Female Persons Research Articles

Cataract Surgical Coverage and Visual Acuity Outcomes in Rural China in 2014 and Comparisons With the 2006 China Nine-Province Survey

To estimate surgical coverage of cataract-related vision impairment and blindness and visual acuity outcomes in operated eyes in rural China in 2014 with comparisons with the 2006 Nine-Province Survey. Population-based, cross-sectional study. Geographical cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting residents from a rural county or semi-rural district within 9 provinces: Beijing, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Hebei, Ningxia, Chongqing, and Yunnan. Persons 50 years of age or older were enumerated through household visits and invited to examination sites for visual acuity testing and ocular examination. Surgical coverage and visual acuity outcomes in 2014 were compared with data from the 2006 survey. Among 51 310 examined persons, surgical coverage among those presenting with cataract-related severe visual impairment or blindness (<20/200) was 62.7% overall, ranging from 43.4% to 83.6% across the 9 study sites. Unoperated cataract was significantly associated with older age, female sex, and lack of education. Presenting visual acuity outcomes ≥ 20/63 in cataract-operated eyes was 62.2% overall, ranging from 51.6% to 78.6%, and 75.2%, ranging from 67.1% to 81.5%, with best-corrected visual acuity. As a proportional percentage of cataract surgical coverage in 2006, overall surgical coverage increased by 81.4% during the 2006-2014 interval, and by 110% when adjusted for visual acuity outcomes ≥ 20/63. Cataract blindness control is well underway in rural China, as evidenced by significant increases in cataract surgical coverage and improvement in visual acuity outcomes during the 2006-2014 interval. Further efforts are needed to provide greater access to affordable cataract surgery for the elderly, female persons, and those with little or no education.

College students’ perceptions of gender stereotypes: making connections to the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields

ABSTRACTIn this study, we surveyed 499 college students at two different universities in the United States to determine what they believe are society’s current stereotypes about male and female personality attributes. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, ANOVA, and regression. We found that college students do believe that certain personality attributes are stereotypically associated with males while others are stereotypically associated with females within society, and that the strength of these beliefs varied by gender, whether or not they planned to pursue a STEM career, and by parental education. In this paper, we report our findings and relate our results to career choice to better understand how stereotypes might be connected to the shortage of women in many STEM careers.

CD8+HLADR+ Regulatory T Cells Change With Aging: They Increase in Number, but Lose Checkpoint Inhibitory Molecules and Suppressive Function.

CD4+ regulatory T cells have been intensively studied during aging, but little is still known about age-related changes of other regulatory T cell subsets. It was, therefore, the goal of the present study to analyze CD8+human leukocyte antigen–antigen D related (HLADR)+ T cells in old age, a cell population reported to have suppressive activity and to be connected to specific genetic variants. We demonstrate a strong increase in the number of CD8+HLADR+ T cells with age in a cohort of female Sardinians as well as in elderly male and female persons from Austria. We also show that CD8+HLADR+ T cells lack classical activation molecules, such as CD69 and CD25, but contain increased numbers of checkpoint inhibitory molecules, such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4, T cell immunoglobulin and mucin protein-3, LAG-3, and PD-1, when compared with their HLADR− counterparts. They also have the capacity to inhibit the proliferation of autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells. This suppressive activity is, however, decreased when CD8+HLADR+ T cells from elderly persons are analyzed. In accordance with this finding, CD8+HLADR+ T cells from persons of old age contain lower percentages of checkpoint inhibitory molecules than young controls. We conclude that in spite of high abundance of a CD8+ regulatory T cell subset in old age its expression of checkpoint inhibitory molecules and its suppressive function on a per cell basis are reduced. Reduction of suppressive capacity may support uncontrolled subclinical inflammatory processes referred to as “inflamm-aging.”

Medical expenditure clustering and determinants of the annual medical expenditures of residents: a population-based retrospective study from rural China

ObjectiveTo identify the characteristics of high-cost (HC) patients and the determinants of the annual medical expenditures of Chinese rural residents.MethodsMedical expenditure clustering was performed by Lorentz curve and Gini index....

LANGUAGE REPRESENTATION OF THE CONCEPT ‘WOMAN’ IN THE NOVEL O. ZABUZHKO «GIRLS»

In the context of modern gender studies, the study of the concept of ‘woman’ is relevant. In the work of Oksana Zabuzhko, the topic of women is key, and therefore attracts attention. The purpose of the work is to comprehensively analyze the verbal means of expressing the concept of ‘woman’ in the artistic discourse O. Zabuzhko.The material for the study was the filing of text fragments characterizing the female, formed by a continuous sampling of the story «Girls» of O. Zabuzhko. The main method of research has become descriptive. The following methods were also used: conceptual analysis of linguistic units, contextual-interpretation analysis.In the structure of the concept, 3 microconcepts with the corresponding conceptual aspects are distinguished: «External characteristics» (‘external signs’, ‘‘age’, ‘clothes’); «Internal characteristics» (‘moral and ethical qualities’, ‘emotional and psychological characteristics and conditions’, ‘intelligence’); «Social characteristics» (‘marital status’, ‘attitude towards the husband, the family, children, to the environment’, ‘social and sexual characteristics’). The core of the concept is the nomination woman in the meaning of ‘female personality’, since the main characters appear not only in their mature age, but also in memories of their school age (8 – 15 years).The microconcept «External Characteristics» is revealed not by way of description of the appearance of the characters, but by separate characteristic features with the help of adjective epithets, comparisons and metaphors. For example, in the youth of Lena with «примхливою, ламкою геометрією» of the physique, in adulthood – «така здоровенна цьоха, діжа діжею».The microconcept «Internal characteristics» is verbalized mainly by evaluative substances with epithets. The image of Darka correlates with nominations, an excellent student, a championship in the classroom, captaincy in a school team, and others. The image of Lenka is accompanied by the basics: a good-natured, thinner and spiritually richer nature.The microconcept «Social characteristics» is represented by substantive indications on the role status of heroines in society. The image of an adult Lenya is accompanied by the basics: disrupted pregnancy, nymphomania, style easily accessible.Thus, even in the context of one story O. Zabuzhko, a woman appears multi-faceted, voluminous and strikingly realistic.

VISUAL AND AUDITORY REACTION TIME OF MENTALLY RETARDED SUBJECTS: EFFECT OF GENDER

The aim of the present study was investigate to effect of gender on visual and auditory reaction time of mentally retarded individuals. For this purpose, seventy four subjects (male=40, female=34) participated in the study. Subjects have different mental disability level (mild=29, moderate=28, severe=17). All of the measurements performed at the same time of day (14:00-19:00). Computerized reaction time tests were applied for visual reaction time (VRT) and auditory reaction time (ART) measurements. The website www.humanbenchmark.com has been used to determine the visual reaction time. The website www.cognitivefun.net has been used for the measurement of auditory reaction time. In both tests, the reaction time was measured 5 times and the average was recorded in milliseconds. Mann-Whitney U test were performed in the analysis of the data. Auditory and visual reaction time parameters show significant difference between male and female (p<0.05). Auditory and visual reaction time parameters showed significant difference between male and female within all disability levels (p<0.05). In conclusion, it can be said that reaction time shows difference between genders in mentally retarded persons like normal. Female disable persons perform slower reaction than male persons. The gender factor affect reaction sourced cerebrum, while they have mental retardation. Article visualizations:

Female Personality in Andrea Hirata’s Novel Sirkus Pohon

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Beni Snous Speakers’ Linguistic Accommodation in an Urban Contact Context

Within a rural-urban contact context, the present paper investigates linguistic accommodation of rural speakers (originally from Beni Snous valley, south-west of Tlemcen-Algeria) being in frequent and regular contact with urban speakers in the neighbouring city of Tlemcen. Gender marker is the selected linguistic variable which is used to address a female person. This variable has a reduced form [-i] and a neutralised form ∅ in the speech of Tlemcen speakers. However, Beni Bahdel speakers tend to diphthongise it by adding the suffixes [-ij] and [-ej]. Thus, the aim is to examine whether these rural commuters to the city of Tlemcen have accommodated their speech to the input variant forms [-i] and gender neutralisation ∅ or they still maintain their native variant form. By means of quantitative and qualitative methods, data analysis has revealed that linguistic accommodation has been attested in the speech of these speakers. Some social factors dictate the accommodative behaviour of these rural speakers to urban speech, as women are likely to maintain their native speech while men are prone to accommodate their speech. Such linguistic behaviour is reinforced by social-psychological factors towards both their native speech and urban speech.

Modeling the Intervention of HIV Transmission across Intertwined Key Populations

The HIV transmissions between multiple key populations make interventions difficult, particularly with multiple transmission behaviors. It remains unclear how significant the role of bridge individuals (who connect multiple communities) is in HIV transmission, and how to develop more effective intervention strategies targeting different transmission modes across key populations. In this research, we proposed a 2-layer social network framework to simulate the HIV transmissions across female sex workers (FSWs) and persons who inject drugs (PWID) through two behaviors: unprotected sex and needle-sharing. We proposed a set of intervention strategies based on the topological properties of individuals in the social network and estimated the efficacy of these strategies. Simulation studies demonstrated that bridge individuals played a significant role in HIV transmissions across the two networks. Prevention on such bridge individuals could help reduce both the scale and speed of HIV transmissions.

Rawand Osman, Female Personalities in the Qur'an and Sunna: Examining the Major Sources of Imami Shi'i Islam

Rawand Osman, <i>Female Personalities in the Qur'an and Sunna: Examining the Major Sources of Imami Shi'i Islam</i>

Economic and legal review on marital community ad family

The aim of this paper is to look at the basic characteristics of the marital community and family and to formulate differences that exist among them. Legal science considers that marriage is a community regulated by law in which enter, under the same conditions, male and female persons after consciously giving the statements of consent in front of the authorized person, or before the priest of any confession. From once usual manifestation it evolved into a form of life in which the specific relationships (common life, education of the offspring, expansion of family) are regulated by the law. Due to the complexity of legal and social content and moral values in many societies, it is perceived as a monogamous social institution or as a special form of contract of civil law concluded by spouses, otherwise the molecules for the future emergence of extended family. According to all scientific theories, family is a universal human community composed of adult reproductive partners and their offspring. These are usually parents and their children, although they can be supplemented with persons who can be, but not necessarily, blood related with spouses (adoptees, grandfathers, grandmothers, grandchildren). The highest quality of marital community and family are reproductive, social-educational and psychological role.

GENDER DISPARITIES OF CIRCULATORY DISEASE PROGRESS IN THE CHORNOBYL ACCIDENT CLEAN-UP WORKERS AND PHOSPHODIESTERASE 4D GENE rs966221 POLYMORPHISM.

Evaluation of the hypertensive disease (HD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) progress in the ChornobylNPP (ChNPP) accident clean-up workers (ACUW) and persons not exposed to ionizing radiation depending on gen-der and genotype of the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene rs966221 polymorphism. There were male ACUW (ACUWm; n=515) and female ACUW (ACUWf; n=145) involved in thestudy since 2013 till 2018. Participation in the clean-up works took place in 1986-1987. The control group includ-ed male (CGm; n=162) and female (CGf; n=120) persons not exposed to ionizing radiation. All study subjects havehad neither signs nor symptoms of HD or CHD before the ChNPP accident. Review of the Kaplan-Meier survival tables indicated that according to median survival the HD emerged inACUWm and ACUWf in a younger age (47.5 ± 0.6 and 50.7 ± 0.7 years old, respectively) vs. CGm or CGf (54.9 ± 1.1 and54.4 ± 1.1 years, respectively). The same was true for CHD where the median values were (56.8 ± 0.5), (61.2 ± 0.8),(61.6 ± 1.0) and (64.2 ± 1.4) years respectively. Review of cumulative incidence of HD and CHD revealed no associ-ation of the PDE4D gene rs966221 polymorphism with the diseases of concern. The TT gene carrier state comparedto the CC or CT genes features an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) 2.9 times in ACUWm, 4-fold in CGm, and5.5 times in CGf (p < 0.05). No any gene carrier state was associated with MI in the ACUWf. Onset of menopause wasfollowed by an increase in HD incidence vs. males. The male and female ChNPP ACUW were developing HD and CAD at a younger age compared with cor-responding non-irradiated control. In male ACUW in comparison with female ACUW the cumulative morbidity ratefor MI was higher in any age range, whereas for CAD it was higher from 23 to 74 years, and for HD from 25 to 53 yearsof age. In male and female ACUW as well as in non-irradiated control the HD developed much earlier than CHD. Thecarrier state of TT genotype of PDE4D gene rs966221 polymorphism increases the risk of MI in males of all ages, inthe non-irradiated controls it is increased in 65 years for men and in 60 years for women. No data on association ofthe genotype of the described gene polymorphism with MI were found in female ACUW.

Conceptualizing the Place of Deaf People in Ancient Israel: Suggestions from Deaf Space

Building on the recent interest in disability studies within biblical studies, this article considers the place of the deaf in ancient Israel. Positive explorations of disability by Neil Walls, Saul Olyan, and Hector Avalos have moved away from the assumption that a deaf life in the ancient world was necessarily a squalid one. Using the insights into the complexities of deaf experience put forward by the Rev. J. H. Pettingell, a nineteenth-century clergyman who worked with what were then termed the “deaf and dumb,” this article explores the different potential scenarios for a male and a female deaf person. It then considers the potential life options for a priestly son deafened early or born deaf. The conclusion notes the possibility of communal Deaf spaces in ancient Israel and calls for an acceptance of one of the central methodological assumptions of deaf studies, that where a group of deaf people come together, a signing community is likely to come into existence.

Respuestas comportamentales a las actividades humanas e implicaciones para la conservación

Mougeot, F., Arroyo, B. 2017. Behavioural responses to human activities and implications for conservation. Ecosistemas 26(3): 5-12. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2017.26-3.02 Behavioural ecology has a key role to play for improving wildlife conservation. Behavioural studies applied to animal conservation are increasingly frequent, although research at the intersection of both research disciplines has still potential for further development. We briefly review some of the benefits of the interplay between both disciplines, focusing on human disturbances, and illustrate them using two case studies on steppe-birds of conservation concern. We first highlight the benefits of combining measures of behaviour and physiological stress to assess the potential adverse effects of increased human activities on little bustards and pin-tailed sandgrouse wintering in central Spain. We show how human activities (particularly hunting) increase the time spent flying, the size of wintering flocks, the levels of stress hormones and foraging behaviour after the disturbances. We highlight that creation of hunt-free reserves with good habitat should minimize the negative effects of disturbances. In the second case study, we look at how human disturbances through nest visits may have long-term effects on the phenotypic composition, in terms of behavioural personality types, of a population of Montagu´s harrier monitored over 20 years. Behavioural responses to nest visits, which are necessary to protect nestlings from mortality during cereal harvesting, define female personalities (bold vs shy). Disturbance during nest visits induce breeding failure in shy but not in bold females, leading to a population compositional change with an increasing proportion of bold females in monitored populations. We highlight the importance of behavioural studies aimed at conservation problems, particularly in a context where human activities are increasing in space and time.

Speaking With and Without Words—An Analysis of Foster Children’s Expressions and Behaviors That Are Suggestive of Prior Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACTThis exploratory study reports on foster children’s informal self-disclosures of previously unknown histories of sexual abuse. Data were collected from 40 children’s files, and an inductive thematic analysis of verbal and behavioral expressions was conducted. Findings suggest that foster children’s self-disclosures can be fragmented, spontaneous, narrative, or triggered and often occur during everyday activities in the foster family. The children disclose their past by referring to the perpetrator or the severity of the abuse or by acting out, mostly by reenacting sexual abuse experiences. In addition, some children use childish vocabulary focusing on genitals or sexual acts they were involved in or want to be involved in. Last, some foster children seem to be linguistically challenged to disclose that a female person abused them or that they were forced to reciprocate sexually. This study adds to the understanding of the complex process of child sexual abuse disclosure in the context of foster care.

Maternal egg hormones in the mating context: The effect of pair personality

AbstractAnimal personality traits emerge developmentally from the interaction of genetic and early environmental factors. Maternal hormones, such as androgens (testosterone, T and androstenedione, A4), transferred to embryos and egg yolks may simultaneously organize multiple behavioural and physiological traits. Although previous studies demonstrated an association between the mother's personality and yolk androgen levels, the independent effects of the male partner's personality and pair combination remains unknown.We test this association using an ecological model species for personality research, the great tit (Parus major) using multiple approaches: (1) a wild population, (2) a randomly mated captive population and (3) an experimental study with (dis)assortatively mated pairs from lines selected for fast exploration/boldness or slow exploration/shyness.Egg androgen concentrations were associated with variation in female personality traits, and the experimental data suggested that this is independent of male personality: Experimental females from the slow‐shy line tended to have higher egg T concentrations than females from the fast‐bold line, with no effect of male personality. Shy females from the wild population had higher egg A4 concentration than bold females. However, in the correlative data yolk hormones were linked with male personality, as well as the interaction between female and male traits: Male handling responsiveness correlated negatively with egg A4 concentration in wild birds. In randomly mated birds, pairs that were mated assortatively for personality had lower egg T concentrations than disassortatively mated pairs.Given that egg androgens are known mediators of avian personality, our results suggest that maternal hormones might contribute to the heritability of personality, may be sensitive to the social context of mating, and act as key drivers of individual differences.Aplain language summaryis available for this article.

HIV Prevalence and Risk Behaviors in Male to Female (MTF) Transgender Persons in Tijuana, Mexico.

Compared to HIV research on men who have sex with men, less is known about the risks and vulnerabilities for HIV among Male to Female (MTF) transgender persons, particularly in different geographic regions like Mexico. In Tijuana, Mexico, a border city experiencing a dynamic HIV epidemic, no precedent data exists on the MTF transgender population. Our aims were to estimate HIV prevalence and examine the behaviors and characteristics of the population. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 100 MTF transgender persons recruited through time location sampling in 2012. Participants underwent interviewer-administered (paper and pen) surveys and rapid tests for HIV. Descriptive univariate analyses were conducted on various factors, including sociodemographics, substance use, accessing social services (requested vs. received), stigma, and sex behaviors. A total of 22% tested positive for HIV, a prevalence higher than other key populations at risk for HIV in Tijuana.

Moderate and severe household food insecurity in families of people living with HIV/Aids: scale validation and associated factors.

Vulnerable population groups, including people living with HIV/Aids (PLHA), may have a high prevalence of food insecurity (FI). A cross-sectional study evaluated the internal validity of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar - EBIA) and measured the prevalence of FI in a sample of 796 PLHA in João Pessoa, Paraíba State (PB). The validation was performed using a Rasch analysis. The association of FI with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics was assessed using the chi-square test. Associated variables were included in a Poisson multiple regression model. The EBIA was valid for PLHA with fit values within the expected limits and item severity conforming to the theoretical model. The EBIA identified 66.5% of PLHA with FI in the sample (30.8% mild FI, 18.1% moderate FI and 17.6% severe FI). Moderate FI and severe FI were associated with an age younger than 43 years (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.49; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-1.86), primary education (PR=1.64; 95% CI: 1.24-2.17), income per capita lower than ½ minimum wage (MW) (PR=1.83; 95% CI: 1.37-2.44), lack of occupation (PR=1.59; 95% CI: 1.16-2.19) and adult-only households with a female reference person (PR=2.19; 95% CI: 1.45-3.31). The PLHA in this study had a high prevalence of FI, worsening their living conditions and potentially exacerbating their health problems.

Adapting Middlebrow Taste to Sell Stars, Romance, and Consumption

Although it began as a local slapdash effort to advertise the independent exchanges in Chicago in 1911, Photoplay became the nation's leading movie fan magazine. At first it copied Motion Picture Story, founded earlier to publicize the films of the monopolistic Motion Picture Patents Company, in publishing literary storyized versions of film releases. Adapting the middlebrow conventions of its rival to overcome disrepute and near bankruptcy, Photoplay had already spotlighted the players in its early issues. Indeed, it established the format for publicity stories about iconic female personalities, especially those in exciting cliff-hanging serials who were idolized by lower-class female fans. It also published serialized romance fiction that featured daring, unconventional modern heroines. A magazine that stimulated readers without economic and cultural capital to daydream about glamour and buy fetishized goods, Photoplay constructed stardom as a basis of consumer capitalism.

Difference Revised: Gender and Transformation among the Amazonian Runa

ABSTRACTIn this paper, I will explore how knowledge practices among the Runa of the Ecuadorian Amazon are informed by the specificity of local gender constructions. I will argue that while men learn to be ‘proper’ persons primarily through the ingestion of substances which penetrate inside their bodies and change them from the interior, women learn to become ‘proper’ Runa through imitating and reproducing specific movements. This difference in learning regimes, I argue, is based upon a priori conceptualisation of men and women as distinct kinds of beings. I argue that the Runa conceptualise as gender difference the way in which exteriority and interiority are played out in male and female persons. Unlike other Amazonian cases, women are understood by the Runa as ‘naturally’ predisposed to exteriority. This has important repercussions in the way cultural change is thought to affect women and men, especially in contrast to other Amazonian people.