Incarceration, Relationships, and Belonging: Insights into the Experiences of Two Male Youth Recently Released from Custody Facilities

This paper explores the family, school, and community experiences of two male youth who had recently been released from custody facilities and how these experiences contributed to their sense of belonging and self-esteem. Addressing the limited literature on self-esteem and belonging of young men who had been incarcerated, the exploratory study considers key themes of trust, family, friendships, and perceptions of belonging and self-esteem which emerge from interviews and guided journal writing sessions. A key finding is that alternative literacy programs, such as journal writing, provide mechanisms to engage young men in building their self-esteem and sense of belonging. The paper concludes with recommendations for teachers, community program facilitators, and social workers to support marginalized youth after having been released from incarceration as they re-enter family and community life

Offering the Choice of Self-Administered Oral HIV Testing (CHIVST) among Long-distance Truck Drivers in Kenya: A Trial-based Cost-effectiveness Analysis

Background: Long distance truck drivers (LDTD) are a high-HIV-risk population facing unique healthcare barriers due to continuous travel and irregular schedules, and may require targeted, resource-intensive strategies for HIV-test uptake. We conducted a trial-based cost-effectiveness of CHIVST among LDTD in Kenya. Methods: Effectiveness data came from a randomized-controlled trial of CHIVST (n=150) versus provider-administered testing (n=155). Economic cost data came from the literature and reflected a societal perspective. Generalized Poisson and linear-gamma regression models estimated the effectiveness (relative-risk) and incremental costs (2017 I$), respectively, with incremental effectiveness calculated as the reciprocal of the absolute risk difference and reported as the number needing to receive CHIVST for an additional HIV-test uptake. We reported incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), with 95$9,774). Results: HIV-test uptake was 23% more likely for CHIVST versus provider-administered HIVtesting, with six individuals needing to be offered CHIVST for an additional HIV-test uptake (6.25, 95%CI 5.00-8.33). The mean cost per patient was more than double for CHIVST (I$26.56 vs I$10.47). The incremental cost-effectiveness of CHIVST was I$97.21 [95$140. Conclusion: CHIVST is an efficient use of resources compared to provider-administered testing.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1114/thumbnail.jp

Recyclable Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Activity of Chitosan-based Polysaccharide Composite Materials

We have successfully developed a simple and totally recyclable method to synthesize novel, biocompatible, and biodegradable composite materials from cellulose (CEL) and chitosan (CS). In this method, [BMIm+Cl−], an ionic liquid (IL), was used as a green solvent to dissolve and synthesize the [CEL+CS] composites. Since, the IL can be removed from the composites by washing them with water, and recovered by distilling the washed solution, the method is totally recyclable. Spectroscopic and imaging techniques including XRD, FTIR, NIR, and SEM were used to monitor the dissolution, to characterize and to confirm that CEL and CS were successfully regenerated. More importantly, we have successfully demonstrated that [CEL+CS] composite is particularly suited for many applications including antimicrobial property. This is because the composites have combined advantages of their components, namely superior chemical and mechanical stability (from CEL) and bactericide (from CS). Results of tensile strength measurements clearly indicate that adding CEL into CS substantially increase its tensile strength. Up to 5× increase in tensile strength can be achieved by adding 80% of CEL into CS. Results of in vitro antibacterial assays confirm that CS retains its antibacterial property in the composite. More importantly, the composites reported here can inhibit growth of wider range of bacteria than other CS-based materials prepared by conventional methods; that is over 24 h period, the composites substantially inhibited growth of bacteria such as MRSA, VRE, S. aureus, E. coli. These are bacteria that are often found to have the highest morbidity and mortality associated with wound infections. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013

Facile Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Activity of Cellulose-Chitosan-Hydroxyapatite Composite Material: A Potential Material for Bone Tissue Engineering

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is often used as a bone-implant material because it is biocompatible and osteoconductive. However, HAp possesses poor rheological properties and it is inactive against disease-causing microbes. To improve these properties, we developed a green method to synthesize multifunctional composites containing: (1) cellulose (CEL) to impart mechanical strength; (2) chitosan (CS) to induce antibacterial activity thereby maintaining a microbe-free wound site; and (3) HAp. In this method, CS and CEL were co-dissolved in an ionic liquid (IL) and then regenerated from water. HAp was subsequently formed in situ by alternately soaking [CEL+CS] composites in aqueous solutions of CaCl2 and Na2HPO4. At least 88% of IL used was recovered for reuse by distilling the aqueous washings of [CEL+CS]. The composites were characterized using FTIR, XRD, and SEM. These composites retained the desirable properties of their constituents. For example, the tensile strength of the composites was enhanced 1.9 times by increasing CEL loading from 20% to 80%. Incorporating CS in the composites resulted in composites which inhibited the growth of both Gram positive (MRSA, S. aureus and VRE) and Gram negative (E. coli and P. aeruginosa) bacteria. These findings highlight the potential use of [CEL+CS+HAp] composites as scaffolds in bone tissue engineering