A Comparative Study of Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Two Long-Lived Elderly Populations in Brazil

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate and compare the prevalence and risk factors associated with depressive symptoms among long-lived elderly, aged 80 and over, in two Brazilian populations. Face-to-face interviews were performed with 417 seniors: 179 living in the poor and rural town of Brejo dos Santos, Paraíba, and 238 in one of the largest urban centers in Latin America, the city of São Paulo, São Paulo. In the rural region of Brejo dos Santos, these depressive symptoms were more associated with the family support network, co-residence, and the number of members of the social network; in São Paulo, on the other hand, depression is more associated with the elderly's difficulty in performing basic and instrumental daily-living activities and with their overall satisfaction with life. From the results obtained, it was possible to verify that a very significant portion of the longevous elderly in Brejo dos Santos, Paraíba, have symptoms that suggest depression, and it is necessary to further investigate environmental and genetic factors that could explain this observation, given that this community has a high frequency of consanguinity.

Paetumokai : an inquiry into the social and family life of a rural town in New Zealand

This survey of Paetumokai, however, was not intended to be a complete social survey of a small town, but rather a study of all those organisations which in one way or another have a bearing upon family life. In order to obtain a clear picture of this a questionnaire was prepared and seventy families were interviewed. Before proceeding to a discussion of the methods and techniques I adopted for this survey I should like to present a brief sketch of the changes in general that have occurred in family life. The normal minimum family into which a child is born is one consisting of two parents in the special environment of a home. This environment changes and establishes a different background for each successive child. In all times of which we have legendary or historical knowledge the family has existed and has been responsible for the provision of the basic needs of its offspring - food, clothing, shelter and education. As time went on and the needs of mankind increased, the family, as a group, became involved in more and more duties and responsibilities until it became a complex organisation in which the participants filled many varied roles. Thus, in addition to providing the staple needs already mentioned, the family has provided work, education and apprenticeship, companionship, religion and social life. Such then was the pattern of the emerging family of historical times.

Paetumokai : an inquiry into the social and family life of a rural town in New Zealand

This survey of Paetumokai, however, was not intended to be a complete social survey of a small town, but rather a study of all those organisations which in one way or another have a bearing upon family life. In order to obtain a clear picture of this a questionnaire was prepared and seventy families were interviewed. Before proceeding to a discussion of the methods and techniques I adopted for this survey I should like to present a brief sketch of the changes in general that have occurred in family life. The normal minimum family into which a child is born is one consisting of two parents in the special environment of a home. This environment changes and establishes a different background for each successive child. In all times of which we have legendary or historical knowledge the family has existed and has been responsible for the provision of the basic needs of its offspring - food, clothing, shelter and education. As time went on and the needs of mankind increased, the family, as a group, became involved in more and more duties and responsibilities until it became a complex organisation in which the participants filled many varied roles. Thus, in addition to providing the staple needs already mentioned, the family has provided work, education and apprenticeship, companionship, religion and social life. Such then was the pattern of the emerging family of historical times.

Museum Leadership in Practice: A New Zealand Case Study

<p>Museum leadership is an under investigated area of museum studies. This dissertation contributes to museum leadership research by applying leadership theory to a case study of the career of Jim Geddes, a museum director who works in the town of Gore in Southland, New Zealand. In 2008 Geddes won Museums Aotearoa's inaugural Individual Achievement Award for putting Gore on the national cultural map by establishing the Eastern Southland Gallery, the Hokonui Heritage Centre, the Croydon Aviation Museum and for expanding Gore's Historical Museum. How did Geddes achieve this successful cultural entrepreneurship in such an unlikely small rural town? The central research question asks how leadership has manifested itself in Gore's museums during Geddes' tenure from 1983 to the present. The theoretical framework draws on leadership theory, particularly the work of Suchy and others, who theorise leadership as a social practice rather than a set of management techniques. Several qualitative research methods are employed including interviews with Geddes and key museum stakeholders coupled with a review of how the media have presented Geddes' work. This research data is then compared against leadership theory, noting the convergences and divergences. The dissertation is the first in-depth New Zealand study to test the application of contemporary leadership theory to one museum leader's practice. The findings reveal that, while Geddes is not a conscious leader, his practice has a striking similarity to the engaging transformational leadership model in terms of stakeholder engagement and the inter-personal and emotional elements of leadership. This research provides a deeper understanding of the career of a successful local museum director, suggesting that a sense of place can function as a mechanism for museum leaders to profitably engage with stakeholders. It also presents the argument that successful leadership is a practice, a mode of operating and interacting with others that if consistently applied can spark a series of positive events for museums and their leaders. After considering the implications of this case study for museum practice, training and professional development, the dissertation concludes with five recommendations to improve museum leadership development in New Zealand.</p>

Museum Leadership in Practice: A New Zealand Case Study

<p>Museum leadership is an under investigated area of museum studies. This dissertation contributes to museum leadership research by applying leadership theory to a case study of the career of Jim Geddes, a museum director who works in the town of Gore in Southland, New Zealand. In 2008 Geddes won Museums Aotearoa's inaugural Individual Achievement Award for putting Gore on the national cultural map by establishing the Eastern Southland Gallery, the Hokonui Heritage Centre, the Croydon Aviation Museum and for expanding Gore's Historical Museum. How did Geddes achieve this successful cultural entrepreneurship in such an unlikely small rural town? The central research question asks how leadership has manifested itself in Gore's museums during Geddes' tenure from 1983 to the present. The theoretical framework draws on leadership theory, particularly the work of Suchy and others, who theorise leadership as a social practice rather than a set of management techniques. Several qualitative research methods are employed including interviews with Geddes and key museum stakeholders coupled with a review of how the media have presented Geddes' work. This research data is then compared against leadership theory, noting the convergences and divergences. The dissertation is the first in-depth New Zealand study to test the application of contemporary leadership theory to one museum leader's practice. The findings reveal that, while Geddes is not a conscious leader, his practice has a striking similarity to the engaging transformational leadership model in terms of stakeholder engagement and the inter-personal and emotional elements of leadership. This research provides a deeper understanding of the career of a successful local museum director, suggesting that a sense of place can function as a mechanism for museum leaders to profitably engage with stakeholders. It also presents the argument that successful leadership is a practice, a mode of operating and interacting with others that if consistently applied can spark a series of positive events for museums and their leaders. After considering the implications of this case study for museum practice, training and professional development, the dissertation concludes with five recommendations to improve museum leadership development in New Zealand.</p>

The Prevalence of Hypertension in the Population without Awareness of the Disease: Data from a Rural Town of Shandong Province, China

Objective. To understand the prevalence of hypertension in the population without awareness of hypertension in a rural area, a cross-sectional study was carried out. Methods. Blood pressures were measured in residents over 60 years during the National Basic Public Health Service project carrying on in a rural town of Shandong province. Combined with detail information of the hypertension disease history, the status of prevalence of hypertension was calculated. Basic information and clinical laboratory examinations were analyzed with Student’ t or t’ or chi-square test for univariate analysis. Multinomial logistic analysis was used in exploring multiple variables. Results. According to the individual history and blood pressure levels, the awareness rate of hypertension in the population over 60 years old was 50.3% (1285/2554, 95% CI: 48.3–52.3%). The prevalence of hypertension was 55.1% (1270/2304, 95% CI: 53.1–57.2%) in the population without awareness of hypertension, in which the proportion of stage 1 hypertension was 58.8% (747/1270), stage 2 hypertension was 28.9% (367/1270), and stage 3 hypertension was 12.3% (156/1270). The prevalence of hypertension in men was 54.4% (611/1124, 95% CI: 51.4–57.3%), which was almost the same as that in women (55.8%, 659/1180, 95% CI: 53.0–58.7%) (X2 = 0.515, P = 0.473 ). The prevalence of hypertension increased with age (X2trend = 11.848, P = 0.001 ). Age, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and drinking rate were positively correlated with the prevalence of hypertension, that is, the higher the level of these factors, the higher the prevalence of hypertension; on the contrary, LDL and smoking rate might be negatively correlated with the prevalence of hypertension, which means, the higher the prevalence of hypertension, the lower the level of these two indicators. Binary and multinominal logistic results showed that age, BMI, and drinking had stronger effects on the higher blood pressure level. Conclusions. The awareness rate of hypertension among the elderly in a rural area needs to be further improved. In the prevention and control of hypertension, close attention should be paid to the group of elder, high BMI index, high levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride, and drinking habits.

Eyes on the Screen: Digital Interclass Coalitions against Crime in a Gentrifying Rural Town

According to the theories of social disorganization and collective efficacy, population heterogeneity contributes to the erosion of social ties and the increase in crime. I test that assumption through an in-person and digital ethnography in La Calera, a rural area in Colombia undergoing population change through gentrification and facing increasing burglaries, cattle theft, and other crimes. I argue that the use of social media in this socially mixed community for a common goal—safety—enables coalitions among residents that reach across social divisions. By participating in community meetings but especially through social media, residents monitor the area to look after homes and each other, highlighting feelings of “unity” and “cohesion” that strengthen social ties among them and the police despite the heterogeneity in class composition. This case examines when social organization can occur despite class polarization, even in a country with a long civil war history and high class inequality.

Influence of the Lockdown on PM2.5 Concentrations around an Urban School in the South of Belgium

In 2020, the world was affected by an unprecedented health crisis. Europe had to close its internal and external borders, and the majority of countries had to impose lockdowns on their people. Shops, restaurants, building sites, and industries had to close, and working from home became the rule. This paper reflects a study conducted from 17 March to 25 June 2020, in which homemade low-cost devices measured PM2.5 concentrations at three different locations around a Belgian school and background concentrations. The period monitored covered seven reopening stages from lockdown to the reopening of borders. The overall analysis did not show any correlation between traffic and PM2.5 concentrations in the streets in any of the phases. However, the analysis of each reopening showed that it was possible to observe significant differences in the background concentrations measured in a rural town and on urban streets.

Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of Echinococcus multilocularis from Copro-Isolated Eggs

The genetic diversity of the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis, the infectious agent of alveolar echinococcosis, is generally assessed on adult worms after fox necropsy. We aimed to investigate E. multilocularis polymorphism through the microsatellite EmsB marker using a noninvasive approach. We tested batches of isolated eggs (1, 5, and 10) from 19 carnivore fecal samples collected in a rural town located in a highly endemic area in France to determine the best strategy to adopt using a minimal quantity of parasite DNA while avoiding genetic profile overlapping in the analysis. Several molecular controls were performed to formally identify the Taeniidae eggs. In total, 112 egg batches were isolated and 102 EmsB electrophoregrams were obtained in duplicate. Quality sorting was performed through the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) between each EmsB duplicate. Forty-nine batches with r > 0.9 remained in the analysis, mainly 5- or 10-egg batches. Three EmsB profiles were emphasized by hierarchical clustering and matched those from human lesions and adult worms previously genotyped and collected in the same area. We show that the genetic diversity of the parasite can be assessed from isolated E. multilocularis eggs in a spatiotemporal context using a noninvasive approach.