Improving safeguarding practice : study of serious case reviews 2001-2003

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Alaska Criminal Statute Cross-Reference Guide

This guide provides cross-references between Alaska criminal statutes and National Criminal Information Center (NCIC), Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), Alaska OBTS, and Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) codes. The guide also includes brief annotations of each statute. The guide is also available in a computerized version. An accompanying volume, Conversion Tables for Use with the Alaska OBTS Database and the Alaska Criminal Statute Cross-Reference Guide, is designed for use with printed versions of the guide. The guide reflects legislative changes in Alaska Statutes through 1997, but is no longer updated.Bureau of Justice Statistics. Grant No. 94-BJ-CX-KOO

Empirical evidence for the outcomes of therapeutic video games for adolescents with anxiety disorders: systematic review

Background: Extant evidence suggests that the proportion of adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders (ADs) has increased by up to 70% since the mid-1980s, with experience of anxiety at this stage associated with significant negative short- and long-term life outcomes. The existing therapeutic interventions (eg, cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT; attention bias modification, ABM) have proven to have clinically measurable benefits in reducing anxiety, but their efficacy is often compromised by social and practical barriers. The growing discrepancy between demand for, and access to, clinical interventions for anxiety has led to the development of a range of eHealth (health care practice supported by electronic processes and communication) and mHealth (versions of eHealth using mobile devices) interventions. One such protocol is therapeutic games, which aim to provide clinical frameworks in dynamic, adaptable, and personalized virtual environments. Although some evidence exists to suggest therapeutic games are associated with reductions in subjective anxiety and observed stress reactivity, there is currently, to our knowledge, no systematic review of the adherence to, and effectiveness of, therapeutic games for adolescent anxiety. Objective: The aim of this review was to establish the effectiveness of therapeutic games in making clinically measurable reductions in anxiety symptoms in adolescent samples. Methods: A systematic search of the existing academic literature published between 1990 and July 2017 was conducted using the databases Journal of Medical Internet Research, Journal Storage, Psychology Articles, Psychology Info, ScienceDIRECT, and Scopus. Records linked to empirical papers on therapeutic games for anxiety using adolescent samples were evaluated. Results: A total of 5 studies (N=410 participants) met the inclusion criteria, and 3 gamified anxiety interventions for adolescents were identified. The papers included a mixture of randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and usability studies comprising quantitative and qualitative measures, with varying degrees of mixed methods. Extant evidence shows potential for therapeutic games to create clinically measurable reductions in symptoms of anxiety in adolescent samples, though findings are complicated in some cases by a low sample size, and in other cases by research design and methodological complications, including anxiety reductions in control groups caused by a control-game selection. Conclusions: Although research in this field appears to be extremely limited, as demonstrated by the small number of papers meeting the inclusion criteria for this review, early findings suggest that therapeutic games have potential in helping to engage adolescents with anxiety and lead to clinically measurable reductions in symptoms

Poverty Simulations: Building Relationships Among Extension, Schools, and the Community

Poverty simulations can be effective experiential learning tools for educating community members about the impact of poverty on families. The project described here includes survey results from three simulations with community leaders and teachers. This project illustrated how such workshops can help Extension professionals extend their reach and impact by engaging coalitions and volunteers and building community partnerships with school systems and community leadership groups

Supporting the Well-being and Engagement of Occupational Therapy Students through Sensory Modulation: A Pilot Study

Student well-being is an increasing area of concern within higher education and one of the biggest causes of attrition. This study sought to investigate the potential for sensory modulation strategies as an approach to support student well-being and engagement in studies through an action research project. Sixteen second-year occupational therapy students took part in a two-week trial of items designed to support sensory modulation, following which they were asked to complete an online survey evaluating the effectiveness of the item in relation to affect, regulation, attention, and activity. Eight students completed the survey containing a mix of Likert scale and free text responses. Results of the surveys were analyzed through descriptive statistical analysis of numerical data and quantitative content analysis of textual data informed by a pre-existing framework derived from a model of Sensory Integration. While preliminary in nature, the results of the survey suggested a positive impact on affect, specifically anxiety, overall regulation, and ability to engage in studies, suggesting a connection between these factors. An additional code was identified during the analysis of strategy mismatch to reflect barriers encountered relating to the extent of and longevity of use of the strategies. Further research on a larger scale is needed to more fully investigate the potential of this approach for facilitating increased student well-being

The potential use of sugarcane varieties for the identification of genetic markers.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.The use of genetic markers that are linked to specific traits in sugarcane has the potential to increase the efficiency of the selection of improved varieties. Conventionally, markers are identified by analysing the segregation of potential markers and traits in the progeny of single crosses. However, this approach is not practical for sugarcane breeding programmes where replicated, well characterized progenies do not exist. The objective of this project was to investigate the potential of using commercial varieties for identifying markers associated with some of the important traits in sugarcane. This approach would be far more effective than dealing with single progenies since the traits of commercial varieties have already been characterized. The DNA of fifty commercial varieties of sugarcane was amplified by RAPD PCR using forty-one arbitrary decamer primers. Analysis of the resulting banding profiles, obtained by agarose gel electrophoresis, yielded fifty-four reliable polymorphic fragments. Two approaches were used to identify putative markers linked to the traits of resistance to eldana, sugarcane mosaic virus, and smut: (1) a correlation approach which attempted to identify whether the presence of any polymorphisms could be used to imply the existence of a particular phenotypic state, and (2) multiple regression analysis, in order to determine whether polymorphisms could be used to predict the performance of the varieties for each of the traits. Both approaches appeared to identify associations between polymorphisms and the traits, although multiple regression analysis yielded the most informative results and was able to assign statistical values to the associations. Using multiple regression, the best predictive model was obtained for sugarcane mosaic virus resistance. This model consisted of four polymorphisms and had an r² of 0.40l. By dividing the resistance ratings into three groups (resistant, intermediate and susceptible), 52% of the varieties were correctly classified and only 2% of the varieties were predicted in opposite groups (i .e. predicted susceptible when actually resistant, and vice versa). The predictive model for eldana resistance consisted offour polymorphisms and had an r² of 0.347. This model classified 30% of the varieties in the correct group of three while none of the varieties were predicted in opposite groups. The predictive model for smut resistance consisted of three polymorphisms and had an r² of 0.316. This model classified 30% of the varieties in the correct group of three while 2% of the varieties were predicted in opposite groups. Further analysis of sugarcane varieties using additional polyrnorphisrns has the potential to identify markers linked to important traits. These markers could be used for marker-assisted selection to increase the efficiency of selecting for improved sugarcane genotypes for commercial release