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.

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.

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.

Shaping American Identity

After the War of Independence, America stood out as a new country, while its literature was greatly influenced by those ofEuropean. In many people's eyes, Americans had no literature. Washington Irving, together with James Fennimore Cooper, firstbroke the dependence on English literature, and created plenty of works in the native style. In this article,"Rip Van Winkle"is an-alyzed to show how Irving revealed the American culture and style, which is mainly presented in the respect of American dream.

The dry and hot American Southwest under the present and future climates

由于正在持续的特大干旱,更频繁的洪水,热浪以及导致空气污染的山火,美国西南部目前正在经历气候危机.这些气候危机主要与水文气候过程相关,尤其是气候系统各圈层之间的水汽通量.本研究主要讨论目前一些水文系统的科学基站以及物理驱动因素,比如北美夏季风以及太平洋北美遥相关.本研究指出降水以及气温对于干旱的相对作用的理论和工具.确定内部变率和外部强迫对于美国西南部水文气候系统的相对作用尤为重要.展望未来,需要研究高分辨率模拟系统,加强降水以及温度对于水文气候系统相对作用的理解,外部强迫的作用以及通过科学家以及其他利益相关者之间的合作.

“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"。

The American archivist(1971～2011)研究主题及其特点初探

本文以美国档案工作者协会会刊(The American archivist)为研究对象,通过对其研究主题的统计分析,结合相关资料,总结了该杂志研究主题的分布及其相关特点,以为国内的档案学研究和档案学期刊建设提供参考。

Missionary Impulses and American Isolationism and Expansionism

Isolationism and expansionism are two themes of American diplomacy. From the beginning of the state’s history, isolationism and expansionism have manifested themselves as two policy imperatives in American diplomacy. On the surface, isolationism and expansionism represent contradictory attitudes and assumptions about America’s proper relationship with the outside world: isolationism advocates diplomatic and military non-entanglement in world affairs; expansionism urges active involvement in external affairs. But in a deeper sense, both isolationism and expansionism are manifestations of American sense of mission, the belief that the US has a special role to perform for all nations in the world. Isolationism is a passive approach to accomplish that mission: it emphasizes the exemplary nature of their country. Expansionism stresses the need for active involvement to achieve that mission; thus, is an active approach to American mission.

Lies Interspersed in the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

America was prosperous in material terms in the 1920 s but meanwhile experienced severe spiritual crisis at the same time."Traditional morals and values were challenged, and even‘American Dream'as the symbol of American spirit,was questioned."1 Under the urge of monetary benefits, lies made up by different main characters in the mere pursuit of their American dreams but end with the deceptive illusions.The article mainly reveals a recession of Americans' values in the form of self-centered falsehoods hidden in the prosperous surface of Jazz Age.

A Brief Reading of American Urban Culture in Post-Industrialization Era

In the wake of great expansion of cities as centers of production,the post-industrialization era saw American urban tran-sitions and transformations with cultural diversification highlighting consumption,service,marketing and cultural integration.Cul-tural variations in cities,under the influence of non-material production,constantly worked for urban re-invention and urban re-newal,facilitating and expediting a high-level urban development.

The Present Situation of Chattel Guarantee System and Its Improvements—Taking the Angle of American Uniform Commercial Code(UCC)

Although there are appropriate stipulations for the chattel guarantees in the law of China, this guarantee system could not adapt to the request of economy's development because of the following reasons: the scope of chattel guarantees is narrow according to relevant stipulations; the transaction cost of the chattel is high; mortgage registration of chattel is in a mess; lack of efficiently executive guarantee system, etc. To counter the problems existing in the present Chinese chattel guarantee system, in this article, the author proposed some corresponding suggestions and countermeasures, hoping to perfect the chattel guarantee system in China.

Movie-assisted Teaching and Learning of British and American Novels

There is a great discovery that most respondents prefer to use movies to assist their learning of English novels and they are more competent in the course according to a survey. Through watching movies, learners could better understand and appreciate the basic elements of a novel including plot, character, setting, narrative point of view, theme and style. Thus this approach is recommended to teachers and learners of British and American novels.

An Interpretation to the Modern American Dream in the Pursuit of Happyness

Focuses on the modern American Dream,with the movie the Pursuit of Happyness as the background,this paper analyzes every hero's American Dream in the movie and the hard process of pursuing the dreams so as to make people rethinking the American Dream expressed in the movie and understanding the distinct characteristics of the modern American Dream.

A Contrastive Analysis of American Dream and China Dream

As one part of social ideology,Country Dream not only deeply engraves in the people’s heart but also continuously pushes the country forward.American Dream and China Dream are widely adored by its people respectively.This thesis is designated to unearth the differences between American Dream and China Dream.It is hoped that readers will develop a more objective understanding of the two concepts.

The Collision of Individualism in Chinese and American Talent Shows——A Case Study of American Idol and Super Girls

Recently,American talent shows with its unique glamour and huge profit have attracted many Chinese TV stations to imitate.The process of imitation is essentially a collision of American and Chinese cultures.This study focuses on American Idol and Super Girls,discusses their different manifestations of individualism and analyzes the reasons behind it.The analysis shows that the differences of the two countries'cultural background contribute to the different manifestations of individualism.In a word,during the process of imitating American talent shows,the problems of Chinese talent shows indicate that American individualism has its positive as well as negative effects.Consequently,Chinese people should hold a critical attitude toward American individualism.