Familiar Setting Research Articles

“I didn’t fink dat was funny”


 
 
 This paper examines the effect of middle and older age on Michael Caine’s realisation of the English dental fricatives. The results show convergence to prestige forms during middle age. Caine only exhibits TH- fronting during his older years within a familiar social setting (audience and speech styles), while TH- stopping is present in both age groups with a significant increase in his older years. It is proposed that the discrepancy between stopping and fronting exists because the two variants carry different levels of stigma in Caine’s linguistic community.
 
 

Parmigianino’s Bitch

Parmigianino’s Bitch

Conducting invasive urodynamics in primary care: qualitative interview study examining experiences of patients and healthcare professionals

BackgroundInvasive urodynamics is used to investigate the causes of lower urinary tract symptoms; a procedure usually conducted in secondary care by specialist practitioners. No study has yet investigated the feasibility of carrying out this procedure in a non-specialist setting. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore, using qualitative methodology, the feasibility and acceptability of conducting invasive urodynamic testing in primary care.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted during the pilot phase of the PriMUS study, in which men experiencing bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms underwent invasive urodynamic testing along with a series of simple index tests in a primary care setting. Interviewees were 25 patients invited to take part in the PriMUS study and 18 healthcare professionals involved in study delivery. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a framework approach.ResultsPatients generally found the urodynamic procedure acceptable and valued the primary care setting due to its increased accessibility and familiarity. Despite some logistical issues, facilitating invasive urodynamic testing in primary care was also a positive experience for urodynamic nurses. Initial issues with general practitioners receiving and utilising the results of urodynamic testing may have limited the potential benefit to some patients. Effective approaches to study recruitment included emphasising the benefits of the urodynamic test and maintaining contact with potential participants by telephone. Patients’ relationship with their general practitioner was an important influence on study participation.ConclusionsConducting invasive urodynamics in primary care is feasible and acceptable and has the potential to benefit patients. Facilitating study procedures in a familiar primary care setting can impact positively on research recruitment. However, it is vital that there is a support network for urodynamic nurses and expertise available to help interpret urodynamic results.

Relationships between residents’ ratings of place attachment and the restorative potential of natural and urban park settings

Recent studies have supported the proposition that place attachment positively contributes to psychological restoration. However, fewer studies have been conducted regarding the relationships between place attachment and restorative components within China. This study explores residents’ ratings of urban parks and natural settings for restorative potential and its four components in relation to two constructs of place attachment, place dependence and identity. We conducted a cross-regional comparative study using Fuzhouese and Macanese urban park setting images and natural images as stimuli, with local inhabitants as respondents. Respondents were asked to rate three groups of images in terms of familiarity, preference, place dependence, place identity, sense of being away, extent, fascination, compatibility, and restorative potential. The results showed that both Fuzhouese and Macanese respondents assigned higher ratings in all categories for familiar urban park settings compared to unfamiliar ones. Respondents’ ratings of the restorative potential of natural settings and their familiar urban park settings were equivalent. In addition, both place dependence and place identity played significant and positive roles in contributing to the respondents’ views of the restorative potential for familiar urban park settings. However, for natural settings, only place identity positively contributed to restorative potential. The results illustrate the significant role of local urban parks in enhancing residents’ place attachment and providing psychological restoration. This finding can offer insight and impetus for landscape designers working in restorative environmental design.

Perceived self-efficacy among nursing students during a pandemic: A pilot study

In March 2020, prelicensure nursing programs quickly transitioned from traditional, face-toface instruction to remote online learning for classroom, lab, and clinical requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many nursing students ready to graduate or recently graduated missed their last opportunity to prepare for the national registered nurse licensing exam, NCLEX-RN, in a familiar academic setting. In addition, direct clinical experiences with assigned clients were lost due to COVID-19 safety concerns for students, faculty, and clients. This created a challenge for nurse educators to provide instructional experiences that would engage students in ways to promote learning and result in acceptable NCLEX-RN pass rates. This study describes associate degree nursing students' perceptions of self- efficacy regarding the ability to pass NCLEX-RN and perform clinical skills after being transitioned from traditional, face-toface instruction to remote online learning during the pandemic.

Can insider be outsider? Doing an ethnographic research in a familiar setting

ABSTRACT This paper discusses advantages and disadvantages of being a researcher in a familiar setting. This study was conducted in a nursery in Turkey. In ethnographic research, conducting research in a familiar setting plays an important role in collecting and analysing data. Familiarisation with participants and settings is associated with ‘insiderness’ that a researcher shares the same language and culture with participants. The concept of positionality will be used to discuss the researcher’s positionalities during the fieldwork. There has been a discussion about the role of familiarisation in conducting ethnographic studies and insider/outsider dichotomy. This study argues that the research process is not unproblematic for an insider researcher. It also indicates that there are advantages (e.g. ethnicity and former teacher) and disadvantages (being a male researcher) of being an insider in a familiar setting. The study highlights that the researcher made the arrangements to overcome challenges resulted from the researcher’s gender.

Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults in an Adult Hospital Setting with a History of Heart Transplant: Nurses' Experience

Purpose Congenital heart disease represents the largest number of birth defects in Ireland with 95% of children now surviving to adulthood (HSE, 2018). With improving long-term survival after paediatric heart transplant, there is an increased number of adolescent heart transplant recipients transitioning to the adult health services. Unique challenges occur during this transition. There is however a dearth of literature on heart transplant adolescents transitioning to adult cardiac services. It is necessary to explore nurses’ experiences of caring for adolescents and young adults with a history of heart transplant in an adult hospital setting. The overall study aim was to explore nurse's experiences of caring for adolescents and young adults in an adult hospital setting with a history of heart transplant. Methods A descriptive phenomenological study using one-to-one interviews was used to conduct this study. Nurses and nurse managers with experience of caring for adolescents with a history of heart transplant in a large urban tertiary referral adult hospital took part in the study. Colizzi's (1978), seven step phenomenological framework was used for data analysis. Results Five key themes were identified: support for adolescents, support for families, support for staff, communication and maturity. Nurses identified that moving from the familiar paediatric setting to the adult setting is a huge change which affects the adolescents and their family. Ideas were put forward to ensure young people settle into their new hospital environment such as meal menus, ward decor, visiting hours. The need for a ‘Transition Co-ordinator’ was identified. Nurses also expressed feelings of stress. Further education and service training was recommended. Inter-professional communication and collaboration is also required for successful transition. Conclusion The findings of this study highlight further improvements required to aid the seamless transition of adolescents with a history of heart transplant to adult cardiac services.

Familiar in the Unfamiliar – Children's, Parents', and Healthcare Professionals' Experiences of Procedure-Related Anesthesia in the Pediatric Oncological Ward

PurposeTo explore children's, parents', and healthcare professionals', experiences of anesthesia related to pediatric oncological treatment performed at the pediatric oncology ward. Design and methodsThe study was a qualitative study. 11 children and 12 parents were recruited for individual or dyadic interviews and two focus groups with a total of 12 healthcare professionals were recruited through purposeful and convenience sampling procedures. ResultsThematic analysis generated one main theme, the familiar in the unfamiliar, and two subthemes, the room creates an atmosphere and relational continuity. ConclusionsChanging the physical environment and composition of the team positively influenced the experience of anesthesia in pediatric cancer treatment for both children, parents, and healthcare professionals. Familiarity was important for all involved and familiarity was associated with continuity related to the physical environment, as well as the relational and procedural professional continuity. Parents expressed that they never felt good about anesthesia as there were feelings of leaving your child's life into the hands of others. However, familiarity in trusting relationships with healthcare professionals helped to moderate these aspects. Practice implicationsFamiliarity should be considered important with continuity in trusting relations and collaborations between nurses and families, as well as between healthcare staff. Pediatric oncology ward is a preferred safe familiar setting for procedure-related anesthesia. Parents and children value individualized flexible nursing care, that takes the child's and parents habits and preferences into account during procedure-related anesthesia in pediatric oncological treatment.

Tightening Bonds in Latin America Through Phage Discovery.

Between 2015 and 2019, we hosted an International Phage Course at Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 2-week full-time course was hands-on and included lectures from renowned phage biologists. Participating students were able to meet and discuss with recognized experts from around the world in a familiar setting, facilitating the establishment of scientific collaborations and the expansion of their networks. Eighty-four students from 14 Latin American countries have participated in the course, which included isolation, characterization, genome sequencing, and annotation of novel phages. We have successfully created a coursework that enabled the acquisition of new knowledge and expertise in bacteriophage biology and strengthened ties among Latin American colleagues.

Social factors influencing utilization of home care in community-dwelling older adults: a scoping review

BackgroundOlder adults want to live at home as long as possible, even in the face of circumstances that limit their autonomy. Home care services reflect this emergent preference, allowing older adults to ‘age in place’ in familiar settings rather than receiving care for chronic health conditions or ageing needs in an institutionalized setting. Numerous social factors, generally studied in isolation, have been associated with home care utilization. Even so, social circumstances are complex and how these factors collectively influence home care use patterns remains unclear.ObjectivesTo provide a broad and comprehensive overview of the social factors influencing home care utilization; and to evaluate the influence of discrete social factors on patterns of home care utilization in community-dwelling older adults in high-income countries.MethodsA scoping review was conducted of six electronic databases for records published between 2010 and 2020; additional records were obtained from hand searching review articles, reference lists of included studies and documents from international organisations. A narrative synthesis was presented, complemented by vote counting per social factor, harvest plots and an evaluation of aggregated findings to determine consistency across studies.ResultsA total of 2,365 records were identified, of which 66 met inclusion criteria. There were 35 discrete social factors grouped into four levels of influence using a socio-ecological model (individual, relationship, community and societal levels) and grouped according to outcome of interest (home care propensity and intensity). Across all studies, social factors consistently showing any association (positive, negative, or equivocal in pattern) with home care propensity were: age, ethnicity/race, self-assessed health, insurance, housing ownership, housing problems, marital status, household income, children, informal caregiving, social networks and urban/rural area. Age, education, personal finances, living arrangements and housing ownership were associated with home care intensity, also with variable patterns in utilization. Additional community and societal level factors were identified as relevant but lacking consistency across the literature; these included rurality, availability of community services, methods of financing home care systems, and cultural determinants.ConclusionThis is the first literature review bringing together a wide range of reported social factors that influence home care utilization. It confirms social factors do influence home care utilization in complex interactions, distinguishes level of influences at which these factors affect patterns of use and discusses policy implications for home care reform.

Neural and subjective effects of inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine in natural settings.

N,N-dimethyltryptamine is a short-acting psychedelic tryptamine found naturally in many plants and animals. Few studies to date have addressed the neural and psychological effects of N,N-dimethyltryptamine alone, either administered intravenously or inhaled in freebase form, and none have been conducted in natural settings. Our primary aim was to study the acute effects of inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine in natural settings, focusing on questions tuned to the advantages of conducting field research, including the effects of contextual factors (i.e. "set" and "setting"), the possibility of studying a comparatively large number of subjects, and the relaxed mental state of participants consuming N,N-dimethyltryptamine in familiar and comfortable settings. We combined state-of-the-art wireless electroencephalography with psychometric questionnaires to study the neural and subjective effects of naturalistic N,N-dimethyltryptamine use in 35 healthy and experienced participants. We observed that N,N-dimethyltryptamine significantly decreased the power of alpha (8-12 Hz) oscillations throughout all scalp locations, while simultaneously increasing power of delta (1-4 Hz) and gamma (30-40 Hz) oscillations. Gamma power increases correlated with subjective reports indicative of some features of mystical-type experiences. N,N-dimethyltryptamine also increased global synchrony and metastability in the gamma band while decreasing those measures in the alpha band. Our results are consistent with previous studies of psychedelic action in the human brain, while at the same time the results suggest potential electroencephalography markers of mystical-type experiences in natural settings, thus highlighting the importance of investigating these compounds in the contexts where they are naturally consumed.

Both Insider and Outsider

The mental health clinic poses unique challenges for social work scholar-practitioners. The familiar setting, the nature of mental health data collection, and the researcher’s clinical training and experience all complicate efforts to maintain a reflexive stance in research. Additionally, conducting research in a clinical environment risks replicating a hierarchical medical model in the research relationship. Using a theoretical framework of critical realism, two doctoral-level scholar practitioners analyzed the advantages and challenges of conducting research in a clinical setting. Audit trails and experiences of peer debriefing from their dissertation research served as the basis for this conceptual analysis. The analysis considers the impact of the clinic setting on the power dynamics of the research process, as well as the researchers’ subjective experiences throughout the process of data collection. The authors discuss the risks of Othering and the challenges of straddling insider and outsider identities as scholar-practitioners in clinic settings. To navigate these dual identities of researcher and clinician, the authors recommend maintaining awareness of power dynamics and discourses, debriefing regularly with peers and mentors, introducing reflexive practices into both interviews and writing, and moving beyond binary identities in order to occupy a “space between.”

Preservice music teachers’ self-efficacy and concerns before and during student teaching

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and contextual factors that influenced preservice music teachers’ self-efficacy and concerns from pre-student teaching to student teaching. Data were collected for this case study through an open-response questionnaire about participants’ ( N = 4) efficacious teaching experiences, 10 weekly e-journal reflections written during pre-student teaching ( n = 5 weeks) and student teaching placements ( n = 5 weeks at 1 placement), interviews ( n = 4), and my own researcher journal ( n = 31 entries). Preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and concerns were most impacted by teaching experiences in familiar settings. Results indicated that participants made more comments about student-impact and self-survival concerns during student teaching than pre-student teaching. Further investigation revealed that participants consistently expressed concerns for classroom management during pre-student teaching and student teaching placements. Finding ways to expedite the developmental process could reduce the amount of time that preservice teachers focus on early contextual factors and instead identify ways to improve students’ music and academic performance.

On the correctness of monadic backward induction

AbstractIn control theory, to solve a finite-horizon sequential decision problem (SDP) commonly means to find a list of decision rules that result in an optimal expected total reward (or cost) when taking a given number of decision steps. SDPs are routinely solved using Bellman’s backward induction. Textbook authors (e.g. Bertsekas or Puterman) typically give more or less formal proofs to show that the backward induction algorithm is correct as solution method for deterministic and stochastic SDPs. Botta, Jansson and Ionescu propose a generic framework for finite horizon,monadicSDPs together with a monadic version of backward induction for solving such SDPs. In monadic SDPs, the monad captures a generic notion of uncertainty, while a generic measure function aggregates rewards. In the present paper, we define a notion of correctness for monadic SDPs and identify three conditions that allow us to prove a correctness result for monadic backward induction that is comparable to textbook correctness proofs for ordinary backward induction. The conditions that we impose are fairly general and can be cast in category-theoretical terms using the notion of Eilenberg–Moore algebra. They hold in familiar settings like those of deterministic or stochastic SDPs, but we also give examples in which they fail. Our results show that backward induction can safely be employed for a broader class of SDPs than usually treated in textbooks. However, they also rule out certain instances that were considered admissible in the context of Bottaet al.’s generic framework. Our development is formalised in Idris as an extension of the Bottaet al.framework and the sources are available as supplementary material.

Visual and auditory contextual cues differentially influence alcohol-related inhibitory control.

Representing a more immersive testing environment, the current study exposed individuals to both alcohol-related visual and auditory cues to assess their respective impact on alcohol-related inhibitory control. It examined further whether individual variation in alcohol consumption and trait effortful control may predict inhibitory control performance. Twenty-five U.K. university students (Mage = 23.08, SD = 8.26) completed an anti-saccade eye-tracking task and were instructed to look towards (pro) or directly away (anti) from alcohol-related and neutral visual stimuli. Short alcohol-related sound cues (bar audio) were played on 50% of trials and were compared with responses where no sounds were played. Findings indicate that participants launched more incorrect saccades towards alcohol-related visual stimuli on anti-saccade trials, and responded quicker to alcohol on pro-saccade trials. Alcohol-related audio cues reduced latencies for both pro- and anti-saccade trials and reduced anti-saccade error rates to alcohol-related visual stimuli. Controlling for trait effortful control and problem alcohol consumption removed these effects. These findings suggest that alcohol-related visual cues may be associated with reduced inhibitory control, evidenced by increased errors and faster response latencies. The presentation of alcohol-related auditory cues, however, appears to enhance performance accuracy. It is postulated that auditory cues may re-contextualise visual stimuli into a more familiar setting that reduces their saliency and lessens their attentional pull.

Self-Feeding Kinematics in an Ecological Setting: Typically Developing Children and Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Sixty-five TD participants and six children diagnosed with spastic CP, aged 3-9 years, fed themselves while feeding was measured using miniature three-dimensional motion capture sensors (trakStar). Kinematic variables associated with different phases of self-feeding cycle (movement time, curvature, time to peak velocity and smoothness) were compared across age-groups in the TD sample and between TD children and those with CP. Significant between-age group differences were identified in movement times, time to peak velocity and curvature. Children with CP demonstrated slower, less smooth self-feeding movements, potentially related to activity limitations. The identified kinematic variables form a basis for implementation of self-feeding performance assessment in children of different ages, including those with CP, which can be deployed via an instrumented spoon.

The Wild Huntsboys by Martin Stewart

Reviewed by: The Wild Huntsboys by Martin Stewart April Spisak Stewart, Martin The Wild Huntsboys. Viking, 2021 [320p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593116135 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593116142 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 6-9 Luka wishes that he had listened to his sister and left an offering for the fairies, but he didn’t, and now they’re out for vengeance. These are fairies who take retribution in the form of kidnapping or ripping out hearts, so it’s a grim prospect. Luka doesn’t even have the traditional protection against fairies, since war has required most iron to be submitted for weapons. He’s got a few frenemies who become allies, and their motley crew manages to find a solution that both fairies and humans can tolerate without losing face (or, in Luka’s case, body parts). The not quite familiar British setting is impeccable—a clever mix of historical and futuristic that has room for cell phones, rapacious fey folk, and details that would be more familiar in the 1940s. The ragtag group of allies are refreshingly diverse, coming together from different backgrounds and drastically different lives to save Luka and his sister not only from the fairies but also from a twisted gang after Luka’s efforts to set one thing right lead to him messing up a bunch of other things. The lightning pace keeps things moving, sometimes to the detriment of character exploration, but absolutely in keeping with how a group of tweens (and one rogue fairy) might barrel through a series of emergencies rather than slowing to contemplate their own vulnerabilities or insecurities in this often cruel world. Stewart’s brilliant eye for sardonic humor smoothly woven into tragedy works just as well for this younger audience as in Riverkeep (BCCB 9/16) and The Sacrifice Box (BCCB 9/18). [End Page 356] Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Teaching economics using scenes from <i>Superstore</i>

Superstore follows a group of employees working at Cloud 9, a fictional big-box retailer in Missouri. The television show aired on NBC for six seasons and offers economic educators an abundance of scenes that can be used to teach undergraduate economics. All of the scenes mentioned in the lesson plans, and many more, are freely available online on the Teaching with Superstore website. A benefit of using a show like Superstore to teach economics is that it features a diverse cast and a familiar setting to any student who has shopped in a big box retailer. We highlight four episodes that are rich in teaching content and include assessment questions that instructors can assign in their classrooms. Each of the scenes outlined in the paper pose a particular economic problem faced by characters on the show with clear pedagogical economic concepts.

Facing the Journey Together: Using Digital Media to Support Dementia Care Among Asian Americans

Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in the United States have limited access to dementia care information that is linguistically and culturally appropriate. Alzheimer’s Los Angeles created “Faces of Caregiving”, a video project available with English/Japanese subtitles, documenting in-depth interviews with 7 Japanese/Japanese-American familial care partners of individuals living with dementia. It touched on the personal yet universal aspects of each journey embedded in a particular family context. The 5 video profiles were subsequently shown at 3 community sites to attendees comprised of mostly older-adult APIs. Among 85 attendee responses, approximately 90% stated they were more likely to seek out information on and support for Alzheimer’s disease, felt more open to talking about the disease, and were more likely to advocate and raise awareness for the disease. This program could be replicated for other API communities, allowing individuals to learn more effectively from a peer-to-peer experience in a culturally familiar setting. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Aging Among Asians Interest Group.

Heterozygote Triplets. A Rare Case of Wilkie’s Syndrome

Wilkie’s Syndrome is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction that rarely occurs in a familiar setting. We report a rare variant, related to heterozygote triplets in a case that underwent laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy to bypass the obstructed segment. During the patient’s clinical evolution, we collected and discussed preoperative and post-operative studies. In addition, we performed a review of literature.