bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organizational Characteristics of Hospitals Meeting STRIDE Program Adoption Benchmarks to Support Mobility for Hospitalized Persons
Authors: Zullig Leah L. , Drake Connor , Webster Amy , Tucker Matthew , Choate Ashley , Stechuchak Karen M. , Coffman Cynthia J. , Kappler Caitlin B. , Meyer Cassie , Van Houtven Courtney H. , Allen Kelli D. , Hughes Jaime M. , Sperber Nina , Hastings Susan Nicole
Published: September 2024

There are few validated contextual measures predicting adoption of evidence-based programs. Variation in context at clinical sites can hamper dissemination. We examined organizational characteristics of Veterans Affairs hospitals implementing STRIDE, a hospital walking program, and characteristics’ influences on program adoption. Using a parallel mixed-method design, we describe context and organizational characteristics by program adoption. Organizational characteristics included: organizational resilience, implementation climate, organizational readiness to implement change, highest complexity sites versus others, material support, adjusted length of stay (LOS) above versus below national median, and improvement experience. We collected intake forms at hospital launch and qualitative interviews with staff members at 4 hospitals that met the initial adoption benchmark, defined as completing supervised walks with 5+ unique hospitalized Veterans during months 5 to 6 after launch with low touch implementation support. We identified that 31% (n = 11 of 35) of hospitals met adoption benchmarks. Seven percent of highest complexity hospitals adopted compared to 48% with lower complexity. Forty-three percent that received resources adopted compared to 29% without resources. Thirty-six percent of hospitals with above-median LOS adopted compared to 23% with below-median. Thirty-five percent with at least some implementation experience adopted compared to 0% with very little to no experience. Adopters reported higher organizational resilience than non-adopters (mean = 23.5 [SD = 2.6] vs 22.7 [SD = 2.6]). Adopting hospitals reported greater organizational readiness to change than those that did not (mean = 4.2 [SD = 0.5] vs 3.8 [SD = 0.6]). Qualitatively, all sites reported that staff were committed to implementing STRIDE. Participants reported additional barriers to adoption including challenges with staffing and delays associated with hiring staff. Adopters reported that having adequate staff facilitated implementation. Implementation climate did not have an association with meeting STRIDE program adoption benchmarks in this study. Contextual factors which may be simple to assess, such as resource availability, may influence adoption of new programs without intensive implementation support.
Understanding AI-Generated Experiments in Tourism: Replications Using GPT Simulations
Authors: Xiong Xiling , Wong IpKin Anthony , Huang GuoQiong Ivanka , Peng Yixuan
Published: September 2024

The present work explores whether the generative pre-trained transformers (GPT) can complement empirical research in tourism as the GPT extends beyond commercial applications. In particular, we utilized OpenAI’s Python API to interact with the GPT-3.5-turbo. Using GPT as a special subject, we coined AI-generative study (AGS) to validate key findings of 16 scenario-based experiments published in leading journals of tourism and hospitality in two studies. This research contributes to the literature by delineating a new methodology that opens a forum for discussion on alternative means of conducting tourism research. Future studies could also utilize GPT and the ability of generative AI for tourism research in terms of pilot-/pre-testing and cross-validation. In conclusion, we recommend that GPT-generated results should serve primarily as preliminary findings and must be corroborated by data from actual human participants, thus providing converging evidence to support the corresponding research conclusions.
Active Citizens and an Active State: Uncovering the ‘Positive’ Underpinnings of the Australian Constitution
Authors: Blayden Lynsey
Published: September 2024

The Australian Constitution was drafted, and the institutions of national government were established, during a period in which the atomism of laissez-faire liberalism was being rejected. Instead, progressive liberals of the era were searching for ways to encourage collective action and social ties, believing that this would, in turn, enhance personal wellbeing. This article contends that a clearer appreciation of the influence of the ‘social’ turn in liberalism upon Australia’s constitutional and institutional development might contribute to a fuller understanding of Australia’s distinctive constitutional and public law traditions.
“I am growing, but I don’t give up”: Spiritual experiences of older adults in Ghana
Authors: Aglozo Eric Y. , Akotia Charity Sylvia , Osei-Tutu Annabella , Andoh-Arthur Johnny
Published: September 2024

Religion and spirituality are considered to be helpful resources during late adulthood where declines and losses are presumably pronounced. In Ghana, religion and spirituality are integral aspects of everyday life. The purpose of the study was to explore and understand how older adults experience and make meaning of their lives using spirituality as a lens. Twelve community-dwelling older adults (age range = 60–81 years) in Ghana were interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that God or the divine guides the navigation of life situations and infuses life with spiritual goals and concerns. Older adults practiced acceptance and gratitude in both positive and negative circumstances and maintained optimism and hope in other situations. The meaning-making model provided a useful framework for interpreting these findings. Limitations of the study were discussed, and suggestions for future research were offered.
Exploring the Criminal Life Course of Uncontrollably Violent Detained Persons
Authors: Van Der Vorst Ellen , Van Koppen Vere , Kuin Niki C. , Harte Joke M.
Published: September 2024

This empirical study was the first to explore the criminal life course of people imprisoned in a Dutch facility for uncontrollably violent persons as a consequence of prison violence ( N = 383). Their characteristics were compared with those from studies of Dutch incarcerated people and those of persons residing in an in-prison psychiatric facility ( N = 1,913). Results showed that uncontrollably violent detained persons are an extreme group: their criminal life course is characterized by an early onset, an extensive and severe criminal career, and high scores on most violence-related historical risk factors. The severity and early onset of their criminal life course, their problematic behavior, and their problems in other life domains became even more apparent following our comparisons. This study underlines the relevance of detained persons’ pre-prison characteristics in addressing prison violence risk factors, and shows that early detection and monitoring is essential to prevent (more) damage.
“The War at Home”: Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Black Community; Race and Policing in New York City, 1970 to 1973
Authors: Mack Willie
Published: September 2024

This article argues that in 1971 a war between the radical Black Liberation Army and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) erupted, and within this war, the NYPD tried to influence Black politics in the city’s Black community. However, the Black community in New York City was not monolithic politically. This community was diverse in its political makeup, and there was a political ambivalence by Black people about policing in their communities. It further demonstrates that the law-and-order turn was not fully embedded in white liberals’ virtuous attempts to pacify Black radicals or that the rise of law and order was not solely a product of federal projects such as the War on Poverty. Instead, this article argues that political debates within New York City’s Black community and efforts by the NYPD to influence Black politics largely drove the city toward greater law and order policing.
Gaussian-inverse gamma mixture distribution–based extended Kalman observer for dynamic positioning control system of offshore platform
Authors: Wan Min , Du Jiadai , Yi Hao
Published: September 2024

Under different working conditions and control objectives, fuzzy model predictive control is used to optimize the control effect by adjusting the weight to achieve stable and accurate control for the dynamic positioning control of offshore platforms. Also, aiming at the situation where the measurement noise of dynamic positioning control may be time-varying and non-Gaussian and the statistics of the noise are not exact, this paper proposes a variational Bayesian extended Kalman filter observer. In order to model non-Gaussian noise more reasonably, the joint posterior distribution of non-Gaussian noise with state and time-varying covariance is described as the product of Gaussian and independent inverse gamma distributions. Then, the variational Bayesian (VB) method was used to simultaneously estimate the system state, the intermediate variable values of the new distribution, and the noise parameters through fixed-point iteration. The fuzzy algorithm is applied to the model predictive control, and the weight parameters of the model predictive control are adaptively changed to better adapt to the changing working conditions in the control process. The simulation results show that the variational Bayesian extended Kalman filter observer has better performance than the existing algorithms when dealing with the time-varying non-Gaussian observation noise, whose statistics are not exact. The variational Bayesian extended Kalman filter observer can significantly improve the accuracy of the control when it is used in fuzzy model predictive control.
Review of Literature Addressing Biological and Social Responses to Touch: Instructional Implications
Authors: Graves Adam , Kitchen Sara
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Recent trends in training teachers of students who are blind or have low vision (i.e., those who are visually impaired) have shifted away from traditional hand-over-hand guidance and toward a hand-under-hand approach. However, a search for peer-reviewed studies that address the effects of the use of hand-under-hand versus hand-over-hand instructional techniques often yields few results. This article examines literature on tactile receptors in the human integumentary system and how different forms of touch may affect tactile learning. Methods: The authors used a purposive search of literature using key words and phrases associated with different forms of touch to examine literature on the effects of touch from the perspectives of both the biological and social sciences. Results: Much of the neurological and sociological research that was revealed in this study tended to support the anecdotal evidence from practitioners who have described learners developing a greater sense of autonomy, independence, and connectedness when they are able to control their own body. Discussion: Literature cited in this study indicates that repeated use of controlling forms of touch may inhibit learning through the discriminative tactile system. In addition, the authors describe literature indicating that implicit social messages conveyed through controlling touch may perpetuate stereotypes of individuals with visual impairments as dependent on sighted people and create social barriers to independence.
Multimodal Cues to Change Your Mind: The Intertwining of Faces, Voices, and Behaviors in Impression Updating
Authors: Masi Matteo , Mattavelli Simone , Fasoli Fabio , Brambilla Marco
Published: September 2024

Impressions of others are formed from multiple cues, including facial features, vocal tone, and behavioral descriptions, and may be subject to multimodal updating. Four experiments ( N = 803) examined the influence of a target’s face or voice on impression updating. Experiments 1a-1b examined whether behavior-based impressions are susceptible to updating by incongruent information conveyed by the target’s face, voice, or behavior (within-participant manipulation). Both faces and voices updated impressions with comparable strength, but less than behaviors. Experiment 2, contrasting faces and voices only (between-participants manipulation), showed that voices outperformed faces regardless of how impressions were formed (i.e., via behavioral vs. nonbehavioral information). Experiment 3 found no difference when comparing faces and voices in a within-participant design and controlling for stimulus attractiveness. Our work highlights the importance of multimodal cues for impression updating and shows that the relative power of faces and voices depends on contextual factors.
Blurring the Lines Between Public and Nonprofit Sectors: Local Efforts to Create Inclusive Communities
Authors: Kim Mirae , Liu Cathy Yang , Li Bo
Published: September 2024

Local governments and nonprofits share the common goal of enhancing local community well-being, despite variations in funding sources, governance structure, and authority. Their joint efforts in responding to increasing immigrant concerns shed light on their motivations to address emerging challenges. Through interviews, original surveys, and secondary datasets, this study unveils that both sectors respond to rising foreign-born populations, shifting local racial demographics, and an aging populace. While political context significantly shapes local government actions, nonprofits are propelled by grant opportunities. These findings underscore sector commonalities and disparities and how the two sectors can continue to work together or independently to address community issues.
Underground Roots for Ancestral Futures: Exploring Lithium Through an Experimental Alliance between Chemistry and Anthropology
Authors: Bonelli Cristobal , Gamba Martina
Published: September 2024

Amid the push for decarbonization and the rise of lithium-ion batteries, global demand for lithium urges an examination of its materiality. Drawing on Barry's chemical geography, which gathers various concerns related to the study of chemicals in the field, and Bachelard's meta-chemical proposal, which challenges a substantialist understanding of chemicals, we propose an experimental alliance between a chemist and an anthropologist concerned with different ways of problematizing lithium's materiality. Guided by a commitment to Latin American territories and embracing a slow science ethos, we seek to foster a sense of responsibility rooted in the material genealogy of chemical substances. Through ethnographic analysis of lithium extraction practices in the Salar de Atacama, Chile, and examination of lithium behaviors in materials chemistry laboratories in Argentina and Europe, we establish a partial connection between lithium chemical labs and underground ancestral lithium brines. Ultimately, we envision futures that acknowledge the ancestral origins of Latin American undergrounds, resisting the univocity of a future-oriented, battery-ion age. In so doing, we endeavor to cultivate a mode of attention concerned with place and deep-time materiality, challenging lineal illusions of progress while embracing the complexities of our planetary present and past.
Global influencers’ content creation strategies: Negotiating with platform affordances to practice vernacular creativity
Authors: Bhatia Kiran Vinod , Pathak-Shelat Manisha , Sinha Suchetana , Mishra Tatsita
Published: September 2024

We examine how globally oriented-influencers from India utilize specific strategies of content creation to negotiate with the dominant logic of platform affordances to engage with global audiences. It involves individual negotiations by the influencers with the platform affordances in creating content that foregrounds their cultural realities and aspirations while remaining relevant to global audiences. We do so by deploying the critical technocultural discourse analysis (CTDA) framework to understand influencers’ strategic choices and discursive practices as they interact and negotiate with the platform affordances. Our analysis shows two processes that help the influencers communicate their content to the global audience and sustain their local connections and followership: (1) Templatization: a process through which influencers from the global South attune themselves to the technological possibilities of the platform and utilize its features to produce content with a set of replicable patterns, formats, and practices; and (2) Cultural brokering: a negotiation strategy which allows the influencers to foreground and express their quotidian lived realities and cultural experiences in an increasingly globalized digital environment.
Reframing Burnout: Measuring “Altruistic Execution” to Understand Nurse Burnout
Authors: Christianson Jacqueline , Bekhet Abir , Guttormson Jill , Singh Maharaj , Johnson Norah L.
Published: September 2024

Background:

Many nurses join the profession because they have altruistic intentions, but some nurses experience barriers to acting on altruistic intentions which may be a source of job dissatisfaction or burnout.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate construct validity, internal consistency, and convergence reliability of the Nursing Altruistic Execution Scale (NAES), a novel instrument assessing the perceived ability to help others through work.

Methods:

The NAES was developed based upon a literature review examining altruistic behavior as a motivator for nursing work, with expert feedback for instrument refinement. Participants completed the NAES, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory Work-Related Burnout Scale, and Satisfaction of Employees in Health Care Survey. Exploratory factor analysis examined construct validity and factor loadings. Confirmatory factor analysis verified consistency in factor structure. Linear regression assessed for convergence reliability with burnout and job satisfaction.

Results:

The sample included 843 acute care hospital nurses surveyed in January-March 2023. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution, named altruistic engagement with work and workplace barriers to altruism. Nine instrument items were retained and demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.79). There was a significant relationship between both factors of the NAES and both burnout and job satisfaction, demonstrating that greater altruistic execution is associated with lower burnout and greater job satisfaction.

Conclusion:

Preliminary findings support the use of the NAES as a valid and reliable scale. Findings show there is correlation between altruistic intentions and burnout. Interventions aimed at enhancing altruistic execution may reduce nurse burnout and thereby improve retention.
The role of active and passive music engagement in cognitive development: A systematic review
Authors: Stekić Katarina
Published: September 2024

The aim of this study is to provide a systematic review of the effects of active and passive music engagement on cognitive development. Out of the 66 studies uncovered by the initial search, methods, and conclusions of 12 quantitative, 2 qualitative, and 12 review studies were analyzed. The present review shows active music engagement may improve cognitive skills in near transfer domains, such as verbal and motor skills, as well as auditory discrimination. Improvements in distant transfer domains have also been reported, such as enhanced general IQ, memory skills, numeracy and spatial skills, executive skills, and problem-solving. Benefits for affective and social skill development have also been shown for both active and passive music engagement, while passive engagement is specifically beneficial in clinical settings. However, there are studies that don’t report significant effects. Potential sources of bias are further explored, suggesting that this field may be victim to confirmation and publication bias. Method variety in measurements, sample size, and intervention length, along with the lack of methodological rigor and control groups, prevent us from concluding a direct causal relationship between music engagement and cognitive development. Implications for controlling confounding factors and identifying potential moderator mechanisms are discussed.
The Need for Localized, Socio-economic Policy Measures for Controlling a Pandemic: An Empirical Study of COVID-19 in India
Authors: Gupta Ashish , Das Prashant , Kim Dongshin
Published: September 2024

We examine the localized nature of COVID-19 pandemic spread in India. Through Gamma curve-fitting we observe that the infection patterns exhibit substantial variation across locations. Areas with larger male population and higher economic activity witness more cases. Economically-deprived districts experience higher mortality after controlling for the infections. Mobility in spatially contiguous locations is a significant determinant of new infections. Our study emphasizes the role of socioeconomic factors in explaining the variation across districts. The findings support the need for locally-specific policy, better medical infrastructure in socio-economically vulnerable localities and social-distancing measures in controlling the spread.
Moving on: The overrepresentation of Black and minoritised households in out of area housing placements in England
Authors: IAFRATI STEVE , CLARE NICK , LAWRENCE HELEN
Published: September 2024

Based on freedom of information request data supplied by English local authorities, this paper identifies significant under-reporting of out of area housing placements in government statistics alongside an overrepresentation of Black and minoritised households amongst such placements. In a context of neoliberalism, housing policy has become abstracted from contextual factors that shape experiences of housing. With housing increasingly commodified, this paper explores housing challenges beyond economic factors to include historical legacies and exclusion. Housing is therefore positioned as a conduit between people and place, with place understood as a spatial representation of social and economic networks. The fracturing of these networks illustrates a geographical manifestation of housing policy, crisis, and exclusion. This paper reflects on the social and economic context that drives such experiences and situates the overrepresentation of out of area housing for Black and minoritised households.
A critical realist approach to agent-based modeling: Unlocking prediction in non-positivist paradigms
Authors: Rieder Annamina , Chakraborty Saurav , Goyal Sandeep , Berndt Donald J
Published: September 2024

Information systems (IS) scholarship and practice aim to predict phenomena and outcomes of IS use. These phenomena of IS use are typically set in multi-leveled, dynamic, and complex contexts that lend explanation to the non-positivist tradition in IS research. However, limited methodological options exist to make predictions. In this research, we propose stratified agent-based modeling, a step-by-step approach that enables prediction in non-positivist paradigms. Drawing upon the critical realist philosophy of science, which suggests ontological stratification and assumes open systems, we adopt a retroduction-based explanation formation and agent-based modeling to simulate different potential states of a complex system. The critical step in combining critical realism with agent-based modeling involves identifying and codifying the underlying generative mechanisms (i.e., causal powers) into various components of the agent-based model. We propose four steps toward prediction under the critical realist paradigm: (1) capturing the phenomenon, (2) identifying the generative mechanism, (3) building the agent-based model, and (4) simulating states of the system. We present an exemplar of our proposed approach that investigates the effectiveness of strategies to combat malicious content propagation in social networks.
Dataset and Benchmark: Novel Sensors for Autonomous Vehicle Perception
Authors: Carmichael Spencer , Buchan Austin , Ramanagopal Mani , Ravi Radhika , Vasudevan Ram , Skinner Katherine A
Published: September 2024

Conventional cameras employed in autonomous vehicle (AV) systems support many perception tasks but are challenged by low-light or high dynamic range scenes, adverse weather, and fast motion. Novel sensors, such as event and thermal cameras, offer capabilities with the potential to address these scenarios, but they remain to be fully exploited. This paper introduces the Novel Sensors for Autonomous Vehicle Perception (NSAVP) dataset to facilitate future research on this topic. The dataset was captured with a platform including stereo event, thermal, monochrome, and RGB cameras as well as a high precision navigation system providing ground truth poses. The data was collected by repeatedly driving two ∼8 km routes and includes varied lighting conditions and opposing viewpoint perspectives. We provide benchmarking experiments on the task of place recognition to demonstrate challenges and opportunities for novel sensors to enhance critical AV perception tasks. To our knowledge, the NSAVP dataset is the first to include stereo thermal cameras together with stereo event and monochrome cameras. The dataset and supporting software suite is available at https://umautobots.github.io/nsavp .
Business continuity as self-efficacy: Augmenting existing business continuity practice
Authors: Fraser Roni , White Zackery , Cox Zachary , Kendra James , Ayala Yajaira , Posch Cornelia , Winslow Marlea , Woodruff David , MacFadyen Liza , Flynn Bridget
Published: September 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings of traditional business continuity principles. As much of the novel response to COVID-19 involved a curtailment or cessation of in-person commercial activity, businesses and communities were at unprecedented financial risk. Traditional methods of ensuring business continuity were likely insufficient; thus, an improved understanding of business continuity through disaster is needed for both business and community well-being. Canonically, academic studies examining business survival post-disaster have emphasized vulnerability characteristics and focused on factors outside the businesses’ locus of control. Recently, studies have found that business survival is related to features of self-efficacy that are not easily developed through succinct templates: creativity, flexibility, and improvisation. By critically examining ninety-three publicly available business continuity guides in a content analysis approach, we point to the need for further research on business preparedness as the building of self-efficacy and the effectiveness of converting these scientific findings into useful formats for business operators.
Large eddy simulation of various EMBr effects on the fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification process in an ultra-high speed thin slab casting mould with multi-port SEN
Authors: Cui Henan , Sun Jiankun , Zhang Jiangshan , Xu Haiwei , Wang Guolian , Liu Qing
Published: September 2024

Effective control of intense turbulence is a crucial challenge for achieving steady production with ultra-high casting speed in thin slab continuous casting. In thin slab casting process, specially designed multi-port submerged entry nozzle (SEN) with four outlets is utilised to ensure an ample supply of molten steel, necessitating the selection and optimisation of suitable Electromagnetic Braking (EMBr) equipment for steel jet control. This study established a comprehensive three-dimensional model of a funnel-type mould, employing a combined experimental-numerical approach to validate and investigate the flow, heat transfer, solidification and electromagnetic behaviour in the mould. The steel grade studied in the simulation is Q235B, and its physical properties were calculated based on its composition with a temperature range of 1450–1826 K. To analyse the influence of high casting speed on the flow and solidification behaviour in the mould, three casting speeds were selected for the study, which were 6, 7 and 8 m/min. The results indicate that the novel Bowl EMBr significantly suppressed the penetration of steel jet and thus enhanced the thickness and uniformity of the solidified shell. As the casting speed increases from 6 to 8 m/min, the solidified shell thickness at the mould exit decreases from 7.91 to 5.94 mm, with the stagnant growth region approaching the mould exit. This highlights the requirement to correspondingly increase EMBr strength under ultra-high casting speed condition to avoid remelting of the shell and the risk of molten steel leakage. The coupled mathematical model established in this study provides guidance for optimising EMBr structures and casting speed under special multi-port SEN conditions, offering recommendations for the rational control of flow, heat transfer and solidification process in the mould.
Corner structure optimisation design of billet mould tube for Q235 with high casting speed
Authors: Pang X. K. , Li H. R. , Sun L. G. , Li X. H. , Chen W. , Zhu L. G.
Published: September 2024

Reasonable corner design of the mould is conducive to the uniform heat transfer of the billet, especially for the crack-sensitive steel such as Q235 under high casting speed. Based on the Ansys finite element analysis platform, three kinds of mould corner configurations were designed in this study, and the temperature and stress distribution of the billet and mould corresponding to different mould were compared and analysed. The results show that the cooling uniformity of the C-type mould (petal-type) was better than that of other corner configurations, the maximum temperature at the mould corner was reduced by 43.66 °C, the minimum temperature at the billet corner was increased by 109.73 °C, and the maximum Von-Mises equivalent stress at the corner of the billet was reduced by 28.09 MPa. Therefore, the C-type mould can further improve the quality of the billet and is conducive to the improvement of production efficiency.
The geography of European financial centers: 1993–2020
Authors: Capelle-Blancard Gunther , Fromentin Vincent , Grabowski Jesse
Published: September 2024

This paper examines the dynamics of employment in the financial sector in the European Union and the United Kingdom since the early 1990s. Using the EU Labor Force Survey at the national (NUTS0), regional (NUTS1), and subregional (NUTS2) levels, we document several stylized facts about the evolution of financial centers. Despite the global financial and sovereign debt crises, the total number of workers in the financial sector has increased from less than 5 million in 1993 to more than 6.5 million in 2020. At the same time, however, the share of employees in the financial sector has decreased from 3.5% to 2.8%. We find large regional differences in the degree of financial specialization, with Luxembourg at the top end (11% of their total workforce), followed by Ireland and the United Kingdom (4%), then France, Germany or Italy (around 3%). We also explore the dynamics of concentration. The main conclusion is that the degree of concentration depends on the scale of measurement employed. We show a contrasting concentration trend: centripetal at the national level and centrifugal at lower levels (regional or sub-regional). Furthermore, newer financial centers showed faster growth.

JEL codes: E44, G2, R1
The agrarian question of climate change
Authors: Paprocki Kasia , McCarthy James
Published: September 2024

The agrarian question of the twenty-first century is the agrarian question of climate change. The classical agrarian question asked how capitalist development was reshaping fin de siècle agriculture and with what consequences. The answers often contradicted predictions, and thereby teleological notions of development. Today, we must ask how climate change adaptation and mitigation, alongside and through other ongoing processes of capitalist development, are reshaping agrarian lives, livelihoods, landscapes, and politics, and with what consequences. We argue that attention to the agrarian question is essential to understanding social, political, and economic transformation broadly in the time of climate change.
A review of flash flood hazards influenced by various solid material sources in mountain environment
Authors: Fei Gaogao , Wang Xiekang , Lan Ling
Published: September 2024

Solid material sources, such as sediment, large wood, and vehicles, intensify flash flood hazards. This paper provides a detailed review of processes involving the recruitment, entrainment, transport, and blockage dynamics of various solid material sources. Results indicate that sediment supplied by processes like landslides and debris flows can obstruct river channels, leading to a sudden increase in flash flood levels. The failure of a barrier dam results in an expansion of downstream inundation areas. Large wood and floating vehicles transported by flash floods and debris flows may directly impact and destroy built structures or form blockages at built structures. Blockages lead to a backwater rise, and the sudden amplification of flow during the failure of these blockages causes more severe disasters. Based on these analyses, the paper proposes future research directions primarily focusing on the changes in sediment burial processes caused by the sheltering effects of building groups. Furthermore, the study aims to investigate the flow amplification effects of large wood and vehicle blockage.
A cross-sectional study of the relationship between iron deficiency anaemia and chronic pain
Authors: Wyssusek Kerstin H , Woods Christine A , Minard Emily T , Lee Julie , Pelecanos Anita , Gray Paul
Published: September 2024

Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia are frequently under-recognised in chronic conditions with non-specific symptoms, including fatigue. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of iron deficiency with or without anaemia in chronic pain patients, and the association between iron deficiency status, fatigue and health-related quality of life. Eighty-two patients attending chronic pain outpatient appointments were recruited into this cross-sectional study. Iron studies and haemoglobin were determined from venous blood samples. Participants’ health-related quality of life was assessed with the 36-item short form survey and fatigue with the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy fatigue scale. Iron deficiency was prevalent in 58.8% of patients and 2.5% met the criteria for iron deficiency anaemia. There was no significant association between iron deficiency status and the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy fatigue scale score or 36-item short form survey domain scores. There was a high prevalence of iron deficiency in this group of chronic pain patients, while the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia was low. There was no statistically significant association found between iron deficiency status and fatigue or quality of life measures.
Entrepreneurial functions performed by women entrepreneurs: Do incubators make a difference?
Authors: Dixit Deepika , Sinha Anubha Shekhar
Published: September 2024

Women entrepreneurs often face impoverished social networks, hindering opportunity recognition, resource mobilization, and innovation. Governments promote incubator to boost entrepreneurship, but these are often male dominated, perpetuating gender inequalities. This study examined whether incubation benefits women as much as men entrepreneurs. Data from 268 incubated (men and women) and 140 non-incubated women entrepreneurs showed significant differences in entrepreneurial functions between incubated and non-incubated women. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences were found between incubated men and women. Thus, incubators offer alternative affiliation by providing valuable networks for women beyond their familial connections. Furthermore, incubators create a level playing field for women entrepreneurs.

JEL Classification: M13, L26, C83, 030
The effectiveness of brief workplace compassion-focussed training in improving wellbeing of stressed school employees
Authors: Healy Karyn L , Payne Kirsty , Kirby James N
Published: September 2024

Australian teachers and school employees report high levels of stress-related mental health problems. Previous theory and research show that workplace training in strategies to manage stress can improve organisational productivity as well as employee wellbeing. Theory suggests that self-compassion strategies may produce better outcomes, than standard cognitive behavioural training interventions, due to activation of self-soothing. This pilot randomised controlled trial evaluated whether inclusion of a brief compassion-focussed therapy (CFT) training workshop was more effective in reducing stress-related mental health problems of school employees, than the standard professional development (PD) workshop that incorporated cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness strategies. School employees (103) were recruited and randomly allocated to either the standard PD alone or to also participate in a brief CFT workshop. There were very large reductions in burnout and clinically significant improvements in mental health problems under both conditions. The results provide preliminary evidence that CFT-enhanced training improves secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction; further research needs to be conducted with a larger sample. These results may also be relevant to other occupations with a high emotional load.

JEL Classification: I310
Integrating evidence synthesis services in Zimbabwean state university libraries
Authors: Pasipamire Notice
Published: September 2024

This article explores how Zimbabwean state university libraries incorporate evidence synthesis services in their traditional research support services as the evidence synthesis methodology begins to gain popularity among researchers beyond the health sciences. The literature indicates that academic libraries around the world are responding to the need for evidence synthesis services. However, there is a lack of evidence concerning how libraries in Zimbabwean state university libraries have adapted to this trend. Exploratory research that involved sub-librarians and faculty librarians as participants was conducted. Purposive and self-selection sampling techniques were utilised in addition to the use of questionnaires and interviews for data gathering. The results reveal that some libraries have started offering evidence synthesis services, particularly in the disciplines of agriculture and applied sciences. The results also show that systematic and scoping reviews are evidence synthesis types commonly conducted by researchers. While the study shows that some librarians demonstrated a good understanding of evidence synthesis, most lacked practical experience and relied on self-teaching and peer-to-peer learning for skill acquisition.
Nonoperative Management of High Ankle Sprains: A Case Series With ≥18-Year Follow-up
Authors: Nussbaum Eric D. , Silver Jeremy , Rozenberg Aleksandr , Mazzeferro Natale , Buckley Patrick S. , Gatt Charles J.
Published: September 2024

Background:

High ankle sprains are common athletic injuries and can be associated with long-term sequelae. Regardless of operative or nonoperative treatment, there is a paucity of data in the literature about the long-term outcomes of high ankle sprains.

Hypothesis:

Nonoperative treatment of high ankle sprains utilizing a standardized protocol will result in good long-term outcomes.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Patients who experienced a high ankle sprain without radiographic diastasis of the syndesmosis were identified from a previous study database and contacted for long-term follow-up. All patients were high school or National Collegiate Athletic Association Division IA athletes at initial injury and were treated nonoperatively with the same standardized protocol. Patients completed a questionnaire that included documentation of any interim ankle injuries, 2 different patient-reported outcome scores, and ankle radiographs to conduct Kellgren-Lawrence scoring for ankle osteoarthritis.

Results:

In total, 76 cases in 74 patients were identified in the database. A total of 40 patients were successfully contacted, and 31 patients (24 collegiate and 7 high school athletes) with 33 high ankle sprains completed the survey (31/40; 77.5%). The mean age at follow-up was 45 years (range, 34-50 years), with a mean time from injury to follow-up of 25 years. Overall, 93.5% (n = 29) of the respondents were male, and 42% (n = 13) of the respondents reported an ipsilateral ankle injury since their initial injury, with 16% (n = 5) having ankle or Achilles surgery. The mean Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-10 score was 53.4 (SD, 8.3; range, 37.4-67.7), PROMIS median (IQR), 54.1 (39.9, 68.3), and the mean Self-reported Foot and Ankle Score score was 42.7 (SD, 5.86). Follow-up ankle radiographs were obtained in 11 (35%) of the respondents; 27% had Kellgren-Lawrence grade >2 osteoarthritis, and 36% had signs of heterotopic ossification on imaging. The mean tibiofibular clear space was 4.5 mm, and the mean tibiofibular overlap was 7.15 mm, with 27% of patients demonstrating some tibiotalar narrowing.

Conclusion:

At long-term follow-up, nonoperative management of high ankle sprains without diastasis on imaging was associated with acceptable patient-reported functional outcomes and low rates of subsequent ankle injuries. There was a high incidence of arthritis, but most cases were not clinically significant. This case series shows the natural history of nonoperatively treated high ankle sprains and may serve as a comparison for different management techniques in the future.
Comparison of single- and hybrid-fiber composite laminates for use in prosthetic sockets
Authors: Naseem Ayesha , Nazakat Syeda Husna , Saleem Mohsin , Vattathurvalappil Suhail Hyder , Baluch Abrar H
Published: September 2024

Traditional prosthetic sockets often consist of thermoplastic and wood-based materials. However, these sockets are known to be uncomfortable, heavy, and economically challenging. Natural fibers are quickly adapting and becoming more popular because of their biodegradable, long-lasting, and biocompatible nature. They are replacing synthetic fibers in the design and development of structural parts. This research looked into a new hybrid composite made of natural and synthetic fibers (basalt, jute, and carbon) that are reinforced in a polyester thermoset based matrix. The performance of this hybrid composite was then compared to that of pristine or single fiber-reinforced composites manufactured using woven jute, basalt, and carbon. The samples were manufactured using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding technique and cured at room temperature. The samples were then subjected to flexure and impact tests. The hybrid composite had an impact strength of 46.71 kJ/m2, higher than all other single fiber combinations. The flexural strength of the hybrid composite was determined to be 66.25 MPa, matching that of basalt fiber and surpassing that of other conventional single fiber composite laminates. Fractographic analysis has revealed that the main cause of failure in flexure is mostly attributed to delamination and fiber micro-buckling. Although hybrid reinforced composites had superior performance in terms of both impact and flexure strength, basalt fibers demonstrated comparable strength, specifically in flexure. Overall, the hybrid composite possesses exceptional promise for use in prosthetic construction.
The Complexity of State-Led Housing Planning: Lessons from Implementation in Southern California
Authors: Zheng Huixin
Published: September 2024

California’s current housing planning system is comprised of a complex housing target allocation mechanism and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that local governments effectively accommodate the development of the allocated housing units. This study illustrates the complexity in California’s planning requirements and discusses the implications for implementation. Drawing on interview data and observations of public events, this study also reveals implementation challenges perceived by front-line workers. This study contributes to the planning and policy implementation literature by addressing the implementation of complex rules in the context of top-down planning.
The structure of an uncertain world: Combining sequences classification and career life histories to identify narrative schemas in the careers of financial journalists
Authors: Machut Antoine
Published: September 2024

This article argues in favour of combining statistical sequence analysis with the study of biographical narratives to identify the underlying social structures in the unfolding of professional careers in particularly uncertain worlds. The careers of French financial journalists, whose professional world has been characterised by exceptional turbulence since the 1990s, are used as a case study. The article begins by describing the variety of relationships between trajectories and social structures in social science research that uses sequence analysis techniques. It then shows that by involving the interpretation of career life histories at each stage of sequence analysis, it is possible to highlight relevant regularities, even when trajectories unfold in contexts of high uncertainty. For this purpose, an optimal matching technique that calculates the dissimilarity between each pair of sequences is combined with an agglomeration technique that groups similar sequences into classes. The method is applied here to 297 sequences of professional activities of former and current financial journalists, reconstructed from the information they provided in the LinkedIn socio-professional network or in a professional directory. By comparing these regularities to the interpretations made by journalists in their 37 career life histories, the article examines three narrative schemas constructed by journalists to navigate an uncertain world and which have historically followed one another: the vocational schema, the gateway schema, and the decline schema. It thus describes the conditions for the emergence and decline of these schemas, which are linked not only to changing employment opportunities, but also to the ability of journalists to observe the traces left behind by the career paths of their counterparts.