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Engaging with natural environments benefits human health by providing opportunities for social interactions, enhancing mental wellbeing and enabling outdoor spaces for physical exercise. Open water swimming has seen a rapid increase in popularity, partly due to the physical health benefits it can provide but also with the growing interest in (re)connecting with nature for environment-health interactions. Using a national-scale online survey of 717 open water swimmers, the aim of this study was to investigate patterns and trends in the perceived benefits and risks of open water swimming to both public health and the environment; and to understand whether these perceived risks and benefits vary across different typologies of swimmers and open water, or 'blue space', environments. Strong associations were found between the most important self-reported benefit associated with open water swimming and both participant age and the categorisation of their typical swim style. All but one of the age-groups surveyed perceived mental wellbeing benefits to be the most important benefit of open water swimming; whilst those aged over 65 identified physical rather than mental wellbeing benefits to be the most important outcome. Participants who preferred lake swimming reported greater concern regarding possible environmental damage caused by the increasing popularity of open water swimming compared to those engaging in river or sea swimming. However, the majority of participants perceived the risks to the environment from open water swimming to be minimal. Our study adds to the growing evidence that open water swimming is perceived by participants as benefitting their mental and physical wellbeing. Improved understanding of the benefits and risks of engaging with blue spaces used for open water swimming can contribute to co-designed policy development to promote safer, healthier and more sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities associated with this increasingly popular outdoor pursuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnoses made to justify anticorruption measures tend to minimize the complexity of the phenomenon of corruption. In line with the garbage can model (Cohen, March, & Olsen, 1972), where solutions look for problems, the corruption problem is characterized as something “addressable” by the anticorruption policy, which brings serious consequences, such as the implementation of a fallible policy. The article reviews the phenomenon of the fallibility of anticorruption policies. We argue that anticorruption policies are likely to fail when they are designed without recognizing that the type of corruption faced is embedded in a wider scheme of systemic corruption. We trace our argument along a series of implications that emerge from the Corruption Consolidation Framework (CCF) (Meza & Pérez-Chiqués, 2021). Supported by the CCF, we derive a series of implications to reorient the discussion and future lines of research around understanding and addressing the phenomenon of systemic corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ascertain the involvement of palliative care with neurology services in the care of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the United Kingdom, Italy and Switzerland, in particular the collaboration with and referral from neurology, the involvement in multidisciplinary team care and in the respiratory support of ALS patients. In 2019, two online surveys were undertaken of palliative care specialists, using specialist groups of the European Academy of Neurology, European Association of Palliative Care and the Association of Palliative Medicine for Great Britain and Ireland. The respondents were specialist palliative care professionals, predominantly senior doctors, involved in the care of people with ALS. As the numbers of respondents from many countries were in single figures the analysis was restricted to the United Kingdom, Italy and Switzerland. The time of involvement varied, with early involvement commonest in the UK. Barriers to referral included neurologists not referring and financial issues, particularly in Switzerland. The reluctance of patients and families to see palliative care services was reported as less than 20% in all countries. Respondents were often involved in the care of people receiving noninvasive ventilation (NIV), in all countries. and with tracheostomy ventilation (TV), particularly in Italy. Palliative care services are often involved in the care of people with ALS, but the extent and timing of involvement varies. The use of clinical guidelines and education on palliative care for neurology services may encourage collaboration, for the benefit of people with ALS and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adults with intellectual disabilities are an at‐risk group of developing dementia. In the absence of a cure for dementia, emphasis on treatment is the promotion of Quality of life (QoL). The aim of this review is to identify and describe QoL tools for people with intellectual disabilities and dementia. Method: A systematic review was carried out using 10 databases and papers from up to March year 2021. Results: Two instruments were identified and examined. The QoL in late‐stage dementia, which showed evidence of good levels of internal consistency, intra‐rater reliability, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity. The Dementia Quality of Life – proxy was also used; however, its psychometric properties have yet to be studied within the intellectual disabilities population. Conclusion: It is recommended instruments should be developed and psychometrically tested specifically for adults with intellectual disabilities and dementia to help inform policy makers, measure outcomes of interventions and personal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The development of palliative care across the World is varied and often limited. The purpose of this comparative study was to explore healthcare professionals’ (doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers) understanding of palliative care in several different countries. Patients and methods: Eight focus groups were held in eight different countries using open-ended semi-structured questions that allowed participants to report on their understanding and experience of palliative care, the referral to services and the difficulties in providing and accessing palliative care. Transcriptions were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Sixty people in total participated in focus groups held across eight countries. The main themes derived from the data included: definitions of palliative care; place of death and last care; and barriers to providing palliative care. Knowledge and understanding of palliative care vary across countries and between professionals and family carers. Cultural attitudes around death and dying in some countries appear to impact the introduction, availability, and use of palliative care services. The place of death of people with palliative care needs may also be influenced by resources and cultural norms. Limitations: The participants were self–selected and may not be representative of the wider views within each country. Conclusions: Increased educational interventions about palliative care for both professionals and the public would help improve palliative care provision, taking into account the social and cultural norms within communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Plastic-associated pathogens raise questions about risks at beach environments. • We critically evaluate current evidence and gaps in knowledge. • Recommendations for a conceptual shift in risk management at public beaches are proposed. • Future priorities are categorised as short (<5yr) and longer-term (5-10yr +) needs. • Decision-making framework identifies options to manage plastic-associated pathogen risk. Emerging evidence indicates that micro- and macro-plastics present in water can support a diverse microbial community, including potential human pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses). This interaction raises important concerns surrounding the role and suitability of current bathing water regulations and associated pathogen exposure risk within beach environments. In response to this, we critically evaluated the available evidence on plastic-pathogen interactions and identified major gaps in knowledge. This review highlighted the need for a conceptual shift in risk management at public beaches recognising: (i) interconnected environmental risks, e.g., associations between microbial compliance parameters, potential pathogens and both contemporary and legacy plastic pollution; and (ii) an appreciation of risk of exposure to plastic co-pollutants for both water and waterside users. We present a decision-making framework to identify options to manage plastic-associated pathogen risks alongside short- and longer-term research priorities. This advance will help deliver improvements in managing plastic-associated pathogen risk, acknowledging that human exposure potential is not limited to only those who engage in water-based activity. We argue that adopting these recommendations will help create an integrated approach to managing and reducing human exposure to pathogens at bathing, recreational water and beach environments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the debate surrounding the term "special needs" within the disability community, advocating for the use of person-first language and highlighting the negative implications associated with the term. Topics include the origins of the term "special needs;" the harmful effects it can have on perceptions of disability; and the preferences of individuals within the disability community regarding language use.

From the Editor: The following is reprintedcourtesy of USA Today and David Oliver.We appreciate their permission to sharethis with our readers and have onlychanged what is necessary to conform toMonitor style. Jocelyn Hunter Age: forty-two Occupation: Senior Director ofCommunications at ColumbiaLighthouse for the Blind Location: Washington, DC "(Blindness is) very diverse, it's veryvaried per individual", says Jocelyn Hunter,pictured. [Extracted from the article]

This study has identified two polymer additives that when added in low concentrations can be used to reliably prevent incongruent melting of sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) when temperature-cycled over multiple thousands of melting and freezing cycles. The polymers appear to act as crystal-habit modifiers that at sub-optimal concentrations dramatically alter the morphology of any anhydrous sodium acetate that may be formed, and at higher concentrations completely suppress precipitation of anhydrous sodium acetate. In situ X-ray powder diffraction experiments show that the active nucleator for SAT is Na2HPO4·2H2O, and that the mechanism of thermally induced deactivation is dehydration in solution to form anhydrous Na2HPO4. Based on these studies, new formulations of SAT have been developed that demonstrate consistent and reliable performance as phase-change materials for heat-storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research we discuss the importance of putting emphasis on public policies that are incoherent with each other, in terms of State effectiveness. We use the case of the practice of caesarean section in Mexico to understand how the phenomenon can be partially explained from incoherence between instruments of the Mexican government’s health policy. We asked to what extent the holding of gynecology and obstetrics medical congresses, as part of a certification process, is related to the practice of caesarean sections, within the framework of a policy that attempts to limit the discretionary use of caesarean section in Mexico? We argue that the objectives of one policy are affected by the instruments of another policy, and that therefore the discretionary use of this birth method is associated with the incoherence experienced from the physical presence that requires certification through congresses. To demonstrate this, we calculated the rate of caesarean sections per day from 2008 to 2015, and we tracked the dates of the national gynecology and obstetrics congresses for the same period of time. We determine the statistical association between both events from a multiple regression analysis. The result is that there is a statistical association between the rate and the existence of congresses, supporting the argument of incoherence. The conclusions propose some policy ideas to mitigate this problem in particular, and in general to address the inconsistency between policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing collaboration between palliative care and neurology, intending to improve the quality of care and quality of life of people with neurological disease and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sudden excursions of unusually large magnitude (>1 μm), “giant pop-ins,” have been observed in the force-displacement curve for high load indentation of crystalline germanium (Ge). A range of techniques including Raman microspectroscopy, focused ion-beam cross sectioning, and transmission electron microscopy, are applied to study this phenomenon. Amorphous material is observed in residual indents following the giant pop-in. The giant pop-in is shown to be a material removal event, triggered by the development of shallow lateral cracks adjacent to the indent. Enhanced depth recovery, or “elbowing,” observed in the force-displacement curve following the giant pop-in is explained in terms of a compliant response of plates of material around the indent detached by lateral cracking. The possible causes of amorphization are discussed, and the implications in light of earlier indentation studies of Ge are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the limits of health systems and propelled triage protocols to allocate scarce resources, patients with pre-existing neurological illnesses were disproportionately affected [2]. Keywords: chronic neurological illness; humanitarian crisis; neuropalliative care; pain; quality of life; war EN chronic neurological illness humanitarian crisis neuropalliative care pain quality of life war 3130 3131 2 09/12/22 20221001 NES 221001 AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS Katarina Rukavina: Conceptualization (lead); writing - original draft (lead). Neuropalliative care (NPC) aims to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic progressive neurological illnesses through symptom relief, whilst emphasizing their emotional needs and spiritual wellbeing and engaging in advance care planning [3]. [Extracted from the article]

Effective management of diffuse microbial water pollution from agriculture requires a fundamental understanding of how spatial patterns of microbial pollutants, e.g. E . coli , vary over time at the landscape scale. The aim of this study was to apply the Vi sualising P athogen & E nvironmental R isk (ViPER) model, developed to predict E . coli burden on agricultural land, in a spatially distributed manner to two contrasting catchments in order to map and understand changes in E . coli burden contributed to land from grazing livestock. The model was applied to the River Ayr and Lunan Water catchments, with significant correlations observed between area of improved grassland and the maximum total E . coli per 1 km 2 grid cell (Ayr: r = 0.57; p < 0.001, Lunan: r = 0.32; p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the predicted maximum E . coli burden between seasons in both catchments, with summer and autumn predicted to accrue higher E . coli contributions relative to spring and winter ( P < 0.001), driven largely by livestock presence. The ViPER model thus describes, at the landscape scale, spatial nuances in the vulnerability of E . coli loading to land as driven by stocking density and livestock grazing regimes. Resulting risk maps therefore provide the underpinning evidence to inform spatially-targeted decision-making with respect to managing sources of E . coli in agricultural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The care of people with motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is often complex and involves a wide multidisciplinary team approach. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK has produced an evidence based guideline for the management of patients. This has made recommendations, based on clear evidence or consensus discussion. The evidence is often limited and areas for further research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palliative care is developing for people with neurological disease. This may be integrated early in the disease progression, and may have a variable input over time. The careful assessment and management of all issues — physical, psychological, social and spiritual — provides the patient and family the opportunity to maximise quality of life. This requires a multidisciplinary approach and close collaboration with other services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) has been validated as a tool for evaluating the risk of treatment-related mortality (TRM) in HLA-matched sibling and matched unrelated donor bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation patients. However, the role of the HCT-CI after cord blood transplantation (CBT) has not been fully investigated. In this analysis, we sought to evaluate the predictive value of the HCT-CI in patients undergoing reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) CBT. Between 2006 and 2013, HCT-CI scores were prospectively tabulated for patients with hematologic malignancies sequentially enrolled on multicenter RIC CBT studies coordinated by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: 151 patients with acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (n = 101), chronic myeloid leukemia (n = 3), acute lymphocytic leukemia (n = 24), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 8), Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 3), and other hematologic malignancies (n = 12) underwent RIC CBT and were included. Two patients received a single CBT and the remaining 149 received a double CBT. All patients received cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. Median HCT-CI for the whole group was 3 (range, 0 to 8). Using the HCT-CI categories of low (0), intermediate (1 or 2), and high risk (>3), there was no significant difference in TRM between the 3 groups. However, when the patients were divided into 2 groups, HCT-CI ≤ 3 or > 3, the incidence of TRM at 3 years after transplantation was 26% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17 to 36) in the HCT-CI ≤ 3 group versus 50% (95% CI, 30 to 67) in the HCT-CI > 3 group ( P  = .01). Overall survival for patients with HCT-CI ≤ 3 was 40% (95% CI, 27 to 51) versus 29% in patients with HCT-CI >3 (95% CI, 12 to 48) ( P  = .08). Our study demonstrates that HCT-CI score > 3 is associated with an increased risk of TRM at 3 years after transplantation in patients undergoing RIC CBT. Because of the significant risk of TRM in patients with HCT-CI > 3 compared with risk for those with HCT-CI ≤ 3, patients with an HCT-CI score >3 should be counseled before undergoing RIC CBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States is in the midst of an opiate epidemic, with abuse of prescription and illegal opioids increasing steadily over the past decade. While it is clear that there is a genetic component to opioid addiction, there is a significant portion of heritability that cannot be explained by genetics alone. The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that maternal exposure to opioids prior to pregnancy alters abuse liability in subsequent generations. Female adolescent Sprague Dawley rats were administered morphine at increasing doses (5–25 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline for 10 days (P30-39). During adulthood, animals were bred with drug-naïve colony males. Male and female adult offspring (F1 animals) were tested for morphine self-administration acquisition, progressive ratio, extinction, and reinstatement at three doses of morphine (0.25, 0.75, 1.25 mg/kg/infusion). Grandoffspring (F2 animals, from the maternal line) were also examined. Additionally, gene expression changes within the nucleus accumbens were examined with RNA deep sequencing (PacBio) and qPCR. There were dose- and sex-dependent effects on all phases of the self-administration paradigm that indicate decreased morphine reinforcement and attenuated relapse-like behavior. Additionally, genes related to synaptic plasticity, as well as myelin basic protein (MBP), were dysregulated. Some, but not all, effects persisted into the subsequent (F2) generation. The results demonstrate that even limited opioid exposure during adolescence can have lasting effects across multiple generations, which has implications for mechanisms of the transmission of drug abuse liability in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]