Continuity and change in the time of AIDS : reconceptualising childhood in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Concepts of childhood are not constant, they are (re)constructed and (re)produced over time and space. Within understandings of 'children and the HIV/AIDS epidemic,' conceptualisations of childhood have been marred by crisis discourse; children have been constructed as the 'AIDS generation', 'a generation at risk,' and a 'generation deprived of their childhood'. However, the very conceptualisation of HIV/AIDS as creating inherent and unique vulnerabilities has led to a mystified perception of childhood in countries affected by HIV/AIDS, and a focus on non-normative childhoods such as orphans and child-headed households. There has been a general failure of critical reflexivity in approaches to studying 'the problem': by beginning analyses with a focus on 'crisis,' researchers have marginalised 'everyday' childhood experiences, children's agency, and historical context. Through a generational exploration of childhood, the thesis builds connections between dominant discourses of 'crisis'. 'care', and 'rights' in the time of HIV/AIDS, and children's everyday lived realities on historically situated landscapes. The thesis draws on qualitative, generational, and childhood-centred research conducted in three communities in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and comprises nine chapters which reconceptualise the ways in which we approach childhood, and what we can learn by taking a generational approach to exploring how children experience their childhoods in the time of HIV/AIDS

Development Of A Comprehensive Web-Based Prehabilitation Program For Gastrointestinal Cancer Survivors

Background: Individuals with frailty who undergo surgical procedures for gastrointestinal cancers are more likely to experience post-surgical complications, have a higher readmission rate, are more likely to be discharged to skilled care, and have an over four-fold risk of mortality. Developing targeted patient education tools and resources may support, and reduce complications for, individuals with frailty undergoing and recovering from major abdominal surgery. Methods: Program development began via the Delphi Method, including three survey iterations distributed to top experts in the field of Oncologic Physical Therapy. Results achieved expert consensus for exercise parameters. Brief, simple to understand exercise videos and instructions were created for patients to perform independently preoperatively to increase their physical capabilities at home. Other key stakeholders including the surgical oncologist, pre-operative admissions staff, surgical care clinical manager, surgical oncology navigators, physical therapists and education specialists created the complete prehabilitation program curriculum within the Thinkific on-line education platform with input from cancer survivors.Results: The final curriculum included: prehabilitation instructions for pre-surgical preparation, therapeutic exercise, and nutrition optimization; tobacco cessation resources; instruction in stress management and relaxation techniques; and postoperative delirium reduction strategies and incision care. Promotional materials were created to launch the pilot program within the surgical oncology service line.Conclusion: This process improvement project proved to be feasible and appropriate for this application as a new oncology service. Future directions include program implementation for gastrointestinal cancer survivors with the intention for outcomes data collection. Further implementation is planned for cancer survivors with different diagnoses facing surgery.https://dune.une.edu/pt_studcrposter/1189/thumbnail.jp

Discipline-specific reading expectation and challenges for ESL learners in US universities

English-medium institutions of higher education host increasing numbers of English-as-a second-language (ESL) learners in the US. English language skill is vital to their progress. Previous research examined reading challenges and expectations faculty have for their first-year students within five popular majors for international students including Biology, Business, Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology. Analyses revealed differences across majors and identified the reading expectations and challenges these first-year learners face. Building on the research, this study examines the reading expectations of faculty for their upper-division students nearing graduation. In addition to comparing the reading expectations and challenges within the same five majors, we compared professor perceptions across the baccalaureate experience. We present these findings along with observations of participating faculty across the five majors regarding the linguistic preparation of their students for professional work or graduate study within the discipline. The implications and applications of these findings are discussed

Kentucky Youth At Risk Transitions: A Report to the Commonwealth

In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, there are over 22,000 youth being educated in programs that are funded, operated or contracted by state agencies. These state agency children come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and bring a multiplicity of social, psychological, behavioral and educational problems that challenge teachers and staffs. These particular Kentucky students, more than any others, are at the greatest risk of not making successful transitions into adulthood. It is critical that all such young people be afforded the highest quality of transition planning and support so that they can become successful and productive adults. This report is a detailed and comprehensive account of a year-long study that identified and described key elements of student transition in education programs for state agency children in Kentucky. The study included all 105 non-traditional education programs funded and supervised by the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children (KECSAC). The study design used a mixed methods approach that included input from state agency youth and administrators

Children in the Shadow of AIDS

This paper examines the experiences of children affected by HIV/AIDS in three provinces of South Africa: Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. By combining the findings of two different studies, the paper analyzes the conditions of children at different stages of impact

Power of Produce: Farmers\u27 Market Incentive Program Targeting Eating Behaviors of Children

The Power of Produce (PoP) Club is a farmers\u27 market incentive program for children aged 5–12. The purpose of the summative evaluation described in this article was to determine the impact of the PoP Club on improving family and child behavior at a Minnesota farmers\u27 market as well as child fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption. Results from a self-reported retrospective survey completed by parents suggest that the PoP Club is a valuable program, with participating parents reporting increased family attendance and child engagement at the farmers\u27 market and increased F&V consumption by children at home

Mechanisms of Action in a Behavioral Weight-Management Program: Latent Growth Curve Analysis.

BACKGROUND: A greater understanding of the mechanisms of action of weight-management interventions is needed to inform the design of effective interventions. PURPOSE: To investigate whether dietary restraint, habit strength, or diet self-regulation mediated the impact of a behavioral weight-management intervention on weight loss and weight loss maintenance. METHODS: Latent growth curve analysis (LGCA) was conducted on trial data in which adults (N = 1,267) with a body mass index (BMI) ≥28 kg/m2 were randomized to either a brief intervention (booklet on losing weight), a 12 week weight-management program or the same program for 52 weeks. LGCA estimated the trajectory of the variables over four time points (baseline and 3, 12 and 24 months) to assess whether potential mechanisms of action mediated the impact of the weight-management program on BMI. RESULTS: Participants randomized to the 12 and 52 week programs had a significantly greater decrease in BMI than the brief intervention. This direct effect became nonsignificant when dietary restraint, habit strength, and autonomous diet self-regulation were controlled for. The total indirect effect was significant for both the 12 (estimate = -1.33, standard error [SE] = 0.41, p = .001) and 52 week (estimate = -2.13, SE = 0.52, p < .001) program. Only the individual indirect effect for dietary restraint was significant for the 12 week intervention, whereas all three indirect effects were significant for the 52 week intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Behavior change techniques that target dietary restraint, habit strength, and autonomous diet self-regulation should be considered when designing weight loss and weight loss maintenance interventions. Longer interventions may need to target both deliberative and automatic control processes to support successful weight management

Use of tamarisk as a potential feedstock for biofuel production.

This study assesses the energy and water use of saltcedar (or tamarisk) as biomass for biofuel production in a hypothetical sub-region in New Mexico. The baseline scenario consists of a rural stretch of the Middle Rio Grande River with 25% coverage of mature saltcedar that is removed and converted to biofuels. A manufacturing system life cycle consisting of harvesting, transportation, pyrolysis, and purification is constructed for calculating energy and water balances. On a dry short ton woody biomass basis, the total energy input is approximately 8.21 mmBTU/st. There is potential for 18.82 mmBTU/st of energy output from the baseline system. Of the extractable energy, approximately 61.1% consists of bio-oil, 20.3% bio-char, and 18.6% biogas. Water consumptive use by removal of tamarisk will not impact the existing rate of evapotranspiration. However, approximately 195 gal of water is needed per short ton of woody biomass for the conversion of biomass to biocrude, three-quarters of which is cooling water that can be recovered and recycled. The impact of salt presence is briefly assessed. Not accounted for in the baseline are high concentrations of Calcium, Sodium, and Sulfur ions in saltcedar woody biomass that can potentially shift the relative quantities of bio-char and bio-oil. This can be alleviated by a pre-wash step prior to the conversion step. More study is needed to account for the impact of salt presence on the overall energy and water balance