Physical Activity Experiences of People with Multiple Sclerosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, government and health officials introduced measures such as social distancing and facility closures that amplified barriers to physical activity. Certain groups, including people with multiple sclerosis (MS), have been underserved during the pandemic. In this qualitative study we aimed to: (1) explore the physical activity experiences of people with MS during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) identify the facilitators and barriers to physical activity during COVID-19 for people with MS; and (3) make recommendations for inclusive physical activity policy and programming. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 adults (9 women) with MS during January and February 2021. Following an inductive thematic analysis, three themes were developed: (1) changing opportunities and adapting to new opportunities; (2) social isolation and physical activity; and (3) adapting physical activity to stay safe from COVID-19. Common facilitators identified included having knowledge and resources to adapt activities, social connections, and access to outdoor recreation opportunities. Identified barriers included fear and anxiety related to the spread of the virus, a loss of in-person activity options, and the closure of physical activity spaces. Online and at-home opportunities for physical activity were a valued and accessible way to address barriers to physical activity for people with MS, and should be maintained post-pandemic while considering flexibility to accommodate variable support needs.

Optimal variable support size for mesh-free approaches using genetic algorithm

The main difficulty of the meshless methods is related to the support of shape functions. These methods become stable when sufficiently large support is used. Rather larger support size leads to higher calculation costs and greatly degraded quality. The continuous adjustment of the support size to approximate the shape functions during the simulation can avoid this problem, but the choice of the support size relative to the local density is not a trivial problem. In the present work, we deal with finding a reasonable size of influence domain by using a genetic algorithm coupled with high order mesh-free algorithms which the optimal value depends on the accuracy and stability of the results. The proposed strategy provides guarantees about the growth of approximation errors, monitor the level of error, and adapt the evaluation strategy to reach the required level of accuracy. This allows the adaptation of the proposed algorithm with problem complexity. This new strategy in meshless approaches are tested on some examples of structural analysis.

Predictors of parental leave support: Bad news for (big) dads and a policy for equality

Parenthood increases gender inequality in paid (employment) and unpaid labor (e.g., caretaking). New parental leave plans aim to increase gender equality by reducing managerial discretion and offering gender-neutral benefits. However, coworkers may undermine these inclusive aims, particularly if they show variable support per employee characteristics. Thus, we examine why and how employee gender and obesity interactively predict coworkers’ support for parental leave and test an intervention to increase equality. Three between-subjects experiments with working American adults ( Ns = 133–252) indicate that obesity decreases coworkers’ parental leave support for men, but increases coworkers’ parental leave support for women; these effects are replicated and mediated by coworkers’ caregiving ability expectations of the employees, inequalities that are reduced when parental leave is made the default. Discussion focuses on our results’ implications for theory, practice, and for men and women’s paid and unpaid labor, including recommendations for parental leave policy design and delivery to increase equality.

Helping to make joining the profession a positive experience for young vets

Hearing about the variable support given to new graduates led vet Lizzie Bewsey-Dyke to set up a service to help ease the transition to a career in independent practice.