"Testifying" as an urban intervention strategy

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Miller
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jéssica Rabito Chaves ◽  
Gilfranco Medeiros Alves

Imbizo ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Odhiambo ◽  
Loreen Maseno

Kalausi and The Cleansing are two films set in Kenya whose storylines touch on death and rituals among the Luo community of Kenya. Both films are in the language of Dholuo and place sharp focus on widowhood and its prevailing dilemmas and anxieties within Luo culture. It is these dilemmas and anxieties that reveal the injustices that culture metes out to women. While Kalausi engages its viewers up until the burial ceremony, The Cleansing starts after the actual burial and focuses on post-burial rituals. Thus, the two films in a way complement each other in the presentation of the injustices and intrigues that a woman faces during and after the demise of a spouse. Dramatic irony as the trope of ambiguity in the two films builds up tension, suspense and comic relief. Consequently, we examine how dramatic irony participates as a socio-cultural device of intervention in the two films. Reading the two films from this perspective, dramatic irony as a signifying trope becomes paramount in unravelling the multiplicities of interpretations evident in the critical moment of death within the Luo community. It is an extremely intricate signifying device as it plays on the contrast between reality and appearance.


10.28945/4246 ◽  
2019 ◽  

[This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2019 issue of the Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, Volume 18.] Aim/Purpose: The study examined types of errors made by novice programmers in different Java concepts with students of different ability levels in programming as well as the perceived causes of such errors. Background: To improve code writing and debugging skills, efforts have been made to taxonomize programming errors and their causes. However, most of the studies employed omnibus approaches, i.e. without consideration of different programing concepts and ability levels of the trainee programmers. Such concepts and ability specific errors identification and classifications are needed to advance appropriate intervention strategy. Methodology: A sequential exploratory mixed method design was adopted. The sample was an intact class of 124 Computer Science and Engineering undergraduate students grouped into three achievement levels based on first semester performance in a Java programming course. The submitted codes in the course of second semester exercises were analyzed for possible errors, categorized and grouped across achievement level. The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as Pearson product correlation coefficient. Qualitative analyses through interviews and focused group discussion (FGD) were also employed to identify reasons for the committed errors. Contribution:The study provides a useful concept-based and achievement level specific error log for the teaching of Java programming for beginners. Findings: The results identified 598 errors with Missing symbols (33%) and Invalid symbols (12%) constituting the highest and least committed errors respec-tively. Method and Classes concept houses the highest number of errors (36%) followed by Other Object Concepts (34%), Decision Making (29%), and Looping (10%). Similar error types were found across ability levels. A significant relationship was found between missing symbols and each of Invalid symbols and Inappropriate Naming. Errors made in Methods and Classes were also found to significantly predict that of Other Object concepts. Recommendations for Practitioners: To promote better classroom practice in the teaching of Java programming, findings for the study suggests instructions to students should be based on achievement level. In addition to this, learning Java programming should be done with an unintelligent editor. Recommendations for Researchers: Research could examine logic or semantic errors among novice programmers as the errors analyzed in this study focus mainly on syntactic ones. Impact on Society: The digital age is code-driven, thus error analysis in programming instruction will enhance programming ability, which will ultimately transform novice programmers into experts, particularly in developing countries where most of the software in use is imported. Future Research: Researchers could look beyond novice or beginner programmers as codes written by intermediate or even advanced programmers are still not often completely error free.


Author(s):  
Alexander J. Rothman ◽  
Austin S. Baldwin

This chapter suggests that an integration of perspectives from personality and social psychology (i.e., a Person × Intervention strategy framework) provides a rich context to explore precise specifications of the mediators and moderators that guide health behavior and decision-making. First discussed is how conceptualizations of moderated mediation and mediated moderation can enrich theory and serve to enumerate specific principles to guide the development and dissemination of more effective health behavior interventions. Second, research is reviewed from four different literatures that rely on a similar Person × Intervention strategy framework (i.e., the effectiveness of an intervention strategy depends on the degree to which it matches features of the target person) to examine evidence for the processes that mediate the effect of this moderated intervention approach. Finally described is how a more systematic analysis of the interplay between mediating and moderating processes can stimulate advances in theory, intervention research, and practice of health behavior.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zan Gao ◽  
Jung Eun Lee ◽  
Daniel J. McDonough ◽  
Callie Albers

The December 2019 COVID-19 outbreak in China has led to worldwide quarantine, as recommended by local governments and the World Health Organization. Particularly affected are older adults (i.e., those aged ≥ 65 years) who are at elevated risk for various adverse health outcomes, including declines in motor ability and physical activity (PA) participation, increased obesity, impaired cognition, and various psychological disorders. Thus, given the secular increases in the older adult population, novel and effective intervention strategies are necessary to improve physical activity behaviors and health in this population. Virtual reality (VR)-integrated exercise is a promising intervention strategy, which has been utilized in healthcare fields like stroke rehabilitation and psychotherapy. Therefore, the purpose of this editorial is to synthesize recent research examining the efficacy and effectiveness of VR exercise in the promotion of favorable health outcomes among the older adults. Results indicate the application of VR exercise to facilitate improved physical outcomes (e.g., enhanced motor ability, reduced obesity), cognition and psychological outcomes. VR exercise has also been observed to be an effective intervention strategy for fall prevention in this population. Future research should employ more rigorous research designs to allow for a more robust quantitative synthesis of the effect of VR exercise on the preceding outcomes to elucidate which type(s) of VR-based PA interventions are most effective in promoting improved health outcomes among older adults. Findings from this study will better inform the development of technology-savvy PA programs for wellness promotion in older adults who practice social distancing and exercise from home under the unprecedented global health crisis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomonori Hara ◽  
Manabu Toyoshima ◽  
Yasuko Hisano ◽  
Shabeesh Balan ◽  
Yoshimi Iwayama ◽  
...  

AbstractCarbonyl stress, a specific form of oxidative stress, is reported to be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia; however, little is known regarding the underlying mechanism. Here, we found that disruption of GLO1, the gene encoding a major catabolic enzyme scavenging the carbonyl group, increases vulnerability to external carbonyl stress, leading to abnormal phenotypes in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). The viability of GLO1 knockout (KO)-hiPSCs decreased and activity of caspase-3 was increased upon addition of methylglyoxal (MGO), a reactive carbonyl compound. In the GLO1 KO-hiPSC-derived neurons, MGO administration impaired neurite extension and cell migration. Further, accumulation of methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone (MG-H1; a derivative of MGO)-modified proteins was detected in isolated mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction, including diminished membrane potential and dampened respiratory function, was observed in the GLO1 KO-hiPSCs and derived neurons after addition of MGO and hence might be the mechanism underlying the effects of carbonyl stress. The susceptibility to MGO was partially rescued by the administration of pyridoxamine, a carbonyl scavenger. Our observations can be used for designing an intervention strategy for diseases, particularly those induced by enhanced carbonyl stress or oxidative stress.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayinuer Tuerdi ◽  
Shu Kikuta ◽  
Makoto Kinoshita ◽  
Teru Kamogashira ◽  
Kenji Kondo ◽  
...  

AbstractOxidative stress causes tissue damage, affecting age-related pathologies. Protein restriction (PR) provides a powerful intervention strategy for reducing oxidative stress, which may have a positive effect on individual organs. However, it is unknown whether PR intervention influences the olfactory system. Here, we investigated how 10 months of PR could affect the cell dynamics of the olfactory epithelium (OE) in mice. We found that PR reduced age-related loss of outer hair cells in the cochlea, providing preventive effects against age-related hearing loss. In contrast, PR resulted in reduced mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), increased proliferative basal cells, and increased apoptotic OSNs in zone 1 (the only area containing neurons expressing NQO1 [quinone dehydrogenase 1]) of the OE in comparison with animals given a control diet. Substantial oxidative stress occurred in NQO1-positive cells and induced apoptotic OSNs in zone 1. These results indicate that in contrast to the positive effect on the auditory system, PR induces oxidative stress and structurally and functionally negative effects on OSNs in zone 1, which is probably involved in the bioactivation of NQO1.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huihui Zhang ◽  
Yini Liu ◽  
Fangyao Chen ◽  
Baibing Mi ◽  
Lingxia Zeng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread quickly among the population and brought a severe global impact. However, considerable geographical disparities in the distribution of COVID-19 incidence existed among different cities. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of sociodemographic factors on COVID-19 incidence of 342 cities in China from a geographic perspective. Methods Official surveillance data about the COVID-19 and sociodemographic information in China’s 342 cities were collected. Local geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) model and traditional generalized linear models (GLM) Poisson regression model were compared for optimal analysis. Results Compared to that of the GLM Poisson regression model, a significantly lower corrected Akaike Information Criteria (AICc) was reported in the GWPR model (61953.0 in GLM vs. 43218.9 in GWPR). Spatial auto-correlation of residuals was not found in the GWPR model (global Moran’s I = − 0.005, p = 0.468), inferring the capture of the spatial auto-correlation by the GWPR model. Cities with a higher gross domestic product (GDP), limited health resources, and shorter distance to Wuhan, were at a higher risk for COVID-19. Furthermore, with the exception of some southeastern cities, as population density increased, the incidence of COVID-19 decreased. Conclusions There are potential effects of the sociodemographic factors on the COVID-19 incidence. Moreover, our findings and methodology could guide other countries by helping them understand the local transmission of COVID-19 and developing a tailored country-specific intervention strategy.


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