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Background: A wide range of opioid misuse motives have been documented in the literature, including to relieve physical pain, feel good/get high, relax, manage feelings/emotions, sleep, and moderate the effects of other substances. Despite a rise in opioid misuse among African Americans over the last 2 decades, their motivations for misuse remain unclear. Much of the research on opioid misuse motivations either rely on samples with little racial diversity or do not stratify their findings by race. As a result, less is known about the specific reasons why African Americans engage in opioid misuse. The objective of this study, therefore, was to identify and explain the most common motives for misusing opioids among African Americans. Qualitative interview data are also presented to explain/contextualize the most prevalent motivations.Methods: This study used data from the Florida Minority Health Survey, a mixed-methods project that included online surveys (n = 303) and qualitative in-depth interviews (n = 30) of African Americans. Data collection was conducted from August 2021 to February 2022 throughout Southwest Florida.Results: Analyses revealed that while some (33.9%) misused opioids for purposes of recreation/sensation seeking (eg, feel good/get high), the majority (66.1%) were attempting to self-treat perceived medical symptoms (eg, physical pain, anxiety/trauma, withdrawals, insomnia).Conclusions: This study contributes to a better understanding of why some African Americans engage in opioid misuse and findings highlight the need for interventions to be trauma informed and address unmanaged physical pain among African Americans. Given that most studies on motivations are quantitative in nature, the study contributes to the literature by capturing the voices of African Americans who use drugs.

Poetry can be used in the adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classroom with all learners, even those with limited literacy and proficiency in English. Learners can read, discuss, and write about poems and how they speak to their lives. They can create poems of their own to express their feelings, thoughts, or beliefs. This digest suggests ways to select and use poetry in adult language and literacy classes and provides information about poetry collections and resources for further reading. Choosing poems related to a single theme can build knowledge and vocabulary focused on a specific topic. Teachers may want to consider trying to publish the poems of their students, too. As with any writing about personal experiences, poems can become part of a larger exploration of a theme as a class considers, reads, and writes about related cultural, social, economic, and political issues. Poetry provides adults with rich learning opportunities in language, content, and community building. Repetition of words and structures typifies poetry, and poetry encourages language play with rhythmic and rhyming devices. Poetic themes are often universal. When teachers and learners write and read poetry together, they connect with texts and with one another in powerful ways. (Contains 24 references.) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education) (KFT)

This study was to explore critical pull factors impacting Korean Americans' intention to seek medical treatment in South Korea. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze medical characteristics (cost, service quality, physician quality, facilities and access), and touristic characteristic (food, accommodation, shopping, attractiveness, and security) on intention to take a medical trip to South Korea. The results showed that: Cost, service quality, and facilities impacted Korean American's intention to seek treatment in the homeland. Food, accommodation and security were important to Korean American medical tourists seeking to take a medical trip to South Korea. Significant differences were found regarding cost between experienced and potential Korean American medical tourists to South Korea. The findings of this study will help South Korean medical tourism interest, as well as enhancing the knowledge of the healthcare specialist in both the United States and South Korea. KEYWORDS: Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism Hospitality, Healthcare Services, Healthcare Access, Korean American., INTRODUCTION The globalization of healthcare has heralded a new form of tourism termed health tourism. Within health tourism, medical tourism is now among the fastest-growing sectors and is becoming one [...]

Canine Support Programs (CSPs) are a potential solution to growing university student support demands. While current studies focus on the impacts of CSPs, there is limited understanding of the views and expectations of tertiary students about CSPs. This study explored the perceptions and preferences of students in an Australian regional university about CSPs. A questionnaire with multiple choice and open‐ended questions surveyed residential students' perspectives about CSP. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical tests and thematic analysis for open responses. Majority (98%) of participants (sample n= 48) would support a CSP on campus. Frequent, small‐group interactions of ≥15 min involving physical contact were preferred. Dog disposition, welfare‐trained handlers, and veterinary certification were important aspects of program safety. Participants strongly agreed a CSP would improve mental health and well‐being, relieve stress, reduce feelings of homesickness, provide support, comfort, and enable social interactions. There is strong support among the study population for CSP to be established on campus. This study supports earlier research that CSP has benefit potential for new, stressed, and/or students who love dogs. The preferences of students should inform program design to enhance utility and impact. This aligns with Health Promoting Universities and College's Okanagan Charter principle of ‘engaging student voices’. More institutional awareness and support for CSPs will be necessary for integration. This study reveals the need for tailored and creative student support beyond traditional offerings including those that focus on student well‐being and social initiatives. CSPs can be utilised as an advocate, enabler, and medium for mental health promotion action and well‐being support for tertiary students; thereby, contributing to the ‘Health Promoting University’ agenda in Australia. It also reinforces the need for a Health in All Policies approach to be incorporated into our tertiary education sector. Future actions should focus on improving institutional awareness, support, and sector implementation.

Paradise lives in a space and time free from the oppression of colonization, heteropatriarchy and white supremacy. Comilang engages both historical and personal narratives, filtering them through a semi-fictive sieve [...]

The article discusses the increasing visibility and representation of older women in the fashion industry. It highlights the use of older models in campaigns for luxury brands such as Burberry, Massimo Dutti, and Balmain, as well as the success of older celebrities like Madonna and Carol Vorderman. The article emphasizes that older women are gaining respect and recognition, and have more choices when it comes to fashion. It also mentions the growing demand for older women in advertisements and the significant consumer spending power of the 55 plus demographic. The article concludes by celebrating the ageless nature of style and the empowerment of women to dress in a way that makes them feel confident and comfortable. [Extracted from the article]

This study evaluated the properties of juvenile wood from 7-year-old Cedrela odorata trees in two populations with the same provenance and planted in an agroforestry system with Theobroma cacao (cacao). The morphological characteristics (diameter at breast height; heartwood, sapwood, bark, and pith percentages; and eccentricity of pith), physical properties (shrinkage, green moisture content, green density, and specific gravity) and mechanical properties (modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) in bending, compression stress, Janka hardness, tension stress and shear stress) were determined between two populations. The variation of the physical properties and morphological characteristics at different tree heights was also evaluated. The results showed that there were differences in both populations in terms of bark, pith, volumetric shrinkage, green moisture content, green density, MOR and MOE in bending, longitudinal compression and perpendicular tension. The results showed that population 2 presents better characteristics of growth and quality of wood for structural and furniture uses; hence, this population planted in agroforestry systems has good plantation conditions and wood quality. Keywords: agroforestry systems, Spanish cedar, tropical species, variability, wood properties. En este estudio se evaluaron las propiedades de la madera juvenil proveniente de árboles de 7 años de Cedrela odorata de dos poblaciones con la misma procedencia, plantadas en un sistema agroforestal con Theobroma cacao (cacao). Se evaluaron las características morfológicas del árbol (diámetro a la altura del pecho, porcentaje de médula, duramen, albura y corteza en relación al área total y excentricidad de la médula), las propiedades físicas (contracciones y contenido de humedad, la densidad verde y el peso específico básico) y las propiedades mecánicas (módulos de ruptura (MOR) y de elasticidad (MOE). De estas últimas, se obtuvieron esfuerzos en compresión longitudinal, tensión paralela y perpendicular, cortante y la dureza. Los resultados mostraron diferencias en las dos poblaciones en porcentajes de corteza, médula, contracción volumétrica, contenido de humedad, densidad verde, MOR y MOE en flexión, así como en la resistencia en compresión longitudinal y tensión perpendicular. Los resultados muestran que la población 2 presenta mejores características de crecimiento y de calidad de la madera, por lo que la población plantada en sistemas agroforestales presenta buenas condiciones de desarrollo y de calidad de madera para su uso estructural o en mueblería. Palabras clave: sistemas agroforestales, cedro amargo, especies tropicales, variabilidad, propiedades de la madera., Introduction Cedrela odorata L., known as Spanish cedar, red cedar or cigar-box cedar, belongs to the Meliaceae family, and is one of the most commercial wood species within this genus [...]

Byline: Cameron Rigg Age: 25 Job title: Product developer Company & location: Co-op Food, Manchester Education: BSC (Hons) food & nutrition at She eld Hallam University Why did you decide [...]

When The Australian began publication out of Canberra in 1964, I was one of the youngest journalists on staff. I worked for editors Maxwell Newton, Adrian Deamer and Walter Kommer. I covered education and immigration, and wrote a fortnightly column on social issues: conscription, the Vietnam War, civil liberties, racism, policing, and the White Australia policy. I also wrote about women, often: about marriage, sex education, abortion, unequal pay, childbirth, childcare and all the issues attitudes and structures that constrained us. In this article, I tell some stories from those years, and reflect on the editorial attitudes I encountered., When I went to Canberra in May 1964, the air was crisp with cold, orange Japonica berries lit the roadside, and Robert Menzies' belly hung considerably lower than I expected. [...]

IMPORTANCE: Accurate identification of patient groups with the lowest level of protection following COVID-19 vaccination is important to better target resources and interventions for the most vulnerable populations. It is not known whether SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing has clinical utility for high-risk groups, such as people with cancer. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether spike protein antibody vaccine response (COV-S) following COVID-19 vaccination is associated with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection or hospitalization among patients with cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a population-based cross-sectional study of patients with cancer from the UK as part of the National COVID Cancer Antibody Survey. Adults with a known or reported cancer diagnosis who had completed their primary SARS-CoV-2 vaccination schedule were included. This analysis ran from September 1, 2021, to March 4, 2022, a period covering the expansion of the UK’s third-dose vaccination booster program. INTERVENTIONS: Anti–SARS-CoV-2 COV-S antibody test (Elecsys; Roche). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Odds of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection and COVID-19 hospitalization. RESULTS: The evaluation comprised 4249 antibody test results from 3555 patients with cancer and 294 230 test results from 225 272 individuals in the noncancer population. The overall cohort of 228 827 individuals (patients with cancer and the noncancer population) comprised 298 479 antibody tests. The median age of the cohort was in the age band of 40 and 49 years and included 182 741 test results (61.22%) from women and 115 737 (38.78%) from men. There were 279 721 tests (93.72%) taken by individuals identifying as White or White British. Patients with cancer were more likely to have undetectable anti-S antibody responses than the general population (199 of 4249 test results [4.68%] vs 376 of 294 230 [0.13%]; P < .001). Patients with leukemia or lymphoma had the lowest antibody titers. In the cancer cohort, following multivariable correction, patients who had an undetectable antibody response were at much greater risk for SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection (odds ratio [OR], 3.05; 95% CI, 1.96-4.72; P < .001) and SARS-CoV-2–related hospitalization (OR, 6.48; 95% CI, 3.31-12.67; P < .001) than individuals who had a positive antibody response. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that COV-S antibody testing allows the identification of patients with cancer who have the lowest level of antibody-derived protection from COVID-19. This study supports larger evaluations of SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to patients with cancer should be prioritized to minimize impact on cancer treatments and maximize quality of life for individuals with cancer during the ongoing pandemic.

Suboptimal social determinants of health impede type 2 diabetes self‐management. They are usually considered at population and community levels, not individually. The study objective was to draw on perspectives of people who have type 2 diabetes to identify and explore the impact of social determinants on self‐management and ways to incorporate them into individual care.

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The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship among hotel employee engagement, job satisfaction, and intention to quit. Survey data was collected from non-supervisory employees in mid-upper scale hotels in Jamaica. Engaged employees were more satisfied with their job and had lower intention to quit. The engagement-intention to quit relationship was partially mediated by job satisfaction. The study demonstrated the relevance of having engaged employees in order to reap business success and positive organizational outcomes. Implications for hotel management were discussed. KEYWORDS engagement, satisfaction, intention to quit, hotels, Jamaica, INTRODUCTION The importance of an 'engaged' workforce is increasingly recognized as a predictor of organizational success. Engagement is defined as 'a persistent and positive affective-emotional state of fulfillment in employees [...]

Ketamine has traditionally been used as a dissociative anesthetic agent and more recently as a treatment for treatment-resistant depression. However, there is growing concern over the increased use of ketamine in recreational and therapeutic settings due to the potential neurotoxic effects. Recent studies have demonstrated that ketamine is cytotoxic in several cell types, such as fibroblasts, hepatocytes, uroepithelial cells, and adult induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Ketamine has been shown to dysregulate calcium signalling, increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and impair mitochondrial function, ultimately leading to apoptosis. However, it is unclear whether endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a role in ketamine associated neurotoxicity in striatal neurons. Disruption to ER homeostasis can initiate ER-mediated cell death, which has been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine whether ketamine's neurotoxic effects involve an ER stress-dependent pathway and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in its neurotoxic effects. Mouse striatal cells were treated with various concentrations of ketamine (10 μM, 100 μM, 1 mM) or DMEM for 9–72 hrs. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay, and changes in gene expression of ER stress markers were evaluated using RT-qPCR. MTT results revealed that 1 mM ketamine decreased cell viability in striatal cells after 24 h of treatment. Gene expression studies complemented these findings such that ketamine upregulated pro-apoptotic ER stress markers, including X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and downregulated pro-survival ER stress proteins such as GRP78, MANF and CDNF. Ketamine activated all three stress sensing pathways including PERK, IRE1, and ATF6. Taken together, our results show that ketamine-induced neurotoxicity is mediated through an ER stress-dependent apoptotic pathway.

This paper proposes ‘ruralization’ as a concept that human geographers are well placed to develop across the rural-urban geography divide and in dialogue with scholars in cognate fields. We understand ruralization as the processual, more-than-residual, and geographically-variegated socio-spatial dynamics of contemporary human engagements with rural land, livelihoods, and lifestyles. Our approach comprises three prominent dynamics of ruralization experienced through residents’ entanglements with rural and urban Southeast Asia: in situ ruralization, extended ruralization, and rural returns. We argue in favor of a rural-urban relationality rather than urban-centered socio-spatial transformation and urge geographers to take seriously the lives and geographies of people in the Global South whose perspectives on urbanization are entangled with ongoing rural dynamics. Our contribution is intended as a corrective to notions of the urbanization of everywhere in a zero-sum relationship with a residual rural, and as a way of demonstrating the importance of human geographical experiences to wider debates, concerns, and conversations.

Student-authored law review articles and case notes are valuable editions to the legal academy, but faculty can and should expand opportunities for students to write. This can be done through various projects sponsored by faculty along with judges or other members of the bar. An example is the Iowa Criminal Statutes Summary Chart. With the encouragement and mentorship of a Judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals and a member of the law school faculty, students have created a project that is useful for menibers of the bench and bar. Other prolects should be developed and nurtured by law school faculty allowing and encouraging robust discussions of areas impacting the practice of law. At the risk of being a bit heretical, these projects can be accomplished through student writing and scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]