Maria Elena Villar

The Clinical Trials Supporting Benzyl Alcohol Lotion 5% (UlesfiaTM): A Safe and Effective Topical Treatment for Head Lice (Pediculosis Humanus Capitis)

Abstract:  Benzyl alcohol lotion 5% (BAL 5%) is a non‐neurotoxic topical head lice treatment that is safe and effective in children as young as 6 months of age. The safety and efficacy of this pediculicide has been studied in 695 (confirm number) subjects in all phases of clinical development. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) demonstrated that the active agent appears to stun the breathing spiracles open, enabling the vehicle to penetrate the respiratory mechanism (spiracles), therefore asphyxiating the lice. Initial phase II trials compared this novel product to RID® using identical volumes of treatment (4 oz/application) and yielding, almost, identical efficacy. This outcome pointed to the significant importance of completely saturating the hair with the product in order to achieve maximum treatment success. A second phase II trial, which allowed the use of sufficient product to saturate the hair, resulted in 100% efficacy after both 10 and 30 minute treatments. A third phase II trial verified an effective dose. Phase III trials compared BAL 5% to vehicle placebo for two 10‐minute applications. It proved to be safe and effective (p < 0.001) for treatment of head lice and is the first FDA‐approved non‐neurotoxic lice treatment, now available in the United States as UlesfiaTM lotion.

Cost and Utilization Analysis of a Pediatric Emergency Department Diversion Project

Objective. States are struggling to find effective means to decrease Medicaid costs. The objective of this pilot study was to compare emergency department (ED) cost and utilization by members who were enrolled in a pilot program (designed to reduce the use of hospital EDs) with the costs and utilization incurred by a control group. Methods. A large, private, primary care pediatric practice launched a pilot ED diversion program that provided extended office hours, multiple access locations, and care coordination. Participants in the program were Medicaid recipients who were younger than 18 years. Enrollment in the program was through either patient self-selection or mandatory assignment by the state Medicaid agency. A total of 17382 children who were enrolled in the enhanced access program (intervention group) and 26066 Medicaid-eligible children who received services from other local community primary care providers (control group) were included in the study. Children who had chronic health conditions and were receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits were excluded from this analysis. Regression analyses and t tests were applied to analyze the medical claim data that were collected for this project. Three variables were used as dependent variables to measure different aspects of the ED cost and utilization: per member per month cost, per thousand member per month encounter frequency, and per encounter cost. These variables were used to compare the intervention group with the control group for ED claims, as well as for the overall cost of care during the study period. Results. In the 12-month period subsequent to program initiation, the average per member per month cost for ED utilization of the intervention group was

Constructing Climate Change in the Americas: An Analysis of News Coverage in U.S. and South American Newspapers

1.36 less than that of the control group. However, there was no significant difference in terms of per-visit cost related to ED utilization. Therefore, the savings seemed to come as a result of a reduction in ED visits, not from reduced cost per visit. On average, children in the intervention group visited the ED approximately 8 fewer times per thousand members per month than the control group, yet there was no significant difference in the overall (ED and non-ED) cost of care between the intervention and control groups. Conclusion. Analysis from the first year of this pilot program demonstrates that by providing enhanced, coordinated, primary care access to Medicaid children, the utilization of the ED was significantly lowered among healthy children, whereas the overall cost of care remained the same.

A Longitudinal Study of Social Capital and Acculturation-Related Stress Among Recent Latino Immigrants in South Florida.

This study examined the portrayal of climate change in four national newspapers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and the United States. The results indicated that leading media in Brazil and the United States highlighted the policy progress being made to mitigate climate change and presented the issue in economic terms, whereas coverage in Argentina and Colombia portrayed the issue as being urgent and emphasized the catastrophic consequences of climate change. The findings are consistent with previous work indicating a lack of focus on scientific controversy from non-U.S. media and present implications for comparative studies examining nuances in international coverage of climate change.

Assessment of the safety and efficacy of three concentrations of topical ivermectin lotion as a treatment for head lice infestation.

This study uses social capital to assess the effects of social support on acculturation-related stress among recently immigrated Hispanics in South Florida before and after immigration. At baseline (N = 527), first 12 months in the United States, acculturative stress was negatively related to support from friends (p < .044) and positively related to support from parents (p < .023). At first follow-up (n = 415), 24 months in the United States, emotional/informational support was negatively associated with acculturation-related stress (p < .028). In the second follow-up (n = 478), 36 months in the United States, support from children was negatively associated with acculturation-related stress (p < .016). Limited English proficiency was found to be negatively associated with acculturation stress at all three points (p < .001, p < .025, and p < .001, respectively). Implications of this study can be used in the design of culturally appropriate and family-oriented interventions for recent immigrants to ease the acculturation process.

Chinese and American perceptions of foreign‐name brands

Background  Ivermectin is a broad‐spectrum parasiticide in widespread systemic use, including as an off‐label treatment for head lice infestation. The potential of the topical use of ivermectin as a treatment for head lice infestation was suggested by an in vitro report of a novel lotion formulation.

Health Beliefs and Attitudes of Latino Immigrants: Rethinking Acculturation as a Constant

Purpose – Previous research is mixed regarding consumer reactions and concerns regarding product brands with foreign‐sounding names. This paper aims to study the perception and purchase intent of foreign‐name brands in a sample of adult US and Chinese consumers.Design/methodology/approach – US and Chinese consumers completed a 23‐item bilingual questionnaire to assess perceptions of foreign names on brand attitude and purchase intent for low‐involvement products, using two fictitious soft drink products.Findings – The paper finds that there were no differences between US and Chinese consumers in attitudes towards foreign products or foreign brand names, except in the case of perceived deception. There were differences in perceptions that the product name was not authentic to the country of origin. Differences in purchase intent were driven by product type and price rather than country of origin or brand name.Practical implications – When there is incongruence between product type and perceived country of ...

Differences in English- and Spanish-language Health News: A Comparison of Newspapers in Two Cities

Health disparities among Latinos have been associated with acculturation, but there is a lack of consensus about how acculturation variables translate into health beliefs that can be used to target attitude and behavior change interventions. Transcripts from three qualitative studies including 64 Latino immigrant adults were analyzed through inductive reasoning to assess relationships between more or less acculturated attitudes, and demographic variables. In the three topic areas of gender roles, sex education, and seeking professional help, attitudes ranged from conservative (less acculturated) to liberal (more acculturated), but did not seem associated with age, education or years in the United States. When dealing with specific health topics, it is not possible to infer specific attitudes, strength of attitudes or level of acculturation of intervention recipients. To develop sound, culturally competent interventions, it is necessary to assess the targets’ beliefs and attitudes and tailor messages in specific contexts.

Understanding Bloggers: Opinion Leadership and Motivations to Use Blogs Among Bloggers and Blog Readers

The authors explored whether differences exist in the volume of health news coverage in English- and Spanish-language newspapers in the United States, as well as differences in the main topics discussed and the way the issue was framed. A sample of 239 news articles was selected from English- and Spanish-language newspapers in Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California. Analysis revealed that English-language newspapers contained a greater volume of health news information and significant t-test results indicated a greater frequency of biomedical and financial–economic frames than Spanish-language newspapers contained. Los Angeles and Miami comparisons also yielded significant differences. Specifically, community–political–environmental and biomedical frames were used more frequently in Los Angeles than in Miami. Author ethnicity was not found to affect health news coverage, but this may be more indicative of the difficulties in measuring ethnicity and the questionable validity of this variable. These findings raise questions about the role of newspaper ownership structure and goals, as well as regional differences in health news coverage and the resulting access to health information for Spanish-dominant Latinos across the country.

Sex education and cultural values: experiences and attitudes of Latina immigrant women

The blogosphere is a relatively new arena for marketing and communications, and provides a lively arena for consumers’ exchange of opinions about brands and products (Universal-McCann 2009). A recent Technorati survey (2010) showed that 42% of bloggers surveyed reported they blog about brands they love or hate. This exemplifies the key role bloggers play in this one-to-many communication method and their role as e-fluentials, opinion leaders who spread information via the Internet (Burson-Marsteller 1999). Drawing from the literature on opinion leadership and electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM), as well as Uses and Gratification (Blumler and Katz 1974), this study explores differences between bloggers and their audiences (blog readers) in terms of opinion leadership and motivations to use blogs.