A critical reflection on the conceptual and legal foundations of the duty to prevent torture

The present article elaborates on the legal and normative foundations of the duty to prevent torture. It argues that the content of this duty is both deceivingly simple and complex. The duty, as currently understood, requires States to take a range of legislative, administrative and judicial measures to prevent acts of torture. However this range of measures and approaches opens the door to endless scenarios of potential relevance, that somewhat blur the content of the duty itself. In order to circumscribe and clarify the nature and scope of the duty it is argued that, first, it is necessary to sever the concept of prevention from the definitional elements on which the concept of prohibition of torture is premised and to focus on the conditions known to generate a risk of torture, namely those associated with deprivation of liberty. Second, the article suggests that by locating the duty to prevent in a positive obligation framework, more specifically in the positive obligation 'to fulfil', the general duty can be distinguished from the measures through which the former is actually fulfilled. The article suggests that such an approach would facilitate the anticipatory potential of the prevention of torture and allow thinking more broadly about implementation strategies to eradicate torture

The role of perceived self-efficacy in the development of musical ability: what can the study of successful musicians tell us about teaching music to able children?

The role of perceived self-efficacy is important to human social development and to learning in general, but how it relates to music talent development is not well understood. This article explores the concept of perceived self-efficacy as it relates to the development of musical talent by considering what is meant by the concepts of high ability in music and self-efficacy, and by discussing the results of interviews with successful professional musicians. The interview data suggest the need for four aspects of self-efficacy to be present in order to fully develop talent: individual judgement of capability; a belief that outcomes are tied to individual actions; self-regulation of activities related to learning; and persistence in the face of difficulties. The implications of this for music teaching are also discussed

Die Behandlungspraxis bei Patienten mit isolierter stumpfer Milzverletzung: Eine Befragung der Schweizer Traumatologen

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Das nicht-operative Management (NOM) des stumpfen Milztraumas hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren als Therapiekonzept etabliert. Es bestehen jedoch zahlreiche Kontroversen bezüglich der Überwachung und Nachsorge dieser Patienten. Ziel dieser Studie war es, mittels einer Umfrage bei Mitgliedern der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Allgemeine und Unfallchirurgie (SGAUC) die aktuelle Praxis bezüglich NOM beim isolierten Milztrauma zu erfassen und mögliche Diskrepanzen zur aktuellen Literatur zu eruieren. Studiendesign und Untersuchungsmethode: Sämtliche praktizierende Mitglieder der SGAUC wurden mittels schriftlichem Umfragebogen adressiert. Dieser enthielt Fragen zu Person und Klinik des Chirurgen, Fragen zu Diagnostik und Management während der Hospitalisation sowie zu radiologischen Verlaufskontrollen und zur stufenweisen Wiederaufnahme von Alltagsaktivitäten. Ergebnisse: An der Umfrage nahmen 52 von 165 (31,5%) praktizierenden Mitgliedern der SGAUC teil. Diese deckten 62,8% aller Schweizer Traumazentren ab. Vierzehn Befragte (26,9%) verfügen an ihrer Klinik über ein Protokoll zur Behandlung des Milztraumas. Als initiale Bildgebung beim hämodynamisch stabilen Patienten mit stumpfem Abdomaninaltrauma gaben 82,7% der Befragten die Sonographie an. Bei sonographischem Verdacht auf Milztrauma verzichteten allerdings 19,2% der Befragten auf eine weitergehende Diagnostik. Die Hälfte der Chirurgen gab außerdem an, bei sichtbarem Kontrastmittelextravasat aus der Milz keine weiteren therapeutischen Maßnahmen einzuleiten. 86,5% der Befragten würden Patienten mit niedriggradigem Milztrauma für durchschnittlich 1,6 (0-4Tage) in einem kontinuierlich-monitorisierten Bett überwachen. Keine Unterschiede wurden hinsichtlich der Aktivitätsrestriktion zwischen mittel- und hochgradigen Milztraumata gemacht. Schlussfolgerung: Aufgrund eines Mangels an evidenzbasierten Richtlinien zum NOM des Milztraumas gibt es eine beträchtliche Variabilität in der klinischen Praxis selbst unter erfahrenen Chirurgen. Die größten Diskrepanzen zu den Empfehlungen in der aktuellen Literatur waren zum einen der Verzicht auf eine Computertomographie bei Verdacht auf Milztrauma, zum anderen das konservative Vorgehen trotz nachgewiesenem Kontrastmittelaustrit

Nurturing the young shoots of talent: Using action research for exploration and theory building

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 19(4), 433-450, 2011, copyright Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1350293X.2011.623515.This paper reports the outcomes of a set of action research projects carried out by teacher researchers in 14 local education authorities in England, working collaboratively with university tutors, over a period of three years. The common aim of all the projects was to explore practical ways of nurturing the gifts and talents of children aged four–seven years. The project was funded by the Department of Education and Skills in England as part of the government's gifted and talented programme. The project teachers felt that their understanding of issues relating to nurturing the gifts and talents of younger children was enhanced through their engagement in the project. It was possible to map the findings of the projects to the English government's National Quality Standards for gifted and talented education which include: (1) identification; (2) effective provision in the classroom; (3) enabling curriculum entitlement and choice; (4) assessment for learning; (5) engaging with community, families and beyond. The findings are also analysed within the framework of good practice in educating children in the first years of schooling. Participating practitioners felt that action research offered them a suitable methodology to explore the complexity of the topic of giftedness through cycles of planning, action and reflection and personal theory building

The Impact of the Introduction of Total Mesorectal Excision on Local Recurrence Rate and Survival in Rectal Cancer: Long-Term Results

Purpose: To investigate the influence of the introduction of total mesorectal excision (TME) on local recurrence rate and survival in patients with rectal cancer. Methods: A total of 171 consecutive patients underwent anterior or abdominoperineal resection for primary rectal cancer. When the TME technique was introduced, the clinical setting, including the surgeons, remained the same. Group 1 (1993-95, n=53) underwent conventional surgery and group 2 (1995-2001, n=118) underwent TME. All patients were followed for 7years or until death. Results: Between the two groups, no statistically significant differences were present with regards to patient-, treatment-, or tumor-related characteristics apart from the time point of radiotherapy. The total local recurrence rates were 11 of 53 (20.8%) in group 1 and 7 of 118 (5.9%) in group 2, and the rates of isolated local recurrences were 6 of 53 (11.3%) in group 1 and 2 of 118 (1.7%) in group 2. Both differences were highly statistically significant. The disease-free survival in groups 1 and 2 was 60.4 and 65.3% at 5years, and 58.5 and 65.3% at 7years, respectively. Excluding patients with synchronous or metachronous distant metastasis from the analysis, both the disease-free survival and the cancer-specific survival were statistically significantly better in group 2 than in group 1. No statistically significant difference between the two groups was detected regarding the overall survival. Conclusions: The introduction of TME led to an impressive reduction of the local recurrence rate. Survival is mainly determined by the occurrence of distant metastasis, but TME seems to improve survival in patients without systemic diseas

MANAJEMEN PEMBINAAN PERPUSTAKAAN KELURAHAN DI KOTA BANDUNG

Dinas Perpustakaan dan Kearsipan (Dispusip) Kota Bandung merupakan suatu bentuk dari perpustakaan umum yang memiliki fungsi membina perpustakaan. Pemberdayaan perpustakaan kelurahan di Kota Bandung saat ini belum terealisasi sesuai dengan jumlah kelurahan yang terdapat di kota Bandung sebanyak 151 kelurahan. Perpustakaan kelurahan dapat menjalankan fungsinya dengan baik sesuai dengan fungsi perpustakaan dengan penerapan fungsi manajemen perpustakaan. Masalah yang menjadi kajian pada penelitian ini bagaimana implementasi manajemen pembinaan perpustakaan kelurahan di Kota Bandung oleh Dispusip Kota Bandung. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu untuk mendeskripsikan mengenai perencanaan, pengorganisasian, penggerakan dan pengawasan pembinaan perpustakaan kelurahan oleh Dispusip Kota Bandung. Metode yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi kasus. Partisipan dalam penelitian ini terdiri atas tiga informan yang bertindak sebagai pustakawan dan key informan sebagai Kepala Bidang Pengembangan Perpustakaan dan Kearsipan menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Instrumen penelitian yang digunakan adalah wawancara, observasi dan studi dokumentasi. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah data reduction, data display, dan conclusion drawing (verification). Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yaitu sebuah konstuksi model manajemen pembinaan perpustakaan kelurahan yang menunjukkan bahwa kegiatan pembinaan perpustakaan kelurahan oleh Dispusip Kota Bandung relevan dengan fungsi manajemen. Fungsi perencanaan, pengorganisasian, penggerakan kegiatan manajemen pembinaan perpustakaan kelurahan di Kota Bandung terealisasi cukup baik. Namun pada fungsi pengawasan belum berjalan secara optimal, hal ini dikarenakan oleh keterbatasan sumber daya manusia yang dimiliki oleh Dispusip Kota Bandung. Program pembinaan ini diharapkan dapat mewujudkan penyelenggaraan perpustakaan kelurahan dan dapat memberikan kontribusi terhadap perbaikan/ penyempurnaan manajemen pembinaan perpustakaan oleh Dispusip Kota Bandung. ;--- Dinas Perpustakaan dan Kearsipan (Dispusip) Kota Bandung is a form of public library, which function is to develop urban village libraries. Currently, the empowerment of urban village libraries in 151 village in Bandung City is not realized yet. Urban village libraries can perform its functions properly in accordance with the implementation of library management functions. The problem of this study is how Dispusip Kota Bandung manages the implementation of urban village libraries coaching in Bandung City. The purpose of this study is to describe the planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling of urban village libraries coaching by Dispusip Kota Bandung. The research method used in this study is qualitative method with a case study approach. The subjects of this study consist of three informants who act as a librarian and a key informant as a Head of Library and Archive Development by using purposive sampling technique. The research instruments used in this study are interviews, observations, and documentation studies. This study uses data analysis technique of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing (verification). Based on the study of a model construction of urban village libraries coaching, the result is that the coaching activities of urban village libraries done by Dispusip Kota Bandung is relevant to the management functions. The functions of planning, organizing, and actuating of village libraries coaching activities in Bandung City are realized quite well. However, the function of controlling has not run optimally. This is due to the limitations of human resources owned by Dispusip Kota Bandung. This coaching program is expected to be able to realize the enforcement of urban village libraries and to give contribution to the improvement of library coaching management done by Dispusip Kota Bandung