A Phenomenographic Analysis Of Students’ Experience Of Geological Time

Source at: https://clutejournals.com/index.php/JAESE/article/view/10388Geological time is by many geoscience instructors considered a threshold concept for geoscience students, being a central concept for how we experience geosceince phenomena that takes place on a spatio-temporal scale ranging from micro (e.g. cloud formation) to macro (e.g. plate tectonics). If one wishes to understand geoscience phenomena that goes beyond human perception, one must move from the concrete toward the abstract—from experiencing a phenomenon with one’s senses toward an experience of the phenomenon that is based on an mind construct; we refer to such competency as disciplinary spatio-temporal competency (DSTC). The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of how first-year students in a geoscience program in Sweden experience and represent the phenomenon of geological time, i.e. to capture their DSTC. Analyazing data from three semi-structured group interviews using a phenomenographic approach revealed how the students express geological time through their language, their gestures, and their visualizations. From the result in this study, including four qualitatively different themes, or categories of description, it is possible to conclude that the students' way of expressing geological time give rise to exciting interpretations and we believe that these expressions can provide information also about how students experience (and learn about) geological time. We report that through students’ illustrations and discussions, students experience geological time as something more than a static one-dimensional straight line. The data analysis shows that students connect geological time with spatio-temporal aspects from various geosientific phenomena, one example of such an dynamic description of geological time is “One simply fills it with more information” indicating that the students experience geological time as two-dimensional (space and time

The Meaning of Social Support in Nature-Based Services for Young Adults with Mental Health Problems

In previous studies, social context and social support have been found to be important in nature-based services. However, no studies have previously focused on the meaning of different dimensions of social support in these contexts. The aim of this study is therefore to uncover dimensions of social support in relation to mental health among young adults with mental health problems participating in nature-based services in Norway. This study applies data from a survey of 93 young adults participating in nature-based services; in addition, qualitative interview data from 20 interviews are also used. The data are analysed using qualitative content analysis, descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis. The results indicate that participants in nature-based services experience emotional, esteem, informational, and instrumental support in addition to social integration and opportunities for nurturance in these services. The service leader, other participants, and the animals are important contributors to these dimensions of social support. Nature-based services may be a helpful intervention for young adults with mental health problems. The unique context of these services, including nature and animals, adds special qualities to mental health and social work practices.publishedVersio

Promoting Personal Growth and Balancing Risk of Violence in Community-Based Mental Health Care: A Professional Perspective

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).The aim of this study was to investigate how municipal mental health care workers develop professional strategies, taking the risk of service user violence into account. Factors that professionals regard as hindering or furthering personal growth among the service users are particularly focused. Data were collected through focus group interviews. The analysis resulted in two main categories: working where the clients live their lives and focus on growth and development. Offering opportunities for restraint and growth for people with serious mental health disorders and risk of violence represents the basic factors for improving desirable processes. The health-promoting focus was managed through a resource-oriented and growth-oriented focus, where available services and workers’ qualities and attitudes appear to be crucialPromoting Personal Growth and Balancing Risk of Violence in Community-Based Mental Health Care: A Professional PerspectivepublishedVersio

The Diversity Issue Revisited: International Students in Clinical Environment.

Peer reviewe

Association of Chlamydia trachomatis infection with cervical atypia in adolescent women with short-term or long-term use of oral contraceptives : a longitudinal study in HPV vaccinated women

Objective We assessed the relationship between Chlamydia trachomatis infection, duration of oral contraceptive (OC) use and cervical atypia among young adult Finnish women. Design A longitudinal study. Setting and participants Women who were included in this study participated in a community-randomised trial on the effectiveness of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and C. trachomatis screening at ages 18.5 and 22 years in Finland. They completed questionnaires on both visits about sexual behaviours. The cytology test results at age 18.5 and 22 years were also available for those women. The total number of participants in this study at 18.5 years of age were 11 701 and at 22 years of age were 6618. Main outcome measure ORs with 95% CIs using univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess the association between C. trachomatis infection, duration of OC and squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL). Results There were 940 cytological SIL cases at the first screening visit and 129 cytological SIL cases at the second screening visit. Among the 22 years old, more than fourfold adjusted risk of SIL was associated with C. trachomatis positivity. The HPV16/18, condom use, smoking and number of sexual partners adjusted joint effect of prolonged OC use and C. trachomatis was significantly increased (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.7 to 12.8) in the 22-year-old women. This observed joint effect was 1.6 times higher than expected on a multiplicative scale. On additive scale, the observed relative excess risk from interaction was 1.8. Conclusion The risk of SIL in HPV vaccinated women is significantly increased if they are C. trachomatis positive and have used OC for 5 or more years. The biological basis may be lack of condom facilitated protection against sexually transmitted diseases.Peer reviewe

Effect of childhood developmental coordination disorder on adulthood physical activity; Arvo Ylppö longitudinal study

Individuals at risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have low levels of physical activity in childhood due to impaired motor competence; however, physical activity levels in adulthood have not been established. This study sought to determine the impact of DCD risk on physical activity levels in adults using accelerometry measurement. Participants (n = 656) from the Arvo Ylppö Longitudinal Study cohort had their motor competence assessed at the age of five years, and their physical activity quantified via device assessment at the age of 25 years. Between group differences were assessed to differentiate physical activity measures for individuals based on DCD risk status, with general linear modeling performed to control for the effects of sex, body mass index (BMI), and maternal education. Participants at risk of DCD were found to have a lower total number of steps (d = 0.3, p = 0.022) than those not at risk. Statistical modeling indicated that DCD risk status increased time spent in sedentary light activity (β = 0.1, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.3, p = 0.026) and decreased time spent in vigorous physical activity via interaction with BMI (β = 0.04, 95% CI 0.001 to 0.1, p = 0.025). Sensitivity analysis found that visuomotor impairment did not significantly impact physical activity but did increase the role of DCD risk status in some models. This 20-year-longitudinal study indicated that DCD risk status continues to negatively impact on levels of physical activity into early adulthood

Risk factors and dynamics of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 on cattle farms: An observational study combining information from questionnaires, spatial data and molecular analyses

The increasing number of human cases infected with a highly virulent type of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157:H7 in Sweden is the result of domestic transmission originating in regional clusters of infected cattle farms. To control the spread of the bacteria a comprehensive picture of infection dynamics, routes of transmission between farms and risk factors for persistence is urgently needed. The aim of the study was to investigate different aspects of the epidemiology of VTEC O157:H7 on the Swedish island of Öland by combining information from environmental sampling of VTEC O157:H7 from 80 farms with information from farmer questionnaires, spatial and molecular analyses. The farms were sampled in the spring and fall of 2014 and on four of them additional samples were collected during summer and winter. The results show a high prevalence of VTEC O157:H7 and a high proportion of strains belonging to the virulent clade 8. Farms that became infected between samplings were all located in an area with high cattle density. The most important risk factors identified are generally associated with biosecurity and indicate that visitors travelling between farms may be important for transmission. In addition, whole genome sequencing of a subset of isolates from the four farms where additional sampling was performed revealed ongoing local transmission that cannot be observed with a lower resolution typing method. Our observations also show that VTEC O157:H7 may persist in the farm environment for extended periods of time, suggesting that specific on-farm measures to reduce environmental prevalence and spread between groups of animals may be required in these cases

Influence of Maternal Obesity on Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion in Offspring

OBJECTIVE—The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of maternal obesity on insulin sensitivity and secretion in offspring