The Resource Curse: A Look into the Implications of an Abundance of Natural Resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This paper’s purpose was to look at why the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces consistent economic and political instability despite having an abundance of natural resources. The goal was to connect the economic instability and overall downfall of the Congolese government with the notion of the resource curse which focuses on the concept that countries who have an abundance of natural resources tend to have less economic growth and experience more conflict. This has been done by examining the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s past of colonization as well as its current issues such as conflicts within and near its borders, exploitation perpetrated by neighboring countries and rebel groups, international influence and the corruption that exists from within its own government. The analysis of those factors suggests that there was a noticeable connection between the instability within the country and its natural resource wealth

Finding the Watermark: A filmic response to domestic abuse within Australian film from 1970 - 2006

Due to various social, international and economic encumbrances, Australian film has made a limited foray into the representation of domestic abuse. A limited number of films have been made on this topic since the early 1970\u27s, and even then, the depiction of this social issue has been watered down and sanitised for mainstream consumption. It is the author\u27s belief that the filmmaker has an important and highly influential opportunity to present a social commentary on issues and must not shirk that responsibility. The film project supported by this exegesis responds to the above concerns and the priority has been to create a film that is both stylistically interesting, and socially confronting. Watermarked combines \u27classic\u27 Western genre elements and a deliberately moulded mix of narrative and symbolism. Among other things, the film addresses two perceived flaws of the filmic treatment of this issue to date; namely convenient, uplifting endings and pallid representation of violence. The supporting exegesis begins with a critical history of the depiction of domestic abuse in Australian cinema and how patriarchal structures, together with certain social and economic factors have contributed to what social theorist, Roland Barthes terms, an \u27established order\u27 (Barthes, 1972) which controls and perpetuates the situation. It then charts this project\u27s attempt to highlight and subvert this established ·order through scripting and filming choices of content and style. The exegesis concludes by considering the input of a test audience as a means of measuring the effectiveness of the filmic portrayal

Human Trafficking of People with a Disability: An Analysis of State and Federal Cases

The current academic discourse examining human trafficking is lacking in focus on survivors with a disability. The increased likelihood of abuse experienced by people with a disability is well documented in the research literature, and a small body of research indicates heightened sex trafficking victimization of minor girls with a disability. Yet, very little research specifically examines sex and/or labor trafficking of people with a disability, and no systematic research analyzes prosecuted cases of trafficking with disability as the focal point of analysis. Drawing from a content analysis of 18 federal and 17 state cases of human trafficking, the current study specifically aimed to increase our understandings of sex and labor trafficking involving survivors with a disability. The findings revealed the following patterns and themes: 1) the type of trafficking experienced (sex, labor, or both), 2) whether state level or federal cases 3) the types of disabilities identified among trafficking survivors, 4) the nature of the relationship between traffickers and survivors, 5) methods of recruitment, 6) case outcomes; and 7) demographic characteristics of traffickers and survivors (e.g., gender/citizenship). Implications include prevention efforts in the form of developmentally grounded sex education and healthy relationships curriculum for survivors with an intellectual disability, as well as specialized anti-trafficking training for those in legal, healthcare, and social services that is inclusive of people with a disability

Prosecuting Buyers in Human Trafficking Cases: An Analysis of the Implications of United States v. Jungers and United States v. Bonestroo

This article provides a review and analysis of United States v. Jungers and United States v. Bonestroo, important court cases providing precedent for charging buyers of sex as traffickers in cases involving minors. The decisions in these court cases, and in subsequent cases, further solidify the presence of end-demand efforts in the form of prosecution. Yet, the decisions in these cases raise additional questions about their implications for state-level prosecution, the prosecution of buyers in cases involving adults who experience sex trafficking, and the buyers of trafficked labor. Drawing from an analysis of relevant cases, this article analyzes the impact of United States v. Jungers and United States v. Bonestroo on subsequent cases, and argues for the potential of such cases to impact prosecution efforts in other facets of human trafficking

Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Respiratory Disease

Background. Limited evidence suggests that pulmonary rehabilitation be included in the management of restrictive lung diseases. The purpose of this study was to document pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes in patients with respiratory diseases other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods. Clinical outcomes of 31patients with respiratory diseases other than COPD and 190 patients with COPD, seen over a 35-month period, were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were evaluated for a 6-minute walk, arm curl strength, chair stand strength, the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score, SGRQ symptom scores, SGRQ activity levels, and SGRQ impact of respiratory illness on the patient’s life. Outcome measures were obtained before the start of pulmonary rehabilitation and after a minimum of nine therapy visits. Results. Pre- and post-rehabilitation changes in the 6-minute walk, arm curl strength, chair stand strength, the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score, SGRQ symptom scores, SGRQ activity levels, and SGRQ impact scores improved significantly for both groups. However, non-COPD patients achieved significantly higher mean SGRQ impact scores and arm curl strength than patients with COPD. Conclusions. Pulmonary rehabilitation should be recommended for all patients with respiratory disease, not only those with COPD

Level of Agreement of 36-Month ASQ-3 between Parents, Child Care Providers, and Health Care Professionals

Introduction Developmental delay is present in approximately 15 percent of children in the United States. 1 Less than one fifth of those children receive early intervention before age 3. Screening processes in pediatric settings are insufficient to identify all children with developmental delay. Objective Investigate the level of agreement in typical methods of administration of the 36 month Ages and Stages Questionnaire 3rd ed. (ASQ 3) between parents, CCPs, and student physical therapists (SPTs). Participants 11 children and parents from 2 childcare centers 5 childcare providers (CCPs) 7 student physical therapists (SPTs) Methods Outcome Measure: 36-Month ASQ-3 Standardized developmental screening tool designed to test a wide age range and be administered by various parties Rapid, simple, and cost effective way to monitor a child’s development Developmental screening was conducted across two testing sessions for each child based on common practices of ASQ-3 administration (Fig. 1). Session 1: Parent scored child’s performance from memory, unless confronted with novel items in which scoring was inferred or administered. SPT was present for questions. Session 2: CCP administered every item and scored the child based on their elicited performance while another SPT scored as an observer. Results Inter-rater Agreement: CCPs and SPTs significantly agreed in 4/5 domains No significant agreement between parents/CCPs or parents/SPTs for any domain (Table 1). Trends in specific domains (Fig. 2): Highly variable across the 5 domains Gross Motor: 73% of parents scored their child’s ability higher than at least one rater from the standardized session by as much as 25 points. Problem Solving: 64% of the parents scored their child as much as 30 points lower than at least one other rater. Conclusion Inter rater agreement between parents and CCPs or healthcare professionals was limited. Clinical Relevance Testing condition for parents was not parallel to the condition for other groups Recommend future exploration into interpretation of this screening tool and best use of the ASQ 3 by parents and CCPs to promote their participation

Tamoxifen Initiation After Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

Endocrine therapy initiation after ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is highly variable and largely unexplained. National guidelines recommend considering tamoxifen for women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) DCIS or who undergo excision alone. We evaluated endocrine therapy use after DCIS over a 15-year period in an integrated health care setting to identify factors related to initiation

Integrating community-based verbal autopsy into civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS): system-level considerations.

BACKGROUND: Reliable and representative cause of death (COD) statistics are essential to inform public health policy, respond to emerging health needs, and document progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. However, less than one-third of deaths worldwide are assigned a cause. Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in low- and lower-middle-income countries are failing to provide timely, complete and accurate vital statistics, and it will still be some time before they can provide physician-certified COD for every death. Proposals: Verbal autopsy (VA) is a method to ascertain the probable COD and, although imperfect, it is the best alternative in the absence of medical certification. There is extensive experience with VA in research settings but only a few examples of its use on a large scale. Data collection using electronic questionnaires on mobile devices and computer algorithms to analyse responses and estimate probable COD have increased the potential for VA to be routinely applied in CRVS systems. However, a number of CRVS and health system integration issues should be considered in planning, piloting and implementing a system-wide intervention such as VA. These include addressing the multiplicity of stakeholders and sub-systems involved, integration with existing CRVS work processes and information flows, linking VA results to civil registration records, information technology requirements and data quality assurance. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating VA within CRVS systems is not simply a technical undertaking. It will have profound system-wide effects that should be carefully considered when planning for an effective implementation. This paper identifies and discusses the major system-level issues and emerging practices, provides a planning checklist of system-level considerations and proposes an overview for how VA can be integrated into routine CRVS systems

Family Planning in Rwanda is Not Seen as Population Control, But Rather as a Way to Empower the People : Examining Rwanda\u27s Success in Family Planning from the Perspective of Public and Private Stakeholders

Background: Rwanda has made significant strides in improving the health of its people, including increasing access to and use of family planning. Contraceptive use has increased from 17% to 53% in just one decade, from 2005 to 2015. Methods: The data consist of 13 in-depth interviews conducted with family planning program experts in Rwanda to better understand the mechanisms for success, elucidate remaining challenges, speculate on the future of the program, and discuss potential applicability for translating aspects of the program in other settings. Results: All respondents first noted the positive aspects of government will, leadership, and management of the family planning program when asked to describe the reasons for success. The challenges that loomed the largest for the program were service accessibility for rural Rwandans, adolescent access to and use of contraceptives, opposition from religious institutions, as well as inadequate human resources and funding. These challenges were openly acknowledged and are in the process of being addressed. Conclusion: The importance of government leadership and focus in the success of Rwanda’s family planning program was prominent. All positive aspects of the program are based upon the strong foundation the government has built and nurtured. Since innovation is welcomed and program evaluation is considered essential, the outlook for Rwanda’s family planning program is favorable. The issues that remain are common and persistent challenges for family planning programs. Other nations could learn tangible practices from Rwanda’s success and follow Rwanda’s efforts to mitigate the remaining challenge