Role Of Others Research Articles

Exploring Current Practice, Knowledge, and Training Needs for Managing Psychosocial Concerns in the Audiology Setting: Perspectives of Audiologists, Audiology Reception Staff, and Managers.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the current practices and training requirements for supporting clients experiencing psychosocial concerns in the audiology setting, from the perspectives of audiology clinicians, managers, and reception staff. Method Convenience sampling was used to recruit audiologists, reception staff, and clinic managers (N = 13, M age = 32.2 ± 8.1, range: 25-47 years, 11 female) through a large hearing services provider in Western Australia. A semistructured focus group was used to elicit participant views regarding current experiences relating to clients who express psychosocial concerns in the audiology setting, familiarity with psychosocial interventions, and training requirements for delivery of psychosocial interventions in the audiological setting. Results Twenty-four subthemes were identified across six themes: (1) awareness of psychosocial well-being, (2) the role of others, (3) identifying client's psychosocial needs, (4) managing client's psychosocial needs, (5) barriers to providing psychosocial support, and (6) broadening audiological services to include psychosocial support. Conclusions Participants reported an awareness of their clients' psychosocial challenges within the audiology setting, yet they described uncertainty in how best to respond in providing support and whether this was within their scope of practice. A majority of audiology staff expressed desire and motivation to broaden the scope of their service in order to better address their clients' hearing loss-related psychosocial needs.

Border identities: Theoretical approach to the study of self from bordering processes

This article develops a theoretical approach to the study of identity narratives from the concept of the bordering process. The first section describes the theoretical concepts that sustain the proposal, in particular, the concept of border as a mediating artifact, the theoretical concept of the bordering process as a social practice, and finally, identity narratives and the dialogical perspective of the self. The second section analyzes the proposals and limitations of some studies on identity narratives in international borderlands. In the same section, we develop our theoretical proposal for studying border identity narratives, which attempts to overcome some limitations of previous studies and respond to the debate on the role of others in the construction of the self. We conclude that the inclusion of the border as a semiotic artifact and the bordering process in the construction of the self provide a new perspective of identity narratives as border narratives for the study of border experiences throughout human development.

Lived Experiences of Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19 After Discharge from Intensive Care Unit: A Phenomenological Study

Objectives: The present study aimed to explore lived experiences of critically ill patients with COVID-19 after discharge from intensive care units of hospitals in Iran. Methods: The present study was qualitative research with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Participants were purposefully selected from critically ill patients with COVID-19 who were discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) and transferred to the general ward. Data were mostly collected through in-depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and, in some cases, telephone calls. Data were analyzed using the method of Dickelman et al. (1985). Guba and Lincoln's (1989) criteria were used to achieve data authenticity. Results: Data were obtained from 16 COVID-19 recovered patients with a history of ICU admission. Twelve participants were female and four were male with a mean age of 35 years. The four main themes were identified along with their subthemes: perception of death before dying (worry, helplessness, and expecting a different death), social stigma (social isolation and stigma), a nurse as a symbol of rebirth (a compassionate and supportive nurse and the supportive role of others), and meaningful life (a change in outlook on life and the manifestation of spirituality). Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that personal thoughts such as thinking about death and social treatments such as stigma can lead to threatening physical and psychological problems in COVID-19 patients. Nurses and family members can prevent many of these problems by providing holistic care and psychological support. Apart from the challenges posed by the disease, post-recovery changes in patients' attitudes toward life can be considered as a positive point.

A leap to the digital era—what are lower and upper secondary school students’ experiences of distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia?

The aim of this paper is to thoroughly examine how students in Serbia experienced their education through distance learning during the 2020 Spring school closures due to the pandemic. Schoolchildren’s multigenre narratives about learning during school closure were elicited by online surveys; qualitative thematic and values analyses were conducted; and data was further analysed by cluster analysis, ANOVA, and t-tests. A total of 45 lower and upper secondary school students produced 106 narratives providing 429 thought units for analysis. Altogether, 6 themes and 26 value codes were identified. They demonstrate the wide range, complexity, and nuanced positioning of students’ experiences towards the new situation, their role in it, and the role of others i.e. teachers and the technology itself. The paper draws implications on the policy and educational-psychological and methodological level.

Cocoa Overconsumption and Cardiac Rhythm: Potential Arrhythmogenic Trigger or Beneficial Pleasure?

The interrelation between arrhythmias and lifestyle factors is acknowledged. On the one side, there is a recognized interaction between atrial fibrillation and obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Saturated fats, excessive added salt, tea, coffee and energy drinks are often deleterious in rhythm disorders. The role of others, such as cocoa-rich foods, is less evident: several authors displayed the beneficial effect of the polyphenols content on numerous cardiovascular risk factors, while little is known about the potential link between diet and incident arrhythmias. Arrhythmias’ most frequent risk factors include aging, hypertension, congenital cardiopathy, heart failure, valvulopathy, thyroid diseases and diabetes. Nevertheless numerous arrhythmias are not related to any of these risk factors: in these cases, immunological, functional and even nutritional mechanisms might be involved in dysrhythmias’ genesis. Aim of this narrative review is to analyze the potential adverse effect of cocoa excessive consumption on cardiac rhythm and its mechanisms and to provide state-of-the-art knowledge on this topic.

Cognitive Bias and Medication Use Moderate the Relation of Socratic Questioning and Symptom Change in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Depression

Initial evidence suggests Socratic questioning predicts session-to-session symptom change in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression, but little is known about which clients are most likely to benefit from this approach. We examined pretreatment client characteristics as potential moderators of the relation between Socratic questioning and symptom improvement. Participants were 55 adults who met criteria for major depressive disorder and participated in CBT. Clients on antidepressant medication were required to be on a stable dose during the study. Therapist use of Socratic questioning was rated by trained observers at sessions 1–3 and depressive symptoms were assessed at each session. We examined four potential pre-treatment moderators of the relation of within-client Socratic questioning and session-to-session symptom change: cognitive bias, medication use, presence of a personality disorder, and dysfunctional attitudes. Pessimistic bias in predicting future life events and concurrent use of antidepressant medication emerged as significant moderators with small effects. Among clients with a greater pessimistic bias and those not on antidepressant medication, Socratic questioning more strongly predicted symptom improvement. Findings are consistent with the view that Socratic questioning promotes session-to-session symptom improvements for some clients but plays a less important role for others.

The Punished Self, the Unknown Self, and the Harmed Self - Toward a More Nuanced Understanding of Self-Harm Among Adolescent Girls.

Self-harm among adolescents, mostly girls, has increased in the last years. Self-harm is associated with mental illness and the risk of suicide. This qualitative study aims to explore the lived experience of self-harm as it is related to everyday life and challenges among adolescents. Nineteen girls (13–18 years of age) in a clinical population (strategic selection) participated in personal interviews analyzed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to capture how they made meaning of self-harm and essential features of experiencing self-harm. Adult persons with the first-hand experience of self-harm were included in the research analysis. Data-analysis resulted in three superordinate themes which all speak about ways to handle inner pain and vulnerability: 1. “I deserve pain,” 2. “I don't want to feel anything,” and 3. “I'm harmed, and no one cares.” Each superordinate theme included four main themes characterizing essential features of difficult experiences during self-harm, the purpose of the action, self-descriptions, and the role of others during self-harm. The three superordinate themes are discussed as emerging self-representations – “the punished self,” “the unknown self,” and “the harmed self” – during the transitional age of adolescence. This article argues that subjective personal data on self-harm related to adolescents' everyday lives may indicate diversity in the capacity to integrate difficult needs, feelings, and traumatic experiences as part of the self. This knowledge may bring a nuanced understanding of self-harm in adolescence, enhance self-understanding and treatment motivation, and inform clinical adjustment.

Landslides along the Lago Maggiore western coast (northern Italy): intense rainfall as trigger or concomitant cause?

The Lago Maggiore catchment is characterized by medium to high altitude (up to 4633 m a.s.l. with a median of 1270 m a.s.l.), high precipitation (~ 1700 mm/yr), and brittle tectonic deformation of impermeable rocks, such as granite and gneiss, that are characterized by a predisposition to slope failure. We analysed daily rainfall data associated with 38 landslides that occurred between 1980 and 2017 from meteorological stations placed into four sub-basins. The purpose was to determine whether or not extreme rainfall events exceeded landslides thresholds reported by previous studies. A statistical analysis using the RClimDex package was done, to verify changes in extreme rainfall over time. A spatial approach using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) in QGIS was used to extrapolate rainfall data specific to landslide areas, as well as GIS techniques and processing tools to conduct geomorphic analyses. Finally, a multivariate analysis, (general linear model), was used to understand associations between variables (landslide types, lithology, valley, elevation, slope, land use, rainfall, and the presence of rivers, roads, paths, and buildings), known to affect the generation of landslides. Results show extreme rainfall events to be a secondary factor in the triggering of landslides, whereas the most significant factors are presence of building, proximity to rivers and lithology. It was found that intense rainfall is a concomitant cause to landslides in some instances but does not play a role in others.

Adolescents’ perceived barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing professional help for anxiety and depressive disorders: a qualitative interview study

Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common mental health disorders in adolescents, yet only a minority of young people with these disorders access professional help. This study aims to address this treatment gap by improving our understanding of barriers and facilitators to seeking/accessing professional help as perceived by adolescents with anxiety/depressive disorders identified in the community. Twenty-two adolescents, aged 11–17 years, who met diagnostic criteria for a current anxiety and/or depressive disorder were identified through school-based screening. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted one-to-one with each adolescent and adolescents’ parents were interviewed separately for the purpose of data triangulation. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We identified four themes capturing adolescent perceived barriers and facilitators to seeking/accessing professional help for anxiety and depressive disorders: (1) making sense of difficulties, (2) problem disclosure, (3) ambivalence to seeking help, and (4) the instrumental role of others. Barriers/facilitators identified within each theme reflect important developmental characteristics of adolescence, such as a growing need for autonomy and concerns around negative social evaluation. At the same time, the results highlight adolescents’ dependency on other people, mainly their parents and school staff, when it comes to successfully accessing professional help for their mental health difficulties. This study identifies a number of barriers/facilitators that influence help-seeking behaviour of adolescents with anxiety and/or depressive disorders. These factors need to be addressed when targeting treatment utilisation rates in this particular group of young people.

“Some kind of family”: Hijra between people and places

This article follows one woman’s serial migration to, away from, and back to Dubai in order to consider the intersections of migration, subjectivity, and piety. It analyzes how Hanna’s migratory journey, or hijra, relates to her desire to become pious and reveals how people in her life shape the trajectories of both her faith and her movement. Engaging scholarship on migration and ethical subjectivity, it traces how Hanna’s mobility runs parallel to her attempt to surround herself by those who make her piety possible. Whether it is the relationship with her parents and siblings in Birmingham, or the community of “sisters in Islam” she establishes in Dubai, Hanna is moved both by aspirations of piety and by the people who support (or inhibit) her efforts, highlighting the social nature of the geographic places she moves through and inhabits. Recognizing the ability of others to help or hinder her spiritual goals, Hanna actively seeks to settle amongst those who motivate and empower her to become the ideal Muslim she desires to be. Seen in this way, Hanna’s experience allows us to shift from a notion of subjectivity premised upon individualized acts of self-cultivation like prayer, fasting, or veiling to an appreciation of the intersubjective role of others in the development of the self. Combining this intersubjective lens with an alternative account of mobility, I argue for understanding Hanna’s self-positioning as an act that is not only geographic, but (inter)subjective, with the trajectory of her piety discernible both geographically and socially.

Consumer Sentiment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Others' Beliefs

This paper investigates the direct and indirect effects of others’ beliefs on respondents’ own beliefs and consumer sentiment. Conducting consumer surveys with randomized control trials (RCTs) in Thailand and Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic, we implement two information treatments. Both treatments contain cross-country information about others’ beliefs about the appropriateness of the government’s or the general public’s reaction to the pandemic. The first treatment is asymmetric across our sample countries, as it shows opposite appropriateness ratings of the governments’ reaction in Vietnam and Thailand, whereas the second treatment is rather symmetric. We find that the information treatments affect consumer sentiment only in Vietnam, where the sign of the effect suggests that the treatments are viewed as positive news. Moreover, consumer sentiment in Vietnam is strongly affected by both treatments when the information goes against respondents’ prior beliefs.

Mobilizing professional identity in multidisciplinary teams: An appreciative inquiry

ABSTRACT Professional identity is how professionals identify themselves in their work role. Practicing clinicians working in multidisciplinary teams soon discover their professional identities must broaden and mobilize so that they can work seamlessly alongside others to maximize health and social care outcomes. Methods to mobilize professional identity are not well understood: our study aimed to identify opportunities for facilitating flexibility of professional identity within the context of multidisciplinary teams. We undertook an appreciative inquiry, with eight health and social care professions, to (i) assess how the mobilization of professional identity can be translated into the workplace, (ii) outline a mechanism that will support the mobilization of professional identity for health and social care practitioners working within a multidisciplinary team, and (iii) identify the implications of this research for managers of multidisciplinary teams. We found that developing role models and shared workplace learning environments were important approaches to facilitate understanding of other professions. Participants suggested developing a work-based intervention to mobilize professional identity. This study offers a unique insight into the mobilization of professional identity within multidisciplinary teams; development of a programme for a work-based education resource, centering on the ‘role of others’, power and trust; and identification of the implications for managers of multidisciplinary teams.

Nuclear receptors: Key regulators of somatic cell functions in the ovulatory process

The development of the ovarian follicle to its culmination by ovulation is an essential element of fertility. The final stages of ovarian follicular growth are characterized by granulosa cell proliferation and differentiation, and steroid synthesis under the influence of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The result is a population of granulosa cells poised to respond to the ovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH). Members of the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors play indispensable roles in the regulation of these events. The key regulators of the final stages of follicular growth that precede ovulation from this family include the estrogen receptor beta (ESR2) and the androgen receptor (AR), with additional roles for others, including steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) and liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1). Following the LH surge, the mural and cumulus granulosa cells undergo rapid changes that result in expansion of the cumulus layer, and a shift in ovarian steroid hormone biosynthesis from estradiol to progesterone production. The nuclear receptor best associated with these events is LRH-1. Inadequate cumulus expansion is also observed in the absence of AR and ESR2, but not the progesterone receptor (PGR). The terminal stages of ovulation are regulated by PGR, which increases the abundance of the proteases that are directly responsible for rupture. It further regulates the prostaglandins and cytokines associated with the inflammatory-like characteristics of ovulation. LRH-1 regulates PGR, and is also a key regulator of steroidogenesis, cellular proliferation, and cellular migration, and cytoskeletal remodeling. In summary, nuclear receptors are among the panoply of transcriptional regulators with roles in ovulation, and several are necessary for normal ovarian function.

Reforming local government: Past, present and future

Abstract Reform of local government in Ireland has tended to involve both reform initiatives that mirror broader trends in public service reform nationally, as well as reform initiatives that are distinctive to the local government sector. Amongst the former we can include managerial reforms, digitisation and efforts to make local government more open and accountable. Other initiatives have included changes to the service portfolio of local government, pointing to an enhanced role in some fields and a reduced role in others. Some reforms can be characterised as enduring – in that they have been recurring themes in successive reform programmes. Other reform themes have been somewhat more occasional or sporadic and arguably brought about by the specific circumstances in which they were implemented. Looking to the future, we might speculate that upcoming challenges may include how public services generally can cope with diversity in addressing challenges that are likely to vary in different parts of Ireland, for example, based on distinctions between urban, suburban and rural areas. The article appeals for a more evidence-based approach to reform in the local government sector – this should be aided by existing research contributions and the enhanced evaluation capacity that exists in the Irish public service.

Embodied good deaths and disembodied bad deaths: Undergraduate nursing students narratives of experience

BackgroundThe concept of “good and bad deaths” has been widely addressed in the literature. However, little is known of undergraduate nursing students' experiences with death in clinical practice or how they perceive good and bad deaths. ObjectiveTo explore undergraduate nursing students' personal and professional/clinical experiences of death and dying. DesignA qualitative narrative inquiry design. Setting and ParticipantsEighteen third year Bachelor of Nursing students participated in the study. MethodsData was collected through individual participant interviews and analysed using Clandinin and Connelly's three dimensions of narrative inquiry (temporality, sociality and place). ResultsA key finding of the study revealed that students' death experiences are shaped by the role of others, especially experienced nurses in clinical practice. Embodied good death experiences were influenced by the presence of nurses who guided students through the experience. Disembodied bad death experiences were influenced by undignified care, ritualistic post-mortem care and the physical coldness of the deceased and the environment. ConclusionNursing students need meaningful preparation to undertake end of life care in clinical practice, including post-mortem care and the possibility of bad deaths. End of life care education and end of life care simulation play a role in preparing students for end of life care in clinical practice. End of life care education needs to be commenced early in the undergraduate degree. Furthermore, nursing clinicians need to be aware of the impact that they have in shaping good and bad death experiences for undergraduate nursing students, the Registered Nurses of the future.

Proteomic analysis of SUMO1-SUMOylome changes during defense elicitation in Arabidopsis

Rapid adaptation of plants to developmental or physiological cues is facilitated by specific receptors that transduce the signals mostly via post-translational modification (PTM) cascades of downstream partners. Reversible covalent attachment of SMALL UBIQUITIN-LIKE MODIFIER (SUMO), a process termed as SUMOylation, influence growth, development and adaptation of plants to various stresses. Strong regulatory mechanisms maintain the steady-state SUMOylome and mutants with SUMOylation disturbances display mis-primed immunity often with growth consequences. Identity of the SUMO-substrates undergoing SUMOylation changes during defenses however remain largely unknown. Here we exploit either the auto-immune property of an Arabidopsis mutant or defense responses induced in wild-type plants against Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (PstDC3000) to enrich and identify SUMO1-substrates. Our results demonstrate massive enhancement of SUMO1-conjugates due to increased SUMOylation efficiencies during defense responses. Of the 261 proteins we identify, 29 have been previously implicated in immune-associated processes. Role of others expand to diverse cellular roles indicating massive readjustments the SUMOylome alterations may cause during induction of immunity. Overall, our study highlights the complexities of a plant immune network and identifies multiple SUMO-substrates that may orchestrate the signaling. SignificanceIn all eukaryotes, covalent linkage of the SMALL UBIQUITIN-LIKE MODIFIER (SUMOs), a process termed as SUMOylation, on target proteins affect their fate and function. Plants display reversible readjustments in the pool of SUMOylated proteins during biotic and abiotic stress responses. Here, we demonstrate net increase in global SUMO1/2-SUMOylome of Arabidopsis thaliana at induction of immunity. We enrich and identify 261 SUMO1-substrates enhanced in defenses that categorize to diverse cellular processes and include novel candidates with uncharacterized immune-associated roles. Overall, our results highlight intricacies of SUMO1-orchestration in defense signaling networks.

Predicting and understanding seasonal influenza vaccination behaviour among forensic mental health inpatients

Objectives This study aimed to identify demographic and psychological predictors of seasonal influenza vaccination intentions and behaviour among a sample of inpatients in a secure forensic mental health service. It also sought to explore patient experiences about being offered the vaccine. Design This study used a mixed-methods design. The quantitative element employed a prospective design using a questionnaire; both cross-sectional and prospective findings are reported. For the qualitative part of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Main outcome measures Seasonal influenza vaccination intentions and behaviour Results Past behaviour, vaccine knowledge and cues to action were predictors of vaccination intention (N = 57). Cues to action remained as the only statistical predictor of vaccination behaviour (N = 55). Nine interviews were conducted with four vaccinated and five unvaccinated participants. Three main themes were formed in the IPA analysis; these were ‘Managing Decisional Conflict’, ‘Interaction with Immune Function’ and ‘The Role of Others’. Conclusions The results highlighted the integral role of health professionals in shaping patient’s vaccination behaviour within a secure mental health setting. Recommendations for vaccination promotion strategies were offered.

Paracrine and autocrine control of insulin secretion in human islets: evidence and pending questions.

Insulin secretion by β-cells is largely controlled by circulating nutrients, hormones, and neurotransmitters. However, recent years have witnessed the multiplication of studies investigating whether local regulation also takes place within pancreatic islets, in which β-cells cohabit with several other cell types. The cell composition and architectural organization of human islets differ from those of rodent islets and are particularly favorable to cellular interactions. An impressive number of hormonal (glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1, somatostatin, etc.) and nonhormonal products (ATP, acetylcholine, γ-aminobutyric acid, dopamine, etc.) are released by islet cells and have been implicated in a local control of insulin secretion. This review analyzes reports directly testing paracrine and autocrine control of insulin secretion in isolated human islets. Many of these studies were designed on background information collected in rodent islets. However, the perspective of the review is not to highlight species similarities or specificities but to contrast established and speculative mechanisms in human islets. It will be shown that the current evidence is convincing only for a minority of candidates for a paracrine function whereas arguments supporting a physiological role of others do not stand up to scrutiny. Several pending questions await further investigation.

Use of stable isotopes in the evaluation of fish trophic guilds from a tropical hypersaline lagoon

AbstractEnvironmental factors, size-related isotopic changes of the most abundant species and isotopic niche overlap were investigated using stable isotopes in order to evaluate spatial changes of fish trophic guilds in the Araruama Lagoon. Based on 440 muscle samples, 17 fish species were grouped into five trophic guilds. Mean salinity was above 40 at both sites sampled and a significant spatial difference was observed. The highest δ13C mean value was observed for an omnivorous species, whereas the lowest carbon signatures were found for the three fish species belonging to the planktivorous guild. Analysis of the carbon signature of fish species in lower trophic levels showed influence of salinity variation, whilst size appeared to play a role for others. A narrow δ15N difference was observed, but the piscivorous fish species showed the highest δ15N values. The Standard Ellipses Analysis (SEA) detected spatial differences and varying degrees of isotopic niche overlap among trophic guilds, but the percentages of most overlaps (<60%) suggest that, to some extent, the guilds had a unique isotopic niche space. These results are in agreement with data previously reported for the Araruama Lagoon, that found the same prey items with varying relative importance among the most abundant species. Further studies are necessary to understand how the interaction between salinity and other factors, such as migration patterns, changes in prey availability, changes in contribution of primary sources and changes in baseline isotopic signatures could affect the stable isotope signatures shown here.

Definition of the Situation – a Misunderstood and Undervalued Concept. The Contribution of Literature

Definition of the situation, the core concept of Symbolic interactionism, sometimes erroneously confused with Merton’s self-fulfilling prophecy, is often overlooked both in sociological theorization and in everyday life. Since human beings tend to believe in the existence of a solid, incontrovertible reality, they do not put themselves in the role of others to know their definitions of the situation; consequently, misunderstandings and suffering arise. Being often obscure, difficult to grasp and remote from the men and women it studies, sociological theory that could help to improve social life often remains in textbooks. As social sciences and good literature have the same object of interest - human beings and their relationships - a better formulation and better understanding of sociological theorizations could be obtained by linking them to novels, short stories and plays. Narratives could clarify sociological concepts and highlight their potentialities. I have focused here on two episodes, one taken from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , the other from Elizabeth von Arnim’s The Pastor’s Wife , that let us see how the same object can be defined in opposite ways. Subsequently, I have highlighted how the contributions of Proust and Pirandello, two authors who look at reality with a symbolic interactionist gaze, could help in better understanding the dramatic power and the fragility of the definitions that give sense to human behavior and human existence.