American Studies Research Articles

The phenomenon of the New Right in European and Latin American narrative literature

The workshop “The phenomenon of the New Right in European and Latin American narrative literature: New perpetrators – old patterns of thinking?” organised by Dr. Lena Seauve took place on 13 October 2023 at the Institute for Latin American Studies (Lateinamerika-Institut) of the Freie Universität Berlin (Boltzmannstraße 1, 14195 Berlin). Far-right ideology has transcended national boundaries and now holds a global presence. This perspective served as the focal point for the workshop, providing a basis to examine the movement on a global scale. The workshop aimed to showcase this diverse phenomenon, connecting perspectives from European nations like France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, as well as South American countries, including Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. Its goal was to highlight commonalities among these nations and their literary landscapes, exploring figures, texts, and modes of thought related to the far-right ideology.

(What) Should We Be Vigilant When Teaching Word Formation in English to Bulgarian English Philology Students?

The research offered here reviews the content of teaching word formation within the bachelor and master’s degree programs at the Department of English and American Studies at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Stock is taken with the basic problems arising from the insufficiency of word formation related content taught and the overview nature of the elective courses included in the programs. Basic areas of asymmetry between the word formation systems of English and Bulgarian are discussed, including factors for these, and certain signposts considered musts in word formation courses at university level are suggested.

Outcomes of early hospital readmission after kidney transplantation: Perspectives from a Canadian transplant centre.

Early hospital readmissions (EHRs) after kidney transplantation range in incidence from 18%-47% and are important and substantial healthcare quality indicators. EHR can adversely impact clinical outcomes such as graft function and patient mortality as well as healthcare costs. EHRs have been extensively studied in American healthcare systems, but these associations have not been explored within a Canadian setting. Due to significant differences in the delivery of healthcare and patient outcomes, results from American studies cannot be readily applicable to Canadian populations. A better understanding of EHR can facilitate improved discharge planning and long-term outpatient management post kidney transplant. To explore the burden of EHR on kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and the Canadian healthcare system in a large transplant centre. This single centre cohort study included 1564 KTRs recruited from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2017, with a 1-year follow-up. We defined EHR as hospitalizations within 30 d or 90 d of transplant discharge, excluding elective procedures. Multivariable Cox and linear regression models were used to examine EHR, late hospital readmissions (defined as hospitalizations within 31-365 d for 30-d EHR and within 91-365 d for 90-d EHR), and outcomes including graft function and patient mortality. In this study, 307 (22.4%) and 394 (29.6%) KTRs had 30-d and 90-d EHRs, respectively. Factors such as having previous cases of rejection, being transplanted in more recent years, having a longer duration of dialysis pretransplant, and having an expanded criteria donor were associated with EHR post-transplant. The cumulative probability of death censored graft failure, as well as total graft failure, was higher among the 90-d EHR group as compared to patients with no EHR. While multivariable models found no significant association between EHR and patient mortality, patients with EHR were at an increased risk of late hospital readmissions, poorer kidney function throughout the 1st year post-transplant, and higher hospital-based care costs within the 1st year of follow-up. EHRs are associated with suboptimal outcomes after kidney transplant and increased financial burden on the healthcare system. The results warrant the need for effective strategies to reduce post-transplant EHR.

Prevalence and burden of vitiligo in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Vitiligo is a common chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by skin and hair depigmentation that affects 0.5%-2.0% of the global population. Vitiligo is associated with diminished quality of life (QoL) and psychosocial burden. The burden of vitiligo may vary based on skin tone and cultural differences as well as geographical variations in disease awareness, societal stigma, healthcare systems and treatment options. Data on the burden and management of vitiligo in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America are scarce. Literature searches using terms covering vitiligo in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America were conducted using PubMed to identify relevant publications that focused on disease prevalence and burden, QoL and psychosocial impact and disease management between 2011 and 2021. Most of the reviewed studies were conducted in the Middle East, and most Latin American studies were from Brazil. Most studies involved small patient numbers and may not be generalizable. Reported prevalence of vitiligo ranged from 0.18% to 5.3% in Africa and the Middle East, and from 0.04% to 0.57% in Latin America. In several studies, prevalence was higher among female participants. Generally, non-segmental vitiligo was the dominant clinical variant identified and the age at onset varied widely across studies. Common comorbidities include autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, alopecia areata and diabetes. Few treatment guidelines exist in these regions, with the exceptions of guidelines published by the Brazilian and Argentinian Societies of Dermatology. There is a clear unmet need for large epidemiological studies with uniform methodology to accurately ascertain the true prevalence of vitiligo in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Additional data on vitiligo burden and management in Africa and Latin America are also needed, along with local disease management guidelines that consider genetic variation, psychosocial burden and socioeconomic diversity in all 3 regions.

Diatom-based paleoenvironmental research: global trends, regional disparities and the evolving role of South America

The use of diatoms in paleoenvironmental research is of the utmost importance for reconstructing past ecosystems because it provides crucial insights into the adaptability and resilience of these systems under ongoing climate change and increased human impacts. Maintaining a comprehensive dataset distribution is crucial to ensure the validity and relevance of these reconstructions on a global scale. This scientometric study aimed to analyze trends in diatom-based paleoenvironmental research on a global scale with an emphasis on South America. This study aimed to investigate disparities in the geographical distribution of diatom-based paleoenvironmental studies, collaboration networks in the field, and regions in which this research is lacking. The Scopus search criteria excluded certain types of publications, such as conference articles and notes. The search focused on articles, reviews, books and chapters of books using specific keywords aligned with the objectives of this study. Using the Scopus database, we identified 7,091 publications (1979-2023) that employed diatoms as a primary proxy for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The results show significant changes in this field recent decades. The analysis highlights a marked upsurge in publication output during the 1980s and a substantial increase in publications after 2000. This upward trend in scientific documentation reflects the growing interest in and recognition of the importance of this field in the context of palaeoecology and environmental sciences. After 2011, the results revealed a shift in thematic focus from historical and geological reconstruction to ecological, anthropogenic, and climatic interactions. Key researchers, including Smol JP, Leng MJ, and Birks HJB, have been at the forefront of international collaborations. Since the 2000s, South American studies have focused primarily on lakes, climate change effects, and volcanic activity. In this region, researchers such as Maidana N.I., Urrutia, R., and García-Rodriguez, F. emphasized the significance of regional ecosystems and their paleoenvironmental history in the global context of the field. Despite its high biodiversity, South America contributed only 6.7% of the global research output, placing it 19th globally. Socioeconomic factors and other obstacles faced by researchers in the region could explain the observed disparity in scientific output in South America compared to other regions. To unlock South America’s vast potential for diatom-based paleoenvironmental research, which boasts the highest global biodiversity yet remains underrepresented in the field, stakeholders must implement equitable partnerships, increase funding and improve their academic infrastructure and opportunities. These strategies are crucial for advancing the global paleoenvironmental understanding, informing future conservation and environmental policies in South America, and promoting scientific progress on a global scale.

Un/Commoning Pedagogies: Moving To/Gather in Difference

The Un/Commoning Pedagogies Collective is a cohort of educators committed to centering embodiment in our social justice education work. As seven dancer-scholars, variably positioned, and differentially located within the academy, we bring movement-based pedagogies into our teaching across the intersections of diverse fields—Anthropology, Sociology, African American and Africana Studies, Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, Dance, and Performance Studies. Here, we offer a glimpse into our concerns, commitments, and experiences and invite you to join us in this process. We write from the urgent need to craft spaces for co-creating knowledge through body-based, intersectional anti-racist methods that move with, rather than negate, difference, and together as authors share strategies and methods for cultivating such opportunities, as well as our own experiences of doing so from our divergent positionalities.

Colonial and Nineteenth-Century Latin American Studies and Digital Public Humanities

Scholarship in colonial and nineteenth-century Latin American studies often does not reach beyond specialized academic audiences. The majority of work continues to be largely traditional in nature, with monographs, journal articles, and book chapters remaining the most common types of publications.Only a small portion of that production is distributed in an open-access format online, and even when that is the case, such scholarly output is generally not conceived with broader publics in mind, and engagement with stakeholder communities seldom plays a role in its creation.Digital methodologies and tools present opportunities to explore new modes of scholarly production and publication in these fields. Researchers working in a digital realm are designing and carrying out projects that speak to contemporary communities and involve diverse constituencies in new ways. Without seeking to supplant the more conventional scholarship that grounds their fields, these scholars are asking questions about how we conduct academic work in the twenty-first century and how we can make the products of our work relevant to larger audiences.This article examines five digital projects through which scholars of colonial and nineteenth-century Latin America are conducting work that looks outward from the academy towards inclusive scholarship: Ticha, the Biblioteca Digital Soledad Acosta de Samper, the Mexico team of the multinational project Oceanic Exchanges, Rendering Revolution, and coloniaLab. Through a commitment to producing scholarship for, and in collaboration with, diverse communities,these projects suggest models for conducting the work of colonial and nineteenth-century Latin American studies in the public sphere.Les études sur l'Amérique latine coloniale et du XIXème siècle ne s'adressent souvent qu'à un public universitaire spécialisé. Seule une petite partie de cette production est distribuée en ligne dans un format à accès libre, et même lorsque c'est le cas, cette production scientifique n'est généralement pas conçue pour un public plus large, et l'engagement avec les communautés concernées joue rarement un rôle dans sa création.Les méthodologies et les outils numériques offrent la possibilité d'explorer de nouveaux modes de production et de publication scientifiques dans ces domaines. Sans chercher à supplanter la recherche plus conventionnelle qui fonde leurs domaines, ces chercheurs posent des questions sur la manière dont nous menons le travail universitaire au XXIe siècle et sur la manière dont nous pouvons rendre les produits de notre travail pertinents pour des publics plus larges. Cet article examine cinq projets numériques dans le cadre desquels des chercheurs de l'Amérique latine coloniale et du XIXème siècle mènent des travaux qui s'éloignent de l'académie pour s'ouvrir à un public plus large : Ticha, la Biblioteca Digital Soledad Acosta de Samper, l'équipe mexicaine du projet multinational Oceanic Exchanges, Rendering Revolution et coloniaLab. En s'engageant à produire des études pour diverses communautés et en collaboration avec elles, ces projets proposent des modèles pour mener à bien le travail des études latino-américaines coloniales et du dix-neuvième siècle dans la sphère publique.

Work Will Not Save Us: An Asian American Crip Manifesto

Drawing together disability justice, Asian American studies, and feminist/ queer-of-color labor analysis, this collaboratively authored essay forwards an anti-work manifesto shaped by our lived experiences as sick, disabled and queer Asian American scholars laboring in the academic-industrial complex. This essay offers a two-part intervention: first, it aims to expand nascent conversations on disability politics and its relationship to racial capitalism, and second, it puts forth a critique of the Asian American emphasis on achievement as an instrument of belonging and potential inoculation against racialized violence. It also unfolds in two parts: first, a section on why we refuse work, and second, a section on how to perform this refusal.
 
 As we come to this essay from our respective positionalities in contingent, tenure-stream, and tenured academic loci, as well as from our shared investments in feminist and queer frameworks, the first section mobilizes feminist and queer disability analysis to interrogate the fraught investments in work shared across Asian American and Disability Studies, addressing the complexities of gendered, contingent, care, and service work within the academic landscape (and particularly as we have experienced them). The second section offers a survival guide for navigating the labor demands placed on racialized, queer, and/ or disabled scholars, channeling Asian American rage to move beyond saying “no” and toward saying “fuck off.”

História e Cultura Sonora: a historicização das escutas e dos sons

The article provides an overview of recent production focused on the historicization of sounds and listening, present in the texts that compose the dossier História e Cultura Sonora. In general, it is possible to indicate that three major currents prevail in these works: the anglophone Sound Studies, the History of Sensibilities of French tradition and Latin American studies, which, although inspired by the previous two, strive not to confine themselves to classical discussions but to reflect on the specificities of sound production and modes of listening within their cultures. The text also evaluates the impact of phonography and the digitization of sound collections on historiographical production in the field of Sound Culture.

Telling Hoosier Stories: Digital Queer Public History in Indiana and the Nation

ABSTRACT: The IMH interviews Dr. Eric Gonzaba, assistant professor of American Studies at California State University Fullerton, about his digital history projects, Wearing Gay History and Mapping the Gay Guides, and about doing digital queer public history in Indiana and the United States.

Human microbiota dysbiosis after SARS-CoV-2 infection have the potential to predict disease prognosis

BackgroundThe studies on SARS-CoV-2 and human microbiota have yielded inconsistent results regarding microbiota α-diversity and key microbiota. To address these issues and explore the predictive ability of human microbiota for the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we conducted a reanalysis of existing studies.MethodsWe reviewed the existing studies on SARS-CoV-2 and human microbiota in the Pubmed and Bioproject databases (from inception through October 29, 2021) and extracted the available raw 16S rRNA sequencing data of human microbiota. Firstly, we used meta-analysis and bioinformatics methods to reanalyze the raw data and evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on human microbial α-diversity. Secondly, machine learning (ML) was employed to assess the ability of microbiota to predict the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Finally, we aimed to identify the key microbiota associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.ResultsA total of 20 studies related to SARS-CoV-2 and human microbiota were included, involving gut (n = 9), respiratory (n = 11), oral (n = 3), and skin (n = 1) microbiota. Meta-analysis showed that in gut studies, when limiting factors were studies ruled out the effect of antibiotics, cross-sectional and case–control studies, Chinese studies, American studies, and Illumina MiSeq sequencing studies, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with down-regulation of microbiota α-diversity (P < 0.05). In respiratory studies, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with down-regulation of α-diversity when the limiting factor was V4 sequencing region (P < 0.05). Additionally, the α-diversity of skin microbiota was down-regulated at multiple time points following SARS-CoV-2 infection (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference in oral microbiota α-diversity was observed after SARS-CoV-2 infection. ML models based on baseline respiratory (oropharynx) microbiota profiles exhibited the ability to predict outcomes (survival and death, Random Forest, AUC = 0.847, Sensitivity = 0.833, Specificity = 0.750) after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The shared differential Prevotella and Streptococcus in the gut, respiratory tract, and oral cavity was associated with the severity and recovery of SARS-CoV-2 infection.ConclusionsSARS-CoV-2 infection was related to the down-regulation of α-diversity in the human gut and respiratory microbiota. The respiratory microbiota had the potential to predict the prognosis of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Prevotella and Streptococcus might be key microbiota in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Multiple Myeloma in the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Southwestern Sydney, Australia

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable haematological cancer with a median overall survival of 5 to 10 years. Multiple American studies have reported significant disparities in the incidence and clinical outcomes in MM patients that may be explained by race or ethnicity. This study sought to characterise the racial/ethnic representation in myeloma patients who presented to the public hospitals in Southwestern Sydney between 2009 and 2020. This retrospective study describes the associations between race/ethnicity and age at diagnosis, cytogenetics, comorbidities, and survival outcomes. Data for analysis was extracted from Mosaiq (electronic medical record system for oncology workflow management) and PathNet® (laboratory information system). Since neither race nor ethnicity are recorded in the NSW Healthcare system, race was defined based on the country of birth while ethnicity was defined as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), based on country of birth and language as well as use of an interpreter. Seven regions of birth across 65 countries of birth and five CALD groups were identified in our cohort, with 26% of the cohort speaking a language other than English. Survival outcomes were similar regardless of race or CALD classification. Analysis of the cytogenetics and comorbidities are still in progress. This is the first reported racial study in MM in NSW. The preliminary results presented here demonstrates that automatically classifying patients as Caucasian, solely based on country of birth can be misleading. In a multicultural region like Southwestern Sydney, it is important to consider patients' cultural and linguistic background.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection and JNET classification for colorectal neoplasia: A North American academic center experience.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) enables minimally invasive resection of superficial gastrointestinal neoplasms en bloc regardless of size. The Japan narrow band imaging expert team (JNET) classification utilizes optical magnification and narrow band imaging (NBI) to predict pathology. In North America, ESD is far from ubiquitous, and regional outcomes are not widely described. To date there are no North American studies describing the application and yield of the JNET classification as applied in the practice of ESD. A retrospective, single-center, cohort analysis was performed on a prospectively maintained database of ESD procedures. Between July 2016 and February 2023, all consecutive patients treated with ESD for colorectal lesions were identified and stratified by lesion location, JNET, NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic, lateral spreading tumors, and Paris classifications. Univariate analysis was used for clinicopathological data. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 112 patients were identified. One lesion, a lipoma, was excluded. Overall, 49.5% (55/111) of lesions were colonic and 50.5% (56/111) rectal. Most lesions were lateral spreading tumors (60.4%, 67/111). Overall, 96.4% (107/111) ESDs were successfully completed, 98.1% (105/107) en bloc, and 87.9% (94/107) R0. Adverse events occurred in 1.8% (2/111) of procedures. The median diameter was 4.0cm and resected in a median time of 62.0min. Overall, 70.1% (47/67) lesions were upstaged from pre-ESD biopsy. JNET 2B showed 80.2% (95% CI 71.5-87.1) accuracy for high-grade dysplasia or sm1. All JNET type 3 were ≥sm2 (p<0.001). ESD permits safe and effective resection of superficial colorectal neoplasms. JNET classification was more accurate than pre-resection biopsy at predicting histology in this series.

Henry Rosovsky and African American Studies at Harvard

Henry Rosovsky and African American Studies at Harvard

La artritis reumatoide de inicio en el anciano recibe terapias menos agresivas que la artritis reumatoide de inicio en el adulto en una cohorte argentina

ObjectivesWhen rheumatoid arthritis (RA) starts after the age of 60 it is called elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) and when it starts earlier, young-onset rheumatoid arthritis (YORA). There are few Latin American studies that compared both groups. The objective of the study was to evaluate differences in the clinical characteristics, evolution and treatment among patients with RA with onset before or after 60years of age. Materials and methodsObservational study of patients with RA attended consecutively in four centers in Argentina. Sociodemographic data, comorbidities, clinical manifestations at diagnosis, presence of rheumatoid factor and/or anti-CCP (cyclic citrullinated peptide) and treatments received were collected. At the last visit, swollen and tender joints, assessment of disease activity by the patient and physician, the presence of radiographic erosions, and functional status using the HAQ-DI were recorded. ResultsFifty-one patients from each group were analyzed. The EORA group had a significantly higher proportion of smokers (58.8% vs. 35.3%, P=.029), cardiovascular history (54.9% vs. 21.6%, P=.001), abrupt onset (49% vs. 29.4%, P=.034) or with symptoms similar to PMR (19.6% vs. 0%, P=.001). Lower methotrexate doses were used in the EORA group: 19mg (15-25) vs. 21.9mg (20-25) (P=.0036) and more frequently did not receive bDMARDs or tsDMARDs. Discussion and conclusionsThe benefits of intensive treatment in patients with RA have been described. In this study, the use of DMARDs in the EORA group was less intensive, suggesting that advanced age constitutes a barrier in the therapeutic choice.

“Quem pode ser a dona?”: Afro‐Brazilian women entrepreneurs and gendered racism

AbstractIn 2013, the number of Black entrepreneurs surpassed the number of White entrepreneurs in Brazil. Of those Black entrepreneurs, 30 percent were women. In Brazil, gendered racism often stereotypes Black women as domestic servants or hypersexual. Despite the robust literature on Afro‐Brazilians generally and Afro‐Brazilian women particularly, Afro‐Brazilian women entrepreneurs, their experiences, and their strategies for competing in the market and resisting gendered racism remain under‐theorized. I use semi‐structured interviews with Black women entrepreneurs to explain the relationship between gendered racism and Black entrepreneurship. My findings show that Afro‐Brazilian women entrepreneurs actively defy and redefine the standard images of entrepreneurs and Black women in Brazil. They contest the treatment of Black women as objects of the market by situating themselves as agentic players by challenging gendered racism through two entrepreneurial cultural strategies: (1) engaging in dignity work and (2) employing a women‐first imperative. By centering the experience of Afro‐Brazilian women, I contribute to the entrepreneurship literature, Africana Studies, and Latin American Studies.

An Ontological Approach for Unlocking the Colonial Archive

Cultural Heritage institutions have been exploring new ways of making available their catalogues in digital format. Recently, new approaches have emerged as methods to reuse and make available the contents for computational purposes. This work introduces a methodology to transform digital collections into Linked Open Data following best practices. The framework has been applied to Indigenous and Spanish colonial archives based on the collection Relaciones Geográficas of Mexico and Guatemala provided by the LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections. The results of this work are publicly available. This work aims at encouraging Cultural Heritage institutions to publish and reuse their digital collections using advanced methods and techniques.

Imagining a Higher Education Career in African American Studies

This article was written during the 2020 summer seminar “Imagining a Higher Education Career in African American Studies” at Princeton University, coordinated by Dr. Dannelle Gutarra Cordero. This summer seminar aimed to be a safe and restorative space for ten undergraduate students of Princeton University from underrepresented backgrounds that intend to pursue or explore a career in higher education in African American Studies. This article is the culmination of the scholarly collaboration throughout this summer seminar, where, as research associates, all participants researched the possibilities and challenges of a higher education career in African American Studies in the United States. This article explores institutional anti-Blackness in higher education in the United States, identifies research challenges for scholars of African American Studies, and advocates for educational reform in the institutional valuation of mentorship, of decolonizing academia, of tenure justice, and of anti-racist and reparative support for Black faculty and students.

SUSTAINABILITY INDICATOR SYSTEMS APPLIED TO TOURISM

This article presents an analysis of sustainability indicator systems used in studies on the development of sustainable tourism at the global and national level. The methodological procedures, of an exploratory nature, had a mixed approach combining statistical and quantitative data with a narrative review and bibliographical research. This led to an overview of publications that address sustainability indicators in tourism, as well as the most common indicator systems used nationally and internationally. It was possible to conclude that, even though they are important tools for tourism planning, sustainability indicators should not be unquestionable in their relevance in this process. This is because they are instruments that have flaws, either in their design or application. As practical implications of this research, the survey and analysis of indicators used for sustainable tourism planning may help in the creation and revision of sustainability indicators suitable for regional contexts. Furthermore, as a result of the present study, it was also observed that there is a gap regarding the contribution of Latin American studies on this topic.

Introduction: Diagnosing Migrant Experience: Medical Humanities and Transnational American Studies

Introduction: Diagnosing Migrant Experience: Medical Humanities and Transnational American Studies