Face Additional Challenges Research Articles

Translations: A Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices of a Non-Native Speaking University Faculty Teaching in Cross-Cultural Contexts

ABSTRACT Faculty who do not speak the language of instruction in their universities as their first language face additional challenges in teaching. This study aimed to investigate a non-native speaker faculty member, Eisuke Saito, who had attempted to manage and overcome language challenges in teaching. Through an autobiographical self-study of teacher education practices (S-STEP) with reference to critical incidents, and critical discussions with co-author Michelle Ludecke, this article reveals that through listening to the students and observing their non-verbal responses, Eisuke came to deepen his understanding of the complexities of students’ problems and confusions. As a result, class discussions were utilized more meaningfully, which involved working with students as co-curriculum makers. In so doing, the non-verbal responses that were overwhelming at the beginning of his teaching career eventually started to support Eisuke in facilitating discussion in his classes. This study posits that for non-native speaker faculty to change their practices, multi-faceted efforts are necessary – starting with respecting their students as co-curriculum makers, understanding students’ needs through non-verbal signals, and considering how to add value in developing dialogue among and with students in an emergent manner based on students’ confusions or questions.

Living with Sjögren’s Syndrome: An Analysis of YouTube Vlogs on the Autoimmune Disease

ABSTRACT People who experience symptoms of autoimmune diseases often have to struggle for illness recognition. Women experiencing such symptoms face additional challenges as their accounts of pain are frequently treated with skepticism. This study examines experiences of people living with Sjögren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease which is primarily diagnosed in women, by conducting an analysis of individual vlogs posted on YouTube using the themes of gender, chronic illness and neoliberal governmentality. Sjögren’s Syndrome is the second most common rheumatic disease after rheumatoid arthritis and affects nearly 4 million people in the United States alone. An analysis of 70 vlogs posted by people living with the disease revealed the challenges faced by them including diagnostic delays and perceived attitudinal biases amongst medical professionals, especially in the context of the gender of the patients. Apart from highlighting the impact of the disease on their gendered roles, the vloggers urged viewers to conduct their own research on the disease and advocate for themselves during interactions with physicians. The study illuminates how dissatisfaction with healthcare services reinforces neoliberal rationalities such as individual advocacy, resilience and self-labor. The findings of the study delineate the role of neoliberal governmentality in making self-management of chronic illnesses such as Sjögren’s Syndrome an internalized ideal for women living with the disease. Additionally, the study provides empirical evidence of the need for addressing the medical and socio-cultural factors that contribute to delays in the diagnosis and management of Sjögren’s Syndrome.

Mental health problems in first‐generation university students: A scoping review

AbstractDespite growing concern about mental health problems in university students and increasing recognition that first‐generation university students (FGS) may face additional challenges, there has been no previous attempt to map the existing research on FGS mental health. The aim of this scoping review was to elicit current understanding of mental health problems in FGS from the literature. Following database searches and screening, 40 peer‐reviewed articles were included in the scoping review. Findings from these studies were synthesised for: types of mental health problems in FGS; prevalence of mental health problems in FGS compared to continuing‐generation students (CGS); factors associated with mental health problems in FGS; effects of mental health problems on FGS; help‐seeking for mental health problems in FGS; and interventions. Significant gaps were highlighted and recommendations made for future research, particularly outside the United States. True commitment to widening participation demands much more research on mental health problems in FGS to ensure that they thrive not just arrive. Context and implications Rationale for this studyThe aim of this scoping review was to map the existing international research on mental health problems in first‐generation university students (FGS).Why do the new findings matter?The scoping review synthesises findings from 40 empirical studies published in peer‐reviewed journals, giving valuable insights into mental health problems in FGS and highlighting significant gaps in our understanding.Implications for higher education researchers and universitiesThe findings of the scoping review are a call to action for future research in this field. More studies are needed, particularly outside the United States, using a variety of research designs to gain a more comprehensive understanding of mental health problems in FGS. This research should be prioritised so that universities are provided with evidence‐based recommendations to mitigate and/or address mental health problems in FGS, thereby helping to ensure that they thrive in higher education.

Nutrition policy critical to optimize response to climate, public health crises.

The effects of unanticipated crises on health care and first-responder systems are reflected in climate-fueled environmental emergencies, to which human resilience is diminished by our chronic disease epidemic. For example, people who depend on specialized medications, like refrigerated insulin for diabetes, will likely face additional challenges in receiving treatment and care during extreme heat, floods, disasters, and other adverse events. These circumstances may be compounded by staff and equipment shortages, lack of access to fresh food, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure in the wake of a disaster. Simply put, our health care and first-response systems struggle to meet the demands of chronic disease without such crises and may be fundamentally unable to adequately function with such crises present. However, nutrition's primacy in preventing and controlling chronic disease directly enhances individual and public resilience in the face of existential threats. Highlighting the shared diet-related etiology clearly demonstrates the need for a national policy response to reduce the disease burden and potentiate mitigation of the sequelae of climate risks and capacity limits in our food and health care systems. Accordingly, this article proposes four criteria for nutrition policy in the Anthropocene: objective government nutrition recommendations, healthy dietary patterns, adequate nutrition security, and effective nutrition education. Application of such criteria shows strong potential to improve our resiliency despite the climate and public health crises.

Involvement of Vitamin D3 in the Aging Process According to Sex

Background/Aim: Rapid onset of facial ptosis can impact physical appearance and compromise the outcomes of facelift procedures. The level of vitamin D has a potential correlation with collagen formation and its deficiency with inflammatory processes that affect the breakdown of hyaluronic acid. This study aims to investigate the potential relationship between accentuated facial ptosis in women and low levels of vitamin D. Furthermore, it aims to explore preventive measures or strategies to slow down facial ptosis and enhance the longevity of facelift results. Materials and Methods: The study was focused on monitoring the vitamin D levels in women and men with advanced facial ptosis and comparing them with a control group. Results: Notably, a direct association between gender and serum vitamin D levels was observed, indicating less sustainable outcomes in women. Conclusions: Women face additional challenges in the aging process due to hormonal shifts after menopause or premenopausal, which are associated with osteoporosis and lower vitamin D levels.

Non-fatal traffic crashes among food delivery riders in Vietnam: What is the problem?

Objective The rapid development of information technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in the proliferation of online food shopping and food delivery motorcyclists. In contrast to the relatively ample literature on factors influencing fatalities and risky riding behaviors of food delivery motorcyclists, little is known about the determinants of non-fatal crashes involving online food delivery riders. The present study examines the prevalence and factors of non-fatal crashes among food delivery riders. Methods The self-reported data of 393 online food delivery riders were collected in Hanoi and Hochiminh city, Vietnam. Binary logit regression was used to investigate the factors associated with non-fatal crashes. Results The findings showed that more than half of riders (54%) reported being involved in at least one crash in the last 12 months. The most common risky riding behaviors associated with the crashes included using a mobile phone while riding, neglecting turn signals, red-light running, riding when tired/sleepy, and speeding. The riders who were national migrants, married, and worked on planned delivery routes mainly alone were more likely to experience crashes. At the same time, adequate perceived rewards for their work prevent crash involvement. Perceived risk was not a significant predictor of self-reported crashes. Conclusions Ensuring road safety for delivery riders requires a systemic effort involving multiple stakeholders, and the private sector plays a crucial role in discouraging risky riding behaviors. It is imperative for the government and regulatory bodies to redefine the delivery job to alleviate the strain on riders and provide resources such as rewards. Specifically, riders should be considered employees rather than partners. Furthermore, it is crucial for the police to take a more active role in preventing dangerous behaviors among delivery riders, such as running red lights. At the same time, supporting financial strategies should be implemented for delivery riders, particularly for those who are migrants or married and may face additional challenges.

Interventions to improve perinatal outcomes among migrant women in high-income countries: a systematic review protocol

IntroductionWomen who are migrants and who are pregnant or postpartum are at high risk of poorer perinatal outcomes compared with host country populations due to experiencing numerous additional stressors including...

Feature selection for a continental-scale geospatial model of environmental sound levels.

Modeling environmental sound levels over continental scales is difficult due to the variety of geospatial environments. Moreover, current continental-scale models depend upon machine learning and therefore face additional challenges due to limited acoustic training data. In previous work, an ensemble of machine learning models was used to predict environmental sound levels in the contiguous United States using a training set composed of 51 geospatial layers (downselected from 120) and acoustic data from 496 geographic sites from Pedersen, Transtrum, Gee, Lympany, James, and Salton [JASA Express Lett. 1(12), 122401 (2021)]. In this paper, the downselection process, which is based on factors such as data quality and inter-feature correlations, is described in further detail. To investigate additional dimensionality reduction, four different feature selection methods are applied to the 51 layers. Leave-one-out median absolute deviation cross-validation errors suggest that the number of geospatial features can be reduced to 15 without significant degradation of the model's predictive error. However, ensemble predictions demonstrate that feature selection results are sensitive to variations in details of the problem formulation and, therefore, should elicit some skepticism. These results suggest that more sophisticated dimensionality reduction techniques are necessary for problems with limited training data and different training and testing distributions.

Exploring the relationship between technostress and psychological well-being in basic education teachers: a cross-sectional study

Objective: In the current digital age, teachers face additional challenges due to the constant use of technology in their work. Although technology has provided numerous educational opportunities and tools, it has also resulted in a new form of stress known as technostress. In this sense, the objective of the present investigation was to determine if technostress is significantly related to psychological well-being of basic education teachers. Method: The research approach was quantitative; the design was non-experimental and the type corresponded to a descriptive-correlation study of transverse cutting. The sample was made up of 169 basic education teachers who were given the Technostress Questionnaire and the Psychological Well-being Scale for Adults, instruments with adequate levels of content validity and reliability. Results: Preliminary, it was found that teachers were characterized by presenting low levels of technostress and high levels of psychological well-being. In addition, it was determined that Pearson correlation coefficient between both variables was -0.465 (p<0.05). Inverse and significant correlations were also observed between the technostress and acceptance (r= -0.442, p<0.05), autonomy (r= -0.474, p<0.05), connections (r= -0.411, p<0.05) and projects (r= -0.452, p<0.05). Similarly, it was found that there were reverse and significant correlations between psychological well-being and skepticism (r= -0.440, p<0.05), fatigue (r= -0.461, p<0.05), anxiety (r= -0.441, p<0.05) and inefficacy (r= -0.417, p<0.05). Conclusions: There is an inverse and significant relationship between technostress and psychological well-being of basic education teachers. Therefore, it is recommended to promote healthy practices in the use of technology, such as practicing digital disconnection, promoting self-care and promoting conscious and balanced use of technology, to protect and improve the psychological well-being of teachers.

Poor Sanitation Among Women: A Comprehensive Research to Address Women’s Inadequate Sanitation in a Sustainable Manner

Environmental, social, and health problems are frequent in the absence of sufficient sanitation infrastructure and become worse as it stagnates. Poor sanitation has a disproportionately negative impact on vulnerable people, particularly women. There is a health and social divide between men and women as a result of attitudes and ideas about gender and menstruation. When managing menstruation and exercising good hygiene, women face additional challenges. This article examines the social repercussions of the condition of sanitation and tales of women's experiences managing menstrual cycles in both rural and urban areas of India. On a personal level, young women don't understand menstruation. Young women encounter constraints on mobility and other activities during menstruation, as well as stigma surrounding menstruation and a lack of opportunities to discuss it. Young women in low- and middle-income nations typically face psychological, social, and health issues related to menstruation. It might be particularly challenging in nations where menstruation is stigmatized, like India. Nevertheless, even if education is crucial, knowledge on its own is probably insufficient. Interventions must also target societal practices that propagate stigma, shame, and silence surrounding menstruation that might cause internalized stigma about menses in young people. Overall, developing multilayered, culturally relevant interventions that prioritize wellbeing and comfort in addition to more conventional health, educational, and employment outcomes is necessary to support challenge free menstruation.

A Virtual National Diversity Mentoring Initiative to Promote Inclusion in Emergency Medicine.

Trainees underrepresented in medicine (URiM) face additional challenges seeking community in predominantly white academic spaces, as they juggle the effects of institutional, interpersonal, and internalized racism while undergoing medical training. To offer support and a space to share these unique experiences, mentorship for URiM trainees is essential. However, URiM trainees have limited access to mentorship from URiM faculty. To address this gap, we developed a national virtual mentoring program that paired URiM trainees interested in emergency medicine (EM) with experienced mentors. We describe the implementation of a virtual Diversity Mentoring Initiative (DMI) geared toward supporting URiM trainees interested in EM. The program development involved 1) partnering of national EM organizations to obtain funding; (2) identifying a comprehensive platform to facilitate participant communication, artificial intelligence-enabled matching, and ongoing data collection; 3) focusing on targeted recruitment of URiM trainees; and (4) fostering regular leadership meeting cadence to customize the platform and optimize the mentorship experience. We found that by using a virtual platform, the DMI enhanced the efficiency of mentor-mentee pairing, tailored matches based on participants' interests and the bandwidth of mentors, and successfully established cross-institutional connections to support the mentorship needs of URiM trainees.

Quantifying the Effects of Operational Technology or Industrial Control System based Cybersecurity Controls via CVSS Scoring

This paper has examined the application of the Common Vulnerability Scoring System applied to operational technology or industrial control system-based cybersecurity controls and demonstrated that the unique considerations and aspects of these environments are more accurately captured when compared against a traditional IT based evaluation. Multiple business drivers are compelling consumer goods manufacturers to augment and connect their manufacturing systems bringing with it increases in potential for experiencing a cybersecurity incident [1]. While other business verticals are able to utilize cybersecurity standards and control documents tailored for their industry, manufacturers do not have a set of materials that directly correlate to the operational technology environments in which their systems reside [2]. Cybersecurity practitioners face additional challenges in developing an understanding of the severity of the risks within these environments due to the lack of current quantifiable methods of evaluating the risks. The findings from this research provide cybersecurity practitioners with a repeatable and extensible method to derive the operational risk present to an organization due to the technologies and business strategies employed in the pursuit of business objectives.

Emerging market multinational corporations' cross‐border mergers and acquisitions and political distance: Does corporate political activity matter?

AbstractDue to rising anti‐globalization sentiment, emerging market multinational corporations (EMNCs) face additional challenges in conducting cross‐border mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the developed markets. Built on institutional theory, we specifically examine how political distance, representing host–home country differences in various attributes in the political environment, influences the speed of approval for EMNC acquisition in the United States. The findings suggest that a larger political distance between the United States and EMNCs home country reflects challenges for EMNCs to gain legitimacy in the United States, resulting in the longer time required for acquisition approval. The EMNCs' corporate political activity moderated this relationship in that more corporate political activity improves the legitimacy perception of EMNCs among political actors, decreasing the time required for acquisition approval.

Delivery and short-term maternal and fetal safety of vaginally administered PEG-PLGA nanoparticles.

At the onset of pregnancy, people with preexisting conditions face additional challenges in carrying their pregnancy to term, as the safety of the developing fetus and pregnant person is a significant factor of concern. Nanoparticle (NP)-based therapies have displayed success against various conditions and diseases in non-pregnant patients, but the use of NPs in maternal-fetal health applications needs to be better established. Local vaginal delivery of NPs is a promising administration route with the potential to yield high cargo retention in the vagina and improved therapeutic efficacy compared to systemic administration that results in rapid NP clearance by the hepatic first-pass effect. In this study, we investigated the biodistribution and short-term toxicity of poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) NPs in pregnant mice following vaginal delivery. The NPs were either loaded with DiD fluorophores for tracking cargo distribution (termed DiD-PEG-PLGA NPs) or included Cy5-tagged PLGA in the formulation for tracking polymer distribution (termed Cy5-PEG-PLGA NPs). DiD-PEG-PLGA NPs were administered at gestational day (E)14.5 or 17.5, and cargo biodistribution was analyzed 24h later by fluorescence imaging of whole excised tissues and histological sections. No gestational differences in DiD distribution were observed, so Cy5-PEG-PLGA NPs were administered at only E17.5 to evaluate polymer distribution in the reproductive organs of pregnant mice. Cy5-PEG-PLGA NPs distributed to the vagina, placentas, and embryos, whereas DiD cargo was only observed in the vagina. NPs did not impact maternal, fetal, or placental weight, suggesting they display no short-term effects on maternal or fetal growth. The results from this study encourage future investigation into the use of vaginally delivered NP therapies for conditions affecting the vagina during pregnancy.

Heterogeneity of residents’ heritage responsibilities in the process of cultural communication: the case of the Genglubu heritage site in Tanmen, China

ABSTRACT Heritage responsibility in cultural communication has gotten minimal scholarly study and may face additional challenges as a result of discourses of heritage dissonance. Through the lens of the combination of critical heritage studies and communication science on a sample of residents in the heritage site of Genglubu, Tanmen, China, this study critically analyses the heterogeneity of residents’ heritage responsibilities in the process of heritage cultural communication (divided into two dimensions: environmental and psychological), under the interaction between the official discourse and vernacular discourse. Combined with 284 respondents’ questionnaires and 65 in-depth interviews, this study has shown that: (a) residents were exposed to Genglubu heritage culture primarily through communication space, followed by media space and physical space; (b) four groups of residents were identified using two-step cluster analysis. In order of numbers, they were heritage value approvers, indifferents, qualified heritage protectors, and active heritage protectors. We argue that heritage practices dominated by authorised heritage discourse (AHD) suppress community voices. Although most Tanmen residents recognise heritage value, they fail to benefit from it, resulting in a lack of heritage responsibility. The findings of this study may provide some insights into how to ensure effective community involvement in heritage conservation.

Podcast on the Challenges and Recommendations to Address Unmet Needs in MS for LGBTQ+ Populations in the United States.

In general, individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, plus other identities (LGBTQ+) living with multiple sclerosis (MS) have less favorable healthcare experiences and poorer overall health than cisgendered heterosexual individuals. They may experience further challenges in addition to managing their MS, including psychological or emotional problems, and an increased risk of comorbid diseases and substance abuse. Transgender individuals specifically face additional unique challenges, including high rates of mental health distress and effects from long-term exogenous hormone use and gender affirmation surgery. These findings highlight disparities in both quality of care and health outcomes of LGBTQ+ individuals. Unmet needs and drivers of these disparities relate to a lack of inclusivity in healthcare environments, poor communication between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and LGBTQ+ patients, inadequate HCP knowledge of LGBTQ+ health issues, and gaps in research into the impact of sexual orientation and gender identity in MS. Although data are limited, recommendations to improve the experience and care of LGBTQ+ individuals with MS include increasing HCP awareness of the challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face and provision of inclusive care, with the overarching goal for HCPs to be allies to the LGBTQ+ community. Improvements may be achieved through diversity and cultural awareness training of HCPs on sexual orientation and gender identity, and ensuring a friendly, open, and supportive healthcare environment. Use of sensitive and gender-neutral language by HCPs, representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in patient materials, and access to LGBTQ+ MS support groups are also recommended. HCPs should aim to integrate discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity and sexual and mental health into routine assessments and collaborate with other HCPs as needed. By addressing the challenges and unmet needs of LGBTQ+ individuals with MS, this should help resolve disparities in their quality of care and improve their overall health.

Can Connected Autonomous Vehicles Improve Mixed Traffic Safety Without Compromising Efficiency in Realistic Scenarios?

CAVs have the potential to improve traffic safety and efficiency in a fully connected environment, but they face additional challenges when they interact with human-driven vehicles in mixed-traffic scenarios due to the uncertainty in humans’ driving behaviour. Another challenge is the unreliability of communication networks. Delays and packet losses in communication links due to dense traffic, communication interference, channel fading, etc. may jeopardize CAVs driving behaviour and negatively affect traffic safety and efficiency. While the impact of CAVs on traffic safety and efficiency at different market penetration rates (MPRs) has been studied extensively, CAVs have been assumed to operate in either realistic traffic scenarios with perfect communication or with only a very small number of vehicles with imperfect communication. In contrast, this paper investigates the impact of CAVs on both traffic safety and efficiency in realistic scenarios in terms of imperfect communication, large-reaction time, vehicle modelling, and traffic scenario, with a focus on quantifying the detrimental effects of unreliable V2V communication and large-reaction time. Results show that CAVs can significantly improve mixed traffic safety in the presence of unreliable V2V communication and large-reaction times by adopting a very cautious car-following strategy (i.e., larger time headways), but this is at the expense of a slight reduction in traffic efficiency. Specifically, safety conflicts can be reduced by up to 66.67% at 70% penetration rate in the presence of packet drop of 70% and reaction time of 0.5s, but only at the cost of a travel time increase of 2.6%.

Modelling and simulation for energy management of a hybrid microgrid with droop controller

<span lang="EN-US">The most efficient and connected alternative for increasing the use of local renewable energy sources is a hybrid microgrid, these systems face additional challenges due to the integration of power electronics, energy storage technologies and traditional power plants. The hybrid <a name="_Hlk120713679"></a>alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) microgrid that is the subject of this research uses a primary-droop control system to regulate state variables and auxiliary services, thus, it is composed of batteries, solar panels and a miniature wind turbine (PDC) and controls how each energy source in a microgrid contributes to the final product. To achieve the given objectives, this paper will create appropriate models for each part of the microgrid design and define, among them, the energy storage batteries and power electronic converters required for each level of each of these systems. Finally, the dynamic nature of the system will be critically evaluated and characterized, to distribute the load and reduce imbalances, modify the primary drop of the resulting microgrid using MATLAB simulation.</span>

Human Leukocyte Antigen B27‐Negative Axial Spondyloarthritis: What Do We Know?

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic, immune-mediated disease characterized by inflammatory axial skeleton involvement and extra-musculoskeletal manifestations. The continuum of axSpA ranges from nonradiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA) to ankylosing spondylitis, also known as radiographic axSpA; the latter is defined by definitive radiographic sacroiliitis. Human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) is a genetic marker strongly associated with axSpA; it aids in the diagnosis of axSpA, and its absence leads to delay in diagnosis. For HLA-B27-negative patients, disease pathogenesis is poorly understood, signs and symptoms are frequently underrecognized, and diagnosis and treatment are commonly delayed. The proportion of HLA-B27-negative patients may be higher among non-White patients and those with nr-axSpA, who can face additional diagnostic challenges related to lack of definitive radiographic sacroiliitis. In this narrative review, we discuss the role of HLA-B27 in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of axSpA and highlight various pathways and genes that may be related to axSpA pathogenesis in HLA-B27-negative patients. We also emphasize the need to characterize gut microbial communities in these patients. Adequate understanding of clinical and pathological features underlying HLA-B27-negative patients with axSpA will improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for this complex inflammatory disease.

A novel c.64G > T (p.G22C) NR5A1 variant in a Chinese adolescent with 46,XY disorders of sex development: a case report

BackgroundAdolescents with 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) face additional medical and psychological challenges. To optimize management and minimize hazards, correct and early clinical and molecular diagnosis is necessary.Case presentationWe report a 13-year-old Chinese adolescent with absent Müllerian derivatives and suspected testis in the inguinal area. History, examinations, and assistant examinations were available for clinical diagnosis of 46,XY DSD. The subsequent targeting specific disease‐causing genes, comprising 360 endocrine disease-causing genes, was employed for molecular diagnosis. A novel variation in nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 (NR5A1) [c.64G > T (p.G22C)] was identified in the patient. In vitro functional analyses of the novel variant suggested no impairment to NR5A1 mRNA or protein expression relative to wild-type, and immunofluorescence confirmed similar localization of NR5A1 mutant to the cell nucleus. However, we observed decreased DNA-binding affinity by the NR5A1 variant, while dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that the mutant effectively downregulated the transactivation capacity of anti-Müllerian hormone. We described a novel NR5A1 variant and demonstrated its adverse effects on the functional integrity of the NR5A1 protein resulting in serious impairment of its modulation of gonadal development.ConclusionsThis study adds one novel NR5A1 variant to the pool of pathogenic variants and enriches the adolescents of information available about the mutation spectrum of this gene in Chinese population.