bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Qualitative evaluation of learning between different professional groups
Authors: Wagstaff Christopher , Rose John , Tew Jerry , Singh-Cooner Tarsem , Greening Jayne
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a qualitative evaluation of a learning initiative between different mental health professional groups, the Collaborative Learning Initiative (CLI). These qualitative results are after the first year of a two year evaluation of the CLI in which social work, clinical psychology and nursing students together with post-registration medics undertook a sequence of joint learning in relation to mental health theory and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 81 post-course evaluations were qualitatively analysed using a process of thematic analysis based on the guidelines outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006). Each academic involved with the CLI thematically analysed the post-course evaluations from their discipline. Following the generation of key themes each set of evaluations was separately analysed by an academic from a different professional discipline associated with the initiative.

Findings

– The evaluation of this initiative demonstrates that the model of interdisciplinary teaching whereby service user and carers facilitating small group working is an effective model for delivering interprofessional mental health education. The paper highlights the convergent and divergent themes between the different groups involved in the initiative. Most of the social work, medics, nursing and all clinical psychology participants evaluated the programme positively, however some of the themes were not positive and these are also discussed within the paper.

Originality/value

– Based on this qualitative evaluation, the evaluation of the service user and carer small group facilitators and observations by the CLI organizers, changes will be made to the second year of the evaluation cycle and these changes are highlighted in the paper. The uniqueness and value of this initiative lies in both having service users and carers involved in the design, delivery, evaluation and dissemination of the CLI and also in the strength of having four professional disciplines involved. Limitations of the study are highlighted.
“But what if nobody's going to sit down and have a real conversation with you?” Service user/survivor perspectives on human rights
Authors: Russo Jasna , Rose Diana
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss human rights assessment and monitoring in psychiatric institutions from the perspectives of those whose rights are at stake. It explores the extent to which mental health service user/psychiatric survivor priorities can be addressed with monitoring instruments such as the WHO QualityRights Tool Kit.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on the outcomes of a large-scale consultation exercise with people with personal experience of detention in psychiatric institutions across 15 European countries. The consultation took place via one focus group per country and extended to a total of 116 participants. The distinctive characteristic of this research is that it imparts an insider perspective: both the research design and the qualitative analysis of the focus group discussion transcripts were done by a social researcher who shared the identity of service user/survivor with the participants.

Findings

– The paper highlights human rights issues which are not readily visible and therefore less likely to be captured in institutional monitoring visits. Key issues include the lack of interaction and general humanity of staff, receipt of unhelpful treatment, widespread reliance on psychotropic drugs as the sole treatment and the overall impact of psychiatric experience on a person's biography.

Research limitations/implications

– Because of the way participants were recruited, the research findings do not offer a representative picture of the human rights situation in particular countries. They point clearly, however, to new directions for human rights research in the psychiatric context.

Originality/value

– This paper demonstrates the indispensability of experiential knowledge for not only securing and improving but also extending the understanding of human rights standards in psychiatry.
The Global Model of Public Mental Health through the WHO QualityRights project
Authors: Pelletier Jean-Francois , Fortin Denise , Laporta Marc , Pomey Marie-Pascale , Roelandt Jean-Luc , Guézennec Pauline , Murray Michael , DiLeo Paul , Davidson Larry , Rowe Michael
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to update the Global Model of Public Mental Health (GMPMH) in light of the WHO QualityRights project.

Design/methodology/approach

– Being able to refer to international conventions and human rights standards is a key component of a genuine global approach that is supportive of individuals and communities in their quest for recovery and full citizenship. The GMPMH was inspired by the ecological approach in health promotion programs, adding to that approach the individuals as agents of mental health policies and legislation transformation. The GMPMH integrates recovery- and citizenship-oriented psychiatric practices through the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO, 1986).

Findings

– Updating the GMPMH through the WHO QualityRights Toolkit highlights the need for a new form of governance body, namely the Civic Forum, which is inclusive of local communities and persons in recovery. People with mental health disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and substance use conditions can be “included in the community” (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 19) only if the community is informed and welcoming, for instance through a Civic Forum and its organizing Local Council of Mental Health.

Research limitations/implications

– Transition from social marginalization to full citizenship represents a daunting challenge in public mental health care. An approach that focuses primarily on individuals is not sufficient in creating access to valued roles those individuals will be able to occupy in community settings. Instead, public intervention and debate are required to promote and monitor the bond of citizenship that connects people to their communities.

Originality/value

– The GMPMH is the result of a conceptual cross-breeding between recovery and health promotion (WHO, 1986). The GMPMH is an offspring of the ecological approach in health promotion programs, adding to that approach individuals as agents of mental health transformation. It refers to international conventions and human rights standards as a central component of a genuine global approach. A community-based participatory research design is well suited, which includes a Civic Forum for local communities to become involved and supportive of service users in their quality and human rights assessments.
Rural small firms' website quality in transition and market economies
Authors: Sanders John , Galloway Laura
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate website quality in rural firms in four countries, by using Gonzalez and Palacios's Web Assessment Index (WAI). There is an assertion in the literature that quality is lower amongst rural firms than urban firms, and lower amongst small firms than large firms. The disadvantages of lack of access to skills and economic peripherality in rural areas are attributed to this. Concurrently, there is reason to surmise that the websites of firms in transition economies may be higher quality than those in market economies. The paper aims to explore websites in distinct rural regions to investigate if variation occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

– To evaluate website quality the WAI was applied to a sample of 60 rural firms representing 15 each in Scotland, New Zealand, Southern Russia and Hunan Province in China. Analysis of the categorical data was performed using a variety of established methods.

Findings

– The WAI is of use in terms of website quality management. Additionally, comparisons between the quality of websites in the sample of small rural firms with those of large firms in previous studies support the contention that large firms generally have better quality websites. Results also illustrate that there are some differences in website quality between rural small businesses in the different locations. In particular, small rural firms in Hunan Province in China had websites of observable better quality than those elsewhere. The authors conclude that skills, knowledge and infrastructure have a bearing on the sophistication of small firms' websites.

Research limitations/implications

– Implications include that variation in the rural economy by region prevails as the rural economy is not, as often implied, a homogeneous concept.

Practical implications

– There are implications in terms of exploring the effects of regulation, culture and infrastructure on rural small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The internet may indeed contribute to rural economies, but only insofar as it is facilitated by infrastructure and access to skills, and by culture and perceived usefulness by business owners.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the understanding of rural entrepreneurship as a heterogeneous concept by comparing practice in four distinct rural regions. It also adds weight to the emerging identification of exogenous factors as being at least as much a factor in determining the use of ICT in rural SMEs as endogenous motivations, skills and resources.
IT readiness in small firms
Authors: Spinelli Riccardo , Dyerson Romano , Harindranath G.
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The aim of the paper is to explore conceptually and empirically the application of the concept of IT readiness to small firms.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach taken was a questionnaire administered to small manufacturing business owners in the Liguria region of Italy. Data were analysed using factor and cluster analysis.

Findings

– IT readiness concept appears valid with the emergence of three constructs: strategic vision; project management capability; and IT application infrastructure. The date analysis yielded four distinctive and varying profiles of small business owners.

Research limitations/implications

– This quantitative study exploring a cross section of small firms suggests antecedents to change have been ignored relative to IT adoption decisions.

Practical implications

– Provision of policy and support services requires a much more nuanced approach to small businesses.

Originality/value

– There are very few studies of IT readiness in the literature, making the paper original in its intent. The construction of the IT readiness concept appears robust when subjected to empirical testing and yields a number of specific small business profiles with respect to IT.
E-commerce for SMEs: empirical insights from three countries
Authors: Jahanshahi Asghar Afshar , Zhang Stephen X. , Brem Alexander
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The main purpose of this paper is to study the benefits that an Asian company can achieve by using e-commerce. Another objective is to identify and rank the barriers influencing the application of e-commerce by innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India, Malaysia, and Iran

Design/methodology/approach

– The survey design uses a sample of 601 SMEs from three countries. In this study, data were collected by sending out questionnaires electronically and by mail. The Friedman test is used to analyse questionnaire data in conjunction with SPSS 16 software.

Findings

– The results indicate that an “enhanced company brand and corporate image” is the most important e-commerce advantage from the perspective of East Asian SMEs, whereas “doubts about the security and privacy” is the most important barrier.

Research limitations/implications

– Differences between the three countries in terms of electronic structure and infrastructure are the most important limitations for the study.

Practical implications

– As the company brand and the image of the company are very important in this region, companies should strategically invest into these areas. Nowadays, in times of social media, this is not as cost intensive as it was ten years before. So particularly, SMEs have a good chance to succeed in this area.

Originality/value

– This paper offers researchers a broader and more comprehensive view of the benefits of and barriers to electronic commerce application by SMEs. Researchers, educators, and practitioners will benefit from this paper. The analyses are more complex and varied than the methodologies used in most of the limited previous research.
Are UK SMEs with active web sites more likely to achieve both innovation and growth?
Authors: Thompson Piers , Williams Robert , Thomas Brychan
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the impact of developing more active web sites and increasing e-commerce on the relationship between innovation and growth performance in SMEs. Using the existing literature and empirical analysis the study seeks to consider the potential of engagement with the internet to achieve the often hard to attain ambition of both innovation and growth.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to examine the relationship, data are drawn from the Federation of Small Businesses'Lifting the Barriers to Growth Survey. In order to establish whether the use of more sophisticated web sites are associated with being an innovative high performance business, while controlling for other firm and entrepreneurial characteristics, multivariate analysis in the form of multinominal logits and discriminant function analysis are utilised.

Findings

– The results suggest that although theoretically web sites with tools allowing interaction with customers or suppliers could benefit SMEs through a reduction in transaction costs and wider access to information, enabling them to jointly experience innovation and growth, in practice there is less evidence that this occurs. Those firms with active web sites are more likely to be innovative, but less likely to be both innovative and achieving growth.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper suggests a framework for analysing the impact of e-business at process level that can be used with other SME case studies.

Practical implications

– These results suggest that further work must be undertaken to establish whether SMEs should be encouraged to make such investments and if so what additional help is required to ensure that investments in this digital infrastructure achieves an appropriate return on investment.

Originality/value

– The results are of importance to both SMEs and policy makers providing insight into the nature of potential benefits from web site development using a large dataset. A clear need to investigate further how more innovative SMEs can benefit from company web sites and ecommerce to grow is identified.
An ecology of mind: teaching – learning complex systems
Authors: W. Bloom Jeffrey
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to show how to enact a Batesonian system to teaching an ecology of mind course.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach develops a practical framework for teaching with examples of teaching approaches and student work.

Findings

– The overarching approach involves a depth-abstraction-abduction model. This model was used to engage students in examining a variety of transdisciplinary phenomena with emphasis on contexts, meaning, multiple perspectives, stories, relationships and systems, patterns, and epistemology. Epistemological shocks and shifts were a common occurrence.

Originality/value

– This work is unique in that it focuses on a course based upon the film: “An ecology of mind: a daughter's portrait of Gregory Bateson”.
Reflexive thought-ecologies: a reflection on practice
Authors: Varey William
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The development of capacities for sustainability thinking by large-scale social systems requires of the skilled practitioner complex abstract logics. There is an intricate complexity of relationships to consider in the observation of the landscape of thought. This paper aims to introduce a matrix as an orientating heuristic to guide this form of praxis and provides reflections on its use in the enactment of social learning.

Design/methodology/approach

– The signifiers for four different orientations to learning and four abstractions in levels of learning are described. The configurations that result from their conjunction generate a matrix of 16 alternatives. These are combined into a heuristic to guide and inform reflexive praxis.

Findings

– The conjunction of these two dimensions enables observations of the cybernetic interactions between levels of learning and orientations to learning. This depiction prompts considerations of the ethics and aesthetics of large-scale collaborative learning. In reflecting on the use of the heuristic device in practice, four primary observations are offered as possible considerations to inform ethical practice.

Originality/value

– The value of this research is in enabling awareness of the relationship between levels of learning and orientations to learning. The originality is the application of apithology principles to the multi-dimensional learning landscapes found in complex thought-ecologies.
The educational consequences of Bateson's economy of flexibility
Authors: Griffiths David
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The education system worldwide is regulated through the dominant paradigm of planning and enactment, but the representations of curricula and lesson plans underpinning the paradigm are poorly correlated to classroom practice. This paper aims to understand how despite this the paradigm remains dominant and explores the implications of its continued success for the current educational practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– Bateson's concept of the economy of flexibility is applied to the education. Genetic control is mapped onto the formal specification of learning activities, while somatic control is mapped onto teachers' improvisatory practice. The conflicting regulatory messages generated within the dominant paradigm are discussed in terms of Bateson's double bind theory.

Findings

– The success of the dominant paradigm is comprehensible when conceived of as an economy of flexibility. However, the analysis indicates that this success is dependent on two conditions: that sufficient flexibility is maintained in classroom practice, and that there should be a weak but reliable channel whereby innovations in classroom can filter through to the level of planning. Current developments in educational technology and management practice threaten both these conditions, by increasing the ability of managers to monitor educational activities, and by providing technocratic solutions to pedagogic questions. Flexibility is squeezed out of the system, and the contradictions of the dominant paradigm are increasingly enforced to place teachers in a double bind.

Originality/value

– The analysis provides a model for relating the problems experienced by teachers in their practice to changes in technology, policy and institutional organisation.
Creativity from a systems perspective: bridging theory and practice
Authors: Hieronymi Andreas
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to sketch the outline of a systems framework for creativity. It involves several levels of analysis and addresses researchers and practitioners. When improving creative climates in work settings, it is necessary to have a better understanding of the various mechanisms of creativity and what strengthens or diminishes them.

Design/methodology/approach

– Creativity research is fragmented and involves multiple aspects, levels and disciplines, ranging from biology to psychology and sociology. Concepts from systems science have particular value in understanding creativity, as they provide a transdisciplinary language of how systems work and adapt. This conceptual paper makes use of the language and concepts from the systems field to connect often disparate perspectives and clarify key mechanisms of creativity.

Findings

– The core of this paper is a newly developed multilevel model of the creative mind. The proposed concepts provide a starting point for integrating further theoretical findings.

Practical implications

– Improved understanding of creativity could help leaders more effectively use their creativity while facilitating the creativity of others for successful cooperation and problem-solving.

Originality/value

– The visual models introduced here help bridge theory and practice while creating a stronger link between creativity research and studies in systems, cybernetics and complexity.
LEED as a tool for enhancing affordable housing sustainability in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Kamal Mohammad Attia Maged
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to enhance sustainability in affordable housing in Saudi Arabia within an effective locally adopted sustainability assessment tool by discussing the multi interdisciplinary concept of sustainability in the built environment and introducing environmental indicators which are recently developed to foster environmentally responsible practices. The study aim expands beyond proposing sustainable feasible alternatives for existing affordable housing project in Saudi Arabia, namely, Al-Ghala project, to appropriating the measuring tool itself to make the review process easier, faster and more effective.

Design/methodology/approach

– Al-Ghala project, a typical affordable housing project is selected to act as a case study for this research. The housing units are assessed according to LEED to obtain the overall evaluation which obviously reflects the quality of the project sustainability. Elements that negatively affect the score and suggested feasible remedies are then identified, as well as inapplicable and inappropriate LEED components. The data were complemented by observation, interviews with occupants and project management team, monthly consumption rates of water and electricity, in addition to computer modelling and analysis by Ecotect and Green Building Studio.

Findings

– Sustainability in affordable housing requires a holistic framework that promotes environmentally responsible practices including design, construction and management phases. LEED provides evidence that it can considerably contribute in enhancing sustainability of post-occupied affordable housing units by identifying points of weakness that lead to inefficient use of energy, water and materials; paving the way for a wide range of sustainable modifications. In addition, for LEED to be competent in Saudi Arabia a native version needs to be developed in which local circumstances are taken into consideration.

Research limitations/implications

– According to the wide range of subjects covered by LEED, some elements could not be measured in depth. Impact of modifications proposed for LEED needs to be tested further.

Practical implications

– The paper includes implications for the development of feasible environmentally sensitive affordable housing in Saudi Arabia.

Originality/value

– This paper fulfills an identified need to study how affordable housing can be made sustainable.
Encouraging walkability in GCC cities: smart urban solutions
Authors: Atef Elhamy Kamel Mohamed
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– It is noted that cities in the region of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have a very poor Walkability Index. It is typically the forgotten mode of transport. Moreover, walking has become impossible. This is not just due to the scorching weather conditions but also due to the excessive dependence of the residents on the private automobile. The purpose of this paper is to explore walkability urban problems and to propose smart urban solutions so as to encourage walking in GCC cities.

Design/methodology/approach

– This present paper defines walkability and portrays its advantages and benefits. It adapts the criteria of walkability to meet GCC cities’ planning needs. Furthermore, it analyzes Masdar City in Abu Dhabi as an example of encouraging walkability using smart solutions. The pilot case study for this present paper, King Abdullah national park in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, will be the application pool of those criteria. However, a questionnaire has been formulated in order to solicit some facts about attaining pedestrian comfort in that park.

Findings

– The paper provides various smart urban solutions so as to encourage walkability in GCC cities.

Originality/value

– Through presenting an overview of walkability in GCC cities and suggesting smart urban solutions, an additional study would be required to encourage walkability in other environments using various intelligent urban features.
Saudi Arabia's sustainable housing limitations: the experts’ views
Authors: Saied Al Surf Mohammed , Trigunarsyah Bambang , Susilawati Connie
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to attempt to bridge the gap between sustainable housing and the use of smart technologies to improve the level of sustainability in the housing construction in Saudi Arabia, by discussing the barriers and enablers concerned with applying sustainability to housing construction in Saudi Arabia, which utilises smart technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

– A Delphi method survey was employed, for which 25 individuals from three key stakeholder groups of the Saudi housing sector participated. They were asked about their degree of agreement (or disagreement) about the various barriers and enablers of applying sustainability to housing construction in Saudi Arabia, which utilises smart technologies. This research paper must be considered as an indicative study of selected experts that do not represent in any way the total population of Saudi Arabia.

Findings

– Lack of public awareness has been identified as the most significant barrier in implementing sustainable housing development in Saudi Arabia, which utilises smart technologies. Raising awareness of the public to the benefits of sustainable housing and enlightening key project stakeholders in the design of sustainable housing are both essential in order to overcome the barriers discussed in this paper. In addition, it is important to adopt smart sustainable construction methods, exemplified by but not limited to, appropriate water preservation and wastewater treatment systems that are simultaneously smart and sustainable.

Research limitations/implications

– This particular research has dealt with only barriers and enablers in the application of sustainability to housing in Saudi Arabia, which utilises smart technologies. For a more complete understanding, there is a need for further analysis of supplementary factors.

Practical implications

– A study such as this, which identifies and prioritises barriers and enablers, could prove useful in guiding or encouraging the relevant ministry in Saudi Arabia to develop policies founded in the implementation of sustainability to the housing sector.

Originality/value

– This research is a preliminary investigation into the implementation of sustainable housing development as it relates to Saudi Arabia.
Diabetes, built environments and (un)healthy lifestyles
Authors: Sidawi Bhzad , Deakin Mark
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– Diabetes mellitus is the most common non-communicable medical condition worldwide, yet little is known about the relationship this disease has to the built environment. The purpose of this paper is to throw some much needed light on the matter by shifting attention away from the epidemiology of the medical condition and towards the anthropology of the unhealthy lifestyles whose habit-persistent practices are associated with the spread of the disease.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reviews the delicate relation between diabetes, unhealthy lifestyles and built environments. It discusses the potential of smart city technologies to promote healthy lifestyles, particularly for diabetic patients.

Findings

– Smart cities currently being developed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) do not highlight the health-related benefits of their design and layout and there are currently no plans for the community to address the unhealthy lifestyles of existing neighbourhoods as part of a sustainable urban development programme. So, realising the health-related benefits of smart city neighbourhoods in the KSA shall be challenging.

Research limitations/implications

– In attempting to tackle diabetes, cities not only need to be “green and lean” in planning the healthy lifestyles they set out for the development of communities, but also “get smart” about the digital technologies and platform of electronically enhanced services which are required to meet the design and layout challenges smart city neighbourhoods pose.

Originality/value

– Gulf and Saudi cities should adopt the IntelCities analogy, so the virtual planning and development of “smart city neighbourhoods”, along with their design and layout of buildings, can tackle the underlying causes.
Pathway to premium – creating investment advisors at Danske Bank
Authors: Nyberg Liza , Nilsson Kristina
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– To provide a review of the winning case study from the professional development category of EFMD's Excellence in Practice Awards, 2013.

Design/methodology/approach

– An independent review of the winning case.

Findings

– A strategic review at Danske Bank Sweden led to a decision to enhance its position as a premium bank by strengthening the advisory concept within personal banking. In response a working group proposed that a new group of investment advisors be created for individuals with up to 600,000 to invest.

Originality/value

– Provides insight for practitioners into a learning and development initiative of proven impact.
Peter Drucker the storyteller: a Gestalt journey
Authors: Starbuck Peter
Published: December 2013

Findings

– Few readers of this journal will not be familiar with the life and ideas of Peter Drucker. He has been compared to, amongst others, Bagehot, Bastiat, Darwin, Hayek, Mendel, Mises, Newton, Schumpeter, Shaw and Tocqueville. Of many other distinctions, his first book, The End of Economic Man (May 1939), which was a political analysis centered on Hitlerism, was reviewed by Churchill.
Evidence-based campaigning on loneliness in older age: an update from the Campaign to End Loneliness
Authors: Goodman Anna , Symons Marianne
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the progress of the Campaign to End Loneliness, and aims to illustrate how commissioners can be influenced to address loneliness in their localities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is a case study that draws upon an external evaluation of the Campaign to End Loneliness by Charities Evaluation Services, a review of local government strategies and case studies of good practice.

Findings

– This paper focuses on the design, implementation and progress of Loneliness Harms Health, a series of local campaigns targeting health and wellbeing boards. It provides a case study of how evidence-based campaigning influenced newly formed health and wellbeing boards to address loneliness in their localities, and identifies implications for commissioner and provider practice.

Practical implications

– This paper demonstrates how to successfully influence commissioning practice using a “pincer” movement of local campaigning, top-down advice and information. It highlights examples of good practice uncovered by the Campaign over the past 18 months including measurement of, and partnership working around, the issue of loneliness in older age. Three recommendations are made for local service providers and commissioners wishing to address loneliness: it should be linked to other priorities, cross-agency partnerships are vital and asset-based approaches can save money. It concludes with information about the future of the Campaign to End Loneliness and information on how to get involved.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a detailed analysis of an innovative, policy-based, campaigning strategy to influence commissioning and practice around the issue of loneliness in older age. It is an issue which can be easily overlooked by care, public health and NHS professionals, but early results indicate the newly formed health and wellbeing boards can play a significant role in addressing it.
Baby boomers – growing older but getting on with life?
Authors: Williamson Toby
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings from a research project that explored the mental health experiences and expectations of the so-called “baby boomer” population born between 1946 and 1955 who are now moving into later life.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research combined primary and secondary research, and a panel of experts. The primary research was both quantitative and qualitative.

Findings

– Findings covered issues of identity, health and wellbeing, family and relationships, work, occupation, retirement and financial security, as well as key implications for policy makers, opinion formers and decision makers.

Research limitations/implications

– The “baby boomer” cohort is extremely large and to provide definitive findings on such a wide range of aspects that potentially influence their mental health requires a much larger study than this as well as one that focuses on particular sub-groups of this cohort. It also raises the question of similarities and differences between this cohort and the second wave of baby boomers born between the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Originality/value

– This is an important piece of research, drawing together a wide range of resources and data to provide a unique overview of a key dimension of health for this group in the population which because of their numbers as well as perceived shared life experiences will be of great interest to policy makers, academics and the media, as well as members of this population cohort and people who have an interest in them.
Older male mentors' perceptions of a Men's Shed intergenerational mentoring program
Authors: Wilson Nathan J. , Cordier Reinie , Wilson Whatley Lisa
Published: December 2013

Background/aim

The National Male Health Policy identifies several groups of males at different transitional life stages that are at particular risk, including teenage boys at risk of social exclusion and recently retired older men. A novel intergenerational mentoring program was developed to bring these groups together through participation in meaningful occupation. This research aimed to investigate the mentors' experiences of the program, their views about the teenage boys and the structure of the program.

Methods

Nine teenage boys (14–16 years) at risk of social exclusion participated in a weekly shared construction project with older male mentors (60–75 years) at a local Sydney school over one school term. A post‐project focus group and individual interviews were conducted with six of the mentors pre‐ and post‐project. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method of grounded theory; all authors developed themes individually and then collectively.

Results

The core theme that emerged was a values‐led male reconnection. Centred in themes of gendered valuing, respect, tradition and the handing down of life experience, occupational engagement was integral to bridging the generational gap and facilitating intergeneration discourse.

Conclusion

Older males with a strong sense of generativity are a valuable resource in delivering such programs, and reported a sense of accomplishment and enhanced self‐worth. Given the central role that occupational engagement played in fusing the project, this study highlights the untapped role of occupational therapy in developing programs aimed at promoting the health and wellbeing of Australian men.
Evaluation of functional family therapy in an Irish context
Authors: Graham Clare , Carr Alan , Rooney Brendan , Sexton Tom , Wilson Satterfield Laura Rachel
Published: December 2013

In an Irish context we conducted a retrospective archival study of functional family therapy (FFT) for adolescents with behavioural problems. Strengths and difficulties questionnaire data were collected from 118 families at the beginning and end of therapy (at baseline and follow up for dropouts) in a community‐based clinic in a socially disadvantagedDublin suburb. Analyses of the improvement in mean scores and clinical recovery rates showed that the outcome was associated with treatment completion and the extent to which therapists adhered to theFFTtreatment manual. Therapy completers treated by high‐adherent therapists had the most favourable outcome. In contrast, the worst outcome occurred for dropouts. The outcome of cases treated by low‐adherent therapists fell between these two extremes. These results show thatFFTmay be effectively implemented in an Irish context, and that the effectiveness of treatment is associated with families remaining in treatment for an average of seventeen sessions, and receiving treatment from therapists who implementFFTwith a high degree of fidelity.

Practitioner points

Use functional family therapy to treat adolescents with behavioural problems.

To maximize benefits to clients, adhere to the functional family therapy treatment protocol when conducting therapy.
Rapid naming in relation to reading and writing in Korean (Hangul), Chinese (Hanja) and English among Korean children: a 1‐year longitudinal study
Authors: Cho Jeung‐Ryeul , Chiu Ming Ming
Published: December 2013

The relation of rapid automatised naming (RAN) to word recognition may depend on the phonological regularity of the orthography. This study examined differential contributions of RAN to reading and writing in Korean alphabetic Hangul, logographic Hanja (Chinese) and English as a second language among 73 fifth graders in Korea across 1 year. RAN was differentially associated between reading and writing in Hangul and English. After statistically controlling for age, gender, morphological awareness, vocabulary and phonological awareness, RAN was uniquely predictive of Hangul word writing but not Hangul word recognition, and it uniquely accounted for English word recognition but not English word writing. Meanwhile, RAN explained both reading and writing in Hanja. Findings were discussed in terms of their orthography characteristics and different levels of proficiency.
Provision and practice of specialist preterm labour clinics: a UK survey of practice
Authors: Sharp AN , Alfirevic Z
Published: December 2013

Objective

To identify the current status of specialist preterm labour (PTL) clinic provision and management within the UK.

Design

Postal survey of clinical practice.

Setting

UK

Population

All consultant‐led obstetric units within the UK.

Methods

A questionnaire was sent by post to all 210 NHS consultant‐led obstetric units within the UK. Units that had a specialist PTL clinic were asked to complete a further 20 questions defining their protocol for risk stratification and management.

Main outcome measures

Current practice in specialist preterm labour clinics..

Results

We have identified 23 specialist clinics; the most common indications for attendance were previous PTL (100%), preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (95%), two large loop excisions of the transformation zone (95%) or cone biopsy (95%). There was significant heterogeneity in the indications for and method of primary treatment for short cervix, with cervical cerclage used in 45% of units, progesterone in 18% of units and Arabin cervical pessary in 5%. A further 23% used multiple treatment modalities in combination.

Conclusions

A significant heterogeneity in all topics surveyed suggests an urgent need for networking, more evidence‐based guidelines and prospective comparative audits to ascertain the real impact of specialist PTL clinics on the reduction in preterm birth and its sequelae.
“Which Box Should I Check?”: Examining Standard Check Box Approaches to Measuring Race and Ethnicity
Authors: Eisenhower Abbey , Suyemoto Karen , Lucchese Fernanda , Canenguez Katia
Published: December 2013

Objective

This study examined methodological concerns with standard approaches to measuring race and ethnicity using the federally defined race and ethnicity categories, as utilized in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Surveys were administered to 219 economically disadvantaged, racially and ethnically diverse participants at Boston Women Infants and Children (WIC) clinics during 2010.

Study Design

We examined missingness and misclassification in responses to the closed‐ended NIH measure of race and ethnicity compared with open‐ended measures of self‐identified race and ethnicity.

Principal Findings

Rates of missingness were 26 and 43 percent for NIH race and ethnicity items, respectively, compared with 11 and 18 percent for open‐ended responses. NIH race responses matched racial self‐identification in only 44 percent of cases. Missingness and misclassification were disproportionately higher for self‐identified Latina(o)s, African‐Americans, and Cape Verdeans. Race, but not ethnicity, was more often missing for immigrant versus mainland U.S.‐born respondents. Results also indicated that ethnicity for Hispanic/Latina(o)s is more complex than captured in this measure.

Conclusions

The NIH's current race and ethnicity measure demonstrated poor differentiation of race and ethnicity, restricted response options, and lack of an inclusive ethnicity question. Separating race and ethnicity and providing respondents with adequate flexibility to identify themselves both racially and ethnically may improve valid operationalization.
Aphis (Hemiptera: Aphididae) species groups found in the Midwestern United States and their contribution to the phylogenetic knowledge of the genus
Authors: Lagos Doris M. , Voegtlin David J. , Coeur d'acier Armelle , Giordano Rosanna
Published: December 2013

A phylogeny of the genus Aphis Linnaeus, 1 758 was built primarily from specimens collected in the Midwest of the United States. A data matrix was constructed with 68 species and 41 morphological characters with respective character states of alate and apterous viviparous females. Dendrogram topologies of analyses performed using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean), Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analysis of Cytochrome Oxidase I, Elongation Factor 1‐α and primary endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola 16S sequences were not congruent. Bayesian analysis strongly supported most terminal nodes of the phylogenetic trees. The phylogeny was strongly supported by EF1‐α, and analysis of COI and EF1‐α molecular data combined with morphological characters. It was not supported by single analysis of COI or Buchnera aphidicola 16S. Results from the Bayesian phylogeny show 4 main species groups: asclepiadis, fabae, gossypii, and middletonii. Results place Aphis and species of the genera Protaphis Börner, 1952, Toxoptera Koch, and Xerobion Nevsky, 1928 in a monophyletic clade. Morphological characters support this monophyly as well. The phylogeny shows that the monophyletic clade of the North American middletonii species group belong to the genus Protaphis: P. debilicornis (Gillette & Palmer, ), comb. nov., P. echinaceae (Lagos and Voegtlin, ), comb. nov., and P. middletonii (Thomas, ). The genus Toxoptera should be considered a subgenus of Aphis (stat. nov.). The analysis also indicates that the current genus Iowana Frison, 1954 should be considered a subgenus of Aphis (stat. nov.).
Recovery of DNA barcodes from blackfly museum specimens (Diptera: Simuliidae) using primer sets that target a variety of sequence lengths
Authors: Hernández‐Triana L. M. , Prosser S. W. , Rodríguez‐Perez M. A. , Chaverri L. G. , Hebert P. D. N. , Ryan Gregory T.
Published: December 2013

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of various primers for the purpose of DNA barcoding old, pinned museum specimens of blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae). We analysed 271 pinned specimens representing two genera and at least 36 species. Due to the age of our material, we targeted overlapping DNA fragments ranging in size from 94 to 407 bp. We were able to recover valid sequences from 215 specimens, of which 18% had 500‐ to 658‐bp barcodes, 36% had 201‐ to 499‐bp barcodes and 46% had 65‐ to 200‐bp barcodes. Our study demonstrates the importance of choosing suitable primers when dealing with older specimens and shows that even very short sequences can be diagnostically informative provided that an appropriate gene region is used. Our study also highlights the lack of knowledge surrounding blackfly taxonomy, and we briefly discuss the need for further phylogenetic studies in this socioeconomically important family of insects.
hzar: hybrid zone analysis using an R software package
Authors: Derryberry Elizabeth P. , Derryberry Graham E. , Maley James M. , Brumfield Robb T.
Published: December 2013

We present a new software package (hzar) that provides functions for fitting molecular genetic and morphological data from hybrid zones to classic equilibrium cline models using the Metropolis–Hastings Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm. The software applies likelihood functions appropriate for different types of data, including diploid and haploid genetic markers and quantitative morphological traits. The modular design allows flexibility in fitting cline models of varying complexity. To facilitate hypothesis testing, an autofit function is included that allows automated model selection from a set of nested cline models. Cline parameter values, such as cline centre and cline width, are estimated and may be compared statistically across clines. The package is written in the R language and is available through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN;http://cran.r-project.org/). Here, we describehzarand demonstrate its use with a sample data set from a well‐studied hybrid zone in western Panama between white‐collared (Manacus candei) and golden‐collared manakins (M. vitellinus). Comparisons of our results with previously published results for this hybrid zone validate thehzarsoftware. We extend analysis of this hybrid zone by fitting additional models to molecular data where appropriate.
Parentage and sibship inference from markers in polyploids
Authors: Wang Jinliang , Scribner Kim T.
Published: December 2013

Many plants and some animal species are polyploids. Nondisomically inherited markers (e.g. microsatellites) in such species cannot be analysed directly by standard population genetics methods developed for diploid species. One solution is to transform the polyploid codominant genotypes to pseudodiploid‐dominant genotypes, which can then be analysed by standard methods for various purposes such as spatial genetic structure, individual relatedness and relationship. Although this data transformation approach has been used repeatedly in the literature, no systematic study has been conducted to investigate how efficient it is, how much marker information is lost and thus how much analysis accuracy is reduced. More specifically, it is unknown whether or not the transformed data can be used to infer parentage and sibship jointly, and how different sampling schemes (number and polymorphism of markers, number of individuals) and ploidy level affect the inference accuracy. This study analyses both simulated and empirical data to examine the effects of polyploid levels, actual pedigree structures and marker number and polymorphism on the accuracy of joint parentage and sibship assignments in polyploid species. We show that sibship, parentage and selfing rates in polyploids can be inferred accurately from a typical set of microsatellite loci. We also show that inferences can be substantially improved by allowing for a small genotyping error rate to accommodate the distortion in assumed Mendelian inheritance of the converted markers when large sibship groups are involved. The results are discussed in the context of polyploid data analysis in molecular ecology.