890 research outputs found
PV Hosting Capacity Analysis and Enhancement Using High Resolution Stochastic Modeling
Reduction of CO2 emissions is a main target in the future smart grid. This goal is boosting the installation of renewable energy resources (RES), as well as a major consumer engagement that seeks for a more efficient utilization of these resources toward the figure of âprosumersâ. Nevertheless, these resources present an intermittent nature, which requires the presence of an energy storage system and an energy management system (EMS) to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. Moreover, network-related issues might arise due to the increasing power of renewable resources installed in the grid, the storage systems also being capable of contributing to the network stability. However, to assess these future scenarios and test the control strategies, a simulation system is needed. The aim of this paper is to analyze the interaction between residential consumers with high penetration of PV generation and distributed storage and the grid by means of a high temporal resolution simulation scenario based on a stochastic residential load model and PV production records. Results of the model are presented for different PV power rates and storage capacities, as well as a two-level charging strategy as a mechanism for increasing the hosting capacity (HC) of the network
The voice of birth families to improve visits in foster care
In foster care, contact visits with birth families play an important role in relation to the childâs wellbeing, and they may impact on placement outcomes. However, the views of birth parents with respect to such visits have largely been unexplored. This research is part of a project financed by the regional government of Andalusia (SEJ-7106) regarding contact visits in foster care. This study aims to give voice to parents and gather their views about contact visits, including how they might be improved. Participants were 23 birth families who had contact visits with 35 children in non-kinship foster care. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in order to explore two key aspects: the parentsâ opinions regarding the contact visits and the main areas they felt needed improving. The interviews were transcribed and the transcripts were examined using an inductive method of open coding to identify themes among participantsâ responses. The main themes to emerge concerned their general view of contact visits and the organization of visits. The paper discusses the studyâs implications of the findings for practice.Universidad de MĂĄlaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Analysis of professionals and family foster care on advantages and difficulties of visits between foster children and their biological families
Contact between a foster child and birth parents play an important role in relation to the foster childâs wellbeing. The main aim of this study is to give voice to social workers and foster families about contact visits. This research is part of a project financed by the regional government of Andalusia (Spain) (SEJ-7106) regarding contact visits in foster care. Two focus groups were organized, one with 8 social workers from four foster care agencies and another with 8 foster carers (4 were recruited through the Association of Foster Families in Andalusia and 4 through fostering agencies). Access to foster care agencies and foster families was obtained through the official Andalusian Child Protective Services (SPM). The focal groups were audio-recorded. Transcripts (of the two focus groups gave rise to primary documents for the hermeneutic unit under study. All this information was exported from an Excel database to the ATLAS.ti v7.0 software. The transcripts were examined using an inductive method of open coding in order to identify themes among participantsâ responses. Results show that both groups agreed on the utility of visits to maintain the childrenâs attachment to their birth family, to bring a greater sense of continuity to the childrenâs life story, to enhance the psychological wellbeing of the foster children and to know the real situation of their birth family. In relation to the difficulties remarked in the course of the visits, one of the issues mentioned by both groups refers to a lack in the coordination among the social workers, the SPM and the foster families involved. The other issue brings together several complaints to the SPM, such as the fact of not providing information about taking decisions regarding the future of the child; the lack of support and preparation of the foster carers, the children and the birth families about visits; as well as the shortage of social workers and economic aids provided by the SPM. The conclusions of this study highlight the need to improve contact visits by developing intervention strategies targeted at all those involved (foster children, family foster care, birth family and social workers). These findings have important implications for practice.Universidad de MĂĄlaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Key Aspects of Adolescentsâ Environmental Attitudes with a View to Transformative Education
The aim of this study is to gauge the environmental attitudes of adolescents in order to improve environmental education plans. To this end, the Attitudes Towards the Environment validated survey was applied to 346 adolescents (51% boys and 49% girls, mean age = 15.05) at secondary schools in Cordoba (Spain). A factor analysis (FA) was carried out using the FACTOR program, obtaining three factors: emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. The results of the FA exhibit excellent internal consistency, with an Omega coefficient of 0.916 and Cronbachâs Alpha of 0.915, and adequate goodness of fit. The emotional factor results are good, as concern and responsibility towards the environment were notable. However, this did not translate into motivation to obtain further knowledge or to become involved in collective civic actions. The findings in this line give us information to review educational objectives and methodologies, for which emotional education is essential. Elements are proposed to encourage adolescents to adopt more proenvironmental attitudes so that the development of environmental awareness and concern in them is not undermined by frustration, and so that peer learning is present through dialogue and cooperative work, promoting an affinity for nature and the motivation to participate in collective civic activities
Features of non-kinship foster care children with birth family contact in Andalusia
The aim of the presentation is to describe the personal features of non-kinship foster care children who have visits with their birth family in MĂĄlaga, Granada and JaĂ©n (provinces of Andalusia, Spain). This study was funded by the research project Application of a psychoeducational intervention program to improve visits between foster children and their biological families (Reference EDU2016 77094-P). SPSS v.21.0 was used to carry out the descriptive and frequency analysis of socio-demographic information collected by the Child File Summary Form designed for this study. There are 212 non-kinship foster care children who have visits with their birth family. Their mean age is 8.09 years old (SD= 4.73). The more frequent types of foster care are both long-term and short-term placement (30.7%, respectively), followed by specialized long-term foster care (20.3%), urgency placement (10.8%) and specialized short-term foster care (7.5%). The period of time they have been into the Child Protection System is on average 4.08 years (SD= 3.88) and into the current placement is on average 2.53 (SD= 2.95). Thus, 44.8% of foster children were in residential care and 30.2% were in previous foster care. The latter could have been with the current foster care family. Also, 41.0% of foster children were placed at least with one sibling. It is important to know the features of foster children in order to apply the main principle of âthe best interests of the childâ to the whole decision-making process about the childâs protection and welfare. In our project, these decisions concern foster care placement and birth family contact to maintain and strengthen family affective bonds and childâs identity formation. Our findings contribute to develop: (a) initiatives to improve childrenâs well-being; (b) support and social resources required by families; and (c) socio-educative tools for the social workers.Universidad de MĂĄlaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Features of birth families with foster children in Andalusia
The aim of the presentation is to describe the personal features of biological families whose children are in non-kinship foster care and with whom they have face-to-face contact in MĂĄlaga, Granada and JaĂ©n (provinces of Andalusia, Spain). This study was funded by the research project Application of a psychoeducational intervention program to improve visits between foster children and their biological families (Reference EDU2016 77094-P). SPSS v.21.0 was used to carry out the descriptive and frequency analysis of socio-demographic information collected by the Child File Summary Form designed for this study. The results show the difficulties experienced by birth families to deal with the responsibility of parenthood. There is a high percentage of unemployment (54.5% mothers, 46.4% fathers), and a low level of education (61.7% uneducated mothers, 68.8% uneducated fathers). Furthermore, it is necessary to consider their diverse personal problems which undermine their competences to bring up and educate their children: substance abuse, mental health issues, mental disability and prison. Finally, the lack of relation between Social Services and birth families is highlighted. Knowing the circumstances of families at psychosocial risk permits to develop social policies that match with their specific necessities, by providing them the support and resources required, in line with Recommendation Rec(2006)19 of the Committee of Ministers to member states. Moreover, children and familiesâ rights have to be respected, such as their right to have contact to maintain and strengthen their affective bonds as part of their identity. These findings will contribute to design: (a) family intervention programs which allow parents to acquire the necessary parental skills; (b) support and educational tools for the social workers; and (c) projects to contribute to childrenâs well-being.Universidad de MĂĄlaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Avances en la formulaciĂłn de emulsiones
This review emphasizes that formulation, along with processing, defines the microstructure of emulsions and therefore their functional properties. Possible components of both the oil and aqueous phases are described as well as their relevant properties concerning emulsions. The general characteristics of low molecular and high molecular weight emulsifiers, which essentially are adsorbed on the oil/water interfaces, are described. Synthetic emulsifiers derived from the oil industry, as well as those stemming from edible raw materials and biotechnological sources are considered. The main steps of the emulsifying mechanism using proteins and the role of synthetic polymers as well as polysaccharides as stabilizers are discussed. In addition, the formation of protein-polysaccharide complexes as a way of optimizing emulsion formulations is analyzed. Finally, this review points out that the progress in emulsion formulation must rely on the product engineering approach, which involves a multidisciplinary methodology.Esta revisiĂłn destaca que la formulaciĂłn, junto con el procesado, definen la microestructura de las emulsiones, y por tanto sus propiedades funcionales. Se describen los componentes de las fases oleosa y acuosa, asĂ como sus principales propiedades en relaciĂłn con las emulsiones. Se estudian los emulsionantes, que ocupan bĂĄsicamente la interfase aceite-agua, distinguiendo entre los de bajo y alto peso molecular, asĂ como entre sintĂ©ticos derivados del petrĂłleo, otros que se pueden obtener a partir de materias primas comestibles y de origen biotecnolĂłgico. Se resumen las etapas claves que sufren las proteĂnas como emulsionantes y las condiciones en que polĂmeros sintĂ©ticos y polisacĂĄridos actĂșan cono estabilizantes. Se aborda tambiĂ©n la formaciĂłn de complejos proteĂna-polisacĂĄridos como una vĂa de optimizaciĂłn de formulaciones. Se finaliza destacando que los progresos en formulaciĂłn de emulsiones deben basarse en la ingenierĂa del producto y en metodologĂas multidisciplinares
A qualitative study about changes that parents experience through a pilot parenting support program to improve the quality of contact visits in non-kinship foster care
Despite the important impact that contact with birth parents during non-kinship foster care can have on a childâs well-being, there are few psychoeducational programs aimed at improving the quality of visits. The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of changes in birth parents who have completed the first program of this kind to be developed in Spain, here in its pilot application. The aim of the program Visits: a context for family development is to improve parentsâ emotional, communication, and parenting competences, and it comprises a total of seven sessions: six individual sessions that take place in the hour prior to consecutive scheduled visits with the child, and one group session involving all participating birth parents. A total of five families began the program, and three mothers completed all seven sessions. We conducted semi-structured interviews with mothers before and after the intervention so as to explore their perceptions regarding changes in their parenting competences and the quality of visits with their child. These data were complemented by participant-observer notes taken by one of the researchers during program sessions. Through content and semantic network analysis of interviews, we were able to identify changes in relation to five aspects of contact visits following participation in the parenting program. The results suggest that the program has the potential to enhance the parenting competences of birth mothers, to improve parentchild interaction during contact visits, and to encourage collaboration between the birth and foster families. These preliminary findings support the utility of the program for improving the quality of contact visits between birth parents and their children in non-kinship foster care.This study is part of an R + D Project of Excellence financed by the Spanish government (EDU201677094-P) [Proyecto I + D de Fomento de la Investigaci Ăłn CientĂfica y T Ă©cnica de Excelencia]. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de M Ìalaga / CBUA.
Funding for open access charge: Universidad de MĂĄlaga / CBU
Behavioral Observation and Analysis of Participants in Foster Care Visits.
Objective: To identify situations and behaviors
occurring during contact visits that are likely to
have an impact on a foster childâs well-being.
Background: It has been argued that contact
visits between foster children and birth parents
can help to maintain attachment bonds and sup port the childâs development. However, contact
continues to be a subject of controversy, and
evidence of both benefits and drawbacks has
been reported in the literature. Few studies have
examined what actually occurs during such vis its, how parents and children interact, and what
role is played by those involved.
Method: We conducted an in-depth qualitative
observational analysis of the behavior of partic ipants in contact visits (birth parent, child, and
social worker), as well as of the characteristics
of the venue. Participants were 20 children in
nonkinship foster care and their birth parents.
Information regarding the characteristics of vis its was provided by the child protection services
and the fostering agencies involved.
Results: The analysis revealed a large num ber of positive behaviors among parents, chil dren, and social workers, but also the need
for improvement in several areas (e.g., family
relationships, social/communication skills, and
presents). Conclusions: This study highlights the need
to improve contact visits by developing inter vention strategies targeting all those involved.
Notably, the support and supervision provided
by social workers was not always adequate.
Implications: The results of this study could be
used to develop an instrument for assessing the
quality of contact visits and identifying aspects
that need to be improved
Indicators of contact visit quality in non-kinship foster care: An observational checklist
This study explores whether the frequency and diversity of behaviours observed during contact visits may be used as indicators of visit quality. We observed 20 contact visits and quantified the frequency and diversity of behaviours for both parent and child, classified as positive or negative with respect to the child's well-being. Quality of visits was classified based on a list of parent and child behaviours and two indicators (diversity and frequency), to create two observational checklists and calculate an overall quality index. This observational tool will enable identification of areas where birth parents or their child require additional support.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de MĂĄlaga / CBUA.
This study is part of a I + D Project of Excellence financed by the Government of Spain (EDU2016-77094-P)
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