Academic literature on the topic 'Draft interim report'

SummaryIn July 2012, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) closed its final commenting period on draft criteria for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), slated for publication in May 2013. DSM-5 raises familiar questions about the cultural assumptions of proposed diagnoses, the scientific evidence base of these criteria and their validity in international settings. I review these issues since the publication of DSM-IV. I assess the cultural validity of DSM-5 and suggest areas of improvement.

The First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan framed a number of committees in order to run the state affair; however, the Basic Principles Committee was one of the most important bodies that were assigned to prepare a draft for the future constitution of Pakistan. The main objective of the committee was to suggest the directive principle of the state policy. This 24-member committee submitted its first interim report on 28 September 1950 that suggested a federal configuration for Pakistan and the incorporation of the Objective Resolution in the upcoming constitution. However, when this report was presented, it criticized by the majority political parties of the Eastern Wing who were demanding more representation in the legislature and the declaration of Bengali as the national language of Pakistan. In order to satisfy the demands of the stakeholders, another report was presented by the then Prime Minister Khawaja Nazim-ud-Din in 1952 with some changes in it. The committee suggested equal representation for both wings, but this time the report was rejected by the Panjabi elites. Finally, Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra presented a modified formula according to which contrary to the representation in Lower House the Upper House was weighted so as to secure parity between East and West wings of the country.

The construction industry is characterised by ignorance, indifference, and lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities. There is a culture across the sector which can be described as a ‘race to the bottom’. There is insufficient focus on delivering the best-quality building possible. This, in May 2018, is how Dame Judith Hackitt described the UK construction industry – with her specific focus on buildings. Her interim report, Building a Safer Future, was intended as ‘a call to action for an entire industry’ – recognising that ‘true and lasting change will require a universal shift in culture'. The UK government’s immediate response to Hackitt was to ban combustible materials for use in the external walls of residential buildings with a height greater than 18m3. The government’s impact study in support of the ‘ban’ explicitly identified that the engineered timber industry would see significantly reduced growth due to post-Grenfell regulatory changes. Has the use of a material that has been increasingly of interest to the tall building industry suddenly been ‘scuppered’? Why was mass timber not included within the government’s list of exemptions? It would surely have been easy to draft some text to exempt timber from the ban.

Purpose The current project aims to draft an NHS and care provider joint working protocol for patients with learning disabilities as they transition between care and NHS hospital services. The purpose of this paper is to present the rationale behind a joint working protocol and the progress of the project to date. Design/methodology/approach Working in partnership, Basildon University Hospital and Estuary Housing Association have sought to investigate the experiences in hospital of the people they support with learning disabilities. This has involved ongoing work examining patient pathways from both a hospital and care provider perspective as well as engaging in discussions with key stakeholders. It is hoped that these insights will feed into recommendations to form the joint working protocol. Findings Current findings are limited as this paper presents an interim report on an ongoing project. Initial findings around positive joint working practices are detailed. An emerging recommendation around improved information sharing between health and care provider in acute hospital settings is also discussed. Originality/value It is hoped that the project will improve experiences of people with learning disabilities in hospital locally, while inspiring other hospitals and care providers to adopt a joint working approach at a wider level.

South Australia has adopted a regulatory framework for the upstream petroleum industry within which environmental objectives are established through a consultative process. A principal focus of the new regime is the building of community confidence in the environmental performance of the industry and the capability of its regulator. Without such confidence, restrictions on access to land can be expected to grow. Denial of access will result in resources lying undiscovered and undeveloped to the economic detriment of the industry and the community.The development of the new legislative framework was underpinned by modern regulatory principles and practices with particular regard to applying the principles of certainty, openness, transparency, flexibility, practicability and efficiency. Transparency and consultative processes were considered particularly important in addressing concerns of conflict of interest and the risk of regulator capture.The new Act provides that no activity can occur unless it is covered by a statement of environmental objectives (SEO), developed on the basis of an environmental impact report (EIR). SEOs also contain the methodology by which compliance with achievement of objectives is assessed. Once an SEO is in place, it can be used throughout the industry for like activities. Compliance costs for both government and industry will be reduced as a result. Approval time frames and the potential for delays will also be significantly improved. SEOs are now in place for all normal Cooper and Otway Basin seismic, drilling, pipelining and production activities, although some are in interim form and are under review.Public consultation on the EIR and draft SEO is undertaken for significant activities. Criteria to assist determination of the degree of significance of proposed activities have been established. Based on the degree of predicability and manageability of the likely impacts of the activity, these criteria provide a useful framework within which the necessary value judgements can be made.Consultation is confined within government for non significant activity proposals. Inter-agency agreements have been put in place to facilitate this process.Copies of all EIRs, SEOs and significance assessments are made available via the World Wide Web. Company annual licence environmental compliance reports plus summaries of results of audits by inspectors are also made public in the same way.The Act includes the concept of the enforcement pyramid in which a range of actions escalating in severity can be applied to suit any degree of non-compliance. In addition, companies who exhibit a history of compliance, plus a capacity to comply in the future, are rewarded by up to a 50% reduction in licence fees and do not need to seek approval for routine activities.

A Review of: Taylor, A. (2012). A study of the information search behaviour of the millennial generation. Information Research, 17(1), paper 508. Retrieved from http://informationr.net/ir/17-1/paper508.html Objective – To identify how millennial generation students proceed through the information search process and select resources on the web; to determine whether students evaluate the quality of web resources and how they use general information websites. Design – Longitudinal study. Setting – University in the United States. Subjects – 80 undergraduate students of the millennial generation enrolled in a business course. Methods – The students were required to complete a research report with a bibliography in five weeks. They also had to turn in interim assignments during that period (including an abstract, an outline, and rough draft). Their search behaviour was monitored using a modified Yahoo search engine that allowed subjects to search, and then to fill out surveys integrated directly below their search results. The students were asked to indicate the relevance of the resources they found on the open web, to identify the criteria they used to evaluate relevance, and to specify the stage they were at in the search process. They could choose from five stages defined by the author, based on Wilson (1999): initiation, exploration, differentiation, extracting, and verifying. Data were collected using anonymous user IDs and included URLs for sources selected along with subject answers until completion of all assignments. The students provided 758 distinct web page evaluations. Main Results – Students did not progress in orderly fashion through the search process, but rather proceeded erratically. A substantial number reported being in fewer than four of the five search stages. Only a small percentage ever declared being in the final stage of verifying previously gathered information, and during preparation of the final report a majority still declared being in the extracting stage. In fact, participants selected documents (extracting stage) throughout the process. In addition, students were not much concerned with the quality, validity, or authority of their sources, reporting that the main criteria they used to evaluate a web resource were its understandability, the amount of information in the source, its accuracy, and its recency. During the last stage of the assignment the main criteria were understandability and the amount of information. Finally, students used general information websites like Wikipedia throughout the process, but especially while preparing the final report. Conclusion – The search behaviour of millennial students does not conform to existing search models. The models are appropriate but the execution of these models by students is problematic. Students gathered documents, including general websites like Wikipedia, through all stages of the assignment, including the preparation of the final report. They are likely to procrastinate and do some backfilling. Furthermore they show little concern for the validity of sources: very few verified their sources and quality of the information gathered was not a priority for them. Those findings point to a problem of perception rather than a lack of information search skills: millennial students know how to search and filter, but they do not believe that there is an objective standard to evaluate information and they have a non-critical view of information. More research about the causes of such perception should help us identify effective strategies to help students improve their searches.

ABSTRACT From the lessons after the Nakhodka oil spill in January 1997, oil slick detection by using remote-sensing data and assimilating the data to the simulation program is important for monitoring the oil drift pattern. For this object, the authors are going to construct the oil spill warning system for estimating the oil drift pattern using a remote-sensing/numerical simulation model. Additionally, they plan to use this system for restoring oil spill damage domestically, such as estimating the ecological damage and making the priority for restoring the oil spilled shoreline. This report is intended to summarize the role of geo-informatics in the oil spill accident by not only paying attention to the effect of information provision/information management via the map, but also reporting the interim result in part based on the details discussed in the processes of recovery support and environmental impact assessment during the Nakhodka accident.

Abstract The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (Guidelines) advises older adults to be as active as possible. Yet, despite the well documented benefits of physical activity just 12.8% of those ages 65 and older meet the Guidelines. To address this, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed a Midcourse Report focused on effective strategies to improve older adult physical activity behaviors. The first step in this process was a systematic literature review. A literature review team was contracted to examine the evidence on key settings and effective behavioral intervention strategies, as well as effective policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) approaches, to improve physical activity among older adults. The PSE search employed an equity-centered framework adapted to researching PSE approaches for improving physical activity outcomes in older adults. Sixteen thousand eight hundred and eighty-three titles and abstracts were screened, and 734 full articles were reviewed for inclusion. Of those, 64 original research articles were included for the final review to answer two questions, one (plus 5 sub-questions) focused on Settings/Strategies literature (46 studies) and one (plus 2 sub-questions) focused on PSE literature (18 studies). The literature review process identified key settings and evidence-based strategies to support older adults in becoming more physically active, and provides a foundation for the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Implementation Strategies for Older Adults. More research is needed to address how factors related to equity and psychosocial constructs influence physical activity behaviors among older adults. Key Words Physical activity, policy, older adults, systematic review, Policy-Systems-Environment, aerobic physical activity, muscle strengthening physical activity Introduction The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (Guidelines) (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 2018) serves as the benchmark and primary, authoritative voice of the federal government for providing science-based guidance on physical activity, fitness, and health for Americans. The most recent edition, released in 2018, provides evidence-based recommendations for Americans ages 3 and older to safely get the physical activity they need to stay healthy (HHS, 2018). In 2013, five years after the release of the first edition of the Guidelines, HHS released a midcourse report (Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Subcommittee of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PAG Midcourse Subcommittee), 2013). This report focused on strategies to increase physical activity among youth and focused on five key areas where youth live, learn, and play – preschool and childcare centers, schools, family and home, community (built environment), and primary care medical settings (PAG Midcourse, 2013). The next midcourse report focused on older adults (ages 65 and older). The benefits of regular physical activity occur throughout life and are essential for healthy aging. Research suggests it is never too late to start being physically active. Despite the many benefits of physical activity, only 12.8% of adults over age 65 meet the aerobic and muscle-strengthening Guidelines (HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), 2022). This rate may be influenced by several factors, as barriers to physical activity differ from individual to individual and are influenced by socioeconomic, cultural, built environment, and other community factors. The Guidelines contains quantitative recommendations for older adults but does not include implementation strategies. Therefore, a literature review was conducted to identify successful interventions to promote increased physical activity and adherence to the key guidelines for older adults and summarized in the Physical Activity and Older Adults Systematic Literature Review (ICF Next, 2023). The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Implementation Strategies for Older Adults (Midcourse Report) (HHS, 2023) serves to further the breadth of the Guidelines to facilitate the implementation of proven programs and other strategies that can increase levels of physical activity among older adults. This paper outlines the literature review methodology to support the Midcourse Report. Methods: Literature Review In 2022, HHS contracted with a Literature Review Team to review the evidence on effective strategies to increase physical activity among older adults. This work was supported by the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (PCSFN) Science Board (Science Board), made up of 11 experts in physical activity and older adult populations. The Literature Review Team used a methodology supported by best practices for systematic literature reviews developed by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR) (USDA NESR Branch, 2023), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (AHRQ, 2014), the Cochrane Collaboration (Higgins et al., 2022), and the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine standards to review, evaluate, and synthesize published, peer-reviewed physical activity research (Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Standards for Systematic Reviews of Comparative Effectiveness Research, 2011). This review process was largely guided by the approach taken to review the literature for the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018; Torres et al., 2018). Paralleling the 2018 process, this protocol-driven review approach was undertaken to maximize transparency, minimize bias, and ensure the review conducted was timely, relevant, and high quality. There are two major distinctions between this review and that conducted by the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee: 1) the decision to review original articles instead of using a “review of reviews” approach; and 2) to focus on research with physical activity outcomes as opposed to health outcomes. All work completed by the Literature Review Team was under the direction and review of ODPHP, on behalf of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the PCSFN. The Literature Review Team coordinated the literature review process, developed an abstraction tool and accompanying abstraction and triage guides, and implemented training and quality control protocols. Several groups supported the literature review work: Librarians reviewed search strategies and provided guidance as needed. The Triage Team conducted title and abstract triage of articles identified through the literature searches. The Abstraction Team engaged in rigorous training before abstracting data from included articles. A portion of this group also assessed risk of bias on a subset of the included articles. The Science Board identified, aggregated, organized, and analyzed the scientific literature. A six-step process was used to examine the literature: Step 1: Develop systematic review questions Step 2: Develop systematic review strategy Step 3: Search, screen, and select evidence to review for each question Step 4: Abstract data and assess the risk of bias of the research Step 5: Describe the evidence Step 6: Complete evidence portfolios and draft Scientific Report Step 1: Developing Systematic Review Questions Following the cadence of previous editions of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans with an interim Midcourse Report, HHS initiated the process to review the scientific literature focused on effective approaches to promote physical activity among older adults. ODPHP outlined a need to examine intervention strategies and key settings that are effective in promoting movement and achievement of the key guidelines for physical activity for older adults. Additional factors of interest for the literature review included how engagement in physical activity interventions may influence mental health, well-being, social connection, and other related social and emotional factors; as well as how interventions implemented as policy, systems, and environmental approaches to change the context influence physical activity in older adult populations. Solidifying Systematic Review Questions. The Literature Review Team developed research questions focused on the previously specified topics. The research questions and corresponding sub-questions are as follows: Question 1: What are effective intervention strategies to increase physical activity among older adults? Does the mode of delivery (e.g., virtual, in person, phone) impact the effectiveness of interventions? Does the setting impact the effectiveness of the interventions? What barriers exist to engaging or participating in the intervention? What are the retention, attrition, and/or attendance rates? Do personal characteristics (e.g., ability, age, sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status) or chronic health conditions influence participation? Do interventions assess changes in participant mental health, quality of life, well-being, resilience, or social connection and isolation? Question 2: What are effective policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies to increase physical activity among older adults? Is there a dose-response relation between the scope and reach of the PSE strategy and “success”? Does the “success” of the PSE strategy vary by geographical location or by sociodemographic subgroup? Step 2: Develop Systematic Review Strategy Develop Analytical Frameworks. Analytical frameworks were developed for each research question. Analytical frameworks are graphic representations used to lay the groundwork and initial parameters for each search. The frameworks served as a guide to define key variables, inform the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and develop the literature review strategy. These frameworks were created using the PICO method (population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes) (Higgins et al., 2022) and were modeled on the approach used for the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018; Torres et al., 2018). The frameworks were constructed during weekly meetings (see supplementary materials). Develop Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria. The Literature Review Team created inclusion and exclusion criteria for each research question. The template used to draft inclusion and exclusion criteria was modeled off the approach used for the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018), and adapted to meet the needs of this particular review. These templates were used to determine whether studies were eligible to be selected for each respective systematic literature review and whether studies would provide data to support the focal research questions. To promote consistency and relevance, and to account for scope parameters, each template included similar sections (Tables 1 and 2). Table 1. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria for Question 1: What are effective intervention strategies to increase physical activity among older adults? Include Published in English Language English Language Publication Peer-Reviewed Literature Published From 2012 to 2022 Original Research Human Participants Intervention Study (Comparison Required) Must Measure Physical Activity Outcome Older Adults (minimum or mean age of 65 years or older) Designs Include Randomized Controlled Trials, Non-Randomized Controlled Trials, and Quasi-Experimental Studies Exclude Studies of Older Adults in Long-Term, Memory, or Hospice Facilities Studies of Disease-Specific Therapeutic Exercise Delivered in Health/Medical Facility Table 2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria for Question 2: What are effective policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies to increase physical activity among older adults? Include Published in English Language Peer-Reviewed Literature Published from 2012-2022 Original Research Human Participants Study Conducted in the United States Intervention Study (PSE Intervention) Must Measure Physical Activity Outcome Older Adults, Middle Age (50+ years) and Older Designs Include Non-Randomized Controlled Trials, Prospective Cohort, Retrospective Cohort, Case-Control, Cross-Sectional, Before and After, Geospatial, Environmental, and Surveillance Exclude Studies of Older Adults in Long-Term, Memory, or Hospice Facilities Studies of Disease-Specific Therapeutic Exercise Delivered in Health/Medical Facility Develop Search Strategy. A search strategy was created to identify peer-reviewed original research for each systematic review conducted. Each search strategy included search terms, Boolean logic to join terms, databases used, and key limits relevant to the inclusion criteria (e.g., research type, date of publication, language, study population, and filters specific to databases). The three databases included in each review were PubMed, CINHAL, and PsychINFO. These databases were selected due to the subject matter of articles included within each database. The Literature Review Team developed sets of search terms most relevant to each review. These sets included terms capturing a broad range of articles based on older adult population, intervention study design, comparison approach, and physical activity outcomes. Once these search terms were drafted, library representatives from the literature review contractor and the NIH Library reviewed the search strategies and provided suggestions for updates. Throughout the search strategy development process, draft searches were run to assess the number of articles included in the search and if the collected articles represented the nature of the research questions. In response to these outputs, modifications were made to the search strategies as needed. The final search strategies were shared with the Science Board for review and affirmation. Step 3: Search, Screen, and Select Evidence to Review The searching and screening process was completed to collect a thorough body of original research needed to support each systematic review. Specifically, a primary search was completed within the original literature, and a supplemental search of existing meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews was conducted to support this process. A review of the original research was completed using the previously developed search strategies. Once results were generated, duplicates were removed, and results were triaged based on title and abstract. Triage Training. Once the search strategy was implemented, each title/abstract underwent two rounds of review by members of the triage team. Members of the triage team were provided with thorough training and required to complete a certification process to ensure consistency between reviews prior to initiating triage. This training involved a comprehensive instructional presentation that was supported by a triage training manual that included detailed instructions, definitions, reporting instructions, response options, and example titles/abstracts. In addition to the formal training, members of the leadership team met one-on-one with triagers on an as-needed basis to promote consistency and accuracy. Prior to initiating the triage process, all potential triagers were required to complete a certification process on a subset of abstracts. Triagers who did not display a high level of consistency with the group on the practice assignment were not authorized to participate in the formal abstraction process. Title and Abstract Triage. Triagers were instructed to first review titles to assess eligibility and then move to abstracts if the article appeared to be potentially relevant. Triagers were instructed to then include or exclude articles based on information provided within the abstract. If articles were removed from consideration at the abstract review stage, triagers were required to provide a reason. These reasons differed based on the search, but often included reasons such as ineligible age of participants, no physical activity outcome included, and/or no physical activity component of intervention reported. When conflicts existed in decisions made by screeners, discrepancies were resolved by a member of the triage team. The lists of included and excluded articles were shared with members of the Science Board. Additional Supplemental Search Activities. Additional search activities were undertaken to further fortify the pool of articles collected through the initial search of the original literature. First, using the pre-established search terms, a systematic search was undertaken to identify relevant meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews that could potentially include original research articles relevant to the focal inclusion criteria. In tandem with this, a snowball approach (Wohlin, 2014) was also used to locate any additional meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews that could be deemed relevant. Reference pages and results tables from each of these meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews were hand-reviewed to identify original research articles that should be included within the review. These selected articles were reviewed in full-text and added to the pool if they fit the specified inclusion criteria. Science Board members were encouraged to share additional articles that fit inclusion criteria with the Literature Review Team. These articles were identified through the Science Board’s expertise and familiarity with the subject matter. If an article was identified that met the inclusion criteria, it was reviewed in full text and abstracted by the Abstraction Team. Full Text Review. Full text review for the list of included articles was conducted by members of the Literature Review Team. Two reviewers assessed each full-length article based on the inclusion criteria to determine whether it should be included or excluded from the final pool for review. Further, any articles that were identified as potentially ineligible during the abstraction process were added to the list of excluded articles. Step 4: Abstract Data and Assess Risk of Bias The abstraction process was used to collect and summarize key characteristics of each study that supported the systematic literature review purpose. The goal of abstraction was to (a) document key elements of each study for ease of review, and (b) use this information to present trends across the full body of evidence. Abstraction Training. Abstractors were onboarded, trained, and certified to complete all abstraction activities. Abstraction candidates participated in a thorough and rigorous multi-phased process prior to initiating abstraction. This training involved a multi-hour instructional session. This session was supported by an abstractor training manual that included detailed instructions, definitions, reporting instructions, response options, example abstraction questions, and thoroughly annotated version of articles used in the training. In addition to the formal training, members of the Literature Review Team met with and/or delivered written feedback to the abstractors to ensure consistency and promote recalibration when needed. Prior to initiating the abstraction process, all potential abstractors were required to complete abstraction on practice articles. Abstractors who did not display a high level of consistency with the group during the practice sessions did not participate in the formal abstraction process. Abstraction Process Explanation and Quality Control. Abstractors worked in pairs to independently review articles, abstract articles, and document findings. Abstractors were provided with random assignments of articles from members of the Literature Review Team. When discrepancies in abstraction were identified by the Literature Review Team, abstractors were asked to review and discuss these discrepancies. When discrepancies could not be settled among abstractors, members of the Literature Review Team reviewed the situation/materials and provided input and clarification to settle on a decision. The Literature Review Team conducted quality control and independently conducted a third round of abstraction for 20% of all articles included in each respective review. This quality control process was completed to ensure accuracy, clarity, and consistency in abstraction. Data Documentation. An online database was created, and abstractors entered their data into this system using forms created by the Literature Review Team. All pairings of abstractors independently read and reviewed articles, abstracted key information, and entered it into the online database. After discrepancy resolution and quality control procedures were completed, the abstracted data was edited as needed and used to populate article evidence summary tables and inform trend tables demonstrating overarching themes in the data. Assessing Risk of Bias. Articles were assessed for internal validity, using either the ROBINS-I (Sterne et al., 2016) or ROBINS-E tool (ROBINS-E Development Group, 2022). These tools assess risk of bias in studies that compare the health effects of exposures or interventions across a range of study types (e.g., RCT’s, observational, etc.). These tools are tailored by study design and pose different sets of questions based on whether a study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT), non-randomized controlled trial, or an observational study. The risk of bias assessment for each study was completed by two reviewers (from either the Abstraction Team or the Science Board). When discrepancies arose, the reviewers discussed and resolved discrepancies. Additionally, the Policy, Systems, and Environments review used an equity-centered framework relevant to the research evidence and adapted to researching policy, systems, and environmental approaches for improving physical activity outcomes in older adults (Venkateswaran et al., 2023). The diversity-equity-inclusion frame was applied to studies assessed for risk of bias using ROBINS-E across relevant domains of bias (ROBINS-E Development Group, 2022) (i.e., confounding, selection of participants into the study, classification of exposures, departures from intended exposures, missing data, measurement of outcomes, and selection of reported results, aligned with PICO model). Step 5: Describe the Evidence Evidence Portfolios. To facilitate the analysis of the evidence, the Literature Review Team prepared evidence portfolios for each question (see supplementary materials). The evidence portfolios documented the full process followed for both reviews, including the sources of evidence, conclusions, evidence grades, description of evidence, populations analyzed, individual evidence summary tables, risk of bias and quality assessment charts, search strategies, literature trees, references, and rationales for exclusion of articles during full-text triage. Step 6: Complete Evidence Portfolios and Draft Scientific Report Science Board members reviewed and deliberated on the body of evidence to develop conclusion statements that supported each of the research questions. Conclusion statements were tightly associated with the evidence, focused on general agreement among the studies around the independent variables and outcomes, and acknowledged areas of disagreement or limitations, where they existed. The conclusion statements reflected only the evidence reviewed and not information Science Board members might have known from another source. Along with the evidence portfolios, a rubric was developed to guide the assessment and grading of the strength of the evidence supporting each conclusion statement (Table 3). The rubric was adapted from the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018) and the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2020). Grading the strength of the evidence was based on applicability of the populations, exposures, and outcomes studied; generalizability to the population of interest; risk of bias and study limitations; quantity and consistency of findings across studies; and magnitude and precision of effect. Table 3. Physical Activity and Older Adults Systematic Literature Review Grading Criteria Grade Definition Strong The conclusion statement is based on a strong body of evidence as assessed by risk of bias, consistency, directness, precision, and generalizability. The level of certainty in the conclusion is strong, such that if new evidence emerges, modifications to the conclusion are unlikely to be required. Moderate The conclusion statement is based on a moderate body of evidence as assessed by risk of bias, consistency, directness, precision, and generalizability. The level of certainty in the conclusion is moderate, such that if new evidence emerges, modifications to the conclusion may be required. Limited The conclusion statement is based on a limited body of evidence as assessed by risk of bias, consistency, directness, precision, and generalizability. The level of certainty in the conclusion is limited, such that if new evidence emerges, modifications to the conclusion are likely to be required. Grade Not Assignable A conclusion statement cannot be drawn due to either a lack of evidence or evidence that has severe limitations related to risk of bias, consistency, directness, precision, and/or generalizability. Results The Physical Activity and Older Adults Systematic Literature Review (ICF Next, 2023) used a rigorous and systematic methodology. The methodology allowed the Literature Review Team to search, screen, select, abstract, assess the risk of bias, and include considerations of equity in original research related to effective strategies to get older adults moving; and grade the evidence from insufficient to strong. Over nine months, two literature searches were conducted, resulting in 16,883 titles and abstracts screened, and 734 full articles reviewed for inclusion. Of those, 64 original research articles were included for the final review to answer two questions, one focused on Settings and Strategies literature (46 studies) with five sub-questions and one focused on Policy, Systems, and Environments literature (18 studies) with two sub-questions (Figures 1 and 2). The process is documented for each research question in an evidence portfolio (see supplementary materials). Figure 1. Literature Tree Diagram for Question 1: What are effective intervention strategies to increase physical activity among older adults? Figure 2. Literature Tree Diagram for Question 2: What are effective policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies to increase physical activity among older adults? Discussion The Physical Activity and Older Adults Systematic Literature Review (ICF Next, 2023) evaluated the current scientific literature on strategies to increase physical activity among older adults to inform the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Implementation Strategies for Older Adults (HHS, 2023). Several strategies emerged across a variety of settings; the most commonly researched were home, health care, and community. Several limitations to the Physical Activity and Older Adults Systematic Literature Review (ICF Next, 2023) and opportunities to strengthen the research base on physical activity interventions for older adults should be noted. While the literature review looked at original research articles rather than systematic reviews or meta-analyses, most included studies did not measure, analyze, or disaggregate findings based on important individual or group characteristics. For the Settings and Strategies question, the team attempted to determine if the personal characteristics (e.g., ability, age, sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status) influence physical activity participation, but there was insufficient evidence to yield any analysis. For the Policy, Systems, and Environments question, equity considerations were applied, particularly concepts of diversity, inclusion, and access to study samples and intervention contexts to determine inequalities in physical activity outcomes. The samples did not reflect diverse populations and therefore an inability to grade the evidence or provide specific analysis for different subsets of older adults. For example, of the 18 included studies, only three studies examined specific racial/ethnic minority populations; two studies reported findings relative to disability-mobility limitations; and one study reported findings relative to health (multiple sclerosis status). Only two studies compared exposure to urban versus rural community geographies. Most studies of policy, systems, and environmental interventions employed cross-sectional design, examining residential neighborhoods (exposure context) in relation to physical activity outcomes, typically self-reported. Because of the importance of social connection and mental well-being, especially for older adults who are socially isolated or live alone, the review made efforts to examine these concepts in relation to physical activity outcomes and interventions. Unfortunately, most published studies of interventions for improving physical activity in older adults did not include social or mental well-being outcomes, such as social cohesion, quality of life, resilience, or mental health status. Lastly, few studies employed longitudinal designs, assessed long-term maintenance of outcomes, or investigated strategies to improve retention or prevent drop out in interventions to increase physical activity among the diversity of older adults, so physical activity maintenance, population and subpopulation effect remain uncertain. The Physical Activity and Older Adults Systematic Literature Review (ICF Next, 2023) provides a foundation suggesting what strategies work and in which settings to support physical activity in older adults. Several limitations to the literature review can be used as areas to strengthen future research to ensure more diverse populations are recruited, studied, analyzed, and outcomes documented in the scientific literature. Conclusion The Systematic Review (ICF Next, 2023) and Midcourse Report (HHS, 2023) are useful for physical activity researchers; policy makers; exercise and health professionals; clinicians; gerontologists; built environment professionals; local, state, territorial, and Tribal leaders; and others working with older adults. These reports are necessary as a guide to apply evidence-based strategies to support older adults to be more physically activity and to expand the future evidence base to translate Guidelines into practice. Author Contributions Conceptualization: A.V.B. and K.L.P.; Data Curation: D.H.J.; Formal Analysis: D.H.J.; Funding Acquisition: A.V.B. and K.L.P.; Investigation: D.H.J.; Methodology: A.V.B., D.H.J., and K.L.P.; Project Administration: A.V.B. and K.L.P.; Resources: A.V.B. and K.L.P.; Supervision: A.V.B. and K.L.P.; Validation: D.H.J.; Writing – Original Draft: A.V.B., D.H.J., and K.L.P.; Writing – Review & Editing: A.V.B. and K.L.P. Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to the 2022 President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Science Board for their work on the literature review: Barbara J. Nicklas (Science Board Chair), Susan W. Buchholz, David E. Conroy, Cheryl Der Ananian, Loretta DiPietro, Mark Fenton, Deborah H. John, NiCole R. Keith, David X. Marquez, Jacqueline Osborne, and Dori Rosenberg. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge Sarah Caban, Rachel Fisher, Noelle Harada, Carolyn Hinton, and Malorie Polster for their contributions to this project.

The IAU Working Group on Reference Systems (WGRS) Sub-Group on Astronomical Constants (SGAC) was established in June, 1989, as a consequence of resolutions adopted by Commissions 4, 7, 8 and 24 at the IAU General Assembly at Baltimore in 1988. The given missions of this sub-group were stated clearly by J. Hughes, the chairman of the WGRS, as:“Provide numerical values for the primary constants and specify the relationships between these and other, secondary constants within the framework of general relativity. This task will involve the documentation of the constants themselves as well as of the procedures and algorithms associated with their use. Recognition must be given to the fact that approaches which are specific to various techniques exist. The group must recommend the best estimates which can meet the varied requirements of astronomy. The apparent dichotomy between adopting fixed values for various quantities on the one hand, and the need for current, highly accurate values on the other hand, must be addressed by the group. Indeed, the crafting of effective procedures for incorporating new determinations into the values assigned to the constants, and the setting up of a mechanism for disseminating information regarding new determinations as an interim measure, are important tasks for this group.”This is a report of the activity of the SGAC prior to IAU Colloquium No.127. Section 2 summarizes the questionnaire prepared in trie course of discussion. In Section 3, the discussions on major issues are introduced. The drafts of Recommendations from the SGAC prepared before the Colloquium are shown in Section 4. Note that these drafts were very different from the final form as indicated in this Proceeding. Sections 5 and 6 deal with the current status of astronomical constants used widely now and the best estimates of some major constants which are available now, respectively. I believe these will serve as a guideline for current astronomical constants.

In September 2008, as the newly elected government struggled to restore macroeconomic stability, the Planning Commission of Pakistan constituted an advisory Panel of eminent economists to “come up with both short and medium term policy actions to address the economic challenges facing Pakistan, especially in the context of the global economic downturn”.1 The Panel was further advised by the Prime Minister to “suggest a short-term policy package to restore macro-economic stability which is efficient and equitable”2. The Panel had less than six weeks to come up with its initial recommendations. The government was at the same time in deep negotiations with the IMF for a rescue package as the balance of payments situation became more precarious by The Interim Report of the Panel was to serve a two-fold purpose. First, to be drawn upon as required by the economic team headed by the Minister of Finance in their negotiations with the IMF. Second, to the extent the Panel supported the need for stabilisation measures, it would strengthen the government’s hand in building-up public support for stabilisation measures to be adopted. The Panel came up with its Interim Report in end-October 2008 and proposed adoption of, “stabilisation measures that preserve economic growth to the possible extent and specific steps that would protect the poor and vulnerable groups”. The Report was presented and discussed in a full extended Cabinet meeting presided over by the Prime Minister. At the same Cabinet meeting, the Finance Minister presented the main elements of the proposed IMF Stand-By Agreement. Both the Panel’s Interim Report and the draft IMF Agreement were adopted by the Cabinet. The latter was formally signed in November 2010 after approval by the IMF Board of Directors. The Interim Report of the Panel in this context must be viewed as an important indeed ‘historical’ report. For the first time the country’s leading economic experts, in an independent advisory role, had put together a ‘home-grown’ stabilisation package which was given serious consideration by the government and deliberated at the highest echelons i.e. by the Cabinet.3 [1]ibid Preface, p. (iii). [2]”The Panel was set-up by Mr Salman Faruqui, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and included as members: Dr Hafiz A. Pasha, (Chairman), Dr Rashid Amjad (Convener), Dr Naved Hamid, Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Dr Akmal Hussain, Dr Akhtar Hassan Khan, Dr Ijaz Nabi, Dr Naseer Ali Khan, Mr Riaz Riazuddin, Dr Rehana Siddiqui, Dr Ali Cheema, Dr Asad Sayeed, Prof. Muhammad Tousif Akhter, Mr Sakib Sherani and Dr Qazi Masood Ahmed. The following were co-opted as members: Dr Azam Chaudhry, Dr Ather Maqsood, Syed Kalim Hyder Bukhari, Mr Muhammad Sabir and Mr Savail Hussain. [3]The Panel also separately presented its report to the President of Pakistan before the Cabinet meeting. The Panel’s Interim Report was divided into two parts. Part I presented a short term stabilisation programme covering the next one and half years between 2008-10. Part II, dealing with growth recovery and development priorities, presented the main elements of a medium-term development strategy. Since the final report of the Panel (submitted much later) dealt in detail with the proposed development strategy, in this review we basically analyse Part I of the report i.e. the short-term stabilisation package covering: (i) macro framework; (ii) main policy measures proposed; (iii) expected economic impact on key macro economic variables.4 We then also conduct a brief ex-post evaluation based on actual economic outcomes. It should be said up front that the Panel saw the stabilisation programme as one which would basically be V-shaped in its economic impact. “The guiding principle is a short sharp reduction in growth in the short-term and a quick rebound back to a higher trend growth rate”.5 This scenario as it turned out proved to be more than optimistic though, in all fairness as 2009-10 drew to an end, there were signs of economic optimism as the economy responded favourably to the stabilisation measures adopted.

Contemporary business sustainability relies on its flexibility and adaptability to unforeseen changes in societal and environmental challenges. In that sense, Speculative Design and Future Thinking offer a unique methodology for businesses to plan for the unpredictable. While those theories have been tested by decades of artistic and business applications, the recent introduction of generative AI tools widened the complexity and likelihood of answers that can be thoroughly investigated. At the same time, this enhanced capability to peek into our futures raises several concerns: How can we retain control of generative AI creative output using future thinking as a steering tool? Would that allow designers to proceed beyond strategic choices, addressing specific product development?This paper shares a case study of how future thinking was applied to provide a lighting manufacturer with design visualisations related to the lighting industry's future. HE institution offered this service (hidden for peer review) through an interdepartmental collaboration (Industrial Design and Architecture). Futures Thinking and Speculative Design apply as a methodology for consulting firms on strategic and communication choices (Mc Kinsey & Company, report, 2021). This case study explores the impact of such methodologies on choices related to product, interior, and systems design. Generative AI tools were prompted to visually interpret the forecasted scenarios through narrative discourse and creative works. the questions addressed were: What is the future of the light industry in the context of human emotions, enhanced user experience, well-being, or energy and resources?MethodsA workshop involving undergraduate and postgraduate students of the respective departments was organised in two phases: the first phase was about describing a scenario ten years in the future and conceptualising the design vision; the second phase was addressing the materialisation of light and its execution in a product or service proposal. After selecting the context, students followed methodological steps to envision future products, spaces and interactions following the four identified possible scenarios (Slaughter, 2013). In both phases, students used generative AI tools to visualise scenarios and solutions, Midjourney for the conceptual narrative, and Vizcom was used to generate illustrations of the interior/product lighting ecosystem. The latest tool does not rely solely on prompting but requires the designer to submit a sketch or a draft rendering of the proposed solution.ResultsThe design team of the participating lighting company attended each phase presentation involving products unfolding the relationship with the light in the future. The feedback received from the company appreciates the depth of the research and acknowledges the competitiveness of the identified research directions. The results achieved in the second phase of the workshop will be showcased at the IDI Shanghai yearly exhibition 2023.The format proposed could be easily adapted and implemented in a range of specific design domains, such as transportation and automotive, fashion and accessories, consumer electronics and household appliances, to name a few.

The Calcasieu Ship Channel (CSC) is a deep-draft federal channel located in southwest Louisiana. It is the channelized lowermost segment of the Calcasieu River, connecting Lake Charles to the Gulf of Mexico. With support from the Regional Sediment Management Program, the US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, requested that the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, perform an investigation of the potential sources of sediment associated with dredging in the CSC. A previous study had quantified sediment from known sources, indicating that the known sediment sources contribute approximately only 21% of the volume that is regularly dredged from the channel. This technical report details the results of the current study, which employed multiple methods, including numerical analysis, to identify potential additional sources of sediment by first examining the available literature and the modeled energetics and flow pathways, and then estimating the quantities of sediment associated with these identified sources that may be contributing to the shoaling of the CSC. The results of these efforts were used to update the original sediment budget with estimates of the contributions from two additional sources: the erosion of interior wetlands and coastally derived sediments.

Oroginal Objectives: (i) identify DNA markers linked to the avirulence (Avr) locus and locate the Avr locus through genetic mapping with an inter-race Orobanche cumana population; (ii) develop high-throughput fingerprint DNA markers for genotypingO. cumana races; (iii) identify nucleotide binding domain leucine rich repeat (NB-LRR) genes encoding R proteins conferring resistance to O. cumana in sunflower; (iv) increase the resolution of the chromosomal segment harboring Or₅ and related R genes through genetic and physical mapping in previously and newly developed mapping populations of sunflower; and (v) develop high-throughput DNA markers for rapidly and efficiently identifying and transferring sunflower R genes through marker-assisted selection. Revisions made during the course of project: Following changes in O. cumana race distribution in Israel, the newly arrived virulent race H was chosen for further analysis. HA412-HO, which was primarily chosen as a susceptible sunflower cultivar, was more resistant to the new parasite populations than var. Shemesh, thus we shifted sunflower research into analyzing the resistance of HA412-HO. We exceeded the deliverables for Objectives #3-5 by securing funding for complete physical and high-density genetic mapping of the sunflower genome, in addition to producing a complete draft sequence of the sunflower genome. We discovered limited diversity between the parents of the O. cumana population developed for the mapping study. Hence, the developed DNA marker resources were insufficient to support genetic map construction. This objective was beyond the scale and scope of the funding. This objective is challenging enough to be the entire focus of follow up studies. Background to the topic: O. cumana, an obligate parasitic weed, is one of the most economically important and damaging diseases of sunflower, causes significant yield losses in susceptible genotypes, and threatens production in Israel and many other countries. Breeding for resistance has been crucial for protecting sunflower from O. cumana, and problematic because new races of the pathogen continually emerge, necessitating discovery and deployment of new R genes. The process is challenging because of the uncertainty in identifying races in a genetically diverse parasite. Major conclusions, solutions, achievements: We developed a small collection of SSR markers for genetic mapping in O. cumana and completed a diversity study to lay the ground for objective #1. Because DNA sequencing and SNPgenotyping technology dramatically advanced during the course of the study, we recommend shifting future work to SNP discovery and mapping using array-based approaches, instead of SSR markers. We completed a pilot study using a 96-SNP array, but it was not large enough to support genetic mapping in O.cumana. The development of further SNPs was beyond the scope of the grant. However, the collection of SSR markers was ideal for genetic diversity analysis, which indicated that O. cumanapopulations in Israel considerably differ frompopulations in other Mediterranean countries. We supplied physical and genetic mapping resources for identifying R-genes in sunflower responsible for resistance to O. cumana. Several thousand mapped SNP markers and a complete draft of the sunflower genome sequence are powerful tools for identifying additional candidate genes and understanding the genomic architecture of O. cumana-resistanceanddisease-resistance genes. Implications: The OrobancheSSR markers have utility in sunflower breeding and genetics programs, as well as a tool for understanding the heterogeneity of races in the field and for geographically mapping of pathotypes.The segregating populations of both Orobanche and sunflower hybrids are now available for QTL analyses.

The IDB wishes to position itself as a leader amongst multilateral development banks in pursuing sustainability in its operations and in promoting development that is environmentally and socially sound in Latin America and the Caribbean. An important component of this process is the development of the Environment and Safeguards Compliance Policy that will implement the Banks Environmental Strategy approved in 2003. The Draft Policy is currently under public consultation. In 2004, a nine-member advisory group, known as the Blue Ribbon Panel on Environment, was created by IDB President Enrique V. Iglesias to advise on the Bank's new Environment and Safeguards Compliance Policy, and the broader perspective of increasing the Bank's role in supporting countries in the Region to achieve sustainable development. This document contains the IDB management response to the panel's recommendations.