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This paper examines some of the issues in the grading and use of evidence, and suggests that the (US) Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) system used by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and others is useful, but that it needs development to take account not only of type of study, but also of quality. It also considers the need to complement evidence of efficacy from randomised controlled trials, which may involve selected patients in selected centres, with evidence of "real-life" effectiveness. Furthermore, there are occasions where randomised controlled trials are not necessary. A grading system to take account of these issues is proposed for discussion.

This paper offers a nuanced perspective of two families' lockdown literacy journeys with their young children during the COVID 19 pandemic. We present informal home learning examples stimulated by play and by school-sanctioned synchronous and asynchronous activities from homes geographically miles apart yet close in terms of shared experience. In response to the catch-up and learning loss narrative which threatens to overshadow some of the positive learning experiences taking place at home, we redirect the 'catch-up' narrative towards a nuanced understanding of family learning at home by articulating the complexity of circumstance. Methodologically, drawing on Autoethnography, we present vignettes of lockdown life from Scotland and Michigan, USA. Throughout this paper we articulate challenges with the catch-up narrative and root our conclusions in the early childhood philosophy that learning extends beyond the mind to a whole body, holistic experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine impact of undertaking an international educational program during a nurse's or midwife's pre-registration program on subsequent practice, focusing on how nurses and midwives were transformed personally through participation in such programs. Background: Participation in international educational programs has been reported to enhance nursing and midwifery students' personal and professional development, however long-term impacts remain unclear. This paper presents findings drawn from a larger grounded theory study. Study design and Methods: Charmaz's grounded theory methodology was used to elicit experiences from 13 general nurses, two mental health nurses, three midwives and four dual qualified nurse/midwives across eight different countries. Data analysis led to the creation of three categories, with this paper reporting on the category of Developing as a Person. Findings: Participation in international educational programs can be transformative for nurses and midwives with long-lasting impacts, contributing positively to their personal growth and development. Discussion: The study findings underscore significant long-term impacts of international educational programs for nurses and midwives. These outcomes highlight the importance of incorporating international experiences into healthcare education. Conclusion: By providing opportunities for healthcare professionals to engage with diverse settings and populations, organisations and educational institutions can foster the development of well-rounded and globally competent practitioners. Implications for research, policy, and practice: The study's findings hold significant implications for research, policy, and practice in healthcare education. To deepen our understandings, additional longitudinal research across diverse countries is warranted. Policymakers have an opportunity to acknowledge the positive impact of these programs on the personal growth and development of nurses and midwives, potentially leading to the integration of global competency requirements into licensure programs. In order to provide comprehensive education, educational institutions should consider the inclusion of study abroad opportunities, cultural exchanges, and global clinical placements within nursing and midwifery curricula. What is already known about the topic? • International educational programs are widely used as a way of developing nursing and midwifery students' cultural understandings. • Previous studies have reported on short-term impacts of international educational programs. What this paper adds: • Long-term impacts of participation in an international educational program on nurses and midwives are described. • Personal development and subsequent transformations occur for nurses and midwives as a result of participation in international educational programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to answer the research question: in what ways is access to resources related to menstruation a public health issue in the United States (US) and Scotland? Resources will be understood to mean, for example, menstrual products, education, safe restroom facilities, and appropriate and accessible healthcare. The Social Ecological Model (SEM), a conceptual model consisting of four levels of consideration (individual, interpersonal, institutional/community, and societal), was used to structure a narrative review of the factors related to access to menstrual resources. The SEM offers a novel approach within Critical Menstruation Studies that leads to a better understanding of how access to resources affects menstrual health and the menstrual experience in the US and Scotland. This review is intended as an initial step towards collecting data about access to menstrual resources that can inform policy and legislation. It calls for advocates, activists, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders to explore opportunities for change at each of the levels of the SEM: individual, interpersonal, institutional/community, and societal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is a global concern, and, this paper, describes the caring roles of health professionals who are mothers of adult children with schizophrenia. A thematic analysis of data from a doctoral study identified a blending of expertise into an informed care model. Caring roles included: constant carer; coordinator carer; watchful bystander carer; and life coach carer. Previous research has not explored these dual roles. This paper elucidates their responsive approaches and contributions to mothering and caregiving roles. Informed by a fusion of professional and mothering knowledges, their insights into mental health care have been forged by their experiences and is an untapped resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paternal incarceration (PI) is recognised as a severely stigmatising event that undermines social connections leaving affected children isolated and vulnerable. However, few studies have explored social group membership as a potential mediator of positive outcomes. This paper analysed data from two national contexts, Scotland and the United States, to examine the potential for social group membership in childhood to mediate the association between PI and child behavioural and emotional outcomes. Study 1 reported on cross‐sectional data from the Growing Up in Scotland dataset of children aged 12 years. Study 2 used longitudinal data from the Fragile Families cohort study (USA) of children aged 9 years and then 15 years. Children and parents completed measures of PI, children's group membership, as well as positive functioning. In Study 1, a mediated indirect effect of PI on prosocial behaviour via children's group membership was observed. In Study 2, children's reported social group membership mediated the effect of PI on positive adolescent functioning longitudinally. Whilst experiences of PI at age 9 were linked with lower group membership at age 15, group membership was associated with higher levels of positive adolescent functioning. This has implications for the support families receive when a parent is incarcerated to avoid children serving sentences for 'the sins of their fathers'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Peer-reviewed research helps to advance many aspects of medical and surgical practice. This paper determines the main contributors tos joint arthroplasty research in terms of quantity and quality. Methods: A search of the Web of Science™ platform was conducted to identify arthroplasty articles published between 2001 and 2016. The number of articles and citations per article were analysed to assess the quantity and quality of research from individual countries. Results were standardised according to the country's populations and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Results: In total, 43,470 arthroplasty articles were published worldwide from January 2001 through December 2016. There was a 4.5-fold increase in global output during this time period. Twenty-two countries contributed at least 1% to the total number of publications. The United States of America published the most articles (35.40%), followed by England (10.31%) and Germany (10.03%). The USA had the highest absolute number of citations (50,777). Denmark had the highest average citation per item (8.76). When number of articles was normalized to population, Switzerland ranked the highest. When adjusted by GDP, Scotland ranked highest. When standardised according to GDP per capita, the People's Republic of China rated highest. The Journal of Arthroplasty produced the highest number of publications related to arthroplasty with 10.9% of total volume. Conclusion: There has been a substantial increase in worldwide publications relating to arthroplasty. The USA has produced the largest volume whilst Denmark has produced the highest quality publications. When output was normalized according to population and GDP, Switzerland and Scotland ranked highest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of menstrual products for free has become one part of the larger push by menstrual activists to make menstrual equity a global priority. Menstrual equity includes addressing and solving concerns that connect menstruation to public health issues, gender equality, and access to complete and comprehensive health and menstrual education. This last point is the focus of this paper. The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill in Scotland did not emerge out of nowhere; neither did legislation across the US that addresses period poverty. Rather, these legal advances are the latest in a complicated and complex fight for menstrual education and healthcare. The Period Products Act's emphasis on 'access'--access to education and to menstrual products--is rooted in Scottish sex and menstrual education. This seemingly subtle difference from American menstrual education reveals how access has historically been integrated into Scottish menstrual education, a comparison particularly visible in the American and Scottish films studied here, Naturally ... a Girl (1973) and Having a Period: Menstruation (1980), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information about library science. Details on the Second European Conference on Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries by the European Union in September 1998; Information on the Professional Development Workshops of the University of Pittsburg School of Information Sciences; Details on the Educational Research Project at the Robert Gordon University.

This paper analyses the role that different components of the academic strength of the secondary-school curriculum (i.e. number, subjects and grades of advanced academic courses) play in explaining social origin differences in access to prestigious universities (but also to other higher education institutions) in Scotland and the USA. A central aim of the paper is to investigate whether the mechanism behind the studied patterns of inequality differs depending on the characteristics of each educational system. Our results show pronounced social class gaps in entering top higher education institutions in both Scotland and the USA. Academic curriculum plays an important role in explaining these social class differences in both countries. However, while in Scotland type of subjects taken at an advanced level is the strongest mediator for the identified social class differences, in the USA, number of advanced subjects is the strongest. Moreover, taking into account the three academic components combined entirely explains the social class differences in Scotland. Considerable inequalities which are not explained by the strength of academic curriculum remain in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the premise that community land trusts (CLTs) offer a method of delivering affordable housing that empowers local communities and provides democratic management of community assets. The paper provides a comparative analysis of CLT developments in England, Scotland and the USA, reviewing the policy and literature to identify two key approaches that underpin CLTs: an approach to property development that emphasises resale restrictions used to preserve housing use for the CLT's target clientele, and an approach to citizen governance that privileges local communities. The paper identifies a variation of practices that underpin the operation of CLTs in each country and uses the advanced developments in Scotland and the USA to illustrate some of the challenges that remain if the CLT sector in England is to continue its recent growth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study of socio-economic inequalities from a cross-national perspective has been hampered by the lack of adequate common indices of socioeconomic status that can be used in a self-report survey instrument. This paper examines the construction and the properties of global social indexes in general, and of the Family Affluence Scale (henceforth FAS) in particular. The paper proposes a new strategy for making comparisons of the global index with stratified data, building a revised FAS based on Adapted Canonical Variate Analysis (henceforth ACVA). This alternative strategy for constructing a global index is available in standard software, and the new proposal for stratified data only requires a simple program, which is justified, explained and provided in the text. Data come from the 1998 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC), a WHO Cross-National Study using cluster sampling of schoolchildren from five countries: Denmark, Latvia, Portugal, Scotland and the USA. The results reveal that in every country we would have had a completely different evaluation of the three indicators of Family Affluence if we had used either linear or non linear approaches to compute the global indexes. Moreover, Family Affluence comparisons among countries shows that the relative contribution of the three indicators to the overall FAS, changes from country to country. We conclude that separate indicators of Family Affluence are not equally relevant in each country and, as a consequence, do not contribute equally to the global index. For cross-cultural studies, the strategy for constructing an index should be country specific. The methodological developments presented in the paper open up opportunities to study socio-economic patterning of health among young people in the developed world, since self completed surveys can now employ a common measure of family material wealth. The findings show that the RFAS (Revised FAS) is a useful index of socio-economic status for use in national and cross-national surveys of adolescent health and health behaviour. The new strategy for weighing observed indicators in the index gives it enhanced power to detect inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Reformed clergy across two different settings - the United States and Scotland in an effort to determine how theological orthodoxy is related to political participation. The paper demonstrates that (1) clergy in both settings tend to be politically active (2) the level of clergy political activity tends to be greater in the United States than in Scotland (3) the relationship between orthodoxy and political activity is complex, varying by the specific type of activity examined and (4) while theological orthodoxy and modernist clergy tend to differ in the nature of their political activities, there is no longer a major "gap" in level of political activity between the two groups of ministers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the relationship that exists between Scotland and its diaspora and the ways in which this has changed since the advent of devolution. Based on interviews carried out primarily in the United States, it explores how members of the diaspora have adopted a less historical and sentimental approach to their ‘homeland’ and are increasingly knowledgeable about Scottish constitutional change. In part this has resulted from the growth of the internet and the ease of finding out about developments in Scotland itself, as well as the greater ease and affordability of travel back to Scotland. But, most importantly, the existence of a government in Edinburgh has allowed Scottish politicians and organizations to engage with the diaspora in events such as Tartan Day, in a way in which London-based politicians were never likely to do. Tourist developments promoted by the Scottish government, such as the Year of Homecoming in 2009, have also been highly significant. Thus links between Scotland and its diaspora have been changed and strengthened in various ways. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores the economic critique of slave labor that emerged from the writings of the Scottish Enlightenment and the general failure of these ideas to influence American debates over slavery in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. While the Scottish school of political economy was quite influential in revolutionary America, neither antislavery advocates nor economic writers chose to follow the Scots in analyzing the deeper economic ramifications of the “peculiar” institution. Indeed, Americans who discussed slavery generally framed the issue in terms of morality, religion, legal principles, or humanitarian sensibilities. They rarely focused on slavery as a system of labor, or its effects on commercial growth. This tendency represented a peculiar feature of the late eighteenth-century debates over slavery in America. In other parts of the British Empire and Atlantic world, the discourse of political economy became one of the primary lenses through which contemporaries viewed the institution. And as historians of antebellum America have long noted, the supposed economic limitations of slavery was key in driving public anxiety over the future of the institution. This paper seeks to explore the historical roots of this “free labor” ideology in the Scottish discourse of political economy; how this critique of bondage was connected to a larger pattern of philosophical and commercial suppositions; and how this constellation of ideas took on different meanings when Americans grafted their own priorities onto the economic agenda of the Scots. Ultimately, the piece aims to reveal some of the tensions and dissonances which historically shaped the transmission of ideas from one distinct context to another. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Debates surrounding the ostensibly ‘transformative’ potential of personalisation for social work services, and service users, have variously illustrated the risks and opportunities this presents, although the implications for criminal justice social work services have received comparatively limited attention. By extending the concept of ‘service user’ to include not only offenders, but wider stakeholders (victims and communities), this paper considers the practical application of theories of personalisation and co-production by reviewing proposed and extant strategies for maximising stakeholder involvement in criminal justice services. It is argued that, in progressing beyond the more individualistic interpretations of this somewhat controversial reform agenda—in prioritising not only the individual, their rights, strengths and subjective identities, but locating the individual in situ, in the concrete realities and textures of their lives and communities—the strength of the personalisation agenda rests in its potential to develop and strengthen the collective organisation of service users, service providers and communities in a co-productive endeavour. It is argued that both this reading and the principles underpinning it resonate more widely with the empirical and theoretical literature on just and effective penal practices and, in so doing, this paper exposes the complexities that lie behind the apparent simplicity of this argument. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper draws on findings from a research project funded by the Scottish Executive which analysed the gender balance in teaching and explored the underlying reasons for the decline in the number and proportion of men, particularly in secondary schools. As in other developed countries, such as Australia, the USA and Canada, the proportion of men entering teaching has declined fairly rapidly over a ten-year period. At a time when women are participating in paid work in greater numbers than ever before, their concentration in certain areas of work, particularly in the service sector and the 'caring' professions, is increasingly apparent. Despite the clarity of this trend, it is evident that responses from academics and policy-makers have been very different, with some policy-makers linking the declining proportion of men in teaching with the problem of boys' underachievement and a perceived 'crisis in masculinity', whilst some feminist writers have questioned these views, drawing on recent gender theory which questions the utility of the binary categories of 'man' and 'woman', instead suggesting that gender is performed and may have little to do with the body of the person who is involved in the particular performance. Sex and gender thus become decoupled, with the focus on individual actors freely choosing the version of gender they wish to practice. This line of argument suggests that the sex of the teacher is irrelevant; what really matters is the way in which they perform gender in the classroom. Work on the gender balance in teaching therefore provides an opportunity to reflect on underlying tensions in gender theorising and policy-making. The paper begins by considering tensions between modernist and post-structuralist accounts of sex and gender. Having outlined the underlying theoretical tensions, it then goes on to consider the accounts given by teachers and students of the reasons for their own choice of teaching as a career, their experiences in teaching and their views of the reasons underlying the declining proportion of men in teaching. The aim is to consider whether students and teachers believe that sex is an important variable structuring their lives, including their decision to become a teacher and their experiences of working as a teacher, or whether they regard gender as something which is chosen from a wide repertoire of options and is relatively free from the constraints of embodiment. In relation to research on the gender balance in teaching, the paper concludes by suggesting that there is a need to make use of the idea of gender as performance, whilst at the same time holding on to the foundational concepts of 'woman' and 'man'. This is necessary to monitor and understand the career paths and underlying power relations of women and men in teaching and to transform these over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information on several congresses and conventions related to software testing to be held during the year 1995. COMPASS '95: The 10th Annual Conference on Computer Assurance to be held in Gaithersburg, Maryland during June 26-30. The Fourth Software Quality Conference will be organized in Dundee, Scotland from July 4 to 5. The conference is sponsored by the University of Abertay, Dundee and Napier University, Edinburgh.

The purpose of this paper was to explore: (a) What stories do the Street Soccer players draw upon to construct meaning around their experiences of trauma, social exclusion, and homelessness? and (b) What stories are linked to the subjective sport programming experience and resulting future orientations? A longitudinal narrative approach was adopted with semi-structured interviews conducted with players from Scotland and the United States (n = 16, 7 female, 9 male, M age = 27.5) across three time points. Interviews were also conducted with significant others (n = 13) at time point three. All data were analyzed using thematic narrative analysis and represented in creative non-fiction approaches through three composite narratives. These narratives depicted visceral accounts of complex and developmental trauma, along with consequential experiences that unfolded before, during, and after the Homeless World Cup. While both preparing for and attending the event, players recalled concurrent feelings of anxiety and pride which manifested in various resilient and maladaptive coping behaviors. As the stories progressed, players battled a post event crash by engaging in support seeking and/or self-destructive behaviors before positive implications of the Homeless World Cup materialized. Through creative narrative approaches, this study presents novel and engaging accounts of players' experiences before, during, and after the event. We also identify potential safeguarding concerns that can be addressed through trauma-informed practices. • Novel stories exploring the lives of socially excluded and homeless people and their unique experiences in sport. • Composite narratives illuminate depictions of trauma, along with consequential experiences through the Homeless World Cup. • The universal post-event crash was observed in each story before varying resilient and support seeking behaviors prevailed. • Trauma-informed practices may ensure a safe transition between players' return home and positive future orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007 the Scottish Government introduced an outcomes based approach to culture set within a National Performance Framework. One of the main data sources to measure “culture” in Scotland is the Scottish Household Survey (SHS). In this article, the SHS and its “Culture and Sport” Module are explored to show how useful the data is within the Scottish Government's economic agenda. This way, the paper reflects on the usefulness of the main data source used to understand cultural activity within Scotland. There are general difficulties measuring “culture”, but overall the SHS provides adequate national data for Scotland on cultural participation and attendance. However, the SHS cannot provide in-depth local level information and provides limited data on non-participants. Other surveys in Scotland and England give some example practices that could be incorporated to improve survey outcomes. Overall, the SHS is a useful policy tool but more could be done to utilise the data it can provide on the Scottish cultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research into the role of place in shaping inequalities in health has focused largely on examining individual and/or localised drivers, often using a context-composition framing. Whilst this body of work has advanced considerably our understanding of the effects of local environments on health, and re-established an awareness of the importance of place for health, it has done so at the expense of marginalising and minimising the influences of macro political and economic structures on both place and health. In this paper, we argue that: (i) we need to scale up our analysis, moving beyond merely analysing local horizontal drivers to take wider, vertical structural factors into account; and (ii) if we are serious about reducing place-based health inequalities, such analysis needs be overtly linked to appropriate policy levers. Drawing on three case studies (the US mortality disadvantage, Scotland's excess mortality, and regional health divides in England and Germany) we outline the theoretical and empirical value of taking a more political economy approach to understanding geographical inequalities in health. We conclude by outlining the implications for future research and for efforts to influence policy from 'scaling up' geographical research into health inequalities. • Health-place research commonly examines focuses individual and/or localised drivers. • Health geography should 'scale up' analysis of health-place relationships. • Research needs to account for wider, vertical and structural factors. • Political economic approaches add value to insight on geographic health inequalities. • Considers the policy implications of taking a political economy approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of learning is a central goal for all professions. The question of how to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and between the classroom and the field, is one which has preoccupied social work education since its very beginnings in universities in the United Kingdom and the United States in the early twentieth century. Between 2003 and 2005, the Scottish Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education funded a project which piloted a new approach to the integration of learning for practice. This paper reports on the findings of that project, and suggests ways of taking its findings forward in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have been reminded many times in the medical and lay press about the views of London female obstetricians choosing elective caesarean section for non-medical reasons. This paper asked Scottish female obstetricians for their personal choice regarding delivery and showed that only 15·5% would choose elective caesarean section compared with 31% and 21% in two surveys of London female obstetricians. None of the women in this group who had had a vaginal delivery would choose elective section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comparison of prescribing habits for patients hospitalized in medical wards of university hospitals in America and Scotland. American patients received almost twice as many drugs both during and prior to hospitalization than did comparable Scots. The differences between the countries were consistent for symptomatic and for more specific therapies. As compared to Scotland, drug therapy in America costs patients more in terms of financial outlay and adverse drug effects. The data do not permit evaluation of the relative benefits to the patients of the different quantities or types of drug used for similar circumstances in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to argue that part of this dilemma results from the abandonment of the concepts of rle. Its reinstatement, in suitably modified ways, may provide that sense of form which is missing from much interactionist writing. The argument is based upon a study of professional-client interaction in various medical settings in Scotland and the United States.[2] The study was not undertaken in search of rles, indeed it was initially assumed that these, like the unicorn, would never be seen again. Nevertheless, only the. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Finnish Baby Box provides parents of newborns with a wide range of infant clothing and other basics. • The cardboard box in which the infant can sleep was emphasized by the media and commercial companies outside Finland. • The box preventing SIDS was advanced by private companies and the media. • This was less the case in Wales and Scotland, a result of their being governed by authorities with a "left" orientation. For over 80 years the Finnish state has provided expectant mothers with a cardboard box containing an extensive collection of clothing, bathing products for the baby, nappies, bedding and a small mattress. Numerous jurisdictions have implemented it in some form. We investigated through a critical case study methodology whether its translation into the liberal welfare states of Canada, UK, and USA experienced message distortion (the box as a means of preventing SIDS), commercialization, watering down of content; and separation from the complex of Finnish welfare state policies that support families with children. We find that only Scotland and Wales recognized the decommodification and equity roles played by the baby box. This study identified numerous barriers to building progressive public policy in Canada, UK, and USA: the structures and processes of the liberal welfare state, commercial interests that skew public policymaking and media logic that limits news reporting to the concrete and simple, eschewing complex analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore 232 service providers' and policymakers' experiences of supporting children's well-being during the pandemic, across sectors, in 22 countries – including Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, India, Scotland, Sweden, Canada and the USA, in the last quarter of 2020. Design/methodology/approach: A smartphone survey delivered via a custom-built app containing mostly open-ended questions was used. Respondents were recruited via professional networks, newsletters and social media. Qualitative content analysis was used. Findings: The findings reveal numerous system-level challenges to supporting children's well-being, particularly virus containment measures, resource deficiencies and inadequate governance and stakeholder coordination. Those challenges compounded preexisting inequalities and poorly affected the quality, effectiveness and reach of services. As a result, children's rights to an adequate standard of living; protection from violence; education; play; and right to be heard were impinged upon. Concurrently, the findings illustrate a range of adaptive and innovative practices in humanitarian and subsistence support; child protection; capacity-building; advocacy; digitalisation; and psychosocial and educational support. Respondents identified several priority areas – increasing service capacity and equity; expanding technology use; mobilising cross-sectoral partnerships; involving children in decision-making; and ensuring more effective child protection mechanisms. Practical implications: This study seeks to inform resilience-enabling policies and practices that foster equity, child and community empowerment and organisational resilience and innovation, particularly in anticipation of future crises. Originality/value: Using a novel approach to gather in-the-moment insights remotely, this study offers a unique international and multi-sectoral perspective, particularly from low- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the patient classification systems used to classify nursing intensity in the assessment of nursing staffing resources currently used in home health care, with a special emphasis on validity, reliability and staff allocation. Scoping review of internationally published and grey literature, based on a methodological framework by Arksey and O'Malley. Searches of the electronic databases Cinahl, Medline, Embase and SweMed, the websites Google and Google Scholar and hand searches of reference lists occurred. Eligibility criteria included (A) a focus on patient classification systems measuring nursing intensity and workload in home health care and (B) published in English between January 2007 and March 2019. In level one testing two team members screened titles and abstracts, in level two testing two team members determined which papers should undergo a full text review. Data were extracted using structured extraction by one team member and verified by two other members. Thirteen peer-reviewed articles and grey literature documents were identified, from Canada, Ireland, the UK, the USA, Scotland, Turkey and the Netherlands. Four patient classification systems had been tested for both validity and reliability. Validity was tested through face validity, predictive validity, concurrent validity or content validity index. Reliability was tested through stability, internal consistency, observer agreement or inter rater reliability. One patient classification system had been tested only for reliability, through interrater reliability and observer agreement. Two patient classification systems had been evaluated through summative evaluation; one qualitatively through focus group interviews and one through semi-structured interviews. Only one patient classification system had been validity and reliability tested and evaluated. Overall, the patient classification systems in the included papers (13) were considered to have benefits and to be appropriate for the measurement of patients' needs, workload and allocation of staff, although specific information was not always given. Little has been published on validity or reliability tested patient classification systems linked to staffing allocation in home health care in the past decade. Limited research was seen where a patient classification system was considered to be fully operational in home health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an aging global population, the number of dementia cases is growing exponentially. To address the upcoming dementia crisis, the World Health Organization and Alzheimer's Disease International (2012) collaborated on an extensive report, Dementia: A Public Health Priority. In the United Kingdom, Prime Minster David Cameron initiated a national challenge on dementia, forming 3 dementia challenge champion groups aimed at improving health and care, creating dementia-friendly communities, and promoting dementia research. In the U.S., President Obama signed the National Alzheimer's Project Act, which led to the formation of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services and the launch of the first National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease. The term "dementia capable" was introduced in the 2012 Recommendations of the Public Members of the Advisory Council and has since been adopted in both the recommendations and annual updates of the national plan. This paper will first compare and contrast government usage of the concepts dementia friendly and dementia capable, along with another valuable concept, dementia positive, that was added after reviewing the literature. Finally, a new vision statement for the U.S.' national plan will be proposed and recommendations incorporating these 3 concepts in policy, research, and practice will be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There appears to be considerable variation between different national jurisdictions and between different sectors of public policy in the use of evidence and particularly the use of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate non-healthcare sector programmes. Methods: As part of a wider study attempting to identify RCTs of public policy sector programmes and the reasons for variation between countries and sectors in their use, we carried out a pilot study which interviewed 10 policy makers and researchers in six countries to elicit views on barriers to and facilitators of the use of RCTs for social programmes. Results: While in common with earlier studies, those interviewed expressed a need for unambiguous findings, timely results and significant effect sizes, users could, in fact, be ambivalent about robust methods and robust answers about what works, does not work or makes no difference, particularly where investment or a policy announcement was planned. Different national and policy sector cultures varied in their use of and support for RCTs. Conclusions: In order to maximise the use of robust evaluations of public programmes across the world it would be useful to examine, systematically, cross-national and cross-sectoral variations in the use of different methods including RCTs and barriers to and facilitators of their use. Sound research methods, whatever their scientific value, are no guarantee that findings will be useful or used. 'Stories' have been shown to influence policy; those advocating the use of RCTs may need to provide convincing narratives to avoid repetition about their value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As nations continue to use OECD data to ensure preparedness for global competitiveness, questions concerning how inequality is constructed and maintained in different nations are critical. Drawing on Bourdieu and Savage, I argue that social capital continues to perpetuate social inequality both prior to and during university attendance despite decades of widening participation policy in the US and UK. A nested case study of thirty underrepresented students across the US, England, and Scotland is used to illustrate three findings: students who identified as being from the poorest backgrounds indicated having fewer social ties both prior to and during their university experience. Second, widening participation students do not receive the same social advancement from attending an elite university as their peers. Finally, differences in how each of these universities organise students provide clues to how universities can ensure the social acceptance, inclusion and cohesion of the underrepresented student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question whether schools have "effects" may be rephrased as the question of the degree to which schools reflect the pattern of their inputs, and the degree to which they disrupt that pattern by their autonomous activity. In this paper a coefficient is employed to quantify the autonomous effects of schools, and its complement (which represents heteronomy, or the degree to which schools simply transmit the pattern of their inputs) is broken down into universalistic and particularistic components. By these means it is possible to make a quantified macrosociological statement about pattern of stratification in a society. Values of the components are reported for two societies which harbor contrasting norms and myths concerning the proper operation of stratification. In a comparison between American and Scottish education it is shown that, so far from American high schools not having effects, they actually exert stronger effects than do their Scottish counterpanes. It is generally believed that, at the time when these data were collected, Scottish education was, at least for the more academically gifted child, more efficacious than American. The relation between the efficacy and the effects of a merit elective system is explained by reference by Meyer's (1970) concept of a charter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the 15th International Philosophy of Nursing (IPONS) Conference held on 25–28 August 2011, at the West Park Centre in Dundee, Scotland. Several speakers at the conference included professor Sam Porter, Queen's University, Belfast, Peter Allmark, of Sheffield Hallam University and Robert Newsom from Guildford Technical Community College in North Carolina. Several papers presented at the conference focused on the theme of 'Healthcare and the Politics of Austerity.'

Botulism was believed to be a rare disease in both the US and UK in the 1920''s, until two deadly outbreaks altered that view and launched public health measures to control it. In the United States, the ripe olive scare of 1920 found glass-packaged olives linked to multiple deaths. In the United Kingdom, eight deaths from glass-potted duck paste, in the summer of 1922 at Loch Maree, Scotland will always be associated with botulism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to benchmark roles that veterinary librarians at universities and colleges play in systematic reviews (SRs) and scoping reviews that are conducted by faculty and students at their institutions, to benchmark the level of training that veterinary librarians have in conducting SRs, to identify barriers to their participation in SRs, and to identify other types of literature reviews that veterinary librarians participate in. Methods: Sixty veterinary librarians in universities and colleges in Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand were surveyed online about their roles and training in conducting SRs, barriers to participation in SRs, and participation in other types of literature reviews. Results: Veterinary librarians' highest participation was at an advising level in traditional librarian roles as question formulator, database selector, search strategy developer, and reference manager. Most respondents reported pretty good to extensive training in traditional roles and no or some training in less traditional roles. Sixty percent of respondents received few or no requests to participate in SRs, and only half of respondents had participated in SRs as a review team member. Sixty percent of respondents stated that their libraries had no policies regarding librarian roles and participation in SRs. Conclusions: The surveyed veterinary librarians participated in SRs to a lesser degree than human health sciences librarians, experienced low demand from veterinary faculty and students to participate in SRs, and participated as review team members at significantly lower rates than human health sciences librarians. The main barriers to participation in SRs were lack of library policies, insufficient training, and lack of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the developments of various research projects in different universities in the world. The University of British Columbia Institute of Industrial Relations is now on its 10th year where Stuart M. Jamieson will still be the acting director and Noel Hall's two projects are currently in progress including the disputes settlement machinery in British Columbia and the patterns of dispute settlement under Mediation Commission Act. Institute staff members of University of California, Los Angeles Institute of Industrial Relations have continue research in industrial relations specifically on current problems in the U.S. The study done by staff members at University of Glasgow in Scotland on the working of urban labor markets is now being processed for publication.

This article presents details of various announcements related to the field of dermatology. The Allergy Unit at the Department of Dermatology of the University Hospital Zurich will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1998. To celebrate this anniversary, an International Symposium dealing with 'The Atropy Syndrome in the Third Millennium' has been scheduled for Friday and Saturday morning, October 2-3, 1998 in the U.S. in collaboration with the Dermatology Section of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical immunology. A scholarship of £ 1000 sterling is offered to a young doctor from one of the former Eastern Block countries to attend the 1998 Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Dermatological Society and visit major dermatological centres in Scotland.

Background: Sexual violence is widespread, yet relatively few survivors receive healthcare or complete treatment. In low and middle-income countries, community health workers (CHWs) have the potential to provide support services to large numbers of survivors. The aim of this review was to document the role of CHWs in sexual violence services. We aimed to: 1) describe existing models of CHWs services including characteristics of CHWs, services delivered and populations served; 2) explore acceptability of CHWs' services to survivors and feasibility of delivering such services; and 3) document the benefits and challenges of CHW-provided sexual violence services. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative studies reporting on CHWs and other community-level paraprofessional volunteer services for sexual violence were eligible for inclusion. CHWs and sexual violence were defined according to WHO criteria. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Quality of included studies was assessed using two quality assessment tools for quantitative, and, the methodology checklist by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for qualitative studies. Data were extracted and analysed separately for quantitative and qualitative studies and results integrated using a framework approach. Results: Seven studies conducted in six countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burma, United States of America, Scotland, Israel) met the inclusion criteria. Different models of care had diverse CHWs roles including awareness creation, identifying, educating and building relationships with survivors, psychosocial support and follow up. Although sociocultural factors may influence CHWs' performance and willingness of survivors to use their services, studies often did not report on CHWs characteristics. Few studies assessed acceptability of CHWs' to survivors or feasibility of delivery of services. However, participants mentioned a range of benefits including decreased incidence of violence, CHWs being trusted, approachable, non-judgmental and compassionate. Challenges identified were high workload, confidentiality issues and community norms influencing performance. Conclusions: There is a dearth of research on CHWs services for sexual violence. Findings suggest that involving CHWs may be beneficial, but potential challenges and harms related to CHW-provided services exist. No different models of CHW-provided care have been robustly evaluated for effects on patient outcomes. Further research to establish survivors' views on these services, and, their effectiveness is desperately needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the recognition and disregard of the significance of Scottish philosophy to the intellectual history of the U.S. One example of a paper that recognizes the role of Scottish philosophy is a study of U.S. inheritance from the Scottish philosophical tradition by Scott Philip Segrest in 2010. He acknowledges uncertainty over the exact relationship between Scottish philosophy and the U.S. He expresses his hope that an essay by Brad Bow will bring awareness of the issue.

The article reports that a paper published in a 2005 issue of the "Environmental Science and Technology" which revealed high levels of arsenic in U.S. rice has attracted a strong criticism from the USA Rice Federation. The article from corresponding author Andrew Meharg of the University of Aberdeen has shown that seven samples of U.S. rice bought in supermarkets in Aberdeen, Scotland, had an average of 0.26 µg As/g of rice. The federation countered that the sample numbers used in the study were too small and that its own data indicate much lower arsenic concentrations.