Framing cross-cultural ethical practice in adapt[ive] physical activity

Academics and practitioners are often at a loss when it comes to understanding the ethical socio-political and cultural contexts that invade the world of adapted physical activity. Ethical practice is situated in the local and the specific. In this article we highlight the reality that both academics and practitioners need to be ever mindful that the cultures surrounding the education, sport and rehabilitation components of adapted physical activity are distinctive environments that vary across the globe. Because of the cultural diversity surrounding adapted physical activity, we set out an embryonic framework for ethically thinking about practice in our field. Ultimately, we hope that this framework will go some way to illuminate questions of situated ethical importance that are becoming increasing conundrums within adapted physical activity

Work in Progress - Designing for Economic Empowerment in Nicaragua

Faculty and students in several disciplines at four institutions in the United States and Nicaragua are collaborating on technology entrepreneurship education for economic empowerment in Esteli, Nicaragua. The project aims to demonstrate a new paradigm for development that is rooted in education. The effort will focus on design and delivery of new curriculum for collaborative, interdisciplinary product development. To demonstrate the curriculum, the effort will launch cross-cultural student teams to identify and develop markets, partners, and technology for entrepreneurial ventures in Nicaragua, utilizing Nicaraguan materials and skills. The envisioned long term goal is local economic empowerment and a sound, collaborative process for technology innovation and product development that is both replicable and transferable. The proposed program includes six sequential phases; phase one is complete and phase two is in progress. This paper discusses the goals, results, and assessment of the first two phases in the context of the ongoing project

Improving WIC Retention in Vermont: Beneficiary attitudes toward co-location in medical homes

Introduction: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a national program aimed at improving the nutrition and health of pregnant women and children. Those eligible for Vermont WIC include anyone pregnant or with children under 5 that has an income below 185% of federal poverty level or is enrolled in Vermont Medicaid. WIC has been shown to improve birth outcomes1, breast feeding rates2, infant growth and development, and consumption of important nutrients. Those enrolled in WIC report high levels of satisfaction Despite the benefits of WIC, retention rates of eligible families remain low. Studies have shown that mandatory bi-annual recertification appointments pose logistical problems. Rescheduling missed appointments and long waiting times at the WIC offices were also barriers. Other states have found that integration of WIC recertification appointments with the family’s primary care medical visits may improve retention. A limited scale co-localization of WIC and the medical home in Vermont showed some promise.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1213/thumbnail.jp

Adjuvant trastuzumab duration trials in HER2 positive breast cancer - what results would be practice-changing? Persephone investigator questionnaire prior to primary endpoint results.

Trastuzumab Duration questionnaire. The questionnaire that was completed by the oncologists. (PDF 476 kb

Hymenopteran parasitoids of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)) in Australia, with the description of five new species in the families Braconidae and Eulophidae

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is an invasive pest of agriculturalcrops including sweet corn and maize. The moth was first recorded in Australia inJanuary 2020 and is now considered established in most states and territories, andresearch is underway to develop management strategies. Extensive rearing ofS. frugiperda larvae and eggs occurred from March 2020 to April 2023 to under-stand the parasitoid complex present in Australia and identify potential biologicalcontrol agents. We report here on the hymenopteran parasitoids reared duringthis period, which were identified using a combination of morphology and COIDNA barcoding, and provide images, a key to species, and contextual informationto facilitate future research. Twelve species of parasitoids from five families ofHymenoptera are formally reported as parasitising S. frugiperda in Australia. Fivespecies are here described as new: Chelonus patbat Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov.(Braconidae), Chelonus trojanus Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Braconidae), Coccygidiummellosiheroine Atkin-Zaldivar & Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Braconidae), Coccygidiumnecatrix Atkin-Zaldivar & Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Braconidae), and Euplectrus frugi-perdata Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Eulophidae)

Detectors for the James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Spectrograph I: Readout Mode, Noise Model, and Calibration Considerations

We describe how the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near-Infrared Spectrograph's (NIRSpec's) detectors will be read out, and present a model of how noise scales with the number of multiple non-destructive reads sampling-up-the-ramp. We believe that this noise model, which is validated using real and simulated test data, is applicable to most astronomical near-infrared instruments. We describe some non-ideal behaviors that have been observed in engineering grade NIRSpec detectors, and demonstrate that they are unlikely to affect NIRSpec sensitivity, operations, or calibration. These include a HAWAII-2RG reset anomaly and random telegraph noise (RTN). Using real test data, we show that the reset anomaly is: (1) very nearly noiseless and (2) can be easily calibrated out. Likewise, we show that large-amplitude RTN affects only a small and fixed population of pixels. It can therefore be tracked using standard pixel operability maps.Comment: 55 pages, 10 figure

Six versus 12 months' adjuvant trastuzumab in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer: the PERSEPHONE non-inferiority RCT

Background The addition of adjuvant trastuzumab to chemotherapy has significantly improved outcomes in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive early, potentially curable breast cancer. Twelve months’ trastuzumab tested in the registration trials was adopted for standard adjuvant treatment in 2006. Subsequently similar outcomes were demonstrated using 9 weeks trastuzumab. Shorter durations were therefore tested for non-inferiority. Objectives To establish whether 6 months’ adjuvant trastuzumab is non-inferior to 12 months in HER2-positive early breast cancer using a primary endpoint of 4-year disease-free-survival (DFS). Design Phase III randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial. Setting 152 NHS Hospitals. Participants 4088 patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer planned to receive both chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Intervention Randomisation (1:1) between six months’ or twelve months’ trastuzumab. Main outcomes Primary endpoint was DFS four years after diagnosis. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), cost effectiveness, and cardiac function during trastuzumab. Assuming a 4-year DFS rate of 80% with 12 months, 4000 patients were required to demonstrate non-inferiority of 6-months (5% 1-sided significance, 85% power), defining the non-inferiority limit as no worse than 3% below the standard arm. Costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were estimated by within-trial analysis and a lifetime decision-analytic model. Results Between 4th October 2007 and 31st July 2015, 2045 patients were randomised to 12-months’ trastuzumab and 2043 to 6-months. Sixty-nine percent had ER-positive disease; 90% received anthracyclines (49% with taxanes; 41% without taxanes); 10% received taxanes without anthracyclines; 54% had trastuzumab sequentially after chemotherapy; 85% received adjuvant chemotherapy (58% were node negative). At 6.1 years median follow-up with 389 (10%) deaths, and 566 (14%) DFS events, 4-year DFS rates for the 4088 patients were 89.5% (95% CI, 88.1-90.8) in the 6-month group and 90.3% (95% CI 88.9- 91.5) in the 12-month group (Hazard Ratio 1.10; 90% CI 0.96–1.26, non-inferiority p=0.01), demonstrating non-inferiority of 6-months’ trastuzumab. Congruent results were found for OS (non-inferiority p=0.0003), and landmark analyses 6 months from starting trastuzumab (non-inferiority p=0.03 (DFS) and p=0.006 (OS)). 6-months’ trastuzumab resulted in fewer patients reporting adverse events of severe grade (365/1929 (19%) versus 460/1935 (24%) 12-month patients, p=0.0003) or stopping early because of cardiotoxicity (61/1977 (3%) versus 146/1941 (8%) 12-month patients, p<0.0001). Health economic analysis showed significantly lower lifetime costs and similar lifetime QALYs, and thus a high probability that 6 months is cost-effective compared to 12 months. Patient reported experiences on the trial highlighted fatigue, and aches and pains most frequently. Limitations The type of chemotherapy and timing of trastuzumab changed through the recruitment phase of the study as standard practice altered. Conclusions PERSEPHONE demonstrated that in HER2-positive early breast cancer 6 months’ adjuvant trastuzumab was non-inferior to 12 months. There was significantly less cardiac toxicity and fewer severe adverse events with 6 months’ treatment. Future work On-going translational work investigates patient and tumour genetic determinants of toxicity, and trastuzumab efficacy. An individual patient data meta-analysis with PHARE and other trastuzumab duration trials is planned. Trial registration ISRCTN 52968807 Funding National Institute for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment Programme (HTA Project: 06/303/98).National Institute for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment Programme (HTA Project: 06/303/98)

Vaccenic and Elaidic Acid Modify Plasma and Splenocyte Membrane Phospholipids and Mitogen-Stimulated Cytokine Production in Obese Insulin Resistant JCR: LA-cp Rats

This study assessed the long-term effects of dietary vaccenic acid (VA) and elaidic acid (EA) on plasma and splenocyte phospholipid (PL) composition and related changes in inflammation and splenocyte phenotypes and cytokine responses in obese/insulin resistant JCR:LA-cp rats. Relative to lean control (Ctl), obese Ctl rats had higher serum haptoglobin and impaired T-cell-stimulated cytokine responses. VA and EA diets improved T-cell-stimulated cytokine production; but, only VA normalized serum haptoglobin. However, EA- and VA-fed rats had enhanced LPS-stimulated cytokine responses. The changes elicited by VA were likely due changes in essential fatty acid composition in PL; whereas EA-induced changes may due to direct incorporation into membrane PL

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Educational Experiences and Shifts in Group Consciousness: Studying Women

This study takes a multifaceted approach to group consciousness. The authors assessed changes in women’s feminist consciousness due to their exposure to feminism through women’s studies. Feminist consciousness was measured at the beginning and end of a semester during which some research participants were enrolled in an introductory women’s studies course. Women’s studies students were compared with students who were interested, but not enrolled, in women’s studies. As expected, women’s studies students showed an increase on several aspects of feminist consciousness, whereas non-women’s studies students did not. Non-women’s studies students became less sensitive to sexism. It is also noteworthy that, although they became more feminist, women’s studies students did not become more negative toward men.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69064/2/10.1177_0146167299025003010.pd