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The article discusses how risk assessment, behavior modification and prosocial support can be used to lowering recidivism of federal offenders in the U.S. Topics discussed include federal sentencing policy; goal of sentencing to recognize the need of protection of the public from further crimes by a defendant; and monitoring compliance with the terms and conditions of an offender's supervision.

Background: Physical activity has been shown to be fundamental in the prevention of numerous diseases and disorders. Achieving and maintaining physical activity levels can be particularly challenging in those with impairments, such as those experiencing a lower limb amputation. To slow the spread of the virus, COVID-19 lockdown mandates imposed by the US state governments may have inadvertent consequences on physical activity levels of those dependent on specific forms of exercise. Understanding how physical activity levels may have affected persons with limb loss can inform intervention strategies for this vulnerable population., Objectives: Examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity levels in persons with limb loss., Study Design: Mixed-method design., Methods: A 20-item logic web-based survey and semistructured interviews were administered to individuals who were 18 years or older, spoke English, and had a history of lower limb loss. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS v25, whereas qualitative data were analyzed using constant comparison to formulate themes., Results: There were a significant effect on the amount of physical activity minutes performed per day, a negative effect on the ability to exercise and participate in societal engagements, and a series of barriers to performing physical activity because of the pandemic., Conclusion: Physical activity was reduced significantly in persons with limb loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. A combination of health concerns, fitness center closures, and social distancing mandates were the primary drivers behind the decrease in activity., (Copyright © 2022 International Society for Prosthetics Orthotics.)

Description: In June 2019, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) approved an update of the joint clinical practice guideline for rehabilitation after stroke. This synopsis summarizes the key recommendations from this guideline., Methods: In February 2018, the VA/DoD Evidence-Based Practice Work Group convened a joint VA/DoD guideline development effort that included clinical stakeholders and stroke survivors and conformed to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) tenets for trustworthy clinical practice guidelines. The guideline panel identified key questions, systematically searched and evaluated the literature, and developed 2 algorithms and 42 key recommendations using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system. Stroke survivors and their family members were invited to share their perspectives to further inform guideline development., Recommendations: The guideline recommendations provide evidence-based guidance for the rehabilitation care of patients after stroke. The recommendations are applicable to health care providers in both primary care and rehabilitation. Key features of the guideline are recommendations in 6 areas: timing and approach; motor therapy; dysphagia; cognitive, speech, and sensory therapy; mental health therapy; and other functions, such as returning to work and driving.

Hypothesis: Volume criteria are poor predictors of inpatient mortality after esophagectomy. Because many factors influence mortality for complex procedures, this study was designed to quantify such factors and analyze the volume-outcome relationship for esophagectomy., Design: Retrospective review of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for esophagectomies. We performed multivariate analysis to identify patient and institution risk factors for death and, by using all reported volume thresholds, calculated the probability of choosing a provider with a low mortality., Patients and Setting: Patients undergoing esophagectomy between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 2000, included in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database., Main Outcome Measure: Inpatient mortality., Results: We identified 8075 cases of esophagectomy; 3243 had complete data sets. The national average mortality rate was 11.4%. Independent risk factors for mortality included comorbidity, age (> 65 years), female sex, race, and surgeon volume. Choosing a surgeon or hospital on the basis of a particular volume threshold had a modest influence on the probability of that provider having a low mortality. A low-volume hospital (defined by the Leapfrog Group criterion as < 13 cases per year) had a probability of 61% of having a mortality of less than 10%, whereas a high-volume hospital had a probability of 68%., Conclusions: Patient factors have a greater influence on inpatient mortality than case volume does. Although there is generally an inverse relationship between case volume and mortality, there is wide scatter between individual surgeons and hospitals, with a complex volume-outcome relationship. Using volume criteria alone to choose a provider may in some instances increase the risk of mortality.

Aims: To examine whether Aeromonas bacteria isolated from municipally treated water had virulence factor genes., Methods and Results: A polymerase chain reaction-based genetic characterization determined the presence of six virulence factors genes, elastase (ahyB), lipase (pla/lip/lipH3/alp-1) flagella A and B (flaA and flaB), the enterotoxins, act, alt and ast, in these isolates. New primer sets were designed for all the target genes, except for act. The genes were present in 88% (ahyB), 88% (lip), 59% (fla), 43% (alt), 70% (act) and 30% (ast) of the strains, respectively. Of the 205 isolates tested only one isolate had all the virulence genes. There was a variety of combinations of virulence factors within different strains of the same species. However, a dominant strain having the same set of virulence factors, was usually isolated from any given tap in different rounds of sampling from a single tap., Conclusions: These results show that Aeromonas bacteria found in drinking water possess a wide variety of virulence-related genes and suggest the importance of examining as many isolates as possible in order to better understand the health risk these bacteria may present., Significance and Impact of the Study: This study presents a rapid method for characterizing the virulence factors of Aeromonas bacteria and suggests that municipally treated drinking water is a source of potentially pathogenic Aeromonas bacteria.

Two issues confronting nursing education are: improving the relationship between nursing service and nursing education, and achieving status as an academic discipline. The concept of faculty practice addresses both of these problems. By definition faculty practice requires demonstration of clinical competence through practice, and scholarly outcomes of practice which satisfy the research requirement of the nursing faculty role. While scholarly practice by nursing faculty members may benefit the nursing service-education relationship, it is a myth that nursing faculty members were more effective teachers prior to nursing education's move into institutions of higher education. While few argue against the need for clinical competence of nursing faculty members for effective teaching, the need to attain educational preparation for effective teaching must not be overlooked. The vast majority of nursing faculty members hold master's degree as their highest earned credential. To establish itself as an equal in academe and to increase teaching effectiveness, nursing education needs faculty prepared at the doctoral level. If nursing faculty members add faculty practice and doctoral study to the standard faculty role requirements of teaching, research and service, chronic overload will result. Nursing faculty members cannot solve all the problems confronting nursing education by continuously increasing their workload. Nursing programmes need to assess their resources and priorities. For all of its merits, faculty practice should not be implemented until a programme has adequate resources to support it.

It is important to note that nonprofit care and services for the elderly have been a vital force in America since the founding of our nation. Many AAHA members have been involved in such care and service for over a century. In order to maintain this commitment to providing services to the aged in the most effective and efficient manner, non-profit organizations need to be assured of an equally important commitment to tax exemption by the government. This mutual partnership which has existed since the beginning of this country must--and hopefully will--continue.