University student food insecurity in the wake of Covid-19

Food insecurity is a ubiquitous problem in the United States rooted in inequality. At a time when higher education credentials are an essential pathway to economic stability and social mobility, college costs have risen, household income has stagnated, and the purchasing power of financial aid has declined. As a result, many low-income students in pursuit of breaking the poverty cycle struggle to secure their basic needs. With the Covid-19 pandemic disproportionately affecting those who are already disadvantaged, this study examines what factors are associated with increases in student food insecurity. This mixed-methods study draws upon a survey that was distributed to a random sample of 5000 students between April 2nd and April 30th, 2020. The quantitative phase of the analysis incorporates bivariate and multivariate methods to examine perceived social support, bonding and bridging forms of social capital, living arrangements, financial factors, age, and gender. The qualitative phase analyzes open-ended questions, employing an inductive data-driven approach. Findings reveal that social support is a key determinant of student food insecurity, which is particularly important given that this relationship has been arguably overlooked in the literature. Students utilized bonding (i.e. family) more than bridging (i.e., food bank, university pantry, community fridge, and community hub/group) social ties to access food at that time as lockdown measures limited the availability of the latter. Students who lived alone were more likely to experience food insecurity than those who lived with others. Students who moved back home with their parents were able to mitigate the condition by being provided with food and other resources. The utilization of student loans was positively associated with increases in student food insecurity. Food accessibility issues pertaining to the availability and affordability of nutritionally adequate food stemmed from panic buying, financial hardship, lack of transport, lockdown restrictions, social distancing measures, and fear of exposure to the virus. Overall, the results presented in this thesis show that students who were socially and financially disadvantaged were at increased risk of food insecurity in the wake of Covid-19

Resilience and the self-righting power of development : observations of impoverished Brazilian children in person-centred playtherapy

A chapter on observations of impoverished Brazilian children in person-centred playtherap

Degradabilidade in situ da matéria seca e da proteína bruta das silagens de seis genótipos de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), com e sem tanino no grão, ensilados no estádio de grão farináceo.

Este experimento foi conduzido para avaliar o valor nutricional (materia seca e proteina bruta) de seis genotipos de sorgo para silagem, com e sem tanino no grao, colhidos no estadio de grao farinaceo, utilizando a tecnica da degradabilidade in situ. Seis genotipos de sorgo para ensilagens foram utilizadas: BR 303, BR 304, BR 601 e AG 2006 (sem tanino no grao) e BR 700 e BR 701 (com tanino no grao). quatro bovinos machos, canulados no rumen foram utilizados. os tempos de incubacao foram: 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 e 96 horas. Utilizou-se o tempo zero (t0) para calculo da solubilidade das silagens. A silagem do sorgo BR 304 apresentou os melhores resultados para a media de desaparecimento da MS e da PB as 96 horas de incubacao, seguida pela do AG 2006. O tanino presente nos graos dos genotipos BR 700 e BR 701 ensilados no estadio de grao farinaceo, nao respondeu por nenhum efeito sobre os parametros estudados de degradacao da materia seca e da proteina bruta

Degradabilidade in situ da matéria seca e da proteína bruta das silagens de seis genótipos de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), com e sem tanino no grão, ensilados no estádio de grão farináceo.

Este experimento foi conduzido para avaliar o valor nutricional (matéria seca e proteína bruta) de seis genótipos de sorgo para silagem, com e sem tanino no grão, colhidos no estádio de grão farináceo, utilizando a técnica da degradabilidade in situ. Seis silagens de genótipos de sorgo foram utilizadas: BR 303, BR 304, BR 601 e AG 2006 (sem tanino no grão) e BR 700 e BR 701 (com tanino no grão). Quatro bovinos machos, canulados no rúmen foram utilizados. Os tempos de incubação foram: 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 e 96 horas. Utilizou-se o tempo zero (t0) para cálculo da solubilidade das silagens. A silagem do sorgo BR 304 apresentou os melhores resultados para a média de desaparecimento da MS e da PB às 96 horas de incubação, seguida pela do AG 2006. O tanino presente nos grãos dos genótipos BR 700 e BR 701 ensilados no estádio de grão farináceo, não respondeu por nenhum efeito depressivo sobre os parâmetros estudados de degradação da matéria seca e da proteína bruta

Mental Well-Being in UK Higher Education During Covid-19: Do Students Trust Universities and the Government?

This paper draws upon the concept of recreancy to examine the mental well-being of university students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Briefly, recreancy is loss of societal trust that results when institutional actors can no longer be counted on to perform their responsibilities. Our study of mental well-being and recreancy focuses on the role of universities and government regulators within the education sector. We surveyed 600 UK students attending 161 different public higher education providers in October 2020 during a time when many UK students were isolated in their residences and engaged in online learning. We assessed student well-being using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (scored 7–35) and found the mean score to be 19.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 19.6, 20.2]. This level of well-being indicates that a significant proportion of UK students face low levels of mental well-being. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicates that high recreancy—measured as a low trust in universities and the government—is associated with low levels of mental well-being across the student sample. While these findings are suggestive, they are also important and we suggest that government and university leaders should not only work to increase food and housing security during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also consider how to combat various sector trends that might intensify recreancy

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on postnatal brain development : the potential role of glial cells

Glial cells are crucial for maintaining central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis. They actively participate in immune responses, as well as form functional barriers, such as blood-brain barrier (BBB), which restrict the entry of pathogens and inflammatory mediators into the CNS. In general, viral infections during the gestational period can alter the embryonic and fetal environment, and the related inflammatory response may affect neurodevelopment and lead to behavioral dysfunction during later stage of life, as highlighted by our group for Zika virus infection. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces a cytokine storm and, during pregnancy, may be related to a more severe form of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and also to higher preterm birth rates. SARS-CoV-2 can also affect the CNS by inducing neurochemical remodeling in neural cells, which can compromise neuronal plasticity and synaptic function. However, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on postnatal CNS, including brain development during childhood and adulthood, remains undetermined. Our group has recently highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on the expression of molecular markers associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, which are strongly related to the inflammatory response. Thus, based on these relationships, we discussed the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection either during pregnancy or in critical periods of neurodevelopment as a risk factor for neurological consequences in the offspring later in life, focusing on the potential role of glial cells. Thus, it is important to consider future and long-term public health concerns associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy