Framing Homeless Policy: Reducing Cash Aid as a Compassionate Solution

In 2002, Care Not Cash/Proposition N was introduced to respond to public concern over San Francisco’s chronic homeless epidemic. The controversial initiative, which significantly reduced General Assistance (cash aid) to unhoused people, diverted funds to direct services such as shelter, food, medical assistance, and substance abuse programs. To investigate the underlying attitudes and beliefs that framed homelessness and the Care Not Cash policy in the months leading up to the citywide vote articles from the San Francisco Chronicle were analyzed. Of particular interest was assessing the prevalence of individualistic framing, constructions of dependency, and the problems Care Not Cash was presented as solving. Our analysis found that homelessness was framed as a threat to businesses, tourism, and residents of San Francisco and welfare as enabling deviant behavior (e.g., substance abuse) among people experiencing homelessness. Similar to federal welfare reform, Care Not Cash was portrayed as a compassionate solution that would both solve the problem of homelessness and address problematic behaviors associated with people who are unhoused (Stryker & Wald, 2009). Implications for economic justice are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147013/1/asap12156_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147013/2/asap12156.pd

Preliminary results from the CMD-2 detector

A new general-purpose detector CMD-2 (calorimetric magnetic detector has started experiments at the upgraded e{sup {plus}}e{sup {minus}} collider VEPP-2M (collider for electron-positron beams) at Novosibirsk. During early runs an integrated luminosity of about 400 inverse nanobarns has been collected in the center of mass energy range 400{endash}1030 MeV

Arterial hypertension epidemiology in Russia; the results of 2003-2010 federal monitoring

Aim. To assess the dynamics of arterial hypertension (AH) prevalence in the Russian population, patients’ awareness, treatment with antihypertensive agents (AHA), treatment effectiveness, and the determinants of the latter. Material and methods. As a part of the Federal Target Programme “Prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension in the Russian Federation”, four randomly selected population samples from various Russian regions were examined in 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010. Results. In the Russian population, AH prevalence was 39,7%, being higher in women (40,5%) than in men (38,0%). No significant changes in AH prevalence were observed for the analysed period. Patients’ awareness was 81,1% (82,9% in women vs. 77,9% in men). AHA therapy prevalence increased from 62,6 % to 66,1%. The most widely used AHA included ACE inhibitors, diuretics, and beta-adrenoblockers; old medications were taken by 17,7% of the patients only. Conclusion. AH prevalence in the Russian population was 39,7% and did not change over the recent years. However, there was an increase in the percentage of patients taking AHA, as well as in the percentage of women with effectively treated AH. In addition, the treatment with recommended AHA became more prevalent. Ineffective therapy was typically due to lower education level, alcohol abuse, or co-existing risk factors

Prevalence of factors affecting prognosis in arterial hypertension, and total cardiovascular risk assessment

Aim. To study prevalence of risk factors (RF), target organ damage (TOD), and associated clinical conditions (ACC) in arterial hypertension (AH) patients, for total cardiovascular risk assessment. Material and methods. Epidemiological AH survey including 3661 males and 6334 males, aged 15+ years, from a representative national sample, was performed as part of the Program «AH Prevention and Treatment in the Russian Federation». Results. AH males, comparing to hypertensive females, had lower education level, smoked and drunk alcohol excessively more often (48.3% vs 7.9%; 6.8% vs 1.9%, respectively). In females, obesity prevalence was higher: 34.9% vs 18.1% in males. One-fifth of hypertensive patients had hypertensive retinopathy, 41% - left ventricular hypertrophy. Coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence was higher in males - 22.3% vs 17.6% in females; the prevalence of other ACC was similar in both genders. In females, Stage III AH was diagnosed more often: 6.3% vs 4.2% in males. Antihypertensive therapy was administered to 59.5% of males and 73.8% of females, but treatment effectiveness was low – 12.9% and 13.5%, respectively. In untreated hypertensive patients, very high risk was typical for women (6.0% vs 3.9% in men); in treated patients, more than 80% remained in high and very high risk groups. Conclusion. In AH individuals, RF, TOD, and ACC, as well as poor BP control, are prevalent, that explained high risk level for the majority of patients

Secondary prevention in patients with coronary artery disease in Russia and Europe: results from the Russian part of the EUROASPIRE V survey

Aim. To assess the secondary prevention in Russian patients with coronary artery disease in the long-term period after acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), percutaneous coronary intervention and/or coronary artery bypass grafting, obtained in the European Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events (EUROASPIRE V) survey in comparison with the general population of the study.Material and methods. EUROASPIRE V is a cross-sectional study with 27 countries, including Russia, which involved patients with ACS or indications for myocardial revascularization. At participating centers, patients admitted to hospital due to ACS or for percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting were identified. After 6 months and <2 years after discharge, patients were examined.Results. In total, 699 patients were identified in Russia, 399 of which visit an interview (women, 27,1%; mean age, 62,8±8,7 years). In the general population of the study, 16,208 patients were identified, 8,261 of which were interviewed (women, 25,8%; mean age, 63,6±9.6 years). At the time of the interview, 18,5% of Russian patients continued to smoke (16,8% in the general study population), the prevalence of overweight or obesity – 85,4 and 81,7%, abdominal obesity – 60,4 and 58,5%, diabetes – 21,9 and 29,3% of patients, respectively. In 19,7 and 16,4% of patients, respectively, diabetes was first diagnosed with a glucose tolerance test in the study. The target glycated hemoglobin was achieved in 47,1 and 54,4%, blood pressure – in 64,0 and 53,7%, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol – in 27,6 and 29,0% of patients, respectively.Conclusion. There were significant differences between the Russian cohort and the general study population. Some key secondary prevention parameters were more favorable in the Russian cohort, and some parameters – in the general group. In both compared populations, significant reserves are retained for further optimization

PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AND LIFE QUALITY IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE PATIENTS: RESULTS OF THE RUSSIAN PART OF INTERNATIONAL MULTICENTER STUDY EUROASPIRE IV

Aim. Analysis of psychosocial risk factors in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients among Russian centers of the EUROASPIRE IV study, comparing to overall study population.Material and methods. In the cross-sectional study, 24 European countries participated, including Russian Federation (3 centers). In the study, patients were included of the age 18-80 y.o., who, during the period ≥6 months to <3 years before the inclusion, had been hospitalized with myocardial infarction (MI) or other acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or for myocardial revascularization. To the study protocol, the analysis of medical charts was included, with following visit and structured interview. During the study, long-term results were evaluated, presence and level of the risk factors, including psychosocial, life quality parameters, adequacy of the acquired by patients recommendations and the grade of adherence. Prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms was assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).Results. Overall, in the Russian centers, 746 patients were included, of those to the interview visit 424 admitted (mean age 63,4±9,0 y.o., 25,2% females). Educational level of the Russian cohort was higher than of overall study population (higher education in 44,3% and 22,3%, respectively). Prevalence of the anxiety symptoms in Russian patients and in overall population almost matched: 8-10 points by HADS-A in Russia and overall had 15,7% and 15,0% of participants, respectively, the ≥11 points — 12,4% and 11,3%, respectively. Contrary, the prevalence of depression symptoms in Russia was slightly higher: 8-10 by HADS had 16,4% and 14,6%, and ≥11 — 10,9% and 7,8%, respectively. Both anxiety and depression symptoms were more common among women; depression symptoms were more common for post-MI/ ACS patients than in the re-vascularized.Conclusion. By the data from European monitoring center of EUROASPIRE IV, in Russian cohort of CHD post MI/ACS, and revascularized patients there are specific differences in comparison with overall study population in psychosocial risk factors. Prevalence of clinically significant anxiety and depression symptoms in Russian cohort of EUROASPIRE IV was significantly lower than in earlier trials, including EUROASPIRE III, and was just slightly higher than in overall study population