Broad Range Of Backgrounds Research Articles

Available and emerging liquid treatment technologies for PFASs

AbstractPer‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are present at a wide range of private sector facilities and United States (US) government installations, including those operated by the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronauts and Space Administration, and other entities, as well as additional sites worldwide. Impacts have been identified in a range of environmental media including drinking water, groundwater, surface water, leachate, wastewater, soil, sediment, and soil gas. Treatment technologies to remove or destroy PFASs cost effectively have proven to be elusive to the industry. However, recent developments are bringing that goal close to reality for some media. This article has been prepared to address only liquid treatment technologies. Soil treatment technologies are presently a lower priority and may be addressed in future articles. The challenge of identifying and evaluating available and emerging liquid treatment technologies was put to the PFAS Experts Symposium in Houston, Texas, on June 7–8, 2023, which was attended by PFAS professionals and subject matter experts with a broad range of backgrounds. The discussions covered a variety of technical approaches and led to the preparation of this manuscript. This article strives to concisely summarize modern technical approaches that are potentially applicable to managing liquid media at PFAS‐impacted sites. Currently, ex situ sorbent technologies using granular activated carbon (GAC) and ion exchange (IX) resin are commercially available and most widely used. Other liquid technologies are summarized and current applications are presented to allow the reader to evaluate each technology for their particular use. This article is not intended to provide guidance on site‐specific design of treatment systems, but instead to serve as an update to earlier articles from this group and others addressing PFAS treatment technologies and related PFAS topics.

Diligent Daughters: Women’s Educational Outperformance in Contemporary China

In post-reform China (1979–present), women have advanced rapidly in educational achievement, and now surpass men in undergraduate and postgraduate attendance. Scholars tend to attribute women’s outperformance to the one-child policy, which empowered urban singleton daughters. But around 40 percent of women undergraduate students are from rural areas, where multi-child families and son preference are common. Based on participant observation, ethnographic interviews, and longitudinal family case studies, this article addresses educated migrant women from a broad range of backgrounds in Fujian province. It argues that academically outperforming daughters combine self-development, filiality, and resistance to patriarchal norms to pursue the full subjecthood that is conventionally reserved for men—encompassing recognition for individual accomplishment, independence, and filial contribution. By navigating marriage pressures and economically contributing to their natal families, diligent daughters shift patricentric family dynamics toward more bilateral arrangements, eroding the patriarchal structures that undergird male-centered power even as many gendered norms remain intact.

HipScreen mobile app for the measurement of hip migration percentage in children with cerebral palsy: Accuracy, reliability, and discriminatory ability.

To assess the accuracy, reliability, and discriminatory ability of a mobile app for measurement of migration percentage in hip surveillance radiographs of children with cerebral palsy (CP). The free mobile app HipScreen (www.hipscreen.org) was utilized by a diverse group of users to measure the migration percentage of 40 hips at two time points after completing an online tutorial and competency test. The mean absolute error (MAE) was calculated against the reference standard obtained on a radiology workstation. Statistical analyses included linear regression, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and area under receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). Thirty-seven users completed the study, with 30 having a healthcare professional background, but only 15 with x-ray interpretation expertise. The overall MAE of migration percentage measurement using the HipScreen app was 5.72% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.38-6.06), with good reliability between time points (ICC = 0.83). With a migration percentage less than 30% considered as a positive case, the HipScreen app had a sensitivity of 94% (95% CI: 87-97), specificity of 66% (95% CI: 61-77), and an AUC of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.88-0.96). Users from a broad range of backgrounds can utilize the HipScreen app to measure hip surveillance radiographs with clinically acceptable accuracy, reliability, and discriminatory ability. The HipScreen app can accurately and reliably measure migration percentage. As a screening tool, HipScreen has excellent sensitivity and discriminatory ability. A broad range of HipScreen users achieve clinically acceptable performance.

Factors Associated with the Antihypertensive Effect of Esaxerenone and Serum Potassium Elevation: A Pooled Analysis of Seven PhaseIII Studies.

This study investigated factors associated with the antihypertensive effects of esaxerenone and theincidence of serum potassium elevation in patients with hypertension. Using pooled data from seven phaseIII studies, the study analyzed factors associated with changes in office systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure from baseline to 12weeks, and factors associated with incidence of serum potassium levels ≥ 5.5mEq/L in esaxerenone-treated patients. Overall, 1466 and 1472 patients were included in the fullanalysis and safety analysis sets, respectively. Male sex (4.02/2.40mmHg), weight ≥ 78.4kg (4.62/2.09mmHg), hypertension duration ≥ 10years (2.66/1.71mmHg), prior antihypertensive treatment (2.38/1.40mmHg), plasma aldosterone concentration ≥ 120pg/mL (1.66/1.17mmHg), urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 300mg/gCr (8.94/4.85mmHg) or 30-299mg/gCr (5.17/4.15mmHg), and smoking (2.62/1.27mmHg)were associated with mean changes in SBP andDBP. Fasting blood glucose ≥ 126mg/dL (- 2.73mmHg) was associated with the mean change in SBP only, and older age (65-74years, - 2.12mmHg; and ≥ 75years, - 3.06mmHg) with mean change in DBP only. Factors significantly associated with incidence of serum potassium levels ≥ 5.5mEq/L were higher baseline serum potassium (≥ 4.5mEq/L, odds ratio [OR] 6.702); lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (≥ 90mL/min/1.73m2, OR 0.148; 60-89mL/min/1.73m2, OR 0.331 vs 30-59mL/min/1.73m2, respectively); higher UACR (30-299mg/gCr, OR 7.317); higher DBP (≥ 100mmHg, OR 3.248); and gradeI hypertension (OR 2.168). Esaxerenone is effective in patients with a broad range of backgrounds, though some factors may predict increased benefit. Regarding elevated serum potassium, careful therapeutic management is recommended for patients with higher baseline serum potassium and reduced renal function. UMIN000047026.

Everywhere and for everyone: proportionate universalism as a framework for equitable access to community drug checking

BackgroundIllicit drug overdoses have reached unprecedented levels, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses are needed that address the increasingly potent and unpredictable drug supply with better reach to a wide population at risk for overdose. Drug checking is a potential response offered mainly within existing harm reduction services, but strategies are needed to increase reach and improve equitable delivery of drug checking services.MethodsThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how to extend the reach of drug checking services to a wide population at risk of overdose. We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with potential service users to identify barriers to service use and strategies to increase equitable delivery of drug checking services. Our analysis was informed by theoretical perspectives on equity, and themes were developed relevant to equitable delivery through attention to quality dimensions of service use: accessibility, appropriateness, effectiveness, safety, and respect.ResultsBarriers to equitable service delivery included criminalization and stigma, geographic and access issues, and lack of cultural appropriateness that deter service use for a broad population with diverse needs. Strategies to enhance equitable access include 1ocating services widely throughout communities, integrating drug checking within existing health care services, reframing away from risk messaging, engaging peers from a broad range of backgrounds, and using discrete methods of delivery to help create safer spaces and better reach diverse populations at risk for overdose.ConclusionsWe propose proportionate universalism in drug checking as a guiding framework for the implementation of community drug checking as an equity-oriented harm reduction intervention and as a population health response. Both a universal equity-oriented approach and multiple tailored approaches are required to facilitate drug checking services that maximize reach and appropriateness to respond to diverse needs.

Drowning and aquatic injuries dictionary

BackgroundDrowning is a significant public health issue with more than 320,000 deaths globally every year. These numbers are greatly underestimated, however, due to factors such as inadequate data collection, inconsistent categorization and failure to report in certain regions and cultures.The objective of this study was to develop a standardised drowning dictionary using a consensus-based approach. Through creation of this resource, improved clarity amongst stakeholders will be achieved and, as a result, so will our understanding of the drowning issue. MethodologyA list of terms and their definitions were created and sent to 16 drowning experts with a broad range of backgrounds across four continents and six languages. A review was conducted using a modified Delphi process over five rounds. A sixth round was done by an external panel evaluating the terms’ content validity. ResultsThe drowning dictionary included more than 350 terms. Of these, less than 10% had been previously published in peer review literature. On average, the external expert validity endorsing the dictionary shows a Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI/Ave) of 0.91, exceeding the scientific recommended value. Ninety one percent of the items present an I-CVI (Level Content Validity Index) value considered acceptable (>0.78). The endorsement was not a universal agreement (S-CVI/UA: 0.44). ConclusionThe drowning dictionary provides a common language, and the authors envisage that its use will facilitate collaboration and comparison across prevention sectors, education, research, policy and treatment. The dictionary will be open to readers for discussion and further review at www.idra.world.

Recommendations for patient similarity classes: results of the AMIA 2019 workshop on defining patient similarity

Defining patient-to-patient similarity is essential for the development of precision medicine in clinical care and research. Conceptually, the identification of similar patient cohorts appears straightforward; however, universally accepted definitions remain elusive. Simultaneously, an explosion of vendors and published algorithms have emerged and all provide varied levels of functionality in identifying patient similarity categories. To provide clarity and a common framework for patient similarity, a workshop at the American Medical Informatics Association 2019 Annual Meeting was convened. This workshop included invited discussants from academics, the biotechnology industry, the FDA, and private practice oncology groups. Drawing from a broad range of backgrounds, workshop participants were able to coalesce around 4 major patient similarity classes: (1) feature, (2) outcome, (3) exposure, and (4) mixed-class. This perspective expands into these 4 subtypes more critically and offers the medical informatics community a means of communicating their work on this important topic.

A primary care-led intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in people with severe mental illness (PRIMROSE): a secondary qualitative analysis

BackgroundDespite various initiatives, the mortality rate in people with severe mental illness increased between 2004 and 2014. Poor health behaviours contribute, including poor diets, physical inactivity, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption. Evidence is scarce regarding how primary care interventions can influence health behaviour change in people with severe mental illness. We aimed to explore how health behaviours were supported and changed in people with severe mental illness via an intervention (PRIMROSE) informed by the behaviour change wheel. MethodsPRIMROSE was delivered over 6 months in primary care across England. We did a secondary qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with staff and patients describing their experiences of PRIMROSE. The sample were selected from a random 20% of primary care practices in England. Topic guides were based on the capability, opportunity, motivation, and behaviour (COM-B) model of behaviour and the Theoretical Domains Framework. We identified how behaviour change techniques were applied by mapping the coded data to the behaviour change technique taxonomy (version 1). We explored barriers, facilitators, and processes of supporting or making health behaviour changes using thematic analysis. Themes were further informed by COM-B. FindingsBetween April 27 and Dec 19, 2016, 15 patients and 15 health-care professionals participated from a broad range of backgrounds across England, but with limited ethnic diversity. We identified 20 behaviour change techniques being used. Six factors affected supporting and changing health behaviours: motivation, motivated patients were more proactive to action advice, which was affected by witnessing physical health benefits; health knowledge or perceptions, developing knowledge on how to change health behaviour facilitated motivation but negative health perceptions could be difficult to change; difficulties with patient capability, mental and physical health status affected motivation; staff proficiency, previous experience with mental health and motivational interviewing skills aided supporting patients; social influences, patients felt pressure to achieve goals to avoid staff disappointment—creating healthy social (peer) norms facilitated motivation whereas unhealthy norms prevented changes; and environmental level influences, access to time and resources were perceived as critical. Making use of existing opportunities for behaviour change, such as open spaces for walking, facilitated positive changes. InterpretationThe value of the application of behaviour change techniques and primary health-care professionals in supporting health behaviour change in this population was variable. For some, such techniques helped to increase motivation, capability, and opportunity to change health behaviours. In others, complex challenges that people with severe mental illness experienced prevented behaviour change. Our findings suggest that with training and appropriate resources, primary care health-care professionals can facilitate health behaviour change in some cases, but policy makers and commissioners should consider enabling more interdisciplinary involvement. FundingUK National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research.

Senior chemists on the move and paying it forward

“Pay it forward” is the overarching theme of the American Chemical Society Senior Chemists Committee (SCC), with a particular focus on outreach to the next generation interested in the chemical sciences. So how do we pay it forward as a committee? Our 26 members and associates are experienced chemists from a broad range of backgrounds, and they are carrying out SCC’s vision of engaging more senior chemists and providing mentoring for undergraduates and younger chemists. I have the privilege of chairing this committee, and I’m delighted to share details of our activities. Let’s review the ACS national meeting in Orlando, Florida, this spring. We started the year abuzz with our ACS Network community, “Senior Chemists on the Move!” We shared announcements of special events for Orlando and hosted robust conversations. The ACS Network platform allows readers to comment on issues and opportunities. Recent discussions included fairness in college admissions and

Patient and public involvement mobile workshops \u2013 convenient involvement for the un-usual suspects

Plain English summaryWhen planning a research project into patients’ experiences of online booking of GP appointments, we tried out a new way to get feedback from the public on our research ideas and design. As the research topic is about GP services used by the general public, we wanted to get feedback from people with a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. However, relying on individuals to firstly want to volunteer and then to take time to travel to and attend such an event, means that involvement may only be attractive to certain people. Others less interested in being involved – or those with busy schedules and additional responsibilities – may be unlikely or unable to attend.With this in mind, we ran a series of mobile workshops designed to be particularly convenient to attend. Each workshop was arranged at a time and a place where potential volunteers were already present and available. For example, at a workplace or a social group during a scheduled break or popular time. This meant each workshop was convenient to attend as they were at a suitable time with no travel. They also were short, lasting 30 min, to minimise disruption to individuals’ diaries. To make taking part appealing, attendees were also paid (which is standard practice for patient and public involvement). This paper summarises and evaluates the process of running these workshops.BackgroundPatient and public involvement in research is a quickly-evolving area, with investigators developing new approaches in recent years. One concern about patient and public involvement is that it only appeals to certain individuals. When designing research into online GP services – a topic relevant to the general population – we recognised the importance of involving members of the public with a broad range of backgrounds who may not have the time, resources and inclination to volunteer normally.MethodsWe devised a strategy that aimed to involve members of the public from varied backgrounds, who would not typically be able to be involved. We ran a series of one-off mobile workshops at existing organisations where potential volunteers were already in situ. The workshops were kept short, making them convenient and easily accessible. Volunteers were also paid, to ensure taking part was appealing.ResultsWe ran a series of 4 workshops involving 26 members of the public with office workers, supermarket staff, gym members (and their friends) and parents attending a toddler group. Overall the workshops were successful, as they enabled us to gain varied perspectives from volunteers with a broad range of backgrounds, many of whom had not previously been involved in research. A key challenge was making initial contact with members of approached organisations. This indicates that it may be beneficial to consider how to make the workshops appealing, not just on an individual level, but at an organisational level too. A carefully planned design worked as it enabled large amounts of input in a limited amount of time, apart from one workshop (the parent group) due to practical reasons. This highlighted some limitations of this approach that could be addressed by adapting the workshop design, according to the organisation with which they are being run.ConclusionRunning one-off mobile workshops at already existing organisations allowed us to involve members of the public from a broad range of backgrounds, who would not typically volunteer to be involved in research. This was particularly suitable as the topic we were designing research for – booking GP appointments – is relevant to the general public.

The evolution of metabolic regulation in animals.

Energy metabolism is determined by a suite of regulatory mechanism, and their increasing complexity over evolutionary time provides the key to understanding the emergence of different metabolic phenotypes. Energy metabolism is at the core of biological processes because all organisms must maintain energy balance against thermodynamic gradients. Energy metabolism is regulated by a bewildering array of interacting molecular mechanisms, and much of what is known about metabolic regulation comes from the medical literature. However, ecology and evolutionary research would gain considerably by incorporating regulatory mechanisms more explicitly in research on topics such as the evolution of endothermy, metabolic plasticity, and energy balance. The purpose of this brief review is to summarise the main regulatory pathways of energy metabolism in animals and their evolutionary origins to make these complex interactions more accessible to researchers from a broad range of backgrounds. Some of the principal regulators of energy balance, such as the AMP-stimulated protein kinase, have an ancient prokaryotic origin. Most regulatory pathways (e.g. thyroid hormone, insulin, adipokines), however, are eukaryotic in origin and diversified substantially in metazoans and vertebrates. Diversification in vertebrates is at least partly due to genome duplications early in this lineage. The interaction between regulatory mechanisms permitted an increasingly sophisticated fine-tuning of energy balance and metabolism. Hence, regulatory complexity increased over evolutionary time, and taxa differ in their potential range of metabolic phenotypes. Choice of model organism therefore becomes important, and bacteria or even invertebrates are not good models for more derived vertebrates. Different metabolic phenotypes and their evolution, such as endothermy and metabolic plasticity, should be interpreted against this regulatory background.

Selection of and Evidentiary Considerations for Wearable Devices and Their Measurements for Use in Regulatory Decision Making: Recommendations from the ePRO Consortium

BackgroundWearable devices offer huge potential to collect rich sources of data to provide insights into the effects of treatment interventions. Despite this, at the time of writing this report, limited regulatory guidance on the use of wearables in clinical trial programs has been published. ObjectivesTo present recommendations from the Critical Path Institute’s Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Consortium regarding the selection and evaluation of wearable devices and their measurements for use in regulatory trials and to support labeling claims. MethodsThe evaluation group was composed of Critical Path Institute’s clinical outcome assessment (COA) scientists and COA specialists from pharmaceutical trial eCOA solution providers, including COA development and validation specialists. The resulting recommendations were drawn from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise that enriched the development of this report. Recommendations were developed through analysis of existing regulatory guidance relating to COA development and use in clinical trials, medical device certification/clearance regulations, literature-reported best practice, and practical experience of wearable technology application in clinical trials. ResultsWe identify the essential properties of fit-for-purpose wearables and propose evidence needed to support their use. In addition, we overview the activities required to establish clinical endpoints derived from wearables data. ConclusionsUsing this framework, we believe there is enough current understanding to promote the appropriate use of wearables in study protocols. We hope this will provide a basis for discussion among clinical trial stakeholders and catalyze the development of more robust regulatory guidance.

Attitudes and beliefs towards alcohol minimum pricing in Western Australia.

Modelling data have provided good evidence to support the efficacy of a minimum pricing policy for alcoholic beverages as a means to reduce alcohol consumption and risky and harmful drinking. The aim of the present study was to investigate attitudes and beliefs towards a minimum price policy for alcohol among members of the general public in Western Australia (WA). The study also explored what factors might promote acceptance of the policy. Eleven focus groups, comprising participants from a broad range of backgrounds in WA, were conducted. Using a facilitator-administered semi-structured interview schedule participants discussed their beliefs about the policy and how its acceptability might be promoted. Transcriptions of discussions were analysed using qualitative inductive content analysis for emergent themes. Three major themes emerged: attitudes towards the policy, beliefs about effectiveness and strategies to increase acceptability. Participants expressed negative attitudes towards the policy and thought that it would lead to increased crime, drug use and financial strain. Participants identified the policy as unfair on disadvantaged groups, and suggested that individuals would find a way to procure alcohol regardless of minimum pricing policies. Suggestions to make the policy more acceptable included increasing alcohol education and directing the revenue towards alcohol reduction initiatives. Participants' negative views and perceived lack of effectiveness corroborate research conducted in the UK. Information and education campaigns aimed at reducing misunderstanding of the policy and highlighting its effectiveness may help to promote greater acceptability.

Pivoting to Value-Based Care in North Carolina.

Health care in the United States, and by extension in North Carolina, is in a perpetual state of flux. From the Nixon-era predictions of runaway costs to the insurance-anchored efforts of Hillarycare to wide-sweeping reforms of Obamacare, established providers are regularly counseling the next generation on how different medicine will look when they are in practice. The accuracy of some of these predictions aside, one thing is sure: the pace and magnitude of change is palpably different this time. Pushed by both private and public payers to move from fee-for-service to value-based care while striving to meet the Triple Aim of improving patient experience, improving population health, and reducing costs, all arenas of medicine--hospital-based, ambulatory, and public health--are feeling the pressure. At the same time, patients are acting more like consumers, demanding transparency in pricing and increased quality. In this issue of the NCMJ, experts from a broad range of backgrounds and health care organizations discuss the trials and rewards facing providers and health systems as they promise better outcomes and assume greater financial risk in care delivery. The ways that we are striving to meet new payment models--and the successes we are achieving--are as varied as the practices across North Carolina. In the following pages, you will read about the many efforts to implement these new models, both stories of success and a few cautionary tales.

Will My Soul Go to Heaven If They Take My Brain? Beliefs and Worries About Brain Donation Among Four Ethnic Groups.

Studying the brain through autopsy is an essential component of Alzheimer's disease research. Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in Alzheimer's research generally and, in particular, in the number of completed brain autopsies. We explored beliefs about and attitudes toward brain donation among African American, Chinese, Caucasian, and Latino research subjects and their family members through focus groups at 4 NIH-funded Alzheimer's Disease Centers. Eighteen focus groups were conducted with 61 research subjects and 34 family members. Because the primary purpose of the focus groups was to identify the range of considerations that may influence the decision to participate in brain donation, data from focus groups were pooled and then analyzed. We found that many of the concerns, attitudes, and beliefs about brain donation were similar across the 4 ethnic groups. Concerns and attitudes fell into 3 categories: (a) concerns and misconceptions about brain research and the process of brain removal, (b) religious beliefs, and (c) the role of the family. Our findings suggest that interventions to enhance enrollment in brain donation that target factors identified in this study are likely to be relevant to people from a broad range of backgrounds and ethnicities. Nonetheless, we observed some potential differences among racial/ethnic groups that may affect how research volunteers and their families approach a decision about donating their brain for research. Further study is warranted to explore these and other possible culturally distinct attitudes and beliefs about brain donation.

An Introduction to the Chemistry of the Sea (2nd. ed.) by Michael EQ Pilson

This engaging and comprehensive volume serves as an excellent introduction to this topic for students with a broad range of backgrounds in the physical sciences. The author engages the reader from the start with a succinct and fascinating history of physical oceanography and reminds us of the lasting impact of the H.M.S. Challenger expedition (1873–1876) on this field. This book combines these past achievements with contemporary research to inform the reader with a diverse and comprehensive overview of the chemistry of the sea.

Education Status of Oral Genetics at the Fourth Military Medical University and other Chinese Dental Schools.

To investigate the current state of genetics education at the Fourth Military Medical University (FMMU) and compare it with other dental schools of China. Detailed information about the history and current education status of Oral Genetics in the FMMU were collected and questionnaires were completed to acquire the feedback of twenty-seven students on the course. In the other thirty-five dental schools including the capitals of twenty-five provinces and four municipalities in China, information about the oral genetic course were collected by a telephone survey. The contents of survey included whether or not the Oral Genetic course is offered and some basic information about the curriculum (such as the content, hours, teachers' background and teaching methods). Among a total of thirty-six dental schools investigated, six of them (16.7%) offered the Oral Genetic course or related lectures/seminars. The length and contents of the curriculum vary among these schools. The FMMU offered the oral genetic curriculum both to undergraduates and graduated students. Their teachers had a broad range of backgrounds, such as dentistry, biology, genetics, and biochemistry. The students considered the Oral Genetics course to be helpful for their future professional careers. Genetic education in dentistry in China is still at a preliminary stage. More effort must be paid to spread the knowledge of Oral Genetics in China. In addition, domestic and international communications and networks for Oral Genetics should be set up in the near future.

Assessing the real world effectiveness of the Healthy Eating Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL) program.

Community-based lifestyle modification programs can be a valuable strategy to reduce risk factors for chronic disease. However, few government-funded programs report their results in the peer-reviewed literature. Our aim was to report on the effectiveness of the Healthy Eating Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL) program, a program funded under the Australian government's Healthy Communities Initiative. Participants (n = 2827) were recruited to the program from a broad range of backgrounds and each week completed an hour of group-based physical activity followed by an hour of lifestyle education for 8 weeks. Physical activity, sitting time, fruit and vegetable consumption, anthropometric measures, blood pressure and functional capacity data were gathered at baseline and post-program. HEAL participation resulted in significant acute improvements in frequency and volume of physical activity, reductions in daily sitting time and increases in fruit and vegetable consumption. HEAL participation led to reductions in total body mass, body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure and to improvements in functional capacity (P < 0.001). Based on these findings and the coordinated approach to program delivery, the HEAL program warrants consideration as a behaviour change strategy in primary health care networks, local government or community settings. SO WHAT? These findings should inform future policy development around implementation of lifestyle modification programs; they strengthen the case for support and promotion of lifestyle modification programs to improve public health, lessening the financial and personal burden of chronic conditions.

License to Kill: Assassination and the Politics of Murder in Elizabethan and Early Stuart England

If we understand “assassinations” to be the targeted killing of public figures by people who believe themselves to be acting in the public interest, then the history of modern assassination begins in late sixteenth-century Europe. Prompted by the observation that the word itself was new to late sixteenth-century English, this article examines the altered scope and significance of political killings in post-Reformation England. Individuals from a broad range of backgrounds came to think themselves authorized to shape their polity by killing their leaders. Their efforts, along with authorities’ responses to such plots, speak to an increasingly participatory political culture. Murder had long been a political tool; but as politics changed, this article argues, so too did the nature and meanings of political killings.

Faultlines and contact zones: A new forum for Migration Studies

Migration studies is entering a new era. The intellectual roots of the field stretch back at least to the nineteenth century, since which time it has focused on the drivers of human mobility and the processes of adaptation that follow. But never before has it drawn such sustained attention from so many researchers across such a broad range of backgrounds. Migration is becoming an increasingly visible and important element of human experience, and more than ever before, migration studies is becoming a distinctive and integrated field of scholarship, with its own approaches and institutions. This journal is being established to help galvanize the field still further. It aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum for leading research that develops the core concepts, data, and methods needed by migration scholars in the twenty-first century and beyond. It has several specific priorities.