An individualized psychosocial approach for "treatment resistant" behavioral symptoms of dementia among aged care residents

Background: Behavioral symptoms of dementia are common among residents in mainstream aged care settings, and have a substantial impact on residents and professional caregivers. This study evaluated the impact of individualized psychosocial interventions for behavioral symptoms through a small preliminary study.Method: Interventions were delivered to a patient group of 31 psychogeriatric aged care residents who presented with behavioral symptoms of dementia that had failed to respond to pharmacological treatment approaches. Outcome data on severity of behaviors, health service utilization and staff burden of care were collected.Results: A modest but significant reduction in staff ratings of the severity of aggressive and verbally agitated behavioral symptoms was found, with an associated reduction in their perceptions of the burden of caring for these patients. Reduced behavioral disturbance was associated with a reduction in the requirement for primary care consultations, and all participants were able to continue to reside in mainstream aged care facilities, despite an increase in the severity of dementia.Conclusions: This study supported the use of individualized psychological strategies for behavioral symptoms at all stages of dementia. Methodological limitations of this preliminary study are discussed.<br /

Managing behavioural symptoms of dementia : Effectiveness of staff education and peer support

This study was designed to investigate the impact of staff education on the behaviour and quality of life of residents with dementia and on staff members\u27 attitudes about working with people with dementia and level of burnout. Staff from three aged care facilities participated in the study (n = 52). These facilities were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups or a control group. Staff assigned to the intervention groups received an eight-week behaviourally-based programme. Staff from one aged care facility also participated in a peer support group designed to reinforce educational material and facilitate positive changes among staff members. Behavioural symptoms displayed by residents (n = 76) in each of the facilities were also assessed. Assessments were conducted at pre-intervention, post-intervention, three- and six-month follow-up. The results of this study indicated that education or peer support was not associated with an improvement in resident behaviour or quality of life. Education or peer support also did not impact on staff members\u27 level of burnout. There was, however, a change in staff members\u27 attitudes about working with people with dementia. Possible explanations for these findings and implication for further research are considered. <br /

Redes sociales y su aporte en el fortalecimiento del aprendizaje del lenguaje en los estudiantes de la básica primaria

Maestría en Educación - Modalidad VirtualThe purpose of this research is to present the results obtained from the contributions of social networks in the strengthening of language learning in primary school, held in third and fourth grades of the Flowers Hill Bilingual School, where students have weakness in the learning of reading due to multiple cultural aspects and procedures in the teaching-learning process and where it is given aspects that indicates that using social networks, facilitates learning because children manipulate the images, observe, read signs , messages and in this way they are motivated towards language learning. It is expected that in the application of the variables the teaching-learning process will be considerably strengthened in said degrees and in the InstitutionEl propósito de esta investigación es presentar los resultados obtenidos de los aportes de las redes sociales en el fortalecimiento del aprendizaje del lenguaje en la básica primaria, realizado en grados tercero y cuarto de la institución Flowers Hill Bilingual School, en donde los estudiantes presentan debilidad en el aprendizaje de la lectura debido a múltiples aspectos culturales y procedimientos en el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje y en donde se va dando aspectos que indica que utilizando las redes sociales, facilita el aprendizaje porque los niños y niñas van manipulando las imágenes, observa, lee signos, mensajes y de esta manera se van motivando hacia el aprendizaje del lenguaje. Se espera que en la aplicación de las variables se fortalezca considerablemente el proceso enseñanza aprendizaje en dichos grados y en la Institució

A Search for Selectrons and Squarks at HERA

Data from electron-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 300 GeV are used for a search for selectrons and squarks within the framework of the minimal supersymmetric model. The decays of selectrons and squarks into the lightest supersymmetric particle lead to final states with an electron and hadrons accompanied by large missing energy and transverse momentum. No signal is found and new bounds on the existence of these particles are derived. At 95% confidence level the excluded region extends to 65 GeV for selectron and squark masses, and to 40 GeV for the mass of the lightest supersymmetric particle.Comment: 13 pages, latex, 6 Figure

Differential (2+1) Jet Event Rates and Determination of alpha_s in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

Events with a (2+1) jet topology in deep-inelastic scattering at HERA are studied in the kinematic range 200 < Q^2< 10,000 GeV^2. The rate of (2+1) jet events has been determined with the modified JADE jet algorithm as a function of the jet resolution parameter and is compared with the predictions of Monte Carlo models. In addition, the event rate is corrected for both hadronization and detector effects and is compared with next-to-leading order QCD calculations. A value of the strong coupling constant of alpha_s(M_Z^2)= 0.118+- 0.002 (stat.)^(+0.007)_(-0.008) (syst.)^(+0.007)_(-0.006) (theory) is extracted. The systematic error includes uncertainties in the calorimeter energy calibration, in the description of the data by current Monte Carlo models, and in the knowledge of the parton densities. The theoretical error is dominated by the renormalization scale ambiguity.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, submitted to Eur. Phys.

Multi-Jet Event Rates in Deep Inelastic Scattering and Determination of the Strong Coupling Constant

Jet event rates in deep inelastic ep scattering at HERA are investigated applying the modified JADE jet algorithm. The analysis uses data taken with the H1 detector in 1994 and 1995. The data are corrected for detector and hadronization effects and then compared with perturbative QCD predictions using next-to-leading order calculations. The strong coupling constant alpha_S(M_Z^2) is determined evaluating the jet event rates. Values of alpha_S(Q^2) are extracted in four different bins of the negative squared momentum transfer~\qq in the range from 40 GeV2 to 4000 GeV2. A combined fit of the renormalization group equation to these several alpha_S(Q^2) values results in alpha_S(M_Z^2) = 0.117+-0.003(stat)+0.009-0.013(syst)+0.006(jet algorithm).Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, this version to appear in Eur. Phys. J.; it replaces first posted hep-ex/9807019 which had incorrect figure 4

Multiplicity Structure of the Hadronic Final State in Diffractive Deep-Inelastic Scattering at HERA

The multiplicity structure of the hadronic system X produced in deep-inelastic processes at HERA of the type ep -> eXY, where Y is a hadronic system with mass M_Y< 1.6 GeV and where the squared momentum transfer at the pY vertex, t, is limited to |t|<1 GeV^2, is studied as a function of the invariant mass M_X of the system X. Results are presented on multiplicity distributions and multiplicity moments, rapidity spectra and forward-backward correlations in the centre-of-mass system of X. The data are compared to results in e+e- annihilation, fixed-target lepton-nucleon collisions, hadro-produced diffractive final states and to non-diffractive hadron-hadron collisions. The comparison suggests a production mechanism of virtual photon dissociation which involves a mixture of partonic states and a significant gluon content. The data are well described by a model, based on a QCD-Regge analysis of the diffractive structure function, which assumes a large hard gluonic component of the colourless exchange at low Q^2. A model with soft colour interactions is also successful.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J., error in first submission - omitted bibliograph

Representaciones sociales del conflicto socioambiental de la problemática del agua desde lo local y lo global en San Andrés isla (Colombia)

Facultad de Ciencias Contables, Económicas y Administrativas: Doctorado en Desarrollo SostenibleEste trabajo aporta a la construcción de sentido sobre las representaciones sociales del conflicto socioambiental en el uso del agua en la isla de San Andrés, Colombia. Esto se logró mediante la colección, análisis e interpretación de la apropiación, percepción, construcción y deconstrucción de las expresiones de los actores claves en la gobernanza del agua. Para ello se aplicaron entrevistas en profundidad, se analizó una historia de vida, más el respectivo análisis de discursos, atendiendo las particularidades de las fuentes. Se identificaron actores y conflictos, además de causas y pretensiones de los primeros frente a la situación de conflicto. También se formaron subgrupos con base en intereses, los cuales se clasificaron en Públicos, Privados y Comunidad local. Los resultados preliminares se sometieron a una jerarquización de discursos, para finalmente establecer la hegemonía de los discursos de los objetos investigados y se estableció la incidencia de los actores en la dinámica de formación de las representaciones sociales. De este ejercicio se obtuvo una aproximación a cómo la comunidad local piensa el agua y qué esperan de este servicio. De igual modo, se identificaron las percepciones conflictivas –latentes y crecientes– entre los actores con potencial para alterar el orden público y afectar la economía local. Sumado a ello, se identificó cómo los conflictos de representaciones sociales surgen y se acentúan en el primer semestre de cada año, coincidiendo con el periodo de sequía, durante el cual el conflicto se relaciona con la escasez de agua. Por su parte, en el segundo semestre los conflictos se asocian con inundaciones, pérdidas de bienes materiales y enfermedades asociadas al invierno. Esta contraposición incide en la percepción del turismo como principal causante de la problemática del agua durante las épocas secas y como elemento dinamizador de la economía en épocas de lluvias, cuando la escasez de agua se supera. Este documento alerta sobre la importancia de garantizar la participación de la comunidad en todas las etapas de planificación y ordenamiento del recurso hídrico, dada su importancia, que se acentúa con la escasez y la vulnerabilidad del territorio. Se piensa el agua en la isla de San Andrés como un tesoro, frente al cual la comunidad manifiesta tener derechos fundamentales y la primacía de estos sobre cualquier otro interés comercial. En contraparte, los actores del sector turístico y productivo consideran que estos son los ejes dinamizadores de la economía local, argumento que respalda el manejo del agua como materia prima. Se concluye que si no se concilia las diferencias en la forma de apropiar el agua por parte del gobierno, el sector privado y la comunidad, los conflictos se mantendrán. Así, estos tienden a agravarse a medida que los efectos de los fenómenos climáticos reducen la precipitación, mientras que se mantiene el modelo de turismo masivo extractivo y no se exploran fuentes alternas de abastecimiento

Energy Flow in the Hadronic Final State of Diffractive and Non-Diffractive Deep-Inelastic Scattering at HERA

An investigation of the hadronic final state in diffractive and non--diffractive deep--inelastic electron--proton scattering at HERA is presented, where diffractive data are selected experimentally by demanding a large gap in pseudo --rapidity around the proton remnant direction. The transverse energy flow in the hadronic final state is evaluated using a set of estimators which quantify topological properties. Using available Monte Carlo QCD calculations, it is demonstrated that the final state in diffractive DIS exhibits the features expected if the interaction is interpreted as the scattering of an electron off a current quark with associated effects of perturbative QCD. A model in which deep--inelastic diffraction is taken to be the exchange of a pomeron with partonic structure is found to reproduce the measurements well. Models for deep--inelastic $ep$ scattering, in which a sizeable diffractive contribution is present because of non--perturbative effects in the production of the hadronic final state, reproduce the general tendencies of the data but in all give a worse description.Comment: 22 pages, latex, 6 Figures appended as uuencoded fil

Posadas Nativas por la defensa de la cultura raizal

No AplicaA pesar de que el concepto de posada nativa como hospedaje turístico no era nuevo, pues ofertas similares ya se encontraban en diversas partes del mundo, si lo era dentro del departamento archipiélago. El propósito de este artículo fue exponer cómo un modelo de hospedaje alternativo hizo posible la participación del grupo raizal dentro de la industria del turismo. Asoposadas, es la innovación social cuya filosofía no era sólo la generación de ingreso y mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de los participantes, si no ofrecer al visitante un servicio cimentado en los elementos típicos de la cultura raizal. A través de la sistematización de experiencia que se logró con visitas y entrevistas a los participantes de la asociación, se pudo conocer el objetivo de su creación, sus logros y dificultades, sus luchas y sus planes a futuro, pero sobre todo, el valioso aporte que la asociación de posadas nativas ha hecho al fortalecimiento y difusión de la cultura raizal y su replicabilidad en otros lugares tanto a nivel nacional como internacional. Finalmente, se propone como estrategia de fortalecimiento, la creación de campañas que atraigan más participantes, pues, hay un importante número de personas raizales que ofrecen el servicio de alojamiento pero no hacen parte de la asociación. Así como, crear o hacer parte de una organización nacional e internacional de alojamiento y/o turismo que promueva la sostenibilidad y la cultura con el fin de enriquecer la experiencia con intercambios que sean replicables de acuerdo a la cultura local.Even though the concept of a native inn as a tourist accommodation was not new, since similar offers were already found in various parts of the world, it was new within the archipelago department. This article’s purpose was to show how an alternative lodging model was made possible within the tourism industry by including the Raizal ethnic group. Asoposadas is a social innovation whose philosophy was not only the generation of income and improvement of the quality of life of the participants but also to offer the visitor a service based on the typical elements of the Raizal culture. Through the systematization of experience that was achieved with visits and interviews with the association's participants, it was possible to know the objective of its creation, achievements, struggles, and the future. But above all, the valuable contribution that the association of native inns has made to the strengthening and diffusion of the Raizal culture and its replicability in other places both nationally and internationally. Finally, it is proposed as a strengthening strategy, for the creation of campaigns that attract more participants, since there are a significant number of Raizal people who offer the accommodation service, but are not part of the association and to create or be part of a national and international accommodation and tourism organization that promotes sustainability and culture with the idea to enrich the experience with exchanges that are replicable according to the local culture