Billy Brooks

Independent and joint effects of prenatal maternal smoking and maternal exposure to second-hand smoke on the development of adolescent obesity: a longitudinal study.

To examine associations of prenatal maternal smoking and second‐hand smoke (SHS) exposure with the development of adolescent obesity.

Prescription Disposal Practices: A 2-Year Ecological Study of Drug Drop Box Donations in Appalachia

OBJECTIVES We quantified controlled substance donations via permanent drug donation boxes over 2 years in a region with high prescription abuse, assessing medication characteristics, time between dispensing and donation, and weight of medications donated per capita. METHODS In partnership with Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement, we analyzed permanent drug donation box collections in 8 Northeast Tennessee locations from June 2012 to April 2014. We recorded controlled substance dosage units along with the product dispensing date. RESULTS We collected 4841 pounds of pharmaceutical waste, 4.9% (238.5 pounds) of which were controlled substances, totaling 106,464 controlled substance doses. Analysis of dispensing dates for controlled substances indicated a median of 34 months lapsed from dispensing to donation (range = 1-484 months). The mean controlled substance donation rate was 1.39 pounds per 1000 residents. Communities with fewer than 10,000 residents had a statistically higher controlled substance donation rate (P = .002) compared with communities with 10,000 or more residents. CONCLUSIONS Permanent drug donation boxes can be an effective mechanism to remove controlled substances from community settings. Rural and urban community residents should be provided convenient and timely access to drug disposal options.

Developing an academic health department in Northeast Tennessee: a sustainable approach through student leadership.

In an effort to bridge the gap between public health practice and academia, the Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Tennessee Public Health Training Center (LIFEPATH) has supported establishment of an academic health department (AHD) involving the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health (COPH) and the Sullivan County Regional Health Department (SCRHD). The SCRHD identified a need to increase internal capacity to conduct ongoing community health assessment and community-centered practice. Similarly, the COPH recognized the need to expand evidence-based practice implementation and evaluation opportunities for public health students. Personnel from the SCRHD, LIFEPATH, and the COPH developed a formal AHD agreement during the summer of 2012 and launched the program the subsequent fall semester. One aspect of the COPH/SCRHD/LIFEPATH model that addresses financial barriers experienced by other AHDs is the competitive awarding of the coordinator position to a doctor of public health student from the COPH, demonstrating investment in the model by the college. The doctor of public health student gains leadership experience through project management, coordination of the local health council, and day-to-day facilitation of undergraduate and masters student interns. The SCRHD benefits from the formal academic background of graduate-level interns dedicated to working in the community. This AHD framework offers an opportunity for doctoral-level students to develop practical leadership skills in a health department while enhancing the capacity of the SCRHD and the COPH to serve their community and stakeholders.

The Development and Implementation of a Student-Led Farmers’ Market on a Public University Campus

Farmers’ markets are increasingly promoted for their potential to improve access to healthful foods. University campuses are strategic settings for farmers’ markets, because they could improve access to fresh, local produce for large and diverse communities—including college students, who are at risk for poor dietary intake. Universities also offer resources that facilitate farmers’ markets, such as built-in communication channels, common areas, and student volunteers. However, literature describing how to establish campus-based farmers’ markets is limited. We describe the process of developing and operating a student-driven, campus-based farmers’ market at a public university in the Appalachian region of the United States.

Findings From A Us State Department Of Health Workforce Assessment Survey

In the article proposes a device for determining the structural and mechanical properties of visco-plastic food mass at a stretching, in conditions, excluding the effect of its own weight of the sample. In the study of the influence of the quality of flour, humidity, duration of aging, mechanical processing revealed that during long time aging and mechanical processing a temporary tensile strength is reduced and relative elongation is increased, that is, the dough becomes more plastic. On tensile strain we define the values at which begins the gap of the dough: the dough from flour of the premium humidity of 40% - 550 Pa and a humidity of 45% - 650 Pa; the dough from the flour of the first grade humidity of 40% - 450 Pa and a humidity of 45% - 600 Pa.The proposed research aims to address the implementation and management of cyber security practices associated with information technology and operational technology regarding network environments of industrial production (SCADA-ICS). Not intended to replace other activities related to cybersecurity, programs, processes, or approaches that organizations of downstream petroleum and natural gas have implemented or intend to implement, including cybersecurity activities associated with legislation, regulations, policies, private initiatives, or the requirements for the business mission. The guidance in this research program is to complement a comprehensive cybersecurity specific areas and industries of oil and gas.According to the Georgian Civil Procedural Code, evidence is information received in legal way, based on which parties protect their rights and legal interests. Physical and juridical persons protect their civil rights in the court. They establish their suit demands on facts which can be proved by means of evidence. So, evidence has great role in the civil process. There are a lot of cases when a party has significant advantage against an opponent, foreseeing material law norms, though his/her suit demand is possible not to be satisfied in the discussion of the case, reasoning not having enough and real evidence, as civil legislation imperatively defines, that each party should prove circumstances on which he/she establishes their demands counterclaim, parties themselves define which facts should be based on their demands or by which evidences these facts should be proved. In the given case, the aim of our research is to study the evidence the party’s explanation, as an evidence in the court practice, is evaluated in the court, how homogeneous the court practice is in relation to this issue and what kind of flaws we have in this aspect.While much importance is given for protecting one’s data and confidential information from outside one’s boundaries little is talked about the risks involved inside the organization. Users inside an organization had direct physical access to confidential information and are well aware of the resource access controls. Hence securing the intranet from its trusted users becomes critical. Statistics show that 80% of all computer frauds is committed by internal end users. This paper briefly explains the definition and the architecture of the intranet and discusses the physical security of the intranet components and also security of the organizations data both from the internal users and also from the outside world (Internet).The Civil Procedure Code of Georgia is a codified normative act which meticulously defines the general principles of the legal procedure, the courts departmental subordination and judgment, the parties participating in process, their legal capacity, proceedings at all instances of the court, appeals of court decisions, etc. Generally, norms of procedural law are of imperative character. Participants (parties) of these legal relations do not have right to transform or change them. In other words, participants (parties) of formal relations are equipped with only those rights and obligations that are imposed on them only by the legislation or the court practice. Thus, exactly the procedural law determines the degree of democracy and freedom of the state legal system. It does not matter how broad an individuals rights are; these rights lose sense if they are not protected and realized by the state enforcement mechanisms. That is why, when disputes concerning infringement of the Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights arise, the European Court of Human Rights always examines whether the applicant’s formal procedural rights are protected and how the rights recognized by the national legislation are in line with the standards of human rights.The presented article deals with the importance of mortgage certificate and the circumstances hindering its use in practice that very often occur in private law relations. Namely this determines topicality of the given issue. In 2007 amendments were made in the civil legislation of Georgia to simplify procedures of assignment of mortgage ensured claim. In particular, legal norms regulating the mortgage certificate were established. However, the mortgage certificate institute could not manage to find its niche in the private law relations. As a result, the norms regulating the mortgage certificate in legislative acts carry only informative character. Comparativelegal analysis of the abovementioned legal norms enables us to determine the reasons why establishment of Legal norms regulating mortgage certificate failed in 2007. Alongside with this, it is anticipated that there will be interpretations of legislative changes necessary for putting mortgage certificate into practice. It will also clarify goals and results of simultaneous existence of mortgage certificate and registry extract, possibility of replacement mortgage certificates with registry extracts.Nowadays, etiopathogenesis of recurrent aphthous stomatitis is not fully understood. Chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, diseases associated with H. Pylori, often attend this oral pathology. It is acknowledged, that H. Pylori is a conditional-pathogenic microbe which is included in normal mucosalflora of the gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity. Oral cavity appears to be a secondary reservoir for the microorganisms and also a source of gastric reinfection after the eradicative treatment in case of gastroduodenal pathologies. H. Pylori has got ability to enhance aggressive factors and considerably reduce mucous membrane protective factors. In order to carry out further investigations on this issue, we have initiated observation on the patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis. The aim of the study was to determine whether there is a correlation between Helicobacter Pylori infection and recurrent aphthous stomatitis. The results of the given investigation show there is a higher possibility that the role of Helicobacter Pylori in the etiopathogenesis of recurrent oral ulcers (aphthae) is significant.Forecasted data of energy consumptions to supply energy needs of Technological Polo (TP) equipped with a “Complex Energy System” (CES) allowed calculating amount of polluting emission yearly expected. With same approach people calculated amount of polluting emission in case of energy, supply with a Conventional System of Technologies (CST). By means of comparison between the two amounts of forecasted polluting data, people focused on as much air pollution could be saved adopting CES that is based on “green energy”, CCHP techniques and statements of II Law of Thermodynamics. Firstly, paper shows a short summary of architectural and operational function of TP integrally reported in previous paper [1].In a region with such an extensive wine history and culture, wine and food will be an important component of tourism. As more ventures get off the ground, Georgia will develop a critical mass of wine tourism offerings. Georgias traditional winemaking method of fermenting grapes in earthenware, egg-shaped vessels has been added to the world heritage list of UNESCO. Georgia’s ancient wine culture has seen a revival in recent years. Winemakers have realized that their traditional method of qvevri winemaking is one of their most valuable assets. In the last decade, wine tourism has become a key component of gastronomy tourism and a pillar in the strategies of diversification of many destinations. The quality, styles, and value of Georgian wine available internationally will stimulate interest in Georgian wine tourism, more so than vice versa.In the given article we will discuss lawsuit enforcement questions and methods which have acutely arisen and made contentious the problem of its necessity and its usage in jurisdiction in the recent period. Accordingly, it became necessary to research and study lawful nature of lawsuit enforcement measures as an important institute of the Public Procedural Law. In our opinion, courts have to install a unanimous practice in regard to lawsuit enforcement methods. Although, we must observe that it was not our aim to give general characteristics of the suit enforcement as an institute or to discuss its various methods. In this article we will try to characterize the criteria of the lawfulness of the lawsuit enforcement measures and also problems of its usage, abstaining from it and of its change as based on the Georgian jurisdiction and the existing law practice in Georgia .The subject of the research topic is of a serious criminal offense such as robbery. The present paper investigates robbery as one of the most dangerous forms of seizure of other’s property accompanied by using violence or threat of violence which endangers life or health. The research studies whether robbery is properly attributed to property crimes when robbery is directly related to life or health-threatening violence. The major subject of the research is to make fundamental criminal analysis of robbery as one of the most severe and frequently committed crime; also, to identify its place in the Criminal Code on the basis of comparing it with premeditated murder motivated by self-interest. The research gives historical review of robbery considering the European practice and aims to contribute to improvement of the legislation of Georgia.Decision in absentia is the decision passed against an absent party. Such decision is based on the supposition that at the main judicial sitting the plaintiff denied the suit, and the defendant has notified it. Every person has the right to go to law in order to defend his rights or liberty. According to the 1st part of the 2nd paragraph of the Civil Procedure Code, the juridical protection is enforceable for every person. The court will start trying a case with the application of that person who applies for it in order to defend the interests, legally provided. The main point of this principle should be divided into two parts and explained. Hence, in the first case, the plaintiff is pondered who has a demand towards the defendant; he thinks that the defendant has outraged the rights and the interests protected by law and he wants these rights to be urgently rehabilitated. For this he has saved some money, time, and work, to be present at the legal trial and to give the judge the chance to rehabilitate his rights. On the stage of preliminary preparation of the case the argument is not solved essentially. Only the procedural actions, foreseen by the law are held. On the preparatory stage may be held preparation session, but in this case, the supposition of suit confession by the defendant, or the sides’ agreement, defendant denial of suit may not be justified. That is why, in case of absence of any side at the main trial, as the argument decision has turned to be impossible; it is not possible to pass the absent decision. The absent decision is the presumption for the side, which has lost the case with substantive point of view because of being absent. A decision in absentia is a supposition that the plaintiff refuses the suit in case he is absent, or the defendant has confessed the action, while his absence. As this supposition was not justified at the preparation trial, it is not possible to pass the decision at this stage and the essential discussion of the case should be set at the main trial.The world is nowadays facing a great challenge: the production of food in harmony with the environment. Air pollution resulting from livestock activities and the existing possible solutions are shown as elements of vital importance. This fact definitely leads us to consider this issue from the global, national and local point of view. Each country faces different situations in terms of emissions which result directly from the production activities circumstances. Livestock in Argentina represents a substantial portion of the agricultural activities. Therefore, emissions produced become critical to any climate change mitigation and adaptation policy. Currently, satellite data can be obtained from an atmosphere scanning with territorial and temporal segregation. This information makes possible to achieve a global worldwide coverage, however, of low accuracy. Although it is not possible to identify sources and specific sumps, data on large areas can be achieved. Within this context, this project5 has been framed mainly focused on the creation of estimates of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) produced by the beef value chain in Argentine on different production scenarios. This Study has been carried out and promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, managed and coordinated by the National University of Tres de Febrero -UNTREF- and developed under the technical advice of AACREA [Argentine Association of Regional Consortiums for Agricultural Experimentation]. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of a model in order to estimate emissions of greenhouse gases in the Argentine beef chain on different scenarios for the 2013-2014 period and to propose, on said basis, production models and functional marketing in line with the environmental objectives.The article discusses historical basis confirming signs of existence “Meokhi” (intercessor, advocate, protector) in feudal Georgia that certainly, has its reasons. History of advocacy is an important integral part of any country’s legal culture. “Meokhi’’ that stands for intercessor in Georgian or the words of foreign origin – Arabic “vekili” or Latin advocate were used to denote a “defender” in Georgian legislation. Lawyer’s profession counts several thousand years. Presumably, there were layers of the society bearing this profession in feudal Georgia which is directly or indirectly confirmed by Georgian literary sources and the fundamental researches. Advocacy originated in the ancient era. Lawyer’s profession was considered as a free and honorable profession in ancient Rome. It is a well-known fact that in the Roman Empire qualified lawyers were selected to make explanations at the court. 74 It is noteworthy that in the period of unification of Georgia, in the 11-12 centuries, law specialists were “scholars of the assembly’’, who were invited to the court and there is a high probability that they participated in the processes.75 We want to prove that in the united Georgia there was a layer of the society which had the function of “meokhi” – representatives of parties who actually provided defense. We believe that all this, as a historical reality, will be interesting for individuals who work in this profession, lawyers, and generally, for the whole society.A very intelligent and story like poetry by Beka Akhalaia amuses and saddens at the same time, but always charms its readers with its authenticity, naivety and vividness. Three verses are chosen by their likeness of composition and stylistic devices: “After January”, “There was one and there is no main Avenue” and “A dream” represents the insight of a poet, whose style of writing with symbols and enigmas, leads us into the sphere of Metamodernist poetry.Nowdays, people are interested in internationalization of markets and business. There are new companies on the market which from the start-up have the aim to internationalize. In general, they have not enough resources for internationalizition. In this topic we will discuss particular resources which should be internationalized and be part of international business. There are some types of such businesses, such as international entrepreneurial organization or born global companies. Of course, study of such companies should be started based on traditional strategies of market penetration, such as export strategy, licensing, etc. Afterwords, we will discuss new trends which help new-born companies to penetrate form the start-up into new marketns and increase their sales based on export. Such trend can be learning process estabilished in companies or experience of the managers who have operated in international markets. There is one type of research which indicates such trendes. This type of research is empirical analysis. There are good examples of such business. For example in Australia or Lithuania there are many businesses internationalized from the start. We will present results and factors from research which have been conducted in these countries. And finally, we will discuss Georgian market and companies which have already been nternationalized.Georgias European choice and the desire to get closer to European standards make the country face the particular challenges. According to the value and scale of changes, higher education service market occupies the specific place. Higher education services market as the core resource of the formation of professional staff, presents a key factor for sustainable and dynamic business development. On the basis of the aforementioned, in Georgia, it is especially important to promotion the diversification of funding for higher education market.Communication is a process of transmitting some information or data, ideas, thoughts, feelings, emotions through speech, writing, gestures, mimics, eyes and even nonverbal signals. In other words, communication is a process of establishing contacts and developing relations between people. The mostly widely spread types of communication is verbal and nonverbal. Namely this is the subject of research of the presented paper; though, it focuses on the subtype of nonverbal communication – visual communication. The papers deals with similarities and differences between these most important types of communication. The first and most vivid similarity between these types is that in both case we deal with the process of transferring and receiving the information. Secondly, both of them are connected with brain. In both cases, perceptual processing determines the type and amount of information that is sent to the brain for further thought. But if in verbal communication brain receives the information through the organs of hearing (by the uttered words), in the second case the process is accomplished through the organs of vision (by the viewed object). In both cases, the addressee should be very well aware of codes sent by the addresser; otherwise there will be no communication. But in case of verbal communication words, phrases and sentences should be properly understood and in case of visual communication – the objects, images should be properly perceived where symbolism should definitely be minded.The main aspects of social media and various attempts of its interpretation are reviewed in the article. The concept, main functions of social media are highlighted, its positive and negative sides and expected tendencies of development are presented. Position of social media optimists is shared in the article according to which, functions and importance of social media is positively seen and understood despite certain resistance. The above phenomenon entirely changed the communicative paradigm of the epoch which became a reason for significant social transformation, on its part. In particular, engagement of citizens in social-political processes, social awareness and level of democracy sharply increased which predetermined significant expansion of area of opportunities of an individual.Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world the growth of which in a certain country is strongly stipulated by the internal stability, safe environment and an acceptable level of economic development. Orientation on the promotion of tourism requires the implementation of activities ensuring protection of historical, religious and archeological monuments; care of local folklore, traditions and customs and preservation of art and cuisine. Many countries of the world have started offering intangible resources such as myths, legends and mystics in general as tourist products. Using myths and legends as intangible tourist resources to promote tourism in Georgia has great prospects since according to the world experience and researches in psychology; it increases the interest level and motivation to visit a certain destination on both international and domestic levels. Alongside its cultural and historical resources Georgia is notably rich in myths, legends and mystical diversity enabling cultural-mystical tourism to be pushed forward. Georgia is distinguished with its variety of mystical sights. One can often witness a bunch of tourists gathered around local elderly striving to find out weird stories about a travel destination notwithstanding a language barrier; thus proving that tourists need memorable bizarre stories to connect to the destination site/s emotionally. The article focuses on three archeological monuments of Georgia (Mount Khvamli, Grakliani Hill and Vani Settlements) considered to be a treasure of the world cultural heritage in terms of architecture, history of writing, models of community life, crafts or unique samples of folklore; and concentrates on the significance of the mystics related to each discovery on the monuments as the means to promote cultural tourism in Georgia.