bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A hybrid analysis of reverse logistics barriers in Iranian construction
Authors: Valizadeh Mitra , Azizi Mojtaba , Hosseini M. Reza , Mahoor Pegah
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This paper presents a pioneering investigation into the barriers impeding the adoption of reverse logistics (RL) in the Iranian construction industry, addressing a significant gap in the current literature within the country.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a meticulous examination of the literature, complemented by 19 in-depth interviews, a battery of barriers to RL implementation was initially identified, distilled into a final set of 30 barriers, which served as the basis for the design of a structured survey questionnaire. Employing Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), an analysis was conducted on a dataset that comprised of 80 responses. Subsequently, the barriers approved through the PLS- SEM were subjected to prioritization through the application of Fuzzy TOPSIS.

Findings

Findings reveal the critical inadequacy of contemporary technology and infrastructure, a foundation essential for the efficacious enactment of RL. This shortfall manifests in procurement and logistics processes plagued by inefficiency and ineffectiveness, as consequences of an immature information and technology ecosystem. Furthermore, the study underscores the dominance of traditional markets where the adoption of secondary materials/products remains sporadic, signaling a crucial area for further research and intervention.

Originality/value

This study offers original insights into the significant hurdles that hinder the adoption and integration of RL practices within the Iranian construction industry, an under-explored area within the RL research domain. For industry practitioners, findings point to recommendations for overcoming these barriers in the specific Iranian context while also offering broader insights and lessons that may be relevant to other countries and similar contexts.
Influence of technology-related factors on zero-carbon building development in Lagos Nigeria
Authors: Osuizugbo Innocent Chigozie , Oshodi Olalekan Shamsideen , Ibrahim Kabir , Njogo Bibiana O.
Published: September 2024

Purpose

The development of zero-carbon buildings (ZCBs) is beneficial to the society and biodiversity. Despite the benefits of ZCBs, there are challenges limiting its development in construction industry. The current study seeks to examine the technology-related factors affecting the development of ZCB in Lagos Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study designed a questionnaire to achieve the main objective. Data were collected using non-probability and snowballing sampling methods. Questionnaires were distributed, and 272 valid responses were collected. Thereafter, data were analysed using mean value, percentage, frequency distribution, normality test, Kruskal Wallis test and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance.

Findings

The results from data analysis showed that, “less technical expertise in new technological advancements”, “research outcomes are not translated effectively into technology innovations”, “high cost of maintenance on ZCB”, “poor knowledge on renewable technologies” and “industry’s ability to embrace ZCB technologies (policy initiatives and industry practices)” were the topmost five technology-related factors hindering development of ZCBs in Lagos, Nigeria. Also, the results from the study show a statistically significant degree of agreement between various groups of construction organisations in Lagos, Nigeria concerning the technology-related factors hindering the development of ZCBs.

Originality/value

The study contributed to more effective ZCB studies by drawing attention to technology-related factors hindering the development of ZCBs in construction industry. An understanding of these challenges can help construction stakeholders, organisations, policymakers and governments in devising strategies targeted at minimising these challenges and fostering the development of ZCBs in the construction sector. The identified results on technological barriers to ZCBs development can guide targeted interventions and policy adjustments, promoting more effective implementation of ZCBs in Lagos Nigeria and serving as a model for addressing similar challenges in other developing countries. Recommendations for future research on ZCBs were also highlighted.
Cruel optimism, affective governmentality and frontline poverty governance: ‘You can promise the world’
Authors: England Edith
Published: September 2024

Cruel Optimism’ (Berlant, 2011) sustains neoliberalism by promising freedom and autonomy through adherence to and performance of competitive behaviours. As Brown (2003) observes, neoliberalism is a discourse which operates, not through repression or restriction, but through promising self‐fulfilment and happiness. The role of emotion‐management in poverty governance has been widely acknowledged. However, this has focused on cultivation of population‐level punitive, negative emotions (such as shame, stigma, or resentment). It is widely acknowledged that welfare provision has been specifically targeted by neoliberal discourse, justifying intensifying interventions aimed at reshaping the subjectivities and aspirations of poor and marginalised individuals and households to serve the needs of deregulated markets. However, little attention has been paid to the importance of positive, hopeful emotion management in legitimising and effecting co‐operation. Drawing on interviews with 54 workers in the Welsh homelessness system, I argue that workers systematically create and sustain optimism in their clients as a mechanism to enable them to survive within an increasingly hostile housing system, as part of a deliberate, if reluctant, strategy to cultivate empowered, ‘ethical’ welfare selfhood against a backdrop of citizen abandonment. A three‐stage approach deployed by workers includes (1) destabilisation of expectations of state help (2) re‐orientation, through cultivation of belief in neoliberal promise (3) development of maintenance strategies. Improving applicant capacity to perform neoliberal welfare citizenship was perceived as an urgent, moral and pragmatic necessity, and justified by care logics. I demonstrate how this extends not only our understanding of welfare implementation, but also shows how positive emotion‐management generally, and Berlant's Cruel Optimism specifically, can be used to understand the practicalities of welfare governance.
Mortality inequality in Chile
Authors: Locks Gedeão
Published: September 2024

This paper analyses trends in mortality inequality in 330 Chilean communes from 1990 to 2010 for different age groups and both genders. Chile had substantial inequalities in local‐level mortality rates in 1990 but by 2010 these disparities had significantly decreased, especially among infants, children and the elderly. The only exception was Chilean men aged 20–39, for whom inequality in mortality remained persistently high. Robust economic growth and targeted health interventions in the 1990s contributed to declining mortality rates and mortality inequality. From 2000 to 2010, efforts to expand safety nets and improve health‐care access continued, with a greater impact on adults aged 49 years and above. Despite these advances, child mortality remains significantly higher than in developed countries, and the increasing number of female suicides in younger age groups represents a concerning trend.
Racial inequities in cesarean use among high‐ and low‐risk deliveries: An analysis of childbirth hospitalizations in New Jersey from 2000 to 2015
Authors: McGregor Alecia J. , Garman David , Hung Peiyin , Tosin‐Oni Motunrayo , Orona Kaitlyn Camacho , Molina Rose L. , Ciraldo Katrina J. , Kozhimannil Katy Backes
Published: September 2024

Objective

To examine racial inequities in low‐risk and high‐risk (or “medically appropriate”) cesarean delivery rates in New Jersey during the era surrounding the United States cesarean surge and peak.

Study Setting and Design

This retrospective repeated cross‐sectional study examined the universe of childbirth hospitalizations in New Jersey from January 1, 2000 through September 30, 2015. We estimate the likelihood of cesarean delivery by maternal race and ethnicity, with mixed‐level logistic regression models, stratified by cesarean risk level designated by the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM).

Data Sources and Analytic Sample

We used all‐payer hospital discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's State Inpatient Discharge Database and linked this data to the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. ZIP‐code Tabulation Area (ZCTA)‐level racialized economic segregation index data were from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey. We identified 1,604,976 statewide childbirth hospitalizations using International Classification of Diseases‐9‐CM (ICD‐9) diagnosis and procedure codes and Diagnosis‐Related Group codes, and created an indicator of cesarean delivery using ICD‐9 codes.

Principal Findings

Among low‐risk deliveries, Black patients, particularly those in the age group of 35–39 years, had higher predicted probabilities of giving birth via cesarean than White people in the same age categories (Black‐adjusted predicted probability = 24.0%; vs. White‐adjusted predicted probability = 17.3%). Among high‐risk deliveries, Black patients aged 35 to 39 years had a lower predicted probability (by 2.7 percentage points) of giving birth via cesarean compared with their White counterparts.

Conclusions

This study uncovered a lack of medically appropriate cesarean delivery for Black patients, with low‐risk Black patients at higher odds of cesarean delivery and high‐risk Black patients at lower odds of cesarean than their White counterparts. The significant Black‐White inequities highlight the need to address misalignment of evidence‐based cesarean delivery practice in the efforts to improve maternal health equity. Quality metrics that track whether cesareans are provided when medically needed may contribute to clinical and policy efforts to prevent disproportionate maternal morbidity and mortality among Black patients.
Are suicides underreported? The impact of coroners versus medical examiners on suicide reporting
Authors: Fernandez Jose Manuel , Jayawardhana Jayani
Published: September 2024

Objective

To evaluate if state death investigation systems affect the reporting of suicides, particularly when comparing medical examiners to coroners.

Data Sources and Study Setting

We used restricted‐access state mortality data from National Vital Statistics System between the years 1959 to 2016. These data were matched with state‐level changes in death investigation systems reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database on the Public Health Law Program: Coroner/ME Laws.

Study Design

We used difference‐in‐differences and event study methods for the analysis. We estimated the relative per capita changes in suicides, accidental deaths, and homicides when comparing coroner‐only states with other death investigation types. Sub‐analyses estimated differences by sex, race, and if coroners were required to receive training.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Not Applicable.

Principal Findings

Coroners‐only states underreported suicides by 17.4% (p < 0.05) and performed 20.4% (p < 0.05) fewer autopsies compared to states with county coroners and a state medical examiner. This pattern is consistent by sex and race. Required coroner training did not affect death determination significantly.

Conclusion

Coroners‐only states underreported suicides compared to states with county coroners and a state medical examiner. The disparity in the use of autopsies is a potential mechanism for underreporting of suicides by coroners. If all coroners‐only states adopted a state medical examiner, suicide reporting would increase by 2243–3100 deaths in the United States annually.
Community representation and policing: Effects on Black civilians
Authors: Risi Joseph , Graif Corina
Published: September 2024

Does increased representation of Black individuals in the police force lead to less aggressive policing of Black individuals? The current study uses a Chicago panel data set with monthly police unit observations between 2013 and 2015 to understand 1) how police units’ representation of Black individuals affects the number of stops of Black residents and 2) how individual police officers patrol differently depending on the racial/ethnic background of co‐working officers. Using fixed‐effects negative binomial regression, we found that increasing racial congruence between police officers and the community being patrolled was associated over time with fewer stops of Black residents. Individual analyses showed that Black (vs. White) officers stopped fewer Black civilians, with larger effects in police units with higher percentages of Black officers, indicating a unit group effect. Furthermore, as the number of Black officer co‐workers in a shift increased, Black civilian stops declined for all officers, including White officers, which is consistent with active representation. These findings indicate that a more diverse and representative police force can reduce aggressive policing of minority communities by mitigating group threat and cultivating positive cross‐racial exchanges within police organizations and smaller peer groups.
Reactive guardianship: Who intervenes? How? And why?
Authors: Barnum Timothy C. , Herman Shaina , van Gelder Jean‐Louis , Ribeaud Denis , Eisner Manuel , Nagin Daniel S.
Published: September 2024

Guardianship is a core tenet of routine activity theory and collective efficacy. At its outset, routine activity research assumed that the mere presence of a guardian was sufficient to disrupt many forms of crime. More recent research, however, has taken as a starting point that would‐be‐guardians must take on an active role for a reduction in crime to occur. Integrating research on bystander intervention and guardianship‐in‐action, the current study elaborates the individual‐level motivations and decision processes of guardianship to answer the following questions: Who serves as a reactive guardian? How do they do so? And why? We tasked young adults (N = 1,032) included in the recent waves of the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z‐proso) to assess a 70‐second video depicting a sexual harassment event. We examined participants’ willingness to engage in a range of intervention options as a function of their prosocial attitudes, safety considerations, socioemotional motivations, and moral considerations. Results show a complex decision process leading to whether and how a would‐be guardian decides to intervene to disrupt sexual harassment, such that prosocial motivations and emotional reactions are weighed against perceptions of danger when deciding on a specific course of action.
Understanding the role of street network configurations in the placement of illegitimately operating facilities
Authors: de Vries Ieke , Davies Toby
Published: September 2024

The role of street networks in shaping the spatial distribution of crime has become a foundational component within environmental criminology. Most studies, however, have focused on opportunistic crime types, such as property offenses. In this study, we instead research a theoretically distinct phenomenon by examining the placement of venues that host criminal activity. In particular, we study the relationship between network structure and the placement of illicit massage businesses, which operate on the intersections of illicit and legitimate activity by hosting illicit commercial sex under the guise of legitimate massage. We model their placement as a function of two network metrics: betweenness, which measures a street's usage potential, and a variant called “local betweenness,” which measures the potential of nearby streets. Multilevel models are used to examine the importance of these street‐level metrics while accounting for tract‐level covariates. Our findings demonstrate that, unlike property crimes, illicit massage businesses tend to be located on streets that are themselves quiet but that are close to areas of high activity. Such locations seem to combine accessibility and discretion, and therefore, represent ideal conditions for such businesses to thrive. Our findings can inform problem‐oriented approaches to prevent the harms associated with illegitimately operating businesses.
Have native insect pests associated with a native crop in Maine declined over the past three to five decades?
Authors: Drummond F. A. , Fanning Philip , Collins Judith
Published: September 2024

Lowbush blueberry is an important berry crop in Maine (USA), Quebec and the Maritime provinces of Canada. The other economically important crops in Maine are potato, dairy and organic mixed vegetable produce. Lowbush blueberry is a complex of 1–4 Vaccinium species, primarily dominated by Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton. All but one of the insect pest species in this crop system are native to the regions where it is managed in North America.

Insect decline has been shown to be a recent global phenomenon although it has rarely been studied in agricultural ecosystems. Long‐term datasets of insect species abundances are a powerful tool for insect population trends.

To determine if native insect pests have declined over the past several decades in Maine lowbush blueberry, we surveyed three native species. All surveys were conducted in commercial blueberry fields; although, none of the sample sites were sprayed with insecticides. Insect pest sampling comprised two surveys (1961–2014 and 1998–2017) conducted on the larval stage of the blueberry maggot fly (Rhagoletis mendax Curran), one survey (1981–2016) on the larval stage of the blueberry spanworm (Itame argillacearia (Packard)), and one survey (1983–2019) on the larval stage of the blueberry flea beetle (Altica sylvia Malloch).

Based upon the analysis of our long‐term population‐level datasets, we found no evidence that insect decline has occurred in this native blueberry insect pest complex intimately associated with the lowbush blueberry, a native crop plant in North America, despite recent documentation of rapid climate change occurring in the lowbush blueberry production areas.
‘It's not a solution to keep telling me to lose weight!’ Exploring endometrial cancer survivors’ experiences of nutrition and well‐being advice: A qualitative study
Authors: Williams Linda , Henry Claire , Simcock Bryony , Amataiti Tutangi , Perelini Olivia , Filoche Sara
Published: September 2024

Aims

The aim was to explore Endometrial cancer (EC) survivors' experiences of being offered nutrition and well‐being advice.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted at two tertiary centres in Aotearoa New Zealand. Semi‐structured conversations with people who had completed treatment for EC in the past 12 months were undertaken to explore how they were offered nutrition and well‐being advice as part of standard follow‐up care. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Fifteen people of Pacific, Māori and European ethnicity participated. Five themes were derived: (i) isolation and vulnerability, (ii) importance of language, (iii) inconsistent availability and relevance of nutrition and well‐being information, (iv) competing priorities and influences and (v) holistic and culturally responsive support. People often experienced judgement associated with their weight as part of their care, with limited understanding of their lived realities. Nutrition and well‐being advice was not widely available or accessible, and people had to explicitly ask for it. Social and environmental factors were barriers to making changes to health behaviours. A need for culturally safe holistic care was identified.

Conclusion

Enhancing survivorship after EC is ultimately premised on providing culturally safe and responsive care. Expanding workforce training in communication around high weight as well as education and self‐assessment of cultural safety could enable aspects of this. A holistic care program could facilitate wider access to nutrition and well‐being advice and better meet the needs of this population.
Gender representation in obstetrics and gynaecology leadership
Authors: Holmes Belinda , Ibiebele Ibinabo , Nippita Tanya A.C.
Published: September 2024

Background

Women in leadership in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand have historically been underrepresented, despite forming a significant portion of the workforce. This study extends prior research from 2017, examining shifts in gender representation, attitudes, and perceived leadership barriers within the specialty.

Aims

The study aims to evaluate changes in gender diversity among leadership positions in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) and accredited training hospitals since 2017. Additionally, it seeks to understand current attitudes toward leadership and identify perceived barriers among RANZCOG consultants and trainees.

Materials and Methods

A cross‐sectional approach was employed, utilising publicly available information, a survey distributed to RANZCOG members, and data from accredited training hospitals. Gender representation in leadership positions was analysed, and survey responses were collected from consultants and trainees to evaluate attitudes and perceived barriers.

Results

The study reveals an increase in women's representation in RANZCOG leadership, particularly on the council and in clinical leadership positions. While the proportion of women trainees remained stable, there was a noteworthy increase in women specialists. Survey responses revealed shared perceptions on leadership qualities but diverged on barriers, with more women expressing concerns about skillsets, caring responsibilities, and mentorship support.

Conclusions

The findings underscore substantial progress in achieving gender equity in obstetrics and gynaecology leadership roles, attributed to RANZCOG initiatives, societal changes, and improved policies. Ongoing efforts, including structured mentorship and flexible arrangements, are recommended to sustain and further enhance gender representation and address specific barriers identified by women in the specialty.
Fiscal legibility and state development: Theory and evidence from colonial Mexico
Authors: Garfias Francisco , Sellars Emily A.
Published: September 2024

We examine how fiscal legibility, the ability of central authorities to observe local conditions for the purposes of taxation, shapes political centralization and state development. When rulers lack information about the periphery, they may benefit from ceding autonomy to tax‐collecting intermediaries to encourage fiscal performance. As information quality improves, rulers become better able to monitor and sanction local officials, allowing them to tighten control over taxation and establish more direct state presence. Centralization, in turn, encourages investment in improving fiscal legibility, leading to long‐term divergence in state development. We study the consequences of a technological innovation that dramatically improved the Spanish Crown's fiscal legibility in colonial Mexico: the discovery of the patio process to refine silver. We show that political centralization differentially accelerated in affected districts and that these areas subsequently saw disproportionate state investment in informational capacity, altering the trajectory of state development.
Competence and advice
Authors: Denisenko Anna , Hafer Catherine , Landa Dimitri
Published: September 2024

We develop a theory of policy advice that focuses on the relationship between the competence of the advisor (e.g., an expert bureaucracy) and the quality of advice that the leader may expect. We describe important tensions between these features present in a wide class of substantively important circumstances. These tensions point to the presence of a trade‐off between receiving advice more often and receiving more informative advice. The optimal realization of this trade‐off for the leader sometimes induces her to prefer advisors of limited competence—a preference that, we show, is robust under different informational assumptions. We consider how institutional tools available to leaders affect preferences for advisor competence and the quality of advice they may expect to receive in equilibrium.
Medicinal cannabis extracts are neuroprotective against Aβ1–42‐mediated toxicity in vitro
Authors: Marsh Dylan T. , Shibuta Mayu , Kato Ryuji , Smid Scott D.
Published: September 2024

Background

Phytocannabinoids inhibit the aggregation and neurotoxicity of the neurotoxic Alzheimer's disease protein β amyloid (Aβ). We characterised the capacity of five proprietary medical cannabis extracts, heated and non‐heated, with varying ratios of cannabidiol and Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol and their parent carboxylated compounds to protect against lipid peroxidation and Aβ‐evoked neurotoxicity in PC12 cells.

Methods

Neuroprotection against lipid peroxidation and Aβ1–42‐induced cytotoxicity was assessed using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Transmission electron microscopy was used to visualise phytocannabinoid effects on Aβ1–42 aggregation and fluorescence microscopy.

Results

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA)‐predominant cannabis extracts demonstrated the most significant overall neuroprotection against Aβ1–42‐induced loss of PC12 cell viability. These protective effects were still significant after heating of extracts, while none of the extracts provided significant neuroprotection to lipid peroxidation via tbhp exposure. Modest inhibition of Aβ1–42 aggregation was demonstrated only with the non‐heated BC‐401 cannabis extract, but overall, there was no clear correlation between effects on fibrils and conferral of neuroprotection.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the variable neuroprotective activity of cannabis extracts containing major phytocannabinoids THC/THCA and cannabidiol (CBD)/cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on Aβ‐evoked neurotoxicity and inhibition of amyloid β aggregation. This may inform the future use of medicinal cannabis formulations in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Annual and seasonal dry matter production, botanical species composition, and nutritive value of multispecies, permanent pasture, and perennial ryegrass swards managed under grazing
Authors: Shackleton Jane , Boland Tommy M. , Kennedy Jean , Grace Cornelia , Beaucarne Gaspard , Kirwan Stuart F. , Schmidt Olaf , Sheridan Helen
Published: September 2024

Reduced reliance on inputs such as fertilizer is fundamental to sustainable grazing systems. This two‐year study compared four sward types, including multispecies swards (MSS), for herbage dry matter (DM) production, species contribution to DM, and herbage nutritive value under grazing. The systems were: (1) Lolium perenne L. monoculture (PRG; 170 kg N ha−1 year−1); (2) permanent pasture (PP; 135 kg N ha−1 year−1), (3) six species sward consisting of two grasses, two legumes and two herbs (6S; 70 kg N ha−1 year−1), (4) twelve species sward consisting of three grasses, four legumes and five herbs (12S; 70 kg N ha−1 year−1). Herbage samples were collected for DM yield, botanical composition, and nutritive value. Mean annual DM production for PRG, PP, 6S, and 12S was 11,374, 8526, 13,783, and 13,338 kg DM ha−1 respectively. Herb proportions decreased in 6S and 12S from 2020 to 2021 while grass proportions increased. Mean crude protein levels were similar across all systems (p > 0.05), with higher ash content in 6S and 12S compared to PRG (p < 0.001). Organic matter digestibility was lowest in PP compared to PRG (p < 0.001) while neutral detergent fibre content of PP and PRG were greater than 6S and 12S (p < 0.001). Water soluble carbohydrate content was highest in PRG (p < 0.0001). Over 2 years, MSS delivered increased herbage DM yield and nutritive quality relative to PRG and PP swards, from reduced N inputs. However, maintenance of the herb component of MSS is a challenge.
Token‐based reviewer economies: Proposed institutions for managing the reviewer shortage problem
Authors: Chua Cecil Eng Huang
Published: September 2024

This opinion paper presents two proposed token‐based systems to fix the information system academy's review system. At present, the review system consumes more human resources than the information systems academy has by an order of magnitude. The cost of this overflow is borne entirely by information systems researchers. I argue this is because the review system is based on a gift economy that cannot handle the currently sized market. Both proposals involve the creation of tokens and a central governing body. The first proposal involves a market built around a review bank (central governing body) that issues review tokens that function as a proxy currency. Journals function as intermediaries between authors and reviewers. Authors pay journals for reviews, and journals pay experts such as reviewers and editors for their services. Reviewers exchange their review tokens on the open market or trade review tokens for favours with institutions like universities. The second proposal involves a gift economy where reviewers transfer their allegiance from peers to the information systems academy. In this proposal, each individual token is unique, like a trading card and an affiliation board tracks the transfer of tokens, linking former possessors of a token together in a review ring. As tokens are regifted, they accumulate history, and thereby social worth, captured in the form of messages each possessor writes. Former possession of a large number of tokens and of tokens with particular histories confers status benefits. These benefits in turn lock reviewers into the review ring system encouraging them to do further reviews. Economic, social, and other implications of both policies are discussed and questions are posed for the information systems academy to grapple with. Example issues discussed include the effect of the proposals on the political power of reviewers and shifts in political power in the information systems academy.
Adherence and treatment discontinuation of oral semaglutide and once‐weekly semaglutide injection at 12 month follow‐up: Japanese real‐world data
Authors: Horii Takeshi , Masudo Chikako , Takayanagi Yui , Oikawa Yoichi , Shimada Akira , Mihara Kiyoshi
Published: September 2024

Adherence and treatment continuation rates of the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist (GLP‐1RA) semaglutide for both oral (O‐SEMA) and subcutaneous injection (SEMA‐SC) remain unknown in real‐world clinical practice. This retrospective observational study compared the 12 month adherence and treatment discontinuation of O‐SEMA and once‐weekly SEMA‐SC in patients with type 2 diabetes using a real‐world claims database. SEMA‐SC initiators were 1:1 propensity score‐matched to O‐SEMA initiators. Non‐adherence was defined as <0.8 of the proportion of days covered. SEMA‐SC had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for non‐adherence than O‐SEMA (OR: 1.39). The hazard ratio for treatment discontinuation, using O‐SEMA as the reference, was 1.45 for SEMA‐SC, although the discontinuation rate of O‐SEMA was higher during the early stage. O‐SEMA initiators showed significantly higher adherence and greater persistence in therapy than SEMA‐SC initiators at 12 months, which could lead to earlier initiation of GLP‐1RA treatment.
Association of nursing home antipsychotic reduction policies with antipsychotic use in community dwellers with dementia
Authors: Coe Antoinette B. , Zhang Tingting , Zullo Andrew R. , Gerlach Lauren B. , Daiello Lori A. , Varma Hiren , Lo Derrick , Joshi Richa , Bynum Julie P. W. , Shireman Theresa I.
Published: September 2024

Background

Antipsychotic and other psychotropic medication use is prevalent among community‐dwelling older adults with dementia despite the potential for adverse effects. Two Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiatives, the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care (“the Partnership”) and the Five Star Quality Rating System for antipsychotic use reporting, have been successful in reducing antipsychotic use in nursing home residents. We assessed if these initiatives had a spillover effect in antipsychotic and other psychotropic medication use among community dwellers with dementia due to potential overlap in prescribers across settings.

Methods

Among community‐dwelling older adults with dementia, we examined psychotropic medication class use (i.e., antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants/mood stabilizers, antidementia) in 2010–2017 Medicare fee‐for‐service claims using interrupted time series analyses across three periods (“Pre‐Partnership”: July 1, 2010 to March 31, 2012; “Post‐Partnership”: April 1, 2012 to January 31, 2015; “Five Star Quality Rating”: February 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017).

Results

We included 1,289,401 community dwellers with dementia contributing 26,609,697 person‐months. The mean age was 80 years, most were female (70%), approximately 80% were non‐Hispanic Whites, 10% were non‐Hispanic Blacks, and 5% were Hispanic ethnicity. Antipsychotic use was declining pre‐Partnership (β = −0.06, 95% CI: −0.08, −0.05) and post‐Partnership (β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.02, −0.01). Post‐Five Star Quality Rating, antipsychotic use remained stable with a nearly flat slope (β = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.01, 0.00). Anticonvulsant and antidepressant use increased and anxiolytic and antidementia medication use decreased among community‐dwelling older adults with dementia.

Conclusions

These two CMS policies on antipsychotic use for nursing home residents were not associated with a spillover effect to community‐dwelling older adults with dementia. Strategies to monitor the appropriateness of psychotropic medication use may be warranted for community‐dwellers with dementia.
Effects of hand‐bathing on noise‐induced vasoconstriction: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Sugawara Keita , Takeno Eriko , Mabuchi Takahito , Sukeda Ayano , Ohashi Sana , Ohnishi Norikazu
Published: September 2024

Aim

This study assessed the effects of hand‐bathing on sympathetic nervous activity exacerbated by psychological stress. Participants immersed one hand in warm water for 2 min while exposed to noise, and changes in blood flow and skin temperature of the non‐immersed hand were observed.

Methods

Twenty‐nine healthy university students aged 20 years or older were randomly assigned to either the hand‐bathing group (n = 14) or the control group (n = 15). After a brief rest in a quiet environment, participants were exposed to noise for 6 min. Those in the hand‐bathing group submerged their left hand in a 40°C thermostatic bath for 2 min, starting 2 min into the noise exposure. The tympanic temperature, blood flow, and skin temperature of the non‐immersed hand were continuously measured, along with blood pressure and subjective evaluations before and after the noise exposure.

Results

Both groups experienced a decrease in fingertip skin temperature at the start of the noise exposure, persisting longer in the control group. Conversely, the hand‐bathing group showed increased fingertip skin temperature after 150 s, significantly higher after the noise exposure than the control group (p = .04). Participants in the hand‐bathing group reported significantly increased overall body warmth, thermal comfort, and relaxation during hand‐bathing (p = .007, p = .01, p < .001).

Conclusions

The 2‐min hand‐bathing intervention reversed the pronounced vasoconstrictive response induced by noise exposure and elicited heightened sensations of overall body warmth, thermal comfort, and relaxation. Hand‐bathing may mitigate heightened sympathetic nervous activity associated with psychological stress induced by noise exposure.
Exchange Rates and Prices in the Netherlands and Britain over the Past Four Centuries
Authors: LOTHIAN JAMES R. , DEVEREUX JOHN
Published: September 2024

The paper studies the long‐term stability of the purchasing‐power‐parity (PPP) relation using data for the Netherlands and Great Britain (earlier the Dutch Republic and England) from 1590 until 2020. We begin by investigating the behavior of the real exchange rate in rate‐of‐growth form finding strong evidence supporting long‐run relative PPP. Turning to price levels, we find evidence of mean‐reverting behavior over the whole period with one long‐lived shift in mean between 1788 and 1931. The myriad other factors that varied over this long period that might have affected the stability of the PPP relation do not appear to have mattered.
What is the utility of point‐of‐care ultrasound for suspected pulled elbow? A single‐centre case series
Authors: McCreary David J , Tambe Nikhil , Mullen Niall
Published: September 2024

Radial head subluxation, known as pulled elbow or nursemaid's elbow, is a common presentation to the Paediatric Emergency Department (PED). Fifty per cent of children present following an unwitnessed injury or with an atypical history. Furthermore, examination can be difficult in an upset or frightened child meaning the precise location of the injury is not always easily identifiable. Many children receive upper limb x‐rays unnecessarily and others undergo attempted reduction for suspected pulled elbow when a fracture is the cause of their pain.

Objective

To evaluate the ability of point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) to correctly identify cases of suspected pulled elbow.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients aged 0–5 years presenting to the PED of our large District General Hospital from November 2020 to November 2022. We reviewed the electronic medical records of all patients presenting with a triage category of ‘elbow Injury’. We excluded patients presenting with obvious deformity, significant swelling and history of road traffic collision or other major trauma mechanism such as a fall from a height. POCUS was carried out by the authors according to pre‐existing clinical protocols.

Results

Thirty‐seven patients underwent POCUS. Twenty‐nine had a typical history and all had a positive POCUS for pulled elbow. Of the remaining eight patients with an atypical history, three were found to have a positive POCUS compared to unaffected elbow. Five patients with an atypical history had negative POCUS findings and were diagnosed as soft tissue injuries after further assessment. All 32 with positive sonographic signs had a final diagnosis of pulled elbow, meaning the specificity was 100% (47.8–100) (P = 0.00003). The sensitivity was 100%.

Conclusion

Use of POCUS by appropriately trained clinicians, as an extension of a clinical examination, in this retrospective study reliably confirmed pulled elbow. This has the potential to reduce both unnecessary radiation as well as the time in the emergency department for the child and their carers.
Associations between longitudinal fluoride intakes from birth to age 23 and multi‐row detector computed tomography bone densitometry outcomes at age 23
Authors: Bhatia Gurjot Kaur , Levy Steven M. , Warren John J. , Rysavy Oscar A. , Saha Punam K. , Zhang Xiaoliu , Zeng Erliang
Published: September 2024

Objectives

To assess the relationships between longitudinal fluoride intakes and bone densitometry outcomes in young adults.

Methods

Data were analyzed from the Iowa Fluoride Study and Iowa Bone Development Study, which followed 1,882 infants from birth in 1992. Daily fluoride intakes were assessed using detailed questionnaires sent every 1.5–6 months, and multi‐row detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans of distal tibia were obtained from 330 participants aged 23 years. Sex‐specific bivariate and multivariable associations with MDCT outcomes were examined using linear regression. Because of the multiple statistical analyses being conducted, p‐values < 0.01 were considered statistically significant.

Results

In fully adjusted analyses, no statistically significant (p < 0.01) or suggestive (0.01 < p < 0.05) associations were found between period‐specific or cumulative fluoride intake and bone measures for either sex, although there were suggestive positive relationships in unadjusted analyses.

Conclusions

Longitudinal fluoride intakes had little association with bone measures at age 23. As there were no adverse effects from fluoride intake on bone health in young adults, results support the continued use of fluorides, particularly community water fluoridation is the most cost‐effective method of dental caries prevention.
Parasomnias and sleep‐related movement disorders induced by drugs in the adult population: a review about iatrogenic medication effects
Authors: Dumont Sylvain , Bloch Vanessa , Lillo‐Lelouet Agnès , Le Beller Christine , Geoffroy Pierre A. , Veyrier Marc
Published: September 2024

Parasomnias and sleep‐related movement disorders (SRMD) are major causes of sleep disorders and may be drug induced. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to examine the association between drug use and the occurrence of parasomnias and SRMD. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines for reporting systematic reviews, we searched PubMed databases between January 2020 and June 2023. The searches retrieved 937 records, of which 174 publications were selected for full‐text screening and 73 drugs were identified. The most common drug‐induced parasomnias were nightmares and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorders and sleepwalking. In terms of drug‐induced SRMD, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorders (PLMD), and sleep‐related bruxism were most frequent. Medications that inhibit noradrenergic, serotonergic, or orexin transmission could induce REM sleep (e.g., nightmares). Regarding sleepwalking, dysregulation of serotoninergic neurone activity is implicated. Antipsychotics are mentioned, as well as medications involved in the gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathway. A mechanism of desensitisation‐autoregulation of GABA receptors on serotoninergic neurones is a hypothesis. SRMD and PLMD could involve medications disrupting the dopamine pathway (e.g., antipsychotics or opioids). Opioids would act on mu receptors and increase dopamine release. The role of adenosine and iron is also hypothesised. Regarding bruxism, the hypotheses raised involve dysregulation of mesocortical pathway or a downregulation of nigrostriatal pathway, related to medications involving dopamine or serotonin. Parasomnias are rarely identified in drug product labels, likely due to the recent classification of their diagnoses. An analysis of pharmacovigilance data could be valuable to supplement existing literature data.
Procedural constraints and regulatory ossification in the US states
Authors: Yackee Jason Webb , Yackee Susan Webb
Published: September 2024

Scholars of the US regulatory process routinely assert that rulemaking is “ossified”—that it has become so encumbered with procedural constraints that it is difficult for agencies to issue socially desirable regulations. Yet, this claim has rarely been subject to empirical testing, and this is particularly true at the sub‐federal (i.e., US state) level. But the same factors that allegedly cause ossification in federal agencies also exist in the states. Using original survey data from 1460 agency leaders from across all 50 states, we present evidence suggesting that state agencies issue numerous rules and appear to do so quickly. We then focus on the procedural constraints that supposedly drive ossification and present some of the first evidence questioning the argument at the state level. We conclude that fears about the supposed tendency of procedural oversight mechanisms on the ability to regulate may be exaggerated.
Vagus nerve stimulation for stroke rehabilitation: Neural substrates, neuromodulatory effects and therapeutic implications
Authors: Schambra Heidi M. , Hays Seth A.
Published: September 2024

Paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has emerged as a promising strategy to potentiate recovery after neurological injury. This approach, which combines short bursts of electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve with rehabilitation exercises, received approval from the US Food and Drug Aministration in 2021 as the first neuromodulation‐based therapy for chronic stroke. Because this treatment is increasingly implemented in clinical practice, there is a need to take stock of what we know about this approach and what we have yet to learn. Here, we provide a survey on the foundational basis of VNS therapy for stroke and offer insight into the mechanisms that underlie potentiated recovery, focusing on the principles of neuromodulatory reinforcement. We discuss the current state of observations regarding synaptic reorganization in motor networks that are enhanced by VNS, and we propose other prospective loci of neuromodulation that should be evaluated in the future. Finally, we highlight the future opportunities and challenges to be faced as this approach is increasingly translated to clinical use. Collectively, a clearer understanding of the mechanistic basis of VNS therapy may reveal ways to maximize its benefits.

image
Retinal curvature in Chinese children with myopia measured by ultra-widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography
Authors: Wu Haotian , Zhang Bo , Chen Jun , Qi Ziyi , Xu Xun , Li Huo , He Xiangui
Published: September 2024

Aims

To quantitatively measure retinal curvature (RC) in children with myopia and explore its association with refractive status.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included participants aged 5–18 years who underwent comprehensive ocular examinations, including cycloplegic refraction and macula 24×20 mm optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans. RC was derived from OCT data using a three-dimensional reconstruction system. Mean RC was assessed in concentric circles (RC I–VI) with diameters of 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 mm around the fovea, as well as in four orientations (RC S/I/N/T).

Results

A total of 443 eyes were included in the analysis. The values from RC I to RC VI were 0.51±0.19, 0.53±0.19, 0.62±0.19, 0.76±0.23, 0.86±0.23 and 0.81±0.18 10−2mm−2, respectively. RC I exhibited the smallest curvature, while RC V displayed the highest (p<0.001). High myopia (HM) group demonstrated larger RC I and smaller RC III/IV/V/VI compared with low myopia (LM) group (p<0.01). Significant differences among RC S/I/N/T were observed in HM group (pairwise comparison, p<0.001), but not in LM group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age, sex, corneal curvature radius and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) were associated factors with foveal RC, while age, SFCT and axial length (AL) were associated factors of peripheral RC.

Conclusion

RC can quantitatively characterise retinal shape and the morphological changes induced by myopia. Myopia progression results in a bulging macular retina accompanied by a flattening peripheral retina in children, and also increases the irregularity among the four quadrants. Age, AL and SFCT are associated factors of RC.