Clinicopathological alterations in wild mammals from the reservoir system of Trypanosoma cruzi:a scoping review

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease.This flagellated protozoan is transmitted to humans as well as different species of domestic and wild animals via vectors from the Reduviidae family(known as"kissing bugs").Despite the fact that hundreds of species of wild mammals are part of the reservoir system,the morphologi-cal changes and clinical manifestations resulting from the pathogenesis of the infection have been largely neglected.The aim of this review is to systematically compile the available information regarding clinicopathological altera-tions in wild mammals due to natural infection by T.cruzi.Information was obtained from six online bibliographic data search platforms,resulting in the identification of 29 publications that met the inclusion criteria.Mortality was the most common clinical manifestation,cardiac damage was the main finding at necropsy,and lymphoplas-macytic inflammation was the most frequent microscopic injury.Thus,regardless of its role as a reservoir,T.cruzi has the potential to affect the health status of wild mammals,a situation that highlights the need for further research to analyze,measure,and compare its effects at both the individual and population levels.

Impact of pre- and peri-operative risk factors on length of stay and hospital readmission following minimally-invasive partial nephrectomy

Objective:We conducted an analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database for minimally-invasive partial nephrectomy cases reported with the goal to identify pre-and peri-operative variables associated with length of stay(LOS)greater than 3 days and readmission within 30 days.Methods:Records from 2008 to 2018 for“laparoscopy,surgical;partial nephrectomy”for prolonged LOS and readmission cohorts were compiled.Univariate analysis with Chi-square,t-tests,and multivariable logistic regression analysis with odds ratios(ORs),p-values,and 95%confidence intervals assessed statistical associations.Results:Totally,20306 records for LOS greater than 3 days and 15854 for readmission within 30 days were available.Univariate and multivariable analysis exhibited similar results.For LOS greater than 3 days,undergoing non-elective surgery(OR=5.247),transfusion of greater than four units within 72 h prior to surgery(OR=5.072),pre-operative renal failure or dialysis(OR=2.941),and poor pre-operative functional status(OR=2.540)exhibited the strongest statistically significant associations.For hospital readmission within 30 days,loss in body weight greater than 10%in 6 months prior to surgery(OR=2.227)and bleeding disorders(OR=2.081)exhibited strongest statistically significant associations.Conclusion:Multiple pre-and peri-operative risk factors are independently associated with prolonged LOS and hospital readmission within 30 days of surgery using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data.Recognizing the risks factors that can potentially be improved prior to minimally-invasive partial nephrectomy is crucial to informing patient selection,optimization strategies,and patient education.

Computed tomography-based radiomics diagnostic approach for differential diagnosis between early-and late-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND One of the primary reasons for the dismal survival rates in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is that most patients are usually diagnosed at late stages.There is an urgent unmet clinical need to identify and develop diagnostic methods that could precisely detect PDAC at its earliest stages.METHODS A total of 71 patients with pathologically proved PDAC based on surgical resection who underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)within 30 d prior to surgery were included in the study.Tumor staging was performed in accordance with the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system.Radiomics features were extracted from the region of interest(ROI)for each patient using Analysis Kit software.The most important and predictive radiomics features were selected using Mann-Whitney U test,univar-iate logistic regression analysis,and minimum redundancy maximum relevance(MRMR)method.Random forest(RF)method was used to construct the radiomics model,and 10-times leave group out cross-validation(LGOCV)method was used to validate the robustness and reproducibility of the model.RESULTS A total of 792 radiomics features(396 from late arterial phase and 396 from portal venous phase)were extracted from the ROI for each patient using Analysis Kit software.Nine most important and predictive features were selected using Mann-Whitney U test,univariate logistic regression analysis,and MRMR method.RF method was used to construct the radiomics model with the nine most predictive radiomics features,which showed a high discriminative ability with 97.7%accuracy,97.6%sensitivity,97.8%specificity,98.4%positive predictive value,and 96.8%negative predictive value.The radiomics model was proved to be robust and reproducible using 10-times LGOCV method with an average area under the curve of 0.75 by the average performance of the 10 newly built models.CONCLUSION The radiomics model based on CT could serve as a promising non-invasive method in differential diagnosis between early and late stage PDAC.

热风干燥和冷冻干燥对西洋参外观、显微特征和人参皂苷含量影响的比较研究

Purpose Our purpose was to compare the difference between hot-air dried American ginseng(HDAG)(Panacis Quinquefolii Radix)and freeze-dried American ginseng(FDAG)(Panacis Quinquefolii Radix)and provide a better drying approach for improv-ing the quality of American ginseng(Panacis Quinquefolii Radix).Methods In our present study,we compared the appearance features of HDAG and FDAG using a CR-410 colorimeter and scanning electron microscopy.Furthermore,we qualitatively and quantitatively determined ginsenosides in HDAG and FDAG by using UPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-MS/MS and high-performance liquid chromatography.Results Our present results showed that compared to the hot-air drying method,freeze-drying(FD)has obvious advantages in not only good appearances but also higher bioactive constituents for drying the American ginseng(Panacis Quinquefolii Radix).Conclusion FD is beneficial for the retention of ginsenosides in American ginseng(Panacis Quinquefolii Radix)and also helpful for maintaining the bioactive effects of this functional food.

New Developments in the Trumpification of the US Republican

The prominent performance of former US President Donald J.Trump in the 2024 presidential election cycle ref lects the ongoing developments of the Trumpification of the Republican Party(GOP).Since Trump left office,the Trumpification of the GOP has continued.In terms of ideological shaping,Trumpification is ref lected in the fact that the political stance of the GOP is dominated by Trump.In terms of personal influence,Trumpification is manifested by the overall acceptance of GOP elites and voters toward Trump's presidential candidacy,notwithstanding a decrease in their satisfaction with him.The recent developments in Trumpification are intricately linked to Trump's influence on the GOP's political ecology,such as the formation of a new GOP coalition and the reshaping of GOP elite composition.Additionally,these developments are also inf luenced by specific political factors,including the unique circumstances of the 2020 presidential election that led to Tr ump's“quasi-incumbent”status and the economic and immigration issues in the 2024 election that favor Trump.The role Trump plays in the 2024 election and its outcome will be critical in determining whether the inf luence of Trumpification,especially Trump himself,will persist or undergo changes.

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.

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.

Research trends in pharmacogenomics of immune diseases:A bibliometric study

Background:Numerous academic studies have explored the utilization of pharmacogenomics in the context of immunologic diseases in recent years.Despite this,there is a notable absence of scientometric analyses focusing on the literature within this domain.Methods:This study employs bibliometric methods to systematically categorize the literature pertaining to pharmacogenomics in the context of immune diseases,with the aim of identifying research trends,key areas of interest,and prominent research institutions in this field.Results:Scientometric analysis compared 812 international publications with 71 Chinese publications,finding that the prevailing international research focus is on the precise dosing and therapy of immunosuppressants like mercaptopurine,a topic more extensively explored than in Chinese literature.Conclusion:It is found that the research focus is centered on precision medication and therapy,with a particular emphasis on the utilization of different immunosuppressants like mercaptopurine and tacrolimus.Furthermore,it is anticipated that precision dosing of emerging immunosuppressants like sirolimus will be a significant are a of future research.

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 Corpus-Based Behavioral Profile Study of the Near-Synonyms: Serious, Severe, Grave, Grievous

Using Corpus of Contemporary American English as the source data,this paper carries out a corpus-based behavioral profile study to investigate four near-synonymous adjectives(serious,severe,grave,and grievous),focusing on their register and the types of nouns they each modify.Although sharing core meaning,these adjectives exhibit variations in formality levels and usage patterns.The identification of fine-grained usage differences complements the current inadequacies in describing these adjectives.Furthermore,the study reaffirms the effectiveness of the corpus-based behavioral profile approach in examining synonym differences.

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.

The Brilliance of a Poet in Different Musical Works:Exploring the Poetry of Emily Dickinson

It is easy to see that many composers’success throughout Western music history is due to the perfect match between their songs and lyrics.This phenomenon is lateral evidence of the importance of beautiful poetry for composers.A good poem can provide different inspiration for many composers.In music and other artistic fields,creators have always faced the same dilemma:How do they highlight their creations in a blossoming body of work?How do they reform or innovate after peaking at a certain point in a field?In this paper,we will take a look at the poet Emily Dickinson and four songs based on her poetry,examining how different composers bring out the unique beauty of her works.

Growth trends and environmental drivers of major tree species of the northern hardwood forest of eastern North America

The future health and productivity of tree species in the northern hardwood forest of eastern North America are uncertain considering changes in climate and pollution loading there.To better understand the trajectory of the northern hardwood forest,we studied the growth of three tree species emblematic of it:sugar maple(Acer saccharum Marsh),American beech(Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.),and yellow birch(Betula alleghaniensis Britton),plus a fourth species,red maple(Acer rubrum L.),whose abundance has increased in the region.We also analyzed the link between growth and several factors for690 trees in 45 plots throughout Vermont,USA:tree age and size,site elevation,and climate and acid deposition variables.Throughout their chronologies(1945-2014),all four species exhibited increasing growth followed by plateaued growth indicative of a maturing forest.For all species,summer moisture was positively correlated with growth,summer temperature was negatively associated with growth,and winter moisture or snow were positively correlated with growth.This last association was expected for sugar maple.However,our data suggest that winter snowpack may be more broadly relevant in sustaining tree growth in a region where snow has historically insulated the soil from freezing that can damage roots and lead to reduced aboveground growth.Measures of pollution deposition were also correlated with growth for all species except American beech—a species with documented tolerance to pollutant inputs.Of the four species studied,red maple had the fewest associations with environmental variables,which suggests that it may be less susceptible to growth reductions as the climate changes.

A Light-Weight Deep Learning-Based Architecture for Sign Language Classification

With advancements in computing powers and the overall quality of images captured on everyday cameras,a much wider range of possibilities has opened in various scenarios.This fact has several implications for deaf and dumb people as they have a chance to communicate with a greater number of people much easier.More than ever before,there is a plethora of info about sign language usage in the real world.Sign languages,and by extension the datasets available,are of two forms,isolated sign language and continuous sign language.The main difference between the two types is that in isolated sign language,the hand signs cover individual letters of the alphabet.In continuous sign language,entire words’hand signs are used.This paper will explore a novel deep learning architecture that will use recently published large pre-trained image models to quickly and accurately recognize the alphabets in the American Sign Language(ASL).The study will focus on isolated sign language to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve a high level of classification accuracy on the data,thereby showing that interpreters can be implemented in the real world.The newly proposed Mobile-NetV2 architecture serves as the backbone of this study.It is designed to run on end devices like mobile phones and infer signals(what does it infer)from images in a relatively short amount of time.With the proposed architecture in this paper,the classification accuracy of 98.77%in the Indian Sign Language(ISL)and American Sign Language(ASL)is achieved,outperforming the existing state-of-the-art systems.

Transplanted: Chinese Herbal Medicine in the United States, 1800-1911

Chinese medicine has a long history in the United States, dating back to its colonial period and extending up to the present. This essay focuses on the earliest generation of practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine in the United States. Although acupuncture is the modality most commonly associated with Chinese medicine in today's medical marketplace, up until the 1970s, Chinese healers in the United States typically specialized in herbalism. Well before mass emigration from China to the United States began, Chinese material medica crossed the oceans, in both directions: Chinese medicinal teas and herbs came west while Appalachian ginseng went east. Beginning in the 1850s, Chinese immigrants came to the United States and transplanted their health practices, sometimes quite literally by propagating medicinal plants in their adopted home. Over time, Chinese doctors learned how to sell their services to non-Chinese patients by presenting herbalism as “nature's remedies.”

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.

ASL Recognition by the Layered Learning Model Using Clustered Groups

American Sign Language(ASL)images can be used as a communication tool by determining numbers and letters using the shape of the fingers.Particularly,ASL can have an key role in communication for hearing-impaired persons and conveying information to other persons,because sign language is their only channel of expression.Representative ASL recognition methods primarily adopt images,sensors,and pose-based recognition techniques,and employ various gestures together with hand-shapes.This study briefly reviews these attempts at ASL recognition and provides an improved ASL classification model that attempts to develop a deep learning method with meta-layers.In the proposed model,the collected ASL images were clustered based on similarities in shape,and clustered group classification was first performed,followed by reclassification within the group.The experiments were conducted with various groups using different learning layers to improve the accuracy of individual image recognition.After selecting the optimized group,we proposed a meta-layered learning model with the highest recognition rate using a deep learning method of image processing.The proposed model exhibited an improved performance compared with the general classification model.

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.

Improving Interventions on Cardiovascular Disease and Diet: A Policy Incentive Analysis

Various Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) can be catastrophic and can lead to irreversible outcomes. Despite improved interventions for CVD prevention awareness, there continues to be discussion and research on diet-related CVD and mortality without addressing the problem. Instead of prioritizing public guidelines and policies, policymakers should understand CVD and address population barriers to adhering to a healthy diet that decreases CVD risk. Therefore, this project aims to analyze federal healthy food incentive policies to promote healthy diet behaviors that reduce CVD risk. The method used was existing data for a comparative policy analysis that included a policy proposal process: phases of progression, measures, and a policy model with data collection and requirements. This analysis compared a current federal food incentive program versus the proposed program. Results of the final analysis derived from the literature review and collected data stated consuming foods from the Mediterranean and other low-fat and low-salt diets reduced CVD risks that also reduced other risks secondary to CVD, such as obesity, diabetes, and Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA). Comparatively, combined healthy food incentives and disincentives were more effective for improving healthy behaviors than, in some cases, even after incentives were removed. Therefore, this policy analysis supports the indication for incentive policy change. However, the lack of federal stakeholders’ response to key policy changes upon proposal submission may require other methods of proposal dissemination. Nonetheless, focusing analysis on various Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) programs instead of one, multi-state program, which may have improved analysis outcomes, was the lesson learned.