Handbook For Professionals Research Articles

Family support workforce skills: Pathways towards (new) conceptualizations

Professionals working in different areas of family support have diverse conceptual assumptions and epistemological frameworks. Thus, a common conceptualization of family support workforce skills presents major research and practical challenge. Beyond general recognizability, a growing knowledge base and interests, there is still no generally accepted concept of what family support is as a practice, policy, and theoretical construct. This paper attempts to conceptualize the skills for the practice of family support in different professions and social sectors through several research approaches. Initially, we analyzed the content of websites with international organizations’ resources about skills in family support. Second, we systematically reviewed literature using the PRISMA method. Last, we reviewed literature, including professional handbooks and publications. The content analysis and systematic literature reviews indicate that as an interdisciplinary concept, family support workforce skills are generally familiar, but not defined nor specified and differentiated from other skills used in the broad field of work with families. So, to deepen the knowledge on family support workforce skills and reach a reliable consensus, the Delphi method was used with a series of questionnaires at different stages of research. Results indicate that specific core and field-specific skills become family supportive when they are applied in the contexts of strength and relationship-based approach as well as both – whole family and child-centred approach. That has opened up new possibilities for more precise definitions, recognisability and transferability of family support skills and construction of a conceptual model.

Evaluation of cortisol, thyroxine (T3) and triiodothyronine (T4) concentrations in preovulatory follicles in jennies.

Reference values of follicular fluid components at different stages of follicular development in jennies are unknown. It is important to estimate such values because the biochemical composition of follicular fluid provides a suitable microenvironment for oocyte development, growth and maturation. The experimental protocol was carried out in the Equine Reproduction Clinic of the FMVZ-UNAM and was approved by an Institutional Sub-committee for the Care and Use of Experimental Animals (SICUAE.MMVZ-2020/4-2). Seven healthy female donkeys “Mexican burro” with average body condition score of 3 on a scale of 1 to 5 (Svendsen et al. The professional Handbook of the Donkey. 2008), were monitored by transrectal ultrasonography through the Veterinary Digital Diagnostic Ultrasound System 5 MHz (Model, DUS 60 VET) with a multi-frequency linear transducer. The ovum pick up (OPU) by transvaginal aspiration (TVA) was performed in a total of 70 preovulatory follicles, 10 for each jenny using a real- time B- mode ultrasound vaginal 6.5 MHz (Sonovet 600) with curvilinear transducer and 12 gauge (12 G) needle. Follicular fluid components were measured and analyzed by Luminex Multiplex Assays at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. The relationship between cortisol, thyroxine (T3) and triiodothyronine (T4) concentrations in preovulatory follicles and follicular size was assessed. The preovulatory follicles are classified in three groups accordingto the diameter: small (27-30 mm), medium (31-35 mm) and large (36-38 mm). Concentrations of cortisol were lower in the large follicles group (18.8 ng/ml) compared with small (721.44 ng/ml) and medium follicles (361 ng/ml). The concentrations of thyroxine were higher in the medium follicle group (49 ng/ml) than in the small (21ng/ml) and large follicle groups (15.9 ng/ml). Finally, the concentration of triiodothyronine was higher in the small follicles group (1043 ng/ml) followed by the medium (545 ng/ml) and the lowest concentration was in the large follicles group (22 ng/ml). It is concluded that thyroxine concentrations are lower than T4 concentrations in preovulatory follicles irrespective of size as reported for human follicular fluid (Wakim. et. al. Fertil Steril 1993; 59(6) 1187–1190). Furthermore, no relationship was found between preovulatory follicular size and thyroxine hormone concentrations. It has been suggested that cortisol and triiodothyronine concentrations are related to preovulatory follicle size. Cortisol concentrations are higher in preovulatory follicles that in subordinate follicles and cortisol is a mediator of apoptosis in granulosa cells, differentiation, development and maturation of tissues, specifically in the oocyte (Acosta & Miyamoto. Anim Reprod Sci 2004; 82:127-140, Scarlett. et al. Dom Anim Endocrinol 2016; 59:11-22). The role of cortisol within the different sizes of preovulatory follicles is unknown.

Gauging the Impact of Country-Specific Values on the Acceptability of Global Management Accounting Principles

JEL Classification: M40 1. Introduction In 2014, the AICPA and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) published a draft document entitled Global Management Accounting Principles, including the subtitle Effective management accounting: Improving decisions and building successful organisations (AICPA and CIMA, 2014a) The draft was accompanied by a shorter checklist (AICPA and CIMA, 2014b) and a document on essential tools of the Global Management Accountant (AICPA and CIMA, 2013). This publication represents the most significant step to date toward establishing and integrated set of international accounting standards regarding the objectives of management accounting professionals. (Borker D. R., Manuscript) The standards are closely tied to CIMA's professional certification program for the Chartered Global Management Accountant. It should be noted that, with regard to methodology, there is considerable overlap between the professional tools cited in this document and the best practices cited by the Institute of Management Accounts (IMA) in its professional handbooks and teaching materials for the certification Certified Management Accountant. What distinguishes the CIMA/AICPA document is that it develops a set of key concepts and principles that Global Management Accounting Principles (GMAP) in much the way the IASB established concepts and standards for external financial reporting. According to its authors, the purpose of the document is to support top executives and the Board of Directors in benchmarking and improving their management accounting systems, providing a reference for all management accountants to check that they are adding value for their internal and external customers, helping organizations to make better decisions, to respond appropriately to the risks they face and to protect the value they generate. (AICPA and CIMA, 2014a) An underlying theme throughout the document is the key role of management accounting and the management accountant in helping organizations to achieve sustainable success using appropriate and continually refined tools, techniques and diagnostics and people skills to help organizations assess the effectiveness of their management accounting functions and identify areas for improvement. The document describes four global management accounting principles and fourteen Practice Areas of Management Accounting to which principles are applied and for which related skills and tools are required on a comprehensively updated basis. Four Global Management Accounting Principles The four principles, which are noted to be "continuous" rather than "sequential" in nature, are cited below along with their connected subheadings: * Communication provides insight that is influential --strategy development and execution is a conversation --communication is tailored --communication facilitates better decisions * Information is relevant --information is the best available --information is reliable and accessible --information is contextual * Impact on value is analysed --simulations provide insight into options --actions are prioritised by their impact on outcomes * Stewardship builds trust --accountability and credibility --sustainability --integrity and ethics These broad principles, as described in the document, paint a picture of the management accountant as a capable and reliable key analyst, diagnostician and communicator within the organization who is influential in the creation of value for the organization and its many stakeholders. Fourteen Practice Areas 1. Cost transformation and management 2. External reporting 3. Financial strategy 4. Internal control 5. Investment appraisal 6. Management and budgetary control 7. …

People With Dementia Speak Out Whitman Lucy (Ed) People With Dementia Speak Out 304pp £14.99 Jessica Kingsley 9781849052702 1849052700

SEVERAL BOOKS about the experiences of people with dementia have recently been published, but this one offers a fresh perspective. A collection of accounts of life before and after diagnosis, it is also a handbook for professionals who work with people with dementia.

Antidepressant use during pregnancy

Antidepressant use during pregnancy is a widely debated and controversial topic among researchers and clinicians. Despite a wealth of studies examining the adverse outcomes and relative safety of these prescription medications, inconsistencies in study design and methodology make it challenging to draw conclusions and translate findings into clinical practice. Consequently, healthcare professionals are often uncertain about how to counsel pregnant women regarding antidepressant use, leading patients to feel unsupported and conflicted about where to receive information and how to make an informed decision. To remedy this clinical issue, many knowledge translation initiatives exist in Canada, including the Motherisk program, patient decision aids, professional handbooks, and critically appraised summaries of evidence published in scholarly journals. These endeavours represent important progress in knowledge dissemination and uptake among patients and healthcare professionals. However, further implementation and evaluation of targeted knowledge translation strategies are warranted to improve the knowledge and support necessary in making decisions regarding antidepressant use during pregnancy.

Adaptation of Handbook for Development of Intercultural Competence: the Experiences

The present reflection article discloses the experiences gained during the adaptation of the material for intercultural competence development. The resource book Building Intercultural Competences: A Handbook for professionals in education, social work and health care was selected and its material was adapted to educational context of VET students and teachers. The framework of adaptation of the Handbook is presented in the article. The study was done to investigate the VET students’ and teachers’ needs for intercultural competence development.

Optimum maintenance strategy under uncertainty in the lifetime distribution

The problem of determining the optimal maintenance strategy for a machine given its lifetime distribution has been studied extensively. Solutions to this problem are outlined in the academic literature, prescribed in professional handbooks, implemented in reliability engineering software systems and widely used in practice. These solutions typically assume that the lifetime distribution and its parameter values are known with certainty, although this is usually not the case in practice. In this paper we study the effect of parameter uncertainty on the optimum age-based maintenance strategy. The effect of uncertainty is evaluated by considering both a theoretical uniform lifetime distribution and a more realistic Weibull lifetime distribution. The results show that admitting to the uncertainty does influence the optimal maintenance age and also provides a quantifiable cost benefit. The results can help maintenance managers in making maintenance decisions under uncertainty, and also in deciding when it is worthwhile to invest in advanced data improvement procedures.

Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation Dashboard

This paper introduces the Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) dashboard, an integrated web-based freeway and arterial performance monitoring and measurement system. The dashboard provides an intuitive web-based user interface to present real-time and historical freeway and arterial network monitoring and performance information in a variety of displays, including the interactive three-dimensional surface plot tool, which the user selects and customizes. These displays also include most of those found in the Highway Capacity Manual and other widely accepted professional handbooks. In addition to comprehensive performance measures, newly defined measures, such as delay volume in mile-minute2, are applied in the system. Since September 2009, the FAST dashboard has been widely applied in day-to-day operations, incident management, express lane evaluation, ramp meter operation and evaluation, intelligent transportation system device maintenance, and operation data quality control. Moreover, the system facilitates coordination with other transportation fields by providing information to the planning and transit departments.

Book review: Water Wells and Boreholes, by Bruce Misstear, David Banks and Lewis Clark (John Wiley & Sons, 2006)

Water well construction is a central part of mainstream hydrogeology, although these days, possibly more professional hydrogeologists are involved in contamination studies and impact assessments rather than the nitty-gritty of designing new water wells and overseeing their construction and testing. Although most hydrogeological textbooks include a chapter (or occasionally two) on water well construction, the main reference work has long been the second edition of Groundwater and Wells by Driscoll (1986). Driscoll’s book is a large tome extending to over 1, 000 pages with comprehensive coverage of the subject including many helpful lists and tables. However, it has a bias towards American practice, unconsolidated aquifers and the use of Johnson Well Screens, and after 24 years is becoming somewhat dated. Drilling techniques have developed significantly over the past couple of decades and the use of plastics and other modern materials for casings, screens and rising mains has increased very significantly. In addition, on an international basis there is extensive use of hard rock aquifers that include the many thousands of small water supplies derived from poorly permeable fractured aquifers. The subject book, Water Wells and Boreholes (Misstear et al. 2006) describes modern practice, presents the subject from a hydrogeologist’s view point and includes examples from several countries, and it is both timely and welcome. Lewis Clark published The Field Guide to Water Wells and Boreholes (Clark 1988) in the Geological Society of London’s Professional Handbook Series. This new book (Misstear et al. 2006) is basically an updated and greatly expanded edition of Lewis’ original with much of the new material provided by Bruce Misstear and David Banks after Lewis’ untimely death soon after work on the manuscript had started. This expansion means that the book has grown from a specialist handbook to a full-scale hydrogeological textbook, albeit still focussed on the design, construction and operation of water wells. An obvious downside is that it is now too big to fit in your pocket but that is more than fully compensated by the additional information it provides. The structure of the book broadly follows the process of water well design and construction as it would be undertaken by a hydrogeologist. Like all hydrogeological textbooks, the Introduction (Chapter 1) contains material that sets the scene covering, for example, definitions of aquifers and aquitards and providing equations that describe groundwater flow. Chapter 2 then shows how this understanding is put into practice to identify a suitable site to drill a successful well, starting with a desk study and proceeding through a field reconnaissance to more extensive investigations. The techniques discussed include geophysical surveys, exploratory drilling, groundwater resource assessment including water quality, and spotting potential pollution problems. Happily the book does not include dowsing (also know as ‘water witching’), all too frequently the bane of hydrogeologists working in this field. Water well design is described in Chapters 3 and 4, covering everything from hand dug wells and augured tube wells to casing selection and the design of a gravel pack, and choosing the right screen-slot size. There is also a useful discussion on pump selection. Construction methods are covered in Chapter 5 which includes all the main techniques, including down-the-hole hammer, probably the most commonly used drilling method in current use in the UK for small-to-medium diameter boreholes in consolidated aquifers. This drilling system allows most small-scale wells (up to say, 200 mm diameter and 100 m or so deep) to be fully constructed in about three days, a very significant factor in the economics of water well construction. Effective grouting that seals the borehole casing into the rock is essential to prevent the ingress of potentially contaminated surface water and/or shallow groundwater. The book provides a detailed description of grouting Received: 9 January 2011 /Accepted: 21 March 2011 Published online: 19 April 2011

On the capacity of isolated, curbside bus stops

The maximal rates that buses can discharge from bus stops are examined. Models were developed to estimate these capacities for curbside stops that are isolated from the effects of traffic signals. The models account for key features of the stops, including their target service levels assigned to them by a transit agency. Among other things, the models predict that adding bus berths to a stop can sometimes return disproportionally high gains in capacity. This and other of our findings are at odds with information furnished in professional handbooks.

Handbook of Fourier analysis & its applications

Fourier analysis has many scientific applications - in physics, number theory, combinatorics, signal processing, probability theory, statistics, option pricing, cryptography, acoustics, oceanography, optics and diffraction, geometry, and other areas. In signal processing and related fields, Fourier analysis is typically thought of as decomposing a signal into its component frequencies and their amplitudes. This practical, applications-based professional handbook comprehensively covers the theory and applications of Fourier Analysis, spanning topics from engineering mathematics, signal processing and related multidimensional transform theory, and quantum physics to elementary deterministic finance and even the foundations of western music theory. As a definitive text on Fourier Analysis, Handbook of Fourier Analysis and Its Applications is meant to replace several less comprehensive volumes on the subject, such as Processing of Multifimensional Signals by Alexandre Smirnov, Modern Sampling Theory by John J. Benedetto and Paulo J.S.G. Ferreira, Vector Space Projections by Henry Stark and Yongyi Yang and Fourier Analysis and Imaging by Ronald N. Bracewell. In addition to being primarily used as a professional handbook, it includes sample problems and their solutions at the end of each section and thus serves as a textbook for advanced undergraduate students and beginning graduate students in courses such as: Multidimensional Signals and Systems, Signal Analysis, Introduction to Shannon Sampling and Interpolation Theory, Random Variables and Stochastic Processes, and Signals and Linear Systems.

Supportive eclectic music therapy for grief and loss: A practical handbook for professionals

Supportive eclectic music therapy for grief and loss: A practical handbook for professionals

Understanding school refusal: a handbook for professionals in education, health and social careUnderstanding school refusal: a handbook for professionals in education, health and social care MS Thambirajah , Karen JGrandison , LouiseDe-Hayes Jessica Kingsley Publishers2007£17.996097818431056711843105675

Understanding school refusal: a handbook for professionals in education, health and social careUnderstanding school refusal: a handbook for professionals in education, health and social care MS Thambirajah , Karen JGrandison , LouiseDe-Hayes Jessica Kingsley Publishers2007£17.996097818431056711843105675

Book Reviews: Understanding School Refusal: a handbook for professionals in education, health and social care – By M. S. Thambirajah, Karen J. Grandison and Louise De‐Hayes

The article reviews the book Understanding School Refusal: A Handbook for Professionals in Education, Health and Social Care, by M. S. Thambirajah, Karen J. Grandison and Louise De-Hayes.

Book Reviews: Environmental Due Diligence: A Professional Handbook. Kenneth S. Tramm and Ernest C. Crosby. 2006. Infinity Publishing, West Conshohocken, PA. 434 pp. $67.95 paperback.

Environmental Due Diligence: A Professional Handbook. Kenneth S. Tramm and Ernest C. Crosby. 2006. Infinity Publishing, West Conshohocken, PA. 434 pp. $67.95 paperback.This book is a concise and comprehensive summary of information needed by professionals conducting evaluations to determine whether a location is contaminated and in need of cleanup. Since the USEPA has recently established clarified expectations in the form of its All Appropriate Inquiry Rule (40 CFR Part 312, pursuant to the 2002 Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act), this book is timely. It is an extremely useful text not just for anyone conducting or seeking to perform this aspect of environmental consulting, but also for those in organizations owning or dealing in real property who use (or should use) the services of environmental professionals. This is because the law places responsibility on many parties for cleaning up contamination, and that responsibility has been interpreted by courts to be strict, joint, and several, and, for the most part, retroactive and perpetual. The only way to manage responsibility for cleanup is to go into commercial property deals with your eyes open—by conducting a thorough pre-purchase evaluation. You either learn that you don't want the property because it will come with a likely cleanup, or you take your chances because one seems unlikely. In the latter case you want to be able to take advantage of the defenses for innocent landowners, or “brownfields” developers, in case you are wrong and it turns out the place is indeed contaminated. These defenses are, with few exceptions, only afforded to those who have conducted such evaluations with “due diligence.”

Water wells and boreholes , by B. Misstear, D. Banks and L. Clark . 2006, Wiley, Chichester, £120, hardback, 498pp.

This lucid, comprehensive and beautifully-written book updates, expands and replaces a forerunner volume published in 1988 by the third author, the late lamented Dr Lewis Clark. Many UK hydrogeologists will be familiar with Clark's ‘Field Guide to Water Wells and Boreholes’, which was a professional handbook published in paperback by the Geological Society. This new volume covers essentially the same subject matter, but in far greater detail. Accordingly it is also a substantially longer book than its predecessor. So far, it seems, this new book has only been issued in hardcover, which means that the recommended retail price is going to be too hefty for many individuals' pockets. It is to be hoped that Wiley will soon issue a paperback edition, because this really is a book which should be on the desk of every practising hydrogeologist. Strong points of this book include the clarity of the presentation, the breadth of the topics it covers, and the range of field environments from which it …

Adolescents and Sex: the Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People Sarah Bekaert Adolescents and Sex: the Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People Radcliffe No. of pages: 200 £21.95 1857758803 1857758803 Rod Thomson

Adolescents and Sex: the Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People Sarah Bekaert Adolescents and Sex: the Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People Radcliffe No. of pages: 200 £21.95 1857758803 1857758803 Rod Thomson

Book Review: Adolescents and Sexual Health: The Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People

Book Review: Adolescents and Sexual Health: The Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People

Adolescents and Sex: The Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People

Adolescents and Sex: The Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People

Adolescents and Sex: The Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People

Sarah Bekaert offers an insightful introduction into the world of adolescents by detailing the biology as well as the psychology of the teens. Case studies and examples of practice are combined with up-to-date information on difficult areas such as sex and the law, contraception and sexually transmitted infections. Chapter 1, with its overview of the teen years including a summary of the milestones of development, prepares the reader for the complex and often controversial aspects of sexual health and young people. The ensuing chapters all stand alone, allowing the reader to 'dip in' according to need. The advice and discussion throughout is linked firmly to UK Government policy—for example in Chapter 4, 'Teenage pregnancy'. While not telling us anything new, this chapter usefully reminds us that teenage pregnancy is about more than just a lack of availability of contraception. As well as summarizing best practice the book offers useful models—some tried and tested, as in the excellently written second chapter, 'Engaging young people', which looks at communication and consultation. Many of the queries we receive here at the Family Planning Association (fpa) concern setting up a young person's service, whether it be a youth clinic or an outreach clinic. The workers charged with this responsibility often don't know where to start. Chapter 9, 'Setting up a young person's clinic', provides practical guidance and workers will find the template at the end an easy-to-use and helpful reference. An occasional disappointment of the book is that, because of its broad sweep, it misses opportunities to delve deeper. An example is in Chapter 5, 'Young people and contraception'. A widespread assumption among workers and trainers in sexual health is that only some methods are suitable for young people. Reasons given tend to be based on hearsay or personal views of what young people are capable of. Whilst the discussion here begins with a presentation of research on contraceptive efficacy and young people, and the author does explain clearly why the intrauterine device is not routinely offered as the method of first choice for young people, the discussion stops short of saying that all methods are suitable provided that individual risk factors are taken into account. This is the guidance from the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare and an exploration would have been helpful to lay to rest some of the misconceptions. Chapter 6, 'Young people and sexual health', on the other hand, does not shy away from discussing some of the controversial arguments around the causes of poor sexual health. Sarah Bekaert tackles head on the argument for service provision in the section 'Contraception provision: has this caused STIs to increase in young people?'. Overall, the book strikes a balance between providing enough information to help practitioners new to the field and presenting a summary of the pertinent issues/guidance for more experienced practitioners. There is the added benefit of an extensive and varied reference list to encourage further exploration.