Ethnic Language Research Articles

Introduction: multilingualism and multilingual education in China

ABSTRACT In recent years, the field of multilingual education has begun to focus on the differences, dynamics, and complexities of multilingual learning among different groups. Relevant research has contributed to a deeper understanding of the mechanism underlying language learning and development in the applied linguistics community. Resonating with the trends, this special issue features seven articles, focusing on the learning and development of multilingualism in China. Specifically, the collection investigates core issues including language attitudes, cognitive processes and development, identity formation and development, curriculum development, and language policies among users of ethnic minority languages (e.g. Yugur, Tujia, Yao, Mongolian, Miao, Zhuang, Uyghur) and (dialects Teochew dialect) with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods, and cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs. The findings of this special issue help to provide insights for language policy makers, language education researchers, and practitioners at micro, meso, and macro levels.

Impact of an antibiotic stewardship initiative on urgent-care respiratory prescribing across patient race, ethnicity, and language.

We conducted a post hoc analysis of an antibiotic stewardship intervention implemented across our health system's urgent-care network to determine whether there was a differential impact among patient groups. Respiratory urgent-care antibiotic prescribing decreased for all racial, ethnic, and preferred language groups, but disparities in antibiotic prescribing persisted.

Przekład intersemiotyczny. Przypadek znaku drogowego, ekfrazy i adaptacji filmowej


 
 
 The article is an attempt to clarify and refine the ways of understanding two basic types of translation: from one language into another ethnic language (translation proper) – i.e. following the principles of translating homo- geneous systems of signs – and from one system of signs to another, e.g. verbal to iconic, or vice versa, which is sometimes called transmutation. Therefore, the starting point for the discussion is Roman Jakobson’s well-known typology of translation, which also took into account cases of intralingual translation within the same language, called rewording. However, the article mainly focuses on various cases of intersemiotic translation and thus transmutation, meaning situations where a text expressed in one system of signs is translated into a system of a different nature. The primary research question concerns what is actually being translated in such a situation and how this type of translation differs from a typical language-to-language translation. The article is chiefly theoretical, and the examples concern the cases of translating verbal signs into iconic ones, such as the rules governing traffic into a road sign, the translation of an image (a painting, photography) into a literary text (ekphrasis and its varieties), and a film adaptation. The equivalence of codes secures the adequacy of a linguistic translation. In the case of ekphrasis, the image is usually replaced by a verbal narrative, and in a film adaptation, the type and sequence of iconic signs must simply be invented because these sign systems are not directly equivalent, as Benveniste and Lotman believe. Examples that illustrate the main theses of the article are Jacek Kaczmarski’s art-inspired songs, several film adaptations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Polański, Kurosawa), and Agnieszka Holland’s film adaptation (Pokot [Spoor]) of one of Olga Tokarczuk’s novels.
 
 

Abstract A083: Initiation and persistence of hormone therapy in endocrine positive breast cancer at an urban safety-net hospital

Abstract Background: Evidence demonstrates inequities in receipt and persistence of hormone therapy among breast cancer patient populations based on race, ethnicity, insurance, and language. Institutions where patients seek cancer care may have an impact on receipt of treatment. It is unknown whether safety net hospitals, servicing a vulnerable patient population, exhibit inequities in receipt of hormone therapy for breast cancer. Study Design: We performed a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with all stages of hormone positive (ER+ and/or PR +) breast cancer treated at a safety net institution over the five year period from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013. The initiation of and persistence of hormone therapy were assessed by race, ethnicity, insurance status, and primary language. Persistence of therapy was defined as defined as at least 3 prescriptions (90 day supply) or more than 1 visit after start of treatment documenting taking treatment. Results: A total of 599 women were identified. The median age was 59 years, 58% were non-White, 32% were non-English-speaking, and 35% had Medicaid or no insurance. A total of 506 (84%) were started on hormone therapy. In multivariate regression analysis, the rate of endocrine therapy initiation was associated with higher stage at diagnosis, post-menopausal status, and HER2 negative status. Non-white race, Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, non-English-language, and Medicaid/no insurance were not significantly associated with or without initiation of hormone therapy. 93% of patients started on hormone therapy had evidence of continued treatment, 91% had evidence of continued treatment at 1 year, 75% finished their recommended course of hormone therapy. Conclusion: At an urban safety-net hospital, we do not observe inequities in the initiation of endocrine therapy for breast cancer by race, ethnicity, insurance, or language. Persistence of therapy was similar to nationally reported data. Additional research by hospital type, and granular reasons for non-adherence are warranted. Citation Format: Quinn S. Solfisburg, Brendin R. Beaulieu-Jones, Michael R. Cassidy, Naomi Y. Ko. Initiation and persistence of hormone therapy in endocrine positive breast cancer at an urban safety-net hospital [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A083.

Ethnic group affiliation and second/foreign language accentedness in English and Mandarin among Hong Kong speakers

ABSTRACT As part of a larger project that investigates the issue of identities in Hong Kong, this study anchored on the sociocognitive paradigm in second language acquisition (SLA) explores the potential relationship between one’s identity and perceived language accentedness. Our study set in Hong Kong (HK) aims to extend Gatbonton and colleagues’ works (e.g. [2005]. Learners’ ethnic group loyalty and L2 pronunciation accuracy: A sociolinguistic investigation. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 489–511. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588491; [2008]. The ethnic group affiliation and L2 proficiency link: Empirical evidence. Language Awareness, 17(3), 229–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658410802146867; [2011]. Ethnic group affiliation and patterns of development of a phonological variable. Modern Language Journal, 95(2), 188–204. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01177.x) that examine the relationship between ethnic group affiliation (EGA) and language proficiencies in diglossic contexts. HK is a multi-glossic context where Cantonese, English and Mandarin are the official languages, and they perform distinctive functions in various public and private domains. Through analysing participants’ (n = 65; born between 1970s–1990s) self-identification and their reported accentedness in English and Mandarin, we address the question of whether EGA as a set of social factors has a bearing on a person’s linguistic achievements. Findings indicate that participants’ identification with the Chinese/ HK identity is related to their perceived accentedness in the targeted languages in intricate ways that do not align completely with our predictions. We conclude by calling for further socio-cognitively informed research that investigates multiglossic situations where languages/ language varieties complement or compete with each other.

«Строить и жить помогает»: о роли и функциях этнической песни в жизни московских чувашей и марийцев

The paper studies the role and functions of songs in an ethnic language in the life of representatives of the internal diaspora. The article is based on the results of sociolinguistic surveys conducted in Chuvash and Mari diasporas of the Moscow region in 2014–2017 and 2019–2021, respectively. The researcher employed the following sociolinguistic methods: direct observation, participant observation, structured interviews of respondents, documentary recording of responses, statistical data analysis. One of the blocks in the sociolinguistic questionnaire included such aspects as the language – in – culture and ethnic culture maintenance in the context of the vitality of ethnic language. Ethnic culture, along with the ethnic language, is one of the key markers of ethnic identity in both samples. As the results of the survey demonstrate, songs in Mari or Chuvash occupy a significant place in the respondents’ life. Several functions of the ethnic song were identified: adaptation to new living conditions; co-optation of new members (i. e., through cultural ethnic events); creative self-realization; language learning (i. e., ethnic songs used for educational purposes in language courses); initiation into language and culture for new speakers of Chuvash and Mari. The role of ethnic song in the revitalization of the language has been equally determined.

Analysis on the geographical pattern and driving force of traditional villages based on GIS and Geodetector: a case study of Guizhou, China

Traditional villages have received widespread attention from all walks of life based on important carriers of Chinese rural culture. The mutual superposition of natural and cultural factors may exacerbate the evolution of traditional village geographical patterns. To understand such relationships and effects, factors and degrees influencing traditional villages need to be determined. Here, we analysed the data of 724 traditional villages in Guizhou recognised by relevant national ministries and commissions in China using average nearest neighbour analysis, Tyson polygon analysis, nuclear density analysis and Geodector. The geographic pattern feature revealed that traditional villages, in general, are highly clustered regionally and have significant edge effects on administrative units. Different substrate environments result in significant spatial heterogeneity in village spatial density, clustering, surface undulation, sun exposure, and waterfront. The geographic pattern of traditional villages is mostly affected by the closest distance to river valleys, the types and number of intangible cultural heritage resources in the county, river gorge density, edge effect index, degree of county ethnic language use, and proportion of paddy fields to the regional area; and their combined effects influence and control the community structure. The results highlight the impact of nature and culture on the distribution of traditional villages, which helps traditional village conservation and scientific exploration of human-land relationship issues in the mountainous areas of Southwest China.

Exploring Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Youth With Eating Disorders Using California Medicaid Claims Data

To explore the scope of diagnosed eating disorders among Medicaid-insured youth in California, and to describe the demographic characteristics of this population in a repeated annual cross-sectional study design. California Medicaid claims data were extracted for youth aged 7 to 18 years between January 2014 and December 2016. Participants included all youth who received an eating disorder diagnosis at any point in the study period (N= 8,075). Additional analyses compared youth with eating disorders who were continuously enrolled across all 3 years (n= 4,500) to random subsamples of continuously enrolled youth diagnosed with a mood or anxiety disorder (n= 4,128), a disruptive behavior disorder (n= 4,599), or a psychotic disorder (n= 4,290). About one-half of youth with eating disorders were Latinx (58.5%, n= 2,634) and indicated Spanish as their preferred language (48.9%, n= 2,199). About one-half (51%, n= 2,301) of eating disorder diagnoses were unspecified. Latinx ethnicity and Spanish language were significantly more frequent among youth with eating disorders than among those with other disorders (F11.97, F362.75, p values<.0005). The first examination of publicly insured youth with eating disorders revealed a highly diverse group of individuals among whom Latinx youth were particularly prevalent. However, past-year national prevalence estimates suggest that most eating disorder cases were undiagnosed. Eating disorders affect approximately 10% of the US population and lead to serious mental health and medical problems. This study used California Medicaid claims data from 2014 to 2016 to characterize the population of youth aged 7 to 18 years with diagnosed with an eating disorder (N = 8,075). The authors found the prevalence of eating disorders among youth aged 13 to 18 years was about 0.20% across all 3 years of the study, which is far below the expected prevalence and suggests that most eating disorders in youth go undiagnosed. About half of eating disorder diagnoses provided to youth with Medicaid insurance are unspecified, which may hinder receipt of appropriate treatment. Of youth with an eating disorder, about half were Latinx and reported Spanish as their preferred language. The authors also found differences in the prevalences of eating disorder diagnoses when analyzing youth by age, sex, and ethnicity. These results suggest that more standardized screening and assessment is needed to improve eating disorders detection and diagnosis, particularly for minoritized youth.

Symboliczne wymiary tajwańskiego nacjonalizmu

THE SYMBOLIC DIMENSION OF TAIWANESE NATIONALISMA great majority of Taiwanese people declare themselves to be Taiwanese only (61% in 2022) or Taiwanese and also Chinese (additional 31%), which gives an impression of ethnic and national unity. However, the divisive factors of (sub) ethnic grouping, language diversity and historical consciousness are still present. Taiwanese nationalism, which in its civilian form is organized around present state of Republic of China (ROC) as opposed to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). However, ROC, although de facto an independent state is not de iure a Taiwanese state, as can be seen in its national symbolism. The paper analyses this enthosymbolical dimension of Taiwanese national identity, discussing four main symbolical spheres: the memory of the 2-28 Incident; memory and idealization of the Japanese colonial period; strong presence of local languages, used alongside the official northern mandarin standard; and finally, the presence of the Aborigine people and their cultures. All these spheres are important in Taiwan symbolical space, and their importance is further strengthened by the actions of the state (public commemorations, protecting the cultural relicts of Japanese period, removing the ones connected with authoritarian regime of Chiang Kai shek etc.). However, the author remains doubtful if they have enough emotional and symbolical power to unite Taiwanese in the face of the Chinese threat. Closely related question is the future effect of the recommendations of the report of the Commision of Transitional Justice about the monuments of the KMT period, whose fate is a strongly contested issue, and which needs further research.

Construction of an Online Cloud Platform for Zhuang Speech Recognition and Translation with Edge-Computing-Based Deep Learning Algorithm

The Zhuang ethnic minority in China possesses its own ethnic language and no ethnic script. Cultural exchange and transmission encounter hurdles as the Zhuang rely exclusively on oral communication. An online cloud-based platform was required to enhance linguistic communication. First, a database of 200 h of annotated Zhuang speech was created by collecting standard Zhuang speeches and improving database quality by removing transcription inconsistencies and text normalization. Second, SAformerNet, a more efficient and accurate transformer-based automatic speech recognition (ASR) network, is achieved by inserting additional downsampling modules. Subsequently, a Neural Machine Translation (NMT) model for translating Zhuang into other languages is constructed by fine-tuning the BART model and corpus filtering strategy. Finally, for the network’s responsiveness to real-world needs, edge-computing techniques are applied to relieve network bandwidth pressure. An edge-computing private cloud system based on FPGA acceleration is proposed to improve model operation efficiency. Experiments show that the most critical metric of the system, model accuracy, is above 93%, and inference time is reduced by 29%. The computational delay for multi-head self-attention (MHSA) and feed-forward network (FFN) modules has been reduced by 7.1 and 1.9 times, respectively, and terminal response time is accelerated by 20% on average. Generally, the scheme provides a prototype tool for small-scale Zhuang remote natural language tasks in mountainous areas.

Adoption of a patient portal at a cancer center: Changes over 5 years.

558 Background: Patient portals increasingly are essential tools in oncology. Understanding their patterns of adoption and use is important to enable optimal care coordination and communication between providers, staff, and patients. Our goal was to identify trends in patient portal adoption in a large cancer center in NY, between 2017 and 2022. Specifically, we sought to understand when in their clinical journey patients start to engage with the portal, and how often they use it while receiving care. Methods: MSK offers a patient portal via a mobile app or browsers. We identified newly registered patients in January 2017 (2017 group) and January 2022 (2022 group) with two or more completed appointments for that year. We followed each group for one year and determined: (i) the proportion of patients who created and used portal accounts (ii) the timing of the creation of the portal account as compared with completion of the registration process (note: patients can create portal accounts before registration is complete) (iii) the proportion of patients who logged into the portal more than once (“ever-users”) (iv) the ratio (“usage ratio”) between the number of days a patient logged into the portal (“log-in days”) and the number of days a patient had an encounter at the center (“encounter days”) We captured demographics for both groups. This study was approved by the MSK Institutional Review Board. Results: A total of 2772 patients were in the 2017 group, and 3006 were in the 2022 group. Age, sex, race, ethnicity, and preferred language were comparable across groups. In the 2017 group, 57.1% (1584) opened an account, compared with 74.2% (2231) in 2022 (p&lt;.00001). Of those who opened an account in 2017, 17% (265) opened it prior to registration, 68% (1083) opened it within 2 months of registration, and 15% (236) opened it by year’s end. In the 2022 group, 30% (678) opened it prior to registration, 62% (1383) opened it within 2 months from registration, and 8% (170) opened by year’s end. (p &lt;.00001). In the 2017 group, 49.8% (1380) became ever-users, compared with 62.5% (1879) in the 2022 group. Median login-days for ever-users increased from 30 in 2017 to 47 in 2022, while the median of encounters decreased from 12 to 11. The median usage ratio of ever-users increased from 2.23 (IQR 1.23,3.88) in 2017 to 3.53 (IQR 2.18, 5.2) in 2022 (p&lt;.001). The proportion of ever-users whose log-in days were less than their encounter days dropped from 17% to 5.1% (p&lt;.001); the proportion of ever-users with log-in days more than 8 times per encounter days increased from 5.1% to 7.7% (p=0.03). Conclusions: From 2017 to 2022 patients created portal accounts more often and used them earlier and more often in their cancer journey. However, an important fraction of non-users persists. Oncology care increasingly will be dependent on digital capabilities. Future work should focus on closing the digital gap and assuring that disparities are understood and addressed.

Addressing cancer health disparities with a quality dashboard.

171 Background: Equity is lacking in cancer care. In 2021, the cancer center at our academic medical center established a quality dashboard with relevant performance measures. We aimed to evaluate our care in various domains of healthcare quality; however, no measures of equity were displayed. In 2023, we stratified our performance measures according to various population groups and evaluated group differences. In the next phase of this quality improvement cycle, we added the stratified results to the quality dashboard to display these group differences and prioritize equity. Methods: We identified performance measures that could be stratified by population groups, such as race, ethnicity, insurance type, and primary spoken language. Three measures, mortality index (MI), length of stay (LOS) index, and 30-day readmission rate, were calculated using a third-party program for the fiscal year 2022. Additionally, we stratified 2021 and 2022 data on patient satisfaction, assessed by the proportion of patients selecting the top answer to the likelihood of recommending the practice, by race and language. Each performance measure was color-coded in a quality dashboard according to the institution-set benchmarks (goals) and thresholds (satisfactory performance). Values better than or equal to the benchmark were displayed in green, between the benchmark and threshold in yellow, and worse than the threshold in red. Values worse than the benchmark were considered opportunities for improvement. Results: Population group differences are now captured on our quality dashboard. For the stratified MI results, white and Asian patient populations met the threshold, while the black patient population did not. Latinx patients did not meet the MI threshold, while the non-Latinx patient population did. Patients with Medicaid did not meet the MI, LOS, or readmission thresholds. Regarding patient satisfaction, the white patient population and those whose primary language was English met the benchmark, while the non-white patient population and the non-English speaking group did not. Conclusions: The quality dashboard, with the addition of measures stratified by sociodemographic factors, highlights signs of cancer health disparities at our institution. Leadership can use this tool to target resources to specific areas where disparities exist. The next steps include understanding contributing factors and setting appropriate benchmarks for future quality improvement work. Finally, we must understand the needs of other population groups facing cancer health disparities but not represented in the data, including the sexual and gender minority population.

The Fusion and Collision of Ethnic Cultural Language and Font Graphic Design

Through the market questionnaire survey of Chinese national culture, font graphic design, creative font and other related contents, the survey results show that the strong emotion for our national culture is people's aspiration, and the need for creativity in design has been unanimously recognized; The successful cases of "canned packaging of 56 ethnic groups in Wangzai" and "stamp design of 56 ethnic groups" are analyzed. The results show that it is necessary to inherit national culture and keep pace with the times; At the same time, the relevant literature was collected and studied in detail. Through the different analysis and comparison of the attitudes of scholars and market consumers towards national culture, we tend to draw the conclusion that our national traditional culture is like a gold mine, which is worth mining. The font should be dynamic and meaningful, not pure beautiful but indifferent. Adding the traditional elements of our national culture to the font design is undoubtedly a perfect blend of innovation and inheritance.

Perioperative use of low dose haloperidol safely reduces episodes of postoperative nausea/vomiting and length of stay following elective minimally invasive bariatric surgery.

While total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) protocols include Dexamethasone and Ondansetron prophylaxis, bariatric patients continue to be considered at particularly high risk for postoperative nausea/vomiting (PONV). A multimodal approach for prophylaxis is recommended by the Bariatric Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society however, there remains a lack of consensus on the optimal strategy to manage PONV in these patients. Haloperidol has been shown at low doses to have a therapeutic effect in treatment of refractory nausea and in PONV prophylaxis in other high risk surgical populations. We sought to investigate its efficacy as a prophylactic medication for PONV in the bariatric population andto identify which perioperative strategies were most effective at reducing episodes of PONV. An institutional bariatric database was created by retrospectively reviewing patients undergoing elective minimally invasive bariatric procedures from 2018 to 2022. Demographic data reviewed included age, gender, preoperative body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, and primary language. Primary endpoints included patient reported episodes of PONV, total doses of Ondansetron administered, need for a second antiemetic (rescue medication), complication rate (most commonly readmission within 30days), and length of stay. Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney test, and ANOVA were used to evaluate the effect of perioperative management on various endpoints. A total of 475 patients were analyzed with Haloperidol being utilized in 15.8% of all patients. Patients receiving Haloperidol were less likely to require Ondansetron outside of the immediate perioperative period (34.7% vs. 49.8%, p = 0.02), experienced less PONV (41.3% vs. 64.3%, p = 0.01) and also had a decreased median length of stay (27.3 vs. 35.8h, p < 0.0001). Addition of low dose Haloperidol to Bariatric ERAS protocols decreases incidence of PONV and the need for additional antiemetic coverage resulting in a significantly shorter length of stay, increasing the likelihood of safe discharge on postoperative day 1.

Current situation and path of foreign minority language protection based on Internet of Things from the perspective of ethnic identity

Ethnic identity is an important reason for national unity. The formation of ethnic groups is mostly due to external and internal reasons, with a complex mechanism structure. When people’s environment is destroyed, this value identity will be stronger, national cohesion and solidarity will grow sharply, an unprecedented high. Minority languages are characterized by a wide variety, cultural generation, and dynamic evolution. The languages are complex and diverse, and are deeply influenced by their cultural heritage. This has led to the fact that for a long time, minority languages have been learned almost exclusively by people of their own ethnic group. This has led to a steady decline in the number of minority language speakers. However, the birth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has created an opportunity for the development of minority languages. Foreign minority languages have the following status (1) rapid decline (2) many endangered languages (3) low willingness to learn. In order to further investigate the current situation of minority language protection, the team conducted a survey in the minority cluster A. The results of the survey are as follows: most of the villagers are in love with the ethnic language and must inherit and promote the ethnic language, which is the wealth of a nation, but there are also a few residents who think that Mandarin should be used to replace the ethnic language. This reflects that most of the residents love the national language, but their young people as the inherited generation lose their love for the national language and are not willing to inherit and promote it. To solve this problem, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based ethnic language data system has been constructed so that the data system for ethnic minority language protection built through IoT technology can become the last line of defense for protecting ethnic languages, while allowing ethnic languages to be known and understood by more people through IoT technology, fostering the love and reverence of ethnic minority people for ethnic languages, and enhancing other ethnic groups’ sense of identity and support for ethnic languages. We propose to protect minority languages. Ultimately, we propose recommendations for the preservation of minority languages. (1) Increase publicity for minority language preservation. (2) Construct laws and regulations related to minority language protection. (3) Conduct in-depth research on minority language work and build an information base. (4) Promote minority language education.

SAT115 Diabetes In Pregnancy: Evaluating Access And Usage Of Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) In A Medicaid Population

Abstract Disclosure: P. Chilukuri: None. J. Llanora: None. A. Schadler: None. K. Playforth: None. K. Naseman: None. Objective: Diabetes complicates up to 17% of pregnancies in the United States annually. Self-monitoring of blood glucose for diabetics requires supplies, knowledge, and support. Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use for self-monitoring improves clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Despite identified benefits, patient access to CGM is variable. Identifying barriers to CGM access is important to promote health equity. Our objective was to describe CGM prevalence in a pregnant population with diabetes. Study Design: This was a single-center, retrospective observational cohort study using electronic health record review of pregnant patients with diagnoses of Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM), Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM), or gestational diabetes (GDM). Patients ages 18 to 50 years with state Medicaid insurance, for whom CGM is a covered benefit, were considered if seen in any of our institution’s obstetrics clinics within a one-year period. Type of diabetes, race/ethnicity, primary language, home county, medication use, and CGM orders were abstracted. Pearson’s Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and independent samples t-tests were used for analysis. Results: Of 297 total patients, 7.7% (n=23) had T1DM, 22.2% (n=66) had T2DM, 68.4% (n=203) had GDM, and 1.7% (n=5) had another type. Overall, 19% (n=55) had reported CGM use. There was no difference in CGM use for non-white vs. white race (p=0.081) and urban vs. rural home county (p=0.138). Significantly less non-English speaking patients (p=0.001), Hispanic patients (p=0.026), Metformin users (p=0.03), and those not taking medications (p&amp;lt; 0.001) used CGM. Significantly more T1DM (p&amp;lt; 0.001), T2DM (p=0.007), and insulin-using patients (p&amp;lt;0.001) were in the CGM group. Conclusion: In patients with insurance coverage of CGM, awareness of actual usage is key. Social factors of ethnicity and primary language and clinical factors of diabetes type and medication use may affect CGM use. Obstetricians should advocate for equal CGM access for high-risk patients to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

The Disappearance of Languages and Natural Bilingualism

The disappearance of small languages occurs through an obligatory phase of collective natural bilingualism (i.e., bilingualism resulting from language contacts) and ends with the transition of the language community to a more widespread and promising language. The disappearance of languages is the most large-scale manifestation and realization of the desire of the language system for monolingualism; with individual natural bilingualism, this desire manifests itself as linguistic attrition. Mathematical modeling of the phenomenon confirmed the hypothesis about the instability of natural bilingualism: both the individual one, and the collective natural bilingualism providing «double» communication, are at the same time a phase of transition to monolingualism. Language keepers are monolinguals, therefore the main condition for the preservation of an ethnic language is the existence of a monolingual repository (e.g., a country where the majority of the population has one mother tongue). At the same time, monolinguals can have as many foreign languages mastered in a logical way. Optimal for the preservation of any ethnic language (not just a small one) is the monolingualism of preschoolers (indigenous language) and the introduction of the second, third, etc. languages at the school age in a logical way. Keywords: disappearance of languages, collective natural bilingualism, artificial bilingualism, language attritions, non-linear dynamics, mathematical modeling, unstable state, monolingual repository.

NONDISCRIMINATION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW: THE CASE OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Discrimination is considered any unjustifiable difference or non-equal treatment - exclusion, limitation or advantage directed against certain individuals or groups, as well as family members or other persons closely related to them, whether openly or covertly, on the basis gender, skin color, nationality, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, language, religious or political beliefs, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, property status or other factors. The purpose of non-discrimination legislation is to give everyone an equitable chance to take advantage of opportunities that are available in a society. This paper aims to explore the application of non-discrimination in international law within the context of the Republic of North Macedonia. The Republic of North Macedonia (RNM) is discussed in the paper as an example of how the idea has been used domestically. The purpose of this study is to construct a framework for the idea of non-discrimination and to bridge disparate conceptions of it to establish a range of contexts. The principles of equality and non-discrimination as part of rule of law and the paper’s specific objectives include identifying non-discrimination law organizations, the background of various statutes, and other facets of this law like The Republic of North Macedonia’s legal system and policy. The purpose of this study will be to examine the non-discrimination in international law, specifically within the context of North Macedonia, which serves the broader purpose of promoting human rights, equality, and social justice within the country and providing valuable insights for similar efforts globally. It helps assess the state’s commitment to upholding non-discrimination principles and identifies areas for improvement to ensure that the rights of all individuals are protected and respected. As a conclusion, we will reaffirm a few of the recommendations given in order to encourage the Republic of North Macedonia’s dedication to equality and non-discrimination.

Authenticating ‘mother tongue’ in a multilingual minority community

ABSTRACT This study examines mother tongue in a multilingual region which includes a national language, a recognised ethnic minority language, and multiple other minority languages (including so-called ‘dialects’) and English. We probe into practices and perceptions of one designated ethnic minority group in China across domains of family, community and education through a process of authentication. Drawing on a questionnaire of 576 students with local, multilingual education experience and interviews with 48 students of the Zhuang minority group, we examine the intersubjectivities of language, ethnicity and Chineseness. The findings highlight an unwavering affirmation of Putonghua (PTH) dominance as central to Chineseness along with wavering support of Zhuang and other minority languages or dialects as linked to ethnicity and regional identity. Crucially, our data show that the policies and ideologies around recognised minority languages can make it difficult for speakers to name or claim their ‘mother tongue’. The analyses suggest that ‘mother tongue’ is a misnomer in many ways as it is not primordial, matrilineal or geneological but is based in (primarily monolingual) ideologies which do not adequately represent multilingual individuals and communities. We propose a conceptual framework to expand our understanding of the authentication of mother tongue and the resilience of minority/minoritised language, problematised by monolingual ideologies.

An evaluation of an employment assistance program focused on people living with HIV in Toronto, Canada

ABSTRACT Unemployment is more common among people living with HIV (PLWH) compared to the general population. PLWH who are employed have better physical and mental health outcomes compared to unemployed PLWH. The main objective of this mixed-methods study was to conduct a program evaluation of Employment Action (EACT), a community-based program that assists PLWH in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to maintain meaningful employment. We extracted quantitative data from two HIV services databases used by EACT, and collected qualitative data from 12 individuals who had been placed into paid employment through EACT. From 131 clients included in the analysis, 38.1% (n = 50) maintained their job for at least 6 weeks within the first year of enrollment in the EACT program. Gender, ethnicity, age, and first language did not predict employment maintenance. Our interviews highlighted the barriers and facilitators to effective service delivery. Key recommendations include implementing skills training, embedding PLWH as EACT staff, and following up with clients once they gain employment. Investment in social programs such as EACT are essential for strengthening their data collection capacity, active outreach to service users, and sufficient planning for the evaluation phase prior to program implementation.