2821 research outputs found
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Development strategy for agriculture in Nigeria
No full textThere seems to be no controversy about Nigeria being an agricultural country with food
sufficiency up till the late 1970s. However, in recent times the country is finding it very
difficult to provide sufficient food for the teeming population which has resulted in the
majority of the country's citizens slipping into poverty. The ability of the country to provide
sufficiently for the citizens was a result of a lack of reliable and effective developmental and
transformational strategies in the agricultural sector of the country which is a major employer
of labour in the rural community. To this end, this chapter mainly focuses on factors
inhibiting the development of agricultural companies in Nigeria and how to overcome the
developmental barriers in the agricultural sector in Nigeria.
The findings from the review show that the bane of the agricultural sector in Nigeria is due to
the lack of an agricultural regulatory framework and policy transmission mechanism and
over-dependence on oil revenue amongst other things (Adams, 2016). It is therefore
imperative for the country to embark on the development of a reliable agricultural framework
and model that will aid food sufficiency in the countr
Challenges for school leadership and management in the four nations of the United Kingdom during the pandemic: conceptual shifts and implications for future thinking.
No full textThe impact of frailty and geriatric syndromes on metrics of acute care performance: results of a national day of care survey
Full text linkBackground.
Frailty is associated with a range of adverse clinical outcomes in the acute hospital setting. We sought to determine whether frailty and related factors affected clinical processes such as time to assessment during emergency hospital admission within the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.
Methods.
The Society for Acute Medicine Benchmarking Audit (SAMBA) is an annual cross-sectional day of care survey. SAMBA 2022 was conducted on Thursday 23rd June 2022. We assessed whether the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and presence of a geriatric syndrome affected performance against nationally recognised clinical quality indicators based on time to initial assessment and time to consultant review. CFS was graded into robust (CFS1-3), mild (CFS 4-5), moderate (CFS 6), severe (CFS7-8) and terminal illness (CFS 9). Plausible values were created for missing variables using multi-level multiple imputation. The association was described using mixed effect generalised linear models adjusting for initial National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) and time of arrival.
Findings.
A total of 152 hospitals provided patient level data relating to 7248 emergency medical admissions. Patients with mild, moderate and severe frailty were less likely to be assessed within 4 h of arrival (adjusted OR, mild 0.79, 95% CI 0.68–0.96, moderate 0.67 95% CI 0.53–0.84, severe, 0.75 95% CI 0.58–0.96, terminally ill 0.59 95% CI 0.23–1.43) and less likely to be achieve the clinical quality indicator for consultant review (adjusted OR, mild 0.69 95% CI 0.58–0.83, moderate 0.55 95% CI 0.44–0.70, severe 0.54 95% CI 0.41–0.69, terminally ill 0.76 95% CI 0.42–1.5). Patients with geriatric syndromes were also less likely to be assessed within 4 h of arrival (adjusted OR 0.66 95% CI 0.56–0.76) or by a consultant within the recommended time frame (adjusted OR 0.45 95% CI 0.39–0.51). The difference was partially explained by differential use of SDEC pathways. Sub-group analysis of 5148 patients assessed outside of SDEC areas demonstrated patients with geriatric syndromes (adjusted OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.60–0.83), but not frailty defined by CFS were less likely to be assessed within 4 h of arrival. Moderate and severe frailty and the presence of a geriatric syndrome were associated with a decreased likelihood of achieving the consultant review standard (moderate, adjusted OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.59–0.94, severe adjusted OR 0.75 95% CI 0.58–0.96, geriatric syndrome adjusted OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.50–0.69).
Interpretation.
Frailty is associated with delayed clinical assessment. This association may suggest a systemic issue with clinical prioritisation, with important implications for acute care policy
Thinking with My Hands: Embodied Cognition in Practice
Full text linkThe act of reflection is often considered to be one of the conscious mind – a cognitive act reflecting on one’s lived experience. By adopting principles of reflection defined by Donald Schön in 1983 as reflection-in and reflection-on action, this positioning paper attempts to develop a new methodology for examining and reinterpreting the embodied nature of material reflective thinking. The practice discussed responds to and reinterprets walking acts through methods of stitching-in and stitching-on action. The stitched mark acts as a line that considers concepts of wandering minds, wandering bodies and embodied cognition (Candy Citation2020). Correlations of mind and body wandering through physical and metaphorical space will be drawn on and considered in the context of material thinking and tacit and haptic knowledge. Schön (Citation1983:73) asks the question, ‘In practice of various kinds, what form does reflection-in-action take?’, through this paper I intend to explore what critical-reflective-creative-thinking looks like in a textile practice and examine how the moment of making (stitching/walking) offers opportunities for critical-reflective-creative-thinking with practice
Curriculum for a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship
Full text linkThis curriculum guide aims to give lecturers in higher education a summary of the social business market and arm them with the knowledge and abilities needed to address the social and environmental problems our communities are currently confronting. Social businesses are effective, cutting-edge business strategies that are upending conventional business methods. Moreover, social businesses work across many industries and are motivated by the tripartite bottom line of social, environmental, and fiscal factors. Through this curriculum guidance document lecturers will discover the distinctive qualities of social businesses, their different business strategies, and their effects on people and the environment.
Communities all over the globe are being transformed by social enterprises, which have surfaced as potent agents of positive social change. However, the research team for this project recognises that social business is not without difficulties and complexity. It takes resiliency, flexibility, and perseverance to overcome difficulties and succeed. The overall aim of this guide is to motivate and prepare the upcoming generation of social entrepreneurs in Ghana so they can take on these issues and build a more just and sustainable future
Effect of pandemic and lockdown on the performance and operations of farmers’ markets in Southwest, Nigeria
No full textThe study critically examined the effect of the pandemic and lockdown on the performance and operations of farmers’ markets in Southwest, Nigeria. Primary data were used and the information was sourced using questionnaires. A multistage sampling technique was used to randomly select farmers for the study. Descriptive statistics, budgetary technique and Two-Stage Least Squares regression were used for the analysis. The results showed that age, revenue, perceived COVID-19 effect, household size, experience, market space acquisition, and frequent visit to farmers market were the significant factors that influenced the performance of the farmers in the study area. Challenges faced by the farmers after lockdown on farmers market were increased price, high cost of farm input, reduced quantity of farm products and high transportation cost. Therefore, there should be more of government intervention/assistance programs as a way of assisting the farmers to boost food production and alleviate poverty in the area
Homelessness: measuring need to design more inclusive services
Full text linkPurpose – The purpose of this paper – the second of three – is to report the findings from a service user
needs assessment in those who have contact with a local homelessness service in the North-West of
England.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire that
included a section exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences. Aggregated data from a total of 100
completed questionnaires were analysed to understand the nature and scope of those accessing the
Homelessness and Vulnerable Adults Service (HVAS).
Findings – Homeless people accessing HVAS face a number of challenges, which reflect their
upbringing and chaotic and complex lifestyles. Reports of multiple disadvantage, social isolation,
physical and mental health problems were common among the cohort.
Research limitations/implications – This was a small cohort study, and the authors accept that this
may potentially limit the scope of the findings. Themes identified are, however, reflected in wider research
and official data collection sources. Future research may seek to widen the data collection methods to
offer a more representative cohort.
Practical implications – The provision of co-ordinated multi-agency support is essential to tackle health
inequalities experienced by those who are homeless.
Social implications – The complex issues often experienced by those who are homeless can further
compound the impact of social exclusion on health and well-being. The reduction of statutory
support and increased emphasis on self-reliance can further impact those people on the margins of
society.
Originality/value – This study identifies how multiple deprivations and social isolation impacts upon
health and well-being, further compounding a person’s ability and willingness to engage with services. It
raises the question of the systems failure to respond effectivel
The importance of digital mental health interventions to support people with diabetes related psychological outcomes: A narrative review
Full text linkDigital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are promising alternatives to traditional face-to-face psychological interventions to improve psychological outcomes in various chronic health conditions. However, their efficacy among people with diabetes is yet to be established. Therefore, this narrative review aims to identify the importance and need for evidence-based research on digital mental health interventions targeting the psychological outcomes in people with diabetes.
Using a narrative review approach, this article highlights the technological advancements in diabetes healthcare and identifies a need for developing digital mental health interventions for people with diabetes.
DMHIs are promising for improving psychological outcomes in people with diabetes. However, there is a need for further rigorous, controlled, and high-quality diabetes focused studies, to make firm conclusions on the effectiveness and appropriateness of DMHIs for patients with diabetes. This review also suggests that DMHIs based on psychological theories and studies with higher quality methodologies are also needed.
This review highlights the contemporary literature on diabetes and related technological advancements. The findings of this study serve as a basis of the improvement of policy on digital mental health services for people with diabetes, to impact the global burden of the disease
Understanding the complexities of non-familial child abductions: a systematic literature review on the behavioural characteristics of acquaintance and stranger abductors.
Full text linkPurpose: Reports from 2016-2017 suggest that approximately 870 cases of non-familial
child abduction (NFA) are recorded in England and Wales per year. Yet, empirical
knowledge of the victims, offenders, and offence characteristics is limited in comparison to
other forms of child victimisation. Furthermore, much of the available knowledge is
constrained by a lack of clarity around the differences between acquaintance and stranger
abductors. This systematic literature review aimed to develop a comprehensive overview of
acquaintance and stranger child abductions, focussing on the similarities and differences in
offending behaviours.
Methods: Research databases (PsycArticles, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PsycINFO,
Criminal Justice Abstracts, MEDLINE, and ERIC) and the Grey Literature (ETHOS and
EBSCO) were screened for peer-reviewed research published between 1995 and 2018.
Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised using a modified
version of the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Case Reports.
Findings: Six key areas within NFA offences and their characteristics were identified as
offering potential for differentiating acquaintance and stranger abductors: victim-offender
relationship, number of victims and offenders, motives, modus operandi, victim injury, sexual
assault, and mechanism of death (in fatal cases). The results of this review are discussed with consideration given to investigative implications, limitations, and directions for future
study
Fraud detection using decision tree algorithm to curb identity theft
No full textIdentity theft is a growing concern that can cause significant financial and emotional
harm to individuals. One way to detect and prevent identity theft is by using machine
learning algorithms, such as decision tree. In this study, we investigate the effectiveness
of using a decision tree algorithm in detecting and preventing identity theft. A dataset
consisting of personal information, as well as information on suspicious activity, was
collected from a financial institution. The dataset included a total of 284807 rows of
data and 30 columns. The decision tree algorithm was implemented using the Python
programming language and the scikit-learn library. The algorithm was trained on the
training set and used to classify new cases as either fraudulent or non-fraudulent. The
performance of the decision tree algorithm was evaluated using several performance
metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score. Results showed that the
decision tree algorithm was effective in detecting and preventing identity theft, with an
overall accuracy of 99%. These findings demonstrate the potential of using decision
tree algorithms in detecting and preventing identity theft, which can help to curb the
increasing problem of identity theft and protect individuals from financial and
emotional harm