bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alleviating suffering of individuals with multimorbidity and complex needs: A descriptive qualitative study
Authors: Younas Ahtisham , Inayat Shahzad
Published: August 2023

Background

Individuals living with multimorbidity and/or mental health issues, low education, socioeconomic status, and polypharmacy are often called complex patients. The complexity of their health and social care needs can make them prone to disease burden and suffering. Therefore, they frequently access health care services to seek guidance for managing their illness and suffering.

Aims

The aim of this research was to describe the approaches used by nurses to alleviate the suffering of individuals with multimorbidity and complex needs in acute care settings.

Research Design

A qualitative descriptive approach.

Participants and Research Context

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 nurses working in general, medical-surgical, specialized, and intensive care settings across five hospitals in Pakistan. Reflexive thematic analysis was used for analysis.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of Al-Nafees Medical College Islamabad, Pakistan.

Findings

Four themes were generated: Deeper Exploration of Patients’ Health-Illness Situation and Complexity, Prioritizing Patient Psychosocial and Emotional Needs, Instilling Hope and Encouragement in Patients, and Creating a Comforting Environment to Foster Sharing of felt needs.

Discussion

Nurses emphasized the need of deeper inquiry into patients illness situation and complexity to discern the impact of determinants on their well-being and develop care plans that are tailored to address psychosocial, emotional, and physical suffering of this patient population.

Conclusions

Alleviation of patient suffering is integral to compassionate nursing care. Nurses use a multifaceted approach entailing sensitive understanding, recognizing sociocultural and structural determinants impact on patient situation, and individual and interdisciplinary altruistic actions to alleviate patient suffering.
The Impact of Chinese-style Modernisation on the Social-psychological Behaviours of Chinese Individuals: Evidence from Sociological and Psychological Research
Authors: Zhang Jianxin , Zhao Na
Published: August 2023

As an important social transformation in China, Chinese-style modernisation has driven China into the ranks of modernised countries at a surprising speed for 40 years. From the perspectives of sociology and social psychology, the present article reviews the grassroots social governance model of Chinese-style modernisation and the changes in the traditional culture that have deeply affected people’s minds and social behaviour. The research findings indicate that Chinese-style modernisation has created a miracle in macro-material production, but at the grassroots level, while the material living standards of the people are gradually improving, their social dignity and spiritual life cannot be synchronised. First, as an indicator of measuring people’s quality of life and social development level, Chinese people’s sense of happiness declined in general, and the gap in happiness between different groups of Chinese people is widening. Second, the sense of fairness among people in the modernisation process has decreased, leading to some negative attitudes among the public and exacerbating social risks. Third, the general level of trust among the Chinese people is declining, but the specific trust manifests complex patterns, showing an increase in calculated (benefit-based) trust and a decrease in identified (kinsfolk-based) trust. In particular, people’s trust in the central government has remained high; however, they do not have the same level of trust in local and grassroots governments. All these demonstrate that the authoritarian type of governance and the historical practice of spiritual culture endorsed in Chinese-style modernisation have brought new possibilities for human society in future development, but there are also many problems and difficulties of dogmatism, formalism and bureaucracy in grassroots governance and cultural compromises of the East and the West. Chinese-style modernisation needs to do more in order to further enhance the sense of gain, happiness and trust among grassroots people, in addition to pursuing the aim of raising overall strength of the country.
Inflationary Effect of Agricultural Commodity Futures Market in India: Is it There and Should we Care?
Authors: Dubey Priti , Dey Soma
Published: August 2023

The impact of the agricultural commodity futures market on agricultural commodity prices has been a contested issue in India. Regulators have often interfered in this market with the stated objective of controlling inflation. In this article, we examine the relationship between futures trading activity and spot price inflation in the agricultural commodity markets in India by analysing the relationship on the aggregate market level as well as on the individual markets of 12 commodities. We find that the trading volume of AGRIDEX futures contracts has a significant and positive impact on the Consumer Price Index in both the long run and short run. For individual commodities, we find that the futures volume has a significant and positive impact on the spot price in only four out of eleven commodities analysed. The evidence suggests that regulators should monitor the market closely but refrain from repeatedly using stringent measures, like banning trading.
Corporate Cash Holdings and Share Buyback: Evidence from Emerging Markets
Authors: Saxena Vedika , Sahoo Seshadev
Published: August 2023

This study evaluates corporate cash holdings (CCHs) as a determinant of share buyback for three emerging economies, India, Malaysia, and South Korea, from 2002 to 2020. We find CCH as a significant determinant of share buyback for our sample nations. Our results suggest that share buyback is a flexible way for firms to distribute excess cash across our sample nations. Our study also documents the impact of different country-level investor protection frameworks on buybacks. A favorable relationship between a strong investor protection environment (good governance) and buyback explains the effective role of buyback in resolving agency conflicts compared to dividends.

JEL Codes: C5, F3, G3
Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Validity of Psychological Assessments Used with Children and Adolescents in India
Authors: Roopesh Bangalore N.
Published: August 2023

Psychological assessment process involves administration, scoring, interpretation, and report writing. In addition to the human resource, time, and effort required for the training, the assessment process itself requires significant time and effort on the part of trained professionals. This automatically translates into the cost, which sometimes can be significant. Given the significantly limited number of trained psychologists who are in clinical practice in India compared to the extent of the population of the country, the amount of assessment work can take away precious time from the intervention services. On the other hand, a significant number of psychological assessment tests used in India are generally old with outdated norms, are poorly standardized, and are not keeping pace with the global development. Given these issues, mental health profession on the whole, as well as the clients/patients can question the validity of the psychological assessments or some specific assessments. This article tries to discuss some of the issues related to the validity of the psychological assessments in general and in specific domains, such as ability, achievement, and psychopathology. In addition to mentioned issues, the article also tries to suggest possible measures to overcome those limitations.
From the chemical imbalance to the power imbalance: A psychiatry trainee’s perspectives on service-user supervision
Authors: Bhagavan Chiranth , Gordon Sarah , Sundram Frederick
Published: August 2023

Objective

This paper describes perspectives and insights of a trainee’s experience of service-user supervision. This includes the background to this novel approach, outlining its process and content, key themes arising, applications in practice, limitations of the approach, and future considerations.

Conclusions

Service-user supervision promotes education and experiences at this important stage of professional development and can promote clinical, cultural, and systemic changes required to support the paradigm shift towards recovery-oriented and human rights-based practice.
“My Hands Are Tied”: Social Services With Latinx Immigrants in Houston During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Avellaneda Flor , Siegel Jennifer L. , Negi Nalini J. , Parrish Danielle E.
Published: August 2023

Latinx immigrant communities experienced disproportionate economic and health consequences from COVID-19. Although social service organizations have been on the frontlines to meet the complex social service needs of this population, little is known about their experiences working with this vulnerable group in the first phase of the pandemic (during “shutdowns”). Using multiple case study methods, this case study integrates survey responses from Latinx-immigrant-serving social service providers ( N = 14) in Houston, media sources, and official Houston government data to describe the context and experiences of organizations who worked with Latinx immigrant families and individuals during the first phase of the pandemic. Results highlight challenges faced by social service organizations in meeting the heightened service needs of this vulnerable population. Findings underscore the importance of advocacy to strengthen social service systems constrained during a public health crisis exacerbating health disparities.
Participant-Generated Timelines: A Participatory Tool to Explore Young People With Chronic Pain and Parents’ Narratives of Their Healthcare Experiences
Authors: Hurtubise Karen , Joslin Rhiannon
Published: August 2023

Visual methods are becoming more evident in health research. Timeline drawings have been used as a participatory tool alongside interviews in life course research. In this article, we describe how a method involving timeline generation can explore patient experiences along a treatment continuum. Grounded in previously published evidence and using specific examples from two studies exploring the experiences of young people treated for chronic pain, we outline the key components of this method. Moreover, we highlight the flexibility of its application and the importance of using a person-centered approach in tailoring the application pragmatically to study population-specific needs and characteristics, while answering the research question. We also reflect on how the dynamic visual display of the timeline and participants’ explanations add perspective and understanding to complex and multidimensional human experiences associated with healthcare treatment. Furthermore, we outline how this method can help capture changes in the meaning and sense-making of these experiences over time, all the while fostering empowerment in study participants. Finally, the key considerations of using the method are outlined. It is our aim that this article provides the details required to inspire others to consider this novel method as a means of capturing the healthcare experiences of young people with other chronic conditions, an important first step in fostering the changes required to improve the quality of healthcare services and research.
Are Palliative Care Volunteers Special People? A Comparative Observational Study Exploring Their Sociodemographic Profile and Psychological Resources
Authors: Varay Caroline , Lareyre Olivier , Baeza-Velasco Carolina
Published: August 2023

Background

Faced with rising needs for patient support, palliative care is shifting towards a more community-based approach. Yet the profile of volunteers in this field is poorly known.

Aim

To explore psychosocial characteristics of palliative care volunteers, by comparing them to two groups, volunteers from the health and social sector without contact with palliative patients, and people from the general population without volunteer activity.

Design

Observational comparative study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis.

Participants

The 3 groups of participants were recruited in France between September 2020 and June 2021. They completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics and psychological resources (self-efficacy, hope, optimism, resilience, mindfulness, self-compassion, empathy, forgivingness, and gratitude).

Results

Data from 559 participants were analyzed. Palliative care volunteers had overall significantly higher levels of psychological resources than control groups. Multivariate analysis revealed, among sociodemographic and psychological characteristics that showed differences between groups at the univariate level, the most efficient predictors of group status. The best criteria to distinguish palliative care volunteers from health and social sector volunteers were older age, having received training, and lower levels of self-compassion. To distinguish palliative care volunteers from people with no volunteer activity, older age and non-active professional status were the best criteria.

Conclusions

Palliative care volunteers displayed more psychological resources than controls. However, older age and being trained for volunteering, emerged as stronger factors for distinguishing palliative care volunteers from controls. Pursuing research about these volunteers should facilitate recruitment, training, and retention.
Survival Outcomes of Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients With Limited Access to Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy in a Cancer Center of a Low- and Middle-Income Country
Authors: Ballén Diego-Felipe , Carvajal-Fierro Carlos Andrés , Beltrán Rafael , Alarcón Martha-Liliana , Vallejo-Yepes Camilo , Brugés-Maya Ricardo
Published: August 2023

Objective

To describe the survival outcomes of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients with limited access to immunotherapy and targeted therapy in a cancer reference center in Colombia.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients treated between 2013 and 2018 was performed, majority diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. It was carried out in a public cancer reference center that provides care to patients of low and middle socioeconomic status. Overall survival and progression-free survival were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis and log-rank test. A Cox regression model was performed for univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

209 patients were included with majority of adenocarcinoma (79.5%). First-line treatment was cytotoxic chemotherapy (50.2%), EGFR-targeted therapy (14.8%), chemoimmunotherapy (1.9%), and ALK-targeted therapy (1.4%). 31.6% received best supportive care. Median time of follow-up was 13 months, median overall survival was 11.2 months (95% CI, 7.9–14.4), 13 months for adenocarcinoma (95% CI, 8.1–17.9), and 2.5 months for squamous cell carcinoma (95% CI, 0.6–4.4) ( P < .001). Median progression-free survival was 9.3 months (95% CI, 7.9–10.7) without differences according to the type of first-line therapy. Median time-to-treatment was 55 days and only 54% of patients with a tested actionable mutation in EGFR received an EGFR-targeted therapy as the first-line treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that squamous cell carcinoma histology and receiving best supportive care were independent factors for worse overall survival ((HR:1.8, 95% CI, 1.076–3.082, P=.026) and (HR:14.6, 95% CI, 8.921–24.049, P < .001), respectively). Meanwhile, squamous cell carcinoma histology was an independent factor for worse progression-free survival (HR:3.4, 95% CI, 1.540-7.464, P=.002).

Conclusions

Despite advances in precision medicine, during the study period, cytotoxic chemotherapy was the most used treatment in our patients. Furthermore, about a third of them received best supportive care. The use of targeted therapies has been restricted by access to molecular diagnosis and remained low until 2018. Access to immunotherapy should be prioritized.
Utilization of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 scale for evaluation of quality of life among cancer patients treated with chemotherapy: A hospital-based observational study
Authors: Gudhoor Manjula , Mathew Aneetta Thankam , Ganachari Akul Madiwalayya , Baiju Gayathri , Kulkarni Sushrut Sachchidanand , Ganachari M S
Published: August 2023

Background

In this new era of cancer management, the quality of life (QOL) is given more importance than the quantity of life. QOL evaluation studies are widely used in oncology to assess the patient's performance in different cancer types and treatment modalities.

Objective

To evaluate cancer patients’ QOL after various chemotherapy cycles.

Methods

An observational study was performed on cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in the daycare setting of a South Indian Tertiary Care Hospital for 6 months. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire was employed to study the QOL.

Results

Precisely, 102 patients participated in the study, out of which the majority were in the 51 to 60 age group (24%). Female participants (65%) were more. Functional scale domains especially physical ability ( P = 0.004), role ( P = 0.033), and emotional functioning ( P = 0.01) were significantly decreased in patients treated with 4 to 6 chemotherapy cycles. Cognitive ability ( P = 0.043) significantly improved in patients treated with more than 6 chemotherapy cycles. Dyspnea ( P = 0.036) was significantly increased in patients treated with 4 to 6 chemotherapy cycles and decreased significantly with the further addition of chemotherapy cycles.

Conclusion

Dyspnea is a commonly observed symptom among cancer patients and is often neglected by physicians. Chronic dyspnea can negatively impact a patient's functional ability. Cancer symptoms such as dyspnea should also be given priority and need appropriate treatment. Based on the findings, further interventions can be made to improve the functional ability of cancer patients. Also, studies can be conducted to correlate with cancer rehabilitation programs to improve functional ability and complete the entire chemotherapy cycle.
Participation and Equity in Municipal Transportation Decisions: A Chicago Case Study and a Politicized Capacity-Building Alternative
Authors: Lowe Kate , Jones Pamela
Published: August 2023

Transportation systems shape the built environment of cities and the lived experiences of their residents, but equitable public participation in municipal transportation decision-making is limited. Furthermore, municipal transportation decision-making—and thus public participation within it—exists in a complicated field of transportation provision, while intersecting with a myriad of policy issues. This research article draws on Chicago as a case study and existing research in transportation and planning to argue for equity-oriented capacity building by transportation agencies. Such capacity building should more explicitly clarify official and informal decision-making processes and their politicized nature to enhance equitable, meaningful impact on transportation decisions.
A Safe and Feasible Online Dance Intervention for Older Adults With and Without Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Pinto Camila , Figueiredo Caroline , Mabilia Vinicius , Cruz Thainara , Jeffrey Erica Rose , Pagnussat Aline Souza
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Dancing is one way of maintaining an active lifestyle, and online dance interventions in group settings can be a solution when in-person classes are impossible. This study investigated the feasibility and potential clinical effects of an online dance program for older adults with and without Parkinson disease (PD). Methods: Participants attended 2 weekly dance classes in the same videoconference room for 2 months. The dance activities were mainly performed while seated (around 75%). Researchers monitored feasibility (ie, adherence, attendance, and technological barriers) and safety. Pre- and post-intervention assessments investigated self-perceptions, effects on emotional domains, quality of life, activity-specific balance confidence, lower-limb functional mobility, and PD non-motor symptoms. Individuals also reported their self-perceptions regarding technology usability, enjoyment, and social interaction. Results: Most of the participants with PD (n = 12) had moderate PD (Hoehn & Yahr score) and presented a greater risk of falls when compared to participants without PD (n = 14). Overall, we found a high rate of adherence (100%), attendance (87.5%-91.7%), and safety (100%) for both groups. No falls or near-falls occurred during the sessions. Only the PD group ameliorated emotional domains (anxiety and depression) and improved lower-limb functional mobility. All participants reported feeling safe and perceived benefits, although over a third of older adults with PD reported moderate difficulties in using technology and in socializing with the group. Conclusion: This online dance protocol is feasible, safe, and a potential strategy to improve clinical parameters in older adults and people with moderate PD.
Affect-as-Information: Customer and Employee Affective Displays as Expeditious Predictors of Customer Satisfaction
Authors: Ashtar Shelly , Yom-Tov Galit B. , Rafaeli Anat , Wirtz Jochen
Published: August 2023

This study introduces affect-as-information theory to the service encounter, integrates it with the peak and end model of affect, and thereby shows that these dynamic customer and employee affective displays can be used to estimate post-encounter customer satisfaction. A large-scale dataset of 23,645 real-life text-based (i.e., chat) service encounters with a total of 301,280 genuine messages written by customers and employees were used to test our hypotheses. Automatic sentiment analysis was deployed to assess the affective displays of customers and employees in every individual text message as a service encounter unfolded. Our findings confirm that in addition to customers’ overall (mean) affective display, peak (i.e., highest positive or least negative), and end (final) affective displays explain customer satisfaction. Further, as customer displays may not fully capture their satisfaction process and employees understand the service quality they deliver, we propose and confirm that employee displayed affect explains further variance in customer satisfaction. We also find that the predictive power of affective displays is more pronounced in service failure than non-failure encounters. Together, these findings show that automatic monitoring beyond customer overall affect (i.e., adding customer peak and end, and employee affective displays) can expedite the evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Therapeutic Effectiveness of Needle Injection Versus Needle-Free Jet Injector System for Botulinum Toxin Type A in Palmar Hyperhidrosis
Authors: Watanabe Hitomi , Ohshima Yuichiro , Watanabe Daisuke
Published: August 2023

Background

The most important problem with local injections of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in palmar hyperhidrosis is pain during the injections.

Objectives

We evaluated therapeutic effectiveness and pain of local injections of BTX-A using needle-free direct administration system.

Methods

We performed BTX-A local injection therapy using a conventional injection needle in the left hand and a needle-free direct administration system in the right hand.

Results

A reduction in the quantity of perspiration was observed 4 weeks after administration of both Needle and Needle-free BTX-A, and reduction was maintained throughout 28 weeks observation period. Both hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale scores and Dermatology Life Quality Index for hands treated with Needle BTX-A and hands treated with Needle-free BTX-A had decreased significantly by 4 weeks after treatment. Pain visual analog scale scores and the degree of pain were significantly lower in hands treated with Needle-free BTX-A than in hands treated with Needle BTX-A.

Conclusions

When the trigger of the pressurized needle-free injector device is activated, the gas powered driving pressure propels BTX-A through an orifice (0.13 mm) about four times narrower than a 30 G needle at very high speed. As most pain occurs during the needle prick itself, the advantage of a small orifice coupled with high-speed penetration of BTX-A through the pressurized device results in reduced pain during administration. The needle-free direct administration system administers the injectate under the skin without a visible needle.
Listening for the local: Australian community radio and climate change communication
Authors: Backhaus Bridget , Foxwell-Norton Kerrie , Leitch Anne
Published: August 2023

Climate change is most acutely experienced at the local level so conversations and action must be locally relevant. Australia's community radio sector is uniquely positioned – both as hyperlocal media and a platform for diverse voices – to facilitate these conversations. Drawing on research conducted with 12 community radio stations, this article enlists Dreher and de Souza’s idea of community radio as community ‘listening posts’: spaces for communities to engage with external groups as well as those within. Community radio stations present opportunities for political leaders and policymakers to access community sentiment and experiences of climate change. The role of listening in community radio also speaks to the relationships between communicative justice and climate justice – the politics of who speaks and who is heard. The findings suggest that the Australian sector and its global contemporaries could embrace the role of listening with community radio to support community resilience to climate change.
The (not so) secret governors of the internet: Morality policing and platform politics
Authors: McDowell Zachary J , Tiidenberg Katrin
Published: August 2023

A growing body of academic work on internet governance focuses on the ‘deplatforming of sex’, or the removal and suppression of sexual expression from the internet. Often, this is linked to the 2018 passing of FOSTA/SESTA – much-criticized twin bills that make internet intermediaries liable for content that promotes or facilitates prostitution or sex trafficking. We suggest analyzing both internet governance and the deplatforming of sex in conjunction with long-term agendas of conservative lobbying groups. Specifically, we combine media historiography, policy analysis, and thematic and discourse analysis of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s (NCOSE, formerly Morality in Media) press releases and media texts to show how conservative moral entrepreneurs weaponize ideas of morality, obscenity, and harm in internet governance. We illustrate how NCOSE has, directly and indirectly, interfered in internet governance, first by lobbying for rigorous enforcement of obscenity laws and then for creating internet-specific obscenity laws (which we argue CDA, COPA, and FOSTA/SESTA all were for NCOSE). We show how NCOSE adjusted their rhetoric to first link pornography to addiction and pedophilia and later to trafficking and exploitation; how they took advantage of the #metoo momentum; mastered legal language, and incorporated an explicit anti-internet stance.
Telemedicine-delivered treatment for substance use disorder: A scoping review
Authors: Pham Huyen , Lin Chunqing , Zhu Yuhui , Clingan Sarah E , Lin Lewei (Allison) , Mooney Larissa J , Murphy Sean M , Campbell Cynthia I , Liu Yanping , Hser Yih-Ing
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The COVID pandemic prompted a significant increase in the utilization of telemedicine (TM) for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. As we transition towards a “new normal” policy, it is crucial to comprehensively understand the evidence of TM in SUD treatment. This scoping review aims to summarize existing evidence regarding TM's acceptability, quality, effectiveness, access/utilization, and cost in the context of SUD treatment in order to identify knowledge gaps and inform policy decisions regarding TM for SUDs.

Method

We searched studies published in 2012–2022 from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and other sources. Findings were synthesized using thematic analysis.

Results

A total of 856 relevant articles were screened, with a final total of 42 articles included in the review. TM in SUD treatment was perceived to be generally beneficial and acceptable. TM was as effective as in-person SUD care in terms of substance use reduction and treatment retention; however, most studies lacked rigorous designs and follow-up durations were brief (≤3 months). Telephone-based TM platforms (vs video) were positively associated with older age, lower education, and no prior overdose. Providers generally consider TM to be affordable for patients, but no relevant studies were available from patient perspectives.

Conclusions

TM in SUD treatment is generally perceived to be beneficial and acceptable and as effective as in-person care, although more rigorously designed studies on effectiveness are still lacking. Access and utilization of TM may vary by platform. TM service quality and costs are the least studied and warrant further investigations.
Exploring student engagement in task-based and communicative language classrooms
Authors: Kołsut Sławomira , Szumilas Mateusz
Published: August 2023

This study investigates the engagement of young people in foreign language learning. Specifically, engagement is defined as a metaconstruct consisting of the following components: cognitive, emotional, and social. An attempt was made to quantify these individual engagement components within task-based and communicative-oriented lessons. We employed electrocardiographic and accelerometric measurements to monitor learners’ physiological responses to engagement during regular German classes. The second part of the project was a questionnaire-based study measuring the subjective opinions of learners about their engagement. The results of the research support the adoption of a task-based approach. We observed the highest level of engagement during productive tasks, which can serve as a rationale for teachers to increase the number of productive tasks compared to receptive ones. Moreover, including the peer-learning component in the activities appeared to be of considerable importance due to its role in building intrinsic motivation to learn and in stimulating the growth of social competences.
Development of oral health resources and a mobile app for caregivers and autistic children through consensus building
Authors: Tan Bing Liang , Nair Rahul , Duggal Mandeep Singh , Aishworiya Ramkumar , Tong Huei Jinn
Published: August 2023

This study aimed to (1) develop evidence-based resources and (2) test face, content validity, and usability of a newly developed mobile application (app) to equip and empower caregivers with resources and skills to promote better oral health for autistic children. A series of resources on oral health, including information on oral diseases and home care and social stories on dental visits were developed. Concurrently, an app was developed by dentists, occupational therapist and software developers. The resources underwent content validation by an international panel of paediatric dentists (Expert Working Group). Face validation of the resources and usability testing of the app by parents were then carried out. Validation and feedback were obtained by the Delphi method, with consensus set at 70% agreement. A total of 12 resources and 2 social stories were developed. Consensus was achieved among the Expert Working Group regarding the content and illustrations of the resources and social stories. Both the Expert Working Group and parents agreed that the resources were easy to read and understand. Parents also found the app easy to use, aesthetically pleasing and help them to better care for their child’s oral health.

Lay Abstract

Caregivers of autistic children often lack knowledge regarding oral homecare and when and where to see the dentist. To address this need, we developed a series of information on oral health. An autistic child assisted in developing two social stories to showcase a dental visit. A mobile app was developed to deliver the above mentioned. Other features include creation of customised social stories and visual schedule and an inbox to allow dentists to send messages to parents. The developed information and social stories were reviewed by experts and parents. The app also underwent anonymous and independent testing by parents. Overall the information and app were well received by the experts and parents.
From allochronism to generationality: Ageism in queer communities in Belgium
Authors: De Graeve Katrien , Rahbari Ladan , Looman Nika
Published: August 2023

This paper looks into ageist and generationalist assumptions that penetrate queer spatio-temporal imageries and explore how to resist oppressive temporalities. It draws on fieldwork in a queer advocacy group and qualitative interviews with trans-, lesbian-, and women-identifying participants in Belgium to explore notions of age and ageism in queer communities. The research relates to feminist generationalism and searches for more complex notions of generationality that complicate the idea of horizontal generations or waves succeeding each other in progressive time. We address the conflicts and dissimilarities across the generational divide to question and trouble the viability of allochronic categorizations in feminist queer movements.
History of working conditions and the risk of old-age dependency: a nationwide Swedish register-based study
Authors: Nilsen Charlotta , Agerholm Janne , Kelfve Susanne , Wastesson Jonas W. , Kåreholt Ingemar , Nabe-Nielsen Kirsten , Meinow Bettina
Published: August 2023

Aims:

There is substantial evidence that previous working conditions influence post-retirement health, yet little is known about previous working conditions’ association with old-age dependency. We examined job strain, hazardous and physical demands across working life, in relation to the risk of entering old-age dependency of care.

Methods:

Individually linked nationwide Swedish registers were used to identify people aged 70+ who were not receiving long-term care (residential care or homecare) at baseline (January 2014). Register information on job titles between the years 1970 and 2010 was linked with a job exposure matrix of working conditions. Random effects growth curve models were used to calculate intra-individual trajectories of working conditions. Cox regression models with age as the timescale (adjusted for living situation, educational attainment, country of birth, and sex) were conducted to estimate hazard ratios for entering old-age dependency during the 24 months of follow-up ( n = 931,819).

Results:

Having initial adverse working conditions followed by an accumulation throughout working life encompassed the highest risk of entering old-age dependency across the categories (job strain: HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.19–1.27; physical demands: HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.31–1.40, and hazardous work: HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.30–1.40). Initially high physical demands or hazardous work followed by a stable trajectory, or initially low-level physical demand or hazardous work followed by an accumulation throughout working life also encompassed a higher risk of dependency.

Conclusions:

A history of adverse working conditions increased the risk of old-age dependency. Reducing the accumulation of adverse working conditions across the working life may contribute to postponing old-age dependency.
Stability analysis of an acted asymmetric rigid body by a gyrostatic moment and a constant body-fixed torque
Authors: Amer WS , Abady IM , Farag AM
Published: August 2023

This work focuses on the dynamical rotatory motion of an asymmetric rigid body (RB) subjected to a constant body-fixed torque and a vector of a gyrostatic moment (GM). The motion is considered in the absence of the first two components of the GM. The novelty of the current work is the conversion of the stability analysis of this body from a two dimensional phase plane to three ones phase space. Specifically, two scenarios of stationary torques are considered, the first one is directed on the minor or major axis, while the latter is presumed to act on the middle axis. Therefore, three dimensional phase space routes are generated. In both scenarios some novel analytical and simulation outcomes are provided regarding equilibrium manifolds, periodic solutions or non-periodic ones, separator surfaces, as well as the extreme periodic solutions. The significance of this work is due to its great applications, especially those that use the gyro’s theory.
Speaking the language of market segmentation: How newsworkers describe their organization’s target audience
Authors: Edgerly Stephanie , Thorson Kjerstin
Published: August 2023

News organizations are placing a greater emphasis on knowing their audience as a route to facilitate engagement and generate revenue. Drawing on a national survey of individuals working for U.S. news organizations, we examine how newsworkers describe their organization’s target audience. Combining quantitative content analysis with a qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses, we find that the majority of U.S. newsworkers use some combination of demographics or psychographics to describe the audience for their work—representing a substantial uptake of marketing segmentation language compared to earlier research on how journalists understand their audiences. However, that marketing-like sophistication comes with a cost: Newsworkers' target audience descriptions are shaped by financial imperatives, emphasizing white, older, high socioeconomic status groups. These findings are discussed in terms of the journalism industry’s lack of diversity, suggesting that this issue also extends to the imagined target audiences of news media organizations.
‘I had more time to listen to my inner voice’: Zen meditation tourism for Generation Z
Authors: Wu Jiayu , Tang Juan , Agyeiwaah Elizabeth
Published: August 2023

With much academic attention to experiential learning in on-site tourism experiences, the benefits of Zen meditation tourism on Generation Z after their re-entry into daily secular life remains largely unexplored. Drawing on experiential learning theory, this study explores the benefits experienced by participants after Zen meditation tourism in three stages including reflection, learning results, and active experimentation. Employing phenomenology-based ethnography, six consecutive rounds of online face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 informants who were continuously traced after attending a Zen camp. The study findings revealed long-term positive benefits in three aspects of this generational cohort. First, Zen practices tend to be fading yet abiding after the Zen camp which continues sporadically into daily life. Second, socialisation is continuously progressive; but self-growth is complicated and unstable. Theoretical and practical implications of these novel findings are discussed.
Modeling of Russian–Ukrainian war based on fuzzy cognitive map with genetic tuning
Authors: Rotshtein Alexander , Polin Brian A , Katielnikov Denys I , Tetiana Neskorodieva
Published: August 2023

The Russian–Ukrainian conflict is considered as a dynamic system, whose variables are factors affecting the losses of the Russian army and the threat of the use of nuclear weapons. A fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) is used for modeling, that is, a directed graph whose vertices are model variables, and the weights of arcs are the degrees of positive and negative influences of variables on each other. The following factors influencing the losses of the Russian army and the threat of a nuclear strike were selected: resistance of the Ukrainian army, support of Ukraine with weapons, economic sanctions against Russia, opposition to the Russian government and its self-preservation instinct. The degrees of the influence of factors on each other and on the possibility of using nuclear weapons are evaluated by experts using fuzzy terms, which correspond to numeric values. To adjust the FCM, a genetic algorithm is used to select the degrees of influence of factors that minimize the discrepancy between the simulation results and expert estimations. The obtained FCM is used for scenario modeling of the conflict according to the “what if” scheme and ranking of factors according to their degree of influence on the level of nuclear threat.
Adapting military doctrine in the shadow of the future
Authors: Lehmann Todd C
Published: August 2023

Strategic competition creates significant evolutionary pressures on conventional militaries to improve their doctrines and overall military effectiveness. Why are some militaries more effective at evolving their doctrine than others? This paper develops a theory which argues that complex security environments force militaries to optimize their organizations for the commitment horizon they possess for a security issue. This optimization drives militaries to take on particular organizational characteristics, such as the amount of delegation and the tolerance for experimenting with new tactics, which affect their performance in systematic ways as a result. Using an agent-based model, this study evaluates the theory by simulating different organizational characteristics and evaluating how doctrinal effectiveness changes based on different commitment horizons. Results from the simulations suggest a typology of militaries according to their commitment horizon. Contrary to existing arguments that military effectiveness is determined by a particular set of strategies or by a favorable military culture, the results also suggest that doctrinal effectiveness follows a U-shaped curve as the commitment horizon increases. To illustrate the logic of the model, this study describes the typology and its implications.
Adapting Cognitive Task Analysis Methods for Use in a Large Sample Simulation Study of High-Risk Healthcare Events
Authors: Militello Laura G. , Salwei Megan E. , Reale Carrie , Sushereba Christen , Slagle Jason M. , Gaba David , Weinger Matthew B. , Rask John , Faiman Janelle , Andreae Michael , Burden Amanda R. , Anders Shilo
Published: August 2023

Cognitive task analysis (CTA) methods are traditionally used to conduct small-sample, in-depth studies. In this case study, CTA methods were adapted for a large multi-site study in which 102 anesthesiologists worked through four different high-fidelity simulated high-consequence incidents. Cognitive interviews were used to elicit decision processes following each simulated incident. In this paper, we highlight three practical challenges that arose: (1) standardizing the interview techniques for use across a large, distributed team of diverse backgrounds; (2) developing effective training; and (3) developing a strategy to analyze the resulting large amount of qualitative data. We reflect on how we addressed these challenges by increasing standardization, developing focused training, overcoming social norms that hindered interview effectiveness, and conducting a staged analysis. We share findings from a preliminary analysis that provides early validation of the strategy employed. Analysis of a subset of 64 interview transcripts using a decompositional analysis approach suggests that interviewers successfully elicited descriptions of decision processes that varied due to the different challenges presented by the four simulated incidents. A holistic analysis of the same 64 transcripts revealed individual differences in how anesthesiologists interpreted and managed the same case.
Application of intelligent nursing based on cloud computing of internet of things in children with pneumonia and sepsis treated with human gamma globulin
Authors: Qin Aihua , Liu Yuling , Shao Changming , Dong Hongyan
Published: August 2023

Purpose: To explore the application of intelligent nursing (IN) based on the Internet of Things (IoT) in children with pneumonia and sepsis treated with human gamma globulin (HGG).

Methods: A total of 200 children with pneumonia combined with sepsis who attended the First People’s Hospital of Shangqiu from January 1, 2020 to February 13, 2022 were consecutively collected. Children were randomly divided into IN group and routine nursing (RN) group, with 100 children in each group. All children received standard anti-infection treatment along with intravenous HGG. In IN group, IN measures based on the IoT cloud computing platform monitored the treatment process of children with HGG throughout the whole process, while children in the RN group only received RN measures. Information on both groups was collected from the medical records, such as gender, age, duration of hospitalization, fever, antibiotic use, serological indicators, pulmonary function indicators, immune function indicators and adverse effects of HGG. Multi-factorial logistic regression was performed to access the correlation between IN and the duration of hospitalization and a range of other factors studied above.

Results: After adjusting for numerous confounding factors, multifactorial logistic regression revealed that the application of IN was associated with a shorter duration of hospitalization ( p = .030) and lower white blood cell (WBC) and creatinine (Cr) levels in post-treatment children ( p = .003, p = .010). It was also associated with higher levels of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow (PEV) after treatment ( p = .014, p = .001, p = .002) and higher levels of immune CD4+/CD8+ ratio after treatment ( p = .001) and reduced symptoms of vomiting among the adverse effects ( p = .047).

Conclusion: The IoT cloud-based IN model significantly improved the efficacy of HGG in the treatment of pneumonia sepsis in children and reduce occurrence of some adverse reactions.
Model of the systemic lupus erythematosus pathogenesis based on an autoimmune response to mitochondrial components
Authors: Blagov Alexander V , Zhuravlev Alexander D , Sukhorukov Vasily N , Popov Mikhail A , Grechko Andrey V , Orekhov Alexander N
Published: August 2023

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) manifests itself in the form of damage to various organs as a result of an autoimmune reaction to the organism's own molecules. Understanding the processes leading to the activation of the autoimmune response, as well as identifying potential autoantigens and their role in the pathogenesis of SIE, is an important task for understanding the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of SLE. Here we describe a model of SLE pathogenesis in which the induction of an autoimmune response is based on mitochondrial antigens. In addition to options for initiating an autoimmune response involving mitochondrial components, the model describes the role of pathways and immune cells of these pathways of adaptive immunity in SLE, as well as factors leading to the development of chronic inflammation in SLE. The creation of such models is important for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of SLE, as well as the identification of new therapeutic targets for this disease.
Emotional Intelligence: A Missing Category in Discipleship Training and Spiritual Formation?
Authors: Davis John Jefferson
Published: August 2023

This paper argues that the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) has been underrecognized in church discipleship and spiritual formation programs, and that the development of emotional intelligence needs to be more fully incorporated in such programs in both church and seminary settings. The timeliness and need for additional study of EI is shown; current literature on discipleship and spiritual formation is surveyed; reasons for the relative neglect of EI in theological training and spiritual formation are identified; a biblical rationale for recovering EI as an essential element for discipleship and spiritual formation is presented, with Phil 4:4-9 examined as a biblical case study.