Insider Accounts of the Move to the Outside: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Three Young People's Perceptions of Their Transition from the Secure Estate (Custody) into Education, Training or Employment

Young people who have experienced the secure estate as a result of being involved in offending behaviour are particularly vulnerable to poor life outcomes (unemployment, poor education, mental health difficulties, social exclusion etc.). This research project focusses on three young people’s perspectives of their own transition from the secure estate into education, training or employment in order to contribute to the growing knowledge base around this population of young people. This contribution is in the form of an interpretation by the author of these idiographic accounts of transition. The young people were identified by professionals within the Youth Justice System. Each young person was interviewed about their experience of transition twice in the secure estate and once following release. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Converging themes emerged from all three participants around their experiences of social exclusion as young people involved in offending behaviour, and the challenge they perceived in separating from offending behaviour. Diverging themes emerged between the young people in terms of one young person’s experience of institutionalisation, and two young people’s goal directed approaches to transition. This research contextualises its findings in relation to existing literature and draws out recommendations for future research and educational psychology practice in relation to young people leaving the secure estate. This has implications for how young people are understood and supported through transition

Gender and youth responsiveness considerations for targeting, testing and scaling suitable CSA practices and technologies: Learnings from the Climate-Smart Villages

This working paper summarizes the findings of a portfolio review conducted to explore the gender and youth responsiveness of climate-smart agriculture technologies tested across climate-smart villages. The innovative and integrative aspect of the Climate-Smart Village (CSV) approach can provide useful insights into how to decrease the gender gap in the context of climate change. The diverse settings of CSVs (across East and West Africa, South and Southeast Asia and Latin America) and long program timeline, present a unique opportunity to gather learnings for the broader agriculture research for development community and practitioners. Toward these points, this paper aims to assess how gender and youth responsiveness was integrated into the process of identifying, testing, promoting, and scaling suitable CSA practices and technologies in the context of the implementation of the CSV approach. The review found that collective action and local partner engagement has proved to be very successful in the CSVs in regards to gender outcomes. To improve the gender and youth responsiveness of CSVs, it is essential taking those considerations into account from the very beginning of the project design, as well as having a GSI expert involved

Lessons Learned on Participatory Action Research to Adoption of Climate Smart Agricultural Options with an Emphasis on Gender and Social Inclusion

Participatory action research (PAR) has been around for years, and can add significant value to agriculture research for development projects. The use of PAR in climate-smart villages (CSVs) is no different. This review aimed to assess the impact that PAR approaches had on the adoption of CSA practices and technologies, with an emphasis on gender and social inclusion. Through a portfolio review, interviews with regional CSV teams, and surveys sent to local partners, this report demonstrates the benefit of PAR use in the implementation of the CSV approach. Specifically, the working paper discusses how the use of PAR methods can facilitate social learning, increase adoption rates and improve access to climate information services (CIS) to inform better decision-making. It can also foster conversations around gender roles and dynamics, improve women and youth’s participation in CSA activities, and contribute to scaling. Additionally, PAR can provide communities with a sense of ownership over projects, which can make interventions more sustainable even after the project cycle has ended

Lessons Learned on Participatory Action Research (PAR) to Adoption of CSA Options with an Emphasis on Gender and Social Inclusion Across the 5 CCAFS Regions

This info note highlights the use of participatory action research (PAR) in the implementation of the climate-smart village (CSV) approach and how this may have influenced the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) options, with an emphasis on gender and social inclusion (GSI). It addresses the following key research questions: How were PAR approaches used in CSVs to support CSA adoption beyond planning, with a GSI lens? Did PAR approaches address gender in/equality dimensions? PAR is not a new concept, what was done differently or uniquely in the CSV approach? And specifically regarding GSI considerations? Which have been the key successes? What have been the challenges/lessons learned? Based on these learnings, what needs to be done differently in the future? To sufficiently answer these questions, three methods of data collection were took place: a portfolio review, interviews with CCAFS regional staff, and a survey for local partners. Further detail regarding the approach is discussed in the methodolog

CCAFS Outcome Synthesis Report: Outcomes Achieved Within the Context of Climate-Smart Village Approach

This working paper aims to assess outcome cases related to the AR4D Climate-Smart Village (CSV) approach. It presents results from a review of annual outcome case studies reported under the CCAFS program between 2012-2020. This review focused on outcomes directly related to the implementation of the CSV approach as well as those that took place within the context of CSV work or were informed by evidence generated in the CSV specifically aimed to address the following key questions: 1. What types of outcomes based on CSV related work were achieved? What changed in the next user? 2. How were these outcomes achieved? What was crucial to the change in next users? What key partners were involved

Patient decision‐making and regret in pilonidal sinus surgery: a mixed‐methods study

Aim Little is known about optimal management strategies for pilonidal sinus disease (PSD). We conducted a mixed‐methods study to understand why patients make, and sometimes regret, treatment decisions. Method We conducted longitudinal semi‐structured interviews at the time of surgery and 6 months later with 20 patients from 13 UK hospitals. Framework analysis was performed, and themes were mapped to (1) the coping in deliberation framework and (2) an acceptability framework. Results were triangulated with those from structured survey instruments evaluating shared decision‐making (SDM, best = 9) at baseline and decision regret (DR, most regret = 100) at 6 months. Results Nine of 20 patients were not offered a choice of treatment, but this was not necessarily seen as negative (SDM median 4; range 2–4). Factors that influenced decision‐making included previous experience and anticipated recovery time. Median (range) DR was 5 (0–50). Those with the highest DR (scores 40–50) were, paradoxically, also amongst the highest scores on SDM (scores 4). Burden of wound care and the disparity between anticipated and actual recovery time were the main reasons for decision regret. Conclusion To minimize regret about surgical decisions, people with PSD need better information about the burden of wound care and the risks of recurrence associated with different surgical approaches

Nicotinamide Protects against Ethanol-Induced Apoptotic Neurodegeneration in the Developing Mouse Brain

BACKGROUND: Exposure to alcohol during brain development may cause a neurological syndrome called fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Ethanol induces apoptotic neuronal death at specific developmental stages, particularly during the brain-growth spurt, which occurs from the beginning of third trimester of gestation and continues for several years after birth in humans, whilst occuring in the first two postnatal weeks in mice. Administration of a single dose of ethanol in 7-d postnatal (P7) mice triggers activation of caspase-3 and widespread apoptotic neuronal death in the forebrain, providing a possible explanation for the microencephaly observed in human FAS. The present study was aimed at determining whether nicotinamide may prevent ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. METHODS AND FINDINGS: P7 mice were treated with a single dose of ethanol (5g/kg), and nicotinamide was administered from 0 h to 8 h after ethanol exposure. The effects of nicotinamide on ethanol-induced activation of caspase-3 and release of cytochrome-c from the mitochondria were analyzed by Western blot ( n = 4–7/group). Density of Fluoro-Jade B–positive cells and NeuN-positive cells was determined in the cingulated cortex, CA1 region of the hippocampus, and lateral dorsal nucleus of the thalamus ( n = 5–6/group). Open field, plus maze, and fear conditioning tests were used to study the behavior in adult mice ( n = 31–34/group). Nicotinamide reduced the activation of caspase-3 (85.14 ± 4.1%) and the release of cytochrome-c (80.78 ± 4.39%) in postnatal mouse forebrain, too. Nicotinamide prevented also the ethanol-induced increase of apoptosis. We demonstrated that ethanol-exposed mice showed impaired performance in the fear conditioning test and increased activity in the open field and in the plus maze. Administration of nicotinamide prevented all these behavioral abnormalities in ethanol-exposed mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that nicotinamide can prevent some of the deleterious effects of ethanol on the developing mouse brain when given shortly after ethanol exposure. These results suggest that nicotinamide, which has been used in humans for the treatment of diabetes and bullous pemphigoid, may hold promise as a preventive therapy of FAS