The Impact of Marital Crises and the Social–Emotional Development of Children

Despite the stressful conditions and difficulties that bring about habitual conflict in many Black African marriages, some couples choose to manage their conflict and remain married, even in the context of the divorce culture. It is important to determine the potential factors that impact marital resilience in the midst of difficulties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore resilience factors that enhance conflict management in Black African marriages in South Africa. A phenomenological research design was adopted using a qualitative research approach. Forty participants, consisting of 20 married men and 20 married women, were purposively selected to participate in this study. Data was collected using semi-structured individual and focus group interviews which were also audio-recorded. Following recordings, the interviews were transcribed. The data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings of this study demonstrated that, of all the techniques employed to handle marital crises, effective communication was the most widely favoured. Leaving things alone by opting to remain silent, being humble, and pastoral counselling were also found to be effective tactics. The findings of this study may be useful in therapeutic work with couples. The factors that participants identified as vital in contributing towards their marital resilience may be helpful to add to the understanding of marital resilience and may be used to develop a strengths-based intervention program for couples in marital crisis. Keywords: Marital Resilience, Marital Crisis, Conflict Management, Marriage, Divorce.

It is suggested that the experimental data on the solar neutrino flux as measured in the existing solar neutrino detectors (e.g. Homestake, Kamiokande II and III, Gallex and Sage) vary with the solar activity cycle to a very high level of statistical significance. We have applied the run test and the change point test to the nine sets of solar neutrino flux that have been generated by the Monte-Carlo simulation with production rate and background parameters that are typical of those in the actual Homestake experiment. Homestake solar neutrino flux data show anticorrelation with sunspot numbers from 1970 to February 1994 at a very high level of statistical significance. However, the Kamiokande solar neutrino flux data show correlation with the sunspot number data at a significant level. Again it is shown that out of nine Monte-Carlo-simulated data only three indicate a variation within the period from 1970 to February 1992, but these three Monte-Carlo-simulated solar neutrino flux data do not show significant anticorrelation with the sunspot number data. The solar neutrino flux data from Gallex and Sage show not only variation within the measurement period, i.e. from January 1990 to October 1995, but are also correlated with the sunspot numbers. The Kamiokande solar neutrino flux data not only show variation from January 1987 to February 1995 but are also correlated with the sunspot number data. The variation of solar neutrino flux data within the solar activity cycle and anticorrelation/correlation indicates that the solar activity cycle is due to the pulsating character of the nuclear energy generation inside the core of the sun.

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonella species in milk and locally processed milk products traded for human consumption and assess the risk factors associated with Salmonella milk contamination in the study area. The study utilized microbiological culture and isolation as well as questionnaire analysis. A total of 600 samples were studied, 200 each for fresh milk (madara), full creamed milk (kindirmo) and skimmed milk (nono). The study revealed an overall prevalence of 8.7% (52/600). About 0.2% (1/600), 3.0% (18/600), 1.0% (6/600), 2.0% (12/600) and 2.5% (15/600) of the overall prevalence were recorded in Dengi, Gargah, Kanam, Gagdi and Gidgid districts of the Local Government Area (LGA) respectively. This revealed a high level of statistical significance (P<0.05). Prevalence rates in relation to milk type were 6.4% (38/600), 1.5% (9/600) and 0.8% (5/600) for fresh milk, full creamed milk and skimmed milk respectively. This showed a high level of statistical significance (P<0.05). Based on sources of water used for milk processing, prevalence rates were 6.8% (41/600), 1.7% (10/600) and 0.2% (1/600) for stream water, well water and borehole water respectively. These differences were highly significant statistically (P<0.05). Risk factors analysis revealed that 31.3% (188/600) of the respondents were not aware of salmonellosis and 82.2% (493/600) were not aware of the risk of acquiring Salmonella via milk consumption. There were high association between the prevalence of Salmonella in milk and the risk of sucking milk directly from the udder of cows (P<0.00001, OR = 8.7448), the use of stream water in processing milk (P=0.0001, OR = 3.6733) and failure to wash the udder of cows before milking (P=0.0041, OR = 0.2072). This study has revealed the presence of Salmonella species in milk traded for human consumption and the risk factors associated with their contamination in Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria.

The object of the present work is to describe the elements that the lawyers must take into account when dealing with cases of marital crises and the role of companion animals in these. The progressive transformation of the family model has led to the appearance of new situations that are not legally regulated, one of which is how to proceed in cases of separation and divorce in which the spouses have shared pets. The lawyer's role in cases of marital crisis is one of the great questions of the practice of law today. Without developing a stricto sensu parenting plan, which is reserved exclusively for the treatment of the children of the marriage, these situations require a language similar to that used to regulate guardianship and custody relationships. However, it is undeniable that these situations require detailed attention, having to avoid problems and future contingencies that could affect the welfare of the spouses and animals.

This research investigates the relationship between family challenges, specifically socio-economic status (SES), family structure and stability, and domestic violence with academic performance among high school students. Utilizing a quantitative research design grounded in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the study explores how these factors may influence students' academic success. Data from 152 secondary school students were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), ensuring a robust statistical foundation for the study's findings. The results reveal that SES has a lower positive correlation with academic performance, indicating that while higher SES is advantageous, its impact on academic success is relatively limited. Family structure and stability show a moderate positive correlation with academic performance, emphasizing the critical role of a stable and supportive family environment in enhancing students' academic achievements. The researcher found that domestic violence demonstrates a very high correlation with academic performance, underscoring the severe negative effects that domestic violence can have on students' educational outcomes. These findings offer essential insights for educators, policymakers, and social work practitioners, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address family challenges and improve students' academic potential.

This study examined comparative analysis of learning style preferences and learners’ academic performance in selected secondary schools, specifically focused on Rwamagana District, Rwanda. Four specific objectives formed the basis of the study: to examine the effect of visual learning style on learners’ academic performance, to assess the influence of auditory learning style on learners’ academic performance, to evaluate the effect of reading/ writing learning style on learners’ academic performance, and to analyze the effect of kinesthetic learning style on learners’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Rwamagana District. The study used VARK model as its guiding theoretical framework. The study adopted the convergent parallel mixed-method research design. The study involved 1696 participants, with a sample of 266, including 200 students, 38 teachers, 14 directors of studies, and 14 head teachers were chosen for analysis. Researcher used a combination of census and stratified sampling techniques to select this representative group, following Yamane’s formula to determine the appropriate sample size. Data collection relied on a structured questionnaire with Likert-scale options, one-on-one interviews, and document analysis. Statistical methods were used in the data analysis for the quantitative research. The numerical data was presented and summarized using descriptive statistics, and conclusions and population-wide generalizations were made using inferential statistics. A computer program called IBM SPSS Statistics 27 helped analyze the numerical data (percentage, averages, etc.,), while qualitative data from interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes and understanding related to learning style and learner’s academic performance. The findings revealed positive effect of different learning styles on academic performance among secondary school learners in Rwamagana District: Visual learning style explained 42.2% of the variation in academic performance (R² = 0.422, p = 0.0005), indicating that while visual learning has some influence, it is not a major predictor of learners' academic performance. Similarly, auditory learning style accounted for 56.2% of performance variation (R² = 0.562, p = 0.0004), suggesting a moderate positive effect but limited overall effect on learners’ academic performance. In contrast, reading/writing learning style emerged as a strong predictor, explaining 97.0% of academic performance variations (R² = 0.970, p = 0.001), indicating that effective reading and writing strategies significantly enhance students’ academic success. Lastly, kinesthetic learning style explained 83.9% of the variation in performance (R² = 0.839, p = 0.000), demonstrating that hands-on learning strategies also have a considerable positive effect on academic achievement. The study concludes that learning styles significantly influence academic performance among secondary school students in Rwamagana District. While visual and auditory styles have moderate effects, reading/writing and kinesthetic styles are the strongest predictors of success. These findings highlight the importance of adopting diverse teaching strategies, particularly those emphasizing literacy and hands-on learning, to enhance student achievement. Policymakers and educators should prioritize these approaches for improved learning outcomes.

These commentaries [1,2] as well as the Engberg & Morral [3] paper, raise important and thought-provoking questions concerning the role of adolescent substance use in academic outcomes. Godley [1] makes the point that, regardless of the nature of the relation between academic achievement and substance use, schools are an important potential intervention environment for adolescents who are at risk for substance use problems. Indeed, our own findings and those of Engberg & Morral [3] suggest that adolescent drug use is related to reductions in sustained engagement in academic pursuits, which implies that interventions outlined by Godley [1] could improve school engagement and attendance. Engberg & Morral’s data are particularly compelling, as they demonstrate that reducing substance use through a treatment program increases school attendance among heavy drug-using adolescents. Taken together, the results of both empirical studies suggest that decreasing drug use will produce improvements in academic outcomes. Results of both studies [3,4] underscore the importance of clarifying the mechanisms by which substance use influences academic outcomes. Research suggests at least two potential mechanisms. First, substance use itself may impair cognitive development which, in turn, reduces academic achievement and disrupts academic progression. Recent studies have shown that heavy adolescent substance use can lead to problems with working memory and attention due to changes in adolescent brain activity [5]. In turn, these memory and attention problems may lead to decreases in academic performance and engagement in school, and ultimately increase risk for school problems and dropout. However, these findings have been reported with heavy drinking and drug-using adolescents (similar to the clinical sample used by Engberg & Morral), and it is unclear whether such effects would emerge at lower levels of use. Moreover, the magnitude and permanence of these effects are unclear in terms of whether they extend to impair academic functioning. For example, studies [6,7] suggest that withdrawal is an important predictor of the neurocognitive deficits associated with adolescent drinking, but it is not clear whether prolonged periods of abstinence rectifies these deficits or whether they are permanent. Alternatively, it could be that drug and alcohol use during adolescence leads to association with antisocial peer groups, which in turn diminishes school engagement and increases other behavioral and social problems. Indeed, as Godley and the current studies support, substance use is related to many school-related outcomes that have a strong behavioral and social component. That is, outcomes such as school grades, attendance, school completion and dropout are influenced not only by intellectual functioning, but also by motivation, organizational skills and social/behavioral skills. In other words, the effects of substance use on academic outcomes may have motivational, social and behavioral components in addition to any effects on cognition and cognitive development. Thus, negative academic outcomes may be due to both the direct effect of substance use on cognitive skills as well as the constellation of motivational, social and behavioral risk factors associated with substance use in adolescence. Interestingly, the findings from the current studies suggest that the mechanism by which substance use influences academic performance may differ depending on the nature of the adolescent sample (clinical versus community) and the developmental outcome that is studied (high school attendance versus academic achievement and college completion). Specifically, the substance use of heavy drug-using adolescents may directly impair academic (cognitive) abilities which limits academic performance in adolescence. For most adolescents who use drugs at a lower level, however, adolescent drug use may serve as a maturational ‘snare’ that keeps some adolescents engaged in deviant peer groups as others move on to more normative groups, thus having a long-term direct effect on educational attainment. Other studies [8–10] have discussed similar processes, in which differential pathways to problematic outcomes are determined, in part, by the level of multiple risk behaviors. If we believe that multiple mechanisms are operating, then it follows that preventive interventions aimed at improving academic engagement should broaden their focus beyond drug use in adolescence. We echo Godley’s [1] suggestion that community and family risk factors should also be targets of intervention. Our findings showed that drug use in adolescence partially mediated the effect of adolescent externalizing behaviors on college completion; adolescent externalizing also had direct effects on both adolescent reading achievement and on degree completion [3]. This implies that a powerful target of intervention would be externalizing behaviors, especially for adolescents who have not yet developed heavy or problematic levels of alcohol and/or drug use.

Recovery schools for improving behavioral and academic outcomes among students in recovery from substance use disorders: a systematic review.

Background:Emotional intelligence (EI) is potentially associated with higher academic performance. However, no study from the Gulf region has previously assessed if EI affects academic success and academic performance in medical students.Objectives:To examine the relationship between EI and academic success and academic performance in a sample of Saudi Arabian medical students.Methods:This cross-sectional, questionnaire study included all 4th–6th year medical students enrolled at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the academic year 2017–18. Eligible students were invited to complete the self-administered Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test and the Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS) along with a questionnaire eliciting demographic information between January and April 2018. Academic achievement was assessed based on each student's self-reported grade point average in the most recent examination.Results:Of 377 eligible students, 296 (78%) completed the questionnaires. A significant association was identified between overall EI and ASICS scores (r = 0.197; P < 0.001). EI scores were constant in males and females and the year of study. No statistically significant association was observed between EI and academic success across gender and academic years (P > 0.05 for all values). However, in terms of external motivation and career decidedness by level of study, final-year students had higher scores compared with students in the other two study years (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01, respectively).Conclusion:This study offers primary data on the impact of EI scores on academic success in medical education, and it identified several factors associated with EI and academic success. The findings of this study suggest that EI and academic success are linked, and that both are vital for increasing academic performance.

Césaire at the Crossroads in Haiti: Correspondence with Henri Seyrig

Occupational therapy (OT) educational programs are aimed at enrolling a diverse student population that is likely to succeed in the academic and fieldwork components of the program. Comprehending the array of factors that influence students' learning and academic and fieldwork success is important for university educators. This study investigated the existing literature on predictors of academic and fieldwork performance in OT students. The search process used in this review included screening, eligibility, and study quality. We searched the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases for literature published in the past 10 years (1 January 2012 to 30 March 2022). As a comprehensive search, the following keywords were used for abstract, title, and keywords sections: occupational therapy student, predictors, fieldwork, academic, academic success, academic performance, fieldwork success, and fieldwork performance. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument was used to assess the quality of studies. The systematic review retrieved 14 articles that met inclusion criteria. Most were cross-sectional studies, followed by cohort, retrospective analysis of secondary data, and exploratory studies. Four articles focused on academic success, eight focused on fieldwork success, and two explored both aspects. Promising predictors of academic performance included the admission grade point average and the student's approach to studying. Predictors of fieldwork performance included a graduate record examination score, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal relationships. This systematic review explores predictors of academic and fieldwork success in OT students, which provide opportunities to identify early the learning difficulties of students and assist educators to target modifiable predictors so they can provide high-quality education.

Schools play an important role in development of children and regular attendance in school helps in academic achievement, well being, self-esteem of children. This research studied 242 students for their academic achievement and their attendance in school. The results show that attendance in school is positively correlated with academic achievement. Key words: School attendance, academic achievement, School going adolescents. Schools play an important role in overall development of children and adolescents. Schools have been sites for resilience oriented programming because of the easy access they provide to youth and are the link between academic success, school engagement and other child development goals like well-being, self-esteem and self-efficacy (Ungar et al 2004). Research shows that attendance in school is an important factor in student achievement. Attendance in classrooms and in schools ensures continuity in the students learning process. When a student is absent from class whether unexcused or excused, it has an adverse effect on their academic performance and academic achievement. To understand the correlation between academic achievement and attendance, a study was carried out on school-enrolled adolescent girls and boys in schools across Chandigarh.

This paper examines the symmetry between domestic violence and gender domination by x-raying some of the issues and challenges that generate domestic violence. Using two video Films produced in the Nigerian Film Industry as case studies, the work argues that gender based violence is not limited to the female gender because, beyond physical demonstration of violence against women, men face psychological violence in the pursuance of their patriarchal ideologies. The study employed the interpretative approach to content analysis within the qualitative research methodology in undertaking a critical analysis of the films. Video Compact Discs (VCDs) and Digital Video Discs (DVDs) and related literatures in film, and feminist theory as well as postulations on domestic violence and Gender domination are used for data analysis. The findings reveal that domestic violence is not limited to the feminine gender. Beyond physical demonstration of violence against women, men also face psychological violence in varied degrees. The investigation reveals that gender domination generates violence among men and women because groups with the intent to dominate and suppress one another in a relationship cause marital crises. A strive towards mutual co-existence is therefore advocated.

Mental capacity, depression, and low self-esteem can affect young adults' learning and cognitive capacities, which may affect their academic performance. This study examined the connection between students' academic success and mental and emotional health. The data samples come from several degree programs offered by the College of Computing Education at the University of Mindanao, including the Bachelor of Science in Education and Multimedia Computing, the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, and the Bachelor of Science in Library and Information Science. The data were statistically analyzed using frequency, Mean, Standard Deviation, Pearson correlation, Multiple Linear Regression. Mental capacity, depression, and self-esteem are associated with participants' academic performance and are identified as psychological functioning factors used in the test. Academic performance was measured using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM), while the indicated indicators were calculated using the College Adjustment Scale (CAS).

A statistical ‘randomised block design’ full plant trial of magnetic conditioning of flotation feed was undertaken at Rio Tinto’s Northparkes Mine in New South Wales. Magnetic conditioning of flotation feed has been shown to improve the flotation of <38 μm paramagnetic minerals consistent with selectively aggregating these paramagnetic minerals. The process was evaluated using shift composite samples that were analysed for copper and gold. Because the process targets <38 μm minerals, all samples were sized and the size-by-size recoveries were calculated for each sample. The size-by-size analysis targeted the effect on fine mineral, reduced the plant noise and shortened the test period required to get statistically significant results. An increase in gold and copper recovery was found in the <20 μm fraction to a high level of statistical significance. For the >20 and <38 μm size range, the copper recovery increased to a high level of significance, whereas the increase in gold recovery in this fraction was to a lower statistical significance. There was no statistical improvement in the >38 μm fraction for either metal. Approximately half the copper and gold losses at Northparkes are in the <20 μm size fraction. While the sulphide copper minerals chalcopyrite and bornite are known to be paramagnetic; gold is not paramagnetic. Gold’s response to magnetic conditioning, however, is consistent with a number of literature references where, depending on the gold’s mineralogical disposition, gold has been shown to respond to magnetic treatment.