Prior to the 1990s, bipolar disorder, a behavioral disorder characterized by severe mood fluctuations, was not considered an suitable diagnosis for children. However, in recent decades, an increase in pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) diagnosis has occurred in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of licensed mental health clinicians regarding their decision-making processes used during assessment and diagnosis of PBD. This phenomenographic study utilized individual, semi-structured interviews to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of 14 licensed clinicians in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who assess and diagnose PBD. Data were collected with a 7-question face to face interview. Using NVivo 10 software several key phrases and words were identified, coded, and used to locate patterns, themes, and concepts. Data analysis revealed that significant issues related to PBD assessment and diagnosis may exist, including: inconsistencies in assessment/diagnostic processes; reticence to diagnose the disorder; failure to use available assessment instruments; a lack of attention to comorbidities; and trouble differentiating between PBD symptoms and other issues, such as trauma or dysfunctional family dynamics. Given the reluctance of these mental health professionals to diagnose PBD, implications for social change underscore the important role of education, training, and ongoing clinical supervision to help other mental health professionals accurately assess and diagnose PBD. Recommendations emanating from study findings suggest further research on PBD assessment and diagnosis to help professionals develop more effective diagnostic frameworks for clinical training and practice.

Students' use of technology for the purpose of academic and leisure pursuits is ever increasing. Technology access, and its subsequent use for the many varied forms of digital reading, is particularly timely and relevant for high school aged students that will likely interact with digital reading for years to come. The relationship between academic technology use, non-academic technology use, and students' scores on the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) supplemental Digital Reading Assessment (DRA) as they related to gross domestic product (GDP) were explored in this study. Research questions were answered using extant data collected from the DRA and Information Communication Technology (ICT) survey portions of the 2009 PISA. Results indicated that academic and non-academic technology use ICT survey items were moderately correlated, however the academic and non-academic survey items were only weakly correlated to the DRA score. Moreover, the non-academic mean score was significantly higher than the academic mean score survey items. Finally, a regression analysis showed that GDP accounted for 3.28% of the variance; the non-academic survey explained 0.27% of the variance, while the academic technology use survey items only accounted for .05% of variance in the DRA. The relationship between academic and non-academic technology use as well as countries' overall DRA and GDP is further explored in the discussion.

A satisfação com o exercício profissional é reconhecidamente associada ao processo de sua escolha, dependendo de fatores da dinâmica interna do indivíduo. Estudos científicos têm encontrado relação entre traços de personalidade e interesses profissionais, aspectos ainda pouco investigados no contexto sócio-cultural brasileiro. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho objetivou examinar possível associação entre interesses, inclinações profissionais e características de personalidade de adolescentes em momento de escolha profissional, a partir das indicações técnicas de dois instrumentos de avaliação psicológica: Teste de Fotos de Profissões (BBT-Br) e Escalas de Personalidade Comrey (CPS). Almejou-se, portanto e a partir da análise de correlação entre variáveis destes dois instrumentos de avaliação psicológica, evidenciar a validade de indicadores do BBT-Br a partir das evidências empíricas obtidas pela CPS. Após consentimento formal, foram avaliados 107 estudantes do terceiro ano do ensino médio público diurno de Ribeirão Preto (SP), 50 do sexo masculino e 57 do sexo feminino, com idade entre 16 e 18 anos, todos com sinais de desenvolvimento típico. Como instrumentos foram utilizados: um questionário de história de vida (para seleção dos participantes), o BBT-Br (forma masculina e feminina) e a CPS. Inicialmente foi realizada a aplicação coletiva da CPS, em sala de aula, e posterior aplicação individual do BBT-Br, em local apropriado para avaliação psicológica. A aplicação e avaliação desses instrumentos seguiram os padrões e os referenciais normativos específicos dos respectivos manuais. Os resultados foram inicialmente apresentados de modo descritivo, na tentativa de caracterizar o desempenho global médio dos adolescentes no BBT-Br e na CPS, sendo depois realizadas análises estatísticas inferenciais sobre estes dados. A análise comparativa dos atuais resultados da CPS com as normas originais brasileiras (para adultos), por meio do Teste t de Student (p 0,05), evidenciou diferenças significativas entre ambas, confirmando a necessidade de normas específicas da CPS para adolescentes. Quanto ao BBT-Br, a caracterização da estrutura primária de interesses dos adolescentes mostrou especificidades técnicas em função do sexo. O grupo feminino sinalizou um perfil de interesses dirigido a atividades relacionadas ao cuidado e ao envolvimento nas relações interpessoais, enquanto o grupo masculino sinalizou preferência por atividades dinâmicas e de movimentação física, atividades de reconhecimento pessoal, além de tarefas envolvendo raciocínio abstrato, comunicação e precisão. Tanto o grupo masculino quanto o feminino rejeitaram atividades implicando em força física e em agressividade, assim como a concretude no trabalho e ambientes repetitivos e monótonos para atividades profissionais. O grupo masculino sinalizou ainda rejeição por tarefas envolvendo sensibilidade e subjetividade. Comparando-se, por meio dos Testes t de Student e Qui-Quadrado (p 0,05), os resultados atuais do BBT-Br a seus respectivos padrões normativos, pode-se notar semelhança no desempenho dos adolescentes, confirmando evidências de estruturas motivacionais estáveis entre adolescentes do contexto sócio-cultural avaliado. A investigação específica da relação entre interesses e inclinações profissionais (dados do BBT-Br) e características de personalidade (dados da CPS), realizada por correlações de Pearson, p 0,05, apontou para índices significativos entre algumas variáveis destas técnicas de avaliação psicológica, porém de baixa magnitude. Estes índices apontaram, portanto, a existência de aspectos em comum entre as variáveis examinadas pelo BBT-Br e pela CPS, com alguma convergência entre seus resultados, porém sugerindo interferência importante de outras variáveis psicológicas na dinâmica individual inerente às escolhas profissionais e às características de personalidade. / Satisfaction with professional exercise is widely associated to the latters choice process, which depends on factors related to the individuals internal dynamics. Scientific studies have been finding a relationship between personality traits and professional interests; such aspects are not very investigated in the brazilian sociocultural context, though. This way, the present study aimed to examine the possible association among interests, professional inclinations and personality characteristics of adolescents, during the moment they are choosing their careers. In order to do so, the technical indicators of two psychological assessment tools were used: The BBT-Br (Profession Photos Test - Teste de Fotos de Profissões) and the Comrey Personality Scales (CPS). The intention was, so, based on a correlation analysis of both tools indicators, to evidence the validity of the BBT-Brs indicators from empiric evidence obtained through CPS. After formal consent, 107 last-year high school students were assessed. The students were from day-shift public school in Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo Brazil); 50 of them were male and 57 female, with ages varying from 16-18 years old and typical developmental indicators. The following tools were used: a life-history questionnaire for participants selection, both male and female forms of the BBT-Br and the CPS. First, the CPS had been applied in a collective session in class. The BBT-Br was then applied individually, in an appropriate room for psychological assessment. Both applying and correction of the tests followed the standards and norms form their respective manuals. The results were initially presented descriptively, in order to characterize the adolescents global performance on both BBT-Br and the CPS. Later, inferential statistical analyses were performed over the data. The comparative analysis of the present CPS results with the original brazilian norms (for adults), using Students T Test (p 0,05), showed significant differences between them, which confirms the need for specific CPS norms for adolescents. As for the BBT-Br, the characterization of adolescents primary interests structure showed technical specifications related to gender. The female group showed an interest profile focused in care-related activities and involvement in interpersonal relationships, while the male group showed preference for activities which were dynamic and related to physical movement and promoted personal acknowledgement, besides activities involving abstract thinking, communication and precision. Both male and female groups rejected activities related to physical strength and aggressiveness, as well as concreteness at work and repetitive and monotonous work environments for professional activities. The male group also showed rejection for activities involving sensitiveness and subjectivity. Comparing the results obtained on the BBT-Br with its normative patterns, using Students T and Chi-Square Tests (p 0,05), it is possible to note similarities in the adolescents performances, which confirms the evidences of stable motivational structures in adolescents of the sociocultural context assessed. The specific investigation regarding the relationship between interests and professional inclinations (BBT-Br data) and personality characteristics (CPS data), which was performed using Pearson correlation coefficient (p 0,05), showed significant indexes between some variables from these psychological assessment tools, although these indexes magnitude was low. These data shows, thus, common aspects between BBT-Brs and CPS variables, with some convergence between their results. However, data also suggest an important interference of aspects related to individual psychological variables which are inherent to professional choices and personality characteristics.

Health care systems consist of various individuals and organizations that aim to meet the health care needs of people and provide a complete and responsive health care solution. One of the important aspects of a health care delivery system is nursing. The use of technology is a vital aspect for delivering an optimum and complete nursing care to individuals; and also for improving the quality and delivery mechanism of nursing care. The model proposed in this thesis for Nursing Knowledge Management System is a novel knowledge-based decision support system for nurses to capture and manage nursing practice, and further, to monitor nursing care quality, as well as to test aspects of an electronic health record for recording and reporting nursing practice. As a part of a collaborative research of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Department of Computer Science, a prototype toolset was developed to capture and manage nursing practice in order to improve the quality of care. This thesis focuses on implementing a web based SOA solution for Automated Classification of Nursing Care Categories, based on the knowledge gained from the prototype for nursing care practice. / by Sughomoy D. Dass. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

A satisfação com o exercício profissional é reconhecidamente associada ao processo de sua escolha, dependendo de fatores da dinâmica interna do indivíduo. Estudos científicos têm encontrado relação entre traços de personalidade e interesses profissionais, aspectos ainda pouco investigados no contexto sócio-cultural brasileiro. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho objetivou examinar possível associação entre interesses, inclinações profissionais e características de personalidade de adolescentes em momento de escolha profissional, a partir das indicações técnicas de dois instrumentos de avaliação psicológica: Teste de Fotos de Profissões (BBT-Br) e Escalas de Personalidade Comrey (CPS). Almejou-se, portanto e a partir da análise de correlação entre variáveis destes dois instrumentos de avaliação psicológica, evidenciar a validade de indicadores do BBT-Br a partir das evidências empíricas obtidas pela CPS. Após consentimento formal, foram avaliados 107 estudantes do terceiro ano do ensino médio público diurno de Ribeirão Preto (SP), 50 do sexo masculino e 57 do sexo feminino, com idade entre 16 e 18 anos, todos com sinais de desenvolvimento típico. Como instrumentos foram utilizados: um questionário de história de vida (para seleção dos participantes), o BBT-Br (forma masculina e feminina) e a CPS. Inicialmente foi realizada a aplicação coletiva da CPS, em sala de aula, e posterior aplicação individual do BBT-Br, em local apropriado para avaliação psicológica. A aplicação e avaliação desses instrumentos seguiram os padrões e os referenciais normativos específicos dos respectivos manuais. Os resultados foram inicialmente apresentados de modo descritivo, na tentativa de caracterizar o desempenho global médio dos adolescentes no BBT-Br e na CPS, sendo depois realizadas análises estatísticas inferenciais sobre estes dados. A análise comparativa dos atuais resultados da CPS com as normas originais brasileiras (para adultos), por meio do Teste t de Student (p 0,05), evidenciou diferenças significativas entre ambas, confirmando a necessidade de normas específicas da CPS para adolescentes. Quanto ao BBT-Br, a caracterização da estrutura primária de interesses dos adolescentes mostrou especificidades técnicas em função do sexo. O grupo feminino sinalizou um perfil de interesses dirigido a atividades relacionadas ao cuidado e ao envolvimento nas relações interpessoais, enquanto o grupo masculino sinalizou preferência por atividades dinâmicas e de movimentação física, atividades de reconhecimento pessoal, além de tarefas envolvendo raciocínio abstrato, comunicação e precisão. Tanto o grupo masculino quanto o feminino rejeitaram atividades implicando em força física e em agressividade, assim como a concretude no trabalho e ambientes repetitivos e monótonos para atividades profissionais. O grupo masculino sinalizou ainda rejeição por tarefas envolvendo sensibilidade e subjetividade. Comparando-se, por meio dos Testes t de Student e Qui-Quadrado (p 0,05), os resultados atuais do BBT-Br a seus respectivos padrões normativos, pode-se notar semelhança no desempenho dos adolescentes, confirmando evidências de estruturas motivacionais estáveis entre adolescentes do contexto sócio-cultural avaliado. A investigação específica da relação entre interesses e inclinações profissionais (dados do BBT-Br) e características de personalidade (dados da CPS), realizada por correlações de Pearson, p 0,05, apontou para índices significativos entre algumas variáveis destas técnicas de avaliação psicológica, porém de baixa magnitude. Estes índices apontaram, portanto, a existência de aspectos em comum entre as variáveis examinadas pelo BBT-Br e pela CPS, com alguma convergência entre seus resultados, porém sugerindo interferência importante de outras variáveis psicológicas na dinâmica individual inerente às escolhas profissionais e às características de personalidade. / Satisfaction with professional exercise is widely associated to the latters choice process, which depends on factors related to the individuals internal dynamics. Scientific studies have been finding a relationship between personality traits and professional interests; such aspects are not very investigated in the brazilian sociocultural context, though. This way, the present study aimed to examine the possible association among interests, professional inclinations and personality characteristics of adolescents, during the moment they are choosing their careers. In order to do so, the technical indicators of two psychological assessment tools were used: The BBT-Br (Profession Photos Test - Teste de Fotos de Profissões) and the Comrey Personality Scales (CPS). The intention was, so, based on a correlation analysis of both tools indicators, to evidence the validity of the BBT-Brs indicators from empiric evidence obtained through CPS. After formal consent, 107 last-year high school students were assessed. The students were from day-shift public school in Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo Brazil); 50 of them were male and 57 female, with ages varying from 16-18 years old and typical developmental indicators. The following tools were used: a life-history questionnaire for participants selection, both male and female forms of the BBT-Br and the CPS. First, the CPS had been applied in a collective session in class. The BBT-Br was then applied individually, in an appropriate room for psychological assessment. Both applying and correction of the tests followed the standards and norms form their respective manuals. The results were initially presented descriptively, in order to characterize the adolescents global performance on both BBT-Br and the CPS. Later, inferential statistical analyses were performed over the data. The comparative analysis of the present CPS results with the original brazilian norms (for adults), using Students T Test (p 0,05), showed significant differences between them, which confirms the need for specific CPS norms for adolescents. As for the BBT-Br, the characterization of adolescents primary interests structure showed technical specifications related to gender. The female group showed an interest profile focused in care-related activities and involvement in interpersonal relationships, while the male group showed preference for activities which were dynamic and related to physical movement and promoted personal acknowledgement, besides activities involving abstract thinking, communication and precision. Both male and female groups rejected activities related to physical strength and aggressiveness, as well as concreteness at work and repetitive and monotonous work environments for professional activities. The male group also showed rejection for activities involving sensitiveness and subjectivity. Comparing the results obtained on the BBT-Br with its normative patterns, using Students T and Chi-Square Tests (p 0,05), it is possible to note similarities in the adolescents performances, which confirms the evidences of stable motivational structures in adolescents of the sociocultural context assessed. The specific investigation regarding the relationship between interests and professional inclinations (BBT-Br data) and personality characteristics (CPS data), which was performed using Pearson correlation coefficient (p 0,05), showed significant indexes between some variables from these psychological assessment tools, although these indexes magnitude was low. These data shows, thus, common aspects between BBT-Brs and CPS variables, with some convergence between their results. However, data also suggest an important interference of aspects related to individual psychological variables which are inherent to professional choices and personality characteristics.