388 research outputs found

    Social and environmental restoration through therapeutic community gardens

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    From funding to financing:perspectives shaping a research agenda for investment in urban climate adaptation

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    There is growing recognition of the importance of funding and financing arrangements to enable climate change adaptation in cities. However, there has been little critical analysis into the underwriting and governance mechanisms necessary support broader scaled application. Through surveying recent literature, this article offers conceptual clarity for understanding emerging adaptation finance mechanisms that intersect with urban governance, planning, and management functions. The article assesses two key conceptual domains: (i) the distinction between adaptation funding and financing and (ii) the synergies, conflicts, and trade-offs associated with mobilizing adaptation investments in the private sector. The article argues that a clearer delineation of these two domains will clarify the objectives, mechanisms, and larger governance implications of investment in urban adaptation. This article provides a roadmap for future scholarly inquiries that may advance the conceptual and analytical discipline necessary to evaluate the feasibility and desirability of investments from often-conflicting perspectives, interests, and actors. <br/

    Operationalizing the role of trust for student wellbeing, learning and achievement

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    Abstract:  This paper provides an argument regarding the importance of relational trust between students and teachers during the learning process. Establishing this trust is expected to foster student wellbeing and lead to openness to learn and increased innovativeness. However, there is a relative dearth of theoretical and empirical literature on behaviors to establish relational trust (Bryk &amp; Schneider, 2002; Tschannen-Moran &amp; Hoy, 1997), and how these behaviors can be expected to lead to wellbeing and academic achievement. The Learning Errors and Formative Feedback (LEAFF) model is proposed to organize key aspects of the theoretical literature as they might relate to measurable ways in which trust can be promoted with specific words and actions in the classroom to enhance learning. Based on the LEAFF model, a framework is designed to operationalize facets of trust to help teachers develop trusting relationships with their students. However, the potential effects of these facets need to be empirically tested in future studies to secure optimal learning outcomes.

    Does Positive Psychology Coaching Improve Trainee Well-Being? Evidence from a Longitudinal Professional Development Coaching Program in a Cohort of Pediatric Trainees

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    Introduction: Trainee burnout is common and evidence supporting the effectiveness of well-being interventions for this population is limited. We studied the effect of a longitudinal coaching program grounded in positive psychology on measures of pediatric trainee well-being. Methods: Pediatric interns and fellows (n = 67) were enrolled in a positive psychology coaching program in 2017-2019. Pediatric faculty (n = 23) underwent training and were paired with trainees outside their field of interest. Trainees were surveyed at the beginning and end of the program to assess burnout and well-being, and key skills necessary to achieve well-being. Results: Thirty-one trainees completed the baseline survey and 30 completed the end of program survey. Professional fulfillment, as measured by the Professional Fulfillment Index, improved after participating in the coaching program (Cohen’s d = 0.33, p = 0.03). On bivariate analysis, ability to cope was positively correlated with gratitude (r = 0.49, p = 0.01), PERMA (r = 0.61, p = 0.001), and self-valuation (r = 0.46, p = 0.01), and negatively correlated with intolerance of uncertainty (r = -0.46, p = 0.01). Burnout was negatively correlated with professional fulfillment (r = -0.65, p \u3c 0.001) and self-valuation (r = -0.75, p \u3c 0.001). There was no deterioration in scores for trainees who participated in the coaching program. Conclusion: Our longitudinal coaching program was associated with improvement in pediatric trainees’ professional fulfillment, identified possible drivers of well-being on bivariate analysis, and may serve as a roadmap for development of well-being curricula. Our findings suggest that well-being is not merely the absence of burnout, and maintenance of well-being during training may be just as critical as improvement

    A Randomized Controlled Trial of Auricular Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Managing Posthysterectomy Pain

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    Background. A patient- and assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the effectiveness of auricular transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in relieving posthysterectomy pain. Method. Forty-eight women who had undergone a total abdominal hysterectomy were randomly assigned into three groups (n = 16 each) to receive either (i) auricular TENS to therapeutic points (the true TENS group), (ii) auricular TENS to inappropriate points (the sham TENS group), or (iii) 20 minutes of bed rest with no stimulation (the control group). The intervention was delivered about 24 hours after the operation. A visual analogue scale was used to assess pain while resting (VAS-rest) and upon huffing (VAS-huff) and coughing (VAS-cough), and the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was assessed before and at 0, 15, and 30 minutes after the intervention. Result. As compared to the baseline, only the true TENS group reported a significant reduction in VAS-rest (P = .001), VAS-huff (P = .004), and VAS-cough (P = .001), while no significant reduction in any of the VAS scores was seen in the sham TENS group (all P > .05). In contrast, a small rising trend was observed in the VAS-rest and VAS-huff scores of the control group, while the VAS-cough score remained largely unchanged during the period of the study. A between-group comparison revealed that all three VAS scores of the true TENS group were significantly lower than those of the control group at 15 and 30 minutes after the intervention (all P < .02). No significant between-group difference was observed in PEFR at any point in time. Conclusion. A single session of auricular TENS applied at specific therapeutic points significantly reduced resting (VAS-rest) and movement-evoked pain (VAS-huff, VAS-cough), and the effects lasted for at least 30 minutes after the stimulation. The analgesic effects of auricular TENS appeared to be point specific and could not be attributed to the placebo effect alone. However, auricular TENS did not produce any significant improvement in the performance of PEFR

    Influence of providers and nurses on completion of non-targeted HIV screening in an urgent care setting

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    Introduction: Despite recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that all adults be offered non-targeted HIV screening in all care settings, screening in acute-care settings remains unacceptably low. We performed an observational study to evaluate an HIV screening pilot in an academic-community partnership health center urgent care clinic. Methods: We collected visit data via encounter forms and demographic and laboratory data from electronic medical records. A post-pilot survey of perceptions of HIV screening was administered to providers and nurses. Multivariable analysis was used to identify factors associated with completion of testing. Results: Visit provider and triage nurse were highly associated with both acceptance of screening and completion of testing, as were younger age, male gender, and race/ethnicity. 23.5% of patients completed tests, although 36.0% requested screening; time constraints as well as risk perceptions by both the provider and patient were cited as limiting completion of screening. Post-pilot surveys showed mixed support for ongoing HIV screening in this setting by providers and little support by nurses. Conclusions: Visit provider and triage nurse were strongly associated with acceptance of testing, which may reflect variable opinions of HIV screening in this setting by clinical staff. Among patients accepting screening, visit provider remained strongly associated with completion of testing. Despite longstanding recommendations for non-targeted HIV screening, further changes to improve the testing and results process, as well as provider education and buy-in, are needed to improve screening rates

    2010 Portrait of Women & Girls in the Washington Metropolitan Area

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    In the DC metro area there are nearly 180,000 women and girls living in poverty. They're living alongside some of the wealthiest, most powerful women in the world. Washington Area Women's Foundation believes that their future is our future. When women and girls thrive, whole communities and regions thrive, too. This report's findings demonstrate both the opportunities and challenges we face in working to achieve this goal

    The impact of AI on radiographic image reporting – perspectives of the UK reporting radiographer population

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    Background: It is predicted that medical imaging services will be greatly impacted by AI in the future. Developments in computer vision have allowed AI to be used for assisted reporting. Studies have investigated radiologists' opinions of AI for image interpretation (Huisman et al., 2019 a/b) but there remains a paucity of information in reporting radiographers' opinions on this topic.Method: A survey was developed by AI expert radiographers and promoted via LinkedIn/Twitter and professional networks for radiographers from all specialities in the UK. A sub analysis was performed for reporting radiographers only.Results: 411 responses were gathered to the full survey (Rainey et al., 2021) with 86 responses from reporting radiographers included in the data analysis. 10.5% of respondents were using AI tools? as part of their reporting role. 59.3% and 57% would not be confident in explaining an AI decision to other healthcare practitioners and 'patients and carers' respectively. 57% felt that an affirmation from AI would increase confidence in their diagnosis. Only 3.5% would not seek second opinion following disagreement from AI. A moderate level of trust in AI was reported: mean score = 5.28 (0 = no trust; 10 = absolute trust). 'Overall performance/accuracy of the system', 'visual explanation (heatmap/ROI)', 'Indication of the confidence of the system in its diagnosis' were suggested as measures to increase trust.Conclusion: AI may impact reporting professionals' confidence in their diagnoses. Respondents are not confident in explaining an AI decision to key stakeholders. UK radiographers do not yet fully trust AI. Improvements are suggested

    Metagenomic analysis of DNA viruses with targeted sequence capture of canine lobular orbital adenomas and normal conjunctiva

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    Our study aims are: (1) to evaluate phenotypically normal canine conjunctival and orbital tissue and tissue from canine lobular orbital adenomas (CLOAs) for the presence of viral genomic material and (2) phylogenetically classify detected DNA viruses to determine if a DNA virus is associated with CLOAs. A total of 31 formalin fixed paraffin embedded CLOA tissue samples, 4 papillomas or sarcoid, and 10 fresh clinically normal conjunctival tissues were included in this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from all samples and sequencing libraries were prepared. The libraries were molecularly indexed and pooled and viral DNA was enriched via targeted sequence capture utilizing ViroCap. The libraries were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq platform and compared to known viral DNA reference genomes to identify viral DNA. Carnivore parvovirus was identified in 6.4% and 20% of CLOA tissue and normal conjunctival samples, respectively. This study showed that conjunctival tissue from healthy dogs and CLOAs uncommonly harbor DNA viruses, and no DNA virus was associated with these tumors. Further studies are needed to evaluate the etiologic cause of CLOAs
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