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Background: The Diabetes Health Plan (DHP), a value-based insurance plan that reduces cost sharing, was previously shown to modestly increase employer-level medication adherence. However, it is unclear whether the DHP has a larger impact on individual-level medication adherence among lower- or higher-income beneficiaries. Methods: An employer-level propensity score match was done to identify suitable control employers, followed by individual-level propensity score weighting. These weights were applied to difference-in-difference (DID) models examining 1) the effect of the DHP and 2) the effect of income on changes in adherence to metformin, statins, and ACE/ARBs. The weights were then applied to a differences-in-differences-in-differences (DDD) model to estimate the differential impact of DHP status on changes in adherence by income group. This is a retrospective, quasi-experimental study.Results: There were no significant differences in changes to adherence for any medications between beneficiaries enrolled in the DHP versus standard plans. However, changes in adherence were higher for all medications among those in the highest income strata (>$75,000) versus those in the lowest income strata (Conclusion: We did not find significant associations between the DHP and changes in individual-level medication adherence, even for low-income beneficiaries. New strategies to improve consumer engagement may be needed in order to translate value-based insurance designs into changes in patient behavior.

We evaluate the impact of the Federal Reserve corporate credit facilities (PMCCF and SMCCF). A third of the positive effect on prices and liquidity occurred on the announcement date. We document immediate pass through into primary markets, particularly for eligible issuers. Improvements continue as additional information is shared and purchases begin, with the impact of bond purchases larger than the impact of purchases of ETFs. Exploiting cross-sectional evidence, we see the greatest impact on investment grade bonds and in industries less affected by COVID, concluding that the improvement in corporate credit markets can be attributed both to announcement effects of Federal Reserve interventions on the economy and to the specific differential impact of the facilities on eligible issues.

This article provides an applied introduction to Bartik instruments. The instruments attempt to reduce familiar endogeneity concerns in differential exposure designs (e.g., panel regressions with unit and time fixed effects). They isolate treatment variation due to the differential impact of common shocks on units with distinct pre-determined exposures. As a result, the instruments purge the treatment variation of possibly confounding factors varying across units over time. Given their broad applicability, Bartik instruments promise to provide researchers with a versatile new tool in their empirical toolbox to investigate relevant accounting questions. JEL Classifications: C51; M40.

Biallelic mutations of the CEBPA gene (CEBPAbi) define a distinct entity associated with favorable prognosis; however, the role of monoallelic mutations (CEBPAsm) is poorly understood. We retrospectively analyzed 4708 adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who had been recruited into the Study Alliance Leukemia trials, to investigate the prognostic impact of CEBPAsm. CEBPA mutations were identified in 240 patients (5.1%): 131 CEBPAbi and 109 CEBPAsm (60 affecting the N-terminal transactivation domains [CEBPAsmTAD] and 49 the C-terminal DNA-binding or basic leucine zipper region [CEBPAsmbZIP]). Interestingly, patients carrying CEBPAbi or CEBPAsmbZIP shared several clinical factors: they were significantly younger (median, 46 and 50 years, respectively) and had higher white blood cell (WBC) counts at diagnosis (median, 23.7 × 109/L and 35.7 × 109/L) than patients with CEBPAsmTAD (median age, 63 years, median WBC 13.1 × 109/L; P < .001). Co-mutations were similar in both groups: GATA2 mutations (35.1% CEBPAbi; 36.7% CEBPAsmbZIP vs 6.7% CEBPAsmTAD; P < .001) or NPM1 mutations (3.1% CEBPAbi; 8.2% CEBPAsmbZIP vs 38.3% CEBPAsmTAD; P < .001). CEBPAbi and CEBPAsmbZIP, but not CEBPAsmTAD were associated with significantly improved overall (OS; median 103 and 63 vs 13 months) and event-free survival (EFS; median, 20.7 and 17.1 months vs 5.7 months), in univariate and multivariable analyses. Additional analyses revealed that the clinical and molecular features as well as the favorable survival were confined to patients with in-frame mutations in bZIP (CEBPAbZIP-inf). When patients were classified according to CEBPAbZIP-inf and CEBPAother (including CEBPAsmTAD and non-CEBPAbZIP-inf), only patients bearing CEBPAbZIP-inf showed superior complete remission rates and the longest median OS and EFS, arguing for a previously undefined prognostic role of this type of mutation.

Trust in autonomous vehicles (AV) is of critical importance and demands comprehensive interdisciplinary research. While most studies utilize subjective measures, we employ electroencephalography (EEG) to study in a more objective manner the cognitive states associated with trust during AV driving. Subjects drove a simulated AV in Conditional Automation Driving (SAE L3) and Full Automation Driving (SAE L5) modes. In the experimental design, malfunctions were induced at both automation levels. Self-reported trust in the AV was reduced immediately after Full Automation malfunctions, but not after Conditional Automation malfunctions when subjects were able to take over vehicle control to avoid danger. EEG analyses reveal that during Full Automation malfunctions, there was a significant enhancement in approach motivation (i.e. desire to re-engage) and a disruption of right frontal functional clustering that supports executive cognition (i.e. planning and decision-making). No neurocognitive disruptions were observed during Conditional Automation malfunctions. Our results demonstrate that it is not automation malfunctions per se (e.g. failure to decelerate) that deteriorate trust, but rather the inability for human drivers to adaptively mitigate the risk of negative outcomes (e.g. risk of crashing) resulting from those malfunctions. This is reflected in changes in brain activity associated with motivational state and action planning. Keeping the human driver on-the-loop protects against trust loss. Frontal alpha EEG is a neural correlate of trust-in-automation, with potential for trust monitoring using wearable technology to support driver-vehicle adaptivity.

Background Insufficient physical activity levels (PAL) during adolescence is a major public health concern, which is even more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restricting movement opportunities. This study aimed to identify PAL changes and examine the age-specific determinants of PAL in younger and older adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown. Material and Methods This study included 859 high-school students from Bosnia and Herzegovina stratified into 2 age groups: younger (N = 420, 14–16 years of age), and older adolescents (N = 439, 16–18 years of age). Participants were tested over 2 testing waves: before the COVID-19 lockdown (January 2020) and during the COVID-19 lockdown (April 2020). Variables included PAL assessed by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents, sports factors, and parental factors. Results The PAL significantly declined as a result of lockdown measures in the total sample (from 2.76±0.79 to 2.50±0.82). Larger absolute and relative decline of PAL was evidenced in younger adolescents. Sport participation positively influenced PAL before lockdown, with no significant influence during the lockdown. Older adolescents whose mothers were better educated were less likely to be in high risk group with regard to a large decline of PAL as a result of COVID lockdown (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.21–0.84). Conclusions Results of the study suggest that parental education influences health-related behaviors and that parental education is a protective factor against a decrease in PAL during the COVID-19 pandemic. Main educational agents (i.e., school and parents) should pay more attention to provide children and adolescents adequate information and develop their health literacy, which will hopefully positively impact children’s PAL even in challenging situations similar to COVID-19 lockdown. Med Pr. 2021;72(6):633–43

Objectives The residential population of an area is an incomplete measure of the number of people that are momentarily present in the area, and of limited value as an indicator of exposure to the risk of crime. By accounting for the mobility of the population, measures of ambient population better reflect the momentary presence of people. They have therefore become an alternative indicator of exposure to the risk of crime. This study considers the heterogeneity of the ambient population by distinguishing residents, employees and visitors as different categories, and explores their differential impact on thefts, both on weekdays and weekends. Methods We analyze one-year of police recorded thefts across 2104 1 km2 grid cells in a central area in Beijing, China. Controlling for the effects of attractiveness, accessibility, and guardianship, we estimate a series of negative binominal models to investigate the differential effects of the three groups (residents, employees and visitors) in the ambient population on crime frequencies, both on weekdays and during weekends and holidays. Results Overall, larger ambient populations imply larger theft frequencies. The effect of visitors is stronger than the effects of residents and employees. The effects of residents and employees vary over the course of the week. On weekdays, the presence of residents is more important, while the reverse holds true during weekends and holidays. Discussion The effects of ambient population on thefts vary by its composition in terms of social roles. The larger role of visitors is presumably because in addition to being potential victims, residents and employees may also exercise informal social control. In addition, they spend more time indoors than where risk of theft is lower, while visitors might spend more time outdoors and may also bring about greater anonymity and weaken informal social control.

The past decade saw a sharp increase in the use of smartphones and digital communication platforms. This manuscript reviews advancements in the study of digital communication and adolescent development over the last decade. We highlight theoretical models that seek to explain the power of digital media in adolescents' lives. We then examine research conducted over the last decade on five aspects of digital media: (1) potential to contribute to adolescent development, (2) associations with mental health, (3) differential impact of active versus passive social media use, (4) cyberbullying, and (5) sexting. We conclude with a discussion of potential opportunities and challenges for studying the role of digital communication in adolescents' development during the coming decade.

In this study, we research the gap in average mathematics learning between the children of private and public schools at two points. We have divided them into two groups on the basis of the type of school they are attending or last attended. We first skim through their various background characteristics at these two points. We then explore these background characteristics and using the threefold Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition, we find that it is the difference in the average endowments between the two which consistently explains the gap in average performance between them. We also find the role of differential impact of the background characteristics on the average learning outcome of children on the first point. The most important and consistent contributor to the endowment effect is the schooling cost and the time allocation on studies. One striking result is the now significant contribution of the gap in average years of schooling which is worrying because these children are from the same age group. We conclude that with the average features and returns of the private school children, the gap in learning between them would have been removed. Moreover, the public school children would have performed better than the private school children.

The COVID-19 pandemic produced a rapid and pervasive shift to provision of telepsychology services throughout health service psychology Simultaneously, an equally rapid and pervasive shift to telesupervision of trainees has occurred, at all levels of graduate professional training These shifts have clearly outpaced a much more gradual increase in training in telesupervision as part of the supervision competency The authors provide an overview of the somewhat limited research on telesupervision, and propose rapid adoption of training in telesupervision for both trainees and supervisors Several areas of research into telesupervision are proposed, including comparative efficacy and acceptance of telesupervision, the potential impact of information technology expertise on supervisory relationships, and potential differential impact of diversity factors in telesupervision as compared to in-person supervision (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Public Significance Statement-The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased use of telesupervision in health service psychology training, despite limited research and training specific to telesupervision Continued research and incorporation of education and practice of telesupervision to develop trainees' supervision competency could help alleviate the gap between practice and training in telesupervision beyond the pandemic (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Background: Invasive bacterial infection (IBI) remains a major burden of mortality and morbidity in children. As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged, stringent nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were applied worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of NPIs on pediatric IBI in Korea. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2020, surveillance for pediatric IBIs caused by 9 pathogens (S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, N. meningitidis, S. agalactiae, S. pyogenes, S. aureus, Salmonella species, L. monocytogenes and E. coli) was performed at 22 hospitals throughout Korea. Annual incidence rates were compared before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: A total of 651 cases were identified and the annual incidence was 194.0 cases per 100,000 in-patients in 2018, 170.0 in 2019 and 172.4 in 2020. Most common pathogen by age group was S. agalactiae in infants < 3 months (n = 129, 46.7%), S. aureus in 3 to < 24 months (n = 35, 37.2%), Salmonella spp. in 24 to < 60 months (n = 24, 34.8%) and S. aureus in children ≥ 5 years (n = 128, 60.7%). Compared with 2018 to 2019, the incidence rate in 2020 decreased by 57% for invasive pneumococcal disease (26.6 vs. 11.5 per 100,000 in-patients, P = 0.014) and 59% for Salmonella spp. infection (22.8 vs. 9.4 per 100,000 in-patients, P = 0.018). In contrast, no significant changes were observed in invasive infections due to S. aureus, S. agalactiae and E. coli. Conclusions: The NPIs implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced invasive diseases caused by S. pneumoniae and Salmonella spp. but not S. aureus, S. agalactiae and E. coli in children.

PURPOSE The tyrosine kinase receptor anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) can be abnormally activated in neuroblastoma, and somatic ALK mutations occur in 6%-10% of patients. The differential clinical impact of these mutations has not been clearly elucidated. METHODS Data on patients with neuroblastoma harboring ALK mutations were retrospectively analyzed. ALK sequencing was performed by whole-genome sequencing, hybrid-based capture of targeted exomes, or hotspot ALK mutation profiling. The differential impact of ALK mutation site on clinical characteristics, response to treatment, and survival was analyzed. In a subgroup of patients with locoregional neuroblastoma diagnosed after 2014, the impact of all ALK mutations was compared with wild-type ALK. RESULTS Of 641 patients with neuroblastoma with ALK status analyzed on at least one tumor sample, 103 (16%) had tumors harboring ALK mutations. Mutations existed across all ages (birth to 67.8 years), stages (30% locoregional and 70% metastatic), and risk groups (20%, 11%, and 69% with low-, intermediate-, and high-risk disease, respectively). Mutation sites included F1174 (51%), R1275 (29%), R1245 (10%), and others (10%). Mutation site was not prognostic for progression-free survival or overall survival in the entire cohort, high-risk subgroup, or locoregional subgroup. Locoregional tumors with any ALK mutation were generally invasive: L2 by International Neuroblastoma Research Group staging in 30/31 patients with a 2-year progression-free survival (59%, 95% CI, 37.4 to 80.5) that was inferior to historical controls. This observation was corroborated in the post-2014 subgroup in which gross total resection was less likely for ALK-mutated tumors. CONCLUSION Somatic ALK mutations are present across all stages and risk groups of neuroblastoma. No specific mutation carries differential prognostic significance. Locoregional neuroblastoma has an invasive phenotype when harboring somatic ALK mutations in this population.

Research on the performance of students with visual impairment based on educational setting has not been conducted. It was the purpose of this paper to find out the communicative competence of senior high school student with visual impairment. This student including his mother, teacher, classmate and schoolmate participated in the research undertaking. Case study was the mode of inquiry in this study. It utilized triangulation method such as classroom observation, interview and review of available documents. As a result of this study, it was found out that the student has high communicative competence. This means that he is competent communicator in the context in public, meeting, and group or dyad to strangers, acquaintances or friends. It was also suggested that further studies should assess the differential impact of a variety of courses on students’ communication competencies in diverse contexts and describe a communication approach to develop communicative competency of student with visual impairment.

The purpose of this study was to check whether the impact of abnormal vaginal colonization on perinatal outcomes would be different in patients with preterm labor (PTL) and premature membrane ruptu...

Contains fulltext : 237074.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) The COVID-19 pandemic presents Northern-based development organisations with unprecedented difficulties. They are challenged in fundraising opportunities in their home countries and in finding ways to continue their work in the Global South. As the first study to present a systematic mixed method, cross-country study of small-scale, voluntary development organisations in four different European countries, this study provides insight into the role of these private development initiatives (PDIs) in the COVID-19 crisis and sheds light on the differential impact of the crisis on these organisations. Whereas most PDIs are involved in long(er)-term development interventions, the COVID-19 crisis was for most organisations their first experience of emergency aid. Overall, we see strong resilience among PDIs and also find that the organisations which relied more exclusively on traditional methods of fundraising (offline) received a greater funding hit than organisations - often with more younger members - that had already moved to online fundraising. 27 p.

Demographic survey questions are important to describe the population of survey responders, illuminate potential disparities, and ultimately advance equity. Little is known about their impact on survey response rate or measurement. # Methods A total of 4,448 individuals were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in a mailed paper questionnaire where demographic questions were (1) not asked, (2) integrated at the end of the survey, or (3) included as standalone questions on a separate piece of paper. Response rates to the main survey and demographic questions, as well as item nonresponse and correlation of responses to administrative records, are compared. # Results Overall, 33.4% of individuals who were mailed the survey responded. There were no substantive or statistical differences in survey response rate when demographic questions were not asked (34.2%), were integrated into the survey (33.1%), or were standalone (33.0%; p = 0.762). Sampled individuals responded to the demographic questions at a significantly higher rate when they were integrated into the main survey (32.7%) compared to when they were standalone (28.3%). Respondents, when asked about income, declined to answer at a significantly higher rate when demographics were integrated (16.5%) compared to standalone (10.5%). Discordance between administrative and self-reported race and ethnicity data ranged from 0.6% to 1.0% and were not statistically different across arms (p = 0.64 and p = 0.88, respectively). # Discussion While these findings are limited to the context of the experiment, our results suggest that embedding demographic questions in a survey (as opposed to on a separate page) may result in more usable demographic data. Future work could explore the differential impact of post-survey missing data adjustments on estimates of demographic characteristics and correlation with other survey content. Overall, there was little measurement error in reporting of race/ethnicity in both conditions. # Conclusion For collection of demographic data from the largest portion of individuals via a mailed survey without negative impact on response rate or measurement error, demographic questions are best integrated into surveys rather than included as standalone items on a separate piece of paper.

Background In the United States (US), the incidence and severity of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are higher in Black compared to White residents. Systemic inequities and differences in health behaviors may contribute to disparities in COVID-19 health outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders on changes in health behaviors and anxiety in Black and White adults residing in the US. Methods Beginning April 2020, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center COVID-19 Health Behaviors Study collected information on changes to employment, income, diet, physical activity, anxiety, and sleep patterns through a global online survey. Results Of 4542 survey respondents in the US, 7% identified as Black and 93% as White. Prior to the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, a greater proportion of Blacks compared to Whites reported earning

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the confinement of most populations worldwide, through stay-at-home orders. Children have continued their education process at home, supervised by parents, who, in most cases, have adopted the role of prime drivers of their learning processes. In this study, the psychological impact of confinement was explored, as well as the relationship of the forced homeschooling situation with psychological well-being. During their confinement, 400 individuals residing in Spain-165 without children at home (Group 1), 104 parents who dedicated little time to homeschooling (Group 2), and 131 who dedicated more time to homeschooling (Group 3)-responded to an online questionnaire. The results show that confinement threatened the mental health of all the participants but especially Group 3 individuals, who had the highest loneliness, anxiety, and stress levels. Moreover, loneliness, perception of discomfort due to homeschooling, and anxiety exacerbated the stress experienced during confinement. Discomfort due to the homeschooling situation was especially relevant in explaining anxiety and stress for Group 3 individuals. These results suggest that forced homeschooling could be associated with the negative consequences that confinement has on individuals' mental health. Moreover, the results suggest that parents who dedicate more time to homeschooling feel more unprotected and more stressed due to the homeschooling in comparison to Group 2 individuals. Health professionals must pay special attention to parents who dedicate more time to homeschooling, and governments and schools must emphasize social support provision to families during homeschooling situations.La pandemia de la COVID-19 ha impuesto el confinamiento de la mayoría de las poblaciones de todo el mundo mediante órdenes de quedarse en casa. Los niños han continuado su proceso de escolarización en sus hogares, supervisados por los padres, quienes, en la mayoría de los casos, han adoptado el papel de impulsores principales de sus procesos de aprendizaje. En este estudio se analizó el efecto psicológico del confinamiento, así como la relación de la situación forzada de enseñanza en el hogar con el bienestar psicológico. Durante su confinamiento, 400 personas residentes en España -165 sin niños en casa (grupo 1), 104 padres que dedicaron poco tiempo a la enseñanza en el hogar (grupo 2), y 131 que dedicaron más tiempo a la enseñanza en el hogar (grupo 3)- respondieron un cuestionario en línea. Los resultados demuestran que el confinamiento amenazó la salud mental de todos los participantes, pero especialmente la de las personas del grupo 3, quienes demostraron mayores niveles de soledad, ansiedad y estrés. Además, la soledad, la percepción de incomodidad a consecuencia de la enseñanza en el hogar, y la ansiedad agravaron el estrés sufrido durante el confinamiento. La incomodidad provocada por la situación de enseñanza en el hogar fue especialmente importante para explicar la ansiedad y el estrés de las personas del grupo 3. Estos resultados sugieren que la enseñanza forzada en el hogar podría estar asociada con las consecuencias negativas que tiene el confinamiento en la salud mental. Además, los resultados indican que los padres que dedican más tiempo a la enseñanza en el hogar se sienten más desprotegidos y más estresados debido a este tipo de enseñanza en comparación con las personas del grupo 2. Los profesionales de la salud deben prestar especial atención a los padres que dedican más tiempo a la enseñanza en el hogar, y los gobiernos y centros educativos deben brindar más apoyo social a las familias durante las situaciones de enseñanza en el hogar.2019新冠病毒(COVID-19)大流行病迫使世界各地的大多数人因为留在家里的命令被禁闭。孩子们在家里继续他们的教育过程，由父母监督，在大多数情况下，父母是他们学习过程的主要推动者。在这项研究中，我们探讨了禁闭的心理影响，以及强迫式的家庭教育境况与心理健康的关系。在禁闭期间，居住在西班牙的400名受试者--其中165名家中没有孩子的人（第1组），104名家长很少有时间致力于家庭教育的父母（第2组），以及131名花较多时间致力于家庭教育的父母（第3组）--回答了一份在线调查问卷。结果显示，禁闭威胁着所有参与者的心理健康，但特别是第3组的人，他们的孤独感、焦虑和压力水平最高。此外，孤独感、对家庭教育带来的不适感和焦虑感加剧了禁闭期间的压力。在解释第3组人的焦虑和压力时，由于家庭教育情况造成的不适感尤为重要。这些结果表明，强迫家庭教育可能与禁闭对个人心理健康产生的消极后果有关。此外，研究结果表明，与第2组个体相比，为家庭教育投入更多时间的父母感到更多的不受保护和更多的压力。卫生专业人员必须特别关注那些花更多时间在家庭教育上的父母，而政府和学校必须强调在在家上学的家庭教育情况下向家庭提供社会支持。.

Background The value of the single-breath diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (D lco ) relates to outcomes for patients with COPD. However, little is known about the natural course of D lco over time, intersubject variability, and factors that may influence D lco progression. Research Question What is the natural course of D lco in patients with COPD over time, and which other factors, including sex differences, could influence this progression? Study Design and Methods We phenotyped 602 smokers (women, 33%), of whom 506 (84%) had COPD and 96 (16%) had no airflow limitation. Lung function, including D lco, was monitored annually over 5 years. A random coefficients model was used to evaluate D lco changes over time. Results The mean (± SE) yearly decline in D lco % in patients with COPD was 1.34% ± 0.015%/y. This was steeper compared with non-COPD control subjects (0.04% ± 0.032%/y; P = .004). Sixteen percent of the patients with COPD, vs 4.3% of the control subjects, had a statistically significant D lco % slope annual decline (4.14%/y). At baseline, women with COPD had lower D lco values (11.37% ± 2.27%; P lco annual decline of 0.89% ± 0.42%/y (P = .039). Interpretation Patients with COPD have an accelerated decline in D lco compared with smokers without the disease. However, the decline is slow, and a testing interval of 3 to 4 years may be clinically informative. The lower and more rapid decline in D lco values in women, compared with men, suggests a differential impact of sex in gas exchange function. Trial Registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01122758; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov

State-dependent local projection methods have become the state-of-the-art technique for investigating asymmetric and/or nonlinear responses to economic (and other) shocks. We apply this methodology to examine whether El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has asymmetric impacts on U.S. food and agricultural stock prices. Using weekly data from 1990:1 to 2019:4, we find support for the hypothesis that food and agricultural stock prices respond asymmetrically to ENSO shocks. In particular, we provide evidence that El Nino shocks typically decrease or have no effects on U.S. food and agricultural stock prices, whereas La Nina shocks generally increase prices. We argue that this asymmetric response of stock prices to El Nino and La Nina shocks may in part be explained by the differential impact of these shocks on food and agricultural commodity prices. The analysis, thus, emphasizes the need to consider asymmetries in the impacts of ENSO, as failure to do so might result in misleading conclusions about the effect of ENSO on U.S. food and agricultural stock prices.

Quantifying the immediate economic impact of COVID-19 is important to design proportionate relief and support policies. However, surveys of businesses and households are only typically available after considerable delay. We use near-real-time Google search data to examine the temporal and spatial impacts of COVID-19 on service sector activity in Australia. We find that the travel-related and consumer-facing sectors, such as aviation, tourism, hotels, restaurants, and retail trade, suffered steep contractions during the outbreak. By contrast, sectors that involve less physical and face-to-face interaction, such as info-communication technology (ICT) and delivery services, experienced significant gains. The magnitude of the impact is large. During the first COVID-19 wave between January and March, the demand for air travel, tourism, and hotel accommodation declined by 60–80%, while the demand for ICT and delivery services surged by more than 50%. In states and territories with low caseloads, the impact has also been severe due to government-enforced nationwide social distancing measures to contain disease spread. However, in states and territories that eased restrictions earlier and faster, there has been no significant reduction in demand for certain consumer-facing services. Our findings demonstrate the usefulness of high-frequency and near-real-time indicators in monitoring the rapidly unfolding effects of COVID-19.

Reinforced soil wall has proved to have excellent impact resistance in engineering, but less attention has paid to their failure process and dynamic response subjected to impact loading. The authors performed model tests and numerical simulations of reinforced soil walls with and without cushion under differential impact loading. The deformation, failure process and impact stress of three retaining walls were mainly analyzed, and the influence mechanism of geosynthetic and cushion on the impact performance of retaining wall were discussed qualitatively. The results showed that the impact deformation of reinforced soil wall with cushion was mainly concentrated on the cushion. The failure process of retaining wall could be divided into two stages: the soil around the impact point of retaining wall was compacted (stage I), a sliding surface formed in retaining wall gradually and retaining wall would failure (stage II). Geosynthetics benefited the sliding surface move back and cushion improved the impact resistance of retaining wall. Furthermore, stress absorption of geosynthetic and cushion was confirmed. The absorption rate of geosynthetic was related to the impact energy positively. The absorption rate of cushion was related to the impact energy positively and related to the thickness of cushion negatively. Engineers can consider the impact energy and the absorption rate of geosynthetic and cushion to design reinforced soil wall with cushion under impact loading.

Our pan-Canadian research study examined the differential impact of teacher induction and mentorship programs on the early-career teachers’ retention. Using the results from a pan-Canadian Teacher ...

Subsidized childcare is a key instrument to support maternal employment in most OECD countries. Using a major reform implemented in Luxembourg in 2009, I study the effects of expanding access to subsidized childcare on the employment decisions of women in a context where childcare is universal and heavily subsidized, but is limited by capacity constraints. The identification strategy relies on temporal variation across age groups of children. In response to the reform, the employment rate of mothers increased by 3 percentage points, and their working time grew by 1 h per week. This effect hides the difference between children’s ages, as mothers of the youngest children are found to be more responsive to the reform than mothers of children in primary education. Studying heterogeneous effects reveals a differential impact of the reform with regard to prior employment status.

Introducción. El artículo parte de la pregunta por las formas en que el discurso periodístico re-articula tipologías criminológicas y mecanismos de estigmatización– criminalización sobre ciertas feminidades. Objetivo. Para ello, describe y analiza la construcción mediática de mujeres, cis y trans, que han incurrido en actos delictivos, o ilegalizados. Metodología. El estudio, basado en diez noticias de medios gráficos digitales de Argentina, se desarrolla desde una perspectiva metodológica cualitativa, utilizando variables y procedimientos del Análisis del Discurso (AD), para la identificación e interpretación de marcas discursivas y sentidos sociales generizados. Resultados. En cuanto a las mujeres cis, se reafirma la relación histórica de excentricidad entre lo femenino y el universo del delito; se refuerza el estereotipo criminológico de mujer que se dirime entre su figuración patológica y vampiresca. En cuanto a las mujeres trans y travestis, se advierte un tratamiento deshumanizado que las ubica en sitios ontológicos de marginalidad e infracción. Conclusiones y discusión. Pese a los avances normativos, culturales y sociales promovidos desde el feminismo, el periodismo permanece como un espacio ampliamente legitimado para el despliegue de la violencia simbólica, en tanto allí se condensan y producen representaciones sexistas, xenófobas y racistas, pero también una idea de género afincada en lo biológico que impacta diferencialmente en los cuerpos y en las violencias que pueden sufrir. Aportación. La investigación complejiza la articulación temática medios de comunicación/género/mujeres al plantear la contra-cara de la mujer narrada como sujeto-víctima y desplazarse a “las victimarias”, pero también representa una ampliación epistemológica al proponer un enfoque transdisciplinario que se nutre de las teorías criminológicas feministas y los Estudios Culturales sobre medios., Introduction. The article asks about the ways in which journalistic discourse re-articulates criminological typologies and mechanisms of stigmatization– criminalization of certain femininities. Objective. For this purpose, it describes and analyses the media construction of women, cis and trans, who have incurred in criminal acts, or outlawed. Methodology. The study, based on ten news items from digital graphic media in Argentina, is developed from a qualitative methodological perspective, using variables and procedures from Discourse Analysis (DA), for the identification and interpretation of discursive marks and gendered social meanings. Results. As for cis women, it is reconfirmed the historical relationship of eccentricity between the feminine and the universe of crime; it is reinforce the criminological stereotype of a woman that is settled between her pathological and vampiresque figuration. As for trans and transvestite women, there is a dehumanized treatment that places them in ontological sites of marginality and infringement. Conclusions and discussion. Despite the normative, cultural and social advances promoted by feminism, journalism remains a widely legitimized space for the deployment of symbolic violence, as there are condensed and produced sexist, xenophobic and racist representations, but also an idea of gender based on the biological that has a differential impact on bodies and on the violence they may suffer. Contribution. The research complicates the thematic articulation of media/gender/women by posing the counter-face of the woman narrated as subject-victim and moving to “the victimizers”, but it also represents an epistemological expansion by proposing a transdisciplinary approach that draws on feminist criminological theories and Cultural Studies on media., Facultad de Periodismo y Comunicación Social

Introduction In response to high rates of youth tobacco use, many states and localities are considering regulations on flavored tobacco products. The purpose of this study was to assess whether flavored tobacco restrictions (FTRs) in Massachusetts curb youth tobacco use over time and whether a dose–response effect of length of policy implementation on tobacco-related outcomes exists. Aims and Methods Using a quasiexperimental design, two municipalities with a FTR (adopting municipalities) were matched to a comparison municipality without a FTR. Surveys were administered before (December 2015) and after (January and February 2018) policy implementation to high school students in these municipalities (more than 2000 surveys completed at both timepoints). At follow-up, adopting municipalities had a policy in place for 1 and 2 years, respectively. In 2019, focus groups were conducted with high school students in each municipality. Results Increases seen in current tobacco use from baseline to follow-up were significantly smaller in adopting municipalities compared to the comparison (−9.4% [−14.2%, −4.6%] and −6.3% [−10.8%, −1.8%], respectively). However, policy impact was greater in one adopting municipality despite shorter length of implementation. Focus groups indicated reasons for differential impact, including proximity to localities without FTRs. Conclusions Restrictions implemented in adopting municipalities had positive impacts on youth tobacco awareness and use 1–2 years postimplementation. Policy impact varies depending on remaining points of access to flavored tobacco, as such policy effectiveness may increase as more localities restrict these products. Implications In response to high rates of youth flavored tobacco use (including flavored vape products), federal, state, and localities have passed FTRs that reduce availability of flavored tobacco in youth-accessible stores. Previous research has found that FTRs may curb youth tobacco use in the short-term; however, the long-term effectiveness remains unknown. This is the first study to show FTRs can curb youth tobacco use and reduce youth awareness of tobacco prices and brands even 2 years after policy passage. Municipality-specific factors, including proximity to localities without FTRs, may attenuate policy impact, highlighting the importance of widespread policy adoption.

Background There is a lack of evidence of the relative effects of different exercise modes on pain sensitization and pain intensity in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods Ninety individuals with radiographic and symptomatic KOA, ineligible for knee replacement surgery, were randomized to 12 weeks of twice-weekly strength training in addition to neuromuscular exercise and education (ST+NEMEX-EDU) or neuromuscular exercise and education alone (NEMEX-EDU). Outcomes were bilateral, lower-leg, cuff pressure pain- and tolerance thresholds (PPT, PTT), temporal summation (TS), conditioned pain modulation (CPM), self-reported knee pain intensity, and number of painful body sites. Results After 12 weeks of exercise, we found significant differences in increases in PPT (-5.01 kPa (-8.29 to -1.73, p=0.0028)) and PTT (-8.02 kPa (-12.22 to -3.82, p=0.0002)) in the KOA leg in favor of ST+NEMEX-EDU. We found no difference in effects between groups on TS, CPM or number of painful body sites. In contrast, there were significantly greater pain-relieving effects on VAS mean knee pain during the last week (-8.4 mm (-16.2 to -0.5, p=0.0364) and during function (-16.0 mm (-24.8 to -7.3, p=0.0004)) in favor of NEMEX-EDU after 12 weeks of exercise. Conclusion Additional strength training reduced pain sensitization compared to neuromuscular exercise and education alone, but also attenuated the reduction in pain intensity compared to neuromuscular exercise and education alone. The study provides the first dose- and type-specific insight into the effects of a sustained exercise period on pain sensitization in KOA. Future studies are needed to elucidate the role of different exercise modes. Background: There is a lack of evidence of the relative effects of different exercise modes on pain sensitization and pain intensity in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: Ninety individuals with radiographic and symptomatic KOA, ineligible for knee replacement surgery, were randomized to 12 weeks of twice-weekly strength training in addition to neuromuscular exercise and education (ST+NEMEX-EDU) or neuromuscular exercise and education alone (NEMEX-EDU). Outcomes were bilateral, lower-leg, cuff pressure pain- and tolerance thresholds (PPT, PTT), temporal summation (TS), conditioned pain modulation (CPM), self-reported knee pain intensity and number of painful body sites. Results: After 12 weeks of exercise, we found significant differences in increases in PPT (−5.01 kPa (−8.29 to −1.73, p =.0028)) and PTT (−8.02 kPa (−12.22 to −3.82, p =.0002)) in the KOA leg in favour of ST+NEMEX-EDU. We found no difference in effects between groups on TS, CPM or number of painful body sites. In contrast, there were significantly greater pain-relieving effects on VAS mean knee pain during the last week (−8.4 mm (−16.2 to −0.5, p =.0364) and during function (−16.0 mm (−24.8 to −7.3, p =.0004)) in favour of NEMEX-EDU after 12 weeks of exercise. Conclusion: Additional strength training reduced pain sensitization compared to neuromuscular exercise and education alone, but also attenuated the reduction in pain intensity compared to neuromuscular exercise and education alone. The study provides the first dose- and type-specific insight into the effects of a sustained exercise period on pain sensitization in KOA. Future studies are needed to elucidate the role of different exercise modes. Significance: This study is an important step towards better understanding the effects of exercise in pain management of chronic musculoskeletal conditions. We found that strength training in addition to neuromuscular exercise and education compared with neuromuscular exercise and education only had a differential impact on pain sensitization and pain intensity, but also that regardless of the exercise mode, the positive effects on pain sensitization and pain intensity were comparable to the effects of other therapeutic interventions for individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

This study determines whether macroeconomic factors such as gross capital formation, infrastructure development, household consumption expenditure, bank credit, labour force, foreign direct investm...

We report on a comprehensive curricular reform aimed at communicating to students early in their study of economics the broad range of social issues that economists study while engaging them in active learning strategies. Overall, we find that the curricular reform increased interest in taking additional economics courses and majoring in economics, broadened students’ views of what economists do, imparted more content to students, but did not have a differential impact on interest in majoring in economics of female students, students of color, or first generation college students. A curriculum that engages students in empirical work on important social issues early in the major appeals to all students, resulting in more majors from both under and overrepresented groups, but generating little impact on the percentage of students who major in economics from underrepresented groups.

Genomic disorders result from rearrangement of the human genome. Most genomic disorders are caused by copy number variants (CNV), deletions or duplications of several hundred kilobases. Many CNV loci are associated with autism, schizophrenia, and most commonly, intellectual disability (ID). However, there is little comparison of cognitive ability measures across these CNV disorders. This study aims to understand whether existing data can be leveraged for a cross-comparison of cognitive ability among multiple CNV. We found there is a lack of harmonization among assessment instruments and little standardization for reporting summary data across studies. Despite these limitations, we identified a differential impact of CNV loci on cognitive ability. Our data suggest that future cross-comparisons of CNV disorders will reveal meaningful differences across the phenotypic spectrum, especially if standardized phenotypic assessment is achieved.

Following a case study, community adaptation plans are a bottom-up approach that focus on increasing climate-vulnerable communities’ engagement in local adaptation planning and policy design, prioritization, and implementation in Nepal. This paper explains how Community-Based Adaptation Action Plan (CAPA) groups are being studied to assess the climate vulnerability of the local socio-ecosystem and to develop community-level adaptation measures. However, there is insufficient research to differentiate local vulnerabilities caused by climate change. This paper, therefore, examines climate change vulnerability with respect to community vulnerability and potential adaptation measures to increase community resilience and adaptive capacity through CAPAs. The study compares differences by gender, caste/ethnicity, and wealth in relation to specific climate-related hazards (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) of communities. The study draws on secondary sources of information along with field observations, 73 household interviews, 13 key-informant interviews, consultations, and 9 interactive meetings in 3 districts of Nepal. Differential impact analysis refers to the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of local socio-ecological systems. In addition, multivariate analysis was conducted using the Canoco program to analyze the role of actors with respect to climate vulnerability. The results conclude that the degree of vulnerability varies widely at the household level and is strongly influenced by socio-economic characteristics such as gender, caste/ethnicity, and wealth. Immediate and focused attention is needed to improve access to government resources for vulnerable households, requiring positive support from decision makers. Equally important is improving the chain of communication, which includes information, skills, knowledge, capacity, and institutional arrangements. Analysis of the differential vulnerability and the adaptive capacity of a vulnerable community is more appropriate for the design of local adaptation plans. Therefore, the study suggests that engagement of local partners, including local authorities, in addressing vulnerability and adaptation is required to confront the social process, new institutional arrangements, local adaptation, and capacity-building with technical solutions.

Is rapid urban sprawl increasing environmental pollution while boosting economic development? This study uses panel data of 30 Chinese provinces during 2002-2018 to investigate the impact of urban sprawl on haze pollution with the use of a spatial lag model. Urban built-up area (ba) and urban public facilities occupation (upfo) are used to measure the differential impact of urban sprawl on haze pollution. The main highlights of the results are as follows: (1) there is a nonlinear relationship between urban sprawl and haze pollution. An inverted U-shaped relationship was found between built-up area and haze pollution, while urban public facility occupation and haze pollution have a U-shaped correlation. (2) The impact of urban sprawl on haze pollution shows a significant time-based difference. The relationship between the two was not significant in 2002-2010, but become significant in 2011-2018. (3) Significant regional differences in the impact of urban sprawl on haze pollution were found. The effects of urban sprawl on urban haze levels are more pronounced in the eastern and western regions than in the central region.

We investigate how wages and occupation sorting vary by race, gender, and class during recessions. We performed repeated Kitagawa-Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions of the Black-White wage gap from 1988 to 2020. Black professional-class workers’ wages are more unstable and take a more substantial hit during recessions. Black workers see a lower return to their labor market characteristics during recessions, and this is pronounced for the professional class. Using an occupational crowding methodology, we find that Black women are overrepresented in essential work and roles with high physical proximity to others and receive the lowest wages. White men are crowded out of riskier work but, within these categories, dominate higher-paying roles. Black workers earn less in professional riskier work than in working-class roles, while the reverse is true for White workers. We find that class status does not protect Black workers to the same extent as White workers, especially during recessions.

This study compared the effect of the timing of form-focused instruction (FFI) on the acquisition of the past counterfactual conditional (PCC) and framing expressions (FEs) for English questions. Sixty-three EFL adult learners received a total of six hours of isolated or integrated FFI on the target features. Acquisition was measured by means of cloze tests and interviews. The results obtained from a mixed-design ANOVA indicated that the learners in the two experimental groups made significant gains on the two language measures. A dependent t-test revealed that the two target structures responded differentially to the timing of form-focused instruction. We discuss some of the theoretical and pedagogical implications of these findings.

Despite the increasing popularity of task-based language teaching (TBLT) among researchers and teachers, further classroom-based empirical evidence is needed to support its use over more traditional teaching approaches such as presentation practice production (PPP). The argument that TBLT is ‘legislation by hypothesis’ (Swan, 2005), is yet to be completely refuted (Ellis, 2018). Four intact classes of Japanese university students taking a one-year oral English course were randomly assigned to either a TBLT or PPP teaching condition. Speaking proficiency and speaking self-efficacy were measured three times during the year to discover the differential impact of teaching approach on growth. Student interviews provided insights into their views on the different approaches. Results showed that students in TBLT and PPP classes experienced growth in both proficiency and self-efficacy, and there was no difference in final outcomes for the two conditions. However, patterns of growth for the groups were different.

BACKGROUND In patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), key echocardiogram report elements have been identified, but poor adherence has been demonstrated, particularly for quantitative assessment. We report a quality improvement effort to improve adherence at our institution, with a focus on increasing quantitative assessment of right ventricular (RV) function. METHODS Baseline compliance was established by a 3-month retrospective review of outpatient echocardiogram reports. Intervention 1 included presenting baseline data and reviewing the guidelines with echocardiogram laboratory staff (physicians and sonographers). Intervention 2, chosen to focus on quantitative assessment of RV function, involved recommending measurement of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) for all echocardiograms. Reporting rates were prospectively analyzed for 1 month after each intervention. To evaluate sonographer versus physician compliance, both study images (acquisition of TAPSE images) and reports were reviewed. RESULTS At baseline, adherence was poor (median 65% of elements reported), with lower rates for measurements versus descriptive elements (median 40% vs 78%, p

Background: COVID-19 materially delayed patient visits and potential skin cancer biopsies/diagnoses among US dermatology practices. However, given a likely heterogenous impact across the US, this study sought to determine COVID-19’s effect on urban versus rural dermatology practices. Methods: Data were analyzed from the first 1000 responses to 3 pre-validated surveys of 9891 practicing US dermatologists comparing outpatient volumes and scheduling issues for the week of February 17th to the week of March 16th (Survey 1), April 13th (Survey 2) and May 18th, 2020 (Survey 3). First 3 US zip-code digits were compared to US Census Bureau data to determine “Urban/Rural” status. Representativeness with AAD membership was confirmed. Statistical significance was calculated using chi-square with Marascuilo procedure and two-tailed independent t-test/ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey-Kramer testing. Results: In April 2020 urban practices reported more closed practices (21.4% vs 5.8%, p

This study employs risk terrain modeling to identify the spatial correlates of aggravated assault and homicide in St. Louis, MO. We build upon the empirical literature by (1) replicating recent research examining the role of vacancy in the concentration of criminal violence and (2) examining whether the environmental correlates of violence vary between north and south St. Louis, a boundary that has long divided the city along racial and socioeconomic lines. Our results indicate that vacancy presents a strong, consistent risk for both homicide and aggravated assault and that this pattern emerges most clearly in the northern part of the city which is majority African American and has suffered chronic disinvestment. The concentration of criminal violence in South City is driven primarily by public hubs including housing, transportation, and schools. Our results underscore the importance of vacancy as a driver of the spatial concentration of violent crime and point to potential heterogeneity in risk terrain modeling results when applied to large metropolitan areas. Situational crime prevention strategies would be well served to consider such spatial contingencies as the risk factors driving violent crime are neither uniformly distributed across space nor uniform in their impact on criminal violence.