bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Psychotherapy Interventions After Stillbirth on the Grief Process and Depression: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yıldız Karaahmet Aysu , Bilgiç Fatma Şule
Published: August 2024

This study aimed to provide a systematic overview of existing quantitative research on the effects of psychotherapy interventions given to women with stillbirth on the grief process and depression in the postpartum period and to analyze the results. Four databases (PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane, Google Scholar, Web of Science) were searched between January-March 2024. Risk of bias and precision of evidence were assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias tool ROB-2 and ROBIN-1. Ten studies were included. Meta-analysis results showed that psychotherapeutic interventions significantly reduced the grief adaptations of mothers in the mourning process and there was a significant difference in the assessment of grief adaptation. Sub-group analyzes revealed mothers’ depression values and stress levels compared to the control groups and there was a significant difference between the groups. Psychotherapeutic interventions given to women positively affect their grief adaptation and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

PROSPERO ID: CRD42024516195
Investigating Expert-Rater Agreement and Inter/Intra-Rater Reliability of Two Fundamental Movement Skills for the Locomotor Subscale of the FG-COMPASS
Authors: Perez Lino , Furtado Ovande
Published: August 2024

The Furtado-Gallagher Children Observational Movement Pattern Assessment System (FG-COMPASS) is an observational tool using sequential decisions to assess fundamental movement skill proficiency. The current version of the test has three locomotor and five manipulative skills. Adding two more locomotor skills to the assessment tool enriches its scope, enabling a more comprehensive and nuanced evaluation of individual movement skills. We assessed expert-non-expert rater agreement and inter/intra non-expert rater reliability of two new scales for the locomotor subscale. We divided this study into two parts. In Part I, we filmed 60 children aged 5–10 years old who performed gallop and vertical jump skills. A motor behavior expert then classified the videotapes using our newly created rating scales. Next, we selected eight videos for training purposes and 24 videos for testing purposes. In Part II, 30 undergraduate students underwent rater training. Rating data were analyzed using weighted kappa (Kw) and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), and these indices showed ‘very good’ agreement between the expert and the non-expert raters for vertical jump (Kw = .96) and gallop (Kw = .89). The ICC expert to non-expert rater values for vertical jump and gallop were .98 and .94, respectively; and mean kappa values for inter-rater reliability between non-experts were considered ‘very good’ for vertical jump (MKw = .92) and ‘good’ for gallop (MKw = .78). The ICC inter-rater values were .98 and .95 (considered ‘excellent’) for vertical jump and gallop, respectively; and the kappa intra-rater values were .96 and .85, respectively, with intra-rater ICC values .98 and .92. Thus, the proposed rating scales were reliable for assessing vertical jump and gallop. Future studies should focus on criterion-related validity and reliability evidence from live performances.
Ordinary-Time Festivals: An Application of Wisdom Ecclesiology
Authors: Taylor Steve
Published: August 2024

Feasts and festivals enliven the Christian life. Given Easter, Christmas and Pentecost cluster around the nineteen weeks of Christmastide and Eastertide, the thirty-three weeks of ordinary time are disconnected from these celebrations. The theological impact is considered in light of Amy Plantinga Pauw's wisdom ecclesiology. For Pauw, the church has largely neglected the ordinary-time dimension of the Christian life. The result is a Christian life disconnected from creaturely existence and God's ongoing work of creation. This article explores the possibility of ordinary-time festivals as a way to embody Pauw's wisdom ecclesiology. A harvest festival in Scotland, a spin and fibre festival in Australia and a local community festival in Aotearoa New Zealand are analysed. These festivals are argued to embody Pauw's themes of making new, longing, giving, suffering, rejoicing and joining hands. Hence, ordinary-time festivals offer ecclesiologically formed ways for the church to embody wisdom ecclesiology. They enable a theological, formed way of joining hands with God's ongoing work in creation during ordinary time.
The Adequacy of Cost-Benefit Analysis in the Assessment of Public Value: A Case Study from the Transportation Sector
Authors: Caldeira Manuel , Raskova Erza , Vázquez Isabel Breda , Costa Álvaro
Published: August 2024

The complexity of the public value discussion has hindered the development of consensual measurement guidelines for use in public administration practice. This article explores the use of the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) framework in the transportation sector and considers its relevance in assessing public value. A case study is presented on the reconfiguration of a public transport network in the municipality of Arganil, Portugal. The CBA did not fully capture the effects of the network reconfiguration, demonstrating its limitations in assessing public value.
Oil-infused surface on galvanized iron pipes for anti-scaling in industrial applications
Authors: Bai Jiaojiao , Deng Chengxi , Sun Wenjuan , Dong Hua
Published: August 2024

Scale deposition on the surface of pipelines is a common phenomenon in industrial production. It not only decreases the heat conduction efficiency of the pipeline and increases energy consumption, but also leads to corrosion of the pipeline. Although varieties methods are developed to prevent pipeline scale deposition, these methods could not meet the requirements of harsh production conditions. This study introduces a novel oil-infused surface on galvanized iron for efficient anti-scaling in industrial pipelines. The surface of galvanized iron is firstly oxidized and modified to be superhydrophobic/superoleophilic, followed by injection of oil to form oil-infused surface. This oil-infused superhydrophobic/superoleophilic surface demonstrates excellent water repellency and superior anti-scaling performance compared to untreated galvanized iron. It may provide a promising anti-scaling option for iron-based pipelines in industrial productions.
Efficacy, safety of and adherence to adjustable compression wraps in the control phase of breast cancer-related lymphedema: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Silva Jéssica Malena Pedro da , Araújo Raul Denner Duarte , Aguiar Suzana Sales de , Fabro Erica Alves Nogueira , Pinto Marcus Vinicius de Mello , Thuler Luiz Claudio Santos , Bergmann Anke
Published: August 2024

Objective

To evaluate efficacy, safety, and adherence to using adjustable compression wraps (ACWs) for upper limb volume control in women with breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Design and Setting

Randomized controlled trial at a reference hospital for breast cancer treatment in Brazil.

Participants

Women in control phase of the breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Interventions

Compared use of ACWs versus compressive mesh.

Main Measures

Evaluated before treatment, at 30 days, and 6 months after initiating therapy. The primary outcome was the change in excess limb volume. Secondary outcomes included adherence, incidence of adverse events, functionality, quality of life, and hand grip. Statistical analysis involved calculating the effect size (ES) with a 95% confidence interval.

Results

Were included 71 women with mean excess limb volume of 321.79 mL (±194.98). In the 30-day analysis (Time 1), a reduction of 37.6 mL in volume was observed only in the ACW group ( p = .041, ES 0.20), with improved functionality ( p = .013, ES 0.22). In the six months analysis (Time 2), the compressive mesh group increased by 2.48% in volume ( p = .023, ES 0.26) and demonstrated improvement functionality ( p = .036, ES 0.27). Mild adverse events and satisfactory adherence were observed. However, in the intergroup comparison, no statistically significant difference was observed for any evaluated outcome—excess volume, incidence of adverse events, adherence, hand grip, quality of life, and functionality between the groups ( p > .05) at both times.

Conclusions

Both compression therapies achieved satisfactory adherence, were safe, effective and equivalent for controlling limb volume in breast cancer-related lymphedema.
Insomnia and the effect of zolpidem-extended-release on the sleep items of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression in outpatients with depression, insomnia, and suicidal ideation: Relationship to patient age
Authors: McCall William V , Mercado Kayla , Dzurny Tess N , McCloud Laryssa L , Krystal Andrew D , Benca Ruth M , Rosenquist Peter B , Looney Stephen W
Published: August 2024

Background:

There are limited data regarding gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) allosteric modulator sleep-aid medications in persons with depression, insomnia, and suicidal ideation (SI).

Aims:

This secondary analysis examined the relationship of age to insomnia and the impact of age on the treatment of insomnia with zolpidem extended-release (zolpidem-ER) in depressed suicidal patients. A prior report found that the addition of zolpidem-ER promoted significantly superior reductions in global severity of insomnia in depressed outpatients with insomnia and SI over 8 weeks, but here we report the differences among early, middle, and late insomnia.

Methods:

This secondary analysis examined the three early, middle, and late insomnia items of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and their relationship to age and responsiveness to treatment with zolpidem-ER. One hundred and three patients with major depression, SI, and insomnia received open-label serotonin reuptake inhibitors and were randomly allocated 1:1 to receive zolpidem-ER or placebo at bedtime. Results: Older age at baseline was associated with worse middle and late insomnia, but not with early insomnia. Subsequent treatment with zolpidem-ER produced superior improvement in early and middle insomnia, but not late insomnia.

Conclusions:

These findings are consistent with the known age-related advancement of sleep timing in the general population and depressed outpatients and with the expected effects of a short half-life GABA allosteric modulator sleep aid. By implication, prescribers of pharmacologic treatment of insomnia in depressed patients should consider an alternative to zolpidem-ER when late insomnia is a concern. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01689909.
Redefining the concept of disability in the United Kingdom’s conditional welfare state: Welfare scarcity approach
Authors: Baranowski Mariusz
Published: August 2024

This article aims to reconstruct the ‘silent’ reformulation of the notion of disability within social policy systems in recent decades. Particular attention is given to the practices implemented in the United Kingdom as an example of a conditional welfare state with advanced workfare arrangements (primarily in the form of the Employment and Support Allowance scheme). The redefinition of disability from the perspective of changes in the criteria determining social benefits – that is, in reality, limiting the social rights of this, as one British economist put it, ‘silent minority’ – is framed as part of a broader trend termed ‘antisocial social policy’ and is captured through the lens of welfare scarcity, a component of welfare sociology. This proposed framing, based on a Marx-inspired critical analysis, fills the gaps in the concept of welfare state retrenchment which excessively focuses on conservative right-wing politics.
Comprehensive Investigation of Pedestrian Hit-and-Run Crashes: Applying XGBoost and Binary Logistic Regression Model
Authors: Hossain Ahmed , Sun Xiaoduan , Hasan Ahmed Sajid , Jalayer Mohammad , Codjoe Julius
Published: August 2024

The present trend in the United States suggests that one in five pedestrian fatalities in motor vehicle crashes involves a hit-and-run, a serious traffic safety concern. The over-representation of pedestrian hit-and-run collisions necessitates a systemic data-driven investigation to uncover the contributing factors that cause fatalities or serious injuries. This study addressed two research questions (RQ), RQ1: What factors contribute to pedestrian hit-and-runs? RQ2: What causes hit-and-run pedestrian fatalities? This study addresses the RQs using the XGBoost algorithm (RQ1) and binary logistic regression model (RQ2) to analyze police-reported pedestrian crashes (2015–2019) in Louisiana. The XGBoost model was used to classify pedestrian hit-and-run crashes (hit-and-run = yes/no) and identified critical factors as predictors of pedestrian hit-and-run crashes including: primary contributing factors (pedestrian action, pedestrian violation, prior movement, pedestrian condition); settings (dark-with-streetlight, posted speed limit of > 55 mph, two-way road with physical separation); pedestrian characteristics (younger and older pedestrians, male gender, presence of dark clothing); and weekend. The binary logistic regression model was further used to identify critical high-risk hit-and-run scenarios resulting in fatal or severe injury of pedestrians. Some of the identified top factors are posted speed limit of 55 mph or higher (OR = 12.74), pedestrian impairment (OR = 4.77), older pedestrians (OR = 2.68), younger pedestrians (OR = 1.79), and dark-no-streetlight conditions (OR = 2.91). Both models showed strong relationships between pedestrian hit-and-run crashes and fatal or severe injuries (e.g., dark-with-streetlight, high-speed settings, older pedestrians, and pedestrian actions). Identifying these critical links can help policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and transportation authorities develop targeted interventions and strategies to address the risk factors.
Addressing unmet need for primary care in Canada
Authors: Glazier Richard H.
Published: August 2024

Primary care is the key health system strategy for improving health, enhancing patient and clinician experience, saving money, and promoting equity. Once a pioneer in primary care, Canada now fails to provide access to millions of people. This crisis is widely recognized, but policy responses are varied and mostly incremental and piecemeal. The goal of providing primary care to everyone seems unrealistic and elusive in Canada, yet it has long been attained in many other countries. Without an explicit policy goal of primary care for all, most likely on a geographic basis, Canada will continue to underinvest and underperform in primary care, with ramifications that include rapidly escalating costs, emergency department and hospital overcrowding and a growing and inequitable burden of preventable suffering. A commitment to work towards this goal is needed now to ensure that Canadians have access to high-quality well-organized care for everyone.
Beyond the Binary: The Issue of Intra-Minority Hostility and the Need to Challenge Conventional Victim/Perpetrator Frameworks Within Hate Studies
Authors: Clarke Amy
Published: August 2024

It is well-established within the hate studies literature that the majority of hate crimes and incidents of targeted hostility are perpetrated by those in the “majority” society. In the UK, academic and official research consistently shows that young White, British males are most commonly the culprits of all forms of targeted victimization, especially racist hate. However, urban areas of “super-diversity” offer researchers an opportunity to understand hate crime victimization and perpetration in a more nuanced and comprehensive way. Hate studies research has slowly begun to highlight instances of people from marginalized and stigmatized groups being targeted on the basis of their identity by individuals who are also members of minority groups, sometimes even the same minority group as the victim. Very little is understood about this particular victimizing dynamic other than it appears to be an attempt by minority group members to “fit in” by adopting what they perceive to be majority group values and attitudes. By drawing from 44 qualitative in-depth interviews exploring the experiences of new migrants and refugees and observations from 20 months of grassroots engagement, this article challenges established theories of “othering” that overwhelmingly refer to binary, static majority/minority tensions. The stories of these too-often “hidden” victims of targeted hostility offer a fresh perspective on the relationships between victims of hate and perpetrators. The article also contributes new explanations as to why those who are often targeted go on to target others.
The Ambivalence of Far-Right Women: Hate, Trauma, Gender, and Neoliberalism in Contemporary Japan
Authors: Yoshida Yutaka
Published: August 2024

While far-right movements are commonly associated with masculinity and women are in the minority, it is notable that they often play significant roles within these movements. To deepen our understanding of the motivations behind women’s participation, this study challenges Blee’s argument that women’s motivations for participating are shaped by their interactions with other members. By using the psychosocial method devised by Hollway and Jefferson and developed by Gadd, the present study argues that women’s pre-participation experiences can play a vital part in drawing them to the movements. Through analyzing the life stories of six far-right women in Japan and conducting an in-depth case study of three of them, the study aims to uncover a wide range of experiences that may initially appear unrelated to far-right ideology but ultimately led these subjects to become involved in far-right movements. It highlights the importance of paying attention to their complex subjectivities, which are formed by the interplay between their unique trajectories and societal transitions concerning gender norms, particularly within the era of neoliberal “emancipation.” The study finds that the duality of far-right movements, which combine conservatism with deviance, enables some women to express paradoxical desires that they experience in response to living through a transitional era.
Martin Heinrich Corten (1889–1962): Nazi victim or perpetrator?
Authors: Völker Katharina , Groß Dominik , Biermanns Nico
Published: August 2024

At first glance, Martin Heinrich Corten's biography appears to be the classic story of a German physician persecuted by the Nazis. Because of his “Jewish descent,” Corten lost his position as a pathologist in Berlin and later his license to practice medicine. Emigration failed. But Corten was not a typical Nazi victim. In 1933, he applied for membership in the Nazi Party, and during the last two years of the war he collaborated with the Gestapo as the Hamburg representative of the “Reich Association of Jews in Germany.” Although he tried to provide basic welfare and health care for Hamburg's remaining Jewish population, he was heavily involved in the deportation of Jewish citizens to concentration and extermination camps. After the war, Corten thus came into conflict with the Jewish community and lost his position as medical director of the Jewish Hospital in Hamburg. He became a “double outcast” and was unable to re-establish himself in academia. His biography, however, is a vivid example of how the line between victim and perpetrator can be blurred.
Is epistemic injustice a worthy application to mental health nurse education?
Authors: Fisher Jane
Published: August 2024

This paper explores the philosophical concept of epistemic injustice and contends its significance and relevance to mental health nurse education and clinical practice. The term epistemic injustice may be unfamiliar to mental health nurses, yet the effects are readily visible in the dismissing, silencing, and doubting of service users’ knowledge, testimony, and interpretation. Existing professional values and clinical standards lack depth and critical exploration pertaining to epistemology and associated ethical concerns. Despite central tenets of person-centred care and valuing the service users’ voice, epistemic injustice continues to occur. Epistemic injustice cannot be summed up merely by asking nurses to listen to service users. This represents an oversimplification of epistemology, ignoring the complexities of social influence and knowledge exchanges. Epistemic injustice brings something new and innovative to the nursing curriculum and fits within the principles of heutagogy. It encourages deep reflexivity surrounding the ethical issues of power inequalities and intersectionality. Inclusion in mental health nursing education allows for the social and political powers of psychiatric diagnosis as a form of silencing and stigma to be examined. Practical application is made to mental health nursing education and practice with epistemological values and ethical reflexive prompts. These can be utilised by educators and lecturers for pre-registration mental health nurse education, post-registration, and continued professional development.
The Role of Alcohol in Initial Help-Seeking Telephone Calls About Domestic Violence to the Police
Authors: Richardson Emma , Alexander Marc , Stokoe Elizabeth
Published: August 2024

This article investigates how domestic violence and abuse (DVA), its underreporting and its links with alcohol consumption, manifest in and impact the outcome of help-seeking telephone calls to U.K.-based police services. Conversation analysis of call-takers’ questions about alcohol found that they either (a) focused only on the perpetrator's drinking, and occurred after informing callers that help was being dispatched, or (b) targeted both victims’ and perpetrators’ drinking and complicated the decisions to dispatch police assistance. The article helps specify the communicative practices that may constitute victims’ negative experiences of disclosing DVA to the police.
How Star Power Drives Video Game Success
Authors: Marchand André , Weber Nicolas R.
Published: August 2024

Well-known actors, or stars, clearly are relevant for movies. Today, their influence also extends to interactive video games, for which budgets have reached triple-digit millions of dollars. Yet no existing research addresses the economic impact of star power on video game success across various game traits and reviews. Analyzing video games released on the popular distribution platform Steam between 2008 and 2022, the current study reveals that casting stars as game characters has positive effects on the valence of professional reviews, which in turn affect game success. Stars can therefore increase the quality of a game and reduce uncertainty about it. This impact varies depending on game traits, however. Based on these results, the authors develop an interactive dashboard that managers can use to simulate how they can strategically leverage star power to increase game success.
Hyper-agency and county lines
Authors: Atkinson-Sheppard Sally
Published: August 2024

The article considers the decision-making and actions of young people engaged in county lines. By drawing on data gathered with practitioners and young people associated with a homeless charity in London, the article argues that in convergence with existing theory, the agency that young people exhibit is ambiguous, blurring the boundaries of what children should and should not do. Agency is also tactical; the thoughts and actions taken by young people have a purpose, linked to profit generation, social inclusion and protection. In addition, young people's ability to act and make decisions is embedded within wider notions of hyper-consumerism, hyper-realities and lives lived online. To explore this further, the article proposes the notion of ‘hyper-agency’.
‘What eating disorders are really like’ - Dynamics of lived experience and repetitive aesthetics on TikTok
Authors: Benzel Susanne , Johanssen Jacob , Nadj Daniela , Rashid Nahiyan
Published: August 2024

This article presents a detailed qualitative content analysis of eating disorder and recovery videos on TikTok which show young women who proclaim to raise awareness or depict the recovery process. We pay particular attention to aspects of form and content and TikTok's affordances in relation to them. We argue that allegedly showing what an eating disorder and recovery are ‘really like’ is in tension with an aestheticisation of the female body and eating disorders that is present in the videos. While TikTok has been described by scholars as a memetic and viral platform, this aestheticisation points to a tension of authentic self-expression, complexities around body image and memetic visibility. We conclude that the platform is characterised by repetition and imitation, but those aspects are secondary as they relate to struggles linked to eating disorders themselves and their representation rather than primary virality or the memetic.
Designing afro-emancipatory qualitative research with and for Black people
Authors: Jean-Pierre Johanne , Boatswain-Kyte Alicia , Collins Tya , Ojukwu Emmanuela
Published: August 2024

Since the tragic death of George Floyd in May 2020, there has been increased interest in anti-racist research. Consequently, several scholars are instigating qualitative inquiries in Black communities with limited preparation or expertise. This article presents a reflection regarding essential principles that can guide general and afro-emancipatory health and social sciences qualitative inquiries in Black diasporas. We contend that it is essential that researchers engage in reflexivity and consider Black ontologies, axiology and epistemologies. Furthermore, we propose the application of the following deontological principles to fulfil an ethical afro-emancipatory research framework: (a) include critical theories, (b) target the liberation of Afro-descendant peoples to enable their full participation as their whole selves in society; (c) ensure their leadership and meaningful involvement throughout the research process; (d) implement accountability mechanisms towards community members; (e) embrace intersectionality, an asset-based lens, and aspirational stance and; (f) foster healing, growth and joy.
Translating phenomenology: Alfred Schutz and his many afterlives in American sociology
Authors: Pula Besnik
Published: August 2024

The impact of transnational influences in the making of postwar sociology in the United States is often acknowledged. However, phenomenology is rarely counted among these influences in spite of its apparently oversized impact on disciplinary development during a critical period of intellectual contention. This article sheds light on this process through an analysis of the impact and legacy of social phenomenologist and European intellectual migrant Alfred Schutz (1899–1959). After 1960, Schutz’s theoretical writings became a powerful resource for innovators and critics in the discipline. What is unexplained is the sudden rise to prominence of Schutzian phenomenology in theoretical and methodological debates in American sociology, and the way phenomenological insights became incorporated into the discipline. The article identifies three translational strategies employed by translator-agents in the incorporation of Schutzian phenomenology into American sociology. The article not only discusses the peculiar history of Schutz’s ideas, but also uses Schutz’s theoretical framework to develop the concept of translational work and demonstrate its relevance for the disciplinary assimilation of ideas across intellectual contexts.
Cross-cultural examination of effects of ethical leadership of independent hotels based on Social Exchange Theory
Authors: Nazarian Alireza , Ranjbaran Alireza , Afifi Masoud , Atkinson Peter , Sadeghilar Narges
Published: August 2024

Independent hotels are in a competitive marketplace for staff in which they face a high rate of employee turnover resulting in poor performance and low profit. This study examines the impact of ethical leadership on turnover intention through ethical climate, employee voice, employee empowerment and affective commitment using a cross-cultural approach in two contrasting GLOBE surveyed countries, Iran and the United Kingdom, based on Social Exchange Theory. A sample of 807 personnel of independent hotels in the two countries were surveyed. Findings show that ethical leadership can reduce turnover intention by different mechanisms through the cultural features and leadership dimensions of the two countries.
“Necessity is the mother of invention”: Experiences of accessing and delivering dementia-related support services by information communication technology during the pandemic in the UK
Authors: Caprioli Thaïs , Mason Stephen , Tetlow Hilary , Limbert Stan , Reilly Siobhan , Giebel Clarissa
Published: August 2024

Introduction

The remote delivery of dementia-related support services by information communication technology, defined as any hardware or software, including the telephone and videoconferencing software, increased during the coronavirus pandemic. To guide the future use of information communication technology, this study explored the experiences of delivering and accessing social care and support services during the pandemic in the UK.

Method

Remote semi-structured interviews with social care and support providers, people with dementia and family carers were conducted between May-December 2022. Topic guides were co-developed with two public advisors (one former family carer, one person with dementia) and garnered information on delivering and accessing services during the pandemic. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim. Employing a mixture of inductive and deductive analytic approaches, a thematic analysis was conducted.

Results

Twenty-one interviews ( n = 14 social care and support providers; n = 6 family carers; n = 2 people with dementia) were conducted. Three themes were generated: adapting to changing circumstances; responding to unmet needs by information communication technology and information communication technology should be a tool, not the default. Social care and support providers’ creativity and motivation facilitated the adoption of information communication technology, however, available resources and guidance varied. While some people with dementia and family carers benefitted from accessing services by information communication technology to address some needs, the format was not suitable for everyone.

Conclusions

Beyond the coronavirus pandemic, the use of information communication technology within service delivery needs to be carefully considered, to avoid disenfranchising some people with dementia and family carers, while empowering people with the option of how to access services. Digital training and guidelines advising the use of information communication technology within service delivery may facilitate its improved use during the current landscape, and amidst future pandemics.
Contributions of higher education reforms to Sustainable Development Goals: Some examples and experiences from the Department of Educational Administration and Leadership, Faculty of Education, University of Zimbabwe
Authors: Mahere Stephen M.
Published: August 2024

Study investigates how higher education reforms (HERs) contributed to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), illustrating by examples and experiences from the Department of Educational Administration and Leadership at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ). Zimbabwe adopted Vision 2030 to transform the country into upper middle-income economy by 2030. The Ministry of Higher Education introduced Education 5.0, a framework for contributing to development and achievement of SDGs. Investigation employed qualitative research design. The UZ’s mandate is pursued through Strategic Plan with objectives answering to call of Education 5.0. Department activities of how HERs contributed to SDGs are examined. Strategic Objective 1 aims to promote programmatic approach to research. Collaborative research groups were established. Strategic Objective 2 seeks to introduce degree programmes inspired by demands for technological advancement. The department introduced programmes that deliver goods and services. Strategic Objective 3 aims to develop partnerships. The department established Zimbabwe Educational Management and Leadership Trust. Strategic Objective 4 focuses on mentorship. The department introduced internship for teachers and school heads on M Ed programmes, facilitating acquisition of hands-on practical experience. Strategic Objective 5 aims to internationalise the UZ’s programmes and research. Department members participated in international conferences and hosted international senior research fellows. Given dynamic technologically driven systems, university leaders were urged to upgrade ICT skills among higher education practitioners.
Existential Needs in Mental Health – Who Cares? A Mixed Methods Study in Norway
Authors: Mandelkow Lars , Endresen Reme Silje
Published: August 2024

Mental health care that is open to patients’ existential needs requires well-trained professionals who work in teams and use an open conceptualization of spirituality, religion and other meaning-making domains. Using a mixed methods approach, this article explores how professionals (n = 262) in secular Norway perceive obstacles and opportunities in existential care. The results show correlations between age group, personal religiosity, terminology and perceived expertise. Commitment is high, but collaboration with chaplains and team training are neglected.
Perceptions of the Research Integrity Climate in Egyptian Universities: A Survey Among Academic Researchers
Authors: Abdelkreem Elsayed , Ibrahim Maha Emad , Elateek Sawsan , Abdelgawad Fatma , Silverman Henry J.
Published: August 2024

Problem: Investigations regarding perceptions of the institutional research integrity climate in the Arab Middle East remain underexplored. Subjects: We surveyed faculty from three Egyptian universities. Method: We utilized the Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SOuRCe) tool, which incorporates seven subscales that measure different aspects of the research integrity climate. Responses were obtained from a 5-point Likert scale. Findings: Of the 228 participants, the subscales ‘Regulatory Quality’ and ‘[Lack of] Integrity Inhibitors’ received the highest mean scores, whereas the lowest scores pertained to ‘Departmental Expectations,’ ‘Integrity Socialization,’ and ‘Responsible Conduct of Research´ indicating areas in need of improvement. Conclusions: Academic leaders should set fairer expectations for research and funding for their researchers, ensure junior researchers are socialized into research integrity practices, and promote effective RCR training and availability of RCR policies. We identify specific targeted interventions to enhance the research integrity climate within these institutions.
Sceptics, Enthusiasts, or Architects? The British Labour Group, the European Parliament and Workers’ Rights, 1979–1989
Authors: King William
Published: August 2024

The European Parliament influenced policy, and was a forum for the airing and sharing of a wide array of views and approaches to forms of European integration. Often conflicted and divided, members of the British Labour Group, comprising of the elected Labour Party representatives to the European Parliament, viewed the European Economic Community as a key platform and means through which workers’ rights could be supported. And many Labour Party Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), including sceptics, enthusiasts and those whose views changed, played a part in shaping the European Economic Community. This was particularly so with workers’ rights, an area which was central to the Labour Party, the European Parliament and the European Economic Community in the 1980s. The European Parliament was an instrumental institution in terms of building ties across borders and shaping and changing perspectives on key policy areas.
Preoperative anemia is a risk factor for worse 30-day outcomes in both open and endovascular repair of non-ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Li Renxi , Sidawy Anton , Nguyen Bao-Ngoc
Published: August 2024

Background

Anemia is a highly prevalent condition potentially linked to chronic inflammation. Preoperative anemia is an independent risk factor across many surgical fields. However, the relationship between anemia and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the effects of preoperative anemia on 30-day outcomes of non-ruptured infrarenal AAA repair.

Methods

Patients who underwent open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for infrarenal AAA were identified in National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) targeted databases from 2012 to 2021. Anemia was defined as preoperative hematocrit less than 39% in males and 36% in females. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare 30-day perioperative outcomes between anemic and non-anemic patients, adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, indications, aneurysm extents, operation time, and surgical approaches.

Results

There were 408 (22.13%) anemic and 1436 (77.88%) non-anemic patients who underwent OSR for non-ruptured AAA, while 3586 (25.20%) patients with and 10,644 (74.80%) without anemia underwent EVAR. In both OSR and EVAR, anemic patients had higher risks of bleeding requiring transfusion (OSR, aOR = 2.446, p < .01; EVAR, aOR = 3.691, p < .01), discharge not to home (OSR, aOR = 1.385, p = .04; EVAR, aOR = 1.27, p < .01), and 30-day readmission (OSR, aOR = 1.99, p < .01; EVAR, aOR = 1.367, p < .01). Also, anemic patients undergoing OSR had higher pulmonary events (aOR = 2.192, p < .01), sepsis (aOR = 2.352, p < .01), and venous thromboembolism (aOR = 2.913, p = .01), while in EVAR, anemic patients had higher mortality (aOR = 1.646, p = .01), cardiac complications (aOR = 1.39, p = .04), renal dysfunction (aOR = 1.658, p = .02), and unplanned reoperation (aOR = 1.322, p = .01). Moreover, in both OSR and EVAR, anemic patients had longer hospital length of stay ( p < .01).

Conclusion

In OSR and EVAR, preoperative anemia was independently associated with worse 30-day outcomes. Preoperative anemia could be a useful marker for risk stratification for patients undergoing infrarenal AAA repair.
Predictors of paediatric difficult intubation according to the experience of a university hospital in a low- and middle-income country: A prospective observational study
Authors: Jarraya Anouar , Kammoun Manel , Ketata Hind , Bouchaira Hasna , Ammar Saloua , Mhiri Riadh
Published: August 2024

Background:

Difficult airway management is one of the main challenges in paediatric anaesthesia, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Aims:

The aim of this study was to investigate the main predictors of difficult paediatric intubation.

Methods:

In this observational study, we included all children aged less than five years undergoing intra-abdominal surgery with endotracheal intubation. Patients were divided into two groups according to the incidence of difficult intubation. Then, we investigated predictors for difficult paediatric intubation.

Results:

We included 217 children, and difficult intubation was observed in 10% of them. Predictors were as follows: Mallampati III–IV class (adjusted odds ratio = 2.21; 95% confidence interval = 1.1–6.4), limited mouth opening (adjusted odds ratio = 2.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.8–3.5), facial dysmorphia (adjusted odds ratio = 2.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.32–7.4) and anaesthesia without muscle relaxant (adjusted odds ratio = 1.8; 95% confidence interval = 1.0–5.1) or without opioids during crash inductions (adjusted odds ratio = 1.7; 95% confidence interval = 1.01–4.8).

Conclusion:

Facial dysmorphia and limited mouth opening were predictors of difficult intubation in children. Furthermore, it seems that Mallampati class and anaesthesia technique may also predict challenging intubation, which may guide us to change our perioperative practice.
Outcomes of press-fit radial head arthroplasty in unconstructable radial head fractures with associated elbow injuries: An average 5-year follow up
Authors: Eyre-Brook AI , Kankanalu P , Majkowski L , Zreik N , Jones V , Thyagarajan DS , Ali AA , Booker SJ
Published: August 2024

Aims

Unstable and nonreconstructable radial head fractures require radial head arthroplasty (RHA) to restore stability. Multiple implant designs are available with varying survival rates (76 to 97%). There is concern that loosening of the press-fit stems leads to implant failure. We review our outcomes using the Acumed press-fit prosthesis for trauma.

Methods

Between February 2008 and November 2020, all primary RHA for trauma from a single-centre were reviewed. Primary outcome was implant survivorship. Secondary outcome were clinical, radiographic and patient related outcome measures.

Results

In total, 96 cases were included. Seven revisions were recorded, all within 24-months of implantation. Kaplan–Meier estimated 10-year survival was 92.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 84.0–96.1%). Median follow-up time was 5.7 years (Interquartile range (IQR) 3.2–8.5 years). Median Oxford Elbow Score was 43 (IQR 29–46) for and median Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 90 (IQR 72–100). 72% were able to fully-return to pre-injury activities. Radiographic analysis identified osteolysis around radial neck (48%), loosening (32%), valgus stem position (20%), heterotopic ossification (16%) and capitellar erosion (15%). No radiological findings were associated with long-term poor clinical outcomes.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates an excellent survival of press-fit RHA of 92.1% at 10-years. No radiographic features on follow-up were associated with poorer patient recorded outcome measures.
Music as Support for Older Adults’ Wellbeing: A Scoping Review
Authors: Siltainsuu Heini , Peltola Henna-Riikka
Published: August 2024

This scoping review investigates the status quo of the research on the role of music in old people's wellbeing, presenting the recent results and critically analyzing the conceptual clarity within the research fields. A search of peer-reviewed publications from January 2010 to December 2022 was conducted, regarding music's role in the wellbeing of this growing group of aging people. A total of 141 articles were included in an extensive screening. Through the analysis, we identified five main mechanisms, through which music may support wellbeing in this age group. These are (1) cognitive and physical rehabilitation through music, (2) social engagement in musical group activities, (3) individual's engagement with music for emotional support, self-connection, and meaning-making, (4) supporting the wellbeing of social environments around older adults, and (5) enhancing accessibility and age-related adaptation within musical activities. Also, we identified a considerable degree of inconsistency in conceptual clarity, methodology, and theoretical approaches used in researching this rather undefined topic. A compilation of research paradigms and recommendations for future research are presented.
Beyond Geopolitics: Unraveling Public Support for Economic Sanctions in the B9 States at the Beginning of the Ukrainian War (2022)
Authors: Alexandrescu Mihai
Published: August 2024

This study analyzes the factors influencing public support for economic sanctions in the Bucharest Nine (B9) states in the context of the war in Ukraine (2022) and the measures taken by the European Union (EU) against Russia. Operating data from the Flash Eurobarometer 506 (2022) survey, this work assesses the influence of public awareness, trust in the sender alliance, emotional resonance, solidarity with the aggressed state, and targeted sanctions on public opinion across these nine EU member states. Multiple regression analyses demonstrate that a multifaceted approach, incorporating various dimensions, yields a more comprehensive understanding of public support for economic sanctions. The findings of this study emphasize that the most significant factors driving public support include sanctions imposed on Russian oligarchs, closer military cooperation within the EU, and military equipment provided to Ukraine. It can be concluded that the findings of this study reveal that the citizens of B9 countries have a pragmatic rather than an emotional approach when referring to both the conflict in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions against Russia.
Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling of Individual Effects: Renewables and Non-Renewables on Global Economic Growth
Authors: Ngoc Thach Nguyen
Published: August 2024

Examining the relationship between renewable and non-renewable energy sources and economic growth is crucial for designing sustainable growth policies in the context of global sustainability efforts. Previous studies relying on frequentist inference have faced challenges in disentangling the individual effects of these energy sources on economic growth due to their high degree of correlation, often leading to biased results. The Bayesian approach offers an alternative estimation method to address this multicollinearity issue. This study aims to demonstrate one of the advantages of the Bayesian hierarchical framework in handling multicollinearity by using a sample of 72 countries to evaluate the distinct impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy on economic growth. By incorporating specific priors into a Bayesian model to guide the estimation process, the findings confirm that both energy sources play significant roles in driving economic growth, with renewable energy sources exhibiting a comparatively weaker effect. These results align with theoretical expectations, indicating that renewables make a limited contribution to economic growth due to high investment costs, intermittency issues, and supply chain constraints. This study establishes a solid foundation for sustainable growth policy formulation by providing robust evidence.
Green Supply Chains and Their Influence on the Competitiveness and Economic Performance of Companies
Authors: Paluš Hubert , Parobek Ján , Slašt’anová Nikola , Nosál’ová Martina , Loučanová Erika , Brunori Antonio
Published: August 2024

Green practices of companies related to Green supply chain management should also demonstrate their positive impact on companies’ performance. This paper’s goal is to investigate the impact of greening the supply chain on the competitiveness and economic performance of companies in the context of forest-based industry. The study empirically examines the relations between the greening of the phases of the supply chain, related environmental performance and companies’ competitiveness and economic performance. A questionnaire-based survey was performed and data collected among the 333 companies engaged in the forest-based sector in Slovakia to apply a structural equation model. The findings show that companies’ greening supply chain activities, emphasized by requirements for the environmental properties of purchased products and services, contribute to the improvement in environmental performance, which ultimately leads to improving their competitiveness and economic performance.