Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'ISSUES IDENTIFIED'

In the history of this country queer-identified individuals have faced discrimination and harassment in their places of school and work for many years. Research has found that exposure to these experiences can have a negative impact on mental health. Prior to this study, no data were available as to whether or not queer-identified Couple and Family Therapists (C/MFTs) also have faced discrimination and harassment within the field of C/MFT. This study explored the lived experiences of queer-identified C/MFTs in an attempt to identify what unique struggles this population faces, and if these struggles include coping with discrimination and harassment. Participants identified concerns over inadequate training and resources, issues related to self-disclosure, the role of being a spokesperson for the queer community, the role that context plays with regard to their experiences, the strengths of being a queer-identified C/MFT, and the relationship that the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) has had with queer-identified C/MFTs and the queer community in general. Finally, participants were asked to give words of advice to other therapists based on their own experiences. The results of the study suggest that queer-identified C/MFTs find their sexual orientation as a strength; it not only benefits their clinical work, but can enable a sense of empowerment in advocating for the rights of their community.

The overarching purpose of this study was to explore the thoughts and attitudes of hospice chaplains and music therapists (MTs) related to the questions, "Is it appropriate for music therapists to provide spiritual care as part of the hospice team," "What kind of training and preparation do music therapists and chaplains think hospice music therapists should have before engaging in spiritual care work," and "What should the content be of spiritual care training for music therapists?" The study used a sequential exploratory qualitative/quantitative mixed methods design utilizing parallel purposive subject samples to examine the research questions. The first phase of the study included semi-structured interviews with eight music therapists and seven chaplains specializing in hospice care. These interviews were designed to collect in-depth information about the research questions. Each interview was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using open coding within a grounded theory approach. Thematic analysis revealed the prevalence of the categories of "ethics" and "training." Participants discussed issues related to scope of practice, cultural competence, maintaining personal boundaries, educational content, and educational methods. Analysis of the data information also indicated the need to expand the research questions, which were examined with larger participant samples in the second phase of the study. Phase II of the study included the development and implementation of a survey tool to explore the results of Phase I with a larger group of participants. The following questions were used as the basis for the survey tool: 1) How appropriate do chaplains and music therapists feel it is for music therapists to provide spiritual care as part of the hospice team? 2) What is the scope of practice for music therapists with regards to providing spiritual care as part of the hospice team? 3) How important are specific aspects of cultural competence in providing ethically sound spiritual care to hospice patients? 4) How do music therapists' music selections for addressing spiritual goals reflect culturally competent practice? 5) What are the personal boundaries that should be maintained by music therapists in order to provide ethically sound spiritual care? 6) How do music therapists feel their personal spiritual beliefs influence their interactions with patients? 7) What types of previous spiritual care training do music therapists report completing? 8) What training topics do music therapists and chaplains feel music therapists should study in order to provide competent spiritual care? 9) What types of training methods do music therapists and chaplains think are most appropriate for music therapists wanting to learn more about spiritual care? 10) What, if any, differences exist between chaplains' and music therapists' responses to these research questions? A final sample of music therapists (n=48) and chaplains (n=44) completed the survey. Results indicated that the role of music therapists includes providing spiritual care as part of the hospice team. The spiritual care scope of practice for music therapists identified by survey participants included assisting with spiritual practices, experiencing God or a higher power, assisting with meditative practices, and assisting with guided imagery experiences. According to participants, music therapists should not lead religious rituals or ceremonies, nor should they conduct spiritual assessments. Music therapists felt that all aspects of cultural competence mentioned in the survey were important, especially selecting interventions that are reflective of patients' cultural and spiritual backgrounds. This was also reflected in the ways music therapists wrote about selecting music for use in addressing spiritual goals. Participants identified specific personal boundaries that should be maintained when providing spiritual care, including avoiding pushing one's personal beliefs onto a patient or family. Music therapists expressed a variety of opinions about how their personal beliefs affected their interactions with patients. These varied from "not at all" to "allows me to be open to others." Music therapists and chaplains expressed similarly varied responses to a question about the wearing of religious symbols when providing hospice services. Questions about spiritual care training methods and content revealed that music therapists were more likely to engage in on-the-job learning, or attend continuing education and conference presentations about spiritual care. Music therapists and chaplains also wrote about learning from patients, participating in group feedback sessions, and reading materials about spiritual care as ways to learn about spiritual care provision. Differences were seen between music therapists and chaplains on their understanding of the concept of "spirituality" and "spiritual care." There were also differences between the two groups on questions of the importance of knowing one's own background as a component of cultural competence, as well as the appropriateness of music therapists providing spiritual care/counseling.

PURPOSE. This study is entitled, 'An Analysis of some Significant Issues and Problems as Identified by Practical Skills teachers in the provincial high schools in Papua New Guinea'. It is hoped that the importance of this study lies in its contribution in helping provincial school administrators, Practical Skills teachers, curriculum advisory committee members, inspectors, staff and students at the Design and Technology Department to gain an insight into the current problems and issues faced by Practical Skills teachers with the end view of effecting changes in the present set-up to attain the objectives of the Practical Skills programs in the provincial high schools in Papua New Guinea. METHODS USED: The methods employed in this study to collect the data were:- A. Questionnaires, B. Interviews and C. Review of literature. A proposed set of questions for the questionnaires was sent to the Division of Research and Evaluation Unit, Department of Education in Port Moresby, who made some encouraging comments and suggestions which were then used in the formulation of the final questionnaires consisting of 32 questions.

Neonatal asphyxia is the third largest cause of neonatal mortality in Vietnam, and many of the surviving patients suffer from permanent brain damage. A cooling mattress used for treatment of infants suffering from asphyxia has been shown to have problems with providing a stable body temperature for the patients. The main purpose of this project is to assess potential problems with routines and the use of the most central technical equipment used to treat newborns suffering from asphyxia, as well as constructing a phantom to simulate a newborn infant in the process of cooling. The purpose of the simulation is to investigate new methods of using the cooling mattress to achieve a more stable body temperature when cooling the patient. The project was done at Phu San Hostpial and Vietnam National Children's Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam. The technical evaluation was conducted with observations, interviews and a question form. The results showed that there were issues with the sensors connected to the ventilators, noise level from alarms and routines concerning sanitation. The phantom was based on a water bottle, an interest heater and a pump to mix the water. It proved not possible to construct a phantom that met the necessary criteria.
Asfyxi hos nyfödda är den tredje största orsaken till neonatal dödlighet i Vietnam, och många av de överlevande får permanenta hjärnskador. En nedkylningsmadrass som används till behandling av nyfödda med asfyxi har visat sig ha problem med att hålla patientens kroppstemperatur stabil. Arbetets huvudsakliga syfte är att undersöka potentiella problem med rutiner och användningen av den viktigaste tekniken vid behandling av nyfödda som lider av asfyxi, samt även konstruera en fantom som ska kunna simulera en nyfödd vid nedkylning. Simuleringen har som syfte att undersöka nya användningsmetoder av nedkylningsmadrassen för att uppnå en mer stabil kroppstemperatur hos patienten. Arbetet gjordes vid Phu San Hospital, och National Children’s Hospital i Hanoi, Vietnam. Utvärderingen av teknikens användning gjordes via observationer, intervjuer och ett frågeformulär. Resultaten sammanställdes för att hitta potentiella förbättringar till teknikens användning. Det framkom problem med sensorerna kopplat till ventilatorerna, ljudnivån från alarmer och rutiner kring sanitering. Fantomet baserades på en vattenflaska, en doppvärmare och en pump som blandade vattnet. Det visade sig inte vara möjligt att konstruera en fantom som uppfyllde alla kriterier med de resurser som var tillgängliga.

Artificial Intelligence Lab, Department of MIS, University of Arizona
A major problem that decision makers are facing in an information-rich society is how to absorb, filter and make effective use of available data. The problem caused by information overflow could lead to the losses of competitiveness. This paper presents a knowledge-based approach to building an issues identifier to help investors overcome information overflow problems when dealing with very large on-line financial databases. The proposed software system is able to extract critical issues from the on-line financial databases. The system was developed based on a number of techniques: automatic indexing, concept space genemtion, and neural network classification. In this paper, we describe how these techniques are used to extract subject descriptors, their semantic relationships, and the related texts (documents or paragraphs) to each descriptor. The proposed system has been tested with the annual reports from thirteen of the largest international banks.

Malgré une plus grande diversité dans les recherches sur l’adoption depuis la dernière décennie, les études sur le développement de l’identité chez les personnes adoptées issues de groupes racisés au Québec sont rares. Pourtant, le fait de grandir dans un environnement où l’ensemble des gens n’est pas issu du même groupe racisé peut occasionner de grands obstacles. Dans le cadre de ce mémoire, neuf participantes adoptées à l’international et issues d’un groupe racisé ont été rencontrées afin de mieux comprendre comment se développe leur identité. Âgées entre 20 et 30 ans, les participantes ont partagé sur leur parcours de vie selon deux thèmes : celui de l’enfance et de l’adolescence et celui de la vie adulte. Les résultats obtenus soulignent l’importance d’une famille ouverte et encourageante dans la construction identitaire de l’enfant. L’impact de ces relations positives se transpose jusqu’à l’âge adulte pour l’ensemble des participantes. L’étude établit aussi que les familles adoptantes font face, encore aujourd’hui, à des stéréotypes, des microagressions et de l’intimidation. Pour les participantes qui ont subi de l’intimidation et des microagressions à répétition, les conséquences sur le développement identitaire sont majeures. Elles ont une incidence sur la place des préoccupations, sur la formation des représentations sociales, sur la présence d’émotions négatives et sur l’acceptation du statut d’adopté issu de groupes racisés. Les constats de cette étude montrent que, même si la majorité des participantes ont un parcours de vie positif, les impacts d’une intimidation fréquente sont importants. Il est également essentiel de prendre en compte les besoins de soutien et d’écoute ainsi que les bienfaits d’échanger avec d’autres personnes issues d’un groupe racisé, surtout à l’adolescence. Enfin, la nécessité de former des intervenants aux enjeux complexes rencontrés par les personnes adoptées issues de groupes racisés reste toujours d’actualité.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1994.
Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-109).

碩士
國立彰化師範大學
特殊教育系所
105
The purpose of the present study was to investigate of the stories behind two junior high school students who had not been identified LD students until in junior high school. A qualitative research method and semi-structured questions were conducted. I interviewed homeroom teachers in primary schools and the junior high school, the two students, and their parents. According to the results of my interviews： 1. The factors that two students were unable to refer identifying in primary schools included: (1) the parents feared their children were labeled at school, and expected children would study well later; (2) the teachers thought it was complicated, such as filling in the information of Pre-referral Intervention; (3) the students’ achievement were not significant in primary schools; (4) the misunderstanding in communication between parents and teachers; (5) the lack of special education knowledge about LD. 2. The performance of the two students after LD identification: (1) the resource room teacher assist two students in establishing appropriate learning steps, methods, and learning strategies; (2) the two students had greater sense of belonging and perform well in the resource class; (3) the adaptive educational placement for the two students let teachers and parents felt assured; (4) the teachers and parents thought that LD labeling is less significant, but the ability of the two LD students would affect searching for a job and the performance of at the work. Finally, specific suggestions were made based on the results of this analysis for the system of Learning disabilities identification, the knowledge of knowing the disabled children, and the communication between parents and teachers.

The aim of this study is to analyse the issues & possible solutions in Public Procurement System (e procurement portals & Govt. e-Marketplace) in India using Focused Group Methodology. It is well established all over the world that expenditure on account of public procurement is of significant level. India is also no exception to this phenomenon. Also, given that the high level of poverty in the country, the public expenditure is high in India and fiscal deficit remained high in the accounting history of India. In order to streamline the public procurement process, Government of India has launched Central Public Procurement Portals (CPPP) and Government e-Marketplace (GeM) with the aim of bringing transparency, efficiency and price competitiveness in the public procurement system in India. It is a web portal similar to the e-commerce websites where sellers can list their products and buyer can select and buy the product as per their norms and requirement. It can be used by the government agencies and departments of central and state governments only. In earlier studies conducted on the above subject viz. “Study on impact of Government e-Marketplace (GeM) on Public Procurement System in India” and “Study on impact of e-procurement portals (i.e. Central & State Public Procurement Portals) on Public Procurement System in India” have identified the various issues in public procurement system. In this study, these issues has been discussed in groups with the experts from the field and tried to bring possible solutions to these issues. The study was conducted to by organising two Focus group i.e. Focus Group 1 (FG1) & Focus Group 2 (FG2). FG1 was consist of participants from various central, state & autonomous government organisation having 10 years or more experience in handling public procurements whereas FG2 was consists of participants from various central, state & autonomous government organisation having less than 5 years of experience in handling public procurements cases. The outcome during the discussions of focus groups were further discussed with the other groups. Findings of the study were consolidated and put forward in meaningful way for providing base for further study.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Medicine in the field of Bioethics and Health Law. Johannesburg June 2017.
Introduction National Health Insurance (NHI) has been proposed in South Africa to ensure that everyone has access to appropriate, efficient and quality health services. Involving the private healthcare sector is essential for this to occur because of its resources. Significant changes to the private healthcare structure are anticipated for its incorporation into the NHI plan. This study examines the perceptions of General Practitioners (GPs) from the private sector in the Johannesburg area on the NHI. It examines the challenges they foresee that will impact on their willingness to participate in the NHI and how these might manifest as ethical concerns. These findings will yield effective ways these concerns are addressed with regard to their acceptance of the NHI and any ethical issues they may have regarding the effective delivery thereof. Study design The study took the form of an exploratory-descriptive empirical method using semi-structured interviews. Method The qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analyses. Results The general perception of the NHI by the General Practitioners was negative. The NHI was perceived by the doctors in this study to be an extension of the current public health sector. The current perception of the public health sector is one of inferior care; an over worked and understaffed facility; a poorly maintained system with inadequate supervision; and one that is rampant with corruption. The key ethical concerns arising from this study is the quality of care for the patients, basic working conditions in government facilities; corruption in, and a general mistrust of the government. Concerns were raised about quality of patient care in the public sector and the possibility of “downgrading” private health care. These factors impose on the patients’ right to dignity, equality and freedom as poor quality of health care infringes these rights. Conclusion and recommendations To gain “buy-in” from GPs, the establishment of trust, improved communication and an end to mismanagement and corruption are essential for the NHI to be successfully implemented.
LG2018

The objectives of this study were to provide a detailed biopsychosocial description of the characteristics of a sample of 100 individuals screened and referred by the National Responsible Gaming Programme helpline for their outpatient treatment programme over an eighteen month period, and, importantly, to measure the success of this specific treatment programme at set intervals, up to a one year follow-up period. While 80% of the sample did not relapse during the six-week treatment programme, the number of treatment seekers without any gambling relapses during each follow-up period declined, and those falling back into gambling increased as time went on. After one year 47% of treatment seekers managed not to revert back to gambling – total abstinence. A further 28% reported having relapsed once or twice or that their gambling was controlled. 25% of treatment seekers reported that they reverted back to gambling fulltime which leaves the success rate of the treatment at 75%. Treatment seekers reported an overall reduction in gambling participation, debt and expenditure and an overall improvement in social and vocational functioning. There is evidence in this study to support the perspective that pathological gambling is a multidimensional disorder and that certain sub-groups of gamblers have distinct gambling behaviour.
Psychology
M.Soc.Sc.

Tese de doutoramento em Sociologia, apresentada à Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra
A presente tese consiste em um estudo sociológico a partir do caso da Usina Hidroelétrica Belo Monte, em construção no Estado do Pará, na Amazônia brasileira. O objetivo deste estudo foi dedicar um olhar para a questão da saúde a partir da perspectiva das populações atingidas pelo megaprojeto hidroelétrico. O trabalho inicia com uma apresentação do histórico dos projetos de barramento do rio Xingu, em meados dos anos 1970. Dos primeiros estudos da bacia hidrográfica do Xingu até o início da obra de Belo Monte passaram-se aproximadamente trinta anos e, durante esse período, muitas polémicas e disputas envolveram as populações atingidas, políticos, intelectuais, artistas, cientistas, ativistas e movimentos sociais. Também é discutido nesta tese o modelo de desenvolvimento económico brasileiro, para se compreender como se dá a opção pela construção de grandes projetos de infraestrutura, como é o caso de Belo Monte. A partir dessa primeira abordagem ao megaprojeto, passo a dar ênfase à perspectiva das populações atingidas por Belo Monte. Para tanto, foi necessário, primeiramente, conhecer melhor o universo de populações atingidas, compostas por populações urbanas, rurais, comunidades ribeirinhas e indígenas. Através do trabalho empírico realizado em Brasília/DF e Altamira/PA, foi possível conhecer e reconhecer a diversidade dessas populações e, assim identificar algumas questões importantes que não foram objeto de debate com o poder público e o empreendedor. É o que Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2006) chama de produções de não existência, ou invisibilidades. A utilização da matriz teórica das epistemologias do Sul (Santos, 2002) permitiu o reconhecimento dessas invisibilidades, isto é, permitiu ver como as alterações no ambiente e nos modos de vidas das populações atingidas por Belo Monte afetam a saúde e a qualidade de vida destas. É a partir dessa lente que se dedica o olhar para a saúde das populações atingidas, e a problematização dessa questão é realizada nesta tese tendo como protagonistas as próprias populações atingidas. Assim foi identificado como um dos problemas relevantes decorrentes da construção da Usina Hidroelétrica Belo Monte a relação entre o sofrimento sentido pelas populações atingidas e o surgimento de agravos à saúde. O sofrimento difuso é um conceito desenvolvido por Valla (2001) que será discutido nesta tese na medida em que é constatado como uma consequência de Belo Monte invisibilizada. Isto porque não foi previsto ou discutido como uma possibilidade, nem no Estudo de Impacto Ambiental (EIA), nem no seu respectivo Relatório de Impacto Ambiental (Rima). Também não foi percebido como uma situação merecedora de atenção por parte do órgão fiscalizador responsável pela conceção das licenças que permitiram Belo Monte ser construída, o Ibama. Ainda, a relação entre o sofrimento e os agravos à saúde das populações atingidas não foi alvo de políticas públicas na área da saúde pública. Dessa forma, pretende este trabalho contribuir para a discussão sobre a saúde das populações atingidas pelo megaprojeto Belo Monte, a partir do reconhecimento das populações atingidas como detentoras e produtoras de conhecimento relevante. ~This thesis consists of a sociological study from the case of Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant, under construction in the State of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon. The aim of this study was to dedicate a look at the issue of health from the perspective of the people affected by hydroelectric megaproject. The work begins with a presentation of the history of the Xingu River dam projects in the mid-1970s From the first studies of the watershed of the Xingu to the early work of Belo Monte it took about thirty years and during this period, many controversies and disputes involving the populations concerned, politicians, intellectuals, artists, scientists, activists and social movements. It is also discussed in this thesis the Brazilian model of economic development, to understand how is the option for the construction of large infrastructure projects, such as the case of Belo Monte. From this first approach to megaproject, then I give emphasis to the perspective of populations affected by Belo Monte. Therefore, it was necessary, firstly, to know the universe of affected populations, composed of urban, rural populations, coastal communities and indigenous people. Through the empirical work done in Brasilia / DF and Altamira / PA, it was possible to know and recognize the diversity of these populations and thus identify some important issues that were not subject to discussion with the government and the entrepreneur. It's what Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2006) calls invisibilities. Using the theoretical framework of South epistemologies (Santos, 2002) allowed the recognition of these invisibilities, allowed to see how changes in the environment and ways of life of the populations affected by Belo Monte affect the health and quality of life of that people. It is from this lens that is dedicated to looking at the health of the populations, and the questioning of this issue is carried out in this thesis having as protagonists the affected populations themselves. Thus it was identified as one of the relevant issues arising from the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant the relationship between the suffering experienced by the affected populations and the emergence of health problems. The diffuse suffering is a concept developed by Valla (2001) which will be discussed in this thesis since it is found as a result of Belo Monte. This is because it was not planned or discussed as a possibility, or the Environmental Impact Study (EIA), or in their respective Environmental Impact Report (RIMA). It was also not perceived as a worthy position of attention by the supervisory body responsible for the design of the licenses that allowed Belo Monte is built, the Ibama. Also, the relationship between suffering and health problems of the affected population was not the target of public policies in the field of public health. Thus, this work aims to contribute to the discussion on the health of populations affected by Belo Monte mega-project, from the recognition of the people affected as having relevant knowledge.
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) - Nº BEX 1749-13-7