ALCOHOL EXPECTANCY ASSOCIATES AS A PROBE OF THE MOTIVATIONAL PROCESSES THAT LEAD TO DRINKING

As previously reported (Benitez & Goldman, 2019), the associational strength of alcohol expectancies gathered using EMA techniques were shown to ramp up in close anticipation of real-world drinking events. The close temporal linkage between expectancy free associate activation and actual drinking supported the idea that expectancy processes effectively probed/influenced motivational processes leading to drinking. Because the EMA design in Benitez & Goldman (2019) did not manipulate critical variables, however, it remained possible that both expectancy activation and drinking increases were influenced by other variables operating in the natural environment. Among these “third variables” were those related to the known weekly cycle of alcohol expectancies and social drinking. To strengthen the inference that changes in expectancies validly reflect changes in the motivation to drink, the present study experimentally manipulated expectancy activation and measured subsequent changes in expectancy reports. The evening before expectancy monitoring, participants were informed that later the next day-a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday-they would be participating in a solitary taste-test of either alcohol or soft drinks. Alcohol expectancies were then measured across four timepoints in the day that culminated in an in-laboratory taste-test. Alcohol expectancies in the alcohol condition were hypothesized to increase across the day as participants anticipated drinking alcohol, in contrast to the soft drink condition, in which expectancies were predicted to stay relatively unchanged. Unfortunately, data collection had to be prematurely ended due to COVID-19, leaving results underpowered for statistical analysis (multilevel modeling). Graphical representations of the available data did suggest, however, that alcohol expectancies from the alcohol condition were overall more positive across time compared to the soft drinks group. This trend remained after controlling for gender, drinker-type, and affect. Furthermore, the differences increased after removing participants who drank before or planned to drink after participation. Taken together, experimental control over a drinking opportunity (or no drinking opportunity) resulted in differing alcohol expectancies (tentatively) consistent with predictions and our previous EMA work suggesting that alcohol expectancy associates effectively probed motivational processes that lead to drinking.

Gender Disparities in Neurology Research

Objective: To assess gender disparities in neurology research in the United States. Background: The role of gender disparities in neurologists performing research is not well understood. Studies in other fields show lower publication rates and less clinical trial leadership positions in academic physician women. Studies have also shown that COVID impacted women physicians differently (worse) than men. The purpose of this project was to study gender disparities perceived by researchers in neurology in the US as reported by American Academy of Neurology (AAN) survey respondents in 2020. Design/Methods: A 34-question survey was distributed to 4,644 US-based American Academy of Neurology members who self-identified as researchers in 2020 addressing the following domains: research and funding, scholarly activities, COVID-19 impact, and local institutional climate. Results: 700 (15%) (women, n=231;men, n=426) completed the survey, with 71% White and >80% conducting research. Women respondents were significantly younger than men and more likely to be assistant professors (32% vs 21%). Compared to men, women received equivalent grants/research support and had comparable formal research training and mentorship. Women had less middle author publications (mean 5.8 [SD 9.2] vs mean 8.2 [SD 11.8], p=0.03) compared to men. A lower proportion of women presented research at grand rounds or at a national/international conference compared to men (58% vs 69%, p=0.01). Women spent more time in non-professional responsibilities, were less satisfied with their work/life balance and were less likely to agree with statements addressing equity/diversity and institutional climate. A higher proportion of women reported that family responsibilities during COVID affected research activities and lead to delayed submission of non-COVID related manuscripts. Conclusions: Our survey of U.S. based neurology researchers demonstrated gender-based disparities in multiple areas of academic neurology. COVID also differentially affected women researchers. This paper highlights areas of research and opportunities for interventions to improve and reduce gender disparities among neurology researchers.

Impact of temporarily changing donor hemoglobin eligibility criteria on deferral rates

Background/Case Studies: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in disruption in blood drive planning, changes in donor room procedures, and fluctuations of hospital demand, making it difficult for blood centers to maintain the adequacy of the blood supply. Failing the hemoglobin (Hb) screen constitutes our single biggest deferral category, and changes do not impact the safety of blood components and are relatively easy to implement operationally. Furthermore, eligibility cannot be assessed before arrival on the donation site. We therefore temporarily lowered minimum Hb levels from 130 to 125 g/L for males and 125 to 120 g/L for females, in July 2020, when a shortage appeared possible;this was reversed after 4 months, in Nov 2020 when inventory and drive planning stabilized. We evaluated the impact of these changes on Hb deferral rates and blood availability. Study Design/Methods: Female and male Hb monthly deferral rates were followed in our operational data base. Deferrals for July 1-Oct 31,2020, inclusively, were compared with rates in the 4 months preceding and 4 months following the criteria change, as well as the same time period, (July 1 to Oct 31) in 2019. Results/Findings: Hb deferral rates decreased to 1.7%, compared to 3.4% in the same time period in 2019, resulting in a gain of approximately 1,200 units/month (see Table 1). There were 2 complaints from male donors, who felt unwell post-donation, saw their physicians, and were found to be anemic. Conclusions: A temporary decrease in donor Hb criteria had a significant positive impact on inventory. The decrease in deferrals is particularly large in female donors, since so many have a Hb slightly below the 125 g/L cut-off. Although many of these donors have low iron stores, a point of care ferritin test available at the donation site would be useful to determine how many have adequate iron stores and could safely donate. We are following return rates and Hb deferrals in these donors accepted with the lower Hb thresholds. (Table Presented).

Rebooting content: broadcasting sport and esports to homes during COVID-19. (Special Issue: Sport and the coronavirus crisis.)

Beginning in early March 2020, sport in the United States entered an unprecedented period of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The postponement, suspension, and cancellation of live sporting events impacted every professional and amateur sport organization, from the National Basketball Association to the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, high school sports to college football, and even esports leagues. Although the abrupt cancellation of live sporting events was disruptive, it did create opportunities for the production of new media and consumption opportunities for sport leagues, teams, and their fans through different types of sport media broadcasts. This commentary examines how the U.S. sport industry developed media content strategies using new, mixed, and rebroadcasted content, across multiple broadcast and streaming platforms, to provide sport consumption opportunities to fans who were largely quarantined at home. This research contributes to the existing scholarship on live and rebroadcasted mediated content, while providing guidance to content owners and rights holders facing uncertainty in the marketplace.

Race/Ethnicity, Underlying Medical Conditions, Homelessness, and Hospitalization Status of Adult Patients with COVID-19 at an Urban Safety-Net Medical Center — Boston, Massachusetts, 2020

This report describes COVID-19 patients treated during March–May 2020 at an urban safety-net hospital serving predominantly low-income racial/ethnic minority populations.