Menstrual irregularity as a biological limit to early pregnancy awareness

US state legislatures have proposed laws to prohibit abortion once the earliest embryonic electrical activity is detectable (fetal “heartbeat”). On average, this occurs roughly 6 wk after the last menstrual period. To be eligible for abortion, people must recognize pregnancy very early in gestation. The earliest symptom of pregnancy is a missed period, and irregular menstrual cycles—which occur frequently—can delay pregnancy detection past the point of fetal cardiac activity. In our analysis of 1.6 million prospectively recorded menstrual cycles, cycle irregularity was more common among young women, Hispanic women, and women with common health conditions, such as diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. These groups face physiological limitations in detecting pregnancy before fetal cardiac activity. Restriction of abortion this early in gestation differentially affects specific population subgroups, for reasons outside of individual control.

EVALUATION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF FRANCHISING IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS

The development of tourism is inextricably linked with the effective functioning of accommodation facilities, which in many countries form a significant share of gross domestic product. The hotel complex of Ukraine needs development and significant investment resources for reconstruction and bringing to international standards. Franchising can become an effective and efficient mechanism for conducting hotel business, which will reduce the risk of business activities, optimize investment, increase the level of hospitality services. The article analyzes the conceptual approaches to the organization of hotel business on a franchise basis in the Ukrainian market, explores the essence and mechanism of business processes on a franchise basis, outlines the economic relations between participants in such relations, identifies advantages and disadvantages of franchising for participants: franchisor and franchisees. In order to assess the effectiveness of opening hotels under franchise agreements, in addition to financial indicators based on discount estimates, it is necessary to take into account the additional benefits that franchisees will receive from consulting services of the franchisor, such as concessional lending, rent, transfer of contracts with suppliers and contractors. reduction of the period of reaching full capacity, transfer of the established business practice, etc. It is the transfer of an efficient business model that will reduce operational risks and guarantee high economic performance. The state and prospects of hotel activities in the conditions of activity restriction due to the COVID-19 pandemic are also considered. Crisis conditions of economic activity always give impetus to new ideas and development of new services. The vectors of further development are the informatization of most technological operations in the industry, and the optimization of operating costs, the formation of a new product, such as renting office space for business people who are ready to work and relax at the same time.

Caregiving Appraisals and Emotional Valence: Buffering Effect of Activity Participation

Caregiving activities often lead to positive and negative appraisal for caregivers. Caregivers may limit social participation due to caregiving activities. Changes in level of activity participation could have profound consequences for caregiver’s valence. However, little is known about how activity participation could moderate the association between these caregiving appraisals and emotional valence. Data came from the National Study of Caregiving (Round 1 and 2), a nationally representative study of caregivers. Referencing Lawton’s two-factor model (1990), we examined both the level and changes in activity restriction interacting with positive and negative caregiving appraisals to predict both valence across two waves. Consistent with two factor models, findings revealed level and changes in activity restriction moderated the relationship between caregiving appraisal and outcomes for both valences. These findings highlight the role of activity restriction as a target to reduce negative valence and improve positive valence for caregivers.

Association of In-Lab and Free-Living Mobility Measures With Falls and Fear of Falling in Underactive Older People

Falls in older adults have significant consequences—a single fall can lead to serious injury, psychological trauma, activity restriction, and increased mortality. This study describes differences in mobility-related characteristics of underactive (<150 minutes/week of physical activity), racially diverse, older adults (65–84 years) classified by self-reported fall status (0, 1, 2+ falls in previous 12mo) and fear of falling (yes/no). We analyzed baseline data from 105 individuals (mean age=72.1 years; 73% female; 64% white, 29% Black, 12% Asian) who participated in a trial of a physical activity smartphone intervention for older people. Total minutes of daily stepping and medium-to-brisk (≥75 steps/min) and brisk (≥100) cadence bouts in free-living conditions was gathered over 3 days via ActivPal activity monitor. Gait speed was determined from a 4-meter walk test for those pretested prior to COVID-19 mandates (n=60). Of the median 81.8 minutes spent stepping daily, very few minutes involved moderate-to-brisk (14.0) or brisk cadence (10.1). Groups classified by fall status (non-fallers n=74, 1x fallers n=18, repeat fallers n=13) differed significantly in daily minutes spent in medium-to-brisk (p=0.04) and brisk cadence (p=0.02), but not in 4-meter gait speed or total minutes stepping. Individuals who reported fear of falling versus those with no fear did not differ significantly on any mobility-related parameters. Four-meter gait speed was significantly negatively correlated with both cadence measures (p=0.02) but not total minutes stepping. This study indicates that faster walking behaviors in everyday activity may be a useful target for intervention to prevent falls in underactive older adults.

Why are children with asthma bullied? A risk factor analysis

The links between bullying and asthma have not been explored in children. We wanted to determine the child/parent factors and attitudes associated with asthma-related bullying. Individual child/parent responses of children with asthma (N=943) from the Room to Breathe survey were analysed. 1 in 10 children reported asthma-related bullying/teasing (n=93). Children with well-controlled asthma were less likely to report being a victim of asthma-related bullying/teasing (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.84, p=0.006). Being a victim of bullying/teasing was more common in children reporting activity restriction (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.75, p=0.010), who described their asthma as ‘bad’ (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.86 to 4.85, p<0.001) and those whose parents reported ongoing asthma-related health worries (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.58, p=0.024). Asthma consultations should incorporate specific questions about bullying and be child-focused in order to gain a representative appreciation of asthma control and its impact on the child’s life.

Cerclage for the Management of Cervical Insufficiency: A Review

Cervical insufficiency (CI) is classically characterized as painless dilation of the uterine cervix in the second trimester that results in delivery of the pregnancy, typically prior to 24 weeks’ gestation. Treatment of the condition has centered on prevention of recurrence in women with a history of CI or early preterm birth. Universal screening tools for CI in women without a history of prior PTB are lacking. Cervical change that is painless may occur with minimal symptoms such as increasing of vaginal discharge/mucous, vaginal pressure or fullness; many women and their providers can dismiss pathologic symptoms that would otherwise be benign in women without CI. The management of CI is categorized as surgical vs. nonsurgical. The cornerstone of surgical management is composed of cervical cerclage, and may be placed by a transvaginal or transabdominal approach depending on the obstetric history. Nonsurgical management includes pessary or activity restriction. For women who have experienced a midtrimester loss due to suspected cervical insufficiency, postnatal or preconception consultation is essential to identify modifiable risk factors, collect medical records of the delivery, and review pathology results if available.

Thermal plasticity in behavioural traits mediates mating and reproductive dynamics in an ectotherm

Global changes in temperature potentially influence sexual selection by restricting opportunities for activity. However, explicit tests of the behavioural mechanisms linking thermal variation to mating and reproductive performance are rare. We address this gap in a temperate lizard by combining social network analysis with molecular pedigree reconstruction in a large-scale thermal manipulation experiment. Populations exposed to a more restrictive (cooler) thermal regime presented fewer high activity days compared to populations exposed to a warmer regime. While plasticity in thermal activity responses masked overall differences in activity levels, prolonged restriction nevertheless affected the timing and consistency of male-female interactions. Less active females in the cool thermal regime were significantly less likely to reproduce, which subsequently limited male mating. Surprisingly, this did not correspond to a heightened intensity of sexual selection or shifts in the targets of sexual selection. Thus, populations facing thermal activity restriction may possess limited potential for evolutionary response.