Exploring Gender Differences in Volunteer Behavior Among Older Asian Americans

Prior research has documented the health and well-being effects of volunteerism in later life, and that positive outcomes increase in the first 100 volunteer hours/year and slightly increase between 100-200 hours. Given this, it seems that using an intersectional lens to explore disparities in volunteer behaviors and what might explain them is important from a health equity standpoint. Using data from 268,194 individuals aged 65-85 from the most recently available Volunteer Supplement of the Current Population Survey, this study found that White older adults were most likely to spend any time in volunteer activities, while Asian and Hispanic older adults were least, across all racial/ethnic groups. Further, the percentage of older Asian women volunteering in the 100-200 hour range (27%) was significantly higher than that of older Asian men (19%). Social and cultural factors that may explain these racial/gender differences and implications for recruiting older adults as volunteers are discussed.

The relationship of Careers with People Interactions and Volunteering Between Gender-racial Groups in Late-life

Prior research showed that ethnic minorities in late-life tended to participate less in volunteering, compared to Whites. Older women, in general, spent more time volunteering than older men in the United States. Previous studies showed that occupational statuses, but have not yet discussed occupation categories, affected older adults' volunteering. The Current Population Survey dataset was utilized in this study to explore the relationship between careers with or without people interactions and volunteering of Americans aged 50 to 85 in an intersectionality lens. Regarding races, older African Americans who worked in occupations requiring human interactions, had almost double volunteering rate than those occupations not requiring these interactions. In respect of genders, compared to older men who worked in jobs requiring human interactions, the volunteer rate of those not requiring human interactions was 81% less. Either older African Americans or older men had more associations between their human interactions in career and their volunteering rate, than other racial groups or gender groups individually. Considering races and genders together, comparing to older Asian men who worked in fields needed interactions with others, the volunteering rate of those who did not work in these fields was 52% less. The association of older Asian men between fields requiring human interactions and volunteering rate was the least, among various gender-racial subgroups. Older adults with different racial-gender identities may face varying experiences in different types of occupations. Social and cultural factors among these identities are discussed to better understand the relationships between careers and volunteering in late-life.

Respiratory Muscle Weakness in Thyrotoxic Periodic Palsy: A Lesson to Remember

Thyrotoxic periodic palsy (TPP) is a sporadic form of hypokalemic periodic palsy that may occur in association with hyperthyroidism mostly with Graves’ disease. Acute thyrotoxic periodic palsy is a disorder most commonly seen in Asian men and characterized by abrupt onset of hypokalemia and paralysis. The disorder primarily affects the lower extremities and can involve all four limbs and presents as acute flaccid paralysis. The diagnosis of thyrotoxic periodic palsy is not difficult, but the disease's low incidence and many differentials for acute flaccid paralysis delay and complicate the diagnosis. TPP is not related to the etiology, severity, and duration of thyrotoxicosis. The treatment is similar to hypokalemic periodic palsy with potassium supplementation and initiation of antithyroid drugs and beta-blocker therapy. Here a similar case of quadriparesis is reported, which got precipitated after abrupt cessation of carbimazole in a young male. This initially was thought to be a case of hypokalemic periodic palsy and was later diagnosed to be TPP and recovered after initiating antithyroid drugs and potassium supplementation.

Racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of applicants and matriculants to neurological surgery residency programs

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify trends in the demographic constitution of applicants and matriculants to neurological surgery based on race, ethnicity, and gender. METHODS The authors conducted a cross-sectional study using compiled demographic data obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Trends analyzed included proportional changes in race, ethnicity, and gender of applicants and matriculants to neurosurgical residency programs from academic years 2010–2011 to 2018–2019. RESULTS A total of 5100 applicants and 2104 matriculants to neurosurgical residency programs were analyzed. No significant change in the percentage of overall women applicants (+0.3%, 95% CI −0.7% to 1.3%; p = 0.77) or in the percentage of women matriculants (+0.3%, 95% CI −2.2% to 2.9%; p = 0.71) was observed. For applicants, no change over time was observed in the percentages of American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) men (0.0%, 95% CI −0.3% to 0.3%; p = 0.65); Asian men (−0.1%, 95% CI −1.2% to 1.1%; p = 0.97); Black or African American men (−0.2%, 95% CI −0.7% to 0.4%; p = 0.91); Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin men (+0.4%, 95% CI −0.8% to 1.7%; p = 0.26); White men (+0.5%, 95% CI −2.1% to 3.0%; p = 0.27); Asian women (+0.1,% 95% CI −0.9% to 1.1%; p = 0.73); Black or African American women (0.0%, 95% CI −0.6% to 0.5%; p = 0.30); Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin women (0.0%, 95% CI −0.4% to 0.4%; p = 0.71); and White women (+0.3%, 95% CI −1.1% to 1.7%; p = 0.34). For matriculants, no change over time was observed in the percentages of AI/AN men (0.0%, 95% CI −0.6% to 0.6%; p = 0.56); Asian men (0.0%, 95% CI −2.7% to 2.7%; p = 0.45); Black or African American men (−0.3%, 95% CI −1.4% to 0.8%; p = 0.52); Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin men (+0.6%, 95% CI −0.8 to 2.0%; p = 0.12); White men (−1.0%, 95% CI −5.3% to 3.3%; p = 0.92); Asian women (+0.1%, 95% CI −1.3% to 1.5%; p = 0.85); Black or African American women (0.0%, 95% CI −0.6% to 0.7%; p = 0.38); Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin women (−0.1%, 95% CI −0.7% to 0.5%; p = 0.46); and White women (+0.3%, 95% CI −2.4% to 3.0%; p = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS Despite efforts to diversify the demographic constitution of incoming neurosurgical trainees, few significant advances have been made in recent years. This study suggests that improved strategies for recruitment and cultivating early interest in neurological surgery are required to further increase the diversification of future cohorts of neurosurgical trainees.

Danger or Dislike: Distinguishing Threat from Negative Valence as Sources of Automatic Anti-Black Bias

The Dual Implicit Process Model (March et al., 2018a) distinguishes the implicit processing of physical threat (i.e., “can it hurt or kill me?”) from valence (i.e., “do I dislike/like it?”). Five studies tested whether automatic anti-Black bias is due to White Americans associating Black men with threat, negative valence, or both. Studies 1 and 2 assessed how quickly White participants decided whether positive, negative, and threatening images were good versus bad when primed by Black versus White male-faces. Studies 3 and 4 assessed how early in the decision process White participants began deciding whether Black and White (and, in Study 3, Asian) male-faces displaying anger, sadness, happiness, or no emotion were, in Study 3, dangerous, depressed, cheerful, or calm or, in Study 4, dangerous, negative, or positive. Study 5 assessed how quickly White participants decided whether negative and threatening words were negative versus dangerous when primed by Black versus White male-names. All studies indicated that White Americans automatically associate Black men with physical threat. Study 3 indicated the association is unique to Black men and did not extend to Asian men as a general intergroup effect. Studies 3, 4, and 5, which simultaneously paired threat against negativity, indicated that the Black-threat association is stronger than a Black-negative association.

Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway in prostate cancer and associated drug resistance

Globally, prostate cancer ranks second in cancer burden of the men. It occurs more frequently in black men compared to white or Asian men. Usually, high rates exist for men aged 60 and above. In this review, we focus on the Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway in prostate cancer since many studies have reported that β-catenin can function as an oncogene and is important in Wnt signaling. We also relate its expression to the androgen receptor and MMP-7 protein, both critical to prostate cancer pathogenesis. Some mutations in the androgen receptor also impact the androgen-β-catenin axis and hence, lead to the progression of prostate cancer. We have also reviewed MiRNAs that modulate this pathway in prostate cancer. Finally, we have summarized the impact of Wnt/β-catenin pathway proteins in the drug resistance of prostate cancer as it is a challenging facet of therapy development due to the complexity of signaling pathways interaction and cross-talk.