Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme: Endline Technical Report, Karen Austrian, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Paul C. Hewett, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Jere R. Behrman

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The theory of change behind the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) posited that adolescent girls are empowered by building social, health, and economic assets that they can then draw on to reduce vulnerabilities and expand opportunities. In the long term, they will then increase their likelihood of completing school, delaying sexual debut, and reducing risks of early marriages, unintended pregnancies, acquisition of HIV, and other possibly detrimental outcomes. This endline report indicates that, while there were some changes for the program participants in the medium and long term, they did not translate into longer-term effects on reproductive and demographic outcomes …

Climate Change, Resilience, And Population Dynamics In Pakistan: A Case Study Of The 2010 Floods In Mianwali District, Zeba Sathar, Muhammad Khalil, Sabahat Hussain, Maqsood Sadiq, Kiren Khan

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In 2010, Pakistan experienced massive flooding that went on uninterrupted for more than eight weeks, and seriously affected more than 20 million people. This study explores the effects of the floods on one of the most adversely affected districts, Mianwali, in Punjab province. The study focuses on four areas pertaining to resilience: movements and migration processes; shifts in poverty levels and living conditions; changes in livelihood activities; and health-seeking behavior, particularly fertility-related processes. This study highlights the need to include demographic and health information in the analysis of natural disasters. The report marks the beginning of a research agenda that …

Marriage And Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Rohingya Adolescents And Youth In Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study, Sigma Ainul, Iqbal Ehsan, Eashita Haque, Sajeda Amin, Ubaidur Rob, Andrea J. Melnikas, Joseph Falcone

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This qualitative study focuses specifically on displaced Rohingya adolescents and youth (ages 14–24) and explores how the crisis has impacted their sexual and reproductive health (SRH), marriage practices, safety and security, and related attitudes and aspirations. This research aims to identify approaches to improve adolescents’ knowledge of SRH issues and their access to and uptake of services, and to identify gaps in programming knowledge and practice. Findings from this formative research and recommended actions will help the Government of Bangladesh, donors, and other relevant stakeholders to mobilize resources and deliver SRH services in a more organized and efficient way and …

Pedaleando Hacia El Futuro: Una Oportunidad Para Incrementar Y Mantener La Asistencia Escolar De Niñas Adolescentes Encomunidades Indígeneas Del Árearural En Guatemala, Paola Broll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Population Council Guatemala, con el apoyo de UNFPA y otros donantes, desarrolló la estrategia de expansión y escala de Abriendo Oportunidades (AO) a través de conglomerados geográficos con abordaje ecológico. La provisión de 250 bicicletas fue un componente adicional de AO para probar su efectividad en el aumento de movilidad y la asistencia escolar en cuatro municipios guatemaltecos. Este reporte describe como el proyecto fue exitoso en el aumento de la movilidad, reinserción, y finalización del ciclo escolar 2017 de sus participantes. Los resultados muestran como la dotación de las bicicletas incrementó en 24% la reinserción escolar del ciclo 2016 …

Pedaling Toward The Future: Increasing And Maintaining The School Attendance Of Adolescent Girls In Indigenous Communities Of Rural Guatemala, Paola Broll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Population Council Guatemala, with the support of UNFPA and other donors, developed a strategy of expansion and scale up of Abriendo Oportunidades (AO) through geographic conglomerates with an ecological approach. They provided 250 bicycles as an additional component of AO to assess its effectiveness in increasing mobility and school attendance in four municipalities in Guatemala. This brief describes how the project was successful in increasing mobility, reinsertion, and completion of the 2017 school year among its participants. Results show that the provision of bicycles to adolescents participating in the Abriendo Oportunidades program increased school reintegration from the 2016 cycle to …

Skill Retention After School-Leaving: Analysis Of Data From The Malawi Schooling And Adolescent Study, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Barbara Mensch, Stephanie Psaki, Monica J. Grant, Christine A. Kelly, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The skills young people develop in school provide an essential foundation that can either be reinforced or deteriorate depending on the strength of the foundation and opportunities after leaving school. This brief describes findings from an analysis of a longitudinal data set of Malawian adolescents aged 14–17 attending school when first interviewed in 2007. The study investigated whether literacy and numeracy skills at school-leaving—among those who dropped out before completing secondary school—were retained several years after. Results show a significant gender difference in skill level after school-leaving for English skills, even after controlling for initial skill level and grade attainment, …

Community-Level Assessment Of Droughts In Odisha: Effects, Resilience, And Implications, Sangram Kishor Patel

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

India has been severely affected by drought—one-third of the country is either drought-prone or classified as desert. Odisha’s geographic location makes it vulnerable to various natural disasters and climatic risks so the Population Council conducted a study there to explore the impact of drought on people and their resilience, as well as examine the perceptions of state-level infrastructure and institutional initiatives to strengthen responses to droughts. The study found that farmers, laborers, and the poor are severely affected physically, financially, and psychologically as a result of consecutive droughts that have affected agriculture and livelihoods. The report notes a number of …

Community-Level Assessment Of Floods And Cyclones In Coastal Odisha, India: Impact, Resilience, And Implications, Sangram Kishor Patel

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

India is among the countries that have been severely affected by both floods and cyclones. In 2012, the Government of India estimated that nearly 12 percent of India’s land is prone to floods and river erosion. The Population Council conducted formative research in the state of Odisha to explore the people’s perceptions on impact and resilience to cyclones and floods, and to examine the state-level infrastructure and institutional initiatives to strengthen responses to these events. Findings reported in this brief indicate that flooding and cyclones have had a disproportionate affect on vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly, and disabled …

Resilience In Caregivers Of Partners With Young Onset Dementia: A Concept Analysis, Karie R. Kobiske, Abir K. Bekhet

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction: Over 200,000 Americans diagnosed with young onset dementia (YOD), dementia diagnosed prior to age 65, are cared for by family members. This can be costly to caregivers’physical and psychological health. Some adapt well to the caregiver role and are said to be resilient. Aim/Question: This paper builds on current understanding of the concept of resilience and applies this to caregivers of partners diagnosed with YOD. Method: Concept analysis. Results: Resilient caregivers exhibit attributes including determination, flexibility, positive thinking, self-efficacy, resourcefulness, social support and spirituality. Discussion: YOD affects caregiver’s health. Much research has been done on interventions for dementia caregivers. …

Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Older Adults In Costa Rica As Measured By The Short-Form-36 Health Survey, Esmeralda Valdivieso-Mora, Mirjana Ivanisevic, Leslie A. Shaw, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Zachary D. Green, Monica Salazar-Villanea, Jose Moncada-Jimenez, David K. Johnson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To test the validity of a common measure of health-related quality of life (Short-Form-36 [SF-36]) in cognitively healthy older adults living in rural and urban Costa Rica. Method: Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to SF-36 data collected in 250 older adults from San Jose and Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Results: The best fitting model for the SF-36 was an eight first-order factor structure. A high correlation between the Mental Component Summary and Physical Component Summary scores was found. Region differences indicated that rural dwellers perceive a poorer health-related quality of life compared with the urban group. Discussion: Costa Rican older …

Teaching Students To Teach Patients: A Theory-Guided Approach, Lori Candela, Linda B. Piacentine, Kathleen L. Bobay, Marianne E. Weiss

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Nurses in every setting provide patient teaching on a routine basis, often several times a day. Patient teaching skills are essential competencies to be developed during pre-licensure nursing education. While students learn what to teach for specific conditions, they often lack competence in how to teach in ways that individualize and optimize patient learning. The ultimate goal of patient teaching is to arm patients with the knowledge and skills, and the desire and confidence in their ability to reach their targeted health outcomes. We describe the creation of a theoretical framework to guide development of patient teaching skills. The framework, …

Sexual Risk Behaviors Of African American Adolescent Females: The Role Of Cognitive And Religious Factors, Safiya George Dalmida, Natasha Aduloju-Ajijola, Dora L. Clayton-Jones, Tami Thomas, Ricardo J. Erazo Toscano, Rashunda Lewis, Terri Fleming, Shirley Taylor, Macie Lunyong

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction: African American (AA) high school-age girls are more likely to have had sex before age 13 years and have higher rates of all sexually transmitted infections. Cognition and religion/spirituality are associated with adolescent sexuality, therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify cognitive and religious substrates of AA girls’ risky sexual behaviors. Method: A descriptive study was conducted with 65 AA girls aged 15 to 20 years using computerized questionnaires and cognitive function tasks. Results: Average age was 17.8 ± 1.9 years and average sexual initiation age was 15.5 ± 2.6 years. Overall, 57.6% reported a history of …

The Hold Me Tight Program For Couples Becoming Parents: A Mixed Methods Study, Debbie Wang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Attachment theory has made substantial contributions to the understanding of close relationships. The purpose of this study was to inquire whether an attachment-informed psychoeducational program is a feasible and effective intervention for couples expecting their first child. The overarching question was: Is an attachment-informed relationship enhancement program, such as Hold Me Tight^® (HMT), helpful to couples in strengthening their relationship and increasing their confidence in becoming first-time parents? The research question was addressed using a mixed-methods approach.

In the first phase, the Hold Me Tight^® program developed by Dr. Sue Johnson was modified for use with couples …

Spatial Modelling And Wildlife Health Surveillance: A Case Study Of White Nose Syndrome In Ontario, Lauren Yee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Wildlife data is often limited by survey effort, small sample sizes, and spatial biases associated with collection and missing data. These factors can create unique challenges from a surveillance perspective when trying to extract spatial patterns of habitat suitability and disease distributions for conservation and management purposes. This thesis examined data quality from a wildlife health database in the context of spatial analysis of wildlife disease. Spatial analysis of the data to predict habitat suitability of bats and white nose syndrome afflicted bats was examined by using the MaxEnt modelling method. Methods to reduce spatial bias were examined and specific …

Hepatitis C Testing And Treatment Access Among People Who Inject Drugs, Monika Roerig

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Hepatitis C (HCV) remains a global issue as it affects 2-3% of the world’s population. Despite Canada’s universal access to healthcare, barriers to accessing testing and treatment for HCV has contributed to approximately 250,000 Canadians living with chronic HCV. People who inject drugs (PWID) account for about 60% of all HCV cases in Canada, making them the primary target for public health interventions, namely prevention and harm reduction. Harm reduction efforts have proven effective to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases and to prevent overdoses, but there remains a large proportion of individuals living with the virus who are unaware …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Female Retirement Living Seniors And Their Social Relationships, Kathy Procyk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Objective

This research examines the lived experiences of seniors living within a retirement home (RH) and their social relationships with friends, family, and RH peers. The phenomena is explored through two perspectives (the senior and their support person) in order to better understand how retirement home living affects individuals’ social patterns and social well-being.

Methods

The theoretical orientation used to guide this study was phenomenology. After completing a background questionnaire, one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 women living in a retirement home and 7 primary support persons. Interviews were transcribed verbatim for further data analysis. Field notes, member checks, …

Charecterization Of The Innate Immune Response In The Rat Intervertebral Disc At The Tissue And Cellular Level, Matthew Guerreiro

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Low back pain (LBP) affects up to 80% of the global population at some point during their life. The costs associated with LBP are estimated at $100 billion per year, putting significant strains on our healthcare system. As intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation is one of the major causes of LBP we decided to focus on herniation facilitated inflammatory responses, where damage caused by herniation triggers an innate immune response which likely results in pain, inflammation, and recruitment of specialized innate immune cells like macrophages to the affected area. Since the role of the inflammatory response is relatively uncharacterized in the …

Indigenous-Black Identity: Two Manuscripts Concerning Indigenous-Black Identity, Identity Formation, Mental Health, And Trauma, Ann Marie Beals

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis was written in the form of two different, yet similar stand-alone manuscripts. The overall premise of my thesis was the exploration of Indigenous-Black identity – Indigenous to both Turtle Island and the continent of Africa. This introduction to the thesis is to give an overview of my work and the manuscripts, and to provide information that is relevant to the understanding of the thesis that may not necessarily be required for manuscripts that are to be submitted for publication. Manuscript one, titled Indigenous-Black Identity, Mental Health, and Trauma explored, as the title suggests, concepts of Indigenous-Black identity regarding …

Dynamic Balance Control And Segmental Orientation While Listening During Walking: Effects Of Age And Hearing Loss, Sin Tung Lau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Dynamic control of balance changes with age and changes with declines in sensory and cognitive abilities. For instance, emerging, yet robust associations between hearing loss and poor mobility have been described and yet the mechanism underlying these associations remains unknown. It could be that age-related declines in hearing ability result in different kinematic strategies when having to walk and listen at the same time (e.g. head and body orienting responses toward sounds) and/or that declines in hearing result in increased cognitive load during listening, at the detriment to mobility-related performance. Therefore, this thesis sought to better characterize these associations by …

Effect Of Water Quality On Production Performance Of Lactating Nili-Ravi Buffaloes, Muhammad Asim Tausif, Faisal Shahzad, Jalees Ahmed Bhatti, Sundas Qamar, Anjum Khalique, Hifz-Ul Rahman, Hafiz Muhammad Ali, Azfar Hussain

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of drinking water quality on the milk production performance of Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes (n = 12) of the same parity were randomly divided into three groups: A, B, and C (n = 4). Group A was offered turbine water, group B (the control) was kept on tap water, and group C was given canal water for drinking. Mean daily milk production was found significantly (P < 0.01) higher for group A as compared to the other groups. Dry matter intake (DMI) was lowest in group B followed by group A. Milk composition, including fat, solid not fat, and total solid percentages, was found statistically different (P < 0.001) among all groups. Feed efficiency was higher in the control (group B) followed by group C and group A. A significant (P < 0.001) difference for water intake was also observed among all groups. In conclusion, buffaloes kept on tap drinking water showed better milk production performance.

Diagnostic And Prognostic Value Of Procalcitonin (Pct), C Reactive Protein (Crp), Nitric Oxide (No) Levels, And Adenosine Deaminase (Ada) Activity In Sheep With Natural Babesiosis Before And After Treatment, Sezai̇ Arslan, Nuri̇ Altuğ, Mustafa Necati̇ Muz, Nazmi̇ Yüksek, Yildiray Başbuğan, Özlem Orunç Kilinç

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was carried out to reveal the importance of procalcitonin, C reactive protein, nitric oxide levels, and adenosine deaminase activity in the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease in naturally infected sheep with Babesia ovis. Thirty sheep diagnosed clinically and parasitologically as having Babesia ovis were allocated to 2 groups. The first group was treated only with imidocarp dipropionate and the second group with imidocarp dipropionate and flunixine meglumin. On the seventh day after treatment, blood samples were collected again from the sheep in the babesiosis-infected group and the treatment responses were assessed. Serum PCT (1.72 ± 0.34 ng/mL, …

Effects Of Stoned Olive Pomace On Carcass Characteristics And Meat Quality Of Lambs, Eki̇n Sucu, Kadi̇r Cem Akbay, Ömer Şengül, Merve Tuba Yavuz, İbrahi̇m Ak

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Thirty-six Merino-Kıvırcık crossbred male lambs were utilized to evaluate the influence of two levels of dried stoned olive pomace. Lambs were blocked by initial body weights (BW, 20.4 kg) and randomly distributed into three groups. While one group received commercial concentrates without olive pomace, the second and third groups received an experimental diet containing 10% olive pomace and 20% olive pomace, respectively. They were fed for 49 days. The animals? BW and feed consumption were recorded weekly and biweekly, respectively. The lambs were slaughtered at the end of the trial. The carcass cut weights were recorded and a sample of …

Detection And Characterization Of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Genes(Bla$_{Tem}$ And Bla$_{Shv}$) Among Beta-Lactam-Resistant Fecal Coliforms Of Dairy Cattle From Chhattisgarh, India, Nidhi Rawat, Fateh Singh, Sadanand Devidas Hirpurkar, Chandrahas Sannat, Nitin Eknath Gade

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to isolate the antimicrobial-resistant enterobacteria from cattle feces and to identify the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase gene among them. A total of 70 cattle fecal swab samples were collected from Durg, Chhattisgarh, India, and cultured in nutrient broth. Bacterial isolation recovered 120 gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed 90 (75%) coliform isolates (66 Escherichia coli, 20 Klebsiella sp., and two each of Enterobacter sp. and Citrobacter sp.) resistant to amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefixime, ceftazidime, imipenem, or meropenem. Bacterial isolates showed the highest resistance rate for ceftazidime (61.6%), followed by cefixime and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid …

Immunohistochemical Expression Of Secretory Proteins In Pneumonic Rat Lungs, Enver Beytut

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study evaluated the expression of secretory proteins involving surfactant proteins (SP-A, SP-B, proSP-C), Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP), and thyroid transcription factor-I (TTF-I), together with lambda light chain IgG (λ-IgG), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and lymphocytic phenotypes (T and B cells) in the pneumonic rat lungs. The most prominent gross lesion was severe pulmonary abscession. The lungs showed severe parenchymal destruction and necrosis encapsulated by fibrous tissue. Immunostaining for SPs displayed evident hyperplasia of type II pneumocytes. Immunoreaction to SP-A and SP-B occurred strongly on the luminal surface of type II cells, and to proSP-C in the …

Ocular Ultrasonographic Evaluation Of Cataractous And Pseudophakic Eyes In Dogs, Shriram Ganesan, Ramani Chandrasekhara Iyer

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Ocular B-mode ultrasonography is one of the noninvasive, rapid diagnostic imaging techniques indicated in canine cataract patients to evaluate the posterior segment of the eye. This study was conducted on twelve eyes of dogs with a history of cataract, which were scanned under topical anesthesia. The preoperative and postoperative ultrasonographic biometry, and ultrasonographic features of the lens, intraocular lens (IOL), and posterior segment were recorded. There was a significant difference between pre- and postphacoemulsification mean value of the axial length of globe and anterior chamber depth. The normal ultrasonographic features of the 2-hydroxy-ethyl-methylacrylate IOL was observed in vitro by placing …

Chemical And Fermentative Characteristics Of Agricultural Byproducts And Their Mixtures With Roughages Incubated With Rumen Fluid From Slaughtered Dromedaries, Maroua Lifa, Mohamed Laid Haddi, Franco Tagliapietra, Mirko Cattani, Matteo Guadagnin, Leonardo Sulas, Rosella Muresu, Stefano Schiavon, Lucia Bailoni, Andrea Squartini

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In pursuit of novel strategies aimed to promote animal production while exploiting agricultural residues, using the dromedary camel rumen fluid degradation capabilities combined with a gas production (GP) technique approach, we investigated the in vitro kinetic parameters and some physical and chemical characteristics of three agro-industrial byproducts (AIBP) and their mixtures with three roughages. Chemical composition, buffering capacity, apparent degradability, pH, and in vitro GP kinetic parameters were evaluated for citrus pulp, tomato peels, apple pomace, their mixtures (50:50 % DM basis) with milk thistle, crown daisy, and polyphyte hay. GP of AIBP ranged from 200 to 240 mL/g DM. …

Determining Some Of The Quality Characteristics Of Probiotic Yogurts Manufactured By Using Microencapsulated Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Var. Boulardii, Seli̇n Kalkan, Derya Öztürk, Büşra Sevgi̇ Seli̇moğlu

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Probiotics can be defined as living microorganisms that positively contribute to human health by regulating the intestinal flora of a host and stimulating the immune system. As stated in many studies carried out in recent years, probiotic microorganisms are known to be very useful for human health. Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii is the only probiotic yeast that has been patented. In this study, it was aimed to determine the physical, rheological, chemical, and microbiological quality parameters of probiotic yogurts manufactured using this yeast microencapsulated via extrusion method during storage. Black cherry jam was used in order to enrich the sensory …

The Effect Of Green Tea Waste Extract On Ruminal Degradability And Intestinal Digestibility Of Barley Grain, Mohammad Nasehi, Nor Mohammad Torbatinejad, Morteza Rezaie, Taghi Ghoorchi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of green tea waste extract (GE) on ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and starch of barley grain. Therefore, barley grain was treated with 0 as control, and 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of GE. The potential of DM degradability (a + b) of barley grain treated with 15% and 20% of GE was significantly lower compared to other treatments (Linear [L] P < 0.05). The lowest (a + b) fraction of CP degradability was found in the barley grain treated with 20% GE (L P < 0.05). The (a + b) fraction and effective degradability of starch in barley grain treated with 15% and 20% of GE were significantly lower than those in other treatments (L and quadratic [Q] P < 0.05). The highest intestinal DM, CP, and starch digestibility were associated with barley grain treated with 10% GE (L and Q P < 0.05). Based on recent results, processing barley grain with GE leads to a decrease of DM, CP, and starch degradability. The treatment of 10% GE improved intestinal digestibility of the aforementioned nutrients; therefore, it can be used to protect barley grain against ruminal degradability.

Comparison Of Different Paternity Test Panels In Sheep, Onur Yilmaz, İbrahi̇m Cemal, Behi̇ç Coşkun, Yusuf Zi̇ya Oğrak, Nezi̇h Ata, Orhan Karaca

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aims of this study were to evaluate different paternity test panels with 17 microsatellite markers for their effectiveness in paternity analysis and to identify pedigree error rates in the Kangal Akkaraman breed of sheep. The animal material for the study consisted of 175 Kangal Akkaraman sheep, 35 rams, and their 140 offspring, raised on farms and bred using controlled mating. The panels were created according to probability of exclusion (PE) of 17 studied microsatellites. A total of 240 alleles were detected across 17 microsatellite loci. The overall mean value of the polymorphic information content (PIC) (0.78) indicated that the …

Effect Of Vitamin E Supplementation On Α-Tocopherol Status And Tissue Antioxidants In American Minks (Neovison Vison), Irina Baishnikova, Svetlana Sergina, Tatiana Ilyina

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The α-tocopherol (TCP) state as well as enzymatic (superoxide dismutase [SOD] and catalase [CAT]) and nonenzymatic (reduced glutathione [GSH] and retinol) antioxidants in tissues of American minks (Neovison vison) given various levels of dietary vitamin E were examined. Three groups of farm-bred minks received different amounts of DL-α-tocopheryl acetate (10 mg/kg diet, control; 30 and 110 mg/kg diet, treatments denoted as E30 and E110, respectively) for 14 days in November. The TCP content was raised substantially in the kidneys and reduced in the livers of minks in the E110 group. The action of the 2 vitamin E doses on antioxidants …