Some characteristics of a group of coloured runaway boys aged 8 - 16 years and factors that these boys and their mother perceived as contributing to their runaway behavior

This study was of a group of street children who had run away from home. The writer sought to discover factors that led to their running away. Interviews were conducted with both the boys and their mothers (or mother substitutes). Interview schedules with both open-ended and closed questions were used to obtain certain demographic characteristics of the families, the runaway episodes and the causes for the runaway behaviour as perceived by the runaways and their mothers. The study revealed that multiple interrelated factors within the families, the boys and society seemed to contribute either directly or indirectly to their runaway behaviour. Homes were marked by conflict, instability, alcohol and physical abuse, deprivation and neglect. The runaways in turn responded to their stressful home life by running away. The runaways in contrast to their mothers, predominantly perceived factors within the home as causing them to leave home, whereas the mothers tended to externalize these causes to peer group influences

SOSIALISASI TENTANG PENTINGNYA ILMU PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM DAN PENTINGNYA ADAB DAN ETIKA TERHADAP GURU

Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) adalah suatu kegiatan intrakurikuler yang memadukan pelaksanaan Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi (Pendidikan, Penelitian, dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat) dengan cara memberikan kepada mahasiswa pengalaman belajar dan bekerja dalam kegiatan pembangunan masyarakat sebagai wahana penerapan dan pengembangan ilmu dan teknologi yang dilaksanakan di luar kampus dalam waktu mekanisme kerja dan teknologi persyaratan tertentu. Kegiatan dan pengelolaan KKN dapat menjamin diperolehnya pengalaman belajar melakukan kegiatan pembangunan masyarakat secara kongkrit yang bermanfaat bagi mahasiswa dan masyarakat dimana mereka ditempatkan. Selain itu, kegiatan dan pengelolaan KKN diarahkan untuk menjamin keterkaitan antara dunia Akademik teoritik dan dunia empirik. Dengan demikian kegiatan KKN bagian dari wujud nyata kepedulian Perguruan Tinggi untuk melaksanakan misinya membantu mengatasi permasalahan penduduk, pembangunan, dan pembinaan lingkungan dengan karya dan bakti nyata. KKN yang dilaksanakan harus memenuhi empat prinsip, yaitu dapat dilaksanakan (feasible), dapat diterima (acceptable), berkesinambungan (sustainable) dan partisipatif. Secara garis besar tahap pelaksanaan KKN terbagi atas tiga tahap yakni tahap persiapan, tahap pelaksanaan, dan tahap evaluasi. Tujuan pengabdian ini adalah memberikan pemahaman kepada masyarakat setempat tentang pentingnya pendidikan guna membantu pemerintah dalam mencerdaskan anak bangsa. Pengabdian dilakukan melalui kegiatan: Sosialisasi pentingnya Ilmu Pendidikan Agama Islam, Pengadaan Penyuluhan tentang adab dan etika terhadap guru

Smoke-free policy and child health

On March 24, 2004, Ireland became the first country in the world to implement legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking in workplaces and enclosed public places. The political process leading up to the legislation was long, with opposition from stakeholders with a range of vested interests, particularly the tobacco industry.1 Despite predictions otherwise, the legislation achieved high levels of compliance from the outset, has proved extremely popular, and established a global role model that many countries have now adopted

How do health and social care professionals in England and Wales assess mental capacity? A literature review

PURPOSE: To review evidence describing how health and social care professionals in England and Wales assess mental capacity, in order to identify ways to improve practice. METHODS: A systematised literature review was completed. Electronic databases of published medical, health and social care research and gray literature were searched. Journal articles and research reports published between 2007 and 2018 were included if they met predefined eligibility criteria. Evidence from included studies was synthesized using thematic analysis. RESULTS: 20 studies of variable methodological quality were included. The studies described assessments carried out by a range of multidisciplinary professionals working with different groups of service users in diverse care contexts. Four main themes were identified: preparation for assessment; capacity assessment processes; supported decision-making; interventions to facilitate or improve practice. There was a lack of detailed information describing how professionals provided information to service users and tested their decision-making abilities. Practice reported in studies varied in terms of its conformity to legal requirements. CONCLUSIONS: This review synthesized evidence about mental capacity assessment methods and quality in England and Wales and analyzed it to suggest ways in which practice might be improved. Implications for rehabilitation: Mental capacity assessment practice in England and Wales varies and is not always consistent with legal requirements, risking inconsistent and inaccurate judgements about capacity and exposure to legal action. Interventions have been developed to help professionals to engage in supported decision-making, and improve their mental capacity assessments and documentation in line with legal standards. These interventions include training and practical resources, such as assessment flowcharts, checklists and documentation aids. Such interventions would benefit from robust evaluation before they are implemented more widely

“Can someone just ever for one moment assume I could be a victim?” An exploratory analysis investigating male victims of intimate partner violence experiences of help-seeking.

This thesis explores the help-seeking experiences of male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) prior to and during the Coronavirus pandemic, the supporting experiences of practitioners supporting male victims during the Coronavirus pandemic, and also assesses how traditional stereotypes influences society's judgements of incidents of partner violence and their decision making to intervene in incidents of intimate partner. In study 1, male survivors of partner abuse were invited to participate in a mixed-method questionnaire about their experiences of abuse and help-seeking. The questionnaire also highlighted the barriers that prevented them from help-seeking. Results suggest that prescriptive and rigid stereotypes inform support organisation's descriptions of typical partner violence incidents, and typical perpetrator and victim characteristics, resulting in support organisations disbelieving men’s experiences and male victims experiencing discrimination. Furthermore, these same stereotypes inform men themselves, meaning that some male victims do not perceive their experiences as abusive nor see themselves as a victim of IPV. Study 2 consisted of two sub�studies that acted as a comparative whole study. Study 2a similarly explored men's help�seeking experiences, but, during the unexpected Coronavirus pandemic. This study explored two comparisons: a) the help-seeking experiences of men during the pandemic and prior to the pandemic, and b) a comparison to the experiences that practitioners reported. Study 2b explored the support challenges and opportunities that practitioners supporting male victims during the Coronavirus pandemic reported. For male victims, results suggest that the lockdown and stay�at-home messages did influence their decisions to report their abusive experiences. As some men were not sure of available support prior to the pandemic, during the pandemic they were still unaware, meaning that the pandemic did not influence their help-seeking. For practitioners, an increase in demand from male victims presented challenges as face-to-face support was restricted or stopped completely. However, results also showed that several support opportunities presented themselves for organisations during the pandemic-related changes (such as video call appointments) which will continue to be implemented in the future. Finally, study 3 explored ‘bystanders’ judgments towards an audio recording of a simulated partner violence incident alternating by perpetrator and victim sex. This study also explored if these judgments influenced their decision-making to intervene in IPV incidents. The findings determined that stereotypes do extend to and influence society’s perceptions of IPV and this also impacts intervention. It is concluded that whilst exposure of men’s victimisation has increased, gender stereotypes, continue to impact men’s own recognition of abuse, society's recognition of men as victims and support organisation's response to male victims. The final chapter of this thesis summarises the findings and details the implications of this research

Initial evaluation of the Consent Support Tool: A structured procedure to facilitate the inclusion and engagement of people with aphasia in the informed consent process

This study evaluated the Consent Support Tool (CST), a procedure developed to identify the optimum format in which to present research information to people with different severities of aphasia, in order to support their understanding during the informed consent process. Participants were a convenience sample of 13 people with aphasia who had mixed comprehension ability. The CST was used to profile each participant's language ability and identify an information format that should maximize her/his understanding. Next, participants were shown information presented in three formats: standard text and two ‘aphasia-friendly’ versions providing different levels of support. Participants’ understanding of the information was measured for each format. The format recommended by the CST was compared with the format observed to maximize understanding for each participant. The CST accurately predicted the optimum format for 11/13 participants and differentiated people who could understand fully with support from those who could not in 12/13 cases. All participants interviewed (10/10) found the adapted formats helpful and 9/10 preferred them to the standard version. These findings suggest that the CST could usefully support researchers to determine whether a person with aphasia is likely to be able to provide informed consent, and which information format will maximize that individual's understanding. The CST and different information formats are available as Supplementary Appendices to be found online at http://www.informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/17549507.2013.795999

Newton Homotopy Solution for Nonlinear Equations Using Maple14

Many numerical approaches have been suggested to solve nonlinear problems. Some of the methods utilize successive approximation procedure to ensure every step of computing will converge to the desired root and one of the most common problems is the improper initial values for the iterative methods. This study evaluates Palancz et.al’s. (2010) paper on solving nonlinear equations using linear homotopy method in Mathematica. In this paper, the Newton-homotopy method using start-system is implemented in Maple14, to solve several nonlinear problems. Comparisons of results obtained in terms of number of iterations and convergence rates show promising application of the Newton-homotopy method for nonlinear problems

Patients' and healthcare professionals' views on a specialist smoking cessation service delivered in a United Kingdom hospital: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Hospital admission provides a powerful opportunity to promote smoking cessation. We explored patients' and healthcare professionals' (HCP) views of a specialist smoking cessation service comprising systematic smoking ascertainment, default provision of pharmacotherapy and behavioural counselling at the bedside, and post-discharge follow-up, in a clinical trial in a United Kingdom teaching hospital. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 30 patients who were offered the intervention, and 27 HCPs working on intervention wards, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The shock of being admitted, and awareness that smoking may have contributed to the need for hospital admission, caused many patients to reassess their quit intentions. Most patients felt the service was too good an opportunity to pass up, because having long-term support and progress monitored was more likely to result in abstinence than trying alone. Had they not been approached, many patients reported that they would have attempted to quit alone, though some would have been discouraged from doing so by pharmacotherapy costs. Service delivery by a specialist advisor was favoured by patients and HCPs, largely because HCPs lacked time and expertise to intervene. HCPs reported that in usual practice, discussions about smoking were usually limited to ascertainment of smoking status. Timing of service delivery and improved co-ordination between service staff and inpatient ward staff were matters to address. CONCLUSIONS: A hospital-based specialist smoking cessation service designed to identify smokers and initiate cessation support at the bedside was deemed appropriate by patients and HCPs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration: ISRCTN25441641

Smoking and smoke-free policy in prisons in England

Background Awareness of the harmful effects of second-hand smoke (SHS) has led governments in the United Kingdom (UK) and many other countries to introduce smoke-free legislation in almost all enclosed work and public places. Her Majesty’s (HM) Prison Service, which currently holds over 85,000 offenders among whom the prevalence of smoking is high, was granted one of few exemptions from the 2007 smoke-free legislation in England, which allowed prisoners to smoke in their cells. This continued smoking impacts not only on the health of the individual smoker but also, through SHS exposure, on other smokers and non-smokers who live or work in the prison. However there is limited research evidence on levels of SHS in prison; how the current Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 09/2007 relating to smoking restrictions in prisons in England operates in practice and protects staff members and prisoners from SHS; or how feasible, acceptable or successful the extension of smoke-free policies to all areas of the prison are likely to be in preventing further exposure. Methods This thesis employs both quantitative and qualitative methods in a pragmatic mixed-methods design to investigate smoking and smoke-free policy in prisons in England. Initially, the concentrations of airborne particulate matter <2.5 microns in diameter (PM₂.₅) were measured, as a proxy measure for SHS, in four English prisons. Samples were taken on wing landings and in smoking and non-smoking cells; and by ambient monitoring as a measure of personal exposure of staff working in these settings. Staff members who participated in this air quality monitoring study were then followed up to complete a one-to-one semi-structured qualitative interview exploring their views on smoking in prison and exposure to SHS, considering how the current PSI worked in practice, and the potential move to a smoke-free prison estate. A proposal to pilot test smoke-free policy in four prisons in England was announced shortly after, and in large part as a result of the findings of these first studies. A mixed methods evaluation of the new smoke-free policy was then conducted at all four sites, involving prisoner and staff questionnaires and focus groups, and air quality monitoring (sampling concentration of PM₂.₅ on wing landings) three months before and three months after the policy implementation date. Questionnaires and focus groups pre-policy were used to establish current smoking prevalence, investigate smoking practices and identify perceived problems and concerns regarding the move towards a smoke-free policy. Post-policy these methods were used to explore the impact of the smoke-free policy, views on its implementation alongside consideration of how it could be improved in the future. Concentrations of PM₂.₅ were used to determine whether going smoke-free reduced levels of SHS exposure. Results Initial air quality monitoring measured PM₂.₅ concentrations from 48 static locations and personal monitoring of 22 staff members. Arithmetic mean PM₂.₅ concentrations were significantly higher on landings where smoking was permitted in cells compared to completely non-smoking wings. Concentrations of PM₂.₅ on landings where smoking was permitted in cells often exceeding the World Health Organisation (WHO) upper air quality guidance limit for a 24 hour period. During personal monitoring of staff members, some of the highest concentrations of PM₂.₅ were recorded during duties such as locking or unlocking cells, handing out mail and cell searching. Qualitative interviews with prison officers who took part in air quality monitoring reinforced these air quality monitoring findings, confirming the times of the day and duties undertaken where they felt most at risk from SHS. Prison officers outlined how the current PSI was often unworkable day-to-day, conceding that prisoners would often ignore the smoking restrictions in place. In the evaluation of the first four pilot sites to go smoke-free in England, findings prior to the implementation reported 65% smoking prevalence amongst prisoners, and highlighted widespread concerns among staff members and prisoners that going smoke-free would lead to an increase in disorder, self-harm, drug use and trading of tobacco. After the introduction of the policy, prisoners reported an increase in disorder and drug use, but staff reports suggested that concerns were predominantly unfounded. Post-policy, 60% of smoking prisoners reported using some form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) in an attempt to cut down or quit in advance of policy implementation, but many reported difficulty accessing cessation support, and found the electronic cigarettes purchased as a substitute for smoking unsatisfactory. Support for the future introduction of the smoke-free policy throughout the rest of the English prison estate was much higher among staff members (70%) than prisoners (23%). Only a quarter of former smoking prisoners stated that they would remain smoke-free once released or transferred to a smoking establishment. Prisoners and staff reported positive outcomes from the smoke-free policy, both reporting a cleaner and healthier environment to life and work. There was a 69% median and a 66% mean reduction in PM₂.₅ concentrations three months after smoke-free policy was introduced, compared to the same samples taken three months pre-policy, and these reductions were highly statistically significant in all four prisons (p<0.001). Unintended consequences of the smoke-free policy included smoking alternative substances (such as the contents of NRT patches, tea leaves and lawn grass), the creation of a tobacco black market and related bullying and debt, and the smuggling of tobacco. Conclusions Smoking in prisons in England is a source of high SHS exposure for both staff and prisoners, and the current PSI allowing prisoners to smoke in their cells does not protect other prisoners or staff from SHS exposure. Introducing a comprehensive smoke-free policy in four prisons in England proved successful, achieving marked reductions in tobacco use, improved indoor air quality, and healthier living and working conditions. There are however lessons for wider implementation, particularly in relation to setting clear timelines, ensuring that prisoners can access cessation services in advance of policy implementation, consideration of electronic cigarette available, and other unintended factors. Where possible, these factors need to be addressed to safeguard the future successful implementation throughout the rest of the English prison estate

Person-centered care for people with aphasia: tools for shared decision-making

Shared decision-making is a fundamental aspect of person-centered care, and can and should be part of many different aspects of the rehabilitation process. Communication disabilities like aphasia, which affects people's ability to use and understand spoken and written language, can make shared decision-making especially challenging to the resources and skills of rehabilitation practitioners. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive description of tools that can support successful shared decision-making with people with aphasia in the rehabilitation environment. These tools and strategies are appropriate for use by physicians, nurses, social workers, physical therapists (also referred to as physiotherapists), occupational therapists, and other service or care providers. The important role of speech-language pathologists as consultants is also described. Case scenarios throughout the paper illustrate the application of recommended tools and strategies along with best practices