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Between 2010 and 2014, the British Council funded a project under a scheme called INSPIRE, which involved training a group of 20 Afghan practitioners in counselling skills. The participants were from Kabul and Herat, and the partners in the project were the University of Herat and the University of Strathclyde (UK). The ethos of the programme was based on co-constructing a model of transcultural training that could be applicable within the Afghan context (Berdondini et al. in "International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling," 36(3), 305-316, 2014). As an outcome, in 2016 the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education approved the launch of a Counselling Department and a Student Counselling Service within the University of Herat. This article aims to present and analyse the long-term development of INSPIRE in Afghanistan from the perspective of participants. Reflections on future implementation of this approach and training programs are also included.

This article details a collaborative project between the University of Strathclyde (UK) and the University of Herat (Afghanistan). The aim was to co-construct a model of training, based on humanistic approaches, in order to enhance counselling services in Afghanistan and to establish counselling training at the University of Herat. Two groups of participants received 120 h training each. In February 2014 a selected group received a further training for trainers. Strengths and limitations of this project are explored as well as its impact on the Afghan community and further developments for counselling in this context.

We present the updated British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) guidelines for post‐exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to HIV following sexual exposures, occupational exposures and other nonoccupational exposures in the community. This serves as an update to the 2015 BASHH guideline on PEP following sexual exposures and the 2008 Expert Advisory Group on AIDS guidelines on HIV PEP. We aim to provide evidence‐based guidance on best clinical practice in the provision, monitoring and support of PEP for the prevention of HIV acquisition following sexual, occupational and other nonoccupational exposures in the community. The guideline covers when to prescribe PEP, what antiretroviral agents to use and how to manage PEP. This includes (i) evidence of PEP efficacy; (ii) evidence relating to individual‐level efficacy of antiretroviral therapy to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV; (iii) data on the detectable (transmissible) prevalence of HIV in specific populations; (iv) risk of HIV transmission following different types of sexual and occupational exposure; (v) baseline risk assessment; (vi) drug regimens and dosing schedules; (vii) monitoring PEP; (viii) baseline and follow‐up blood‐borne virus testing; (ix) the role of PEP within broader HIV prevention strategies, for example, HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The guideline also covers special scenarios such as PEP in pregnancy, breastfeeding and chronic hepatitis B virus infection, and when PEP should be considered in people using HIV PrEP. The guidelines are aimed at clinical professionals directly involved in PEP provision and other stakeholders in the field. A proforma to assist PEP consultations is included. A public consultation process was undertaken prior to finalizing the recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits some latest advances in structural equation modelling and latent class analysis for identification and mapping of the spatial variations in travel choices. The approach controls for a wide range of socioeconomic and demographic variables and changes in car fuel prices. The research is focused on employed and self-employed adults, and the method can be readily extended to cover other travellers where such needs arise. The developed methodology enables us to overcome some of the persistent issues that have in the past prevented researchers making a full use of highly correlated and endogenous variables found in good-quality, comprehensive travel surveys at the national or metropolitan scales. Empirical findings from an application of the methodology for Great Britain provide a precise geographical classification of neighbourhoods areas across Britain and reveal the extent to which land use and built form influence commuting travel choices, whilst accounting for residents' self-selection, spatial sorting and endogenous interactions among the explanatory variables. The results are cogent for defining spatially adapted strategies for planning new transport and land use interventions, particularly in areas that are expected to grow the most in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Completion of the Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) examination is a prerequisite for completion of specialty surgical training in UK. The aim of this study was to compare MRCS performance of OMFS trainees to trainees in other specialities over the past 13 years. Differential attainment (DA) was noted in MRCS Part A (MCQ) pass rates. There was no statistically significant difference in MRCS Part B pass rates. The reasons for this DA are currently unknown and require further investigation. It has been suggested that this may be due at least in part to competing time, family and financial obligations, which increase over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Systematically and simultaneously investigate a wide range of influences on workplace productivity loss. Methods: Data were collected from 31,950 employees in the UK. Influences of employees' socioeconomic characteristics, lifestyle, commuting, physical and mental health, well-being, and job and workplace environment were assessed using structural equation models, allowing systematic decomposition of the complex network of influences and creating new, deeper insights. Results: Mental health, physical health, job characteristics, and support from organization are the most important (direct or indirect) determinants of employees' productivity. 93% of the indirect influences are mediated through mental and/or physical health. Some influences that appear as strong predictors in simple models lose most of their explanatory power in more complex models with additional explanatory variables. Conclusions: There is a need for a more tailored strategy to improve employees' wellbeing as well as the overall organizational, work, and management culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the UK, housing has been identified as a major sector for contributing to the 80% reduction in carbon emissions over the 1990 baseline by 2050, required by the Climate Change Act 2008. However, pre-1919 housing stock is the least energy efficient and consequently poses challenges to meeting this target. Using a mixed methods approach, the current study demonstrates that, in actuality, there is a significant potential for reducing emissions among this sub-sector of housing, and that the major barriers to energy efficiency retrofits concern a lack of funding, the payback period for the investment, disruption to home life and finding a trustworthy and skilled installer. Moreover, this study finds that homeowners are motivated primarily by the desire to improve home comfort and aesthetics along with a reduction in energy bills rather than in reducing carbon emissions. The paper concludes with recommendations for improving the viability of retrofitting pre-1919 homes through enhanced financial resources, policy support and the promotion of social and economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Sickness absence (SA) is multi-causal and remains a significant problem for employees, employers and society. This makes it necessary to concurrently manage a particular disabling condition and consider the working environment and employee-employer relationship. OBJECTIVE: To describe and examine the components of a novel SA management service Early Access to Support for You (EASY) and discuss their potential influence on the intervention. METHODS: A new sickness absence model, starting from day one of absence, was created called EASY. EASY is planned to support both employees and managers and comprises elements already found to be associated with reduction of SA, such as maintaining regular contact; early biopsychosocial case-management; physiotherapy; mental-health counselling; work modification; phased return-to-work; and health promotion activities. RESULTS: During the EASY implementation period, the SA rate at a health board reversed its trend of being one of the highest rates in the Scottish National Health Service (NHS) and EASY was considered helpful by both managers and employees. CONCLUSIONS: This paper describes an innovative occupational health intervention to sickness absence management based on the bio-psychosocial model to provide early intervention, and discusses the pros and cons of applying cognitive behavioural principles at an early stage in sickness-absence events, in order to improve return-to-work outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years saw a continuing shift in labour force composition, e.g. greater participation of women and a prominent rise in part-time workers. There are as yet relatively few recent studies that examine systematically the influences on the travel of employed adults from such perspectives, particularly regarding possible transport disadvantages of the fastest growing segments of workers. A robust analysis requires systematic data on a wide range of explanatory variables and multiple travel outcomes including accessibility, mobility and trip frequency for different trip purposes. The UK NTS data does meet the majority of this demanding data requirement, but its full use has so far been hampered by methodological difficulties. To overcome complex endogeneity problems, we develop novel, integrated structural equation models (SEMs) to uncover the influences of latent land use characteristics, indirect influences on car ownership, interactions among trip purposes as well as residents’ self-selection and spatial sorting. This general-purpose method provides a new, systematic decomposition of the influences on travel outcomes, where the effects of each variable can be examined in turn with robust error terms. The new insights underline two direct policy implications. First, it highlights the contributions of land use planning and urban design in restraining travel demand in the 2000s, and their increasing influence over the decade. Secondly, it shows that there may still be a large mobility disadvantage among the fastest growing segments of workers, particularly in dense urban areas. This research further investigates trend breaking influences before and after 2007 through grouped SEM models, as a test of the methodology for producing regular and timely updates regarding the main influences on personal travel from a system level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an obituary for Doctor Esmail Bazargan, radiologist based in Tehran, Iran.

Suggests there should be routine HIV testing for the population that is not conventionally considered at risk so the epidemic can be controlled. Background on the increase in heterosexual transmission of HIV since 1991 in the United Kingdom; The reasons for low HIV testing and detection rates; Statistics on HIV infection; Idea that patients with certain conditions such as neutropenia should be tested; View that conventional voluntary counselling is not needed before HIV testing is done.