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Aims: To share lessons learned from an evidence-based practice (EBP) initiative that implemented near-infrared (NIR) technology in a large US hospital system. A Clinical Technology Implementation Model (CTIM©) that can be adapted for use in other health institutions is presented. Background: EBP implementation, including the adoption of new cutting-edge technologies, is crucial to improving patient care. Yet there are significant delays in changes to clinical practice, often due to organisational challenges that stifle the implementation process. The evidence−practice gap is increasingly evident in peripheral intravenous access (PIV). Implementation science offers new insights into the challenges of updating clinical practice, which can support EBP implementation. Evaluation: Recent literature on implementation science, change theory, PIV access, NIR technology, and patient outcomes were reviewed. A model that can help nurse managers implement technology that aligns with EBP is presented, drawing on experience from the adoption of NIR vein visualisation to enhance PIV access in a large US hospital system. Key issue: A pervasive hesitancy in healthcare to embrace technology, coupled with the challenges of implementing a change to practice, has led to limited application of EBP PIV access guidelines and a stagnant standard of care. Conclusion: This article provides nurse managers with the tools necessary to successfully implement EBP, drawing on the experience from implementing NIR in a large US hospital. Nurse managers are uniquely positioned to lead the way in embracing technology to improve care and reduce the evidence−practice gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 led to widespread disruption of services that promote family well-being. Families impacted most were those already experiencing disparities due to structural and systemic barriers. Existing support systems faded into the background as families became more isolated. New approaches were needed to deliver evidence-based, low-cost interventions to reach families within communities. We adapted a family strengthening intervention developed in Kenya ("Tuko Pamoja") for the United States. We tested a three-phase participatory adaptation process. In phase 1, we conducted community focus groups including 11 organizations to identify needs and a community partner. In phase 2, the academic-community partner team collaboratively adapted the intervention. We held a development workshop and trained community health workers to deliver the program using an accelerated process combining training, feedback, and iterative revisions. In phase 3, we piloted Coping Together with 18 families, collecting feedback through session-specific surveys and participant focus groups. Community focus groups confirmed that concepts from Tuko Pamoja were relevant, and adaptation resulted in a contextualized intervention—"Coping Together"—an 8-session virtual program for multiple families. As in Tuko Pamoja, communication skills are central and applied for developing family values, visions, and goals. Problem-solving and coping skills then equip families to reach goals, while positive emotion-focused activities promote openness to change. Sessions are interactive, emphasizing skills practice. Participants reported high acceptability and appropriateness, and focus groups suggested that most content was understood and applied in ways consistent with the theory of change. The accelerated reciprocal adaptation process and intervention could apply across resource-constrained settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identity formation is a fundamental developmental process that has significant consequences for youth adjustment during adolescence and beyond. This article presents evidence indicating that ethnic-racial identity, specifically, is an important developmental competency on which prevention science should focus in the interest of promoting positive youth development. Findings from the initial efficacy testing of the Identity Project, an ethnic-racial identity prevention program grounded in developmental theory, are presented and discussed. Moreover, preliminary evidence of the intervention's potential when implemented by teachers is introduced, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data from a recent study. Taking a broader perspective, future directions for research are presented with a specific focus on considering how experiences of ethnoracial marginalization and racialized othering in countries across the globe may make this work relevant to contexts outside the United States. Finally, the possibility of a global theory of change is introduced, and the potential benefits of implementing programs such as the Identity Project in other countries are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of family medicine and primary care in the United States is precarious, afflicted by chronic underinvestment. Family physicians and their allies should not expect different policy outcomes without adopting a different theory of change and tactical approach to reform. I argue: (1) high-quality primary care is a common good, as asserted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; (2) a market-based health system captured by extractive capitalism is inimical to primary care as a common good; (3) professionalism has both aided and constrained family physicians as agents of change for primary care as a common good; and, (4) to actualize primary care as a common good, family physicians must embrace "counterculture professionalism" to join with patients, primary care workers, and other allies in a social movement demanding fundamental restructuring of the health system and democratization of health that takes power back from interests profiting from the status quo and reorients the system to one grounded in healing relationships in primary care. This restructuring should take the form of a publicly financed system of universal coverage for direct primary care, with a minimum of 10% of total US health spending allocated to Primary Care for All. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to explain holistically the main provisions of sustainable development in the nature-society-human system based on the methodology for analyzing changes in energy flows and the power of socio-economic systems. The authors consider the development of society as a creative process aimed at changing the direction and speed of free energy flows (useful power) in Space and Time. They also consider sustainable development in the nature-society-human system to be consistent with the laws of the global evolution of living nature and the laws of the historical development of humankind. The paper focuses on key questions concerning the new concepts of sustainable development; the methodology for designing the sustainable development using the concept of energy flows in open, non-equilibrium stable systems and power change analysis approach. The results of the main positions of the models and their interpretation are presented based on the statistical data of United States of America (USA) in the period of 1960–2021. One of the most important primary things in order to bring about changes in people's thinking, understanding and attitude towards sustainability issues is their education in different forms – formal education and non-formal education opportunities. Creating an interdisciplinary approach and explaining sustainability as a set of economic, social and ecological factors also play a crucial role in raising public awareness of sustainability issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the need to monitor and evaluate progress on climate change adaptation is increasingly recognized, practitioners may benefit from applying lessons about effective monitoring from the conservation field. This study focuses on monitoring conservation interventions that aim to foster climate change adaptation by assessing: what ways practitioners are adopting best practices from monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in conservation; what practitioners are monitoring in relation to reported outcomes; how monitoring comprehensiveness varies in practice and what factors enable more comprehensive monitoring; and practitioner views on what could improve M&E of adaptation actions. We conducted this study using a portfolio of 76 adaptation projects implemented across the United States and employed a mixed‐methods design that included document analysis, an online survey, and semi‐structured interviews. The majority (84%) of projects reported social outcomes at project completion in addition to ecological outcomes (100%), but monitoring plans focused primarily on ecological and biophysical changes. Only 21% of projects connected monitoring metrics to a theory of change linking actions to expected outcomes. Involvement of an external research partner was identified as a key factor in supporting more comprehensive monitoring efforts. Results provide applied insights for enhancing delivery of social and ecological outcomes from adaptation projects, and suggest research pathways to improve monitoring and effectiveness of climate‐informed conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incarceration is a major systemic issue in the United States. Many couples undergo multifaceted, complex changes in their relationship due to incarceration. The purpose of this paper is to explore the usage of the Tadros theory of change, an integrative approach to couple and family therapy, to treat incarcerated lesbian couples. A case application is provided utilizing this integrated family therapy model with a lesbian couple experiencing sexual and relational issues as well as offering clinical implications for future usage. This case emphasized how client's narratives change over time, how the systems in their lives change simultaneously, and the impact of LGBTQ + stigma on couple functioning as they navigate the criminal justice system aids in the exploration of a client's story. Thus, gaining an in-depth understanding of the intersection between complex issues. This paper advocates for the usage of this theory with lesbian couples within the incarcerated context to better treat this underserved population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While online education has become more prevalent throughout the years, nothing prepared signed language interpreter educators for the likes of the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed educators in the United States and internationally to not only determine if practices had changed to keep up with the demands of the pandemic but to learn how these practices were implemented. This study delves into how interpreter educators adjusted their pedagogical approaches during the global pandemic. Responses showed a variety of adaptations to meet the needs of students, and a primary theme was the adeptness of educators in overcoming technology frustrations, intent on providing rigorous curricula, and the emotional support their students needed during trying times. The data revealed major changes for students in practical skills courses (83%), sign language courses (87%), and internship or practicum courses (90%), as well as minor changes in theory courses (61%). Faculty indicated changes in their scholarship and service as well as the personal/emotional impact the pandemic has had on their professional work. This study provides a snapshot of educators' response to the pandemic, and we argue that qualitative research approaches are needed to discover the specific pedagogical tactics employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philanthropic foundations play a major role in supporting community organizing efforts around the country. Even as they provide millions of dollars each year to enable organizing, they have also come under significant criticism for investment approaches that sometimes hinder and even undermine the core goals of organizing itself. This paper focuses on reflections from a funder seeking to support community organizing and the challenges of doing so within the structures of the philanthropic community. In particular the paper examines the way notions of power, theories of change used to justify philanthropic investments, and entrenched assumptions about social change shape the ability of funders to leverage their perch to support organizing. The paper also contextualizes these reflections in a broader debate about the appropriate relationship between funders and grassroots organizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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State-led school turnaround in the United States has raised important questions about state efficacy and capacity for school improvement and institutional change. State intervention conventionally relies on compliance-driven coercive pressure drawing on the regulative underpinnings of institutions. State technical assistance for turnaround is an opportunity to examine how microlevel interactions between state- and site-level staff draw on the normative and cognitive underpinnings of institutions to help create conditions for change. Sensemaking research suggests that site-level staff cognition is important for change. Yet less is known about the internal cognitive process through which sensemaking unfolds, especially when existing cognition is conditioned by the institutional status quo and when competing cognitions are instantiated by those outside of local institutional contexts. This conceptual essay proposes a theory arguing that change is more likely when local actors experience accumulating moments of institutional interstitiality precipitated by forms of institutional work that undermine existing beliefs and assumptions. Implications for future academic and action-oriented research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the reflective practice of Islamophobia intergroup dialogues in higher education. It mentions that higher educational institutions in the U.S. increasingly engaging in addressing Islamophobia needs underpinned by the increasing incidents of Islamophobic attacks toward Muslims; and need for increasing the capacities for social justice among students. It mentions about the missed opportunity to coconstruct and share the Theory of Change model due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covert regime change is a common instrument of statecraft states use to promote their national security interests abroad. This study employs an original dataset of all US-backed covert regime change attempts during the Cold War. It shows that the United States attempted far more regime changes than is commonly known because Washington intervened covertly—as opposed to overtly—ten times more frequently during these missions: sixty-four covert regime change attempts versus six overt. Building upon extensive archival research, the article then theorizes why the United States launched its Cold War regime changes, which types of international disputes are most likely to spark an intervention, and why American policymakers overwhelmingly preferred to intervene covertly during their regime-change operations. The results challenge existing theories of regime change and offer timely new insights into US foreign policy decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Government recently adapted U.S. policy, code, and joint doctrine to provide greater authorities to the Department of Defense to conduct Security Cooperation (SC). U.S. policy and law now requires increased transparency into the effects of these activities towards the achievement of U.S. national security objectives. In response to these changes, U.S. Special Operations Command should implement changes in education and training to improve the capacity of Special Operations Forces (SOF) to assess and plan for SC activities and to monitor and evaluate the results of these activities. SOF can enable greater fidelity through learning to develop objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). SOF can then link SMART objectives to planned "Theory of Change"-driven operational approaches and systematic assessment, monitoring, and evaluation methods to learn and adjust current and future SC activities to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of internal processes and activities, measure progress along SC lines of effort under execution, and better account for the return on investment reaped from their Security Cooperation lines of effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discussion on the ideological and legal underpinning of climate change denial theories, recently inflaming political and institutional controversy around the world, merits closer linguistic scrutiny in order to take proper measure of its discursive impact on constructing denialist stakeholder stance. This study intends to investigate how the lobbying efforts of individuals and organizational think tanks, located in greater numbers in corporate America, have deliberately disseminated doubt concerning climate change. To this purpose, the investigation draws on data provided by DeSmogBlog, a counter-denialist project whose website contains profiles of those accused of routinely exposing denialist theories and policy issues through the world's most popular media outlets. In particular, the corpus of study comprises a collection of texts consisting of key quotes extracted from interviews, speeches, remarks and articles which are analyzed by implementing qualitative tools afforded by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) supported by Appraisal Theory and Stance frameworks. Preliminary results suggest that discursive patterns of denial, which lead to the formulation of a denial typology, are embedded in strategies employed by those involved in the concerted effort to discredit scientific consensus over climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States Department of Agriculture's Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) supports nutrition incentive (NI) and produce prescription programs (PPRs). PPRs allow healthcare providers to "prescribe" fruits and vegetables (FVs) to patients experiencing low income and/or chronic disease(s) and who screen positive for food insecurity. We developed a Theory of Change (TOC) that summarizes how and why PPRs work, identifies what the programs hope to achieve, and elucidates the causal pathways necessary to achieve their goals. We created the PPR TOC through an iterative, participatory process that adapted our previously developed GusNIP NI TOC. The participatory process involved food and nutrition security experts, healthcare providers, PPR implementors, and PPR evaluators reviewing the existing NI TOC and suggesting modifications to accurately reflect PPRs. The resulting TOC describes the mechanisms, assumptions, rationale, and underpinnings that lead to successful and equitable outcomes. Modifications of the NI TOC centered around equity and focused on inclusion of healthcare as an additional partner and the importance of health and healthcare utilization as outcomes. The TOC describes how the GusNIP PPR program reaches its goals. This understanding will be useful for PPR developers, implementers, funders, and evaluators for describing the pathways, assumptions, and foundations of successful PPRs.

In contemporary developmental science, relational development systems models have been used to frame the positive youth development (PYD) perspective, which posits that youth will thrive when there is alignment between their strengths and ecological resources in their context. Evidence from the 4-H Study of PYD indicates that out-of-school-time youth development programs are key ecological resources enhancing youth thriving. This chapter discusses the particular facets of youth development programs (the 'Big Three'-positive and sustained adult-youth relationships, skill-building activities, and youth leadership opportunities) involved in promoting youth thriving. The importance of using theory to design and implement programs is also discussed, and challenges of reaching the diversity of American youth with effective programs are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Great Recession, community development practitioners in the USA strove to prevent and mitigate mortgage foreclosures and to help people cope with their neighbourhood-level impacts. This paper proposes that three normative theories – theories of action – underlay this activity, as they underlie the practice of neighbourhood regeneration or “community development” planning in the USA in general. These theories of action are based, respectively, on planners' perceived need for the reinstitution of civil norms, capital markets, and social justice in disinvested areas of cities and regions. Each theory links description with prescription, answering both the question “What's going on in this neighbourhood? (and why?)” and the question “What ought to be done to change it?”. While an outward détente prevails among the “norms”, “markets”, and “justice” approaches, conflicts among them go to the heart of the struggle to find effective, morally acceptable policy responses to environmental deterioration and human deprivation in urban neighbourhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is associated with decreased risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases. Sociodemographic disparities in FV intake indicate the need for strategies that promote equitable access to FVs. The United States Department of Agriculture's Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) supports state and local programs that offer nutrition incentives (NIs) that subsidize purchase of FVs for people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). While a growing body of research indicates NIs are effective, the pathways through which GusNIP achieves its results have not been adequately described. We used an equity-focused, participatory process to develop a retrospective Theory of Change (TOC) to address this gap. We reviewed key program documents; conducted a targeted NI literature review; and engaged GusNIP partners, practitioners, and participants through interviews, workshops, and focus groups in TOC development. The resulting TOC describes how GusNIP achieves its long-term outcomes of increased participant FV purchases and intake and food security and community economic benefits. GusNIP provides NIs and promotes their use, helps local food retailers develop the capacity to sell FVs and accept NIs in accessible and welcoming venues, and supports local farmers to supply FVs to food retailers. The TOC is a framework for understanding how GusNIP works and a tool for improving and expanding the program.