In a wide range of counselling situations, including those involving offenders, researchers have bemoaned the lack of consensus about outcome. Some researchers have argued that a lack of consensus is due to the fact that the different sources retain unique points of view, which can never be amalgamated into a common outcome. The current paper argues that, while sources will have their own unique perspective, it is possible to develop a meaningful consensus, if it is done very carefully. The factors which need to be taken into consideration are: measuring different outcomes; the different interpretation of the question by each source; and bias. An important outcome in correctional settings is an offender's current level of criminality, or likelihood of reoffending. It was hypothesised that the 12 Probation and Parole Officers' predictions about the likelihood of recidivism of 368 offenders would correlate with fresh charges recorded within 12 months by the Magistrates Court. This hypothesis was supported. It was also hypothesised that the Level of Service Inventory - Revised (LSI-R) would also correlate with fresh charges and that the former correlation would be different to the latter. While the LSI-R did correlate significantly with fresh charges, the predictions of the Probation and Parole Officers were not significantly different. The use of correlation coefficients to assess predictive validity has been criticised as they are affected by base rates of offending and selection ratios of offenders to high and low risk categories. However when a more appropriate statistical tool, the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROC) was employed, the results were not substantially different. The predictive abilities of offenders was also tested against the same criterion and Intersource Agreement on the Prediction Recidivism were found sorely wanting, failing to correlate with fresh charges or any of the other predictive measures. It is argued that the offenders failed to predict accurately because of bias and/or poor ability to predict their own behaviour. The ability of the Probation and Parole Officers to predict reoffending to a much greater level than usually recorded in the criminological literature was ascribed to the higher level of information about their own predictive abilities, through a natural feedback mechanism which does not usually apply to professionals making clinical predictions about recidivism, and to training in predictors of reoffending which they received when they were trained in the administration of the LSI-R. It was also found that the ability of the LSI-R to predict recidivism was improved by incorporating offender age through linear regression. Suggestions were made for improving consensus among sources in counselling outcome studies. In particular, it was noted that sources do not necessarily interpret the question in the manner the researcher desires and it may be necessary to test the subjects' ability to distinguish between similar questions when this distinction is important.

Vasaloppet är världens äldsta och längsta skidlopp och inför loppet 2012 är 15800 deltagare anmälda. Tidigare forskning har rapporterat att 75 % av alla deltagare påverkas av yttre motivationsfaktorer till deltagande samt visat att målsättning är en effektiv strategi för att öka motivationen. Studiens syfte var att undersöka vad som motiverar människor att genomföra och senare återvända till Vasaloppet utifrån ett motivations- och målsättningsperspektiv. Undersökningen genomfördes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och omfattade tio manliga med åldern (M = 33,1) Vasaloppsdeltagare som har genomfört loppet en till fyra gånger och dessutom hade anmält sig till nästkommande lopp. Resultatet visade en förändring från yttre motivation vid det första genomförandet till en högre nivå av inre motivation men med prestationsmål som målsättning vid de båda sammanhangen. Studiens respondenter upplevde en stor skillnad från första till nästkommande Vasalopp, främst att målsättningen och motivationen är större inför nästkommande lopp, detta eftersom vikten av erfarenhet tycks vara en bidragande faktor till både högre målsättning men också högre motivation. För vidare forskning rekommenderas en longitudinell studie utifrån ett liknande syfte som den aktuella studien, samt att det skulle vara av intresse att undersöka vad som får Vasaloppsdeltagare att enbart genomföra loppet en gång. / Vasaloppet is the world's oldest and longest skirace and there are 15800 participants listed for the upcoming race this year. Previous research has reported that 75 % of all participants are extrinsically motivatied to participation and shown that goal-setting is one effective strategy in order to increase motivation. The present study aimed to investigate what causes people to participate in and return to Vasaloppet from a motivational- and goal-setting perspective. Semi- structured interviews were conducted with 10 male (M=33.1) participants whom had all participated in Vasaloppet from one to four times before and were entered for this following year. The result showed a change from extrinsic motivation at the first race to a higher level of intrinsic motivation later on but with outcome goal orientation at both races. The participants experienced a big difference from the first to the following race, especially regarding higher achievement goal-setting and more motivation ahead of the upcoming race, where experience seems to be a contributing factor. For further research it is recommended a longitudinal study a along the similar premises as the current study and to investigate the Vasalopp participants that only choose to attend once.

The frequency control in the Nordic grid is to a large extent delivered by hydropower plants. The hydropower plants deliver frequency control of varying quality, meaning that a remuneration method based on more than just the static gain of the power plant is called for. This thesis has examined how three remuneration methods based on the hydropower plant output and the grid frequency deviation affects the grid stability. Using frequency data, the remunerated work along with the bandwidth and phase-crossover frequency was plotted and compared for varying governor settings. The results show that all three remuneration methods examined need constructive technical specifications (for example based on the frequency response) to not decrease the grid stability. The first remuneration method, where the power plant is remunerated for being on the right side of the power set point value as the grid frequency deviates, gave incentives for increased bandwidth, but no particular incentives regarding the phase-crossover frequency. The second remuneration method, where the power plant is remunerated for how well it matches the output power from a plant with no dynamics using a proportional controller, gave incentives for moderately high bandwidth and phase-crossover frequency. The third remuneration method, which remunerates how well the plant power output matches the load disturbance that gave rise to the grid frequency deviation, needs to be investigated further, but the initial analysis show that it did neither give incentives for increased bandwidth nor phase-crossover frequency.

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This thesis presents an analysis of Cantico delle Creature, a composition for mezzo-soprano solo, chamber choir, chamber orchestra, and computer-generated sounds. The choir and orchestra are divided into two spatially separated groups, with the soloist one percussionist (who plays the tam-tams, at the same time triggering the playback of the pre-synthesized sounds) providing a central link between the two ensembles. This work, which lasts approximately twenty-three minutes, sets a text of the same title by Saint Francis of Assisi. The analytical paper which accompanies the composition examines the text, the relation of the text to the form of the piece, the formal structure and textural organization of the music, the use of spatialization, along with the pitch organization and details regarding the creation and playback of the synthesized sounds. In addition, there is a discussion of the use of the computer as a compositional tool, in particular the utilization of CHAOTICS, compositional software based on nonlinear or "chaotic" functions.

This study examines global incentives to reduce maternal mortality, namely the fifth Millenium Developmnet Goal to reduce maternal mortality with 75% by 2015. More specifically it examines maternal mortality and obstetric care in situations of emergency. When exposed to extreme situations the risks of negative pregnancy- and delivey outcomes are increased. Data was collected from seconday sources and from interviews with health staff with experiences from humanitarian work in the field. The findings were analyzed using a theoretical framework explaining maternal mortality be referring to both direct and indirect causes. The two theoretical models used in the study are similar and reminds of each other when explaining maternal mortality. One is based on the assumption that an obstetric complication has occurred and differnt delays in recieving care is the main cause maternal mortality, whilst the other theory is more in depth and elaborates the underlying causes. The first theory is used a base tto analyze the data after which the other theory is applied in order to introdue a deeper dimension to the analysis. The findings suggest that direct causes accounts for 80 per cent of all maternal deaths, homorrhage being the largest, including in disasters. Further causes are infections, unsafe abortions, eclampsia and obstructed labor. Also, underlying socail factors such as gender inequality indirectly has a negative impact on maternal mortality. Moreover, findings suggest that obstetric care is prioritized in disaster relief response.

The transition towards family-centered practice in early childhood intervention has shifted the focus from looking at the child in isolation towards understanding the child in context. The primary context for the child’s development is the family setting which is inextricably linked to the family’s culture, beliefs and values. The cultural context is transmitted through activity settings which make up the everyday experiences and events that involve the child’s interactions with various people and the environment. Activity settings are a part of daily life and include activities like eating dinner, bath time, listening to stories and getting ready for school. Furthermore, activity settings represent how families can and do structure their time, based on tradition, the orientations provided by culture and the socio-economic system within which they live. Intervention goals that fit easily into these settings are more likely to be adopted and practised, as they are less likely to disrupt the daily functioning and coherence of the family. While there is a clear emphasis in the literature on developing intervention approaches that are applicable to families from diverse cultural contexts, little is known about the beliefs and practices of low-income urban families in South Africa. Children in Africa have frequently been judged against Euro-American norms and standards, where the aim has been to change instead of understand the context in which children live. This study therefore aims to identify everyday activities that provide children with varied opportunities for learning and development within the natural environment of the family context. A descriptive design using structured interviews was utilised to obtain information about the activity settings that children aged 3-5 years engaged in. Face-to-face interviews with 90 caregivers were conducted, utilising a self-constructed interview schedule consisting of a written list of closed and open-ended questions. This approach was chosen as it holds no bias against respondents who have varied literacy levels. The interview schedule was developed through a process of consultation with parents/caregivers from the Soweto community, using focus group discussions. The results provide information on the types of activities that children participate in, the frequency of participation, the partners involved, as well as the purpose of the activities. Caregiver perceptions on the importance of activities were also obtained through closed and open-ended questions. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

Evidence-based practice (EBP) in children’s mental health has the potential to treat childhood psychological concerns in a more effective and cost-efficient way. Despite the American Psychological Association’s commitment to EBP utilization, current efforts to disseminate and implement EBP into routine care have been slow. This slow uptake may adversely affect children and families by limiting their access to effective care. These consequences may be exacerbated in rural communities due to lack of qualified professionals and resources necessary to implement EBP. Previous research has identified several individual clinician factors and mental health agency characteristics that may influence the success of implementation efforts. These factors include clinician demographic variables (e.g., education level, theoretical orientation, discipline, years of clinical experience, caseload size), clinician attitudes toward EBP, clinician knowledge of EBP, agency characteristics (e.g., setting, size, supervision method, available funding), organizational culture, and organizational climate. The current study investigated how these variables are associated and affect EBP implementation in rural areas. Fifty-five rural mental health providers who provide therapy services to children completed questionnaires assessing current use of EBP, attitudes toward and knowledge of EBP, and agency culture and implementation climate. Results indicated that rural clinicians possessed relatively positive attitudes toward EBP, perceived their organization’s culture and climate as conducive to EBP use, and were just as knowledgeable about EBP as clinicians from urban and mixed rural-urban samples. However, clinician knowledge of evidence-based therapy techniques was not related to EBP utilization. Results also indicated that organizational culture was negatively associated with EBP use and suggests that further research is needed to clarify how clinician and agency variables affect EBP utilization in rural areas. These findings have important implications for EBP training programs. Specifically, extended supervision and consultation models should be incorporated into continuing education workshops and content related to organizational factors (e.g., strategies for fostering an organizational culture and climate conductive to EBP use) should be included. Findings from this study also highlight the need for more effectiveness research to be conducted in rural settings to address the unique barriers experienced by rural clinicians.

With nearly 13% of maternal deaths being attributed to unsafe abortion there is a need to implement new strategies to improve access to safe services. As developing regions and legally restricted areas lead these numbers, further evidence must be presented demonstrating tailored and actionable strategies for these settings. In Pakistan abortion is legally restricted and the country continues to face a high burden of maternal death and disability, much of which is directly or indirectly attributable to unsafe abortion. The community-based distribution of misoprostol for early abortion has the potential to reduce harm from unsafe abortion in Pakistan and other low-resource settings where abortion is legally restricted. This study employed a multi-methods approach to evaluate this intervention in Sindh, Pakistan and consisted of a logbook review, interviews with lay providers, and in-depth interviews with program beneficiaries. Our results suggest that the community-based distribution of misoprostol is an effective and promising strategy for improving access to safe abortion care. Efforts to implement or strengthen similar programs appears warranted.

No / The aim of this project was to explore the feasibility and identify the issues of using mobile technologies in the assessment of health and social care students in practice settings. We report here on a case study, which took place between a University department and varied clinical settings where students were on placement. Twenty-nine student midwives and five members of lecturing staff took part in the study and were issued with PocketPCs on which to record assessment documentation including action plans and evidence of achieving performance criteria. Qualitative data were obtained from three focus groups with student midwives and individual interviews with their link lecturers and quantitative data were gathered through short questionnaires to provide simple descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that students preferred the neatness and durability of the PocketPC to the paper based format, which became worn overtime. The ability to add to notes and references as and when appropriate was welcomed. However, anxiety about losing the device or material stored within it proved to be a major constraint. Lecturing staff found that synchronising the device with the University electronic diary system was extremely useful whilst clinical staff approached the change with varying levels of acceptance or dismissal. Introducing mobile technology into the clinical setting will require a significant shift in culture and a significant level of training and support.