Healthy waterways: Healthy catchments - An integrated research/management program to understand and reduce impacts of sediments and nutrients on waterways in Queensland, Australia

The Moreton Bay Waterways and Catchments Partnership, now branded the Healthy Waterways Partnership, has built on the experience of the past 15 years here in South East Queensland (SEQ). It focuses on water quality and the ecosystem health of our freshwater, estuarine and marine systems through the implementation of actions by individual partners and the collective oversight of a regional work program that assists partners to prioritise their investments and address emerging issues. This regional program includes monitoring, reporting, marketing and communication, development of decision support tools, research that is directed to problem solving, and maintaining extensive consultative and engagement arrangements. The Partnership has produced information-based outcomes which have led to significant cost savings in the protection of water quality and ecosystem resources by its stakeholders. This has been achieved by: – providing a clear focus for management actions that has ownership of governments, industry and community; – targeted scientific research to address issues requiring appropriate management actions; – management actions based on a sound understanding of the waterways and rigorous public consultation; and, – development and implementation of a strategy that incorporates commitments from all levels of stakeholders. While focusing on our waterways, the Partnership’s approach includes addressing catchment management issues particularly relating to the management of diffuse pollution sources in both urban and rural landscapes as well as point source loads. We are now working with other stakeholders to develop a framework for integrated water management that will link water quality and water quantity goals and priorities.

The Effect of Stress Management Program Using Cognitive Behavior Approach on Mental Health of the Mothers of the Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of stress management program using cognitive behavior approach on mental health of the mothers of the children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Patients and Methods: In this interventional study, 90 mothers of the children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were randomly allocated into three intervention, placebo, and control groups. The general health questionnaire was used to measure mental health. Besides, stress was assessed through the depression-anxiety-stress scale. The two instruments were completed at baseline, immediately after, and one month after the intervention by the mothers. Afterwards, within group comparisons were made using one-sample repeated measurement ANOVA. One-way ANOVA was used for inter group comparisons. Mothers in the placebo group only participated in meetings to talk and express feelings without receiving any interventions. Results: At the baseline, no significant difference was found among the three groups regarding the means of stress, anxiety, depression, and mental health. However, a significant difference was observed in the mean score of stress immediately after the intervention (P = 0.033). The results also showed a significant difference among the three groups regarding the mean score of mental health (P < 0.001). One month after the intervention, the mean difference of mental health score remained significant only in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The study findings confirmed the effectiveness of stress management program utilizing cognitive behavior approach in mental health of the mothers of the children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Enrolment, student retention and attrition in the tourism management program.

This paper examines the factors motivating students to enrol in the Tourism Management program at Champlain College, St-Lambert and why a large number of students abandon the program before obtaining their DEC. There is a great deal of literature on student attrition, however there is little consensus on why students withdraw from college programs and the results cannot be easily generalized to this particular set of students at this time. Understanding the factors that influenced the students to choose Tourism Management at Champlain, St-Lambert and why they then leave before completing the six semesters will help with student success and with the marketing of the program.||Résumé : Ce travail s'intéresse aux facteurs qui motivent les étudiants à s'inscrire au programme de tourisme offert au Collège Champlain de St-Lambert. Il cherche à établir les raisons qui font en sorte qu'un si grand nombre d'étudiants abandonnent le programme avant d'obtenir leur DEC. Plusieurs recherches ont été effectuées sur l'abandon scolaire, mais il n'y a pas de consensus quant aux raisons pour lesquelles les étudiants se retirent du programme collégial. Actuellement, il est difficile d'établir des liens entre les résultats de ces recherches et ce groupe d'étudiants. La compréhension des facteurs qui influencent les étudiants à choisir le tourisme au Collège Champlain et les raisons qui font en sorte qu'ils quittent avant d'avoir complété leur formation, nous permettront d'améliorer le taux de rétention des étudiants dans ce programme. De plus, cela favorisera le marketing du programme.

Adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment within a chronic disease management program: A longitudinal, retrospective study

Objective This study assessed pharmacological treatment adherence using the Morisky-Green Test and identified related variables. Method A longitudinal and retrospective study examined 283 patients with hypertension (62.5% women, 73.4 [10.9] years old) who were being monitored by a chronic disease management program for 17 months between 2011 and 2012. Nurses performed all the actions of the program, which consisted of advice via telephone and periodic home visits based on the risk stratification of the patients. Results A significant increase in treatment adherence (25.1% vs. 85.5%) and a decrease in blood pressure were observed (p<0.05). Patients with hypertension and chronic renal failure as well as those treated using angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were the most adherent (p<0.05). Patients with hypertension who received angiotensin receptor blockers were less adherent (p<0.05). Conclusions Strategies such as nurse-performed chronic disease management can increase adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment and therefore contribute to the control of blood pressure, minimizing the morbidity profiles of patients with hypertension.

O programa gestão nota 10 do IAS: aproximações com a gestão da qualidade total (GQT) e o movimento das escolas eficazes

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The need of a weight management control program in judo: a proposal based on the successful case of wrestling

Judo competitions are divided into weight classes. However, most athletes reduce their body weight in a few days before competition in order to obtain a competitive advantage over lighter opponents. To achieve fast weight reduction, athletes use a number of aggressive nutritional strategies so many of them place themselves at a high health-injury risk. In collegiate wrestling, a similar problem has been observed and three wrestlers died in 1997 due to rapid weight loss regimes. After these deaths, the National Collegiate Athletic Association had implemented a successful weight management program which was proven to improve weight management behavior. No similar program has ever been discussed by judo federations even though judo competitors present a comparable inappropriate pattern of weight control. In view of this, the basis for a weight control program is provided in this manuscript, as follows: competition should begin within 1 hour after weigh-in, at the latest; each athlete is allowed to be weighed-in only once; rapid weight loss as well as artificial rehydration (i.e., saline infusion) methods are prohibited during the entire competition day; athletes should pass the hydration test to get their weigh-in validated; an individual minimum competitive weight (male athletes competing at no less than 7% and females at no less than 12% of body fat) should be determined at the beginning of each season; athletes are not allowed to compete in any weight class that requires weight reductions greater than 1.5% of body weight per week. In parallel, educational programs should aim at increasing the athletes', coaches' and parents' awareness about the risks of aggressive nutritional strategies as well as healthier ways to properly manage body weight.

Investigating the outcomes of two chronic disease self-management programs and understanding the correlates of completion for each program

Chronic disease affects 80% of adults over the age of 65 and is expected to increase in prevalence. To address the burden of chronic disease, self-management programs have been developed to increase self-efficacy and improve quality of life by reducing or halting disease symptoms. Two programs that have been developed to address chronic disease are the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) and Tomando Control de su Salud (TCDS). CDSMP and TCDS both focus on improving participant self-efficacy, but use different curricula, as TCDS is culturally tailored for the Hispanic population. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of CDSMP and TCDS when translated to community settings. In addition, little is known about the correlation between demographic, baseline health status, and psychosocial factors and completion of either CDSMP or TCDS. This study used secondary data collected by agencies of the Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative from 10/01/2008–12/31/2010. The aims of this study were to examine six week differences in self-efficacy, time spent performing physical activity, and social/role activity limitations, and to identify correlates of program completion using baseline demographic and psychosocial factors. To examine if differences existed a general linear model was used. Additionally, logistic regression was used to examine correlates of program completion. Study findings show that all measures showed improvement at week six. For CDSMP, self-efficacy to manage disease (p = .001), self-efficacy to manage emotions (p = .026), social/role activities limitations (p = .001), and time spent walking (p = .008) were statistically significant. For TCDS, self-efficacy to manage disease (p = .006), social/role activities limitations (p = .001), and time spent walking (p = .016) and performing other aerobic activity (p = .005) were significant. For CDSMP, no correlates predicting program completion were found to be significant. For TCDS, participants who were male (OR=2.3, 95%CI: 1.15–4.66), from Broward County (OR=2.3, 95%CI: 1.27–4.25), or living alone (OR=2.0, 95%CI: 1.29-–3.08) were more likely to complete the program. CDSMP and TCDS, when implemented through a collaborative effort, can result in improvements for participants. Effective chronic disease management can improve health, quality of life, and reduce health care expenditures among older adults.

A waste management school approach towards sustainability

Education towards sustainability in Chemical Engineering (CEng) gave birth to awaste management program (WMP) at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, in Portugal. It involves students, teachers, and laboratory technicians. It aims to enhance the conscientiousness of the decision-maker next generation for saving resources, managing wastes, and at same time to develop applied chemistry understanding. This program was implemented in 1999 and is responsible for management and fate of all inorganic wastewater providing from training experimental activities of the CEng degree. An immediate reduction of wastes at their source was first defined. Wastes were collected separately and were reused, recycled or chemically treated, and after analytically controlled as legally imposed. Solids formed after this program were recycled, purified or followed suitable elimination. Global results point out environmental, pedagogical, and social benefits. Active participants are aware, in agreement, and publicly committed to the WMP.

Unmet Needs SFY 2005 Final Report Version 2 10/26/2005

Despite the successes of the Senior Living Program and other efforts of the Iowa Aging Network, there continue to be documented unmet needs throughout the state, in part because of general fund budget reductions. These are needs identified for elderly Iowans that the community service networks are unable to meet. The sources for this data are interdisciplinary teams with the Case Management Program for the Frail Elderly (CMPFE) and service providers under contract with the Area Agencies on Aging.

Reconstruction of metal pollution and recent sedimentation processes in Havana Bay (Cuba): A tool for coastal ecosystem management.

Since 1998 the highly polluted Havana Bay ecosystem has been the subject of a mitigation program. In order to determine whether pollution-reduction strategies were effective, we have evaluated the historical trends of pollution recorded in sediments of the Bay. A sediment core was dated radiometrically using natural and artificial fallout radionuclides. An irregularity in the (210)Pb record was caused by an episode of accelerated sedimentation. This episode was dated to occur in 1982, a year coincident with the heaviest rains reported in Havana over the XX century. Peaks of mass accumulation rates (MAR) were associated with hurricanes and intensive rains. In the past 60 years, these maxima are related to strong El Niño periods, which are known to increase rainfall in the north Caribbean region. We observed a steady increase of pollution (mainly Pb, Zn, Sn, and Hg) since the beginning of the century to the mid 90s, with enrichment factors as high as 6. MAR and pollution decreased rapidly after the mid 90s, although some trace metal levels remain high. This reduction was due to the integrated coastal zone management program introduced in the late 90s, which dismissed catchment erosion and pollution.