National OVC costing challenges

This item is archived in the repository for materials published for the USAID supported Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research Project (OVC-CARE) at the Boston University Center for Global Health and Development

Literacy, Gender and Vulnerability:

Summaries This article explores the complex relationship between ‘illiteracy’ and women's vulnerabilities. Based on ethnographic field work in southern Ghana during the pilot phase of a national functional literacy campaign, the article explores how different literacy skills are embedded in wider power relations, including those of class and gender relations. These relationships of power include the degree to which women are able to access the non?formal education classes and the extent to which women are ‘empowered’ through the acquisition of literacy skills. This analysis seeks to deconstruct the pervasive donor representation of the ‘composite illiterate woman’ which, it is argued, creates a false dichotomy between literate and non?literate women and disguises the multiple meanings that the women themselves bring to the literacy process

Towards the development of biotin carboxylase driven robotic nanoswimmers

The objective of this research is to take the first step towards demonstrating the use of the enzyme biotin carboxylase (BC) as a biomolecular motor. BC is a homodimeric protein involved in fatty biosynthesis in all organisms. The conjecture is that BC can convert chemical energy into useful mechanical work via its conformation change, which acts as a fin or flexible oar producing nonreciprocal motion. To this end, we fabricate a proof-of-concept biomolecular machine driven by BC molecules, viz., a robotic nanoswimmer. This machine consists of a Janus-type nanosize silica particle, where one hemisphere is coated with an intermediate layer of chromium and then an outer layer of nickel. Since BC has been engineered to attach to nickel surfaces, this produces an asymmetry on the nanoparticle, which could potentially lead to non- Brownian motion in a low Reynolds number environment. The nanoswimmers have potential applications in drug delivery and transporting cargo in nano and microscale fluidic environments. The proposed nanoswimmer is fabricated using a 500 nm diameter silica particle. The chromium and nickel coatings on the nanoparticle are created using electron beam evaporation. The presence and activity of the BC molecules on the nickel coating are verified using a Bradford protein assay and a PK/LDH coupled assay. A theoretical analysis of the drag force on the nanoswimmer, velocity, and mechanical power that the BC molecules can produce is performed based on Stokes law. The analysis shows that as the particle size increases, its expected velocity increases. Further, it shows that BC should be able to produce enough power to overcome the drag force on the nanoswimmer and propel it at velocities in the micrometer per second range

A randomised trial comparing Habit Reversal and psycho-education treatment groups for children with Tourette Syndrome

The quality of life of children with Tourette Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by chronic tics, is impacted greatly by both the symptoms themselves and their social consequences. Habit Reversal Therapy, a behavioural therapy for tic management, has substantial empirical support in its individual form, but this approach has never been investigated in a group format. Group based delivery of Habit Reversal Therapy could increase access to therapy, improve the cost-effectiveness of treatments and potentially offer additional therapeutic benefits. This randomised controlled pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of Habit Reversal Therapy compared to psycho-educational groups for 33 children aged 9 to13 years with Tourette Syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorders. Outcomes of the groups were evaluated in terms of reductions in tic severity and improvements in quality of life. Good attendance rates in both groups suggested feasibility and acceptability of the interventions. Improvements in tic severity and quality of life were found in both groups, although to a lesser extent compared to previous studies of individual behavioural therapy for tics. Motor tic severity showed greater improvements in the Habit Reversal Therapy group on the main outcome measure (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale) but not on a direct observational measure of tic frequency. Given the potential for such groups to provide additional treatment options for families, further research is warranted. Clinical implications and suggestions for improvements to the current design for a larger study are outlined as well as indications for wider reaching future research

Survey on vocal fatigue in classroom teachers: Profile based on teaching level [abstract]

Abstract only availableVoice production is a complex task involving coordination of several systems in our body. Voice plays a crucial role in speech production. Without voice, speech will be inaudible. Voice problems hinder communication significantly. The consequence of voice problems in daily living depends on patients' lifestyle and profession. Professional voice users are those who use their voice for earning a living. This group includes teachers, sales persons, attorneys, singers, actors etc. It is obvious that the effect of voice problem will be significantly greater in professional voice users than a librarian or clerk who do not involve in active voice production during work. Among professional voice users, teachers are considered to be at high risk for voice problems. Their schedule at work, duration and extent of voice use, and lack of knowledge about vocal hygiene can worsen the condition. Voice problems in teachers can affect their teaching efficiency and also risk their job. The goal of this survey is to identify classroom teachers in Columbia, Missouri having voice problems, increase awareness among teachers about vocal hygiene, and the role of speech language pathologists in helping patients with voice problems. This project will also try to identify any specific group among teachers (kindergarten, elementary, high school, and college level) who are prone to voice problems or at vocal risk. This project will help increase awareness among teachers about vocal hygiene that can help improve vocal efficiency and prevent voice problems.National Institutes of Healt

The Price of Surviving on Adrenaline: Developmental Programming Responses to Chronic Fetal Hypercatecholaminemia Contribute to Poor Muscle Growth Capacity and Metabolic Dysfunction in IUGR-Born Offspring

Maternofetal stress induces fetal programming that restricts skeletal muscle growth capacity and metabolic function, resulting in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) of the fetus. This thrifty phenotype aids fetal survival but also yields reduced muscle mass and metabolic dysfunction after birth. Consequently, IUGR-born individuals are at greater lifelong risk for metabolic disorders that reduce quality of life. In livestock, IUGR-born animals exhibit poor growth efficiency and body composition, making these animals more costly and less valuable. Specifically, IUGR-associated programming causes a greater propensity for fat deposition and a reduced capacity for muscle accretion. This, combined with metabolic inefficiency, means that these animals produce less lean meat from greater feed input, require more time on feed to reach market weight, and produce carcasses that are of less quality. Despite the health and economic implications of IUGR pathologies in humans and food animals, knowledge regarding their specific underlying mechanisms is lacking. However, recent data indicate that adaptive programing of adrenergic sensitivity in multiple tissues is a contributing factor in a number of IUGR pathologies including reduced muscle mass, peripheral insulin resistance, and impaired glucose metabolism. This review highlights the findings that support the role for adrenergic programming and how it relates to the lifelong consequences of IUGR, as well as how dysfunctional adrenergic signaling pathways might be effective targets for improving outcomes in IUGR-born offspring

A novel approach to welfare interventions in problem multi-cat households

BackgroundThousands of injured, stray and relinquished cats are received at the RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital each year. A significant and challenging proportion of these cats are confiscated from multicat households by RSPCA Inspectors, due to the owners’ inability to care for them. These households share many characteristics of animal hoarding, including poor owner compliance with suggested welfare improvements and recidivism. The relatively poor adoption potential of animals from such households are a perennial problem for the charity.The aim of this study was to determine if offering female cat neutering assistance to multi-cat owners significantly improved colony welfare.ResultsTen multicat households with a history of public complaint to the RSPCA were recruited. An RSPCA veterinary surgeon (VS) initially assessed the overall welfare of each household’s cat population, individual cat welfare and the living environment. All entire female cats aged over 8 weeks were neutered and basic animal care education provided. Follow up visits were completed two and 12 months later to reassess welfare parameters and population numbers.The total number of cats was 176 across ten households (range 7–33, median 16). All owners consented to having all entire female cats spayed. At the first visit, mean individual cat welfare scores ranged from 5.4–8.7/ 16 across the 10 households, where 16 represented best possible welfare.Overall household mean welfare scores were significantly improved at both the 2 month and 12 month revisits (p = 0.011 and p = 0.01 respectively) when compared to the initial visits. By the end of the study period, three out of the ten households had voluntarily relinquished all of their cats, and overall there was a 40% reduction in the number of cats.ConclusionsAnimal hoarding has previously been an intractable welfare concern with little evidence informing intervention techniques. These results show that positive veterinary engagement on site, focused on preventative care and population control, can yield significant improvement in welfare scoring systems in relatively short timescales. Promptly collecting and neutering all female cats at a site, combined with advice and support, show promise in improving welfare

A retrospective study of pyometra at five RSPCA hospitals in the United Kingdom: 1,728 cases from 2006-2011

A retrospective cross-sectional study was used to analyse pyometra cases at five RSPCA Animal Hospitals across the UK from 2006 to 2011. A total of 1728 cases of pyometra were recovered from a female dog outpatient caseload of 78,469 animals, giving a total prevalence of 2.2 per cent over the study period. There was an annual increase in the incidence of pyometra within the population, while elective ovariohysterectomy caseload has declined. There were variations in breed and age at presentation. Bullmastiffs (P<0.0001), golden retrievers (P=0.001) and dogue de Bordeaux (P=0.008) were over-represented in the pyometra population when compared with the female dog outpatient caseload. Mean age at presentation was 7.7 years. Some breeds presented at a significantly lower age, including dogue de Bordeaux (mean age 3.3 years) and bullmastiffs (mean age 5.4 years), while others presented as older dogs, including Yorkshire terriers (mean age 9.4 years) and border collies (mean age 10.3 years). Surgical mortality rate at the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital was 3.2 per cent. Pyometra is of significant welfare concern, and also has cost implications, particularly in charity practice. These results serve to highlight this condition so that future change in charity practice caseload can be anticipated and strategies can be directed to improve animal welfare

Criminal Law and Procedure

This Article surveys recent developments in criminal procedure and law in Virginia. Because of space limitations, the authors have limited their discussion to the most significant appellate decisions and legislation

Criminal Law and Procedure

This article surveys recent developments in criminal law and procedure in Virginia. Because of space limitations, the authors have limited their discussion to the most significant appellate decisions and legislation