Forced Sterilization of Immigrant Women in US Detention Center

Abstract  This article addresses the reports of immigrant Latin American women being forcibly sterilized in the Irwin County ICE detention center through an intersectional approach and by using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) on data retrieved from news articles from the past six years and sources on the history of the practice of forced sterilization. How are these women vulnerable to this kind of abuse? The results indicate that immigrant Latin American women are in fact vulnerable to forced sterilization because of their position within the intersecting inequalities of gender, race and status, but that it is exacerbated by the negative discourses by the political elites and media (re)produce about them.        Keywords: intersectionality, CDA, forced sterilization, US

Effects of Alternative Housing Systems on Physical and Social Activity in Male Sprague Dawley and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Two alternative rat cages and their effect on home cage physical and social activity were evaluated in male  Sprague Dawley (SPD) and Spontaneously Hypertensive (SH) rats for 10 weeks. Rats were housed strainwise  in pairs in ST cages, in groups of eight in Enriched Rat Cage System (ERC) equipped with a shelter and  wall-hung ladders, and in groups of eight in four interconnected Scantainer NOVO cages (NOVO), equipped  with shelves. Home cage activity was assessed through direct observations and effects were studied in  exercise tests, parameters related to physical activity and in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM). Effects of  within-group variation on the minimum sample size needed to detect a treatment effect were calculated  for the different cage types. The home cage activity was highest in NOVO cages, followed by the ERC  cages. This was supported by the higher locomotor and exploratory activity in the EPM and an improved  performance in the last exercise test, compared to ST-caged rats. Aggressive and submissive interactions  were higher in NOVO cages compared to ST cages. The design of the NOVO cages, if connected, might  induce both a higher activity level and more aggression. The hypertension and insulin resistance typical  of the hypertensive rat model were not influenced by an increased home cage activity. No major effects  of alternative cage types were found on within-group variation. The activity was not enough to create a  distinct training effect but prevented exercise-related parameters from deteriorating during the study and is  therefore still relevant for the health and welfare of the animals. Additional benefits of the alternative cages  are qualitative, since they stimulate a wider range of behaviours, social interactions and offer possibilities  for the rats to control their situation.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Nonoperatively and Operatively Treated Acute Primary Patellar Dislocation in Skeletally Immature Patients

Purpose. The present study reports a long-term follow-up of acute primary patellar dislocation in patients with open physes. The purpose of the study was to evaluate knee function and recurrence rates after surgical and nonsurgical treatment of patellar dislocation. Methods. A total of 51 patients, including 29 girls and 22 boys, who were 9–14 years of age at the time of injury, were retrospectively evaluated. The minimum follow-up time was 5 years. Thigh muscle torque, range of motion, the squat test, the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS), the Kujala score, and the recurrence rate were registered. Radiological predisposing factors at the time of injury were determined. Results. Quality of life and sports/recreation were the most affected subscales, according to KOOS, and a reduced Kujala score was also observed in all treatment groups. The surgically treated patients had a significantly lower recurrence rate. Those patients also exhibited reduced muscle performance, with a hamstring to quadriceps ratio (H/Q) of 1.03. The recurrence rate was not correlated with knee function. Conclusions. Patellar dislocation in children influences subjective knee function in the long term. Surgery appears to reduce the recurrence rate, but subjective knee function was not restored

Supply Chain Greenhouse Gas Management Strategy for Ford Motor Company

The processing of raw materials and the manufacturing of components for the automotive supply chain results in significant life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a result, automobile manufacturers face potential financial risks from their supply chain operations in the form of energy price volatility and regulatory actions to curb climate change. To understand and address this challenge, Ford Motor Company (Ford) and the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment student team (team) developed a strategy for managing greenhouse gas emissions in the vehicle supply chain. Since December 2008, the team has supported the engagement of suppliers through the development and administration of a survey to collect allocated greenhouse gas data and environmental management practices information. The student team also advanced industry-wide participation through collaboration with the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) to standardize greenhouse gas reporting requests provided to suppliers. Additionally, the student team evaluated public reporting options, specifically by engaging Ford as tester of the new Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard drafted by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The project findings illustrate a wide range in the sophistication of the greenhouse gas management practices of suppliers and demonstrate the need for a collaborative approach between suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to further emissions reduction efforts. The different components of the master’s project have informed short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations for the measurement, management, and reporting of supply chain greenhouse gas emissions by Ford. Specifically, the student team recommends that Ford (1) expand their data collection program, (2) refine and use the proposed Maturity Matrix tool to measure supplier performance, (3) collaborate with suppliers on the improvement of management efforts, and (4) continue to support and pursue an industry-wide approach to greenhouse gas management through involvement with AIAG.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83506/1/FordCarbon_SNREMastersProject_FinalReport.pd

Patterns in contacts with primary health care centres in Greenland

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to evaluate the activity within the primary health care (PHC) in Greenland by identifying the patterns of all registered contacts made by patients in 2021, and to compare the most frequently used types of contacts and diagnostic codes in Nuuk to the rest of Greenland. The study was designed as a cross-sectional register study using data from the national electronic medical records (EMR) and diagnostic codes from the ICPC-2-system. In 2021, 83.7% (46,522) of the Greenlandic population were in contact with the PHC, resulting in 335,494 registered contacts. The majority of the contacts with PHC was made by females (61.3%). On average, females were in contact with PHC 8.4 times per patient per year, while males were in contact with PHC 5.9 times per patient per year. The most frequently used diagnostic group was “General and unspecified”, followed by “Musculoskeletal” and “Skin”. The results are in line with studies from other northern countries and indicate an easily accessible PHC system, with a predominance of female contacts

Animal Models of Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics

Animal models remain essential to understand the fundamental mechanisms occurring in fetal medicine and obstetric diseases, such as intrauterine growth restriction, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. These vary regarding the employed method used for induction of the disease, and differ in relation to the animal characteristics (size, number of fetuses, placenta barrier type, etc.). While none of these exactly mirrors the human condition, different pregnant animal models (mice, rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rabbits, sheep and pigs) are here described with respect to advantages and limitations. The ability to employ noninvasively diagnostics varies among species, specifically for ultrasound and clinical magnetic resonance imaging procedures. Management of feeding, handling, care and anesthesia are particularly important factors in the pregnant animal

Consensus definitions of 14 severe acute toxic effects for childhood lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment: a Delphi consensus

Although there are high survival rates for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, their outcome is often counterbalanced by the burden of toxic effects. This is because reported frequencies vary widely across studies, partly because of diverse definitions of toxic effects. Using the Delphi method, 15 international childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia study groups assessed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia protocols to address toxic effects that were to be considered by the Ponte di Legno working group. 14 acute toxic effects (hypersensitivity to asparaginase, hyperlipidaemia, osteonecrosis, asparaginase-associated pancreatitis, arterial hypertension, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, seizures, depressed level of consciousness, methotrexate-related stroke-like syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, high-dose methotrexate-related nephrotoxicity, sinusoidal obstructive syndrome, thromboembolism, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia) that are serious but too rare to be addressed comprehensively within any single group, or are deemed to need consensus definitions for reliable incidence comparisons, were selected for assessment. Our results showed that none of the protocols addressed all 14 toxic effects, that no two protocols shared identical definitions of all toxic effects, and that no toxic effect definition was shared by all protocols. Using the Delphi method over three face-to-face plenary meetings, consensus definitions were obtained for all 14 toxic effects. In the overall assessment of outcome of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment, these expert opinion-based definitions will allow reliable comparisons of frequencies and severities of acute toxic effects across treatment protocols, and facilitate international research on cause, guidelines for treatment adaptation, preventive strategies, and development of consensus algorithms for reporting on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment

Health literacy development is central to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

Funding Information: This study was funded in part by National Health and Medical Research Council (Principal Research Fellowship APP1155125). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Author(s). Published by BMJ.The WHO's report Health literacy development for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) delivers practical what-to-do how-to-do guidance for health literacy development to build, at scale, contextually-relevant public health actions to reduce inequity and the burden of NCDs on individuals, health systems and economies. The key premise for health literacy development is that people's health awareness and behaviours are linked to lifelong experiences and social practices, which may be multilayered, hidden and beyond their control. Meaningful community engagement, local ownership and locally driven actions are needed to identify health literacy strengths, challenges and preferences to build locally fit-for-purpose and implementable actions. Health literacy development needs to underpin local and national policy, laws and regulations to create enabling environments that reduce community exposures to NCD risk factors. Deficit approaches and siloed health system and policy responses need to be avoided, focusing instead on integrating community-based solutions through co-design, cognisant of people's daily experiences and social practices.publishersversionpublishe