A developmental education program model for high -risk minority baccalaureate nursing students

The purpose of this study was to define and describe a Developmental Education Program Model for high-risk minority baccalaureate nursing students based upon perceived needs determined by nursing students and nursing faculty. The research examined differences between Black and Non-Black nursing students in level of importance of concerns and issues related to academic, financial, psycho-social and personal areas of student life; faculty perceptions of the differences between Black and Non-Black nursing students in the level of importance of concerns and issues related to academic, financial, psycho-social and personal areas of student life; and the difference between Black and Non-Black nursing faculty perceptions of level of importance of issues and concerns of academic, financial, psycho-social, and personal areas for Black nursing students. In this study two data collection methods were used, questionnaire and interview. The questionnaire was completed by all students and faculty. Black baccalaureate nursing students and nursing faculty were interviewed. The most significant differences were seen in the category of Personal Issues. Student identified concerns and issues related to both academic and health problems. Faculty identified the greatest differences in Academic Issues. The framework for the model which evolved out of the data uses needs from: (1) a whole person perspective (outcome oriented needs); (2) a programmatic perspective (input oriented needs); and (3) learning domain perspective (process oriented needs). ^

Youth Sports: Implementing Findings and Moving Forward with Research

This paper reviews the literature, outlines practical implications, and discusses future studies in youth sport researc h. The literature is discussed in light of three potential benefits of youth sport participation 1) physic al health, 2) psycho- social development, and 3) motor skills acquisition. The ultimate objective of youth sport programs is to consider all the benefits of youth sport participation rather than focusing on one or two at the cost of the other(s). It is suggested that researchers, s port administrators, coaches, and parents work together to promote sporting activities and programs that are more likely to enhance children’s physical health, psychosocia l development and lifelong recreational or elite sport participation.

Antropología de la Conservación en España. Balance y perspectivas

En este artículo presentamos un balance de la Antropología de la Conservación en el Estado español. Durante las últimas décadas, la protección de los espacios naturales ha aumentado de una manera exponencial en todo el mundo. A la vez que se extendía esta patrimonialización de la naturaleza, los trabajos etnográficos sobre las áreas protegidas han ido ganando terreno dentro de la disciplina y, en particular, en el campo de la Antropología Ambiental. La mencionada bibliografía ha puesto de relieve los múltiples aspectos derivados de las nuevas políticas territoriales de regulación, apropiación y mercantilización de la ‘naturaleza’. En este trabajo realizamos una revisión exhaustiva de la producción generada a raíz de este interés por las áreas protegidas en nuestro país subrayando sus principales aportaciones, características y debilidades. De este modo pretendemos reflexionar acerca de su continuidad, con el fin de evitar la mera reiteración y favorecer el avance en sus resultados.

Indicators on community art practices: some reflections

From the Divercity project, the article reflects on methodology, good practices and indicators useful for community art practices. At first term, social exclusión is defined as well as community art, and which features it presents. Subsequently, the article reviews the indicators that are being used to measure the success or achievement of community arts practice, raising criticism from equality and including indicators that measure the well-being of women.

Valorization of cultural diversity throught Good Practices Dissemination on Art Mediation: sharing experiencies

In this article, as part of the Erasmus+ project “Divercity”, we focus on the collection and analysis of good practices in Spain and other countries in Europe. The project revolves around the development of methods that valorize cultural diversity and in this respect, identifying and sharing best practices on diversity and inclusion through artistic mediation inside museums, culture institutions, our urban walks, forms an mandatory stage of the research process.

The activity of the feminist online publications: challenges for the transmission of the feminist culture in Spain

Traditionally, big media corporations have contributed to hiding the women’s movement itself, as well as its main claims and topics of discussion (Marx, Myra y Hess, 1995; Rhode, 1995; Mendes, 2011). This has led the feminist movement to develop its own media generally print publications, usually, with a very specialized character and reduced audience. This is similar to what has occurred with quality main stream media, asthese publications have had to adapt themselves to a new communicatiion context, because of the financial crisis and  technological evolution. Feminist media has found in the Internet an excellent opportunity to access citizens and communicate their messages. , In view of this scene of change and renovation,  this article offers the results of a qualitative analysis focused on the experiences of four feminist online media sites edited in Spain: Pikaramagazine.com, Proyecto-kahlo.com, Mujeresenred.net and Laindependent.cat. Besides exploring the characteristics and content of these sites, the article pays attention to the virality of their contents spread through Facebook and Twitter. The onclusion estimates their social impact, insofar as they symbolize the specialization, diversification and dialogue promoted by the Web.

Achieving forms of sustainable and competitive tourism in coastal areas: the case of Baixo Vouga

Tourism has become the world’s largest industry, and has overcome economic sectors such as oil production and car manufacturing. It is foreseen that tourism will continue to expand in the future and will spread all around the world. In Europe, the tourism sector is made of 440 million international arrivals that are responsible for accounting about 10% of European GDP and generating 20 million jobs. Coastal destinations are major tourist destinations. This is due to their physical attractiveness, beautiful landscapes, and fine open space for leisure activities. Nevertheless, sun-sea-sand tourism depends very much on the environment. In this way, coastal destination ought to be properly planned so they do not exceed the limits of acceptable change (LAC) of the ecosystems, and keep their attractiveness. Being an economic activity, it is essential that coastal tourism is competitive, and show capacity to attracting new and enlarged markets. Coastal destinations should diversify its products and services, smooth seasonality and become more competitive. Diversification should create more growth and employment, and also reduce environmental, economic and social impact caused by the concentration of tourism activity in a few months of the year and the use of only the beach resource. This paper aims at analyzing the application of the competitiveness concept to tourism in coastal areas (Ria de Aveiro region, Central Portugal), and draws attention to the principle of environmental, economical and social sustainability.

Evaluation of Tottenham Thinking Space Pilot: Final Report. Research Report 11.

This reports summarises research that began in March 2014 and was completed in October 2015 by an experienced inter-disciplinary research team from the Centre for Social Justice and Change and Psycho-Social Research Group, School of Social Sciences, the University of East London (UEL) and included Dr Yang Li from the Centre for Geo-Information Studies, UEL, for the first phase of the study. Tottenham ‘Thinking Space’ (TTS) was a pilot therapeutic initiative based in local communities and delivered by the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust and funded by the London Borough of Haringey Directorate of Public Health. TTS aimed to improve mental health and enable and empower local communities. TTS was situated within a mental health agenda that was integral to Haringey’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2012-2015 and aimed to encourage people to help themselves and each other and develop confident communities. On the one hand TTS was well-suited to this agenda, but, on the other, participants were resistant to, and were trying to free themselves from labelling that implied ‘mental health difficulties’. A total of 243 meetings were held and 351 people attended 1,716 times. The majority of participants attended four times or less, and 33 people attended between 5 and 10 times and 39 people attended over 10 times. Attending a small number of times does not necessarily mean that the attendee was not helped. Attendees reflected the ethnic diversity of Tottenham; 29 different ethnic groups attended. The opportunity to meet with people from different cultural backgrounds in a safe space was highly valued by attendees. Similarly, participants valued the wide age range represented and felt that they benefited from listening to inter-generational experiences. The majority of participants were women (72%) and they were instrumental in initiating further Thinking Spaces, topic specific meetings, the summer programme of activities for mothers and young children and training to meet their needs. The community development worker had a key role in implementing the initiative and sustaining its growth throughout the pilot period. We observed that TTS attracted those whose life experiences were marked by personal struggle and trauma. Many participants felt safe enough to disclose mental health difficulties (85% of those who completed a questionnaire). Participants also came seeking a stronger sense of community in their local area. Key features of the meetings are that they are democratic, non-judgemental, respectful, and focussed on encouraging everyone to listen and to try to understand. We found that the therapeutic method was put in place by high quality facilitators and health and personal outcomes for participants were consistent with those predicted by the underpinning psychoanalytical and systemic theories. Outcomes included a reduction in anxieties and improved personal and social functioning; approximately two thirds of those who completed a questionnaire felt better understood, felt more motivated and more hopeful for the future. The overwhelming majority of survey respondents also felt good about contributing to their community, said that they were more able to cooperate with others and accepting of other cultures, and had made new friends. Participants typically had a better understanding of their current situation and how to take positive action; of those who completed a questionnaire, over half felt more confident to seek support for a personal issue and to contact services. Members of TTS supported each other and instilled hope and build community-mindedness that reduced social isolation.

Fungal and Oomycete Diseases

Fungal and oomycete pathogens are the causal agents of many important plant diseases. They affect crops that are staple foods for humans and livestock and are responsible for significant economic losses every year. This in turn generates a global social impact. Although fungi and oomycetes evolved separately, they share similar strategies and weaponry to attack plants. Here we review the challenges to global food security posed by these pathogens, current technologies used for detection and diagnostics, the latest understanding of pathogens' strategies to colonize plants, and current and future control measures. Genomic sequences of several important fungal and oomycete pathogens, as well as many crop plants, are now available and are helping to increase understanding of host–pathogen interactions. Recent developments in this field are discussed.

Empowering single mothers in Iran : Applying a problem-solving model in learning groups to develop participants' capacities to improve their lives

Since 2000, a problem-solving model has been taught to the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child, and teachers and  students of social work in two universities in Iran. Since 2006, with the initiation of UNICEF, social workers, psychologists  and even some psychiatrists in Iran have been learning this model. In 2008, a group of researchers created an empowerment-oriented  psycho-social group and private intervention project to assess whether a group of Iranian single mothers could use this model, which was traditionally used by professionals only, to effectively and independently meet challenges in their own lives. Our results show that all women used the model effectively and, consequently, made more deliberate decisions to improve their life situations. Some of the women succeeded in finding a job and many improved their family relationships. This study suggests that empowerment-oriented social work can help many clients to achieve their goals, and that this psycho-social intervention project can be a useful model for social work in Iran and many other societies.

Mass mortality in bivalves and the intricate case of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas

Massive mortality outbreaks in cultured bivalves have been reported worldwide and they have been associated with infection by a range of viral and bacterial pathogens. Due to their economic and social impact, these episodes constitute a particularly sensitive issue in Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) production. Since 2008, mortality outbreaks affecting C. gigas have increased in terms of intensity and geographic distribution. Epidemiologic surveys have lead to the incrimination of pathogens, specifically OsHV-1 and bacteria of the Vibrio genus, in particular Vibrio aestuarianus. Pathogen diversity may partially account for the variability in the outcome of infections. Host factors (age, reproductive status…) including their genetic background that has an impact on host susceptibility towards infection, also play a role herein. Finally, environmental factors have significant effects on the pathogens themselves, on the host and on the host-pathogen interaction. Further knowledge on pathogen diversity, classification, and spread, may contribute towards a better understanding of this issue and potential ways to mitigate the impact of these outbreaks.

PART STUDY OF PERCEPTION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN THE LIBRARY COMMUNITY: OPINION (AS) EMPLOYERS (AS) AND GRADUATES (AS) SCHOOL LIBRARY, DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION FOR THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

This article provides a brief description of some general aspects of self-evaluation process conducted in the School of Library, Documentation and Information from the National University of Costa Rica, to obtain accreditation from the career of Library and Documentation in 2005 and to achieve re-accreditation in 2009.The objective consists in a comparison between the two evaluation processes from the point of view of two specific sectors, employers and graduates, and presents the views provided by each of them as a partial analysis of the social impact assessment of educational programs in the community librarianship as a first input to raise awareness of the importance of these studies in the institutional and national level.

A esperança do doente em contexto de cuidados continuados

Enquadramento: Actualmente existe um elevado números de pessoas em situação de dependência, com algum tipo de incapacidade funcional ou em risco de perda de funcionalidade, que necessitam ingressar na Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados com o intuito de se promover uma melhoria das condições de vida e bem-estar das pessoas, através da prestação de cuidados continuados de saúde e de apoio social. Aceitando a vulnerabilidade da pessoa humana, a doença revela-se como um período de fragilidade circunstancial às condições decorrentes da sua existência. O utente/família deparam-se com a desmoralização, a ameaça, o desamparo e a perda de sentido, podendo levar o mesmo a uma profunda tristeza, desespero e sofrimento. Neste sentido e tendo em conta que a esperança influencia o bem-estar e uma vez que se encontra ligada à existência, tanto física como emocional e espiritual é fundamental percebermos até que ponto a esperança pode ajudar a pessoa a lidar com o futuro. Objetivos: Avaliar níveis de esperança nos Doentes internados em Cuidados Continuados, e identificar determinantes socio-demográficos, clínicas e psicossociais correlacionadas com essa esperança. Métodos: O estudo foi realizado,na Unidade de Cuidados Continuados da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Seia, nas unidades de internamento de Média Duração e Reabilitação e Unidade de Longa Duração e Manutenção. O questionário foi aplicado a 46 doentes, com idades compreendidas entre os 46 e os 92 anos de idade ( x =74.39 anos). Trata-se de um estudo não experimental, quantitativo, do tipo transversal, descritivo e correlacional. O instrumento de recolha de dados integrou um Questionário de caracterização sócio-demográfica e clínica, a escala da Esperança (Herth Hope Index), uma escala para a avaliação da Qualidade de Vida – Functinal Assessement of Cancer Therapy – General e o Questionário de Sono de Oviedo. Resultados: Os dados mostram que 45,7% dos participantes apresenta esperança reduzida, 39,1% esperança elevada e 15,2% esperança moderada. Constatámos ainda que apenas o “bem-estar funcional” da escala da QDV e os “fenómenos adversos” da escala do sono se correlacionam significativamente (p=0,000; p=0,035) com a esperança explicando respetivamente 55,2% e 31,1% da variância explicada. Já o género, idade, estado civil, situação profissional, escolaridade, rendimento mensal, tipologia e número de internamentos, mostraram não estar relacionados com a esperança dos nossos doentes. Conclusão: A esperança é uma crença ou virtude inerente ao Homem, que pode assumir níveis diferenciados, que acompanha o ser humano no seu processo de viver e de morrer condicionando ajustes nos momentos de crise, afectando e/ou sendo afetada pelo bem-estar e a qualidade de vida. Palavras-chave: Cuidados Continuados, Esperança, Qualidade de Vida, Doentes, Sono.

Connecting people and ideas from around the world: global innovation platforms for next-generation ecology and beyond

We present a case for using Global Community Innovation Platforms (GCIPs), an approach to improve innovation and knowledge exchange in international scientific communities through a common and open online infrastructure. We highlight the value of GCIPs by focusing on recent efforts targeting the ecological sciences, where GCIPs are of high relevance given the urgent need for interdisciplinary, geographical, and cross-sector collaboration to cope with growing challenges to the environment as well as the scientific community itself. Amidst the emergence of new international institutions, organizations, and meetings, GCIPs provide a stable international infrastructure for rapid and long-term coordination that can be accessed by any individual. This accessibility can be especially important for researchers early in their careers. Recent examples of early-career GCIPs complement an array of existing options for early-career scientists to improve skill sets, increase academic and social impact, and broaden career opportunities. We provide a number of examples of existing early-career initiatives that incorporate elements from the GCIPs approach, and highlight an in-depth case study from the ecological sciences: the International Network of Next-Generation Ecologists (INNGE), initiated in 2010 with support from the International Association for Ecology and 20 member institutions from six continents.