Focused Deterrence and the Prevention of Violent Gun Injuries: Practice, Theoretical Principles, and Scientific Evidence

Focused deterrence strategies are a relatively new addition to a growing portfolio of evidence-based violent gun injury prevention practices available to policy makers and practitioners. These strategies seek to change offender behavior by understanding the underlying violence-producing dynamics and conditions that sustain recurring violent gun injury problems and by implementing a blended strategy of law enforcement, community mobilization, and social service actions. Consistent with documented public health practice, the focused deterrence approach identifies underlying risk factors and causes of recurring violent gun injury problems, develops tailored responses to these underlying conditions, and measures the impact of implemented interventions. This article reviews the practice, theoretical principles, and evaluation evidence on focused deterrence strategies. Although more rigorous randomized studies are needed, the available empirical evidence suggests that these strategies generate noteworthy gun violence reduction impacts and should be part of a broader portfolio of violence prevention strategies available to policy makers and practitioners

Host associations of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in residential and natural settings in a Lyme disease-endemic area in New Jersey.

ABSTRACT We live-trapped small mammals and ßagged vegetation within wooded natural and residential landscapes to examine how any observed differences in small mammal species composition may inßuence Ixodes scapularis Say burdens and the abundance of host-seeking ticks. Two years of live trapping showed that Eastern chipmunks, Tamias striatus, were captured with signiÞcantly greater frequency in some residential areas than white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus, whereas the proportion of white-footed mouse captures was higher or similar to chipmunk captures in the undeveloped natural areas. Both mice and chipmunks seemed to adapt well to managed residential landscapes, with residential sites yielding similar or signiÞcantly greater numbers of captures compared with undeveloped sites. In areas where chipmunk captures outnumbered mice, larval tick burdens on mice were either higher or no different than in areas where few or no chipmunks were captured, in contrast to previous studies suggesting that alternate hosts should reduce larval burdens on mice. Chipmunks apparently play an important role in the Lyme disease transmission cycle in these residential settings

Monitoring homes with wireless sensor networks

Abstract:This paper describes a prototype system for matching data provided by a wireless network of autonomous reed switch devices with activities of daily living in a home environment

The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease

genetic variation within this enhancer is associated with modest impact on TF binding, BCL11A expression, and HbF level. Relatively small effect sizes associated with individual variants may not be surprising given that most single-nucleotide substitutions, even within critical motifs, result in only modest loss of enhancer activity Challenges to inhibiting BCL11A for mechanismbased reactivation of HbF include the supposedly "undruggable" nature of transcription factors (34) and its important nonerythroid functions (20

Radionuclide therapy using I-131-labeled anti-epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted nanoparticles suppresses cancer cell growth caused by EGFR overexpression

Introduction Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted nanoparticles can be used to deliver a therapeutic and imaging agent to EGFR-overexpressing tumor cells. I-131-labeled anti-EGFR nanoparticles derived from cetuximab were used as a tumor-targeting vehicle in radionuclide therapy

“Community members have more impact on their neighbors than celebrities”: Leveraging community partnerships to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence

Vaccines are a strong public health tool to protect against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Still, inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates and health outcomes continue to exist among Black and Latino populations. Boston Medical Center (BMC) has played a significant role in vaccinating medically underserved populations, and organized a series of community-engaged conversations to better understand community concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. We accessed and analyzed nine publicly available recordings of the community-engaged conversations which were held between Mar 2021-Sep 2021 (n=8-122 attendees). We employed a Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research-driven codebook to code our data and utilized a modified version of qualitative rapid analysis methods. Five main themes emerged: (1) Structural factors are important barriers to COVID-19 vaccination; (2) Mistrust exists due to the negative impact of systemic oppression and perceived motivation of the government; (3) There is a desire to learn more about biological and clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 vaccine as well as the practical implications of being vaccinated; (4) Community engagement is important for delivering COVID-19 information and education and; (5) Community leaders believe that the COVID-19 vaccine is a solution to address the pandemic. In highlighting the themes which resulted from these community-engaged conversations, this study illustrates a need for community-engaged COVID-19 vaccine messaging which reflects the nuances of the COVID-19 vaccine and pandemic without oversimplifying information and underscores important considerations for public health and healthcare leadership in the development of initiatives which work to advance health equity

Synthesis, spectroscopic, and structural characterization of new functionalized gem-bisphosphonate complexes of tin(IV) chloride

The authors are grateful to the Tunisian Ministry of High Education and Scientific Research and Technology for financial support of this researchBisphosphonates of the types X(P(O)(OEt)2)2 (X = CH2=C (1a), CNCH2CH (1b) and PhCH2NCH2CH (1c)) react with SnCl4 in anhydrous dichloromethane to produce the new tin(IV) adducts [SnCl4(1a)] (2a), [SnCl4(1b)] (2b) and [SnCl4(1c)] (2c) in 72-80% yields. These complexes were characterized using IR, multinuclear (1H, 13C, 31P, 119Sn) NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and in one case by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The NMR data show that the bisphosphonate ligands are coordinated to the tin center in a bidentate fashion forming cis octahedral tin complexes. Furthermore, the X-ray structure of complex 2b reveals that the bisphosphonate ligand is coordinated in a bidentate manner to the metal center in a distorted octahedral arrangement with Sn-O-P bond angles in the range 135.95(16)–137.99(18)°. The P=O and Sn-O bond lengths of 1.495(3)-1.497(3) and 2.134(3)-2.146(2) Å, respectively are in the order expected for phosphonate tin(IV) complexes. The results are discussed and compared with closely related analogues.PostprintPeer reviewe

Aspects of sustainability in the destination branding process: a bottom-up approach

The concept of sustainability is based on the premise that the inhabitants of a destination should be involved in the way that destination is managed and promoted. At the same time, the literature of place branding emphasizes the important role of local stakeholders in the creation of a true and reliable place brand. In fact, the process of developing a destination brand begins with the aim of shaping the identity of a destination; what the destination stands for. The sustainable dimensions of the destination branding process are explored, while focus groups and structured questionnaires are used to evaluate the usefulness of projection techniques in the process of building a brand identity. It seems that the use of the personification technique could work as an effective destination positioning exercise and as an alternative proposal to the outdated clichés used in tourism promotion

Synthesis, characterization, and structural properties of mercury(II), cadmium(II) and zinc(II) tripiperidinophosphine chalcogenide complexes

We are grateful to the Tunisian Ministry of High Education and Scientific Research for support [grant number LR99ES14] and to the French Service for Cooperation and Cultural Action in Nouakchott, Mauritania for a scholarship to FE.Reaction of metal chlorides (MCl2) with tripiperidinophosphine chalcogenides (Pip3PE) produces new dimer species ( 1-6 ) of the formula [MCl2(Pip3PE)]2 (Pip = piperidinyl; E = S or Se; M = Hg, Cd or Zn). These coordination complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, multinuclear (31P, 113Cd and 199Hg) NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray analysis. Compounds 1-6 exist as centrosymmetric homobimetallic dimers, [M(µ-Cl)Cl(Pip3PE)]2. Each dimer incorporates two µ2-chloro atoms and two terminal M–Cl bonds. The E atom of Pip3PE forms terminal M–E bonds {S; 2.305(11); Se: 2.412(6)-2.589(15) Å} and thus the geometry about each metal centre is distorted tetrahedral and the range of tetrahedral bond angles is 102.83(3) to 113.32(3)o. The P=Se bond lengths of 2.183(9)-2.205(2) Å in the selenide complexes are slightly elongated compared to those in the free ligands [2.1090(4) Å]. The results are discussed and compared with those obtained for related analogues.PostprintPeer reviewe

The UK joint specialist societies guideline on the diagnosis and management of acute meningitis and meningococcal sepsis in immunocompetent adults.

Bacterial meningitis and meningococcal sepsis are rare conditions with high case fatality rates. Early recognition and prompt treatment saves lives. In 1999 the British Infection Society produced a consensus statement for the management of immunocompetent adults with meningitis and meningococcal sepsis. Since 1999 there have been many changes. We therefore set out to produce revised guidelines which provide a standardised evidence-based approach to the management of acute community acquired meningitis and meningococcal sepsis in adults. A working party consisting of infectious diseases physicians, neurologists, acute physicians, intensivists, microbiologists, public health experts and patient group representatives was formed. Key questions were identified and the literature reviewed. All recommendations were graded and agreed upon by the working party. The guidelines, which for the first time include viral meningitis, are written in accordance with the AGREE 2 tool and recommendations graded according to the GRADE system. Main changes from the original statement include the indications for pre-hospital antibiotics, timing of the lumbar puncture and the indications for neuroimaging. The list of investigations has been updated and more emphasis is placed on molecular diagnosis. Approaches to both antibiotic and steroid therapy have been revised. Several recommendations have been given regarding the follow-up of patients