Women’s empowerment and food consumption:Evidence from female-headed households in Tanzania

Despite the growing recognition of women’s increasing role in the household and corresponding empowerment programs in sub-Saharan Africa,intensive research on the relationship between women’s influence and household food consumption is minimal.Using the most recent(2017-2018)national household survey data from Tanzania,this study examined the influence of women’s empowerment on household food consumption.First,we compared the monthly consumption of eight food categories between female-headed households(FHHs)and male-headed households(MHHs)using both descriptive statistics and the propensity score matching(PSM)method.Furthermore,we adopted the two-stage Linear Expenditure System and Almost Ideal Demand System model(LES-AIDS)to estimate income and price elasticities for the two household types.The results show that FHHs consume bread and cereals,fish,oils and fats,vegetables,and confectionery(sugar,jam,honey,chocolate,etc.)more than MHHs.Moreover,FHHs have a significantly higher income elasticity of demand for all food groups than MHHs.They are also more price elastic than MHHs in meat,fish,oils,fats,sugar,jam,honey,chocolate,etc.

Impact of gynecological cancers on women’s mental health

Gynecological cancers and their treatments are associated with both specific and non-specific long-term physiological effects.Cancer patients face transformations in their lifestyle,body image,role,and social interactions and suffer from physical,psychological,and economic problems.The mental health of cancer patients is of great importance and requires special attention,as growing evidence demonstrates its influence not only on quality of life but also on treatment com-pliance.Gynecological cancers have peculiar psychological consequences,which are linked to the specificity of the site of the neoplasia.Clinicians should be aware of the importance of protecting the psychophysical health of these patients and the fact that their physical health and quality of life also depend on the quality of their mental health.It is possible to structure targeted and effective prevention interventions and treatments to reduce psychological distress and improve the quality of life of subjects living with gynecological cancers.

Crystalline and amorphous metal sulfide composite electrode materials with long cycle life:Preparation and performance of hybrid capacitors

Crystalline@amorphous NiCo_(2)S_(4)@MoS_(2)(v-NCS@MS)nanostructures were designed and constructed via an ethylene glycol-induced strategy with hydrothermal synthesis and solvothermal method,which simultaneously realized the defect regulation of crystal NiCo_(2)S_(4) in the core.Taking advantage of the flexible protection of an amor-phous shell and the high capacity of a conductive core with defects,the v-NCS@MS electrode exhibited high specif-ic capacity(1034 mAh·g^(-1) at 1 A·g^(-1))and outstanding rate capability.Moreover,a hybrid supercapacitor was assembled with v-NCS@MS as cathode and activated carbon(AC)as anode,which can achieve remarkably high specific energy of 111 Wh·kg^(-1) at a specific power of 219 W·kg^(-1) and outstanding capacity retention of 80.5%after 15000 cycling at different current densities.

Quality of life in women with cervical precursor lesions and cancer:a prospective, 6-month, hospital-based study in China

The overall survival of patients with cervical cancer has improved due to detection at an early stage and availability of comprehensive treatments in China. As patients' lives prolonged, it is important to understand their health-related quality of life(QoL) during and after treatment. We used the EQ-5D questionnaire to assess QoL of 194 patients with cervical lesions at Sichuan University West China Second Hospital between May 2010 and January 2011. Patients were surveyed before primary treatment and at 1, 3, and 6 months after primary treatment. Results showed a consistent decline in EQ-5D scores in the spectrum of cervical lesions at each time point after treatment(all P < 0.05). For patients with precursor lesions, there was an increasing trend along the timeline of treatment(P < 0.01). For patients with early-stage cervical cancer, EQ-5D scores declined in the first month(P = 0.01) and gradually increased to higher levels at 6 months post-treatment than those before treatment(P < 0.01). EQ-5D scores followed a similar trend in patients with advanced cervical cancer(P = 0.04), though they did not statistically rebound after 6 months(0.84 ± 0.19 vs. 0.86 ± 0.11, P = 0.62). Regarding advanced cervical cancer, EQ-5D scores for women above 40 years of age appeared to recover more rapidly and reached higher levels than those for women below 40 years(P = 0.03). Caution and extra care are recommended in the early period of cervical cancer treatment given the slight deterioration in the QoL, and in particular, for younger cervical cancer patients. Our study implies that health care providers may need to improve the health-related QoL of cervical cancer patients.

The Three Principles of Institutional Safeguards for Women's Participation in Legislation in China

The participation of women in legislation is an important aspect and means of safeguarding women’s rights.Feminist theory,based on criticism of both the“citizenship identity theory as rights”and the“citizenship identity theory as responsibilities,”proposes the“citizenship identity theory as subjectivity.”Observing the current practice of women’s participation in legislation in China,two institutional safeguard principles can be summarized:the“minimum proportion”and the“influence evaluation.”However,each of these principles has its inherent limitations.Therefore,it is necessary to supplement them with the principle of“subjective participation”in a reflective manner.This principle requires women to participate substantively in the legislative process as subjects,express women’s needs and demands,input women’s perspectives and experiences,and reconstruct the distribution of rights and responsibilities in the existing legislation.The three principles complement each other and work together to comprehensively constitute the institutional structure of women’s participation in legislation,thereby promoting the reproduction of corresponding action structures.

A Historical Review of the Development of Women’s Higher Education in China (1908-2020): Stages, Explanations, and Trends

The development of women’s higher education in China can be divided into four stages:emergence(1908-1948);foundation(1949-1976);accelerating development(1977-2008);and the qualitative leap(2009-2020).This work considers the principal institutional mechanisms that contributed to this development.First,flexibly planned parenthood gradually promoted gender equality and openness in society facilitated by systematic“awards,grants,and loans”initiatives to support women’s higher education economically.Second,compulsory education ensured that left-out and migrant children had access to higher education.Third,effective connectivity across different education types bridged education gaps between those with different levels of education.Fourth,China made great efforts to invite and integrate international experiences that promoted the development of women’s higher education.Looking beyond these achievements,we also discuss the future trends of women’s higher education in China.

Association of Depression and Life Satisfaction with Low Resilience among Married Women of Karachi, Pakistan

Background: The concept of resilience is very crucial in promoting positive psychological well-being. However, this construct was never looked among married women of Karachi, Pakistan. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and the associated risk factors of resilience in Pakistan. Methods: It was a cross-sectional survey, using the Wagnild Resilience Scale (RS) to assess resilience, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) for measuring depression and Trait Wellbeing Inventory for determining Life Satisfaction. Systematic sampling was employed to enroll 636 participants of aged 20 to 40 years living in two urban squatter settlements of Karachi, Pakistan. Prevalence ratio was computed with their 95% confidence interval. Results: A total of 636 married women participated in the study. The average age of females with low resilience was 29.8 (5.7) whereas the mean age of females with high resilience was 31.1 (5.7). Around 90% of all the participants could speak in Urdu. The prevalence of low resilience among women was 21.9%. Moreover, the prevalence of depression among low resilience group was 43.9% whereas the mean life satisfaction score among females with low resilience was lower than females with high resilience. The females who had low resilience were younger and had no formal/informal education as compared to their counterparts. After controlling for other variables, the prevalence of low resilience was 1.78 times more among depressed females as compared to the non-depressed with a 95% CI: (1.27-2.51). Moreover with every one unit increase in the life satisfaction scores, the prevalence of low resilience decreased 9%. Furthermore, age and informal schooling were also found to be significantly associated with resilience. Conclusion: Depression and life satisfaction are the potential modifiable risk factors for resilience and hence we can improve resilience through interventions that may focus on reducing depression and improving satisfaction towards life. Our study also recommends that health care professionals should be educated about these modifiable risk factors to bring about a change in the society and reduce the mental health illness by promoting constructive adaptation.

Being a Woman in the 1950s and the 1960s:Women and Everyday Life in Ginger and Rosa

The present study aims to focus on the relationship between gender and everyday life and reflect on the meanings of being a woman in the 1950s and the 1960s over Sally Potter’s film Ginger and Rosa(2012a).The 1950s and the 1960s are marked with significant changes and transformations in terms of the social statuses and everyday lives of women in many countries all around the world.Women began to question their gendered roles and performances,resist“doing gender”and speak out“the problem that has no name”in these years,which would then evolve into the second-wave feminist movement—a significant historical period in women’s history.Therefore,an analysis of this specific period is considered significant to understand the relationship between gender and everyday life.Thus,the present study first addresses the relationship between gender and everyday life in general terms,discussing the social construction of gender and how we are taught to do gender through socialization.Then,it examines women’s practices,performances,relationships,conflicts,and resistances in their everyday lives throughout the 1950s and the 1960s over the film Ginger and Rosa.Considering the historical,social,and political developments at the time,this study tries to explore significant issues within feminist studies such as the relationship between mothers and daughters,and female friendship/sisterhood through the characters in the film,and comprehend what it meant to be a young girl,a woman,a wife,and a mother in both private and public spheres in these years based upon the director’s own experiences and memories.

Improving the Quality of Life of Women Living With Anxiety in Northern Kenya:Psychoeducation Treatment

Anxiety symptoms are rampant among women in resource poor settings in Northern and Kenya,which negatively affect their quality of life(QoL).Psychoeducation(PE)could be effective in mitigating and treating anxiety disorders in resource poor settings,due to its cost-effective nature.This research aimed to improve the QoL of women with anxiety symptoms through an eclectic model of psychoeducation treatment.The quasi-experimental research design with an experimental group(EG)and a control group(CG)was adopted.A sample size of 200 was selected for the study(EG,N=100;CG,N=100).Beck’s Anxiety Inventory(BAI)was used to screen for anxiety while the EUROHIS eight-item index was used to evaluate the QoL indicators.Chi-square tests conducted at baseline established no variations in anxiety levels in the two groups(p=0.05).Psychoeducation was introduced as an intervention treatment to the EG two weeks after the baseline and then after six weeks at midline studies.At baseline,there was no statistical difference in the levels of anxiety.Endline studies showed that the PE treatment significantly improved anxiety symptoms(p=0.000)of EG respondents,leading to significant improvements in their QoL.Data were analysed by using SPSS Version 21.0.

Pakistani Women Entrepreneurs in Life Course Approach

Recently women entrepreneur literature in developed countries has been assessed through their life course approach due to the criticism on the absence of study from the perspective of structural pattern,in which the women are embedded through means of qualitative study.This reveals so many clarifications to the existence themes.Still the Pakistani entrepreneurial literature neglecting the women entrepreneur life course experiences due to social-cultural context of Pakistan.The present study focused on the ten Pakistani women entrepreneur from Islamabad and Peshawar region by the lens of life course approach through semistructured interview.The qualitative analysis of the life course approach among Pakistani women entrepreneur exposed some additional factor to life course approach and contrary findings as compared to the developed countries.The Pakistani women’s rich stories are affected through life course approach but the socialcultural context made it little worst means bringing into business with less flexible approach.

How Vaginal Infections Impact Women’s Everyday Life <br/>—Women’s Lived Experiences of Bacterial Vaginosis and Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Reoccurring symptoms and persistent problems that continue post treatment can be characteristic of the vaginal infections Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC). The purpose of this study was to describe women’s life experiences in managing the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis and Candida. Sixteen women were recruited and participated in an interview study when they contacted a Swedish gynecology clinic with vaginal complaints that ranged from and included abnormal discharge, irritation itching along with serious malodor. An interpretive phenomenological approach was used with an individual interview to get a more intimate understanding of the women experiencing these problems. The finding of this study shows that managing the recurrent symptoms of the infections remains to be a challenge for women as it has a clearly negative impact on the quality of their lives. Four themes developed: frustration and mood disorders, intimacy changes in the relationship, exposure, hope and relief. The women had high hopes of eliminating the symptoms within the six-month study period. The treatment program, with its well-developed guidelines and continuity of care within the context of the study greatly improved the quality of life of these women. Women had feelings of frustration and anxiety when nothing could cure their problem while they had also a great hope to get rid of the symptoms with a long striking treatment. Well-developed guidelines and continuity of care can help these women to have an improved quality of life.

Life Space Assessment in Older Women Undergoing Non-Surgical Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

Objective: Urinary incontinence (UI) impacts all aspects of life activities. This study aims to characterize change in mobility within the community utilizing the Life Space Assessment (LSA) questionnaire in women undergoing non-surgical UI treatment. Methods: This prospective cohort study, performed from July 2007 to March 2009, followed women seeking non-surgical UI treatment from an outpatient tertiary-care clinic and assessed their mobility and symptoms using LSA, Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7) at baseline and 2, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. Estimated Percent Improvement (EPI) and Patient Satisfaction Question (PSQ) were obtained post-treatment. The women were treated with multi-component behavioral and/or pharmacologic therapies, and we hypothesized that LSA would improve with treatment. Repeated measures analysis with Tukey’s HSD and backwards selection linear regression model were performed. Results: 70 ambulatory, community-dwelling women, aged 65 years or older, seeking non-surgical care for UI were recruited. LSA score decreased from baseline to 2 months (mean ± SD;63 ± 29 to 56 ± 28, p < 0.001) and was sustained at 6 and 12 months (54 ± 28, 54 ± 28). UDI scores improved from 36 ± 23 to 25 ± 24, p < 0.001, at 2 months, and improvement persisted at 6 and 12 months (22 ± 22, 21 ± 24). Improvements in UDI and patient perceived improvement in UI were not associated with LSA change. Age, race, and depression impacted LSA, which decreased 1-point for each additional year of age (p = 0.004), 6-points for each point higher on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) (p = 0.002), and 6-point for African American race (p = 0.048). Conclusion: Decreased mobility represented by LSA was related to age, depression, and race, but not UI symptom improvement.

Health-Related Quality of Life in HIV-positive Women on Long-Term Antiretroviral Therapy—A Study from Bangalore, South India

Introduction: Lifelong Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) promotes good quality of life and health among HIV-positive men and women. However, simplified newer and effective ART has not increased retention in care, or long-term ART adherence, especially among women. There are many factors that impede long-term adherence in women. This includes among other things female gender, depression, greater than once-daily dosing, longer time since HIV diagnosis, and patient beliefs. This study measures the quality of life in women whose ART durations range from one to fifteen years, using the standardized WHO Quality of Life questionnaire. Material and Methods: One hundred and fourteen women were divided into three groups based on ART duration. Group 1 had 37 women on ART for less than five years, Group 2 had 48 women on ART from 5 to 10 years and Group 3 had 29 women on ART for more than ten years. They were administered the WHO Quality of Life (QOL) questionnaire, which assesses QOL in six domains. QOL was considered poor in scores between 4 - 9.9, medium in scores of 10 - 14.9 and good in scores of 15 - 20. Results: Scores in all 3 groups were more than 85% in five domains and around 74.5% in the psychological domain. Domain mean scores were Physical 18 (CI 17.63 - 18.37), Psychological 14.9 (CI 14.55 - 15.25), Independence 18.6 (CI 18.33 - 18.87), Social relationships 17.5 (CI 17.07 - 17.93), Environmental 17.6 (CI 17.25 - 17.95), Spiritual, Religious, Personal beliefs, 17.4 (CI 16.93 - 17.87). Scores for women on long-term ART (Group 3) are not different from the other 2 groups and the p-values were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Women on long-term ART fare extremely well compared to other groups with more than 93% showing good QOL and none showing poor Quality of Health in spite of being on ART for a longer period of time than the other two groups. Despite a multitude of impeding factors, women who continue ART faithfully and consistently enjoy a good quality of health and life. Adequate preparation and a supportive health system are essential for ensuring long-term adherence, but the attitude and commitment of women are also critical.

Life′s Simple 7干预减轻Her⁃2阳性乳腺癌患者化疗相关心血管系统损害的研究

目的探讨Life′s Simple 7(LS7)干预减轻Her⁃2阳性乳腺癌患者根治术后化疗相关心血管系统损害的作用。方法将120例Her⁃2阳性并接受标准化乳腺癌化疗的患者随机等量分为对照组及LS7组,对照组为标准化疗方案,LS7组为对照组基础上给予LS7干预12个月,后续通过比较两组治疗前后心血管系统损伤程度、焦虑、抑郁及生活质量等指标评价其对心血管系统损害的改善作用。结果相较于对照组,LS7组LS7总评分及7项心血管健康指标均优于对照组(P<0.05),LS7组LVEF较高(P<0.05)、NT⁃proBNP较低(P<0.05),焦虑和抑郁评分较低(P<0.05)、生活质量评分较高(P<0.05)。结论LS7干预可显著减轻Her⁃2阳性乳腺癌化疗相关心血管系统损害并改善乳腺癌患者的心理状况和生活质量,值得在临床推广。

基于nCode Design-Life的某车架疲劳可靠性分析

针对某型半挂牵引车车架局部出现裂纹或者断裂现象,通过有限元理论和疲劳分析理论相结合进行了车架的有限元分析和疲劳可靠性分析。首先对该车架进行了建模和有限元静态特性分析,然后定义了特定的时间载荷序列数据和材料参数,选用了S-N疲劳设计和静态疲劳分析方法,利用疲劳分析软件nCode Design-Life对该车架进行疲劳可靠性分析,得出该车架的疲劳结果云图和各节点的疲劳寿命,并从相关云图中确定出车架容易破坏的位置和其寿命之后再进行样车实验验证。

ADVANCES OF EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON ACUPUNCTURE AND MOXIBUSTION FOR TREATMENT OF WOMEN'S CLIMACTERIC SYNDROME

To introduce the advances of experimental research on acupuncture and moxibustion for treatment of Women＇s Climacteric Syndrome.The recent years experimental research literature of acupuncture and moxibustion for treatment of Women＇s Climacteric Syndrome were reviewed.The research literatures on acupuncture treatment were major,focusing on the field of acupuncture and moxibustion regulating hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad axis and nerval-endocritic-immune net.Acupuncture and moxibustion could regulate the endocrine environment of menopausal women.Taking advantage of combination biomedicine with multi-sciences,to improve the acupuncture and moxibustion curative effct and probe the mechanism of menopausal pathology and acupuncture and moxibustion function to Women＇s Climacteric Syndrome,is the research direction afterward.

A Model of the Fatigue Life Distribution of Composite Laminates Based on Their Static Strength Distribution

The reasons of the static strength dispersion and the fatigue life dispersion of composite laminates are analyzed in this article. It is concluded that the inner original defects, which derived from the manufacturing process of composite laminates, are the common and major reason of causing the random distributions of the static strength and the fatigue life. And there is a correlative relation between the two distributions. With the study of statistical relationship between the fatigue loading and the fatigue life in the uniform confidence level and the same survival rate S-N curves of material, the relationship between the static strength distribution and the fatigue life distribution through a material S-N curve model has been obtained. And then the model which is used to describe the distributions of fatigue life of composites, based on their distributions of static strength, is set up. This model reasonably reflects the effects of the inner original defects on the static strength dispersion and on the fatigue life dispersion of composite laminates. The experimental data of three kinds of composite laminates are employed to verify this model, and the results show that this model can predict the random distributions of fatigue life for composites under any fatigue loads fairly well.

基于断裂力学的腐蚀钢丝疲劳S-N曲线研究

高强冷拔钢丝因其优异的力学性能被广泛应用于缆索承重结构,服役过程中钢丝腐蚀与断裂威胁着结构安全。钢丝腐蚀后表面的蚀坑因应力集中效应易产生疲劳裂纹,因此腐蚀钢丝剩余疲劳寿命主要取决于裂纹的扩展阶段,且裂纹扩展受到腐蚀程度(初始损伤)的显著影响。精确表征腐蚀程度并准确评估服役期钢丝腐蚀后的剩余寿命,仍是亟待解决的维修难题。首先采用蚀坑最大深度表征钢丝腐蚀程度,以应力强度因子幅作为裂纹扩展驱动力指标,基于断裂力学的Paris公式建立受拉钢丝裂纹扩展理论模型,进而推导腐蚀钢丝的疲劳S-N曲线。大量既有的腐蚀钢丝疲劳试验结果与理论预测值的比较验证了所提理论模型及疲劳S-N曲线的合理性和有效性。含多个蚀坑的钢丝裂纹扩展有限元模拟表明,等效单裂纹适用于多腐蚀坑钢丝疲劳寿命的简化分析。参数分析表明,蚀坑深度和腐蚀环境是腐蚀钢丝疲劳强度的关键影响因素,而应力比和疲劳加载频率影响较小,所提出的S-N曲线在钢丝常规服役条件下适用于评估其剩余寿命,可得到合理的预测结果。基于断裂力学所提的理论方法和疲劳S-N曲线可为腐蚀钢丝的疲劳强度和寿命评估提供参考。

Women＇s speech in variation studies

It is demonstrated by sociolinguistic variation studies that women are more likely than men to use standard speech. This paper reviews the operational methods and analytical means of classic quantitative studies in this field, intending to provide guidance and enlightenment for relevant studies and verifications in the context of Chinese culture.

The Women Characters of the 1930s in the Chinese TV Serials

The women of the 1930s in the Chinese TV serials deduct inspiring stories.They play different roles in the big wealthy families such as mothers-in-law,daughters-in-law,and maidservants.There are unceasing conflicts between these women,because of their struggle for men's love,wealth or social position.The theme of their stories is always about fertility,love,kindness and evil,with the ending being either comic or tragic.The stories of various kinds of women of the 1930s in the Chinese TV serials decorate and enrich the lives of many of us latecomers and their names are passed on from generation to generation.