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The Physical and Mental Health Status of the Homeless in a Cold Region of Japan: Alcohol Intake, Diet and Psychosocial Distress
No full textThis study sought to clarify the lifestyle and physical and mental health status of homeless people in a cold region of Japan. 28 participants who visited a soup kitchen completed the physical health check-up and questionnaire surveys in 2017. Five were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews in 2018. Mental health was evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28). The results revealed that a high proportion of homeless people did not consume enough food. Their meat, fish, and vegetables intake were limited, indicating that inappropriate eating habits may affect physical health. Furthermore, four people consumed meals once or less every two days, and all of them were living on the street. In addition, 18% (n = 5) answered that they often consumed alcohol in the daytime, and 68% (n = 19) had a total GHQ-28 score above the cut-off point (>5). In this regard, among those with a GHQ-28 score of >5, seven drank in the daytime even though they consumed meals once or less a day. Indeed, qualitative results revealed physical and psychosocial distress experienced, including limited access to food, anxiety for the future, lack of social support, and erosion of self-esteem. These findings suggest that restrictions on food selection due to financial insecurity, alcohol issues, and mental disorders may impact the food intake and subsequently lead to deteriorating physical health and living on the street may also significantly impact mental health among the homeless. which are helpful for health and social workers to develop necessary interventions targeted at this population
Discourses on Global North and Global South Partnerships in Internationalization Strategies
No full textThis paper explores how international partnerships are conceptualized between core Anglophone, European and African universities. Internationalization strategies are examined from a decolonial lens to situate the findings within a global context that is entangled in the consequences of colonialism and ongoing coloniality that continue to perpetuate global inequities, including devaluing of indigenous and local knowledge. Findings suggest that institutions in the Global North still view Africa, and the Global South in general, from a deficit lens and in need of aid, knowledge and direction. Strategies from the Global North use terms like mentoring, development and poverty reduction when describing their partnerships in the Global South. In contrast, institutions from Africa highlight their desire to be knowledge producers and contribute to research excellence on a global level. Furthermore, institutions in all regions frame strategic international partnerships as those that will boost their reputation or image as they engage in a race for status and global rankings; however, strategies do not describe how they will approach such partnerships in a very uneven global playing field between the Global North and Global South. Finally, the Global South continues to be viewed as a source of international students and as such, partnerships pursued in Africa and the Global South by core-Anglo and European institutions focus on recruitment of students as one of the rationales or benefits of partnerships. Given these findings, international strategies for Global North-South partnerships continue to reproduce colonial hierarchies of privilege, preventing more equitable approaches to partnerships.
The Truth About Deer, Turtles, and Dogs: An Examination of the Ancient Maya Human-Faunal Interaction
No full textThis paper examines how Mayan individuals, families, and communities living in Mesoamerica from approximately 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1550 interacted with deer, turtles, and dogs. Data collated from archaeological, ethnohistoric, ethnographic, and written/artistic records is reviewed, and summarizes the symbolic, ritual, and ceremonial significance of these animals in the Preclassic to Postclassic Maya world.
Deer, turtles, and dogs played important roles in the subsistence economy of Mayan individuals and family groups. Chi-square statistical analyses of the Number of Identified Specimens (NISP) and Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) of deer, turtles, and dogs recovered from 10 Mayan archaeological sites (6 inland and 4 coastal) indicates that the availability of these animals differed at inland versus coastal locations and over time. These differences can be attributed to a combination of factors including, but not limited to, local ecosystems, changes in humidity, precipitation, and sunlight conditions, and variations in human exploitation patterns over time
Diffusion-driven instability and pattern formation in a prey-predator model with fear and Allee effect
No full textThis paper analyses a predator-prey model with Holling type II response function incorporating Allee and fear effect in the prey. The model includes intra species competition among predators. We find out the local dynamics as well as Hopf bifurcation by considering level of fear as bifurcation parameter. The condition for diffusion-driven instability and patterns are then demonstrated in relation to the system's ecological parameters and diffusion coefficients. Intra-specific competition affects the dynamics of the system and Turing pattern formation. Moreover, output of results is verified through numerical simulation. Thus, from a dynamical standpoint, the considered model seems to be relevant in the field of ecology
Front Cover
No full textCOVID-19 is the pandemic that changed the world. This cover was created to express the global reach of the virus as well as its insidious shadow under which the world continues to live. While COVID-19 brings about much change and chaos, the spaces and colours in the cover are meant to portray a comforting, much needed calm and clarity during uncertain times
Care Exploitation: Taking Advantage of One’s Caring about Another
No full textCare exploitation pervades our lives. Consider the public school teachers who care about helping children achieve their goals by providing them with a proper education and are expected to do so by parents, administrators, or legislators—even with abysmal pay and little appreciation. Perhaps the most common case of care exploitation is the expectation of a mother to make great (and disproportionate) sacrifices in her life for the well-being of her child, which mothers often meet because they bear a caring orientation toward their child. Despite their willingly assenting, there is something morally problematic about their treatment. I argue that an injustice has been perpetrated against them, drawing on interpersonal accounts of exploitation to highlight that the unique wrong of care exploitation is the failure to respect one’s dignity by taking advantage of their vulnerability of caring about. Following this, I articulate the necessary and jointly sufficient conditions of care exploitation and their relationships to one another
Steady-state dynamics in a two-patch population model with and without Allee effect
No full textMost biological populations reside in landscapes that consist of many different patches of different quality. Different species differ in their movement behavior, habitat preference and growth rates. Historically, mathematical models for population dynamics have made many simplifying assumptions, such as a single patch or homogeneous landscapes. Recent models have begun to implement landscape heterogeneity and individual movement characteristics, but many of those are based on logistic growth and linear analysis of the zero state. We consider a two-patch model with more general growth functions that can include Allee effects. We prove the existence of steady states and classify their qualitative behavior. In some special cases, we explicitly calculate their stability and use these results to give conditions for when the system exhibits bistability, i.e., the coexistence of locally stable states. We also study bifurcations with respect to the size of habitat patches and give conditions for forward and backward bifurcations
Coping With Stressors and General Resistance Resources Used by Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Minneapolis Tent Camps
No full textHomelessness remains a significant public health issue across the United States, particularly in urban areas. Individuals become and remain homeless for multifaceted and complex reasons that are linked to well-being. The aim of this study was to understand the well-being of persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) and living in tent camps using Aaron Antonovsky’s salutogenic model of health (SMH). To address well-being, we conducted a basic qualitative study with thirty adults over age 18 who self-identified as homeless and living in tent camps within the city of Minneapolis. With a semi-structured interview guide that centered on the SMH, we analyzed data using Johnny Saldaña’s qualitative coding method. Sources of stress themes, including (1) “family trauma” (depression/trauma related to the death of a loved one and drugs, imprisonment, and abuse), (2) “mental health” (depression/trauma related to the death of a loved one, loneliness living in tent camps, substance use, mental illness), and (3) “change and threats” (constant fear of aggression, lack of stability of the tent camp, bad people causing problems, cliques in the camp). Themes of general resistance (GRRs) resources (coping with stress), or GRRs emerged, including (1) “systems knowledge,” (2) “coping strategies,” (3) “sense of community,” (4) “camp stability,” and (5) “human dignity” emerged during data collection and analysis. These findings can inform policy decisions related to increasing services to exit homelessness, funding for sustainable tent camps, and sweeps of tent camps in the city of Minneapolis and beyond
Éclairer les pratiques d’inclusion dans les environnements post-secondaires : perspectives d’instructeurs et d’instructrices relativement aux difficultés d’apprentissage
No full textThis paper offers post-secondary instructors an opportunity to think about teaching practices and strategies for meaningful inclusion of students with learning disabilities (SLD) in post-secondary environments (PSE). Utilizing the narratives of the authors and building on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), it provides recommendations for effective inclusive pedagogy for instructors to consider. These recommendations are framed by the three main UDL guidelines of multiple means of engagement, representation, and of action and expression (CAST, 2011). By approaching teaching and assessment in this way, instructors may engage learners authentically, thus reducing the potential for disengagement and subsequent underachievement. This may also facilitate an equitable environment where students can participate in meaningful ways. Finally, instructors may have more time available in class to address student questions and provide support.Cet article offre aux instructeurs et aux instructrices d’enseignement post-secondaire une opportunité pour réfléchir aux pratiques et aux stratégies d’enseignement qui favorisent une inclusion significative des étudiants et des étudiantes ayant des difficultés d’apprentissage dans les environnements post-secondaires. Grâce aux récits des auteurs et s’appuyant sur les principes de la Conception universelle de l’apprentissage, l’article fournit des recommandations pour une pédagogie inclusive efficace que les instructeurs et les instructrices peuvent prendre en considération. Ces recommandations comprennent trois lignes directrices principales : multiples moyens d’engagement, représentation, action et expression (CAST, 2011). En abordant l’enseignement et l’évaluation de cette manière, les instructeurs et les instructrices peuvent faire participer les apprenants et les apprenantes de manière authentique, et par là réduire le risque d’absence de participation et d’échec scolaire. Ceci pourrait également faciliter un environnement équitable où les étudiants et les étudiantes peuvent participer le manières significatives. Pour finir, les instructeurs et les instructrices peuvent avoir davantage de temps disponible en classe pour répondre aux questions des étudiants et des étudiantes et leur offrir du soutien
Leçons tirées d’une initiative de soutien linguistique spécifique à une discipline pour des étudiants et des étudiantes multilingues inscrits dans un cours de base de sciences de la santé : une étude de cas basée sur des méthodes mixtes dans une université de l’Ouest du Canada
No full textThis mixed methods explanatory case study intends to explain low utilization of a joint initiative to improve language skills targeted to English as an additional language (EAL)/multilingual students (MLSs) in a disciplinary context. Considering the importance of discipline-specific language and literacy skills, a university health sciences faculty and an English language learning centre at a western Canadian University collaborated on a joint initiative to support EAL/MLSs. Language support services, such as an extra semester-long adjunct language tutorial, drop-in language services, and language support files uploaded on the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) were provided for students enrolled in a first-year introductory-level health sciences course. A comparison of a pre-test and post-test Post-Entry Language Assessment (PELA) revealed improvements in both writing skills and perceived language skills. However, the discovery of the underutilization of language support services prompted a sequential explanatory mixed methods case study to identify learners’ reasons for low participation. Findings from the quantitative survey and qualitative interviews are shared along with recommendations for improving language support service utilization.L’étude de cas explicative à méthodes mixtes vise à expliquer la faible utilisation d’une initiative commune pour améliorer les compétences linguistiques ciblées sur l’anglais langue additionnelle et à l’intention des étudiants et étudiantes multilingues dans un contexte disciplinaire. Étant donné l’importance des compétences langagières et en alphabétisation spécifiques à une discipline, un professeur universitaire de sciences de la santé et un centre d’apprentissage de l’anglais d’une université de l’Ouest du Canada ont collaboré à une initiative commune visant à soutenir les services de soutien linguistique d’anglais langue additionnelle et les étudiants et étudiantes multilingues. Cette initiative a offert un tutorat linguistique additionnel d’une durée d’un semestre, des services linguistiques sans rendez-vous et des fichiers de soutien linguistique téléchargés sur le Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). Ces services ont été offerts aux étudiants et aux étudiantes inscrits dans un cours d’introduction aux sciences de la santé de première année. La comparaison entre un pré-test et un post-test de l’évaluation linguistique post-entrée a révélé des améliorations à la fois des compétences écrites et des compétences linguistiques perçues. Toutefois, la découverte de la sous-utilisation des services de soutien linguistique a donné lieu à une étude de cas séquentielle explicative à méthodes mixtes visant à identifier les raisons de la faible participation des apprenants et des apprenantes. Les résultats de l’étude quantitative et des entrevues qualitatives sont partagés avec des recommandations pour améliorer l’utilisation des services de soutien linguistique