Educators' Views on the Needs and Support of HIV/AIDS Orphans in Their Psychosocial Development

Objective Educators' perceptions of the psychosocial needs of HIV/AIDS orphans are important in supporting these children. The objective of this research is to determine the view of educators regarding the psychosocial needs of HIV/AIDS affected children. Method - A questionnaire; based on a thorough literature study was administered to determine the views of teachers. A convenient sample of 120 teachers from different schools; who attended a workshop organised for the primary schools in a particular school district in Tswane was used. Results - Only about half of the educators indicated that their schools provided support for HIV/AIDS orphans. Lack of food and clothing were viewed as the most pressing physical needs of the orphans. The desire for security; acceptance; dealing with stress; managing fears and psychological support services were identified as important psychological needs. Lack of security was seen as the most important factor affecting the psychosocial behaviour of these learners. Depression; sadness and stigmatisation were viewed as primary influences on behaviour. Teaching position; gender and age significantly influenced educators' views of various aspects of the learners' needs and behaviours. Conclusion - These findings have important implications for the training of educators to support learners and caregivers of children affected by the disease

Educators Views on the Needs and Support of HIV/AIDS Orphans in Their Psychosocial Development

Objective Educators' perceptions of the psychosocial needs of HIV/AIDS orphans are important in supporting these children. The objective of this research is to determine the view of educators regarding the psychosocial needs of HIV/AIDS affected children. Method - A questionnaire; based on a thorough literature study was administered to determine the views of teachers. A convenient sample of 120 teachers from different schools; who attended a workshop organised for the primary schools in a particular school district in Tswane was used. Results - Only about half of the educators indicated that their schools provided support for HIV/AIDS orphans. Lack of food and clothing were viewed as the most pressing physical needs of the orphans. The desire for security; acceptance; dealing with stress; managing fears and psychological support services were identified as important psychological needs. Lack of security was seen as the most important factor affecting the psychosocial behaviour of these learners. Depression; sadness and stigmatisation were viewed as primary influences on behaviour. Teaching position; gender and age significantly influenced educators' views of various aspects of the learners' needs and behaviours. Conclusion - These findings have important implications for the training of educators to support learners and caregivers of children affected by the disease

Uptake of acetylated peptides from the small intestine in sheep and their nutritive value in rats.

Acetylation is a potential method for protecting dietary peptides from degradation by rumen micro-organisms. As a first step in determining the nutritive value of acetylated peptides, their disappearance in the small intestine of sheep and their ability to support growth in a rat bioassay were measured. 15N-labelled peptides were prepared from lucerne which had been grown with 15N-labelled (NH4)2SO4 in the absence of Rhizobium. Peptides were prepared by enzymic hydrolysis of the extracted protein. Two peptide preparations were made using different proteinase mixtures. These mixtures contained peptides with an average molecular weight of 559 and 522 Da. They were treated with acetic anhydride, which resulted in 85 and 88% modification respectively, and their uptake from the small intestine was determined by injecting 1 g of untreated or acetylated peptides in a Cr-EDTA solution into the jejunum of two sheep fitted with jejunal catheters and ileal cannulas. Ileal digesta were collected and analysed for Cr and 15N. The uptake of dialanine (Ala2) and N-acetyl-Ala2 were compared in a similar way. The disappearance of 15N from lucerne peptides was high (88 and 93% respectively) and this was not affected significantly by acetylation (86 and 87%). Corresponding values for Ala2 and N-acetyl-Ala2 were both 96%, as measured by HPLC. It was therefore concluded that acetylation did not affect the uptake of peptides from the small intestine in sheep. Two feeding trials were carried out with rats. The first trial was carried out with a protein-free diet to which was added 10% lactalbumin or 5% lactalbumin and then a mixture of methionine-free amino acids, either alone or supplemented with Met, Gly-Met or acetylated Gly-Met. The rats grew equally well on all sources of Met, but failed to grow significantly on the mixture of Met-free amino acids. In the second trial the diet contained casein as 5.9% of the basal diet. Additional casein, pancreatic casein hydrolysate (peptides) and acetylated pancreatic casein hydrolysate (acetylated peptides) were compared as sources of amino acids, at inclusion rates of 100 g/kg final diet. Feed intake was similar with casein and peptides treatments, but was depressed by 23% with acetylated peptides. Live weight gain was 15 and 75% lower with the peptides and acetylated peptides diets respectively. Addition of lysine, arginine or histidine did not restore feed intake or weight gain of rats receiving acetylated peptides, but feed intake was restored immediately when peptides replaced acetylated peptides. When intake was restricted to 9 g/d and acetylated casein hydrolysate replaced half of the protein in the diet, rats gained weight less rapidly (1.44 v. 1.09 g/d) and retained less N, such that only 0.36 of the acetylated peptide-N was calculated to remain available to the animal. This N retention compared with 0.70 for unmodified casein. Thus, the rat bioassay indicated that certain specific peptides may well be of high nutritive value following acetylation, but that there may be problems of inappetance and inefficient utilization with acetylated peptide mixtures.

Influence of dietary acetylated peptides on fermentation and peptidase activities in the sheep rumen.

The predominant mechanism of peptide breakdown by rumen micro-organisms is aminopeptidase. Thus acetylation of the N-terminus of peptides inhibits their degradation by rumen micro-organisms in short-term incubations with rumen fluid in vitro. An experiment was undertaken to determine if adaptation of the rumen microbial population would take place when acetylated peptides were fed for a prolonged period, which would enable the microbial population to break down the protected peptides and thus decrease their nutritive value. Three adult sheep, fitted with permanent rumen cannulae, received a maintenance hay/concentrate diet to which was added, at each meal, 20 g of casein enzymic hydrolysate ('peptides') or 20 g of peptides previously treated with acetic anhydride. The diets were fed for 28 d in a 3 x 3 latin square and samples were taken during the last 7 d. Fermentation products and NH3 concentrations indicated that acetylated peptides remained less degradable than untreated peptides. There was a trend towards increased proteolytic activity with acetylated peptides, and dipeptidase activity increased by 18% and 28%, respectively, compared with untreated peptides and control treatments. Activity against N-acetyl-Ala2 also increased when acetylated peptides were fed, but it remained only 13% of the rate of Ala2 hydrolysis. No increase was found in the rate of ammonia production from acetylated peptides in animals receiving acetylated peptides--this rate was 26% of that found with untreated peptides--and acetylated peptides continued to persist for longer in the rumen than untreated peptides after feeding. Thus it was concluded that the rumen microbial population did not adapt to utilize acetylated peptides.