American tegumentary leishmaniasis mimicking myiasis and granulomatous vasculitis:A case report

Rationale:American tegumentary leishmaniasis comprises cutaneous and mucocutaneous manifestations caused by parasitic infections by various Leishmania species.This report details the clinical interventions for a patient with American tegumentary leishmaniasis in Mendoza,Argentina,a non-endemic region.Patient concerns:A 43-year-old male was admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Mendoza,Argentina Republic with a history of progressive nasal discharge,septal perforation,facial pain,and pruritus.Despite treatment for presumed nasal myiasis and vasculitis with granulomatosis,symptoms persisted.Diagnosis:American tegumentary leishmaniasis.Interventions:Intravenous liposomal amphotericin B.Outcomes:Follow-up at 30 days showed no recurrence of symptoms with a remarkable clinical improvement of the nasal lesion.Lessons:This case sheds light on the necessity of accurate identification for timely intervention and the need to recognize the diverse manifestations of American tegumentary leishmaniasis to avoid misdiagnosis.

Chronic Hepatitis B in Indian Americans: Lack of Screening and Poor Linkage to Care

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality in the United States (US) and globally. CHB disproportionately affects Asian Americans and many other immigrant minority populations, primarily owing to the high prevalence of CHB in their countries of origin. India is a country with a medium-to-high prevalence of hepatitis B (HB) (>2%) and has over 40 million people infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), with more than 115,000 deaths annually from HBV-related complications. Indian Americans are one of the largest immigrant populations in the US but remain underdiagnosed and poorly linked to clinical care. We, therefore, assessed the HBV prevalence and evaluated the linkage-to-care (LTC) among Indian Americans to develop strategic plans to reduce the impact of HBV in the US. Methods: Between April 2022 and January 2024, serologic screening and surveys were provided to 328 Indian American adults (age 20 - 80) in New York City. All participants were tested for a triple panel consisting of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), and hepatitis B core IgG antibody (anti-HBc). A survey was conducted on the subjects chronically infected with HBV regarding their histories of infection. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to evaluate demographic and epidemiologic characteristics. Results: Of 328 screened and evaluated (246 males and 82 females), 10 (3.0%) were HBV-infected, 222 (67.7%) were susceptible to HBV, and 96 (29.3%) were immune. The prevalence of chronic HBV varied between the age groups: 4.6% (age 20 - 40), 3.4% (age 41 - 60), and 1.7% (age 61 - 80). Of 10 chronically infected, only two subjects had been previously diagnosed but were not engaged in care. Conclusion: HBV disproportionately affects Asian Americans, primarily owing to immigration from parts of the world where the disease is endemic. Indian Americans belong to an intermediate-risk group, with an HBV prevalence of >2%, but remain underdiagnosed and poorly linked to care. Our pilot study on Indian American populations, the first of its kind, demonstrates a 3% prevalence of CHB, none of whom are linked to care. In addition, this population has a high percentage of unimmune subjects, creating a large reservoir for future infection. With the growing population of Indian Americans, our findings can be used to develop community-based strategies for HBV screenings and LTC that target high-risk groups.

Community-Based Hepatitis B Campaign in Asian Americans

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) disproportionately affects minority groups in the US, particularly Asian Americans, with numerous factors contributing to this disparity. Of the 2.4 million people living with chronic HBV in the US, 60% are Asian American. Many are unaware of their status and lack access to proper clinical care, with less than ten percent receiving necessary antiviral treatment. Barriers to screening and care include lack of disease awareness, language and cultural barriers, and financial constraints. Additionally, healthcare providers and systems in the US often overlook the importance of CHB, leading to inadequate care. In response, the Center for Viral Hepatitis (CVH) has implemented a community-based outreach program over the past sixteen years, employing a multifaceted approach involving all sectors of society and various organizations to combat health disparities in CHB. This grassroots campaign has proven highly effective, leveraging CVH’s leadership in spearheading numerous collaborative activities with community members, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. We have summarized the key points of CVH's efforts and their significance in combating CHB-related health disparities. The CHB Screening and Awareness Campaign, tailored to the Asian American community, serves as a successful model for increasing CHB screening, linkage-to-care, and addressing socio-cultural barriers and health literacy. Insights from these outreach programs have guided the development of culturally relevant resources and education initiatives. These findings suggest that such community-driven approaches are essential for addressing health disparities. The strategies and outcomes of CVH’s efforts can inform future health initiatives for other minority communities in the US and globally.

Analysis on Bicultural Identities of Chinese Americans Based on Acculturation Theory

In the context of globalization,the communication between countries is gradually enhanced and the immigration is increasing.Chinese Americans,as a unique ethnic group,are easy to fall into the difficult problem of self-identity construction when facing the bicultural identity conflict between Chinese and American.This paper selects the film The Farewell created by a Chinese American director as the research object,analyzes the cultural identity crisis of Chinese Americans,introduces the cultural adaption strategy adopted by Chinese Americans from the perspective of Acculturation Theory,and provides reference for Chinese Americans about how to realize the bicultural identities in the cultural diaspora.

A Corpus Study of Acupuncture from the Perspective of Mass Media Based on the Corpus of Contemporary American English

Based on the Corpus of Contemporary American English(COCA),this study examines acupuncture from the perspective of mass media.Acupuncture has been circulating throughout the Chinese Cultural Circle since the Qin and Han Dynasties,and has since spread directly or indirectly to the rest of the world.The United States boasts the world’s second-largest acupuncture market,with its laws,regulations,industry growth,research,and education all positively influencing the development of acupuncture in other nations.This study uses COCA to analyze the form and content of acupuncture’s dissemination in eight different types of media.The findings show that acupuncture appears in COCA a total of 1,788 times,with the highest frequency in magazines,followed by blogs,and the lowest frequency in fiction.These findings reveal the popularity of acupuncture in mass media in the United States and provide empirical data and insights for the future dissemination and development of acupuncture in the United States.

A Study on the Infiltration Methods of British and American Literature in High School English Reading Teaching

Reading is the key content of high school English teaching,which can improve students’mastery of words,grammar,and other knowledge,and can expand their horizons.British and American literature is the essence of British and American culture,and its application in high school English reading teaching can help improve students’English proficiency.This paper outlines the problems of high school English teaching,analyzes the role of British and American literature in high school English reading teaching,and explores the infiltration methods of British and American literature in high school English reading teaching,in order to provide references for teachers.

Developmental assets and age of first sexual intercourse among adolescent African American males in Mobile, Alabama

Background and Aims: Younger age at first sexual intercourse is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes. We aimed to gain a clearer understanding of a wide range of individual, family and social factors that may influence sexual behavior of children and adolescents. Specifically, we examined the relationships of developmental assets with age of first sexual intercourse among a large sample (n = 1061) of adolescent African American males living in low-income neighborhoods in Mobile, Alabama. Methods: Using the Developmental Asset Model as a theoretical guide, we selected variables from adolescent survey data and conducted logistic regression analysis to determine predictors of early age of first sexual intercourse. Results: Nearly one half (49%) of the male survey participants reported that they first had sexual intercourse at the age of 12 or younger. The total number of assets was the strongest predictor of later age (13 years old or later) of first sexual intercourse (OR 1.49, 95% CI = 1.09, 2.04), followed by decision-making skills (OR 1.40, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.86), and positive view of the future (OR 1.36, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.74). Conclusion: There are several developmental assets related to the age of first sexual intercourse. This study found support for the Developmental Asset Model as a framework for promoting sexual and overall adolescent health. Recommendations for asset-building among this population are discussed.

Acculturation: Gap-Bridging between the First and Second Generation Chinese Americans

Pangs of Love written by David Wong Louie recounts the life experiences between the immigrant parent Mrs. Pang and her American-born Children. Through an analysis of the language and culture communication between Mrs. Pang, Ah-Vee and Mandy, this essay argues that the gap between the first and second generation Chinese Americans can be bridged through a positive acculturation to their dual cultural heritages. It illuminates that the immigrant Chinese parents and their American-born children should take strength from their dual cultural heritages and create a renewed and reinvigorated cultural identity.

Gender differences of lower urinary tract symptoms in older Chinese Americans

Objective To describe whether or not there are gender differences in lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS)prevalence and risk factors in community-dwelling older Chinese Americans.Methods We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective cross-sectional population-based survey of Chinese Americans aged 60 years and older between January 2011 and December 2013 in English,Mandarin,Cantonese,Taishanese,or Teochew.A clinical review of systems was used to assess LUTS,which included urinary frequency,urgency,burning and/or pain,blood in urine,and urinary incontinence.Results Of the total 3157 people queried,42%were men and 58%were women.More men reported LUTS compared to women(32.9%vs.28.6%,p=0.01).In a multivariable analysis,female gender(adjusted odds ratio[aOR]0.60,95%confidence interval[CI]0.49-0.73),being married(aOR 0.79,95%CI 0.65-0.97),and smoking(aOR 0.66,95%CI 0.49-0.88)were found to be protective,while traditional Chinese medicine use(aOR 1.51,95%CI 1.28-1.78),heart disease(aOR 1.54,95%CI 1.24-1.91),and anxiety(aOR 1.69,95%CI 1.25-2.28)were most strongly associated with increased odds of LUTS.When examining genders separately,being married was found to be protective only in women.Meanwhile,unique factors found in men were hypertension,heart disease,and practice of Tai Chi.Conclusion In this large population-based study,LUTS were more prevalent in older Chinese American men than women.We also found gender-specific factors that influenced the odds of reporting LUTS;however,traditional Chinese medicine use was the only factor that was shared by both genders.Future longitudinal investigations are needed to elucidate these underlying mechanisms to provide evidence-based and culture-specific guidelines for this rapidly growing population.

The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Double Threat to Chinese Americans’ Mental Health

Objective:To explore the double psychosocial threats of the COVID-19 pandemic,targeted behavior toward Chinese Americans,and the correlates to their mental health.Methods:A quantitative,cross-sectional,and descriptive design was utilized by using a purposive convenience sample of 301 Chinese Americans over the age of 18 residing in the United States.Online data collection was conducted through the social media platform WeChat from April 8–21,2021.Descriptive statistical analysis was used for the participants’demographic charac-teristics,Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support(MSPSS),Double Threat Situations,COVID-19 Racial Discrimination,and General Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7).Stepwise logistic regression was conducted to verify predictors for anxiety levels by GAD-7.Results:In this sample(N=301),127(42.19%)were male and 174(57.81%)were female.The average age was 41.67(SD=5.89).Among MSPSS subscales,social support from family(MSPSS-Fam,79.73%,n=240)and social support from significant others(MSPSS-SO,73.75%,n=222)were high.231(76.74%)reported threats due to their Chinese ethnic background during the COVID-19 outbreak.Predictors for the high anxiety level by GAD-7 were COVID-19 racial discrimination from the local community(OR=0.47,95%CI=0.39–0.71,p<0.001),media/online(OR=0.36,95%CI=0.26–0.53,p<0.001),the perceived threat from the COVID-19 virus(OR=0.33,95%CI=0.23–0.51,p<0.001)and Perceived racism threat from Chinese back-ground related to COVID-19(OR=0.31,95%CI=0.21–0.49,p<0.001).Conclusions:COVID-19 double-threats(The virus and racial discrimination)situations are significantly related to the high level of anxiety among Chinese Americans.The sense of belonging and social perceptions of Chinese immigrants is closely related to public health problems in Western societies and needs to be addressed at all levels.Ourfindings call for the attention of health-care workers to specific racism double-threatened situations and high mental health risks,as well as direct and indirect ethnic discrimination that Chinese Americans are experiencing during this pandemic,the long-term influ-ences and effective coping ways related to this issue should be explored in further research.

Status Quo and Application of North American Wisteria in Shijiazhuang

The introduction and planting of three cultivars of North American wisteria in Shijiazhuang were observed.By comparing the inflorescences of Chinese wisteria,Japanese wisteria and North American wisteria,it is concluded that North American wisteria has compact inflorescence,rich color and late flowering period,and can prolong the ornamental time of wisteria when collocating with Chinese wisteria and Japanese wisteria in landscape application.The application of North American wisteria in Chinese gardens can not only enrich the species diversity of the region,but also have positive significance for improving the landscape effect of the whole city.

In Her Mother’s House:Mother-Daughter Dissonance in Post-1990s Chinese American Fiction

This paper attempts to examine the trope of“home”and the depiction of mother-daughter dissonance“in her mother’s house”in post-1990s Chinese American fiction.The research selects four novels in the case study and focuses on how mother-daughter dissonance“in her mother’s house”is presented,what cultural connotations the trope of“home”carries and how they are affected by such extra-contextual factors as racism,sexism and classism.In comparison with two representative mother-daughter narrative works in pre-1990s period,the new characteristics and connotations of“home”in mother-daughter dissonance in post-1990s Chinese American fiction are revealed.

Discourse Construction of the Belt and Road Initiative in British and American Media:The Perspective of Proximization Theory

This study takes the reports on China’s“One Belt,One Road”in the British and American media as the object of study,mainly by collecting more than 10,000 words from the relevant reports published in the British media The Times,The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian from 2019-2022,to create a British corpus.A number of US media outlets,such as the New York Times,Los Angeles Times and Washington Post,were also collected to extract over 10,000 words of relevant corpus to create a US corpus.The BFSU Qualitative Coder 1.1,AntConc 3.5.7 and the LLX2 chi-square test were used to analyse the perceptions of the British and American corpora on China’s“One Belt,One Road”initiative,and to explore the temporal,spatial and value convergence of speakers and addressees in the corpus in the context of convergence theory.In this paper,we explore the specific distribution and pragmatic functions of the convergence of speakers and addressees in the corpus,in order to explore and reveal the different features of the application of convergence strategies in the British and American corpora in relation to China’s“One Belt,One Road”initiative.

A Comparative Study of British Gentleman Culture and American Cowboy Culture

This paper makes a comparative analysis by selecting British gentleman culture and American cowboy culture,the two distinctive cultures,to trace their roots,explore their connotations,and search for their similarities and differences,so as to better understand the respective characteristics of British and American cultures.The result shows that although the two cultures have different styles,which can interpret two different ethnic cultures,they are related by blood and have certain commonalities.

美国一流大学博士生多元化职业能力培养体系研究

运用扎根理论,对麻省理工学院、芝加哥大学、加州大学伯克利分校、宾夕法尼亚大学、康奈尔大学和加州大学圣地亚哥分校的官网资料进行编码,分析得出美国一流大学博士生多元化职业能力培养体系,包括对接劳动力市场需求的高标准目标定位,基于关系网络的多维度保障机制,立足自我反思的全过程职业规划指导,兼顾学术性和实用性的全方位职业技能培训。我国高校应当切实履行博士生培养的主体责任,正视博士生对接社会需求的多样化职业选择趋势,加强系统思维,创建博士生多元化职业能力培养共同体,利益相关者协同加强学术型博士生多通道增强型培养体系建设。

Theoretical and Practical Exploration of Ideology and Politics in British and American Literature Curriculum

British and American literature is the essence of culture and civilization created in the long historical development process and a bright pearl in the treasure house of world literature.Different types of civilization history,ideological history,and values can better help students understand the literary quality and ideology in various periods of Western civilization.Studying British and American literature aids students in using cross-cultural perspectives to distinguish Chinese and foreign literature and culture.Therefore,the ideological and political tasks of the curriculum are particularly prominent.This research takes a fragment of selected British and American literature as an example to analyze the paths and methods of ideological and political coordination between British and American literature and curriculum,and to explore new ways of educating students in colleges and universities using British and American literature in the new era.

Effects of two kinds of transgenic poplar on protective enzymes system in the midgut of larvae of American white moth

The leaves of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) transgenic poplar (Populus nigra L.) and CpTI (Cowpea trypsin inhibitor) transgenic poplar ((P. tomentosa×P. bolleana)×P. Tomentosa) were taken to feed the 4th-5th-instar larvae of American white moth (Hyphantria cunea (Drury)) for determination of the activities of the protective enzyme system inside larvae’s body. The physiological and biochemical effects of the transgenic poplars on the larvae were studied. The results showed that the two kinds of transgenic poplars had similar effects on the protective enzyme system in the midgut of larvae. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase in midgut of the larvae increased gradually, reached the highest value at a certain time, and then decreased suddenly. For the larvae that were fed with the leaves of Bt transgenic poplar, the peak value of superoxide dismutase and catalase presented at the time of 24-h feeding, while the peak of peroxidase took place at the time of 12-h feeding. The activities of these protective enzymes for the larvae that were fed with leaves of CpTI transgenic poplar peaked 12 h later than that of those fed with leaves of Bt transgenic poplar. The comparison of activities of the protective enzymes was also carried out between the larvae with different levels of intoxication. It was found that the activities of protective enzyme of the seriously intoxicant larvae were higher than that of the lightly intoxicant larvae. This difference was more obvious in the group treated with CpTI transgenic poplar.

“微时代”背景下科技新闻传播报道的创新研究——以科学美国人网(Scientific American)为例

当今,新媒体发展进入了"微时代":"微媒体"、"微内容"、"微用户"等特点对科技新闻的传播报道提出了新的要求。科学美国人网站(Scientific American,简称SA)将诸多资源整合,在传播战略层面实现融合化、社会化、平台化;业务报道力求将"微报道"可视化、趣味化,为我们提供了新媒介环境下科技新闻创新发展的借鉴样本。中国科技新闻媒体可以应时搭建适应微时代发展的全媒体平台,树立翻译意识,深入浅出,增加科技报道的趣味性,让公众不仅"易读",更要"悦读"。