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Clinically assisted hydration during end-of-life care among patients with cancer is controversial; practice varies between clinical settings and countries, and there is a lack of evidence. To examine whether breathlessness, respiratory secretion, or confusion correlates with receiving parenteral hydration during end of life, adjusted for sex, age, and place of death. The Swedish Register of Palliative Care database was used to collect data about the usage of parenteral hydration during the last day of life, and the occurrence of three symptoms during the last week. Adults dying from cancer during 2011–2021 in hospitals, in residential care homes, and within specialized palliative care were included. Correlation between parenteral hydration and symptoms was examined using χ2-test and logistic regression. A total of 147,488 patients were included in the study. Parenteral hydration was more often prescribed to younger persons, to men, and in acute hospitals (compared to other settings), p < 0.001 in all three comparisons. Patients with hematological malignancies (20%) and ovarian cancer (16%) were most likely to receive parenteral hydration, while those with brain tumors (6%) were least likely. The presence of all three analyzed symptoms during the last week (breathlessness, respiratory secretion, and confusion) were significantly correlated with having received parenteral hydration during the last day of life (p < 0.001). In the final logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, and place of death, the only symptom with remaining correlation to parenteral hydration was breathlessness (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.50–1.6). There is an association between parenteral hydration and increased breathlessness in patients with cancer. Provision of parenteral hydration is more prevalent in men, younger patients, and those with hematological malignancies or ovarian cancer, and most widespread in acute hospital settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ambitious conservation programme to save the Iberian lynx from extinction conducted several reintroductions aiming to restore its historical range. The urgency due to the delicate conservation status prompted translocating captive-born and wild individuals, while preventing an early assessment of how both groups combined their space-use and differed in post-release movements. To address this issue, we conducted a comprehensive movement ecology analysis using GPS data of 161 Iberian lynxes from 9 populations. First, we classified five movement phases within individuals' trajectories: residence areas (stable and transient), excursions, post-release dispersals, and transitions between residences. Second, we used continuous-time movement models to estimate range size and daily speeds and measured the distance travelled during extra-territorial movements. Finally, we conducted comparative analyses to evaluate differences between captive-born, wild translocated, and wild non-translocated individuals across phases, sex, age-class and populations. Most individuals in all groups established home ranges, supporting the reintroduction main goal. Yet, contrary to the species' natural pattern, captive-born subadults did not show intersexual home range size differences, which emerged after experiencing free-ranging, when becoming adults. More differences emerged for non-residential behaviours. Captive-born lynxes were more prone to post-release dispersal, to slower post-release movements and to having smaller transient residences, indicating cautious behaviour. Our study supports using captive-born individuals for reintroductions, while prioritizing wild individuals for reinforcements in highly competitive populations. Further, we suggest relevant metrics for planning translocations and connectivity management, and we demonstrate how an integrated ex-situ and reintroduction initiative can substantially contribute to restoring an endangered species' distribution range. [Display omitted] • Individual space-use behaviours shape population distributions. • As aimed, translocated wild and captive-born lynxes mostly established home ranges. • Captive subadults showed wild-like resident behaviour after free-range experience. • Captive-born lynxes showed post-release movements indicative of cautious behaviour. • Ex-situ conservation and translocations are effective to restore species ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age categories are related to perceptions and norms concerning appropriate behaviour, appearances, expectations, and so forth. In Sweden, municipal home care and residential care are commonly referred to as "elder care", primarily catering to individuals in their 80s or 90s. However, there is no set age limit reserving these services for an older age group. In intra-professional case conferences, care managers convene with colleagues to discuss care needs and eligibility for elder care services. Despite their significance, these conferences have received limited scholarly attention. The aim of this study was to analyse how care managers categorise persons based on age in intra-professional case conferences when discussing care needs and appropriate support to meet these needs. The study utilised data from 39 audio-recorded case conferences involving the discussion of 137 different cases, which were analysed using discourse analysis. Our findings showed that chronological age was frequently made relevant and applied in discussions about the appropriateness of usual elder care services. Four themes emerged, representing how the care managers implicitly and explicitly categorised clients of different chronological ages as typical/normal or atypical/deviant in these discussions: the "too young", the "not-so-old", the "old", and the "extraordinarily old". The findings contribute to research on ageing by demonstrating that, in an elder care context, being categorised as atypical/deviant (in terms of being younger) may be more beneficial than being seen as a normal or older elder care recipient. This underscores the importance of further research on the impact of informal age categorisations of clients on actual decisions about welfare services. • Care managers discuss clients' care needs and the appropriateness of elder care services in case conferences. • The appropriateness of elder care services was constructed in relation to clients' chronological age. • Clients' chronological age influences care managers' decision-making in case conferences. • Those considered as atypical elder care recipients by being younger than normal may have favourable access to services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

● Home monitoring of young people with CF is feasible but uptake is highly variable. ● Engaging adolescents in home monitoring could be challenging and further work is needed to engage this age group in home monitoring. ● Home monitoring does not affect depression, anxiety or quality of life. CF is traditionally assessed in clinic. It is unclear if home monitoring of young people with CF is feasible or acceptable. The COVID-19 pandemic has made home monitoring more of a necessity. We report the results of CLIMB-CF, exploring home monitoring's feasibility and potential obstacles. We designed a mobile app and enrolled participants with CF aged 2-17 years and their parents for six months. They were asked to complete a variety of measures either daily or twice a week. During the study, participants and their parents completed questionnaires exploring depression, anxiety and quality of life. At the end of the study parents and participants completed acceptability questionnaires. 148 participants were recruited, 4 withdrew prior to starting the study. 82 participants were female with median (IQR) age 7.9 (5.2-12 years). Median data completeness was 40.1% (13.6-69.9%) for the whole cohort; when assessed by age participants aged ≥ 12 years contributed significantly less (15.6% [9.8-30%]). Data completeness decreased over time. There was no significant difference between parental depression and anxiety scores at the start and the end of the study nor in CFQ-R respiratory domain scores for participants ≥ 14 years. The majority of participants did not feel the introduction of home monitoring impacted their daily lives. Most participants felt home monitoring did not negatively impact their lives and it did not increase depression, anxiety or decrease quality of life. However, uptake was variable, and not well sustained. The teenage years pose a particular challenge and further work is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with intellectual disabilities often need assistance of some kind in their everyday life. Support needs can increase the risk of their victimization at the hands of professional and family caregivers. This paper explores the differences in caregiver victimization between participants living in residential care settings and those who are not. A sample of 260 adults (59.2 % men) with an intellectual disability diagnosis were assessed using an adaptation of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire comparing prevalence, sum and variety scores. More than half of the sample (59.2 %) experienced some form of caregiver victimization throughout their lifetime, with physical abuse, verbal abuse, and neglect being the most frequently reported forms. Participants in residential care settings experienced significantly more caregiver victimization incidents and a broader range of victimization forms than their counterparts outside residential care. Significant differences were found based on the individuals' place of residence and gender. Details are provided on the last victimization incident, the perpetrator, the psychological and physical consequences of the victimization, and the reporting rates. This study outlines high rates of lifetime caregiver victimization, with those who live in residential care settings at particular risk. Further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of caregiver victimization and to prevent abuse in caregiving contexts. • Caregiver victimization is experienced by over half of the sample (59.2 %). • Most common victimizations include physical abuse, verbal abuse, and neglect, but few are reported to authorities (<10 %). • Those in residential care are at a higher risk of victimization at the hands of caregivers. • This study highlights the need for more research across settings and gender-specific approaches. • Prevention should involve safety in care environments and providing risk education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article generates new understandings of dementia through feminist posthumanist and performative engagements with co-creative artmaking practices during a six-month study in a residential care home in Norway. Dementia emerges within multisensorial entanglements of more-than-human materials in three different artmaking sessions, which first materialized in the form of collective photographs and vignettes and culminated in a final exhibition, Gleaming Moments , in the care home. Drawing on these photographs, vignettes, and the author's engagement as a research artist in the sessions, this analysis examined how dementia was enacted as a spark of inspiration, felted warm seat pads, and a friendly more-than-human touch, that is, a touch of human and nonhuman art materials. These findings suggest new ontologies of dementia within multisensorial artmaking practices, in which dementia functions as a material for co-creative artmaking rather than a disease. These findings disrupt dominant biomedical ontologies of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, as well as humanist person-centered practices in dementia care, which have concretized an individual, rather than relational, focus on dementia. In contrast, this study explores dementia as a phenomenon within the entanglements of human and nonhuman intra-active agencies. By highlighting the significance of these agencies (i.e., sponge holder-painting, wool-felting, choir-singing, chick-making) for different worlds-making with dementia, this study provides an entry point for imagining feminist posthumanist caring. Thus, dementia becomes a matter in life that is not to be managed and defeated to achieve successful aging, but to be interrogated and embraced. • Furthers feminist posthumanist engagements with the arts and dementia. • Expands feminist postqualitative methodologies into dementia studies. • Experiments with co-creativity and multisensoriality in a residential care home. • Suggests different dementia ontologies beyond loss and decline. • Moves towards posthumanist feminist caring to imagine creative aging with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children who grow up in residential care are at high risk for mental health problems. Existing studies have focused on negative mental health indicators and risk factors. There has been less emphasis on identifying protective factors, particularly those associated with positive mental health outcomes. This study explores positive and negative dimensions of mental health and their links to risk and protective factors in children who have experienced early adversity and trauma and have been placed in residential care. Children aged 11 to 18 (N = 264) were recruited from residential care homes in Luxembourg, a small, high-income European country. The children completed self-report questionnaires on mental health, perceived stress, school pressure, and participation. Residential care workers provided information on demographic factors, developmental and care history, and pre-care experiences of early adversity and trauma. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that subjective well-being, internalising problems, and externalising problems are separate yet interconnected components of mental health. Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes models showed that individual, contextual, and psychosocial predictors contribute differentially to positive and negative mental health outcomes. Using a national sample of children in residential care in Luxembourg, this research indicates that subjective well-being, internalising problems, and externalising problems are distinct but related aspects of mental health. 'Child participation' and 'school pressure' displayed strong links with positive mental health outcomes and may serve as a potential path for improving public health interventions for children in care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that exercise programs including balanced-based exercises are practical and beneficial for cognitively healthy older adults. However, there is limited evidence to determine if these types of training regimens are effective for individuals with dementia. We conducted a critical appraisal to determine if the addition of balance-based exercise programs, compared with usual care at residential homes, improved balance in adults diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia. Four databases were searched for randomized control trials implementing balanced-based exercise programs with individuals diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia. The articles were evaluated based on the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine level of evidence criteria and appraised using the PEDro scale. A comprehensive literature search revealed four studies relevant to the clinical question that fit the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All four studies indicated an improvement in balance following a weekly physical therapy program implementing balance-based exercises. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the use of physical therapy programs that include balance-based exercises, performed 1–2 times a week over the course of 12–25 weeks, improves balance in elderly adults with mild to moderate dementia. • Prolonged balance-based exercise programs improve balance scores in adults over 55 years with mild to moderate dementia. • Exercise programs are feasible to implement in long-term care and residential facilities. • It is inconclusive if exercise programs would be beneficial for participants with severe dementia or Alzheimer's Disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The terms NIMBY (Not-In-My-Back-Yard) and YIMBY (Yes-In-My-Back-Yard) describe negative and positive attitudes toward proposed development projects respectively. These attitudes are posited to be influenced by geographic (spatial) discounting wherein the distance from domicile may contribute to local opposition or support. In contrast to specific development projects, the potential influence of NIMBY/YIMBY in a general land use planning process has not been systematically evaluated. In this study, we analyzed empirical data from a public participation GIS (PPGIS) process implemented for a general plan revision to examine the evidence for geographic discounting for a range of land uses using mapped preferences by community residents. Using distance analysis, we found significant evidence for geographic discounting by land use type with variable discount rates influenced by location of residence and the spatial configuration of land use in the planning area represented by zoning. The findings were consistent with NIMBY/YIMBY expectations with the exception of residential development where the results were more ambiguous. Residents want future land uses with amenities (open space, recreation, and trails) closer to domicile and more intensive, developed land uses (commercial, tourism, events, parking) further away. The findings have potentially broad implications because general/comprehensive planning—a requirement of most local governments in the U.S.—is operationalized through land use zones that appear subject to spatial discounting and the manifestation of potential NIMBY/YIMBY effects in the planning process. Future research should examine other planning contexts such as large urban areas with a greater diversity of land uses. Highlights • Describes participatory mapping process for general land use planning. • Examines evidence for geographic (spatial) discounting by land use category. • Finds different spatial discount rates apply to different types of land use. • Spatial discounting influenced by location of residence and current land use. • Presents implications for general land use planning and zoning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aggressive/challenging behaviors (A/CB) are a major public health problem for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). A leading reason for psychiatric hospitalizations and incarcerations, such behaviors are costly to the health care system, agencies, and families. Social problem-solving (SPS) training programs for individuals with ID have had positive behavioral results, but most were conducted in clinical or forensic settings. None was a community-based preventive intervention, none examined whether the behaviors decreased in residential and work settings, and none addressed cost-effectiveness. In preliminary work, we modified an effective SPS training program (ADAPT: Attitude, Define, Alternatives, Predict, and Try out), using input from individuals with ID and residential staff, as a community-based preventive intervention that we delivered in group homes (STEPS: Steps to Effective Problem-solving). Individuals with ID have high rates of obesity, and our attention-control condition is a nutrition intervention: Food for Life. We describe the protocol for a randomized clinical trial to: (1) test the efficacy of the STEPS intervention for improving SPS skills and reducing A/CB compared to an attention-control nutrition intervention in group homes; (2) assess the mediating effect of residential staff SPS skills, group-home level SPS skills, and group cohesiveness on the improvement of SPS skills and reductions in A/CB; and (3) evaluate the cost-effectiveness of STEPS. We expect to show that STEPS is a preventive strategy to reduce A/CBs among individuals with ID and improve the cost-effectiveness of their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to develop a computer vision-based method to automatically detect aggressive behaviors among pigs. Ten repetitions of the same experiment were performed. In each of the experiment, 7 piglets were mixed from three litters in two pigpens and captured on video for a total of 6 h. From these videos, the first 3 h of video after mixing were recorded as a training set, and the 3 h of video after 24 h were recorded as a validation set. Connected area and adhesion index were used to locate aggressive pigs and to extract key frame sequences. The two pigs in aggression were regarded as a whole rectangle according to their characteristics of continuous and large-proportion adhesion. The acceleration feature was extracted by analyzing the displacement change of four sides of this rectangle between adjacent frames, and hierarchical clustering was used to calculate its threshold. Based on this feature, the recognition rules of medium and high aggression were designed. Testing 10 groups of pigs, the accuracy of recognizing medium aggression was 95.82% with a sensitivity of 90.57% and with a specificity of 96.95%, and the accuracy of recognizing high aggression was 97.04% with a sensitivity of 92.54% and with a specificity of 97.38%. These results indicate that the acceleration can be used to recognize pigs’ aggressive behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social interaction between animals may influence disease transmission paths. Therefore, the usage of real-time location systems gains in importance for livestock farms and research institutes as this technology helps to simultaneously obtain positions of a large number of animals and to evaluate them automatically. Thus, the aim of the project was to specify the accuracy of the real-time location system under practical conditions with regard to a possible future application. In practice, ear tags have proven their worth because pigs manipulate and therefore destroy other objects applied to them in the long term. Therefore, a real-time location system was used providing the sending unit integrated in an ear tag. Ear tags were tested in a sows’ gestation stall in static positions. Measuring took place for 5 min per static position, whereas data was transmitted once per second (1 Hz) which led to 300 data points per position. Metal pen equipment led to lost or noisy positions. On average, 9% of data losses occurred and were inserted for the following data evaluation. A Haar wavelet was applied to reduce the noise. Filter settings were rated with the help of an error size consisting of the Euclidean error and an error for the variance of the filtered signal. An optimal filter setting could be achieved when only the 29 largest coefficients for the X axis and 20 largest coefficients for the Y axis were kept while all others were set to 0. Additionally, a t -test was performed to test whether an averaged number of coefficients over all ear tags and an optimal individual filtering of each single ear tag resulted in a significantly different filter result. P-values of the t -test were 0.15 (X coordinate) and 0.18 (Y coordinate) and therefore not significant. Thus, an averaged filter setting can be applied to all ear tags. The median accuracy of measured data described as Euclidean distance was 2.7 m before filtering and improved to 2.0 m after filtering. Considering the results of this system investigation, it shows that the system may be helpful for ensuing studies regarding e.g. animal behaviour, movement profiles, or social networks to uncover possible transmission paths for diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging profoundly affects people's visual functions, and older persons generally show a declination of visual abilities. The indoor visual environment (IVE) in residential care homes (RCHs) is vital to ensure the visual-related physical health of older people (i.e., general vision, functional vision, visual acuity, physical discomfort, and injuries). The IVE, including opening design, interior design, and lighting conditions components, should be designed to satisfy older people's special visual needs. Hence, this study aims to investigate the effects of older people's subjective perceptions of the IVE on their visual-related physical health. In total, 197 questionnaires were collected from older persons living in RCHs. The integrated IVE–Visual-related Physical Health model was established based on multiple statistical methods for older residents in RCHs. The model revealed that the view out, window, corridors, furniture locations, curtains or louvers, handrails, and light level significantly affected the visual-related physical health of older people. Practical recommendations were proposed, including beds and seats near the windows with beautiful scenery, corridors with night lights and unblocked vision, automatic curtains with light sensors, handrails with a high color contrast with the background walls, minimum 200lx ambient lighting, etc. This study's findings provide valuable insight into enhancing the IVE in RCHs for older people's visual-related physical health. • Visual-related physical health and indoor visual environment (IVE) factors are identified. • Three opening design factors predict their visual-related physical health. • Three interior design factors positively affect their visual-related physical health. • One lighting condition factor positively influences their visual-related physical health. • An IVE–Visual-related Physical Health model for older people is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential demand response (DR) programs are designed to reduce peak load from residential homes. It is essential for utilities to identify how much peak load could be potentially reduced from DR to optimally plan and operate the power system. However, it is extremely challenging to identify such a maximum load reduction, i.e., demand flexibility, offered by DR for a large group of residential homes due to the difficulties in modeling the willingness of customers to participate in DR programs and diverse loads in households. The willingness is also related to the incentives; a higher incentive can obviously attract more customers to participate. Targeting these problems, this paper provides an electricity cost minimization model for residential homes. DR incentives and customer willingness to respond to incentives are modeled to identify the realistic maximum demand flexibility. A case study using actual data from 98 homes at the Pecan Street microgrid database shows 9.7% of the controllable peak load (43 kW) can be reduced when the DR incentive is half of the peak electricity tariff. This demand flexibility increases to 66 kW, accounting for 14.9% of the controllable peak loads, when the incentive increases to twice of the peak tariff. • Customers' willingness is formulated to find the demand flexibility in DR programs. • The impacts of electricity tariffs and incentives on DR programs are explored. • Up to 14.5% of controllable peak load reduction with $0.59/per day cost savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affiliation has a positive role on well-being and human development. Most children and youth living in residential youth care (RYC) experienced maltreatment from significant others, becoming a particularly vulnerable group. Their complex needs require well trained caregivers who help them to heal and thrive. This cluster randomized trial sought to test the Compassionate Mind Training program for Caregivers (CMT- Care Homes) effectiveness on affiliative outcomes across time. A sample of 127 professional caregivers and 154 youth from 12 Portuguese residential care homes (RCH) participated on this study. RCHs were randomized to treatment (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups. Caregivers and youth completed self-report measures at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up on social safeness and emotional climate. Caregivers were also evaluated on compassion outcomes. MANCOVA indicated large multivariate time X group effects. Univariate results suggested that caregivers from the treatment group showed improvements in compassion towards others and in self-compassion across time, while the control group gradually deteriorated in both variables. Youth and caregivers from the treatment group noticed a more soothing and safer RCH emotional climate, as well as feeling safer within relationships. At 6-month follow-up, improvements were retained by caregivers, but not by youth. The CMT- Care Homes brings a new model to RYC, that represents a promising approach in promoting safe relationships and affiliative environments in RCHs. Supervision should be provided to monitor care practices and sustain change across time. • A Compassionate Mind Training program was developed for caregivers. • A cluster randomized trial was conducted to test its effectiveness. • Improvements on compassion outcomes were found across time for caregivers. • Youth and caregivers reported improvements on social safeness after the program. • A safer emotional climate in residential care was reported by youth and caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional wastewater treatment systems are not designed to remove pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater. These compounds can be degraded into many other transformation products which are hardly, if at all, studied. In this context, we studied the occurrence and degradation of furosemide, a very frequently detected diuretic, along with its known degradation products in several types of wastewater. Influent and effluent from the Seine-Centre Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) (Paris, France) as well as outlet of residential care homes (Dordogne, France) were analyzed by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) to quantify furosemide and its known degradation products, saluamine and pyridinium of furosemide. Oxidation experiments (chlorination, ozonation and UV photolysis with hydrogen peroxide) were then performed on furosemide solutions and on water from residential care facilities to study the degradation of furosemide by potential advanced processes, and also to identify unknown oxidation products by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Furosemide was well degraded in Seine-Centre WWTP (>75%) but did not increase the concentrations of its main degradation products. Saluamine and pyridinium of furosemide were already present at similar concentrations to furosemide in the raw wastewater (∼2.5–3.5 μg.L−1), and their removal in the WWTPs were very high (>80%). Despite their removal, the three compounds remained present in treated wastewater effluents at concentrations of hundreds of nanograms per liter. Chlorination degraded furosemide without pyridinium production unlike the other two processes. Chlorination and ozonation were also effective for the removal of furosemide and pyridinium in residential care home water, but they resulted in the production of saluamine. To our knowledge this is the first evidence of saluamine and pyridinium of furosemide in real water samples in either the particulate or dissolved phase. [Display omitted] • Pyridinium of furosemide and saluamine were quantified for the first time in wastewater samples. • Seine-Centre WWTP shows a good removal of furosemide and its degradation products. • Ozonation and chlorination completely degrade furosemide but may produce saluamine. • New chlorination and UV/H 2 O 2 degradation products of furosemide were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For laying hens, the immediate aftermath and healing period of a keel fracture (KF) is characterized by reduced ability to perform species-specific behavior, access resources, and pain. However, the longer-term impacts, once the fracture is completely healed, are less clear. As well as acute pain and behavioral changes, a negative experience can shape future responses to putatively threatening stimuli, raising future fear, and anxiety levels during husbandry-related events. We aimed to determine whether hens that had previously sustained keel bone fractures, but were now outside of the peak age range for new fractures, showed higher fear and anxiety levels compared to intact hens. We also determined if healed keel bone fractures were associated with reduced production, changes in behavior and resource use. One hundred and fifty hens with a palpation score of 1 ("KF") and 150 hens with a palpation score of 0 (keel fracture free, " KFF ") were selected from a commercial farm at 63 wk of age and housed in 6 groups (3 × KF and 3 × KFF). We compared production (hen weight and feed consumption, egg quantity, quality and weight, floor eggs, shell thickness, and weight) and home pen behavior (behaviors and transitional movements) in both groups. Finally, we measured the responses of KF (n = 75) and KFF (n = 75) during tonic immobility, novel arena, and novel object tests. KF and KFF hens did not differ in their responses to the tonic immobility, novel arena, and novel object tests, nor were there differences between the 2 groups in home pen behavior and transitional movements. KFF birds were lighter and laid eggs with less eggshell membrane compared KF birds, but no differences were found between KF and KFF in any other production measures. We found no evidence that healed KFs were associated with detrimental welfare effects in laying hens, but further work is required to determine the mechanisms and implications of the lower body weight and egg shell membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of attachment styles has been shown to differ between groups of children living with their parents and children placed in alternative care (AC), defined as residential or foster. However, this is the first study in Latin America to explore possible factors affecting the quality of attachment in children living in both residential and foster care. Two groups of children (N = 57) were compared: one group living in Residential Homes (RC) and the other in Foster Care (FC) in Chile. Children’s, caregivers’ and structural factors (e.g., child: caregiver ratios) and their links with attachment styles were investigated. The micro caregiving environment (i.e., the specific individual child caregiver relationship), especially the caregivers’ engagement, sensitivity, disciplinary control and affection, as well as some structural factors (i.e., child: caregiver ratios), were linked to attachment security in children. Specifically, better emotional caregiving and lower child-caregiver ratios were associated with higher rates of secure attachment. The association between quality of care (as measured by the HOME inventory) and attachment styles seems to be influenced by caregiver relationships (as measured by CCSERSS). Caregiver relationship factors (i.e., affection, engagement and sensitivity) directly impact the quality of the attachment children establish with them while living in AC. However, the relationships that caregivers establish with children under their care can be facilitated by good quality structural factors, particularly child-caregiver ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This pilot project was designed to develop procedures for and test the feasibility of implementing Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) in a group home environment, with a goal of maximizing treatment efficacy by augmenting social engagement in group CET sessions with ongoing social interaction. Methods Six participants who met criteria including chronic schizophrenia were recruited in a group home with 30 residents. After two months of CET, pre-and posttest measures, including cognitive tests, were administered and qualitative interviews were conducted periodically. Interaction was observed in the house and staff members were interviewed in a focus group. Results Five of the initial six participants completed the intervention—which continued for a total of 45 weeks—engaging in weekly group CET sessions and computer exercises outside of the formal sessions. All participants liked the computer exercises, and all but one participated in and reported enjoying the group exercises. Observations and staff comments indicated increased social interaction and sustained impact for some residents. Some aspects of cognitive functioning improved for some participants during the initial two months. Conclusions CET now needs to be tested more formally to determine if it can be delivered successfully in other group homes with a manualized procedure. The idea should be tested that feedback effects due to the sustained social contact may enhance the effectiveness of CET in group homes and lead to larger, sustained gains in community functioning. Clinicians who provide cognitive interventions should focus attention on the social context in which treatment is delivered and consider providing treatment to patient groups whose daily, ongoing social interaction can enhance its effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with decreased psychomotor vigilance (hereafter "vigilance") in clinical settings, but this association has yet to be confirmed in the general population. The aim of this study is to determine the associations between SDB and vigilance in a large sample of community-based participants.Methods: The study sample consisted of 1508 community-dwelling Japanese persons (age: 30-79 years, women: 62.7%, mean body mass index [BMI]: 23.1 kg/m2). Vigilance was measured by the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), and SDB was measured by overnight pulse oximetry. We investigated odds ratios for "high mean reaction time (RT)" and "high number of lapses," which we defined as the 75th percentile of each value, across categories of oximetry values (three percent oxygen desaturation index [ODI], 4% ODI, average oxygen saturation, minimum oxygen saturation).Results: Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios of high mean RT and high number of lapses in severe SDB (3% ODI ≥ 30.0 events/h) were 3.0 (95% confidence interval: 1.0-8.9; P for trend = 0.03) and 3.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.2-9.2, P for trend = 0.03), respectively, compared to participants without SDB. Similar associations were observed between PVT metrics and four percent ODI. No significant associations between average oxygen saturation and PVT metrics were observed. Minimum oxygen saturation was significantly associated with the trend of high number of lapses (P for trend = 0.007), but not with high mean RT.Conclusions: The present study provides evidence that the intermittent hypoxia in SDB is significantly associated with the deterioration of PVT outcome metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with serious mental illness (SMI) and intellectual disabilities and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) living in group homes (GHs) and residential staff are at higher risk for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death compared with the general population. We describe a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized trial to assess evidence-based infection prevention practices to prevent COVID-19 for residents with SMI or ID/DD and the staff in GHs. The trial will use a cluster randomized design in 400 state-funded GHs in Massachusetts for adults with SMI or ID/DD to compare effectiveness and implementation of "Tailored Best Practices" (TBP) consisting of evidence-based COVID-19 infection prevention practices adapted for residents with SMI and ID/DD and GH staff; to "General Best Practices" (GBP), consisting of required standard of care reflecting state and federal standard general guidelines for COVID-19 prevention in GHs. External (i.e., community-based research staff) and internal (i.e., GH staff leadership) personnel will facilitate implementation of TBP. The primary effectiveness outcome is incident SARS-CoV-2 infection and secondary effectiveness outcomes include COVID-19-related hospitalizations and mortality in GHs. The primary implementation outcomes are fidelity to TBP and rates of COVID-19 vaccination. Secondary implementation outcomes are adoption, adaptation, reach, and maintenance. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, and 15-months post-randomization. This study will advance knowledge on comparative effectiveness and implementation of two different strategies to prevent COVID-19-related infection, morbidity, and mortality and promote fidelity and adoption of these interventions in high-risk GHs for residents with SMI or ID/DD and staff. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04726371. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many people with intellectual disabilities (ID) living in community-based residences have been found to have unhealthy diet and weight disturbances. In Norway, a majority of people with ID live in such residences.Aims: The aim of the study was to examine factors affecting the caregivers' opportunity to promote a healthy diet among the residents.Methods and Procedures: A concept mapping methodology was adopted, including group-based brainstorming, idea synthesising, sorting, rating and analysis of the results. Informants were caregivers in four different community residences for people with mild to moderate ID in the southeast of Norway. A total of 13 informants were recruited (12 females and 1 male), and 10 informants completed two sessions.Results: Eight clusters were identified as affecting the caregivers' ability to promote a healthy diet: "Availability and accessibility", "Guidance and autonomy", "Competence among staff", "Planning and involvement", "Customization", "External conditions affecting staff", "Legislation, rules and structure" and "Everyday challenges", each including both barriers and facilitators.Conclusions and Implications: Multiple factors affect the caregivers' ability to promote a healthy diet. Caregivers' opportunity to promote a healthy diet is complex. Availability and accessibility of healthy food is crucial, but a healthy diet also requires time and competence among the caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Youth living in group home settings are at significantly greater risk for sexual risk behaviors; however, there are no sexual health programs designed specifically for these youth. The study's purpose was to assess the effectiveness of a teen pregnancy-prevention program for youth living in group home foster care settings and other out-of-home placements. Methods The study design was a cluster randomized controlled trial involving youth (N = 1,037) recruited from 44 residential group homes located in California, Maryland, and Oklahoma. Within each state, youth (mean age = 16.2 years; 82% male; 37% Hispanic, 20% African-American, 20% white, and 17% multiracial) in half the group homes were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 40 clusters) and the other half were randomly assigned to a control group that offered “usual care” (n = 40 clusters). The intervention (i.e., Power Through Choices [PTC]) was a 10-session, age-appropriate, and medically accurate sexual health education program. Results Compared to the control group, youth in the PTC intervention showed significantly greater improvements ( p < .05) from preintervention to postintervention in all three knowledge areas, one of two attitude areas, all three self-efficacy areas, and two of three behavioral intention areas. Conclusions This is the first published randomized controlled trial of a teen pregnancy-prevention program designed for youth living in foster care settings and other out-of-home placements. The numerous significant improvements in short-term outcomes are encouraging and provide preliminary evidence that the PTC program is an effective pregnancy-prevention program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the process of older adults' place personalization and the image of old age emerging from it. The focus is on the material environment where participants live. This environment reveals one of the many layers of becoming an older adult. Results indicate that older people are strongly integrated into the place in which they live, and the components of this process are presented. The dwelling place echoes the acquired identity of an older person in many dimensions—physical, biographical, aesthetic, and axiological. Following main themes were generated inductively from the data, which reveals two aspects of place: the structural aspect, relating to the objects gathered – (personal belongings, aestheticization of place with objects of biographical significance, objects pointing to values), and the agency aspect, relating to the characteristic activities that older adults engage in where they live (place adaptation, command center, and customization of objects and actions). The context of the current discussion is the knowledge provided by environmental gerontology and an identity perspective on both collective and individual aspects of housing. The study was based on qualitative data—photographs of the interiors of older adult's dwellings and transcripts of conversations obtained using the photowalking technique. The analysis and interpretation of the research material was performed in accordance with visual grounded theory methodology. Findings can be used to design an environment for older adults, which may improve their quality of life. It is crucial when designing rooms in residential care homes and when sensitizing their staff to the need to provide residents with appropriate space for accumulating, storing, and displaying familiar and important objects rooted in their values, biographies, and established rituals. • Living in a particular place is a process leading from place decoration to its personalization. • The process of dwelling is an exemplification of a person's identity. • The knowledge of the place personalization process helps design an environment for older adults. • The recommended technique for capturing the place personalization process is a mobile visual technique called photowalking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Call-bells are often taken-for-granted systems to heighten safety. In joint discussions among residential care home (RCH) residents, their family members, and staff, issues related to call-bell use in everyday life and work were repeatedly raised. In this article, we explore these experience-based perspectives, addressing several key questions important for call-bell use and communication. We inductively analyzed a series of individual interviews and group discussions with 44 individuals at two units of the same Swedish RCH, conducted as part of a participatory action research project to strengthen supportive end-of-life environments. While the call-bell was a central part of RCH communication, we found: fragmented understanding about how the call bell functioned among all participants; many residents lacked the physical and cognitive competencies demanded for call-bell use; tensions between use of the call-bell for social/existential communication versus purely discrete tasks; and that a call-bell system assuming room-bound residents exacerbated issues related to varied response times, lack of feedback mechanisms, and pressured work situations. Investigation of the call-bell system provides an empirical example of how complex relationships among stakeholders are played out in concrete situations. Tensions between different logics of care, and between clock and embodied time become evident. • Call-bells are often taken-for-granted systems to heighten safety. • Call-bells play a central part of communication in residential care homes. • Residents recognized a hierarchy of needs in responses to call-bell. • Conflicting logics between clock and embodied time became evident. • Technology needs to be adaptable to meet varied stakeholders needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social safeness has been proposed as the individual's perception of the social world as being warmth and soothing. The lack of social safeness has been suggested as a transdiagnostic socio-emotional vulnerability for several mental health difficulties. To date there was no study addressing experiences of social safeness in adolescents. To validate and study the psychometric properties of the Social Safeness and Pleasure Scale to Portuguese adolescents from community and residential care homes. A total of 731 Portuguese adolescents from community and residential youth care homes participated on this study. The community sample was composed of adolescents recruited from regular schools (208 boys; 224 girls). The residential youth care sample was composed of adolescents placed in residential care homes (145 boys; 154 girls). A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and measurement invariance investigated. A one-factor solution presented a good fit across all samples and proved to be invariant (configural, metric, scalar and strict measurement invariance). Moreover, internal consistency values were excellent for all samples (α > 0.93) and evidence for construct validity in relation to external variables was found. Means comparisons revealed significant differences between all tested groups. Community adolescents reported higher social safeness in comparison to the adolescents placed in residential care. Within both samples, boys scored higher in the SSPS-A when compared to girls. These findings provide evidence on the SSPS-A validity and its use across diverse adolescent samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of Axis I psychiatric diagnosis and maltreatment history were explored among youth in group homes, including match of clinical need to level or restrictiveness of care. Data on demographics, diagnoses, maltreatment, and group home level of care (Level I, II, or III homes, representing lower to higher intensity of supervision and treatment) were obtained from 523 youth who participated in a quasi-experimental study of group homes. Three quarters of youth had a diagnosis and two-thirds of youth had a maltreatment history. Youth in higher level homes had more diagnoses and higher rates of all disorders except adjustment disorders. Youth in Level I homes had a history of more maltreatment types, particularly high rates of neglect. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse were most common among youth in higher level homes. Regardless of diagnosis history, comparable proportions of youth had a maltreatment history, and similar patterns were found across levels of care. Together, findings indicate that group homes with varying degrees of restrictiveness serve youth with different psychiatric diagnosis and maltreatment histories. Youth triaged to higher level homes had more diagnoses, while youth placed in the least restrictive homes had a history of more maltreatment subtypes. Further, distinct patterns of diagnosis types and maltreatment subtypes were seen across homes. Implications include the importance of assessing unique clinical needs of youth to promote an appropriate match to level of care and treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple studies of homeless persons report an increased prevalence of a history in-care, but there is a dearth of information on associated outcomes or relevant demographic profiles. This information is critical to understanding if certain individuals are at elevated risk or might benefit from specific intervention. Here, we investigate how a history in-care relates to demographics and multiple outcome measures in a homeless population with mental illness. Using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), the Short-Form 12, and a trauma questionnaire, we investigated baseline differences in demographics and length of homelessness in the At Home/Chez Soi Trial ( N = 504) Winnipeg homeless population with and without a history in-care. Approximately 50% of the homeless sample reported a history in-care. This group was significantly more likely to be young, female, married or cohabitating, of Aboriginal heritage, have less education, and have longer lifetime homelessness. Individuals of Aboriginal heritage with a history in-care were significantly more likely to report a familial history of residential school. Individuals with a history in-care experienced different prevalence rates of Axis 1 mental disorders. Those with a history in-care also reported significantly more traumatic events (particularly interpersonal). A distinctive high-risk profile emerged for individuals with a history in-care. Sociocultural factors of colonization and intergenerational transmission of trauma appear to be particularly relevant in the trajectories for individuals of Aboriginal heritage. Given the high prevalence of a history in-care, interventions and policy should reflect the specific vulnerability of this population, particularly in regards to trauma-informed services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remaining cohesive on the move can be beneficial for animal groups. As such, animal groups have evolved coordination mechanisms such as leadership to resolve navigational conflicts of interest. Consistent "leaders" may have an intrinsic advantage over "followers" which compromise on their preferred route to retain cohesion, which highlights the question of the inter-individual variation (phenotype) that can predict leadership. Studies in both birds and fish have revealed that intrinsically faster individuals can lead movements, and leading movements propagate from the front edge of the flock/shoal. However, these experiments are generally conducted in relatively "familiar" environments, where the degree of compromise between the "leaders" and "followers" is low. We suggested that inter-individual differences in route efficiency, while not explanatory of leadership from familiar locations, may emerge as predictors of leadership from unfamiliar locations. We tested this prediction – and the potential impact of multiple other behavioral, morphological and "in-flight" phenotypes on leadership – using two groups of homing pigeons (Columba livia) (N = 16), a classic model species of leadership. We recorded N = 966 unique GPS trajectories from birds in (i) solo and familiar, and (ii) solo and unfamiliar contexts to measure solo speed and solo route efficiency; and (iii) group and familiar, and (iv) group and unfamiliar contexts to assess group leadership. Pigeon leadership hierarchies were similar across environmental context (i.e., familiarity). However, we found that no covariates could consistently predict leadership score in either context. • We evaluated the relationship between personality, dominance and morphology, and leadership consistency in homing pigeons. • We flew homing pigeon flocks over familiar (flown numerous times) and unfamiliar (never been released there before) routes, to determine if different behavioral phenotypic traits favored leadership under the two contexts. • None of the measured traits consistently predicted leadership, in either the familiar or unfamiliar scenario. • Leadership was consistent between the unfamiliar and familiar routes, suggesting leadership is not context dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute gastroenteritis is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, affecting mainly children, the immunocompromised and elderly people. Enteric viruses, especially rotavirus A, are considered important etiological agents, while long-term care facilities are considered favorable environments for the occurrence of sporadic cases and outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis. Therefore, it is important to monitor the viral agents present in nursing homes, especially because studies involving the elderly population in Brazil are scarce, resulting in a lack of available virological data. As a result, the causative agent remains unidentified in a large number of reported acute gastroenteritis cases. However, the advent of next-generation sequencing provides new opportunities for viral detection and discovery. The aim of this study was to identify the viruses that circulate among elderly people with and without acute gastroenteritis, living in residential care homes in Belém, Pará, Brazil, between 2017 and 2019. Ninety-three samples were collected and screened by immunochromatography and qPCR. After, the samples were analyzed individually or in pools by next generation sequencing to identify the viruses circulating in this population. In 26 sequenced samples, members of 13 eukaryotic virus families were identified. The most abundantly present virus families were Parvoviridae , Genomoviridae and Smacoviridae. Contigs displaying similarity to pegiviruses were also detected. Furthermore, a near-complete rotavirus A genome was obtained and could be classified as G3P[8] genotype with the equine DS-1-like genetic background. Complete sequences of the VP4 and VP7 genes of a rotavirus C were also detected, belonging to G4P[2]. This study demonstrates the first characterization of the gastrointestinal virome in elderly in Northern Brazil. A diversity of viruses was found to be present in patients with and without diarrhea, reinforcing the need to monitor elderly people residing in long-term care facilities, especially in cases of acute gastroenteritis. • Diverse population of eukaryotic viruses in fecal samples of elderly people living in residential care homes. • Detection of a rotavirus A G3P[8] strain belonging to the equine like G3-lineage • First detection of a rotavirus C G4P[2] strain in samples of institutionalized patients with gastroenteritis • Detection of viruses belonging to the Parvoviridae , Genomoviridae and Smacoviridae families [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The self-transcendence values are associated with a positive attitude toward community living. [•] The power values contradict a positive attitude toward community living. [•] The self-transcendence values are associated with a lower level of burnout. [•] The power values are associated with a higher level of burnout. [•] A positive attitude toward community living is associated with a lower level of burnout. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Compassion plays a significant role in caregiving and its benefits have been largely reported in different settings. Nonetheless, compassion-based interventions have not yet been delivered to Residential Youth Care (RYC) staff. This study presents early findings of a Cluster Randomized Trial on the efficacy of a Compassionate Mind Training program for caregivers of RYC (CMT-Care Homes) following CONSORT guidelines. Participants were 85 caregivers (89.4% female), aged between 25 and 62 years old, working on a regular basis with adolescents in RYC. Eleven Portuguese residential care homes for at-risk adolescents were selected and randomly allocated to the treatment (n = 5) or control (n = 6) conditions. Caregivers were assessed at pre- and post-intervention (n = 41 treatment, n = 44 control) through self-report scales on compassion and emotional climate related outcomes. To investigate CMT-Care Homes effects, a two-factor mixed MANOVA was performed. Multivariate tests showed a significant and large Time × Group interaction effect (Pillais' trace = 0.291, F = 2.719, p =.005, η p 2 = 0.291). Univariate tests indicated significant and positive effects in compassion and fears of compassion (low and medium effect sizes), as well as in soothing related emotions (emotional climate) and social safeness (both with medium effect sizes), in favor of the treatment group. Findings offer preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of the CMT-Care Homes program, suggesting that this training allows the development of an affiliative mentality in caregivers working within RYC settings. • A Compassionate Mind Training program was developed for caregivers. • The program aims to cultivate an affiliative mentality in residential youth care. • Findings offer preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of the new program. • The program has potential for increasing compassion and affiliative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: Prompted by calls to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) into residential care settings (RCS), this review addresses three questions: (1) Which EBPs have been tested with children and youth within the context of RCS? (2) What is the evidence for their effectiveness within such settings? (3) What implementation issues arise when transporting EBPs into RCS? Methods: Evidence-based psychosocial interventions and respective outcome studies, published from 1990 to 2012, were identified through a multi-phase search process, involving the review of four major clearinghouse websites and relevant electronic databases. To be included, effectiveness had to have been previously established through a comparison group design regardless of the setting, and interventions tested subsequently with youth in RCS. All outcome studies were evaluated for quality and bias using a structured appraisal tool. Results: Ten interventions matching a priori criteria were identified: Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach, Aggression Replacement Training, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Ecologically-Based Family Therapy, Eye Movement and Desensitization Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Multimodal Substance Abuse Prevention, Residential Student Assistance Program, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Trauma Intervention Program for Adjudicated and At-Risk Youth. Interventions were tested in 13 studies, which were conducted in different types of RCS, using a variety of study methods. Outcomes were generally positive, establishing the relative effectiveness of the interventions with youth in RCS across a range of psychosocial outcomes. However, concerns about methodological bias and confounding factors remain. Most studies addressed implementation issues, reporting on treatment adaptations, training and supervision, treatment fidelity and implementation barriers. Conclusion: The review unearthed a small but important body of knowledge that demonstrates that EBPs can be implemented in RCS with encouraging results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Therapeutic alliance has been frequently studied in individual counseling sessions; however, research on therapeutic alliance in residential settings for youth with mental health diagnoses has been limited. This may be due, in part, to the presence of multiple service providers often in caregiving roles. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric quality of a widely utilized measure of therapeutic alliance used in psychotherapy with youth in residential care where the treatment is provided by a trained married couple. We also compared the relationship between youth ratings of their male and female service providers, as well as examined correlations in ratings between youth and staff on therapeutic alliance. Finally, we investigated the direction, magnitude, and trajectory of change in therapeutic alliance over a 12-month period following admission into residential care. The method was a longitudinal assessment of 135 youth and 124 staff regarding therapeutic alliance over the course of 12months or discharge from services. Results indicated strong psychometric properties and high correlations for youth ratings of both their male and female service providers. However, the correlation was low between youth and service provider ratings of alliance. Longitudinal analyses indicated that rates of therapeutic alliance changed over time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of basic forms of sleep disturbance (DIS: difficulty initiating sleep; DMS: difficulty maintaining sleep; and EMA: early morning awakening) as well as insomnia (defined as sleep disturbance accompanied by distress or daily functioning impairment), their socio-demographic and clinical correlates, and the treatment patterns in young Chinese rural people. A sample of 1642 subjects was recruited in Mianyang and interviewed using standardized instruments. Basic socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. The prevalence of at least one type of reported sleep disturbance was 8.0%, while the prevalence of at least one type of insomnia was 2.7%. In multivariate analyses, age between 30 and 34 years, having psychiatric disorders, poorer physical domain of quality of life (QOL), better social QOL domain, depressive symptoms and lower social support were independently associated with more frequent sleep disturbance. At the same time, age between 30 and 34 years, female sex, poorer physical QOL domain, better social QOL domain, depressive symptoms, lower life satisfaction, lower social support and more life events were independently associated with more frequent insomnia. Self-reported sleep disturbances are common among young Chinese residents. The low percentage of treated community residents might suggest a need to promote accessible and easily implemented interventions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A meta-analysis of 27 controlled studies, including 17,038 youth, was conducted to examine the effectiveness of institutional youth care over the past three decades. We compared institutional evidence-based treatment (EBT) with non-institutional EBT, institutional care as usual (CAU) with non-institutional CAU, institutional CAU with non-institutional EBT, and institutional EBT with institutional CAU. Only the last comparison yielded a significant and small-to-medium effect (d =.36), which not only shows that institutional youth care can be equally effective as non-institutional youth care, but also demonstrates that it seems more effective to provide youth with EBT during their stay in the institution. Furthermore, moderator analyses indicated that only cognitive behavior therapy showed a significant and medium effect (d =.50), whereas (social) skills training and care as usual showed no effect. Age, gender, type of outcome measure (delinquency, skills, problem behavior, and overall problems) and study design characteristics (randomized, matched or non-matched controls) did not influence the results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the use of natural areas, particularly regions in the very early stage of tourism development, specifically to determine how, by taking local residents’ perception of tourism into consideration from the initial stages of development, residents can then be divided into groups with different characteristics, allowing for a better grasp of influencing variables and contributing to the development of different strategies for the different groups. This could be conducive the development of sustainable ecotourism and could aid in avoiding some of the more negative impacts of tourism development. This study takes China''s Tiantangzhai scenic area as an example, using the stratified sampling method and multinominal logistic regression model to classify groups of residents based on their perception of tourism, and identifies key factors [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Through the meticulous analysis, the paper finds that: the interest comparison reason, participation method restriction, shortage of the community belonging sense, imperfect mechanism of the interest expression and mal-development of the resident''s social organization are the principle bottleneck of the participation of the community residents. For those reasons, the paper proposes the countermeasures including to strengthen the communization of the resident''s interest, enhance the initiative of the resident''s participation, improve the participation ability of the residents in the community; cultivate the community belonging sense of the residents, perfect the social organization of the residents in the whole community, make smooth for the interest expression channel; enhance the response degree of the community participation and improve the institutional participation sense, etc. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Purpose: To determine the prevalence of some major mental disorders among adolescents living in a residential group home and the distribution of these disorders by gender. Method: The participants included 183 adolescents (13–17years old) living in residential group homes of the Child Welfare System in the county of Bouches-du-Rhône (South of France). A structured psychiatric Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children was used to assess the existence of Anxiety Disorder (AD), Major Depression (MD), Conduct Disorder (CD), Eating Disorder (ED), Enuresia (En), Psychosis Screen (PS) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among the study participants over the six-month period before the assessment was taken. The existence of Suicide Attempts (SA) during the lifetime of each child was also assessed. Results: Of the youths qualified, 48.6% as having at least one psychiatric disorder during the last six months (AD: 28.4%; CD: 15.3%; MD: 14.8%; PS: 18.6%; ADHD: 3.8%), and SA have been reported in 23% of them. Females were more affected than boys (p<0.001) with 64.9% having at least one disorder compared to 36.8% of boys; AD: 49.3% vs. 13.2%; and MD: 27.3% vs. 5.6%. Conclusion: Adolescents living in residential group homes of the Child Welfare System in France have notably high rates of mental disorder (about three times more than those of the general population of the same age), similar to the patterns found in adolescents in North America and Europe. These data are the first of their kind in France and will guide necessary changes to the child welfare system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents findings from a structured review of treatment models that are relevant to group care and residential treatment settings for children involved with the child welfare system. Initiated and guided by The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare, five treatment models — Positive Peer Culture, Teaching Family Model, Sanctuary Model, Stop-Gap Model, and Re-ED — were reviewed for effectiveness. In this paper, each model''s treatment features are described and relevant outcome studies reviewed in terms of their effectiveness as well as relevance for child welfare practice. Findings indicate that four of the models are either supported or promising in terms of evidence for effectiveness. Implications for group care practice and research are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Child specific recruitment efforts are designed to facilitate permanent placements for children in foster care by finding them potential adoptive families among people already known to the child. This process relies heavily on gathering thorough and accurate information about prospective families, and much of this information is often contained in families’ home study assessments. Yet, little is known in the research literature about the way that home studies operate in conjunction with the recruitment of adoptive families. The purpose of this study is to explore how home studies are perceived and used in the context of child specific recruitment. Findings suggest that home studies perform best in gathering general family information, but poorly in capturing sensitive information, which may be one of the most critical dimensions to capture. These findings highlight important practice changes needed in current adoption practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the effect of outcome expectation for exercise (OEE), helplessness, and literacy on arthritis outcomes in 2 community-based lifestyle randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in urban and rural communities with older adults with arthritis. Methods: Data from 391 participants in 2 RCTs were combined to examine associations of 2 psychosocial variables: helplessness and OEE, and literacy with arthritis outcomes. Arthritis outcomes namely, the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and arthritis symptoms pain, fatigue and stiffness Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), were measured at baseline and at the end of the interventions. Complete baseline and post-intervention data were analyzed using STATA version 9. Results: Disability after intervention was not predicted by helplessness, literacy, or OEE in the adjusted model. Arthritis symptoms after the intervention were all significantly predicted by helplessness at various magnitudes in adjusted models, but OEE and literacy were not significant predictors. Conclusion: When literacy, helplessness, and OEE were examined as predictors of arthritis outcomes in intervention trials, they did not predict disability. However, helplessness predicted symptoms of pain, fatigue, and stiffness, but literacy did not predict symptoms. Practice implications: Future sustainable interventions may include self-management components that address decreasing helplessness to improve arthritis outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The main purpose of this study is to provide a national catalog of preference-based utility weights associated with major chronic diseases in Korea. Methods: The 2005 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was used to get EQ-5D scores for 27 major chronic diseases. The independent detrimental effect of each chronic disease was estimated using a censored least absolute deviations regression. Results: The respondents (60.5%) rated their health as perfect or 11111 on the EQ-5D scale showing ceiling effect. Stroke (0.5067∼0.5756) was the condition of the lowest EQ-5D utility weight and was followed by renal failure (0.6637∼0.7739), angina pectoris (0.7325∼0.8364), and arthritis (0.7621∼0.8644). The marginal impact of each chronic disease after adjusting for age, sex, education, income, marital status, and the number of comorbid conditions was largest in stroke, arthritis, cancer, renal failure, and herniated disc. Conclusion: This study provided a nationally representative catalog of utility weights for major chronic diseases in Korea. The three most burdensome chronic diseases among Korean adults based on the regression analysis were stroke, arthritis, and cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Research documents that adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) living in the community experience nutritional deficits, inadequate diets, and poor nutritional status. Objective: We developed a nutrition intervention that was targeted at improving the food systems in group homes for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, called MENU-AIDDs (Materials Supporting Education and Nutrition for Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities). Methods: MENU-AIDDs was implemented for 8 and 16weeks in four community-based group homes for adults with IDD. Improved nutritional adequacy of planned menus was tested as a marker of improved dietary intake in the residents of the homes. Results: Results showed significant statistical and clinical improvements in the planned menus whereby there were significant increases in the appearance on menus of whole grains, vegetables overall and green/yellow/orange vegetables in particular, and low-fat proteins, and significant decreases in the higher-fat proteins, potatoes, and “junk foods.” The positive practice of specifying portion sizes on the menus increased significantly. Conclusions: MENU-AIDDs is a community-based health promotion intervention that can improve menu planning and dietary adequacy while being responsive to the needs of group home residents, direct care staff, and administrators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Continuing care following inpatient addiction treatment is an important component in the continuum of clinical services. Mutual help, including 12-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, is often recommended as a form of continuing care. However, the effectiveness of 12-step groups is difficult to establish using observational studies due to the risks of selection bias (or confounding).Objective: To address this limitation, we used both conventional and machine learning-based propensity score (PS) methods to examine the effectiveness of 12-step group involvement following inpatient treatment on substance use over a 12-month period.Methods: Using data from the Recovery Journey Project - a longitudinal, observational study - we followed an inpatient sample over 12-months post-treatment to assess the effect of 12-step involvement on substance use at 12-months (n = 254). Specifically, PS models were constructed based on 34 unbalanced confounders and four PS-based methods were applied: matching, inverse probability weighting (IPW), doubly robust (DR) with matching, and DR with IPW.Results: Each PS-based method minimized the potential of confounding from unbalanced variables and demonstrated a significant effect (p <  0.001) between high 12-step involvement (i.e., defined as having a home group; having a sponsor; attending at least one meeting per week; and, being involved in service work) and a reduced likelihood of using substances over the 12-month period (odds ratios 0.11 to 0.32).Conclusions: PS-based methods effectively reduced potential confounding influences and provided robust evidence of a significant effect. Nonetheless, results should be considered in light of the relatively high attrition rate, potentially limiting their generalizability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Group homes fall into the broad category of residential care, a category that also includes half-way homes, campus based homes, emergency shelters, self-contained settings, and staff secured setting. In general, residential care services represent an option of last resort. In the current study we use administrative records from a large urban county and propensity score matching to investigate the relationship between group home placements in child welfare and the risk of delinquency (n =8226). The results indicate that the relative risk of delinquency is approximately two and one half times greater for adolescents with at least one group home placement as compared with youth in foster care settings. This finding raises serious questions about the use of group homes for victims of physical abuse and neglect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Group care programs are often criticized for producing poor outcomes, especially in light of community-based alternatives like treatment foster care that have a stronger evidence base. In this study, data from Girls and Boys Town were used to compare outcomes of youth in treatment foster care (n =112) and group care (n =716) using propensity score matching, a method that can minimize selection bias in nonrandomized designs. Eighteen background covariates were used to develop propensity scores for the likelihood of receiving treatment foster care rather than group care. Several matching methods generated balanced samples on which the outcomes were compared. Results found that group care youth were more likely to be favorably discharged, more likely to return home, and less likely to experience subsequent placement in the first 6 months after discharge. Legal involvement and residing in a home-like environment at follow-up did not differ. Positive outcomes for group care youth suggest that family-style group care programs may promote effectiveness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ability of Strongyloides to establish auto-infection in the human host allows it to sustain subclinical infection that can go on for a lifetime. In solid-organ transplant recipients, Strongyloides can cause hyper-infection syndrome which has very high morbidity and mortality. Clinical suspicion for chronic infection should be considered for any persons with birth or travel to endemic regions, history of incarceration, homelessness and group home residence. Targeted screening based on epidemiologic risk is recommended by AST and ISHLT however, testing remains challenging due to variability in the diagnostic yield of currently available serologic assays. We performed a retrospective chart review of heart transplant (HT) recipients from 2010-2019, who had Strongyloides serologic screening performed pre-transplant, with the aim to correlate results with epidemiological risk factors for infection. Two-hundred and fifty HT recipients were reviewed. Of these, 197 had pre-transplant Strongyloides serology performed, in accordance with institutional policy of universal pre-transplant screening. Based on serologic testing, prevalence of strongyloidiasis was 2.5%. Of the 5 patients with positive serology, all but 1 had epidemiologic risk for infection; 3 due to birth in an endemic region and 1 due to history of incarceration. Eosinophilia was noted in 3/5, all of whom were from endemic regions by birth. All with positive serologic screening were treated pre-transplant with ivermectin. One-hundred and ninety two patients tested negative for Strongyloides, and 58% (111/192) of those had epidemiological risk factors, due to birth (90) or travel to endemic regions (21). There were no cases of clinical strongyloidiasis in the study cohort. In this population with high epidemiologic risk, we found a lower than expected rate of Strongyloides infection. Given the variability in diagnostic yield across commercially available serologic assays, these findings raise the possibility of false negative results and thus, bring into question the utility and reliability of using serologic testing alone, for screening of Strongyloides infection among HT candidates. Accordingly, a thoughtful assessment of epidemiologic risk is essential for appropriate risk stratification and management of Strongyloides in HT candidates and recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Japan, the number of group homes for patients with dementia (GHs) has been increasing in recent years. A growing number of elderly people now prefer to spend their final years in group homes or other long-term care facilities, a choice that their families support. The aim of this nationwide study is to clarify the current end-of-life care policies and practices of GHs. The subjects were 3701 managing directors of GHs. Data were collected through mailed, anonymous, self-reported questionnaires in 2003. The content of the questionnaires included: (1) general characteristics of the GH, (2) end-of-life care policies and experiences, (3) available end-of-life care services at the GH, (4) staff education concerning end-of-life care, and (5) types of information provided to users and families. The response rate was 45.6%. Many GHs had implemented progressive policies for end-of-life care. GHs with progressive policies for end-of-life care were found to have different backgrounds than those with regressive policies. Only a few GHs provided end-of-life care education for their staff. GHs with progressive policies for end-of-life care tended to have the following characteristics: availability of medical intervention within and outside of the GH, self-contained physical plant and staff education about end-of-life care. Further research is needed to determine the most effective end-of-life care systems for GHs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]