Combating Violence in Juarez, Mexico: Political Opportunities for Women to Resist Gender. Class, and Labor Oppression

February 14, 2004 did not represent a typical Valentines Day for people who gathered in Juarez, Mexico to protest the brutal murders of nearly 400 young women in the last ten years. Walking streets lined with black and pink crosses to commemorate those lost, women, men, activists, artists, and children from all over the world demanded that attention be paid to the conditions in Juarez that have led to the perpetuation of these violent crimes. As family members of victims marched in remembrance of their loved ones, they were aware of the fear that has become a part of their daily existence. Paula Flores Bonilla who lost her daughter Sagrario Gonzales Flores reflects, “I still cannot accept that my daughter is dead. I never saw her body. We have more daughters, and they work at the factories. I am always worrying that they are in danger. 1 watch them leave and I do not know if they will return” (Bejarano 2002, 134). Protestors march with the hope of diminishing some of the fear of Juarez women by demanding that oppressive political conditions along the border be remedied

Power and participation: participatory resource management in south-west Queensland

To develop a sustainable future for the rangelands, partnerships are needed — partnerships between scientists, policy makers, visitors, and most significantly, the various communities of people who live and work in the rangelands. The views of these people are as variable as the country about which they care; rangeland communities are not homogeneous. The power relations between these people are at the base of many conflicts. How we handle the relationships between these groups, and manage these conflicts, are crucial for success in land management. ¶ The first part of this thesis reviews the history of both community participation and power theory. While participatory approaches are part of the rhetoric in Australian land management, proponents are generally naïve about the complexities of power and power relations. The philosophical literature highlights that power is a contested concept; and these divisions are epitomised by the works of Habermas and Foucault. Their writings are compared and contrasted to provide a rich understanding of power relations in community participation. ¶ ..

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the criterion validity of nutrition assessment tools for diagnosing protein-energy malnutrition in the older community setting

Background: Accurate diagnosis is a key step in managing protein-energy malnutrition. This review seeks to determine the criterion (concurrent and predictive) validity and reliability of nutrition assessment tools in making a diagnosis of protein-energy malnutrition in community-living older adults. Methods: A systematic literature review was undertaken using six electronic databases in September 2016. Studies in any language were included which measured malnutrition via a nutrition assessment tool in adults ≥65 years living in their own homes. Data relating to the predictive validity of tools were analysed via meta-analyses. GRADE was used to evaluate the body of evidence. Results: There were 6,412 records identified, of which eight papers were included. Two studies evaluated the concurrent validity of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and six evaluated the predictive validity of the MNA. The quality of the body of evidence for the concurrent validity of both the MNA andSGA was very low. The quality of the body of evidence for the predictive validity of the MNA in detecting risk of death was moderate (RR: 1.92 [95%CI: 1.55-2.39]; P Conclusions: Due to the small number of studies identified and no evaluation of the predictive validity of tools other than the MNA, there is insufficient evidence to recommend a particular nutrition assessment tool for diagnosing protein-energy malnutrition in older adults in the community setting. High quality diagnostic accuracy studies are needed for all nutrition assessment tools used in older community samples, including measuring of health outcomes subsequent to nutrition assessment by the SGA and PG-SGA

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the criterion validity of nutrition assessment tools for diagnosing protein-energy malnutrition in the older community setting (the MACRo Study)

Background & aims: Malnutrition is a significant barrier to healthy and independent ageing in older adults who live in their own homes, and accurate diagnosis is a key step in managing the condition. However, there has not been sufficient systematic review or pooling of existing data regarding malnutrition diagnosis in the geriatric community setting. The current paper was conducted as part of the MACRo (Malnutrition in the Ageing Community Review) Study and seeks to determine the criterion (concurrent and predictive) validity and reliability of nutrition assessment tools in making a diagnosis of protein-energy malnutrition in the general older adult community. Methods: A systematic literature review was undertaken using six electronic databases in September 2016. Studies in any language were included which measured malnutrition via a nutrition assessment tool in adults ≥65 years living in their own homes. Data relating to the predictive validity of tools were analysed via meta-analyses. GRADE was used to evaluate the body of evidence. Results: There were 6412 records identified, of which 104 potentially eligible records were screened via full text. Eight papers were included; two which evaluated the concurrent validity of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and six which evaluated the predictive validity of the MNA. The quality of the body of evidence for the concurrent validity of both the MNA and SGA was very low. The quality of the body of evidence for the predictive validity of the MNA in detecting risk of death was moderate (RR: 1.92 [95% CI: 1.55–2.39]; P < 0.00001; n = 2013 participants; n = 4 studies; I2: 0%). The quality of the body of evidence for the predictive validity of the MNA in detecting risk of poor physical function was very low (SMD: 1.02 [95%CI: 0.24–1.80]; P = 0.01; n = 4046 participants; n = 3 studies; I2:89%). Conclusions: Due to the small number of studies identified and no evaluation of the predictive validity of tools other than the MNA, there is insufficient evidence to recommend a particular nutrition assessment tool for diagnosing PEM in older adults in the community. High quality diagnostic accuracy studies are needed for all nutrition assessment tools used in older community samples, including measuring of health outcomes subsequent to nutrition assessment by the SGA and PG-SGA

Economic Incentives in the Hospice Care Setting: A Comparison of For-profit and Nonprofit Providers

The purpose of this paper is to examine the association of differences in economic incentives between for-profit (FP) and nonprofit (NP) hospice care providers with management performance using financial and nonfinancial metrics. This research is based on the expectations of Agency theory and applies proxies of the quality of patient care while controlling for differences in cost-efficiency. Our findings indicate that FP hospice providers (1) selectively admit patients with longer life-prognoses and billable days and hence lower average costs per day (2) employ a lower average cost/skill mix of workers and (3) have higher CEO compensation and profit. The NP providers admit more patients with the less profitable life-prognoses attributes have lower CEO compensation and reinvest their net earnings under the non-distribution constraint. While the profit incentive may be needed to attract providers into this rapidly growing and underserved market the NP providers return a lower cost per patient served from the taxpayer's perspective

Vitamin D and the Athlete: Risks, Recommendations, and Benefits

Vitamin D is well known for its role in calcium regulation and bone health, but emerging literature tells of vitamin D’s central role in other vital body processes, such as: signaling gene response, protein synthesis, hormone synthesis, immune response, plus, cell turnover and regeneration. The discovery of the vitamin D receptor within the muscle suggested a significant role for vitamin D in muscle tissue function. This discovery led researchers to question the impact that vitamin D deficiency could have on athletic performance and injury. With over 77% of the general population considered vitamin D insufficient, it’s likely that many athletes fall into the same category. Research has suggested vitamin D to have a significant effect on muscle weakness, pain, balance, and fractures in the aging population; still, the athletic population is yet to be fully examined. There are few studies to date that have examined the relationship between vitamin D status and performance, therefore, this review will focus on the bodily roles of vitamin D, recommended 25(OH)D levels, vitamin D intake guidelines and risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency in athletes. In addition, the preliminary findings regarding vitamin D’s impact on athletic performance will be examined

A call for collaboration: linking local and non-local rangeland communities to build resilience

The people who live in Australia’s rangelands are vital for maintaining natural systems, agricultural production, infrastructure for tourism and many services and products which benefit the nation. However, the number of people living within many rangeland regions is declining, services are being withdrawn and resilience undermined. Social capital is an important concept within the resilience literature. Bonding social capital is based strong ties within relatively homogenous local groups, bridging social capital is based on ties between more diverse local groups and linking social capital is based on ties between local and external groups. Within the rangelands, there are often strong bonding and bridging social capitals based on internal social and formal connections, but gaps in linking social capital due to weak or imbalanced connections with external groups and organisations. There is evidence that all three social capitals are needed for regional resilience, and the gap in linking is thus a key issue. People who live outside the rangelands can help rebuild this resilience by linking their skills, knowledge and expertise with local groups and communities. Many city-based scientists, policy makers, influencers and other professionals work in and have empathy for the rangelands. By connecting meaningfully with local groups such as Landcare, service clubs, philanthropic groups or Indigenous Rangers, they would find many benefits to their own endeavours through improved policies, knowledge and service delivery. Central-western Queensland is provided as an example where many such mutual benefits and networks already exist, offering pathways for linking local residents with external experts. Current platforms offer opportunities for a greater range of external academic institutions and organisations to engage with locals, with everyone standing to gain