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Purpose: To collect data on efficacy and safety of brolucizumab 6 mg drug product intended for commercialization in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration to support comparability to brolucizumab product used in the Phase III HAWK and HARRIER studies. Methods: The HAWK extension study was a 24-week, double-masked, multicenter study of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration who completed the 96-week HAWK core study. All patients were planned to receive three intravitreal injections of either brolucizumab 6 mg or aflibercept 2 mg. Key endpoint measures included change in best-corrected visual acuity and central subfield thickness from baseline, and incidence and characteristics of treatment emergent adverse events. Results: Best-corrected visual acuity gain and central subfield thickness reduction observed at the end of the core study were maintained to Week 24 of the extension study. There was no indication of difference in the safety profile of the brolucizumab 6 mg drug product intended for commercialization and the brolucizumab 3 mg or 6 mg drug product used in the Phase III clinical trials. Conclusions: Efficacy and safety with the intended commercial formulation of brolucizumab 6 mg in neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients was consistent with that observed in the Phase III studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

St. George Jackson Mivart is mostly remembered as a cautionary tale. If Mivart is mentioned at all in modern debates, it is to offer an example of how not to do biology and theology. However, in this paper I argue that, ongoing developments in evolutionary biology have produced genuine alternatives to strict neo-Darwinism that not only seek to downplay the role of natural selection, but do so in ways that are strikingly reminiscent of Mivart's unpopular theory. Similarly, modern Thomists are also taking an approach to science and religion that mirrors Mivarts own approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the counseling profession has increased focus on spiritual integration into counseling sessions, such integration brings necessary attention to professional ethics. While ethical guidelines mandate that counselors not impose values on clients, this has oftentimes been confused with the false idea that counselors who are Christian may not or cannot practice ethically due to potential conflicts between ethical practice and religious beliefs. This study helps explore professional counselors' understanding of the integration of Christianity into professional counseling. Such an understanding may help correct biases regarding ethical use of Christianity in professional mental health counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use a case study, the co-production of a prostate cancer app with, and for, Black British African-Caribbean communities, to discuss benefits and tensions of inclusive practice and allyship. We view our collaborators as joint partners, and joint allies, for the Black British African-Caribbean community. Here, we document the research process and highlight successful aspects of our collaboration such as mentoring, recruitment, ideas on the format and presentation of the app, supportive data collection practices, useful community feedback and promotion of the app. We also highlight points in the research process that in hindsight needed more discussion and careful negotiation. We end with some recommendations based on our experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a critical analysis of the Chartered Institute for Management of Sport and Physical Activity's (CIMSPA) transformative aspirations for UK Higher Education (HE) based Sport and Physical Activity Vocational Education and Training (SPAVET) provision. In doing so, we apply selected elements of Giddens' Structuration theory to offer an analysis of CIMSPA's structural properties (as rules and resources) and dimensions (signification, domination and legitimation). Illustration of CIMSPA's structural properties and dimensions was developed through adopting an institutional analysis strategy alongside a document analysis method. Publicly available strategic documents and web-based resources (N = 18) were selected and analysed using open-coding techniques. Our analysis shows how continued state-sanctioned decentralisation of the UK HE sector has led to CIMSPA becoming an increasingly influential transformative structure; attempting to use its structural dimensions and resources as a medium to gain and exercise power, to promote (signification) – market-orientated discourses, practices and pedagogies in HEI provision, (domination) – in an attempt to significantly influence regulatory control over UK SPAVET provision and (Legitimation) – create partnerships which normalise its position and message within selected UK HEIs. We conclude that whilst the transformative aspirations of CIMSPA offer a number of possibilities for the HE SPAVET sector, they also raise critical questions. The central issue requiring debate is how these aspirations shift dialectical control towards vocationally focused, market-orientated principles and away from the liberal educational, research-led principles of some current UK HE SPAVET provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This methodological study analyses the merits of adopting an ambulatory 'hike-along' approach to explore the mobile experiences of women during serious leisure pursuits such as Munro-bagging – climbing Scotland's 3,000 feet high mountains. By walking with participants as they ascended their chosen routes, rather than relying on sedentary, post-hoc interviews, we were able to observe the transient, shifting natures of their pastime, the embodied relationships between self and landscape, previously overlooked moments of 'in-between-ness', liminalities between mobility and immobility, and the ways in which women live their experiences into being, intertwining their self-concepts with emerging understandings of their environment. The 'nowness' of our methodology captured the inseparability of actor, (inter)action, self, movement, and temporospatial and sociocultural contexts. Moreover, the inherent mobility of our approach brought a congruence with the subject matter, participants, settings and phenomena of study, which helped to separate women's adventure identities from the androcentricity permeating the canonical literature on walking. We therefore recommend broader adoption of 'hike-alongs' within similar ethnographic studies of serious leisure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores coaching in boxe popolare (people's boxing) – a style of boxing codified by leftist grassroots groups in contemporary Italy. The paper presents a micro-sociological analysis of data collected during a three-year multi-sited participant observation focusing on Patrick (pseudonym), who is the leading coach of a boxe popolare team. It examines the micropolitics of reproduction via the under-researched notion of 'sociability'. To contextualise this, a Bourdieusian framework, drawing on the concepts of 'field', 'capital', 'habitus', 'doxa' and 'symbolic violence', is employed. Findings highlight how boxe popolare is infused with far-left militant culture. Patrick uses sociability strategically, (a) to reproduce an embodied ethics of this specific boxing style; (b) to strengthen the collective values inherent within boxe popolare political milieu; (c) to perform the boxe popolare network; and finally, (d) to legitimise his own authority in the coaching structure. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of sociability for understanding micropolitical influence in coaching practice and consider the emergent idea of hybrid field as a way to better explore the interplay between coaching pedagogy, the political field and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is divided into two parts. The first responds to the earlier critical essays from Schwoebel and Callaway, in both cases challenging their methodology. In the former case objection is taken to the principle that even in dialogue with others one should start from one's own perspective rather than first make an effort of imagination to enter into the position of one's interlocutor. While with Callaway there is agreement about God working outside Christian boundaries, there is divergence over how easy it might be to proceed to empirical testing. The second part then seeks to expand the discussion into the wider context of the relation between theology and the arts more generally. After noting two reasons why they should be seen as closely allied and three cases where the arts might even provide some corrective to theology, the essay ends by offering a more internally addressed, theological account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various exposure estimates have been used to assess health impact of unconventional natural gas development (UNGD). The purpose of this study was to (1) use an air pollution dispersal screening model and wind direction to characterize the air emissions from UNGD facilities at each residence and (2) assess association of this exposure estimate with respiratory symptoms. Respiratory symptoms were abstracted from health records of a convenience sample of 104 adults from one county in southwestern PA who had completed a standard clinical interview with a nurse practitioner. Using publicly available air emission data, we applied a "box" air pollution dispersion screening model to estimate the median ambient air level of CO, NOx, PM 2.5, VOCs, and formaldehyde at the residence during the year health symptoms were reported. Sources and median emissions were categorized as north, south, east, or west of the residence to account for the effect of wind direction on dispersion. Binary logistic regression was performed for each respiratory symptom. Number of sources had varying magnitudes of association with some symptoms (i.e., cough, shortness of breath, and "any respiratory symptom") and no association with others (i.e., sore throat, sinus problems, wheezing). Air emissions were not associated with any symptom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debates surrounding the appropriateness of "humanitarian intervention" remain a key feature of the post-Kosovo international security environment. NATO has attempted, in the past, to intervene on "humanitarian" grounds, both in Kosovo in 1999 and Libya in 2011. By systematically comparing both operations—analyzing three related phases, namely the pre-intervention justifications offered, the manner in which NATO, and particularly the United States, sought to intervene, and the level of commitment shown in the post-intervention phase—it is clear that the best that Western organizations and efforts can hope for is "limited humanitarianism," even with the added boosts—in the case of Libya—of a cleaner international mandate from the United Nations Security Council and normative support from the relatively newly minted but already damaged concept of responsibility to protect (R2P). There are lessons for future operations of this nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-mortem case details, including toxicology, of deaths involving novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are limited due to the relatively recent emergence of NPS as a global problem. Acetyl fentanyl, an illicit fentanyl analogue, is no exception, with its prevalence being documented since 2013. This case report seeks to provide pathology and toxicology findings of a sudden death attributed to acetyl fentanyl use. Following injection of acetyl fentanyl, a 24-year old male died suddenly. The autopsy indicated pulmonary oedema and congestion, and early aspiration pneumonia as the only notable findings. Preliminary toxicology testing was inconclusive until drug paraphernalia found at the scene of death was shown to contain acetyl fentanyl. Subsequent toxicological analysis of the post-mortem samples revealed an acetyl fentanyl blood concentration of approximately 400 μg/L and a liver concentration of approximately 3000 μg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of tanniniferous Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion level on performance of goats fed on a Setaria verticillata grass hay-based diet. Twenty indigenous male Pedi goats with an average initial live weight of 17.44 ± 2 kg were allocated, in a completely randomized design, to five dietary treatments containing Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion levels of 20%, 25%, 30%, 40% and 50% of the total diet. Daily dry matter intakes were similar (P > .05) across the treatments. Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion improved (P < .05) dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre digestibility coefficients. Dietary treatments had no effect on final live weights of goats. However, live weight gains were higher (P < .05) in goats fed a diet containing 50% Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion level. Dry matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre digestibility coefficients were optimized at Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion levels of 69.4%, 48.3% and 42.7%, respectively. Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion improved nutrient digestibility and live weight gain of the goats and thus has potential to be utilized as a protein supplement when low-quality roughage is used as a basal diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extension of Anglican church provision in nineteenth-century Staffordshire reflects the importance of rural as well as urban initiative. Despite contemporary concerns, which focussed largely on urban issues, the scale of rural church building shows the donors’ concerns about rural society and status. Although bishops played a key enabling role, individual clerics and donors of both genders were the key forces in church building, the latter especially so through their essential financial contribution. Institutions played a key role in towns but in the countryside aristocrats and ‘new men’ dominated the process. The church’s building efforts were significant but failed to meet rising demographic pressures and so Anglicanism’s emphasis after 1870 changed from building to strengthening its relevance to the poor. However, church extension strengthened the bond between the aspirant middle classes and the aristocracy exemplified by a re-imagined Tory party which represented both land and commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay we demonstrate that the concepts of race and racism comprise an applicable theoretical framework for understanding the Erasure - when the authorities of newly independent Slovenia erased 25,671 people from the register of permanent residence in 1992 - and particularly for placing it in the wider context of Europeanization and the transition from socialism to a liberal market economy. Taking into account legal, social, political, and economic aspects, we find parallels to other contexts, enabling us to conclude that the Erasure was more than a legal mistake in a nation-state formation. Rather, we see it as a process connected to the Europeanization of Slovenia, since it was partly a result of European migration policies implemented in its territory. Furthermore, by addressing the Erasure through a discourse on race, and in specifically framing it as a process of internal division and systematic exclusion through state institutions, we recognize these exclusions also as a means of extracting wealth, property, and accumulated labour, an integral part of the liberalization of the former communist states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After briefly noting Geoffrey Rowell's interest in both themes, this article proceeds to examine Balthasar's equation of beauty and glory, beginning first with glory and beauty as found in the created order. Here the contention is that whereas notions of beauty spring ultimately from a Greek emphasis on proportion and balance, the Hebrew idea of glory is concerned with what overwhelms in its majesty and splendour, and is therefore more naturally equated with the eighteenth-century notion of sublimity. In addition, it is argued that, particularly in a modern context, it should not be presupposed that the arts are necessarily concerned with the creation of beauty. The second half of the article then turns to consider God in act and in internal life. With respect to the former, a critique is offered of the modern practice of describing the crucifixion as in itself beautiful. Finally, the author suggests that Balthasar's attempt to revive accounts of God as beautiful disguises major differences from the earlier tradition where simplicity rather than a rich complexity was taken as the defining criterion for such beauty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-Temperature Insulation Wools (HTIW), such as alumino silicate wools (Refractory Ceramic Fibers) and Alkaline Earth Silicate wools, are used in high-temperature industries for thermal insulation. These materials have an amorphous glass-like structure. In some applications, exposure to high temperatures causes devitrification resulting in the formation of crystalline species including crystalline silica. The formation of this potentially carcinogenic material raises safety concerns regarding after-use handling and disposal. This study aims to determine whether cristobalite formed in HTIW is bioactive in vitro. Mouse macrophage (J774A.1) and human alveolar epithelial (A549) cell lines were exposed to pristine HTIW of different compositions, and corresponding heat-treated samples. Cell death, cytokine release, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation were assessed in both cell types. Cell responses to aluminum lactate-coated fibers were assessed to determine if responses were caused by crystalline silica. DQ12 α-quartz was used as positive control, and TiO2 as negative control. HTIW did not induce cell death or intracellular ROS, and their ability to induce pro-inflammatory mediator release was low. In contrast, DQ12 induced cytotoxicity, a strong pro-inflammatory response and ROS generation. The modest pro-inflammatory mediator responses of HTIW did not always coincide with the formation of cristobalite in heated fibers; therefore, we cannot confirm that devitrification of HTIW results in bioactive cristobalite in vitro. In conclusion, the biological responses to HTIW observed were not attributable to a single physicochemical characteristic; instead, a combination of physicochemical characteristics (cristobalite content, fiber chemistry, dimensions and material solubility) appear to contribute to induction of cellular responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: From 1996 to 2013, a 6-day Physical Activity and Public Health Course for Practitioners has been offered yearly in the United States. An evaluation was conducted to assess the impact of the course on building public health capacity for physical activity and on shaping the physical activity and public health careers of fellows since taking the courses.Method: An evaluation quantified time that fellows spent in different course offerings and surveyed fellows.Results: From 1996 to 2012, 410 fellows attended the course, and in 2013, 186 participated in the Web-based survey (56% response rate). The number of fellows attending the course ranged from 15 to 33 yearly. From 1996 to 2012, the course averaged 38 hr of instructional time that included topics on interventions and environment/policy work to increase physical activity, program evaluation, public health research, and health disparities. The course included consultations, collaborative work, and field-based experiences. Fellows who participated in the survey agreed that the course had a positive impact on the physical activity research or practice work they did (98%), met their expectations (96%), helped them with research/practice collaborations with other physical activity professionals (96%), assisted them in conducting higher-quality interventions/programs (95%), helped increase their professional networking in the field (93%), and had a positive impact on other work they did (91%). Following the course, 66% and 56% had further contact with faculty and other fellows, respectively.Conclusion: The Physical Activity and Public Health Course for Practitioners made important contributions toward building the capacity of physical activity and public health practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses a comparison between Durham Cathedral and the Temple at Jerusalem to argue for the ability of sacred buildings to exercise a religious role in their own right. Although obviously initially dependent on human action for their existence, when built they can then, it is argued, take on a life of their own. While negative influences are frequently noted, here it is positive dimensions that are stressed: first, in respect of experiences of the divine; then, secondly, of their ability to encourage learning from outside the specific faith context; before, thirdly, note is taken of their potential to encourage appropriate moral and political action. Finally, a response is offered to the common objection to such positive evaluation based on the alleged indifference of the early church to sacred buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article focuses on a defining concept of modern surfing: localism. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, the data for this study were collected using participant observation, field notes and interviews between 2008 and 2009 with a significant population oflocal surfersin a village location in Cornwall, South West of England, UK. Developing Bennett’s definition of localism, data suggested a benign form of localism and in conveying this, we make a number of associated observations. Our analysis considers how a process of Othering led to the construction of Established Insiders based primarily on location, rather than gender. These Established Insiders saw the need to protect their community and its way of life from Outsiders. The focal point for protection was the liminal space/phase that opened up on ‘their’ local waves, as it was through temporal space that communitas was generated and thus community sustained. We illustrate how benign localism was exacerbated by overcrowding and how local surfers’ experiences of localism made them aware of their becoming Outsiders in other surfing localities, modifying their behaviour accordingly. The paper also suggests that debates about localism need to view the concept as a continuum of attitudes and behaviours ranging from the benign to the heavy, and that attention needs paying to how localism varies between contexts and the ways in which localism may share social antecedents. Lastly, we highlight the utility of viewing the beach and wave as liminal spaces that give rise to communitas for those who surf it together regularly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the subtraction of Section 28 from the 1988 Local Government Act in 2003, a substantial amount of research was published that specifically examined the experiences of lesbian physical education (PE) teachers. This article contributes to the existing academic literature by exploring the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual teachers working in a post-Section 28 school environment. Drawing on life history interviews of two lesbian PE teachers, we offer insights into how the abolition of Section 28 has affected their lives. Comparable to previous studies, both women reported feeling fearful of the consequences of identifying as lesbian and employed various strategies in order to maintain a divide between their public and private lives so as to conceal their sexual identities from colleagues, pupils and parents. However, in contrast to much of the previous literature, we found that the teachers in this study also identified with narratives of resistance. Despite being fearful of coming out at work, they nevertheless remained committed to coming out when the context is appropriate, to challenging the heteronormative symbolic order configured around the heterosexual/homosexual binary and to more proactively promoting sexual diversity and tolerance in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foundation degree is an intermediate-level qualification designed to widen participation in higher education while providing work-related skills and knowledge. It has a vocational focus and a pedagogic approach that integrates academic and work-based learning. Research into opportunities and the process of learning within foundation degrees is limited, particularly that which looks in depth at personal development occurring within these courses. This study contributes to the literature in this area, reporting on the results of a case study of the foundation degree in medicines management (University of Portsmouth). A key finding of this work was that knowledge was gained within a community of practice, and led to students’ development as individuals. Motivation, learning to learn and guidance and feedback, alongside peer learning within the course, were central aspects of this process. The learning and personal development taking place resulted in increased awareness, confidence and empowerment in students, which was reported to influence their work and personal lives. However, the development of specialist work-related skills and knowledge was found to be limited, questioning the fitness for purpose of the course researched. While key aspects of the subject investigated have been described in this work, further research is needed to understand this complex phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing of shale gas and oil bring industrial activity into close proximity to residences, schools, daycare centers and places where people spend their time. Multiple gas production sources can be sited near residences. Health care providers evaluating patient health need to know the chemicals present, the emissions from different sites and the intensity and frequency of the exposures. This research describes a hypothetical case study designed to provide a basic model that demonstrates the direct effect of weather on exposure patterns of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Because emissions from unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) sites are variable, a short term exposure profile is proposed that determines 6-hour assessments of emissions estimates, a time scale needed to assist physicians in the evaluation of individual exposures. The hypothetical case is based on observed conditions in shale gas development in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and on estimated emissions from facilities during gas development and production. An air exposure screening model was applied to determine the ambient concentration of VOCs and PM2.5at different 6-hour periods of the day and night. Hourly wind speed, wind direction and cloud cover data from Pittsburgh International Airport were used to calculate the expected exposures. Fourteen months of daily observations were modeled. Higher than yearly average source terms were used to predict health impacts at periods when emissions are high. The frequency and intensity of exposures to PM2.5and VOCs at a residence surrounded by three UNGD facilities was determined. The findings show that peak PM2.5and VOC exposures occurred 83 times over the course of 14 months of well development. Among the stages of well development, the drilling, flaring and finishing, and gas production stages produced higher intensity exposures than the hydraulic fracturing stage. Over one year, compressor station emissions created 118 peak exposure levels and a gas processing plant produced 99 peak exposures over one year. The screening model identified the periods during the day and the specific weather conditions when the highest potential exposures would occur. The periodicity of occurrence of extreme exposures is similar to the episodic nature of the health complaints reported in Washington County and in the literature. This study demonstrates the need to determine the aggregate quantitative impact on health when multiple facilities are placed near residences, schools, daycare centers and other locations where people are present. It shows that understanding the influence of air stability and wind direction is essential to exposure assessment at the residential level. The model can be applied to other emissions and similar sites. Profiles such as this will assist health providers in understanding the frequency and intensity of the human exposures when diagnosing and treating patients living near unconventional natural gas development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reports on findings from an ethnographic study (2008–09) conducted in a village with a significant population of local surfers in Cornwall (Southwest England). Stimulated by Goffman's (1961) interpretation of the concept of career and elaborated by the work of Stebbins (1970) on “subjective career,” Stebbins's (1982) framework of “serious leisure” and “serious leisure career” (Stebbins, 2005), we identify moments from local surfer careers lived in this community setting. We suggest that similar to findings from other subcultural studies on sports careers the local surfing career in this context contains shared experiential stages: the nurtured stage, the possible competitive stage, the serious leisure traveller stage, the responsible stage, and the legends stage. We conclude that the shared experiences and pathways of a local surfing career can play a positive cultural role, not just for individuals but also for the construction and maintenance of local community life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil data are largely absent for most of Africa. For landscapes with recognizable catenary elements, this data gap can be filled by mapping the catenary units and assigning them with known soil properties. An example is the landscape map for a region with dambos in central Uganda, which shows the four catenary units in order from well-drained to seasonal wetland: uplands, margins, floors, and bottoms. However, this map was created using optical data, which are cost prohibitive and are also limited by cloud cover. We evaluated the potential of freely available aerial gamma-ray spectrometry (AGRS) data as an alternative source of classification inputs. Analysis of variance based upon field data for a region with dambos in central Uganda showed gamma activity to differ along the catenary sequence, with landscape position explaining an appreciable proportion of variation of potassium (28%), thorium (27%), and uranium (46%). Using the three gamma channels, together with terrain indices derived from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM) as inputs, three classifiers were evaluated – conditional inference trees (CITs), random forests (RF), and multinomial-iterative self-organizing data analysis (ISODATA). While untransformed terrain and gamma predictors were used for the first two methods, we applied the ISODATA classification to landscape unit probability maps generated using multinomial principal components regression. For the CIT classification, all decision rules were based on terrain data, which might explain why the map was slightly less accurate (unweighted kappa = 0.61, linear weighted kappa = 0.73) than the map created using a RF classifier (unweighted kappa = 0.63, linear weighted kappa = 0.74), where both terrain and gamma predictors were used. But the existence of artefacts of margins within uplands in the map based on CIT modelling, and not that created using RF, is because the former missed the smoothing effect of gamma, attributed to zonal differences in activity of all three gamma channels. The multinomial-ISODATA predictions were poor (unweighted kappa = 0.56, linear weighted kappa = 0.67), partly because the regression model could not adequately resolve differences between bottoms and floors. However, we did find the probability maps generated using multinomial regression to be useful end products that capture the continuous nature of landscape unit transitions. It is important to note that in this study we used 90 m grid resolution gamma and terrain data to predict features that transition over distances of less than 10 m, so better results might be possible with finer-resolution gamma and terrain data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following an earlier review in 2007, a further review of the academic literature relating to the uses of assistive technology (AT) by children and young people was completed, covering the period 2007-2011. As in the earlier review, a tripartite taxonomy: technology uses to train or practise, technology uses to assist learning and technology uses to enable learning, was used in order to structure the findings. The key markers for research in this field and during these three years were user involvement, AT on mobile mainstream devices, the visibility of AT, technology for interaction and collaboration, new and developing interfaces and inclusive design principles. The paper concludes by locating these developments within the broader framework of the Digital Divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The use of outdoor wood furnaces (OWFs) is common in many parts of the United States. Little published information exists on the concentrations of outdoor and indoor fine particulates found near OWFs. Objective: To compare PM2.5 (cts) and PM0.5 (cts) particle concentrations inside four Connecticut homes located 30.5-259 m from OWFs, and inside six Connecticut control homes located more than 2 km from the nearest OWF. Materials and methods: PM2.5 (cts) and PM0.5 (cts) measurements were made with a Dylos light-scattering particulate counter. Results: Mean PM2.5 (cts) concentrations were 4.21 times as great in the four OWF exposed homes than the six control homes (0.302 × 106 counts/m3 versus 0.0718 counts × 106/m3 p < 0.001). The mean PM2.5 (cts) concentrations inside the four OWF exposed homes roughly corresponds to a mass PM2.5 of 37 µg/m3, which is above the US EPA 24-h PM2.5 limit of 35 µg/m3. Mean PM0.5 (cts) concentrations were 3.44 times as great in the four OWF exposed homes than in the six control homes (0.657 versus 0.191 × 106/m3 p < 0.001). Mean PM2.5 (cts) and PM0.5 (cts) concentrations were significantly higher in the house 259 m from an OWF as compared with the mean of the six control homes. Conclusion: Existing regulations, such as the present Connecticut law requiring a 61 meter distance between an OWF and neighboring homes, are not adequate to protect the health of neighboring residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two decades after NATO's Operation Allied Force (OAF) was successfully concluded in June 1999, to the extent at least of forcing Serbia to give up control of its rebellious Kosovo province, the articles in this special issue, timed to coincide with this anniversary, set out to explore the lasting controversies, implications and legacy of this demonstration of the use of coercive force for declared "humanitarian" purposes. OAF and the follow-on deployment of NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) in 1999 did consolidate what has become an enduring NATO and western presence and set of interests in the Balkan region. Complementing Rynning's argument finally, Smith suggests that the longer-term impact of OAF and the KFOR deployment have proved to be surprisingly transient and limited in terms of NATO's ongoing post-Cold War evolution. [Extracted from the article]

Factors influencing cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Horowhenua, Aotearoa/New Zealand, have been deduced from over 40 yrs routine monitoring data, detailed studies and high frequency (15-min interval) data from an in-lake monitoring buoy. Lake Horowhenua is currently hypertrophic but flips between a winter clear-water, macrophyte dominated phase (Potamogeton crispus), and a turbid phytoplankton dominated phase with substantial cyanobacterial (Microcystis sp.) blooms from mid-summer to autumn. Nitrogen for growth comes from agriculture and horticulture via groundwater and spring-fed streams. Phosphorus is released from the sediment when the weed beds die back. These nutrients stimulate the growth of Microcystis sp., until the water temperature falls below 15°C. Microcystis sp can raise the pH to over 10, which releases P from the sediment, sustaining its growth. High pH transforms non-toxic ammonium-N released from the sediment to toxic unionised NH3, which may contribute to fish kills in summer/autumn. Management strategies cannot use P-inactivation agents for cultural reasons and eradicating the macrophyte beds by spraying would cause the lake to permanently flip to a turbid state. Management of the macrophyte beds with a weed harvester is being trialled to allow a gradual replacement of P. crispus with indigenous species from the seed bank in the sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published 13 Core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) that graduating students should be able to perform with indirect supervision when entering residency. A ten-school multi-year pilot was commissioned to test feasibility of implementing training and assessment of the AAMC's 13 Core EPAs. In 2020-21, a case study was employed to describe pilot schools' implementation experiences. Teams from nine of ten schools were interviewed to identify means and contexts of implementing EPAs and lessons learned. Audiotapes were transcribed then coded by investigators using conventional content analysis and a constant comparative method. Coded passages were organized in a database and analyzed for themes. Consensus among school teams regarding facilitators of EPA implementation included team commitment to piloting EPAs; agreement that: proximal EPA adoption with curriculum reform facilitates EPA implementation; EPAs 'naturally fit' in clerkships and provided opportunity for schools to reflect on and adjust curricula and assessments; and inter-school collaboration bolstered individual school progress. Schools did not make high-stakes decisions about student progress (e.g., promotion, graduation), yet EPA assessment results complemented other forms of assessment in providing students with robust formative feedback about their progress. Teams had varied perceptions of school capability to implement an EPA framework, influenced by various levels of dean involvement, willingness, and capability of schools to invest in data systems and provide other resources, strategic deployment of EPAs and assessments, and faculty buy-in. These factors affected varied pace of implementation. Teams agreed on the worthiness of piloting the Core EPAs, but substantial work is still needed to fully employ an EPA framework at the scale of entire classes of students with enough assessments per EPA and with required data validity/reliability. Recommendations stemming from findings may help inform further implementation efforts across other schools adopting or considering an EPA framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of nanomaterial (NM) induced inflammatory responses has largely relied on rodent testing via measurement of leukocyte accumulation in target organs. Despite observations that NMs activate neutrophil driven inflammatory responses in vivo, a limited number of studies have investigated neutrophil responses to NMs in vitro. We compared responses between the human neutrophil-like HL-60 cell line and human primary neutrophils following exposure to silver (Ag), zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) NMs. NM cytotoxicity and neutrophil activation were assessed by measuring cellular metabolic activity, cytokine production, respiratory burst, and release of neutrophil extracellular traps. We observed a similar pattern of response between HL-60 cells and primary neutrophils, however we report that some neutrophil functions are compromised in the cell line. Ag NMs were consistently observed to stimulate neutrophil activation, with CuO NMs inducing similar though weaker responses. TiO2 NMs did not induce a neutrophil response in either cell type. Interestingly, ZnO NMs readily induced activation of HL-60 cells but did not appear to activate primary cells. Our findings are relevant to the development of a tiered testing strategy for NM hazard assessment which promotes the use of non-rodent models. Whilst we acknowledge that HL-60 cells may not be a perfect substitute for primary cells and require further investigation regarding their ability to predict neutrophil activation, we recommend their use for initial screening of NM-induced inflammation. Primary human neutrophils can then be used for more focused assessments of neutrophil activation before progressing to in vivo models where necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the association of total therapy time during inpatient rehabilitation and gain in functional independence for patients admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF). The study utilized a retrospective design that included all IRF patients from three IRFs in California from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013. Patient data collected as part of usual, routine medical, and rehabilitation care were used and includes demographics, medical variables, and functional outcomes data. There were 3212 patients discharged from the three IRFs, with 2,777 patients having received speech language pathology (SLP) therapy along with occupational therapy and physical therapy. Speech language pathology services were not provided for 435 patients in the database. Our results support that among all types of patients, increased therapy hours were associated with increased functional gains. For total functional independence measure (FIM) gain, an additional hour of PT therapy per day was associated with an increase of 7.55 FIM gain points (p < 0.001) and an additional hour of OT therapy per day was associated with an increase of 1.16 FIM gain points (p = 0.045), when adjusted for other variables in the model. SLP hours per day did not remain in the FIM gain model. The findings of this study add to the understanding of therapy time and functional gain in an inpatient rehabilitation program. There is a positive relationship between total therapy time and functional gain. In the future determining the intensity and the related therapy activities provided will be needed to impact functional change. This has implications for shaping rehabilitation practice in the future. Increased number of therapy hours were associated with functional gains in an inpatient rehabilitation program for all types of patients. An additional hour of physical therapy per day was associated with an increase of 7.55 functional independence measure (FIM) point gain. An additional hour of occupational therapy per day was associated with an increase of 1.16 FIM point gain. Determining the intensity and related activities are needed to impact functional change which has implications for shaping rehabilitation practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Scottish verdict of not proven represents a second acquittal verdict which is not legally defined. Existing research into the influence of the not proven verdict on jury decision making is modest. The main aim of the current study was therefore to investigate the influence of verdict systems (two vs three) on juror decision making. The effect of pre-trial bias and evidence anchors on juror judgements were also examined. One-hundred and twenty-eight mock jurors listened to two homicide vignettes and were asked to rate their belief of guilt of the accused and to give a verdict in both trials. The results suggest that pre-trial bias was a significant predictor of both verdict choice and belief of guilt, whereas evidence anchors were not a significant predictor of either. Finally, both guilty and not guilty verdicts were given with increased frequency in the two-verdict system when compared to the three-verdict system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers insights into the increasing dichotomy that exists between official forms of opportunity and access and the actual ‘lived experience’ of young peoples' trajectories towards careers in the UK's market-orientated Sport-Fitness and Physical Education employment sectors. It does so by drawing on data generated by an 18-month ethnographic study to provide a case study of two students who chose to make the transition from a Foundation Degree in Sport Coaching (FdSc) onto a ‘Top Up’ Bachelor of Science (BSc) Sports Science and Coaching qualification. The paper illustrates their experiences of this transition in relation to the following phases of their trajectory (1)facilitators of transition(2)managing expectations(3)transformationand (4)isolation. The findings highlight how, for some individuals, current transitions facilitate a critical distance between individual dispositions towards education and the positions and practices of higher education. We suggest that education and employers must further listen to the voices and experiences of students that transcend the rhetorics of official policy discourse to facilitate a process in which the conditions of transition may begin to be reimagined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hazard studies for nanomaterials (NMs) commonly assess whether they activate an inflammatory response. Such assessments often rely on rodents, but alternative models are needed to support the implementation of the 3Rs principles. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) offer a viable alternative for screening NM toxicity by investigating inflammatory responses. Here, we used non-protected life stages of transgenic zebrafish (Tg(mpx:GFP)i114) with fluorescently-labeled neutrophils to assess inflammatory responses to silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) NMs using two approaches. Zebrafish were exposed to NMs via water following a tail fin injury, or NMs were microinjected into the otic vesicle. Zebrafish were exposed to NMs at 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) and neutrophil accumulation at the injury or injection site was quantified at 0, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 48 h postexposure. Zebrafish larvae were also exposed to fMLF, LTB4, CXCL-8, C5a, and LPS to identify a suitable positive control for inflammation induction. Aqueous exposure to Ag and ZnO NMs stimulated an enhanced and sustained neutrophilic inflammatory response in injured zebrafish larvae, with a greater response observed for Ag NMs. Following microinjection, Ag NMs stimulated a time-dependent neutrophil accumulation in the otic vesicle which peaked at 48 h. LTB4 was identified as a positive control for studies investigating inflammatory responses in injured zebrafish following aqueous exposure, and CXCL-8 for microinjection studies that assess responses in the otic vesicle. Our findings support the use of transgenic zebrafish to rapidly screen the pro-inflammatory effects of NMs, with potential for wider application in assessing chemical safety (e.g. pharmaceuticals). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, a fire at an open cut coal mine in South-eastern Australia burned for about 6 weeks. Residents of the adjacent town were exposed to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during this period. Three and a half years after the event, this study aimed to investigate potential long-term impacts of short-term exposure to coal mine fire smoke on asthma. A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken in a group of exposed participants with asthma from Morwell (n = 165) and a group of unexposed participants with asthma from the control town of Sale (n = 64). Exposure was determined by modeled PM2.5 data for the mine fire period. Respiratory symptoms were assessed with a validated respiratory health questionnaire and symptom severity score. Asthma control was assessed with a validated questionnaire. Lung function testing included spirometry, bronchodilator response, and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide. There was no evidence that exposed participants had more severe asthma symptoms, worse lung function, or more eosinophilic airway inflammation than unexposed participants. However, there was some evidence that Morwell participants had more uncontrolled than well-controlled asthma, compared to the participants from Sale (adjusted relative risk ratio 2.71 95% CI: 1.02, 7.21, p =.046). Three and a half years after exposure, coal mine fire smoke did not appear to be associated with more severe asthma symptoms or worse lung function but might be associated with poorer asthma control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published new digital head form models based on their recently updated fit-test panel. The new panel, based on the 2000 census to better represent the modern work force, created two additional sizes: Short/Wide and Long/Narrow. While collecting the anthropometric data that comprised the panel, additional three-dimensional data were collected on a subset of the subjects. Within each sizing category, five individuals’ three-dimensional data were used to create the new head form models. While NIOSH has recommended a switch to a five-size system for designing respirators, little has been done in assessing the potential benefits of this change. With commercially available elastomeric facepieces available in only three or four size systems, it was necessary to develop the facepieces to enable testing. This study aims to develop a method for designing and fabricating elastomeric facepieces tailored to the new head form designs for use in fit-testing studies. This novel method used computed tomography of a solid silicone facepiece and a number of computer-aided design programs (VolView, ParaView, MEGG3D, and RapidForm XOR) to develop a facepiece model to accommodate the Short/Wide head form. The generated model was given a physical form by means of three-dimensional printing using stereolithography (SLA). The printed model was then used to create a silicone mold from which elastomeric prototypes can be cast. The prototype facepieces were cast in two types of silicone for use in future fit-testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the U.S., black men are at highest risk for requiring kidney transplants but are among those least likely to register for organ donation. Prior outreach used videos culturally targeted for Black communities, yet registration rates remain insufficient to meet demand. Therefore, we assessed whether generic versus videos culturally targeted or personally tailored based on prior organ donation beliefs differentially increase organ donor registration. In a randomized controlled trial, 1,353 participants in Black-owned barbershops viewed generic, targeted, or tailored videos about organ donation. Logistic regression models assessed the relative impact of videos on: 1) immediate organ donor registration, 2) taking brochures, and 3) change in organ donation willingness stage of change from baseline. Randomization yielded approximately equal groups related to demographics and baseline willingness and beliefs. Neither targeted nor tailored videos differentially affected registration compared with the generic video, but participants in targeted and tailored groups were more likely to take brochures. Targeted (OR = 1.74) and tailored (OR = 1.57) videos were associated with incremental increases in organ donation willingness stage of change compared to the generic video. Distributing culturally targeted and individually tailored videos increased organ donor willingness stage of change among Black men in Black-owned barbershops but was insufficient for encouraging registration. Abbreviations: CI – confidence interval; DMV – Department of Motor Vehicles; BOBs – Black-owned barbershops; ODBI – organ donation belief index; ODWS – organ donation willingness stage of change; OR – odds ratio [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With ever-increasing production and use of nanoparticles (NPs), there is a necessity to evaluate the probability of consequential adverse effects in individuals exposed to these particles. It is now understood that a proportion of NPs can translocate from primary sites of exposure to a range of secondary organs, with the liver, kidneys and spleen being some of the most important. In this study, we carried out a comprehensive toxicological profiling (inflammation, changes in serum biochemistry, oxidative stress, acute phase response and histopathology) of Ag NP induced adverse effects in the three organs of interest following acute exposure of the materials at identical doses via intravenous (IV), intratracheal (IT) instillation and oral administration. The data clearly demonstrated that bioaccumulation and toxicity of the particles were most significant following the IV route of exposure, followed by IT. However, oral exposure to the NPs did not result in any changes that could be interpreted as toxicity in any of the organs of interest within the confines of this investigation. The finding of this study clearly indicates the importance of the route of exposure in secondary organ hazard assessment for NPs. Finally, we identify Connexin 32 (Cx32) as a novel biomarker of NP-mediated hepatic damage which is quantifiable both (in vitro) and in vivo following exposure of physiologically relevant doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper examines the ability of people who are blind to construct a mental map and perform orientation tasks in real space by using Nintendo Wii technologies to explore virtual environments. The participant explores new spaces through haptic and auditory feedback triggered by pointing or walking in the virtual environments and later constructs a mental map, which can be used to navigate in real space. Methods: The study included 10 participants who were congenitally or adventitiously blind, divided into experimental and control groups. The research was implemented by using virtual environments exploration and orientation tasks in real spaces, using both qualitative and quantitative methods in its methodology. Results: The results show that the mode of exploration afforded to the experimental group is radically new in orientation and mobility training; as a result 60% of the experimental participants constructed mental maps that were based on map model, compared with only 30% of the control group participants. Conclusions: Using technology that enabled them to explore and to collect spatial information in a way that does not exist in real space influenced the ability of the experimental group to construct a mental map based on the map model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]