Science-based restoration monitoring of coastal habitats, Volume Two: Tools for monitoring coastal habitats

Healthy coastal habitats are not only important ecologically; they also support healthy coastal communities and improve the quality of people’s lives. Despite their many benefits and values, coastal habitats have been systematically modified, degraded, and destroyed throughout the United States and its protectorates beginning with European colonization in the 1600’s (Dahl 1990). As a result, many coastal habitats around the United States are in desperate need of restoration. The monitoring of restoration projects, the focus of this document, is necessary to ensure that restoration efforts are successful, to further the science, and to increase the efficiency of future restoration efforts

Tackling TB together : a community participatory study of the socio-cultural factors influencing an understanding of TB within the Somali community in Sheffield

This report presents the main findings from a study which sought to gain insight into the sociocultural influences on how TB is perceived within the Somali community and how these perspectives affect the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The study also gained an understanding of healthcare practitioners’ perceptions of TB among the Somali community and their experiences of providing TB services to Somalis. A community participatory research approach was used which involved Somali community researchers and healthcare practitioners working in partnership with university researchers to design and conduct the research with the support of a community-based project advisory group. Data were collected by means of interviews and focus groups with Somali community leaders, patients suffering from TB, members of the wider Somali community, healthcare practitioners providing TB services and primary care practitioners. The findings identified a general awareness of TB among the Somali community in terms of the signs and symptoms of pulmonary TB, its treatment and prognosis. There was less understanding of nonpulmonary TB among Somali participants and some healthcare practitioners. Many Somalis lacked detailed understanding of how the disease was spread. Established community beliefs, for example that TB was a hereditary disease, or that it could be acquired by sharing eating utensils proved difficult for healthcare practitioners to challenge. Somali people spoke of how TB was perceived to be stigmatised within the Somali community. Whereas a person suffering from TB would generally share the diagnosis with their immediate family, concerns remained about the possibility of being ostracised by members of the wider community if knowledge of the disease became more widespread. This carried implications for contact tracing. However, attitudes towards TB were changing. Community leaders emphasised that as people became more knowledgeable about TB then the stigma would diminish but it was acknowledged that deeply held beliefs about the causes and consequences of TB would take some time to change. A number of barriers that hinder Somali people accessing TB services were identified. Some, like stigma, are embedded in cultural beliefs or are linked to socio-cultural activities such as chewing khat. A lack of trust and confidence in healthcare providers, especially some GPs arose from the protracted time it often took to diagnose TB. Healthcare practitioners lack of understanding of the Somali community and language barriers also hindered the uptake of primary care services. Several avenues through which culturally appropriate strategies targeted at minimising the spread of the disease, ensuring timely diagnosis and effective management of TB were identified. These are captured in the recommendations arising from the study which identify the need for a more proactive approach to raising awareness of TB within the Somali community and among primary care practitioners. Interpretations of TB are culturally bound and in order for TB services the better to meet the needs of the Somali community there is a need to develop greater awareness among healthcare practitioners of the needs of Somali patients and overcome linguistic barriers through improved access to interpreting services, especially in primary care

Preparing for a Northwest Passage: A Workshop on the Role of New England in Navigating the New Arctic

Preparing for a Northwest Passage: A Workshop on the Role of New England in Navigating the New Arctic (March 25 - 27, 2018 -- The University of New Hampshire) paired two of NSF\u27s 10 Big Ideas: Navigating the New Arctic and Growing Convergence Research at NSF. During this event, participants assessed economic, environmental, and social impacts of Arctic change on New England and established convergence research initiatives to prepare for, adapt to, and respond to these effects. Shipping routes through an ice-free Northwest Passage in combination with modifications to ocean circulation and regional climate patterns linked to Arctic ice melt will affect trade, fisheries, tourism, coastal ecology, air and water quality, animal migration, and demographics not only in the Arctic but also in lower latitude coastal regions such as New England. With profound changes on the horizon, this is a critical opportunity for New England to prepare for uncertain yet inevitable economic and environmental impacts of Arctic change

KNOWLEDGE SHARING PRACTICES WITHIN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN DEFENSE ACADEMY (NDA) LIBRARY

The paper investigates the ‘Knowledge sharing practices within academic libraries with specific reference to the Nigerian Defence Academy library. It has been observed that knowledge sharing in academic libraries is very paramount to the survival of the library. there are limitations in KS practices at the Nigerian Defence Academy library. The objectives of the study are; to investigate what the current knowledge sharing tools and practices are in library’, to identify to what extent the staff at the NDA library utilizes knowledge sharing tools, to identify the strengths and limitations in knowledge sharing practices etc. The research questions are; Does the library have a system in place that retains knowledge from experienced staff who either left or retired? Does the library have satisfactory ICT that can allow for capturing and storing explicit knowledge and subsequently allow it to be accessed by librarian (e.g database, repositories)? Do you feel that amongst colleagues there is hoarding of knowledge. The population of the study comprises of five (5) professional librarian in NDA Library. The instrument used for collecting data was questionnaire

Adaptation of Heart Failure Education Materials for the Middle Eastern Population

Cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, is the leading cause of death among male and female Middle Eastern Americans. In 2016, a medical center located in the northeastern region of the United States had an estimated 35% of heart failure patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge, 10% of these readmitted patients belonged to the local Middle Eastern community. The gap in nursing practice noted by nursing staff, patients, and their families was that the patient education materials on heart failure were not tailored to the cultural beliefs and customs of this high-risk population. The purpose of this project was to adapt the American Heart Association teaching tools on heart failure education to the Middle Eastern community to enhance compliance with treatment care plans, minimize days spent in the hospital, and decrease the readmission rates. The practice-focused question explored whether a team of experts could adapt heart failure education materials for the Middle Eastern community. An expert team met weekly to adapt the teaching materials to include information regarding effective communication techniques, adaptation to religious strictures, and modification of behavioral risks specific to Middle Eastern cultures. The information gathered was compiled and will be shared with the host medical facility. The positive social change resulting from this project might include improved culturally appropriate communication and support for the medical center\u27s Middle Eastern population of heart failure patients, which may result in improved health outcomes

The Social Media Machines: An Investigation of the Effect of Trust Moderated by Disinformation on Users’ Decision-Making Process

Social media networking sites (SMNS) have become a popular communications medium where users share information, knowledge, and persuasion. In less than two decades, social media\u27s (SM) dominance as a communication medium can\u27t be disputed, for good or evil. Combined with the newly found immediacy and pervasiveness, these SM applications\u27 persuasive power are useful weapons for organizations, angry customers, employees, actors, and activists bent on attacking or hacking other individuals, institutions, or systems. Consequently, SM has become the preferred default mechanism of news sources; however, users are unsure if the information gathered is true or false. According to the literature, SMNS generates large amounts of fake news or disinformation. The rapid proliferation of disinformation, information disseminated with the intent to harm, through SMNS has dramatically influenced and reduced people\u27s trust in the story and hints at hand. Disinformation has caused data breaches and many injured individuals and organizations, resulting in a lack of confidence in SMNS. While irrefutable that SMNS has become the new news outlet, trust remains the foundation of all communication. Since SM has changed the communication process, it is perceived as the most dangerous information dissemination vehicle known to society. Unfortunately, no one is safe from its lethality. Users must approach their usage with extreme care by understanding the technical capabilities and increasing their competence in detecting disinformation campaigns\u27 powerful influence. The continuous spread of disinformation has caused the credibility and trust of behemoths like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to be significantly affected. Since trust is an essential factor in SMNS, mistrust hinders users\u27 abilities to make informed decisions. Research suggests that people make decisions based on the available information; therefore, it can be deduced that the decision-making process of SMNS users has been forever altered. Consequently, monitoring the spread of disinformation has become a front-burner priority for the government and society. By examining the effect of trust moderated by disinformation, this study aimed to investigate the factors that affect SMNS users\u27 decision-making behaviors. Factors influencing trust were also examined using the Conformity Group Norm Theory (CGNT) and Self Concept Theory (SCT). A theoretical model was created, and there were seven constructs; decision-making (DM), trust (TR), and the trust influencing factors: identification (ID), compliance (CP), internalization (IN), agency (AG), and community (CM). The theoretical model tested was based on the linear directional relationship of trust and decision making moderated by disinformation. This research tested three social media networking sites, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, with disinformation empirically. This quantitative study employed a role-play scenario web survey methodology and adopted a two-step Pearson r correlation coefficient procedure for data analysis. Before collecting data, an expert panel reviewed, and pilot tested the survey. The expert review recommended changes to the wording, length, and formatting of the instrument, allowing the pilot test to be easily tested by participants. The web-based scenario survey was designed with a 5- point Likert scale and distributed to SMNS users through Qualtrics XM to gather data on their decision-making process. The data analysis results revealed the moderating effect of disinformation between trust and the decision-making process of SMNS users. The data supported the conformity group norm theory (CGNT) and self-concept theory (SCT) factors. The results indicated that identification (ID), compliance (CP), internalization (IN), agency (AG), and community (CM) influence trust. Since the spread of disinformation through SMNS has much broader implications for democracy and society as a whole, this research\u27s results contribute to the knowledge of SM users\u27 behavior and decision-making processes. This study also contributes to the IS body of knowledge on social cybersecurity and has implications for practitioners and academics. This study offers a model by integrating behavioral and cognitive theories better to understand the directional relationship of trust and decision-making when exposed to disinformation. The model also identifies essential elements that influence SMNS users\u27 trust and engage them in risky cybersecurity behaviors. Furthermore, this study provides evidence of the need for future US social media governance

Seafloor characterization using airborne hyperspectral co-registration procedures independent from attitude and positioning sensors

The advance of remote-sensing technology and data-storage capabilities has progressed in the last decade to commercial multi-sensor data collection. There is a constant need to characterize, quantify and monitor the coastal areas for habitat research and coastal management. In this paper, we present work on seafloor characterization that uses hyperspectral imagery (HSI). The HSI data allows the operator to extend seafloor characterization from multibeam backscatter towards land and thus creates a seamless ocean-to-land characterization of the littoral zone

Information Outlook, October 2003

Volume 7, Issue 10https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_io_2003/1009/thumbnail.jp

Osteopathic medical students\u27 knowledge and perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

As the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use increases in the general population, it is critical that medical students are knowledgeable about its appropriate use and effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to describe osteopathic medical students\u27 opinions, knowledge, perceptions, and perceived effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine. A comprehensive review of the literature revealed only five studies of medical students. All of the studies to date included allopathic rather than osteopathic medical students.;The data were collected using a 72 item, closed format survey instrument. The survey was distributed to second year students at two osteopathic medical schools. A cross-sectional self-selected sample was utilized. The analysis of data included descriptive statistics, frequencies, and t-tests. A correlation analysis and factor analysis was also conducted.;It was found that participants had generally positive attitudes about the usefulness of CAM and the need for physicians to know more about CAM. Participants reported they were less than knowledgeable about most CAM therapies; however, the more they knew about a select therapy, the more effective they thought the therapy was. Participants\u27 lack of knowledge about CAM therapies may explain why the conceptual groupings expected in the factor analysis did not occur. There were virtually no differences in results by gender.;Knowing more about students\u27 opinions, knowledge and perceived effectiveness about CAM supports the need for curricular change. Adding content to medical school curricula related to the social and behavioral aspects of health will further develop medical student competencies in CAM. The development of competencies related to social and behavioral health will improve physician/patient communication which will ultimately improve patient outcomes

Exploring effective information use in an insurance workplace

As employability has become a more visible graduate attribute, it is becoming recognised that a better understanding of information practices in work may enable a smoother transition from university to employment. This paper discusses the current state of workplace information literacy and presents the findings of research into staff experiences of information use in a City insurance firm. A framework previously developed out of phenomenographic research into nursing is employed to draw parallels and highlight differences between insurance workplace and university student terminology. Context-specific hierarchical statements using the language of the participants are developed from coded interview texts. These statements, which are drawn together in illustrative personae, provide a rich and detailed view of the participants’ experience of effective information use. It is suggested that a better understanding of language use in communities of practice would facilitate transition both between and within the communities