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The occurrence of fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) was investigated in 94 food-contact materials (FCMs). We detected 6:2 FTOH (<0.60--1110 ng/g), 8:2 FTOH (<0.40--8490 ng/g), and 10:2 FTOH (<0.02--9350 ng/g) in most FCM samples, and four longer-chain C14-20 FTOHs were, for the first time, identified in FCMs with relatively high concentrations (<0.02--8450 ng/g for 12:2 FTOH, <0.02--1640 ng/g for 14:2 FTOH, <0.02--372 ng/g for 16:2 FTOH, and <0.02--130 ng/g for 18:2 FTOH). There were three typical profiles of FTOHs that were dominated by 6:2 FTOH (95.6 ± 8.1% in 9 FCMs), 8:2 FTOH (50.9 ± 20.8% in 22 FCMs), and 10:2 FTOH (44.5 ± 20.9% in 30 FCMs), indicating the congener-specific usage of FTOHs for different commercial purposes. All nine detectable FCMs produced in the United States were dominated by 6:2 FTOH, which was significantly different from those produced in China. The median concentration of total FTOHs in eco-friendly paper tableware was 2990 ng/g, which was lower than in popcorn bags (18 200 ng/g) but much higher than other FCMs (<0.55--38.7 ng/g). FTOHs could migrate from paper bowls, with migration efficiencies of 0.004--0.24% into water, 0.004--0.24% into 10% ethanol, 0.009--2.79% into 30% ethanol, 0.06--13.0% into 50% ethanol (v/v) simulants, and 0.04--2.28% into oil. Migration efficiencies decreased with increasing carbon chain lengths of FTOHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June 1987, managers at International Paper Company (IP) permanently replaced more than 2,200 union members who had gone on strike after resisting the firm's demands for extensive concessions. Previous accounts of this dispute, which lasted until October 1988, have focused on Jay, Maine, where around half the strikers were located. This study gives a fuller history, detailing the involvement of strikers in De Pere, Wisconsin and Lock Haven, Pennsylvania as well. In addition, it highlights the important part played by 1,200 IP workers in Mobile, Alabama. In March 1987, IP executives locked out the Mobile workers, precipitating the entire conflict between the two sides. Blending oral history interviews with unprocessed archival material and local newspaper accounts, Minchin shows that the company's use of permanent replacements tipped the balance in its favor, despite the union's efforts to launch a corporate campaign against IP. Although the strikers held firm, they had little bargaining power once they had been replaced. The dispute graphically highlights how difficult it is for unions to win strikes in the contemporary US, confirming union leaders’ complaints that the hiring of permanent strike replacements has left them with an ‘empty gun.’ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a list of working papers from the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis, Missouri in 2003. "Asymmetric Common Trends: An Application of Monetary Policy in a Markov-Switching VECM," by Neville Francis and Michael T. Owyang; "FOMC Forecasts: Is All the Information in the Central Tendency?," by William T. Gavin; "Does Consumer Sentiment Predict Regional Consumption?," by Thomas A. Garrett.

The article announces that several individuals and papers received awards from the "American Journal of Public Health" in 2016, including Paper and Reviewer of the Year award winner Deborah Holtzman, as well as Reviewer of the Year award recipients such as John Brill and Angela Beck.

Scholars have documented strong anti-immigrant bias in mainstream media portrayals and public sentiment, especially associated with notions of "illegality." Yet certain groups of undocumented immigrants have been able to defend their continued residency. How are undocumented immigrants, as marginalized subjects, able to make claims for legal and social recognition? Through an analysis of 125 anti-deportation campaigns led by undocumented youth organizations in the United States, I show how organizations developed a nationally coordinated model using citizenship frames to challenge deportations and build support for pro-immigrant legislation. Citizenship frames are based in legal and normative ideologies of citizenship that underscore acculturation, civic engagement, and humanitarian concerns. The campaigns highlight undocumented immigrants' social integration, deservingness, and practice of citizenship, therefore contesting the boundaries between citizen and noncitizen, and between lawful and unlawful. Though citizenship frames are used across cases, campaign tactics vary: students are portrayed as high-achievers who would suffer greatly if deported, while campaigns for non-students emphasize the detrimental effects of deportation on others. Importantly, citizenship frames are bounded by the government's priorities for immigration enforcement, with potentially negative consequences for those immigrants considered less than model citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States is facing a national opioid epidemic, and medical systems are in need of non-pharmacologic strategies that can be employed to decrease the public's opioid dependence. Acupuncture has emerged as a powerful, evidence-based, safe, cost-effective, and available treatment modality suitable to meeting this need. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for the management of numerous types of pain conditions, and mechanisms of action for acupuncture have been described and are understandable from biomedical, physiologic perspectives. Further, acupuncture's cost-effectiveness can dramatically decrease health care expenditures, both from the standpoint of treating acute pain and through avoiding addiction to opioids that requires costly care, destroys quality of life, and can lead to fatal overdose. Numerous federal regulatory agencies have advised or mandated that healthcare systems and providers offer non-pharmacologic treatment options for pain. Acupuncture stands out as the most evidence-based, immediately available choice to fulfill these calls. Acupuncture can safely, easily, and cost-effectively be incorporated into hospital settings as diverse as the emergency department, labor and delivery suites, and neonatal intensive care units to treat a variety of commonly seen pain conditions. Acupuncture is already being successfully and meaningfully utilized by the Veterans Administration and various branches of the U.S. military, in some studies demonstrably decreasing the volume of opioids prescribed when included in care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the contracts at Warner Bros. for two productions by director Arthur Penn as a case study to consider how these agreements shaped production cultures during the emergence of New Hollywood. Through the 1950s, the studio employed production-distribution agreements that used strict controls and regulations to mimic its in-house procedures. But in the 1960s, it preferred short-form joint venture agreements that allowed more direct control in shaping the film's production while turning the producers into self-regulators. As the contracts reveal, Warner Bros. reshaped their business to grant production culture control to producers while also ensuring the studio's corporate role in the New Hollywood landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In all health system sectors, electronic health information (EHI) is created, used, released, and reused. We examined states' efforts to address EHI uses in law to provide an understanding of the EHI legal environment. Methods: Attorney researchers used WestlawNext to search for EHI-related statutes and regulations of the US states, US territories, and the District of Columbia in effect as of January 2014. The researchers independently catalogued provisions by the EHI use described in the law. Researchers resolved discrepancies through peer review meetings and recorded the consensus codes for each law. Results: This study identified 2364 EHI-related laws representing 49 EHI uses in 54 jurisdictions. A total of 18 EHI uses were regulated by ≥10 jurisdictions. More than 750 laws addressed 2 or more EHI uses. Jurisdictions varied by the number of EHI laws in effect, with a mean of 44 laws. Texas had the most EHI laws (n = 145). Hawaii and South Carolina had the fewest (n = 14 each). Conclusions: The EHI legal landscape is complex. The large quantity and diversity of laws complicate legal analysis, likely delay implementation of public health solutions, and might be detrimental to the development of emerging health information technology. Research is needed to understand the effect of EHI-related laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses potential developments involving kinship care policies and practices which were addressed at the Kinship Summit event in Albany, New York in September 2016, and it mentions collaborative partnerships, the needs of children, youth, and families, and gaps involving child welfare services in America. Continuity in kinship care is examined, along with kinship caregivers, the U.S. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, and Voluntary Placement Agreements.

Features employee wellness at Appleton Papers Inc. with manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Features of its Appleton Wellness Center; Partnership with the YMCA.

The coverage reforms of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have fundamentally changed the U.S. health care system. The law's health insurance regulations, which include protections for persons with preexisting conditions, have made health insurance more accessible. The premium tax credit and cost-sharing subsidies have made nongroup coverage more affordable. The essential health benefit package and coverage for preventive services without cost sharing have made insurance more comprehensive. Perhaps most important, the Medicaid expansion extended coverage to millions of low-income adults. Despite these gains, more needs to be done to bring the United States closer to achieving universal coverage. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians recommends action to enhance and expand eligibility for health insurance financial subsidies; stabilize health insurance marketplaces; provide sustained funding for outreach, education, and enrollment assistance activities; test and implement a mechanism to encourage enrollment; expand Medicaid in all states; and establish a public insurance option to increase competition. Coverage reforms through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) have fundamentally changed the U.S. health care system. This American College of Physicians position paper offers policy recommendations for how the ACA may be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time trends in employee exposures to the air contaminants measured by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) during compliance inspections of pulp and paper manufacturing facilities conducted between 1979 and 1997 were evaluated based on the measurement results stored in the OSHA Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) database. The IMIS database is among the largest sources of occupational exposure measurements available for occupational health research in the United States. The IMIS database contains the results of 3568 personal time-weighted average (TWA) measurements for 171 air contaminants made at 524 establishments in Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 26. An analysis of these measurements revealed an overall decrease in the total number of measurements made per year since 1991, and a decrease in the percentage of measurements by year that exceeded the OSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs). Linear regression analyses detected decreasing trends in the geometric mean concentrations by year for 33 of the 36 agents analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a widely held view to the effect that internal flexibility is most reliably secured through the provision of employment security. The research reported here provides a test of this theory. Interviews were conducted with managers and, to a lesser extent, union officials in a judgment sample of 21 plants in the U.S. paper industry. With limited and specific exceptions, since the early 1980s paper mills have provided generally secure employment. Despite this, unions vigorously opposed management attempts to increase flexibility. In response, management used threats and intimidation to increase flexibility, with some considerable success. The theory that employment security produces internal flexibility requires some revision. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mortgage market can be portrayed as a complicated machine that processes information and disinformation to help lenders and would-be homeowners to fashion an enforceable and fair set of mutual obligations. The papers in this symposium issue focus on ameliorating cyclical speed-ups and slowdowns in the lender-operated parts of this machine. My discussion focuses on two issues: (1) how transitioning to a gig economy is changing household needs for owner-occupied and rental homes across different age groups; and (2) how to use the legal system to lessen the informational disadvantage that would-be homeowners face in understanding the deals they are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mortgage market can be portrayed as a complicated machine that processes information and disinformation to help lenders and would-be homeowners to fashion an enforceable and fair set of mutual obligations. The papers in this symposium issue focus on ameliorating cyclical speed-ups and slowdowns in the lender-operated parts of this machine. My discussion focuses on two issues: (1) how transitioning to a gig economy is changing household needs for owner-occupied and rental homes across different age groups; and (2) how to use the legal system to lessen the informational disadvantage that would-be homeowners face in understanding the deals they are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mortgage market can be portrayed as a complicated machine that processes information and disinformation to help lenders and would-be homeowners to fashion an enforceable and fair set of mutual obligations. The papers in this symposium issue focus on ameliorating cyclical speed-ups and slowdowns in the lender-operated parts of this machine. My discussion focuses on two issues: (1) how transitioning to a gig economy is changing household needs for owner-occupied and rental homes across different age groups; and (2) how to use the legal system to lessen the informational disadvantage that would-be homeowners face in understanding the deals they are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the issues of corporate form hardening in the U.S., and mentions protection for agents engaged in frauds that inflict harm on the public; development of a paper dragon analogy for focusing on importance of agents in corporate animation; and intracorporate conspiracy doctrine.

This autoethnographic paper introduces a decolonizing methodological process termed—critical collaborative interrogation (CCI)—one offering a more radically reflexive approach to teasing out inherent power relations within sport-for-development spaces. The process of CCI utilized four autobiographical vignettes written by the first author as means of decolonizing his whiteness, vis-à-vis, an academic peer from his present and a coworker from his past. By ascribing to a decolonizing praxis, we contend that CCI offers not only a novel way to elucidate innate racial biases, complicities, and moral imperatives within sport-for-development work, but also promoting CCI as a transformative process by drawing upon "other" ways of knowing and alternative perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the reliability and power quality at Champion International Corp. paper mill in Deferiet, New York. Numerous process interruptions experienced by Champion; Voltage sags emanating from the Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. transmission system; Causes and location of faults; Mitigation techniques.

The article discusses a reexamination of the application of the third-party doctrine to conveyed papers and records as of January 2014, focusing on the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the case United States v. Jones which deals with trespass, search and seizure laws, and a reasonable expectation of privacy. According to the article, the third-party doctrine states that individuals lose their Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protection for information knowingly revealed to third parties.

In late nineteenth-century USA, technological developments in paper production—a shift from a reliance on scarce cotton rag to plentiful wood—drastically reduced the price of newsprint. That decline helped overturn the reigning economics of the daily newspaper and resulted in the rise of new cheap papers with vastly expanded circulation. This novel mass press encompassed almost all Americans in the public sphere as represented by its pages. Focusing on newspapers in Detroit, this study examines the manifold consequences this shift had for the press's economics, its news agenda, and the implicit identity of the audience it addressed. The rise of a mass press in the late nineteenth century, however, was not specific to Detroit or the USA. As comparative historians have highlighted, the emergence of a mass press in Europe and elsewhere was a turning point that deeply marked the historical evolution of press systems around the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since the early 2010s, the production of industrial wood pellet for overseas exports has grown considerably in the Southern United States (U.S.). In order to meet the increasing demand for woody biomass feedstock, the wood pellet mills in the U.S. South consume roundwood pulpwood along with low-valued logging residues and sawmill wood wastes. By estimating empirical roundwood pulpwood market models based on the bi-monthly time-series data, this study estimates the impacts of wood pellet production, precipitation, and the COVID-19 Pandemic on the hardwood and softwood pulpwood stumpage prices in 12 southeastern Atlantic coastal micro-markets. Results suggest that the wood pellet industry has led to an increase in pine pulpwood prices, but no statistically significant impact is found on the hardwood pulpwood prices. Rainfall is found to be a positive determinant of the roundwood pulpwood prices. Furthermore, since March 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic is estimated to lead about 6% decline in both pine and hardwood pulpwood prices. This study provides empirical evidence and additional insights on the timber market dynamics and how small roundwood markets have reacted to the additional wood demand from a growing bioenergy industry in the U.S. South. • The wood pellet industry competes with pulp and paper mills for woody biomass. • The wood pellet industry has led to an increase in pine pulpwood prices. • No significant impact of wood pellets is found on the hardwood pulpwood prices. • The COVID-19 Pandemic has led to decline pulpwood stumpage prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the United States' largest integrated health care delivery system, serving over 9 million enrollees at nearly 1300 health care facilities. In addition to providing health care to the nation's military veterans, the VHA has a research and development program, trains thousands of medical residents and other health care professionals, and conducts emergency preparedness and response activities. The VHA has been celebrated for delivering high-quality care to veterans, early adoption of electronic medical records, and high patient satisfaction. However, the system faces challenges, including implementation of an expanded community care program, modernization of its electronic medical records system, and providing care to a population with complex needs. The position paper offers policy recommendations on VHA funding, the community care program, medical and health care professions training, and research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies substitution between main categories of imported pulp and paper products and between imported and domestic pulp and paper products in the US market. A restricted translog subcost function approach was employed to derive the elasticity of substitution. The results suggest that Canadian pulp and paper products are competitive and have maintained their competitiveness in the US market, and therefore, the challenges faced by the Canadian pulp and paper industry are not because of the loss of its product competitiveness but are due to other reasons such as declining demand for paper products in the United States. It seems that if the Canadian pulp and paper industry wants to retain its dominant position in the world market place, it will have to create global reach and develop new markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to articles in the issue is presented on topics including description of a free neuro-rehabilitation clinic staffed by volunteers to fill the gap for people with physical, cognitive, and communication disorders, concussion recovery as a dichotomous state, and how and why we do what we do in clinical practice.

Background: Early identification and treatment of chronic disease is associated with better clinical outcomes, lower costs, and reduced hospitalisation. Primary care is ideally placed to identify patients at risk of, or in the early stages of, chronic disease and to implement prevention and early intervention measures. This paper evaluates the implementation of a technological intervention called Future Health Today that integrates with general practice EMRs to (1) identify patients at-risk of, or with undiagnosed or untreated, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and (2) provide guideline concordant recommendations for patient care. The evaluation aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators to successful implementation. Methods: Future Health Today was implemented in 12 general practices in Victoria, Australia. Fifty-two interviews with 30 practice staff were undertaken between July 2020 and April 2021. Practice characteristics were collected directly from practices via survey. Data were analysed using inductive and deductive qualitative analysis strategies, using Clinical Performance - Feedback Intervention Theory (CP-FIT) for theoretical guidance. Results: Future Health Today was acceptable, user friendly and useful to general practice staff, and supported clinical performance improvement in the identification and management of chronic kidney disease. CP-FIT variables supporting use of FHT included the simplicity of design and delivery of actionable feedback via FHT, good fit within existing workflow, strong engagement with practices and positive attitudes toward FHT. Context variables provided the main barriers to use and were largely situated in the external context of practices (including pressures arising from the COVID-19 pandemic) and technical glitches impacting installation and early use. Participants primarily utilised the point of care prompt rather than the patient management dashboard due to its continued presence, and immediacy and relevance of the recommendations on the prompt, suggesting mechanisms of compatibility, complexity, actionability and credibility influenced use. Most practices continued using FHT after the evaluation phase was complete. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that FHT is a useful and acceptable software platform that provides direct support to general practice in identifying and managing patients with CKD. Further research is underway to explore the effectiveness of FHT, and to expand the conditions on the platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to both borrow information from existing units and incorporate the target unit's history data in time series forecasting. We consider a situation when we have time series data from multiple units that share similar patterns when aligned in terms of an internal time. The internal time is defined as an index according to evolving features of interest. When mapped back to the calendar time, these time series can span different time intervals that can include the future calendar time of the targeted unit, over which we can borrow the information from other units in forecasting the targeted unit. We first build a hierarchical state space model for the multiple time series data in terms of the internal time, where the shared components capture the similarities among different units while allowing for unit‐specific deviations. A conditional state space model is then constructed to incorporate the information of existing units as the prior information in forecasting the targeted unit. By running the Kalman filtering based on the conditional state space model on the targeted unit, we incorporate both the information from the other units and the history of the targeted unit. The forecasts are then transformed from internal time back into calendar time for ease of interpretation. A simulation study is conducted to evaluate the finite sample performance. Forecasting state‐level new COVID‐19 cases in United States is used for illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted governments worldwide to implement a range of containment measures, including mass gathering restrictions, social distancing, and school closures. Despite these efforts, vaccines continue to be the safest and most effective means of combating such viruses. Yet, vaccine hesitancy persists, posing a significant public health concern, particularly with the emergence of new COVID-19 variants. To effectively address this issue, timely data is crucial for understanding the various factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy. While previous research has largely relied on traditional surveys for this information, recent sources of data, such as social media, have gained attention. However, the potential of social media data as a reliable proxy for information on population hesitancy, especially when compared with survey data, remains underexplored. This paper aims to bridge this gap. Our approach uses social, demographic, and economic data to predict vaccine hesitancy levels in the ten most populous US metropolitan areas. We employ machine learning algorithms to compare a set of baseline models that contain only these variables with models that incorporate survey data and social media data separately. Our results show that XGBoost algorithm consistently outperforms Random Forest and Linear Regression, with marginal differences between Random Forest and XGBoost. This was especially the case with models that incorporate survey or social media data, thus highlighting the promise of the latter data as a complementary information source. Results also reveal variations in influential variables across the five hesitancy classes, such as age, ethnicity, occupation, and political inclination. Further, the application of models to different MSAs yields mixed results, emphasizing the uniqueness of communities and the need for complementary data approaches. In summary, this study underscores social media data's potential for understanding vaccine hesitancy, emphasizes the importance of tailoring interventions to specific communities, and suggests the value of combining different data sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: This study examines how social information is utilized in processes of bilingual speech perception. Specifically, we investigate whether racialized expectations of native language background trigger language-specific processing strategies in early or simultaneous Spanish–English bilinguals. Methodology: We coupled a visually-primed phoneme categorization task with a social evaluation questionnaire to test whether Spanish–English bilingual adults living in the United States (n = 30) drew on racialized ideologies about what speakers of certain languages look like during speech perception. We predicted that, if participants drew on these ideologies during the phoneme categorization task, they would cue an expectation of what language was being spoken and, consequently, a shift in the identification boundary. Data and analysis: Mixed logistic regression was used to investigate the effects of photograph (the visual prime) and voice on how participants categorized the continua while paired, two-tailed t -tests were used to compare how participants socially evaluated the two speakers. Findings: Raciolinguistic evaluations appeared to influence bilingual speech perception, significantly affecting how the continua were categorized, but they did not work the same way for every voice. Originality: Prior work has posited that interactional context influences bilingual language control (e.g., Grosjean, 2001); the ideological nature of this context has, however, been understudied. This paper offers insight into how ideologies related to race may shape language perception and use in bilinguals. Implications: The findings provide evidence for the role of social information in bilingual speech perception, suggest that multiple cues (acoustic and social) integrate to determine the interactional context, and indicate that the influence of raciolinguistic ideologies is neither straightforward nor homogeneous but rather contingent on complex aspects of the perceived speaker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to explore the global landscape of neurotechnology research and investigate the factors that influence its citation impact. The data for the study were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection database, resulting in a total of 1,473 articles related to neurotechnology. The study identified a notable increase in neurotechnology research over time, peaking at 37.20% from 2020 to 2023, with Scientific Reports as the leading journal. Collaborative efforts with two to four authors constituted 42.90% of the total articles. The United States led country-level contributions (29.26%). The University of California secured the top rank with 4.48% of the total publications. The United States Department of Health and Human Services remains at the top by contributing funding to 7.46% of research papers in the field of Neurotechnology research. Statistical tests confirmed significant correlations between research funding, collaboration, and research availability mode with citation impact. Positive correlations were identified between research funding and collaboration, while open access availability showed a negative correlation with citation impact. These findings deepen our understanding of neurotechnology research dynamics, providing insights for researchers, institutions, and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With annual point-in-time counts indicating a rise in unsheltered homelessness in the United States, much attention has been paid to how to best provide care to this population. Mobile medical units (MMUs) have been utilized by many programs. However, little is known regarding the evidence behind their effectiveness. A scoping review is conducted of research on MMU provision of medical services for populations experiencing homelessness in the USA to examine the extent and nature of research activity, summarize available evidence, and identify research gaps in the existing literature. Following guidelines for scoping reviews, PubMed and Google Scholar were used to identify an initial 294 papers published from January 1, 1980, to May 1, 2023, using selected keywords, which were distilled to a final set of 50 studies that met eligibility criteria. Eligible articles were defined as those that pertain to the provision of healthcare (inclusive of dental, vision, and specialty services) to populations experiencing homelessness through a MMU in the United States and have been published after peer review. Of the 50 studies in the review, the majority utilized descriptive (40%) or observational methods (36%), with 4 review and 8 controlled studies and no completed randomized controlled trials. Outcome measures utilized by studies include MMU services provided (58%), patient demographics (34%), health outcomes (16%), patient-centered measures (14%), healthcare utilization (10%) and cost analysis (6%). The studies that exist suggest MMUs can facilitate effective treatment of substance use disorders, provision of primary care, and services for severe mental illness among people experiencing homelessness. MMUs have potential to provide community-based healthcare services in settings where homeless populations reside, but the paucity of randomized controlled trials indicates further research is needed to understand if MMUs are more effective than other care delivery models tailored to populations experiencing homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an aesthetic analysis of the practice of serpent handling by Christians in the Appalachian region of the United States. The purpose of this analysis is to understand serpent handling's aesthetic relationship to the Pentecostal tradition and exposit the implications of this relationship for the practice's legal status. The first section examines the history and defining characteristics of serpent handling and introduces the controversial problem of whether the practice can be categorized within the Pentecostal movement. The second section argues that serpent handling can be understood as belonging within the broader global Pentecostal tradition through engagement with the Pentecostal aesthetics of Nimi Wariboko. The final section concludes that if serpent handling is legible according to the aesthetic norms of Pentecostalism, a now broadly tolerated religious tradition in the United States, then this necessitates a wholesale reconsideration of antiserpent handling legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2022, suicide ranked as the 11th leading cause of death in the United States with 49,513 deaths. Provisional mortality data from 2022 indicate a 2.8% increase in the number of suicides compared to 2021. This paper examines overall suicide trends, sodium nitrite ingestion as an emerging suicide method, and the role that online forums play in sharing information about suicide methods (including sodium nitrite ingestion). Methods: Suicides were identified from CDC's National Vital Statistics System (2018-July 2023 provisional) multiple cause-of-death mortality files using International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Tenth Revision underlying cause-of-death codes U03, X60–X84, and Y87.0 and T code T50.6 (antidotes and chelating agents). Google search popularity metrics were captured from January 2019 to January 2023. Case reports of sodium nitrite related suicide and suicide attempts (through February 2024) were identified in the medical and forensic literature. Results: At least 768 suicides involving antidotes and chelating agents (including sodium nitrite) occurred between 2018 and July 2023, set in the context of 268,972 total suicides during that period. Overall, suicides involving antidotes and chelating agents (including sodium nitrite) represent <1% of all suicides, however, numbers are rising. Conclusions: Suicide methods are known to change over time. These changes can be influenced by, among other factors, online forums and means accessibility, such as internet purchase availability. CDC remains committed to prevention through comprehensive public health strategies that protect individuals, families, and communities. Practical Applications: States and community partners might consider leveraging physicians, emergency responders, and other appropriate crisis response groups to disseminate information on sodium nitrite self-poisoning and its antidote, methylene blue. Efforts should be part of a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has indicated that healthcare support for sexuality after spinal cord injury appears to be neglected or inadequately provided. The perspectives of people living with spinal cord injuries regarding what is lacking and what support they would like to be provided, and why, has yet to be explored. This paper uses critical theory to explore how societal constructs of sexuality and disability shape how sexuality is supported after a spinal cord injury. To do this, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 people with a spinal cord injury from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We drew from the works of various critical disability theorists to analyze what discourses underpinned the experiences people with spinal cord injuries had when receiving sexuality support. Analysis suggested that the following discourses were apparent: (1) broken bodies require repair, (2) sex is penetration, ejaculation then reproduction, and (3) sexual autonomy is required. Findings indicated healthcare professionals need to recognize people with spinal cord injuries as sexual beings with a diverse range of desires, lives, relations, and bodies. Provision of individualized comprehensive high-quality sexuality support is therefore warranted. To achieve this, healthcare professionals should aim to be aware of, and mitigate, ableist and normative assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on religious populism are on the rise. They are located within the three main theoretical approaches of populism: ideational, performative, and strategic. Building on these three components, this paper proposes a comprehensive analysis by creating an ideal type of the relations between religion and populism. To that effect, it utilizes the relational paradigm of populism from Pierre Ostiguy in conjunction with Ernest Laclau's concept of sedimented practices and applies a genealogical method to analyse why and how religion plays a role in populist politics. This combination emphasises the fluidity of the interactions between religion and populism, their contingency on contextualised political cultures as well as on the often neglected transnational forms of religion. It focuses on two aspects of this role that have been less discussed: 1) the religious actions toward the political establishment 2) the transnational dimension of the populist politics based on religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary is in response to the Call for Papers put forth by the Critical Midwifery Studies Collective (June 2022). We argue that due to a long and ongoing history of gendered racism, Women of Color are devalued in U.S. society. Devaluing Women of Color leads maternal healthcare practitioners to miss and even dismiss distress in Women of Color. The result is systematic underdiagnosis, undertreatment, and the delivery of poorer care to Women of Color, which negatively affects reproductive outcomes generally and birth outcomes specifically. These compounding effects exacerbate distress in Women of Color leading to greater distress. Stress physiology is ancient and intricately interwoven with healthy pregnancy physiology, and this relationship is a highly conserved reproductive strategy. Thus, where there is disproportionate or excess stress (distress), unsurprisingly, there are disproportionate and excess rates of poorer reproductive outcomes. Stress physiology and reproductive physiology collide with social injustices (i.e., racism, discrimination, and anti‐Blackness), resulting in pernicious racialized maternal health disparities. Accordingly, the interplay between stress and reproduction is a key social justice issue and an important site for theoretical inquiry and birth equity efforts. Fortunately, both stress physiology and pregnancy physiology are highly plastic—responsive to the benefits of increased social support and respectful maternity care. Justice means valuing Women of Color and valuing their right to have a healthy, respected, and safe life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial exploitation (FE) is one of the most common reports to Adult Protective Services (APS) and the cases are often complex. Consequently, APS caseworkers report FE investigations to be among the most difficult while simultaneously reporting low confidence in productive outcomes for these investigations. This necessitates finding ways to support APS FE investigations. This paper describes the structure, process, and formative findings of a collaboration between forensic accounting examiners and APS workers to investigate complex cases of FE. Among the 77 FE cases completed, forensic examiners reviewed multiple years of financial records which included over 101,000 transactions, totaling over $213,000,000.00 in finances, and identified over $8,000,000 in questionable activity. Scores on the 8-item Client Satisfaction Questionnaire were high indicating high program satisfaction by APS workers, subject matter experts, and forensic examiners. These findings support the feasibility and acceptability of forensic accounting and APS collaborations to investigate complex cases of FE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Counseling is a part of the scope of practice for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), however training has been inconsistent across programs. Students, clinical fellows, and practicing SLPs alike report feeling under-prepared to address the counseling needs of clients and their families. Research evidence about counseling training and practices specific to addressing the psychological well-being of individuals with aphasia and their families is even more limited. While practicing SLPs feel confident and prepared to address communication-specific interventions for aphasia, they feel ill prepared to address the counseling needs that arise on a regular basis. Aims: The present investigation was part of a two-part investigation that included an online survey to practicing SLPs throughout the United States (US) and follow-up interviews with a subgroup of those participants. This paper addresses the counseling practice interview portion and addresses two research questions: How confident do SLPs feel using counseling with individuals with aphasia? To what extent are SLPs implementing counseling in practice with individuals with aphasia and their family members? Methods & Procedures: Eight practicing SLPs who participated in the part 1 counseling practices survey agreed to participate in the part 2 counseling practices intervention. They varied by years of practice, region of practice, and practice setting (acute, subacute, and chronic). Participants engaged in the Counseling Practices Interview (CPI) via the BlueJeans video conferencing application. Interviews were transcribed and coded qualitatively using open and axial coding methods. Multiple rounds of iterative coding were conducted to ensure rigor and coding stability. Outcomes & Results: Multiple rounds of coding resulted in the following overarching themes: confidence in aphasia-specific skills/ techniques, SLPs encounter emotional and psychosocial discussions regularly, confidence with educational counseling, not prepared for psychosocial adjustment counseling, taking the perspective of individuals with aphasia and their family, referrals/ interprofessional practices and scope of practice issues, and SLP self-care. SLPs reported a clear difference between knowledge and skills for which they feel prepared and confident, versus addressing psychological well-being of individuals with aphasia and understanding practice boundaries. Conclusions: SLPs recognize the importance of counseling skills for working with individuals with aphasia because counseling moments arise regularly. They use a variety of techniques but lack intentionality and specialised training. Academic training was deemed to be inadequate in scope and instructional methods. Postacademic training was identified as hard to access but useful. SLPs reported a lack of clarify on scope of practice, practice boundaries, and referrals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As American colleges and universities become more diverse, expanding our vision and working around what it means to be a legacy, especially at Predominately White Institutions, will be essential. This paper examines Black families' experiences at Churchill, a small liberal arts PWI in the Northeast. With the aid of Yosso's community cultural wealth and Bourdieu's notions of cultural and social capital, it examines how parents' experiences at Churchill and exposing their child to Churchill shaped and informed their child's decision to attend their parent's alma mater and the passing of social and cultural capital between the generations. Findings suggest that while navigational and familial capital passes between generations, Black cultural capital does not pass smoothly and impacts their child's experience at Churchill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To elicit experiences of patients, family caregivers, and healthcare professionals in intermediate care units (IMCUs) in an academic medical centre in Baltimore, MD related to the challenges and intricacies of multimorbidity management to inform development of a multimorbidity symptom management toolkit. Design: Experience‐based co‐design. Methods: Between July and October 2021, patients aged 55 years and older with multimorbidity admitted to IMCUs at an academic medical centre in Baltimore, Maryland, USA were recruited and interviewed in person. Interdisciplinary healthcare professionals working in the IMCU were interviewed virtually. Participants were asked questions about their role in recognizing and treating symptoms, factors affecting the quality of life, symptom burden and trajectory over time, and strategies that have and have not worked for managing symptoms. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used for analysis. Results: Twenty‐three interviews were conducted: 9 patients, 2 family caregivers, and 12 healthcare professionals. Patients' mean age was 67.5 (±6.5) years, over half (n = 5) were Black or Hispanic, and the average number of comorbidities was 3.67. Five major themes that affect symptom management emerged: (1) the patient–provider relationship; (2) open and honest communication; (3) accessibility of resources during hospitalization and at discharge; (4) caregiver support, training, and education; and (5) care coordination and follow‐up care. Conclusion: Patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals often have similar goals but different priorities for multimorbidity management. It is imperative to identify shared priorities and target holistic interventions that consider patient and caregiver experiences to improve outcomes. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care and Impact: This paper addresses the paucity of research related to the shared experience of disease trajectory and symptom management for people living with multimorbidity. We found that patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals often have similar goals but different care and communication priorities. Understanding differing priorities will help better design interventions to support symptom management so people with multimorbidity can have the best possible quality of life. Reporting Method: We have adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) guidelines in our reporting. Patient or Public Contribution: This study has been designed and implemented with patient and public involvement throughout the process, including community advisory board engagement in the project proposal phase and interview guide development, and member checking in the data collection and analysis phases. The method we chose, experience‐based co‐design, emphasizes the importance of engaging members of a community to act as experts in their own life challenges. In the coming phases of the study, the public will be involved in developing and testing a new intervention, informed by these qualitative interviews and co‐design events, to support symptom management for people with multimorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Study: Technology‐supported learning environments, act as significant observational and enabling indicators for evaluating and encouraging the digital revolution of education, are of vital importance in current educational research. Keeping track of the dynamics of technology‐supported learning environment research allows for the enrichment of theoretical studies and a prompt innovation of talent‐training environments. Objectives: The present study carried out a bibliometric analysis of the core collection of WoS database over the last two decades. Method: This study is a bibliometric research. We applied CiteSpace and VOSviewer for co‐occurrence and evolution analysis. In addition, we extracted the fundamental ideas and thoughts through reading and analysis. Results: First, the study found that technology‐supported learning environment research is in a growth phase, with core journals such as Interactive Learning Environments or Computers & Education. The findings show that a core research team comprised of such scholars as Hwang Gwo‐Jen, Lester James C. and Wong Lung‐Hsiang. Key nations of publishing and research strength are from China, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Second, the hot topics in research on technology‐supported learning environments were virtual learning environments, technology‐enabled learning environments and interactive learning environments. Nine study specifics were derived from these three topics such as moulding function, generating scenario, stimulating sensation, effect verification, design idea, research reflection, inquiry and research, virtual community, and mixed environment. Lastly, the frontier evolution offers a pattern of development from enhancing performance to changing mode to incorporating experience. Conclusion: Looking ahead, our research recommendations for the field of technology‐supported learning environments include a multifaceted approach. We should aim to enhance research designs and methodologies, develop contemporary guiding theories and strive for a balanced representation across various educational domains, expanding our scope to encompass all academic disciplines. In terms of practical application, it is imperative to focus on the design and implementation of technology‐supported learning environments from three critical perspectives: "change‐demand," "student‐learning" and "online‐offline." These approaches will collectively ensure that technology‐supported learning environments are both innovative and responsive to the diverse needs of the educational landscape. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Technology‐supported learning environments are currently a focal and hot research topic in the field of education.Although numerous studies have been conducted on the learning environment of technical support, there has yet to be a systematic and comprehensive review of the related research. What this paper adds: This study provides a comprehensive review of research on the technology‐supported learning environments over the past two decades.This study primarily presents an overview of research on the technology‐supported learning environments over the past two decades, focusing on main literature, research strength, hot topics and frontier evolution. Implications for practice and/or policy: Researchers need to further advance research on technology‐supported learning environments by enriching research designs and methods, constructing up‐to‐date guiding theories and achieving a balance across different educational domains while extending the reach to all disciplines.Educational practitioners need to pay attention to the design and implementation of technology‐supported learning environments from the three viewpoints of "change‐demand," "student‐learning" and "online‐offline." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood (EC) education has usually involved in-person teaching and learning. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed remote teaching on EC practitioners and complicated practicum students' fieldwork experiences. This study explored EC practicum students' fieldwork experiences in the U.S. during the pandemic and their preparedness for online teaching and technology employment and integration. Participants included 28 students enrolled in Directed Field Experience in Spring 2021. A mixed-methods approach incorporating multiple sources of data, including reflection papers, interviews, and questionnaires, was used. The findings showed that the EC practicum students changed their perceptions of and attitudes toward a remote field experience course and online teaching with young children over the semester. Additionally, EC practicum students' challenges and professional and academic growth were evident in their reporting. These findings have implications for the development of effective strategies for alleviating EC practicum students' challenges, facilitating their professional growth, and providing resources to integrate digital technology in their teaching in developmentally appropriate ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]