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IntroductionFirearm injury is a leading cause of death among Americans. Because the right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment, policymakers must consider the impact of legislation on both firearm ownership and firearm harms. The current state of knowledge in firearm research majorly examines the impact of firearm legislation on firearm injuries and fatalities alone, and it relies on correlational analyses. The few studies that consider causal effects employ counterfactual-based inference. This study introduces information-theoretic tools to explore the role of firearm laws in mitigating firearm harms while maintaining citizens right to bear arms.MethodsThe authors study monthly time series from January 2000 to October 2019 for the implementation of firearm laws from RANDs State Firearm Law Database, firearm deaths by intent from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention databases, and firearm ownership from an econometric model. The authors employ transfer entropy, an information-theoretic method that relies on Granger causality, to infer relationships from time series. Specifically, the authors examine transfer entropy from firearm restrictiveness to deaths per firearm owner, firearm ownership, and firearm deaths, independently.ResultsOn a national level, the authors uncover a negative association from firearm restrictiveness to deaths per firearm owner and a positive association from firearm restrictiveness to firearm ownership. On a regional level, the authors identify a negative association from firearm restrictiveness to deaths per firearm owner in the Northeast, a negative association from firearm restrictiveness to firearm ownership in the Midwest, and a negative association from firearm restrictiveness to firearm suicides in the South.ConclusionsThe authors present an information-theoretic approach to study relationships in firearm research. This method provides preliminary evidence for the role of restrictive legislation in promoting safe firearm ownership. The authors find that firearm acquisition considerably increases after the implementation of restrictive firearm laws, and simultaneously, firearm deaths decrease. These effects vary with respect to death by intent and the geographic region the laws were implemented in.

Using UK data supplied by universities, this paper confirms that women academics earn less than men, even after controlling for a range of covariates. Despite narrowing after 2004/05, the observed (unconditional) pay gap was still −0.089 in 2019/20, while the conditional pay gap was relatively unchanged remaining at around −0.050 in 2019/20. The results are consistent with the literature on why pay gaps might occur, with the key disparity occurring when women face a higher cost of investment and statistical discrimination, linked to bias, to achieve promotion. That is, the results presented here suggest that earnings gaps are significantly reduced when grade-balanced gender sub-groups are compared, suggesting conditional wage differences are more likely due to bias rather than any inherent differences in (research) productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is prevalent among physically active individuals, highlighting the need for innovative treatment strategies beyond conventional physiotherapy. This study investigates the effectiveness of integrating flossing band therapy with standard physiotherapy, anticipating improved outcomes in pain reduction, functional ability, and patient satisfaction. Methods: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial involved 50 PFPS-diagnosed participants. They were divided into two groups: Standard Physiotherapy Group (SPG) and Flossing Band and Physiotherapy Group (FBPG), each undergoing an 8-week intervention focusing on resistance training supplemented by respective therapies. Assessment metrics included pain (VAS), strength (Dynamometry), lower limb function (LEFS), and PFPS function (AKPS) measured before and after the intervention. Results: Significant enhancements in all outcome measures were noted for both groups, yet the FBPG exhibited notably superior improvements in pain, knee functionality, muscle strength, and lower extremity function. The FBPG demonstrated statistically significant greater efficacy in pain alleviation and strength enhancement. Conclusions: The addition of flossing band therapy to conventional physiotherapy presents a more effective treatment modality for PFPS, suggesting its potential to redefine therapeutic standards. Future studies should delve into the long-term impacts and mechanistic underpinnings of floss band therapy in PFPS management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the distribution of Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica along the northwest coast of South America. The species is well known in tropical waters distant from the coast, but it also appears to be a regular visitor to shelf-break waters off Colombia and northern Ecuador; there is no evidence indicating a similar presence within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Peru, where waters are colder. About 50% of Wedge-tailed Shearwater sightings are associated with dolphins and/or large fish. More than 90% of the nearshore South American records are of pale-phase individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]