You have arrived : geotourism and experiencing place via Airbnb

It is evident that travelers want an “in.” Rick Steves takes readers and viewers “Through the Back Door,” while the Not For Tourists series of travel books caters to those looking beyond mass appeal. Airbnb, the leader in a lodging trend called “home-sharing,” builds off the premise of “insider travel” and “living like a local” by connecting a community of hosts and guests via on online network and a trusted brand. It has grown from an apartment with a few air mattresses in 2008 to a business that currently boasts more listings than Hilton Worldwide. Valued at over a billion dollars, Airbnb’s success can be attributed to many things: the power of online networking and community brand-building, the novelty of the “sharing economy,” the fact that Airbnb lodgings are often cheaper than hotel rooms. This paper seeks to determine if Airbnb’s appeal lies in its effect on people’s experiences of place. It also seeks to determine if Airbnb facilitates what the National Geographic Society terms “geotourism,” or “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place.” Because staying at an Airbnb lodging, in most cases, puts travelers in a preexisting architectural structure within a residential neighborhood, in touch with (and profiting) a local host, and in a situation likely to be more environmentally friendly, an argument can be made that it is. At the same time, it is offering many travelers exactly what they’ve been looking for: an in.Geography and the Environmen

Social Support and Affectionate Communication in Animal-Assisted Interventions: Toward a Typology and Rating Scheme of Handler/Dog Messages

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are a treatment modality that incorporates a trained animal into a person\u27s healing and learning process in order to benefit the person physically, emotionally and/or socially (Delta Society, 1996). From an interactional perspective, two mechanisms that may contribute to these health benefits are social support and affection exchange. Although there is growing evidence of the health and well-being benefits of AAIs, there remains a need for scientific research to understand more precisely the communicative and behavioral components that constitute a therapeutic intervention involving an animal (Kazdin, 2010). Additionally, there is a need to develop a means of systematic evaluation of the interaction in order to determine the extent of support that various messages from the handler and therapy dog can offer. As such, the present study explored the interactions that occurred during AAIs by applying the theoretical frameworks of social support and affectionate communication. Two methods of data collection - interviews and observations - were employed to uncover the supportive and affectionate behaviors that occur in AAIs from a handler\u27s perspective. Participants were primarily female, middle-aged, Caucasian therapy dog handlers who visit in a variety of facility types (e.g., hospitals, schools, nursing homes), representing a diverse range of clients and settings. Results include a typology of supportive messages. The findings of the present study indicate that handlers and therapy dogs enact six categories of supportive behaviors during AAIs - Responsiveness, Attention, Encouragement, Facilitation, Dog Interest, and Dog Affection. In addition, a rating scale based on this typology was developed. Analyses indicated that the measurement tool can be used to reliably assess the level or degree of supportive communication that a handler/dog provides during an AAI. The present study extends social support and affectionate communication theoretical frameworks to a unique interpersonal context by examining interactive supportive processes during AAIs. Although the observations in this study were conducted in only three local facilities, when combined with nationwide interview findings, this study provides scaffolding for future research to determine how particular supportive behaviors may correlate to human health and well-being outcomes. This study takes the first step in this direction by identifying and assessing supportive and affectionate behaviors that occur during AAIs so that they can next be examined and improved in order to making human-animal interventions even more effective

Closure planning in a developing country - a case study from the Phu Kham Mine, Laos, Southeast Asia

Mining in developing regions face significant challenges for effective closure planning. A maturing mine closure regulatory environment and limited capacity within government to regulate mine closure issues can present considerable risk from an operation to the regional community and environment. Alternatively, if the operation adopts leading practice international standards in recognition of their corporate responsibilities and social license‐to‐mine in developing countries, there may be significant opportunities for enhanced social and environmental outcomes for host country and mining company. Using a case study from the Phu Kham Mine, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), we discuss some of the key challenges to closure planning, including the limitations of closure regulation and community capacity to assimilate closure issues, in a developing country. We describe how leading mine closure planning can be achieved in a developing country using leading practice international standards. The practical application of these standards is already leading to significant social outcomes in the areas of community development through initiatives targeting health, education and economic opportunities. When planning for closure, the focus must shift towards a longer term view, which endeavours to use the remaining years of the operation to prepare local communities for post‐mining independence and sustainable benefits. We highlight the potential for both social and environmental benefits post‐closure and the degree of planning required to get there

CANINES AND CHILDHOOD CANCER: THE EFFECTS OF ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY FOR PATIENTS, FAMILIES AND THERAPY DOGS

PLEASE USE THE PDF (available from the download link) TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE VIDEO For many people, animals take center stage in their daily lives, offering companionship, comfort, joy and for some, even kinship. Increasingly, greater attention has been given to the roles that animals can play in supporting the health and emotional well-being of people in need, specifically through the use of animal-assisted therapy (AAT). However, while the field of human-animal interaction (HAI) research has expanded enormously in recent years, it is still unclear whether the incorporation of animals into clinical settings is effective from a scientific standpoint. Likewise, although many studies have examined the complex bio-psychosocial impacts of childhood cancer for patients and their families, few have identified complementary therapeutic interventions to help families with the coping process. Finally, there remains a lack of sound HAI research on how AAT may affect therapy dogs. The Canines and Childhood Cancer (CCC) study seeks to address these research gaps by examining the ability of AAT to impact the well-being and distress levels of pediatric oncology patients and their parents/caregivers, as well as the therapy dogs who visit them, throughout the child’s treatment process. Researchers will present the preliminary findings from a pilot trial conducted with three pediatric oncology sites, including data from patients, families and therapy dogs, as well as information on the feasibility of conducting rigorous and innovative AAT research across multiple pediatric healthcare settings. CCC is a collaborative project between American Humane Association and Pfizer Animal Health

Maternal B vitamins: effects on offspring weight and DNA methylation at genomically imprinted domains

Abstract Background Inadequate maternal nutrition during early fetal development can create permanent alterations in the offspring, leading to poor health outcomes. While nutrients involved in one-carbon cycle metabolism are important to fetal growth, associations with specific nutrients remain inconsistent. This study estimates associations between maternal vitamins B12, B6 (pyridoxal phosphate [PLP] and 4-pyridoxic acid [PA]), and homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations, offspring weight (birth weight and 3-year weight gain), and DNA methylation at four differentially methylated regions (DMRs) known to be involved in fetal growth and development (H19, MEG3, SGCE/PEG10, and PLAGL1). Methods Study participants (n = 496) with biomarker and birth weight data were enrolled as part of the Newborn Epigenetics STudy. Weight gain data were available for 273 offspring. Among 484 mother-infant pairs, DNA methylation at regulatory sequences of genomically imprinted genes was measured in umbilical cord blood DNA using bisulfite pyrosequencing. We used generalized linear models to estimate associations. Results Multivariate adjusted regression models revealed an inverse association between maternal Hcy concentration and male birth weight (β = −210.40, standard error (SE) = 102.08, p = 0.04). The offspring of the mothers in the highest quartile of B12 experienced lower weight gain between birth and 3 years compared to the offspring of the mothers in the lowest (β = −2203.03, SE = 722.49, p = 0.003). Conversely, maternal PLP was associated with higher weight gain in males; higher maternal PLP concentrations were also associated with offspring DNA methylation levels at the MEG3 DMR (p < 0.01). Conclusions While maternal concentrations of B12, B6, and Hcy do not associate with birth weight overall, they may play an important role in 3-year weight gain. This is the first study to report an association between maternal PLP and methylation at the MEG3 DMR which may be an important epigenetic tag for maternal B vitamin adequacy

Principal Investigator Views of the IRB System

We undertook a qualitative e-mail survey of federally-funded principal investigators of their views of the US human subjects protection system, intended to identify the range of investigator attitudes. This was an exploratory study with a 14% response rate. Twenty-eight principal investigators responded; their comments were analyzed to show underlying themes, which are here presented along with supporting quotations

Pediatric Cancer Genetics Research and an Evolving Preventive Ethics Approach for Return of Results after Death of the Subject

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115941/1/jlme12295.pd

Operationalizing Professionalism: A Course in Ethical Decision Making

All U.S. medical schools require some medical ethics education and must now ensure that their graduates, residents, and faculty exhibit competence in the area of professionalism and professional medical ethics. However, there remain many challenges to implementing formal ethics and professionalism education into medical school curricula. [See PDF for complete abstract

Gender-related differences in care-seeking behaviour for newborns: a systematic review of the evidence in South Asia.

INTRODUCTION: Data indicate substantial excess mortality among female neonates in South Asia compared with males. We reviewed evidence on sex and gender differences in care-seeking behaviour for neonates as a driver for this. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of literature published between January 1st, 1996 and August 31st, 2016 in Pubmed, Embase, Eldis and Imsear databases, supplemented by grey literature searches. We included observational and experimental studies, and reviews. Two research team members independently screened titles, abstracts and then full texts for inclusion, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Study quality was assessed using National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) checklists and summary judgements given using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Data were extracted into Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: Of 614 studies initially identified, 17 studies were included. Low quality evidence across several South Asian countries suggests that care-seeking rates for female neonates are lower than males, especially in households with older female children. Parents are more likely to pay more, and seek care from providers perceived as higher quality, for males than females. Evidence on drivers of these care-seeking behaviours is limited. Care-seeking rates are suboptimal, ranging from 20% to 76% across male and female neonates. CONCLUSION: Higher mortality observed among female neonates in South Asia may be partly explained by differences in care-seeking behaviour, though good quality evidence on drivers for this is lacking. Further research is needed, but policy interventions to improve awareness of causes of neonatal mortality, and work with households with predominantly female children may yield population health benefits. The social, economic and cultural norms that give greater value and preference to boys over girls must also be challenged through the creation of legislation and policy that support greater gender equality, as well as context-specific strategies in partnership with local influencers to change these practices.PROSPERO registration number CRD42016052256