A Multi-Faceted Look at the Unseen City

Horizons ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-296
Author(s):  
Maureen O'Brien ◽  
Donald McNeill

AbstractThis article describes an interdisciplinary, team-taught introduction to the urban situation, called “The Unseen City.” The course began two years ago, as a three-credit follow-up to a popular Notre Dame program called “Urban Plunge,” through which undergraduates visit inner cities across the United States and experience urban problems firsthand. The aim of “The Unseen City” is to foster greater understanding of the complexities of the city, primarily through economic, political, and theological perspectives; and to allow students the opportunity to pursue their own particular interests in this field. To accomplish this, the course includes three major components: “experiential,” of which the Urban Plunge is the main element; “academic”—the class sessions, readings, assignments, and exams; and “specialized,” primarily accomplished through an open-ended student research activity. Each of these components is separately discussed, and the final section comments on some of the advantages and disadvantages of the unusual structures of the course, especially the team-teaching format and the expectations placed on students. A syllabus, with a partial reading list, is also included.

Author(s):  
Kai Erikson

This chapter examines the ways of life in the city. The world is now moving into an age when the vast majority of people will live in (or around) cities. This is already the case in Europe and the United States, and it is becoming a reality in Latin America. The chapter first describes the early cities before discussing the sociology of cities in the United States, focusing on immigration and migration. It then considers the emergence of suburbs and how they are related to the American inner cities. It also discusses the people of the inner city that are referred to as an “underclass,” living in what Oscar Lewis called a “culture of poverty.” Finally, it looks at new developments that are shaping what may well be the urban landscape of the future, including the new downtowns and sunbelt cities.


Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Sloan

Popular culture has long conflated Mexico with the macabre. Some persuasive intellectuals argue that Mexicans have a special relationship with death, formed in the crucible of their hybrid Aztec-European heritage. Death is their intimate friend; death is mocked and accepted with irony and fatalistic abandon. The commonplace nature of death desensitizes Mexicans to suffering. Death, simply put, defines Mexico. There must have been historical actors who looked away from human misery, but to essentialize a diverse group of people as possessing a unique death cult delights those who want to see the exotic in Mexico or distinguish that society from its peers. Examining tragic and untimely death—namely self-annihilation—reveals a counter narrative. What could be more chilling than suicide, especially the violent death of the young? What desperation or madness pushed the victim to raise the gun to the temple or slip the noose around the neck? A close examination of a wide range of twentieth-century historical documents proves that Mexicans did not accept death with a cavalier chuckle nor develop a unique death cult, for that matter. Quite the reverse, Mexicans behaved just as their contemporaries did in Austria, France, England, and the United States. They devoted scientific inquiry to the malady and mourned the loss of each life to suicide.


2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony G Picciano ◽  
Robert V. Steiner

Every child has a right to an education. In the United States, the issue is not necessarily about access to a school but access to a quality education. With strict compulsory education laws, more than 50 million students enrolled in primary and secondary schools, and billions of dollars spent annually on public and private education, American children surely have access to buildings and classrooms. However, because of a complex and competitive system of shared policymaking among national, state, and local governments, not all schools are created equal nor are equal education opportunities available for the poor, minorities, and underprivileged. One manifestation of this inequity is the lack of qualified teachers in many urban and rural schools to teach certain subjects such as science, mathematics, and technology. The purpose of this article is to describe a partnership model between two major institutions (The American Museum of Natural History and The City University of New York) and the program designed to improve the way teachers are trained and children are taught and introduced to the world of science. These two institutions have partnered on various projects over the years to expand educational opportunity especially in the teaching of science. One of the more successful projects is Seminars on Science (SoS), an online teacher education and professional development program, that connects teachers across the United States and around the world to cutting-edge research and provides them with powerful classroom resources. This article provides the institutional perspectives, the challenges and the strategies that fostered this partnership.


Author(s):  
Е. N. Polyakov ◽  
M. I. Korzh

The article presents a comparative analysis of fortification art monuments in such East countries from Ancient Egypt to medieval China. An attempt is made to identify the main stages of the fortification development from a stand-alone fortress (citadel, fort) to the most complex systems of urban and border fortifications, including moats, walls and gates, battle towers. It is shown that the nature of these architectural structures is determined by the status of the city or settlement, its natural landscape, building structures and materials, the development of military and engineering art. The materials from poliorceticon (Greek: poliorketikon, poliorketika), illustrate the main types of siege machines and mechanisms. The advantages and disadvantages of boundary shafts and long walls (limes). The most striking examples are the defensive systems of Assyria, New Babylon, Judea and Ancient China.


2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria H Hong ◽  
Ana M Ortega-Villa ◽  
Sally Hunsberger ◽  
Ploenchan Chetchotisakd ◽  
Siriluck Anunnatsiri ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The natural history of anti-interferon-γ (IFN-γ) autoantibody-associated immunodeficiency syndrome is not well understood. Methods Data of 74 patients with anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies at Srinagarind Hospital, Thailand, were collected annually (median follow-up duration, 7.5 years). Annual data for 19 patients and initial data for 4 patients with anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies at the US National Institutes of Health were collected (median follow-up duration, 4.5 years). Anti-IFN-γ autoantibody levels were measured in plasma samples. Results Ninety-one percent of US patients were of Southeast Asian descent; there was a stronger female predominance (91%) in US than Thai (64%) patients. Mycobacterium abscessus (34%) and Mycobacterium avium complex (83%) were the most common nontuberculous mycobacteria in Thailand and the United States, respectively. Skin infections were more common in Thailand (P = .001), whereas bone (P < .0001), lung (P = .002), and central nervous system (P = .03) infections were more common in the United States. Twenty-four percent of Thai patients died, most from infections. None of the 19 US patients with follow-up data died. Anti-IFN-γ autoantibody levels decreased over time in Thailand (P < .001) and the United States (P = .017), with either cyclophosphamide (P = .01) or rituximab therapy (P = .001). Conclusions Patients with anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies in Thailand and the United States had distinct demographic and clinical features. While titers generally decreased with time, anti-IFN-γ autoantibody disease had a chronic clinical course with persistent infections and death. Close long-term surveillance for new infections is recommended.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 215013272097774
Author(s):  
Stephanie T. Fulleborn ◽  
Paul F. Crawford ◽  
Jeremy T. Jackson ◽  
Christy J.W. Ledford

Introduction Recent evidence reveals that diabetes and prediabetes (preDM) can be reversed to normal glucose regulation (NGR) through significant weight loss, but how physicians clinically identify the principles of partial and complete remission of diabetes is largely unknown. Methods As part of the cross-sectional omnibus survey conducted in March 2019 at a professional annual meeting in the United States, physician participants answered case scenario questions about the diagnosis and documentation of patients with preDM and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Results Of the registered conference attendees, 387 (72.7%) responded. When presented with the initial case of preDM, 201 physicians (70.8%) selected R73.03 Prediabetes. In a follow-up encounter with improved lab results, 118 physicians (58.7%) indicated that they would not chart any diabetes-related code and 62 (30.8%) would chart preDM again. When presented with the case of T2DM, 256 physicians (90.1%) indicated E11.0–E11.9 Type 2 Diabetes. In the follow-up encounter, only 38 (14.8%) coded a diagnosis reflecting remission from T2DM to prediabetes and 211 (82.4%) charted T2DM. Conclusion Physicians may be reluctant to document diabetes regression as there is little evidence for long-term outcomes and “downgrading” the diagnosis in the medical record may cause screenings to be missed. Documenting this regression in the medical record should communicate the accurate point on the continuum of glucose intolerance with both the patient and the care team.


Author(s):  
T. J. Marini ◽  
S. L. Weiss ◽  
A. Gupta ◽  
Y. T. Zhao ◽  
T. M. Baran ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Thyroid ultrasound is a key tool in the evaluation of the thyroid, but billions of people around the world lack access to ultrasound imaging. In this study, we tested an asynchronous telediagnostic ultrasound system operated by individuals without prior ultrasound training which may be used to effectively evaluate the thyroid and improve access to imaging worldwide. Methods The telediagnostic system in this study utilizes volume sweep imaging (VSI), an imaging technique in which the operator scans the target region with simple sweeps of the ultrasound probe based on external body landmarks. Sweeps are recorded and saved as video clips for later interpretation by an expert. Two operators without prior ultrasound experience underwent 8 h of training on the thyroid VSI protocol and the operation of the telemedicine platform. After training, the operators scanned patients at a health center in Lima. Telediagnostic examinations were sent to the United States for remote interpretation. Standard of care thyroid ultrasound was performed by an experienced radiologist at the time of VSI examination to serve as a reference standard. Results Novice operators scanned 121 subjects with the thyroid VSI protocol. Of these exams, 88% were rated of excellent image quality showing complete or near complete thyroid visualization. There was 98.3% agreement on thyroid nodule presence between VSI teleultrasound and standard of care ultrasound (Cohen’s kappa 0.91, P < 0.0001). VSI measured the thyroid size, on average, within 5 mm compared to standard of care. Readers of VSI were also able to effectively characterize thyroid nodules, and there was no significant difference in measurement of thyroid nodule size (P = 0.74) between VSI and standard of care. Conclusion Thyroid VSI telediagnostic ultrasound demonstrated both excellent visualization of the thyroid gland and agreement with standard of care thyroid ultrasound for nodules and thyroid size evaluation. This system could be deployed for evaluation of palpable thyroid abnormalities, nodule follow-up, and epidemiological studies to promote global health and improve the availability of diagnostic imaging in underserved communities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Soward ◽  
Jianling Li

AbstractMost cities in the United States rely on zoning to address important planning-related issues within their jurisdictions. Planners often use GIS tools to analyze these issues in a spatial context. ESRI’s ArcGIS Urban software seeks to provide the planning profession with a GIS-based solution for various challenges, including zoning’s impacts on the built environment and housing capacity.This research explores the use of ArcGIS Urban for assessing the existing zoning and comprehensive plans in meeting the projected residential growth in the near future using the City of Arlington, Texas as a case study. The exploration provides examples and lessons for how ArcGIS Urban might be used by planners to accomplish their tasks and highlights the capabilities and limitations of ArcGIS Urban in its current stand. The paper is concluded with some suggestions for future studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1027.2-1027
Author(s):  
A. R. Broder ◽  
W. Mowrey ◽  
A. Valle ◽  
B. Goilav ◽  
K. Yoshida ◽  
...  

Background:The development of ESRD due to lupus nephritis is one of the most common and serious complications of SLE. Mortality among SLE ESRD patients is 4-fold higher compared to lupus nephritis patients with preserved renal function1Mortality in SLE ESRD is also twice as high compared with non-SLE ESRD, even though SLE patients develop ESRD at a significantly younger age. In the absence of ESRD specific guidelines, medication utilization in SLE ESRD is unknown.Objectives:The objective of this study was to investigate the real-world current US-wide patterns of medication prescribing among lupus nephritis patients with new onset ESRD enrolled in the United States Renal Disease Systems (USRDS) registry. We specifically focused on HCQ and corticosteroids (CS) as the most used medications to treat SLE.Methods:Inclusion: USRDS patients 18 years and above with SLE as a primary cause of ESRD (International Classification of Diseases, 9thRevision (ICD9) diagnostic code 710.0, previously validated2). who developed ESRD between January 1st, 2006 and July 31, 2011 (to ensure at least 6 months of follow-up in the USRDS). Patients had to be enrolled in Medicare Part D (to capture pharmacy claims). The last follow-up date was defined as either the last date of continuous part D coverage or the end of the study period, Dec 31, 2013.Results:Of the 2579 patients included, 1708 (66%) were HCQ- at baseline, and 871 (34%) were HCQ+ at baseline. HCQ+ patients at baseline had a slightly lower duration of follow-up compared to HCQ- patients at baseline, median (IQR) of 2.32 (1.33, 3.97) years and 2.55 (1.44, 4.25) years, respectively, p= 0.02. During follow-up period, only 778 (30%) continued HCQ either intermittently or continuously to the last follow-up date, 1306 (51%) were never prescribed HCQ after baseline, and 495 (19%) discontinued HCQ before the last follow-up date. Of the 1801 patients who were either never prescribed or discontinued HCQ early after ESRD onset, 713 (40%) were prescribed CS to the end of the follow-up period: 55% were receiving a low dose <10mg/daily, and 43 were receiving moderate dose (10-20mg daily)Conclusion:HCQ may be underprescribed and CS may be overprescribed in SLE ESRD. Changing the current prescribing practices may improve outcomes in SLE ESRDReferences:[1]Yap DY et al., NDT 2012.[2]Broder A et al., AC&R 2016.Acknowledgments :The data reported here have been supplied by the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). The interpretation and reporting of these data are the responsibility of the author(s) and in no way should be seen as an official policy or interpretation of the U.S. government.Funding: :NIH/NIAMS K23 AR068441 (A Broder), NIH/NIAMS R01 AR 057327 and K24 AR 066109 (KH Costenbader)Disclosure of Interests: :Anna R. Broder: None declared, Wenzhu Mowrey: None declared, Anna Valle: None declared, Beatrice Goilav: None declared, Kazuki Yoshida: None declared, Karen Costenbader Grant/research support from: Merck, Consultant of: Astra-Zeneca


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