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The disproportionate impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on African American communities necessitates an increased focus on the intersectional roles of racism, stigma, and other social determinants of health in influencing disease and mortality risk. The Weathering Framework is applied to demonstrate the dynamic interrelationships between these factors and to conceptualize COVID-19 as a stressful life event that will have profound health implications over the life course for African Americans. Recommendations for population health research, interventions and policies aimed at reducing COVID-19 incidence and mortality, and mitigation of the long-term impacts of the pandemic on communities of color are discussed.

Diabetes is one of the leading fatal diseases globally, putting a huge burden on the global healthcare system. Early diagnosis of diabetes is hence, of utmost importance and could save many lives. However, current techniques to determine whether a person has diabetes or has the risk of developing diabetes are primarily reliant upon clinical biomarkers. In this article, we propose a novel deep learning architecture to predict if a person has diabetes or not from a photograph of his/her retina. Using a relatively small-sized dataset, we develop a multi-stage convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model DiaNet that can reach an accuracy level of over 84% on this task, and in doing so, successfully identifies the regions on the retina images that contribute to its decision-making process, as corroborated by the medical experts in the field. This is the first study that highlights the distinguishing capability of the retinal images for diabetes patients in the Qatari population to the best of our knowledge. Comparing the performance of DiaNet against the existing clinical data-based machine learning models, we conclude that the retinal images contain sufficient information to distinguish the Qatari diabetes cohort from the control group. In addition, our study reveals that retinal images may contain prognosis markers for diabetes and other comorbidities like hypertension and ischemic heart disease. The results led us to believe that the inclusion of retinal images into the clinical setup for the diagnosis of diabetes is warranted in the near future.

An explorative survey pertaining to organization and execution of programs and events offered in public libraries across Connecticut revealed that library programs have been steadily increasing in recent years, with most libraries providing one hundred or more programs a year. The types of programs that are most popular vary throughout the library’s open hours. Children’s programming appears to be more popular during the day while adult programming is more popular in the evening. Program popularity is based on grouping and continuous support from external partners. While this study confirmed that both library space and library staff sizes are adequate for programming, a further investigation would assert that this is the case within nationwide library programming.

Hinges creak, and she swirls in the door, puts her finger to blue lips. Cold takes the old woodcutter, eyes open, breath frozen in his beard.  But crystals melt in your lashes as you gaze on her gl…

"Photovoice for Social Justice, the latest volume in Sage's Qualitative Research Methods Series, helps readers in the health and social sciences learn the foundations and applications of this exciting qualitative method. Authors Jean M. Breny and Shannon L. McMorrow approach photovoice as not only a community-based participatory research method, but as a method for social justice, centering community participants, organizations, and policy makers at the heart of this research method. Special topics relating to social justice include a focus on ethics and working with marginalized communities, sensitive concerns during data collection, and presenting the work to communities and policymakers, as well as academics. Written for students and researchers new to photovoice, this brief text takes readers from the process of conceptualizing and implementing a photovoice study to analyzing data and finally presenting the results of the study. The book concludes with suggestions for future iterations of photovoice, including web based resources and digital storytelling. The authors take into account the realities of photovoice as a method by providing practical, applied tools including sample consent forms, presentations, recruitment flyers, and photo-taking tips. Using Photovoice for Social Justice, new and experienced researchers can design, implement, and analyze their photovoice projects" --

Little Crocodile, Little Monkey, and all their friends may not like to try new foods or know what to do …

Little Crocodile, Little Monkey, and all their friends have siblings—siblings who take their things, make a mess, or just get …

How exciting! Mr. Lion has been invited to a party! But what will he wear? A handsome suit . . …

All aboard! Chock-full of fascinating facts, Ultimate SpotlightTM Trains offers young readers a closer look into the marvelous world of …

The fluffy feathers of an owl, the bumpy skin of a toad, and the thick fur of a river otter—there’s …

Splish-splash! Miki’s taking a bath! Bathtime couldn’t be more fun with Miki showing how it’s done in this delightful pop-up …

Horses are amazing creatures! The Ultimate Book of Horses provides hours of hands-on discovery and includes age-appropriate information on the …

Take a ride—whether it’s on a boat, plane, or on a rocket ship! Kids can use the 45 magnetic pieces included to fill 5 oversized scenes in this Magnetology™ title. The all-in-one play set features fascinating information, just right for its audience, about all types of vehicles: those that travel on the road, on a farm

Who gathers honey? Who designs clothes? Who makes lunch for students?  So many jobs can be found in this delightful and satisfying sliding panel format for preschoolers. The 36 panels feature jobs in various settings: in the orchestra, at the market, at school, and more! Each new spread offers clues to the right respon

Mr. Bear is having a birthday party, and everyone is welcome! It doesn’t matter if you’re big, small, don’t have teeth, or are afraid of the dark . . . you’re invited! In this wonderfully illustrated oversize book that celebrates inclusion as well as a special day, Mr. Bear’s Birthday also includes lots of gifts—with f

Waiting is not easy, whether it’s waiting to play with a toy or to eat a snack. And Little Kangaroo, Little Cat, and their friends are just not sure that they can be patient. But as their grown-ups show them, being patient doesn’t have to be boring or unbearable. There are many fun things they can do while they wait! C

From New York City to Tokyo and Berlin to Sydney, the streets of the 15 cities included in this book are filled with a fascinating showcase of local landmarks and awesome attractions. How will you get from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park in New York City? Or find your way to Topkapi Palace in Istanbul? Each spread