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Disney Pinocchio 1000 Piece Puzzle
Let your conscience be your guide to good times making this joyful Pinocchio puzzle! The Blue Fairy has granted Geppetto’s wish and brought his wooden marionette to life, so it’s time to celebrate! Join the fun, along with Jiminy Cricket, Figaro the cat and Cleo the goldfish, in this festive scene from Pinocchio, produced in 1940 and Disney’s second feature film. On the way to becoming a real boy, Pinocchio learns the importance of truth, bravery, and selflessness, and that dreams do come true!
Disney’s Pinocchio is based on the beloved children’s novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio, published in 1883 by Italian author Carlo Collodi. The Disney movie is known for its groundbreaking achievements in animation and Academy Award®-winning music, and has become a treasured family fantasy!
The Disney Pinocchio 1000 piece puzzle by Ravensburger measures about 27 x 20 inches when completed (70 x 50cm).
Since 1891 Ravensburger has been making the world's finest puzzles in Ravensburg, Germany. Attention to detail has made Ravensburger the world's greatest puzzle brand! Ravensburger uses an exclusively developed, extra-thick cardboard combined with fine, linen-structured paper to create a glare-free puzzle image for a quality you can see and feel. Steel cutting tools are designed and crafted by hand. This ensures that no two pieces are alike and guarantees a perfect interlocking fit. Enjoy Ravensburger quality with this family-friendly activity today!
⚠WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Contains Small Parts.
Not for children under 3 years.
We typically ship within two business days (usually faster).
Free Shipping (if applicable) applies only to orders shipping within the United States or to APO/DPO addresses and only to a single address per order.
We do not ship to freight forwarders (or 'shipping proxies'). Certain Orders to these addresses will be cancelled and refunded.
International shipping is not allowed for certain products or brands (Jellycat for example). Orders shipping out of the US for these products will be cancelled and refunded.

domain: hobby


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Now that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has allegedly cleared the way for EU defense by reintegrating NATO’s command structure, what will the EU do with it? The common response to French calls for an autonomous EU defense capacity (ESDP) is that no one else in Europe wants one.
But Nicolas Gros-Verheyde reports that the defense ministers of Sweden and Spain — the next two countries to exercise the EU presidency after the hiatus known as the Czech EU presidency mercifully comes to an end in June — have agreed on an ambitious list of priorities. In addition to what Gros-Verheyde calls “the classic” stuff, such as operations and capacity, the two will use the combined year they have in office to improve the EU battlegroups’ rapid reaction capacity, increase political and military interagency coordination for crisis management, and reinforce coordination with strategic partners such as the African Union. (The latter is significant for enabling France to multilateralize its African deployments, thereby freeing up its operational capacity for the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean region.)
With Belgium and Hungary following up as the next two EU presidents, that makes a full two years that ESDP-friendly countries will be building on the gains made during France’s ambitious six-month stint last year. If the Czech EU presidency has broken the momentum since then, it’s also been too impotent to do any serious damage. In the evolutionary scheme of things, the Czech Republic’s EU presidency will be remembered for the impact it will have on the Treaty of Lisbon, which remains to be seen.
So a lot of moving parts, both within NATO and the EU, with regards to European security architecture. Which means a lot of options for proponents of ESDP.

domain: politics


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Fine Decor Miami, has a stunning light brown and taupe tropical leaf print within a rose gold highlighted geometric shape set on matte charcoal background, will make a great focal point in you home.
Please order a sample to see a true representation of this wallpaper.
Geometric, Leaf, Tropical
Bedroom, Dining Room, Hallway, Living Room
Brown, Charcoal, Rose Gold, Taupe
FREE UK DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS OVER £100
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domain: design


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from the Gartner Blog Network
Become a Client
Call us now at:
Contact us online
by Lydia Leong | August 7, 2011
Amazon has introduced a new connectivity option called AWS Direct Connect. In plain speak, Direct Connect allows an Amazon customer to get a cross-connect between his own network equipment and...
Read more »
by Lydia Leong | October 6, 2010
A lot of Gartner Invest clients are calling to ask about Equinix's trimming of guidance. I am enormously swamped at the moment, and cannot easily open up timeslots to talk...
by Lydia Leong | October 23, 2009
Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" featured an interesting segment yesterday, titled "Sell Block: The Death of the Data Center?"
Basically, the premise of the segment is that Intel's Nehalem DP processors...
by Lydia Leong | October 21, 2009
The acquisition train rumbles on.
Equinix, along with Q3 earnings, has announced that it will acquire Switch and Data in a $689 million, 80% stock, 20% cash deal, representing about...

domain: news


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Olivia Boa: The infinitely small is made of atoms, which are always moving and vibrating, and thus cannot be observed. Still the infinitely small is the basis of larger landscapes, nature and buildings, which look immutable. Each pixel represents a molecule, with its own color and properties. Olivia Boa created a contrast between the infinitely small, the pixels, and the infinitely large, the landscape.
The result is a series of abstract impressionist work called ‘Figurative Pixels’. Works in this collection have two dimensions: the microscopic and macroscopic point of views, representing the molecular and landscape levels.
- Museum quality archival paper or high quality canvas
- Limited edition, exclusive to MONDA Gallery
- Mini: Open, numbered editions
- Small: 150 editions
- Medium: 75 editions
- Large: 30 editions
- Artist-signed and numbered certificate of authenticity
This artwork is offered on extra white 300 gsm fine art paper or 380 gsm high-quality canvas.
Paper framed behind glass with 2 x 3 cm or 3 x 2 cm black fiber frame.
Canvas stretched on 2.5 cm deep wood or stretched & framed with 1.8 x 3.5 cm black L-shaped floating frame.
Please contact us for custom framing as desired.
- Acrylic on canvas
- 80 x 100 cm
- Inquire to purchase original: contact@MondaGallery.com

domain: artistic


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Led by Vishwanath Guddadar, BAMS, MD (Ayurveda)
Vishwanath Guddadar, BAMS, MD (Ayurveda) is an expert in the field of Ayurvedic medicine and offers years of clinical experience guiding people to reduce all types of chronic illnesses including high blood pressure caused by an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. He will teach you how foods, herbs and lifestyle modifications can change how you feel.
If you have high blood pressure and go through life feeling concerned for your long term health and wellness, then this workshop is especially designed for you.
This workshop offers Ayurvedic methods for lowering blood pressure and supporting heart health. Vaidya Vishwanth will assess your diet and lifestyle habits and offer simple solutions for improving your heart health.
What are the symptoms of High Blood Pressure?
High Blood Pressure does not typically have symptoms but if you have any of the following ten symptoms, you should check your blood pressure immediately or see your doctor.
• Severe Headache
• Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
• Sleepiness, insomnia
• Excess sweating
• Blurred vision
If you have not experienced the above symptoms, it does not mean you don’t have it as the most common side effect is that it has no symptom. The best way to stay healthy is to check your blood pressure regularly.
Workshop is Fun and Interactive!
Activity 1: Take a Dosha quiz - What is your Ayurvedic mind-body type? Vata, pitta or Kapha.
Activity 2: Quiz - Learn how improper eating habits increase blood pressure.
Activity 3: Quiz - Identify the foods that are triggering your high blood pressure.
Activity 4: Quiz - Identify the lifestyle habits that are causing high blood pressure.
Q & A: Ask Dr. Vishwanath questions related to your specific issue.
Treatment Plan: A complete Ayurvedic treatment plan includes diet, eating habits, lifestyle modifications and exercise.
Step-By-Step 30 Page Guide is included with recipes for meals, juices and teas.
Shopping List: Complete list of foods with links to purchase online
Discount: On herbal products to help reduce high blood pressure.
When is the workshop? Sunday, May 14th, 2023 // 11:00am – 2:00 pm ET // 8:00am – 11:00am PT
What is the cost? $75.00
*limited to 12 people

domain: medical


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Retirement and Quality of Life
Asking the right questions about how you can save money for retirement without sacrificing your quality of life.
Have A Question About This Topic?
Lifestyle considerations in creating your retirement portfolio.
This calculator estimates your chances of becoming disabled and your potential need for disability insurance.
Doing your research is key before buying a vacation home.

domain: economics


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Bathurst is a regional city of New South Wale. The city has population of over 45,000 people. The city is located 203 km north west of Sydney. Bathurst ranks 41st most populated city in Australia, which accounts for 0.15% of the national population.
Based on our research, Bathurst population will reach 46,125 by June of 2023. We use end of June each year due to Australia Bureau Statistics ABS always follow Australia financial year when publish the data. The calculation is based on the average growth rate of 1.23% over last 11 years since 2011. We believe using the recent years’ figures (see the table in next section) will make the estimation more accurate.
Population Growth of Bathurst
Looking back last eleven years of Bathurst’s population growth, the growth rate is very consistent and strong ranging from 0.96% to 1.39%, adding around 385 to 572 people each year to the overall population.
More and more people seem to be happy to live or move to Bathurst due to the life style, employment opportunities and relatively cheaper housing than Sydney.
Demographics of Bathurst
According to Australia census, 80.7% of people living in the suburb of Bathurst were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were 2.3% England, 1.2% New Zealand, 0.6% China , 0.5% India, 0.4% Scotland, 0.3% United States of America, 0.3% Netherlands, 0.3% Sudan, 0.3% Philippines, 0.2% South Africa, 0.2% Italy, 0.2% Malaysia, 0.2% Lebanon, 0.2% Ireland.
The religious makeup of Bathurst is 33.5% Catholic, 19.9% Anglican, 19.2% No religion, 9.6% Religious affiliation not stated, 4.4% Presbyterian and Reformed, 4.3% Uniting Church, 1.6% Buddhism, 1.5% Christian, nfd, 1.3% Other religious affiliation , 1.3% Baptist.
Population Density of Bathurst
The size Bathurst is 3,820 km², so Bathurst’s population density is 11 people per km², which is one of the most populated regional cities in New South Wales.
Occupations and Industries
The main occupations of people living in Bathurst are 23.2% Professionals, 12.9% Community & personal service workers, 12.9% Technicians & trades workers, 12.0% Sales workers, 12.0% Labourers, 10.7% Clerical & administrative workers, 9.7% Managers, 5.2% Machinery operators & drivers, 1.4% Occupation inadequately described/ Not stated.
The main industries people from Bathurst work in are 13.6% Education and training, 12.9% Retail trade, 12.6% Health care and social assistance, 10.8% Accommodation and food services, 8.8% Manufacturing, 7.5% Public administration and safety, 6.2% Construction, 4.7% Professional, scientific and technical services, 3.2% Other services.
Facts About Bathurst
- Bathurst is often referred to as the Gold Country as it was the site of the first gold discovery and where the first gold rush occurred in Australia.
- The median/average age of the people in Bathurst is 35 years of age.
- The Bathurst region was originally occupied by the Wiradjuri Aboriginal people.
- Education is Bathurst’s largest industry with 60 education facilities.
- The city is comprised of approximately 49.8% females and 50.2% males.
- Bathurst’s population has had rapid growth periods during the mid to late 19th century gold rush period.
- Bathurst postcode is 2795.
- Bathurst is in the federal electorate of Calare.
The following links provide data for this topic:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: www.abs.gov.au
- New South Wales Government: www.nsw.gov.au
- Visit NSW: www.visitnsw.com

domain: geography


Superior, WI -(Ammoland.com)- The wait is over! GlenDel, manufacturer of the biggest and toughest 3D archery targets, continues to expand their line, this time with the GlenDel Crossbow 3D Target.
The new GlenDel Crossbow 3D Target incorporates a 4-sided high-density compressed and layered core with enough stopping power to handle 400+ fps bolts with field tips and broadheads with ease. The core also has 5x (five times) more shooting surface than other competitive 3D targets.
Each side of the core has different vital positions and can be used for a variety of shots including broadside, quartering away and treestand shots. Offset shooting zones ensure a longer target life. It has a shoulder height of 34” and a total height of 56”, has a 150” B&C Rack with a rotating head and replicates a 200-pound deer, creating a realistic practice experience for any shooter.
The GlenDel Crossbow 3D Target is proudly made in the U.S.A. and supplied by Field Logic, Inc.
- MSRP: $189.99
Visit www.glendel.com for more information.
GlenDel is the maker of monstrous 3D archery targets for hunting enthusiasts to hone their skills with. Our targets represent 200 lb and 300lb deer making you ready to take those big bucks when the time comes.
For more information, please visit www.GlenDel.com.
About Field Logic, Inc.
Field Logic, Inc., the leader in state-of-the-art archery targets and hunting accessories, is headquartered in Superior, Wisconsin. Field Logic also manufacturers IQ Bowsights, BLOCK, SURE-LOC, S4Gear, Apple Archery and X-Press.
For more information on Field Logic, please visit www.FieldLogic.com.


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The most important meal of the day can also be the most delicious way to start it. This Month: Mae’s
Story & Photos: Becca Boyd
Mae’s feels meant to be. It was a long time coming and the culmination of meaningful experiences for a hardworking, talented couple.
The best news? We get to eat here.
Fresh out of culinary school, a young Josh Taggart learned his trade from the best in Philadelphia—classic French kitchens like Lacroix (you’ll see his training if you order the expertly rolled, French-style omelet), then later well-known local restaurants such as Dilworthtown Inn and Duling Kurtz. Throw in a stint at Mackenzies where he enjoyed a relaxed take on brewhouse cuisine, and you can see how his unique menu of reimagined classics takes shape.
Josh met Erin while working in Philadelphia. When the first of their four children arrived, the pair headed to West Chester, where Erin was raised. Used to working for other people, they dreamt of taking the helm, and a plan started forming.
When the time and location were right, they made the move. In January 2020 the lease was signed, and the opening date decided. Obviously, what happened next was a snag they couldn’t possibly have imagined. But they took it in stride, using the time to thoughtfully hammer out every detail. They updated the decor, changing everything but the floors, doing it themselves and inviting family to help paint. Oversized chicken wire pendants, rustic shiplap, and hand-stamped accent walls combine in a rustic farmhouse aesthetic.
Their first meals were sold in takeout boxes, which was not ideal, but it was enough to hook customers. Quarts of homemade soups wouldn’t stay in the case, “family meals” were picked up in droves, and as foot traffic picked up their impressive coffees and prepared sandwiches had regulars lining up at the door.
As life trends slowly back towards normal, Josh and Erin’s vision is coming to fruition. Owners and Chef, they grind, working harder than they ever have, but for themselves. They’ve created a spot where families can come with their kids, not sacrificing taste for an inability to find a sitter. Family first, it’s apparent, as is their commitment to their community. Their bread is from La Baguette, their coffee from Rival Brothers in Philly, and they use and sell Nick’s honey, Nutty Novelties, Pure Blend Teas, and Vera Pasta. If they have a niche, it’s people who love good food.
I’ve been on this breakfast beat for a while and can confidently say I’ve rarely had a better meal than the Mae’s breakfast sandwich. My notes say, “died and went to heaven.” A perfectly fried easy egg, sriracha aioli, melted cheddar, spinach, bacon jam, and pickled red onions on a griddled, tender brioche bun. I honestly lost my head, sidetracked only long enough to sample the home fries, which were amazing. Yukon potatoes, steamed to soften and then deep fried to golden perfection, tossed with fried onions and sliced scallions, It’s the sort of meal you want to eat in front of someone who won’t judge you when you cease speaking and your eyes glaze over.
Also sampled: the aforementioned omelet, professionally rolled and tender, and a chorizo, Swiss, and green onion pancake with fermented garlic honey. Josh nails that sweet, salty, savory balance every chef works towards. Elevated classics, farm to table, honest-to-goodness simple food is the goal and he’s knocking it out of the park.
Have a sweet tooth? Try the griddled brioche au chocolate with toasted almonds along with a house made chai latte—perfectly frothed milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon; it’s like a mug filled with holiday spirit.
The future is bright for this duo, and it’s devoid of pretention. Josh wants to make it a great meal for every single diner; if they’re not happy, he wants to know why and he wants to fix it. Accommodating is the name of the game. He knows every possible allergy and diet out there, and if you explain your need, he will compose a dish that’s satisfying and delicious.
A global pandemic is something no one could have seen coming, but Josh was forced to be flexible and pursue (and perfect) every viable option. Whether eaten inside, outside, or in a takeout box, good food speaks for itself, and I see no reason why Mae’s won’t be a West Chester fixture for years to come. “It’s a place you could bring your parents, your grandparents, your kids, or a first date, and they’d feel comfortable and find something they’d love to eat,” explains Josh.
Sometimes, lucky for us, it’s just that simple.

domain: food


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Pretoria: South Africa is satisfied with the political progress in Zimbabwe ahead of an impending election in that country, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said in Pretoria.
“When you are dealing with a political matter, you need all the modalities in place that will allow you to do the things you want to do and in Zimbabwe, they have been doing this,” Nkoana-Mashabane said after a meeting with Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi. She said South Africa remained committed to working with the people of Zimbabwe to ensure the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement, signed by key political players in Zimbabwe in 2008.
Zimbabwe’s government plans to hold a constitutional referendum soon that will pave the way for fresh elections early in 2013. Nkoana-Mashabane said South Africa had noted that a draft constitution was presented to an all-inclusive stakeholder conference that was held in Harare last week.
“We understand that the next step will be the tabling of this draft in the Zimbabwean parliament after which a referendum will be organised and then the elections,” she said. Mumbengegwi was also confident that the adoption of a new constitution in Zimbabwe would be completed soon.
Mumbengegwi said South Africa remained critical to Zimbabwe’s economic recovery and political progress. “For Zimbabwe, SA is by far our leading trading partner and therefore regular meetings and consultations are absolutely essential…we would like to express appreciation for the support we continue to receive from South Africa.”
Earlier, the two countries signed several agreements sealing their economic ties. These ranged from agriculture, telecommunications, mining, energy and tourism, among others. Nkoana-Mashabane said economic cooperation between Pretoria and Harare was set to grow with various cooperation agreements that have existed over the years. “We have noted with great satisfaction a noticeable progress in a number of fields as evidenced by the signing of various legal instruments.”


Renault unveils Zoe Van electric minivanJuly 17, 2020
Previously, the car was only available in a compact hatchback body. The Zoe Van will receive two trim levels and should go on sale before the end of the year.
Renault presented the Zoe Van electric car in the back of a hatchback. Good sales of the hatchback pushed the leadership of the brand to such a step. The main difference from the classic body type will be the presence of cargo space instead of the second row of seats, and the rear windows will be opaque.
The technical characteristics of the car are already known – it will be driven by an all-electric motor with a capacity of 107 horsepower. Thanks to the use of a 52 kWh battery, the Zoe Van will have a range of 395 km without additional charging. When using a powerful 50 kW charger, the battery gains 80% charge in 70 minutes, and a power reserve of 145 kilometers is provided in half an hour.
It takes about 3 hours to fully charge from a 22 kW station. The cargo compartment turned out to be quite spacious for the small dimensions of the car – the length of the cargo can reach 1,205 mm, and the width is 1,110 mm. The maximum load weight is 387 kilograms. The car will be available in two different trim levels – Business and Business +.
Already in the starting configuration, you can count on an informative digital instrument panel, a 7-inch multimedia system with a touchscreen, power windows for all doors and full LED headlights.
Sales of new items will start before the end of this year, and the cost of the launch version will be 19,380 pounds
- Mitsubishi L200 did not cope with the “moose test”
- Tesla Roadster Decomposes in Space
- A glowing Mercedes-Benz logo can lead to an accident
- Volkswagen Beetle pickup made into tiny camper
- Why does an electric Hummer need “crab mode”


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- 5 years ago
About the show
Playing tracks by
Ray Guell, Obey City, Polygon Window, Rustie, TKA and more.
We welcome the LuckyMe collective into the Juno Plus podcast fold, with Éclair Fifi taking the controls for the 31st installment on a 30-minute mix that perfectly encapsulates the Scottish collective’s all encompassing musical approach.


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the milky way
A light in the universe, a special candle!
elemental layers -
non-gmo 100% natural soy wax with wild roses, lemongrass* and geranium* essential oil
non-gmo 100% natural soy wax with indigo and neroli* essential oil
non-gmo 100% natural soy wax with sandalwood
uses – a crazy experimental candle. please burn somewhere safe and responsibly. somewhere in a natural setting outdoors is ideal. the lid also fits loosely on top at first as I filled it a lil' too high up. Once you burn it, the lid will fit on snug. A really beautiful jar. Once the candle is done, you can melt the wax slowly in a safe pot of water on the stove and either pour out to remake a candle or discard wax and clean the out jar with a paper towel while the jar is still warm. use caution with all burning and upcycling.
this purchase includes a 4oz (114ml) glass jar with the milky way.
each Plant Makeup object is one of a kind. all sales for objects are final.
made with love


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Somerset Live is calling on readers to be part of our initiative to bridge a divided county.
Not to mention the bitter and never-ending Brexit debate.
A new poll by Survation shows a staggering 82 per cent of people feel our country is divided – with 72 per cent saying that has increased since the EU referendum.
Almost one in ten people (8%) say they are still arguing with family or friends about Brexit several times a week.
One in four people say they feel angry with people who voted the opposite way to them on Brexit day, and over half (55%) say people have become less tolerant since the vote.
Meanwhile, an incredible 79 per cent of people have lost faith in British politics.
Starting with petty taunts in the House of Commons and continuing all the way through to all caps-locked social media rages – Britain’s polarisation is paralysing not just our politics but our nation.
That’s why today, Somerset Live is taking part in the launch of our news group's ‘Britain Talks’ initiative – a plan to bring the nation back together for a friendly chat over a cup of tea.
We want you to sign up to get out of your ‘bubble’ and agree to meet someone with completely different views to yours.
All you have to do is fill in the quick questionnaire below, and let our new tool do the rest.
We will match you with someone who lives locally to you, but who at first glance has little else in common.
Then, we’re asking you to meet up to have a chat – in a safe, public space – whether that be going to a café, for a walk or to watch your local sports team.
Meet ups are intended to take place on the weekend of June 23 – the third anniversary of the Brexit vote.
What better way to remember the day our nation divided, than by coming back together?
We’re asking you to have a difficult conversation.
You don’t have to agree with the other person – we just want you to really listen to each other.
Maybe you will find something in common, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll make a new friend, maybe you won’t.
But whatever happens, you will have shown the courage it takes to step outside your social bubble.
We’ll be waiting to hear your stories.
Get in touch via email@example.com or use the social media tag #SomersetTalks
Want more news?
To subscribe to our daily newsletter, enter your email address into the box at the top of this story.


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Marci Shatzman wrote in the Jan. 7 South Florida Sun-Sentinel about adult communities that "appear to be closing the gates on pets."
We have two greyhounds. Brenda is 11 years old and 55 pounds, and Miller is almost 5 and approximately 75 pounds. They are retired racers.
Greyhounds only race for two to four years and have a life expectancy of 10-plus years. The racing industry discards as many as 19,000 dogs a year. They are quiet, clean, non-aggressive and affectionate.
Where should these dogs and other larger dogs live?
We lived in a second-story walk-up condo for two years with the dogs without complaint. People could walk by our door without having to listen to barking.
My husband and I did buy a home in a gated community. We were careful and wrote into the contract that the dogs would be accepted by the association.
The people in our neighborhood have been wonderful and the dogs have been generous with their affection to them -- always happy to greet everyone who says hello. So, not only do the dogs make us laugh every day, we met most of our neighbors and we get exercise.
Pets are usually good for your health. More, not fewer, people should have a pet.
We had a difficult time finding a house that was suitable for us where we could take the dogs. There were many houses that we had to pass on because the association or builder had pulled out of thin air some restrictions on dogs. There seemed no rhyme nor reason for some of the rules. Weight, the usual restriction, eliminates golden retrievers and Labs.
Keep in mind that when you pass bylaws making new restrictions, you are voting away your rights. So, some new restriction might not be an issue for you, but it might be an issue when you go to sell, or for your heirs.
Here is my suggestion. First, contact the American Kennel Association for its recommendations for breeds they feel wouldn't be appropriate for your neighborhood. Second, put the onus on the pet owners, not the pets. Vote and pass bylaws so you can fine owners who don't control their pets or clean up after them. Don't blame the pet.
Finally, encourage people to save a life and adopt from their local shelter, rather than buy a pet. There are so many beautiful pets that are neutered, house-broken and looking for a good loving home.
If you have a specific breed in mind, notify your local shelter and it can let you know if they get the kind of pet you might be looking for.
Helen Berkach is a resident of Boca Raton.

domain: pet


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Buying groceries has been a challenge. There is a large supermarket at the mall near our apartment, where we do most of our grocery shopping. There are many products which are easily recognizable, and we can manage to figure out what they are. There is very little English listed, unless the product is imported. I don’t think that there is much of a law here regarding listing of ingredients, or their nutritional value. And whatever is listed, is so small, that even my new multi-focal glasses don’t help! So, you can buy canned tomatoes, but not be sure if they are crushed, whole or chopped! Spices have been a real challenge – all the green ones look the same!
Fruits and vegetables aren’t always the best quality, and most come packed in packages, instead of loose in big bins, like we see in supermarkets in Israel. There also isn’t a great variety to choose from.
One of the things that we’ve found the hardest to adjust to, is the cheeses. The notion of “light” or “low-fat” cheeses is almost non-existent. We’ve found that the few items that we’ve seen that are listed as “lite” seem to be a minimum of 12%! You can find low fat milk and yogurt (which is very good), but I guess they just don’t believe that this concept should carry over into cheese!
There are quite a few areas that we haven’t dared to try yet – still trying to understand which of the meat is beef and which is pork….chicken is pretty recognizable, so it’s a fairly safe bet, and this week we managed to figure out which was chicken cold cuts-quite an accomplishment! Needless to say, we stay away from the aquarium with the lobsters swimming around in it!
There are quite a number of small, local food grocery shops in the neighborhood, but they seem to specialize – one shop is for drinks and snacks, another can have fruits and vegetables, and near us is one shop where all they carry are cleaning products and shampoos/soaps etc!
The food in restaurants is quite good, but again, we have to go through the menu to see which food doesn’t include pork or seafood – which is probably half the menu! The weirdest part of eating out, is the way the food is served – the waiter takes your order, and the food arrives in whatever order they get it ready! We’ve had situations where we ordered soup and a main course – one of us will get our soup, and while in the middle of eating the soup, the next course will arrive – and in the meantime, the other one is still waiting for the first course! There’s no point in getting upset – this just seems to be the way it is done….I guess the Bulgarians still have a way to come in catching up with the idea of customer service….Also, when you ask for the bill, they always ask you if you’re paying cash or credit card – I don’t really understand why, but I guess they print a different kind of bill depending on how you plan to pay…..On the whole, eating out is much cheaper than what we’re used to – even an “expensive” meal here will be about half of what we would pay in Israel.
That’s it for this week – hope you’re enjoying my little diary of experiences!


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A Guide to Online Gaming and Playing Slot
Slots are commonly known as the most accessible casino games, even though one may or may not be losing money. Even though they seem to be intimidating, there are specific guides and rules that help navigate through the game.
One can follow many methods to ensure a victory in the game of slots; many include the theory of studying ahead before participating in the game. This is done to familiarize one with the game and be prepared beforehand.
Slot Online Indonesia:
Slot Online Indonesia offers an experience that wildly resembles the original game and offers its players an arena of slots that is just as fun to play. Online slots are not distinguished much from the real slots, which is precisely what Online Slot Indonesia proffers.
Slot games do not demand skill or theories, except that the presence of the player is vital. Slot Online Indonesia eliminates the need for physical presence during the game and only requires a stable internet connection and a cool head.
Certain steps entail playing online slots, just as they are when playing casino games.
Most online slots have a specific set of instructions that do not ask for much thought or strategy. They ask for a single browse and just to start spinning.
How to play:
Some steps that are involved in the game of online slots are as follows:
- As we said before, it is always best to stay prepared for the game. Getting to know the primary game and the general terminology required when playing such an enticing game. Sure illustrations are projected when playing Slot Online Indonesia, and these are allied symbols. Each of them means something different and play a vital role in the victory of the player.
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Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln developed a chemical process to produce graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). This bottom-up method can be used to produce very narrow GNRs (2 nanometers wide). The researchers say it is easy to scale up their process.
The team is now testing their ribbons for applications in electronics, gas sensors and solar cells. The electronic properties of their GNRs can be tuned by changing the synthetic conditions.


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Carol Dorn Sanders, MA, FACHE, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for DisposeRx, Inc., recently conducted an interview with Dr. John Edwards and Dr. Stace Dollar-pain management specialists at Baptist Health in Lexington, Kentucky. Both certified registered nurse anesthetists were co-authors of research reviews on the topic of medication disposal that were recently published in peer-reviewed journals.
To view the interview, please click on the image above or click here.
read more about the research projects
Stace Dollar, DNAP, CRNA, co-author
Opioid Disposal Education Research Stace Dollar DNAP 05122022
Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing
Conclusion: Patient education about opioid misuse, diversion, and disposal are essential topics that need to be addressed with patients and caregivers. Healthcare professionals should initially provide and actively discuss the opioid educational material with the patient in the office when surgery is scheduled, and the opioid prescription is written. Patient education should be a combination of print, audio-visual, demonstration, verbal, or web-based. While verbal education should be part of an integrated, multimodal patient education session, the education must be delivered in a fashion that augments the patient’s learning, comprehension, and retention level.21 It is imperative that strategies to address the profound and growing problem of opioid abuse and addiction in the U.S. be devised, tested, validated, and implemented.22 Proper opioid disposal is essential to prevent opioid misuse and diversion. The goal to increase opioid disposal requires a patient’s awareness of the dangers of leftover opioids, providing the patients with an easy method to dispose of and reminders to dispose of via digital technology formats.
John M. Edwards, III, DNAP, CRNA, co-author
Surgical Patient Compliance With Opioid Disposal Products_Journal of Nursing Administration 122021
The Journal of Nursing Administration
Conclusion: Findings suggest that healthcare facilities could diminish misuse of opioids by providing in-home opioid disposal products to patients undergoing surgery. Combining education and an in-home opioid disposal product perioperatively increases the likelihood of patients disposing their unused drugs and potentially reduces opioids in the community. Nurse leaders have an opportunity to collaborate with hospital-based caregivers in an effort to address the opioid problem in the United States. Evidence suggests that providing opioid disposal products and educating patients regarding their use can diminish leftover opioids. Although the best timing for education, as well as the type of information provided, remains unclear, findings from this review clearly support the use of a disposal product.


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Hozier finally unveiled his self-titled Irish number one debut album on a global scale in October 2014, and now presents the official video for his latest single 'From Eden', the lead from his second EP released earlier in the year.
Blurred Lines (Unrated Version)
24K Magic [American Music Awards Performance]
It's almost here! Here's what to expect.
New trailer gives a glimpse into this 2017 re-boot.

domain: celebrity


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I used to travel four or five times a year where I stayed in hotels. I continued that a bit during the pandemic. Hotels suspended daily housekeeping services unless you request them. Now that things are loosening up the policy hasn’t changed. It seems the companies operating hotels came to the conclusion people don’t mind not having the daily service and the policy may become permanent. This will have a massive impact on low skill employment that provide people entry into our economy.
In May 2020, as Covid-19 surged in the U.S. and the travel and hospitality industries cratered, the chief executive of Host Hotels & Resorts Inc., HST -0.48% a large operator of Hyatt and Marriott hotels, described the pandemic “truly as an opportunity to redefine the hotel operating model.”
CEO Jim Risoleo said the hotel chain planned to limit housekeeping at many of its properties and reconfigure its food and beverage operations. “It is really going to be opt in to housekeeping services as opposed to opt out going forward,” he said during a November call with analysts and investors. The company also reduced management staff by 30% in 2020 in its food and beverage department and said the changes would be permanent. The company didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Other chains are moving in the same direction, partly to address current challenges in hiring staff. Last week Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. HLT -0.35% announced a CleanStay program, saying that most of its U.S. properties are adopting “a flexible housekeeping policy,” with daily service available upon request. “Full deep cleanings will be conducted prior to check-in and on every fifth day for extended stays,” it said.
Daily housekeeping will still be free for those who request it. But Hilton businesses “will be higher-margin and require less labor than they did pre-Covid,” CEO Christopher Nassetta said on a conference call in February. The company declined to comment on how many fewer housekeepers it would employ once all the changes are implemented.Wall Street Journal
Image by Olya Adamovich from Pixabay


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This issue hits close to home, I have a friend who dropped out of her science studies because she couldn't take the harassment and stigmatism attached to being female and studying a vocation which has been historically male-dominated. There are quite a few female scientists out there, always have been but their number pale in comparison to men. No amount of support from friends could help her in this case and she now does care work, a more "socially accepted" job for a woman... Nothing about that sits right with me, not one bit.
As you may expect, I fully support this movement.

domain: sociology


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Mental illness quote - I feel like I am gasping for air. Screaming for help. But everyone just looks at me with confused faces. Wondering what I am struggling over when they're all doing just fine. And it makes me feel crazy.
Fun Psychology facts here! You mean to tell me you think this fact is FUN? Nothing about depression is fun. Not a single angle of it. Even if that was on psychological things, and not depression. It shouldn't be marked as a FUN fact.
It's supposed to be a training exercise, so he can learn to escape restraints; but Kai looms over him, grinning that slow, dark grin, and Tris doesn't know whether the fluttering in his stomach is fear or arousal.

domain: psychology


KATICH EARNS OFFER OF A WACA RETURN.
SIMON KATICH has finally caught the eye of the selectors - the Western Australia ones!
The Lancashire overseas ace retired from four-day and one-day cricket Down Under approximately 14 months ago, but opted to continue playing Twenty20 cricket for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash.
But his stunning form for the Red Rose has prompted Warriors coach Justin Langer to get in touch and ask him to return to WA on a fulltime basis, a state he left to play for New South Wales in 2002.
The 37-year-old lefthander is the Red Rose county's leading run-scorer in the Championship with 936 runs from 10 matches, including two centuries, a double hundred and five fifties. There were even calls for him to be recalled to Australia's squad for the first time since December, 2010.
Katich has recently resigned to captain the Scorchers for this winter's Big Bash campaign.
"Sadly, he could have played 80 or 90 Tests by now," said state coach Justin Langer. "It just didn't work out for him. He's certainly one guy I'd play alongside any day of the week.
"I've even text him a few times during this incredible run of form he's having to see if he wants to play for the Warriors next season. The Australian cricket team might not want him, but I'd have him any day of the week.
"I think he's content. He's happy playing for Lancashire and the Scorchers as well as having his family to consider.
"He's tough, a brilliant player, and he's so well respected. You always talk about having strong leadership in your side, and Simon brings all of that."
Lancashire play a 50-over friendly against Bangladesh A at Emirates Old Trafford tomorrow (10.45am).
Meanwhile, the LCCC Foundation are hosting their first summer school at Old Trafford this week in partnership with The Tutor Trust and Stretford High School.
And former Lancashire batsman Stuart Law has been named the new coach of Queensland and the Brisbane Heat Twenty20 team, replacing Darren Lehmann.
TOP FORM: Simon Katich
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Kejriwal, who hails from Haryana, is expected to speak at a public meeting in Rohtak town. (Agencies)
Modi will address a joint rally of Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jagraon town.
The AAP leadership has carefully chosen Haryana, the land of the epic Mahabharat, to be its next political battleground after its near stunning show in the Delhi elections in December last year. In the run up to the Delhi polls, the majority of AAP volunteers came from Haryana.
"The AAP has brought the aam aadmi, who had been relegated to the margins, right in the centre of politics of this country," Haryana's chief AAP spokesman Rajeev Godara said.
"The winds of change that blew through Delhi are now sweeping the entire country. The traditional political parties have been brought to their knees. The ordinary people of Haryana, who were aggrieved by dynastic politics, nepotism, corruption and criminal antecedents of their political leaders, now see a ray of hope," Godara added.
The AAP has announced that its strategist Yogendra Yadav will contest the Lok Sabha election from Gurgaon in Haryana adjoining Delhi. Yadav, who has been actively touring Haryana for over two months, is determined to expand the AAP base in the state.
The AAP leaders have attacked Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led government for corruption and land scams. Hooda, who has been Chief Minister since March 2005, will face the Assembly polls in October.
Modi's ‘Fateh’ (victory) rally in Jagraon town, 40 km from Ludhiana, is expected to further boost the electoral chances of the Akali Dal-BJP alliance. Modi was scheduled to address a rally in Jagraon on December 21 but it was called off due to rains.
"Modi is the best man to lead the country and take it out of the mess the Congress has created," Akali Dal president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said.
"Lakhs are expected to attend the Jagraon rally. The Congress will be wiped out in Punjab," Akali Dal spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said.
The Akali Dal, which is a significant member of the NDA, has fully endorsed the announcement of Modi as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate. The Akali Dal-BJP alliance government has been in power in Punjab since 2007.
Kejriwal, who hails from Haryana, is expected to speak at a public meeting in Rohtak town.


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A school-based randomized controlled trial to improve physical activity among Iranian high school girls
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity volume 5, Article number: 18 (2008)
Physical activity (PA) rates decline precipitously during the high school years and are consistently lower among adolescent girls than adolescent boys. Due to cultural barriers, this problem might be exacerbated in female Iranian adolescents. However, little intervention research has been conducted to try to increase PA participation rates with this population. Because PA interventions in schools have the potential to reach many children and adolescents, this study reports on PA intervention research conducted in all-female Iranian high schools.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the effects of two six-month tailored interventions on potential determinants of PA and PA behavior. Students (N = 161) were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: an intervention based on Pender's Health Promotion model (HP), an intervention based on an integration of the health promotion model and selected constructs from the Transtheoretical model (THP), and a control group (CON). Measures were administered prior to the intervention, at post-intervention and at a six-month follow-up.
Repeated measure ANOVAs showed a significant interaction between group and time for perceived benefits, self efficacy, interpersonal norms, social support, behavioral processes, and PA behavior, indicating that both intervention groups significantly improved across the 24-week intervention, whereas the control group did not. Participants in the THP group showed greater use of counter conditioning and stimulus control at post-intervention and at follow-up. While there were no significant differences in PA between the HP and CON groups at follow-up, a significant difference was still found between the THP and the CON group.
This study provides the first evidence of the effectiveness of a PA intervention based on Pender's HP model combined with selected aspects of the TTM on potential determinants to increase PA among Iranian high school girls.
Regular physical activity (PA) has a beneficial effect on overall health  and is important for combating the escalating problems of obesity and type II diabetes among youth . Despite overwhelming evidence describing the benefits of an active lifestyle, PA decreases with age  and adolescents in many Western countries are not active enough to achieve health benefits [4, 5]. The activity patterns of adolescent girls are of particular concern because girls' PA activity participation is generally less frequent and of a lower intensity than that of boys . For example, the 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (US) found that 40% of high school girls compared to 27% of high school boys failed to achieve modest PA recommendations . Concern regarding the PA levels of adolescent girls is not restricted to Western countries. In a study of Iranian adolescents, only 36% of girls (12–17 years) compared to 61.5% boys were at adoption stages of PA indicating that they were achieving PA recommendations . Due to such low reported rates of PA, this cultural group warrants intervention research designed to increase participation in regular PA. Further, female Iranian adolescents face unique cultural challenges that make achieving adequate levels of PA for health benefits even more difficult. Such challenges include few to no expectations that Iranian women do any exercise (even bicycling which precludes many chances for PA from transportation). It should be noted that while it is not illegal for Iranian women to do such activities, it is very much the social norm that they do not and there are definite cultural standards for activity that women can adopt or reject. Therefore, the combination of cultural limitations and physical inactivity in adolescent girls in general make research into effective PA interventions with female Iranian adolescents particularly important.
The physiological and psychosocial changes experienced during the high school years may make adolescence a particularly high-risk period for girls to adopt sedentary habits . However, because children and adolescents spend large amounts of time at school, the school environment can have a powerful influence on their PA behavior . Schools are identified as key institutions for the promotion of PA among youth as they provide access to most of the population and have the necessary facilities and personnel. While break periods such as recess, active transportation to and from school, school sport and the school's physical environment provide opportunities to be active , the physical education (PE) curriculum is the central part of the school identified with the promotion of activity . Although interventions to increase PA have been developed in a variety of settings and have used a range of behavioral science theories to guide intervention design, the majority of school-based interventions have evaluated enhanced PE programs in primary school settings [12, 13].
Theory-based research is necessary to conduct school-based interventions and one potentially useful theory is Pender's Health Promotion Model (HPM). This model is derived from Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)  and includes constructs that are proposed to influence health behavior. These constructs include: 1) individual characteristics and experiences (e.g., personal, biological, psychological, and social factors, and prior related behavior); 2) behavior-specific cognitions and affect (e.g., benefits and barriers to action, self-efficacy, interpersonal influences from family, peers, and providers and activity-related affect); and 3) commitment to a plan of action and responses to immediate competing preferences. Taken together, these constructs represent a critical area to assess and target in an intervention directed at motivating individuals to engage in health-promoting behavior (see Fig 1) .
Of particular interest to the current research, competing preferences are viewed as alternative behaviors (e.g., watching television) with powerful reinforcing properties over which individuals exert a relatively high level of control. They are last-minute urges based on one's preference hierarchy that can derail a plan of action for positive health action. For example, "giving in" to a competing preference might include watching television or playing computer games rather than being physically active. Individuals vary in their ability to sustain attention and avoid disruption of health behaviors but in general, the inhibition of competing preferences requires the exercise of control capabilities. In the HPM, competing preferences are proposed to directly affect the probability of occurrence of behavior as well as moderating the effect of commitment .
Another model that can be applied to this research area is the transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM), which includes the stages of change that a person moves through when adopting a behavior and the processes of change used in the stages to help in the adoption of a new behavior. The framework proposes that individuals move through a temporal sequence of five stages: pre-contemplation (no intention of becoming regularly physically active), contemplation (intending to become regularly physically active within the next 6 months), preparation (intending to become regularly physically active within the next 30 days), action (being regularly physically active for less than six months), and maintenance (active for more than 6 months) . Marcus and Rossi showed that there are ten processes of change used to move through stages of exercise behavior and that these processes could be categorized as either cognitive or behavioral. In the earlier stages of change, people rely mainly on five cognitive processes whereas in the later stages of change, behavioral processes are more often used . PA researchers have applied the TTM to better understand the adoption and maintenance of exercise behavior change and to apply interventions tailored to stages of motivational readiness [18, 19].
As no single theory can account for all complexities associated with behavior change, integration across major theories is recommended in research . Therefore, because the HPM includes individual characteristics and experiences without consideration of environmental influences on PA , two TTM behavioral processes that specifically address environmental influences, stimulus control and counterconditioning, were selected for inclusion within one of the intervention groups in this research. Theoretically, these processes of change allow for restructuring of the environment (stimulus control) or for substituting active behaviors for sedentary behaviors (counter-conditioning), thus addressing a gap in the HPM. More specifically, stimulus control includes changing the environment by controlling environmental cues for unhealthy habits while adding stimuli for more healthy options whereas counter conditioning involves changing responses to environmental stimuli and is therefore the process of substituting positive healthy behaviours for unhealthy behaviours . By including these two processes, the intervention targeted both the reaction to environmental stimuli for unhealthy options while also minimizing the occurrence of these stimuli within the environment. Thus, these processes of change were specifically selected to promote participants' control capabilities in order to decrease preferences for sedentary activities with the intention of examining whether these can result in a decline of the effect of competing preferences. A further basis for this addition is that according to Nigg et al.  and Burkholder et al. , these behavioral processes of change rely on information generated from the environment (i.e., outside of the individual). Research has also shown that counter conditioning appears to be a critical change process for adolescents attempting to change PA behavior . Therefore, these processes targeted an important HPM construct that was specific to participants' TTM stage of behaviour change. Although previous research has integrated HPM and TTM to examine diet in adolescents  and in PA with adolescent girls , the use of only these two carefully selected TTM constructs and stage of change within the HPM is novel to this study.
Researchers have identified the importance of designing targeted interventions that address the needs of specific populations. Due to cultural barriers that prevent Iranian women from exercising in public places and do not encourage PA in general, research is needed to establish ways to help adolescent Iranian females to develop and sustain active lifestyles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the post-intervention and six month follow-up effects of a tailored PA intervention for Iranian adolescent girls based on the Pender's health promotion model (HPM) and selected constructs from the transtheoretical model (TTM), using a randomized control trial within schools as the medium for the intervention. Three groups were included in the study: an HPM intervention group with HPM interventions addressing stages of behavior change, an HPM with two TTM processes added group (THP), and a control group who received their usual PE program. The main study hypothesis was that the integrated model would result in improved PA maintenance. It was further hypothesized that the THP group would result in greater increases in PA-related cognitions and PA participation compared to the HPM only group.
All three groups completed questionnaires prior to the start of the interventions, immediately following the intervention, and six months after the end of the interventions. The research was approved by the Tarbiat Modares University ethics board and the appropriate educational authorities. Prior to participation, investigators sent a written information sheet and consent form for the parents and participants to sign.
Participants came from three, all female, Iranian, public secondary schools that were randomly selected using a random number table from a possible 31 schools in the area. All selected schools chose to participate. The teachers were all female and all schools were from the same socioeconomic background. Participants within the schools were eligible for inclusion in this study if they were in the preparation stage of exercise behavior change at baseline and were in grades nine or ten (Mean age = 14.79, SD = .44). This inclusion criterion was used because it is participants in the preparation stage who are recommended for recruitment to exercise programs as they are most likely to benefit . Further, no interventions have been previously developed for this population, and to keep the complexity of this study manageable it was decided to initially target interventions at participants in the preparation stage of behavior change because these individuals are the most likely to respond to an intervention as they are already considering PA . Based on these criteria, there were 179 eligible participants. Of these participants, 12 chose not to participate, five did not complete the 6-month follow-up questionnaires, and one could not participate in the study due to physical limitations, leaving 161 participants with complete data. The three schools were randomly allocated to one of the intervention groups: THP intervention (n = 55), HP intervention (n = 54) or control (n = 52). Figure 2 outlines the protocol for school and participant selection.
All the instruments were translated into Persian by a bilingual researcher and then validated using standard back translation technique  by a native Persian health promotion specialist who was also fluent in English. A native English speaker living in Iran backward translated the questionnaires into Enlish. Five bilingual Iranian health behavior, education, exercise psychology, and instrument development experts were asked to evaluate the pilot instrument for appropriateness and relevance of the items. The instruments were then revised and modified. The questionnaires were pilot tested with 115 participants who were students from randomly selected secondary schools in Iran (57 females and 58 males; age range: 12 to17 years). Revisions in wording and presentation were made based on empirical findings and recommendations from pilot study participants.
Intervention study questionnaires were administered by the researcher to students in their classrooms. The investigator remained in the room during questionnaire administration and answered any questions. For each of the next six consecutive days following questionnaire administration (Saturday through Thursday) each participant completed a child/adolescent/activity log (CAAL) .
Stage of change
Stage of change was assessed using an adapted two question measure . In the first question, participants were asked whether they believed they did sufficient sports or PA (at least 60 minutes most days per week) on a 2-point scale [yes/no]. Those who answered "yes" were asked to select one of the following two options: 1) I'm currently doing enough, but have been for less than six months (action); or 2) I'm currently doing enough, and I have been for more than 6 months (maintenance). Those who answered "no" were asked to select one of the following three options: 1) I'm not sufficiently physically active, and I have no intention to start (pre-contemplation); 2) I'm not sufficiently physically active, but I intend to start in the next 6 month's (contemplation); or 3) I'm not sufficiently physically active, but I intend to start in the next month (preparation). Test-retest reliability of this staging algorithm was k = .85 . The kappa index of reliability for the stages of change, taken over a 2-week period was .90 (n = 50).
Perceived self-efficacy was adapted from an existing exercise self-efficacy scale . This scale included eight items (e.g., I could exercise even if I was tired) which were rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all confident) to 4 (very confident). Cronbach's alpha value for the self-efficacy score was .90.
PA was assessed using a modified child/adolescent activity log (CAAL) . The CAAL requires participants to recall the activities they participated in the previous day and the number of minutes of each activity. Minor changes in questions were made for Iranian adolescents. For example, some activities in the CAAL such as ice hockey, and ice/roller skating were inappropriate for Iranian adolescents and replaced with mountaineering, skateboarding, vasat-vasat, khat-khat (ball games), and seven stone (similar to hopscotch). An average daily PA score was obtained by summing the total minutes of all the activities performed by the adolescent. A mean score was derived across the six days. The final version of the CAAL used in this study included 23 items. Reported test-retest reliability coefficients for the CAAL ranged from .73 to .94 . When the CAAL was pilot tested with Iranian adolescents the test-retest reliability coefficient was .98.
The discriminant validity of the log in this study was supported by the stages of change. As expected, those adolescents who were in later stages (action, maintenance) reported more minutes of PA (M = 62.88 min ± 27.05 min) than those in earlier stages (pre-contemplation, contemplation, and preparation; M = 23.32 min ± 9.75 min) (M-W Z = -24.02, P < 0.001). Furthermore, stage of change and total number of minutes and mean of minutes activity per week on the CAAL were significantly correlated (rs = .76 to .77, P < 0.001).
These were measured by a modified scale (one item was deleted from the original scale based on recommendations from the Iranian experts) which included 18 items measuring both benefits (e.g., A reason I might exercise is because when I exercise I have more energy) and barriers (e.g., I might not exercise if I didn't have enough time). Each item was measured on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all true) to 4 (very true) . The mean score from each subscale was used in the analyses. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for the benefits subscale was .83 and for the barriers subscale it was .78.
Three subscales developed by Garcia and colleagues  were used to measure social support (24 items; e.g., How often does your mother exercise with you?), exposure to models (12 items; e.g., In a usual week, how much do the following people exercise – mother), and interpersonal norms (4 items; e.g., My family expects me to exercise...). All items were rated on a 3-point scale ranging from "never" through "sometimes" to" often". The total score for the social support, interpersonal norms, and exposure to models variables were determined by summing the items for each subscale. Test-retest reliability on social support, interpersonal norms and exposure to models subscale were .84, .75 and .80 respectively. Internal consistency for the separate social support subscales for different family members and peers in this study ranged from .81 to .79.
PA preferences were measured by a scale based on Pender's instrument for measuring variables in the health promotion model . The 9-item scale contains two choices (A = preferences (e.g., I enjoy playing video games) and B = PA (e.g., I enjoy biking)). The higher the score on the preferences measure, the more likely preferences will interfere with PA. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient on the preferences subscale was .83 for this study.
Process of change
Counter conditioning (e.g., When I feel tired, I make myself exercise anyway because I know I will feel better afterward) and stimulus control (e.g., I keep things around my home to remind me of exercising) process of change questions were adapted from a questionnaire developed by Marcus and colleagues . Individuals were asked to recall the frequency of occurrence of each of the 9 items over the past month on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (repeatedly). The alpha reliability value for the counter conditioning subscale was .70 and for the stimulus control subscale was .83.
The various components of the interventions, the timeline, constructs targeted and educational methods used are outlined in Table 1. In summary, each participant received four 45 to 60 minute group educational sessions (at baseline, 4th, 10th, and 18th weeks). Although all participants were at preparation at baseline, some participants changed stage over the course of the intervention and so each session included educational components tailored to different stages of change. Therefore, stage of change was assessed at each of these time points so that stage-tailored education and counseling sessions could be delivered. Thus, participants were divided into groups based on their reported stage of change and intervention education sessions took place in groups of 5 to 12 girls. This number of participants allowed for active learning and group discussion. The format of each session included lecture, role playing, slides, reminder cards, PA log planning, and educational pamphlets. The four sessions for both THP and HP intervention groups focused on perceived benefits and barriers to PA and goal setting exercises as outlined in Table 1. Attempts were also made to support the participants' efforts to be active, to develop their support network, and to share their PA goals with their active friends so the friends could help the participants meet PA goals. Although all participants received information in all these areas, participants in maintenance and action stages also received information on how to identify risk factors for future relapse and feedback designed to enhance their self-efficacy. Participants in the preparation stage were given tips on how to start to be active. Participants in the contemplation stage had the benefits and barriers identified which in addition to being aspects of the HPM are also cognitive TTM processes. The educational programs took place within the schools and were conducted by the first author with the help of another female health behavior and education expert who received five hours of training from the first author prior to the start of the interventions.
The THP group also received education on the two processes of change: counter conditioning and stimulus control. The counter conditioning education included information on walking or bicycling to school or the store instead of using the bus, getting on or off the bus several blocks away from the destination, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and taking fitness break by walking or doing desk exercises instead of taking a sedentary coffee break. The stimulus control training included tips on how to change one's environment by posting motivating messages and by removing things in the environment that contribute to inactivity. The control group received no educational or counseling sessions but did receive the educational pamphlets after administration of the final follow-up questionnaires.
In addition to the educational sessions, each participant from the two intervention groups received a 20 to 25 minute individual counseling session based on personal responses to the questionnaire at baseline, and at the fourth, tenth, and eighteenth weeks of the intervention. These counseling sessions helped the participants to set and review personal PA goals, to determine strategies to overcome barriers to PA, and to review her social network. Each participant was also provided with a reminder card of her goals and asked to display the card in a suitable place at home or in her school notebook.
Teachers in the two intervention schools attended sessions aimed at educating them about the intervention models and the importance of social support and modeling. This was done so the teachers could provide role modeling by doing exercise in the schools and could also provide support to help the participants to reach their PA goals. Two 60 minute sessions, one at the 10th week (68% participation) and one at the 18th week (71% participation) of the intervention were held with the participants' mothers to help the mothers understand the benefits of PA, to highlight the importance of social support, and to help them when they tried to help their daughters reach their PA goals. Further, during the 22nd week of the intervention, each participant was telephoned by the researcher to encourage the participant to maintain her PA and to further discuss her PA goals. During the last week of the intervention the participants went mountaineering with their mothers and teachers, a popular means to be active in Iran, to further encourage PA and social support in the participants.
The analyses were conducted with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 15.0. Variables were assessed for normality of distribution and logarithmic transformations were performed on self-efficacy, social support and mean PA whereas square root transformations were performed on perceived barriers, stimulus control and preferences. Where assumptions of homogeneity of variance and sphericity could not be satisfied, non-parametric tests were used. At post-test and follow-up, stages of readiness to change PA behavior were merged into two categories: pre-action (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation) and action (action and maintenance). This decision was made because at follow-up 40 percent of cells had an expected count of less than five. Although there was not a similar limitation at post-intervention, groups were also collapsed at that time so that equivalent analyses could be conducted. Chi-square tests were used to compare these categories between the three groups at post-intervention and follow-up. Progression in the stages through the time points for the three groups was compared using the Friedman test. Changes in outcome variables from baseline through post intervention and follow-up were assessed by a repeated measure ANOVA to determine differences between intervention groups. Where significant interactions were found, follow-up univariate analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were conducted to reveal main effects. In these analyses the baseline measures were included as the covariate with the follow-up variable as the dependent variable. All post hoc tests were performed with adjustment for multiple comparisons and intervention effect sizes were calculated using Partial η2. For all analyses alpha levels were set at p < 0.05.
Demographic characteristics at baseline are summarized in Table 2. There were no significant differences between groups on any of the demographic or outcome measures at baseline. Progression in the stages was used as one of the criteria of intervention success. A statistically significant difference was found between groups for stage progression at posttest, X2 (4) = 51.61, p = 0.001, and at follow-up, X2(4) = 20.2, p = 0.001. There was a statistically significant increase in the number of participants in both THP and HP groups who progressed through the stages from baseline to follow-up (Friedman X2 (2) = 49.6, 2 p < .001, and X2 (2) = 43.1, p = 0 .001), whereas limited progression occurred in the control group (X2 (2) = 1.90, p = .38). At the six-month follow-up the THP group had a larger percentage of participants in the action stages than the HP group. The percentage of participants in each stage at posttest and follow-up is summarized in Table 3.
Table 4 shows the changes in outcome variables across time for each of the three groups. There were significant interaction effects between groups and time for perceived benefits, self-efficacy, interpersonal norms, social support, counter conditioning, stimulus control, overall time spent being active per week and PA (mean minutes per day), indicating that the groups differed across time. Main effects tests for group at post-intervention, with the baseline values as covariate revealed significant differences for counter conditioning, F = 11.97, p = .000, η2 = .16, stimulus control, F = 14.82, p = .000, η2 = .15, overall minutes PA per week, F = 31.50, p = .000, η2 = .29 and mean minutes PA per day, F = 39.94, p = .000, η2 = .34. It was noted that the assumption of homogeneity of variance was not met for stimulus control, counter conditioning and mean PA per day. However, equivalent non-parametric analyses revealed similar significant results. Post hoc analyses showed that the differences for counter conditioning and stimulus control were not significant between the THP and HP groups but there were significant differences between the two intervention groups and the control group (p = .003 – .006).
There was no significant difference between the THP and HP groups for overall and mean PA minutes. However, students in both intervention groups reported significantly more PA than students in the control group. Main effects tests by group at follow-up, controlling for the differences in baseline values, found significant differences for counter conditioning, F = 7.83, p = .001, stimulus control, F = 14.02, p = .04, overall minutes PA per week, F = 4.32, p = .01, and mean minutes PA per day, F = 5.0, p = .008. At follow-up, results showed no significant differences between the THP and HP groups for any of above outcomes except stimulus control p = .02, but the two intervention groups and the control group differed for both behavioral processes (p = .000 – .02). No significant differences were found between the HP and control group for overall minutes and mean of PA.
Main effects for time showed that the THP group had a significant increase for stimulus control between baseline and post-intervention (p = .000) and a decrease between post-intervention and follow-up (p = .004). There was also an increase for stimulus control between baseline and follow-up for the THP and HP groups (p = .001 and .004 respectively). Using the same procedure for counter conditioning showed the THP group had a significant increase between baseline, post-intervention (p = .000) and follow-up (p = .04). However, there was a significant decrease in counter conditioning between post-intervention and follow-up (p = .001). Main effects tests for time showed that the two intervention groups had significantly increased their mean PA between baseline and post-intervention (p = .000) and also from baseline to follow-up (p = .000).
This study was a randomized controlled trial conducted to compare the effectiveness of two individually tailored PA interventions for adolescent Iranian girls. It was hypothesized that an integrated model that included the stages of change and two behavioral processes (counter conditioning and stimulus control) from the TTM in conjunction within the HPM would result in greater increases in PA related cognitions and PA behavior. This integration of models was hypothesized to address the lack of consideration of environmental influences within the HPM and acknowledges the substantial body of research showing that TTM tailored interventions can promote an individual's progression through stages [33–37]. All participants were in the preparation stage of the TTM at baseline (an inclusion criteria for participation). However, following the intervention adolescents in both intervention groups showed greater progression through stages of change and more PA compared to individuals in the control group. This finding is to be expected because many of the educational activities targeted at HPM constructs mirror TTM constructs (e.g., benefits and barriers to exercise, self-efficacy). Further, this finding is similar to previous studies that found that level of PA increased as individuals moved to a higher stage of change [34–37]. Specific findings from the present study showed that at post-test, more individuals in the THP group (81.8%) and the HP group (72.2%) were in the action stages of the TTM than were participants in the control group (17.3%). Further, in support of the study hypothesis, the participants in the THP group also reported greater use of counter conditioning and stimulus control and increased recognition of PA benefits and social support, when compared to the HP and control groups at post-intervention. These findings supports other TTM research findings that showed that the more advanced an individual is in their stage of behavioral change, the more frequently they will use behavioural processes of change [35, 38, 39].
As already mentioned, participants in the THP group also reported more PA at post intervention than the HP group, although these differences were not statistically significant. At the end of intervention period both the THP and HP groups reported spending about one hour more in activity per day compared to participants in the control group who increased their activity by only six minutes per day compared to baseline. This finding is likely related to the overall advancement into action stages by participants in both intervention groups because a number of other researchers have found that participants in the action stages reported more PA than those are in the pre-action stages [34–37]. While there were no significant differences between the THP and HP groups, or between the HP and control groups for PA at follow-up, a statistically significant difference was found between the THP and control group in daily minutes of PA. This indication of sustained activity in the THP group may be due to the increased use of behavioral processes by these participants. Another explanation for this finding may be that the THP group reported fewer barriers and more social support for PA than the HP and control groups.
Substantial relapses in behavior are generally observed in many intervention studies "when the intensive intervention ends and external supports are withdrawn" . Therefore, it is promising to note that in the present research, despite a small relapse in behaviors following the intervention, a statistically significant intervention effect could still be detected at follow-up. Ward et al.  and Haerens et al.  found promising results for changing PA behavior when they used changes in the school environment to facilitate PA, whereas we focused on potential determinants of PA. It would appear that the inclusion of behavioral processes from the TTM into the HPM holds promise for PA behavior change among adolescents. These results are encouraging because Clemmens and colleagues found that helping people progress through just one stage can double their changes of successful behavior changes in the near future . Some of the effects of the THP intervention were sustained at the six-month follow-up. Specifically, there were significant positive medium term effects of the intervention on perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and stimulus control between both intervention and control groups. Similarly, Van Sluijs and colleagues found positive effects due to their intervention on behavioral processes and self-efficacy at a six-month follow-up .
A unique aspect of this research was the involvement of the participants' teachers and mothers with the intention of changing cultural norms and providing vicarious learning for the participants through observing important others engaged in PA. As noted in the introduction, the cultural norms for Iranian females to be active are restrictive. Therefore, it may be that by asking the participants' teachers and mothers to encourage the participants to be more active and to express their expectations that the girls be more active, a shift occurred around social norms for the participants within this study. However, it also may be that changes occurred due to peer learning and further research is required to clarify this finding. In general however, this is an extremely encouraging finding that can be used when creating interventions with similar populations.
Another important strength of the current study was the duration of the intervention (24 weeks) and the inclusion of follow-up assessments. To achieve significant changes in deeply entrenched behaviors, interventions among adolescents should last longer than one semester . While previous interventions with adolescents have found statistically significant improvements in PA behavior following shorter interventions [46, 47] the long-term sustainability of behavior in these interventions remains untested. Therefore, the results from the current longer study provide a basis for future research and interventions aimed at increasing PA behavior.
There were several limitations of the present study. First, the data were measured by self-report questionnaire which introduces the possibility of biased results. Another limitation is the assessment of the validity of the CAAL and it is recommended that the CAAL be further validated with an objective measure in Iranian adolescents. It should be noted however, that test-retest reliability of the CAAL in this study was .98. Another limitation is the restriction of these interventions to participants in the preparation stage at baseline. Future research should expand these interventions to include participants at other stages of change at baseline. Such research would also necessitate expanding to other processes of change such as consciousness raising for participants in precontemplation.
Outcome evaluation showed a positive short-term effect for the intervention groups on stage of readiness, potential determinants of PA and on amount of PA, as both intervention groups increased their PA by approximately one hour per day. Although participants in the THP group reported using more behavioral processes than those in the HP group, no significant differences were found between the THP and HP groups for PA at the post intervention. However, the THP group recorded more PA and more positive results on most of the potential determinants compared to the control group and therefore appears to be the stronger intervention. At the six month follow-up, PA levels had decreased from posttest and fewer students in both intervention groups were in the action stages of behavior change. However, the significant differences between the HP and control groups for PA were not present at the six-month follow-up, but some differences between the THP and control groups were still present indicating that this was the stronger intervention.
Iranian girls face many barriers to an active lifestyle, including lack of suitable places to be active, access to facilities and resources, cultural limitations, and the low importance placed on exercising over other activities such as doing homework or home responsibilities. Therefore, access to equipment and facilities and a supportive environment are important strategies for promoting PA among this group of adolescents . Indeed, restructuring the environment to achieve stimulus control and counter conditioning strategies was found to be an effective intervention strategy with this population. These results will allow for future research and interventions for PA not only for female Iranian adolescents but for similar cultural and immigrant groups that have been neglected to date in the PA literature. These results also provide a basis for research using the intensive THP intervention as described in this research with other demographic groups.
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Tanya R. Berry is supported by a Population Health Investigator Award from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.
PT participated in the design of the study, performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. TB participated in the statistical analysis, helped to draft the manuscript, and read the paper critically for theoretical content and interpretation of study findings. DL participated in the sequence alignment and helped to draft the manuscript. SN and FG conceived of the study and participated in its design and coordination. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Cite this article
Taymoori, P., Niknami, S., Berry, T. et al. A school-based randomized controlled trial to improve physical activity among Iranian high school girls. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 5, 18 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-5-18
- Physical Activity
- Stimulus Control
- Physical Activity Behavior
- Physical Activity Goal
- Iranian Adolescent


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