Countering the Norm, (Re)authoring Our Lives: The Promise Counterstorytelling Holds as a Research Methodology With LGBTQ Youth and Beyond

Counterstorytelling, a methodology that is rooted in critical race theory, is undergirded by principles that are beneficial to understanding the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identified (LGBTQ) young people from an intersectional perspective. Counterstorytelling holds promise as a method that creates opportunities for individual transformation and resistance to dominant narratives among young people facing systemic oppression. This article outlines the design and implementation of a counterstorytelling study with LGBTQ youth and reflects on the value and associated challenges of counterstorytelling as a participatory research method

Joining of thirty three percent by weight random glass fibre reinforced polystyrene using variable frequency microwave

[Abstract]: This paper extends the range of applications for Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) (2 – 18 GHz) facilities to joining thirty three percent by weight glass fibre reinforced polystyrene composite [PS/GF (33%)]. With a given power level, the composite was exposed to various exposure times to microwave irradiation. The primer or coupling agent used was 5-minute two-part adhesive containing 100% liquid epoxy and 8% amine, i.e. Araldite, which was more readily microwave reactive than the composite itself. Bond strengths of the joints were lap shear tested and results were compared with those obtained using fixed frequency (2.45 GHz) microwave processing. The VFMF was operated under software control, which provided automatic data logging facilities. The maximum lap shear bond strength of joint was 430 N/cm2 using variable frequency microwave facility while that obtained by fixed frequency microwave configuration was only 331 N/cm2. The former is nearly 30% stronger than the latter

A Coproantigen Diagnostic Test for Strongyloides Infection

Accurate diagnosis of infection with the parasite Strongyloides stercoralis is hampered by the low concentration of larvae in stool, rendering parasitological diagnosis insensitive. Even if the more sensitive agar plate culture method is used repeated stool sampling is necessary to achieve satisfactory sensitivity. In this manuscript we describe the development of a coproantigen ELISA for diagnosis of infection. Polyclonal rabbit antiserum was raised against Strongyloides ratti excretory/secretory (E/S) antigen and utilized to develop an antigen capture ELISA. The assay enabled detection of subpatent rodent S. ratti and human S. stercoralis infection. No cross-reactivity was observed with purified E/S from Schistosoma japonicum, the hookworms Ancylostoma caninum, A. ceylanicum, nor with fecal samples collected from rodents harboring Trichuris muris or S. mansoni infection. Strongyloides coproantigens that appear stable when frozen as formalin-extracted fecal supernatants stored at −20°C remained positive up to 270 days of storage, whereas supernatants stored at 4°C tested negative. These results indicate that diagnosis of human strongyloidiasis by detection of coproantigen is an approach worthy of further development

Modeling solutions to Tanzania's physician workforce challenge.

BACKGROUND:There is a great need for physicians in Tanzania. In 2012, there were approximately 0.31 physicians per 10,000 individuals nationwide, with a lower ratio in the rural areas, where the majority of the population resides. In response, universities across Tanzania have greatly increased the enrollment of medical students. Yet evidence suggests high attrition of medical graduates to other professions and emigration from rural areas where they are most needed. OBJECTIVE:To estimate the future number of physicians practicing in Tanzania and the potential impact of interventions to improve retention, we built a model that tracks medical students from enrollment through clinical practice, from 1990 to 2025. DESIGN:We designed a Markov process with 92 potential states capturing the movement of 25,000 medical students and physicians from medical training through employment. Work possibilities included clinical practice (divided into rural or urban, public or private), non-clinical work, and emigration. We populated and calibrated the model using a national 2005/2006 physician mapping survey, as well as graduation records, graduate tracking surveys, and other available data. RESULTS:The model projects massive losses to clinical practice between 2016 and 2025, especially in rural areas. Approximately 56% of all medical school students enrolled between 2011 and 2020 will not be practicing medicine in Tanzania in 2025. Even with these losses, the model forecasts an increase in the physician-to-population ratio to 1.4 per 10,000 by 2025. Increasing the absorption of recent graduates into the public sector and/or developing a rural training track would ameliorate physician attrition in the most underserved areas. CONCLUSIONS:Tanzania is making significant investments in the training of physicians. Without linking these doctors to employment and ensuring their retention, the majority of this investment in medical education will be jeopardized

Plug flow and the breakdown of Bagnold scaling in cohesive granular flows

Cohesive granular media flowing down an inclined plane are studied by discrete element simulations. Previous work on cohesionless granular media demonstrated that within the steady flow regime where gravitational energy is balanced by dissipation arising from intergrain forces, the velocity profile in the flow direction scales with depth in a manner consistent with the predictions of Bagnold. Here we demonstrate that this Bagnold scaling does not hold for the analogous steady-flows in cohesive granular media. We develop a generalization of the Bagnold constitutive relation to account for our observation and speculate as to the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for the different constitutive laws for cohesive and noncohesive granular media.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure

PREDICTORS OF PELVIC ACCELERATION DURING TREADMILL RUNNING AT DIFFERENT STRIDE FREQUENCIES

The aim of this study was to examine predictors of peak vertical and anteroposterior pelvic acceleration during treadmill running. Participants ran at 9 km∙h-1 at their preferred stride frequency and at ± 5% of their preferred stride frequency. Coordinate and acceleration data were collected using a motion capture system and inertial measurement units. Linear mixed models showed that for every one standard deviation increase in the anteroposterior displacement from knee to ankle at initial contact, vertical pelvic acceleration increased by 2.18 m∙s-2 (p = 0.046). Additionally, for every one standard deviation increase in stride frequency, peak anteroposterior pelvic acceleration increased by 0.68 m∙s-2 (p = 0.035). Runners who suffer from injuries or pain at the pelvis may benefit from decreasing the anteroposterior displacement from their knee to their ankle at initial contact and reducing their stride frequency

KEBIASAAN MAKAN DAN FREKUENSI KEMUNCULAN HIU PAUS (Rhincodon typus) DI PERAIRAN KWATISORE DALAM HAK ULAYAT LAUT KAMPUNG AKUDIOMI DI TAMAN NASIONAL TELUK CENDERAWASIH

Hiu paus (Rhincodon typus) adalah ikan terbesar di dunia yang sangat berpotensi dalam bidang wisata, namun potensi ancamannya juga tinggi jika tidak dikelola dengan baik. Perairan Kwatisore merupakan salah satu habitat hiu paus di Indonesia yang terlihat sering muncul. Hal tersebut menjadi fenomena yang unik karena hiu paus muncul setiap hari dan sepanjang tahun, sehingga berpeluang untuk pengembangan wisata. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji karakteristik pola makan hiu paus dan agregasinya, terutama total jumlah kemunculan dan jumlah individu di perairan Kwatisore. Pengambilan data dalam penelitian ini berupa data primer dan dilakukan dari bulan Juli sampai September 2020. Metode pengambilan data dilakukan sekali setiap bulan (time series) melalui koleksi untuk mengkaji pola makan antar individu hiu paus dengan pengamatan secara langsung ketika hiu paus naik ke permukaan perairan dan berada di dalam bagan yang berjumlah 5 unit alat tangkap bagan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terjadi 275 kemunculan hiu paus, yang terdiri dari 18 individu. Jumlah kemunculan dan jumlah individu hiu paus sangat tergantung pada hasil tangkapan ikan teri oleh setiap unit alat tangkap bagan. Kemunculan hiu paus berada dalam petuanan hak ulayat laut Kampung Akudiomi. Kemunculan hiu paus dominan terjadi pada pagi hari dan persentase kemunculan 100% berjenis kelamin jantan dengan ukuran panjang total berkisar antara 3 hingga 7,5 m.Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the world with high tourist potential, as well as a relatively high threat of extinction if not managed properly. The Kwatisore Waters are one of the habitats of whale sharks in Indonesia that are seen from the frequent appearance of whale sharks and become a unique phenomenon that is every day of the year, so the area has opportunities for tourism development. The study aimed to examine the dietary characteristics of whale sharks and their aggregations, in particular the total number of occurrences and the number of individual whale sharks in the Kwatisore Waters. Data collection in this study using primary data. The study was conducted from July to September 2020. The method of data collection is carried out once every month (time series) through the collection to review the diet between individual whale sharks is done by observing directly when whale sharks rise to the surface of the water and are in a chart that amounts to 5 units of fishing equipment. The results showed that there were 275 whale sharks appearances, consisting of 18 individuals, the number of occurrences and the number of individual whale sharks depended heavily on the catch of anchovies by each fishing equipment. The appearance of whale sharks within the Sea Tenure of Akudiomi Village. The appearance of the dominant whale sharks occurs in the morning and the percentage of appearance is 100% male with a total length size ranging from 3 to 7.5 meters

Not All Worms Were Created Equal

[Extract] Whilst we support the need to report safety outcomes from experimental therapy of any kind, including the use of helminths as therapy, we believe that it is important to critically examine the causal relationship of the reported event to the proposed etiology so that a balanced view of the cause and effect be arrived at. This is particularly the case in an uncontrolled setting where formal processes for documenting and reporting experimental therapy may not be in place. Recent reviews of studies with one of the most widely used helminths, the anthropophilic hookworm, Necator americanus, have shown this helminth to be safe and well tolerated in hundreds of individuals by numerous research groups across Australia, the US and Europe (1–3). In BMC Pulmonary Medicine (4), Zeynalyan and colleagues report rapidly progressive respiratory failure in a patient with significant comorbidities, including systemic sclerosis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension after self-administration of N. americanus larvae that were purchased over the internet. Here we raise some concerns about this report