Markers of disease severity are associated with malnutrition in Parkinson's disease

Objective In Parkinson's disease (PD), commonly reported risk factors for malnutrition in other populations commonly occur. Few studies have explored which of these factors are of particular importance in malnutrition in PD. The aim was to identify the determinants of nutritional status in people with Parkinson's disease (PWP). Methods Community-dwelling PWP (>18 years) were recruited (n = 125; 73M/52F; Mdn 70 years). Self-report assessments included Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease – Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), Modified Constipation Assessment Scale (MCAS) and Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q). Information about age, PD duration, medications, co-morbid conditions and living situation was obtained. Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE-R), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) II and UPDRS III were performed. Nutritional status was assessed using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) as part of the scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Results Nineteen (15%) were malnourished (SGA-B). Median PG-SGA score was 3. More of the malnourished were elderly (84% vs. 71%) and had more severe disease (H&Y: 21% vs. 5%). UPDRS II and UPDRS III scores and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD)/body weight(mg/kg) were significantly higher in the malnourished (Mdn 18 vs. 15; 20 vs. 15; 10.1 vs. 7.6 respectively). Regression analyses revealed older age at diagnosis, higher LEDD/body weight (mg/kg), greater UPDRS III score, lower STAI score and higher BDI score as significant predictors of malnutrition (SGA-B). Living alone and higher BDI and UPDRS III scores were significant predictors of a higher log-adjusted PG-SGA score. Conclusions In this sample of PWP, the rate of malnutrition was higher than that previously reported in the general community. Nutrition screening should occur regularly in those with more severe disease and depression. Community support should be provided to PWP living alone. Dopaminergic medication should be reviewed with body weight changes.

Improving the design of online applications for social benefit through a behaviour change model

Community support agencies routinely employ a web presence to provide information on their services. While this online information provision helps to increase an agency’s reach, this paper argues that it can be further extended by mapping relationships between services and by facilitating two-way communication and collaboration with local communities. We argue that emergent technologies, such as locative media and networking tools, can assist in harnessing this social capital. However, new applications must be designed in ways that both persuade and support community members to contribute information and support others in need. An analysis of the online presence of community service agencies and social benefit applications is presented against Fogg’s Behaviour Model. From this evaluation, design principles are proposed for developing new locative, collaborative online applications for social benefit.

Psychological maladjustment among homeless adolescents

The prevalence of psychological maladjustment in homeless adolescents (n = 54) was compared to control group (n 58) in Brisbane, Australia using the Youth Self-Report Scale [1]. Overall, 74% of the homeless group and 22.4% of the control group scored within the clinical range on one or more of the clinical subscales. There was considerable diversity of symptomatology in the homeless group. Less than half of the homeless group were within the clinical range on both the delinquent subscale and the thought disorder subscale. Depressive, Aggressive and Somatic Complaints were also prevalent. The study challenges preconceived notions of simple relationship between adolescent homelessness and delinquency, and draws attention to the psychological needs of this group of adolescents.

Somali perspectives on physical activity: PhotoVoice to address barriers and resources in San Diego

Although many immigrants enter the United States with a healthy body weight, this health advantage disappears the longer they reside in the United States. To better understand the complexities of obesity change within a cultural framework, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, PhotoVoice, was used, focusing on physical activity among Muslim Somali women. The CBPR partnership was formed to identify barriers and resources to engaging in physical activity with goals of advocacy and program development. Muslim Somali women (n = 8) were recruited to participate, trained and provided cameras, and engaged in group discussions about the scenes they photographed. Participants identified several barriers, including safety concerns, minimal culturally appropriate resources, and financial constraints. Strengths included public resources and a community support system. The CBPR process identified opportunities and challenges to collaboration and dissemination processes. The findings laid the framework for subsequent program development and community engagement.

Naomi Block Manners Stern collection of Eleanor Roosevelt correspondence undated, 1941-1962, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1984, 2003

This collection is mainly composed of correspondence between Ms. Stern and Mrs. Roosevelt, spanning the years from their first acquaintance in 1941 to Mrs. Roosevelt's decease in 1962. Letters that hold particular interest concern Ms. Stern's experience at the Summer Student Leadership Institute, and the White House. Additional material in the collection encompasses articles, newsclippings, programs, press releases, and photographs. The articles and newsclippings folder contains information pertaining to Ms. Stern's college career, the first Summer Student Leadership Institute, Mrs. Roosevelt's talk at Community Day, National Youth Association, and a donation of an ambulance to the war effort by Hunter college students. Naomi Block Manners Stern personal folder contains an article Naomi Block wrote in her college magazine, "Echo," describing her perceptions of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill during her first visit at the White House. Also included is her graduation program, listing Mrs. Roosevelt as the main speaker, a commemoration of President Roosevelt in 1972 in which Ms. Stern took part, an article and press release describing Ms. Stern's career at Revlon, and a 2003 written summary of Ms. Stern's relationship with Mrs. Roosevelt. Photographs were taken by Naomi Block and others at the Summer Leadership Institute in 1941 portray identified fellow students, Mrs. Roosevelt, James Roosevelt, the Roosevelt home in Campobello, and Felix Frankfurter.

A regularized linear classifier for effective text classification

In document community support vector machines and naïve bayes classifier are known for their simplistic yet excellent performance. Normally the feature subsets used by these two approaches complement each other, however a little has been done to combine them. The essence of this paper is a linear classifier, very similar to these two. We propose a novel way of combining these two approaches, which synthesizes best of them into a hybrid model. We evaluate the proposed approach using 20ng dataset, and compare it with its counterparts. The efficacy of our results strongly corroborate the effectiveness of our approach.

Technologies and Methodologies for the Detection of Harmful Algae and Their Toxins, St Petersburg, Florida, Oct 22-24 2008 : workshop proceedings

The Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT) Workshop "Technologies and Methodologies for the Detection of Harmful Algae and their Toxins" convened in St. Petersburg, Florida, October 22- 24, 2008 and was co-sponsored by ACT (http://act-us.info); the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET, http://ciceet.unh.edu); and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC, http://www.myfwc.com). Participants from various sectors, including researchers, coastal decision makers, and technology vendors, collaborated to exchange information and build consensus. They focused on the status of currently available detection technologies and methodologies for harmful algae (HA) and their toxins, provided direction for developing operational use of existing technology, and addressed requirements for future technology developments in this area. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in marine and freshwater systems are increasingly common worldwide and are known to cause extensive ecological, economic, and human health problems. In US waters, HABs are encountered in a growing number of locations and are also increasing in duration and severity. This expansion in HABs has led to elevated incidences of poisonous seafood, toxin-contaminated drinking water, mortality of fish and other animals dependent upon aquatic resources (including protected species), public health and economic impacts in coastal and lakeside communities, losses to aquaculture enterprises, and long-term aquatic ecosystem changes. This meeting represented the fourth ACT sponsored workshop that has addressed technology developments for improved monitoring of water-born pathogens and HA species in some form. A primary motivation was to assess the need and community support for an ACT-led Performance Demonstration of Harmful Algae Detection Technologies and Methodologies in order to facilitate their integration into regional ocean observing systems operations. The workshop focused on the identification of region-specific monitoring needs and available technologies and methodologies for detection/quantification of harmful algal species and their toxins along the US marine and freshwater coasts. To address this critical environmental issue, several technologies and methodologies have been, or are being, developed to detect and quantify various harmful algae and their associated toxins in coastal marine and freshwater environments. There are many challenges to nationwide adoption of HAB detection as part of a core monitoring infrastructure: the geographic uniqueness of primary algal species of concern around the country, the variety of HAB impacts, and the need for a clear vision of the operational requirements for monitoring the various species. Nonetheless, it was a consensus of the workshop participants that ACT should support the development of HA detection technology performance demonstrations but that these would need to be tuned regionally to algal species and toxins of concern in order to promote the adoption of state of the art technologies into HAR monitoring networks. [PDF contains 36 pages]

Recent Developments in In Situ Nutrient Sensors: applications and future directions, Savannah, Georgia, December 11-13, 2006: workshop proceedings

The Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT) convened a Workshop on "Recent Developments in In Situ Nutrient Sensors: Applications and Future Directions" from 11-13 December, 2006. The workshop was held at the Georgia Coastal Center in Savannah, Georgia, with local coordination provided by the ACT partner at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (University System of Georgia). Since its formation in 2000, ACT partners have been conducting workshops on various sensor technologies and supporting infrastructure for sensor systems. This was the first workshop to revisit a topic area addressed previously by ACT. An earlier workshop on the "State of Technology in the Development and Application of Nutrient Sensors" was held in Savannah, Georgia from 10-12 March, 2003. Participants in the first workshop included representatives from management, industry, and research sectors. Among the topics addressed at the first workshop were characteristics of "ideal" in situ nutrient sensors, particularly with regard to applications in coastal marine waters. In contrast, the present workshop focused on the existing commercial solutions. The in situ nutrient sensor technologies that appear likely to remain the dominant commercial options for the next decade are reagent-based in situ auto-analyzers (or fluidics systems) and an optical approach (spectrophotometric measurement of nitrate). The number of available commercial systems has expanded since 2003, and community support for expanded application and further development of these technologies appears warranted. Application in coastal observing systems, including freshwater as well as estuarine and marine environments, was a focus of the present workshop. This included discussion of possible refinements for sustained deployments as part of integrated instrument packages and means to better promote broader use of nutrient sensors in observing system and management applications. The present workshop also made a number of specific recommendations concerning plans for a demonstration of in situ nutrient sensor technologies that ACT will be conducting in coordination with sensor manufacturers.[PDF contains 40 pages]

Também temos crachá: sobre um programa para aprendizes

Esta tese objetiva estudar o encontro dos jovens com o mundo do trabalho a partir de sua passagem por um programa de aprendizes em uma grande empresa privada brasileira com sede no Rio de Janeiro. Fazem parte do programa de aprendizes dessa empresa jovens entre 15 e 21 anos de ambos os sexos que moram em regiões diferentes do Estado, em geral na Baixada Fluminense ou em favelas cariocas pertencentes a famílias de baixa renda. Busca-se refletir sobre as questões que emergem no encontro dos jovens com o universo organizacional assim como compreender os significados concedidos por eles ao trabalho no que se refere às suas expectativas de futuro e aos seus projetos de vida. Parte-se da compreensão de que vivenciamos um momento de crise no qual toda a sociedade vem sofrendo profundas transformações com impactos diversos para os sujeitos contemporâneos e para a produção de subjetividades. A juventude, em especial, vem sendo atingida diretamente por esse cenário fazendo com que a passagem para a vida adulta seja um desafio. Nesse sentido, o governo brasileiro vem desenvolvendo políticas públicas voltadas para a juventude, dentre as quais a Lei de Aprendizagem faz parte. Esta foi criada pelo Ministério do Trabalho e do Emprego visando apoiar o jovem em sua inserção no mercado de trabalho e estabelece que organizações tanto públicas quanto privadas devem contratar obrigatoriamente um percentual de moças e rapazes entre 14 e 24 anos em regime especial de aprendizagem para conceder-lhes formação técnico-profissional. Para alcance dos objetivos da tese, foi realizada ampla pesquisa qualitativa de campo ao longo dos anos de 2010 e 2011 na qual foram utilizados instrumentos diversos para a coleta de dados: entrevistas individuais, focus group, observações e intervenções de campo que se concentraram na seleção dos aprendizes, em algumas ações de treinamento pelo qual passaram e no seu dia a dia de aprendizado na empresa. Os dados mais significativos coletados em campo foram analisados a partir de referências teórico-bibliográficas da Psicologia e de outras áreas de saber das Ciências Humanas e Sociais que dessem suporte à sua compreensão. Como alguns dos principais resultados obtidos na pesquisa, pode-se destacar que a ocupação profissional para a qual os jovens são preparados durante sua formação no programa de aprendizado não está necessariamente vinculada aos desejos de carreira que possuem para seu futuro. Os projetos de vida que denotam a busca por estabilidade são pautados em carreiras que requerem a realização do ensino superior. O encontro dos jovens com o universo da empresa não é simples, requer a aprendizagem de formas de falar e de se portar que são bem-vindas ou não. São essas formas de saber assim como o sentido de responsabilidade que ganham ao terem tarefas a realizar os principais aprendizados que os jovens carregam da experiência vivida. Por outro lado, a empresa ainda possui dificuldades para lidar com esses jovens percebendo-os a partir de estereótipos ligados às suas origens socioeconômicas que acabam por gerar mecanismos de desenvolvimento com teor civilizatório.

O processo de transição das creches da Assistência Social para a Educação em Juiz de Fora/MG (2008-2013)

Esta pesquisa que se insere na linha Infância, Juventude e Educação do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro/RJ buscou analisar como as coordenadoras/diretoras das 23 creches públicas de Juiz de Fora/MG compreendem o recente processo de transição da gestão das creches vinculadas à assistência social através da Associação Municipal de Apoio Comunitário (Amac) para a Secretaria de Educação, quando confrontadas com as perspectivas anunciadas na política oficial. Alguns objetivos específicos orientaram este estudo: (1) analisar a política oficial de inserção das creches ao sistema de ensino no município em questão; (2) Compreender como as coordenadoras/diretoras de creches percebem e vivenciam a implementação das políticas de inserção das creches ao sistema de ensino; (3) Identificar os principais embates e desafios que surgiram no contexto da prática após a implementação da transição e como as coordenadoras/diretoras lidam com eles. Como referencial para análise da política em foco, adotou-se a abordagem do ciclo de políticas (policy cycle approach) formulada por Stephen Ball e seus colaboradores. Segundo essa matriz as políticas educacionais são tratadas como textos, discursos e práticas produzidos em três contextos articulados entre si: o contexto de influência, o contexto da produção de texto e o contexto da prática. O contexto de influência foi acessado a partir de pesquisas bibliográficas. O contexto da produção de texto ganhou visibilidade pela via da análise documental. Os dados do contexto da prática, foco principal desta pesquisa, foram produzidos em três sessões reflexivas realizadas entre 2008 e 2013 com as coordenadoras/diretoras das 23 creches públicas de Juiz de Fora/MG. As análises apontaram que o processo de transição das creches tem sido produzido em meio a discursos e textos sujeitos a influências e inter-relações com as políticas locais, nacionais e globais. Mostrou também que a ausência de representantes do contexto da prática na elaboração inicial da política gerou apreensão e insegurança nos profissionais das creches. A produção da política foi marcada por conflitos entre as coordenadoras/diretoras e a Secretaria de Educação, e dificuldades advindas do modelo fragmentado de gestão da rede de creches em duas instâncias (Amac e Secretaria de Educação). A redução desses conflitos demandou negociações e adaptações de ambos os lados. A formação continuada no contexto das creches emergiu como uma contribuição para o avanço das práticas educativas. No entanto, a necessidade do poder público rever a carreira e as condições de trabalho dos profissionais dessas instituições foi ressaltada como uma questão fundamental para a construção de um atendimento com qualidade

Living with acquired brain injury

This study found that natural community supports were comprised of two distinct groupings; firstly immediate families, friends and peer support groups; secondly neighbours and local community groups such as sporting and activity- based organisations and groups. The findings of this study indicate that living with acquired brain injury involves a process where the person moves from acute high intensity health services onto rehabilitative services and then onto re-establishing independent lives. It is evident that smooth transitions and interconnectivity of services are essential in facilitating this recovery process. Instrumental to the recovery is the support of immediate family and close friends, who form people’s immediate natural support network and go a long way towards facilitating individuals in rebuilding their lives. A key finding of this study is that broader natural community supports do not appear to play as central a role in supporting individuals to live independent lives when compared to the role of family and friends. The lack of involvement of broader community groups, in many ways, prompted individuals to contact formal support services. For the majority of participants, independence is facilitated through the combination of immediate natural community supports and formal services. The role of formal support services is key to developing broader community support networks. This study found a blurred division between formal services and broader community support networks. The authors recommended that the role of formal supports services in acting as a bridge between the needs of the individual and the development of meaningful community networks, be formally recognised and further developed. Additionally, they argued that the importance of the role of broader natural community, supports such as those provided by community and sporting groups must be enhanced. Greater awareness of the issues faced by people living with acquired brain injury and its often invisible nature is necessary in this endeavour. The authors stated it is important to recognise that there are multiple issues impacting on independent living and these issues intersect, for instance with age, gender, employment, qualifications and so on. A lack of public awareness of acquired brain injury was found to be a key barrier to independent living, along with issues relating to socialising, access to employment and finances. The findings of this study reflect the complexities of living with acquired brain injury and the need for holistic support that is cognisant of the factors which impact on integration. It is vital that flexible, personalised services are developed which are fit for purpose and meet the needs of not only people with acquired brain injury but also their immediate natural community support network. Recognition of the intersection between immediate/ broader natural community supports and formal services is also key to developing the comprehensive and practical supports required to achieve an independent life. This was a qualitative study and all participants were sourced through Headway, a community based service provider for people with ABI. Data collection was divided into two stages: firstly focus groups, followed by individual interviews. Four focus groups were convened in Cork (2), Dublin (1) and Limerick (1). Each focus group was facilitated by at least two members of the research team and a total of twenty-six individuals participated in the focus groups. Thematic analysis of the data was undertaken to guide and inform the second stage of the study; the individual interviews. Ten interviews were undertaken with individuals who presented with ABI in the Cork and Limerick regions.

Ecoturismo en comunidades rurales: análisis de los impactos negativos para la población local. Un estudio de caso

En los últimos años han aparecido nuevas formas de turismo más sostenibles, donde existen elementos relacionados con el descanso, el disfrute y la protección del medio ambiente o el conocimiento de la cultura local, a través de políticas que favorecen la sostenibilidad del destino. En este sentido, el ecoturismo se configura como una tipología turística que se desarrolla en contacto con la naturaleza. Este turismo ayuda a mejorar el desarrollo socioeconómico de las comunidades locales, a la vez, que fomenta la conservación de los recursos naturales y el respeto hacia el medio ambiente. Aunque, esta tipología de turismo también genera importantes impactos negativos. El objetivo principal de esta investigación es analizar los impactos socioeconómicos, culturales y medioambientales percibidos por el ecoturismo por parte de los residentes de comunidades rurales de República Dominicana. La técnica de recolección de datos utilizada ha consistido en un cuestionario. Entre las principales conclusiones, cabe destacar que actualmente no se perciben impactos negativos, pero si hay una serie de elementos que hay que ir considerando, con la finalidad de que no se conviertan en un impacto a corto plazo para la comunidad rural.

Using the opinions of coronary heart disease patients in designing a health education booklet for use in general practice consultations.

Objective This study explored how coronary heart disease (CHD) patients’ views would inform the design of an information booklet aimed at providing patients and practitioners with a resource to help influence positively patients’ health behaviour outcomes. Methods Opinions of patients (N=23) with CHD about their information needs, particularly lifestyle advice, were explored using a qualitative approach in four general practices. This information was used in designing a booklet for a pilot study intervention aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours and medication adherence among people with CHD. Subsequent focus groups explored patients’ (N=17) opinions about the booklet’s ‘fitness for purpose’; semi-structured interviews with practitioners (N=10) examined their views on the booklet’s usefulness. Results In initial focus groups patients identified gaps in their information provision regarding coping with stress, available local community support and medication purpose. A booklet, prepared on the basis of previous literature, was modified to address these gaps. Pilot study patients were satisfied with the re-designed booklet and practitioners reported that its use in consultations enabled change implementation and facilitated patients’ understanding of connections between lifestyle and health outcomes. Conclusion Acknowledging the opinions of CHD patients in producing health information booklets which emphasised a patient centred approach supported practitioner-patient partnerships for choosing healthy lifestyle choices.

Promoção do empreendedorismo nas escolas: impacto da Junior Achievement Portugal, Associação Aprender a Empreender

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Publicidade e Marketing.