Stability of cytokine and immunoglobulin concentrations in the general population: prepandemic basal concentrations and intraindividual changes until the COVID-19 pandemic

While there is wide evidence on concentrations of cytokines in patients attending health care facilities, evidence is scant on physiological, basal concentrations of cytokines in the general population and across sociodemographic groups, as well as on their potential stability over time. Furthermore, from a public health perspective it is remarkable that no studies have analyzed intraindividual changes in such concentrations from before the COVID-19 pandemic until its outbreak. To investigate: (a) prepandemic concentrations of cytokines and immunoglobulins to viral exposures in a general, non-institutionalized population, and their associated sociodemographic variables; (b) the intraindividual change in such concentrations between a prepandemic period (2016–17) and the initial pandemic period (2020–21); and (c) whether such change was similar in participants who in 2020–21 were SARS-CoV-2 seronegative and seropositive, and between participants who did and did not develop COVID-19. We conducted a prospective cohort study in 240 individuals from the general population of Barcelona, Spain. Thirty cytokines and 31 immunoglobulins were measured in paired serum samples collected in 2016–17 and 2020–21 in the same individuals. The median value of the relative intraindividual change in cytokine concentrations between 2016 and 2020 was <15% for 29 of the 30 cytokines. A substantial number of participants had an intraindividual increase or decrease ≥15% in some cytokines. No major differences in intraindividual changes of cytokine and immunoglobulin levels between 2016 and 2020 were observed between participants who did and did not develop COVID-19. We provide novel information on physiological, basal ex-vivo concentrations of cytokines and immunoglobulins in a general population, which should be relevant for clinical practice and public health. Intraindividual changes in cytokines and immunoglobulins during the 4 years from 2016–17 to 2020–21 were moderate, and they did not differ between participants who in 2020–21 were SARS-CoV-2 seropositive and seronegative, nor between participants who did and did not develop COVID-19 disease. These findings are also novel and relevant for medicine and public health. In particular, the stability in the biomarkers is relevant to assess the role of the immunological and inflammatory state (measured through baseline levels of cytokines and immunoglobulins) in the development of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity and COVID-19 disease, as well as in the susceptibility to other infections and pathologies

Correction: Social, lifestyle, and health status characteristics as a proxy for occupational burnout identification: a network approach analysis

Correction to "Social, lifestyle, and health status characteristics as a proxy for occupational burnout identification: a network approach analysis

Effects of internal migration on healthcare services utilization in Bangladesh: an analysis of nationally representative survey

Despite the significance of internal migration as an important social determinant of health that could potentially affect the utilization of maternal healthcare services, the magnitude of this relationship by different migration streams is yet to be fully explored in Bangladesh. This study using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data, 2017–18 examined the effects of different migration streams on maternal healthcare service utilization, particularly four or more antenatal care (≥4 ANC) visits and institutional delivery (ID) care services. The analysis identified significant variations in using antenatal and institutional delivery care services between migrants and non-migrants. The rural non-migrants were found to be the most disadvantaged group, particularly when different forms of migration streams were considered. For instance, after adjusting for covariates, urban to urban migrants (≥4 ANC = 1.866, p < 0.01; ID = 2.247, p < 0.001) and urban to rural migrants (≥ 4 ANC = 1.24, p > 0.05; ID = 1.689, p < 0.05) were more likely to utilize both types of maternal healthcare services than rural non-migrants. However, migrants of all streams were less likely to use any type of maternal healthcare services when compared against the urban non-migrants. Addressing the effects of migration in designing and implementing maternal healthcare service delivery programs may address the needs and challenges faced by migrants

Co-creating occupational science research with 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous communities: Developing community-driven research priorities through relationship-building

Occupation-based research continues to expand the methods and approaches through which occupational experiences are explored. However, research agendas often overlook input from the community of interest when it comes to establishing the research priorities. With a history rooted in colonialism and erasure of Indigenous Peoples and their experiences, occupational science research carried out with 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous Peoples requires intentional and occupation-focused priority setting in order to develop and implement studies that align with a community’s needs, interests, and values. The priority setting project described in this methodological paper centres the intersection of occupation, as a means of facilitating a research-focused relationship, with the process of fostering community involvement. In alignment with the principles of a community-based research approach, the partnerships created throughout this work have been instrumental to the implementation and success of the project described. We utilized occupations both as a means of engagement for developing the priorities of a larger research study (e.g., doing a structured activity together while discussing the research), and as an approach to building and maintaining relationships (e.g., tea, visits, shared meals, walks in nature). Through an intentional coming together of a community of 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous Peoples, there was collective engagement in occupations that facilitated co-creation of a research study designed with, by, and for community. Occupational science research holds much potential when it comes to better understanding the diverse ways in which people experience their occupations, as evidenced in the process and learnings of the collaboration described in this paper

Alternative indicators of handpump functionality: Toward consistent performance-oriented monitoring

Many people in rural Sub-Saharan Africa use a communal handpump as their primary drinking water source. Handpump performance is assessed as “functionality,” typically measured using a binary indicator of whether a pump can produce water. This indicator does not reflect service delivery goals defined by the United Nations. We used a cross-sectional dataset of 1682 handpumps from 10 Sub-Saharan African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) to explore alternative functionality indicators and potential performance standards for those indicators. Alternative functionality indicators studied here included whether a breakdown occurred in the past year and, if so, in the two weeks preceding the survey, downtime during the most recent breakdown, strokes required to produce water, the water produced per subsequent stroke, and service continuity. We conducted a factor analysis to determine the uniqueness of each of these indicators and a threshold analysis to determine the sensitivity of functionality rates (such as “X% of handpumps are functional”) to performance standards. We found that the studied indicators are unique, not redundant, and cannot be combined without an unacceptable loss of performance information. Using Monte Carlo analysis, we found that a functionality assessment using these indicators would be highly sensitive to the thresholds used to evaluate performance. This work demonstrates the importance of selecting functionality indicators to measure progress and thresholds to assess progress. The indicators explored here cannot be reduced or combined and should not be conflated, and selected thresholds may greatly impact how rural handpumps are evaluated. Handpump functionality indicators and thresholds should be selected to reflect performance goals for communal water supply. Once goals are established, indicators and contextualized thresholds can be selected to reflect those goals. Policy decisions related to handpump management should be based on assessments using indicators that reflect the intended policy outcomes

Implementation of Interventions to Improve Breast, Cervical, and Prostate Cancer Screening Among Transgender Adults in Primary Care Settings: A Systematic Review Protocol

Transgender people face harassment in clinics and report feeling uncomfortable seeking care, leading to avoidance of needed medical care. Breast, cervical, and prostate cancer screening may induce gender dysphoria. Transgender people are less likely to be up to date on breast, cervical, and prostate cancer screening compared to cisgender people. This scoping review aims to answer the question: what screening interventions have been implemented to improve breast, cervical, and prostate cancer screening among transgender adults in primary care settings? PubMed, Embase and PsychINFO will be searched for eligible studies. ClinicalTrials.gov will be searched for eligible unpublished studies. Two reviewers will independently screen all records and complete full text review. Intervention categories and themes will be synthesized and presented in a table

The Implementation of Restorative Practices in North Carolina Public Elementary Schools

This study evaluates the state of implementation of Restorative Practices (RPs) across 14 North Carolina public elementary school districts. This research strives to answer whether well-funded public North Carolina elementary schools have successfully implemented RPs compared to lower-funded North Carolina public elementary schools. Studying the implementation of RPs within public North Carolina elementary schools is important for several reasons. Missed classroom time hinders children and youth from receiving education, securing future employment, and participating fully in our democracy. Furthermore, existing research highlighting RP implementation within middle and high schools demonstrates that RPs have the potential to work when implemented successfully. Therefore, additional research on RP implementation in elementary schools is crucial, as this period is essential for instilling positive behavior patterns within children. There currently does not exist robust research on the state of RPs within North Carolina public elementary schools. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study incorporates quantitative data on school funding and demographic factors with qualitative insights gathered through surveys, an interview, and RP workshops. The findings in this thesis reveal that while RPs are implemented in both low- and well-funded North Carolina public elementary schools, there exists challenges in successful implementation. Challenges to implementation include lack of implementation data and teacher resistance to RPs. Ultimately, the findings in my research underscore the need for 1. A systematic measure to understand RP implementation across North Carolina public school districts, 2. Greater use of implementation data, 3. Increased investment in resources to support staff buy-in, and 4. Increased district wide access to RPs. Given that my research is one of the first to explore RP implementation across North Carolina public elementary schools, my research highlights several future research opportunities to explore. Key future research opportunities include teacher perceptions of RPs and its effect on implementation, parent and caregivers’ approaches to discipline and its effects on RP implementation within schools, the relationship between children with high Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores and the effects that RPs have on their social-emotional learning (SEL), and longitudinal studies to reveal potential causal relationships of RPs with factors including educational attainment.Bachelor of Art

A NEW KIND OF THEOREM

A NEW KIND OF THEOREM is a book-length collection of poetry written in the course of an Honors Thesis in Creative Writing [Poetry].Bachelor of Art

FROM RIFT TO RECONCILIATION: NAVIGATING FAMILY POLITICAL POLARIZATION

For families across the U.S., political polarization has increasingly affected family functioning and relations. While it is clear that this polarization is affecting families, the primary influences of polarization and how to mitigate its effects are less clear. This thematic analysis examines the influences of political identity and polarization on family systems, and how to manage these divides with support from Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, which describes the family as a unit or system with interconnected parts. This analysis utilized peer-reviewed sources, and was supplemented by surveys from Pew Research Center, episodes of television, a Ted Talk, and media articles. It was coded based on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) guidelines for thematic analysis. The results of this analysis indicated that Othering, Media Influence, Developmental Influence, and Politics in Identity Formation are the primary influences on political polarization, and Communication Styles, Consideration of Others, and Self-Reflection are mitigating factors in preventing family division. This thematic analysis offers recommendations for family-based practitioners and family life educators that work with politically divided populations, as well as families that are directly affected by political polarization.Bachelor of Art

The Association Between Perceived Social Support and Perceived Stress in Racial and Ethnic Minority Patients Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background: Outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) may be influenced by psychological stressors and social support. Racial and ethnic minority patients may face unique life stressors that affect their rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between stress and social support in racial and ethnic minority patients after ACLR. We hypothesized that high perceived stress would be associated with low social support. Methods: 20 racial and/or ethnic minority patients post-ACLR completed assessments of perceived stress and social support. Pearson product moment correlations were used to evaluate the relationship between these variables. Results: No significant associations were found between perceived stress and social support in this population. Conclusion: Persistent mental health stigma observed in racial and ethnic minority populations may have contributed to these results. Healthcare providers should consider culturally tailored interventions to foster supportive environments and improve the recovery process for patients after ACLR.Master of Art