'If You're Not Allowed to Have Rice, What Do You Have with Your Curry?': Nostalgia and Tradition in Low-Carbohydrate Diet Discourse and Practice

Low-carbohydrate diets, notably the Atkins Diet, were particularly popular in Britain and North America in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This paper approaches the low-carbohydrate trend as one response to the twin obesity and diabetes epidemics, drawing firstly on a discourse analysis of bestselling low-carbohydrate diet books, especially The South Beach Diet (Agatston 2003). I explore and critique nostalgia in the low-carbohydrate movement as a response to a perceived contemporary health crisis caused by modern Western food habits and lifestyle. The low-carbohydrate literature demonstrates a powerful discursive combination of nostalgia for pre-industrial Western foodways, and valorisation of \'authentic ethnic\' (non-Western) culinary traditions. Together, these tropes construct a generalised notion of traditional diet which contrasts positively with a putative \'modern Western diet\'. The binary opposition set up between modern Western food habits and a traditional ideal leads to generalisations and factual inaccuracies, as any diet or cuisine that is not modern, and/or not Western, must be adjusted discursively to fit the low-carbohydrate model. Further, in an interview study with low-carbohydrate dieters, dieters\' descriptions of their experiences did not match the nostalgic rhetoric of popular low-carbohydrate manuals. Instead, I found that the requirement to eliminate staple carbohydrate foods severs dieters both practically and symbolically from culinary tradition, whether their own or that of an ethnic Other. I conclude that there is a disjuncture between the romantic \'nutritional nostalgia\' (Beardsworth 2002) of the diet books, and dieters\' own food practices.Food, Diet, Nutrition, Discourse, Nostalgia, Tradition, Cultural Identity, Obesity

Advocacy for looked after children and children in need: achievements and challenges

This briefing paper offers a summary of the key findings of ‘Advocacy for looked after children and children in need: achievements and challenges’, the first national study of children’s advocacy in England. The study was prepared for the Department of Health and the DfES. The study was undertaken for a number of reasons: despite the relatively rapid increase in the number of advocacy services for children and young people over the last decade or so, relatively little is known about the extent to which advocacy makes a positive difference to the lives of individual children or to developments in children’s services more generally. Evidence also suggests that, in order to reduce the scope for conflict or confusion, there is a need to raise awareness about the principles and practices of advocacy among practitioners and policy makers working in the field of children’s health and social care. This study sought to address these gaps in knowledge and to create a platform for an evidence-based debate about the future of advocacy for children and young people

Evaluation of the role of the breast care nurse at Toowoomba Base Hospital

[Executive Summary]: The Supporting Rural Women with Breast Cancer Project started in Toowoomba in January 2005 with a Breast Care Nurse in a full time position in July 2005. The aim of the project is to develop and implement a revised multidisciplinary model of care resulting in the reorganisation and enhanced coordination of breast care services provided by Toowoomba Health Service District. A key deliverable under the service agreement with the Australian Government is the implementation of an evaluation plan and the compilation of an evaluation report. A decision on continuation of project initiatives will be informed in part by the results of the evaluation reported herein which was conducted by the Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health (CRRAH) based at the University of Southern Queensland. Structured questionnaires were used for both patient and stakeholder feedback. Fifty-one former breast cancer patients were interviewed by telephone. Twenty questions polled patients’ views on their access to the Breast Care Nurse and the nurse’s role in coordinating care, referral to other health professionals, and in providing information and psychosocial, emotional and practical support. Stakeholders received the questionnaire through the Toowoomba Health Services internal email system and returned completed questionnaires by reply paid mail to CRRAH. The questions were designed to provide views on the support that the Breast Care Nurse had made to a multi disciplinary treatment regimen. Views on the reasons for success or failure of the programme were also elicited. Widespread knowledge of the Breast Care Nurse prior to breast cancer treatment was poor; patients were unaware of the Breast Care Nurse until their first contact with her which was usually at the Surgical Outpatients Clinic held at the BreastScreen Toowoomba Service. More information about the position and role could be made available through GPs. Results from the patients revealed enormous gratitude for the support that they received from the Breast Care Nurse. There was overwhelming agreement that the timing of contact, ease of accessibility, information provided and support offered was extremely valuable in making their treatment and recovery easier. The vast majority of participants would recommend to their friends that they should attend hospitals with a Breast Care Nurse. Similar sentiments about the value of the Breast Care Nurse were received from stakeholders who recognised the benefit of the position not only to patients but also to the multidisciplinary team members in terms of coordination and liaison. However stakeholders did believe that a multidisciplinary team approach had not yet been fully achieved. The importance of maintaining a full time position of Breast Care Nurse was noted by both patients and stakeholders as accessibility of the nurse to patients was a key feature of the success of the programme. The study was in agreement with several other Australian reports all of which have demonstrated the success of dedicated Breast Care Nurses. The recommendation from the evaluation team is that the position of a full time Breast Care Nurse should be maintained. The Breast Care Nurse model is one that could be used successfully to support other medical condition

Professionals’ Perceptions of Gender Differences in Grief after a Perinatal Loss

This qualitative research study examined professionals’ perceptions of gender differences in grief following a perinatal loss. The participants for the current research were chosen through nonprobability sampling and consist of a mixture of eight professional social workers and non-social workers who have experience offering grief support for parents who have experienced a perinatal loss. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a variety of professionals who provide grief support to these individuals, including social workers, chaplains, nurses, psychologists, and licensed counselors. Findings within the current research have outlined important themes that revolve around differences seen in the grief process of mothers and fathers as well as the importance of understanding the couple relationship before and after the perinatal loss. Findings also address considerations for cultural, religious, and sexual orientation that are important to recognize when working individuals who have experienced a perinatal loss. Implications for social work practice and future research are also discussed

Professionals’ Perceptions of Gender Differences in Grief after a Perinatal Loss

This qualitative research study examined professionals’ perceptions of gender differences in grief following a perinatal loss. The participants for the current research were chosen through nonprobability sampling and consist of a mixture of eight professional social workers and non-social workers who have experience offering grief support for parents who have experienced a perinatal loss. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a variety of professionals who provide grief support to these individuals, including social workers, chaplains, nurses, psychologists, and licensed counselors. Findings within the current research have outlined important themes that revolve around differences seen in the grief process of mothers and fathers as well as the importance of understanding the couple relationship before and after the perinatal loss. Findings also address considerations for cultural, religious, and sexual orientation that are important to recognize when working individuals who have experienced a perinatal loss. Implications for social work practice and future research are also discussed

Next Generation Teaching and Learning ??? Technologies and Trends

The landscape of teaching and learning has been radically shifted in the last 15 years by the advent of web technologies, which enabled the emergence of Learning Management Systems (LMS). These systems changed the educational paradigm by extending the classroom borders, capturing and persisting course content and giving instructors more flexibility and access to students and other resources. However, they also constrained and limited the evolution of teaching and learning by imposing a traditional, instructional framework. With the advent of Web 2.0 technologies, participation and collaboration have become predominant experiences on the Web. The teaching and learning community, as a whole, has been late to capitalize on these technologies in the classroom. Part of this trend is due to constraints in the technology (LMS), and part is due to the fact that participatory media tools require an additional shift in educational paradigms, from instructional, on-the-pulpit type of teaching, to a student-centered, adaptive environment where students can contribute to the course material and learn from one another. This panel will discuss the next generation of teaching and learning, involving more lightweight, modular systems to empower instructors to be flexible, explore new student-centered paradigms, and plug and play tools as needed. We will also discuss how the iSchools are and should be increasingly involved in studying these new forms, formulating best practices and supporting the needs of teachers as they move toward more collaborative learning environments

Glacial and marine chronology of Mars

A hydrological model involving episodic oceans and ice sheets on Mars has been presented by Baker, et al. One of the main uncertainties concerning this model is the age and correlation of these events. Even more uncertain are their absolute ages. However, based on stratigraphic and cratering evidence, the most recent occurrence of these events was relatively late in Martian history. The cratering record on Mars can be divided into three general periods: (1) the period of late heavy bombardment; (2) a transition period at the end of late heavy bombardment; and (3) the post heavy bombardment era. The crater size/frequency distribution represented by the period of late heavy bombardment is characterized by a complex curve with a differential-2 slope (cumulative-1) at diameters less than about 50 km diameter, while the post heavy bombardment size distribution has a differential-3 slope (cumulative-2) over the same diameter range. An R plot is presented of the size/freqency distribution of ejecta blanket craters on the Argyre esker plains and similar craters in Hellas. The relative chronology is summarized of oceans, ice sheets, and other major events in Martian history

Establishing Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Microcystis Sediment Seed Stock Viability and Their Relationship to Subsequent Bloom Development in Western Lake Erie

This study assesses variation in the abundance and viability of sediment Microcystis vegetative seed stocks in Western Lake Erie across both seasons and years. Previous research suggests that lake sediment seed stocks can serve as inocula for reoccurring harmful algal blooms (HABs). However, there are few studies aimed at understanding the distribution, abundance, and viability of sediment seed stocks in Western Lake Erie and specifically how these variables are potentially related to past and subsequent bloom formation. We conducted a two-year study of vegetative seed stocks in the Western Lake Erie basin, the region where annual algal blooms generally develop. Sediment was collected from 16 sites within Western Lake Erie covering an area of 375 km2 with water column depths ranging from 3-9 meters. Sample collection occurred in November 2014, April 2015, November 2015, and April 2016. The total and potentially-toxic portions of Microcystis were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A series of laboratory experiments using lake sediment samples were conducted to assess the viability of Microcystis vegetative seed stocks. The abundance and viability of Microcystis vegetative seed stocks varied both spatially and temporally. Across all sampling periods, the abundance of total Microcystis in the sediment ranged from 6.6 x 104 to 1.7 x 109 cell equivalents g-1, and potentially-toxic Microcystis ranged from 1.4 x 103 to 4.7 x 106 cell equivalents g-1. The abundance of total Microcystis diminished significantly across winter with densities in the spring nearly 10 times less than the previous fall. No correlation was found between abundance at specific sites and sediment composition, depth, or distance offshore. Further, total sediment Microcystis abundance was not relatively larger in November 2015, even though 2015 yielded one of the largest blooms on record. However, a higher percentage of the sediment population in November 2015 was potentially-toxic across all sites, which may have been the result of the large nutrient loads and higher than normal in-lake nutrient concentrations. Culture experiments using sediment inocula and WC-Si growth media were used to examine potential viability of the sedimented cells. The sites with the greatest abundance of total and potentially-toxic Microcystis cells did not necessarily yield the most recruitment and growth over time, suggesting that abundance alone does not explain potential viability of sediment seed stocks. However, on average, the total abundance of cells in the grow-out flasks was more than twice the estimated amount present in the inocula, indicating that substantial growth occurred following recruitment from the sediment into the overlying water. Additional research will be needed to understand what specific factors influences the total contribution of Microcystis sediment seed stocks to recurrent annual blooms. However, numerical analysis suggests that sediment recruitment may have a significant impact on subsequent blooms, particularly when recruitment is paired with subsequent continual growth.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136577/1/Knight_Christine_EstablishingSpatialAndTemporalPatternsInMicrocystis.pd