Police Governance and Accountability in Scotland Following Reform: Revisiting the Policy Rationale for the Creation of the Scottish Police Authority

This article critically assesses the policy discourse for police reform in Scotland, specifically focusing on the rationale for the creation of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). Through a chronological review of official policy reports and consultations that took place prior to the 2012 Act, and by drawing on a select number of interviews 1 conducted as part of the wider study (Malik, 2017a), I argue that while austerity became the catalyst for change, police reform in Scotland was strongly supported by concerns around weak police governance arrangements. The SPA was created to strengthen financial oversight, to provide enhanced focus on national policing requirements and to bring in professional governance competencies and expertise that the local police authorities lacked. In the five years since reform, the SPA has continued to struggle to address these weaknesses. Furthermore, the official reform agenda neglected the need for robust mechanisms for accountability of operational policing. This omission manifested in the most abrasive fashion following the 2012 Act as cases such as stop and search and armed policing highlighted the inadequacies of the new police governance arrangements. In order that the SPA can fulfil its intended purpose, it needs to enhance its capacity and focus on providing holistic mechanisms for police governance that incorporate financial oversight and robust accountability of operational policing

Impact of Preventive Health Care on Indian Industry and Economy

In this study, the authors have tried to examine the empirical evidence on the relationship between preventive health care and labour productivity and corporate profitability. While doing so, they try to generate awareness on the positive role of preventive health care in boosting the corporate sectors performance and improving the countrys economy. Toward the end, based on their findings, they offer recommendations for policymakers and corporate management to promote preventive healthcare practice among employees. The primary research undertaken for this study included an electronic survey of some of the most well-established companies in the country, as well as a field-cum-electronic survey with a sample of employees in Delhi and the National Capital Region. Preventive health care holds enormous promise for the competitiveness of Indian companies, and for the countrys economy in the global arena. In an era when the service sector is gaining pre-eminence, the value of the individual employee has increased more than ever before. Employees with specialized skills are the focal point on whose well being and performance the productivity of a company rests. In a highly competitive corporate environment, companies cannot afford the absence of their employees due to sickness, caused by a sedentary lifestyle, etc., or a poor performance at the workplace due to poor health. Both as part of their corporate social responsibility and to boost their profits, a number of firms are offering preventive health care facilities to their employees. And it is on their performance, productivity and profitability that Indias growth potential and global competitiveness depends substantially. Unfortunately, while the corporate sector has been quick to realize the benefits of preventive health care, policy has lagged behind and we do not yet have fiscal or other incentives that encourage prevention. While public spending on health has stagnated at 0.9 per cent of the GDP since the mid-1980s, and the government per capita health expenditure is one of the lowest in the world (US$7, as against US$2,548 in the United States), the government should focus its limited resources towards the health of the poor, and provide tax exemptions to sections which can take care of their own health needs.preventive, executive, corporate health care, check-ups, employee wellness, lifestyle changes, health policy, fiscal incentives

Nutrient uptake, transport and translocation in cereals: influences of environmental and farming conditions

The main emphasis of the introductory paper is to highlight the importance of nutrients, their uptake, transport, translocation and use efficiency in cereal crop production. Among the cereals, mainly wheat and barley are discussed in details. Among the nutrients, nitrogen, as one of the most important nutrients, is most deeply described in this paper. Quantitative and qualitative aspects of proteins in wheat and barley are also described in relation to nutrient availability. Nitrogen mineralization and leaching is discussed for cereal cultivatio

Association of chronic self-perceived stress with mortality and health status outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease: insights from the portrait registry

Title from PDF of title page viewed January 15, 2020Thesis advisor: Kim SmolderenVitaIncludes bibliographical references (page 50-56)Thesis (M.S.)--School of Medicine. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2019The prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is increasing worldwide and is estimated to affect about 360 million patients by 2030. Patients with PAD are at a higher risk of premature mortality and suffer from disability and functional impairment, both of which contribute to the direct and indirect socioeconomic burden of PAD. These trends are occurring despite emphasis towards control of traditional risk factors and interventions to decrease the impact of PAD on patient outcomes. Hence it is critical to identify and study novel risk factors that could impact outcomes in patients with PAD. Chronic mental stress could be one such factor. Mental stress is a potent cardiovascular risk factor and has been associated with development and progression of coronary disease and worse outcomes, including higher risk of mortality and poorer quality of life in patients after a myocardial infarction. However, there is paucity of evidence for the association of chronic mental stress with outcomes in PAD. To address this critical gap in understanding the link between mental stress and outcomes in PAD, we used data from the Patient-centered Outcomes Related to Treatment practices in peripheral Arterial disease: Investigating Trajectories (PORTRAIT), an international registry of patients presenting with symptoms of PAD. Mental stress was quantified at baseline, 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-up using the validated 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). For each patient available PSS-4 scores from all time points were averaged to quantify a subject’s average exposure to mental stress over one year. To examine the association of chronic stress with longitudinal mortality and health status outcomes, we did two separate landmark analysis. First to examine the impact of chronic stress on mortality we did a landmark analysis starting at 12-month follow-up. For each patient we defined chronic stress to be average of PSS-4 score at baseline through 12-months. Cox regression models adjusting for patients’ demographics (age, sex, race), comorbid conditions (diabetes, hypertension, history of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, smoking status), baseline ankle-brachial index, invasive treatment for PAD, socioeconomic indicators (highest education level, avoidance of care due to cost and end of the month resources), were used to assess an independent association of average stress (over first year of follow-up) with all-cause mortality over the subsequent four years. Second, to examine the association of chronic stress with 12-month health status outcomes we defined chronic stress exposure to be average PSS-4 score across baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up assessments. This quantified a patient’s exposure to chronic stress over first 6-months of follow-up. Health status was quantified at baseline and 12-months. PAD specific health status was assessed using the PAD Questionnaire (PAQ). Generic health status was assessed using the EuroQoL Visual Analog Scale (EQ5D VAS). Hierarchical multivariable regression models, with random effects for site and adjustment for country, patients’ demographics, comorbid conditions, baseline ABI, treatment strategy and socioeconomic status-were used to examine independent association of average stress (baseline to 6-months) on recovery in health status at 12-months. In in patients in whom accurate assessment of chronic mental stress and mortality could be made (n=757, mean age 68.5 ± 9.7, 42% females, 28% non-Caucasians), higher average stress scores over 12-months were associated with greater hazards of mortality, in the adjusted model (hazard ratio per +1 unit increase in average PSS-4 1.08, 95% CI 1.01, 1.16 p=0.03). Similarly, in patients who had complete assessment of chronic stress over 6-months and health status at baseline and 12-month follow-up (n=1060, mean age 67.7, 37% females, 17.7% non-Caucasian) higher averaged stress scores over 6-months were associated with poorer PAQ summary score at 12-months in completely adjusted models (-1.4 points per +1-point increase in average PSS-4 95% CI -2.1, -0.6 p <0.001). Chronic stress in patients with PAD, is independently associated with higher mortality risk and poorer health status outcomes. These results set the stage for exploring interventions to examine if strategies to reduce chronic stress in patients with PAD improves outcomesIntroduction -- Methodology -- Results -- Discussion -- Appendi