Experiencing information use for early career academics' learning: a knowledge ecosystem model

Purpose This study explores the informed learning experiences of early career academics while building their networks for professional and personal development. The notion that information and learning are inextricably linked via the concept of ‘informed learning’ is used as a conceptual framework to gain a clearer picture of what informs early career academics while they learn and how they experience using that which informs their learning within this complex practice: to build, maintain and utilise their developmental networks. Methodology This research employs a qualitative framework using a constructivist grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2006). Through semi-structured interviews with a sample of fourteen early career academics from across two Australian universities, data were generated to investigate the research questions. The study used the methods of constant comparison to create codes and categories towards theme development. Further examination considered the relationship between thematic categories to construct an original theoretical model. Findings The model presented is a ‘knowledge ecosystem’, which represents the core informed learning experience. The model consists of informal learning interactions such as relating to information to create knowledge and engaging in mutually supportive relationships with a variety of knowledge resources found in people who assist in early career development. Originality/Value Findings from this study present an alternative interpretation of informed learning that is focused on processes manifesting as human interactions with informing entities revolving around the contexts of reciprocal human relationships

BUSINESS EDUCATION AND GENDER BIAS AT THE ‘C-LEVEL\u27

Women in business are perceived to have been successful; however, the numbers of women in ‘C-level’ positions (e.g., CEO, CFO, CIO, etc.) provide evidence to the contrary. This paper examines obstacles to women rising to ‘C-level’ positions and how business education contributes to, but may ultimately help resolve these problems by identifying ways to increase the effectiveness of business education and educators regarding gender bias. Barriers that prevent women from advancement and contributing factors in business education are identified. Recommendations for strategies in business education to reduce, manage, and create awareness of gender bias in the classroom are presented. For educators in business schools, these findings suggest the importance of acknowledging that gender bias still exists and revising business curricula to address this problem, thus better preparing business graduates of both genders to identify and develop strategies for reducing gender bias in the workplace

Building the basis for evidence based library and information practice

[Introduction]: With a total of 111 million annual visits, libraries are fundamental to Australia's social fabric and increasingly to its success as a national economy. In the current volatile economic climate however, Australia's libraries are being called upon to do more with less. This paper will present the findings of a project funded by the Australian Research Council that aimed to help Australia’s libraries to make tough decisions in an environment where there is competition for limited resources. The project established an empirical basis for evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP). Simply stated, EBLIP is an approach to professional practice that is grounded in the use of research to gather evidence to inform the many decisions and problems that a practitioner must address. Methods: The project consisted of two sub-studies. The public library sub-study was conducted using ethnography. Over a 5-month period, a member of the research team travelled to a regional public library service on 15 occasions staying between 3 and 4 days on each visit. The researcher observed, interacted and became involved in the day-to-day activities of this library. These activities were recorded in a journal and added to the researcher’s insights and thoughts. Additionally, 12 face-to-face interviews with staff in positions ranging from the operational to the executive were conducted. The academic sub-study was conducted using Constructivist Grounded Theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted either in person or via Skype, with 13 librarians from Queensland universities. Interviewees were in a diverse array of roles, from liaison librarian to manager and library director. Results: The public library sub-study found that the following key aspects depicted the experience of EBLIP in a public library: leadership, culture, learning, context, collaboration and second nature. In the academic library sub-study six categories were constructed which describes librarians’ experiences of evidence-based practice as: empowering, intuiting, affirming, connecting, noticing and impacting. Conclusions: The project findings help extend the current but limited empirically derived understanding of EBLIP. This project has identified and articulated several key aspects that need attention if EBLIP is to be developed as an approach to professional practice. These key aspects will be of interest to LIS educators, professional associations, employers and practitioners

Improving Care Coordination between Accountable Care Organizations and Community Partners: Early Findings from the Massachusetts Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program

Research Objective: The Massachusetts’ Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (MassHealth/MH) initiated the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program in 2017, as part of its section 1115 Demonstration, to coordinate care for Medicaid members, reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes. Central to this program was a requirement that Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) develop relationships with all behavioral health and at least 2 long-term care service MH contracted Community Partner agencies (CPs) operating in their service areas to be responsible for coordinating care and developing care plans for members. This presentation will describe barriers and facilitators to developing ACO-CP relationships identified in the first 1.5 years of program implementation. Study Design: This paper focuses on ways in which ACOs and CPs are responding to new contracting requirements and programmatic expectations related to the MA 1115 DSRIP. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals in leadership positions at all 17 ACOs and 27 CPs by pairs of trained interviewers, in person, or via video or teleconference. Interview data were analyzed qualitatively, using a framework approach informed by the literature, the program logic model, and the evaluation design. Population Studied: ACOs/CPs nominated 2 to 3 individuals best positioned to speak to implementation topics including governance and organizational structure, workforce development, ACO-CP relationships, provider engagement, care coordination, quality improvement, and environmental factors including the role of MassHealth. Ninety-four interviews were conducted with 99 interviewees across the 44 organizations. The majority of interviewees were female and typically held managerial roles, ranging from program managers to executives. A majority were with their organizations prior to or at the time of DSRIP inception. Principal Findings: Communication and information sharing were identified as key ingredients to coordinating member health care between ACOs and CPs; the absence of effective means to communicate and share information were identified as major barriers. Strategies for enhancing communication included scheduling regular meetings to discuss shared patients (i.e., within and between organizations), designating points of contact (e.g., staff liaisons), and clarifying roles regarding member-facing activities. Information sharing was found to be most effective when organizations agreed on processes, particularly around the use of electronic medical records or other information exchange technologies. ACO and CP interviewees indicated that successful communication and information sharing led to the development of stronger and more positive partner relationships (e.g., between an ACO and the CPs with which they share information and coordinate care well). Participants also described ways in which MassHealth has actively responded to challenges within the original design of the ACO-CP relationship to improve coordination and member experience. Conclusions: Designated points of contact, well-conceived and executed communication strategies, and effective information exchange are essential for developing relationships and coordinating care between ACOs and community-based organizations. Implications for Policy or Practice: States need to consider the complexity of coordinating care with multiple community-based agencies and the importance of standardized processes for effective information sharing when promoting care coordination between health care and human service entities. States should also incorporate means of ongoing technical support and rapid cycle feedback to allow for continuous policy improvement in Medicaid delivery systems

Opioid Overdoses Among High-Risk Medicaid Members: Healthcare Cost, Service Utilization, and Risk Factor Analysis

Research Objective: Identify risk factors associated with opioid overdoses among three high-risk populations of Medicaid members related to cost and service utilization. Study Design: Repeated cross-sectional study using five years of Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth) claims and state agency data. Population Studied: MassHealth members aged 11-64 years considered to be high-risk (homeless, unstably housed, and/or criminal justice-involved) and in need of support services, especially those with extensive behavioral health (BH) needs. These three populations were identified as being particularly vulnerable to non-fatal and/or fatal opioid overdoses. Principal Findings: MassHealth members who were both justice-involved and unstably housed were at much higher risk of an opioid overdose than the MassHealth population overall, especially those with a substance use disorder (SUD) or a serious mental illness (SMI). Experiencing both homelessness and justice involvement substantially compounded members’ non-fatal overdose risk, regardless of BH diagnosis. Co-occurring SUD/SMI was a key driver of high overdose prevalence, particularly among the justice-involved. Compared to MassHealth members in general, those with justice involvement and unstable housing had costs that were 50-65% higher; members who experienced homelessness had triple the costs. Healthcare service use both before and after an overdose was relatively low, including the timeframe between multiple non-fatal overdoses. In multivariate analyses, all three high-risk factors (i.e., populations) were significantly related to an increased opioid overdose risk after controlling for additional risk factors (BH diagnoses, chronic medical conditions, and demographic characteristics). Males and whites were more likely to have an opioid overdose; those with diabetes or hypertension were less likely. These results were similar when assessing various opioid overdose outcomes (non-fatal and/or fatal). Conclusions: These findings helped inform MassHealth’s understanding of its members’ experiences regarding medical and BH services, especially among high-risk populations with an opioid overdose. The identification of risk factors most predictive of a subsequent overdose may help address the needs of these high-risk groups. For most of the populations studied, prevalence of co-occurring BH diagnoses was much higher than MassHealth members in general and appeared to impact opioid overdose rates. Most members received services for 1-2 months in both the pre- and post-overdose periods; service use was relatively low in the year following a non-fatal overdose, suggesting retention was also low. Multivariate analyses consistently showed that gender and race were significantly associated with increased overdose risk. Implications for Policy or Practice: Understanding opioid overdose risk factors and identifying service utilization gaps and missed opportunities are important. As payment reforms evolve under the umbrella of accountable care organizations, BH community partnership models are key for collaborating with healthcare and social service providers, and community resources for care management, care coordination, and referrals to support services. Our study initially developed an in-depth descriptive analysis of individuals with SUD, SMI, or both identified as being at high risk for an opioid overdose. Understanding service trajectory and outcomes through additional analyses was critical for planning and prioritizing appropriate services. As payors are actively making decisions about effective systems of care, they are particularly interested in understanding the need for community-based and residential services, particularly for those with housing instability and/or criminal justice involvement

Relativistic neutron star merger simulations with non-zero temperature equations of state I. Variation of binary parameters and equation of state

An extended set of binary neutron star (NS) merger simulations is performed with an approximative conformally flat treatment of general relativity to systematically investigate the influence of the nuclear equation of state (EoS), the neutron star masses, and the NS spin states prior to merging. We employ the two non-zero temperature EoSs of Shen et al. (1998a,b) and Lattimer & Swesty (1991). In addition, we use the cold EoS of Akmal et al. (1998) with a simple ideal-gas-like extension according to Shibata & Taniguchi (2006), and an ideal-gas EoS with parameters fitted to the supernuclear part of the Shen-EoS. We estimate the mass sitting in a dilute high-angular momentum ``torus'' around the future black hole (BH). The dynamics and outcome of the models is found to depend strongly on the EoS and on the binary parameters. Larger torus masses are found for asymmetric systems (up to ~0.3 M_sun for a mass ratio of 0.55), for large initial NSs, and for a NS spin state which corresponds to a larger total angular momentum. We find that the postmerger remnant collapses either immediately or after a short time when employing the soft EoS of Lattimer& Swesty, whereas no sign of post-merging collapse is found within tens of dynamical timescales for all other EoSs used. The typical temperatures in the torus are found to be about 3-10 MeV depending on the strength of the shear motion at the collision interface between the NSs and thus depending on the initial NS spins. About 10^{-3}-10^{-2} M_sun of NS matter become gravitationally unbound during or right after the merging process. This matter consists of a hot/high-entropy component from the collision interface and (only in case of asymmetric systems) of a cool/low-entropy component from the spiral arm tips. (abridged)Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, included changes based on referee comment

Robotic telescopes and student research in the school curriculum around the OECD countries

The aim of this paper is to explore the presence and possible incorporation of inquiry-based learning approaches using Robotic Telescopes and Student Research in the regular science curriculum. This study uses preliminary findings from an extensive ongoing study, which is currently reviewing the extent of astronomy content in the school curriculum of the 35 member countries from the OECD in addition to two emerging nations in modern astronomy – China and South Africa, which are not part of the OECD. Analysis of curriculum documents from 28 OECD countries, including China and South Africa, reveals that although there is a prevalence of astronomy related content in most grades, incorporating Robotic Telescopes and Student Research into the regular science curriculum is limited by two interdependent factors. Firstly, the majority of curricula introduce astronomy-related concepts through a descriptive lens, with a focus on the “what?”, rather than the “how?” or “why?”. Secondly, astronomy in comparison to other topics gets very little time allocation. Robotic Telescopes provide teachers with enormous potential to teach students not only topics related to science, but also to afford students the opportunity to engage in “authentic science”. Thus, it is vital for the members of the astronomy community to play a greater role in the development of curricula

Interventions Delivered in Clinical Settings are Effective in Reducing Risk of HIV Transmission Among People Living with HIV: Results from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s Special Projects of National Significance Initiative

To support expanded prevention services for people living with HIV, the US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) sponsored a 5-year initiative to test whether interventions delivered in clinical settings were effective in reducing HIV transmission risk among HIV-infected patients. Across 13 demonstration sites, patients were randomized to one of four conditions. All interventions were associated with reduced unprotected vaginal and/or anal intercourse with persons of HIV-uninfected or unknown status among the 3,556 participating patients. Compared to the standard of care, patients assigned to receive interventions from medical care providers reported a significant decrease in risk after 12 months of participation. Patients receiving prevention services from health educators, social workers or paraprofessional HIV-infected peers reported significant reduction in risk at 6 months, but not at 12 months. While clinics have a choice of effective models for implementing prevention programs for their HIV-infected patients, medical provider-delivered methods are comparatively robust