Thesis (MSc(Statistics)) -- University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus), 2012. / This study used statistical methods to determine the relationship between matric pass rates and interventions in the schools in the Letlhabile area. Nine schools were identified in this area. Five years (2007 to 2011) were looked at. Regressions methods were tried in which various forms of relationships were compared. The methods were linear, curvilinear (quadratic to polynomial of 4th power), exponential and power regressions were used in the tentative models investigated. The measures of bias and precision were used to compare the models. Multicollinearity was also investigated where it was possible. Time series analysis was used to illustrate the trend patterns of the pass rates in the various schools as well as the pattern of the numbers of interventions. In most of these schools the numbers of interventions increased over the five years and in only a few schools the number of interventions decreased over these years. . A highlight of this study is that more interventions enhanced the matric pass rates. It was also evident that in the years in which the interventions decreased, the pass rates also de.creased. The regression methods investigated were all showing to be applicable in the prediction of pass rates from the numbers of interventions. This was concluded from realising that thelneasures of bias, precision and quality all ratified them. The methods were compared in order to select the best one based on the measures. The linear regression in which the pass rates.areregressed on the number of interventions came out as the leading model in terms of all the criteria used.

The stigma associated with a mental illness can be an impediment to recovery and has been described as more long lasting and disabling than the illness itself (Schulze & Angermeyer, 2003). Thus reducing stigma is an important cornerstone in any mental health strategy. This study examined the impact of an educational presentation by the Edmonton Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic (EEPIC) on reducing stigma associated with psychosis and schizophrenia. Stigma was measured using the Attribution Questionnaire (Corrigan, Markowitz, Watson, Rowan, & Kubiak, 2003) and the World Psychiatric Association’s Presentation Evaluation (Sartorius & Schulze, 2005). Respondents’ knowledge about the causes of schizophrenia improved as a result of the presentation. In addition, respondents viewed people with schizophrenia as less dangerous and were less socially distancing after the educational presentation. These results provide preliminary evidence that a time-limited educational presentation can foster positive attitudes and reduce the stigma related to schizophrenia. / Measurement, Evaluation and Cognition

Women infected with HIV are at an increased risk for infection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), developing cervical lesions, and developing cervical cancer. Prior research has suggested disruptions in the immune system as well as circulating levels of stress and gonadal hormones as possible explanations for the increase of HPV infection in women with HIV. Additionally, psychosocial factors such as symptoms of depression and distress have also been associated with HPV infection, as well as disruptions in immune and endocrinologial systems, suggesting a psychoneuroimmunological pathway to disease progression. It was hypothesized that HIV+HPV+ women assigned to a Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management (CBSM) intervention will experience improvements in disease status, immune markers, circulating stress hormones, and reductions of depression and distress symptoms. An exploratory investigation of the effects of CBSM in levels circulating reproductive hormones was also tested. Follow-up hypotheses tested whether CBSM effects on immune variables were explained by reductions in symptoms of depression, distress, NE, cortisol, and increases of DHEA-S. Additionally, it was hypothesized that CBSM effects on stress hormones would be mediated by reductions in distress and depression symptoms. Finally, it was hypothesized that improvements in immune parameters would be correlated with decreases in risk of cervical dysplasia at a 9 month follow-up. Participants were 71 women co-infected with HIV and HPV that were mostly of African American, Haitian, Latina, and Caribbean descent. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed and showed a significant CBSM effect in decreases on BDI somatic depression subscale scores and increases in NK cell counts. Additionally, there was a marginally significant effect of CBSM on increases in CD4+ T-cells and decreases in urinary NE output. The bootstrapping method evidenced a mediation model, where the relationship between group assignment and CD4+ cell counts was explained by lower BDI somatic scores. More research is necessary to fully elucidate the psychobiological trajectories of disease as immunological changes in our sample did not explain the reduced odds of dysplasia in the women assigned to the CBSM group.

Currently, few intervention programs for maltreating fathers exist and even fewer of them have been evaluated for effectiveness. The current study examined the effectiveness of a community-based group treatment program for domestically violent and child abusing fathers by looking at reliability, magnitude, and clinical significance of changes in variables associated with maltreatment risk mechanisms in a group of 98 participants. The intervention was found to be largely successful in producing statistically significant changes in fathers’ overreactivity to children’s misbehaviour, ability to co-parent with children’s mothers, and their ability to prioritize their children’s needs. However, a closer look at individual change (using measures of clinical significance), showed variability in fathers’ responses to treatment, with some men making changes across measures and some remaining in the clinically concerning range despite treatment efforts. The implications of these findings for intervention and maltreatment prevention are discussed.

Currently, few intervention programs for maltreating fathers exist and even fewer of them have been evaluated for effectiveness. The current study examined the effectiveness of a community-based group treatment program for domestically violent and child abusing fathers by looking at reliability, magnitude, and clinical significance of changes in variables associated with maltreatment risk mechanisms in a group of 98 participants. The intervention was found to be largely successful in producing statistically significant changes in fathers’ overreactivity to children’s misbehaviour, ability to co-parent with children’s mothers, and their ability to prioritize their children’s needs. However, a closer look at individual change (using measures of clinical significance), showed variability in fathers’ responses to treatment, with some men making changes across measures and some remaining in the clinically concerning range despite treatment efforts. The implications of these findings for intervention and maltreatment prevention are discussed.

No description available.

The context for this work is set by the proliferation of intrastate conflicts and the international legal debate of humanitarian intervention. The thesis specifically addresses the concept of the “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) as formulated by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS). The objective is to assess the present quality of R2P as a concept of international law. Five components of the R2P framework are discussed: the primary responsibility of every state to protect its population from large-scale killings and large-scale ethnic cleansing; the right of other states to collective humanitarian intervention through the United Nations; a right of unilateral humanitarian intervention without prior Security Council authorization; the responsibility of the international community to take military action; and the criteria for external military involvement. Methodologically, the analysis is grounded in the dominant theory of legal positivism and its doctrine of sources, which requires notably an analysis of treaties and customary international law. An ethical theory is devised and applied, however, to remedy inadequacies of a strictly positivist method that sets out to determine international law solely on the basis of hard facts. These ethical considerations serve as a background theory to provide guidance in difficult cases of treaty or customary law analysis, and they fill gaps in positive international law as legally binding “principles of ethical law”. In conclusion, the individual components of R2P differ in terms of their legal status and the degree to which it can be explained by the traditional posivist approach to international law. The primary responsibility of every state has become accepted as a hard norm of international customary law; the right of collective humanitarian intervention is provided for in Chapter VII of the UN Charter; a right of unilateral humanitarian intervention has become part of the international legal system as a “principle of ethical law”; the residual responsibility of the international community is a principle of “legal soft law”; finally, positive international law defines no criteria delineating the permissible and required use of force for the protection of foreign populations.

The Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus 2004) is a behavior rating scale commonly used in preschool settings. In addition to measuring behavioral constructs such as hyperactivity, social skills, and adaptive functioning, the BASC-2 includes a Developmental Social Disorders (DSD) content scale that evaluates the presence of behaviors commonly associated with pervasive developmental disorders, including items related to self-stimulation, withdrawal and poor socialization. This study compared the T-scores of toddler and preschool-aged children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to children diagnosed with other developmental delays, and typically developing children using the BASC-2 Parent Rating Scales, Preschool form. Participants from the ASD group obtained significantly higher T-scores than the typically developing group on the Hyperactivity, Atypicality, Withdrawal, and Attention Problems scales, and obtained significantly lower T-scores on the Adaptability, Social Skills, Activities of Daily Living, and and Functional Communication scales. Significant differences were not observed between participants in the ASD group and those diagnosed with other developmental delays. However, the DSD scale was effective in distinguishing between groups, with participants in the ASD group obtaining significantly higher T-scores on the DSD scale than those diagnosed with other developmental delays and typically developing children.

© Cranfield University / This thesis focuses on what stability is, and what interventions have supported stability in four communities in Afghanistan and Nepal. It is the author’s view that this is the first in-depth village level assessment of how populations conceive of stability and stabilisation and thus presents a challenge to existing analysis and research about how to foster stability in contexts in extreme tension and often violent conflict. The thesis argues that international, particularly Western, notions of stability and stabilisation processes have failed to grasp the importance of local political legitimacy formation, which is a vital aspect of contemporary statebuilding of a ‘non-Westphalian’ nature. The interventions, across defence, diplomatic and defence lines, have also at times undermined one another and in some cases contributed to instability. This is particularly acute when the interventions have been motivated by the conflicting demands of statebuilding, counter-insurgency (COIN) and development theories. The thesis argues that the nature of the interventions, their conception of stability and exogenously-driven goals limit the ability to promote stability. Research findings indicate that that local processes of stabilisation have, at times, proven to be more enduring but only in circumstances where a combination of local and national political processes have allowed political legitimacy to be formed and maintained. Research findings also suggest that the more successful stability interventions have been critically supported by humanitarian and security activities which have provided for the immediate needs of the population. Longer term stability has only been embedded in contexts which have also been able to exploit economic opportunities.

In this paper we argue that complete modeling of foreign exchange intervention and sterilization policy. Using an impulse response function and variance decomposition derived from a four-variable vector autoregression model for East Asia, inclusive Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand etc. To explore how monetary authorities responded to exchange rates shock and foreign assets shock in East Asia. The analysis reveals that: (1) The Central Bank in Malaysia and in Singapore tended to use a ¡§leaning against the wind¡¨ exchange rate policy when facing domestic currency depreciation shock. Other countries tended to use a ¡§leaning with the wind¡¨ exchange rate policy. (2) Overall, the monetary base of the East Asia wasn¡¦t completely insulated from the foreign asset shock.