Credentials: Breast Slang and the Discourse of Femininity

This article situates a thematic discourse analysis of accumulated breast slang within the representational production of ideal female breasts in the service of normative femininity. These ideals also participate in a number of interrelated discourses including race and gender relations. Résumé Cet article situe une analyse thématique de discours d’argot accumulé pour décrire les seins contenu dans une production représentationnelle des seins de femmes idéals dans le service de la féminité normative. Ces idéals participent aussi à un nombre de discours corrélatifs qui incluent la race et les relations entre les sexes

Considerations for Mexican Immigration Policy Reform: How Motivations to Migrate Align with U.S. and Mexican Macroeconomic Conditions

The nationalistic rhetoric adopted by the newly-elected president’s administration along with the public’s climaxing anti-immigrant hysteria has recently forced Mexican immigration intervention to the top of the U.S. agenda. Misconceptions regarding Mexicans’ role in stealing jobs, threatening cultural and ethnic traditions, and straining public welfare, educational, and healthcare resources have spurred a fear among the American people. This politically-fabricated “schizophrenia” has ceased the political and economic collaboration between the two nations and has resulted in the unilateral militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. In this evaluation of the U.S. government’s immigration policies, the proposed economic theories related to Mexicans’ motivations in crossing the border, and the data collected from border-crossing participants, it is evident new policy measures need to be implemented to reflect these nuanced trends which stand contrary to conventional wisdom. This research examines the motivations of Mexican immigrants to cross into the U.S. using data collected by El Colegio de la Frontera Norte in collaboration with several Mexican government agencies. These parties conducted qualitative surveys with Mexican migrants that evaluate the dynamic, magnitude, and characteristics of the migratory flow across the U.S.-Mexico border. The analysis aims to evaluate if economic motivations are moderated by U.S. or Mexican macroeconomic conditions and if a trade-off exists between motivations for crossing, specifically if economic motivations and those related to social capital theory are substitutes and uphold an inverse relationship. Results indicate a classic trade-off does exist among motivations to cross under specific U.S. macroeconomic conditions and both economic and non-economic motivations to migrate are influenced by U.S. but not Mexican macroeconomic indicators. Based on these findings, an analysis of specific policy reform measures and binational solutions needs to be considered for future legislation to help resolve this multifaceted reality in the long-term

Automated Paper Screening for Clinical Reviews Using Large Language Models

Objective: To assess the performance of the OpenAI GPT API in accurately and efficiently identifying relevant titles and abstracts from real-world clinical review datasets and compare its performance against ground truth labelling by two independent human reviewers. Methods: We introduce a novel workflow using the OpenAI GPT API for screening titles and abstracts in clinical reviews. A Python script was created to make calls to the GPT API with the screening criteria in natural language and a corpus of title and abstract datasets that have been filtered by a minimum of two human reviewers. We compared the performance of our model against human-reviewed papers across six review papers, screening over 24,000 titles and abstracts. Results: Our results show an accuracy of 0.91, a sensitivity of excluded papers of 0.91, and a sensitivity of included papers of 0.76. On a randomly selected subset of papers, the GPT API demonstrated the ability to provide reasoning for its decisions and corrected its initial decision upon being asked to explain its reasoning for a subset of incorrect classifications. Conclusion: The GPT API has the potential to streamline the clinical review process, save valuable time and effort for researchers, and contribute to the overall quality of clinical reviews. By prioritizing the workflow and acting as an aid rather than a replacement for researchers and reviewers, the GPT API can enhance efficiency and lead to more accurate and reliable conclusions in medical research.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, 4 table

Imaging the interaction of roots and phosphate fertiliser granules using 4D X-ray tomography

Plant root system architecture adapts to the prevailing soil environment and the distribution of nutrients. Many species respond to localised regions of high nutrient supply, found in the vicinity of fertiliser granules, by elevating branching density in these areas. However, observation of these adaptations are frequently limited to plants cultured in idealised materials (e.g. hydrogels) which have a structure-less, homogenous matrix, or rhizotrons, which are spatially limited and provide only 2D data that are not fully quantitative.MethodsIn this study, in vivo, time resolved, non-destructive, micro-focus X-ray CT imaging (?CT) in 3D was used to visualise, quantify and assess root/fertiliser interactions of wheat plants in an agricultural soil during the entire plant life cycle. Two contrasting fertilisers [Triple superphosphate (TSP) and struvite (Crystal Green®)] were applied according to 3 different treatments, each providing an equivalent of 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 (struvite only, TSP only and a 50:50 mixture) to each plant. ?CT scans (60 ?m spatial resolution) of the plant roots were obtained over 14 weeks.ResultsThis is the first time that in situ root/soil/fertiliser interactions have been visualised in 3D from plant germination through to maturity. Results show that lateral roots tend to pass within a few millimetres of the phosphorus (P) source. At this length scale, roots are able to access the P diffusing from the granule.ConclusionsQuantitative analysis of root/fertiliser interactions has shown that rooting density correlates with granule volume-loss for a slow release, struvite fertiliser.<br/

Does the family physicians’ characteristics affect Cervical Cancer Screening rates?

Introduction While the effectiveness of cervical cancer-screening (CCS) programs is well accepted, concern is growing regarding Family physicians (FP) poor adherence to CCS guidelines resulting in over and under screening. In Canada, it is a FP responsibility to ensure that the CCS is done as per guidelines and with appropriate follow-up. Objectives and Approach To identify primary care physicians’ characteristics that are associated with over and under CCS for eligible women in Calgary, Alberta. We accessed the Calgary Laboratory Services data for 1475 FPs practicing in Calgary and linked it with the Physicians database of College of Physicians and Surgeons Alberta database. We then matched FP’s gender, country and year of medical school graduation, years since medical school graduation, certification in family medicine and their clinic address with their CCS testing patterns. Using doctors as their own controls, we compared data from 2010-2016 to determine practice variations in CCS patterns subsequent to guideline changes. Results We analyzed approximately 2,400,000 Pap test requisitions (approx. 300,000 per year) to identify screening patterns from 2010-2016 of 1475 family practitioners practicing in Calgary. Our preliminary results identified significant variations in the test ordering patterns of FPs. Approx. half of the male FPs were not performing CCS tests on their eligible female patients. Female FPs ordered more CCS tests than their male counterparts. FP trained in North America, were ordering more pap tests than FPS trained elsewhere. Decreased CSS was also observed among FPs practicing in Northeast Calgary. Conclusion/Implications We detected three CCS patterns: FPs who never perform CSS on eligible female patients; FPs who followed recommended guidelines for performing CCS tests and FPs who performed CCS tests, not following the guidelines. To ensure appropriate use of CSS, identifying intention-behavior relationships and innovative educational interventions for FPs are required

Sociodemographic correlates of cervical cancer screening rates in Calgary, AB: Matched Trend analysis of 2006, 2011 and 2016

Introduction Cervical Cancer Screening (CCS) has reduced the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer (CC). However, the benefits are distributed unevenly since 30% of eligible women have not been screened within three years in Alberta. Women who have never been screened or are screened irregularly are most at risk for CC. Objectives and Approach The aim of this study was to understand who gets CCS and who does not, in Calgary, Alberta and analyze the CC policy implications since 2006-2016. CCS information of women aged 25-69 were obtained from Calgary Laboratory Services for the years 2006, 2011 and 2016 and matched with Canadian Census data. Negative binomial regression and Generalized Estimating Equations were used to test associations of CCS rates with socio-demographic variables for eligible women. CCS spatial trends over the years was studied using the GIS Hotspot analysis. Results Major age and geographical variations were observed in CCS rates in Calgary. CCS rates in the recommended age groups varied from 40.6 % to 23.6 %. For age groups between 25 and 54, CCS rates were above 33\%, which implies that many women are having tests more than once every three years. Use was positively associated with median household income, education, Chinese ethnicity and negatively associated with ‘Black’ visible minority status. Women living in lower socio-economic areas of Calgary are screened at lower rates. Hotspot analysis maps revealed heterogeneous testing patterns in the city with relatively higher testing in the downtown, Southeast and Northwest quadrants of the city and relatively decreased CCS in the Northeast quadrant of Calgary Conclusion/Implications Screening programs need to be strengthened with greater focus on including specific demographic groups and reducing overuse. Understanding current testing patterns are important in assessing the benefit to harm ratio of CCS and for monitoring and evaluation of CCS program