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Adolescent consumption of screen media continues to increase. A variety of theoretical constructs hypothesize the impact of media content on health-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. This study uses a coding instrument based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey to analyze health behavior contained in 95 episodes of the popular American teen drama series "Pretty Little Liars." This content analysis identified several risk behaviors such as being bullied on school property, youth consumption of alcohol, and failure to use condoms or other birth control during sexual activity. Illegal or unethical behaviors related to lying, trespassing, vandalism, and age of consent violations were also identified. The analysis reveals several positive health behaviors frequently included in "Pretty Little Liars" episodes such as fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco products. Health education efforts to increase media literacy skills and assist students in analyzing the influence of media messages on behavior are warranted. Parents concerned about their child's exposure to unhealthy, dangerous or illegal behavioral depictions may benefit from seizing opportunities provided by programs such as "Pretty Little Liars" to engage adolescents in discussions about expectations for health behavior.

Physical activity stations are a simple approach to engage in physical activity breaks during the elementary school day. This article describes the procedures involved in creating physical activity stations that can be implemented in elementary schools nationwide.

This article describes a learning activity designed to foster practical healthy eating skills while living on a budget.

Health promotion programs for school staff are an overlooked and under-utilized resource that can lead to reductions in overweight and obesity among teachers and other staff members if implemented properly. In addition to increasing the overall staff wellness, boosting morale, increasing productivity, improving academic achievement, providing healthy role models for children, and, most importantly, reducing overweight and obesity, schools can achieve financial cost reductions similar to those found in other types of worksites. To enhance effectiveness, therefore, schools should consider focusing obesity prevention efforts on current employees as well as students.

Health promotion programs for school staff are an overlooked and underused resource that can reduce overweight and obesity among teachers and other staff members. They can also reduce staff absenteeism, increase productivity, reduce costs associated with health care and disability, and foster a climate that promotes good health schoolwide. An award-winning example of an effective and innovative staff wellness plan is the program that Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada, implemented in 1994. The goals behind this plan were to create healthier employees, give students better role models, and reduce health care expenses through incentives to employees. Implementation of the program reduced employee absenteeism by 20% and saved $15.60 for every dollar spent on the program. Based on the evidence from Washoe County, there is every reason to believe that what has worked in private industry will also work in public schools.

Linear regression of optical coherence tomography measurements of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness is often used to detect glaucoma progression and forecast future disease course. However, current measurement frequencies suggest that clinicians often apply linear regression to a relatively small number of measurements (e.g., less than a handful). In this study, we estimate the accuracy of linear regression in predicting the next reliable measurement of average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness using Zeiss Cirrus optical coherence tomography measurements of average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness from a sample of 6,471 eyes with glaucoma or glaucoma-suspect status. Linear regression is compared to two null models: no glaucoma worsening, and worsening due to aging. Linear regression on the first M ≥ 2 measurements was significantly worse at predicting a reliable M+1st measurement for 2 ≤ M ≤ 6. This range was reduced to 2 ≤ M ≤ 5 when retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements were first "corrected" for scan quality. Simulations based on measurement frequencies in our sample—on average 393 ± 190 days between consecutive measurements—show that linear regression outperforms both null models when M ≥ 5 and the goal is to forecast moderate (75th percentile) worsening, and when M ≥ 3 for rapid (90th percentile) worsening. If linear regression is used to assess disease trajectory with a small number of measurements over short time periods (e.g., 1–2 years), as is often the case in clinical practice, the number of optical coherence tomography examinations needs to be increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to describe a tested teaching idea that can be implemented in elementary schools to introduce young children to fruits and vegetables that they may not be familiar with.

Background: The rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled during the past 30?years. Research shows that prevention at an early age is more effective than treatment later in life. Energize is a multicomponent intervention incorporated into the school day that combines nutrition education and physical activity aimed at maintaining healthy weight among elementary school youth. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Energize program for changing dietary and physical activity habits compared to a control group of children not participating in the program. Methods: A total of 104, 3rd and 4th graders in 3 southern Indiana elementary schools took part in the study. A quasi-experimental design was used to assess dietary and exercise habits of students in Energize and control groups through 12-week diet/activity logs and post-test questionnaires after controlling for the pre-test results. Results: Energize reduced consumption of French fries and potato chips, but did not increase physical activity. Conclusions: This study provides future researchers with a foundation for preparing longer studies of Energize or to compare multiple years of a standardized Energize curriculum.

Background: This study explores the relationship between instructional strategies and effective health education curricula. Methods: A content analysis of 10 health education curricula was conducted to determine if they include common instructional strategies for actively engaging students in acquisition of health skills. To be included, the curricula had to (1) be research-based and proven via empirical testing to positively influence the health behaviors and (2) address 1 of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 6 priority health risk behaviors. Results: Content analysis revealed 5 active learning strategies incorporated to involve students in acquiring health skills. Role play, group cooperation, and small group discussion were found in all 10 curricula. To a lesser extent, interactive technology and team games were also included. Conclusion: When combined with previous research regarding the characteristics of effective teachers, it becomes clear that effective health education is delivered by teachers who employ a wide repertoire of active learning strategies while devoting substantial instructional time to those specific strategies that involve students in skills practice. (Contains 3 tables.)

Electronic spin-state dynamics were studied for a series of Au25(SC8H9)18q and Au24Pd(SC8H9)18 monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs) prepared in a series of oxidation states, q, including q = −1, 0, +1. These clusters were chosen for study because Au25(SC8H9)18−1 is a closed-shell superatomic cluster, but Au25(SC8H9)180 is an open-shell (7-electron) system; Au25(SC8H9)18+1 and PdAu24(SC8H9)180 are isoelectronic (6-electron) closed-shell systems. Carrier dynamics for electronic fine structure spin states were isolated using femtosecond time-resolved circularly polarized transient-absorption spectroscopy (fs-CPTA). Excitation energies of 1.82 eV and 1.97 eV were chosen for these measurements on Au25(SC8H9)180 in order to achieve resonance matching with electronic fine structure transitions within the superatomic P- and D-orbital manifolds; 1.82-eV excited an unpaired Pz electron to D states, whereas 1.97-eV was resonant with transitions between filled Px and Py subshells and higher-energy D orbitals. fs-CPTA measurements revealed multiple spin-polarized transient signals for neutral (open shell) Au25(SC8H9)18, following 1.82-eV excitation, which persisted for several picoseconds; time constants of 5.03 ± 0.38 ps and 2.36 ± 0.59 ps were measured using 2.43 and 2.14 eV probes, respectively. Polarization-dependent fs-CPTA measurements of PdAu24(SC8H9)18 clusters exhibit no spin-conversion dynamics, similar to the isoelectronic Au25(SC8H9)18+1 counterpart. These observations of cluster-specific dynamics resulted from spin-polarized superatom P to D excitation, via an unpaired Pz electron of the open-shell seven-electron Au25(SC8H9)18 MPC. These results suggest that MPCs may serve as structurally well-defined prototypes for understanding spin and quantum state dynamics in nanoscale metal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]