Global constitutionalism and East Asian perspectives in the context of political economy

This chapter looks at the question of global constitutionalism and East Asia in a context of political economy. It raises the concern about the mutually reinforcing relationship between global constitutionalism and neoliberalism. This nexus is explained as lying in the insistence of the separation of the public and the private in both constitutionalism and neoliberalism. It is considered whether global constitutionalism’s predisposition towards neoliberalism (in the sense of a privileging of the separation of the state from the market and with that a separation of the political from the economy) would be strengthened and deepened through its extension to East Asia. Or, alternatively, could this new dialogue provide an opportunity for ‘decolonising’ global constitutionalism and its political economic bias

Psychosocial Effects of a Holistic Ayurvedic Approach to Well-being in Health and Wellness Courses.

BackgroundAs individuals are increasingly attending health and wellness courses outside of the conventional medical system, there is a need to obtain objective data on the effects of those programs on well-being.MethodsIn total, 154 men and women (mean age 54.7 years; range 25-83) participated in 3 different holistic wellness programs based on Ayurvedic Medicine principles (Seduction of Spirit, Journey into Healing, and Perfect Health) or a vacation control group. Psychosocial outcomes included spirituality (Delaney Spirituality Scale), mindful awareness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), psychological flexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire), mood (Center for Epidemiology Studies-Depression), and anxiety (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement System Anxiety Scale).ResultsParticipants in the Seduction of Spirit (P < .004), Journey into Healing (P < .05), and Perfect Health (P < .004) courses showed significant increases in spirituality as compared to vacation controls. Participants in Seduction of Spirit (P < .007) also showed significant increases in mindfulness as compared to vacation controls. Participants in the Seduction of Spirit (P < .001) and Journey into Healing (P < .05) courses showed significant decreases in depressed mood as compared to those in the Perfect Health and vacation control groups. All study participants showed similar increases in psychological flexibility (P < .01) and decreases in anxiety (P < .01).ConclusionParticipation in wellness courses that incorporate a mind-body-spirit approach to health improves multiple domains of psychosocial well-being, which persists even after course participation

Clinically Significant Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Varied Intellectual Functioning.

Objective: To evaluate how distinct presentations of anxiety symptoms and intellectual impairment influence the measurement and estimated rate of clinically significant anxiety in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Method: The sample included 75 children (ages 9-13 years) with ASD and varied IQ and 52 typically developing (TD) controls and parents. Parents completed anxiety symptom scales and a diagnostic interview, designed to (1) differentiate anxiety and ASD and (2) examine DSM-specified and unspecified ("distinct") anxiety presentations in each child, including fears of change, special interests, idiosyncratic stimuli and social confusion rather than evaluation. Children completed standard intellectual and ASD diagnostic assessments.Results: 69% of those with ASD had clinically-significant anxiety, including 21% DSM-specified anxiety disorders, 17% distinct anxiety, and 31% both. Only 8% of TD children had clinically-significant anxiety, all DSM-specified. DSM-specified anxiety disorders in children with ASD and intellectual impairment (IQ<70) were predominantly specific phobias. DSM-specified anxiety other than specific phobia was significantly less common in children with, versus without, intellectual impairment; this was not the case for distinct anxiety. The sensitivities of anxiety scales were moderate to poor, particularly in cases with intellectual impairment.Conclusions: ASD is associated with more frequent and varied presentations of clinical anxiety, which may align with and differ from the specified anxiety disorders of the DSM. Standard parent report anxiety scales have reduced sensitivity to detect clinical anxiety in ASD, particularly in children with intellectual impairment

User Opinions on Effective Strategies Against Social Media Toxicity

Existing literature on content moderation rarely identifies strategies social media users believe can be implemented by platforms and other users to adequately manage toxicity and curate a positive environment online. To bridge these gaps, we conducted a survey with 902 users of six different social media platforms to understand their opinions on effective strategies against social media toxicity and for a positive online environment. Participants suggested a range of strategies, both for the platforms and the users to implement. Even though all these strategies are not unprecedented, it is crucial to recognize that currently not all platforms implement or can implement these strategies to encourage less toxicity and more positivity. Overall, participants expect platforms and social media users to do their individual and collective part in managing online toxicity

Evaluation of the Homelessness Prevention Call Center

CURL and Catholic Charities' research team conducted a process evaluation of the Catholic Charities Homelessness Prevention Call Center's daily operations, the experience of callers through the Call Center system, the efficiency level of Call Center policies, and system best practices. This evaluation will inform future Call Center planning and programming. Community partners include the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness and the Chicago Continuum of Care along with the City of Chicago's 311 service.

Effects of a physiotherapy and occupational therapy intervention on mobility and activity in care home residents: a cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective To compare the clinical effectiveness of a programme of physiotherapy and occupational therapy with standard care in care home residents who have mobility limitations and are dependent in performing activities of daily living

Repurposing screen identifies mebendazole as a clinical candidate to synergise with docetaxel for prostate cancer treatment

BACKGROUND: Docetaxel chemotherapy in prostate cancer has a modest impact on survival. To date, efforts to develop combination therapies have not translated into new treatments. We sought to develop a novel therapeutic strategy to tackle chemoresistant prostate cancer by enhancing the efficacy of docetaxel. METHODS: We performed a drug-repurposing screen by using murine-derived prostate cancer cell lines driven by clinically relevant genotypes. Cells were treated with docetaxel alone, or in combination with drugs (n = 857) from repurposing libraries, with cytotoxicity quantified using High Content Imaging Analysis. RESULTS: Mebendazole (an anthelmintic drug that inhibits microtubule assembly) was selected as the lead drug and shown to potently synergise docetaxel-mediated cell killing in vitro and in vivo. Dual targeting of the microtubule structure was associated with increased G2/M mitotic block and enhanced cell death. Strikingly, following combined docetaxel and mebendazole treatment, no cells divided correctly, forming multipolar spindles that resulted in aneuploid daughter cells. Liposomes entrapping docetaxel and mebendazole suppressed in vivo prostate tumour growth and extended progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: Docetaxel and mebendazole target distinct aspects of the microtubule dynamics, leading to increased apoptosis and reduced tumour growth. Our data support a new concept of combined mebendazole/docetaxel treatment that warrants further clinical evaluation