scholarly journals “He is suitable for her, of course he is our relative”: a qualitative exploration of the drivers and implications of child marriage in Gezira State, Sudan

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. e001264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Dean ◽  
Angela Obasi ◽  
Asma El Sony ◽  
Selma Fadul ◽  
Hanaa El Hassan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Child Marriage ◽  
Global Knowledge ◽  
Strategic Action ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Marriage Decision

IntroductionChild marriage is a fundamental development challenge for women and girls, with significant negative health and social outcomes. Sudan has a high rate of child marriage, with 34% of women aged 20–24 married before their 18th birthday. Since limited preventive interventions exist, we aimed to inform the evidence base to strengthen strategic action, using mixed qualitative methods to enhance study credibility. This study is the first to conduct a rigorous qualitative examination of the drivers of child marriage from the perspective of key stakeholders involved in marriage decision making within Sudan, and makes a significant contribution towards global knowledge by developing an evidence-based conceptual framework.MethodsInitially, we completed 14 focus group discussions separated by gender with mothers, fathers, and girls married as adolescents, and 23 key informant interviews. We then used a critical incident case study approach to explore 11 ‘cases’ of child marriage (46 interviews).ResultsFindings indicate that gendered social norms and values, underpinned by religious beliefs and educational accessibility, interconnect to shape marriage decisions. In this context, many child marriages are triggered by an intrakinship proposal and further enabled by the relative lack of autonomy and influence of girls and women in marriage decision-making processes.DiscussionInterconnected drivers demand context-specific holistic and multisectoral approaches, which should include simultaneous strategies to expand access to education, health services and livelihood opportunities, and evoke legal change, and participatory social and attitudinal processes that include the engagement of religious leaders and men.

scholarly journals Implications of Temperate Agroforestry on Sheep and Cattle Productivity, Environmental Impacts and Enterprise Economics. A Systematic Evidence Map

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1321
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Jordon ◽  
Kathy J. Willis ◽  
William J. Harvey ◽  
Leo Petrokofsky ◽  
Gillian Petrokofsky
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Evidence Map ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Temperate Agroforestry ◽  
Heat And Cold Stress ◽  
Context Specific

The environmental impacts of ruminant livestock farming need to be mitigated to improve the sustainability of food production. These negative impacts have been compounded by the increased spatial and cultural separation of farming and forestry across multiple temperate landscapes and contexts over recent centuries, and could at least in part be alleviated by re-integration of livestock and trees via agroforestry systems. Such integration also has the potential to benefit the productivity and economics of livestock farming. However, the delivery of hoped-for benefits is highly likely to depend on context, which will necessitate the consideration of local synergies and trade-offs. Evaluating the extensive body of research on the synergies and trade-offs between agroforestry and environmental, productivity and economic indicators would provide a resource to support context-specific decision making by land managers. Here, we present a systematic evidence map of academic and grey literature to address the question “What are the impacts of temperate agroforestry systems on sheep and cattle productivity, environmental impacts and farm economic viability?”. We followed good practice guidance from the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence to find and select relevant studies to create an interactive systematic map. We identified 289 relevant studies from 22 countries across temperate regions of North and South America, Australasia and Europe. Our preliminary synthesis indicates that there is an emerging evidence base to demonstrate that temperate agroforestry can deliver environmental and economic benefits compared with pasture without trees. However, to date measures of livestock productivity (particularly weather-related mortality and heat- and cold-stress) have received insufficient attention in many temperate agroforestry systems. The evidence base assembled through this work provides a freely accessible resource applicable across temperate regions to support context-specific decision making.

Book Review: A Guide to Decision Making in Student Affairs: A Case Study Approach

NASPA Journal ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Davis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Affairs Professionals ◽  
Expert Advice ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
New Professionals ◽  
Study Approach

Stanley Levy and Charles Kozoll capture much of the complexity of decisionmaking and offer an important contribution to our understanding of this perplexing topic. The publication of A Guide to Decision Making in Student Affairs: A Case Study Approach, furthermore, is timely due to what Stage (1993) recognizes as an increasing expectation that "new professionals, even at the lowest levels, have the ability to work independently and solve complex issues knowledgeably and with skill and integrity" (p. iii). The case study approach combined with the expert advice of 15 seasoned student affairs deans (called informants) provides a valuable resource for learning about a central task in our profession. The book offers students as well as experienced professionals background information critical to decisionmaking in higher education, exploration of fundamental issues that influence the process, carefully constructed and relevant case studies, and a reservoir of advice from some of the most well respected senior-level practitioners in our field. This book is particularly valuable to faculty members facilitating learning with new professionals, but it is a resource most student affairs professionals would find well worth owning.

Patellar fractures in cats: Repair techniques and treatment decision-making

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 649-661
Author(s):  
Sorrel J Langley-Hobbs
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Treatment Decision ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Treatment Technique ◽  
Treatment Decision Making ◽  
Fracture Types ◽  
Patellar Fractures ◽  
Repair Techniques

Practical relevance: While feline patellar fractures are not commonly encountered in practice, they tend to be found more often in younger cats; no breed or sex predispositions are recognised. If there is no evidence of a traumatic aetiology, the cat may be suspected of having patellar fracture and dental anomaly syndrome (PADS). Patellar fractures are easy to diagnose on lateral radiographs and there are several different fracture types. The type of fracture, the age of the cat at fracture occurrence and whether there is suspicion of a pathological aetiology are all relevant when considering treatment technique. Clinical challenges: While some cats with patellar fractures will do well with conservative management, surgical treatment is often indicated and decision-making can be challenging. Evidence base: Information and recommendations provided in this review are based on the literature and the author’s own clinical experience. There are several publications on PADS, but there is limited evidence as to what the underlying cause of this condition is, and the best method for managing patellar fractures is still an area where more research is needed. Aim: This review aims to gather the papers, case series and case reports published over the past few decades in order to discuss how best to manage different types of patellar fractures.

scholarly journals What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4359
Author(s):  
Carla Barlagne ◽  
Mariana Melnykovych ◽  
David Miller ◽  
Richard J. Hewitt ◽  
Laura Secco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Study Approach

In a context of political and economic austerity, social innovation has been presented as a solution to many social challenges, old and new. It aims to support the introduction of new ideas in response to the current urgent needs and challenges of vulnerable groups and seems to offer promising solutions to the challenges faced by rural areas. Yet the evidence base of the impacts on the sustainable development of rural communities remains scarce. In this paper, we explore social innovation in the context of community forestry and provide a brief synthetic review of key themes linking the two concepts. We examine a case of social innovation in the context of community forestry and analyse its type, extent, and scale of impact in a marginalized rural area of Scotland. Using an in-depth case study approach, we apply a mixed research methodology using quantitative indicators of impact as well as qualitative data. Our results show that social innovation reinforces the social dimension of community forestry. Impacts are highlighted across domains (environmental, social, economic, and institutional/governance) but are mainly limited to local territory. We discuss the significance of those results in the context of community forestry as well as for local development. We formulate policy recommendations to foster and sustain social innovation in rural areas.

Traumatic abdominal wall rupture in cats: Decision-making and recommended repair techniques

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 234-240
Author(s):  
Julie M Hennet ◽  
John Williams
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Abdominal Wall ◽  
Postoperative Morbidity ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Postoperative Patient ◽  
Surgical Equipment ◽  
Serious Injury ◽  
Repair Techniques

Practical relevance: Traumatic abdominal wall rupture is a potentially serious injury in cats. Feline and general practitioners should be up to date with the significance of these injuries and the procedures required to correct them. Clinical challenges: It is essential that the surgeon understands the local anatomy and adheres to Halsted’s principles in order that postoperative morbidity and mortality are kept to a minimum. Equipment: Standard general surgical equipment is required together with the facilities to provide adequate pre-, intra- and postoperative patient care. Evidence base: The authors have drawn on evidence from the published literature, as well as their own clinical experience, in developing this review aimed all veterinarians who want to update their skills in managing feline abdominal wall trauma.

Generating Options and Choosing Between Them Depend on Distinct Forms of Value Representation

2021 ◽  
pp. 095679762110057
Author(s):  
Adam Morris ◽  
Jonathan Phillips ◽  
Karen Huang ◽  
Fiery Cushman
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Real World ◽  
Hybrid Architecture ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
Current Context ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Enormous Number ◽  
Value Representation

Humans have a remarkable capacity for flexible decision-making, deliberating among actions by modeling their likely outcomes. This capacity allows us to adapt to the specific features of diverse circumstances. In real-world decision-making, however, people face an important challenge: There are often an enormous number of possibilities to choose among, far too many for exhaustive consideration. There is a crucial, understudied prechoice step in which, among myriad possibilities, a few good candidates come quickly to mind. How do people accomplish this? We show across nine experiments ( N = 3,972 U.S. residents) that people use computationally frugal cached value estimates to propose a few candidate actions on the basis of their success in past contexts (even when irrelevant for the current context). Deliberative planning is then deployed just within this set, allowing people to compute more accurate values on the basis of context-specific criteria. This hybrid architecture illuminates how typically valuable thoughts come quickly to mind during decision-making.

Neurofeedback for Opioid Dependent Patients in an Outpatient Setting: A Pilot Feasibility Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena A. Rempala ◽  
Justin A. Barterian
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Outpatient Setting ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Treatment As Usual ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Study Approach

Abstract Background: Neurofeedback (NF) has been described as “probably efficacious” when used in conjunction with other interventions for substance use disorders, including the most recent studies in population of individuals with opioid use disorder. Despite these promising outcomes, the seriousness of the opioid epidemic, and the high rate of relapse even with the most effective medication-assisted maintenance treatments NF continues to be an under-researched treatment modality. This article explores factors that affected the feasibility of adding Alpha/Theta Neurofeedback to treatment as usual for opioid dependence in an outpatient urban treatment center. The study strived to replicate previous research completed in Iran that found benefits of NF for opioid dependence.Methods: Out of approximately two dozen patients eligible for Alpha/Theta NF, about 60% (n=15) agreed to participate; however, only 2 participants completed treatment. The rates of enrollment in response to active treatment were monitored. Results: The 4 factors affecting feasibility were: 1) the time commitment required of participants, 2) ineffectiveness of standard incentives to promote participation, 3) delayed effects of training, and 4) the length and number of treatments required.Conclusion: The findings indicate a large scale study examining the use of NF for the treatment of opioid use disorder in the United States will likely be difficult to accomplish without modification to the traditional randomized control study approach and suggests challenges to the implementation of this treatment in an outpatient setting.

EVIDENCE, VALUES, AND DECISION MAKING

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Rawlins
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Social Values ◽  
Clinical Excellence ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Value Judgments ◽  
Study Designs

Background: The evidence supporting the use of new, or established, interventions may be derived from either (or both) experimental or observational study designs. Although a rigorous examination of the evidence base for clinical and cost-effectiveness is essential, it is never sufficient, and those undertaking a health technology assessment (HTA) also have to exercise judgments.Methods: The basis for this discussion is largely from the author's experience as chairman of the national Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).Results: The judgments necessary for HTA to make are twofold. Scientific judgments relate to the interpretation of the science. Social value judgments are concerned with the ethical principles, preferences, culture, and aspirations of society.Conclusions: How scientific and social value judgments might be most appropriately captured is a challenge for all HTA agencies. Although competent HTA bodies should be able to exercise scientific judgments they have no legitimacy to impose their own social values. These must ultimately be informed by the general public.

scholarly journals Exploring the Efficacy of Facebook Groups for Collective Occupant Learning About Using Their Homes

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 757-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Baborska-Narozny ◽  
Eve Stirling ◽  
Fionn Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Group Development ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Residential Developments ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Quality Learning

Using Facebook Groups to connect otherwise anonymous people that live in a single urban development is a relatively new phenomenon. Within residential developments, there are a number of common comfort, management, and performance issues experienced by many isolated inhabitants that are identified through building performance evaluation studies. Facebook is a ubiquitous social network tool and powerful communication platform, particularly popular among young adults. This article explores the use of closed Facebook Groups in relation to collective learning about home use in two residential communities in the United Kingdom. Data were collected through longitudinal digital and physical visits to case study residential developments and to the Facebook Group sites. Group development, dynamics, and the quality of knowledge sharing is evaluated. Findings are presented in relation to home use learning, as it proved to be a vital theme of each Group’s activity. We propose that weak-tie urban communities can develop collective efficacy through communicating on a Facebook Group that enables quality learning based on reciprocal sharing of experiences and knowledge by its members. This helps tackle comfort issues experienced, lower the cost of living, and share bespoke, context-specific home use best practice. Strong engagement and leadership of group administrators limited to early stages of the Groups’ formation followed by high rate of activity by the majority of members was key. There was a clear overlap observed between social media narrative and the physical experiences of daily life, which helps support residents. The analysis suggests the positive effect of the learning environment created bottom-up would not be easily transferable to professional applications.

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