Best Practices: Lessons Learned by a South Florida Non-Profit Community Based Organization while Designing and Implementing a Career Exploration Evidence Informed Framework in Urban Communities

All A’s was designed to support of the agency’s family strengthening initiatives in South Florida. All A’s uses evidence informed strategies poised to be an inclusive curriculum that teaches self-determination and adaptive behavior skills. The framework incorporates problem based learning and adult learning theory and follows the Universal Design for Learning. Since 2012, the agency has served over 8500 youth and 4,000 adults using the framework. The framework addresses educational underachievement and career readiness in at risk populations. It is used to enhance participants AWARENESS of setting SMART goals to achieve future goals and career aspirations. Participants are provided with ACCESS to resources and opportunities for creating and implementing an ACTION plan as they pursue and ACHIEVE their goals. All A’s promotes protective factors and expose youth to career pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related fields. Youth participate in college tours, job site visits, job shadowing, high school visits, online college and career preparation assistance, service learning projects, STEM projects, and the Winning Futures© mentoring program. Adults are assisted with résumé development; learn job search strategies, interview techniques, job shadowing experiences, computer and financial literacy programs. Adults and youth are also given the opportunity to complete industry-recognized certifications in high demand industries (food service, general labor, and construction), and test preparation for the General Educational Development Test

Characterising infant and young child feeding practices and the consumption of poultry products in rural Tanzania: A mixed methods approach

Suboptimal breastfeeding practices, early initiation of complementary feeding, and monotonous cereal‐based diets have been implicated as contributors to continuing high rates of child undernutrition in sub‐Saharan Africa. Nutrition‐sensitive interventions, including agricultural programs that increase access to nutrient‐rich vegetables, legumes, and animal‐source foods, have the potential to achieve sustainable improvements in children's diets. In the quest to evaluate the efficacy of such programs in improving growth and development in the first 2 years of life, there is a role for mixed methods research to better understand existing infant and young child feeding practices. This analysis forms part of a longitudinal study assessing the impact of improvements to poultry health and crop production on diets and growth of 503 randomly selected children from eight rural communities in Manyoni District in central Tanzania. Using an explanatory sequential design, the quantitative phase of data collection was conducted between May 2014 and May 2016, comprising six monthly structured questionnaires, four monthly household‐level documentation of chicken and egg consumption, and fortnightly records of children's breastfeeding status. The subsequent qualitative phase involved in‐depth interviews with a subset of 39 mothers in October 2016. Breastfeeding was almost universal (96.8%) and of long duration (mean = 21.7 months, SD = 3.6), but early initiation of complementary feeding was also common (74.4%; mean = 4.0 months, SD = 1.8), overwhelmingly driven by maternal perceptions of insufficient milk supply (95.0%). Chicken and eggs were infrequently eaten, but close associations between maternal and child consumption patterns (p < .001) suggest the potential for strategies that increase household‐level consumption to bring nutritional benefits to young children

The Nation’s Cold Becomes the Black Community’s Flu: A Phenomenological Study of Vicarious Traumatization Amongst Black Clergy Affected by Community Violence

Clergy are often the frontline community workers when it comes to mental health crises and trauma, especially those working within the Black communities. Black clergy frequently serve in environments with high community violence exposure and are usually subject to vicarious traumatization due to repetitive exposure to trauma narratives during their ministry work. However, studies on vicarious trauma have been geared more towards clinical mental health workers, while studies on clergy have focused more on professional burnout. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the experience of vicarious traumatization of Black clergy who serve congregations that are exposed to community violence. The theory guiding this study is the Constructivist Self-Development Theory developed by I. Lisa McCann & Laurie A. Pearlman as it lays the foundation for the concept of vicarious traumatization in working with individuals who have been traumatized. This research collected the narratives of Black clergy who work with congregations that have exposure to community violence to examine how exposure to trauma material impacts their worldview, sense of self, and spiritual ideologies

Food composition tables in resource-poor settings: Exploring current limitations and opportunities, with a focus on animal-source foods in sub-Saharan Africa

Animal-source foods (ASF) have the potential to enhance the nutritional adequacy of cereal-based diets in low- and middle-income countries, through the provision of high-quality protein and bioavailable micronutrients. The development of guidelines for including ASF in local diets requires an understanding of the nutrient content of available resources. This article reviews food composition tables (FCT) used in sub-Saharan Africa, examining the spectrum of ASF reported and exploring data sources for each reference. Compositional data are shown to be derived from a small number of existing data sets from analyses conducted largely in high-income nations, often many decades previously. There are limitations in using such values, which represent the products of intensively raised animals of commercial breeds, as a reference in resource-poor settings where indigenous breed livestock are commonly reared in low-input production systems, on mineral-deficient soils and not receiving nutritionally balanced feed. The FCT examined also revealed a lack of data on the full spectrum of ASF, including offal and wild foods, which correspond to local food preferences and represent valuable dietary resources in food-deficient settings. Using poultry products as an example, comparisons are made between compositional data from three high-income nations, and potential implications of differences in the published values for micronutrients of public health significance, including Fe, folate and vitamin A, are discussed. It is important that those working on nutritional interventions and on developing dietary recommendations for resource-poor settings understand the limitations of current food composition data and that opportunities to improve existing resources are more actively explored and supported

BRAF(V600) inhibition alters the microRNA cargo in the vesicular secretome of malignant melanoma cells

The BRAF inhibitors vemurafenib and dabrafenib can be used to treat patients with metastatic melanomas harboring BRAF(V600) mutations. Initial antitumoral responses are often seen, but drug-resistant clones with reactivation of the MEK-ERK pathway soon appear. Recently, the secretome of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) has been ascribed important functions in cancers. To elucidate the possible functions of EVs in BRAF-mutant melanoma, we determined the RNA content of the EVs, including apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes, released from such cancer cells after vemurafenib treatment. We found that vemurafenib significantly increased the total RNA and protein content of the released EVs and caused significant changes in the RNA profiles. RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR show that cells and EVs from vemurafenib-treated cell cultures and tumor tissues harvested from cell-derived and patient-derived xenografts harbor unique miRNAs, especially increased expression of miR-211-5p. Mechanistically, the expression of miR-211-5p as a result of BRAF inhibition was induced by increased expression of MITF that regulates the TRPM1 gene resulting in activation of the survival pathway. In addition, transfection of miR-211 in melanoma cells reduced the sensitivity to vemurafenib treatment, whereas miR-211-5p inhibition in a vemurafenib resistant cell line affected the proliferation negatively. Taken together, our results show that vemurafenib treatment induces miR-211-5p up-regulation in melanoma cells both in vitro and in vivo, as well as in subsets of EVs, suggesting that EVs may provide a tool to understand malignant melanoma progression.1114sciescopu

THE EFFECT OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT PROGRAMME ON THE RESILIENCE OF FEMALE ADOLESCENT RECIPIENTS IN JOHANNESBURG

The Ruth First Jeppe Memorial Trust (RFJM Trust) provides scholarships to deserving female secondary school learners in Johannesburg and offers a pilot multidisciplinary psychosocial support programme (MPSP) developed by a social worker to enhance their resilience and to facilitate the achievement of their potential. South African female adolescents are challenged daily by their social, economic, cultural, political and historical environments, which in combination threaten their development and functioning. Therefore, female adolescents require high levels of resilience to thrive. Through the pre-test/post-test measurement of the individual, relational and contextual protective resources of Grade 8 recipients of the RFJM Trust, a paired-samples t–test and correlation analysis determined that two aspects of the MPSP have moderate to large correlations with resilience. This quantitative, quasi-experimental, evaluative study will assist in improving the MPSP and contribute towards evidence-based practice in school social work

Developing an e-Collaboration Framework for Knowledge Sharing in the Australian Wine-Making Industry: Research in Progress

The Australian wine-making industry has undergone remarkable changes which have transformed it into a leading world innovator, producer and exporter of table wine. However, while Australia has been a leader in wine R&D, globalisation had led to the rapid proliferation and adoption of new technologies by new suppliers and wine-makers in various countries. To counter increasingly intense competition from emerging foreign suppliers, Australian wine-makers need to enhance their distinctiveness and innovation. One possible way for doing so involves knowledge sharing via electronic collaboration or e-collaboration. This paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by developing an e-collaboration framework for the Australian wine-making industry. It focuses on how e-collaboration technologies are used for the purpose of innovation and knowledge sharing and how the Australian wine-making industry can benefit from it

Examining the Risk of Delirium Among Residents with Diabetes in Long-Term Care Homes Across Ontario

Aim: To examine risk factors for delirium in residents with diabetes in Ontario’s LTC homes.&nbsp;Scope: Residents in long-term care (LTC) are vulnerable to negative outcomes related to diabetes, including delirium. Understanding factors related to the risk of delirium for residents with diabetes provides the foundation for the mitigation of delirium in this population. Methods: A population-based retrospective analysis of the RAI-MDS dataset (2019–2020) was conducted. Findings: Diabetes was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of delirium (Odds Ratio: 1.073, CI 1.038–1.109), compounded by polypharmacy. Conclusions: Comprehensive delirium mitigation strategies are needed for this vulnerable population. Strategies to mitigate delirium in this population should be implemented

A Description of the Risk for Delirium in Residents Living with Diabetes in Long-Term Care Homes Across Ontario

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore risk factors of delirium for residents with diabetes in LTC in Ontario. Scope: Residents in long term care (LTC) are vulnerable to negative outcomes related to diabetes, including delirium. Understanding factors related to the risk of delirium for residents with diabetes provides the foundation for mitigation of delirium in this population. Methods: A population-based retrospective secondary analysis was conducted using a dataset from the Resident Assessment Instrument – Minimum Data Set of residents living in LTC settings in Ontario between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020.&nbsp; Findings: Results showed that delirium was significantly associated with diabetes. Additionally, residents with diabetes had a higher occurrence of other delirium risk factors, including behavioural symptoms of dementia and the use of multiple medications, such as analgesics and psychotropic medications. Conclusions: Strategies to mitigate delirium in this population should be implemented

A Description of the Risk for Delirium in Residents Living with Diabetes in Long-Term Care Homes Across Ontario

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore risk factors of delirium for residents with diabetes in LTC in Ontario. Scope: Residents in long term care (LTC) are vulnerable to negative outcomes related to diabetes, including delirium. Understanding factors related to the risk of delirium for residents with diabetes provides the foundation for mitigation of delirium in this population. Methods: A population-based retrospective secondary analysis was conducted using a dataset from the Resident Assessment Instrument – Minimum Data Set of residents living in LTC settings in Ontario between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020.&nbsp; Findings: Results showed that delirium was significantly associated with diabetes. Additionally, residents with diabetes had a higher occurrence of other delirium risk factors, including behavioural symptoms of dementia and the use of multiple medications, such as analgesics and psychotropic medications. Conclusions: Strategies to mitigate delirium in this population should be implemented