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This assessment evaluated the clinical feasibility of using narrow-diameter implants to support a mandibular overdenture. Twelve patients presenting with an edentulous mandible were recruited from nine dental offices. Each patient received two to four implants in the mandible. The implants were placed without additional bone augmentation, and a total of 36 implants were placed. All sites achieved satisfactory crestal bone stability and soft tissue maintenance 1 year after the final prosthetic restoration. This investigation was supported by the Osseointegration Foundation, working in conjunction with the Zest Anchors implant company. There are three basic valuable activities that emerge from a professional foundation, which were reflected in this case study. They include disseminating information to practitioners, persuading young clinicians to become research investigators, and reaching out to patients in need of treatment who cannot afford it without a charitable opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging processual view of institutions has eroded the assumption of institutional stability in favor of a more dynamic view of institutions as ongoing processes, thereby foregrounding the question of institutional stabilization. Grounded in a process ontology, we conceptualize institutions as ever-becoming yet enduring social processes that are meaningful and carry prescriptions for actors' legitimate participation. Building on this conceptualization, we develop a theoretical model of the role of temporality in institutional stabilization that explores how three dimensions of institutions (meaning, prescriptions, and participation) are each stabilized by a facet of temporality (temporal patterns, expectancies, and mechanisms), as well as factors affecting each of these links. Our arguments contribute to writing on institutions in relation to temporality, agency, and process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February 2023, I gave my presidential address for the Association for Academic Surgery. (1) I did something scary. I told the truth. I began my speech like this: 'Yes, [...]

Despite the great emphasis organizations and human resource management (HRM) research place on turnover issues, one turnover phenomenon has received only limited attention so far: joint leader–member turnover. This research examines supervisor‐initiated turnover (SIT) (i.e., employees' decision to quit their employer to follow a former supervisor to a new organization) and develops a comprehensive model of the SIT decision process, grounded on conservation of resources (COR) theory, that delineates the resource evaluation, conservation and investment deliberations of employees. We take a relational perspective and particularly focus on the leader–member relationship as an important antecedent of SIT and thereby respond to the call for more critical investigations of leader–member exchange (LMX) and corresponding HRM implications. Our three studies (survey, scenario experiment, and dyadic interview study) demonstrate that LMX positively affects SIT intentions (SITI) and that supervisor commitment represents an important mediating mechanism of the LMX–SITI relationship. Our interview study with 46 leader–member dyads identifies relational factors that promote or hinder SIT beyond the leader–member relationship. We discuss the theoretical contributions and practical implications for HRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper unpacks the "black box" of informal institutions and theorizes about the role of informal networks in channeling continuity and change in informal institutions. Specifically, we argue that the persistence of informal institutions depends on the functionalities of the informal networks upon which they rest. When informal institutions are enacted by informal networks that are "relatively affective" and "relatively closed," their persistence is higher than the persistence of informal institutions that are enacted by "relatively open" and "relatively instrumental" networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurship scholars often lament the lack of economic growth in contexts of poverty and informality. We propose that this dismal assessment, as well as subsequent prescriptions to address it, flow from a narrow epistemological approach to informality based on absence, where the lack of (Western) market-supporting legal and regulatory institutions explain missing economic growth at the firm level. In contrast, we build a theoretical approach grounded in presence, proposing that a more comprehensive incorporation of existing institutions may reveal less visible, individual level types of entrepreneurial growth occurring in informal economies. To do so, we conceptualize informal economies as institutional interfaces built of "bits and pieces" from market and nonmarket institutions. We propose that the configuration of these interfaces influences the cultural toolkits of inhabitant entrepreneurs, which in turn shapes how they grow in an informal economy. Specifically, we link three dimensions of institutional complexity at the institutional interface (jurisdictional influence, fragmentation, and incompatibility) to three types of growth (direct, dispersed, and disguised) that vary in terms of visibility. Our theory animates understanding of diverse informal economies and the entrepreneurial activity that exists within them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the 2024 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting, the American Association for Social Psychiatry (AASP) bestowed H. Steven Moffi c, MD, with the Abraham L. Halpern Humanitarian Award for [...]

Existing research emphasizes popular support for democracy as a key ingredient of democratic regime consolidation. Both formal and informal institutions are commonly seen as the key actors that generate the requisite attitudinal shift, socializing ordinary citizens to adopt democratic values. It is thus puzzling that existing studies of attitudes towards democracy in the developing world have neglected to consider the impact of widely prevalent traditional institutions. Not only do these institutions vary considerably in their own democraticness, they also play a prominent role in the daily lives of many citizens. Filling this lacuna in extant knowledge, this study links a continent-wide dataset of the institutional features of contemporary traditional institutions in Africa with over fifty thousand survey respondents. The results indicate that the degree of democraticness exhibited by traditional institutions is a robust if weak predictor of ordinary Africans' support for democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task Force on 'Clinical Algorithms for Fracture Risk' commissioned by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Professional Practice Committee has recommended that FRAX® models in the US do not include adjustment for race and ethnicity. This position paper finds that an agnostic model would unfairly discriminate against the Black, Asian and Hispanic communities and recommends the retention of ethnic and race-specific FRAX models for the US, preferably with updated data on fracture and death hazards. In contrast, the use of intervention thresholds based on a fixed bone mineral density unfairly discriminates against the Black, Asian and Hispanic communities in the US. This position of the Working Group on Epidemiology and Quality of Life of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is endorsed both by the IOF and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interprofessional (IP) education is imperative to foster collaboration within and between healthcare professions to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes. Increasing the capacity of health professions faculty to effectively deliver learning about IP knowledge and skills fosters sustainability of IP care in health systems. This short report describes a series of three virtual IP faculty development workshops during 2020–2021 that used a Train-the-Trainer approach and adopted flexible and context-specific teaching methods to enhance learning. The collaboration involved interprofessional researchers from the University of Washington Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education, Research, and Practice and Kenyan health professions faculty and was supported by a global health grant. Learners were drawn from multiple health professions and healthcare institutions in Kenya. Content was packaged in lectures, videos, pictures, and session notes. Teaching methods adopted included lecturing, discussing, playing videos, interpretation of pictures, and reading text notes. The Train-the-Trainer approach helped ensure that workshop content and plans were relevant to participants. Workshop participants shared positive feedback about the trainings and showed a good grasp of the concepts and skills. In-built feedback mechanisms in training were key in supporting the programme and ensured continuous improvement within and between sessions. This collaboration offers an innovative example of a global partnership to support IP faculty development and mainstreaming of IPE in training and in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavioral health workforce shortage is pervasive across the United States. To address this need, it is important to establish effective and culturally relevant trainings for behavioral health practitioners. This study examines the results of a Health Resource Service Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) funded program intended to increase the qualified workforce meeting high need and demand. Over the four-year funding of the program, 119 Masters of Social Work students graduated from the social work program with specialized training. The program was successful providing innovative training focused on interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based practices, and culturally responsive services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores multilevel governance networking and innovation to better understand how nature-based public health can be promoted at a grassroot level within an urban context. Hence, the leading research question examines the extent of networking and collaboration within state and municipal policymaking and the implementation of socially inclusive nature-based activities among urban youths conducted by local volunteer organisations. Multilevel networking and collaboration represent an analytical alternative to bottom-up and top-down strategies, which dominate the socio-political policies of outdoor studies in several countries. The exploration draws on empirical research conducted in 2020 based on a qualitative design. A website review was carried out to analyse facilitated nature-based health innovations embracing educational activities, leadership, and organisation run by local volunteer organisations targeting youth aged 6–19 across Oslo, Norway's capital. The investigation was substantiated by twenty-eight interviews with leaders of volunteer organisations and primary healthcare coordinators in five of Oslo's fifteen city districts, exploring their organisational experiences and reflections on nature-based innovations as a measure to promote health. The governance approach revealed several paradoxes and ambiguities in policy and practice. For example, there is a gap between the policy vision and available resources. There is also a need to understand better the complex networks and collaboration of public agencies and dedicated volunteers, their organisations, and interests. Furthermore, the continuous professionalisation of the voluntary sector and its significance in building a governance infrastructure that increases the capability of ongoing nature-based activity innovations need to be developed to meet policy goals and young people's needs and interests. Social inequalities were reported among those participating in nature-based activities and those who were not engaged. This pattern follows the well-documented spatial distribution of socioeconomic disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used in-depth interviews and focus groups of editors and journalists in Kenya (N = 55) to show how news organizations fail to prioritize gender equality. All participants identified a gendered hierarchy in newsrooms, which participants believed connects to other inequalities such as story assignment, pay, safety, and promotion. Most women participants had experienced sexual harassment at work multiple times. Participants also stated exclusive socialization for men, aka a "boys' club," was central to how newsrooms function and advantaged men in terms of building networks, promotions, scoops, work assignments, and increased job security. By linking the various negative outcomes of gendered work environments, this study adds to feminist communication scholarship by showing how organizations reinforce gendered inequalities rather than eliminating them. It also calls on gatekeeping research to focus on meso- and macro-level influences as a necessary shift away from placing responsibility on the individual level alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business travel is a major contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions of knowledge organizations. Through four case studies, the present research uses qualitative-structuring content analysis to identify seven dominant themes concerning reasons, strategies, and measures for decarbonizing business travel. The paper provides an in-depth examination of the structural and behavioral barriers to business travel decarbonization, highlights the need for a holistic approach to business travel decarbonization, and provides insight into the challenges organizations face in aligning their business interests and sustainability commitments. The main findings are that limited progress with business travel decarbonization raises questions about the effectiveness of voluntarism, that the question of who bears responsibility for decarbonization remains unresolved, and that a transition from non-behavioral approaches to changes in business-travel behavior is needed. By conceptualizing current states and mechanisms and considering relevant systemic interdependencies between travelers, organizations, and the environment, the paper presents a holistic conceptual model that extends the theoretical understanding of business travel decarbonization. In practical terms, the paper outlines how successful decarbonization in knowledge organizations can be achieved in terms of the interplay among reasons, strategies, and measures and provides concrete recommendations for action for organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of intermediary organizations in promoting community-based tourism, little is known about how different types of social support from intermediary organizations assist residents' capacity building, such as their innovativeness or empowerment. To address this research gap, this study collected survey responses from 353 South Korean residents participating in a government-supported community-based tourism initiative and examined via structural equation modeling the relationships among social support (i.e. emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support), resident innovativeness, and resident empowerment. All four types of social support had positive impacts on resident innovativeness but instructional and informational support (i.e. functional support) overperformed emotional and appraisal support (i.e. psychological support). On the contrary, when resident empowerment was considered as an outcome, only emotional and appraisal support were direct positive antecedents. The findings indicated the deviating roles of the four social support types in promoting residents' capacity building, which policymakers should also take into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This position paper of the International Osteoporosis Foundation reports the findings of an IOF Commission to consider to recommend rules of partnership with scientists belonging to a country which is currently responsible for an armed conflict, anywhere in the world. The findings and recommendations have been adopted unanimously by the Board of IOF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on Black maternal populations often focuses on deficits that can reinforce biases against Black individuals and communities. The research landscape must shift towards a strengths-based approach focused on the protective assets of Black individuals and communities to counteract bias. This study engaged the local Black community using a strengths-based approach to discuss the assets of Black maternal populations and to inform the design of a future clinical trial focused on reducing Black maternal health disparities. Guided by the Theory of Maternal Adaptive Capacity, we conducted three purposive focus group sessions with Black adult community members. The focus groups were semi-structured to cover specific topics, including the strengths of the local community, strengths specific to pregnant community members, how the strengths of community members can support pregnant individuals, and how the strengths of pregnant community members can facilitate a healthy pregnancy. The focus group interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Three focus group sessions were conducted with sixteen female individuals identifying as Black or African American. Central themes include (1) the power of pregnancy and motherhood in Black women, (2) challenging negative perceptions and media representation of Black mothers, (3) recognizing history and reclaiming cultural traditions surrounding birth, and (4) community as the foundation of Black motherhood. Black community members identified powerful themes on Black maternal health through a strengths-based lens. These focus groups fostered relationships with the Black community, elucidated possible solutions to improve Black women's health and wellness, and offered direction on our research design and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2010 the English planning system, like others across Europe, has undergone a series of market- oriented reforms. There has been a concerted attempt to make state organisations, and those in receipt of public funds, more entrepreneurial and financially proactive and independent. This paper focuses on one manifestation of these wider trends - the regulation of English Housing Associations [HAs] as examples of organisations that are under pressure to take on more financial risks and deliver a wider range of affordable housing for communities in need. Drawing on in-depth qualitative research, the paper assesses some of the regulatory and governmental challenges that emerge in using market-led forms of coordination. It examines the role of new regulators and the ways which they seek to 'co- produce' regulations with HAs in more liquid and negotiated ways. We show that in reality decisions are taken in response to a polycentric mix of simultaneous regulatory pressures that act as gravitational pulls on the activities and decisions made by HAs, rather than enforcing a consistent and linear form of regulatory control. We conclude with wider reflections for planning theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to conceptualize and categorize diaspora festivals. The study defines diaspora festivals as events organized by diaspora or transnational associations, public organizations, or event organizers with the aim of providing unique experiential benefits to diasporas while offering opportunities for locals and tourists to participate. These festivals depend on support from various stakeholders and the cooperation of the locals for successful execution. The study introduces seven types of diaspora festivals, classified into primary types including transnational, ethnic-migrant, multicultural, and homecoming festivals; and secondary types including host, homeland, and tourist festivals. These typologies have practical implications for various stakeholders, such as migrant sending and receiving countries, event organizers, diasporic individuals, and international organizations. Furthermore, understanding the concept and characteristics of different types of diaspora festivals can contribute to sustainable development goals and the preservation of intangible heritages while providing researchers with a clear framework for further exploration of these festivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about when associations, and in particular associations that are part of the state, should be treated as legal persons. I distinguish two forms of association – those that render coherent the agency of their members and those that are group agents – and argue that only the latter should be treated as persons. Following this, I discuss the conditions under which associations that are part of the state can legitimately be group agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article features Florida Bar president Roland Sanchez-Medina, Jr., including his personal background and accomplishments. Also cited are Sanchez-Medina's advocacy to recommend qualified Hispanic jurists from South Florida to national positions, and his projects as Florida Bar member like improving the mental health of lawyers.

Discussions around reasons for foster care entry primarily focus on family-level service needs. However, families exist within social environments that can either increase or reduce risk for foster care entry. This qualitative study draws on interviews (n = 27), focus groups (n = 7), and open-ended survey responses (n = 548) from child-serving professionals in Indiana to identify community- and systems-level factors contributing to entry. Through qualitative coding we identified eight themes at the community- and systems-levels that direct attention toward modifiable dimensions of the social environment that can serve as targets for policy and practice reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an interview with one of the founders of The Butterfly Project where a simple purple butterfly on an infant's incubator or cot can alert others in the NICU that this infant had a sibling who died, thereby guiding a respectful, more sensitive conversation with parents. The program has taken hold throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family group conferences (FGCs) in child welfare share decision-making with family members by bringing the immediate and wider family together to make a plan to meet a child's needs. This paper reports survey findings on FGC provision in the UK in 2022 and explores whether in England the presence of an FGC service and the rate of FGC provision is associated with the rate of children in care, entering care, in kinship foster care and leaving care. Seventy-nine per cent (n  = 167) of local authorities in the UK provided FGCs to families, and 14 per cent (n  = 29) did not. Services that were more established offered a more diverse range of FGCs. The introduction of FGCs in English local authorities was associated with a higher rate of children in care, but also higher rates of kinship foster care, a key goal of FGCs where it is not possible for children to stay with their parents. Higher rates of FGCs were associated with more children leaving care, possibly due to reunification with birth families. To understand in more detail, the circumstances of children in and leaving care in local authorities with FGCs, individual data linkage studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionalization aims at closure, that is, having the monopoly protection of expertise for an occupation on the labour market and in organizations. Role congruity theory suggests that the translation of professionalization into organizational closure and reaching board membership is likely to be moderated by gender at the individual and the occupational level. We test this proposition focusing on Human Resource Management (HRM), an occupation with a long history of professionalization attempts. Using a sample of 3276 organizations embedded in 34 countries with varying professionalization levels between countries, results show that professionalization of HRM at the country level is positively related to closure in organizations. The positive relationship is weaker for female HR directors and high proportions of women in the HRM occupation in a country. Organizational closure, in contrast, is negatively related to board representation but increases the likelihood of board membership in countries with high proportions of women in the HRM occupation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effectiveness of collaborative platforms in supporting local collaborations for natural resource management. It also explores how governmental and non-governmental lead organizations adopt differing collaborative implementation approaches and how these variations influence outcomes. Utilizing a natural experiment and a difference-in-differences estimator, we evaluate if the Department of Energy's Clean Cities program functions as a collaborative platform to foster local-level Clean Cities Collaborations across the US, thereby improving air quality. Our findings suggest that Clean Cities Collaborations have a substantial and enduring impact on reducing air pollution. A series of subgroup analyses suggests that these environmental improvements are most noticeable in collaborations led by non-profits and regional government councils, rather than those directed by state and local governments. A complementary content analysis provides exploratory evidence that issue definition, collaborative group structure, and inclusive decision-making processes are crucial managerial factors that contribute to the environmental improvements. These insights pave the way for more effective management of collaborative governance on a larger scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As with many good things, the idea for this special issue started with coffee and conversation. It was in Albuquerque at the first in-person Southwest Popular and American Culture Association [...]

ASSOCIATION NEWS The American Catholic Historical Association invites submissions on any topic relevant to the study of Catholicism for its 105th Annual Meeting in New York City, taking place Friday, [...]