Columbia University Research Articles

Comparing Carefully

Abstract A contribution to the Common Knowledge symposium “Caroline Walker Bynum across the Disciplines,” this essay explores the side of Bynum's scholarly personality that may be regarded as comparativist. She is interested in comparison with regard to periods of time, with regard to ritual and gender-based religious practices in the Christian West, and with respect to similarities that might be claimed between elements of Christian and non-Christian cultures. Her thoughts about morphology, materiality, and gender extend beyond medieval Europe to the world at large. Her coedited volume Gender and Religion (1986), the first of its kind, has figured importantly in the development of the field many call comparative religion. Here Bynum's impact on selected scholars of Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh religion — as well as of non-Western Christianity — is assessed. This essay concludes with the text of a response delivered by the author, who is a scholar of Hinduism, to Bynum's Lionel Trilling Lecture at Columbia University, “Am I My Body? Medieval Theories of Bodily Resurrection and Some Modern Implications” (1991).

The birth of pediatric urology in the United States: From pioneers to subcertification

Pediatric urology is a subspecialty of urology that emerged from a culture in which children with urological disorders were cared for by general urologists and general pediatric surgeons. The development of pediatric urology as a subspecialty was years in the making, highlighted by individuals who recognized that children with urological conditions were not just "small adults," but required special experience and training. Subspecialization was initiated by persistent visionaries who recognized the need for a trained cadre of experts to provide better care for children. It took the coordinated effort of all subgroups and leaderships in pediatric urology to push these efforts over the goal line. The focus of this review is to highlight certain individuals who played major roles in this vision and to document the efforts of many to coordinate the pathways to sub-specialization. The careers of Meredith F. Campbell and Frank B. Bicknell were researched to identify their rationale and roles in developing pediatric urology as a distinct medical specialty in the United States. In addition, the minutes of the meetings of the Pediatric Urology Advisory Council (PUAC) with the American Board of Urology (ABU) were reviewed. The origins of the Society for Pediatric Urology (SPU) and the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Urology (AAP-SOU) were researched. The contributions of each to the certification of pediatric urology as a distinct subspecialty was delineated. Campbell was Chair of Urology at the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine and wrote prolifically about pediatric urology. He published one of the first practical textbooks in pediatric urology, almost completely self-written, in 1937. Bicknell, a general urologist in Michigan on the faculty at Wayne State University School of Medicine, led the initiative to create the Society for Pediatric Urology (SPU) that first met at the 1951 annual American Urological Association (AUA) meeting in Chicago and included nine attendees. Subsequently, John Lattimer (College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University) organized a well-attended meeting of urologists interested in pediatrics at the 1964 annual AAP meeting in New York City. This led to the formation of the AAP Section on Urology. Integral to the justification for the development of a subspecialty was evidence of a published corpus of content. In addition to published textbooks devoted exclusively to pediatric urology, this was further fulfilled by the AAP Section on Urology Pediatric Supplement to the Journal of Urology, first published in 1986, and later with the Journal of Pediatric Urology in 2005. The SPU and the AAP Section on Urology came together to form the Pediatric Urology Advisory Council (PUAC) in 2000, which worked with the ABU to create subspecialty certification in pediatric urology with an independent exam, first administered in 2008 to 176 applicants. The metaphor "We have stood on the shoulders of giants" is apt for pediatric urology: Meredith Campbell, Frank Bicknell, David Innes Williams (Hospital for Sick Children, London), and J. Herbert Johnston (Alder Hay Hospital, Liverpool) come to mind among the first generation of pediatric urology pioneers, and others among their colleagues also had significant impact. Clearly this is a story of persistence and attention to detail on the part of those giants and those who followed. Pediatric urology became a distinct discipline after the SPU and AAP-SOU came together to create a robust cohort of pediatric urologists who through education and negotiation were able to help the ABU and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognize that subspecialization would lead to better care for children with urologic disorders. This benchmark set a high bar for future subspecialization in urology and other fields.

«Только анархия может дать нам возможность победить советскую власть»: докладная записка генерала М. К. Дитерихса руководству РОВС (1930)

The article analyzes a memo from the head of the Shanghai branch of the General Military Union, General M. K. Dieterichs, to the leadership of the ROVS, which is practically unknown to domestic researchers. The document is kept in the collections of the Bakhmetyev Archive of Russian and Eastern European History and Culture at Columbia University. The text of the memo shows the discrepancy between the author’s realistic assessment of the international situation in the Far East, the situation in the Far Eastern regions of the USSR, where there was an increase in discontent with the activities of the Soviet government, as well as the state of White emigration in China and the presentation of the prospects of the anti-Soviet movement based on Dieterichs’ belief in the exclusively repressive and spiritually alien Russian people essence of Soviet power and readiness a significant part of the ordinary military emigration to sacrifice in the overthrow of the «Bolshevik yoke». In the end, this discrepancy had a negative impact on the course of the anti-Soviet struggle.

In Our Name: A Message from Jewish Students at Columbia University

In Our Name: A Message from Jewish Students at Columbia University

Factors related to mental health problems in nursing students: a multicenter study

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought consequences to the mental health of the undergraduate population of nursing programs. Objective: To identify the factors associated with mental health disturbances among university students in nursing programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic among students enrolled in nursing programs at two Colombian universities and one Spanish university. An online sociodemographic, economic, and personal survey was administered along with the GHQ-12, the Family APGAR, the MOS Social Support Survey, and the IES-R for posttraumatic stress. The prevalence of mental health disturbances and their differences according to the characteristics of the students were estimated; prevalence ratios were also obtained. Results: Of the 302 students, a prevalence of clinically significant mental was found in 61.92%, family dysfunction in 61.58%, and low social support in 9.33%. In addition, 44.46% had posttraumatic stress symptoms, 52.65% had economic difficulties, 54.61% had academic difficulties, and 69.87% had personal difficulties. These mental disturbances were frequent in the presence of moderate family dysfunction (PR=1.77 CI95%=1.15;2.73), difficulty in paying for food (PR=1.35 CI95%=1.09;1.67), a breakup with a partner (PR=1.27 CI95%=1.02;1.59) and clinically relevant posttraumatic stress symptoms (PR=1.69 CI95%=1.28;2.24). Discussion: Psychological distress and its related factors found in nursing students agree with other findings in the literature. Conclusion: A significant proportion of nursing students were affected in their mental health during the pandemic, demonstrating the need for systematic, continuous, and comprehensive strategies by educational institutions.

Multilingual Policies and Practices in Higher Education: A Nation-Wide Exploration in Colombia

In the last two decades, foreign language policies in Colombia have prioritized English across the education system, aiming for international competitiveness and educational quality. These policies have sparked concerns among educators, including language stratification, commodification of English for the privileged, adoption of foreign benchmarks, insufficient policy implementation, and limitations of the English-Spanish bilingual model compared to multilingual perspectives. Inspired by critical race theory and decoloniality, this qualitative study examines higher education policies in Colombia, focusing on how they address multilingualism and the country's sociocultural diversity. The study explores language policies related to student access, retention, and graduation; language requirements for faculty; and the promotion of various languages. Data collection involved a documentary analysis, interviews and surveys conducted across 16 universities from different regions of the country. Findings suggest the ongoing pervasiveness of English language-centered ideologies in most participating institutions, the invisibilities these ideologies and associated practices bring about in universities, and some emergent policies aiming at promoting multilingualism. The recommendations emanated from this study could resonate with universities both in Colombia and internationally, particularly those in similar contexts.

Exploring psychosocial factors influencing sexually transmitted infection intention testing among medical students: a cross-sectional study in two universities.

Despite the significant global burden of sexually transmitted infections (STI), detection rates are poor. Acceptance of these tests is influenced by several factors that have not been explored among Colombian medical students. The aim of this study was to describe the behaviors and psychosocial factors toward STI screening among medical students of two universities in Pereira, Colombia, between March and June 2020. An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with 284 medical students in the first 3 years of undergraduate at two universities. An online, self-administered survey was conducted between March 2020 and June 2020, using an instrument from the "STI Testing Questionnaire," to assess behaviors and psychosocial factors toward STI testing. Frequencies and percentages were used for descriptive analysis. The association between characteristics and psychosocial factors with STI testing intention was obtained using a logistic regression model. A p-value <0.05 was accepted as statistically significant for all analyses. A total of 284 medical students participated in this study. The majority were female (56.7%), and 53.2% were from private universities. Eighty-four point 5% (84.5%) had risky sexual behaviors, and only 32.4% reported intentions to be tested for STIs. Among the psychosocial factors, 64.1% reported high social pressure, and 43.0% reported social fear. An association with the intention to undergo STI testing was identified in those who had been previously tested (OR = 2.486; 95% CI: 1.492-4.142) and in those who engaged in risky sexual behaviors (OR = 3.537; 95% CI: 1.437-8.704). Medical students exhibit a high prevalence of risky sexual behaviors but show a disturbing lack of intention to undergo STI screening. Prior experiences significantly influence screening intentions, while social pressure and fear also play a role. These insights can serve as a basis for targeted interventions to improve STI screening rates and enhance sexual health education among Colombian medical students.

Positive mental health of Latin American university professors: A scientific framework for intervention and improvement

BackgroundThe post-pandemic stage covid-19 has revealed overloads, ambiguities, and conflicts of teachers in the performance of new roles in hybrid classrooms that demanded an urgent adaptation, this highlighted the need for priority attention to the mental health of teachers, however, there are still insufficient studies that transcend the diagnosis and are committed to establish proposals for improvement. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish a proposal for the promotion of positive mental health (PMH). METHODS: The study was deployed from a qualitative approach; using an ethnomethodological design that allowed studying how teachers create meanings and sense in their work context, an appreciative interview was conducted with an affirmative theme that allowed teachers to expose their experiences that were systematized and processed with ATLAS. ti software. The application of the interview was conducted online through a Google form, during the months of February and March 2023. Three hundred university professors who experienced the pandemic in universities in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru participated, based on a convenience sampling. RESULTS: The results of the deductive phase confirmed Lluch's PMH theoretical framework; however, new nuances or variations have been identified, which must be considered in the complex and dynamic nature of each PMH factor. From there, the results of the inductive phase allowed revealing emerging concepts, that is, new categories that would have the function of improving the PMH factors, which is why they have been denominated: dynamizing nuclei. PMH dynamizing nuclei are adjustment to work environment, soft skills, work-family balance, self-motivation, self-efficacy, subjective well-being, proactive strategies, engagement, resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Finally, with the results of both phases, the creation of an integrated model was generated, which was evaluated by six experts in a round of feedback, who highlighted the relevance of the findings and offered recommendations that were considered in the study. The new integrated model has revealed an interesting association, since it not only legitimizes the PMH's dynamizing cores, but also informs on which specific factor of the PMH these cores have the greatest impact, which has a high guiding value for intervention and improvement based on focused strategies.

Radio for the Millions: Hindi–Urdu Broadcasting across Borders By Isabel Huacuja Alonso. New York: Columbia University Press, 2023; pp. xii + 295. $140.00 cloth, $35.00 paper, $34.99 e-book.

Radio for the Millions: Hindi–Urdu Broadcasting across Borders By Isabel Huacuja Alonso. New York: Columbia University Press, 2023; pp. xii + 295. $140.00 cloth, $35.00 paper, $34.99 e-book.

Особенности разведывательных операций 3-й бригады Русского экспедиционного корпуса на Западном фронте. Декабрь 1916–март 1917 гг.

The article analyzes the preparation and conduct of reconnaissance operations in the area of the French commune of Aubérive using the example of two regiments of the 3rd Special Infantry Brigade of the Russian Expeditionary Forces in France. The common and unique features of the French front inherent in the activities of the Russian troops are highlighted. The basis of the research is a set of unpublished sources from the collections of the Russian State Military Historical Archive, the Bakhmetyev Archive of Columbia University (USA), the archive of the Russian Cultural Center (USA). The author notes that, despite the inconsistency of the actions of artillery and infantry, the raids were quite well thought out, this allowed not only to carry out a combat mission, but also to save personnel.

Psychosis detection in dementia: a systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy studies.

Symptoms of psychosis, characterized by delusions and hallucinations, are commonly experienced by persons living with dementia. A systematic review was completed to identify tools to evaluate symptoms of psychosis compared to a reference standard in persons with dementia. Articles reporting correlation values between psychosis tools were also identified. The search concepts psychosis, dementia, and diagnostic accuracy were used to search MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase. Included articles meeting the primary objective described a tool to assess symptoms of psychosis, delusions, or hallucinations in persons with dementia, a reference standard form of diagnostic assessment for psychosis, and diagnostic accuracy outcomes for the psychosis tool. Secondary objective articles reported correlation values between two or more psychosis tools in persons with dementia. One study met the primary objective and described the sensitivity and specificity of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and Columbia University Scale for Psychopathology in Alzheimer's Disease (CUSPAD) in identifying symptoms of psychosis, hallucinations, and delusions. The sensitivity of the NPI and CUSPAD in identifying symptoms of psychosis was 83 and 90%, respectively. Nine studies meeting the secondary objective described eleven unique tools and examined the degree to which tools used to assess psychotic symptoms in persons with dementia were related. The NPI and CUSPAD were identified in a single study as psychosis tools that have been evaluated against a reference standard of psychosis assessment in persons with dementia. Various tools to assess the burden of psychotic symptoms in persons with dementia exist, but the diagnostic accuracy of existing tools remains understudied. Further research on the comparative utility and diagnostic accuracy is required for all psychosis tools used with persons with dementia.

Former Columbia University psychiatrist committed research misconduct, says federal watchdog

Former Columbia University psychiatrist committed research misconduct, says federal watchdog

The Columbia University Encampment: Joseph Massad, Peter Beinart, and the Future of Campus Antisemitism

The Columbia University Encampment: Joseph Massad, Peter Beinart, and the Future of Campus Antisemitism

Psychosocial support among adults living with metastatic breast cancer: Perspectives from providers across four New York-Presbyterian hospitals.

Key Points We conducted semi‐structured interviews with providers at four New York‐Presbyterian (NYP) hospitals: Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), NYP‐Queens, NYP‐Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, and Columbia University Medical Center. Emergent themes identified factors that influenced healthcare delivery at the institutional, provider, and patient levels. Most frequently reported barriers included a lack of formal protocols for communicating and offering psychosocial resources to patients (institutional), lack of vital staff such as, social workers and patient navigators (institutional), time constraints (provider), and stigma regarding mental health care (patient). Most frequently cited facilitators to delivering psychosocial care included having a trained social worker on staff (institutional), awareness of psychosocial needs (provider), and engagement (patient). Our findings highlight opportunities to improve the provision of psychosocial care for adults with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) at multiple levels.

The Will to Chaos and Disorder: The Behemoth as a Model of Political Economy

AbstractThe history of political economy is tormented by beasts. The most famous is the Leviathan, the giant serpentine monster that figures in Hobbes’s masterpiece of modern political theory. Robert Fredona and Sophus Reinert spotlight another sea monster, the Kraken, that giant octopus or squid with a particular morphology (i.e., its tentacles) that so fittingly describes the grip of multinational corporations, stateless financial capital, social media, and tech giants today. But there are still other monsters in the bestiary of political economy. In this essay, I highlight the Behemoth, a land monster that captures another critical dimension of political economy: the willful and intentional deployment of chaos and disorder as a way of governing. Franz Neumann, political and legal theorist and lawyer, Columbia University professor, and member of the Frankfurt School in exile, placed the Behemoth at the heart—and in the title—of his analysis of Germany’s political economy under the Nazi regime. Alongside the Leviathan surveillance state and the many tentacular grips of multinational, social media, and tech Krakens, the Behemoth remains a key model to better understand current forms of capitalism.

Ramón Castroviejo (1904–1987): The father of the modern corneal transplantation

Ramón Castroviejo Briones was born in 1904 in Logroño, Spain. He received his medical education at the University of Madrid, where he graduated in 1927. In 1929, he received a fellowship to work as assistant in the Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital and College of Chicago. In 1930, he passed his American Board Examination and returned to Europe to visit the centers where keratoplasty was a fact. He visited the University eye clinics of Madrid, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and Prague. When he returned to the United States, Castroviejo had a clear idea of what was being done in Europe and what he hoped to achieve. William L. Benedict had offered him a research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, which Castroviejo accepted. In 1932, Dr. Maynard C. Wheeler granted Castroviejo a Research Fellowship at the new Eye Institute of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. He moved to New York, where he continued his research in animals in the Eye Institute of the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and was an early developer of techniques for transplanting corneal tissue from the eyes of those who had just died to damaged eyes of the living. While not being the first to successfully graft human cornea, he improved the technique of the operation in the 1930s and 1940s, prompting the worldwide adoption of corneal transplantation as a standard way to deal with severe corneal pathology. His keratoplasty technique, creating a rectangular rather than circular “window” in the cornea, was the secret to his successful transplants, and remained standard until more efficient suture materials became available. The surgeon described this technique in 1937 to the American College of Surgeons. He contended that rectangular windows gave better results than the circular ones that had been tried earlier, since their edges could be fitted better to merge with and become a living part of the rest of the eye. Although the medical community was slow to recognize his successes, Castroviejo was eventually lauded for his sight‐saving corneal tissue transplant techniques, which he continued to refine and teach for many years. Castroviejo also promoted the donation of corneal tissue in the United States and designed numerous ophthalmic instruments, including the Castroviejo needle holder ‐an instrument used in eye, dental and other forms of microsurgery‐ Castroviejo callipers and corneal scissors. He became the director of Ophthalmology at St. Vincent's Hospital before he opened his own hospital when he bought the Hammond House in New York. After closing his private hospital he retired as clinical professor of the University of New York and moved permanently to Madrid, where he founded the Instituto Castroviejo, at the Complutense University of Madrid, and organized the Spanish Eye Bank, maintaining extensive clinical activity whenever his health permitted. Ramón Castroviejo died in 1987, at the age of 82, and is widely recognized as one of the 10 most influential people in ophthalmology of the 20th century.

Psychiatric disorders in pregnant women admitted to the high-risk obstetric service in a Colombian university clinic between 2013 and 2017

ObjectiveTo determine the psychiatric diagnoses and treatments of patients admitted to the high-risk obstetric service who underwent a consultation with a liaison psychiatrist. MethodsA descriptive observational study that included pregnant women from the high-risk obstetric service of a highly specialised clinic in Medellín, who had a liaison psychiatry consultation between 2013 and 2017. The main variables of interest were psychiatric and obstetric diagnoses and treatments, in addition to biopsychosocial risk factors. ResultsA total of 361 medical records were screened, with 248 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. The main prevailing psychiatric diagnosis was major depressive disorder (29%), followed by adaptive disorder (21.8%) and anxiety disorders (12.5%). The pharmacologic treatments most used by the psychiatry service were SSRI antidepressants (24.2%), trazodone (6.8%) and benzodiazepines (5.2%). The most common primary obstetric diagnosis was spontaneous delivery (46.4%), and the predominant secondary obstetric diagnoses were hypertensive disorder associated with pregnancy (10.4%), gestational diabetes (9.2%) and recurrent abortions (6.4%). Overall, 71.8% of the patients had a high biopsychosocial risk. ConclusionsThe studied population's primary psychiatric disorders were major depressive disorder, adjustment disorder and anxiety disorders, which implies the importance of timely recognition of the symptoms of these perinatal mental pathologies, together with obstetric and social risks, in the prenatal consultation. Psychiatric intervention should be encouraged considering the negative implications of high biopsychosocial risk in both mothers and children.

Alternative Domiciles for the Domestic Posthuman

AbstractWhat are the most appropriate domestic notions, designs and surroundings for posthumans to flourish throughout the different phases of their life? Colbey Reid, Professor and Chair of Fashion Studies at Columbia College Chicago, and Dennis Weiss, Professor of Philosophy at York College of Pennsylvania, explore these terrains and posit some speculative futures that steer away from the sterile Modernist minimalism often portrayed as the contemporary aesthetics of the smart home, towards a more diverse, expressive and expansive collective of visual and haptic interfaces and social interactions – between posthumans, their contextual machinic ecologies and their communities.

Impact of Psychosocial Risk Factors in Post-Pandemic Times in a Colombian University Institution

The study presented is the evaluation of psychosocial risk factors in The Antonio José Camacho University Institution in the city of Santiago de Cali, Colombia, where every 1 or 2 years the survey of psychosocial risk factors is applied where intra-work and extra-work factors of workers are measured, it is applied to teachers and administrative staff. The survey defined from the survey of psychosocial risk factors of the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection applied to teachers (103) is used and the results are extracted quantitatively and qualitatively.&#x0D; According to the results, the Antonio José Camacho University Institution still shows a satisfactory range of 75%, decreasing the percentages in comparison with the 2021 period. Where this decrease is most observed is in the demands corresponding to the intra-work factors. The Institution must continue with these measurements that lead to know the post-pandemic effects on workers. University institutions are called to further assess psychosocial risk factors in their organizations due to post-pandemic effects and draw intervention plans for their workers to have a healthy lifestyle.

Virus as a figure of geontopower or how to practice Foucault now?

Elizabeth A. Povinelli, Franz Boas Professor at Columbia University, is a philosopher and anthropologist who has critically engaged with Michel Foucault’s ideas as well as scholarship inspired by his works. Povinelli has been dedicated to research on colonialism within liberalism and is also a filmmaker and founding member of The Karrabing Film Collective. The film collective is part of a larger organization of Aboriginal peoples and artists living in the Australian Northern Territory that refuses ‘fantasies of sovereignty and property’.[1]&#x0D; As Povinelli shares with us during the interview, her trajectory was constituted in the middle of the 1980s following her life-changing encounter with the elders in Belyuen in the Australian Northern Territory. In the wake of that encounter, and with urgent issues raised about indigeneity due to changes in Australian law, Povinelli has been working even closer with her Karrabing family. The changes in law both acknowledged Aboriginal peoples' rights to their territory and imposed certain ideas of identity, family and culture, producing an entanglement between rights and government. These efforts to manage differences – cultural, race, gender – are problematized and deciphered in Povinelli’s ethnographic work with a focus on how late settler liberalism has been reconfigured with novel expressions of colonialism and imperialism. Now embedded...