Community Hub Research Articles

Wireless Mesh Networks as Community Hubs: Analysis of Small-Scale Wireless Mesh Networks and Community-Centered Technology Training

Abstract This paper addresses two policy questions. Firstly, how might evolving technologies associated with broadband networks enhance or hinder marginalized or underserved population groups' effective use and access to information resources? Secondly, how can we foster public hybrid broadband, situating broadband networks within existing communities, as a means to promote digital self-determination? This study finds that wireless mesh technology initiatives can create and foster community engagement through infrastructure deployment, maintenance and use; combat myths regarding marginalized demographics and technology, and provide marginalized communities with an opportunity to become decision-makers regarding communications technology infrastructure development.

Wireless Mesh Networks as Community Hubs: Analysis of Small-Scale Wireless Mesh Networks and Community-Centered Technology Training

Abstract This paper addresses two policy questions. Firstly, how might evolving technologies associated with broadband networks enhance or hinder marginalized or underserved population groups' effective use and access to information resources? Secondly, how can we foster public hybrid broadband, situating broadband networks within existing communities, as a means to promote digital self-determination? This study finds that wireless mesh technology initiatives can create and foster community engagement through infrastructure deployment, maintenance and use; combat myths regarding marginalized demographics and technology, and provide marginalized communities with an opportunity to become decision-makers regarding communications technology infrastructure development.

Assessment of the walking accessibility of public libraries in Krakow using the E2SFCA approach

AbstractPublic libraries play an important role for local neighbourhoods as they function as community hubs. In an ideal case libraries would be located in such a way that a high level of equity in access to them is ensured. This study examines whether or not this equity of access is provided in the case of Krakow where the network of public libraries has recently been reorganised. Besides other methods of measuring accessibility the authors utilise the enhanced two-step floating catchment area approach in order to uncover spatial differences in potential accessibility on foot. Findings from the analyses indicate that, with the exception of the central districts of Krakow, every district is faced with an accumulation of more or less neglected areas. In addition, the work highlights that almost one quarter of Krakow’s population is affected by poor accessibility on foot (more than 20 minutes walk) to the nearest library. The study concludes that the variations in access to libraries presented should be considered by local planners in future phases of the planning of new libraries.

The Community Role of Schools in Jicamarca and Villa El Salvador (Peru): Crosscutting Behavior Settings in Personal Networks

The personal networks of 138 parents of children participating in a child labor prevention initiative in three schools in Lima (Peru) are d. First, relevant behavior settings in two informal population settlements in the periphery of the big city were detected. Second, the distribution of personal relationships in that small set of community contexts served to describe the everyday interaction in the neighborhood. Each interviewee provided information on the 45 persons with whom he/she interacts regularly, indicating in each case the context that relationship preferably takes place. They also reported on the involvement of families in school and citizen participation initiatives in their community. The clustered graphs technique showed that the school is the second most relevant space for the development of interpersonal relationships in the neighborhood. Relationships among different family households were the most powerful predictor of community integration in the neighborhood of residence. The highest rates of child labor coincide with the most recently d community environments, with more fragmented personal networks, and with a less structured community as a whole. School is a community hub that facilitates interaction between the families of the neighborhood and connect to value resources outside of their usual place of residence.

Subunit Capture Mechanics in Calcium Calmodulin Dependent Kinase II

Molecular dynamics simulations examined how single transphosphorylation between adjacent subunits of calcium calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) effects conformational coupling. One (receiver) kinase captures and phosphorylates the regulatory domain of a donor kinase forming a chained dimer. Identified substrate binding sequences formed nodes in long-range, parallel signal relays linking regulatory peptides in adjacent subunits. Monomer subunit architecture was co-opted in the auto-phosphorylating dimer but the community hub shifted from the nucleotide binding pocket to a hydrophobic cluster between the captured peptide and a key helix in its binding pocket. Phosphorylation of this peptide modulated the dielectric of the pocket to reduce helix flexibility and collective motions of the receiver kinase domain. The signal relay was strengthened with phosphorylationdependent conformational transitions completed within hundred nanoseconds. The network couplings should guide allosteric inhibitor design. Chained dimers, in addition to intra-holoenzyme spread, may facilitate exchange between holoenzymes to prolong activated population lifetimes.

Proposal to provide screenings in shopping centre car parks or community hubs

Proposal to provide screenings in shopping centre car parks or community hubs

Helping a community to help their kids: Bringing services together in a community hub in inner-city Sydney, Australia

Introduction: The suburb of Redfern is identified as having some of the highest rates of intergenerational family disadvantage in the Sydney district. Many families are disconnected from key services, and require multi-agency input to remain healthy and safe. Short description of practice change implemented: Health district family care coordinators are co-located in an interagency hub on a social housing estate, led by the local housing department. At this hub, staff from government and non-government organisations have partnered to provide an integrated service providing health and social support to residents with complex needs such as psychological trauma, mental health issues, substance abuse, chronic health problems, child protection and parenting issues. Aim and theory of change: By co-locating family care coordinators with partners in the community, we aim to: Bring services directly to the community. Connect care and bridge gaps for families. Provide a “Team Around the Family” model of intervention to increase a family’s capacity to independently manage their complex health and psychosocial needs. Support families to seek antenatal support earlier in pregnancy. Work in partnership with families, other services, General Practice and the community. Break down service silos. Targeted population and stakeholders: Families with children aged 0-17 years, where the parents or carers have complex health or psychosocial needs which impact on their ability to care for their children. Stakeholders include drug health services, mental health services, legal aid, financial management assistance, public housing and child and family health services. Timeline: This program commenced in July 2015 and implementation and evaluation is ongoing. Highlights: The model of care evolved in line with local family and community needs, and includes extended family members to align with the Aboriginal definition of kinship. This has empowered families to identify solutions that work for them. Trust has increased at two levels: families who have traditionally shown a mistrust of government services are now approaching staff for support; staff from different organisations are now working in partnership and share care for families. Families are now receiving the support that they require before situations turn into crises, and the adult family members’ needs are being addressed. Comments on sustainability: As this model utilises existing services, sustainability is realistic. Comments on transferability: This model could be implemented in other suburbs with high rates of family disadvantage. Elements may be adapted to suit local families and communities. Conclusions: Preliminary analysis indicates that co-location of health and social services is powerful in building trust between service providers and transferring of knowledge and skills. When a hub is located within a community, those services are able to build trust in the community, coordinate services for families and help families to achieve optimal outcomes. Discussions and Lessons Learned: Complex health and social care systems are difficult for vulnerable clients to navigate and often do not meet their needs. A family-network centred and flexible model of care-coordination is more effective. Service definitions and entry criteria may also need to be flexible to ensure that clients do not “fall between the cracks”.

Improving integrated models of care for people with complex health and social needs

Introduction and targeted population: A relatively small (5) percentage of patients use a disproportionate share of health care services and account for more than half of health care costs. They face multiple medical, behavioral health and social challenges and require more intensive, ongoing treatment models than the fragmented care in emergency departments and many care settings. Recognizing the major roles of social and economic determinants such as housing, social connectedness and access to food and housing, innovative system-level efforts towards community –based, preventive, health and social services rather than hospital-based services have arisen. Theory of change: A literature review, interviews and small group consultation with expert stakeholders across the United States pointed to six critical domains that contribute to sustainable better lower cost care for complex individuals and identified promising practice models. Transferability: The key components of these innovative approaches, can and have been transferred across a range of payment and delivery systems, indeed lessons learned from outside the United States were integrated into some approaches. These six key components and examples are outlined below. Practice changes and highlights: 1- Care model enhancements focus on clinical integration and care coordination. Montefiore Medical Center in New York mobilizes their care team to respond to triggering medical and social events such as eviction notices or incarceration while other models focus on “accompaniment” with peers with common lived experiences who help patients navigate the system and work with community organizations to build capacity for social supports. Sustainability: 2- Financing and accountability approaches include payments for value rather than volume and innovative approaches such as the Pathways Community Hub ties payment to positive outcomes and requires a central organization to oversee all care coordination activity in a region. 3- Data and analytics include risk stratification and predictive analysis to identify high need patients, implement tailored strategies and inform system-wide policies. The Michigan Department of Community Health has a data warehouse integrating 12 separate health-related agencies and 34 data sources into a single environment to improve service delivery; determine utilization patterns; evaluate program effectiveness; detect and reports fraud and prioritize strategies to improve outcomes. 4- The workforce needed to address the unique needs of this population go beyond clinician to peers and leverages human resources already in the community. Project ECHO uses a supervision model of video-conferencing technology to create expert -led communities of practice in complex care while the Commonwealth Care Alliance in Massachusetts uses specially trained paramedics to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. 5- New governance models focus on inter-agency collaboration. Hennepin Health in Minnesota partners with community agencies to develop reinvestment plans in which savings generated through coordinated care management are allocated to community –development efforts. 6- Policies that support innovations in practice and payment promote sustainability. Washington developed Accountable Communities of Health that bring together leaders from multiple health sectors to better align resources and activities to improve health and health equity. Conclusion: Approaches that address the six domains involved in care for complex populations hold great promise to improve outcomes and lives.

Libraries and democratization

PurposeThis theoretical paper aims to draw on existing literature to examine the case for libraries to play a key role in the democratization of Oman. This paper is intended to provide foundation for further empirical research to develop a proposed future strategy for Oman’s library sector that will help facilitate the future political and economic transition of the Sultanate.Design/methodology/approachThis is a theoretical study that draws on existing literature to examine the case for libraries to play a key role in the democratization of Oman.FindingsThere are four main ways in which public libraries support democratization are identified and discussed: providing access to information, ensuring inclusivity of knowledge, forming a community hub for interaction and dialogue and promoting social inclusion through internet access.Originality/valueAs Oman undergoes political and economic transition, this study and the follow-on empirical research will be highly significant in ensuring that the expansion of democratic processes in Oman proceeds peacefully and that the Sultanate provides a best practice model for Islamic democracy within the Gulf Cooperation Council region and globally.

Exploring regulation in tissues with eQTL networks

Characterizing the collective regulatory impact of genetic variants on complex phenotypes is a major challenge in developing a genotype to phenotype map. Using expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analyses, we constructed bipartite networks in which edges represent significant associations between genetic variants and gene expression levels and found that the network structure informs regulatory function. We show, in 13 tissues, that these eQTL networks are organized into dense, highly modular communities grouping genes often involved in coherent biological processes. We find communities representing shared processes across tissues, as well as communities associated with tissue-specific processes that coalesce around variants in tissue-specific active chromatin regions. Node centrality is also highly informative, with the global and community hubs differing in regulatory potential and likelihood of being disease associated.

HIV stigma experiences and stigmatisation before and after a HIV stigma-reduction community “hub” intervention

This study sought to explore, describe and determine whether an HIV stigma-reduction community “hub” intervention would change the HIV stigma experiences of people living with HIV (PLWH) and the stigmatisation by the community in an urban area in South Africa. A convergent parallel mixed-method design with a single case pre-test post-test design and an interpretive description approach was utilised. The sample for this study included 62 PLWH recruited through accessibility sampling and 570 community members recruited through random voluntary sampling. A sub-sample of both groups, selected using purposive voluntary sampling, was utilised for the in-depth interviews about stigma experiences of PLWH, and for perceptions and attitudes of the community toward PLWH. Both quantitative and qualitative data showed that stigma is present. Although no statistically significant changes were found, small practically significant changes were demonstrated in the experiences of PLWH and in the perceptions and attitudes of the community. The extent of changes was much more obvious in the responses of the PLWH and the community during their post-intervention qualitative interviews than the changes found with the quantitative measures. This study thus concludes that the HIV stigma-reduction community hub intervention was successful in initiating the onset of changes in a community through the PLWH and people living close to PLWH (PLC) as community mobilisers active in the community hub to mobilise their own communities towards HIV stigma reduction through social change.

Assessing the impacts of changing public service provision on geographical accessibility: An examination of public library provision in Pembrokeshire, South Wales

Public libraries make an important contribution to the wellbeing of local people often acting as community hubs by reducing the isolation felt by vulnerable members of society through promoting social interaction and supporting the wider needs of local communities. However, access to libraries is threatened in Wales, as elsewhere in the UK, by uncertainty stemming from changes in local government service delivery models, austerity-driven cuts in public spending, changing demands on the service from the public and the potential impacts of new developments in digital services and technologies. Drawing on network-based analysis of changes to library services in a predominantly rural authority in South-West Wales, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate how Geographical Information Systems can be used to monitor the impacts of alternative models of provision currently being considered by library authorities. By examining the spatial impacts of changes in services following a period of re-configuration in this library authority, we point the way to methods that enable levels of provision that meet community needs to be sought during times of budgetary pressures and proposed changes to the delivery of public services.

RETIREMENT ADJUSTMENT-THE EARLY YEARS: A 3 COUNTRY QUALITATIVE COMPARISON

In a review of psychological perspectives on the changing experience of retirement, Schultz and Wang note (2011: 8) “retirees actively shape their experiences in retirement. As active selves, retirees reflect on and evaluate their experiences [and] are able to modify their environment to shape their retirement experiences”. Such perspectives emphasise the salience of self-efficacy, agency and proactive behaviour in shaping retired life, but can produce an under socialised conception of the individual agent. In theorising retirement transitions and outcomes it is important to account also for the extent to which retired lifestyles and ‘choices’ are constrained or facilitated by broader opportunities, cultural context and social structure. Social position, labour markets, welfare and pension systems set the context in which retirement pathways unfold. Opportunities may also be more locally determined, with community hubs, associational activity and local facilities playing an important role in the promotion of social integration. In order to explore the influence of social context and opportunity structures on the experience of ‘retirement’ this paper examines a sample of 135 older people aged 55+ interviewed over 3 years as they made the transition from work to retirement in Italy, USA and England – each characterised by distinct cultural orientations and welfare regimes. Using qualitative methods, the paper introduces the voices of these retirees to gain insights into: their retirement journeys; pleasures and disappointments; social roles and activities; and the opportunities and obstacles encountered in pursuing aspirations. Implications of findings for concepts such as ‘successful ageing’ and ‘active ageing’ are highlighted.

A community hub approach to older people’s housing

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of housing with care schemes to act as community hubs. The analysis highlights a range of benefits, barriers and facilitators.Design/methodology/approachData are presented from the Adult Social Services Environments and Settings project which used a mixed methods approach including a review of the literature, surveys and in-depth case study interviews.FindingsMost housing with care schemes have a restaurant or café, communal lounge, garden, hairdresser, activity room and laundrette, while many also have a library, gym, computer access and a shop. Many of these facilities are open not just to residents but also to the wider community, reflecting a more integrated approach to community health and adult social care, by sharing access to primary health care and social services between people living in the scheme and those living nearby. Potential benefits of this approach include the integration of older people’s housing, reduced isolation and increased cost effectiveness of local services through economies of scale and by maximising preventative approaches to health and wellbeing. Successful implementation of the model depends on a range of criteria including being located within or close to a residential area and having on-site facilities that are accessible to the public.Originality/valueThis paper is part of a very new literature on community hub models of housing with care in the UK. In the light of new requirements under the Care Act to better coordinate community services, it provides insights into how this approach can work and offers an analysis of the benefits and challenges that will be of interest to commissioners and providers as well as planners. This was a small scale research project based on four case studies. Caution should be taken when considering the findings in different settings.

Commentary: a Novel Approach to Community Needs Assessment

Mobile health clinics are an innovative way to deliver care to vulnerable populations. They are a creative solution for reaching people were they are, bridging the gaps in care and creating a community hub of wellness with respect and concern for one another.

Perspectives of Urban Corner Store Owners and Managers on Community Health Problems and Solutions.

IntroductionUrban corner store interventions have been implemented to improve access to and promote purchase of healthy foods. However, the perspectives of store owners and managers, who deliver and shape these interventions in collaboration with nonprofit, government, and academic partners, have been largely overlooked. We sought to explore the views of store owners and managers on the role of their stores in the community and their beliefs about health problems and solutions in the community.MethodsDuring 2013 and 2014, we conducted semistructured, in-depth interviews in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey, with 23 corner store owners/managers who participated in the Healthy Corner Store Initiative spearheaded by The Food Trust, a nonprofit organization focused on food access in low-income communities. We oversampled high-performing store owners.ResultsStore owners/managers reported that their stores served multiple roles, including providing a convenient source of goods, acting as a community hub, supporting community members, working with neighborhood schools, and improving health. Owners/managers described many challenging aspects of running a small store, including obtaining high-quality produce at a good price and in small quantities. Store owners/managers believed that obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and poor diet are major problems in their communities. Some owners/managers engaged with customers to discuss healthy behaviors.ConclusionOur findings suggest that store owners and managers are crucial partners for healthy eating interventions. Corner store owners/managers interact with community members daily, are aware of community health issues, and are community providers of access to food. Corner store initiatives can be used to implement innovative programs to further develop the untapped potential of store owners/managers.

"I want to save my life": Conceptions of cervical and breast cancer screening among urban immigrant women of South Asian and Chinese origin.

BackgroundBreast and cervical cancer screening rates remain low among immigrant women and those of low socioeconomic status. The Cancer Awareness: Ready for Education and Screening (CARES) project ran a peer-led multi-lingual educational program between 2012 and 2014 to reach under and never-screened women in Central Toronto, where breast and cervical cancer screening rates remain low.The objective of this qualitative study was to better understand how Chinese and South Asian immigrants – the largest and most under-screened immigrant groups according to national and provincial statistics - conceive of breast and cervical cancer screening. We explored their experiences with screening to date. We explicitly inquired about their perceptions of the health care system, their screening experiences with family physicians and strategies that would support screening in their communities.MethodsWe conducted 22 individual interviews and two focus groups in Bengali and Mandarin with participants who had attended CARES educational sessions. Transcripts were coded through an iterative constant comparative and interpretative approach.ResultsThemes fell into five major, overlapping domains: risk perception and concepts of preventative health and screening; health system engagement and the embedded experience with screening; fear of cancer and procedural pain; self-efficacy, obligation, and willingness to be screened; newcomer barriers and competing priorities. These domains all overlap, and contribute to screening behaviours. Immigrant women experienced a number of barriers to screening related to ‘navigating newness’, including transportation, language barriers, arrangements for time off work and childcare. Fear of screening and fear of cancer took many forms; painful or traumatic encounters with screening were described. Female gender of the provider was paramount for both groups. Newly screened South Asian women were reassured by their first encounter with screening. Some Chinese women preferred the anonymous screening options available in China. Women generally endorsed a willingness to be screened, and even offered to organize women in their community hubs to access screening.ConclusionsThe experience of South Asian and Chinese immigrant women suggests that under and never-screened newcomers may be effectively integrated into screening programs through existing primary care networks, cultural-group specific outreach, and expanding access to convenient community -based screening.

American libraries in 2016

This article presents an overview of the American library landscape and explains the trends and challenges American libraries are facing. US libraries provide people of all ages and backgrounds with access to information and technology. They are community and campus hubs, relied upon to provide the services and support that people need for study, research and lifelong learning. They continue to reinvent themselves to meet the emerging demands in the digital age while retaining their core values of cooperation, sharing and service.

Making MOOCs meaningful and locally relevant? Investigating IDCourserians-an independent, collaborative, community hub in Indonesia.

Along with massive open online course (MOOC) budding popularity, some problems have begun to surface. One that appears prominent concerns sustainability: for example, high dropout and low completion rates, which are reported to be less than 10 % on average. In response to growing concerns over these issues, some MOOC providers have begun to campaign for the development of offline supporting communities. Meanwhile in Indonesia, where provider supported learning communities are not yet present, some MOOC learners took the initiative to form their own community, which they called IDCourserians. This paper reports on a qualitative study which aimed to investigate and to make sense what was actually happening in the IDCourserians as an independent MOOC learning community. Nine overarching themes were identified from the collected data that illuminate the purpose of the IDCourserians, the way the community’s members learn MOOCs, and the benefit the participants perceived by joining the IDCourserians. These findings then are discussed further with regard to two key theoretical perspectives: collaborative learning and communities of practice. The paper concludes that where English is not the main spoken language and the hub model is not yet provided, creating face-to-face communities in local communities should be considered, as this may be a better way for learners to experience MOOCs and make their learning more meaningful in the local context. This also offers potential for overcoming the common difficulties in MOOCs, such as a lack of motivation and difficulties in interpreting the material through developing collaborative support activities within a community of practice.

Leveraging open-source technology and adapting open eLearning content to improve the knowledge and motivation of Ghana’s rural nurses

Access to training opportunities is strongly correlated with health workers’ motivation because it enables health workers to take on more challenging duties. Mobile technology can be leveraged for professional development support by providing access to open education resources. Community Health Nurses (CHNs) in Ghana are the frontline health workers of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and play a vital role in extending maternal and child health care to rural communities. However, as the lowest credentialed nurses, they are at the bottom of the GHS hierarchy. CHNs have limited opportunities for career advancement and report challenges with isolation and lack of resources. Leveraging open-source technology platforms and open eLearning content, the Care Community Hub (CCH) project sought to address these barriers in CHN motivation by developing and deploying a mobile application (app), CHN on the Go, to CHNs in five rural districts. The app supports CHNs through tools for continuous learning, diagnostic decision-making, and improved nurse-supervisor interactions. This paper focuses on the adaptation and use of the open eLearning content to address CHNs’ motivation challenges and, ultimately, improve their knowledge and job performance as a result of having access to open education resources.