Search

Background: Mortality from cervical cancer has declined steadily in the United States over the past several decades due to widespread screening for precancerous and early-stage cervical cancer (ECC), which are significantly easier to treat compared with late-stage cervical cancer (LCC). Unequal screening access continues to cause significant racial/ethnic disparities in cervical cancer diagnosis stage. This study examined the underlying role of neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage as a potential mediator of the association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer diagnosis stage. Methods: We analyzed Texas Cancer Registry data for cervical cancer cases diagnosed among women ages 18 or older from 2010 to 2018. We performed causal mediation analyses of the association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer stage at diagnosis mediated by neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage. Results: Of the 9,192 women with cervical cancer, 4,720 (51.3%) had LCC at diagnosis. Compared with non-Hispanic white (NHW) women (106.13, standard deviation (SD) = 13.32), non-Hispanic Black (NHB; 111.46, SD = 9.55) and Hispanic (112.32, SD = 9.42) women had higher area deprivation index (ADI) and had greater odds of LCC diagnosis [total effects: adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 1.29 (95% CI, 1.11–1.46) and AOR 1.14 (95% CI, 1.03–1.25), respectively]. Approximately 34.7% and 71.6% of the disparity in LCC diagnosis were attributable to higher neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage among NHB and Hispanic women, respectively. Conclusions: LCC disparity varied by race/ethnicity and was partly attributable to neighborhood disadvantage. The disparity among Hispanic women due to neighborhood deprivation was twice as high among NHB women. Impact: Findings may be used to develop targeted race- and place-specific interventions to improve cancer care equity.

Towards achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this study revisits the information and communication technology (ICT) leapfrogging hypothesis of Steinmueller (2001), and Fong (2009) to expand the literature by testing its relevance in the labour force-growth dynamics in Asia. To achieve this, the study addresses four objectives: (i) test the ICT leapfrogging hypothesis; (ii) investigate the growth-enhancing impact of labour; (iii) examine whether ICT enhances or distorts the productivity of labour on economic growth; and (iv) if these effects differ by economic development. The study uses an unbalanced panel data on 81 countries located in East Asia and Pacific (EAP) and Europe and Central Asia (ECA) from 2010 to 2019. Two estimation techniques, namely panel spatial correlation consistent fixed effects (PSCC-FE) and random effects instrumental variables two-stage least squares (RE-IV2SLS), are deployed. To appraise if the impact differs by economic development, the study engages income group analysis. Among other findings: the leapfrogging hypothesis holds; labour is a significant predictor of economic growth; mobile phones usage is a more potent ICT indicator with more leapfrogging potentials relative to fixed telephones subscription; the net effect of labour on growth is mostly positive in the mobile phones’ models.

Background: Male reproductive dysfunctions are the results of the malfunctioning of one or more of these cellular components due to several factors among which are exposure to heavy metals, reactive oxygen species, smoking and alcohol, genital infection, lifestyle, hormonal disorders, and unhealthy diet. However, it has been widely reported that curcumin possesses pharmacological potential which could ameliorate the effects of these factors on male reproductive dysfunctions. Introduction: This review discusses the pharmacological activities of curcumin about its ameliorating effects on male reproductive dysfunction especially on induced sperm disorders, steroidogenic toxicity, immune-regulatory activity, apoptotic toxicity, and oxidative toxicity, along with their possible mechanisms on male reproductive dysfunction. Method: The terms such as "Curcumin" together with "testis", "sperm", " male reproductive function", and "testosterone" were searched on Google Scholar, Pubmed, and Scopus. Relevant literature was also assessed. Result: Curcumin mitigated the adverse effects on hormone levels, cellular apoptotic activity, oxidative stress, and histopathological damages. Curcumin also inhibited the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, increased semen quality, sperm motility, and concentration, and restored the IL-1β, TNF-α, and MCP-1 level in the reproductive tissues. Furthermore, curcumin has been shown to increase mRNA, cytoplasmic Bcl-2, 3β-HSD, and 17β-HSD and Nrf2 expression, ɣ-GCS, and GSH-Px levels, the number of TUNEL-positive cells, and to reduce levels of LDH-x, and LDH activities. Conclusion: Curcumin exerts pharmacological activities which improved the male reproductive functions as it pinpoints how curcumin affects various testicular processes. This will be imperative as a measure to enhance male fertility.