Multifaceted Elements Research Articles

Anxiety and depression: A top-down, bottom-up model of circuit function.

A functional interplay of bottom-up and top-down processing allows an individual to appropriately respond to the dynamic environment around them. These processing modalities can be represented as attractor states using a dynamical systems model of the brain. The transition probability to move from one attractor state to another is dependent on the stability, depth, neuromodulatory tone, and tonic changes in plasticity. However, how does the relationship between these states change in disease states, such as anxiety or depression? We describe bottom-up and top-down processing from Marr's computational-algorithmic-implementation perspective to understand depressive and anxious disease states. We illustrate examples of bottom-up processing as basolateral amygdala signaling and projections and top-down processing as medial prefrontal cortex internal signaling and projections. Understanding these internal processing dynamics can help us better model the multifaceted elements of anxiety and depression.

Terrorism and Extremism in Pakistan: The Need for a Comprehensive Approach

Terrorism and radicalism have kept Pakistan in turmoil for decades that induced immense socio-economic harm to the country. The persistent challenge has brought about elevation in casualties, dissolutions of government and worsen law and order scenarios. Till present, the governments have been unable to root out the extremist elements from the society. This paper offers outright approach to comprehend these defies. The paper considered multifaceted elements; such as; scarcity of education, political stability, sectarianism, destitution etc. as a core for the rise of extremism. Besides, Afghanistan being the neighboring country to Pakistan has served as a sanctuary for extremist groups. Thence, Pakistan has to deal with the national and international terrorist groups. This study does the appraisal of the endeavors made by the government for hindering the terrorism. So far, the chief government strategy has been to launch military action, terrorism prevention plans and dialogue against terrorist and extremist groups that caused soaring number of civilian casualties and remained in vain to get away with these social evil. The paper adopts comprehensive ground to address the problem under study. The factors viz a viz; social reforms, economic prosperity and political stability are true remedies to defies. But, these remedies could only been effective if civil society, government in power and international stakeholders will work together for pragmatic resolutions. The paper argues that peace and instability could be happen in a country through a comprehensive approach towards the matter.

The Effect of Mobile Health (mHealth) Interventions on Clinical Outcomes and Self-Management Behaviours in Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome: A Narrative Review of Evidence

Introduction: There has been an exponential growth in mobile health (mHealth) technology for self-management of chronic conditions including metabolic syndrome (MetS). This narrative review aims to summarise the evidence on the effect of mHealth interventions on clinical outcomes and/or self-management behaviours among individuals with MetS or its components. Methods: Literature search for original research articles on mHealth for self-management of MetS or any of its components (type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and obesity) from 2010-2021 was conducted using Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, SAGE and ScienceDirect. Keywords such as mHealth, effectiveness, self-management, MetS, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and obesity were used. Articles in languages other than English, without access to full-text, outcomes unrelated to the effectiveness, and involved individuals aged <18 or >80 years old were excluded. All study designs were included except for study protocols. Results: A total of 184 potential papers were retrieved. Of these, 137 were excluded as they did not meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Consequently, 47 papers were included. Of these, 38 studies demonstrated effect of mHealth interventions in improving clinical outcomes (blood pressure, glycated haemoglobin, lipid profile, weight) and/or improvement in self-management behaviours (home blood pressure or blood sugar monitoring, exercise, diet or medication adherence) among individuals with MetS or its components. Only 12 studies were conducted in primary care. Apart from mHealth technologies, multifaceted elements such as doctor-patient interaction and wearable devices were also shown to be effective. Conclusion: This narrative review suggests that mHealth interventions may have positive effect on clinical outcomes and/or self-management behaviours among individuals with MetS and its components. This evidence should support development and evaluation of mHealth interventions to suit the needs of the Malaysian population, especially in primary care.

ТЕОРЕТИЧНА МОДЕЛЬ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ПСИХОЛОГІЧНОГО КЛІМАТУ В ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ В ПРОЦЕСІ ВПРОВАДЖЕННЯ ДЕЦЕНТРАЛІЗАЦІЇ В УКРАЇНІ

The article examines the concept of the socio-psychological climate of the organization, its meaningful characteristics and factors that influence the phenomenon under study. Approaches to determining the components of the socio-psychological climate of the organization are summarized. The main factors of the socio-psychological climate of state authorities and local self-government bodies are summarized as phenomena that represent complex dynamic systems, the elements of which, in connection with a significant number of special specific tasks, are endowed with certain features and traits that reflect their specificity. The special features of state administration are presented, which lead to special approaches for analyzing the state of the social and psychological climate in the collectives of state authorities and local governments, with the aim of making it possible to further evaluate its components and form an integral indicator for calculating a favorable SPK to achieve the goals set for the participants of these institution. The substantive, characterological features of the organization as a phenomenon, state authorities, and local self-government bodies, which reflect the collective of organization members, including management, job relationships, rules, duties, decision-making methods, technologies, capital, strategies for achieving goals, are substantiated. The refined concept of "social-psychological climate of the state authority, local self-government body" is presented as a set of multifaceted elements that are based on the personal characteristics of the members of the institution's team, the peculiarities of their mutual relations, working conditions that determine the productivity of management activities in the affairs of the state and society. The first developed theoretical model of the socio-psychological climate of organizations, namely state authorities and local self-government bodies in the process of implementing the reform of local self-government and territorial organization of power in Ukraine, is presented.

A Systematic Review of the Effects of High-Fat Diet Exposure on Oocyte and Follicular Quality: A Molecular Point of View.

Worldwide, infertility affects between 10 and 15% of reproductive-aged couples. Female infertility represents an increasing health issue, principally in developing countries, as the current inclinations of delaying pregnancy beyond 35 years of age significantly decrease fertility rates. Female infertility, commonly imputable to ovulation disorders, can be influenced by several factors, including congenital malformations, hormonal dysfunction, and individual lifestyle choices, such as smoking cigarettes, stress, drug use and physical activity. Moreover, diet-related elements play an important role in the regulation of ovulation. Modern types of diet that encourage a high fat intake exert a particularly negative effect on ovulation, affecting the safety of gametes and the implantation of a healthy embryo. Identifying and understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for diet-associated infertility might help clarify the confounding multifaceted elements of infertility and uncover novel, potentially curative treatments. In this view, this systematic revision of literature will summarize the current body of knowledge of the potential effect of high-fat diet (HFD) exposure on oocyte and follicular quality and consequent female reproductive function, with particular reference to molecular mechanisms and pathways. Inflammation, oxidative stress, gene expression and epigenetics represent the main mechanisms associated with mammal folliculogenesis and oogenesis.

Feasibility of Monitoring Health and Well-being in Emerging Adults: Pilot Longitudinal Cohort Study.

BackgroundEmerging adulthood is a distinct segment of an individual’s life course. The defining features of this transitional period include identity exploration, instability, future possibilities, self-focus, and feeling in-between, all of which are thought to affect quality of life, health, and well-being. A longitudinal cohort study with a comprehensive set of measures would be a valuable resource for improving the understanding of the multifaceted elements and unique challenges that contribute to the health and well-being of emerging adults.ObjectiveThe main aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of recruiting university graduates to establish a longitudinal cohort study to inform the understanding of emerging adulthood.MethodsThis pilot study was conducted among graduates at a large university. It involved collecting web-based survey data at baseline (ie, graduation) and 12 months post baseline, and linking survey responses to health records from administrative data collections. The feasibility outcome measures of interest included the recruitment rate, response rate, retention rate, data linkage opt-out rate, and availability of linked health records. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the representativeness of the sample, completeness of the survey responses, and data linkage characteristics.ResultsOnly 2.8% of invited graduates (238/8532) agreed to participate in this pilot cohort study, of whom 59.7% (142/238) responded to the baseline survey. The retention rate between the baseline and follow-up surveys was 69.7% (99/142). The completeness of the surveys was excellent, with the proportion of answered questions in each survey domain ranging from 87.3% to 100% in both the baseline and follow-up surveys. The data linkage opt-out rate was 32.4% (77/238).ConclusionsThe overall recruitment rate was poor, while the completeness of survey responses among respondents ranged from good to excellent. There was reasonable acceptability for conducting data linkage of health records from administrative data collections and survey responses. This pilot study offers insights and recommendations for future research aiming to establish a longitudinal cohort study to investigate health and well-being in emerging adults.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number ACTRN12618001364268; https://tinyurl.com/teec8whInternational Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/16108

Illustrating a novel methodology and paradigm applied to Emergency Department research.

To provide a practical example of how a novel methodology and paradigm was applied to a mixed methods study exploring the healthcare experiences of Australian adults who frequently use emergency department services. Discussion Paper. We explored published literature discussing philosophical and methodological issues related to mixed methods research. Literature searches were performed between July 2019 and February 2021. Phenomenology is a powerful methodology to explore the lived experience of research participants, but it is not without limitations. Mixed methods phenomenology allows nurse researchers to bring further clarity to their research phenomena, however, including phenomenology in mixed methods studies may be seen to be philosophically incompatible. The philosophical metaparadigm of dialectical pluralism provides nurse researchers with a new coherent methodological and philosophical framework for combining participants' descriptions of lived experience with a variety of data collection methods. It is effective when working with transdisciplinary research teams, and stakeholders representing diverse values and disciplines. Complex healthcare environments require sophisticated, flexible research approaches. This paper presents mixed methods phenomenological research combined with the metaparadigm of dialectical pluralism providing a methodological framework that can support multifaceted nursing research. The combination of mixed methods phenomenology and dialectical pluralism represents a novel solution for nurse researchers to articulate a research methodology and philosophical paradigm reflecting the complexity embedded in everyday nursing practice. This methodology offers a unique approach to exploration of challenging clinical and patient scenarios with multifaceted elements, and overcomes theories of philosophical incompatibilities between divergent methods.

A comparison of the influencing factors of chronic pain and quality of life between older Koreans and Korean\u2013Americans with chronic pain: a correlational study

BackgroundChronic pain is one of the most common health problems for older adults worldwide and is likely to result in lower quality of life. Living in a different culture may also influence chronic pain and quality of life in older adults. The purpose of this study was to explore how multifaceted elements affect chronic pain and quality of life in older Koreans living in Korea and in older Korean–Americans (KAs) living in the USA.MethodsWe conducted a secondary data analysis of data from 270 adults aged 65 years or over (138 Koreans and 132 KAs). We compared the effects of multifaceted elements on pain and quality of life by testing structural equation models (SEMs) for each group, using a maximum likelihood estimation and bootstrapping.ResultsSEMs for both Korean and KAs showed that age and depressive symptoms directly affected quality of life. The number of comorbidities and depressive symptoms had mediating effects on quality of life through chronic pain in both groups. In older Koreans only, perceived financial status directly affected quality of life. In older KAs only, sleep quality indirectly affected quality of life through chronic pain.ConclusionThe data showed that multimorbidity and depressive symptoms play critical roles for explaining chronic pain in older Koreans and KAs and ultimately negatively influence quality of life. Future intervention program to improve quality of life in older adults with chronic pain should consider the different cultural aspects affecting quality of life for Koreans and KAs.

The Research of Public Place in the Context of Semiology: The Square of Eyüp Sultan in İstanbul

Meydanlar farklı sınıflara ve kültürlere mensup kişileri bir araya getiren, toplumların/bireylerin kimliğini/kültürünü sergilediği, buluşma ve ticaret alanı olarak işlev görebilen toplayıcı mekânlardır. Bu bağlamda kamusal bir mekân olarak meydanlar ve meydanları çevreleyen yapı stokları fiziksel bir gerçeklik olmaktan uzakta gözlemcisine soyut içerikler de sunmakta, törensel ifade biçimleri, çeşitli görüntü ve işaret ögeleri ile çok yönlü unsurlar içermekte ve bu hususlar anlamlandırma sürecinde birer değer oluşturduğundan göstergebilim açısından önem arz etmektedir. Göstergebilim çalışmaları dil bilimi alanında incelenen bir araştırma sahası oluşturmasına karşın bu makalede göstergebilim kamusal mekân ile ilişkilendirilmiş, kamusal mekânı çevreleyen mimari biçimler bir dil olarak kabul edilmiş ve bu husustan hareketle kentlerin odak noktasını oluşturan meydanlar çeşitli simgelerin/imgelerin üretildiği alanlar olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bu kabulle İstanbul’da yer alan Eyüp Sultan Meydanı göstergebilim kapsamında değerlendirilmiş ve özgün bir araştırma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Meydanın araştırma sahası olarak belirlenme sebebi; meydanın tarihsel arka planının olması ve simge/imge üreten bir saha olarak varlık göstermesidir. Meydan; anlam yüklü sembollerle kaplanan, ticaretin dinamik bir biçimde sürdüğü, dini ziyaretgâh işlevi gören, dini/sivil mimari varlığıyla simge/imge üreten bir mekândır. Çalışma kapsamında göstergebilim kuramcıları Ferdinand de Saussure, Charles Sanders Peirce ve Roland Barthes’ın kuramları incelenmiş, kamusal mekânın göstergebilim bağlamında nasıl incelenmesi gerektiğine dair Roland Barthes’ın yaklaşımı mevcut araştırmanın yöntemi olarak belirlenmiştir. Roland Barthes’ın göstergebilim kuramını oluşturan düz anlam (detonation) ve yan anlam (connotation) ilkeleri referans alınmış, mekân katılımcı gözlem yoluyla incelenmiş, elde edilen veriler meydanın/ semtin tarihsel arka planı ve kamusal mekân literatürü ile ilişkilendirilmiş, meydan ve gösterge ilişkisi değerlendirilmiştir.

Monitoring Health and Well-Being in Emerging Adults: Protocol for a Pilot Longitudinal Cohort Study.

BackgroundEmerging adulthood is a unique segment of an individual’s life course. The defining features of this transitional period include identity exploration, instability, future possibilities, self-focus, and feeling in-between adolescence and adulthood, all of which are thought to affect quality of life, health, and well-being. A longitudinal cohort study with a comprehensive set of measures would be a unique and valuable resource for improving the understanding of the multi-faceted elements and unique challenges that contribute to the health and well-being of emerging adults.ObjectiveThe main aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of recruiting university graduates to establish a longitudinal cohort study to inform our understanding of emerging adulthood.MethodsThis is a pilot longitudinal cohort study of Australian university graduates. It will involve collecting information via online surveys (baseline and 12-month follow-up) and data linkage with health records. Recruitment, response, and retention rates will be calculated. Descriptive analysis of the representativeness of recruited participants and completeness of survey responses will be conducted.ResultsParticipant recruitment was completed in October 2018, and data collection for the baseline and follow-up surveys was completed in November 2019. As of April 2020, the process of acquiring health records from administrative data collections has commenced.ConclusionsThe findings from this pilot study will identify areas for improvement and inform the development of a future longitudinal cohort study of emerging adults.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618001364268; https://tinyurl.com/teec8whInternational Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/16108

The Immunoscore: Colon Cancer and Beyond.

Tumors evolve in close interaction with their microenvironment, which encompasses a continual tension between the developing tumor and the host immune system. Clinical trials have shown that appropriate enhancement of a tumor immune response can lead to long-lasting clinical responses and patient benefit. Understanding the contribution of the immune contexture, in addition to the molecular subtype across different tumor indications, is a significant knowledge gap with limited sagacity to drive rational immunotherapy combinations. To better inform clinical studies, we must first strive to understand the multifaceted elements of the tumor-immune interaction, the spatiotemporal interplay of numerous different immune cell types, in conjunction with an understanding of the oncogenic drivers and mutations that may lead to presentation of neoepitopes and could drive changes within the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss the Immunoscore and its probable universal characteristic. The overlay of immune quantification with the molecular segments of disease and how this may benefit identification of patients at high risk of tumor recurrence will be discussed. The Immunoscore may translate to provide a tumor agnostic method to define immune fitness of a given tumor and predict and stratify patients who will benefit from certain therapies (in particular immune therapies) and, ultimately, help save the lives of patients with cancer.

Applying dignity of risk principles to improve quality of life for vulnerable persons.

Freedom of choice impacts quality of life. Expressed through dignity of risk (DoR), nursing home (NH) residents should be afforded the dignity to take risks to enhance well-being. How DoR is understood and implemented in the context of aged care remains largely unknown. This study explored the meaning and the barriers and facilitators to applying DoR to NH residents. Qualitative study, comprising semistructured interviews. Senior policy makers and advocate guardians working in the aged care or disability sector were invited to participate. Recruitment continued until data saturation was reached. Two researchers coded interviews, applying inductive and thematic analysis. Fourteen participants took part during 2016-2017. Analysis demonstrated uniformity in participants' description of DoR, comprising four elements: (a) individuals are at the centre of decision making; (b) life involves risk; (c) individuals must have choice; and (d) DoR is a continuum of experiences. Three main barriers for implementing DoR into practice were identified: (a) balancing autonomy with risks; (b) situational nature of DoR; and (c) taking responsibility for risk. The novel findings provide an explicit understanding of DoR and the facilitators and barriers to applying the principle in the NH setting. These findings inform those who engage in making and implementing choices in the presence of risk for vulnerable clients. To translate the multifaceted elements of DoR into practice requires the development of unambiguous policies/guidelines about who will be responsibility for potential risks that may arise from residents' choices. Further, education programmes supporting care staff/management to enact resident choices in the presence of real or perceived risk are required.

The application of a hybrid simulation modelling framework as a decision-making tool for TPM improvement

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to promote a system dynamics-discrete event simulation (SD-DES) hybrid modelling framework, one that is useful for investigating problems comprising multifaceted elements which interact and evolve over time, such as is found in TPM.Design/methodology/approachThe hybrid modelling framework commences with system observation using field notes which culminate in model conceptualization to structure the problem. Thereafter, an SD-DEShybrid model is designed for the system, and simulated to proffer improvement programmes. The hybrid model emphasises the interactions between key constructs relating to the system, feedback structures and process flow concepts that are the hallmarks of many problems in production. The modelling framework is applied to the TPM operations of a bottling plant where sub-optimal TPM performance was affecting throughput performance.FindingsSimulation results for the case study show that intangible human factors such as worker motivation do not significantly affect TPM performance. What is most critical is ensuring full compliance to routine and scheduled maintenance tasks and coordinating the latter to align with rate of machine defect creation.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework was developed with completeness, generality and reuse in view. It remains to be applied to a wide variety of TPM and non-TPM-related problems.Practical implicationsThe developed hybrid model is scalable and can fit into an existing discrete event simulation model of a production system. The case study findings indicate where TPM managers should focus their efforts.Originality/valueThe investigation of TPM using SD-DES hybrid modelling is a novelty.

Mental and physical health in prison: how co-occurring conditions influence inmate misconduct

BackgroundResearch has shown that inmate misconduct is related to a range of demographic factors and experiences with the criminal justice system. Poor mental and physical health has also been associated with inmate misconduct, although no research has examined the relationship between co-occurring conditions and misconduct in prison populations.MethodsWe rely on data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities (N = 14,499) and use negative binomial regression models to examine the relationship between types of co-occurring mental and physical conditions and misconduct.ResultsThe results demonstrate that people in prison dealing with concurrent mental and physical health problems are significantly more likely to engage in prison misconduct than healthy incarcerated individuals. After accounting for physical and co-occurring health conditions, mental conditions are not associated with serious misconduct.ConclusionsEnhancements in prison healthcare may not only improve the general health of those in prison, but also contribute to a decrease in misconduct. Research that examines the relationship between mental health and deviant behavior in and out of prison should consider the multifaceted elements of a person’s health, including acute and chronic physical ailments.

Mediating a loss of history in Doina Rusti’s The Ghost in the Mill

In her novel Fantoma din moara, or The Ghost in the Mill, and in her other prolific output, Doina Rusti has helped in the process of preserving history, specifically that of communist Romania. A village in the Romanian countryside, populated by people whose stories had been discounted, or never even told, acts as the perfect microcosm to isolate the Romanian identity while examining its multifaceted elements from disparate perspectives that all reify within the frame narrator. Rusti synchronously experiences both past and present, negating a traditional trajectory along a temporal axis. This is indicative of the act of remembering that is intricately tied to the mechanism of forgetting. Memories are brought into question and Rusti uses her novels to join the chorus of those solidifying the Romanian past, even if not always harmoniously. Rusti’s dependence on previously documented events that serve as parameters for her novel challenge the power that gives authority to authorship. She cannot freely create her narratives, but can only carefully navigate the restrictions of their respective situations. Defining a culture and its people is no small task, but as the book closes, Rusti unapologetically paints an unromanticized picture producing a sophisticated understanding of an entire nation as it turns to spirituality during very tumultuous times.

Ireland’s Public Health (Alcohol) Bill

The proposal to introduce a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill marks a significant development in Ireland’s alcohol policymaking landscape. While the Bill has generated support from public health advocates, it has also raised considerable opposition, particularly from industry. This analysis aims to examine the debate around this Bill using the theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis and applying Carol Bacchi’s What’s the Problem Represented To Be critical mode of analysis. A key objective is to analyze the current prevailing representations of alcohol and its regulation in Ireland but also to consider what they reveal about the underlying governing rationality in relation to alcohol regulation. In particular, it questions whether the Bill signals a shift in the official governing rationality regarding alcohol regulation. The analysis illustrates how alcohol is problematized in markedly different ways in the debates and how such debates are often underpinned by multifaceted elements. Despite such differences, it argues that there are still signs of a neoliberal rhetoric emerging within the public health discourses, raising a question over whether the Bill and its supporting discourses signal a paradigmatic shift or are more indicative of a policy embracing hybrid forms of rule.

Of Two Minds: Making Sense of Hybrid Organizing

In recent years, hybrid organizations have attracted increasing attention from scholars interested in how these organizations navigate the challenges associated with competing identities and/or goals. This work has greatly deepened our understanding of an increasingly common organizational form, but many questions remain unanswered. Many of these questions are related to the dynamics of hybrid organizing – in particular, how hybrid organizations and their members make sense of hybridization. The five papers in this symposium develop theoretical insights about these dynamics through inductive, qualitative studies. Drawing on the case of a battery company with dual commercial and religious identities, the first paper considers how multifaceted elements of individual identity shape if and how members identify with their organization's hybrid identity. The second paper also considers the multifaceted nature of individual identity. Examining the context of impact investing, it suggests individuals' prior exper...

Sleep waves and recovery from drug and alcohol dependence: Towards a rhythm analysis of sleep in residential treatment

This paper reports on a study of sleep amongst men and women who are living in residential rehabilitation centres in the UK and who are receiving support for their recovery from addiction to alcohol and other forms of substance use. Conceptually and methodologically, the paper draws on the work of the French sociologist Lefebvre and, in particular, his rhythmanalysis. We argue that this approach offers a useful way of exploring sleep in terms of biological, experiential, temporal, spatial and social rhythms. It also has the potential to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue. Empirical data comprising qualitative interviews with 28 individuals, sleep diaries, and actigraphy reports (which measure movement as a proxy for sleep) are examined in combination to generate insights into the challenges associated with sleep in recovery from substance misuse. We examine how sleep in recovery involves an alignment of the spatiotemporal rhythms of rehabilitation and the multiple embodied rhythms of individuals. Institutionalised routines reproduce and impose ideas of day/night sleep cycles which are presumed to accord with ‘natural’ circadian rhythms. Although study participants very much want to achieve these ‘natural hegemonies’ of sleep, alignment of individual and institutional rhythms is difficult to achieve. We develop the notion of ‘sleep waves’ as an analytic to capture the multifaceted elements of sleep and to argue that sleep waves recur but are also shaped by complex networks of rhythms, rituals and routines. Sleep waves can become relatively stabilised in rehabilitation settings, but the anticipation of moving on disturbs rhythms and generates anxieties which can affect recovery.

Early Years Educators at Play: A Research-based Early Childhood Professional Development Program

Every culture has developed some version of performance art. Children especially appreciate performance; their innate openness, forgiveness, and self-love make them delightful performers and audience members. Every time they engage with performance art, children are learning about storytelling, history, sociability, artistry, and physicality. Through performance, children learn skills related to organization, collaboration, emotional competence, compassion, and literacy. Children learn best when their lessons include rich, multi-faceted and participatory elements; drama and theater can help augment learning by involving physical movement and child participation to aid in comprehension and memory. In this article, the authors discuss a professional development program designed to support teachers in employing drama strategies for literacy instruction with 3- to 5-year-old children.

Situational Analysis: A Visual Analytic Approach that Unpacks the Complexity of Occupation

Concurrent with the development of a transactional perspective, the notion of “the situation” has increasingly been taken up in occupational science scholarship. Accordingly, research methodologies and approaches that capture the multifaceted elements of situations need to be explored. Situational analysis, pioneered by sociologist and grounded theorist Adele Clarke, shows promise for facilitating inquiries into situations of occupational engagement. In this article we review the situational analysis approach and provide an example of its application to research on the situation of long-term unemployment. In this application, situational mapping illuminated the contradiction of simultaneously being “activated” and “stuck”. Situational analysis helped unpack how this contradiction was shaped within North American contexts. Based on this example and others outside the occupational science literature, we discuss how situational analysis can be a useful tool for fostering critical, socially-responsive, and community-engaged occupational science research.