558 research outputs found

    Molecular Hydrogen emission from disks in the eta Chamaeleontis cluster

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    Disks in the 6 Myr old cluster eta Chamaeleontis were searched for emission from hot H2. Around the M3 star ECHAJ0843.3-7905 we detect circumstellar gas orbiting at ~2 AU. If the gas is UV-excited, the ro-vibrational line traces a hot gas layer supported by a disk of mass ~0.03Msolar, similar to the minimum mass solar nebula. Such a gas reservoir at 6 Myr would promote the formation and inwards migration of gas giant planets.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 9 page

    Physical Activity and Nutrition Intervention for Mothers of Young Children: Process Evaluation

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    Introduction: Process evaluation of community based projects is integral to understanding the success or failure of health promotion interventions. Process evaluation was used to assess the intervention strategies and resources in a playgroup setting aimed at mothers of young children. Methods: Process evaluation data were collected from participants (n = 249) and staff (n = 25) involved in the intervention. Data included staff perspectives on use of the playgroup as a setting, participants’ views on the feasibility and acceptability of the program strategies and resources, and program reach. Results: Responding participants reported that the intervention was useful (98%) and relevant for their age group (92%), encouraged them to think about making changes to their physical activity (95%) and dietary (98%) behaviors, and helped them to make changes to their physical activity (66%) and dietary (79%) behaviors. Participants reported that the most useful intervention strategies included the program booklet (85%), workshops (86%), newsletters (73%) and SMS (57%).Conclusion: This research provides valuable information on participants’ perspectives of the program strategies, content and overall implementation. It provides insight into the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and identifies areas for improvement when conducting programs in playgroup settings. The process evaluation indicated that playgroups are a suitable setting for health promotion targeting mothers of young children

    A Participatory Approach to the Development of Centralized Information Systems

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    In this article, we address the development and implementation of centralized information systems in the public sector. More specifically, we are concerned with implementation of such systems where a central governmental agency is collecting information from a number of similar institutions; for example, hospitals and colleges. It is our contention that the numerous problems traditionally associated with such systems often stem from the lack of a realistic participatory approach in the development and implementation of the system. This article discusses the participatory approach to the development and implementation of such a system - the Ontario College Information System (OCIS), a computer-based information system containing information on Ontario's twenty-two Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology.Il s'agit, dans la présente étude, de l'élaboration et de la mise en oeuvre des systèmes d'information centralisés dans le secteur public. Plus précisément, nous nous préoccupons de l'exécution de tels systèmes là où une agence gouvernementale centrale se charge de la cueillette d'information pour plusieurs institutions semblables, par exemple, les hôpitaux et les collèges. Nous soutenons que les nombreux problèmes associés traditionnellement avec de tels systèmes sont dérivés souvent de l'absence d'approche réaliste de participation dans l'élaboration et la mise en oeuvre du système. Cette étude discute de l'approche de participation pour l'élaboration et la mise en oeuvre du système appelé le Ontario College Information System (OCIS) - un système de données informatisées sur les 22 collèges de lettres et de technologie appliquées en Ontario

    Potential and challenges in collecting social and behavioral data on adolescent alcohol norms: Comparing respondent-driven sampling and web-based respondent-driven sampling

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    Background: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is a method successfully used to research hard-to-access populations. Few studies have explored the use of the Internet and social media with RDS, known as Web-based RDS (WebRDS). This study explored the use of combining both "traditional" RDS and WebRDS to examine the influences on adolescent alcohol use. Objective: This paper reports on the recruitment processes and the challenges and enablers of both RDS and WebRDS. It details comparative recruitment data and provides a summary of the utility of both methods for recruiting adolescents to participate in an online survey investigating youth alcohol norms. Methods: Process evaluation data collected from research staff throughout the study were used to assess the challenges and solutions of RDS and WebRDS. Pearson chi-square test (Fisher's exact test if applicable) was used to compare the differences in sociodemographics and drinking behavior between data collected by RDS and WebRDS. Results: Of the total sample (N=1012), 232 adolescents were recruited by RDS and 780 by WebRDS. A significantly larger proportion of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (P<.001) participants who spoke English as their main language at home (P=.03), and of middle and lower socioeconomic status (P<.001) was found in the RDS sample. The RDS sample was also found to have a higher occurrence of past 7-day drinking (P<.001) and past 7-day risky drinking (P=.004). No significant differences in gender, age, past month alcohol use, and lifetime alcohol use were observed between the RDS and WebRDS samples. This study revealed RDS and WebRDS used similar lengths of chains for recruiting participants; however, WebRDS conducted a faster rate of recruitment at a lower average cost per participant compared to RDS. Conclusions: Using WebRDS resulted in significant improvements in the recruitment rate and was a more effective and efficient use of resources than the traditional RDS method. However, WebRDS resulted in partially different sample characteristics to traditional RDS. This potential effect should be considered when selecting the most appropriate data collection method

    Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program

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    Executive SummaryMany authors have commented upon the potential of pharmacies as a health promotion setting due to their ease of accessibility for the public, high level of use, and respected position of pharmacists.Research has demonstrated that pharmacist led health promotion can be successful in assisting people to make lifestyle changes around smoking, diet, and more specifically, lipid management. There is also preliminary evidence to suggest that pharmacists can provide physical activity and alcohol consumption recommendations to their customers.Presently pharmacists have mainly been involved in information provision and screening activities. This forms one component of a health promotion approach and particularly in rural regions, community pharmacies could be performing a greater role in community health promotion activities.A model was piloted in four rural pharmacies with each pharmacy provided with a small grant to cover community activities and in store health promotion advice provision. The primary researcher on the project offered consultation support to the pharmacies as well as conducting the literature review and project evaluation.Needs analyses were conducted in the pharmacies and feedback revealed a low level of interest in health behaviour topics although some customers mentioned an interest in receiving dietary advice. This reflected the lower use of the in-store component of the project with few customers utilising the free dietary checks. Falls prevention screening and diabetes screening were more popular.The pharmacies were able to organise and sponsor a wide range of health promotion community activities. These included workshops on health topics, physical activity programs, home reviews for falls prevention, and early years and school health promotion programs. These programs reached over 500 people across the four communities.The results showed the considerable potential for community pharmacies in rural areas to organise community health promotion activities. As well as the direct benefit to the people involved in these activities, having the pharmacy sponsor and organise the events contributes to changing the perceptions of the general public to realise the broad health expertise of pharmacies roles.Based on the literature review and findings of the project a model has been developed in the recommendations section to imbed health promotion within rural community pharmacies. Important aspects of this model are health promotion training for pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, provision of grant money support, consultation support from a health promotion worker and promotional material to advertise using the pharmacy for health promotion advice

    Християнство і європейська духовно-культурна ідентичність

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    Стаття присвячена з’ясуванню ролі і місця християнства у формуванні європейської ідентичності в умовах ціннісної дезорієнтації, дегуманізації людини і суспільства, морального та релігійного хаосу.Статья посвящена выяснению роли и места христианства в формировании европейской идентичности в условиях ценностной дезориентации, дегуманизации человека и общества, морального и религиозного хаоса.The article is devoted to finding out the role and place of christianity in forming of the European identity in the conditions of the valued disorientation, dehumanizing of man and society, moral and religious chaos
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