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The COVID-19 pandemic led to the implementation of worldwide restrictive measures to reduce social contact and viral spread. These measures have been reported to have a negative effect on physical activity (PA). Studies of PA during the pandemic have primarily used self-reported data. The single academic study that used tracked data did not report on demographics. This study aimed to explore patterns of smartphone-tracked activity before, during, and immediately after lockdown in the United Kingdom, and examine differences by sociodemographic characteristics and prior levels of PA. Tracked longitudinal weekly minutes of PA were captured using the BetterPoints smartphone app between January and June 2020. Data were plotted by week, demographics, and activity levels at baseline. Nonparametric tests of difference were used to assess mean and median weekly minutes of activity at significant points before and during the lockdown, and as the lockdown was eased. Changes over time by demographics (age, gender, Index of Multiple Deprivation, baseline activity levels) were examined using generalized estimating equations (GEEs). There were 5395 users with a mean age of 41 years (SD 12) and 61% (n=3274) were female. At baseline, 26% (n=1422) of users were inactive, 23% (n=1240) were fairly active, and 51% (n=2733) were active. There was a relatively even spread across deprivation deciles (31% [n=1693] in the least deprived deciles and 23% in the most [n=1261]). We found significant changes in PA from the week before the first case of COVID-19 was announced (baseline) to the week that social distancing restrictions were relaxed (Friedman test: χ =2331, P<.001). By the first full week of lockdown, the median change in PA was 57 minutes less than baseline. This represents a 37% reduction in weekly minutes of PA. Overall, 63% of people decreased their level of activity between baseline and the first week of COVID-19 restrictions. Younger people showed more PA before lockdown but the least PA after lockdown. In contrast, those aged >65 years appeared to remain more active throughout and increased their activity levels as soon as lockdown was eased. Levels of PA among those classed as active at baseline showed a larger drop compared with those considered to be fairly active or inactive. Socioeconomic group and gender did not appear to be associated with changes in PA. Our tracked PA data suggests a significant drop in PA during the United Kingdom's COVID-19 lockdown. Significant differences by age group and prior PA levels suggests that the government's response to COVID-19 needs to be sensitive to these individual differences and the government should react accordingly. Specifically, it should consider the impact on younger age groups, encourage everyone to increase their PA, and not assume that people will recover prior levels of PA on their own.

Cities are subject to both state and federal regulations that constrain their policy-making autonomy. [...]theories of fiscal federalism argue that the smaller geographic scope of cities makes them more sensitive to mobility and, consequently, less able to redistribute. [...]preexisting preferences surrounding immigration are unlikely to drive the results. [...]with respect to immigrant detention, city-level officials do not control whether their resident county enters an intergovernmental service agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to house immigrant detainees. Nonetheless, when county facilities are involved with immigration enforcement, town and city officials—particularly law enforcement officials—are exposed to policies that frame immigrants as lawbreakers rather than as clients or community members.

Domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris) were an important resource for many indigenous groups, including Plains peoples. Plains people used dogs for hauling materials, as camp or village warning systems, as sources of food, and as ritual participants. The identification of domestic Plains dogs is complicated by their wolf-like body size, and from hybridization with Canis lupus and Canis latrans, which also appear in the archaeological record. By combining stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analyses with geometric morphometric studies of canid mandibles and lower teeth from Plains Village sites in North Dakota, this article presents a methodology for differentiating wild and domestic canids.

Background There is a growing body of research into the total amount and patterns of sitting, standing and stepping in office-based workers and few studies using objectively measured sitting and standing. Understanding these patterns may identify daily times opportune for interventions to displace sitting with activity. Methods A sample of office-based workers (n = 164) residing in England were fitted with thigh-worn ActivPal accelerometers and devices were worn 24 hours a day for five consecutive days, always including Saturday and Sunday and during bathing and sleeping. Daily amounts and patterns of time spent sitting, standing, stepping and step counts and frequency of sit/stand transitions, recorded by the ActivPal accelerometer, were reported. Results Total sitting/standing time was similar on weekdays (10.6/4.1 hrs) and weekends (10.6/4.3 hrs). Total step count was also similar over weekdays (9682 ± 3872) and weekends (9518 ± 4615). The highest physical activity levels during weekdays were accrued at 0700 to 0900, 1200 to 1400, and 1700 to 1900; and during the weekend at 1000 to 1700. During the weekday the greatest amount of sitting was accrued at 0900 to 1200, 1400 to 1700, and 2000 to 2300, and on the weekend between 1800 and 2300. During the weekday the greatest amount of standing was accrued between 0700 and 1000 and 1700 and 2100, and on the weekend between 1000 and 1800. On the weekday the highest number of sit/stand transitions occurred between 0800 to 0900 and remained consistently high until 1800. On the weekend, the highest number occurred between 1000 to 1400 and 1900 to 2000. Conclusion Office based-workers demonstrate high levels of sitting during both the working week and weekend. Interventions that target the working day and the evenings (weekday and weekend) to displace sitting with activity may offer most promise for reducing population levels of sedentary behaviour and increasing physical activity levels, in office-based workers residing in England.

Fine-scale temporal processes, such as the synchronous deposition of organic materials, can be challenging to identify using 14C datasets. While some events, such as volcanic eruptions, leave clear evidence for synchronous deposition, synchroneity is more difficult to establish for other types of events. This has been a source of controversy regarding 14C dates associated with a hypothesized extraterrestrial impact at the Younger Dryas Boundary (YDB). To address this controversy, we first aggregate 14C measurements from Northern Hemisphere YDB sites. We also aggregate 14C measurements associated with a known synchronous event, the Laacher See volcanic eruption. We then use a Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the magnitude of variability expected in a 14C dataset associated with a synchronous event. The simulation accounts for measurement error, calibration uncertainty, “old wood” effects, and laboratory measurement biases. The Laacher See 14C dataset is consistent with expectations of synchroneity generated by the simulation. However, the YDB 14C dataset is inconsistent with the simulated expectations for synchroneity. These results suggest that a central requirement of the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis, synchronous global deposition of a YDB layer, is extremely unlikely, calling into question the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis more generally.

Background The addition of qualitative methodology to randomised controlled trials evaluating complex interventions allows better understanding of contextualised factors and their potential influence on trial delivery and outcomes, as well as opportunities for feedback on trial participation to improve future trial protocols. This study explored the experiences of participation in cancer rehabilitation research during active cancer treatment. Participants were people living with haematological cancer myeloma, undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) recruited to the PERCEPT myeloma pilot trial. Methods A qualitative semi-structured interview study, embedded within a pilot randomised controlled trial of a physiotherapist-led exercise intervention delivered before, during and after ASCT among people living with myeloma. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Interviews from 16 trial participants (n = 8 intervention group; n = 8 control group; mean age 61 years, 56% male) were analysed. Four main themes were identified: (1) “It’s not just beneficial for me, it’s for people after me as well”; (2) Disparities in experience of recovery – expectations, feeling prepared and support; (3) “What I wanted to do was build myself back up and prepare”; (4) Active ingredients – participants’ experience of the trial intervention. Participants reported both altruistic and perceived personal gain as motivators for enrolling in the trial. Disappointment caused by allocation to control arm may have led to participants seeking exercise elsewhere, indicating possible contamination of control condition. Disparities in experience of recovery from transplant were evident with intervention participants reporting greater trajectory of recovery. Conclusions The findings from this embedded qualitative study highlight numerous considerations required when designing pilot and efficacy trials of complex interventions. The addition of qualitative investigation offers greater understanding of motivations for participation, intervention mechanisms at play as well as effects of participation that may impact interpretation of quantitative outcomes. Trial registration Qualitative findings from a prospectively registered pilot trial (ISRCTN15875290), registered 13/02/2019.

ObjectivesAdoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours has shown promising effectiveness in reducing the high morbidity burden of cancer survivors. Health professionals (HPs) are well suited to provide lifestyle advice but few survivors report receiving guidance from them. This study aimed to explore HPs’ perspective of lifestyle advice (on healthy eating, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol) for cancer survivors.DesignIn-depth semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone or face to face. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.Setting and participantsTwenty-one UK HPs working in secondary care with breast, prostate or colorectal cancer survivors were interviewed.ResultsThe overarching theme was that HPs’ desire to provide lifestyle advice was not necessarily matched by knowledge and action. Three main themes were identified: (1) survivorship-centred barriers to provision, (2) HP-centred barriers to provision, and (3) optimal delivery of lifestyle advice. Results suggested that HPs’ perceptions of survivors’ current status of practising health behaviours, their perceived socioeconomic barriers and ability to practise health behaviours, and HPs’ fear for potential loss of connection with the patient influenced provision of lifestyle advice. Further factors included HPs’ knowledge of healthy lifestyle guidelines, feeling that they were not the ‘right person’ to provide advice, and lack of time and resources. HPs stressed that the optimal delivery of lifestyle advice should (1) be tailored to the individual and delivered throughout the cancer journey, (2) be focused on small and achievable changes framed as part of their treatment regimen and (3) be cost-effective for wide-scale implementation.ConclusionsIncorporation of the identified barriers when developing HP training programmes and lifestyle interventions could increase the probability of successful behavioural change, and thus improve outcomes for cancer survivors.

ABSTRACT Introduction After a cancer diagnosis, recommendations for those living with and beyond cancer (LWBC) are to maintain a body mass index (BMI) < 25 and avoid weight gain. This study explored factors associated with receipt of and interest in weight management advice as well as engagement in weight management programmes (WMPs) among people LWBC affected by overweight and obesity. Methods 3456 participants living with or beyond breast, prostate or colorectal cancer and affected by overweight and obesity completed our questionnaire. Participants reported advice received on losing weight, interest in receiving weight management advice, enrolment in a lifestyle programme and their beliefs about maintaining a healthy weight to prevent cancer recurrence. Results Logistic regression results suggested that those who received advice were more likely to be interested in advice (OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.30; 2.18) and to be enrolled in a WMP (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.07; 2.40). The belief that maintaining a healthy weight could prevent cancer recurrence was associated with greater interest in weight management advice (OR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.33; 1.62) and enrolment in a programme (OR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.25; 1.99). Discussion These results highlight that those who recall receiving weight management advice are more likely to be enrolled in a WMP, suggesting that advice should be offered by healthcare professionals to all those patients affected by overweight and obesity. Conclusions This suggests that the receipt of weight management advice may encourage people LWBC who are affected by overweight and obesity to engage with WMPs.

[...]we note that the inferred age of the Lake Hind YDB layer is, in part, a result of decisions made in the construction of their age–depth model. [...]we question whether the melted magnetic spherules presented in this paper support the impact hypothesis. Other researchers have identified magnetic spherules in non-YDB contexts (Surovell, et al., 2009; Pinter et al., 2011; Pigati et al., 2012; Holliday et al., 2016), but Younger Dryas impact hypothesis proponents have countered that melted spherules are only found in YDB-age layers (LeCompte et al., 2012; Wittke et al., 2013; Teller et al., 2019). [...]we are surprised that in the current contribution, only 2 of 11 melted magnetic spherules were recovered from the YDB layer at −33 to −30 cm.