Death In March Research Articles

Infant Deaths After Texas’ 2021 Ban on Abortion in Early Pregnancy

Prior observational research has shown that infants born in states with more abortion restrictions are more likely to die during infancy. It is unclear how recent and more severe abortion bans in the US have impacted infant mortality. To examine whether Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8), which banned abortions after embryonic cardiac activity and did not allow exemptions for congenital anomalies, is associated with infant mortality in the state of Texas. This population-based cohort study of all recorded infant deaths from the state of Texas and 28 comparison states used a comparative interrupted time series analysis with an augmented synthetic control approach and national birth certificate data from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022, to estimate the difference between the number of observed and expected infant and neonatal deaths and death rates among monthly cohorts exposed to Texas' SB8. Deaths in March 2022 were treated as the first cohort exposed to the Texas' SB8 abortion policy because these infants (if born full term) were approximately 10 to 14 weeks' gestation when SB8 went into effect on September 1, 2021. The exposure period was thus March through December 2022. Our outcomes were monthly counts and rates of infant (aged <1 year) and neonatal (aged <28 days) deaths in the exposure period in Texas. In secondary analyses, annual changes in cause-specific infant deaths between 2021 and 2022 in Texas and the rest of the US were examined. Between 2018 and 2022, there were 102 391 infant deaths in the US, with 10 351 of these deaths occurring in the state of Texas. Between 2021 and 2022, infant deaths in Texas increased from 1985 to 2240, or 255 additional deaths. This corresponds to a 12.9% increase, whereas the rest of the US experienced a comparatively lower 1.8% increase. On the basis of the counterfactual analysis that used data from Texas and eligible comparison states, an excess of 216 infant deaths (95% CI, -122 to 554) was observed from March to December 2022, or a 12.7% increase above expectation. At the monthly level, significantly greater-than-expected counts were observed for 4 months between March and December 2022: April, July, September, and October. An analysis of neonatal deaths found somewhat similar patterns, with significantly greater-than-expected neonatal deaths in April and October 2022. Descriptive statistics by cause of death showed that infant deaths attributable to congenital anomalies in 2022 increased more for Texas (22.9% increase) but not the rest of the US (3.1% decrease). This study found that Texas' 2021 ban on abortion in early pregnancy was associated with unexpected increases in infant and neonatal deaths in Texas between 2021 and 2022. Congenital anomalies, which are the leading cause of infant death, also increased in Texas but not the rest of the US. Although replication and further analyses are needed to understand the mechanisms behind these findings, the results suggest that restrictive abortion policies may have important unintended consequences in terms of trauma to families and medical cost as a result of increases in infant mortality. These findings are particularly relevant given the recent Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization US Supreme Court decision and subsequent rollbacks of reproductive rights in many US states.

SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in a Small-Sized Municipality in Ceará State, Brazil: Temporal and Spatial Evolution.

Data on the temporal and spatial evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and local control measures and their effects on morbidity and mortality patterns in rural Brazil are scarce. We analyzed the data from case notification systems, epidemiological investigation reports, and municipal decrees in Itapajé, a small municipality in Ceará State in northeast Brazil. For spatial and spatio-temporal analyses, cases and deaths were mapped. There were a total of 3020 cases of COVID-19, recorded between April 2020 and December 2021; 135 (4.5%) died. The cumulative incidence and mortality rates were 5650.3 cases and 252.6 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively. The index case of SARS-CoV-2 in Itapajé was diagnosed in March 2020. The first peak of cases and deaths occurred in May 2020. The second wave peaked in May 2021, with the highest number of deaths in March 2021. According to the spatial analysis, the highest density of cases and deaths occurred in the central urban areas. In these areas, there were also the clusters of highest risk according to the spatio-temporal analyses. The municipal government issued 69 decrees on restriction measures, surveillance, and the maintenance of social isolation as a response to the pandemic. The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Itapajé mirrored the dynamics in large metropolitan regions, going from central neighborhoods of low socio-economic status to the wealthier peripheries.

Walt Whitman's Tomb

In letters and conversations with friends and acquaintances, Whitman's ideas about his "burial house" gradually took shape over the four years prior to his death in March 1892. The completion of Whitman's tomb represented the culmination of a complicated series of decisions. While the location of Whitman's tomb, its design, and its cost are topics that have received various critical and biographical interpretations, this essay includes recently uncovered materials that provide a clearer understanding of the process that unfolded in the years prior to Whitman's death regarding his tomb.&amp;nbsp;

The “Death March” of Bonaparte’s Army of Orient to Damanhour on 3—9 July 1798

The “Death March” of Bonaparte’s Army of Orient to Damanhour on 3—9 July 1798

Pontian Hellenism in continuous “exodus” – prosfygia. Testimonies and interviews

Hellenism, established on the shores of the Black Sea (Greek Pontus) since ancient times (8th century BC colonization), preserved the Greek language and the Greek Spirit. The end of this era in the Pontus region, came after coordinated persecutions, displacements and the Turkification of populations as well as coercive works during the Ottoman Empire; Intensified after the dominance of the Young Turks and Kemal, at the beginning of the 20th century (1913-1923 AD). Over this decade, the Pontus Greeks were forced to leave their homes and follow endless death marches. Many fled to Southern Russia, where under Stalin they faced new persecutions and deportations with the few survivors eventually repatriating to Greece. This continuous “Exodus” – refugee (Greek prosfygia) and its characteristics i.e. losses, problems, adaptation etc, are highlighted by the testimonies of Pontians, which were gathered by the Committee of Pontian Studies, the scientific body of Pontians.

Социалистическата идеологическа пропаганда в Полша по времето на управлението на Болеслав Берут (1947–1956)

The topic of the study, as the title suggests, is related to the socialist ideological propaganda in Poland which was launched by Polish authorities during the reign of Boleslaw Berut. Beirut’s rule began in February 1947, when he was elected head of state, and ended of his death in March 1956. Between 1947–1952 he was the president of Poland, and from 1948 till 1952 – General secretary of the State Council. This was the period of Stalinism in Poland. During those years, a number of political and economic reforms were carried out in the country: the establishment of Soviet-type socialism, the voting in of new constitution, imposition of the one-party system, nationalization, industrialization and collectivization of agriculture. During this period, the Polish United Worker’s Party carried out large-scale agitation and propaganda activities, characterized by printing and distribution of numerous propaganda materials.

Leopoldstadt

Leopoldstadt

The Political Effects of Witnessing State Atrocities: Evidence from the Nazi Death Marches

How does witnessing regime atrocities influence the political attitudes of bystanders? We argue that observing regime violence against innocent civilians triggers psychological dissonance between beliefs about the regime and the witnessed moral transgression. As a result, regime support should decrease among bystanders of state atrocities. We analyze original, highly disaggregated archival data from the Nazi death marches at the end of World War II, which confronted ordinary German citizens with the regime’s crimes. We find that locations with higher victim numbers had lower vote shares for right-wing nationalist parties after the war. Supporting our proposed mechanism, we show that (1) this effect was strongest when Nazi crimes were at the center of public discourse and (2) that witnessing Nazi atrocities was associated with individuals’ rejection of Hitler 20 years later. The findings have implications for understanding democratization prospects and people’s nostalgia for fallen autocrats.

Tyrant's End: Did Joseph Stalin Die From Warfarin Poisoning?

One of the most brutal dictators in humanity's history, Joseph Stalin forged the Soviet Union into a massive superpower, crushing the lives of millions of his own citizens along the way. His sudden death in March 1953 from a stroke took the world by surprise and led to a frantic power struggle within the ranks of the Soviet government. In recent years, researchers have proposed that Stalin's stroke was not natural and was potentially caused by one of his lieutenants poisoning him with warfarin or a similar anticoagulant. After examining the evidence, this article concludes that both Stalin's disease course and the properties of warfarin make it highly unlikely that he was deliberately assassinated.

Book Notices

Michael Harold Hyer. Saints at War in the Philippines: Latter-day Saints in WWII Prison Camps. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, 2021. xvi + 271 pp. Illustrations, maps. Hardcover: $25.99.Reading about war can sometimes be an academic exercise if a book only lists battles, soldiers, and results. It becomes the terrible experience it really is when the writings describe in detail all of the suffering and pain that takes place. It can also be just the story of the winners and losers. It shows the complex reality when it explains the cultural reasons why soldiers react to battle. This study of twenty-nine Latter-day Saints who fought for the United States during World War II in the Philippines shows the horrors of the war by telling the men's personal stories of the Bataan Death March and the Japanese prisoner of war camps. Only twelve survived. The book goes beyond just explaining the nightmare though and explains the difference between American and Japanese culture that helps explain how the Japanese responded to the prisoners. The author is an attorney and a nephew of 1st Lt. George Robin (Bobby) Brown, one of the prisoners of war that he discusses in the book.Warner Woodworth. Radiant Mormonism: Using Our Faith in Christ to Power World-Changing Service. Newburgh, IN: By Common Consent Press, 2022. 358 pp. Photographs, appendix. Paperback: $14.95.Radiant Mormonism provides a model of how the teachings of Joseph Smith and other leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can help the poor throughout the world. As a Brigham Young University professor and entrepreneur, Warner Woodworth has used his faith and management skills to create and support NGOs (non-government organizations) worldwide. Journal of Mormon History readers will appreciate his references to Latter-day history. They will also learn about the role of Woodworth and other Latter-day Saints in creating organizations worldwide. The book is a combination autobiography, history, and how-to-do manual.

The War of Nerves: Inside the Cold War Mind by Martin Sixsmith

<i>The War of Nerves: Inside the Cold War Mind</i> by Martin Sixsmith

Monitoring the Establishment of VOC Gamma in Minas Gerais, Brazil: A Retrospective Epidemiological and Genomic Surveillance Study.

Since its first identification in Brazil, the variant of concern (VOC) Gamma has been associated with increased infection and transmission rates, hospitalizations, and deaths. Minas Gerais (MG), the second-largest populated Brazilian state with more than 20 million inhabitants, observed a peak of cases and deaths in March-April 2021. We conducted a surveillance study in 1240 COVID-19-positive samples from 305 municipalities distributed across MG's 28 Regional Health Units (RHU) between 1 March to 27 April 2021. The most common variant was the VOC Gamma (71.2%), followed by the variant of interest (VOI) zeta (12.4%) and VOC alpha (9.6%). Although the predominance of Gamma was found in most of the RHUs, clusters of Zeta and Alpha variants were observed. One Alpha-clustered RHU has a history of high human mobility from countries with Alpha predominance. Other less frequent lineages, such as P.4, P.5, and P.7, were also identified. With our genomic characterization approach, we estimated the introduction of Gamma on 7 January 2021, at RHU Belo Horizonte. Differences in mortality between the Zeta, Gamma and Alpha variants were not observed. We reinforce the importance of vaccination programs to prevent severe cases and deaths during transmission peaks.

Methadone and buprenorphine-related deaths among people prescribed and not prescribed Opioid Agonist Therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic in England.

BackgroundThe coronavirus pandemic resulted in many changes which had the potential to impact mortality related to opioid agonist therapy (OAT; methadone, buprenorphine), including changes in the prescribing and dispensing of OAT and patterns of drug availability and use. We aimed to assess the impact of the first lockdown (initiated March 23rd 2020) on methadone- and buprenorphine-related deaths in England in people both prescribed and not prescribed OAT using data from the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths.MethodsThis was a retrospective post-mortem toxicology study of OAT-related deaths which occurred in the 3-month period March 23rd to June 22nd in the years 2016-2020. Provisional data regarding numbers accessing treatment for opioid use disorder was provided by the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System.ResultsWe found a 64% increase in methadone-related deaths in March to June 2020 compared to March to June 2019 (2019 n = 96; 2020 projected n = 157). There were increases in the mortality rate of both in-treatment decedents (22% increase; 2019 n = 45; an exponential smoothing model of the 2016-19 trend [α=0.5] predicted 44 deaths in 2020, 55 were reported) and decedents not prescribed methadone (74% increase; 2019 n = 46; 2016-19 trend predicted 43 deaths in 2020, 80 were reported). There was no increase in buprenorphine-related deaths (2019 n = 9/529; 2020 n = 11/566). There were no changes in the numbers of deaths where other opioids or multiple substances were detected, or in methadone levels detected. Numbers of people accessing treatment for opioid use disorder in 2020 did not decrease relative to previous years (p >0.05).ConclusionsMethadone-related deaths in non-prescribed individuals, but not prescribed individuals, increased considerably above the annual trend forecast for 2020 during the first COVID-19 lockdown in England. Further studies are thus needed to understand this difference.

Editor's Note

Editor's Note

Performative Revolution in Popular Media and Accelerationist Narratives in Resident Evil

Popular Hollywood movies do not often attempt to meaningfully criticize capitalism. What proliferates, instead, are performative optics; media starts a revolution for us so capital can continue its death march forward, unphased. Academia has begun to wrestle with the concept of accelerationism—that is, the full maximization of capitalism’s mechanics as a destabilizing strategy. Though accelerationism may lack merit as a political praxis, this article frames it as a subversive narrative strategy in popular media, fully embodied through the final installment of Paul W. S. Anderson’s film adaptation of the Resident Evil video game franchise, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016).

The Survivor

The Survivor

Discovery and development of oseltamivir at Gilead Sciences.

John Martin's untimely death in March 2021 was a huge loss for us personally, Gilead Sciences, the company he built over 30years and the scientific community concerned with antiviral therapies. We wish to honor John's legacy by retelling the discovery and history of Tamiflu and his contributions to it. Without his vision, persistence, and keen eye for opportunities, Tamiflu would not exist and Gilead's path would not have been the same. His strategic thinking around the first oral flu drug is still quite relevant today, when we are still in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. John explained it simply in an interview with the Science History Institute in May 2020: "…most of my colleagues, we travel with Tamiflu when we go internationally, because it works for treatment and prevention, and hopefully, there will be a solution like that, eventually, for the Covid virus in addition to vaccines. Most people will get a flu vaccine every year, but there is still disease, we need a pill for treatment and prevention.".

Nawal and Sherif Tribute

Nawal and Sherif Tribute

Celebrant's Flame: Daniel Berrigan in Memory and Reflection by Bill Wylie-Kellermann

Reviewed by: Celebrant's Flame: Daniel Berrigan in Memory and Reflection by Bill Wylie-Kellermann Ryan Di Corpo Celebrant's Flame: Daniel Berrigan in Memory and Reflection. By Bill Wylie-Kellermann. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2021. 212 pp. $23.00. The radical life of the late Jesuit priest and poet Daniel Berrigan, at once revered and ridiculed for his provocative acts of nonviolent resistance against the death march of war and imperialism, is welldocumented in numerous books, essays, and documentary films. Berrigan, most remembered as one of nine Catholic activists who, in 1968, illegally burned 378 draft records in a Catonsville, Maryland parking lot, was himself a prolific author. At the time of his death in 2016, Berrigan had published more than 50 works—some collections of poetry, some musings on the Old Testament prophets, some chronicles of the anti-war protests that made him an unlikely icon. (Full disclosure: I personally befriended Berrigan during the final months of his life.) It is despite numerous detailed studies on Berrigan's legacy that Detroit-born activist and retired Methodist pastor Bill Wylie-Kellermann, who first met Berrigan in the early 1970s, has delivered to us a truly unique commentary in Celebrant's Flame. Pulsating with the rhythms of poetry and protest, Kellermann's book presents a kind of spiritual symphony, a collage of personal reflections, friends' recollections, and essays by contemporary peacemakers. The book, moving freely between topics ranging from Scriptural exegesis to French absurdist Albert Camus, is best read slowly, [End Page 61] savoring its prose interspersed with Berrigan's hallmark poetic flourishes. This is a book for contemplation, to be read with the temperament of monks and the righteous fever of prophets. Calling us to lives of "radical discipleship," as Mr. Kellermann terms it, Berrigan ruffled feathers—and bruised egos—in the hallowed halls of American political power and the institutional church through a stubborn, stalwart rejection of violence under all circumstances (4). Kellerman, who was studying at New York's Union Theological Seminary when he came to know Berrigan, describes Bible studies with the Jesuit as striking the soul with paralyzing force. "Never had I met anyone who took The Book with such life and death seriousness," writes Kellermann. "I got knocked off my horse. A tidy worldview crumbled. I do not exaggerate: I was struck nearly dumb and wandered the seminary for a time more than a little lost" (79). Kellermann regards Berrigan both a spiritual mentor and a confessor, a prophet who outright refused such an august title. (Berrigan once chided an "idiot headline" in The Baltimore Sun which asked if he and Phil were modern-day prophets) (82). A major strength of this volume is that it offers a generous helping of Berrigan's poetic works. His verses—sarcastic then sincere, challenging then comforting—reveal an innate Christian sensibility, a worldview imbued by the spirit of peace. In his five-part poem "Vietnamese Letter," his meditations on a nation scarred by war highlight a distinctly Eucharistic flavor. "[T]he sweet earth, punished by ruffians' fists / heals like a rising loaf, a bread of heroes," he writes (73). In "Homily," he extends the metaphor of our world as the Body of Christ: "Said; a cleric worth his saltwill salt his bread with tears, sometimes.will break breadwhich is the world's flesh, with the world's poor,count this his privilege and more—" (37) Celebrant's Flame is also aided by four essays by Berrigan's friends, who provide valuable insight into his personal character. John Bach, once an inmate with Berrigan at Danbury federal prison in Connecticut, recalls a weekly class on great novels. "[I]n that prison classroom I marveled at Dan's insights, eloquence, spot-on analysis, and the implications for what passed for politics," writes Bach (17). "In the evening […] Dan would brew concoctions of coffee, hot chocolate, with melted Snickers bars that were shared amid all the laughter" (18). Catholics familiar with Berrigan will find Celebrant's Flame replete with fascinating, little-known details about his life (Did you know he [End Page 62] wrote unproduced television screenplays?) and timely reflections on his legacy today. Catholics unfamiliar with Berrigan...

Editorial

William Purkey has referred to that period of time between the Christmas holidays and the arrival of spring as the “long death march of bleak and weary days.” With the possible exception of skiers and snowboard enthusiasts, most of us look forward to the renewal and the warmer climes of spring. Ah, spring, indeed! With the arrival of spring, we bring you new offerings in the JITP for your consideration. In the past, some have lamented the paucity of research articles in the journal. This issue brings nourishment for those who hunger for such offerings. Two thought-provoking articles dealing with research issues in invitational education provide additional understanding, and inevitably raise new questions.