Building social capital through breastfeeding peer support: Insights from an evaluation of a voluntary breastfeeding peer support service in North-West England

Background: Peer support is reported to be a key method to help build social capital in communities. To date there are no studies that describe how this can be achieved through a breastfeeding peer support service. In this paper we present findings from an evaluation of a voluntary model of breastfeeding peer support in North-West England to describe how the service was operationalized and embedded into the community. This study was undertaken from May, 2012 to May, 2013. Methods: Interviews (group or individual) were held with 87 participants: 24 breastfeeding women, 13 peer supporters and 50 health and community professionals. The data contained within 23 monthly monitoring reports (January, 2011 to February 2013) compiled by the voluntary peer support service were also extracted and analysed. Results: Thematic analysis was undertaken using social capital concepts as a theoretical lens. Key findings were identified to resonate with ’bonding’, ‘bridging’ and ‘linking’ forms of social capital. These insights illuminate how the peer support service facilitates ‘bonds’ with its members, and within and between women who access the service; how the service ‘bridges’ with individuals from different interests and backgrounds, and how ‘links’ were forged with those in authority to gain access and reach to women and to promote a breastfeeding culture. Some of the tensions highlighted within the social capital literature were also identified. Conclusions: Horizontal and vertical relationships forged between the peer support service and community members enabled peer support to be embedded into care pathways, helped to promote positive attitudes to breastfeeding and to disseminate knowledge and maximise reach for breastfeeding support across the community. Further effort to engage with those of different ethnic backgrounds and to resolve tensions between peer supporters and health professionals is warranted

The PD-1/PD-L1 (B7-H1) Pathway in Chronic Infection-Induced Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Exhaustion

Cytotoxic CD8 T lymphocytes (CTLs) play a pivotal role in the control of infection. Activated CTLs, however, often lose effector function during chronic infection. PD-1 receptor and its ligand PD-L1 of the B7/CD28 family function as a T cell coinhibitory pathway and are emerging as major regulators converting effector CTLs into exhausted CTLs during chronic infection with human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and other pathogens capable of establishing chronic infections. Importantly, blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway is able to restore functional capabilities to exhausted CTLs and early clinical trials have shown promise. Further research will reveal how chronic infection induces upregulation of PD-1 on CTLs and PD-L1 on antigen-presenting cells and other tissue cells and how the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction promotes CTLs exhaustion, which is crucial for developing effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination against chronic infections

Hiding In Plain Sight: Building Community Social Capital In Distance Education Graduate Programs

There is an increasing global demand for a broad range of academic programs to be offered by distance education. The development of flexible online technology has made studying for a degree ‘anywhere and anytime’ possible and this option has significant appeal for many people. However, there is limited knowledge available to guide faculty in the strategic development of supportive learning environments for distance education students that fosters connectedness for academic success. The purpose of this three-phase study was to introduce the concept of community social capital to a cohort of graduate nursing students (N=97) and then track implementation and impact in their on-line academic learning environment. Understanding social capital at the onset of graduate school can lead to an improved sense of how students can utilize and grow social capital, enhance bonding, and increase their academic advantage. The findings inform future education curricula, innovative strategies, and educational research agendas by suggesting that social capital awareness is beneficial to students enrolled in distance education

Making Things Right: Nurses' Experiences with Workplace Bullying—A Grounded Theory

While bullying in the healthcare workplace has been recognized internationally, there is still a culture of silence in many institutions in the United States, perpetuating underreporting and insufficient and unproven interventions. The deliberate, repetitive, and aggressive behaviors of bullying can cause psychological and/or physical harm among professionals, disrupt nursing care, and threaten patient safety and quality outcomes. Much of the literature focuses on categories of bullying behaviors and nurse responses. This qualitative study reports on the experiences of nurses confronting workplace bullying. We collected data from the narratives of 99 nurses who completed an open-ended question embedded in an online survey in 2007. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyze the data and shape a theory of how nurses make things right when confronted with bullying. In a four-step process, nurses place bullying in context, assess the situation, take action, and judge the outcomes of their actions. While many nurses do engage in a number of effective yet untested strategies, two additional concerns remain: inadequate support among nursing colleagues and silence and inaction by nurse administrators. Qualitative inquiry has the potential to guide researchers to a greater understanding of the complexities of bullying in the workplace

Statistical evaluation of a new resistance model for cold-formed stainless steel cross-sections subjected to web crippling

This paper presents a statistical evaluation according to Annex D of EN 1990 (2002) of a new resistance function for web crippling design of cold-formed stainless steel cross-sections. This resistance function was derived by Bock et al. (2013) through the use of carefully validated numerical models with the aim to propose a design expression for stainless steel sections, which are currently designed following the provisions for cold-formed carbon steel sections given in EN 1993-1-3 (2006). Although it was shown that the proposed design equation is appropriate for application to various stainless steels, the statistical uncertainties in material properties that the different types of stainless steels exhibit require an assessment of various partial safety factors. The statistical assessment showed that the proposed resistance function by Bock et al. (2013) requires adjustment to satisfy the safety level set out in EN 1993-1-4 (2006); A recalibration is performed herein. The web crippling design provisions given in EN 1993-1-3 (2006) and SEI/ASCE 8-02 (2002) American standard for application to stainless steel are also statistically evaluated herein. Comparison with test and numerical data showed that the predictions of the recalibrated resistance function are better suited and consistent than existing design provisionsResearch Fund for Coal and Stee

Informed by Yarns - Proposing Knitting Patterns for Revealing Digital System Activities

In order to broaden the creative and innovative possibilities of our ongoing collaborations with fabrication machinery, we are increasingly required to program or hack the machines to fabricate outside of their original envisioned scope. However, while programming errors can be clearly marked on digital platforms, errors can occur anywhere when programming fabrication machine setups. This is because software, firmware, additional hardware devices, and materials need to be considered in addition to the machine itself. In this paper, we look at textile outcomes as a medium to turn the black box of a digital textile fabrication system inside out. Our approach was to develop customised software and hardware for SilverReed domestic knitting machines in order to unfold the complexity within such a digital fabrication system. We propose that such a hybrid approach enhances the readability and interpretability of unexpected fabrication outcomes by combining debugging and knitting strategies

Text-to-Image AI as a Catalyst for Semantic Convergence in Creative Collaborations

Design ideation requires both creative and divergent thinking as well as collaboration and exchange to bring forth new insights and design possibilities. In this paper, we investigate such a collaboration with the use of emerging generative AI tools, and we explore how they may help in achieving agreement and semantic convergence between designers. We conducted workshops using Text-to-Image AI with design students and found that in addition to known advantages of brainstorming, the text prompts required by the AI system engaged students in verbal articulations that aided their design process. In collaborative contexts, the generated images shifted the centre of attention for team members to reach convergence through sharing their interpretations. We conclude that text-to-image AI can be beneficial for students’ design processes as a catalyst for brainstorming rather than a tool for generating design imagery and presentations