Findings From the 2007 EBRI/Commonwealth Fund Consumerism in Health Survey

Presents findings on the growth of account-based and high-deductible health plans, the health status and demographic profiles of enrollees, and the health plans' impact on consumer behavior, based on an online survey of privately insured adults

Compassionate response: Intersection of religious faith and public policy

Much of social work practice is rooted in compassion. Addressing compassion as a virtue, this article examines the possibilities for compassion to be more explicitly and purposefully built into actions at community and policy levels. We discuss the definition of compassion, examine the religious roots of compassion, describe some ways in which religion and policy intersect, and provide contemporary examples of compassion at the interface of religion and policy. In the discussion, we conclude with further thoughts about how compassion might be elevated in our collective societal actions and address the role of social work in these efforts

Developing Radiotherapy services in Iraq

A 5 year partnership between Sheffield Hallam University and the Iraq Ministry of Health was established to provide education and development for healthcare professionals; including Radiation Therapy Physicists and Technicians (Radiographers) and Doctors. Supported by the UK Government, the Iraqi Ministry of Health requested the planning and delivery of courses to develop their existing staff and train new practitioners to expand their Radiotherapy service following significant investment in equipment and infrastructure. Reported here are the initial stages of the project: The first cohort of 6 students arrived in August 2012 followed by a 2nd in February 2013. All worked in some aspect of healthcare with a first degree (or higher) in Physics. A minimum of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) level 4 in English language ability was required. Many were currently working as Radiotherapy Physicists but students had mixed levels of clinical experience: some being completely new to Radiotherapy. The overall programme of study was divided into 2 parts. The 1st was designed to enable students to develop their English language skills to a minimum of IELTS level 5; whilst also studying fundamental aspects of Radiotherapy, in preparation for a subsequent CPD Radiation Therapy Physics course (Part 2). Course aims: Facilitate the improvement of cancer care in Iraq and help improve radiation safety by increasing the use of evidence based practice Give students opportunities to use, develop and share their subject/profession specific knowledge and skills Develop language for presentation and group discussion Develop awareness of the classroom culture in UK Higher Education Institution

Psychophysiology of respiratory disease : clinical considerations for the advanced practice nurse

The purpose of this article is to describe the psychophysiology of dyspnea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), identify the unique impact of respiratory disease on the female patient, and discuss the relationship of anxiety and depression in disease manifestation. Current COPD assessment and treatment guidelines published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization as well as the National Institute for Health and Care Experience (NICE) will be presented along with implications for the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). Practitioners treat COPD patients with advanced physiological complications along with psychological comorbidities that worsen the disease perception and progression. Therefore, a recommendation will be made to integrate assessment and evaluation of psychological comorbidities in COPD patients, with particular consideration given to the female patient. Utilizing a holistic, int egrated treatment plan will serve to enhance patient care, alleviate disease burden and impact overall quality of life in the patient with COPD.peer-reviewe

Out there and in here: design for blended scientific inquiry learning

One of the benefits of mobile technologies is to combine ‘the digital’ (e.g., data, information, photos) with ‘field’ experiences in novel ways that are contextualized by people’s current located activities. However, often cost, mobility disabilities and time exclude students from engaging in such peripatetic experiences. The Out There and In Here project, is exploring a combination of mobile and tabletop technologies in support for collaborative learning. A system is being developed for synchronous collaboration between geology students in the field and peers at an indoor location. The overarching goal of this research is to develop technologies that support people working together in a suitable manner for their locations. There are two OTIH project research threads. The first deals with disabled learner access issues: these complex issues are being reviewed in subsequent evaluations and publications. This paper will deal with issues of technology supported learning design for remote and co-located science learners. Several stakeholder evaluations and two field trials have reviewed two research questions: 1. What will enhance the learning experience for those in the field and laboratory? 2. How can learning trajectories and appropriate technologies be designed to support equitable co-located and remote learning collaboration? This paper focuses on describing the iterative linked development of technologies and scientific inquiry pedagogy. Two stages within the research project are presented. The 1st stage details several pilot studies over 3 years with 21 student participants in synchronous collaborations with traditional technology and pedagogical models. Findings revealed that this was an engaging and useful experience although issues of equity in collaboration needed further research. The 2nd stage, in this project, has been to evaluate data from over 25 stakeholders (academics, learning and technology designers) to develop pervasive ambient technological solutions supporting orchestration of mixed levels of pedagogy (i.e. abstract synthesis to specific investigation). Middleware between tabletop ‘surface’ technologies and mobile devices are being designed with Microsoft and OOKL (a mobile software company) to support these developments. Initial findings reveal issues around equity, ownership and professional identity

Novi ishodi nerelativističke teorije QCD na rešetci

We review the current status of lattice calculations of properties of hadrons containing b quarks with the focus on the NRQCD method.Daje se pregled računa na rešetci za svojstva hadrona koji sadrže b kvarkove, s naglaskom na nerelativističku QCD (NRQCD). Posebno, raspravljaju se posljednji ishodi računa za Υ-spektar. Oni pokazuju da se niskoležeći spektar uz prosjek po spinovima može postići dobro do na točnost od par posto djelovanjem O(Mv4 ) NRQCD, čak i bez prisustva kvarkovskog mora. Načinili smo opsežne račune spektra i (za par slučajeva) konstanti raspada mezona i bariona koji sadrže težak kvark: B i Bs mezona, uključivo radijalne i stazne uzbude i Λb, Σb i Ωb bariona. Svojstva tih čestica još se nisu dobro utvrdila eksperimentalno, a ovdje se daju pouzdana predvidanja primjenom računa na rešetci

Comparison of JULES and a distributed recharge model

The modified EA−FA0 method in ZOODRM (Griffiths et al. 2006) produces similar evapotranspiration to JULES, although in dry years it predicts lower evapotranspiration. The soil column in JULES provides storage, which delays and smooths the recharge signal. ZOODRM predicts significantly more recharge and less surface runoff than JULES. ZOODRM matches the surface runoff determined by baseflow separation (Gustard et al. 1992) more closely than JULES, which is expected because the runoff coefficients in ZOODRM were calibrated based on baseflow separation. It is interesting that during the winter of 2000-2001, when groundwater flooding occurred in the Chalk aquifer, JULES matches the observed surface runoff more closely than ZOODRM

Nature-ization NYC

Manhattan once was a beautiful landscape of rolling hills, forests, boulders, farms, and spaced-out homes. Over the years Manhattan has been built up and there is a sense of absence in New York City. New Yorkers walking through the city are confronted with excessive pedestrian traffic, and do not have the luxury of experiencing the sounds, smells, and natural landscape that exists a few miles outside of the densely populated city. I am proposing a series of typologies that bring a new nature to the city and change the way one walks through the city. Pathways or hiking trails will connect buildings and provide another flow of traffic. They will allow workers to easily travel for meetings and encourage human interaction from place to place. One typology for the MetLife Building crossing over Park Ave will carve away, subtract parts of structures and implement a park like area that folds into the void created. Another proposal is to add, quiet individualized spaces to structures such as the apartment building at 2130 Madison Ave in Harlem for low income residents to have their own nature spot that is tucked away from the chaos of the city

Arts 4 All Kids/YMCA: CEL Final Report

An account of my CEL experiences as a volunteer creative writing teacher for the London nonprofit organization, Arts 4 All Kids, and as an educator for the before and after school program from the YMCA. These experiences have allowed me to explore teaching in a classroom setting, planning/delivering activities and assignments, behaviour and classroom management, working with children with special needs, and working with children from struggling families