Mobilising Strategies Of The Global Breastfeeding Movement: Building Alliances With The Women's Movement

Tesis ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji beberapa strategi penjanaan pergerakan penyusuan ibu di peringkat antarabangsa yang telah terbukti berkesan dalam usaha mencapai tahap kesihatan kanak-kanak dan wanita dengan menerapkan semula budaya penyusuan susu ibu

The Application Of Valid And Feasible Dietary Assessment Methods To Evaluate The Impact Of Policy And Behavioral Interventions On Children\u27s Fruit And Vegetable Consumption

The majority of U.S. children do not meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption. FV confer numerous health benefits including intake of critical shortfall nutrients, reduced risk of chronic diseases, and maintenance of healthy weights. Identifying both policy and behavioral approaches to increase children\u27s consumption of a variety of FVs has become a public health priority. When evaluating policy and interventions it is integral to apply validated dietary assessment methods to measure FV selection, consumption, and waste. The three aims of this dissertation addressed the feasibility of dietary assessment methods and their application to evaluate policy change and behavioral interventions. Aim 1: Apply validated dietary assessment methods to evaluate the effect of national school lunch policy change on elementary school children\u27s FV consumption. As of the 2012 school year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires school children to select either a fruit or a vegetable with a reimbursable meal. The objective of the first study was to compare children\u27s FV choices in two school cafeteria environments a year before these new USDA regulations took effect. Elementary school (grades 3-5) children\u27s FV choices were measured during Spring 2011 at two northeast elementary schools (NES-A and NES-B). NES-A had a self-serve salad bar, whereas NES-B served pre-portioned FV and pizza daily. Of 555 trays assessed (n=284 NES-A, n=271 NES-B), 15.3% (n=85) had no FV selected. A higher percentage of trays from NES-A had no FV (23.6%, n=67) in comparison to NES-B (6.6%, n=18) (P\u3c0.0001). On average children selected more processed FV (PFV) (80.8g) than whole FV (WFV) (40.5g, P\u3c0.001). The mean amount of FV selected was lower in NES-A (111.4g) than NES-B (131.5g, P\u3c0.01). When trays without a FV were removed, quantities selected were not significantly different between schools (P=0.46). For PFV, 100% fruit juice was on 41.4% of trays (n=230) and pizza was on 42.1% of NES-B trays (n=114). Trays with pizza or 100% fruit juice were less likely to have a WFV (P\u3c0.001, P\u3c0.0001 respectively). In the second study, elementary school children\u27s FV selection, consumption and waste were compared in two northeast elementary schools before the USDA rule in spring 2012 (10 school visits, tray observations n=498) and following the USDA rule in spring 2013 (11 school visits, tray observations n=944). More children selected FVs in higher amounts when FVs were required compared to when they were optional (0.69 cups vs. 0.89 cups, P\u3c0.001); however, consumption decreased slightly (0.51 cups vs. 0.45 cups, P=0.01) and waste increased (0.25 cups vs. 0.39 cups, P\u3c0.001). Aim 2: Address the feasibility of non-research volunteers (teachers and parents) collecting digital imaging (DI) dietary assessment data in a sample of elementary schools. Two Northeast Elementary Schools (NES-A and NES-B) were recruited and a parent-based dietary assessment team (PDAT, n=5) and teacher based dietary assessment team (TDAT, n=4) were formed. We compared data collected by the PDAT and TDAT with the university-based dietary assessment team (UDAT). Feasibility was measured based on the total number of DI pairs collected out of the total number of eligible DI pairs across all data collection days for each of the three teams. Using binary logistic regression, at NES-A, the PDAT was less proficient at collecting DI pairs (74.1%, n=218 of 294 LD) than the UDAT (81.9%, n=262 of 320 LD, P\u3c0.05). At NES-B, the TDAT was better able to capture DI pairs (95.9%, n=257 of 268 LD) than the UDAT (91.3%, n=366 of 401 LD, P\u3c0.05). Aim 3: Apply weighed plate waste (WPW) as a validated dietary assessment method to evaluate a behavioral intervention addressing pre-school aged children\u27s FV consumption during afternoon snack time using older elementary school children as \u27FV Mentors\u27. Two Northeast pre-school classrooms (NEPC-A and NEPC-B) at the Burlington, VT YMCA were recruited for the study. Children in grades 3-5 who participated in the Live Y\u27ers Afterschool program were recruited to model FV consumption and use FV verbal cues during the intervention period in addition to teacher FV verbal cues. In NEPC-A (n=15) based on a repeated measures ANOVA with mixed design analysis, there was a significant main effect of time on FV consumption as measured by the mean amount of cups of FVs consumed [F(2,10)=7.89, P=0.009] across study periods. Mean consumption was lowest at baseline at 0.16 cups (95% CI: 0.10-0.22) and increased during both the intervention period (M=0.26 cups, 95% CI: 0.17-0.36) and the follow-up period (M=0.33 cups, 95% CI=0.28-0.38). The main effect of time (study period) was qualified by a significant interaction between time and type of FVs consumed [F(8,10)=3.10, P=0.049] indicating that the effect of study period on FV consumption depended on the type of FVs consumed. In NEPC-B (n=16) there was not a significant main effect of time on FV consumption [F(2,10)=1.10, P=0.372]

Optimal sizing of grid-connected rooftop photovoltaic and battery energy storage for houses with electric vehicle

A practical optimal sizing model is developed for grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage (BES) of homes with electric vehicle (EV) to minimise the net present cost of electricity. Two system configurations, (1) PV-EV and (2) PV-BES-EV, are investigated for optimal sizing of PV and BES by creating new rule-based home energy management systems. The uncertainties of EV availability (arrival and departure times) and its initial state of charge, when arrives home, are incorporated using stochastic functions. The effect of popular EV models in the market is investigated on the optimal sizing and electricity cost of the customers. Several sensitivity analyses are adopted based on variations in the grid constrains, retail price and feed in tariff. Uncertainty analysis is provided based on the variations of insolation, temperature, and load to approve the optimal results of the developed model. A practical guideline is presented for residential customers in a typical grid-connected household to select the optimal capacity of PV or PV-BES system considering the model of EV. While the proposed optimization model is general and can be used for various case studies, real annual data of solar insolation, temperature, household\u27s load, electricity prices, as well as PV and BES market data are used for an Australian case study. The developed optimal sizing model is also applied to residential households in different Australian States

Tackling the Problem of Ambulatory Faculty Recruitment in Undergraduate Medical Education: An AAIM Position Paper

Historically, training within internal medicine has offered a comprehensive and deep understanding of adult medical issues, with a particular emphasis on critical thinking as well as diagnosis and management of complex medical disease. However, as hospital admissions decline and length of stay shortens, it is not possible to learn the breadth of internal medicine on the basis of inpatient service alone. The management of diseases in the inpatient setting and in the outpatient setting is significantly different. For example, management of diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are very distinctive in inpatient versus outpatient settings. Some conditions, such as asthma and human immunodeficiency virus, are no longer seen frequently enough in the inpatient setting to guarantee learning opportunities. The ability to see the course of illness over time as well as appreciate the relational aspects of care and prevention of complications requires ambulatory training. The Liason Committee on Medical Education and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education endorse ambulatory training for these reasons. Despite the need for robust ambulatory education, internal medicine educators face well-documented difficulties in recruiting ambulatory training sites for both students and residents

Hydro-mechanical analysis of a surficial landslide triggered by artificial rainfall: the Ruedlingen field experiment

This paper interprets the hydromechanical behaviour of a steep, forested, instrumented slope during an artificial rainfall event, which triggered a shallow slope failure 15 h after rainfall initiation. The soil's mechanical response has been simulated by coupled hydro-mechanical finite-element analyses, using a critical state constitutive model that has been extended to unsaturated conditions. Failure occurs within a colluvium shallow soil cover, characterised as a silty sand of low plasticity. The hydraulic and mechanical parameters are calibrated, based on an extended set of experimental results, ranging from water retention curve measurements to triaxial stress path tests under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. Rainfall is simulated as a water flux at the soil surface and suitable boundary conditions account for the hydromechanical interaction between the soil cover and the underlying bedrock. The results are compared with field data of the mechanistic and the hydraulic responses up to failure and are found to provide a very satisfactory prediction. The study identifies water exfiltration from bedrock fissures as the main triggering agent, resulting in increased pore pressures along the soil-bedrock interface, reduced available shear strength and cause extensive plastic straining, leading to the formation and propagation of a failure surface.Accepted Author ManuscriptGeo-engineerin

More Than Brides Alliance: Baseline report, Mali

The More Than Brides Alliance seeks to improve the lives of adolescent girls and includes activities across multiple domains (reproductive health, education, gender norms, and livelihoods, to name a few). The Population Council conducted baseline surveys of adolescents in select areas of two regions in Mali (Sikasso and Segou) as part of an evaluation of interventions to delay marriage. Findings suggest that girls in these communities have a demonstrated need for interventions to address their vulnerabilities. Additional data collection will help explore some of these topics in greater depth and provide a more nuanced understanding of the situation of adolescent girls in these communities. Findings from the baseline study will be used both to evaluate changes over time that may be attributable to the MTBA intervention and to inform programmatic staff seeking to understand the populations they are serving

Analysis of an Underground Structure Settlement Risk due to Tunneling:A case study from Tabriz, Iran

The tunnel of the Tabriz urban railway line 2 (TURL2), Iran, will pass through an underground commercial center onits way. Too little distance between the tunnel crown and the underground structure foundation will probably cause collapseor excessive settlement during the tunnel construction based on studied geotechnical conditions of the region. In this paper,a method of risk level assessment for various types of structures, such as frame and masonry structures, and various typesof foundation, such as continuous and isolated, is well defined and the risk level is classified. Moreover, the value of theunderground commercial center structure settlement is estimated using both empirical and numerical methods. The settlementrisk level of the commercial center structure is determined based on presented definitions about risk classification ofvarious types of structures. Consequently, tunneling processes in this section need a special monitoring system and consolidationmeasures before the passage of a tunnel boring machine

Millimeter-wave Contactless Waveguide Joints and Compact OMT Based on Gap Waveguide Technology

Amongst the contemporary gap waveguide structures, both ridge gap waveguide (RGW) and groove gap waveguide (GGWG) display low losses and are resistant to signal leakage without the requirement of electrical contacts. In both scenarios, the concept is to allow the wave propagation through the guiding part and eliminating signal leakage in all other directions. Since, at present, millimeter-wave (mm-wave) has gained attention due to its versatile usability at high-frequency applications, it is quite obligatory to develop components with superior electrical features, like high stability, wider bandwidth, as well as high power handling capability at that frequency range. Considering the stated advantages, the proposed devices in this research work emphases on the mm-wave application that are mainly accountable for connecting standard waveguides and feeding antenna systems. The research work can be summarized in three segments. The first segment aims at designing waveguide adaptors based on the gap waveguide technology that do not necessarily require perfect electrical contact. The contact-free adaptor has been designed for both standard rectangular and circular waveguides covering multiple mm-wave frequency bands within 50- 110 GHz. Additionally, while designing the adaptor, surface roughness has been considered to achieve the response of the structure close enough to the practical case. The same adapter can also be used with different standard waveguide dimensions operating within 50-110 GHz by changing the adapter’s waveguide parameters. The proposed contact-free adaptor exhibits an excellent return loss and insertion loss of better than 20 dB and 0.3 dB, respectively, for both standard circular and rectangular waveguides, regardless of a smooth or uneven surface. The second segment focuses on a contact-free flangeless pipe connection for both circular and rectangular standard waveguides, covering multiple frequency bands amid 50 and 110 GHz. The contactless, low-loss, flange-free, and pluggable contact aims at joining two slightly modified standard waveguides, along with a 60% downscaling of the recommended structure compared to the traditional UG-387/U waveguide flange, hence demonstrating a reflection coefficient better than -20 dB in each scenario. In addition, the third segment is introducing microwave devices that can combine and separate two propagating polarizations, such as orthomode transducers (OMT). Aiming for high power applications with compact structure, the proposed configuration introduces a new design procedure of combining the ridge gap and groove gap waveguides for the OMTs, validating an acceptable matching level of better than -18 dB along with isolation higher than 70 dB. Finally, some valuable recommendations as an extension of this research work are suggested in the final chapter

III-V-on-silicon photonic integrated circuits for communication and sensing applications

We review the integration of III-V semiconductors on silicon photonic integrated circuits as a way of realizing fully integrated silicon photonic transceivers and short-wave infrared spectroscopic sensors