Modelling Foot and Mouth Disease in the Context of Active Immigrants

This study employs mathematical modeling to analyze the impact of active immigrants on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) transmission dynamics. We calculate the reproduction number (R0) using the next-generation matrix approach. Applying the Routh-Hurwitz Criterion, we establish that the Disease-Free Equilibrium (DFE) point achieves local asymptotic stability when R0 α1 and α2) are closely associated with reduced susceptibility in animal populations, underscoring the link between immigrants and susceptibility. Furthermore, our findings emphasize the interplay of disease introduction with population response and adaptation, particularly involving incoming infectious immigrants. Swift interventions are vital due to the limited potential for disease establishment and rapid susceptibility decline. This study offers crucial insights into the complexities of FMD transmission with active immigrants, informing effective disease management strategies.

Comparative analysis of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis:A seven-year experience from a refugee host country,Turkiye

Objective:To investigate and compare the demographic characteristics,clinical findings,and laboratory results of pulmonary tuberculosis(PTB)and extrapulmonary tuberculosis(EPTB)patients,among Turkish citizens,and foreign nationals.Methods:This study included patients aged 18 and over,both Turkish citizens and foreign nationals,diagnosed with PTB or EPTB between 2016 and 2022.All patients were divided into PTB and EPTB group,and demographic characteristics,clinical findings,and laboratory results were compared.Patients with both PTB and EPTB were not included in the comparison.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify potential risk factors for PTB.Results:Among the 261 TB cases included,46 patients(17.6%)had PTB,and 188(72%)had EPTB.The percentage of female patients was significantly higher(P=0.003)in EPTB compared to PTB group.While the prevalence of diabetes mellitus(P=0.002),hypertension(P=0.017),coronary obstructive pulmonary disease(P=0.001),congestive heart failure(P=0.005),coronary artery disease(P=0.001)and immunosuppressive medication use(P=0.017)were significantly higher in PTB patients than in EPTB patients.Multivariate logistical analysis reveals that male(OR 2.6,95%CI 1.3-5.5,P=0.009),diabetes mellitus(OR 2.7,95%CI 1.2-6.1,P=0.015),and asthma(OR 6.3,95%CI 1.2-33.9,P=0.032)were associated with an increased risk of PTB.Social security coverage(P<0.001)and regular employment status(P<0.001)were found to be lower and the presence of multidrug resistance(P=0.002),isoniazid resistance(P=0.012),and rifampin resistance(P=0.012)were found to be significantly higher in foreign-national TB patients comparing with Turkiye citizens.Conclusions:Patients with PTB need to be evaluated for comorbidities and PTB should be investigated in men,in patients with diabetes mellitus or asthma if there are clinical findings suspicious for TB.TB screening for foreign nationals upon entry into the country is essential for TB control and elimination.

Plain language in the healthcare of Japan:a systematic review of“plain Japanese”

Objective:Despite the decrease in the number of foreign visitors and residents in Japan due to the coronavirus disease 2019,a resurgence is remarkable from 2022.However,Japan's medical support system for foreign patients,especially residents,is inadequate,with language barriers potentially causing health disparities.Comprehensive interpretation and translation services are challenging,but“plain Japanese”may be a viable alternative for foreign patients with basic Japanese language skills.This study explores the application and obstacles of plain Japanese in the medical sector.Methods:A literature review was performed across these databases:Web of Science,PubMed,Google Scholar,Scopus,CINAHL Plus,Springer Link and Ichushi-Web(Japanese medical literature).The search covered themes related to healthcare,care for foreign patients,and scholarly articles,and was conducted in July 2023.Results:The study incorporated five papers.Each paper emphasized the language barriers foreign residents in Japan face when accessing healthcare,highlighting the critical role and necessity of plain Japanese in medical environments.Most of the reports focused on the challenges of delivering medical care to foreign patients and the training of healthcare professionals in using plain Japanese for communication.Conclusion:The knowledge and application of plain Japanese among healthcare professionals are inadequate,and literature also remains scarce.With the increasing number of foreign residents in Japan,the establishment of a healthcare system that effectively uses plain Japanese is essential.However,plain Japanese may not be the optimal linguistic assistance in certain situations,thus it is imperative to encourage more research and reports on healthcare services using plain Japanese.

Gastric Cancer Disparities in the United States: Overcoming the Barriers

In this narrative review, we highlight the disparities in the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer across various racial and ethnic populations in the United States (US). Despite the low and decreasing trend in the incidence of gastric cancer in the US, the incidence remains significantly high among Asian and Hispanic Americans, showing a striking racial and ethnic disparity. The low survival rate of gastric cancer further accentuates the magnitude of this disparity. In addition, there is a marked funding disparity among different cancers in the US, reflecting the significantly lower level of support for cancers, such as gastric cancer, which are more prevalent in minority populations, compared to the cancers more prevalent among non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Moreover, the economic burden from health disparities remains high. Although studies from the US and Asia suggest that screening for stomach cancer may be cost-effective, there is no currently available guideline for scree-ning high-risk populations in the US. A multidimensional framework involving the community, physicians, and policymakers is proposed to tackle these gastric cancer disparities and to develop population-based screening and surveillance programs to reduce the burden of gastric cancer.

Research on Intergenerational Writing in Contemporary German Immigrant Literature

With the deepening of globalization,immigration and pluralism have become increasingly common social phenomena.The research of the resulting immigrant literature is an important way to understand the mental journey of immigrant groups and their construction of cultural identity.In the German-speaking area,immigrant literature has gradually taken center stage over the years,becoming an important part of the German language literature,and immigrant writers have also frequently won various literary prizes,which can be described as particularly dazzling.Meanwhile,generations of writers have been thinking about and exploring the intergenerational relationships and differences among immigrant groups in the context of their own experiences.This paper will focus on some outstanding immigrant writers and discuss the intergenerational writing in immigrant literature by means of their works.

Logistics,Supply Chain Management,and Taiwan residents Immigration Assessed in Light of Globalization

Organizations regardless of size can take advantage of the market dynamics brought about by globalization.Supply chain management is crucial for large organizations,especially with regard to the costs,complexity,and risks of its large,often global,supply chains.From technology to risk management,learning what it takes to navigate transportation and logistics business management in today’s volatile world is critical.Human migration has accelerated in light of globalization and rapid advances in transportation(particularly aviation)technology.This study investigated the connection between logistics and supply chain management in the age of globalization;reviewed the migration,settlement,and naturalization of Taiwan residents immigrants along the West Coast of the United States;and theoretically analyzed the forces that have led to the construction of the Taiwan residents immigrant community.Taiwan residents immigrants and their settlement are affected by global forces,and factors such as their cross-cultural trade,the characteristics of diasporic communities,and their national identity can provide scholarly and pedagogical insights.

Conflicts & Immigration Impacts on Built Environment: A Case Study of Arab Marshes in Iraq

The importance of water to our lives cannot be overemphasized as it is the source of all living things. Water scarcity is a concern in many Middle Eastern nations due to war and politics. Many people lose their essence due to actions made by their rulers, such as the Marsh Arabs. Water and biodiversity should be considered, and governments should be held accountable for attaining a more balanced lifestyle and reducing immigrant levels. Many academics have also explored the hydro-immigration of marshland residents. They suffer more hazards due to a lack of money, poor education, and social instability than their colleagues who remain in their own country. Furthermore, they have insufficient health care and have difficulty integrating into the new community. This implies that not all nations that receive such migrants can implement programs to assist the immigrants. This research reveals how wars, hydro-politics, and immigration issues have drastically affected architecture and social structures in the Arab Marshes region, leading to ecological destruction, mass migrations, and cultural loss. Therefore, this work focuses on the need to critically investigate all factors covered within the context of this research.

The Commitment to Promoting a Culture of Equity in Quebec Secondary Schools: Insights from School Stakeholders - A Secondary Publication

This paper presents the results of a research project on the intercultural climate in schools and the academic success of immigrant students in Quebec.The intercultural climate in eight secondary public schools is documented from the standpoint of various school and community stakeholders,students,and parents.More specifically,the paper focuses on the commitment to promoting cultural equity,which is identified through interviews with the targeted stakeholders on exclusionary practices and processes and the practices implemented to counter them.The results identify five areas of vulnerability among certain minoritized groups of students:the transition from welcoming to regular classes for those students learning French,evaluation and support for those experiencing learning or behavioral difficulties,the referral of these students to adult education programs or work-oriented training programs,their participation in extracurricular activities,and their access to special school projects.Nonetheless,some schools do report the introduction of many equity practices in response to the exclusionary ones.However,these initiatives are mostly occasional and voluntary and pertain to interactions between individuals.These findings call for a discussion on the importance of systemic and concerted initiatives towards achieving equity.

Ableism and (Neo)Racism in School Placement Processes in Quebec: School Personnel Interpretations of Immigrant Student Difficulties - A Secondary Publication

The school placement processes of students from immigrant backgrounds considered to be in“difficulty”is an international concern at the intersection of works relating to special education and those concerning the school experiences of students from immigrant backgrounds or racialized groups.The research problem of this article concerns the identification of these students as disabled or as having adjustment or learning difficulties.From a perspective anchored in Disability Critical Race Studies,this ethnographic study documents different interpretations of perceived difficulties made by school actors with regard to seven primary school students from immigrant backgrounds.Five interpretation types are presented:(1)medicalization by dismissal of cultural markers,(2)medicalization by professional constraint,(3)medicalization by cultural deficit,(4)precautionary wait,and(5)cultural differentialism.Our results help to shed light on the special education overrepresentation phenomenon regarding these students and to understand how ableism and(neo)racism contribute to it.

Relations Between School and Immigrant Families in Albertan Francophone School: Perspectives of Settlement Workers in Schools - A Secondary Publication

In recent years,Francophone schools in Alberta,a province in western Canada,have seen significant ethnocultural diversification of their school population,thus reflecting recent migratory changes in Canada.The population of a Francophone school board located in an agglomeration of Alberta reflects these new migratory trends.A partial ethnodemographic portrait carried out in 2003 in six of its schools indicates that 50%of the pupils come from an immigrant background and come from 23 different countries;mostly from sub-Saharan African countries.This demographic reality,confirmed more than a decade later,represents a major structural change for Francophone schools.In Alberta,as in other Canadian provinces,inclusion is at the heart of discourse and educational practices.With a transformative aim,it intends to promote ethnocultural diversity in the classroom and equal opportunities through school equity practices.This article focuses on the settlement workers in schools responsible for bridging family,community,and school cultures.The analysis of the interviews of the four workers sheds light on and questions both the institutional practices and the personal strategies put in place to face the challenges encountered in this tripartite collaboration.

Relocation Effects on Southern Shaanxi Province with a Case of Nanzheng County, Hanzhong City

Based on field survey and research of Hanzhong, relocation of Nanzheng County was explored and the existing problems were analyzed. Furthermore, the re- gional characters of Nanzheng County were investigated to analyze the feasibility and necessity of relocation with lots of data and evaluation was made on relocation of Nanzheng County. In addition, the existing problems of relocation were concluded and the prospect of the county was discussed, which is of significance for relocation in Nanzheng County and even southern Shaanxi Province.

On Canadian's Multiculturalism in the Late 20th Century

In 1971 the government of Canada adopted the policy of multiculturalism. Since then Canada has become the first western country to announce and implement an official policy of multiculturalism. While it is not easy to achieve this policy. The policies seem just to strengthen the racial consciousness in some extent, and the immigrant groups have to tackle the problem of how to fuse into the Canadian culture. Multiculturalism will have a bright future only if it would experience constant adjustment and improvement.

A Hybrid Immigrants Scheme for Genetic Algorithms in Dynamic Environments

Dynamic optimization problems are a kind of optimization problems that involve changes over time. They pose a serious challenge to traditional optimization methods as well as conventional genetic algorithms since the goal is no longer to search for the optimal solution（s） of a fixed problem but to track the moving optimum over time. Dynamic optimization problems have attracted a growing interest from the genetic algorithm community in recent years. Several approaches have been developed to enhance the performance of genetic algorithms in dynamic environments. One approach is to maintain the diversity of the population via random immigrants. This paper proposes a hybrid immigrants scheme that combines the concepts of elitism, dualism and random immigrants for genetic algorithms to address dynamic optimization problems. In this hybrid scheme, the best individual, i.e., the elite, from the previous generation and its dual individual are retrieved as the bases to create immigrants via traditional mutation scheme. These elitism-based and dualism-based immigrants together with some random immigrants are substituted into the current population, replacing the worst individuals in the population. These three kinds of immigrants aim to address environmental changes of slight, medium and significant degrees respectively and hence efficiently adapt genetic algorithms to dynamic environments that are subject to different severities of changes. Based on a series of systematically constructed dynamic test problems, experiments are carried out to investigate the performance of genetic algorithms with the hybrid immigrants scheme and traditional random immigrants scheme. Experimental results validate the efficiency of the proposed hybrid immigrants scheme for improving the performance of genetic algorithms in dynamic environments.

Hepatitis B virus infection in immigrant populations

Hepatitis B virus(HBV) is the most common cause of hepatitis worldwide, with nearly 350 million people chronically infected and 600000 deaths per year due to acute liver failure occurring during acute hepatitis or, more frequently, in HBV-related liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Ongoing immigration from countries with a high HBV endemicity to those with a low HBV endemicity warrants particular attention to prevent the spread of HBV infection to the native population. This review article analyzes the epidemiology and virological and clinical characteristics of HBV infection in immigrant populations and in their host countries, and suggests prophylactic measures to prevent the spread of this infection. Among the immigrants from different geographical areas, those from South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa show the highest prevalences of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBs Ag) carriers, in accordance with the high endemicity of the countries of origin. The molecular characteristics of HBV infection in immigrants reflect those of the geographical areas of origin: HBV genotype A and D predominate in immigrants from Eastern Europe, B and C in those from Asia and genotype E in those from Africa. The literature data on the clinical course and treatment of HBs Agpositive immigrants are scanty. The management of HBV infection in immigrant populations is difficult and requires expert personnel and dedicated structures for their assistance. The social services, voluntary operators and cultural mediators are essential to achieve optimized psychological and clinical intervention.

MOMENTS AND LARGE DEVIATIONS FOR SUPERCRITICAL BRANCHING PROCESSES WITH IMMIGRATION IN RANDOM ENVIRONMENTS

Let(Z_(n))be a branching process with immigration in a random environmentξ,whereξis an independent and identically distributed sequence of random variables.We show asymptotic properties for all the moments of Z_(n) and describe the decay rates of the n-step transition probabilities.As applications,a large deviation principle for the sequence log Z_(n) is established,and related large deviations are also studied.

CENTRAL LIMIT THEOREM AND CONVERGENCE RATES FOR A SUPERCRITICAL BRANCHING PROCESS WITH IMMIGRATION IN A RANDOM ENVIRONMENT

We are interested in the convergence rates of the submartingale Wn=Z_(n)/Π_(n)to its limit W,where(Π_(n))is the usually used norming sequence and(Z_(n))is a supercritical branching process with immigration(Y_(n))in a stationary and ergodic environmentξ.Under suitable conditions,we establish the following central limit theorems and results about the rates of convergence in probability or in law:(i)W-W_(n) with suitable normalization converges to the normal law N(0,1),and similar results also hold for W_(n+k)-W_(n) for each fixed k∈N^(*);(ii)for a branching process with immigration in a finite state random environment,if W_(1) has a finite exponential moment,then so does W,and the decay rate of P(|W-W_(n)|>ε)is supergeometric;(iii)there are normalizing constants an(ξ)(that we calculate explicitly)such that a_(n)(ξ)(W-W_(n))converges in law to a mixture of the Gaussian law.

Seasonal Dynamics of Male and Female Reproductive Systems in the Siberian Salamander, Salamandrella keyserlingii (Caudata, Hynobiidae)

It is not well known how low temperatures, like a subarctic steppe–tundra climate, influence reproductive traits of ectothermic vertebrates. To begin answering this question, we studied male and female reproductive systems of Salamandrella keyserlingii inhabiting a Tomsk population（southeast of Western Siberia）, Russia, in ecological and physiological terms. In males, before spermiation, the testicular size and weight in late April–early May were greatest of all. Spermiation occurred during breeding immigration in spring when mean air temperature was above 10°С, and at the same time rain fell. After spermiation, the testicular size and weight decreased sharply, and the diameter of the vasa deferentia increased. ＂Spawning＂（i.e., simultaneous extrusion of sperm and oviposition） occurred from late April to late May, and this duration fluctuated in temperature and humidity. The testicular size and weight increased in summer. Sperm mass was detected in the testes by the smear method in April–September, except in June when single fragmented unrealized sperm was detected and in July when spermatids were detected. In females, ovarian weight was greatest in spring before ovulation. From late June, vitellogenesis began in ovarian follicles, in which mint green yolks accumulated. Melanin deposited in the surface of the ovary from July when oviducts were hypertrophying. In contrast, some large-sized females did not show any sexual maturity shortly before hibernation（although these females may be subadults）. These results suggest that low temperatures in Siberia induce early timing of gamete maturation in females, but the females＇ reproductive cycle might also be biennial. A reproductive cycle in males was annual with the completion of the gamete maturation process in August.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE LANDFALLING STRONG TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE CATASTROPHIC MIGRATIONS OF NILAPARVATA LUGENS(STL) IN CHINA

In order to clarify the statistical pattern by which landfalling strong tropical cyclones(LSTCs)influenced the catastrophic migrations of rice brown planthopper(BPH),Nilaparvata lugens(stl)in China,the data of the LSTCs in China and the lighting catches of BPH that covered the main Chinese rice-growing regions from 1979 to 2008 were collected and analyzed in this work with the assistance of ArcGIS9.3,a software of geographic information system.The results were as follows:(1)In China,there were 220 strong tropical cyclones that passed the main rice-growing regions and 466 great events of BPH’s immigration in the 30 years from 1979 to 2008.73 of them resulted in the occurrence of BPH’s catastrphic migration(CM)events directly and 147 of them produced indirect effect on the migrations.(2)The number of the LSTCs was variable in different years during 1979 to 2008 and their influence was not the same in the BPH’s northward and southward migrations in the years.In the 30 years,the LSTCs brought more obvious influence on the migrations in 1980,1981,2005,2006 and 2007.The influence was the most obvious in2007 and all of the 7 LSTCs produced remarkable impact on the CMs of BPH’s populations.The effect of the LSTCs on the northward immigration of BPH’s populations was the most serious in 2006 and the influence on the southward immigration was the most remarkable in 2005.(3)In these years,the most of LSTCs occurred in July,August and September and great events of BPH's immigration occurred most frequently in the same months.The LSTCs played a more important role on the CM of BPH’s populations in the three months than in other months.(4)The analysis on the spatial distribution of the LSTCs and BPH’s immigration events for the different provinces showed that the BPH’s migrations in the main rice-growing regions of the Southeastern China were influenced by the LSTCs and the impact was different with the change of their spatial probability distribution during their passages.The most serious influence of the LSTCs on the BPH’s migrations occurred in Guangdong and Fujian provinces.(5)The statistical results indicated that a suitable insect source is an indispensable condition of the CMs of BPH when a LSTC influenced a rice-growing region.

Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in female Vietnamese immigrants to Korea

AIM： To investigate the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori （H. pylorl） and its relationship to nutritional fac- tors in female Vietnamese immigrants to Korea. METHODS： A total of 390 female immigrants from Vietnam and 206 Korean male spouses participated in the study. Blood samples from 321 female immigrants and 201 Korean male spouses were analyzed for H. py- Iori antibodies. Data on age, sex, alcohol consumption, smoking status, dietary nutritional factors and gastro- intestinal symptoms were collected using question- naires. The daily intakes of the following nutrients were estimated： energy, protein, niacin, lipid, fiber, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, zinc, folate, cholesterol, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and E. RESULTS： The prevalence of H. py/ori positivity was lower in the immigrants than in age-matched Koreanfemales （55.7% vs 71.4%, respectively; P 〈 0.0001） and the domestic population of Vietnam. The preva- lence of H. pylori positivity among married couples was 31.7% for both spouses. There were no statistically sig- nificant differences in the incidence of smoking, amount of alcohol consumed, or nutritional factors between the H. pylori-positive and negative groups. CONCLUSION： The prevalence of H. pylori positivity was lower among female Vietnamese immigrants than among Korean females. Nutritional factors did not differ between the H. pylori-positive and negative groups.

IMMIGRATION, GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION AND SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS OF AMERICAN CHINESE

In 1994, the total Chinese population in the United States were 2,017,799 which were 0.8 percent of the total US population. The Chinese population were highly concentrated by regions and among the total population. By states, 42 percent of total Chinese population were found in California, 17 percent in New York. More than 80 percent total Chinese population were concentrated in 9 states. By metropolitan areas, 14.73 percent of total Chinese population were found in Los Angeles and New York respectively. Compared with the total US population, 60 percent Chinese population were found in less than 20 percent total US population and 80 percent in 50 percent. By studying the Chinese population distribution and the reason behind it, we hope to find some interesting relationships among the characteristics of this distribution and the historical, cultural, social and economic factors influencing it.