“We can’t share things with our teachers” : Narratives of mistrust and disconnect between South African female learners and their teachers

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The socioeconomic impact of tuberculosis on children and adolescents : a scoping review and conceptual framework

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) has been repeatedly shown to have socioeconomic impacts in both individual-level and ecological studies; however, much less is known about this effect among children and adolescents and the extent to which being affected by TB during childhood and adolescence can have life-course implications. This paper describes the results of the development of a conceptual framework and scoping review to review the evidence on the short- and long-term socioeconomic impact of tuberculosis on children and adolescents. Objectives: To increase knowledge of the socioeconomic impact of TB on children and adolescents. Methods: We developed a conceptual framework of the socioeconomic impact of TB on children and adolescents, and used scoping review methods to search for evidence supporting or disproving it. We searched four academic databases from 1 January 1990 to 6 April 2021 and conducted targeted searches of grey literature. We extracted data using a standard form and analysed data thematically. Results: Thirty-six studies (29 qualitative, five quantitative and two mixed methods studies) were included in the review. Overall, the evidence supported the conceptual framework, suggesting a severe socioeconomic impact of TB on children and adolescents through all the postulated pathways. Effects ranged from impoverishment, stigma, and family separation, to effects on nutrition and missed education opportunities. TB did not seem to exert a different socioeconomic impact when directly or indirectly affecting children/adolescents, suggesting that TB can affect this group even when they are not affected by the disease. No study provided sufficient follow-up to observe the long-term socioeconomic effect of TB in this age group. Conclusion: The evidence gathered in this review reinforces our understanding of the impact of TB on children and adolescents and highlights the importance of considering effects during the entire life course. Both ad-hoc and sustainable social protection measures and strategies are essential to mitigate the socioeconomic consequences of TB among children and adolescents.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Fission cross section measurements for 240Pu, 242Pu

This report comprises the deliverable 1.5 of the ANDES project (EURATOM contract FP7-249671) of Task 3 "High accuracy measurements for fission" of Work Package 1 entitled "Measurements for advanced reactor systems". This deliverables provide evidence of a successful completion of the objectives of Task 3.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

A compact fission detector for fission-tagging neutron capture experiments with radioactive fissile isotopes

© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).In the measurement of neutron capture cross-sections of fissile isotopes, the fission channel is a source of background which can be removed efficiently using the so-called fission-tagging or fission-veto technique. For this purpose a new compact and fast fission chamber has been developed. The design criteria and technical description of the chamber are given within the context of a measurement of the 233U(n, γ) cross-section at the n_TOF facility at CERN, where it was coupled to the n_TOF Total Absorption Calorimeter. For this measurement the fission detector was optimized for time resolution, minimization of material in the neutron beam and for alpha-fission discrimination. The performance of the fission chamber and its application as a fission tagging detector are discussed.Peer reviewe

Young South African women on antiretroviral therapy perceptions of a psychological counselling program to reduce heavy drinking and depression

Young women in South Africa remain most at risk for HIV infection. Several factors contribute to the high incidence rate in this population, including hazardous drinking and depression. Addressing common mental disorders (CMDs) such as depression and alcohol use disorders is key to effective HIV treatment. We explored the experiences and perceptions of young South African women on antiretroviral therapy (ART) of a lay health worker (LHW)-delivered psychosocial intervention based on motivational interviewing (MI) and problem-solving therapy (PST) to reduce heavy drinking and depression. We conducted 27 in-depth interviews with young women (aged 18–35) recruited from 16 primary care clinics in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Discussion topics included young women’s life experiences leading to their enrollment in the program, their perceptions of the counselling sessions and the quality of their interaction with the counsellor. Qualitative data were analyzed using a framework approach. The findings highlighted the impact adverse life experiences and stressful life circumstances have on young women’s use of alcohol and symptoms of depression and the effect this has on ART adherence. The findings suggest that women found the intervention components that helped them develop strategies for coping with their past experiences, managing current life stressors, and regulating negative thoughts and emotions most beneficial. Taken together, these findings confirm the acceptability of LHW-delivered MI-PST counselling for this population, but suggest that the relevance of the MI-PST intervention for this highly vulnerable population could be further enhanced by including a focus on psychological trauma

High precision prompt gamma-ray spectral data from the reaction Pu-241 (nth, f)

See enclosure (abstract contains equations Pubsy does not support)JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

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High-precision prompt-gamma-ray spectral data from the reaction Pu-241(n(th), f)

In this paper we present results from the first high-precision prompt-gamma-ray spectral measurements from the reaction Pu-241(n(th), f). Apart from one recent experiment, no data are reported in the literature for this fissioning system, which motivated a new dedicated experiment. We have measured prompt-fission gamma rays with three cerium-doped LaBr3 (two 5.08 cm x 5.08 cm and one 7.62 cm x 7.62 cm) and one CeBr3 (5.08 cm x 5.08 cm) scintillation detectors, which all exhibit excellent timing and good energy resolution. The average gamma-ray multiplicity was determined to be (nu) over bar (gamma) = (8.21 +/- 0.09) per fission, the average energy to be epsilon(gamma) = (0.78 +/- 0.01) MeV, and the total energy to be E-gamma,E-tot = (6.41 +/- 0.06) MeV as the weighted average from all detectors. Since the results from all detectors are in excellent agreement, and the total released gamma energy is modestly higher than the one in the present evaluated nuclear data files, we suspect that the underestimation of the prompt-gamma heating in nuclear reactors is due to fast-neutron-induced fission on U-238 or rather from fission induced by gamma rays from neutron capture in the construction material

Prompt-fission γ-ray spectral characteristics from 239Pu(nth,f)

In this paper we present new results for prompt fission γ -ray spectral characteristics from the thermal neutron induced fission of 240 Pu ∗ . The measured spectra were unfolded by using the detectors' response functions, simulated with geant4. We obtained in average per fission a γ -ray multiplicity ¯¯¯¯ M γ = ( 7.35 ± 0.12 ) , a mean photon energy ¯ ε γ = ( 0.85 ± 0.02 ) MeV, and an average total energy released in fission ¯¯¯ E γ , tot = ( 6.27 ± 0.11 ) MeV. Our results are in good agreement with historical data measured in the 1970s by Verbinski et al. and results from recent calculations in the framework of Monte Carlo Hauser–Feshbach models. Our measured average total energy is slightly smaller than the one deduced previously and present in evaluated data. From this we conclude that the 239 Pu ( n th , f ) reaction may be ruled out as possible source of γ heating underestimation, when compared with benchmark calculations based on existing nuclear data