Use of the Moon to Distinguish the F from the K Corona Using a Rocket Coronagraph During an Eclipse

F and K corona observations by rocket coronagraph during solar eclips

Alpersite (Mg,Cu)SO\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3e•7H\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eO, A New Mineral of the Melanterite Group, and Cuprian Pentahydrite: Their Occurrence Within Mine Waste

Alpersite, Mg0.58 Cu0.37 Zn0.02 Mn0.02 Fe0.01SO4 •7H2 O, a new mineral species with direct relevance to reactions in mine waste, occurs in a mineralogically zoned assemblage in sheltered areas at the abandoned Big Mike mine in central Nevada at a relative humidity of 65% and T = 4 °C. Blue alpersite, which is isostructural with melanterite (FeSO4 •7H2 O), is overlain by a light blue to white layer dominated by pickeringite, alunogen, and epsomite. X-ray diffraction data (MoKα radiation) from a single crystal of alpersite were refined in P21/c, resulting in wR = 0.05 and cell dimensions a = 14.166(4), b = 6.534(2), c = 10.838(3) Å, β = 105.922(6)°, Z = 4. Site-occupancy refinement, constrained to be consistent with the compositional data, showed Mg to occupy the M1 site and Cu the M2 site. The octahedral distortion of M2 is consistent with 72% Cu occupancy when compared with the site-distortion data of substituted melanterite. Cuprian pentahydrite, with the formula (Mg0.49 Cu0.41 Mn0.08Zn0.02)SO4 •5H2 O, was collected from an effl orescent rim on a depression that had held water in a large waste-rock area near Miami, Arizona. After dissolution of the efflorescence in de-ionized water, and evaporation of the supernatant liquid, alpersite precipitated and quickly dehydrated to cuprian pentahydrite. These observations are consistent with previous experimental studies of the system MgSO4 -CuSO4 -H2 O. It is suspected that alpersite and cuprian pentahydrite are widespread in mine wastes that contain Cu-bearing sulfi des, but in which solubilized Fe2+ is not available for melanterite crystallization because of oxidation to Fe3+ in surface waters of near-neutral pH. Alpersite has likely been overlooked in the past because of the close similarity of its physical properties to those of melanterite and chalcanthite. Alpersite is named after Charles N. Alpers, geochemist with the United States Geological Survey, who has made significant contributions to our understanding of the mineralogical controls of mine-water geochemistry

Sport-for-development in the South Pacific Region: Macro-, meso-, and micro-perspectives

© 2017 Human Kinetics, Inc. As the field of sport-for-development (SFD) has developed, there has been increasing debate over the ability of SFD programs to effect lasting structural change on target communities. Highlighting the barriers to SFD program delivery in five Pacific Island nations, in this paper we argue that numerous challenges emerging at macro-, meso-, and microlevels must be explored, understood, and accounted for to enact structural change. Building on thematic findings from our empirical cross-nation research project, we discuss the importance of addressing SFD challenges at all levels of society to ensure that interventions are appropriately tailored for the specific and often divergent sociocultural contexts in the Pacific Islands region. We argue for a more holistic approach to planning, management, and evaluation when attempting to deliver structural change through sport

The Obesity Epidemic: Survey of Current Physical Therapy Trends in North Dakota

Background and Purpose. Many different health professionals are involved in the prevention and treatment of obesity. The APTA believes that physical therapists should be in a leadership role among other health care providers in providing patient education and instruction regarding physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine current practice trends among physical therapists in the state of North Dakota relating to patients who are overweight or obese. Subjects and Methods. Three hundred surveys were mailed to randomly selected physical therapists licensed in the State of North Dakota. The survey consisted of23 questions concerning level of training, referral rates, comfort level in treating patients who are overweight or obese, and interventions provided to these patients. Results. Of the 300 surveys sent out, 136 (45.3%) were completed and returned for inclusion in this study. Those physical therapists who indicated they had advanced training did not have significantly higher comfort level in treating patients who are overweight or obese. Similarly there was no significant difference between advanced training and discussion or recording of weight status. Seventy-five percent of therapists surveyed had not received any referrals for weight management in the past year. Appearance, weight/height measurements, body mass index (BMI), and patient opinion were the most commonly used methods to assess weight status. The most frequently used interventions included patient education, aerobic exercise, and strength training. Discussion and Conclusion. Physical therapists have appropriate education to identify at-risk patients and provide intervention to improve weight status, but are not currently active in promoting themselves as members of the weight management team. Additional training may be necessary in the areas of objective methods of assessing weight status and weight management programs for patients with other co-morbidities

Forced evictions and their social and health impacts in Southern Somalia: a qualitative study in Mogadishu Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps

Background: Forced evictions are common in conflict-affected settings. More than 500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are evicted daily in Mogadishu. Context specific research is necessary to inform responsive humanitarian interventions and to monitor the effective- ness of these interventions on IDPs health. Objective: This study explored the causes of forced evictions and their health impacts among IDPs in southern Somalia. Methods: We used a qualitative approach, conducting 20 semi-structured interviews, six key informant interviews and four focus group discussions. We used maximum variation sampling to include a wide range of participants and used the framework approach and Nvivo software to analyse the data. Results: In this context, landlords often rented land without proper tenure agreements, resulting in risk of forced evictions. Informal tenure agreements led to fluctuations in rent, and IDPs were evicted because tenancy laws were inadequate and failed to protect their rights. IDP settlements often increased the value of land by clearing scrub, and landlords often sought to profit from this by evicting IDPs at short notice if a buyer was found for the land. The effect of eviction on an already marginalised population was wide ranging, increasing their exposure to violence, loss of assets, sexual assault, disruption of livelihoods, loss of social networks, and family separation. Evicted IDPs reported health issues such as diarrhoea, malaria, pneumonia, measles and skin infections, as well as stress, anxiety, psychological distress and trauma. Conclusion: Forced evictions remain one of the biggest challenges for IDPs as they exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. Prioritizing implementation of legal protection for IDP tenure rights is necessary to prevent unlawful evictions of IDPs. Humanitarian agencies should aim to respond more effectively to protect evictees and provide support to prevent poor health outcomes. Further quantitative research is needed to examine the relationship between forced evictions and health outcomes

Accuracy of screening tools for Pap smears in general practice

Background: Data extraction tools (DETs) are increasingly being used for research and audit of general practice, despite their limitations. Objective: This study explores the accuracy of Pap smear rates obtained with a DET compared to that of the Pap smear rate obtained with a manual file audit. Method: A widely available DET was used to establish the rate of Pap smears in a large multi-general practice (multi-GP) in regional New South Wales followed by a manual audit of patient files. The main outcome measure was identification of possible discrepancies between the rates established. Results: The DET used significantly underestimated the level of cervical screening compared to the manual audit. In some instances, the patient file contained phone/specialist record of Pap smear conducted elsewhere, which accounted for the failure of the DET to detect some smears. Those patients who had Pap smears whose pathology codes differed between time intervals, i.e. from different pathology providers or from within the same provider but using a different code, were less likely to have had their most recent Pap smear detected by the DET (p \u3c 0.001). Conclusion: Data obtained from DETs should be used with caution as they may not accurately reflect the rate of Pap smears from electronic medical records

Advancing academic careers through formal professional mentorship: The Research Scholars Mentorship Program (RSMP)

Mentorship is an essential component of professional development for young and emerging scholars. In partnership with the Kellogg Health Scholars Program, the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB) developed the 12-month Research Scholars Mentorship Program (RSMP) as a mechanism to facilitate high-quality mentorship interactions among junior and seasoned investigators within the Academy. This article provides a rationale, history, and description of the RSMP, as well as the collective scholarly achievements of the Cohorts and future directions. To date, 44 Pairs have initiated or completed the program. Products written and submitted by the Pairs during the 12-month mentorship period have included grants (n = 21), peer-reviewed manuscripts (n = 64), and book chapters (n = 2). Additionally, Pairs have collaborated to initiate new studies (n = 10) and develop new courses (n = 1). AAHB’s commitment to mentorship and professional development fueled the development of the RSMP to foster inclusive scholarship, expand membership, and promote productivity. The 12-month RSMP is a model for formal mentorship within professional organizations in that it facilitates Mentee-Mentor Pairs to enhance their professional and research trajectories through the execution of processes and development of products

Use of an adapted participatory learning and action cycle to increase knowledge and uptake of child vaccination in internally displaced persons camps (IVACS): A cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background: Vaccination is a key public health intervention that can reduce excess mortality in humanitarian contexts. Vaccine hesitancy is thought to be a significant problem requiring demand side interventions. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approaches have proven effective in reducing perinatal mortality in low income settings and we aimed to apply an adapted approach in Somalia. Methods: A randomised cluster trial was implemented in camps for internally displaced people near Mogadishu, from June to October 2021. An adapted PLA approach (hPLA) was used in partnership with indigenous ‘Abaay-Abaay’ women's social groups. Trained facilitators ran 6 meeting cycles that addressed topics of child health and vaccination, analysed challenges, and planned and implemented potential solutions. Solutions included a stakeholder exchange meeting involving Abaay-Abaay group members and services providers from humanitarian organisations. Data was collected at baseline and after completion of the 3 month intervention cycle. Results: Overall, 64.6% of mothers were group members at baseline and this increased in both arms during the intervention (p = 0.016). Maternal preference for getting young children vaccinated was >95% at baseline and did not change. The hPLA intervention improved the adjusted maternal/caregiver knowledge score by 7.9 points (maximum possible score 21) compared to the control (95% CI 6.93, 8.85; p < 0.0001). Coverage of both measles vaccination (MCV1) (aOR 2.43 95% CI 1.96, 3.01; p < 0.001) and completion of the pentavalent vaccination series (aOR 2.45 95% CI 1.27, 4.74; p = 0.008) also improved. However, adherence to timely vaccination did not (aOR 1.12 95% CI 0.39, 3.26; p = 0.828). Possession of a home-based, child health record card increased in the intervention arm from 18 to 35% (aOR 2.86 95% CI 1.35, 6.06; p = 0.006). Conclusion: A hPLA approach, run in partnership with indigenous social groups, can achieve important changes in public health knowledge and practice in a humanitarian context. Further work to scale up the approach and address other vaccines and population groups is warranted