Search Results (61)

This article offers a new perspective on Miriam’s red jewel in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Marble Faun (1860), interpreting it as a symbol of Jewish femininity, diasporic memory, and aesthetic resistance. Although the jewel has received little critical attention, this study suggests that it plays a central role in shaping Miriam’s identity and in articulating broader cultural anxieties around gender, ethnicity, and visibility. Through intertextual readings of Shakespeare’s Jessica and Walter Scott’s Rebecca and Rowena, the essay situates Miriam within a literary tradition of Jewish women whose identities are mediated through symbolic adornments. In addition to literary analysis, the article draws on visual art history—particularly Carol Ockman’s interpretation of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’s 1848 portrait of Baronne de Rothschild—to explore how 19th-century visual culture contributed to the eroticization and exoticization of Jewish women. By placing Hawthorne’s portrayal of Miriam in dialogue with such visual representations, the essay highlights how the red jewel functions as a site of encoded cultural meaning. The analysis is further informed by feminist art theory (Griselda Pollock) and postcolonial critique (Edward Said), offering an interdisciplinary approach to questions of identity, marginalization, and symbolic resistance. While not claiming to offer a definitive reading, this article aims to open new interpretive possibilities by foregrounding the jewel’s narrative and symbolic significance. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing conversations in Hawthorne studies, Jewish cultural history, and the intersections of literature and visual art. Full article

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) refers to forms of tourism owned and managed by local communities, designed to enhance participation, empowerment, and equitable benefit-sharing. This study investigates how climate-induced migration and donor investment disparities shape the uneven development of CBT across Vietnam. The research pursues three aims: (1) to evaluate how macro- and micro-level funding structures influence CBT readiness; (2) to analyze how spatial justice and post-development critique illuminate structural inequalities in tourism investment; and (3) to assess the implications for climate-vulnerable and ethnic minority communities, including their underrepresentation in CBT research and policy discourse. Methodologically, the study undertakes a systematic review of CBT literature (2014–2025), a thematic analysis of donor and government reports (World Bank, ADB, IFAD), and an estimation of regional funding flows using narrative coding and text-based pattern analysis. Findings reveal a persistent geographic and institutional bias toward the Southern Mekong Delta, which benefits from climate-resilience projects and tourism-specific investments, while Northern Highlands regions remain marginalized, receiving only poverty-focused funding. The paper contributes by integrating spatial justice and post-development critique into tourism studies, demonstrating how donor-led “resilience” agendas can inadvertently reinforce spatial inequalities, and offering policy recommendations for more equitable CBT planning, funding, and scholarly attention across Vietnam’s diverse regions. Full article

Background: Although evidence-based practice is widely promoted in nursing, direct care nurses remain underrepresented in research activities. This study aimed to assess nurses’ attitudes toward research, their perceptions of the organizational research environment, and their levels of involvement, as well as identify key barriers and facilitators to engagement within a comprehensive healthcare system. This study also explored how racial and ethnic diversity within the nursing workforce may shape research engagement and contribute new perspectives to the field. Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey was administered to registered nurses across 10 hospitals in a Northeast U.S. health system. The survey instrument assessed research attitudes, environment, involvement (past, present, future), and demographics. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including matched-pairs t-tests, were used to analyze responses. Results: Of 7655 invited nurses, 1094 responses were analyzed. Respondents were predominantly female (88.5%), White (56.8%), and employed full-time (87.1%) as clinical staff nurses (77.3%). While 54.8% had completed a formal research course (mainly within the past 1–3 years), informal research and statistics training were uncommon (17.4% and 5.4%, respectively). Nurses reported highly positive attitudes toward research (composite M = 2.15, SD = 0.51), especially its role in guiding practice, professional growth, and education. However, actual involvement was low. The most common current activities included practice change based on research (20.7%) and participation in committees (18.8%). Anticipated future engagement increased substantially, particularly in collaboration (+21.3%), committee participation (+20.6%), and IRB submission (+18.2%). The research environment was perceived as under-resourced, particularly in terms of protected time, funding, and mentorship. Statistically significant gaps were observed between perceived present and desired future supports (p < 0.01 for all 15 items). The Research Awareness Index revealed high rates of uncertainty about available resources (e.g., 66.1% did not know if internal funding existed). Conclusions: Nurses demonstrate strong positive attitudes and a desire to engage in research, including more advanced roles. Yet structural and informational barriers, particularly a lack of protected time, mentorship, and awareness of existing supports, limit participation. Investments in infrastructure, communication, and accessible development pathways are needed to translate nurses’ readiness into active research engagement. Implications: Institutions should prioritize making research support more visible and navigable while investing in mentorship, protected time, and user-friendly infrastructure. Addressing both facets will empower a highly motivated nursing workforce to engage in and lead practice-relevant research. Full article

Skin dullness contributes to a fatigued and aged appearance, often exceeding one’s biological age. It is a common dermatological concern influenced by aging and poor lifestyle habits, regardless of ethnicity or age. This study aimed to examine advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their receptor (receptor for AGEs [RAGE]) as contributing factors to skin dullness. AGEs themselves have a yellowish hue, contributing to “yellow dullness.” Additionally, AGE–RAGE signaling promotes melanin production in melanocytes and impairs keratinocyte differentiation as a result of inflammation. Therefore, regulating the AGE–RAGE interaction may help reduce skin dullness. Through screening various natural ingredients, we found that peony root extract (PRE) inhibits AGE formation and blocks AGE–RAGE binding. Furthermore, the presence of PRE leads to the suppression of AGE-induced melanin production in melanocytes and the restoration of impaired keratinocyte differentiation in glycated basement membrane components. In a human clinical study, topical application of a 1% PRE-containing lotion for 2 weeks significantly reduced melanin content, with a trend toward decreased AGE accumulation and visible spots on the cheeks. These findings support the potential of PRE as a multifunctional cosmetic ingredient that comprehensively addresses skin dullness by modulating the AGE–RAGE interaction. Full article

Women disproportionately encounter negative affordances in urban environments—defined as features that severely restrict movement and impose harm. City venues are, thus, selectively permeable to women, though men face their own challenges, especially in intersectional contexts. The data in this study suggest that gender combines with ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and visible religious markers, making obstruction a shifting but nonetheless real phenomenon, much like a staircase genuinely impedes wheelchair access. Cultural context also matters: a Black woman may face one set of barriers in Paris, another in Seoul, with a Latin American woman encountering different ones in both. Building on these observations, the article argues that urban landscapes manifest gender-based political affordances—material configurations that reflect and reinforce social inequalities. As an affordance-based framework, the selective permeability model (1) draws on a well-supported theory of perception, where settings objectively present both favorable and hostile values relative to agents. The outlook (2) thereby challenges the stereotype that women’s spatial concerns are merely subjective. The position also (3) affirms that despite differences, people share bodily constraints and, hence, have largely overlapping values and experiences. The perspective accordingly avoids exaggerating divisions to the point of denying the mutual understanding that underlies empathetic norms. Full article

This study aims to examine the current wellbeing among pharmacy students in underrepresented groups (URGs) and investigate the impact on having access to affinity groups. A survey was distributed to students in April and May 2023, at a Midwestern College of Pharmacy, centering around diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts and their impact on student wellbeing and experiences with the college-supported affinity groups. Student responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Sixty-five (75%) of the eighty-six students who completed the survey identified with at least one URG. First-generation students (n = 36), underrepresented racial/ethnic groups (n = 24), and LGBTQ+ (n = 13) were the three most prominent groups. Twenty-seven percent (n = 23) of students belonged to multiple URGs. Among the students in URGs, three out of four experienced distress. The students in URGs experienced distress at a higher rate compared to their peers in all categories. Twenty percent (n = 16) of students did not agree that there was equitable treatment on campus. This rate was higher among students in URGs compared to their peers. Eighty-three percent (n = 52) of individuals who did not participate in an affinity group recognized there was a need. Among individuals who did not participate, nearly half identified with a URG. Pharmacy students, especially those in URGs, may benefit from additional interventions by pharmacy schools to improve the offering and visibility of supportive services. Providing URG-centered resources addresses the gap between the wellbeing and academic experience of pharmacy students in URGs compared to their peers. Full article

As one of the important carriers of Tibetan ethnic minority culture inheritance on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, the basic properties and fiber morphology of grass paper from Stellera chamaejasme have a significant impact on its paper quality. The basic properties of grass paper from Stellera chamaejasme from six different production areas on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau were systematically tested and analyzed according to relevant national standards, and the fiber morphology characteristics were experimentally observed. The results showed that the grammage, thickness, density, bulk, brightness, gloss, folding resistance, and tensile strength performance indicators of grass paper from Stellera chamaejasme on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau were generally good; the basic properties of grass paper from Stellera chamaejasme in different origins vary to some extent; and the fibers of grass paper from Stellera chamaejasme are mostly yellow in color, with slender fibers and small, uneven widths. The ends of the fibers are sharp, and the fibers are arranged in a staggered manner. There is a phenomenon of fiber aggregation, showing a clear flat band structure with a clear mesh structure. The surface has many rough horizontal knots, visible cell cavities, mixed cells, and obvious longitudinal wavy folds. Therefore, the basic performance of grass paper from Stellera chamaejasme is excellent, which is consistent with the historical description of the excellent quality of Tibetan paper, and is closely related to its fiber morphology characteristics. Full article

Ya’an Tibetan tea, renowned as a mysterious tea, has been used as a traditional remedy for disease prevention among ethnic minorities in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, which experiences the highest levels of UVB radiation in the world, for over 1000 years. Theabrownin (TB) from Ya’an Tibetan tea exhibits various health benefits. In this study, the preventive effects of TB on UVB-induced skin damage were investigated. The results showed that TB pretreatment significantly alleviated visible skin damage, epidermal hyperplasia, and collagen destruction in BALB/c mice. The mechanism of action involved increasing the mRNA and protein levels of Nrf2 and enhancing SOD enzyme activity, thereby reducing MDA content and improving the body’s antioxidant capacity. TB also inhibited the protein synthesis of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, as well as the expression of NF-κB mRNA and protein, thereby reducing skin inflammation. Furthermore, it suppressed the overexpression of p38 MAPK, ERK, and AP-1 mRNA and protein, along with the downstream MMP-1 protein, to prevent collagen destruction in the skin. Additionally, TB pretreatment prevented cell apoptosis by reducing Caspase-3 overexpression. These results suggest that TB can prevent UVB-induced photodamage and exert its preventive effects in a dose-dependent manner by downregulating the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway while promoting the Nrf2 signaling pathway in the skin. Consequently, TB holds promising potential for future applications in skin photodamage prevention and skin health promotion. Full article

The Roma population is one of the most discriminated social groups. Ignorance of their culture, traditions, etc. generates prejudices and stereotypes that hinder the processes of intercultural coexistence. The aim is to make the Roma people visible and to intervene in the university population, promoting intercultural and inclusive learning spaces to reduce behaviors that generate inequalities. Students from the University of Valladolid were involved, 1255 students in particular, distributed in control and experimental groups. The instrument consists of 40 closed questions and one open-ended. A quantitative analysis was carried out in the anti-Gypsy attitudes categories with t-tests. Item to item differences were not significant in categories A, B and C, but there were differences in D between the experimental and the control groups, which confirms important trends in the target population. Prejudices towards the Roma population continue to exist. University students who receive training have fewer prejudices than students who do not, although other variables can influence the process. Of the students, 72.2% are disturbed by the same negative behaviors, regardless of the ethnic group, and half of them are disturbed by behaviors based on prejudices. It is confirmed the need for preventive interventions to avoid the establishment of erroneous beliefs about the Roma community. Full article

THE NAVAHOAX is a first-person account of ethnic fraud as told by an American Indian media professional whose tribal background was utilized by a presumed Native American author pursuing a film adaption of his work; it was later discovered the author was a white man masquerading as a Navajo citizen. A full narrative account will be given of the two-year ordeal and its aftermath as well as a contextualization within of the then-current socio-historical moment as it relates to the ongoing history of “playing Indian” as well as Native (in)visibility within the broader U.S. culture. This will be followed by an updated contextualization of this case in the wake of recent high-profile unmaskings of “pretendians” in the U.S. and Canada and the efforts of tribally-enrolled citizens in combatting such race-shifting. Full article

A cross-disciplinary rapid scoping review was carried out, generally following the PRISMA-SCR protocol to examine historical racial and caste-based discrimination as structural determinants of health disparities in the 21st century. We selected 48 peer-reviewed full-text articles available from the University of Memphis Libraries database search, focusing on three selected case-study countries: the United States (US), Canada, and Nepal. The authors read each article, extracted highlights, and tabulated the thematic contents on structural health disparities attributed to racism or casteism. The results link historical racism/casteism to health disparities occurring in Black and African American, Native American, and other ethnic groups in the US; in Indigenous peoples and other visible minorities in Canada; and in the Dalits of Nepal, a population racialized by caste, grounded on at least four foundational theories explaining structural determinants of health disparities. The evidence from the literature indicates that genetic variations and biological differences (e.g., disease prevalence) occur within and between races/castes for various reasons (e.g., random gene mutations, geographic isolation, and endogamy). However, historical races/castes as socio-cultural constructs have no inherently exclusive basis of biological differences. Disregarding genetic discrimination based on pseudo-scientific theories, genetic testing is a valuable scientific means to achieve the better health of the populations. Epigenetic changes (e.g., weathering—the early aging of racialized women) due to the DNA methylation of genes among racialized populations are markers of intergenerational trauma due to racial/caste discrimination. Likewise, chronic stresses resulting from intergenerational racial/caste discrimination cause an “allostatic load”, characterized by an imbalance of neuronal and hormonal dysfunction, leading to occurrences of chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, and mental health) at disproportionate rates among racialized populations. Major areas identified for reparative policy changes and interventions for eliminating the health impacts of racism/casteism include areas of issues on health disparity research, organizational structures, programs and processes, racial justice in population health, cultural trauma, equitable healthcare system, and genetic discrimination. Full article

This research explores the profound impact of digital media on the lives of Chinese immigrants in Ikebukuro Chinatown. It illustrates how the Internet and digital platforms have transformed their economic, social, and identity landscapes. Employing qualitative methods such as surveys and interviews, this study underscores the pivotal role of social media in creating expansive networks. These networks facilitate ethnic entrepreneurship and enhance cultural visibility, contributing to the deterritorialization of traditional community confines. This empowerment enables the Chinese diaspora in Ikebukuro to cultivate a rich, interconnected social tapestry that extends beyond geographic limitations. The findings underscore the central role of digital media mediatization processes in redefining immigrant experiences. Additionally, they promote deeper, more dynamic integration within the host society’s multicultural environment. This transformative shift emphasizes the emergence of a more fluid, networked form of community and identity among immigrants. It challenges conventional enclave models and offers new perspectives on diaspora engagement in the digital age. Full article

The mainstream literature on the religiosity of Muslims in Europe often homogenises this diverse minority. This article diverges by focusing on a less visible ethno-religious minority within the Muslim population, specifically examining how Hazara Shia Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, resettled in the UK, live and organise Islam in everyday contexts. Addressing this gap, the research highlights the intersectionality of religion, ethnicity, and migration in reconfiguring religious practice. Grounded in the intersectional and lived religion approaches, this study contends that the religiosity of this Muslim minority undergoes a dynamic shift entwined with agency and adaptation in the new secular and plural context, becoming more individualised, privatised, and elective. Employing an ethnographic design, data are collected through semi-structured and key informant interviews, as well as participant observation, over 18 months of fieldwork across various council areas in Scotland. The findings illustrate reconfiguration, adaptation, and innovation in everyday Islam among this intersectional Muslim minority, identifying three main themes: the adaptation and reconfiguration of religious practices and rituals, the renegotiation of authoritative sources, and the navigation of intersectional identities and belonging since resettlement in the UK. Full article

Background: The concept of comparing “chronological age” vs. that of “dental age” has been well documented. Considering ethnic variations in dental development, the use of population-specific standards for age estimation has been emphasized. Mandibular maturity markers have been successfully employed to estimate the age of a person at the 18-year threshold. No such data are available for the Chinese population, which represents around one-fifth of the global human population. Aim: The aim of this research project was to analyze and grade mandibular third molars using maturity markers in the Chinese population. Materials and Methods: In total, 882 panoramic radiographs (424 females and 458 males) of 16- to 24-year-old Chinese children and young adults were obtained from patient archives. All patients were graded by a trained and calibrated examiner using stages A-D for mandibular maturity markers including Periodontal Ligament Visibility (PLV) and Root Pulp Volume (RPV). Results: The average Age at Assessment (AaA) ranged from 18.79 years for females in Stage A of PLV to 21.59 years for females in Stage D of PLV. The AaA was not statistically significant between females and males across all the stages, for both PLV and RPV. For PLV, the percentage of females below 18 years was 57.14% in Stage A and 17.14% in Stage D. For males, it was 48.84% in Stage A and 14.93% in Stage D. For RPV, the percentage of females below 18 years was 54.72% in Stage A and 12.73% in Stage D. For males, it was 49.09% in Stage A and 14.81% in Stage D. On average, for PLV, 85.30% of subjects were over 18 years of age in Stages C and D, and for RPV, 82.50% subjects were over 18 years of age in Stages C and D. Conclusions: Both RPV and PLV are considered as reliable maturity markers to estimate the age of Chinese subjects in the 18-year threshold. No difference was observed in the average Age at Assessment of mandibular maturity stages between the sexes. Full article

Immigrants’ access to housing is often the outcome of self-settlement practices within a context of limited social policies that often characterizes Southern European metropolises. Hence, immigrants are facing multiple constraints and remain vulnerable towards diverse socioeconomic fluctuations. This article focuses on the housing practices followed by Albanian immigrants, the largest immigrant group in Athens’s municipality, to examine how spatial inequalities are intertwined with ethnicity in the Greek capital. The objective is twofold: to discuss ethnic segregation on the micro-scale of Athenian central neighborhoods and examine how immigrants’ housing practices are being challenged within a rapidly changing socio-spatial context. The methodology follows a mixed approach, aiming at identifying differentiations and inequalities both on the macro- and micro-spatial scale. First, differentiations among Greeks, Albanians, and other third-country nationals in Athens (2011) are traced and compared, based on quantitative data. Second, for the purpose of highlighting micro-geographies in the city, this article presents an analysis of collected narratives of Albanian immigrants, through semi-structured interviews held in 2023. The main results indicate that the population under study finds itself in an “in-between” socio-spatial condition: an “in-between”, compared to the housing experiences of Greek households and other third-country nationals, that produces (and reproduces) segregation trends visible on the micro-scale. Moreover, this article attempts to highlight how the lack of housing policies put in peril the successful self-settlement practices of Albanian immigrants, in the current context of financialization of the Athenian housing market. Full article