HTA and synthesis of qualitative research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Draborg, Eva Ulriksen; Hansen, Helle Ploug

2007-01-01

Introduction: Health technology assessment is no longer simply a question of efficacy and economics. Internationally there is growing interest in patient-related and organisational aspects and questions of why and how the technologies work. Qualitative research has established a role in answering...... these kinds of questions. Key challenges using qualitative research in HTA are related to the interpretive and small scale nature of qualitative research and how to synthesise qualitative research. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine and discuss the relevance of synthesis of qualitative...... research (SQR) in HTAs and to address its possibilities and limitations. Methods: SQR is described and discussed focusing on definition of synthesis and of qualitative versus quantitative methods, on questions of evidence and on the relevance for HTA. SQR is understood as an umbrella term for different...

Information-Seeking Behaviors of Dental Practitioners in Three Practice-Based Research Networks

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Botello-Harbaum, Maria T.; Demko, Catherine A.; Curro, Frederick A.; Rindal, D. Brad; Collie, Damon; Gilbert, Gregg H.; Hilton, Thomas J.; Craig, Ronald G.; Wu, Juliann; Funkhouser, Ellen; Lehman, Maryann; McBride, Ruth; Thompson, Van; Lindblad, Anne

2013-01-01

Research on the information-seeking behaviors of dental practitioners is scarce. Knowledge of dentists’ information-seeking behaviors should advance the translational gap between clinical dental research and dental practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the self-reported information-seeking behaviors of dentists in three dental practice-based research networks (PBRNs). A total of 950 dentists (65 percent response rate) completed the survey. Dental journals and continuing dental education (CDE) sources used and their influence on practice guidance were assessed. PBRN participation level and years since dental degree were measured. Full-participant dentists reported reading the Journal of the American Dental Association and General Dentistry more frequently than did their reference counterparts. Printed journals were preferred by most dentists. A lower proportion of full participants obtained their CDE credits at dental meetings compared to partial participants. Experienced dentists read other dental information sources more frequently than did less experienced dentists. Practitioners involved in a PBRN differed in their approaches to accessing information sources. Peer-reviewed sources were more frequently used by full participants and dentists with fifteen years of experience or more. Dental PBRNs potentially play a significant role in the dissemination of evidence-based information. This study found that specific educational sources might increase and disseminate knowledge among dentists. PMID:23382524

A Synthesis of the Literature on Research Methods Education

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Earley, Mark A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research synthesis is to examine the current research on teaching and learning research methods. The aims are to understand the themes present in the current literature and identify gaps in our understanding of how we teach, and how students learn, research methods. A synthesis of 89 studies generated three themes: (1)…

Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research: ENTREQ

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background The syntheses of multiple qualitative studies can pull together data across different contexts, generate new theoretical or conceptual models, identify research gaps, and provide evidence for the development, implementation and evaluation of health interventions. This study aims to develop a framework for reporting the synthesis of qualitative health research. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search for guidance and reviews relevant to the synthesis of qualitative research, methodology papers, and published syntheses of qualitative health research in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and relevant organisational websites to May 2011. Initial items were generated inductively from guides to synthesizing qualitative health research. The preliminary checklist was piloted against forty published syntheses of qualitative research, purposively selected to capture a range of year of publication, methods and methodologies, and health topics. We removed items that were duplicated, impractical to assess, and rephrased items for clarity. Results The Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ) statement consists of 21 items grouped into five main domains: introduction, methods and methodology, literature search and selection, appraisal, and synthesis of findings. Conclusions The ENTREQ statement can help researchers to report the stages most commonly associated with the synthesis of qualitative health research: searching and selecting qualitative research, quality appraisal, and methods for synthesising qualitative findings. The synthesis of qualitative research is an expanding and evolving methodological area and we would value feedback from all stakeholders for the continued development and extension of the ENTREQ statement. PMID:23185978

Exploring the Relevance of Qualitative Research Synthesis to Higher Education Research and Practice

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Major, Claire; Savin-Baden, Maggi

2010-01-01

This paper proposes the importance of qualitative research synthesis to the field of higher education. It examines seven key texts that undertake synthesis in this field and compares essential features and elements across studies. The authors indicate strengths of the approaches and highlight ways forward for using qualitative research synthesis…

Stigma-related barriers and facilitators to help seeking for mental health issues in the armed forces: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative literature.

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Coleman, S J; Stevelink, S A M; Hatch, S L; Denny, J A; Greenberg, N

2017-08-01

A recent quantitative review in the area of stigma and help seeking in the armed forces has questioned the association between these factors (Sharp et al. 2015). To date, the contribution of qualitative literature in this area has largely been ignored, despite the value this research brings to the understanding of complex social constructs such as stigma. The aim of the current systematic review of qualitative studies was to identify appropriate literature, assess the quality and synthesize findings across studies regarding evidence of stigma-related barriers and facilitators to help seeking for mental health issues within the armed forces. A multi-database text word search incorporating searches of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Social Policy and Practice, Social Work Abstracts, EMBASE, ERIC and EBM Review databases between 1980 and April 2015 was conducted. Literature was quality assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Thematic synthesis was conducted across the literature. The review identified eight studies with 1012 participants meeting the inclusion criteria. Five overarching themes were identified across the literature: (1) non-disclosure; (2) individual beliefs about mental health; (3) anticipated and personal experience of stigma; (4) career concerns; and (5) factors influencing stigma. The findings from the current systematic review found that unlike inconsistent findings in the quantitative literature, there was substantial evidence of a negative relationship between stigma and help seeking for mental health difficulties within the armed forces. The study advocates for refinement of measures to accurately capture the complexity of stigma and help seeking in future quantitative studies.

Meta-synthesis of qualitative research: the challenges and opportunities.

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Mohammed, Mohammed A; Moles, Rebekah J; Chen, Timothy F

2016-06-01

Synthesis of qualitative studies is an emerging area that has been gaining more interest as an important source of evidence for improving health care policy and practice. In the last decade there have been numerous attempts to develop methods of aggregating and synthesizing qualitative data. Although numerous empirical qualitative studies have been published about different aspects of health care research, to date, the aggregation and syntheses of these data has not been commonly reported, particularly in pharmacy practice related research. This paper describes different methods of conducting meta-synthesis and provides an overview of selected common methods. The paper also emphasizes the challenges and opportunities associated with conducting meta-synthesis and highlights the importance of meta-synthesis in informing practice, policy and research.

Teaching information seeking

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Louise Limberg

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The article argues for a closer association between information seeking research and the practices of teaching information seeking. Findings are presented from a research project on information seeking, didactics and learning (IDOL investigating librarians' and teachers' experiences of teaching information seeking. Method. Thirteen teachers and five librarians, teaching 12-19 year-old students in three schools, participated. Forty-five interviews were conducted over a period of three years. Analysis. The IDOL project adopted a phenomenographic approach with the purpose of describing patterns of variation in experiences. The findings were also analysed by way of relating them to four competing approaches to the mediation of information literacy. Results. A gap was identified between experiences of teaching content that focused on sources and order, and experiences of assessment criteria applied to students' work that focused on the importance of correct facts and the analysis of information. These findings indicate a highly restricted range of teaching contents when compared with the four theoretical approaches to the mediation of information literacy. Conclusion. Teaching information seeking might be enhanced by a wider repertoire of contents reflecting more varied theoretical understanding developed in information seeking research, particularly as regards the importance of content and context related to user perspectives.

Synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research: an example using Critical Interpretive Synthesis.

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Flemming, Kate

2010-01-01

This paper is a report of a Critical Interpretive Synthesis to synthesize quantitative research, in the form of an effectiveness review and a guideline, with qualitative research to examine the use of morphine to treat cancer-related pain. Critical Interpretive Synthesis is a new method of reviewing, developed from meta-ethnography, which integrates systematic review methodology with a qualitative tradition of enquiry. It has not previously been used specifically to synthesize effectiveness and qualitative literature. Data sources. An existing systematic review of quantitative research and a guideline examining the effectiveness of oral morphine to treat cancer pain were identified. Electronic searches of Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO, Health Management Information Consortium database and the Social Science Citation Index to identify qualitative research were carried out in May 2008. Qualitative research papers reporting on the use of morphine to treat cancer pain were identified. The findings of the effectiveness research were used as a framework to guide the translation of findings from qualitative research using an integrative grid. A secondary translation of findings from the qualitative research, not specifically mapped to the effectiveness literature, was guided by the framework. Nineteen qualitative papers were synthesized with the quantitative effectiveness literature, producing 14 synthetic constructs. These were developed into four synthesizing arguments which drew on patients', carers' and healthcare professionals' interpretations of the meaning and context of the use of morphine to treat cancer pain. Critical Interpretive Synthesis can be adapted to synthesize reviews of quantitative research into effectiveness with qualitative research and fits into an existing typology of approaches to synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research.

A review of Web information seeking research: considerations of method and foci of interest

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Konstantina Martzoukou

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. This review shows that Web information seeking research suffers from inconsistencies in method and a lack of homogeneity in research foci. Background. Qualitative and quantitative methods are needed to produce a comprehensive view of information seeking. Studies also recommend observation as one of the most fundamental ways of gaining direct knowledge of behaviour. User-centred research emphasises the importance of holistic approaches, which incorporate physical, cognitive, and affective elements. Problems. Comprehensive studies are limited; many approaches are problematic and a consistent methodological framework has not been developed. Research has often failed to ensure appropriate samples that ensure both quantitative validity and qualitative consistency. Typically, observation has been based on simulated rather than real information needs and most studies show little attempt to examine holistically different characteristics of users in the same research schema. Research also deals with various aspects of cognitive style and ability with variant definitions of expertise and different layers of user experience. Finally the effect of social and cultural elements has not been extensively investigated. Conclusion. The existing limitations in method and the plethora of different approaches allow little progress and fewer comparisons across studies. There is urgent need for establishing a theoretical framework on which future studies can be based so that information seeking behaviour can be more holistically understood, and results can be generalised.

A Study of the Information Seeking Behavior of Communication Graduate Students in Their Research Processes

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Shih-Chuan Chen

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Thesis is the research outcome that a graduate student spends most of his or her time and energies to achieve. Therefore, the research process of student’s thesis writing is an important topic to be investigated. The main purpose of this study is to explore graduate students’ information seeking behavior during the process of thesis writing. Ten graduate students in the field of communication were interviewed, and their information horizon maps as well as bibliographical references were analyzed also. Results showed that the library, as a formal channel, is the primary source for graduate students. The documents that they used most often were theses and dissertations, monographs, and journals. In addition to the formal channels, social network also played as a very important role in students’ research process. The networks even changed their information seeking behaviors in formal channels. Students reported several problems encountered in the research process, such as lacking of the background knowledge of the interdisciplinary, being unable to find out the core and relevant documents from the search results, etc. In conclusion, graduate students’ information seeking behavior changed at different stages in the research process. [Article content in Chinese

Predicting job-seeking intensity and job-seeking intention in the sample of unemployed

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Marić Zorica

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In this study Ajzen' theory (1991 of planned behavior was used to predict job - seek intention and behavior among unemployed people (N = 650. In addition to theory of planned behavior variables (job - seek attitude, subjective norm, self - efficacy and controllability of job seek process we used several other psychological (financial pressure, self - mastery, self - esteem and depression and demographic (gender, age, education, marriage and lent of unemployment variables to build a model of predictors for both criterion variables. Financial pressure, intention to seek employment, job seek - self - efficacy, job - seek controllability, marriage and job - seek attitude predicted job - seeking behavior, while attitude toward job - seeking, subjective norm, job - seek self - efficacy and financial pressure predicted job seek - intention. Results are discussed in light of theory of planned behavior, current research of job - seeking behavior and recommendations are made for practice.

Synthesis centers as critical research infrastructure

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Baron, Jill S.; Specht, Alison; Garnier, Eric; Bishop, Pamela; Campbell, C. Andrew; Davis, Frank W.; Fady, Bruno; Field, Dawn; Gross, Louis J.; Guru, Siddeswara M.; Halpern, Benjamin S; Hampton, Stephanie E.; Leavitt, Peter R.; Meagher, Thomas R.; Ometto, Jean; Parker, John N.; Price, Richard; Rawson, Casey H.; Rodrigo, Allen; Sheble, Laura A.; Winter, Marten

2017-01-01

investment to maximize benefits to science and society is justified. In particular, we argue that synthesis centers represent community infrastructure more akin to research vessels than to term-funded centers of science and technology (e.g., NSF Science and Technology Centers). Through our experience running synthesis centers and, in some cases, developing postfederal funding models, we offer our perspective on the purpose and value of synthesis centers. We present case studies of different outcomes of transition plans and argue for a fundamental shift in the conception of synthesis science and the strategic funding of these centers by government funding agencies.

Evaluating meta-ethnography: systematic analysis and synthesis of qualitative research.

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Campbell, R; Pound, P; Morgan, M; Daker-White, G; Britten, N; Pill, R; Yardley, L; Pope, C; Donovan, J

2011-12-01

Methods for reviewing and synthesising findings from quantitative research studies in health care are well established. Although there is recognition of the need for qualitative research to be brought into the evidence base, there is no consensus about how this should be done and the methods for synthesising qualitative research are at a relatively early stage of development. To evaluate meta-ethnography as a method for synthesising qualitative research studies in health and health care. Two full syntheses of qualitative research studies were conducted between April 2002 and September 2004 using meta-ethnography: (1) studies of medicine-taking and (2) studies exploring patients' experiences of living with rheumatoid arthritis. Potentially relevant studies identified in multiple literature searches conducted in July and August 2002 (electronically and by hand) were appraised using a modified version of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme questions for understanding qualitative research. Candidate papers were excluded on grounds of lack of relevance to the aims of the synthesis or because the work failed to employ qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Thirty-eight studies were entered into the medicine-taking synthesis, one of which did not contribute to the final synthesis. The synthesis revealed a general caution about taking medicine, and that the practice of lay testing of medicines was widespread. People were found to take their medicine passively or actively or to reject it outright. Some, in particular clinical areas, were coerced into taking it. Those who actively accepted their medicine often modified the regimen prescribed by a doctor, without the doctor's knowledge. The synthesis concluded that people often do not take their medicines as prescribed because of concern about the medicines themselves. 'Resistance' emerged from the synthesis as a concept that best encapsulated the lay response to prescribed medicines. It was suggested that a

"Professionalism" in Second and Foreign Language Teaching: A Qualitative Research Synthesis

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Jansem, Anchalee

2018-01-01

This qualitative research synthesis concludes and displays pictures of professionalism in second/foreign language education. Adopting Weed's processes as the methodological framework for doing qualitative research synthesis, the researcher employed seven steps, from retrieving to selecting studies directly associated with professionalism. The…

Towards a framework for modular service design synthesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løkkegaard, Martin; Mortensen, Niels Henrik; McAloone, Tim C.

2016-01-01

This paper seeks to improve the understanding of how service-based companies can benefit from developing and delivering service offerings from a standardised core of service modules, which are organised through a service architecture. Research within the field is relatively sparse, and there is s......This paper seeks to improve the understanding of how service-based companies can benefit from developing and delivering service offerings from a standardised core of service modules, which are organised through a service architecture. Research within the field is relatively sparse...... model for modular service design synthesis presented in this paper. The case study is based on internal documentation and a high level of interview data. Inductive research methods have been used for the analysis. The presented conceptual model defines three suggested dimensions (Market Segmentation...

Research in Korea on Gas Phase Synthesis and Control of Nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Mansoo

2001-01-01

Research activity into the gas phase synthesis of nanoparticles has witnessed rapid growth on a worldwide basis, which is also reflected by Korean research efforts. Nanoparticle research is inherently a multi-disciplinary activity involving both science and engineering. In this paper, the recent studies undertaken in Korea on the gas phase synthesis and control of nanoparticles are reviewed. Studies on the synthesis of various kinds of nanoparticles are first discussed with a focus on the different types of reactors used. Recent experimental and theoretical studies and newly developed methods of measuring and modeling nanoparticle growth are also reviewed

Presence seeking and sensation seeking as motives for international travel.

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Fontaine, G

1994-12-01

Although independent research has identified presence seeking and sensation seeking as important motives for a variety of activities, there is sufficient conceptual overlap to suggest the concepts describe in part the same motive or are related. The possible relationship was examined in motives of students for international travel. Nonsignificant correlations suggest that, at least for this activity, they are differentiable.

Mapping publication trends and identifying hot spots of research on Internet health information seeking behavior: a quantitative and co-word biclustering analysis.

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Li, Fan; Li, Min; Guan, Peng; Ma, Shuang; Cui, Lei

2015-03-25

The Internet has become an established source of health information for people seeking health information. In recent years, research on the health information seeking behavior of Internet users has become an increasingly important scholarly focus. However, there have been no long-term bibliometric studies to date on Internet health information seeking behavior. The purpose of this study was to map publication trends and explore research hot spots of Internet health information seeking behavior. A bibliometric analysis based on PubMed was conducted to investigate the publication trends of research on Internet health information seeking behavior. For the included publications, the annual publication number, the distribution of countries, authors, languages, journals, and annual distribution of highly frequent major MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms were determined. Furthermore, co-word biclustering analysis of highly frequent major MeSH terms was utilized to detect the hot spots in this field. A total of 533 publications were included. The research output was gradually increasing. There were five authors who published four or more articles individually. A total of 271 included publications (50.8%) were written by authors from the United States, and 516 of the 533 articles (96.8%) were published in English. The eight most active journals published 34.1% (182/533) of the publications on this topic. Ten research hot spots were found: (1) behavior of Internet health information seeking about HIV infection or sexually transmitted diseases, (2) Internet health information seeking behavior of students, (3) behavior of Internet health information seeking via mobile phone and its apps, (4) physicians' utilization of Internet medical resources, (5) utilization of social media by parents, (6) Internet health information seeking behavior of patients with cancer (mainly breast cancer), (7) trust in or satisfaction with Web-based health information by consumers, (8

A Preliminary Methodology, and a Cautionary Tale, for Determining How Students Seek Research Help Online

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Pellegrino, Catherine

2014-01-01

This article reports on a pilot study to examine undergraduate students' help-seeking behavior when undertaking library research in online courses. A novel methodology incorporating elements of ethnographic research resulted in a small, but rich and detailed, collection of qualitative data. The data suggest that the methodology has promise for…

Research progress on synthesis and characteristic about dendrimers

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Tang, Zitao

2017-12-01

Dendrimers are hyper-branched polymers which have perfectly defined structures. Different from the common polymers, dendrimers are synthesized by a step-by-step iterative style, which starts from a central core and forms branching parts outward. The dendrimers also have different physical and chemical characteristics from common polymers. In this paper, contributions to dendrimer synthesis from different researchers with different scientific background, synthesis of different dendrimers, and applications of them will be reviewed.

Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help: A Shortened Form and Considerations for Research.

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Fischer, Edward H.; Farina, Amerigo

1995-01-01

Tested a new, shortened scale for measuring willingness to seek help from mental health professionals. Scores correlated with the 29-item scale developed by Fischer and Turner (1970); the new scale's brevity (10 items) should make it easier and less obtrusive for use in research. Discusses the need for further studies on attitudes toward…

SYNTHESIS, REACTIVITY AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF QUINOXALIN-2-ONE DERIVATIVES

OpenAIRE

El Mokhtar Essassi; R. Bouhfid; Y. Kandri Rodi; S. Ferfra; H. Benzeid; Y. Ramli

2010-01-01

Quinoxalines have a great interest in various fields and particularly in chemistry, biology and pharmacology. It enabled the researchers to develop many methods for their preparations and to seek new fields of application. In this review, we’ll expose different methods of synthesis of the quinoxalin-2-one, its reactivity and finally we’ll discuss the various biological activities of its derivatives.

Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes and Barriers to Help-Seeking in Young People in Turkey

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Koydemir, Selda; Erel, Ozge; Yumurtaci, Duygu; Sahin, Gozde Nur

2010-01-01

This qualitative research sought to understand the needs of Turkish university students related to adjustment to university, the sources they seek help from, their attitudes about and barriers to psychological help-seeking. Data analysis of interview transcriptions from 15 undergraduates identified several themes. Interpersonal problems,…

Novel data sources for women's health research: mapping breast screening online information seeking through Google trends.

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Fazeli Dehkordy, Soudabeh; Carlos, Ruth C; Hall, Kelli S; Dalton, Vanessa K

2014-09-01

Millions of people use online search engines everyday to find health-related information and voluntarily share their personal health status and behaviors in various Web sites. Thus, data from tracking of online information seeker's behavior offer potential opportunities for use in public health surveillance and research. Google Trends is a feature of Google which allows Internet users to graph the frequency of searches for a single term or phrase over time or by geographic region. We used Google Trends to describe patterns of information-seeking behavior in the subject of dense breasts and to examine their correlation with the passage or introduction of dense breast notification legislation. To capture the temporal variations of information seeking about dense breasts, the Web search query "dense breast" was entered in the Google Trends tool. We then mapped the dates of legislative actions regarding dense breasts that received widespread coverage in the lay media to information-seeking trends about dense breasts over time. Newsworthy events and legislative actions appear to correlate well with peaks in search volume of "dense breast". Geographic regions with the highest search volumes have passed, denied, or are currently considering the dense breast legislation. Our study demonstrated that any legislative action and respective news coverage correlate with increase in information seeking for "dense breast" on Google, suggesting that Google Trends has the potential to serve as a data source for policy-relevant research. Copyright © 2014 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Information-seeking behavior of basic science researchers: implications for library services.

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Haines, Laura L; Light, Jeanene; O'Malley, Donna; Delwiche, Frances A

2010-01-01

This study examined the information-seeking behaviors of basic science researchers to inform the development of customized library services. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on a sample of basic science researchers employed at a university medical school. The basic science researchers used a variety of information resources ranging from popular Internet search engines to highly technical databases. They generally relied on basic keyword searching, using the simplest interface of a database or search engine. They were highly collegial, interacting primarily with coworkers in their laboratories and colleagues employed at other institutions. They made little use of traditional library services and instead performed many traditional library functions internally. Although the basic science researchers expressed a positive attitude toward the library, they did not view its resources or services as integral to their work. To maximize their use by researchers, library resources must be accessible via departmental websites. Use of library services may be increased by cultivating relationships with key departmental administrative personnel. Despite their self-sufficiency, subjects expressed a desire for centralized information about ongoing research on campus and shared resources, suggesting a role for the library in creating and managing an institutional repository.

Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews

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Harden Angela

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a growing recognition of the value of synthesising qualitative research in the evidence base in order to facilitate effective and appropriate health care. In response to this, methods for undertaking these syntheses are currently being developed. Thematic analysis is a method that is often used to analyse data in primary qualitative research. This paper reports on the use of this type of analysis in systematic reviews to bring together and integrate the findings of multiple qualitative studies. Methods We describe thematic synthesis, outline several steps for its conduct and illustrate the process and outcome of this approach using a completed review of health promotion research. Thematic synthesis has three stages: the coding of text 'line-by-line'; the development of 'descriptive themes'; and the generation of 'analytical themes'. While the development of descriptive themes remains 'close' to the primary studies, the analytical themes represent a stage of interpretation whereby the reviewers 'go beyond' the primary studies and generate new interpretive constructs, explanations or hypotheses. The use of computer software can facilitate this method of synthesis; detailed guidance is given on how this can be achieved. Results We used thematic synthesis to combine the studies of children's views and identified key themes to explore in the intervention studies. Most interventions were based in school and often combined learning about health benefits with 'hands-on' experience. The studies of children's views suggested that fruit and vegetables should be treated in different ways, and that messages should not focus on health warnings. Interventions that were in line with these suggestions tended to be more effective. Thematic synthesis enabled us to stay 'close' to the results of the primary studies, synthesising them in a transparent way, and facilitating the explicit production of new concepts and hypotheses

SYNTHESIS, REACTIVITY AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF QUINOXALIN-2-ONE DERIVATIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El Mokhtar Essassi

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Quinoxalines have a great interest in various fields and particularly in chemistry, biology and pharmacology. It enabled the researchers to develop many methods for their preparations and to seek new fields of application. In this review, we’ll expose different methods of synthesis of the quinoxalin-2-one, its reactivity and finally we’ll discuss the various biological activities of its derivatives.

Synthesis of discipline-based education research in physics

OpenAIRE

Jennifer L. Docktor; José P. Mestre

2014-01-01

This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of physics education research at the undergraduate level. It is based on work originally commissioned by the National Academies. Six topical areas are covered: (1) conceptual understanding, (2) problem solving, (3) curriculum and instruction, (4) assessment, (5) cognitive psychology, and (6) attitudes and beliefs about teaching and learning. Each topical section includes sample research questions, theoretical frameworks, common research methodolog...

Sensation seeking and error processing.

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Zheng, Ya; Sheng, Wenbin; Xu, Jing; Zhang, Yuanyuan

2014-09-01

Sensation seeking is defined by a strong need for varied, novel, complex, and intense stimulation, and a willingness to take risks for such experience. Several theories propose that the insensitivity to negative consequences incurred by risks is one of the hallmarks of sensation-seeking behaviors. In this study, we investigated the time course of error processing in sensation seeking by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) while high and low sensation seekers performed an Eriksen flanker task. Whereas there were no group differences in ERPs to correct trials, sensation seeking was associated with a blunted error-related negativity (ERN), which was female-specific. Further, different subdimensions of sensation seeking were related to ERN amplitude differently. These findings indicate that the relationship between sensation seeking and error processing is sex-specific. Copyright © 2014 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Research progress in the electrochemical synthesis of ferrate(VI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macova, Zuzana; Bouzek, Karel; Hives, Jan; Sharma, Virender K.; Terryn, Raymond J.; Baum, J. Clayton

2009-01-01

There is renewed interest in the +6 oxidation state of iron, ferrate (VI) (Fe VI O 4 2- ), because of its potential as a benign oxidant for organic synthesis, as a chemical in developing cleaner ('greener') technology for remediation processes, and as an alternative for environment-friendly battery cathodes. This interest has led many researchers to focus their attention on the synthesis of ferrate(VI). Of the three synthesis methods, electrochemical, wet chemical and thermal, electrochemical synthesis has received the most attention due to its ease and the high purity of the product. Moreover, electrochemical processes use an electron as a so-called clean chemical, thus avoiding the use of any harmful chemicals to oxidize iron to the +6 oxidation state. This paper reviews the development of electrochemical methods to synthesize ferrate(VI). The approaches chosen by different laboratories to overcome some of the difficulties associated with the electrochemical synthesis of ferrate(VI) are summarized. Special attention is paid to parameters such as temperature, anolyte, and anode material composition. Spectroscopic work to understand the mechanism of ferrate(VI) synthesis is included. Recent advances in two new approaches, the use of an inert electrode and molten hydroxide salts, in the synthesis of ferrate(VI) are also reviewed. Progress made in the commercialization of ferrate(VI) continuous production is briefly discussed as well

Risk of vicarious trauma in nursing research: a focused mapping review and synthesis.

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Taylor, Julie; Bradbury-Jones, Caroline; Breckenridge, Jenna P; Jones, Christine; Herber, Oliver Rudolf

2016-10-01

To provide a snapshot of how vicarious trauma is considered within the published nursing research literature. Vicarious trauma (secondary traumatic stress) has been the focus of attention in nursing practice for many years. The most pertinent areas to invoke vicarious trauma in research have been suggested as abuse/violence and death/dying. What is not known is how researchers account for the risks of vicarious trauma in research. Focused mapping review and synthesis. Empirical studies meeting criteria for abuse/violence or death/dying in relevant Scopus ranked top nursing journals (n = 6) January 2009 to December 2014. Relevant papers were scrutinised for the extent to which researchers discussed the risk of vicarious trauma. Aspects of the studies were mapped systematically to a pre-defined template, allowing patterns and gaps in authors' reporting to be determined. These were synthesised into a coherent profile of current reporting practices and from this, a new conceptualisation seeking to anticipate and address the risk of vicarious trauma was developed. Two thousand five hundred and three papers were published during the review period, of which 104 met the inclusion criteria. Studies were distributed evenly by method (52 qualitative; 51 quantitative; one mixed methods) and by focus (54 abuse/violence; 50 death/dying). The majority of studies (98) were carried out in adult populations. Only two papers reported on vicarious trauma. The conceptualisation of vicarious trauma takes account of both sensitivity of the substantive data collected, and closeness of those involved with the research. This might assist researchers in designing ethical and protective research and foreground the importance of managing risks of vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is not well considered in research into clinically important topics. Our proposed framework allows for consideration of these so that precautionary measures can be put in place to minimise harm to staff. © 2016

Parent Involvement in Homework: A Research Synthesis

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Patall, Erika A.; Cooper, Harris; Robinson, Jorgianne Civey

2008-01-01

New emphasis is being placed on the importance of parent involvement in children's education. In a synthesis of research on the effects of parent involvement in homework, a meta-analysis of 14 studies that manipulated parent training for homework involvement reveals that training parents to be involved in their child's homework results in (a)…

Personal narrative approaches in rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury: A synthesis of qualitative research.

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D'Cruz, Kate; Douglas, Jacinta; Serry, Tanya

2017-08-09

Although narrative storytelling has been found to assist identity construction, there is little direct research regarding its application in rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this review was to identify published evidence on the use of personal narrative approaches in rehabilitation following TBI and to synthesise the findings across this literature. A systematic search of four databases was conducted in December 2016. No limit was set on the start date of the search. Personal narrative approaches were defined as direct client participation in sharing personal stories using written, spoken or visual methods. The search retrieved 12 qualitative research articles on the use of personal narrative approaches in TBI rehabilitation. Thematic synthesis of the narrative data and authors' reported findings of the 12 articles yielded an overall theme of building a strengths-based identity and four sub-themes: 1) expressing and communicating to others; 2) feeling validated by the act of someone listening; 3) reflecting and learning about oneself; and 4) being productive. The findings of this review support the use of personal narrative approaches in addressing loss of identity following TBI. Healthcare professionals and the community are encouraged to seek opportunities for survivors of TBI to share their stories.

Solar Power and Solar Fuels Synthesis Report. Technology, market and research activities 2006-2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ridell, Bengt; Nilsson, Ronny; Rehnlund, Bjoern [Grontmij, Stockholm (Sweden); Kasemo, Bengt [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden)

2012-11-01

The objectives of the synthesis is to survey the situation and give an accumulated and concentrated knowledge about status, needs and opportunities for Swedish research and Swedish industry within the area of solar power and solar fuels, to be used for prioritisation of further efforts. The synthesis shall identify strengths and weaknesses in areas fundamental for development of solar power and solar fuels, focused on the development in Sweden, but in an international context. The synthesis shall also cover proposals for future Swedish research efforts and organisation of future Swedish research programs.

Smart Tools for Academic Information Seeking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eeva Koponen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Systematic information seeking is an essential part of academic work. Research and information seeking go hand in hand, and both need planning. In the academic world you can hardly avoid the research plan, but you probably won’t hear that much about the information seeking plan. The information seeking plan guides you through the research process from the first sparks of an idea to the last dot in the bibliography from the point of view of the often invisible process of systematic information seeking. Systematic Information Seeking Framework designed in the Jyväskylä University Library has its roots in Carol Kuhlthau's Guided Inquiry Design Process. Our model, designed for more contextual adjustability, is presented in our Library Tutorial (https://koppa.jyu.fi/avoimet/kirjasto/en/library-tutorial, an open self-study material. The process starts with “Defining the topic and finding search terms”. This stage requires extensive reading about the subject matter, understanding the basic differences between everyday knowledge and scientific knowledge and distinguishing information resources for different kinds of needs. Analysis of concepts and understanding of their contextuality are at the core of scientific knowledge. With the information seeking plan and a mind map one can work on the search terms, discover connections and construct search statements for different resources and the search strategies they require. The second section is about “Finding sources”, which students often understand as the starting point for systematic information seeking. Knowledge of the publication cultures in different disciplines guide the information seeker to the different types of sources needed. Finally, “Citing and managing references”. One of the most essential skills in all academic work is the appropriate use of scientific sources, citing and managing references correctly. As academic dishonesty hurts the whole community, academic fraud, e

Clinical research data sharing: what an open science world means for researchers involved in evidence synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Joseph S

2016-09-20

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recently announced a bold step forward to require data generated by interventional clinical trials that are published in its member journals to be responsibly shared with external investigators. The movement toward a clinical research culture that supports data sharing has important implications for the design, conduct, and reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. While data sharing is likely to enhance the science of evidence synthesis, facilitating the identification and inclusion of all relevant research, it will also pose key challenges, such as requiring broader search strategies and more thorough scrutiny of identified research. Furthermore, the adoption of data sharing initiatives by the clinical research community should challenge the community of researchers involved in evidence synthesis to follow suit, including the widespread adoption of systematic review registration, results reporting, and data sharing, to promote transparency and enhance the integrity of the research process.

Synthesis of discipline-based education research in physics

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Jennifer L. Docktor

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of physics education research at the undergraduate level. It is based on work originally commissioned by the National Academies. Six topical areas are covered: (1 conceptual understanding, (2 problem solving, (3 curriculum and instruction, (4 assessment, (5 cognitive psychology, and (6 attitudes and beliefs about teaching and learning. Each topical section includes sample research questions, theoretical frameworks, common research methodologies, a summary of key findings, strengths and limitations of the research, and areas for future study. Supplemental material proposes promising future directions in physics education research.

Teaching and Learning Children's Human Rights: A Research Synthesis

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Brantefors, Lotta; Quennerstedt, Ann

2016-01-01

The study presented in this paper is a research synthesis examining how issues relating to the teaching and learning of children's human rights have been approached in educational research. Drawing theoretically on the European Didaktik tradition, the purpose of the paper is to map and synthesise the educational interest in children's rights…

Synthesis of qualitative linguistic research--a pilot review integrating and generalizing findings on doctor-patient interaction.

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Nowak, Peter

2011-03-01

There is a broad range qualitative linguistic research (sequential analysis) on doctor-patient interaction that had only a marginal impact on clinical research and practice. At least in parts this is due to the lack of qualitative research synthesis in the field. Available research summaries are not systematic in their methodology. This paper proposes a synthesis methodology for qualitative, sequential analytic research on doctor-patient interaction. The presented methodology is not new but specifies standard methodology of qualitative research synthesis for sequential analytic research. This pilot review synthesizes twelve studies on German-speaking doctor-patient interactions, identifies 45 verbal actions of doctors and structures them in a systematics of eight interaction components. Three interaction components ("Listening", "Asking for information", and "Giving information") seem to be central and cover two thirds of the identified action types. This pilot review demonstrates that sequential analytic research can be synthesized in a consistent and meaningful way, thus providing a more comprehensive and unbiased integration of research. Future synthesis of qualitative research in the area of health communication research is very much needed. Qualitative research synthesis can support the development of quantitative research and of educational materials in medical training and patient training. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Coding System for Qualitative Studies of the Information-Seeking Process in Computer Science Research

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Moral, Cristian; de Antonio, Angelica; Ferre, Xavier; Lara, Graciela

2015-01-01

Introduction: In this article we propose a qualitative analysis tool--a coding system--that can support the formalisation of the information-seeking process in a specific field: research in computer science. Method: In order to elaborate the coding system, we have conducted a set of qualitative studies, more specifically a focus group and some…

Synthesis of Discipline-Based Education Research in Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Docktor, Jennifer L.; Mestre, José P.

2014-01-01

This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of physics education research at the undergraduate level. It is based on work originally commissioned by the National Academies. Six topical areas are covered: (1) conceptual understanding, (2) problem solving, (3) curriculum and instruction, (4) assessment, (5) cognitive psychology, and (6) attitudes…

Looking for information a survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior

CERN Document Server

Case, Donald O

2016-01-01

The 4th edition of this popular and well-cited text is now co-authored, and includes significant changes from earlier texts. Presenting a comprehensive review of over a century of research on information behavior (IB), this book is intended for students in information studies and disciplines interested in research on information activities. The initial two chapters introduce IB as a multi-disciplinary topic, the 3rd provides a brief history of research on information seeking. Chapter four discusses what is meant by the terms 'information' and 'knowledge.' Chapter five discusses 'information needs,' and how they are addressed. The 6th chapter identifies many related concepts. Twelve models of information behavior (expanded from earlier editions) are illustrated in chapter seven. Chapter eight reviews various paradigms and theories informing IB research. Chapter nine examines research methods invoked in IB studies and a discussion of qualitative and mixed approaches. The 10th chapter gives examples of IB studie...

Novel Data Sources for Women’s Health Research: Mapping Breast Screening Online Information Seeking Through Google Trends

Science.gov (United States)

Dehkordy, Soudabeh Fazeli; Carlos, Ruth C.; Hall, Kelli S.; Dalton, Vanessa K.

2015-01-01

Rationale and Objectives Millions of people use online search engines every day to find health-related information and voluntarily share their personal health status and behaviors in various Web sites. Thus, data from tracking of online information seeker’s behavior offer potential opportunities for use in public health surveillance and research. Google Trends is a feature of Google which allows internet users to graph the frequency of searches for a single term or phrase over time or by geographic region. We used Google Trends to describe patterns of information seeking behavior in the subject of dense breasts and to examine their correlation with the passage or introduction of dense breast notification legislation. Materials and Methods In order to capture the temporal variations of information seeking about dense breasts, the web search query “dense breast” was entered in the Google Trends tool. We then mapped the dates of legislative actions regarding dense breasts that received widespread coverage in the lay media to information seeking trends about dense breasts over time. Results Newsworthy events and legislative actions appear to correlate well with peaks in search volume of “dense breast”. Geographic regions with the highest search volumes have either passed, denied, or are currently considering the dense breast legislation. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that any legislative action and respective news coverage correlate with increase in information seeking for “dense breast” on Google, suggesting that Google Trends has the potential to serve as a data source for policy-relevant research. PMID:24998689

Intention to seek information on cancer genetics

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J.E. Andrews

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. The public has a high interest in seeking personal genetic information, which holds implications for health information seeking research and health care policy. Rapid advances in cancer genetics research promise early detection, prevention and treatment, yet consumers may have greater difficulty finding and using the information they may need to make informed decisions regarding their personal health and the future of their families. Design. A statewide telephone survey was conducted of non-institutionalized Kentucky residents 18 years of age or older to investigate factors associated with the intention to seek cancer genetics information, including the need for such information seeking help. Results. The results show that intention to seek cancer genetics information, if testing were readily available, is moderately high (62.5% of those responding; n=835, and that status as a racial minority, the perception that cancer runs in one's family, and frequent worrying about cancer risk are statistically significant predictors of intent to seek genetics information. Conclusion. . We argue that an already complex health information environment will be even more difficult for individuals to navigate as genetic research becomes more ubiquitous in health care. An increase in demand for genetics information in various forms, as suggested by these results and those of other studies, implies that enduring intervention strategies are needed to help individuals acquire necessary health information literacy skills, with special attention given to racial minorities.

Text-in-context: a method for extracting findings in mixed-methods mixed research synthesis studies.

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Sandelowski, Margarete; Leeman, Jennifer; Knafl, Kathleen; Crandell, Jamie L

2013-06-01

Our purpose in this paper is to propose a new method for extracting findings from research reports included in mixed-methods mixed research synthesis studies. International initiatives in the domains of systematic review and evidence synthesis have been focused on broadening the conceptualization of evidence, increased methodological inclusiveness and the production of evidence syntheses that will be accessible to and usable by a wider range of consumers. Initiatives in the general mixed-methods research field have been focused on developing truly integrative approaches to data analysis and interpretation. The data extraction challenges described here were encountered, and the method proposed for addressing these challenges was developed, in the first year of the ongoing (2011-2016) study: Mixed-Methods Synthesis of Research on Childhood Chronic Conditions and Family. To preserve the text-in-context of findings in research reports, we describe a method whereby findings are transformed into portable statements that anchor results to relevant information about sample, source of information, time, comparative reference point, magnitude and significance and study-specific conceptions of phenomena. The data extraction method featured here was developed specifically to accommodate mixed-methods mixed research synthesis studies conducted in nursing and other health sciences, but reviewers might find it useful in other kinds of research synthesis studies. This data extraction method itself constitutes a type of integration to preserve the methodological context of findings when statements are read individually and in comparison to each other. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Synthesis of Upper Verde River research and monitoring 1993-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel G. Neary; Alvin L. Medina; John N. Rinne

2012-01-01

This volume is a state-of-knowledge synthesis of monitoring and research conducted on the Upper Verde River (UVR) of Arizona. It contains information on the history, hydrology, soils, geomorphology, vegetation, and fish fauna of the area that can help land managers and other scientists in successfully conducting ecosystem management and future monitoring and research...

Exploring College Students' Online Help-Seeking Behavior in a Flipped Classroom with a Web-Based Help-Seeking Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Er, Erkan; Kopcha, Theodore J.; Orey, Michael

2015-01-01

Today's generation often seeks help from each other in online environments; however, only a few investigated the role of Internet technologies and the nature of online help-seeking behavior in collaborative learning environments. This paper presents an educational design research project that examines college students' online help-seeking…

Seeking help for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): a qualitative study of the enablers and barriers conducted by a researcher with personal experience of OCD.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Karen J; Rose, Diana; Salkovskis, Paul M

2017-06-01

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can be hugely disabling. Although very effective psychological treatments exist, many people delay years before seeking help or never seek treatment. There have been clinical observation and short questionnaire studies on why people delay, but little qualitative research exists on this complex subject. The present qualitative study aimed to identify the barriers to seeking treatment and the factors that encourage or push people to seek help for their OCD (positive and negative enablers). A qualitative, exploratory study using in-depth, individual, semi-structured interviews was conducted by a researcher with personal experience of OCD. Seventeen people with OCD, contacted through the charity OCD-UK, were interviewed about the factors that impacted on their decision to seek help or not. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Barriers identified were stigma, 'internal / cognitive' factors, not knowing what their problem was, factors relating to their GP or treatment, and fear of criminalisation. Positive enablers identified were being supported to seek help, information and personal accounts of OCD in the media, and confidence in their GP. Negative enablers were reaching a crisis point and for some participants (whose intrusive thoughts were about harming children) feeling driven to seek treatment because of the nature of the thoughts, that is, seeking help to prevent the 'harm' they feared they were capable of doing. Participants identified a range of barriers and enablers that impacted on their decision to seek help or not. These give important indicators about the likely causes for delayed help seeking in OCD and ways in which people might be encouraged to seek help earlier. People with OCD may face a wide range of barriers to seeking help, including concern about the reaction of health professionals. The level of awareness, kindness, and understanding shown by first-line practitioners can be very important to

Knowledge synthesis and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Ian D

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR is Canada's premier health-research funding agency. We fund nearly 14,000 researchers and trainees in four theme areas: biomedical, clinical, health services, and population and public-health research. Our mandate is 'to excel according to international standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system'. Knowledge synthesis is a key element of the knowledge-translation objectives of CIHR, as outlined in our definition of knowledge-translation.

Mathematical Progress in Expressive Image Synthesis I

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

This book presents revised versions of the best papers selected from the symposium “Mathematical Progress in Expressive Image Synthesis” (MEIS2013) held in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2013. The topics cover various areas of computer graphics (CG), such as surface deformation/editing, character animation, visual simulation of fluids, texture and sound synthesis, and photorealistic rendering. From a mathematical point of view, the book also presents papers addressing discrete differential geometry, Lie theory, computational fluid dynamics, function interpolation, and learning theory. This book showcases the latest joint efforts between mathematicians, CG researchers, and practitioners exploring important issues in graphics and visual perception. The book provides a valuable resource for all computer graphics researchers seeking open problem areas, especially those now entering the field who have not yet selected a research direction.

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on aesthetics and fuels management

Science.gov (United States)

Robert L. Ryan

2005-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on research addressing aesthetic considerations of fuels management. A general finding is that fuels management activities can contribute to the visual quality of a landscape. Topics covered in the synthesis include research findings on...

Modeling stigma, help-seeking attitudes, and intentions to seek behavioral healthcare in a clinical military sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, Nathaniel G; Vogel, David L; Armistead-Jehle, Patrick; Meit, Scott S; Heath, Patrick J; Strass, Haley A

2015-06-01

This study examined the relationship between public and self-stigma of seeking behavioral health services, and help-seeking attitudes and intent in a sample of active duty military personnel currently being assessed for traumatic brain injuries in a military health center. Although it has been suggested that many military personnel in need of care do not seek services due to concerns with stigma it is not fully clear what role different types of stigma play in the process. Using previously collected data from a clinical sample of 97 military personnel, we conducted path analyses to test the mediation effects of self-stigma on the relationship between public stigma and attitudes toward and intentions to seek behavioral health care. In contrast to a model of military stigma but in line with research with civilian samples, results from this study indicate that self-stigma fully mediates the relationship between public stigma and help-seeking attitudes and intentions. These results indicate that programming aimed at increasing mental health care use in the military might best focus on reducing self-stigma associated with seeking mental health services. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of bone-seeking superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as contrast agents for imaging bone metabolic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Panahifar, Arash; Mahmoudi, Morteza; Doschak, Michael R

2013-06-12

In this article, we report the synthesis and in vitro evaluation of a new class of nonionizing bone-targeting contrast agents based on bisphosphonate-conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), for use in imaging of bone turnover with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Similar to bone-targeting (99m)Technetium medronate, our novel contrast agent uses bisphosphonates to impart bone-seeking properties, but replaces the former radioisotope with nonionizing SPIONs which enables their subsequent detection using MRI. Our reported method is relatively simple, quick and cost-effective and results in BP-SPIONs with a final nanoparticle size of 17 nm under electron microscopy technique (i.e., TEM). In-vitro binding studies of our novel bone tracer have shown selective binding affinity (around 65%) for hydroxyapatite, the principal mineral of bone. Bone-targeting SPIONs offer the potential for use as nonionizing MRI contrast agents capable of imaging dynamic bone turnover, for use in the diagnosis and monitoring of metabolic bone diseases and related bone pathology.

Toward a deeper understanding of the willingness to seek help: the case of teleworkers.

Science.gov (United States)

Golden, Timothy D; Schoenleber, Alisa H W

2014-01-01

Employees frequently do not engage in help-seeking due to the associated social costs. Despite the importance of help-seeking, little research has been done to explore factors affecting whether individuals will or will not engage in help-seeking at work, and existing research has thus far not addressed help seeking in the telework context. This paper expands the current literature on help-seeking by exploring this behavior in the context of teleworkers and develops propositions regarding how aspects of virtual work environments will help determine teleworkers' willingness to engage in help-seeking behavior. This article presents a review with critical analysis and integration of selected telework and help-seeking literatures. Grounded in the literature on inequity/indebtedness and the literature on threats to self-esteem, theoretically-derived research propositions are developed that help shed insights into help seeking behaviors in the telework context. These research propositions encompass media presence and the teleworker's perceived opportunity for reciprocation, and their associated impacts on the perceived cost of seeking help. The proposed research propositions provide practitioners and researchers a means to be better able to assess telework applications and prevent unintended effects. Through such systematic understanding of how telework alters the perceived cost of seeking help and the teleworker's willingness to seek help, telework may be further improved to contribute to more effective and productive individuals and organizations.

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

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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.

Cue-induced alcohol-seeking behaviour is reduced by disrupting the reconsolidation of alcohol-related memories.

Science.gov (United States)

von der Goltz, Christoph; Vengeliene, Valentina; Bilbao, Ainhoa; Perreau-Lenz, Stephanie; Pawlak, Cornelius R; Kiefer, Falk; Spanagel, Rainer

2009-08-01

In humans, the retrieval of memories associated with an alcohol-related experience frequently evokes alcohol-seeking behaviour. The reconsolidation hypothesis states that a consolidated memory could again become labile and susceptible to disruption after memory retrieval. The aim of our study was to examine whether retrieval of alcohol-related memories undergoes a reconsolidation process. For this purpose, male Wistar rats were trained to self-administer ethanol in the presence of specific conditioned stimuli. Thereafter, animals were left undisturbed in their home cages for the following 21 days. Memory retrieval was performed in a single 5-min exposure to all alcohol-associated stimuli. The protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin, the non-competitive N-methyl-D: -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801 and acamprosate, a clinically used drug known to reduce a hyper-glutamatergic state, were given immediately after retrieval of alcohol-related memories. The impact of drug treatment on cue-induced alcohol-seeking behaviour was measured on the following day and 7 days later. Administration of both anisomycin and MK-801 reduced cue-induced alcohol-seeking behaviour, showing that memory reconsolidation was disrupted by these compounds. However, acamprosate had no effect on the reconsolidation process, suggesting that this process is not dependent on a hyper-glutamatergic state but is more related to protein synthesis and NMDA receptor activity. Pharmacological disruption of reconsolidation of alcohol-associated memories can be achieved by the use of NMDA antagonists and protein synthesis inhibitors and may thus provide a potential new therapeutic strategy for the prevention of relapse in alcohol addiction.

Core Themes in Music Therapy Clinical Improvisation: An Arts-Informed Qualitative Research Synthesis.

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Meadows, Anthony; Wimpenny, Katherine

2017-07-01

Although clinical improvisation continues to be an important focus of music therapy research and practice, less attention has been given to integrating qualitative research in this area. As a result, this knowledge base tends to be contained within specific areas of practice rather than integrated across practices and approaches. This qualitative research synthesis profiles, integrates, and re-presents qualitative research focused on the ways music therapists and clients engage in, and make meaning from, clinical improvisation. Further, as a conduit for broadening dialogues, opening up this landscape fully, and sharing our response to the analysis and interpretation process, we present an arts-informed re-presentation of this synthesis. Following an eight-step methodological sequence, 13 qualitative studies were synthesized. This included reciprocal and refutational processes associated with synthesizing the primary studies, and additional steps associated with an arts-informed representation. Three themes, professional artistry, performing self, and meaning-making, are presented. Each theme is explored and exemplified through the selected articles, and discussed within a larger theoretical framework. An artistic re-presentation of the data is also presented. Music therapists use complex frameworks through which to engage clients in, and make meaning from, improvisational experiences. Artistic representation of the findings offers an added dimension to the synthesis process, challenging our understanding of representation, and thereby advancing synthesis methodology. © the American Music Therapy Association 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

A hierarchical modeling of information seeking behavior of school ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study was to investigate the information seeking behavior of school teachers in the public primary schools of rural areas of Nigeria and to draw up a model of their information-seeking behavior. A Cross-sectional survey design research was employed to carry out the research. Findings showed that the ...

Who Seeks Help Online for Self-Injury?

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, Mareka; Casey, Leanne

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to identify differences between young people who seek help online for self-injury and those who self-injure but do not seek help online, in order to improve online services for young people at high risk of suicide. Young people reporting a history of self-injury (N = 679) were identified as part of larger study (N = 1,463) exploring help-seeking. One third of young people with a history of self-injury reported online help-seeking for self-injury. Online help-seekers were significantly more distressed, suicidal, and had a greater degree of self-injury compared to those who did not seek help online. The Internet provides an important form of support to the most at risk young people in this population, and may be a proximal step to face-to-face help-seeking. Further research is required to investigate the forms of support currently accessed by young people online, and their effectiveness.

Creating the future together : toward a framework for research synthesis in entrepreneurship

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burg, van J.C.; Romme, A.G.L.

2014-01-01

To develop a body of evidence-based knowledge on entrepreneurship, findings and contributions from the positivist, narrative and design research traditions in this area need to be combined. Therefore, a framework for research synthesis in terms of social mechanisms, contextual conditions and outcome

Creating the future together: Toward a framework for research synthesis in entrepreneurship

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Burg, J.C.; Romme, A.G.L.

2014-01-01

To develop a body of evidence-based knowledge on entrepreneurship, findings and contributions from the positivist, narrative, and design research traditions in this area need to be combined. Therefore, a framework for research synthesis in terms of social mechanisms, contextual conditions, and

Mathematic anxiety, help seeking behavior and cooperative learning

OpenAIRE

Masoud Gholamali Lavasani; Farah Khandan

2011-01-01

Present project assess the effectiveness of cooperative learning over the mathematic anxiety and review the behavior of help seeking in first grade high school girl students. The experimental research procedure was in the form of pre-post tests after a period of 8 sessions of teaching. To measure the variables, the questionnaire of mathematic anxiety (Shokrani, 2002) and the questionnaire of help seeking technique (Ghadampour, 1998) were practiced (accepting or avoiding help seeking).To perfo...

Refined Synthesis and Characterization of Controlled Diameter, Narrow Size Distribution Microparticles for Aerospace Research Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Tiemsin, Pacita I.; Wohl, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Flow visualization using polystyrene microspheres (PSL)s has enabled researchers to learn a tremendous amount of information via particle based diagnostic techniques. To better accommodate wind tunnel researchers needs, PSL synthesis via dispersion polymerization has been carried out at NASA Langley Research Center since the late 1980s. When utilizing seed material for flow visualization, size and size distribution are of paramount importance. Therefore, the work described here focused on further refinement of PSL synthesis and characterization. Through controlled variation of synthetic conditions (chemical concentrations, solution stirring speed, temperature, etc.) a robust, controllable procedure was developed. The relationship between particle size and salt concentration, MgSO4, was identified enabling the determination of PSL diameters a priori. Suggestions of future topics related to PSL synthesis, stability, and size variation are also described.

Rent-seeking behaviors in property development: A literature review

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Suhaila; Aziz, Abdul Rashid Abdul

2017-11-01

This paper reviews the literature on rent-seeking behaviors in property development, and discusses three major areas: (1) definition and concept of rent-seeking; (2) factors for the rent-seeking behavior appeared; and (3) the impact of rent-seeking behaviors, particularly on property development. In general, there is no exact word that can define what rent-seeking is. It is found that from the reviewed studies that a few researches have adopted search tasks to predict rent-seeking behavior effects in the economy and the respective economic performance. Based on the findings of the review, rent-seeking behavior increases social cost and this might lead to problems such as corruption. This paper paves the way for future studies in examining rent-seeking behaviors in the Malaysian property development, especially for targeted actions to be taken to alleviate upward pressure on home prices.

When Are Caregivers More Likely to Offer Sugary Drinks and Snacks to Infants? A Qualitative Thematic Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Deborah Anne; Goodwin, Tom Lloyd; Brocklehurst, Paul R; Armitage, Christopher J; Glenny, Anne-Marie

2017-01-01

Many children consume more sugar than is recommended, and caregivers often find it difficult to change this habit once established. This thematic synthesis aims to identify the "critical situations" where caregivers may be more likely to offer infants sugary drinks and snacks. This thematic synthesis is reported in accordance with the statement for enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ). Our confidence in the findings of our synthesis was assessed using the CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence From Reviews of Qualitative Research Approach). We included 16 studies from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Denmark. We identified eight "critical situations" when caregivers may be more likely to offer sugary drinks and snacks to infants. Interventions that seek to reduce sugar intake for caries prevention in infants and young children may be more successful if they provide caregivers with practical parenting strategies to replace the nonnutritive functions of sugary foods and drinks, as opposed to taking an information-giving approach. © The Author(s) 2016.

Initial treatment seeking from professional health care providers for eating disorders: A review and synthesis of potential barriers to and facilitators of "first contact".

Science.gov (United States)

Regan, Pamela; Cachelin, Fary M; Minnick, Alyssa M

2017-03-01

The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of empirical research exploring barriers to and facilitators of initial treatment seeking ("first contact") from professional health care providers by adults and young adults with eating disorders (EDs). A search of databases PsycINFO and MEDLINE using the terms "treatment" and "eating disorder*" yielded 9,468 peer-reviewed articles published from January 1945 to June 2016. Screening identified 31 articles meeting the following criteria: (1) participants were 16 or older and presented with a self-reported or clinically diagnosed ED; (2) studies focused on (a) initial treatment seeking (b) for an ED (c) from professional health care providers; (3) articles were empirical, and (4) peer reviewed. Quantitative studies revealed few consistent correlates of treatment seeking, perhaps because most variables were examined in only one or two investigations. Variables with some degree of predictive utility (i.e., produced significant results in multiple studies) were age (older), ethnicity (nonethnic minority), ED type (anorexia, purging BN), specific ED-related behaviors (i.e., purging), and time spent on a treatment waitlist following referral (less). Although BMI was one of the most investigated variables, it did not predict treatment seeking. Qualitative studies revealed the following perceived barriers: (1) personal feelings of shame/fear, (2) ED-related beliefs/perceptions, (3) lack of access/availability, and (4) aspects of the treatment process. Perceived facilitators included (1) health-related concerns, (2) emotional distress, and (3) social support. Implications for clinical practice and areas for further research are discussed. Results highlight the need for shared definitions and methodologies across studies of treatment seeking. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Conceptual measurement framework for help-seeking for mental health problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rickwood D

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Debra Rickwood, Kerry ThomasFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, ACT, AustraliaBackground: Despite a high level of research, policy, and practice interest in help-seeking for mental health problems and mental disorders, there is currently no agreed and commonly used definition or conceptual measurement framework for help-seeking.Methods: A systematic review of research activity in the field was undertaken to investigate how help-seeking has been conceptualized and measured. Common elements were used to develop a proposed conceptual measurement framework.Results: The database search revealed a very high level of research activity and confirmed that there is no commonly applied definition of help-seeking and no psychometrically sound measures that are routinely used. The most common element in the help-seeking research was a focus on formal help-seeking sources, rather than informal sources, although studies did not assess a consistent set of professional sources; rather, each study addressed an idiosyncratic range of sources of professional health and community care. Similarly, the studies considered help-seeking for a range of mental health problems and no consistent terminology was applied. The most common mental health problem investigated was depression, followed by use of generic terms, such as mental health problem, psychological distress, or emotional problem. Major gaps in the consistent measurement of help-seeking were identified.Conclusion: It is evident that an agreed definition that supports the comparable measurement of help-seeking is lacking. Therefore, a conceptual measurement framework is proposed to fill this gap. The framework maintains that the essential elements for measurement are: the part of the help-seeking process to be investigated and respective time frame, the source and type of assistance, and the type of mental health concern. It is argued that adopting this framework will facilitate progress in the field by

[Men and depression: gender-related help-seeking behavior].

Science.gov (United States)

Möller-Leimkühler, A M

2000-11-01

As epidemiological data concerning gender-related help-seeking behaviour indicate, consultation rate and help-seeking by men is consistently lower, especially in the case of emotional problems and depressive symptoms. There is empirical evidence that the poor treatment rate of men cannot be explained by a better health but must be attributed to a discrepancy of need and help-seeking behaviour. Social change and epidemiological trends in depression point to the male gender-role being an important factor of increasing rates among young men as well as an important determinant of help-seeking behaviour. It is argued that social norms of traditional masculinity make help-seeking more difficult because of the inhibition of expressiveness affecting symptom perception and symptomatology of depression. Besides these predisposing factors of male help-seeking other medical and social factors are mentioned producing further barriers to help-seeking. Further research is needed to investigate the question whether changing masculinity implies gender-role conflict or positive health effects.

Elaborating the Conceptual Space of Information-Seeking Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Savolainen, Reijo

2016-01-01

Introduction: The article contributes to conceptual studies of information behaviour research by examining the conceptualisations of information seeking and related terms such as information search and browsing. Method: The study builds on Bates' integrated model of information seeking and searching, originally presented in 2002. The model was…

Young learners' use of social media for information seeking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyldegård, Jette Seiden

2015-01-01

information seeking activities, strategies and preferences can be identified when young learners use social media for information seeking in relation to course work and other study-related work tasks? 2) What motivations can be identified among young learners for using social media for information seeking....... The reported factors motivating information seeking were convenience and easy access to information, in addition to the content associated with specific social media types. Students’ use of social media for information seeking was associated primarily with their private information landscape. Contributions......Background. Increased use of social media for information seeking and learning calls for more research and knowledge of how these emerging technologies can support students’ learning. Objectives. The focus is on recent studies of young learners’ use of social media for information seeking...

The neuropharmacology of relapse to food seeking: methodology, main findings, and comparison with relapse to drug seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Sunila G; Adams-Deutsch, Tristan; Epstein, David H; Shaham, Yavin

2009-09-01

Relapse to old, unhealthy eating habits is a major problem in human dietary treatments. The mechanisms underlying this relapse are unknown. Surprisingly, until recently this clinical problem has not been systematically studied in animal models. Here, we review results from recent studies in which a reinstatement model (commonly used to study relapse to abused drugs) was employed to characterize the effect of pharmacological agents on relapse to food seeking induced by either food priming (non-contingent exposure to small amounts of food), cues previously associated with food, or injections of the pharmacological stressor yohimbine. We also address methodological issues related to the use of the reinstatement model to study relapse to food seeking, similarities and differences in mechanisms underlying reinstatement of food seeking versus drug seeking, and the degree to which the reinstatement procedure provides a suitable model for studying relapse in humans. We conclude by discussing implications for medication development and future research. We offer three tentative conclusions: (1)The neuronal mechanisms of food-priming- and cue-induced reinstatement are likely different from those of reinstatement induced by the pharmacological stressor yohimbine. (2)The neuronal mechanisms of reinstatement of food seeking are possibly different from those of ongoing food-reinforced operant responding. (3)The neuronal mechanisms underlying reinstatement of food seeking overlap to some degree with those of reinstatement of drug seeking.

Why seeking help from teammates is a blessing and a curse: a theory of help seeking and individual creativity in team contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Jennifer S; Kamdar, Dishan

2011-03-01

Research has not explored the extent to which seeking help from teammates positively relates to a person's own creativity. This question is important to explore as help seeking is commonly enacted in organizations and may come with reciprocation costs that may also diminish creativity. Results based on 291 employees in a single division of a large multinational organization revealed that seeking help predicted creativity and mediated the relationship between intrinsic motivation and creativity. However, help seekers also incurred reciprocation costs in that they tended to give more help to teammates, and giving help to teammates was negatively related to creativity. In general, giving higher levels of help attenuated the positive relationship between help seeking and creativity. We also tested an integrated model to show that help giving moderated the mediated relationship between intrinsic motivation and creativity via help seeking, such that higher levels of help giving attenuated this mediated effect. We discuss theoretical and practical implications recommending additional research regarding the interpersonal creative process in team contexts. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Spatial factors as contextual qualifiers of information seeking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Savolainen

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. This paper investigates the ways in which spatial factors have been approached in information seeking studies. The main attention was focused on studies discussing information seeking on the level of source selection and use. Method. Conceptual analysis of about 100 articles and books thematizing spatial issues of information seeking. Due to research economy, the main attention was paid to studies on everyday life information seeking. Results. Three major viewpoints were identified with regard to the degree of objectivity of spatial factors. The objectifying approach conceives of spatial factors as external and entity-like qualifiers that primarly constrain information seeking. The realistic-pragmatic approach emphasizes the ways in which the availabilty of information sources in different places such as daily work environments orient information seeking. The perspectivist approach focuses on how people subjectively assess the significance of various sources by means of spatial constructs such as information horizons. Conclusion. Spatial factors are centrally important contextual qualifiers of information seeking. There is a need to further explore the potential of the above viewpoints by relating the spatial and temporal factors of information seeking.

Habitual alcohol seeking: modeling the transition from casual drinking to addiction

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Barker, Jacqueline M; Taylor, Jane R

2014-01-01

The transition from goal-directed actions to habitual ethanol seeking models the development of addictive behavior that characterizes alcohol use disorders. The progression to habitual ethanol-seeking behavior occurs more rapidly than for natural rewards, suggesting that ethanol may act on habit circuit to drive the loss of behavioral flexibility. This review will highlight recent research that has focused on the formation and expression of habitual ethanol seeking, and the commonalities and distinctions between ethanol and natural reward-seeking habits, with the goal of highlighting important, understudied research areas that we believe will lead toward the development of novel treatment and prevention strategies for uncontrolled drinking. PMID:25193245

Nano crystals-Related Synthesis, Assembly, and Energy Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Q.; Hu, M.Z.; Yu, B.Z.; William, W.; Seo, J.

2011-01-01

Fundamental material properties have been dramatically altered in the nano scale regime because of quantum confinement effect. The unique size-tunable functionalities of nano materials make them involved in an extensive variety of energy applications, such as light-emitting diodes and solar cells. These applications have been demonstrated to cut energy consumption. In response to the ever-growing energy demands as well as the concerns of global warming, researchers are actively placing their enormous emphasis on the exploration of energy savings. During this exploration, the primary stage requires the design of appropriate strategies for the synthesis of high-quality nano crystals in terms of size uniformity and superior optical/electronic properties. Especially, there is a need to seek green-chemistry approaches for the synthesis of environmentally benign and user-friendly nano crystals. Another recent area of focus is the use of individual nano crystals as building blocks for self-assembly, providing new opportunities to improve the nano crystal performance

Extending and expanding the Darwinian synthesis: the role of complex systems dynamics.

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Weber, Bruce H

2011-03-01

Darwinism is defined here as an evolving research tradition based upon the concepts of natural selection acting upon heritable variation articulated via background assumptions about systems dynamics. Darwin's theory of evolution was developed within a context of the background assumptions of Newtonian systems dynamics. The Modern Evolutionary Synthesis, or neo-Darwinism, successfully joined Darwinian selection and Mendelian genetics by developing population genetics informed by background assumptions of Boltzmannian systems dynamics. Currently the Darwinian Research Tradition is changing as it incorporates new information and ideas from molecular biology, paleontology, developmental biology, and systems ecology. This putative expanded and extended synthesis is most perspicuously deployed using background assumptions from complex systems dynamics. Such attempts seek to not only broaden the range of phenomena encompassed by the Darwinian Research Tradition, such as neutral molecular evolution, punctuated equilibrium, as well as developmental biology, and systems ecology more generally, but to also address issues of the emergence of evolutionary novelties as well as of life itself. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SEEK: a systems biology data and model management platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolstencroft, Katherine; Owen, Stuart; Krebs, Olga; Nguyen, Quyen; Stanford, Natalie J; Golebiewski, Martin; Weidemann, Andreas; Bittkowski, Meik; An, Lihua; Shockley, David; Snoep, Jacky L; Mueller, Wolfgang; Goble, Carole

2015-07-11

Systems biology research typically involves the integration and analysis of heterogeneous data types in order to model and predict biological processes. Researchers therefore require tools and resources to facilitate the sharing and integration of data, and for linking of data to systems biology models. There are a large number of public repositories for storing biological data of a particular type, for example transcriptomics or proteomics, and there are several model repositories. However, this silo-type storage of data and models is not conducive to systems biology investigations. Interdependencies between multiple omics datasets and between datasets and models are essential. Researchers require an environment that will allow the management and sharing of heterogeneous data and models in the context of the experiments which created them. The SEEK is a suite of tools to support the management, sharing and exploration of data and models in systems biology. The SEEK platform provides an access-controlled, web-based environment for scientists to share and exchange data and models for day-to-day collaboration and for public dissemination. A plug-in architecture allows the linking of experiments, their protocols, data, models and results in a configurable system that is available 'off the shelf'. Tools to run model simulations, plot experimental data and assist with data annotation and standardisation combine to produce a collection of resources that support analysis as well as sharing. Underlying semantic web resources additionally extract and serve SEEK metadata in RDF (Resource Description Format). SEEK RDF enables rich semantic queries, both within SEEK and between related resources in the web of Linked Open Data. The SEEK platform has been adopted by many systems biology consortia across Europe. It is a data management environment that has a low barrier of uptake and provides rich resources for collaboration. This paper provides an update on the functions and

Promoting Informal and Professional Help-Seeking for Adolescent Dating Violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedge, Jasmine M; Hudson-Flege, Matthew D; McDonell, James R

2017-05-01

The present study examined factors that differentiate adolescents with varied intentions of informal and professional help-seeking for dating violence. Help-seeking intentions among 518 ethnically diverse adolescents from a rural, southern county who participated in a longitudinal study of teen dating violence were categorized into three groups: adolescents unlikely to seek any help, adolescents likely to seek only informal help, and adolescents likely to seek informal and professional help. Multinomial logistic regression found that gender, family functioning, problem-solving competency, dating status, having an adult to talk to about a dating relationship, and acceptability of family violence significantly predicted membership in the help-seeking groups. Implications for promoting informal and professional help-seeking and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Promoting Informal and Professional Help-Seeking for Adolescent Dating Violence

Science.gov (United States)

Hedge, Jasmine M.; Hudson-Flege, Matthew D.; McDonell, James R.

2016-01-01

The present study examined factors that differentiate adolescents with varied intentions of informal and professional help-seeking for dating violence. Help-seeking intentions among 518 ethnically diverse adolescents from a rural, southern county who participated in a longitudinal study of teen dating violence were categorized into three groups: adolescents unlikely to seek any help, adolescents likely to seek only informal help, and adolescents likely to seek informal and professional help. Multinomial logistic regression found that gender, family functioning, problem-solving competency, dating status, having an adult to talk to about a dating relationship, and acceptability of family violence significantly predicted membership in the help-seeking groups. Implications for promoting informal and professional help-seeking and recommendations for future research are discussed. PMID:28584387

A non-linear model of information seeking behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allen E. Foster

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The results of a qualitative, naturalistic, study of information seeking behaviour are reported in this paper. The study applied the methods recommended by Lincoln and Guba for maximising credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability in data collection and analysis. Sampling combined purposive and snowball methods, and led to a final sample of 45 inter-disciplinary researchers from the University of Sheffield. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to elicit detailed examples of information seeking. Coding of interview transcripts took place in multiple iterations over time and used Atlas-ti software to support the process. The results of the study are represented in a non-linear Model of Information Seeking Behaviour. The model describes three core processes (Opening, Orientation, and Consolidation and three levels of contextual interaction (Internal Context, External Context, and Cognitive Approach, each composed of several individual activities and attributes. The interactivity and shifts described by the model show information seeking to be non-linear, dynamic, holistic, and flowing. The paper concludes by describing the whole model of behaviours as analogous to an artist's palette, in which activities remain available throughout information seeking. A summary of key implications of the model and directions for further research are included.

Communication and information-seeking behavior of PhD students in physicists and astronomy

OpenAIRE

Jamali, Hamid R.

2006-01-01

As a part of a wider doctoral research, this paper deals with the communication and information-seeking behavior of research (PhD) students in physics and astronomy. Based on a qualitative case study of PhD students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University College London, this study seeks to derive behavioral patterns in information-seeking activities of PhD students. The study aims to investigate the intradisciplinary differences in information-seeking activities of physicist...

Green chemistry for chemical synthesis

OpenAIRE

Li, Chao-Jun; Trost, Barry M.

2008-01-01

Green chemistry for chemical synthesis addresses our future challenges in working with chemical processes and products by inventing novel reactions that can maximize the desired products and minimize by-products, designing new synthetic schemes and apparati that can simplify operations in chemical productions, and seeking greener solvents that are inherently environmentally and ecologically benign.

Green chemistry for chemical synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chao-Jun; Trost, Barry M

2008-09-09

Green chemistry for chemical synthesis addresses our future challenges in working with chemical processes and products by inventing novel reactions that can maximize the desired products and minimize by-products, designing new synthetic schemes and apparati that can simplify operations in chemical productions, and seeking greener solvents that are inherently environmentally and ecologically benign.

Guidance for deciding upon use of primary mixed methods studies in research synthesis : Lessons learned in childhood trauma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boeije, H.; van Wesel, F.; Slagt, M.

2014-01-01

When reviewing literature, mixed methods studies (MMS) are increasingly retrieved, yet it is unclear how they should be dealt with in a research synthesis. In this article we examine the inclusion of primary MMS in research synthesis, based on experiences with a meta-analysis (MA) and a qualitative

Guidance for deciding upon use of primary mixed methods studies in research synthesis: lessons learned in childhood trauma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boeije, H.R.; van Wesel, F.; Slagt, M.I.

2014-01-01

When reviewing literature, mixed methods studies (MMS) are increasingly retrieved, yet it is unclear how they should be dealt with in a research synthesis. In this article we examine the inclusion of primary MMS in research synthesis, based on experiences with a meta-analysis (MA) and a qualitative

Guidance for deciding upon use of primary mixed methods studies in research synthesis: lessons learned in childhood trauma.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boeije, H.; Wesel, F. van; Slagt, M.

2014-01-01

When reviewing literature, mixed methods studies (MMS) are increasingly retrieved, yet it is unclear how they should be dealt with in a research synthesis. In this article we examine the inclusion of primary MMS in research synthesis, based on experiences with a meta-analysis (MA) and a qualitative

Information-seeking behavior of social sciences scholars: A Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article examines the information-seeking behavior of scholars in the social sciences, based on the premise that information-seeking behavior follows universally applicable stages and patterns worldwide. The study was conducted at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER). Fifty eight active ...

Alternative Fuel Research in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Surgenor, Angela D.; Klettlinger, Jennifer L.; Yen, Chia H.; Nakley, Leah M.

2011-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center has recently constructed an Alternative Fuels Laboratory which is solely being used to perform Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) reactor studies, novel catalyst development and thermal stability experiments. Facility systems have demonstrated reliability and consistency for continuous and safe operations in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The purpose of this test facility is to conduct bench scale Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) catalyst screening experiments while focusing on reducing energy inputs, reducing CO2 emissions and increasing product yields within the F-T process. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is considered a gas to liquid process which reacts syn-gas (a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide), over the surface of a catalyst material which is then converted into liquids of various hydrocarbon chain length and product distributions1. These hydrocarbons can then be further processed into higher quality liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel. The experiments performed in this laboratory will enable the investigation of F-T reaction kinetics to focus on newly formulated catalysts, improved process conditions and enhanced catalyst activation methods. Currently the facility has the capability of performing three simultaneous reactor screening tests, along with a fourth fixed-bed reactor used solely for cobalt catalyst activation.

Exploring the influence of culture on hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake.

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Zhao, Fei; Manchaiah, Vinaya; St Claire, Lindsay; Danermark, Berth; Jones, Lesley; Brandreth, Marian; Krishna, Rajalakshmi; Goodwin, Robin

2015-07-01

The purpose of this paper was to highlight the importance of cultural influence in understanding hearing-help seeking and hearing-aid uptake. Information on audiological services in different countries and 'theories related to cross-culture' is presented, followed by a general discussion. Twenty-seven relevant literature reviews on hearing impairment, cross-cultural studies, and the health psychology model and others as secondary resources. Despite the adverse consequences of hearing impairment and the significant potential benefits of audiological rehabilitation, only a small number of those with hearing impairment seek professional help and take up appropriate rehabilitation. Therefore, hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake has recently become the hot topic for clinicians and researchers. Previous research has identified many contributing factors for hearing help-seeking with self-reported hearing disability being one of the main factors. Although significant differences in help-seeking and hearing-aid adoption rates have been reported across countries in population studies, limited literature on the influence of cross-cultural factors in this area calls for an immediate need for research. This paper highlights the importance of psychological models and cross-cultural research in the area of hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake, and consequently some directions for future research are proposed.

Sensation seeking in males involved in recreational high risk sports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Guszkowska

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The study examined sensation seeking intensity level in males involved in recreational high risk sports and investigated whether its level depends on type of sport practised. Additionally, in case of parachutists, sport experience of study participants were scrutinised with regard to its possible impact on the level of sensation seeking.The research involved 217 males aged 17 to 45, practising recreational high risk sports, namely: parachuting (n=98; wakeboarding (n=30; snowboarding (n=30; scuba diving (n=22; alpinism (n=20; paragliding (n=17. The control group included 54 men not involved in sports. Polish version of Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS-IV of Zuckerman was applied.Results show, that high risk sports males are featured by stronger need of sensations in comparison to control group and this concerned all but one aspect of sensation seeking variable. The only exception was the need of intellectual stimulation. Except from the thrill and adventure seeking dimension, type of sport may also be an important determinant of sensation seeking. Men practising snowboard and wakeboard presented stronger need for sensations, especially in the dimension of experience seeking, disinhibition and boredom susceptibility. Sport experience (number of jumps in parachuting did not differentiate the level of sensation seeking among investigated parachutists. Population of sport high risk male takers was not homogeneous, and therefore in future research one should analyse specific sports (or events in a certain sport separately.

Information needs and seeking behaviour of Tanzanian forestry ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined information needs and seeking behaviour of Tanzanian forestry researchers in the growing global electronic environment. A questionnaire based survey was conducted in three forestry research institutions. The findings indicated a wide range of information needs among forestry researchers in the ...

Avoidance of Counseling: Psychological Factors that Inhibit Seeking Help

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, David L.; Wester, Stephen R.; Larson, Lisa M.

2007-01-01

How do counselors reach out to individuals who are reluctant to seek counseling services? To answer this question, the authors examined the research on the psychological help-seeking barriers from counseling, clinical and social psychology, as well as social work and psychiatry. Specific avoidance factors that have been identified in the mental…

The Role of Personality in Musicians' Information Seeking for Creativity

Science.gov (United States)

Kostagiolas, Petros; Lavranos, Charilaos; Martzoukou, Konstantina; Papadatos, Joseph

2017-01-01

Introduction: This paper explores the relationship between musicians' information seeking behaviour and their personality traits within the context of musical creativity. Although previous research has addressed different socio-technological and behavioral aspects of music information seeking, the role of personality characteristics around…

Postsecondary study and mental ill-health: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research exploring students' lived experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Ennals, Priscilla; Fossey, Ellie; Howie, Linsey

2015-04-01

The postsecondary educational experiences of students living with mental health issues are not well understood. Existing studies are generally qualitative, small and context-specific in nature, and individually have limited influence on policy and practice. To identify and synthesise the findings of qualitative studies exploring student views of studying while living with mental ill-health. A systematic search of six electronic databases including CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO and Medline up to March 2013 was conducted. Findings were extracted from included studies and combined using qualitative meta-synthesis to identify core processes. The search identified 16 studies from five countries, with a total of 231 participants. Meta-synthesis of the findings revealed three common core processes: (1) knowing oneself and managing one's mental illness, (2) negotiating the social space, and (3) doing the academic work required for successful postsecondary participation. Beyond the learning processes that underpin studying, these findings suggest knowing oneself and negotiating social spaces of educational settings are key processes for students living with mental ill-health seeking to survive and thrive in postsecondary education. With increased awareness of these processes, students and policy makers may conceive new ways to optimise student experiences of postsecondary study.

Collaborative information seeking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertzum, Morten

2008-01-01

Since common ground is pivotal to collaboration, this paper proposes to define collaborative information seeking as the combined activity of information seeking and collaborative grounding. While information-seeking activities are necessary for collaborating actors to acquire new information......, the activities involved in information seeking are often performed by varying subgroups of actors. Consequently, collaborative grounding is necessary to share information among collaborating actors and, thereby, establish and maintain the common ground necessary for their collaborative work. By focusing...... on the collaborative level, collaborative information seeking aims to avoid both individual reductionism and group reductionism, while at the same time recognizing that only some information and understanding need be shared....

Help Helps, but Only so Much: Research on Help Seeking with Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Aleven, Vincent; Roll, Ido; McLaren, Bruce M.; Koedinger, Kenneth R.

2016-01-01

Help seeking is an important process in self-regulated learning (SRL). It may influence learning with intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), because many ITSs provide help, often at the student's request. The Help Tutor was a tutor agent that gave in-context, real-time feedback on students' help-seeking behavior, as they were learning with an ITS.…

Citizen Science and Biomedical Research: Implications for Bioethics Theory and Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris W Callaghan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Certain trends in scientific research have important relevance to bioethics theory and practice. A growing stream of literature relates to increasing transparency and inclusivity of populations (stakeholders in scientific research, from high volume data collection, synthesis, and analysis to verification and ethical scrutiny. The emergence of this stream of literature has implications for bioethics theory and practice. This paper seeks to make explicit these streams of literature and to relate these to bioethical issues, through consideration of certain extreme examples of scientific research where bioethical engagement is vital. Implications for theory and practice are derived, offering useful insights derived from multidisciplinary theory. Arguably, rapidly developing fields of citizen science such as informing science and others seeking to maximise stakeholder involvement in both research and bioethical engagement have emerged as a response to these types of issues; radically enhanced stakeholder engagement in science may herald a new maximally inclusive and transparent paradigm in bioethics based on lessons gained from exposure to increasingly uncertain ethical contexts of biomedical research.

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Frontiers in Polymerization Catalysis and Polymer Synthesis

CERN Document Server

Guyot, A

1987-01-01

Due to their specific properties, polymers with well-defined structures have been receiving increasing attention over the last several years. Owing to the wide variability of their properties, these specialty polymers have been used in various areas from biomedical engineering to electronics or energy applications. The synthesis of such polymers necessi­ tates the use of new methods of polymerization which derived from an insight into the mechanism of polymerization reactions. A NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Frontiers in Polymerization Catalysis and Polymer Synthesis" was held in BANDOl (FRANCE) in February 1987. Its aim was to assess the new polymerization methods, as well as the latest advances in the mechanisms of conventional polymerization reactions together with their applications to the synthesis of new macromolecular structures. The financial support from the NATO Scientific Affairs Division which covered the "lecturers' accomodation and travel expenses as well as the organization charges of th...

Physical Self Perception and Sensation seeking tendency in gym gores

OpenAIRE

Schlegel, Petr

2016-01-01

Annotation: The work deals with the relationship between physical self-concept and experience of the search terms sensation seeking. It contains theoretical research of these areas, their position in the discourse of fitness and also presents a starting points for comparison. The research was conducted on a group of gym-goers and analyzed the relationship of concepts Physical Self Perception Profile and Sensation Seeking Scale version V including individual subscales. Comparison showed a weak...

The university students’ life satisfactions: Psychological help- seeking attitude and hopelessness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeynep Karataş

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This research aims to reveal to what extent university students’ attitudes towards their psychological help seeking and hopelessness predict theirlife satisfaction. Participants of the study consist of 359 university students, including 178 female and 181 male. In the research, Life Satisfaction Scale, Psychological Help- Seeking Attitude Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale and Personal Information Form were used as data collection tools. For the analyses of the research, Regression Analyses were made, and it was determined that university students’ attitudes of seeking for psychological help and their hopelessness levels significantly predicted their life satisfactions. Considering these findings, the analyses of the factors that affect university students’ life satisfactions may be instructive in determining the targets for the studies of psychological counselling

Sensation seeking in opium abusers compared to normal people

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2004-05-01

Full Text Available Recent research shows that it is possible to identify people at risk of substance abuse using some personality variables. Identification of these people might help social planners to deal with these people specifically in their prevention attempts. The aim of this study was to compare the sensation seeking of opium addicted and non-addicted people using the sensation seeking scale. Such a comparison might help to identify personality variables that are effective in turning toward substance abuse. In order to measure the sensation seeking of subjects “Sensation Seeking Scale” (SSS were used. 31 opium abusers were matched to 31 normal controls according to the following variables: age, education, father and mother education. Results showed that opium abusers obtain higher scores on the total sensation seeking score ,“variety seeking” and “experience seeking” subscales.

Foreign Entry Modes Under Institutional Pressures: The Impact of Strategic Resource Seeking and Market Seeking Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Portugal Ferreira

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Multinational corporations (MNCs are subject to the various dimensions of the external institutional environments. Institutional theory suggests that MNCs need to conform to the prevailing rules, norms and procedures of the locations where they operate in order to survive and grow. This means that MNCs need to develop the best possible configuration of strategy-structure for their worldwide operations. Previous research has noted that in these conditions firms may simply seek to follow a referent other. However, MNCs’ specific strategy for a focal foreign operation is likely to determine the entry mode for each host country. In certain circumstances it may be whether MNCs are pursuing a market-seeking strategy or a strategic resource seeking strategy that shapes the entry mode in face of the prevailing institutional pressures. We contribute to the understanding of entry modes into foreign markets as a reflection of a strategic choice that is bound by institutional constraints.

Mirtazapine attenuates cocaine seeking in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa-Méndez, Susana; Leff, Phillipe; Arías-Caballero, Adriana; Hernández-Miramontes, Ricardo; Heinze, Gerardo; Salazar-Juárez, Alberto

2017-09-01

Relapse to cocaine use is a major problem in the clinical treatment of cocaine addiction. Antidepressants have been studied for their therapeutic potential to treat cocaine use disorder. Research has suggested that antidepressants attenuate both drug craving and the re-acquisition of drug-seeking and drug-taking behaviors. This study examined the efficacy of mirtazapine, an antidepressant/anxiolytic, in decreasing cocaine seeking in rats. We used the cocaine self-administration paradigm to assess the effects of mirtazapine on rats trained to self-administer cocaine or food under a fixed-ratio schedule. Mirtazapine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered during extinction. Mirtazapine significantly attenuated non-reinforced lever-press responses during extinction. Moreover, the mirtazapine dosed for 30 days during extinction produced sustained attenuation of lever-press responses during re-acquisition of cocaine self-administration, without changing food-seeking behavior. Our results showed that mirtazapine attenuated the re-acquisition of cocaine-seeking responses. Our study pointed to the efficacy of mirtazapine in reducing the risk of drug relapse during abstinence, suggesting for its potential use as a novel pharmacological agent to treat drug abuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Field Usage of Alternative Deicers for Snow and Ice Control : Transportation Research Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

This Transportation Research Synthesis (TRS) summarizes non-chloride based deicers available on the market at this time, including acetate, formate, glycol, and succinate based deicing products. This report explores their feasibility for use as alter...

Barriers to Chinese College Students Seeking Psychological Help from Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haiping

2013-01-01

Chinese students were found less likely to seek professional help for psychological problems compared to their western counterparts. The purpose of the present research was to investigate the barriers to Chinese college students seeking psychological help from professionals. Quantitative data on Asian values, social supports, self-stigma,…

The Practice of Nursing Research: Appraisal, Synthesis, and Generation of Evidence - Seventh edition Grove Susan K The Practice of Nursing Research: Appraisal, Synthesis, and Generation of Evidence - Seventh edition 752pp Elsevier 9781455707362 1455707368 [Formula: see text].

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-03

This classic research text has been updated for nursing students and those in nursing practice. Though a substantial book, it is easy to dip in and out of, covering a wide range of topics from the research process and analysing data to sampling and seeking funding.

Investigating Vocabulary and Reading Strategies with Middle Grades English Language Learners: A Research Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Cisco, Brooke Kandel; Padron, Yolanda

2012-01-01

Recent data indicate that many adolescent English language learners (ELLs) comprehend English texts at only a limited literal level. The purpose of this research synthesis was to systematically identify and describe the research related to the English reading comprehension of middle grades ELLs while also making practical connections to…

The association of hand preference and sensation seeking behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuderer, Sonja; Kirchengast, Sylvia

Although the human body shows a superficial symmetry, the disparate functions and skills of both body halves lead to an asymmetrical use. As a result, lateral preferences are detectable, which also include the favoured use of one hand ('handedness'). The collection of questionnaire data on sensation seeking and the conduction of behavioral handedness tasks by 55 research participants enabled the investigation of the interaction of handedness and sensation seeking. For this procedure the age-homogeneous study population is divided according to the Handedness-Index (HI) - a calculated value, indicating the practical hand preference. The results reveal a stronger lateralization in right-handed participants as well as a difference in the mean value of hand use in the three handedness groups. Sensation seeking behavior shows significant negative correlations with age as well as with the HI. Higher scores of left-handers in Experience Seeking (ES), Sensation Seeking (SS) as well as in Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS) indicate a larger risk investment in this handedness group. Hence, the results of this study suggest that handedness is a strong indicator of risk behavior.

A Synthesis on Digital Games in Education: What the Research Literature Says from 2000 to 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Ritzhaupt, Albert; Poling, Nathaniel; Frey, Christopher; Johnson, Margeaux

2014-01-01

This research reports the results of a literature synthesis conducted on digital gaming in education research literature. Seventy-three digital gaming research articles in education were identified through a systematic literature search and were coded across several relevant criteria. Our research indicates trends and patterns from empirical…

The interpersonal effects of Facebook reassurance seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Clerkin, Elise M; Smith, April R; Hames, Jennifer L

2013-11-01

Social networking sites like Facebook represent a potentially valuable means for individuals with low self-esteem or interpersonal difficulties to connect with others; however, recent research indicates that individuals who are most in need of social benefits from Facebook may be ineffective in their communication strategies, and thereby sabotage their potential to benefit interpersonally. The current study tested whether reassurance seeking via Facebook negatively influenced self-esteem, and whether this change in self-esteem mediated the relationship between Facebook reassurance seeking and greater thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. Participants completed measures online at two time-points approximately 24 days apart. Results provided evidence that Facebook reassurance seeking predicted lower levels of self-esteem, which in turn predicted increased feelings that one does not belong and that one is a burden. Key limitations to this study include our use of a predominantly young, female, Caucasian sample, a novel reassurance seeking measure, and only evaluating two time points. These results suggest that Facebook usage has the potential for negative and far-reaching influences on one's interpersonal functioning. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Intersecting Interests: Qualitative Research Synthesis on Art in the Social Work Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Wehbi, Samantha; Cowell, Amanda; Perreault-Laird, Jordyn; El-Lahib, Yahya; Straka, Silvia

2017-01-01

This paper reports on a qualitative research synthesis that explored the intersections between art and social work. The scholarship notes a rise in interest in integrating creative arts practices in social work classrooms from assignment design to classroom activities. Also highlighted are the potential contributions of these artsinformed…

Assessing the Utility of the Willingness/Prototype Model in Predicting Help-Seeking Decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Joseph H.; Vogel, David L.

2013-01-01

Prior research on professional psychological help-seeking behavior has operated on the assumption that the decision to seek help is based on intentional and reasoned processes. However, research on the dual-process prototype/willingness model (PWM; Gerrard, Gibbons, Houlihan, Stock, & Pomery, 2008) suggests health-related decisions may also…

Towards Understanding How to Assess Help-Seeking Behavior across Cultures

Science.gov (United States)

Ogan, Amy; Walker, Erin; Baker, Ryan; Rodrigo, Ma. Mercedes T.; Soriano, Jose Carlo; Castro, Maynor Jimenez

2015-01-01

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in automatically assessing help seeking, the process of referring to resources outside of oneself to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Research in the United States has shown that specific help-seeking behaviors led to better learning within intelligent tutoring systems. However, intelligent…

Research programme on radioactive wastes - Synthesis report 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brander, S.

2010-02-01

This short synthesis report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) issued by the head of the programme on radioactive wastes reports on activities during the year 2009. Background information on the definition of topics to be focussed on is briefly presented. In particular, topics such as communication with the general public, knowledge-saving and marking concepts for radioactive wastes are noted. Work done in these areas as well as on waste management in general are discussed. Conferences held and the transfer of know-how are noted, as is cooperation with foreign organisations active in the area of nuclear research and waste management. Finally, work planned for 2010 is noted

The Impact of Making Music on Aural Perception and Language Skills: A Research Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Hallam, Susan

2017-01-01

This paper provides a synthesis of research on the relationship between music and language, drawing on evidence from neuroscience, psychology, sociology and education. It sets out why it has become necessary to justify the role of music in the school curriculum and summarizes the different methodologies adopted by researchers in the field. It…

A worked example of "best fit" framework synthesis: a systematic review of views concerning the taking of some potential chemopreventive agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Christopher; Booth, Andrew; Cooper, Katy

2011-03-16

A variety of different approaches to the synthesis of qualitative data are advocated in the literature. The aim of this paper is to describe the application of a pragmatic method of qualitative evidence synthesis and the lessons learned from adopting this "best fit" framework synthesis approach. An evaluation of framework synthesis as an approach to the qualitative systematic review of evidence exploring the views of adults to the taking of potential agents within the context of the primary prevention of colorectal cancer. Twenty papers from North America, Australia, the UK and Europe met the criteria for inclusion. Fourteen themes were identified a priori from a related, existing conceptual model identified in the literature, which were then used to code the extracted data. Further analysis resulted in the generation of a more sophisticated model with additional themes. The synthesis required a combination of secondary framework and thematic analysis approaches and was conducted within a health technology assessment timeframe. The novel and pragmatic "best fit" approach to framework synthesis developed and described here was found to be fit for purpose. Future research should seek to test further this approach to qualitative data synthesis.

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on assessing social acceptability of fuels treatments

Science.gov (United States)

Terry C. Daniel; Michael Valdiserri; Carrie R. Daniel; Pamela Jakes; Pamela Jakes; Susan Barro

2005-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on research for assessing the social acceptability of fuels treatments. The synthesis is structured around six important considerations for any social acceptability assessment: defining the fuels treatments being assessed; representing...

An orientation toward help-seeking for emotional problems.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tijhuis, M.A.R.; Peters, L.; Foets, M.

1990-01-01

In recent years, many researchers tried to explain the social selection in use of mental health care services. A modest role is attributed to the orientation toward help-seeking. This article studies this orientation. Our research-population consisted of 10,171 Dutch persons, aged 18 and older.

The role of masculinity in men's help-seeking for depression: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidler, Zac E; Dawes, Alexei J; Rice, Simon M; Oliffe, John L; Dhillon, Haryana M

2016-11-01

Conformity to traditional masculine gender norms may deter men's help-seeking and/or impact the services men engage. Despite proliferating research, current evidence has not been evaluated systematically. This review summarises findings related to the role of masculinity on men's help-seeking for depression. Six electronic databases were searched using terms related to masculinity, depression and help-seeking. Titles and abstracts were reviewed and data systematically extracted and examined for methodological quality. Of 1927 citations identified, 37 met inclusion criteria. Seventeen (46%) studies reported qualitative research; eighteen (49%) employed quantitative methods, and two (5%) mixed methods. Findings suggest conformity to traditional masculine norms has a threefold effect on men experiencing depression, impacting: i) their symptoms and expression of symptoms; ii) their attitudes to, intention, and, actual help-seeking behaviour; and, iii) their symptom management. Results demonstrate the problematic impact of conformity to traditional masculine norms on the way men experience and seek help for depression. Tailoring and targeting clinical interventions may increase men's service uptake and the efficacy of treatments. Future research examining factors associated with men's access to, and engagement with depression care will be critical to increasing help-seeking, treatment uptake, and effectual self-management among men experiencing depression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Depression and Help-Seeking Among Native Hawaiian Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Ta Park, Van M; Kaholokula, Joseph Keawe'aimoku; Chao, Puihan Joyce; Antonio, Mapuana

2018-07-01

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to gain insight about Native Hawaiian (NH) women's experiences with, and viewpoints of, depression and help-seeking behaviors (N = 30: 10 from the university and 20 from the community). More women reported depression in the interviews than through their Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) responses. Quantitative data revealed 57% of the women had ever received mental health help (80% of university vs. 45% of community sample). There was a range of satisfaction reported for various types of mental health care, with satisfaction being the highest for spiritual/religious advisor/folk healer. During the interviews, one woman reported that she is currently receiving professional care and five women are seeking help from their family/social network. Future research should explore reasons for the differences in the quantitative and qualitative findings regarding depression and associated help-seeking as well as in the satisfaction levels by type of help-seeking.

Adolescents' Help-Seeking Behavior and Intentions Following Adolescent Dating Violence: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bundock, Kerrie; Chan, Carmen; Hewitt, Olivia

2018-01-01

The review aimed to systematically identify and summarize empirical work examining adolescent victims' help-seeking behaviors and intentions in relation to their own experience of adolescent dating violence (ADV) and to critically evaluate the literature. Three main objectives were addressed: identify factors associated with help seeking, identify help-seeking source (who adolescents disclose to), and explore the barriers and facilitators for help seeking. Results were separated into actual help seeking and help-seeking intentions. A systematic search was conducted via an electronic search on February 10, 2017. Studies were identified by systematically searching the following electronic databases: Amed, BNI, CINAHL, EMBASE, Health Business Elite, HMIC, Medline, PsychINFO, and PubMed. Nineteen studies were included in the review. Adolescents were more likely to go to informal sources of support, with friends being the most commonly reported source. The majority of studies found females were more likely than males to seek help; however, inconsistencies in gender differences emerged. The variation in measurement and definition of ADV and help seeking included in this review impacts on its conclusions. Adolescents identify a number of barriers to help seeking for ADV. Emotional factors were identified as important barriers to seeking help; however, very little research in this review explored this area. Further research is required on age and cultural differences, use of the Internet, and preference for different sources for different types of abuse. There is a need for a greater focus on help seeking to ensure government campaigns are appropriately meeting the needs of young people experiencing ADV.

Alcohol-seeking and relapse: A focus on incentive salience and contextual conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Valyear, Milan D; Villaruel, Franz R; Chaudhri, Nadia

2017-08-01

Environmental stimuli that reliably accompany alcohol intake can become associated with the pharmacological effects of alcohol through classical (Pavlovian) conditioning. Of growing interest to addiction researchers is whether or not this process results in the attribution of incentive salience to alcohol-predictive cues, which could motivate alcohol-seeking behavior and relapse. To evaluate this question, we present a review of rodent behavioral studies that examined the capacity of alcohol-predictive cues to (i) support sign-tracking behavior, (ii) serve as conditioned reinforcers, and (iii) produce Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer. A second, emerging area of research is focused on delineating the role of context in alcohol-seeking behavior and relapse. Here, we review studies showing that alcohol-associated contexts (i) support conditioned place preference, (ii) renew extinguished alcohol-seeking behavior, and (iii) modulate alcohol-seeking responses elicited by discrete alcohol-predictive cues. These behavioral effects may be mediated by unique psychological processes, and have important implications for cue-reactivity studies and neurobiological research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Victoria Sturtevant; Margaret Ann Moote; Pamela Jakes; Anthony S. Cheng

2005-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on collaboration research, and offers knowledge and tools to improve collaboration in the planning and implementation of wildland fire and fuels management projects. It covers a variety of topics including benefits of collaboration,...

Body Image And Sensation Seeking In Gym-Goers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schlegel Petr

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to explore a relation between Body image (PSPP and Sensation Seeking (SSS-V and to determine gym-goers based on these entities. The research file (N = 182 consisted of gym-goers aged between 24 – 45. The comparison of the tests showed a weak relation (0.25 between PSPP and SST tests and also among the individual subscales. The comparison of men and women did not come up with any significant differences. In terms of Body image, the file showed above-average results, in the case of Sensation Seeking, its score was average. The outcome of our findings is that there is no marked relation between PSPP and SST and the same goes for men and women.

Genetically Influenced Change in Sensation Seeking Drives the Rise of Delinquent Behavior during Adolescence

Science.gov (United States)

Harden, K. Paige; Quinn, Patrick D.; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M.

2012-01-01

Sensation seeking is associated with an increased propensity for delinquency, and emerging research on personality change suggests that mean levels of sensation seeking increase substantially from childhood to adolescence. The current study tested whether individual differences in the rate of change of sensation seeking predicted within-person…

Research protocol: a realist synthesis of contestability in community-based mental health markets.

Science.gov (United States)

Durham, Jo; Bains, Amara

2015-03-25

In most developed nations, there has been a shift from public services to a marketisation of public goods and services - representing a significant reform process aiming to transform the way in which community-based human services, such as health, are delivered and consumed. For services, this means developing the capacity to adapt and innovate in response to changing circumstances to achieve quality. The availability of rigorous research to demonstrate whether a market approach and contestability, in particular, is a coherent reform process is largely absent. Contestability operates on the premise that better procurement processes allow more providers to enter the market and compete for contracts. This is expected to create stimulus for greater efficiencies, innovation and improved service delivery to consumers. There is limited understanding, however, about how community-based providers morph and re-configure in response to the opportunities posed by contestability. This study focuses on the effect of a contestability policy on the community-managed mental health sector. A realist review will be undertaken to understand how and why the introduction of contestability into a previously incontestable market influences the ways in which community-based mental health providers respond to contestability. The review will investigate those circumstances that shape organisational response and generate outcomes through activating mechanisms. An early scoping has helped to formulate the initial program theory. A realist synthesis will be undertaken to identify relevant journal articles and grey literature. Data will be extracted in relation to the emerging contextual factors, mechanisms and outcomes and their configurations. The analysis will seek patterns and regularities in these configurations across the extracted data and will focus on addressing our theory-based questions. Increasingly, community-based mental health markets are moving to contestability models. Rigorous

Social norms on rent seeking and preferences for redistribution

OpenAIRE

Sabatini, Fabio; Sarracino, Francesco; Yamamura, Eiji

2014-01-01

Empirical studies have shown that preferences for redistribution are sig- nificantly correlated with expectations of future mobility and the belief that society offers equal opportunities. We add to previous research by inves- tigating the role of individual and social norms on rent seeking. We find that the individual propensity for stigmatizing rent seeking significantly and positively affects preferences for redistribution. On the other hand, living in an area where most citizens do not st...

Towards a Creative Synthesis of Participant Observation and Participatory Research: Reflections on Doing Research "with" and "on" Young Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Rosalind

2013-01-01

This article responds to Wright and Nelson's (1995) call for a "creative synthesis" of participant observation and participatory research, which may allow the limitations of both methods to be addressed. It does so by reflecting on the experience of doing long-term research both with and on young Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Although…

Image-Seeking Preferences Among Undergraduate Novice Researchers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie M. Bridges

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Objective – This study investigated the image-seeking preferences of university freshmen to gain a better understanding of how they search for pictures for assignments.Methods – A survey was emailed to a random sample of 1,000 freshmen enrolled at Oregon State University in the fall of 2009. A total of 63 surveys were returned.Results – The majority of students indicated they would use Google to find a picture. Nineteen respondents said they would use a library, librarians, and/or archives.Conclusions – The results indicate the majority of students in our study would use Google to find an image for coursework purposes; yet the students who suggested they would use Google did not mention evaluating the images they might find or have concerns about copyright issues. Undergraduate students would benefit from having visual literacy integrated into standard information literacy instruction to help them locate, evaluate, and legally use the images they find online. In addition, libraries, librarians, archivists, and library computer programmers should work to raise the rankings of library digital photo collections in online search engines like Google.

Health care information seeking and seniors: determinants of Internet use.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Xiaojing; Simpson, Penny M

2015-01-01

While seniors are the most likely population segment to have chronic diseases, they are the least likely to seek information about health and diseases on the Internet. An understanding of factors that impact seniors' usage of the Internet for health care information may provide them with tools needed to improve health. This research examined some of these factors as identified in the comprehensive model of information seeking to find that demographics, trust in health information websites, perceived usefulness of the Internet, and internal locus of control each significantly impact seniors' use of the Internet to seek health information.

Realist synthesis: illustrating the method for implementation research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rycroft-Malone Jo

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Realist synthesis is an increasingly popular approach to the review and synthesis of evidence, which focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which an intervention works (or not. There are few published examples of realist synthesis. This paper therefore fills a gap by describing, in detail, the process used for a realist review and synthesis to answer the question ‘what interventions and strategies are effective in enabling evidence-informed healthcare?’ The strengths and challenges of conducting realist review are also considered. Methods The realist approach involves identifying underlying causal mechanisms and exploring how they work under what conditions. The stages of this review included: defining the scope of the review (concept mining and framework formulation; searching for and scrutinising the evidence; extracting and synthesising the evidence; and developing the narrative, including hypotheses. Results Based on key terms and concepts related to various interventions to promote evidence-informed healthcare, we developed an outcome-focused theoretical framework. Questions were tailored for each of four theory/intervention areas within the theoretical framework and were used to guide development of a review and data extraction process. The search for literature within our first theory area, change agency, was executed and the screening procedure resulted in inclusion of 52 papers. Using the questions relevant to this theory area, data were extracted by one reviewer and validated by a second reviewer. Synthesis involved organisation of extracted data into evidence tables, theming and formulation of chains of inference, linking between the chains of inference, and hypothesis formulation. The narrative was developed around the hypotheses generated within the change agency theory area. Conclusions Realist synthesis lends itself to the review of complex interventions because it accounts for context as well as

Motion sickness history, food neophobia, and sensation seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Alley, Thomas R; Willet, Kathleen A; Muth, Eric R

2006-06-01

Motion sickness is believed to be caused by conflicting sensory signals, a situation that mimics the effects of ingesting certain toxins. Thus, one might suspect that individuals who have experienced a relatively high frequency of motion sickness may be particularly vigilant about avoiding anything that produces nausea, induding potentially nauseating toxins. Consequently, they may be more resistant to trying new foods, i.e., be more food neophobic, since unfamiliar foods can have unexpected adverse effects due to toxins or allergens. Likewise, many highly stimulating experiences can trigger motion sickness, so individuals who are more susceptible may be more prone to avoid such experiences, i.e., be less sensation seeking. Finally, it was expected that food neophobia would be more frequent in individuals low on sensation seeking tendencies. Self-reported motion sickness history in 308 adults (M= 18.8 yr.; SD = 1.6) was correlated with scores on the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking and the Food Neophobia Scale. As predicted, greater history of motion sickness was associated with lower Sensation Seeking scores. Food Neophobia was not correlated with motion sickness history but, as expected, was negatively correlated (r = -.42) with scores on Sensation Seeking. Further research is recommended that measures actual sensitivity to motion sickness.

Complexity, Accuracy, Fluency and Lexis in Task-Based Performance: A Synthesis of the Ealing Research

Science.gov (United States)

Skehan, Peter; Foster, Pauline

2012-01-01

This chapter will present a research synthesis of a series of studies, termed here the Ealing research. The studies use the same general framework to conceptualise tasks and task performance, enabling easier comparability. The different studies, although each is self-contained, build into a wider picture of task performance. The major point of…

Kuhlthau’s Classic Research on the Information Search Process (ISP Provides Evidence for Information Seeking as a Constructivist Process. A review of: Kuhlthau, Carol C. “Inside the Search Process: Information Seeking from the User's Perspective.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science 42.5 (1991: 361‐71.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shelagh K. Genuis

2007-12-01

general topic. A turning point occurs during focus formulation as constructs become clearer and uncertainty decreases. During information collection theuser is able to articulate focused need and is able to interact effectively with intermediaries and systems. Relief is commonly experienced at presentation stage when findings are presented or used. Although stages are laid out sequentially, Kuhlthau notes that the ISP is an iterative process in which stages merge and overlap.Central to this model is the premise that uncertainty is not due merely to a lack of familiarity with sources and technologies,but is an integral and critical part of a process of learning that culminates in finding meaning through personal synthesis of topic or problem. Conclusion – Kuhlthau provides evidence for a view of information seeking as an evolving, iterative process and presents amodel for purposeful information searching which, if understood by users, intermediaries and information system designers, provides a basis for productive interaction. While users will benefit from understanding the evolving nature of focus formulation and the affective dimensions of information seeking, intermediaries andsystems are challenged to improve information provision in the early formative stages of a search. Although Kuhlthau identifies this research on the ISP as exploratory in nature, this article affords methodological insight into the use of mixed methods for exploring complex user oriented issues, presents a model that effectively communicates an approximation of the common information‐seeking process of users, and provides ongoing impetus for exploring the user’s perspective on information seeking.

It's Not About "Freudian Couches and Personality Changing Drugs": An Investigation Into Men's Mental Health Help-Seeking Enablers.

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Christine; Fox, Christopher

2015-11-01

Enabling factors that influenced men to seek assistance for mental health concerns--a previous underresearched area--was the primary focus of this research. Past research spanning four decades has focused on men's barriers to mental health help-seeking with limited research positing social norms within men's peer groups and reciprocity as potential mental health help-seeking enablers. Using a qualitative design, nine men were interviewed to identify the positive factors they believed assisted their help-seeking decisions. Social norms, reciprocity, a significant other, and helpfulness of their general practitioner were domains identified in the analysis of participant narratives. The study revealed the participants' mental health and treatment illiteracy. Ignorance and misplaced stereotypes, initially acted as barriers to help-seeking, leading to denial of illness, impeding treatment, and perpetuating stigma. Sportsmen disclosing their mental health issues were identified as a positive influence for other men's help-seeking and assisted in the development of help-seeking as a social norm. The results of this study contribute to understanding the factors that enable men to seek mental health help. © The Author(s) 2014.

Adolescent Egocentrism, Risk Perceptions, and Sensation Seeking among Smoking and Nonsmoking Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Frankenberger, Kristina D.

2004-01-01

A survey compared adolescents (ages 14 to 18) who have never tried smoking, smoke infrequently, or smoke regularly on three characteristics: adolescent egocentrism, risk perceptions, and sensation seeking. Sensation seeking exhibited the expected result by increasing with smoking experience. Contrary to past research findings, perceptions of…

Sensation Seeking in Street Violence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinskou, Marie Bruvik; Liebst, Lasse Suonperä

Sensation seeking leads to violence—runs an influential hypothesis in the social scientific study of violent behavior. Although studies confirm that violence is sometimes structured by sensation-seeking motives, the literature seldom comments on the limits to this explanation of violence....... The present study examines the scale of violence motivated by sensation seeking and the degree to which there are several distinct forms of sensation seeking motives operative in violence, rather than a sensation-seeking motive in the singular. The study draws on a sample of situations from Copenhagen...... involving street violence, which are coded quantitatively and qualitatively. Our analysis shows that sensation seeking only seldom seems to play a role in the structuring of street violence. Moreover, the data indicate that sensation seeking finds expression in street violence situations in two different...

Exploring and Implementing Participatory Action Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Wimpenny, Katherine; Savin-Baden, Maggi

2012-01-01

This article presents participatory action synthesis as a new approach to qualitative synthesis which may be used to facilitate the promotion and use of qualitative research for policy and practice. The authors begin by outlining different forms of qualitative research synthesis and then present participatory action synthesis, a collaborative…

Synthesis of antihydrogen atoms in a CUSP trap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuroda, Naofumi, E-mail: kuroda@phys.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp [University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Japan); Enomoto, Yoshinori [RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (Japan); Michishio, Koji [Tokyo University of Science, Department of Physics (Japan); Kim, Chanhyoun [University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Japan); Higaki, Hiroyuki [Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Advanced Science of Matter (Japan); Nagata, Yugo; Kanai, Yasuyuki [RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (Japan); Torii, Hiroyuki A. [University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Japan); Corradini, Maurizzio; Leali, Marco; Lodi-Rizzini, Evandro; Mascagna, Valerio; Venturelli, Luca; Zurlo, Nicola [Universita di Brescia and Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Dipartimento di Chimica e Fisica per l' Ingegneria e per i Materiali (Italy); Fujii, Koki; Ohtsuka, Miki; Tanaka, Kazuo [University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Japan); Imao, Hiroshi [RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (Japan); Nagashima, Yasuyuki [Tokyo University of Science, Department of Physics (Japan); Matsuda, Yasuyuki [University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Japan); and others

2012-05-15

ASACUSA collaboration has been making a path to realize high precision microwave spectroscopy of ground-state hyperfine transitions of antihydrogen atom in flight for stringent test of the CPT symmetry. Recently, we have succeeded in synthesizing our first cold antihydrogen atoms employing a CUSP trap. It is expected that synthesized antihydrogen atoms in the low-field-seeking states are preferentially focused along the cusp magnetic field axis whereas those in the high-field-seeking states are not focused, resulting in the formation of a spin-polarized antihydrogen beam. We report the recent results of antihydrogen atom synthesis and beam production developed with the CUSP trap.

Synthesis of antihydrogen atoms in a CUSP trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuroda, Naofumi; Enomoto, Yoshinori; Michishio, Koji; Kim, Chanhyoun; Higaki, Hiroyuki; Nagata, Yugo; Kanai, Yasuyuki; Torii, Hiroyuki A.; Corradini, Maurizzio; Leali, Marco; Lodi-Rizzini, Evandro; Mascagna, Valerio; Venturelli, Luca; Zurlo, Nicola; Fujii, Koki; Ohtsuka, Miki; Tanaka, Kazuo; Imao, Hiroshi; Nagashima, Yasuyuki; Matsuda, Yasuyuki

2012-01-01

ASACUSA collaboration has been making a path to realize high precision microwave spectroscopy of ground-state hyperfine transitions of antihydrogen atom in flight for stringent test of the CPT symmetry. Recently, we have succeeded in synthesizing our first cold antihydrogen atoms employing a CUSP trap. It is expected that synthesized antihydrogen atoms in the low-field-seeking states are preferentially focused along the cusp magnetic field axis whereas those in the high-field-seeking states are not focused, resulting in the formation of a spin-polarized antihydrogen beam. We report the recent results of antihydrogen atom synthesis and beam production developed with the CUSP trap.

Protocol for a thematic synthesis to identify key themes and messages from a palliative care research network.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Nicholson, Emma

2016-10-21

Research networks that facilitate collaborative research are increasing both regionally and globally and such collaborations contribute greatly to knowledge transfer particularly in health research. The Palliative Care Research Network is an Irish-based network that seeks to create opportunities and engender a collaborative environment to encourage innovative research that is relevant for policy and practice. The current review outlines a methodology to identify cross-cutting messages to identify how dissemination outputs can be optimized to ensure that key messages from this research reaches all knowledge users.

Help-Seeking After Domestic Violence: The Critical Role of Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasool, Shahana

2016-05-01

Limited knowledge is available on the conditions that contribute to women's help-seeking after domestic violence in South Africa. Qualitative research conducted with 17 abused women in shelters in South Africa indicate that the best interests of children are influential both in women's decisions to stay in abusive relationships and to seek help. The personal decisions of women to seek help are influenced by powerful social discourses on the best interests of the child. Policy and practice that advocate for the best interests of the child need to prioritize the safety of both mothers and their children in domestic violence situations. © The Author(s) 2015.

Who seeks bariatric surgery? Psychosocial functioning among adolescent candidates, other treatment-seeking adolescents with obesity and healthy controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Call, C C; Devlin, M J; Fennoy, I; Zitsman, J L; Walsh, B T; Sysko, R

2017-12-01

Limited data are available on the characteristics of adolescents with obesity who seek bariatric surgery. Existing data suggest that adolescent surgery candidates have a higher body mass index (BMI) than comparison adolescents with obesity, but the limited findings regarding psychosocial functioning are mixed. This study aimed to compare BMI and psychosocial functioning among adolescent bariatric surgery candidates, outpatient medical-treatment-seeking adolescents with obesity (receiving lifestyle modification), and adolescents in the normal-weight range. All adolescents completed self-report measures of impulsivity, delay discounting, depression, anxiety, stress, eating pathology, family functioning and quality of life, and had their height and weight measured. Adolescent surgical candidates had higher BMIs than both comparison groups. Surgical candidates did not differ from medical-treatment-seeking adolescents with obesity on any measure of psychosocial functioning, but both groups of adolescents with obesity reported greater anxiety and eating pathology and poorer quality of life than normal-weight adolescents. Quality of life no longer differed across groups after controlling for BMI, suggesting that it is highly related to weight status. Adolescents with obesity may experience greater anxiety, eating pathology, and quality of life impairments than their peers in the normal-weight range regardless of whether they are seeking surgery or outpatient medical treatment. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

Does self-stigma reduce the probability of seeking mental health information?

Science.gov (United States)

Lannin, Daniel G; Vogel, David L; Brenner, Rachel E; Abraham, W Todd; Heath, Patrick J

2016-04-01

An important first step in seeking counseling may involve obtaining information about mental health concerns and treatment options. Researchers have suggested that some people may avoid such information because it is too threatening due to self-stigma and negative attitudes, but the link to actual help-seeking decisions has not been tested. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine whether self-stigma and attitudes negatively impact decisions to seek information about mental health concerns and counseling. Probit regression models with 370 undergraduates showed that self-stigma negatively predicted decisions to seek both mental health and counseling information, with attitudes toward counseling mediating self-stigma's influence on these decisions. Among individuals experiencing higher levels of distress, the predicted probabilities of seeking mental health information (8.5%) and counseling information (8.4%) for those with high self-stigma were nearly half of those with low self-stigma (17.1% and 15.0%, respectively). This suggests that self-stigma may hinder initial decisions to seek mental health and counseling information, and implies the need for the development of early interventions designed to reduce help-seeking barriers. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Neighborhood Moderation of Sensation Seeking Effects on Adolescent Substance Use Initiation.

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Jensen, Michaeline; Chassin, Laurie; Gonzales, Nancy A

2017-09-01

Adolescent substance use carries a considerable public health burden, and early initiation into use is especially problematic. Research has shown that trait sensation seeking increases risk for substance use initiation, but less is known about contextual factors that can potentially unmask this risk. This study utilized a diverse longitudinal subsample of youth (N = 454) from a larger study of familial alcoholism (53.1% female, 61% non-Hispanic Caucasian, 27.8% Hispanic, 11.2% other ethnicity). Study questions examined sensation seeking in early adolescence (mean age = 12.16) and its relations with later substance use initiation (mean age = 15.69), and tested whether neighborhood disadvantage moderated sensation seeking's effects on initiation of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Neighborhood disadvantage significantly moderated the relation between sensation seeking and all three forms of substance use. For the most part, sensation seeking effects were weakened as neighborhood disadvantage increased, with the most advantaged neighborhoods exhibiting the strongest link between sensation seeking and substance use initiation. These results highlight the importance of focusing on relatively advantaged areas as potentially risky environments for the sensation seeking pathway to substance use.

農業科學教師資訊搜尋行為之研究(上 Information Seeking Behavior of Agricultural Researchers(cont.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-min Liao

1998-09-01

Full Text Available 無The purpose of this research was trying to understand the information seeking behavior derived from the studying and teaching informationo needs of those agricultural researchers. Concluded from the phenomena of their information seeking behavior and the factors behind, it might offer the libraries and other agricultural information service center as a reference to improve their service. 　　The subjects involved in this research were the agricultural teachers at National Chiayi Institute of Agriculture. In this research, there were five questions raised. By way of clarify these five questions as followed, it is possible to reach the purpose of this research. 　　1.What is the current studying and teaching conditions of the teachers? 2.What kind of studying and teaching situations will make the teachers have information needs? 3.What are the critical ways for the teachers to get needed literature? 4.How do the teachers use formal information channels? 5.How do the teachers use informal information channels? The data supporting this research were gathered through the methods of interview and questionnaire survey. The findings were: on teaching, the major situation having information needs for the teachers occurred when they were compiling texbook or handouts; on studying, it also happened when they wanted to complete the studies subsidized by the National Science Council, Council of Agriculture or Department of Agriculture: Taiwan Provincial Government. The commonest way for the teachers to obtain information resources

The Information-Seeking Habits of Architecture Faculty

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Campbell, Lucy

2017-01-01

This study examines results from a survey of architecture faculty across the United States investigating information-seeking behavior and perceptions of library services. Faculty were asked to rank information sources they used for research, teaching, and creativity within their discipline. Sources were ranked similarly across these activities,…

The SEEK: a platform for sharing data and models in systems biology.

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Wolstencroft, Katy; Owen, Stuart; du Preez, Franco; Krebs, Olga; Mueller, Wolfgang; Goble, Carole; Snoep, Jacky L

2011-01-01

Systems biology research is typically performed by multidisciplinary groups of scientists, often in large consortia and in distributed locations. The data generated in these projects tend to be heterogeneous and often involves high-throughput "omics" analyses. Models are developed iteratively from data generated in the projects and from the literature. Consequently, there is a growing requirement for exchanging experimental data, mathematical models, and scientific protocols between consortium members and a necessity to record and share the outcomes of experiments and the links between data and models. The overall output of a research consortium is also a valuable commodity in its own right. The research and associated data and models should eventually be available to the whole community for reuse and future analysis. The SEEK is an open-source, Web-based platform designed for the management and exchange of systems biology data and models. The SEEK was originally developed for the SysMO (systems biology of microorganisms) consortia, but the principles and objectives are applicable to any systems biology project. The SEEK provides an index of consortium resources and acts as gateway to other tools and services commonly used in the community. For example, the model simulation tool, JWS Online, has been integrated into the SEEK, and a plug-in to PubMed allows publications to be linked to supporting data and author profiles in the SEEK. The SEEK is a pragmatic solution to data management which encourages, but does not force, researchers to share and disseminate their data to community standard formats. It provides tools to assist with management and annotation as well as incentives and added value for following these recommendations. Data exchange and reuse rely on sufficient annotation, consistent metadata descriptions, and the use of standard exchange formats for models, data, and the experiments they are derived from. In this chapter, we present the SEEK platform

Data Collection and Harmonization in HIV Research: The Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain Initiative at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Chandler, Redonna K; Kahana, Shoshana Y; Fletcher, Bennett; Jones, Dionne; Finger, Matthew S; Aklin, Will M; Hamill, Kathleen; Webb, Candace

2015-12-01

Large-scale, multisite data sets offer the potential for exploring the public health benefits of biomedical interventions. Data harmonization is an emerging strategy to increase the comparability of research data collected across independent studies, enabling research questions to be addressed beyond the capacity of any individual study. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently implemented this novel strategy to prospectively collect and harmonize data across 22 independent research studies developing and empirically testing interventions to effectively deliver an HIV continuum of care to diverse drug-abusing populations. We describe this data collection and harmonization effort, collectively known as the Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain Data Collection and Harmonization Initiative, which can serve as a model applicable to other research endeavors.

Effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System as a Functional Communication Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Practice-Based Research Synthesis

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Tien, Kai-Chien

2008-01-01

This research synthesis verifies the effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) for improving the functional communication skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The research synthesis was focused on the degree to which variations in PECS training are associated with variations in functional…

Sensation seeking in males involved in recreational high risk sports

OpenAIRE

M Guszkowska; A Bołdak

2010-01-01

The study examined sensation seeking intensity level in males involved in recreational high risk sports and investigated whether its level depends on type of sport practised. Additionally, in case of parachutists, sport experience of study participants were scrutinised with regard to its possible impact on the level of sensation seeking.The research involved 217 males aged 17 to 45, practising recreational high risk sports, namely: parachuting (n=98); wakeboarding (n=30); snowboarding (n=30);...

Determinants of College Students' Use of Online Collaborative Help-Seeking Tools

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Ding, Lu; Er, Erkan

2018-01-01

Research has noted the effectiveness of online tools (e.g., discussion boards) for supporting help seeking among class members. However, help seeking is not necessarily warranted via online learning tools because some factors (e.g., low Internet self-efficacy) may influence students' intention to use them. This study aims to identify the…

Bridges between multiple-point geostatistics and texture synthesis: Review and guidelines for future research

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Mariethoz, Gregoire; Lefebvre, Sylvain

2014-05-01

Multiple-Point Simulations (MPS) is a family of geostatistical tools that has received a lot of attention in recent years for the characterization of spatial phenomena in geosciences. It relies on the definition of training images to represent a given type of spatial variability, or texture. We show that the algorithmic tools used are similar in many ways to techniques developed in computer graphics, where there is a need to generate large amounts of realistic textures for applications such as video games and animated movies. Similarly to MPS, these texture synthesis methods use training images, or exemplars, to generate realistic-looking graphical textures. Both domains of multiple-point geostatistics and example-based texture synthesis present similarities in their historic development and share similar concepts. These disciplines have however remained separated, and as a result significant algorithmic innovations in each discipline have not been universally adopted. Texture synthesis algorithms present drastically increased computational efficiency, patterns reproduction and user control. At the same time, MPS developed ways to condition models to spatial data and to produce 3D stochastic realizations, which have not been thoroughly investigated in the field of texture synthesis. In this paper we review the possible links between these disciplines and show the potential and limitations of using concepts and approaches from texture synthesis in MPS. We also provide guidelines on how recent developments could benefit both fields of research, and what challenges remain open.

A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Qualitative Research: The Influence of School Context on Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

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Gwernan-Jones, Ruth; Moore, Darren A.; Cooper, Paul; Russell, Abigail Emma; Richardson, Michelle; Rogers, Morwenna; Thompson-Coon, Jo; Stein, Ken; Ford, Tamsin J.; Garside, Ruth

2016-01-01

This systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research explored contextual factors relevant to non-pharmacological interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in schools. We conducted meta-ethnography to synthesise 34 studies, using theories of stigma to further develop the synthesis. Studies suggested that the…

The relation between trait mindfulness and aggression in men seeking residential substance use treatment.

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Shorey, Ryan C; Anderson, Scott; Stuart, Gregory L

2015-06-01

There has been an abundance of research in recent years on mindfulness, including mindfulness within individuals seeking substance use treatment. However, to date, there has been no research on whether trait mindfulness is associated with increased aggression among individuals seeking substance use treatment. Past research has demonstrated that individuals in substance use treatment evidence higher levels of aggression than non-substance abusers, and preliminary research has shown that trait mindfulness is inversely associated with aggression in non-substance-use treatment-seeking populations. The current study examined whether trait mindfulness was associated with aggression among men seeking residential substance use treatment (N = 116). Results demonstrated that lower trait mindfulness was associated with increased aggression (physical, verbal, and aggressive attitude). Moreover, this relation held for both verbal aggression and aggressive attitude after controlling for alcohol use, drug use, and age, all known predictors of aggression. Findings provide the first evidence that mindfulness is negatively associated with aggression among men in substance use treatment, which could have important implications for intervention. That is, mindfulness-based interventions may prove helpful for the treatment of both substance use and aggression. © The Author(s) 2014.

Male views on help-seeking for depression: A Q methodology study.

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House, Jennifer; Marasli, Pinar; Lister, Matthew; Brown, June S L

2018-03-01

To identify viewpoints among men with depression about depression and its treatment, consider how these might influence help-seeking behaviour, and generate ideas for interventions and future research. Q methodology. Twenty-nine men with depression completed a Q sort by ranking a set of statements about depression and help-seeking according to their relative agreement with each statement. Factor analysis was used to identify viewpoints relating to male understandings of depression and help-seeking, which were interpreted in the context of participant characteristics and additional information from post-sorting interviews. A two-factor solution accounting for 45% of the total variance was considered the best fit for the data. The 2 factors were: (1) Help is available if you can get to the point of asking for it (34% of the variance) and (2) depression should be dealt with in private; help-seeking makes you vulnerable (11% of the variance). Participants who were significantly associated with both factors described a sense of shame, relating to their own or others' views that being depressed and help-seeking are in conflict with socially constructed 'masculine' values, such as strength and self-sufficiency. In the viewpoint represented by Factor 1, however, the benefits of help-seeking outweigh the negatives. In contrast, the viewpoint represented in Factor 2 holds that depression should remain a private struggle and that help-seeking is too risky a move to make. In order to access treatment, men must first recognize depression, then overcome considerable perceived and internalized stigma to ask for help. Improving public knowledge about the nature of depression; positive messages about the act of help-seeking, types of treatment available, and effectiveness of treatments; and work to overcome the challenges posed by long waiting times and other service constraints may increase rates of help-seeking, and represent areas for future research. Interventions to improve

Seeking to understand: using generic qualitative research to explore access to medicines and pharmacy services among resettled refugees.

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Bellamy, Kim; Ostini, Remo; Martini, Nataly; Kairuz, Therese

2016-06-01

Introduction There are challenges associated with selecting a qualitative research approach. In a field abundant with terminology and theories, it may be difficult for a pharmacist to know where and how to begin a qualitative research journey. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into generic qualitative research and to describe the journey of data collection of a novice qualitative researcher in the quest to answer her research question: 'What are the barriers to accessing medicines and pharmacy services for resettled refugees in Queensland, Australia?' Methodology Generic qualitative research draws on the strengths of one or more qualitative approaches. The aim is to draw out participants' ideas about things that are 'outside themselves'; rather than focussing on their inner feelings the research seeks to understand a phenomenon, a process, or the perspectives of participants. Sampling is designed to obtain a broad range of opinions about events and experiences and data collection includes interviews, questionnaires or surveys; thematic analysis is often used to analyse data. When to use Generic qualitative research provides an opportunity to develop research designs that fit researchers' epistemological stance and discipline, with research choices, including methodology and methods, being informed by the research question. Limitations Generic qualitative research is one of many methodologies that may be used to answer a research question and there is a paucity of literature about how to do it well. There is also debate about its validity as a qualitative methodology.

Motivators for seeking gambling-related treatment among Ontario problem gamblers.

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Suurvali, Helen; Hodgins, David C; Toneatto, Tony; Cunningham, John A

2012-06-01

A random digit dialing telephone survey was used to interview 8,467 adults in Ontario, Canada. The NODS-CLiP was used to identify a representative sample of 730 gamblers (54.3% male, mean age 45.3 years) with possible past year gambling problems in order to explore factors that might affect disordered gamblers' motivators for seeking gambling-related help. A final sample of 526 gamblers provided useable data on possible reasons for and barriers to seeking help, awareness of services, self-perception of gambling problems and experience with help-seeking. Financial and relationship issues were the most frequently volunteered motivators. However, over two-thirds of the respondents could not think of a reason for seeking help. Gamblers who had self-admitted or more severe problems, who knew how to get help, who were employed and had more education, and who identified possible barriers to seeking help were more likely to suggest motivators, especially financial ones. More research is recommended on gamblers' trajectory towards recognition of a gambling problem, the process of overcoming specific barriers to treatment, and the role of social advantage (e.g., education and employment), in order to devise educational campaigns that will encourage earlier help-seeking among disordered gamblers.

The SEEK Program: A SEEK Student's View. Community Issues, July 1970.

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Robinson, Jackie

The Search for Elevation through Education and Knowledge (SEEK) experience at Queens College has been a hectic and strained undertaking, culminating in a confrontation between black and white students which gained national attention. The white community at Queens reacted negatively towards SEEK students, faculty, and counseling staff. The…

Why don't men seek help? Family physicians' perspectives on help-seeking behavior in men.

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Tudiver, F; Talbot, Y

1999-01-01

Men tend to underuse primary care health services despite their susceptibility to particular types of illness. The purpose of this study was to report the family physician's perspective on why men do not access the health care system for medical problems. We used focus group interviews to identify major themes. The participants were family physicians in active practice randomly selected from a list of 500 full- and part-time teachers. Four focus groups were formed from 18 participants (12 men, 6 women), in practice an average of 17 years. Eleven of the physicians were in community practice. Three key themes were identified: (1) Support: Men appear to get most of their support for health concerns from their female partners, little from their male friends. Their pattern of seeking support tends to be indirect rather than straightforward. (2) Help Seeking: Perceived vulnerability, fear, and denial are important influences on whether men seek help. They look for help for specific problems rather than for more general health concerns. (3) Barriers: Personal barriers involved factors related to a man's traditional social role characteristics: a sense of immunity and immortality; difficulty relinquishing control; a belief that seeking help is unacceptable; and believing men are not interested in prevention. Systematic barriers had to do with time and access; having to state the reason for a visit; and the lack of a male care provider. Many of these findings are supported by psychological theories. Future research should apply these theories in more transferable populations and settings. However, an in-depth understanding of the patterns of men's use of primary care services is needed before we can determine if a regular source of primary care would have a positive impact on their health.

Strategic bioenergy research. A knowledge compilation and synthesis of research projects funded by the Swedish Energy Agency's fuel program 2007-2011; Strategisk bioenergiforskning. En kunskapssammanstaellning och syntes av forskningsprojekt finansierade av Energimyndighetens braensleprogram 2007-2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gode, Jenny; Gustavsson, Mathias; Hoeglund, Jonas; Hellsten, Sofie; Martinsson, Fredrik; Stadmark, Johanna [IVL Svenska Miljoeinstitutet, Stockholm (Sweden)

2012-11-01

During 2007-2011 the Swedish Energy Agency has run the program 'Sustainable supply and processing of biofuels'. To summarise the state of knowledge, identify knowledge gaps and analyse the results in a broader context, three different synthesis reports have been performed in the program's final phase. This report is one of these synthesis reports and concerns the area of strategic bioenergy research. In this context, 'strategic' means research that is of significance from the system, marketing and/or policy perspective. The work is based on research conducted mainly in the research programme 'Sustainable supply and processing of biofuels'. This report constitutes the final report of the synthesis project on strategic bioenergy research and includes knowledge compilation, identification of knowledge gaps and synthesis. The results of the synthesis project provide a basis for planning new research programs in the auspices of the Swedish Energy Agency. The two other synthesis projects concern forest fuels as well as energy crops and fuel quality. The report covers a rather broad field of research, e.g. environmental impact, carbon balances, nitrous oxide, bioenergy systems, scenarios, trade and marketing, standardization and certification. The work has been based on project plans and publications for a predefined number of projects, as well as on interviews and discussions with project leaders. Furthermore, several seminars and workshops also provided information for the compilation. Other studies have also been taken into account to some extent.

Authoritative parenting and sensation seeking as predictors of adolescent cigarette and marijuana use.

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Stephenson, Michael T; Helme, Donald W

2006-01-01

Adolescents with high sensation-seeking tendencies often seek out thrill seeking experiences to satisfy their need for stimulation and sensation. In many cases, sensation-seeking adolescents fulfill their need for stimulation and sensation by using illicit substances. However, not all high sensation seekers use drugs, although the factors that prevent or buffer sensation seeking remain unexplored. This study fills this gap in extant research by examining the role of authoritative parenting as a protective factor that prevents or buffers cigarette and marijuana use by adolescents with high sensation-seeking tendencies. Data from 1461 adolescents attending 6th through 8th grades in central Colorado were gathered during a semester-long classroom-based intervention to prevent the onset or further use of cigarettes. Results indicate that authoritative parenting moderated the effect of sensation seeking on adolescent marijuana attitudes, intentions, and peer influence but not behaviors. Further, authoritative parenting was a stronger influence than sensation seeking on cigarette-related outcomes with just the opposite effect observed for marijuana-related outcomes.

Predictors of Delayed Healthcare Seeking Among American Muslim Women.

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Vu, Milkie; Azmat, Alia; Radejko, Tala; Padela, Aasim I

2016-06-01

Delayed care seeking is associated with adverse health outcomes. For Muslim women, delayed care seeking might include religion-related motivations, such as a preference for female clinicians, concerns about preserving modesty, and fatalistic beliefs. Our study assesses associations between religion-related factors and delayed care seeking due to a perceived lack of female clinicians. Surveys were distributed to Muslim women attending mosque and community events in Chicago. Survey items included measures of religiosity, religious fatalism, discrimination, modesty, and alternative medicine utilization and worship practices. The outcome measure asked for levels of agreement to the statement "I have delayed seeking medical care when no woman doctor is available to see me." Two hundred fifty-four women completed the survey with nearly equal numbers of African Americans (26%), Arab Americans (33%), and South Asians (33%). Fifty-three percent reported delays in care seeking due to a perceived lack of female clinicians. In multivariate analysis adjusting for sociodemographic factors, higher religiosity (odds ratio [OR] = 5.2, p 20 years (OR = 0.22, p American Muslim women reported delays in care seeking due to a perceived lack of female clinicians. Women with higher levels of modesty and self-rated religiosity had higher odds of delaying care. Women who had lived in the United States for longer durations had lower odds of delaying care. Our research highlights the need for gender-concordant providers and culturally sensitive care for American Muslims.

Internet information-seeking in mental health: population survey.

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Powell, John; Clarke, Aileen

2006-09-01

A major use of the of the internet is for health information-seeking. There has been little research into its use in relation to mental health. To investigate the prevalence of internet use for mental health information-seeking and its relative importance as a mental health information source. General population survey. Questions covered internet use, past psychiatric history and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Eighteen per cent of all internet users had used the internet for information related to mental health. The prevalence was higher among those with a past history of mental health problems and those with current psychological distress. Only 12% of respondents selected the internet as one of the three most accurate sources of information, compared with 24% who responded that it was one of the three sources they would use. The internet has a significant role in mental health information-seeking. The internet is used more than it is trusted.

Plasma cortisol and oxytocin levels predict help-seeking intentions for depressive symptoms.

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Thomas, Susan; Larkin, Theresa

2018-01-01

Depressed individuals often refuse or withdraw from help, a phenomenon termed help-negation, which is a risk factor for poor outcomes. Most previous research has investigated psychosocial factors including stigma as causes of low help-seeking intentions for depression, however these do not adequately explain the problem. We hypothesised that because help-negation worsens with symptom severity, it might be linked to important biological changes associated with depression itself. We investigated the relative contributions of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to depression, and oxytocin, a hormone which mediates social behaviours, alongside psychosocial factors, to help-seeking intentions among depressed and non-depressed individuals. Morning plasma cortisol and oxytocin levels, psychopathology, suicidal ideation, help-seeking intentions from informal sources including family and friends, and formal sources including health professionals, and perceived social support were quantified in 63 adults meeting DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) who were not receiving any treatment, and 60 healthy controls. Between-group analyses of variance, correlations, and hierarchical multiple regressions were employed. Help-seeking intentions were lower in depressed than healthy participants, negatively correlated to cortisol and positively correlated to oxytocin. Cortisol negatively, and oxytocin positively, predicted help-seeking intentions from informal but not formal sources, after controlling for psychopathology and psychosocial factors. Neuroendocrine changes associated with depression may contribute to low help-seeking from friends and family, which may have implications for interpersonal support and outcomes. Research and clinical approaches which incorporate biological as well as psychosocial factors may allow for more targeted and effective early interventions to address lack of help-seeking and depression progression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Need for Cognition and Electronic Health Literacy and Subsequent Information Seeking Behaviors Among University Undergraduate Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca K. Britt

2013-10-01

Full Text Available eHealth literacy (eHEALS has yet to be examined with regard to need for cognition (NFC, as well as whether NFC moderates the relationship between eHealth literacy and seeking out online health information. Past research that has examined NFC as an interaction between whether interactivity on health web sites affected comprehension and attitudes, but no research to date has examined whether cognitive need interacts with eHEALS and subsequent information seeking behaviors. The present study tests eHEALS and its connection to need for cognition (NFC in the role of online health information seeking behaviors. Results showed that high eHEALS individuals were more likely to seek out online health information and were more likely to have higher NFC scores. NFC did not emerge as a moderator on the relationship between eHealth literacy and online health information seeking behaviors. Future directions are discussed, in particular, examining eHEALS as a construct of efficacy and further need to examine eHEALS with need for cognition in health communication research.

Case Study Research Methodology in Nursing Research.

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Cope, Diane G

2015-11-01

Through data collection methods using a holistic approach that focuses on variables in a natural setting, qualitative research methods seek to understand participants' perceptions and interpretations. Common qualitative research methods include ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, and historic research. Another type of methodology that has a similar qualitative approach is case study research, which seeks to understand a phenomenon or case from multiple perspectives within a given real-world context.

Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Griffiths Kathleen M

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Adolescents and young adults frequently experience mental disorders, yet tend not to seek help. This systematic review aims to summarise reported barriers and facilitators of help-seeking in young people using both qualitative research from surveys, focus groups, and interviews and quantitative data from published surveys. It extends previous reviews through its systematic research methodology and by the inclusion of published studies describing what young people themselves perceive are the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for common mental health problems. Methods Twenty two published studies of perceived barriers or facilitators in adolescents or young adults were identified through searches of PubMed, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane database. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the results reported in the qualitative literature and quantitative literature. Results Fifteen qualitative and seven quantitative studies were identified. Young people perceived stigma and embarrassment, problems recognising symptoms (poor mental health literacy, and a preference for self-reliance as the most important barriers to help-seeking. Facilitators were comparatively under-researched. However, there was evidence that young people perceived positive past experiences, and social support and encouragement from others as aids to the help-seeking process. Conclusions Strategies for improving help-seeking by adolescents and young adults should focus on improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and taking into account the desire of young people for self-reliance.

Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulliver, Amelia; Griffiths, Kathleen M; Christensen, Helen

2010-12-30

Adolescents and young adults frequently experience mental disorders, yet tend not to seek help. This systematic review aims to summarise reported barriers and facilitators of help-seeking in young people using both qualitative research from surveys, focus groups, and interviews and quantitative data from published surveys. It extends previous reviews through its systematic research methodology and by the inclusion of published studies describing what young people themselves perceive are the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for common mental health problems. Twenty two published studies of perceived barriers or facilitators in adolescents or young adults were identified through searches of PubMed, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane database. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the results reported in the qualitative literature and quantitative literature. Fifteen qualitative and seven quantitative studies were identified. Young people perceived stigma and embarrassment, problems recognising symptoms (poor mental health literacy), and a preference for self-reliance as the most important barriers to help-seeking. Facilitators were comparatively under-researched. However, there was evidence that young people perceived positive past experiences, and social support and encouragement from others as aids to the help-seeking process. Strategies for improving help-seeking by adolescents and young adults should focus on improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and taking into account the desire of young people for self-reliance.

A Non-Linear Model of Information Seeking Behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Allen

2005-01-01

Introduction:The results of a study of information seeking behaviour of inter-disciplinary academic and postgraduate researchers are reported. Method. The study applied the naturalistic methods recommended by Lincoln and Guba for maximising credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability in data collection and analysis. Sampling…

Virtual Reality Cue Reactivity Assessment: A Comparison of Treatment- vs. Nontreatment-Seeking Smokers

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Bordnick, Patrick S.; Yoon, Jin H.; Kaganoff, Eili; Carter, Brian

2013-01-01

Objectives: The cue-reactivity paradigm has been widely used to assess craving among cigarette smokers. Seeking to replicate and expand on previous virtual reality (VR) nicotine cue-reactivity research on nontreatment-seeking smokers, the current study compared subjective reports of craving for cigarettes when exposed to smoking (proximal and…

Sensation Seeking or Empathy? Physically Aggressive and Non-Aggressive Antisocial Behaviors (ASBs Amongst University Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saima Eman

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Previous research has linked anti-social behavior (ASB to subtypes of empathy and also to sensation seeking, but there is limited research on the relative roles of empathy subtypes and sensation seeking traits in predicting ASB subtypes. The current study therefore investigated the relationship between sensation seeking, the three subtypes of empathy (emotional reactivity, cognitive empathy and social skills and the two subtypes of ASB (physically aggressive and non-aggressive. An online survey consisting of Demographic Variables Questionnaire, Brief Sensation Seeking Scale, Empathy Quotient and the Antisocial Behavior Measure was sent to student volunteers, leading to a total of 537 respondents. Empathy alone accounted for a relatively modest proportion of the total variance in the ASBs, with emotional reactivity being the only significant predictor. Adding sensation seeking to the regression led to a marked improvement in prediction for non-aggressive ASB and a slight but significant improvement for physically aggressive ASB. Sensation seeking, emotional reactivity and social skills (but not cognitive empathy contributed unique variance for both ASB subtypes. The greatest variance for physically aggressive and non-aggressive ASB were accounted for by emotional reactivity and sensation seeking, respectively. The results indicate that both sensation seeking and sub-types of empathy are important in predicting ASBs. This has theoretical implications for different personality models and has practical implications for the development of preventive measures to avoid such behaviors.

Radiation synthesis and modification of polymers for biomedical applications. Final results of a co-ordinated research project. 1996-2000

CERN Document Server

2002-01-01

Radiation techniques are being used for synthesis of hydrogels, functional polymers, interpenetrating systems, chemical modification of surfaces, immobilization of bioactive materials, synthesis of functional micro- and nanospheres and processing of naturally derived biomaterials. Potential medical applications of these biomaterials include implants, topical dressings, treatment devices and drug delivery systems. Biotechnological applications include diagnostic assays, separation and purification systems, immobilized enzyme and cell bioprocesses and cell culture surfaces. The main objective of the CRP on The use of Radiation Processing to Prepare Biomaterials for Application in Medicine was to co-ordinate the research carried out in the participating countries, to ensure that different research programmes complement each other and the information exchange is available to all. Furthermore, the objective was to expand the use of ionizing radiation in two major areas: synthesis of polymers and gels for medical a...

Sexual Health Information Seeking Online Among Runaway and Homeless Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Barman-Adhikari, Anamika; Rice, Eric

2011-06-01

Research shows runaway and homeless youth are reluctant to seek help from traditional health providers. The Internet can be useful in engaging this population and meeting their needs for sexual health information, including information about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Using a sample of homeless youth living in Los Angeles, California in June 2009, this study assesses the frequency with which runaway and homeless youth seek sexual health information via the Internet, and assesses which youth are more likely to engage in seeking health information from online sources. Drawing from Andersen's (1968) health behavior model and Pescosolido's (1992) network episode model, we develop and refine a model for seeking online sexual health information among homeless youth. Rather than testing the predicative strength of a given model, our aim is to identify and explore conceptually driven correlates that may shed light on the characteristics associated with these help seeking behaviors among homeless youth. Analyses using multivariate logistic regression models reveal that among the sample of youth, females and gay males most frequently seek sexual health information online. We demonstrate the structure of social network ties (e.g., connection with parents) and the content of interactions (e.g., e-mail forwards of health information) across ties are critical correlates of online sexual health information seeking. Results show a continued connection with parents via the Internet is significantly associated with youth seeking HIV or STI information. Similarly for content of interactions, more youth who were sent health information online also reported seeking HIV information and HIV-testing information. We discuss implications for intervention and practice, focusing on how the Internet may be used for dissemination of sexual health information and as a resource for social workers to link transient, runaway, and homeless youth to care.

Elements for harnessing participatory action research to strengthen health managers' capacity: a critical interpretative synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tetui, Moses; Zulu, Joseph Mumba; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; Ekirapa-Kiracho, Elizabeth; Kiwanuka, Suzanne N; Coe, Anna-Britt

2018-04-19

Health managers play a key role in ensuring that health services are responsive to the needs of the population. Participatory action research (PAR) is one of the approaches that have been used to strengthen managers' capacity. However, collated knowledge on elements for harnessing PAR to strengthen managers' capacity is missing. This paper bridges this gap by reviewing existing literature on the subject matter. A critical interpretive synthesis method was used to interrogate eight selected articles. These articles reported the use of PAR to strengthen health managers' capacity. The critical interpretive synthesis method's approach to analysis guided the synthesis. Here, the authors interpretively made connections and linkages between different elements identified in the literature. Finally, the Atun et al. (Heal Pol Plann, 25:104-111, 2010) framework on integration was used to model the elements synthesised in the literature into five main domains. Five elements with intricate bi-directional interactions were identified in the literature reviewed. These included a shared purpose, skilled facilitation and psychological safety, activity integration into organisational procedures, organisational support, and external supportive monitoring. A shared purpose of the managers' capacity strengthening initiative created commitment and motivation to learn. This purpose was built upon a set of facilitation skills that included promoting participation, self-efficacy and reflection, thereby creating a safe psychological space within which the managers interacted and learnt from each other and their actions. Additionally, an integrated intervention strengthened local capacity and harnessed organisational support for learning. Finally, supportive monitoring from external partners, such as researchers, ensured quality, building of local capacity and professional safety networks essential for continued learning. The five elements identified in this synthesis provide a basis upon

Thrill and adventure seeking in risky driving at work: The moderating role of safety climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Wishart, Darren; Somoray, Klaire; Evenhuis, Amanda

2017-12-01

Introduction Within many industrialized countries, the leading cause of worker fatalities and serious injuries can be attributed to road trauma. In non-occupational research, high levels of sensation seeking personality, and specifically thrill and adventure seeking, have been associated with risky driving behaviors. In work driving literature, high organizational safety climate has been associated with reduced risky driving in work drivers. However, the extent that factors such as safety climate and thrill seeking interact in regard to work driving safety remains unclear, and the current research examined this interaction. Methods A total of 1,011 work drivers from four organizations participated in the research. Surveys were distributed online and hardcopies were sent via mail. The survey included measures of thrill and adventure seeking, safety climate and work-related driving behaviors, as well as questions relating to participant demographics and information about their work driving. Results The results demonstrated that safety climate significantly moderated the effect of thrill and adventure seeking trait on driving errors, driving violations, and driving while fatigued. Conclusion These results suggest that the development of a strong safety climate has the potential to improve work driving safety outcomes by reducing the impact of particular personality traits such as thrill seeking within an organizational context. Practical application To improve work driving safety, organizations and management need to develop strategies to encourage and foster positive work driving safety climate, particularly within work settings that may attract thrill and adventure seeking employees. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Contributions of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to Quality Education: A Synthesis of Research

Science.gov (United States)

Laurie, Robert; Nonoyama-Tarumi, Yuko; Mckeown, Rosalyn; Hopkins, Charles

2016-01-01

This research is a synthesis of studies carried out in 18 countries to identify contributions of education for sustainable development (ESD) to quality education. Five common questions were used for the interviews in each country to solicit education leaders and practitioners' views on the outcome and implementation of ESD. The analysis revealed…

Collaboration and Productivity in Scientific Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, Stephanie E.; Parker, John N.

2011-01-01

Scientific synthesis has transformed ecological research and presents opportunities for advancements across the sciences; to date, however, little is known about the antecedents of success in synthesis. Building on findings from 10 years of detailed research on social interactions in synthesis groups at the National Center for Ecological Analysis…

Sensation Seeking and Internet Activities, Music Preference, and Personal Relationships among College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskirch, Robert S.; Murphy, Laurel C.

Individuals vary in their need for excitement, involving a personality trait known as sensation seeking (SS). Previous research has found that a preference for rock music and participation in more self-disclosing behaviors are characteristic of high sensation seekers. This study examines if college student sensation seeking relates to the…

Mental health literacy measures evaluating knowledge, attitudes and help-seeking: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yifeng; McGrath, Patrick J; Hayden, Jill; Kutcher, Stan

2015-11-17

Mental health literacy has received increasing attention as a useful strategy to promote early identification of mental disorders, reduce stigma and enhance help-seeking behaviors. However, despite the abundance of research on mental health literacy interventions, there is the absence of evaluations of current available mental health literacy measures and related psychometrics. We conducted a scoping review to bridge the gap. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and ERIC for relevant studies. We only focused on quantitative studies and English publications, however, we didn't limit study participants, locations, or publication dates. We excluded non-English studies, and did not check the grey literature (non peer-reviewed publications or documents of any type) and therefore may have missed some eligible measures. We located 401 studies that include 69 knowledge measures (14 validated), 111 stigma measures (65 validated), and 35 help-seeking related measures (10 validated). Knowledge measures mainly investigated the ability of illness identification, and factual knowledge of mental disorders such as terminology, etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, and consequences. Stigma measures include those focused on stigma against mental illness or the mentally ill; self-stigma ; experienced stigma; and stigma against mental health treatment and help-seeking. Help-seeking measures included those of help-seeking attitudes, intentions to seek help, and actual help-seeking behaviors. Our review provides a compendium of available mental health literacy measures to facilitate applying existing measures or developing new measures. It also provides a solid database for future research on systematically assessing the quality of the included measures.

Gas Phase Nanoparticle Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Granqvist, Claes; Kish, Laszlo; Marlow, William

This book deals with gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis and is intended for researchers and research students in nanomaterials science and engineering, condensed matter physics and chemistry, and aerosol science. Gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis is instrumental to nanotechnology - a field in current focus that raises hopes for environmentally benign, resource-lean manufacturing. Nanoparticles can be produced by many physical, chemical, and even biological routes. Gas-phase synthesis is particularly interesting since one can achieve accurate manufacturing control and hence industrial viability.

Breakdowns in collaborative information seeking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertzum, Morten

2010-01-01

Collaborative information seeking is integral to many professional activities. In hospital work, the medication process encompasses continual seeking for information and collaborative grounding of information. This study investigates breakdowns in collaborative information seeking through analyses...... of the use of the electronic medication record adopted in a Danish healthcare region and of the reports of five years of medication incidents at Danish hospitals. The results show that breakdowns in collaborative information seeking is a major source of medication incidents, that most of these breakdowns...... are breakdowns in collaborative grounding rather than information seeking, that the medication incidents mainly concern breakdowns in the use of records as opposed to oral communication, that the breakdowns span multiple degrees of separation between clinicians, and that the electronic medication record has...

Disentangling self-stigma: are mental illness and help-seeking self-stigmas different?

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Jeritt R; Hammer, Joseph H; Vogel, David L; Bitman, Rachel L; Wade, Nathaniel G; Maier, Emily J

2013-10-01

Two established but disparate lines of research exist: studies examining the self-stigma associated with mental illness and studies examining the self-stigma associated with seeking psychological help. Whereas some researchers have implicitly treated these 2 constructs as synonymous, others have made the argument that they are theoretically and empirically distinct. To help clarify this debate, we examined in the present investigation the overlap and uniqueness of the self-stigmas associated with mental illness and with seeking psychological help. Data were collected from a sample of college undergraduates experiencing clinical levels of psychological distress (N = 217) and a second sample of community members with a self-reported history of mental illness (N = 324). Confirmatory factor analyses provide strong evidence for the factorial independence of the 2 types of self-stigma. Additionally, results of regression analyses in both samples suggest that the 2 self-stigmas uniquely predict variations in stigma-related constructs (i.e., shame, self-blame, and social inadequacy) and attitudes and intentions to seek help. Implications for researchers and clinicians interested in understanding stigma and enhancing mental health service utilization are discussed.

Young Men, Help-Seeking, and Mental Health Services: Exploring Barriers and Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Louise; Long, Maggie; Moorhead, Anne

2018-01-01

International research has identified young men as reluctant to seek help for mental health problems. This research explored barriers and solutions to professional help seeking for mental health problems among young men living in the North West of Ireland. A qualitative approach, using two focus groups with six participants each and five face-to-face interviews, was conducted with men aged 18 to 24 years (total N = 17). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Seven key themes of barriers to professional help seeking were identified: "acceptance from peers," "personal challenges," "cultural and environmental influences," "self-medicating with alcohol," "perspectives around seeking professional help," "fear of homophobic responses," and "traditional masculine ideals." Five key themes of solutions to these barriers included "tailored mental health advertising," "integrating mental health into formal education," "education through semiformal support services," "accessible mental health care," and "making new meaning." Interesting findings on barriers include fear of psychiatric medication, fear of homophobic responses from professionals, the legacy of Catholic attitudes, and the genuine need for care. This study offers an in-depth exploration of how young men experience barriers and uniquely offers solutions identified by participants themselves. Youth work settings were identified as a resource for engaging young men in mental health work. Young men can be encouraged to seek help if services and professionals actively address barriers, combining advertising, services, and education, with particular attention and respect to how and when young men seek help and with whom they want to share their problems.

Diabetes-related information-seeking behaviour: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuske, Silke; Schiereck, Tim; Grobosch, Sandra; Paduch, Andrea; Droste, Sigrid; Halbach, Sarah; Icks, Andrea

2017-10-24

pharmacological interactions' were the most frequently identified content of information. Seven main categories including associated variables were identified, e.g. 'socioeconomic', 'duration of DM', and 'lifestyle'. The systematic review provides a valuable overview of available knowledge on the information-seeking behaviour of people with diabetes mellitus, although there are only a few studies. There was a high heterogeneity regarding the research question, design, methods and participants. Although the Internet is often used to seek information, health professionals still play an important role in supporting their patients' information-seeking behaviour. Specific needs of people with diabetes must be taken into consideration. PROSPERO CRD42016037312.

Rent Seeking: A Textbook Example

Science.gov (United States)

Pecorino, Paul

2007-01-01

The author argues that the college textbook market provides a clear example of monopoly seeking as described by Tullock (1967, 1980). This behavior is also known as rent seeking. Because this market is important to students, this example of rent seeking will be of particular interest to them. (Contains 24 notes.)

Skills Decay in Military Medical Training: A Meta-synthesis of Research Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Linde, Amber S; Caridha, Jona; Kunkler, Kevin J

2018-01-01

In fiscal year 2012, the Medical Simulation and Information Sciences Research Program released two Skills Decay (SD) research program announcements (PAs) under the Medical Readiness Initiative entitled "Medical Practice Initiative Breadth of Medical Practice & Disease Frequency Exposure (MPI-BMP)" and the "Medical Practice Initiative Procedural Skill Decay and Maintenance (MPI-PSD)." The Office of Naval Research also released a PA entitled "Medical Modeling and Simulation (MM&S) for Military Training and Education." A total investment of $12 M was made. This article provides a meta-synthesis of the Skills Decay research conducted under these efforts. The MSIRRP Medical Simulation Portfolio collected, reviewed, and analyzed the final reports of the Skills Decay research efforts from the three PAs. This paper provides a meta-synthesis of the outcomes of those studies. Focus of this study was to determine if the anticipated goals of the Skills Decay PAs were met as well as to provide a summary of lessons learned to the research community. Fourteen research questions posed by the PAs were structured into four main goals: (1) Skills Decay identification, (2) creation/validity of Skills Decay tools and feasibility and viability of data extraction project, (3) refreshment training to prevent or alleviate Skills Decay project, and (4) Skills Decay education content. Using a combination of training styles, choosing variables known to have Skills Decay predication value, and developing better ways of mining available data that can, in turn, provide feedback to training needs, it is possible for accurate Skills Decay models to be developed. These technologies have the ability not only capture the learner's reaction during the simulation, but to capture the simulation outcomes to predict a medical professional's level of experience and background. Lessons learned from the investments made by the government are extremely important in order to ensure that the outcomes of the

Health Seeking Behaviours as Predictors of Hypertension Among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined health seeking behaviour as predictor of hypertension among traders in Osun State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used for this study while the instrument for data collection is self developed and structured questionnaire with reliability coefficient of 0.702. The population for this study ...

Information Seeking Behaviour of Mathematicians: Scientists and Students

Science.gov (United States)

Sapa, Remigiusz; Krakowska, Monika; Janiak, Malgorzata

2014-01-01

Introduction: The paper presents original research designed to explore and compare selected aspects of the information seeking behaviour of mathematicians (scientists and students) on the Internet. Method: The data were gathered through a questionnaire distributed at the end of 2011 and in January 2012. Twenty-nine professional mathematicians and…

Alcohol and drug abusers' reasons for seeking treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, J A; Sobell, L C; Sobell, M B; Gaskin, J

1994-01-01

Clients at two different treatment facilities were asked at assessment how influential each of 10 possible reasons were in their decision to change their alcohol or drug use. Clients at both facilities most often endorsed "weighing the pros and cons of drinking or drug use" and a "warning from spouse." Client's reasons for seeking treatment were also examined in relation to treatment compliance. Three reasons--"weighing the pros and cons," "hitting rock bottom," and experiencing a "major lifestyle change"--were predictive of treatment compliance. Clients who rated any of these reasons as influential were more likely to enter and complete treatment. Although more research is needed, knowledge of clients' reasons for seeking treatment might be useful in treatment matching.

Sensation seeking indirectly affects perceptions of risk for co-occurrent substance use.

Science.gov (United States)

Hittner, James B; Warner, Margaret A; Swickert, Rhonda J

2016-02-01

High sensation seekers engage in more frequent substance use and perceive a host of potentially dangerous activities as less risky than do low sensation seekers. However, despite a plethora of research on these topics, no study has examined the extent to which personal substance use mediates the association between sensation seeking and perceived risk of substance use. To address this question, we recruited a sample of 79 young adults (mean age=19.1 years, standard deviation=1.4). Participants completed questionnaire measures of sensation seeking, substance use, and perceived risk of co-occurrent substance use. Results from path-analytic modeling indicated that both alcohol use and marijuana use mediated the influence of sensation seeking on perceptions of risk for moderately risky, but not highly risky, pairs of substances. Strengths and limitations of the present study were discussed and directions for future research were suggested.

Cross-Cultural Validity of the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) Scale: Examination across Six Nations

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, David L.; Armstrong, Patrick Ian; Tsai, Pei-Chun; Wade, Nathaniel G.; Hammer, Joseph H.; Efstathiou, Georgios; Holtham, Elizabeth; Kouvaraki, Elli; Liao, Hsin-Ya; Shechtman, Zipora; Topkaya, Nursel

2013-01-01

Researchers have found that the stigma associated with seeking therapy--particularly self-stigma--can inhibit the use of psychological services. Yet, most of the research on self-stigma has been conducted in the United States. This is a considerable limitation, as the role of self-stigma in the help-seeking process may vary across cultural groups.…

Stigma and demographic correlates of help-seeking intentions in returning service members.

Science.gov (United States)

Blais, Rebecca K; Renshaw, Keith D

2013-02-01

Many U.S. Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans return from deployment with posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, but few veterans seek psychological help. Research on barriers to care is growing, but the link between stigma and help-seeking is understudied. The present study examined anticipated enacted stigma from military and nonmilitary sources, self-stigma, PTS, perceived likelihood of deploying again, marital status, and history of mental health care engagement as correlates of help-seeking intentions from a mental health professional or medical doctor/advance practice registered nurse (MD/APRN) in a sample of 165 combat veterans. Using structural equation modeling, results demonstrated that self-stigma was negatively associated with help-seeking intentions from a mental health professional and MD/APRN with small-to-medium effect sizes. Being married was positively associated with help-seeking intentions from a mental health professional and MD/APRN with small effect sizes. History of previous mental health care engagement was positively associated with help-seeking intentions from a mental health professional with a medium effect size, but unrelated to help-seeking intentions from a MD/APRN. Anticipated enacted stigma from any source, PTS, and greater perceived likelihood of deploying again were unrelated to help-seeking intentions from a mental health professional and MD/APRN. Implications for interventions aimed at decreasing self-stigma and increasing intention to seek help are discussed. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Mixed Methods Analysis of Multicultural Identity and Psychological Help Seeking Beliefs in College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Jeffrey P.

2012-01-01

Research on the psychological help-seeking beliefs and behaviors of college students has provided evidence for differences among students based on demographic factors, with different variables being salient for different cultural groups. This mixed methods study focuses on understanding how common psychological help-seeking variables, including…

Development and validation of SEER (Seeking, Engaging with and Evaluating Research): a measure of policymakers' capacity to engage with and use research.

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Sue E; McKenzie, Joanne E; Turner, Tari; Redman, Sally; Makkar, Steve; Williamson, Anna; Haynes, Abby; Green, Sally E

2017-01-17

Capacity building strategies are widely used to increase the use of research in policy development. However, a lack of well-validated measures for policy contexts has hampered efforts to identify priorities for capacity building and to evaluate the impact of strategies. We aimed to address this gap by developing SEER (Seeking, Engaging with and Evaluating Research), a self-report measure of individual policymakers' capacity to engage with and use research. We used the SPIRIT Action Framework to identify pertinent domains and guide development of items for measuring each domain. Scales covered (1) individual capacity to use research (confidence in using research, value placed on research, individual perceptions of the value their organisation places on research, supporting tools and systems), (2) actions taken to engage with research and researchers, and (3) use of research to inform policy (extent and type of research use). A sample of policymakers engaged in health policy development provided data to examine scale reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and validity (relation to measures of similar concepts, relation to a measure of intention to use research, internal structure of the individual capacity scales). Response rates were 55% (150/272 people, 12 agencies) for the validity and internal consistency analyses, and 54% (57/105 people, 9 agencies) for test-retest reliability. The individual capacity scales demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability (alpha coefficients > 0.7, all four scales) and test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficients > 0.7 for three scales and 0.59 for fourth scale). Scores on individual capacity scales converged as predicted with measures of similar concepts (moderate correlations of > 0.4), and confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence that the scales measured related but distinct concepts. Items in each of these four scales related as predicted to concepts in the measurement model derived

Pursuit of comfort and pursuit of harmony: culture, relationships, and social support seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Heejung S; Sherman, David K; Ko, Deborah; Taylor, Shelley E

2006-12-01

This research examined whether people from collectivistic cultures are less likely to seek social support than are people from individualistic cultures because they are more cautious about potentially disturbing their social network. Study 1 found that Asian Americans from a more collectivistic culture sought social support less and found support seeking to be less effective than European Americans from a more individualistic culture. Study 2 found that European Americans' willingness to seek support was unaffected by relationship priming, whereas Asian Americans were willing to seek support less when the relationship primed was closer to the self. Study 3 replicated the results of Study 2 and found that the tendency to seek support and expect social support to be helpful as related to concerns about relationships. These findings underscore the importance of culturally divergent relationship patterns in understanding social support transactions.

Information seeking and use behaviour of economists and business analysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric Thivant

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The aim of this paper is to deal with the information seeking and use problem in a professional context and understand how activity can influence practices, by taking as examples, the research undertaken by economic analysts. We analyse the relationship between the situational approach, described by Cheuk, the work environment complexity (with social, technological and personal aspects, and the information seeking and use strategies, which relied on Ellis and Wilson's model, with Bates's comments. Method. We interviewed eight economists, using a questionnaire and the SICIA (Situation, Complexity and Information Activity method. The SICAI method is a qualitative approach, which underlines the relationship between situations, professional contexts and strategies. Both methods allow better understanding of how investment analysts find out what they need for their job. We can clarify their information sources and practices of information seeking, which are very particular because of their activities. We complete our analysis by interviewing analysts from financial institutions. Analysis. A qualitative mode of analysis was used to interpret the interviewees' comments, within the research framework adopted. Results. We find similarity in information seeking and use strategies used by these two groups and environmental levels meet in most situations. But some differences can be also found, explained by the activity frameworks and goals. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that the activity and also the professional context (here the financial context can directly influence practices.

Anniversary Article--Interactional Feedback in Second Language Teaching and Learning: A Synthesis and Analysis of Current Research

Science.gov (United States)

Nassaji, Hossein

2016-01-01

The role of interactional feedback has long been of interest to both second language acquisition researchers and teachers and has continued to be the object of intensive empirical and theoretical inquiry. In this article, I provide a synthesis and analysis of recent research and developments in this area and their contributions to second language…

Consumer health information seeking in social media: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yuehua; Zhang, Jin

2017-12-01

The objective of this literature review was to summarise current research regarding how consumers seek health-related information from social media. Primarily, we hope to reveal characteristics of existing studies investigating the health topics that consumers have discussed in social media, ascertaining the roles social media have played in consumers' information-seeking processes and discussing the potential benefits and concerns of accessing consumer health information in social media. The Web of Science Core Collection database was searched for existing literature on consumer health information seeking in social media. The search returned 214 articles, of which 21 met the eligibility criteria following review of full-text documents. Between 2011 and 2016, twenty-one studies published explored various topics related to consumer information seeking in social media. These ranged from online discussions on specific diseases (e.g. diabetes) to public health concerns (e.g. pesticide residues). Consumers' information needs vary depending on the health issues of interest. Benefits of health seeking on social media, in addition to filling a need for health information, include the social and emotional support health consumers gain from peer-to-peer interactions. These benefits, however, are tempered by concerns of information quality and authority and lead to decreased consumer engagement. © 2017 Health Libraries Group.

Factors associated with attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment postpartum.

Science.gov (United States)

Bina, Rena; Glasser, Saralee

2017-12-27

Attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment are a major predictor of seeking such treatment. Rates of seeking mental health treatment for postpartum depression are low despite contacts with health-care providers and available treatment. This study examined factors associated with four dimensions of attitude toward seeking mental health treatment among Israeli women in the postpartum period. Women (N = 1,059) were recruited (June 2008-February 2009) from a medical center's maternity department within the first two days following delivery and completed a sociodemographic survey and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. Low recognition of need for mental health treatment was associated with having a below average income and no personal and family depression history; low stigma tolerance was associated with being younger, having more children, and defining oneself as ultra-orthodox; low interpersonal openness was associated with having a below average income. Moreover, low confidence in mental health practitioners was associated with being younger and non-ultra-orthodox. Understanding which women are likely to score low on various dimensions of attitude can help target interventions for improving these factors, reducing barriers to receiving mental health treatment among specific groups of women. Research should continue to explore specific attitude dimensions among various populations.

Pedagogical work with asylum-seeking and refugee children in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moldenhawer, Bolette

Interpersonal and emotional aspects of pedagogical work have during the last decades been of great interest among educational researchers. This paper offers an analysis of social and moral dimensions of education by using professional interactions with asylum-seeking and refugee children...... as a privileged prism through which to study the emotional aspects of pedagogical work. The paper argues that the link between education and emotion is well addressed by considering the positioning of asylum-seeking and refugee children as a particularly vulnerable group characterized by anxiety and insecurity...

Students' motivation toward feedback-seeking in the clinical workplace

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, L.H. de; Favier, R.P.; Vleuten, C.P.M. van der; Bok, H.G.

2017-01-01

In medical education, students are increasingly regarded as active seekers of feedback rather than passive recipients. Previous research showed that in the intentions of students to seek feedback, a learning and performance goal can be distinguished. In this study, we investigated the intentions

Students seeking technical internships as part of an exchange program

OpenAIRE

Nystrom, Lynn A.

2004-01-01

Virginia Tech students are seeking the support of research centers, academic departments, and area businesses to provide opportunities for technical internships through the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE).

Young Men, Help-Seeking, and Mental Health Services: Exploring Barriers and Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Louise; Long, Maggie; Moorhead, Anne

2016-01-01

International research has identified young men as reluctant to seek help for mental health problems. This research explored barriers and solutions to professional help seeking for mental health problems among young men living in the North West of Ireland. A qualitative approach, using two focus groups with six participants each and five face-to-face interviews, was conducted with men aged 18 to 24 years (total N = 17). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Seven key themes of barriers to professional help seeking were identified: “acceptance from peers,” “personal challenges,” “cultural and environmental influences,” “self-medicating with alcohol,” “perspectives around seeking professional help,” “fear of homophobic responses,” and “traditional masculine ideals.” Five key themes of solutions to these barriers included “tailored mental health advertising,” “integrating mental health into formal education,” “education through semiformal support services,” “accessible mental health care,” and “making new meaning.” Interesting findings on barriers include fear of psychiatric medication, fear of homophobic responses from professionals, the legacy of Catholic attitudes, and the genuine need for care. This study offers an in-depth exploration of how young men experience barriers and uniquely offers solutions identified by participants themselves. Youth work settings were identified as a resource for engaging young men in mental health work. Young men can be encouraged to seek help if services and professionals actively address barriers, combining advertising, services, and education, with particular attention and respect to how and when young men seek help and with whom they want to share their problems. PMID:27365212

Predicting help-seeking behavior: The impact of knowing someone close who has sought help.

Science.gov (United States)

Disabato, David J; Short, Jerome L; Lameira, Diane M; Bagley, Karen D; Wong, Stephanie J

2018-02-15

This study sought to replicate and extend research on social facilitators of college student's help seeking for psychological problems. We collected data on 420 ethnically diverse college students at a large public university (September 2008-May 2010). Students completed a cross-sectional online survey. We found that students who were aware of close others' (eg, family, friends) help seeking were two times more likely to have sought formal (eg, psychologist) and informal (eg, clergy) help themselves. Tests of moderation revealed the incremental effect (ie, controlling for help-seeking attitudes, internalizing symptoms, cultural demographics) of close others' formal help seeking was strong and significant for men (R 2 = 0.112), while it was negligible and nonsignificant for women (R 2 = .002). We discuss the importance for students-particularly men-to learn about close others' help seeking for facilitating their own help seeking during times of distress.

The effects of habitat fragmentation on extinction risk: Mechanisms and synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David H. Reed

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Across the globe, much current research reflects concerns over the effect of habitat fragmentation on the viability of species and populations. This is an immediate and important concern for the Kingdom of Thailand, where decisions about land use are at a critical juncture. Thailand is in danger of losing species that play a special role in Thai culture and history such as the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus and the tiger (Panthera tigris. We provide a selective review and synthesis of the effects of habitat fragmentation on extinction risk. Our emphasis is on objectives, causal mechanisms, and the validity of some of the arguments that have been made in the debate. Heuristic models are explored to elucidate mechanisms that may affect populations in fragmented landscapes and we point out gaps in our knowledge of this important and complicated question. Our synthesis of the current evidence suggests that fragmenting landscapes usually increases the risk of extinction, especially as the isolation of patches increases or the size of patches decreases. The Kingdom of Thailand, and other countries facing similar circumstances, should seek to connect isolated patches of habitat in order to better protect their remaining biodiversity.

Pharmaceutical supply chain models: A synthesis from a systems view of operations research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ettore Settanni

Full Text Available This research evaluates reconfiguration opportunities in Pharmaceutical Supply Chains (PSC resulting from technology interventions in manufacturing, and new, more patient-centric delivery models. A critical synthesis of the academic and practice literature is used to identify, conceptualise, analyse and categorise PSC models. From a theoretical perspective, a systems view of operations research is adopted to provide insights on a broader range of OR activities, from conceptual to mathematical modelling and model solving, up to implementation.The research demonstrates that: 1 current definitions of the PSC are largely production-centric and fail to capture patient consumption, and hence healthcare outcomes; 2 most PSC mathematical models lack adequate conceptualisation of the structure and behaviour of the supply chain, and the boundary conditions that need to be considered for a given problem; 3 models do not adequately specify current unit operations or future production technology options, and are therefore unable to address the critical questions around alternative product or process technologies; 4 economic evaluations are limited to direct costing, rather than systemic approaches such as supply chain costing and total cost of ownership.While current models of the PSC may help with the optimisation of specific unit operations, their theoretical benefits could be offset by the dynamics of complex upstream (supply and downstream (distribution and healthcare delivery systems. To overcome these limitations, this research provides initial directions towards an integrated systems approach to PSC modelling. This perspective involves problem conceptualisation and boundary definition; design, formulation and solution of mathematical models, through to practical implementation of identified solutions. For both academics and practitioners, research findings suggest a systems approach to PSC modelling can provide improved conceptualisation and

Online Cancer Information Seeking: Applying and Extending the Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking.

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Van Stee, Stephanie K; Yang, Qinghua

2017-10-30

This study applied the comprehensive model of information seeking (CMIS) to online cancer information and extended the model by incorporating an exogenous variable: interest in online health information exchange with health providers. A nationally representative sample from the Health Information National Trends Survey 4 Cycle 4 was analyzed to examine the extended CMIS in predicting online cancer information seeking. Findings from a structural equation model supported most of the hypotheses derived from the CMIS, as well as the extension of the model related to interest in online health information exchange. In particular, socioeconomic status, beliefs, and interest in online health information exchange predicted utility. Utility, in turn, predicted online cancer information seeking, as did information-carrier characteristics. An unexpected but important finding from the study was the significant, direct relationship between cancer worry and online cancer information seeking. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Gender influences as an impediment to knowledge sharing: when men and women fail to seek peer feedback.

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Miller, Diane L; Karakowsky, Leonard

2005-03-01

Little research has considered how work team characteristics influence feedback-seeking behavior among team members. The authors' aim in this research was to identify central sources of influence on feedback-seeking behavior in a mixed-gender context. They placed men and women in work groups of varying gender composition. The participants then participated in a gender-biased (perceived as either male-oriented or female-oriented) negotiation exercise. Findings indicated that the gender of the participant, the team's gender composition, and the gender orientation of the task influenced feedback-seeking behavior among team members.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 12: The diffusion of federally funded aerospace research and development (R/D) and the information seeking behavior of US aerospace engineers and scientists

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Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.; Barclay, Rebecca O.

1991-01-01

In this paper, the diffusion of federally funded aerospace R&D is explored from the perspective of the information-seeking behavior of U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. The following three assumptions frame this exploration: (1) knowledge production, transfer, and utilization are equally important components of the aerospace R&D process; (2) the diffusion of knowledge resulting from federally funded aerospace R&D is indispensable for the U.S. to remain a world leader in aerospace; and (3) U.S. government technical reports, produced by NASA and DOD, play an important, but as yet undefined, role in the diffusion of federally funded aerospace R&D. A conceptual model for federally funded aerospace knowledge diffusion, one that emphasizes U.S. goverment technical reports, is presented. Data regarding three research questions concerning the information-seeking behavior of U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists are also presented.

AAPI college students' willingness to seek counseling: the role of culture, stigma, and attitudes.

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Choi, Na-Yeun; Miller, Matthew J

2014-07-01

This study tested 4 theoretically and empirically derived structural equation models of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islanders' willingness to seek counseling with a sample of 278 college students. The models represented competing hypotheses regarding the manner in which Asian cultural values, European American cultural values, public stigma, stigma by close others, self-stigma, and attitudes toward seeking professional help related to willingness to seek counseling. We found that Asian and European American cultural values differentially related to willingness to seek counseling indirectly through specific indirect pathways (public stigma, stigma by close others, self-stigma, and attitudes toward seeking professional help). Our results also showed that the magnitude of model-implied relationships did not vary as a function of generational status. Study limitations, future directions for research, and implications for counseling are discussed.

Organic synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lallemand, J.Y.; Fetizon, M.

1988-01-01

The 1988 progress report of the Organic Synthesis Chemistry laboratory (Polytechnic School, France), is presented. The laboratory activities are centered on the chemistry of natural products, which have a biological activity and on the development of new reactions, useful in the organic synthesis. The research works involve the following domains: the natural products chemistry which are applied in pharmacology, the plants and insects chemistry, the organic synthesis, the radical chemistry new reactions and the bio-organic physicochemistry. The published papers, the congress communications and the thesis are listed [fr

Students’ motivation toward feedback-seeking in the clinical workplace

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Lubberta H.; Favier, Robert P.; Van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.; Bok, Harold G.J.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT In medical education, students are increasingly regarded as active seekers of feedback rather than passive recipients. Previous research showed that in the intentions of students to seek feedback, a learning and performance goal can be dis- tinguished. In this study, we investigated the

Sensation seeking related to varied definition of risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dastol, O.U.; Drottz-Sjoberg, B.M.

1998-01-01

This pilot study is based on the assumption that the normal use of the word risk varies across subjects. It has been shown in previous risk perception studies that some people report their definition or normal use of the concept of risk as e.g. mainly probability, a combination of probability and consequences, mainly consequences, or due to the nature of the event (Drottz-Sjoeberg, 1991). Another field of research has developed measures for personality traits, i.e. facets of Sensation Seeking; Disinhibition, Thrill and Adventure Seeking, Experience Seeking, and Boredom Susceptibility (Zuckerman, 1994). The design of the present study involved three independent groups of first year psychology students (N=93). They were presented with one of three response formats regarding their normal use of the word risk, i.e. an open-ended format, separate ratings of four items suggesting a definition of risk on five-point scales, and one single five-point scale with the extremes labelled probability and consequences, and with their combination as the scale mid-point. The results showed, e.g. that the typical open-ended response to the personal definition of risk was 'danger', but among the responses were also 'chance', and 'outcome'. Another finding was that people who defined risk as 'outcome' and 'chance', using the open-ended format tended to score higher on the total Sensation Seeking Scale than those who defined risk as 'danger'. In addition, subjects who defined risk as the 'combination' of probability and consequences, using other response formats, also tended to score higher on the total Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS), especially as compared to those defining risk as the 'probability' of an event. (authors)

Sensation seeking and smoking behaviors among adolescents in the Republic of Korea.

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Hwang, Heejin; Park, Sunhee

2015-06-01

This study aimed to explore the relationship between the four components of sensation seeking (i.e., disinhibition, thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, and boredom susceptibility) and three types of smoking behavior (i.e., non-smoking, experimental smoking, and current smoking) among high school students in the Republic of Korea. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed using two models. In Model 1, the four subscales of sensation seeking were used as covariates, and in Model 2, other control factors (i.e., characteristics related to demographics, individuals, family, school, and friends) were added to Model 1 in order to adjust for their effects. In Model 1, the impact of disinhibition on experimental smoking and current smoking was statistically significant. In Model 2, the influence of disinhibition on both of these smoking behaviors remained statistically significant after controlling for all the other covariates. Also, the effect of thrill and adventure seeking on experimental smoking was statistically significant. The two statistically significant subscales of sensation seeking were positively associated with the risk of smoking behaviors. According to extant literature and current research, sensation seeking, particularly disinhibition, is strongly associated with smoking among youth. Therefore, sensation seeking should be measured among adolescents to identify those who are at greater risk of smoking and to develop more effective intervention strategies in order to curb the smoking epidemic among youth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seeking ethical approval for an international study in primary care patient safety

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dovey, S.; Hall, K.; Makeham, M.; Rosser, W.; Kuzel, A.; Weel, C. van; Esmail, A.; Phillips, R.

2011-01-01

Seeking ethics committee approval for research can be challenging even for relatively simple studies occurring in single settings. Complicating factors such as multicentre studies and/or contentious research issues can challenge review processes, and conducting such studies internationally adds a

Seeking and Avoiding Information in a Risky World

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Choo, Chun Wei

2017-01-01

Introduction: In an era where collective action is necessary to confront societal level risks such as climate change and food safety, we need to better understand how people are motivated to seek risk information that would lead them to make choices and behavioural changes to mitigate those hazards. Method: We selectively review the research in…

Book review: Biology and conservation of martens, sables, and fishers: A new synthesis

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Jenkins, Kurt J.

2013-01-01

Mammals of the genus Martes, including martens, sables, and fishers, are mid-sized carnivores inhabiting many forested ecosystems throughout regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. This volume provides a comprehensive synthesis of the current state of knowledge pertaining to the biology and conservation of Martes species throughout the world. This volume will be an essential resource for mammalogists, resource managers, and applied ecologists involved in research or conservation of martens, sables, and fishers. For that matter, anyone seeking a full immersion in the modern world of Martes biology and conservation will not be disappointed. The volume has been carefully edited and reviewed, and the thoroughness with which the authors present and interpret recent advances in their specialty areas is really quite impressive.

Exploring information seeking behaviour in a digital museum context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skov, Mette; Ingwersen, Peter

2008-01-01

This paper describes the preliminary results of a case study of task-based interactive information seeking and retrieval behaviour of virtual museum visitors in context. The research described here is part of a larger study: this paper specifically looks at 1) leisure tasks/interests and derived ...

SEEK! Tiedonhakupeli

OpenAIRE

Kivinen, Nina; Lassila, Matti; Rajahonka, Matti; Korkiakangas, Ville

2014-01-01

Finnish adaptation of SEEK! The search skills game. Includes press-ready files and Adobe Illustrator & Indesign templates. Original game developed by Andrew Walsh & Tanya Williamson, University of Huddersfield.

First treatment contact for ADHD: predictors of and gender differences in treatment seeking.

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Dakwar, Elias; Levin, Frances R; Olfson, Mark; Wang, Shuai; Kerridge, Bradley; Blanco, Carlos

2014-12-01

For attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), treatment seeking is a critical first step in treatment initiation and remains insufficiently understood. The aims of this study were to estimate ADHD treatment-seeking probabilities over the lifetime and to identify predictors of treatment seeking for ADHD separately for males and females. Data were drawn from 2001 to 2005 as part of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a two-wave face-to-face survey conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (N=34,653). The lifetime cumulative probability of ADHD treatment seeking was estimated at 55%. Males identifying as African American, with less than 12 years of education, or paranoid personality disorder or in an older cohort (>30 years old) at the time of interview were more likely to experience delays, whereas males with comorbid alcohol dependence, dysthymic disorder, borderline personality disorder, or histrionic personality disorder were less likely. Among females, older age (>44 years) was the only predictor of a delay to first treatment seeking, whereas bipolar disorder was associated with more rapid treatment seeking. Age of onset had opposite effects on treatment-seeking delays by gender; males but not females with early-onset ADHD were more likely to experience treatment-seeking delays. A large proportion of persons with ADHD do not seek treatment. Furthermore, treatment seeking by males was affected by a greater number of identifiable characteristics, suggesting that males might be more responsive to efforts directed toward expediting treatment entry. Future research should explore how to facilitate early access to treatment for individuals with ADHD.

Building a middle-range theory of free public healthcare seeking in sub-Saharan Africa: a realist review.

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Robert, Emilie; Samb, Oumar Mallé; Marchal, Bruno; Ridde, Valéry

2017-09-01

Realist reviews are a new form of knowledge synthesis aimed at providing middle-range theories (MRTs) that specify how interventions work, for which populations, and under what circumstances. This approach opens the 'black box' of an intervention by showing how it triggers mechanisms in specific contexts to produce outcomes. We conducted a realist review of health user fee exemption policies (UFEPs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This article presents how we developed both the intervention theory (IT) of UFEPs and a MRT of free public healthcare seeking in SSA, building on Sen's capability approach. Over the course of this iterative process, we explored theoretical writings on healthcare access, services use, and healthcare seeking behaviour. We also analysed empirical studies on UFEPs and healthcare access in free care contexts. According to the IT, free care at the point of delivery is a resource allowing users to make choices about their use of public healthcare services, choices previously not generally available to them. Users' ability to choose to seek free care is influenced by structural, local, and individual conversion factors. We tested this IT on 69 empirical studies selected on the basis of their scientific rigor and relevance to the theory. From that analysis, we formulated a MRT on seeking free public healthcare in SSA. It highlights three key mechanisms in users' choice to seek free public healthcare: trust, risk awareness and acceptability. Contextual elements that influence both users' ability and choice to seek free care include: availability of and control over resources at the individual level; characteristics of users' and providers' communities at the local level; and health system organization, governance and policies at the structural level. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Perceived Barriers and Enablers of Help-Seeking for Substance Use Problems During Adolescence.

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Berridge, Bonita J; McCann, Terence V; Cheetham, Ali; Lubman, Dan I

2018-01-01

Receiving professional help early can reduce long-term harms associated with substance use. However, little is known about the factors that influence help-seeking for substance use problems during early-mid adolescence, prior to the emergence of disorder. Given that beliefs regarding help-seeking are likely to develop early, understanding adolescent views of help-seeking during this period is likely to provide important information for prevention and intervention efforts. The current study identifies perceptions that would facilitate or prevent adolescents from seeking support for substance use problems from formal and informal help sources. Thirty-four 12- to 16-year-olds from two schools in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, were recruited. A qualitative interpretative design was used, incorporating semistructured, audio-recorded interviews. Three overlapping themes that reflected barriers or enablers to help-seeking were identified: approachability, confidentiality and trustworthiness, and expertise. Help-seeking was facilitated when adolescents believed that the help source would be supportive and understanding, would keep information confidential, and had expertise in the alcohol and drug field. Conversely, adolescents were reluctant to seek help from sources they believed would be judgmental, lacked expertise, or would inform their parents. These findings highlight perceptions that may influence help-seeking for alcohol and drug problems during adolescence. Further research is needed to determine if help-seeking can be facilitated by improving parents' and peers' knowledge and promoting health professionals' expertise in working with young people's alcohol and drug issues.

Goal-seeking neural net for recall and recognition

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Omidvar, Omid M.

1990-07-01

Neural networks have been used to mimic cognitive processes which take place in animal brains. The learning capability inherent in neural networks makes them suitable candidates for adaptive tasks such as recall and recognition. The synaptic reinforcements create a proper condition for adaptation, which results in memorization, formation of perception, and higher order information processing activities. In this research a model of a goal seeking neural network is studied and the operation of the network with regard to recall and recognition is analyzed. In these analyses recall is defined as retrieval of stored information where little or no matching is involved. On the other hand recognition is recall with matching; therefore it involves memorizing a piece of information with complete presentation. This research takes the generalized view of reinforcement in which all the signals are potential reinforcers. The neuronal response is considered to be the source of the reinforcement. This local approach to adaptation leads to the goal seeking nature of the neurons as network components. In the proposed model all the synaptic strengths are reinforced in parallel while the reinforcement among the layers is done in a distributed fashion and pipeline mode from the last layer inward. A model of complex neuron with varying threshold is developed to account for inhibitory and excitatory behavior of real neuron. A goal seeking model of a neural network is presented. This network is utilized to perform recall and recognition tasks. The performance of the model with regard to the assigned tasks is presented.

Information seeking-pattern of Nigerian textile market women and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the information seeking-pattern of Nigerian textile market women and strategies for improvement of which the study was an ex-post-facto type and adopted survey research design. Disproportional stratified random technique was used to select markets for the study while questionnaire was used to ...

Managerial leadership for research use in nursing and allied health care professions: a narrative synthesis protocol.

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Gifford, Wendy A; Holyoke, Paul; Squires, Janet E; Angus, Douglas; Brosseau, Lucie; Egan, Mary; Graham, Ian D; Miller, Carol; Wallin, Lars

2014-06-05

Nurses and allied health care professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, dietitians) form more than half of the clinical health care workforce and play a central role in health service delivery. There is a potential to improve the quality of health care if these professionals routinely use research evidence to guide their clinical practice. However, the use of research evidence remains unpredictable and inconsistent. Leadership is consistently described in implementation research as critical to enhancing research use by health care professionals. However, this important literature has not yet been synthesized and there is a lack of clarity on what constitutes effective leadership for research use, or what kinds of intervention effectively develop leadership for the purpose of enabling and enhancing research use in clinical practice. We propose to synthesize the evidence on leadership behaviours amongst front line and senior managers that are associated with research evidence by nurses and allied health care professionals, and then determine the effectiveness of interventions that promote these behaviours. Using an integrated knowledge translation approach that supports a partnership between researchers and knowledge users throughout the research process, we will follow principles of knowledge synthesis using a systematic method to synthesize different types of evidence involving: searching the literature, study selection, data extraction and quality assessment, and analysis. A narrative synthesis will be conducted to explore relationships within and across studies and meta-analysis will be performed if sufficient homogeneity exists across studies employing experimental randomized control trial designs. With the engagement of knowledge users in leadership and practice, we will synthesize the research from a broad range of disciplines to understand the key elements of leadership that supports and enables research use

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

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

2016-01-01

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

Information seeking stopping behavior in online scenarios the impact of task, technology and individual characteristics

CERN Document Server

Hemmer, Erik

2014-01-01

The growing amount of information provided via web-based information technologies forces the users of these technologies to stop seeking for information before having acquired all available information. This stopping decision is either made actively following clear guidelines or subconsciously based on the seeker's intuition. This book analyzes the aforementioned duality by developing and testing a multi-theoretical research model dealing with information seeking stopping behavior in online scenarios. Thus, by delivering insights into the mechanisms that influence information seeking activitie

Radiation synthesis and modification of polymers for biomedical applications. Final results of a co-ordinated research project. 1996-2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-12-01

Radiation techniques are being used for synthesis of hydrogels, functional polymers, interpenetrating systems, chemical modification of surfaces, immobilization of bioactive materials, synthesis of functional micro- and nanospheres and processing of naturally derived biomaterials. Potential medical applications of these biomaterials include implants, topical dressings, treatment devices and drug delivery systems. Biotechnological applications include diagnostic assays, separation and purification systems, immobilized enzyme and cell bioprocesses and cell culture surfaces. The main objective of the CRP on The use of Radiation Processing to Prepare Biomaterials for Application in Medicine was to co-ordinate the research carried out in the participating countries, to ensure that different research programmes complement each other and the information exchange is available to all. Furthermore, the objective was to expand the use of ionizing radiation in two major areas: synthesis of polymers and gels for medical and biotechnological applications, and modification of surfaces to achieve a specific functionality and/or to immobilize bioactive materials. This publication contains 10 reports of participants; each of the reports has been indexed separately.

Radiation synthesis and modification of polymers for biomedical applications. Final results of a co-ordinated research project. 1996-2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-12-01

Radiation techniques are being used for synthesis of hydrogels, functional polymers, interpenetrating systems, chemical modification of surfaces, immobilization of bioactive materials, synthesis of functional micro- and nanospheres and processing of naturally derived biomaterials. Potential medical applications of these biomaterials include implants, topical dressings, treatment devices and drug delivery systems. Biotechnological applications include diagnostic assays, separation and purification systems, immobilized enzyme and cell bioprocesses and cell culture surfaces. The main objective of the CRP on The use of Radiation Processing to Prepare Biomaterials for Application in Medicine was to co-ordinate the research carried out in the participating countries, to ensure that different research programmes complement each other and the information exchange is available to all. Furthermore, the objective was to expand the use of ionizing radiation in two major areas: synthesis of polymers and gels for medical and biotechnological applications, and modification of surfaces to achieve a specific functionality and/or to immobilize bioactive materials. This publication contains 10 reports of participants; each of the reports has been indexed separately

Who does Red Bull give wings to? Sensation seeking moderates sensitivity to subliminal advertisement.

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Bustin, Gaëlle M; Jones, Daniel N; Hansenne, Michel; Quoidbach, Jordi

2015-01-01

This study assessed whether subliminal priming of a brand name of a drink can affect people's choices for the primed brand, and whether this effect is moderated by personality traits. Participants with different levels of sensation seeking were presented subliminally with the words Red Bull or Lde Ublr. Results revealed that being exposed to Red Bull lead on average to small increases in participants' preferences for the primed brand. However, this effect was twice as strong for participants high in sensation seeking and did not occur for participants low in sensation seeking. Going beyond previous research showing that situational factors (e.g., thirst, fatigue…) can increase people's sensitivity to subliminal advertisement, our results suggest that some dispositional factors could have the same potentiating effect. These findings highlight the necessity of taking personality into account in non-conscious persuasion research.

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on the impacts of wildland fires on communities

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Stephen F. McCool; James Burchfield; Daniel R. Williams; Matt Carroll; Patricia Cohn; Yoshitaka Kumagai; Tam Ubben

2007-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. Focusing on research on the social impacts of wildland fire, this synthesis explores decisions and actions taken by communities before, during, and after a wildland fire to minimize its impacts. It then synthesizes the research studying (1) the consequences...

A Multi-Level Model of Information Seeking in the Clinical Domain

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Hung, Peter W.; Johnson, Stephen B.; Kaufman, David R.; Mendonça, Eneida A.

2008-01-01

Objective: Clinicians often have difficulty translating information needs into effective search strategies to find appropriate answers. Information retrieval systems employing an intelligent search agent that generates adaptive search strategies based on human search expertise could be helpful in meeting clinician information needs. A prerequisite for creating such systems is an information seeking model that facilitates the representation of human search expertise. The purpose of developing such a model is to provide guidance to information seeking system development and to shape an empirical research program. Design: The information seeking process was modeled as a complex problem-solving activity. After considering how similarly complex activities had been modeled in other domains, we determined that modeling context-initiated information seeking across multiple problem spaces allows the abstraction of search knowledge into functionally consistent layers. The knowledge layers were identified in the information science literature and validated through our observations of searches performed by health science librarians. Results: A hierarchical multi-level model of context-initiated information seeking is proposed. Each level represents (1) a problem space that is traversed during the online search process, and (2) a distinct layer of knowledge that is required to execute a successful search. Grand strategy determines what information resources will be searched, for what purpose, and in what order. The strategy level represents an overall approach for searching a single resource. Tactics are individual moves made to further a strategy. Operations are mappings of abstract intentions to information resource-specific concrete input. Assessment is the basis of interaction within the strategic hierarchy, influencing the direction of the search. Conclusion: The described multi-level model provides a framework for future research and the foundation for development of an

Low cost, Lightweight, FeS2-Based Photovoltaic Devices by On Demand Ink Jet Printing

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This research projects seeks to develop novel synthesis for iron pyrite, FeS2, nanocrystals and nanorods. The synthesis of the material includes investigating the...

Appearance vs. health reasons for seeking treatment among obese patients with binge eating disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Reas, Deborah L; Masheb, Robin M; Grilo, Carlos M

2004-05-01

This study examined reasons for seeking treatment reported by obese patients diagnosed with binge eating disorder (BED). Participants were 248 adults (58 men and 190 women) who met DSM criteria for BED. Participants were recruited through advertisements for treatment studies looking for persons who wanted to "stop binge eating and lose weight." Patients' reasons for seeking treatment were examined with respect to demography (gender and age), obesity (BMI and age of onset), features of eating disorders, and associated psychological functioning (depression and self-esteem). Of the 248 participants, 64% reported health concerns and 36% reported appearance concerns as their primary reason for seeking treatment. Reasons for seeking treatment did not differ significantly by gender. Patients seeking treatment because of appearance-related reasons had lower BMIs than those reporting health-related reasons (34.8 vs. 38.5, respectively), but they reported greater body dissatisfaction, more features of eating disorders, and lower self-esteem. Reasons that prompt treatment seeking among obese individuals with BED reflect meaningful patient characteristics and, therefore, warrant assessment and consideration during treatment planning. Further research is needed to determine whether reasons for treatment seeking among different obese patient groups affect treatment outcomes. Copyright 2004 NAASO

Information Needs and Information Seeking Behavior of Foreign Students in University of Delhi: A Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K P Singh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information needs and information seeking behavior of foreign students. A survey method was used for the undertaken study. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire, self-administered to 120 foreign students (60 males & 60 females with 88 (47 males & 41 females returns. The research is limited to post-graduate, M.Phil. and Ph.D. foreign students in University of Delhi. It was found that post-graduate students need information regarding their program of study while research scholars need information for writing research articles and for doing their research work. Most of them seek information through the internet. Research scholars used electronic resources such as databases, e-journals and e-theses and dissertations. 88.6% of the respondents also use books for seeking information. Their use of the library is limited with complaints about library staff and too few computer terminals. The present study will be helpful in designing new systems and services for the foreign students so that their information needs can be fulfilled easily. Further, findings of the study indicate that how the library professionals should assist foreign students to accomplish their information needs.

Reducing the time-lag between onset of chest pain and seeking professional medical help: a theory-based review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baxter Susan K

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Research suggests that there are a number of factors which can be associated with delay in a patient seeking professional help following chest pain, including demographic and social factors. These factors may have an adverse impact on the efficacy of interventions which to date have had limited success in improving patient action times. Theory-based methods of review are becoming increasingly recognised as important additions to conventional systematic review methods. They can be useful to gain additional insights into the characteristics of effective interventions by uncovering complex underlying mechanisms. Methods This paper describes the further analysis of research papers identified in a conventional systematic review of published evidence. The aim of this work was to investigate the theoretical frameworks underpinning studies exploring the issue of why people having a heart attack delay seeking professional medical help. The study used standard review methods to identify papers meeting the inclusion criterion, and carried out a synthesis of data relating to theoretical underpinnings. Results Thirty six papers from the 53 in the original systematic review referred to a particular theoretical perspective, or contained data which related to theoretical assumptions. The most frequently mentioned theory was the self-regulatory model of illness behaviour. Papers reported the potential significance of aspects of this model including different coping mechanisms, strategies of denial and varying models of treatment seeking. Studies also drew attention to the potential role of belief systems, applied elements of attachment theory, and referred to models of maintaining integrity, ways of knowing, and the influence of gender. Conclusions The review highlights the need to examine an individual’s subjective experience of and response to health threats, and confirms the gap between knowledge and changed behaviour. Interventions face

Youth Perceptions of Suicide and Help-Seeking: "They'd Think I Was Weak or "Mental""

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Cate

2010-01-01

Youth suicide is an issue of international concern and the college population may have a considerably higher rate of suicidal behaviour than the general population, yet seeking help for suicidality is uncommon. This research sought to understand college students' knowledge of suicidal behaviour and attitudes to help-seeking, in a New Zealand…

A systematic review of help-seeking interventions for depression, anxiety and general psychological distress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gulliver Amelia

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Depression and anxiety are treatable disorders, yet many people do not seek professional help. Interventions designed to improve help-seeking attitudes and increase help-seeking intentions and behaviour have been evaluated in recent times. However, there have been no systematic reviews of the efficacy or effectiveness of these interventions in promoting help-seeking. Therefore, this paper reports a systematic review of published randomised controlled trials targeting help-seeking attitudes, intentions or behaviours for depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress. Methods Studies were identified through searches of PubMed, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane database in November 2011. Studies were included if they included a randomised controlled trial of at least one intervention targeting help-seeking for depression or anxiety or general psychological distress, and contained extractable data on help-seeking attitudes or intentions or behaviour. Studies were excluded if they focused on problems or conditions other than the target (e.g., substance use, eating disorder. Results Six published studies of randomised controlled trials investigating eight different interventions for help-seeking were identified. The majority of trials targeted young adults. Mental health literacy content was effective (d = .12 to .53 in improving help-seeking attitudes in the majority of studies at post-intervention, but had no effect on help-seeking behaviour (d = −.01, .02. There was less evidence for other intervention types such as efforts to destigmatise or provide help-seeking source information. Conclusions Mental health literacy interventions are a promising method for promoting positive help-seeking attitudes, but there is no evidence that it leads to help-seeking behaviour. Further research investigating the effects of interventions on attitudes, intentions, and behaviour is required.

Seeking health care through international medical tourism.

Science.gov (United States)

Eissler, Lee Ann; Casken, John

2013-06-01

The purpose of this study was the exploration of international travel experiences for the purpose of medical or dental care from the perspective of patients from Alaska and to develop insight and understanding of the essence of the phenomenon of medical tourism. The study is conceptually oriented within a model of health-seeking behavior. Using a qualitative design, 15 Alaska medical tourists were individually interviewed. The data were analyzed using a hermeneutic process of inquiry to uncover the meaning of the experience. Six themes reflecting the experiences of Alaska medical tourists emerged: "my motivation," "I did the research," "the medical care I need," "follow-up care," "the advice I give," and "in the future." Subthemes further categorized data for increased understanding of the phenomenon. The thematic analysis provides insight into the experience and reflects a modern approach to health-seeking behavior through international medical tourism. The results of this study provide increased understanding of the experience of obtaining health care internationally from the patient perspective. Improved understanding of medical tourism provides additional information about a contemporary approach to health-seeking behavior. Results of this study will aid nursing professionals in counseling regarding medical tourism options and providing follow-up health care after medical tourism. Nurses will be able to actively participate in global health policy discussions regarding medical tourism trends. © 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Between information seeking and sharing – use of social media in a young learner context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyldegård, Jette Seiden

2013-01-01

-generated content: Which activities are associated with social media as information sources? What are the motivations and constraints for using social media as information sources? The presentation is based on a systematic review of a selected number of core LIS journals in addition to results from recent research......This presentation addresses information seeking behavior among young learners and ,in particular, their use of social media in an educational context. The focus is on young learners’ use of social media as information sources in the intersection between information seeking and sharing of user...... associated with social media as information sources and the implications for information literacy. Many web tutorials have been developed with the aim of guiding students’ information seeking, research and writing behavior, hence providing a platform for building information literacy (IL) knowledge...

Reacting to unexpected losses in an uncertain world : High approach individuals become even more risk-seeking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tan, Xiaoyue; Van Prooijen, Jan Willem; Proulx, Travis; Wu, Haizheng; Van Beest, Ilja; Van Lange, Paul A M

2017-01-01

Previous research has shown that people are risk-seeking in the face of losses. We propose that this risk-seeking orientation is a palliative approach response to deal with a discrepancy between people's desire to avoid losses versus the possibility of loss. An expectancy violation (which induces

Compensatory help-seeking in young and older adults: does seeking help, help?

Science.gov (United States)

Alea, Nicole; Cunningham, Walter R

2003-01-01

Asking other people for help is a compensatory behavior that may be useful across the life span to enhance functioning. Seventy-two older and younger men and women were either allowed to ask for help or were not allowed to ask for help while solving reasoning problems. Although the older adults answered fewer problems correctly, they did not seek additional help to compensate for their lower levels of performance. Younger adults sought more help. There were no age differences, however, in the types of help sought: indirect help (e.g., hints) was sought more often than direct help (e.g., asking for the answer). Exploratory analyses revealed that one's ability level was a better indicator than age of the utility of help-seeking. Findings are interpreted in the context of social and task-related influences on the use of help-seeking as a compensatory behavior across the life span.

Who does Red Bull give wings to? Sensation seeking moderates sensitivity to subliminal advertisement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaëlle Marie Bustin

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This study assessed whether subliminal priming of a brand name of a drink can affect people’s choices for the primed brand, and whether this effect is moderated by personality traits. Participants with different levels of sensation seeking were presented subliminally with the words Red Bull or Lde Ublr. Results revealed that being exposed to Red Bull lead on average to small increases in participants’ preferences for the primed brand. However, this effect was twice as strong for participants high in sensation seeking and did not occur for participants low in sensation seeking. Going beyond previous research showing that situational factors (e.g., thirst, fatigue… can increase people’s sensitivity to subliminal advertisement, our results suggest that some dispositional factors could have the same potentiating effect. These findings highlight the necessity of taking personality into account in non-conscious persuasion research.

Culture, distress, and oxytocin receptor polymorphism (OXTR) interact to influence emotional support seeking

OpenAIRE

Kim, Heejung S.; Sherman, David K.; Sasaki, Joni Y.; Xu, Jun; Chu, Thai Q.; Ryu, Chorong; Suh, Eunkook M.; Graham, Kelsey; Taylor, Shelley E.

2010-01-01

Research has demonstrated that certain genotypes are expressed in different forms, depending on input from the social environment. To examine sensitivity to cultural norms regarding emotional support seeking as a type of social environment, we explored the behavioral expression of oxytocin receptor polymorphism (OXTR) rs53576, a gene previously related to socio-emotional sensitivity. Seeking emotional support in times of distress is normative in American culture but not in Korean culture. Con...

The nature of outsourced preclinical research--the example of chemical synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Festel, Gunter W

2013-09-01

The possibility to buy standardized external services or even new and innovative methods within drug discovery has increased dramatically during the last decades. Service providers are able to provide timely and efficient solutions to any given problem within preclinical research. The outsourcing behavior depends on the specific company type. Generally, the outsourcing level of emerging pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is much higher than established companies due to low or missing internal resources. Whereas the "make-or-buy" decisions of large and fully integrated pharmaceutical companies are mainly competency driven, those of mid-size and small pharmaceutical, as well as biotech companies show a specific combination of cost/capacity and competency. The three different cooperation models "price competition", "project selection," and "strategic partnership" were identified. For all types of companies, the cooperation model of "strategic partnership" offers access to high-level expertise while reducing fixed costs and complexity. This was shown using chemical synthesis as an example but is also true for other areas of preclinical research.

Do online mental health services improve help-seeking for young people? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kauer, Sylvia Deidre; Mangan, Cheryl; Sanci, Lena

2014-03-04

Young people regularly use online services to seek help and look for information about mental health problems. Yet little is known about the effects that online services have on mental health and whether these services facilitate help-seeking in young people. This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of online services in facilitating mental health help-seeking in young people. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, literature searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane library. Out of 608 publications identified, 18 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria of investigating online mental health services and help-seeking in young people aged 14-25 years. Two qualitative, 12 cross-sectional, one quasi-experimental, and three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were reviewed. There was no change in help-seeking behavior found in the RCTs, while the quasi-experimental study found a slight but significant increase in help-seeking. The cross-sectional studies reported that online services facilitated seeking help from a professional source for an average of 35% of users. The majority of the studies included small sample sizes and a high proportion of young women. Help-seeking was often a secondary outcome, with only 22% (4/18) of studies using adequate measures of help-seeking. The majority of studies identified in this review were of low quality and likely to be biased. Across all studies, young people regularly used and were generally satisfied with online mental health resources. Facilitators and barriers to help-seeking were also identified. Few studies examine the effects of online services on mental health help-seeking. Further research is needed to determine whether online mental health services effectively facilitate help-seeking for young people.

"Something's Gotta Give:" Advanced-Degree Seeking Women's Experiences of Sexism, Role Overload, and Psychological Distress

Science.gov (United States)

West, Lindsey M.

2014-01-01

With the rise in advanced-degree seeking women and the minimal research on the dual impact of sexism and role overload, the current study aims to better understand the impact of sexism and role overload on psychological distress in a particular sample of advanced-degree seeking women. Seventy-six female medical student participants (mean age 24.7)…

The influence of relationship status, mate seeking, and sex on intrasexual competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Maryanne L; Tran, Ulrich S; Voracek, Martin

2008-08-01

Researchers have little explored individuals' perceptions of same-sex attractiveness in terms of the influence of relationship status. By using intrasexual competition as a conceptual framework, the authors predicted that romantically involved individuals would protect their relationship by derogating competitors. Although previous researchers have strongly predicted this result, in the present study the relationship status had a negligible impact on competition, for which relationship commitment, sociosexual orientation, and self-monitoring did not account. Also, among uninvolved individuals, the authors expected those individuals seeking mates would use competitor derogation more than would those individuals not seeking mates, but there was no significant difference. Finally, because the vehicle for this investigation was attractiveness, an area in which women compete, the authors proposed that women would derogate more fiercely than would men. However, the results did not support this hypothesis either. The authors discuss future directions for research.

Radiation chemical synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zagoretz, P.A.; Poluetkov, V.A.; Shostenko, A.G.

1986-01-01

The authors consider processes in radiation chemical synthesis which are being developed in various scientific-research organizations. The important advantages of radiation chlorination, viz. the lower temperature compared with the thermal method and the absence of dehydrochlorination products are discussed. The authors examine the liquid-phase chlorination of trifluorochloroethyltrichloromethyl ether to obtain the pentachloro-contining ether, trifluorodichloroethyltrichloromethyl ether. The authors discuss radiation synthesis processes that have be used formulated kinetic equations on which models have been based. It is concluded that the possibilities of preparative (micro- and low-tonnage) radiation synthesis are promising

Professional e-government seeking behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jonasen, Tanja Svarre; Lykke, Marianne

2013-01-01

The present paper is concerned with professional e-government seeking behavior. With the digitalization of governments, expectations have been raised with regard to changes in the composition of employee work tasks. The purpose of our study is to determine whether these changes affect seeking beh...

Masculinity and barriers to seeking counseling: The buffering role of self-compassion.

Science.gov (United States)

Heath, Patrick J; Brenner, Rachel E; Vogel, David L; Lannin, Daniel G; Strass, Haley A

2017-01-01

Less than 1/3 of college men seek psychological help per year when experiencing mental health concerns. Many believe this is because socialized masculine norms are incongruent with help-seeking decisions. In line with this, adherence to masculine norms, like emotional control and self-reliance, is consistently linked to factors associated with lower use of counseling. Identifying constructs that buffer, or reduce, the relationship between masculine norm adherence and common barriers to seeking help, like help-seeking self-stigma and resistance to self-disclosing, could shed light on mechanisms through which effective interventions could be developed. As such, this study examined whether self-compassion, or the ability to show oneself kindness and understanding in the face of challenges, moderated the relationship between masculine norm adherence and both help-seeking self-stigma and the risks associated with self-disclosing to a counselor in a sample of 284 undergraduate men (Mage = 19.68, range = 18-30). Results indicate that self-compassion is associated with lower levels of help-seeking self-stigma and disclosure risks. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, self-compassion buffered the relationship between overall masculine norm adherence and each of these barriers. Furthermore, when specific masculine norms were examined, self-compassion buffered the relationship between emotional control and disclosure risks. These results support the need for future research focused on the development and assessment of self-compassion based interventions aimed at decreasing the barriers undergraduate men experience toward seeking psychological help. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Iranian Women’s Motivations for Seeking Health Information: A Qualitative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikbakht Nasrabadi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background Today empowerment of women by health literacy has become a necessity. Researchers have shown that women are active seekers of health information and seeking behaviors are driven by various motivational factors. Paying attention to women’s motivations for seeking health information could facilitate evidence-based policy making in promotion of public health literacy. As health information seeking develops within personal-social interactions and also the health system context, it seems that a qualitative paradigm is appropriate for studies in this field. Objectives The aim of this study was to explore Iranian women’s motivations for seeking heath information. Patients and Methods In this qualitative content analysis study, data collection was conducted considering the inclusion criteria, through purposive sampling and by semi-structured interviews with 17 women, using documentation and field notes, until data saturation. Qualitative data analysis was done constantly and simultaneous with data collection. Results Five central themes emerged to explain the women’s motivation for health information seeking including: a dealing with fear and uncertainly b understanding the nature of disease and diagnostic/therapeutic procedures c performing parental duties d promoting a healthy life style e receiving safer health care. Conclusions It seemed that respecting client’s concerns, providing comprehensive health information, as well as risk management and promoting safer health care is necessary.

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

Culture, distress, and oxytocin receptor polymorphism (OXTR) interact to influence emotional support seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Heejung S; Sherman, David K; Sasaki, Joni Y; Xu, Jun; Chu, Thai Q; Ryu, Chorong; Suh, Eunkook M; Graham, Kelsey; Taylor, Shelley E

2010-09-07

Research has demonstrated that certain genotypes are expressed in different forms, depending on input from the social environment. To examine sensitivity to cultural norms regarding emotional support seeking as a type of social environment, we explored the behavioral expression of oxytocin receptor polymorphism (OXTR) rs53576, a gene previously related to socio-emotional sensitivity. Seeking emotional support in times of distress is normative in American culture but not in Korean culture. Consequently, we predicted a three-way interaction of culture, distress, and OXTR genotype on emotional support seeking. Korean and American participants (n = 274) completed assessments of psychological distress and emotional support seeking and were genotyped for OXTR. We found the predicted three-way interaction: among distressed American participants, those with the GG/AG genotypes reported seeking more emotional social support, compared with those with the AA genotype, whereas Korean participants did not differ significantly by genotype; under conditions of low distress, OXTR groups did not differ significantly in either cultural group. These findings suggest that OXTR rs53576 is sensitive to input from the social environment, specifically cultural norms regarding emotional social support seeking. These findings also indicate that psychological distress and culture are important moderators that shape behavioral outcomes associated with OXTR genotypes.

Synthesis in land change science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magliocca, Nicholas R.; Rudel, Thomas K.; Verburg, Peter H.

2015-01-01

Global and regional economic and environmental changes are increasingly influencing local land-use, livelihoods, and ecosystems. At the same time, cumulative local land changes are driving global and regional changes in biodiversity and the environment. To understand the causes and consequences...... of these changes, land change science (LCS) draws on a wide array synthetic and meta-study techniques to generate global and regional knowledge from local case studies of land change. Here, we review the characteristics and applications of synthesis methods in LCS and assess the current state of synthetic research...... based on a meta-analysis of synthesis studies from 1995 to 2012. Publication of synthesis research is accelerating, with a clear trend toward increasingly sophisticated and quantitative methods, including meta-analysis. Detailed trends in synthesis objectives, methods, and land change phenomena...

Barriers to Support: A Qualitative Exploration into the Help-Seeking and Avoidance Factors of Young Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Seamark, Daniel; Gabriel, Lynne

2018-01-01

The current research explores young adults' beliefs, awareness and understanding surrounding help-seeking behaviour in relation to barriers preventing access to counselling support. The literature suggests that several barriers, such as a lack of awareness, stigma and gender roles, will have a negative influence on help-seeking. To complement and…

Undergraduate Students Seek Librarian Assistance Only After They Have Searched Independently Without Success

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaine Sullo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Vinyard, M., Mullally, C., & Colvin, J.B. (2017. Why do students seek help in an age of DIY? Using a qualitative approach to look beyond statistics. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 56(4, 257-267. http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/rusq.56.4.257 Abstract Objective – To explore how undergraduate students look for information and the reasons these students seek assistance from a librarian. Design – Qualitative research. Setting – A university in Southern California. Subjects – 10 students were interviewed: 1 freshman, 1 sophomore, 5 juniors, and 3 seniors. Methods – Students who met with a librarian for longer than 20 minutes were invited to participate in the study, and interviews were conducted within six weeks of this interaction. Semi-structured interviews were scheduled for one hour blocks and were audio-recorded and transcribed afterward. Interview data was analyzed using applied thematic analysis. The researchers used NVivo to assist with the process of coding data. Main Results – Once all transcripts were coded, the researchers identified the following six themes related to how students look for information and the reasons they asked for assistance: how students research, personal perceptions of research skills, assumptions (students’ misperceptions about library services, motivation for asking for help, path to the librarian (how students contacted librarians and their reason for selecting a particular librarian, and experience working with a librarian. Conclusion – Overall, the research results demonstrate that students prefer to conduct research independently but will consult a librarian if they are not able to find what they need, if they find the research question especially challenging, or if they have spent an unreasonable amount of time conducting research. In-class library instruction, along with professor referrals are the most effective methods for encouraging students to seek out library assistance.

Children's Information Retrieval: how to support children in effective information-seeking?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jochmann-Mannak, Hanna; Sanders, Ted; Aly, R.B.N.; Aly, Robin; Hauff, C.; Hiemstra, Djoerd; Hiemstra, D; de Jong, Franciska M.G.; de Jong, F.M.G.; Huibers, Theo W.C.; Huibers, T.W.C.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we describe the objectives of our research project in which we aim to design a search interface in ways consistent with children’s needs, cognitive development and thinking style to support children in effective information-seeking.

An evidence synthesis of the international knowledge base for new care models to inform and mobilise knowledge for multispecialty community providers (MCPs).

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Alison; Mulla, Abeda; Booth, Andrew; Aldridge, Shiona; Stevens, Sharon; Battye, Fraser; Spilsbury, Peter

2016-10-01

NHS England's Five Year Forward View (NHS England, Five Year Forward View, 2014) formally introduced a strategy for new models of care driven by simultaneous pressures to contain costs, improve care and deliver services closer to home through integrated models. This synthesis focuses on a multispecialty community provider (MCP) model. This new model of care seeks to overcome the limitations in current models of care, often based around single condition-focused pathways, in contrast to patient-focused delivery (Royal College of General Practitioners, The 2022 GP: compendium of evidence, 2012) which offers greater continuity of care in recognition of complex needs and multimorbidity. The synthesis, an innovative combination of best fit framework synthesis and realist synthesis, will develop a "blueprint" which articulates how and why MCP models work, to inform design of future iterations of the MCP model. A systematic search will be conducted to identify research and practice-derived evidence to achieve a balance that captures the historical legacy of MCP models but focuses on contemporary evidence. Sources will include bibliographic databases including MEDLINE, PreMEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, HMIC and Cochrane Library; and grey literature sources. The Best Fit synthesis methodology will be combined with a synthesis following realist principles which are particularly suited to exploring what works, when, for whom and in what circumstances. The aim of this synthesis is to provide decision makers in health and social care with a practical evidence base relating to the multispecialty community provider (MCP) model of care. PROSPERO CRD42016039552 .

Care seeking for orofacial pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rollman, A.; Visscher, C.M.; Gorter, R.C.; Naeije, M.

2012-01-01

AIMS: To determine the contribution of a wide range of factors to care-seeking behavior in orofacial pain patients, expressed as (A) decision to seek care and (B) number of health care practitioners visited. METHODS: Subjects with orofacial pain complaints were recruited in seven TMD clinics and

Help-Seeking and Help-Giving for Teen Dating Violence

Science.gov (United States)

Weisz, Arlene N.; Black, Beverly M.

2009-01-01

This article is based on numerous research projects conducted by the authors on adolescent dating violence. It reviews the results of those projects as they relate to how teens seek help for dating violence and how teens provide help to their friends in violent dating relationships. It concludes with helpful strategies for adults who work with…

Exploring functions of the lost seeking devices for people with dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yung-Ching; Leung, Cherng-Yee

2012-01-01

This paper utilized a user-centered design approach as the foundation for technology in dementia care in order to improve the quality of telemedicine service. A status-quo analysis and questionnaire survey were conducted to explore the actual needs of the elders in using the lost seeking devices and the problems they encountered. In total, 37 caregivers for people with dementia were surveyed (20 female, 17 male, M = 50.08, SD = 15.47). The dementia-patients: 16 are male, 21 female (M = 72.75, SD = 10.23). Through analysis and induction, 3 problems were identified: poor information transmission, low user acceptance, individual material security anxiety. 2-4 improvement proposals are suggested for each problem. Most care-givers hope technological products would increase the efficiency and safety, but they also think it's too expensive and lack of computer skills. This result demonstrates the choice of seeking methods depends on the education level of the caregivers and most of them are elders. The concern of data leakage is also related to today's fraud issue, which may be the reason limiting the promotion of electronic products and biometrics. Further research is required, suggesting researchers should pursue improvements in lost seeking design devices in dementia for caregivers.

Managers' social support: Facilitators and hindrances for seeking support at work.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundqvist, Daniel; Fogelberg Eriksson, Anna; Ekberg, Kerstin

2018-01-01

Previous research has shown that social support is important for health and performance at work, but there is a lack of research regarding managers' social support at work, and if it needs to be improvedOBJECTIVE:To investigate managers' perception of work-related social support, and facilitators and hindrances that influence their seeking of social support at work. Semi-structured interviews with sixty-two managers in two Swedish organizations. Work-related support, which strengthened their managerial image of being competent, was sought from sources within the workplace. Sensitive and personal support, where there was a risk of jeopardizing their image of being competent, was sought from sources outside the workplace. Access to arenas for support (location of the workplace, meetings, and vocational courses) and the managerial role could facilitate their support-seeking, but could also act as hindrances. Because attending different arenas for support were demanding, they refrained from seeking support if the demands were perceived as too high. Different supportive sources are distinguished based on what supportive function they have and in which arenas they are found, in order to preserve the confidence of the closest organization and to maintain the image of being a competent and performing manager.

Comparing perceived public stigma and personal stigma of mental health treatment seeking in a young adult sample

OpenAIRE

Pedersen, Eric R.; Paves, Andrew P.

2014-01-01

Perceived public stigma regarding seeking mental health treatment seeking can be a barrier to accessing services for young adults. While factors associating with personal stigma regarding how one would view and treat others have been identified, the discrepancies between perceived and personal stigma has received less research attention. We designed the current study to expand on previous research and examine the discrepancies between perceived public stigma and personal stigma among a sample...

On truth-telling and storytelling: Truth-seeking during research involving communities with an oral culture and a history of violent conflict

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A G Vethuizen

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to propose some principles and practices for truth-seeking during research into violent conflict. To achieve this aim, an argument is deployed by analysing the theoretical concepts “truth”, “myth” and “oral culture” as sources of knowledge. This conceptual analysis precedes a discussion on community-based participatory research (CBPR as a research methodology to access the knowledge of lived experiences embedded in the oral culture of the San community of Platfontein, near Kimberley, South Africa. It was found that CBPR contains good practices to use in research to judge the probable truth about disputes. The CBPR process is ideal for determining the accuracy of data in the context of a specific culture, considering the norms, spiritual influences and personal considerations of knowledge-holders that accompany a unique cosmology. A variety and equity of worldviews and perspectives of what happened during violent conflict successfully challenges hegemonic power relationships, paradigms and narratives, ultimately leading to informed judgements of what is probably true about a conflict. CBPR with the San of Platfontein revealed principles that can be used as guidelines for researching disputes where oral culture is involved.

Sensation seeking amongst healthy volunteers participating in phase I clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Farré, M; Lamas, X; Camí, J

1995-01-01

1. Phase I clinical trials are usually carried out in healthy volunteers. In addition to economic gain, factors that may influence willingness to participate include scientific interest, curiosity and choice for risky activities. 2. We assessed the relationship between personality variables and volunteering for clinical pharmacology research. Two personality questionnaires, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS, form V) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), were administered to 48 male healthy university students who volunteered to participate in a phase I clinical trial and to 43 male university students who were not willing to participate in phase I clinical trials. General norm data were also used for the comparison of results. 3. When healthy volunteers were compared with unwilling subjects, significant differences were found in thrill-and-adventure seeking (7.9 vs 6.7, P = 0.0034), experience seeking (6.4 vs 5.2, P = 0.0012), disinhibition (6.2 vs 4.3, P personality profile of healthy volunteers was characterized by a higher sensation seeking trait and extraversion as compared with individuals who were not willing to participate in phase I clinical trials and general norm data. PMID:7640147

Health information-seeking on behalf of others: characteristics of "surrogate seekers".

Science.gov (United States)

Cutrona, Sarah L; Mazor, Kathleen M; Vieux, Sana N; Luger, Tana M; Volkman, Julie E; Finney Rutten, Lila J

2015-03-01

Understanding the behaviors of surrogate seekers (those who seek health information for others) may guide efforts to improve health information transmission. We used 2011-2012 data from the Health Information National Trends Survey to describe behaviors of online surrogate seekers. Respondents were asked about use of the Internet for surrogate-seeking over the prior 12 months. Data were weighted to calculate population estimates. Two thirds (66.6%) reported surrogate-seeking. Compared to those who sought health information online for only themselves, surrogate seekers were more likely to live in households with others (weighted percent 89.4 vs. 82.5% of self-seekers; p user-generated content: email communication with healthcare providers; visits to social networking sites to read and share about medical topics and participation in online health support groups. On multivariate analysis, those who had looked online for healthcare providers were more likely to be surrogate seekers (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.08-2.59). In addition to seeking health information, surrogate seekers create and pass along communications that may influence medical care decisions. Research is needed to identify ways to facilitate transmission of accurate health information.

Generic Film Forms for Dynamic Virtual Video Synthesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.A. Lindley

1999-01-01

textabstractThe FRAMES project within the RDN CRC (Cooperative Research Centre for Research Data Networks) is developing an experimental environment for video content-based retrieval and dynamic virtual video synthesis from archives of video data. The FRAMES research prototype is a video synthesis

Quality of life of people with mental health problems: a synthesis of qualitative research

OpenAIRE

Connell, Janice; Brazier, John; O?Cathain, Alicia; Lloyd-Jones, Myfanwy; Paisley, Suzy

2012-01-01

Abstract Purpose To identify the domains of quality of life important to people with mental health problems. Method A systematic review of qualitative research undertaken with people with mental health problems using a framework synthesis. Results We identified six domains: well-being and ill-being; control, autonomy and choice; self-perception; belonging; activity; and hope and hopelessness. Firstly, symptoms or ‘ill-being’ were an intrinsic aspect of quality of life for people with severe m...

Quinazoline derivatives: synthesis and bioactivities

OpenAIRE

Wang, Dan; Gao, Feng

2013-01-01

Owing to the significant biological activities, quinazoline derivatives have drawn more and more attention in the synthesis and bioactivities research. This review summarizes the recent advances in the synthesis and biological activities investigations of quinazoline derivatives. According to the main method the authors adopted in their research design, those synthetic methods were divided into five main classifications, including Aza-reaction, Microwave-assisted reaction, Metal-mediated reac...

Influence of Academic Self-Regulation, Critical Thinking, and Age on Online Graduate Students' Academic Help-Seeking

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Karee E.; Rakes, Glenda C.; Rakes, Thomas A.

2014-01-01

Academic help-seeking is an invaluable learning strategy that has not yet received much attention in the distance education research literature. The asynchronous nature of distance education and many online courses presents an inherent roadblock to help-seeking. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of academic self-regulation,…

Mothering disrupted by illness: a narrative synthesis of qualitative research.

Science.gov (United States)

Vallido, Tamara; Wilkes, Lesley; Carter, Bernie; Jackson, Debra

2010-07-01

This paper is a report of a literature review of qualitative empirical research investigating women's experiences of mothering disrupted by illness. As a primary identity, motherhood is endangered by illness. Illness can interfere with a woman's ability to mother her child/children. Healthcare professionals regularly fail to acknowledge a woman's dual identities of mother and patient. CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus and Sociological abstracts were searched 1980-2009. A narrative synthesis was used, with quality appraisal guided by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme method. Concepts were analysed thematically, explicating common experiences of women disrupted in their mothering by illness. This allowed for both descriptive and narrative synthesis to occur. Thirteen papers were included in the final review. Themes identified were: mechanism of disruption; reframing the mother role; protecting the children; experiencing guilt or shame; problems with healthcare professionals; and living to mother, mothering to live. Women disrupted in their mothering by illness view themselves as a mother first and a patient second. Women found themselves unsupported in their mothering role by healthcare professionals, and this may have left them reluctant to broach difficulties they had relinquishing mothering duties when ill. Nurses are well-positioned to support women in illness by acknowledging the importance of their identity as mothers, offering them opportunities to discuss how illness is disrupting their ability to mother, providing support to help them negotiate the social/emotional distress experienced when mothering is disrupted and, where necessary, referring them to other members of the healthcare team, such as social workers.

Don't Want to Look Dumb? The Role of Theories of Intelligence and Humanlike Features in Online Help Seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sara; Zhang, Ke; Park, Daeun

2018-02-01

Numerous studies have shown that individuals' help-seeking behavior increases when a computerized helper is endowed with humanlike features in nonachievement contexts. In contrast, the current research suggests that anthropomorphic helpers are not universally conducive to help-seeking behavior in contexts of achievement, particularly among individuals who construe help seeking as a display of incompetence (i.e., entity theorists). Study 1 demonstrated that when entity theorists received help from an anthropomorphized (vs. a nonanthropomorphized) helper, they were more concerned about negative judgments from other people, whereas incremental theorists were not affected by anthropomorphic features. Study 2 showed that when help was provided by an anthropomorphized (vs. a nonanthropomorphized) helper, entity theorists were less likely to seek help, even at the cost of lower performance. In contrast, incremental theorists' help-seeking behavior and task performance were not affected by anthropomorphism. This research deepens the current understanding of the role of anthropomorphic computerized helpers in online learning contexts.

Characterization of Individuals Seeking Treatment for Caffeine Dependence

OpenAIRE

Juliano, Laura M.; Evatt, Daniel P.; Richards, Brian D.; Griffiths, Roland R.

2012-01-01

Previous investigations have identified individuals who meet criteria for DSM-IV-TR substance dependence as applied to caffeine, but there is little research on treatments for caffeine dependence. This study aimed to thoroughly characterize individuals who are seeking treatment for problematic caffeine use. Ninety-four individuals who identified as being psychologically or physically dependent on caffeine, or who had tried unsuccessfully to modify caffeine consumption participated in a face-t...

Destructive competition : oil and rent seeking in Iran

OpenAIRE

Bjorvatn, Kjetil; Selvik, Kjetil

2005-01-01

In countries with poorly developed institutions, rent seeking may impose serious costs for the economy. Our analysis demonstrates how rent seeking distorts the economy through two channels. First, there is the direct cost of the resources wasted in the rent seeking contest. Second, rent seeking distorts firms’ investment decisions, and leads to underinvestment. We conduct a case study of rent seeking in Iran in order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon. Iran is ...

Health information-seeking among Latino newcomers - an exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Courtright

2005-01-01

Full Text Available ntroduction. This exploratory study examines health information-seeking practices among Latin American newcomers to a small city in the United States. The framework locates these practices within social networks, the local institutional context and the use and non-use of information technologies. Method. Semistructured interviews were conducted in Spanish with seven immigrant workers. Interviews elicited incidents of both purposive seeking and accidental encountering of health information. Analysis. Data were coded for reference to social networks, strengths of social networks, and perceptions and uses of institutions, organizations, and technologies, treating the information incident as unit of analysis. Results. Information seeking is often assisted by both social networks and key institutions, yet the quality of the information transmitted through social networks is apt to be uneven, and newcomers are unable to obtain an adequate overview of local health care for improved decision-making. Of particular interest is the finding that the local information environment has evolved significantly in response to growing demand for Spanish-language and low-income services. Conclusion. It is particularly important for information behaviour researchers to examine the dynamic interactions among study populations and their information environments over time.

Financial Literacy, Confidence and Financial Advice Seeking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kramer, Marc M.

2016-01-01

We find that people with higher confidence in their own financial literacy are less likely to seek financial advice, but no relation between objective measures of literacy and advice seeking. The negative association between confidence and advice seeking is more pronounced among wealthy households.

Factors Influencing Professional Help-Seeking for Suicidality.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jin; Batterham, Philip J; Calear, Alison L; Randall, Rebecca

2018-05-01

Evidence suggests that the majority of people with suicidality do not seek help. Little systematic evaluation of factors influencing professional help-seeking has been done. To systematically evaluate the factors that influence professional help-seeking for suicidality. Published quantitative and qualitative studies in Medline and PsycInfo databases were reviewed following PRISMA. In all, 55 relevant studies were identified. Of these, 15 studies examined professional help-seeking intentions for perceived suicidal ideation, among people with or without suicidality; 21 studies examined professional help-seeking behavior among people with suicidality; and 19 studies examined suicidal decedents' health services use. Several potential important barriers were identified including high self-reliance, lack of perceived need for treatment, and stigmatizing attitudes toward suicide, toward mental health issues, and toward seeking professional treatment. The presence of suicidality and mental health issues was found to generally decrease help-seeking intentions for perceived suicidal ideation while facilitating actual service use. Social support and informal support from family and friends also played an important role in professional help-seeking. Although the majority of the included studies were of sound quality, some of the factors identified in the review were assessed in relatively few studies, and most of the included studies were conducted in industrialized countries. Further quantitative and qualitative studies examining the potential important factors in broader community samples, especially in developing countries, are needed.

The use of meta-analysis or research synthesis to combine driving simulation or naturalistic study results on driver distraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Caird, Jeff K; Johnston, Katherine A; Willness, Chelsea R; Asbridge, Mark

2014-06-01

Three important and inter-related topics are addressed in this paper. First, the importance of meta-analysis and research synthesis methods to combine studies on traffic safety, in general, and on driver distraction, in particular, is briefly reviewed. Second, naturalistic, epidemiologic, and driving simulation studies on driver distraction are used to illustrate convergent and divergent results that have accumulated thus far in this domain of research. In particular, mobile phone conversation, passenger presence, and text messaging naturalistic studies use meta-analyses and research syntheses to illustrate important patterns of results that are in need of more in-depth study. Third, a number of driver distraction study limitations such as poorly defined dependent variables, lack of methodological detail, and omission of statistical information prevent the integration of many studies into meta-analyses. In addition, the overall quality of road safety studies suffers from these same limitations and suggestions for improvement are made to guide researchers and reviewers. Practical Applications. The use of research synthesis and meta-analysis provide comprehensive estimates of the impact of distractions on driving performance, which can be used to guide public policy and future research. Copyright © 2014 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Varied definitions of risk related to sensation seeking trait

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daastoel, P.Oe.U.; Drottz-Sjoeberg, B.M.

1999-01-01

This pilot study is based on the assumption and the knowledge that previous results show that the normal use of the word risk varies across subjects. The risk definitions the subjects use have also been shown to be related to various educational interests. A related field of research has developed measures for Sensation Seeking personality trait, with four facets. Three independent groups of first year psychology students reported their normal definition of the word risk using one of three measurement formats. The results showed, e.g. that the typical open-ended response to the personal definition of risk was danger. Subjects who defined risk as the combination of probability and consequences tended to score higher on the total Sensation Seeking Scale, as compared to those defining risk as the probability of an event

Varied definitions of risk related to sensation seeking trait

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daastoel, P.Oe.U.; Drottz-Sjoeberg, B.M. [Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology, Trondheim (Norway). Dept. of Psychology

1999-12-01

This pilot study is based on the assumption and the knowledge that previous results show that the normal use of the word risk varies across subjects. The risk definitions the subjects use have also been shown to be related to various educational interests. A related field of research has developed measures for Sensation Seeking personality trait, with four facets. Three independent groups of first year psychology students reported their normal definition of the word risk using one of three measurement formats. The results showed, e.g. that the typical open-ended response to the personal definition of risk was danger. Subjects who defined risk as the combination of probability and consequences tended to score higher on the total Sensation Seeking Scale, as compared to those defining risk as the probability of an event.

Seeking quality scientific information for research in Psychology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliane Colepicolo

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This report aims to present the researcher in Psychology techniques for search and retrieval of information for academic and science research. Is based on my experiences as university librarian and as a doctoral student in Psychology, in a project on scientometry of the Social Skills field.  This goal is to obtain information reliable and with quality to develop research, from sources of online information. Are recommended and described steps to the process of searching for scientific information, with examples from the Social Skills field: defining research topic; applying appropriate search tactics; selecting reliable sources of information and experts on the topic; translating research into the language of the information source; developing an effective search strategy; evaluating the quality and reliability of the obtained items. It is expected that by following these steps, the researcher obtain a coherent corpus with the subject, time saving and quality bibliographic.

Feeling conflicted and seeking information: when ambivalence enhances and diminishes selective exposure to attitude-consistent information.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawicki, Vanessa; Wegener, Duane T; Clark, Jason K; Fabrigar, Leandre R; Smith, Steven M; Durso, Geoffrey R O

2013-06-01

To date, little research has examined the impact of attitudinal ambivalence on attitude-congruent selective exposure. Past research would suggest that strong/univalent rather than weak/ambivalent attitudes should be more predictive of proattitudinal information seeking. Although ambivalent attitude structure might weaken the attitude's effect on seeking proattitudinal information, we believe that conflicted attitudes might also motivate attitude-congruent selective exposure because proattitudinal information should be effective in reducing ambivalence. Two studies provide evidence that the effects of ambivalence on information choices depend on amount of issue knowledge. That is, ambivalence motivates attitude-consistent exposure when issue knowledge is relatively low because less familiar information is perceived to be effective at reducing ambivalence. Conversely, when knowledge is relatively high, more unambivalent (univalent) attitudes predicted attitude-consistent information seeking.

Nuclear power plant control room crew task analysis database: SEEK system. Users manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burgy, D.; Schroeder, L.

1984-05-01

The Crew Task Analysis SEEK Users Manual was prepared for the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It is designed for use with the existing computerized Control Room Crew Task Analysis Database. The SEEK system consists of a PR1ME computer with its associated peripherals and software augmented by General Physics Corporation SEEK database management software. The SEEK software programs provide the Crew Task Database user with rapid access to any number of records desired. The software uses English-like sentences to allow the user to construct logical sorts and outputs of the task data. Given the multiple-associative nature of the database, users can directly access the data at the plant, operating sequence, task or element level - or any combination of these levels. A complete description of the crew task data contained in the database is presented in NUREG/CR-3371, Task Analysis of Nuclear Power Plant Control Room Crews (Volumes 1 and 2)

Understanding help-seeking intentions in male military cadets: An application of perceptual mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Bass, Sarah Bauerle; Muñiz, Javier; Gordon, Thomas F; Maurer, Laurie; Patterson, Freda

2016-05-17

Research suggests that men are less likely to seek help for depression, substance abuse, and stressful life events due to negative perceptions of asking for and receiving help. This may be exacerbated in male military cadets who exhibit higher levels of gender role conflict because of military culture. This exploratory study examined the perceptions of 78 male military cadets toward help-seeking behaviors. Cadets completed the 31-item Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS) and a component factor analysis was used to generate five composite variables and compare to validated factors. Perceptual mapping and vector modeling, which produce 3-dimensional models of a group's perceptions, were then used to model how they conceptualize help-seeking. Factor analysis showed slightly different groupings than the BHSS, perhaps attributed to different characteristics of respondents, who are situated in a military school compared to general university males. Perceptual maps show that cadets perceive trust of doctors closest to them and help-seeking farthest, supporting the concept that these males have rigid beliefs about having control and its relationship to health seeking. Differences were seen when comparing maps of White and non-White cadets. White cadets positioned themselves far away from all variables, while non-White cadets were closest to "emotional control". To move these cadets toward help-seeking, vector modeling suggests that interventions should focus on their general trust of doctors, accepting lack of control, and decreasing feelings of weakness when asking for help. For non-White cadets a focus on self-reliance may also need to be emphasized. Use of these unique methods resulted in articulation of specific barriers that if addressed early, may have lasting effects on help-seeking behavior as these young men become adults. Future studies are needed to develop and test specific interventions to promote help-seeking among military cadets.

Understanding help-seeking intentions in male military cadets: An application of perceptual mapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Bauerle Bass

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Research suggests that men are less likely to seek help for depression, substance abuse, and stressful life events due to negative perceptions of asking for and receiving help. This may be exacerbated in male military cadets who exhibit higher levels of gender role conflict because of military culture. Methods This exploratory study examined the perceptions of 78 male military cadets toward help-seeking behaviors. Cadets completed the 31-item Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS and a component factor analysis was used to generate five composite variables and compare to validated factors. Perceptual mapping and vector modeling, which produce 3-dimensional models of a group’s perceptions, were then used to model how they conceptualize help-seeking. Results Factor analysis showed slightly different groupings than the BHSS, perhaps attributed to different characteristics of respondents, who are situated in a military school compared to general university males. Perceptual maps show that cadets perceive trust of doctors closest to them and help-seeking farthest, supporting the concept that these males have rigid beliefs about having control and its relationship to health seeking. Differences were seen when comparing maps of White and non-White cadets. White cadets positioned themselves far away from all variables, while non-White cadets were closest to “emotional control”. Conclusion To move these cadets toward help-seeking, vector modeling suggests that interventions should focus on their general trust of doctors, accepting lack of control, and decreasing feelings of weakness when asking for help. For non-White cadets a focus on self-reliance may also need to be emphasized. Use of these unique methods resulted in articulation of specific barriers that if addressed early, may have lasting effects on help-seeking behavior as these young men become adults. Future studies are needed to develop and test specific interventions

‘PROTEIN SYNTHESIS GAME’: UTILIZING GAME-BASED APPROACH FOR IMPROVING COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS IN A-LEVELS BIOLOGY CLASS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Adlan Ramly

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This experimental paper seeks to elucidate the usage of the card game ‘Protein Synthesis Game’ as a student’s learning tool in studying the Biology topic of protein synthesis during an A-Level course. A total of 24 experimental students in 3 induced groups and 24 controlled students in controlled groups were involved in the experiment which began with a pretest on the topic of Protein Synthesis, followed by the experimentation, and ended with a post-test administered after the incubation period. Results indicate that students have better facilitative communicative engagement in learning protein synthesis when playing the game as compared to studying the topic from a book. The data suggests that such communicative engagement may lead to a successful meaningful learning on the students’ part.

Pattern of Clinical Medication Seeking for Import Malaria by Migrant Workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Mahmudi

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Number of malaria cases in Kabupaten Trenggalek in 2014 is 89 cases, and 83 cases are import malaria from migrant workers. Import malaria is transmitted across two areas and affects the clinical medication seeking. This research wants to describe the pattern of clinical medication seeking for import malaria by migrant workers in Puskesmas Pandean working area. This was cross sectional study with descriptive quantitative approach. Research’s sample is 26 import malaria sufferers in 2013–2015 who has chosen purposively with inclusion criteria. Interview had used to get information about characteristics, place felt the symptom, first clinical medication seeking (place and time, clinical diagnosis, medication follow up, and recovery status. The result of the research shows 100% respondent is man and the age about 20-30 years old (53,8 who is working as agricultural laborers outside Java. Mostly of respondent feel the malaria symptoms in their working place (53,8%. The day seeks clinical medication at day three after symptom (34, 6%. Respondents that feel the symptom in Puskesmas Pandean working area chose Puskesmas as clinical medication place (42,3%, and hospital (19,2% for them whose experience the malaria symptom in their working area. Puskesmas is chosen as clinical diagnosis place (69% and only 11,5% respondent got medication follow up. Puskesmas is chosen as intermediate clinical medication place (60% for 19,2% respondent that is not recovered well, although 20% go to Dukun. All of respondent chose the clinical medication as their prime medication. Need to make medication follow up visitation well complete. Keyword: pattern, clinical medication, import malaria, migrant worker

Expertise seeking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertzum, Morten

2014-01-01

used sources. Studies repeatedly show the influence of the social network – of friendships and personal dislikes – on the expertise-seeking network of organisations. In addition, people are no less prominent than documentary sources, in work contexts as well as daily-life contexts. The relative...

Arctic Synthesis Collaboratory: A Virtual Organization for Transformative Research and Education on a Changing Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Warnick, W. K.; Wiggins, H. V.; Hinzman, L.; Holland, M.; Murray, M. S.; Vörösmarty, C.; Loring, A. J.

2008-12-01

About the Arctic Synthesis Collaboratory The Arctic Synthesis Collaboratory concept, developed through a series of NSF-funded workshops and town hall meetings, is envisioned as a cyber-enabled, technical, organizational, and social-synthesis framework to foster: • Interactions among interdisciplinary experts and stakeholders • Integrated data analysis and modeling activities • Training and development of the arctic science community • Delivery of outreach, education, and policy-relevant resources Scientific Rationale The rapid rate of arctic change and our incomplete understanding of the arctic system present the arctic community with a grand scientific challenge and three related issues. First, a wealth of observations now exists as disconnected data holdings, which must be coordinated and synthesized to fully detect and assess arctic change. Second, despite great strides in the development of arctic system simulations, we still have incomplete capabilities for modeling and predicting the behavior of the system as a whole. Third, policy-makers, stakeholders, and the public are increasingly making demands of the science community for forecasts and guidance in mitigation and adaptation strategies. Collaboratory Components The Arctic Synthesis Collaboratory is organized around four integrated functions that will be established virtually as a distributed set of activities, but also with the advantage of existing facilities that could sponsor some of the identified activities. Community Network "Meeting Grounds:" The Collaboratory will link distributed individuals, organizations, and activities to enable collaboration and foster new research initiatives. Specific activities could include: an expert directory, social networking services, and virtual and face-to-face meetings. Data Integration, Synthesis, and Modeling Activities: The Collaboratory will utilize appropriate tools to enable the combination of data and models. Specific activities could include: a web

Parental professional help-seeking for infant sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Pei-Wen; Wu, Wei-Wen; Tung, Yi-Ching; Thomas, Karen A; Tsai, Shao-Yu

2017-12-01

To explore the perceptions and experiences of parental professional help-seeking for infant sleep and sleep-related concerns. Infant sleep is a frequent concern for parents. However, very little is known about the reasons parents seek, do not seek or delay seeking professional attention about their concerns related to infant sleep. A qualitative study design was used. Twenty audio-taped interviews with parents of healthy 12-month-old infants were conducted at a university-affiliated hospital or parents' homes depending on where parents felt more comfortable discussing their personal views and medical help-seeking experiences. Thematic content analysis was performed to determine specific patterns and similarities within and between interview data. Three main themes developed from the interviews were as follows: (i) uncertainty about infant sleep; (ii) I can handle infant sleep; and (iii) I am not satisfied with the professional services provided for infant sleep. Overall, parents knew little about or misunderstood infant sleep behaviours. Lack of proper information and knowledge about infant sleep influenced parents' motivation for professional help-seeking and help-receiving. Parents who have consulted a healthcare professional but received unsatisfactory responses, such as an ambivalent attitude or insufficient assessment, reported being less motivated or unwilling to seek medical help again. Our study demonstrates the complexity of parental professional help-seeking and receiving for infant sleep. Findings suggest that parents perceive a wide range of barriers that influence the likelihood that they will seek professional advice for infant sleep. Reducing knowledge barriers and providing adequate attention at all well-infant visits would facilitate parental use of healthcare services to manage problematic infant sleep behaviours. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Labels, Gender-Role Conflict, Stigma, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help in Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Wahto, Rachel; Swift, Joshua K

2016-05-01

Despite a comparable need, research has indicated that on average men hold more negative attitudes toward psychological help seeking than women. Several researchers have suggested that the gender gap in service use and attitudes could be addressed through efforts to better market psychological services to men; however, a limited number of studies have tested this hypothesis. This study examined whether altering the labels for mental health providers (psychologist or counselor), settings (mental health clinic or counseling center), and treatments (problem or feeling focused) could result in less perceived stigma (social and self) by men. Participants, 165 male college students, were asked to read one of eight randomly assigned vignettes that described a man who was experiencing symptoms of depression and was considering seeking help. The vignettes differed in the labels that were used to describe the help that was being considered. Participants then completed measures assessing the stigma (self and social) associated with the treatment, and their preexisting experience of gender-role conflict and attitudes toward psychological help seeking. In summary, perceived stigma did not depend on the type of label that was used; however, 59% of the variance in attitudes was predicted by self-stigma (uniquely explaining 11%), gender-role conflict (uniquely explaining 10%), and social stigma (uniquely explaining 5%). Specifically, higher levels of gender-role conflict, social stigma, and self-stigma were associated with more negative attitudes toward psychological help seeking. Based on the demographics of the sample, these findings primarily have implications for Caucasian college-educated young adult men. Further limitations with the study and recommendations for future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Integrating knowledge seeking into knowledge management models and frameworks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francois Lottering

2012-09-01

Objectives: This article investigates the theoretical status of the knowledge-seeking process in extant KM models and frameworks. It also statistically describes knowledge seeking and knowledge sharing practices in a sample of South African companies. Using this data, it proposes a KM model based on knowledge seeking. Method: Knowledge seeking is traced in a number of KM models and frameworks with a specific focus on Han Lai and Margaret Graham’s adapted KM cycle model, which separates knowledge seeking from knowledge sharing. This empirical investigation used a questionnaire to examine knowledge seeking and knowledge sharing practices in a sample of South African companies. Results: This article critiqued and elaborated on the adapted KM cycle model of Lai and Graham. It identified some of the key features of knowledge seeking practices in the workplace. It showed that knowledge seeking and sharing are human-centric actions and that seeking knowledge uses trust and loyalty as its basis. It also showed that one cannot separate knowledge seeking from knowledge sharing. Conclusion: The knowledge seeking-based KM model elaborates on Lai and Graham’s model. It provides insight into how and where people seek and share knowledge in the workplace. The article concludes that it is necessary to cement the place of knowledge seeking in KM models as well as frameworks and suggests that organisations should apply its findings to improving their knowledge management strategies.

Effectiveness of interventions to promote help-seeking for mental health problems: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ziyan; Huang, Fangfang; Kösters, Markus; Staiger, Tobias; Becker, Thomas; Thornicroft, Graham; Rüsch, Nicolas

2018-06-01

Help-seeking is important to access appropriate care and improve mental health. However, individuals often delay or avoid seeking help for mental health problems. Interventions to improve help-seeking have been developed, but their effectiveness is unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were therefore conducted to examine the effectiveness of mental health related help-seeking interventions. Nine databases in English, German and Chinese were searched for randomised and non-randomised controlled trials. Effect sizes were calculated for attitudes, intentions and behaviours to seek formal, informal and self-help. Ninety-eight studies with 69 208 participants were included. Interventions yielded significant short-term benefits in terms of formal help-seeking, self-help, as well as mental health literacy and personal stigma. There were also positive long-term effects on formal help-seeking behaviours. The most common intervention types were strategies to increase mental health literacy, destigmatisation (both had positive short-term effects on formal help-seeking behaviours) as well as motivational enhancement (with positive long-term effects on formal help-seeking behaviours). Interventions improved formal help-seeking behaviours if delivered to people with or at risk of mental health problems, but not among children, adolescents or the general public. There was no evidence that interventions increased the use of informal help. Few studies were conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of help-seeking interventions in terms of improving attitudes, intentions and behaviours to seek formal help for mental health problems among adults. Future research should develop effective interventions to improve informal help-seeking, for specific target groups and in LMICs settings.

Synthesis of ammonia using sodium melt

OpenAIRE

Kawamura, Fumio; Taniguchi, Takashi

2017-01-01

Research into inexpensive ammonia synthesis has increased recently because ammonia can be used as a hydrogen carrier or as a next generation fuel which does not emit CO2. Furthermore, improving the efficiency of ammonia synthesis is necessary, because current synthesis methods emit significant amounts of CO2. To achieve these goals, catalysts that can effectively reduce the synthesis temperature and pressure, relative to those required in the Haber-Bosch process, are required. Although severa...

Confidentiality, anonymity and amnesty for midwives in distress seeking online support - Ethical?

Science.gov (United States)

Pezaro, Sally; Clyne, Wendy; Gerada, Clare

2018-06-01

Midwife health is intrinsically linked to the quality of safe patient care. To ensure safe patient care, there is a need to deliver emotional support to midwives. One option that midwives may turn to may be a confidential online intervention, instead of localised, face-to-face support. Following the Realist And MEta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards publication standards, this realist synthesis approach explores the ethical considerations in permitting confidentiality, anonymity and amnesty in online interventions to support midwives in work-related psychological distress. An iterative search methodology was used to select nine papers for review. To assimilate information, papers were examined for ideas relating to ethical dimensions of online interventions to support midwives in work-related psychological distress. This review takes a narrative approach. Online interventions can support the development of insight, help seeking and open discussion. Additionally, Internet support groups can become morally persuasive in nature. Anonymity and confidentiality are both effective and therapeutic features of online interventions when used in collaboration with effective online moderation. Yet, ethical dilemmas remain where users cannot be identified. Confidentiality and anonymity remain key components of successful online interventions. However, sanctioning the corollary component of amnesty may provoke moral discomfort for those seeking immediate accountability. For others, amnesty is seen as essential for open disclosure and help seeking. Ultimately, the needs of midwives must be balanced with the requirement to protect the public and the professional reputation of midwifery. In supporting midwives online, the principles of anonymity, confidentiality and amnesty may evoke some resistance on ethical grounds. However, without offering identity protection, it may not be possible to create effective online support services for midwives. The authors of this

Synthesis of Novel Hydrocarbon Soluble Multifunctional Anionic Initiators: Tools for Synthesis of Novel Dendrimer and Molecular Brush Polymer Architectures

Science.gov (United States)

2015-02-09

Synthesis of Novel Dendrimer and Molecular Brush Polymer Architectures. Research Area:7.4 The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report...journals: Final Report: Synthesis of Novel Hydrocarbon Soluble Multifunctional Anionic Initiators: Tools for Synthesis of Novel Dendrimer and Molecular

Wasted research when systematic reviews fail to provide a complete and up-to-date evidence synthesis: the example of lung cancer

OpenAIRE

Cr?quit, Perrine; Trinquart, Ludovic; Yavchitz, Am?lie; Ravaud, Philippe

2016-01-01

Background Multiple treatments are frequently available for a given condition, and clinicians and patients need a comprehensive, up-to-date synthesis of evidence for all competing treatments. We aimed to quantify the waste of research related to the failure of systematic reviews to provide a complete and up-to-date evidence synthesis over time. Methods We performed a series of systematic overviews and networks of randomized trials assessing the gap between evidence covered by systematic revie...

Governance of complex environmental situations through social learning: a synthesis of SLIM's lessons for research, policy and practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steyaert, P.; Jiggins, Janice

2007-01-01

This synthesis of the SLIM project findings deals with the development and deployment of knowledge and research that is useful for actions that transform at socially and ecologically meaningful scales. A diagnostic framework (DF) is elaborated that aims to transform the findings into a tool that

The Usage of Social Media as an Information Seeking Tool of Halal Food Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Zanariah Yusoff

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of social media as an information seeking tool of halal food products among Muslim. This is a conceptual paper which employed a comprehensive review to investigate strategy used by Muslim family in information seeking of halal food products using social media.  This study had revealed that respondents are likely to use social media in search for information regarding halal foods. As expected by the researchers, children tend to be the majority users of social networking sites compared to their parents. It is crucial for each Muslim to seek information about halal foods as there are too much dumping information that lead to confusion among consumers. Other than that, this study proved the usage of social media not only limited to entertainment yet it plays a vital part as an information seeking tools as well.

Barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking for young elite athletes: a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gulliver Amelia

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Adolescents and young adults experience a high level of mental disorders, yet tend not to seek help. Research indicates that there are many barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for young people in the general community. However there are limited data available for young elite athletes. This study aims to determine what young elite athletes perceive as the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for common mental health problems. Methods Fifteen elite athletes aged 16–23 years each participated in one of three focus group discussions. In addition to written data, verbal responses were audio taped, transcribed and thematically analysed. Results Participants’ written and verbal data suggested that stigma was the most important perceived barrier to seeking help for young elite athletes. Other notable barriers were a lack of mental health literacy, and negative past experiences of help-seeking. Facilitators to help-seeking were encouragement from others, having an established relationship with a provider, pleasant previous interactions with providers, the positive attitudes of others, especially their coach, and access to the internet. Conclusions Intervention strategies for improving help-seeking in young elite athletes should focus on reducing stigma, increasing mental health literacy, and improving relations with potential providers.

Barriers to and Facilitators of Help-Seeking Behavior Among Men Who Experience Sexual Violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Donne, Martina Delle; DeLuca, Joseph; Pleskach, Pavel; Bromson, Christopher; Mosley, Marcus P; Perez, Edward T; Mathews, Shibin G; Stephenson, Rob; Frye, Victoria

2018-03-01

Research on sexual violence and related support services access has mainly focused on female victims; there is still a remarkable lack of research on men who experience sexual violence. Research demonstrates that people who both self-identify as men and are members of sexual-orientation minority populations are at higher risk of sexual violence. They are also less likely to either report or seek support services related to such experiences. The present study is an exploratory one aimed at filling the gap in the literature and better understanding how men, both straight and gay as well as cisgender and transgender, conceptualize, understand, and seek help related to sexual violence. A sample of 32 men was recruited on-line and participated in either a one-on-one in-depth interview ( N = 19) or one of two focus group discussions ( N = 13). All interviews and groups were audiotaped, professionally transcribed and coded using NVivo 9 qualitative software. The present analysis focused on barriers to and facilitators of support service access. Emergent and cross-cutting themes were identified and presented, with an emphasis on understanding what factors may prevent disclosure of a sexual violence experience and facilitate seeking support services and/or professional help. Through this analysis, the research team aims to add knowledge to inform the development of tools to increase service access and receipt, for use by both researchers and service professionals. Although this study contributes to the understanding of the issue of men's experiences of sexual violence, more research with diverse populations is needed.

The relation between antisocial and borderline personality symptoms and early maladaptive schemas in a treatment seeking sample of male substance users.

Science.gov (United States)

Shorey, Ryan C; Anderson, Scott; Stuart, Gregory L

2014-01-01

Individuals with substance use disorders are more likely to have antisocial and borderline personality disorder than non-substance abusers. Recently, research has examined the relations between early maladaptive schemas and personality disorders, as early maladaptive schemas are believed to underlie personality disorders. However, there is a dearth of research on the relations between early maladaptive schemas and personality disorders among individuals seeking treatment for substance abuse. The current study examined the relations among early maladaptive schemas and antisocial and borderline personality within in a sample of men seeking substance abuse treatment (n = 98). Results demonstrated that early maladaptive schema domains were associated with antisocial and borderline personality symptoms. Implications of these findings for substance use treatment and research are discussed. Antisocial (ASPD) and Borderline (BPD) personality disorder symptoms are prevalence among individuals seeking substance abuse treatment. Early maladaptive schemas are believed to underlie the development of ASPD and BPD symptoms, and are also prevalence among individuals seeking substance use treatment. Findings from the current study suggest that specific early maladaptive schema domains predict ASPD and BPD symptoms in a substance abuse treatment seeking sample of adult males. The treatment of ASPD and BPD among men seeking substance use treatment may want to focus on early maladaptive schemas. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Role of cues and contexts on drug-seeking behaviour

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Perry, Christina J; Zbukvic, Isabel; Kim, Jee Hyun; Lawrence, Andrew J

2014-01-01

Environmental stimuli are powerful mediators of craving and relapse in substance-abuse disorders. This review examined how animal models have been used to investigate the cognitive mechanisms through which cues are able to affect drug-seeking behaviour. We address how animal models can describe the way drug-associated cues come to facilitate the development and persistence of drug taking, as well as how these cues are critical to the tendency to relapse that characterizes substance-abuse disorders. Drug-associated cues acquire properties of conditioned reinforcement, incentive motivation and discriminative control, which allow them to influence drug-seeking behaviour. Using these models, researchers have been able to investigate the pharmacology subserving the behavioural impact of environmental stimuli, some of which we highlight. Subsequently, we examine whether the impact of drug-associated stimuli can be attenuated via a process of extinction, and how this question is addressed in the laboratory. We discuss how preclinical research has been translated into behavioural therapies targeting substance abuse, as well as highlight potential developments to therapies that might produce more enduring changes in behaviour. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Animal Models in Psychiatry Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-20 PMID:24749941

‘Continuity of care’: a critical interpretive synthesis of how the concept was elaborated by a national research programme

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Janet Heaton

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: A Continuity of Care Research Programme was undertaken in England in 2000-9. The Programme was informed by a conceptual framework proposed by Freeman and colleagues in an earlier scoping study. At the end of the Programme, a conceptual synthesis was carried out in order to confirm or refine the 'Freeman model' of continuity of care.Methods: A conceptual synthesis of the outputs of the Programme, using Critical Interpretive Synthesis.Results: The conceptual framework underpinning the Freeman model of continuity of care, which prioritises the perspectives of service users and carers, was variously utilised in the Programme. Analysis revealed indications of an emerging shift from the patient and carer 'perspectivist' paradigm of the Freeman model towards a new 'partnership' paradigm where continuity is recognised to be co-constructed by patients, families and professionals, all of whom have an active part to play in its accomplishment.Conclusions: The projects in the Programme have advanced understanding of patients' perspectives on continuity of care and on the complex nature of this concept. At the same time, they have raised issues and reported findings which may be indicative of an emergent paradigm shift in this area of research, towards a more dynamic partnership model.

Integrating knowledge seeking into knowledge management models and frameworks

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Francois Lottering

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Background: A striking feature of the knowledge management (KM literature is that the standard list of KM processes either subsumes or overlooks the process of knowledge seeking. Knowledge seeking is manifestly under-theorised, making the need to address this gap in KM theory and practice clear and urgent.Objectives: This article investigates the theoretical status of the knowledge-seeking process in extant KM models and frameworks. It also statistically describes knowledge seeking and knowledge sharing practices in a sample of South African companies. Using this data, it proposes a KM model based on knowledge seeking.Method: Knowledge seeking is traced in a number of KM models and frameworks with a specific focus on Han Lai and Margaret Graham’s adapted KM cycle model, which separates knowledge seeking from knowledge sharing. This empirical investigation used a questionnaire to examine knowledge seeking and knowledge sharing practices in a sample of South African companies.Results: This article critiqued and elaborated on the adapted KM cycle model of Lai and Graham. It identified some of the key features of knowledge seeking practices in the workplace. It showed that knowledge seeking and sharing are human-centric actions and that seeking knowledge uses trust and loyalty as its basis. It also showed that one cannot separate knowledge seeking from knowledge sharing.Conclusion: The knowledge seeking-based KM model elaborates on Lai and Graham’s model. It provides insight into how and where people seek and share knowledge in the workplace. The article concludes that it is necessary to cement the place of knowledge seeking in KM models as well as frameworks and suggests that organisations should apply its findings to improving their knowledge management strategies. 

Participation in novelty-seeking leisure activities and Alzheimer's disease.

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Fritsch, Thomas; Smyth, Kathleen A; Debanne, Sara M; Petot, Grace J; Friedland, Robert P

2005-09-01

The objective was to study the associations between participation in different types of mentally stimulating leisure activities and status as Alzheimer's disease (AD) case or normal control. Research suggests that participation in leisure activities, especially mentally stimulating activities, is associated with a lower risk for AD. However, no study has yet evaluated associations between AD and different types of mental leisure activities, especially those involving "novelty seeking." The authors used a case-control design to compare participation in activities across the life span in persons with AD and normal controls. Cases (n = 264) were recruited from clinical settings and from the community. Controls were drawn from 2 populations. Control group A members (n = 364) were the friends or neighbors of the cases or members of the same organizations to which the cases belonged. Control group B members (n = 181) were randomly drawn from the community. The 2 control groups did not differ in their responses to most activity questions, so they were combined. Factor analysis of activity questions identified 3 activity factors: (1) novelty seeking; (2) exchange of ideas; and (3) social. Logistic regression analysis indicated that, adjusting for control variables, greater participation in novelty-seeking and exchange-of-ideas activities was significantly associated with decreased odds of AD. The odds of AD were lower among those who more often participated in activities involving exchange of ideas and were lower yet for those who more frequently participated in novelty-seeking activities. We conclude that participation in a variety of mental activities across the life span may lower one's chances of developing AD.

Students' motivation toward feedback-seeking in the clinical workplace.

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de Jong, Lubberta H; Favier, Robert P; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Bok, Harold G J

2017-09-01

In medical education, students are increasingly regarded as active seekers of feedback rather than passive recipients. Previous research showed that in the intentions of students to seek feedback, a learning and performance goal can be distinguished. In this study, we investigated the intentions (defined as level and orientation of motivation) of different performing students (low, average, and high performing students) to seek feedback in the clinical workplace using Self-Determination Theory. We conducted a quantitative study with students in their clinical clerkships and grouped them based on their performance. The level of motivation was measured by the number of Mini-CEXs each student collected. The orientation of motivation was measured by conducting the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire. We found that high performing students were more motivated and demonstrated higher self-determination compared to low performing students.

Sex differences in sensation-seeking: a meta-analysis.

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Cross, Catharine P; Cyrenne, De-Laine M; Brown, Gillian R

2013-01-01

Men score higher than women on measures of sensation-seeking, defined as a willingness to engage in novel or intense activities. This sex difference has been explained in terms of evolved psychological mechanisms or culturally transmitted social norms. We investigated whether sex differences in sensation-seeking have changed over recent years by conducting a meta-analysis of studies using Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, version V (SSS-V). We found that sex differences in total SSS-V scores have remained stable across years, as have sex differences in Disinhibition and Boredom Susceptibility. In contrast, the sex difference in Thrill and Adventure Seeking has declined, possibly due to changes in social norms or out-dated questions on this sub-scale. Our results support the view that men and women differ in their propensity to report sensation-seeking characteristics, while behavioural manifestations of sensation-seeking vary over time. Sex differences in sensation-seeking could reflect genetically influenced predispositions interacting with socially transmitted information.

Dopamine modulates risk-taking as a function of baseline sensation-seeking trait.

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Norbury, Agnes; Manohar, Sanjay; Rogers, Robert D; Husain, Masud

2013-08-07

Trait sensation-seeking, defined as a need for varied, complex, and intense sensations, represents a relatively underexplored hedonic drive in human behavioral neuroscience research. It is related to increased risk for a range of behaviors including substance use, gambling, and risky sexual practice. Individual differences in self-reported sensation-seeking have been linked to brain dopamine function, particularly at D2-like receptors, but so far no causal evidence exists for a role of dopamine in sensation-seeking behavior in humans. Here, we investigated the effects of the selective D2/D3 agonist cabergoline on performance of a probabilistic risky choice task in healthy humans using a sensitive within-subject, placebo-controlled design. Cabergoline significantly influenced the way participants combined different explicit signals regarding probability and loss when choosing between response options associated with uncertain outcomes. Importantly, these effects were strongly dependent on baseline sensation-seeking score. Overall, cabergoline increased sensitivity of choice to information about probability of winning; while decreasing discrimination according to magnitude of potential losses associated with different options. The largest effects of the drug were observed in participants with lower sensation-seeking scores. These findings provide evidence that risk-taking behavior in humans can be directly manipulated by a dopaminergic drug, but that the effectiveness of such a manipulation depends on baseline differences in sensation-seeking trait. This emphasizes the importance of considering individual differences when investigating manipulation of risky decision-making, and may have relevance for the development of pharmacotherapies for disorders involving excessive risk-taking in humans, such as pathological gambling.

A Study of Information-Seeking Behaviors and Processes of New Zealand Men during Periods of Life-Stress

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Wellstead, Peta

2014-01-01

New Zealand men have poor health outcomes in a range of domains compared to women. They also report barriers (both personal and structural) in their information-seeking behaviors and processes to improve health and wellbeing. This paper reports a research project in progress that is investigating the information-seeking behaviors and processes of…

Accreditation to supervise researches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Gall, Thierry

1999-01-01

In this report, the author first proposes an overview of his academic researches and works performed within the framework of a thesis (approach to the indolizidine skeleton, synthesis of analogues of biosynthesis intermediates of leukotrienes, approach to the synthesis of compactin). In a second part, he presents and comments research works performed within the CEA: cyclo-addition of nitrile oxide with trienes complexed by tricarbonyl iron, synthesis of sulphur-containing analogues of myo-inositol, new approaches to taxol synthesis, stereo-selective synthesis with Lewis complexes of borided derived compounds, study of the bio-synthesis of biotin. The report contains lists of contributions and publications

Rendering Systems Visible for Design: Synthesis Maps as Constructivist Design Narratives

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Peter Jones

Full Text Available Synthesis maps integrate research evidence, system expertise, and design proposals into visual narratives. These narratives support communication and decision-making among stakeholders. Synthesis maps evolved from earlier visualization tools in systemics and design. They help stakeholders to understand design options for complex sociotechnical systems. Other visual approaches map complexity for effective collaboration across perspectives and knowledge domains. These help stakeholder groups to work in higher-order design contexts for sociotechnical or human-ecological systems. This article describes a constructivist pedagogy for collaborative learning in small teams of mixed-discipline designers. Synthesis mapping enables these teams to learn systems methods for design research in complex problem domains. Synthesis maps integrate knowledge from research cycles and iterative sensemaking to define a coherent design narrative. While synthesis maps may include formal system modeling techniques, they do not require them. Synthesis maps tangibly render research observations and design choices. As a hybrid system design method, synthesis maps are a contribution to the design genre of visual systems thinking.

Investigating Chinese Migrants’ Information-Seeking Patterns in Canada: Media Selection and Language Preference

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Yuping Mao

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Taking a quantitative approach, this research surveyed Chinese migrants in Canada regarding channels they rely on to seek various information. This research also investigates how Chinese migrants’ preferences of channels correlate with their intercultural sensitivity level. Chinese migrants prefer Chinese newspapers and websites for government/policy information and life information rather than English newspapers and websites. However, they use English newspapers and websites more frequently for job and career development information. Overall, English television and radio are more frequently used by Chinese migrants than Chinese television and radio broadcasts. The intercultural sensitivity levels of Chinese migrants have a positive correlation with their frequencies of using English information resources, including government websites, English newspapers, English non-government websites, government officers, personal non-Chinese social networks, and English television and radio. Findings of this research suggest that Chinese ethnic media play an important role in Chinese migrants’ information-seeking behaviours and patterns in Canada. On one hand, government and other organizations can reach the Chinese migrant community through information diffusion in Chinese ethnic media. On the other hand, Chinese migrants should make an active effort to improve their English proficiency and intercultural communication sensitivity to better integrate themselves into the Canadian society. A more balanced approach of seeking information from English and Chinese media sources could be more beneficial for Chinese migrants.

Masculinity, alexithymia, and fear of intimacy as predictors of UK men's attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help.

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Sullivan, Luke; Camic, Paul M; Brown, June S L

2015-02-01

Men's reluctance to access health care services has been under researched even though it has been identified as a potentially important predictor of poorer health outcomes amongst men. Male gender role socialization and male development may be important in accounting for men's underutilization of mental health services in the United Kingdom. A cross-sectional online survey was used to administer standardized self-report measures that were subject to regression analysis. Five hundred and eighty-one men from the UK general population completed the survey, and 536 participants formed the final regression analysis. Men who score higher on measures of traditional masculine ideology, normative alexithymia, and fear of intimacy reported more negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help. Normative alexithymia fully mediated the effect of fear of intimacy on attitudes towards professional help seeking. In the final regression model, education significantly accounted for a proportion of unique variance in men's help-seeking attitudes. Hypothesized consequences of male emotional and interpersonal development and male gender role socialization were associated with men's attitudes towards seeking psychological help. These are important factors which could help to improve help seeking and mental health outcomes for men. Limitations of this study and implications for future research are discussed. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Men are less likely to seek help for physical and psychological problems and have poorer health outcomes across nearly all major illness and injury. Men's reluctance to access health care services is believed to be a major contributory factor to poorer health outcomes for men. What does the study add? The study is a large-scale survey of UK men's attitudes towards professional psychological help seeking. Results provide evidence that hypothesized consequences of male gender role socialization and

Log Usage Analysis: What it Discloses about Use, Information Seeking and Trustworthiness

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David Nicholas

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The Trust and Authority in Scholarly Communications in the Light of the Digital Transition research project1 was a study which investigated the behaviours and attitudes of academic researchers as producers and consumers of scholarly information resources in respect to how they determine authority and trustworthiness. The research questions for the study arose out of CIBER’s studies of the virtual scholar. This paper focuses on elements of this study, mainly an analysis of a scholarly publisher’s usage logs, which was undertaken at the start of the project in order to build an evidence base, which would help calibrate the main methodological tools used by the project: interviews and questionnaire. The specific purpose of the log study was to identify and assess the digital usage behaviours that potentially raise trustworthiness and authority questions. Results from the self-report part of the study were additionally used to explain the logs. The main findings were that: 1 logs provide a good indicator of use and information seeking behaviour, albeit in respect to just a part of the information seeking journey; 2 the ‘lite’ form of information seeking behaviour observed in the logs is a sign of users trying to make their mind up in the face of a tsunami of information as to what is relevant and to be trusted; 3 Google and Google Scholar are the discovery platforms of choice for academic researchers, which partly points to the fact that they are influenced in what they use and read by ease of access; 4 usage is not a suitable proxy for quality. The paper also provides contextual data from CIBER’s previous studies.

Research Award: Advisory Committee on Research Ethics

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

IDRC CRDI

ACRE seeks a Research Awardee to study research ethics in an ... The following topics are examples of issues that could be ... advance their career goals, and recognize the dual nature of the position—applied research activity and general ...

The Relationship of Self-Efficacy, Sensation Seeking and Coping Sterategies with Aptitude of Substance Use in University Students

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Azar Kiamarsi

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The purpose of the research was to determine relationship of coping sterategies, self-efficacy and sensation seeking with aptitude of substance use in the students. Method: The population of the study included students of Islamic Azad University Ardabil Branch. The research sample consisted of 313 students who were studying in Islamic Azad University Ardabil Branch. To collect the data Coping Sterategies scale, Sensation Seeking scale, Self-Efficacy inventory and Substance Use Aptitude scale were used. Data was analyzed using of Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analyses. Findings: The result of Pearson correlation coefficients showed that self-efficacy, sensation seeking, emotin coping sterategies and problem solving coping sterategies related to aptitude substance use in students. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that self-efficacy, sensation seeking and coping sterategies explained 43 percent of variance of aptitude of substance use in students. Conclusion: The results indicated that self-efficacy, sensation seeking and coping sterategies are significant predictors in predicting of aptitude of substance use in adolescents. Clinicians can be used these results for prevention of substance abuse by training of effective coping strategies and promotion of self efficacy.

In Situ Measurement of Seeking Speed and Seeking Induced Head-Disk Interface Instability in Hard Disk Drives

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Yu Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigated the instability of head-disk interface caused by the voice coil motor (VCM end crashing the crash stop during the seeking of magnetic head. To make the whole process of that clear, an in situ measurement method based on maximum likelihood estimation and extended Kalman filter for seeking speed at component level was developed first and was then calibrated by a high speed camera. Given a crash between VCM end and crash stop that may be a consequence of the continuous increasing seeking speed, the seeking speed was carefully controlled by using our developed method to find a critical value that may induce vigorous head-disk interface instability. Acoustic emission sensor and laser Doppler vibrometer were used to capture the transient dynamic behaviors of magnetic head when the crash is happening. Damage analysis and mode identification were carried out to reveal the relationship between the damage patterns on disk surface and head dynamics. The results of this study are helpful to optimize the track seeking profile during the HDD operation, as well as the design of components such as head and head arm.

Help-seeking in transit workers exposed to acute psychological trauma: a qualitative analysis.

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Bance, Sheena; Links, Paul S; Strike, Carol; Bender, Ash; Eynan, Rahel; Bergmans, Yvonne; Hall, Peter; O'Grady, John; Antony, Jesmin

2014-01-01

Traumatic events often occur in workplace settings and can lead to stress reactions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One such workplace is the transportation industry, where employees are often exposed to trauma. However, extant research shows that a considerable proportion of people with PTSD do not seek specialty mental health treatment. In this qualitative study, we sought to better understand the experience of a traumatic event at work and the barriers and motivating factors for seeking mental health treatment. Twenty-nine Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) employees participated in a one-on-one interview, 18 soon after the traumatic event and 11 after entering a specialized treatment program. Semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducting using qualitative description and analyzed using content analysis. Participants described emotional responses after the trauma such as guilt, anger, disbelief as particularly difficult, and explained that barriers to seeking help included the overwhelming amount and timing of paperwork related to the incident as well as negative interactions with management. Motivating factors included family and peer support, as well as financial and emotional issues which persuaded some to seek help. Seeking treatment is a multifactorial process. Implications and recommendations for the organization are discussed.

The Relationship Between Pathological Gambling and Sensation Seeking: The Role of Subscale Scores

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Fortune, Erica E.

2010-01-01

Research investigating the relationship between gambling and sensation seeking has yet to establish conclusively whether pathological gamblers (PGs) are more or less sensation seeking than nonpathological gamblers (NPGs). Sensation seeking is usually measured with the Zuckerman et al. (J Consult Clin Psychol 46:139–149, 1978) SS Scale form V (SSS-V). Whereas previous studies relied on the SSS-V total score, the current study uses two samples to demonstrate the importance of the SSS-V subscales, which include Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TA), Experience Seeking (ES), Disinhibition (DS), and Boredom Susceptibility (BS). In two samples, strong intrascale correlations between DS and BS, and between TA and ES, suggest that certain subscales reflect similar underlying characteristics. In both samples PGs displayed higher scores than NPGs on the DS and BS subscales, with mean differences in Sample 2 reaching significant levels for both DS and BS. Results support the notion that the SSS-V can be divided into concepts reflecting actual behavior, based on the DS and BS subscales, and hypothetical behavior, based on the TA and ES subscales. Furthermore, PGs appear to have a preference for the more behavioral subscales while NPGs show a preference for the more hypothetical subscales. Reasons for the subscale divisions and preferences are discussed. PMID:19943092

Parental education and children's online health information seeking: beyond the digital divide debate.

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Zhao, Shanyang

2009-11-01

Research has shown that increasing numbers of teenagers are going online to find health information, but it is unclear whether there are disparities in the prevalence of online health seeking among young Internet users associated with social and economic conditions. Existing literature on Internet uses by adults indicates that low income, less educated, and minority individuals are less likely to be online health seekers. Based on the analysis of data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project for the US, this study finds that teens of low education parents are either as likely as or even more likely than teens of high education parents to seek online health information. Multiple regression analysis shows that the higher engagement in health seeking by teens of low education parents is related to a lower prevalence of parental Internet use, suggesting that some of these teens may be seeking online health information on behalf of their low education parents. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the issues of the digital divide and digital empowerment.

The Factors That Influence an Entrepreneur's Decision to Seek Formal Education

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Griffith, Ralph

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that lead entrepreneurs to seek formal education. The evidence shows that entrepreneurs are playing an increasingly important role in producing economic growth in the United States. This researcher examined the theoretical foundations of entrepreneurship based on economic, psychological, and…

A study on Singaporean women's acceptance of using mobile phones to seek health information.

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Lim, Sherwin; Xue, Lishan; Yen, Ching Chiuan; Chang, Leanne; Chan, Hock Chuan; Tai, Bee Choo; Duh, Henry Been Lirn; Choolani, Mahesh

2011-12-01

This paper is an exploratory study that investigates Singaporean women's acceptance of using mobile phones to seek health information. A mobile web containing health topics was developed to track Singaporean women's actual use of their mobile phones to seek health information. A survey questionnaire measured variables hypothesized to predict Behavioural Intention. The survey responses were then matched to the data collected on actual use. Correlation analysis and hierarchical regression were used to analyze the data collected. Findings revealed that Perceived Usefulness and Self-efficacy positively predicted the intention to use mobile phones to seek health information. The study also confirmed the presence of an intention-behaviour gap among participants. The conversion of intention to actual behaviour hinges on technical concerns and design factors. Prior experiences with health information seeking reinforced women's evaluations of the usefulness of the mobile web application and helped them to feel more self-efficacious about using their mobile phones to seek health information. Using mobile phones to seek health information was found to be complementary to online health information seeking and can be regarded as an alternative source to the internet for seeking health information. This study contributes to the existing literature by applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in the context of mobile health information seeking, for which there has been a lack of studies, and demonstrated that the inclusion of additional variables can enhance TAM's predictive power. The empirical presence of an intention-behaviour gap calls for future research to investigate the reasons behind the gap. Finally, the findings from this study can serve as input to promote women's use of mobile phones for better self-management of health. 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

From Tactical to Strategic Deception Detection: Application of Psychological Synthesis

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Iain Reid

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Deception detection has ubiquitously focussed upon detecting deceit in the individual, whether in national security, forensic or business-related environments. In contrast an understanding of how to identify deception committed by multiple individuals or groups challenging strategic interests has been neglected. In this article - to enhance understanding of practitioners working across security, intelligence and forensic areas - a process of psychological synthesis is advocated. Psychological synthesis incorporates a multitude of approaches reflecting contextual requirements towards deception detection across verbal/linguistic behavior, non-verbal behavior, online interactions and intelligence analysis approaches. These combined with in-depth understanding of individuals’ cultures, personality and manner of presentation can be understood in challenging environments. Juxtaposed to these factors psychological synthesis considers how intelligence, surveillance and evidence may be used in detecting deception and identifying links between individuals engaging in deception and related activities. An illustration of how such an approach may work is provided through a scenario of a terrorist incident and how a tailored deception detection approach may seek to counter such a threat.

Perfectionism and Marital Satisfaction among Graduate Students: A Multigroup Invariance Analysis by Counseling Help-seeking Attitudes

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Foo Fatt Mee

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to measure the latent mean difference in perfectionism and marital satisfaction by counseling help-seeking attitudes. The respondents were 327 married graduate students from a research university in Malaysia. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The respondents completed the Almost Perfect Scale- Revised, Dyadic Almost Perfect Scale, Marital Satisfaction Scale, and Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychology Help Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examined the instruments and the results indicated that construct validity were achieved. The latent mean difference in perfectionism and marital satisfaction by counseling help-seeking attitudes were tested using multigroup invariance analysis. The respondents with negative attitudes toward counseling help-seeking (n = 159 reported a higher latent mean in perfectionism but a lower latent mean in marital satisfaction compared to those with positive attitudes toward counseling help-seeking (n = 168. The implications of these findings for counseling services are discussed.

How are perceived stigma, self-stigma, and self-reliance related to treatment-seeking? A three-path model.

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Jennings, Kristen S; Cheung, Janelle H; Britt, Thomas W; Goguen, Kandice N; Jeffirs, Stephanie M; Peasley, Allison L; Lee, Abigail C

2015-06-01

Many college students may experience mental health problems but do not seek treatment from mental health professionals. The present study examined how perceived stigma and self-stigma toward seeking mental health treatment, as well as perceptions of self-reliance for coping with mental health problems, relate to college student treatment-seeking. In total, 246 students completed a self-report survey that included measures of perceived stigma and self-stigma for treatment-seeking, self-reliance for addressing mental health concerns, self-reported mental health problems, symptoms of depression and alcohol-related problems, attitudes toward treatment-seeking, and treatment-seeking behavior. Regression analyses revealed that higher perceived stigma, self-stigma, and self-reliance were all related to a more negative attitude toward treatment-seeking. In a 3-path mediation model, bootstrapping results indicated an indirect effect where perceived stigma was related to attitude toward treatment-seeking and treatment-seeking behaviors through self-stigma and self-reliance. Specifically, higher perceived stigma was related to higher self-stigma, higher self-stigma was related to higher self-reliance, and higher self-reliance was associated with a more negative attitude toward treatment-seeking in the overall sample, and a decreased probability of having sought treatment among those who screened positive for a mental health problem. Perceived stigma may influence whether or not college students seek treatment for mental health problems by potentially increasing stigmatizing attitudes toward themselves and increasing preferences for handling problems on their own. Researchers and practitioners are recommended to seek a better understanding of the complex treatment barriers to reduce stigma and facilitate treatment-seeking. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Openness of Economy, Foreign Investment Inflows and the Phenomenon of Rent Seeking Corruption

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Syed Toqueer Akhter

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Rent seeking behavior has been amongst noticeable obstacles in path of economic growth and development for developing communities. Due to this the study aims at testing the hypothesis that the Rent seeking behavior among bureaucracy is being influenced by the openness of economy as well as inflows of foreign investment significantly. Model estimations imply that reforms may have an insignificant impact upon impact upon curtailing the rent seeking behavior among bureaucracy in a time series setting therefore this research will use two statistical econometric models to show the effect of corruption on the foreign direct inflow received in Pakistan. In order to pretest the impact of all the mentioned variables on rent seeking behavior generalized least square was used because its results were unbiased, consistent and the problem of Serial correlation was solved by using it. In order to quantify rent seeking behavior among bureaucracy different aspects of misuse of public offices appearing in form of petty and grand corruption were used using the variables informal sector, tax evasion, judicial outlay, G.D.P and F.D.I as percentage of G.D.P. All of the variables had proper signs aligned with the theory and all of the variables appeared to be significant except judicial outlay proving that the judiciary has been incompetent and ineffective. The robust regression showed all the same signs except in it every variable was appearing to be significant. Rent seeking corruption has been highly affecting Pakistan in adverse ways and this paper will show how many factors like judiciary is not playing effective role in limiting corruption and also how the economy is being affected by rent seeking behavior.

Cocaine influences alcohol-seeking behavior and relapse drinking in alcohol-preferring (P) rats.

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Hauser, Sheketha R; Wilden, Jessica A; Deehan, Gerald A; McBride, William J; Rodd, Zachary A

2014-10-01

The results of several studies suggest that there may be common neurocircuits regulating drug-seeking behaviors. Common biological pathways regulating drug-seeking would explain the phenomenon that seeking for 1 drug can be enhanced by exposure to another drug of abuse. The objective of this study was to assess the time course effects of acute cocaine administration on ethanol (EtOH) seeking and relapse. Alcohol-preferring (P) rats were allowed to self-administer 15% EtOH and water. EtOH-seeking was assessed through the use of the Pavlovian spontaneous recovery (PSR) model, while EtOH-relapse drinking was assessed through the use of the alcohol-deprivation effect. Cocaine (0, 1, or 10 mg/kg), injected immediately, 30 minutes, or 4 hours prior to the first PSR testing session, dose-dependently increased responding on the EtOH lever compared to extinction responses and responding by saline controls. Under relapse conditions, cocaine given immediately prior to the relapse session had no effect (1 mg/kg) or reduced responding (10 mg/kg). In contrast, cocaine given 4 hours prior to the relapse session markedly enhanced EtOH responding compared to saline. The enhanced expression of EtOH-seeking and EtOH-relapse behaviors may be a result of a priming effect of cocaine on neuronal circuits mediating these behaviors. The effect of cocaine on EtOH-relapse drinking is indicative of the complex interactions that can occur between drugs of abuse; production of conflicting behaviors (immediate), and priming of relapse/seeking (4-hour delay). Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Context-driven Salt Seeking Test (Rats)

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Chang, Stephen E.; Smith, Kyle S.

2018-01-01

Changes in reward seeking behavior often occur through incremental learning based on the difference between what is expected and what actually happens. Behavioral flexibility of this sort requires experience with rewards as better or worse than expected. However, there are some instances in which behavior can change through non-incremental learning, which requires no further experience with an outcome. Such an example of non-incremental learning is the salt appetite phenomenon. In this case, animals such as rats will immediately seek out a highly-concentrated salt solution that was previously undesired when they are put in a novel state of sodium deprivation. Importantly, this adaptive salt-seeking behavior occurs despite the fact that the rats never tasted salt in the depleted state, and therefore never tasted it as a highly desirable reward. The following protocol is a method to investigate the neural circuitry mediating adaptive salt seeking using a conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. The procedure is designed to provide an opportunity to discover possible dissociations between the neural circuitry mediating salt seeking and salt consumption to replenish the bodily deficit after sodium depletion. Additionally, this procedure is amenable to incorporating a number of neurobiological techniques for studying the brain basis of this behavior.

In-vitro Synthesis of Gold Nanoclusters in Neurons

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-01

ARL-TN-0753 ● APR 2016 US Army Research Laboratory In-vitro Synthesis of Gold Nanoclusters in Neurons by Maggie Gillan and...longer needed. Do not return it to the originator. ARL-TN-0753 ● APR 2016 US Army Research Laboratory In-vitro Synthesis of...

The Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Science and Research Synthesis: Science to support land management in Southern Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanne C. Chambers; Matthew L. Brooks; Burton K. Pendleton; Carol B. Raish

2013-01-01

This synthesis provides information related to the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) Science and Research Strategy Goal 1 - to restore, sustain and enhance southern Nevada’s ecosystems - and Goal 2 - to provide for responsible use of southern Nevada’s lands in a manner that preserves heritage resources and promotes an understanding of human interaction with the...

Interfaces for End-User Information Seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchionini, Gary

1992-01-01

Discusses essential features of interfaces to support end-user information seeking. Highlights include cognitive engineering; task models and task analysis; the problem-solving nature of information seeking; examples of systems for end-users, including online public access catalogs (OPACs), hypertext, and help systems; and suggested research…

Treatment seeking for problematic pornography use among women.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewczuk, Karol; Szmyd, Joanna; Skorko, Maciej; Gola, Mateusz

2017-12-01

Background and aims Previous studies examined psychological factors related to treatment seeking for problematic pornography use (PU) among males. In this study, we focused on females who seek treatment for problematic PU and compared them with non-problematic pornography users with regard to variables related to problematic PU. Second, we investigated the relationships between critical constructs related to problematic PU with the path analysis method, emphasizing the predictors for treatment seeking among women. We also compared our results with previous studies on males. Methods A survey study was conducted on 719 Polish-speaking Caucasian females, 14-63 years old, including 39 treatment seekers for problematic PU. Results The positive relationship between the mere amount of PU and treatment seeking loses its significance after introducing two other predictors of treatment-seeking: religiosity and negative symptoms associated with PU. This pattern is different from the results obtained in previous studies on males. Discussion Different from previous studies on male samples, our analysis showed that in the case of women, mere amount of PU may be related to treatment-seeking behavior even after accounting for negative symptoms associated with PU. Moreover, religiousness is a significant predictor of treatment seeking among women, which may indicate that in the case of women, treatment seeking for problematic PU is motivated not only by experienced negative symptoms of PU but also by personal beliefs about PU and social norms. Conclusion For females, negative symptoms associated with PU, the amount of PU and religiosity is associated with treatment seeking. Those factors should be considered in treatment.

Sexual information seeking on web search engines.

Science.gov (United States)

Spink, Amanda; Koricich, Andrew; Jansen, B J; Cole, Charles

2004-02-01

Sexual information seeking is an important element within human information behavior. Seeking sexually related information on the Internet takes many forms and channels, including chat rooms discussions, accessing Websites or searching Web search engines for sexual materials. The study of sexual Web queries provides insight into sexually-related information-seeking behavior, of value to Web users and providers alike. We qualitatively analyzed queries from logs of 1,025,910 Alta Vista and AlltheWeb.com Web user queries from 2001. We compared the differences in sexually-related Web searching between Alta Vista and AlltheWeb.com users. Differences were found in session duration, query outcomes, and search term choices. Implications of the findings for sexual information seeking are discussed.

Time, Cost, Information Seeking Skills and Format of Resources Present Barriers to Information Seeking by Primary Care Practitioners in a Research Environment. A review of: Andrews James E., Kevin A. Pearce, Carol Ireson, and Margaret M. Love. “Information‐Seeking Behaviors of Practitioners in a Primary Care Practice‐Based Research Network (PBRN.” Journal of the Medical Library Association 93.2 (Apr. 2005: 206‐12.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha Ingrid Preddie

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Objective – To determine the information seeking behaviors of primary care practitioners in order to inform future efforts towards the design of information services that would support quality inprimary care.Design – A cross‐sectional survey.Setting – A primary care practice based research network (PBRN of caregivers who serve a broad population while simultaneously studying and disseminating innovations aimed at improvements in quality, efficiency and/or safety of primaryhealth care in the United States.Subjects – All primary care practitioners in the PBRN including family practitioners, general practitioners, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.Methods – A questionnaire comprising twenty‐six questions was distributed to 116 practitioners. Practitioners attached to academic centres (who were also members of the PBRN were excluded in order “to achieve a sample of practices more representative of the primary care practising population” (208. Descriptive data were collected and analyzed. SPSS v11.5 was used for statistical analyses.Main results – There was a response rate of 51% (59 of 116. Fifty‐eight percent of the respondents stated that they sought information (excluding drug dosing or drug interactions information to support patient care several times a week. Sixty‐eight per cent sought this information while the patient waited. Almost half of therespondents had access to a small medical library (48% or a hospital library (46%, while 21% used a university medical library.Approximately 14% had no immediate access to a medical library. Almost 60% of practitioners stated that they had an e‐mail account. Thirty‐four percent agreed that the use of e‐mail to communicate with patients enhanced medical practice, while 24% disagreed. There was frequent prescribing of Internet‐based consumer health information to patients by only 16% of the practitioners, while Internet support groups were frequently recommended

Self-Disclosure and Spiritual Well-Being in Pastors Seeking Professional Psychological Help.

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Salwen, Erik D; Underwood, Lee A; Dy-Liacco, Gabriel S; Arveson, Kathleen R

2017-01-01

Pastoral mental health is a topic that has only rarely been researched empirically in the psychological literature, yet a pastor's mental health can have a significant impact on churches, communities, and even nations (Royal and Thompson, Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 31 (3), 195-204, 2012). One of the thoughts prompting this research is that evangelical pastors might be expected to resist the findings of psychological research and lack understanding of specific mental illnesses they are potentially facing. Combined with historical and cultural dynamics that could influence resistance to professional psychological help, evangelical pastors have personal, internal factors that could also strengthen resistance, including the researched issues of self-disclosure flexibility and spiritual well-being. A correlational research design with multivariate regression was used to determine potentially significant or predictive relationships between the relevant factors. Among evangelical seminary students ( N  = 251) preparing for parish-based pastoral ministry, this research determined that no significant relationship, predictive or otherwise, existed between self-disclosure flexibility, spiritual well-being, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Implications include a shift in focus toward external factors influencing pastors' help-seeking attitudes, such as the need for the mental health community to develop connections with evangelical pastors and the development of more support for Christian mental health professionals in the larger evangelical community.

Treatment seeking, vaginal discharge and psychosocial distress among women in urban Mumbai.

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Kostick, Kristin M; Schensul, Stephen L; Jadhav, Kalpita; Singh, Rajendra; Bavadekar, Amruta; Saggurti, Niranjan

2010-09-01

Vaginal discharge (safed pani in Hindi, meaning "white water") is one of the leading symptoms for which women in India seek care. Treatment-seeking for safed pani is disproportionately high among poor women, representing a physical, emotional and financial burden for low-income families. Safed pani is only rarely indicative of a reproductive tract or sexually transmitted infection. The discrepancy between symptom reports and observed pathology has led some researchers to characterize safed pani as a culturally based expression of more generalized negative life situation. Data are drawn from two prevention intervention studies (2002-2006 and 2007-2012) conducted in economically marginal communities in Mumbai. Results show that husbands as problem generators and spousal abusers and women's greater perceived empowerment and reported tension are significantly associated with safed pani. These results provide the basis for identifying women at greater risk for psychosocial distress and providing supports at the locations at which they seek treatment.

The role of stigma in parental help-seeking for child behavior problems.

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Dempster, Robert; Wildman, Beth; Keating, Adam

2013-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between stigma and parental help-seeking after controlling for demographics, child behavior, and barriers to treatment. One hundred fifteen parents of children ages 4 to 8 years were surveyed during well-child visits in a rural pediatric primary care practice. Parental perceptions of stigma toward parents and children were both assessed. Parents believe that children are more likely to be stigmatized by the public and personally impacted by stigma. In linear regression analyses, parents rated themselves as more likely to attend parenting classes with lower levels of self-stigma and greater levels of personal impact of stigma. Stigma toward the child was not associated with help-seeking. Child behavior moderated the relationship between stigma and parental help-seeking. When referring parents to treatment, providers should address potential stigma concerns. Future research should assess both the impact of the stigma of attending treatment and the stigma of having a child with behavior problems.

Help Seeking in Online Collaborative Groupwork: A Multilevel Analysis

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Du, Jianxia; Xu, Jianzhong; Fan, Xitao

2015-01-01

This study examined predictive models for students' help seeking in the context of online collaborative groupwork. Results from multilevel analysis revealed that most of the variance in help seeking was at the individual student level, and multiple variables at the individual level were predictive of help-seeking behaviour. Help seeking was…

Sensation Seeking Predicting Growth in Adolescent Problem Behaviors

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Byck, Gayle R.; Swann, Greg; Schalet, Benjamin; Bolland, John; Mustanski, Brian

2014-01-01

There is limited literature on the relationship between sensation seeking and adolescent risk behaviors, particularly among African Americans. We tested the association between psychometrically-derived subscales of the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale and the intercepts and slopes of individual growth curves of conduct problems, sexual risk taking, and substance use from ages 13-18 years by sex. Boys and girls had different associations between sensation seeking and baseline levels and growth of risk behaviors. The Pleasure Seeking scale was associated with baseline levels of conduct problems in boys and girls, baseline substance use in boys, and growth in sexual risk taking and substance use by girls. Girls had the same pattern of associations with the Danger/Novelty scale as the Pleasure Seeking scale. Knowledge about the relationships between adolescent risk taking and sensation seeking can help in the targeted design of prevention and intervention programs for the understudied population of very low-income, African American adolescents. PMID:25112599

New Brookhaven chief seeks cross-cutting research

CERN Multimedia

Jones, D

2003-01-01

Brookhaven National Laboratory will pursue opportunities for promoting commercial development of energy systems and other technologies while focusing on the lab's primary mission of basic science research, according to the incoming BNL director, Praveen Chaudhari (1 page).

Numerical simulation of mid-latitude ionospheric E-region based on SEEK and SEEK-2 observations

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T. Yokoyama

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Observational campaigns of the mid-latitude ionospheric E-region with sounding rockets and ground-based instruments were conducted in 1996 (SEEK and 2002 (SEEK-2. Both of them were successfully conducted to bring important findings about the mid-latitude E-region and quasi-periodic (QP VHF radar echoes. The observational results in the SEEK and the SEEK-2 are compared with numerical simulations and discussed in this paper. While sporadic-E (Es-layers are actually formed by the observed neutral wind, it is difficult for the constant wind shear to produce the sharp Es-layer gradient. However, once they are formed in the lower E-region, they cannot easily be dissipated by the simple diffusive motion. The polarization electric field, calculated under the condition at the rocket launch time, shows similar amplitude and structure to the measurement around the Es-layer altitude. The structure of the plasma density and the electric field above the Es-layer observed in the SEEK-2 showed a wave-like pattern up to an altitude of 150 km. Considering a mapping of the polarization electric field generated within the Es-layers, gravity waves are the possible source of the wave-like structure of the measured electric fields and sub-peaks of the electron density above the main Es-layers. Fluctuation of the measured magnetic field is reproduced by Hall or field-aligned current driven by the polarization electric field. The current theoretical models for QP echoes and the polarization electric field are basically verified by the discussion in this paper. Keywords. Ionospheric irregularities – Mid-latitude ionosphere – Numerical simulation studies

Information Need and Information Seeking Behaviour

OpenAIRE

Nazan Özenç Uçak

1997-01-01

Information need is one of the cognitive needs of humankind. Information need causes information seeking behaviour and these concepts complement each other. Information need and information seeking behaviour are effected by many factors. It is necessary to know these factors in establishing the effective information centers and services.

The effect of web based depression interventions on self reported help seeking: randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN77824516

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Mackinnon Andrew J

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To date, there has been very little work investigating behaviour changes induced by interventions that are designed to increase help seeking. The present paper examines the effects of two Internet depression websites on help seeking. Methods 414 individuals with elevated scores on a depression assessment scale were randomly allocated to a depression information website, a cognitive-behavioural skills training website (CBT or an attention control condition. Reports of help seeking for specific treatments, from specific sources and for categories of treatments were assessed. Results Relative to the control, the depression information site was associated with decreases in seeking support from friends and family, the use of music and of everyday treatments and no increase in seeking evidence based interventions. The CBT site was associated with the report of help seeking for CBT, massage and exercise. Conclusion Methods to encourage the use of evidence-based treatments need further research to determine whether the assistance sought is evidence based and whether there are unintended effects.

A Synthesis of Research on Informational Text Reading Interventions for Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities.

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Ciullo, Stephen; Lo, Yu-Ling Sabrina; Wanzek, Jeanne; Reed, Deborah K

2016-01-01

This research synthesis was conducted to understand the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve learning from informational text for students with learning disabilities in elementary school (K-5). The authors identified 18 studies through a comprehensive search. The interventions were evaluated to determine treatment effects and to understand implementation and methodological variables that influenced outcomes. Moderate to large effect sizes on researcher-developed measures for cognitive strategy interventions were reported. Interventions that utilized graphic organizers as study guides to support social studies learning were also associated with improved outcomes. The findings are considered within the context of limited implementation of standardized measures. The authors extend findings from previous research by reporting a paucity of interventions to enhance higher-level cognitive and comprehension skills. The majority of reviewed studies targeted fact acquisition and main idea identification, and overall encouraging findings were noted for these skills. Implications for future research are discussed. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

How Frequently are “Classic” Drug-Seeking Behaviors Used by Drug-Seeking Patients in the Emergency Department?

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Sean M. Curry

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Drug-seeking behavior (DSB in the emergency department (ED is a very commonproblem, yet there has been little quantitative study to date of such behavior.The goal of this study wasto assess the frequency with which drug seeking patients in the ED use classic drug seeking behaviorsto obtain prescription medication.Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review on patients in an ED case management programfor DSB. We reviewed all visits by patients in the program that occurred during a 1-year period, andrecorded the frequency of the following behaviors: complaining of headache, complaining of backpain, complaining of dental pain, requesting medication by name, requesting a refill of medication,reporting medications as having been lost or stolen, reporting 10/10 pain, reporting greater than 10/10pain, reporting being out of medication, and requesting medication parenterally. These behaviors werechosen because they are described as “classic” for DSB in the existing literature.Results: We studied 178 patients from the case management program, who made 2,486 visits in 1year. The frequency of each behavior was: headache 21.7%, back pain 20.8%, dental pain 1.8%,medication by name 15.2%, requesting refill 7.0%, lost or stolen medication 0.6%, pain 10/10 29.1%,pain greater than 10/10 1.8%, out of medication 9.5%, and requesting parenteral medication 4.3%.Patients averaged 1.1 behaviors per visit.Conclusion: Drug-seeking patients appear to exhibit “classically” described drug-seeking behaviorswith only low to moderate frequency. Reliance on historical features may be inadequate when trying toassess whether or not a patient is drug-seeking.

Trajectories of Sensation Seeking Among Puerto-Rican Children and Youth

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Martins, Silvia S.; Wall, Melanie M.; Eisenberg, Ruth; Blanco, Carlos; Santaella, Julian; Ramos-Olazagasti, Maria; Canino, Glorisa; Bird, Hector R.; Brown, Qiana; Duarte, Cristiane S.

2015-01-01

Objective To document the natural course of sensation seeking from childhood to adolescence, characterize distinct sensation-seeking trajectories, and examine how these trajectories vary according to selected predictors. Method Data were obtained from the Boricua Youth Study, a longitudinal study of 2,491 children and adolescents of Puerto Rican background (three assessments from 2000 to 2004). First, age-specific sensation-seeking levels were characterized. Then, age-adjusted residuals were analyzed using growth mixture models (GMM). Results On average, sensation seeking was stable in childhood (ages 5–10) and increased during adolescence (ages 11–17). Mean scores of sensation seeking were higher in the South Bronx vs. Puerto Rico and among males vs. females. Four classes of sensation-seeking trajectories were observed: most study participants had age-expected sensation-seeking trajectories following the average for their age (“normative,” 43.8%); others (37.2%) remained consistently lower than the expected average for their age (“low” sensation seeking); some (12.0%) had an “accelerated” sensation-seeking trajectory, increasing at a faster rate than expected, while a minority (7.0%) had a decreasing sensation-seeking trajectory that started high but decreased, reaching scores slightly higher than the age-average sensation-seeking scores (“stabilizers”). Site (South Bronx vs. Puerto Rico) and gender were predictors of membership in a specific class of sensation-seeking trajectory. Conclusion It is important to take a developmental approach when examining sensation seeking and to consider gender and the social environment when trying to understand how sensation seeking evolves during childhood and adolescence. PMID:26598479

Preferences for Depression Help-Seeking Among Vietnamese American Adults.

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Kim-Mozeleski, Jin E; Tsoh, Janice Y; Gildengorin, Ginny; Cao, Lien H; Ho, Tiffany; Kohli, Sarita; Lam, Hy; Wong, Ching; Stewart, Susan; McPhee, Stephen J; Nguyen, Tung T

2017-11-11

Culture impacts help-seeking preferences. We examined Vietnamese Americans' help-seeking preferences for depressive symptoms, through a telephone survey (N = 1666). A vignette describing an age- and gender-matched individual with depression was presented, and respondents chose from a list of options and provided open-ended responses about their help-seeking preferences. Results showed that 78.3% would seek professional help, either from a family doctor, a mental health provider, or both; 54.4% preferred to seek help from a family doctor but not from a mental health provider. Most (82.1%) would prefer to talk to family or friends, 62.2% would prefer to look up information, and 50.1% would prefer to get spiritual help. Logistic regression analysis revealed that preferences for non-professional help-seeking options (such as talking to friends or family, looking up information, and getting spiritual help), health care access, and perceived poor health, were associated with increased odds of preferring professional help-seeking. This population-based study of Vietnamese Americans highlight promising channels to deliver education about depression and effective help-seeking resources, particularly the importance of family doctors and social networks. Furthermore, addressing barriers in access to care remains a critical component of promoting professional help-seeking.

Matching Message Design and Depressed Cognition: An Exploration of Attention Patterns for Gain- and Loss-Framed Depression Help-Seeking Messages.

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Lueck, Jennifer A

2017-07-01

Although disproportionally affected by depression, most depressed college students do not seek the help they need. Research has recently uncovered the potential negative effects of depression help-seeking messages if depressed cognition is not considered in the health message design process. It is unclear if depression determines whether and how individuals pay attention to gain- and loss-framed depression help-seeking messages-a mechanism that has significant implications for the strategic planning of health communication interventions. In order to enable the effective matching of message design and audience features, this study investigated attention patterns for gain (n = 75)- and loss (n = 78)-framed depression help-seeking messages using eye-tracking technology and self-report measures. The results confirmed that depression is a characteristic of risk avoidance and negative cognition. Depressed participants tended to pay more attention to disease information that was placed in a loss-framed rather than a gain-framed depression help-seeking message. Using negative message framing strategies for health messages seeking to educate about depression symptoms might therefore be a useful persuasive strategy-particularly when disseminated to vulnerable populations affected by depression. Furthermore, the present study emphasizes the effective use of eye-tracking technology in communication research.

The substance of love when encountering suffering: an interpretative research synthesis with an abductive approach.

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Thorkildsen, Kari Marie; Eriksson, Katie; Råholm, Maj-Britt

2013-06-01

This study presents the results of an interpretative research synthesis undertaken to explore the essence of love when encountering suffering. The idea of caring as an expression of love and compassion belongs with ideas that have shaped caring for hundreds of years. Love and suffering are the core concepts in caring science and thus demand a basic research approach. The synthesis was undertaken by the interpretation of 15 articles focusing on love in different aspects, but within a caring science perspective. The research process was guided by a hermeneutical perspective with an abductive approach. The substance of love, when encountering suffering, reveals itself in three themes: love as a holy power, love as fundamental for being and love as an ethical act, which are to be found, respectively, within three dimensions: love as holiness, love as a communion and love as an art. Love is a holy power and encompasses everything; it is the well of strength that heals. No human can exist without love: this points to the ethical responsibility one has as a neighbour. In the ethical act, love is evident in concrete caring actions. The core of the substance of love within the three dimensions can be understood as agape. Agape connects and mirrors the dimensions, while at the same time it is clear that agape stems from and moves towards holiness, enabling love to be the ethical foundation when encountering suffering. Through the dimensions of love as communion and love as an art agape intertwine with eros forming caritas enabling the human being to move towards the dimension of holiness, which signifies becoming through suffering. © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

As the Economic Crisis Hits Home, Colleges Seek Help from Congress

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Field, Kelly

2008-01-01

Congress is crafting a second economic-stimulus bill, and the nation's colleges, hit by the deepening fiscal crisis, want a share of the money. Over the last few weeks, colleges and their lobbyists have bombarded members of Congress with letters and phone calls seeking money for research, student aid, and infrastructure. However, Congress is…

Client Discourses on the Process of Seeking Same-Sex Couple Counselling

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Grove, Jan; Peel, Elizabeth; Owen-Pugh, Valerie

2013-01-01

How same-sex couples manage the process of seeking help for their relationships is an under-researched area. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 people who had engaged in same-sex couple counselling, and were analysed using discourse analysis. The ways in which the couples positioned themselves as part of a "minority…

Policies of access to healthcare services for accompanied asylum-seeking children in the Nordic countries.

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Sandahl, Hinuga; Norredam, Marie; Hjern, Anders; Asher, Henry; Nielsen, Signe Smith

2013-08-01

Asylum-seeking children constitute a vulnerable group with high prevalence and risk for mental health problems. The aim of this study was to compare policies of access to healthcare services, including physical examination and screening for mental health problems on arrival, for accompanied asylum-seeking children in the Nordic countries. This study was based on the national reports "Reception of refugee children in the Nordic countries" written by independent national experts for the Nordic Network for Research on Refugee Children, supplemented by information from relevant authorities. In Sweden, Norway and Iceland, asylum-seeking children had access to healthcare services equal to children in the general population. On a policy level, Denmark imposed restrictions on non-acute hospitalisations and prolonged specialist treatments. Regarding health examinations, Sweden deviated from the Nordic pattern by not performing these systematically. In Denmark, Iceland, and some counties in Sweden, but not in Norway, screening for mental health problems was offered to asylum-seeking children. Access to healthcare services for asylum-seeking children differs in the Nordic countries; the consequences of these systematic differences for the individual asylum-seeking child are unknown. For asylum-seeking children, access to healthcare has to be considered in a wider context that includes the core conditions of being an asylum-seeker. A comparative study at policy level needs to be supplemented with empirical follow-up studies of the well-being of the study population to document potential consequences of policies in practice.

Nutrition-related information seeking behaviours before and throughout the course of pregnancy: consequences for nutrition communication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Szwajcer, E.M.; Hiddink, G.J.; Koelen, M.A.; Woerkum, van C.M.J.

2005-01-01

Background: Research has shown that especially pregnant women, and also women with a wish for a child, have increased nutrition awareness. Seeking nutrition information seemed to be an important determinant for nutrition awareness. However, little research has been carried out about

Self-Presentation, Desired Partner Characteristics, and Sexual Behavior Preferences in Online Personal Advertisements of Men Seeking Non-Gay-Identified Men

Science.gov (United States)

Schrimshaw, Eric W.

2015-01-01

Despite attention to the sexual behaviors of non-gay-identified (NGI) men who have same-sex encounters, virtually no research has focused on issues of partner desirability and selection. Limited evidence suggests that a subgroup of men who have sex with men (MSM) advertise online for sexual encounters with NGI men. Exchange theory provided a framework to investigate this seeking of NGI men, based on the content of Internet personal advertisements for same-sex encounters. Researchers analyzed 282 ads posted to an online bulletin board. Ads by men who explicitly desired encounters with NGI men were compared with those by men who did not indicate this preference in potential partners. Multivariate analyses revealed that NGI-seeking men had significantly increased odds of identifying as discreet (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.82), seeking a discreet encounter (AOR = 4.68), seeking a masculine partner (AOR = 2.18), being willing to host (AOR = 2.77), as well as seeking oral-receptive sex (AOR = 2.69), unprotected oral sex (AOR = 6.76), and anal-receptive sex (AOR = 2.18). Further, NGI-seeking ads were more likely to not mention condom use or safer sex practices (AOR = 4.13) and were less likely to indicate a desire for oral-insertive sex (AOR = 0.34) and rimming (AOR = 0.21). Findings suggest that some men may deliberately present themselves in ways that they perceive as being attractive to NGI men, and have research implications for NGI MSM, their partners, and the risk outcomes of these online ads. PMID:25750927

Self-Presentation, Desired Partner Characteristics, and Sexual Behavior Preferences in Online Personal Advertisements of Men Seeking Non-Gay-Identified Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Downing, Martin J; Schrimshaw, Eric W

2014-03-14

Despite attention to the sexual behaviors of non-gay-identified (NGI) men who have same-sex encounters, virtually no research has focused on issues of partner desirability and selection. Limited evidence suggests that a subgroup of men who have sex with men (MSM) advertise online for sexual encounters with NGI men. Exchange theory provided a framework to investigate this seeking of NGI men, based on the content of Internet personal advertisements for same-sex encounters. Researchers analyzed 282 ads posted to an online bulletin board. Ads by men who explicitly desired encounters with NGI men were compared with those by men who did not indicate this preference in potential partners. Multivariate analyses revealed that NGI-seeking men had significantly increased odds of identifying as discreet (Adjusted odds ratio [ AOR ] = 2.82), seeking a discreet encounter ( AOR = 4.68), seeking a masculine partner ( AOR = 2.18), being willing to host ( AOR = 2.77), as well as seeking oral-receptive sex ( AOR = 2.69), unprotected oral sex ( AOR = 6.76), and anal-receptive sex ( AOR = 2.18). Further, NGI-seeking ads were more likely to not mention condom use or safer sex practices ( AOR = 4.13) and were less likely to indicate a desire for oral-insertive sex ( AOR = 0.34) and rimming ( AOR = 0.21). Findings suggest that some men may deliberately present themselves in ways that they perceive as being attractive to NGI men, and have research implications for NGI MSM, their partners, and the risk outcomes of these online ads.

The Use of the Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interview to Understand and Support Help Seeking After Gender-Based Violence.

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Saint Arnault, Denise M

2017-09-01

Gender-based violence (GBV), characterized by the abduction or rape of women and girls to humiliate, intimidate, and traumatize them and their communities, is a profoundly disturbing tactic in international conflict. Long after armed conflict has ended, survivors continue to experience physical injuries, psychological trauma, and social and cultural stigma. Guilt, shame, and continued interpersonal violence can become a normalized part of daily life, significantly challenging the road to healing and recovery. Research about self-disclosure and narrative after GBV has shown that help seeking rates are shockingly low, with estimates ranging from 4-27%. From a feminist and a humanistic perspective, studying trauma history and related help seeking is delicate work that must use interview processes that ensure the survivor can tell her story without revictimization, while also aiming to restore personal mastery, empowerment, and self-understanding. Based on theories about benefits and challenges of the narrative after GBV and trauma, we propose that the Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interview (CENI) allows researchers and practitioners a safe container to examine the complex interplay between suffering, culture, and help seeking. Using this interview, the interviewer and the participant work as partners to define, compare, and contrast the socio-cultural barriers and facilitators of help seeking. This paper explains the narrative theory and the challenges and benefits of the narrative approach after trauma. Then we provide support for the use of the CENI for an understanding of the help seeking process and facilitating a health-promoting narrative interview for survivors. We then address implications for research, practice, and policy.

Information Need and Information Seeking Behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazan Özenç Uçak

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Information need is one of the cognitive needs of humankind. Information need causes information seeking behaviour and these concepts complement each other. Information need and information seeking behaviour are effected by many factors. It is necessary to know these factors in establishing the effective information centers and services.

An examination of the health information seeking experiences of women in rural Ontario, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.N. Wathen

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Women are active information seekers, particularly in the context of managing health for themselves and their families. Rural living may present particular challenges and opportunities for women in their health information seeking. Method. Forty women living in a rural part of Ontario, Canada were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. They were asked about their health information seeking for both chronic and acute concerns. Analysis. Interview transcripts were organized using NVivo software (version 6 and analysed using a coding scheme iteratively developed by both authors. Results. Emerging themes included: the context of rural living, information and health literacy, the role of unanticipated information intermediaries in the search process, and the mis-match between assumptions made by 'the system' about sources of information, and women's lived realities. Conclusion. . There are unique challenges and enablers to health information seeking for women living in rural areas, including the role of formal, informal and ICT-based information intermediaries, the availability to women of required literacies for health information seeking and uptake. Research findings such as those presented in this paper can assist in better understanding both the contexts of information seeking, as well as the preferences and behaviour of those with information needs.

Seeking Help in Domestic Violence Among Muslim Women in Muslim-Majority and Non-Muslim-Majority Countries: A Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Afrouz, Rojan; Crisp, Beth R; Taket, Ann

2018-01-01

Women from different backgrounds and cultures are at risk of domestic violence. Disclosing the abusive experience and seeking help is not straightforward and easy and might be a complicated and long-term process. Muslim women, like other groups of women, may face various barriers to disclose abusive relationships and for seeking help. Some of the barriers may be common for the majority of Muslim women in different contexts, while others might be related to women's situations and the wider society they live. To identify these barriers and make recommendations for future studies, this article reviews related papers conducted in both Muslim-majority and non-Muslim-majority countries. A critical systematic review of the literature was conducted for identifying Muslim women's barriers in disclosing abuse and seeking help. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. The main identified barriers are discussed into under four themes: social context, family context, individual factors, and expectations of service providers. Although the researchers tried to investigate various barriers in seeking help, many of them have not focused on structural obstacles. Besides, in many Muslim-majority countries, the issue has not been explored. Therefore, the results of the current article will not apply to those countries. Recommendation for future research comprises more qualitative research compatible with the women's cultures and backgrounds in different societies, focusing more on structural and cultural factors to explore and find women's barriers to seek help.

Trajectories of Sensation Seeking Among Puerto Rican Children and Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Silvia S; Wall, Melanie M; Eisenberg, Ruth; Blanco, Carlos; Santaella, Julian; Ramos-Olazagasti, Maria; Canino, Glorisa; Bird, Hector R; Brown, Qiana; Duarte, Cristiane S

2015-12-01

To document the natural course of sensation seeking from childhood to adolescence, characterize distinct sensation seeking trajectories, and examine how these trajectories vary according to selected predictors. Data were obtained from the Boricua Youth Study, a longitudinal study of 2,491 children and adolescents of Puerto Rican background (3 assessments from 2000 to 2004). First, age-specific sensation seeking levels were characterized, and then age-adjusted residuals were analyzed using growth mixture models. On average, sensation seeking was stable in childhood (ages 5-10 years) and increased during adolescence (ages 11-17 years). Mean scores of sensation seeking were higher in the South Bronx versus Puerto Rico and among males versus females. Four classes of sensation seeking trajectories were observed: most study participants had age-expected sensation seeking trajectories following the average for their age ("normative," 43.8%); others (37.2%) remained consistently lower than the expected average for their age ("low" sensation seeking); some (12.0%) had an "accelerated" sensation seeking trajectory, increasing at a faster rate than expected; and a minority (7.0%) had a decreasing sensation seeking trajectory that started high but decreased, reaching scores slightly higher than the age-average sensation seeking scores ("stabilizers"). Site (South Bronx versus Puerto Rico) and gender were predictors of membership in a specific class of sensation seeking trajectory. It is important to take a developmental approach when examining sensation seeking and to consider gender and the social environment when trying to understand how sensation seeking evolves during childhood and adolescence. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gendered Manifestations of Depression and Help Seeking Among Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Call, Jarrod B; Shafer, Kevin

2018-01-01

Men who do not seek help for mental health problems may experience unnecessary suffering which ultimately affects the well-being of themselves and others. Gendered manifestations of depressive symptoms may play an important role in why some men do not seek help for mental health issues. Using data from 2,382 male respondents in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, the authors examined the relationship that both traditional and male-typical symptoms of depression had on the help-seeking behaviors of men. Traditional symptoms increased the odds of seeking help for depression for all men. Male-typical symptoms, however, did not increase the odds of seeking help for depression or another mental health concern. Both traditional and male-typical symptoms increased the odds of initially seeking help from a medical provider, and men with male-typical symptoms had an overall higher likelihood of seeking help from a medical provider. Consequently, it is important that medical professionals assess for depression even when it is not a presenting concern.

An Electronic Workshop on the Performance Seeking Control and Propulsion Controlled Aircraft Results of the F-15 Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control Flight Research Program

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, Sheryll Goecke (Compiler)

1995-01-01

Flight research for the F-15 HIDEC (Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control) program was completed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in the fall of 1993. The flight research conducted during the last two years of the HIDEC program included two principal experiments: (1) performance seeking control (PSC), an adaptive, real-time, on-board optimization of engine, inlet, and horizontal tail position on the F-15; and (2) propulsion controlled aircraft (PCA), an augmented flight control system developed for landings as well as up-and-away flight that used only engine thrust (flight controls locked) for flight control. In September 1994, the background details and results of the PSC and PCA experiments were presented in an electronic workshop, accessible through the Dryden World Wide Web (http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/dryden.html) and as a compact disk.

'I am not a depressed person': how identity conflict affects help-seeking rates for major depressive disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Caroline; Farrand, Paul; O'Mahen, Heather

2012-10-02

There is a significant treatment gap for patients with depression. A third of sufferers never seek help, and the vast majority of those who do only do so after considerable delay. Little is understood regarding poor help-seeking rates amongst people with depression, with existing research mainly focussed on the impact of barriers to treatment. The current study explored psychological factors affecting help-seeking behaviour in clinically depressed individuals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 current or previously clinically depressed participants who either had or had not sought professional help. Thematic analysis was used to analyse results. The onset of depressive symptoms created conflict with participants' identity and personal goals. Delays in seeking help were primarily attributed to the desire to protect identity and goals from the threat of depressive symptoms. Participants used avoidance strategies to reduce the perceived threat of depressive symptoms on identity. These strategies interfered with help-seeking. Help-seeking was only undertaken once participants reached a point of acceptance and began to make concessions in their identity and goals, at which time they reduced their use of avoidance. Difficulties resolving conflict between identity and depressive symptoms may account for significant delays in seeking help for depression. The results have implications for predicting health behaviour and improving treatment uptake for depression, and may inform existing help-seeking models.

A Study On The Psychometric Features Of The Turkish Version Of The Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (Bsss-8 For Young Adults And The Relation Between Sensation Seeking And Life Satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eyup Celik

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to adapt the sensation seeking scale for young adults into Turkish and to investigate if the life satisfaction of university students differ significantly in terms of sensation seeking. In addition, it was investigated whether the life satisfaction levels of university students differ significantly in terms of gender. The data for this research was collected from 570 university students. The original form of BSSS-8 consist of 8 items and 4 factors. The scale was subjected to CFA in order to determine the structural validity of its Turkish version and it was found that this version had a single factor structure. The results of the CFA suggested acceptable levels of fit indices (χ2/df = 4.46, RMSEA = .07, GFI =96, CFI = .94, IFI = .94, NFI = .93, AGFI = .93, and NNFI = .91. The reliability coefficient of the scale was found at a level of .79. Furthermore, corrected item total correlation were found to be in a range between .22 and .59. The results suggest that the single factor structure of the scale produces valid and reliable results. In addition, it was found that the life satisfaction levels of university students differ significantly in terms of sensation seeking level, but life satisfaction levels of university students do not differ significantly in terms of gender. The results showed that the life satisfaction levels of students with lower sensation seeking are higher than of students with higher sensation seeking

Mental health-related stigma and pathways to care for people at risk of psychotic disorders or experiencing first-episode psychosis: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gronholm, P C; Thornicroft, G; Laurens, K R; Evans-Lacko, S

2017-08-01

Stigma associated with mental illness can delay or prevent help-seeking and service contact. Stigma-related influences on pathways to care in the early stages of psychotic disorders have not been systematically examined. This review systematically assessed findings from qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research studies on the relationship between stigma and pathways to care (i.e. processes associated with help-seeking and health service contact) among people experiencing first-episode psychosis or at clinically defined increased risk of developing psychotic disorder. Forty studies were identified through searches of electronic databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts) from 1996 to 2016, supplemented by reference searches and expert consultations. Data synthesis involved thematic analysis of qualitative findings, narrative synthesis of quantitative findings, and a meta-synthesis combining these results. The meta-synthesis identified six themes in relation to stigma on pathways to care among the target population: 'sense of difference', 'characterizing difference negatively', 'negative reactions (anticipated and experienced)', 'strategies', 'lack of knowledge and understanding', and 'service-related factors'. This synthesis constitutes a comprehensive overview of the current evidence regarding stigma and pathways to care at early stages of psychotic disorders, and illustrates the complex manner in which stigma-related processes can influence help-seeking and service contact among first-episode psychosis and at-risk groups. Our findings can serve as a foundation for future research in the area, and inform early intervention efforts and approaches to mitigate stigma-related concerns that currently influence recognition of early difficulties and contribute to delayed help-seeking and access to care.

Information seeking behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjørland, Birger

2000-01-01

A general theory of information seeking behaviour must include an outline of an evolutionary theory of how organisms have adapted their cognitive apparatus to the demands raised in order to cope with their environments. It should describe important qualitative stages in this development and explain...

A synthesis of qualitative research exploring the barriers to staying in work with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Toye, Francine; Seers, Kate; Allcock, Nick; Briggs, Michelle; Carr, Eloise; Barker, Karen

2016-01-01

Qualitative research can help to advance our understanding, management and prevention of work disability. Our aim was to integrate qualitative research findings in order to increase our understanding of barriers to stay in work with chronic pain. We searched five electronic bibliographic databases until September 2012, supplemented by citation tracking and hand-searching. We used meta-ethnography to synthesis our findings. Central to meta-ethnography is identifying “concepts” and developing a conceptual model. Concepts were compared and organised into categories. The following categories can have an impact on the decision to remain in work: struggling to affirm myself as a good worker; balancing life and work in the face of unpredictable symptoms; my work colleagues don't believe me; the system does not facilitate return to work; the battle for legitimacy. Our innovation is to present an internationally relevant model based on a conceptual synthesis. This model highlights the adversarial work experience of people with chronic. The papers span 15 years of qualitative research. A significant finding is that these themes continue to pervade the current work environment for those in pain, and this has clear implications for education, social care and policy. People with chronic pain face an adversarial struggle to maintain their credibility at work. Strategies to maintain personal credibility can have an adverse effect on working lives. Changes at a systems level are needed to facilitate continuance and return to work. Cultural changes in the way that we view people with pain would help to keep people in work.

Sexual orientation and treatment-seeking for depression in a multilingual worldwide sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutter, Tara M; Flentje, Annesa; Dilley, James W; Barakat, Suzanne; Liu, Nancy H; Gross, Margaret S; Muñoz, Ricardo F; Leykin, Yan

2016-12-01

Prior research has found higher rates of mental health problems among sexual minority individuals. We examine treatment-seeking for depression, as well as its relationship with sexual orientation, in a large, multilingual, international sample. Participants in an automated, quintilingual internet-based depression screening tool were screened for depression, and completed several background measures, including sexual orientation (with an option to decline to state) and past and current depression treatment seeking. 3695 participants screened positive for current or past depression and responded to the sexual orientation question. Those who declined to state their sexual orientation were far less likely to seek any treatment than individuals endorsing any orientation; they were especially unlikely to seek psychotherapy. Individuals identifying as bisexual sought both psychotherapy and alternative treatments at a higher rate than other groups. An interaction was observed between sexual orientation and gender, such that lesbian women were especially likely to have used psychotherapy. Other variables that emerged as significant predictors of treatment-seeking for depression included age and participant's language. Limitations include possible misinterpretation of translated terms due to regional differences, and possible limits to generalizability due to this study being conducted on the internet. Our results suggest that individuals who decline to state their sexual orientation may be more likely to forgo effective treatments for depression. Further studies of depression service utilization should focus on developing treatment modalities that could better engage sexual minority individuals, especially those who are reluctant to disclose their orientation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of opioid-seeking reinstatement in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Fattore, Liana; Fadda, Paola; Zanda, Mary Tresa; Fratta, Walter

2015-01-01

The inability to maintain drug abstinence is often referred to as relapse and consists of a process by which an abstaining individual slips back into old behavioral patterns and substance use. Animal models of relapse have been developed and validated over the last decades, and significantly contributed to shed light on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying vulnerability to relapse. The most common procedure to study drug-seeking and relapse-like behavior in animals is the "reinstatement model." Originally elaborated by Pavlov and Skinner, the concepts of reinforced operant responding and conditioned behavior were applied to addiction research not before 1971 (Stretch et al., Can J Physiol Pharmacol 49:581-589, 1971), and the first report of a reinstatement animal model as it is now used worldwide was published only 10 years later (De Wit and Stewart, Psychopharmacology 75:134-143, 1981). According to the proposed model, opioids are typically self-administered intravenously, as humans do, and although rodents are most often employed in these studies, this model has been used with a variety of species including nonhuman primates, dogs, cats, and pigeons. A variety of operant responses are available, depending on the species studied. For example, a lever press or a nose poke response typically is used for rodents, whereas a panel press response typically is used for nonhuman primates. Here, we describe a simple and easily reproducible protocol of heroin-seeking reinstatement in rats, which proved useful to study the neurobiological mechanisms underlying relapse to heroin and vulnerability factors enhancing the resumption of heroin-seeking behavior.

Racial and ethnic minority college students' stigma associated with seeking psychological help: Examining psychocultural correlates.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Hsiu-Lan; Kwan, Kwong-Liem Karl; Sevig, Todd

2013-01-01

Many college students underuse professional psychological help for mental health difficulties. The stigma associated with seeking such help appears to be one of the reasons for this underuse. Levels of psychological distress and past use of counseling/psychotherapy have been found to be important correlates of stigma associated with seeking psychological help (Obasi & Leong, 2009; Vogel, Wade, & Haake, 2006). For racial and ethnic minorities, the hindering effects of self-stigma and perceived stigmatization by others on treatment seeking may further be compounded by their relationships with their own ethnic groups, with other ethnic groups, and with the dominant society. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a model that explored the effects of psychological distress and psychocultural variables (i.e., ethnic identity, other-group orientation, perceived discrimination) on perceived stigmatization by others and self-stigma for seeking psychological help, controlling for past use of counseling/psychotherapy. The sample consisted of 260 African American, 166 Asian American, and 183 Latino American students. SEM multigroup analyses indicated measurement invariance, but partial structural invariance, across racial/ethnic groups. Across all 3 groups, higher levels of psychological distress and perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, respectively, predicted higher levels of perceived stigmatization by others for seeking psychological help, which, in turn, predicted greater self-stigma for seeking psychological help. Higher levels of other-group orientation predicted lower levels of self-stigma of seeking psychological help across groups. Higher levels of ethnic identity predicted lower levels of self-stigma of seeking psychological help only for African Americans. Implications for research and practice are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

The Actions of Teacher-Librarians Minimize or Reinforce Barriers to Adolescent Information Seeking. A Review of: Meyers, Eric M., Lisa P. Nathan, and Matthew L. Saxton. “Barriers to Information Seeking in School Libraries: Conflicts in Perceptions and Practice.” Information Research 12:2 (2007: paper 295.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie McKenna

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Objective – To study high school teacher-librarians and whether their actions and reactions are aligned with their perception of the role they play in creating an information seeking and learning environment.Design – Triangulation qualitative research undertaken over a 16 month period (Fall 2005 – 2007.Setting – Six high school libraries in the Puget Sound region of the state of Washington, United States.Subjects – Six teacher-librarians, each with a minimum of ten years experience and classroom teachers and students. This sample represented the range of school sizes, the rural, urban, and suburban mix, and the range of significant socioeconomic conditions (qualification for subsidized lunch and English as an additional language in the region.Methods – Four interviews of one to two hours were held with each teacher-librarian during school hours. Initial interviews were recorded by hand and a set question protocol was used (and included in the appendix. Questions were asked about their professional background and training; their job duties, day to day activities and priorities; their perceptions as to how others (e.g., peers and administrators support the library; the goals of their library’s services; how students use the library; and their critical assessment of their role. Subsequent interviews were undertaken within two days of a classroom visit to the library and also followed a set protocol of questions (Appendix D. The second set of interviews was audio recorded and transcribed. Two classroom teachers from each school were interviewed for 30 minutes and audio recorded using a set interview protocol (Appendix C within two days of class participation in library instruction. Library observations ranging from two to three hours each occurred during a minimum of seven randomized times at each library. These observation sessions typically included class instructional sessions of thirty to ninety minutes. The observation protocols

Beliefs and perception about mental health issues: a meta-synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Choudhry FR

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Fahad Riaz Choudhry,1 Vasudevan Mani,2 Long Chiau Ming,3,4 Tahir Mehmood Khan5 1Psychology Department, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Sunway City, Selangor, Malaysia; 2College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah, Al-Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3Vector-borne Diseases Research Group (VERDI, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences CoRe, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam; 4Brain Degeneration and Therapeutics Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, 5School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Sunway City, Selangor, Malaysia Background: Mental health literacy is the beliefs and knowledge about mental health issues and their remedies. Attitudes and beliefs of lay individuals about mental illness are shaped by personal knowledge about mental illness, knowing and interacting with someone living with mental illness, and cultural stereotypes. Mental health issues are increasing and are alarming in almost every part of the world, and hence compiling this review provides an opportunity to understand the different views regarding mental disorders and problems as well as to fill the gap in the published literature by focusing only on the belief system and perception of mental health problems among general population.Method: The methodology involved a systematic review and the meta-synthesis method, which includes synthesizing published qualitative studies on mental health perception and beliefs.Sample: Fifteen relevant published qualitative and mixed-method studies, regarding the concept of mental health, were identified for meta-synthesis.Analysis: All the themes of the selected studies were further analyzed to give a broader picture of mental health problems and their perceived causes and management. Only qualitative studies, not older than 2010, focusing on beliefs about, attitudes toward, and perceptions of mental health problems, causes, and treatments were included

Loss aversion and rent-seeking: An experimental study

OpenAIRE

Kong, Xiaojing

2008-01-01

We report an experiment designed to evaluate the impact of loss aversion on rent-seeking contests. We find, as theoretically predicted, a negative relationship between rent-seeking expenditures and loss aversion. However, for any degree of loss aversion, levels of rent-seeking expenditure are higher than predicted. Moreover, we find that the effect of loss aversion becomes weaker with repetition of the contest.

DEPSCOR: Research on ARL's Intelligent Control Architecture: Hierarchical Hybrid-Model Based Design, Verification, Simulation, and Synthesis of Mission Control for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kumar, Ratnesh; Holloway, Lawrence E

2007-01-01

... modeling, verification, simulation and automated synthesis of coordinators has lead to research in this area. We have worked and are working on these issues with Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Pennsylvania State University (PSU) who have designed autonomous underwater vehicles for over 50 years primarily under the support of the U.S. Navy through the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

Employer's information and promotion-seeking activities

OpenAIRE

Epstein, Gil S.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a model in which promotion of employees within the internal firm hierarchy is determined by the individuals' allocation of time between promotion/rent-seeking and productive activity. We consider the effect of an increase in the employer's knowledge (information) regarding the employees' productivity levels on the total time spent by the workers in non-productive promotion-seeking activities.

A preliminary investigation of risks for adverse outcomes of relationship seeking on social network sites (SNS): a descriptive study of women over 50 seeking relationships on MySpace in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandeweerd, Carla; Corvin, Jaime; Coulter, Martha; Perkins, Elizabeth; Telford, Robin; Yalcin, Ali; Myers, Jaime; Yegidis, Bonnie

2014-01-01

In contrast to younger populations, little attention has been paid to the increase in seniors using Internet-based venues to find relationships and the potential risk for adverse outcomes this poses. This study examined data collected via an online survey from 45 ethnically diverse women aged 50+ "seeking relationships" on MySpace. The majority of women reported a relationship with someone they met online (85%). They also reported experiencing adverse events including financial exploitation (40%), threats (55%), and physical harm (38%) by someone they met online at levels greater than traditional relationship seeking in the general population. Directions for future research are explored.

Screening for depression and help-seeking in postpartum women during well-baby pediatric visits: an integrated review.

Science.gov (United States)

Liberto, Terri L

2012-03-01

The purposes of this integrated review are to examine the literature on screening for depression and help-seeking behaviors by postpartum women during pediatric well-baby visits; to identify gaps in the literature relating to depression and help-seeking behaviors; and to discuss implications for practice and future research. An extensive search of primary source documents was conducted in Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Mental Measurements Yearbook, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Women's Studies International using the key words postpartum, postpartum depression (PPD), help seeking, and pediatric setting or pediatrician. Thirty-five articles relevant to help seeking, PPD, and screening in the pediatric setting were included in this review. Research studies included both quantitative and qualitative articles. PPD affects 10% to 15% of all women after birth. Postpartum women generally do not seek help for depression. Untreated PPD has significant adverse affects on parenting, maternal bonding, and the infant's emotional and behavioral development. Interaction with the woman's obstetric provider ends shortly after the baby's birth. However, interactions with the pediatric office are initiated and continue throughout the infant's first two years of life. Early recognition of PPD and appropriate treatment are imperative for positive maternal-infant outcomes. A majority of women do not seek help for depression from any source. Because mothers have routine interactions with pediatric office staff during the first few years after giving birth, pediatric nurse practitioners and pediatricians have the perfect opportunity to screen and educate women regarding symptoms, treatment, and available resources for PPD. Copyright © 2012 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

When red means go : non-normative effects of red under sensation seeking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mehta, R.; Demmers, J.; van Dolen, W.M.; Weinberg, C.B.

Although previous research has identified red as the color of compliance, the current work proposes that this effect of red may not hold under high sensation-seeking propensity conditions. It is argued that the color red has the capability to induce arousal, which in turn has been shown to enhance a

SYNTHESIS OF METHACRYLATES FROM COAL-DERIVED SYNGAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, B.W.L.; Spivey, J.J.; Gogate, M.R.; Zoeller, J.R.; Colberg, R.D.; Choi, G.N.

1999-12-01

Research Triangle Institute (RTI), Eastman Chemical Company, and Bechtel have developed a novel process for synthesis of methyl methacrylate (MMA) from coal-derived syngas, under a contract from the US Department of Energy/Fossil Energy Technology Center (DOE/FETC). This project has resulted in five US patents (four already published and one pending publication). It has served as the basis for the technical and economic assessment of the production of this high-volume intermediate from coal-derived synthesis gas. The three-step process consists of the synthesis of a propionate from ethylene carbonylation using coal-derived CO, condensation of the propionate with formaldehyde to form methacrylic acid (MAA); and esterification of MAA with methanol to yield MMA. The first two steps, propionate synthesis and condensation catalysis, are the key technical challenges and the focus of the research presented here.

Design, Synthesis, and Applications of Carbon Nanohoops

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-23

rings via one electron reduction reactions was feasible. Therefore, the synthesis and spectroscopic investigations of these ring systems by reducing...Release; Distribution Unlimited UU UU UU UU 23-05-2016 15-Feb-2012 14-Feb-2016 Final Report: Design, Synthesis , and Applications of Carbon Nanohoops The...Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 Caron Nanohoops, paracyclophanes, carbon nanotubes, organic synthesis REPORT

Bone-seeking /sup 99m/Tc complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subramanian, G.; McAfee, J.G.

1977-01-01

A bone-seeking, technetium-99m-tin-phosphonate complex effective as a skeletal-imaging agent has been found particularly useful for diagnostic purposes. Skeletal tissue concentrations or technetium-99m obtained with the complex compare favorably to other bone-seeking radionuclides

Learning outcomes for communication skills across the health professions: a systematic literature review and qualitative synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Denniston, Charlotte; Molloy, Elizabeth; Nestel, Debra; Woodward-Kron, Robyn; Keating, Jennifer L

2017-04-07

The aim of this study was to identify and analyse communication skills learning outcomes via a systematic review and present results in a synthesised list. Summarised results inform educators and researchers in communication skills teaching and learning across health professions. Systematic review and qualitative synthesis. A systematic search of five databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL plus and Scopus), from first records until August 2016, identified published learning outcomes for communication skills in health professions education. Extracted data were analysed through an iterative process of qualitative synthesis. This process was guided by principles of person centredness and an a priori decision guide. 168 papers met the eligibility criteria; 1669 individual learning outcomes were extracted and refined using qualitative synthesis. A final refined set of 205 learning outcomes were constructed and are presented in 4 domains that include: (1) knowledge (eg, describe the importance of communication in healthcare), (2) content skills (eg, explore a healthcare seeker's motivation for seeking healthcare),( 3) process skills (eg, respond promptly to a communication partner's questions) and (4) perceptual skills (eg, reflect on own ways of expressing emotion). This study provides a list of 205 communication skills learning outcomes that provide a foundation for further research and educational design in communication education across the health professions. Areas for future investigation include greater patient involvement in communication skills education design and further identification of learning outcomes that target knowledge and perceptual skills. This work may also prompt educators to be cognisant of the quality and scope of the learning outcomes they design and their application as goals for learning. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Beyond the genetic basis of sensation seeking: The influence of birth order, family size and parenting styles

OpenAIRE

Feij, Jan A,; Taris, Toon W.

2010-01-01

Genetic analyses of sensation seeking have shown fairly high heritabilities for measures of this trait. However, 40 to 60% of the variance remains unexplained by genetic factors. This longitudinal study examines the influence of characteristics of the family environment -- birth order, family size, socio-economic status and parenting styles -- on two dimensions of sensation seeking: disinhibition and boredom susceptibility. Previous research has shown that these dimensions load on the same fa...

Facilitators and barriers in treatment seeking for cannabis dependence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Pol, P.; Liebregts, N.; de Graaf, R.; Korf, D.J.; van den Brink, W.; van Laar, M.

2013-01-01

Background Relatively few cannabis dependent people seek treatment and little is known about determinants of treatment seeking. Methods Treatment determinants were compared among 70 DSM-IV cannabis dependent patients and 241 non-treatment seeking DSM-IV cannabis dependent community subjects. In

Facilitators and barriers in treatment seeking for cannabis dependence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Pol, Peggy; Liebregts, Nienke; de Graaf, Ron; Korf, Dirk J.; van den Brink, Wim; van Laar, Margriet

2013-01-01

Relatively few cannabis dependent people seek treatment and little is known about determinants of treatment seeking. Treatment determinants were compared among 70 DSM-IV cannabis dependent patients and 241 non-treatment seeking DSM-IV cannabis dependent community subjects. In addition, perceived

Predictors of Help-Seeking Intentions in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans and Service Members.

Science.gov (United States)

Porcari, Carole; Koch, Ellen I; Rauch, Sheila A M; Hoodin, Flora; Ellison, Grant; McSweeney, Lauren

2017-05-01

Despite significant numbers of Afghanistan and Iraqi veterans and service members who report symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, the majority do not seek help for these problems. A better understanding of the help-seeking process might aid providers and administrators in outreach and provision of services for those who need them. Past research has shown several variables that influence an individual's help-seeking behavior: demographic variables, the nature and severity of a mental health problem, and psychological variables. The three goals of the study were to determine which variables predicted help-seeking intentions from various sources for a psychological problem, identify barriers to help seeking, and identify sources of help sought in the past year. All Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans and service members registered with a Midwestern VA Healthcare System between 2001 and 2007 received a letter requesting participation in an Internet-based survey. Participants completed nine questionnaires regarding their current physical and psychological health, social support, self-efficacy, public and self-stigma, and barriers to seeking help for a psychological problem. In addition, patterns of help seeking from informal (i.e., partner/spouse, family, friends) and formal (i.e., physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist, either from Veterans Affairs [VA] or the private sector) sources of help were examined. Results from the linear regression model including all formal and informal sources of help indicated a significant model fit with attitudes toward psychotherapy, social support, and current mental health status as significant coefficients. Of note, attitudes toward psychotherapy were a significant coefficient in all help-seeking models; stigma was a significant coefficient with formal and VA sources, and social support was found to be a significant predictor with informal sources

Variation in general practitioners' information-seeking behaviour

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Videbæk Le, Jette; Pedersen, Line Bjørnskov; Riisgaard, Helle

2016-01-01

characteristics. Further insights could provide opportunities for targeting information dissemination strategies. Single-handed GPs seek information from colleagues less frequently than GPs in partnerships and do not use other sources more frequently. GPs aged above 44 years do not seek information as frequently...

Does Embarrassment Contribute to Delay in Seeking Medical Care for Breast Cancer? A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamadreza Neishaboury

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Embarrassment and shame of visiting a doctor for a breast disease are among psychosocial factors that potentially contribute to delay in seeking medical advice. The purpose of this study is to review the published literature to determine if embarrassment regarding breast examination, diagnosis and treatment is associated with patient delay.Methods: We searched PubMed with the following key terms: patient acceptance of health care (MeSH, breast neoplasms/psychology (MeSH, shame (MeSH, embarrassment, delayed diagnosis, to find relevant literature published before August 2015.Results: The studies that explicitly assessed the association between embarrassment and delay for seeking medical advice for breast cancer were very limited. Among these studies, only 2 were quantitative studies, 4 were based on qualitative research and 4 were reviews. Other studies assessed attitudes in population-based surveys or included patients (females and males suffering from different types of cancer.Conclusions: Women should be educated that diseases of the breast need to be cared for as health issues in other parts of the body. They should be informed that embarrassment in this regard is not related to grace and integrity but can be potentially life-threatening. Further research is necessary to quantify the association of embarrassment or shame with delay in seeking diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. More research can elucidate the ways that the negative impact of shame/embarrassment can be minimized in different ethnic groups.

Gaps in knowledge: tracking and explaining gender differences in health information seeking.

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Manierre, Matthew J

2015-03-01

Self-directed health information seeking has become increasingly common in recent years, yet there is a substantial body of evidence suggesting that females are more likely to engage in information seeking than males. Previous research has largely ignored the significance of this difference as both an empirical and a theoretical finding. The current study has two goals, seeking to track this sex gap over time and to test explanations for its existence. The three explanations tested are based in past findings of gendered division of childcare labor, gendered reactivity to illness, and gendered perceived risk of illness. These were tested using multiple dependent variables from both repeated cross sectional data and 2012 data from the Health Information Trends Survey (HINTS). Results show that females are significantly more likely to look for cancer information, information in general, and information over the Internet over time than males, though the gap may be closing in the case of cancer information. The three explanations also received little clear support though perceived risk of getting cancer acted as a mediator through which men may be less likely to look for cancer information. Based on this analysis it is clear that a sex gap in information seeking is present and theories of masculinity and health may hold promise in some contexts but additional explanations are needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Women׳s help-seeking behaviours for depressive symptoms during the perinatal period: Socio-demographic and clinical correlates and perceived barriers to seeking professional help.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Ana; Gorayeb, Ricardo; Canavarro, Maria Cristina

2015-12-01

This study aims to characterize the help-seeking behaviours of women who were screened positive for perinatal depression, to investigate its sociodemographic and clinical correlates, and to characterize the perceived barriers that prevent women from seeking professional help. Cross-sectional internet survey. Participants were recruited through advertisements published in pamphlets and posted on social media websites (e.g., Facebook) and websites and forums that focused on pregnancy and childbirth. 656 women (currently pregnant or who had a baby during the last 12 months) completed the survey. Participants were assessed with the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, and were questioned about sociodemographic and clinical data, help-seeking behaviours and perceived barriers to help-seeking. Different pathways of help-seeking were found, with only 13.6% of women with a perinatal depression seeking help for their emotional problems. Married women, currently pregnant women, and women without history of psychological problems had a higher likelihood of not engaging in any type of help-seeking behaviour. The majority of women who had not sought professional assistance identified several barriers to help-seeking, particularly knowledge barriers. Strategies to increase women׳s help-seeking behaviours should be implemented, namely improving mental health literacy, introducing screening procedures for mental health problems in pre/postnatal health care settings, and offering women innovative opportunities (e.g., web-based tools) that allow them to overcome the practical barriers to help-seeking. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of derivatives of tetronic acid and pulvinic acid. Total synthesis of norbadione A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallinger, A.

2008-11-01

When vegetables like mushrooms are contaminated by radioactive caesium 137, this radioactive caesium is associated to norbadione A, a natural pigment present in two mushroom species and which can be used as a caesium decorporation agent or maybe as protection agent against ionizing radiations. Within this perspective, this research report describes the biosynthesis and the structure and properties of the norbadione A and of pulvinic acids (physicochemical properties, anti-oxidizing properties). Then, it presents the various tetronic acids (3-acyl-, 3-alkyl-, 3-alkoxy-, 3-aryl-tetronic acids and non 3-substituted tetronic acids), their synthesis path as they are described in the literature, and presents a new synthesis approach using a tandem reaction (with different esters or hydroxy esters) and the synthesis of tetronic acids. The author also proposes a new synthesis way for methyl pulvinates, and finally reports the work on the development of a total synthesis of the norbadione A

Seeking Medical Information Using Mobile Apps and the Internet: Are Family Caregivers Different from the General Public?

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Kim, Hyunmin; Paige Powell, M; Bhuyan, Soumitra S; Bhuyan, Soumitra Sudip

2017-03-01

Family caregivers play an important role to care cancer patients since they exchange medical information with health care providers. However, relatively little is known about how family caregivers seek medical information using mobile apps and the Internet. We examined factors associated with medical information seeking by using mobile apps and the Internet among family caregivers and the general public using data from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey 4 Cycle 1. The study sample consisted of 2425 family caregivers and 1252 non-family caregivers (the general public). Guided by Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking (CMIS), we examined related factors' impact on two outcome variables for medical information seeking: mobile apps use and Internet use with multivariate logistic regression analyses. We found that online medical information seeking is different between family caregivers and the general public. Overall, the use of the Internet for medical information seeking is more common among family caregivers, while the use of mobile apps is less common among family caregivers compared with the general public. Married family caregivers were less likely to use mobile apps, while family caregivers who would trust cancer information were more likely to use the Internet for medical information seeking as compared to the general public. Medical information seeking behavior among family caregivers can be an important predictor of both their health and the health of their cancer patients. Future research should explore the low usage of mobile health applications among family caregiver population.

Practices for Improving Secondary School Climate: A Systematic Review of the Research Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Voight, Adam; Nation, Maury

2016-09-01

School climate has received increased attention in education policy and, in response, educators are seeking strategies to improve the climates of their middle and high schools. However, there has been no comprehensive synthesis of the empirical evidence for what works in school climate improvement. This article constitutes a systematic review of programs and practices with empirical support for improving school climate. It defines school climate and provides a methodology for identifying and evaluating relevant studies. The review identified 66 studies with varying strength of evidence and nine common elements that cut across reviewed programs and practices. The review concludes with a critical appraisal of what we know about school climate improvement and what we still need to know. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Classical table services in commercial catering: standardization proposal and clarifications for future researches

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Rodolfo Wendhausen Krause

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study aims to synthesize the scientific knowledge with the empirical knowledge of the authors of this article on the four main types/styles of individual services in gastronomic full service establishments. In addition, it seeks to, as secondary objectives, to simplify and standardize the types of classic services in restaurants. These objectives were met through a positivist methodological approach. It had as research techniques a comparative analysis and synthesis of the state of the art on the typology of classical services with the empirical knowledge of the authors. Subsequently, the validation of standardization proposal was made by a panel of evaluators. We came to simplify the services into three basic categories: French Service; Direct English Service and Platted Service. It is understood that, because it is an exploratory study, the proposal is the beginning of scientific research on the subject. Therefore, it has to be investigated in greater depth in future studies. Therefore, the research field of the mise en place is the area that greater needs research of this nature.

Mechanisms of host seeking by parasitic nematodes.

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Gang, Spencer S; Hallem, Elissa A

2016-07-01

The phylum Nematoda comprises a diverse group of roundworms that includes parasites of vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Human-parasitic nematodes infect more than one billion people worldwide and cause some of the most common neglected tropical diseases, particularly in low-resource countries [1]. Parasitic nematodes of livestock and crops result in billions of dollars in losses each year [1]. Many nematode infections are treatable with low-cost anthelmintic drugs, but repeated infections are common in endemic areas and drug resistance is a growing concern with increasing therapeutic and agricultural administration [1]. Many parasitic nematodes have an environmental infective larval stage that engages in host seeking, a process whereby the infective larvae use sensory cues to search for hosts. Host seeking is a complex behavior that involves multiple sensory modalities, including olfaction, gustation, thermosensation, and humidity sensation. As the initial step of the parasite-host interaction, host seeking could be a powerful target for preventative intervention. However, host-seeking behavior remains poorly understood. Here we review what is currently known about the host-seeking behaviors of different parasitic nematodes, including insect-parasitic nematodes, mammalian-parasitic nematodes, and plant-parasitic nematodes. We also discuss the neural bases of these behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Insomnia patients' help-seeking experiences.

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Cheung, Janet M Y; Bartlett, Delwyn J; Armour, Carol L; Glozier, Nicholas; Saini, Bandana

2014-03-04

Timely access to appropriate treatment is important for optimizing insomnia management. To date, little is known about insomnia patients' treatment experiences or how they access and engage with the available health care resources. This study sought to capture the help-seeking experiences and behavioral patterns of patients with insomnia who are seeking or receiving specialist care. A purposive sample of 26 insomnia patients from specialist sleep and mental health clinics located in metropolitan New South Wales, Australia was recruited. Participants completed a brief questionnaire, followed by an in-depth, semi-structured interview. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using framework analysis. Three key themes emerged from the data: patients' sleep beliefs, treatment beliefs, and accessing specialized care. The findings show that daytime symptoms arising from insomnia serve as important illness cues for patients to seek medical help. In addition, participants' treatment pathways highlight factors that prevent the widespread use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), including limited awareness about CBT-I, tentative referral mechanisms, limited service providers, and the high cost of CBT-I.

PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS’ COGNITIVE STRUCTURES CONCERNING PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND THEIR DEGREE OF UNDERSTANDING

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Cem Gerçek

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose of education is to actualise meaningful learning. Therefore, researching the issues on how students process information and how they configure it is important for meaningful learning. The issue of protein synthesis contains a number of abstract topics and concepts. Hence, it is important in biology teaching to be informed of students’ cognitive structures concerning protein synthesis. This research aims to analyse prospective teachers’ cognitive structures about protein synthesis and their degree of understanding the subject. The research group was composed of 17 volunteering prospective teachers who had been chosen through purposeful sampling. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Flow maps and content analysis were used in analysing the data. The results demonstrated that prospective teachers had too many misconceptions about protein synthesis and that their knowledge extent and rich connection are inadequate. The prospective teachers’ degree of understanding protein synthesis was divided into three categories. The results obtained in this research suggested that teachers should be careful in teaching the subject of protein synthesis. Students’ prior knowledge and their misconceptions should be determined and content or contexts to facilitate them to learn an abstract subject such as protein synthesis should be presented.

Green Chemistry Techniques for Gold Nanoparticles Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Cannavino, Sarah A.; King, Christy A.; Ferrara, Davon W.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are often utilized in many technological and research applications ranging from the detection of tumors, molecular and biological sensors, and as nanoantennas to probe physical processes. As these applications move from the research laboratory to industrial settings, there is a need to develop efficient and sustainable synthesis techniques. Recent research has shown that several food products and beverages containing polyphenols, a common antioxidant, can be used as reducing agents in the synthesis of AuNPs in solution. In this study, we explore a variety of products to determine which allow for the most reproducible solution of nanoparticles based on the size and shapes of particles present. We analyzed the AuNPs solutions using extinction spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. We also develop a laboratory activity to introduce introductory chemistry and physics students to AuNP synthesis techniques and analysis.

Antecedents dan Consequences dari Feedback-Seeking Orientation di Costa Crociere

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Trias Septyoari Putranto

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Cruise ship, as a home away from home place, which has a perisable product with the complex activity from their employees, certainly should have a potential character to keep sustainable in the service industry. To keep it sustainable, the management should have a good relationship with their employees and customers. In this research, a good relationship with the employee can be created by a good motivation, leadership, and it has an effect with the feedback. This condition can be seen by the employees’ job satisfaction. The management can drive a conductive working condition to help generate a good service climate. The research was undertaken in a cruise ship service industry in Italy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of employees’ motivation and leadership of feedback-seeking orientation and their job satisfaction. Sample was collected from 100 respondents, the employees’, with simple random sampling method, questionnaire, and an interview with the management. The collected data was analyzed with path analysis which using the statistic program LISREL 8.7 for Windows, and the questionnaire was adopted from Paswan (2005 and Chou (2002. The findings suggest that motivation and leadership have a significant effect on feedback-seeking orientation. Besides, feedbackseeking orientation also has a significant effect on job satisfaction.

Graphic organizers and their effects on the reading comprehension of students with LD: a synthesis of research.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ae-Hwa; Vaughn, Sharon; Wanzek, Jeanne; Wei, Shangjin

2004-01-01

Previous research studies examining the effects of graphic organizers on reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities (LD) are reviewed. An extensive search of the professional literature between 1963 and June 2001 yielded a total of 21 group design intervention studies that met the criteria for inclusion in the synthesis. Using graphic organizers (i.e., semantic organizers, framed outlines, cognitive maps with and without a mnemonic) was associated with improved reading comprehension overall for students with LD. Compared to standardized reading measures, researcher-developed comprehension measures were associated with higher effect sizes. Initial gains demonstrated when using graphic organizers were not revealed during later comprehension tasks or on new comprehension tasks.

Solar Market Research and Analysis Projects | Solar Research | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Market Research and Analysis Projects Solar Market Research and Analysis Projects Solar market research and analysis efforts at NREL seek to further solar technologies' role in supporting a more . Midscale Commercial Market Solar Analysis NREL experts are providing analysis to expand the midscale solar

Mental health treatment-related stigma and professional help seeking among student veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Currier, Joseph M; McDermott, Ryon C; McCormick, Wesley H

2017-11-01

Record numbers of military veterans are enrolling at colleges/universities across the United States. Although a substantive subset might suffer from mental health problems, the majority of these students might not be amenable to utilizing services. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of treatment-related stigma in intentions to seek professional help among undergraduate student veterans at a university on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Focusing on 251 veterans and a gender-matched comparison group of 251 nonveterans, student veterans endorsed higher probabilities of seeking care from physicians (d = .77) and psychologists or other professionals (d = .67). In addition, nonveteran students had greater self-stigma about seeking help (d = -.27) but veterans had more negative beliefs about treatment efficacy (d = 1.07). When compared with veterans who did not exceed clinical thresholds, those with a probable need for treatment had more stigma (ds = .63). Multivariate analyses also revealed an inverse main effect of self-stigma on intentions to seek help from both professional categories. However, military experience differentially moderated associations between treatment-related beliefs and intentions to seek mental health services. Finally, exploratory analyses identified that student veterans were most likely to engage in therapy/counseling at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center or Clinic, Vet Center, or other noninstitutionally sponsored settings in the community (e.g., private practices, faith-based organizations). Looking ahead, these findings will inform research and the provision of services for addressing the mental health needs of this substantive subpopulation of college students in the United States. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring Older Adults' Health Information Seeking Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Manafo, Elizabeth; Wong, Sharon

2012-01-01

Objective: To explore older adults' (55-70 years) health information-seeking behaviors. Methods: Using a qualitative methodology, based on grounded theory, data were collected using in-depth interviews. Participants were community-living, older adults in Toronto, Canada who independently seek nutrition and health information. Interview transcripts…

Information seeking and communication behaviour of Kenya ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper discusses the findings of a study which sought insight into engineer's information seeking and communication behaviour at Kenya Railways Corporation. The study employed a user centered approach to information seeking and use unlike many past studies which were system centered. It focused broadly and ...

Understanding family health information seeking: a test of the theory of motivated information management.

Science.gov (United States)

Hovick, Shelly R

2014-01-01

Although a family health history can be used to assess disease risk and increase health prevention behaviors, research suggests that few people have collected family health information. Guided by the Theory of Motivated Information Management, this study seeks to understand the barriers to and facilitators of interpersonal information seeking about family health history. Individuals who were engaged to be married (N = 306) were surveyed online and in person to understand how factors such as uncertainty, expectations for an information search, efficacy, and anxiety influence decisions and strategies for obtaining family health histories. The results supported the Theory of Motivated Information Management by demonstrating that individuals who experienced uncertainty discrepancies regarding family heath history had greater intention to seek information from family members when anxiety was low, outcome expectancy was high, and communication efficacy was positive. Although raising uncertainty about family health history may be an effective tool for health communicators to increase communication among family members, low-anxiety situations may be optimal for information seeking. Health communication messages must also build confidence in people's ability to communicate with family to obtain the needed health information.

The Behavior of Information Seeking and Utilizing on Livelihood among Rural Poor People

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Pawit Muhammad Yusup

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to specifically assess the behavior of the rural poor people in seeking and utilizing information about livelihoods. This study focuses on the aspects of: the type of information sought and used by the rural poor people; and the way they seek and use information about livelihood for their survivability. The method used is Schutz’s qualitative tradition of phenomenology. Data collection used techniques of in-depth interviews and participatory observation of 22 rural poor people. The research location is in southern rural part of West Java. The research result shows that, the type of livelihood information sought and used by the rural poor people, referred to the kinds of unstable jobs with the limited scope of resources and channel/media. Their way to find and use livelihood information has active and passive pattern, but still refer to the resources of unstable jobs, limited scope of the search, pattern of interpersonal relationships, and informal.

Predicting Intentions to Seek Psychological Help Among Botswana University Students

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Mpho M. Pheko

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The current study had two main objectives. The first was to investigate Botswana’s university students’ intentions to seek psychological help. The second was to investigate whether (a Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help (ATSPPH, (b Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH, and (c Social Stigma of Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH predicted the students’ intentions to seek psychological help. A total of N = 519 (283 females and 236 males students from the University of Botswana completed the survey. Results indicated that generally, the students had moderate intentions of seeking psychological help. Multiple regression analysis revealed that of the three predictors, only ATSPPH and SSRPH significantly predicted intentions to seek psychological help. The current study is important because while it has been established that university students are a high-risk population for mental health problems, there is close to nothing documented on university students in Botswana. Findings of the current study will undoubtedly increase knowledge relating to psychological help-seeking and its predictors in Botswana and may inform interventions that aim to encourage young people to seek psychological or counseling help.

Help-seeking behaviour in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients: assessing the role of perceived stigma.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Shiho; Boyes, Allison; Kelly, Brian; Cox, Martine; Palazzi, Kerrin; Paul, Christine

2018-05-26

This study explored help-seeking behaviours, group identification and perceived legitimacy of discrimination, and its potential relationship with perceived lung cancer stigma. Consecutive consenting adults (n=274) with a primary diagnosis of lung cancer within the previous four months were recruited at 31 outpatient clinics in Australia. A self-report survey assessed help-seeking, group identification, perceived legitimacy of discrimination and perceived lung cancer stigma. Services providing assistance from health professionals (69.5%) and informational support (68.5%) was more frequently used than emotional-based support. Only a small proportion (2.6%) of participants were unlikely to seek help from anyone, with the most popular sources of help being the general practitioner (91.0%), and oncologist/treating clinician (81.3%). One-fifth (21.1%) indicated they identified with being a lung cancer patient, and most did not perceive discrimination against lung cancer patients. Higher perceived lung cancer stigma was significantly associated with greater perceived legitimacy of discrimination (phelp-seeking behaviours or group identification. The relationship between lung cancer stigma and perceived legitimacy of discrimination may guide initiatives to reduce stigma for patients. It is encouraging that perceived stigma did not appear to inhibit help-seeking behaviours. However further research in this emerging field is needed to investigate patterns of perceived stigma and help-seeking over time to identify how and when to offer support services most appropriate to the needs of lung cancer patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Information Seeking on the Web--An Integrated Model of Browsing and Searching.

Science.gov (United States)

Choo, Chun Wei; Detlor, Brian; Turnbull, Don

This paper presents findings from a study of how knowledge workers use the Web to seek external information as a part of their daily work. Participants were mainly IT specialists, managers, and research/marketing/consulting staff working in organizations that included a large utility company, a major bank, and a consulting firm. Thirty-four…

Understanding help-seeking amongst university students: the role of group identity, stigma, and exposure to suicide and help-seeking

Science.gov (United States)

Kearns, Michelle; Muldoon, Orla T.; Msetfi, Rachel M.; Surgenor, Paul W. G.

2015-01-01

Background: Despite a high prevalence of suicide ideation and mental health issues amongst university students, the stigma of help-seeking remains a barrier to those who are in real need of professional support. Social identity theory states that help received from an ingroup source is more welcome and less threatening to one's identity than that from a source perceived as outgroup. Therefore, we hypothesized that students' stigma toward seeking help from their university mental health service would differ based on the strength of their identification with the university. Method: An online survey including measures of stigma of suicide, group identification, experience with help-seeking and exposure to suicide was administered to Irish university students (N = 493). Results: Group identification was a significant predictor of help-seeking attitudes after controlling for already known predictors. Contrary to our expectations, those who identified more strongly with their university demonstrated a higher stigma of seeking help from their university mental health service. Conclusions: Results are discussed in relation to self-categorization theory and the concept of normative fit. Practical implications for mental health service provision in universities are also addressed, specifically the need for a range of different mental health services both on and off-campus. PMID:26483722

Understanding help-seeking amongst university students: The role of group identity, stigma and exposure to suicide and help-seeking

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Michelle eKearns

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Despite a high prevalence of suicide ideation and mental health issues amongst university students, the stigma of help-seeking remains a barrier to those who are in real need of professional support. Social identity theory states that help received from an ingroup source is more welcome and less threatening to one’s identity than that from a source perceived as outgroup. Therefore, we hypothesized that students' stigma towards seeking help from their university mental health service would differ based on the strength of their identification with the university.Method: An online survey including measures of stigma of suicide, group identification, experience with help-seeking and exposure to suicide was administered to Irish university students (N = 493.Results: Group identification was a significant predictor of help-seeking attitudes after controlling for already known predictors. Contrary to our expectations, those who identified more strongly with their university demonstrated a higher stigma of seeking help from their university mental health service.Conclusions: Results are discussed in relation to self-categorization theory and the concept of normative fit. Practical implications for mental health service provision in universities are also addressed, specifically the need for a range of different mental health services both on and off-campus.

Attitude and help-seeking for hearing impairment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

vandenBrink, RHS; Wit, HP; Kempen, GIJM; vanHeuvelen, MJG

1996-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate help-seeking for hearing impairment in the elderly, and to compare groups showing dissimilar help-seeking on their attitude toward hearing loss and hearing aids. Attitude factors were based on a revised version of the Health Belief Model, and included

Evidence synthesis software.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sophie Elizabeth; Thomas, James

2018-06-07

It can be challenging to decide which evidence synthesis software to choose when doing a systematic review. This article discusses some of the important questions to consider in relation to the chosen method and synthesis approach. Software can support researchers in a range of ways. Here, a range of review conditions and software solutions. For example, facilitating contemporaneous collaboration across time and geographical space; in-built bias assessment tools; and line-by-line coding for qualitative textual analysis. EPPI-Reviewer is a review software for research synthesis managed by the EPPI-centre, UCL Institute of Education. EPPI-Reviewer has text mining automation technologies. Version 5 supports data sharing and re-use across the systematic review community. Open source software will soon be released. EPPI-Centre will continue to offer the software as a cloud-based service. The software is offered via a subscription with a one-month (extendible) trial available and volume discounts for 'site licences'. It is free to use for Cochrane and Campbell reviews. The next EPPI-Reviewer version is being built in collaboration with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence using 'surveillance' of newly published research to support 'living' iterative reviews. This is achieved using a combination of machine learning and traditional information retrieval technologies to identify the type of research each new publication describes and determine its relevance for a particular review, domain or guideline. While the amount of available knowledge and research is constantly increasing, the ways in which software can support the focus and relevance of data identification are also developing fast. Software advances are maximising the opportunities for the production of relevant and timely reviews. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise

Gestational weight gain information: seeking and sources among pregnant women

OpenAIRE

Willcox, Jane C.; Campbell, Karen J.; McCarthy, Elizabeth A.; Lappas, Martha; Ball, Kylie; Crawford, David; Shub, Alexis; Wilkinson, Shelley A.

2015-01-01

Background Promoting healthy gestational weight gain (GWG) is important for preventing obstetric and perinatal morbidity, along with obesity in both mother and child. Provision of GWG guidelines by health professionals predicts women meeting GWG guidelines. Research concerning women?s GWG information sources is limited. This study assessed pregnant women?s sources of GWG information and how, where and which women seek GWG information. Methods Consecutive women (n?=?1032) received a mailed que...

MEDICO-SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POPULATION GROUPS SEEKING FOR DENTAL CARE IN POLYCLINICS SMOLENSK

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Светлана Николаевна Дехнич

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The research’s aim is to give health-social characteristic of contingents of the urban population, seeking for outpatient dental care, including a comparative estimation of stomatological index of life quality (SILQ by doctors and patients.Novelty: Was installed the difference in the estimation of work sets SILQ by doctors and patients.Methodology of the research work. It was used an advantage «Card of studying the dental health» for holding the research, including the objective and subjective expert estimations of the dental patient’s status by doctors. This information was comparing with the subjective estimation of SILQ by patients. The sample volume was about 400 people out of number of people, seeking for outpatient dental care in state budget dental clinics during 2011-2012 years.Results. Was installed mostly very high level of prevalence of caries, the destruction of fabrics of parodont reaches 100 % with the age. The stomatological index of life quality among the patients, seeking for outpatient care is low. One of the reasons- a low population’s sanitary culture. A big part of patients seek in case of acute pain(40%. Out of three components of SILQ the criteria of social welfare got rather high estimation. The lowest estimation was given to moral psychological well-being criteria. In this case the moral psychological well-being criteria was given a higher estimation by doctors then by patients (in 1,8. The criteria of the physical and social well-being is lower compared with the patient’s (in 1,8 and 1,2 times respectively.Practical implication: Indicators SILQ may be the basis for planning activities of stomatological polyclinics, including the preventive dentists’ work.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-6-46

Seeking Health Information Online: The Moderating Effects of Problematic Situations on User Intention

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Lidan Xia

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study investigates how online user intention in searching health information is affected by problematic situations. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Technology Acceptance Model, and Sense-making theory, we propose two dimensions of problematic situations: urgency and severity of health issues being searched online. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey among 214 Wuhan University students and analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. Findings: Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and subjective norm can influence user intention to seek health information online. The urgency of problematic situations has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between perceived ease of use and user intention and the relationship between subjective norm and user intention. The severity of problematic situations has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between subjective norm and user intention. Research limitations: The respondents of the survey are limited to students in one Chinese university, so whether this study’s results can be applied to another population or not remains to be verified. In addition, only two dimensions of problematic situations are considered in this study. Practical implications: The paper puts forward the moderating effect of problematic situations and verifies it, which is the compensation for online health information-seeking behavior research. Besides, our analyses have implications for professional design of health care systems and related consumer information searches, and improve their performance. Originality/value: Previous work has reported the effects of problematic situation on user intention to seek health information online, ignoring its influence on other factors. This empirical study extends that work to identify the influence of problematic situation when seeking intention-behavior data in two dimensions, urgency and