Tolerance of larger body sizes by young adults living in Australia and Hawaii

Identifying the barriers to achieving an appropriate body size is important for health. This study investigated young adults\u27 tolerance of excess weight in other adults. Participants were 172 students (65 male, 107 female) with a mean age of 22.24 years (SD = 1.61). Half the participants resided in Australia, and half in Hawaii. Students from both countries were found to be tolerant of body sizes larger than those recommended for good health. These results help inform our understanding of the factors that may influence weight gain, and have important implications for the worldwide obesity problem and related health issues.<br /

Predicting adolescent social networks to stop smoking in secondary schools

Social networks are increasingly being investigated in the context of individual behaviours. Research suggests that friendship connections have the ability to influence individual actions, change personal opinions and subsequently impact upon personal wellbeing. This paper explores the effect of individual friendship selection decisions, and the impact they may have on the overall evolution of a social network. Using data from a large smoking cessation programme in secondary schools, an agent based simulation aiming to predict the evolution of the adolescent social networks is created. The simulation uses existing friendship selection algorithms from link prediction literature, along with a new approach to link prediction, termed PageRank-Max. This new algorithm is based upon the optimisation of an individuals eigen-centrality, and is found to be more successful than existing methods at predicting the future state of an adolescent social network. This research highlights the importance of eigen-centrality in adolescent friendship decisions, and the use of agent-based simulation to conduct behavioural investigations. Furthermore, it provides a proof-of-concept for targeted interventions driven by social network analysis, demonstrating the utility of using emerging sources of social network data for public heath interventions such as with tobacco use which is a major global health challenge

The International Impact of COVID-19 and "Emergency Remote Teaching" on Computer Science Education Practitioners

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed "emergency remote teaching" across education globally, leading to the closure of institutions across all settings, from schools through to universities. This paper looks specifically at the impact of these disruptive changes to those teaching the discipline of computer science. Drawing on the quantitative and qualitative findings from a large-scale international survey (N=2,483) conducted in the immediate aftermath of closures, implementation of lockdown measures, and the shift to online delivery in March 2020, we report how those teaching computer science across all educational levels (n=327) show significantly more positive attitudes towards the move to online learning, teaching and assessment (LT&A) than those working in other disciplines. When comparing educational setting, computer science practitioners in schools felt more prepared and confident than those in higher education; however, they expressed greater concern around equity and whether students would be able to access the teaching made available online. Furthermore, while practitioners across all sectors consistently noted the potential opportunities of these changes, they also raised a number of wider concerns on the impact of this shift to online, especially on workload and job precarity. More specifically for computer science practitioners, there were concerns raised regarding the ability to effectively deliver technical topics online, as well as the impact on various types of formal examinations and assessment. We also offer informed commentary from this rapid response international survey on emerging LT&A strategies that will likely continue to be constrained by coronavirus into 2021 and possibly beyond

The Effects of the State of Tennessee Immunization Policy Change of 2011 - 2012 on Vaccination Uptake in East Tennessee

In the United States, funding for the purchase of vaccines depend on annual Congressional allocations. These allocations fluctuate from year to year as Congress responds to changes in national needs for immunizations. The Affordable Care Act requires first dollar coverage of immunizations and other preventive care, allowing a reduction in federal funding for vaccine purchase and a reallocation of funds to other uses such as infrastructure development. In fiscal year 2012, the loss of funds allocated from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act required action by states to ensure appropriate use of remaining funds. In Tennessee, the response was a policy change that redefined the population who would receive immunizations at health departments

The Effects of the Changes in Section 317 Rules for Administration of Federally Purchased Vaccines

Section 317 of the Public Health Services Act is a federal program that provides funds for the purchase of vaccines. These annual Congressional allocations fluctuate from year to year as Congress responds to changes in national needs for immunizations. The Affordable Care Act requires first dollar coverage of immunizations and other preventive care, allowing a reduction in federal funding for vaccine purchase and a reallocation of funds to other uses such as infrastructure development. In fiscal year 2013, Section 317 rules redefined the population eligible for immunization with Section 317 purchased vaccines. In Tennessee, the response was a policy change that redefined the population who would receive immunizations at health departments