bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Islamic “Theory of Justice” commentary on consumer well-being
Authors: El-Bassiouny Noha , Hisham El-Naggar Donia
Published: April 2024

Purpose

In this paper, the philosophy of John Rawls, known as “Justice as Fairness,” is discussed. This philosophy examines the responsibilities social actors hold toward their societal organizations. From an Islamic perspective, justice is pivotal in safeguarding collective interests, aligning with Rawls' conviction that just societies nurture happiness and foster well-being across various life aspects. To achieve customer welfare, our viewpoint underscores the importance of justice in reflecting on consumer well-being from both Rawls’ theory and Islamic perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

We adopt a conceptual approach where secular views of Rawls’ “Theory of Justice” are merged with the Islamic view, resulting in novel insights regarding the hermeneutics involved in the notion of justice and the preservation of consumer well-being.

Findings

Our analysis reveals that John Rawls' “A Theory of Justice” aligns with the Islamic perspective in several respects yet diverges in others, notably in the concepts of pre-creation consciousness and divine guidance. These distinctions are emphasized in our paper.

Originality/value

Our paper presents a perspective on justice founded on the concepts of the “Original Position” and the “Veil of Ignorance.” The commentary explores consumer well-being by integrating Rawls' principles with an analysis that elucidates the role justice plays in enhancing societal welfare.
The Smart Cookie Project
Authors: Cormier Kerry , Figueroa Trudi
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This practitioner-focused article highlights a collaborative, school-wide project at a PDS that showcased elementary students’ strengths and talents. Based on the children’s book, The Smart Cookie (John, 2021), teachers and the university professor-in-residence developed professional learning communities, which inspired the creation of a space for all students to demonstrate ways in which they were “smart cookies” that aligned with our comprehensive mission of promoting inclusive practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Rooted in professional learning communities, teachers at our PDS spent the first half of the school year learning about chosen topics of social–emotional learning, stamina and neurodiversity. The Smart Cookie Project was created to demonstrate the connections between these topics. Students at the PDS were given the opportunity to create an original project that showcased their creativity, interests and talents. Projects were then displayed during a schoolwide showcase.

Findings

The impact of the project and the showcase demonstrated the importance of creating opportunities for both teacher and student innovation. The project brought the community together, allowed students to be viewed through strengths-based perspectives, helped teachers see how their own learning can positively impact their practice and emphasized the need for honoring student choice in the classroom.

Originality/value

The project discussed here can lend itself to fellow PDSs looking to adopt innovative instructional approaches, honor inclusive practices and situate students in places of strength.
The Iranian policy advisory system: Contained politicisation and emerging technicisation
Authors: Emamian Seyed Mohamad Sadegh , Bagheripour Reza
Published: April 2024

A lot of literature on policy advisory systems (PASs) is based on Western liberal democracies, with scant attention paid to policymaking systems in authoritarian regimes. This paper examines the Iran's PAS and how it has changed between 1989 and 2023. The paper documents four distinctive phases in Iran's PAS: in‐house ‘institutionalisation’, transitional ‘politicisation’, technocratic ‘externalisation’, and ‘technicisation’. We examine 16 representative advisory organisations (1989–2023) and show that while the Iranian PAS is well institutionalised and increasingly becoming externalised, there is still a tradition of centralisation and limited bureaucratic openness. Further, Iran's PAS has become less political due to constitutional preferences preventing advisory organisations from dealing with politically sensitive issues, as well as the decline of political party traditions and institutions. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of the emerging ‘technicisation’ of Iran's PAS, indicating an expansion of and reliance on technology‐assisted tools and instruments by advisory organisations.

Points for practitioners

Regardless of differences in political systems, policy advisory systems are an indispensable part of public policymaking machinery.

To enhance the quality of public policies, policymakers should support a diversified and competent advisory system.

To keep externalised organisations alive and effective, they must be supported by public measures and protected by a legal framework.

A form of technocratic‐political balance in PAS is necessary. A well‐developed policy advisory system not only includes non‐partisan and technocratic advisory institutions, it also consists of politicised institutions providing political advice for policymakers too.
Skin Colour and Priesthood. Debating Bodily Differences in Early Modern Catholicism*
Authors: Röder Brendan
Published: April 2024

Can people of different skin colours become Catholic priests? What may seem self‐evident from today's perspective, Catholic theologians and canon lawyers controversially debated in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. While most authors agreed that colour per se was not a problematic factor, an increasing number argued that non‐white individuals should not serve as priests in white communities because of the negative reactions they would provoke there. This article argues that by taking this “perspectivist view” the Catholic Church could claim universality and flexibility in its admission policy whereas, in fact, it incorporated and reinforced anti‐Blackness. The article analyses the hitherto unexplored history of this debate, situates it within broader thinking about bodily differences in an increasingly global Catholic world and shows how it intersected with practical issues surrounding the establishment of an indigenous clergy throughout the Catholic empires and missionary zones.
Gender, Feeling and the Making of Korean Christian Knowledge in Sengoku Japan*
Authors: Broomhall Susan
Published: April 2024

This essay explores the production of Korean Christian knowledge in Sengoku Japan by analysing narratives about a vision said to have been experienced by an evangelised Korean woman, which circulated within Jesuit correspondence from Japan and in subsequent publications. These texts, about a convert's journey to diverse netherworlds, made affective experiences central to spiritual perception, and to Jesuit interpretation of faith. They held important implications for how women living in a society permeated by Buddhist beliefs and practices could be represented as producers of Christian knowledge and as faith guides to others, whose bodies did not hinder spiritual perception but rather offered tools for achieving it.
Functional types of long trichoid sensilla responding to sex pheromone components in Plutella xylostella
Authors: Li Xiao‐Fei , Qie Xing‐Tao , Mo Bao‐Tong , Wang Cai‐Feng , Xing Zeng‐Hua , Zhao Jin‐Yu , Wang Chen‐Zhu , Hao Chi , Ma Li , Yan Xi‐Zhong
Published: April 2024

Sex pheromones, which consist of multiple components in specific ratios promote intraspecific sexual communications of insects. Plutella xylostella (L.) is a worldwide pest of cruciferous vegetables, the mating behavior of which is highly dependent on its olfactory system. Long trichoid sensilla on male antennae are the main olfactory sensilla that can sense sex pheromones. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, 3 sex pheromone components from sex pheromone gland secretions of P. xylostella female adults were identified as Z11‐16:Ald, Z11‐16:Ac, and Z11‐16:OH in a ratio of 9.4 : 100 : 17 using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection. Electrophysiological responses of 581 and 385 long trichoid sensilla of male adults and female adults, respectively, to the 3 components were measured by single sensillum recording. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that the long trichoid sensilla were of 6 different types. In the male antennae, 52.32%, 5.51%, and 1.89% of the sensilla responded to Z11‐16:Ald, Z11‐16:Ac, and Z11‐16:OH, which are named as A type, B type, and C type sensilla, respectively; 2.93% named as D type sensilla responded to both Z11‐16:Ald and Z11‐16:Ac, and 0.34% named as E type sensilla were sensitive to both Z11‐16:Ald and Z11‐16:OH. In the female antennae, only 7.53% of long trichoid sensilla responded to the sex pheromone components, A type sensilla were 3.64%, B type and C type sensilla were both 0.52%, D type sensilla were 1.30%, and 1.56% of the sensilla responded to all 3 components, which were named as F type sensilla. The responding long trichoid sensilla were located from the base to the terminal of the male antennae and from the base to the middle of the female antennae. The pheromone mixture (Z11‐16:Ald : Z11‐16:Ac : Z11‐16:OH = 9.4 : 100 : 17) had a weakly repellent effect on female adults of P. xylostella. Our results lay the foundation for further studies on sex pheromone communications in P. xylostella.
Isolation, opportunity, and the ‘third place’: The experiences of Timorese seasonal workers in Australia
Authors: Wu Annie Yuan Cih , Vamos George , Rose Michael
Published: April 2024

Organised, temporary labour migration from the Global South to wealthier countries is a growing and sometimes problematic phenomenon. This article considers Timorese involvement in the Australian Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) in relation to this trend. Drawing primarily on semi‐structured interviews and participant observation undertaken among an interconnected group of 50 Timorese seasonal workers across Australia and Timor‐Leste between 2016 and 2021, we found that geographical and social isolation and limited leisure all proved challenges while working in Australia. In some cases, it appears that the workers were able to lean upon their own social networks and local churches as a way to mitigate these challenges. We argue that, in considering the welfare of workers in temporary migration programs such as the SWP, it is important to be aware of the role played by informal groups that are formally outside the scheme itself.
Empirically contrasting urine drug screening‐based opioid use disorder treatment outcome definitions
Authors: Brandt Laura , Odom Gabriel J. , Hu Mei‐Chen , Castro Clinton , Balise Raymond R. ,   the CTN‐0094 Team
Published: April 2024

Background and aims

A lack of consensus on the optimal outcome measures to assess opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment efficacy and their precise definition and computation has hampered the pooling of research data for evidence synthesis and meta‐analyses. This study aimed to empirically contrast multiple clinical trial definitions of treatment success by applying them to the same dataset.

Methods

Data analysis used a suite of functions, developed as a software package for the R language, to operationalize 61 treatment outcome definitions based on urine drug screening (UDS) results. Outcome definitions were derived from clinical trials that are among the most influential in the OUD treatment field. Outcome functions were applied to a harmonized dataset from three large‐scale National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) studies, which tested various medication for OUD (MOUD) options (n = 2492). Hierarchical clustering was employed to empirically contrast outcome definitions.

Results

The optimal number of clusters identified was three. Cluster 1, comprising eight definitions focused on detecting opioid‐positive UDS, did not include missing UDS in outcome calculations, potentially resulting in inflated rates of treatment success. Cluster 2, with the highest variability, included 10 definitions characterized by strict criteria for treatment success, relying heavily on UDS results from either a brief period or a single study visit. The 43 definitions in Cluster 3 represented a diverse range of outcomes, conceptualized as measuring abstinence, use reduction and relapse. These definitions potentially offer more balanced measures of treatment success or failure, as they avoid the extreme methodologies characteristic of Clusters 1 and 2.

Conclusions

Clinical trials using urine drug screening (UDS) for objective substance use assessment in outcome definitions should consider (1) incorporating missing UDS data in outcome computation and (2) avoiding over‐reliance on UDS data confined to a short time frame or the occurrence of a single positive urine test following a period of abstinence.
Patient, surgical and hospital factors predicting actual first‐day mobilisation after hip fracture surgery: An observational cohort study
Authors: Woodcroft‐Brown Victoria , Bell Jack , Pulle Chrysanth Ranjeev , Mitchell Rebecca , Close Jacqueline , McDougall Catherine , Hurring Sarah , Sarkies Mitchell
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To examine patient, surgical and hospital factors associated with Day‐1 postoperative mobility after hip fracture surgery in older adults.

Methods

A cohort study using Australia and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry was conducted. Participants were aged older than 50 years and underwent hip fracture surgery between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 inclusive. The outcome was standing and step transferring out of bed onto a chair and/or walking Day‐1 after hip fracture surgery.

Results

Mean age was 82 years and 68% were women. Of 12,318 patients with hip fracture, 5981 (49%) actually mobilised Day‐1. Odds of actual first‐day mobilisation were lower for individuals usually walking with either stick or crutch (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.62–0.82) or two aids or frame (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.52–0.64) or wheelchair/bed bound (OR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.17–0.33); who had impaired cognition preadmission (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.51–0.64); from aged care facilities (OR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.52–0.67); had an American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade 2 (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.41–0.97), 3 (OR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.20–0.47) or 4 or 5 (OR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.14–0.32); surgery delay >48 h (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.71–0.91); and restricted/non‐weight‐bearing status immediately postoperatively (OR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.42–0.67).

Conclusions

Both non‐modifiable and modifiable patient and surgical factors influence first‐day mobilisation after hip fracture surgery. Reducing time to surgery might assist future quality improvement efforts to increase Day‐1 postoperative mobility.
Risk stratification in multiple myeloma: Are we there yet?
Authors: Mohan Meera , Schinke Carolina
Published: April 2024

The second revision of international staging system (R2‐ISS) shows promise in patients with multiple myeloma treated with a regimen of novel agent‐based induction therapy, autologous stem cell transplant and maintenance therapy, but challenges persist. This study by Alzahrani et al. underscores the importance of refining risk assessment tools for tailored treatment strategies.

Commentary on: Alzahrani et al. Impact of revised international staging system 2 (R2‐ISS) risk stratification on outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma receiving autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Br J Haematol 2024;204:1944‐1952.
Comparison of adjustment to a temporary or permanent ostomy using the OAI‐23
Authors: Whiteley Ian , Randall Susan , Fetheny Judith , Stanaway Fiona
Published: April 2024

Aim

The aim of this work was to compare adjustment between those with a new temporary or permanent ostomy in a cohort of Australian adults.

Method

This is a multicentre, longitudinal observational study. Ostomy adjustment was measured using the Ostomy Adjustment Inventory (OAI‐23) at six possible time points ending at 9 months postsurgery or at the time of ostomy closure in those with a temporary stoma. The OAI‐23 includes four domains: anger, acceptance, anxious preoccupation and social engagement.

Results

Eligibility criteria were met by 1230 patients, with 849 (69%) recruited and consented. Of these, 108 were excluded as their surgery did not result in the formation of an ostomy and a further 41 were excluded due to there being no data on ostomy type (temporary or permanent). This left a study population of 700, of whom 397 had a temporary and 303 a permanent ostomy. Only small differences were observed between the temporary and permanent ostomy groups at most time points within the four OAI‐23 domains. There were no statistically significant differences found beyond 2 weeks postdischarge and the differences were of small size. While no difference was found between the groups in the domain of anxious preoccupation, both groups demonstrated an increase in anxious preoccupation over time. Neither group regained their presurgery confidence to attend social engagements.

Conclusion

We found only minor differences in adjustment in those with a new temporary ostomy compared with a new permanent ostomy. Both groups demonstrated increasing anxious preoccupation and problems with social engagement. This suggests that access to education, training and support should be equitable between these two groups in clinical practice, and needs to incorporate a focus on psychological as well as physical outcomes.
Preschoolers benefit from sentential context in familiar‐ and unfamiliar‐accented speech
Authors: Atik Naz Deniz , LaTourrette Alexander , Waxman Sandra R.
Published: April 2024

To learn the meaning of a new word, or to recognize the meaning of a known one, both children and adults benefit from surrounding words, or the sentential context. Most of the evidence from children is based on their accuracy and efficiency when listening to speech in their familiar native accent: they successfully use the words they know to identify other words’ referents. Here, we assess how accurately and efficiently 4‐year‐old children use sentential context to identify referents of known and novel nouns in unfamiliar‐accented speech, as compared to familiar‐accented speech. In a looking‐while‐listening task, children showed considerable success in processing unfamiliar‐accented speech. Children robustly mapped known nouns produced in an unfamiliar accent to their target referents rather than novel competitors, and they used informative surrounding verbs (e.g., “You can eat the dax”) to identify the referents of both known and novel nouns—although there was a processing cost for unfamiliar‐accented speech in some cases. This demonstrates that 4‐year‐olds successfully and rapidly process unfamiliar‐accented speech by recruiting the same strategies available to them in familiar‐accented speech, revealing impressive flexibility in word recognition and word learning across diverse linguistic environments.

Research Highlights

We examined 4‐year‐old children's accuracy and processing efficiency in comprehending known and novel nouns embedded in sentences produced in familiar‐accented or unfamiliar‐accented speech.

Children showed limited processing costs for unfamiliar‐accented speech and mapped known words to their referents even when these were produced in unfamiliar‐accented speech.

Children used known verbs to predict the referents of upcoming nouns in both familiar‐ and unfamiliar‐accented speech, but processing costs were evident for unfamiliar‐accented speech.

Thus, the strategies that support children's word comprehension and word learning in familiar‐accented speech are available to them in unfamiliar accents as well.
Time trends and regional variation in utilization of antidiabetic medicines in China, 2015–2022
Authors: Zhang Jieqiong , Xu Sen , Liu Xingyu , Zhang Jinwei , Hu Shuchen , Liu Xiaoyong , Yang Caijun , Fang Yu
Published: April 2024

Aim

To assess the use of non‐insulin antidiabetic medicines in China.

Materials and Methods

We analysed the national procurement data for 29 non‐insulin antidiabetic medicines from nine subgroups in China from 2015 to 2022. We estimated the number of defined daily doses (DDDs) procured per year in seven regions of China for nine subgroups and adjusted the data by the number of patients with diabetes. For each subgroup, the regional ratio was calculated by comparing the procurement per patient in each region with the procurement nationwide. The regional disparity was the difference between the highest and lowest regional ratios. We compared the medication patterns across regions.

Results

Nationally, between 2015 and 2022, the number of DDDs per patient increased from 14.45 to 47.37. The two most commonly used categories were sulphonylurea and biguanides, which increased from 7.04 to 15.39 (119%) and 3.28 to 11.11 (239%) DDDs per patient, respectively. The procurement of new drugs (dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors, sodium‐glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists) increased quickly and had >5000% relative changes. Particularly for sodium‐glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors, it increased from 0.08 to 5.03 DDDs (6662%). The southwest region had the highest relative change (319%), while the southern region had the lowest (118%). Biguanide and thiazolidinediones had the lowest (1.19) and highest level (2.21) of regional disparity in 2022, respectively.

Conclusion

The procurement of non‐insulin antidiabetic medicines in China has increased a lot from 2015 to 2022. In terms of DDDs per patient, sulphonylurea ranked first, followed by metformin. The procurement of new drugs increased greatly. A large regional disparity existed in medicine usage and patterns.
Smoking timing, genetic susceptibility and the risk of incident type 2 diabetes: A cohort study from the UK Biobank
Authors: Hu Ying , Li Xiang , Wang Xuan , Ma Hao , Zhou Jian , Tang Rui , Kou Minghao , Heianza Yoriko , Liang Zhaoxia , Qi Lu
Published: April 2024

Aim

To prospectively assess the association of smoking timing with the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and examine whether smoking amount or genetic susceptibility might modify the relationship.

Materials and Methods

A total of 294 815 participants without diabetes from the UK Biobank, including non‐smokers and smokers with data on the time from waking to first cigarette, were included. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association between smoking timing and the risk of incident T2D.

Results

During a median follow‐up time of 12 years, a total of 9937 incident cases of T2D were documented. Compared with non‐smokers, a shorter time from waking to first cigarette was significantly associated with a higher risk of incident T2D (P for trend < .001). In the fully adjusted model, the hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence interval) associated with smoking timing were 1.46 (1.17–1.81) for more than 2 hours, 1.51 (1.21–1.87) for 1–2 hours, 1.58 (1.34–1.85) for 30–60 minutes, 1.86 (1.57–2.21) for 5–15 minutes and 2.01 (1.60–2.54) for less than 5 minutes. We found that even among those who reported being light smokers, those with the shortest time from waking to first cigarette had a 105% higher risk of T2D with an HR of 2.05 (1.52–2.76), which was comparable with heavy smokers. The genetic risk score for T2D did not modify this association (P‐interaction = .51).

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that shorter time from waking to first cigarette is significantly associated with a higher risk of incident T2D.
Nominal wage patterns, monopsony, and labour market power in early modern England
Authors: Paker Meredith M. , Stephenson Judy Z. , Wallis Patrick
Published: April 2024

Records of long‐eighteenth‐century English wage rates exhibit almost absolute nominal rigidity over many decades, alongside significant dispersion between the wages paid by different organizations for the same type of work in the same location. These features of preindustrial wages have been obscured by data aggregation and the construction of real wage series, which introduce variation. In this paper, we argue that the standard explanations for wage rigidity in economic history are insufficient. We show econometric evidence for monopsony power in one major organization and argue that the main historical wage series are also affected by employer power. Eighteenth‐century England had an imperfectly competitive labour market with large frictions. This gave large organizations the power to set wage policies. We discuss the implications for the eighteenth‐century British economy and research into long‐run wages more generally.
School middle leaders' transformational leadership and organizational resilience: The moderating role of academic emphasis
Authors: Zadok Ayala , Benoliel Pascale , Schechter Chen
Published: April 2024

This study examines how teachers' perceptions of academic emphasis moderate the relationship between their middle leaders' transformational leadership and organizational resilience subdimensions (principal organizational resilience and faculty organizational resilience). Academic emphasis in schools prioritizes academic excellence in teaching and is crucial in evaluating school effectiveness. The study used a two‐source survey design with self‐report data from 609 participants in 103 secondary schools in Israel. The results indicate that academic emphasis moderates the relationship between transformational leadership's sub‐dimensions (idealized influence, inspirational motivation, individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation) and principal organizational resilience but not faculty organizational resilience. The findings suggest that middle leaders can create a positive academic emphasis to optimize their transformational leadership's effects on organizational resilience. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Effects of build direction and microstructure on fatigue crack growth behavior of Ti6Al4V fabricated by laser powder bed fusion
Authors: Xie Peidong , Xie Deqiao , Zhou Kai , Gu Xuwen , Naqvi Syed Mesum Raza , Shen Lida , Tian Zongjun , Zhao Jianfeng
Published: April 2024

This study compares the fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior of Ti6Al4V parts fabricated by laser powder bed melting (LPBF) with four build directions (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°) and two heat treatments and analyzed the effect of build direction and microstructure on FCG. The results show that the build direction has a significant effect on the FCG rate. Particularly, specimens with 90° build direction have the best FCG resistance while the 0° specimens have the worst. Furthermore, the fragile deposition layer boundary is the main cause of the crack deflection. The microstructure shows that the columnar β grains have less effect on FCG. The increase in resistance to FCG after heat treatment is attributed to the lath‐like α grains consuming the energy for FCG. As compared to needle‐like α′ grains, the lath‐like α grains are more likely to initiate intergranular fracture and secondary cracking, leading to rugged crack tip paths.
Driving transformation in higher education: Exploring the process and impact of educational innovations for sustainability through interdisciplinary studies
Authors: Baroudi Sandra , ElSayary Areej
Published: April 2024

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on innovation research, particularly in the manufacturing and information technology sectors in the US and Europe. However, the disruptions caused by the recent pandemic called for more innovations, especially in the education industry. Innovation is viewed as an outcome of a set of various drivers. This study explored faculty perspectives on the drivers of innovation that can transform the curriculum into an interdisciplinary model to promote sustainability in education. Additionally, it examined the relationship between these drivers and the outcome of innovation, particularly at the process level. An explanatory sequential mixed‐method approach was employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a purposeful sample of 60 faculty members at one federal higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. Findings indicated that while there is a correlation between the drivers and process of innovation and sustainability in education, other factors played a more significant role in facilitating this transformation. Empowering faculty members and involving them in the process of transformation, connecting them with the institutional vision and mission for innovation, fostering a clear understanding of the value of the transformation, providing faculty with continuous professional learning and development opportunities to promote the use of innovative pedagogical methods, are among the key factors.
Assessing the impact of an online dementia awareness initiative co‐created with and for English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking communities: A case study
Authors: Ali Yousra , Caballero Gabriela E. , Shatnawi Eman , Dadich Ann , Steiner‐Lim Genevieve Z. , Alliance Canterbury Bankstown Dementia , DiGiacomo Michelle , Karamacoska Diana
Published: April 2024

Background

Awareness and understanding of dementia remain limited in ethnically diverse populations in multicultural societies due to culturally inappropriate and inaccessible information.

Objective

To establish the impact, helpers and hinderers of an online multilingual dementia awareness initiative co‐created with and for English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking people.

Design

A case study using mixed methods to assess the impact and implementation of an information session on dementia knowledge.

Setting and Participants

The study was conducted with English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking individuals in Canterbury‐Bankstown, Australia.

Intervention Studied

A dementia alliance co‐created an online multilingual dementia information session, which was delivered synchronously in English, Arabic and Vietnamese by trained facilitators.

Main Outcome Measures

In‐session group discussions, quizzes and a postsession survey assessed the impact on dementia knowledge. A postimplementation focus group explored the factors that helped and hindered the initiative.

Results

The online dementia information session successfully supported participants understanding of dementia causes, impacts and care strategies. The initiative was hindered by competing priorities and limited accessibility to target audiences, while it was helped by the support of an established organisation and feedback mechanisms.

Discussion

Ongoing dementia education and awareness‐raising campaigns that are culturally sensitive are needed in communities to promote dementia literacy and help‐seeking.

Conclusions

An online multilingual dementia information session can be an effective way to improve dementia literacy and advocate for change in multicultural communities.

Patient or Public Contribution

English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking members of the Canterbury Bankstown Dementia Alliance participated in the co‐creation and evaluation of this initiative.
Exploring the learning preferences of farmworker‐serving community health workers
Authors: Gordon Hannah , Ramirez Genesis , Harwell Emery L. , Bloss Jamie E. , Gámez Raúl , LePrevost Catherine E.
Published: April 2024

Community health workers are responsible for finding, processing, and transferring health information to communities with limited access to health‐related resources, including farmworkers. This paper is the culmination of an undergraduate student research project to explore the learning processes and preferences of farmworker‐serving community health workers in the USA. The project was designed for students from farmworker or agricultural backgrounds at two North Carolina universities and was supported by a North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services workforce development grant. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted, in person and virtually, with a convenience sample of 17 current and former community health workers. The interview data were analysed thematically and identified a preference for a combination of learning styles, with visual and hands‐on learning being the most preferred. Community health workers also identified the importance of learning preferences in relation to their responsibilities as health educators. This study provides librarians, along with public health and medical professionals, with useful information about learning preferences to inform the creation of new and varied learning materials for community health workers.
Prolonged exposure treatment for post‐traumatic stress disorder: Single case studies in a sample of adults with mild intellectual disabilities
Authors: Prins Paul , Nijhof Karin
Published: April 2024

Background

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common in adults with intellectual disabilities. Often there are additional disorders such as substance use, mood and anxiety disorders. The current study focuses on the feasibility and initial efficacy of prolonged exposure (PE) for PTSD in adults with mild intellectual disabilities. The secondary effect of PE on additional mood, anxiety and substance use disorders is also examined.

Methods

A single case experimental design (N = 12) with an A (baseline)‐B (intervention) phase including a follow‐up measurement after 3 months was conducted. Time series and single time points measurements were performed.

Results

Six participants dropped‐out. The results showed a significant decrease in PTSD symptoms and a significant decrease in additional symptoms (social avoidance, anxiety and stress), among participants who completed treatment.

Conclusion

PE appears to be a feasible and effective treatment for PTSD in some adults with mild intellectual disabilities. Suggestions emerge from this study to make standard PE treatment more appropriate for adults with mild intellectual disabilities. Further research is needed to reduce drop‐out in trauma treatment. Some suggestions for this are made in this study. Treatment of PTSD with PE did not appear to affect comorbid mood disorders. Further research is needed.
Good vibrations: remote‐tactile foraging success of wading birds is positively affected by the water content of substrates they forage in
Authors: du Toit Carla J. , Chinsamy Anusuya , Cunningham Susan J.
Published: April 2024

Some taxa of wading birds can locate buried prey by detecting vibratory cues in their foraging substrates while probe‐foraging, using a sensory modality called ‘remote‐touch'. As more saturated substrates transmit vibrations better, we predict that these birds can detect prey in wetter substrates more easily. We used sensory assays to test whether substrate water content affects the remote‐touch foraging success rate of Hadeda ibises, Bostrychia hagedash. The birds were more successful at locating prey using vibratory cues than when relying on random direct contact with the beak alone. Their remote‐touch foraging success rate was positively affected by increasing water contents of the soil, but water content had no effect on their direct contact foraging success (indicating this is not an artefact of ease of probing). This may partially explain the link between the range expansion of this species in southern Africa and increased soil irrigation, as it is easier for the birds to detect prey in wetter substrates. Thus, it is likely that the distribution of other remote‐touch foraging birds is affected by substrate water content, and as many of these species are endangered and rely on sensitive wetland habitats, it is vital to understand their sensory requirements for foraging.
Secondary School State Athletic Association Health and Safety Policy Development Processes
Authors: Yeargin Susan , Hirschhorn Rebecca M. , Adams William M. , Scarneo‐Miller Samantha E.
Published: April 2024

Background

The National Federation of State High School Associations provides recommendations regarding health and safety policies; however, policy development is governed at the state level. Given interstate differences in governance, the primary purpose was to describe processes that State High School Athletic Associations (SHSAAs) utilize to develop a new policy. The secondary objective was to determine what methods associations use to implement new policies.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey requested SHSAA (n = 51) representatives to report how athlete health and safety policies are introduced, revised, approved, and implemented within their state. The 22‐question survey was developed to gather variables for the aims of the study. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each survey item.

Results

Of states who responded (n = 33), most reported a 2‐committee (n = 24, 72.7%) process for developing and vetting policies, with initiation from the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (n = 27, 81.8%), followed by an executive‐level committee (n = 18, 66.7%). States reported total time from policy initiation to final approval ranged from 2 weeks to over 12 months. When a new policy was approved, most states indicated implementation began with an e‐mail (n = 24, 72.7%) sent to Athletic Directors (n = 26, 78.8%). School principal or district superintendent were reported as the position in charge of compliance (36.4%, n = 12).

Conclusions

Most SHSAAs use a 2‐step process to write and review an athlete health and safety policy before approval. SHSAAs that require a longer policy development time could delay the implementation of important health measures. SHSAAs could consider additional communication methods to ensure information reaches all stakeholders.
Improving Students Access to Primary Health Care Through School‐Based Health Centers
Authors: Davis Charles R. , Eraca Jennifer , Davis Patti A.
Published: April 2024

Background

More than 20 million children in the United States lack access to primary health care.

Practice Learning

Research shows that students with regular access to physical and mental health services have fewer absences, are more social, less likely to participate in risky behaviors, have improved focus and higher test scores.

Implication For School Health Policy, Practice, And Equity

School‐based health centers (SBHCs) can be an important, valuable and viable health care delivery option to meet the full‐range of primary health care needs of students where they spend the majority of their wake hours, ie, in school. Children in rural and other underserved communities, as well as those underinsured, non‐insured, economically challenged, underserved, and the most vulnerable among us are especially at risk.

Conclusions

This paper discusses the history, value, and importance of SBHCs from myriad perspectives, including physical and emotional wellbeing, academic and social success, and the promotion of a positive transition to adulthood. In addition, the authors' experiences that resulted in building the first SBHC in the Mid‐Hudson Valley Region of New York State are shared. These experiences form the foundation for creating an important roadmap for individuals and school leaders that are interested in bringing a SBHC to their school and district.
Gut microbially produced tryptophan metabolite melatonin ameliorates osteoporosis via modulating SCFA and TMAO metabolism
Authors: Chen Yueqi , Yang Chuan , Deng Zihan , Xiang Tingwen , Ni Qingrong , Xu Jianzhong , Sun Dong , Luo Fei
Published: April 2024

Osteoporosis (OP) is a severe global health issue that has significant implications for productivity and human lifespan. Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been demonstrated to be closely associated with OP progression. Melatonin (MLT) is an important endogenous hormone that modulates bone metabolism, maintains bone homeostasis, and improves OP progression. Multiple studies indicated that MLT participates in the regulation of intestinal microbiota and gut barrier function. However, the promising effects of gut microbiota‐derived MLT in OP remain unclear. Here, we found that OP resulted in intestinal tryptophan disorder and decreased the production of gut microbiota‐derived MLT, while administration with MLT could mitigate OP‐related clinical symptoms and reverse gut microbiota dysbiosis, including the diversity of intestinal microbiota, the relative abundance of many probiotics such as Allobaculum and Parasutterella, and metabolic function of intestinal flora such as amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and energy metabolism. Notably, MLT significantly increased the production of short‐chain fatty acids and decreased trimethylamine N‐oxide‐related metabolites. Importantly, MLT could modulate the dynamic balance of M1/M2 macrophages, reduce the serum levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, and restore gut‐barrier function. Taken together, our results highlighted the important roles of gut microbially derived MLT in OP progression via the “gut‐bone” axis associated with SCFA metabolism, which may provide novel insight into the development of MLT as a promising drug for treating OP.
An updated assessment of hepatitis delta prevalence among adults in Canada: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Wong Robert J. , Hirode Grishma , Feld Jordan , Wong Steven S. , Brosgart Carol , Glenn Jeffrey , Hamid Saeed , Cohen Chari , Zovich Beatrice , Ward John , Wedemeyer Heiner , Yurdaydin Cihan , Gish Robert
Published: April 2024

Foreign‐born (FB) persons represent a large proportion of adults with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Canada due to higher prevalence rates in countries of birth for FB persons. Suboptimal awareness and low rates of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) testing contribute to underdiagnosis and gaps in accurate estimates of Canada HDV prevalence. We aim to provide an assessment of CHB and HDV prevalence in Canada using a comprehensive literature review and meta‐analysis. A comprehensive literature review of articles reporting HBsAg seroprevalence and anti‐HDV prevalence was conducted to calculate country‐specific rates and pooled prevalence of CHB and HDV using meta‐analyses. Country‐specific CHB and HDV rate estimates were combined with number of FB persons in Canada in 2021 from Statistics Canada to estimate total numbers of FB with CHB and HDV, respectively. These estimates were combined with estimates of Canada‐born persons with CHB and HDV to yield the total number of persons with CHB and HDV. In 2021, we estimated 0.550 million (M) (95% CI 0.488–0.615) persons with CHB; 0.344 M (95% CI 0.288–0.401) were FB and 0.206 M (95% CI: 0.200–0.214) were Canada‐born. The weighted average HDV prevalence among FB persons in Canada was 5.19% (17,848 [95% CI 9611–26,052] persons), among whom 50% emigrated from Asia and 31% from Africa. When combined with estimates of Canada‐born persons with HDV, we estimate 35,059 (95% CI: 18,744–52,083) persons with HDV in Canada. In conclusion, we estimate 0.550 M and 35,059 persons living with CHB and HDV, respectively, in Canada in 2021.
Traffic prediction via clustering and deep transfer learning with limited data
Authors: Zou Xiexin , Chung Edward
Published: April 2024

This paper proposes a method based on the clustering algorithm, deep learning, and transfer learning (TL) for short‐term traffic prediction with limited data. To address the challenges posed by limited data and the complex and diverse traffic patterns observed in traffic networks, we propose a profile model based on few‐shot learning to extract each detector's unique profiles. These profiles are then used to cluster detectors with similar patterns into distinct clusters, facilitating effective learning with limited data. A Convolutional Neural Network ‐ Long Short‐Term Memory (CNN‐LSTM)‐based predictive model is proposed to learn and predict traffic volumes for each detector within a cluster. The proposed method demonstrates resilience to detector failures and has been validated using the Performance Measurement System dataset. In scenarios with less than 2 months of training data and 10% failed detectors, the mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for station‐level traffic volume prediction increase from 12.7 vehs/5 min, 20.9 vehs/5 min, and 10.5% to 13.9 vehs/5 min, 24.2 vehs/5 min, and 11.7%, respectively. For lane‐level traffic volume prediction, the average MAE, RMSE, and MAPE increase from 4.7 vehs/5 min, 7.7 vehs/5 min, and 15% to 5.6 vehs/5 min, 9.6 vehs/5 min, and 16.8%. Furthermore, the proposed method extends its applicability to traffic speed and occupancy prediction tasks. TL is integrated to improve speed/occupancy prediction accuracy by leveraging knowledge obtained from traffic volume, considering the correlation between traffic flow, speed, and occupancy. When less than 1 month of traffic speed/occupancy data is available for learning, the proposed method achieves an MAE, RMSE, and MAPE of 0.7 km/h, 1.3 km/h, and 1.3% for station‐level traffic speed prediction and 0.5%, 1.1%, and 11% for station‐level traffic occupancy.
Phosphorylation of Mad1 at serine 18 by Mps1 is required for the full virulence of rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Chen Qiushi , Li Ya , Shen Tianjiao , Wang Rong , Su Meiling , Luo Qiong , Shi Hua , Lu Guodong , Wang Zonghua , Hardwick Kevin G. , Wang Mo
Published: April 2024

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) proteins are conserved among eukaryotes safeguarding chromosome segregation fidelity during mitosis. However, their biological functions in plant‐pathogenic fungi remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that the SAC protein MoMad1 in rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae) localizes on the nuclear envelope and is dispensable for M. oryzae vegetative growth and tolerance to microtubule depolymerizing agent treatment. MoMad1 plays an important role in M. oryzae infection‐related development and pathogenicity. The monopolar spindle 1 homologue in M. oryzae (MoMps1) interacts with MoMad1 through its N‐terminal domain and phosphorylates MoMad1 at Ser‐18, which is conserved within the extended N termini of Mad1s from fungal plant pathogens. This phosphorylation is required for maintaining MoMad1 protein abundance and M. oryzae full virulence. Similar to the deletion of MoMad1, treatment with Mps1‐IN‐1 (an Mps1 inhibitor) caused compromised appressorium formation and decreased M. oryzae virulence, and these defects were dependent on its attenuating MoMad1 Ser‐18 phosphorylation. Therefore, our study indicates the function of Mad1 in rice blast fungal pathogenicity and sheds light on the potential of blocking Mad1 phosphorylation by Mps1 to control crop fungal diseases.