The relationships between water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions and malnutrition markers such as stunting, wasting, and underweight have been poorly characterized until recently. There is a need to identify interventions that may play a role in these relationships to improve nutritional status of children under 5 years old. In 2013, Zambia was not on track to meet MDG 7c, to halve the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. To address this goal, the Zambian government implemented the Zambia Sanitation and Hygiene Program (ZSHP). The goal of the program was to reduce WASH-related diseases in rural areas by promoting community wide sanitation using community-led total sanitation (CLTS), legal enforcement, and hygiene promotion. An important component of the ZSHP is CLTS, which has been implemented in a majority of districts. The overall study aims to explore the effectiveness of a CLTS intervention on coverage and quality of household sanitation facilities, defecation behavior, and child health in a rural setting in Zambia. A secondary outcome that was measured in the analysis of the overall study was the effect of CLTS on stunting, wasting, and underweight in children under the age of 5. These three outcomes are the focus of this thesis. It was hypothesized that these three outcomes would decrease in prevalence with an increase in sanitation coverage resulting from the CLTS program. Cross-sectional anthropometric and household data for Zambian children under 5 and their households from baseline and end line surveys were analyzed to determine any association between multiple WASH indicators and nutritional status. The baseline survey was conducted in 2013 and the end line in 2016. Only households with at least one child under the age of 5 were surveyed at both baseline and end line. Primary caretakers were interviewed during home visits to assess sanitation resources, child-feeding practices, and the health status of their children under the age of 5. In addition, anthropometric data of children under the age of 5 was taken to assess their nutritional status of their children. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting at end line was 12.9%, 40.9%, and 7.4% respectively, all of which showed statistically significant decreases from baseline measurements (p=≤0.001, 0.03, and ≤0.001 respectively). Predictors of undernutrition were analyzed using logistic regression controlling for age and sex. Nutritional status of children under 5 years of age was found to be associated with several WASH indicators. Children who were taken to a clinic during an episode of diarrhea and children who lived in households with an improved water source had 46% and 26%, respectively, decreased odds of being stunted. Children who lived in households that were close (<4 min walk) to a water source had a 73% decrease in odds of being wasted. Finally, children who had diarrhea in the two weeks before the survey had 63% and 42% increased odds of being underweight or wasted respectively. Focus areas of the program have increased coverage of key indicators of sanitation and hygiene but a relatively high prevalence of sanitation- and hygiene-related diseases remain. These rural areas have high rates of reported diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, and stunting among young children even though most have had exposure to the ZSHP activities. With increased focus, not only on better human sanitation, but also on household environment sanitation, the prevalence of disease and malnutrition will start to decrease and we will begin to see healthier communities in Zambia.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a qualitative analysis of monolingual (Swedish) and bilingual (Swedish and Turkish) children’s production of nouns and verbs in a newly developed vocabulary test (CLTs) and to discuss the results using previous research as a starting point. The different categories and the material which form the basis of this qualitative analysis are taken from an ongoing Swedish research study on vocabulary testing: Cross Linguistic Lexical Tasks (CLTs). This research is an extension of the international project COST Action IS0408. In all, there are responses from 115 children, 72 monolingual and 43 bilingual, of which only the Swedish results are analysed. On the whole, test scores show an age-related improvement of expressive vocabulary for both groups, even though the bilinguals lag behind their monolingual age peers. The bilingual children’s improvement is not as evident, with the five-year-olds’ production of nouns standing out. There is a higher number of wrong answers or no answers (don’t know), as well as a preponderance of gestures and innovations/neologisms in the bilinguals. Gestures make it possible to ascertain whether a child knows the meaning and use of a target word even though he or she is not capable of producing it verbally. Answers in the category of innovation/neologism show that the children know more about a word than an assessment of lexical ability using only right and wrong answers could demonstrate. In the monolingual group there are more instances of perceptual confusion, semantic confusion and hypernyms. The other categories do not show corresponding differences between the two groups. As the bilingual children’s responses are analysed only in terms of Swedish vocabulary, it is not possible to assess their total lexical knowledge. Keywords: CLTs (Cross Linguistic Lexical Tasks), expressive vocabulary, bilingualism, mental lexicon, vocabulary depth, vocabulary test, language exposure, Swedish, Turkish. Syftet med föreliggande studie är att med hjälp av ett nyutvecklat ordförrådstest (CLTs), göra en kvalitativ analys av substantiv- och verbproduktionen hos enspråkiga svenska och flerspråkiga svensk-turkiska 4;0-6;11-åringar och med utgångspunkt i tidigare forskning diskutera resultaten. Analysen görs utifrån ett antal uppställda kategorier som i likhet med det analyserade empiriska materialet hämtats från det pågående svenska forskningsarbetet med ordförrådstestet Cross Linguistic Lexical Tasks (CLTs). Detta arbete är en fortsättning på det internationella projektet COST Action IS0408. Sammanlagt ingår testsvar från 115 barn, 72 enspråkigt svenska och 43 flerspråkigt svensk-turkiska, varav endast resultat från deltesten på svenska analyserats. En förbättring av det expressiva ordförrådet ses med stigande ålder hos både de enspråkiga och flerspråkiga med en påtaglig eftersläpning hos de svensk-turkiska barnen. Hos de sistnämnda är förbättringen med stigande ålder inte heller lika tydlig då 5-åringarna utmärker sig i substantivproduktion. Ett större antal felsvar och inget svar/vet ej ses i den flerspråkiga gruppen liksom en övervikt av antal gester/pekningar och innovationer/nyordbildningar. Gester ger information om att barnet besitter kunskap om målordets innebörd och funktion trots att det inte kan presentera det avsedda målordet verbalt. Svaren i kategorin innovation/nyordbildning visar att barnen vet mer om målordet än vad en bedömning av lexikal förmåga enbart med rätt- och felsvar kan klargöra. I den enspråkiga gruppen förekommer jämförelsevis fler perceptuella förvirringar, semantiska förvirringar och hyperonymer/överordningar. Övriga kategorier uppvisar inte motsvarande lika stora skillnader mellan grupperna. Då endast det svenska ordförrådet hos de flerspråkiga barnen analyserats kan ingen säker tolkning göras av deras fullständiga lexikala kunskap. Nyckelord: CLTs (Cross Linguistic Lexical Tasks), expressivt ordförråd, flerspråkighet, mentalt lexikon, orddjup, ordförrådstest, språkexponering, svenska, turkiska. / Bohnacker, U. (2014-2019). Språkstörning eller typisk språkutveckling? Utveckling av metoder för språklig bedömning av flerspråkiga barn i Sverige. Vetenskapsrådet VR2013-1309.

Public and private actors have suggested using the community land trust (CLT) model as a remedy for a number of housing related issues. This is based primarily upon the documented successes of CLT homeownership programs. Some caution that the growth of CLTs and the increased use of the CLT model beyond homeownership may stretch organizations beyond their capacity or force them to consider how to provide stewardship and community control. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) has been used by a handful of CLTs and there are reasons to believe that more CLTs may utilize it in the future. This thesis explores the opportunities and challenges that using LIHTC may present for CLTs through case studies with two different types of organizations--a grassroots CLT in Athens, GA and a nonprofit housing developer with a CLT program in Park City, UT--that have used it as a funding source.

The goal of this study was to assess the potential of using hardwood lumber in CLT manufacturing. The goal was achieved by addressing four specific objectives. The first objective was to collect CLT manufacturers' perspectives for using hardwood lumber in the current manufacturing setup. The second objective was to determine hardwood sawmills' current ability to produce structural grade lumber (SGHL) from low value logs as a product mix through a survey of hardwood lumber producers in the US. The third objective was to conduct a log yield study of SGHL production from yellow poplar (YP) logs to produce 6'' and 8'' width SGHL to match the PRG 320 requirements. The fourth objective was to determine CLTs' production cost using SGHL and compared it with the CLTs manufactured from southern yellow pine (SYP). The results suggest that all three CLT industries visited and interviewed had sufficient technology to produce hardwood CLTs. The production of hardwood CLTs was mainly limited by the quality and quantity of lumber available. The hardwood sawmill survey results indicated that, currently, less than 10% of the sawmills had all the resources required to produce SGHL. The current ability of the sawmills was measured based on the resources necessary to begin SGHL production. Forty percent of the sawmills would require an investment in sawing technology to saw SGHL, 70% would require employing a certified lumber grader, and 80% would require a planer to surface lumber. Another significant finding was the sawmills' willingness to collaborate with other sawmills and lumber manufacturers. More than 50% of sawmills were open to potential collaboration with other stakeholders if necessary, which is crucial to commercializing SGHL for a new market. The log yield study of yellow poplar helped demonstrate that the mixed grade lumber production method to convert lumber from lower quality zones as SGHL yields higher lumber volume for sawmills and at the same time reduces lower-grade lumber volume. On average, SGHL production increased lumber volume by more than 6% compared to only NHLA grade lumber production when 65% of the lumber was converted to SGHL. The volume of lower lumber grades from 2 common and below decreased from an average of 85% to less than 30% when producing SGHL as a product mix with NHLA grade lumber. This study observed more than 95% of SGHL as Number 3 and better lumber grades. At estimated lumber value, 2x6 and 2x8 SGHL and NHLA grade lumber production as product mix from a log generate higher revenue for all log groups except for the diameter 13" logs. A lower percentage of higher-grade lumber was observed for diameter 13’’ logs than other log groups from this experiment, which resulted in lower revenue. Production cost of CLTs was determined based on the lumber value to manufacture 40' x 10' plain panels with different combinations by lumber grade of yellow poplar and southern yellow pine lumber alone. Production cost was determined by assuming that lumber value contributes 40% of CLTs' total production cost. The 3- ply CLT panels were manufactured using S. Selects lumber in a major direction, and No 1-grade lumber in the minor direction from YP had a production cost of $662.56 per cubic meter, which cost only $643.10 when SYP lumber was used at referenced lumber value. This study concludes that CLT panels from YP cost 3-7 % more than SYP-CLTs at the referenced lumber values. / Ph.D. / This research aims to expand the hardwood lumber consumption in the US by evaluating the opportunity to manufacture cross-laminated timber (CLTs). First, CLT manufacturing industries were visited to know their current capacity to process hardwood lumber. The results suggest that all three CLT industries had sufficient technology to produce hardwood CLTs, and the production was mainly limited by the quality and quantity of lumber available. Commercially hardwood can be used in CLT manufacturing if it can be used for structural application. Hardwood lumber must meet the structural application's minimum requirements to manufacture the structural grade CLTs, so we surveyed the hardwood sawmills to know if they have the required resources to manufacture the structural grade hardwood lumber (SGHL). Only ten percent of the sawmills had required technology to produce SGHL without additional investments. Production of the SGHL also required to generate more revenue for the hardwood sawmills, so we conducted the log yield study to know how the revenue structure of sawmill operation will change from the mixed grade lumber production. At estimated lumber value, 2x6 and 2x8 SGHL and 1-inch National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) grade lumber production as product mix from logs generate higher revenue for all log groups except for the diameter 13" logs. Finally, the production cost of SGHL from the log yield study was evaluated and used to produce CLTs at 40% production cost from lumber at 15% profit margins for sawmills and compare with southern yellow pines CLTs. The results indicate that yellow poplar CLTs cost 3-7 % more than southern yellow pines CLTs at the referenced lumber values. This study concludes that hardwood lumber can be used in CLT manufacturing, so there is an opportunity for hardwood sawmills to expand the market. The first step for commercial production of hardwood CLTs is to produce SGHL on a commercial scale, given that sawmills can benefit from these new products in the current lumber market and meet the minimum requirements of the CLT raw materials.