The impact of mobile technology-delivered interventions on youth well-being: Systematic review and 3-level meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of mental health problems among youth are high and rising, whereas treatment seeking in this population remains low. Technology-delivered interventions (TDIs) appear to be promising avenues for broadening the reach of evidence-based interventions for youth well-being. However, to date, meta-analytic reviews on youth samples have primarily been limited to computer and internet interventions, whereas meta-analytic evidence on mobile TDIs (mTDIs), largely comprising mobile apps for smartphones and tablets, have primarily focused on adult samples. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mTDIs for a broad range of well-being outcomes in unselected, at-risk, and clinical samples of youth. METHODS: The systematic review used 5 major search strategies to identify 80 studies evaluating 83 wellness- and mental health-focused mTDIs for 19,748 youth (mean age 2.93-26.25 years). We conducted a 3-level meta-analysis on the full sample and a subsample of the 38 highest-quality studies. RESULTS: Analyses demonstrated significant benefits of mTDIs for youth both at posttest (g=0.27) and follow-up (range 1.21-43.14 weeks; g=0.26) for a variety of psychosocial outcomes, including general well-being and distress, symptoms of diverse psychological disorders, psychosocial strategies and skills, and health-related symptoms and behaviors. Effects were significantly moderated by the type of comparison group (strongest for no intervention, followed by inert placebo or information-only, and only marginal for clinical comparison) but only among the higher-quality studies. With respect to youth characteristics, neither gender nor pre-existing mental health risk level (not selected for risk, at-risk, or clinical) moderated effect sizes; however, effects increased with the age of youth in the higher-quality studies. In terms of intervention features, mTDIs in these research studies were effective regardless of whether they included various technological features (eg, tailoring, social elements, or gamification) or support features (eg, orientation, reminders, or coaching), although the use of mTDIs in a research context likely differs in important ways from their use when taken up through self-motivation, parent direction, peer suggestion, or clinician referral. Only mTDIs with a clear prescription for frequent use (ie, at least once per week) showed significant effects, although this effect was evident only in the higher-quality subsample. Moderation analyses did not detect statistically significant differences in effect sizes based on the prescribed duration of mTDI use (weeks or sessions), and reporting issues in primary studies limited the analysis of completed duration, thereby calling for improved methodology, assessment, and reporting to clarify true effects. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study’s findings demonstrate that youth can experience broad and durable benefits of mTDIs, delivered in a variety of ways, and suggest directions for future research and development of mTDIs for youth, particularly in more naturalistic and ecologically valid settings

Laboratory Measurement of Volatile Ice Vapor Pressures with a Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane are key materials in the far outer Solar System where their high volatility enables them to sublimate, potentially driving activity at very low temperatures. Knowledge of their vapor pressures and latent heats of sublimation at relevant temperatures is needed to model the processes involved. We describe a method for using a quartz crystal microbalance to measure the sublimation flux of these volatile ices in the free molecular flow regime, accounting for the simultaneous sublimation from and condensation onto the quartz crystal to derive vapor pressures and latent heats of sublimation. We find vapor pressures to be somewhat lower than previous estimates in literature, with carbon monoxide being the most discrepant of the three species, almost an order of magnitude lower than had been thought. These results have important implications across a variety of astrophysical and planetary environments

Multipurpose acoustic networks in the integrated arctic ocean observing system

The dramatic reduction of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean will increase human activities in the coming years. This activity will be driven by increased demand for energy and the marine resources of an Arctic Ocean accessible to ships. Oil and gas exploration, fisheries, mineral extraction, marine transportation, research and development, tourism, and search and rescue will increase the pressure on the vulnerable Arctic environment. Technologies that allow synoptic in situ observations year-round are needed to monitor and forecast changes in the Arctic atmosphere-ice-ocean system at daily, seasonal, annual, and decadal scales. These data can inform and enable both sustainable development and enforcement of international Arctic agreements and treaties, while protecting this critical environment. In this paper, we discuss multipurpose acoustic networks, including subsea cable components, in the Arctic. These networks provide communication, power, underwater and under-ice navigation, passive monitoring of ambient sound (ice, seismic, biologic, and anthropogenic), and acoustic remote sensing (tomography and thermometry), supporting and complementing data collection from platforms, moorings, and vehicles. We support the development and implementation of regional to basin-wide acoustic networks as an integral component of a multidisciplinary in situ Arctic Ocean observatory

The NUPHAC-EU Framework for Nurses' Role in Interprofessional Pharmaceutical Care: Cross-Sectional Evaluation in Europe.

Clear role descriptions promote the quality of interprofessional collaboration. Currently, it is unclear to what extent healthcare professionals consider pharmaceutical care (PC) activities to be nurses' responsibility in order to obtain best care quality. This study aimed to create and evaluate a framework describing potential nursing tasks in PC and to investigate nurses' level of responsibility. A framework of PC tasks and contextual factors was developed based on literature review and previous DeMoPhaC project results. Tasks and context were cross-sectionally evaluated using an online survey in 14 European countries. A total of 923 nurses, 240 physicians and 199 pharmacists responded. The majority would consider nurses responsible for tasks within: medication self-management (86-97%), patient education (85-96%), medication safety (83-95%), monitoring adherence (82-97%), care coordination (82-95%), and drug monitoring (78-96%). The most prevalent level of responsibility was 'with shared responsibility'. Prescription management tasks were considered to be nurses' responsibility by 48-81% of the professionals. All contextual factors were indicated as being relevant for nurses' role in PC by at least 74% of the participants. No task nor contextual factor was removed from the framework after evaluation. This framework can be used to enable healthcare professionals to openly discuss allocation of specific (shared) responsibilities and tasks

Mother knows best: occurrence and associations of resighted humpback whales suggest maternally derived fidelity to a southern hemisphere coastal feeding ground

Site fidelity is common among migratory cetaceans, including humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In the Northern Hemisphere it has been found that fidelity to humpback whale feeding grounds is transferred maternally but this has never been shown for the species in the Southern Hemisphere. We examined this in a unique feeding area off west South Africa using resighting data of 68 individually identified humpback whales by means of photographic (tail flukes and dorsal fins) and/or molecular methods (microsatellite genotyping) over an 18 year span. We found short-term association patterns and recurrent visits typical of other feeding grounds. Males and females had different seasonality of attendance. Significant female-dominated presence corresponded to timing of an expected influx of females on their southward migration from the breeding ground: firstly non-nursing (possibly pregnant) females in mid-spring, and mothers and calves in mid-to late summer. The potential benefit of this mid-latitude feeding area for females is illustrated by a record of a cow with known age of at least 23 years that produced calves in three consecutive years, each of which survived to at least six months of age: the first record of successful post-partum ovulation for this species in the Southern Hemisphere. We recorded association of a weaned calf with its mother, and a recurring association between a non-lactating female and male over more than two years. Moreover, three animals first identified as calves returned to the same area in subsequent years, sometimes on the same day as their mothers. This, together with numerous Parent-Offspring relations detected genetically among and between resighted and non-resighted whales is strongly suggestive of maternally derived site fidelity at a small spatial scale by a small sub-population of humpback whales.National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa [2047517]; PADI Project AWARE (UK) [095]; Earthwatch Institute (project title "Whales of South Africa"

Sea level rise, drought and the decline of Spartina patens in New England marshes

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. Already heavily impacted by coastal development, estuarine vegetated habitats (seagrasses, salt marshes, and mangroves) are increasingly affected by climate change via accelerated sea level rise, changes in the frequency and intensity of precipitation and storms, and warmer ocean temperatures. Conservation of these sensitive and vulnerable habitats requires the recognition of climate change effects so environmental managers can develop and apply appropriate intervention and adaptation strategies where possible. Here we focus on Spartina patens (saltmeadow cordgrass), a foundation species of New England (USA) coastal marshes. A growing body of evidence suggests this species is disappearing rapidly from wetlands in the region, leading to reductions in habitat quality, plant diversity, carbon sequestration, erosion resistance and coastal protection. We grew S. patens under five inundation and three precipitation regimes, monitored changes in its extent within two Southern New England coastal marshes (2000-2014), and used water level and precipitation data to detect changes in environmental conditions affecting these marshes. Our results suggest that current inundation patterns have reduced the persistence of S. patens, while short-term drought did not appear responsible for vegetation changes or habitat conversion. We conclude that accelerated sea level rise is incompatible with the long-term survival of S. patens within the current landscape footprint of Southern New England\u27s coastal wetlands. We suggest that conservation actions focused on high marsh preservation concentrate on facilitating the process of marsh migration onto uplands by prioritizing buffer conservation, conducting barrier removal and allowing for retreat where feasible

Przegląd parametrów sprawnościowych wśród studentów uniwersytetu w Peczu

Background. Obesity and a sedentary way of life play an important part in public health in Hungary. This phenomenon is becoming more and more serious not only in adults but also children. Adults’ health behaviour is greatly affected by the existence or absence of health awareness. Regular exercising in association with general fitness form an integral part of health awareness. Our objective is to demonstrate the nutrition and fitness status of students in higher education with a comprehensive test. Material and methods. Beside general factors affecting health, such as BMI, skeletal muscle, body fat, visceral fat percentage, participants performed practical tasks which provided data of their stamina, muscular strength and fitness status: (1) a 15/20-minute shuttle run, (2) a scheduled abdominal muscle test (3) manual clamping force measurement (4) a scheduled push up test (5) a standing long-jump test, and (6) a flexibility test. Results. According to our survey, young adults’ nutrition status was satisfactory, two third of them had normal BMI. Left manual clamping force and trunk stretching force in men, stamina and explosive power in women were significantly determined by BMI classification. Basing on these results, we can state that body weight has no effect on joint mobility. Conclusions. The present study draws attention to several former conclusions which suggest that more efforts are needed in higher education to improve health promotion of the youth. Introduction of compulsory physical education classes might facilitate further research which may follow-up the changes in the fitness status of young people.Wprowadzenie. Otyłość i siedzący tryb życia stanowią ważną aspekt zdrowia publicznego na Węgrzech. Zjawisko to staje się coraz poważniejszym problemem nie tylko wśród dorosłych, ale i wśród dzieci. W istotnym stopniu wpływa na to zachowanie zdrowotne osób dorosłych, które charakteryzuje niska świadomość zdrowotna. Regularne ćwiczenia w połączeniu z ogólnymi formami fitness stanowią integralną część świadomości zdrowotnej. Naszym celem jest wykazanie stanu odżywienia i sprawności studentów szkół wyższych poprzez kompleksowy system testowy. Materiał i metody. Oprócz ogólnych czynników wpływających na zdrowie, takich jak BMI, mięśnie szkieletowe, tkanki tłuszczowej, tkanki tłuszczowej, uczestnicy wykonali zadania, które dostarczyły danych o ich wytrzymałości, sile mięśni, stanie sprawności: (1) 15/20-minutowy bieg (2) test mięśni brzucha (3) ręczny pomiar siły nacisku (4) test naciskowy (5) test długiego skoku (6) test elastyczności. Wyniki. Naszym zdaniem, poziom odżywiania młodych ludzi był zadowalający, dwie trzecie z nich miało normalne wskaźniki BMI. Siła zaciskowa lewej ręki i siła rozciągania tułowia u mężczyzn, wytrzymałość i siła wykopu u kobiet w znacznym stopniu pokrywały się ze wskaźnikami klasyfikacji BMI. Możemy zatem wnioskować, że masa ciała nie wpływa na ogólną mobilność. Wnioski. Niniejsze badanie potwierdzają wyniki naszych wcześniejszych badań, co może sugerować, że potrzebne są większe wysiłki na rzecz poprawy promocji zdrowia młodzieży w szkolnictwie wyższym. Wprowadzenie obowiązkowych zajęć wychowania fizycznego mogłoby pomóc w dalszych badaniach, które z kolei mogą prześledzić zmiany w stanie umiejętności sprawnościowych młodych ludzi