Brief Report: Shared partisanship dramatically increases social tie formation in a Twitter field experiment

Americans are much more likely to be socially connected to copartisans, both in daily life and on social media. However, this observation does not necessarily mean that shared partisanship per se drives social tie formation, because partisanship is confounded with many other factors. Here, we test the causal effect of shared partisanship on the formation of social ties in a field experiment on Twitter. We created bot accounts that self-identified as people who favored the Democratic or Republican party and that varied in the strength of that identification. We then randomly assigned 842 Twitter users to be followed by one of our accounts. Users were roughly three times more likely to reciprocally follow-back bots whose partisanship matched their own, and this was true regardless of the bot’s strength of identification. Interestingly, there was no partisan asymmetry in this preferential follow-back behavior: Democrats and Republicans alike were much more likely to reciprocate follows from copartisans. These results demonstrate a strong causal effect of shared partisanship on the formation of social ties in an ecologically valid field setting and have important implications for political psychology, social media, and the politically polarized state of the American public.     

Effect of training program regarding smoking cessation counseling for primary health care physicians in Port Said City,Egypt

Background

Smoking is a major risk factor for death-related diseases. Not all healthcare professionals are following evidence-based guidelines for smoking cessation counseling in primary care settings. The WHO, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and United States Public Health Service (USPHS) guidelines recommend that all healthcare professionals, including students in healthcare training programs, receive education in the management of tobacco use and dependence.

Objective

To evaluate the effect of training programs for primary healthcare physicians on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of smoking cessation counseling.

Methods

This was a pre-post intervention study. The study included 74 primary care physicians working in primary healthcare centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Suez Canal University Hospitals in Port Said City. The study was conducted between June 2015 and March 2016 using a structured questionnaire and observation checklist to assess counseling of patients willing to quit smoking.

Results

There were highly statistically significant improvements in the physicians’ median scores of knowledge (30%–80%), attitude (65% -100%), and practice (20%–70%) (p?<?0.001) pre-post intervention. The most frequent correct knowledge was consequences of smoking (73%–87.3%) (p?<?0.001) pre-post intervention. The most favorable attitude was the importance of smoking cessation (70.3%–100%) (p?<?0.001) pre-post intervention. The best observed correct practice was asking about smoking (70.3%–100%) (p?<?0.001) pre-post intervention.

Conclusion

Knowledge, attitude, and practice skills regarding smoking cessation counseling among primary healthcare physicians were markedly improved after implementation of the education program.

     

Hypertonic saline with furosemide for the treatment of acute congestive heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) therapies include intravenous inotropic agents, change in class of diuretics, and venous ultrafiltration or hemodialysis. These modalities have not been associated with improved prognosis and are limited by availability and cost. Compared to high-dose furosemide alone, concomitant hypertonic saline solution (HSS) administration has demonstrated improved clinical outcomes with good safety profile.

Methods

A literature search was conducted for randomized controlled trials that investigated the use of HSS in patients admitted to hospital with acute CHF.

Results

1032 patients treated with HSS and 1032 controls, demonstrated decreased all-cause mortality in patients treat with HSS with RR of 0.56 (95% CI 0.41–0.76,p = 0.0003). 1012 patients treated with HSS and 1020 controls, demonstrated decreased heart failure hospital readmission with RR of 0.50 (95% CI 0.33–0.76,p = 0.001). Patients treated with HSS also demonstrated decreased hospital length of stay (p = 0.0002), greater weight loss (p < 0.00001), and preservation of renal function (p < 0.00001).

Conclusion

The results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that in patients with advanced CHF concomitant hypertonic saline administration improved weight loss, preserved renal function, and decreased length of hospitalization, mortality and heart failure rehospitalization. A future adequately powered, multi-centre, placebo controlled, randomized, double dummy, blinded trial is needed to assess the benefit of hypertonic saline in patients with renal dysfunction, in diverse patient populations, as well using a patient population on optimal current heart failure treatment. Pending further validation, there is promise for hypertonic saline as an advanced therapy for the management of acute advanced CHF.     

Biological Effects of Pyrimethinal on Aquatic Worms (Tubifex tubifex) Under Laboratory Conditions

Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effects of different concentrations of pyrimethinal on protein contents, and some oxidative stress in Tubifex tubifex after an exposure of 2, 4, and 7 days. Residues of the fungicide were followed in water and in the worms. In water, pyrimethinal concentration decreased slowly (maximum ?6.4 % ± 0.8 % after 2 days for 25 mg L^?1). In the worms, it increased after 4 days and decreased thereafter. LC₅₀ values were between 49.2 ± 0.58 and 39.5 ± 0.95 mg L^?1 depending on exposure time. The activity of catalase increased in response to the fungicide after 2 days of exposure to 25 mg L^?1 of pyrimethinal (+90 %). The highest decrease of glutathione-S-transferase activity (?29.7 %) was found after 7 days in the presence of 25 mg L^?1.     

Comparison of Adverse Events during Procedural Sedation between Specially Trained Pediatric Residents and Pediatric Emergency Physicians in Israel

Objectives:  The aim was to compare the rate of procedural sedation–related adverse events of pediatric residents with specific training in "patient safety during sedation" and pediatric emergency physicians (PEPs) who completed the same course or were teaching faculty for it.
Methods:  This prospective single-blinded, nonrandomized study was conducted in two university-affiliated pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) in Israel. Pediatric residents who were authorized to perform unsupervised sedations had previously completed a course in patient safety during sedation. Unsupervised sedations by residents were defined as sedations where the entire procedure was performed independently. Study subjects had autonomy in choosing medications for sedation. Adverse events were defined as transient hypoxia (oxygen saturation ≤ 90%) or apnea. Adverse outcomes were situations where intubation or hospitalization directly related to sedation complications would occur. Sedations over 12 consecutive months were recorded, and rates of adverse events in each group were compared.
Results:  A total of 984 eligible sedations were recorded, 635 by unsupervised residents and 349 by PEPs. A total of 512 (80.6%) sedations were performed by residents when attending physicians were not in the ED. The total adverse event rate was 24/984 (2.44%). When the two groups used a similar type drugs, residents had 8/635 (1.26%) events, compared to 11/328 (3.35%) by PEPs. There was no statistically significant difference in the rates of hypoxia or apnea between the two groups (p = 0.29 and p = 0.18, respectively). Adverse outcomes did not occur.
Conclusions:  Unsupervised pediatric residents with training in patient safety during sedation performed procedural sedations with a rate of adverse events similar to that of PEPs.