bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do driver’s characteristics, system performance, perceived safety, and trust influence how drivers use partial automation? A structural equation modelling analysis
Authors: Nordhoff Sina , Stapel Jork , He Xiaolin , Gentner Alexandre , Happee Riender
Published: April 2023

The present study surveyed actual extensive users of SAE Level 2 partially automated cars to investigate how driver’s characteristics (i.e., socio-demographics, driving experience, personality), system performance, perceived safety, and trust in partial automation influence use of partial automation. 81% of respondents stated that they use their automated car with speed (ACC) and steering assist (LKA) at least 1–2 times a week, and 84 and 92% activate LKA and ACC at least occasionally. Respondents positively rated the performance of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA). ACC was rated higher than LKA and detection of lead vehicles and lane markings was rated higher than smooth control for ACC and LKA, respectively. Respondents reported to primarily disengage (i.e., turn off) partial automation due to a lack of trust in the system and when driving is fun. They rarely disengaged the system when they noticed they become bored or sleepy. Structural equation modelling revealed that trust had a positive effect on driver’s propensity for secondary task engagement during partially automated driving, while the effect of perceived safety was not significant. Regarding driver’s characteristics, we did not find a significant effect of age on perceived safety and trust in partial automation. Neuroticism negatively correlated with perceived safety and trust, while extraversion did not impact perceived safety and trust. The remaining three personality dimensions ‘openness’, ‘conscientiousness’, and ‘agreeableness’ did not form valid and reliable scales in the confirmatory factor analysis, and could thus not be subjected to the structural equation modelling analysis. Future research should re-assess the suitability of the short 10-item scale as measure of the Big-Five personality traits, and investigate the impact on perceived safety, trust, use and use of automation.
How symptoms of simple acute infections affect the SSS-8 and SSD-12 as screening instruments for somatic symptom disorder in the primary care setting
Authors: Zhang Ying , Baumeister David , Spanidis Mona , Engel Felicitas , Berens Sabrina , Gauss Annika , Eich Wolfgang , Tesarz Jonas
Published: April 2023

Objective

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is one of the most common reasons for consultations in primary care, in addition to simple acute infections. Questionnaire-based screening instruments to identify patients at high risk of SSD are thus of great clinical relevance. Although screening instruments are frequently used, it is currently unclear to what extent they are influenced by the concurrent presence of simple acute infections. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how symptoms of simple acute infections affect the two established questionnaires as screening instruments for somatic symptom disorder in the primary care setting.

Methods

In our cross-sectional, multicenter design, a total of 1,000 patients in primary care practices were screened using the two most established SSD screening questionnaires, the 8-item Somatic Symptom Scale (SSS-8) and the 12-item Somatic Symptom Disorder—B Criteria Scale (SSD-12), followed by clinical assessment by the primary care physician.

Results

A total of 140 patients with a simple acute infection (acute infection group, AIG) and 219 patients with chronic somatic symptoms (somatic symptom group, SSG) were included. The patients in the SSG showed higher total SSS-8 and SSD-12 scores than the patients in the AIG; however, the SSS-8 was more susceptible to changes triggered by symptoms of a simple acute infection than the SSD-12.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the SSD-12 is less susceptible to symptoms of a simple acute infection. Its total score and corresponding cutoff value provide a more specific and thus less susceptible screening tool for identifying SSD in primary care.
Offenders and non-offenders with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Do they really differ in known risk factors for aggression?
Authors: Kirchebner Johannes , Lau Steffen , Machetanz Lena
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) have an elevated risk for aggressive behavior, and several factors contributing to this risk have been identified, e. g. comorbid substance use disorders. From this knowledge, it could be inferred that offender patients show a higher expression of said risk factors than non-offender patients. Yet, there is a lack of comparative studies between those two groups, and findings gathered from one of the two are not directly applicable to the other due to numerous structural differences. The aim of this study therefore was to identify key differences in offender patients and non-offender patients regarding aggressive behavior through application of supervised machine learning, and to quantify the performance of the model.

Methods

For this purpose, we applied seven different (ML) algorithms on a dataset comprising 370 offender patients and a comparison group of 370 non-offender patients, both with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

Results

With a balanced accuracy of 79.9%, an AUC of 0.87, a sensitivity of 77.3% and a specificity of 82.5%, gradient boosting emerged as best performing model and was able to correctly identify offender patients in over 4/5 the cases. Out of 69 possible predictor variables, the following emerged as the ones with the most indicative power in distinguishing between the two groups: olanzapine equivalent dose at the time of discharge from the referenced hospitalization, failures during temporary leave, being born outside of Switzerland, lack of compulsory school graduation, out- and inpatient treatment(s) prior to the referenced hospitalization, physical or neurological illness as well as medication compliance.

Discussion

Interestingly, both factors related to psychopathology and to the frequency and expression of aggression itself did not yield a high indicative power in the interplay of variables, thus suggesting that while they individually contribute to aggression as a negative outcome, they are compensable through certain interventions. The findings contribute to our understanding of differences between offenders and non-offenders with SSD, showing that previously described risk factors of aggression may be counteracted through sufficient treatment and integration in the mental health care system.
Optimal cutoff scores of the Chinese version of 15-item negative symptom assessment that indicate prominent negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Authors: Zhou Qi , Pu Cheng-cheng , Huang Bing-jie , Miao Qi , Zhou Tian-hang , Cheng Zhang , Gao Tian-Qi , Shi Chuan , Yu Xin
Published: April 2023

Objective

The Chinese version of 15-item negative symptom assessment (NSA-15) is an instrument with a three-factor structure specifically validated for assessing negative symptoms of schizophrenia. To provide a reference for future practical applications in the recognition of schizophrenia patients with negative symptoms, this study aimed to determine an appropriate NSA-15 cutoff score regarding negative symptoms to identify prominent negative symptoms (PNS).

Methods

A total of 199 participants with schizophrenia were recruited and divided into the PNS group (n = 79) and non-PNS group (n = 120) according to scale for assessment of negative symptoms (SANS) scores. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal NSA-15 cutoff score for identifying PNS.

Results

The optimal cutoff NSA-15 score for identifying PNS was 40. Communication, emotion and motivation factors in the NSA-15 had cutoffs of 13, 6, and 16, respectively. The communication factor score had slightly better discrimination than scores on the other two factors. The discriminant ability of the global rating of the NSA-15 was not as good as that of the NSA-15 total score (area under the curve (AUC): 0.873 vs. 0.944).

Conclusion

The optimal NSA-15 cutoff scores for identifying PNS in schizophrenia were determined in this study. The NSA-15 provides a convenient and easy-to-use assessment for identifying patients with PNS in Chinese clinical situations. The communication factor of the NSA-15 also has excellent discrimination.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping review
Authors: Choe Karen , Zinn Eleanor , Lu Kevin , Hoang Dung , Yang Lawrence H.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a variable effect on vulnerable populations, including patients with chronic pain who rely on opioid treatment or have comorbid opioid use disorder. Limited access to care due to isolation measures may lead to increased pain severity, worse mental health symptoms, and adverse opioid-related outcomes. This scoping review aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dual epidemics of chronic pain and opioids in marginalized communities worldwide.

Methods

Searches of primary databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO were performed in March 2022, restricting the publication date to December 1, 2019. The search yielded 685 articles. After title and abstract screening, 526 records were screened by title and abstract, 87 through full-text review, of which 25 articles were included in the final analysis.

Results

Our findings illuminate the differential distribution of pain burden across marginalized groups and how it serves to heighten existing disparities. Service disruptions due to social distancing orders and infrastructural limitations prevented patients from receiving the care they needed, resulting in adverse psychological and physical health outcomes. Efforts to adapt to COVID-19 circumstances included modifications to opioid prescribing regulations and workflows and expanded telemedicine services.

Conclusion

Results have implications for the prevention and management of chronic pain and opioid use disorder, such as challenges in adopting telemedicine in low-resource settings and opportunities to strengthen public health and social care systems with a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach.
Sociodemographic characteristics and reproductive health factors associated with maternal knowledge and practice of infection prevention in neonates in North Dayi District, Ghana
Authors: Tuglo Lawrence Sena , Agyekum Benjamin Adu , Darku Edward Delali , Alida Natabou Morine , Seelo Kitso Palesa , Magaga Khauhelo , Chiambiro Kudzai Victor , Tuglo Jessica Dzigbordi , Sakre Sylvia Mawusinu , Otoo Desmond Dzidzornu , Gmanyami Jonathan Mawutor
Published: April 2023

Background

Neonates are at a greater risk of infection, but data on the maternal knowledge and practice of infection prevention in neonates (IPNs) are scarce. This study aimed to assess sociodemographic characteristics and reproductive health factors associated with maternal knowledge and practice of IPNs in North Dayi District, Ghana.

Methods

This was a multicenter cross-sectional study conducted among 612 mothers. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection adapted from previous studies and the IPN guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). Bivariable analyses were performed to determine the association between maternal knowledge and practice of IPNs and sociodemographic characteristics and reproductive health factors.

Results

Analysis showed that less than one-fifth of the mothers (12.9%) had poor knowledge of IPNs, while 21.6% incorrectly practiced it. Mothers who had poor knowledge of IPNs [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 13.33 (95% CI: 7.69–23.26), p < 0.001] were more likely to have a poor practice of IPNs.

Conclusion

About one-fifth of the mothers in this study had poor knowledge or poor practice of IPNs according to the WHO’s guidelines. The Health Directorate of North Dayi District should explore the risk factors associated with poor IPNs and increase successful guideline adherence with intensified educational outreach and campaigns.
The relationship between patient empowerment and related constructs, affective symptoms and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Duarte-Díaz Andrea , Perestelo-Pérez Lilisbeth , Rivero-Santana Amado , Peñate Wenceslao , Álvarez-Pérez Yolanda , Ramos-García Vanesa , González-Pacheco Himar , Goya-Arteaga Libertad , de Bonis-Braun Miriam , González-Martín Silvia , Ramallo-Fariña Yolanda , Carrion Carme , Serrano-Aguilar Pedro
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The aim of this systematic review is to assess the relationship between patient empowerment and other empowerment-related constructs, and affective symptoms and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was conducted, according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies addressing adult patients with type 2 diabetes and reporting the association between empowerment-related constructs and subjective measures of anxiety, depression and distress, as well as self-reported quality of life were included. The following electronic databases were consulted from inception to July 2022: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. The methodological quality of the included studies was analyzed using validated tools adapted to each study design. Meta-analyses of correlations were performed using an inverse variance restricted maximum likelihood random-effects.

Results

The initial search yielded 2463 references and seventy-one studies were finally included. We found a weak-to-moderate inverse association between patient empowerment-related constructs and both anxiety (r = −0.22) and depression (r = −0.29). Moreover, empowerment-related constructs were moderately negatively correlated with distress (r = −0.31) and moderately positively correlated with general quality of life (r = 0.32). Small associations between empowerment-related constructs and both mental (r = 0.23) and physical quality of life (r = 0.13) were also reported.

Discussion

This evidence is mostly from cross-sectional studies. High-quality prospective studies are needed not only to better understand the role of patient empowerment but to assess causal associations. The results of the study highlight the importance of patient empowerment and other empowerment-related constructs such as self-efficacy or perceived control in diabetes care. Thus, they should be considered in the design, development and implementation of effective interventions and policies aimed at improving psychosocial outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020192429, identifier CRD42020192429.
Factors associated with HPV vaccine acceptability and hesitancy among Black mothers with young daughters in the United States
Authors: Gray Aaliyah , Fisher Celia B.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Compared to other-race peers, Black women are disproportionately impacted by human papillomavirus [HPV] infection, related health outcomes, and cervical cancer mortality as a result of suboptimal HPV vaccine uptake during adolescence. Few studies in the United States have examined psychosocial determinants of HPV vaccine acceptability and hesitancy among Black parents. The current study integrated the health belief model and the theory of planned behavior to evaluate the extent to which psychosocial factors are associated with pediatric HPV vaccination intentions among this population.

Methods

Black mothers (N = 402; age range = 25 to 69 years, M = 37.45, SD = 7.88) of daughters ages 9 to 15 years completed an online survey assessing HPV infection and vaccine beliefs and attitudes across four domains: Mother’s HPV Perceptions, Mother’s Vaccine Attitudes, Cues to Action, and Perceived Barriers to HPV Vaccination. Participants indicated their willingness to vaccinate their daughter on a 5-level ordinal scale (“I will definitely not have my daughter get the vaccine” to “I will definitely have my daughter get the vaccine”) which was dichotomously recoded for binomial logistic regressions.

Results

Half of the sample (48%) intended to vaccinate their daughter. Number of daughters, mother’s HPV vaccine status, perceived HPV vaccine benefits, HPV vaccine safety concerns, pediatric HPV vaccine peer norms, and doctor recommendations emerged as independent factors of Black mothers’ intentions to vaccinate their daughters against HPV when controlling for all other factors.

Discussion

In addition to medical training to increase doctor recommendation of the HPV vaccine for Black girls, population-tailored public health messaging aimed at promoting HPV vaccine acceptance among Black mothers is urgently needed. This messaging should engage community support and emphasize the benefits of vaccination for adolescent Black girls while also addressing parental concerns regarding the safety of pediatric HPV vaccination.
Prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates of breast cancer in Kazakhstan: data from the Unified National Electronic Health System, 2014–2019
Authors: Midlenko Anna , Mussina Kamilla , Zhakhina Gulnur , Sakko Yesbolat , Rashidova Gyunel , Saktashev Bolat , Adilbay Dauren , Shatkovskaya Oxana , Gaipov Abduzhappar
Published: April 2023

Background

Although there are numerous sources of epidemiologic information on breast cancer in Kazakhstan, none of them have specifically examined the burden of this disease. Therefore, this article aims to provide an overview of the breast cancer prevalence, incidence, mortality, and distribution and changes over time in Kazakhstan based on nationwide large-scale healthcare data from the National Registry in order to encourage more research on the impact of various diseases at the regional and national levels.

Methods

The study cohort included all adult women older than 25 years who were diagnosed with breast cancer in any clinical setting of the Republic of Kazakhstan during the period of 2014–2019. The data were extracted from the Unified Nationwide Electronic Health System (UNEHS) to get an overview of descriptive statistics, incidence, prevalence, and mortality rate calculations and the Cox proportional hazards regression model. All survival functions and factors associated with mortality were tested for significance.

Results

The cohort population (n = 55,465) comprised subjects with the age at the diagnosis of breast cancer from 25 to 97 years, with a mean of 55.7 ± 12.0 years. The majority of the study population belonged to the age group 45–59 years, which is 44.8% of the cohort. The all-cause mortality rate of the cohort is 16%. The prevalence rate increased from 30.4 per 10,000 population in 2014 to 50.6 in 2019. The incidence rate varied from 4.5 per 10,000 population in 2015 to 7.3 in 2016. Mortality rates were stable and high in the senile age patients (75–89 years old). Breast cancer mortality was positively associated with women who had been diagnosed with diabetes, HR 1.2 (95% CI, 1.1–2.3), whereas it was negatively associated with arterial hypertension, HR 0.4 (95% CI, 0.4–0.5).

Conclusion

Overall, Kazakhstan is experiencing an increase in the incidence of breast cancer cases, but the mortality rate has started to decline. The switch to population mammography screening could reduce the breast cancer mortality rate. These findings should be utilized to help Kazakhstan determine what cancer control priorities should be utilized, including the need to implement efficient and affordable screening and prevention programs.
Development of a toolkit to improve interprofessional collaboration and integration in primary care using qualitative interviews and co-design workshops
Authors: Sirimsi Muhammed Mustafa , De Loof Hans , Van den Broeck Kris , De Vliegher Kristel , Van Royen Paul , Pype Peter , Driessens Kristel , Verté Emily , Remmen Roy , Van Bogaert Peter
Published: April 2023

Background

Despite numerous attempts to improve interprofessional collaboration and integration (IPCI) in primary care, patients, care providers, researchers, and governments are still looking for tools and guidance to do this more efficiently. To address these issues, we decided to develop a generic toolkit, based on sociocracy and psychological safety principles, to guide care providers in their collaboration within and outside their practice. Finally, we reasoned that, in order to obtain integrated primary care, different strategies should be combined.

Methods

Development of the toolkit consisted of a multiyear co-development process. Data originating from 65 care providers, through 13 in-depth interviews and five focus groups were analysed and subsequently evaluated in eight co-design workshop sessions, organised with a total of 40 academics, lecturers, care providers and members of the Flemish patient association. Findings from the qualitative interviews and co-design workshops were gradually, and inductively adapted and transformed into the content for the IPCI toolkit.

Results

Ten themes were identified: (i) awareness of the importance of interprofessional collaboration, (ii) the need for a self-assessment tool to measure team performance, (iii) preparing a team to use the toolkit, (iv) enhancing psychological safety, (v) developing and determining consultation techniques, (vi) shared decision making, (vii) developing workgroups to tackle specific (neighbourhood) problems, (viii) how to work patient-centred, (ix) how to integrate a new team member, and (x) getting ready to implement the IPCI toolkit. From these themes, we developed a generic toolkit, consisting of eight modules.

Conclusion

In this paper, we describe the multiyear co-development process of a generic toolkit for the improvement of interprofessional collaboration. Inspired by a mix of interventions from in and outside healthcare, a modular open toolkit was produced that includes aspects of Sociocracy, concepts as psychological safety, a self-assessment tool and other modules concerned with meetings, decision-making, integrating new team members and population health. Upon implementation, evaluation and further development and improvement, this compounded intervention should have a beneficial effect on the complex problem of interprofessional collaboration in primary care.
Patient satisfaction with access, affordability and quality of diabetes care at Mohalla Clinics in Delhi, India
Authors: Sharma Meenu Grover , Grover Anu , Shekhawat Kusum , Popli Harvinder
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Mohalla Clinics have been set up to provide curative care for minor ailments free of cost within walking distance in the urban slums, thus making primary care more accessible and affordable. Studies evaluating patient satisfaction with treatment of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, in these clinics are lacking.

Methods

A survey of 400 type 2 diabetes patients was conducted, split equally between Mohalla clinics (MC) and Private clinics (PC) in Delhi. Responses were analyzed using STATA17, applying appropriate statistical tests for the data type (Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, or two-sample t test).

Results

Satisfaction level was high in both groups with no significant difference between mean satisfaction scores of MC patients and PC patients (Mean 3.79 vs. 3.85 respectively, p = 0.4). However, MC patients reported a significant improvement in their satisfaction score after switching to MC (Mean 3.79 vs. 3.3 for the previous facility, p < 0.05). Physician interaction with the patients was the most important factor in influencing the satisfaction score. Proximity to the clinic was the second most important factor for MC patients but was not as important for PC patients. Surprisingly, treatment success was considered an important factor for satisfaction level by < 10% MC and < 20% PC patients only, pointing to the need for patient education across both the groups. None of the MC patients mentioned free treatment as a contributory factor to high satisfaction, perhaps because most shifted from a government setup to MC. PC patients had more frequent follow-up visits and blood glucose monitoring, and longer consultation duration compared to MC patients, which were offset by access factors, thus not causing much difference to the satisfaction score between the two groups.

Conclusion

Mohalla clinics are making diabetes treatment accessible and affordable for the marginalized population of Delhi, despite not being designed or fully equipped to care for chronic diseases such as diabetes that require multi-specialty care to monitor and manage multiple co-morbidities and long-term complications. Positive perception of physician interaction and convenient location of the clinics are the two major contributors to the high satisfaction patients expressed with diabetes care at these clinics.
Multi-task learning to detect suicide ideation and mental disorders among social media users
Authors: Buddhitha Prasadith , Inkpen Diana
Published: April 2023

Mental disorders and suicide are considered global health problems faced by many countries worldwide. Even though advancements have been made to improve mental wellbeing through research, there is room for improvement. Using Artificial Intelligence to early detect individuals susceptible to mental illness and suicide ideation based on their social media postings is one way to start. This research investigates the effectiveness of using a shared representation to automatically extract features between the two different yet related tasks of mental illness and suicide ideation detection using data in parallel from social media platforms with different distributions. In addition to discovering the shared features between users with suicidal thoughts and users who self-declared a single mental disorder, we further investigate the impact of comorbidity on suicide ideation and use two datasets during inference to test the generalizability of the trained models and provide satisfactory evidence to validate the increased predictive accurateness of suicide risk when using data from users diagnosed with multiple mental disorders compared to a single mental disorder for the mental illness detection task. Our results also demonstrate different mental disorders' impact on suicidal risk and discover a noticeable impact when using data from users diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. We use multi-task learning (MTL) with soft and hard parameter sharing to produce state-of-the-art results for detecting users with suicide ideation who require urgent attention. We further improve the predictability of the proposed model by demonstrating the effectiveness of cross-platform knowledge sharing and predefined auxiliary inputs.
Mapping warming reefs—An application of multibeam acoustic water column analysis to define threatened abalone habitat
Authors: Lucieer Vanessa , Flukes Emma , Keane John P. , Ling Scott D. , Nau Amy W. , Shelamoff Victor
Published: April 2023

Robust definition of the spatial extent of seafloor habitats and how they may be changing through time is a holy grail for ecosystem management, particularly if an ecosystem is approaching a tipping point beyond which irreversible changes may occur. Here we generate and explore a new data set for the management of warming reefs in eastern Tasmania, Australia that will significantly improve the baseline maps required for fine-scaled spatial modelling and management that is, both robust at regional scales and is highly resolved within the water column. This procedure enabled the relative density of kelp vegetation to be identified in a region that is being overwhelmed by the range extension of a destructive grazer, the Longspined Sea Urchin, Centrostephanus rodgersii. We present a new online tool to visualize multibeam water column acoustic data as surfaces of kelp density at high resolution (50 cm) scale over seafloor terrain maps (spanning a total straight-line distance of 594 km and a total area of 29.14 km2) to reveal the types of reef structure on the East Coast of Tasmania where abalone habitat is threatened by kelp loss.
On welfare pluralism, social policy and the contribution of sociology: Revisiting Robert Pinker
Authors: Offer John
Published: April 2023

On occasion it makes sound sense to undertake a retrospective review of a late colleague's contribution to his or her subject area. This applies to Robert Pinker, Professor of Social Administration at the London School of Economics, who died at the age of 89 in February 2021. Over a long life he made a major impact on working for press freedom and to social work studies, but this article concerns his work on social policy, and particularly on the idea of welfare pluralism, a many-faceted idea the exploration of which powered two pathbreaking books Social Theory and Social Policy (1971) and The Idea of Welfare (1979). In the twentieth century many states including the United Kingdom had greatly expanded their welfare provisions for their citizens, and, in some, an academic subject area, often called social administration or social policy had grown in response. Pinker started writing in the 1960s, dissatisfied with the conventional approach of Richard Titmuss and others, almost exclusively concerned with the state and welfare. He made the case for a radical rebalance toward including everyday experiences of obligations and how familial informal welfare practices are strengthened, weakened or modified by formal social services. However, ahead of his time, Pinker was arguing for an enhanced sociological imagination in the study of social policy and on the very idea of “welfare”. This article has sections reflecting the facets of Pinker's thinking about welfare pluralism, including “social policy's past”, “exchange and stigma”, “taking informal welfare seriously”, “divergent views of altruism”, “comparative studies”, “on a mixture of means to welfare” and “aspects of Pinker's legacy”. The idea of welfare pluralism is now familiar. But Pinker's crucial pioneering role, depth of understanding of the issues and grasp of their intertwining is seldom recalled. This article should help to meet the need for his contribution to be reinserted into the mainstream of sociological thought on welfare, so enriching new research.
Salary, flexibility or career opportunity? A choice experiment on gender specific job preferences
Authors: Jost Madlaina , Möser Sara
Published: April 2023

Using the evaluation of hypothetical job offers in a discrete choice experiment, we analyse which characteristics of employment positions are relevant to men and women when deciding between job offers. Thereby, we investigate whether preferences for work arrangements are gender specific. The analysis shows that on average, women have a stronger preference for part-time work than men, and that the career prospect of a job is more important to men than to women. Furthermore, we use heterogeneity within genders to study whether gender specific preference patterns result from gendered considerations of family formation. We find that certain men and women, especially those who plan to have children and have traditional intentions about the division of labor in the household, evaluate work relationships more strongly according to gender roles than others. This analysis of hypothetical employment choices provides valuable insight into the preference structure of men and women, which proves to be heterogeneous within and between genders.
Swedish journalists' perceptions of legal protection against unlawful online harassment
Authors: Björkenfeldt Oscar
Published: April 2023

This study examined journalists' perceptions regarding the legal system's ability to protect them against online harassment. By utilizing open-ended survey responses from respondents with varying levels of trust in the legal system, the findings suggested a need for increased technical proficiency, resources, and priority within the legal system to adequately address the issue. Additionally, a reciprocal relationship between the normalization of online harassment within the journalistic profession and the legal system's commitment to providing protection was identified. However, the study also found that when the legal system's mediated approach to online harassment is positive, it affects attitudes and norms relating to legal protection. Consequently, it reveals a unique insight into how journalists respond to the message conveyed by fair treatment and respect from the legal system. Notably, this result implies that when such messages are internalized, journalists feel more empowered to take measures against online harassment. As a result of this analysis, I propose that current laws should be implemented more effectively and that policy strategies should be developed to positively influence social norms and social control to bolster journalistic autonomy and freedom of speech in the digital age.
The theory of integrated empowerment in the transition to adulthood: concepts and measures
Authors: Mouchrek Najla , Benson Mark
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Developmental challenges in the transition to adulthood require a process of empowerment that enables young people to guide themselves and build capacities for adult commitments and roles. To examine this systemic process, we conducted an interdisciplinary investigation of constructs from prior literatures that relate to empowerment. Two foundational dimensions of empowerment emerged in relation to individual functioning and relational environments.

Theoretical model

The two dimensions are self-direction and meaningful roles in society. A creative process of theory construction informed by related literatures identified four component catalysts that drive these dimensions of empowerment among early adults: personal agency, sense of purpose, mentoring experience, and engagement in community. As developed in this article, the Integrated Empowerment Theory explains the relationships among these catalysts within the ongoing, multilayered process of empowerment in the transition to adulthood. A graphic representation in the article specifies the relationships among these theoretical concepts.

Method and results

To advance future research based on these theoretical concepts, we constructed multi-item measures of the four catalysts drawn from indicators in the empirical literature. The resulting scales were presented to participants in an empirical test of their technical adequacies. Participants were 255 early adult college students from eight colleges at a public land-grant research university in the United States. The 18-item scale includes four subscales: agency, purpose, mentoring, and community. The study findings evidenced robust internal consistency estimates across the scales (0.79–0.96).

Discussion

The Integrated Empowerment Theory and the corresponding scales provide tools for research to understand and promote positive developmental outcomes for youth as they navigate experimentation, life choices, and identity construction. The scales also imply a logical sequence for application and intervention. The sequence corresponds to four key catalysts: Community, Agency, Mentors, and Purpose, or CAMP. Although the conceptualization and the scales draw from a college population, the constructs have potential applicability, and await future research with additional age groups. For early adults, empowerment has particularly important implications for societal contributions. Creating contexts where youth can play meaningful roles in their emerging social world holds positive potential for society.
Growing food, growing food systems: The role of non-profit farms
Authors: DuPuis E. Melanie , Christian Annie
Published: April 2023

The study of non-profit food organizations has focused primarily on food policy, urban gardens, coops, and farmers' markets in cities. Despite significant research on these kinds of food non-profits, research specifically on non-profit farms – organizations that produce food for local communities – is nearly non-existent. We argue that non-profit farms are a category that deserves more research attention. This article asks what services non-profit farms see themselves as providing to their communities, along with a supply of local food. We focus on the missions of non-profit farms, using farms on the GuideStar database of non-profit organizations. We also examine, through interviews and website analysis, the role of non-profit farms in the Hudson Valley, long a hub of non-profit farms. We conclude that local non-profit farms are hybrid organizations that perform services that are similar to local community non-profits, supporting local social welfare, environment, education, and community development roles, along with providing local food access and, in some cases, supporting food system change.
Diversity of Crenosoma species in mustelids with the first molecular characterization of C. melesi and C. petrowi
Authors: Deak Georgiana , Ionică Angela Monica , Gherman Calin Mircea , Mihalca Andrei Daniel
Published: April 2023

Species of genus Crenosoma have a wide distribution and are reported in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Currently, the genus includes 14 nominal species, out of which 9 are parasitic in mustelids. Two species are mostly reported in mustelids from Europe, namely C. melesi and C. petrowi. Up to now, no genetic sequences are deposited in GenBank for any of the two. The aims of this study were to investigate the distribution, prevalence, and diversity of Crenosoma spp. infecting mustelids in Romania and to genetically characterize the species. Mustelids (n = 247) were collected over a period of 7 years from different locations in Romania and the respiratory tract was removed and examined for nematodes. Detected nematodes were morphologically identified and fragments of two genes were sequenced. Sampled mustelids included Eurasian badger, Meles meles (n = 102), Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra (n = 20), beech marten, Martes foina (n = 36), European pine marten, Martes martes (n = 5), steppe polecat, Mustela eversmanii (n = 1), European mink, Mustela lutreola (n = 1), least weasel, Mustela nivalis (n = 2), European polecat, Mustela putorius (n = 78), and marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna (n = 1). Nematodes from Eurasian badgers were morphologically identified as C. melesi (n = 13, 12.74%) and C. petrowi (n = 3, 2.94%). Nematodes from the beech martens were identified as C. petrowi (n = 6, 16.66%), C. vulpis (n = 1, 2.78%) and Crenosoma spp. (n = 3, 8.33%). Co-infections with two Crenosoma species were detected in one beech marten (C. petrowi + C. vulpis, n = 1, 2.77%) and in one European pine marten [C. petrowi + C. vulpis (n = 1, 20%)]. Two genes of Crenosoma melesi and C. petrowi were partly sequenced for the first time. We report new host-parasite associations for M. martes and C. vulpis. However, further studies are needed in order to determine the host-parasite associations and to improve the understanding of the epidemiology of Crenosoma nematodes.
Modification of the drug resistance of emerging milk-borne pathogens through sodium alginate-based antibiotics and nanoparticles
Authors: Manan Abdul , Aqib Amjad Islam , Shahbaz Ansa , Khan Shanza Rauf , Akram Kashif , Majeed Hamid , Muneer Afshan , Murtaza Maheen , Afrasiab Muhammad , Merola Carmine , Niaz Kamal , Ahmad Irfan , Saeed Mohd
Published: April 2023

Streptococcus agalactiae and Klebsiella pneumoniae are emerging as major milk-borne pathogens. Additionally, resistance to antibiotics of pathogens is of concern. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence and drug resistance of S. agalactiae and K. pneumoniae in mastitis milk samples and assessed the antimicrobial potential of sodium alginate (G)-stabilized MgO nanoparticles (M) and antibiotics (tylosin [T] and ampicillin [A]) against both of these pathogens. A total of n = 200 milk samples from cattle were collected using purposive sampling, and standard microbiological approaches were adopted to isolate target bacteria. Parametric and non-parametric statistical tests were used to analyze the obtained data. Four preparations, GT (gel-stabilized tylosin), GA (gel-stabilized ampicillin), GTM (tylosin and MgO nanoparticles stabilized in gel), and GAM (ampicillin and MgO nanoparticles stabilized in gel), were evaluated against both bacteria through well diffusion and broth microdilution method. The analysis revealed that 45.24% (95/210) of the milk samples were positive for mastitis, of which 11.58% (11/95) were positive for S. agalactiae and 9.47% (9/95) were positive for K. pneumoniae. S. agalactiae had a significantly higher zone of inhibition (ZOI) than K. pneumoniae against penicillin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin, whereas the opposite was observed against imipenem and erythromycin. All gel (G)-based preparations showed an increase in the percentage of ZOI compared with antibiotics alone, with GTM presenting the highest of all, i.e., 59.09 and 56.25% ZOI compared with tylosin alone against S. agalactiae and K. pneumoniae, respectively. Similarly, in a broth microdilution assay, the lowest MIC was found for K. pneumoniae (9.766 ± 0.0 μg/mL) against GTM, followed by GT, GAM, and GA after incubation for 24 h. A similar response was noted for preparations against S. agalactiae but with a comparatively higher MIC. A significant reduction in MIC with respect to incubation time was found at 8 h and remained until at 20 h against both pathogens. The cytotoxicity of the MgO nanoparticles used in this study was significantly lower than that of the positive control. Overall, this study found that K. pneumoniae and S. agalactiae appeared higher in prevalence and antimicrobial resistance, and sodium alginate-based antibiotics and MgO nanoparticles were effective alternative approaches for tackling antimicrobial resistance.
Exercise-related changes in the anabolic index (testosterone to cortisol ratio) and serum amyloid A concentration in endurance and racehorses at different fitness levels
Authors: Grzędzicka Jowita , Dąbrowska Izabela , Malin Katarzyna , Witkowska-Piłaszewicz Olga
Published: April 2023

Increased training loads in both human and equine athletes are generally implemented to improve their physical performance. These loads are tolerated only within appropriate training periodization with regard to recovery time. Otherwise, training overload causes failure in the systemic adaptation, which at first leads to overreaching, and progressively to overtraining syndrome (OTS). Exercise endocrinology, and anabolic/catabolic balance as an indicator of athlete performance status and OTS has continued to attract attention. In human medicine, changes in testosterone and cortisol levels, as well as the testosterone to cortisol ratio (T/C; anabolic index), are suggested to be sensitive stress markers. However, there is a lack of research investigating these parameters for use in equine sports medicine. The aim of the study was to investigate the differences in testosterone, cortisol, and T/C in response to a single training session in two types of equine sports: endurance and race, together with serum amyloid A (SAA), the main acute phase response indicator of physical effort, and the overall health status in horses. Two groups of horses were enrolled in the study: endurance (n = 12) and racehorses (n = 32) of different fitness level. Blood samples were obtained before and after the exercise. On average, T increased 2.5 times after the race training in experienced racehorses and dropped in endurance horses regardless the fitness level (p < 0.05). In endurance horses, a decrease in T/C occurred after training in inexperienced horses (p < 0.05). In racehorses, a T/C decrease occurred in the inexperienced group (p < 0.05) and an increase in the experienced (p < 0.01). In conclusion, T/C ratio was found to be a potentially reliable indicator of fitness status especially in racing horses. These findings provide insight into the physiological response of the horses to different types of exercise and the potential use of hormone levels as markers of performance and adaptation.
A Generalized Series Expansion of the Arctangent Function Based on the Enhanced Midpoint Integration
Authors: Abrarov Sanjar M. , Siddiqui Rehan , Jagpal Rajinder Kumar , Quine Brendan M.
Published: April 2023

In this work, we derive a generalized series expansion of the acrtangent function by using the enhanced midpoint integration (EMI). Algorithmic implementation of the generalized series expansion utilizes a two-step iteration without surd or complex numbers. The computational test we performed reveals that such a generalization improves the accuracy in computation of the arctangent function by many orders of magnitude with increasing integer M, associated with subintervals in the EMI formula. The generalized series expansion may be promising for practical applications. It may be particularly useful in practical tasks, where extensive computations with arbitrary precision floating points are needed. The algorithmic implementation of the generalized series expansion of the arctangent function shows a rapid convergence rate in the computation of digits of π in the Machin-like formulas.
The Role of Immunotherapy in the First-Line Treatment of Elderly Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Spagnuolo Alessia , Gridelli Cesare
Published: April 2023

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed the history of NSCLC treatment by becoming, alone or in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, a mainstay of first-line therapy for advanced NSCLC. This increasingly dictates the identification of predictive biomarkers of response that can guide patient selection, in order to rationalize and personalize therapies, particularly in elderly patients. Immunotherapy in these patients raises questions of efficacy and tolerability related to aging, which is accompanied by a progressive decline in various body functions. Physical, biological and psychological changes contribute to individual validity status and, preferably, ‘fit’ patients are generally enrolled in clinical trials. In elderly patients, especially frail and complex patients with more than one chronic disease, data are poor and specific prospective studies are needed. This review reports the main available results on the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in older patients with advanced NSCLC, in terms of efficacy and toxicity, and aims to highlight the need to better predict which patients might benefit from immunotherapy agents by probing knowledge and integrating information on immune system changes and age-related physiopathological modifications.
Post-Exercise Ankle–Brachial Index Is Reduced in Healthy, Young Individuals at a Level Indicating Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Kyte Karoline Holsen , Lunde Cecilie , Hisdal Jonny
Published: April 2023

In young patients referred for exercise-induced pain in the legs, false positive tests are a potential problem for the post-exercise ankle–brachial index (ABI) test when using the current American Heart Association guidelines for diagnosing peripheral artery disease (PAD). The present study aimed to investigate post-exercise ABI in healthy young people, and to explore whether the current diagnostic criteria for pathological ABI should be revised. Forty-eight volunteers (18–30 years) were included. Resting examinations included ABI and ultrasound of the external iliac artery. Post-exercise examinations after a treadmill load included ABI and ultrasound of the external iliac artery; after 0 min and after 3 min. A total of 60.5% of the participants had a post-exercise decrease in ABI > 20%. A total of 6.5% showed a decrease in ankle systolic blood pressure >30 mmHg. No significant association was observed between a change in blood flow in the external iliac artery and a reduction in ABI post-exercise. Analyses of the ultrasound recordings showed no turbulence in the external iliac artery. According to the results, a 20% decrease in ABI post-exercise seems to be a physiological condition present in young people. We support the need for a reassessment of the criteria for diagnosing PAD.