bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of stage-matched interventions in changing waste source separation behaviour: Evidence from a consecutive quasi-experiment
Authors: Zhang Yan , Han Zhen , Zhang Pengcong , Wu Jiaxin , Wang Yixuan
Published: October 2024

In many developing countries, inefficient waste source separation poses a significant challenge to sustainable waste management systems, hindering progress towards a circular economy. Previous research has shown mixed results regarding the effectiveness of informational interventions and has not thoroughly evaluated regulatory measures. This study innovatively employs a quasi-experimental design, enhanced by successive surveys, to assess the impact of targeted interventions on behavioural changes in waste separation practices. Utilizing the Health Action Process Approach, we introduced three interventions – posters, educational lectures and a supervision policy – over 8 weeks among university students. Our results indicate stepwise improvements in waste separation accuracy: posters modestly increased awareness without significantly altering behaviours; educational lectures led to a 40% increase in the food waste separation rate and supervision achieved over 90% separation purity, but with an increase in ‘fly-dumping’. The interventions incurred costs of 36, 60 and 365 RMB per capita annually. This research underlines the importance of customized informational interventions and the costs and challenges of initial regulatory measures in waste management, offering crucial empirical evidence and insights for creating impactful environmental behaviour change interventions.
Risk of Bias in Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System Studies Using QUADAS-2
Authors: Naringrekar Haresh , Costa Andreu F. , Lam Eric , van der Pol Christian B. , Bashir Mustafa R. , Salameh Jean-Paul , McInnes Matthew D. F.
Published: October 2024

Purpose: Use a tailored version of the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool to evaluate risk of bias and applicability across LIRADS related publications. Method: A tailored QUADAS-2 tool was created through consensus approach to assess risk of bias and applicability across 37 LI-RADS related publications. Studies were selected from 2017 to 2022 using the assistance of experienced hospital librarians to search for studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of CT, MRI, or contrast-enhanced ultrasound for HCC using LI-RADS through multiple different databases. QUADAS-2 assessments were performed in duplicate and independently by 2 authors with experience using the QUADAS-2 tool. Disagreements were resolved with a third expert reviewer. Consensus QUADAS-2 assessments were tabulated for each domain. Results: Using the tailored QUADAS-2 tool, 31 of the 37 included LI-RADS studies were assessed as high risk of bias, and 9 out of 37 studies demonstrated concerns for applicability. Patient selection (21 out of 37 studies) and flow/timing (24 out of 37 studies) domains demonstrated the highest risk of bias. 6 out of 37 studies in the index domain demonstrated high risk of bias. 2 out of 37 studies showed high risk of bias in the reference standard domain. Conclusion: A significant proportion of LI-RADS research is at risk of bias with concerns for applicability. Identifying risk of bias in such research is essential to recognize limitations of a study that may affect the validity of the results. Areas for improvement in LI-RADS research include reducing selection bias, avoiding inappropriate exclusions, and decreasing verification bias.
Improving the Quality of Individual-Level Web Tracking: Challenges of Existing Approaches and Introduction of a New Content and Long-Tail Sensitive Academic Solution
Authors: Adam Silke , Makhortykh Mykola , Maier Michaela , Aigenseer Viktor , Urman Aleksandra , Gil Lopez Teresa , Christner Clara , de León Ernesto , Ulloa Roberto
Published: October 2024

This article evaluates the quality of data collection in individual-level desktop web tracking used in the social sciences and shows that the existing approaches face sampling issues, validity issues due to the lack of content-level data and their disregard for the variety of devices and long-tail consumption patterns as well as transparency and privacy issues. To overcome some of these problems, the article introduces a new academic web tracking solution, WebTrack, an open-source tracking tool maintained by a major European research institution, GESIS. The design logic, the interfaces, and the backend requirements for WebTrack are discussed, followed by a detailed examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the tool. Finally, using data from 1,185 participants, the article empirically illustrates how an improvement in data collection through WebTrack leads to innovative shifts in the use of tracking data. As WebTrack allows for collecting the content people are exposed to beyond the classical news platforms, it can greatly improve the detection of politics-related information consumption in tracking data through automated content analysis compared to traditional approaches that rely on the source-level analysis.
Neural network-enhanced internal leakage analysis for efficient fault detection in heavy machinery hydraulic actuator cylinders
Authors: Wrat Gyan , Ranjan Prabhat , Mishra Santosh Kr. , Jose Joseph T , Das J
Published: October 2024

This work presents a method for detecting internal leakage faults in hydraulic actuator cylinders using signal analysis and a supervised artificial neural network classifier. An artificial leakage is introduced into the hydraulic cylinder actuator, and a signal-based fault detection method is employed to process and transform the signals for internal leakage detection. The analysis focuses on extracting features from the pressure signal, particularly the peaks, which include information such as location, height, and width. After the neural network has undergone the training process, it is deployed for the purpose of categorizing fault levels into three distinct categories: “a healthy system,”“a system with a low fault,” and “a system with a high fault.” The proposed technique utilizes pressure difference signals from the cylinder chambers and extracts features from the peak signals to reduce dimensionality. The extracted features are then used for supervised training of an artificial neural network using a feed-forward algorithm. The trained network is capable of predicting the leakage class of unknown datasets. This method offers advantages such as reduced computational cost through feature extraction and dimensionality reduction, and it is capable of detecting multiple leakage classes. This study introduces a notably efficient approach, predicated on artificial neural networks, for the identification of internal leakage faults in hydraulic cylinders, with specific emphasis on faults arising from component wear and seal damage. The practical value of this research lies in its potential to significantly improve the reliability and efficiency of hydraulic systems used in heavy machinery. By utilizing neural networks for internal leakage detection, this research addresses a critical issue that can lead to costly downtime and maintenance in industrial operations.
Stability coordinated control strategy of autonomous unmanned 4WID-4WIS vehicle based on APD-LQR and AFSMC
Authors: Li Yong , Zhou Wentao , Wang Dong
Published: October 2024

To improve the four-wheel independent driving and four-wheel independent steering (4WID-4WIS) autonomous unmanned vehicles’ active safety performance at their maximum operating capacity, the control of path following, four-wheel steering (4WS) and lateral stability should be coordinated. This paper introduces a hierarchical coordinated control framework, in which several independent controllers collaborate to enhance the overall performance of the vehicle system. Initially, in the upper controller, an adaptive preview distance linear quadratic regulator (APD-LQR) path following algorithm is proposed, considering the dynamic characteristics of the tire. It aimed at making the following error converge and obtaining the optimal front wheel steering angle. Meanwhile, an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control (AFSMC) algorithm is implemented for obtaining additional yaw moment. It aimed at coordinating and improving effectively path following performance and lateral stability. Using the phase plane approach, the sliding surface is dynamically modified. Subsequently, in the lower controller, a rear wheel angle controller based on vehicle speed is proposed. It aimed at further enhancing vehicle’s maneuverability and stability by fully utilizing its steering redundancy features. Moreover, a torque distribution controller establishes a comprehensive cost function and then the NSGA-III algorithm is employed to optimize the torque distribution coefficients. Finally, simulation and Hardware-in-Loop (HIL) test results demonstrates that the proposed coordination algorithm can fully utilize the redundancy features of the 4WID-4WIS vehicle, and significantly enhances the vehicle’s path following accuracy and lateral stability, especially under extreme driving conditions.
Numerical and experimental investigation of heat transfer of longitudinal fin with varying pitch length in flat plate solar air heater
Authors: Kumar Birendra , Kumar Shailesh Ranjan , Kumar Ashutosh , Kumar Ravi , Singh Chandal Chandra Shekhar , Yadav Subodh Kumar , Ateeque Mohd
Published: October 2024

Solar energy is a promising clean energy alternative, and consequently, the novel and innovative applications of solar energy in day-to-day life are expected to rise in the near future. The reason for limited applications of solar air heaters is their low thermal efficiency. This is due to inadequate heat transfer from the absorber plate to the air (working fluid). It has done various experiments with different pitch lengths and recorded the efficiencies corresponding to various pitch lengths. Numerical and Experimental Investigation of heat transfer of longitudinal fin with varying number of pitch length (1–5) in a flat plate solar air heater to improve the rate of heat transmission, thin and lengthy fins have been put underneath the absorber plate. The fin was intended to be square. The investigation included two different fluid masses at rates of 0.0252 and 0.10 kg/s with two distinct Reynolds numbers, 627.46 and 26585.55. The goal of the present study is to get an understanding of the effects of variations in air flow rate on the outlet temperature, heat transfer through the solar collector's thickness, and overall thermal efficiency. It has done a CFD simulation on Ansys to verify the experimental results with the simulation results.
The critical cognitive analysis of “hyper-securitization” strategy: A case study of China’s official discourse on the “Japan nuclear contaminated water discharge incident”
Authors: Wang Yunyou
Published: October 2024

On August 24, 2023, Japan began discharging nuclear contaminated water into the ocean, drawing global attention. Environmental security, closely tied to human well-being, has become a critical issue in both academic and public discourse, particularly amid recurring challenges like climate change, water scarcity, and pollution. This study employs the proximization theory and its derivative theory of distanciation to conduct a critical cognitive analysis of “hyper-securitization” in environmental security discourse, using China’s official discourse surrounding the “Japan Nuclear Contaminated Water Discharge Incident” as the corpus. The analysis focuses on the discursive strategies employed by China before and after Japan’s discharge, revealing how these strategies aim to achieve the objectives of “hyper-securitization.” The discourse features identified in this study provide new perspectives for research on “hyper-securitization” in the fields of environmental security and international politics.
The moderating role of government heuristics in public preferences for redistribution
Authors: Breznau Nate , Heukamp Lisa , Nguyen Hung HV , Knuf Tom
Published: October 2024

A theory of rational attitude formation suggests public perceptions that income differences are too large should lead to demands for income redistribution. Public opinion scientists irregularly observe this at best. It is possible that the instruments we use to observe support for income redistribution are ineffective. We suggest at least part of the inconsistently observed linkages are due to unobserved confounding of government heuristics. We hypothesize that government affect provides a heuristic cue for survey respondents to answer questions on their preference for the government engaging in income redistribution. The greater the valence or quantity of reasons for a survey respondent to have negative government affect, the more perceptions of inequality and support for redistribution are decoupled and apparently inconsistent. To test this, we measured government affect at the country-time level using trust, corruption perceptions, and economic performance. We executed tests of moderation using slopes-as-outcomes regressions with ISSP data from 36 countries in 102 country-time points. Given the difficulty in fitting complex theories of society and politics into a limited number of macro-comparative cases, we ran a multiverse analysis of alternatively plausible models. There is a consistent negative moderation effect across models suggesting that our theory of government affect as opinion expression on a survey is worthy of further consideration. The findings also suggest more qualitative cognitive survey interviews to better understand this process.
Adaptive enrichment trial designs using joint modelling of longitudinal and time-to-event data
Authors: Burdon Abigail J , Baird Richard D , Jaki Thomas
Published: October 2024

Adaptive enrichment allows for pre-defined patient subgroups of interest to be investigated throughout the course of a clinical trial. These designs have gained attention in recent years because of their potential to shorten the trial's duration and identify effective therapies tailored to specific patient groups. We describe enrichment trials which consider long-term time-to-event outcomes but also incorporate additional short-term information from routinely collected longitudinal biomarkers. These methods are suitable for use in the setting where the trajectory of the biomarker may differ between subgroups and it is believed that the long-term endpoint is influenced by treatment, subgroup and biomarker. Methods are most promising when the majority of patients have biomarker measurements for at least two time points. We implement joint modelling of longitudinal and time-to-event data to define subgroup selection and stopping criteria and we show that the familywise error rate is protected in the strong sense. To assess the results, we perform a simulation study and find that, compared to the study where longitudinal biomarker observations are ignored, incorporating biomarker information leads to increases in power and the (sub)population which truly benefits from the experimental treatment being enriched with higher probability at the interim analysis. The investigations are motivated by a trial for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and the parameter values for the simulation study are informed using real-world data where repeated circulating tumour DNA measurements and HER2 statuses are available for each patient and are used as our longitudinal data and subgroup identifiers, respectively.
Problematising the ‘Man Problem’ in the Domestic Abuse Act: Discursive Co-option and The (In)Visibility of Gender
Authors: FitzGerald Sharron , Carline Anna
Published: October 2024

This article offers a discourse analysis of domestic abuse's ‘Man Problem’ by combining and developing Naffine's, Foucault's and Bacchi's work in a new way. Taking the parliamentary debates around the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 in England and Wales as our focus, we critique how MPs problematise gender to justify a gender-neutral definition of domestic violence and abuse (DVA). We illustrate how MPs reframe DVA's ‘man problem’ not as the problem of men as perpetrators of violence against women. But rather, they represent the law and policy ‘problem’ as men's invisibility as victims of DVA. We develop a new theoretical innovation to advance our critique: discursive co-option, and we uncover two gender paradoxes. We argue that MPs co-opt gender equality discourses to advance masculinist politics and patriarchal logics in ways that have detrimental effects for the less powerful, and which elide the reality of women's experiences of DVA.
A descriptive and interpretive theory of ethical responsibility in public health nursing
Authors: Clancy Anne , Hovden Julia Thuve , Laholt Hilde
Published: October 2024

This article presents a descriptive, interpretive theory of ethical responsibility in public health nursing. The theory is based on qualitative empirical studies, a purposeful literature review and meta-ethnography of public health nurses’ experiences of ethical responsibility, interpreted within a philosophical framework. Levianasian philosophy provides the main direction for the authors’ interpretations. The path for theory development consists of three phases: an inspirational phase, an explorative phase and the third phase ‘ joining the dots’. The theory illustrates that ethical responsibility in public health nursing is related to the life existentials of temporality and human relationships. Due to blurred boundaries in these essential life structures, public health nurses can experience a sense of satisfaction but also worries, uncertainties and loneliness. The study reveals paradoxical connections between fear and courage, and between freedom, autonomy and a sense of entrapment in responsible relationships. The authors purport that the results of this study are relevant for education and practice and can provide direction for further studies on developing theories of ethical responsibility in other nursing specialities.
Stimulating ambulance specialist nurse students’ ethical reflections by high-fidelity simulation
Authors: Wihlborg Jonas , Andersson Ulf , Sterner Anders , Sandman Lars , Kängström Anna , Boysen Gabriella N.
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Ethical competence in professional practice can be considered essential among nurses and nurses in ambulance care encounter ethical dilemmas frequently. To enhance ethical competence among students in the ambulance specialist nursing program, high-fidelity simulation scenarios including ethical dilemmas were introduced as a learning activity. Research aim: The research aim was to investigate the usefulness of high-fidelity simulation in ambulance specialist nurse education to teach ethical reasoning when caring for children. Research design: This study was conducted as a qualitative interview study, complemented with observations and using field notes and qualitative interviews for data collection. Data was analysed using deductive qualitative content analysis based on a care ethical model. Participants and research context: Participants ( n = 35) were recruited from an ambulance nurse educational program at a Swedish university. Data was collected after the students took part in two high-fidelity simulations involving children in an ambulance care setting. Ethical considerations: The study has been vetted and approved by the ethical council at the University of Borås, Sweden. The study follows the Helsinki Declaration’s advice on ethical principles. Results: The results showed that most of the students expressed some form of ethical reasoning during the simulation sessions, which were elaborated and reflected upon during the debriefing part of the sessions. The simulation design seemed to have a great impact on the outcome of the student’s ethical reasoning, where increased immersion led to deeper emotional engagement among the students which increased awareness of their personal preconceptions. Conclusions: This study aimed to investigate whether high-fidelity simulations could be useful to stimulate ethical reflections and contribute to increased ethical competence among students. In conclusion, a well-designed high-fidelity simulation can be useful as an educational tool to learn and enhance ethical competence among specialist ambulance nursing students.
Parental Involvement in the Care of Hospitalized Children: A Qualitative Study in the Tamale Metropolis
Authors: Abdulai Feruza , Nachinab Gilbert Ti-enkawol , Abdulai Abdul-Malik , Asumah Mubarick Nungbaso
Published: October 2024

Introduction

There is a growing appreciation that parents play a critical part in promoting the health outcomes of their hospitalized sick children. This is because parents want to be involved in the care of their children to allay parental anxiety and promote cooperation from children. After all, children feel insecure in an unfamiliar environment.

Objective

The main objective of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of parental involvement and experiences in the care of hospitalized sick children in Tamale Metropolis.

Methods

A descriptive exploratory design with a qualitative approach was used for the study. Thirteen parents of sick children on admission at the children’s unit of the Tamale Metropolis were interviewed for the study. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis (TA).

Results

The study revealed that participants in the study demonstrated basic knowledge and understanding of parental involvement in the care of hospitalized sick children and shared some of the benefits of parental involvement as improved interaction with health workers, healthier and happier children as well as promoting the early detection of the signs and symptoms of illnesses in children on admission. Some of the barriers to parental involvement include language barriers, poor communication between healthcare providers and parents, financial challenges and institutional challenges. Many participants also reported that sources of parental involvement were the media and healthcare workers.

Conclusions

Findings from the study indicate that the majority of participants have a fundamental idea about parental involvement. To improve parental involvement in the care of sick children, stakeholders must engender a collective approach that sensitizes the general public and health workers toward acceptance and incorporation into healthcare delivery.
‘I want to change minds and destroy stereotypes’: Wheelchair motocross rider portrayals on Instagram
Authors: Dean Nikolaus A
Published: October 2024

This study explores how wheelchair motocross (WCMX) riders represent themselves on the popular social media platform, Instagram. Situating this work in critical disability studies and using the method of interviews and social media post-election with 10 WCMX riders, this study highlights how WCMX riders use self-representations on Instagram to showcase their sporting identities, and at once, frame disability in affirmative ways that challenge ableism. However, findings also illuminate how some WCMX riders felt pressure to present themselves in inspiring manners. These pressures entrenched in the political economies of Instagram, as I argue, may not only affect the mental health and wellbeing of the WCMX riders, but how audiences come to understand disability. These findings highlight the complexities of self-representations on Instagram and draw attention to how social media can be a potential site of social change and a site where certain understandings of disability are (re)produced.
Family first: The role of family in Māori and Pasifika professional athlete success
Authors: Borell Phillip , Enari Dion
Published: October 2024

Throughout the Pacific, the whānau/’āiga (family) is an integral element of community and identity. Within Polynesian communities, it is common for the whānau (family – Māori) or ‘aiga (family – Samoan) to be the most important aspect of one's existence. For many Polynesian (Māori and Pacific) athletes, the family unit is central to their ability to succeed in professional sport. The cultural identity that is developed within the family unit as well as the support and nurturing provided are ingredients for Polynesian athletes to thrive in spaces where they may not otherwise: gaining collective support in ways that are not always readily afforded to Western society. This paper draws from the stories of male professional Māori and Pasifika rugby league athletes to provide deeper insight into the critical role of Polynesian families in professional sport. As Polynesian sport academics, who were given deep insight from these athletes, we use our insider lens to tell this story.
Framing the future: Ensuring vulnerable island communities are engaged
Authors: Cutler Natalie A , Rumsey Michele , Chang Odille , Motofaga Silina , Millard Julie
Published: October 2024

Objective

Statements such as the Bridgetown Declaration1 serve as a wake-up call for action to address the significant mental health needs in small island developing states. Overarching frameworks and action plans have been developed to support nations to promote mental health and build resilience for their populations in the region, and while these frameworks and action plans provide direction, translating them into grassroots change can be a challenge. At the Creating Futures 23 conference, delegates from the Oceania region were invited to participate in a plenary workshop entitled Framing the Future. Three questions were posed for workshop participants to respond to in relation to their perceived priorities, opportunities and innovations to support mental health in their local communities. This paper provides a summary of the workshop participants’ responses.

Conclusion

Community-led innovations, with programs tailored for small island communities, were seen as grassroots solutions in the Oceania region. Engagement with small island communities by policy makers and leaders was considered essential for effective, sustainable and community-led mental health initiatives to realise the objectives of high-level, overarching frameworks and action plans.
The End of Quantitative Research in Social Work? The Threat Posed by Postmodern/Critical Theory's Increasing Colonization of Academia
Authors: Hodge David R. , Drake Brett
Published: October 2024

Quantitative research plays an instrumental role in facilitating health and wellness. Effective interventions are developed, assessed, and refined through the application of logic and empirical evidence in a scientific milieu characterized by diverse views. However, the increasing colonization of academic discourse by postmodern/critical theory (PCT) may undermine foundational concepts upon which quantitative research rests. The postpositivist tradition in which quantitative methods are embedded emphasizes probabilistic truth, logic, empirical evidence, and the interplay of diverse, frequently conflicting perspectives. Conversely, some currents of thought within PCT emphasize multiple realities, intuition, personal stories of lived experience, and the exclusion of views that challenge PCT tenets. The increasing adoption of these concepts in academia may limit or even delegitimize quantitative research as currently practiced in social work. We conclude by arguing that social work clients are best served by a scientific discourse that values multiple theoretical frameworks, research methodologies, and scientists operating from different social locations.
Commentary on Satuzzi et al.’s Impact of Response Options on Formal Disclosure Rates for Disabilities in Organizations
Authors: Koehler Andree
Published: October 2024

The following commentary offered an overview of the article “Impact of Response Options on Formal Disclosure Rates for Disabilities in Organizations”, noting that the authors identified several workplace opportunities for inclusion related to disabled workers, yet more remains to be explored. Namely, there is no standard metric for disability identification. As noted in other current works, individuals choose to identify or not as disabled, based on their definition or experiences of opportunity and challenge as related to their “disability”. The commentary identified the AMO framework and asset model as areas still to be studied as they relate to self-reporting of disability in the workplace. Additionally, the article inspires further conversation regarding neuroatypicality in the workplace and how the broad population of diagnosed and undiagnosed neurodivergent individuals are also influenced by disclosure in the workplace.
School Nurse-Led Health Assessment for Students Experiencing Homelessness: A Quality Improvement Project
Authors: Starkey Samantha , Stampfli Kari
Published: October 2024

Childhood homelessness is increasing and is associated with negative health and academic outcomes. The goal of this quality improvement project was to improve access to healthcare and health outcomes for students experiencing homelessness through a school nurse-led comprehensive health assessment. The multilevel intervention included identifying students experiencing homelessness, conducting a standardized health assessment, and making referrals to care. This 8-month project was conducted in an urban school district. Feasibility and acceptability data were collected to guide sustainability. Student health and referral data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. At the project start, 688 students were identified as experiencing homelessness. More than half (67%) had a partial or fully completed health assessment during the project. Of the students assessed, most had a primary care provider, some had a health condition, and half had a dental home. Students experiencing homelessness would benefit from systematic school-based health assessments to identify unmet health needs.
Family Systems Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: A Proposed Clinical Synthesis
Authors: Metcalf Matthew A.
Published: October 2024

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) has been well documented as an effective treatment for individuals with intense emotions. A comprehensive family model that addresses family systems utilizing DBT has yet to be developed. This article presents a model for DBT for a family system that goes beyond serving the individual and utilizing the family system for support. The theoretical concepts of DBT named “family systems (FS)DBT” are reviewed. The author reviews the current literature of DBT, how (FS)DBT addresses the dialectic of acceptance and change, how the complex model of individualized therapy such as DBT could be systematically applied to a complex and changing family system through psychoeducation, and the remaining phases of (FS)DBT. This proposed comprehensive model for doing (FS)DBT will have significant implications for clinicians working directly with complex FS that have multiple family members with intense emotions.
From Diagnosis to Survivorship: How the Tumor Boards Facilitation Forum (TEFF) Shapes the Breast Cancer Journey in Pakistan
Authors: Shaukat Fatima , Farhan Kanza , Shahid Nayab , Anwar Zainab , Dar Marrium S.
Published: October 2024

Background: Breast cancer is a widespread and fatal disease that impacts millions of individuals globally. Pakistan has seen a notable rise in both incidence and mortality rates, ranking among the highest globally alongside the Solomon Islands. The WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) strives to decrease global mortality by 2.5% annually, emphasizing the need for awareness campaigns to educate women about the disease.

Purpose: Tumor boards serve as essential interdisciplinary platforms for discussing intricate cancer cases. Nevertheless, Pakistan’s health care system encounters obstacles in delivering oncology care due to limited resources. In response, the Tumor Boards Facilitation Forum (TEFF) was established to support tumor boards within the public sector.

TEFF actively promotes cancer awareness and education during Pinktober through diverse initiatives. Among these is the Self-Breast Examination workshop for students, which educates them on self-examination techniques and the significance of prompt action in identifying breast cancer symptoms. Additionally, TEFF organizes yoga activities for health care professionals, advocating for holistic well-being. Collaborating with non-profit organizations like Shine Humanity, TEFF hosts awareness camps and coordinates a scarf donation drive for cancer survivors. Furthermore, TEFF arranges breast cancer awareness walks and encourages fundraising through charity events.

Conclusion: In summary, breast cancer presents a significant challenge in Pakistan, necessitating immediate action through initiatives like GBCI and TEFF to raise awareness, enhance early detection, and provide comprehensive care. These efforts promote community engagement, foster connections among survivors, and empower individuals. By uniting our efforts, we can reduce the incidence of breast cancer, improve patient outcomes, and ensure comprehensive care for all affected individuals. This article aims to underscore the crucial role of tumor boards in Pakistan in enhancing awareness and education among women regarding breast cancer.
Influencing Factors of Urinary Iodine Concentration Before and After Radioiodine Therapy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: An Initial Exploration of the Relationship With Therapeutic Efficacy
Authors: Liu Qian , Zhou Huan , Xia Yuxiao , Huang Ying , Liu Lina , Jiang Xue , Shi Yuhong
Published: October 2024

Objective

To investigate the impact of urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and post-stimulatory thyroglobulin (ps-Tg) levels on the therapeutic efficacy of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients after initial radioiodine therapy, and to analyze the validity of these indicators as prognostic factors.

Methods

A total of 213 DTC patients received initial radioiodine therapy from June 2022 to September 2023. Demographic data and UIC were collected before and after therapy. Thyrotropin, thyroglobulin (Tg), and thyroglobulin antibody levels were assessed. Iodine uptake rate was measured, and therapeutic efficacy was evaluated 6 months post-therapy. Statistical tests were used for data comparison, and logistic regression analysis for response factors.

Results

Post-therapy UIC and pre-post UIC difference were significantly correlated with Tg levels but not with reaching excellent response (ER) indicated by suppression of Tg levels below 0.2 ug/L. Ps-Tg levels related to therapeutic efficacy, while UIC did not correlate with outcomes. ROC curve analysis found optimal ps-Tg cut-off points for the low-intermediate and high-risk groups classified by primary tumor size, invasion, metastasis, and pathological type.

Conclusion

Post-treatment UIC and pre-post UIC difference correlate with ps-Tg levels. Ps-Tg levels are an associated factor for DTC, but UIC changes, despite correlation with ps-Tg, are not significantly related to outcomes and cannot be used as a prognostic factor.
Emotion Regulation Within Context: Understanding Buffering Effects on Chronic Pain and PTSD Among Black Women Who’ve Experienced Sexual Assault and Racism
Authors: Packard Grace , Moyer Keianna , Mekawi Yara , Corbett Ciara , Powers Abigail , Bradley Bekh , Carter Sierra
Published: October 2024

Previous research has found that both racism and sexual assault are related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and chronic pain. Black women have unique relationships to these stressors situated within contexts of oppression, and little is known about factors that may exacerbate these associations among Black women. Among Black women experiencing both racism and sexual assault (n = 148), emotion clarity moderated the relation between PTSD and chronic pain, β = .0126, SE = 0.0059, p < .05. Our findings support the importance of considering the place that psychological constructs like emotion regulation and traumatic stressors hold in contexts of oppression.
Gender Stereotyping in Robot Service Failures
Authors: Huang Huiling , Chen Faye Feier , Liu Stephanie Q.
Published: October 2024

AI agents, such as service robots, could encompass gender cues. However, little is known regarding whether and how customers apply gender stereotyping to service failures in gendered service tasks performed by robots. Drawing on gender stereotype theory, we investigate the joint effects of robot gender (feminine vs. masculine) and task type (female-dominated vs. male-dominated) on customer dissatisfaction following service failures. Study 1 reveals that feminine service robots are perceived as more communal but as equally agentic as their masculine counterparts. Study 2 demonstrates that feminine (vs. masculine) service robots generate lower customer dissatisfaction when failing a female-dominated task. However, this discrepancy diminishes when failures occur in a male-dominated task. Perceived communion and tolerance serially mediate such robot gender effects. Our findings suggest that using feminine robots across all service categories may be a cost-effective strategy for hospitality organizations, eliminating the need to vary robot gender by task type.
Use of liposomal bupivacaine in cats undergoing gastrointestinal surgery is associated with lower doses of full µ-opioid agonists postoperatively
Authors: Andrews Camille , Williams Rachel , Berger Ashton , Burneko Marie
Published: October 2024

Objectives

The aim of the study was to analyze the association of the administration of liposomal bupivacaine (Nocita) with postoperative opioid use in cats undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, as well as to analyze the administration of antiemetics postoperatively in this study population to qualify the degree of nausea related to opioid administration.

Methods

Records of 187 cats undergoing gastrointestinal surgery across two institutions, the Matthew J Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital, were analyzed for multilayer liposomal bupivacaine infiltration at the time of abdominal closure, postoperative injectable opioid use and postoperative injectable antiemetic use.

Results

Cats that were administered liposomal bupivacaine at the time of abdominal closure received significantly lower doses of full µ-opioid agonists postoperatively. Significantly more cats that received liposomal bupivacaine were managed with full µ + partial µ-opioid agonists postoperatively than any other opioid profile. Cats that received liposomal bupivacaine received lower doses of ondansetron in hospital compared with cats that did not receive liposomal bupivacaine.

Conclusions and relevance

This study suggests that in cats requiring analgesia postoperatively, the use of liposomal bupivacaine at closure reduces the use of full µ-opioid agonists postoperatively. In addition, more patients that received liposomal bupivacaine were de-escalated from full µ-opioid agonists to partial µ-opioid agonists during their hospital stay, suggesting that less analgesia was required throughout their hospitalization. Lastly, lower doses of ondansetron, a typical second-line antinausea medication after gastrointestinal surgery, were used in cats that received liposomal bupivacaine, which may suggest less postoperative nausea.
Therapeutic Effects of Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements on Sinusitis: A Narrative Review
Authors: Poudineh Mohadeseh , Nikzad Farhad , Parvin Sadaf , Ghaheri Mohammad , Sabbaghi Shahin , Kazemi Erfan , Ghodrati Mohammad Mahdi , Mohammadyari Fatemeh , Saeedpour Sara , Mohammadpour Shekoufeh , Sadat Farizani Gohari Narjes , Heydarasadi Farbod , Abolhasani Dorsa , Olangian-Tehrani Sepehr , Alinezhad Armin
Published: October 2024

Sinusitis, one of the most prevalent and undertreated disorders, is a term used to describe inflammation of the paranasal sinuses caused by either infectious or non-infectious sources. Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections can all cause sinusitis. Sinusitis is classified into 3 types: acute, subacute, and chronic. Acute sinusitis lasts for less than 1 month, subacute sinusitis lasts from 1 to 3 months, and chronic sinusitis persists for over 3 months. This condition affects a significant portion of the population, imposing a substantial burden on the healthcare system. Antibiotics are the gold standard of bacterial sinusitis treatment. However, due to the rise of antimicrobial resistance, especially in immune-compromised patients, it is necessary to investigate potential adjunctive therapies. Based on the literature, vitamins (eg, vitamin D) have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulatory properties and may effectively treat sinusitis and reduce mucous membrane inflammation. Besides vitamins, many other supplements like quercetin, sinupret, and echinacea have immunomodulatory effects and have shown promising results in sinusitis treatment. In this review, we look at the therapeutic role, safety, and efficacy of vitamins and nutritional supplements in sinusitis treatment.
Beyond outsourcing: Re-embedding the state in public value production
Authors: Collington Rosie , Mazzucato Mariana
Published: October 2024

Public Value Theory (PVT) emerged within a broader public administration paradigm that called for the recentering of the state in the identification and management of public activities in response to the attempts of neoliberal politicians to marginalize it. PVT’s advocates remained nonetheless ambivalent about the role of the state in the production of goods and services necessary to create public value. In the decades since, public sector outsourcing has grown in scale and scope, particularly in Anglo-Saxon economies. PVT is unable to account for the implications of this mode of public value production, and why it may undermine the state’s ability to create public value over time. In this article, we argue that the disembedding of the state from the production of public value undermines its capacity for learning and adapting organizations, which are critical if the state is to respond to changing needs and demands. Because what constitutes public value evolves, so too must the resources and capabilities for producing public value be reconfigured. In other words, public value creation is contingent on innovating the means of public value production. We make the case for re-embedding the state in public value production and for public sectors to move beyond outsourcing the delivery of core services and functions.
Reorganizing public value for city life in the Anthropocene
Authors: Gasparin Marta , Quinn Martin , Williams Mark , Saren Michael , Lilley Simon , Green William , Brown Steven D , Zalasiewicz Jan
Published: October 2024

Public value and city governance are fundamental notions in contemporary settings, but, currently conceived, they are not fit for the challenges presented by the proposed new epoch of geological time—the Anthropocene. Walking through the locked-down streets or calle of Venice, we face the sudden emptiness that starkly reveals the impact of human activity on the city and its waterways. Reflecting on the walk, our starting point is to problematize how a city organizes and manages public value and what actually constitutes public value. In this, we develop a new definition, “New Public Value for the Anthropocene Epoch” (NPVA), which expands the notion of public value through the questions: “who” is it valuable to do things for, beyond humans and economic actors, building on a relational epistemology to incorporate the planet and its biosphere; and “what” is valuable to do, in order to ensure the inclusion of social, environmental, and cultural values alongside economic values. We conclude by arguing that NPVA is organized across scales in a manner that embeds global attentiveness toward local ecosystems solutions to drive the global response to the environmental crisis we all face.
Re-organizing for public value and reclaiming post-capitalist possibilities
Authors: Sancino Alessandro , Fahlberg Anjuli , Liu Helena , Smolović Jones Owain
Published: October 2024

This editorial introduces the Special Issue on public value, urging scholars to ask fundamental questions about what public value organizing entails. It proposes key conceptual dimensions to foster public value thinking, highlighting the contested nature of the concept and the subjective understanding of public value among different publics. Themes emerging from the contributions to the Special Issue include re-imagining the State’s role in post-capitalistic regimes, re-designing approaches to economic planning, and re-experiencing public value through transforming relationships between planners and the planned, practicing active citizenship endeavors, and integrating environmental concerns into processes and systems of valuation. Problematizing the neoliberal misrecognition of the State as a legitimate institution for wealth creation, this special issue showcases its key role in fostering post-capitalist possibilities. The articles offer evidence and inspiration regarding innovating the ways we plan, design, produce and account for public value by leveraging what we conceptualize as new collaborative governance possibilities. Overall, we call for establishing stronger connections between existing studies on alternative economic, political, and democratic organizing with scholarship on public policy, strategic public management, transformative social innovation and social movements. Four areas for future research on post-capitalist governance are also proposed: State-businesses relationships beyond capitalism; changing conceptions of value including the value of care; municipal approaches toward community wealth building; re-imagining new public institutions for more participatory democracy.
Public perspectives on the benefits and harms of lung cancer screening: A systematic review and mixed-method integrative synthesis
Authors: Pahwa Manisha , Cernat Alexandra , Abelson Julia , Demers Paul A , Schwartz Lisa , Shen Katrina , Chowdhury Mehreen , Higgins Caroline , Vanstone Meredith
Published: October 2024

Objective

Screening for lung cancer with low dose computed tomography aims to reduce lung cancer mortality, but there is a lack of knowledge about how target populations consider its potential benefits and harms.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of primary empirical studies published in any jurisdiction since 2002 using an integrative meta-synthesis technique. We searched six health and social science databases. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and potentially eligible full-text studies. Quantitative assessments and open-ended perspectives on benefits and harms were extracted and convergently integrated at analysis using a narrative approach. Study quality was assessed.

Results

The review included 26 quantitative, 18 qualitative, and 5 mixed methods studies. Study quality was acceptable. Lung cancer screening was widely perceived to be personally beneficial for early detection and reassurance. Radiation exposure and screening accuracy were recognised as harms, but these were frequently considered to be justified by early detection of lung cancer. Stigma, anxiety, and fear related to screening procedures and results were pervasive among current smokers. People with low incomes reported not participating in screening because of potential out-of-pocket costs and geographic access.

Conclusions

Populations targeted for lung cancer screening tended to consider screening as personally beneficial and rationalised physical, but not psychological, harms. Screening programmes should be clear about benefits, use non-stigmatising design, and consider equity as a guiding principle.