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Background: Knowledge of specific health-related events encountered by students studying abroad and the availability and use of pre-travel healthcare for these students is lacking. Methods: Anonymous web-based questionnaires were sent to study abroad offices, student health centers, and undergraduate students after studying abroad at eight institutions of higher education in the United States and Ireland from 2018-2021. Analyses were descriptive; relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for health-related events. Results: One study abroad office required a pre-travel consultation. All student health centers had pre-travel counseling available. Among 686 students, there were 307 infectious and 1,588 non-infectious health-related issues; 12 students (2%) were hospitalized. Duration of travel and timing of a pre-travel consultation impacted the risk of health-related events. Certain mental health conditions were associated with increased risk of alcohol and drug use. Conclusion: Future studies should address the optimal timing and best practices to optimize health for students studying abroad.

The COVID-19 global pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to the sustainability strategies and initiatives of many nations. In many countries, education strategies and funding were negatively impacted and, consequently, especially vulnerable groups were highly affected, amongst them Indigenous communities around the world. As Indigenous communities were already amongst the most vulnerable before 2020, a strategically and well-planned recovery from this pandemic would be vital to secure their well-being. This article offers reflections on the potential of infusing "Education for Sustainable Development" (ESD) in the classroom, the school and the community as a whole, to deal with known and yet unprecedented sustainability challenges in presenting commonalities of 32 good practice reports from 21 countries collected in advance and during the global pandemic. Authors make the point of considering the pandemic and its widespread impact as yet another sustainability challenge and position "ESD" as a potential tool to achieve quality education and unleash the full potential of education for society when planning recovery efforts in hope for a better future of Indigenous communities in the long term. As the good practices were also included in a report of the "UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the 48th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council," focusing on the post-pandemic recovery efforts for Indigenous Peoples, further thoughts on both official reports and their alignment with the overall "2030 Agenda" from an "ESD" perspective are included.

The prevalence and attributable risk of disease due to physical inactivity require it to be made a public health priority. Public health planning allows for prioritization and resource allocation, particularly at the state and local levels. The extent to which state planning efforts for physical activity exist in the United States is unknown. The purpose of this paper is to describe the scope in which physical activity is incorporated in state-level public health plans in the United States, with an emphasis on alignment with the national guidelines and the National Physical Activity Plan. A standardized internet search audit was developed and conducted for each of 50 US states and the District of Columbia between May 2017 and January 2018 to determine the prevalence and characteristics of health planning documents that include physical activity. Data abstracted for analysis used a standardized search protocol that included the components of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the US National Physical Activity Plan. Results found that most states had between 4 and 6 chronic disease prevention and control plans that mention physical activity; however, it was inconsistently aligned with recommendations from both the Guidelines and the National Plan. Only 2 states had stand-alone public health planning documents explicitly dedicated to physical activity promotion. No state planning documents addressed children and adolescents, adults, and older adults simultaneously. To be maximally effective, state public health planning for physical activity should be made a priority and these efforts should align as much as possible with current guidance from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the US National Physical Activity Plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In response to conflicting findings for activity levels across sociodemographic groups, this study examined differences in adolescents' in-school, out-of-school, and weekend physical activity (PA) by sociodemographic subgroups using representative US data. Methods: Data were obtained from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating study. Multiple regression models compared in-school, out-of-school, and weekend PA by gender and race/ethnicity, and examined potential modification of associations by grade (middle vs high school) and socioeconomic status (lower vs higher). Results: Final analytic sample was 1413 adolescents (Mean age = 14.5 y, 51.3% female, 64.5% white). Compared with whites, in-school PA was significantly higher among blacks and those classified as other race/ethnicity for middle school (69.8 and 71.0, respectively, vs 66.4 min/d), and among Hispanics for high school (52.7 vs 48.4 min/d). Hispanics' (vs whites') out-of-school PA was significantly lower for middle school (63.7 vs 66.6 min/d), but higher for high school (54.0 vs 51.8 min/d). In-school PA was significantly higher among adolescents of lower (vs higher) socioeconomic status among males and Hispanics (all Ps <.05). Conclusions: The relation of race/ethnicity with PA varies by grade and time of day/week. Socioeconomic status findings contradict previously reported findings. Efforts to increase PA based on sociodemographic disparities should consider potential interaction effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies examining climate change risk perceptions rarely differentiate between personal and general risk perceptions. Researchers could come to conflicting conclusions about what variables are important in predicting people's perceptions of risk if they do not differentiate between perceptions of personal and general risk. In this study, we used data from a survey of residents in a Midwestern region of the United States to examine the relationship between two measures of knowledge and perceptions of the risk of climate change at personal and the global (i.e. general) levels. Knowledge of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change significantly predicted perceptions of both types of risks, but was more strongly related to greater risk perceptions at the global level. Knowledge of climate change's impact on regional flooding predicted greater climate change risk perception, and we did not find a difference in its association with risk perception at the global versus the personal level. Understanding how different types of knowledge influence peoples' perception of climate change risks can foster a better understanding of related decision-making processes and used to support more strategic public education and communication on climate change. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2022.2028883. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide. Even after surviving, long-term rehabilitation often becomes necessary and does not always lead to complete recovery. Guidelines focus on prevention of risk factors and present concepts for rehabilitation after a stroke. Additional to these recommendations, complementary medicine (CM) utilization is common among patients with neurological conditions. CM also offers a wide range of therapies for both prevention and rehabilitation in stroke. There is limited information available on CM utilization among stroke survivors and differences to patients without former stroke diagnosis. Methods and results: This analysis was based on data of the 2017 National Health Interview survey (NHIS, n = 26,742; response rate 80,7%). We analyzed the prevalence of consultations among stroke patients with CM practitioners within the last 12 months and reasons for utilization. 3.1% of participants reported a stroke, individuals without a prior stroke diagnosis were more likely to have used CM in the past 12 months (31.3% without versus 28.9% with stroke). Consultations with a chiropractor and of using mind-body-medicine was higher in individuals without stroke diagnosis, while more stroke survivors had consulted a naturopath. Equal proportions had consulted a homeopath. Most common therapy approaches among stroke survivors were spiritual meditation (13.7%), progressive relaxation (5.4%), yoga (5.2%), mindfulness meditation (4.3%), mantra meditation (3.1%), guided imagery (2.6%) and tai chi (1.7%). CM use in stroke survivors was associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.56–2.88) and higher education (AOR = 1.94, CI = 1.42–2.65). Conclusion: Stroke patients were less likely to take advantage of complementary medicine than the general population. Since there are many safe and beneficial options, stroke survivors might profit from better information about the existing possibilities regarding prevention and rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbiome is critical for host survival and fitness, but gaps remain in our understanding of how this symbiotic community is structured. Despite evidence that related hosts often harbor similar bacterial communities, it is unclear whether this pattern is due to genetic similarities between hosts or to common ecological selection pressures. Here, using herbivorous rodents in the genus Neotoma, we quantify how geography, diet, and host genetics, alongside neutral processes, influence microbiome structure and stability under natural and captive conditions. Using bacterial and plant metabarcoding, we first characterized dietary and microbiome compositions for animals from 25 populations, representing seven species from 19 sites across the southwestern United States. We then brought wild animals into captivity, reducing the influence of environmental variation. In nature, geography, diet, and phylogeny collectively explained ~50% of observed microbiome variation. Diet and microbiome diversity were correlated, with different toxin-enriched diets selecting for distinct microbial symbionts. Although diet and geography influenced natural microbiome structure, the effects of host phylogeny were stronger for both wild and captive animals. In captivity, gut microbiomes were altered; however, responses were species specific, indicating again that host genetic background is the most significant predictor of microbiome composition and stability. In captivity, diet effects declined and the effects of host genetic similarity increased. By bridging a critical divide between studies in wild and captive animals, this work underscores the extent to which genetics shape microbiome structure and stability in closely related hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transportation bicycling is a behavior with demonstrated health benefits. Population-representative studies of transportation bicycling in United States are lacking. This study examined associations between sociodemographic factors, population density, and transportation bicycling and described transportation bicyclists by trip purposes, using a US-representative sample. Methods: This cross-sectional study used 2009 National Household Travel Survey datasets. Associations among study variables were assessed using weighted multivariable logistic regression. Results: On a typical day in 2009, 1% of Americans older than 5 years of age reported a transportation bicycling trip. Transportation cycling was inversely associated with age and directly with being male, with being white, and with population density (≥ 10,000 vs < 500 people/square mile: odd ratio, 2.78, 95% confidence interval, 1.54-5.05). Those whose highest level of education was a high school diploma or some college were least likely to bicycle for transportation. Twenty-one percent of transportation bicyclists reported trips to work, whereas 67% reported trips to social or other activities. Conclusions: Transportation bicycling in the United States is associated with sociodemographic characteristics and population density. Bicycles are used for a variety of trip purposes, which has implications for transportation bicycling research based on commuter data and for developing interventions to promote this behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lack of SARS-CoV-2 antigen surveillance testing in the pediatric population has inhibited accurate infection and hospitalization prevalence estimates. We aim to report the estimated prevalence of and risk factors for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission across the three United States (US) waves in one of the largest pediatric healthcare systems in the nation. Methods: Retrospective electronic health record (EHR) review of all COVID-19 surveillance data among children aged 0–19 years seeking healthcare at one pediatric healthcare system that serves predominantly Medicaid-dependent families from 1 March 2020 to 31 March 2021. COVID-19 infection status (Y/N), hospital admission (Y/N), and ICU admission (Y/N) are the main outcomes. Results: Of 22,377 children aged ≤ 19 years tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection from March 2020–March 2021, 3126 were positive (14.0%), and out of those positive, 53.7% were hospitalized and 2.9% were admitted to the ICU. Compared to Wave 1 (1 March 2020–31 May 2020), the risk of a positive test increased from 16% (RR 1.16, 95% CI, 1.07–1.26) in Wave 2 (1 June 2020– 31 October 2020) to 33% (RR 1.33, 95% CI, 1.23–1.44) in Wave 3 (1 November 2020–31 March 2021). Similarly, compared to Wave 1, the risk for hospitalization increased 86% (RR 1.86, 95% CI, 1.86–2.06) in Wave 2 and 89% in Wave 3 (RR 1.89, 95% CI, 1.70–2.08), and the risk for ICU admission increased from 10% in Wave 2 (RR 1.10, 95% CI, 0.39–3.01) to 310% in Wave 3 (RR 3.10, 95% CI, 1.21–7.80). Children with asthma, depressive disorders, type 1 or 2 diabetes, and anemia were more likely to be hospitalized while children with diabetes, obesity, cardiac malformations, and hypertension were more likely to be admitted to the ICU versus children without these conditions. Conclusions: Children were cumulatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the three US waves with more than a third hospitalized in Wave 3. Children with underlying health conditions were particularly at risk for severe illness and should be monitored for any longterm impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Childhood obesity is a major problem in Latin America and among US Latinos. Effective public health policies require contextually relevant evidence to guide them, which demands sustained research capacity. The objectives of this study are to determine research productivity in Latin America and in the United States focused on Latino populations and examine domains of research capacity (research infrastructure, training programs, mentoring, funding, and networks). We conducted a scoping review of indexed childhood obesity‐related articles published June 2015–December 2019. We collected data on perceptions of capacity for childhood obesity research among Latin American investigators through an online survey. We identified 612 childhood obesity‐related articles (505 from Latin America, 124 from the United States, and 17 US–Latin America collaborations). Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and the United States are the top publishing countries. There are similar numbers of obesity, nutrition, and physical activity articles, but physical activity research capacity lagged in other domains (research training, funding, and networking opportunities). Complementary research areas, including sedentary behavior, systems science, and policy studies, are uncommon in Latin America but more prevalent in the United States, whereas sleep research is nascent across settings. Realizing the promise of an effective cross‐border collaborative childhood obesity prevention agenda will require committed investment in all domains of research capacity and across all relevant topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To prevent obesity among Latino youth in the United States and Latin America, it is necessary to understand the specific context and interplay of physical activity (PA) and the built environment (BE). This paper aims to advance the research agenda of BE and PA for obesity prevention in Latin America and among Latino youth in the United States by (1) identifying environmental indicators to inform the design of interventions and policy, (2) identifying interdisciplinary methodological approaches for the study of the complex association between BE and PA, and (3) presenting case studies of PA‐promoting BE programs. A group of U.S. and Latin American scientists collaboratively worked to propose innovative indicators of the BE, methodological approaches for the study of the complex association between BE and PA, and review case studies of PA‐promoting BE programs in both regions. The results identified gaps in knowledge, proposed environmental indicators (e.g., landscape, street design, mobility patterns, and crime and safety), reviewed methodological approaches (social network analysis, citizen science methods), and case studies illustrating PA‐promoting BE programs (i.e., play streets, active school transport, and school setting interventions). The obesity prevention among Latino and Latin American youth requires advanced research on BE and PA addressing context‐specific priorities and exchanging lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to examine the association between objectively measured environmental variables and transportation and recreation bicycling frequency, and to develop transportation and recreation bikeability indices. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the underlying essential structure of the environmental variables under consideration. Many environmental variables were found to be correlated with transportation bicycling frequency, but not recreation bicycling frequency. The final transportation bikeability index included the combined effect of bicycle lanes, residential density, population density, ozone level, distance to transit, parks, and tree canopy coverage, and was found to have a significant direct association with any past-year transportation bicycling (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.35, 1.52]) and transportation bicycling frequency (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.14, 95% CI = [1.09, 1.19]). This work will help advance research on bicycling and public health by providing a tool that can be utilized to examine transportation bicycling and the objective environment in the context of the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cognitive, behavioral, and emotional deficits that may be associated with sports-related concussions among adolescents are unclear. Purpose: To examine the association between reported concussion history and factors relating to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional health among a population-based sample of US high school–aged adolescents. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Participants included a representative sample of US high school student-athletes who reported a concussion history (in the past 12 months) and relevant behaviors/outcomes within 3 domains: cognitive (academics, difficulty concentrating), behavioral (drinking and driving, carrying a weapon, physically fighting, tobacco use, marijuana use, binge drinking), and emotional (symptoms of depression, suicidal thoughts/actions). The adjusted relative odds of experiencing 0 and at least 1, 2, 3, or ≥4 concussions were modeled while mutually adjusting for the behaviors of interest in addition to age, race/ethnicity, and sleep problems. Data were reported in sex stratum. Results: A total of 13,268 participants were included in the unweighted data set. Overall, 14.5% (95% CI, 12.9%-16.2%) of female and 18.1% (95% CI, 16.4%-19.8%) of male student-athletes had at least 1 concussion in the past 12 months. As compared with those who reported not engaging in any of the behaviors deleterious to health or having had any of the negative health outcomes (composite score of 0), female athletes with composite scores of 1 to 4, 5 to 7, and 8 to 11 were 1.94 (95% CI, 1.55-2.43), 3.13 (95% CI, 2.30-4.33), and 6.05 (95% CI, 3.75-9.75) times more likely to have a recent history of concussions after accounting for relevant factors. As compared with those having a composite score of 0, male athletes with composite scores of 1 to 4, 5 to 7, and 8 to 11 were 2.03 (95% CI, 1.58-2.59), 3.80 (95% CI, 2.71-5.34), and 8.23 (95% CI, 4.91-13.77) times more likely to have a recent history of concussions after accounting for relevant factors. Conclusion: Self-reported concussions among US high school athletes is related to several deleterious health behaviors and outcomes. These associations should be confirmed in longitudinal analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Nurse home visiting may address challenges and resource disparities that threaten maternal and infant well‐being in rural areas, but little is known about United States' program implementation. This qualitative study explored how family and community characteristics affected rural nurse home visiting. Sample: The sample for content analysis included families beginning services in 2010–2011 living in the rural counties with the highest caseloads (433 families). Design: Electronic nurse home visiting case files from three rural counties were analyzed using a content analysis approach. The partner agency provided input on key constructs of interest but independent coding was also done to capture additional themes. Quantitative county level data and comments from member checking informed interpretation. Member checking included individual nurses serving the selected counties (n = 3) and input from an agency level supervisory meeting for validation. Results: Concerns of families served (e.g., mental health) may not be unique to rural areas, but challenges to accessing resources and constellation of needs were. Nurses adapted engagement and service strategies to meet these needs. Conclusion: Agencies serving rural areas should allocate resources and adapt training to support nurses based on unique community profiles. More research on rural nurse home visiting practice and outcomes is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigates whether the health effects of informal caregiving for aging parents vary by employment status in the United States. Two opposing hypotheses are tested: dual role strain and role enhancement. Method: Using national longitudinal data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, multivariate regression models predicted self-rated health and mental health among older adult children caregiving for their parents (2009-2012) and noncaregivers. Results: A statistically significant interaction was found between caregiving duration and employment, indicating that employed caregivers had significantly worse health than retired caregivers. Caregiving duration also predicted significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms. Discussion: Our results support the dual role strain hypothesis and suggest that caregiving for a parent up to 4 years is enough to predict significantly worse health among older adult Baby Boomers, especially those in the labor force. The broader implications for public health and workplace policies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Three U.S. surveillance systems— National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)— estimate physical activity prevalence. Methods: Survey differences were examined qualitatively. Prevalence estimates by sex, age, and race/ethnicity were assessed for comparable survey periods. Trends were examined from NHIS 1998 to 2007, NHANES 1999 to 2006, and BRFSS 2001 to 2007. Results: Age-adjusted prevalence estimates appeared most similar for NHIS 2005 (physically active: 30.2%, inactive: 40.7%) and NHANES 2005 to 2006 (physically active: 33.5%, inactive: 32.4%). In BRFSS 2005, prevalence of being physically active was 48.3% and inactive was 13.9%. Across all systems, men were more likely to be active than women; non-Hispanic whites were most likely to be active; as age increased, overall prevalence of being active decreased. Prevalence of being active exhibited a significant increasing trend only in BRFSS 2001 to 2007 (P < .001), while prevalence of being inactive decreased significantly in NHANES 1999 to 2006 (P < .001) and BRFSS 2001 to 2007 (P < .001). Conclusions: Different ways of assessing physical activity in surveillance systems result in different prevalence estimates. Before comparing estimates from different systems, all aspects of data collection and data analysis should be examined to determine if comparisons are appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Falls are a major health problem for older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine the cross-sectional association between non-occupational physical activity and falls and fall-related injuries in US adults age 65 y or older. Methods: Respondents age 65 y or older were selected from the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 47,619). Results: The age-adjusted incidence of falls was significantly higher among inactive respondents (16.3%, 95% CI: 15.2–17.6) than insufficiently active (12.3%, 95% CI: 11.4–13.2) or active (12.6%, 95% CI: 11.6-13.7) respondents. After controlling for sex, age, education, and body-mass index, active and insufficiently active respondents were significantly less likely to have fallen and were significantly less likely to have had a fall-related injury than their inactive peers. Conclusion: These results show that active and insufficiently active older adults experience a lower incidence of falls than their inactive peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the effect of Civil War in Arkansas. From December 1861 through July 1862, the Army of the Southwest boasted numerous successful campaigns in Missouri and Arkansas, but when the army was forced to occupy Helena, Arkansas in July of 1862, the troops were ineffective in fighting the Confederates and disease.

OBJECTIVES: Nondemented cognitive impairment (CI) presents opportunities for early interventions among individuals at risk for dementia. Identification of modifiable determinants is paramount to the development of effective clinical interventions. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was theorized as a risk factor, but current research yields inconsistent findings. Few studies have examined the association between MetS and CI among US populations, and global results may be ungeneralizable. We investigated the MetS‐CI association among high socioeconomic, nondemented older US adults, examining the roles of sociodemographic, clinical, behavioral, and genetic factors. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional. SETTING: Cooper Clinic of Dallas, Texas: Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (2009‐2017). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 5200 dementia‐free older adult Cooper Clinic patients. MEASUREMENTS: CI was detected with a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score lower than 26. MetS was established based on National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel guidelines. Unadjusted and multivariable log‐binomial regression were used to assess the MetS‐CI association, with modification assessment by age, sex, education, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and apolipoprotein‐ε4 carrier status (APOE‐ε4). RESULTS: MetS was not associated with CI when adjusting for age, sex, minority status, education, and marital status (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.09; 95% confidence interval =.97‐1.23) or when additionally adjusting for body mass index, CRF, alcohol consumption, current smoking status, and APOE‐ε4 (PR = 1.07; 95% confidence interval = .80‐1.45). The association was not modified by age, sex, CRF, or APOE‐ε4 (P for interaction >.05). CONCLUSION: In contrast with some global and US studies, MetS and CI were not associated among our study population of nondemented older US adults. MetS may not be a suitable intervention target for poor cognitive outcomes among high socioeconomic older US adults, although separate MetS components may have different recommendations. Future studies should explore more diverse older US populations. If replicated, these findings would inform clinical efforts to reduce the burden of poor cognitive outcomes in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian pregnancy can alter the diversity, membership and structure of the maternal gut microbiota, but it is unclear whether this phenomenon occurs in vertebrates with different reproductive strategies. We conducted 16S rRNA bacterial inventories to investigate whether oviparous lizards exhibit shifts in gut microbiota similar to those observed in mammals. Using wild-caught eastern fence lizards from Alabama, USA, we collected and extracted fecal DNA from gravid and non-gravid individuals over 54 days in captivity. We predicted that, like mammals, the alpha diversity of lizard gut microbiota would decrease over gestation, and that inter-individual variation in community composition would increase. Indeed, we found that individuals in late-gestation harbored lower gut bacterial richness compared to non-gravid females. Lizard gut microbial communities of late-gestational females exhibited higher pairwise distances for both community membership and community structure compared to earlier gestation stages, indicating a higher degree of inter-individual variation as gestation progressed. Additionally, we found that the relative abundance and prevalence of the candidate phylum Melainabacteria tended to decrease over the course of gestation. While the consequences of these specific alterations are unknown, our results suggest that a general restructuring of gut microbial communities over gestation may be widespread across vertebrate reproductive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the impact of the role of the test oath imposed upon every Missouri voters not to engage in armed rebellion against the United States to the state's reconstruction efforts during 1865-1870. Punishment for refusing to take the oath; Constitutional challenge to invalidate the voting requirement; Conflict between the conservatives and the radicals.

The quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) is important for children’s development. One instrument that was developed to assess an aspect of ECEC quality is the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for pre-kindergarten children (CLASS Pre-K). We examined the factorial validity of the instrument using data from 177 German preschool classrooms. The three-factor teaching through interaction model ( Hamre et al., 2013 ) was contrasted to a one-factor, a two-factor, and a bifactor model as proposed by Hamre et al. (2014). Our results indicated that the three-factor structure with the domains of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support fit the data best. The fit of the teaching through interaction model was satisfying after adding a cross-loading of the dimension language modeling on emotional support, and two correlated residuals. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity are provided. In terms of factor structure and pattern score comparisons, the results were similar to previous United States and German studies. The discussion concerns the justifiability of the factor model revisions and draws directions for further research. We concluded that our study offers further evidence of the applicability of the CLASS Pre-K for the assessment of teacher–child interaction quality in the German context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the funding problems of academic libraries in the U.S. He argues that many libraries in the country do not generate a great deal of income. The author also suggests that academic libraries are not getting full traditional share of the reduced institutional income. He believes that additional strategies are needed to supplement the income of academic libraries.

In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted conveyance contact investigations for 2 Middle East respiratory syndrome cases imported into the United States, comprising all passengers and crew on 4 international and domestic flights and 1 bus. Of 655 contacts, 78% were interviewed; 33% had serologic testing. No secondary cases were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, I introduced our readership to a new American Studies Journal issue titled Women's Voices from the House of Time: "The American Studies Journal 55 is an unusual edition if we compare it to all its predecessors. It is a collection of memoir pieces, a reflection upon a specific theme, a look back at a significant moment or moments by six women . . . . All of them were inspired by the topic 'Women's Voices from the House of Time,' which comes from the title of a poem by Moira Roth now serving as the gate through which the reader approaches this journal." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The homeownership rate in the United States has continuously been about 20 percentage points higher than that of Germany. This homeownership gap is traced back to before the First World War at the urban level. Existing approaches, relying on socio-economic factors, demographics, culture or housing policy, cannot explain the persistence of these differences in homeownership. This article fills this explanatory gap by making a path-dependence argument: it argues that nineteenth-century urban conditions either began to create the American suburbanized single-family house cities or compact multi-unit-building cities, as in Germany. US cities developed differently from German ones because they lacked feudal shackles, were governed as “private cities” and gave easier access to mortgages and building land. The more historically suburbanized a city, the lower its homeownership rate today. Economic and political reinforcing mechanisms kept the two countries on their paths. The article’s contribution is to give a historical and city-focused answer to a standing question in the housing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Applying qualitative historical methods, we examined the consideration and implementation of school closures as a nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPI) in thirty US cities during the spring 2009 wave of the p A(H 1N 1) influenza pandemic. We gathered and performed close textual readings of official federal, state, and municipal government documents; media coverage; and academic publications. Lastly, we conducted oral history interviews with public health and education officials in our selected cities. We found that several local health departments pursued school closure plans independent of CDC guidance, that uncertainty of action and the rapidly evolving understanding of pA(H1N1) contributed to tension and pushback from the public, that the media and public perception played a significant role in the response to school closure decisions, and that there were some notable instances of interdepartmental communication breakdown. We conclude that health departments should continue to develop and fine-tune their action plans while also working to develop better communication methods with the public, and work more closely with education officials to better understand the complexities involved in closing schools. Lastly, state and local governments should work to resolve lingering issues of legal authority for school closures in times of public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explores the views that low-income fathers and fatherhood service providers have of the child support system and how these perceptions shape the provision of and men's engagement in fatherhood services. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 36 fathers, and telephone interviews with 19 fatherhood service providers. Four themes emerged about perceptions of the child support system: imposing unrealistic financial demands, criminalizing low-income men, discounting paternal viewpoints, and evidencing responsible parenting. A further four themes were concerned with the relationship between the child support system and fatherhood programs: hindering wider service utilization, encouraging engagement, educating and advocating, and reframing child support. Overall the findings suggest that though child support obligations can place a substantial financial and psychological burden on low-income men, fatherhood programs have a valuable role to play in supporting noncustodial fathers in paying child support as one part of their wider paternal role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examine the relationship between physical activity (PA) and allostatic load in Mexican-Americans as well as variations by gender. Self-reported PA as well as cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory markers were assessed in 330 Mexican-American adults in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (Brownsville, TX, USA). Dependent variables included total allostatic load, blood pressure, metabolic, and inflammatory scores. PA participation was categorized as sedentary, low, moderate, high, and by whether activity was sufficient to meet public health guidelines. Logistic regression analyses were conducted using cross-sectional data, and tested interaction effects of gender and PA. High active participants had lower allostatic load and inflammatory risk than sedentary participants. These relationships held for meeting versus not meeting guidelines. Males meeting guidelines were less likely to have high inflammation than other groups. The data did not suggest a dose-response association. These findings indicate that PA may reduce accumulation of allostatic load, highlighting the importance of a physically active lifestyle across the life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses women's history in Montana, focusing on the Women's History Matters project by the Montana Historical society celebrating the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Montana. Other topics include the work of women's activist Rose Gordon, the role of women in social service in Montana, and the work of women's activist Julia Ereaux Schultz.

Increasing numbers of female youth involved in the juvenile justice system highlight the need to examine this population. This study enumerates distinct profiles of risk and protection among juvenile court-involved females, examining young adult outcomes associated with these profiles. Administrative data on 700 participants were drawn from multiple service sectors in a Midwest metropolitan region. Latent class and Pearson chi-square analyses were used. Five unique classes were identified; these classes were associated with young adult outcomes. One class of impoverished African American females was most likely to experience problematic young adult outcomes but least likely to have received juvenile justice services. Findings highlight the heterogeneity in the female juvenile court population and discrepancies between service needs and service receipt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares curriculum content with industry practice and builds the case for including skills courses and particularly Alternative Dispute Resolution courses in the MBA curriculum. The research surveyed and analyzed the current curriculum at fifty MBA programs, one per state. The findings are that while ADR courses are present in over half of all MBA programs, they are rarely required and depending on how students exercise their curriculum choices, most MBA students can avoid an ADR course in their MBA studies. The paper argues the case for including and elevating the status of ADR courses in MBA curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving quality in children's mental health and social service settings will require implementation strategies capable of moving effective treatments and other innovations (e.g., assessment tools) into routine care. It is likely that efforts to identify, develop, and refine implementation strategies will be more successful if they are informed by relevant stakeholders and are responsive to the strengths and limitations of the contexts and implementation processes identified in usual care settings. This study will describe: the types of implementation strategies used; how organizational leaders make decisions about what to implement and how to approach the implementation process; organizational stakeholders' perceptions of different implementation strategies; and the potential influence of organizational culture and climate on implementation strategy selection, implementation decision-making, and stakeholders' perceptions of implementation strategies. Methods/design: This study is a mixed methods multiple case study of seven children's social service organizations in one Midwestern city in the United States that compose the control group of a larger randomized controlled trial. Qualitative data will include semi-structured interviews with organizational leaders (e.g., CEOs/directors, clinical directors, program managers) and a review of documents (e.g., implementation and quality improvement plans, program manuals, etc.) that will shed light on implementation decision-making and specific implementation strategies that are used to implement new programs and practices. Additionally, focus groups with clinicians will explore their perceptions of a range of implementation strategies. This qualitative work will inform the development of a Web-based survey that will assess the perceived effectiveness, relative importance, acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of implementation strategies from the perspective of both clinicians and organizational leaders. Finally, the Organizational Social Context measure will be used to assess organizational culture and climate. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods data will be analyzed and interpreted at the case level as well as across cases in order to highlight meaningful similarities, differences, and site-specific experiences. Discussion: This study is designed to inform efforts to develop more effective implementation strategies by fully describing the implementation experiences of a sample of community-based organizations that provide mental health services to youth in one Midwestern city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medical home offers a patient-centered model of care. The foundation of a medical home is the organized and continuous interprofessional care of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial affinity group meetings, or caucuses, can be effective tools for human service agencies to address cultural responsiveness or shift their organizational paradigm toward antiracism. The development of such caucuses is seldom undertaken, however, often due to concerns about resources and the difficulty of envisioning the concrete benefits. This article describes the formation, implementation, and functioning of a White antiracism caucus, facilitated by the authors, in a large social service agency. Organizational context, group development, and attempts to address institutional racism are presented. Issues of professional identity development, the reification of White privilege, and internal systems of accountability are described. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Listeria monocytogenes is among the foodborne pathogens with the highest death toll in the United States. Ready-to-eat foods contaminated at retail are an important source of infection. Environmental sites in retail deli operations can be contaminated. However, commonly contaminated sites are unlikely to come into direct contact with food and the public health relevance of environmental contamination has remained unclear. To identify environmental sites that may pose a considerable cross-contamination risk, to elucidate potential transmission pathways, and to identify knowledge gaps, we performed a structured expert elicitation of 41 experts from state regulatory agencies and the food retail industry with practical experience in retail deli operations. Following the 'Delphi' method, the elicitation was performed in three consecutive steps: questionnaire, review and discussion of results, second questionnaire. Hands and gloves were identified as important potential contamination sources. However, bacterial transfers to and from hands or gloves represented a major data gap. Experts agreed about transfer probabilities from cutting boards, scales, deli cases, and deli preparation sinks to product, and about transfer probabilities from floor drains, walk-in cooler floors, and knife racks to food contact surfaces. Comparison of experts' opinions to observational data revealed a tendency among experts with certain demographic characteristics and professional opinions to overestimate prevalence. Experts' votes clearly clustered into separate groups not defined by place of employment, even though industry experts may have been somewhat overrepresented in one cluster. Overall, our study demonstrates the value and caveats of expert elicitation to identify data gaps and prioritize research efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the teaching of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to law school students in U.S. law schools between 2002 and 2011. Topics include the increase in ADR by U.S. companies since 2002 and ADR requirements at law schools. The article compares two studies on ADR teaching and examines ADR courses offered at U.S. law schools.

The purpose of this study was to analyze a nationally representative sample of families referred to Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies, the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, to examine the association between maternal depression and parenting practices over a 36-month follow-up period. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) Depressed mothers are more likely to demonstrate harsh parenting than are nondepressed mothers; (2) depressed mothers are more likely to demonstrate neglectful parenting than are nondepressed mothers; and (3) depressed mothers are more likely to demonstrate emotional maltreatment than are nondepressed mothers. The interaction between depression and time was also analyzed for each parenting practice to determine how changes in maternal depression affected changes in parenting. The sample for this study was 1,536 mother-child dyads in which the child was age three to 10 years and remained in the home after a CPS investigation. Depression remained high across time points and was associated with increased risk of emotional maltreatment and neglect over a 36-month period. In addition, self-reported emotional maltreatment remained high across time points. Implications of this work are the needs for better identification of mental health needs for mothers entering the child welfare system and parent training to specifically address positive parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major and growing concern in the United States, in large part because of an epidemic of obesity in America and its relation to type 2 DM. in affected patients, post-prandial glucose may be an early indicator of glucose intolerance or a prediabetes condition, which may be a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than impaired fasting glucose level. Treating patients who have early signs of hyperglycemia, including elevated postprandial glucose level, with intensive glucose control that does not lead to weight gain, and ideally may be associated with weight reduction, may be vital to preventing or reducing later cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Because hypoglycemia is an important complication of current DM treatments and may cause acute secondary adverse cardiovascular outcomes, not causing hypoglycemia is mandatory. Given that weight loss can significantly lower cardiovascular risk and Improve other cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 DM and that medications are available that can result in weight reduction without leading to hypoglycemia, the successful treatment of patients with type 2 DM should be individualized and should address the complete pathophysiologic process. This review is a hypothesis article that presents arguments against general approaches to the treatment of type 2 DM. An algorithm is presented in which the goal for managing patients with type 2 DM is to lower the blood glucose level as much as possible for as long as possible without causing hypoglycemia. in addition, body weight should ideally be improved, reducing cardiovascular risk factors and avoiding therapeutic inertia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excluding windblown dust, unpaved road dust PM10 emissions in the US EPA's 2002 National Emission Inventory account for more than half of all PM10 emissions in the arid states of the western U.S. (i.e., CA, AZ, NV, NM, and TX). Despite the large size of the source, substantial uncertainty is associated with both the vehicle activity (i.e., number of kilometers traveled at a particular speed) and the emission factors (i.e., grams of PM10 per kilometer traveled). In this study, emission factors were measured using the flux tower method for both tracked and wheeled military vehicles at three military bases in the Western U.S. Test vehicle weights ranged from 2400 kg to 60,000 kg. Results from both previously published and unpublished field studies are combined to link emission factors to three related variables: soil type, vehicle momentum, and tred type (i.e., tire or track). Current emission factor models in US EPA's AP-42 Emission Factor Compendium do not factor both speed and weight into unpaved road emission factor calculations. Tracked vehicle emission factors from Ft. Carson, CO, and Ft. Bliss, TX were related to vehicle momentum (speed * mass) with ratios ranging from 0.004-0.006 (g-PM vkt- 1)/(kg m s- 1). For similar vehicle momentum, wheeled vehicles emitted approximately 2 to 4 times more PM10 than tracked vehicles. At Yakima, WA, tracked vehicle PM10 emission factors were substantially higher (0.38 (g-PM vkt- 1)/(kg m s- 1)) due to the unique volcanic ash soil characteristics (48% silt). Results from PI-SWERL, a portable wind tunnel surrogate, are presented to assess its utility to predict unpaved road dust emissions without the deployment of flux tower systems. PI-SWERL showed only a factor of 6 variation between sites in comparison with the 60-fold variation as measured by the flux towers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]