Daily Racial Microaggressions and Ethnic Identification among Native American Young Adults

The current study investigated 114 Native American young adults’ experiences of racial microaggressions, and links between microaggression experiences and self-reported ethnic and cultural identification. Microaggressions were assessed using the Daily Racial Microaggressions scale, Short Form (DRM). Ethnic identity and cultural participation were assessed using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) and the Orthogonal Cultural Identification Scale (OCIS). Participants reported strong identification with their Native/indigenous ethnicity, along with stronger commitment than exploration on the two MEIM subscales. On the OCIS, participants reported moderately strong identification with Native culture and practices, with strong identification with White American culture. Females reported higher White identification than males, and females also reported significantly stronger identification with White culture than Native. On the DRM, 98% of participants reported experiencing at least one type of racial microaggression. Generally, the extent to which participants were upset by the microaggressions was mild, but all types of microaggressions received ratings from “not upsetting at all” to “extremely upsetting.” Microinvalidations were significantly more upsetting than microinsults for females, but there was no difference among the forms of microaggression for males. Correlational findings demonstrated that greater Native identification was strongly associated with more microaggression experiences, especially among males. Regression analyses found several identity correlates of microaggression experiences. “Assumption of criminality” and “assumed superiority of White values” were most frequently associated with identity scales. Results are discussed within the context of identity development theory

Discrimination of prostate cancer cells and non-malignant cells using secondary ion mass spectrometry

This communication utilises Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) combined with multivariate analysis to obtain spectra from the surfaces of three closely related cell lines allowing their discrimination based upon mass spectral ions

LGBTQ+ Emerging Adults Perceptions of Discrimination and Exclusion within the LGBTQ+ Community

Research on LGBTQ+ emerging adult populations has primarily focused on discrimination that is experienced within the heterodominant culture. Due to systems of oppression and the forces of power and privilege, some sexual and gender minorities experience isolation and discrimination not only within the heterodominant culture, but within the LGBTQ+ community as well. Fourteen lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) young adults (20-25 years) with a diverse array of intersecting identities (e.g., gender, racial, ethnic, religious, cultural) participated in semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups. Participants reported on experiences of biphobia, acephobia, transphobia, gatekeeping the community, LGBTQ+ people of colour’s experiences of racism within the community, other forms of oppression, and offered advice on areas of growth for the LGBTQ+ community. Findings provide insight into LGBTQ+ emerging adults experiences of discrimination and future research implications

Cessation of mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis in Zanzibar in 2006: was transmission interrupted?

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is targeted for elimination through annual mass drug administration (MDA) for 4-6 years. In 2006, Zanzibar stopped MDA against LF after five rounds of MDA revealed no microfilaraemic individuals during surveys at selected sentinel sites. We asked the question if LF transmission was truly interrupted in 2006 when MDA was stopped. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In line with ongoing efforts to shrink the LF map, we performed the WHO recommended transmission assessment surveys (TAS) in January 2012 to verify the absence of LF transmission on the main Zanzibar islands of Unguja and Pemba. Altogether, 3275 children were tested on both islands and 89 were found to be CFA positive; 70 in Pemba and 19 in Unguja. The distribution of schools with positive children was heterogeneous with pronounced spatial variation on both islands. Based on the calculated TAS cut-offs of 18 and 20 CFA positive children for Pemba and Unguja respectively, we demonstrated that transmission was still ongoing in Pemba where the cut-off was exceeded. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated ongoing transmission of LF on Pemba in 2012. Moreover, we presented evidence from previous studies that LF transmission was also active on Unguja shortly after stopping MDA in 2006. Based on these observations the government of Zanzibar decided to resume MDA against LF on both islands in 2013

Peak picking as a pre-processing technique for imaging time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

High surface sensitivity and lateral resolution imaging make time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) a unique and powerful tool for biological analysis. However, with the leaps forward made in the capabilities of the ToF-SIMS instrumentation, the data being recorded from these instruments has dramatically increased. Unfortunately, with these large, often complex, datasets, a bottleneck appears in their processing and interpretation. Here, an application of peak picking is described and applied to ToF-SIMS images allowing for large compression of data, noise removal and improved contrast, while retaining a high percentage of the original signal. Peak picking is performed to locate peaks within ToF-SIMS data. By using this information, signal arising from the same distribution can be summed and overlapping signals separated. As a result, the data size and complexity can be dramatically reduced. This method also acts as an effective noise filter, discarding unwanted noise from the data set. Peak picking and separation are evaluated against the conventional methods of mass binning and manually selecting regions of a peak to image on a model data set

How large is the gap between present and efficient transport prices in Europe?

In this paper we analyse the gap between present transport prices and efficient transport prices. Efficient transport prices are those prices that maximise economic welfare, including external costs (congestion, air pollution, accidents). The methodology is applied to six urban and interregional case studies using one common optimal pricing model. The case studies cover passenger as well as freight transport and cover all modes. We find that prices need to be raised most for peak urban passenger car transport and to a lesser extent for interregional road transport. Optimal pricing results for public transport are more mixed. We show that current external costs on congested roads are a bad guide for optimal taxes and tolls: the optimal toll that takes into account the reaction of demand is often less than one third of the present marginal external cost.transport pricing; external costs; social costs; congestion pricing

The impact of syphilis screening among female sex workers in China: a modelling study.

BACKGROUND: In China, female sex workers (FSWs) are at high risk of syphilis infection, but are hard to reach for interventions. Point-of-care testing introduces opportunities for expanding syphilis control measures. Modelling is used to estimate the impact of using rapid tests to screen FSWs for syphilis. In other settings, modelling has predicted large rebounds in infectious syphilis following screening, which may undermine any impact achieved. METHODS: A deterministic syphilis transmission model among FSWs and clients was fitted to data from Yunnan Province (FSW syphilis prevalence = 7.5%), and used to estimate the impact of rapid syphilis testing and treatment for FSWs. Impact projections were compared for different model structures that included risk heterogeneity amongst FSWs, incoming syphilis infections amongst new FSWs and clients and re-infection from FSWs' regular non-commercial partners. The rebound in syphilis prevalence after screening ceased was explored. RESULTS: All model structures suggest yearly syphilis screening could substantially reduce (by 72-88%) syphilis prevalence amongst FSWs in this setting over five years. However, incoming syphilis infections amongst new FSWs and clients or re-infections from regular non-commercial partners of FSWs can considerably reduce (>30%) the proportion of infections averted. Including heterogeneity in risk amongst FSWs had little effect upon the proportion of infections averted. In this setting, the rebound in syphilis prevalence after screening ceased is predicted to be slight, but it could be large in high prevalence settings. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid test screening could dramatically reduce syphilis prevalence amongst hard-to-reach groups, but strategies to reduce re-infection from regular non-commercial partners are needed to maximise impact