bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Workshops as a Relational Material Research Practice: Creating Space for Shared Knowledge
Authors: Eidenskog Maria , Andersson Réka , Glad Wiktoria
Published: October 2024

Workshops provide a flexible approach to studying complex issues. This paper discusses the methodological considerations involved in doing research through workshops and aims to further the understanding of how workshops can facilitate interactive and creative knowledge practices in case study research. The paper builds on two research projects - where workshops were used to study the practices of professionals’ use of digital tools at a consultancy firm and the everyday life of residents in a newly built city district. In the project about professional practices, three workshops were carried out with professionals from different disciplines and focused on their use of a specific digital tool, BIM. Post-its were used to introduce, explore and discuss different topics around everyday practices and digital tools, both individually and in various group arrangements. The three workshops built on each other and resulted in a concrete action plan for developing the company’s work regarding BIM. In the research about the everyday life, the participants in five workshops were asked to draw a map of their home and other meaningful places in the city district. These individual “mental maps” were then used as a starting point for discussing the residents’ everyday practices in a group setting. While the workshops in the two research projects targeted different groups and had different forms, they both made use of visual materials as a central aspect of workshops. Therefore, we analysed the workshops with a relational material framework to further understand how design choices affect research practice and research outcomes. From this lens, we analyse our choices in designing the workshops, the analytical processes and the consequences these choices have on what knowledge we create in interaction with the participants.
Reliability-based optimization for concrete-filled steel tubular columns incorporating multi-advanced techniques and model constraints
Authors: Phan Hieu Chi , Le Tien-Thinh , Duong Huan Thanh , Le Minh Lu
Published: October 2024

This work presents an advanced structural reliability analysis of circular concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) members through machine learning and global optimization, together with numerical Monte Carlo simulations (MCS). The artificial neural network (ANN) model is developed and validated against available experimental data. On the basis of monetary cost of materials, the optimal design of CFST members with reliability constraint is formulated and solved by balancing composite motion optimization (BCMO) algorithm. Based on the MCS, reliability analysis is then carried out to calculate the coefficient of variation of optimal design under different loads. Subsequently, a comprehensive prediction simulation, taking account of the uncertainty of experimental data and potential errors from models (ANN, MCS, and BCMO), is performed to generate the statistics on the axial capacity of CFST members. The critical value for the optimal solution is also investigated as a function of the input variables. The results of this study can be applied to achieve a better reliability-based design optimization with minimum cost for the circular CFST columns.
Learning to drive as humans do: Reinforcement learning for autonomous navigation
Authors: Lun Ge , Xiaoguang Zhou , Yongcong Wang
Published: October 2024

This article introduces an approach aimed at enabling self-driving cars to emulate human-learned driving behavior. We propose a method where the navigation challenge of autonomous vehicles, from starting to ending positions, is framed as a series of decision-making problems encountered in various states negating the requirement for high-precision maps and routing systems. Utilizing high-quality images and sensor-derived state information, we design rewards to guide an agent’s movement from the initial to the final destination. The soft actor-critic algorithm is employed to learn the optimal policy from the interaction between the agent and the environment, informed by these states and rewards. In an innovative approach, we apply the variational autoencoder technique to extract latent vectors from high-quality images, reconstructing a new state space with vehicle state vectors. This method reduces hardware requirements and enhances training efficiency and task success rates. Simulation tests conducted in the CARLA simulator demonstrate the superiority of our method over others. It enhances the intelligence of autonomous vehicles without the need for intermediate processes such as target detection, while concurrently reducing the hardware footprint, even though it may not perform as well as the currently available mature techniques.
Religious monoglossia/heteroglossia and discourses of women leadership in Pakistani higher education
Authors: Lashari Asadullah , Shah Waqar Ali
Published: October 2024

A growing body of literature reveals how women in higher education are either excluded from leadership roles or face challenges when they take such responsibilities. The role of religion in Muslim societies is vital to understand Muslim women's sense of “self” and their academic leadership roles and engagement in social and political activities. This study uses Bakhtin's writings as well as a feminist perspective in Islam to unpack how religious discourses shape and construe Muslim women's leadership roles in a public university in Pakistan. Data in this study was drawn from two sources: (a) semi-structured interviews with women academic leaders and academics and (b) focus group discussions with postgraduate students. Findings suggest that discourse around women's leadership in higher education in Pakistan is influenced by a male-centric religious monoglossia characterized by discourses on the hijab, masculinist religious epistemologies, and male-centric divine imagery. In addition, the study points to heteroglossic de-centering of the religious monoglossia by suggesting heteroglossic fluidity in Pakistani religious ethics that favors women's roles as leaders in higher education. A heteroglossic fluidity is characterized by how Islam is viewed as a national project, interpreted along sectarian and gendered lines, and often misused to discourage women from assuming leadership roles.
Adopting dual-tasks in small-sided games training in youth soccer: The influence of experience level on tactical performance
Authors: Rezende Vitor Hugo Santos , Praça Gibson Moreira
Published: October 2024

This study assessed the influence of experience level on the cost of tactical performance due to a secondary task in soccer players during Small-Sided Games (SSG). The study involved 36 less experienced soccer athletes (under-13 category) and 36 more experienced athletes (under-17 category), totaling 72 male players from two soccer teams. Participants performed, in a randomized and balanced order, four experimental conditions composed of the following protocols: (1) Single-Task (ST) the 3 vs. 3 SSG, (2) Motor Dual-Task (MDT): SSG while balancing a basketball with a small cone, (3) Cognitive Dual-Task 1 (CDT1): SSG while performing mathematical operations, (4) Cognitive Dual-Task 2 (CDT2): SSG while counting opponent's passes. The SSGs were filmed for players’ tactical assessment using the Football Tactical Assessment System. The task cost was analyzed using two-way mixed ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. The comparison between categories indicated that the under-17 category showed a lower cost in the tactical principles of penetration (p = 0.007) and concentration (p = 0.025). In comparison, the under-13 category showed a lower cost in the tactical principles of width and length without the ball (p = 0.007), delay (p = 0.001), and defensive balance (p = 0.025). In comparing protocols, MDT showed a higher cost in the tactical principle of width and length without the ball (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference between CDT1 and CDT2 protocols (p > 0.05). The results suggest that experience level reduces the cost of the secondary task involving actions in progression with the ball, and the MDT, CDT1, and CDT2 protocols appear to generate similar costs to performance.
High-pressure protocol during practice evokes competition-like psychological states in gymnasts
Authors: Oudejans Raôul R. D. , Groothuis Isabelle N. W. , Muller Roxy C. , Hill Yannick
Published: October 2024

Athletes – particularly gymnasts – are inevitably confronted with pressure during competitions. To ensure that athletes can perform their tasks despite experiencing pressure, it is essential to safely expose them to competition-like experiences during training. Therefore, we collaborated with two gymnastics coaches in developing a pressure protocol for elite-level youth gymnasts ( n = 16) to assess whether psychological states that are typically experienced during competitions can be evoked during training. Our results show that cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and mental effort were increased significantly, while self-confidence and performance indicated declines, albeit not significant, when training with a pressure protocol compared to regular training. Furthermore, none of these variables differed between the pressure training and competition. The current results inspire confidence that coaches may utilize pressure protocols to successfully introduce competition-like psychological states during training to help athletes perform better despite experiencing pressure and anxiety.
‘Great Regard’ or ‘Silly Infatuation’? Andrew George Kurtz's Friendship with Edward Saker, and Its Impact on Victorian Theatre in Liverpool
Authors: Sharples Joseph
Published: October 2024

Victorian actor Edward Saker began his career in Edinburgh before moving to Liverpool in 1865. There he established himself as a popular low comedian. In 1868, at the age of thirty, he became lessee of the Alexandra Theatre. Opened two years earlier as the New Prince of Wales, the Alexandra had struggled financially under previous managers, but it flourished under Saker. Using new evidence from the diaries of his close friend, wealthy Liverpool industrialist Andrew George Kurtz, this article describes the circumstances of Saker's transition from actor to actor-manager. Kurtz's diaries document his intimate friendship with Saker, recording how he nursed the actor through a period of serious illness and helped him financially to achieve professional success. Liverpool was an important provincial centre of Victorian theatre, and the 1860s were a turbulent time in the history of the Liverpool stage. Kurtz's diaries give fresh insights into this eventful period, as well as illuminating the private life of a notable Victorian actor.
Upfront Surgery Versus Upfront Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy as Primary Modality in Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tsai Tsung-You , Yap Wing-Keen , Wang Ting-Hao , Lu Yi-An , See Anna , Hu Yu-Feng , Huang Yenlin , Kao Huang-Kai , Chang Kai-Ping
Published: October 2024

Importance

The management of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) continues to be one of the most formidable challenges in the realm of head and neck oncology.

Objectives

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the disparity in survival outcomes between upfront surgery and upfront concurrent chemoradiotherapy as the primary treatment modality in patients with HPSCC.

Design

Systemic review with meta-analysis.

Setting

The meta-analysis was conducted in strict accordance with the PRISMA guideline. A literature search through PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were conducted until January 2023. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of different survival outcomes were extracted and pooled.

Participants

Studies that incorporated HPSCC patients without receiving induction chemotherapy.

Interventions

Upfront surgery versus upfront concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Main Outcome Measures

Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

Eight studies published between 2015 and 2023, with a pooled patient population of 1619, were included in this meta-analysis. The outcomes reveal that upfront surgery was notably linked with improved OS (aHR 0.66, 95% CI 0.57-0.78) and DFS (aHR 0.75, 95% CI 0.63-0.90). Subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate the impact of the overall stage of the tumor and the extent of surgery on OS. In patients with advanced HPSCC (stages III and IV), upfront surgery remained associated with better OS (aHR 0.65, 95% CI 0.56-0.77). Concerning the extent of surgery, both subgroups exhibited a superior OS outcome associated with upfront surgery (exclusive total laryngopharyngectomy group: aHR 0.54, 95% CI 0.39-0.75; total/partial laryngopharyngectomy group: aHR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.84).

Conclusions and Relevance

The results demonstrated that upfront surgery showed better OS and DFS than concurrent chemoradiation and remind the clinicians of the potential reduction in survival outcomes when choosing concurrent chemoradiotherapy as primary treatment.
Use of the Oral Sialogogue “Oriza Tablet” in Reducing Drug-Induced Xerostomia in Patients with Overactive Bladder or Neurogenic Bladder: Randomized Clinical Study
Authors: Piyawannarat Surawach , Sirisreetreelux Pokket , Rattapornsompong Wattanachai , Tancharoen Salunya , Viseshsindh Wit
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Evaluate the clinical efficacy of “Oriza tablet” (OT) for patients with neurologic bladder or overactive bladder affected by xerostomia due to receiving antimuscarinic drugs.

Material and methods

This was a randomized clinical trial. Twenty-eight patients (median age = 64 years) with xerostomia were divided into two groups: OT (intervention group) and placebo (control) group. Both groups comprised 14 patients each.

Objective

We assessed severity using a questionnaire for the subjective evaluation of xerostomia. Objective evaluation was undertaken for the stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR). Xerostomia evaluation took place before treatment (baseline) as well as 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment.

Results

The xerostomia score decreased significantly ( p < 0.05) in the OT group compared to the placebo group, with scores of 2.75 versus 4.4 at 2 weeks and 2.19 versus 4.13 at 4 weeks, respectively. The SSFR increased significantly ( p < 0.05) in the OT group compared to the placebo group, with SSFR of 2 versus 1.2 at 2 weeks and 1.85 versus 1.1 at 4 weeks, respectively. Throughout the trial, no patient discontinued taking antimuscarinic medications. There were no adverse effects noted.

Conclusion

Continuous daily use of OT for 4 weeks reduced xerostomia symptoms and increased saliva production in patients suffering from neurologic bladder or overactive bladder who received antimuscarinic medications.

Clinical trial registration

The study was registered with The Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR). ID: TCTR20240715015.
The In-Hospital Code Stroke: A Look Back and the Road Ahead
Authors: Kuczynski Andrea M , Freeman W David , Mooney Lesia H , Huang Josephine F , Demchuk Andrew M , Khosravani Houman
Published: October 2024

With increased patient volumes and complexity, stroke occurrence in hospitalized patients has become relatively more common. The process of activating a code stroke in-hospital differs in many institutions. An emergency team-based response to inpatient acute code stroke is warranted, with many protocols modeled similarly to the cardiac arrest response. However, several studies have demonstrated delays in recognition and management of acute stroke in-hospital as compared to those arriving directly to the emergency department (ED). Furthermore, there are several shared challenges with code stroke resuscitation in the ED and the ward, which include the assembly of ad hoc teams and requirement of access to urgent imaging. Delays in activating in-hospital code stroke contributes to increased morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and associated health care costs. In the following commentary, we discuss the current landscape of acute in-hospital code stroke protocols, review the differences in neurologic outcomes between inpatient vs ED/out-of-hospital code stroke patients, and propose future directions for in-hospital code stroke paradigms for improved patient outcomes and quality of care.
Surgical management of a chest wall osteosarcoma with pleural and lung invasion through en-bloc chest resection and complex reconstruction. Case report
Authors: Endara Santiago A , Dávalos Gerardo A , Serrano Armando J , Muñoz-Palomeque Santiago , Pontón M Patricia , López Cynthia D , Diaz G Ariel
Published: October 2024

Osteosarcomas of the ribs are rarely reported but have a high potential for pulmonary metastases. The therapeutic strategies for this disease are not well defined. The primary treatment recommendations include wide resection with clear surgical margins and chest wall reconstruction if needed. We present a case of costal osteosarcoma with pleural and lung extension successfully treated by en-bloc thoracic resection with free surgical margins and chest wall reconstruction with rib titanium bars, polypropylene mesh and a rectus abdominis free flap with microvascular anastomoses. This case demonstrates the importance of this therapeutic strategy and highlights the need of early intervention in managing this disease.
Current practice of screening and antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent Gram-negative bacterial infection in high-risk haematology patients: results from a pan-European survey
Authors: Stemler Jannik , Gavriilaki Eleni , Hlukhareva Oksana , Khanna Nina , Neofytos Dionysios , Akova Murat , Pagano Livio , Cisneros José-Miguel , Cornely Oliver A. , Salmanton-García Jon
Published: October 2024

Background:

Bacterial infections frequently occur in haematological patients, especially during prolonged neutropenia after intensive chemotherapy, often leading to bloodstream infections and pneumonia.

Objective:

Routine antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) for high-risk haematology patients is still debated while prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) is rising globally. We aimed to assess the current practice of AMP in this population.

Design:

Cross-sectional observational survey study.

Methods:

Haematologists and infectious diseases physicians Europewide were invited to an online survey including questions on routine screening for GNB, incidence of MDR-GNB colonization, antimicrobial prophylaxis practices, rates of bloodstream infections (BSI), ICU admission and mortality differentiated by infections due to GNB versus MDR-GNB.

Results:

120 haematology centres from 28 countries participated. Screening for MDR-GNB is performed in 86.7% of centres, mostly via rectal swabs (58.3%). In 39.2% of routine AMP is used, mostly with fluoroquinolones. Estimates of GNB-BSI yielded higher rates in patients not receiving anti-GNB prophylaxis than in those who do for E. coli (10% vs 7%) Klebsiella spp. (10% vs 5%), and Pseudomonas spp. (5% vs 4%). Rates for MDR-GNB infection were estimated lower in centres that administer AMP for MDR E. coli (5% vs 3%) Klebsiella spp. (5% vs 3%), and Pseudomonas spp. (2% vs 1%). In an exploratory analysis, Southern and Eastern European countries expected higher rates of MDR-GNB infections with lower ICU admission and mortality rates which may be subject to estimation bias.

Conclusion:

Screening for MDR-GNB is frequently performed. AMP against GNB infections is still often implemented. Estimated BSI rates are rather low, while the rate of MDR-GNB infections rises. Tailored prophylaxis including antimicrobial stewardship becomes more important.
Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of implementing a 12-week home-based aerobic and resistance exercise program for breast cancer patients receiving endocrine treatment in Indonesia: A mixed methods study
Authors: Astari Yufi Kartika , Hutajulu Susanna Hilda , Prabandari Yayi Suryo , Bintoro Bagas Suryo , Wibowo Rakhmat Ari , Hardianti Mardiah Suci , Hartopo Anggoro Budi , Sebastiano Katie M Di , Allsop Matthew John , Burke Shaunna
Published: October 2024

Objectives:

To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of implementing a home-based aerobic and resistance exercise for patients with breast cancer receiving endocrine treatment in Indonesia.

Methods:

This is a mixed methods study with concurrent design consisting of quantitative single-arm pre-post intervention and qualitative study. We recruited patients with breast cancer ( N = 36) receiving endocrine treatment and assigned 12 weeks of home-based pedometer-driven walking and resistance exercises using therapeutic bands. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the feasibility (recruitment, retention, and adherence) and safety. The modified Bruce treadmill test was used to measure predicted aerobic capacity (V̇O2 peak). Quality of life and fatigue were assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire and fatigue severity scale. Measurements were performed at baseline and post-intervention and analyzed with the paired t-test or Wilcoxon test. Semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis were conducted post-intervention to explore patients’ acceptability.

Results:

The results showed a recruitment rate of 75%, retention rate of 89%, and adherence rates were 53% for aerobic and 78% for resistance exercise. No severe adverse events were reported. Post-intervention interviews identified positive attitudes toward the intervention, with low burden and high perceived benefit. Exercise duration and predicted V̇O2 peak increased significantly (+1.1 min, p = 0.001 and +2.3 ml/kg/min, p = 0.043), but no significant change was detected for Quality of Life ( p > 0.050) or fatigue severity ( p = 0.299).

Conclusions:

A home-based aerobic and resistance exercise was feasible when implemented in the context of routine care in our study population, improving predicted aerobic capacity. Further research is required to understand limited changes to Quality of Life and fatigue and adaptations to support implementation in additional sites in Indonesia.
Trade-offs in AI assistant choice: Do consumers prioritize transparency and sustainability over AI assistant performance?
Authors: Ioku Tomohiro , Song Jaehyun , Watamura Eiichiro
Published: October 2024

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into society, concerns have arisen about unintended biases in AI-driven decision-making and the environmental impact of AI technology development. AI assistants such as Siri and Alexa, while helpful, can obscure decision-making and contribute to increased energy use and CO2 emissions. The present study explores whether consumers prioritize transparency and environmental sustainability over performance when choosing AI assistants with conjoint designs. Japanese participants were presented with different AI assistant profiles, varying in performance quality, transparency, cost, and environmental efficiency. The results revealed that Japanese participants prioritized transparency over performance when choosing AI assistants, but they prioritized performance over environmental sustainability. Moreover, future-oriented participants placed more importance on sustainability than those with a present orientation, while participants with an internal locus of control valued transparency more than those with an external locus of control. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of how consumers choose AI options and offer valuable guidance for creating AI systems and communication strategies that work effectively.
Data sharing considerations and practice among health researchers in Africa: A scoping review
Authors: Obiora Oluchukwu Loveth , Shead Dorothy Agnes , Olivier Benita
Published: October 2024

Objective

To examine the way African health researchers share data. It summarized the types of data collected, the data sharing platforms, and how the geographical distribution of the African-based health researchers influenced data sharing practices. Ethical, legal, and social aspects were considered. Institutional and government matters such as research support and funding were identified.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, LILAC, African Journal Archive, and Scopus databases were searched. Full-text screening was conducted, and data was extracted using the data extraction tool published in an a priori Joanna Briggs Institute-published protocol. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Data were illustrated using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses flow diagram, figures, tables, and a narrative text.

Results

Of the 3869 studies that were identified, 32 studies were included in the final study. There was a spike in the number of published studies from 2015 to 2019 ( n =  24, 75.0%), while a decline followed in the number of publications from 2020 to April 2023 ( n =  6, 18.8%). Ten of the studies included were from South Africa, five were from Kenya, three each were from Nigeria and Tanzania, two were from Ghana and Sierra Leone respectively, while one each was from Malawi, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Mali, Gambia, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. Negative factors impacting data sharing practices of health researchers in Africa included barriers to individual research capacity, governmental bureaucracy and corruption, legal obstacles, technological problems, prohibitive costs of publication, lack of funding, institutional delays, and ethical issues.

Conclusion

This review identified how African health researchers undertook data sharing in their countries. It pinpointed how geographical location and the resultant challenges to data distribution both individually and institutionally influenced health researchers’ ability to achieve data sharing and publication of their research. It was clear that many parts of Africa are still not participating in research due to the many factors that negatively impact health data sharing in Africa.
Citizen science to approach machine learning to society: Detecting loneliness in older adults
Authors: Castillo-Hornero Andrea , Belmonte-Fernández Óscar , Gascó-Compte Arturo , Caballer-Miedes Antonio , López Agustín , Afxentiou Afxentis
Published: October 2024

Background

Even if we are not aware of it, machine learning techniques are part of our daily lives. It is of the utmost interest that citizens become familiar with the use of these techniques and discover their potential to solve everyday problems.

Objective and Methods

In this article, we describe the methodology and results of a highly replicable citizen science project that allows citizens to get closer to the scientific process and understand the potential of machine learning to solve a social problem of interest to them. For this purpose, we have chosen a problem of social relevance in contemporary societies, namely the detection of loneliness in older adults. Citizens are challenged to apply machine learning techniques to identify levels of loneliness from natural language.

Results

The results of this project suggest that citizens are willing to engage in science when the challenges posed are of social interest to them. A total of 1517 citizens actively engaged in the project. A database containing 1112 texts about loneliness expressions was collected. An accuracy of 83.12% using the logistic regression algorithm and 62.23% accuracy when using the Naïve Bayes algorithm was reached in detecting loneliness from texts.

Conclusions

Detecting loneliness using machine learning techniques is an attractive and relevant topic that allows citizens to be involved in science and introduces them to machine learning practices. The methodology of this project can be replicated in other places around the world.
Are ICD codes reliable for observational studies? Assessing coding consistency for data quality
Authors: Nelson Stuart J. , Yin Ying , Trujillo Rivera Eduardo A. , Shao Yijun , Ma Phillip , Tuttle Mark S. , Garvin Jennifer , Zeng-Treitler Qing
Published: October 2024

Objective

International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes recorded in electronic health records (EHRs) are frequently used to create patient cohorts or define phenotypes. Inconsistent assignment of codes may reduce the utility of such cohorts. We assessed the reliability across time and location of the assignment of ICD codes in a US health system at the time of the transition from ICD-9-CM (ICD, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification) to ICD-10-CM (ICD, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification).

Materials and methods

Using clusters of equivalent codes derived from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention General Equivalence Mapping (GEM) tables, ICD assignments occurring during the ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM transition were investigated in EHR data from the US Veterans Administration Central Data Warehouse using deep learning and statistical models. These models were then used to detect abrupt changes across the transition; additionally, changes at each VA station were examined.

Results

Many of the 687 most-used code clusters had ICD-10-CM assignments differing greatly from that predicted from the codes used in ICD-9-CM. Manual reviews of a random sample found that 66% of the clusters showed problematic changes, with 37% having no apparent explanations. Notably, the observed pattern of changes varied widely across care locations.

Discussion and conclusion

The observed coding variability across time and across location suggests that ICD codes in EHRs are insufficient to establish a semantically reliable cohort or phenotype. While some variations might be expected with a changing in coding structure, the inconsistency across locations suggests other difficulties. Researchers should consider carefully how cohorts and phenotypes of interest are selected and defined.
Generational change and democratic transitions in 14 Asian countries
Authors: McAllister Ian , Biddle Nicholas
Published: October 2024

Generations are the engine of political change. This is especially relevant in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, which have had a variety of postwar democratic experiences while also encompassing over 60 percent of the world's youth. This article applies the four-fold democratic classification developed by Yun-han Chu and his colleagues to wave 5 of the Asian Barometer Survey to investigate how generational change is shaping democratic orientations in 14 Asia-Pacific countries. Our results show that generations are less important in shaping views of democracy than is the case in other parts of the world. While generations matter for the transition to democracy, they are less important in Asia than democratic experiences, socioeconomic status, or the country in which the person lives.
Evaluating the Predictors of Persistent Long COVID Symptoms and Their Severity in COVID-19 Survivors 1 Year After Infection
Authors: Aldhawyan Adam F. , BuSaad Mohammed A. , Alamri Bothayna A. , Alsaihati Mohammed I. , Alanazi Bader S. , alanazi Rawan A. , Bahamdan Ahmed S.
Published: October 2024

Introduction/objective:

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic progressed, the virus was found to cause long-term health complications known as long COVID (LC). This study aimed to investigate LC symptom severity and the factors associated with the likelihood of persistence beyond 1 year among COVID-19 survivors in Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

This descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted via convenience sampling between December 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024. In-person interviews were performed, and 845 individuals with persistent symptoms after acute COVID-19 were included.

Results:

Hair loss and memory impairment were the most reported symptoms. In predicting LC persistence beyond 12 months, women were found to have higher odds of being symptomatic than men, and individuals from moderate-to-high-income households were more likely to report persistent symptoms than those from low-income households. Each additional acute COVID-19 symptom increased the likelihood of persistent symptoms by 1.14 times. Reporting more symptoms in the first 6 months post-infection significantly reduced the odds of long-term symptoms by approximately 30%.

Conclusion:

LC symptom severity varies among patients, and sociodemographic and clinical factors influence the likelihood of experiencing symptoms beyond 1 year. Understanding these factors can provide insights and help optimize management, leading to improved patient outcomes.
Physical Activity Interventions Among Older Adults with Chronic Illnesses: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Authors: Heij Ward , Sweerts Lieke , Staal J. Bart , Cuijpers Iris , Nijhuis-van der Sanden Maria W.G. , van der Wees Philip J. , Hoogeboom Thomas J.
Published: October 2024

To investigate the individual effectiveness of motivational interviewing, tailor-made interventions, social context-related interventions, shared decision making, and monitoring & feedback versus active- and passive control groups on physical activity level among older adults at short-, middle-, and long term. Secondary aim is to compare the effectiveness of interventions using a single motivational strategy versus interventions combining multiple motivational strategies. Literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro databases using keywords and subject headings. Randomized controlled trials comparing two or more arms, with one arm focused on motivational strategies influencing physical activity were included. We identified 20,690 titles, of which 51 (comprising 11,596 participants) were included. Methodological quality and quality of evidence was evaluated using PEDro scale and GRADE approach. Outcomes were physical activity levels measured by objective- or subjective instruments at 3-, 6-, and 12 months follow-up. Standardized mean differences between intervention- and control groups were used as the mode of the analyses. For primary outcome, 6 months follow-up, pooled data demonstrated a statistically significant trend for higher effectiveness interventions using multiple motivational strategies compared with an active control intervention, while other singular motivational strategies did not show similar results for this comparison. The quality of the body of evidence was graded as very low for all motivational strategies. In our search, we have used broad in- and exclusion criteria for eligible studies regarding population characteristics resulting in a wide variety of conditions and illnesses included in our review which warrants a better representation of daily clinical practice. However, this led to data being pooled from a wide variety of different study populations and settings, content of interventions and outcome measures, increasing the heterogeneity of study characteristics. Interventions combining multiple motivational strategies show a trend to be more effective than using singular treatment strategies, although the optimal composition remains unclear.
Taking Anger Home: Are Employees Who Experience Ostracism from Supervisors More Likely to Undermine Family Harmony? The Perspective of Anger Displacement
Authors: Zeng Qi , Duan Zhihui , Zhu Bingyan , Yang Weiwen
Published: October 2024

Supervisor ostracism is commonplace in work settings. Previous studies have mainly focused on the influence of supervisor ostracism on employees’ work behavior and performance, while the impact of supervisor ostracism on employees’ family harmony has garnered less attention. Based on the affective events theory, we analyzed data collected from 3 time points and 343 employees in the Chinese context. We found that supervisor ostracism significantly undermines employee-family harmony, which is mediated by workplace anger. In addition, our study demonstrated that high emotional regulation alleviates the relationship between workplace anger and family undermining, reducing the destructive consequences for the family. Our results indicated that individual differences in emotional regulation are responsible for moderating the mediating effects of workplace ange between supervisor ostracism and family undermining, shedding light on future research directions and providing practical implications for solving work-family conflict.
Academic Stress and Fear of Covid-19 Among Gaza’s Students During the Covid-19 Outbreak: The Mediating Role of Social Support and Self-Esteem
Authors: El Khodary Basel , Diab Marwan , Veronese Guido
Published: October 2024

The present cross-sectional study sought to explore the role of social support and self-esteem in alleviating the Covid-19 burdens among university students in a context characterized by political instability and conflict, such as the one of the Gaza Strip. Three hundred and fifteen university students in the Gaza Strip, 230 (73%) boys and 85 (27%) girls, compiled self-reported questionnaires ( FCS-19, RSES, BSSS, ASS-14). We tested throughout stratified regression analysis the role of social support and self-esteem in influencing the relationship between fear of Covid-19 and academic stress. We expected social support and self-esteem to influence the association between the predictor (fear of Covid) and the outcome variable (academic stress). The findings showed that self-esteem was crucial in regulating the association between fear of COVID and academic stress. Social support did not. The more students perceived fear of the infection, the more they were at risk of displaying stress in their studies, while self-esteem might have regulated the sense of overload because of academic demands. The need to support students living in chronic warfare and political violence conditions, the necessity to promote social networks and potentiate their self-esteem during and beyond the pandemic outbreak emerged as urgent in the Gaza Strip.
Examining the role of ambidextrous green innovation and green competitive advantage in stimulating sustainable performance: The moderating role of green absorptive capacity
Authors: Baquero Asier
Published: October 2024

Hotels’ sustainable performance has become a key issue in tourism. We examine the role of ambidextrous green innovation (GI) and its relationship with sustainable performance, considering the mediating effect of green competitive advantage and moderating effect of green absorptive capacity. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of Spanish hotels. We utilize variance-based partial least squares structural-equation modelling (PLS-SEM) for analysis. We find that ambidextrous GI significantly impacts the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainable performance. Additionally, green competitive advantage mediates the relationship between ambidextrous GI and sustainable performance, while the moderating effect of green absorptive capacity strengthens the impact of ambidextrous GI on environmental performance. However, green absorptive capacity does not significantly moderate the associations between ambidextrous GI and social and environmental performance. To enhance hotels’ sustainability, further investigation into the interaction between tangible and intangible resources and ambidextrous GI is indicated. This study offers valuable insights for hotel management to enhance sustainable performance.
Note on the Dual-Task Paradigm and its Use to Measure Listening Effort
Authors: Kuchinsky Stefanie E. , Gallun Frederick J. , Lee Adrian K.C.
Published: October 2024

People regularly communicate in complex environments, requiring them to flexibly shift their attention across multiple sources of sensory information. Increasing recruitment of the executive functions that support successful speech comprehension in these multitasking settings is thought to contribute to the sense of effort that listeners often experience. One common research method employed to quantify listening effort is the dual-task paradigm in which individuals recognize speech and concurrently perform a secondary (often visual) task. Effort is operationalized as performance decrements on the secondary task as speech processing demands increase. However, recent reviews have noted critical inconsistencies in the results of dual-task experiments, likely in part due to how and when the two tasks place demands on a common set of mental resources and how flexibly individuals can allocate their attention to them. We propose that in order to move forward to address this gap, we need to first look backward: better integrating theoretical models of resource capacity and allocation as well as of task-switching that have been historically developed in domains outside of hearing research (viz., cognitive psychology and neuroscience). With this context in mind, we describe how dual-task experiments could be designed and interpreted such that they provide better and more robust insights into the mechanisms that contribute to effortful listening.
Regulating robo-advice for consumers’ financial decisions: The interplay between algorithm quality & digital choice architecture
Authors: Dellaert Benedict G. C. , Baker Tom , Johnson Eric J.
Published: October 2024

Rapid advances in digital interfaces, the quality of predictive algorithms, and the availability of high-speed internet are allowing firms to offer robo-advice: automated online guidance about which financial products are suitable for a consumer. At their best, robo-advisors feature algorithms that accurately predict which financial products are the optimal match for a given consumer’s needs and use digital choice architectures (that is, ways of presenting the product recommendations online) that are designed to strongly guide consumers to those best-fit products. Yet when algorithms lack great accuracy, strong guidance in favor of products incorrectly predicted to have the best fit could lead consumers to select options that do not meet their needs well. The possibility that strong guidance results in different financial outcomes depending on the quality of the algorithms has important implications for regulating robo-advice. We propose that, consistent with current regulatory practice for human advisors, regulators should require any firm wishing to implement a robo-advisor for its clients to demonstrate both that the robo-advisor is honest (that is, it works in the best interests of the client) and that its algorithms meet some established level of accuracy. In addition, regulators should require any firm offering a robo-advisor to demonstrate that the strength of the guidance provided by the digital choice architecture aligns with the predictive accuracy of the advisor’s algorithms. We offer several practical suggestions for implementing such a regulatory strategy. The need for regulations is becoming increasingly urgent because many robo-advisors now use artificial intelligence (AI) to make predictions. AI has made robo-advisors more powerful and easier to use, which is likely to expand their adoption—and, by extension, the harm that would be caused if subpar robo-advisors are allowed on the market.
Mapping changes in the utilization of childhood immunization over 5 years in a south Indian tertiary care hospital
Authors: Mathew Merrin , Sanathan Savitha Rajapur , Sebastian Juny , Ravi Mandyam Dhati , Joy Taniya , Theempalangad Rovin Mathew , Gowda Panchaksharappa
Published: October 2024

Background:

Altered vaccine demands and uneven utilization patterns in childhood immunization are evident nationwide. These variabilities may stem from a range of internal and external factors influencing parental preferences. Regular checks and balances are necessary to ensure equal accessibility for all sections of society.

Aim:

To assess the usage trends of childhood vaccines for 5 years (2018–2022) and to monitor instances of delayed/incomplete immunization status within the community.

Methodology:

This study recorded the utilization trends of all recommended childhood vaccines over a 5-year period using an ambispective design. The immunization details from 3 years (2018, 2019 and 2020) were retrieved retrospectively, while those from 2 years (2021–2022) were collected prospectively through the immunization registry. Trends in childhood vaccine utilization were recorded across different years, and delays and incomplete vaccine utilization among children, along with factors resulting in deviated immunization timelines, were analysed and compared. The association of factors with deviated immunization utilization was determined using the chi-square test, and a two-way ANOVA analysed utilization variabilities over 5 years.

Result:

Overall, the study profiled 32,085 children’s (who utilized 87,782 vaccine doses) vaccine utilization pattern for 5 years. Optional vaccines were less utilized (18.12% doses by 25.14% children) compared to mandatory vaccines (81.88% doses utilized by 74.86%). The most utilized mandatory vaccine was oral polio (17.48%) and for optional vaccines, it was measles mumps rubella (MMR; 28.31%). Boys had the highest utilization (55.97%) with a significant male preponderance in optional vaccine utilization ( p value <0.05). Overall, there was a 26.12% decline (percent change) in vaccine utilization in 2022 compared to 2018. Among children with delayed immunization timelines (6.02%), 3.38% were on catch-up, and 2.45% were not. The most commonly delayed vaccines were diphtheria + tetanus + pertussis boosters (30.90%), Tdap (26.19%) and MMR vaccines (20.65%). Influenza vaccines (28.08%) were the most partially utilized optional vaccine, followed by varicella vaccines (20.92%). Factors such as gender (female), age over 1 year, rural residence and low- to middle-income families were significant predictors of deviated immunization status in children.

Conclusion:

The study mapped the utilization trends of immunizations at a tertiary care hospital in south India over the past 5 years, including the COVID-19 years. Gender inequality in the utilization of optional vaccines is a concern that warrants further research and redressal. Timely administration of childhood vaccinations is crucial for reducing susceptibility to vaccine-preventable diseases and promoting overall well-being.
Generative AI, Emerging Technology, and Organizing: Towards a theory of progressive encapsulation
Authors: Hinds Pamela , von Krogh Georg
Published: October 2024

Generative AI is upon us and is changing organizations and organizing. In this essay, we extend the relational perspective on technology, which argues for moving away from an entity-based view of technology to one that focuses instead on the evolving relations and functions between people, technologies, and organizations. We do so by introducing the concept of “progressive encapsulation” which captures GenAI’s potential ability to increasingly expand the “black box” and reduce visibility into and control over the relations and functions performed. We argue that progressive encapsulation is critical in our theorizing about GenAI. As an illustration and thought experiment we consider how GenAI and progressive encapsulation may necessitate changes in our theorizing about groups and teams in organizations.