Le comportement informationnel des jeunes adultes qu��b��cois en mati��re de sant�� sexuelle

Depuis quelques ann��es, les statistiques indiquent une croissance exponentielle de l���incidence de certaines infections transmissibles sexuellement chez les jeunes adultes. Certaines enqu��tes t��moignent en outre des comportements peu responsables en mati��re de sant�� sexuelle chez cette population, bien que l���offre d���information sur les cons��quences de tels comportements soit importante et diversifi��e. Par ailleurs, le comportement informationnel de cette population en mati��re de sant�� sexuelle demeure peu document��. La pr��sente ��tude porte sur le comportement informationnel de jeunes adultes qu��b��cois en mati��re de sant�� sexuelle. Plus sp��cifiquement, elle r��pond aux quatre questions de recherche suivantes : (1) Quelles sont les situations probl��matiques auxquelles les jeunes adultes sont confront��s en sant�� sexuelle?, (2) Quels sont les besoins informationnels exprim��s par les jeunes adultes lors de ces situations probl��matiques?, (3) Quels sont les processus et les sources d���information qui soutiennent la r��solution de ces besoins informationnels? et (4) Quelle est l���utilisation de l���information trouv��e? Cette recherche descriptive a utilis�� une approche qualitative. Le milieu retenu est l���Universit�� de Montr��al pour deux raisons : il s���agit d���un milieu cognitivement riche qui fournit un acc��s sur place �� des ressources en sant�� sexuelle. Les huit jeunes adultes ��g��s de 18 �� 25 ans qui ont pris part �� cette ��tude ont particip�� �� une entrevue en profondeur utilisant la technique de l���incident critique. Chacun d���entre eux a d��crit une situation probl��matique par rapport �� sa sant�� sexuelle et les donn��es recueillies ont ��t�� l���objet d���une analyse de contenu bas��e sur la th��orisation ancr��e. Les r��sultats indiquent que les jeunes adultes qu��b��cois vivent des situations probl��matiques relatives �� l���aspect physique de leur sant�� sexuelle qui peuvent ��tre d��clench��es par trois types d�����l��ments : un ��v��nement �� risques, un sympt��me physique subjectif et de l���information acquise passivement. Ces situations probl��matiques g��n��rent trois cat��gories de besoins informationnels : l�����tat de sant�� actuel, les cons��quences possibles et les rem��des. Pour r��pondre �� ces besoins, les participants se sont tourn��s en majorit�� vers des sources professionnelles, personnelles et verbales. La pr��sence de facteurs contextuels, cognitifs et affectifs a particularis�� leur processus de recherche d���information en modifiant les combinaisons des quatre activit��s effectu��es, soit d��buter, encha��ner, butiner et diff��rencier. L���automotivation et la compr��hension du probl��me repr��sentent les deux principales utilisations de l���information. D���un point de vue th��orique, les r��sultats indiquent que le mod��le g��n��ral de comportement informationnel de Choo (2006), le mod��le d���environnement d���utilisation de l���information de Taylor (1986, 1991) et le mod��le d���activit��s de recherche d���information d���Ellis (1989a, 1989b, 2005) peuvent ��tre utilis��s dans le contexte personnel de la sant�� sexuelle. D���un point de vue pratique, cette ��tude ajoute aux connaissances sur les crit��res de s��lection des sources d���information en mati��re de sant�� sexuelle.

Re-engineering and Re-defining University Libraries in the context of modern Information and Communication Technologies: a study with special reference to the University Libraries in Kerala

Information and communication technologies are the tools that underpin the emerging ���Knowledge Society���. Exchange of information or knowledge between people and through networks of people has always taken place. But the ICT has radically changed the magnitude of this exchange, and thus factors such as timeliness of information and information dissemination patterns have become more important than ever.Since information and knowledge are so vital for the all round human development, libraries and institutions that manage these resources are indeed invaluable. So, the Library and Information Centres have a key role in the acquisition, processing, preservation and dissemination of information and knowledge. ln the modern context, library is providing service based on different types of documents such as manuscripts, printed, digital, etc. At the same time, acquisition, access, process, service etc. of these resources have become complicated now than ever before. The lCT made instrumental to extend libraries beyond the physical walls of a building and providing assistance in navigating and analyzing tremendous amounts of knowledge with a variety of digital tools. Thus, modern libraries are increasingly being re-defined as places to get unrestricted access to information in many formats and from many sources.The research was conducted in the university libraries in Kerala State, India. lt was identified that even though the information resources are flooding world over and several technologies have emerged to manage the situation for providing effective services to its clientele, most of the university libraries in Kerala were unable to exploit these technologies at maximum level. Though the libraries have automated many of their functions, wide gap prevails between the possible services and provided services. There are many good examples world over in the application of lCTs in libraries for the maximization of services and many such libraries have adopted the principles of reengineering and re-defining as a management strategy. Hence this study was targeted to look into how effectively adopted the modern lCTs in our libraries for maximizing the efficiency of operations and services and whether the principles of re-engineering and- redefining can be applied towards this.Data��� was collected from library users, viz; student as well as faculty users; library ,professionals and university librarians, using structured questionnaires. This has been .supplemented by-observation of working of the libraries, discussions and interviews with the different types of users and staff, review of literature, etc. Personal observation of the organization set up, management practices, functions, facilities, resources, utilization of information resources and facilities by the users, etc. of the university libraries in Kerala have been made. Statistical techniques like percentage, mean, weighted mean, standard deviation, correlation, trend analysis, etc. have been used to analyse data.All the libraries could exploit only a very few possibilities of modern lCTs and hence they could not achieve effective Universal Bibliographic Control and desired efficiency and effectiveness in services. Because of this, the users as well as professionals are dissatisfied. Functional effectiveness in acquisition, access and process of information resources in various formats, development and maintenance of OPAC and WebOPAC, digital document delivery to remote users, Web based clearing of library counter services and resources, development of full-text databases, digital libraries and institutional repositories, consortia based operations for e-journals and databases, user education and information literacy, professional development with stress on lCTs, network administration and website maintenance, marketing of information, etc. are major areas need special attention to improve the situation. Finance, knowledge level on ICTs among library staff, professional dynamism and leadership, vision and support of the administrators and policy makers, prevailing educational set up and social environment in the state, etc. are some of the major hurdles in reaping the maximum possibilities of lCTs by the university libraries in Kerala. The principles of Business Process Re-engineering are found suitable to effectively apply to re-structure and redefine the operations and service system of the libraries. Most of the conventional departments or divisions prevailing in the university libraries were functioning as watertight compartments and their existing management system was more rigid to adopt the principles of change management. Hence, a thorough re-structuring of the divisions was indicated. Consortia based activities and pooling and sharing of information resources was advocated to meet the varied needs of the users in the main campuses and off campuses of the universities, affiliated colleges and remote stations. A uniform staff policy similar to that prevailing in CSIR, DRDO, ISRO, etc. has been proposed by the study not only in the university libraries in kerala but for the entire country.Restructuring of Lis education,integrated and Planned development of school,college,research and public library systems,etc.were also justified for reaping maximum benefits of the modern ICTs.

Librarians' perceptions on the use of electronic resources at Catalan academic libraries: results of a focus group

The aim of this paper is to expand on previous quantitative and qualitative research into the use of electronic information resources and its impact on the information behaviour of academics at Catalan universities.

Physics Information Skills

An introduction to high quality information resources and databases in Physics and related disciplines. Refers to resources of information and methods of searching them.

WAIS Seminar:Evaluating the Cognitive Side of Information Interaction

Abstract In this talk, I'll focus on the work we've been doing on evaluating the cognitive side of dealing with information resources and increasingly complex user interfaces. While we can build increasingly powerful user interfaces, they often come at the cost of simple design and ease of use. I'll describe two specific studies: 1) work on the ORCHID project focused on measuring mental workload during tasks using fNIRS (a blood-oxygen-based brain scanner), and 2) a evaluation metric for measuring how much people learn during tasks. Together these provide advances towards understanding the cognitive side of information interaction, in working towards building better tools for users.

Visi��n y an��lisis de las propuestas de reforma al Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud en Colombia, vigencia 2012-2013

Con la Constituci��n Pol��tica de 1991, se inicia una nueva estructura funcional en el pa��s a partir de los preceptos consagrados en la carta magna como un estado social de derecho, situaci��n que no fue ajena al sector salud en el cual se estableci�� la seguridad social como un servicio p��blico basado en los principios fundamentales de universalidad, solidaridad y eficiencia, enunciados que fueron plasmados entre otros en la Ley 100 de 1993, la cual incorpor�� estos elementos que resultaban innovadores en el contexto. Hoy despu��s de 18 a��os de promulgada la Ley, se ha generado un modelo estructural que ha permitido mejorar los resultados en esta ��rea, que si bien posee falencias en algunos de sus componentes (Acceso, Flujo de Recursos, Salud P��blica), las mismas pueden ser superadas, con una reforma estructural al sistema que elimine los intereses particulares de los diferentes actores al momento de su elaboraci��n y promulgaci��n. Uno de los avances significativos en la reforma al sistema es la promulgaci��n de la salud como derecho fundamental, inherente al ser humano, otorgando el car��cter de inalienable, imprescriptible y sagrado, dejando en segundo plano su condici��n prestacional establecida. El derecho a la salud tendr�� como eje principal la salud p��blica armonizada con la promoci��n y prevenci��n, diagn��stico y tratamiento integral de la enfermedad, las cuales deben ser articuladas con las pol��ticas sociales, ambientales, culturales y econ��micas que permitan incidir en los determinantes sociales de la salud para mejorar la calidad de vida de la poblaci��n. La reforma a la salud en el eje de la financiaci��n como se encuentra propuesta, no generar�� cambios sustanciales toda vez que se avanza hacia un sistema en que el estado ser�� el principal actor con las funciones afiliaci��n, recaudo, pago, giro o transferencia de los recursos, responsable de la informaci��n. Sin embargo la administraci��n del riesgo en salud seguir�� delegada, funci��n que es determinante para la administraci��n de los recursos del sistema, en resumen se demuestra el inter��s del estado en retomar la gobernanza y su empoderamiento como administrador de lo p��blico, sin que esto responda a las necesidades de cambio en el sistema de salud.

The determinants of the health status in a developing country: results from the Colombian case

El art��culo busca encontrar evidencia emp��rica de los determinantes de la salud, como una medici��n de capital salud en un pa��s en desarrollo despu��s de una profunda reforma en el sector salud. Siguiendo el modelo de Grossman (1972) y tomando factores institucionales, adem��s de las variables individuales y socioecon��micas. Se usaron las encuestas de 1997 y 2000 donde se responde subjetivamente sobre el estado de salud y tipo de afiliaci��n al sistema de salud. El proceso de estimaci��n usado es un probit ordenado. Los resultados muestran una importante conexi��n entre las variables individuales, institucionales y socioecon��micas con el estado de salud. El efecto de tipo de acceso al sistema de salud presiona las inequidades en salud.

Patients' attitudes towards, and information needs in relation to, nurse prescribing in rheumatology

Aims and objectives: To assess the level of confidence that rheumatology patients would have in nurse prescribing, the effects on likely adherence and particular concerns that these patients have. In addition, given that information provision has been cited as a potential benefit of nurse prescribing, the present study assessed the extent to which these patients would want an explanation for the selected medicine, as well as which types of information should be included in such an explanation. Background: Nurse prescribing has been successfully implemented in the UK in several healthcare settings. Existing research has not addressed the effects on patients' confidence and likely adherence, nor have patients' information needs been established. However, we know that inadequate medicines information provision by health professionals is one of the largest causes of patient dissatisfaction. Methods: Fifty-four patients taking disease-modifying drugs for inflammatory joint disease attending a specialist rheumatology clinic self-completed a written questionnaire. Results: Patients indicated a relatively high level of confidence in nurse prescribing and stated that they would be very likely to take the selected medication. The level of concern was relatively low and the majority of concerns raised did not relate to the nurse's status. Strong support was expressed for the nurse providing an explanation for medicine choice. Conclusion: This research provides support for the prescription of medicines by nurses working in the area of rheumatology, the importance of nurses providing a full explanation about the selected medicines they prescribe for these patients and some indication as to which categories of information should be included. Relevance to clinical practice: Rheumatology patients who have not yet experienced nurse prescribing are, in general, positive about nurses adopting this role. It is important that nurses provide appropriate information about the prescribed medicines, in a form that can be understood.

KAIFIA: Knowledge assisted intelligent framework for information access

Accessing information, which is spread across multiple sources, in a structured and connected way, is a general problem for enterprises. A unified structure for knowledge representation is urgently needed to enable integration of heterogeneous information resources. Topic Maps seem to be a solution for this problem. The Topic Map technology enables connecting information, through concepts and relationships, and their occurrences across multiple systems. In this paper, we address this problem by describing a framework built on topic maps, to support the current need of knowledge management. New approaches for information integration, intelligent search and topic map exploration are introduced within this framework.

Consumers' attitudes, trust and willingness to pay for food information

Market failure can be corrected using different regulatory approaches ranging from high to low intervention. Recently, classic regulations have been criticized as costly and economically irrational and thus policy makers are giving more consideration to soft regulatory techniques such as information remedies. However, despite the plethora of food information conveyed by different media there appears to be a lack of studies exploring how consumers evaluate this information and how trust towards publishers influence their choices for food information. In order to fill such a gap, this study investigates questions related to topics which are more relevant to consumers, who should disseminate trustful food information, and how communication should be conveyed and segmented. Primary data were collected both through qualitative (in depth interviews and focus groups) and quantitative research (web and mail surveys). Attitudes, willingness to pay for food information and trust towards public and private sources conveying information through a new food magazine were assessed using both multivariate statistical methods and econometric analysis. The study shows that consumer attitudes towards food information topics can be summarized along three cognitive-affective dimensions: the agro-food system, enjoyment and wellness. Information related to health risks caused by nutritional disorders and food safety issues caused by bacteria and chemical substances is the most important for about 90% of respondents. Food information related to regulations and traditions is also considered important for more than two thirds of respondents, while information about food production and processing techniques, life style and food fads are considered less important by the majority of respondents. Trust towards food information disseminated by public bodies is higher than that observed for private bodies. This behavior directly affects willingness to pay (WTP) for food information provided by public and private publishers when markets are shocked by a food safety incident. WTP for consumer association (��� 1.80) and the European Food Safety Authority (��� 1.30) are higher than WTP for the independent and food industry publishers which cluster around zero euro. Furthermore, trust towards the type of publisher also plays a key role in food information market segmentation together with socio-demographic and economic variables such as gender, age, presence of children and income. These findings invite policy makers to reflect on the possibility of using information remedies conveyed using trusted sources of information to specific segments of consumers as an interesting soft alternative to the classic way of regulating modern food markets.

A decade of plant proteomics and mass spectrometry: translation of technical advancements to food security and safety issues

Tremendous progress in plant proteomics driven by mass spectrometry (MS) techniques has been made since 2000 when few proteomics reports were published and plant proteomics was in its infancy. These achievements include the refinement of existing techniques and the search for new techniques to address food security, safety, and health issues. It is projected that in 2050, the world���s population will reach 9���12 billion people demanding a food production increase of 34���70% (FAO, 2009) from today���s food production. Provision of food in a sustainable and environmentally committed manner for such a demand without threatening natural resources, requires that agricultural production increases significantly and that postharvest handling and food manufacturing systems become more efficient requiring lower energy expenditure, a decrease in postharvest losses, less waste generation and food with longer shelf life. There is also a need to look for alternative protein sources to animal based (i.e., plant based) to be able to fulfill the increase in protein demands by 2050. Thus, plant biology has a critical role to play as a science capable of addressing such challenges. In this review, we discuss proteomics especially MS, as a platform, being utilized in plant biology research for the past 10 years having the potential to expedite the process of understanding plant biology for human benefits. The increasing application of proteomics technologies in food security, analysis, and safety is emphasized in this review. But, we are aware that no unique approach/technology is capable to address the global food issues. Proteomics-generated information/resources must be integrated and correlated with other omics-based approaches, information, and conventional programs to ensure sufficient food and resources for human development now and in the future.

Improving the health forecasting alert system for cold weather and heat-waves in England: a proof-of-concept using temperature-mortality relationships

Objectives In this study a prototype of a new health forecasting alert system is developed, which is aligned to the approach used in the Met Office���s (MO) National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS). This is in order to improve information available to responders in the health and social care system by linking temperatures more directly to risks of mortality, and developing a system more coherent with other weather alerts. The prototype is compared to the current system in the Cold Weather and Heatwave plans via a case-study approach to verify its potential advantages and shortcomings. Method The prototype health forecasting alert system introduces an ���impact vs likelihood matrix��� for the health impacts of hot and cold temperatures which is similar to those used operationally for other weather hazards as part of the NSWWS. The impact axis of this matrix is based on existing epidemiological evidence, which shows an increasing relative risk of death at extremes of outdoor temperature beyond a threshold which can be identified epidemiologically. The likelihood axis is based on a probability measure associated with the temperature forecast. The new method is tested for two case studies (one during summer 2013, one during winter 2013), and compared to the performance of the current alert system. Conclusions The prototype shows some clear improvements over the current alert system. It allows for a much greater degree of flexibility, provides more detailed regional information about the health risks associated with periods of extreme temperatures, and is more coherent with other weather alerts which may make it easier for front line responders to use. It will require validation and engagement with stakeholders before it can be considered for use.

H��lsofr��mjande arbete p�� SSAB i Borl��nge : H��lsofr��mjande processer i arbetslivet och ledarskapets betydelse f��r medarbetarens h��lsa

Problem: Arbetsmilj��n ��r viktig f��r m��nniskors v��lbefinnande. H��lsofr��mjande faktorer antas inte bara styrka individens fysiska och psykiska h��lsa, utan ��ven f��retagets konkurrenskraft och l��nsamhet. I uppsatsen unders��ker vi hur f��retaget SSAB i Borl��nge arbetar med h��lsa genom att till��mpa ett h��lsofr��mjande perspektiv och utg�� fr��n teorin om K��nslan av sammanhang (KASAM). Ledarskapsv��rderingar har betydelse f��r medarbetares h��lsa (Hanson, 2004) och vi unders��ker vilken uppfattning ett antal chefer har om sina roller i det h��lsofr��mjande arbetet och deras syn p�� medarbetarunders��kningen H��lsoSAM som f��retagsh��lsov��rden p�� SSAB bedriver. Arbetsbelastningen p�� medarbetare och chefer ��kar till f��ljd av sparkrav, samtidigt som resurserna minskar (Gatu, 2003). F��ljden blir en st��rre risk f��r oh��lsa och ett s��tt att minska sjukfr��nvaron ��r att genomf��ra h��lsofr��mjande insatser (Prevent, 2001). Syfte: Syftet med studien ��r att utifr��n ett h��lsofr��mjande perspektiv f��rklara vad chefer har f��r m��jligheter att skapa f��ruts��ttningar f��r att fr��mja medarbetarnas h��lsa p�� SSAB i Borl��nge. Metod: Den metod som ligger till grund f��r uppsatsen baseras p�� ett kvalitativt angreppss��tt d��r semistrukturerade intervjuer samt litteraturstudier genomf��rts f��r att samla information. Analys: Ledarens beteende p��verkar medarbetarna. H��g arbetsbelastning p�� SSABs chefer leder till l��gre n��rvaro bland medarbetarna, vilket i sin tur ger s��mre f��ruts��ttningar f��r att fr��mja h��lsan. H��lsoSAM kartl��gger medarbetarnas h��lsol��ge, b��de v��lbefinnande och arbetskapacitet. Resultaten ��r v��gledande i det h��lsofr��mjande arbetet men ��verbelastning, tidsbrist och kunskapsbrist hos cheferna bidrar till att uppf��ljningen inte blir systematisk. F��r ett v��l fungerande h��lsoarbete kr��vs systematik. Slutsats: H��lsofr��mjande processer i arbetslivet skapas genom balans mellan krav och resurser. P�� SSAB i Borl��nge hindras h��lsoarbetet av tidsbrist och kunskapsbrist hos cheferna. Kostnadsbesparingar p��verkar h��lsoarbetet negativt och systematiken i uppf��ljningsarbetet blir lidande. Ansvaret f��r h��lsoarbetet l��ggs p�� f��retagsh��lsov��rden, men utan st��d fr��n chefer blir inte h��lsoarbetet en naturlig del i verksamheten. Det ��r viktigt att i r��dande situation se vad fr��mjande av h��lsa kan ge tillbaka till f��retaget i b��de ekonomiska och kvalitativa termer. Insikt om detta ��kar chefernas incitament att prioritera h��lsofr��mjande processer och organisera arbetet s�� att m��nniskor har f��ruts��ttningar att hantera, kontrollera och klara av sina uppgifter.

Shared decision-making in mental health care : a user perspective on decisional needs in community-based services

BACKGROUND: Shared decision-making (SDM) is an emergent research topic in the field of mental health care and is considered to be a central component of a recovery-oriented system. Despite the evidence suggesting the benefits of this change in the power relationship between users and practitioners, the method has not been widely implemented in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate decisional and information needs among users with mental illness as a prerequisite for the development of a decision support tool aimed at supporting SDM in community-based mental health services in Sweden. METHODS: Three semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 22 adult users with mental illness. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using a directed content analysis. This method was used to develop an in-depth understanding of the decisional process as well as to validate and conceptually extend Elwyn et al.'s model of SDM. RESULTS: The model Elwyn et al. have created for SDM in somatic care fits well for mental health services, both in terms of process and content. However, the results also suggest an extension of the model because decisions related to mental illness are often complex and involve a number of life domains. Issues related to social context and individual recovery point to the need for a preparation phase focused on establishing cooperation and mutual understanding as well as a clear follow-up phase that allows for feedback and adjustments to the decision-making process. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The current study contributes to a deeper understanding of decisional and information needs among users of community-based mental health services that may reduce barriers to participation in decision-making. The results also shed light on attitudinal, relationship-based, and cognitive factors that are important to consider in adapting SDM in the mental health system.

Health problems in elderly patients during the first post-stroke year

BACKGROUND: A wide range of health problems has been reported in elderly post-stroke patients. AIM: The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence and timing of health problems identified by patient interviews and scrutiny of primary health care and municipality elderly health care records during the first post-stroke year. METHODS: A total of 390 consecutive patients, ���65 years, discharged alive from hospital after a stroke event, were followed for 1 year post-admission. Information on the health care situation during the first post-stroke year was obtained from primary health care and municipal elderly health care records and through interviews with the stroke survivors, at 1 week after discharge, and 3 and 12 months after hospital admission. RESULTS: More than 90% had some health problem at some time during the year, while based on patient record data only 4-8% had problems during a given week. The prevalence of interview-based health problems was generally higher than record-based prevalence, and the ranking order was moderately different. The most frequently interview-reported problems were associated with perception, activity, and tiredness, while the most common record-based findings indicated pain, bladder and bowel function, and breathing and circulation problems. There was co-occurrence between some problems, such as those relating to cognition, activity, and tiredness. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all patients had a health problem during the year, but few occurred in a given week. Cognitive and communication problems were more common in interview data than record data. Co-occurrence may be used to identify subtle health problems.