Racial Backgrounds Research Articles

VERBAL DEVIATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

The harnessing development of technology has drastically modified languages that people are using in all corners of the world. It is out of the question that world languages are constantly evolving to meet the needs and requirements of the society. Nowadays social media platforms have undoubtedly become an indispensable part of daily communication. Undeniably various platforms of social media attract millions of people with different ethnic, linguistic, racial and religious backgrounds to interact and take part in various discussions in blogs, microblogs, chat groups, discussion boards, forums, etc. Over the last 20 years Internet mediated communication has generated many grammatical structures and lexical items that need to be studied and redefined. With the advent of new technologies new linguistic deviations have emerged in social media platforms. It is no wonder that scientists are holding opposing thoughts and conflicting viewpoints of the same or similar phenomena. Being the most prevalent language of social media and having the highest frequency of usage on the Internet domain the English language has underwent large-scale changes and alternations. These non-standard forms are noted in all levels of language. Over the time linguistic deviations have the tendency to become standard forms. The latter may lead the English language to changes. The current article discusses the marked variations of English verbal system in contemporary English social media platforms.

0922 Interference of racial and socioeconomic factors in the sleep of a large Brazilian city: lessons for comparisons between countries

Abstract Introduction Investigation on the effects of racial and socioeconomic parameters on sleep has markedly increased along the years. The vast majority of these studies take place on countries in North America or Europe, thus making it necessary that new initiatives are conducted in developing nations. The objective of this study was to evaluate how race and socioeconomic factors influence sleep in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods Health and sleep parameters of participants of the EPISONO (2007) study were assessed with validated questionnaires and a night of polysomnographic examination. Data regarding their self-identified race was collected during this protocol. Among the applied questionnaires, scores in the Critério de Classificação Econômica Brasil (CCEB) questionnaire were adopted in this analysis. General Linear Models were used to investigate the relationship between objective sleep parameters and the racial and socioeconomic classification according to the CCEB questionnaire. Results 1,008 participants of the EPISONO were included (mean age=42.3 years; 574 women). Class C Blacks had greater total sleep time (TST) than Class A Whites, while Class C Asians presented less TST. Indigenous participants had reduced wake after sleep onset (WASO) time when sided to Whites and, similarly, Class D Blacks presented lower WASO compared to Class A Whites. Arousal index was lower in Class B and C individuals when comparing to Class A individuals and higher in Class C Blacks when compared to Class A Whites. Conclusion The variety of results when comparing socioeconomic and racial factors highlights the richness of the interplay between these parameters. While some findings are similar to those of North American and European studies, there are differences underlining the necessity of evaluating the socioeconomic and racial background of each population cautiously. Future research on sleep patterns of the Brazilian population concerning the effect of race and socioeconomic status is essential and a promising frontier of investigation to be explored. Support (if any) Our studies are supported by Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa (AFIP), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES Finance Code 001 to GLF) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico Tecnológico (CNPq – Grant #141445/2021-1 to GLF); S.T. and M.L.A. received CNPq fellowships.

Gender, Racial and Ethnic Differences in Pathologic Response Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Bladder Cancer Patients

To evaluate trends and racial variations of pathologic complete response (CR) in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer undergoing cystectomy. The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with non-metastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. The primary endpoints, CR and mortality, were evaluated using the Cochran-Armitage test, multivariable regression, and Kaplan-Meier analyses. The cohort comprised 9955 patients. Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) patients were younger (P < .001), had a higher clinical tumor (P < .001), and had higher clinical node(P = .029) stages at presentation. CR for non-Hispanic White (NHW), NHB, and Hispanic patients were 12.6%, 10.1%, and 11.8%, respectively (P = .030). There was a significant increase in CR trends for NHW patients (P < .001) and increases in NHB (P = .311) and Hispanic patients (P = .236). On multivariable analysis, NHW females had lower odds of achieving CR (odds ratio: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.71-0.97); however, NHB males (hazard ratio: 1.21, 1.01-1.44) and NHB females (hazard ratio: 1.25, 1.03-1.53) had higher overall mortality in adjusted analysis. Survival differences were not observed in patients who achieved CR, regardless of racial background; however, for those with residual disease, the 2-year survival probabilities were 60.7%, 62.5%, and 51.1% for NHW, HW, and NHB patients, respectively (log-rank P = .010). Our findings revealed differences in chemotherapy response based on gender and race or ethnicity. The CR trends for all racial or ethnic groups increased over time. However, Black patients were found to have worse survival, particularly when residual disease was present. Clinical studies with more underrepresented minorities are needed to verify biological differences in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

(161) Xiaflex Nonresponders Show Alteration in Penile Measurements: Post-Market Analysis of Predictors for Treatment Success

Abstract Introduction The IMPRESS trial revealed that intralesional collagenase clostridium histolyticum, Xiaflex, is safe and efficacious for treating the physical and subjective effects of Peyronie’s Disease (PD). However, little is known about the other manifestations of PD, namely penile shortening and efficacy for patients of diverse racial backgrounds or with severe penile curvatures. Objective To evaluate predictors associated with response to treatment and alterations in penile morphological measurements. Methods Consecutive patients treated with Xiaflex for dorsal, lateral, and ventral penile curvatures ≥ 25°, in the absence of hourglass deformity, were included in this study. Before treatment and eight weeks after the last injection cycle, during penile duplex Doppler ultrasound evaluation, penile curvature was measured with a goniometer after induced artificial erection via injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). IIEF score, PGE1 dose, circumference, and erectile as well as stretched penile length were also assessed at these times. Based on the results of the IMPRESS trial, patients were considered Xiaflex responders if the decrease in their penile curvature were ≥ 15° (n =134) and Xiaflex nonresponders if the decrease in their penile curvature were &amp;lt; 15° (n =89). Initial measurements were in increments of 5°. Intention to treat analysis was performed. Results Two hundred and twenty-three patients with penile curvature ≥ 25° who received XIAFLEX were included in this study. One hundred and thirty-four patients (60.1%) responded to Xiaflex, while 89 (39.9%) patients did not respond. African American men were 3 times more likely to respond to treatment than their non-African American counterparts (Odds Ratio (OR) =3.35 (95% CI, 1.15-10.70), p =0.031). On the other hand, men with an initial penile curvature of greater than 60° were less likely to respond to Xiaflex (OR = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.16-0.69; p=0.003). However, patients with lateral and ventral curvatures responded at comparable rates to those with dorsal curvatures. Subsequently, changes in penile morphologic measurements post Xiaflex were analyzed. Average stretched penile length, erectile length, and erectile circumference prior to treatment for responders were 13.93 cm, 13.39 cm, and 11.81 cm, respectively; for nonresponders, it was 14.27 cm, 13.72 cm, 11.64 cm, respectively. Nonresponders were shown to experience a significant decrease in penile erect length (-0.55 cm) and circumference (-0.58 cm) (p=0.002 and p=0.002, respectively), whereas responders showed no significant alterations in penile morphologic measurements. Conclusions Our analysis revealed that men with penile curvatures ≥ 60° are less likely to respond to Xiaflex injections and thus may be considered for surgical intervention upon initial presentation. Furthermore, men who do not respond may even be at a higher risk for shortening of penile erect length and circumference. The actual clinical significance of a decrease in average erect length of 0.55 cm and circumference of 0.58 cm is difficult to determine and should be considered per patient preferences. Further investigations into predictors for response to Xiaflex and the pathophysiology behind penile shortening in Xiaflex nonresponders are warranted. Disclosure No

Don’t let the Court disrupt science

It is widely expected that by this summer, the United States Supreme Court will overturn long-standing precedents allowing the consideration of race as one factor among many in university admissions. The current legal regime goes back to the Court’s decision ( Regents of University of California v. Bakke ) in 1978 that banned racial quotas while allowing consideration of race for the purpose of creating a diverse educational environment. Although the law has evolved since then, almost all universities have relied on the Bakke framework to support their strategies to educate a diverse citizenry. If the Court upends those practices, the implications for the scientific enterprise will be far-reaching. It is essential that the process of science continue to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Studies show that the best science is done when teams are diverse. Moreover, the very questions scientists address can change substantially when those scientists come from a variety of racial, ethnic, and other backgrounds.

Center-level self-study identifies opportunities to advance equity in cystic fibrosis clinical trial participation

Clinical trials are a necessary tool for evaluating the effectiveness of newly developed treatments and interventions for cystic fibrosis (CF). Prior work demonstrated a proportional underrepresentation of people with CF (pwCF) identifying as part of a minoritized racial or ethnic group in clinical trials. In order to establish a baseline for improvement efforts, we undertook a center-level self-study to evaluate if the racial and ethnic backgrounds of pwCF participating in clinical trials at our CF Center in New York City reflect our overall patient diversity (N = 200; 55 pwCF identifying as part of a minoritized racial or ethnic group and 145 pwCF identifying as non-Hispanic White). A smaller proportion of pwCF identifying as part of a minoritized racial or ethnic group participated in a clinical trial as compared to pwCF identifying as non-Hispanic White (21.8% vs. 35.9%, P = 0.06). A similar trend was present for pharmaceutical clinical trials (9.1% vs. 16.6%, P = 0.3). When limiting the study population to the pwCF most likely to be eligible for a CF pharmaceutical clinical trial, a larger proportion of pwCF identifying as part of a minoritized racial or ethnic group participated in a pharmaceutical clinical trial as compared to pwCF identifying as non-Hispanic White (36.4% vs. 19.6%, P = 0.2). No pwCF identifying as part of a minoritized racial or ethnic group participated in an offsite clinical trial. Efforts to improve the racial and ethnic diversity of pwCF in clinical trials, both onsite and offsite, will require a shift in how recruitment opportunities are identified and communicated to pwCF.

543 Diversity in Burn Surgery Programs

Abstract Introduction Racial and gender disparities have been longstanding in the fields of medicine and surgery. In the literature, underrepresentation has been highlighted in plastic surgery and general surgery programs, however few studies examine this within burn surgery. Two studies describe the gender and racial disparities that exist in burn surgery leadership. This study seeks to compare and highlight the representation of minority and female surgeons in burn surgery training at a major metropolitan burn center to other surgical programs. Methods Applicant data were reviewed for acceptance to the clinical burn surgery fellowship program from 2008 to 2022. Self-identification was used to categorize gender as male or female and race as Asian, African American, White, and other. The gender and race of each applicant was recorded. The data was analyzed and compared to data trends in female and minority representation among physicians in other training programs. Demographic data were also obtained from newly hired staff of the same metropolitan burn center. Results From 2008-2022, there have been 30 physicians enrolled in this institution’s burn surgery fellowship program. Fourteen (46.7%) were female. Twelve (40%) were White, ten (33.3%) were African American, six (20%) were Asian, and two (6.7%) were of unknown racial background. From 2018-2022, there have been 277 newly hired staff members for the burn center. There were 238 females (85.9%). There were 142 (51.2%) who were White, 82 (29.6%) who were African American, 30 (10.8%) who were Asian, and 23 (8.3%) who were Hispanic or Latino. Conclusions In 2022, the US graduating medical class was 52% female – a proportion that has slightly increased over the last four years. Furthermore, the US graduating medical school class was 58.8% White, 25.5% Asian, 10.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Black; these proportions of minority groups have also demonstrated a slow, but steady, increase over the last four years. Previous studies have demonstrated a lack of diversity among burn surgery leadership, but do not address diversity among burn surgery fellows or among newly recruited medical staff within burn centers. This institution’s burn surgical program has aimed to maintain a diverse minority representation to serve a community that is also diverse in race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Applicability of Research to Practice Increasing gender and racial representation in burn surgery programs is beneficial for supporting the burn patient population, which is frequently diverse in race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

A pilot study profiling the gut microbiome in acne patients of different racial backgrounds: Experimental considerations and pitfalls.

None. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, JSM. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethnical restrictions. Appendix S1 Supporting Information Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

Patterns of demoralization and anhedonia during early substance use disorder treatment and associations with treatment attrition

BackgroundAlthough depressive symptoms represent a promising therapeutic target to promote recovery from substance use disorders (SUD), heterogeneity in their diagnostic presentation often hinders the ability to effectively tailor treatment. We sought to identify subgroups of individuals varying in depressive symptom phenotypes (i.e., demoralization, anhedonia), and examined whether these subgroups were associated with patient demographics, psychosocial health, and treatment attrition. MethodsPatients (N = 10,103, 69.2 % male) were drawn from a dataset of individuals who presented for admission to SUD treatment in the US. Participants reported on their demoralization and anhedonia approximately weekly for the first month of treatment, and on their demographics, psychosocial health, and primary substance at intake. Longitudinal latent profile analysis examined patterns of demoralization and anhedonia with treatment attrition as a distal outcome. ResultsFour subgroups of individuals emerged: (1) High demoralization and anhedonia, (2) Remitting demoralization and anhedonia, (3) High demoralization, low anhedonia, and (4) Low demoralization and anhedonia. Relative to the Low demoralization and anhedonia subgroup, all the other profiles were more likely to discontinue treatment. Numerous between-profile differences were observed with regard to demographics, psychosocial health, and primary substance. LimitationsThe racial and ethnic background of the sample was skewed towards White individuals; future research is needed to determine the generalizability of our findings to minoritized racial and ethnic groups. ConclusionsWe identified four clinical profiles that varied in the joint course of demoralization and anhedonia. Findings suggest specific subgroups might benefit from additional interventions and treatments that address their unique mental health needs during SUD recovery.

ANALYSIS OF TYPES OF CODE SWITCHING AND CODE MIXING IN THE BUMI MANUSIA FILM BY HANUNG BRAMANTYO

There are many kinds of literary work such as novel, poem, film, etc. Sometimes in the work there is a usage of many languages because of the idea and the creativity of the creators to make their project different from others’. For example, Bumi Manusia film which the characters have different ethnic or racial background so there is many different languages used. This makes code switching and code mixing happened. This study aims to find the use of code switching and code mixing in the film Bumi Manusia, then determine each type based on the selected reference, then determine the reasons for using code switching and code mixing in the film.This research was conducted by watching movies repeatedly, recording dialogues or conversations which are code switching and code mixing, determining the data for each type (whether including code switching or code mixing), after that determining the types and finally analyzing the causes of its use. The results show that the use of code-switching in the film Bumi Manusia is more than the use of code-mixing. And the reason for using code switching and code mixing the most widely used is because of solidarity and to soften or strengthen requests or command.

Physician Characteristics Associated With Bias in Contraceptive Recommendations [ID: 1349236

INTRODUCTION: We sought to determine the effect of obstetrician–gynecologist characteristics on contraceptive recommendations for patients of various racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. METHODS: U.S. obstetrician–gynecologists were administered an online survey depicting photographic scenarios of reproductive-aged women of differing races (White, Black, Latina, Asian) and described socioeconomic status (SES) (high versus low), with all other factors identical, and asked to provide contraceptive recommendations. We used logistic regression to analyze recommendation differences based on physician and patient characteristics. Institutional review board approval was obtained. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-five total respondents were included: 55% attending physicians, 45% trainees (residents/fellows); 73% White, 27% non-White. Among all patients: Non-White physicians had significantly lower odds of recommending tubal (odds ratio [OR] 0.493), vaginal ring (OR 0.401), and patch (OR 0.513) compared to White physicians. Non-White physicians had significantly higher odds of recommending any long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) (OR 1.846) and condoms (OR 1.438) compared to White physicians. Trainees had significantly lower odds of recommending tubal (OR 0.632), condoms (OR 0.595), pills (OR 0.428), vaginal ring (OR 0.326), and patch (OR 0.536) compared to attendings. Trainees had significantly higher odds of recommending any LARC (OR 18.374) and medroxyprogesterone injection (OR 1.797) compared to attendings. All physicians had a significantly lower odds of recommending any self-administered contraceptive method to Black high-SES patients compared to White high-SES patients (OR 0.418). Other variations were noted but did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: In our study, contraceptive recommendations differed by race and training level of the recommending physician and by patients' perceived race and SES. This suggests that physician bias contributes to contraceptive recommendations.

Life-Course Mobility in Socioeconomic Position and High Depressive Symptoms Among Young Black Women: The SELF Study.

Current literature on the association between mobility in socioeconomic position (SEP) and depression demonstrates mixed findings, with variation in the benefits of upward SEP by racial group and ethnic background. No study has examined life-course SEP mobility and depressive symptoms among Black women in the United States. Our cohort included 1,612 Black women enrolled in the Study of Environment, Lifestyle and Fibroids between 2010 and 2012 and followed for 5years. We used data on socioeconomic indicators at childhood and adulthood and used latent class analysis to create a life-course SEP mobility measure (persistently low, downward, upward, and persistently high). Using the 11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), we assessed high (≥9) versus low depressive symptoms. Multivariable log risk models were used to produce risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Of the participants, 37% had high depressive symptoms. Persistently low (RR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.31-1.86) and downward (RR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.14-1.63) SEP mobility was associated with high depressive symptoms after adjustment for age, adult social support, and marital status. There was evidence of an effect measure modification by adult social support, with a stronger association among those who reported high adult social support compared with low adult social support. These findings suggest directing mental health resources to people experiencing low SEP at any stage in life, especially those with low SEP in adulthood, to aid in the management of depressive symptoms.

Perspectives on National Institutes of Health Funding Requirements for Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Medical Scientist Training Program Leadership

Since 1964, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has funded the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) MD-PhD program at medical schools across the US to support training physician-scientists. Recent studies have suggested that MSTPs have consistently matriculated more students from racial and ethnic backgrounds historically underrepresented in science than MD-PhD programs without NIH funding; however, the underlying basis for the increased diversity seen in NIH-funded MSTPs is poorly understood. To investigate how administrators and faculty perceive the impact of MSTP status on MD-PhD program matriculant racial and ethnic diversity. This qualitative study used a positive deviance approach to identify 9 high-performing and 3 low-performing MSTPs based on the percentage of students underrepresented in science who matriculated into the program between 2014 and 2018. This study, a subanalysis of a larger study to understand recruitment of students underrepresented in science at MSTPs, focused on in-depth qualitative interviews, conducted from October 26, 2020, to August 31, 2022, of 69 members of MSTP leadership, including program directors, associate and assistant program directors, and program administrators. The association of NIH funding with institutional priorities, programs, and practices related to MD-PhD program matriculant racial and ethnic diversity. The study included 69 participants (mean [SD] age, 53 [10] years; 38 women [55%]; 13 African American or Black participants [19%], 6 Asian participants [9%], 12 Hispanic participants [17%], and 36 non-Hispanic White participants [52%]). A total of 51 participants (74%) were in administrative roles, and 18 (26%) were faculty involved in recruitment. Five themes emerged from the data: (1) by tying MSTP funding to diversity efforts, the NIH created a sense of urgency among MSTP leadership to bolster matriculant diversity; (2) MD-PhD program leadership leveraged the changes to MSTP grant review to secure new institutional investments to promote recruitment of students underrepresented in science; (3) MSTPs increasingly adopted holistic review to evaluate applicants to meet NIH funding requirements; (4) MSTP leadership began to systematically assess the effectiveness of their diversity initiatives and proactively identify opportunities to enhance matriculant diversity; and (5) although all MSTPs were required to respond to NIH criteria, changes made by low-performing programs generally lacked the robustness demonstrated by high-performing programs. This study suggests that NIH funding requirements may be a powerful incentive to promote diversity and positively affect representation of students underrepresented in science in the biomedical scientific workforce.

Implications of bias in automated writing quality scores for fair and equitable assessment decisions.

Recent advances in automated writing evaluation have enabled educators to use automated writing quality scores to improve assessment feasibility. However, there has been limited investigation of bias for automated writing quality scores with students from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds. The use of biased scores could contribute to implementing unfair practices with negative consequences on student learning. The goal of this study was to investigate score bias of writeAlizer, a free and open-source automated writing evaluation program. For 421 students in Grades 4 and 7 who completed a state writing exam that included composition and multiple choice revising and editing questions, writeAlizer was used to generate automated writing quality scores for the composition section. Then, we used multiple regression models to investigate whether writeAlizer scores demonstrated differential predictions of the composition and overall scores on the state-mandated writing exam for students from different racial or ethnic groups. No evidence of bias for automated scores was observed. However, after controlling for automated scores in Grade 4, we found statistically significant group differences in regression models predicting overall state test scores 3 years later but not the essay composition scores. We hypothesize that the multiple choice revising and editing sections, rather than the scoring approach used for the essay portion, introduced construct-irrelevant variance and might lead to differential performance among groups. Implications for assessment development and score use are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

George Bereday Award for 2022

Previous articleNext article FreeAwardGeorge Bereday Award for 2022PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreEach year the George Bereday Award Committee selects the most outstanding Comparative Education Review (CER) article for the George Bereday Award. The selection committee includes scholars who are chosen for their breadth of methodological skills and intellectual rigor. This year’s committee was chaired by Keita Takayama (Kyoto University) and included Nelli Piattoeva (Tampere University, Finland), Amrit Thapa (University of Pennsylvania), Nisha Thapliyal (University of Newcastle, Australia), and Fang Yanping (National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore). From 29 research articles published in volume 66 (2022) of CER (themselves selected from over 200 annual submissions), the George Bereday Committee awarded the honor to Meixi, Sukanda Kongkaew, Panthiwa Theechumpa, Amornrat Pinwanna, and Alison Ling for their article “Making Relatives: The Poetics and Politics of a Trans-Indigenous Teacher Collective,” published in August (66 [3]: 442–64). The committee reported the following: “‘Making Relatives’ was written by educators and researchers who have been deeply involved in the establishment and management of an Indigenous school in Northern Thailand, which adopted an Indigenous educational model from Mexico called Tutoría. The piece is not only beautifully written and wonderfully rich in its contextualization and empirical details but also admirably creative in its operationalization of conceptual tools drawn from interdisciplinary literature around storywork and social poetics.” The CER editors congratulate the authors on this honor.The committee also noted the high quality of other articles and in particular offered an honorable mention to Susanne Ress, Nancy Kendall, Sophia Friedson-Ridenour, and Yaa Oparebea Ampofo for their article “Representations of Humans, Climate Change, and Environmental Degradation in School Textbooks in Ghana and Malawi,” published in November ( 66 [4]: 599–619).George Zygmunt Fijalkowski Bereday, born in Warsaw in 1920, was both the founding editor of the CER and a cofounder of the Comparative Education Society, along with his close colleague William Brickman. A graduate of London and Oxford (while also serving in the British army during World War II), Professor Bereday subsequently arrived in the United States for PhD studies at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Later he received a JD from Columbia Law School, where he studied while teaching comparative education, sociology, and juvenile law at Columbia Teachers College from 1955 until his untimely death in 1983. William Brickman (writing in the fall of that year in Western European Education) called Bereday an extraordinarily talented and gifted personality: “A polyglot, he read, spoke, comprehended, and lectured in several Slavic, Germanic, and Romance languages … and he attained a practical ability in the use of Japanese.” Brickman also enthused that “Professor Bereday represented a rare blend of the classical and the modern, of Eastern and Western European education and scholarship, and of the Occidental and Oriental cultures” and that he “exhibited endless evidence of humanism toward other cultures and humanitarianism toward persons of all ethnic, racial, and national backgrounds.” Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Comparative Education Review Volume 67, Number 2May 2023 Sponsored by the Comparative and International Education Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/724822 © 2023 Comparative and International Education Society. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

89P Inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities in European breast cancer clinical trials

Breast cancer outcome, drug response and adverse effects vary significantly among races in the USA, with Black women being the most disproportionately burdened. However, recent reports are pointing out a significant underrepresentation of minorities, especially Black and Hispanic, in American clinical trials. Among breast cancer trials leading to FDA drug approval, race was reported in 66.67% and 75.70% White, 15.52% Asian, 3.73% Hispanic and 2.10% Black patients were enrolled. There is no such analysis though about the situation in Europe. The aim of this study is to assess the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in the population enrolled in clinical trials for breast cancer pharmacological treatments in Europe. PubMed and ClinicalTrials databases were systematically reviewed for clinical trials on drug efficacy for breast cancer. Phase II and III clinical trials conducted exclusively in Europe with at least 250 participants and results published within 2010-2022 were included in this study. Descriptive statistics were applied. Ninety-seven clinical trials with a total of 113,045 patients were included. Patient race or ethnicity was reported in the patient demographics of only 10 (10.31%) articles. The lack of racial background data or ethnic diversity in their trial was acknowledged by three additional authors (3.1%). There were no substantial differences in race reporting trends depending on study phase (2/14 of phase II trials and 8/80 phase III trials). Among the 12,179 (10.77%) patients with available race data, 92.65% of patients were White/Caucasian, 1.08% were Asian and 0.88% Black. 3.20% identified as Hispanic/Latino (partially overlapping with the White population). Additionally, Europe’s largest ethnic minority, the Roma, is not mentioned in any of the included studies. Despite the proven correlation of race with breast cancer outcome, this study reports a concerningly low Black and Asian patient enrolment in European breast cancer trials compared to reports from corresponding analyses in the United States. These observations highlight the need for stricter guidelines for race and ethnicity reporting and inclusion in cancer clinical trials to match the diversity of the European population.

The Echo of Voices after the Fall of the Aztec Empire

Abstract The recent quincentennial of the Mexica forces' defeat at the hands of a Spanish-led coalition invites us to reflect on the changes in the region's acoustic ecology, the layers of sound that reverberated across geographic spaces. Expressions of sound allow us to consider the actions of past actors in relation to their physical surroundings, the stimulation of the senses, and patterns of religious conversion that guided social behavior. Vocal sounds produced by people of various ethnic and racial backgrounds formed part of this aural environment, and they carried meaning that has often escaped the attention of scholars. An analysis of routines of indoctrination centered on vocal modulations reveals that authorities hierarchized different forms of sounds, from singing and praying—which they encouraged—to screams and muffled noises such as murmur and chatter—which they attempted to silence. These routines took shape during daily masses, theater presentations, civic and religious rituals, confession, and, in some cases, formal training.

LANTITE’s impact on teacher diversity: Unintended consequences of testing pre-service teachers

Australian schools are diverse, and support students from a wide range of racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds, as well as students with disability. Ironically, efforts to ensure equally diverse teacher workforces have been ineffective. Attempts to improve broader representation in teachers have been hampered by a homogenous approach to teacher recruitment and education. In 2016, Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) became a graduation requirement for teachers. The aim of this research is to explore the test-taking experiences of students (pre-service teachers) from diverse backgrounds, and the stakeholders who support them. A thematic analysis of data from a larger mixed methods study revealed additional tensions for students from diverse backgrounds including unintended consequences such as traumatic experiences and having to encounter additional hurdles to be successful. This study provides unique insights into additional pressures and hurdles students from diverse backgrounds experience when completing this high-stakes test.

Associations of interleukin-6 with functional trajectories in older adults with cancer: Findings from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study

BackgroundElevated markers of inflammation, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), are associated with aging, cancer, and functional decline. We assessed the association of pre-diagnosis IL-6 levels with post-diagnosis functional trajectories among older adults with cancer. Black and White participants experience different social structures, therefore we sought to understand whether these associations differ between Black and White participants. MethodsWe conducted secondary analysis of the Health Aging, Body, and Composition (ABC) prospective longitudinal cohort study. Participants were recruited from 4/1997 to 6/1998. We included 179 participants with a new cancer diagnosis and IL-6 level measured within 2 years before diagnosis. Primary endpoint was functional measures (self-reported ability to walk 1/4, 20-meter gait speed). Nonparametric longitudinal models were used to cluster the trajectories; multinomial and logistic regressions to model associations. FindingsMean age was 74 (SD 2.9); 36 % identified as Black. For self-reported functional status, we identified 3 clusters: high stable, decline, low stable. For gait speed, we identified 2 clusters: resilient, decline. The relationship between cluster trajectory and IL-6 was different between Black and White participants (p for interaction<0.05). For gait speed, among White participants, a greater log IL-6 level was associated with greater odds of being in the decline vs. resilient cluster [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 4.31, 95 % CI: 1.43, 17.46]. Among Black participants, a greater log IL-6 levels were associated with lower odds of being in the decline vs. resilient cluster (AOR: 0.49, 95 % CI: 0.10, 2.08). Directionality was similar for self-reported ability to walk ¼ mile (high stable vs. low stable). Among White participants, a higher log IL-6 level was associated numerically with greater odds of being in the low stable vs. high stable cluster (AOR: 1.99, 95 % CI: 0.82, 4.85). Among Black participants, a higher log IL-6 level was associated numerically with lower odds of being in the low stable cluster vs. high stable cluster (AOR: 0.78, 95 % CI: 0.30, 2.00). InterpretationThe association between IL-6 levels and functional trajectories of older adults differed by race. Future analyses exploring stressors faces by other minoritized racial backgrounds are needed to determine the association between IL-6 and functional trajectories. Panel: Research in contextEvidence before this study: Previous research has shown that aging is the greatest risk factor for cancer and older adults with cancer experience a higher burden of comorbidities, increasing their risk of functional decline. Race has also been shown to be associated with increased risk for functional decline. Black individuals are exposed to more chronic negative social determinants, compared to White individuals. Previous work has shown that chronic exposure to negative social determinants leads to elevated levels of inflammatory markers, such as IL-6, but studies investigating the relationship between inflammatory markers and functional decline are limited.Added value of this study: Authors of this study sought to understand the association between pre-diagnosis IL-6 levels and functional trajectories post-diagnosis in older adults with cancer, and whether these associations differed between Black and White participants with cancer. Authors decided to utilize the data from the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. The Health ACB study was a prospective longitudinal cohort study that has a high representation of Black older adults and collected inflammatory cytokines and physical function data over time.Implications of all available evidence: This work adds to the literature by providing an opportunity to study the difference in the relationships between IL-6 levels and functional trajectories between older Black and White participants with cancer. Identifying factors associated with functional decline and its trajectories may inform treatment decision making and guide development of supportive care interventions to prevent functional decline. Additionally, given the disparities in clinical outcomes for Black individuals, a better understanding of the difference in functional decline based on race will allow more equitable care to be distributed.

Posttraumatic growth, purpose, and trauma in university survivors of sexual assault

Objective: This study focused on purpose as a key mechanism of posttraumatic growth for university student survivors of sexual assault. Participants: An online survey was completed by 278 participants of various ethnic, racial and gender backgrounds, recruited through email, social media, department subject pools, and Amazon Mechanical Turk. Methods: Researchers used mixed methods, concurrent triangulation approach in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously with closed and open-ended questions. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that age, purpose in life, high magnitude stressors, and trauma history were significantly related to posttraumatic growth. Emergent themes described the impacts of sexual assault, how sexual assault impacts purpose, and ways in which purpose impacted posttraumatic growth. Conclusion: Results confirmed the association of purpose with posttraumatic growth as well as other key impacts of trauma that should be investigated further. Next steps include evaluating therapeutic interventions focused on purpose.