The Case of Philadelphia.

Firearm violence has soared in American cities, but most states statutorily preempt municipal firearm regulation. This article describes a unique collaboration in Philadelphia among elected officials, public health researchers, and attorneys that has led to litigation based on original quantitative analyses and grounded in innovative constitutional theories and statutory interpretation.

The association between warfarin usage and international normalized ratio increase: systematic analysis of FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

Introduction: Elevated international normalized ratio (INR) has been commonly reported as an adverse drug event (ADE) for patients taking warfarin for anticoagulant therapy.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between increased INR and the usage of warfarin by using the pharmacovigilance data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

Methods: The ADEs in patients who took warfarin ( = 77,010) were analyzed using FAERS data.

Socioeconomic status and disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Eastern Oslo, Norway.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess whether socioeconomic status still remain a barrier to COVID-19 vaccination in eastern Oslo, Norway.

Study Design: A cross-section study.

Methods: We conducted a web-based survey among the residents of six eastern parishes in Oslo, Norway.

Excess Mortality From Non-COVID-19 Causes During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2020-2021.

To estimate excess mortality from non-COVID-19 causes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and understand disparities by race/ethnicity, age, and sex. We used Poisson regression models of weekly deaths using data from Pennsylvania's vital registration system (2018-2021). There was significant excess mortality as a result of heart disease, homicide, diabetes, drug overdoses, traffic crashes, and falls in 2020-2021; the burden of this excess non-COVID-19 mortality fell on non-Hispanic Black Philadelphians.

Influenza risk groups in Norway by education and employment status.

Aims: This study aimed to estimate the size of the risk group for severe influenza and to describe the social patterning of the influenza risk group in Norway, defined as everyone ⩾65 years of age and individuals of any age with certain chronic conditions (medical risk group).

Methods: Study data came from a nationally representative survey among 10,923 individuals aged 16-79 years. The medical risk group was defined as individuals reporting one or more relevant chronic conditions.

Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Philadelphia.

To estimate excess all-cause mortality in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the COVID-19 pandemic and understand the distribution of excess mortality in the population. With a Poisson model trained on recent historical data from the Pennsylvania vital registration system, we estimated expected weekly mortality in 2020. We compared these estimates with observed mortality to estimate excess mortality.

Darker days? Recent trends in depression disparities among U.S. adults.

Depression is the most prevalent mood disorder in the United States, and disparities in depressive symptoms and treatment by socioeconomic status have been well-documented. Recent evidence suggests the prevalence of depression is increasing, but less is known about time trends in disparities. Using nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we examined patterns of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and treatment (self-reported psychotherapy and psychopharmacology).

Apolipoprotein E, cognitive function, and cognitive decline among older Taiwanese adults.

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype is believed to play a role in the onset of dementia, though less is known about its relationship with non-pathogenic age-related cognitive decline. We assessed whether APOE was a risk factor for cognitive decline among older Taiwanese adults using nationally representative data. General cognition was measured longitudinally over eleven years; domain-specific cognitive assessments of working memory, declarative learning and three aspects of attention (executive function, alerting, and orientation) were performed once.

Inflammation and Cognition in Older Adults: Evidence from Taiwan.

Inflammation has been linked to clinical cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's disease. Less is known, however, about the relationship between inflammation and normal, age-associated cognitive decline. An understanding of the determinants of all types of cognitive decline is important for improving quality of life in an aging world.

Religious affiliation at time of death - Global estimates and projections.

Aims: Religious affiliation influences societal practices regarding death and dying, including palliative care, religiously acceptable health service procedures, funeral rites and beliefs about an afterlife. We aimed to estimate and project religious affiliation at the time of death globally, as this information has been lacking.

Methods: We compiled data on demographic information and religious affiliation from more than 2500 surveys, registers and censuses covering 198 nations/territories.

Gender and the structure of self-rated health across the adult life span.

Despite the widespread use of self-rated health (SRH) in population health studies, the meaning of this holistic health judgment remains an open question. Gender differences in health, an issue of utmost importance in population research and policy, are often measured with SRH; the comparisons could be biased if men and women differ in how they form their health judgment. The aim of this study is to examine whether men and women differ in how health inputs predict their health rating across the adult life span.

Combination of centripetal and successive layering techniques for a stress-reduced posterior direct composite restoration.

Due to the increased predictability of current bonding procedures and the improved properties of today's composite materials, large Class II and cuspal build-up direct composite resin restorations are routinely performed. Biological considerations and the stress associated with polymerization shrinkage are key factors that need to be considered during the treatment planning phase. This article demonstrates a combination of concepts and techniques to reduce the stress associated with polymerization shrinkage in large restorations, thus potentially improving the longevity of the restoration.

Correction of a Single Discolored Anterior Tooth Due to Internal Resorption: A Clinical Report.

For patients with a single discolored tooth who desire to have it lightened, a thorough examination and radiographic analysis need to be performed prior to initiating any bleaching treatment so that the cause of the discoloration can be determined. Underlying pathology, such as internal resorption, is often asymptomatic and difficult to diagnose and if left untreated could result in tooth loss. This article describes a case of a patient with a discolored maxillary central incisor resulting from internal resorption and the subsequent endodontic and bleaching therapy performed to resolve the pathology and achieve an acceptable esthetic result.

Restoration of a large class IV fracture using direct composite resin: A clinical report.

Restoration of anterior tooth fractures is a common dental procedure. Both direct and indirect options are clinically acceptable to repair fractured teeth. For a large class IV fracture, treatment planning is time consuming, and the artistic skills necessary to achieve optimal results can be daunting.

Why are well-educated Muscovites more likely to survive? Understanding the biological pathways.

There are large socioeconomic disparities in adult mortality in Russia, although the biological mechanisms are not well understood. With data from the study of Stress, Aging, and Health in Russia (SAHR), we use Gompertz hazard models to assess the relationship between educational attainment and mortality among older adults in Moscow and to evaluate biomarkers associated with inflammation, neuroendocrine function, heart rate variability, and clinical cardiovascular and metabolic risk as potential mediators of that relationship. We do this by assessing the extent to which the addition of biomarker variables into hazard models of mortality attenuates the association between educational attainment and mortality.

Do interviewer and physician health ratings predict mortality?: a comparison with self-rated health.

Background: Despite the serious biases that characterize self-rated health, researchers rely heavily on these ratings to predict mortality. Using newly collected survey data, we examine whether simple ratings of participants' health provided by interviewers and physicians can markedly improve mortality prediction.

Methods: We use data from a prospective cohort study based on a nationally representative sample of older adults in Taiwan.

Does self-reported health bias the measurement of health inequalities in U.S. adults? Evidence using anchoring vignettes from the Health and Retirement Study.

Objectives: Measurement of health inequalities based on self-reports may be biased if individuals use response scales in systematically different ways. We use anchoring vignettes to test and adjust for reporting differences by education, race/ethnicity, and gender in self-reported health in 6 domains (pain, sleep, mobility, memory, shortness of breath, and depression).

Method: Using data from the 2006 U.

Urban growth, climate change, and freshwater availability.

Nearly 3 billion additional urban dwellers are forecasted by 2050, an unprecedented wave of urban growth. While cities struggle to provide water to these new residents, they will also face equally unprecedented hydrologic changes due to global climate change. Here we use a detailed hydrologic model, demographic projections, and climate change scenarios to estimate per-capita water availability for major cities in the developing world, where urban growth is the fastest.

The impact of bisphenol A and triclosan on immune parameters in the U.S. population, NHANES 2003-2006.

Background: Exposure to environmental toxicants is associated with numerous disease outcomes, many of which involve underlying immune and inflammatory dysfunction.

Objectives: To address the gap between environmental exposures and immune dysfunction, we investigated the association of two endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) with markers of immune function.

Methods: Using data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we compared urinary bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan levels with serum cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody levels and diagnosis of allergies or hay fever in U.