Background: Breastfeeding protects against a variety of adverse health outcomes for mothers and babies. Global best practices, known as the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), have been developed to support the initiation and exclusivity of breastfeeding during the post-delivery hospital stay. The aims of this study were to explore the literature related to the impact of the BFHI on breastfeeding disparities in the U.S.; compare the impact of exposure to these best practices on exclusive breastfeeding rates in Appalachian and non-Appalachian hospitals; and to understand knowledge, perceptions, and barriers to breastfeeding of postpartum mothers receiving care in a Northeast Tennessee OB/GYN clinic and regional International Board Certified Lactation Consultants’ (IBCLCs®) knowledge, perceptions, and barriers to implementation of the BFHI. Methods: A scoping review was completed to explore literature related to exposure to the BFHI and breastfeeding disparities using the Levac, Colquhoun, and O’Brien methodology. A linear regression analysis of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) breastfeeding best practice scores and breastfeeding rates at discharge was conducted comparing this relationship in Appalachian and non-Appalachian hospitals. Finally, a qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to gather information from postpartum mothers and regional IBCLCs®. Results: The BFHI has been found to reduce both geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in the U.S., but there are limited studies examining this topic. While there was a significant negative relationship between Appalachian hospitals and exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge (p=0.0003), there was no significant difference in the relationship between total mPINC scores and exclusive breastfeeding rates at hospital discharge between the two designations (0.4539). Furthermore, both postpartum patients and regional IBCLCs® reported that support, education, and self-efficacy were all necessary to assist mothers on their infant feeding journey. Implications: These findings highlight the need for studies examining the impact of the BFHI on breastfeeding disparities. Research also needs to be conducted to better understand breastfeeding rates in economically distressed, rural areas of the country. Ultimately, risk-stratified interventions supporting the specific needs of a population should be identified or developed to support and empower postpartum mothers to achieve their infant feeding goals.

Coaching is an actionable way for adults to learn. For purposes of this study, learning was conceptualized  by UNESCO\'s five pillars of learning to know, do, live together, be, and learning to transform oneself and society. The practice of coaching was defined as a social enterprise where, through a process of inquiry and reflection, coaches help coachees achieve their personal and professional goals through learning, self-awareness and behavior change. As an application of learning for adults, coaching may be considered a reflection of andragogy "the art and science of helping adults learn" a la Knowles. The following questions guided the inquiry: 1. To what extent is there a relationship between andragogy in practice and coaching in practice as demonstrated by coaches? 2. Specifically, which principles and processes of andragogy are reflected in the practice of coaching? 3. What are the best practices of coaches who use andragogy in their practice? Using a mixed method, sequential explanatory strategy, business and life coaches were surveyed, with follow-up interviews to high scorers, to see which principles and processes of andragogy informed their coaching practices. An instrument, originally developed by Henschke (1989) for teachers, was modified for use with coaches, and measured the extent to which coaches used the philosophy of andragogy in their practices. Knowles\' six principles and eight processes of andragogy formed the operational framework. Findings indicated that 98% of the coaches reported using andragogy on an average or above basis, with 48% of the group at above average or high above average levels. Andragogical elements of empathy, trust and accommodating coachee uniqueness were revealed at above average or high above average levels. Of those interviewed, 100% of the coaches reported using the principles and processes of andragogy in their practices. Based on their stories, best practices (88) for engaging andragogy in the practice of coaching were developed. The overarching themes from the study were: Andragogy is a way of being in coaching; the processes of andragogy go beyond the context of coaching; and an emergence of a conceptual framework that embraced the pillars of learning, andragogy and the practice of coaching. / Ph. D.

Women accounted for 20% of the cumulative AIDS cases in the United States as of 2015. Although their incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has declined in recent years, the rates of new infections and AIDS diagnoses for women of color have remained high. Women with HIV tend to be more vulnerable than men with this disease. They are more likely to be poor, uninsured, depressed, and homeless; to have experienced interpersonal violence; and to be caregivers. Attention to psychosocial needs and building trust are fundamental to engaging HIV-positive women in care and helping them attain optimal health.

This program evaluation examines the effectiveness of a school-based dental clinic. A repeated-measures design was used to longitudinally examine secondary data from participants (N = 293). Encounter intensity was developed to normalize data. Multivariate analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis test were used to investigate the effect of encounter intensity on the change in decay, restorations, and treatment urgency. A Pearson’s correlation was used to measure the strengths of association. Encounter intensity had a statistically significant effect on change in decay (p =.005), restorations (p =.000), and treatment urgency (p =.001). As encounter intensity increased, there was a significant association with the decrease in decay (−.167), increase in restorations (.221), and reduction in referral urgency (−.188). Incorporating dental care into a school-based health center resulted in improved oral health in underserved children while overcoming barriers that typically restrict access. The collaboration of school nurses with the school-based dental clinic was an important element for maximizing student access to dental care.

Magister Legum - LLM / The research will evaluate and discuss the importance of Deposit Insurance Systems (DIS) and the necessity of having this system. Important to the evaluation is an analytical consideration of how the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), the National Treasury (NT) and other global financial bodies proposed the approach thereof. Insofar as most jurisdictions had already adopted the DIS as encouraged by the international financial institutions, the study shall determine whether it is plausible for South Africa to derive guidance in her approach taking into account the potential risks posed by the safety-net.

Doctor Legum - LLD / Every year approximately 33 million children leave their home countries and cross international borders seeking refuge from war, instability, ethnic conflicts, natural and man-made disasters, and extreme poverty. Among the total child migrant population, adolescents account for 11 million. In terms of the ratio of child and adolescent migrants to the total migrant population, Africa has the highest proportion.

Increasing amounts of food waste is becoming a problem in developed countries. This research project is about how to reduce food waste by tracking fridge inventory and the best-before date of fridge stored food by a smartphone application. Food waste occurs in several different ways. It can be found in the household, retail stores and in the catering and events sector. Food waste can also be classified as avoidable waste, possibly avoidable waste and unavoidable waste. This project focuses on the household sector and the use of a mobile application to track fridge inventory and best-before date. The purpose of the application is to try to reduce household food waste. There is previous research about reducing household food waste using mobile applications and they all take different approaches. This study focuses on building upon these previous approaches together with data gathered from our own questionnaire with Sweden as primary focus. The combined data results in our own mobile application solution that has been tested by users in Swedish households. The study’s research question is addressed by the use of the application during a period of one-week observation. Our data collection consists of the participants being interviewed at the end of the observation period. The interviews gathered information related to whether the users successfully reduced food wastage in their households.

Anthropogenic eutrophication has become an issue of foremost importance in water bodies all around the globe. Nutrients coming from agricultural activities have been identified as one main contributor to this problem. Technologies and inovations (Best Management Practices, BMPs) have been designed for mitigating agricultural impact on water bodies. However, the problem still persists, partly due to a lack of adoption of these practices by targeted farmers. The Santa Lucía River (SLR) in Uruguay has undergone a process of eutrophication during the last decades, resultingin the implementation of a mitigation plan by the Uruguayan government. The need of collaboration by local farmersin the implementation of BMPs calls for the need of better understanding their perspectives on the process, as well as farmers’ motivations for actively participating in it. To address this knowledge gap, eleven farmers residing in the Santa Lucía River basin (SLRB) were interviewed using a semi-structured interview approach. The farmers were asked about their experiences and opinions on the implementation of BMPs in the SLRB. The obtained data was transcribed and coded using a template analysis approach. This study identified three overarching categories: personal factors influencing motivation, perception of the government, and improvement factors. Within these, eleven factors were identified to depict farmers’ perspectives and/or be influential for their motivations. Results indicate that farmers are motivated and willing to collaborate in the preservation of the SLR’s water, but that there are still many factors that influence their capacity to do so, and must be taken in account in order for this objective to be viable.

Code smells are defined as poor implementation and coding practices, and as a result decrease the overall quality of a source code. A number of code smell detection tools are available to automatically detect poor implementation choices, i.e., code smells. The detection of code smells is essential in order to improve the quality of the source code. This report aims to evaluate the accuracy and quality of seven different open-source code smell detection tools, with the purpose of establishing their level of trustworthiness.To assess the trustworthiness of a tool, we utilize a controlled experiment in which several versions of each tool are scrutinized using the most recent version of the same tool. In particular, we wanted to verify to what extent the code smell detection tools that reveal code smells in other systems, contain smells themselves. We further study the evolution of code smells in the tools in terms of number, types of code smells and code smell density.

Social workers and other human services professionals helping families reintegrate after parental incarceration deal with multiple issues without a model of for facilitating family resilience. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to explore the essence of the perceived role, activities, and practices of a sample of social workers and other human service professionals engaged in the use of family group conferences (FGCs). FGCs are also referred to as restorative justice, as they inform and assist human service professionals in developing clinical interventions and best practices to support reintegration, family preservation, and stabilization. The framework for this study was built around restorative justice theory, resiliency theory, and a larger social ecological theory and focused on the use of FGCs as a developing practice within family systems and the community. The primary research questions investigated the practitioners' experiences using FGCs. Data came from interviews of participants (15) drawn from professional associations and included their own case notes and reflections. The data was sorted and analyzed with the assistance of qualitative analysis software (Atlas.Ti7) to search for themes that may assist in identifying the phenomenon. The findings suggest that the FGC model should consist of a training curriculum, consistent practice, and dedicated and committed financial resources to support programs. This study impacts social change by informing human services professionals of current best practices and may provide a model of FGCs that will help implement services to families.