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One vital role of fitness instructors is that of educator, yet scant theorization about this educative role exists. To address this lacuna in scholarship, we utilized a constructivist grounded theory methodology to develop a theory of embodied education that takes place between the fitness instructor and older exercisers in group exercise classes. The aim was to explain how fitness instructors could teach in a manner that would enhance the inclusivity of the social exercise environments for older exercisers. We collected data from: 1) eight certification and certificate programs used to train fitness instructors who work with older exercisers; 2) observation of and semi-structured interviews with 22 fitness instructors in various group exercise settings; and 3) go-alongs and semi-structured interviews with 14 older exercisers. Findings revealed the need for fitness instructors to better understand, and develop teaching competencies that take into consideration, the embodied and sociocultural experiences of aging (e.g., slang, music, and dance forms popular across older adults' life course), as well as teaching in a manner that balances drawing attention to the body through education with distracting from the affective experience of exercise through energetic performance. Toward this aim, we introduce the concept of age capital as a pathway for fitness instructors to empathize with what it might be like to be an older exerciser.

Background: As iodine is a requisite micronutrient for infant brain development, infants are at risk for iodine deficiency during the weaning period when their diet transitions from milk (breast-milk, infant formula, or follow-on formula) to solid food. Dietary iodine intake during this weaning period is likely minimal, as the iodine content of commercial baby food is not regulated, and the addition of salt to baby food is not recommended. This study reports the current status of iodine nutrition among weaning infants in the United States. Methods: Subjects (n = 60; 50% Caucasian, 30% black) were infants <12 months of age who were fed any combination of formula and/or baby food. Samples of all formula and food consumed in the previous 24 hours and a spot urine sample from each infant were obtained for the measurement of iodine. The estimated quantities of ingested formula and baby food were summed from a food diary recorded by the infants' parents. Results: The mean age of the infants was 6.3 ± 3.5 months. The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 117 μg/L (range 26.9–1302.8 μg/L). Estimated daily iodine intake obtained from the measured iodine content in infant formula/foods was 89 μg (range 0–288 μg). There was a positive correlation between the infants' UIC and the iodine content in the consumed foods (r = 0.4, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Although the median UIC of infants fed a combination of infant formula and baby food would meet the criteria for iodine sufficiency in a larger sample, those consuming the lowest quartile of iodine-containing nutritional sources had a median UIC <100 μg/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the problems associated with maintaining a culture of innovation in U.S. corporations. Although many large corporations in the U.S. have research laboratories that generate innovations of science and technology, the main problem has been in moving them to the market. Difficulties of U.S. universities in coping with the innovations-transfer process are looked at. The author notes that, despite the burgeoning of university technology-licensing offices, an effective catalytic agent connecting innovation source and innovation user has been lacking. A model for an open corporation for fostering and marketing innovation is discussed. The open corporation provides a platform in which the three elements of innovations transfer -- innovation sources, "catalytic" entrepreneurs, and innovation users -- combine their efforts to accomplish the transfer process.

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Public Policy degree is to prepare students for roles as good citizens and for careers in the public service. This is a case study of how civic engagement is used to accomplish this mission in three courses within this curriculum. These courses use service learning, leadership, and an internship to teach civic engagement. The experience of the faculty in developing these courses within the undergraduate public policy curriculum may assist other institutions as they seek to incorporate civic engagement in their programs. The lessons for other programs include recognizing the importance of civic engagement in educating students for citizenship, the use of faculty-directed reflection in civic engagement courses, and the continuing challenge of connecting the approaches to civic engagement into a coherent program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical understanding of total and spectral solar irradiance variation depends upon establishing a connection between the temporal variability of spatially resolved solar structures and spacecraft observations of irradiance. One difficulty in comparing models derived from different data sets is that the many ways for identifying solar features such as faculae, sunspots, quiet Sun, and various types of “network” are not necessarily consistent. To learn more about classification differences and how they affect irradiance models, feature “masks” are compared as derived from five current methods: multidimensional histogram analysis of NASA/National Solar Observatory/Kitt Peak spectromagnetograph data, statistical pattern recognition applied to SOHO/Michelson Doppler Imager photograms and magnetograms, threshold masks allowing for influence of spatial surroundings applied to NSO magnetograms, and “one-trigger” and “three-trigger” algorithms applied to California State University at Northridge Cartesian Full Disk Telescope intensity observations. In general all of the methods point to the same areas of the Sun for labeling sunspots and active-region faculae, and available time series of area measurements from the methods correlate well with each other and with solar irradiance. However, some methods include larger label sets, and there are important differences in detail, with measurements of sunspot area differing by as much as a factor of two. The methods differ substantially regarding inclusion of fine spatial scale in the feature definitions. The implications of these differences for modeling solar irradiance variation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the American Geographical Society (AGS). John Kirtland Wright, in his centennial history of the AGS, "Geography in the Making: The American Geographical Society, 1851-1951 (1952)," described geography as a highly diverse discipline, eclectic in focus and scope. Wright was the librarian of the AGS from 1920 until he became director in 1938, a position he held until 1949. Two decades later David Lowenthal, research associate in cultural geography at the AGS, along with Yi-Fu Tuan, a geographer at the University of Minnesota, developed further a humanistic geographical focus in the discipline. While at the AGS, Lowenthal integrated environmental perception, environmental history, and cultural landscape in studies of the meaning of place. Contemporary geographical scholarship--the discipline in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century--is rich in such research, whereas academic geography from the 1950s through the 1970s was often too caught up in the positivist mode of analysis to consider seriously humanistic approaches and qualitative rather than quantitative methodology.

ABSTRACT: Stone and others described historic preservation policy in Atlanta as a failure because of the inability of preservation advocates to participate effectively in the governing regime. Yet in 1989, Mayor Andrew Young approved a comprehensive new preservation ordinance that reflected a shift in priorities by the city's business and political leaders to recognize the importance of preserving and reusing older buildings. The enactment of this new preservation-based redevelopment policy was the result of a process of social learning by Atlanta's regime participants. This research examines the development of the new historic preservation policy, its effects on neighborhoods and commercial areas, and its connections to regime theory. Rather than being a failure, historic preservation policy in Atlanta succeeded in balancing the interests of developers, property owners, and preservation advocates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 1974 and 1975, Atlanta was one of the top convention cities in the United States, but the city was also known as the nation's "murder capital." The contradiction in the discourse on hospitality and violence is the focus of this research. The discussion of hospitality by business leaders and elected officials was used to unify support for growth, but a separate discourse on violence had unfortunate ethical consequences. This discourse tended to divide whites from blacks and suburban dwellers from central-city residents. Little effort was made to seek common ground in the discourse on hospitality and violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the public policy and technology management aspect of changing the role of government in the operation of air traffic control. Plan to `privatize' the United States air traffic control (ATC) system; Deficiencies of the ATC in terms of technology; Procurement policies; Safety record; Privatization precedent in New Zealand.

Presents a study on the Sixes River estuary, located along south coastal Oregon, specifically on Cascadian subduction zone earthquakes. Details on study conducted; methodology used during study; Findings of study; Discussion on findings.

Examines the contemporary rural roadscape in the United States as a setting in which to view changing social values and attitudes toward the environment. Impact of the automobile on American culture; Demand for more and better highways; Consumption of vehicles and gasoline in the United States; Significance of signage; Concept of scenic roads.

This paper has three major objectives. First, it examines the older theoretical paradigms used to understand cities and the religious institutions located within them. Next, the paper introduces and discusses a newer paradigm that views the city as a growth machine. Finally, it presents a case study based on this new perspective of a large Southern Baptist congregation in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, suggestions are made concerning the implications of the growth machine paradigm for other religious institutions as well as an outline of directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Registration numbers for the Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA) have risen with the assistance of new registration guidelines. These changes in guidelines allowed for registration of any horse with a palomino body color, including those with unknown pedigrees. While this promoted registry growth, documenting the breed's orgins from those known pedigrees making up the breed's foundation is important with the introduction of unknown pedigrees. This can be accomplished using pedigree tracing, which is of particular value for color registries as the study of coat color patterns is plagued with misunderstandings due to pedigrees with inaccurate color designations. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop an understanding of the historical origins of the modern PHBA stock-type horse through pedigree tracing. Horses (n = 460) were randomly sampled from published entries from 10 years (2012-2022) of the PHBA World Show Championship Horse Show. The All-Breed Database was utilized to obtain documentation of extended pedigrees that included uninterrupted generation-to-generation inheritance patterns of a cream dilution allele-influenced coat color. Pedigrees were traced back to the earliest recorded relative. We observed six foundation sires contributed to the modern PHBA stock-type horse with the majority (58%) tracing back to a sire named Old Fred. Two identified sires, Yellow Jacket (4%) and Cotton Eyed Joe (3%), have conflicts concerning color designation. While these results assist in documenting the breed's origins, genetic testing is required to accurately identify the cream dilution allele within the horses registered to ensure a phenotype-based solely on the cream dilution allele., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors has any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In the past decade, the rise of state legislation that allows for advanced practice provider (APP) independence has grown steadily across the country. Most recently, Montana has enacted House Bill 313, which allows for physician assistant independent practice in primary care services. This is a concerning trend because there is a multitude of studies that demonstrate worsened patient outcomes and increased healthcare expenditures for care delivered by nonphysicians. There are also many unintended consequences that are likely to occur due to this inappropriate expansion of scope of practice for APPs. In this commentary, we outline the ramifications that are likely to occur in states such as Montana that enact legislation that expands the scope of practice for nonphysicians., (© 2024 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.)

Purpose: To examine the prevalence and determinants of nine unmet social needs among rural compared with urban Veterans., Methods: Retrospective study using survey data collected in 2020 merged with Veterans Health Administration (VA) administrative data. For each unmet need, separate logistic regression modes were run predicting the odds of rural compared with urban Veterans endorsing the need adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities., Findings: 2,801 Veterans responded to the survey (53.7% response rate). Veterans experienced high rates of need (e.g., 22% reported food insecurity). Unmet need prevalence varied minimally between rural and urban Veterans and where they did, rural Veterans were less likely to endorse the need (e.g., loneliness). For many unmet needs, Black compared with White Veterans were at higher risk. Regional unmet need disparities were also observed., Conclusions: As VA considers expanding unmet need interventions, tailoring interventions to the sub-populations most at risk may be warranted.

Many health-related social needs, such as financial insecurity, are interconnected with legal needs. However, little is known about which social needs are more likely to be associated with legal needs, or whether legal and other needs interact to affect health. Using data from a 2020 national mailed survey assessing social needs among Veterans who had or were at risk for cardiovascular disease (N=2,801) and linked administrative data, linear regression models tested interactions between legal and other social needs, and their associations with self-rated health. In a model examining the interaction of financial and legal needs, experiencing financial but not legal needs was as strongly associated with worse health (b=-0.58, 95% CI -0.69, -0.46) as experiencing both financial and legal needs (b= -0.55, 95% CI -0.70, -0.40). Financial needs are important to Veterans' health and further research is needed to determine how financial and legal needs should be triaged by providers.

We surveyed Peace Corps Medical Officers (PCMOs) to determine the frequency of and responses to possible rabies exposures of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs). Surveys were sent to 56 PCMOs serving in countries with moderate or high rabies vaccine recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of which 38 (68%) responded. Thirty-seven PCMOs reported that, of 4,982 PCVs, 140 (3%) experienced possible rabies exposures. Of these, 125 (89%) had previously received rabies vaccination, 129 (92%) presented with adequately cleansed wounds, and 106 (76%) were deemed to require and were given post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Of 35 respondents, 30 (86%) reported that rabies vaccine was always accessible to PCVs in their country within 24 hours. Overall, the Peace Corps is successful at preventing and treating possible rabies exposures. However, this study identified a few gaps in policy implementation. The Peace Corps should continue and strengthen efforts to provide education, preexposure vaccination, and PEP to PCVs.

Problem/condition: In 2012, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide was projected to reach a new high of 1 billion arrivals, a 48% increase from 674 million arrivals in 2000. International travel also is increasing among U.S. residents. In 2009, U.S. residents made approximately 61 million trips outside the country, a 5% increase from 1999. Travel-related morbidity can occur during or after travel. Worldwide, 8% of travelers from industrialized to developing countries report becoming ill enough to seek health care during or after travel. Travelers have contributed to the global spread of infectious diseases, including novel and emerging pathogens. Therefore, surveillance of travel-related morbidity is an essential component of global public health surveillance and will be of greater importance as international travel increases worldwide., Reporting Period: September 1997-December 2011., Description of System: GeoSentinel is a clinic-based global surveillance system that tracks infectious diseases and other adverse health outcomes in returned travelers, foreign visitors, and immigrants. GeoSentinel comprises 54 travel/tropical medicine clinics worldwide that electronically submit demographic, travel, and clinical diagnosis data for all patients evaluated for an illness or other health condition that is presumed to be related to international travel. Clinical information is collected by physicians with expertise or experience in travel/tropical medicine. Data collected at all sites are entered electronically into a database, which is housed at and maintained by CDC. The GeoSentinel network membership program comprises 235 additional clinics in 40 countries on six continents. Although these network members do not report surveillance data systematically, they can report unusual or concerning diagnoses in travelers and might be asked to perform enhanced surveillance in response to specific health events or concerns., Results: During September 1997-December 2011, data were collected on 141,789 patients with confirmed or probable travel-related diagnoses. Of these, 23,006 (16%) patients were evaluated in the United States, 10,032 (44%) of whom were evaluated after returning from travel outside of the United States (i.e., after-travel patients). Of the 10,032 after-travel patients, 4,977 (50%) were female, 4,856 (48%) were male, and 199 (2%) did not report sex; the median age was 34 years. Most were evaluated in outpatient settings (84%), were born in the United States (76%), and reported current U.S. residence (99%). The most common reasons for travel were tourism (38%), missionary/volunteer/research/aid work (24%), visiting friends and relatives (17%), and business (15%). The most common regions of exposure were Sub-Saharan Africa (23%), Central America (15%), and South America (12%). Fewer than half (44%) reported having had a pretravel visit with a health-care provider. Of the 13,059 diagnoses among the 10,032 after-travel patients, the most common diagnoses were acute unspecified diarrhea (8%), acute bacterial diarrhea (5%), postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (5%), giardiasis (3%), and chronic unknown diarrhea (3%). The most common diagnostic groupings were acute diarrhea (22%), nondiarrheal gastrointestinal (15%), febrile/systemic illness (14%), and dermatologic (12%). Among 1,802 patients with febrile/systemic illness diagnoses, the most common diagnosis was Plasmodium falciparum malaria (19%). The rapid communication component of the GeoSentinel network has allowed prompt responses to important health events affecting travelers; during 2010 and 2011, the notification capability of the GeoSentinel network was used in the identification and public health response to East African trypanosomiasis in Eastern Zambia and North Central Zimbabwe, P. vivax malaria in Greece, and muscular sarcocystosis on Tioman Island, Malaysia., Interpretation: The GeoSentinel Global Surveillance System is the largest repository of provider-based data on travel-related illness. Among ill travelers evaluated in U.S. GeoSentinel sites after returning from international travel, gastrointestinal diagnoses were most frequent, suggesting that U.S. travelers might be exposed to unsafe food and water while traveling internationally. The most common febrile/systemic diagnosis was P. falciparum malaria, suggesting that some U.S. travelers to malarial areas are not receiving or using proper malaria chemoprophylaxis or mosquito-bite avoidance measures. The finding that fewer than half of all patients reported having made a pretravel visit with a health-care provider indicates that a substantial portion of U.S. travelers might not be following CDC travelers' health recommendations for international travel., Public Health Action: GeoSentinel surveillance data have helped researchers define an evidence base for travel medicine that has informed travelers' health guidelines and the medical evaluation of ill international travelers. These data suggest that persons traveling internationally from the United States to developing countries remain at risk for illness. Health-care providers should help prepare travelers properly for safe travel and provide destination-specific medical evaluation of returning ill travelers. Training for health-care providers should focus on preventing and treating a variety of travel-related conditions, particularly traveler's diarrhea and malaria.

There is tension between the need of the pharmaceutical innovator for intellectual property protection and the need of society for equitable and affordable access to innovative drugs. The recent Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement provides a nice illustration of this interplay between patents, pills and politics. This article provides a brief history of patent law as applied to pharmaceuticals, describes how the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme got caught up in AUSFTA negotiations, analyses the clauses that are likely to impact upon the PBS and describes the political process that reviewed and ultimately amended the AUSFTA.