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Purpose of the study - Identify predictors of mortality and develop a related care plan for patients who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Gondar, Ethiopia. Design - A quantitative, retrospective cohort study was conducted analysing medical records of HIV patients who presented to Gondar University Hospital (GUH), Gondar, and started ART between 1 January 2007 and 30 June 2010. Results - In defining the predictors of mortality, the findings in bivariate analysis revealed: female sex, CD4 cell count ≤ 50/μl, CD4 cell count 51-199/μl, a haemoglobin concentration ≤8g/dl, a history of oral candidiasis, tuberculosis and Cryptococcus meningitis were all statistically significant. A female sex, CD4 cell count ≤ 50/μl and CD4 cell count 51-199/μl maintain their significance level in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions - The study therefore recommends that clinicians and case managers be vigilant of these predictors of mortality while managing HIV patients who are on ART. Key Concepts- ART, AIDS, HIV, predictors of mortality / Health Studies / (M.A. (Public Health))

The objective of this study was to explore which personal and environmental variables are the best predictors of reintegration to normal living in older adults discharged from an in-patient rehabilitation unit. More than fifteen biopsychosocial characteristics of 94 people over 60 years old were evaluated with reliable and valid tests a few days before discharge from rehabilitation. The participants' reintegration to normal living was evaluated three months later (n=86) with the Reintegration to Normal Living Index. From multivariate regression analyses, functional independence, balance, grip strength and general well-being are the best predictors and explain 26% and 27% of the variance in reintegration to normal living. This study suggests that by increasing efforts to maximize functional independence, balance, grip strength and well-being, rehabilitation professionals can expect older adults to achieve a greater degree of participation in their activities and social roles and maybe contribute to their quality of live.

Women with advanced ovarian cancer generally have a poor prognosis but there is significant variability in survival despite similar disease characteristics and treatment regimens. The aim of this study was to determine whether psychosocial factors predict survival in women with ovarian cancer, controlling for potential confounders.

The aim of this research was: • to gain a better understanding of factors that influence the performance of Information Technology (IT) students; • to gain a better understanding of how Education Technology can assist in overcoming some of the factors that negatively influence the performance of IT students; *to gain a better understanding of students’ perceptions about technology usage in classrooms; *to determine the correlation between the use of Education Technology and student performance, and *to identify whether the use of resources posted on a LMS can serve as predictors of IT students’ performance. In order to achieve these objectives, the research used, firstly, a literature review to identify factors that influence the performance of IT students and how some of these problems can be overcome with the use of Education Technology. Secondly, the empirical part of the study consisted of data derived from an online Learning Management System called eFundiTM at the North-West University Vaal Triangle campus in South Africa. A questionnaire was issued as a collateral investigation to determine students’ perceptions about technology use in classrooms. The empirical portion of the study was conducted to gain an understanding of how students feel about Education Technology, whether the students’ perceptions have changed during their first semester about technology use and whether the usage of certain resources have an influence on students’ performance. The findings from the literature revealed that mental models, learning styles, mathematical ability, prior programming experience and gender are some of the most prominent predictors of success in the performance of IT students. The empirical portion of the study revealed that the usage of certain resources influences students’ performance and that students have an overall positive perception about technology. Finally, recommendations are made for additional studies in order to extend the study of Education Technology to full-time BSc. IT students (not only BSc. IT extended students) at other universities in South Africa. / MSc (Computer Science), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder and the most frequent neurological cause of disability in young adults. 40-65% of MS patients experience cognitive difficulties (Bennedict et al., 2012), with problems in memory, attention and information processing speed being most frequently reported. However, visuoperceptual and language functions are much less studied in MS, but the few studies that looked into them (Vleugels, 2001; Grossman, 1995) have found prevalence of significant posterior deficits in MS. Up to today no study has investigated the domain-specificity of cognitive dysfunction in MS and its longitudinal progression. Aims: The primary aim of this project was to investigate the dimensionality of MS-related cognitive impairment longitudinally. The second aim was to determine the predictors of the observed longitudinal changes. The third aim was to investigate whether the participants themselves were aware of their cognitive changes, and what predicted the self-perception of change. Methods: To address these aims I followed a sample of MS patients and compared their performance on cognitive tests measuring five cognitive domains (verbal memory, visuospatial memory, processing speed, visuoperceptual and language) at baseline and at follow-up three years apart. Then I’ve composed separate models to explain the predictors first of the actual changes, and then of the perceived changes in performance. Moreover, as part of this project I have analysed pre-existing data to evaluate the instruments and optimized the baseline test battery for use in performing the followup assessments. Findings: I have managed to collect follow-up data on 82 MS patients and 23 matching healthy controls, acquiring high (76% and 79% respectively) recruitment rates. My MS sample (24% PPMS, 34% SPMS and 46% RRMS) was representable of the overall MS population. I found that deficits were seen in all cognitive domains (none were spared) and that new deficits were picked up sporadically, although with higher predisposition towards the information processing speed, visuoperceptual and memory domains. The new deficits showed the tendency to slowly accumulate, leading to development of major problems with longer disease duration. Interestingly it was found that even though the factors that influenced cognitive decline were specific for each of the cognitive domains, however, neurological disability, MS type and levels of depression were the most common predictors of change in cognitive functioning. I found that in general MS patients perceived longitudinal changes on the BRBN battery more accurately than on visuoperceptual and language tests, and the factors that played a role in the self-perception of change were executive dysfunction, neurological disability and MS impact. Implications: The results of this study add significant contribution to the field of longitudinal change in cognition in MS. Not only I explored the dimensionality of MS-related cognitive deficits, but also examined the factors that led to poorer performance, and the patients’ own perspective of their cognitive change. Moreover, with this project I have addressed common problems in the field of longitudinal research in MS – definition of normal variation in performance; the sensitivity of cognitive tests to pick up MS-related deficits; and heterogeneity of cognitive impairments in MS; - and I have used the performance of my own controls in attempts to account for all of that. I believe that this study will be of interest not only to those who specialize in cognitive functioning in MS, but also to those who question the methods employed in clinical research to define impairments and to account for individual differences.

Wrist surgery is a common method for treating carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) although few studies have examined patient outcomes or predictive correlates of such procedures. The objectives of this study were to characterize Utah workers who received surgery for CTS in terms of relevant presurgical and outcome variables and to identify presurgical correlates of patient outcomes. Participants were 75 Utah workers' compensation patients who underwent surgery for CTS from 1999-2002 and were at least 6 months postsurgery at time of follow-up. A retrospective cohort design was utilized consisting of a review of presurgical medical records and a postsurgical telephone survey. Presurgical variables included: gender, age, history of depression, and litigation status. Correlational analyses revealed that age and lawyer involvement were consistent significant predictors of poorer outcomes. The importance of conceptualizing CTS surgery patient outcomes from a biopsychosocial perspective is discussed.

Despite the growing interest in studying the dimensions and prediction of task and contextual performance, little empirical attention has been given to studying the nature of soft skills performance. Soft skills (i.e., intra- and inter-personal work skills that facilitate the application of technical skills and knowledge), such as interpersonal skills (e.g., developing rapport) and communication skills (e.g., adjusting your message to the target audience) are highly sought by organizations (Zedeck and Goldstein, 2000). However, little is known about the underlying dimensions of soft skills performance, or about the individual differences variables that predict performance in this domain. In the current set of studies I examined the dimensionality of soft skills performance, developed measures to assess soft skills performance from self and supervisor perspectives, and validated the measures of performance in a nomological network of non-ability individual differences and existing performance measures. Study 1 involved asking subject matter experts to provide a master list and critical incidents of soft skills. Data from Study 1 served as the stimuli in Study 2 for sorting and reduction of skills into dimensions of soft skills performance. A construct and criterion validation approach was taken in Study 3 to measure soft skills performance in relation to individual differences variables in a nomological network. Results showed that the taxonomy of soft skills performance was composed of seven clusters, but that the measure of soft skills performance was unidimensional. Personality and motivational variables significantly predicted soft skills performance through their influence on proximal motivational processes.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore the significant predictors that related to adolescent¡¦s positive thinking and self-identity. Four hundreds and sixty-seven public junior high school participants from 3 different grade levels (i.e., seventh-grade, eighth-grade, and ninth-grade) completed a questionnaire on Adolescent Self-awareness Scale(ASS). The ASS included Background Questionnaire, Positive Thinking Scale, and Self-identity Scale. Moreover 5 junior high school students with the highest total scores on positive thinking and self-identity, and additional 5 with the lowest total scores on positive thinking and self-identity were recruited as target students for individual interviews to find their common background factors. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple-regression were conducted on the quantitative data. For the interview data, an inductive analysis was applied. The major findings are as follows: 1.The significant predictors for adolescents¡¦ Positive Thinking are subjective family atmosphere, physical leisure participation frequency, interpersonal relationships, and academic achievement. 2.The significant predictors for adolescents¡¦ Self-identity are subjective family atmosphere, interpersonal relationships, physical leisure participation frequency, and academic achievement. 3.Ninth-grade students¡¦ Positive Thinking and Self-identity scores are significantly lower than seventh-grade and eighth-grade students. 4.Adolescents with more harmonious family atmosphere prescent significantly higher scores on Positive Thinking and Self-identity. 5.Adolescents with better interpersonal relationship obtain significantly higher Positive Thinking and Self-identity scores than their counterparts. 6.Adolescents who often involved in physical leisure participation present significantly higher Positive Thinking and Self-identity scores than these less involved in physical leisure participants. 7.Adolescents with high positive thinking and high self-identity scores present the following characteristics: better academic achievement, harmonious family atmosphere, good interpersonal relationships, and leisure in physical participation. 8.Adolescents with low positive thinking and low self-identity scores present the following characteristics: lower academic achievement, inharmonious family atmosphere, bad interpersonal relationships, and leisure engagements in non-physical participation. 9.There are significant correlations between adolescents¡¦ Positive Thinking and Self-Identity.

This thesis conducted a secondary quantitative analysis to test predictors of punitive attitudes about the best overall and youth crime reduction methods in Saskatchewan, and to examine an integrated perspective developed from Bourdieu’s concept of habitus. My research questions were twofold: 1) What are the valid predictors of punitive attitudes toward overall and youth crime respectively? 2) Is there a difference in punitive attitudes between overall crime and youth crime? For my research methodology, I relied on a secondary quantitative analysis of data from Taking the Pulse of Saskatchewan 2012, a survey conducted by the Social Sciences Research Laboratories (SSRL) of the University of Saskatchewan. The data used in this thesis was taken from Section (F), Crime and Public Safety in Saskatchewan, and Section (H), demographics. I examined three types of predictors: demographics, fear of crime, and perception of crime trends. The demographic variables were gender, age, education, marital status, race, and total annual household income. The relationship between these predictors and the public’s punitive attitudes were first examined with a bivariate analysis. Then logistic regression analysis was used to determine the effect of a selected predictor of punitive attitudes when other predictors were controlled. This thesis reported three major findings. First, the mutual predictors of punitive attitudes towards overall and youth crime are age, education, marital status, and perceived crime trends, while gender is significant only for overall crime, and race is significant only for youth crime when other variables are controlled. Secondly, with regard to the magnitude of influence, the variables perceived crime trends and education are the strongest predictors among all the predictors considered in this study, but any single predictor only has small impact on punitive attitudes. Finally, respondents are generally less punitive towards youth crime than overall crime. This thesis revealed that an integrated Bourdieuian perspective used in this study helped link the predictors in a more explanatory manner, and contributed to a more critical and contextual understanding of punitive attitudes. The empirical results reported in this thesis produced knowledge about punitive attitudes in Saskatchewan, and contributed to the literature on predictors of such attitudes.