Alcohol use is one of the top five causes of disease and disability in almost all countries in Europe, and in the eastern part of Europe it is the number one cause. In the UK, alcohol is now the leading cause of death in men between the ages of 16–54 years, accounting for over 20% of the total. Europeans above 15 years of age in the EU on average consume alcohol at a level which is twice as high as the world average. Alcohol should therefore be a public health priority, but it is not. This paper puts forward a new approach to reduce alcohol use and harms that would have major public health and social impacts. Our approach comprises individual behaviour and policy elements. It is based on the assumption that heavy drinking is key. It is simple, so it would be easy to introduce, and because it lacks stigmatising issues such as the diagnosis of addiction and dependence, it should not be contentious.

A substantial body of research points to the benefits of fitting hearing instruments that provides extended high frequency amplification. Most published research were done on adults or in controlled laboratory settings. It is therefore necessary for peadiatric audiologists to critically assess the effects that this extended high frequency amplification has on the individual child fitted with hearing instruments. A quantitative research method was selected to explore the possible correlations between extended high frequency amplification and the influence this extended high frequency amplification has on speech recognition and functional performance in children with mild to severe sensory neural hearing loss. A quasiexperimental design was selected. This design accommodated a one-group (single-system) pre-test versus post-test design. Baseline assessments were done and all participants were subjected to pre- and post-intervention assessments. Six participants were fitted with hearing instruments which provided extended high frequency amplification. A baseline assessment was done with current hearing instruments after which participants were assessed with the hearing instruments with extended high frequency amplification. Aided audiological assessments were done without the extended high frequencies after which participants were evaluated with the added high frequencies. Speech recognition testing and functional performance questionnaires were used to compare the outcomes obtained with and without the extended high frequency amplification. A t-test was used for hypothesis testing to determine if extended range amplification increased speech recognition abilities and functional performance, and if these increases were statistically significant. Results were varied where some participants performed better and some performed worse with the added extended range amplification during speech recognition testing and functional performances observed at home. These varied results were statistically insignificant. However, statistically significant evidence was obtained to indicate that extended high frequency amplification increased the functional performance observed at school. The study concluded that the paediatric audiologist should know the effect fitting hearing instruments capable of extended high frequency amplification have on speech recognition abilities and functional performances. Fitting hearing instruments with extended high frequency amplification should however be done with caution because not all children benefited from extended bandwidth amplification. This underlines the importance of following a strict evidence-based approach that incorporates objective and subjective assessment approaches. This will provide the paediatric audiologist with real world evidence of the success of the amplification strategy that is followed. / Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

This diploma thesis combines the method of monitoring the social impact with the phenomenon of the credibility of non-profit organizations. According to the results of public opinion polls in the Czech Republic, confidence in non-profit organizations has been low for a long time. Lack of transparency and low awareness of the activities and principles of non- profit organizations can be reasons for distrust in non-profit organizations. This thesis aims to present a method of monitoring the impact of those who do not yet know it using a manual based on the results of action research and thus contribute to greater transparency and better presentation of results and later greater credibility of organizations. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with trust and credibility, the method of monitoring the impact and the introduction of the non-profit sector of the Czech Republic. Emphasis is placed on a multi-sided view, practical examples, and data support. The empirical part of this work uses action research and human-centerd design to connect trust and credibility with the method of monitoring the impact in the sphere of non-profit organizations. The result of action research is that the implementation of the impact monitoring method brings with it many changes, which can be distinguished into...