Federal Government Research Articles

Income transfer and COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: wrong and right at the same time

Abstract To alleviate the effects of socioeconomic inequalities and of the fall in economic activity on vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have implemented or expanded income distribution programs. Brazil, amid the political and economic 2020 crisis, exacerbated by the pandemic, established Emergency Aid (EA). This longitudinal ecological study aimed to analyze whether the availability of EA contributed to the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 in the Brazilian 5,570 municipalities, from March 2020 to December 2021. The theoretical model considered as control covariates socioeconomic, sociodemographic and morbidity characteristics and access to health services, including COVID-19 testing availability and vaccination. Classical variable selection methods were applied considering the theoretical model, culminating in the adjustment of Bayesian hierarchical models with the inclusion of spatial and temporal effects. First dose COVID-19 vaccine coverage and EA had a protective effect against hospitalization (RR = 0.982 and RR = 0.986) and mortality (RR = 0.978 and RR = 0.976) due to COVID-19 in Brazil, when controlled by socioeconomic variables, access to health services and spatial-temporal effects. The results highlight the important role of income transfer in morbidity and mortality due to the disease, however, the way in which EA was implemented in Brazil presented a series of problems, the main ones being discontinued payment of aid, reduction in values throughout the duration of the benefit, in addition to the use of public resources to pay people who did not meet the eligibility criteria. Such problems might not have happened if the federal government had maintained the registration structure of Bolsa Familia Program (BFP), which did not happen. Furthermore, vaccination was started late for several reasons, that is, its role in reducing morbidity and mortality could have been even greater if started as soon as it become available. Key messages • Even with planning and execution problems, income transfer and specific vaccination were important in reducing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Income transfer during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil was not done in the best way possible, due to discontinued payment, reduction in values and payment to not eligible people.

Relugolix (Orgovyx)

Reimbursement reviews are comprehensive assessments of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, as well as patient and clinician perspectives, of a drug or drug class. The assessments inform non-binding recommendations that help guide the reimbursement decisions of Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments, with the exception of Quebec. This review assesses relugolix, (Orgovyx), 120 mg, oral tablets. Indication: For the treatment of adult patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Employers and the Privatization of Public Health

This Article focuses on the role of employers in public health and argues that they constitute increasingly important actors in the U.S. public health arena. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of judicial decisions and newly enacted statutes enfeebled the public health powers of the federal and state governments. In a 2023 statement, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch clearly articulated his antagonism toward government-initiated COVID-19 interventions, describing them as “the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country.” All too many share his views. Employers may be highly motivated to safeguard their workers’ health. Without healthy staff members, they cannot keep their doors open, and without visible pandemic protections, they cannot reassure concerned customers that their premises are safe. During COVID-19, many employers established mask, testing, social distancing, and vaccine rules even in the absence of government mandates. Employers’ profit motives do not diminish their contributions to public health. Their contributions can significantly reduce health disparities by protecting vulnerable individuals who otherwise face health care access barriers and economic challenges that exacerbate their risks. This Article posits that in future public health emergencies, the United States will increasingly rely on those with a financial stake in individuals’ health. Federal and state government authorities should therefore embrace employers as public health partners. To that end, this Article develops recommendations concerning guidance and funding support that should be available to assist employers in their emergency response efforts.

Strategic Communication and Socio-Ecological Imperatives for Re-Marketing the Nigerian Brand

The thrust of this paper is to examine select factors within the social and ecological realms that are attributed to the image crises of Nigeria and to proffer sustainable strategic communication solutions to re-marketing the nation as a brand. The de-marketing process of the brand Nigeria is a function of some obvious factors like corruption, bribery, ethnicity, communal and ethno-religious clashes. Consequently, almost everything ‘Nigerian’, whether human beings or products, is questioned or received with greater comparative scepticism, especially within the international community. Nigeria is no doubt in dire need of a corporate reformation and a review of the nation’s socio-ecological posture and experience will offer a headway for the re-marketing of the brand. This paper adopts the analytical methods for the review of strategic communication and the Socio-Ecological Model, using selected scenarios in Nigeria as units of analysis. Findings reveal that Nigeria’s albatross as an unattractive brand is the moral decadence of her citizens occasioned by a lack of adequate information of citizens, absence of motivation and ability to act, and the inherent norms that the people live with. This has thwarted the nation’s (re)branding management efforts. This paper recommends that the Federal government of Nigeria should re-orient her citizens from the now youngest generation and re-order her communication architecture to communicate a renewed Nigerian brand that will help the nation’s image to be attractive for a convincing patronage within the international market.

The immediate causes of the Amhara Fano Force's rebellion against the government of Abiy Ahmed

ABSTRACT With careful investigation, this article looks into the immediate causes that led to Amhara Fano's conflict with Abiy Ahmed's administration. Even though the people of Amhara stayed silent through many pains, 2022 was the turning point for Amhara Fano to start official conflict with Abiy Ahmed’s administration. The research design for the study is an exploratory case study. Document review, audio-visual sources, and a semi-structured interview were employed to investigate the recent reasons for Amhara Fano Force's conflict with Abiy Ahmed’s administration. The Pretoria agreement, the establishment of Sheger City, the attempt to tear down the Amhara Regional Force, the absence of trust with Abiy Ahmed's leadership, and delay in providing soil fertiliser to Amhara farmers were a few recent factors that led to the Amhara Fano Force struggle. Based on these findings, the researcher suggests that before the political apparatus, economy, and humanitarian security of Ethiopia are at risk again and affect East Africa, international organisations and international communities need to be part of the solution and provide assistance in establishing negotiation and agreement between these two warring factions like they did for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government of Ethiopia.

A JUDICIALIZAÇÃO DO DIREITO À SAÚDE: ANÁLISE DOS REQUISITOS PARA CONCESSÃO DE LIMINARES

This study focuses on the analysis of the judicialization of the right to health, emphasizing the legal and practical implications arising from the granting of injunctions within the public health domain. The right to health, enshrined in the 1988 Federal Constitution as a fundamental social right, guarantees all citizens universal and equitable access to health services, a direct outcome of the Sanitary Reform that culminated in the establishment of the Unified Health System (SUS). The analysis was conducted through a review of literature, legislation, jurisprudence, and academic works about the theme, highlighting the consequences of this judicial intervention, which include significant financial impacts, an increase in inequalities regarding access to health services, and an overburdened judiciary. Subsequently, the phenomenon of judicialization of the right to health, intensified over the past few decades, is discussed considering its implications and consequences. This right has increasingly become the subject of judicial scrutiny, prompting interventions by the judiciary to ensure access to treatments, medications, and procedures. The consequences of judicialization to the right to health are multifaceted and include substantial financial impacts on the public budget. While judicialization seeks to ensure the effectiveness of the right to health and to fully protect citizens, its effects can be detrimental to the equilibrium of public health policies, affecting both equity and the sustainability of the system. As a result of this work, it is indicated that, to mitigate negative impacts, it is essential for judicial decisions to be made based on rigorous technical criteria and to be supported by robust evidence, such as medical reports. Furthermore, the responsibility for the implementation of judicial decisions should be tripartite, involving the Federal Government, States, and Municipalities, with procedural efficiency being necessary to prevent harm to citizens' health, thereby safeguarding the sustainability of the Unified Health System (SUS).

Analysis the Deficiency of China's Maternity Leave System Between China and the United States

Abstract: This paper compares the welfare system of China and the United States, the welfare content for both genders, aims of policy and policy effects. The comparison results show that the laws and regulations of China's maternity leave system are more unified. Second, there is a significant lack of parental leave for parents to support and care for their children. Third, the incidence of postpartum depression among Chinese women is increasing from year to year and is more common than that in the United States. Among the four comparative indicators, the two countries only show a more obvious consistency in the legislative objectives of the birth policy. This paper suggests that China should draw lessons from the unpaid maternity leave of the US federal government and appropriately improve the welfare level while maintaining the paid maternity leave policy. The maternity leave time of female workers should be extended. Male workers should enjoy father leave. In addition, new future government policies will need to include a mandatory requirement, requiring that parents have to exercise their respective powers to take parental leave and family leave. If the holiday cannot be used up before employees return to work, the surplus ought to be left for future use. In this way, employment equity and gender equality will be improved to a great extent.

Taxpayers' Share of US Prescription Drug and Insulin Costs: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Drug prices affect government budgets directly through spending on public programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and indirectly via private coverage for public employees and tax subsidies for private insurance. Yet, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the Senate could not use streamlined Budget Reconciliation to extend the Inflation Reduction Act's controls on insulin co-payment or drug prices to private insurers on the grounds that their expenditures do not affect the federal budget. To quantify insulin and other drug costs borne by federal, state, and local governments, including direct expenditures and indirect government subsidies that flow through private insurers. Cross-sectional analysis of expenditures for outpatient retail prescription drugs reported by respondents and their pharmacies in the 2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (adjusted downward for drug rebates), supplemented with information on employment-related insurance from the US Office of Management and Budget and other sources. The civilian non-institutionalized US population. Direct (payments by public health insurance programs) and indirect (taxpayer-funded payments via private insurers) government expenditures for outpatient retail drugs. Direct government expenditures for outpatient retail prescription drugs totaled $154.85 billion in 2019, including $15.68 billion for insulin. Indirect government expenditures channeled through private insurers totaled $53.59 billion (including $5.48 billion for insulins). Those indirect expenditures encompassed $32.32 billion in tax subsidies for employer-sponsored private coverage, $25 million for subsidies to private Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, and $21.24 billion for government-paid premiums for public employees and retirees. Overall, government expenditures for outpatient retail prescription drugs totaled $208.44 billion, 58.76% of all-payer spending and 65.96% of spending for insulin. Governments directly or indirectly fund most drug purchases, including substantial expenditures that flow through private insurers. Hence, prices paid by private insurers impact government budgets, supporting the view that government should be allowed to regulate drug prices.

A tale of two (Florida) cities: perceptions of flooding risk and adaptation in Tampa’s Hyde Park and Saint Augustine

AbstractSea level rise is not a problem for the future alone. It is already affecting many small to medium cities on the East Coast of the USA. These cities are adapting to their problems without sufficient help from the federal or state government. To escape the perils of short-term reactionary ad hoc measures to deal with such problems, there is a need to utilize longer-term visions and frameworks. One such approach, Adaptation Pathway Planning, requires the involvement of locally affected people. This study looks at the perceptions and preferred adaptation solutions of the residents of St. Augustine and the Hyde Park neighborhood in Tampa, FL, two cities that are already experiencing the worsening flooding effects caused by rising seas. The results show that those living in areas at higher risk, and which are already experiencing frequent tidal flooding, had a greater knowledge of this risk and a higher desire for increased action from multiple levels of government. Also, such people were more aware of what their municipalities were already doing to adapt. Finally, when faced with two different scenarios of the possible rise in sea levels by 2050, those presented with the higher scenarios were more likely to choose a wider range of adaptation countermeasures. All this indicates the need to carefully consider the awareness of residents regarding the effects of sea level rise and how long-term adaptation should be discussed with them.

Full-time education: Assessment of the impact on learning of the Brazilian program Novo Mais Educação

Although there is no consensus on the effectiveness of full-time education in learning, several countries in Latin America have developed programs to extend school hours aiming at a higher level of student performance. In Brazil, the federal government implemented two policies for increasing school hours: Mais Educação Program (PME), from 2008 to 2017, and Novo Mais Educação Program (PNME), in 2018 and 2019. Therefore, this paper assesses the impact of PNME on students’ learning and discusses the effectiveness of the PNME’s design compared to the previous policy PME. Official data from the Brazilian government were used and the methodology combined Difference-in-Differences with propensity score matching for evaluating math and language students test scores. For the initial years of Elementary School, the results show a positive impact on learning, but for the final years the results were ambiguous: a null effect on language students test scores and a negative impact on math tests scores. Yet these results proved to be more promising than those of its predecessor, the PME, which can be assigned to PNME’s design more focused on expanding language and math learning hours.

Key influences on residential photovoltaic solar panel adoption in the United States

ABSTRACT The prevalence of low-density residential development to host solar PV, the ubiquity of solar irradiation, and incentivizing policies have created substantial opportunities for homeowners in the United States. Federal, state, and municipal governments implement regulatory policies and financial incentives to promote photovoltaic solar systems in residential buildings with limited resources. Thus, understanding the main factors and their spatial variations is vital for expanding the accessibility of renewable energy benefits to specific socio-economic groups and submarkets. Our research includes linear regression, principal component regression, and spatial error models to provide empirical evidence for the relationship between the adoption rates and socio-economic, geographical, and technical factors while identifying characteristics of adopter groups. The results suggest that the relative advantage factors – electricity prices and solar irradiation – play the most significant role across all regions and market segmentations. Statewide policy indicators are the second most significant factor, followed by socio-economic variables on employment status, remote working, car ownership, and property value. Our results indicate that homeowners do not only differ in their circumstances but also in their motivations. This highlights a need for policy-makers and the solar industry to place greater emphasis on distinct characteristics of consumers motivated by ideology and consumers motivated by economic benefits.

30 Access to Autism Spectrum Disorder services for marginalized families in Canada: A scoping review

Abstract Background In Canada, despite universal healthcare, immigrant and racially marginalized families face unique barriers when accessing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) services for their children. Exploring these experiences is critical to inform the federal government’s efforts to create a national autism strategy that serves children and families with ASD in Canada. Objectives We conducted a scoping review of immigrant, refugee, and racially marginalized families’ access to, utilization, and experiences with ASD services in Canada. Design/Methods The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology was used. A literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted in August 2023. English and French-language qualitative studies describing the experiences of marginalized families in Canada with accessing and/or using ASD services for their child <18 years were included. To assess eligibility of search results, title, abstract, and full-text screening were conducted independently by two reviewers. For included studies, two reviewers extracted data and appraised articles using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist. Results There were 4,489 search results. After de-duplication, 3,804 studies remained. Of these studies, 12 met inclusion criteria – representing 320 immigrant caregivers living in Ontario (n=167), Quebec (n=151), and British Columbia (n=2). Caregivers immigrated from Africa (n=55), Latin America (n=43), Europe (n=25), Asia (n=13), North America (n=11), the Middle East (n=4), and unreported (n=169). Of note, no studies focused on refugees. Common barriers when accessing ASD services were related to: difficulties navigating the health system (wait times, limited resources in the public system, high costs for private services, lack of collaboration between school and healthcare providers), challenges interacting with service providers (feeling unheard, discrimination, lack of continuity of care), and cultural differences (regarding ASD, language barriers, social isolation). In contrast, families identified supportive healthcare and school personnel, provision of culturally-specific multilingual resources, and parent-led peer support networks as key facilitators to ASD service access and use. Conclusion These results highlight gaps in existing research, especially around the experiences of refugee families. Our findings reiterate the importance of greater caregiver involvement in informing evidence-based recommendations to improve Canadian service provision, policy, and research. This national focus is especially relevant, given that 23% of Canadians in the most recent 2021 census are landed immigrants – representing the highest proportion of immigrants in Canada to date and emphasizing the growing need for culturally competent care.

Incentivizing Youth and Family SNAP-Ed Participation With Fruit and Vegetable Rewards

Poor diet quality in the United States impacts millions of individuals, particularly in low-income communities. The Federal Government’s primary safety-net program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and its associated nutrition education initiative, SNAP-Ed, aim to improve food security and diet quality. A number of Food as Medicine interventions have demonstrated that tying nutrition education to healthy food incentives improves diet quality and metabolic disease markers. There have been recent efforts to provide fruits and vegetables to SNAP participants via GusNIP (Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program) and related programs. However, these incentives have not been tied to nutrition education opportunities. We argue that SNAP-Ed can have a greater impact on diet quality and food security by increasing its reach to a larger number of SNAP participants with the benefits of food incentives. Thus, we propose pilot studies to assess the efficacy of combining SNAP-Ed and healthy food incentives, targeting both adults and youth for a comprehensive impact.

How the USA can feasibly cut methane emissions 30% by 2030: anaerobic digestion of organic waste and various measures in oil and gas production

AbstractThe USA has committed to cutting its emissions of methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas, by at least 30% by 2030 (‘30 × 30’). This is part of the Global Methane Pledge, signed by 155 countries, to keep global warming within 1.5 °C and thereby to forestall the disastrous effects of ‘runaway climate change’. It will be a major challenge for the USA to reach 30 × 30 and there is no consensus on how to do so. This paper provides a concrete, data‐driven roadmap to indicate how to reach 30 × 30 feasibly, focusing on two enormous sources of methane emissions: organic waste and oil and gas production. It calculates that building approximately 4700 anaerobic digesters (ADs) to process food waste and animal manure would cost about $74.2 billion in capital expenditure (capex) and cut 13.6% of total US methane emissions per year. On average, each project would take roughly 2–6 years to build. Of the various methane mitigation measures analyzed in the oil and gas sectors, the most impactful would be full compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) revised New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for oil and gas production by 2029. This would cut 17.5% of total US methane emissions annually, at a cumulative capex of $20.7 billion from 2024 to 2029. Together, the 13.6% cut from food waste and manure ADs and the 17.5% cut from full NSPS compliance would amount to a 31.5% reduction, exceeding the 30 × 30 goal. Greater clarity from the federal government on funding eligibility and additional incentives would accelerate the buildout of ADs.

Insights into water insecurity in Indigenous communities in Canada: assessing microbial risks and innovative solutions, a multifaceted review.

Canada is considered a freshwater-rich country, despite this, several Indigenous reserves struggle with household water insecurity. In fact, some of these communities have lacked access to safe water for almost 30 years. Water quality in Canadian Indigenous reserves is influenced by several factors including source water quality, drinking water treatments applied, water distribution systems, and water storage tanks when piped water is unavailable. The objective of this multifaceted review is to spot the challenges and consequences of inadequate drinking water systems (DWS) and the available technical and microbiological alternatives to address water sanitation coverage in Indigenous reserves of Canada, North America (also known as Turtle Island). A comprehensive literature review was conducted using national web portals from both federal and provincial governments, as well as academic databases to identify the following topics: The status of water insecurity in Indigenous communities across Canada; Microbiological, chemical, and natural causes contributing to water insecurity; Limitations of applying urban-style drinking water systems in Indigenous reserves in Canada and the management of DWS for Indigenous communities in other high-income countries; and the importance of determining the microbiome inhabiting drinking water systems along with the cutting-edge technology available for its analysis. A total of 169 scientific articles matched the inclusion criteria. The major themes discussed include: The status of water insecurity and water advisories in Canada; the risks of pathogenic microorganisms (i.e., Escherichia coli and total coliforms) and other chemicals (i.e., disinfection by-products) found in water storage tanks; the most common technologies available for water treatment including coagulation, high- and low-pressure membrane filtration procedures, ozone, ion exchange, and biological ion exchange and their limitations when applying them in remote Indigenous communities. Furthermore, we reviewed the benefits and drawbacks that high throughput tools such as metagenomics (the study of genomes of microbial communities), culturomics (a high-efficiency culture approach), and microfluidics devices (microminiaturized instruments) and what they could represent for water monitoring in Indigenous reserves. This multifaceted review demonstrates that water insecurity in Canada is a reflection of the institutional structures of marginalization that persist in the country and other parts of Turtle Island. DWS on Indigenous reserves are in urgent need of upgrades. Source water protection, and drinking water monitoring plus a comprehensive design of culturally adapted, and sustainable water services are required. Collaborative efforts between First Nations authorities and federal, provincial, and territorial governments are imperative to ensure equitable access to safe drinking water in Indigenous reserves.

Oversight of Government Spending on Combating Covid-19

The research aims to analyze the federal government's expenditures in 2020 and 2021 related to combating the COVID-19 pandemic in search of fraud indicators. This period was characterized by a sudden increase in public spending, accompanied by less stringent procurement processes. The Newcomb-Benford Law describes the frequency of leading digits in datasets and is presented as an effective tool for identifying anomalies and fraud in financial records, being widely explored in various fields, particularly in audits and accounting. A comparison was made between the observed and expected frequencies for the first, second, and first two digits of the committed values, segregated by year or procurement method. The analysis was conducted through graphs and statistical tests to verify the adherence of distributions to the Newcomb-Benford Law. Commitments made in 2020 showed better adherence than those in 2021, suggesting a higher probability of manipulations or fraud in the second year of the pandemic. Additionally, expenditures resulting from bidding processes were more compliant when compared to non-bid expenditures, confirming the perception that there is a higher likelihood of manipulation or fraud in non-bid spending. The research reveals indications that can be interpreted as warnings for oversight and control bodies, with the proposed approach serving as a mechanism for auditing government expenditures, assisting in the selection of samples that require detailed analysis by auditors and investigator.

Financial and Market Implications of the CSX-Conrail Acquisition

Conrail, Consolidated Rail Corporation, founded in 1976, was established due to the bankruptcy of multiple railway companies in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States. The federal government intervened to establish the company with the aim of restoring the services and profitability of bankrupt railways. As it developed, Conrail's railway network covered major cities and industrial centers in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States, possessing a strong market position and strategic value. Therefore, Conrail had become a target for mergers and acquisitions by large railway companies such as CSX and Norfolk Southern. Through mergers and acquisitions, the acquiring party could expand market coverage, enhance operational network connectivity and competitiveness. This is a complex and multi-layered issue, the CSX acquisition of Conrail involved financial and market implications, legal obstacles, competitive pressures, and strategic objectives. By analyzing these themes in depth, we could understand the key issues and response strategies that enterprises face in the M&A process, providing valuable experience for future M&A transactions. The study applied methods such as comparative analysis and case model analysis to analyze the main challenges, response strategies, and effects comprehensively and systematically in the M&A process, providing reference for similar cases. Overall, CSX's acquisition of Conrail demonstrates how companies can achieve acquisition goals and long-term development through flexible strategies, effective communication, and professional management in the face of complex legal, market, and operational challenges.

Chatbots adoption intention in public sector in Malaysia from the perspective of TOE framework. The moderated and mediation model

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the motivating factors for Malaysian governmental agencies (MGAs) to embrace chatbot technology. Design/methodology/approach Based on the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework, using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, 262 online data from the MGA top management were gathered. Smart PLS4 was employed to test the hypotheses of the study. Findings The findings demonstrated positive relationships between technological readiness (TR), big data analytics (BDA), organisational readiness (OR), organisational learning capabilities (OLC) and governmental policies (GP) concerning chatbot adoption intention and also the relationship GP with OR. A mediating effect was also observed, which indicated the OLC role in positively mediating BDA, the OR role in positively mediating OLC and the OR role in positively mediating GP with OR and OLC as sequential mediators in the relationship between BDA and chatbot adoption intention. Furthermore, the presence of citizen demand (CD) strengthened the relationship between TR, OR and chatbot adoption intention. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to Malaysian federal government agencies who still not adopting Chatbots. Practical implications The findings offer valuable insight into factors affect the adoption of chatbots among Malaysian government agencies. Stakeholders, including department heads, can use these findings to strategically enhance counter service by promoting chatbot adoption. Originality/value The study demonstrated that the TOE framework was effective in identifying the factors contributing to the decision-making process for adopting chatbots across MGAs. Organisational readiness and organisation learning capability was found to sequentially mediate the relationship between big data analytic and intention to adopt chatbot. Citizen demand was found to have moderation effect on the relationship between organisational readiness and technological readiness towards the intention to adopt a chatbot.

Microphysiological systems to advance human pathophysiology and translational medicine.

Microphysiological systems (MPS) or "organ-on-a-chip" models are sophisticated tools that harness techniques from cell biology, tissue engineering, and microengineering to recapitulate human physiology. Typically, MPS are biofabricated 3-dimensional tissue constructs integrated into platforms designed to mimic the tissue microenvironment and provide functional outputs. Over the past decade, researchers have endeavored to manufacture high-throughput, high-fidelity MPS models of all major human organs. By incorporating patient-derived cells, researchers have produced biomimetic models of tissues with disease-linked genetic mutations capable of exhibiting patient heterogeneity. This work has demonstrated that MPS more closely model organotypic function and pathophysiology than traditional 2-dimensonal culture systems. Moreover, investigators have shown that human-MPS are better predictors of drug efficacy and toxicity than animal models. Thus, MPS have emerged as a promising candidate to improve the efficacy and safety of preclinical trials. In this Perspectives article, we provide an overview of current advances in MPS models, their applications in mechanistic research, and relevance to drug screening. Finally, we discuss current investments in MPS development by the United States federal government and research institutions around the world to advance translational medicine.

Capitalizing on sport labor migration: The role of ethnic capitalism in the discriminatory, regulatory, and exploitative environment for international college athletes in the United States

International college athletes (ICAs) are integral to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and lie at a particular social location as they are international students and college sport laborers. However, little research examines the discriminatory regulations toward ICAs by the NCAA, its member institutions, and the US federal government. Recent court rulings that permit college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) do not benefit ICAs because of outdated and exclusionary restrictions imposed by federal immigration policies, visa laws, and US tax laws, which prohibit ICAs from having equitable rights, building their personal brand and professional careers. To examine the discrimination, regulation, and exploitation of ICAs by the US federal government and the NCAA, we apply the theory of ethnic capitalism, which highlights the marginalization of groups based on their ethnicity and national origin. In this setting, ICAs are treated as bodies of athletic labor, recruited for institutional gain and athletic program reputation to benefit US higher education institutions (HEIs). To conclude, we propose the need for the NCAA and its member institutions to treat ICAs equitably and include, support, and advocate for them, specifically regarding their inclusion in NIL on US lands.