scholarly journals “Share Your Tools”—A Utility Study of a Norwegian Wildland-Fire Collaboration Exercise

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6512
Author(s):  
Jarle Løwe Sørensen ◽  
Carina Halvorsen ◽  
Jens Petter W. Aas ◽  
Eric Carlström

Based on the assumption that crisis collaboration exercises lead to better team-integration and more efficient problem solving, the aim of this study is to test whether there is a relationship between exercise participation and perceived levels of learning and utility. Online survey data was collected from participants in a 2018 two-day, full-scale, wildland-fire collaboration exercise in southeastern Norway. The instrument of choice was the collaboration, learning, and utility (CLU) scale. Findings indicate a strong covariation between participation in Norwegian wildland-fire collaboration exercises and the perceived level of learning, with a medium to small covariation between perceived learning and utility. The results indicate the importance of giving clear instructions, focus on collaboration, and sufficient forms of discussion during and after the exercise in order to gain learning. However, learning had a limited impact on utility. The study indicates joint evaluations, improvising, and testing of new and alternative strategies across sectors are important when exercises are constructed. The data was retrieved from a questionnaire, observations and interviews can add more and comprehensive insight into the studied phenomenon.

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Y. Locke ◽  
Marilyn A. Campbell ◽  
David Kavanagh

Is there a point where parental effort can be too much? While the link between parenting effort and the wellbeing of children has been firmly established, contemporary discussion has proposed that extreme levels of parental protection of and responsiveness to children could be counterproductive. Research has not yet addressed this phenomenon to ascertain if overparenting is a genuinely different type of parenting approach. The purpose of the present study was to gain insight into the parenting actions considered by parenting professionals (psychologists and school guidance counsellors) to be overparenting. One hundred and twenty-eight professionals responded to an online survey about their observations of overparenting, with eighty-six respondents providing lists of the types of actions they believed were behavioural examples of the term. The survey data revealed that certain types of actions were considered to be indicative of overparenting, and that particular beliefs and outcomes may be involved in this parenting approach. Implications for parenting advice and education programs, and further research are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712110394
Author(s):  
Brianna L. Dumas ◽  
Seung Hee Lee ◽  
Diane M. Harris ◽  
Amy L. Yaroch ◽  
Mary A. Pomeroy ◽  
...  

Purpose: During a pandemic, persons might experience worry because of threats (real or perceived), or as part of stress-related reactions. We aimed to provide insight into Americans’ worry about food during COVID-19. Design, Subjects, Measures: Online survey data from June 2020 (n = 4,053 U.S. adults; 62.7% response rate) was used to assess 2 outcomes: worry about food availability (FA); food safety (FS). Adults with missing information about FA and FS were excluded from analysis (final n = 3,652). Analysis: We used descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression to examine characteristics associated with the outcomes and estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for associations between sociodemographic variables and outcomes. Results: 58.3% of respondents reported worry about FA; 57.5% about FS, with higher odds of worry for FA and FS (versus referents) in lower income households (FA: aOR = 1.76 95%CI [1.30, 2.39]; FS: 1.84[1.35, 2.51]); unemployed (1.54[1.05, 2.28]; 1.90[1.26,2.81]); non-Hispanic Black (1.55[1.14,2.12]); 2.25[1.65,3.07]); Hispanic (1.39[1.06,1.82]; 1.94[1.46,2.56]). Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of strategies to reduce consumer worry about FA and FS and negative food behaviors, and the need for continued access to hunger safety net programs, which could have positive effects on nutrition security.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562098280
Author(s):  
Robin A. Tan ◽  
Frans J. Mulder ◽  
Roderic M. F. Schwirtz ◽  
David G. M. Mosmuller ◽  
Henrica C. W. De Vet ◽  
...  

Objective: To gain more insight into the assessment of “atypical” nasal and lip appearance outcomes compared to “typical” appearance outcomes after unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) repair, when judged by professionals, patients with repaired UCLP, and laypeople. Design: An online survey containing 3 series of photographs with various degrees of “typical” and “atypical” nasal and lip appearance outcomes after UCLP repair was sent to 30 professionals, 30 patients with repaired UCLP, and 50 laypeople in 2 countries. Participants were instructed to rank the photographs from excellent to poor based on overall appearance. Mean rank positions of photographs were analyzed and differences in mean rank score between “typical” and “atypical” results were assessed using a T-test. Agreement of ranking between the 3 groups was assessed with an analysis of variance analysis. Setting: Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Netherlands and Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, USA. Patients: Photographs of 6- to 18-year-old patients with repaired UCLP. Results: “Atypical” appearance outcomes were ranked significantly less favorably (small nostril: P = 0.00; low vermillion border: P = 0.02; whistling deformity: P = 0.00) compared to “typical” outcomes. Difference between professionals, patients and laypeople in rank positioning the photographs was not statistically significant ( P = 0.89). Conclusions: Noses with a smaller nostril and lips containing a whistling deformity were perceived as poorer outcome compared to the “typical” results. Professionals, patients, and laypeople are in agreement when assessing these outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hollis C. Karoly ◽  
Raeghan L. Mueller ◽  
Chrysta C. Andrade ◽  
Kent E. Hutchison

Cannabis is commonly used among people who drink alcohol, but findings are mixed regarding the direction of this relationship. The type of cannabis used [high-cannabidiol (CBD) vs. high-delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)] and motives for use (i.e., whether cannabis is used to treat a medical condition) may influence the relationship between cannabis and drinking. Specifically, CBD has shown preclinical promise in reducing alcohol consumption, and medical cannabis users report using cannabis to reduce drinking. This study leverages survey data from cannabis users who drink alcohol (N = 533). Respondents were categorized as using cannabis to treat (CTT) a medical condition or as individuals whose cannabis use is not intended to treat (NCTT) a medical condition and grouped based on the THC/CBD ratio of the flower or edible cannabis they typically use (e.g., “High-THC/CBD,” “Medium-THC/CBD” and “Low-THC/CBD”). The CTT group (n = 412) reported drinking significantly less frequently than the NCTT group (n = 121). Cannabinoid content of flower cannabis was associated with alcohol consumed on cannabis-use days, such that individuals in the High-THC/CBD group drink more on cannabis-use days compared to the Medium-THC/CBD group. Cannabinoid content of edible cannabis was associated with drinks per drinking occasion, such that the High-THC/CBD group consumed the most drinks and the Low-THC/CBD group consumed the fewest. For both edible and flower groupings, higher-THC/CBD cannabis was associated with more frequent co-use than lower-THC/CBD cannabis. Results suggest that whether someone uses cannabis to treat a medical condition may impact their drinking frequency, and the cannabinoid content in flower and edible cannabis impacts alcohol consumption.


2018 ◽  
Vol 183 (17) ◽  
pp. 534-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsty Hughes ◽  
Susan M Rhind ◽  
Liz Mossop ◽  
Kate Cobb ◽  
Emma Morley ◽  
...  

Success in veterinary practice requires careful balancing of stakeholder needs. The aim of this study was to investigate the current expectations and needs of veterinary clients across a range of practice types. Interviews and focus groups were undertaken with veterinary clients to identify the capabilities of veterinarians that result in the best client experience, generating a ‘Veterinary Capability Framework’. This comprised six main capabilities each containing 4–10 behavioural indicators: client relationships; professionalism; communication skills; decision-making and problem solving; commitment to animal welfare; and commitment to quality and the profession. An online survey was then conducted to validate the importance of these capabilities, which was completed by 1446 mostly UK and Australian clients. The data have allowed us to develop a ‘Client Hierarchy of Needs’ which emphasises the fundamental importance of commitment to animal welfare and veterinary capabilities to the client experience. This study is part of the VetSet2Go project, a collaborative international project to define the capabilities most important for employability and success in the veterinary profession today.


2001 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten van der Tol

In an electronic publication environment, a scienti¼c article can be structured more e¬ectively and e~ciently if it is presented as a coherent collection of well-characterized and explicitly linked modules, rather than as a traditional linear essay. In a linear printed article, the abstract primarily ful¼lls a selection and substitution function. In a network of modular electronic articles, the abstract is primarily an orientation tool providing insight into the ½ow of the discourse. In order to ful¼ll this function, the abstract must provide a balanced representation that explicitly refers, in the informative mode, to the main stages in the problem-solving process. The orientation can be facilitated by hypertext links that connect phrases of the abstract to the related modules, enabling the reader to switch smoothly between the abstract and its source text. Each link has to carry a label that informs the reader about the speci¼c relationship between the phrase at hand and the module referred to.


BJGP Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. bjgpopen20X101003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc De Meulemeester ◽  
Elsa Mateus ◽  
Hilda Wieberneit-Tolman ◽  
Neil Betteridge ◽  
Lucy Ireland ◽  
...  

BackgroundAlthough commonly diagnosed, gout often remains a poorly managed disease. This is partially due to a lack of awareness of the long-term effect of gout among patients and healthcare professionals.AimTo understand unmet needs for patients and provide insight into achieving better treatment.Design & settingA quantitative online questionnaire collected from 1100 people with gout from 14 countries within Europe.MethodPatients were recruited to complete an online survey via healthcare professional (HCP) referral, patient associations, or market research panels. Patients were included if they had been diagnosed with gout by a physician. Prior to commencement, patients were made aware that this study was sponsored by Grünenthal. The responses collected were collated and analyses were performed.ResultsPatients had an average of 2.9 gout flares within a 12-month period. Although 79% of patients were satisfied with treatment, inadequate gout control was also reported by 71% of patients. Furthermore, 84% experienced moderate-to-severe pain with their most recent flare. Of those who acknowledged treatment dissatisfaction, only 24% discussed other options with their GP. Most patients reported irregular follow-up and serum uric acid (sUA) monitoring. In addition, loss of belief that more can be done was a key barrier for patients.ConclusionPatients reported severe pain and social burden, coupled with low treatment expectation and lack of awareness of target sUA. Education around knowing and reaching sUA target is needed so that patients can receive and GPs can deliver higher quality management.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark K Ho ◽  
David Abel ◽  
Tom Griffiths ◽  
Michael L. Littman

Agents that can make better use of computation, experience, time, and memory can solve a greater range of problems more effectively. A crucial ingredient for managing such finite resources is intelligently chosen abstract representations. But, how do abstractions facilitate problem solving under limited resources? What makes an abstraction useful? To answer such questions, we review several trends in recent reinforcement-learning research that provide insight into how abstractions interact with learning and decision making. During learning, abstraction can guide exploration and generalization as well as facilitate efficient tradeoffs---e.g., time spent learning versus the quality of a solution. During computation, good abstractions provide simplified models for computation while also preserving relevant information about decision-theoretic quantities. These features of abstraction are not only key for scaling up artificial problem solving, but can also shed light on what pressures shape the use of abstract representations in humans and other organisms.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1689-1698
Author(s):  
Abdul Hafaz Ngah ◽  
Nurul Izni Kamalrulzaman ◽  
Fauzayani Ibrahim ◽  
Noor Azuan Abu Osman ◽  
Nur Asma Ariffin

This study aims to investigate the effect of soft skills and ethics and value on the employers’ willingness to continue recruiting Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) graduates, together with the moderating effect of knowledge on the relationship between soft skills and the employers’ willingness to continue recruiting UMT graduates. The study’s respondents comprised of 208 employers in Malaysia who responded through an online survey using Google Forms. The survey data was then analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), indicating that soft skills positively affected the employers’ willingness to continue recruiting UMT graduates. Nevertheless, ethics and value were found to be insignificant factors on the employers’ willingness to continue recruiting UMT graduates. It was also revealed that knowledge had the moderating effect on the relationship between soft skills and the employers’ willingness to continue recruiting UMT graduates. Therefore, universities were recommended to invest in soft skills and knowledge education to ensure that graduates met the employers’ professional recruitment standards in areas of expertise.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel G. Cruz ◽  
Martin E. Alexander ◽  
Andrew L. Sullivan

Generalised statements about the state of fire science are often used to provide a simplified context for new work. This paper explores the validity of five frequently repeated statements regarding empirical and physical models for predicting wildland fire behaviour. For empirical models, these include statements that they: (1) work well over the range of their original data; and (2) are not appropriate for and should not be applied to conditions outside the range of the original data. For physical models, common statements include that they: (3) provide insight into the mechanisms that drive wildland fire spread and other aspects of fire behaviour; (4) give a better understanding of how fuel treatments modify fire behaviour; and (5) can be used to derive simplified models to predict fire behaviour operationally. The first statement was judged to be true only under certain conditions, whereas the second was shown not to be necessarily correct if valid data and appropriate modelling forms are used. Statements three through five, although theoretically valid, were considered not to be true given the current state of knowledge regarding fundamental wildland fire processes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document