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Objectives: In autumn 2021, there was a surge of COVID-19 infections in Austria, and vaccination coverage stagnated at a below-average level compared to the rest of Europe. Surveys showed that both children and adolescents were the main drivers of the rising infection rates and that vaccination numbers were particularly low in this age group. This was due to widespread vaccination skepticism and hesitancy among parents of unvaccinated children and adolescents. Methods: Here, we describe a novel intervention concept that allowed us to efficiently tackle parental vaccine hesitancy. We designed an intervention series that followed a reproducible format based on online face-to-face seminars in groups of a maximum of twenty people. Each seminar included an anonymous online questionnaire for internal quality control. Moreover, we assessed the motives of parental vaccine hesitancy and asked participants to rate subjective vaccine willingness for their children on a scale of zero to ten. Results: Within 8 weeks, more than 580 people participated in the seminar series. We found that concerns about the side effects of the vaccine were the predominant motive of vaccination hesitancy among the study population. Overall, the intervention could successfully increase the median parental vaccination willingness of participants from a score of five to eight. We identified tree hesitancy motives (distrust towards the pharmaceutical industry, the government, or feelings of restriction from personal freedom) that were associated with below-average vaccination willingness and significant lower increase. Conclusion: With this study we analyzed motives driving COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among parents of unvaccinated children and reasons of parents to restrain their children from getting vaccinated. The intervention method described here, could effectively address individual concerns on a personal level while at the same time reach a large number of people across geographical and language barriers. Thereby we could significantly increase subjective vaccination willingness of the participants. Our approach is easy to apply, highly cost-effective, and can be used to tackle any kind of medical misinformation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lenart, Prager, Sachs, Steininger, Fernandes and Thannesberger.)

Background:  The South African government has developed many policies for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. However, non-communicable diseases remain among the major causes of morbidity and mortality in South Africa. Although these diseases are linked to interaction of multiple risk factors, many of which are modifiable, they continue to cause much suffering particularly among the marginalised and people from the lower socio-economic status., Objectives:  The objective of this research was to explore and present the inclusion of social determinants of health in the policies meant for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in South Africa., Method:  The qualitative document analysis approach was used to conduct policy analysis of purposefully selected policies for prevention and control of cancers, obesity and mental and behavioural disorders in South Africa., Results:  The analysis revealed that policies for prevention and control of cancers, obesity and mental and behavioural disorders included policy intervention activities that focused on five social determinants of health: (1) governance, (2) social policies, (3) public policies, (4) material circumstances and (5) health system., Conclusion:  Excluding most of the important social determinants of health in the policies for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases means that these policies would continue to fail in preventing these diseases from the root causes.Contribution: This article points out weaknesses in the policies meant for prevention and control of obesity, cancers and mental and behavioural disorders. This article further suggests policy improvement strategies that may be considered to effectively address these diseases.

Background: Elevated mental illness prevalence complicates efforts designed to address the opioid crisis in Appalachia. The recovery community acknowledges that loneliness impacts mood and engagement in care factors; however, the predictive relationship between loneliness and retention in medication-assisted outpatient treatment programs has not been explored. Our objectives were to identify associations between mental health factors and retention in treatment and elucidate treatment retention odds. Data were collected from eighty participants ( n = 57 retained, n = 23 not retained) of a mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) intervention for individuals receiving medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Appalachia. Loneliness, depression, and anxiety did not differ between the retained and not retained, nor did they predict not being retained; however, mindfulness was significantly lower among those not retained in treatment compared to those retained (OR = 0.956, 95% CI (0.912-1.00), and p < 0.05). Preliminary findings provide evidence for mindfulness training integration as part of effective treatment, with aims to further elucidate the effectiveness of mindfulness therapies on symptom reduction in co-occurring mental health disorders, loneliness, and MOUD treatment retention.

Aim We aim to explore the factors influencing myocardial perfusion in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and evaluate the effects of different intervention strategies on myocardial perfusion improvement. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 300 patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) at our hospital between January 2020 and December 2022. Based on post-procedural coronary angiography results using the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) blood flow grade and myocardial blush grade (MBG), patients were categorized into two groups: the normal perfusion group (TIMI grade 3 or MBG 2-3, n=180) and the impaired perfusion group (TIMI grades 0-2 or MBG 0-1, n=120). The impaired perfusion group was further divided using a random number table into the thrombus aspiration-only group (control group, n=60) and the thrombus aspiration combined with nicorandil group (nicorandil group, n=60). A 1:1 propensity score matching method was employed to adjust for baseline characteristics between the groups. Clinical characteristics, hematological parameters, coronary lesion features, and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) technical parameters were compared between the matched groups. Additionally, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors influencing myocardial perfusion. Furthermore, the post-procedural myocardial perfusion, cardiac function, and clinical prognosis were compared between the control and nicorandil groups. Results After matching, the baseline characteristics of the two groups were compared. The impaired perfusion group had older age, higher proportion of male patients, higher rates of diabetes and hypertension, longer time from symptom onset to balloon dilation, higher peak cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels, higher proportion of left main or multivessel involvement, heavier coronary lesion burden, and lower balloon inflation pressure (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age of ≥65 years (odds ratio {OR}=2.34, 95% confidence interval {CI}=1.23-4.46, P<0.01), time from symptom onset to balloon dilation of ≥6 hours (OR=3.12, 95% CI=1.67-5.83, P<0.01), peak cTnI level of ≥100 ng/mL (OR=4.27, 95% CI=2.18-8.36, P<0.01), left main or multivessel involvement (OR=2.86, 95% CI=1.51-5.41, P<0.01), and balloon inflation pressure of <8 atm (OR=3.45, 95% CI=1.79-6.65, P<0.01) were independent risk factors affecting myocardial perfusion. In the intervention analysis, the nicorandil group showed superior post-procedural TIMI blood flow grade, MBG, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification compared to the control group (P<0.05). During a six-month follow-up, the nicorandil group had a lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Age, time from symptom onset to balloon dilation, peak cTnI level, extent of coronary artery lesions, and balloon inflation pressure were identified as independent risk factors affecting myocardial perfusion in STEMI patients after PCI. Compared to simple thrombus aspiration, thrombus aspiration combined with nicorandil demonstrated better improvement in myocardial perfusion, cardiac function, and clinical outcomes for patients with impaired perfusion., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Tang et al.)

The study assessed the level of internet addiction exists among students of AMA Computer Colleges in Region III, Philippines and identified internet addiction management practices as strategies to address the problem, to lessen if not to eliminate, to prevent or cure level of internet addiction that exists. The descriptive- analysis method of research was utilized. A total of one thousand five hundred fifteen student-respondents and one hundred fifty-eight administratorrespondents participated in the study. The researcher found out that there is a severe addiction level described as Often. There is a severe dependence on the internet as reflected in the internet addiction mean test scores of the studentrespondents. There is a significant relationship between the level of internet addiction and the perceived level of implementation of the internet addiction management practices. There is a significant relationship between the internet addiction test scores and the perceived level of implementation of the internet addiction management practices. Overall findings conclude that there was a significant very strong negative relationship between the level of internet addiction and internet addiction test scores of student-respondents and the perceived level of implementation of internet addiction management practices of administratorrespondents; hence, the negative relationship indicates that as the intensity of the perceived level of implementation increases, the level of internet addiction and internet addiction test scores among student-respondents decreases. This study is expected to provide a worthy contribution to the institution and to international literature on internet addiction; the result can be used in providing solution, actions and remedies to lessen if not to eliminate addiction in Internet usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimated the risk of listeriosis from Brazilian cheese consumption using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). Risks associated to consumption of two cheese types were assessed: artisanal ripened semi-hard cheese (produced with raw milk) and refrigerated fresh soft cheese (produced with pasteurized milk). The semi-hard cheese model predicted Listeria monocytogenes growth or decline during ripening, while the soft cheese model predicted pathogen growth during refrigerated storage. Semi-hard cheese modeling scenarios considered L. monocytogenes starting concentration from −2.4 to 6 log CFU/mL in raw milk and three ripening times (4, 22 and 60 days). Soft cheese modeling scenarios considered L. monocytogenes starting concentration from −2.4 to 4 log CFU/mL in milk. The inclusion of anti-listerial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in cheeses was also examined. Risk of listeriosis due to consumption of soft cheese was 6000 and 190 times greater than that of semi-hard cheese, for general and vulnerable populations, respectively. Aging semi-hard cheese reduced risk, and risk was influenced by L. monocytogenes starting concentration. Aging cheese with inhibitory LAB for 22 days reduced risk over 4 million-fold when L. monocytogenes was assumed to be 6 log CFU/mL in raw milk. The inclusion of inhibitory LAB also reduced risk of listeriosis due to soft cheese consumption, but not as much as for semi-hard cheese. QMRA results predicted that consumption of contaminated cheeses can carry a high risk of listeriosis, especially for vulnerable populations. Scenario analyses indicated that aging of semi-hard cheese and inclusion of antimicrobial LAB mix in semi-hard and soft cheeses are effective risk mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical activity levels decline in later life despite the known benefits for physical, cognitive and mental health. Older people find it difficult to meet activity targets; therefore, more realistic and meaningful strategies are needed. We aimed to develop a typology of older people's motivations and lifelong habits of being active as a starting point to co‐designing active ageing strategies in a workshop. Methods: We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 27 participants aged 65‐80 in Norfolk, UK, and participant observation with 17 of them. At a workshop with 13 study participants and 6 government and civil society representatives, we invited reflections on preliminary findings. Results: Three types were developed. "Exercisers" had engaged in sport and exercise throughout their life but experienced physical ill health and limitations as barriers. "Out‐and‐about‐ers" pursued social engagement and a variety of interests but experienced biographical disruption through retirement and loss of companions that limited social activities in later life. A final type characterized people who preferred "sedentary/solitary" activities. A workshop elicited suggestions for new strategies relating to these types that addressed people's specific motivations. An example was to combine social engagement and physical activity in "dog‐parent"‐walking schemes to link people through shared responsibility for a dog. Conclusions: We suggest that these potential strategies map more closely onto the everyday life‐worlds in which public health might seek to intervene than common physical activity interventions. Most notably, this means a more differentiated understanding of barriers, and acknowledging that intellectual, social or solitary pursuits can include incidental physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, public crises caused by rumor and other false information are occupying an increasingly high proportion, so how to control the diffusion of false information and decrease the loss of society has become a vital problem. In order to explore intervention strategies, firstly a two-layered network was generated considering real conditions, and its diffusion threshold is calculated based on previous studies. Then, after dividing intervention conditions into before and after the outbreak, intervention strategies were explored from the aspects of network topology and public management. And the results indicated that before the outbreak, the superposition of networks will add to the difficulty in intervention, while an integrated immunization strategy which takes the topology of multiplex network into consideration works well. After the outbreak, the integrated immunization strategy has a relative worse effect. But releasing correct information could receive a better effect on intervention. Besides, releasing correct information in the online network has better effect on the final results than in the offline network. Also, correct information with high acceptance rate will weaken the influence of degree on intervention, which means that nodes with high or low degree have no significant difference in intervention effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universal screening and progress monitoring measures are increasingly of interest to early interventionists who make decisions about the services provided to young children. A measure of infant-toddlers' growth in early movement, the Early Movement Indicator (EMI), was reported in 2002. However, the EMI has remained an experimental measure based on a small sample and not used broadly by practitioners in real-world programs. We addressed this limitation by advancing knowledge the EMIs scalability through a website and improved psychometrics in a large sample. Results indicated that the EMI was (a) scalable evidenced by a large volume of early childhood staff users in programs in five states with 628 children and 2,258 individual EMI assessments, (b) sensitive to growth over time, (c) comprised of a complex continuum of skill development, and (d) influenced by moderators (i.e., home language, Individual Family Service Plan [IFSP] status). Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive book reading (IBR) has proven effective for increasing children’s lexicons with most of the results based on students’ learning of nouns. Little is known about the application of IBR to instructional verbs (i.e., words used during the instruction of academic content). To address this gap, 122 prekindergarten children were recruited from seven elementary schools. Each school was randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group. Children in the intervention group were taught 12 instructional verbs across a 3-week period using interactive book-reading strategies. Children assigned to the control group only received implicit exposure to instructional verbs during teacher talk. Children in the book-reading group knew significantly more words on a receptive picture identification task than children in the control group both at posttesting and at follow-up testing in the fall. No significant group differences were noted at spring testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In literature which discusses the Theory of Mind (ToM) of deaf children, the lens is usually focused on the child. Here, the lens is directed toward the practitioners and the potential they have to support the development of ToM. In considering a practice-focused approach, we report on the strategies used by five educators of five deaf children (aged between 4 and 8 years old) while using fiction books to explore the topic of thoughts and feelings. Observation of the book-sharing activities highlighted opportunities to view ToM as a multidimensional construct and identified a plethora of strategies in use in exploring first-order ToM. However, these strategies did not automatically expose deaf children to second-order and higher order concepts. Points are raised about the need for evidence-based practice in the use of strategies to support the refining and progression of ToM in deaf children and the sharing of applied knowledge within the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When driving a vehicle, the driver must allocate adequate attention to the demands of driving in order to be safe. Based on analyses of vehicle data, driving environment data, and videos of the road ahead, a driving task demand prediction model based on real-time road traffic data was established in this study. Assessments of driving task demands allowed for the validation of this model. In addition, intervention strategies were proposed for distractions from in-vehicle secondary tasks at different levels of demand. The analysis showed that at a high driving task demand, the control of all in-vehicle information systems (IVIS), except for the playing of radio or CD, should be warned against or forbidden. Meanwhile, distractions from secondary tasks originated from 91% of the in-vehicle foreign objects, and 67% of the in-vehicle facilities can be avoided by formulating precaution strategies. This study provides methods and technical support for the management of driver distraction precaution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy development and nutritional sufficiency have long been linked to consumption of a well-balanced diet, especially in primary school age children. Seafood products have been identified as a key component of a healthy diet. The consumption habits of a balanced and sustainable diet in children needs to be examined while taking into account family and environmental factors which influence eating habit formation in young children. The family setting is the first place where children acquire examples and principles of their own eating habits. Therefore, this study explores the effects of family eating habits on seafood consumption habit formation in children. Seafood intake diaries, pictures of consumed meals, as well as in-depth interviews formed a pilot study which included four families. The collected results were thematically analyzed and underpinned by principles of the Theory of Planned Behavior, Stages of Change Model, and Social Cognitive Theory. The pilot study results revealed an array of attitudes and preferences, norms (e.g., religion and parental duty), perceived drivers (e.g., health benefits), and perceived barriers (e.g., affordability and availability) which influence the formation of sustainable eating habits in children. A range of strategies (internal and external) for assisting appropriate eating habit formation including consumption of sustainable seafood by children are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on grief experienced by same-sex couples with attention to the distinct factors that influence same-sex grieving partners within all social work system levels. An actual case narrative—the first author's lived experience—guides the reader through a powerful, personal journey to gain a greater perspective and connection on the impact of grief and loss. The concept of disenfranchised grief is applied to same-sex couples focusing on the grieving process. The authors delineate effective strategies for practitioner intervention for those working with individuals experiencing grief due to the loss of their same-sex partner. Particular emphasis is placed on cultural competence and cultural humility for enhanced effectiveness while working with same-sex-partner grief issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, schools face the challenge of dealing with the phenomena of cyberbullying, which is increasingly present among teenagers. This study analyses teachers' and students' perception of the problem, as well as the strategies that both groups use to avoid it. Its findings will allow advances in prevention and intervention in the schools. The study was conducted on 1,704 primary and secondary school students and 238 teachers who completed questionnaires about cyberbullying. We used a cross-sectional descriptive method. Findings show significant differences in the motives teachers attributed to cyberbullying. These depend on the educational stage they work in, whereas, among students, it depends on the role they have in the cyberbullying situation: victim or aggressor. We also find differences in the intervention strategies used by teachers, depending on the type of school, educational stage, and gender. Those used the most are communicating, mediating and seeking help. For students, the predominant strategies are avoidance, protection, and reporting. Schoolchildren, in general, show little confidence in their teachers' ability to solve the problem of cyberbullying. The study highlights the importance of training teachers and providing them with action models when faced with this issue, and it points out the necessity of coordinating the efforts of both teachers and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender inequality has been a persistent cause for concern in sport and physical activity contexts. Even when confronted with considerable efforts and funding, inequality seems rather robust, partly expressed by patterns of lower participation rates in sport and lower general physical activity levels around the world for girls and women than for boys and men. This presentation argues that the standard strategies employed - increasing girls' choice and opportunity to be active - are doomed to failure because they operate within existing patriarchal social systems. I consider a more radical solution, and in doing so I borrow the language of physical literacy whilst drawing (albeit briefly) on the ideas of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, the Indian economist Amartya Sen, and the American philosopher Martha Nussbaum. I try to explain why changing girls' and women's experiences of sport and physical activity is difficult and I tentatively suggest the sorts of actions necessary to make change happen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eliminating disagreement in a group is usually beneficial to social stability. In this study, the authors initiate a design of practical noise intervention to eliminate group disagreement. For the well‐known Hegselmann–Krause ‐based divisive system, the authors propose a quite simple but promising noise intervention strategy that could resolve the group disagreement in finite time and induce the opinions synchronised to a targeted value. To be specific, the authors intentionally introduce a weak random noise to only one agent to affect its evolutionary opinion and also a leader agent with a fixed opinion in a divisive group, then strictly prove that the disagreement is finally eliminated and opinions get synchronised to the leader's opinion in finite time. Moreover, the authors calculate the finite time, which is a new stopping time, when opinions synchronously reach the objective opinion value. It is interesting to find that the finite stopping time is integrable when the noise is oriented, while not integrable when the noise is neutral. This could provide a further guide for designing more efficient intervention strategies for elimination of divergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore group leaders'intervention strategies during group counseling process. Methods: The analysis material of intervention strategies was the verbatim transcription and video recording of 11 sessions in 2 unstructured counseling groups. After correspondingly combining intervention intension and technique, leaders'intervention strategies were formed, coded and sorted. Results: Totally 3 dimensions, 6 categories of strategies were identified after coding. Strategies of "helping group members to clarify personal issues" and "group process facilitating" showed an increasing trend in the early and middle stage of group process. The strategy of "culture building" was used more frequently in the middle two activities. Strategies for "promoting individuals'openness and change" and "interpersonal alliance facilitating" were used more frequently in the first three activities. "Interpersonal skills training" strategy was used more in the first and last two activities. Conclusion: The intervention strategies mainly used in different stages of group counseling are diverse, and their functions are also different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study is a systematic review on the available evidence on language development, assessment, challenging behavior, and instruction for children dually diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and deafness. Results indicate a strong need for additional research in these areas, especially in the areas of evidence-based practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mass killing is a complex behavior that is the product of a range of variables. Recent research suggests one such variable by showing that when a mass killing occurs there is a heightened chance of another occurring in the near future. This increase in probability has been referred to as contagion and one possible mechanism for contagion may be generalized imitation. Generalized imitation requires the presence of some model to prompt imitation, and we suggest media reporting methods as a prominent model inspiring future mass killings. This article analyzes mass killings as the culmination of a sequence of thoughts and actions that are influenced by environmental events including media reports of mass killings. We then evaluate media reporting guidelines and research related to the prevention of suicide and other imitational behaviors to identify reactive and proactive strategies that could minimize the likelihood of one mass killing inducing another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model which incorporates some of the basic epidemiological features of the co-dynamics of malaria and tuberculosis (TB) is formulated and the effectiveness of current intervention strategies of these two diseases is analyzed. The malaria-only and TB-only models are considered first. Global stability disease-free steady states of the two sub-models does not hold due to the co-existence of stable disease-free with stable endemic equilibria, a phenomenon known as backward bifurcation. The dynamics of the dual malaria-TB model with intervention strategies are also analyzed. Numerical simulations of the malaria-TB model are carried out to determine whether the two diseases can co-exist. Lastly, sensitivity analysis on key parameters that drive the disease dynamics is performed in order to identify their relative importance to disease transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world revolves around sound. Children who are deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) lack access to sound, thus need careful monitoring and planning to ensure they have access to adequate language models and supports to develop a strong language foundation. It is this foundation that is needed to ensure D/HH children are able to achieve developmental and academic milestones. Research is emerging to suggest specific intervention strategies that can be used to support D/HH children from birth throughout their educational career. In this chapter, we highlight several strategies that can be used to support communication, language, academic, and social/emotional growth. We freely admit that this is in no way a comprehensive and exhaustive list, but rather only scratches the surface. The field of deaf education and related research and technology is constantly changing. To ensure adequate educational access, it is highly recommended that a professional specialized in hearing loss be a part of the educational team any time a child is identified as having any degree or type of hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocabulary is a consistent predictor of reading achievement for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children. DHH children tend to have a smaller vocabulary knowledge base than their hearing peers and require direct instruction in this area. There are no evidence-based vocabulary instruction strategies for this population. One reason for the lack of an evidence-base is the lack of replication studies. Interactive storybook reading (ISR), storybook reading enhanced through scripted questions and feedback, may be an effective method for teaching vocabulary to DHH children. Up till now, researchers have not conducted replication studies. This study replicates and extends a previous ISR intervention study. We implemented a multiprobe across behaviors single-case experimental design (SCED) and found a functional relation between ISR and expressive picture vocabulary knowledge for all participants. This finding provides additional evidence to support ISR as an effective vocabulary instruction strategy for young DHH children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When providing clinical services for late talkers, determining an appropriate interventionist is a key early decision. Although researchers have noted the effectiveness of parent-implemented interventions for some populations, few have specifically addressed late talkers. Late talkers are of considerable interest to early service providers and parents due to limited evidence-based intervention components with this population and the notion that early language deficits are significant risk factors for many disorders. The present study purpose is to describe general features of current research and ascertain intervention providers’ effectiveness. A systematic literature review resulted in eight studies reporting on seven data sets (N = 175 participants). Findings indicate treatment provided by either parents or clinicians can improve late talkers’ communication skills. Parent-implemented intervention emerged as potentially more effective than clinician-directed service provision based on outcome measures of targeted skills following treatment dosage. Factors limiting generalization of these findings should be addressed in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 3 latent profiles of male consumers: Resistant, Meat-averse, and Ambivalent. • Profiles differed in meat intake, willingness to reduce, & 20 psychosocial factors. • Resistant men justify & defend eating meat & are resistant to meat reduction. • Meat-averse men are repulsed by meat, eat little meat & are very willing to reduce. • Ambivalent men are conflicted about meat & show potential for meat reduction. Reducing meat consumption is necessary to meet Paris Agreement climate change targets. Efforts to reduce meat consumption should target male consumers, who are the biggest meat-eaters worldwide. However, men are often unwilling to reduce their meat intake, due partly to pressures to conform to dominant masculine ideological expectations that "real" men should eat meat (i.e., the masculinity dilemma). To build theoretical insights and more accurately inform interventions, the current study sought to identify latent subgroups of male consumers based on 20 psychosocial indicators related to meat consumption. A latent profile analysis of 575 Australian and English participants who self-identified as male yielded three distinct latent subgroups that differed significantly in indicator variables, self-reported meat consumption, and willingness to reduce their meat intake: "Resistant" consumers ate the most meat and were very unwilling to reduce, "Ambivalent" consumers ate moderate-to-high amounts of meat and were slightly unwilling to reduce, and "Meat-averse" consumers ate minimal quantities of meat and were very willing to reduce. Results suggest that previous meat-reduction intervention attempts may have been impeded by failing to target latent male consumer groups. Efforts to reduce men's meat consumption will require further focus on within- rather than between-gender differences in male populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Art education can shape an individual's mental character, socio cultural personality, creativity and intellectual. Cultural art education is not only as a means of developing the knowledge and skills but as a general intervention strategies for children with special needs that based on socio-cultural. cultural arts and craft education has a uniqueness, significance and usefulness through activities to create, to appreciate and to express, so that children have role in the development of cognitive, affective and psychomotor than as aspects of catharsis in channeling the emotions as well as to stimulate active participation and improve the independence and directions on special needs childreen. The purpose of the use of intervention strategies was to help teachers knowing that the characteristic was associated with the competence of the child. This study was a qualitative research conducted in SD Negeri 1 Tanjung Purwokerto as one Inclussive School. Subject of research was principal, classroom teachers, assistant teachers, students and parents. The result of the research was intervention strategy can improve the ability of children. This was due to the orientation of making art more oriented to the modification process, the content of a work and the product.

Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, is a global citrus disease occurring in almost all citrus growing regions. It causes substantial economic burdens to individual growers, citrus industries and governments. Successful management strategies to reduce disease burden are desperately needed but with so many possible interventions and combinations thereof it is difficult to know which are worthwhile or cost-effective. We review how mathematical models have yielded useful insights into controlling disease spread for other vector-borne plant diseases, and the small number of mathematical models of HLB. We adapt a malaria model to HLB, by including temperature-dependent psyllid traits, “flushing” of trees, and economic costs, to show how models can be used to highlight the parameters that require more data collection or that should be targeted for intervention. We analyze the most common intervention strategy, insecticide spraying, to determine the most cost-effective spraying strategy. We find that fecundity and feeding rate of the vector require more experimental data collection, for wider temperatures ranges. Also, the best strategy for insecticide intervention is to spray for more days rather than pay extra for a more efficient spray. We conclude that mathematical models are able to provide useful recommendations for managing HLB spread.

Ecosystems are complex networks of interacting individuals co-evolving with their environment. As such, changes to an interaction can influence the whole ecosystem. However, to predict the outcome of these changes, considerable understanding of processes driving the system is required. Synthetic biology provides powerful tools to aid this understanding, but these developments also allow us to change specific interactions. Of particular interest is the ecological importance of mutualism, a subset of cooperative interactions. Mutualism occurs when individuals of different species provide a reciprocal fitness benefit. We review available experimental techniques of synthetic biology focused on engineered synthetic mutualistic systems. Components of these systems have defined interactions that can be altered to model naturally occurring relationships. Integrations between experimental systems and theoretical models, each informing the use or development of the other, allow predictions to be made about the nature of complex relationships. The predictions range from stability of microbial communities in extreme environments to the collapse of ecosystems due to dangerous levels of human intervention. With such caveats, we evaluate the promise of synthetic biology from the perspective of ethics and laws regarding biological alterations, whether on Earth or beyond. Just because we are able to change something, should we?

This article aims to explore the impact of the intervention strategies of civil organizations for the attention of women in Mexico in producing a particular vision on gender and the assessment of their performance. The analysis is supported on an intervention typology, an assessment of performance and on the information from three study cases. Some findings show that the intervention strategies condition some of the assessed elements and impact on the differentiation of the women's involvement from gender perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Getting Ready intervention aims to strengthen parent–teacher partnerships to promote positive child outcomes. This study focused on the team process and social validity of the intervention when young children displayed challenging behaviors. Qualitative analysis yielded seven themes that provided a rich description of the preschool experiences of four children, their parents, and the preschool teachers and Early Intervention (EI) coaches serving them. Parent–professional partnerships, positive parent–child interactions, and team members’ engagement in collaborative problem solving and planning were reported. The social validity of the Getting Ready intervention was confirmed by participants valuing the academic and behavioral goals established for children, the parents’ partnerships with teachers to address chronic behavioral challenges, and reports of the durability of intervention impacts as three children completed kindergarten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and practitioners have found that telepractice is an effective means of increasing access to high-quality services that meet children’s unique needs and is a viable mechanism to deliver speech–language services for multiple purposes. We offer a framework to facilitate the implementation of practices that are used in direct speech–language therapy into parent training and coaching. We overlay the use of telepractice onto parent training and coaching to provide a framework that guides the conversion of practices used in direct service to parent training and coaching programs that can be used via telepractice. We include recommendations for addressing common challenges to providing parent training and coaching via telepractice with an example of the framework’s application in Early Intervention. Using this framework, speech–language pathologists can combine telepractice with direct services by teaching and coaching parents in the use of strategies to improve their children’s communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate if intervention based on a mobile application would improve the print knowledge and vocabulary of preschool children with and without hearing loss. This was a multiple baseline study that included four preschool children. Two of the children had hearing loss and utilized cochlear implants, while the other two had normal hearing. Clinicians utilized a mobile application to facilitate print knowledge (i.e., sound-symbol relationships) and to acquire new vocabulary. By the end of the study, all four children demonstrated improved familiarity with the targeted letter sounds and improved knowledge of the vocabulary words that were utilized during the study. The results of this study indicate that the mobile application, in combination with clinician scaffolding, was an effective tool for facilitating early literacy skills in preschool children. Prior print knowledge and vocabulary development appeared to be stronger indicators of response to treatment than hearing status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]