Efficacy of music-based cognitive behavior therapy on the management of test-taking behavior of children in basic science using a randomized trial group: Implication for community development.

BACKGROUND: This study sought the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy-based music group (CBT-Music) intervention program on primary school children's test-taking behavior in Southeast Nigeria. METHODS: A pretest, posttest randomized controlled trial experimental design was adopted for the study using a sample of 53 primary three (3) children. A test-taking behavior questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was face validated by test development experts. Construct validation of the instrument was done by subjecting the instrument to factor analysis after trial testing. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-test and paired samples t-test. RESULTS: The findings of the study revealed that CBT-Music had a significant effect on the management of test-taking behavior of among children. Furthermore, the test-taking scores of children in the music-based CBT group were significantly lower than those in the control group at the follow-up measure. This implies that the test-taking behavior of the children can be better managed using the CBT-music intervention program to enable the children to grow better academically and contribute to the community they belong to. CONCLUSION: Music-based CBT demonstrated significant efficacy in the management of children's test-taking behavior. Thus, primary school teachers should be enlightened on how to make use of CBT-Music in the management of test-taking behavior among children.

Human wellbeing outcomes of involvement in industrial crop production: Evidence from sugarcane, oil palm and jatropha sites in Ghana.

An extensive body of theoretical work has advocated the use of multiple human wellbeing indicators to assess the outcomes of agricultural investments in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). However, few studies have actually achieved it. This study investigates the human wellbeing outcomes of involvement in industrial crop production in Ghana by comparing the levels of different objective and subjective wellbeing measures for groups involved in industrial crop production as plantation workers and smallholders, and groups not involved (i.e. control groups). We use household income, adult consumption and the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) as indicators of objective wellbeing. We measure subjective wellbeing through self-reported levels of satisfaction with life, worthwhileness, happiness and anxiousness. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) analysis is used to assess whether involvement in industrial crop production increases household income and consumption. Overall, for most indicators of objective wellbeing industrial crop outgrowers, smallholders and independent smallholders are better off compared to other groups in their respective sites (in terms of mean scores), but involvement does not necessarily brings human wellbeing benefits (PSM analysis). On the other hand plantation workers are either worse off or have similar level of objective human wellbeing with control groups in their respective sites (in terms of mean scores), but involvement sometimes brings human wellbeing benefits (PSM analysis). However, workers tend to benefit from access to plantation infrastructure, which has a positive effect to their multi-dimensional poverty. In most cases the objective wellbeing measures do not correlate well with self-reported levels of subjective wellbeing. It is important to combine such indicators when evaluating the human wellbeing outcomes of agricultural investments in order to obtain a more comprehensive outlook of whether industrial crop production can become a valuable rural development strategy in SSA.

Evaluability assessment of a community development leisure program in Spain.

This paper presents the results of an evaluability assessment (EA) conducted in Spain. EAs are assessments that minimize the uncertainty and risk inherent in a subsequent evaluation (e.g. an impact or results assessment) that may require excessive resources. We designed our own EA model by combining three theoretical approaches, with a holistic and pedagogic vision of the process and a flexible methodology to enable adaptation to different programs and contexts, thus fostering transferability. The EA was carried using a qualitative methodology: documentary analysis, seven semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, eight direct observation sessions and a check-list for politicians and experts. The outcome report helped promote organizational learning, provided the program with a logical and assessable theoretical model, detected its strengths and helped overcome the barriers to efficient assessment. Based on these achievements, an evaluation of the results was recommended, with repeated pretest-posttest measurements and an equivalent control group.

Cancer control planning: self-assessment for pre-planning, development, implementation and evaluation of national cancer control plans.

The development of cancer control plans as a clearly defined concept began in the U.S. in the early 1990s. On an international level, the same concept has been described as "national cancer control planning" or national cancer control plan (NCCP) development and implementation. Recent efforts by the National Cancer Institute's Center for Global Health and its partners have increased international and country-level interest in NCCPs. Central to the development of these plans has been a need for countries to understand the crucial factors and foundational elements necessary to develop and successfully implement a national cancer plan. This article describes the process by which a tool developed by the International Cancer Control Partnership (ICCP) helps countries and international partners assess their efforts to develop and implement a NCCP.

Mapping Caregivers' Health Assets. A self-care project using Salutogenesis and Mindfulness.

BACKGROUND: Thousands of caregivers around the world take care of impaired people, with negative repercussions on their physical, psychological, social and economic resources. The need to promote caregivers' wellbeing is internationally recognized, thus reducing health inequalities. Mindfulness is a powerful tool, directly related to the reduction of stress, able to increase skills and attitudes promoting well-being. The basis of this project of community development based on active health, is the self-care achieved through mindfulness. AIMS: The overall aim of this project is to improve the caregivers' health and quality of life through community mapping strategies and mindfulness. METHODS: According to the salutogenic model, and to the model of community development based on active health (ABCD) we will create a map of the caregivers' internal and external health assets. The project will have a participatory action research methodology, and it will go throygh five different phases, with mindfulness as a central tool. RESULTS: At the end of the project, results will be analyzed referring to structures, processes and objective and subjective outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: At the end of the project, we will evaluate if the Salutogenic ABCD methodology along with Mindfulness, will be able to reduce health inequalities improving caregivers' wellbeing.

Energy Analysis of a Complementary Heating System Combining Solar Energy and Coal for a Rural Residential Building in Northwest China.

In order to utilize solar energy to meet the heating demands of a rural residential building during the winter in the northwestern region of China, a hybrid heating system combining solar energy and coal was built. Multiple experiments to monitor its performance were conducted during the winter in 2014 and 2015. In this paper, we analyze the efficiency of the energy utilization of the system and describe a prototype model to determine the thermal efficiency of the coal stove in use. Multiple linear regression was adopted to present the dual function of multiple factors on the daily heat-collecting capacity of the solar water heater; the heat-loss coefficient of the storage tank was detected as well. The prototype model shows that the average thermal efficiency of the stove is 38%, which means that the energy input for the building is divided between the coal and solar energy, 39.5% and 60.5% energy, respectively. Additionally, the allocation of the radiation of solar energy projecting into the collecting area of the solar water heater was obtained which showed 49% loss with optics and 23% with the dissipation of heat, with only 28% being utilized effectively.

An ethnobotanical survey of spice, aromatic and medicinal plants used in La Molana, Atrato-Choco, Colombia: Basis for biodiversity conservation

A characterization and analysis of the production systems of aromatic, medicinal and spice plants (AMSP) was carried out in La Molana, Atrato-Chocó, Colombia throughout the identification of their biophysical, socioeconomic and financial characteristics, in order to propose agroecological alternatives that solve the problems and identified needs in said systems; applying methodologies and evaluation indicators of agricultural systems addressed to sustainable rural development, design, implementation and evaluation of agroforestry arrangements, agroforestry systems accompanied by WOST analysis, and agroforestry planning of productive units (APPU), this information was collected through the application of a focal workshop and semi-structured questionnaires to 40 smallholders. Therefore, eight productive units (UP) with four plots and four rooftop, which was characterized throughout a simple random sampling without replacement. The results indicate that these smallholders destine 15.6 ha to AMSP production, from which 11 ha are crops structured in plots within native forests and 4.6 ha are destined to crops in rooftops around the houses. The units produce on average, 110 units (bunches) per week, which are offered to informal vendors in the market place of Quibdo-Choco, Colombia with prices which ranged from COP $ 1000 to COP $ 3000 according to plant size and species. Likewise, was determined that the economic incomes of the AMSP units depend mainly on the following planted species: Cilantro cimarrón (Eryngium foetidum L.), cimarron (Eryngium foetidum L.), Albahaca (Ocimum basilicum L.) and Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), which are the most economically important species in the study area.

Development of 9(th) Revision Korean Food Composition Table and Its Major Changes / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The Korean Food Composition Table (KFCT) was first published in 1970, and has since been updated every five years by the Rural Development Administration (RDA). This study was conducted to introduce the development strategies, features, and challenges of the 9th revision of the KFCT. METHODS: Due to the increasing demands of nutrient database users and generators, the RDA started a new research project in 2013 to improve the quantity and quality of data for the 9th revision of the KFCT. Over 1,000 food items frequently consumed in Korea were selected as key foods using the results of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. About 200 raw materials and processed food items were collected and analyzed every year. Target nutrients that were analyzed by collaborative labs, such as, sugars, selenium, iodine, and biotin, were increased from 22 to 43. Analytical sample handling procedures and data quality evaluation systems were also established in collaboration with 10 contracted labs. Data were evaluated for data quality according to the FAO/INFOODS, CODEX, and AOAC guidelines. RESULTS: The 9th revision contains data on 3,000 food items and up to 43 and 140 food nutrients for the printed table and the excel database file, respectively. Overall, 1,485 data items were newly added, 973 of which were provided by the RDA and 512 were cited from foreign nutrient databases. The remaining 1,515 food items were maintained as in the 8th revision. CONCLUSIONS: The KFCT provides the basic infrastructure for food and nutrition policy, research, and dietary practice in South Korea. The use of the KFCT has increased exponentially in the past few years in both public and private sectors; accordingly, increased efforts should be paid to the preparation, improvement, and maintenance of KFCT.

Development of 9(th) Revision Korean Food Composition Table and Its Major Changes / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The Korean Food Composition Table (KFCT) was first published in 1970, and has since been updated every five years by the Rural Development Administration (RDA). This study was conducted to introduce the development strategies, features, and challenges of the 9th revision of the KFCT. METHODS: Due to the increasing demands of nutrient database users and generators, the RDA started a new research project in 2013 to improve the quantity and quality of data for the 9th revision of the KFCT. Over 1,000 food items frequently consumed in Korea were selected as key foods using the results of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. About 200 raw materials and processed food items were collected and analyzed every year. Target nutrients that were analyzed by collaborative labs, such as, sugars, selenium, iodine, and biotin, were increased from 22 to 43. Analytical sample handling procedures and data quality evaluation systems were also established in collaboration with 10 contracted labs. Data were evaluated for data quality according to the FAO/INFOODS, CODEX, and AOAC guidelines. RESULTS: The 9th revision contains data on 3,000 food items and up to 43 and 140 food nutrients for the printed table and the excel database file, respectively. Overall, 1,485 data items were newly added, 973 of which were provided by the RDA and 512 were cited from foreign nutrient databases. The remaining 1,515 food items were maintained as in the 8th revision. CONCLUSIONS: The KFCT provides the basic infrastructure for food and nutrition policy, research, and dietary practice in South Korea. The use of the KFCT has increased exponentially in the past few years in both public and private sectors; accordingly, increased efforts should be paid to the preparation, improvement, and maintenance of KFCT.

Investigating Climate Compatible Development Outcomes and their Implications for Distributive Justice: Evidence from Malawi.

Governments and donors are investing in climate compatible development in order to reduce climate and development vulnerabilities. However, the rate at which climate compatible development is being operationalised has outpaced academic enquiry into the concept. Interventions aiming to achieve climate compatible development "wins" (for development, mitigation, adaptation) can also create negative side-effects. Moreover, benefits and negative side-effects may differ across time and space and have diverse consequences for individuals and groups. Assessments of the full range of outcomes created by climate compatible development projects and their implications for distributive justice are scarce. This article develops a framework using a systematic literature review that enables holistic climate compatible development outcome evaluation over seven parameters identified. Thereafter, we explore the outcomes of two donor-funded projects that pursue climate compatible development triple-wins in Malawi using this framework. Household surveys, semi-structured interviews and documentary material are analysed. Results reveal that uneven outcomes are experienced between stakeholder groups and change over time. Although climate compatible development triple-wins can be achieved through projects, they do not represent the full range of outcomes. Ecosystem-and community-based activities are becoming popularised as approaches for achieving climate compatible development goals. However, findings suggest that a strengthened evidence base is required to ensure that these approaches are able to meet climate compatible development goals and further distributive justice.

Development of processed food database using Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to develop a processed foods database (DB) for estimation of processed food intake in the Korean population using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES). METHODS: Analytical values of processed foods were collected from food composition tables of national institutions (Development Institute, Rural Development Administration), the US Department of Agriculture, and previously reported scientific journals. Missing or unavailable values were substituted, calculated, or imputed. The nutrient data covered 14 nutrients, including energy, protein, carbohydrates, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C. The processed food DB covered a total of 4,858 food items used in the KNHANES. Each analytical value per food item was selected systematically based on the priority criteria of data sources. RESULTS: Level 0 DB was developed based on a list of 8,785 registered processed foods with recipes of ready-to-eat processed foods, one food composition table published by the national institution, and nutrition facts obtained directly from manufacturers or indirectly via web search. Level 1 DB included information of 14 nutrients, and missing or unavailable values were substituted, calculated, or imputed at level 2. Level 3 DB evaluated the newly constructed nutrient DB for processed foods using the 2013 KNHANES. Mean intakes of total food and processed food were 1,551.4 g (males 1,761.8 g, females 1,340.8 g) and 129.4 g (males 169.9 g, females 88.8 g), respectively. Processed foods contributed to nutrient intakes from 5.0% (fiber) to 12.3% (protein) in the Korean population. CONCLUSION: The newly developed nutrient DB for processed foods contributes to accurate estimation of nutrient intakes in the Korean population. Consistent and regular update and quality control of the DB is needed to obtain accurate estimation of usual intakes using data from the KNHANES.

A novel anoxic-aerobic biofilter process using new composite packing material for the treatment of rural domestic wastewater.

A pilot scale experiment was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of contaminants removal in a continuously two-stage biological process composed of an anoxic biofilter (AF) and an biological aerated filter (BAF). This novel process was developed by introducing new composite packing material (MZF) into bioreactors to treat rural domestic wastewater. A comparative study conducted by the same process with ceramsite as packing material under the same conditions showed that a MZF system with a Fe proportion in the packing material performed better in chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (average 91.5%), ammonia (NH4(+)-N) removal (average 98.3%), total nitrogen (TN) removal (average 64.8%) and total phosphorus (TP) removal (average 90%). After treatment of the MZF system, the concentrations of COD, NH4(+)-N, TN and TP in effluent were 20.3 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L, 11.5 mg/L and 0.3 mg/L, respectively. The simultaneously high efficiencies of nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal were achieved by the coupling effects of biological and chemical processes in the MZF system. The results of this study showed that the application of MZF might be a favorable choice as packing material in biofilters for treatment of rural domestic wastewater.

Scenario planning for community development in Vietnam: a new tool for integrated health approaches?

BACKGROUND: Like many countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam's rapid population and economic growth has met challenges in infrastructure development, especially sanitation in rural areas. OBJECTIVE: As an entry point, we developed scenario planning as an action-research tool in a peri-urban community to identify first steps towards improving their complex sanitation problem and to, systemically, address emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases, as these are commonly linked to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation conditions. As an integrated approach, the process of constructing scenarios allowed us to work across sectors and stakeholders to incorporate this knowledge into a common vision. DESIGN: We conducted focus group discussions to identify and rank driving forces, orally constructed scenarios for the most uncertain drivers, discussed scenario implications and options, and examined the overall process for usefulness and sustainability. During a one-month scoping phase and in between focus group meetings, we carried out household visits which helped us understand the context of data and gather feedback from participants outside of the formal data collection process. Recorded results from these activities were used to develop subsequent tools. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The research process gave us insights into how to adapt the scenario planning tool to identify alternative options. This involved choosing boundary partners, negotiating priorities, drawing out participant learning through self-assessment of our process (a prerequisite for changing mental models and thus achieving outcomes), and understanding how conveyed messages may reinforce the status quo. These insights showed the importance of examining research results beyond outputs and outcomes, namely through process.

Ciências Sociais e saúde no ciclo de pesquisas no Vale do São Francisco (1950-1960) / Social Sciences and health in the research cycle of São Francisco Valley (1950-1960)

No período entre 1940 e 1960, houve ampla produção acadêmica no campo da sociologia e da antropologia dos chamados estudos de comunidade no Brasil. Na era dos grandes projetos no âmbito das Ciências Sociais na década de 1950, envolvendo pesquisas sobre relações raciais, educação e saúde, cabe destacar as pesquisas realizadas no Vale do São Francisco, sob a coordenação do sociólogo Donald Pierson. Privilegia-se, neste artigo, o tema da saúde nesses estudos como um meio para tornar inteligíveis questões relevantes à época, a saber: resistências culturais à mudança; relações entre tradição e modernidade, tensões e complementaridades entre conhecimento científico e práticas populares de cura, entre outros. O exame das pesquisas do Projeto do São Francisco permitiu identificar que a questão da saúde, atrelada aos aspectos socioeconômicos e culturais, emerge como uma chave para o conhecimento das condições de vida e da realidade social das comunidades investigadas. Os cientistas sociais buscaram descrevê-las de maneira pormenorizada e abrangente, tendo o processo de mudança cultural como principal eixo de investigação. Neste artigo apresentamos as pesquisas que compuseram o referido projeto e mostramos como os cientistas sociais abordaram o tema da saúde em seus trabalhos. Ligados pelo tema da saúde, as Ciências Sociais e o contexto do desenvolvimento dos anos 1950 encontram-se reunidos no Projeto do São Francisco, cuja investigação nos permite compreender a dinâmica da mudança social naquele período.

Between 1940 and 1960, there was extensive academic research in the field of sociology and anthropology of so-called community studies in Brazil. In the era of large projects in the social sciences in the 1950s, involving research on race relations, education and health, we highlight the research conducted in the São Francisco Valley, under the coordination of the sociologist Donald Pierson. Attention is given in this paper to the issue of health in these studies as a means to make intelligible the relevant issues at the time, namely: cultural resistance to change, relations between tradition and modernity, tensions and complementarities between scientific knowledge and folk healing practices, among others. The examination of the research project of San Francisco identified the issue of health, linked to socioeconomic and cultural aspects, emerges as a key to the knowledge of living conditions and social reality of the communities investigated. Social scientists have sought to describe them in detail and comprehensively, taking the process of cultural change as the main axis of research. This paper presents the research that formed the said project and shows how social scientists have addressed the issue of health in their work. Linked by the theme of health, social sciences and the development context of the 1950s are gathered in the San Francisco Project, whose research allows us to understand the dynamics of social change in that period.

Performance of multi-soil-layering system (MSL) treating leachate from rural unsanitary landfills.

The widely spread rural unsanitary landfills in South China pose an environmental threat to water bodies and soil. Although various processing technologies have been utilized for treatment of landfill leachate, their application to the landfills in rural areas is restricted by the availability of skilled professionals and high operation costs. In this experiment, four MSLs with altered soil mixed block (SMB) and different hydraulic load rate (HLR) were applied in the experiment to investigate the treatment of the landfill leachate without aeration or under low aeration supply. The experiment results showed that the improved MSL could effectively treat the chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH(4)-N and P. COD and NH(4)-N removal efficiencies of MSL were 97.4%, 82.4% and 72.0%, 62.0%, respectively under HLRs of 200 and 400L/(m(2)·d) without aeration; COD and NH(4)-N removal efficiencies of M800 and M1600 were 62.3%, 53.4% and 45.3%, 35.3% respectively under intermittent aeration. N removal efficiency was low due to a strong nitrification effect, and the nitrogen removal capacity of the MSL was greatly reduced at the end of the experiment. P removal efficiency of MSL was 75.6 to 91.9% under HLR 200 and 400L/(m(2)·d). The intermittent aeration was helpful to remove the clogging of MSLs, after they were clogged under HLRs of 800 and 1600L/(m(2)·d). MSL is promising as an appealing nitrifying biofilm reactor.