Community-Based Tourism Experiences in Nepal

This chapter presents a case study of community-based tourism (CBT) in Nepal. Based on the Nepalese experiences, this chapter demonstrates that the CBT approach not only helps to economically empower the local community, revitalize local culture, and enhance appreciation for the natural and cultural environment, but also ultimately helps to promote socially responsible and environmentally conscious sustainable tourism practices. Identifying policies and appropriate practices for the sustainable development of tourism is critical because of the recent crisis of COVID-19 that has almost paralyzed the entire travel and tourism industry. Furthermore, based on CBT approaches, the knowledge derived from the Nepalese experiences can be used in various developing countries that aim to develop sustainable tourism development models for the post-COVID-19 era.

Experience of Vulnerable Women Narrated through the Body-Mapping Technique

Vulnerable women are considered a priority in public policies and research agendas. It is necessary to understand better the specificities of their daily lives and the meanings they attribute to their experiences, as this undoubtedly contributes to more grounded and culturally appropriate practices. Additionally, innovative techniques in qualitative research are demanded in academia. This narrative research study was carried out with fourteen women from a Brazilian socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhood. We used the body-mapping technique to investigate the experiences of women with mental health disorders or psychosocial distress. The aim was to analyze the self-perception about daily stressors and discuss the feasibility of this technique to facilitate this group’s storytelling. Data collection was performed through focus groups, guided by the body-mapping technique steps, and supplemented with individual interviews. Interpersonal conflicts and violence were the main stressors. These strongly impacted the well-being of these women and their children. Some important personal qualities and resilience were identified. Body-mapping played a fundamental role in facilitating storytelling. It amplified the linguistic possibilities for participants to express their feelings and promoted reflections about the present, past, and glimpses into the future.

Vector Specificity of Arbovirus Transmission

More than 25% of human infectious diseases are vector-borne diseases (VBDs). These diseases, caused by pathogens shared between animals and humans, are a growing threat to global health with more than 2.5 million annual deaths. Mosquitoes and ticks are the main vectors of arboviruses including flaviviruses, which greatly affect humans. However, all tick or mosquito species are not able to transmit all viruses, suggesting important molecular mechanisms regulating viral infection, dissemination, and transmission by vectors. Despite the large distribution of arthropods (mosquitoes and ticks) and arboviruses, only a few pairings of arthropods (family, genus, and population) and viruses (family, genus, and genotype) successfully transmit. Here, we review the factors that might limit pathogen transmission: internal (vector genetics, immune responses, microbiome including insect-specific viruses, and coinfections) and external, either biotic (adult and larvae nutrition) or abiotic (temperature, chemicals, and altitude). This review will demonstrate the dynamic nature and complexity of virus–vector interactions to help in designing appropriate practices in surveillance and prevention to reduce VBD threats.

CPBR Process in Urban Settings and the Unique Challenges and Successes

CBPR is a framework that allows for the collaboration of researchers and communities as co-partners and is a supported approach for Indigenous communities. The community engagement and co-partnership in this study allowed for the researcher's flexibility to be responsive to culturally appropriate practices and priorities of the communities and participants. CBPR principles, including the Elder Advisory Committee (EAC), were utilized in this urban-based project. Challenges presented in many ways, including the processes of a) entering communities, b) relationship building, c) time involvement, and d) recruitment. Successes represented the unique opportunity to enter communities at an interpersonal level, b) close community engagement, c) gathering information beneficial for the research team and the community, and d) extended community engagement. While challenges exist, this approach's benefits are far-reaching promoting trust, support, and interest in future research endeavors. The presenter will discuss strategies and processes helpful in engagement, recruitment, and data collection.

Dialogic storying: a narrative research methodology in English language education

PurposeThe article aims at analyzing narratives discourses to project dialogic storying as relevant in a mode of narrative research in English language education.Design/methodology/approachAs an English language teacher and researcher, the author adopts narrative analysis as the research method for doctoral study, so this article delves into narrative research methods, especially in the context of English language education. The author found various existing notions on narrative research from Clandinin and Connelly (2000) and Barkhuizen et al. (2014), who contend that narrative is a mode of processing experiences and events in the form of a story. The author corroborated various notions on narrative research in English language education as an argument that narratives can be a strong data source in English language educational research. Since it has been a research focus for English language educators, the author explored seven dissertations that were submitted to a Nepalese university in 2017, 2018 and 2019.FindingsThe article aims at analyzing narratives discourses to project dialogic storying as relevant in a mode of narrative research in English language education. While examining the dissertations, the author found that the subjective and ideological exploration of narratives is in practice; however, they need further in-depth analysis under a specific framing. The author argues that the concept of dialogic storying can be strong narrative research in English language education.Research limitations/implicationsIt has examined prospective applications of the dialogic storying process using dissertations submitted to a University in Nepal. In terms of conceptual discussions on narratives and narrative analysis, it is more interpretive.Practical implicationsIt provides an initial framing to get into narrative research in English language education. It allows academics to go further into subjective and ideological inquiries in order to discuss more categorical elements in narrative research.Originality/valueIt is a more thematic and interpretive discussion so it discusses existing and appropriate practices in narrative research methods to defend the dialogic storying approach. It has not counter argued the existing knowledge; however, it provides insights to clarify dialogic storying as a research approach.

Developmentally appropriate practices on knowledge skills for contributing child’s intelligences of receptive language skills in appropriate and inappropriate early childhoods

To investigate the variables correlation analysis research method for assessing the caregivers’ perceptions in two groups including dependent and independent variables to correlate the measuring of early childhoods. Typically, in correlated data, for jointly normally distributed data with relevant outliers that can use a correlation as a measure of a monotonic association. Designing the 65-paired samples for the Thai Model of early detection and intervention of children as the health care system guidelines from 26-CUPs have compared. Using the DSPM divided into 65-appropriate and 65-inappropriate development early childhoods for every 13 CUPS that depends on talented children. Selecting the Receptive Language (RL) skills identified in contributing growth relative factors with four research instruments: the EPRLS, PRLF, CNRLF, and CMRLF are valid and reliable significantly. Comparisons of the appropriate and inappropriate early childhoods are differences ( < .05), the intercorrelation circumflex nature analysis (p < .05), positively. The R2 values show that 26% and 55% of the variance in training caregivers’ factor skills on the PRLF, CNRLF, and CMRLF to the EPRLS in inappropriate and appropriate early childhoods, respectively. Developmentally Appropriate Practice is a perspective in a child’s development: social, emotional, physical, and cognitive-based on the child’s cultural background: community, family history, and family structure.

Nature Sports: Prospects for Sustainability

This paper articulates a paradigm shift in the adoption of a critical ecopedagogy focused on substantive and systemic change within nature sports. In analyzing the unifying concept of nature sports, we propose an ontological shift towards genuine sustainability, a communion among people and with nature. These activities comprise a group of physical practices that have the potential to challenge participants in novel ways that provide an alternative to traditional sports and the ideological values associated with these dominant sports, such as competition and personal gain. Nature sports inscribe meaning on bodies in motion, with a blurring or erasure of boundaries, as participants become one with nature rather than seeking to exploit or conquer it. These novel and countercultural practices promise the possibility of systemic sustainability, as participants redefine sport in terms of relational equity and ecoliteracy. As a utopian project, this systems approach recognizes the nature-sport nexus as a living framework to honor culturally appropriate practices and traditions in building an ecological movement centered on environmental justice. In this way, nature sports offer an opportunity to reimagine sustainable development through the promotion of a circular, rather than linear, economy—an economy based on re-creation rather than exploitation and waste.

An assessment of hand hygiene practices of university students in Vietnam amid the COVID-19 pandemic: A brief report

Objectives: Effective handwashing practices help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This study examined the knowledge, frequency, and characteristics of handwashing practices among Vietnamese university students. Methods: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted on all students enrolling at Phenikaa University in Vietnam. A self-developed questionnaire was used to collect information on the participants’ knowledge regarding the effectiveness of handwashing as a COVID-19 preventive measure, the moments for hand hygiene, the most appropriate practices in different situations, and frequency. Results: Among 728 study participants, 460 (63.2%) were from health-related faculties. Almost (97.9%, 713/728) all participants knew that handwashing could protect against the spread of infection, but less than half performed handwashing often in a normal day (47.4%, 345/728), after sneezing or coughing (48.9%, 356/728), and 7.4% (54/728) only washed hands when hands are visibly dirty. Health students used alcohol-based handrub in all situations including those requiring handwashing with water and soap (P<0.05). Conclusions: The levels of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of handwashing among study participants are high, but actual practices of handwashing are suboptimal. It is crucial to improve community education to help reinforce correct hand hygiene behaviors including when to wash hands and which method should be used.

Skills and practices of pharmacy staff for dispensing of drugs with fiscalized substances in drugstores and pharmacies

OBJETIVE To evaluate the skills and practices of pharmacy staff during the dispensing of tramadol (drug with fiscalized substance) in drugstores and pharmacies in Medellin, Colombia. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed. The simulated patient technique was used. The main outcomes included the information provided on the dispensed drug (tramadol), the use of tools to provide information, and the information provided on drug precautions and use recommendations. RESULTS We visited 305 drugstores and pharmacies. The average dispensing time was 2.3 min (SD 1.1 min). In nine drugstores and pharmacies (3.0%), tramadol was not dispensed because it was not in stock. In 17 drugstores and pharmacies (5.7%), the simulated patients were actively informed by the dispensing pharmacy staff; of these, 16 provided oral information and one provided oral and written information. Eight patients (2.7%) received information regarding tramadol use. However, 99% of patients were not informed about tramadol side effects such as dependence, sedation, or hypnosis, and none of the simulated female patients were informed on the precautions related to tramadol use during pregnancy or lactation. CONCLUSIONS Communication skills and appropriate practices of pharmacy staff are critical to patient self-care. However, this study shows their difficulty in counseling about precautions and use recommendations of drugs with fiscalized substances. These outcomes could inform future studies focusing on the rational use of these drugs in drugstores and pharmacies. It is necessary to improve the pharmacy staff competencies through continuing education programs, to facilitate access to information and training.