The rough south and new southern studies: Crossroads and constellations

“The Rough South and New Southern Studies: Crossroads and Constellations” examines fiction by writers of the Rough South and interrogates the inadequate state of criticism on these working-class authors in New Southern Studies. New Southern Studies seeks to de-marginalize the South and to combat a sense of inferiority or irrelevancy in a multicultural and increasingly globalized world; but in this process, New Southern Studies has actually marginalized the region’s most vibrant form of contemporary fiction—Rough South literature. This marginalization springs partly from class-based prejudice, and partly from a concern that the Rough South is too provincial for New Southern Studies. Rough South fiction is not, however, as at odds with the concerns of New Southern Studies as may initially seem; serious scholars of the Rough South will find that its fiction opens dialogue rather than closing it. “The Rough South and New Southern Studies: Crossroads and Constellations” is an effort to open such dialogue, challenge class-based stereotypes, and validate study of Rough South fiction in academia. Chapter one studies the impact of stereotypes on interpretation Rough South literature by analyzing the tension between Harry Crews’s public and private personas. Chapter two focuses on the social implications of Rough South literature’s treatment of class by investigating Larry Brown’s use of social realism in Joe, a novel that compels readers to “peer over the edge” and acknowledge the appalling reality and prevalence of poverty in contemporary society (Joe 183). Finally, chapter three puts New Southern Studies and Rough South literature in conversation by finding parallels between William Gay’s Provinces of Night and trending topics in Southern criticism, particularly regarding time and historical memory as conceived of by Walter Benjamin

Eating disorders in males : a review

Eating disorders are stereotypically believed to be a white, female, middle class malady. There is not currently a widely-held awareness among health professionals that these conditions exist in males, although past research has estimated that between 5-10% of individuals presenting with eating disorders are male. Despite increased records of the incidence of both Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa in females over the last 50 years, the awareness of these disorders in males remains low. This has been attributed to bias and inaccuracy in diagnosis, stigma, and reluctance among males to seek treatment. This paper reviews the existing literature on males with eating disorders in an attempt to properly outline typical features that males may present with. These features are assessed within the context of generally accepted diagnostic criteria, and further the understanding of this phenomenon in males. Key words: Males, Eating disorders, Age of onset and presentation, Body dissatisfaction, Weight control, Comorbidity, Sexual orientation, Social class, Socio-cultural pressures, Family relationships South African Psychiatry Review Vol.8(2) 2005: 58-6

Putting the self in self-tracking: the value of a co-designed ‘how might you’ self-tracking guide for teenagers

Although teenagers engage with Personal Informatics tools to track their health and fitness, many do so without adequate guidance, and they express concerns regarding the potential for these practices to bring harm. Further research is needed to understand how we might leverage resources beyond these tools to support young self-trackers. We worked with 44 teenagers (aged 13-18 years) in the United Kingdom in two series of online workshops to co-design a reimagined 'how might you' guide to promote lifelong, healthy behaviors with self-tracking tools. Our findings emphasize the importance of flexible resources that can support teens' self-tracking practices. For example, guidance on asking critical questions can be particularly valuable in the preparation and reflection stages of self-tracking. To better design teens' interactions with health technologies, particularly Personal Informatics tools, we must think critically about how we design the broader information ecosystems within which these tools reside

The Winding Path Back to School: Hidden Obstacles to Higher Education for Low-Income Single Mothers

[EN] This paper explores obstacles to the pursuit of higher education for low-income single mothers in the United States. Findings are based on a three-year qualitative study, including 66 in-depth interviews with 37 low-income single parents who were pursuing educational goals through an anti-poverty program in Boston, Massachusetts. Respondents were questioned about their past and current experiences, goals, motivation, and fears related to post-secondary education. All mothers interviewed believed that getting a college degree would help them to secure employment and move their families out of poverty. Findings revealed institutional and practical obstacles to their pursuit of higher education, including conflicting advice from “experts” and difficulty retaining public benefits while attending school. The primary obstacles that emerged were categorized as follows: (a) winding paths and dead ends, (b) difficult transitions, (c) short-sighted decisions, and (d) inflexible institutions. Also evident among interviewees were misconceptions about the policies and practices of institutions of higher education, such as not predicting the difficulty of transferring credits between schools and lack of understanding about differences between degree programs. These obstacles have yet to be explored in literature about higher education for low-income parents. Policy and practical implications for higher education as a route out of poverty are discussedFreeman, A. (2015). The Winding Path Back to School: Hidden Obstacles to Higher Education for Low-Income Single Mothers. En 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES (HEAD' 15). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 189-196. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd15.2015.317OCS18919

Detection of Somatic and Male Specific Coliphages in Fecally Contaminated Shellfish and Harvest Waters

Coliphages are rapidly (<12hrs) and easily detectable candidate indicators of human enteric viruses in seawater and shellfish. Furthermore male-specific (F+) RNA coliphages may be useful in differentiating human and animal fecal contamination by classification into one of their four serogroups. Despite their indicator potential, there has been only limited field evaluation of coliphages as indicator viruses of shellfish quality. We studied the concentrations and types of coliphages in six well characterized estuarine field sites impacted by fecal pollution. At each site, there were three stations designated as either open, transitional or closed to shellfish harvesting according to current classification criteria. Samples of water, oysters, and clams were analyzed for concentrations of somatic coliphages , WG49 bacteriophages and male-specific coliphages seasonally for two years. WG49 bacteriophages and F+ coliphages were enumerated on host Salmonella typhimurium WG49 and somatic coliphages were detected on host E. coli C. Coliphages in water were concentrated by adsorption to and elution from membrane filters followed by double agar layer (DAL) plaque assay. Coliphages were extracted from shellfish by homogenizing in nutrient broth, centrifuging, and recovering the supernatant, and the extract was assayed by DAL. WG49 bacteriophages and F+ and somatic coliphages were more prevalent in shellfish than in water by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude. Bacteriophage concentrations in shellfish were higher at sites of known human fecal pollution. Both types of coliphages varied seasonally, with highest levels in winter, lowest levels in summer and intermediate levels in spring and fall. The results of this study indicate that although all three groups of bacteriophages are more prevalent in shellfish than in water, the WG49 bacteriophages and F+ coliphages may be more reliable indicators of fecal contamination. F+ coliphages are easy to detect and quantify and they offer the potential to detect and distinguish between human and animal fecal pollution. For routine monitoring though, total WG49 bacteriophages may be adequate indicators of fecal contamination in shellfish because they are rapidly detected and give information similar to F+ coliphages.Master of Science in Public Healt

Pharmacists\u27 Role in Harm Reduction: A Survey Assessment of Kentucky Community Pharmacists\u27 Willingness to Participate in Syringe/Needle Exchange

Background: Pharmacists\u27 role in harm reduction is expanding in many states, yet there are limited data on pharmacists\u27 willingness to participate in harm reduction activities. This study assessed community pharmacists\u27 willingness to participate in one harm reduction initiative: syringe/needle exchange. Methods: In 2015, all Kentucky pharmacists with active licenses were emailed a survey that examined attitudes towards participation in syringe/needle exchange. Response frequencies were calculated for community pharmacist respondents. Ordinal logistic regression estimated the impact of community pharmacist characteristics and attitudes on willingness to provide clean needles/syringes to people who inject drugs and to dispose of used syringes/needles, where both dependent variables were defined as Likert-type questions on a scale of 1 (not at all willing) to 6 (very willing). Results: Of 4699 practicing Kentucky pharmacists, 1282 pharmacists responded (response rate = 27.3%); the majority (n = 827) were community pharmacists. Community pharmacists were divided on willingness to provide clean needles/syringes, with 39.1% not willing (score 1 or 2 of 6) and 30% very willing (score 5 or 6 of 6). Few were willing to dispose of used needles/syringes, with only 18.7% willing. Community pharmacists who agreed that pharmacists could have significant public health impact by providing access to clean needles expressed 3.56 times more willingness to provide clean needles (95% CI 3.06-4.15), and 2.04 times more willingness to dispose of used needles (95% CI 1.77-2.35). Chain/supermarket pharmacists (n = 485, 58.6% of community pharmacies) were 39% less likely to express willingness to dispose of used needles (95% CI 0.43-0.87) when compared with independent community pharmacists (n = 342, 41.4% of community pharmacies). Independent pharmacists reported different barriers (workflow) than their chain/supermarket pharmacist colleagues (concerns of clientele). Conclusions: Kentucky community pharmacists were more willing to provide clean needles than to dispose of used needles. Strategies to mitigate barriers to participation in syringe/needle exchange are warranted

Time-richness and phosphatic microsteinkern accumulation in the Cincinnatian (Katian) Ordovician, USA: An example of polycyclic phosphogenic condensation

Millimeter-scale phosphatic steinkern preservation is a feature of the taxonomically enigmatic Early Cambrian “small shelly faunas”, but this style of preservation is not unique to the Cambrian; it is ubiquitous, if infrequently reported, from the Phanerozoic record. The polycyclic phosphogenic condensation (PPC) model envisions both the genesis and concentration of phosphatic microsteinkerns as natural outcomes of shell bed genesis through episodic sediment starvation. This model predicts that more reworked and condensed shell bed limestones will contain more phosphatic microsteinkerns, but that even the least reworked limestones may contain some phosphatic particles. We test this model through examination of vertical thin sections densely collected through a 10-meter interval from the classic Cincinnatian (upper Katian, middle Maysvillian North American Stage) upper Fairview Formation, Miamitown Shale, and lower Grant Lake formations at four localities near Cincinnati, Ohio. For each of approximately 50 distinguishable limestone depositional units in each locality, a 2 × 2 cm square was selected for study. Each square was assigned a textural classification (mud content of intergranular space) and a breakage rank (pristine to comminuted). Phosphatic particle distribution was quantified both by visual estimation and by particle counting, with counts ranging from none detected to over 1000 per 4 cm2. Our analyses show a strong positive relationship between phosphate content and both textural maturity and fragmentation. This positive relationship is consistent with the PPC model and confirms that textural maturity can reflect the degree of condensation as well as depth-related environmental energy. This finding suggests that shell bed processes of repeated deposition and reworking make a significant contribution to the generation and accumulation of phosphatic particles. If local-scale sedimentary processes and conditions can control this accumulation, temporal changes in phosphatic sediment deposition rates may be linked to earth changes more complexly than through changing ocean chemistry on a global scale