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The use and appropriate amount of students' own language (OL) in foreign language classes remains a subject of debate. While exclusive new language (NL) use may not necessarily always benefit all learners, especially young language learners (YLLs), overuse of the students' OL may not provide the same range of communicative experiences as greater NL exposure. This article reports on measures by which teachers of elementary-age YLLs use the students' OL in a systematic fashion to create an optimally rich NL environment. Successful elementary teachers of English as a foreign language in Japan and of Japanese as a foreign language in the United States were selected and observed, and classroom OL use practices enabling clear and engaging use of the NL were documented. Teachers made extensive use of signals for the use of the students' OL within routines for classroom management to reduce student confusion. These findings are discussed with implications for teachers seeking to use the students' OL to facilitate the use of the NL in class.

Background High-protein diets (e.g. Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, ketogenic) have gained popularity as a means to promote weight loss and avoid excess carbohydrate consumption. Yet in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, evidence suggests low dietary protein intake (DPI) leads to attenuation of kidney function decline, although concerns remain for risk of protein-energy wasting. Objectives To examine associations of DPI with mortality in a nationally representative cohort of US adults, stratified by kidney function. Methods We examined the association between daily DPI scaled to actual body weight (ABW), ascertained by 24-h dietary recall, with all-cause mortality among 27,604 continuous NHANES adult participants (1999–2010), stratified according to impaired versus normal kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rates <60 compared with ≥60 ml/min/1.72 m2, respectively), using multivariable Cox models. We also examined the relation between high biological value (HBV) protein consumption with mortality. Results In participants with impaired kidney function, a high DPI of ≥1.4 g/kg ABW/day was associated with higher mortality, while lower DPI levels were not associated with mortality (reference, 0.6 to <1.0 g/kg ABW/day): the adjusted HRs (aHRs) were 1.09 (95% CI: 0.90, 1.32), 1.03 (95% CI: 0.82, 1.29), and 1.37 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.85) for DPI <0.6, 1.0 to <1.4, and ≥1.4 g/kg ABW/day, respectively. Yet in participants with normal kidney function, a low DPI of <0.6 g/kg ABW/day was associated with higher mortality, whereas higher DPI levels were not associated with death: the aHRs were 1.18 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.34), 0.92 (95% CI: 0.81, 1.04), and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.85, 1.16) for DPI <0.6, 1.0 to <1.4, and ≥1.4 g/kg ABW/day, respectively. The highest 2 tertiles of HBV consumption were associated with higher mortality in participants with impaired kidney function. Conclusions Among participants with impaired kidney function, a higher DPI and greater HBV consumption were associated with higher mortality, whereas a lower DPI was associated with higher mortality in those with normal kidney function. Further studies are needed to elucidate the specific pathways between higher DPI and mortality in CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent findings indicate that the Japanese IT sector increasingly lags the U.S. IT sector in software innovation and that this underlies Japan's weakening competitive performance vis-à-vis U.S. IT. This article explores alternative explanations for this outcome and analyzes what explains the Japanese software industry's trajectory. The sources are found in the late understanding of the transformational role of software and its value-creating potential as well as in the evolution of the industry's structure. Finally, this article considers what policy makers in other nations might learn from the Japanese experience in building a more vibrant software industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The drawback of intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy with the double-stapling technique (DST) using a transorally inserted anvil (OrVil™, Covidien, Mansfield, MA, USA) following laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) is not only the high incidence of stenosis but also the presence of intractable stenosis that is refractory to endoscopic treatments.Methods: From November 2013 to December 2016, 24 patients with gastric cancer underwent intracorporeal circular-stapled esophagojejunostomy with the hemi-double-stapling technique (hemi-DST) using the OrVil™ in antecolic Roux-en-Y reconstruction with its efferent loop located on the left side of the patient following LTG to prevent twisting of the esophagojejunostomy and lifted jejunum, which might cause intractable stenosis of the esophagojejunostomy.Results: In this patient series, no twisting of the esophagojejunostomy and lifted jejunum was encountered intraoperatively or postoperatively. Two stenoses of the esophagojejunostomy occurred. Because neither was involved with twisting and both were localized at the anastomotic plane, endoscopic treatments including balloon dilation and electrocautery incisional therapy were successful in both cases. There were no patients with intractable stenosis in this series.Conclusions: Intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy with the hemi-DST using the OrVil™ in antecolic Roux-en-Y reconstruction with its efferent loop located on the left side of the patient can be one option for a circular stapling technique in LTG due to its prevention of intractable stenosis of the esophagojejunostomy that is refractory to endoscopic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To demonstrate how inclusion of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) as a tool in Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning can increase public health capacity for emergency response. Methods. We reviewed all domestic CASPER activities (i.e., trainings and assessments) between fiscal years 2012 and 2016. Data from these CASPER activities were compared with respect to differences in geographic distribution, type, actions, efficacy, and usefulness of training. Results. During the study period, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted 24 domestic in-person CASPER trainings for 1057 staff in 38 states. On average, there was a marked increase in knowledge of CASPER. Ninety-nine CASPERs were conducted in the United States, approximately half of which (53.5%) assessed preparedness; the others were categorized as response or recovery (27.2%) or were unrelated to a disaster (19.2%). Conclusions. CASPER trainings are successful in increasing disaster epidemiology skills. CASPER can be used by Public Health Emergency Preparedness program awardees to help build and sustain preparedness and response capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the United States, and Hawaii has the highest rate of Campylobacter jejuni infections in the nation. A case-control study was conducted to determine indigenous exposures that contribute to the high incidence of sporadic C. jejuni infection in Hawaii. A total of 211 case patients with diarrhea and confirmed Campylobacter infection was enrolled, along with 1 age- and telephone exchange-matched control subject for each patient. Participants were interviewed about illness, medicines, food consumption, food-handling practices, and exposure to animals. In matched logistic regression analyses, eating chicken prepared by a commercial food establishment in the 7 days before case illness onset (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.8; P=.03) and consuming antibiotics during the 28 days before illness onset (AOR, 3.3; P=.03) were significant independent predictors of illness. Further study of the association of Campylobacter illness with commercially prepared chicken and prior antibiotic use is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Drivers of heavy and tractor-trailer trucks accounted for 56% of all production and nonsupervisory employees in the truck transportation industry in 2011. There are limited data for illness and injury in long-haul truck drivers, which prompted a targeted national survey. Methods Interviewers collected data during 2010 from 1,670 long-haul truck drivers at 32 truck stops across the 48 contiguous United States that were used to compute prevalence estimates for self-reported health conditions and risk factors. Results Obesity (69% vs. 31%, P < 0.01) and current smoking (51% vs. 19%, P < 0.01) were twice as prevalent in long-haul truck drivers as in the 2010 U.S. adult working population. Sixty-one percent reported having two or more of the risk factors: hypertension, obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, no physical activity, 6 or fewer hours of sleep per 24-hr period. Conclusion Survey findings suggest a need for targeted interventions and continued surveillance for long-haul truck drivers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:615-626, 2014. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We analyzed 68 green and blue mussels collected from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and the USA during 2003 and 2007, to elucidate the occurrence and widespread distributions of emerging pollutants, synthetic musks and benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs) in Asia–Pacific coastal waters. Synthetic musks and BUVSs were detected in mussels from all countries, suggesting their ubiquitous contamination and widespread distribution. High concentrations of musks and BUVSs were detected in mussels from Japan and Korea, where the levels were comparable or greater than those of PCBs, DDTs and PBDEs. Significant correlations were found between the concentrations of HHCB and AHTN, and also between the concentrations of UV-327 and UV-328, which suggest similar sources and compositions of these compounds in commercial and industrial products. To our knowledge, this is the first study of large-scale monitoring of synthetic musks and BUVSs in Asia–Pacific coastal waters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 1957, Hannah Arendt argued against the legally enforced desegregation of public schools in the American South. She argued that African Americans had mistaken schools and education for a site of political debate, when they properly belonged to a social realm instead. This article disagrees and reconsiders Arendt's separation between the social and political realms. Arendt also took exception to the role Elizabeth Eckford, a 15-year-old, played in this debate. It is argued here that Elizabeth Eckford's actions were deeply political and give rise to a need to consider the possibility of children's political agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the trends in the growth rate of employment in the U.S. Historical evidence of employment, population and labor force participation for accounts of changes in employment growth rate; Forecast on the trend growth rate from 2005 to 2015; Factors that affect the growth rate of employment.

Abstract This is the first report of two North American branchiobdellidans, Sathodrilus attenuatus Holt, 1981, and Xironogiton victoriensis Gelder and Hall, 1990, on the signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana, 1852) introduced into Japan from the Columbia River system, northwestern North America. Signal crayfish from 12 localities in eastern and northern Hokkaido, Japan, were examined and each supported S. attenuatus. In addition, an individual of this species was found on preserved material from Ishikawa Prefecture, central Honshu. All of these branchiobdellidans reported in Hokkaido most probably came from the original population of signal crayfish introduced into Lake Mashu, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1930. It is suggested that the use of non-pathogenic branchiobdellidans, when present, provides an easy method for tracing the spread of crayfishes around Japan and could also be applied in other countries and continents. Specimens of X. victoriensis were only found on crayfish in a stream at Akashina in Nagano Prefecture, central Honshu, Japan. Although the signal crayfish appears to be displacing the endemic Japanese crayfish, C. japonicus, no native branchiobdellidans were found on any of the introduced signal crayfish examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The occurrence of quinolone antibiotics (QAs) was investigated in wastewater effluents and surface river/lake waters in the US and Canada by using solid-phase extraction with mixed phase cation exchange disk cartridge and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and liquid chromatography fluorescence detection (LC-FLD). Ofloxacin (OFL) was detected in secondary and final effluents of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in East Lansing, Michigan, at concentrations of 204 and 100ng/l, respectively. The mass flow calculation, estimated by multiplying the OFL concentration in the final effluent by the average influent volume of the WWTP, showed that the discharge of OFL to the river was 4.8g/day. The OFL concentrations in wastewater effluents measured in this study are comparable to or less than those observed in several European countries. QAs were not detected in river and lake waters analyzed in this study, which may due to dilution effects and to the higher detection limits, relative to those reported previously. OFL concentrations were ≈1–2 orders of magnitude lower than the EC50 concentrations for environmental bacterium. However, greater concentrations of other QAs in sewage sludge from WWTPs may result in cumulative effects. Considering that the sewage sludge is applied to the land as fertilizers, soil-dwelling organisms could experience greater exposures to such antibiotics. Monitoring studies of QAs in sewage from WWTPs and in sediment/soil near aquaculture facilities and livestock farms will be necessary for the evaluation of the environmental distribution and risk of these compounds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In May 2000, a passenger with measles traveled aboard a 7-hour flight from Japan to Hawaii. A follow-up survey was sent to 307 (91%) of the 336 exposed passengers to identify susceptible passengers and subsequent occurrences of measles. The median age of the 276 respondents (90%) was 34 years; 268 (97%) were residents of Japan. Self-reports determined that 173 (63%) were immune through prior measles or vaccination; 6 (2%) denied a history of prior measles or immunization, and 97 (35%) were unaware of their status. Only 1 nonimmune respondent received immunoprophylaxis. None of the respondents developed a febrile rash illness 7-21 days after exposure. The risk of in-flight measles transmission among passenger populations with similar susceptibility profiles appears to be low. An aggressive response by health departments may not be warranted after airborne exposure to measles. Each health department should make such determinations on the basis of specific circumstances and availability of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning with the 1999-2000 influenza season, physicians throughout Hawaii ordering a viral culture for patients with suspected influenza were also offered influenza rapid testing. We compared the number of viral respiratory cultures sent to the Hawaii Department of Health and the number of providers who participated in influenza surveillance over consecutive influenza seasons. The number of viral respiratory cultures rose from 396 to 2,169 between the 1998-1999 and 2000-2001 influenza seasons, and the number of providers submitting >1 influenza culture increased from 34 to 327, respectively. The number of influenza isolates obtained each season also increased (from 64 to 491). The available data suggest that the changes observed in Hawaii's influenza surveillance were not secondary to differences in influenza activity between seasons. This is the first evaluation of integrating influenza rapid testing into public health surveillance. Coupling rapid tests with cultures appears to be an effective means of improving influenza surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses articles related to the aspects of the wages, employment and working environment of nurses across Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Great Britain and the U.S.

The article presents an investigation conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concerning the contraction of the measles by an unvaccinated 7-year-old boy from San Diego, California in January of 2008. The report also summarizes 11 more cases of measles in the area that were linked to the original case. The CDC offers recommendations reminding health care providers to consider measles as a possible diagnosis for those who have traveled outside the country, to employ infection control practices and to maintain measles, mumps and rubella vaccination for children.

This article focuses on a study which investigated the risk factors associated with the increase in Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) cases in the U.S. between 2005 and 2007. Brief information on the emergence of AK cases at ophthalmology centers in the country is given. An overview of the study population is presented, as well as a discussion on the methodology and key findings of the study.

Information about industrial health discussed during the Japanese National Institute of Industrial Health and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health symposium that was held on March 22, 2006 in the U.S. is presented. The symposium aims to summarize the trends of long working hours in Japan and the U.S., as well as the effects on health, safety and economy. Doctor Kenji Iwasaki presented Karoshi problems, while Doctor Ted Schard discussed safety issues in fatigued workers.

Concentrations of polychiorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in sediments and floodplain soils collected along the Tittabawassee River in Michigan ranged from 102 to 53 600 pg/g, dry wt. Mean PCDD/ PCDF concentrations in downstream sediment and soil were from 10- to 20-fold greater than those found at locations upstream of Midland, Michigan. Concentrations of PCDD/ PCDF in sediments and flood-plain soils from the Tittabawassee watershed were comparable to those found in industrialized areas such as the Housatonic and lower Passaic Rivers in the U.S. Concentrations of PCDDs/ PCDFs in soil and sediment were not correlated with total organic carbon (TOC) in sediments or soils. OCDD and 2,3,7,8-TeCDF were the predominant congeners in sediment/soil collected from locations downstream of Midland, Michigan. Principal component analysis of the PCDD/ PCDF congener profile suggested the presence of sources originating from a mixture of chlorophenol and other chlorinated compound production. Mass balance analysis of TCDD equivalents (TCDD-EQs) derived from H4IIEluc bioassay of sediment extracts and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQs) estimated from instrumental analysis suggested that PCDDs/PCDFs were the major dioxin-like compounds present in sediments. A significant correlation existed between bioassay-derived TCDD-EQs and instrumentally measured TEQs (r² = 0.94). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a growing body of evidence that the built environment influences diet and exercise and, as a consequence, community health status. Since long-haul truck drivers spend long periods of time at truck stops, it is important to know if this built environment includes resources that contribute to the emotional and physical well-being of drivers.Setting: The truck stop environment was defined as the truck stop itself, grocery stores, and medical clinics near the truck stop that could be accessed by a large truck or safely on foot.Design: Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed and utilized a checklist to record the availability of resources for personal hygiene and comfort, communication and mental stimulation, health care, safety, physical activity, and nutrition at truck stops.Subjects: The NIOSH checklist was used to collect data at a convenience sample of 16 truck stops throughout the United States along both high-flow and low-flow truck traffic routes.Measures: The checklist was completed by observation within and around the truck stops.Results: No truck stops offered exercise facilities, 94% lacked access to health care, 81% lacked a walking path, 50% lacked fresh fruit, and 37% lacked fresh vegetables in their restaurant or convenience store.Conclusion: The NIOSH found that most truck stops did not provide an overall healthy living environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 1,701,500 people were employed as heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the United States in 2012. The majority of them were long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs). There are limited data on occupational injury and safety in LHTDs, which prompted a targeted national survey. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health conducted a nationally representative survey of 1265 LHTDs at 32 truck stops across the contiguous United States in 2010. Data were collected on truck crashes, near misses, moving violations, work-related injuries, work environment, safety climate, driver training, job satisfaction, and driving behaviors. Results suggested that an estimated 2.6% of LHTDs reported a truck crash in 2010, 35% reported at least one crash while working as an LHTD, 24% reported at least one near miss in the previous 7 days, 17% reported at least one moving violation ticket and 4.7% reported a non-crash injury involving days away from work in the previous 12 months. The majority (68%) of non-crash injuries among company drivers were not reported to employers. An estimate of 73% of LHTDs (16% often and 58% sometimes) perceived their delivery schedules unrealistically tight; 24% often continued driving despite fatigue, bad weather, or heavy traffic because they needed to deliver or pick up a load at a given time; 4.5% often drove 10 miles per hours or more over the speed limit; 6.0% never wore a seatbelt; 36% were often frustrated by other drivers on the road; 35% often had to wait for access to a loading dock; 37% reported being noncompliant with hours-of-service rules (10% often and 27% sometimes); 38% of LHTDs perceived their entry-level training inadequate; and 15% did not feel that safety of workers was a high priority with their management. This survey brings to light a number of important safety issues for further research and interventions, e.g., high prevalence of truck crashes, injury underreporting, unrealistically tight delivery schedules, noncompliance with hours-of-service rules, and inadequate entry-level training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare selected health behaviors and body mass index (modi- fiable risk factors) of US long-haul truck drivers to the US working population by sex. Methods: The National Survey of US Long-Haul Truck Driver Health and Injury interviewed a nationally representative sample of long-haul truck drivers (n = 1265) at truck stops. Age-adjusted results were compared with national health surveys. Results: Compared with US workers, drivers had significantly higher body mass index, current cigarette use, and pack-years of smoking; lower prevalence of annual influenza vaccination; and generally lower alcohol consumption. Physical activity level was low for most drivers, and 25% had never had their cholesterol levels tested. Conclusions: Working conditions common to long-haul trucking may create significant barriers to certain healthy behaviors; thus, transportation and health professionals should address the unique work environment when developing interventions for long-haul drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic corrosion inhibitors (OCIs), including ultraviolet light filters, arc widely used in plastics, rubbers, colorants, and coatings to increase the performance of products. Derivatives of benzotriazole (BTR), benzothiazole (BTH), and benzophenone (BP) are high-production volume OCIs that have been detected in the environment and human tissues. However, knowledge of their occurrence in indoor environments, as well as human exposure to them, is still lacking. In this study, BTR, BTH, BP and their 12 derivatives were determined in indoor dust for the first time. All three groups of OCIs were found in all 158 indoor dust samples from the U.S. and three East Asian countries (China, Japan, and Korea). The geometric mean (GM) concentration of the sum of six BTRs (GM CаBTRs.) ranged from 20 to 90 ng/g among the four countries studied, with a maximum CаBTRs, of ∼2000 ng/g found in a dust sample from China. Tolyltriazole was the major derivative of BTR measured in dust GM Ciam, in indoor dust from the four countries ranged from 600 to 2000 ng/g- 2-OH-BTH was die predominant BTH in dust from the U.S., Japan, and Korea. GM CаBTRs, in dust ranged from 80 to 600 ng/g, with 2-OH-4-MeO-BP and 2.4-20H-BP, contributing to the majority of ΣBP concentrations. Based on the concentrations of three types of OCIs in indoor dust, human exposure through dust ingestion was calculated. Daily intake of OCIs through dust ingestion was higher for people in the U.S., Japan, and Korea than in China; the residents in urban China are exposed to higher levels of OCIs via dust ingestion than are those in rural China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As concern regarding the toxic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) grows, BPA in many consumer products is gradually being replaced with compounds such as bisphenol S (BPS). Nevertheless, data on the occurrence of BPS in human specimens are limited. In this study, 315 urine samples, collected from the general populations in the United States, China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Vietnam, were analyzed for the presence of total BPS (free plus conjugated) concentrations by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). BPS was detected in 81% of the urine samples analyzed at concentrations ranging from below the limit of quantitation (LOQ; 0.02 ng/mL) to 21 ng/mL (geometric mean: 0.168 ng/mL). The urinary BPS concentration varied among countries, and the highest geometric mean concentration [1.18 ng/mLor 0.933 μg/g creatinine (Cre)] of BPS was found in urine samples from Japan, followed by the United States (0.299 ng/mL, 0.304 μg/g Cre), China (0.226 ng/mL, 0.223 μg/g Cre), Kuwait (0.172 ng/mL, 0.126 μg/g Cre), and Vietnam (0.160 ng/mL, 0.148 μg/g Cre). Median concentrations of BPS in urine samples from the Asian countries were 1 order of magnitude lower than the median concentrations reported earlier for BPA in the same set of samples, with the exception of samples from Japan. There were no significant differences in BPS concentrations between genders (male versus female), or among age groups (categorized as ≤19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and ≥50 years), or races (Caucasian versus Asian). The daily intake (EDI) of BPS was estimated on the basis of urinary concentrations using a simple pharmacokinetic approach. The median EDI values of BPS in Japan, China, United States, Kuwait, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, and Korea were 1.67, 0.339, 0.316, 0.292, 0.217, 0.122, 0.084, and 0.023 μg/person, respectively. This is the first study to report the occurrence of BPS in human urine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: This study uses the Taylor linearized variance estimation method to compute weighted unadjusted and adjusted prevalence of neck pain by occupation, with a cross-section data set from the 2009 to 2012 National Health Interview Survey., Objective: The goal of this study was to explore occupational patterns of neck pain and the relationship between long work hours and neck pain in the working population in the United States., Summary of Background Data: The past research has demonstrated that specific occupations have a high prevalence of neck pain. However, occupational patterns of neck pain in the United States have been understudied., Methods: Risk of neck pain was estimated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression with odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) as measures of association., Results: After controlling for demographic, socioeconomic status, and behavior-related factors and compared with workers in architecture and engineering occupation group, the top 5 occupational groups with significantly higher relative prevalence of neck pain included: military specific (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.17-5.35); arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.34-2.17); life, physical, and social science (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.33-2.11); health care support (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.23-1.97); and installation, maintenance, and repair (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.21-1.96). Compared with those who worked 40 hours, people who worked 46 to 59 hours (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.10-1.30) and 60 or more hours of work per week (OR, 1.35; 95% CI-1.21, 1.51) were more likely to report neck pain., Conclusion: This study adds to the evidence that an individual's occupation and work hours affect workers' risk for neck pain. This study indicates a need for new research efforts and public policies targeted to workers who are susceptible to neck pain in the United States., Level of Evidence: 1.

Objective: An expert panel was convened to select practical, valid psychosocial measures for use during National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health field investigations., Methods: A taxonomy of psychosocial constructs was developed using existing taxonomies and criteria regarding the malleability, actionability, and validity of constructs. Panel members identified measures for each construct based on their expertise and experience. Measures were selected on the basis of the following criteria: practicality, brevity, validity, availability of existing data, and lack of confounds between psychosocial constructs and outcomes., Results: The panel came to a consensus in recommending 24 measures representing 22 constructs., Conclusions: It is important that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health regularly evaluates its methodologies to ensure it is in line with current best practices. The measures identified will be used modularly in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health fieldwork depending on the nature of the evaluation request, industry type, and worker population.