Challenges of HIV and AIDS counselling in basic schools: a case of Mazabuka basic schools,Mazabuka district,Zambia

The study aimed at investigating the challenges of HIV and AIDS counseling in Basic Schools as expressed by the District Guidance and Counseling Coordinator, School Managers, Guidance and Counseling Teachers, Class Teachers and learners. It also examined the conditions of the counseling rooms as well as record keeping. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, though qualitative method was largely used. It took a form of descriptive research design. The respondents consisted of 129 purposively selected individuals in Mazabuka Basic Schools (72 class teachers, 8 school managers, 8 guidance and counseling teachers or school counselors and 40 learners) as well as the District Guidance and Counseling Coordinator. Relevant data were collected with the use of structured and unstructured interviews, observations and focus group discussions. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as thematic analysis. The results of the study indicated that most of the Guidance and Counseling Teachers (90 percent) were not trained in the field of HIV and AIDS. Only 13.6 percent of the Basic Schools had counseling rooms against 86.4 percent, which did not have this facility. The study also revealed that no counseling session records were kept by all the guidance and counseling teachers. It was also found that 4.5 percent of the guidance and counseling teachers had a light teaching load that could allow them to work effectively as HIV and AIDS school counselors. Only 2.3 percent of teachers were said to be coordinating effectively with the school counselors concerning HIV-positive status of pupils in their class and only 2.3 percent of the teachers were coordinating with the parents of HIV-positive pupils. It was further found that no pupils in all the Basic Schools went for HIV and AIDS counseling. Lastly, the results revealed that monitoring or supervision of the HIV and AIDS counseling services was not adequate. The study concluded that HIV and AIDS counseling was not effective in Basic Schools due to various challenges. These included: insufficient trained staff in the field of HIV and AIDS, teachers having a heavy workload and having no extra time allocated for HIV and AIDS related programmes, lack of materials and resources; HIV prevention and AIDS management not regarded as priority in some schools; focus was often on awareness and dissemination of HIV and AIDS information and not on life- skills and capacity building; cultural issues; learners not trusting their teachers; lack of confidentiality, privacy and secrecy; no record keeping and inadequate supervision of HIV and AIDS related counseling services. Based on the findings of the study, there is need for Guidance and Counseling Teachers to be trained in the field of HIV and AIDS related issues, school managers need to ensure that they provide suitable rooms for guidance and counseling and learners to be sensitized about the functions of the guidance and counseling office

Rapid method for quantification of anthocyanidins and anthocyanins in human biological samples

This work was performed with the support of “The Scottish Government's Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS),” Scotland, U.K.Peer reviewedPostprin

Macroscopic Cranial Suture Closure in An Adult Population: Is It Reliable for Estimating Age?

Age estimation is a key factor for the estimation of true sketch of an individual. Generally speaking, assessment of the age of a person either alive or dead is very important in medicolegal and forensic scenarios. The purpose of the present study was to examine the chronology and mold of union of cranial sutures, specifically sagittal, coronal, and lambdoid, and to find out the association between cranial suture closures with the age of the dead. An attempt was also made to see the applicability of the Acsadi and Nemeskeri method in an Indian population. A total of 193 adult calvarias (133 males and 60 females) were studied from autopsy cases. The degree of closure was studied in the three main sutures of the calvarium namely sagittal, coronal and lambdoid. The ectocranial sutures closed after the closure of endocranial sutures in all three studied sutures in various age groups. The sagittal suture showed earlier closure than coronal and lambdoid sutures on the scoring scale. When the Acsadi and Nemeskeri method was analysed using our data, it showed that scale of 0 to 4 worked fairly well with increasing age, with a score near 0 in younger populations and a score of 4 in older populations. Thus, we can conclude that closure of sutures occurs with advancing age in sagittal, coronal and lambdoid sutures. The sagittal, coronal, and lambdoid sutures are usually open in younger populations below 28 years of age while they are almost always closed in the age grou

Enhancing health benefits of milled rice: current status and future perspectives

Milled rice is an essential part of the regular diet for approximately half of the world’s population. Its remarkable commercial value and consumer acceptance are mostly due to its promising cooking qualities, appealing sensory properties, and longer shelf life. However, the significant loss of the nutrient-rich bran layer during milling makes it less nutritious than the whole grain. Thus, enhancing the nutritive value of milled rice is vital in improving the health and wellbeing of rice consumers, particularly for those residing in the low-economic zones where rice is the primary source of calories and nutrition. This article provides a critical review on multiple frontiers of recent interventions, such as (1) infusing the genetic diversity to enrich amylose and resistant starch to reduce glycaemic index, (2) enhancing the minerals and vitamins through complementary fortification and biofortification as short and long-term interventions, and (3) developing transgenic solutions to improve the nutrient levels of milled rice. Additionally, the review highlights the benefits of functional ingredients of milled rice to human health and the potential of enhancing them in rice to address the triple burden of malnutrition. The potential merit of milled rice concerning food safety is also reviewed in this article

RuBisCO: a sustainable protein ingredient for plant-based foods

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), is a widely available plant protein receiving great interest because of its nutritional and functional properties. It can be a valuable source of protein for vegetarians. However, it has not received commercial significance due to the lack of a streamlined extraction process at the industrial scale, including its potential health benefits. In this review, we have summarized the literature on the biochemical characteristics of RuBisCO and compared its nutritional value with other plant proteins, as well as highlighted its digestibility, allergic traits, and potential health benefits. Moreover, the existing literature on the extraction of RuBisCO, associated challenges in industrial-scale RuBisCO purification, and recent innovations that occurred in this context are compiled. We believe this review will provide insights into RuBisCO’s nutritional value and techno-functionality. Altogether, RuBisCO can be a sustainable source of protein in the future, especially for vegetarians

Functional Ingredients based on Nutritional Phenolics. A Case Study against Inflammation: Lippia Genus

Epidemiological studies have reported convincing evidence that natural dietary compounds may modify inflammation, it being an important event described in the pathophysiology of age-related infirmity. Among different dietary components, nutritional phenolics have demonstrated links to a lower risk of inflammation in the most common degenerative and chronic diseases. In this way, the healthy potential of phenolics against inflammation and the emergence of new functional ingredients have caused an enhancement of nutraceutical and functional food formulation. The present review focuses on: (a) nutritional phenolics and their effects on inflammation and (b) functional ingredients based on phenolic compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, the emerging interest in health-promoting products by consumers has caused an increase in the demand for functional products and nutraceuticals. Additionally, this review includes a case study of the Lippia genus, which has shown anti-inflammatory effects claiming to be a natural alternative for the management of this physiological disorder. This report is a practical tool for healthcare providers.This work was funded by projects AGL2015-67995-C3-2-R and IJCI2015-26789 (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation), P11-CTS-7625 (Andalusian Regional Government Council of Innovation and Science) and RTI2018-096724-B-C22 (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities). The author Leyva-Jimenez gratefully acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for the FPI grant BES-2016-076618 given to develop this work