What Happened in ‘The HERizon Project’?—Process Evaluation of a Multi-Arm Remote Physical Activity Intervention for Adolescent Girls

This mixed-methods process evaluation examines the reach, recruitment, fidelity, adherence, acceptability, mechanisms of impact, and context of remote 12-week physical activity (PA) interventions for adolescent girls named The HERizon Project. The study was comprised of four arms—a PA programme group, a behaviour change support group, a combined group, and a comparison group. Data sources included intervention deliverer and participant logbooks (100 and 71% respective response rates, respectively), exit surveys (72% response rate), and semi-structured focus groups/interviews conducted with a random subsample of participants from each of the intervention arms (n = 34). All intervention deliverers received standardised training and successfully completed pre-intervention competency tasks. Based on self-report logs, 99% of mentors adhered to the call guide, and 100% of calls and live workouts were offered. Participant adherence and intervention receipt were also high for all intervention arms. Participants were generally satisfied with the intervention components; however, improvements were recommended for the online social media community within the PA programme and combined intervention arms. Autonomy, sense of accomplishment, accountability, and routine were identified as factors facilitating participant willingness to adhere to the intervention across all intervention arms. Future remote interventions should consider structured group facilitation to encourage a genuine sense of community among participants.

Cranio-Mandibular Disorders after Whiplash Injury: A Mono-Institutional Clinical Study on 31 Patients

Background: Whiplash is a consequence of traumatic injuries, mostly related to road accidents, with variable clinical manifestations, also known as Whiplash Associated Disorders, such as neck, head and temporo-cranio-mandibular pain. Methods: The current study aims to evaluate the onset and evolution of temporomandibular joint pain in people with whiplash in a study group treated with the use of Zimmer Collars (adjustable rigid cervical collars for neck immobilization), as compared to a control group. This prospective study included 31 patients followed by the Dental Prosthesis Department of the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”: 20 patients with whiplash (age range: 20–39 years) treated with Zimmer collars and 11 patients with whiplash (age range: 20–33 years) who were not. Immediately after the whiplash occurred, a visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to describe the intensity of pain and to complete the chart of the European Academy of Craniomandibular Disorders. Five out of twenty patients, already treated with a Zimmer collar, wore an occlusal splint as well because of persistent pain reported at the 28-day and 60-day follow-up and were supported by pharmacological therapy with analgesics (paracetamol) and muscle relaxants (thiocolchicoside). Results: During the last follow-up (at six months), three out of five patients displayed a residual VAS score of 3, 4, and 5, respectively, while the remaining two displayed a VAS of 0. In the control group, four out of eleven patients needed to wear an occlusal splint but without muscle relaxants and analgesics pharmacological therapy; these four corresponded to the patients showing a residual painful symptomatology, with VAS reaching value of 2, and also were the oldest patients of the group. Data regarding VAS values and Zimmer collar use, both at the first visit and six months later, were statistically analyzed. Conclusion: Our prospective study highlights how whiplash-associated acute disorders are often self-limiting over a period of few months, thus reducing the possibility of symptom chronicity; the latter seems to be strictly related to lesion severity, pre-existence of a craniomandibular dysfunction and patient age, but appears to be independent from Zimmer collar use, as statistically confirmed.

Sensory-Related Industrial Additives in the US Packaged Food Supply

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) lead to elevated risk of obesity-related conditions, but UPF measurement has been criticized for its subjectivity and lack of clarity on biological mechanism. Sensory-related industrial additives (SRIAs) are a defining feature of UPFs and may encourage overconsumption by enhancing the sensory quality of foods. However, practical challenges have prevented systematic incorporation of SRIAs into UPF measurement.Objective: The objectives of this work were to describe a new, open-source ingredient list search method and to apply this method to describe the presence of SRIAs in US packaged foods.Methods: We developed computer coding to search for 64 common SRIAs related to sweetness, flavor, appearance, and texture in 241,688 foods in the US Branded Food Products Database (BFPD). The BFPD includes manufacturer-provided ingredient lists for ~300,000 branded and private label food items. We determined the total number of SRIAs (0–64) and the number of different types of SRIAs (sweetness, flavor, appearance, texture, 0–4) in each food, then calculated the percent of all foods with SRIAs. This was done for all foods, and by food group for 224,098 items with food group data.Results: Most (64.9%) foods in the BFPD contained at least one SRIA, and more than a third had at least three. Sweets (89.5%), beverages (84.9%), and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods (82.0%) were the most likely to contain SRIAs. With respect to SRIA types, 25.7% of all food items had at least three of the four types of SRIAs examined, with texture-related additives being the most common. Among sweets, 20% had all four types of SRIAs.Discussion: This work confirms the high prevalence of SRIAs in US packaged foods. They are ubiquitous in sweets, beverages, and RTE foods, but also present in substantial proportions of other food groups. Quantifying the presence of SRIAs in ingredient lists offers a novel way to identify UPFs for research; to distinguish more vs. less ultra-processed foods; and to test whether UPFs increase risk for obesity-related conditions through additives that enhance the product's sensory qualities.

Online Literature Circles in Learning Hamlet among Pre-service Teachers

Literature instruction may serve multiple functions. This case study aimed at investigating the perceptions on the use of online literature circles among 62 first year Teaching English as a Second Language pre-service teachers in a literature course at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The participants were assigned to read and participate in online literature circles about the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Based on cooperative learning, the participants rotated in playing the roles of the Discussion Director, Device Detective, Imaginative Illustrator, Creative Connector, and Passage Picker in each group. Data from a survey were analyzed in descriptive statistics, while data from the role sheets based on the five roles and the online video of 3 literature circle discussions were analyzed thematically. The findings are significant for teacher training institutions and in-service teachers. This study was able to show that online literature circles were perceived as interesting, engaging, challenging, and fun. The participants engaged in different learning processes involving cognitive, affective, and language skills. Though this study identified some challenges, online literature circles have many benefits and are recommended for literature instruction for pre-service teacher training.

Supporting Online Learning in an Unfamiliar Language: Immigrant Parents and Remote Schooling during COVID-19

This article reports on a qualitative study of 22 Latina mothers and their experiences supporting their children’s remote education during COVID-19. Drawing on digital literacies and mujerista theory, the authors analyzed focus group data to find the following: Latina mothers’ struggles involved not just understanding online learning platforms but an educational system that was not responsive to the economic constraints and stressors faced by families; Latina mothers perceived the school district’s response to COVID-19 as performative and inadequate; Latina mothers developed mother-child pedagogies or pedagogies in which the mother and child are involved in teaching to and learning from each other. The findings lend support to the idea that the digital literacy divide does not exist outside of social and economic structures, and to the resourcefulness of everyday Latina mothers.

Statin Therapy May Be Associated with Reduced Mortality Risk of Sepsis Patients: A Retrospective Study from the MIMIC-IV Database

BackgroundIt is controversial whether statin therapy is beneficial for sepsis patients. A large retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the association between statin therapy and mortality in sepsis patients.MethodsAdult (≥18 years) sepsis patients were enrolled and divided into two groups: the statin group and the no-statin group. Data including demographic features, vital signs, laboratory tests, and comorbidities from MIMIC-IV v1.0 were extracted. Delirium was assessed via the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU). Ninety-day mortality, 28-day mortality and the incidence of delirium after statin therapy were evaluated using multivariable logistic analysis, the PSM model and subgroup analysis based on univariate analysis. ResultsIn univariate analysis and multivariable logistic analysis, statin therapy showed a significant association with both reduced 28-day and 90-day mortality (90-day mortality: OR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.46-0.72, p<0.001; 28-day mortality: OR 0.47, 95% CI: 0.37-0.60, p<0.001), while no relationship was found between statin therapy and delirium (OR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.49-1.72, p=0.787). In further PSM model and subgroup analyses or sensitivity analysis, consistent results were shown. ConclusionStatin therapy is significantly associated with 28-day and 90-day mortality without decrease in the incidence of delirium.

Educating Children and Navigating Digital Literacy in COVID-19: Latina Mothers and Mother-Child Pedagogies

This article reports on a qualitative study of 22 Latina mothers and their experiences supporting their children’s remote education during COVID-19. Drawing on digital literacies and mujerista theory, the authors analyzed focus group data to find the following: Latina mothers’ struggles involved not just understanding online learning platforms but an educational system that was not responsive to the economic constraints and stressors faced by families; Latina mothers perceived the school district’s response to COVID-19 as performative and inadequate; Latina mothers developed mother-child pedagogies or pedagogies in which the mother and child are involved in teaching to and learning from each other. The findings lend support to the idea that the digital literacy divide does not exist outside of social and economic structures, and to the resourcefulness of everyday Latina mothers.

OROK OR ULTA: NOTES TO THE ETHNONYM AND ETHNOGENESIS

Ороки — жители Сахалина, говорящие на одном из тунгусо-маньчжурских языков (южная группа), близкого к ульчскому и нанайскому. Не позднее конца XVII века они заселили Сахалин, практикуя транспортное оленеводство, в сочетании с охотой, рыболовством и добычей морского зверя. Цель работы, — анализ некоторых фактов, оказавшихся вне поля зрения предшественников. Это особый счет возраста оленей, который сближает их с восточными эвенами, структура календаря, имеющая аналогии с календарями амурских эвенков (название января), и с календарями орочей, ульчей и негидальцев (названия летних месяцев). Мозаичность ороков (субэтносы), наряду с особенностями природных условий острова и длительной изоляцией, обеспечили своеобразие космогонических представлений, пантеона, базовых ритуалов (летний медвежий праздник и др.). Выявлено существование названия северного оленя, в форме (ы,у,и)л(в/б)(э/е)л у коряков, юкагиров, чукчей, алеутов, чуванцев, северных хантов, тундровых ненцев с неизвестной этимологией (кроме ненецкого тундрового илебць — средство к жизни). Орокское название дикого оленя сиро можно связать с подготовкой к гону (обдирка рогов сирки / ситчи) взрослых самцов дикого оленя. Название домашнего оленя (ула/я) у ороков, ранее возводимое к понятию река (ул / уил), близко к алеутскому улинах, северохантыйскому ули и иле в тундровом диалекте юкагирского, могло быть заимствовано пра — «ороками» напрямую, или через промежуточную контактную группу, на Саяно-Алтае, или в процессе миграции на восток. Данные популяционной генетики, роднят их с этносами Саяно-Алтая (тувинцы-тоджинцы, тофалары и др.) практикующих до сих пор охоту, собирательство и кочевое транспортное оленеводство. Примерно близкий (и невысокий 11,5–17,4 %), уровень частотности «тунгусской» гаплогруппы С, у ороков, ульчей, удэгейцев, негидальцев, указывает, по-видимому, на малое участие эвенкиек в формировании мтДНК ороков (женский генофонд). Oroks are residents of Sakhalin who speak one of the Tungus-Manchu languages (southern group), close to Ulchi and Nanai. Since the end of the 16th century, they have inhabited Sakhalin, practicing transport reindeer husbandry, combined with hunting, fishing and hunting of sea animals. The purpose of this work is to analyze some facts that were out of the field of view of their predecessors. This is a special account of the age of deer, which brings them closer to the Eastern evens, a calendar structure that has analogies with the calendars of the Amur Evenks (the name of January), and with the calendars of the Orochi, Ulchi and Negidals (the names of the summer months). Mosaic Oroks (subethnoses), along with the peculiarities of the island's natural conditions and long-term isolation, provided the uniqueness of cosmogonic representations, Pantheon, basic rituals (summer bear festival, etc.). The existence of the name of the reindeer, in the form *(I, u,e)l(v/b) (э/e)l in Koryaks, Yukagirы, Chukchis, Aleuts, Chuvans, Northern Khants, tundra Nenets with unknown etymology (except for the Nenets tundra ilebts — a means to life). The name of the wild deer siro can be associated with the preparation for the rut (stripping the horns of sirki / sitchе) of adult male wild deer. The name of the domestic deer (ula / ylja) among the Oroks, previously raised to the concept of river (ul / uil), close to the Aleutian ulinakh, North Khanty uli and Il in the tundra dialect of Yukagir, could be borrowed by the Oroks directly, or through an intermediate contact group. Data from population genetics make them related to the ethnic groups of the Sayano-Altai (tuvians-todzhins, tofalars, etc.) who still practice hunting, gathering, and nomadic transport reindeer husbandry. The approximately close (and low) frequency level of Tungusian haplogroup C in Oroks, Ulchi, Udege, and Negidals (frequency within 11.5–17.4%) seems to indicate a small participation of Evenki in the formation of mt DNA of Oroks (female gene pool).