Parental perceptions of technology and technology-focused parenting: Associations with youth screen time

In the present study we propose a model linking parental perceptions of technology to technology-related parenting strategies to youth screen time, and, finally, to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. Participants were 615 parents drawn from three community samples of families with children across three developmental stages: young childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. The model was tested at each stage with the strongest support emerging in the young childhood sample. One component of parental perceptions of technology, perceived efficacy, was related to technology-related parenting strategies across developmental stages. However, the association of these strategies to child screen time and, in turn, problem behaviors, diminished as children increased in age. Implications for intervention are considered

Investigating Red Knot Migration Ecology along the Georgia and South Carolina Coasts: Spring 2019 Season Summaries

The rufa subspecies of the Red Knot (Calidris canutus) has declined significantly in the past 35 years, leading to federal listing (US Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Register Vol. 79 No. 238, 2014a) under the Endangered Species Act in the United States (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq) and Canada (COSEWIC 2007, SARA 2007). Evidence for the decline is seen in long-term surveys of a major spring staging site (Dunne et al 1982, Clark et al. 1993, Niles et al. 2008) and the largest known over-wintering site (Morrison et al. 2004). In only 30 years, the estimated population has declined from 100,000-150,000 to possibly below 30,000 (Niles et al. 2007) leading some researchers to suggest the population is highly vulnerable to extinction (Baker et al. 2004). The determination of regional population estimates and identification of major stopover sites are considered to be the highest priority for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources State Wildlife Action Plan (2015), the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Business Strategy (Winn et al. 2013), the US Shorebird Plan (Brown et al. 2001), the USFWS Red Knot Spotlight Species Action Plan (2010), and the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) Red Knot Conservation Plan for the Western Hemisphere (Niles et al. 2010a). The Georgia Department of Natural Resources State Wildlife Action Plan ranks the Red Knot as a high priority species (with state status of “Rare”) and ranks research of the Red Knot as one of the primary conservation actions needed within the state. A band resight program was initiated along the Georgia coastal barrier islands during the fall of 2011 and spring of 2013 and 2015-2016 giving baseline information for those seasons (Lyons et al. 2017, Smith et al. 2017). A trapping and tagging project was initiated in South Carolina in recent years, though there has been no systematic resight effort within the state. The patterns observed in both studies suggest that Red Knots are using the south-Atlantic through Delaware Bay in spring as an open network of staging areas. Recent tagging results in South Carolina have documented direct spring flights from South Carolina to James Bay, suggesting that the south-Atlantic stopovers are more important in the life-cycle of shorebirds than is currently thought. It is currently unknown what percentage of Red Knots use the direct flight strategy vs. stopping in Delaware Bay on their northbound migration. Winter resighting work conducted in South Carolina suggests that virtually no Red Knots wintering along the south-Atlantic use Delaware Bay in spring migration. Although movement and settlement “decisions” are likely influenced by foraging conditions throughout the network, investigations into the factors driving movements during migration is necessary to better understand Red Knot migration ecology. This is critical in developing appropriate stopover models and adaptive management tools for land managers. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and The Center for Conservation Biology will initiate a Red Knot tagging and resighting program along the Atlantic Coast of Georgia during the spring of 2019 to be paired with the ongoing programs within Delaware Bay and elsewhere along the flyway. This project will provide critical data that will be used to analyze the ongoing questions regarding Red Knot habitat choice decision making in the south Atlantic Coast in spring. A large percentage (3-6%) of Red Knots have been previously captured and tagged with unique 2 to 3 digits alpha-numeric bands. This marked population allows for mark-resight studies of migratory populations of Red Knots with no capturing involved. A total of 27,356 Red Knots were detected during daily surveys in spring 2019 along the Georgia and South Carolina Coasts; of those, 4,917 were scanned for flags, and 315 individually banded Red Knots were resighted a total of 523 times from within the spring migrant population. A total of 71 marked to unmarked ratios were recorded during the field season, with an average of 3.6% of Red Knots individually marked over the course of the spring. The rough estimate for the total number of knots cycling through during the spring season is estimated superpopulation size for the spring 2019 season is 8,750 (3.6% of birds tagged and 315 individuals recorded). The Georgia Coast is a major stopover area annually for rufa Red Knots in spring migration and in certain years in fall migration. The superpopulation utilizing the coast in fall migration can exceed 23,000 birds (Lyons et al. 2017) and the rough estimate of spring migration superpopulation from this study is approximately 8,750 birds. The total estimated population of rufa Red Knots is 42,000 birds (Andres et al. 2012), suggesting that a high percentage of rufa knots are using the Georgia Coast in spring and in some years fall migration. There appears to be less variation in spring migration superpopulations between years than in fall migration, suggesting a more stable (but less abundant) food source for spring migrants

Adherence and Concordance between Serious Illness Care Planning Conversations and Oncology Clinician Documentation among Patients with Advanced Cancer

Background:Serious illness conversations are part of advance care planning (ACP) and focus on prognosis, values, and goals in patients who are seriously ill. To be maximally effective, such conversations must be documented accurately and be easily accessible. Objectives:The two coprimary objectives of the study were to assess concordance between written documentation and recorded audiotaped conversations, and to evaluate adherence to the Serious Illness Conversation Guide questions. Methods:Data were obtained as part of a trial in patients with advanced cancer. Clinicians were trained to use a guide to conduct and document serious illness conversations. Conversations were audiotaped. Two researchers independently compared audiorecordings with the corresponding documentation in an electronic health record (EHR) template and free-text progress notes, and rated the degree of concordance and adherence. Results:We reviewed a total of 25 audiorecordings. Clinicians addressed 87% of the conversation guide elements. Prognosis was discussed least frequently, only in 55% of the patients who wanted that information. Documentation was fully concordant with the conversation 43% of the time. Concordance was best when documenting family matters and goals, and least frequently concordant when documenting prognostic communication. Most conversations (64%) were documented in the template, a minority (28%) only in progress notes and two conversations (8%) were not documented. Concordance was better when the template was used (62% vs. 28%). Conclusion:Clinicians adhered well to the conversation guide. However, key information elicited was documented and fully concordant less than half the time. Greater concordance was observed when clinicians used a prespecified template. The combined use of a guide and EHR template holds promise for ACP conversations

Economic performance or electoral necessity? Evaluating the system of voluntary income to political parties

Whilst the public funding of political parties is the norm in western democracies, its comprehensive introduction has been resisted in Britain. Political and electoral arrangements in Britain require parties to function and campaign on a regular basis, whilst their income follows cycles largely related to general elections. This article shows that the best predictor of party income is the necessity of a well-funded general election campaign rather than party performance. As a result, income can only be controlled by parties to a limited degree, which jeopardises their ability to determine their own financial position and fulfil their functions as political parties

A Qualitative Study of Serious Illness Conversations in Patients with Advanced Cancer

BACKGROUND: Conversations with seriously ill patients about their values and goals have been associated with reduced distress, a better quality of life, and goal-concordant care near the end of life. Yet, little is known about how such conversations are conducted. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the content of serious illness conversations and identify opportunities for improvement. DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of audio-recorded, serious illness conversations using an evidence-based guide and obtained through a cluster randomized controlled trial in an outpatient oncology setting. Setting/Measurements: Clinicians assigned to the intervention arm received training to use the "Serious Illness Conversation Guide" to have a serious illness conversation about values and goals with advanced cancer patients. Conversations were de-identified, transcribed verbatim, and independently coded by two researchers. Key themes were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 25 conversations conducted by 16 clinicians were evaluated. The median conversation duration was 14 minutes (range 4-37), with clinicians speaking half of the time. Thematic analyses demonstrated five key themes: (1) supportive dialogue between patients and clinicians; (2) patients' openness to discuss emotionally challenging topics; (3) patients' willingness to articulate preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments; (4) clinicians' difficulty in responding to emotional or ambiguous patient statements; and (5) challenges in discussing prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this exploratory study suggest that seriously ill patients are open to discussing values and goals with their clinician. Yet, clinicians may struggle when disclosing a time-based prognosis and in responding to patients' emotions. Such skills should be a focus for additional training for clinicians caring for seriously ill patients

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on utilisation of healthcare services: a systematic review

Objectives To determine the extent and nature of changes in utilisation of healthcare services during COVID-19 pandemic.Design Systematic review.Eligibility Eligible studies compared utilisation of services during COVID-19 pandemic to at least one comparable period in prior years. Services included visits, admissions, diagnostics and therapeutics. Studies were excluded if from single centres or studied only patients with COVID-19.Data sources PubMed, Embase, Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register and preprints were searched, without language restrictions, until 10 August, using detailed searches with key concepts including COVID-19, health services and impact.Data analysis Risk of bias was assessed by adapting the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tool, and a Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care tool. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics, graphical figures and narrative synthesis.Outcome measures Primary outcome was change in service utilisation between prepandemic and pandemic periods. Secondary outcome was the change in proportions of users of healthcare services with milder or more severe illness (eg, triage scores).Results 3097 unique references were identified, and 81 studies across 20 countries included, reporting on >11 million services prepandemic and 6.9 million during pandemic. For the primary outcome, there were 143 estimates of changes, with a median 37% reduction in services overall (IQR −51% to −20%), comprising median reductions for visits of 42% (−53% to −32%), admissions 28% (−40% to −17%), diagnostics 31% (−53% to −24%) and for therapeutics 30% (−57% to −19%). Among 35 studies reporting secondary outcomes, there were 60 estimates, with 27 (45%) reporting larger reductions in utilisation among people with a milder spectrum of illness, and 33 (55%) reporting no difference.Conclusions Healthcare utilisation decreased by about a third during the pandemic, with considerable variation, and with greater reductions among people with less severe illness. While addressing unmet need remains a priority, studies of health impacts of reductions may help health systems reduce unnecessary care in the postpandemic recovery.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020203729

Tracing PAHs and Warm Dust Emission in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 1068

We present a study of the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068 using mid- and far- infrared data acquired with the IRAC, IRS, and MIPS instruments aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. The images show extensive 8 um and 24 um emission coinciding with star formation in the inner spiral approximately 15" (1 kpc) from the nucleus, and a bright complex of star formation 47" (3 kpc) SW of the nucleus. The brightest 8 um PAH emission regions coincide remarkably well with knots observed in an Halpha image. Strong PAH features at 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 um are detected in IRS spectra measured at numerous locations inside, within, and outside the inner spiral. The IRAC colors and IRS spectra of these regions rule out dust heated by the AGN as the primary emission source; the SEDs are dominated by starlight and PAH emission. The equivalent widths and flux ratios of the PAH features in the inner spiral are generally consistent with conditions in a typical spiral galaxy ISM. Interior to the inner spiral, the influence of the AGN on the ISM is evident via PAH flux ratios indicative of a higher ionization parameter and a significantly smaller mean equivalent width than observed in the inner spiral. The brightest 8 and 24 um emission peaks in the disk of the galaxy, even at distances beyond the inner spiral, are located within the ionization cones traced by [O III]/Hbeta, and they are also remarkably well aligned with the axis of the radio jets. Although it is possible that radiation from the AGN may directly enhance PAH excitation or trigger the formation of OB stars that subsequently excite PAH emission at these locations in the inner spiral, the orientation of collimated radiation from the AGN and star formation knots in the inner spiral could be coincidental. (abridged)Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures; AJ, accepted; full resolution version available at http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/jhhowell/astro/howelln1068.pd

Quantifying Dispersal of European Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Vectors between Farms Using a Novel Mark-Release-Recapture Technique

Studying the dispersal of small flying insects such as Culicoides constitutes a great challenge due to huge population sizes and lack of a method to efficiently mark and objectively detect many specimens at a time. We here describe a novel mark-release-recapture method for Culicoides in the field using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) as marking agent without anaesthesia. Using a plate scanner, this detection technique can be used to analyse thousands of individual Culicoides specimens per day at a reasonable cost. We marked and released an estimated 853 specimens of the Pulicaris group and 607 specimens of the Obsoletus group on a cattle farm in Denmark. An estimated 9,090 (8,918-9,260) Obsoletus group specimens and 14,272 (14,194-14,448) Pulicaris group specimens were captured in the surroundings and subsequently analysed. Two (0.3%) Obsoletus group specimens and 28 (4.6%) Pulicaris group specimens were recaptured. The two recaptured Obsoletus group specimens were caught at the release point on the night following release. Eight (29%) of the recaptured Pulicaris group specimens were caught at a pig farm 1,750 m upwind from the release point. Five of these were recaptured on the night following release and the three other were recaptured on the second night after release. This is the first time that movement of Culicoides vectors between farms in Europe has been directly quantified. The findings suggest an extensive and rapid exchange of disease vectors between farms. Rapid movement of vectors between neighboring farms may explain the the high rate of spatial spread of Schmallenberg and bluetongue virus (BTV) in northern Europe

GOALS-JWST: Small neutral grains and enhanced 3.3 micron PAH emission in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469

We present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) integral-field spectroscopy of the nearby luminous infrared galaxy, NGC 7469. We take advantage of the high spatial/spectral resolution and wavelength coverage of JWST /NIRSpec to study the 3.3 um neutral polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) grain emission on ~60 pc scales. We find a clear change in the average grain properties between the star-forming ring and the central AGN. Regions in the vicinity of the AGN, with [NeIII]/[NeII]>0.25, tend to have larger grain sizes and lower aliphatic-to-aromatic (3.4/3.3) ratios indicating that smaller grains are preferentially removed by photo-destruction in the vicinity of the AGN. We find an overall suppression of the total PAH emission relative to the ionized gas in the central 1 kpc region of the AGN in NGC 7469 compared to what has been observed with Spitzer on 3 kpc scales. However, the fractional 3.3 um to total PAH power is enhanced in the starburst ring, possibly due to a variety of physical effects on sub-kpc scales, including recurrent fluorescence of small grains or multiple photon absorption by large grains. Finally, the IFU data show that while the 3.3 um PAH-derived star formation rate (SFR) in the ring is 8% higher than that inferred from the [NeII] and [NeIII] emission lines, the integrated SFR derived from the 3.3 um feature would be underestimated by a factor of two due to the deficit of PAHs around the AGN, as might occur if a composite system like NGC 7469 were to be observed at high-redshift.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, Submitted to ApJ

GOALS-JWST: Unveiling Dusty Compact Sources in the Merging Galaxy IIZw096

We have used the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to obtain the first spatially resolved, mid-infrared images of IIZw096, a merging luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) at z = 0.036. Previous observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope suggested that the vast majority of the total IR luminosity (L IR) of the system originated from a small region outside of the two merging nuclei. New observations with JWST/MIRI now allow an accurate measurement of the location and luminosity density of the source that is responsible for the bulk of the IR emission. We estimate that 40%-70% of the IR bolometric luminosity, or 3-5 7 1011 L ⊙, arises from a source no larger than 175 pc in radius, suggesting a luminosity density of at least 3-5 7 1012 L ⊙ kpc−2. In addition, we detect 11 other star-forming sources, five of which were previously unknown. The MIRI F1500W/F560W colors of most of these sources, including the source responsible for the bulk of the far-IR emission, are much redder than the nuclei of local LIRGs. These observations reveal the power of JWST to disentangle the complex regions at the hearts of merging, dusty galaxies