Social media: creating communities of research and practice

Social media has become part of everyday life. By January 2015, over 3 billion internet users had set up more than 3.7 billion active social media accounts (Kemp, cited in Davis and Voyce, 2015). Social media in a professional context offers occupational therapists a powerful communication tool, one they have embraced enthusiastically. An increasing number use it not only to support their continued professional development but also to promote their research among their peers and across international health care networks. There is enormous potential for enabling contact and interaction with colleagues, policy makers, researchers and professional organisations on an equal footing. Recently, even traditional health care organisations, such as the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom, have facilitated the use of social media by health care professionals, no doubt assisted by its cost efficiencies with reduced cost for time and travel (Lawson and Cowling, 2014). Academic and research organisations likewise recognise that social and online media enrich academic life, whether through using Google Scholar to build research citations, Slideshare to distribute conference presentations, or online groups to collaborate with colleagues

He's my mate you see':A critical discourse analysis of the therapeutic role of companion animals in the social networks of people with a diagnosis of severe mental illness

There is increasing recognition of the role pets play in the management of mental health conditions. Evidence suggests that pets promote social interaction and provide secure and intimate relationships which support the management of symptoms. This paper aimed to extend this evidence by exploring the phenomenological understanding of relationships and relationality with companion animals as therapeutic agents in the context of people's wider social networks.A qualitative study was undertaken incorporating 35 interviews with 12 participants with a diagnosis of severe mental illness who identified a pet as being important in the management of mental health. Participants took part in three in-depth interviews centred on ego network mapping over a 12-month period (baseline, 6 and 12 months). A critical discourse analysis examined therapeutic relationships with pets in relation to mental health and compared these to other types of support over time. Summative discourse analyses were combined with a cross-case thematic analysis to look for commonalities and differences across individuals.Compared with interactions with other therapeutic agents, relationships with pets were free from the obligations and complexities associated with other types of network members and provided an extension and reinforcement to an individual's sense of self which militated against the negative experiences associated with mental illness. Relationships with human network members were more variable in terms of consistency and capacity to manage demands (eg, network members requiring support themselves) and the emotions of others associated with fluctuations in mental health.This study adds weight to research supporting the inclusion of companion animals in the lexicon of mental health self-management through the therapeutic value attributed to them by participants within a wide personal network of support. The findings point to how consideration might usefully be given to how relationships with companion animals can be incorporated into healthcare planning and delivery

Enhancing the Behaviour Change Wheel with synthesis, stakeholder involvement and decision-making: a case example using the 'Enhancing the Quality of Psychological Interventions Delivered by Telephone' (EQUITy) research programme.

From Europe PMC via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: ppub 2021-05-01, epub 2021-05-14Publication status: PublishedFunder: Programme Grants for Applied Research; Grant(s): RP-PG-1016-20010BackgroundUsing frameworks such as the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop behaviour change interventions can be challenging because judgement is needed at various points in the process and it is not always clear how uncertainties can be resolved. We propose a transparent and systematic three-phase process to transition from a research evidence base to a behaviour change intervention. The three phases entail evidence synthesis, stakeholder involvement and decision-making. We present the systematic development of an intervention to enhance the quality of psychological treatment delivered by telephone, as a worked example of this process.MethodIn phase 1 (evidence synthesis), we propose that the capabilities (C), opportunities (O) and motivations (M) model of behaviour change (COM-B) can be used to support the synthesis of a varied corpus of empirical evidence and to identify domains to be included in a proposed behaviour change intervention. In phase 2 (stakeholder involvement), we propose that formal consensus procedures (e.g. the RAND Health/University of California-Los Angeles Appropriateness Methodology) can be used to facilitate discussions of proposed domains with stakeholder groups. In phase 3 (decision-making), we propose that behavioural scientists identify (with public/patient input) intervention functions and behaviour change techniques using the acceptability, practicability, effectiveness/cost-effectiveness, affordability, safety/side-effects and equity (APEASE) criteria.ResultsThe COM-B model was a useful tool that allowed a multidisciplinary research team, many of whom had no prior knowledge of behavioural science, to synthesise effectively a varied corpus of evidence (phase 1: evidence synthesis). The RAND Health/University of California-Los Angeles Appropriateness Methodology provided a transparent means of involving stakeholders (patients, practitioners and key informants in the present example), a structured way in which they could identify which of 93 domains identified in phase 1 were essential for inclusion in the intervention (phase 2: stakeholder involvement). Phase 3 (decision-making) was able to draw on existing Behaviour Change Wheel resources to revisit phases 1 and 2 and facilitate agreement among behavioural scientists on the final intervention modules. Behaviour changes were required at service, practitioner, patient and community levels.ConclusionFrameworks offer a foundation for intervention development but require additional elucidation at each stage of the process. The decisions adopted in this study are designed to provide an example on how to resolve challenges while designing a behaviour change intervention. We propose a three-phase process, which represents a transparent and systematic framework for developing behaviour change interventions in any setting

Assessing luminosity correlations via cluster analysis: Evidence for dual tracks in the radio/X-ray domain of black hole X-ray binaries

[abridged] The radio:X-ray correlation for hard and quiescent state black hole X-ray binaries is critically investigated in this paper. New observations of known sources, along with newly discovered ones, have resulted in an increasingly large number of outliers lying well outside the scatter about the quoted best-fit relation. Here, we employ and compare state of the art data clustering techniques in order to identify and characterize different data groupings within the radio:X-ray luminosity plane for 18 hard and quiescent state black hole X-ray binaries with nearly simultaneous multi-wavelength coverage. Linear regression is then carried out on the clustered data to infer the parameters of a relationship of the form {ell}_{r}=alpha+beta {ell}_x through a Bayesian approach (where {ell} denotes log lum). We conclude that the two cluster model, with independent linear fits, is a significant improvement over fitting all points as a single cluster. While the upper track slope (0.63\pm0.03) is consistent, within the errors, with the fitted slope for the 2003 relation (0.7\pm0.1), the lower track slope (0.98\pm0.08) is not consistent with the upper track, nor it is with the widely adopted value of ~1.4 for the neutron stars. The two luminosity tracks do not reflect systematic differences in black hole spins as estimated either from reflection, or continuum fitting method. These results are insensitive to the selection of sub-samples, accuracy in the distances, and to the treatment of upper limits. Besides introducing a further level of complexity in understanding the interplay between synchrotron and Comptonised emission from black hole X-ray binaries, the existence of two tracks in the radio:X-ray domain underscores that a high level of caution must be exercised when employing black hole luminosity relations for the purpose of estimating a third parameter, such as distance or mass.Comment: MNRAS, in press (10 pages, 7 figures

Relative modulation sensitivities of the red and green color mechanisms

The sensitivities of the human green and red cone mechanisms to sinusiodally flickering light were found to be near equal and independent of field size and estimation method. No wavelength dependency of modulation sensitivity was found. An observer who lacks the red cone pigment (protanope) did not show unusually high flicker sensitivity to green light of 525 nm. The modulation transfer function for the normal observer measured with a green flickering test on a red background is identical to that on a green background when the backgrounds have been equated for the green cones by the protanope. The same is true for the contrast transfer function of the normal observer when determined with a green grating on the red and green backgrounds equated by the protanope.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/22781/1/0000336.pd

The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence

Background There is increasing recognition of the therapeutic function pets can play in relation to mental health. However, there has been no systematic review of the evidence related to the comprehensive role of companion animals and how pets might contribute to the work associated with managing a long-term mental health condition. The aim of this study was to explore the extent, nature and quality of the evidence implicating the role and utility of pet ownership for people living with a mental health condition. Methods A systematic search for studies exploring the role of companion animals in the management of mental health conditions was undertaken by searching 9 databases and undertaking a scoping review of grey literature from the earliest record until March 2017. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to be published in English and report on primary data related to the relationship between domestic animal ownership and the management of diagnosable mental health conditions. Synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data was undertaken in parallel using a narrative synthesis informed by an illness work theoretical framework. Results A total of 17 studies were included in the review. Quantitative evidence relating to the benefits of pet ownership was mixed with included studies demonstrating positive, negative and neutral impacts of pet ownership. Qualitative studies illuminated the intensiveness of connectivity people with companion animals reported, and the multi-faceted ways in which pets contributed to the work associated with managing a mental health condition, particularly in times of crisis. The negative aspects of pet ownership were also highlighted, including the practical and emotional burden of pet ownership and the psychological impact that losing a pet has. Conclusion This review suggests that pets provide benefits to those with mental health conditions. Further research is required to test the nature and extent of this relationship, incorporating outcomes that cover the range of roles and types of support pets confer in relation to mental health and the means by which these can be incorporated into the mainstay of support for people experiencing a mental health problem

Simulating the influences of groundwater on regional geomorphology using a distributed, dynamic, landscape evolution modelling platform

A dynamic landscape evolution modelling platform (CLiDE) is presented that allows a variety of Earth system interactions to be explored under differing environmental forcing factors. Representation of distributed surface and subsurface hydrology within CLiDE is suited to simulation at sub-annual to centennial time-scales. In this study the hydrological components of CLiDE are evaluated against analytical solutions and recorded datasets. The impact of differing groundwater regimes on sediment discharge is examined for a simple, idealised catchment, Sediment discharge is found to be a function of the evolving catchment morphology. Application of CLiDE to the upper Eden Valley catchment, UK, suggests the addition of baseflow-return from groundwater into the fluvial system modifies the total catchment sediment discharge and the spatio-temporal distribution of sediment fluxes during storm events. The occurrence of a storm following a period of appreciable antecedent rainfall is found to increase simulated sediment fluxes

Moral Distress Amongst American Physician Trainees Regarding Futile Treatments at the End of Life: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Ethical challenges are common in end of life care; the uncertainty of prognosis and the ethically permissible boundaries of treatment create confusion and conflict about the balance between benefits and burdens experienced by patients. OBJECTIVE: We asked physician trainees in internal medicine how they reacted and responded to ethical challenges arising in the context of perceived futile treatments at the end of life and how these challenges contribute to moral distress. DESIGN: Semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two internal medicine residents and fellows across three American academic medical centers. APPROACH: This study uses systematic qualitative methods of data gathering, analysis and interpretation. KEY RESULTS: Physician trainees experienced significant moral distress when they felt obligated to provide treatments at or near the end of life that they believed to be futile. Some trainees developed detached and dehumanizing attitudes towards patients as a coping mechanism, which may contribute to a loss of empathy. Successful coping strategies included formal and informal conversations with colleagues and superiors about the emotional and ethical challenges of providing care at the end of life. CONCLUSIONS: Moral distress amongst physician trainees may occur when they feel obligated to provide treatments at the end of life that they believe to be futile or harmful.This study was funded by the Health Resources and Service Administration T32 HP10025-20 Training Grant, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, Society of General Internal Medicine Founders Grant, and the Ho-Chiang Palliative Care Research Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-015-3505-

Brucellosis remains a neglected disease inthe developing world: a call forinterdisciplinary action

Brucellosis places significant burdens on the human healthcare system and limits the economic growth of individuals, communities, and nations where such development is especially important to diminish the prevalence of poverty. The implementation of public policy focused on mitigating the socioeconomic effects of brucellosis in human and animal populations is desperately needed. When developing a plan to mitigate the associated consequences, it is vital to consider both the abstract and quantifiable effects. This requires an interdisciplinary and collaborative, or One Health, approach that consists of public education, the development of an infrastructure for disease surveillance and reporting in both veterinary and medical fields, and campaigns for control in livestock and wildlife species