Facility dogs as a tool for building rapport and credibility with child witnesses

The present student examined the perspectives of legal professionals in relation to the use of facility dogs in building rapport and credibility with child witnesses. 70 legal professionals from across North America, who had experience interviewing children, both with and without the use of a facility dog, were recruited to take part in the study. Utilising a holistic mixed-method design, data was collected via an online questionnaire, which asked participants about the impact they felt a facility dog had on rapport and witness credibility during police interviews with children. The results highlighted the positive impact that facility dogs have on child witnesses, not only in helping build rapport and witness credibility, but also for creating a more positive experience for young witnesses going through the criminal justice process. The results therefore provide evidence for the consideration of these dogs in countries beyond North America, as they provide an invaluable service to young witnesses

The use of facility dogs to bridge the justice gap for survivors of sexual offending

The current study investigated the support that a facility dog can provide to survivors of sexual crimes when undergoing video-recorded police interviews. In total, 13 survivors of sexual offences, who were undergoing a video-recorded interview, were provided with a facility dog for the interview process. For each case, data were collected via interviews, observations and surveys. Using a multiple case study approach, qualitative data were analysed to identify patterns, with observational and survey data used to provide further support to these outcomes. A total of four main themes emerged from the data: (1) a change in focus for the survivor, (2) a difference in the survivors’ engagement, (3) the dog as a comforter to keep the survivor calm and (4) a positive environment. Overall, the findings suggest that the facility dog provided a much needed and beneficial service to survivors, helping them feel calmer and more comfortable. The dog also provided survivors with a more positive environment, allowing them to focus on the interview and communicate more openly about their experiences. The current study, therefore, presents very positive findings relating to improving survivors’ perspectives of justice within the framework of kaleidoscopic justice, bridging their perceived justice gap

The value of laparoscopic classifications in decision on definitive surgery in patients with nonpalpable testes: our experience and review of the literature

Background/purpose The aim of the study was to present our clinical experience with the laparoscopic approach in patients with nonpalpable testes (NPTs) and review the literature on laparoscopic classifications.Materials and methods Between May 2010 and August 2012, 30 boys with NPT (mean age 3.9 years) underwent laparoscopy as a part of diagnosis and treatment in our clinic. The laparoscopic findings were classified into four types according to Castilho. The patients were managed according to the presence or position of the testes and testicular vessels.Results Six patients were excluded from the study. Twenty-six testicular units (19 left, three right, and four bilateral units) in 24 patients were managed laparoscopically. Laparoscopy was terminated in eight patients in whom blind-ending cord structures were detected intra-abdominally. An inguinal canal exploration was performed in 10 cases in whom cord structures were seen entering the internal inguinal ring. No viable testis was found, and testicular remnants were excised for histopathologic examination. Four canalicular testes (peeping) were treated with open orchiopexy. Laparoscopy-assisted orchiopexy without vascular ligation was performed in two testes. Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy in single stage was performed in one testicular unit and in two stages in another unit. All patients were discharged on the same day. The testes were normal in size and found in the scrotum after a mean follow-up period of 14 months.Conclusion The laparoscopic findings in NPT had an important influence on treatment decisions. To be able to interpret the definitive surgery relative to the laparoscopic classification, collaborative studies are required. Keywords: laparoscopy, nonpalpable testis, nubbin, orchiopexy, vas deferen

A multidisciplinary approach to address climate-resilience, conservation and comfort in traditional architecture: The PROT3CT example

Traditional dwellings despite their environmental credentials, due to age, previous damage, and residents unable to afford even the limited maintenance allowed by restrictive legal framework, may offer poor thermal performance, which is expected to be further exacerbated by changing climate. More than 70% of Turkey’s built heritage stock is composed of traditional dwellings, which makes this stock able to create a major impact nationally on the building-related energy use, carbon emissions and population wellbeing. This research aims to develop an evidence-based multidisciplinary methodology for cost-effective retrofit of the traditional dwellings in Turkey, to improve energy performance, satisfy user expectations of comfort, and protect heritage value

Use of complementary and alternative medicines by a sample of Turkish women for infertility enhancement: a descriptive study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infertility patients are a vulnerable group that often seeks a non-medical solution for their failure to conceive. World-wide, women use CAM for productive health, but only a limited number of studies report on CAM use to enhance fertility. Little is known about traditional and religious forms of therapies that are used in relation to conventional medicine in Turkey. We investigated the prevalence and types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) used by infertile Turkish women for fertility enhancement.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A face-to-face questionnaire inquiring demographic information and types of CAM used for fertility enhancement were completed by hundred infertility patients admitted to a primary care family planning centre in Van, Turkey between January and July 2009.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The vast majority of infertile women had used CAM at least once for infertility. CAM use included religious interventions, herbal products and recommendations of traditional "hodja's" (faith healers). Of these women, 87.8% were abused in the last 12 months, 36.6% felt not being supported by her partner and 80.5% had never spoken with a physician about CAM.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Infertile Turkish women use complementary medicine frequently for fertility enhancement and are in need of information about CAM. Religious and traditional therapies are used as an adjunct to, rather than a substitute for, conventional medical therapy. Physicians need to approach fertility patients with sensitivity and should be able to council their patients about CAM accordingly.</p

Perspectives on care and communication involving incurably ill Turkish and Moroccan patients, relatives and professionals: a systematic literature review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our aim was to obtain a clearer picture of the relevant care experiences and care perceptions of incurably ill Turkish and Moroccan patients, their relatives and professional care providers, as well as of communication and decision-making patterns at the end of life. The ultimate objective is to improve palliative care for Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands, by taking account of socio-cultural factors in the guidelines for palliative care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature review was undertaken. The data sources were seventeen national and international literature databases, four Dutch journals dedicated to palliative care and 37 websites of relevant national and international organizations. All the references found were checked to see whether they met the structured inclusion criteria. Inclusion was limited to publications dealing with primary empirical research on the relationship between socio-cultural factors and the health or care situation of Turkish or Moroccan patients with an oncological or incurable disease. The selection was made by first reading the titles and abstracts and subsequently the full texts. The process of deciding which studies to include was carried out by two reviewers independently. A generic appraisal instrument was applied to assess the methodological quality.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fifty-seven studies were found that reported findings for the countries of origin (mainly Turkey) and the immigrant host countries (mainly the Netherlands). The central themes were experiences and perceptions of family care, professional care, end-of-life care and communication. Family care is considered a duty, even when such care becomes a severe burden for the main female family caregiver in particular. Professional hospital care is preferred by many of the patients and relatives because they are looking for a cure and security. End-of-life care is strongly influenced by the continuing hope for recovery. Relatives are often quite influential in end-of-life decisions, such as the decision to withdraw or withhold treatments. The diagnosis, prognosis and end-of-life decisions are seldom discussed with the patient, and communication about pain and mental problems is often limited. Language barriers and the dominance of the family may exacerbate communication problems.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This review confirms the view that family members of patients with a Turkish or Moroccan background have a central role in care, communication and decision making at the end of life. This, in combination with their continuing hope for the patient’s recovery may inhibit open communication between patients, relatives and professionals as partners in palliative care. This implies that organizations and professionals involved in palliative care should take patients’ socio-cultural characteristics into account and incorporate cultural sensitivity into care standards and care practices<it>.</it></p

Predicting involvement in prison gang activity: Street gang membership, social and psychological factors.

The aim of this study was to examine whether street gang membership, psychological factors, and social factors such as pre-prison experiences could predict young offenders’ involvement in prison gang activity. Data were collected via individual interviews with 188 young offenders held in a Young Offenders Institution in the United Kingdom. Results showed that psychological factors such as the value individuals attached to social status, a social dominance orientation, and anti authority attitudes were important in predicting young offenders’ involvement in prison gang activity. Further important predictors included pre-imprisonment events such as levels of threat, levels of individual delinquency, and levels of involvement in group crime. Longer current sentences also predicted involvement in prison gang activity. However, street gang membership was not an important predictor of involvement in prison gang activity. These findings have implications for identifying prisoners involved in prison gang activity, and for considering the role of psychological factors and group processes in gang research

Psychological and behavioural characteristics that distinguish street gang members in custody

Purpose. Using social dominance theory, the primary aim of this study was to examine the attitudes and beliefs that reinforce status hierarchies and facilitate aggressive behaviour within and between gangs. The aim was also to determine whether these socio-cognitive processes distinguished gang-involved youth from non-gang offenders in a custodial setting. Methods. Gang-involved youth and non-gang offenders were recruited from a young offender institution located in the United Kingdom. Questionnaires assessing psychological (i.e., moral disengagement strategies, anti-authority attitudes, hypermasculinity, and social dominance orientation) and behavioural (i.e., group crime) characteristics were administered individually. We hypothesized that gang-involved youth would be affiliated with groups who engaged in more criminal activity than non-gang offenders, and that they would report higher levels of endorsements than non-gang youth across all of the psychological measures. Results. We found that gang-involved youth were affiliated with groups who engage in more crimes than non-gang offenders. We also found that social dominance orientation was an important factor related to gang involvement along with measures assessing group-based hierarchies such as hypermasculinity, anti-authority attitudes, and the moral disengagement strategies displacement of responsibility, dehumanization, and euphemistic labeling. Conclusions. These findings fit within a social dominance theoretical framework as they highlight key psychological factors that feed into perceived status-driven hierarchies that distinguish gang members from other types of offenders. These factors could be key to developments in treatment provision within custodial settings

Premature luteinization defined as progesterone estradiol ratio > 1 on hCG administration day seems to adversely affect clinical outcome in long gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist cycles

WOS: 000220740100006PubMed ID: 15009611Aim: To examine the effect of premature luteinization on the outcomes in long gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist cycles. Methods: Two-hundred and forty-eight patients who had undergone assisted reproductive technology for infertility treatment between 2001 and 2002 were enrolled into the study. The patients were separated into two groups according to P/E2 ratios on human chorionic gonadotropin administration day. Group A consisted of the patients whose P/E2 ratio was 1 (n = 116) and Group B consisted of the patients with premature luteinization of which P/E2 ratio was > 1 (n = 132). The P/E2 ratio calculation was performed as follows: P (in ng/ mL) xdagger1,000/E2 (in pg/mL). The primary outcome measures included oocyte quality, fertilization rates and clinical pregnancy rates. Results: The mean number of mature oocytes retrieved in the groups were 9.5 +/- 4.8 and 6.4 +/- 3.6, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05), the clinical pregnancy rates seemed to be affected adversely in the Group B patients with premature luteinization (41.4% versus 28%, respectively; P I on human chorionic gonadotropin administration day, in long gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist cycles seems to adversely affect clinical outcome