Santeria as an Informal Psychosocial Support Among Latinas Living with Cancer

Among Latinos, Santería functions as both a religion and a health care system in occurrences of health versus illness within various Latino sub-groups in the U.S. This exploratory study offers a comprehensive analysis of the function of the folk healing tradition Santería as a culturally congruent informal mental health support that assists with coping with the psychosocial sequelae of living with cancer among Latinas in Miami-Dade County, FL. It (a) determined the attitudes of Latinas living with cancer towards Santería as an informal mental health support and (b) explored how Santería offers Latinas effective mental health support that assists in coping with the psychosocial sequelae of living with cancer. The mechanisms and characteristics underlying the motivations of Latinas living with cancer to seek and integrate this informal modality for their cancer care were identified. A purposive sample of 15 Latinas ages 18 and older in Miami-Dade County who had received a diagnosis of cancer were recruited from sites in Miami-Dade offering formal mental health support services and botánicas. Data collection incorporated in-depth interviews and a validation focus group. In an effort to generate theory through a modified Grounded Theory approach, data analysis was accomplished by means of multiple coding passes and the constant comparison method which resulted in higher levels codes that were grouped into three major themes: 1) Participants’ Experience with Folk Healers, 2) Influence of Santería on the Cancer Experience, and 3) Participants’ Experience with Conventional Healthcare and Mental Healthcare. Results illustrate how, among Latinas, the folk healing tradition of Santería co-occurs with professional medical and mental health treatment in what Arthur Kleinman defines as the popular sector, which identifies and sets the parameters for culturally acceptable forms of healthcare and mental health treatment options.

Collectively coping with contact: The role of intragroup support in dealing with the challenges of intergroup mixing in residential contexts

The social identity approach to stress has shown how intragroup support processes shape individuals' responses to stress across health care, workplace, and community settings. However, the issue of how these 'social cure' processes can help cope with the stress of intergroup contact has yet to be explored. This is particularly important given the pivotal role of intergroup threat and anxiety in the experience of contact as well as the effect of contact on extending the boundaries of group inclusion. This study applies this perspective to a real-life instance of residential contact in a divided society. Semi-structured interviews with 14 Catholic and 13 Protestant new residents of increasingly mixed areas of Belfast city, Northern Ireland, were thematically analysed. Results highlight that transitioning to mixed communities was fraught with intergroup anxiety, especially for those coming from 'single identity' areas. Help from existing residents, especially when offered by members of other religious denominations, signalled a 'mixed community ethos' to new residents, which facilitated adopting and sharing this identity. This shared identity then enabled them to deal with unexpected intergroup threats and provided resilience to future sectarian division. New residents who did not adopt this shared identity remained isolated, fearful, and prone to negative contact.

Oncology research and clinical decisions based on immunohistochemistry: the importance of the technical aspects that support a complex method

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is the group of techniques that use antibodies as specific reagents to identify and demonstrate several cell and tissue components that are antigens. This linking allows locating and identifying the in situ presence of various substances by means of color that is associated with the formed antigen-antibody complexes. The practical value of this biotechnology area, widely used in Pathology and Oncology, in diagnostic, prognostic, theranostic and research context, results from the possibility of combining a colour marker with an antibody without causing any damage to specific binding established between antibody and antigen. This provides the microscopic observation of the target locations where the antibody and hence the antigen are present. IHC is presented as a powerful means for identification of several cellular and tissue structures that can be associated with pathologies, and of the consequences, at functional and morphological level, of these same elements action.

Evaluating the use of mobile collaborative augmented reality within field service networks: the case of Océ Italia – Canon Group

The adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) technologies can make the provision of field services to industrial equipment more effective. In these situations, the cost of deploying skilled technicians in geographically dispersed locations must be accurately traded off with the risks of not respecting the service level agreements with the customers. This paper, through the case study of a leading OEM in the production printing industry, presents the challenges that have to be faced in order to favour the adoption of a particular kind of AR named Mobile Collaborative Augmented Reality (MCAR). In particular, this study uses both qualitative and quantitative research. Firstly, a demonstration to show how MCAR can support field service was settled in order to achieve information about the use experience of the people involved. Then, the entire field force of Océ Italia – Canon Group was surveyed in order to investigate quantitatively the technicians’ perceptions about the usefulness and ease of use of MCAR, as well as their intentions to use this technology.

Parente sensitive support by paediatric nurses

Introdução The hospitalization of a child is an experience that causes big changes in child and his family life. The parents often suffer from stress and anxiety. This can affect their relationship with the child. Because of the closeness to the parents, nurses have an important role in giving parents support so they can reduce their stress and have more energy to support and take care of their children and in the inclusion of the family in the process of care Objectivos The aim of this study was to define what family-centered care is, to define the needs of hospitalized children's parents and to identify the strategies and methods that the nurses use to give parental support adapted to the parent's needs. It was also a goal to identify and understand the main differences between parental support given by nurses in Belgium and Portugal. Metodologia The study exists out of two parts. First is an integrative review of literature. The search was performed using the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL , PubMed and Science Direct. 18 Articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. They had to involve nurses, hospitalized children between 0 and 18 years and their parents. Second part was a focus group. The participants were pediatric nurses from Portugal and Belgium. The goal was to understand different perspectives related to the parental needs of hospitalized children and nursing interventions to answer that needs. Resultados family-centered care can be considered as a partnership between family and nurses. It has some general principles: information sharing, respect differences, negotiation and care in the context of the family. Parent's participation is important to reduce the parental stress and it is essential for meeting the needs of the children. Parents have different needs: knowledge and communication, support, comfort, proximity and assurance. Parents cope with stress in different ways and nurses can support them while they are in the hospital. It is a nurse task to identify the stressors and know methods of emotional support, so she can protect the family structure. Nurses should always see the family as a path to the child, with whom the nurses should worry about taking care and meeting their needs. This is crucial to ensure the family's well-being, adaption to hospitalization and the child's recovery. Conclusões Nurses should collect information about the family which includes family relationships, cultural and religious habits and familiar dynamic. Parents need interpersonal emotional support. It is important for parents to be close to their children but they also need to take care of themselves. When nurses have enough information they can use it to the identification of parental needs and the planning of nursing interventions. It is important that nurses create an environment where parents feel safe and that they have privacy. To create a therapeutic and professional relationship efficient communication is needed. Parents will experience less stress and anxiety.

IFRS 9 ‘Financial instruments’: Anticipated effects of the standard change at Kesko Group

IFRS 9 Financial instruments presents the classification and measurement, the impairment and the hedge accounting requirements for accounting of financial instruments. The standard was set by the International Accounting Standards Board to replace IAS 39 Financial instruments: Recognition and Measurement on 1 January 2018. Hence, the long-criticized and complexly experienced requirements for accounting of financial instruments will undergo the most significant reform. This thesis addresses anticipated effects of IFRS 9, focusing on the challenges the new classification and measurement requirements bring forth in the case organization Kesko. This thesis was conducted as an action research, in which, a case study method was applied. The thesis was conducted with a twofold manner, which involved general analysis of IFRS 9 and further covered distinct ambitions related to the case organization. For the general part, empirical data was gathered by interviewing two IFRS experts from KPMG and PwC, while the interviews within the case organization constituted for the case study. Further, the literature on the IFRS 9 was such scant that the theoretical examination was merged with the IFRS experts’ quotations that also strived to contribute to the overall objective of reinforcing the body of research related to the subject. This thesis indicates that IFRS 9 will most fundamentally reform the impairment and the hedge accounting requirements of financial instruments. Regard to impairment, the changes are anticipated to increase the amount of loan-loss provisions, whereas the relaxed hedge accounting requirements are expected to encourage more companies to commence the application of hedge accounting. The thesis provides empirical support on that the term business model for managing financial assets, introduced in IFRS 9, is ably hard to comprehend and remains ambiguous. It goes on to argue that the most prominent issue in defining the business model for managing financial assets is the limits set in IFRS 9 for selling financial assets. In consideration of Kesko, this thesis finds that the key effects of IFRS 9 are anticipated to be the reshaping of the organization’s treasury policy and further examination of the possibility to apply hedge accounting for foreign exchange derivatives. What is more, the thesis presumes that complying the requirements of IFRS 9 Kesko will apply the hold to collect and sell model for managing financial assets in future.

Parente sensitive support by paediatric nurses

Introdução The hospitalization of a child is an experience that causes big changes in child and his family life. The parents often suffer from stress and anxiety. This can affect their relationship with the child. Because of the closeness to the parents, nurses have an important role in giving parents support so they can reduce their stress and have more energy to support and take care of their children and in the inclusion of the family in the process of care Objectivos The aim of this study was to define what family-centered care is, to define the needs of hospitalized children's parents and to identify the strategies and methods that the nurses use to give parental support adapted to the parent's needs. It was also a goal to identify and understand the main differences between parental support given by nurses in Belgium and Portugal. Metodologia The study exists out of two parts. First is an integrative review of literature. The search was performed using the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL , PubMed and Science Direct. 18 Articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. They had to involve nurses, hospitalized children between 0 and 18 years and their parents. Second part was a focus group. The participants were pediatric nurses from Portugal and Belgium. The goal was to understand different perspectives related to the parental needs of hospitalized children and nursing interventions to answer that needs. Resultados family-centered care can be considered as a partnership between family and nurses. It has some general principles: information sharing, respect differences, negotiation and care in the context of the family. Parent's participation is important to reduce the parental stress and it is essential for meeting the needs of the children. Parents have different needs: knowledge and communication, support, comfort, proximity and assurance. Parents cope with stress in different ways and nurses can support them while they are in the hospital. It is a nurse task to identify the stressors and know methods of emotional support, so she can protect the family structure. Nurses should always see the family as a path to the child, with whom the nurses should worry about taking care and meeting their needs. This is crucial to ensure the family's well-being, adaption to hospitalization and the child's recovery. Conclusões Nurses should collect information about the family which includes family relationships, cultural and religious habits and familiar dynamic. Parents need interpersonal emotional support. It is important for parents to be close to their children but they also need to take care of themselves. When nurses have enough information they can use it to the identification of parental needs and the planning of nursing interventions. It is important that nurses create an environment where parents feel safe and that they have privacy. To create a therapeutic and professional relationship efficient communication is needed. Parents will experience less stress and anxiety.

Marine Strategy Framework Directive. task group 8 : report contaminants and pollution effects

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) (MSFD) requires that the European Commission (by 15 July 2010) should lay down criteria and methodological standards to allow consistency in approach in evaluating the extent to which Good Environmental Status (GES) is being achieved. ICES and JRC were contracted to provide scientific support for the Commission in meeting this obligation. A total of 10 reports have been prepared relating to the descriptors of GES listed in Annex I of the Directive. Eight reports have been prepared by groups of independent experts coordinated by JRC and ICES in response to this contract. In addition, reports for two descriptors (Contaminants in fish and other seafood and Marine Litter) were written by expert groups coordinated by DG SANCO and IFREMER respectively. A Task Group was established for each of the qualitative Descriptors. Each Task Group consisted of selected experts providing experience related to the four marine regions (the Baltic Sea, the North-east Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea) and an appropriate scope of relevant scientific expertise. Observers from the Regional Seas Conventions were also invited to each Task Group to help ensure the inclusion of relevant work by those Conventions. This is the report of Task Group 8 Contaminants and pollution effects.

From crime to court - an experience report of a digital forensics group project module.

This paper discusses the large-scale group project undertaken by BSc Hons Digital Forensics students at Abertay University in their penultimate year. The philosophy of the project is to expose students to the full digital crime "life cycle", from commission through investigation, preparation of formal court report and finally, to prosecution in court. In addition, the project is novel in two aspects; the "crimes" are committed by students, and the moot court proceedings, where students appear as expert witnesses for the prosecution, are led by law students acting as counsels for the prosecution and defence. To support students, assessments are staged across both semesters with staff feedback provided at critical points. Feedback from students is very positive, highlighting particularly the experience of engaging with the law students and culminating in the realistic moot court, including a challenging cross-examination. Students also commented on the usefulness of the final debrief, where the whole process and the student experience is discussed in an informal plenary meeting between DF students and staff, providing an opportunity for the perpetrators and investigators to discuss details of the "crimes", and enabling all groups to learn from all crimes and investigations. We conclude with a reflection on the challenges encountered and a discussion of planned changes.

A longitudinal qualitative exploration of healthcare and informal support needs among survivors of critical illness: the RELINQUISH protocol.

Introduction and background: Survival following critical illness is associated with a significant burden of physical, emotional and psychosocial morbidity. Recovery can be protracted and incomplete, with important and sustained effects upon everyday life, including family life, social participation and return to work. In stark contrast with other critically ill patient groups (eg, those following cardiothoracic surgery), there are comparatively few interventional studies of rehabilitation among the general intensive care unit patient population. This paper outlines the protocol for a sub study of the RECOVER study: a randomised controlled trial evaluating a complex intervention of enhanced ward-based rehabilitation for patients following discharge from intensive care. Methods and analysis: The RELINQUISH study is a nested longitudinal, qualitative study of family support and perceived healthcare needs among RECOVER participants at key stages of the recovery process and at up to 1 year following hospital discharge. Its central premise is that recovery is a dynamic process wherein patients’ needs evolve over time. RELINQUISH is novel in that we will incorporate two parallel strategies into our data analysis: (1) a pragmatic health services-oriented approach, using an a priori analytical construct, the ‘Timing it Right’ framework and (2) a constructivist grounded theory approach which allows the emergence of new themes and theoretical understandings from the data. We will subsequently use Qualitative Health Needs Assessment methodology to inform the development of timely and responsive healthcare interventions throughout the recovery process. Ethics and dissemination: The protocol has been approved by the Lothian Research Ethics Committee (protocol number HSRU011). The study has been added to the UK Clinical Research Network Database (study ID. 9986). The authors will disseminate the findings in peer reviewed publications and to relevant critical care stakeholder groups.

Participation Space Studies: a socio-technical exploration of activist and community groups’ use of online and offline spaces to support their work

Participation Space Studies explore eParticipation in the day-to-day activities of local, citizen-led groups, working to improve their communities. The focus is the relationship between activities and contexts. The concept of a participation space is introduced in order to reify online and offline contexts where people participate in democracy. Participation spaces include websites, blogs, email, social media presences, paper media, and physical spaces. They are understood as sociotechnical systems: assemblages of heterogeneous elements, with relevant histories and trajectories of development and use. This approach enables the parallel study of diverse spaces, on and offline. Participation spaces are investigated within three case studies, centred on interviews and participant observation. Each case concerns a community or activist group, in Scotland. The participation spaces are then modelled using a Socio-Technical Interaction Network (STIN) framework (Kling, McKim and King, 2003). The participation space concept effectively supports the parallel investigation of the diverse social and technical contexts of grassroots democracy and the relationship between the case-study groups and the technologies they use to support their work. Participants’ democratic participation is supported by online technologies, especially email, and they create online communities and networks around their goals. The studies illustrate the mutual shaping relationship between technology and democracy. Participants’ choice of technologies can be understood in spatial terms: boundaries, inhabitants, access, ownership, and cost. Participation spaces and infrastructures are used together and shared with other groups. Non-public online spaces, such as Facebook groups, are vital contexts for eParticipation; further, the majority of participants’ work is non-public, on and offline. It is informational, potentially invisible, work that supports public outputs. The groups involve people and influence events through emotional and symbolic impact, as well as rational argument. Images are powerful vehicles for this and digital images become an increasingly evident and important feature of participation spaces throughout the consecutively conducted case studies. Collaboration of diverse people via social media indicates that these spaces could be understood as boundary objects (Star and Griesemer, 1989). The Participation Space Studies draw from and contribute to eParticipation, social informatics, mediation, social shaping studies, and ethnographic studies of Internet use.

Investigating assistive technology to support memory for people with cognitive impairments

Technologies such as automobiles or mobile phones allow us to perform beyond our physical capabilities and travel faster or communicate over long distances. Technologies such as computers and calculators can also help us perform beyond our mental capabilities by storing and manipulating information that we would be unable to process or remember. In recent years there has been a growing interest in assistive technology for cognition (ATC) which can help people compensate for cognitive impairments. The aim of this thesis was to investigate ATC for memory to help people with memory difficulties which impacts independent functioning during everyday life. Chapter one argues that using both neuropsychological and human computing interaction theory and approaches is crucial when developing and researching ATC. Chapter two describes a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies which tested technology to aid memory for groups with ABI, stroke or degenerative disease. Good evidence was found supporting the efficacy of prompting devices which remind the user about a future intention at a set time. Chapter three looks at the prevalence of technologies and memory aids in current use by people with ABI and dementia and the factors that predicted this use. Pre-morbid use of technology, current use of non-tech aids and strategies and age (ABI group only) were the best predictors of this use. Based on the results, chapter four focuses on mobile phone based reminders for people with ABI. Focus groups were held with people with memory impairments after ABI and ABI caregivers (N=12) which discussed the barriers to uptake of mobile phone based reminding. Thematic analysis revealed six key themes that impact uptake of reminder apps; Perceived Need, Social Acceptability, Experience/Expectation, Desired Content and Functions, Cognitive Accessibility and Sensory/Motor Accessibility. The Perceived need theme described the difficulties with insight, motivation and memory which can prevent people from initially setting reminders on a smartphone. Chapter five investigates the efficacy and acceptability of unsolicited prompts (UPs) from a smartphone app (ForgetMeNot) to encourage people with ABI to set reminders. A single-case experimental design study evaluated use of the app over four weeks by three people with severe ABI living in a post-acute rehabilitation hospital. When six UPs were presented through the day from ForgetMeNot, daily reminder-setting and daily memory task completion increased compared to when using the app without the UPs. Chapter six investigates another barrier from chapter 4 – cognitive and sensory accessibility. A study is reported which shows that an app with ‘decision tree’ interface design (ApplTree) leads to more accurate reminder setting performance with no compromise of speed or independence (amount of guidance required) for people with ABI (n=14) compared to a calendar based interface. Chapter seven investigates the efficacy of a wearable reminding device (smartwatch) as a tool for delivering reminders set on a smartphone. Four community dwelling participants with memory difficulties following ABI were included in an ABA single case experimental design study. Three of the participants successfully used the smartwatch throughout the intervention weeks and these participants gave positive usability ratings. Two participants showed improved memory performance when using the smartwatch and all participants had marked decline in memory performance when the technology was removed. Chapter eight is a discussion which highlights the implications of these results for clinicians, researchers and designers.

A demonstration of mobile phone deployment to support the treatment of acutely ill children under five in Bushenyi district, Uganda.

Background: Benefits of mobile phone deployment for children <5 in low-resource settings remain unproven. The target population of the current demonstration study in Bushenyi District, Uganda, presented with acute fever, pneumonia, or diarrhoea and were treated by community health workers (CHWs) providing integrated community case management (iCCM). Methods: An observational study was conducted in five parishes (47 villages) served by CHWs well versed in iCCM with supplemental training in mobile phone use. Impact was assessed by quantitative measures and qualitative evaluation through household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Results: CHWs in targeted sites improved child healthcare through mobile phone use coupled with iCCM. Of acutely ill children, 92.6% were correctly managed. Significant improvements in clinical outcomes compared to those obtained by CHWs with enhanced iCCM training alone were unproven in this limited demonstration. Nonetheless, qualitative evaluation showed gains in treatment planning, supply management, and logistical efficiency. Provider confidence and communications were enhanced as was ease and accuracy of record keeping. Conclusion: Mobile phones appear synergistic with iCCM to bolster basic supportive care for acutely ill children provided by CHWs. The full impact of expanded mobile phone deployment warrants further evaluation prior to scaling up in low-resource settings.

"Learning together, growing with family": the implementation and evaluation of a family support programme

The "Learning together, growing with family" programme is targeted to at-risk parents and children from 6 to 11 years old, with a preventive focus on promoting positive parent-child relationships. In this study, we examined the quality of the programme implementation and its influence on the programme results in a sample of 425 parents and 138 facilitators drawn from the first trial. Mixed methods were used, consisting of: parental self-reports on parenting dimensions, professionals' records on parental attendance and appraisals on six topics of the implementation process, and focus group discussions in which facilitators reported on the initial steps of the implementation. Results showed a high quality of implementation with respect to the group facilitator and the programme organization factors, followed by the coordination with services and the support facilities offered to participants and, finally, by the factors of fidelity and prior organization steps. Results of the focus groups confirmed that the prior steps were challenging and offered the more effective strategies. Better quality in the implementation factors predicted better parenting styles and parental competencies after the programme, as well as a higher attendance rate. In sum, this study demonstrates the importance of good implementation in at-risk contexts and provides some clues as to the key elements that moderate programme effectiveness.

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHER INSTRUMENTAL SUPPORT AS A PREDICTOR OF MOTIVATION IN READING AND MATH AND ACHIEVEMENT FROM SECOND THROUGH TWELFTH GRADE

In this study, relations among students’ perceptions of instrumental help/support from their teachers and their reading and math ability beliefs, subjective task values, and academic grades, were explored from elementary through high school. These relations were examined in an overall sample of 1,062 students from the Childhood and Beyond (CAB) study dataset, a cohort-sequential study that followed students from elementary to high school and beyond. Multi-group structural equation model (SEM) analyses were used to explore these relations in adjacent grade pairs (e.g., second grade to third grade) in elementary school and from middle school through high school separately for males and females. In addition, multi-group latent growth curve (LGC) analyses were used to explore the associations among change in the variables of interest from middle school through high school separately for males and females. The results showed that students’ perceptions of instrumental help from teachers significantly positively predicted: (a) students’ math ability beliefs and reading and math task values in elementary school within the same grade for both girls and boys, and (b) students’ reading and math ability beliefs, reading and math task values, and GPA in middle and high school within the same grade for both girls and boys. Overall, students’ perceptions of instrumental help from teachers more consistently predicted ability beliefs and task values in the academic domain of math than in the academic domain of reading. Although there were some statistically significant differences in the models for girls and boys, the direction and strength of the relations in the models were generally similar for both girls and boys. The implications for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.