Action Schools! BC: A Socioecological Approach to Modifying Chronic Disease Risk Factors in Elementary School Children

BACKGROUND: Childhood physical inactivity and obesity are serious public health threats. Socioecological approaches to addressing these threats have been proposed. The school is a critical environment for promoting children's health and provides the opportunity to explore the impact of a socioecological approach. CONTEXT: Thirty percent of children in British Columbia, Canada, are overweight or obese, and 50% of youths are not physically active enough to yield health benefits. METHODS: Action Schools! BC, a socioecological model, was developed to create 1) an elementary school environment where students are provided with more opportunities to make healthy choices and 2) a supportive community and provincial environment to facilitate change at the school and individual levels. CONSEQUENCES: The environment in British Columbia for school- and provincial-level action on health behaviors improved. Focus group and project tracking results indicated that the Action Schools! BC model enhanced the conceptual use of knowledge and was an influencing factor. Political will and public interest were also cited as influential factors. INTERPRETATION: The Action Schools! BC model required substantial and demanding changes in the approach of the researchers, policy makers, and support team toward health promotion. Despite challenges, Action Schools! BC provides a good example of how to enhance knowledge exchange and multilevel intersectoral action in chronic disease prevention

A Model-based, Bayesian Solution for Characterization of Complex Damage Scenarios in AerospaceComposite Structures

Ultrasonic damage detection and characterization is commonly used in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of aerospace composite components. In real materials and structures, the dispersive wavesresult in complicated behavior in the presence of complex damage scenarios. Model-based characterization methods utilize accurate three dimensional finite element models(FEMs), using PZFlex, of guided wave interaction with realistic damage scenariosto aid in defect identification & classification. This work builds on the results and methods in [1] and describes an inverse solution for realistic composite damage characterization by comparing the wavenumber- frequency spectra of experimental and simulated UT inspections. The FEM is parameterized with the damage model described in a companion presentation [2], capable of describing the complex damage typical of low impact strikesin composites (Figure 1). The damage is characterized through a stochastic solution, enabling uncertainty quantification surrounding the characterization. Typical Bayesian methods, such as Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), are computationally costly and cannot be easily parallelized. In this work, we present a Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) scheme in which the complex damage parameterization is formulated as a set of random variables, propagated using importance sampling and MCMC-based rejuvenation mechanismsto characterize the composite damage and quantify the uncertainty surrounding those estimates. SMC enables increasing FEM fidelity during the solution, allowing for fast optimal global localization and subsequent damage characterization refinement

A Parameterized Delamination Model for Use in Complex Damage Characterization of Composite Laminatesin Ultrasonic Inspections

Ultrasonic damage detection and characterization is commonly used in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of aerospace composite components. However, in real materials and structures, the dispersive waves can result in complicated behavior, particularly in the presence of complex damage scenarios and structural components. Accurate three dimensional finite element models (FEMs), using PZFlex, of guided wave interactions with realistic damage scenarios can be used to study quantitative NDE ultrasonic damage detection techniques numerically, to supplement or replace expensive experimental testing. Novel data analysis techniques such as filter reconstruction imaging methods can be used to create practical comparisons between experimental and simulated data. To compare experimental and simulated data, however, the FEM must accurately simulate the physics of an ultrasonic inspection. This requires that information about the damage be known a priori (e.g. through CT scans of the laminates). While possible in a research setting, this is typically not the case for real inspections in which the goal is to characterize the unknown damage. This work will describe a means of parameterizing a FEM of a composite laminate for use in a damage characterization scheme. The FEM is parameterized with a multidimensional damage model capable of describing the complex amage typical of low impact strikes in composites. The damage under consideration in this work is described by the spiraling, multilayer delamination depicted in Figure 1. Experimental laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) wavefield data and the FEM simulated vibration responses are postprocessed using the 3D Fourier transform so that the wavenumber-frequency spectra can be readily compared, building on the results and methodsin. The purpose of the parameterized damage model is for use in a probabilistic damage characterization methodology, discussed in a companion presentation. The composite laminate model and the ultrasonic inspection are simulated using PZFlex and allows for iterative refinement of the damage. The increasing model fidelity enablesfast localization ofthe damage followed by subsequent refined characterization

The Gender Wage Gap in Research Libraries

The gender wage gap impacts millions of women throughout the US and world, with women in the US making on average 82% of men’s salaries (US Census Bureau, 2018). In research libraries, a field dominated by women, this has historically been true as well, with men rising to top positions at a higher rate and making more money than women in the same positions. Over the decades following the implementation of Affirmative Action, the number of women in administrative positions in research libraries has increased dramatically. This article explores the issue of women’s salaries in research libraries in five job tiers. The five job tiers group library positions based on power dynamic with the first tier including positions that run academic libraries through the fifth tier which includes front line positions. An analysis of data from the Association of Research Libraries from 1976 through 2016 demonstrates that though women have made progress in obtaining higher level positions, salary disparities continue to exist between men and women at all levels

Embracing Resiliency: Practical Strategies to Minimize Teacher Burnout and Elevate Retention

Abstract Teacher shortage constitutes a crisis in the U.S. and the education system at-large. In light of the crisis of teacher shortage and the severity of turnover rate, the purpose of this paper is to join in the dialogue to further the conversation regarding how believing or reinforcing stereotypes can contribute to burnout and unrealistic expectations teachers face in education. Suggestions for pre-service and in-service teachers to acquire a more realistic and resilient lens for themselves as educators and the profession is presented. The following themes will be explored: collaboration, embracing vulnerability, empowerment and agency, support and mentoring, and self-care and resiliency

Re-generating kinesthetic history: the dynamics of transmitting William Forsythe's One Flat Thing, reproduced

“Reconstructing,” “remounting,” “restaging,” and “reworking” are terms that are used to describe the process of choreographic transmission. Typically today, dances are transmitted through notated scores, video recordings, and the kinesthetic history of previous cast members. This article illuminates the liminal space between score, screen, and stage by analyzing the process of transmitting William Forsythe's One Flat Thing, reproduced (2000) to a group of students at The Juilliard School in 2013. Conclusions drawn from the case study challenge traditional notions of reconstruction and restaging and suggest “re-generation” as an alternative term to describe the process of preserving and transmitting contemporary dance works

Social Determinants of Health: Underreported Heterogeneity in Systematic Reviews of Caregiver Interventions.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Although most people have some experience as caregivers, the nature and context of care are highly variable. Caregiving, socioeconomic factors, and health are all interrelated. For these reasons, caregiver interventions must consider these factors. This review examines the degree to which caregiver intervention research has reported and considered social determinants of health. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:We examined published systematic reviews and meta-analyses of interventions for older adults with age-related chronic conditions using the PRISMA and AMSTAR 2 checklists. From 2,707 papers meeting search criteria, we identified 197 potentially relevant systematic reviews, and selected 33 for the final analysis. RESULTS:We found scant information on the inclusion of social determinants; the papers lacked specificity regarding race/ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location. The majority of studies focused on dementia, with other conditions common in later life vastly underrepresented. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS:Significant gaps in evidence persist, particularly for interventions targeting diverse conditions and populations. To advance health equity and improve the effectiveness of interventions, research should address caregiver heterogeneity and improve assessment, support, and instruction for diverse populations. Research must identify aspects of heterogeneity that matter in intervention design, while recognizing opportunities for common elements and strategies

Flower Iridescence Increases Object Detection in the Insect Visual System without Compromising Object Identity.

Iridescence is a form of structural coloration, produced by a range of structures, in which hue is dependent on viewing angle [1-4]. One of these structures, the diffraction grating, is found both in animals (for example, beetles [2]) and in plants (on the petals of some animal pollinated flowers [5]). The behavioral impacts of floral iridescence and its potential ecological significance are unknown [6-9]. Animal-pollinated flowers are described as "sensory billboards" [10], with many floral features contributing to a conspicuous display that filters prospective pollinators. Yet floral iridescence is more subtle to the human eye than that of many animal displays because the floral diffraction grating is not perfectly regular [5-9]. This presents a puzzle: if the function of petals is to attract pollinators, then flowers might be expected to optimize iridescence to increase showiness. On the other hand, pollinators memorize floral colors as consistent advertisements of reward quality, and iridescence might corrupt flower color identity. Here we tested the trade-off between flower detectability and recognition, requiring bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to identify artificial flowers that varied in pigmentation and degree of iridescence. We find that iridescence does increase target detectability but that "perfect" iridescence (produced by an artificial diffraction grating) corrupts target identity and bees make many mistakes. However, "imperfect" floral iridescence does not lead to mistaken target identity, while still benefitting flower detectability. We hypothesize that similar trade-offs might be found in the many naturally "imperfect" iridescence-producing structures found in animal-animal, as well as other plant-animal, interactions.We thank Divykriti Chopra, Matthew Dorling, Lucy Sandbach and James Philpott for assistance with experiments, and Edwige Moyroud for helpful discussions. We thank James Foster for assistance with measurement of flight arena light level measurements. HW is supported by ERC Starting Grant 260920. AR was supported by a BBSRC doctoral training grant studentship. LC is supported by a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award and ERC Advanced Grant 339347.This is the author accepted manuscript. It is currently embargoed pending publication

Level of Patient-Physician Agreement in Assessment of Change Following Conservative Rehabilitation for Shoulder Pain

Background Assessment of health-related status has been shown to vary between patients and physicians, although the degree of patient–physician discordance in the assessment of the change in status is unknown. Methods Ninety-nine patients with shoulder dysfunction underwent a standardized physician examination and completed several self-reported questionnaires. All patients were prescribed the same physical therapy intervention. Six weeks later, the patients returned to the physician, when self-report questionnaires were re-assessed and the Global Rating of Change (GROC) was completed by the patient. The physician completed the GROC retrospectively. To determine agreement between patient and physician, intra-class correlation (ICC) coefficient and Pearson’s r using the 15-point GROC and weighted kappa using a consolidated three-point GROC were calculated. Results Utilizing the 15-point GROC, complete agreement was observed in 37 of 99 patients (37%). ICC and Pearson’s r between patient and physician were 0.62 and 0.63, respectively. Utilizing a consolidated three-point GROC, complete agreement was observed in 76 of 99 patients (77%). Weighted kappa was 0.62. Conclusions Assessment of change reported by the patient demonstrates moderate to good agreement with physician assessment. These findings indicate that the GROC does reflect and represent similar assessment of change in health status by patients and physicians. This can aid discussion of both past treatment results and future treatment plans