Non-profit Institutions Research Articles

VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY IN CONTINUOUS METFORMIN TREATMENT

As we know type 2 diabetes is a global disease with many complications. The long-term treatment with metformin as a first line of therapy has been proven to cause low levels of cobalamin /vit. B12/. The main purpose of this analysis is to show the frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency among patients treated with biguanides. The RSNC/regional non-profit association/ “Diabetes Care” in Burgas conducted the study. Patients on metformin treatment for 5 to 10 years were included in it. From January to September 2022 was the period when all the data was collected. Information on the duration of metformin treatment was collected through an anamnesis. All patients were tested for vitamin B12 levels and the average value was found to be < 145 pmol/L - according to certified laboratory reference values - from 145 to 569 pmol/l. All participants in this study had laboratory evidence of anemia and were deficient in this vitamin . Vitamin B12 deficiency is preventable and these data show us the need of regular screening in patients on long-term treatment with metformin. This will allow the identification of patients with vitamin deficiency and the addition of treatment with it or/and discontinuation of metformin treatment.

Introduction to the Virtual Special Issue: Strategy Science’s Contributions to Doctoral Reading Lists

Introduction to the Virtual Special Issue: <i>Strategy Science</i>’s Contributions to Doctoral Reading Lists

How Far Does the Diverse Economies Approach Take Us?

How Far Does the Diverse Economies Approach Take Us?

Lumber sleuths

To enforce laws and treaties that protect endangered tree species, federal agents first have to recognize those species when they come across wood they suspect came from illegal logging operations. A US Fish and Wildlife Service lab has spent a decade developing a mass spectrometry approach to rapidly identify wood by species. Now the scientists are taking it on the road. Some years ago, David Gehl made an unusual trip to Siberia. “I went to lots of sawmills and forests and came back from Russia and China with, like, 20 kg of wood boards on my back,” he recalls. Gehl was no ordinary tourist. He was in the region as part of an undercover probe by a nonprofit group called the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). He was following up on suspicions that oak imported into the US from China had come from forests in eastern Russia where logging was prohibited.

Feasibility Analysis of Museum Application in Teaching Chinese Culture as a Foreign Language

In recent years, the theoretical and practical achievements related to the emerging discipline of Chinese as a foreign language have been increasingly improved. The teaching of Chinese as a foreign language is not only the teaching of language, but also the teaching of culture. Its fundamental goal is to train students to use Chinese for communication. The macro purpose is to promote Chinese civilization. Learners' cognition of the background culture of the target language is conducive to improving the comprehensive language use ability and enhancing the sense of Chinese cultural identity. Therefore, cultural teaching has been paid more and more attention by researchers, and some explorations have been made in the methods, strategies and places of cultural teaching. As a non-profit permanent institution serving the society, the museum displays material and intangible heritage and provides a variety of experiences for education, appreciation, meditation and knowledge sharing. Shaanxi History Museum is known as "the pearl of the ancient city and the treasury of the Huaxia civilization". The cultural relics in the museum display the splendid ancient Chinese culture represented by the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, covering political, economic, cultural, spiritual and other fields. As a cultural and educational institution, it provides innovative resources for revealing and presenting cultural elements. This article will start from the intersection of cultural teaching and museum functions, list the auxiliary role of museum resources in cultural teaching, demonstrate the feasibility of using museums to carry out cultural teaching, and expand the way of teaching Chinese culture as a foreign language.

Financial toxicity in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma on combination therapy.

651 Background: Combination therapy based on immunotherapy (IO) alone or in combination with oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has become the standard of frontline therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We sought to ascertain real world data on financial implications in RCC patients on combination therapy. Methods: An online survey was administered by Kidney Cancer Research Alliance (KCCure), a non-profit patient advocacy group, between 07/2022 and 09/2022 to patients via website, mailing lists and social media platforms. Multiple responses from the same patient were prohibited via anonymized IP address tracking. Select questions were directed at questions related to financial concerns as well as the validated 11-item COST measure and out-of-pocket spending patterns related to supplement purchases. Pearson’s correlation (r) and Kendal’s tau test were used to analyze the COST questionnaire, financial burden and hardship. Significance levels were 2 tailed. Results: 289 responders were on combination therapy (IO+IO or IO+TKI) (M:F, 145:143). Median age was 61 (range 19-89). 177 pts answered the COST questionnaire. Patients identified themselves as white (91%), living in the US (86.8%) and had a bachelor's degree or beyond (52.9%). 21.1%, 46.1%, and 32.6% lived in urban, suburban, and rural locations. The approximate annual household income was &lt;50.000US$ in 17%, &lt;100,000US$ in 41% and &gt;200,000US$ in 15%. 61% had private insurance, 27% were on Medicare/Medicaid and 0.6% were uninsured. 14% reported that it was difficult or very difficult to pay their premiums. 31% were retired and 24% not able to work. 28% reported that their medical situation has not reduced their income at all and 26% claimed that their disease reduced their income very much. Significant financial, medical, behavioral, psychological and emotional hardship was reported by 15%, 26%, 12%, 19% and 24% of the patients respectively. The monthly out of pocket costs were independent of type of therapy with 50% of the patients reporting spendings of &lt;50US$. 36% reported high out of pocket costs are a barrier to care. 44% have received financial support through a manufacturer or a foundation.22.4% of responders reported spending &gt;$100/month on supplements, and 8.3% reported spending &gt;$250/mo. Median COST score was 22 (range 4-36). COST score was significantly correlated to age, NCCN distress score, time since diagnosis and supplement intake (p&lt;0.05). Conclusions: Systemic therapy imposes financial hardship on patients but does not seem to be worse with combination therapy in RCC. Route of administration is not influencing financial hardship. Patients are willing to pay for out supplements if their treatment is not causing financial harm.

Prevalence of dietary modification and supplement use in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

662 Background: Mounting data suggests that dietary modification and supplement use, including probiotics, may modulate outcomes with immunotherapy in cancer therapy (Spencer CN et al. Science 2021; Dizman N et al. Nature Medicine 2022). For the first time, we sought to quantify the use of these measures among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Methods: An online survey was administered by Kidney Cancer Research Alliance (KCCure), a non-profit patient advocacy group, between July 22 and Sept 22 to a patient mailing list (N=1,532). Only patients diagnosed with mRCC and under active systemic therapy were included for analysis in the current study. Select questions were directed at dietary modification patterns and supplement usage. Patients were additionally surveyed regarding out-of-pocket spending patterns related to supplement purchases and to what extent they shared information about their supplement intake with their physicians. The student's t-test and Chi-square test were used to compare sociodemographic characteristics between participants who did and did not report supplement intake. Results: Out of 1,062 patients with renal cell carcinoma who participated in this survey, 289 met the inclusion criteria (M:F, 145:143). The median age was 61. The majority of patients identified themselves as white (91%), were from the US (86.8%), and had completed a bachelor's degree (52.9%). 21.1%, 46.1%, and 32.6% lived in urban, suburban, and rural locations, respectively. The most common reported first-line treatments were nivolumab/ipilimumab (32.4%) and axitinib/pembrolizumab (13.1%). 22.4% of respondents reported spending &gt;$100/month on supplements, and 8.3% reported spending &gt;$250/mo. Dietary modifications following a cancer diagnosis were reported by 34.9% of respondents, out of which 19.8% followed the Mediterranean diet and 18.8% adopted a ketogenic diet. 50.8% of respondents reported supplement intake. The most widely utilized supplements were cannabidiol (CBD) oil/marijuana, probiotics, and Vitamin C, reported by 28.0%, 24.2%, and 18.6% of respondents, respectively. 83.4% of respondents noted that they consistently report supplement usage to their physicians. There were no statistically significant associations between supplement use and age, sex, living area, or education. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of patients with mRCC use dietary modification and supplements as an adjunct to their antineoplastic treatment. Interventions such as probiotic use and ketogenic diets, which are the subject of a prospective study in mRCC (NCT05119010; NCT05122546), may already be used by many patients. More careful attention to nutrition and supplement use in clinical trial candidates may minimize the impact of these potential confounders.

How Has the Post-9/11 GI Bill Affected Veteran Students’ College Loans? A Longitudinal Analysis of NPSAS Using Propensity Score Weighting

ABSTRACT Using data from four waves of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, this study examines the effect of the PGIB on veterans’ student loans. Results indicate that the PGIB has significantly affected veteran students’ borrowing behavior, with an average $1,100 reduction in Stafford Loans. Veteran students attending for-profit institutions experience a larger loan decrease than their peers at public and private nonprofit institutions. In addition, loan reductions have occurred mainly at the extensive margin. The decrease in student loans is relatively small compared to the increase in veterans’ education benefits under the PGIB, partly due to a rise in the cost of attendance after the implementation of the PGIB, driven by a higher proportion of veteran students attending for-profit institutions. Finally, loan reductions vary across veteran students.

Boards can help if nonprofit associations are struggling to engage membership

Regardless of their type or size, nonprofit organizations across the country have faced unprecedented challenges over the last few years. That includes professional societies and trade associations whose members—be it individuals, companies or nonprofit organizations themselves—need guidance and support as they too weather the major changes buffeting their operations.

Amazon shuts down AmazonSmile fundraising tool

Online retail giant Amazon has announced the closure of its AmazonSmile charity fundraising program, effective February 20. The program, which was freely available to the company's customers, directed 0.5% of the sale price of selected merchandise to a variety of eligible participating charities, at no cost to the customer. Many found it an easy way to support nonprofit groups and causes simply by shopping for things they needed anyway, as opposed to going out of their way—and out of their own pockets—to donate to charity.

Check ‘dissolution clause’ is in line with current needs

Central to the process of starting a nonprofit corporation and attaining nonprofit 503(c)3 status is crafting articles of incorporation and bylaws that meet state and federal requirements. While bylaws are fairly straightforward and can be easily and routinely revised, articles of incorporation tend to be left alone more often than not, as they deal with some of the more foundational, unchanging issues facing the organization—perhaps most importantly, its purpose for existing and what to do with the organization's assets upon dissolution.

The Efficacy of the Speed of Processing Training Program in Improving Functional Outcome: From Restoration to Generalization

ObjectiveTo examine the efficacy of Speed of Processing Training (SOPT) in improving everyday functional outcomes in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). DesignRandomized controlled trial. SettingA nonprofit rehabilitation research institution and the community. ParticipantsIn total, 60 participants with MS with impaired processing speed were randomly assigned to SOPT (n=33) or an active control group (n=27). InterventionSOPT, a restorative computerized cognitive intervention involving 10 treatment sessions consisting of visual tasks designed to improve speed and accuracy of information processing Main Outcome MeasuresOutcomes included performance on the Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (TIADL) and self-report of functional behavior, quality of life, and affect. ResultsThe treatment group showed improvement in the total TIADL score and 2 subtests compared with the active control group. Participants in the treatment group who demonstrated improved cognitive performance after the intervention also showed improved performance on one TIADL subtest. Quality of life, affective symptomatology, and self-reported functional status were not changed after the intervention. ConclusionsImprovement in underlying cognitive or perceptual deficits is thought to promote recovery and everyday performance as per the restorative approach to cognitive rehabilitation. However, this study showed only selected improvements in everyday functional outcomes for persons with MS.

Amgen launches Humira competitor

After years of legal jousting by the companies involved, the first drug has launched to challenge AbbVie’s Humira as a biological treatment for inflammatory disease. Amgen’s Amjevita is the first in a string of nine biosimilars —closely related versions of a biologic drug that function comparably—from several firms that are becoming available in the coming year. Drug developers are watching closely: Amjevita’s sales performance in the next few months will indicate the market’s appetite for biosimilars across the US pharmaceutical industry, experts say. “This is probably the most important biosimilar launch in the past couple of years, and probably for the next few years,” says Andrew Mulcahy, a senior economist at the nonprofit research organization RAND Corporation. “This is the drug to watch.” Biosimilars are the biologic equivalent of generic versions of small-molecule drugs. One difference is that, like the original biologics, biosimilars are costly to develop and challenging to

PM 7/31 (2) Citrus tristeza virus

<scp>PM</scp> 7/31 (2) Citrus tristeza virus

Equity360: Gender, Race, and Ethnicity-All Orthopaedic Surgeon Burnout Is Not Created Equal.

1Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, NYU Langone Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Orthopedics, New York, NY, USA 2Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Vori Health, Jacksonville Beach, FL, USA 3Professor Emerita of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA M. I. O’Connor ✉, Vori Health, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250, USA, Email: [email protected] A note from the Editor-in-Chief: I am pleased to present the next installment of “Equity360: Gender, Race, and Ethnicity” written by Mary I. O’Connor MD, FAOA, FAAHKS, FAAOS. Dr. O’Connor is Chair of Movement is Life, a non-profit multistakeholder corporation committed to health equity, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Vori Health, Professor Emerita of Orthopedics at Mayo Clinic, and Past Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine. She has written extensively on increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities in orthopaedics and about other social issues. Her column unravels the complex and controversial motives behind disparities in musculoskeletal medicine across sex, gender, race, and ethnicity. The authors certify that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writer, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®.

Lessons Learned From a Citywide Abandoned Housing Experiment

Problem, research strategy, and findings The negative impact of vacant and abandoned housing in city neighborhoods is extreme, affecting health and quality of life, promoting violence, and leading to further abandonment. One approach to addressing abandoned housing is to intervene with low-cost interventions that provide a visual sense of ownership. We tested whether a low-cost remediation of abandoned and vacant houses or a trash cleanup intervention would make a noticeable difference in the levels of nearby disrepair, disorder, and public safety. The abandoned housing remediation and trash cleanup interventions were a test of compliance with municipal ordinances. We used an experimental design to test the causal effects of the ordinances and because the scale of abandonment was too large to provide treatment to all abandoned houses in the city. We used systematic social observation methods to rate changes in disrepair, disorder, and litter at housing sites and on the city blocks they were located and police-reported data on gun violence and illegal substance use. Our experimental design allowed us to see whether observed disrepair, disorder, and public safety improved after working windows and doors were installed on abandoned houses compared with a trash cleanup around properties or a no-intervention control condition. Our results showed significant changes in observed disrepair, disorder, and gun violence and illustrate the benefits of experimental evaluations of place-based changes to the built environment. Takeaway for practice Improving compliance with ordinances to remediate abandoned housing can make a noticeable difference in disrepair in neighborhoods and contribute to improved public safety. We illustrate how planners can use field experiments in partnership with city agencies, nonprofit community groups, and local universities to discover novel approaches to advance place-based changes to the built environment that can help economically disadvantaged communities abate problems of physical disorder.

About the phenomenon of «post-pandemic» reality and the social purpose of the state

Until now, there is no single view on the concept of state. Leading domestic and foreign legal institutions recognize this problem as highly controversial and not fully resolved. The concept of state came to us from ancient times and it will constantly change depending on the socio-political characteristics of the current historical period. The COVID -19 epidemic has made significant changes in the socio-economic way of life of a huge number of states, including Russia. Because of these processes, prerequisites have appeared for the formation of a still little-studied phenomenon of post-pandemic social reality, which needs a comprehensive study. The purpose of the article is to consider the concept, features, essence and social purpose of the state and the phenomenon of post-pandemic social reality. The objectives of the scientific article are to reveal the concept and identify the signs of the state, to analyze the essence and social purpose of the state on the example of the Russian Federation, consider the phenomenon of post-pandemic social reality and its impact on our country. The methodological basis of this research is the universal dialectical method of cognition, as well as general scientific and particular scientific methods: historical, systemic, formal-logical, methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, statistical, formal-legal, comparative-legal methods, methods of interpretation of law. Conclusions: each state is unique in its own way and has a number of specific features. At the same time, each state has generalizing features, such as territorial integrity, taxation, the presence of public authority, etc. The state will always remain in the focus of attention of many scientists due to their increased interest in the fundamental features of the state and its essence. The essence of the state is stable. However, it is impossible to neglect external and internal factors that can modify the essence of the state, make some adjustments to it, change the content. The Russian Federation will continue to strive by all available means to become a socially oriented power with highly developed social institutions, strong public support from state structures and a developed network of non-profit foundations. For this status, it has all the necessary tools at its disposal rich cultural heritage, vast expanses with a huge amount of resources, and scientific and legal base. The phenomenon of post-pandemic social reality in the scientific space has appeared quite recently, but it quite clearly characterizes the fundamental changes that have occurred in the life of Russian society against the background of the protracted coronavirus pandemic. These changes affected not only the healthcare system, but also the development and integration of new technologies, the labor market, demographic indicators and many other indicators. The timely use of state reserves aimed at strengthening funding for industries in need, the ongoing training of highly qualified personnel, the development and implementation of proven innovations, and support for the socially vulnerable population will help to avoid such incidents in the future.

Corporate Governance and its Impact on the Efficiency of Internal Control on Non-Profit Government Institutions: an Exploratory Study

Purpose: The aim of the research is to define the importance of Corporate Governance (CG) and its role in providing appropriate environment to operate the internal control system (ICS) to achieve goals of non-profit governmental institutions. Theoretical framework: The research included defining the nature of corporate governance in light of the internal control systems in Iraqi government institutions that are not aimed at achieving profits. Design/methodology/approach: The research was implemented on a sample of non-profit governmental institutions. The researcher used the descriptive method in the theoretical aspect and analysis in the applied aspect. The research reached a set of conclusions, and the research came out with a set of recommendations that serve its objectives. Findings: The study concluded that there is a relationship between the main and secondary variables, and we conclude from the results that activity of the higher administrations should not be limited to directing the dissemination of the concepts and principles of institutional governance. Research, Practical &amp; Social implications: In light of the adoption of the concept and principles of institutional governance. And efficient ICS that are able to lead the modernization trends in the public service without giving way to the spread of administrative and financial corruption, which has become a scourge that afflicts the body of the Iraqi government institutions at the present time. Originality/value: This study is one of the limited studies that dealt with corporate governance in non-profit organizations in Iraq, in light of the high levels of administrative and financial corruption, as well as weak internal control systems.

INCIDENCE OF UTERINE SARCOMA IN IVANO-FRANKIVSK REGION

Uterine sarcoma (US) is a rare disease characterized by an aggressive course and poor prognosis, accounting for 3–7% of malignant neoplasms of the uterus.&#x0D; The goal. Study the incidence of uterine sarcoma in Ivano-Frankivsk region and to analyze the clinical and morphological characteristics of the tumor.&#x0D; Materials and methods. Our research is based on clinical observations at the Municipal Non-Profit Institution “Precarpathian Clinical Oncology Center of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council” for the period from 2010 to 2021.&#x0D; The results. The analyzed data showed that the number of patients with uterine sarcoma was: stage I – 51.61%, stage II – 25.8%, stage III – 6.45%, and stage IV – 16.15%. Special attention should be paid to the observation of 48 patients with stages I, II uterine sarcoma (pT1-2NOMO).&#x0D; The peak incidence of uterine sarcoma in women is observed in the age group of 40-59 years (60.4%).&#x0D; The most common histological type is leiomyosarcoma, which accounts for 66.67%. Due to the different pathogenesis of the development of mesenchymal tumors, their clinical characteristics also differ. Leiomyosarcoma of the uterus is most often detected in the age group of 40-59 years (43.75%), but for endometrial stromal sarcomas, the peak incidence falls on the age group of 50-81 years, and it is 22.9%.&#x0D; In patients with leiomyosarcoma stage I, the distribution of histological grading is almost the same for G1, G2 – 28.1% and 25%. In stage II leiomyosarcoma, G2 prevails – 18.75%. For endometrial stromal sarcoma, in contrast to leiomyosarcoma, G3 prevails for stage I and II, which is 38% and 25%, respectively.&#x0D; In most patients with uterine sarcoma, an unencumbered oncology history was observed. Indicators of tumor markers (CA125, REA) for most patients with stage I-II uterine leiomyosarcoma were normal, for 66.67%.&#x0D; Conclusions. Most often, uterine sarcoma occurs in women of perimenopausal and menopausal age; the peak incidence of uterine leiomyosarcoma is in the age group of 40-59 years. The peak incidence in women with endometrial stromal sarcoma was observed in the age group of 50-81 years. Most cases are diagnosed at stage I of the disease, and the most common histological type of all uterine sarcomas is leiomyosarcoma. Endometrial stromal sarcoma is the second histological type of spreading, which in world practice demonstrates the advantage of detecting a low degree of malignancy G1-2. In our clinical study, in stages I-II, the frequency of detection, corresponding to the degree of tumor differentiation, G3 prevails. Among patients with stage I leiomyosarcoma, women with normal BMI prevailed (20.83%); with stage II, women with excess body weight and obesity (Class III) prevailed, which amounted to 25%. The majority of patients with stage I endometrial stromal sarcoma had excessive body weight, which amounted to 36.4%. Women with obesity of Class I predominated in stage II endometrial stromal sarcoma – 27.3%. Non-aggravated oncology history was characteristic for majority of patients with uterine sarcoma. 87.5% of women with stages I, II leiomyosarcoma and 73% of patients with stages I, II endometrial stromal sarcoma had non-aggravated oncology history. In most patients with uterine sarcoma and those who had more than three pregnancies, uterine leiomyoma in the anamnesis was found. Indicators CA125, CEA for most patients with leiomyosarcoma were normal.

The LARCG Latin American Renal Cancer Group: Achievements in Support, Teaching, Research, Collaboration, and Advocacy

The Latin American Renal Cancer Group (LARCG) was founded in 2013. This is a non-profit collaborative group designed to foster scientific knowledge in all areas of kidney cancer, and to establish international cooperation among well-recognized oncologic institutions. Since its creation, LARCG has reported data from Latin America to the scientific community and has promoted accredited information and advocacy principles for patients, lay people, and medical colleagues. Currently, it consists of 44 centers in 7 Latin American countries and Spain. In this paper, we report our achievements in assistance, teaching, research, and advocacy, and we discuss the successful international collaborations.