Crowdsourcing contests to facilitate community engagement in HIV cure research: a qualitative evaluation of facilitators and barriers of participation.

BACKGROUND: As HIV cure research advances, there is an increasing need for community engagement in health research, especially in low- and middle-income countries with ongoing clinical trials. Crowdsourcing contests provide an innovative bottom-up way to solicit community feedback on clinical trials in order to enhance community engagement. The objective of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers to participating in crowdsourcing contests about HIV cure research in a city with ongoing HIV cure clinical trials. METHODS: We conducted in-depth interviews to evaluate facilitators and barriers to participating in crowdsourcing contests in Guangzhou, China. Contests included the following activities: organizing a call for entries, promoting the call, evaluating entries, celebrating exceptional entries, and sharing entries. We interviewed 31 individuals, including nine HIV cure clinical trial participants, 17 contest participants, and five contest organizers. Our sample included men who have sex with men (20), people living with HIV (14), and people who inject drugs (5). We audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed the data using inductive and deductive coding techniques. RESULTS: Facilitators of crowdsourcing contest participation included responsiveness to lived experiences, strong community interest in HIV research, and community trust in medical professionals and related groups. Contests had more participants if they responded to the lived experiences, challenges, and opportunities of living with HIV in China. Strong community interest in HIV research helped to drive the formulation and execution of HIV cure contests, building support and momentum for these activities. Finally, participant trust in medical professionals and related groups (community-based organizations and contest organizers) further strengthened the ties between community members and researchers. Barriers to participating in crowdsourcing contests included persistent HIV stigma and myths about HIV. Stigma associated with discussing HIV made promotion difficult in certain contexts (e.g., city squares and schools). Myths and misperceptions about HIV science confused participants. CONCLUSIONS: Our data identified facilitators and barriers of participation in HIV cure crowdsourcing contests in China. Our findings could complement existing HIV community engagement strategies and help to design HIV contests for community engagement in other settings, particularly in low- and middle-income countries

Exploration of Higher Education Delivery of Artistic Sport Curriculum in the UK and China

This study explored the challenges and opportunities within the realm of artistic sports courses in China, primarily focusing on vocational outcomes for students in Chinese universities and addresses potential implications for enhancement in the context of teaching and learning practices. Through the insights garnered from higher education experts, on-campus students, and social professionals related to artistic sports, this research considered the potential of UK practices to inform the development of Chinese courses, adopting a rigorous and methodical approach to research design, informed by Saunders et al.'s "Research Onion" model. It comprehensively explored philosophical underpinnings, theory development approaches, research choices, strategies, and techniques with procedures. In addition, the research incorporated an in-depth review of pedagogic theory and contemporary literature to establish context. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from both China and the U.K. The primary analytical strategy employed was thematic analysis, enriched by a template analysis approach. This comprehensive methodology facilitated a deep exploration, interpretation, and analysis of the data, culminating in a detailed understanding of the current state and potential improvements of artistic sports courses in China. Key findings from the research illuminate a range of expanded employment opportunities in artistic sports. This includes roles in artistic sports therapy, artistic sports health consulting, careers in health and social care, traditional Chinese artistic sports, artistic sports creativity, academic research, and positions requiring entrepreneurial skills. Further findings encourage a series of research implications for enhancing the teaching and learning practices within artistic sports courses, which span five critical dimensions in higher education delivery: course design, course content and learning experience, course implementation, course assessment, and quality enhancement. Among the key implications, the study highlights the expansion of course objectives, the need for course content diversification to cater to broader vocational outcomes, effective communication and cooperation strategies to improve course implementation, and comprehensive, diverse assessment approaches, especially including the innovative use of student portfolios. It also emphasises the importance of enhancing quality by updating university policies, enhancing the lecturer team, and shifting teaching methods to more learner-centred approaches. The above findings presented in this study offer significant contributions to developing artistic sports education in China. By aligning course design with societal and industry demands and addressing the distinctive interests and abilities of students, the study also offers the potential opportunity to enhance the quality, relevance, and impact of higher education in the realm of artistic sports courses

Traditional Chinese exercise in a contextually adapted cardiac rehabilitation program for chronic heart failure

Background: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (EBCR) is a therapy which benefits patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The delivery of EBCR should adopt an evidencebased approach, as well as be culturally appropriate and sensitive to individual needs and preferences. The Baduanjin Eight-Silken-Movements wIth Self-Efficacy building for Heart Failure (BESMILE-HF) program is a contextually adapted cardiac rehabilitation program. It uses a traditional Chinese exercise, Baduanjin , to solve the unmet demand of EBCR programs due to their scarcity and unaffordability in China. Aim: The overall aim was to provide knowledge, experience, and evidence on how to effectively deliver a contextually adapted EBCR program for patients with CHF in China or other similar settings where EBCR services are scarce. Methods: To evaluate the current evidence on traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) regarding their rehabilitation effects on exercise capacity and quality of life (QoL) for CHF patients, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 33 randomized controlled trial (RCTs) involving 2,465 patients with CHF (Paper I). Paper II is a descriptive study which evaluates Baduanjin intensity and cardiopulmonary responses during practice. Participants were examined during two separate sessions to measure their maximum exercise capacities, as well as their cardiopulmonary responses during Baduanjin practice. We compared the measurements obtained during Baduanjin with their maximum exercise capacities. Paper III is a pilot RCT evaluating the feasibility of the BESMILE-HF program. We recruited eighteen patients with CHF: 8 in a BESMILE-HF group and 10 in a control group. Participants in both groups received the usual medications, with the intervention group also receiving the BESMILE-HF program for 6 weeks. We explored feasibility using participants’ involvement in the intended intervention. Clinical outcome assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention, while adverse events were captured throughout the study period. Paper IV is a qualitative study nested in the pilot RCT to explore the experience of practicing Baduanjin. After the pilot RCT ended, seven participants in the intervention groups agreed to participate in the semi-structured interview. All questions were open-ended, and follow-up questions provided a deeper understanding of areas that appear essential for each individual. Results: Based on moderate-level evidence, adding TCEs into routine pharmacotherapies was associated with statistically significant improvements in exercise capacity and QoL. When compared to general exercise, we found superior improvements in the TCEs group; these were significant for QoL, but not for exercise capacity. We also found evidence that TCE is safe, and that there is high adherence to TCEs programs (Paper I). In terms of Baduanjin’s intensity, both measures of relative intensity measured in this study, %VO2max and %HRmax, categorize Baduanjin as a moderate-intensity exercise. This makes it suitable for improving CHF patients’ exercise capacity (Paper II). In addition, both the VO2 and the HR responses exhibited a bimodal pattern during the exercise session. Further, the average energy expenditure was estimated as 23.3 kcal for a 9-mintue Baduanjin session. In Paper III, we found that the BESMILE-HF program was well received by patients. As a home-based EBCR program, the intervention group demonstrated good compliance with the required exercises. We also found that one’s initial self-efficacy had a positive effect on the total exercise time. More importantly, intervention can improve participants’ exercise self-efficacy and may have benefit on exercise capacity. Interviews (Paper IV) demonstrated that Baduanjin is perceived as being easy for participants to learn. However, the coordination of the mind, the movements, and the breathing in Baduanjin exercise can only be achieved progressively through repeated practice. They also perceived that regular high-quality Baduanjin practice provides many benefits for both the mental and the physical health. Moreover, the perceived training benefits played a crucial role in adherence to home-based training. Conclusion: TCEs may represent a promising rehabilitation therapy as an adjunctive to routine pharmacotherapies, or as an alternative to conventional exercise for patients with CHF. Baduanjin’s eight simple postures are not only accessible and learner-friendly, but also suitable for CHF, as it is a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise without excessive cardiopulmonary stress. When practicing Baduanjin, it is essential for the practitioner to coordinate the mind, movements and breathing in Baduanjin exercise, alongside ongoing correct execution. Practicing Baduanjin may promote the overall physical and psychological health of CHF patients. Moreover, integrating Baduanjin into cardiac rehabilitation programs may increase patients’ long-term adherence to exercise by improving exercise self-efficacy. A larger sample size and a longer follow-up period are needed to confirm its benefit on clinical outcomes

Positive parenting as a moderator for reducing depression in inner-city children exposed to contextual risk factors? A longitudinal multilevel analysis of a family-based intervention program.

Depression in inner-city children is a serious social problem. Given the existing evidence supporting the links among neighborhood conditions, family functioning, parenting, and child outcome, this study expands the examination of the relationship among contextual factors and child depression from a longitudinal developmental perspective. This study also aims to examine how positive parenting as a protective factor moderates the effect of contextual risk factors on child depression in a sample of low-income, inner-city families. This present study used the secondary data from the Schools and Families Educating (SAFE) Children study (aka SAFE Children Project) with is a longitudinal panel study with randomized controlled trial of a family-based preventive intervention on children from Chicago’s inner-city neighborhoods. This project started in 1997 with 424 first-grade students and their primary caregivers receiving the intervention treatment or being assigned to control group. Subsamples for this present study were selected from waves 1 to 9 datasets, including related instruments and demographic information. The selected sample at Wave 1 consisted of 47.6% Mexican American children (n=201), 42.5% African American children (41), and 9.7% other Hispanic or Anglo-White American children (n=41). Out of 49% were male children, while 51% were female children. Two studies were conducted using the SAFE Children project dataset. The first study focused on exploring the effects of major study variables on child depression using wave 1 through wave 5 datasets of the SAFE Children project. The second study focused on exploring the effects on child depression of major study variables using Wave 6 to Wave 9 datasets. This dissertation has employed the multilevel analysis to examine predictors of children’s depression using parental reports. The finding has indicated that the developmental trajectory of child depression is not linear, as evidenced by a significant negative quadratic effect from wave 1 to 5, but the trajectory decreased from wave 6 to 9. No difference was found between treatment status and child depression in Study one, but in Study two, the booster group showed lower levels of depression than the treatment and control groups. Across the nine waves, increases in parental depression were found to contribute to the development of children’s depression. Higher levels of positive parenting led to lower depressive symptoms in children age 6-8 but seemed to be an emerging trend in association with decreased levels of child depression in children age 9-12. Results of this dissertation study did not confirm that positive parenting buffered the effects on child depression of contextual risk factors, including low family cohesion communication, negative school climate, and negative neighborhood conditions over the years. Lastly, implications for future practice, policy, and research are discussed

Tourism in contemporary cities. Proceedings of the International Tourism Studies Association Conference: University of Greenwich, London, UK 17–19 August 2016 Conference Proceedings

The 6th International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA) Biennial conference was held at the University of Greenwich, London, England from 17‐19 August 2016. This was the first time that the conference had been held in Europe and it provided a unique opportunity to meet, hear from and network with tourism scholars and professionals from across Europe, Asia, Australasia, and North and South America. ITSA has a mission to encourage interaction and cooperation between developing and developed countries and the conference was successful in attracting 130 delegates from 29 countries. The main theme of the conference was 'Tourism in Contemporary Cities' with four conference sub‐themes of ‘Tourism Cities and Urban Tourism’, ‘The Chinese Market for European Tourism’, ‘River, Cruise and Maritime Tourism’, and ‘Heritage Tourism in Cities’, The subthemes were chosen to reflect the unique location of the conference on the UNESCO Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, and London which is Europe’s most visited tourist destination. The conference also presented ‘Dark Tourism and Cities’ and ‘Tourism and Communist Heritage’ as special sessions

Soundscape in Urban Forests

This Special Issue of Forests explores the role of soundscapes in urban forested areas. It is comprised of 11 papers involving soundscape studies conducted in urban forests from Asia and Africa. This collection contains six research fields: (1) the ecological patterns and processes of forest soundscapes; (2) the boundary effects and perceptual topology; (3) natural soundscapes and human health; (4) the experience of multi-sensory interactions; (5) environmental behavior and cognitive disposition; and (6) soundscape resource management in forests

Cultural China 2021

Cultural China is a unique annual publication for up-to-date, informed and accessible commentary about Chinese and Sinophone languages, cultural practices, politics and production, and their critical analysis. It builds on the University of Westminster’s Contemporary China Centre Blog, providing additional reflective introductory pieces to contextualise each of the seven chapters. The articles in this Review speak to the challenging and eventful year that was 2021 as it unfolded across cultural China. Thematically, they range from health and medicine, environment, food, children and parenting, via film, red culture and calls for action. Many of the articles in this book focus on the People’s Republic of China, but they also draw attention to the multiple Chinese and Sinophone cultural practices that exist within, across, and beyond national borders. The Review is distinctive in its cultural studies-based approach and contributes a much-needed critical perspective from the Humanities to the study of cultural China. It aims to promote interdisciplinary dialogue and debate about the social, cultural, political, and historical dynamics that inform life in cultural China today, offering academics, activists, practitioners, and politicians a key reference with which to situate current events in and relating to cultural China in a wider context

Cultural constructions of illness : the client and practitioner perspectives of traditional Chinese medicine. Perth Western Australia

An increased use of Complementary and alternate health care practices (CAM) and under which TCM is found assumed, is found in overseas countries and has become increasingly popular among Australian consumer. There has been a considerably increase in the consumer use of TCM over the past decade, but little is understood on the practice of the clinical encounter in TCM explained from the context within a clinic in western society.Investigation was made on how social and cultural processes have shaped people’s acceptance of TCM as a form of complementary health. Drawing from an ethnographic focus, the study explores the practice of TCM in several clinic settings in Perth. Attention is paid to the ways in which notions of health and illness are constructed by clients and practitioners. This study examined the interactions found in the process of ‘Kanbing’ from a TCM practice in Perth, Western Australia in order to understand how health practices are shaped by cultural and social processes. From an anthropological perspective, the ethnography of this study was guided an extended contact with the everyday clinical context of TCM, facilitated through participant observation, interviews with clients and practitioners and case study analysis. Interviews revealed perspectives from clients of non-Asian backgrounds to record the lived experiences of the encounters between the practitioner and client of TCM in the clinic. Participant observation took place over a two year period from February 2002 to March 2003 with further follow up work in the field conducted at intervals throughout 2004 and 2006 to gain additional data.The client centred interrelationships between practitioners of TCM, clients, and their perceptions, formed part of the interpretative process that informed the understanding of the cultural context from how an illness is described and explained through the process of Kanbing. My research was drawn from the reality of the encounter within the clinical context through participant observation within two western clinics of TCM. Thus the study makes a contribution to anthropology on the understanding of the structure and meaning found within the practice of traditional Chinese medicine in Australia

Factors affect the social engagement among community dwelling older person: community nurses perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Remaining involved in activities that are meaningful and purposeful and maintaining chose relationship. METHOD: Descriptive qualitative research approach. CONCLUSION: Promoting a considerate cultures in all levels of society is fundamental to create friendly and conducive environment for all people