Boards of Directors of social service agencies in a government planning system

In theory, boards of directors of nonprofit organizations are thought to be instrumental in their agency’s effective functioning, and the available professional literature supports this perception. The board’s supposed duties are usually listed for members and others in the form of impressively-worded declarations of intent. Board members are expected to help formulate the organization’s mission statement, and provide a sense of direction. In an effort to ensure that their organization fulfills its mandate, board members are also expected to perform an array of internal and external functions designed to optimize the agency’s operation. This study presents the results of interviews completed with key informants as well as reviews of pertinent documents addressing the following primary questions: (1) What activities are being performed by the boards of directors of the participating social service agencies; (2) In what ways are boards of directors accountable to the planning system and what mechanisms do the boards utilize in displaying that they are accountable to the planning system; (3) What impact does the relationship between the social service agencies and the planning system have on what boards are doing as well as on what they are capable of doing; and (4) What impact do the individual relations between the planning system, executive directors and boards of directors have on the types of activities performed by boards and what they are capable of performing. The activities that are being performed by the boards of directors are ones that are usually presented in the prescriptive literature as the types boards should be performing. In examining board activity in organizational processes such as the development of the agency’s budget submission to the planning system as well as deliberations pertaining to agency policy/service issues, it is maintained that boards not only perform major tasks but also decide on what course of action the agency is going to pursue. In the area of accountability, it is argued that boards are indeed demonstrating their accountability to the planning system. The major areas of accountability are financial and program accountability with the former being the primary one where boards are most accountable. It is maintained that the need to fulfill the accountability requirements contained in the Corporations Act and the program agreements board sign with the planning system influences the nature of board activity. The relationship between the planning system and the social service agencies is another factor impacting on the types of activities performed by the boards. It is maintained that the types and sources of power possessed by the planning system especially in the area of funding allocations as well as the setting of provincial policy and service priorities, results in the situation where board activity is driven to a great extent by decisions made by the planning system. Contributing to this situation are the individual relationships between the planning system, the boards of directors and executive directors. It is argued that the combination of the limited interaction between the planning system and the boards of directors, and the frequent contact between the executive directors and the planning system, results in boards becoming engaged in activities that are agency-focused. It is maintained that boards of directors have adopted a contingency or situational model of board functioning. By using this type of model boards are responding and adapting to decisions made by the planning system that impact on agency functioning

Application of DNA markers in parentage verification of Boran cattle in Kenya

Boran cattle provide livelihood to thousands of households in the arid and semi arid lands (ASAL) of Kenya. Due to their superior adaptive and productive traits in comparison to other breeds of cattle, they have also become a popular choice for breeders in Eastern and Southern Africa. Continued genetic improvement of the breed is important and therefore accurate performance and pedigree records are required. 178 Pedigree records and blood samples of four Boran stud herds were evaluated for accuracy of parentage allocation using 11 microsatellite markers recommended by ISAG for parentage verification. The panel of the 11 microsatellite markers were found to be highly polymorphic (PIC of 0.6901) with a combined probability of exclusion (CPE) of 0.9997. The dam misidentification was low ranging between 0 and 5% for the herds tested. The estimated rate of mispaternity however ranged between 4.3 and 80% among the four stud herds and more than 50% of the offspring of some herds were misidentified. The high rate of mispaternity will have a negative impact on the response to selection. The use of DNA markers for parentage assignment will improve the accuracy of the pedigree records of Boran stud cattle in Kenya and contribute to more accurate selection of superior animals.Moi University's School of Agriculture and Biotechnology and MU—VLIR UOS.http://www.springerlink.com/content/0049-4747nf201

L’enseignement des enjeux de la paternité dans les universités canadiennes

Un nombre significatif de chercheurs et de cliniciens portent attention au développement du rôle du père dans la famille, particulièrement sous l’angle de l’engagement paternel. Pourtant, l’examen pancanadien des curriculums d’enseignement universitaire en soins infirmiers effectué en 2002 a révélé que dans 68 institutions offrant la formation de premier cycle en soins infirmiers, peu de cours portaient spécifiquement ou indirectement sur les pères ou la paternité. Une autre étude auprès de 30 étudiants de premier cycle en sciences infirmières, en pratiques sages-femmes et en travail social a révélé que ces étudiants se sentaient inconfortables à interagir avec les pères, surtout lors de situations plus critiques émotionnellement. Ces études ont conduit un groupe de chercheurs québécois à développer un cours interdisciplinaire de cycles supérieurs portant sur les enjeux de la paternité. Cet article vise à présenter brièvement les résultats des deux études citées, ainsi qu’à donner un aperçu de la structure du cours proposé. Les retombées pour le développement ultérieur de curriculums d’enseignement seront discutées.Fathers being important members of the family, a significant number of scholars have paid attention to the development of the father’s role in the family, particularly in regards to father involvement. However, an examination of the curricula in nursing carried out in 2002 by members of the Fathers’ Initiative in Educational Institutions (FI-EI) revealed that within 68 universities offering undergraduate nursing programs, very few courses referred specifically or even indirectly to fathers and fatherhood. Also, a qualitative study carried out from 2005-2007, with 30 undergraduate nursing, midwives and social work students revealed that students did not feel at ease in their interactions with fathers and required additional theory and models to sustain their feelings of adequacy. A group of researchers from Quebec have developed in 2007 an online graduate course pertaining to fatherhood, within an interdisciplinary perspective. This article will highlight the results of the two studies cited and an outline of the course developed. The implications for further curriculum development pertaining to fatherhood will be discussed

Mycophenolate Mofetil Versus Cyclophosphamide for Remission Induction in Childhood Polyarteritis Nodosa: An Open‐Label, Randomized, Bayesian Noninferiority Trial

Funder: Lauren Currie Twilight FoundationFunder: Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001279Funder: Vasculitis UK; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010876Objective: Cyclophosphamide (CYC) is used in clinical practice off‐label for the induction of remission in childhood polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) might offer a less toxic alternative. This study was undertaken to explore the relative effectiveness of CYC and MMF treatment in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods: This was an international, open‐label, Bayesian RCT to investigate the relative effectiveness of CYC and MMF for remission induction in childhood PAN. Eleven patients with newly diagnosed childhood PAN were randomized (1:1) to receive MMF or intravenous CYC; all patients received the same glucocorticoid regimen. The primary end point was remission within 6 months while compliant with glucocorticoid taper. Bayesian distributions for remission rates were established a priori for MMF and CYC by experienced clinicians and updated to posterior distributions on trial completion. Results: Baseline disease activity and features were similar between the 2 treatment groups. The primary end point was met in 4 of 6 patients (67%) in the MMF group and 4 of 5 patients (80%) in the CYC group. Time to remission was shorter in the MMF group compared to the CYC group (median 7.1 weeks versus 17.6 weeks). No relapses occurred in either group within 18 months. Two serious infections were found to be likely linked to MMF treatment. Physical and psychosocial quality‐of‐life scores were superior in the MMF group compared to the CYC group at 6 months and 18 months. Combining the prior expert opinion with results from the present study provided posterior estimates of remission of 71% for MMF (90% credibility interval [90% CrI] 51, 83) and 75% for CYC (90% CrI 57, 86). Conclusion: The present results, taken together with prior opinion, indicate that rates of remission induction in childhood PAN are similar with MMF treatment and CYC treatment, and MMF treatment might be associated with better health‐related quality of life than CYC treatment

Social, Structural and Behavioral Determinants of Overall Health Status in a Cohort of Homeless and Unstably Housed HIV-Infected Men

Background: Previous studies indicate multiple influences on the overall health of HIV-infected persons; however, few assess and rank longitudinal changes in social and structural barriers that are disproportionately found in impoverished populations. We empirically ranked factors that longitudinally impact the overall health status of HIV-infected homeless and unstably housed men. Methods and Findings: Between 2002 and 2008, a cohort of 288 HIV+ homeless and unstably housed men was recruited and followed over time. The population was 60 % non-Caucasian and the median age was 41 years; 67 % of study participants reported recent drug use and 20 % reported recent homelessness. At baseline, the median CD4 cell count was 349 cells/ml and 18 % of eligible persons (CD4,350) took antiretroviral therapy (ART). Marginal structural models were used to estimate the population-level effects of behavioral, social, and structural factors on overall physical and mental health status (measured by the SF-36), and targeted variable importance (tVIM) was used to empirically rank factors by their influence. After adjusting for confounding, and in order of their influence, the three factors with the strongest negative effects on physical health were unmet subsistence needs, Caucasian race, and no reported source of instrumental support. The three factors with the strongest negative effects on mental health were unmet subsistence needs, not having a close friend/confidant, and drug use. ART adherence.90 % ranked 5th for its positive influence on mental health, and viral loa

Boards of Directors of social service agencies in a government planning system

In theory, boards of directors of nonprofit organizations are thought to be instrumental in their agency’s effective functioning, and the available professional literature supports this perception. The board’s supposed duties are usually listed for members and others in the form of impressively-worded declarations of intent. Board members are expected to help formulate the organization’s mission statement, and provide a sense of direction. In an effort to ensure that their organization fulfills its mandate, board members are also expected to perform an array of internal and external functions designed to optimize the agency’s operation. This study presents the results of interviews completed with key informants as well as reviews of pertinent documents addressing the following primary questions: (1) What activities are being performed by the boards of directors of the participating social service agencies; (2) In what ways are boards of directors accountable to the planning system and what mechanisms do the boards utilize in displaying that they are accountable to the planning system; (3) What impact does the relationship between the social service agencies and the planning system have on what boards are doing as well as on what they are capable of doing; and (4) What impact do the individual relations between the planning system, executive directors and boards of directors have on the types of activities performed by boards and what they are capable of performing. The activities that are being performed by the boards of directors are ones that are usually presented in the prescriptive literature as the types boards should be performing. In examining board activity in organizational processes such as the development of the agency’s budget submission to the planning system as well as deliberations pertaining to agency policy/service issues, it is maintained that boards not only perform major tasks but also decide on what course of action the agency is going to pursue. In the area of accountability, it is argued that boards are indeed demonstrating their accountability to the planning system. The major areas of accountability are financial and program accountability with the former being the primary one where boards are most accountable. It is maintained that the need to fulfill the accountability requirements contained in the Corporations Act and the program agreements board sign with the planning system influences the nature of board activity. The relationship between the planning system and the social service agencies is another factor impacting on the types of activities performed by the boards. It is maintained that the types and sources of power possessed by the planning system especially in the area of funding allocations as well as the setting of provincial policy and service priorities, results in the situation where board activity is driven to a great extent by decisions made by the planning system. Contributing to this situation are the individual relationships between the planning system, the boards of directors and executive directors. It is argued that the combination of the limited interaction between the planning system and the boards of directors, and the frequent contact between the executive directors and the planning system, results in boards becoming engaged in activities that are agency-focused. It is maintained that boards of directors have adopted a contingency or situational model of board functioning. By using this type of model boards are responding and adapting to decisions made by the planning system that impact on agency functioning

An address delivered by David K. Este, Esq. at a meeting of the friends of the administration in Springfield, Saturday, Sept. 20, 1828.

Imprint 2

Spirituality Among African Nova Scotians: A Key to Survival in Canadian Society

This article describes the role that spirituality plays in the lives of African Nova Scotians. Utilizing the results of two studies involving members of this group, “The Strong Black Woman Project” and the “Racism, Violence, and Health Study,” three major themes emerge. These include spirituality as a source of strength, spirituality as a coping strategy in a society where African Nova Scotians continue to experience racism and discrimination in all spheres of life, and spiritual health and well being as an important aspect of health. The article concludes with a discussion of the results and implications for social work practice