Active Aging and the Mattheus Effect

While active ageing has been discursivized in international organizations and among researchers as a major means to combat the challenges of demographic ageing, this study aims to make a critical-theoretical and empirical assessment of the active ageing concept. It falls into three parts, the first showing how the conceptual framework of active ageing is undertheorized, lacks conceptual and analytical clarity, and that the theoretical framework does not hold clear ideas regarding the factors conditioning active ageing. The second part investigates the main patterns and structuring mechanisms of active ageing in an outcome perspective using Danish data subject to a correspondence analysis. Here, a Matthew Effect of accumulated advantage is found; that is, older adults who are blessed in one sphere of life are also blessed in others, and such inequalities in old age are the outcomes of social life biographies (i.e., cumulative advantages/disadvantages over the life course). Although nursed by the political system, EU ideas about active ageing are only weakly translated into policies and programs. Part three discusses some of the reasons for this, one obviously being that active ageing is elusive and lacks well-defined cause-and-effect descriptions. Another reason is that the concept has been developed in global elite networks that are quite distant from policymakers; at least in a decentralized political system like the Danish welfare state.

Late-Night Use of Social Media and Cognitive Engagement of Female Entrepreneurs: A Stressor–Strain–Outcome Perspective

The excessive use of social media is an emerging phenomenon with several negative consequences in an entrepreneurial context. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome paradigm, this research aims to unveil the following: that social media late-night usage can affect two psychological strains (life invasion and technostress) among female entrepreneurs and thus influence their behavioral outcome (cognitive engagement). This study empirically tested the proposed mediation model using an online survey of 225 female entrepreneurs from the small- and medium-sized enterprise sector. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was implemented to obtain the results. The findings indicate that late-night social media usage significantly raises life invasion and technostress among female entrepreneurs. Moreover, internal strains (life invasion and technostress) reduce female entrepreneurs’ cognitive engagement and significantly mediate the association between late-night use of social media and entrepreneurial cognitive engagement. This study draws associated practical and theoretical contributions based on findings, which were not previously discussed.

Potential Outcome and Directed Acyclic Graph Approaches to Causality: Relevance for Empirical Practice in Economics

In this essay I discuss potential outcome and graphical approaches to causality, and their relevance for empirical work in economics. I review some of the work on directed acyclic graphs, including the recent The Book of Why (Pearl and Mackenzie 2018). I also discuss the potential outcome framework developed by Rubin and coauthors (e.g., Rubin 2006), building on work by Neyman (1990 [1923]). I then discuss the relative merits of these approaches for empirical work in economics, focusing on the questions each framework answers well, and why much of the the work in economics is closer in spirit to the potential outcome perspective. (JEL C31, C36, I26)

Characteristic of Metabolic Status in Heart Failure and Its Impact in Outcome Perspective

Metabolic alterations have been documented in peripheral tissues in heart failure (HF). Outcomes might be improved by early identification of risk. However, the prognostic information offered is still far from enough. We hypothesized that plasma metabolic profiling potentially provides risk stratification for HF patients. Of 61 patients hospitalized due to acute decompensated HF, 31 developed HF-related events in one year after discharge (Event group), and the other 30 patients did not (Non-event group). The plasma collected during hospital admission was analyzed by an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-TOFMS)-based metabolomic approach. The orthogonal projection to latent structure discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) reveals that the metabolomics profile is able to distinguish between events in HF. Levels of 19 metabolites including acylcarnitines, lysophospholipids, dimethylxanthine, dimethyluric acid, tryptophan, phenylacetylglutamine, and hypoxanthine are significantly different between patients with and without event (p < 0.05). Established risk prediction models of event patients by using receiver operating characteristics analysis reveal that the combination of tetradecenoylcarnitine, dimethylxanthine, phenylacetylglutamine, and hypoxanthine has better discrimination than B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) (AUC 0.871 and 0.602, respectively). These findings suggest that metabolomics-derived metabolic profiling have the potential of identifying patients with high risk of HF-related events and provide insights related to HF outcome.

Clinical, operative, and outcome analysis of giant extradural hematoma: A retrospective study in tertiary care center

Background: This study is aimed to find a critical volume of operated giant or massive extradural hematoma (EDH) that affects outcome significantly and analyze them with respect to their clinical, surgical, and outcome perspective. Methods: This retrospective study includes 253 patients operated for EDH in emergency in the Department of Neurosurgery of IMS BHU, Varanasi, India, a tertiary care center, between August 1, 2018, and November 1, 2019. Giant EDH critical volume was evaluated. Twenty-nine patients with giant EDH with clot volume ≥ 80 ml were further analyzed for clinical, surgical, and outcome predictive factors. Statistical analysis was done using Prism GraphPad ver. 8.0.0. P value was taken at 0.05. Results: Dichotomized group analysis with Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) 4–5 versus GOS 1–3 for testing clot volume revealed significance difference with P < 0.001. Mean volume of GOS 1–3 came out to be 79.68 ml. Hence, we took clot volume >80 ml for further analysis. The most common age group was 20–40 (55.17%). M2 (31.03%) was the most common best motor response in operated giant EDH cases. Most of them were having severe (79.31%) head injury. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at admission (P < 0.0001), pupillary changes (P = 0.0032), and best motor response (P < 0.0001) was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with outcome following surgery for giant EDH. Conclusion: Giant EDH with volume ≥ 80 ml is associated with poorer outcome. GCS at admission, pupillary changes, and best motor response is predictors for surgical outcome of giant EDH.

Perceived Threat of COVID-19 Contagion and Frontline Paramedics’ Agonistic Behaviour: Employing a Stressor–Strain–Outcome Perspective

Historically, infectious diseases have been the leading cause of human psychosomatic strain and death tolls. This research investigated the recent threat of COVID-19 contagion, especially its impact among frontline paramedics treating patients with COVID-19, and their perception of self-infection, which ultimately increases their agonistic behaviour. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome paradigm, a research model was proposed and investigated using survey-based data through a structured questionnaire. The results found that the perceived threat of COVID-19 contagion (emotional and cognitive threat) was positively correlated with physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion, which led toward agonistic behaviour. Further, perceived social support was a key moderator that negatively affected the relationships between agonistic behaviour and physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. These findings significantly contributed to the current literature concerning COVID-19 and pandemic-related effects on human behaviour. This study also theorized the concept of human agonistic behaviour, which has key implications for future researchers.