organizational networks over who controls issues. Transnational issues are commonly organized through professional battles over how issues are treated and what tasks are involved. These professional struggles are often more important than what organization has a formal mandate over an issue. We highlight how 'issue professionals' operate in two-level professional and organizational networks to control issues. This two-level network provides the context for action in which professionals do their institutional work. The two-level network carries information about professional incentives and also norms about how issues should be treated and governed by organizations. Using network and career sequences methods, we provide a case of transnational organizing through professionals who attempt issue control and network management on transnational environmental sustainability certification. The article questions how transnational organizing happens, and how we can best identify attempts at issue control.

  17. Developing an online professional network for veterinary education: the NOVICE project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baillie, Sarah; Kinnison, Tierney; Forrest, Neil; Dale, Vicki H M; Ehlers, Jan P; Koch, Michael; Mándoki, Mira; Ciobotaru, Emilia; de Groot, Esther; Boerboom, Tobias B B; van Beukelen, Peter

    2011-01-01

    An online professional network for veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary educationalists, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) educationalists is being developed under the EU (European Union) Lifelong Learning Programme. The network uses Web 2.0, a term used to describe the new, more interactive version of the Internet, and includes tools such as wikis, blogs, and discussion boards. Focus groups conducted with qualified and student veterinarians within the project's five founding countries (The Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Hungary, Romania) demonstrated that online professional communities can be valuable for accessing information and establishing contacts. Online networks have the potential to overcome common challenges to face-to-face communities-such as distance, cost, and timing-but they have their own drawbacks, such as security and professionalism issues. The Network Of Veterinary ICt in Education (NOVICE) was developed using Elgg, an open-source, free social networking platform, after several software options had been considered. NOVICE aims to promote the understanding of Web 2.0, confidence to use social software tools, and participation in an online community. Therefore, the Web site contains help sections, Frequently Asked Questions, and access to support from ICT experts. Five months after the network's launch (and just over one year into the project) 515 members from 28 countries had registered. Further research will include analysis of a core group's activities, which will inform ongoing support for and development of informal, lifelong learning in a veterinary context.

  18. Tie Content in Professional Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zarzecka, Olga

    in resource exchanges and the effect of these differences on the number of, and extent to which, resources are provided by a network tie. Chapter 3 explores how firm underperfomance and social identity with corporate elite alter types of resources a network tie provides. Chapter 4 focuses on a tie’s internal......Professional networks of senior managers have indisputable value for them as well as for their organizations. In recent years, much attention has been given to the structure of these networks as it reflects senior managers’ opportunity to access valuable resources. Surprisingly, the actual...... resources that senior managers acquire through their network ties, i.e. the tie content, remain heavily understudied. Hence, the purpose of this dissertation is to answer the following question: What resources flow through informal ties in senior managers’ professional networks, and why? The first chapter...

  19. Supporting wellbeing in motor neurone disease for patients, carers, social networks, and health professionals: A scoping review and synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Melanie; Thomas, Geoff; Thomas, Mary; Cafarella, Paul; Stocks, Allegra; Greig, Julia; McEvoy, R Doug

    2018-04-01

    ABSTRACTObjective:Disease management in motor neurone disease (MND) is focused on preserving quality of life. However, the emphasis has so far been on physical symptoms and functioning and not psychosocial wellbeing. MND affects the wellbeing of carers, of family and social network members, and of healthcare providers, as well as of the patients. We therefore aimed to assess and synthesize the knowledge about maximizing MND-related psychosocial wellbeing across all these groups. We used a systematic search and selection process to assess the scope of the literature along with a narrative synthesis of recent high-quality reviews. The original studies were mainly observational studies of patients and, to a lesser extent, of carers. There were few interventional studies, mainly of patients. There were very few studies of any type on wellbeing in their wider social network or in healthcare professionals. All the review literature looked at MND patient or carer wellbeing, with some covering both. No reviews were found of wellbeing in other family members, patients' social networks, or their healthcare professionals. The reviews demonstrated wellbeing problems for patients linked to psychosocial issues. Carer wellbeing is also compromised. Psychotherapies, social supports, improved decision supports, and changes to healthcare delivery are among the suggested strategies for improved patient and carer wellbeing, but no proven interventions were identified for either. Early access to palliative care, also not well-tested but recommended, is poorly implemented. Work on interventions to deal with well-established wellbeing problems for patients and carers is now a research priority. Explicit use of current methods for patient and public involvement and for design and testing of interventions provide a toolkit for this research. Observational research is needed in other groups. There is a potential in considering needs across patients' social networks rather than looking

  20. The Bowie State University Professional Development Schools Network Partnership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garin, Eva; Taylor, Traki; Madden, Maggie; Beiter, Judy; Davis, Julius; Farmer, Cynthia; Nowlin, Dawn

    2015-01-01

    The Bowie State University PDS Network Partnership is one of the 2015 Exemplary PDS Partnerships recognized by the National Association for Professional Development Schools. This partnership is built on a series of signature programs that define and support our partnership work. This article describes each of those signature programs that make our…

  1. Professional social networking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowley, Robert D

    2014-12-01

    We review the current state of social communication between healthcare professionals, the role of consumer social networking, and some emerging technologies to address the gaps. In particular, the review covers (1) the current state of loose social networking for continuing medical education (CME) and other broadcast information dissemination; (2) social networking for business promotion; (3) social networking for peer collaboration, including simple communication as well as more robust data-centered collaboration around patient care; and (4) engaging patients on social platforms, including integrating consumer-originated data into the mix of healthcare data. We will see how, as the nature of healthcare delivery moves from the institution-centric way of tradition to a more social and networked ambulatory pattern that we see emerging today, the nature of health IT has also moved from enterprise-centric systems to more socially networked, cloud-based options.

  2. Professional Growth & Support System Self-Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Education Resource Strategies, 2013

    2013-01-01

    The "Professional Growth & Support System Self-Assessment" is designed to help school systems evaluate their current Professional Growth & Support strategy. The self-assessment is organized around the "Eight Principles of Strategic Professional Growth & Support." Each section allows school leaders to identify the…

  3. Networking and professional development among teachers of Early Childhood Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosario Mérida Serrano

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper evaluates the professional development of 24 teachers involved in the Early Childhood Education-CPD Centre for Teachers-University Network ([blind review]. Collaborative research-action is carried out with teachers and pupils of Early Childhood Education, an adviser from the Continuing Professional Development (CPD Centre for Teachers, researchers, and teacher training undergraduates from the University of [blind review] ([blind review]. Taking a qualitative approach, through interviews, focus groups, and research journals, the benefits obtained by the teachers through their involvement in the [blind review] network are identified: (1 Their colleagues offer them emotional support and provide examples of good practices; (2 The teacher training undergraduates provide technological resources and the possibility of calmly observing what goes on in the classroom; (3 The researchers foster processes of reflection about practice and endorse the validity of the Project Approach; (4 The adviser provides continuing professional development.

  4. Domestic violence against children and adolescents: social support network perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlos, Diene Monique; Pádua, Elisabete Matallo Marchesini De; Fernandes, Maria Isabel Domingues; Leitão, Maria Neto da Cruz; Ferriani, Maria das Graças Carvalho

    2017-07-20

    To identify and analyze the social support network of families involved in violence against children and adolescents, from the perspective of health professionals and families in a municipality of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This was a qualitative strategic social study, anchored in the paradigm of complexity. Data were collected from 41 health professionals and 15 families using institutional or personal network maps, and semi-structured interviews. Analysis was conducted by organizing the data, constructing theoretical frameworks, and categorizing resulting information. The category "weaving the network" was unveiled, with family experiences and professionals focused on a logic of fragmentation of care. The creation and implementation of public policy are urgently needed to address the needs of this population, by empowering families and communities and developing research that respects the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon.

  5. Developing networks to support science teachers work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sillasen, Martin Krabbe; Valero, Paola

    2012-01-01

    In educational research literature constructing networks among practitioners has been suggested as a strategy to support teachers’ professional development (Huberman, 1995; Jackson & Temperley, 2007; Van Driel, Beijaard, & Verloop, 2001). The purpose of this paper is to report on a study about how...... networks provide opportunities for teachers from different schools to collaborate on improving the quality of their own science teaching practices. These networks exist at the meso-level of the educational system between the micro-realities of teachers’ individual practice and the macro-level, where...... to develop collaborative activities in primary science teacher communities in schools to improve individual teachers practice and in networks between teachers from different schools in each municipality. Each network was organized and moderated by a municipal science coordinator....

  6. The Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN): A member-driven network approach to supporting women in the Geosciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hastings, M. G.; Kontak, R.; Adams, A. S.; Barnes, R. T.; Fischer, E. V.; Glessmer, M. S.; Holloway, T.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; Rodriguez, C.; Steiner, A. L.; Wiedinmyer, C.; Laursen, S. L.

    2013-12-01

    The Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN) is an organization of women geoscientists, many in the early stages of their careers. The mission of ESWN is to promote success in scientific careers by facilitating career development, community, informal mentoring and support, and professional collaborations. ESWN currently connects nearly 2000 women across the globe, and includes graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, tenure and non-tenure track faculty from diverse colleges and universities, program managers, and government, non-government and industry researchers. In 2009, ESWN received an NSF ADVANCE PAID award, with the primary goals to grow our membership to serve a wider section of the geosciences community, to design and administer career development workshops, to promote professional networking at scientific conferences, and to develop web resources to build connections, collaborations, and peer mentoring for and among women in the Earth Sciences. Now at the end of the grant, ESWN members have reported gains in a number of aspects of their personal and professional lives including: knowledge about career resources; a greater understanding of the challenges facing women in science and resources to overcome them; a sense of community and less isolation; greater confidence in their own career trajectories; professional collaborations; emotional support on a variety of issues; and greater engagement and retention in scientific careers. The new ESWN web center (www.ESWNonline.org), a major development supported by NSF ADVANCE and AGU, was created to facilitate communication and networking among our members. The web center offers a state-of-the-art social networking platform and features: 1) a public site offering information on ESWN, career resources for all early career scientists, and a 'members' spotlight' highlighting members' scientific and professional achievements; and 2) a password protected member area where users can personalize profiles, create and

  7. Use of Social Network Sites for Communication Among Health Professionals: Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Windy Sy; Leung, Angela Ym

    2018-03-28

    Although much research has been done investigating the roles of social network sites (SNSs) in linking patients and health professionals, there is a lack of information about their uses, benefits, and limitations in connecting health professions only for professional communication. This review aimed to examine the utilization of SNSs for communication among health professionals in (1) frontline clinical practice, (2) professional networks, and (3) education and training to identify areas for future health communication research. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. A systematic search of the literature published in the last 10 years (January 1, 2007, to March 1, 2017) was performed in March 2017, using the following electronic databases: MEDLINE via OvidSP, EMBASE, CINAHL Complete, and InfoSci-Journals. The searches were conducted using the following defined search terms: "social media" OR "social network" OR "social network site" OR "Facebook" OR "Twitter" OR "Linkedin" OR "Instagram" OR "Weibo" OR "Whatsapp" OR "Telegram" OR "WeChat" AND "health" OR "health profession." Of the 6977 papers retrieved, a total of 33 studies were included in this review. They were exploratory in nature, and the majority used surveys (n=25) and interviews (n=6). All retrieved studies stated that SNSs enhanced effective communication and information sharing. SNSs were used for supporting delivering of clinical services, making referrals, and sharing information. They were beneficial to network building and professional collaboration. SNSs were novel tools to enhance educational interactions among peers, students, instructors, and preceptors. The application of SNSs came with restraints in technical knowledge, concerns on data protection, privacy and liability, issues in professionalism, and data protection. SNSs provide platforms facilitating efficient communication, interactions, and connections among health

  8. Interconnecting Networks of Practice for Professional Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie Mackey

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The article explores the complementary connections between communities of practice and the ways in which individuals orchestrate their engagement with others to further their professional learning. It does so by reporting on part of a research project conducted in New Zealand on teachers’ online professional learning in a university graduate diploma program on ICT education. Evolving from social constructivist pedagogy for online professional development, the research describes how teachers create their own networks of practice as they blend online and offline interactions with fellow learners and workplace colleagues. Teachers’ perspectives of their professional learning activities challenge the way universities design formal online learning communities and highlight the potential for networked learning in the zones and intersections between professional practice and study.The article extends the concepts of Lave and Wenger’s (1991 communities of practice social theory of learning by considering the role participants play in determining their engagement and connections in and across boundaries between online learning communities and professional practice. It provides insights into the applicability of connectivist concepts for developing online pedagogies to promote socially networked learning and for emphasising the role of the learner in defining their learning pathways.

  9. Municipal consultants’ participation in building networks to support science teachers’ work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sillasen, Martin Krabbe; Valero, Paola

    2013-01-01

    This paper focuses particularly on the role of municipal science consultants in developing and maintaining network activities and connections among primary school science teachers. The hypothesis is that consultants play a crucial role in supporting strategic planning, and sustaining contacts...... and activities within professional learning networks. The research is framed by a project that involved 80 primary science teachers in 20 schools. The aim of the project was to develop network activities that facilitate sustainable change of the participating schools’ collective culture and practice of science...... science consultants’ participation in supporting network activities enable the participants to share and develop teaching activities....

  10. Networked Learning and Network Science: Potential Applications to Health Professionals' Continuing Education and Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margolis, Alvaro; Parboosingh, John

    2015-01-01

    Prior interpersonal relationships and interactivity among members of professional associations may impact the learning process in continuing medical education (CME). On the other hand, CME programs that encourage interactivity between participants may impact structures and behaviors in these professional associations. With the advent of information and communication technologies, new communication spaces have emerged that have the potential to enhance networked learning in national and international professional associations and increase the effectiveness of CME for health professionals. In this article, network science, based on the application of network theory and other theories, is proposed as an approach to better understand the contribution networking and interactivity between health professionals in professional communities make to their learning and adoption of new practices over time. © 2015 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

  11. The CIRTL Network: A Professional Development Network for Future STEM Faculty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbert, B. E.

    2011-12-01

    The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) is an NSF Center for Learning and Teaching in higher education using the professional development of graduate students and post-doctoral scholars as the leverage point to develop a national STEM faculty committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse student audiences as part of successful professional careers. The goal of CIRTL is to improve the STEM learning of all students at every college and university, and thereby to increase the diversity in STEM fields and the STEM literacy of the nation. The CIRTL network seeks to support change at a number of levels to support its goals: individual, classroom, institutional, and national. To bring about change, which is never easy, the CIRTL network has developed a conceptual model or change model that is thought to support the program objectives. Three central concepts, Teaching-as-Research, Learning Communities, and Learning-through-Diversity, underlie the design of all CIRTL activities. STEM faculty use research methods to systematically and reflectively improve learning outcomes. This work is done within a community of shared learning and discovery, and explicitly recognizes that effective teaching capitalizes on the rich array of experiences, backgrounds, and skills among the students and instructors to enhance the learning of all. This model is being refined and tested through a networked-design experiment, where the model is tested in diverse settings. Established in fall 2006, the CIRTL Network comprises the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU), Howard University, Michigan State University, Texas A&M University, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The diversity of these institutions is by design: private/public; large/moderate size; majority-/minority-serving; geographic location. This talk will describe the theoretical constructs and efficacy of Teaching-as Research as a

  12. Network Connectedness, Sense of Community, and Risk Perception of Climate Change Professionals in the Pacific Islands Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corlew, L. K.; Keener, V. W.; Finucane, M.

    2013-12-01

    The Pacific Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (Pacific RISA) Program conducted social network analysis research of climate change professionals (broadly defined) who are from or work in Hawaii and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) region. This study is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Pacific Islands Climate Science Center (PICSC) to address an identified need for a resource that quantifies the region's collaborative network of climate change professionals, and that supports the further development of cross-regional and inter-sectoral collaborations for future research and adaptation activities. A survey was distributed to nearly 1,200 people who are from and/or work in climate change related fields in the region. The Part One Survey questions (not confidential) created a preferential attachment network by listing major players in Hawaii and the USAPI, with additional open fields to identify important contacts in the greater professional network. Participants (n=340) identified 975 network contacts and frequency of communications (weekly, monthly, seasonally, yearly, at least once ever). Part Two Survey questions (confidential, n=302) explored climate change risk perceptions, Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC), sense of control over climate change impacts, sense of responsibility to act, policy beliefs and preferences regarding climate change actions, concern and optimism scales about specific impacts, and demographic information. Graphical representations of the professional network are being developed for release in September 2013 as a free online tool to promote and assist collaboration building among climate professionals in the region. The graphs are partitioned according to network 'hubs' (high centrality), participant location, and profession to clearly identify network strengths and opportunities for future collaborations across spatial and professional boundaries. For additional

  13. Online professional networks for physicians: risk management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyman, Jon L; Luks, Howard J; Sechrest, Randale

    2012-05-01

    The rapidly developing array of online physician-only communities represents a potential extraordinary advance in the availability of educational and informational resources to physicians. These online communities provide physicians with a new range of controls over the information they process, but use of this social media technology carries some risk. The purpose of this review was to help physicians manage the risks of online professional networking and discuss the potential benefits that may come with such networks. This article explores the risks and benefits of physicians engaging in online professional networking with peers and provides suggestions on risk management. Through an Internet search and literature review, we scrutinized available case law, federal regulatory code, and guidelines of conduct from professional organizations and consultants. We reviewed the OrthoMind.com site as a case example because it is currently the only online social network exclusively for orthopaedic surgeons. Existing case law suggests potential liability for orthopaedic surgeons who engage with patients on openly accessible social network platforms. Current society guidelines in both the United States and Britain provide sensible rules that may mitigate such risks. However, the overall lack of a strong body of legal opinions, government regulations as well as practical experience for most surgeons limit the suitability of such platforms. Closed platforms that are restricted to validated orthopaedic surgeons may limit these downside risks and hence allow surgeons to collaborate with one another both as clinicians and practice owners. Educating surgeons about the pros and cons of participating in these networking platforms is helping them more astutely manage risks and optimize benefits. This evolving online environment of professional interaction is one of few precedents, but the application of risk management strategies that physicians use in daily practice carries over

  14. Social networks of professionals in health care organizations: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasselli, Stefano

    2014-12-01

    In this article, we provide an overview of social network research in health care, with a focus on social interactions between professionals in organizations. We begin by introducing key concepts defining the social network approach, including network density, centrality, and brokerage. We then review past and current research on the antecedents of health care professionals' social networks-including demographic attributes, professional groups, and organizational arrangements-and their consequences-including satisfaction at work, leadership, behaviors, knowledge transfer, diffusion of innovation, and performance. Finally, we examine future directions for social network research in health care, focusing on micro-macro linkages and network dynamics. © The Author(s) 2014.

  15. Professional Networks in the International Political Economy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Lasse Folke; Seabrooke, Leonard

    debates; and the creation of ‘human capital controls’ to prevent the poaching of skilled migrants. The paper directly contributes to the STS literature in locating how professional practices and, their work content, are linked to science and technology while embedded in sociocultural frameworks......Who writes the rules for the governance of the world economy? This paper looks beyond the usual suspects of states, NGOs and firms to attempt to map how ideas and skills travel between professional ecologies to solve long-term socioeconomic problems. The paper identifies professional networks...... they compete and cooperate through a variety of novel concepts and technologies. The issue-areas discussed in relation to professional networks include: the creation of a viable bio-fuels industry; addressing low fertility rates in the OECD; risk weighting and regulatory segmentation in financial reform...

  16. Associations Between Internet-Based Professional Social Networking and Emotional Distress

    OpenAIRE

    Jones, Jacquelynn R.; Colditz, Jason B.; Shensa, Ariel; Sidani, Jaime E.; Lin, Liu Yi; Terry, Martha Ann; Primack, Brian A.

    2016-01-01

    Professional social networking websites are commonly used among young professionals. In light of emerging concerns regarding social networking use and emotional distress, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between frequency of use of LinkedIn, the most commonly used professional social networking website, and depression and anxiety among young adults. In October 2014, we assessed a nationally representative sample of 1,780 U.S. young adults between the ages of 19–32 ...

  17. International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN) and the Nuclear Security Training and Support Centre (NSSC) Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikonov, Dmitriy

    2013-01-01

    International Nuclear Security Education Network established in 2010: A partnership between the IAEA and universities, research institutions and other stakeholders - •Promotion of nuclear security education; • Development of educational materials; • Professional development for faculty members; • Collaborative research and resource sharing. Currently over 90 members from 38 member states. Mission: to enhance global nuclear security by developing, sharing and promoting excellence in nuclear security education. Nuclear Security Support Centre: Primary objectives are: • Develop human resources through the implementation of a tailored training programme; • Develop a network of experts; • Provide technical support for lifecycle equipment management and scientific support for the detection of and the response to nuclear security events

  18. Teachers' professional development in a community: A study of the central actors, their networks and web-based learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiri Lallimo

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this article was to study teachers' professional development related to web-based learning in the context of the teacher community. The object was to learn in what kind of networks teachers share the knowledge of web-based learning and what are the factors in the community that support or challenge teachers professional development of web-based learning. The findings of the study revealed that there are teachers who are especially active, called the central actors in this study, in the teacher community who collaborate and share knowledge of web-based learning. These central actors share both technical and pedagogical knowledge of web-based learning in networks that include both internal and external relations in the community and involve people, artefacts and a variety of media. Furthermore, the central actors appear to bridge different fields of teaching expertise in their community.According to the central actors' experiences the important factors that support teachers' professional development of web-based learning in the community are; the possibility to learn from colleagues and from everyday working practices, an emotionally safe atmosphere, the leader's personal support and community-level commitment. Also, the flexibility in work planning, challenging pupils, shared lessons with colleagues, training events in an authentic work environment and colleagues' professionalism are considered meaningful for professional development. As challenges, the knowledge sharing of web-based learning in the community needs mutual interests, transactive memory, time and facilities, peer support, a safe atmosphere and meaningful pedagogical practices.On the basis of the findings of the study it is suggested that by intensive collaboration related to web-based learning it may be possible to break the boundaries of individual teachership and create such sociocultural activities which support collaborative professional development in the teacher

  19. An evaluation of a professional learning network for computer science teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cutts, Quintin; Robertson, Judy; Donaldson, Peter; O'Donnell, Laurie

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes and evaluates aspects of a professional development programme for existing CS teachers in secondary schools (PLAN C) which was designed to support teachers at a time of substantial curricular change. The paper's particular focus is on the formation of a teacher professional development network across several hundred teachers and a wide geographical area. Evidence from a series of observations and teacher surveys over a two-year period is analysed with respect to the project's programme theory in order to illustrate not only whether it worked as intended, by why. Results indicate that the PLAN C design has been successful in increasing teachers' professional confidence and appears to have catalysed powerful change in attitudes to learning. Presentation of challenging pedagogical content knowledge and conceptual frameworks, high-quality teacher-led professional dialogue, along with the space for reflection and classroom trials, triggered examination of the teachers' own current practices.

  20. Understanding the Construction of Personal Learning Networks to Support Non-Formal Workplace Learning of Training Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, Christin

    2013-01-01

    Workers in the 21st century workplace are faced with rapid and constant developments that place a heavy demand on them to continually learn beyond what the Human Resources and Training groups can meet. As a consequence, professionals must rely on non-formal learning approaches through the development of a personal learning network to keep…

  1. Learning Networks for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouns, Francis; Sloep, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Brouns, F., & Sloep, P. B. (2009). Learning Networks for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning. Presentation of the Learning Network Programme for a Korean delegation of Chonnam National University and Dankook University (researchers dr. Jeeheon Ryu and dr. Minjeong Kim and a Group of PhD and

  2. Effective teacher professionalization in networks?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofman, R.H.; Dijkstra, B.J.

    Teacher professionalization has been focused to strongly on external experts and a one-size-fits-all set of solutions that often fail to distinguish between the needs of different teachers. This article describes a research into teacher networks that might be more successful vehicles for

  3. Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Junwei; Wu, Guangdong

    2018-02-15

    Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizational support. Data were collected from 327 project managers or professionals working in construction enterprises in China; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, applying the bootstrapping method. Results showed that there were three dimensions of work-family conflict: time-based conflict, strain-based conflict and behavior-based conflict. There were two dimensions of perceived organizational support: emotional support and instrumental support. The study also tested the negative effect of work-family conflict on professional commitment and the positive effect of perceived organizational support on professional commitment. Specifically, time-based conflict and emotional support had positive effects on professional commitment. Perceived organizational support had a total mediating effect between work-family conflict and professional commitment. The strain-based conflict dimension of work-family conflict had negative impacts on professional commitment through perceived emotional support and instrumental support. Overall, our findings extend a better understanding of work-family conflict and professional commitment in the project setting and verify the importance of social support in balancing work and family and improving employee mobility.

  4. Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizational support. Data were collected from 327 project managers or professionals working in construction enterprises in China; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, applying the bootstrapping method. Results showed that there were three dimensions of work-family conflict: time-based conflict, strain-based conflict and behavior-based conflict. There were two dimensions of perceived organizational support: emotional support and instrumental support. The study also tested the negative effect of work-family conflict on professional commitment and the positive effect of perceived organizational support on professional commitment. Specifically, time-based conflict and emotional support had positive effects on professional commitment. Perceived organizational support had a total mediating effect between work-family conflict and professional commitment. The strain-based conflict dimension of work-family conflict had negative impacts on professional commitment through perceived emotional support and instrumental support. Overall, our findings extend a better understanding of work-family conflict and professional commitment in the project setting and verify the importance of social support in balancing work and family and improving employee mobility. PMID:29462860

  5. Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junwei Zheng

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizational support. Data were collected from 327 project managers or professionals working in construction enterprises in China; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, applying the bootstrapping method. Results showed that there were three dimensions of work-family conflict: time-based conflict, strain-based conflict and behavior-based conflict. There were two dimensions of perceived organizational support: emotional support and instrumental support. The study also tested the negative effect of work-family conflict on professional commitment and the positive effect of perceived organizational support on professional commitment. Specifically, time-based conflict and emotional support had positive effects on professional commitment. Perceived organizational support had a total mediating effect between work-family conflict and professional commitment. The strain-based conflict dimension of work-family conflict had negative impacts on professional commitment through perceived emotional support and instrumental support. Overall, our findings extend a better understanding of work-family conflict and professional commitment in the project setting and verify the importance of social support in balancing work and family and improving employee mobility.

  6. Understanding the Context of Learning in an Online Social Network for Health Professionals' Informal Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xin; Gray, Kathleen; Verspoor, Karin; Barnett, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    Online social networks (OSN) enable health professionals to learn informally, for example by sharing medical knowledge, or discussing practice management challenges and clinical issues. Understanding the learning context in OSN is necessary to get a complete picture of the learning process, in order to better support this type of learning. This study proposes critical contextual factors for understanding the learning context in OSN for health professionals, and demonstrates how these contextual factors can be used to analyse the learning context in a designated online learning environment for health professionals.

  7. Social media for professional development and networking opportunities in academia

    OpenAIRE

    Donelan, Helen

    2016-01-01

    The research reported on in this article explores the use of social media for work-related or professional purposes. In particular, it focuses on the perceptions and use of social media by academics in the UK. The purpose of the research was to explore the potential social media has to facilitate the changing landscape of higher education and support the individual academic in their role. Of particular interest is how specific social media tools are being used to enhance networking opportunit...

  8. Professional Social Networking in Radiology: Who Is There and What Are They Doing?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Sumir S; Hawkins, C Matthew; Rawson, James V; Hoang, Jenny K

    2017-05-01

    Although it is perceived that the use of social media professionally is increasing among radiologists, little is known about the habits and demographics of this subspecialty. This study aims to compare radiologists who use social networking for professional purposes to those who do not with regard to their characteristics, habits, and attitudes. Radiologists were invited by e-mail and through posts on social networks to participate in a survey on the use of social media platforms. Questions included type of user, pattern of use, and benefits and barriers. Professional users and professional nonusers were compared. One hundred eighty-six radiologists responded. One hundred ten (59.1%) used social networking for professional purposes, 34 (18.2%) for personal-use only, and 42 (22.6%) denied using social media. LinkedIn was the most common platform among all professional users, and Twitter was the most commonly used platform among highly active professional users. Trainees comprised 52 out of 110 (47.3%) professional social networking users compared to 18 out of 76 (23.7%) nonusers (P < 0.01). A subgroup analysis on Twitter use for professional purposes revealed a significant gender difference: 15 out of 66 (22.7%) professional Twitter users were female compared to 48 out of 120 (40.0%) non-Twitter users (P < 0.05). The greatest barrier to professional social media use for nonusers was confidentiality. Nearly 60% of radiologist respondents use social networking for professional purposes. Radiology is likely to see growth in the role of social networking in the coming years as nearly half of professional users are radiology trainees. Twitter use for professional purposes among radiologists was disproportionately male. It is important to be cognizant of gender imbalance and to improve visibility of female leaders on social networking. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Pharmacists' perceptions of professionalism on social networking sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benetoli, Arcelio; Chen, Timothy F; Schaefer, Marion; Chaar, Betty; Aslani, Parisa

    Social networking sites (SNS) are a new venue for communication, and health care professionals, like the general population, are using them extensively. However, their behavior on SNS may influence public perceptions about their professionalism. This study explored how pharmacists separate professional and personal information and activities on SNS, their perceptions of professional behavior on SNS, and opinions on guidelines in this area. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with international practising pharmacists (n = 31) recruited from a range of countries (n = 9). Initially, pharmacists known to the research team were invited, and thereafter, participants were recruited using a snowballing technique. The interviews lasted from 30 to 120 min. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed. A majority of participants mixed professional and personal information and activities on SNS, and about one third adopted a separation strategy where professional information and activities were clearly separated from personal ones (e.g. two different SNS accounts, or one particular SNS for professional use and another platform for personal purposes). Most participants expressed concern over how pharmacists present themselves and behave in SNS when they reported (un)professional behaviors of peers they had observed. Examples of perceived unprofessional behaviors included revealing details of personal life and activities; open complaints about the pharmacy sector, co-workers, physicians, and patients; inappropriate description of pharmacists' roles and activities; and breaches of patient confidentiality. Positive professional behaviors, such as expression of compassion for patients, examples of effective patient management, promotion of pharmacists' role, and correction of misleading health information being spread online were also observed. There was no consensus on having professional social media guidelines. Some preferred

  10. Open Dialogues in social networks: professional identity and transdisciplinary collaboration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Lise Holmesland

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this article is to explore the challenges connected to the transformation and emergence of professional identity in transdisciplinary multi-agency network meetings and the use of Open Dialogue.Introduction: The empirical findings have been taken from a clinical project in southern Norway concerning multi-agency network meetings with persons between 14 and 25 years of age. The project explores how these meetings are perceived by professionals working in various sectors.Methodology: Data was collected through three interviews conducted with two focus groups, the first comprising health care professionals and the second professionals from the social and educational sectors. Content analysis was used to create categories through condensation and interpretation. The two main categories that emerged were 'professional role' and 'teamwork'. These were analysed and compared according to the two first meeting in the two focus groups.Results and discussion: The results indicate different levels of motivation and understanding regarding role transformation processes. The realization of transdisciplinary collaboration is dependent upon the professionals' mutual reliance. The professionals' participation is affected by stereotypes and differences in their sense of belonging to a certain network, and thus their identity transformation seems to be strongly affected. To encourage the use of integrated solutions in mental health care, the professionals' preference for teamwork, the importance of familiarity with each other and knowledge of cultural barriers should be addressed.

  11. Open Dialogues in social networks: professional identity and transdisciplinary collaboration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Lise Holmesland

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this article is to explore the challenges connected to the transformation and emergence of professional identity in transdisciplinary multi-agency network meetings and the use of Open Dialogue. Introduction: The empirical findings have been taken from a clinical project in southern Norway concerning multi-agency network meetings with persons between 14 and 25 years of age. The project explores how these meetings are perceived by professionals working in various sectors. Methodology: Data was collected through three interviews conducted with two focus groups, the first comprising health care professionals and the second professionals from the social and educational sectors. Content analysis was used to create categories through condensation and interpretation. The two main categories that emerged were 'professional role' and 'teamwork'. These were analysed and compared according to the two first meeting in the two focus groups. Results and discussion: The results indicate different levels of motivation and understanding regarding role transformation processes. The realization of transdisciplinary collaboration is dependent upon the professionals' mutual reliance. The professionals' participation is affected by stereotypes and differences in their sense of belonging to a certain network, and thus their identity transformation seems to be strongly affected. To encourage the use of integrated solutions in mental health care, the professionals' preference for teamwork, the importance of familiarity with each other and knowledge of cultural barriers should be addressed.

  12. Online social support networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, Neil; Atreja, Ashish

    2015-04-01

    Peer support groups have a long history and have been shown to improve health outcomes. With the increasing familiarity with online social networks like Facebook and ubiquitous access to the Internet, online social support networks are becoming popular. While studies have shown the benefit of these networks in providing emotional support or meeting informational needs, robust data on improving outcomes such as a decrease in health services utilization or reduction in adverse outcomes is lacking. These networks also pose unique challenges in the areas of patient privacy, funding models, quality of content, and research agendas. Addressing these concerns while creating patient-centred, patient-powered online support networks will help leverage these platforms to complement traditional healthcare delivery models in the current environment of value-based care.

  13. Support network for families of children and adolescents with visual impairment: strengths and weaknesses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbieri, Mayara Caroline; Broekman, Gabriela Van Der Zwaan; Souza, Renata Olzon Dionysio de; Lima, Regina Aparecida Garcia de; Wernet, Monika; Dupas, Giselle

    2016-10-01

    This study aimed to understand the interactions established between social support networks and families that have children and adolescents with visual impairment, in two different cities in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This was a qualitative, descriptive study with symbolic interactionism as a theoretical framework. A genogram, ecomap and semi-structured interviews with 18 families were used. The method adopted for data analysis was narrative analysis. Two themes were found: potentials derived from the relationship with the support network, and, counterpoints in the support network. The family members accessed other members of their own family, friends, spiritual and cultural activities, health services, government institutions, and philanthropic organizations as support networks. The weakness in health services support is an obstacle to comprehensive healthcare for children and adolescents living in city A. In city B, other possibilities exist because it has a reference service. Despite the weaknesses in the support network in both cities, the family articulates and develops a foundation so that they can provide the best situation possible for their child or adolescent. It is up to health professionals to provide support to families and empower them to care for their members.

  14. Networking for Learning The role of Networking in a Lifelong Learner's Professional Development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rajagopal, Kamakshi

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation discusses the role the social activity of networking plays in lifelong learners’ professional and personal continuous development. The main hypothesis of this thesis is that networking is a learning strategy for lifelong learners, in which conversations are key activities through

  15. Evaluation of Persian Professional Web Social Networks\\\\\\' Features, to Provide a Suitable Solution for Optimization of These Networks in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadjla Hariri

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to determine the status of Persian professional web social networks' features and provide a suitable solution for optimization of these networks in Iran. The research methods were library research and evaluative method, and study population consisted of 10 Persian professional web social networks. In this study, for data collection, a check list of social networks important tools and features was used. According to the results, “Cloob”, “IR Experts” and “Doreh” were the most compatible networks with the criteria of social networks. Finally, some solutions were presented for optimization of capabilities of Persian professional web social networks.

  16. Canonical correlation analysis of professional stress,social support,and professional burnout among low-rank army officers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuan-yun LI

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective The present study investigates the influence of professional stress and social support on professional burnout among low-rank army officers.Methods The professional stress,social support,and professional burnout scales among low-rank army officers were used as test tools.Moreover,the officers of established units(battalion,company,and platoon were chosen as test subjects.Out of the 260 scales sent,226 effective scales were received.The descriptive statistic and canonical correlation analysis models were used to analyze the influence of each variable.Results The scores of low-rank army officers in the professional stress,social support,and professional burnout scales were more than average,except on two factors,namely,interpersonal support and de-individualization.The canonical analysis identified three groups of canonical correlation factors,of which two were up to a significant level(P < 0.001.After further eliminating the social support variable,the canonical correlation analysis of professional stress and burnout showed that the canonical correlation coefficients P corresponding to 1 and 2 were 0.62 and 0.36,respectively,and were up to a very significant level(P < 0.001.Conclusion The low-rank army officers experience higher professional stress and burnout levels,showing a lower sense of accomplishment,emotional exhaustion,and more serious depersonalization.However,social support can reduce the onset and seriousness of professional burnout among these officers by lessening pressure factors,such as career development,work features,salary conditions,and other personal factors.

  17. Learning Networks for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sloep, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Sloep, P. B. (2009). Learning Networks for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning. Presentation at a NeLLL seminar with Etienne Wenger held at the Open Universiteit Nederland. September, 10, 2009, Heerlen, The Netherlands.

  18. Changing Network Support for Drinking: Network Support Project 2-Year Follow-up

    Science.gov (United States)

    Litt, Mark D.; Kadden, Ronald M.; Kabela-Cormier, Elise; Petry, Nancy M.

    2009-01-01

    The Network Support Project was designed to determine whether a treatment could lead patients to change their social network from one that supports drinking to one that supports sobriety. This study reports 2-year posttreatment outcomes. Alcohol-dependent men and women (N = 210) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 outpatient treatment conditions:…

  19. Professional Networks among Rural School Food Service Directors Implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lubker Cornish, Disa; Askelson, Natoshia M.; Golembiewski, Elizabeth H.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose/Objectives: This study was designed to explore the professional networks of rural school food service directors (FSD), the resources they use for implementing the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), and their needs for information and support to continue to implement successfully. Methods: Rural FSD participated in an in-depth…

  20. "Supporting Early Career Women in the Geosciences through Online Peer-Mentoring: Lessons from the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN)"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holloway, T.; Hastings, M. G.; Barnes, R. T.; Fischer, E. V.; Wiedinmyer, C.; Rodriguez, C.; Adams, M. S.; Marin-Spiotta, E.

    2014-12-01

    The Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN) is an international peer-mentoring organization with over 2000 members, dedicated to career development and community for women across the geosciences. Since its formation in 2002, ESWN has supported the growth of a more diverse scientific community through a combination of online and in-person networking activities. Lessons learned related to online networking and community-building will be presented. ESWN serves upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, professionals in a range of environmental fields, scientists working in federal and state governments, post-doctoral researchers, and academic faculty and scientists. Membership includes women working in over 50 countries, although the majority of ESWN members work in the U.S. ESWN increases retention of women in the geosciences by enabling and supporting professional person-to-person connections. This approach has been shown to reduce feelings of isolation among our members and help build professional support systems critical to career success. In early 2013 ESWN transitioned online activities to an advanced social networking platform that supports discussion threads, group formation, and individual messaging. Prior to that, on-line activities operated through a traditional list-serve, hosted by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The new web center, http://eswnonline.org, serves as the primary forum for members to build connections, seek advice, and share resources. For example, members share job announcements, discuss issues of work-life balance, and organize events at professional conferences. ESWN provides a platform for problem-based mentoring, drawing from the wisdom of colleagues across a range of career stages.

  1. The meaning and validation of social support networks for close family of persons with advanced cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sjolander, Catarina; Ahlstrom, Gerd

    2012-09-17

    To strengthen the mental well-being of close family of persons newly diagnosed as having cancer, it is necessary to acquire a greater understanding of their experiences of social support networks, so as to better assess what resources are available to them from such networks and what professional measures are required. The main aim of the present study was to explore the meaning of these networks for close family of adult persons in the early stage of treatment for advanced lung or gastrointestinal cancer. An additional aim was to validate the study's empirical findings by means of the Finfgeld-Connett conceptual model for social support. The intention was to investigate whether these findings were in accordance with previous research in nursing. Seventeen family members with a relative who 8-14 weeks earlier had been diagnosed as having lung or gastrointestinal cancer were interviewed. The data were subjected to qualitative latent content analysis and validated by means of identifying antecedents and critical attributes. The meaning or main attribute of the social support network was expressed by the theme Confirmation through togetherness, based on six subthemes covering emotional and, to a lesser extent, instrumental support. Confirmation through togetherness derived principally from information, understanding, encouragement, involvement and spiritual community. Three subthemes were identified as the antecedents to social support: Need of support, Desire for a deeper relationship with relatives, Network to turn to. Social support involves reciprocal exchange of verbal and non-verbal information provided mainly by lay persons. The study provides knowledge of the antecedents and attributes of social support networks, particularly from the perspective of close family of adult persons with advanced lung or gastrointestinal cancer. There is a need for measurement instruments that could encourage nurses and other health-care professionals to focus on family members

  2. Professional development and human resources management in networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evgeniy Rudnev

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Social networks occupy more places in development of people and organizations. Confidence in institutions and social networking are different and based on referentiality in Internet. For communication in network persons choose a different strategies and behavior in LinkedIn, resources of whom may be in different degree are interesting in Human Resources Management for organizations. Members of different social groups and cultures demonstrate some differences in interaction with Russian identity native. There are gender differences behavior in networks. Participating in groups need ethical behavior and norms in social networking for professional development and communication in future.

  3. Teacher Professionalization in the Age of Social Networking Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimmons, Royce; Veletsianos, George

    2015-01-01

    As teacher education students become professionals, they face a number of tensions related to identity, social participation, and work-life balance, which may be further complicated by social networking sites (SNS). This qualitative study sought to articulate tensions that arose between professionalization influences and teacher education student…

  4. Developing a workable teacher identity: Building and negotiating identity within a professional network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rostock, Roseanne

    The challenge of attracting and retaining the next generation of teachers who are skilled and committed to meeting the growing demands of the profession is of increasing concern to researchers and policy makers, particularly since 45--50% of beginning teachers leave the profession within five years (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003). Reasons for such attrition include compensation, status and working conditions; however, there is growing evidence that a critical factor in new teacher retention hinges on teachers' ability to accomplish the difficult task of forming a workable professional identity in the midst of competing discourses about teaching (Alsup, 2006; Britzman, 2003). There is little research on professional identity development among those beginning teachers at highest risk for attrition (secondary math and science teachers, and those with strong academic backgrounds). This study explores the professional identity development of early-career math and science teachers who are part of the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation's (KSTF) teaching fellowship program, an external support network that aims to address many of the issues leading to high attrition among this particular population of teachers. Using narrative research methods, I examine three case studies of beginning teachers, exploring how they construct professional identity in relation to various discourse communities and negotiate tensions across multiple discourses. The cases identify both dominant discourses and counter-discourses that the teachers draw upon for important identity development resources. They also demonstrate that the way a teacher manages tensions across competing discourses is important to how well one can negotiate a workable professional identity. In particular, they emphasize the importance of engaging in borderland discourses (Gee, 1996) as a way of taking agency in one's own identity development as well as in transforming one's discourse communities. These cases shed light on how

  5. Health professional networks as a vector for improving healthcare quality and safety: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Frances C; Ranmuthugala, Geetha; Plumb, Jennifer; Georgiou, Andrew; Westbrook, Johanna I; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

    2012-03-01

    While there is a considerable corpus of theoretical and empirical literature on networks within and outside of the health sector, multiple research questions are yet to be answered. To conduct a systematic review of studies of professionals' network structures, identifying factors associated with network effectiveness and sustainability, particularly in relation to quality of care and patient safety. The authors searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science and Business Source Premier from January 1995 to December 2009. A majority of the 26 unique studies identified used social network analysis to examine structural relationships in networks: structural relationships within and between networks, health professionals and their social context, health collaboratives and partnerships, and knowledge sharing networks. Key aspects of networks explored were administrative and clinical exchanges, network performance, integration, stability and influences on the quality of healthcare. More recent studies show that cohesive and collaborative health professional networks can facilitate the coordination of care and contribute to improving quality and safety of care. Structural network vulnerabilities include cliques, professional and gender homophily, and over-reliance on central agencies or individuals. Effective professional networks employ natural structural network features (eg, bridges, brokers, density, centrality, degrees of separation, social capital, trust) in producing collaboratively oriented healthcare. This requires efficient transmission of information and social and professional interaction within and across networks. For those using networks to improve care, recurring success factors are understanding your network's characteristics, attending to its functioning and investing time in facilitating its improvement. Despite this, there is no guarantee that time spent on networks will necessarily improve patient care.

  6. "A Lifelong Classroom": Social Studies Educators' Engagement with Professional Learning Networks on Twitter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noble, Anna; McQuillan, Patrick; Littenberg-Tobias, Josh

    2016-01-01

    Growing numbers of educators are using social media platforms to connect with other educators to form professional learning networks. These networks serve as alternative sources of professional development for teachers who seek to enrich their professional growth beyond school-based programs. This study aims to add to the small but growing body of…

  7. Networking quality and trust in professional services

    OpenAIRE

    Toryanto, Agustinus A.; Hasyim

    2017-01-01

    This study attempts to offer an outward-looking insight of the extent the knowledge management and value creation developed within professional organizations that is perceived to be able to influence networking behaviors and organizational performance. By using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) with AMOS, and conducting survey with non-probability sampling techniques of 300 law firms in several cities in Indonesia, the study proposed the networking capability as the mediating variable of...

  8. [Linking: relationships between health professionals in the informal health networks].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarradon-Eck, A; Vega, A; Faure, M; Humbert-Gaudart, A; Lustman, M

    2008-07-01

    During the last years, the french health system has been developing formal health networks. So, it was necessary to study informal health networks as networks. More precisely, we studied the nature of relationships between various stakeholders around general practionners wich are commonly considering as the stakeholder of the health system private sector. Fieldwork (ethnography based on direct observations and interviews) was conducted between October 2002 and april 2004, in the South-East of France. Ten monographs of general practioner's offices were achieved in a rural area; then, we achieved fieldwork of the informal health networks identified. There is a cultural frame wich is common to all private professionals. This frame includes a triple ideal (teamwork built up the hospital model, independance, and an relational approach with patients). This frame does not square with the real practices. In fact, regulation mechanisms preserve the balance of relashionships between professionnal groups, by restricting/promoting exchanges and complex alliance strategies. These mecanisms include: (1) a few professionnal's rule as disponibility (to the patients and to the professionnals), as communication about patient, as patient's reference, as obligation to communicate between professionals; (2) some constraints such as territory superposition and competition with other professional groups; (3) some needs for: rileiving (of emotions and worries connected to work), sharing (decisions, responsabilities), of delegation (medical treatment, practices), protection against social and legal risk through the creation of trust relationships. These trust relationships are based on several logics (affinity, solidarity, similarity). The study shows the major place of the patient who is often the main organizer of his network, and even though he makes an important structuring work between medical staff, and an information transfer (on his diagnosis, on his treatment, and professionals

  9. Invisible but Essential: The Role of Professional Networks in Promoting Faculty Agency in Career Advancement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niehaus, Elizabeth; O'Meara, KerryAnn

    2015-01-01

    The benefits of professional networks are largely invisible to the people embedded in them (O'Reilly 1991), yet professional networks may provide key benefits for faculty careers. The purpose of the study reported here was to explore the role of professional networks in faculty agency in career advancement, specifically focusing on the overall…

  10. Health care for women in situations of violence: discoordination of network professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaqueline Arboit

    Full Text Available Abstract OBJECTIVE To learn the conceptions and actions of health professionals on the care network for women in situations of violence. METHOD A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory study was conducted between April and July 2015 with the participation of 21 health professionals from four primary health care teams in a city of the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Data were collected by means of individual semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used for data systematization. RESULTS Health professionals recognized the importance of the health care network for coping with the problem of violence against women. However, their conceptions and actions were limited by the discoordination or absence of integration among professionals and services of the care network. CONCLUSION The conceptions and actions of health professionals contribute to the discoordination among the services. It is necessary to reflect on the daily practices of care for women in situations of violence.

  11. Networking for Learning The role of Networking in a Lifelong Learner's Professional Development

    OpenAIRE

    Rajagopal, Kamakshi

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation discusses the role the social activity of networking plays in lifelong learners’ professional and personal continuous development. The main hypothesis of this thesis is that networking is a learning strategy for lifelong learners, in which conversations are key activities through which they reassess their held thoughts and make sense of their experiences together with others.

  12. Supporting students in professional socialisation: Guidelines for professional nurses and educators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hester Cathrina (Rina de Swardt

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Professional socialisation of nursing students involves learning skills, attitudes, behaviour and professional roles, largely in the clinical area. During clinical accompaniment and reflective discussions with a group of undergraduate Baccalaureate nursing students in South Africa, students reported negative professional socialisation experiences, primarily in the clinical area. Such experiences could influence the quality of patient care. The objective of this study was to develop and validate guidelines to support professional nurses and educators in the professional socialisation of student nurses. Evidence was generated from an exploration and description of the perceptions of professional nurses regarding their role in the professional socialisation of students, the perceptions of nurse educators regarding the teaching and facilitation of professional socialisation of students, and the socialisation experiences of students. Following a sequential mixed-methods design, qualitative data guided the collection of quantitative data. All data and literature directed the development of these guidelines, which experts reviewed and validated according to a set of criteria. These guidelines focus on the clinical, nursing educational institution environment and values and beliefs of the nursing profession. Facilitation of sound work ethics, professional behaviour, cultural and gender awareness, role modelling and the application of a range of teaching strategies is proposed.

  13. Associations of professional quality of life and social support with health in clinical nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Chia-Yun; Yang, Mei-Sang; Leung, Wan; Liu, Yea-Ying; Huang, Hui-Wen; Wang, Ruey-Hsia

    2018-03-01

    To explore the associations of the professional quality of life and social support with health in nurses. Physical and mental health may be associated with absence from work among nurses. Few studies have explored the associations of professional quality of life and social support on the physical and mental health of nurses. This was a cross-sectional study. In total, 294 nurses were recruited from a hospital in Southern Taiwan. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect data. Burnout, secondary traumatic stress and social support from relatives or friends were important factors of physical and mental health. Interactions between support from relatives or friends and secondary traumatic stress are important factors in physical health. Reducing burnout and secondary traumatic stress is important for physical and mental health of nurses. Increasing social support from relatives or friends may be useful to reduce the negative effects of secondary traumatic stress on the physical health of nurses. Nurse managers could design interventions to reduce and prevent nurses from being influenced by burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Educating nurses to build effective social networks with relatives or friends and to seek support when experiencing secondary traumatic stress may also be needed. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. The meaning and validation of social support networks for close family of persons with advanced cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sjolander Catarina

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To strengthen the mental well-being of close family of persons newly diagnosed as having cancer, it is necessary to acquire a greater understanding of their experiences of social support networks, so as to better assess what resources are available to them from such networks and what professional measures are required. The main aim of the present study was to explore the meaning of these networks for close family of adult persons in the early stage of treatment for advanced lung or gastrointestinal cancer. An additional aim was to validate the study’s empirical findings by means of the Finfgeld-Connett conceptual model for social support. The intention was to investigate whether these findings were in accordance with previous research in nursing. Methods Seventeen family members with a relative who 8–14 weeks earlier had been diagnosed as having lung or gastrointestinal cancer were interviewed. The data were subjected to qualitative latent content analysis and validated by means of identifying antecedents and critical attributes. Results The meaning or main attribute of the social support network was expressed by the theme Confirmation through togetherness, based on six subthemes covering emotional and, to a lesser extent, instrumental support. Confirmation through togetherness derived principally from information, understanding, encouragement, involvement and spiritual community. Three subthemes were identified as the antecedents to social support: Need of support, Desire for a deeper relationship with relatives, Network to turn to. Social support involves reciprocal exchange of verbal and non-verbal information provided mainly by lay persons. Conclusions The study provides knowledge of the antecedents and attributes of social support networks, particularly from the perspective of close family of adult persons with advanced lung or gastrointestinal cancer. There is a need for measurement instruments that could

  15. Support to women who denounce experiences of violence based on her social network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Letícia Becker Vieira

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to analyze the possibilities of help/support through the mapping and acknowledgement of the social network of women who denounce experiences of violence at a Police Precinct for Women.Method: qualitative study based on the theoretical-methodological framework of Lia Sanicola's Social Network, through interviews with 19 women.Results: the analysis of the network maps evidenced that the primary social network was more present than the secondary on and, despite consisting of significant relations, it demonstrates limitations. The women access the secondary network occasionally in the violence problem and/or its repercussions in their life and health. The discrete presence of the health network in the composition of the social network was revealed and, when mentioned, the relation between the health professional and the woman was characterized as fragile.Conclusion: the importance of the social network relates to the creation of spaces of help/support for the women beyond the moment of the aggression, which accompany them throughout their process of emancipation from an experience annulled by violence, considering that each woman acts and makes decisions in the relational context when she is ready for it.

  16. "It's like a puzzle": Pregnant women's perceptions of professional support in midwifery care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bäckström, Caroline A; Mårtensson, Lena B; Golsäter, Marie H; Thorstensson, Stina A

    2016-12-01

    Pregnant women are not always satisfied with the professional support they receive during their midwifery care. More knowledge is needed to understand what professional support pregnant women need for childbirth and parenting. Childbearing and the transition to becoming a parent is a sensitive period in one's life during which one should have the opportunity to receive professional support. Professional support does not always correspond to pregnant women's needs. To understand pregnant women's needs for professional support within midwifery care, it is crucial to further illuminate women's experiences of this support. To explore pregnant women's perceptions of professional support in midwifery care. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Fifteen women were interviewed during gestational weeks 36-38. Data was analysed using phenomenography. The women perceived professional support in midwifery care to be reassuring and emotional, to consist of reliable information, and to be mediated with pedagogical creativity. The professional support facilitated new social contacts, partner involvement and contributed to mental preparedness. The findings of the study were presented in six categories and the category Professional support contributes to mental preparedness was influenced by the five other categories. Pregnant women prepare for childbirth and parenting by using several different types of professional support in midwifery care: a strategy that could be described as piecing together a puzzle. When the women put the puzzle together, each type of professional support works as a valuable piece in the whole puzzle. Through this, professional support could contribute to women's mental preparedness for childbirth and parenting. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Healthcare professional behaviour change using technological supports: A realist literature review

    OpenAIRE

    Chris Keyworth; Jo Hart; Chris A. Armitage

    2015-01-01

    Background Changing healthcare professional behaviour is fundamental to effective patient management. Recent systematic reviews examining healthcare professional behaviour change interventions (such as audit and feedback) suggest that technological support is likely to be crucial in helping healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes. However we know little about the effectiveness of technological support interventions, and whether the design of technological support interventions...

  18. Novel survey disseminated through Twitter supports its utility for networking, disseminating research, advocacy, clinical practice and other professional goals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borgmann, Hendrik; DeWitt, Sasha; Tsaur, Igor; Haferkamp, Axel; Loeb, Stacy

    2015-01-01

    Twitter use has grown exponentially within the urological community. We aimed to determine the perceptions of the impact of Twitter on users' clinical practice, research, and other professional activities. We performed an 11-item online survey of Twitter contributors during two major urological meetings: the European Association of Urology (EAU) and the American Urological Association (AUA) annual meetings. During the EAU 2014 meeting, we distributed the survey via the meeting official Twitter feed. During the AUA 2014 meeting, we applied a new method by directly sending the survey to Twitter contributors. We performed a subset analysis for assessing the perceived impact of Twitter on the clinical practice of physicians. Among 312 total respondents, the greatest perceived benefits of Twitter among users were for networking (97%) and disseminating information (96%), followed by research (75%), advocacy (74%) and career development (62%). In total, 65% of Twitter users have dealt with guidelines on online medical professionalism and 71% of physician users found that Twitter had an impact on their clinical practice, and 33% had made a clinical decision based on an online case discussion. Our results suggest that Twitter users in the urological community perceive important benefits. These benefits extend to multiple professional domains, particularly networking, disseminating information, remote conference participation, research, and advocacy. This is the first study that has been disseminated to targeted individuals from the urological community directly through tweets, providing a proof of principle for this research method.

  19. Professionals' views on mental health service users' education: challenges and support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieminen, I; Kaunonen, M

    2017-02-01

    WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Mental health service users (MHSUs) may experience disruptions in their education. However, education has been shown to have a positive influence on their recovery, potentially offering them broader employment opportunities. The literature suggests that providing support for MHSUs in their educational efforts may be beneficial and is wished for by the service users themselves. However, there is a lack of mental health professionals' views on the topic in the setting of a community mental health centre. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: In the perception of mental health professionals, the predominance of disease in the life of MHSUs and their marginalization may form barriers to their success in education. Professionals can support MHSUs in their educational efforts by strengthening the MHSUs' internal resources and creating a supportive environment with professional expertise available. A service user-centred education might further help MHSUs to achieve their educational goals. Our findings confirm previous knowledge of a recovery-oriented approach to supporting MHSUs' education. This study explored the topic from the professionals' perspective in the context of community mental health centres, which is a fresh view in the research literature. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The findings suggest which types of support professionals perceive to be required for MHSUs to advance their studies. Knowledge of adequate forms of support can be applied in the mental health nursing practice to develop support measures for service users to advance in their studies. All levels of the community mental health centres should be aware of and adopt a recovery-oriented approach. MHSUs and professionals need to have a shared opinion on the definition of recovery orientation. This requires mutual discussion and the more active involvement of MHSUs in the design of their own rehabilitation process. Introduction Studies show

  20. Professionalism in Student Online Social Networking: The Role of Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chester, A.; Kienhuis, M.; Pisani, H.; Shahwan-Akl, L.; White, K.

    2013-01-01

    Social media now form a common part of university students' experience. Both at university and after graduation, in their personal and professional lives, social media offer opportunities for connection previously unavailable. The ubiquitous nature of social networking has brought with it professional and ethical issues that need to be…

  1. Professional Online Presence and Learning Networks: Educating for Ethical Use of Social Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forbes, Dianne

    2017-01-01

    In a teacher education context, this study considers the use of social media for building a professional online presence and learning network. This article provides an overview of uses of social media in teacher education, presents a case study of key processes in relation to professional online presence and learning networks, and highlights…

  2. Quality of life in family caregivers of schizophrenia patients in Spain: caregiver characteristics, caregiving burden, family functioning, and social and professional support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribé, José M; Salamero, Manel; Pérez-Testor, Carles; Mercadal, Josep; Aguilera, Concepción; Cleris, Margarida

    2018-03-01

    Caregivers experience physical and mental stress that ends up lowering their quality of life (QoL). Our goal was to research (a) the level of caregivers QoL; (b) the relationships between the demographic characteristics of the caregivers, their caregiving burden, their family functioning, their social and professional support and their QoL and (c) the best predictors of caregivers QoL. 100 key caregivers (70% parents, 8% spouses, 17% siblings and 5% children) were studied using the world health organization quality of life-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF) to research their QoL, the Zarit Scale to assess their perception of their caregiving burden, the Social Network Questionnaire to examine their social support, the Family APGAR to assess the satisfaction with social support from the family and a professional support scale (Escala de Apoyo Profesional) to determine the professional support received by caregivers was performed. Scores on the WHOQOL-BREF in the Physical, Psychological, Social and Environment domains were 15.0 (SD = 3.7), 13.3 (SD = 4.2), 11.0 (SD = 4.7) and 13.5 (SD = 3.1), respectively. Through bivariate analysis, the dimensions that showed a positive significant association with QoL were being a young male caregiver who was a working father with a high educational level and help from other family members. Caregivers of patients who were older and had a later onset of the illness, a lower score on the Zarit Scale and a high score on the Social Network Questionnaire, Family APGAR and Escala de Apoyo Profesional showed higher QoL. Many of these variables made a unique contribution in the multivariate analysis. There is a significant association between the caregiver's burden and their QoL. Regression analysis showed that the best predictors of QoL were caregiving burden, social support and professional support.

  3. A social network approach to understanding science communication among fire professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vita Wright

    2012-01-01

    Studies of science communication and use in the fire management community suggest manager's access research via informal information networks and that these networks vary by both agency and position. We used a phone survey followed by traditional statistical analyses to understand the informal social networks of fire professionals in two western regions of the...

  4. Crossing the Color Line: Black Professional Men’s Development of Interracial Social Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adia Harvey Wingfield

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Sociologists have established that social networks often play an important role in hiring, promotions, and occupational mobility. For black workers, however, social networks can be racialized in ways that work to their disadvantage. In this paper, I consider how black professional men develop and maintain interracial social networks with white men and women. I argue that these networks are shaped by intersections of race and gender and are intentionally constructed in response to black professional men’s perceptions of their positioning within male-dominated occupations. Specifically, this paper examines how black men establish social networks with white men, their perceptions of how diverging levels of social capital shape these networks compared to their white male peers, and their observations of ways that women are less advantaged than they are in constructing social networks.

  5. Remote but Not Removed: Professional Networks That Support Rural Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsley, Danette

    2018-01-01

    The Northwest Rural Innovation and Student Engagement (NW RISE) Network connects rural educators in the Pacific Northwest to help them succeed in the profession and overcome the challenges caused by teacher isolation. In this article, the author takes stock of what was learned in the four years since the network was established. She also shares…

  6. Social Media for Networking, Professional Development, and Patient Engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markham, Merry Jennifer; Gentile, Danielle; Graham, David L

    2017-01-01

    Social media has become an established method of communication, and many physicians are finding these interactive tools and platforms to be useful for both personal and professional use. Risks of social media, or barriers to its use, include perceived lack of time, privacy concerns, and the risk of damage to one's reputation by unprofessional behavior. Of the social media platforms, Twitter has become favored by physicians and other health care professionals. Although one of the most obvious uses of social media is for rapid dissemination and receipt of information, oncologists are finding that social media is important for networking through blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. These platforms also have potential for providing opportunities for professional development, such as finding collaborators through networking, participation in Twitter journal clubs, and participating in online case-based tumor boards. Social media can also be used for patient engagement, such as through participation in tweet chats. There is emerging data that patient engagement through these platforms may lead to improvement in some health-related outcomes; however, data are sparse for oncology-specific outcomes. Efforts are underway to determine how to assess how social media engagement impacts health outcomes in oncology patients.

  7. Firms' innovation benefiting from networking and institutional support

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schøtt, Thomas; Jensen, Kent Wickstrøm

    2016-01-01

    Firms' networking for innovation is embedded in institutions of society, where national policies are increasingly designed to provide institutional support for firms' networking and thereby benefit innovation. But, globally, what are the quantitative and qualitative effects of institutional support...... for networking and, in turn, for innovation? 68 countries with 18,880 firms were surveyed in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, enabling generalization to the firms in the countries around the world. Two-level modeling shows that firms' networking benefits both process and product innovation. Institutional...... support does not significantly affect quantity of networking, but greatly enhances quality of networking in the sense that support for networking in a country enhances the benefits of networking for both process and product innovation. Contrasting low and high support for networking leads to estimating...

  8. Networked professional learning : relating the formal and the informal

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vaessen, M.; Beemt, van den A.A.J.; Laat, de M.

    2014-01-01

    The increasing complexity of the workplace environment requires teachers and professionals in general to tap into their social networks, inside and outside circles of direct colleagues and collaborators, for finding appropriate knowledge and expertise. This collective process of sharing and

  9. A survey on social networks to determine requirements for Learning Networks for professional development of university staff

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouns, Francis; Berlanga, Adriana; Fetter, Sibren; Bitter-Rijpkema, Marlies; Van Bruggen, Jan; Sloep, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Brouns, F., Berlanga, A. J., Fetter, S., Bitter-Rijpkema, M. E., Van Bruggen, J. M., & Sloep, P. B. (2011). A survey on social networks to determine requirements for Learning Networks for professional development of university staff. International Journal of Web Based Communities, 7(3), 298-311.

  10. A Social Network Perspective on Peer Supported Learning in MOOCs for Educators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaun Kellogg

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available A recent phenomenon in the MOOC space has been the development of courses tailored to educators serving in K-12 settings. MOOCs, particularly as a form of educator professional development, face a number of challenges. Academics, as well as pundits from traditional and new media, have raised a number of concerns about MOOCs, including the lack of instructional and social supports. It is an assumption of this study that challenges arising form this problem of scale can be addressed by leveraging these massive numbers to develop robust online learning communities. This mixed-methods case study addresses critical gaps in the literature and issues of peer support in MOOCs through an examination of the characteristics, mechanisms, and outcomes of peer networks. Findings from this study demonstrate that even with technology as basic as a discussion forum, MOOCs can be leveraged to foster these networks and facilitate peer-supported learning. Although this study was limited to two unique cases along the wide spectrum of MOOCs, the methods applied provide other researchers with an approach for better understanding the dynamic process of peer supported learning in MOOCs.

  11. A social network approach to understanding science communication among fire professionals (Abstract)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vita Wright; Andrea Thode; Anne Mottek-Lucas; Jacklynn Fallon; Megan Matonis

    2012-01-01

    Studies of science communication and use in the fire management community suggest manager's access research via informal information networks and that these networks vary by both agency and position. We used a phone survey followed by traditional statistical analyses to understand the informal social networks of fire professionals in two western regions of the...

  12. Support network and social support for children with special health care need

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thaís Araújo Barbosa

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to understand and identify the support network and social support from the perspective of families of children with chronic conditions. Methods: a qualitative study, with content analysis of 134 records, followed by ten semi-structured interviews. Results: the analysis has revealed that the primary caregiver, the mother, participates in a network of limited support, only with the help of her husband, children, grandparents and the child´s godparents. They also have a social network through a multidisciplinary team, which in some cases is not effective. Conclusion: families have a deficient and limited support network and the demand for care rely only on the support of the husband, grandparents, children, and godparents. Social networking refers to the philanthropic institutions, while the aid of public service, basic health unit is basic.

  13. Implementing Action Research and Professional Learning Communities in a Professional Development School Setting to Support Teacher Candidate Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanks, Joyce

    2016-01-01

    The paper reviews teacher candidates' use of action research and the Professional Learning Community (PLC) concept to support their work in their pre-student teaching field experience. In this research study, teacher candidates are involved in a professional development school relationship that uses action research and PLCs to support candidate…

  14. Analysis of the social network development of a virtual community for Australian intensive care professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolls, Kaye Denise; Hansen, Margaret; Jackson, Debra; Elliott, Doug

    2014-11-01

    Social media platforms can create virtual communities, enabling healthcare professionals to network with a broad range of colleagues and facilitate knowledge exchange. In 2003, an Australian state health department established an intensive care mailing list to address the professional isolation experienced by senior intensive care nurses. This article describes the social network created within this virtual community by examining how the membership profile evolved from 2003 to 2009. A retrospective descriptive design was used. The data source was a deidentified member database. Since 2003, 1340 healthcare professionals subscribed to the virtual community with 78% of these (n = 1042) still members at the end of 2009. The membership profile has evolved from a single-state nurse-specific network to an Australia-wide multidisciplinary and multiorganizational intensive care network. The uptake and retention of membership by intensive care clinicians indicated that they appeared to value involvement in this virtual community. For healthcare organizations, a virtual community may be a communications option for minimizing professional and organizational barriers and promoting knowledge flow. Further research is, however, required to demonstrate a link between these broader social networks, enabling the exchange of knowledge and improved patient outcomes.

  15. The Connect Effect Building Strong Personal, Professional, and Virtual Networks

    CERN Document Server

    Dulworth, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Entrepreneur and executive development expert Mike Dulworth's THE CONNECT EFFECT provides readers with a simple framework and practical tools for developing that crucial competitive advantage: a high-quality personal, professional/organizational and virtual network.

  16. Using egocentric analysis to investigate professional networks and productivity of graduate students and faculty in life sciences in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Noriko; Chen, Hui; Ynalvez, Marcus Antonius

    2017-01-01

    Prior studies showed that scientists' professional networks contribute to research productivity, but little work has examined what factors predict the formation of professional networks. This study sought to 1) examine what factors predict the formation of international ties between faculty and graduate students and 2) identify how these international ties would affect publication productivity in three East Asian countries. Face-to-face surveys and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of faculty and doctoral students in life sciences at 10 research institutions in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. Our final sample consisted of 290 respondents (84 faculty and 206 doctoral students) and 1,435 network members. We used egocentric social network analysis to examine the structure of international ties and how they relate to research productivity. Our findings suggest that overseas graduate training can be a key factor in graduate students' development of international ties in these countries. Those with a higher proportion of international ties in their professional networks were likely to have published more papers and written more manuscripts. For faculty, international ties did not affect the number of manuscripts written or of papers published, but did correlate with an increase in publishing in top journals. The networks we examined were identified by asking study participants with whom they discuss their research. Because the relationships may not appear in explicit co-authorship networks, these networks were not officially recorded elsewhere. This study sheds light on the relationships of these invisible support networks to researcher productivity.

  17. Using egocentric analysis to investigate professional networks and productivity of graduate students and faculty in life sciences in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noriko Hara

    Full Text Available Prior studies showed that scientists' professional networks contribute to research productivity, but little work has examined what factors predict the formation of professional networks. This study sought to 1 examine what factors predict the formation of international ties between faculty and graduate students and 2 identify how these international ties would affect publication productivity in three East Asian countries. Face-to-face surveys and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of faculty and doctoral students in life sciences at 10 research institutions in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. Our final sample consisted of 290 respondents (84 faculty and 206 doctoral students and 1,435 network members. We used egocentric social network analysis to examine the structure of international ties and how they relate to research productivity. Our findings suggest that overseas graduate training can be a key factor in graduate students' development of international ties in these countries. Those with a higher proportion of international ties in their professional networks were likely to have published more papers and written more manuscripts. For faculty, international ties did not affect the number of manuscripts written or of papers published, but did correlate with an increase in publishing in top journals. The networks we examined were identified by asking study participants with whom they discuss their research. Because the relationships may not appear in explicit co-authorship networks, these networks were not officially recorded elsewhere. This study sheds light on the relationships of these invisible support networks to researcher productivity.

  18. Networked Professional Learning: Relating the Formal and the Informal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaessen, Matthieu; van den Beemt, Antoine; de Laat, Maarten

    2014-01-01

    The increasing complexity of the workplace environment requires teachers and professionals in general to tap into their social networks, inside and outside circles of direct colleagues and collaborators, for finding appropriate knowledge and expertise. This collective process of sharing and constructing knowledge can be considered "networked…

  19. Networks of Learning : Professional Association and the Continuing Education of Teachers of Mathematics in Pakistan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baber, Sikunder Ali

    " and shows how a number of professional associations have become as networks of learning to encourage the continuing professional education of both pre-service and in-service teachers in the context of Pakistan. A case of the Mathematics Association of Pakistan (MAP) as a Network of Learning is presented....... The formation and growth of this network can be viewed as developing insights into the improvement of mathematics education in the developing world. The contributions of the association may also add value to the learning of teacher colleagues in other parts of the world. This sharing of the experience may......Importance of the professional development of teachers has been recognized and research has contributed greatly in terms of proposing variety of approaches for the development of teachers,both pre-service and in-service. Among them, networking among teachers, teacher educators,curriculum developers...

  20. Cooperative and supportive neural networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sree Hari Rao, V.; Raja Sekhara Rao, P.

    2007-01-01

    This Letter deals with the concepts of co-operation and support among neurons existing in a network which contribute to their collective capabilities and distributed operations. Activational dynamical properties of these networks are discussed

  1. CosmoQuest Collaborative: Galvanizing a Dynamic Professional Learning Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobb, Whitney; Bracey, Georgia; Buxner, Sanlyn; Gay, Pamela L.; Noel-Storr, Jacob; CosmoQuest Team

    2016-10-01

    The CosmoQuest Collaboration offers in-depth experiences to diverse audiences around the nation and the world through pioneering citizen science in a virtual research facility. An endeavor between universities, research institutes, and NASA centers, CosmoQuest brings together scientists, educators, researchers, programmers—and citizens of all ages—to explore and make sense of our solar system and beyond. Leveraging human networks to expand NASA science, scaffolded by an educational framework that inspires lifelong learners, CosmoQuest engages citizens in analyzing and interpreting real NASA data, inspiring questions and defining problems.The QuestionLinda Darling-Hammond calls for professional development to be: "focused on the learning and teaching of specific curriculum content [i.e. NGSS disciplinary core ideas]; organized around real problems of practice [i.e. NGSS science and engineering practices] … [and] connected to teachers' collaborative work in professional learning community...." (2012) In light of that, what is the unique role CosmoQuest's virtual research facility can offer NASA STEM education?A Few AnswersThe CosmoQuest Collaboration actively engages scientists in education, and educators (and learners) in science. CosmoQuest uses social channels to empower and expand NASA's learning community through a variety of media, including science and education-focused hangouts, virtual star parties, and social media. In addition to creating its own supportive, standards-aligned materials, CosmoQuest offers a hub for excellent resources and materials throughout NASA and the larger astronomy community.In support of CosmoQuest citizen science opportunities, CQ initiatives (Learning Space, S-ROSES, IDEASS, Educator Zone) will be leveraged and shared through the CQPLN. CosmoQuest can be present and alive in the awareness its growing learning community.Finally, to make the CosmoQuest PLN truly relevant, it aims to encourage partnerships between scientists

  2. IT-support for healthcare professionals acting in major incidents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Margit; Kyng, Morten; Nielsen, Esben Toftdahl

    2005-01-01

    This paper focuses on development of it support for healthcare professionals acting in major incidents. We introduce the participatory design approach as adequate for analysis, design and development of technologies for use in complex environments and situations, and describe the actual...... the BlueBio biomonitor prototype, a wireless multifunction biomonitor. BlueBio data can be accessed by the healthcare professionals independent of where they are located and displayed on different types of devices tailored to the needs of the individual professional. Finally we discuss some challenges...

  3. Professionally Oriented Practice in Graduate Students in the Context of Networking between University and School

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gutina G.Y.,

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes the experience of organising professionally oriented practice for graduate students in the context of networking. The model of in-depth professionally oriented practice for students of the master’s programme in Psychology and Education was created and approved by the leading Russian pedagogical universities within the project “Developing and approving new modules of basic master’s programme of professional training in Psychology and Education on the basis of networking between educational organisations providing general and higher education programmes implying in-depth professionally oriented student practice”. The model of in-depth practice is constructed on the grounds of activity- and competency-based approaches. Practical training of graduate students focuses on the structure and content of work functions (actions defined in the professional standard for educational psychologists.

  4. A Self-Organizing Spatial Clustering Approach to Support Large-Scale Network RTK Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Lili; Guo, Jiming; Wang, Lei

    2018-06-06

    The network real-time kinematic (RTK) technique can provide centimeter-level real time positioning solutions and play a key role in geo-spatial infrastructure. With ever-increasing popularity, network RTK systems will face issues in the support of large numbers of concurrent users. In the past, high-precision positioning services were oriented towards professionals and only supported a few concurrent users. Currently, precise positioning provides a spatial foundation for artificial intelligence (AI), and countless smart devices (autonomous cars, unmanned aerial-vehicles (UAVs), robotic equipment, etc.) require precise positioning services. Therefore, the development of approaches to support large-scale network RTK systems is urgent. In this study, we proposed a self-organizing spatial clustering (SOSC) approach which automatically clusters online users to reduce the computational load on the network RTK system server side. The experimental results indicate that both the SOSC algorithm and the grid algorithm can reduce the computational load efficiently, while the SOSC algorithm gives a more elastic and adaptive clustering solution with different datasets. The SOSC algorithm determines the cluster number and the mean distance to cluster center (MDTCC) according to the data set, while the grid approaches are all predefined. The side-effects of clustering algorithms on the user side are analyzed with real global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data sets. The experimental results indicate that 10 km can be safely used as the cluster radius threshold for the SOSC algorithm without significantly reducing the positioning precision and reliability on the user side.

  5. Mothers' perceptions of community health professional support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maunders, Helena; Giles, David; Douglas, Hazel

    2007-04-01

    This qualitative study aimed to explore mothers' experiences of the support they received from community health professionals. Every third mother was selected from an NHS Trust's database of women whose health visitors had used the Solihull Approach. Forty-two women were sent information packs and consent forms. Nine mothers who returned consent forms were interviewed. The interview transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The results expand on previous research and contribute additional ideas to the existing evidence base. The findings explore the concepts of trust, expertise and understanding within the working partnership. In addition, the results address mothers' need for reliability, and a preference for professionals who understood women's beliefs about what it means to be a 'good mother'. The results and recommendations are pertinent to those community health professionals who work in the area of early childhood intervention, including practitioners who use the Solihull Approach.

  6. Actions to promote professional ethics in the people supported education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sucel Batista-Fonseca

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available An action plan aimed at strengthening professional ethics supported by the methodology of popular education is a tool for achieving quality in the institutions used by managers and by workers committed with efficiency in our organizations. This study seeks to propose an action plan that promotes ethics in institutions supported by the methodology of popular education. The development of this proposal was made aided by documentary analysis with the use of theoretical methods such as analysis-synthesis, induction, deduction, and leaning on the technique of participant observation. The authors have investigated about professional ethics and Popular Education and analyzed these categories separately. The literature review showed that the methodology of popular education is an essential tool to encourage professional ethics.

  7. Network Regulation and Support Schemes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ropenus, Stephanie; Schröder, Sascha Thorsten; Jacobsen, Henrik

    2009-01-01

    -in tariffs to market-based quota systems, and network regulation approaches, comprising rate-of-return and incentive regulation. National regulation and the vertical structure of the electricity sector shape the incentives of market agents, notably of distributed generators and network operators......At present, there exists no explicit European policy framework on distributed generation. Various Directives encompass distributed generation; inherently, their implementation is to the discretion of the Member States. The latter have adopted different kinds of support schemes, ranging from feed....... This article seeks to investigate the interactions between the policy dimensions of support schemes and network regulation and how they affect the deployment of distributed generation. Firstly, a conceptual analysis examines how the incentives of the different market agents are affected. In particular...

  8. Supporting networks for realizing rights

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wilson, Fiona

    2005-01-01

    The chapter explores how DFID, the British bi-lateral aid donor, adopted an innovative rights' based approach that rested on supporting in existing networks in Peru. Focus is put on the history and challenges of DFID's engagement with three networks in particular: in the fields of health, local...

  9. Considering a Twitter-Based Professional Learning Network in Literacy Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colwell, Jamie; Hutchison, Amy C.

    2018-01-01

    This study explored how 26 preservice secondary content teachers perceived their experiences participating in and developing a Twitter-based professional learning network focused on disciplinary literacy. Participants completed blog reflections and anonymous online surveys to reflect on their experiences, which served as data for this study. A…

  10. Association of social network and social support with health-related quality of life and fatigue in long-term survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares, A; Biasoli, I; Scheliga, A; Baptista, R L; Brabo, E P; Morais, J C; Werneck, G L; Spector, N

    2013-08-01

    As the number of survivors of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) increases, there has been a growing interest in long-term treatment-related side effects and their impact on the quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to assess the association of social network and social support with the QoL and fatigue among long-term HL survivors. A total of 200 HL survivors were included. The generic Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaire, the QoL cancer survivor's questionnaire (QOL-CS), and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory were used to assess QoL and fatigue. Social network and social support were evaluated with the Social Support Survey. Social network and all social support measures were favorably associated with two or more SF-12 scales, mainly with physical functioning and the mental health scales. Social network and social support dimensions were also associated with better QOL-CS scores. Affective support, informational support, positive interaction, and emotional support were associated with less fatigue. Both social network and social support are associated with better QoL and lower levels of fatigue in HL survivors. This information may be useful to health professionals and community organizations in implementing effective interventions to improve these patients' quality of life.

  11. A Self-Organizing Spatial Clustering Approach to Support Large-Scale Network RTK Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lili Shen

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The network real-time kinematic (RTK technique can provide centimeter-level real time positioning solutions and play a key role in geo-spatial infrastructure. With ever-increasing popularity, network RTK systems will face issues in the support of large numbers of concurrent users. In the past, high-precision positioning services were oriented towards professionals and only supported a few concurrent users. Currently, precise positioning provides a spatial foundation for artificial intelligence (AI, and countless smart devices (autonomous cars, unmanned aerial-vehicles (UAVs, robotic equipment, etc. require precise positioning services. Therefore, the development of approaches to support large-scale network RTK systems is urgent. In this study, we proposed a self-organizing spatial clustering (SOSC approach which automatically clusters online users to reduce the computational load on the network RTK system server side. The experimental results indicate that both the SOSC algorithm and the grid algorithm can reduce the computational load efficiently, while the SOSC algorithm gives a more elastic and adaptive clustering solution with different datasets. The SOSC algorithm determines the cluster number and the mean distance to cluster center (MDTCC according to the data set, while the grid approaches are all predefined. The side-effects of clustering algorithms on the user side are analyzed with real global navigation satellite system (GNSS data sets. The experimental results indicate that 10 km can be safely used as the cluster radius threshold for the SOSC algorithm without significantly reducing the positioning precision and reliability on the user side.

  12. Paediatric death and dying: exploring coping strategies of health professionals and perceptions of support provision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forster, Elizabeth; Hafiz, Alaa

    2015-06-01

    Without question a child's death is a devastating event for parents and families. Health professionals working with the dying child and family draw upon their expertise and experience to engage with children, parents and families on this painful journey. This is a delicate and sensitive area of practice and has strong and penetrating effects on health professionals. They employ physical, emotional, spiritual and problem solving strategies to continue to perform this role effectively and to protect their continued sense of wellbeing. To explore health professionals' perceptions of bereavement support surrounding the loss of a child. The research was underpinned by social constructionism. Semi-structured interviews were held with 10 health professionals including doctors, nurses and social workers who were directly involved in the care of the dying child and family in 7 cases of paediatric death. Health professional narratives were analysed consistent with Charmarz's (2006) approach. For health professionals, constructions around coping emerged as peer support, personal coping strategies, family support, physical impact of support and spiritual beliefs. Analysis of the narratives also revealed health professionals' perceptions of their support provision. Health professionals involved in caring for dying children and their families use a variety of strategies to cope with the emotional and physical toll of providing support. They also engage in self-assessment to evaluate their support provision and this highlights the need for self-evaluation tools in paediatric palliative care.

  13. Social networking profiles and professionalism issues in residency applicants: an original study-cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponce, Brent A; Determann, Jason R; Boohaker, Hikel A; Sheppard, Evan; McGwin, Gerald; Theiss, Steven

    2013-01-01

    To determine the frequency of social networking, the degree of information publicly disclosed, and whether unprofessional content was identified in applicants from the 2010 Residency Match. Medical professionalism is an essential competency for physicians to learn, and information found on social networking sites may be hazardous to the doctor-patient relationship and an institution's public perception. No study has analyzed the social network content of applicants applying for residency. Online review of social networking Facebook profiles of graduating medical students applying for a residency in orthopedic surgery. Evidence of unprofessional content was based upon Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education guidelines. Additional recorded applicant data included as follows: age, United States Medical Licensing Examination part I score, and residency composite score. Relationship between professionalism score and recorded data points was evaluated using an analysis of variance. Nearly half of all applicants, 46% (200/431), had a Facebook profile. The majority of profiles (85%) did not restrict online access to their profile. Unprofessional content was identified in 16% of resident applicant profiles. Variables associated with lower professionalism scores included unmarried relationship status and lower residency composite scores. It is critical for healthcare professionals to recognize both the benefits and risks present with electronic communication and to vigorously protect the content of material allowed to be publically accessed through the Internet. Copyright © 2013 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Work process, performance and professional profile of a Hearing Health Network: reference for satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escarce, Andrezza Gonzalez; Lemos, Stela Maris Aguiar; Carvalho, Sirley Alves da Silva

    2016-01-01

    To analyze the correlation between the satisfaction of professionals from the Hearing Health Care network in two micro-regions of Minas Gerais state and the sociodemographic profile, work process, and work performance in the health service. This is a cross-sectional, observational, analytic study with a non-probabilistic sample including 34 professionals from the Hearing Health Care services. Data collection occurred through individual interviews in the municipality of professional practice. Associations between the Professional Satisfaction variable and the explanatory variables Sociodemographic Data, Work Routine, and Developed Actions were conducted. Professionals with graduate studies were more satisfied with the human resources policy and the activities developed, whereas health civil servants showed more satisfaction with the wage policy and the work schedule. The correlation analysis between work process and satisfaction revealed a moderate positive correlation between items such as Health Promotion Actions, Satisfaction with Diagnostic Equipment, and Satisfaction with Maintenance Equipment. The present study revealed a higher level of satisfaction among professionals with graduate studies (human resources policy and activities developed) and civil servants (wage policy and work schedule). The relevance of this study lies on the important role that health professionals play on the Health Care Network. Additionally, the study of satisfaction level can provide a search for improvements, considering that satisfied professionals not only improve service quality, but also show greater creativity, commitment, and performance.

  15. Associations Between Internet-Based Professional Social Networking and Emotional Distress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Jacquelynn R.; Colditz, Jason B.; Shensa, Ariel; Sidani, Jaime E.; Lin, Liu Yi; Terry, Martha Ann

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Professional social networking websites are commonly used among young professionals. In light of emerging concerns regarding social networking use and emotional distress, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between frequency of use of LinkedIn, the most commonly used professional social networking website, and depression and anxiety among young adults. In October 2014, we assessed a nationally representative sample of 1,780 U.S. young adults between the ages of 19–32 regarding frequency of LinkedIn use, depression and anxiety, and sociodemographic covariates. We measured depression and anxiety using validated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures. We used bivariable and multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between LinkedIn use and depression and anxiety, while controlling for age, sex, race, relationship status, living situation, household income, education level, and overall social media use. In weighted analyses, 72% of participants did not report use of LinkedIn, 16% reported at least some use, but less than once each week, and 12% reported use at least once per week. In multivariable analyses controlling for all covariates, compared with those who did not use LinkedIn, participants using LinkedIn at least once per week had significantly greater odds of increased depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31–3.38) and increased anxiety (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.72–4.53). LinkedIn use was significantly related to both outcomes in a dose–response manner. Future research should investigate directionality of this association and possible reasons for it. PMID:27732077

  16. Associations Between Internet-Based Professional Social Networking and Emotional Distress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Jacquelynn R; Colditz, Jason B; Shensa, Ariel; Sidani, Jaime E; Lin, Liu Yi; Terry, Martha Ann; Primack, Brian A

    2016-10-01

    Professional social networking websites are commonly used among young professionals. In light of emerging concerns regarding social networking use and emotional distress, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between frequency of use of LinkedIn, the most commonly used professional social networking website, and depression and anxiety among young adults. In October 2014, we assessed a nationally representative sample of 1,780 U.S. young adults between the ages of 19-32 regarding frequency of LinkedIn use, depression and anxiety, and sociodemographic covariates. We measured depression and anxiety using validated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures. We used bivariable and multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between LinkedIn use and depression and anxiety, while controlling for age, sex, race, relationship status, living situation, household income, education level, and overall social media use. In weighted analyses, 72% of participants did not report use of LinkedIn, 16% reported at least some use, but less than once each week, and 12% reported use at least once per week. In multivariable analyses controlling for all covariates, compared with those who did not use LinkedIn, participants using LinkedIn at least once per week had significantly greater odds of increased depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31-3.38) and increased anxiety (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.72-4.53). LinkedIn use was significantly related to both outcomes in a dose-response manner. Future research should investigate directionality of this association and possible reasons for it.

  17. Network support for e-Science in Latin America

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stanton, M.; Macahdo, I.; Faerman, M.; Moura, A. L.

    2007-01-01

    Computer networks in Latin America have connected scientists in the region to their peers in other parts of the world since 1986. Starting with the creation of Internet2 in 1996, a new global research network has been extended throughout the world, providing communications infrastructure for large-scale international scientific collaboration. With the creation of the RedCLARA network and its links to Europe and the US between 2004 and 2005, this global network reached the majority of Latin America countries, setting the stage for much closer collaboration between scientists in Latin America and their counterparts in other countries. In this article we describe the development of the research networking infrastructure currently available within the region together with its inter-regional connections, and how this infrastructure is being used for support of e-science. Particular attention is given to the role of the national research and education networks (NRENs) in the region, and of their association, CLARA, in providing networking support for e-science projects. CLARA and Latin American NRENs are active partners in the EU-supported EELA and RINGrid projects, and also are making significant supporting contributions to the success of other international projects with Latin American partners, in fields such as High-Energy Physics, Astronomy and Astrophysics and Space Geodesy, to single out the early adopters of advanced networking technologies. These contributions are described in the article. The article concludes describing future trends in networking infrastructure in the region, in order to meet foreseeable demands for e-science support. These include the widespread adoption of optical networking and support for grid-based applications, as well as the provisioning of significantly higher international bandwidth to meet the declared needs for international collaboration in a number of fields including those mentioned above. (Author)

  18. The development, design, testing, refinement, simulation and application of an evaluation framework for communities of practice and social-professional networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ball Dianne

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Communities of practice and social-professional networks are generally considered to enhance workplace experience and enable organizational success. However, despite the remarkable growth in interest in the role of collaborating structures in a range of industries, there is a paucity of empirical research to support this view. Nor is there a convincing model for their systematic evaluation, despite the significant potential benefits in answering the core question: how well do groups of professionals work together and how could they be organised to work together more effectively? This research project will produce a rigorous evaluation methodology and deliver supporting tools for the benefit of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and consumers within the health system and other sectors. Given the prevalence and importance of communities of practice and social networks, and the extent of investments in them, this project represents a scientific innovation of national and international significance. Methods and design Working in four conceptual phases the project will employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to develop, design, field-test, refine and finalise an evaluation framework. Once available the framework will be used to evaluate simulated, and then later existing, health care communities of practice and social-professional networks to assess their effectiveness in achieving desired outcomes. Peak stakeholder groups have agreed to involve a wide range of members and participant organisations, and will facilitate access to various policy, managerial and clinical networks. Discussion Given its scope and size, the project represents a valuable opportunity to achieve breakthroughs at two levels; firstly, by introducing novel and innovative aims and methods into the social research process and, secondly, through the resulting evaluation framework and tools. We anticipate valuable outcomes in the

  19. Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Professional Networks for PD A Mixed-Method Analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eijk, M. van; Bloem, B.R.; Nijhuis, F.A.P.; Koetsenruijter, J.; Vrijhoef, H.J.; Munneke, M.; Wensing, M.; Faber, M.J.

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: ParkinsonNet, a nationwide organization with regionally oriented professional health networks in TheNetherlands, aims to improve the quality of Parkinson care. Facilitation of multidisciplinary collaboration is a key objective of ParkinsonNet. OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether the

  20. Report on the September 2011 Meeting of the Next Generation Safegaurds Professional Network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gitau, Ernest TN; Benz, Jacob M.

    2011-12-19

    The Next Generation Safeguards Professional Network (NGSPN) was established in 2009 by Oak Ridge National Laboratory targeted towards the engagement of young professionals employed in safeguards across the many national laboratories. NGSPN focuses on providing a mechanism for young safeguards professionals to connect and foster professional relationships, facilitating knowledge transfer between current safeguards experts and the next generation of experts, and acting as an entity to represent the interests of the international community of young and mid-career safeguards professionals. This is accomplished in part with a yearly meeting held at a national laboratory site. In 2011, this meeting was held at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This report documents the events and results of that meeting.

  1. Health Professionals' Expanding eHealth Competences for Supporting Patients' Self-Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kujala, Sari; Rajalahti, Elina; Heponiemi, Tarja; Hilama, Pirjo

    2018-01-01

    An increasing number of new eHealth services that support patients' self-management has changed health professionals' work and has created a need for a new eHealth competence. In this study, we evaluated the health professionals' eHealth competences and training needs in a public health organization in Finland. The target organization's goal was to increase the number of eHealth services provided to patients, and health professionals and their competences were seen as critical for the adoption of services. Data was collected through an online survey of 701 health professionals working in the target organization. Professionals perceived their basic computer skills as good and they were mostly willing to use eHealth services in patient work. However, health professionals need guidance, especially in their patient work in the new eHealth-enabled environment. They were less confident about their competence to motivate and advise patients to use eHealth services and how to communicate with patients using eHealth solutions. The results also imply that eHealth competence is not merely about an individual's skills but that organizations need to develop new working processes, work practices and distribution of work. We suggest that the training and support needs identified be considered in curricula and lifelong learning.

  2. Electronic Communities: a Forum for Supporting Women Professionals and Students in Technical and Scientific Fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Single, Peg Boyle; Muller, Carol B.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Single, Richard M.

    In this article, we report on electronic discussion lists (e-lists) sponsored by MentorNet, the National Electronic Industrial Mentoring Network for Women in Engineering and Science. Using the Internet, the MentorNet program connects students in engineering and science with mentors working in industry. These e-lists are a feature of MentorNet's larger electronic mentoring program and were sponsored to foster the establishment of community among women engineering and science students and men and women professionals in those fields. This research supports the hypothesis that electronic communications can be used to develop community among engineering and science students and professionals and identifies factors influencing the emergence of electronic communities (e-communities). The e-lists that emerged into self-sustaining e-communities were focused on topic-based themes, such as balancing personal and work life, issues pertaining to women in engineering and science, and job searching. These e-communities were perceived to be safe places, embraced a diversity of opinions and experiences, and sanctioned personal and meaningful postings on the part of the participants. The e-communities maintained three to four simultaneous threaded discussions and were sustained by professionals who served as facilitators by seeding the e-lists with discussion topics. The e-lists were sponsored to provide women students participating in MentorNet with access to groups of technical and scientific professionals. In addition to providing benefits to the students, the e-lists also provided the professionals with opportunities to engage in peer mentoring with other, mostly female, technical and scientific professionals. We discuss the implications of our findings for developing e-communities and for serving the needs of women in technical and scientific fields.

  3. IP access networks with QoS support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sargento, Susana; Valadas, Rui J. M. T.; Goncalves, Jorge; Sousa, Henrique

    2001-07-01

    The increasing demand of new services and applications is pushing for drastic changes on the design of access networks targeted mainly for residential and SOHO users. Future access networks will provide full service integration (including multimedia), resource sharing at the packet level and QoS support. It is expected that using IP as the base technology, the ideal plug-and-play scenario, where the management actions of the access network operator are kept to a minimum, will be achieved easily. This paper proposes an architecture for access networks based on layer 2 or layer 3 multiplexers that allows a number of simplifications in the network elements and protocols (e.g. in the routing and addressing functions). We discuss two possible steps in the evolution of access networks towards a more efficient support of IP based services. The first one still provides no QoS support and was designed with the goal of reusing as much as possible current technologies; it is based on tunneling to transport PPP sessions. The second one introduces QoS support through the use of emerging technologies and protocols. We illustrate the different phases of a multimedia Internet access session, when using SIP for session initiation, COPS for the management of QoS policies including the AAA functions and RSVP for resource reservation.

  4. 'To be able to support her, I must feel calm and safe': pregnant women's partners perceptions of professional support during pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bäckström, Caroline; Thorstensson, Stina; Mårtensson, Lena B; Grimming, Rebecca; Nyblin, Yrsa; Golsäter, Marie

    2017-07-17

    Professional support does not always meet the needs of expectant fathers or co-mothers. The way in which professional support is offered during pregnancy varies internationally, depending on the country. In order to attain a greater understanding of partners' experiences of professional support, it is necessary to further illuminate their perceptions of it. The aim of this study was therefore to explore pregnant women's partners' perceptions of professional support during pregnancy. Qualitative research design. Partners of pregnant women were interviewed during gestational week 36-38. Individual semi-structured interviews were used to explore the partners' perceptions. The data was analysed using a phenomenographic approach. The study was performed in a county in south-western Sweden; the data collection was conducted from November 2014 to February 2015. Fourteen partners (expectant fathers and co-mothers) of women who were expectant first-time mothers with singleton pregnancies, were interviewed. The findings of the study are presented through four descriptive categories: Ability to absorb adequate information; Possibility to meet and share with other expectant parents; Confirmation of the partner's importance; and Influence on the couple relationship. Using a theoretical assumption of the relationship between the categories showed that the fourth category was influenced by the other three categories. The partners perceived that professional support during pregnancy could influence the couple relationship. The partners' ability to communicate and to experience togetherness with the women increased when the expectant couple received professional support together. The support created also possibilities to meet and share experiences with other expectant parents. In contrast, a lack of support was found to contribute to partners' feelings of unimportance. It was essential that the midwives included the partners by confirming that they were individuals who had

  5. Making "social" safer: are Facebook and other online networks becoming less hazardous for health professionals?

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, Daniel R

    2012-01-01

    Major concerns about privacy have limited health professionals' usage of popular social networking sites such as Facebook. However, the landscape of social media is changing in favor of more sophisticated privacy controls that enable users to more carefully manage public and private information. This evolution in technology makes it potentially less hazardous for health professionals to consider accepting colleagues and patients into their online networks, and invites medicine to think constructively about how social media may add value to contemporary healthcare.

  6. Analyzing Networked Learning Practices in HigherEducation and Continuing Professional Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Lone

    Deliverable 28.5.4 reports on the preparation of the book "Analysing Networked Learning Practices in Higher Education and Continuing Professional Development", which consists of an Introduction, case studies and a concluding section, which presents the theoretical work and empirical work conducte...

  7. Smart Choices for Cancer Education Professional Development: Your Voice and Visibility for Leadership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kratzke, Cynthia

    2017-01-24

    The purpose of this article is to provide reflections about the important and exciting opportunities for cancer education career advancement and professional development. Advancement in professional, personal, and career growth for clinicians and health professionals is critical to improve quality cancer care and updated health communication with patients and families. Valuable insights from my recent 2-year term as treasurer, Board of Directors, Cancer Patient Education Network, are shared inspiring others to build their rewarding professional development. The professional leadership opportunity gave me a new energy level to be invested in rapidly changing cancer education with so many diverse cancer education professionals. Professional cancer education associations are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care through professional networks. They create welcoming environments with significant networking and mentoring opportunities. Cancer education touches many lives, and the cancer education associations strongly support new advances. I encourage early or mid-career cancer education professionals to discover how their increased interest may spark leadership and inspire participation in our cancer education professional associations.

  8. Efficient Mobility Management Signalling in Network Mobility Supported PMIPV6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samuelraj, Ananthi Jebaseeli; Jayapal, Sundararajan

    2015-01-01

    Proxy Mobile IPV6 (PMIPV6) is a network based mobility management protocol which supports node's mobility without the contribution from the respective mobile node. PMIPV6 is initially designed to support individual node mobility and it should be enhanced to support mobile network movement. NEMO-BSP is an existing protocol to support network mobility (NEMO) in PMIPV6 network. Due to the underlying differences in basic protocols, NEMO-BSP cannot be directly applied to PMIPV6 network. Mobility management signaling and data structures used for individual node's mobility should be modified to support group nodes' mobility management efficiently. Though a lot of research work is in progress to implement mobile network movement in PMIPV6, it is not yet standardized and each suffers with different shortcomings. This research work proposes modifications in NEMO-BSP and PMIPV6 to achieve NEMO support in PMIPV6. It mainly concentrates on optimizing the number and size of mobility signaling exchanged while mobile network or mobile network node changes its access point.

  9. Efficient Mobility Management Signalling in Network Mobility Supported PMIPV6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ananthi Jebaseeli Samuelraj

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Proxy Mobile IPV6 (PMIPV6 is a network based mobility management protocol which supports node’s mobility without the contribution from the respective mobile node. PMIPV6 is initially designed to support individual node mobility and it should be enhanced to support mobile network movement. NEMO-BSP is an existing protocol to support network mobility (NEMO in PMIPV6 network. Due to the underlying differences in basic protocols, NEMO-BSP cannot be directly applied to PMIPV6 network. Mobility management signaling and data structures used for individual node’s mobility should be modified to support group nodes’ mobility management efficiently. Though a lot of research work is in progress to implement mobile network movement in PMIPV6, it is not yet standardized and each suffers with different shortcomings. This research work proposes modifications in NEMO-BSP and PMIPV6 to achieve NEMO support in PMIPV6. It mainly concentrates on optimizing the number and size of mobility signaling exchanged while mobile network or mobile network node changes its access point.

  10. Supporting professional spreadsheet users by generating leveled dataflow diagrams

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hermans, F.; Pinzger, M.; Van Deursen, A.

    2010-01-01

    Thanks to their flexibility and intuitive programming model, spreadsheets are widely used in industry, often for businesscritical applications. Similar to software developers, professional spreadsheet users demand support for maintaining and transferring their spreadsheets. In this paper, we first

  11. Designing a Professional Development Plan for the Support Operations Officer of the Forward Support Company

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Zimmerman, Edward

    1999-01-01

    .... Based on these responsibilities, the research question (Does the Army need to design a specific professional development plan to train CSS lieutenants to serve as support operations officers in the FSC...

  12. Inter-organizational relations for regional development: an expansion policy promoted by the federal network of professional education, science & technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cleidson Nogueira Dias

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This research paper examines the importance of inter-organizational network management as a government policy tool to promote regional development. This pattern requires Federal Government intervention so as to compensate for the imbalance that this causes and to guarantee that economic growth resulting from government actions leads to development in all regions of the country, thereby avoiding the traditional mechanisms of wealth concentration. For this, a methodology of content analysis was used based on a relevant public policy aimed at promoting development within Brazil and by analyzing the data collected in relation to the current theory related to strategy, local development and inter-organizational networks in general.  The analysis results show that, when the policy studied in this work, applied in the federal network of professional education, science & technology, was implemented the networks had a positive influence on the outcome of the policy objectives and represented an extremely powerful support tool, being one of the most important factors to boost development.

  13. Supporting Scientific Research with the Energy Sciences Network

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva; Monga, Inder

    2016-01-01

    The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) is a high-performance, unclassified national network built to support scientific research. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (SC) and managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ESnet provides services to more than 40 DOE research sites, including the entire National Laboratory system, its supercomputing facilities, and its major scientific instruments. ESnet also connects to 140 research and commercial networks, permitting DOE-funded scientists to productively collaborate with partners around the world. ESnet Division Director (Interim) Inder Monga and ESnet Networking Engineer David Mitchell will present current ESnet projects and research activities which help support the HEP community. ESnet  helps support the CERN community by providing 100Gbps trans-Atlantic network transport for the LHCONE and LHCOPN services. ESnet is also actively engaged in researching connectivity to cloud computing resources for HEP workflows a...

  14. Construct Validation of Wenger's Support Network Typology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szabo, Agnes; Stephens, Christine; Allen, Joanne; Alpass, Fiona

    2016-10-07

    The study aimed to validate Wenger's empirically derived support network typology of responses to the Practitioner Assessment of Network Type (PANT) in an older New Zealander population. The configuration of network types was tested across ethnic groups and in the total sample. Data (N = 872, Mage = 67 years, SDage = 1.56 years) from the 2006 wave of the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement study were analyzed using latent profile analysis. In addition, demographic differences among the emerging profiles were tested. Competing models were evaluated based on a range of fit criteria, which supported a five-profile solution. The "locally integrated," "community-focused," "local self-contained," "private-restricted," and "friend- and family-dependent" network types were identified as latent profiles underlying the data. There were no differences between Māori and non-Māori in final profile configurations. However, Māori were more likely to report integrated network types. Findings confirm the validity of Wenger's network types. However, the level to which participants endorse accessibility of family, frequency of interactions, and community engagement can be influenced by sample and contextual characteristics. Future research using the PANT items should empirically verify and derive the social support network types, rather than use a predefined scoring system. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Distributed Data Networks That Support Public Health Information Needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabano, David C; Cole, Elizabeth; Holve, Erin; Davidson, Arthur J

    Data networks, consisting of pooled electronic health data assets from health care providers serving different patient populations, promote data sharing, population and disease monitoring, and methods to assess interventions. Better understanding of data networks, and their capacity to support public health objectives, will help foster partnerships, expand resources, and grow learning health systems. We conducted semistructured interviews with 16 key informants across the United States, identified as network stakeholders based on their respective experience in advancing health information technology and network functionality. Key informants were asked about their experience with and infrastructure used to develop data networks, including each network's utility to identify and characterize populations, usage, and sustainability. Among 11 identified data networks representing hundreds of thousands of patients, key informants described aggregated health care clinical data contributing to population health measures. Key informant interview responses were thematically grouped to illustrate how networks support public health, including (1) infrastructure and information sharing; (2) population health measures; and (3) network sustainability. Collaboration between clinical data networks and public health entities presents an opportunity to leverage infrastructure investments to support public health. Data networks can provide resources to enhance population health information and infrastructure.

  16. Communicative Competence as a Professional Mobility Factor of Teachers Supporting for Disabled People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dziuba E.M.

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The paper discribes experience in the implementation of a new educational module “Philosophical and Socio-legal Bases of Supporting for Disabled People” developed by a professional team of Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical Minin University. Forming the communicative competency of disabled people supporting specialist is one of the main tasks of the module. Program developers believe that the structure and content of the educational subjects and practical training programs enables graduates to be prepared for variative communication forms providing educational, social, and cultural support of disable people as well as in the professional field as a whole. The ability of the graduate to communicate efficiently and effectively is required for professional mobility in teaching and non-teaching areas; so this module is a multi-purpose educational development.

  17. Happiness, Work Engagement, and Perception of Organizational Support of Student Affairs Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hempfling, Michele Sheets

    2015-01-01

    Little research has been conducted on the work engagement, subjective happiness, or perceived organizational support of student affairs professionals. In this study, 299 professionals in the American College Personnel Association were surveyed utilizing the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Survey of Perceived…

  18. Simbrain 3.0: A flexible, visually-oriented neural network simulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tosi, Zachary; Yoshimi, Jeffrey

    2016-11-01

    Simbrain 3.0 is a software package for neural network design and analysis, which emphasizes flexibility (arbitrarily complex networks can be built using a suite of basic components) and a visually rich, intuitive interface. These features support both students and professionals. Students can study all of the major classes of neural networks in a familiar graphical setting, and can easily modify simulations, experimenting with networks and immediately seeing the results of their interventions. With the 3.0 release, Simbrain supports models on the order of thousands of neurons and a million synapses. This allows the same features that support education to support research professionals, who can now use the tool to quickly design, run, and analyze the behavior of large, highly customizable simulations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Supporting Teachers' Understandings of Function through Online Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silverman, Jason

    2017-01-01

    This article explores one segment of an extended research and development project that was conducted to better understand the ways online teacher professional development can support teachers' development of deep and connected mathematical understandings. In particular, this article discusses teachers' understandings of the concept of…

  20. Social networks in education of health professionals in bosnia and herzegovina - the role of pubmed/medline in improvement of medical sciences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masic, Izet; Sivic, Suad

    2011-12-01

    cited published papers in the journal Medical Archives, the oldest medical journal in B&H (established in 1947) of randomly included 151 full and part time professors, authors from five medical faculties in B&H and B&H authors who currently work in the EU and USA.. ANOVA showed that there was no significant difference in the number of articles published between the Universities in Bosnia, but there was significant difference in the number of articles published on MEDLINE, between all faculties in B&H and a group of scientists who work around the world. Students' tests showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the average number of papers published on Medline, between groups of part-time and full time professors. However, there were no statistically significant differences, between the professors for preclinical and clinical subjects. In B&H there are decent conditions for the use of online social networks in the education of health professionals. While students enthusiastically embraced these opportunities, this is not so much a case with health care professionals in practice; while scientific health care workers have not shown greater interest in the use of social networks, both for purposes of scientific research and in terms of self-education and training of students. There is much more use of the advantages offered by online social networks, both in education and in support of the scientific research.

  1. The role of inter-professional relationships and support for nurse prescribing in acute and chronic pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenner, Karen; Courtenay, Molly

    2008-08-01

    This paper is a report of a study to explore nurse prescribers' views on the role of inter-professional relationships and other means of support for nurse prescribing for patients in acute and chronic pain. Research indicates that good team relationships are important for supporting nurse prescribing but that poor understanding of the role by other healthcare professionals can act as a barrier. While collaborative working is central to the role of pain nurses, there is a lack of research on the impact of nurse prescribing on inter-professional working or the support needs of these nurses. A qualitative approach was adopted using thematic analysis of semi-structured interview data collected during 2006 and 2007. Participants were 26 nurses who prescribed medicines for patients with acute and/or chronic pain. Nurses' believed that prescribing encouraged collaborative working and sharing of knowledge across professional boundaries and that this helped to broaden understanding of the wider remit of pain management. Collaboration with doctors served a number of functions, including support and continuous learning. Barriers to effective nurse prescribing were a lack of understanding of its role amongst healthcare professionals and inadequate support. Formal support structures, such as regular clinical supervision, were seen as crucial to meeting nurses' ongoing learning. Factors that promote understanding of nurse prescribing and support inter-professional relationships are likely to have a positive impact on the effectiveness of nurse prescribing. A more consistent approach is required within organisations to support nurse prescribing.

  2. Should government support business angel networks? The tale of Danish business angels network

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Jesper Lindgaard

    2011-01-01

    . This article discusses the possible rationale for governments to support BANs and what criteria to apply when evaluating such networks. The article is based on an in-depth observation study of the whole life cycle of a national BAN – the Danish Business Angel Network (DBAN) – and a comparison with a similar......Policies promoting informal venture capital generally and business angel networks (BANs) in particular have gained increased attention in recent years. As a consequence, BANs are now widespread across Europe. However, there continues to be a debate whether BANs should be supported with public money...... whether to provide continuing support to BANs they should evaluate not only their immediate effectiveness but also whether BANs should be considered a part of the general small business support infrastructure....

  3. Integrated palliative care is about professional networking rather than standardisation of care: A qualitative study with healthcare professionals in 19 integrated palliative care initiatives in five European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    den Herder-van der Eerden, Marlieke; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen; Payne, Sheila; Preston, Nancy; Linge-Dahl, Lisa; Radbruch, Lukas; Van Beek, Karen; Menten, Johan; Busa, Csilla; Csikos, Agnes; Vissers, Kris; van Gurp, Jelle; Hasselaar, Jeroen

    2018-06-01

    Integrated palliative care aims at improving coordination of palliative care services around patients' anticipated needs. However, international comparisons of how integrated palliative care is implemented across four key domains of integrated care (content of care, patient flow, information logistics and availability of (human) resources and material) are lacking. To examine how integrated palliative care takes shape in practice across abovementioned key domains within several integrated palliative care initiatives in Europe. Qualitative group interview design. A total of 19 group interviews were conducted (2 in Belgium, 4 in the Netherlands, 4 in the United Kingdom, 4 in Germany and 5 in Hungary) with 142 healthcare professionals from several integrated palliative care initiatives in five European countries. The majority were nurses ( n = 66; 46%) and physicians ( n = 50; 35%). The dominant strategy for fostering integrated palliative care is building core teams of palliative care specialists and extended professional networks based on personal relationships, shared norms, values and mutual trust, rather than developing standardised information exchange and referral pathways. Providing integrated palliative care with healthcare professionals in the wider professional community appears difficult, as a shared proactive multidisciplinary palliative care approach is lacking, and healthcare professionals often do not know palliative care professionals or services. Achieving better palliative care integration into regular healthcare and convincing the wider professional community is a difficult task that will take time and effort. Enhancing standardisation of palliative care into education, referral pathways and guidelines and standardised information exchange may be necessary. External authority (policy makers, insurance companies and professional bodies) may be needed to support integrated palliative care practices across settings.

  4. Psychological and Educational Support in Professional Self-Determination in Students: Through the Lens of Professional Standard for Teachers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonova M.V.,

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The paper focuses on the importance of organized educational support for students in their professional self-determination. It reviews the list of professional competencies defined in the professional standard for teachers dealing with self-determination in students and analyses the basic requirements set for teacher education programmes. The system of professional self-determination for young people is described basing on the experience of the Republic of Mordovia, where career guidance in schools is regulated by the Regional Educational Module “Start into the Profession”. This module was developed according to the specifics of the given region and represents an integrated system of activities aimed at efficient career guidance for students living in rural and urban areas of the Republic of Mordovia.

  5. A Curriculum-Linked Professional Development Approach to Support Teachers' Adoption of Web GIS Tectonics Investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodzin, Alec; Anastasio, David; Sahagian, Dork; Henry, Jill Burrows

    2016-01-01

    A curriculum-linked professional development approach designed to support middle level science teachers' understandings about tectonics and geospatial pedagogical content knowledge was developed. This approach takes into account limited face-to-face professional development time and instead provides pedagogical support within the design of a…

  6. Social relations: network, support and relational strain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Due, P; Holstein, B; Lund, Rikke

    1999-01-01

    We introduce a conceptual framework with social relations as the main concept and the structure and the function of social relations as subconcepts. The structure of social relations covers aspects of formal relations and social network. The function of social relations covers social support......,011. The postal questionnaires were answered by a random sample in each of the age groups. The results show marked age and gender differences in both the structure and the function of social relations. The social network, measured as weekly contacts, weakens with age and so does instrumental support. Emotional...... support is unrelated to this decline in contact frequency and appears to be at the same level for younger and older individuals. Relational strain, measured as conflicts, declines with age for all kinds of social relations. The weakening of the social network with age does not seem to affect the level...

  7. Using Network Science to Support Design Research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Parraguez Ruiz, Pedro; Maier, Anja

    2016-01-01

    and societal impact. This chapter contributes to the use of network science in empirical studies of design organisations. It focuses on introducing a network-based perspective on the design process and in particular on making use of network science to support design research and practice. The main contribution...... of this chapter is an overview of the methodological challenges and core decision points when embarking on network-based design research, namely defining the overall research purpose and selecting network features. We furthermore highlight the potential for using archival data, the opportunities for navigating...

  8. Supports and Concerns for Teacher Professional Growth During the Implementation of a Science Curriculum Innovation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peers, Cheryl (Shelley) E.; Diezmann, Carmel M.; Watters, James J.

    2003-02-01

    Internationally, considerable reform in science education is occurring which promotes constructivist philosophies and advocates constructivist-inspired pedagogical strategies that are new to many teachers. This paper reports on the supporting factors necessary for teacher professional growth and the issues of concern that were evident during one primary teacher''s successful implementation of a unit of work based on a draft of a new state-wide science syllabus which proposes such approaches. One researcher (CEP) provided guidance during the writing and implementation of the unit through professional development workshops complemented by ongoing collegial support. The analysis of the teacher''s practice reveals that professional growth required a willingness of the teacher to engage with change and modify his professional practice. The support factors for teacher growth consisted of an appropriate program of professional development, teacher understanding of the elements of the curriculum innovation, and successful experiences in implementing new approaches. In contrast, the issues of concern were: the adequacy of support for planning including the time required to understand the innovation and make changes to teaching practice; science equipment; teacher knowledge; classroom management strategies; and ways to cope with change. Understanding of these support factors and issues of concern is vital for the successful implementation of science curriculum innovations.

  9. Social networks, support and early psychosis: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gayer-Anderson, C; Morgan, C

    2013-06-01

    Background. There is strong evidence that those with a long-standing psychotic disorder have fewer social contacts and less social support than comparison groups. There is less research on the extent of social contacts and support prior to or at the onset of psychosis. In the light of recent evidence implicating a range of social experiences and contexts at the onset of psychosis, it is relevant to establish whether social networks and support diminished before or at the time of onset and whether the absence of such supports might contribute to risk, either directly or indirectly. We, therefore, conducted a systematic review of this literature to establish what is currently known about the relationship between social networks, support and early psychosis. Methods. We identified all studies investigating social networks and support in first episode psychosis samples and in general population samples with measures of psychotic experiences or schizotype by conducting systematic searches of electronic databases using pre-defined search terms and criteria. Findings were synthesized using non-quantitative approaches. Results. Thirty-eight papers were identified that met inclusion criteria. There was marked methodological heterogeneity, which limits the capacity to draw direct comparisons. Nonetheless, the existing literature suggests social networks (particularly close friends) and support diminished both among first episode samples and among non-clinical samples reporting psychotic experiences or with schizotype traits, compared with varying comparison groups. These differences may be more marked for men and for those from minority ethnic populations. Conclusions. Tentatively, reduced social networks and support appear to pre-date onset of psychotic disorder. However, the substantial methodological heterogeneity among the existing studies makes comparisons difficult and suggests a need for more robust and comparable studies on networks, support and early psychosis.

  10. Supporting Novice Special Education Teachers through Quality Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tate, Mary E.

    2013-01-01

    The special education teaching environment is a teaching environment with unique duties that often challenge novice special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain clarity of the work environment of special education teachers to uncover professional development practices that would work to support them. Research…

  11. Barriers and facilitators to parents seeking and accessing professional support for anxiety disorders in children: qualitative interview study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reardon, Tessa; Harvey, Kate; Young, Bridget; O'Brien, Doireann; Creswell, Cathy

    2018-01-25

    Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders experienced by children, but only a minority of these children access professional help. Understanding the difficulties parents face seeking support for child anxiety disorders could inform targeted interventions to improve treatment access. The aims of the study were to identify barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing professional support for child anxiety disorders, and ways to minimise these barriers. A qualitative interview study was conducted with parents of 16 children (aged 7-11 years) with anxiety disorders identified through screening in schools. Barriers and facilitators were identified in relation to four distinct stages in the help-seeking process: parents recognising the anxiety difficulty, parents recognising the need for professional support, parents contacting professionals, and families receiving professional support. Barriers and facilitators at each stage related to the child's difficulties, the role of the parent, and parent perceptions of professionals and services. Findings illustrate the need (1) for readily available tools to help parents and professionals identify clinically significant anxiety in children, (2) to ensure that families and professionals can easily access guidance on the help-seeking process and available support, and (3) to ensure existing services offer sufficient provision for less severe difficulties that incorporates direct support for parents.

  12. Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molero Jurado, María Del Mar; Pérez-Fuentes, María Del Carmen; Gázquez Linares, José Jesús; Barragán Martín, Ana Belén

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: Professionals in the healthcare field are in situations that could be a source of stress and sometimes develop burnout syndrome. Self-esteem, social support, and empathy are variables which intervene and influence the appearance of this syndrome. Objective: Identify healthcare professional profiles based on self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support, and analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in developing burnout. Method: The sample was made up of 719 healthcare professionals with a mean of 38.52 years of age. The Short Questionnaire of Burnout, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Basic Empathy Scale were used. Results: The results of a cluster analysis with self-esteem, empathy, and perceived social support showed four groups/profiles. Two of them, which included professionals with low self-esteem, differed in the rest of the characteristics. Furthermore, significant differences in burnout scores were found among the groups identified. Conclusion: The results show the need to study burnout with attention to individual and or social characteristics, where self-esteem is shown to be one of the explanatory variables making the main differences among the groups.

  13. Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María del Mar Molero Jurado

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Professionals in the healthcare field are in situations that could be a source of stress and sometimes develop burnout syndrome. Self-esteem, social support, and empathy are variables which intervene and influence the appearance of this syndrome.Objective: Identify healthcare professional profiles based on self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support, and analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in developing burnout.Method: The sample was made up of 719 healthcare professionals with a mean of 38.52 years of age. The Short Questionnaire of Burnout, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Basic Empathy Scale were used.Results: The results of a cluster analysis with self-esteem, empathy, and perceived social support showed four groups/profiles. Two of them, which included professionals with low self-esteem, differed in the rest of the characteristics. Furthermore, significant differences in burnout scores were found among the groups identified.Conclusion: The results show the need to study burnout with attention to individual and or social characteristics, where self-esteem is shown to be one of the explanatory variables making the main differences among the groups.

  14. Support network of adolescents with chronic disease: adolescents' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyngäs, Helvi

    2004-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the support network of adolescents with a chronic disease from their own perspective. Data were collected by interviewing adolescents with asthma, epilepsy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The sample consisted of 40 adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years. Interview data were examined using content analysis. Six main categories were established to describe the support network of adolescents with a chronic disease: parents, peers, school, health care providers, technology and pets. Peers were divided into two groups: fellow sufferers and peers without a chronic disease. At school, teachers, school nurses and classmates were part of the support network. Health care providers included nurses, physicians and physiotherapists. Technology was also part of the support network and included four techniques that may be used to communicate: computers, mobile telephones, television and videos. The results provided a useful insight into the social network of adolescents with chronic disease and serve to raise awareness of the problems and opinions experienced by adolescents with this condition.

  15. Guidelines for maintaining a professional compass in the era of social networking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landman, Matthew P; Shelton, Julia; Kauffmann, Rondi M; Dattilo, Jeffery B

    2010-01-01

    The use of social networking (SN) sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, has skyrocketed during the past 5 years, with more than 400 million current users. What was once isolated to high schools or college campuses has become increasingly ubiquitous in everyday life and across a multitude of industries. Medical centers and residency programs are not immune to this invasion. These sites present opportunities for the rapid dissemination of information from status updates, to tweets, to medical support groups, and even clinical communication between patients and providers. Although powerful, this technology also opens the door for misuse and policies for use will be necessary. We strive to begin a discourse in the surgical community in regard to maintaining professionalism while using SN sites. The use of SN sites among surgical house staff and faculty has not been addressed previously. To that end, we sought to ascertain the use of the SN site Facebook at our residency program. Of 88 residents and 127 faculty, 56 (64%) and 28 (22%), respectively, have pages on Facebook. Of these, 50% are publicly accessible. Thirty-one percent of the publicly accessible pages had work-related comments posted, and of these comments, 14% referenced specific patient situations or were related to patient care. Given the widespread use of SN websites in our surgical community and in society as a whole, every effort should be made to guard against professional truancy. We offer a set of guidelines consistent with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American College of Surgeons professionalism mandates in regard to usage of these websites. By acknowledging this need and by following these guidelines, surgeons will continue to define and uphold ethical boundaries and thus demonstrate a commitment to patient privacy and the highest levels of professionalism. Copyright © 2010 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Employment relations: A data driven analysis of job markets using online job boards and online professional networks

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Marivate, Vukosi N

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Data from online job boards and online professional networks present an opportunity to understand job markets as well as how professionals transition from one job/career to another. We propose a data driven approach to begin to understand a slice...

  17. Social networks as ICT collaborative and supportive learning media ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... ICT collaborative and supportive learning media utilisation within the Nigerian educational system. The concept of ICT was concisely explained vis-à-vis the social network concept, theory and collaborative and supportive learning media utilisation. Different types of social network are highlighted among which Facebook, ...

  18. Work Stress and Depression among Direct Support Professionals: The Role of Work Support and Locus of Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray-Stanley, J. A.; Muramatsu, N.; Heller, T.; Hughes, S.; Johnson, T. P.; Ramirez-Valles, J.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Although work stress can impede the capacity of direct support professionals and contribute to mental health challenges, external (i.e. work social support) and internal resources (i.e. an internal locus of control) have been shown to help DSPs cope more actively. We examined how work stress was associated with depression, with a…

  19. [Health system sustainability from a network perspective: a proposal to optimize healthy habits and social support].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marqués Sánchez, Pilar; Fernández Peña, Rosario; Cabrera León, Andrés; Muñoz Doyague, María F; Llopis Cañameras, Jaime; Arias Ramos, Natalia

    2013-01-01

    The search of new health management formulas focused to give wide services is one of the priorities of our present health policies. Those formulas examine the optimization of the links between the main actors involved in public health, ie, users, professionals, local socio-political and corporate agents. This paper is aimed to introduce the Social Network Analysis as a method for analyzing, measuring and interpreting those connections. The knowledge of people's relationships (what is called social networks) in the field of public health is becoming increasingly important at an international level. In fact, countries such as UK, Netherlands, Italy, Australia and U.S. are looking formulas to apply this knowledge to their health departments. With this work we show the utility of the ARS on topics related to sustainability of the health system, particularly those related with health habits and social support, topics included in the 2020 health strategies that underline the importance of the collaborative aspects in networks.

  20. Implementing e-network-supported inquiry learning in science

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Williams, John; Cowie, Bronwen; Khoo, Elaine

    2013-01-01

    The successful implementation of electronically networked (e-networked) tools to support an inquiry-learning approach in secondary science classrooms is dependent on a range of factors spread between teachers, schools, and students. The teacher must have a clear understanding of the nature......-construct knowledge using a wide range of resources for meaning making and expression of ideas. These outcomes were, however, contingent on the interplay of teacher understanding of the nature of science inquiry and school provision of an effective technological infrastructure and support for flexible curriculum...... of inquiry, the school must provide effective technological infrastructure and sympathetic curriculum parameters, and the students need to be carefully scaffolded to the point of engaging with the inquiry process. Within this study, e-networks supported students to exercise agency, collaborate, and co...

  1. Health care for women in situations of violence: discoordination of network professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arboit, Jaqueline; Padoin, Stela Maris de Mello; Vieira, Letícia Becker; Paula, Cristiane Cardoso de; Costa, Marta Cocco da; Cortes, Laura Ferreira

    2017-04-03

    To learn the conceptions and actions of health professionals on the care network for women in situations of violence. A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory study was conducted between April and July 2015 with the participation of 21 health professionals from four primary health care teams in a city of the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Data were collected by means of individual semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used for data systematization. Health professionals recognized the importance of the health care network for coping with the problem of violence against women. However, their conceptions and actions were limited by the discoordination or absence of integration among professionals and services of the care network. The conceptions and actions of health professionals contribute to the discoordination among the services. It is necessary to reflect on the daily practices of care for women in situations of violence. Conhecer as concepções e ações de profissionais de saúde sobre a rede de atenção às mulheres em situação de violência. Estudo qualitativo, descritivo e exploratório, realizado no período de abril a julho de 2015. Participaram 21 profissionais de saúde de quatro equipes da Atenção Primária à Saúde em um município da região central do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. A coleta de dados ocorreu mediante entrevistas semiestruturadas e individuais. Para sistematização dos dados, empregou-se a análise de conteúdo. Os profissionais de saúde reconheciam a importância da rede de atenção à saúde no enfrentamento da problemática da violência contra as mulheres. Contudo, suas concepções e ações eram limitadas pela desarticulação ou ausência de integração entre os profissionais e serviços da rede de atenção. As concepções e ações dos profissionais de saúde contribuem para a desarticulação entre os serviços. Faz-se necessário refletir acerca das práticas cotidianas de cuidados

  2. Young Diplomats' Socialization to the Networked Professional Cultures of Their Workplace Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hytönen, Kaisa; Hakkarainen, Kai; Palonen, Tuire

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of the present investigation was to examine young diplomats' socialization to the professional expert culture of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland over a six-month on-job training period, as part of their preparation for service in the diplomatic corps. Using social network analysis, we analyzed departments' internal social…

  3. Disaster Preparedness among Health Professionals and Support Staff: What is Effective? An Integrative Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gowing, Jeremy R; Walker, Kim N; Elmer, Shandell L; Cummings, Elizabeth A

    2017-06-01

    Introduction It is important that health professionals and support staff are prepared for disasters to safeguard themselves and the community during disasters. There has been a significantly heightened focus on disasters since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York (USA); however, despite this, it is evident that health professionals and support staff may not be adequately prepared for disasters. Report An integrative literature review was performed based on a keyword search of the major health databases for primary research evaluating preparedness of health professionals and support staff. The literature was quality appraised using a mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT), and a thematic analysis was completed to identify current knowledge and gaps. Discussion The main themes identified were: health professionals and support staff may not be fully prepared for disasters; the most effective content and methods for disaster preparedness is unknown; and the willingness of health professionals and support staff to attend work and perform during disasters needs further evaluation. Gaps were identified to guide further research and the creation of new knowledge to best prepare for disasters. These included the need for: high-quality research to evaluate the best content and methods of disaster preparedness; inclusion of the multi-disciplinary health care team as participants; preparation for internal disasters; the development of validated competencies for preparedness; validated tools for measurement; and the importance of performance in actual disasters to evaluate preparation. The literature identified that all types of disaster preparedness activities lead to improvements in knowledge, skills, or attitude preparedness for disasters. Most studies focused on external disasters and the preparedness of medical, nursing, public health, or paramedic professionals. There needs to be a greater focus on the whole health care team, including allied health

  4. Uncovering changes in university teachers' professional networks during an instructional development program

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Waes, Sara; Van den Bossche, Piet; Moolenaar, Nienke M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304352802; Stes, Ann; Van Petegem, Peter

    2015-01-01

    This study examined (1) the extent to which university teachers' networks changed while they participated in an instructional development program, (2) which mechanisms supported or constrained network change, and (3) the extent to which value was created through networks. Longitudinal social network

  5. Supporting Evidence Use in Networked Professional Learning: The Role of the Middle Leader

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaPointe-McEwan, Danielle; DeLuca, Christopher; Klinger, Don A.

    2017-01-01

    Background: In Canada, contemporary collaborative professional learning models for educators utilise multiple forms of evidence to inform practice. Commonly, two forms of evidence are prioritised: (a) research-based evidence and (b) classroom-based evidence of student learning. In Ontario, the integration of these two forms of evidence within…

  6. Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile

    OpenAIRE

    María del Mar Molero Jurado; María del Carmen Pérez-Fuentes; José Jesús Gázquez Linares; José Jesús Gázquez Linares; Ana Belén Barragán Martín

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: Professionals in the healthcare field are in situations that could be a source of stress and sometimes develop burnout syndrome. Self-esteem, social support, and empathy are variables which intervene and influence the appearance of this syndrome.Objective: Identify healthcare professional profiles based on self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support, and analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in developing burnout.Method: The sample was made up of 719 ...

  7. Material Matters for Learning in Virtual Networks: A Case Study of a Professional Learning Programme Hosted in a Google+ Online Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackland, Aileen; Swinney, Ann

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we draw on Actor-Network Theories (ANT) to explore how material components functioned to create gateways and barriers to a virtual learning network in the context of a professional development module in higher education. Students were practitioners engaged in family learning in different professional roles and contexts. The data…

  8. Facilitating Support Groups for Professionals Working with People with AIDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossman, Arnold H.; Silverstein, Charles

    1993-01-01

    Describes support groups for health care professionals who work with people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and who are experiencing burnout from excessive demands on their energy, strength, and resources. Discusses group administration, effective intervention techniques, and issues of health…

  9. NESSIE: Network Example Source Supporting Innovative Experimentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Alan; Higham, Desmond J.

    We describe a new web-based facility that makes available some realistic examples of complex networks. NESSIE (Network Example Source Supporting Innovative Experimentation) currently contains 12 specific networks from a diverse range of application areas, with a Scottish emphasis. This collection of data sets is designed to be useful for researchers in network science who wish to evaluate new algorithms, concepts and models. The data sets are available to download in two formats (MATLAB's .mat format and .txt files readable by packages such as Pajek), and some basic MATLAB tools for computing summary statistics are also provided.

  10. The Enhancing Impact of Friendship Networks on Sales Managers’ Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danny Pimentel Claro

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines how relationships with friends moderate the impact of professional networks on sales performance. Based on a sample of 204 sales managers in a professional service company, this study presents evidence that friendship networks amplify the effect of sales forces’ professional networks on new product sales as well as on prospecting and converting new deals. Our results offer important insights into the socio-cognitive perspective of sales management literature and suggest that firms should encourage managers to improve their friendships in order to access valuable information that will enhance customer knowledge and support their sales efforts.

  11. Linking in with LinkedIn[R]: Three Exercises That Enhance Professional Social Networking and Career Building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerard, Joseph G.

    2012-01-01

    Getting students to network with one another can be one of the biggest challenges in college courses, despite being a highly important function of higher education. Networking can, in fact, lead to that first job or to professional advancement, and technology can improve the success of individual and institutional efforts. This article describes…

  12. The effects of perceived managerial support on organizational commitment: An example of professional football players

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İlhan ADİLOĞULLARI

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the effect of the support from managers that the professional footballers perceive in their commitment to their teams. Material and Methods: In this study, 641 professional football players were randomly participated from the professional football leagues organized by Turkish Football Federation in the season of 2015-2016. Data were collected by administrating the “Perceived Managerial Support Questionnaire” developed by Giray and Sahin (2012 and the “Organizational Commitment Questionnaire” which developed by Meyer and Allen (1997 and adapted to Turkish language by Wasti (2000 that has three subscales and 18 items. The data obtained in the study were evaluated by the Mann Withney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the regression analyses as well as the percent-frequency analyses via SPSS programme. Results: Results revealed that there was a significant relationship between the level of organizational commitment and managerial support of professional football players that they perceive from their managers. In relation to perceived managerial support of football players, there was a significant difference between the groups according to league category and educational status of football players who participated in the present study. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the level of organizational commitment among the groups according to football players’ age, level of league, educational status and duration of professional football career. Conclusion: According to results of this study that the professional football players’ commitment of their teams is predicted by the perceived managerial support from their managers is considered as an important conclusion. In this premise, results of the present study shed light on our understanding of the organizational management in football to be aware of football player’s expectations from their managers and provide such awareness in

  13. Operations Plan for Support Network Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2008-06-30

    This report describes the operational processes and strategies that are building a support network for the National Security Technology Incubator (NSTI) program. The NSTI program currently is under development as part of the National Security Preparedness Project (NSPP), funded by Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Grant No. DE FG52-07NA28084. Although the NSTI program offers a wide array of in-house business services, there are a certain number of services that will be provided by entities outside of Arrowhead Center. This report identifies the steps needed to develop an appropriate support network. The Arrowhead Center is working with external service providers and key stakeholders to establish feasible referral and implementation mechanics offering NSTI program participants the most comprehensive incubation services possible.

  14. Continuity of care in the Health Care Network: negotiation between users and professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Denise Schimith

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to identify the negotiation and shared decision-making between professionals and users in a Family Health Unit and its influence on the continuity of care in the Health Care Network. Qualitative research created from a case study. One conducted 19 interviews, observation and document research. It was developed in a city in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 2012. The results show that decisions used to happen unilaterally and that users and professionals looked for alternative ways to the continuity of care. It was not possible to identify the negotiation between professional and users and it was noticed that the user was alone looking for access. It is understood that primary care in the city researched needs to take responsibility for users and their access.

  15. Explicating Development of Personal Professional Theories from Higher Vocational Education to Beginning a Professional Career through Computer-Supported Drawing of Concept Maps

    Science.gov (United States)

    van den Bogaart, Antoine C. M.; Hummel, Hans G. K.; Kirschner, Paul A.

    2018-01-01

    This article explores how personal professional theories (PPTs) develop. PPT development of nine junior accountants and nine novice teachers was monitored by repeated measurements over a period of 1.5 years, from the last year of vocational education until the second year of their professional careers. Computer-supported construction of PPT…

  16. A Computer-Supported Method to Reveal and Assess Personal Professional Theories in Vocational Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    van den Bogaart, Antoine C. M.; Bilderbeek, Richel J. C.; Schaap, Harmen; Hummel, Hans G. K.; Kirschner, Paul A.

    2016-01-01

    This article introduces a dedicated, computer-supported method to construct and formatively assess open, annotated concept maps of Personal Professional Theories (PPTs). These theories are internalised, personal bodies of formal and practical knowledge, values, norms and convictions that professionals use as a reference to interpret and acquire…

  17. Improving collaboration between professionals supporting mentally ill offenders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hean, Sarah; Ødegård, Atle; Willumsen, Elisabeth

    2017-06-12

    Purpose Interprofessional collaboration is necessary when supporting mentally ill offenders but little is understood of these interactions. The purpose of this paper is to explore prison officers' perceptions of current and desirable levels of interprofessional collaboration (relational coordination (RC)) to understand how collaboration between these systems can be improved. Design/methodology/approach Gittell's RC scale was administered to prison officers within the Norwegian prison system ( n=160) using an adaptation of the instrument in which actual and desired levels of RC are evaluated. This differentiates between prison officers' expectations of optimum levels of collaboration with other professional groups, dependent on the role function and codependence, vs actual levels of collaboration. Findings Prison officers reported different RC levels across professional groups, the lowest being with specialist mental health staff and prison doctors and highest with nurses, social workers and other prison officers. Significant differences between desired and actual RC levels suggest expertise of primary care staff is insufficient, as prison officers request much greater contact with mental health specialists when dealing with the mentally ill offender. Originality/value The paper contributes to limited literature on collaborative practice between prison and health care professionals. It questions the advisability of enforcing care pathways that promote the lowest level of effective care in the prison system and suggest ways in which mental health specialists might be better integrated into the prison system. It contributes to the continued debate on how mental health services should be integrated into the prison system, suggesting that the current import model used in Norway and other countries, may not be conducive to generating the close professional relationships required between mental health and prison staff.

  18. State Support: A Prerequisite for Global Health Network Effectiveness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marten, Robert; Smith, Richard D.

    2018-01-01

    Shiffman recently summarized lessons for network effectiveness from an impressive collection of case-studies. However, in common with most global health governance analysis in recent years, Shiffman underplays the important role of states in these global networks. As the body which decides and signs international agreements, often provides the resourcing, and is responsible for implementing initiatives all contributing to the prioritization of certain issues over others, state recognition and support is a prerequisite to enabling and determining global health networks’ success. The role of states deserves greater attention, analysis and consideration. We reflect upon the underappreciated role of the state within the current discourse on global health. We present the tobacco case study to illustrate the decisive role of states in determining progress for global health networks, and highlight how states use a legitimacy loop to gain legitimacy from and provide legitimacy to global health networks. Moving forward in assessing global health networks’ effectiveness, further investigating state support as a determinant of success will be critical. Understanding how global health networks and states interact and evolve to shape and support their respective interests should be a focus for future research. PMID:29524958

  19. Working with NASA's OSS E/PO Support Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miner, E. D.; Lowes, L. L.

    2001-11-01

    With greater and greater emphasis on the inclusion of a public engagement component in all government-supported research funding, many members of the DPS are finding it difficult to find sufficient time and funding to develop a wide-reaching and effective E/PO program. NASA's Office of Space Science, over the last five years, has built a Support Network to assist its funded scientists to establish partnerships with local and/or national science formal or informal education organizations, who are anxious to connect with and use the expertise of space scientists. The OSS Support Network consists of four theme-based 'Forums,' including the Solar System Exploration (SSE) Forum, specifically designed for working with planetary scientists, and seven regional 'Brokers-Facilitators' who are more familiar with partnership and other potential avenues for involvement by scientists. The services provided by the Support Network are free to both the scientists and their potential partners and is not limited to NASA-funded scientists. In addition to its assistance to space scientists, the Support Network is involved in a number of other overarching efforts, including support of a Solar System Ambassador Program, a Solar System Educator Program, Space Place (web and e-mail science products for libraries and small planetariums and museums), an on-line Space Science Resource Directory, annual reports of Space Science E/PO activity, identifying and filling in 'holes' and 'over-populations' in a solar system E/PO product matrix of grade level versus product versus content, research on product effectiveness, and scientific and educational evaluation of space science products. Forum and Broker-Facilitator contact information is available at http://spacescience.nasa.gov/education/resources/ecosystem/index.htm. Handouts with additional information will be available at the meeting.

  20. Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention: A network meta-analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumville, Jo C.; Cullum, Nicky

    2018-01-01

    Background Pressure ulcers are a prevalent and global issue and support surfaces are widely used for preventing ulceration. However, the diversity of available support surfaces and the lack of direct comparisons in RCTs make decision-making difficult. Objectives To determine, using network meta-analysis, the relative effects of different support surfaces in reducing pressure ulcer incidence and comfort and to rank these support surfaces in order of their effectiveness. Methods We conducted a systematic review, using a literature search up to November 2016, to identify randomised trials comparing support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. We grouped the support surfaces according to their characteristics and formed evidence networks using these groups. We used network meta-analysis to estimate the relative effects and effectiveness ranking of the groups for the outcomes of pressure ulcer incidence and participant comfort. GRADE was used to assess the certainty of evidence. Main results We included 65 studies in the review. The network for assessing pressure ulcer incidence comprised evidence of low or very low certainty for most network contrasts. There was moderate-certainty evidence that powered active air surfaces and powered hybrid air surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence compared with standard hospital surfaces (risk ratios (RR) 0.42, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.29 to 0.63; 0.22, 0.07 to 0.66, respectively). The network for comfort suggested that powered active air-surfaces are probably slightly less comfortable than standard hospital mattresses (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.94; moderate-certainty evidence). Conclusions This is the first network meta-analysis of the effects of support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Powered active air-surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence, but are probably less comfortable than standard

  1. Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention: A network meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chunhu; Dumville, Jo C; Cullum, Nicky

    2018-01-01

    Pressure ulcers are a prevalent and global issue and support surfaces are widely used for preventing ulceration. However, the diversity of available support surfaces and the lack of direct comparisons in RCTs make decision-making difficult. To determine, using network meta-analysis, the relative effects of different support surfaces in reducing pressure ulcer incidence and comfort and to rank these support surfaces in order of their effectiveness. We conducted a systematic review, using a literature search up to November 2016, to identify randomised trials comparing support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. We grouped the support surfaces according to their characteristics and formed evidence networks using these groups. We used network meta-analysis to estimate the relative effects and effectiveness ranking of the groups for the outcomes of pressure ulcer incidence and participant comfort. GRADE was used to assess the certainty of evidence. We included 65 studies in the review. The network for assessing pressure ulcer incidence comprised evidence of low or very low certainty for most network contrasts. There was moderate-certainty evidence that powered active air surfaces and powered hybrid air surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence compared with standard hospital surfaces (risk ratios (RR) 0.42, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.29 to 0.63; 0.22, 0.07 to 0.66, respectively). The network for comfort suggested that powered active air-surfaces are probably slightly less comfortable than standard hospital mattresses (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.94; moderate-certainty evidence). This is the first network meta-analysis of the effects of support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Powered active air-surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence, but are probably less comfortable than standard hospital surfaces. Most prevention evidence was of low or

  2. Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention: A network meta-analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunhu Shi

    Full Text Available Pressure ulcers are a prevalent and global issue and support surfaces are widely used for preventing ulceration. However, the diversity of available support surfaces and the lack of direct comparisons in RCTs make decision-making difficult.To determine, using network meta-analysis, the relative effects of different support surfaces in reducing pressure ulcer incidence and comfort and to rank these support surfaces in order of their effectiveness.We conducted a systematic review, using a literature search up to November 2016, to identify randomised trials comparing support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. We grouped the support surfaces according to their characteristics and formed evidence networks using these groups. We used network meta-analysis to estimate the relative effects and effectiveness ranking of the groups for the outcomes of pressure ulcer incidence and participant comfort. GRADE was used to assess the certainty of evidence.We included 65 studies in the review. The network for assessing pressure ulcer incidence comprised evidence of low or very low certainty for most network contrasts. There was moderate-certainty evidence that powered active air surfaces and powered hybrid air surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence compared with standard hospital surfaces (risk ratios (RR 0.42, 95% confidence intervals (CI 0.29 to 0.63; 0.22, 0.07 to 0.66, respectively. The network for comfort suggested that powered active air-surfaces are probably slightly less comfortable than standard hospital mattresses (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.94; moderate-certainty evidence.This is the first network meta-analysis of the effects of support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Powered active air-surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence, but are probably less comfortable than standard hospital surfaces. Most prevention evidence was

  3. Professional Learning in Unlikely Spaces: Social Media and Virtual Communities as Professional Development

    OpenAIRE

    Kathleen P. King

    2011-01-01

    In this case study, results demonstrate that an individual’s use of social media as professional learning spans understanding, networking, professional identity development, and transformative learning. Specifically, virtual online communities facilitated through social media provide professional networks, social relationships and learning beyond the scope of the individual’s usual experience. Case study method reveals strategies, extent, and impact of learning providing insight into this phe...

  4. The effect of perceived organisational support on burnout among community health nurses in China: the mediating role of professional self-concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Xiaoyi; Chen, Lin; Tian, Lang; Diao, Yongshu

    2016-01-01

    To examine the mediating effect of professional self-concept on the association between perceived organisational support and burnout among community health nurses in Chengdu, China. Burnout is a common phenomenon among nurses and previous studies have focused on work environmental factors contributing to burnout. Limited studies have examined the effects of perceived organisational support and professional self-concept on burnout among community health nurses. This was a cross-sectional study with 551 community health nurses in Chengdu, China, which included a two-stage sampling method. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationships among perceived organisational support, professional self-concept and burnout. The final sample included 456 nurses (82.7%). Perceived organisational support was a significant positive direct predictor for professional self-concept and a significant negative direct predictor for burnout. Professional self-concept was a significant negative direct contributor to burnout. Professional self-concept had a mediating effect on the relationship between perceived organisational support and burnout. Perceived organisational support may result in reduced burnout by facilitating the development of positive professional self-concept. Strategies such as establishing a supportive work environment and professional competence training may be effective methods for burnout prevention and management among community health nurses. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Networks in Later Life: An Examination of Race Differences in Social Support Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peek, M. Kristen; O'Neill, Gregory S.

    2001-01-01

    Considers race differences in the determinants of social support network characteristics using data from Established Populations for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly. Focuses on the extent to which race differences in network dimensions are present and whether variations can be attributed to social structural positions held. Results indicate…

  6. Administrative professional's role in the processing, retrieval, dissemination and repackaging of information in the networked enterprise

    OpenAIRE

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to establish the administrative professional's role in the processing, retrieval, dissemination and repackaging of digital information in the networked enterprise, and to determine how the administrative professional can add value to the organisation and enhance its competitive position in industry. The digital economy has changed business practices to such an extent that research of the digital office environment and the administrative professional’s role in ...

  7. Student Affairs Professionals Supporting Students with Disabilities: A Grounded Theory Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimball, Ezekiel; Vaccaro, Annemarie; Vargas, Nadia

    2016-01-01

    In an action-based grounded theory project, the authors collected data from 31 student affairs professionals. During seven focus groups, practitioners described feeling unknowledgeable about disability law, accommodations, and diagnoses. However, they drew upon their core values and transferrable skills to support individual students. Participants…

  8. Implementing clinical decision support for primary care professionals – the process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kortteisto, Tiina; Komulainen, Jorma; Kunnamo, Ilkka

    2012-01-01

    implementation of eCDS requires time and repeated supportive input. Primary care professionals need time and training for adapting eCDS in their daily routine. In addition, the eCDS content should be tailored to fulfil different professionals’ information needs in primary care practice....

  9. Social Support and Social Networks in COPD: A Scoping Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barton, Christopher; Effing, Tanya W; Cafarella, Paul

    2015-01-01

    A scoping review was conducted to determine the size and nature of the evidence describing associations between social support and networks on health, management and clinical outcomes amongst patients with COPD. Searches of PubMed, PsychInfo and CINAHL were undertaken for the period 1966-December 2013. A descriptive synthesis of the main findings was undertaken to demonstrate where there is current evidence for associations between social support, networks and health outcomes, and where further research is needed. The search yielded 318 papers of which 287 were excluded after applying selection criteria. Two areas emerged in which there was consistent evidence of benefit of social support; namely mental health and self-efficacy. There was inconsistent evidence for a relationship between perceived social support and quality of life, physical functioning and self-rated health. Hospital readmission was not associated with level of perceived social support. Only a small number of studies (3 articles) have reported on the social network of individuals with COPD. There remains a need to identify the factors that promote and enable social support. In particular, there is a need to further understand the characteristics of social networks within the broader social structural conditions in which COPD patients live and manage their illness.

  10. An Assessment of the Emerging Networks of Support for Street ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nigeria, being asignatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) promulgated the Child Rights Act 2003, which aimed at ameliorating the condition of street children in Nigeria. In line with this, there are emerging networks of support for street children. The extent to which these support networks are ...

  11. Social Networking Strategies for Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breeding, Marshall

    2009-01-01

    Library professionals have always engaged with associations and communities to share experiences and information. Going back through the earliest times of the profession, librarians have interacted through conference meetings, professional publications, and a variety of other venues. These in-person and print-based interactions continue as…

  12. Supporting students in professional socialisation: Guidelines for professional nurses and educators

    OpenAIRE

    Hester Cathrina (Rina) de Swardt; Gisela H. van Rensburg; M.J. Oosthuizen

    2017-01-01

    Professional socialisation of nursing students involves learning skills, attitudes, behaviour and professional roles, largely in the clinical area. During clinical accompaniment and reflective discussions with a group of undergraduate Baccalaureate nursing students in South Africa, students reported negative professional socialisation experiences, primarily in the clinical area. Such experiences could influence the quality of patient care. The objective of this study was to develop and valida...

  13. Online and in-person networking among women in the Earth Sciences Women's Network at www.ESWNonline.org

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kontak, R.; Adams, A. S.; De Boer, A. M.; Hastings, M. G.; Holloway, T.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; Steiner, A. L.; Wiedinmyer, C.

    2012-12-01

    The Earth Science Women's Network is an international peer-mentoring network of women in the Earth Sciences, many of whom are in the early stages of their careers. Membership is free and has grown through "word of mouth," and includes upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, professionals in a range of environmental fields, scientists working in public and private institutions. Our mission is to promote career development, build community, provide informal mentoring and support, and facilitate professional collaborations. Since 2002 we have accomplished this trough online networking, including over email and a listserv, on facebook, in-person networking events, and professional development workshops. Now in our 10th year, ESWN is debuting a new web-center that creates an online space exclusively for women in any discipline of the Earth (including planetary) sciences. ESWN members can connect and create an online community of support and encouragement for themselves as women in a demanding career. Many women in Earth Science fields feel isolated and are often the only woman in their department or work environments. ESWN is a place to meet others, discuss issues faced in creating work-life balance and professional success and share best practices through peer mentoring. Now on ESWN's new web-center, members can create and personalize their profiles and search for others in their field, nearby, or with similar interests. Online discussions in the members-only area can also be searched. Members can create groups for discussion or collaboration, with document sharing and password protection. Publicly, we can share gained knowledge with a broader audience, like lessons learned at our professional development workshops and collected recommendations from members. The new web center allows for more connectivity among other online platforms used by our members, including linked-in, facebook, and twitter. Built in Wordpress with a Buddpress members-only section, the new

  14. Professional Vision of Classroom Management and Learning Support in Science Classrooms--Does Professional Vision Differ across General and Content-Specific Classroom Interactions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steffensky, Mirjam; Gold, Bernadette; Holdynski, Manfred; Möller, Kornelia

    2015-01-01

    The present study investigates the internal structure of professional vision of in-service teachers and student teachers with respect to classroom management and learning support in primary science lessons. Classroom management (including monitoring, managing momentum, and rules and routines) and learning support (including cognitive activation…

  15. The social support and social network characteristics of smokers in methadone maintenance treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Dios, Marcel Alejandro; Stanton, Cassandra A; Caviness, Celeste M; Niaura, Raymond; Stein, Michael

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies have shown social support and social network variables to be important factors in smoking cessation treatment. Tobacco use is highly prevalent among individuals in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). However, smoking cessation treatment outcomes in this vulnerable subpopulation have been poor and social support and social network variables may contribute. The current study examined the social support and social network characteristics of 151 MMT smokers involved in a randomized clinical trial of smoking cessation treatments. Participants were 50% women and 78% Caucasian. A high proportion (57%) of MMT smokers had spouses or partners who smoke and over two-thirds of households (68.5%) included at least one smoker. Our sample was characterized by relatively small social networks, but high levels of general social support and quitting support. The number of cigarettes per day was found to be positively associated with the number of smokers in the social network (r = .239, p social support and social networks of smokers in MMT.

  16. Marital Status and Occupational Success Among Mental Health Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marx, John H.; Spray, S. Lee

    1970-01-01

    Concludes that personal relations, professional experiences and occupational success form a network of relationships which integrate the occupational and nonoccupational roles of highly specialized practitioners. Part of a Study of Careers in the Mental Health Field, supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH-09192 and directed by…

  17. Dynamic Tensions: Early Reflections from MDRC's Evaluation of the Innovative Professional Development Challenge

    Science.gov (United States)

    MDRC, 2015

    2015-01-01

    In the Innovative Professional Development (iPD) Challenge, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in helping school districts and networks redesign their instructional support systems to better support educators in increasing student success. This Issue Focus, the second in a series, presents early reflections from MDRC's evaluation…

  18. Rural health professionals' perspectives on providing grief and loss support in cancer care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breen, L J; O'Connor, M

    2013-11-01

    Research demonstrates considerable inequalities in service delivery and health outcomes for people with cancer living outside large metropolitan cities. Semi-structured interviews with 11 professionals providing grief and loss support for people with cancer and their families in rural, regional, and remote areas Western Australia revealed the challenges they faced in delivering such support. The data are presented in four themes - Inequity of regional versus metropolitan services, Strain of the 'Jack of all trades' role, Constraints to accessing professional development, and Challenges in delivering post-bereavement services. These challenges are likely to be of growing concern given that populations are declining in rural areas as Australia becomes increasingly urban. The findings have implications in enhancing the loss and grief support services available in rural, regional, and remote Western Australia, including those grieving the death of a loved one through cancer. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Satisfaction with support versus size of network: differential effects of social support on psychological distress in parents of pediatric cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harper, Felicity W K; Peterson, Amy M; Albrecht, Terrance L; Taub, Jeffrey W; Phipps, Sean; Penner, Louis A

    2016-05-01

    This study examined the direct and buffering effects of social support on longer-term global psychological distress among parents coping with pediatric cancer. In both sets of analyses, we examined whether these effects depended on the dimension of social support provided (i.e., satisfaction with support versus size of support network). Participants were 102 parents of pediatric cancer patients. At study entry, parents reported their trait anxiety, depression, and two dimensions of their social support network (satisfaction with support and size of support network). Parents subsequently reported their psychological distress in 3- and 9-month follow-up assessments. Parents' satisfaction with support had a direct effect on longer-term psychological distress; satisfaction was negatively associated with distress at both follow-ups. In contrast, size of support network buffered (moderated) the impact of trait anxiety and depression on later distress. Parents with smaller support networks and higher levels of trait anxiety and depression at baseline had higher levels of psychological distress at both follow-ups; for parents with larger support networks, there was no relationship. Social support can attenuate psychological distress in parents coping with pediatric cancer; however, the nature of the effect depends on the dimension of support. Whereas interventions that focus on increasing satisfaction with social support may benefit all parents, at-risk parents will likely benefit from interventions that ensure they have an adequate number of support resources. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Examining the Relationships Between Education, Social Networks and Democratic Support With ABM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drucker, Nick; Campbell, Kenyth

    2011-01-01

    This paper introduces an agent-based model that explores the relationships between education, social networks, and support for democratic ideals. This study examines two factors thai affect democratic support, education, and social networks. Current theory concerning these two variables suggests that positive relationships exist between education and democratic support and between social networks and the spread of ideas. The model contains multiple variables of democratic support, two of which are evaluated through experimentation. The model allows individual entities within the system to make "decisions" about their democratic support independent of one another. The agent based approach also allows entities to utilize their social networks to spread ideas. Current theory supports experimentation results. In addion , these results show the model is capable of reproducing real world outcomes. This paper addresses the model creation process and the experimentation procedure, as well as future research avenues and potential shortcomings of the model

  1. Modern Social Support Structures: Online Social Networks and their Implications for Social Workers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kala Chakradhar

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Mapping and assessing social networks and the quality of their social support is a valuable intervention strategy for social workers. These networks have now spread onto the digital realm in the form of Online Social Networks (OSNs. This study investigated the nature of social support provided by such networks to their users in a rural mid-South University (USA and explored parallels with the current understanding of social support in conventional social networks. A web-based survey administered to college students revealed that users of these online networks were predominantly undergraduate first year students, female, single, unemployed and from a variety of academic disciplines. The examination of the components of OSNs appears to mirror those of offline networks. They also seem to complement the effects of each other while contributing to an individual's support system. The paper concludes with critical implications of such online social networking for University students and social workers in practice and education.

  2. Practical Recommendations to Improve the Quality of Training and Methodical Support of Professional Teacher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grebennikov, Valery V.; Grudtsina, Ludmila Yu.; Marchuk, Nikolay N.; Sangadgiev, Badma V.; Kudyashev, Nail K.

    2016-01-01

    The research urgency is caused by the transition to the knowledge society and new demands for training and methodical provision of professional pedagogical education. The purpose of this paper is to develop practical recommendations to improve the quality of training and methodical support of professional pedagogical education. The leading…

  3. Towards integrated crisis support of regional emergency networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caro, D H

    1999-01-01

    Emergency and crisis management pose multidimensional information systems challenges for communities across North America. In the quest to reduce mortality and morbidity risks and to increase the level of crisis preparedness, regional emergency management networks have evolved. Integrated Crisis Support Systems (ICSS) are enabling information technologies that assist emergency managers by enhancing the ability to strategically manage and control these regional emergency networks efficiently and effectively. This article underscores the ICCS development, control and leadership issues and their promising implications for regional emergency management networks.

  4. Understanding how social networking influences perceived satisfaction with conference experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Riper, Carena J.; van Riper, Charles; Kyle, Gerard T.; Lee, Martha E.

    2013-01-01

    Social networking is a key benefit derived from participation in conferences that bind the ties of a professional community. Building social networks can lead to satisfactory experiences while furthering participants' long- and short-term career goals. Although investigations of social networking can lend insight into how to effectively engage individuals and groups within a professional cohort, this area has been largely overlooked in past research. The present study investigates the relationship between social networking and satisfaction with the 10th Biennial Conference of Research on the Colorado Plateau using structural equation modelling. Results partially support the hypothesis that three dimensions of social networking – interpersonal connections, social cohesion, and secondary associations – positively contribute to the performance of various conference attributes identified in two focus group sessions. The theoretical and applied contributions of this paper shed light on the social systems formed within professional communities and resource allocation among service providers.

  5. The challenges of cross-cultural research and teaching in family medicine: How can professional networks help?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda Caroline Howe

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Modern medical training emphasizes the value of understanding the patient’s ideas, concerns and expectations, and the use of their personal perspective to assist communication, diagnosis, and uptake of all appropriate health and treatment options. This requires doctors to be ‘culturally sensitive’, which “… involves an awareness and acceptance of cultural differences, self-awareness, knowledge of a patient’s culture, and adaptation of skills”. Yet most of us work in one country, and often one community, for much of our professional careers. Those who enter into academic pursuits will similarly be constrained by our own backgrounds and experiences, even though universities and medical schools often attract a multicultural membership. We therefore rely on our professional training and networks to extend our scope and understanding of how cultural issues impact upon our research and its relevance to our discipline and curricula. This article uses a reflexive narrative approach to examine the role and value of international networks through the lens of one individual and one organisation. It explores the extent to which such networks assist cross cultural sensitivity, using examples from its networks, and how these can (and have impacted on greater cross-culturalism in our teaching and research outputs.

  6. Social Support Networks Among Diverse Sexual Minority Populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frost, David M.; Meyer, Ilan H.; Schwartz, Sharon

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports a study of the function and composition of social support networks among diverse lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) men and women (n = 396) in comparison to their heterosexual peers (n = 128). Data were collected using a structured social support network matrix in a community sample recruited in New York City. Our findings show that gay and bisexual men may rely on “chosen families” within LGBT communities more so than lesbian and bisexual women. Both heterosexuals and LGBs relied less on family and more on other people (e.g., friends, co-workers) for everyday social support (e.g., recreational and social activities, talking about problems). Providers of everyday social support were most often of the same sexual orientation and race/ethnicity as participants. In seeking major support (e.g., borrowing large sums of money), heterosexual men and women along with lesbian and bisexual women relied primarily on their families, but gay and bisexual men relied primarily on other LGB individuals. Racial/ethnic minority LGBs relied on LGB similar others at the same rate at White LGBs but, notably, racial/ethnic minority LGBs reported receiving fewer dimensions of support. PMID:26752447

  7. Material matters for learning in virtual networks: a case study of a professional learning programme hosted in a Google+ online community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aileen Ackland

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we draw on Actor–Network Theories (ANT to explore how material components functioned to create gateways and barriers to a virtual learning network in the context of a professional development module in higher education. Students were practitioners engaged in family learning in different professional roles and contexts. The data comprised postings in the Google+ community, email correspondence, meeting notes, feedback submitted at the final workshop and post-module evaluation forms. Our analysis revealed a complex set of interactions, and suggests multiple ways human actors story their encounters with non-human components and the effects these have on the learning experience. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a more holistic understanding of the components and dynamics of social learning networks in the virtual world and consider the implications for the design of online learning for continuous professional development (CPD.

  8. Analysis and Assessment of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conversations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trausan-Matu, Stefan

    2008-01-01

    Trausan-Matu, S. (2008). Analysis and Assessment of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conversations. Workshop presentation at the symposium Learning networks for professional. November, 14, 2008, Heerlen, Nederland: Open Universiteit Nederland.

  9. How NASA's Space Science Support Network Can Assist DPS Members in Their Public Engagement Efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miner, E. D.; Lowes, L. L.

    2003-12-01

    In her Carl Sagan Medal lecture last year, Heidi Hammel talked of the dos and don'ts of education and public outreach efforts by DPS members. She pointed out a number of misconceptions about what does and does not constitute "good EPO" and encouraged members to consult with "the experts" if they would like to improve their EPO effectiveness and reach. She named the DPS Education and Public Outreach Officer, Larry Lebofsky, his Deputy, Lou Mayo, and the DPS Press Officer, Ellis Miner, who also co-directs NASA's Solar System Exploration EPO Forum with Leslie Lowes. NASA's Space Science Support Network has been in existence for about six years. It has been directed by DPS member Jeff Rosendhal and is now serving as a model for NASA's new Education Enterprise. Members of the Support Network are prepared to assist (and haves been assisting) space scientists throughout the US and abroad in deciding where to spend their EPO efforts most effectively. The service is provided free of cost and includes, among other services, the following: (1) helping to establish partnerships between educators and scientists, (2) helping to link scientists and professional EPO organizations, (3) helping to link scientists to national youth and community groups, (4) providing ready access to EPO electronic and hardcopy products, (5) providing advice and direction in the preparation of EPO proposals to NASA, (6) helping to maintain several national networks of EPO volunteers, (7) encouraging (at home institutions) the broadening of scientist EPO efforts, (8) maintaining self-help websites for scientists interested in EPO.

  10. Support Networks for the Greek Family with Preschool or School-Age Disabled Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsibidaki, Assimina; Tsamparli, Anastasia

    2007-01-01

    Introduction: The interaction of the family with disabled children with the support networks is a research area of high interest (Hendriks, De Moor, Oud & Savelberg, 2000). It has been shown that support networks may prove to be very helpful for a family and especially for a family with a disabled child. Support networks play a primordial role…

  11. Social Networks, Interpersonal Social Support, and Health Outcomes: A Health Communication Perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Wright, Kevin

    2016-01-01

    This manuscript discusses the development, impact, and several major research findings of studies in the area of social network support and health outcomes. The review focuses largely on the development of online social support networks and the ways in which they may interact with face-to-face support networks to influence physical and psychological health outcomes. The manuscript discusses this area, and it presents a research agenda for future work in this area from an Associate Editor’s pe...

  12. Health Professionals Working Effectively with Support Workers to Enhance the Quality of Support for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: A Meta-Ethnography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haines, David; Brown, Alexander

    2018-01-01

    Background: Paid support workers are often central to the quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities. Health and social care professionals increasingly carry out interventions indirectly through those support workers and therefore need to understand how best to collaborate. Methods: This article synthesizes findings from the…

  13. What makes generalist mental health professionals effective when working with people with an intellectual disability? A family member and support person perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weise, Janelle; Fisher, Karen R; Trollor, Julian N

    2018-05-01

    Generalist mental health professionals are inadequately equipped to meet the rights of people with intellectual disability. A better understanding of the attributes of effective professionals may assist in the development of workforce capacity in this area. Twenty-eight family/support persons of people with intellectual disability participated in four focus groups. Thematic analysis was undertaken applying the Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competencies Framework. Participants described attributes that aligned with current professional expectations such as working together and new attributes such as differentiating between behaviour and mental health. An unexpected finding was the need for professionals to be able to infer meaning by interpreting multiple sources of information. Participants also wanted professionals to acknowledge their professional limitations and seek professional support. Family/support persons identified a range of attributes of effective mental health professionals to support people with intellectual disability. Further research is necessary, particularly from the perspective of people with intellectual disability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Research on intrusion detection based on Kohonen network and support vector machine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuai, Chunyan; Yang, Hengcheng; Gong, Zeweiyi

    2018-05-01

    In view of the problem of low detection accuracy and the long detection time of support vector machine, which directly applied to the network intrusion detection system. Optimization of SVM parameters can greatly improve the detection accuracy, but it can not be applied to high-speed network because of the long detection time. a method based on Kohonen neural network feature selection is proposed to reduce the optimization time of support vector machine parameters. Firstly, this paper is to calculate the weights of the KDD99 network intrusion data by Kohonen network and select feature by weight. Then, after the feature selection is completed, genetic algorithm (GA) and grid search method are used for parameter optimization to find the appropriate parameters and classify them by support vector machines. By comparing experiments, it is concluded that feature selection can reduce the time of parameter optimization, which has little influence on the accuracy of classification. The experiments suggest that the support vector machine can be used in the network intrusion detection system and reduce the missing rate.

  15. Cultural differences in professional help seeking: A comparison of Japan and the U.S.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taraneh eMojaverian

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Previous research has found cultural differences in the frequency of support seeking. Asians and Asian Americans report seeking support from their close others to deal with their stress less often compared to European Americans. Similarly, other research on professional help seeking has shown that Asians and Asian Americans are less likely than European Americans to seek professional psychological help. Previous studies link this difference to multitude of factors, such as cultural stigma and reliance on informal social networks. The present research examined another explanation for cultural differences in professional help seeking. We predicted that the observed cultural difference in professional help seeking is an extension of culture-specific interpersonal relationship patterns. In the present research, undergraduate students in Japan and the United States completed the Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS, which measures professional help seeking propensity, psychological openness to acknowledging psychological problems, and indifference to the stigma of seeking professional help. The results showed that Japanese reported greater reluctance to seek professional help compared to Americans. Moreover, the relationship between culture and professional help seeking attitudes was partially mediated by use of social support seeking among close others. The implications of cultural differences in professional help seeking and the relationship between support seeking and professional help seeking are discussed.

  16. Introduction to computer networking

    CERN Document Server

    Robertazzi, Thomas G

    2017-01-01

    This book gives a broad look at both fundamental networking technology and new areas that support it and use it. It is a concise introduction to the most prominent, recent technological topics in computer networking. Topics include network technology such as wired and wireless networks, enabling technologies such as data centers, software defined networking, cloud and grid computing and applications such as networks on chips, space networking and network security. The accessible writing style and non-mathematical treatment makes this a useful book for the student, network and communications engineer, computer scientist and IT professional. • Features a concise, accessible treatment of computer networking, focusing on new technological topics; • Provides non-mathematical introduction to networks in their most common forms today;< • Includes new developments in switching, optical networks, WiFi, Bluetooth, LTE, 5G, and quantum cryptography.

  17. Professional conduct among registered nurses in the use of online social networking sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levati, Sara

    2014-10-01

    To explore the use of Facebook by Registered Nurses (RNs) in Italy and the United Kingdom (UK), focusing on the disclosure of personal and professional information. The use of online social network sites among medical students and doctors is posing new ethical challenges to the profession. To date, little research has explored the use of online social networking sites among nurses. A cross-national survey. Data were assessed on 124 nurses' profile pages, readily available without viewing restrictions. Content analysis and inferential statistics were undertaken to describe usage and identify similarities and differences between the two country-groups of nurses. Data were collected between December 2011-January 2012. Overall, UK and Italian RNs showed a similar use of the online platform, tending to disclose personal pictures, home town and current home location, as well as updates and comments related to personal and work-related activities. A statistically significant higher proportion of nurses in Italy disclosed their sexual orientation. In both groups, a few cases were observed of potentially unprofessional content in relation to the use of alcohol, nudity and material of a salacious nature. Although most of the UK and Italy RNs appear to be aware of the risks posed by their online exposure, their online activity indicates the blurring of their personal and professional lives; this is posing new ethical, legal and professional challenges to members of the nursing profession. Further research and debate is encouraged at national and international level. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Core Support to Global Development Network (GND) - Phase II ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    The Global Development Network (GDN) was launched by the World Bank in 1999 on the premise that good policy research, properly applied, can accelerate development and improve people's lives. Working mainly through regional networks, GDN supports economic and, increasingly, social science research in and on ...

  19. Coaching Discourse: Supporting Teachers' Professional Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heineke, Sally F.

    2013-01-01

    Although coaching is used in many schools to facilitate teachers' professional learning, few studies look closely at coaching discourse. Exploring how coaching facilitates teachers' professional development, this study used tape-recorded coaching sessions and individual post-interviews to examine the one-on-one coaching interactions of 4…

  20. Myths about Technology-Supported Professional Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Killion, Joellen; Treacy, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    The future of professional learning is shaped by its present and past. As new technologies emerge to increase affordability, access, and appropriateness of professional learning, three beliefs are visible in current practices related to online learning. Each contains a premise that merits identification and examination. The authors call these…

  1. Methodical approach to training of IT-professionals based on networking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vyacheslav V. Zolotarev

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Increasing requirements to the content and form of higher education in conditions of digital economy set new tasks for professors: formation of applied competences, the involvement of students in project activities, provision of students’ online support, their individual and project work. The growing load on university professors complicates satisfaction of these requirements. The development of the professors’ network interaction makes it possible to redistribute the load for disciplines methodological provision. The article reveals possibilities of professors’ network interaction by using innovative teaching methods including gaming forms and online courses. The research scientific novelty is to implement the professors’ network interaction and experimental application of innovative teaching methods. Network interaction was carried out through the educational process of students’ preparation in following areas: information security, applied information technology, business informatics.

  2. Interaction patterns of nurturant support exchanged in online health social networking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, Katherine Y; Yang, Christopher C

    2012-05-03

    Expressing emotion in online support communities is an important aspect of enabling e-patients to connect with each other and expand their social resources. Indirectly it increases the amount of support for coping with health issues. Exploring the supportive interaction patterns in online health social networking would help us better understand how technology features impacts user behavior in this context. To build on previous research that identified different types of social support in online support communities by delving into patterns of supportive behavior across multiple computer-mediated communication formats. Each format combines different architectural elements, affecting the resulting social spaces. Our research question compared communication across different formats of text-based computer-mediated communication provided on the MedHelp.org health social networking environment. We identified messages with nurturant support (emotional, esteem, and network) across three different computer-mediated communication formats (forums, journals, and notes) of an online support community for alcoholism using content analysis. Our sample consisted of 493 forum messages, 423 journal messages, and 1180 notes. Nurturant support types occurred frequently among messages offering support (forum comments: 276/412 messages, 67.0%; journal posts: 65/88 messages, 74%; journal comments: 275/335 messages, 82.1%; and notes: 1002/1180 messages, 84.92%), but less often among messages requesting support. Of all the nurturing supports, emotional (ie, encouragement) appeared most frequently, with network and esteem support appearing in patterns of varying combinations. Members of the Alcoholism Community appeared to adapt some traditional face-to-face forms of support to their needs in becoming sober, such as provision of encouragement, understanding, and empathy to one another. The computer-mediated communication format may have the greatest influence on the supportive interactions

  3. Intelligent Configuration of Social Support Networks around Depressed Persons

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aziz, A.A.; Klein, M.C.A.; Treur, J.

    2011-01-01

    Helping someone who is depressed can be very important to the depressed person. A number of supportive family members or friends can often make a big difference. This paper addresses how a social support network can be formed, taking the needs of the support recipient and the possibilities of the

  4. Social networking in online support groups for health: how online social networking benefits patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Jae Eun

    2014-01-01

    An increasing number of online support groups (OSGs) have embraced the features of social networking. So far, little is known about how patients use and benefit from these features. By implementing the uses-and-gratifications framework, the author conducted an online survey with current users of OSGs to examine associations among motivation, use of specific features of OSG, and support outcomes. Findings suggest that OSG users make selective use of varied features depending on their needs, and that perceptions of receiving emotional and informational support are associated more with the use of some features than others. For example, those with strong motivation for social interaction use diverse features of OSG and make one-to-one connections with other users by friending. In contrast, those with strong motivation for information seeking limit their use primarily to discussion boards. Results also show that online social networking features, such as friending and sharing of personal stories on blogs, are helpful in satisfying the need for emotional support. The present study sheds light on online social networking features in the context of health-related OSGs and provides practical lessons on how to improve the capacity of OSGs to serve the needs of their users.

  5. PARTNERS IN LEARNING NETWORK FOR UKRAINIAN TEACHERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Sereda

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The network «Partners in Learning Network» is presented in the article – the Ukrainian segment of global educational community. PILN is created with support of the Microsoft company for teachers who use information communication technology in their professional work. The PILN's purpose and value for Ukrainian teachers, for their professional dialogue and collaboration are described in the article. Functions of PILN's communities for teacher’s cooperation, the joint decision of questions and an exchange of ideas and of technique, teaching tools for increase of level of ICT introduction in educational process are described.

  6. Teleaudiology: efficacy assessment of an online social network as a support tool for parents of children candidates for cochlear implant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiello, Camila Piccini; Ferrari, Deborah Viviane

    2015-01-01

    To assess the efficacy of an online social network as a support for parents of children with hearing impairment. Twenty-two mothers, randomly divided into experimental (n=11) and control (n=11) groups, filled in an online form containing the Parental Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF). Only the experimental group had access to the "Babies' Portal" social network. Both groups filled in the online form once again 3 months after the first assessment, for evaluating the use and participation in the social network. The posts on the social network were rated by two independent raters regarding themes and mechanisms of self-help. No difference was observed in mean PSI-SF scores between the groups for both assessments. Intragroup analysis showed no difference for total and subscale results of PSI-SF between the two data collected for both groups except for the "Defensive Response" subscale, in which a decrease was observed in the score for the control group. The most frequent posting themes were related to personal information and expressions of religious beliefs. Regarding self-help mechanisms, a higher frequency of exchanging experiences and gratitude expressions was observed. Participants in the experimental group stated they would have liked to participate more frequently in the social network as they considered this tool important because of the exchange of information and experience with other mothers and hearing health-care professionals. The posts and the assessment of participants indicated the potential of this network to support parents of children with hearing impairment.

  7. Coworking Spaces: A Source of Social Support for Independent Professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerdenitsch, Cornelia; Scheel, Tabea E; Andorfer, Julia; Korunka, Christian

    2016-01-01

    Coworking spaces are shared office environments for independent professionals. Such spaces have been increasing rapidly throughout the world, and provide, in addition to basic business infrastructure, the opportunity for social interaction. This article explores social interaction in coworking spaces and reports the results of two studies. Study 1 (N = 69 coworkers) finds that social interaction in coworking spaces can take the form of social support. Study 2 further investigates social support among coworkers (N = 154 coworkers) and contrasts these results with those of social support among colleagues in traditional work organizations (N = 609). A moderated mediation model using time pressure and self-efficacy, based on the conservation of resources theory, is tested. Social support from both sources was positively related to performance satisfaction. Self-efficacy mediated this relationship in the employee sample, while in the coworking sample, self-efficacy only mediated the relationship between social support and performance satisfaction if time pressure was high. Thus, a mobilization of social support seems necessary in coworking spaces. We conclude that coworking spaces, as modern social work environments, should align flexible work infrastructure with well-constructed opportunities for social support.

  8. Coworking Spaces: A Source of Social Support for Independent Professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cornelia eGerdenitsch

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Coworking spaces are shared office environments for independent professionals. Such spaces have been increasing rapidly throughout the world, and provide, in addition to basic business infrastructure, the opportunity for social interaction. This article explores social interaction in coworking spaces and reports the results of two studies. Study 1 (N = 69 coworkers finds that social interaction in coworking spaces can take the form of social support. Study 2 further investigates social support among coworkers (N = 154 coworkers and contrasts these results with those of social support among colleagues in traditional work organizations (N = 609. A moderated mediation model using time pressure and self-efficacy, based on the conservation of resources theory, is tested. Social support from both sources was positively related to performance satisfaction. Self-efficacy mediated this relationship in the employee sample, while in the coworking sample, self-efficacy only mediated the relationship between social support and performance satisfaction if time pressure was high. Thus, a mobilization of social support seems necessary in coworking spaces. We conclude that coworking spaces, as modern social work environments, should align flexible work infrastructure with well-constructed opportunities for social support.

  9. Cohort Differences in Received Social Support in Later Life: The Role of Network Type.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suanet, Bianca; Antonucci, Toni C

    2017-07-01

    The objective is to assess cohort differences in received emotional and instrumental support in relation to network types. The main guiding hypothesis is that due to increased salience of non-kin with recent social change, those in friend-focused and diverse network types receive more support in later birth cohorts than earlier birth cohorts. Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam are employed. We investigate cohort differences in total received emotional and instrumental support in a series of linear regression models comparing birth cohorts aged 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85-94 across three time periods (1992, 2002, and 2012). Four network types (friend, family, restricted, and diverse) are identified. Friend-focused networks are more common in later birth cohorts, restrictive networks less common. Those in friend-focused networks in later cohorts report receiving more emotional and instrumental support. No differences in received support are evident upon diverse networks. The increased salience of non-kin is reflected in an increase in received emotional and instrumental support in friend-focused networks in later birth cohorts. The preponderance of non-kin in networks should not be perceived as a deficit model for social relationships as restrictive networks are declining across birth cohorts. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Support for Protests in Latin America: Classifications and the Role of Online Networking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel R. Mourão

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, Latin Americans marched the streets in a wave of protests that swept almost every country in the region. Yet few studies have assessed how Latin Americans support various forms of protest, and how new technologies affect attitudes toward protest tactics. Using data from the Latin American Public Opinion Project (N = 37,102, cluster analyses grouped citizens into four distinct groups depending on their support for protests. Most Latin Americans support moderate forms of protest, rejecting more radical tactics. Online networking is associated with support for both moderate and radical protests. But those who support only moderate protests use online networking sites more than Latin Americans as a whole, while those who support radical protests use online networking sites significantly less. Our findings suggest that only peaceful and legal demonstrations have been normalized in the region, and online networking foments support for moderate protest tactics.

  11. Activation of professional and personal network relations when experiencing a symptom: a population-based cross-sectional study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elnegaard, Sandra; Andersen, Rikke Sand; Pedersen, Anette Fischer

    2017-01-01

    Objective To describe patterns of disclosure of symptoms experienced among people in the general population to persons in their personal and/or professional network. Design A population-based cross-sectional study. Data were collected from a web-based survey. Setting The general population...... in Denmark. Participants 100 000 individuals randomly selected, representative of the adult Danish population aged ≥20 years were invited. Approximately 5% were not eligible for inclusion. 49 706 (men=23 240; women=26 466) of 95 253 eligible individuals completed the questionnaire; yielding a response rate...... of 52.2%. Individuals completing all questions regarding social network relations form the study base (n=44 313). Primary and secondary outcome measures Activation of personal and/or professional relations when experiencing a symptom. Results The 44 313 individuals reported in total 260 079 symptom...

  12. Oncology healthcare professionals' perspectives on the psychosocial support needs of cancer patients during oncology treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldaz, Bruno E; Treharne, Gareth J; Knight, Robert G; Conner, Tamlin S; Perez, David

    2017-09-01

    This study explored oncology healthcare professionals' perspectives on the psychosocial support needs of diverse cancer patients during oncology treatment. Six themes were identified using thematic analysis. Healthcare professionals highlighted the importance of their sensitivity, respect and emotional tact during appointments in order to effectively identify and meet the needs of oncology patients. Participants also emphasised the importance of building rapport that recognises patients as people. Patients' acceptance of treatment-related distress and uncertainty was described as required for uptake of available psychosocial supportive services. We offer some practical implications that may help improve cancer patients' experiences during oncology treatment.

  13. Exploring educational interventions to facilitate health professional students' professionally safe online presence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henning, Marcus A; Hawken, Susan; MacDonald, Joanna; McKimm, Judy; Brown, Menna; Moriarty, Helen; Gasquoine, Sue; Chan, Kwong; Hilder, Jo; Wilkinson, Tim

    2017-09-01

    To establish the most effective approach and type of educational intervention for health professional students, to enable them to maintain a professionally safe online presence. This was a qualitative, multinational, multi-institutional, multiprofessional study. Practical considerations (availability of participants) led us to use a combination of focus groups and individual interviews, strengthening our findings by triangulating our method of data collection. The study gathered data from 57 nursing, medical and paramedical students across four sites in three countries (Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia and Wales). A content analysis was conducted to clarify how and why students used Facebook and what strategies they thought might be useful to ensure professional usage. A series of emergent codes were examined and a thematic analysis undertaken from which key themes were crystallized. The results illuminated the ways in which students use social networking sites (SNS). The three key themes to emerge from the data analysis were negotiating identities, distancing and risks. Students expressed the wish to have material about professional safety on SNS taught to them by authoritative figures to explain "the rules" as well as by peers to assist with practicalities. Our interactive research method demonstrated the transformative capacity of the students working in groups. Our study supports the need for an educational intervention to assist health professional students to navigate SNS safely and in a manner appropriate to their future roles as health professionals. Because health professional students develop their professional identity throughout their training, we suggest that the most appropriate intervention incorporate small group interactive sessions from those in authority, and from peers, combined with group work that facilitates and enhances the students' development of a professional identity.

  14. Fracture network modeling and GoldSim simulation support

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugita, Kenichiro; Dershowitz, William

    2004-01-01

    During Heisei-15, Golder Associates provided support for JNC Tokai through discrete fracture network data analysis and simulation of the MIU Underground Rock Laboratory, participation in Task 6 of the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport, and development of methodologies for analysis of repository site characterization strategies and safety assessment. MIU Underground Rock Laboratory support during H-15 involved development of new discrete fracture network (DFN) models for the MIU Shoba-sama Site, in the region of shaft development. Golder developed three DFN models for the site using discrete fracture network, equivalent porous medium (EPM), and nested DFN/EPM approaches. Each of these models were compared based upon criteria established for the multiple modeling project (MMP). Golder supported JNC participation in Task 6AB, 6D and 6E of the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport during H-15. For Task 6AB, Golder implemented an updated microstructural model in GoldSim, and used this updated model to simulate the propagation of uncertainty from experimental to safety assessment time scales, for 5 m scale transport path lengths. Task 6D and 6E compared safety assessment (PA) and experimental time scale simulations in a 200 m scale discrete fracture network. For Task 6D, Golder implemented a DFN model using FracMan/PA Works, and determined the sensitivity of solute transport to a range of material property and geometric assumptions. For Task 6E, Golder carried out demonstration FracMan/PA Works transport calculations at a 1 million year time scale, to ensure that task specifications are realistic. The majority of work for Task 6E will be carried out during H-16. During H-15, Golder supported JNC's Total System Performance Assessment (TSPO) strategy by developing technologies for the analysis of precipitant concentration. These approaches were based on the GoldSim precipitant data management features, and were

  15. QoS support over ultrafast TDM optical networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narvaez, Paolo; Siu, Kai-Yeung; Finn, Steven G.

    1999-08-01

    HLAN is a promising architecture to realize Tb/s access networks based on ultra-fast optical TDM technologies. This paper presents new research results on efficient algorithms for the support of quality of service over the HLAN network architecture. In particular, we propose a new scheduling algorithm that emulates fair queuing in a distributed manner for bandwidth allocation purpose. The proposed scheduler collects information on the queue of each host on the network and then instructs each host how much data to send. Our new scheduling algorithm ensures full bandwidth utilization, while guaranteeing fairness among all hosts.

  16. Network-aware support for mobile distributed teams

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleij, R. van der; Jong, A. de; Brake, G.M. te; Greefe, T.E.

    2009-01-01

    An experiment evaluated network-aware support to increase understanding of the factors that are important for successful teamwork in mobile geographically dispersed teams of first responders. Participants performed a simulated search and rescue team task and were equipped with a digitized map and

  17. Managing Ethical Difficulties in Healthcare: Communicating in Inter-professional Clinical Ethics Support Sessions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grönlund, Catarina Fischer; Dahlqvist, Vera; Zingmark, Karin; Sandlund, Mikael; Söderberg, Anna

    2016-12-01

    Several studies show that healthcare professionals need to communicate inter-professionally in order to manage ethical difficulties. A model of clinical ethics support (CES) inspired by Habermas' theory of discourse ethics has been developed by our research group. In this version of CES sessions healthcare professionals meet inter-professionally to communicate and reflect on ethical difficulties in a cooperative manner with the aim of reaching communicative agreement or reflective consensus. In order to understand the course of action during CES, the aim of this study was to describe the communication of value conflicts during a series of inter-professional CES sessions. Ten audio- and video-recorded CES sessions were conducted over eight months and were analyzed by using the video analysis tool Transana and qualitative content analysis. The results showed that during the CES sessions the professionals as a group moved through the following five phases: a value conflict expressed as feelings of frustration, sharing disempowerment and helplessness, the revelation of the value conflict, enhancing realistic expectations, seeing opportunities to change the situation instead of obstacles. In the course of CES, the professionals moved from an individual interpretation of the situation to a common, new understanding and then to a change in approach. An open and permissive communication climate meant that the professionals dared to expose themselves, share their feelings, face their own emotions, and eventually arrive at a mutual shared reality. The value conflict was not only revealed but also resolved.

  18. The role of professional networks in radiology services El papel de las redes de profesionales en los servicios de radiología

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gray Southon

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Recent developments in public health policy have highlighted the central role of the clinical work force in the success of policy implementation, and thus the need for effective human resource policies. Given the high level of professionalism in health services, a number of special issues arise, including the organizational structures that best support professional work. Experiences from global industries that rely on a highly expert work force show that hierarchical control structures need to be supplemented by a variety of networks. Networks are complex structures that are very different from normal hierarchies, and they need to be effectively understood. While they usually develop spontaneously, they are often not optimally structured, adequately supported, or effectively exploited by health service organizations. It is important to understand the nature of networks and how they can be promoted in order to ensure that clinicians are appropriately supported in providing and enhancing services.Algunos acontecimientos recientes en el ámbito de las políticas sanitarias han puesto de relieve el papel fundamental que desempeña el personal clínico en la ejecución de dichas políticas. Es importante, por lo tanto, que las políticas de recursos humanos sean eficaces. En los servicios de salud el personal suele ser de nivel profesional en su mayor parte y, como resultado, hay varias cuestiones que es preciso examinar, entre ellas qué estructuras organizacionales conducen a un mejor desempeño profesional. Según la experiencia acumulada por industrias multinacionales con una fuerza de trabajo muy experta, las estructuras basadas en un control jerárquico tienen que suplementarse con una serie de redes de profesionales. Es preciso entender a cabalidad estas últimas, que son estructuras complejas y muy distintas de las jerarquías ordinarias. Aunque por lo general estas redes se forman espontáneamente, a menudo ni tienen una estructura

  19. BRAIN NETWORKS. Correlated gene expression supports synchronous activity in brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richiardi, Jonas; Altmann, Andre; Milazzo, Anna-Clare; Chang, Catie; Chakravarty, M Mallar; Banaschewski, Tobias; Barker, Gareth J; Bokde, Arun L W; Bromberg, Uli; Büchel, Christian; Conrod, Patricia; Fauth-Bühler, Mira; Flor, Herta; Frouin, Vincent; Gallinat, Jürgen; Garavan, Hugh; Gowland, Penny; Heinz, Andreas; Lemaître, Hervé; Mann, Karl F; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Nees, Frauke; Paus, Tomáš; Pausova, Zdenka; Rietschel, Marcella; Robbins, Trevor W; Smolka, Michael N; Spanagel, Rainer; Ströhle, Andreas; Schumann, Gunter; Hawrylycz, Mike; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Greicius, Michael D

    2015-06-12

    During rest, brain activity is synchronized between different regions widely distributed throughout the brain, forming functional networks. However, the molecular mechanisms supporting functional connectivity remain undefined. We show that functional brain networks defined with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging can be recapitulated by using measures of correlated gene expression in a post mortem brain tissue data set. The set of 136 genes we identify is significantly enriched for ion channels. Polymorphisms in this set of genes significantly affect resting-state functional connectivity in a large sample of healthy adolescents. Expression levels of these genes are also significantly associated with axonal connectivity in the mouse. The results provide convergent, multimodal evidence that resting-state functional networks correlate with the orchestrated activity of dozens of genes linked to ion channel activity and synaptic function. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  20. Building Bridges between healthcare professionals, patients and families: A coproduced and integrated approach to self-management support in stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Fiona; Pöstges, Heide; Brimicombe, Lucinda

    2016-10-14

    Programmes providing self-management support for patients and families are gaining attention and have shown promising outcomes with regards to reducing long-term unmet needs post stroke. However, notions of what good self-management support looks like can differ depending on professional opinion, individual preferences, skills and experiences of patients and their families as well as on how care and rehabilitation is organised in a particular healthcare setting. This resonates with the perspective of patient-centred care, according to which the meaning of good care is not universal, but rather jointly shaped between healthcare professionals and patients in everyday interactions. While self-management support is continuously co-produced in care and rehabilitation practices, most self-management programmes are typically provided as an 'add-on' to existing statutory care. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of how self-management support can be made an integral part of everyday care and rehabilitation using Bridges methodology. The authors provide a self-reflective account on 'Bridges' an integrated approach to self-management support, which is used by healthcare professionals within acute and community stroke rehabilitation across the UK, and in some parts of New Zealand and Australia. Bridges is based on self-efficacy principles, but has a central aim of professionals sharing decision-making and expertise with patients and families in every healthcare interaction. Methodologically, the co-production of a Bridges support package with local healthcare professionals and patients is critical. The authors present the values articulated by the support package and how it engages professionals, patients and Bridges training facilitators in a continuous process of adjusting and re-adjusting situated self-management support practices. Our reflections reveal the need to consider development and implementation of self-management support as one and the same on

  1. Nationwide Network of TalentPoints: The Hungarian Approach to Talent Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Csermely, Peter; Rajnai, Gabor; Sulyok, Katalin

    2013-01-01

    In 2006 a novel approach to talent support was promoted by several talent support programmes in Hungary. The new idea was a network approach. The nationwide network of so-called TalentPoints and its framework, the Hungarian Genius Program, gained substantial European Union funding in 2009, and today it is growing rapidly. A novel concept of talent…

  2. The structural and functional brain networks that support human social networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noonan, M P; Mars, R B; Sallet, J; Dunbar, R I M; Fellows, L K

    2018-02-20

    Social skills rely on a specific set of cognitive processes, raising the possibility that individual differences in social networks are related to differences in specific brain structural and functional networks. Here, we tested this hypothesis with multimodality neuroimaging. With diffusion MRI (DMRI), we showed that differences in structural integrity of particular white matter (WM) tracts, including cingulum bundle, extreme capsule and arcuate fasciculus were associated with an individual's social network size (SNS). A voxel-based morphology analysis demonstrated correlations between gray matter (GM) volume and SNS in limbic and temporal lobe regions. These structural changes co-occured with functional network differences. As a function of SNS, dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed altered resting-state functional connectivity with the default mode network (DMN). Finally, we integrated these three complementary methods, interrogating the relationship between social GM clusters and specific WM and resting-state networks (RSNs). Probabilistic tractography seeded in these GM nodes utilized the SNS-related WM pathways. Further, the spatial and functional overlap between the social GM clusters and the DMN was significantly closer than other control RSNs. These integrative analyses provide convergent evidence of the role of specific circuits in SNS, likely supporting the adaptive behavior necessary for success in extensive social environments. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Professional Parity Between Co-Teachers in Secondary Science and Math As Influenced By Administrative Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordh, Camilla S.

    2011-12-01

    School improvement plans, budget constraints, and compliance mandates targeting academic progress for all students indicate a need for maximal professional efficacy at every level in the educational system, including parity between co-teachers in the co-teaching service delivery model. However, research shows that the special education co-teacher frequently assumes an assistive role while the general education co-teacher adopts a leading role in the classroom. When the participants in a co-teaching partnership fail to equitably share the professional responsibilities for which both teachers are qualified to perform, overall efficacy is compromised in that the special education teacher is not exercising his or her qualified expertise. Administrative support can be a primary influencing factor in increasing parity between the co-teachers. A qualitative study using a phenomenological design was conducted to explore the influences of co-teacher attitudes and administrative support on professional parity in co-taught secondary science and math classrooms. Content analysis was used to interpret data from interviews with five special education and 15 general education co-teachers at eight secondary schools in a suburban school district in a mid-Atlantic state. Five themes emerged from the data: content mastery by the special education co-teacher, joint planning time for co-teachers, continuity within co-teaching dyads, compatible personalities between co-teachers, and clear administrative expectations about co-teaching. Results indicate that administrative support to consider the content mastery of the special education co-teacher is the most influential factor to parity, followed by the co-teaching partners having joint planning time and that both can be implemented through scheduling and assignment considerations rather than training initiatives. The results provide an examination of each theme as it pertains to the issue of professional efficacy in co-teaching and

  4. Use of Social Media for Professional Development by Health Care Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Background Social media can be used in health care settings to enhance professional networking and education; patient communication, care, and education; public health programs; organizational promotion; and research. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the use of social media networks for the purpose of professional development among health care professionals in Saudi Arabia using a purpose-designed Web-based survey. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was undertaken. A link to the survey was posted on the investigator’s personal social media accounts including Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. Results A total of 231 health care professionals, who are generally social media users, participated in the study. Of these professionals, 70.6% (163/231) use social media for their professional development. The social media applications most frequently used, in the descending order, for professional development were Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The majority of respondents used social media for professional development irrespective of their age group, with the highest proportion seen in those aged 20-30 years. Social media were perceived as being most beneficial for professional development in terms of their impact on the domains of knowledge and problem solving and least helpful for enhancing clinical skills. Twitter was perceived as the most helpful type of social media for all domains listed. Respondents most frequently reported that social media were useful for professional development for the reasons of knowledge exchange and networking. Conclusions Social media are frequently used by health care professionals in Saudi Arabia for the purposes of professional development, with Twitter most frequently used for this purpose. These findings suggest that social media networks can be powerful tools for engaging health care professionals in their professional development. PMID:27731855

  5. Use of Social Media for Professional Development by Health Care Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsobayel, Hana

    2016-09-12

    Social media can be used in health care settings to enhance professional networking and education; patient communication, care, and education; public health programs; organizational promotion; and research. The aim of this study was to explore the use of social media networks for the purpose of professional development among health care professionals in Saudi Arabia using a purpose-designed Web-based survey. A cross-sectional web-based survey was undertaken. A link to the survey was posted on the investigator's personal social media accounts including Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. A total of 231 health care professionals, who are generally social media users, participated in the study. Of these professionals, 70.6% (163/231) use social media for their professional development. The social media applications most frequently used, in the descending order, for professional development were Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The majority of respondents used social media for professional development irrespective of their age group, with the highest proportion seen in those aged 20-30 years. Social media were perceived as being most beneficial for professional development in terms of their impact on the domains of knowledge and problem solving and least helpful for enhancing clinical skills. Twitter was perceived as the most helpful type of social media for all domains listed. Respondents most frequently reported that social media were useful for professional development for the reasons of knowledge exchange and networking. Social media are frequently used by health care professionals in Saudi Arabia for the purposes of professional development, with Twitter most frequently used for this purpose. These findings suggest that social media networks can be powerful tools for engaging health care professionals in their professional development.

  6. Professional Learning in Unlikely Spaces: Social Media and Virtual Communities as Professional Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathleen P. King

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available In this case study, results demonstrate that an individual’s use of social media as professional learning spans understanding, networking, professional identity development, and transformative learning. Specifically, virtual online communities facilitated through social media provide professional networks, social relationships and learning beyond the scope of the individual’s usual experience. Case study method reveals strategies, extent, and impact of learning providing insight into this phenomenon. The significance of the research includes purposefully facilitating professional learning through informal learning contexts, including social media and online communities beyond technology-centric fields. Discussion and recommendations include using social media and virtual communities as instructional strategies for graduate studies and continued learning beyond formal education.

  7. An integrative review of e-learning in the delivery of self-management support training for health professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawn, Sharon; Zhi, Xiaojuan; Morello, Andrea

    2017-10-10

    E-learning involves delivery of education through Information and Communication Technology (ITC) using a wide variety of instructional designs, including synchronous and asynchronous formats. It can be as effective as face-to-face training for many aspects of health professional training. There are, however, particular practices and skills needed in providing patient self-management support, such as partnering with patients in goal-setting, which may challenge conventional practice norms. E-learning for the delivery of self-management support (SMS) continuing education to existing health professionals is a relatively new and growing area with limited studies identifying features associated with best acquisition of skills in self-management support. An integrative literature review examined what is known about e-learning for self-management support. This review included both qualitative and quantitative studies that focused on e-learning provided to existing health professionals for their continuing professional development. Papers were limited to those published in English between 2006 and 2016. Content analysis was used to organize and focus and describe the findings. The search returned 1505 articles, with most subsequently excluded based on their title or abstract. Fifty-two full text articles were obtained and checked, with 42 excluded because they did not meet the full criteria. Ten peer-reviewed articles were included in this review. Seven main themes emerged from the content analysis: participants and professions; time; package content; guiding theoretical framework; outcome measures; learning features or formats; and learning barriers. These themes revealed substantial heterogeneity in instructional design and other elements of e-learning applied to SMS, indicating that there is still much to understand about how best to deliver e-learning for SMS skills development. Few e-learning approaches meet the need for high levels of interactivity, reflection

  8. Preparing School Counselors to Support LGBT Youth: The Roles of Graduate Education and Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kull, Ryan M.; Kosciw, Joseph G.; Greytak, Emily A.

    2017-01-01

    This study examined whether school counselors' LGBT-related graduate education and professional development predicted more frequent efforts to support LGBT students, and whether their LGBT-related self-efficacy mediated the relationship between their training experiences and supportive efforts. Results from ordinary least squares (OLS) regression…

  9. Improving Support Services for Family Child Care through Relationship-Based Training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bromer, Juliet; Bibbs, Tonya

    2011-01-01

    Family child care (FCC) providers often experience isolation from other early childhood and child care professionals. Yet, research suggests that providers who network with other providers, engage with community resources, and belong to support groups tend to offer higher quality child care. For example, the Family Child Care Network Impact Study…

  10. Social networks, social support and psychiatric symptoms: social determinants and associations within a multicultural community population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smyth, Natasha; Siriwardhana, Chesmal; Hotopf, Matthew; Hatch, Stephani L

    2015-07-01

    Little is known about how social networks and social support are distributed within diverse communities and how different types of each are associated with a range of psychiatric symptoms. This study aims to address such shortcomings by: (1) describing the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of social networks and social support in a multicultural population and (2) examining how each is associated with multiple mental health outcomes. Data is drawn from the South East London Community Health Study; a cross-sectional study of 1,698 adults conducted between 2008 and 2010. The findings demonstrate variation in social networks and social support by socio-demographic factors. Ethnic minority groups reported larger family networks but less perceived instrumental support. Older individuals and migrant groups reported lower levels of particular network and support types. Individuals from lower socioeconomic groups tended to report less social networks and support across the indicators measured. Perceived emotional and instrumental support, family and friend network size emerged as protective factors for common mental disorder, personality dysfunction and psychotic experiences. In contrast, both social networks and social support appear less relevant for hazardous alcohol use. The findings both confirm established knowledge that social networks and social support exert differential effects on mental health and furthermore suggest that the particular type of social support may be important. In contrast, different types of social network appear to impact upon poor mental health in a more uniform way. Future psychosocial strategies promoting mental health should consider which social groups are vulnerable to reduced social networks and poor social support and which diagnostic groups may benefit most.

  11. The Role of Informal Support Networks in Teaching the Nature of Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herman, Benjamin C.; Olson, Joanne K.; Clough, Michael P.

    2017-06-01

    This study reports the participation of 13 secondary science teachers in informal support networks and how that participation was associated with their nature of science (NOS) teaching practices 2 to 5 years after having graduated from the same science teacher education program. The nine teachers who participated in informal support networks taught the NOS at high/medium levels, while the four non-participating teachers taught the NOS at low levels. The nine high/medium NOS implementation teachers credited the informal support networks for maintaining/heightening their sense of responsibility for teaching NOS and for helping them navigate institutional constraints that impede effective NOS instruction. Several high/medium NOS instruction implementers initially struggled to autonomously frame and resolve the complexities experienced in schools and thus drew from the support networks to engage in more sophisticated forms of teacher decision-making. In contrast, the NOS pedagogical decisions of the four teachers not participating in support networks were governed primarily by the expectations and constraints experienced in their schools. Implications of this study include the need for reconsidering the structure of teacher mentorship programs to ensure they do not promote archaic science teaching practices that are at odds with reform efforts in science education.

  12. Flexible brain network reconfiguration supporting inhibitory control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Miller, Gregory A; Heller, Wendy; Banich, Marie T

    2015-08-11

    The ability to inhibit distracting stimuli from interfering with goal-directed behavior is crucial for success in most spheres of life. Despite an abundance of studies examining regional brain activation, knowledge of the brain networks involved in inhibitory control remains quite limited. To address this critical gap, we applied graph theory tools to functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected while a large sample of adults (n = 101) performed a color-word Stroop task. Higher demand for inhibitory control was associated with restructuring of the global network into a configuration that was more optimized for specialized processing (functional segregation), more efficient at communicating the output of such processing across the network (functional integration), and more resilient to potential interruption (resilience). In addition, there were regional changes with right inferior frontal sulcus and right anterior insula occupying more central positions as network hubs, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex becoming more tightly coupled with its regional subnetwork. Given the crucial role of inhibitory control in goal-directed behavior, present findings identifying functional network organization supporting inhibitory control have the potential to provide additional insights into how inhibitory control may break down in a wide variety of individuals with neurological or psychiatric difficulties.

  13. Social network, social support, and risk of incident stroke: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagayoshi, Mako; Everson-Rose, Susan A; Iso, Hiroyasu; Mosley, Thomas H; Rose, Kathryn M; Lutsey, Pamela L

    2014-10-01

    Having a small social network and lack of social support have been associated with incident coronary heart disease; however, epidemiological evidence for incident stroke is limited. We assessed the longitudinal association of a small social network and lack of social support with risk of incident stroke and evaluated whether the association was partly mediated by vital exhaustion and inflammation. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study measured social network and social support in 13 686 men and women (mean, 57 years; 56% women; 24% black; 76% white) without a history of stroke. Social network was assessed by the 10-item Lubben Social Network Scale and social support by a 16-item Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-Short Form. During a median follow-up of 18.6 years, 905 incident strokes occurred. Relative to participants with a large social network, those with a small social network had a higher risk of stroke (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.44 [1.02-2.04]) after adjustment for demographics, socioeconomic variables, marital status, behavioral risk factors, and major stroke risk factors. Vital exhaustion, but not inflammation, partly mediated the association between a small social network and incident stroke. Social support was unrelated to incident stroke. In this sample of US community-dwelling men and women, having a small social network was associated with excess risk of incident stroke. As with other cardiovascular conditions, having a small social network may be associated with a modestly increased risk of incident stroke. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

  14. A Study on the Efficacy of the Structuring of Support on Professional Training for Young People with Intellectual Disabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elías VIVED CONTE

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the context of an innovative teaching project approved by the Government of Aragon and the University of Zaragoza a study on professional training for young people with intellectual disabilities (ID was developed. The objective was to investigate the support system and to check the effectiveness of a design based on sources of natural and professional support. 9 young people with DI took part together with diverse support staff –parents, volunteers, university students through a service learning experience, professionals, adults with ID–. The theoretical bases of the project were linked to independent life projects, the supported employment and the supports model. The methodological references were the mediational teaching approach and cooperative learning. As evaluation tools, the Adaptive Skills Inventory (CALS, the questionnaire of social interaction skills (CHIS and the questionnaires of satisfaction were used. The results indicate a high achievement regarding the acquisition of skills by the participants,as well as a high degree of satisfaction from the experience. Despite several limitations present in our study, our results support the desirability of establishing new designs that enhance the effectiveness of the professional training of young people with DI and promote social and labor availability in inclusive environments.

  15. Social support networks and eating disorders: an integrative review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonidas C

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Carolina Leonidas, Manoel Antônio dos Santos Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil Aims: This study aimed to analyze the scientific literature about social networks and social support in eating disorders (ED. Methods: By combining keywords, an integrative review was performed. It included publications from 2006–2013, retrieved from the MEDLINE, LILACS, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases. The selection of articles was based on preestablished inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 24 articles were selected for data extraction. There was a predominance of studies that used nonexperimental and descriptive designs, and which were published in international journals. This review provided evidence of the fact that fully consolidated literature regarding social support and social networks in patients with ED is not available, given the small number of studies dedicated to the subject. We identified evidence that the family social network of patients with ED has been widely explored by the literature, although there is a lack of studies about other networks and sources of social support outside the family. Conclusion: The evidence presented in this study shows the need to include other social networks in health care. This expansion beyond family networks would include significant others – such as friends, colleagues, neighbors, people from religious groups, among others – who could help the individual coping with the disorder. The study also highlights the need for future research on this topic, as well as a need for greater investment in publications on the various dimensions of social support and social networks. Keywords: eating disorders, social networks, social support, family relations, peer relations

  16. Support for teachers in improving science instruction and building a professional culture: An investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Meg

    Teachers, already working in a demanding and complex occupation, face new challenges posed by current recommendations for changes in science teaching. Reform challenges that teachers face today and principles for professional development suggested by Judith Warren Little are used as a conceptual framework for this study. The study examines one professional development opportunity, the South Coast Science Project (SCSP) which is one site of the statewide California Science Project. In 1995 twenty-eight teachers of grades K--12 participated in the SCSPs four week summer institute and six follow-up days during the next two school years. Responses to open-ended questions on questionnaires answered by each teacher and my observation as a participant were used to study teachers' experiences in the institute. In classroom observations and interviews I gathered data about teaching practice and leadership activities of the teachers after the institute. Findings show that after the institute participating teachers made changes in teaching practice and leadership activities congruent with the aims of the SCSP. Important factors in the institute's success in supporting teachers to make changes include: the institute's mission, design, principles, and aims are in agreement with Little's (1993) suggested principles for professional development; investigations in an inquiry method are used to emphasize teaching science, rather than separating science and teaching; teacher leadership was enhanced by modeling and opportunities for the participants to practice leadership; a non-elitist model gave all teachers access to this learning opportunity. The method used for this study shows a way to better understand how professional development can have an impact on classroom practice. By collecting data in both the contexts---the learning opportunity and the subsequent classroom applications---the impact of the professional development can be traced. Findings for this study show that well

  17. A Proven Model of Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuller, Dan; Porowski, Allan

    2011-01-01

    Communities In Schools (CIS) is a nationwide network of professionals who work in public schools to surround students with a community of support that empowers them to stay in school and achieve in life. CIS serves 1.3 million students by working within the public school system to determine students' needs and establish relationships with local…

  18. Peers versus professional training of basic life support in Syria: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, Fatima; Sawaf, Bisher; Hanafi, Ibrahem; Hajeer, Mohammad Younis; Zakaria, Mhd Ismael; Abbas, Wafaa; Alabdeh, Fadi; Ibrahim, Nazir

    2018-06-18

    Peer training has been identified as a useful tool for delivering undergraduate training in basic life support (BLS) which is fundamental as an initial response in cases of emergency. This study aimed to (1) Evaluate the efficacy of peer-led model in basic life support training among medical students in their first three years of study, compared to professional-led training and (2) To assess the efficacy of the course program and students' satisfaction of peer-led training. A randomized controlled trial with blinded assessors was conducted on 72 medical students from the pre-clinical years (1st to 3rd years in Syria) at Syrian Private University. Students were randomly assigned to peer-led or to professional-led training group for one-day-course of basic life support skills. Sixty-four students who underwent checklist based assessment using objective structured clinical examination design (OSCE) (practical assessment of BLS skills) and answered BLS knowledge checkpoint-questionnaire were included in the analysis. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in delivering BLS skills to medical students in practical (P = 0.850) and BLS knowledge questionnaire outcomes (P = 0.900). Both groups showed statistically significant improvement from pre- to post-course assessment with significant statistical difference in both practical skills and theoretical knowledge (P-Value life support for medical students was beneficial and it provided a quality of education which was as effective as training conducted by professionals. This method is applicable and desirable especially in poor-resource countries and in crisis situation.

  19. Social networks of HIV-positive women and their association with social support and depression symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cederbaum, Julie A; Rice, Eric; Craddock, Jaih; Pimentel, Veronica; Beaver, Patty

    2017-02-01

    Social support is important to the mental health and well-being of HIV-positive women. Limited information exists about the specific structure and composition of HIV-positive women's support networks or associations of these network properties with mental health outcomes. In this pilot study, the authors examine whether support network characteristics were associated with depressive symptoms. Survey and network data were collected from HIV-positive women (N = 46) via a web-based survey and an iPad application in August 2012. Data were analyzed using multivariate linear regression models in SAS. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with a greater number of doctors in a woman's network; having more HIV-positive network members was associated with less symptom reporting. Women who reported more individuals who could care for them had more family support. Those who reported feeling loved were less likely to report disclosure stigma. This work highlighted that detailed social network data can increase our understanding of social support so as to identify interventions to support the mental health of HIV-positive women. Most significant is the ongoing need for support from peers.

  20. Social support networks and eating disorders: an integrative review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonidas, Carolina; Dos Santos, Manoel Antônio

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to analyze the scientific literature about social networks and social support in eating disorders (ED). By combining keywords, an integrative review was performed. It included publications from 2006-2013, retrieved from the MEDLINE, LILACS, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases. The selection of articles was based on preestablished inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 24 articles were selected for data extraction. There was a predominance of studies that used nonexperimental and descriptive designs, and which were published in international journals. This review provided evidence of the fact that fully consolidated literature regarding social support and social networks in patients with ED is not available, given the small number of studies dedicated to the subject. We identified evidence that the family social network of patients with ED has been widely explored by the literature, although there is a lack of studies about other networks and sources of social support outside the family. The evidence presented in this study shows the need to include other social networks in health care. This expansion beyond family networks would include significant others - such as friends, colleagues, neighbors, people from religious groups, among others - who could help the individual coping with the disorder. The study also highlights the need for future research on this topic, as well as a need for greater investment in publications on the various dimensions of social support and social networks.

  1. Network characteristics, perceived social support, and psychological adjustment in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Paul R

    2012-12-01

    This study examined the characteristics of the support networks of 106 mothers of children with ASD and their relationship to perceived social support, depressed mood, and subjective well-being. Using structural equation modeling, two competing sets of hypotheses were assessed: (1) that network characteristics would impact psychological adjustment directly, and (2) that network effects on adjustment would be indirect, mediated by perceived social support. Results primarily lent support to the latter hypotheses, with measures of network structure (network size) and function (proportion of network members providing emotional support) predicting increased levels of perceived social support which, in turn, predicted decreased depressed mood and increased well-being. Results also indicated that increased interpersonal strain in the maternal network was directly and indirectly associated with increased maternal depression, while being indirectly linked to reduced well-being. Study limitations and implications are discussed.

  2. Innovative methods and tools for professionals working in supported living services for intellectually disabled persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruiz, Katalin

    2015-01-01

    Autonomy of mid-seriously and seriously intellectually disabled persons is encouraged both by legislations on human rights and the modern social care and services. The process leading to the maximum possible autonomy is illustrated by a developmental spiral in our model. Specialty of the development is that the personal educational projects are realized during everyday activities. The process requires conscious professionals with an empowering and motivating attitude, with adult relationship to the intellectually disabled persons and versatile skills and tools. In this educational relationship the social professional and the supported person are equal partners moving together along the spiral of human development. An innovative tool-battery has been developed aiding support-staff in the 'pedagogical' task embedded into everyday social services. The tool-battery and its first application in supported living services of the Hungarian Down Foundation are introduced in this paper.

  3. Reframing cooperation: Challenges in overcoming tensions between professional services and volunteer organizations providing parenting support in immigrant communities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ponzoni, E.

    2015-01-01

    Volunteer organizations can potentially partner with mainstream professional services to provide better parenting support to immigrant parents. This qualitative study of cooperation between professional agencies and volunteer organizations known as migrant volunteer and community organizations

  4. Rede de apoio social e saúde de idosos pneumopatas crônicos Social support network and health of elderly individuals with chronic pneumopathies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Barreto de Mesquita

    2012-05-01

    current theoretical references. Each informant brought an average of 10.37 individuals into the network. Among the 3 types of social support, there was a predominance of informational support given by health professionals. The importance of reciprocity in providing/receiving social support was also noted, as well as the participation of health professionals and the family functioning as social support. The conclusion reached was that the network of the elderly with pneumopathies is not cohesive, being restricted to the personal network of each individual, and that even so, the informants recognize and are satisfied with the social support it provides.

  5. Project ECHO: A Telementoring Network Model for Continuing Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, Sanjeev; Kalishman, Summers G; Thornton, Karla A; Komaromy, Miriam S; Katzman, Joanna G; Struminger, Bruce B; Rayburn, William F

    2017-01-01

    A major challenge with current systems of CME is the inability to translate the explosive growth in health care knowledge into daily practice. Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a telementoring network designed for continuing professional development (CPD) and improving patient outcomes. The purpose of this article was to describe how the model has complied with recommendations from several authoritative reports about redesigning and enhancing CPD. This model links primary care clinicians through a knowledge network with an interprofessional team of specialists from an academic medical center who provide telementoring and ongoing education enabling community clinicians to treat patients with a variety of complex conditions. Knowledge and skills are shared during weekly condition-specific videoconferences. The model exemplifies learning as described in the seven levels of CPD by Moore (participation, satisfaction, learning, competence, performance, patient, and community health). The model is also aligned with recommendations from four national reports intended to redesign knowledge transfer in improving health care. Efforts in learning sessions focus on information that is relevant to practice, focus on evidence, education methodology, tailoring of recommendations to individual needs and community resources, and interprofessionalism. Project ECHO serves as a telementoring network model of CPD that aligns with current best practice recommendations for CME. This transformative initiative has the potential to serve as a leading model for larger scale CPD, nationally and globally, to enhance access to care, improve quality, and reduce cost.

  6. Communication and support from health-care professionals to families, with dependent children, following the diagnosis of parental life-limiting illness: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fearnley, Rachel; Boland, Jason W

    2017-03-01

    Communication between parents and their children about parental life-limiting illness is stressful. Parents want support from health-care professionals; however, the extent of this support is not known. Awareness of family's needs would help ensure appropriate support. To find the current literature exploring (1) how parents with a life-limiting illness, who have dependent children, perceive health-care professionals' communication with them about the illness, diagnosis and treatments, including how social, practical and emotional support is offered to them and (2) how this contributes to the parents' feelings of supporting their children. A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ASSIA ProQuest were searched in November 2015 for studies assessing communication between health-care professionals and parents about how to talk with their children about the parent's illness. There were 1342 records identified, five qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria (55 ill parents, 11 spouses/carers, 26 children and 16 health-care professionals). Parents wanted information from health-care professionals about how to talk to their children about the illness; this was not routinely offered. Children also want to talk with a health-care professional about their parents' illness. Health-care professionals are concerned that conversations with parents and their children will be too difficult and time-consuming. Parents with a life-limiting illness want support from their health-care professionals about how to communicate with their children about the illness. Their children look to health-care professionals for information about their parent's illness. Health-care professionals, have an important role but appear reluctant to address these concerns because of fears of insufficient time and expertise.

  7. Healthcare professional behaviour change using technological supports: A realist literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris Keyworth

    2015-10-01

    Thirteen of the 19 (68% studies using computerised decision support showed positive effects; 8 of the 12 (67% studies using reminders alone showed positive effects. One of 3 (33% studies using diagnostic/risk assessment tools showed positive effects. Only two (4% of the fifty studies identified were informed by recognised behaviour change theories in the design of the intervention, both of which showed positive effects in changing professional behaviour. O

  8. Effects of Social Support Network Size on Mortality Risk: Considerations by Diabetes Status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loprinzi, Paul D; Ford, M Allison

    2018-05-01

    Previous work demonstrates that social support is inversely associated with mortality risk. Less research, however, has examined the effects of the size of the social support network on mortality risk among those with and without diabetes, which was the purpose of this study. Data from the 1999-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used, with participants followed through 2011. This study included 1,412 older adults (≥60 years of age) with diabetes and 5,872 older adults without diabetes. The size of the social support network was assessed via self-report and reported as the number of participants' close friends. Among those without diabetes, various levels of social support network size were inversely associated with mortality risk. However, among those with diabetes, only those with a high social support network size (i.e., at least six close friends) had a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. That is, compared to those with zero close friends, those with diabetes who had six or more close friends had a 49% reduced risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.51, 95% CI 0.27-0.94). To mitigate mortality risk, a greater social support network size may be needed for those with diabetes.

  9. Communication competence, social support, and depression among college students: a model of facebook and face-to-face support network influence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Kevin B; Rosenberg, Jenny; Egbert, Nicole; Ploeger, Nicole A; Bernard, Daniel R; King, Shawn

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the influence of the social networking site Facebook and face-to-face support networks on depression among (N = 361) college students. The authors used the Relational Health Communication Competence Model as a framework for examining the influence of communication competence on social support network satisfaction and depression. Moreover, they examined the influence of interpersonal and social integrative motives as exogenous variables. On the basis of previous work, the authors propose and test a theoretical model using structural equation modeling. The results indicated empirical support for the model, with interpersonal motives predicting increased face-to-face and computer-mediated competence, increased social support satisfaction with face-to-face and Facebook support, and lower depression scores. The implications of the findings for theory, key limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

  10. Social networks, social support mechanisms, and quality of life after breast cancer diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroenke, Candyce H; Kwan, Marilyn L; Neugut, Alfred I; Ergas, Isaac J; Wright, Jaime D; Caan, Bette J; Hershman, Dawn; Kushi, Lawrence H

    2013-06-01

    We examined mechanisms through which social relationships influence quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors. This study included 3,139 women from the Pathways Study who were diagnosed with breast cancer from 2006 to 2011 and provided data on social networks (the presence of a spouse or intimate partner, religious/social ties, volunteering, and numbers of close friends and relatives), social support (tangible support, emotional/informational support, affection, positive social interaction), and QOL, measured by the FACT-B, approximately 2 months post diagnosis. We used logistic models to evaluate associations between social network size, social support, and lower versus higher than median QOL scores. We further stratified by stage at diagnosis and treatment. In multivariate-adjusted analyses, women who were characterized as socially isolated had significantly lower FACT-B (OR = 2.18, 95 % CI: 1.72-2.77), physical well-being (WB) (OR = 1.61, 95 % CI: 1.27-2.03), functional WB (OR = 2.08, 95 % CI: 1.65-2.63), social WB (OR = 3.46, 95 % CI: 2.73-4.39), and emotional WB (OR = 1.67, 95 % CI: 1.33-2.11) scores and higher breast cancer symptoms (OR = 1.48, 95 % CI: 1.18-1.87) compared with socially integrated women. Each social network member independently predicted higher QOL. Simultaneous adjustment for social networks and social support partially attenuated associations between social networks and QOL. The strongest mediator and type of social support that was most predictive of QOL outcomes was "positive social interaction." However, each type of support was important depending on outcome, stage, and treatment status. Larger social networks and greater social support were related to higher QOL after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Effective social support interventions need to evolve beyond social-emotional interventions and need to account for disease severity and treatment status.

  11. Social support network characteristics of incarcerated women with co-occurring major depressive and substance use disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nargiso, Jessica E; Kuo, Caroline C; Zlotnick, Caron; Johnson, Jennifer E

    2014-01-01

    The nature of social support available to incarcerated women is not well-understood, particularly among women at high risk of negative outcomes, including women dually diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and a Substance Use Disorder (MDD-SUD). Descriptive statistics and paired-tests were conducted on 60 incarcerated MDD-SUD women receiving in-prison substance use and depression treatments to characterize the women's social networks, including the strength of support, network characteristics, and types of support provided as well as to determine what aspects of social support may be amenable to change during incarceration and post-release. Study results showed that, on average, women perceived they had moderately supportive individuals in their lives, although more than a quarter of the sample could not identify any regular supporters in their network at baseline. During incarceration, women's social networks significantly increased in general supportiveness, and decreased in network size and percentage of substance users in their networks. Participants maintained positive social support gains post-release in most areas while also significantly increasing the size of their support network post-release. Findings suggest that there are aspects of incarcerated MDD-SUD women's social networks that are amenable to change during incarceration and post-release and provide insight into treatment targets for this vulnerable population.

  12. Social Networks, Psychosocial Adaptation, and Preventive/Developmental Interventions: The Support Development Workshop.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todd, David M.

    The Support Development Group is an approach which explores and develops a theory for the relationship between network characteristics and notions of psychosocial adaptation. The approach is based on the assumption that teaching people to view their social world in network terms can be helpful to them. The Support Development Workshop is presented…

  13. Software/hardware distributed processing network supporting the Ada environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Richard J.; Pryk, Zen

    1993-09-01

    A high-performance, fault-tolerant, distributed network has been developed, tested, and demonstrated. The network is based on the MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. R3000 Risc for processing, VHSIC ASICs for high speed, reliable, inter-node communications and compatible commercial memory and I/O boards. The network is an evolution of the Advanced Onboard Signal Processor (AOSP) architecture. It supports Ada application software with an Ada- implemented operating system. A six-node implementation (capable of expansion up to 256 nodes) of the RISC multiprocessor architecture provides 120 MIPS of scalar throughput, 96 Mbytes of RAM and 24 Mbytes of non-volatile memory. The network provides for all ground processing applications, has merit for space-qualified RISC-based network, and interfaces to advanced Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools for application software development.

  14. Community detection in complex networks using proximate support vector clustering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Feifan; Zhang, Baihai; Chai, Senchun; Xia, Yuanqing

    2018-03-01

    Community structure, one of the most attention attracting properties in complex networks, has been a cornerstone in advances of various scientific branches. A number of tools have been involved in recent studies concentrating on the community detection algorithms. In this paper, we propose a support vector clustering method based on a proximity graph, owing to which the introduced algorithm surpasses the traditional support vector approach both in accuracy and complexity. Results of extensive experiments undertaken on computer generated networks and real world data sets illustrate competent performances in comparison with the other counterparts.

  15. Fracture network modeling and GoldSim simulation support

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugita, Kenichiro; Dershowitz, William

    2003-01-01

    During Heisei-14, Golder Associates provided support for JNC Tokai through data analysis and simulation of the MIU Underground Rock Laboratory, participation in Task 6 of the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport, and analysis of repository safety assessment technologies including cell networks for evaluation of the disturbed rock zone (DRZ) and total systems performance assessment (TSPA). MIU Underground Rock Laboratory support during H-14 involved discrete fracture network (DFN) modelling in support of the Multiple Modelling Project (MMP) and the Long Term Pumping Test (LPT). Golder developed updated DFN models for the MIU site, reflecting updated analyses of fracture data. Golder also developed scripts to support JNC simulations of flow and transport pathways within the MMP. Golder supported JNC participation in Task 6 of the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport during H-14. Task 6A and 6B compared safety assessment (PA) and experimental time scale simulations along a pipe transport pathway. Task 6B2 extended Task 6B simulations from 1-D to 2-D. For Task 6B2, Golder carried out single fracture transport simulations on a wide variety of generic heterogeneous 2D fractures using both experimental and safety assessment boundary conditions. The heterogeneous 2D fractures were implemented according to a variety of in plane heterogeneity patterns. Multiple immobile zones were considered including stagnant zones, infillings, altered wall rock, and intact rock. During H-14, JNC carried out extensive studies of the distributed rock zone (DRZ) surrounding repository tunnels and drifts. Golder supported this activity be evaluating the calculation time necessary for simulating a reference heterogeneous DRZ cell network for a range of computational strategies. To support the development of JNC's total system performance assessment (TSPA) strategy, Golder carried out a review of the US DOE Yucca Mountain Project TSPA. This

  16. Facilitating adherence to physical activity: exercise professionals' experiences of the National Exercise Referral Scheme in Wales. a qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moore Graham F

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although implementers' experiences of exercise referral schemes (ERS may provide valuable insights into how their reach and effectiveness might be improved, most qualitative research has included only views of patients. This paper explores exercise professionals' experiences of engaging diverse clinical populations in an ERS, and emergence of local practices to support uptake and adherence in the National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS in Wales. Methods Thirty-eight exercise professionals involved in the delivery of NERS in 12 local health board (LHB areas in Wales took part in a semi-structured telephone interview. Thematic analysis was conducted. Results Professionals' accounts offered insights into how perceived needs and responses to NERS varied by patient characteristics. Adherence was described as more likely where the patient sought referral from a health professional rather than being advised to attend. Hence, professionals sometimes described a need for the referral process to identify patients for whom change was already internally motivated. In addition, mental health patients were seen as facing additional barriers, such as increased anxieties about the exercise environment. Professionals described their role as involving helping patients to overcome anxieties about the exercise environment, whilst providing education and interpersonal support to assist patients' confidence and motivation. However, some concerns were raised regarding the levels of support that the professional should offer whilst avoiding dependence. Patient-only group activities were described as supporting adherence by creating an empathic environment, social support and modelling. Furthermore, effectively fostering social support networks was identified as a key mechanism for reducing dependence and maintaining changes in the longer term. Conclusions Whether ERS should identify motivated patients, or incorporate activities to support

  17. Ad hoc Sensor Networks to Support Maritime Interdiction Operations

    OpenAIRE

    Osmundson, John; Bordetsky, Alex

    2014-01-01

    Networking sensors, decision centers, and boarding parties supports success in Maritime Interdiction Operations. Led by a team from Naval Post-graduate School (NPS), experiments were conducted in 2012 to test the use of ad-hoc, self-forming communication networks to link sensors, people, and decision centers. The experiments involved international participants and successfully shared valuable biometric and radiological sensor data between boarding parties and decis...

  18. To friend or not to friend? Social networking and faculty perceptions of online professionalism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chretien, Katherine C; Farnan, Jeanne M; Greysen, S Ryan; Kind, Terry

    2011-12-01

    To assess faculty perceptions of professional boundaries and trainee-posted content on social networking sites (SNS). In June 2010, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine conducted its annual survey of U.S. and Canadian member institutions. The survey included sections on demographics and social networking. The authors used descriptive statistics and tests of association to analyze the Likert scale responses and qualitatively analyzed the free-text responses. Of 110 institutional members, 82 (75%) responded to the survey. Of the 40 respondents who reported current or past SNS use, 21 (53%) reported receiving a "friend request" from a current student and 25 (63%) from a current resident. Of these, 4 (19%) accepted the student request and 12 (48%) accepted the resident request. Sixty-three of 80 (79%) felt it was inappropriate to send a friend request to a current student, 61 (76%) to accept a current student's request, 42 (53%) to become friends with a current resident, and 61 (81%) to become friends with a current patient. Becoming friends with a former student, former resident, or colleague was perceived as more appropriate. Younger respondents were less likely to deem specific student behaviors inappropriate (odds ratio [OR] 0.18-0.79; adjusted OR 0.12-0.86, controlling for respondents' sex, rank, and SNS use), although none reached statistical significance. Some internal medicine educators are using SNSs and interacting with trainees online. Their perceptions on the appropriateness of social networking behaviors provide some consensus for professional boundaries between faculty and trainees in the digital world.

  19. In-House Communication Support System Based on the Information Propagation Model Utilizes Social Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeuchi, Susumu; Teranishi, Yuuichi; Harumoto, Kaname; Shimojo, Shinji

    Almost all companies are now utilizing computer networks to support speedier and more effective in-house information-sharing and communication. However, existing systems are designed to support communications only within the same department. Therefore, in our research, we propose an in-house communication support system which is based on the “Information Propagation Model (IPM).” The IPM is proposed to realize word-of-mouth communication in a social network, and to support information-sharing on the network. By applying the system in a real company, we found that information could be exchanged between different and unrelated departments, and such exchanges of information could help to build new relationships between the users who are apart on the social network.

  20. A support network typology for application in older populations with a preponderance of multigenerational households.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burholt, Vanessa; Dobbs, Christine

    2014-08-01

    This paper considers the support networks of older people in populations with a preponderance of multigenerational households and examines the most vulnerable network types in terms of loneliness and isolation. Current common typologies of support networks may not be sensitive to differences within and between different cultures. This paper uses cross-sectional data drawn from 590 elders (Gujaratis, Punjabis and Sylhetis) living in the United Kingdom and South Asia. Six variables were used in K-means cluster analysis to establish a new network typology. Two logistic regression models using loneliness and isolation as dependent variables assessed the contribution of the new network type to wellbeing. Four support networks were identified: 'Multigenerational Households: Older Integrated Networks', 'Multigenerational Households: Younger Family Networks', 'Family and Friends Integrated Networks' and 'Non-kin Restricted Networks'. Older South Asians with 'Non-kin Restricted Networks' were more likely to be lonely and isolated compared to others. Using network typologies developed with individualistically oriented cultures, distributions are skewed towards more robust network types and could underestimate the support needs of older people from familistic cultures, who may be isolated and lonely and with limited informal sources of help. The new typology identifies different network types within multigenerational households, identifies a greater proportion of older people with vulnerable networks and could positively contribute to service planning.

  1. LINKEDIN TRILOGY: Part 1. Top 10 Reasons You Should NOT Join LinkedIn Professional Network!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berk, Ronald A.

    2013-01-01

    Disclaimer: I have been an active "free" user of LinkedIn for 5.463 years with more than 3000 (1st degree) connections from all over the world. I have no vested interest in LinkedIn other than as a user of the services it provides. Despite the fact that LinkedIn was originally designed as a network for business professionals, not…

  2. Personal support networks, social capital, and risk of relapse among individuals treated for substance use issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panebianco, Daria; Gallupe, Owen; Carrington, Peter J; Colozzi, Ivo

    2016-01-01

    The success of treatment for substance use issues varies with personal and social factors, including the composition and structure of the individual's personal support network. This paper describes the personal support networks and social capital of a sample of Italian adults after long-term residential therapeutic treatment for substance use issues, and analyses network correlates of post-treatment substance use (relapse). Using a social network analysis approach, data were obtained from structured interviews (90-120 min long) with 80 former clients of a large non-governmental therapeutic treatment agency in Italy providing voluntary residential treatments and rehabilitation services for substance use issues. Participants had concluded the program at least six months prior. Data were collected on socio-demographic variables, addiction history, current drug use status (drug-free or relapsed), and the composition and structure of personal support networks. Factors related to risk of relapse were assessed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. A main goal of this study was to identify differences between the support network profiles of drug free and relapsed participants. Drug free participants had larger, less dense, more heterogeneous and reciprocal support networks, and more brokerage social capital than relapsed participants. Additionally, a lower risk of relapse was associated with higher socio-economic status, being married/cohabiting, and having network members with higher socio-economic status, who have greater occupational heterogeneity, and reciprocate support. Post-treatment relapse was found to be negatively associated with the socioeconomic status and occupational heterogeneity of ego's support network, reciprocity in the ties between ego and network members, and a support network in which the members are relatively loosely connected with one another (i.e., ego possesses "brokerage social capital"). These findings suggest the

  3. A networked pathway to the PhD: The African-Norwegian case of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    How do PhD students become socialised into the professional world of academic work? This article pays attention to a 'networked' support pathway towards a PhD. The network constitutes an international research collaboration through a programme called Productive Learning Cultures (PLC) (2002-2011) between Norway ...

  4. Time Course of Brain Network Reconfiguration Supporting Inhibitory Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popov, Tzvetan; Westner, Britta U; Silton, Rebecca L; Sass, Sarah M; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Rockstroh, Brigitte; Heller, Wendy; Miller, Gregory A

    2018-05-02

    Hemodynamic research has recently clarified key nodes and links in brain networks implementing inhibitory control. Although fMRI methods are optimized for identifying the structure of brain networks, the relatively slow temporal course of fMRI limits the ability to characterize network operation. The latter is crucial for developing a mechanistic understanding of how brain networks shift dynamically to support inhibitory control. To address this critical gap, we applied spectrally resolved Granger causality (GC) and random forest machine learning tools to human EEG data in two large samples of adults (test sample n = 96, replication sample n = 237, total N = 333, both sexes) who performed a color-word Stroop task. Time-frequency analysis confirmed that recruitment of inhibitory control accompanied by slower behavioral responses was related to changes in theta and alpha/beta power. GC analyses revealed directionally asymmetric exchanges within frontal and between frontal and parietal brain areas: top-down influence of superior frontal gyrus (SFG) over both dorsal ACC (dACC) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), dACC control over middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and frontal-parietal exchanges (IFG, precuneus, MFG). Predictive analytics confirmed a combination of behavioral and brain-derived variables as the best set of predictors of inhibitory control demands, with SFG theta bearing higher classification importance than dACC theta and posterior beta tracking the onset of behavioral response. The present results provide mechanistic insight into the biological implementation of a psychological phenomenon: inhibitory control is implemented by dynamic routing processes during which the target response is upregulated via theta-mediated effective connectivity within key PFC nodes and via beta-mediated motor preparation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hemodynamic neuroimaging research has recently clarified regional structures in brain networks supporting inhibitory control. However, due to

  5. State Support: A Prerequisite for Global Health Network Effectiveness Comment on "Four Challenges that Global Health Networks Face".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marten, Robert; Smith, Richard D

    2017-07-24

    Shiffman recently summarized lessons for network effectiveness from an impressive collection of case-studies. However, in common with most global health governance analysis in recent years, Shiffman underplays the important role of states in these global networks. As the body which decides and signs international agreements, often provides the resourcing, and is responsible for implementing initiatives all contributing to the prioritization of certain issues over others, state recognition and support is a prerequisite to enabling and determining global health networks' success. The role of states deserves greater attention, analysis and consideration. We reflect upon the underappreciated role of the state within the current discourse on global health. We present the tobacco case study to illustrate the decisive role of states in determining progress for global health networks, and highlight how states use a legitimacy loop to gain legitimacy from and provide legitimacy to global health networks. Moving forward in assessing global health networks' effectiveness, further investigating state support as a determinant of success will be critical. Understanding how global health networks and states interact and evolve to shape and support their respective interests should be a focus for future research. © 2018 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

  6. Chemotherapy versus supportive care alone in pediatric palliative care for cancer: comparing the preferences of parents and health care professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomlinson, Deborah; Bartels, Ute; Gammon, Janet; Hinds, Pamela S; Volpe, Jocelyne; Bouffet, Eric; Regier, Dean A; Baruchel, Sylvain; Greenberg, Mark; Barrera, Maru; Llewellyn-Thomas, Hilary; Sung, Lillian

    2011-11-22

    The choice between palliative chemotherapy (defined as the use of cytotoxic medications delivered intravenously for the purpose of our study) and supportive care alone is one of the most difficult decisions in pediatric oncology, yet little is known about the preferences of parents and health care professionals. We compared the strength of these preferences by considering children's quality of life and survival time as key attributes. In addition, we identified factors associated with the reported preferences. We included parents of children whose cancer had no reasonable chance of being cured and health care professionals in pediatric oncology as participants in our study. We administered separate interviews to parents and to health care professionals. Visual analogue scales were shown to respondents to illustrate the anticipated level of the child's quality of life, the expected duration of survival and the probability of cure (shown only to health care professionals). Respondents were then asked which treatment option they would favour given these baseline attributes. In addition, respondents reported what factors might affect such a decision and ranked all factors identified in order of importance. The primary measure was the desirability score for supportive care alone relative to palliative chemotherapy, as obtained using the threshold technique. A total of 77 parents and 128 health care professionals participated in our study. Important factors influencing the decision between therapeutic options were child quality-of-life and survival time among both parents and health care professionals. Hope was particularly important to parents. Parents significantly favoured chemotherapy (42/77, 54.5%) compared with health care professionals (20/128, 15.6%; p parents' desire for supportive care; for health care professionals, the opinions of parents and children were significant factors influencing this decision. Compared with health care professionals, parents more

  7. eHealth Service Support in Future IPv6 Vehicular Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Véronique Vèque

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Recent vehicular networking activities include novel automotive applications, such as public vehicle to vehicle/infrastructure (V2X, large scale deployments, machine-to-machine (M2M integration scenarios, and more. The platform described in this paper focuses on the integration of eHealth in a V2I setting. This is to allow the use of Internet from a vehicular setting to disseminate health-related information. From an eHealth viewpoint, the use of remote healthcare solutions to record and transmit a patient’s vital signs is a special telemedicine application that helps hospital resident health professionals to optimally prepare the patient’s admittance. From the automotive perspective, this is a typical vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I communication scenario. This proposal provides an IPv6 vehicular platform, which integrates eHealth devices and allows sending captured health-related data to a personal health record (PHR application server in the IPv6 Internet. The collected data is viewed remotely by a doctor and supports his diagnostic decision. In particular, our work introduces the integration of vehicular and eHealth testbeds, describes related work and presents a lightweight auto-configuration method based on a DHCPv6 extension to provide IPv6 connectivity with a few numbers of messages.

  8. Amateur astronomers in support of observing campaigns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanamandra-Fisher, P.

    2014-07-01

    The Pro-Am Collaborative Astronomy (PACA) project evolved from the observational campaign of C/2012 S1 or C/ISON. The success of the paradigm shift in scientific research is now implemented in other comet observing campaigns. While PACA identifies a consistent collaborative approach to pro-am collaborations, given the volume of data generated for each campaign, new ways of rapid data analysis, mining access, and storage are needed. Several interesting results emerged from the synergistic inclusion of both social media and amateur astronomers: - the establishment of a network of astronomers and related professionals that can be galvanized into action on short notice to support observing campaigns; - assist in various science investigations pertinent to the campaign; - provide an alert-sounding mechanism should the need arise; - immediate outreach and dissemination of results via our media/blogger members; - provide a forum for discussions between the imagers and modelers to help strategize the observing campaign for maximum benefit. In 2014, two new comet observing campaigns involving pro-am collaborations have been identified: (1) C/2013 A1 (C/Siding Spring) and (2) 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (CG). The evolving need for individual customized observing campaigns has been incorporated into the evolution of PACA (Pro-Am Collaborative Astronomy) portal that currently is focused on comets: from supporting observing campaigns for current comets, legacy data, historical comets; interconnected with social media and a set of shareable documents addressing observational strategies; consistent standards for data; data access, use, and storage, to align with the needs of professional observers. The integration of science, observations by professional and amateur astronomers, and various social media provides a dynamic and evolving collaborative partnership between professional and amateur astronomers. The recent observation of comet 67P, at a magnitude of 21.2, from Siding

  9. Examining the Technology Integration Planning Cycle Model of Professional Development to Support Teachers' Instructional Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchison, Amy C.; Woodward, Lindsay

    2018-01-01

    Background: Presently, models of professional development aimed at supporting teachers' technology integration efforts are often short and decontextualized. With many schools across the country utilizing standards that require students to engage with digital tools, a situative model that supports building teachers' knowledge within their…

  10. Information technology and social sciences: how can health IT be used to support the health professional?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner-Menghin, Michaela; Pokieser, Peter

    2016-10-01

    Keeping up to date with the increasing amount of health-related knowledge and managing the increasing numbers of patients with more complex clinical problems is a challenge for healthcare professionals and healthcare systems. Health IT applications, such as electronic health records or decision-support systems, are meant to support both professionals and their support systems. However, for physicians using these applications, the applications often cause new problems, such as the impracticality of their use in clinical practice. This review adopts a social sciences perspective to understand these problems and derive suggestions for further development. Indeed, humans use tools to remediate the brain's weaknesses and enhance thinking. Available health IT tools have been shaped to fit administrative needs rather than physicians' needs. To increase the beneficial effect of health IT applications in health care, clinicians' style of thinking and their learning needs must be considered when designing and implementing such systems. New health IT tools must be shaped to fit health professionals' needs. To further ease the integration of new health IT tools into clinical practice, we must also consider the effects of implementing new tools on the wider social framework. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

  11. Fracture network modeling and GoldSim simulation support

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugita, Kenichirou; Dershowitz, W.

    2005-01-01

    During Heisei-16, Golder Associates provided support for JNC Tokai through discrete fracture network data analysis and simulation of the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU), participation in Task 6 of the AEspoe Task Force on Modeling of Groundwater Flow and Transport, and development of methodologies for analysis of repository site characterization strategies and safety assessment. MIU support during H-16 involved updating the H-15 FracMan discrete fracture network (DFN) models for the MIU shaft region, and developing improved simulation procedures. Updates to the conceptual model included incorporation of 'Step2' (2004) versions of the deterministic structures, and revision of background fractures to be consistent with conductive structure data from the DH-2 borehole. Golder developed improved simulation procedures for these models through the use of hybrid discrete fracture network (DFN), equivalent porous medium (EPM), and nested DFN/EPM approaches. For each of these models, procedures were documented for the entire modeling process including model implementation, MMP simulation, and shaft grouting simulation. Golder supported JNC participation in Task 6AB, 6D and 6E of the AEspoe Task Force on Modeling of Groundwater Flow and Transport during H-16. For Task 6AB, Golder developed a new technique to evaluate the role of grout in performance assessment time-scale transport. For Task 6D, Golder submitted a report of H-15 simulations to SKB. For Task 6E, Golder carried out safety assessment time-scale simulations at the block scale, using the Laplace Transform Galerkin method. During H-16, Golder supported JNC's Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) strategy by developing technologies for the analysis of the use site characterization data in safety assessment. This approach will aid in the understanding of the use of site characterization to progressively reduce site characterization uncertainty. (author)

  12. Spouses Needs for Professional Support

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Jannie; Danielson, Anne Kjaergaard; Rosenberg, Jacob

    2015-01-01

    Spouses' experiences with their partners' hospitalization and the spouses' relationship with nurses and physicians were examined. Health professionals, should reflect more on the importance. of an ongoing dialogue with the spouses of patients, ensuring they receive correct information to become...

  13. Spouses Needs for Professional Support

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Jannie; Danielson, Anne Kjaergaard; Rosenberg, Jacob

    2015-01-01

    Spouses' experiences with their partners' hospitalization and the spouses' relationship with nurses and physicians were examined. Health professionals, should reflect more on the importance. of an ongoing dialogue with the spouses of patients, ensuring they receive correct information to become m...

  14. Conceptualization and Support of the Role of Teachers Serving as Team Leaders in a Professional Learning Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordin, Lanelle

    2010-01-01

    This study presents the results of a phenomenological qualitative investigation into the new role of teachers serving as team leaders in a professional learning community, as well as the support team leaders need from members and principals to be effective. Collaborative teacher teams in 6 schools that have been developing as professional learning…

  15. Professional Learning Community Process in the United States: Conceptualization of the Process and District Support for Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olivier, Dianne F.; Huffman, Jane B.

    2016-01-01

    As the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process becomes embedded within schools, the level of district support has a direct impact on whether schools have the ability to re-culture and sustain highly effective collaborative practices. The purpose of this article is to share a professional learning community conceptual framework from the US,…

  16. Interfacing Nuclear Security and Safeguards through Education and Support Centre Networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikonov, D.

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the work of the International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN) and the International Nuclear Security Training and Support Centre Network (NSSC) as the means to achieve sustainable human resource development in member states. The paper also examines how both security and safeguards can benefit from collaborative and coordinated activities when such networks focus on practical achievements. (author)

  17. Evaluating Career Development Resources: Lessons from the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kogan, M.; Laursen, S. L.

    2010-12-01

    Retention of geoscientists throughout the professional pipeline is especially challenging in the case of groups that are already underrepresented in science, including racial minorities and women. The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) is a professional network of early-career female geoscientists that provides its members with a variety of career resources, through both informal, online and in-person networking and formal career development workshops. The group’s members are of diverse nationalities and racial/ethnic backgrounds, of various age cohorts and career stages, but primarily graduate students, postdocs, and early-career researchers. With funding from an NSF ADVANCE grant to ESWN, we have conducted a detailed survey of ESWN members as part of an evaluation-with-research study that aims to determine the career needs of young geoscientists. The survey data provide information about members’ personal and professional situations, their professional development needs, and obstacles they face as young women scientists. ESWN members indicated a variety of areas of professional growth that would advance their scientific careers, but at all career stages, members chose expanding their professional networks as among their top career needs. Professional networking has established benefits for retention of people from groups underrepresented in science, including women: it introduces young scientists to career best practices and advancement opportunities, provides access to role models, and creates a sense of community. ESWN members strongly indicate that their professional networks benefited from their involvement with the Network. The community aspect of network-building is especially important for people from underrepresented groups, as they often feel alone due to the lack of role models. The intimate character of the ESWN discussion list greatly contributes to its members’ sense of community. Moreover, personal concerns and professional success are

  18. Transformational Leadership & Professional Development for Digitally Rich Learning Environments: A Case Study of the Galileo Educational Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobsen, Michele; Clifford, Pat; Friesen, Sharon

    The Galileo Educational Network is an innovative educational reform initiative that brings learning to learners. Expert teachers work alongside teachers and students in schools to create new images of engaged learning, technology integration and professional development. This case study is based on the nine schools involved with Galileo in…

  19. [Characteristics of social supportive network serving the older female sex workers in Qingdao].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Y Q; Li, Y F; Jiang, Z X; Zhang, X J; Yuan, X; Zhang, N; Li, X F; Jiang, B F

    2016-02-01

    To overview the status of social support on older female sex workers (OFSWs) in Qingdao and to better understand the characteristics of this egocentric social support networks. Ucinet 6 software was used to analyze the characteristics of egocentric social networks which involving 400 OFSWs who were recruited by respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method in Qingdao during March 2014 to June. Structural equation model (SEM) was used for data analysis, fitted test and estimation. A total of 400 OFSWs of Qingdao nominated 1 617 social supportive members, and the average size of egocentric social networks of OFSWs was (4.0 ± 1.5). Among all the alter egos (social support network members of the egos), 613 were female sex workers fellows, accounted for the most important part of all the social ties (37.91%). Characteristics of small size and non-relative relationships were seen more obviously among OFSWs with non-local registration and the ratings of emotional support (4.42±2.38) was significantly lower than the tangible support (5.73 ± 1.69) (Psocial support from friends who were also female sex workers. Stronger the joint strength between egos and alters, greater the homogeneity between the two was seen. Tighter relations among the alter egos, higher degree of average social support of the egos were acquired.

  20. Social networks, social support mechanisms, and quality of life after breast cancer diagnosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroenke, Candyce H; Kwan, Marilyn L.; Neugut, Alfred I.; Ergas, Isaac J.; Wright, Jaime D.; Caan, Bette J.; Hershman, Dawn; Kushi, Lawrence H.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose We examined mechanisms through which social relationships influence quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors. Methods This study included 3,139 women from the Pathways Study who were diagnosed with breast cancer from 2006-2011 and provided data on social networks (presence of spouse or intimate partner, religious/social ties, volunteering, and numbers of close friends and relatives), social support (tangible, emotional/informational, affection, positive social interaction), and quality of life (QOL), measured by the FACT-B, approximately two months post-diagnosis. We used logistic models to evaluate associations between social network size, social support, and lower vs. higher than median QOL scores. We further stratified by stage at diagnosis and treatment. Results In multivariate-adjusted analyses, women who were characterized as socially isolated had significantly lower FACT-B (OR=2.18, 95%CI:1.72-2.77), physical well-being (WB) (OR=1.61, 95%CI:1.27-2.03), functional WB (OR=2.08, 95%CI:1.65-2.63), social WB (OR=3.46, 95%CI:2.73-4.39), and emotional WB (OR=1.67, 95%CI:1.33-2.11) scores and higher breast cancer symptoms (OR=1.48, 95%CI:1.18-1.87), compared with socially integrated women. Each social network member independently predicted higher QOL. Simultaneous adjustment for social networks and social support partially attenuated associations between social networks and QOL. The strongest mediator and type of social support that was most predictive of QOL outcomes was “positive social interaction”. However, each type of support was important depending on outcome, stage, and treatment status. Conclusions Larger social networks and greater social support were related to higher QOL after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Effective social support interventions need to evolve beyond social-emotional interventions and need to account for disease severity and treatment status. PMID:23657404

  1. Support for Programming Models in Network-on-Chip-based Many-core Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Morten Sleth

    This thesis addresses aspects of support for programming models in Network-on- Chip-based many-core architectures. The main focus is to consider architectural support for a plethora of programming models in a single system. The thesis has three main parts. The first part considers parallelization...... models to be supported by a single architecture. The architecture features a specialized network interface processor which allows extensive configurability of the memory system. Based on this architecture, a detailed implementation of the cache coherent shared memory programming model is presented...

  2. Identifying changes in the support networks of end-of-life carers using social network analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonard, Rosemary; Horsfall, Debbie; Noonan, Kerrie

    2015-06-01

    End-of-life caring is often associated with reduced social networks for both the dying person and for the carer. However, those adopting a community participation and development approach, see the potential for the expansion and strengthening of networks. This paper uses Knox, Savage and Harvey's definitions of three generations social network analysis to analyse the caring networks of people with a terminal illness who are being cared for at home and identifies changes in these caring networks that occurred over the period of caring. Participatory network mapping of initial and current networks was used in nine focus groups. The analysis used key concepts from social network analysis (size, density, transitivity, betweenness and local clustering) together with qualitative analyses of the group's reflections on the maps. The results showed an increase in the size of the networks and that ties between the original members of the network strengthened. The qualitative data revealed the importance between core and peripheral network members and the diverse contributions of the network members. The research supports the value of third generation social network analysis and the potential for end-of-life caring to build social capital. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  3. In-house consultation to support professionals' responses to child abuse and neglect: Determinants of professionals' use and the association with guideline adherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konijnendijk, Annemieke A J; Boere-Boonekamp, Magda M; Kaya, Anna H; Haasnoot, Maria E; Need, Ariana

    2017-07-01

    This study examined the presence and strengths of determinants associated with consultation of an in-house expert on child abuse and neglect (CAN) by preventive child health care professionals who suspect CAN. This study also assessed the relationship between in-house CAN expert consultation and professionals' performance of six recommended activities described in a national guideline on preventing CAN for preventive child health care professionals. A total of 154 professionals met the study's inclusion criteria. They filled in a questionnaire that measured in-house consultation practices and twelve determinants associated with the professional, the in-house expert, and the organizational context. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. Almost half of the participants (46.8%) reported to consult the in-house expert in (almost) all of their suspected CAN cases. Professionals who reported better recollection of consulting the in-house expert (i.e. not forgetting to consult the expert) (p=.001), who were more familiar with consultation (p=.002), who had more positive attitudes and beliefs about consultation (p=.011) and who reported being more susceptible to the behavior (p=.001) and expectations/opinions (p=.025) of colleagues regarding in-house expert consultation were more likely to consult the in-house expert. Furthermore, in-house expert consultation was positively associated with two of six key guideline activities: consulting the regional child protection service and monitoring whether support was provided to families. The implications of these results for improving professionals' responses to CAN are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Twitter and Public Health (Part 1): How Individual Public Health Professionals Use Twitter for Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hart, Mark; Stetten, Nichole E; Islam, Sabrina; Pizarro, Katherine

    2017-09-20

    The use of social networking sites is increasingly being adopted in public health, in part, because of the barriers to funding and reduced resources. Public health professionals are using social media platforms, specifically Twitter, as a way to facilitate professional development. The objective of this study was to identify public health professionals using Twitter and to analyze how they use this platform to enhance their formal and informal professional development within the context of public health. Keyword searches were conducted to identify and invite potential participants to complete a survey related to their use of Twitter for public health and professional experiences. Data regarding demographic attributes, Twitter usage, and qualitative information were obtained through an anonymous Web-based survey. Open-response survey questions were analyzed using the constant comparison method. "Using Twitter makes it easier to expand my networking opportunities" and "I find Twitter useful for professional development" scored highest, with a mean score of 4.57 (standard deviation [SD] 0.74) and 4.43 (SD 0.76) on a 5-point Likert scale. Analysis of the qualitative data shows the emergence of the following themes for why public health professionals mostly use Twitter: (1) geography, (2) continuing education, (3) professional gain, and (4) communication. For public health professionals in this study, Twitter is a platform best used for their networking and professional development. Furthermore, the use of Twitter allows public health professionals to overcome a series of barriers and enhances opportunities for growth. ©Mark Hart, Nichole E Stetten, Sabrina Islam, Katherine Pizarro. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 20.09.2017.

  5. Requirements for advanced decision support tools in future distribution network planning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grond, M.O.W.; Morren, J.; Slootweg, J.G.

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes the need and requirements for advanced decision support tools in future network planning from a distribution network operator perspective. The existing tools will no longer be satisfactory for future application due to present developments in the electricity sector that increase

  6. THE ROLE OF SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE COOPERATION BETWEEN PARENTS OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Metka NOVAK

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: One of the ways of building and developing a better cooperative relationship between parents of people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities and professional staff is the inclusion of parents in support groups for parents and staff in support groups for staff. Goal: To examine the correlation of the level of cooperative relationship between the parents of people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities and professional staff with the inclusion of parents in support groups for parents and staff in support groups for staff. Methodology: Respondents: parents (296 of people with severe and profound learning disabilities and staff (298 in five centres across Slovenia; Methods: descriptive statistics, test of homogeneity, the rankit method, one-way analysis of variance; Procedures: survey questionnaires for parents and staff. The data was processed using SPSS software for personal computers. Results: The difference between the variances of the groups (parent found is statistically significant (F = 6.16; p = 0.01. Staff included in support groups have a significantly lower level of cooperative relationship with parents (f=10; M = - 0.12 than staff not included in these groups (f = 191; M = 0.04. Conclusion:In contrast to theoretical findings the results indicated less successful cooperation for professional staff included in support groups. The results furthermore did not confirm any differences in the cooperative relationship of parents included in support groups and those who are not. We suggest an in-depth analysis of the workings of support groups.

  7. Supports for shock, vibration and seismic isolation for tube networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prisecaru, Ilie; Serban, Viorel; Sandrea Madalina

    2005-01-01

    The paper presents a solution for diminishing the shocks, vibrations and seismic movements in pipe networks, with a simultaneous reduction in the general stress conditions in piping and supports. Total removal or reduction of vibrations is a hard problem which was not yet tackled either theoretically, in the sense of an analytical procedure for the analysis of occurrence and development of shocks and vibrations in complex systems, or practically, since the current supports and dampers cannot provide enough damping within all the frequency ranges met in the technical domain. Stiffness of classical supports do not allow always satisfactory source isolation to prevent propagation from environment of shocks and vibrations, Considering the actual condition met in the nuclear power plants, power plants and thermal power plants, etc. this paper represents a major practical aid because it provides new solutions for diminishing shocks, vibrations and seismic movements. Aiming at diminishing the effects of vibrations in pipe networks, this paper presents the results obtained in the design, construction and testing of new types of supports that include sandwich type components made up of elastic blade packages with controlled distortion provided by the central and peripheral stiff parts called SERB. With the new type of supports, the control of the distortion at static and dynamic loads and the thermal displacements is achieved by the relative movement among the sandwich structure subassemblies and by the sandwich structure distortion controlled by the central and peripheral distorting parts that generate a non - linear geometric response which has an easily controllable stiffness and damping, due to their non - linear geometric behavior. The supports of the new type are adjustable to the load and distortion level without overstressing the component material, due to a non - linear geometric behavior while the contact pressure among the blades is limited to pre-set values. Due

  8. Network support for system initiated checkpoints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Dong; Heidelberger, Philip

    2013-01-29

    A system, method and computer program product for supporting system initiated checkpoints in parallel computing systems. The system and method generates selective control signals to perform checkpointing of system related data in presence of messaging activity associated with a user application running at the node. The checkpointing is initiated by the system such that checkpoint data of a plurality of network nodes may be obtained even in the presence of user applications running on highly parallel computers that include ongoing user messaging activity.

  9. Wireless networks of opportunity in support of secure field operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stehle, Roy H.; Lewis, Mark

    1997-02-01

    Under funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for joint military and law enforcement technologies, demonstrations of secure information transfer in support of law enforcement and military operations other than war, using wireless and wired technology, were held in September 1996 at several locations in the United States. In this paper, the network architecture, protocols, and equipment supporting the demonstration's scenarios are presented, together with initial results, including lessons learned and desired system enhancements. Wireless networks of opportunity encompassed in-building (wireless-LAN), campus-wide (Metricom Inc.), metropolitan (AMPS cellular, CDPD), and national (one- and two-way satellite) systems. Evolving DARPA-sponsored packet radio technology was incorporated. All data was encrypted, using multilevel information system security initiative (MISSI)FORTEZZA technology, for carriage over unsecured and unclassified commercial networks. The identification and authentication process inherent in the security system permitted logging for database accesses and provided an audit trail useful in evidence gathering. Wireless and wireline communications support, to and between modeled crisis management centers, was demonstrated. Mechanisms for the guarded transport of data through the secret-high military tactical Internet were included, to support joint law enforcement and crisis management missions. A secure World Wide Web (WWW) browser forms the primary, user-friendly interface for information retrieval and submission. The WWW pages were structured to be sensitive to the bandwidth, error rate, and cost of the communications medium in use (e.g., the use of and resolution for graphical data). Both still and motion compressed video were demonstrated, along with secure voice transmission from laptop computers in the field. Issues of network bandwidth, airtime costs, and deployment status are discussed.

  10. State Support: A Prerequisite for Global Health Network Effectiveness; Comment on “Four Challenges that Global Health Networks Face”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Marten

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Shiffman recently summarized lessons for network effectiveness from an impressive collection of case-studies. However, in common with most global health governance analysis in recent years, Shiffman underplays the important role of states in these global networks. As the body which decides and signs international agreements, often provides the resourcing, and is responsible for implementing initiatives all contributing to the prioritization of certain issues over others, state recognition and support is a prerequisite to enabling and determining global health networks’ success. The role of states deserves greater attention, analysis and consideration. We reflect upon the underappreciated role of the state within the current discourse on global health. We present the tobacco case study to illustrate the decisive role of states in determining progress for global health networks, and highlight how states use a legitimacy loop to gain legitimacy from and provide legitimacy to global health networks. Moving forward in assessing global health networks’ effectiveness, further investigating state support as a determinant of success will be critical. Understanding how global health networks and states interact and evolve to shape and support their respective interests should be a focus for future research.

  11. The Perceived Role of Direct Support Professionals in the Health Promotion Efforts of Adults with Developmental Disabilities Receiving Support Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leser, Kendall A.; Pirie, Phyllis L.; Ferketich, Amy K.; Havercamp, Susan M.; Wewers, Mary Ellen

    2018-01-01

    Direct support professionals (DSPs) play a large social role in the lives of people with developmental disabilities (DD) and have the potential to influence their health behaviors. Six qualitative focus groups (n = 48) were conducted with DD community agency administrators, DSPs, family members and adults with DD to better understand the perceived…

  12. Communication networks of men facing a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Dot; Oetzel, John; Henderson, Alison

    2016-11-01

    This study seeks to identify the factors that shape the communication networks of men who face a potential diagnosis of prostate cancer, and how these factors relate to their disclosure about their changing health status. Men facing a potential diagnosis of prostate cancer are in a challenging situation; the support benefits of disclosing their changing health status to others in their communication networks is set against a backdrop of the potential stigma and uncertainty of the diagnosis. All men on a prostate biopsy waiting list were eligible for inclusion in an exploratory and interpretive study. Semi-structured interviews with 40 men explored their network structures and disclosure of health information. Thematic analysis highlighted the factors which contributed to their network structures and their disclosure about their health status. Four network factors shaped men's perspectives about disclosing their health status: (1) tie strength, comprising both strong and weak ties; (2) knowledgeable others, with a focus on medical professionals in the family; (3) homophily, which included other individuals with a similar medical condition; and (4) geographical proximity, with a preference for face-to-face communication. Communication networks influence men's disclosure of their health status and in particular weak ties with medical knowledge have an important role. Men who use the potential for support in their networks may experience improved psychosocial outcomes. Using these four network factors-tie strength, knowledgeable others, homophily or geographical proximity-to forecast men's willingness to disclose helps identify men who lack potential support and so are at risk of poor psychosocial health. Those with few strong ties or knowledgeable others in their networks may be in the at-risk cohort. The support provided in communication networks complements formal medical care from nurses and other health professionals, and encouraging patients to use their

  13. Networking support for collaborative virtual reality projects in national, european and international context

    OpenAIRE

    Hommes, F.; Pless, E.

    2004-01-01

    The report describes experiences from networking support for two three years virtual reality projects. Networking requirements depending on the virtual reality environment and the planned distributed scenarios are specified and verified in the real network. Networking problems especially due to the collaborative, distributed character of interaction via the Internet are presented.

  14. Professional development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McAndrew-Benavidas, E.

    2007-01-01

    This presentation outlines the functions of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear. Activities of the organization include professional development, recruiting, retention, public outreach, leadership, networking, workforce issues, mentoring and communications

  15. Student Support in Open Learning: Sustaining the Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dearnley, Christine

    2003-01-01

    A 2-year study included interviews with 18 and survey of 160 nurses studying through open learning in the United Kingdom. They were challenged by returning to study, requiring time management and technological skills. Professional, academic, and social networks provided important support as life responsibilities and events impinged on learning.…

  16. Reciprocal Family, Friendship and Church Support Networks of African Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Robert Joseph; Mouzon, Dawne M; Nguyen, Ann W; Chatters, Linda M

    2016-12-01

    This study examined reciprocal support networks involving extended family, friends and church members among African Americans. Our analysis examined specific patterns of reciprocal support (i.e., received only, gave only, both gave and received, neither gave or received), as well as network characteristics (i.e., contact and subjective closeness) as correlates of reciprocal support. The analysis is based on the African American sub-sample of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). Overall, our findings indicate that African Americans are very involved in reciprocal support networks with their extended family, friends and church members. Respondents were most extensively involved in reciprocal supports with extended family members, followed closely by friends and church networks. Network characteristics (i.e., contact and subjective closeness) were significantly and consistently associated with involvement with reciprocal support exchanges for all three networks. These and other findings are discussed in detail. This study complements previous work on the complementary roles of family, friend and congregational support networks, as well as studies of racial differences in informal support networks.

  17. Maternity care professionals' perceptions of supporting employed women in Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alstveit, Marit; Severinsson, Elisabeth; Karlsen, Bjørg

    2011-09-01

    The World Health Organization calls on health professionals to support women in combining maternity and work. The aim of this study was to explore midwives' and public health nurses' perceptions of supporting employed women to balance work and family life during pregnancy and early motherhood. An exploratory design, including multistage focus group interviews, was used. The focus group consisted of five midwives and one public health nurse who was working in maternity care. The data were analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. The comprehensive theme, "empowering the women when they are in 'another' state of normality", was based on two themes, "being in dialogue with the women" and "supporting the women to manage daily activities". The first theme was based on the subthemes, "perceiving the women to be in 'another' state of normality" and "providing an open atmosphere for dialogue", while the second subtheme was based on "confirming self-esteem" and "suggesting adjustments at work". The midwives and public health nurse empowered the women by enhancing their ability to carry out the self-care that was necessary in order to manage both their work and family life. Collaboration between maternity healthcare providers and employers should be developed in order to support employed women. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  18. Clinical supervision and nursing students' professional competence: support-seeking behaviour and the attachment styles of students and mentors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moked, Zahava; Drach-Zahavy, Anat

    2016-02-01

    To examine whether the interdependent attachment style of students is positively related to their support-seeking behaviour during supervision and whether their over-dependent and counter-dependent attachment styles are negatively related to it. Second, to determine whether the mentors' attachment styles moderate the relationship between the students' support-seeking behaviours and their professional competence, such that this relationship is stronger when supervisors are characterized by higher independent attachment style. The mentor-student encounter during nursing clinical supervision is expected to create a supportive environment aimed at promoting support-seeking behaviours and subsequent positive supervision outcomes. Bowlby's attachment theory suggests that the three attachment styles - independent, counter-dependent and over-dependent - may have implications for clinical supervision. A correlative-prospective study. One hundred and seventy-eight students and 66 clinical mentors completed questionnaires at the beginning and end of a clinical supervision session during 2012-2013. Results demonstrated that high compared with low independent nursing students tended to seek less support. Second, students who seek less support evaluated their professional competence as higher than students who seek more support. Third, mentor's counter-dependent attachment style moderated the relationship between students' support-seeking behaviour and their professional competencies. The results allude to the detrimental meaning of support-seeking in the eyes of nursing students. Results can guide administrators in promoting supervision processes that are compatible with the students' independent learning style, while also preventing the negative implications of autonomic learning. Furthermore, as mentors' counter-dependent attachment style can hinder students' support-seeking, attachment styles should be considered in the selection of mentors. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Survey of New Mexico School Health Professionals Regarding Preparedness to Support Sexual Minority Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahdi, Inas; Jevertson, Jenn; Schrader, Ronald; Nelson, Anna; Ramos, Mary M.

    2014-01-01

    Background: For schools to be safe and supportive for students, school health professionals should be aware of the particular challenges lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) students face, especially the risk for discrimination, violent victimization, and depression in the school setting. We assessed school health…

  20. YouTube Social Network as a Business Support

    OpenAIRE

    Phí, Manh Hoang

    2017-01-01

    This bachelor thesis is focused on familiarizing the reader with the phenomenon of the YouTube social network and its possibilities for business support. The first chapter of the theoretical part introduces the reader to the basic characteristics of online marketing and its tools. The second chapter is dedicated to the YouTube social network, where the reader first learns about the key moments in YouTube history and current statistical facts. Furthermore the bachelor thesis describes the YouT...

  1. Perception of adult men on their preventive practices and health support networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme Oliveira de Arruda

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: to know the preventive practices adopted by adult men in daily life and to identify health support networks. Methods: a descriptive qualitative study, made during the months of November and December 2012, at two emergency units, along with 32 men aged between 20 and 59 years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and subjected to content analysis with thematic modality. Results: men highlighted different preventive practices such as sanitizing hands, eating properly, having screening tests, avoiding psychoactive substance abuse, using personal protective equipment at work and condoms during sex. Most of the participants had nuclear family and its members were their primary support network regarding the health-disease process. Conclusion: it is for health team members to try to leverage the adoption of preventive practices by adult men from the support networks they consider significant.

  2. Supporting Teacher Change Through Online Professional Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte J. Boling, Ph.D.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available This multiple case study examines elementary teachers’ experiences as they participated in the online professional development course, Cognitive Literacy Strategies for the Elementary Classroom. This study explores teacher change and the elements necessary to facilitate the change. Issues concerning content, the change process, the online learning environment, and technology are examined. Findings indicate that online learning is a viable means of providing professional development and facilitating teacher change.

  3. Self-management support at the end of life: Patients', carers' and professionals' perspectives on managing medicines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campling, N; Richardson, A; Mulvey, M; Bennett, M; Johnston, B; Latter, S

    2017-11-01

    Pain is a frequently reported symptom by patients approaching the end of life and well-established that patients and carers hold fears relating to opioids, and experience side effects related to their use. The management of medicines is intrinsic to achieving effective pain relief. The concept of self-management support whilst well characterised in the context of chronic illness has not been elaborated with respect to end of life care. To identify patient, carer and professional views on the concept of self-management support at end of life, specifically in relation to analgesia and related medicines (for side-effect management) in order to describe, characterise and explain self-management support in this context. Qualitative design, data collection methods involved focus groups and interviews. Topics included the meaning of self-management support in this context, roles and behaviours adopted to manage pain-related medicines, and factors that influence these. A largely deductive approach was used, involving verification and validation of key frameworks from the literature, but with capacity for new findings to emerge. Participants were drawn from two different localities in England, one North, the other South. Interviews with patients and carers took place in their own homes and focus groups with healthcare professionals were held at local hospices. 38 individuals participated. 15 patients, in the last year of life, and 4 carers under the care of community-based specialist palliative care services and 19 specialist palliative care health professionals (predominantly community palliative care nurses). The concept of self-management support had salience for patients, carers and specialist nurses alongside some unique features, specific to the end of life context. Specifically self-management was identified as an ever-changing process enacted along a continuum of behaviours fluctuating from full to no engagement. Disease progression, frequent changes in symptoms and

  4. Careers and Networking: Professional Development for Graduate Students and Post-docs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jungbluth, S.; Boiteau, R.; Bottjer, D.; De Leo, F. C.; Hawko, N.; Ilikchyan, I.; Bruno, B. C.

    2013-12-01

    Established in 2006 by the National Science Foundation, the Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a multi-institutional Science and Technology Center based at the University of Hawai i. One of C-MORE's missions is to provide graduate students and post-docs with state-of-the-art training, which primarily occurs through laboratory- and field-based research. Additionally, C-MORE offers a Professional Development Training Program (PDTP) to help students and post-docs develop a range of "soft" skills such as science communication, leadership, proposal writing, teaching and mentoring (Bruno et al, 2013). The PDTP not only provides professional development training to graduate students and post-docs, but also encourages these young scientists to take leadership of their training. The Professional Development Organizing Committee (PDOC), composed of students and post-docs across the various C-MORE institutions, works closely with the Education Office to implement the eight core PDTP modules as well as 'on-demand' workshops. In February 2013, we organized a workshop to promote networking and foster scientific collaborations among C-MORE graduate students and post-doctoral researchers at the seven partner institutions: the University of Hawaii, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Oregon State University, University of California Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Columbia University. The workshop was held in New Orleans in conjunction with the 2013 ASLO/ Ocean Sciences national meeting. In this paper, we will describe the student-led planning process, the workshop itself, and evaluation results. We will also present examples of some of the collaborations that resulted from this workshop.

  5. Five-year trajectories of social networks and social support in older adults with major depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voils, Corrine I; Allaire, Jason C; Olsen, Maren K; Steffens, David C; Hoyle, Rick H; Bosworth, Hayden B

    2007-12-01

    Research with nondepressed adults suggests that social networks and social support are stable over the life course until very late age. This may not hold true for older adults with depression. We examined baseline status and trajectories of social networks and social support at the group and individual levels over five years. The sample consisted of 339 initially depressed adults aged 59 or older (M = 69 years) enrolled in a naturalistic study of depression. Measures of social ties, including social network size, frequency of interaction, instrumental support, and subjective support, were administered at baseline and yearly for five years. Latent growth curve models were estimated for each aspect of social ties. On average, social network size and frequency of interaction were low at baseline and remained stable over time, whereas subjective and instrumental support were high at baseline yet increased over time. There was significant variation in the direction and rate of change over time, which was not predicted by demographic or clinical factors. Because increasing social networks may be ineffective and may not be possible for a portion of people who already receive maximal support, interventions to increase social support may only work for a portion of older depressed adults.

  6. Support networks and people with physical disabilities: social inclusion and access to health services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holanda, Cristina Marques de Almeida; De Andrade, Fabienne Louise Juvêncio Paes; Bezerra, Maria Aparecida; Nascimento, João Paulo da Silva; Neves, Robson da Fonseca; Alves, Simone Bezerra; Ribeiro, Kátia Suely Queiroz Silva

    2015-01-01

    This study seeks to identify the formation of social support networks of people with physical disabilities, and how these networks can help facilitate access to health services and promote social inclusion. It is a cross-sectional study, with data collected via a form applied to physically disabled persons over eighteen years of age registered with the Family Health Teams of the municipal district of João Pessoa in the state of Paraíba. It was observed that the support networks of these individuals predominantly consist of family members (parents, siblings, children, spouses) and people outside the family (friends and neighbors). However, 50% of the interviewees declared that they could not count on any support from outside the family. It was observed that the support network contributes to access to the services and participation in social groups. However, reduced social inclusion was detected, due to locomotion difficulties, this being the main barrier to social interaction. Among those individuals who began to interact in society, the part played by social support was fundamental.

  7. INORE: The International Network on Offshore Renewable Energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martini, Michele; De Andrén, Andrés

    2015-01-01

    The International Network on Offshore Renewable Energy (INORE) is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. INORE was born to support early stage researchers in the offshore renewable energy field. Today, INORE has more than 1200 members from more than 70 different countries. The aim of this organization is to facilitate networking and information exchange between young researchers and professionals. This is achieved by arranging symposia, workshops, networking events and issuing scholarships. Three main knowledge areas are currently within INORE’s dedication: sea wave energy, tidal current energy and offshore wind energy.

  8. Sierra Stars Observatory Network: An Accessible Global Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Richard; Beshore, Edward

    2011-03-01

    The Sierra Stars Observatory Network (SSON) is a unique partnership among professional observatories that provides its users with affordable high-quality calibrated image data. SSON comprises observatories in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and is in the process of expanding to a truly global network capable of covering the entire sky 24 hours a day in the near future. The goal of SSON is to serve the needs of science-based projects and programs. Colleges, universities, institutions, and individuals use SSON for their education and research projects. The mission of SSON is to promote and expand the use of its facilities among the thousands of colleges and schools worldwide that do not have access to professional-quality automated observatory systems to use for astronomy education and research. With appropriate leadership and guidance educators can use SSON to help teach astronomy and do meaningful scientific projects. The relatively small cost of using SSON for this type of work makes it affordable and accessible for educators to start using immediately. Remote observatory services like SSON need to evolve to better support education and research initiatives of colleges, institutions and individual investigators. To meet these needs, SSON is developing a sophisticated interactive scheduling system to integrate among the nodes of the observatory network. This will enable more dynamic observations, including immediate priority interrupts, acquiring moving objects using ephemeris data, and more.

  9. Association of Social Support Network Size With Receipt of Cataract Surgery in Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stagg, Brian C; Choi, HwaJung; Woodward, Maria A; Ehrlich, Joshua R

    2018-04-01

    Cataract-related vision impairment is an important public health issue that tends to affect older adults. Little is known about the association between older adults' social support networks and their likelihood of receiving cataract surgery. To determine if older adults with smaller social support networks are less likely to receive cataract surgery. Retrospective cohort study. The National Health and Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative US survey, administered annually from 2011 to 2015 to a cohort of Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older with no cataract surgery prior to the start of the study. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate if the number of persons in an individual's social support network influenced whether that individual received cataract surgery during a given year of the study. Overall, 3448 participants were interviewed from 2011 to 2015 for a total of 9760 observations. Of these observations, 3084 (weighted, 38.81%; 95% CI, 37.28-40.35) were aged 70 to 74 years, 5211 (weighted, 52.32%; 95% CI, 50.19-54.44) were women; 5899 (weighted, 78.53%; 95% CI, 76.29-80.61) were white, 2249 (weighted, 9.55%; 95% CI, 8.45-10.78) were black, 537 (weighted, 7.18%; 95% CI, 5.88-8.73) were Hispanic, and 303 (weighted, 4.74%; 95% CI, 3.56-62.9) reported other races. Medicare beneficiaries with smaller social support networks (0-2 individuals) were less likely to receive cataract surgery in a given year (adjusted odds ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37-0.96) than those with larger support networks (≥3 individuals). The adjusted predicted proportion of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cataract surgery was 4.7% (95% CI, 2.7%-6.7%) and 7.5% (95% CI, 6.9%-8.1%) for those with small and large social support networks, respectively. Having fewer non-spouse/partner family members in the support network was associated with decreased odds of receiving cataract surgery (adjusted odds ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43-0.85), but having spouses

  10. A QUEST for sustainable continuing professional development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

    2017-01-01

    Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can be crucial in improving teaching, and student learning. Extant research suggests consensus pertaining to the core features of effective CPD including content focus, active learning, coherence, duration and collaborative activities. This chapter reports...... organized by the local PLC, and individual enactments in the teachers’ own classrooms. This “rhythm” has now been institutionalized, and even though the project has come to an end, there is still networking across schools and PLC activities continue in all five municipalities. In order to assess...... on a large-scale, long-term Danish CPD project for which all the activities were created with these consensus criteria in mind. The overall purpose has been to develop a sustainable model for CPD that acknowledges teachers’ situated learning in professional learning communities (PLCs), supports bottom...

  11. NetWorking News

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fritsch, Jonas; Iversen, Ole Sejer; Dindler, Christian

    For many years cooperative design was primarily concerned with the development of IT supported systems for professional users. However, the cooperative design approach can embrace other social practices such as children’s everyday life. At a methodological level there is no difference in designing...... the Networking News workshop, offers an opportunity to make first hand studies of children’s IT supported social activities in an informal classroom setting....... with adults or children. However there is a need for new methods to support communication and collaboration between designers and children. This article proposes a new method for understandings children’s appropriation of new technology in an interactive workshop setting. The method, which we call...

  12. Networking Skills as a Career Development Practice: Lessons from the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hastings, M. G.; Kontak, R.; Holloway, T.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; Steiner, A. L.; Wiedinmyer, C.; Adams, A. S.; de Boer, A. M.; Staudt, A. C.; Fiore, A. M.

    2010-12-01

    Professional networking is often cited as an important component of scientific career development, yet there are few resources for early career scientists to develop and build networks. Personal networks can provide opportunities to learn about organizational culture and procedures, expectations, advancement opportunities, and best practices. They provide access to mentors and job placement opportunities, new scientific collaborations, speaker and conference invitations, increased scientific visibility, reduced isolation, and a stronger feeling of community. There is evidence in the literature that a sense of community positively affects the engagement and retention of underrepresented groups, including women, in science. Thus women scientists may particularly benefit from becoming part of a network. The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) began in 2002 as an informal peer-to-peer mentoring initiative among a few recent Ph.D.s. The network has grown exponentially to include over 1000 women scientists across the globe. Surveys of our membership about ESWN report positive impacts on the careers of women in Earth sciences, particularly those in early career stages. Through ESWN, women share both professional and personal advice, establish research collaborations, communicate strategies on work/life balance, connect with women at various stages of their careers, and provide perspectives from cultures across the globe. We present lessons learned through the formal and informal activities promoted by ESWN in support of the career development of women Earth scientists.

  13. A network architecture supporting consistent rich behavior in collaborative interactive applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsh, James; Glencross, Mashhuda; Pettifer, Steve; Hubbold, Roger

    2006-01-01

    Network architectures for collaborative virtual reality have traditionally been dominated by client-server and peer-to-peer approaches, with peer-to-peer strategies typically being favored where minimizing latency is a priority, and client-server where consistency is key. With increasingly sophisticated behavior models and the demand for better support for haptics, we argue that neither approach provides sufficient support for these scenarios and, thus, a hybrid architecture is required. We discuss the relative performance of different distribution strategies in the face of real network conditions and illustrate the problems they face. Finally, we present an architecture that successfully meets many of these challenges and demonstrate its use in a distributed virtual prototyping application which supports simultaneous collaboration for assembly, maintenance, and training applications utilizing haptics.

  14. "Follow" Me: Networked Professional Learning for Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Kathryn; Preston, Greg; Shaw, Kylie; Buchanan, Rachel

    2013-01-01

    Effective professional learning for teachers is fundamental for any school system aiming to make transformative and sustainable change to teacher practice. This paper investigates the efficacy of Twitter as a medium for teachers to participate in professional learning by analysing the tweets of 30 influential users of the popular medium. We find…

  15. Professional Help-Seeking for Adolescent Dating Violence in the Rural South: The Role of Social Support and Informal Help-Seeking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedge, Jasmine M.; Sianko, Natallia; McDonell, James R.

    2016-01-01

    Structural equation modeling with three waves of data was used to assess a mediation model investigating the relationship between perceived social support, informal help-seeking intentions, and professional help-seeking intentions in the context of adolescent dating violence. The sample included 589 adolescents from a rural, southern county who participated in a longitudinal study of teen dating violence victimization and perpetration. Results suggest that informal help-seeking intentions are an important link between perceived social support and professional help-seeking intentions. Findings highlight the importance of informal help-seeking and informal help-giving in fostering professional help-seeking for adolescent victims and perpetrators of dating violence. PMID:27580981

  16. Mobility support and networking for women in STEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avellis, Giovanna; Didenkulova, Ira

    2017-04-01

    Mobility support for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) career is an increasingly important issue in today's world. Cutting edge research tends to be undertaken via international collaboration, often within networks built up by moving to a new country. In addition, many of today's funding opportunities are geared towards international cooperation. There have been quite a few debates and several projects based on extended surveys to understand the role and impact of mobility on a scientific career. Although in general it is true that these issues are sensitive to the country and the scientific field for example, it is believed by the scientific community at least, that there is a connection between mobility and scientific excellence. Rewarding mobility is becoming a concern at the European level because mechanisms to measure in the best and objective way possible scientific excellence are not homogeneous. But still mobility is a key issue to strengthen a researcher's scientific curriculum and be recognised at the international level. Women have been widely recognised as a source of untapped potential. Different steps have been taken so far for a deeper understanding of barriers and different obstacles faced by women in the Science field. Present calls in the Science in Society panel in HORIZON 2020 deal with the horizontal and vertical segregation experienced by women in their careers and best practices to manage these issues. The general aim is to foster women participation in all scientific fields with particular regard to male dominated disciplines as STEM and increase the number and the effective representation of women in decision-making positions, to help also speed up the whole process. Mobility has demonstrated to be partly gender sensitive and this needs to be addressed in some way in order to ensure at least equal opportunities to male and female scientists regarding possibilities and benefits offered by mobility programmes

  17. Sharing clinical decisions for multimorbidity case management using social network and open-source tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-García, Alicia; Moreno-Conde, Alberto; Jódar-Sánchez, Francisco; Leal, Sandra; Parra, Carlos

    2013-12-01

    Social networks applied through Web 2.0 tools have gained importance in health domain, because they produce improvements on the communication and coordination capabilities among health professionals. This is highly relevant for multimorbidity patients care because there is a large number of health professionals in charge of patient care, and this requires to obtain clinical consensus in their decisions. Our objective is to develop a tool for collaborative work among health professionals for multimorbidity patient care. We describe the architecture to incorporate decision support functionalities in a social network tool to enable the adoption of shared decisions among health professionals from different care levels. As part of the first stage of the project, this paper describes the results obtained in a pilot study about acceptance and use of the social network component in our healthcare setting. At Virgen del Rocío University Hospital we have designed and developed the Shared Care Platform (SCP) to provide support in the continuity of care for multimorbidity patients. The SCP has two consecutively developed components: social network component, called Clinical Wall, and Clinical Decision Support (CDS) system. The Clinical Wall contains a record where health professionals are able to debate and define shared decisions. We conducted a pilot study to assess the use and acceptance of the SCP by healthcare professionals through questionnaire based on the theory of the Technology Acceptance Model. In March 2012 we released and deployed the SCP, but only with the social network component. The pilot project lasted 6 months in the hospital and 2 primary care centers. From March to September 2012 we created 16 records in the Clinical Wall, all with a high priority. A total of 10 professionals took part in the exchange of messages: 3 internists and 7 general practitioners generated 33 messages. 12 of the 16 record (75%) were answered by the destination health professionals

  18. CosmoQuest: Galvanizing a Dynamic, Inclusive Professional Learning Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobb, W. H.; Buxner, S.; Bracey, G.; Noel-Storr, J.; Gay, P.; Graff, P. V.

    2016-12-01

    The CosmoQuest Virtual Research Facility offers experiences to audiences around the nation and globally through pioneering citizen science. An endeavor between universities, research institutes, and NASA centers, CosmoQuest brings together scientists, educators, researchers, programmers—and individuals of all ages—to explore and make sense of our solar system and beyond. Scaffolded by an educational framework that inspires 21stCentury learners, CosmoQuest engages people—you, me!—in analyzing and interpreting real NASA data, inspiring questions and defining problems. Linda Darling-Hammond calls for professional development to be: "focused on the learning and teaching of specific curriculum content [i.e. NGSS disciplinary core ideas]; organized around real problems of practice [i.e. NGSS science and engineering practices] …; [and] connected to teachers' collaborative work in professional learning community...." (2012). In light of that, what can CosmoQuest offer NASA STEM education as a virtual research facility? CosmoQuest engages scientists with learners, and learners with science. As a virual research facility, its focal point must be its online platform. CosmoQuest empowers and expands community through a variety of social channels, including science and education-focused hangouts, podcasts, virtual star parties, and social media. In addition to creating standards-aligned materials, CosmoQuest channels are a hub for excellent resources throughout NASA and the larger astronomical community. In support of CosmoQuest citizen science opportunities, the process and outcomes of CosmoQuest initiatives will be leveraged and shared. Thus, CosmoQuest will be present and alive in the awareness of its growing community. Finally, to make CosmoQuest truly relevant, partnerships between scientists and educators are encouraged and facilitated, and "just-in-time" opportunities to support constituents exploring emerging NASA STEM education and new NASA data will be

  19. Documentation and Analysis of Children's Experience: An Ongoing Collegial Activity for Early Childhood Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picchio, Mariacristina; Giovannini, Donatella; Mayer, Susanna; Musatti, Tullia

    2012-01-01

    Systematic documentation and analysis of educational practice can be a powerful tool for continuous support to the professionalism of early childhood education practitioners. This paper discusses data from a three-year action-research initiative carried out by a research agency in collaboration with a network of Italian municipal "nido"…

  20. A Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network: The role of formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooke-Nieves, Natasha Anika

    Science education research has consistently shown that elementary teachers have a low self-efficacy and background knowledge to teach science. When they teach science, there is a lack of field experiences and inquiry-based instruction at the elementary level due to limited resources, both material and pedagogical. This study focused on an analysis of a professional development (PD) model designed by the author known as the Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network (CDLN). The purpose of this study was to examine elementary school teacher participants pedagogical content knowledge related to their experiences in a CDLN model. The CDLN model taught formal and informal instruction using a science coach and an informal educational institution. Another purpose for this research included a theoretical analysis of the CDLN model to see if its design enabled teachers to expand their resource knowledge of available science education materials. The four-month-long study used qualitative data obtained during an in-service professional development program facilitated by a science coach and educators from a large natural history museum. Using case study as the research design, four elementary school teachers were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their science coach and museum educator workshop sessions. During the duration of this study, semi-structured individual/group interviews and open-ended pre/post PD questionnaires were used. Other data sources included researcher field notes from lesson observations, museum field trips, audio-recorded workshop sessions, email correspondence, and teacher-created artifacts. The data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Themes that emerged included increased self-efficacy; increased pedagogical content knowledge; increased knowledge of museum education resources and access; creation of a professional learning community; and increased knowledge of science notebooking. Implications for formal and informal

  1. A model for the electronic support of practice-based research networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Kevin A; Delaney, Brendan C; Arvanitis, Theodoros N; Taweel, Adel; Sandberg, Elisabeth A; Speedie, Stuart; Richard Hobbs, F D

    2012-01-01

    The principal goal of the electronic Primary Care Research Network (ePCRN) is to enable the development of an electronic infrastructure to support clinical research activities in primary care practice-based research networks (PBRNs). We describe the model that the ePCRN developed to enhance the growth and to expand the reach of PBRN research. Use cases and activity diagrams were developed from interviews with key informants from 11 PBRNs from the United States and United Kingdom. Discrete functions were identified and aggregated into logical components. Interaction diagrams were created, and an overall composite diagram was constructed describing the proposed software behavior. Software for each component was written and aggregated, and the resulting prototype application was pilot tested for feasibility. A practical model was then created by separating application activities into distinct software packages based on existing PBRN business rules, hardware requirements, network requirements, and security concerns. We present an information architecture that provides for essential interactions, activities, data flows, and structural elements necessary for providing support for PBRN translational research activities. The model describes research information exchange between investigators and clusters of independent data sites supported by a contracted research director. The model was designed to support recruitment for clinical trials, collection of aggregated anonymous data, and retrieval of identifiable data from previously consented patients across hundreds of practices. The proposed model advances our understanding of the fundamental roles and activities of PBRNs and defines the information exchange commonly used by PBRNs to successfully engage community health care clinicians in translational research activities. By describing the network architecture in a language familiar to that used by software developers, the model provides an important foundation for the

  2. Social support and social network as intermediary social determinants of dental caries in adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontanini, Humberto; Marshman, Zoe; Vettore, Mario

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the association between intermediary social determinants, namely social support and social network with dental caries in adolescents. An adapted version of the WHO social determinants of health conceptual framework was used to organize structural and intermediary social determinants of dental caries into six blocks including perceived social support and number of social networks. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of 542 students between 12 and 14 years of age in public schools located in the city of Dourados, Brazil in 2012. The outcome variables were caries experience (DMFT ≥ 1) and current dental caries (component D of DMFT ≥ 1) recorded by a calibrated dentist. Individual interviews were performed to collect data on perceived social support and numbers of social networks from family and friends and covariates. Multivariate Poisson regressions using hierarchical models were conducted. The prevalence of adolescents with caries experience and current dental caries was 55.2% and 32.1%, respectively. Adolescents with low numbers of social networks and low levels of social support from family (PR 1.47; 95% CI = 1.01-2.14) were more likely to have DMFT ≥ 1. Current dental caries was associated with low numbers of social networks and low levels of social support from family (PR 2.26; 95% CI = 1.15-4.44). Social support and social network were influential psychosocial factors to dental caries in adolescents. This finding requires confirmation in other countries but potentially has implications for programmes to promote oral health. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Text-based Healthcare Chatbots Supporting Patient and Health Professional Teams: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial on Childhood Obesity

    OpenAIRE

    Kowatsch, Tobias; Nißen, Marcia; Shih, Chen-Hsuan Iris; Rüegger, Dominik; Volland, Dirk; Filler, Andreas; Künzler, Florian; Barata, Filipe; Büchter, Dirk; Brogle, Björn; Heldt, Katrin; Gindrat, Pauline; Farpour-Lambert, Nathalie; l’Allemand, Dagmar

    2017-01-01

    Health professionals have limited resources and are not able to personally monitor and support patients in their everyday life. Against this background and due to the increasing number of self-service channels and digital health interventions, we investigate how text-based healthcare chatbots (THCB) can be designed to effectively support patients and health professionals in therapeutic settings beyond on-site consultations. We present an open source THCB system and how the THCP was designed f...

  4. The influence of social networks on self-management support: a metasynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vassilev, Ivaylo; Rogers, Anne; Kennedy, Anne; Koetsenruijter, Jan

    2014-07-15

    There is increasing recognition that chronic illness management (CIM) is not just an individual but a collective process where social networks can potentially make a considerable contribution to improving health outcomes for people with chronic illness. However, the mechanisms (processes, activities) taking place within social networks are insufficiently understood. The aim of this review was to focus on identifying the mechanisms linking social networks with CIM. Here we consider network mechanisms as located within a broader social context that shapes practices, behaviours, and the multiplicity of functions and roles that network members fulfil. A systematic search of qualitative studies was undertaken on Medline, Embase, and Web for papers published between 1st January 2002 and 1st December 2013. Eligible for inclusion were studies dealing with diabetes, and with conditions or health behaviours relevant for diabetes management; and studies exploring the relationship between social networks, self-management, and deprivation. 25 papers met the inclusion criteria. A qualitative metasynthesis was undertaken and the review followed a line of argument synthesis. The main themes identified were: 1) sharing knowledge and experiences in a personal community; 2) accessing and mediation of resources; 3) self-management support requires awareness of and ability to deal with network relationships. These translated into line of argument synthesis in which three network mechanisms were identified. These were network navigation (identifying and connecting with relevant existing resources in a network), negotiation within networks (re-shaping relationships, roles, expectations, means of engagement and communication between network members), and collective efficacy (developing a shared perception and capacity to successfully perform behaviour through shared effort, beliefs, influence, perseverance, and objectives). These network mechanisms bring to the fore the close

  5. Ecological Networks and Community Attachment and Support Among Recently Resettled Refugees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soller, Brian; Goodkind, Jessica R; Greene, R Neil; Browning, Christopher R; Shantzek, Cece

    2018-03-25

    Interventions aimed at enhancing mental health are increasingly centered around promoting community attachment and support. However, few have examined and tested the specific ecological factors that give rise to these key community processes. Drawing from insights from the ecological network perspective, we tested whether spatial and social overlap in routine activity settings (e.g., work, school, childcare) with fellow ethnic community members is associated with individuals' attachment to their ethnic communities and access to social resources embedded in their communities. Data on routine activity locations drawn from the Refugee Well-Being Project (based in a city in the Southwestern United States) were used to reconstruct the ecological networks of recently resettled refugee communities, which were two-mode networks that comprise individuals and their routine activity locations. Results indicated that respondents' community attachment and support increased with their ecological network extensity-which taps the extent to which respondents share routine activity locations with other community members. Our study highlights a key ecological process that potentially enhances individuals' ethnic community attachment that extends beyond residential neighborhoods. © Society for Community Research and Action 2018.

  6. Development of a Professional Certification in Cancer Patient Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papadakos, Janet; D'souza, Anna; Masse, Adeline; Boyko, Susan; Clarke, Susan; Giuliani, Meredith; MacKinnon, Keira; McBain, Sarah; McCallum, Meg; MacVinnie, Jan; Papadakos, Tina

    2018-04-19

    Patient educators come into the field from diverse professional backgrounds and often lack training in how to teach and develop patient education resources since no formal patient education professional certification program exists. A professional certification program for patient educators would further define the professional scope of practice and reduce variability in performance. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the level of interest among Canadian cancer patient educators in a patient education professional certification program and (2) determine the competencies to be included in the professional certification program. A 12-item survey was designed by executive members of the Canadian Chapter of the Cancer Patient Education Network. The survey included a list of competencies associated with patient education, and a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "slightly important" to "very important" was used to determine the rank of each competency. The survey was sent to 53 patient educators across Canada. Ninety-two percent of the patient educators are interested in a professional certification program. Patient educators indicated that competencies related to developing patient resources, collaboration, plain language expertise, and health literacy were of most importance. Patient educators support the development of a patient education professional certification program and endorsed the competencies proposed. This information provides the foundation for the creation of a professional certification program for cancer patient educators.

  7. Contingent association between the size of the social support network and osteoporosis among Korean elderly women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seungwon; Seo, Da Hea; Kim, Kyoung Min; Lee, Eun Young; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Kim, Chang Oh; Youm, Yoosik; Rhee, Yumie

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the association between the number of personal ties (or the size of the social support network) and the incidence of osteoporosis among older women in Korea. Data from the Korean Urban Rural Elderly Study were used. Bone density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and femur neck. T-score, the standardized bone density compared with what is normally expected in a healthy young adult, was measured and the presence of osteoporosis was determined, if the T-score was social support network size was measured by self-responses (number of confidants and spouse). Of the 1,846 participants, 44.9% were diagnosed with osteoporosis. The association between the social support network size and the incidence of osteoporosis was curvilinear in both bivariate and multivariate analyses. Having more people in one's social support network size was associated with lower risk of osteoporosis until it reached around four. Increasing the social support network size beyond four, in contrast, was associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis. This association was contingent on the average intimacy level of the social network. At the highest average intimacy level ("extremely close"), increasing the number of social support network members from one to six was associated with linear decrease in the predicted probability of osteoporosis from 45% to 30%. However, at the lowest average intimacy level ("not very close"), the predicted probability of osteoporosis dramatically increased from 48% to 80% as the size of the social network increased from one to six. Our results show that maintaining a large and intimate social support network is associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis among elderly Korean women, while a large but less-intimate social relationship is associated with a higher risk.

  8. Integrated Multimedia Based Intelligent Group Decision Support System for Electrical Power Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ajay Kumar Saxena

    2002-05-01

    Full Text Available Electrical Power Network in recent time requires an intelligent, virtual environment based decision process for the coordination of all its individual elements and the interrelated tasks. Its ultimate goal is to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency through the efficient and effective application of generation, transmission, distribution, pricing and regulatory systems. However, the complexity of electrical power network and the presence of conflicting multiple goals and objectives postulated by various groups emphasized the need of an intelligent group decision support system approach in this field. In this paper, an Integrated Multimedia based Intelligent Group Decision Support System (IM1GDSS is presented, and its main components are analyzed and discussed. In particular attention is focused on the Data Base, Model Base, Central Black Board (CBB and Multicriteria Futuristic Decision Process (MFDP module. The model base interacts with Electrical Power Network Load Forecasting and Planning (EPNLFP Module; Resource Optimization, Modeling and Simulation (ROMAS Module; Electrical Power Network Control and Evaluation Process (EPNCAEP Module, and MFDP Module through CBB for strategic planning, management control, operational planning and transaction processing. The richness of multimedia channels adds a totally new dimension in a group decision making for Electrical Power Network. The proposed IMIGDSS is a user friendly, highly interactive group decision making system, based on efficient intelligent and multimedia communication support for group discussions, retrieval of content and multi criteria decision analysis.

  9. A Digital Ethnography of Medical Students who Use Twitter for Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chretien, Katherine C; Tuck, Matthew G; Simon, Michael; Singh, Lisa O; Kind, Terry

    2015-11-01

    While researchers have studied negative professional consequences of medical trainee social media use, little is known about how medical students informally use social media for education and career development. This knowledge may help future and current physicians succeed in the digital age. We aimed to explore how and why medical students use Twitter for professional development. This was a digital ethnography. Medical student "superusers" of Twitter participated in the study The postings ("tweets") of 31 medical student superusers were observed for 8 months (May-December 2013), and structured field notes recorded. Through purposive sampling, individual key informant interviews were conducted to explore Twitter use and values until thematic saturation was reached (ten students). Three faculty key informant interviews were also conducted. Ego network and subnetwork analysis of student key informants was performed. Qualitative analysis included inductive coding of field notes and interviews, triangulation of data, and analytic memos in an iterative process. Twitter served as a professional tool that supplemented the traditional medical school experience. Superusers approached their use of Twitter with purpose and were mindful of online professionalism as well as of being good Twitter citizens. Their tweets reflected a mix of personal and professional content. Student key informants had a high number of followers. The subnetwork of key informants was well-connected, showing evidence of a social network versus information network. Twitter provided value in two major domains: access and voice. Students gained access to information, to experts, to a variety of perspectives including patient and public perspectives, and to communities of support. They also gained a platform for advocacy, control of their digital footprint, and a sense of equalization within the medical hierarchy. Twitter can serve as a professional tool that supplements traditional education. Students

  10. A decision support system for pre-earthquake planning of lifeline networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liang, J.W. [Tianjin Univ. (China). Dept. of Civil Engineering

    1996-12-01

    This paper describes the frame of a decision support system for pre-earthquake planning of gas and water networks. The system is mainly based on the earthquake experiences and lessons from the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. The objective of the system is to offer countermeasures and help make decisions for seismic strengthening, remaking, and upgrading of gas and water networks.

  11. Support system for the professional integration of people with disability into the labour market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filgueiras, Ernesto; Vilar, Elisângela; Rebelo, Francisco

    2015-01-01

    Successful cases of professional reintegration were achieved when adequate conditions were created for the adaptation of the worker with disability to the working environment and to the professional activity, allowing them to carry out all their functions without any restriction. In this sense, this paper presents a methodology for professional integration of people with disability in service companies and industry. It has as results a matrix of analysis of a set of observables for the reintegration of people with disability into the labour market, as well as an auxiliary tool for those who work in recruitment of personnel. The main objective was to develop a tool (i.e., a software) based on the crossing of data obtained from the analysis of the individual capacities and the requirements of the job to optimise the relationship between worker and the workplace. There was also considered a series of strategies which can be adopted by the individuals and the possible adaptations in the workplace, as a way to reduce the handicap in the accomplishment of different activities. The methodology for the development of this study is divided in two phases: Phase I, destined to the assessment criteria and classification of the indispensable functional characteristics of the individuals; Phase II, related to the assessment criteria of the jobs and the functions that have to be performed. As a result it was developed an evaluation tool to match the individuals' capabilities and the job requirements. A software was created to support the evaluation and to help professionals during the assessment. This methodology together with the support tool demonstrated to be a quite inclusive tool, as it considers, as a matter of priority, the capacities of the individuals and the real necessities of the workplaces.

  12. Professionalism in the digital age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostaghimi, Arash; Crotty, Bradley H

    2011-04-19

    The increased use of social media by physicians, combined with the ease of finding information online, can blur personal and work identities, posing new considerations for physician professionalism in the information age. A professional approach is imperative in this digital age in order to maintain confidentiality, honesty, and trust in the medical profession. Although the ability of physicians to use online social networks, blogs, and media sites for personal and professional reasons should be preserved, a proactive approach is recommended that includes actively managing one's online presence and making informed choices about disclosure. The development of a "dual-citizenship" approach to online social media that separates public and private personae would allow physicians to both leverage networks for professional connections and maintain privacy in other aspects. Although social media posts by physicians enable direct communication with readers, all posts should be considered public and special consideration for patient privacy is necessary.

  13. Challenges on network care considering the perceptions of preceptors of a Pet-Network regarding people with disabilities and at-risk infants: access, comprehensiveness and communication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Aoki

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Health Care Networks (HCN are seen as a possibility for articulating and coordinating actions, health services and is a priority in the health system. One strategy to assure their improvement is the Tutorial Education Program (PET-Redes in the health area. Within this context, it is important to understand the challenges and strengths for the effectiveness of HCN to the network care. Objective: To identify and analyze the perceptions of professionals who are preceptors of PET-Networks (Stork/at-risk infants Network and Disabled People Network about the configuration of the network care and the challenges of professional actions related to it. Method: Qualitative study conducted through two focus groups with professionals that are preceptors of the PET-Networks. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Results: Both networks presented the following categories related to the network care configuration: access, comprehensive health care and communication. For this care network configuration, some challenges mentioned include geographical and architectural barriers, lack of social support, lack of transportation, failure on care flow and discontinuities in the communicative process. To deal with these challenges, the following strategies were mentioned: implementation of electronic medical records and formulation of specific forums for debate and articulation of actions, among others. It is important to notice that these categories are intertwined and that more challenges than strategies to overcome them were pointed out by the participants. Conclusion: There are several challenges for effective HCN from different levels and the construction of strategies needs to be convened among all persons involved in the HCN

  14. WikiBuild: A New Application to Support Patient and Health Care Professional Involvement in the Development of Patient Support Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Active patient and public involvement as partners in their own health care and in the development of health services is key to achieving a health care system that is responsive to patients’ needs and values. It promotes better use of the health care system, and improves health outcomes, quality of life and patient satisfaction. By involving patients and health care professionals as partners in the creation and updating of patient health support tools, wikis—highly accessible, interactive vehicles of communication—have the potential to empower users to implement these support tools in daily life. Acknowledging the potential of wikis, and recognizing that they capitalize on the free and open access to information, scientists, opinion leaders and patient advocates have suggested that wikis could help decision-making constituencies improve the delivery of health care. They might also decrease its cost and improve access to knowledge within developing countries. However, little is known about the efficacy of wikis in helping to attain these goals. There is also a need to know more about the intention of patients and health care workers to use wikis, in what circumstances and what factors will influence their use of wikis. In this issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Gupta et al describe how they developed and tested a new wiki-inspired application to improve asthma care. The researchers involved patients with asthma, primary care physicians, pulmonologists and certified asthma educators in the construction of an asthma action plan. Their paper—entitled “WikiBuild: a new online collaboration process for multistakeholder tool development and consensus building”—is the first description of a wiki-inspired technology built to involve patients and health care professionals in the development of a patient support tool. This innovative study has made important contributions toward how wikis could be generalized to involve multiple stakeholders in

  15. Decision Support System for Hepatitis Disease Diagnosis using Bayesian Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shamshad Lakho

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Medical judgments are tough and challenging as the decisions are often based on the deficient and ambiguous information. Moreover, the result of decision process has direct effects on human lives. The act of human decision declines in emergency situations due to the complication, time limit, and high risks. Therefore, provision of medical diagnosis plays a dynamic role, specifically in the preliminary stage when a physician has limited diagnosis experience and identifies the directions to be taken for the treatment process. Computerized Decision Support Systems have brought a revolution in the medical diagnosis. These automatic systems support the diagnosticians in the course of diagnosis. The major role of Decision Support Systems is to support the medical personnel in decision-making procedures regarding disease diagnosis and treatment recommendation. The proposed system provides easy support in Hepatitis disease recognition. The system is developed using the Bayesian network model. The physician provides the input to the system in the form of symptoms stated by the patient. These signs and symptoms match with the casual relationships present in the knowledge model. The Bayesian network infers conclusion from the knowledge model and calculates the probability of occurrence of Hepatitis B, C and D disorders.

  16. In the Round: Supporting Teachers' Authentic Professional Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strand, Matt

    2013-01-01

    This is a study of teachers' authentic professional learning at a public school in Poudre School District in northern Colorado. At Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, teachers and administrators have developed a form of school-based instructional rounds referred to herein as PLC rounds (professional learning community rounds). In PLC rounds,…

  17. The role of trait emotional intelligence in predicting networking behavior

    OpenAIRE

    Teresa Torres-Coronas; María-Arántzazu Vidal-Blasco

    2017-01-01

    Objective – The purpose of this paper is to obtain evidence of the relation between entrepreneur proactive networking behavior and trait emotional intelligence to support transition towards entrepreneurial careers. Design/methodology/approach – The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short form (TEIQue-SF), developed by Cooper and Petrides (2010), was used to test hypotheses on the factors that define a proactive use of a professional network and their relationship with the indivi...

  18. Predictors of change in social networks, support and satisfaction following a first episode psychosis: A cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renwick, Laoise; Owens, Liz; Lyne, John; O'Donoghue, Brian; Roche, Eric; Drennan, Jonathan; Sheridan, Ann; Pilling, Mark; O'Callaghan, Eadbhard; Clarke, Mary

    2017-11-01

    Diminished social networks are common in psychosis but few studies have measured these comprehensively and prospectively to determine how networks and support evolve during the early phase. There is little information regarding perceived support in the early phase of illness. The aim of this study was to describe social support, networks and perceived satisfaction, explore the clinical correlates of these outcomes and examine whether phases of untreated psychosis are linked with social network variables to determine potential opportunities for intervention. During the study period, we assessed 222 people with first-episode psychosis at entry into treatment using valid and reliable measures of diagnosis, positive and negative symptoms, periods of untreated psychosis and prodrome and premorbid adjustment. For follow-up we contacted participants to conduct a second assessment (n=158). There were 97 people who participated which represented 61% of those eligible. Social network and support information obtained at both time points included the number of friends, self-reported satisfaction with support and social network size and clinician's evaluation of the degree of support received through networks. Mixed effects modelling determined the contribution of potential explanatory variables to social support measured. A number of clinical variables were linked with social networks, support and perceived support and satisfaction. The size of networks did not change over time but those with no friends and duration of untreated psychosis was significantly longer for those with no friends at entry into treatment (n=129, Median=24.5mths, IQR=7.25-69.25; Mann-Whitney U=11.78, p=0.008). Social support at baseline and at one year was predicted by homelessness (t=-2.98, p=0.001, CI -4.74 to -1.21), duration of untreated psychosis (t=-0.86, p=0.031, CI -1.65 to -0.08) and premorbid adjustment (t=-2.26, p=0.017, CI -4.11 to -0.42). Social support improved over time but the duration

  19. Developing electricity distribution networks and their regulation to support sustainable energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaw, Rita; Attree, Mike; Jackson, Tim

    2010-01-01

    A more sustainable energy system will alter the current patterns of electricity demand and generation. This means technical, commercial and regulatory change for electricity network systems such as distribution networks. This paper traces the links in Great Britain between changes in energy policy since privatisation, changes in the objectives of the electricity regulator and changes in the objectives of the distribution networks and their owners, the distribution network operators (DNOs). The paper identifies tensions in regulatory policy and suggests reforms to the regulatory framework to support a lower-carbon future. DNOs are licensed regional infrastructure providers. In addition to their network services, the network companies can potentially deliver public policy objectives to facilitate heat infrastructure, energy-efficiency and distributed renewables. The paper identifies the potential benefits of a novel approach to facilitating renewable energy feed-in tariffs for electricity and heat, using DNOs.

  20. Social networks, time homeless, and social support: A study of men on Skid Row.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Harold D; Tucker, Joan S; Golinelli, Daniela; Wenzel, Suzanne L

    2013-12-18

    Homeless men are frequently unsheltered and isolated, disconnected from supportive organizations and individuals. However, little research has investigated these men's social networks. We investigate the structure and composition of homeless men's social networks, vis-a-vis short- and long-term homelessness with a sample of men drawn randomly from meal lines on Skid Row in Los Angeles. Men continuously homeless for the past six months display networks composed of riskier members when compared to men intermittently homeless during that time. Men who report chronic, long-term homelessness display greater social network fragmentation when compared to non-chronically homeless men. While intermittent homelessness affects network composition in ways that may be addressable with existing interventions, chronic homelessness fragments networks, which may be more difficult to address with those interventions. These findings have implications for access to social support from network members which, in turn, impacts the resources homeless men require from other sources such as the government or NGOs.

  1. Fracture Network Modeling and GoldSim Simulation Support

    OpenAIRE

    杉田 健一郎; Dershowiz, W.

    2003-01-01

    During Heisei-14, Golder Associates provided support for JNC Tokai through data analysis and simulation of the MIU Underground Rock Laboratory, participation in Task 6 of the Aspo Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport, and analysis of repository safety assessment technologies including cell networks for evaluation of the disturbed rock zone (DRZ) and total systems performance assessment (TSPA).

  2. A cognitive framework to inform the design of professional development supporting teachers' classroom assessment of inquiry-based science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matese, Gabrielle

    Inquiry-based science places new demands on teachers for assessing students' growth, both of deep conceptual understanding as well as developing inquiry skills. In addition, new ideas about classroom assessment, such as the importance of formative assessment, are gaining currency. While we have ideas about what classroom assessment consistent with inquiry-based pedagogy might look like, and why it is necessary, we have little understanding of what it takes to implement it. That teachers face a challenge in doing so is well-documented. Researchers have noted that teachers attempting changes in classroom assessment often bring with them incompatible beliefs, knowledge, and practices. However, noting general incompatibility is insufficient to support addressing these issues through professional development. In response to this need, I initiated a research project to identify and describe in more detail the categories of beliefs, knowledge and skills that play an important role in inquiry-based science assessment practices. I created an assessment framework outlining specific categories of beliefs, knowledge, and skills affecting particular classroom assessment practices. I then used the framework to examine teachers' classroom assessment practices and to create comparative cases between three middle-school science teachers, highlighting how the different cognitive factors affect four particular assessment practices. The comparative cases demonstrate the framework's utility for analyzing and explicating teacher assessment practices. As a tool for analyzing and understanding teacher practice, the framework supports the design of professional development. To demonstrate the value of the framework, I draw on the comparative cases to identify implications for the design of professional development to support teachers' classroom assessment of inquiry-based science. In this dissertation I provide a brief overview of the framework and its rationale, present an example of the

  3. Use of social networking websites as a care instrument for hospitalized adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camila Amaral Borghi

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective: This study aimed to understand how social networking websites are used by adolescents and their importance during the hospitalization process. Method: A descriptive and qualitative study was supported by the virtual ethnographic method and resorted to the symbolic interactionism as theoretical framework. Eleven hospitalized adolescents were interviewed. Results: Three categories were identified based on the analysis of interviews and posts: Being able to use social networking websites during hospitalization; Using the Facebook® chat to keep connected to friends; Seeking support from friends through social networking websites. Final considerations: Facebook® was the social networking website that adolescents used the most, standing out as an important form of entertainment during hospitalization that facilitates communication and social support. Healthcare professionals should value the use of social networking websites by hospitalized adolescents and encourage access to these tools, providing hospital resources to expand and facilitate this access.

  4. Skillrank: Towards a Hybrid Method to Assess Quality and Confidence of Professional Skills in Social Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose María Álvarez-Rodríguez

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The present paper introduces a hybrid technique to measure the expertise of users by analyzing their profiles and activities in social networks. Currently, both job seekers and talent hunters are looking for new and innovative techniques to filter jobs and candidates where candidates are trying to improve and make their profiles more attractive. In this sense, the Skillrank approach is based on the conjunction of existing and well-known information and expertise retrieval techniques that perfectly fit the existing web and social media environment to deliver an intelligent component to integrate the user context in the analysis of skills confidence. A major outcome of this approach is that it actually takes advantage of existing data and information available on the web to perform both a ranked list of experts in a field and a confidence value for every professional skill. Thus, expertise and experts can be detected, verified, and ranked using a suited trust metric. An experiment to validate the Skillrank technique based on precision and recall metrics is also presented using two different datasets: (1 ad hoc created using real data from a professional social network and (2 real data extracted from the LinkedIn API.

  5. Networking Ethics: A Survey of Bioethics Networks Across the U.S.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fausett, Jennifer Kleiner; Gilmore-Szott, Eleanor; Hester, D Micah

    2016-06-01

    Ethics networks have emerged over the last few decades as a mechanism for individuals and institutions over various regions, cities and states to converge on healthcare-related ethical issues. However, little is known about the development and nature of such networks. In an effort to fill the gap in the knowledge about such networks, a survey was conducted that evaluated the organizational structure, missions and functions, as well as the outcomes/products of ethics networks across the country. Eighteen established bioethics networks were identified via consensus of three search processes and were approached for participation. The participants completed a survey developed for the purposes of this study and distributed via SurveyMonkey. Responses were obtained from 10 of the 18 identified and approached networks regarding topic areas of: Network Composition and Catchment Areas; Network Funding and Expenses; Personnel; Services; and Missions and Accomplishments. Bioethics networks are designed primarily to bring ethics education and support to professionals and hospitals. They do so over specifically defined areas-states, regions, or communities-and each is concerned about how to stay financially healthy. At the same time, the networks work off different organizational models, either as stand-alone organizations or as entities within existing organizational structures.

  6. Network Financial Support and Conflict as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms among a Highly Disadvantaged Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knowlton, Amy R.; Latkin, Carl A.

    2007-01-01

    The study examined multiple dimensions of social support as predictors of depressive symptoms among a highly vulnerable population. Social network analysis was used to assess perceived and enacted dimensions of support (emotional, financial, instrumental), network conflict, closeness, and composition. Participants were 393 current and former…

  7. Informal support networks of low-income senior women living alone: evidence from Fort St. John, BC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryser, Laura; Halseth, Greg

    2011-01-01

    Within the context of an aging Canadian rural and small-town landscape, there is a growing trend of low-income senior women living alone. While there is a perception that rural seniors have well-developed social networks to meet their daily needs, some research suggests that economic and social restructuring processes have impacted the stability of seniors' support networks in small places. While much of the research on seniors' informal networks focuses upon small towns in decline, booming resource economies can also produce challenges for low-income senior women living alone due to both a higher cost of living and the retrenchment of government and service supports. Under such circumstances, an absence of informal supports can impact seniors' health and quality of life and may lead to premature institutionalization. Drawing upon a household survey in Fort St. John, British Columbia, we explore informal supports used by low-income senior women living alone in this different context of the Canadian landscape. Our findings indicate that these women not only have a support network that is comparable to other groups, but that they are also more likely to draw upon such supports to meet their independent-living needs. These women rely heavily on family support, however, and greater efforts are needed to diversify both their formal and informal sources of support as small family networks can quickly become overwhelmed.

  8. Social networks, work and network-based resources for the management of long-term conditions: a framework and study protocol for developing self-care support

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kapadia Dharmi

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Increasing the effective targeting and promotion of self-care support for long-term conditions requires more of a focus on patient contexts and networks. The aim of this paper is to describe how within a programme of research and implementation, social networks are viewed as being centrally involved in the mobilisation and deployment of resources in the management of a chronic condition. This forms the basis of a novel approach to understanding, designing, and implementing new forms of self-management support. Methods Drawing on evidence syntheses about social networks and capital and the role of information in self-management, we build on four conceptual approaches to inform the design of our research on the implementation of self-care support for people with long-term conditions. Our approach takes into consideration the form and content of social networks, notions of chronic illness work, normalisation process theory (NPT, and the whole systems informing self-management engagement (WISE approach to self-care support. Discussion The translation and implementation of a self-care agenda in contemporary health and social context needs to acknowledge and incorporate the resources and networks operating in patients' domestic and social environments and everyday lives. The latter compliments the focus on healthcare settings for developing and delivering self-care support by viewing communities and networks, as well as people suffering from long-term conditions, as a key means of support for managing long-term conditions. By focusing on patient work and social-network provision, our aim is to open up a second frontier in implementation research, to translate knowledge into better chronic illness management, and to shift the emphasis towards support that takes place outside formal health services.

  9. Applied data communications and networks

    CERN Document Server

    Buchanan, W

    1996-01-01

    The usage of data communications and computer networks are ever in­ creasing. It is one of the few technological areas which brings benefits to most of the countries and the peoples of the world. Without it many industries could not exist. It is the objective of this book to discuss data communications in a readable form that students and professionals all over the world can understand. As much as possible the text uses dia­ grams to illustrate key points. Most currently available data communications books take their view­ point from either a computer scientists top-down approach or from an electronic engineers bottom-up approach. This book takes a practical ap­ proach and supports it with a theoretical background to create a textbook which can be used by electronic engineers, computer engineers, computer scientists and industry professionals. It discusses most of the current and future key data communications technologies, including: • Data Communications Standards and Models; • Local Area Networks (...

  10. Does Artificial Neural Network Support Connectivism's Assumptions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    AlDahdouh, Alaa A.

    2017-01-01

    Connectivism was presented as a learning theory for the digital age and connectivists claim that recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and, more specifically, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) support their assumptions of knowledge connectivity. Yet, very little has been done to investigate this brave allegation. Does the advancement…

  11. Supporting Control Room Operators in Highly Automated Future Power Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Minjiang; Catterson, Victoria; Syed, Mazheruddin

    2017-01-01

    Operating power systems is an extremely challenging task, not least because power systems have become highly interconnected, as well as the range of network issues that can occur. It is therefore a necessity to develop decision support systems and visualisation that can effectively support the hu...... the human operators for decisionmaking in the complex and dynamic environment of future highly automated power system. This paper aims to investigate the decision support functions associated with frequency deviation events for the proposed Web of Cells concept....

  12. Size of the social network versus quality of social support: which is more protective against PTSD?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, Jonathan; Keyes, Katherine M; Koenen, Karestan C

    2014-08-01

    Supportive social networks are important to the post-traumatic response process. However, the effects of social network structure may be distinct from the perceived function of those networks. The present study examined the relative importance of role diversity and perceived strength of social support in mitigating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Data were drawn from respondents who report lifetime potentially traumatic events in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 31,650). The Social Network Index (SNI) was used to measure the diversity of social connections. The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12) was used to measure the perceived availability of social support within the network. Odds of current PTSD were compared among individuals representing four dichotomous types of social support: high diversity/high perceived strength, high diversity/low perceived strength, low diversity/high perceived strength, and low diversity/low perceived strength to examine which type of support is more protective against PTSD. Unadjusted odds of PTSD were 1.59 (95 % CI 1.39-1.82) for those with low versus high perceived support strength, and 1.10 (0.94-1.28) among those with non-diverse versus diverse social networks. Compared to the reference group (high diversity/high perceived strength), the adjusted odds of current PTSD were higher for two groups: low diversity/low perceived strength (OR = 1.62; 1.33-1.99), and low diversity/high perceived strength (OR = 1.57; 1.3-1.91). The high diversity/low perceived strength group had no greater odds of PTSD (OR = 1.02; 0.81-1.28). The diversity of a social network is potentially more protective against PTSD than the perception of strong social support. This suggests that programs, which engage individuals in social groups and activities may effectively attenuate the risk of PTSD. A better understanding of how these networks operate with respect to PTSD prevention and mitigation holds

  13. Network and social support in family care of children with diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pennafort, Viviane Peixoto Dos Santos; Queiroz, Maria Veraci Oliveira; Nascimento, Lucila Castanheira; Guedes, Maria Vilani Cavalcante

    2016-01-01

    to understand the influence of network and social support in the care of a child with type 1 diabetes. qualitative study, with assumptions of ethnonursing, conducted in a reference service specialized in the treatment of diabetes, in 2014, in the city of Fortaleza, state of Ceará, Brazil. Twenty-six members of the family and their respective school children participated in the study. The process of collection and analysis followed the observation-participation-reflection model. the analytical categories showed that the social network in the care of children with diabetes helped sharing of information and experiences, moments of relaxation and aid in the acquisition of supplies for treatment, with positive repercussions in the family context, generating well-being and confidence in the care of children with diabetes. the cultural care provided by nurses strengthens the network and social support because it encourages autonomy in the promotion of the quality of life of children with type 1 diabetes and their families.

  14. Understanding veterinary students' use of and attitudes toward the social networking site, Facebook, to assist in developing curricula to address online professionalism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coe, Jason B; Weijs, Cynthia A; Muise, Amy; Christofides, Emily; Desmarais, Serge

    2012-01-01

    Social media is an increasingly common form of communication, with Facebook being the preferred social-networking site among post-secondary students. Numerous studies suggest post-secondary students practice high self-disclosure on Facebook. Research evaluating veterinary students' use of social media found a notable proportion of student-posted content deemed inappropriate. Lack of discretion in posting content can have significant repercussions for aspiring veterinary professionals, their college of study, and the veterinary profession they represent. Veterinarians-in-training at three veterinary colleges across Canada were surveyed to explore their use of and attitude toward the social networking site, Facebook. Students were invited to complete an online survey with questions relating to their knowledge of privacy in relation to using Facebook, their views on the acceptability of posting certain types of information, and their level of professional accountability online. Linear regression modeling was used to further examine factors related to veterinary students' disclosure of personal information on Facebook. Need for popularity (pFacebook. Understanding veterinary students' use of and attitudes toward social media, such as Facebook, reveals a need, and provides a basis, for developing educational programs to address online professionalism. Educators and administrators at veterinary schools may use this information to assist in developing veterinary curricula that addresses the escalating issue of online professionalism.

  15. Are rural health professionals also social entrepreneurs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farmer, Jane; Kilpatrick, Sue

    2009-12-01

    Social entrepreneurs formally or informally generate community associations and networking that produces social outcomes. Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new and poorly understood concept. Policy promotes generating community activity, particularly in rural areas, for health and social benefits and 'community resilience'. Rural health professionals might be well placed to generate community activity due to their status and networks. This exploratory study, conducted in rural Tasmania and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland considered whether rural health professionals act as social entrepreneurs. We investigated activities generated and processes of production. Thirty-eight interviews were conducted with general practitioners, community nurses, primary healthcare managers and allied health professionals living and working rurally. Interviewees were self-selecting responders to an invitation for rural health professionals who were 'formally or informally generating community associations or networking that produced social outcomes'. We found that rural health professionals initiated many community activities with social outcomes, most related to health. Their identification of opportunities related to knowledge of health needs and examples of initiatives seen elsewhere. Health professionals described ready access to useful people and financial resources. In building activities, health professionals could simultaneously utilise skills and knowledge from professional, community member and personal dimensions. Outcomes included social and health benefits, personal 'buzz' and community capacity. Health professionals' actions could be described as social entrepreneurship: identifying opportunities, utilising resources and making 'deals'. They also align with community development. Health professionals use contextual knowledge to envisage and grow activities, indicating that, as social entrepreneurs, they do not explicitly choose a social mission, rather they

  16. After a Cesarean…What's a Birth Professional to Do?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Desirre; Humphries, Gretchen

    2010-01-01

    The discrepancy between the evidence supporting vaginal birth after cesarean and actual medical practice illuminates the larger issues of evidence-based care versus current obstetrical practice. Although the reasons for the disconnect between what we know to be healthy birth practices and what women actually experience are multiple and complex, a commitment to providing accurate education, truly client-centered support, and active patient advocacy will give women the ability to insist on best practice care for themselves and their babies. The International Cesarean Awareness Network believes that all childbirth professionals and advocates share a responsibility to promote change and must work together to be effective. PMID:21358830

  17. Developing electricity distribution networks and their regulation to support sustainable energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shaw, Rita; Attree, Mike [Electricity North West Ltd., 304 Bridgewater Place, Birchwood, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6XG (United Kingdom); Jackson, Tim [RESOLVE, Centre for Environmental Strategy D3, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)

    2010-10-15

    A more sustainable energy system will alter the current patterns of electricity demand and generation. This means technical, commercial and regulatory change for electricity network systems such as distribution networks. This paper traces the links in Great Britain between changes in energy policy since privatisation, changes in the objectives of the electricity regulator and changes in the objectives of the distribution networks and their owners, the distribution network operators (DNOs). The paper identifies tensions in regulatory policy and suggests reforms to the regulatory framework to support a lower-carbon future. DNOs are licensed regional infrastructure providers. In addition to their network services, the network companies can potentially deliver public policy objectives to facilitate heat infrastructure, energy-efficiency and distributed renewables. The paper identifies the potential benefits of a novel approach to facilitating renewable energy feed-in tariffs for electricity and heat, using DNOs. (author)

  18. Source and Size of Social Support Network on Sedentary Behavior Among Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loprinzi, Paul D; Crush, Elizabeth A

    2018-01-01

    To examine the association of source of social support and size of social support network on sedentary behavior among older adults. Cross-sectional. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003 to 2006. 2519 older adults (60+ years). Sedentary behavior was assessed via accelerometry over a 7-day period. Social support was assessed via self-report. Sources evaluated include spouse, son, daughter, sibling, neighbor, church member, and friend. Regarding size of social network, participants were asked, "In general, how many close friends do you have?" Multivariable linear regression. After adjustment, there was no evidence of an association between the size of social support network and sedentary behavior. With regard to specific sources of social support, spousal social support was associated with less sedentary behavior (β = -11.6; 95% confidence interval: -20.7 to -2.5), with evidence to suggest that this was only true for men. Further, an inverse association was observed between household size and sedentary behavior, with those having a greater number of individuals in the house having lower levels of sedentary behavior. These associations occurred independent of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, age, gender, race-ethnicity, measured body mass index, total cholesterol, self-reported smoking status, and physician diagnosis of congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension, or diabetes. Spouse-specific emotion-related social support (particularly for men) and household size were associated with less sedentary behavior.

  19. Social networks and social support for healthy eating among Latina breast cancer survivors: implications for social and behavioral interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crookes, Danielle M; Shelton, Rachel C; Tehranifar, Parisa; Aycinena, Corina; Gaffney, Ann Ogden; Koch, Pam; Contento, Isobel R; Greenlee, Heather

    2016-04-01

    Little is known about Latina breast cancer survivors' social networks or their perceived social support to achieve and maintain a healthy diet. This paper describes the social networks and perceived support for healthy eating in a sample of breast cancer survivors of predominantly Dominican descent living in New York City. Spanish-speaking Latina breast cancer survivors enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a culturally tailored dietary intervention. Social networks were assessed using Cohen's Social Network Index and a modified General Social Survey Social Networks Module that included assessments of shared health promoting behaviors. Perceived social support from family and friends for healthy, food-related behaviors was assessed. Participants' networks consisted predominantly of family and friends. Family members were more likely than other individuals to be identified as close network members. Participants were more likely to share food-related activities than exercise activities with close network members. Perceived social support for healthy eating was high, although perceived support from spouses and children was higher than support from friends. Despite high levels of perceived support, family was also identified as a barrier to eating healthy foods by nearly half of women. Although friends are part of Latina breast cancer survivors' social networks, spouses and children may provide greater support for healthy eating than friends. Involving family members in dietary interventions for Latina breast cancer survivors may tap into positive sources of support for women, which could facilitate uptake and maintenance of healthy eating behaviors.

  20. Modelling intentions to provide smoking cessation support among mental health professionals in the Netherlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blankers, Matthijs; Buisman, Renate; Hopman, Petra; van Gool, Ronald; van Laar, Margriet

    2016-01-01

    Tobacco use prevalence is elevated among people with mental illnesses, leading to elevated rates of premature smoking-related mortality. Opportunities to encourage smoking cessation among them are currently underused by mental health professionals. In this paper, we aim to explore mechanisms to invigorate professionals' intentions to help patients stop smoking. Data stem from a recent staff survey on the provision of smoking cessation support to patients with mental illnesses in the Netherlands. Items and underlying constructs were based on the theory of planned behaviour and literature on habitual behaviour. Data were weighted and only data from staff members with regular patient contact (n = 506) were included. Descriptive statistics of the survey items are presented and in a second step using structural equation modelling (SEM), we regressed the latent variables attitudes, subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioural control (PBC), past cessation support behaviour (PB) and current smoking behaviour on intentions to provide support. In optimisation steps, models comprising a subset of this initial model were evaluated. A sample of 506 mental health workers who had direct contact with patients completed the survey. The majority of them were females (70.0 %), respondents had an average age of 42.5 years (SD = 12.0). Seventy-five percent had at least a BSc educational background. Of the respondents, 76 % indicated that patients should be encouraged more to quit smoking. Respondents were supportive to train their direct colleagues to provide cessation support more often (71 %) and also supported the involvement of mental health care facilities in providing cessation support to patients (69 %). The majority of the respondents feels capable to provide cessation support (66 %). Two thirds of the respondents wants to provide support, however only a minority (35 %) intends to actually do so during the coming year. Next, using SEM an acceptable fit was

  1. [Evaluation of the Health Observatory of Asturias (Spain): web and social network metrics and health professionals' opinions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casajuana Kögel, Cristina; Cofiño, Rafael; López, María José

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the Health Observatory of Asturias (Observatorio de Salud de Asturias [OBSA]), which collects and disseminates health data from Asturias through a website and social networks. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2012 and 2013. The study included a process evaluation that analyzed the reach of the OBSA's website, Facebook and Twitter accounts through web metrics and the use made by health professionals in Asturias of these media. Satisfaction was assessed through an online questionnaire. To estimate the potential effects of the OBSA, the study also included an evaluation of the results with a non-experimental design. The total number of visits to the website increased in 2012, with more than 37,000 visits. The questionnaire (n=43) showed that 72.1% of the health professionals knew of the OBSA and that 81.5% of them had used it. Most health professionals reported they were satisfied with the OBSA and believed that it encouraged cooperation among professionals (51.6%). The OBSA is known and consulted by most health professionals and is achieving some of its main objectives: to inform health staff and stimulate discussion. According to the results, information and communication technologies could play an important role in the presentation of health data in a more interactive and accessible way. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  2. Online Academic Networks as Knowledge Brokers: The Mediating Role of Organizational Support

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena-Mădălina Vătămănescu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Placing online academic networks in the framework of social, cultural and institutional “deterritorialization,” the current paper aims at investigating the functionality of these new forms of transnational and trans-organizational aggregations as knowledge brokers. The emphasis is laid on the influence of human collective intelligence and consistent knowledge flows on research innovation, considering the role of organizational support within higher education systems. In this respect, the research relied on a questionnaire-based survey with 140 academics from European emerging countries, the data collected being processed via a partial least squares structural equation modelling technique. Evidence was brought that, as knowledge brokers, online academic networks are systems aimed to support the access to human collective intelligence and consistent knowledge flows which exert a positive influence on research innovation, both directly and indirectly, by means of formal and informal organizational support. As facilitators of collaborative environments for individuals with specialized knowledge, competence, expertise and experience, online academic networks have set themselves up as an agora for academics worldwide and as an outlet for their acumen and literacy.

  3. Ethical Formation in Professional, Scientific and Technological Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinícius Bozzano Nunes

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The mismatch between technological development and human development is evident in the Federal Network of Professional, Scientific and Technological Education, making ethical formation an important point of discussion in this context. This article shows results of research that investigates how this education is represented in the speech of the pedagogical managers of the Network. From the data, the emphasis is on disciplinary approaches and professional or professionalizing representations of business and neoliberal ethics. It is concluded that the morality theme should integrate the debates about Professional Education, reconciling the technical and human dimensions of formation and thus guiding the educational process toward emancipatory.

  4. Making the GeoConnection: Web 2.0-based support for early-career geoscientists (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, C. M.; Gonzales, L. M.; Keane, C. M.

    2010-12-01

    The US Bureau of Labor estimates that there will be an 18% increase in geoscience jobs between 2008 and 2018 in the United States, and demand for geoscientists is expected to rise worldwide as scientists tackle global challenges related to resources, hazards and climate. At the same time, the geoscience workforce is aging, with approximately half of the current workforce reaching retirement age within the next 10-15 years. A new generation of geoscientists must be ready to take the reins. To support this new generation, AGI’s geoscience workforce outreach programs were designed to help retain geoscience students through their degree programs and into careers in the field. These resources include support for early-career professional development and career planning. AGI’s GeoConnection Network for the Geosciences provides a venue for informal dissemination of career information and professional resources. The network links Web 2.0 platforms, including a Facebook page, YouTube Channel and Twitter feed, to build a robust geoscience community of geoscientists at all stages of their careers. Early-career geoscientists can participate in GeoConnection to network with other scientists, and to receive information about professional development and job opportunities. Through GeoConnection packets, students can join professional societies which will assist their transition from school to the workplace. AGI’s member societies provide professional development course work, field trips, career services, interviewing opportunities, and community meetings. As part of the GeoConnection Network, AGI hosts informational webinars to highlight new workforce data, discuss current affairs in the geosciences, and to provide information about geoscience careers. Between December 2009 and August 2010, AGI hosted 10 webinars, with more than 300 total participants for all the webinars, and 5 additional webinars are planned for the remainder of the year. The webinars offer early

  5. Quality of Service in Networks Supporting Cultural Multimedia Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanellopoulos, Dimitris N.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to provide an overview of representative multimedia applications in the cultural heritage sector, as well as research results on quality of service (QoS) mechanisms in internet protocol (IP) networks that support such applications. Design/methodology/approach: The paper's approach is a literature review. Findings: Cultural…

  6. Characteristics of a self-management support programme applicable in primary health care: a qualitative study of users' and health professionals' perceptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solberg, Hilde Strøm; Steinsbekk, Aslak; Solbjør, Marit; Granbo, Randi; Garåsen, Helge

    2014-11-08

    Development of more self-management support programmes in primary health care has been one option used to enhance positive outcomes in chronic disease management. At present, research results provide no consensus on what would be the best way to develop support programmes into new settings. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore users' and health professionals' perceptions of what would be the vital elements in a self - management support programme applicable in primary health care, how to account for them, and why. Four qualitative, semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted in Central Norway. The informants possessed experience in development, provision, or participation in a self-management support programme. Data was analysed by the Systematic Text Condensation method. The results showed an overall positive expectation to the potential benefits of development of a self-management support programme in primary health care. Despite somewhat different arguments and perspectives, the users and the health professionals had a joint agreement on core characteristics; a self-management support programme in primary health care should therefore be generic, not disease specific, and delivered in a group- based format. A special focus should be on the everyday- life of the participants. The most challenging aspect was a present lack of competence and experience among health professionals to moderate self-management support programmes. The development and design of a relevant and applicable self-management support programme in primary health care should balance the interests of the users with the possibilities and constraints within each municipality. It would be vital to benefit from the closeness of the patients' every-day life situations. The user informants' perception of a self-management support programme as a supplement to regular medical treatment represented an expanded understanding of the self-management support concept. An exploring

  7. A Team Formation and Project-based Learning Support Service for Social Learning Networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spoelstra, Howard; Van Rosmalen, Peter; Van de Vrie, Evert; Obreza, Matija; Sloep, Peter

    2014-01-01

    The Internet affords new approaches to learning. Geographically dispersed self-directed learners can learn in computer-supported communities, forming social learning networks. However, self-directed learners can suffer from a lack of continuous motivation. And surprisingly, social learning networks

  8. Teacher Agency in Educational Reform: Lessons from Social Networks Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datnow, Amanda

    2012-01-01

    This article provides a context for understanding how social networks among teachers support or constrain school improvement in terms of instructional practice, professional development, and educational reform. It comments on the articles in this special issue, summarizing their contributions to the field. This analysis reveals several important…

  9. Professional and Educational Initiatives, Supports, and Opportunities for Advanced Training in Public Health

    OpenAIRE

    Truong, Hoai-An; Patterson, Brooke Y.

    2010-01-01

    The United States is facing a public health workforce shortage and pharmacists have the opportunity and obligation to address this challenge in health care. There have been initiatives and supports from within and beyond the profession for the pharmacist's role in public health. This article identifies existing professional and educational initiatives for the pharmacist's expanded role in public health, as well as postgraduate and other advanced educational opportunities in public health. Rec...

  10. Combining morphological analysis and Bayesian Networks for strategic decision support

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    De Waal, AJ

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Morphological analysis (MA) and Bayesian networks (BN) are two closely related modelling methods, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages for strategic decision support modelling. MA is a method for defining, linking and evaluating...

  11. Discursive Deployments: Mobilizing Support for Municipal and Community Wireless Networks in the U.S.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alvarez, Rosio; Rodriguez, Juana Maria

    2008-08-16

    This paper examines Municipal Wireless (MW) deployments in the United States. In particular, the interest is in understanding how discourse has worked to mobilize widespread support for MW networks. We explore how local governments discursively deploy the language of social movements to create a shared understanding of the networking needs of communities. Through the process of"framing" local governments assign meaning to the MW networks in ways intended to mobilize support anddemobilize opposition. The mobilizing potential of a frame varies and is dependent on its centrality and cultural resonance. We examine the framing efforts of MW networks by using a sample of Request for Proposals for community wireless networks, semi-structured interviews and local media sources. Prominent values that are central to a majority of the projects and others that are culturally specific are identified and analyzed for their mobilizing potency.

  12. Establishing oral health promoting behaviours in children - parents' views on barriers, facilitators and professional support: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duijster, Denise; de Jong-Lenters, Maddelon; Verrips, Erik; van Loveren, Cor

    2015-12-10

    The prevention of childhood dental caries relies on adherence to key behaviours, including twice daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste and reducing the consumption of sugary foods and drinks. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore parents' perceptions of barriers and facilitators that influence these oral health behaviours in children. A further objective was to explore parents' views on limitations and opportunities for professional support to promote children's oral health. Six focus group interviews were conducted, including a total of 39 parents of 7-year old children, who were recruited from paediatric dental centres in The Netherlands. Interviews were held with Dutch parents of low and high socioeconomic status and parents from Turkish and Moroccan origin. Focus group interviews were conducted on the basis of a pre-tested semi-structured interview guide and topic list. Content analysis was employed to analyse the data. Analysis of interview transcripts identified many influences on children's oral health behaviours, operating at child, family and community levels. Perceived influences on children's tooth brushing behaviour were primarily located within the direct family environment, including parental knowledge, perceived importance and parental confidence in tooth brushing, locus of control, role modelling, parental monitoring and supervision, parenting strategies and tooth brushing routines and habituation. The consumption of sugary foods and drinks was influenced by both the direct family environment and factors external to the family, including the school, the social environment, commercials and television, supermarkets and affordability of foods. Parents raised several suggestions for professional oral health support, which included the provision of clear and consistent oral health information using a positive approach, dietary regulations at school and a multidisciplinary approach among dental professionals, child health centres and

  13. Using ELECTRE TRI to support maintenance of water distribution networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flavio Trojan

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Problems encountered in the context of the maintenance management of water supply are evidenced by the lack of decision support models which gives a manager overview of the system. This paper, therefore, develops a model that uses, in its framework, the multicriteria outranking method ELECTRE TRI. The objective is to sort the areas of water flow measurement of a water distribution network, by priority of maintenance, with data collected from an automated system of abnormalities detection. This sorting is designed to support maintenance decisions in terms of the measure more appropriate to be applied per region. To illustrate the proposed model, an application was performed in a city with 100 thousand water connections. With this model it becomes possible to improve the allocation of maintenance measures for regions and mainly to improve the operation of the distribution network.

  14. Social Media Training for Professional Identity Development in Undergraduate Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mather, Carey; Cummings, Elizabeth; Nichols, Linda

    2016-01-01

    The growth of social media use has led to tension affecting the perception of professionalism of nurses in healthcare environments. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore first and final year undergraduate student use of social media to understand how it was utilised by them during their course. Descriptive statistical analysis was undertaken to compare differences between first and final year student use. No difference indicated there was a lack of development in the use of social media, particularly concerning in relation to expanding their professional networks. There is a need for the curriculum to include opportunities to teach student nurses methods to ensure the appropriate and safe use of social media. Overt teaching and modelling of desired behaviour to guide and support the use of social media to positively promote professional identity formation, which is essential for work-readiness at graduation, is necessary.

  15. An Innovative Program to Support Internationally Educated Health Professionals and Their Instructors: Role of the Clinical Practice Facilitator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel, Sylvia; Lee, Annemarie L; Switzer-McIntyre, Sharon; Evans, Cathy

    2016-01-01

    Internationally educated health professionals immigrating to other countries may experience difficulty in clinical practice, due to linguistic and cultural factors. An important element of bridging is the opportunity for internationally educated health professionals to practice in a clinical environment. To support these health professionals and their clinical instructors, a Clinical Practice Facilitator (CPF) role was created. This study aimed to examine the CPF from internationally educated health professionals and clinical instructors' perspective. A quantitative survey was conducted with two cohorts (2013 and 2015) of internationally educated physical therapists and clinical instructors who were asked about the nature of interaction with CPFs, mentor, and education roles and the benefits and challenges of the role. Thirty-five internationally educated physical therapists and 37 clinical instructors participated and were satisfied with the interaction with CPFs via face-to-face or e-mail communication. There was strong agreement (>80%) that the CPF educator role was to facilitate learner's reflection on clinical practice while the mentor role (>70%) was to answer questions, provide feedback, and investigate clinical concerns and conflicts. There was insufficient time for access to CPFs and resolution of learners' learning needs. There were differences (P = 0.04) in perspective on the benefit of the CPF in assisting with cultural differences. An innovative CPF role provided support encouragement, clinical, and professional advice. There were discordant views regarding the benefits of the CPF role in addressing cultural issues, which requires further examination.

  16. Attention supports verbal short-term memory via competition between dorsal and ventral attention networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majerus, Steve; Attout, Lucie; D'Argembeau, Arnaud; Degueldre, Christian; Fias, Wim; Maquet, Pierre; Martinez Perez, Trecy; Stawarczyk, David; Salmon, Eric; Van der Linden, Martial; Phillips, Christophe; Balteau, Evelyne

    2012-05-01

    Interactions between the neural correlates of short-term memory (STM) and attention have been actively studied in the visual STM domain but much less in the verbal STM domain. Here we show that the same attention mechanisms that have been shown to shape the neural networks of visual STM also shape those of verbal STM. Based on previous research in visual STM, we contrasted the involvement of a dorsal attention network centered on the intraparietal sulcus supporting task-related attention and a ventral attention network centered on the temporoparietal junction supporting stimulus-related attention. We observed that, with increasing STM load, the dorsal attention network was activated while the ventral attention network was deactivated, especially during early maintenance. Importantly, activation in the ventral attention network increased in response to task-irrelevant stimuli briefly presented during the maintenance phase of the STM trials but only during low-load STM conditions, which were associated with the lowest levels of activity in the dorsal attention network during encoding and early maintenance. By demonstrating a trade-off between task-related and stimulus-related attention networks during verbal STM, this study highlights the dynamics of attentional processes involved in verbal STM.

  17. Parenthood, information and support on the internet. A literature review of research on parents and professionals online

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daneback Kristian

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this article was to address questions on how parents use the internet to find information and support regarding children, health and family life. Another aim was to find out how professionals use the internet to provide support and information to parents. This was done by a literature review. Methods Articles were searched for in five databases with a search strategy called "building block" approach. Results The review showed that the majority of today's parents search for both information and social support on the internet. However, there are considerable differences due to gender, age and socio-economic differences. First time middle class mothers aged 30–35 are most active in looking up health and parent information on the internet. In the same time, several studies report diminishing class differences on parent web sites. An important reason to the increasing number of parents who turn to the internet for information and interaction has shown to be the weakened support many of today's parents experience from their own parents, relatives and friends. Professionals have recognized the parents' great interest for going online and offer both information and support on the net. Conclusion Many benefits are reported, for example the possibility to reach out to a wider audience and to increase access to organisations without an increase in costs. Other benefits include the possibility for parents to remain anonymous in their contacts with professionals and that parents' perceived need for information can be effectively met around the clock. Interventions for wider groups of parents, such as parent training on the net, are still very rare and more research is needed to evaluate different types of interventions on the net. However, most studies were empirical and lacked theoretical frameworks which leave questions on how we can more fully understand this phenomenon unanswered.

  18. Parents' Perceptions of Professional Support for the Emergent Literacy of Young Children with Visual Impairments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, Susan A.; Luze, Gayle J.; Peterson, Carla

    2009-01-01

    This survey explored the emergent literacy experiences that parents provided for their children with visual impairments, aged 1-8, as well as the parents' perceptions of the professional support that they received to facilitate these activities. The results indicated that the parents and children engaged in reading, singing songs, and writing or…

  19. Design, Implementation and Impact of the MS PHD’S Professional Development Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson Whitney, V.

    2009-12-01

    The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S)® in Earth System Science initiative facilitates the involvement of underrepresented minority undergraduate and graduate Earth system science students in a series of activities designed to: (1) increase exposure to and engagement in the Earth system science community, via participation in scientific conferences, mentoring relationships, virtual activities, and field trips; (2) enhance professional skills, grantsmanship, oral and written communication; (3) provide funding, education and career opportunity resources; (4) facilitate networking opportunities with established researchers and educators; (5) and sustain on-going interaction, communication and support via membership within a virtual community comprised of peers, junior/senior-level researchers, and educators actively involved in facilitating full participation of minorities in the Earth system sciences. These activities, conducted in three phases, occur during professional society meetings, field trips, visits to several federal agencies, and a 'capstone' event at the National Academies. Nearly 150 Earth system science undergraduate, graduate and recent minority graduates have participated in MS PHD’S activities and are better prepared to successfully achieve their academic and professional goals. It is also expected that because of mentor-mentee partnerships, science exposure, and networking activities, MS PHD'S participants will remain actively engaged in their fields of specialization and respective professional societies. Evaluation data for MS PHD’S activities indicate that virtual and face-to-face mentoring, on-site professional development and community-building activities resulted in increased participant exposure to and engagement in the Earth system science professional community and served to better equip student participants to make informed post-baccalaureate academic and professional career decisions.

  20. Experiencing Rights within Positive, Person-Centred Support Networks of People with Intellectual Disability in Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillman, A.; Donelly, M.; Whitaker, L.; Dew, A.; Stancliffe, R. J.; Knox, M.; Shelley, K.; Parmenter, T. R.

    2012-01-01

    Background: This research describes issues related to human rights as they arose within the everyday lives of people in nine personal support networks that included adult Australians with an intellectual disability (ID). Method: The research was part of a wider 3-year ethnographic study of nine personal support networks. A major criterion for…

  1. The impact of peer support in the context of perinatal mental illness: a meta-ethnography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Catriona C G; Jomeen, Julie; Hayter, Mark

    2014-05-01

    this paper is a report of a systematic review and meta-ethnography to explore the impact of peer support in the context of perinatal mental illness (PMI). systematic review methods identified five qualitative studies about women's experiences of PMI, and the impact peer support has on their journey towards emotional well-being. Findings from the identified studies were synthesised into themes, using meta-ethnography. the meta-ethnography produced four themes; 'Isolation: the role of peer support', 'Seeking validation through peer support', 'The importance of social norms of motherhood', and 'Finding affirmation/a way forward; the impact of peer support'. These themes represent women's experiences of PMI, their encounters with peer support groups within that context, and the impact of such encounters on their mental health status. recognising the risk of isolation and having pathways of referral to peer support networks is important, as are practitioners roles in nurturing peer support networks in perinatal care. More research is required to establish the most successful formats/structures of peer support. Practitioners should also recognise their individual and collective professional duty to challenge stereotypical depictions of motherhood wherever they arise, as this 'gold standard' benchmark of good mothering engenders guilt about not being good enough, often leaving women feeling inadequate. isolation is a key factor in PMI. Practitioners should be instrumental in their acceptance and development of peer support for PMI, ensuring these networks are valued, nurtured and encouraged. This study illustrates the powerful effect of professional and social forces on how new mothers feel about themselves. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Social Support Theory: A New Framework for Exploring Gender Differences in Business Owner Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neergaard, Helle

    The paper argues that to advance knowledge about small firm networks and consider the impact of gender, research should also consider the network experiences of women business owners. To engage in such research, this paper proposes a conceptual model of business owner networking which is informed...... by social support theory....

  3. Social Support Networks and HIV/STI Risk Behaviors Among Latino Immigrants in a New Receiving Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Althoff, Meghan D; Theall, Katherine; Schmidt, Norine; Hembling, John; Gebrekristos, Hirut T; Thompson, Michelle M; Muth, Stephen Q; Friedman, Samuel R; Kissinger, Patricia

    2017-12-01

    The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe the quantity and quality of social support networks of Latino immigrants living in a new receiving environment, and (2) determine the role such networks play in their HIV/STI risk behaviors, including substance use. Double incentivized convenience sampling was used to collect egocentric social support network data on 144 Latino immigrants. Latent class analysis was used for data reduction and to identify items best suited to measure quality and quantity of social support. Moderate and high quantity and quality of social support were protective of HIV/STI sexual risk behavior compared to low quantity and quality of support, after adjustment for gender, years in New Orleans and residing with family. Neither measure of social support was associated with binge drinking. The findings suggest that increased quantity and quality of social support decrease HIV/STI sexual risk behaviors but do not influence binge drinking. Interventions that improve the quantity and quality of social support are needed for Latino immigrants.

  4. Evaluation of QoS supported in Network Mobility NEMO environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussien, L F; Abdalla, A H; Habaebi, M H; Khalifa, O O; Hassan, W H

    2013-01-01

    Network mobility basic support (NEMO BS) protocol is an entire network, roaming as a unit which changes its point of attachment to the Internet and consequently its reachability in the network topology. NEMO BS doesn't provide QoS guarantees to its users same as traditional Internet IP and Mobile IPv6 as well. Typically, all the users will have same level of services without considering about their application requirements. This poses a problem to real-time applications that required QoS guarantees. To gain more effective control of the network, incorporated QoS is needed. Within QoS-enabled network the traffic flow can be distributed to various priorities. Also, the network bandwidth and resources can be allocated to different applications and users. Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) working group has proposed several QoS solutions for static network such as IntServ, DiffServ and MPLS. These QoS solutions are designed in the context of a static environment (i.e. fixed hosts and networks). However, they are not fully adapted to mobile environments. They essentially demands to be extended and adjusted to meet up various challenges involved in mobile environments. With existing QoS mechanisms many proposals have been developed to provide QoS for individual mobile nodes (i.e. host mobility). In contrary, research based on the movement of the whole mobile network in IPv6 is still undertaking by the IETF working groups (i.e. network mobility). Few researches have been done in the area of providing QoS for roaming networks. Therefore, this paper aims to review and investigate (previous /and current) related works that have been developed to provide QoS in mobile network. Consequently, a new proposed scheme will be introduced to enhance QoS within NEMO environment, achieving by which seamless mobility to users of mobile network node (MNN)

  5. Use of social network to support visually impaired people: A Facebook case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gustavo Miranda Caran

    Full Text Available The use of Information and Communication Technologies can be seen as an important factor for social inclusion in its different aspects - economic, social, relational and informational, among others. Inclusion potentiality is even more relevant for groups of people who face limiting life conditions which determine social barriers. This study investigated the social support offered to people with disabilities based on the social network analysis method. The research objective was to make the online support dynamics for low vision people, friends and relatives evident, having as case study the Facebook Low Vision group. The social network modelling and quantitative analysis were performed from user data collection, posts, comments and likes. Contents were classified according to the type of support (Emotional or Instrumental and according to its intention (Offered or Requested, represented in graphs as indicators for analysis. Results pointed towards a larger use rate of Instrumental and Offered support although a more intense and comprehensive exchange of Emotional and Requested support was found. Data collection limitations indicate the need for more empirical studies on the social use of socio-technical networks for different types of social support. This theme points to a research agenda about the role of information and communication technologies as a possible condition for inclusion, life quality and well-being of people with disabilities.

  6. Social Networks, Support, and Psychosocial Functioning among American Indian Women in Treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chong, Jenny; Lopez, Darlene

    2005-01-01

    The relationship of social networks and social support to the psychosocial functioning (self-efficacy, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and hostility) of 159 American Indian women undergoing residential substance abuse treatment at Native American Connections was assessed. Social support and active participation by clients' families during…

  7. Social Network Characteristics, Social Support, and Cigarette Smoking among Asian/Pacific Islander Young Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pokhrel, Pallav; Fagan, Pebbles; Cassel, Kevin; Trinidad, Dennis R; Kaholokula, Joseph Keawe'aimoku; Herzog, Thaddeus A

    2016-06-01

    Cigarette smoking may be one of the factors contributing to the high levels of cancer-related mortality experienced by certain Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) subgroups (e.g., Native Hawaiian). Given the collectivist cultural orientation attributed to A/PI groups, social strategies are recommended for substance abuse or smoking cessation treatment among A/PI. However, research examining how social network characteristics and social support relate to smoking across A/PI subgroups has been lacking. This study investigated the associations between social network characteristics (e.g., size, composition), perceived social support, and recent cigarette use across Native Hawaiian, Filipino, and East Asian (e.g., Japanese, Chinese) young adults (18-35 year old). Cross-sectional, self-report data were collected from N = 435 participants (M age = 25.6, SD = 8.3; 61% women). Ethnic differences were found in a number of pathways linking social network characteristics, perceived social support, and cigarette smoking. Larger network size was strongly associated with higher perceived social support and lower recent cigarette smoking among Native Hawaiians but not Filipinos or East Asians. Higher perceived social support was associated with lower recent smoking among East Asians and Filipinos but not Native Hawaiians. Implications are discussed with regard to smoking prevention and cessation among A/PI. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

  8. Development of a training program to support health care professionals to deliver the SPACE for COPD self-management program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blackmore C

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Claire Blackmore,1 Vicki L Johnson-Warrington,2 Johanna EA Williams,2 Lindsay D Apps,2 Hannah ML Young,2 Claire LA Bourne,2 Sally J Singh2 1Kettering General Hospital National Health Service (NHS Trust, Kettering, Northamptonshire, 2Centre for Exercise and Rehabilitation Science, Leicester Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK Background: With the growing burden of COPD and associated morbidity and mortality, a need for self-management has been identified. The Self-management Programme of ­Activity, Coping and Education for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SPACE for COPD manual was developed to support self-management in COPD patients. Currently, there is no literature available regarding health care professionals’ training needs when supporting patients with COPD on self-management.Aim: This study sought to identify these needs to inform, design and develop a training program for health care professionals being trained to deliver a self-management program in COPD.Methods: Fourteen health care professionals from both primary and secondary care COPD services participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to produce a framework and identify training needs and views on delivery of the SPACE for COPD self-management program. Components of training were web-based knowledge training, with pre- and posttraining knowledge questionnaires, and a 1-day program to introduce the self-management manual. Feedback was given after training to guide the development of the training program.Results: Health care professionals were able to identify areas where they required increased knowledge to support patients. This was overwhelming in aspects of COPD seen to be outside of their current clinical role. Skills in goal setting and behavioral change were not elicited as a training need, suggesting a lack of understanding of components of supporting self

  9. Policy on professional support in return-to-work: Occupational health professionals' experiences in a Canadian setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maiwald, Karin; Meershoek, Agnes; de Rijk, Angelique; Nijhuis, Frans J N

    2015-01-01

    In Canada and other countries, sickness-based absences among workers is an economic and sociological problem. Return-to-work (RTW) policy developed by both employer and worker' representatives (that is, bipartite policy) is preferred to tackle this problem. The intent was to examine how this bipartite agreed-upon RTW policy works from the perspective of occupational health professionals (those who deliver RTW services to workers with temporary or permanent disabilities) in a public healthcare organization in Canada. In-depth interviews were held with 9 occupational health professionals and transcribed verbatim. A qualitative, social constructivist, analysis was completed. The occupational health professionals experienced four main problems: 1) timing and content of physicians' medical advice cannot be trusted as a basis for RTW plans; 2) legal status of the plans and thus needing workers' consent and managers' approval can create tension, conflict and delays; 3) limited input and thus little fruitful inference in transdisciplinary meetings at the workplace; and yet 4) the professionals can be called to account for plans. Bipartite representation in developing RTW policy does not entirely delete bottlenecks in executing the policy. Occupational health professionals should be offered more influence and their professionalism needs to be enhanced.

  10. Does the severity of disability matter? : The opinion of parents about professional support in residential facilities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luijkx, J.; Ten Brug, A.; Vlaskamp, C.

    BACKGROUND: Researchers have shown that the characteristics of a person with an intellectual disability (ID), in particular the severity of the disability, are related to the outcomes of professional support. Hardly any studies have asked parents and/or legal guardians for their own opinion about

  11. Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals

    OpenAIRE

    Junwei Zheng; Guangdong Wu

    2018-01-01

    Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizati...

  12. Burnout and stress factors in special education teachers who provide extra professional support

    OpenAIRE

    Pogačnik Janežič, Olga

    2015-01-01

    In the thesis, we discuss the work of special education teachers, who provide extra professional support to children in need. Limitations and weaknesses of their work are also reviewed. Many factors, including changes in the general system of education, parents’ high expectations, unpleasant classroom circumstances, high amount of work tasks and employment uncertainty are just a few of the factors that lead to higher amounts of work-related stress and burnout syndrome. The purpose of the thes...

  13. Novel demands on the professionals – how internationalization may be a path to support the development of professional reflectivity and professional imagination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eriksen, Kathrine Krageskov

    Currently new demands on the (health) professionals may be identified following massive changes to both their work and societal role. Increased use of technological solutions including tele-medicine and ambient assisted living technology; a strengthened focus on inter-professional and cross-secto...... and teachers with possibilities to experience different approaches across countries to both education and the professional practice – and internationalization of education may hence be perceived as a “short-cut” for stimulating especially the development of professional imagination....

  14. [Psychophysiological support for the professional activities of servicemen].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pogodin, Iu I; Novikov, V S; Bochenkov, A A

    1998-11-01

    Optimal solution of the personnel replenishment problem, the necessity of training and education process improvement in the training centers and schools, the outcome of social, psychological and medical measures greatly depend on the overall physical and mental health state of the servicemen and their professional training quality. On the basis of their long standing experience the authors discuss the traits of the psychophysiological maintenance of the military professional activities of servicemen, in particular--the methodology and theory of professional psychological selection, the importance of body functional indications for the estimation of the fighting capabilities of military units. They examine some prospects for the psychophysiological expertise in the promotion procedures of commanding officers and make a suggestion that psychophysiological maintenance in the Armed Forces would increase its combat capabilities and help to avoid some negative effects in military groups.

  15. Psychological and Pedagogical Support of the Formation of Professional World Outlook of the University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirillova, Olga V.; Kirillova, Tatyana V.; Abramova, Lyudmila A.; Gavrilova, Irina V.; Vaibert, Margarita I.

    2017-01-01

    The research urgency is caused by necessity of the accumulation of human capital as the main factor of economic growth. The purpose of this article is to identify methods of psychological and pedagogical support of formation of professional outlook of the university students. Methodological basis of the research was the principle of acmeology,…

  16. Social network: evaluation of the support or containment contexts of lesbian mothers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Firley Poliana da Silva Lúcio

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the social network of lesbian mothers, from the social contexts of support or restraint. Method: Descriptive, exploratory study, of qualitative approach, based on the theoretical reference of Social Network, with eight lesbian mothers selected through Snowball technique, using semi-structured interview. Data analysis was performed with IRAMUTEQ software, through Similarity Analysis. Results: The social network is configured as: 1 Emotional distance and non-acceptance of motherhood by the family members - primary network elements; 2 Interference in the socio-cultural medium for the effectiveness of the mother-child bond - secondary network elements. Final considerations: Social network is grounded on trivialized and negative conceptions that highlight prejudice and disrespect. The discussion of this theme contributes to a greater visibility of those new family arrangements as well as to reduce stigmas e prejudices that pervade the social network components of these women.

  17. Childhood adversity, social support networks and well-being among youth aging out of care: An exploratory study of mediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melkman, Eran P

    2017-10-01

    The goals of the present study are to examine the relationship between childhood adversity and adult well-being among vulnerable young adults formerly placed in substitute care, and to investigate how characteristics of their social support networks mediate this association. A sample of 345 Israeli young adults (ages 18-25), who had aged out of foster or residential care, responded to standardized self-report questionnaires tapping their social support network characteristics (e.g., network size or adequacy) vis-à-vis several types of social support (emotional, practical, information and guidance), experiences of childhood adversity, and measures of well-being (psychological distress, loneliness, and life satisfaction). Structural equation modelling (SEM) provided support for the mediating role of social support in the relationship between early adversity and adult well-being. Although network size, frequency of contact with its members, satisfaction with support, and network adequacy, were all negatively related to early adversity, only network adequacy showed a major and consistent contribution to the various measures of well-being. While patterns were similar across the types of support, the effects of practical and guidance support were most substantial. The findings suggest that the detrimental long-term consequences of early adversity on adult well-being are related not only to impaired structural aspects of support (e.g., network size), but also to a decreased ability to recognize available support and mobilize it. Practical and guidance support, more than emotional support, seem to be of critical importance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Social Networking: Product or Process and What Shade of Grey?

    OpenAIRE

    Gelfand, Julia (UCI); Lin, Anthony (UCI); GreyNet, Grey Literature Network Service

    2011-01-01

    Social networking which debuted in 1997 is now an established and common method of communication with much variation and is increasingly related to and supportive of academic publishing, scholarship and generating new information. Some of the most mature and popular sites are Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, Linked-In and Plaxo plus many more specialized examples. As many professional societies and individuals choose to develop a presence on social networking sites (SNSs), the utility of them has b...

  19. Writing a Professional Life on Facebook

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briggs, Timothy J.

    2013-01-01

    This video presents one academic's experiences using Facebook in service of his professional life in order to contend that Facebook can be valuable to faculty as both a site for professional conversations and a social network that enables users to create and maintain social capital.

  20. Exploring the perspectives of clinical professionals and support staff on implementing supported self-management for asthma in UK general practice: an IMP2ART qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrow, Susan; Daines, Luke; Wiener-Ogilvie, Sharon; Steed, Liz; McKee, Lorna; Caress, Ann-Louise; Taylor, Stephanie J C; Pinnock, Hilary

    2017-07-18

    Despite an overwhelming evidence base, supported self-management of asthma is poorly implemented into routine practice. Strategies for implementation must address organisational routines, as well as provide resources for patients and training to improve professionals' skills. We aimed to explore the priority that primary care practices attach to asthma self-management, to describe their existing asthma management routines, and to generate innovative implementation strategies. We recruited 33 participants (23 general practitioners; seven nurses; three administrative staff) from 14 general practices. The 12 interviews and three focus groups were transcribed, coded and analysed thematically. Supported self-management was largely a nurse-led task within clinic-based annual reviews. Barriers included poor attendance at asthma clinics, lack of time, demarcation of roles, limited access to a range of tailored resources, and competing agendas in consultation, often due to multimorbidity. Suggestions for initiatives to improve the provision of supported self-management included emphasising the evidence for benefit (to influence prioritisation), improving teamwork (including team-based education), organisational strategies (including remote consulting) which need to fit within existing practice routines. Technology offers some potential solutions (e.g., improved templates, 'app'-based plans), but must be integrated with the practice information technology systems. Building on these insights, we will now develop a theoretically-based implementation strategy that will address patient, professional, and organisational buy-in, provide team-based education and offer a range of practical options and tools, which can be adapted and integrated within existing routines of individual practices.OVERCOMING THE ORGANISATIONAL BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTING ASTHMA SELF-MANAGEMENT: Understanding the routines of primary care practices can suggest strategies to implement supported self

  1. Professionals' Perspectives on Organizational Factors that Support or Hinder the Successful Implementation of Family-Centered Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Alexandra; Hiebert-Murphy, Diane; Trute, Barry

    2010-01-01

    This article presents findings from an exploratory, qualitative study whose objective was to identify professionals' perceptions of organizational factors that support or hinder the implementation of family-centered practice (FCP). Two disability services organizations in Manitoba, Canada, were selected as the research sites. In 2002, all staff…

  2. Examining ISIS Support and Opposition Networks on Twitter

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Examining ISIS Support and Opposition Networks on Twitter Elizabeth Bodine-Baron, Todd C. Helmus, Madeline Magnuson, Zev Winkelman C O R P O R A T...Syria (ISIS), like no other terrorist organization before, has used Twitter and other social media channels to broadcast its message, inspire followers...and recruit new fighters. Though much less heralded, ISIS opponents have also taken to Twitter to cas- tigate the ISIS message. This report draws on

  3. The Impacts of Network Centrality and Self-Regulation on an E-Learning Environment with the Support of Social Network Awareness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jian-Wei; Huang, Hsieh-Hong; Chuang, Yuh-Shy

    2015-01-01

    An e-learning environment that supports social network awareness (SNA) is a highly effective means of increasing peer interaction and assisting student learning by raising awareness of social and learning contexts of peers. Network centrality profoundly impacts student learning in an SNA-related e-learning environment. Additionally,…

  4. Constant load supports attenuating shocks and vibrations for networks of pipes submitted to large thermal dilatation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prisecaru, Ilie; Panait; Adrian; Serban, Viorel; Ciocan, George; Androne, Marian; Florea, Ioana; State, Elena

    2004-01-01

    Full text: To avoid some drawbacks in the classical supports employed currently in networks of pipes it was conceived, designed, built and experimentally tested a new type of constant load supports which attenuate largely the shocks and vibrations for networks of pipes subjected to large thermal dilatation. These supports are particularly needed for solving the severe problems of the vibrations in networks of pipes in thermoelectric stations, nuclear power plants, or heavy water production plants. These supports allow building networks of new types, more reliable and of lower cost. The new type of support was developed on the basis of a number of patents protected by OSIM. It has a simple structure, ensures a secure functioning without blocking or other kinds of failures and is resistant to a very large variety of stresses. The new type of support of constant load avoids the drawbacks in classical supports i.e. the stress/deformation diagram is practically independent of stress level. The characteristic of the support is geometrically non-linear and presents a plateau with a small slope over a rather large deformation range which results from a serially mounted structure of sandwiches the deformation of which is controlled by a system of deforming central and peripheral pieces. The new supports of constant load, called SERB-PIPE, present a controlled elasticity and a high degree of damping as the package of elastic blades (the sandwich structure) is made of two sub-packages with relative movements what ensure the attenuation of the shocks and vibrations produced by the fluid flow within the pipes and or by seismic motions. By contrast with classical supports, the new supports have a simple structure and a high reliability. Breakdown under stress leading to severe changes in the stress distribution in pipe networks, which could generate overloads in pipes and over-loading in other supports, cannot occur. One can also mention that these supports can be built in a

  5. A QUEST for sustainable continuing professional development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

    2017-01-01

    on a large-scale, long-term Danish CPD project for which all the activities were created with these consensus criteria in mind. The overall purpose has been to develop a sustainable model for CPD that acknowledges teachers’ situated learning in professional learning communities (PLCs), supports bottom...... organized by the local PLC, and individual enactments in the teachers’ own classrooms. This “rhythm” has now been institutionalized, and even though the project has come to an end, there is still networking across schools and PLC activities continue in all five municipalities. In order to assess...... experiencing changes in collaboration and classroom practice. Furthermore there seems to be a delayed correlation between schools with the most sustained PLC activities and student outcomes. Factors supporting sustainability are discussed, these include scaffolding the teachers’ collaborative inquiries...

  6. The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maulik, P K; Eaton, W W; Bradshaw, C P

    2010-08-01

    This study examined the association between life events and common mental disorders while accounting for social networks and social supports. Participants included 1920 adults in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Cohort who were interviewed in 1993-1996, of whom 1071 were re-interviewed in 2004-2005. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the data. Social support from friends, spouse or relatives was associated with significantly reduced odds of panic disorder and psychological distress, after experiencing specific life events. Social networks or social support had no significant stress-buffering effect. Social networks and social support had almost no direct or buffering effect on major depressive disorder, and no effect on generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse or dependence disorder. The significant association between social support and psychological distress, rather than diagnosable mental disorders, highlights the importance of social support, especially when the severity of a mental health related problem is low.

  7. Representational Similarity Analysis Reveals Heterogeneous Networks Supporting Speech Motor Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zheng, Zane; Cusack, Rhodri; Johnsrude, Ingrid

    The everyday act of speaking involves the complex processes of speech motor control. One important feature of such control is regulation of articulation when auditory concomitants of speech do not correspond to the intended motor gesture. While theoretical accounts of speech monitoring posit...... multiple functional components required for detection of errors in speech planning (e.g., Levelt, 1983), neuroimaging studies generally indicate either single brain regions sensitive to speech production errors, or small, discrete networks. Here we demonstrate that the complex system controlling speech...... is supported by a complex neural network that is involved in linguistic, motoric and sensory processing. With the aid of novel real-time acoustic analyses and representational similarity analyses of fMRI signals, our data show functionally differentiated networks underlying auditory feedback control of speech....

  8. Social support in the practices of informal providers: The case of patent and proprietary medicine vendors in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sieverding, Maia; Liu, Jenny; Beyeler, Naomi

    2015-10-01

    The social and institutional environments in which informal healthcare providers operate shape their health and business practices, particularly in contexts where regulatory enforcement is weak. In this study, we adopt a social capital perspective to understanding the social networks on which proprietary and patent medicine vendors (PPMVs) in Nigeria rely for support in the operation of their shops. Data are drawn from 70 in-depth interviews with PPMVs in three states, including interviews with local leaders of the PPMV professional association. We find that PPMVs primarily relied on more senior colleagues and formal healthcare professionals for informational support, including information about new medicines and advice on how to treat specific cases of illness. For instrumental support, including finance, start-up assistance, and intervention with regulatory agencies, PPMVs relied on extended family, the PPMVs with whom they apprenticed, and the leaders of their professional association. PPMVs' networks also provided continual reinforcement of what constitutes good PPMV practice through admonishments to follow scope of practice limitations. These informal reminders, as well as monitoring activities conducted by the professional association, served to reinforce PPMVs' concern with avoiding negative customer health outcomes, which were perceived to be detrimental to their business reputations. That PPMVs' networks both encouraged practices to reduce the likelihood of poor health outcomes, and provided advice regarding customers' health conditions, highlights the potential impact of informal providers' access to different forms of social capital on their delivery of health services, as well as their success as microenterprises. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Dissociable intrinsic functional networks support noun-object and verb-action processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Huichao; Lin, Qixiang; Han, Zaizhu; Li, Hongyu; Song, Luping; Chen, Lingjuan; He, Yong; Bi, Yanchao

    2017-12-01

    The processing mechanism of verbs-actions and nouns-objects is a central topic of language research, with robust evidence for behavioral dissociation. The neural basis for these two major word and/or conceptual classes, however, remains controversial. Two experiments were conducted to study this question from the network perspective. Experiment 1 found that nodes of the same class, obtained through task-evoked brain imaging meta-analyses, were more strongly connected with each other than nodes of different classes during resting-state, forming segregated network modules. Experiment 2 examined the behavioral relevance of these intrinsic networks using data from 88 brain-damaged patients, finding that across patients the relative strength of functional connectivity of the two networks significantly correlated with the noun-object vs. verb-action relative behavioral performances. In summary, we found that verbs-actions and nouns-objects are supported by separable intrinsic functional networks and that the integrity of such networks accounts for the relative noun-object- and verb-action-selective deficits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Changing access to mental health care and social support when people living with HIV/AIDS become service providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Alan Tai-Wai; Wales, Joshua; Wong, Josephine Pui-Hing; Owino, Maureen; Perreault, Yvette; Miao, Andrew; Maseko, Precious; Guiang, Charlie

    2015-01-01

    As people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) achieve more stable health, many have taken on active peer support and professional roles within AIDS service organizations. Although the increased engagement has been associated with many improved health outcomes, emerging program and research evidence have identified new challenges associated with such transition. This paper reports on the results of a qualitative interpretive study that explored the effect of this role transition on PHA service providers' access to mental health support and self care. A total of 27 PHA service providers of diverse ethno-racial backgrounds took part in the study. Results show that while role transition often improves access to financial and health-care benefits, it also leads to new stress from workload demands, emotional triggers from client's narratives, feeling of burnout from over-immersion in HIV at both personal and professional levels, and diminished self care. Barriers to seeking support included: concerns regarding confidentiality; self-imposed and enacted stigma associated with accessing mental health services; and boundary issues resulting from changes in relationships with peers and other service providers. Evolving support mechanisms included: new formal and informal peer support networks amongst colleagues or other PHA service providers to address both personal and professional challenges, and having access to professional support offered through the workplace. The findings suggest the need for increased organizational recognition of HIV support work as a form of emotional labor that places complex demands on PHA service providers. Increased access to employer-provided mental health services, supportive workplace policies, and adequate job-specific training will contribute to reduced work-related stress. Community level strategies that support expansion of social networks amongst PHA service providers would reduce isolation. Systemic policies to increase access to insurance

  11. AWESOME: A widget-based dashboard for awareness-support in Research Networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reinhardt, Wolfgang; Mletzko, Christian; Drachsler, Hendrik; Sloep, Peter

    2011-01-01

    Reinhardt, W., Mletzko, C., Drachsler, H., & Sloep, P. B. (2011). AWESOME: A widget-based dashboard for awareness-support in Research Networks. In Proceedings of The PLE Conference 2011. July, 11-13, 2011, Southampton, UK.

  12. Caught in the middle? How women deal with conflicting pregnancy-advice from health professionals and their social networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schölmerich, Vera L N; Ghorashi, Halleh; Denktaş, Semiha; Groenewegen, Peter

    2016-04-01

    to investigate how pregnant women deal with conflicting advice from their social networks and their caregivers and how this influenced their pregnancy-related behaviours. a qualitative study based on face-to-face interviews and focus-groups. We applied an inductive analysis technique closely following the 'Gioia method'. impoverished neighbourhoods in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 40 women who were pregnant, or had given birth within the last 12 months. 12 women were Native Dutch, 16 had a Moroccan background, and 12 had a Turkish background. all women faced a misalignment of advice by health professionals and social networks. For the native Dutch respondents, this misalignment did not seem to present a challenge. They had a strongly articulated preference for the advice of health professionals, and did not fear any social consequences for openly following their advice. For the women with a Turkish/Moroccan background, however, this discrepancy in advice presented a dilemma. Following one piece of advice seemed to exclude also following the other one, which would possibly entail social consequences. These women employed one of the three strategies to deal with this dilemma: a) avoiding the dilemma (secretly not following the advice of one side), b) embracing the dilemma (combining conflicting advice), and c) resolving the dilemma (communicating between both sides). we argue that the currently popular interventions geared towards increasing the health literacy of non-Western ethnic minority pregnant women and improving communication between ethnic minority clients and caregivers are not sufficient, and might even exacerbate the dilemma some pregnant women face. As an alternative, we recommend involving not only caregivers but also women's social network in intervention efforts. Interventions could aim to increase the negotiation capacity of the target group, but also to increase the health literacy of the members of their social network to enable the circulation of

  13. Beliefs about Supporting Mothers to Exclusively Breastfeed for 6 Months: An Elicitation Study of Health Professionals Working in Maternal-Child Health Clinics in Nairobi, Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyawade, Susan A; Middlestadt, Susan E; Peng, Chao-Ying Joanne

    2016-08-01

    Exclusive breastfeeding rates remain low in Kenya and determinants influencing mothers' practice are documented. Little is known about factors underlying health professionals' intention to support mothers to continue exclusive breastfeeding. Effective behavior modification requires designing interventions at multiple levels of influence, informed by theory-based research to identify relevant determinants. To identify salient beliefs held by health professionals about support of mothers to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months and to explore definitions of the term support. This qualitative study was conducted in 6 public health facilities in Nairobi, Kenya. We used open-ended questions based on the reasoned action approach to elicit salient consequences, referents, and circumstances perceived by 15 health professionals about support for mothers to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. The most frequently mentioned consequences were healthier babies (87%) and reduced childhood ailments (67%). The main disadvantage was human immunodeficiency virus transmission through breast milk (33%). Colleagues (80%) and managers (67%) were perceived as approving referents, whereas some mothers/couples (40%) and the breast milk substitute industry (20%) were perceived as disapproving. Facilitating circumstances included lighter workload, better training, and more time. Definitions of support were varied and included giving information and demonstrating positioning and attachment techniques. Overall, health professionals perceived positive consequences toward supporting exclusive breastfeeding continuation and identified a number of approving referents. However, they reported challenging circumstances in the work environment, which managers need to address to help health professionals provide the support needed by Kenyan mothers to continue exclusive breastfeeding. © The Author(s) 2016.

  14. Network Characteristics, Perceived Social Support, and Psychological Adjustment in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Paul R.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the characteristics of the support networks of 106 mothers of children with ASD and their relationship to perceived social support, depressed mood, and subjective well-being. Using structural equation modeling, two competing sets of hypotheses were assessed: (1) that network characteristics would impact psychological adjustment…

  15. Supporting Professional Learning in a Massive Open Online Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milligan, Colin; Littlejohn, Allison

    2014-01-01

    Professional learning, combining formal and on the job learning, is important for the development and maintenance of expertise in the modern workplace. To integrate formal and informal learning, professionals have to have good self-regulatory ability. Formal learning opportunities are opening up through massive open online courses (MOOCs),…

  16. Implementation and Outcomes of a Collaborative Multi-Center Network Aimed at Web-Based Cognitive Training - COGWEB Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tedim Cruz, Vítor; Pais, Joana; Ruano, Luis; Mateus, Cátia; Colunas, Márcio; Alves, Ivânia; Barreto, Rui; Conde, Eduardo; Sousa, Andreia; Araújo, Isabel; Bento, Virgílio; Coutinho, Paula; Rocha, Nelson

    2014-01-01

    Cognitive care for the most prevalent neurologic and psychiatric conditions will only improve through the implementation of new sustainable approaches. Innovative cognitive training methodologies and collaborative professional networks are necessary evolutions in the mental health sector. The objective of the study was to describe the implementation process and early outcomes of a nationwide multi-organizational network supported on a Web-based cognitive training system (COGWEB). The setting for network implementation was the Portuguese mental health system and the hospital-, academic-, community-based institutions and professionals providing cognitive training. The network started in August 2012, with 16 centers, and was monitored until September 2013 (inclusions were open). After onsite training, all were allowed to use COGWEB in their clinical or research activities. For supervision and maintenance were implemented newsletters, questionnaires, visits and webinars. The following outcomes were prospectively measured: (1) number, (2) type, (3) time to start, and (4) activity state of centers; age, gender, level of education, and medical diagnosis of patients enrolled. The network included 68 professionals from 41 centers, (33/41) 80% clinical, (8/41) 19% nonclinical. A total of 298 patients received cognitive training; 45.3% (n=135) female, mean age 54.4 years (SD 18.7), mean educational level 9.8 years (SD 4.8). The number enrolled each month increased significantly (r=0.6; P=.031). At 12 months, 205 remained on treatment. The major causes of cognitive impairment were: (1) neurodegenerative (115/298, 38.6%), (2) structural brain lesions (63/298, 21.1%), (3) autoimmune (40/298, 13.4%), (4) schizophrenia (30/298, 10.1%), and (5) others (50/298, 16.8%). The comparison of the patient profiles, promoter versus all other clinical centers, showed significant increases in the diversity of causes and spectrums of ages and education. Over its first year, there was a major

  17. Network operations support systems as a competitive advantage

    OpenAIRE

    Soh, Andrew K. L.

    2005-01-01

    The overall purpose of this paper is to perfom an analysis of TELUS and to examine if Network Operation Support Systems (OSS) can provide TELUS with a sustainable competitive advantage. The paper begins with the first three chapter exploring overviews of the components of the Canadian Telecommunications services industry, TELUS and its products, and the markets and revenues. The next chapter is an industry analysis of the industry landscape and its players. Michael Porter's Five Forces model ...

  18. The TENCompetence Infrastructure: A Learning Network Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogten, Hubert; Martens, Harrie; Lemmers, Ruud

    The TENCompetence project developed a first release of a Learning Network infrastructure to support individuals, groups and organisations in professional competence development. This infrastructure Learning Network infrastructure was released as open source to the community thereby allowing users and organisations to use and contribute to this development as they see fit. The infrastructure consists of client applications providing the user experience and server components that provide the services to these clients. These services implement the domain model (Koper 2006) by provisioning the entities of the domain model (see also Sect. 18.4) and henceforth will be referenced as domain entity services.

  19. VAX Professional Workstation goes graphic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Downward, J.G.

    1984-01-01

    The VAX Professional Workstation (VPW) is a collection of programs and procedures designed to provide an integrated work-station environment for the staff at KMS Fusion's research laboratories. During the past year numerous capabilities have been added to VPW, including support for VT125/VT240/4014 graphic workstations, editing windows, and additional desk utilities. Graphics workstation support allows users to create, edit, and modify graph data files, enter the data via a graphic tablet, create simple plots with DATATRIEVE or DECgraph on ReGIS terminals, or elaborate plots with TEKGRAPH on ReGIS or Tektronix terminals. Users may assign display error bars to the data and interactively plot it in a variety of ways. Users also can create and display viewgraphs. Hard copy output for a large network of office terminals is obtained by multiplexing each terminal's video output into a recently developed video multiplexer front ending a single channel video hard copy unit

  20. Online Teaching Efficacy: A Product of Professional Development and Ongoing Support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, Sally; Idleman, Lynda

    2017-08-22

    The purpose of the pilot study was to investigate the perceptions of online teaching efficacy of nursing faculty who teach courses in which 51% or more of the content is offered online. Bandura's psychological construct of self-efficacy served as the conceptual framework. The research survey was administered to nursing faculty in a state university system located in the southeastern United States of America, plus two private universities. The Michigan Nurse Educator's Sense of Efficacy for Online Teaching Scale, which contains 32 items that measure how nurse educators judge their current capabilities for teaching online nursing courses, was used to gather data. Overall, the scores reflected that faculty perceived themselves as quite a bit efficacious on a scale that ranged from 1 to 9. As nursing educators received more support in designing and implementing online courses, their efficacy increased. It is critical that faculty are supported on an ongoing basis to increase and develop online teaching skills in order to teach high-quality courses in online programs. Faculty members must also be recognized for their work, time, and commitment required to be effective online educators. The findings of this study revealed those participants who had a number of professional development supports and release time to develop online courses have a greater sense of efficacy.

  1. Parents' experiences of collaboration between welfare professionals regarding children with anxiety or depression - an explorative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catharina Widmark

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Well-functioning collaboration between professionals in the welfare sector has a strong influence on the contact with parents of children and adolescents with mental illness, and it is a precondition for the availability of support for these parents. This paper reports how such parents experience collaboration between professionals in mental health care, social services, and schools.Methods: Data were collected by in-depth interviews with seven parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety and depression. The families were selected from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH patient records kept by the Stockholm County Council (Sweden, and they all lived in a catchment area for CAMH outpatient services in Stockholm.Results and discussion: We conclude that when the encounter between parents and professionals is characterized by structure and trust, it is supportive and serves as a holding environment. Coordination and communication links are needed in the collaboration between the professionals, along with appropriately scheduled and well-performed network meetings to create structure in the parent-professional encounter. Indeed, establishment of trust in this interaction is promoted if individual professionals are available, provide the parents with adequate information, are skilled, and show empathy and commitment. 

  2. Parents' experiences of collaboration between welfare professionals regarding children with anxiety or depression - an explorative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catharina Widmark

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Well-functioning collaboration between professionals in the welfare sector has a strong influence on the contact with parents of children and adolescents with mental illness, and it is a precondition for the availability of support for these parents. This paper reports how such parents experience collaboration between professionals in mental health care, social services, and schools. Methods: Data were collected by in-depth interviews with seven parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety and depression. The families were selected from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH patient records kept by the Stockholm County Council (Sweden, and they all lived in a catchment area for CAMH outpatient services in Stockholm. Results and discussion: We conclude that when the encounter between parents and professionals is characterized by structure' and trust', it is supportive and serves as a holding environment'. Coordination and communication links are needed 'in the collaboration between the professionals, along with appropriately scheduled and well-performed network meetings 'to create structure in the parent-professional encounter. Indeed, establishment of trust in this interaction is promoted if individual professionals are available, provide the parents with adequate information, are skilled, and show empathy and commitment. 

  3. Attitudes of street children to the network of support for them in Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Study findings show that 'of' the street children are the major targets by the network of the support since children 'on' the street are still being supported by their families and the assistance received by these children of the street from their peers and homeless adults is preferred to assistance from other support providers.

  4. How to support teenagers who are losing a parent to cancer: Bereaved young adults' advice to healthcare professionals-A nationwide survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvariza, Anette; Lövgren, Malin; Bylund-Grenklo, Tove; Hakola, Pia; Fürst, Carl Johan; Kreicbergs, Ulrika

    2017-06-01

    The loss of a parent to cancer is considered one of the most traumatic events a teenager can experience. Studies have shown that teenagers, from the time of diagnosis, are already extremely worried about the consequences of a parent's cancer but tend to be left to manage these concerns on their own. The present study aimed to explore young adults' advice to healthcare professionals on how to support teenagers who are losing a parent to cancer. This work derives from a Swedish nationwide survey and employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive/interpretive design to obtain answers to an open-ended question concerning advice to healthcare professionals. Of the 851 eligible young adults who had lost a parent to cancer when they were 13-16 years of age within the previous 6 to 9 years, 622 participated in our survey (response rate = 73%). Of these 622 young adults, 481 responded to the open-ended question about what advice to give healthcare professionals. Four themes emerged: (1) to be seen and acknowledged; (2) to understand and prepare for illness, treatment, and the impending death; (3) to spend time with the ill parent, and (4) to receive support tailored to the individual teenager's needs. This nationwide study contributes hands-on suggestions to healthcare staff regarding attitudes, communication, and support from the perspective of young adults who, in their teenage years, lost a parent to cancer. Teenagers may feel better supported during a parent's illness if healthcare professionals take this manageable advice forward into practice and see each teenager as individuals; explain the disease, its treatments, and consequences; encourage teenagers to spend time with their ill parent; and recommend sources of support.

  5. Friendship networks of inner-city adults: a latent class analysis and multi-level regression of supporter types and the association of supporter latent class membership with supporter and recipient drug use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohnert, Amy S B; German, Danielle; Knowlton, Amy R; Latkin, Carl A

    2010-03-01

    Social support is a multi-dimensional construct that is important to drug use cessation. The present study identified types of supportive friends among the social network members in a community-based sample and examined the relationship of supporter-type classes with supporter, recipient, and supporter-recipient relationship characteristics. We hypothesized that the most supportive network members and their support recipients would be less likely to be current heroin/cocaine users. Participants (n=1453) were recruited from low-income neighborhoods with a high prevalence of drug use. Participants identified their friends via a network inventory, and all nominated friends were included in a latent class analysis and grouped based on their probability of providing seven types of support. These latent classes were included as the dependent variable in a multi-level regression of supporter drug use, recipient drug use, and other characteristics. The best-fitting latent class model identified five support patterns: friends who provided Little/No Support, Low/Moderate Support, High Support, Socialization Support, and Financial Support. In bivariate models, friends in the High, Low/Moderate, and Financial Support were less likely to use heroin or cocaine and had less conflict with and were more trusted by the support recipient than friends in the Low/No Support class. Individuals with supporters in those same support classes compared to the Low/No Support class were less likely to use heroin or cocaine, or to be homeless or female. Multivariable models suggested similar trends. Those with current heroin/cocaine use were less likely to provide or receive comprehensive support from friends. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  6. Network Operations Support Plan for the Spot 2 mission (revision 1)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werbitzky, Victor

    1989-01-01

    The purpose of this Network Operations Support Plan (NOSP) is to indicate operational procedures and ground equipment configurations for the SPOT 2 mission. The provisions in this document take precedence over procedures or configurations in other documents.

  7. Continuing professional development: researching non-technical competencies can support cognitive reappraisal and reduced stress in clinicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinnison, Tierney; May, Stephen

    2017-09-09

    Generic professional capabilities (non-technical competencies) are increasingly valued for their links to patient outcomes and clinician well-being. This study explores the emotional change, and practice-related outcomes, of participants of a veterinary professional key skills (PKS) continuing professional development (CPD) module. Reflective summaries produced by participants were analysed. A change in emotion, from 'negative' to 'positive', was the focus of analysis. Sections regarding these emotions were thematically analysed. Analysis was performed on 46 summaries. Three themes were identified: 'the PKS module' (centred on reluctance becoming surprise and stimulation), 'developing non-technical competencies' (unease to confidence) and 'stress and coping through a reflective focus' (anxiety to harmony). The changing emotions were connected to positive cognitive reappraisal and often behaviour changes, benefitting self, practice, clients and patients. The PKS module teaches participants to reflect; a new and challenging concept. The consequences of this enabled participants to understand the importance of professional topics, to be appreciative as well as critical, and to enjoy their job. Importantly, the module stimulated coping responses. Better understanding of roles led to participants having more reasonable expectations of themselves, more appreciation of their work and reduced stress. This research supports more attention to professional skills CPD for health professions. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  8. Professional Emergence on Transnational Issues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seabrooke, Leonard; Tsingou, Eleni

    2015-01-01

    Addressing complex transnational problems requires coordination from different professionals. The emergence of new actors and issues has been addressed by those interested in studies of organizations through concepts and methods that highlight the importance of communities, fields, and networks...... they are conceptually linked by actors and organizations. A linked ecologies approach asks us to displace locating known actors within structures and instead pays attention to professional interactions on how ‘issue distinctions’ are made, the relationship between issue distinctions and professional tasks, and who...

  9. Care Management In The Family Health Support Core: Technologies Operated In The Professional Dimension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Maria Ximenes Guimarães

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The Centre for Health Support Family - NASF has a innovative character with potential to concretize change in the organization of services and in care practices, supporting and expanding the solvability of the actions of the teams of the Family Health Strategy - FHS. To this end, it must operationalize technologies, arrangements and care management devices. Objective: To describe the care management technologies, particularly in the professional dimension, operated by the teams of the Support Centre for Family Health, in its dialogue with the Health Strategy. Methods: case study with a qualitative approach, with the 12 professionals from a NASF team of Maracanaú, Ceará, Brazil. Focal group was performed. The empirical material was analysed based on the content analysis. Results: there is evidence of a proposal for production of integral care based on the use of technologies as host, bond, autonomy and accountability. The user approach is based on the principles of the extended clinic. However, there are difficulties related to the regulation of access, the construction of bonds, the construction of therapeutic projects and intersectional articulation. Final thoughts: it appears necessary to overcome the challenges, strengthen mechanisms for coordination and for negotiation of labour, as well as rethinking the NASF linking logic to a seemingly high number of FHS teams complicates the organization of work processes, building of agendas, weakens the bonds with the users and even the solvency.

  10. The emotional context of self-management in chronic illness: A qualitative study of the role of health professional support in the self-management of type 2 diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dunbar James

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Support for patient self-management is an accepted role for health professionals. Little evidence exists on the appropriate basis for the role of health professionals in achieving optimum self-management outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of people with type 2 diabetes about their self-management strategies and how relationships with health professionals may support this. Methods Four focus groups were conducted with people with type 2 diabetes: two with English-speaking and one each with Turkish and Arabic-speaking. Transcripts from the groups were analysed drawing on grounded hermeneutics and interpretive description. Results We describe three conceptually linked categories of text from the focus groups based on emotional context of self management, dominant approaches to self management and support from health professionals for self management. All groups described important emotional contexts to living with and self-managing diabetes and these linked closely with how they approached their diabetes management and what they looked for from health professionals. Culture seemed an important influence in shaping these linkages. Conclusion Our findings suggest people construct their own individual self-management and self-care program, springing from an important emotional base. This is shaped in part by culture and in turn determines the aims each person has in pursuing self-management strategies and the role they make available to health professionals to support them. While health professionals' support for self-care strategies will be more congruent with patients' expectations if they explore each person's social, emotional and cultural circumstances, pursuit of improved health outcomes may involve a careful balance between supporting as well as helping shift the emotional constructs surrounding a patient life with diabetes.

  11. T-wave end detection using neural networks and Support Vector Machines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suárez-León, Alexander Alexeis; Varon, Carolina; Willems, Rik; Van Huffel, Sabine; Vázquez-Seisdedos, Carlos Román

    2018-05-01

    In this paper we propose a new approach for detecting the end of the T-wave in the electrocardiogram (ECG) using Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines. Both, Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural networks and Fixed-Size Least-Squares Support Vector Machines (FS-LSSVM) were used as regression algorithms to determine the end of the T-wave. Different strategies for selecting the training set such as random selection, k-means, robust clustering and maximum quadratic (Rényi) entropy were evaluated. Individual parameters were tuned for each method during training and the results are given for the evaluation set. A comparison between MLP and FS-LSSVM approaches was performed. Finally, a fair comparison of the FS-LSSVM method with other state-of-the-art algorithms for detecting the end of the T-wave was included. The experimental results show that FS-LSSVM approaches are more suitable as regression algorithms than MLP neural networks. Despite the small training sets used, the FS-LSSVM methods outperformed the state-of-the-art techniques. FS-LSSVM can be successfully used as a T-wave end detection algorithm in ECG even with small training set sizes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Space Network IP Services (SNIS): An Architecture for Supporting Low Earth Orbiting IP Satellite Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Israel, David J.

    2005-01-01

    The NASA Space Network (SN) supports a variety of missions using the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), which includes ground stations in White Sands, New Mexico and Guam. A Space Network IP Services (SNIS) architecture is being developed to support future users with requirements for end-to-end Internet Protocol (IP) communications. This architecture will support all IP protocols, including Mobile IP, over TDRSS Single Access, Multiple Access, and Demand Access Radio Frequency (RF) links. This paper will describe this architecture and how it can enable Low Earth Orbiting IP satellite missions.

  13. Informal caregivers of persons with dementia, their use of and needs for specific professional support: a survey of the National Dementia Programme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spreeuwenberg Peter MM

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper describes both the use of and needs for informal caregivers of people with dementia, based on a questionnaire survey organized within the National Dementia Programme in the Netherlands. The National Dementia Programme is a quality collaborative of the Dutch Alzheimer's Association, the Institute of Quality of Healthcare (CBO and the Knowledge Centre on Ageing (Vilans, instigated by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, to improve integrated care for people with dementia and their informal caregivers. The support needs of informal caregivers are important to improve caregiver well-being and delaying institutionalization of the person with dementia. Methods In the period April 2006 - January 2007, the National Dementia Programme questionnaire was completed by 984 informal caregivers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the use of and needs for additional professional support by informal caregivers. Chi-square tests were used to assess the relationships between characteristics of the caregivers (spouses, sons/daughters, sons/daughters in-law and support needs on one hand and to assess the relationship between the living situation of the person with dementia (living at home or living in a nursing home or home for the elderly and support needs on the other hand. Results Almost all informal caregivers (92.6% received some professional support. However, two thirds (67.4% indicated they had one or more needs for additional professional support. Informal caregivers often need additional professional advice about what to do when their relative is frightened, angry of confused. Spouses reported different needs than sons or daughters (in-law: spouses relatively often need emotional support and sons or daughters (in-law more often need information and coordination of dementia care. Conclusions Most of the informal caregivers report that they need additional information and advice, e.g. about how to cope with

  14. The role of remote engagement in supporting boundary chain networks across Alaska

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathan P. Kettle

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Boundary organizations serve multiple roles in linking science and decision making, including brokering knowledge, supporting local- and cross-level networks, facilitating the co-production of knowledge, and negotiating conflict. Yet they face several challenges in providing services for an ever-increasing number of actors and institutions interested in climate information and adaptation. This study evaluates how the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP innovated its boundary spanning role to improve outcomes by partnering with other boundary organizations through its ongoing climate webinar series. We utilize the concept of boundary chains to investigate outcomes associated with different extended network connections. Our evaluation is based on the analysis three datasets, including interviews (2013 and two web-based questionnaires (2010 and 2013–2015. Findings from the evaluation reveal several ways that remote engagement via the ACCAP webinar series facilitates learning, decision application, and cross-level network building, and overcomes barriers associated with large geographic distances between communities. In an organic evolution and innovation of the climate webinar series, ACCAP partnered with other boundary organizations to establish satellite hub sites to facilitate in-person gatherings at remote locations, thereby increasing the number and diversity of participants served and supporting local networking within organizations, agencies, and communities. Leveraging complementary resources through the satellite hub sites provided mutual benefits for ACCAP and partnering boundary organizations. These findings advance our understanding of the value of remote engagement in supporting boundary spanning processes and how boundary organizations innovate their roles to build capacity and increase the usability of climate information.

  15. Online support for transgender people: an analysis of forums and social networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cipolletta, Sabrina; Votadoro, Riccardo; Faccio, Elena

    2017-09-01

    Transgender people face a range of personal and social conflicts that strongly influence their well-being. In many cases, the Internet can become the main resource in terms of finding support. The aim of this study was to understand how transgender people give and receive help online. Between 2013 and 2015, 122 online community conversations were collected on Italian forums and Facebook groups involving transgender people, and online interviews were conducted with 16 users of these communities. A qualitative content analysis was conducted by using the software package, NVivo10. The main categories that emerged were: motivations to join an online community, online help, differences between online and offline interactions, status, conflicts and professional help. Results indicate that participation in online communities often derives from the users' need for help. This help can be given by peers who have had similar experiences, and by professionals who participate in the discussions as moderator. The need to test one's own identity, to compare oneself with others and to share one's personal experiences made online communities at risk of exposing users to invalidation and transphobic messages. Administrators and moderators try to ensure the safety of users, and suggest that they ask for professional help offline and/or online when over-specific medical advice was sought. This study confirms that transgender people might find benefit from an online platform of help and support and might minimise distance problems, increase financial convenience and foster disinhibition. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. SUPPORTING TEACHERS IN BECOMING AGENTS OF SOCIAL COHESION: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rada Jancic Mogliacci

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Policy and research have been advocating the importance of teachers in achieving equity and teachers are called to act as agents of social justice. This issue remains central to the development of a post-apartheid South Africa, where a need for reconciliation and healing still dominates the society. Such a landscape requires adequate support through transformative professional development. In this paper we analyse the design of the intervention ‘Teaching Respect for All’ that aims to empower teachers in South Africa to act as agents of social justice. Based on the literature review, content analysis of the intervention’s manual and resource book, and interviews with stakeholders we explore if the intervention outline can support teachers in becoming agents of social cohesion. The qualitative content analysis of the data unearthed four aspects of the intervention: the what, the how, the why, and the so what. We argue that while the intervention enables an alteration of teaching practice, altering teachers’ beliefs is a long-lasting and more challenging task. We conclude the paper with recommendations for transformative professional development programmes and the value of such for socially just education in South Africa.

  17. Social networks of older adults living with HIV in Finland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobre, Nuno Ribeiro; Kylmä, Jari; Kirsi, Tapio; Pereira, Marco

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the social networks of older adults living with HIV. Interviews were conducted with nine individuals aged 50 or older living with HIV in Helsinki, Finland. Analysis of transcripts was analysed by inductive qualitative content analysis. Results indicated that these participants' networks tended to be large, including those both aware and unaware of the participants' health status. Analysis identified three main themes: large multifaceted social networks, importance of a support group, and downsizing of social networks. Support received appeared to be of great importance in coping with their health condition, especially since the time of diagnosis. Friends and family were the primary source of informal support. The majority of participants relied mostly on friends, some of whom were HIV-positive. Formal support came primarily from the HIV organisation's support group. In this study group, non-disclosure did not impact participants' well-being. In years to come, social networks of older adults living with HIV may shrink due to personal reasons other than HIV-disclosure. What is of primary importance is that healthcare professionals become knowledgeable about psychosocial issues of older adults living with HIV, identifying latent problems and developing adequate interventions in the early stages of the disease; this would help prevent social isolation and foster successful ageing with HIV.

  18. Intention to breastfeed in low-income pregnant women: the role of social support and previous experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphreys, A S; Thompson, N J; Miner, K R

    1998-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between breastfeeding intention among socioeconomically disadvantaged pregnant women and maternal demographics, previous breastfeeding experience, and social support. A cross-sectional, convenience sampling strategy was employed for data collection. Low-income women (n = 1001) in a public hospital completed a six-page questionnaire about their infant feeding plans, demographics, and social support. Simple regression analyses were conducted to compare maternal breastfeeding intention with the hypothesized correlates. Breastfeeding intention was positively correlated with older maternal age, higher education, more breastfeeding experience, Hispanic ethnicity, and hearing about breastfeeding benefits from family members, the baby's father, and lactation consultants, but not from other health professionals. Health professionals' attitudes were less influential on women's infant feeding decisions than the attitudes and beliefs of members of women's social support networks. When controlling for breastfeeding experience (none vs any), some findings, varied, indicating a need for breastfeeding interventions tailored to women's level of experience. Use of peer counselors and lactation consultants, inclusion of a woman's family members in breastfeeding educational contacts, and creation of breastfeeding classes tailored to influential members of women's social support networks may improve breastfeeding rates among low-income women, especially those with no breastfeeding experience, more effectively than breastfeeding education to pregnant women that is solely conducted by health professionals.

  19. Traveling through the cancer trajectory: social support perceived by women with gynecologic cancer in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, C W; Molassiotis, A; Yam, B M; Chan, S J; Lam, C S

    2001-10-01

    A qualitative research design was selected to gather data on the experiences of social support for Chinese women with gynecologic cancer. Eighteen women were recruited and interviewed at an oncology unit of a teaching hospital in Hong Kong. Content analysis of the interview data showed Chinese women with gynecologic cancer placed enormous emphasis on their human relationships. Family members were especially significant to them although not all identified their family relations as satisfactory or helpful. Their social network comprised 4 major sources, including family and friends, work and colleagues, health professionals, and religion and spiritual beliefs. Each network offered significant reciprocal relations, authoritative relations, or entrusting relations. The positive appraisal of the support function was linked to the Chinese value of food, work ethics, the Confucian and religious philosophy, whereas negative aspects of support, such as the stress of maintaining relationships and inadequate information, conjoined with the Chinese suppression of emotion and the busyness of health professionals. Future studies, including social relations as a determinant, should ensure a broad and multifunctional view of social support and acknowledge the cultural influences on the perspective of support.

  20. Professional medical writing support and the quality of randomised controlled trial reporting: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gattrell, William T; Hopewell, Sally; Young, Kate; Farrow, Paul; White, Richard; Wager, Elizabeth; Winchester, Christopher C

    2016-02-21

    Authors may choose to work with professional medical writers when writing up their research for publication. We examined the relationship between medical writing support and the quality and timeliness of reporting of the results of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Cross-sectional study. Primary reports of RCTs published in BioMed Central journals from 2000 to 16 July 2014, subdivided into those with medical writing support (n=110) and those without medical writing support (n=123). Proportion of items that were completely reported from a predefined subset of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist (12 items known to be commonly poorly reported), overall acceptance time (from manuscript submission to editorial acceptance) and quality of written English as assessed by peer reviewers. The effect of funding source and publication year was examined. The number of articles that completely reported at least 50% of the CONSORT items assessed was higher for those with declared medical writing support (39.1% (43/110 articles); 95% CI 29.9% to 48.9%) than for those without (21.1% (26/123 articles); 95% CI 14.3% to 29.4%). Articles with declared medical writing support were more likely than articles without such support to have acceptable written English (81.1% (43/53 articles); 95% CI 67.6% to 90.1% vs 47.9% (23/48 articles); 95% CI 33.5% to 62.7%). The median time of overall acceptance was longer for articles with declared medical writing support than for those without (167 days (IQR 114.5-231 days) vs 136 days (IQR 77-193 days)). In this sample of open-access journals, declared professional medical writing support was associated with more complete reporting of clinical trial results and higher quality of written English. Medical writing support may play an important role in raising the quality of clinical trial reporting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go

  1. An Agent Model for a Human’s Social Support Network Tie Preference During Depression

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aziz, A.A.; Klein, M.C.A.; Treur, J.; Baeza-Yates, R.; Lang, J.; Mitra, S.; Parsons, S.; Pasi, G.

    2009-01-01

    Seeking support from their environment is important for people suffering from a depression. People usually have different social networks to which they are attached with different ties. In this paper, a computational model is presented that describes the selection of network members for seeking

  2. A Multiple Mobility Support Approach (MMSA Based on PEAS for NCW in Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bong-Joo Koo

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs can be implemented as one of sensor systems in Network Centric Warfare (NCW. Mobility support and energy efficiency are key concerns for this application, due to multiple mobile users and stimuli in real combat field. However, mobility support approaches that can be adopted in this circumstance are rare. This paper proposes Multiple Mobility Support Approach (MMSA based on Probing Environment and Adaptive Sleeping (PEAS to support the simultaneous mobility of both multiple users and stimuli by sharing the information of stimuli in WSNs. Simulations using Qualnet are conducted, showing that MMSA can support multiple mobile users and stimuli with good energy efficiency. It is expected that the proposed MMSA can be applied to real combat field.

  3. Conception of a course for professional training and education in the field of computer and mobile forensics, part III: network forensics and penetration testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kröger, Knut; Creutzburg, Reiner

    2014-02-01

    IT security and computer forensics are important components in the information technology. From year to year, incidents and crimes increase that target IT systems or were done with their help. More and more companies and authorities have security problems in their own IT infrastructure. To respond to these incidents professionally, it is important to have well trained staff. The fact that many agencies and companies work with very sensitive data make it necessary to further train the own employees in the field of network forensics and penetration testing. Motivated by these facts, this paper - a continuation of a paper of January 2012 [1], which showed the conception of a course for professional training and education in the field of computer and mobile forensics - addresses the practical implementation important relationships of network forensic and penetration testing.

  4. Closer to Learning: Social Networks, Trust, and Professional Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liou, Yi-Hwa; Daly, Alan J.

    2014-01-01

    Researchers, educators, and policymakers suggest the use of professional learning communities as one important approach to the improvement of teaching and learning. However, relatively little research examines the interplay of professional interactions (structural social capital) around instructional practices and key elements of professional…

  5. Structural and Supportive Changes in Couples' Family and Friendship Networks across the Transition to Parenthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bost, Kelly K.; Cox, Martha J.; Burchinal, Margaret R.; Payne, Chris

    2002-01-01

    Examines patterns of change in family and friend network with parenthood in 137 couples surveyed before the birth of their first child. Husbands and wives who reported larger network sizes and support prior to their first child's birth were more likely to report larger networks after birth. Changes in parents' social systems were related to…

  6. Career Mapping for Professional Development and Succession Planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Tammy; Diamond-Wells, Tammy; Jeffs, Debra

    Career mapping facilitates professional development of nurses by education specialists and nurse managers. On the basis of national Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards, our education and professional development framework supports the organization's professional practice model and provides a foundation for the professional career map. This article describes development, implementation, and evaluation of the professional career map for nurses at a large children's hospital to support achievement of the nursing strategic goals for succession planning and professional development.

  7. SANDS: an architecture for clinical decision support in a National Health Information Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Adam; Sittig, Dean F

    2007-10-11

    A new architecture for clinical decision support called SANDS (Service-oriented Architecture for NHIN Decision Support) is introduced and its performance evaluated. The architecture provides a method for performing clinical decision support across a network, as in a health information exchange. Using the prototype we demonstrated that, first, a number of useful types of decision support can be carried out using our architecture; and, second, that the architecture exhibits desirable reliability and performance characteristics.

  8. Evaluating professional development

    CERN Document Server

    Guskey, Thomas R

    2000-01-01

    This is a practical guide to evaluating professional development programs at five increasing levels of sophistication: participants' reaction to professional development; how much participants learned; evaluating organizational support and change; how participants use their new knowledge and skills; and improvements in student learning.

  9. Hypothesis Management Framework: a exible design pattern for belief networks in decision support systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gosliga, S.P. van; Voorde, I. van de

    2008-01-01

    This article discusses a design pattern for building belief networks for application domains in which causal models are hard to construct. In this approach we pursue a modular belief network structure that is easily extended by the users themselves, while remaining reliable for decision support. The

  10. Amplify Your Professional Knowledge through RSS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephens, Wendy

    2012-01-01

    In the championship playoffs of professional learning tools, this author contends that there is a clear-cut victor. Customizable, platform-agnostic, able to circumvent filters--both browser and network-imposed--RSS is the best professional learning tool. Reading sites via RSS has appeal for those who want the raw information. With a well-honed…

  11. Let's Have a Tweetup: The Case for Using Twitter Professionally.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuller, Maren Y; Allen, Timothy Craig

    2016-09-01

    Social media use is very common and can be an effective way for professionals to discuss information and interact with colleagues. Twitter (Twitter, Inc, San Francisco, California) is a social media network where posts, termed tweets, are limited to 140 characters. Professional use of Twitter is ideal for physicians interested in both networking and education and is optimally used to facilitate in-person networking. Live-tweeting (posting real-time reactions to events) at professional meetings is also a popular and highly successful use of Twitter. Physicians report patient privacy as the top concern preventing use of social media for professional reasons, and although generally social media use is safe, it is essential to understand how to protect patient confidentially. Other social media platforms with potential for professional use include Facebook (Facebook, Inc, Menlo Park, California), Instagram (Facebook, Inc), YouTube (YouTube, LLC, San Bruno, California), and Periscope (Twitter, Inc). With Twitter and other social media options, now is the time for pathologists to increase our visibility on social media and worldwide.

  12. Professional Development. Issue Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keleher, Julia

    2017-01-01

    In this professional development research brief, the author sets forth the overarching considerations that should be kept in mind when conceptualizing professional development for educators working with neglected or delinquent youth (N or D). The brief begins by defining professional development and demonstrating why it is a critical support for…

  13. A Hardware-Supported Algorithm for Self-Managed and Choreographed Task Execution in Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borja Bordel

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, sensor networks are composed of a great number of tiny resource-constraint nodes, whose management is increasingly more complex. In fact, although collaborative or choreographic task execution schemes are which fit in the most perfect way with the nature of sensor networks, they are rarely implemented because of the high resource consumption of these algorithms (especially if networks include many resource-constrained devices. On the contrary, hierarchical networks are usually designed, in whose cusp it is included a heavy orchestrator with a remarkable processing power, being able to implement any necessary management solution. However, although this orchestration approach solves most practical management problems of sensor networks, a great amount of the operation time is wasted while nodes request the orchestrator to address a conflict and they obtain the required instructions to operate. Therefore, in this paper it is proposed a new mechanism for self-managed and choreographed task execution in sensor networks. The proposed solution considers only a lightweight gateway instead of traditional heavy orchestrators and a hardware-supported algorithm, which consume a negligible amount of resources in sensor nodes. The gateway avoids the congestion of the entire sensor network and the hardware-supported algorithm enables a choreographed task execution scheme, so no particular node is overloaded. The performance of the proposed solution is evaluated through numerical and electronic ModelSim-based simulations.

  14. ‘Living' theory: a pedagogical framework for process support in networked learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philipa Levy

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on the broad outcome of an action research project in which practical theory was developed in the field of networked learning through case-study analysis of learners' experiences and critical evaluation of educational practice. It begins by briefly discussing the pedagogical approach adopted for the case-study course and the action research methodology. It then identifies key dimensions of four interconnected developmental processes–orientation, communication, socialisation and organisation–that were associated with ‘learning to learn' in the course's networked environment, and offers a flavour of participants' experiences in relation to these processes. A number of key evaluation issues that arose are highlighted. Finally, the paper presents the broad conceptual framework for the design and facilitation of process support in networked learning that was derived from this research. The framework proposes a strong, explicit focus on support for process as well as domain learning, and progression from tighter to looser design and facilitation structures for process-focused (as well as domain-focused learning tasks.

  15. Social support networks and depression of women suffering from early-stage breast cancer: a case control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagliardi, Cristina; Vespa, Anna; Papa, Roberta; Mariotti, Carlo; Cascinu, Stefano; Rossini, Simonetta

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the areas of depression, anxiety, and social support using the structural model of the social network. By comparing the networks of two samples of breast cancer sufferers and healthy control participants, it was possible to identify differences in their relationships, in the shape of the networks themselves, and in the levels of depression and anxiety. Women with breast cancer described smaller and denser networks, including mainly kins whereas the healthy women included more friends, coworkers, and leisure companions. The levels of anxiety and depression were higher in women with breast cancer. Social network and social support measure correlated differently with depression and anxiety in the two groups.

  16. The effects of pre-entry career maturity and support networks in workplace on newcomers' mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawai, Kaoru; Yamazaki, Yoshihiko

    2006-11-01

    The present study examined the effects of pre-entry experiences (i.e. career maturity), as well as support networks (i.e. informational and friendship), on newcomers' mental health (i.e. depression, self-esteem, psychosomatic symptoms, and work motivation). We performed a longitudinal study of 890 men and women who first entered the workplace in 2003. Surveys were distributed at two time points: just prior to entering the workplace, and two months after entering. Results indicated that career maturity related positively to newcomers' mental health, and newcomers with high career maturity were more successful in establishing positive relationships with superiors and co-workers. Although, informational support networks positively related to work motivation, friendship networks did not show any direct effects on mental health. These results underscore the crucial roles of career maturity and informational networks in facilitating the transition to the workplace. The results also provide empirical support for an expanded view of the importance of pre-entry experiences to workplace newcomers' mental health.

  17. Networking systems design and development

    CERN Document Server

    Chao, Lee

    2009-01-01

    Effectively integrating theory and hands-on practice, Networking Systems Design and Development provides students and IT professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to design, implement, and manage fully functioning network systems using readily available Linux networking tools. Recognizing that most students are beginners in the field of networking, the text provides step-by-step instruction for setting up a virtual lab environment at home. Grounded in real-world applications, this book provides the ideal blend of conceptual instruction and lab work to give students and IT professional

  18. Using communication technology to support professional development in teaching science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundberg, Cheryl White

    The impact of collaboration via communication technology on follow-up to on-site professional development was the central focus of this hypothesis-generating study. The study used a combination of quantitative methodology and qualitative methodology. A convenient sample of 18 teachers was drawn from 208 teachers in an existing professional development program in science in a southeastern state. The statewide professional development program focused on energy education with a strong emphasis on using technology to enhance learning. Data sources included E-mail messages, lesson plans, photographs, workshop evaluations, surveys, and the report of an external reviewer. The study focused on two on-site workshops, February and June 2000 that were designed to model constructivist pedagogy and instruct teachers in effective utilization of computer-based laboratories in science classrooms. Follow-up to the on-site workshops was facilitated with several communication technologies (Internet, E-mail, telephone, and mail). The research found E-mail was the preferred mode for follow-up to on-site workshops because of the convenience of the medium. Barriers to effective distance professional development were time constraints, equipment failure, and lack of consistent Internet access to teachers in rural and under-served areas. Teacher characteristics of the sample, teacher efficacy, technical skill, experience, and constructivist pedagogy did not appear to impact the use of communication technologies as a means of follow-up to on-site professional development workshops. However, teacher efficacy might have negatively impacted effective implementation of calculator-based laboratory technology in the classroom. The study found E-mail was the most convenient and efficient way to facilitate follow-up to on-site professional development. Teacher characteristics (efficacy, technical skill, experience, and constructivist pedagogy) did not appear to impact the use of E-mail to facilitate

  19. Social networks of people with mild intellectual disabilities: characteristics, satisfaction, wishes and quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Asselt-Goverts, A E; Embregts, P J C M; Hendriks, A H C

    2015-05-01

    A supportive social network is crucial for facilitating social inclusion, which can, in turn, contribute to the quality of life (QOL) for people with intellectual disabilities (ID). In this study, we investigate how people with mild ID perceive their social networks and which network characteristics relate to satisfaction with the network and perceived QOL. Data were gathered from 33 young adults with a mild to borderline ID using structured questionnaires: the MSNA to map the social network, the IDQOL-16 to assess QOL, and a questionnaire to determine satisfaction and wishes with regard to the social network. The majority of the participants (73.1%) were satisfied with their social networks. Improvement in the area of strengthening existing ties (e.g. more frequent contact, better contact) was desired as opposed to expansion of the network. Affection--especially towards family and professionals--was most strongly related to perceived QOL. It appears to be essential that relatives live in the same town, can frequently meet up and provide both emotional and practical support. The significance of family and the importance of high-quality interpersonal relationships between professional and client in the lives of young adults with ID cannot be overestimated. Although measures of satisfaction and wishes can have limitations, in actual practice it is considered useful to assess the opinions of clients with respect to their social networks. Interventions can then be tailored to the needs and wishes of the persons themselves. © 2014 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Teachers' Self-Initiated Professional Learning through Personal Learning Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tour, Ekaterina

    2017-01-01

    It is widely acknowledged that to be able to teach language and literacy with digital technologies, teachers need to engage in relevant professional learning. Existing formal models of professional learning are often criticised for being ineffective. In contrast, informal and self-initiated forms of learning have been recently recognised as…

  1. A Survey on Mobility Support in Wireless Body Area Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beom-Su Kim

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs have attracted research interests from the community, as more promising healthcare applications have a tendency to employ them as underlying network technology. While taking design issues, such as small size hardware as well as low power computing, into account, a lot of research has been proposed to accomplish the given tasks in WBAN. However, since most of the existing works are basically developed by assuming all nodes in the static state, these schemes therefore cannot be applied in real scenarios where network topology between sensor nodes changes frequently and unexpectedly according to human moving behavior. However, as far as the authors know, there is no survey paper to focus on research challenges for mobility support in WBAN yet. To address this deficiency, in this paper, we present the state-of-the-art approaches and discuss the important features of related to mobility in WBAN. We give an overview of mobility model and categorize the models as individual and group. Furthermore, an overview of networking techniques in the recent literature and summary are compiled for comparison in several aspects. The article also suggests potential directions for future research in the field.

  2. Using Video to Support In-Service Teacher Professional Development: The State of the Field, Limitations and Possibilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Major, Louis; Watson, Steven

    2018-01-01

    Video is increasingly used to support in-service teacher professional development (TPD). Advances in affordability and usability of technology mean that interest is set to develop further. Studies in this area are diverse in terms of scale, methodology and context. This places limitations on undertaking a systematic review; therefore the authors…

  3. A New Vision for Teacher Professional Growth & Support: Six Steps to a More Powerful School System Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Education Resource Strategies, 2013

    2013-01-01

    One of a series of Education Resource Strategies (ERS) publications and tools, this paper explores important ways to organize and invest in Professional Growth & Support that strengthen teaching capacity and effectiveness at the system level. It draws on research, ERS experience with urban school systems nationwide, and detailed analyses of…

  4. Large-scale mHealth professional support for health workers in rural Maharashtra, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegde, Shailendra Kumar B; Saride, Sriranga Prasad; Kuruganty, Sudha; Banker, Niraja; Patil, Chetan; Phanse, Vishal

    2018-04-01

    Expanding mobile telephony in India has prompted interest in the potential of mobile-telephone health (mHealth) in linking health workers in rural areas with specialist medical advice and other professional services. In 2012, a toll-free helpline offering specialist medical advice to community-based health workers throughout Maharashtra was launched. Calls are handled via a 24 h centre in Pune, staffed by health advisory officers and medical specialists. Health advisory officers handle general queries, which include medical advice via validated algorithms; blood on-call services; grievance issues; and mental health support - the latter calls are transferred to a qualified counsellor. Calls requiring more specialist advice are transferred to the appropriate medical specialist. This paper describes the experience of the first 4 years of this helpline, in terms of the services used, callers, nature of calls, types of queries serviced and lessons learnt. In the first 4 years of the helpline, 669 265 calls were serviced. Of these calls, 453 373 (67.74%) needed medical advice and were handled by health advisory officers. Specialist services were required to address 199 226 (29.77%) calls. Blood-bank-related services accounted for 7919 (1.18%) calls, while 2462 (0.37%) were grievance calls. Counselling for mental health issues accounted for 6285 (0.94%) calls. The large-scale mHealth professional support provided by this helpline in Maharashtra has reached many health workers serving rural communities. Future work is required to explore ways to expand the reach of the helpline further and to measure its effectiveness in improving health outcomes.

  5. Developing the Developers: Supporting and Researching the Learning of Professional Development Facilitators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Emily; Boylan, Mark

    2018-01-01

    Research on teacher professional development is extensive but there are fewer studies about the practitioners who facilitate professional development. Here we report on a pilot programme for professional development facilitators rooted in a cycle of action research. Informed by a categorisation of professional knowledge and skills of facilitators,…

  6. Offline Social Relationships and Online Cancer Communication: Effects of Social and Family Support on Online Social Network Building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namkoong, Kang; Shah, Dhavan V; Gustafson, David H

    2017-11-01

    This study investigates how social support and family relationship perceptions influence breast cancer patients' online communication networks in a computer-mediated social support (CMSS) group. To examine social interactions in the CMSS group, we identified two types of online social networks: open and targeted communication networks. The open communication network reflects group communication behaviors (i.e., one-to-many or "broadcast" communication) in which the intended audience is not specified; in contrast, the targeted communication network reflects interpersonal discourses (i.e., one-to-one or directed communication) in which the audience for the message is specified. The communication networks were constructed by tracking CMSS group usage data of 237 breast cancer patients who participated in one of two National Cancer Institute-funded randomized clinical trials. Eligible subjects were within 2 months of a diagnosis of primary breast cancer or recurrence at the time of recruitment. Findings reveal that breast cancer patients who perceived less availability of offline social support had a larger social network size in the open communication network. In contrast, those who perceived less family cohesion had a larger targeted communication network in the CMSS group, meaning they were inclined to use the CMSS group for developing interpersonal relationships.

  7. Academic self-efficacy, growth mindsets, and university students' integration in academic and social support networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zander, Lysann; Brouwer, Jasperina; Jansen, Ellen; Crayen, Claudia; Hannover, Bettina

    Combining complete social networks and structural equation modeling, we investigate how two learning-related cognitions, academic self-efficacy and growth mindsets, relate to integration in support networks of 580 university students in 30 seminar groups. We assessed integration as popularity in

  8. Social networks of patients with chronic skin lesions: nursing care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandeira, Luciana Alves; Santos, Maxuel Cruz Dos; Duarte, Êrica Rosalba Mallmann; Bandeira, Andrea Gonçalves; Riquinho, Deise Lisboa; Vieira, Letícia Becker

    2018-01-01

    To describe the social networks of patients with chronic skin damages. A qualitative study conducted through semi-structured interviews with nine subjects with chronic skin lesions from June 2016 to March 2017; we used the theoretical-methodological framework of Lia Sanicola's Social Network. The analysis of the relational maps revealed that the primary network was formed mainly by relatives and neighbors; its characteristics, such as: reduced size, low density and few exchanges/relationships, configures fragility in these links. The secondary network was essentially described by health services, and the nurse was cited as a linker in the therapeutic process. Faced with the fragility of the links and social isolation, the primary health care professionals are fundamental foundations for the construction of networks of social support and care for patients with chronic skin lesions.

  9. Distributed generation in the Dutch LV network - self-supporting residential area

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mes, M.; Vanalme, G.M.A.; Myrzik, J.M.A.; Bongaerts, M.; Verbong, G.P.J.; Kling, W.L.

    2008-01-01

    A self-supporting residential area is seen as an alternative operational approach of power supply in low voltage (LV) networks. The intention of the new approach is to exploit the advantages of distributed generation (DG) and avoid the difficulties, that come with DG when implemented in the

  10. Listen and talk full-duplex cognitive radio networks

    CERN Document Server

    Liao, Yun; Han, Zhu

    2016-01-01

    This brief focuses on the use of full-duplex radio in cognitive radio networks, presenting a novel spectrum sharing protocol that allows the secondary users to simultaneously sense and access the vacant spectrum. This protocol, called “Listen-and-talk” (LAT), is evaluated by both mathematical analysis and computer simulations in comparison with other existing protocols, including the listen-before-talk protocol. In addition to LAT-based signal processing and resource allocation, the brief discusses techniques such as spectrum sensing and dynamic spectrum access. The brief proposes LAT as a suitable access scheme for cognitive radio networks, which can support the quality-of-service requirements of these high priority applications. Fundamental theories and key techniques of cognitive radio networks are also covered. Listen and Talk: Full-duplex Cognitive Radio Networks is designed for researchers, developers, and professionals involved in cognitive radio networks. Advanced-level students studying signal pr...

  11. Social networking site (SNS) use by adolescent mothers: Can social support and social capital be enhanced by online social networks? - A structured review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolan, Samantha; Hendricks, Joyce; Ferguson, Sally; Towell, Amanda

    2017-05-01

    to critically appraise the available literature and summarise the evidence relating to adolescent mothers' use of social networking sites in terms of any social support and social capital they may provide and to identify areas for future exploration. social networking sites have been demonstrated to provide social support to marginalised individuals and provide psycho-social benefits to members of such groups. Adolescent mothers are at risk of; social marginalisation; anxiety disorders and depressive symptoms; and poorer health and educational outcomes for their children. Social support has been shown to benefit adolescent mothers thus online mechanisms require consideration. a review of original research articles METHOD: key terms and Boolean operators identified research reports across a 20-year timeframe pertaining to the area of enquiry in: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline, Scopus, ERIC, ProQuest, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Health Collection (Informit) and Google Scholar databases. Eight original research articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. studies demonstrate that adolescent mothers actively search for health information using the Internet and social networking sites, and that social support and social capital can be attributed to their use of specifically created online groups from within targeted health interventions. Use of a message board forum for pregnant and parenting adolescents also demonstrates elements of social support. There are no studies to date pertaining to adolescent mothers' use of globally accessible social networking sites in terms of social support provision and related outcomes. further investigation is warranted to explore the potential benefits of adolescent mothers' use of globally accessible social networking sites in terms of any social support provision and social capital they may provide. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Methods for promoting knowledge exchange and networking among young professionals in the aerospace sector-IAF's IPMC workshop 2013 insights

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monzon, Amalio; Chow, Tiffany; Guthrie, Paul; Lu, Zhuoyan; Chuma, Constant; He, Huang; Kuzkov, Sergii

    2016-01-01

    During the next decades, the aerospace community will pursue goals such as human exploration beyond the Moon, commercialization and cost reduction of space activities or sustainability of air transport and space operations, bringing relevant economic, environmental and social benefits to the society. Young professionals development is a critical success factor to enable these goals and in consequence is an area of significant interest. This paper focuses on the methods for promoting knowledge exchange and networking among Young Professionals. On the one hand, it analyzes the different activities currently used for that purpose by the organizations of the sector as well as explores the opportunities to reinforce these methods. On the other hand, it presents the results of a survey addressed to Young Professionals and aimed at identifying their needs, expectations and benefits perceived in relation with these activities. This study was conducted as part of the IAF's (International Astronautical Federation) IPMC (International Programme/Project Management Committee) Workshop held during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2013 in Beijing, whose objective was to provide Young Professionals a forum to share experiences and to discuss ideas and needs, and which counted with more than fifty delegates representing IAF member organizations from all around the world.

  13. Evolving earth-based and in-situ satellite network architectures for Mars communications and navigation support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hastrup, Rolf; Weinberg, Aaron; McOmber, Robert

    1991-09-01

    Results of on-going studies to develop navigation/telecommunications network concepts to support future robotic and human missions to Mars are presented. The performance and connectivity improvements provided by the relay network will permit use of simpler, lower performance, and less costly telecom subsystems for the in-situ mission exploration elements. Orbiting relay satellites can serve as effective navigation aids by supporting earth-based tracking as well as providing Mars-centered radiometric data for mission elements approaching, in orbit, or on the surface of Mars. The relay satellite orbits may be selected to optimize navigation aid support and communication coverage for specific mission sets.

  14. The New Professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Ronald, Ed.; Osterman, Paul, Ed.

    A national movement of new professionals is growing in America; major professions such as medicine, law, religion, education, politics, and business are being radically changed. United by a network of publications and new organizations, the movement is devoted to social change, client control, and anticredentialism. It is geared to: professionals…

  15. Professional Development For Community College Faculty: Lessons Learned From Intentional Mentoring Workshops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, A. R.; Charlevoix, D. J.

    2016-12-01

    The Geoscience Workforce Development Initiative at UNAVCO supports attracting, training, and professionally developing students, educators, and professionals in the geosciences. For the past 12 years, UNAVCO has managed the highly successful Research Experiences in Solid Earth Science for Students (RESESS) program, with the goal of increasing the diversity of students entering the geosciences. Beginning in 2015, UNAVCO added Geo-Launchpad (GLP), a summer research preparation internship for Colorado community college students to prepare them for independent research opportunities, facilitate career exploration in the geosciences, and provide community college faculty with professional development to facilitate effective mentoring of students. One core element of the Geo-Launchpad program is UNAVCO support for GLP faculty mentors. Each intern applies to the program with a faculty representative (mentor) from his or her home institution. This faculty mentor is engaged with the student throughout the summer via telephone, video chat, text message, or email. At the end of each of the past two summers, UNAVCO has hosted four GLP faculty mentors in Boulder for two days of professional development focused on intentional mentoring of students. Discussions focused on the distinction between mentoring and advising, and the array of career and professional opportunities available to students. Faculty mentors also met with the external evaluator during the mentor training and provided feedback on both their observations of their intern as well as the impact on their own professional experience. Initial outcomes include re-energizing the faculty mentors' commitment to teaching, as well as the opportunity for valuable networking activities. This presentation will focus on the ongoing efforts and outcomes of the novel faculty mentor professional development activities, and the impact these activities have on community college student engagement in the geosciences.

  16. The European ALARA network. Development, functioning and main activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmitt-Hannig, A.

    2009-01-01

    The new ICRP recommendations (ICRP 103), and in particular the detailed treatment of optimisation in the ICRP Publication 101, define optimisation of protection as a source-related process aimed at keeping the likelihood of incurred exposures, the number of people exposed and the magnitude of their individual doses as low as reasonably achievable, also below constraints, taking into account economic and societal factors. Practical implementation and further development of the ALARA principle has been achieved for many years now by the successful cooperation of experts from different European organisations; first as pioneers by establishing the European ALARA Network and then by enthusiastically supporting the activities of the network itself. This contribution presents the evolution, operation and key activities of the European ALARA Network (EAN) in the last years; the successful cooperation of experts from different professional backgrounds, advocating the ALARA principle in a range of radiation protection areas, and contributing to its further development by trading experience and networking. The interaction between the EAN and international organisations, which support the ALARA principle by including relevant activities in their work programmes, is described. (orig.)

  17. Implementation of interprofessional learning activities in a professional practicum: The emerging role of technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brault, Isabelle; Therriault, Pierre-Yves; St-Denis, Louise; Lebel, Paule

    2015-01-01

    To prepare future healthcare professionals to collaborate effectively, many universities have developed interprofessional education programs (IPE). Till date, these programs have been mostly courses or clinical simulation experiences. Few attempts have been made to pursue IPE in healthcare clinical settings. This article presents the results of a pilot project in which interprofessional learning activities (ILAs) were implemented during students' professional practicum and discusses the actual and potential use of informatics in the ILA implementation. We conducted a pilot study in four healthcare settings. Our analysis is based on focus group interviews with trainees, clinical supervisors, ILA coordinators, and education managers. Overall, ILAs led to better clarification of roles and understanding of each professional's specific expertise. Informatics was helpful for developing a common language about IPE between trainees and healthcare professionals; opportunities for future application of informatics were noted. Our results support the relevance of ILAs and the value of promoting professional exchanges between students of different professions, both in academia and in the clinical setting. Informatics appears to offer opportunities for networking among students from different professions and for team members' professional development. The use of technology facilitated communication among the participants.

  18. The Influence of Social Networks and Social Support on Health Among Older Koreans at High Risk of Depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Soondool; Jeon, Haesang; Song, Ahyoung

    Despite compelling evidence showing that social networks and social support are associated with depression, relatively little research is available on this topic for older Koreans at high risk of depression. This article aimed to examine the relationship among different types of social networks (family vs. friends), social support (instrumental vs. emotional), and perceived general health among older Koreans at high risk of depression. We would then test for possible differences in pathways between two age groups (60-74 years vs. 75 years and older). Using data from the 2008 Survey of Elderly Life and Welfare Need, age 60-74 years (n = 2,815) and age 75 years and older (n = 1,784) were analyzed separately. Path analyses were used to examine the relationships among social network, support, and health among Korean older adults at high risk of depression. Findings highlighted the complex associations among social networks, social support, and perceived general health within old age. Moreover, this study called attention to the negative association between instrumental support from family networks and perceived general health among older Koreans aged 60-74 years at high risk of depression. The work discussed in this article would help inform the design of much needed and effective social intervention programs for the growing number of Korean older adults with depression.

  19. Social Support System in Learning Network for lifelong learners: A Conceptual framework

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nadeem, Danish; Stoyanov, Slavi; Koper, Rob

    2009-01-01

    Nadeem, D., Stoyanov, S., & Koper, R. (2009). Social support system in learning network for lifelong learners: A Conceptual framework [Special issue]. International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 19(4/5/6), 337-351.

  20. Exploring Elements That Support Teachers Engagement in Online Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prestridge, Sarah; Tondeur, Jo

    2015-01-01

    This study sought to identify the most effective elements required in online professional development to enable teachers to improve their use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in their classrooms. Four schools in Queensland were involved, with twelve classroom teachers participating in a year-long online professional development…