A Qualitative Exploration of the Built Environment as a Key Mechanism of Safety and Social Cohesion for Youth in High-Violence Communities.

The characteristics of a neighborhood's built environment may influence health-promoting behaviors, interactions between neighbors, and perceptions of safety. Although some research has reported on how youth in high-violence communities navigate danger, less work has investigated how these youth perceive the built environment, their desires for these spaces, and how these desires relate to their conceptions of safety and perceptions of other residents. To fill this gap, this study used focus group data from 51 youth ages 13-24 living in New Orleans, Louisiana. Four themes were developed using reflexive thematic analysis: community violence is distressing and disruptive, youth use and want to enjoy their neighborhood, systemic failure contributes to negative outcomes, and resources and cooperation create safety. This analysis indicates that young people desire to interact with the built environment despite the threat of community violence. They further identified built environment assets that facilitate socialization and recreation, such as local parks, and social assets in the form of cooperation and neighbor-led civic engagement initiatives. In addition, the youth participants demonstrated awareness of structural inequities that influence neighborhood health and violence-related outcomes. This study contributes to efforts to understand how youth with high levels of community violence exposure understand and interact with the built and social environments.

Social capital and changes of psychologic distress during early stage of COVID-19 in New orleans.

Here we report on the relationship between measures of social capital, and their association with changes in self-reported measures of psychological distress during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyze data from an existing cluster randomized control trial (the Healthy Neighborhoods Project) with 244 participants from New Orleans, Louisiana. Changes in self-reported scores between baseline (January 2019-March 2020) and participant's second survey (March 20, 2020, and onwards) are calculated. Logistic regression is employed to examine the association between social capital indicators and measures of psychological distress adjusting for key covariates and controlling for residential clustering effects. Participants reporting higher than average scores for social capital indicators are significantly less likely to report increases in psychosocial distress between pre and during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who report higher than average sense of community were approximately 1.2 times less likely than those who report lower than average sense of community scores to experience increases in psychological distress before and during the global pandemic (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.70,0.88, p ≤ 0.001), even after controlling for key covariates. Findings highlight the potentially important role that community social capital and related factors may play in the health of underrepresented populations during times of major stress. Specifically, the results suggest an important role of cognitive social capital and perceptions of community membership, belonging, and influence in buffering changes of mental health distress experienced during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of residents.

The influence of racial violence in neighborhoods and schools on the psycho-behavioral outcomes in adolescence.

Racism in all its manifestations is violence. This study examines the effect of discrimination-based racial violence in neighborhoods and schools on adolescent psychological and behavioral outcomes, while also testing the moderating influence of civic engagement. Researchers used a cross-sectional survey design to measure neighborhood and school-based racial discrimination, civic engagement, racial identity development, racism-based stress, and aggressive behaviors in a sample of 167, 13 to 23 year old adolescents and emerging adults. Participants were recruited through a cluster randomized trial to test the impact of blight remediation in preventing youth violence. Study researchers hypothesized a direct effect of racial discrimination on adolescents' racism-based stress and aggressive behaviors and a buffering effect of civic engagement on these relationships. Researchers also examined these relationships in participants with higher-than-average racial identity development scores. Multivariate regression models revealed a significant direct effect of both neighborhood and school discrimination on adolescents' aggressive behaviors. Civic engagement had a positive buffering effect in the relationship between neighborhood discrimination and aggressive behaviors. Similar relationships were observed among adolescents with a high racial identity with stronger effect. Study findings have implications for understanding the behavioral impact of racial violence and investing in civic engagement to mitigate its impact in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

In it Together: Sense of Community and Psychologic Distress During COVID-19.

We assessed the relationship between differences in indicators of social capital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their association with self-reported measures of psychological distress. The data was analyzed from an existing cluster randomized control trial (the Healthy Neighborhoods Project ) with 244 participants from New Orleans, Louisiana. Differences in self-reported scores between baseline (January 2019-March 2020) and participant's second survey (March 20, 2020, and onwards) were calculated. Logistic regression was employed to examine the association between social capital indicators and measures of psychological distress adjusting for key covariates and controlling for residential clustering effects. Participants who reported higher than average scores for social capital indicators were significantly less likely to report increases in psychosocial distress between pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who reported higher-than-average sense of community were approximately 1.2 times less likely than those who reported lower than average sense of community scores to experience increases in psychological distress before and during the global pandemic (OR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.70,0.88, p ≤ 0.001), even after controlling for key covariates. Findings highlight the potentially important role that community social capital and related factors may play in the health of underrepresented populations during times of major stress. Specifically, the results suggest an important role of cognitive social capital and perceptions of community membership, belonging, and influence in buffering changes of mental health distress experienced during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic among a population that is majority Black and female.

Stress and Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Neighborhood Context.

Neighborhoods play a central role in health and mental health, particularly during disasters and crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined changes in psychological distress following the pandemic, and the potential role of neighborhood conditions among 244 residents of New Orleans, Louisiana. Using modified linear regression models, we assessed associations between neighborhood characteristics and change in psychological distress from before to during the pandemic, testing effect modification by sex and social support. While higher density of offsite alcohol outlets (ß = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.52, 1.23), assault rate (ß = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.24), and walkable streets (ß = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.07) in neighborhoods were associated with an increase in distress, access to neighborhood parks (ß = -0.03; 95% CI: -0.05, -0.01), collective efficacy (ß = -0.23; 95% CI: -0.35, -0.09), and homicide rate (ß = -1.2; 95% CI: -1.8, -0.6) were associated with reduced distress related to the pandemic. These relationships were modified by sex and social support. Findings revealed the important but complicated relationship between psychological distress and neighborhood characteristics. While a deeper understanding of the neighborhoods' role in distress is needed, interventions that target neighborhood environments to ameliorate or prevent the residents' distress may be important not only during crisis situations.

FDA Drug Safety Podcasts: resources for drug information.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a Web-based drug information service provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to increase the reach of Drug Safety Communications to pharmacists and other health professionals. SETTING: The Division of Drug Information (DDI) within the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Office of Communications, Silver Spring, MD, between January 2010 and April 2012. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: DDI provides drug information services regarding human drug products and expert advice and guidance on all aspects of CDER activities. Customers include consumers, health professionals, regulated industry, insurance companies, academia, law enforcement, and other government agencies (national and international). PRACTICE INNOVATION: Use of audio podcasts to disseminate timely drug safety information targeted toward pharmacists and other health professionals. RESULTS Since 2010, DDI has recorded and published 119 FDA Drug Safety Podcasts that have reached more than 620,000 individuals. CONCLUSION: FDA Drug Safety Podcasts serve as portable and convenient options for pharmacists to stay current on the latest drug safety information. Pharmacists are encouraged to explore incorporating Web-based technologies, such as audio podcasts, into their practices.

Medical Information Specialists: Benchmarks in Practice.

A gap exists for global benchmarking data on medical information specialists across the pharmaceutical industry. As such, the purpose of this study was to benchmark the practices and training of medical information specialists in the pharmaceutical industry. Results collected will be used to identify training and background of current medical information specialists as well as to describe current medical information-related responsibilities. A 23-item, electronic survey instrument was sent to individuals with an interest in or association with medical communications, medical information, and/or medical science liaisons through the DIA database. A total of 61 complete and 29 incomplete responses were received. Results indicated that similarities exist in medical information specialists' positions regarding organization and reporting structure, job requirements and credentials, core responsibilities, and even identified challenges. These findings may help medical information specialist organizations better compare their own practices with those of other groups in the pharmaceutical industry.

Pharmacy students' perceptions of and attitudes towards peer assessment within a drug literature evaluation course.

OBJECTIVE: To assess pharmacy students' perceptions of and attitudes towards the use of peer assessment within a drug literature evaluation course. METHODS: A 15-item, electronic survey instrument was sent to 158 second-year pharmacy students enrolled in a 2-credit required literature evaluation course at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-two (96.2%) responses were received. Approximately 95% of students agreed that they had the necessary skills to assess their peers and 91.8% agreed that their peers possessed these skills as well. More students agreed they were comfortable receiving feedback from peers (95.7%) than agreed they were comfortable providing feedback to peers (80%). The majority of students (91.9%) agreed that peer assessment was a skill they will use in their career as a pharmacist. CONCLUSION: Students were more comfortable receiving feedback from peers than providing peer assessment. This skill is used by pharmacists throughout their career; therefore, students should become familiar and comfortable with the peer assessment process.

The polycystic kidney disease 1 (Pkd1) gene is required for the responses of osteochondroprogenitor cells to midpalatal suture expansion in mice.

Mechanical stress is known to modulate postnatal skeletal growth and development. However, the mechanisms underlying the mechanotransduction are not fully understood. Polycystin-1 (PC1) is a promising candidate among proteins that may play a role in the process as it has been shown to function as a flow sensor in renal epithelium and it is known to be important for skeletal development. To investigate whether PC1 is involved in mechanotransduction in skeletal tissues, mice with a conditional deficiency for PC1 in neural crest cells, osteoblasts or chondrocytes were subjected to midpalatal suture expansion. Dynamic bone labeling revealed that new bone formation in response to expansion was significantly reduced in Wnt1Cre;Pkd1 mice, as the suture area containing new bone was 14.0+/-3.4% in mutant mice versus 65.0+/-3.8% in control mice at 2 weeks (p<0.001). In contrast, stress-induced new bone formation was not affected in OsxCre;Pkd1 mice. The increase in cell proliferation and differentiation into osteoblasts, seen in wild-type mice 1 day after force delivery, was not observed until 14 days in Wnt1Cre;Pkd1 mice. TUNEL labeling showed a significant increase in apoptotic suture cells at days 1 and 3 (from 7.0+/-0.5% to 13.5+/-1.4% at day 1 and from 4.6+/-1.1% to 10.5+/-1.7% at day 3, p<0.05). Abnormal ossification of nasal cartilage of Wnt1Cre;Pkd1 mice was accelerated upon suture expansion. Such ossification was also observed, but to a lesser extent in Col2a1-ERCre;Pkd1 mice. Transcript levels of Runx2 and MMP13 were significantly increased in the nasal cartilage of Wnt1Cre;Pkd1 mice compared to controls (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively), and in mutant mice with expansion versus without expansion (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively). Lack of PC1 in chondroprogenitor cells also resulted in increased cell apoptosis and an altered arrangement of chondrocytes in nasal cartilage. These results indicate that PC1 plays a critical role in the response of osteochondroprogenitor cells to the mechanical tissue stress induced by midpalatal suture expansion. They also suggest that the combination of an in vivo mechanical model, such as midpalatal suture expansion, with conditional deficiency for proteins that play a role in mechanotransduction, represents a powerful experimental strategy to explore underlying mechanisms.