Thrive

This protocol describes a hybrid type 2 effectiveness-implementation trial to examine the effectiveness, maintenance, and reach of an mHealth-mediated intervention to promote HIV and psychological health among Black same gender loving men. The intervention was developed by and for Black same gender loving men and seeks to reduce social isolation, increase access to culturally affirming healthcare, and decrease barriers to stable housing and economic empowerment due to interpersonal, institutional, and structural stigma. It does so through promoting individual-level health education and motivation, social support among Black same gender loving men, access to culturally-affirming healthcare, and pathways to stable housing and economic empowerment. This study will be implemented in the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. jurisdictions in and around Atlanta, GA through a collaboration between NAESM, a Black same gender loving men-led community-based organization in Atlanta, GA, Positive Impact Health Centers, an Atlanta-based comprehensive HIV service organization, and Rutgers School of Public Health in New Jersey. This study will test the latest iteration of the intervention called NPOWER365. We will conduct a 6-month randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of NPOWER365 on HIV-related and psychological health, its moderating effect on intersectional stigma, and its intervention maintenance and reach. We will randomize 350 Black same gender loving men living with HIV to intervention (n = 175) or wait-list control (n = 175) groups and assess daily and longer-lag HIV care (i.e., anti-retroviral treatment adherence) and psychological health (e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms) outcomes through baseline and 6-month daily diary studies and 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-month longer-lag assessments. We will analyze intervention effectiveness, stigma moderation, and implementation outcome data through dynamic structural equation modelling and latent growth curve models. Thus, this study will establish the effectiveness of NPOWER365, a community-led mHealth intervention, for improving HIV behavioral and psychological health for Black same gender loving men living with HIV in four of the Ending the HIV Epidemic jurisdictions with the highest HIV burden. NPOWER365 was designed for implementation and is poised to offer a model for effective HIV and psychological support among Black SGLM in high-stigma, low-resource areas of the U.S. South and beyond. This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06315218).

The Alive & Thrive multilevel, multicomponent intervention to engage fathers in complementary feeding in Kaduna State, Nigeria previously showed significant increases in complementary feeding practices for children. This analysis explores the perceptions of intervention deliverers and recipients to inform future spread. The intervention components included counseling cards, home visits, feeding bowls, texts/prerecorded messages, posters, leaflets, sermon guides, talking points, radio and television spots. In-depth interviews (24) were conducted with intervention deliverers (community health extension workers, community and religious leaders) and focus group discussions (16) with recipients (parents of children 6–23 months) from 6 rural and urban wards. Participants were purposively sampled; parents were not selected as couples. Eligibility for CHEWs and CRLs included being ≥ 18 years and having participated in intervention implementation. Eligibility for parents included being ≥18 years (or married mothers 15–17 years), having a biological child 6–23 months, and receiving the intervention. Transcripts were coded descriptively in Atlas.ti and the results were mapped to the domains and constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research 2.0. For the innovation domain, intervention deliverers and recipients reported high acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention components. For the outer domain, the intervention was perceived to be influenced by values and beliefs (fathers’ roles as providers), systemic conditions (economic hardships), and critical incidents (COVID-19). The intervention was also influenced by relational connections, compatibility, intervention deliverers and recipients, teaming, tailoring strategies and engaging for the domains of inner setting, individuals, and implementation process, respectively. For implementation strategies, intervention deliverers liked the training and monthly meetings where they shared experiences and problem solved. The Alive & Thrive intervention in Kaduna State, Nigeria was acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for intervention deliverers and recipients.

Zarr is a key component of the Pangeo ecosystem and instrumental for effectively accessing and processing multi-dimensional Earth data in cloud-based systems. More and more leading satellite data providers are exploring the transition of their data archives to a cloud environment. As part of the ESA Copernicus Earth Observation Processor Framework (EOPF), ESA is in the process of providing access to “live” sample data from the Copernicus Sentinel missions -1, -2 and -3 in the new Zarr data format. This set of reprocessed data allows users to try out accessing and processing data in the new format and experiencing the benefits thereof with their own workflows.To help Sentinel data users to experience and adopt the new data format, a set of resources called the Sentinels EOPF Toolkit is being developed. Development Seed, SparkGeo and thriveGEO, together with a group of champion users (early-adopters), are creating a set of Jupyter Notebooks, plug-ins and libraries that showcase the use of Sentinel data in Zarr for applications across multiple domains for different user communities, including users of Python, Julia, R and QGIS.This presentation will give a demo of the first set of notebooks and plugins of the Sentinels EOPF toolkit that were developed and that facilitate the adoption of the Zarr data format for Copernicus Sentinel data users. Additionally, we will give an overview of toolkit developments and community activities that are planned throughout the project period.

ABSTRACTChild nutrition has serious long‐term development implications. Evidence‐based frameworks and models are urgently needed to reduce deficits in infants and young children's diets on a large scale. Our paper reviews 32 publications and five impact evaluations of programmes in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, Nigeria and Vietnam to identify what worked and why; the quality of evidence, diversity of countries and multi‐level interventions on a large scale were selection criteria. Key lessons are: the need for advocacy to prioritize complementary feeding; engagement of multiple stakeholders to reach national scale and to address diverse factors such as food access, harmful marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages, knowledge gaps, social norms and maternal self‐efficacy. Applying a behavioural science lens, monitoring intervention coverage, targeting to reduce inequalities, engaging community leaders, motivating frontline workers and leveraging mass media to reach multiple audiences worked synergistically to produce impacts at scale. Despite different contexts and dietary diversity levels at baseline, rigorous evaluations documented substantial improvements attributable to the interventions in all five countries. The expenditures incurred varied by programme complexity and showed that they are manageable if the interventions focus on priority issues, are streamlined to fit existing platforms and reach large populations. With evidence of impact in diverse contexts, an evidence‐based conceptual framework and tools for implementation, insights into how to adapt to country contexts and knowledge of what to budget, decision‐makers can invest confidently in improving complementary feeding programmes.

Abstract: This study aims to increase students' learning motivation in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) through the application of Project-Based Learning (PJBL) model at SMP Negeri 2 Pallangga. Islamic Education has an important role in instilling moral, ethical, and religious values that are the basis of the life of the nation and state. However, the challenge faced in PAI learning is the low motivation of students to learn which has an impact on the understanding and application of religious values in everyday life. This study used the Classroom Action Research (PTK) method with a cyclical approach consisting of two cycles, referring to the classroom action research framework developed by Kemmis and McTaggart, involving 28 students. The research results from the first cycle showed that the majority of students were in the moderate category, with scores ranging from 59% to 73%. In the second cycle, all students managed to reach the “High” category, with scores ranging from 76% to 90%, reflecting the success of the teaching method applied. These findings suggest that PjBL is effective in increasing students' motivation by giving them control over the learning process and encouraging active participation in collaborative projects. This study concludes that PjBL can significantly improve students' engagement and achievement in Islamic Religious Education. Keywords: project-based learning, learning motivation, Islamic Religious Education.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.61436/bsscd/v3i2.pp72-83

IntroductionSelf-help groups (SHGs) and Support Groups (SGs) are increasingly recognized as effective mechanisms for improving maternal and young child nutrition due to their decentralized, community-based structures. While numerous studies have evaluated the outcomes and impact of SHGs and SGs on nutrition practices, there remains a gap in the literature. To address this, we conducted a literature review to examine the role of SHGs and SGs in improving health and nutrition outcomes, focusing on marginalized women, especially pregnant and lactating women (PLW), in India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, with an emphasis on programs supported by the international non-governmental initiative, Alive & Thrive.Methods and materialsWe conducted a literature review to assess various models, summarizing findings from 34 documents, including research studies, evaluation reports, program materials, strategies, annual reports, work plans, and toolkits. Relevant information from these documents was extracted using predetermined forms.ResultsIn India, the models used SHGs with 10–20 women, federated into larger village and district organizations. Bangladesh and Vietnam SGs have similar structures but with local leaders and committees playing key roles. In all three countries, interventions aimed to improve health and nutrition practices through social behavior change (SBC) interventions, including peer-to-peer learning, interpersonal communication, home visits, and community meetings. Outcomes of the interventions showed that SHG members had increased knowledge of breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and improved dietary diversity compared to non-SHG participants. Interventions helped improve infant and young child feeding practices. Common challenges included sustaining the SHGs, ensuring adequate participation, socio-cultural barriers, and logistical difficulties in reaching PLW in remote areas. Limited time for health topics during SHG meetings and the dissolution of older SHGs were also significant issues.ConclusionSHG and SG models demonstrate success in improving health and nutrition outcomes but face challenges in scale, sustainability, and participation. Integrating nutrition-focused SBC interventions into SHGs and SGs requires significant capacity building for technical and counseling skills. Ensuring comprehensive coverage and robust quality assessment during community-based rollouts is essential. To sustain these interventions, it is crucial to prevent group dissolution, allow time for maturation, and secure strong stakeholder engagement and political support.

Current treatments for Tourette syndrome (TS) and persistent tic disorder (PTD) are often insufficiently effective, inaccessible, and frequently associated with adverse events. Thus, we must continue to develop and test effective, accessible, and safe treatment options. We aimed to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing a novel, videoconference-delivered group mindfulness-based intervention for tics (MBIT) to videoconference-delivered group psychoeducation, relaxation, and supportive therapy (PRST) for adults with TS or PTD. Thirty-two adults with TS or PTD were randomly assigned to receive 8 weeks of either MBIT or PRST. Tic severity, tic-related impairment, and global improvement were assessed by a trained, independent evaluator who was masked to treatment condition at baseline (week 0), posttreatment (week 9), 1-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. All study procedures were conducted online via secure videoconferencing. Twenty-eight participants began treatment and were included in analyses. MBIT, relative to PRST, was associated with a significantly greater decline in tic severity (d = 0.85) and tic-related impairment (d = 0.99) from baseline to posttreatment. Treatment response was significantly higher in MBIT (69%) than in PRST (13%). Neither treatment resulted in serious adverse effects. The durability of treatment outcomes is also reported and discussed. The results from this pilot RCT suggest that videoconference-delivered group MBIT may be an efficacious, accessible, and safe intervention for adults with tics. Future research is necessary to confirm these preliminary findings. © 2024 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.