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Initiatives aimed at improving STEM education have largely focused on school-based programs, with the majority of STEM professional development targeting primary and secondary school educators. However, there is growing interest in STEM education in the early childhood years. This paper reviews the available evidence to explore the extent to which early childhood STEM professional learning programs are represented in the research literature. The review examines: 1. The emergence of research focused on STEM professional learning for early childhood educators; 2. The characteristics of these professional learning programs; and 3. The research evidence for the efficacy and impact of these programs. Using a scoping review methodology, our search yielded only 22 papers for analysis, with most of the studies published in the last seven years of the review period. Different views and definitions of STEM were evident across the studies, with few explicitly describing the integration of the four STEM disciplines. The majority of papers reported a workshops/in-service training approach. Unanimously, the 22 studies reported positive outcomes from the participants' engagement with early childhood STEM professional learning. However, the small number of research papers available for review confirms the need to build the evidence base for early childhood STEM professional learning.

Purpose: This study examines the effectiveness of automatic speech recognition (ASR) for individuals with speech disorders, addressing the gap in performance between read and conversational ASR. We analyze the factors influencing this disparity and the effect of speech mode--specific training on ASR accuracy. Method: Recordings of read and conversational speech from 27 individuals with various speech disorders were analyzed using both (a) one speaker-independent ASR system trained and optimized for typical speech and (b) multiple ASR models that were personalized to the speech of the participants with disordered speech. Word error rates were calculated for each speech model, read versus conversational, and subject. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the impact of speech mode and disorder severity on ASR accuracy. We investigated nine variables, classified as technical, linguistic, or speech impairment factors, for their potential influence on the performance gap. Results: We found a significant performance gap between read and conversational speech in both personalized and unadapted ASR models. Speech impairment severity notably impacted recognition accuracy in unadapted models for both speech modes and in personalized models for read speech. Linguistic attributes of utterances were the most influential on accuracy, though atypical speech characteristics also played a role. Including conversational speech samples in model training notably improved recognition accuracy. Conclusions: We observed a significant performance gap in ASR accuracy between read and conversational speech for individuals with speech disorders. This gap was largely due to the linguistic complexity and unique characteristics of speech disorders in conversational speech. Training personalized ASR models using conversational speech significantly improved recognition accuracy, demonstrating the importance of domain-specific training and highlighting the need for further research into ASR systems capable of handling disordered conversational speech effectively.

This study investigated the use of recommended practices in university-based experiential learning associated with adapted physical activity and education (APA/E) undergraduate courses. Participants (N = 165) were instructors of APA/E courses with an experiential-learning component and/or professionals involved in APA/E experiential-learning programs at their university. Participants completed an online questionnaire designed to describe program characteristics and evaluate the use of two sets of practices, including those recommended for involving students and people with disabilities. Findings highlight low proportions of the use of practices recommended for people with disabilities and indicate that significantly more practices recommended for students were implemented (Z = −10.45, p <.001). Findings from this study have several implications for evaluation and intervention in APA/E experiential learning, such as including the disability community in planning and designing programming to benefit both students and people with disabilities. Instructors should aim to increase their implementation of practices recommended for involving people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cadence-controlled walking may be a desirable approach for older adults to self-monitor exercise intensity and achieve physical activity guidelines. We examined the acute effects of cadence-controlled walking on cognition and vascular function in physically inactive older adults. Methods: In a randomized crossover design, 26 participants (65% females, 67.8 ± 11.3 years) underwent 30-min acute exercise (walking at 100 steps/min) and control (sitting) conditions. We measured cognition, central blood pressure (BP), and arterial stiffness before, and immediately, after each condition. Results: We observed significant Time × Condition interactions in the Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention (Flanker) test and Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) test scores, and in central systolic BP, central pulse pressure, and carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (p <.05). The Flanker and DCCS scores significantly increased after walking (d = 0.4 and 0.5, respectively), but not after sitting. Central systolic BP, central pulse pressure, and carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity significantly increased after sitting but remained unchanged after acute walking (d = 0.4–0.2), with p-values <.05. After walking, significant correlations were observed between DCCS and diastolic BP and central pulse pressure change scores and change scores in central pulse wave velocity, Flanker, and DCCS (rs = −0.45 to −0.52). Conclusion: These findings suggest that a single bout of cadence-controlled walking elicited an immediate improvement in cognition and might have mitigated increases in arterial stiffness and central BP observed in the seated control condition. Further research is needed to examine the association between cognition and vascular function following acute exercise compared to control conditions. Significance: Our findings may have practical implications for developing daily physical activity recommendations for improving the cognitive health for successful aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The series of responses in this article were gathered as part of an online mini conference held in September 2021 that sought to explore different ideas and articulations of school autonomy reform across the world (Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, the USA, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand). It centred upon an important question: what needs to happen for school autonomy to be mobilised to create more equitable public schools and systems of education? There was consensus across the group that school autonomy reform creates further inequities at school and system levels when driven by the logics of marketisation, competition, economic efficiency and public accountability. Against the backdrop of these themes, the conference generated discussion and debate where provocations and points of agreement and disagreement about issues of social justice and the mobilisation of school autonomy reform were raised. As an important output of this discussion, we asked participants to write a short response to the guiding conference question. The following are these responses which range from philosophical considerations, systems and governance perspectives, national particularities and teacher and principal perspectives.

Families of children with disabilities must make difficult choices about providing health and educational services that their children need and finding an environment where they can be socially accepted. In this study, parents from Kenya whose daughter is deaf weigh their desire to provide the best life for her against their desire to use their professional expertise to help people in Kenya. This article examines the role of cultural beliefs about disability in this family's experience. It highlights issues that deserve further research to learn more about how to meet immigrants' needs in special education, especially immigrant families from African countries with children with disabilities.

Fueled by decades of immigration, the United States is on a path to becoming a "majority-minority" nation, in which non-Hispanic Whites no longer represent a majority of the population. Such demographic changes have prompted a reexamination of White Americans' racial attitudes, particularly regarding whether a politically consequential sense of racial in-group solidarity or "White identity" has emerged. Recent work shows that such a White identity has indeed emerged and that it is powerfully linked with opposition to immigration. However, we know little about whether the relationship between White identity and immigration support varies across groups. Specifically, it is not clear whether White identity is uniquely "activated" by Latino/Hispanic immigrants, a large and fast-growing minority group, and (2) how White identity is linked to support for allowing immigration from Europe, a region of the world that is predominantly White. I test this using panel data from the 2016–2018 Voter Study Group (VSG) survey. I find that White identity is associated, to an approximately equal degree, with opposition to immigration from: Africa, China, India, Mexico/Latin America, and the Middle East, but that White identity is not significantly associated with support for increased immigration from Europe. Overall, these findings help us to better understand the nature of American public opinion toward immigration and the political consequences of White racial identity in a changing America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although positive correlations between nursing professional development (NPD) staffing and organizational outcomes have been demonstrated, no evidence of optimal NPD department structures was found. Using an organizational participatory research method, NPD department structures in acute care hospital systems and their relationships to publicly reported patient outcomes and satisfaction were explored. Hospitals with centralized NPD departments had significantly fewer unplanned readmissions for pneumonia than hospitals with hybrid structures. No other significant differences were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an experiment (N = 206) using skin cancer prevention messages and a 2 (mortality: salient, control) × 2 (freedom-limiting language: freedom-limiting, autonomy-supportive) independent-group design, we tested the terror management health model and integrated its predictions with the theory of psychological reactance. We used a sample of young adults because they are most at risk for excessive tanning. Consistent with the study predictions about proximal defenses, mortality salience significantly increased intentions to wear sunscreen all year around, relative to the control condition. A significant interaction between freedom-limiting language and mortality salience on behavioral intention to purchase high-SPF lotion revealed that, when a freedom-limiting message was paired with mortality salience, intentions to purchase high-SPF lotion were significantly greater as compared to autonomy-supportive language, indicating that mortality salience mitigated the maladaptive effects of reactance. These results add to a growing body of research identifying boundary conditions for reactance effects and, further, point to the utility of directive (albeit freedom-limiting language) in health-prevention messages attempting to communicate deadly health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines the effectiveness of automatic speech recognition (ASR) for individuals with speech disorders, addressing the gap in performance between read and conversational ASR. We analyze the factors influencing this disparity and the effect of speech mode-specific training on ASR accuracy. Method: Recordings of read and conversational speech from 27 individuals with various speech disorders were analyzed using both (a) one speaker-independent ASR system trained and optimized for typical speech and (b) multiple ASR models that were personalized to the speech of the participants with disordered speech. Word error rates were calculated for each speech model, read versus conversational, and subject. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the impact of speech mode and disorder severity on ASR accuracy. We investigated nine variables, classified as technical, linguistic, or speech impairment factors, for their potential influence on the performance gap. Results: We found a significant performance gap between read and conversational speech in both personalized and unadapted ASR models. Speech impairment severity notably impacted recognition accuracy in unadapted models for both speech modes and in personalized models for read speech. Linguistic attributes of utterances were the most influential on accuracy, though atypical speech characteristics also played a role. Including conversational speech samples in model training notably improved recognition accuracy. Conclusions: We observed a significant performance gap in ASR accuracy between read and conversational speech for individuals with speech disorders. This gap was largely due to the linguistic complexity and unique characteristics of speech disorders in conversational speech. Training personalized ASR models using conversational speech significantly improved recognition accuracy, demonstrating the importance of domain-specific training and highlighting the need for further research into ASR systems capable of handling disordered conversational speech effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of repeat viewing on comprehension of explicitly and implicitly presented information in an animated movie. Seventy-three pre-school children watched an animated film and were tested for comprehension after either their single or fifth viewing. Only children's comprehension of explicitly presented information was facilitated by repeat viewing. However, post hoc analyses revealed that children's explicit and implicit comprehension of a central character "Thunderbolt" significantly increased across viewing conditions, whereas, repeat viewing only facilitated children's explicit comprehension of the central character "Patch". The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 footnote.)

Introduction: Both atrial fibrillation (AF) and amyloidosis increase stroke risk. We evaluated the best anticoagulation strategy in AF patients with coexistent amyloidosis. Methods: Consecutive AF patients with concomitant amyloidosis were divided into two groups based on the postablation stroke‐prophylaxis approach; group 1: left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in eligible patients and group 2: oral anticoagulation (OAC). Group 1 patients were further divided into Gr. 1A: LAAO + half‐does NOAC (HD‐NOAC) for 6 months followed by aspirin 81 mg/day and Gr. 1B: LAAO + HD‐NOAC. In group 1 patients, with complete occlusion at the 45‐day transesophageal echocardiogram, patients were switched to aspirin, 81 mg/day at 6 months. In case of leak, or dense "smoke" in the left atrium (LA) or enlarged LA, they were placed on long‐term half‐dose (HD) NOAC. Group 2 patients remained on full‐dose NOAC during the whole study period. Results: A total of 92 patients were included in the analysis; group 1: 56 and group 2: 36. After the 45‐day TEE, 31 patients from group 1 remained on baby‐aspirin and 25 on HD NOAC. At 1‐year follow‐up, four stroke, one TIA and six device‐thrombus were reported in group 1A, compared to none in patients in group 1B (5/31 vs. 0/25, p =.03). No bleeding events were reported in group 1, whereas group 2 had five bleeding events (one subdural hematoma, one retinal hemorrhage, and four GI bleedings). Additionally, one stroke was reported in group 2 that happened during brief discontinuation of OAC. Conclusion: In patients with coexistent AF and amyloidosis, half‐dose NOAC following LAAO was observed to be the safest stroke‐prophylaxis strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debates over trade liberalization vs. protectionism have becoming increasingly relevant as the world moves through a contentious era of economic globalization. This is particularly true in the United States, where an elite consensus on the merits of free trade has fractured in recent years. While we know a good deal about the economic and cultural determinants of trade opinion, we know little about how attitudes toward government may matter. Here, I address this oversight by examining the relationship between political trust and trade support. I do this with cross-sectional and panel data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) and the National Annenberg Election Surveys (NAES), and a survey experiment fielded through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Overall, I find that there is a positive and substantively significant relationship between political trust and mass support for free and open "pro-trade" policies. I attribute this to greater citizen confidence that government will pursue trade deals in the national interest and mitigate any perceived risks associated with free trade. These findings help us to better understand the determinants of public opinion toward trade policy and underscore the consequences of political trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of building information modelling (BIM) has increased in the global architecture, engineering, construction and owner-operated (AECO) industries. This increased use has contributed to a recognition by project stakeholders of its importance across the building life cycle, leading higher education institutions to rethink their AECO provisions. There has been much debate about how BIM should be employed in undergraduate curricula: should it be included as a stand-alone subject in a programme or as an underlying theme across the programme? Research has also been conducted into theories of practice with regard to BIM education. This article builds on previous research in the codeBIM project and describes students' perceptions of current practice in the United States and the United Kingdom. The article begins with a literature review of current theories of BIM teaching in AECO and a summary of good practice. The use of focus groups is described and the findings from focus group sessions held in the United Kingdom and the United States are discussed. The authors identify six key areas required for BIM to be inclusive in higher education: collaborative curricula, space, teamwork, relevance to the industry, technical/technological skills and the role of the professor or lecturer. Each of these areas is discussed in light of the findings from the focus groups.

Introduction: Lyme disease (LD) affects ∼476,000 people each year in the United States. Symptoms are variable and include rash and flu-like symptoms. Reasons for the wide variation in disease outcomes are unknown. Powassan virus (POWV) is a tick-borne flavivirus that causes disease ranging from asymptomatic infection to encephalitis, neurologic damage, and death. POWV and LD geographic case distributions overlap, with Ixodes species ticks as the common vectors. Clinical ramifications of coinfection or sequential infection are unknown. Objectives: This study's primary objective was to determine the prevalence of POWV-reactive antibodies in sera samples collected from previously studied cohorts of individuals with self-reported LD history residing in the Northeastern United States. As a secondary objective, we studied clinical differences between people with self-reported LD history and low versus high POWV antibody levels. Methods: We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to quantify IgG directed at the POWV envelope (E) protein domain III in 538 samples from individuals with self-reported LD history and 16 community controls. The samples were also tested with an ELISA assay to quantify IgG directed at the POWV NS1 protein. Results: The percentage of individuals with LD history and possible evidence of POWV exposure varied depending on the assay utilized. We found no significant difference in clinical symptoms between those with low or high POWV IgG levels in the in-house assay. Congruence of the EDIII and NS1 assays was low with only 12% of those positive in the in-house EDIII ELISA testing positive in the POWV NS1 ELISA. Conclusions: The results highlight the difficulty in flavivirus diagnostic testing, particularly in the retrospective detection of flavivirus exposure. The findings suggest that a prospective study with symptomatic patients using approved clinical testing is necessary to address the incidence and clinical implications of LD and POWV co-infection or sequential infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: In observational studies, the association between alcohol consumption and dementia is mixed. METHODS: We performed two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) using summary statistics from genome‐wide association studies of weekly alcohol consumption and late‐onset Alzheimer's disease and one‐sample MR in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), wave 2012. Inverse variance weighted two‐stage regression provided odds ratios of association between alcohol exposure and dementia or cognitively impaired, non‐dementia relative to cognitively normal. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption was not associated with late‐onset Alzheimer's disease using two‐sample MR (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.78, 1.72]). In HRS, doubling weekly alcohol consumption was not associated with dementia (African ancestries, n = 1,322, OR = 1.00, 95% CI [0.45, 2.25]; European ancestries, n = 7,160, OR = 1.37, 95% CI [0.53, 3.51]) or cognitively impaired, non‐dementia (African ancestries, n = 1,322, OR = 1.17, 95% CI [0.69, 1.98]; European ancestries, n = 7,160, OR = 0.75, 95% CI [0.47, 1.22]). DISCUSSION: Alcohol consumption was not associated with cognitively impaired, non‐dementia or dementia status. Highlights: Cross‐sectionally in a large, diverse sample, alcohol appears protective for dementia.We apply two‐ and one‐sample Mendelian randomization to test inferred causality.Mendelian randomization approaches show no association with alcohol and dementia.We conclude that alcohol consumption should not be considered protective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Behavior change and medication adherence represent potential barriers to optimal prevention of pregnancy complications including preeclampsia. We sought to evaluate baseline sentiments on pregnancy care and medication amenability, and how these measures would be impacted by early predictive testing for preeclampsia. Methods: We developed a digital survey to query participants' baseline sentiments on pregnancy care, knowledge about pregnancy complications, and views on a hypothetical test to predict preeclampsia. The survey was administered online to pregnant and recently-delivered individuals in the United States. Survey data were analyzed using pooled two-sample proportion z-tests with adjustment for multiple comparisons. Results: One thousand and twenty-two people completed the survey. 84% reported they were satisfied with their pregnancy care. Self-assessed knowledge about preeclampsia was high, with 75% of respondents reporting they have a "good understanding" of preeclampsia, but measured knowledge was low, with only 10% able to identify five common signs/symptoms of preeclampsia. Notably, 40% of participants with prior preeclampsia believed they were at average or below-average risk for recurrence. 91% of participants desired early pregnancy predictive testing for preeclampsia. If found to be at high risk for preeclampsia, 88% reported they would be more motivated to follow their provider's medication recommendations and 94% reported they would desire home blood pressure monitoring. Increased motivation to follow clinicians' medication and monitoring recommendations was observed across the full spectrum of medication amenability. Individuals who are more medication-hesitant still reported high rates of motivation to change behavior and adhere to medication recommendations if predictive testing showed a high risk of preeclampsia. Importantly, a high proportion of medication-hesitant individuals reported that if a predictive test demonstrated they were at high risk of preeclampsia, they would feel more motivated to take medications (83.0%) and aspirin (75.9%) if recommended. Conclusion: While satisfaction with care is high, participants desire more information about their pregnancy health, would value predictive testing for preeclampsia, and report they would act on this information. Improved detection of at-risk individuals through objective testing combined with increased adherence to their recommended care plan may be an important step to remedy the growing gap in prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hand therapy clinical rotations are 12 weeks, and one common anecdotal change frequently expressed is an increase in hand strength. Quantifiable measures of change are not documented in the literature. The purpose of this study is to determine if students experience significant increases in strength during a clinical rotation. Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental, double-blinded, non-randomized sample of convenience. Grip and pinch strength were assessed pre, mid, and post clinical rotation. Demographic data were collected and reported. Paired t-tests were used to compare means between groups. SPSS 27.0 was used for data analysis. Results: After removing incomplete data sets, n = 12. Grip strength in the left hand showed a significant increase from pretest to posttest. Grip strength in the right hand showed no difference. Significant increases occurred in both right and left tripod pinch and lateral pinch strength from pretest to posttest. A significant increase was not observed for 2-point pinch strength. Discussion: This study provides insight into the changes in hand strength in students after a clinical rotation in hand therapy. Significant changes in grip and pinch strength do occur during this time. Increased load in grip and pinch patterns may have clinical implications for therapists practicing long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With claims that neo-liberalism is the "specific defining political/economic paradigm of the age in which we live?…?" [Apple, Michael. 2006. "Educating the 'Right' Way: Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality." New York: Taylor & Francis, 14.], an invited symposium at the 2012 International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport (ICSEMIS), under the auspices of the Association Internationale des Ecoles Superieures d'Education Physique (AIESEP), sought to consider if, globally, physical education has been touched by neo-liberalism. Entitled School Physical Education Curricula for Future Generations: Global Patterns? Global Lessons? The symposium featured six speakers from Africa, Australia, Korea, New Zealand, UK, and the USA. Each of the speakers articulated the impact of instantiations of neo-liberalism on their countries' physical education curricula, resources, practices, status, and teacher education. The speakers' accounts suggest "the indigenization of neoliberalism in different places, the spatial unevenness of its spread, and?…?its articulations and intersections with other political-cultural formations and governing projects?…?.". [Kingfisher, Catherine, and Jeff Maskovsky. 2008. "Introduction the Limits of Neoliberalism." "Critique of Anthropology" 28 (2): 115-126.]

During pregnancy and early fatherhood, men are at higher risk of poor health, exacerbated by low engagement by healthcare services. Yet the transition to fatherhood presents an opportunity for men to improve their health and health behaviours. Health literacy refers to individuals' competence in accessing and applying health information. Poor health literacy is associated with poor health and low help-seeking. The aim of this study was to identify health literacy strengths, needs and profiles among fathers. Men who were expecting a baby ('antenatal') or had become fathers in the past 18 months ('postnatal') were recruited through an international, online paid survey platform. The survey included the nine-scale Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). Of 889 survey respondents (n  = 416, 46.5% antenatal; n  = 473, 53.5% postnatal), 274 (31.0%) were residing in the USA and 239 (27.0%) in the UK. Relatively higher scores were reported for HLQ scales relating to having sufficient information and finding and understanding this information, as well as social support for health. Relatively lower scores were obtained for scales relating to actively managing one's own health and navigating the health care system. Three scale scores were significantly lower among nulliparous than multiparous men. Seven health literacy profiles were identified. In conclusion, while fathers have some health literacy strengths, they also experience some barriers, particularly first-time fathers. Awareness of diverse health literacy profiles among fathers may assist in developing strategies to strengthen health services' capacity to meet fathers' needs and reduce risks to their health at this critical juncture in families' lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several performance measures have been developed to assess and improve osteoporosis screening, diagnosis, and treatment. These performance measures vary in quality but are often used in accountability, public reporting, and/or payment programs. This article evaluates 6 osteoporosis performance measures relevant to internal medicine physicians to inform physicians, payers, and policy makers in their selection and interpretation of performance measures for this condition. Primary osteoporosis is characterized by decreasing bone mass and density and reduced bone strength that leads to a higher risk for fracture, especially hip and spine fractures. The prevalence of osteoporosis in the United States is estimated at 12.6% for adults older than 50 years. Although it is most frequently diagnosed in White and Asian females, it still affects males and females of all ethnicities. Osteoporosis is considered a major health issue, which has prompted the development and use of several performance measures to assess and improve the effectiveness of screening, diagnosis, and treatment. These performance measures are often used in accountability, public reporting, and/or payment programs. However, the reliability, validity, evidence, attribution, and meaningfulness of performance measures have been questioned. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of current performance measures on osteoporosis and inform physicians, payers, and policymakers in their selection of performance measures for this condition. The Performance Measurement Committee identified 6 osteoporosis performance measures relevant to internal medicine physicians, only 1 of which was found valid at all levels of attribution. This paper also proposes a performance measure concept to address a performance gap for the initial approach to therapy for patients with a new diagnosis of osteoporosis based on the current American College of Physicians guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opioid crisis in the United States remains a pressing issue with widespread implications. This study investigates the potential impact of an exercise program on individuals undergoing treatment for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), with a focus on enhancing Recovery Capital (RC) and overall well-being. The study evaluates a partnership between a treatment facility, The Counseling Center (TCC), and a CrossFit-affiliated gym, Portsmouth Spartan Kettlebell Club (PSKC), to explore how high-intensity exercise interventions may positively influence the longterm recovery trajectory of SUD patients. The study analyzes demographic information, substance use history, and well-being indicators in participants engaged in the exercise program compared to those not participating. The findings suggest that those who participate in the exercise program are associated with improved physical health, increased energy levels, reduced feelings of hopelessness and depression, and an increased sense of fulfillment without substance use. While further research is recommended to explore specific exercise regimens and the social dynamics within the program, the study emphasizes the potential benefits of incorporating guided exercise programs into SUD recovery strategies to enhance overall health, recovery capital, and the long-term well-being of individuals recovering from substance abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Retirement represents a crucial transitional period for many adults with possible consequences for cognitive aging. We examined trajectories of cognitive change before and after retirement in Black and White adults. Methods: Longitudinal examination of up to 10 years (mean = 7.1 ± 2.2 years) using data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study–a national, longitudinal study of Black and White adults ≥45 years of age. Data were from 2226 members of the REGARDS study who retired around the time when an occupational ancillary survey was administered. Cognitive function was an average of z‐scores for tests of verbal fluency, memory, and global function. Results: Cognitive functioning was stable before retirement (Estimate = 0.05, p = 0.322), followed by a significant decline after retirement (Estimate = −0.15, p < 0.001). The decline was particularly pronounced in White (Estimate = −0.19, p < 0.001) compared with Black (Estimate = −0.07, p = 0.077) participants, twice as large in men (Estimate = −0.20, p < 0.001) compared with women (Estimate = −0.11, p < 0.001), highest among White men (Estimate = −0.22, p < 0.001) and lowest in Black women (Estimate = −0.04, p = 0.457). Greater post‐retirement cognitive decline was also observed among participants who attended college (Estimate = −0.14, p = 0.016). While greater work complexity (Estimate = 0.92, p < 0.05) and higher income (Estimate = 1.03, p < 0.05) were related to better cognitive function at retirement, neither was significantly related to cognitive change after retirement. Conclusion: Cognitive functioning may decline at an accelerated rate immediately post‐retirement, more so in White adults and men than Black adults and women. Lifelong structural inequalities including occupational segregation and other social determinants of cognitive health may obscure the role of retirement in cognitive aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mixed-method study was carried out to investigate how teacher attitude and professional development influence learner-centered Information Communication Technology (ICT) integration. A questionnaire, interviews and observations were used to gather data in a school district in Nova Scotia, Canada. Teacher data were categorized by grade level, discipline, and teaching experience. Findings suggest that learner-centered ICT integration is more likely to occur needs-based, collaborative professional development programs are provided. Study data suggest that membership in a community of practice may be one way to increase learner-centered ICT integration. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

Resilient families are able to adapt to adversities, but the nature of family resilience is not well understood. This study examines patterns of family functioning that may protect families from the negative impact of alcohol abuse. Naturally occurring patterns of family functioning are identified and associations between these patterns and parenting, current parental alcohol use, recent family stressful events, supportive relationships outside the family, and demographic characteristics are assessed. Cross-sectional data are analyzed from racially diverse American and Canadian families (N = 674) who have at least one parent with an alcohol abuse problem and a child between ages 9 and 12 years. Cluster analyses derived from family functioning indicators are used to identify naturally occurring family patterns. Multivariate assessments evaluated relationships between family functioning clusters and potentially influencing factors. The study results reveal a continuum of family functioning associated with parenting, child's perception of teacher caring, and race. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

The Western States Certification Consortium (WSCC) is a collaborative effort of 11 states in the western region of the United States that provides information on alternative teacher training programs and specific geographical areas with teaching opportunities. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education as a Troops to Teachers demonstration project to establish interstate licensure within the consortium, the WSCC recruits, trains, and places highly qualified teachers with specific subject matter expertise in the schools of the member states. Both prospective teachers and school districts benefit from WSCC: prospective teachers find alternative certification programs in geographical areas where they want to live and teach, and school districts find highly qualified people for teaching positions in high-need subject areas and high-need geographical areas. In this article, the authors explain the services provided by the consortium and offer suggestions for other teacher training institutions and states that want to replicate an effort that serves both schools and prospective teachers.

Certain occupations are associated with greater risk of triggering a sudden cardiac event because of high levels of physical exertion and extreme thermal environments in which they occur. The extent to which sports officials––particularly high school (HS) American football referees––experience these conditions is unknown. Forty-six male HS officials (72% White/Caucasian; age = 48 ± 12 years, body mass index = 31.7 ± 6.6 kg·m−2) were studied to quantify the physiological strain and physical demands of officiating. Referee demographics (e.g., experience, habitual exercise), pre-game urine specific gravity (USG), thermal (peak core temperature [Tcore]) and cardiovascular (average heart rate [HR]) strain, kinematic activity (e.g., total distance, speed, mechanical intensity), and environmental conditions were measured during 10 regular season varsity HS football games (≈2.5 h each) in the Southeastern United States (average wet bulb globe temperature and relative humidity: 18.9 ± 6.0 °C and 78.2% ± 12.1%). Analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and linear regression. Referees covered 5.2 ± 1.2 km per game, eliciting average HR and peak Tcore of 71.5% ± 8.0% HRmax and 38.3 ± 0.5 °C, respectively; 38% began games dehydrated (USG = 1.026 ± 0.004). Multiple regression analyses revealed that obesity (β = 0.34), not participating in regular exercise (β = −0.36), and officiating at lower mechanical intensity (β = −0.33) predicted greater cardiovascular strain (all p ≤ 0.03). White/Caucasian race/ethnicity (β = 0.59), younger age (β = −0.46), and obesity (β = 0.28) predicted greater thermal strain (all p ≤ 0.01). HS football referees experienced elevated levels of physiological strain while officiating, with individual factors modulating the magnitude of strain. Strategies aimed at reducing obesity, increasing exercise participation, and improving cardiovascular health should be emphasized to mitigate strain and prevent cardiac events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although US policies to limit lead (Pb) release into the environment have substantially decreased children's blood Pb concentrations over the past four decades, more than a million children are still exposed to harmful Pb levels. A social-ecological model (SEM) of childhood Pb exposure may help public health professionals and government officials prevent these exposures by identifying the combinations of individual and social environmental factors that have resisted previous Pb exposure control policies and programs. To develop such an SEM, we conducted a systematic review of studies of children's blood Pb in the United States published since 2005. Information on risk factors for Pb exposure was extracted from each article. Identified risk factors were then grouped into the five levels of an SEM: intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy. In total, the review identified 75 peer-reviewed studies of children's Pb exposure in the United States since 2005. The review revealed that while child blood Pb levels have declined over time, inequities of Pb exposure persist among Non- Hispanic Black, migrant, and low-income children. Mixed effects were reported for Hispanic/Latinx/Mexican- American populations, with some studies finding these groups were at higher risk and others showing lower risks. Surprisingly, some studies found higher blood Pb in children over age 5 than in younger children, though the reverse was generally true. Findings reveal new opportunities to target exposure prevention programs at the intrapersonal, institutional, community, and policy levels. Well-controlled studies of the effectiveness of interventions at each level are needed to guide future policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses surveillance as a technique of power in the culture of physical education, including its impact upon the health of teachers. Additionally, gendered aspects of surveillance are investigated because physical education is an important location in and through which bodies are inscribed with gendered identities. The embodied nature of physical educators' work renders the body as particularly significant in patterns of privilege and domination. The research was guided by Michel Foucault's work and poststructural feminist perspectives on the importance of power in social life. At nine schools across two international research sites, the functioning of surveillance was evidenced through the multi-directional workings of power in top-down, lateral, and bottom-up configurations. Data indicated that surveillance occurred on, through and about bodies. It had a strong gender dimension as the male gaze inscribed both female teachers' and students' bodies with value and competence. In terms of teachers' health, as well as responses to surveillance on a physical and emotional level, the workings of power were also influential in shaping teachers' identities. (Contains 4 notes.)

Various forms of assistance are offered to help US Veterans achieve success in their post-military lives in recognition of their service. Despite the many successes, a significant number of Veterans continue to remain at risk for negative mental health outcomes, including suicidality and low levels of life satisfaction. These findings may be due to challenges arising from cultural identity dissonance. Problematic strategies used by Veterans to reduce this dissonance can result in a lack of belongingness, a key component in Joiner's Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. The authors suggest that research on the immigrant experience of acculturation may provide a new perspective to better understand issues of identity and sense of belonging in Veterans. Given that most Veterans return to the culture in which they grew up, the authors offer the term "reculturation." The authors propose clinical psychology focus on exploring the reculturation process of Veterans to support program engagement and suicide prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Epilepsy is one of the most common reasons for referral for a pediatric neuropsychological evaluation due its high prevalence in childhood and our well-established clinical role in tertiary care settings. Emerging evidence indicates that racial and ethnic minority populations experience increased epilepsy burden compared with White peers. Although there has been heightened recognition in our specialty regarding the dire need for culturally and linguistically responsive evaluations, the scientific evidence to support effective neuropsychological service delivery for bi/multilingual and bi/multicultural youth with epilepsy is comparatively scant and of poor quality. As a result, significant patient and clinical challenges exist, particularly in high stakes presurgical pediatric epilepsy evaluations of bi/multilingual and bi/multicultural children. Method Given that Spanish is the most common language spoken in the United States after English, this paper will focus on Spanish and English measures, but will provide evidence-based practice considerations that can inform practices with other non-English speaking communities. Cultural and linguistic factors that affect clinical decision-making regarding test selection, test interpretation, and feedback with families are highlighted. Results We offer a review of neuropsychological profiles associated with pediatric epilepsy as well as a flexible, multimodal approach for the assessment of linguistically and culturally diverse children with epilepsy based on empirical evidence and the clinical experiences of pediatric neuropsychologists from diverse backgrounds who work with children with epilepsy. Conclusion Limitations to this approach are discussed, including the lack of available measures and resources for culturally and linguistically diverse pediatric populations. A case illustration highlights a culturally informed assessment approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate information regarding intercollegiate adapted sports for disabled students is unknown, exacerbating inequities in health, higher education, and competitive sports. This study's purpose was to identify existing intercollegiate adapted athletics programs in the United States to provide a baseline for future research. Content analysis was conducted for programs meeting inclusion criteria: (1) intercollegiate competition, (2) providing adapted sports, (3) to college students, (4) indicated university affiliation, (5) at any 4-year institution, (6) within the United States. Sixteen university programs met inclusion criteria. Despite growing K-12 sport participation, there are too few programs to accommodate college matriculation, contributing to social and health inequity for college students with a disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservationists and scientists throughout the world consider butterflies important indicators of broadscale factors affecting global biodiversity. And like other facets of biodiversity, declines in many butterfly populations appear related to human activities, and the potential of their extinction could jeopardize key ecosystem services. The regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia), a butterfly associated with tall‐ and mixed‐grass prairies in the United States, is a species currently being considered for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. As with many butterflies, a paucity of data makes evidence‐based assessments of their population and distributional status difficult. Citizen science data provide one possible source of broadscale information about this species, but using these data is not simple because of spatial scaling and sampling bias problems. Here, we developed a model to analyze a data set from the citizen science program called the Fourth of July Butterfly Count (4JC) to make inferences about regal fritillary abundance in the Great Plains and Midwest regions of the United States. More specifically, we aimed to determine the extent to which grassland fragmentation, spring weather conditions, or other spatial factors were correlated with the intensity of use within 4JC survey areas. Our findings indicated that regal fritillaries used locations surrounded by grassland and with minimal forest cover. We included smoothing spline terms in our model, which indicated other sources of spatial structuring in these data. It is possible that these additional sources of variation could reflect variation in habitat quality. We also found that local averaged spring weather variables indicated that regal fritillary abundance varied over a wider range of precipitation conditions, but a narrower range of temperature conditions. Further analyses indicated that a systematic increase in temperature from climate change could lead to a pronounced northward shift in the regal fritillary's distribution. These findings have implications for the development of a recovery plan, since such a plan will need to outline a strategy that accounts for a range of patch sizes whose quality appears to vary spatially, as well as address numerous uncertainties about the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In exploring older physical education textbooks there is a renewed appreciation for past leaders and their foresight in critical areas of our profession. While a number of ideas have been floating around in the physical education world that are thought of as new or improved concepts: Terms such as social emotional learning, physical literacy, mastery, the whole child, and along with the notion of the importance of quality teaching and assessment, appear in numerous publications and/or popular websites. However, looking back at old textbooks these ideas are not new but recycled and reused good ideas from long ago. It reminds us that much of what we believe about quality physical education is often rooted in other eras - that the past is still the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Summary: This study examines the extent to which citywide racial and ethnic disparities in arrests are driven by a subset of places within cities. Data are drawn from six U.S. cities from 2014 to 2019. Results indicate that arrests are strongly concentrated within a few block groups, for all race and ethnicities in all cities. Coupled with higher rates of arrests for Blacks and (in some cities) Hispanics compared to Whites and other racial groups, this means that a few places in every city are responsible for driving citywide racial and ethnic disparities in arrests. These arrest hot spots demonstrate very high year‐to‐year stability. There is a strong relationship between crime and arrest hot spots, making crime hot spots key drivers of citywide racial and ethnic disparities in arrests. Policy Implications: Our results indicate that changes to arrest patterns in most parts of a city will have little impact on citywide racial and ethnic disparities in arrests. At the same time, an intense focus on reducing arrests in hot spots may yield outsized reductions in population‐level racial and ethnic disparities, while being especially feasible due to their limited scope. Place‐based and group‐based interventions at these locations may entail the dual benefit of reduced racial disparities in arrests along with enhanced public safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: In May 2022, the first case of monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection in the United States in the current global outbreak was identified. As part of the public health and health care facility response, a contact tracing and exposure investigation was done.Objective: To describe the contact tracing, exposure identification, risk stratification, administration of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), and exposure period monitoring for contacts of the index patient, including evaluation of persons who developed symptoms possibly consistent with MPXV infection.Design: Contact tracing and exposure investigation.Setting: Multiple health care facilities and community settings in Massachusetts.Participants: Persons identified as contacts of the index patient.Intervention: Contact notification, risk stratification, and symptom monitoring; PEP administration in a subset of contacts.Measurements: Epidemiologic and clinical data collected through standard surveillance procedures at each facility and then aggregated and analyzed.Results: There were 37 community and 129 health care contacts identified, with 4 at high risk, 49 at intermediate risk, and 113 at low or uncertain risk. Fifteen health care contacts developed symptoms during the monitoring period. Three met criteria for MPXV testing, with negative results. Two community contacts developed symptoms. Neither met criteria for MPXV testing, and neither showed disease progression consistent with monkeypox. Among 4 persons with high-risk exposures offered PEP, 3 elected to receive PEP. Among 10 HCP with intermediate-risk exposures for which PEP was offered as part of informed clinical decision making, 2 elected to receive PEP. No transmissions were identified at the conclusion of the 21-day monitoring period, despite the delay in recognition of monkeypox in the index patient.Limitation: Descriptions of exposures are subject to recall bias, which affects risk stratification.Conclusion: In a contact tracing investigation involving 166 community and health care contacts of a patient with monkeypox, no secondary cases were identified.Primary Funding Source: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Takeaways: A 2020 court case was pivotal in further determining how to regulate pollutant discharges to groundwater and subsequently to waters of the United States (WOTUS). Subsequent cases have added uncertainty to the very definition of WOTUS and what is required of water and wastewater treatment facilities to be in compliance. Facilities would be wise to stay current on WOTUS‐related developments and consider conducting a "functional equivalence" analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By introducing a novel risk to human interaction, COVID-19 may have galvanized interest in uses of artificial intelligence (AI). But was the pandemic a large enough catalyst to change public attitudes about the costs and benefits of autonomous systems whose operations increasingly rely on AI? To answer this question, we use a preregistered research design that exploits variation across the 2018 and 2020 waves of the CCES/CES, a nationally representative survey of adults in the United States. We compare support for autonomous cars, autonomous surgeries, weapons, and cyber defense pre- and post-the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that, despite the incentives created by COVID-19, the pandemic did not increase support for most of these technologies, except in the case of autonomous surgery among those who know someone who died of COVID-19. The results hold even when controlling for a variety of relevant political and demographic factors. The pandemic did little to push potential autonomous vehicle users to support adoption. Further, American concerns about autonomous weapons, including cyber defense, remain sticky and perhaps exacerbated over the last two years. These findings suggest that the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the adoption of many of these systems is far more nuanced and complex than headlines may suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authoritarianism, an individual-level predisposition that favors security, conformity, and certainty, has been powerfully linked with cultural conservatism and support for "strongman" politicians but weakly and inconsistently linked with public opinion toward economic issues. In examining this latter relationship, past work has tended to pose a dichotomous question, is authoritarianism associated with economic liberalism/conservatism or not? Here, I diverge from this approach and argue that authoritarianism is associated with support for one specific program—Social Security. I argue that the unique framing of this program, which emphasizes rule-following, certainty, and deservingness, should resonate with authoritarian-minded individuals. I test this with survey data, primarily from the American National Election Studies (ANES). Overall, I find a positive and substantively significant relationship between authoritarianism and support for Social Security but not for other types of domestic social welfare spending. These findings help us better understand the correlates of mass support for Social Security as well as the policy consequences of authoritarianism. These findings also suggest that Social Security will likely remain popular in an increasingly authoritarian Republican Party. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2015 study exploring the correlations between nursing professional development (NPD) staffing and organizational outcomes was replicated in 2021. Part 1 of this two-part report provides background information and descriptive data, including organizational characteristics, NPD department structures, and NPD practitioner ratios per employee, per RN, and per hospital bed. Findings reflect the proliferation of hospital systems, expansion of NPD practice to include other professions and all employees, and little change in NPD certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) database to determine geographic and temporal trends, as well as variables associated with the likelihood of receiving an opioid prescription for urolithiasis in United States (US) emergency departments (EDs).Materials and Methods: All ED visits for urolithiasis between 2006 and 2018 in the NHAMCS database were analyzed. Age, race/ethnicity, insurance status, ED provider credentials, geographic region, and urban vs rural hospital status were extracted. Linear regression was used to examine overall/regional trends in opioid prescriptions over time. Logistic regression was used to estimate factors associated with higher odds of receiving opioids.Results: Fourteen million visits were analyzed, of which, 79.1% (11.0 million) received an opioid prescription. From 2014 to 2018 there was a decline of 3.65%/year of the proportion of visits receiving an opioid prescription (R2 = 0.86, P = .008). Non-Hispanic Black race was associated with a lower chance of receiving opioid prescription (OR = 0.57, P = .02) compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Midwestern hospitals had higher odds of opioid prescription compared to the Northeast (OR = 2.05, P = .006). Rural hospitals had lower odds of opioid prescription compared to urban hospitals (OR = 0.62, P = .02).Conclusion: Opioid prescriptions for patients presenting with urolithiasis to the ED have steadily declined from 2014 to 2018, except in the Midwest. NHW race, Midwest region, and urban EDs increase the likelihood of receiving opioids. Continued efforts encouraging non-opioid alternatives for urolithiasis are essential, specifically in Midwestern EDs, to mitigate the ongoing opioid epidemic in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]