bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elite Opportunity in Transitional Economies
Authors: Walder Andrew G.
Published: August 2023

Command economies gave Communist-era elites administrative control and material Privilege but severely restricted money income and private wealth. Markets and Privatization have injected new value into public assets and create unprecedented opportunities for elite insiders. These opportunities depend on the extent of regime change and barriers to asset appropriation. Regime change varies from the survival of the entire party hierarchy to its rapid collapse and defeat in competitive elections. Barriers to asset appropriation vary with the extent, pace, and form of privatization, and the concentration and liquidity of assets. Different combinations of such circumstances jointly affect the extent to which prior elites obtain ownership or control of Privatized assets, use political office to extract larger incomes, move into salaried elite occupations, or fall out of the elite altogether. Regime change and barriers to asset appropriation affect change at the national level, but outcomes vary across economic sectors because of characteristics of organizations, elite positions, and assets. This elementary theory serves to integrate varied findings from recent research on Central Europe, China, and Russia, and yields predictions for other regions.
Precision and Exaggeration in Interaction
Authors: Drew Paul
Published: August 2023

In medical consultations, court examination, and other such institutional interactions, claims, reports, and accounts may be questioned or challenged by showing that they are insufficiently precise. So too, in ordinary interaction participants may apply standards of relevant precision. In conversation, speakers commonly make extreme, hyperbolic, or exaggerated claims in the service of some local interactional task or contingency (e.g., to strengthen or dramatize a claim). Although there is considerable tolerance in conversation for extreme or hyperbolic claims (as in, “I have no money,” “everybody has to lie “), some such claims are treated as having been overstated, and the speaker subsequently modifies them to be more precise, and to avoid misunderstanding. This paper examines how some claims are revealed as having been overstated, as exaggerations, and how they are repaired. The distinctive conversational practices identified here, through which exaggerations come to be revised, contribute to the sociological understanding of how the maintenance of intersubjectivity is a constant and central concern in social life.
Neighborhood Effects on Family Formation: Concentrated Poverty and Beyond
Authors: South Scott J. , Crowder Kyle D.
Published: August 2023

We use longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, in conjunction with decennial census data, to examine the impact of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage on young women's risk of premarital childbearing and the timing of their transition to first marriage. Discrete-time event-history models reveal that, among black women, neighborhood disadvantage has little impact on the risk of premarital childbearing, but has a significant nonlinear effect on the probability of marriage prior to first birth. Among white women, as neighborhood disadvantage increases, premarital childbearing rates rise nonlinearly, and marriage rates rise linearly. The nonlinear effects of neighborhood disadvantage on white women's premarital childbearing and black women's first prebirth marriage are generally consistent with arguments regarding the detrimental consequences of concentrated poverty, as opposed to merely high poverty. We find no evidence that the effects of individual socioeconomic status on these dimensions of family formation vary by neighborhood quality. And although white women's estimated rates of premarital childbearing may approach those of blacks in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, socioeconomic differences between the neighborhoods inhabited by black women and white women explain only a modest proportion of the pronounced racial differences in premarital child-bearing and the timing of first marriage.
Parental Networks, Social Closure, and Mathematics Learning: A Test of Coleman's Social Capital Explanation of School Effects
Authors: Morgan Stephen L. , Sørensen Aage B.
Published: August 2023

Through an analysis of gains in mathematics achievement between the tenth and twelfth grades for respondents to the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, we examine Coleman's explanation for why Catholic schools apparently produce more learning than public schools. According to Coleman, Catholic schools benefit from larger endowments of social capital, generated in part through greater intergenerational social closure (i.e., dense network connections between the parents of students). Instead, we find that for public schools, social closure among parents is negatively associated with achievement gains in mathematics, net of friendship density among students. This evidence of a negative effect of parental social closure within the public school sector lends support to our alternative hypothesis that horizon-expanding schools foster more learning than do norm-enforcing schools. Moreover, this result renders social closure incapable of explaining any portion of the Catholic school effect on learning, even though within the Catholic school sector there is some evidence that social closure is positively associated with learning.
Explaining Deindustrialization: Globalization, Failure, Or Success?
Authors: Alderson Arthur S.
Published: August 2023

Although sociologists have expressed growing interest in globalization, they have devoted little sustained empirical attention to the many claims made in its name. I focus on the link that has been drawn between globalization and the deindustrialization of the advanced industrial societies. To examine this, I employ a pooled time-series of cross-sections data set that combines observations on 18 OECD nations across the 1968–1992 period. Fixed-effects regression models that control for unmeasured country-specific effects reveal support for arguments that implicate foreign direct investment and North-South trade in the declining percentage of the labor force employed in manufacturing in the OECD countries. Regression results also show that deindustrialization across this period is largely explained by a model that combines an attention to the post-Golden Age “troubles” of northern manufacturing with classic generalizations of the process of development. Interpretation of the empirical findings is tempered by an exercise in counterfactual history, which reveals that deindustrialization would have been considerable in these countries even if the upswings in direct investment and southern imports had not occurred or if the performance of the manufacturing sector had been stronger.
Choice Shift and Group Polarization
Authors: Friedkin Noah E.
Published: August 2023

I extend the theoretical domain of sociology into an area of social psychology that heretofore has been the exclusive domain of psychologists. Specifically, I develop a social structural perspective on the choice shifts that individuals make within groups. During interpersonal discussions of issues, choice shifts occur when there is a difference between group members’ mean final opinion and their mean initial opinion. Explanations of choice shifts have emphasized group-level conditions (e.g., a norm, a decision rule, a pool of persuasive arguments, a distribution of initial opinions). I argue that choice shifts are a ubiquitous product of the inequalities of interpersonal influence that emerge during discussions of issues. Hence, I bring choice shifts squarely into the domain of a structural social psychology that attends to the composition of networks of interpersonal influence and into broader sociological perspectives concerned with the formation of status structures.
Flow’s Core Prerequisites: The Role of Servant Leadership, Mindfulness and Work-Life Balance
Authors: Xie Lei , Singh Shailen , López Omar S.
Published: August 2023

Flow is an optimal mental state of being completely involved in one’s activities. This correlational study explored an important, but rarely validated performance model in the workplace—flow. Building on the JD-R theory we recognized three key prerequisites of flow—servant leadership, work-life balance, and mindfulness. We analyzed 987 survey responses from two industries (service and manufacturing) in China. The study discovered that servant leadership, mindfulness, and work-life balance correlate with individual flow as key prerequisites. Further we discovered that the relationship between mindfulness and flow is moderated by the industry. Particularly, data from the manufacturing industry showed a positive relationship between mindfulness and flow but a negative relationship among service employees. Implications for performance and applied psychology research, theory, and practice are discussed.
Driving organizational communication impact on social media: Understanding Information, Relational, and Action content for Effective Resource Mobilization and Awareness in Africa
Authors: Agozie Divine Q. , Nat Muesser
Published: August 2023

The extensive utilization of social media for organizational communication across Africa underscores the undeniable importance of user interaction and perceived value. In response to this growing significance, researchers have directed their efforts towards understanding the user engagement, with a particular focus on service organizations. This study delves into the strategies employed by selected humanitarian service organizations in Africa, as they harness the power of communication content functions on LinkedIn to achieve their vital goals of raising awareness and mobilizing resources. By analyzing posts from 77 organizations operating in sub-Saharan Africa using bi-term topic modelling and a generalized linear regression model, the study's findings suggest that informational communication content functions are likely to increase awareness. However, action and relational or dialogic functions did not demonstrate significant effects on awareness creation or resource mobilization (fundraising). However, it is noteworthy that the impact of action and relational or dialogic functions on awareness creation and resource mobilization (fundraising) was not found to be statistically significant. On the other hand, the incorporation of captivating multimedia elements, most notably images, emerges as a highly influential factor in captivating the audience's attention and substantially boosting engagement for the purposes of awareness and fundraising. This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding non-profit services, specifically humanitarian services, by exploring new factors that contribute to effective organizational communication on social media. Moreover, it offers practical implications for online communicators, stakeholders, and public relations professionals.
Technology readiness of farmers in sarawak: The effect of gender, age, and educational level
Authors: Yap Ching Seng , Keling William , Ho Poh Ling , Omar Quistina
Published: August 2023

This research examined the association between technology readiness of farmers and their behavioral intention to adopt a mobile agricultural finance app called the e-AgriFinance app, as well as if gender, age, and educational level affect their technology readiness and behavioral intention. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect primary data from 334 farmers cultivating oil palm, rubber, cocoa, and pepper in Sarawak. Data were analyzed using correlation analysis and independent t-tests. The study revealed that the motivator dimension of technology readiness relates positively with behavioral intention while the inhibitor dimension relates negatively with behavioral intention. Female farmers were found to have higher mean scores in the motivator dimension and behavioral intention than male farmers. Farmers who are older and received lower education were found to have lower mean scores in the motivator dimension than those younger and have higher education. The findings provided alternative explanation of the role of demographic variables – gender, age, and educational level in the technology adoption literature in the context of farmers. For practice, the findings provided the Sarawak government and other stakeholders with insights about promoting digital inclusion among farmers.
Public libraries in language assimilation policies: The Swedish Tornedalian example
Authors: Hansson Joacim
Published: August 2023

This article reports from a project on the role of public libraries in language assimilation policies directed against the Meänkieli-speaking Tornedalian minority in the far north of Sweden during the first half of the 20th century. As libraries in the Torne Valley area, bordering on Finland, were maintained under state control, they became tools in the near eradication of Meänkieli in a complex set of policies that were in effect until 1957, promoting a uniform Swedish language and culture. Building on sociological conflict theory and the analysis of unpublished local documentation, the article brings to light conditions previously unknown about the Swedish public libraries in the northernmost part of the country. The article concludes by reflecting on the role of Swedish libraries today as important tools for the revitalization of Meänkieli, aimed at strengthening the identity and visibility of the Tornedalian minority.
Midblock Pedestrian Signal Safety Effectiveness
Authors: Fitzpatrick Kay , Geedipally Srinivas , Kutela Boniphace , Koonce Peter
Published: August 2023

The midblock pedestrian signal (MPS) operates as a coordinated actuated vehicular traffic signal that enables pedestrians to cross at midblock. The MPS has been used in multiple locations, including for more than 40 years in Los Angeles. It differs from a typical pedestrian crossing signal by allowing the red display for vehicular traffic to flash at the same time as the pedestrian timing for the crossing, reducing delay to vehicular traffic. The research team built a database of crash and roadway characteristics data for treated and control sites located in three states (California, Utah, and Texas). Three control groups were considered: all control sites (included intersections with two, three, or four legs and traffic control signals); two-leg sites with any type of pedestrian traffic control other than the MPS; and two-leg sites with nonactive or not present pedestrian traffic control devices. It was found that the MPS is associated with a reduction in the number of crashes involving pedestrians and a reduction in the number of all fatal and injury crashes when the control group is two-leg sites with nonactive or not present pedestrian traffic control devices. The following crash modification factors for the MPS were identified: 0.554 for crashes involving pedestrians; and 0.660 for all crashes.
Promoting Adolescents’ Comprehension of Text: Efficacy and Effectiveness
Authors: Vaughn Sharon , Wanzek Jeanne
Published: August 2023

This paper provides an examination of the foundations, efficacy, and effectiveness of a set of practices associated with improved social studies and history learning and literacy outcomes for middle grade students, including students with varying learning needs (e.g., English learners, students with disabilities). This approach, Promoting Adolescents’ Comprehension of Text, has been the focus of multiple randomized controlled trials, including a large-scale effectiveness study. This paper has two foci: (a) to examine the evidence for the PACT intervention across settings, populations, and time and (b) to consider the design of these studies and the unit of randomization (i.e., within teacher or across school) to better understand why the typically expected differential effect sizes between efficacy and effectiveness studies were not evident.
Automated AUP (absorption under pressure): A novel method to characterise superabsorbent polymers
Authors: Biel Sandra , Daniel Thomas , Herfert Norbert , Pfirrmann Diane , Trapp Thomas
Published: August 2023

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are a key constituent in baby diapers and adult incontinence products. To develop new SAPs, lab tests are used to measure properties that are considered important for these products. However, these manual tests are often time-consuming and tedious. This paper introduces an automatic method to measure absorption under pressure (aAUP) using industry robots. The new robotic method addresses limitations in an industry standard absorption under pressure (AUP) method. The new aAUP method can run continuously, generating more and better data to aid in product development. It enables to put the Buchholz theory on SAPs for predicting their properties to practice by reduction of manual effort and by producing excellent data quality. This has been shown on commercial polymers from different production processes, with varied particle size distributions and shapes. The aAUP data has also been shown to accurately predict other properties of SAPs relevant for their application in hygiene articles, making it a useful tool for understanding the underlying science and facilitating product development.
Environmental policy, green trade and sustainable development in Europe: New perspective on the Porter hypothesis
Authors: Olasehinde-Williams Godwin , Folorunsho Ajide
Published: August 2023

This study tests the validity of the Porter hypothesis through the examination of the joint effects of green trade and environmental policy stringency on sustainable development in the European Economic Area. To achieve the study objective, data for 14 countries within the region between 2003 and 2015 is analyzed using advanced panel estimation techniques – panel method of moments quantile and nonparametric time-varying coefficient panel models. The empirical analysis yields a number of interesting results. In confirmation of the Porter hypothesis, the interaction term is positive and significant. Specifically, a percentage increase in environmental policy stringency raises the positive impact of green trade on sustainable development by 0.005%. This interactive effect also ranges between 0.002% and 0.007% across quantiles. This indicates that the higher the level of sustainable development, the higher the moderating impact of environmental policy stringency on the relationship between green trade and sustainable development. This suggests that stringent policies are able to induce green technological shocks that cause efficiency improvements and innovation, which in turn promote sustainable development either directly or indirectly through their interactions with green trade. Moreover, the individual and synergistic impacts of environmental policy stringency and green trade are time-varying and sensitive to economic conditions. They become more pronounced in periods of major regional/global economic events. Responsible use of strict environmental policies is advocated, and the removal of green trade barriers is encouraged.
A review of near infrared spectroscopic features of teeth, bone and artificial hydroxyapatite
Authors: Pretorius NE , Forrest AS , Walsh KB
Published: August 2023

Hydroxyapatite is a major component of teeth and bones and is used commercially in metal sequestration. Near infrared imaging and spectroscopy has found increasing use in characterisation of these materials, particularly in context of dental conditions. The near infrared spectra of these materials are reviewed in terms of band assignments related to water in various states, P-OH and organic material, and in terms of light scattering. The effect of factors such as acid and heat on the NIR spectra of bones and teeth is also described. This review is intended to provide a resource for future researchers using NIR spectroscopy in characterisation of hydroxyapatite containing material.
Nhs Reform, Audit, Protocols and Standards of Care
Authors: Harpwood Vivienne
Published: August 2023

Changes imposed by central government on the financing of the defence of medical negligence claims, and the introduction of audit as part of the re-structuring of the NHS have established a new climate within which the courts are provided with the opportunity to amend or abolish the Bolam test in favour of a normative test based on professional consensus guidelines. The paper will examine the future of the Bolam test as a measure of the standard of care in medical negligence cases and evaluate the prospects for change with particular reference to the new system of NHS Indemnity and the progress of medical audit.
A Quantitative Study of the Relationship Between Interprofessional Collaboration and Job Satisfaction Among Child Welfare Caseworkers
Authors: Phillips Jon D. , Villagrana Kalah M. , Gibbs Daniel J. , Goldsborough Elizabeth J.
Published: August 2023

There is a pressing need to improve job satisfaction among child welfare caseworkers given historically high turnover rates that adversely affect family outcomes. Guided by the job demands-resources model, this study examined whether caseworkers’ job satisfaction was associated with their quality of interprofessional collaboration (IPC). Linear regression models were estimated using cross-sectional data provided by the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute. The sample included caseworkers ( N = 1,489) in two states and one urban county in the United States. Results indicated that caseworker job satisfaction increased as their quality of IPC with service providers and court professionals improved. These findings suggest that agency leaders should foster and support IPC as a means of enhancing caseworker job satisfaction.
Underreporting of Work-Related COVID-19 Cases in Norway
Authors: Samant Yogindra , Støver Morten , Haarberg Ingrid Stette , Lohmann-Lafrenz Signe , Strømholm Tonje
Published: August 2023

Background: This register-based study provides a profile of work-related Covid-19 cases reported by physicians to the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority (NLIA). Methods: All the reports of work-related Covid-19 cases reported by a physician to the NLIAs Registry for Work-Related Diseases (RAS) between February 2020 and February 2022 were included. Descriptive statistics and the incidence rate of reported cases were computed for age, gender, and occupation. Results: Two hundred and seventeen work-related Covid-19 cases were reported to RAS during the study period. Sixty-five percent of the cases were females ( n = 141), and 35 percent ( n = 76) were males. Doctors, nurses, and ambulance personnel yielded higher incidence rates than other healthcare and nonhealthcare occupations. Conclusions: This study indicates that women aged 25–39 and employed in the healthcare sector had the highest reported incidence and number of work-related Covid-19 cases. Physician underreporting of work-related Covid-19 cases is an important finding. Plausibly, underreporting is more substantial for at-risk non-healthcare occupations such as waiters, bartenders, food couriers, and taxi drivers than occupations in healthcare.
Is Cross-Group Friendship Related to Less Perceived Criminal Threat of Immigrants and Less Negative Attitudes Toward Immigrants to the United States?
Authors: Shi Luzi
Published: August 2023

In recent years, the U.S. public has become increasingly concerned about the immigration issue. Criminological research and group threat theory suggest that harsh immigration policy preferences may be driven by perceived criminal threat of immigrants. More research is needed to understand how to reduce perceived immigrant criminality and negative attitudes toward immigrants. Using intergroup contact theory and an American adult sample ( N = 1,037), the current study tests if cross-group friendship with foreign-born immigrants may reduce negative immigration attitudes both directly, and indirectly by lowering perceived criminal threat of immigrants. Results from regression analyses showed that perceived criminal threat was positively related to negative immigration attitudes. Cross-group friendship was directly related to less perceived criminal threat and less negative immigration attitudes. However, results from mediation analyses showed that cross-group friendship did not further reduce negative immigration attitudes indirectly via lowered perceived criminal threat. The results highlight the importance of meaningful cross-group friendship in mitigating negative immigrant perceptions and call for future research to further investigate ways to correct criminal typification of immigrants.
Utility of Zero Echo Time MRI for the Diagnosis and Characterization of Ankle Fractures
Authors: Sahr Meghan E. , Breighner Ryan E. , Burge Alissa J. , Nwawka Ogonna K. , Konin Gabrielle P. , Helfet David L. , Potter Hollis G.
Published: August 2023

Background: Zero echo time (ZTE) imaging is a relatively new magnetic resonance (MR) pulse sequence that provides bone-soft tissue contrast similar to that of computed tomography (CT). Purpose: We sought to (1) determine the accuracy of ZTE MRI for the diagnosis of common ankle fractures and (2) investigate whether ZTE imaging sequences are equivalent to the gold standard of CT for the characterization of fracture fragments. Methods: We conducted a prospective case series of 54 patients with acute ankle trauma, in whom ZTE MRI was performed, followed by surgical reduction. Fractures on the ZTE sequence were correlated with the operative report as the reference standard. Raw agreement (%) and correlation (κ) were calculated. Selected fracture fragments were measured in 2 dimensions (anterior-posterior and superior-inferior) on corresponding sagittal ZTE and CT images by 3 independent radiologists to determine reliability. Results: The ZTE sequence demonstrated 47 distal fibular, 17 medial malleolar, 24 posterior malleolar, 5 anterior talofibular ligament avulsion, and 4 distal tibial fractures on the 54 cases. Raw agreement with operative findings was 95% (range: 86%-100%) and correlation almost perfect (0.960 [0.926-0.995]). Fragment characterization was accurate and repeatable. Intraobserver and interobserver agreement was excellent. Conclusions: Our case series suggests that the use of the MRI ZTE sequence may provide images with CT-like contrast for characterizing acute ankle fractures.
Complications after endovascular treatment of large basilar trunk aneurysms
Authors: Wu Qiaowei , Ai Changsi , Bi Yuange , Yao Jinbiao , Sun Qi , Xu Shancai , Zhang Bohan , Wu Pei , Kui Yongjian , Shi Huaizhang , Wang Yuehua
Published: August 2023

Background and Purpose

Large basilar trunk aneurysms (BTAs) have a poor natural history if left untreated and always pose a significant challenge to endovascular treatment. The present study aimed to analyze the complications after endovascular treatment of large BTAs.

Methods

This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study. Between January 2015 and September 2022, 9116 patients with intracranial aneurysms came to our institution for management, of which 34 patients with 34 large (≥10 mm) BTAs were treated with endovascular treatment. Postprocedural complications, clinical, and angiographic outcomes were evaluated.

Results

All 34 patients (34 aneurysms) were successfully treated, of which 13 aneurysms were treated with flow diversion (FD), and 21 aneurysms were treated with stent-assisted coiling. Neurological complications occurred in 12 (35.3%) patients, with 7 (20.6%) deaths. Ischemic complications occurred in 10 (29.4%) patients, and 4 (11.8%) patients experienced hemorrhagic events. The incidences of favorable outcomes at discharge and last follow-up were 85.3% and 75.8%, respectively. The cumulative survival rates at 1 and 3 years were 86.5% and 71.4%, respectively. Unilateral vertebral artery sacrifice was associated with postprocedural complications (hazard ratio: 3.74, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–13.25, p = 0.041). The postprocedural complication rates were comparable between patients treated with FD and stent-assisted coiling (5/13, 38.5% vs. 7/21, 33.3%, p > 0.99). Angiography follow-up was available for 21 patients, and complete aneurysm occlusion was observed in 16/21 (76.2%) aneurysms.

Conclusions

Endovascular treatment might be a feasible option for treating large BTAs. However, clinicians should be alerted to procedure-related complications, especially ischemic complications that cause disability or death. Unilateral vertebral artery sacrifice might be associated with postprocedural complications.
Storytelling With Networks: Realizing the Explanatory Potential of Network Diagrams Through the Integration of Qualitative Data
Authors: Cowhitt Thomas , Greany Toby , Downey Chris
Published: August 2023

Network visualizations are alluring yet deceptively difficult to interpret. This article demonstrates several strategies for integrating qualitative data into interactive network diagrams for the purposes of providing contextual information about actors and their relationships. The result is a new joint display called a Narrated Network Diagram (NND). The development of NNDs aims to make network visualizations more reliable tools for reporting research findings, especially for researchers integrating Social Network Analysis tools into multi- and mixed-methods research designs. Until now, researchers primarily use interactivity to support exploratory analysis of large networks at various scales. However, interactivity can also be used to integrate diverse forms of data without sacrificing perceptual efficiency by essentially hiding significant amounts of text within nodes and edges as tooltips or by delineating additional data within legends, titles, and subtitles.
Taking the route less traveled: on the way to COpAT
Authors: Pertzborn Margaret , Rivera Christina G. , Tai Don Bambino Geno
Published: August 2023

Antimicrobial therapy is an essential practice within medicine. Over the last 4 years, complex outpatient antimicrobial therapy (COpAT) with oral antimicrobials has become a rapidly developing area of practice and is non-inferior to outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in certain infectious syndromes. Currently, the available literature does not describe the implementation of oral antimicrobials within the current outpatient antimicrobial therapy process. Throughout this article, the authors present a review of current literature, a proposed definition of COpAT and offer methods readers can utilize to implement an integrated COpAT/OPAT program with oral antimicrobial-specific monitoring within their current practice.
Pushing the agenda for intravenous push administration in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy
Authors: Johnson Tanner M. , Whitman Webster Leah C. , Mehta Meera , Johnson Jessica E. , Cortés-Penfield Nicolás , Rivera Christina G.
Published: August 2023

Intravenous push (IVP) antimicrobial administration refers to rapid bolus infusion of medication. This drug delivery method offers improved patient convenience, superior patient and nursing satisfaction, and cost savings when used in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). Antimicrobial agents must demonstrate optimal physiochemical and pharmacologic characteristics, as well as sufficient syringe stability, to be administered in this manner. Additionally, impacts on medication tolerability, patient safety, and effectiveness must be considered. This narrative review summarizes the available data and practical implications of IVP administration of antimicrobials in the OPAT setting.
Comparison of thromboembolism outcomes in patients with sickle cell disease prescribed hormonal contraception
Authors: Bala Natasha S. , Stanek Joseph R. , Vesely Sara K. , Cronin Robert M. , Creary Susan E. , Roe Andrea H. , Xu Wendy , O’Brien Sarah H.
Published: August 2023

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at a risk of thromboembolism (TE), and use of hormonal contraception can further increase that risk. This study aims to assess patterns of hormonal contraceptive use and compare risk of contraception-related TE between combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) and progestin-only contraceptives (POCs). Patients with SCD aged between 12 and 44 years with a new prescription of a hormonal contraceptive in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicaid Analytic eXtract database (2006-2018) were followed up to 1 year. We identified 7173 new users: 44.6% initiated CHC and 55.4% initiated POC. Combined oral contraceptive pills (OCPs; 36.5%) and progestin-only depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (33.9%) were the most frequently prescribed agents. A total of 1.8% of contraception users had a new diagnosis of TE within 1 year of the first identified contraception prescription. There were no significant differences in TE event rates between CHC and POC users (17.2 and 24.7 events per 1000 person-years, respectively). In patients prescribed OCP, there were no differences in TE event rates based on estrogen dose or progestin generation. Transdermal patch had a 2.4-fold increased risk of TE as compared with that of OCP. Although limited by the retrospective study design and use of administrative claims data, this study found no significant differences in TE rates between new users of CHC and POC in patients with SCD. Careful evaluation of underlying TE risk factors should be considered for each patient with SCD before initiation of hormonal contraception.
Use of maximal dosage renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors in a real life population of complicated type 2 diabetes – contraindications and opportunities
Authors: Gant C. M. , Oosterwijk M. M. , Binnenmars S. H. , Navis G. J. , Haverkate H. , Bakker S. J. L. , Laverman G. D.
Published: August 2023

Objective

Pharmacological inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAASi) is the cornerstone of hypertension treatment, renoprotection and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Although there is a dose-dependent effect of RAASi with optimum protection when using maximal dose, little is known on actual use of maximal dosage RAASi in clinical practice. Here we investigate prevalence of maximal dosage RAASi, and contraindications for, optimizing RAASi dosage, in patients with complicated type 2 diabetes in a real-life clinical setting.

Research design and methods

We performed a retrospective analysis in 668 patients included in the DIAbetes and LifEstyle Cohort Twente (DIALECT). We grouped patients according to no RAASi, submaximal RAASi and maximal RAASi use. All potassium and creatinine measurements between January 1st 2000 and date of inclusion in DIALECT were extracted from patients files. We identified determinants of maximal RAASi use vs. submaximal RAASi use with multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Mean age was 64 ± 10 years and 61% were men. In total, 460 patients (69%) used RAASi, and 30% used maximal RAASi. Maximal RAASi use was not statistically different between different indications for RAASi (i.e. hypertension, diabetic kidney disease, coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease; P > 0.05). Per patient, 2 [1-4] measurements of potassium and 20 [13–31] measurements of creatinine were retrieved, retrospective follow-up time was − 3.0 [-1.4 to -5.7] years. Pre-baseline hyperkalemia > 5.0 mmol/l and acute kidney injury were found in 151 (23%) patients and 119 patients (18%), respectively. Determinants of maximal RAASi were prior acute kidney injury (OR 0.51 (0.30–0.87)), increased albuminuria (OR 1.89 (1.17–3.08)) and total number of used antihypertensives (OR 1.66 (1.33–2.06)).

Conclusions

Maximal dose RAASi is used in almost one third of complicated type 2 diabetes patients in a real-life setting. The prevalence of contraindications is considerable, but relative in nature, suggesting that it is worthwhile to explore strategies aimed at maximizing RAASi while circumventing the alleged contraindications.
Explantation of a sutureless scleral fixated Carlevale intraocular lens due to calcification: a clinical and laboratory report
Authors: Gartaganis Panos S. , Natsi Panagiota D. , Gartaganis Sotirios P. , Koutsoukos Petros G. , Manousakis Evangelos , Karmiris Efthymios
Published: August 2023

Background

Hydrophilic intraocular lens opacification is a rare complication due to calcification. With current new surgical techniques, including lamellar endothelial keratoplasty and vitrectomies, this irreversible complication is becoming more common. In this case study, we present clinical and laboratory features of a case of Carlevale hydrophilic acrylic IOL calcification.

Case presentation

Observational case report of a single incident case. An 83-year-old man was referred to our ophthalmic department complaining of right eye vision blurring for six months. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed IOL opacification. Deposits of calcium phosphate were found both on the IOL’s surface and inside it, according to thorough investigation using optical, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometry.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case to describe the laboratory evidence of Carlevale hydrophilic IOL calcification, suggesting possible explanation mechanisms based on underlying pathology and surgical technique. It reminds us that these findings suggest that physicians should be aware of possible hydrophilic IOL calcification.
Prevalence and determinants of school bullying in Qatar: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kamal Madeeha , Ali Samer , Mohamed Kholoud , Kareem Aamir , Kirdi Suzan M. , Hani Mai , Hassan Manasik , Al-Shibli Schahla , Chandra Prem
Published: August 2023

Background

School bullying is a wide-spread phenomenon that manifests in various forms. It has both short-term and long-term devastating consequences on physical, mental and social wellbeing. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including Qatar, has a relatively high prevalence of school bullying. This research aims at identifying the prevalence of bullying, particularly unsafe environments were bullying takes place, and its attributes at schools in Qatar.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, 980 students from 10 schools in Qatar completed an anonymous self-completion standardized questionnaire to assess the different aspects of bullying from school students’ point of view.

Results

The prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetration was found to be 41.0% and 31.7% among school students in Qatar, respectively. Classroom (67.5%) and hallways (64.8%) were the most frequently indicated environments of bullying whereas library was the least indicated one (28.3%). Verbal bullying was the most used type of bullying by students. Overall, students in Qatar believe that bullying is considerably a significant issue at their schools, yet schools are safe place for them to be in. Gender, age, ethnicity, school grade and years living in Qatar showed significant differences among the students.

Conclusion

School bullying is a serious, yet a manageable global problem. Our findings re-demonstrated the alarming high prevalence of school bullying in Qatar, highlighted student related and school related factors which have implications for future multidimensional action and research and recommended measures to foster safety at school.
From an interventional study to a national scale-up: lessons learned from the Malakit strategy at the French Guiana–Suriname border
Authors: Douine Maylis , Cairo Hedley , Galindo Muriel Suzanne , Vreden Stephen , Lambert Yann , Adenis Antoine , Jimeno Irene , Suarez-Mutis Martha , Sanna Alice , Hiwat Hélène
Published: August 2023

Scaling-up an experimental intervention is always a challenge. On the border between French Guiana, Brazil and Suriname, an interventional study demonstrated the effectiveness of distributing self-diagnosis and self-treatment kits (Malakits) to control malaria in mobile and hard-to-reach populations. Its integration into the Suriname’s National Malaria Elimination Plan after a 2-year experiment faced numerous challenges, including human resources to cope with the additional workload of coordinators and to maintain the motivation of community health workers. The economic recession in Suriname, the Covid pandemic, and logistical issues also hampered the scale-up. Finally, thanks to the commitment of stakeholders in Suriname and French Guiana, the integration of Malakit distribution into the Surinamese national programme was proved possible.
An answered call for aid? Cannabinoid clinical framework for the opioid epidemic
Authors: Hammaker Krista , Weathington Nathaniel , Maroon Joseph , Tang Lawton W. , Donohue Brian , Yehuda Rachel , Ford Kenneth M. , Figura Myro , Kelmendi Ben , Tan Belinda , Cook Matthew W. , Factor Steven D. , Lagano Laura , Driscoll Henry Patrick , Howe Adam S. , Cho EunBit G. , Rabin David M.
Published: August 2023

Background

The opioid crisis continues in full force, as physicians and caregivers are desperate for resources to help patients with opioid use and chronic pain disorders find safer and more accessible non-opioid tools.

Main body

The purpose of this article is to review the current state of the opioid epidemic; the shifting picture of cannabinoids; and the research, policy, and current events that make opioid risk reduction an urgent public health challenge. The provided table contains an evidence-based clinical framework for the utilization of cannabinoids to treat patients with chronic pain who are dependent on opioids, seeking alternatives to opioids, and tapering opioids.

Conclusion

Based on a comprehensive review of the literature and epidemiological evidence to date, cannabinoids stand to be one of the most interesting, safe, and accessible tools available to attenuate the devastation resulting from the misuse and abuse of opioid narcotics. Considering the urgency of the opioid epidemic and broadening of cannabinoid accessibility amidst absent prescribing guidelines, the authors recommend use of this clinical framework in the contexts of both clinical research continuity and patient care.
Characterizing worker compensation claims in long-term care and examining the association between facility characteristics and severe injury: a repeated cross-sectional study from Alberta, Canada
Authors: Chamberlain Stephanie A. , Fu Fangfang , Akinlawon Oludotun , Estabrooks Carole A. , Gruneir Andrea
Published: August 2023

Background

Despite the physical demands and risks inherent to working in long-term care (LTC), little is known about workplace injuries and worker compensation claims in this setting. The purpose of this study was to characterize workplace injuries in LTC and to estimate the association between worker and organizational factors on severe injury.

Methods

We used a repeated cross-sectional design to examine worker compensation claims between September 1, 2014 and September 30, 2018 from 25 LTC homes. Worker compensation claim data came from The Workers Compensation Board of Alberta. LTC facility data came from the Translating Research in Elder Care program. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the sample and multivariable logistic regression to estimate the association between staff, organizational, and resident characteristics and severe injury, measured as 31+ days of disability.

Results

We examined 3337 compensation claims from 25 LTC facilities. Less than 10% of claims (5.1%, n = 170) resulted in severe injury and most claims did not result in any days of disability (70.9%, n = 2367). Most of the sample were women and over 40 years of age. Care aides were the largest occupational group (62.1%, n = 2072). The highest proportion of claims were made from staff working in voluntary not for profit facilities (41.9%, n = 1398) followed by public not for profit (32.9%, n = 1098), and private for profit (n = 25.2%, n = 841). Most claims identified the nature of injury as traumatic injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, or joints. In the multivariable logistic regression, higher staff age (50–59, aOR: 2.26, 95% CI 1.06–4.83; 60+, aOR: 2.70, 95% CI 1.20–6.08) was associated with more severe injury, controlling for resident acuity and other organizational staffing factors.

Conclusions

Most claims were made by care aides and were due to musculoskeletal injuries. In LTC, few worker compensation claims were due to severe injury. More research is needed to delve into the specific features of the LTC setting that are related to worker injury.
Implementing traumatic brain injury screening in behavioral health treatment settings: results of an explanatory sequential mixed-methods investigation
Authors: Hyzak Kathryn A. , Bunger Alicia C. , Bogner Jennifer , Davis Alan K. , Corrigan John D.
Published: August 2023

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex condition common among individuals treated in behavioral healthcare, but TBI screening has not been adopted in these settings which can affect optimal clinical decision-making. Integrating evidence-based practices that address complex health comorbidities into behavioral healthcare settings remains understudied in implementation science, limited by few studies using theory-driven hypotheses to disentangle relationships between proximal and medial indicators on distal implementation outcomes. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, we examined providers’ attitudes, perceived behavioral control (PBC), subjective norms, and intentions to adopt The Ohio State University TBI Identification Method (OSU TBI-ID) in behavioral healthcare settings.

Methods

We used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. In Phase I, 215 providers from 25 organizations in the USA completed training introducing the OSU TBI-ID, followed by a survey assessing attitudes, PBC, norms, and intentions to screen for TBI. After 1 month, providers completed another survey assessing the number of TBI screens conducted. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with logistic regressions. In Phase II, 20 providers were purposively selected for semi-structured interviews to expand on SEM results. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis, integrated with quantitative results, and combined into joint displays.

Results

Only 25% (55/215) of providers adopted TBI screening, which was driven by motivations to trial the intervention. Providers who reported more favorable attitudes (OR: 0.67, p < .001) and greater subjective norms (OR: 0.12, p < .001) toward TBI screening demonstrated increased odds of intention to screen, which resulted in greater TBI screening adoption (OR: 0.30; p < .01). PBC did not affect intentions or adoption. Providers explained that although TBI screening can improve diagnostic and clinical decision-making, they discussed that additional training, leadership engagement, and state-level mandates are needed to increase the widespread, systematic uptake of TBI screening.

Conclusions

This study advances implementation science by using theory-driven hypothesis testing to disentangle proximal and medial indicators at the provider level on TBI screening adoption. Our mixed-methods approach added in-depth contextualization and illuminated additional multilevel determinants affecting intervention adoption, which guides a more precise selection of implementation strategies.