The Role of Policy in the Fight Against Desertification in the Middle Atlas Mountains

By all observable accounts, desertification is exacting a toll on the rural populations of Morocco, potentially leading to social and economic instability. With almost all of Morocco and the majority of the African continent characterized by high vulnerability, it is incumbent upon policy makers and program developers to understand the full parameters of the threat to humanity security. Through process tracing, this paper examines the issue of desertification as a function of the macro-level policies that have been implemented, environmental indicators, and the knowledge, behavior and beliefs of rural villagers in one particular targeted location. Without generalizing to the larger population, findings identify the lack of empowerment as a key factor inhibiting progress in the fight against desertification. This includes the failure to include women in promoting lifestyle changes and the lack of community and social tools necessary to trigger mobilization amongst individual villagers. Government expenditures are not likely to be able address these issues through macro-level policies due to the localized nature of the problem. As such, developing a system that effectively transfers knowledge and resources from external entities (government and NGOs) to local actors that can facilitate local empowerment is essential in bringing about the needed action to fight desertification

Sex Differences in the Disease Progression of FTD vs AD

Abigail Mitchell, Danielle Frances, Chase Metzger Sex Differences in the Disease Progression of FTD vs AD. Abstract Neurodegenerative diseases are on the rise in aging populations due to the upper tier of the population getting larger in that age group (Zheng & Chen, 2022). Knowing this, there is great benefit in more accurate and early diagnosis of conditions like frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Particularly, it is important to understand which variables may contribute to differences in disease burden and progression of associated sequalae, with one of those variables being biological sex. The current study investigated sex differences in the disease progression of Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) verses Alzheimer’s (AD) over time. All data for this study was extracted from open datasets provided by the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC). Disease progression is quantified by deficits in cognitive ability as well as volumetric loss in the brain. In particular, voxel-based morphometry analyses on high-resolution T1 MRI scans extracted whole grey matter volumes (GM) at 2 timepoints, separated by years, as well as regionally-specific volumetric measures of the insula for FTD, hippocampus for AD and the cingulate cortex for both conditions. Coping ability outcomes, measured by traditional clinical assessments at matching timepoints to the MRI acquisitions include the Clinical Dementia Rating scale sum of boxes (CDRsb), Mini-mental state exam (MMSE), and Montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA). The current study expects to replicate existing findings in the field, with FTD and AD female patients revealing faster disease progression than males, as measure by volumetric analyses. However, it is expected that FTD females will reveal better coping abilities compared to males, and that AD females will have worse coping abilities in a similar sex comparison. The data is currently being analyzed and the results will be presented a

Investigating the Impact of Unlimited Sucrose During Adolescence on Flex Maze Performance in Rats

As depression continues to impact many people, there are important considerations to be taken in how depression impacts people\u27s learning and motivations. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of unlimited sucrose consumption during adolescence, which can mimic symptoms of depression, on spatial memory and motivation in rats. The flex maze is used in the present study to assess these behaviors. Before initial training on the flex maze, 6 male rats were separated into two groups: an experimental group with unlimited access to 5% sucrose (and water) for approximately 3 weeks and a control group with free access to two bottles of plain water. Rats were first trained to complete the maze and during testing trials the time to complete the maze and the number of errors were recorded. Previous research has concluded that male rats fed a high-sucrose diet exhibited a delay in their ability to make decisions (Wong et al., 2017). Thus, we hypothesize that rats given unlimited access to sucrose water during adolescence would move slower in the flex maze due to the delay in making cognitive decisions because of depressive symptoms compared to control rats

Strengths and Resilience Among Central American Parents Seeking Asylum in the United States

This study examined the experiences of immigrant parents seeking asylum in the United States after recently fleeing the Northern Triangle region of Central America, attending both to the traumatic events and the strengths that mitigate this experience. The study employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to describe the experiences of 51 parents after being processed by U.S. immigration officials for seeking asylum. Quantitative analyses measured trauma exposure and psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as religiosity, dispositional optimism, and perceived quality of life. Qualitative analyses examined migratory experiences more deeply. Quantitative findings suggest that participants displayed high levels of resilience as evidenced by the low endorsement of mental health symptoms associated with trauma despite high violence and trauma exposure. Qualitative analyses revealed two themes underscoring strengths that mitigated the compounded trauma experienced by participants, including: (a) protective factors, and (b) plans for the future. In addition, several subthemes emerged within each of these broader themes. Qualitative findings highlight that asylum seekers come to the United States for the sake of their families, especially their children. Participants shared their desire to ensure the safety of their family and children and their hope of being better able to take care of them. These desires and hopes common among participants in our study not only motivated them to leave their home countries but also helped them to press forward in their journeys. Study results show that religiosity, hope, and optimism also played important roles in sustaining these immigrant parents during their journeys

Headteachers’ prior beliefs on child health and their engagement in school based health interventions: a qualitative study

Background: Schools play an important role in promoting the health of children. However, little consideration is often given to the influence that headteachers' and school staff's prior beliefs have on the implementation of public health interventions. This study examined primary school headteachers' and school health co-ordinators' views regarding child health in order to provide greater insights on the school's perspective for those designing future school-based health interventions. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using 19 semi-structured interviews with headteachers, deputy headteachers and school health co-ordinators in the primary school setting. All transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Whilst many participants in this study believed good health was vital for learning, wide variance was evident regarding the perceived health of school pupils and the magnitude of responsibility schools should take in addressing child health behaviours. Although staff in this study acknowledged the importance of their role, many believed the responsibility placed upon schools for health promotion was becoming too much; suggesting health interventions need to better integrate school, parental and societal components. With mental health highlighted as an increasing priority in many schools, incorporating wellbeing outcomes into future school based health interventions is advocated to ensure a more holistic understanding of child health is gained. Conclusion: Understanding the health beliefs of school staff when designing interventions is crucial as there appears to be a greater likelihood of interventions being successfully adopted if staff perceive a health issue as important among their pupils. An increased dependability on schools for addressing health was expressed by headteachers in this study, highlighting a need for better understanding of parental, child and key stakeholder perspectives on responsibility for child health. Without this understanding, there is potential for certain child health issues to be ignored.10 page(s

Feasibility Study of Social Media to Reduce Intimate Partner Violence Among Gay Men in Metro Atlanta, Georgia

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major public health issue occurring in the United States and globally. While little is known in general about IPV, understanding about the prevalence of physical IPV among gay men is even more obscure. There is a clear disparity in violence research attention focused on this vulnerable segment of society. This cross-sectional survey study was conducted to examine the feasibility of enrolling 100 gay men from Atlanta into an IPV survey study. The survey was administered via Facebook. Ninety-nine usable surveys were collected. Chi-square tests reveal that minority ethnic status, illicit drug use, and non-disclosed orientation status were all significantly associated with positive IPV reports--in terms of both victimization as well as perpetration. Overall, the majority of the study sample indicated that they believe IPV is a health problem in the Atlanta gay community. These findings bear importance for the Atlanta gay community and public health professionals who must address this nearly invisible yet increasing public health issue. [West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(3):298-304.

Involving the headteacher in the development of school-based health interventions: A mixed-methods outcome and process evaluation using the RE-AIM framework

Although interventions delivered in school settings have the potential to improve children’s health and well-being, the implementation of effective interventions in schools presents challenges. Previous research suggests facilitating greater autonomy for schools to select interventions aligned to their needs could improve implementation and maintenance. The aim of this mixed-methods outcome and process evaluation was to explore whether involving headteachers in the developmental stages of health interventions influenced adoption, effectiveness (e.g. pupil fitness and physical activity, assessed quantitatively), implementation and maintenance (assessed quantitatively and qualitatively). Three UK primary schools were provided with a choice of five evidence-based physical activity interventions: Playground scrapstore, daily classroom refreshers, alternative afterschool clubs, parent and child afterschool activities and an ‘In the Zone’ playground intervention. To evaluate the impact of this autonomous approach, semi-structured interviews with headteachers (n=3), teachers (n=3), and a private coach, and focus groups with pupils aged 9-11 (n=6, 31 pupils, 15 boys), were undertaken. This was alongside an outcome and process evaluation, guided by the RE-AIM framework. This study assessed the impacts on adoption, implementation and maintenance of the autonomous approach and the effect on physical activity (seven day accelerometry – GENEActiv) and aerobic fitness (20m shuttle run). All three schools adopted different intervention components; alternative afterschool clubs, parent and child afterschool activities and daily classroom refreshers. Headteachers welcomed greater autonomy in developing school-based interventions and appreciated the more collaborative approach. Mixed results were reported for the effectiveness, implementation and maintenance of the interventions adopted. Allowing pupils choice and promoting a positive school environment were key factors for enhancing engagement. Moreover, promoting inclusive physical activity projects with a consideration of existing curriculum pressures aided implementation. This mixed-methods study provides valuable insights about autonomous approaches to inform further development, implementation and maintenance for future interventions

Interactive Whole-Heart Segmentation in Congenital Heart Disease

We present an interactive algorithm to segment the heart chambers and epicardial surfaces, including the great vessel walls, in pediatric cardiac MRI of congenital heart disease. Accurate whole-heart segmentation is necessary to create patient-specific 3D heart models for surgical planning in the presence of complex heart defects. Anatomical variability due to congenital defects precludes fully automatic atlas-based segmentation. Our interactive segmentation method exploits expert segmentations of a small set of short-axis slice regions to automatically delineate the remaining volume using patch-based segmentation. We also investigate the potential of active learning to automatically solicit user input in areas where segmentation error is likely to be high. Validation is performed on four subjects with double outlet right ventricle, a severe congenital heart defect. We show that strategies asking the user to manually segment regions of interest within short-axis slices yield higher accuracy with less user input than those querying entire short-axis sliceNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral Program (CGS D))Wistron CorporationNational Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U.S.) (NAMIC U54-EB005149)Boston Children's Hospital (Translational Research Program Fellowship)Boston Children's Hospital. Office of Faculty DevelopmentHarvard Catalys

A Survey of Georgia Adult Protective Services Staff: Implications for Older Adult Injury Prevention and Policy

Introduction: The aging population is a rapidly growing demographic. Isolation and limited autonomy render many of the elderly vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. As the population grows, so does the need for Adult Protective Services (APS). This study was conducted to examine current knowledge of older adult protection laws in Georgia among APS staff and to identify training opportunities to better prepare the APS workforce in case detection and intervention. Methods: The Georgia State University Institute of Public Health faculty developed a primary survey in partnership with the Georgia Division of Aging Services’ leadership to identify key training priority issues for APS caseworkers and investigators. A 47-item electronic questionnaire was delivered to all APS employees via work-issued email accounts. We conducted descriptive analyses, t-tests and chi-square analyses to determine APS employees’ baseline knowledge of Georgia’s elder abuse policies, laws and practices, as well as examine associations of age, ethnicity, and educational attainment with knowledge. We used a p-value of 0.05 and 95% confidence intervals to determine statistical significance of analyses performed. Results: Ninety-two out of 175 APS staff responded to the survey (53% response rate). The majority of respondents were Caucasian (56%) women (92%). For over half the survey items, paired sample t-tests revealed significant differences between what APS staff reported as known and what APS staff members indicated they needed to know more about in terms of elder abuse and current policies. Chi-square tests revealed that non-Caucasians significantly preferred video conferencing as a training format (44% compared to 18%), [χ2(1) = 7.102, p \u3c .008], whereas Caucasians preferred asynchronous online learning formats (55% compared to 28%) [χ2(1) =5.951, p \u3c .015]. Conclusion: Results from this study provide the Georgia Division of Aging with insight into specific policy areas that are not well understood by APS staff. Soliciting input from intended trainees allows public health educators to tailor and improve training sessions. Trainee input may result in optimization of policy implementation, which may result in greater injury prevention and protection of older adults vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation