In this intellectually ambitious study, Elizabeth McKillen explores the significance of Wilsonian internationalism for workers and the influence of American labor in both shaping and undermining the ...foreign policies and war mobilization efforts of Woodrow Wilson's administration. McKillen highlights the major fault lines and conflicts that emerged within labor circles as Wilson pursued his agenda in the context of Mexican and European revolutions, World War I, and the Versailles Peace Conference. As McKillen shows, the choice to collaborate with or resist U.S. foreign policy remained an important one for labor throughout the twentieth century. In fact, it continues to resonate today in debates over the global economy, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the impact of U.S. policies on workers at home and abroad.
Background Whether all domains of daily-life moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and how this association depends on age and body mass index ...remains unclear. Methods and Results In the population-based Lifelines cohort (N=125 402), MVPA was assessed by the Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-Enhancing Physical Activity, a validated questionnaire in different domains such as commuting, leisure-time, and occupational PA. BP was assessed using the last 3 of 10 measurements after 10 minutes' rest in the supine position. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg and/or use of antihypertensives. In regression analysis, higher commuting and leisure-time but not occupational MVPA related to lower BP and lower hypertension risk. Commuting-and-leisure-time MVPA was associated with BP in a dose-dependent manner. β Coefficients (95% CI) from linear regression analyses were -1.64 (-2.03 to -1.24), -2.29 (-2.68 to -1.90), and finally -2.90 (-3.29 to -2.50) mm Hg systolic BP for the low, middle, and highest tertile of MVPA compared with "No MVPA" as the reference group after adjusting for age, sex, education, smoking and alcohol use. Further adjustment for body mass index attenuated the associations by 30% to 50%, but more MVPA remained significantly associated with lower BP and lower risk of hypertension. This association was age dependent. β Coefficients (95% CI) for the highest tertiles of commuting-and-leisure-time MVPA were -1.67 (-2.20 to -1.15), -3.39 (-3.94 to -2.82) and -4.64 (-6.15 to -3.14) mm Hg systolic BP in adults <40, 40 to 60, and >60 years, respectively. Conclusions Higher commuting and leisure-time but not occupational MVPA were significantly associated with lower BP and lower hypertension risk at all ages, but these associations were stronger in older adults.
Abstract
Purpose: An enriched environment (EE) facilitates physical, cognitive and social activity in animal models of stroke. The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether enriching the ...environment of a mixed rehabilitation unit increased stroke patient activity. Methods: A non- randomized controlled trial was conducted. Direct observation was used to determine the difference in change in physical, cognitive, social or any activity over 2 weeks in patients exposed to an enriched versus non-enriched environment. Results: Stroke patients in the EE (n = 15) were 1.2 (95% CI 1.0-1.4) times more likely to be engaged in any activity compared with those in a non-enriched environment (n = 14). They were 1.7 (95% CI 1.1-2.5) times more likely to be engaged in cognitive activities, 1.2 (95% CI 1.0-1.5) times more likely to be engaged in social activities, 0.7 (95% CI 0.6-0.9) times as likely to be inactive and alone and 0.5 (95% CI 0.4-0.7) times as likely to be asleep than patients without enrichment. Conclusions: This preliminary trial suggests that the comprehensive model of enrichment developed for use in a rehabilitation unit was effective in increasing activity in stroke patients and reducing time spent inactive and alone.Implications for RehabilitationStroke patients within a mixed rehabilitation unit who are exposed to an enriched environment (EE) are more likely to be engaged in activity than those not exposed to the enriched environment.Patients in enriched conditions are less likely to be "inactive and alone" or asleep during waking hours.These results suggest a comprehensive model of enrichment is effective in increasing activity levels.
There is no consensus on whether climate change has yet affected the statistics of tropical cyclones, owing to their large natural variability and the limited period of consistent observations. In ...addition, projections of future tropical cyclone activity are uncertain, because they often rely on coarse-resolution climate models that parameterize convection and hence have difficulty in directly representing tropical cyclones. Here we used convection-permitting regional climate model simulations to investigate whether and how recent destructive tropical cyclones would change if these events had occurred in pre-industrial and in future climates. We found that, relative to pre-industrial conditions, climate change so far has enhanced the average and extreme rainfall of hurricanes Katrina, Irma and Maria, but did not change tropical cyclone wind-speed intensity. In addition, future anthropogenic warming would robustly increase the wind speed and rainfall of 11 of 13 intense tropical cyclones (of 15 events sampled globally). Additional regional climate model simulations suggest that convective parameterization introduces minimal uncertainty into the sign of projected changes in tropical cyclone intensity and rainfall, which allows us to have confidence in projections from global models with parameterized convection and resolution fine enough to include tropical cyclones.
In this paper we present a classifier based on a hidden Markov model (HMM) that was applied to a gait treadmill dataset for gait phase detection and walking/jogging discrimination. The gait events ...foot strike, foot flat, heel off, toe off were detected using a uni-axial gyroscope that measured the foot instep angular velocity in the sagittal plane. Walking/jogging activities were discriminated by processing gyroscope data from each detected stride. Supervised learning of the classifier was undertaken using reference data from an optical motion analysis system. Remarkably good generalization properties were achieved across tested subjects and gait speeds. Sensitivity and specificity of gait phase detection exceeded 94% and 98%, respectively, with timing errors that were less than 20 ms, on average; the accuracy of walking/jogging discrimination was approximately 99%.
The focus on short-term graduate employment metrics has catalysed the employability agenda as a strategic directive in universities. A raft of embedded, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities ...has emerged for developing employability. Their relative value lacks empirical exploration. This study explored graduates' self-reported participation in, and their perspectives on the value of, a range of embedded, extra-curricular, and co-curricular learning activities, as well as paid work, for employability. Survey data were gathered (N = 510) from Business and Creative Industries graduates from three Australian universities about the perceived value of activities for skill development, gaining relevant experience, networking, and creating employment opportunities. The activities were considered more useful for gaining experience and skills than for broadening networks and improving career outcomes. Embedded and extra-curricular internships, as well as extra-curricular activities, were believed to be important for enhancing employability. Internships organised as an extra-curricular activity rated better than those delivered as work-integrated learning. Implications for stakeholders responsible for curricular and co-curricular design are discussed. Author abstract
Abstract Objective Describe the proportion of total moderate or vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time that is represented by specific types of physical activity among active adults. Methods We ...analyzed data from 4750 adult participants in the 2008 Health Survey for England who reported ≥ 30 min of MVPA on ≥ 5 days per week. The proportion of their MVPA time spent in: occupational, domestic, walking, exercise and fitness, team sports, non-team sports, outdoor pursuit, and leisure pursuit activities were calculated and averaged across 6 age categories. Results Exercise and fitness activities make up a greater proportion of total MVPA for young adults (16–24 years: men = 27%; women = 21%) than old adults (65+ years: 12%; 11%); the same is true for Team sports (16–24 years: 12%, 2%; 65+ years: 0%, 0%). Domestic activities make up a greater proportion of total MVPA time among older men and women (16–24 years: 9%, 16%; 65+ years: 34%, 38%). Walking is one of the most important contributors to total MVPA across all age groups for both sexes (range all ages: 26–42%, 37–45%). Conclusion The physical activity profile of physically active English adults varies with age. Age-specific interventions to increase physical activity among adults may be needed.
Roland Erne's view of transnational trade union networks challenges the assertion that no realistic prospect exists for remedying the European Union's democratic deficit-that is, its domination by ...corporate interests and lack of a cohesive European people. His book describes the emergence of a European trade union movement that crosses national boundaries. Erne assesses national and EU-level trade union politics in two core areas: wage bargaining in the European Monetary Union and job protection during transnational corporate mergers and restructuring. The wage coordination policies of the European metal and construction workers' unions and the unions' responses in the ABB-Alstom Power and Alcan-Pechiney-Algroup merger cases, Erne finds, show that the activities of labor are not confined to the national level: labor's policies have undergone Europeanization. This cross-national borrowing of tactics is itself proof of the increasing integration of European states and societies.
European Unionsis based on an exceptionally wide range of research methods, including statistical analysis, participant observation, and interviews with EU-level, national, and local trade unionists and works councilors. It also draws on a wide range of European, German, French, Italian, and Swiss union documents and a multilingual body of academic literature across several disciplines, including political science, sociology, and law. Erne's multilevel inquiry goes beyond country-by-country comparisons of national cases and his book will prove of great relevance to readers interested in the future of labor, social justice, and democracy in an increasingly integrated world.
Recent research suggests that participation in organized extracurricular activities by children and adolescents can have educational and occupational payoffs. This research also establishes that ...participation is strongly associated with social class. However, debate has ensued—primarily among qualitative researchers—over whether the association between class and activities stems exclusively from inequalities in objective resources and constraints or whether differing cultural orientations have a role. We address this debate using a nationally representative sample of children's time diaries, merged with extensive information on their families, to model participation in, and expenditures on, organized activities. While we cannot directly observe cultural orientations, we account for a substantially wider array of resources and constraints than previous studies. We find that, above and beyond these factors, maternal education has a consistently large effect on the outcomes we study. We discuss the plausibility of a cultural interpretation of this result, as well as alternative interpretations.
Insufficient physical activity (PA) levels among adolescents and adults make promoting PA a public health priority. Although most people exhibit low or decreasing levels of PA, other groups increase ...or maintain high levels of activity. These different groups may engage differently in activity domains during their leisure time. This study aimed to identify distinct trajectories of leisure-time vigorous physical activity (LVPA) and to explore whether these trajectories are characterised by differences in four activity domains (participation in organised sports clubs, diversity in leisure-time activities, outdoor recreation, and peer PA) over the life course.
Data were drawn from the Norwegian Longitudinal Health Behaviour Study. The sample of participants (n = 1103, 45.5% female) was surveyed 10 times from age 13 years in 1990 to age 40 years in 2017. LVPA trajectories were identified using latent class growth analysis, and mean differences in activity domains were studied using the one-step BCH approach.
Four trajectories were identified: active (9%), increasingly active (12%), decreasingly active (25%), and low active (54%). Overall, this analysis showed a declining tendency in LVPA from age 13 to 40 years except for the increasingly active trajectory. Belonging to a trajectory with a higher LVPA level was related to higher mean levels of the included activity domains. Compared with those in the increasing trajectory, people belonging to the decreasing trajectory reported higher mean participation levels in and age at becoming a member of sports clubs, diversity in leisure-time activities, and best friend's activity level during adolescence. However, in young adulthood, people in the increasingly active trajectory reported significantly higher mean levels for the same variables.
The development of LVPA from adolescence to adulthood is heterogeneous, suggesting the need for targeted health promotion initiatives. The largest trajectory group included more than 50 percent and was characterized by low levels of LVPA, less engagement in PA domains and fewer active friends. There seems to be little carry-over effect of engagement in organised sports in adolescence regarding level of LVPA later in life. Changes in social surroundings throughout the life span, such as having friends who are more or less engaged in PA, may assist or hinder health enhancing engagement in LVPA.
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