bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mental health and initiation of antiretroviral treatment at enrolment into HIV care in Cameroon under a national “treat all” policy: a cross‐sectional analysis
Authors: Parcesepe Angela M. , Filiatreau Lindsey M. , Ebasone Peter Vanes , Dzudie Anastase , Pence Brian W. , Wainberg Milton , Yotebieng Marcel , Anastos Kathryn , Pefura‐Yone Eric , Ajeh Rogers , Nash Denis
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Rapid antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation reduces time from HIV infection to viral suppression, decreasing HIV transmission risk. Mental health symptoms may influence timing of ART initiation. This study estimated the prevalence of ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care and the relationship between mental health and ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care.

Methods

We conducted interviews with 426 individuals initiating HIV care in Cameroon between June 2019 and March 2020 to estimate the association between mental health and timing of ART initiation. Depression (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9; cut‐point 10), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7; cut‐point 10), post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PTSD Checklist for DSM‐5; cut‐point 31) and harmful alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; cut‐point 16) were dichotomized to represent those with and without each exposure at first HIV care appointment. Date of ART initiation (date ART prescribed) was ascertained from medical records. Separate multivariable log‐binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between mental health exposures and ART initiation at enrolment into care.

Results and discussion

Overall, 87% initiated ART at enrolment into HIV care. Approximately 20% reported depressive symptoms, 15% reported PTSD symptoms, 12% reported anxiety symptoms and 13% reported harmful alcohol use. In multivariable analyses, individuals with moderate to severe depressive symptoms had 1.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 2.7) times the prevalence of not initiating ART at enrolment into HIV care compared to those with no or mild depressive symptoms. Those with symptoms of PTSD, compared to those without, had 1.9 (95% CI 1.2, 2.9) times the prevalence of not initiating ART at enrolment into HIV care. Symptoms of anxiety or harmful drinking were not associated with ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care in multivariable models.

Conclusions

Symptoms of depression and PTSD were associated with lower prevalence of ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care among this sample of individuals initiating HIV care in Cameroon under a “treat all” policy. Research should examine barriers to timely ART initiation, whether incorporating mental health services into HIV care improves timely ART initiation, and whether untreated symptoms of depression and PTSD drive suboptimal HIV care outcomes.
Seroprevalence of coxsackievirus A21 neutralizing antibodies in Yamagata, Japan, between 1976 and 2019; coxsackievirus A21 has rarely affected young children
Authors: Tanaka Waka , Komabayashi Kenichi , Ikeda Yoko , Aoki Yoko , Itagaki Tsutomu , Mizuta Katsumi
Published: November 2021

Although coxsackievirus A21 (CV‐A21) has been associated with an acute respiratory infection (ARI) as well as poliomyelitis‐like paralysis, reports of CV‐A21 detection have been quite limited both globally and in Japan. CV‐A21 strains were isolated from five sporadic pediatric cases with ARI in 2019 in Yamagata, Japan. Neutralizing antibodies (NT Abs) were then measured against CV‐A21 using sera collected in 1976, 1985, 1999, 2009, and 2019 in Yamagata, to clarify the longitudinal epidemiology of CV‐A21. The total Ab‐positive rate in each year was 15.2% (35/233), 10.7% (30/281), 14.3% (28/196), 3.1% (7/236), and 1.3% (3/226), respectively. Ab‐positive rates generally increased with age, especially between 1976 and 1999. Among the total Ab‐positive cases, the Ab titers were relatively low; 50 cases belonged to the 1:8–1:16, 40 to 1:32–1:64, 12 to 1:128–1:256, and 1 to 1:1024< groups, respectively. No Ab‐positive cases under the age of 10 were observed in any of the years analyzed. In conclusion, this study and previous works suggested that CV‐A21 is a unique enterovirus, which is not transmitted readily among young children but causes sporadic ARI cases mainly among those ≥15 years of age in the community.
Effect of different irrigation levels on quality parameters of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples
Authors: Huang Tianhui , Qi Fei , Ji Xiaolong , Peng Qingqing , Yang Jiachuan , Wang Min , Peng Qiang
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND

Water shortage is the main factor affecting agricultural production in the vast arid and semi‐arid areas of northern China. Using proper irrigation methods can optimize the efficiency of water use and improve the quality of agricultural products. This study investigated the effect of different irrigation levels on the quality of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples grown in the Loess Plateau of northern China.

RESULTS

Different irrigation levels were applied to the ‘Honeycrisp’ apple trees via root irrigation using ceramic emitters that provide saturation levels of 75–90% θf (S1, where θf is the field capacity), 60–75% θf (S2), 45–50% θf (S3) and no irrigation treatment (CK). Compared to the apples from the CK group, the water content, transverse diameter, individual fruit weight and titratable acid content of S1 and S2 group apples increased significantly. However, their hardness, soluble solids and total sugar content decreased significantly. The phenolic acid content of apples also changed with the irrigation levels. The chlorogenic acid content of apples increased with increased irrigation volume, while the hyperoside, protocatechuic acid and caffeic acid content decreased. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of fruits were the highest in S2 group apples. They also had the strongest ABTS and DPPH free radical scavenging capacities.

CONCLUSION

The volume of irrigation applied through ceramic emitters significantly impacted the quality of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples grown in loess areas. Considering water conservation and improving fruit quality, the most suitable ceramic root irrigation level was observed to be 60–75% θf (S2). © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
The CCAAT‐binding complex mediates azole susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus by suppressing SrbA expression and cleavage
Authors: Zhang Chi , Gao Lu , Ren Yiran , Gu Huiyu , Zhang Yuanwei , Lu Ling
Published: November 2021

In fungal pathogens, the transcription factor SrbA (a sterol regulatory element‐binding protein, SREBP) and CBC (CCAAT binding complex) have been reported to regulate azole resistance by competitively binding the TR34 region (34 mer) in the promoter of the drug target gene, erg11A. However, current knowledge about how the SrbA and CBC coordinately mediate erg11A expression remains limited. In this study, we uncovered a novel relationship between HapB (a subunit of CBC) and SrbA in which deletion of hapB significantly prolongs the nuclear retention of SrbA by increasing its expression and cleavage under azole treatment conditions, thereby enhancing Erg11A expression for drug resistance. Furthermore, we verified that loss of HapB significantly induces the expression of the rhomboid protease RbdB, Dsc ubiquitin E3 ligase complex, and signal peptide peptidase SppA, which are required for the cleavage of SrbA, suggesting that HapB acts as a repressor for these genes which contribute to the activation of SrbA by proteolytic cleavage. Together, our study reveals that CBC functions not only to compete with SrbA for binding to erg11A promoter region but also to affect SrbA expression, cleavage, and translocation to nuclei for the function, which ultimately regulate Erg11A expression and azole resistance.
Alginate and its Two Components Acted Differently Against Dopaminergic Neuronal Loss in Parkinson's Disease Mice Model
Authors: Du Zhong‐Rui , Wang Xiong , Cao Xu , Liu Xin , Zhou Sai‐Nan , Zhang Hui , Yang Rui‐Li , Wong Ka‐Hing , Tang Qing‐Juan , Dong Xiao‐Li
Published: November 2021

Scope

This study aims to investigate and compare the potentially neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanisms for brown seaweed polysaccharides (PS) of Alginate (Alg) and its two components, including polymannuronic acid (PM) and polyguluronic acid (PG), against Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis.

Methods and Results

Model mice of PD are pretreated with Alg or PM or PG, separately via oral gavage once per day for four weeks. Our results found PM improved motor functions of PD mice, but Alg or PG did not. PM or PG, but not Alg, can prevent dopaminergic neuronal loss by increasing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expressions in midbrain of PD mice. The neuroprotective effects of PM rely on its anti‐inflammation effects and its ability to improve striatal neurotransmitters (serotonin (5‐HT) and 5‐hydroxyindole acetic acid (5‐HIAA)) levels in PD mice. PM inhibits inflammation, but PG or Alg induces inflammation in systemic circulation of PD mice. The neuroprotection provided by PG might be related to its ability to increase striatal neurotransmitter of 5‐hydroxyindole acetic acid levels in PD mice.

Conclusion

PM plays better than PG to provide neuroprotection, but Alg did not show any neuroprotection against PD. Alg and its two components acted differently in preventing dopaminergic neuronal loss in PD mice.
Impact of graded maternal dietary fat content on offspring susceptibility to high‐fat diet in mice
Authors: Huang Yi , Osorio Mendoza Jazmin , Li Min , Jin Zengguang , Li Baoguo , Wu Yingga , Togo Jacques , Speakman John R.
Published: November 2021

Objective

Maternal high‐fat diet (HFD) increases offspring obesity, yet the impacts of different levels of maternal dietary fat have seldom been addressed. In mice, the impact of graded maternal dietary fat on offspring adiposity and offspring’s later susceptibility to HFD were assessed.

Methods

Lactating mice were fed diets with graded fat content from 8.3% to 66.6%. One male and one female pup from each litter were weaned onto a low‐fat diet for 15 weeks. HFD (41.7%) was then introduced to half of the offspring for 12 weeks.

Results

Offspring body weight and adiposity were positively related to maternal dietary fat content and were higher when mothers were exposed to HFD. The maternal diet effect was nonlinear and sex dependent. A maternal dietary fat of 41.7% and above exaggerated the offspring body weight gain in males but was not significant in females. Maternal 8.3% fat and 25% fat diets led to the highest daily energy expenditure and respiratory exchange ratio in offspring. Offspring fed a low‐fat diet had higher daily energy expenditure and respiratory exchange ratio than those fed an HFD.

Conclusions

Increasing maternal dietary fat during lactation, and HFD in later life, had significant and interacting impacts on offspring obesity. Maternal diet had a bigger impact on male offspring. The effects of maternal dietary fat content were nonlinear.
Trust in researchers and researchers' statements in large carnivore conservation
Authors: Mathiesen Kristin E. , Barmoen Magnus , Bærum Kim Magnus , Johansson Maria
Published: November 2021

Human–wildlife interactions occur when humans and wildlife overlap in the same landscapes. Due to the growing human population, the number of interactions will continue to increase, and in some cases, develop further into social conflicts. Conflicts may occur between people disagreeing about wildlife conservation or arguing over which wildlife management measures should be taken. Social conflicts between humans are based on different attitudes, values and land‐use aspirations. The success of solving these social conflicts strongly depends on building trust between the public, stakeholders, authorities and researchers, as trust is fundamental to all communication and dialogue.

Here we have examined how trust in large carnivore research differs within a geographically stratified sample of the Norwegian population. The comprehensive survey, including 2,110 respondents, allows us to explore how people perceive factual statements about large carnivores depending on the source of these statements. Specifically, the respondents were given multiple statements and asked to judge them in terms of meaning and authenticity depending on whether the statements were made by a politician, the Norwegian farmers' association, the Norwegian Fish and Game association or a large carnivore researcher. Based on the variations in perceptions, we inferred that trust in large carnivore researchers and their research results varied with people's attitudes, values and direct experience of large carnivores.

In general, respondents perceived 60% of the statements to be genuine when given no information of who had made them. Although this increased to 75% when informed that the statements were made by a large carnivore researcher, there was still a 25% probability that the statement was perceived as manipulative or political. Age, environmental values and negative experiences of carnivores increased the probability of perceiving research statements as manipulative or political. People living in areas with high proportions of hunters showed particularly polarized views, either more strongly perceiving the statements as political, or in contrast as research.

This study provides a novel perspective in understanding the role trust plays in social conflicts related to human–wildlife interactions.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Developing thermoplastic corn starch composites filled with brewer's spent grain for applications in biodegradable films
Authors: Castanho Maria Natália , de Souza do Prado Karen , de Paiva Jane Maria Faulstich
Published: November 2021

Despite the growing interest in utilizing starch‐based biodegradable films, their low mechanical properties generally limit them from being widely used. On the other hand, brewer's spent grain (BSG) is an abundant by‐product that does not yet have high added‐value industrial use. This study proposes the development of starch‐based composites filled with BSG for applications in biodegradable films. Different contents (1–5 wt%) of BSG fibers of different sizes (35, 60, and 100 mesh) were used aiming to identify the film compositions with better mechanical and thermal properties. The composites were produced by casting and had their mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties evaluated. The composites with the most promising mechanical properties contained 2.5 wt% BSG with 35 mesh and 1 wt% BSG with 100 mesh. Lower amounts of smaller BSG fibers resulted in balanced mechanical properties because of their higher surface area‐to‐volume ratio and higher aspect ratio. Results revealed that incorporating BSG may slightly improve the tensile strength and thermal stability of pure TPS, thus acting as a promising active filler due to the compatibility with the polymer matrix and increased polymer crystallinity. The developed films contribute to the circular economy and might be a promising low‐cost option for application in conventional packages or mulch films.
Development, characterization, and tribological behavior of polymeric carbon nitride/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene nanocomposites
Authors: George Elssa , Joy Jomon , vijayan P. Poornima , P. S. Sarath , C. George Soney , Anas Saithalavi
Published: November 2021

This article examines the effect of the addition of nanosheets of polymeric carbon nitride (NPCN) on the frictional, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) system. A series of ABS/NPCN nanocomposites were prepared by varying NPCN concentration using the solution casting and compression molding methods. NPCN were prepared from melamine by thermal treatment and characterized using UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis were utilized to investigate the chemical and crystal structure of NPCN, ABS, and ABS/NPCN composites. The wettability of the composites was analyzed using contact angle studies. The incorporation of NPCN into the ABS matrix improved the thermal stability and tensile strength of the ABS/NPCN composites. The addition of NPCN increased the initial decomposition temperature and char yield of the composites. The frictional analysis results indicated that the presence of NPCN filler significantly influences the friction coefficient (decreased by 35%) and wear loss (reduced by 67%) of the nanocomposites.
Preparation and properties of enhanced lightweight nanofibrous membrane‐based desiccant
Authors: Meng Weidan , Wang Jiaona , Zhao Jingli , Gao Jie , Tan Zhaoyue , Li Xiuyan
Published: November 2021

In this article, the high‐efficiency hygroscopic nanofibrous membrane was prepared by the electrostatic spinning method, and its great moisture absorption performance came from the deployed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and hydrophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Different strategies were used to improve the moisture absorption property of nanofibrous membrane under the action of inorganic salts. On the one hand, PAN and PVP with different mass ratios were used to optimize the structure of composite nanofibrous membrane. On the other hand, the addition of inorganic salts could improve the moisture absorption rate and capacity of the composite nanofibrous membrane. The experiment found that when the ratio of PAN and PVP was 11:4, the fiber diameter distribution was uniform, and the moisture absorption rate reached the maximum. The addition of electrolyte greatly improved the moisture absorption performance of the nanofibrous membrane, and the moisture absorption rate was as high as 121.93%. Furthermore, EDX mapping exhibited the uniform state of the electrolyte in the fiber membrane. The composite nanofibrous membrane moisture absorption materials introduced here displayed the advantages of light weight, high efficiency, and recyclability, which provided an efficient and simple method for the preparation of moisture absorption materials in the future.
Airway microbiome dynamics and relationship to ventilator‐associated infection in intubated pediatric patients
Authors: Tarquinio Keiko M. , Karsies Todd , Shein Steven L. , Beardsley Andrew , Khemani Robinder , Schwarz Adam , Smith Lincoln , Flori Heidi , Karam Oliver , Cao Quy , Haider Zainab , Smirnova Ekaterina , Serrano Myrna G. , Buck Gregory A. , Willson Douglas F.
Published: November 2021

Background

Little is known about the airway microbiome in intubated mechanically ventilated children. We sought to characterize the airway microbiome longitudinally and in association with clinical variables and possible ventilator‐associated infection (VAI).

Methods

Serial tracheal aspirate samples were prospectively obtained from mechanically ventilated subjects under 3 years old from eight pediatric intensive care units in the United States from June 2017 to July 2018. Changes in the tracheal microbiome were analyzed by sequencing bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene relative to subject demographics, diagnoses, clinical parameters, outcomes, antibiotic treatment, and the Ventilator‐Associated InfectioN (VAIN) score.

Results

A total of 221 samples from 58 patients were processed and 197 samples met the >1000 reads criteria (89%), with an average of 43,000 reads per sample. The median number of samples per subject was 3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 2–5), with a median VAIN score of 2 (IQR: 1–3). Proteobacteria was the highest observed phyla throughout the intubation period, followed by Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. Alpha diversity was negatively associated with days of intubation (p = .032) and VAIN score (p = .016). High VAIN scores were associated with a decrease of Mycobacterium obuense, and an increase of Streptococcus peroris, Porphyromonadaceae family (unclassified species), Veillonella atypica, and several other taxa. No specific pattern of microbiome composition related to clinically diagnosed VAIs was observed.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate decreasing alpha diversity with increasing VAIN score and days of intubation. No specific microbiome pattern was associated with clinically diagnosed VAI.
Esculetin: A review of its pharmacology and pharmacokinetics
Authors: Zhang Linlin , Xie Qingxuan , Li Xiaofang
Published: November 2021

Esculetin is a natural dihydroxy coumarin; it is mainly extracted from twig skin and the trunk bark of the Chinese herbal medicineFraxinus rhynchophyllaHance. Emerging evidence suggests that esculetin has a wide range of pharmacological activities. Based on its fundamental properties, including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiapoptotic, anticancer, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, and cardiovascular protective activities, as well as antibacterial activity, among others, esculetin is expected to be a therapeutic drug for specific disease indications, such as cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and other diseases. The oral bioavailability of esculetin was shown by studies to be low. The extensive glucuronidation was described to be the main metabolic pathway of esculetin and C‐7 phenolic hydroxyl to be its major metabolic site. With the development of scientific research technology, the pharmacological effects of esculetin are identified and its potential for the treatment of diseases is demonstrated. The underlining mechanisms of action and biological activities as well as the pharmacokinetic data of the analyzed compound reported so far are highlighted in this review with the aim of becoming a proven, and applicable insight and reference for further studies on the utilization of esculetin.
Effect of novel bottle inner surface coatings made with polylactic acid and plant extracts on the physiological status of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in real liquid foods using flow cytometry
Authors: Oussaid Saliha , Madani Khodir , Houali Karim , Marcet Ismael , Amrouche Tahar , Rendueles Manuel , Diaz Mario
Published: November 2021

Polylactic acid (PLA) was used, together with a novel optimized mixture (OM) of Thymus fontanesii essential oil (EOd) and the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction from Scirpus holoschoenus extract, to develop antimicrobial coatings for the inner surface of bottles for the preservation of food liquids against the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The effect of these coatings on the physiological status of P. aeruginosa was tested by flow cytometry (FC), filling coated bottles with previously contaminated fish soup or egg whites. As was expected, the release of phenolic compounds (PCs) from the inner coatings of the bottles to the liquid was temperature dependent. Although their antimicrobial activity in contaminated egg whites was negligible, probably due to the neutralization of bioactive substances by ovalbumin, the PLA‐OM‐coated bottles had a high antimicrobial effect when they were filled with fish soup. In this latter case, the percentage of viable cells greatly decreased, and the percentage of dead cells, killed by membrane damage, increased.
Towards the development of an effective image watermarking system
Authors: Begum Mahbuba , Uddin Mohammad Shorif
Published: November 2021

Digital data communication or sharing has increased day by data because of excessive usage of the Internet. It is necessary to protect digital data from unauthorized access. However, it is very difficult to ensure the authenticity of the host data. Digital image watermarking is a significant technology for ensuring this authentication. Existing hybrid domain algorithms are not effective enough to overcome the potential challenges of watermarking techniques. Hence, the current image watermarking technology is devoted toward developing more effective methods with optimization and machine‐learning algorithms for ensuring a better trade‐off among the basic design requirements like imperceptibility, robustness, and capacity simultaneously in addition to security that can be confirmed with lightweight image encryption algorithms. In this research, a framework of standard image watermarking system for ensuring the basic design requirements is given, the existing literature is studied, and the recent trends of image watermarking techniques and their applications are also described to investigate the performance of the state‐of‐the‐art methods along with their limitations. Finally, we have concluded our study by pointing to new research directions.
Experimental investigation on mechanical property and microstructure of ultra‐high‐performance concrete with ceramsite sand
Authors: Xie Youjun , Zhou Qianqian , Long Guangcheng , Chaktrimongkol Pakorn , Shi Ye , Umar Hussaini Abdullahi
Published: November 2021

As one of the most innovative cement‐based materials, the properties of ultra‐high‐performance concrete (UHPC) have been widely investigated. This paper experimentally studies the effect of ceramsite sand on the properties and microstructure of UHPC to develop a new UHPC with low apparent density. The effects of the volume ratio of ceramsite sand and steel fiber content on the properties of UHPC were also studied. Various experiments, including apparent density, compressive and flexural strength, and microstructural properties were conducted on UHPC with different mixing parameters. The results showed that the addition of 18% ceramsite sand effectively improved the mechanical strength, specific strength, and pore structure as well as the interfacial transition zone of UHPC. Steel fiber and ceramsite sand worked together to make up for the lack of lightweight porous aggregate so that even when 100% ceramsite sand was used to prepare UHPC, the compressive strength of concrete could still exceed 100 MPa, and had a lower apparent density than normal UHPC.
Instruction to Engage Multilingual Learners with Grade‐level Content
Authors: Collett Jennifer , Dubetz Nancy
Published: November 2021

In this article we identify ways to scaffold content‐specific instruction to support your multilingual learners’ academic language development. With the definition that academic language compromises of vocabulary, linguistic functions, and syntax, we share ways to integrate three instructional practices across your instruction. These practices include: 1) explicit instruction of key academic language, 2) the use of visuals to anchor grade‐level instruction, and 3) frequent opportunities for content‐based oral and written language practice.
Evaluating the joint use of GPR and ERT on mapping shallow subsurface features of karst critical zone in southwest China
Authors: Tao Min , Chen Xi , Cheng Qinbo , Binley Andrew
Published: November 2021

The soils and underlying weathered carbonate rock in karstic regions play an important role in the infiltration, storage, and retention of water and nutrients. Because of significant heterogeneity of the karst, the use of individual geophysical techniques is often not sufficient for unambiguous assessment of the irregular distributions of soils and underlying fractures. In this study, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) are jointly used with additional observations to delineate the shallow subsurface structure in two exposed profiles. The results show that ERT is effective for detecting the soil–rock interfaces, even for irregular terrain and fracture structures, such as a funnel‐shaped doline, as the soils and rocks show a large resistivity contrast. Although ERT may be able to sense the presence of extensive fracturing, it cannot detect individual small aperture fractures. Joint use of different frequencies of the GPR antenna (e.g., 100 and 500 MHz in this study) allowed the detection of most fractures at different depths in the study sites. However, forward modeling of typical weathered rock features illustrates that the GPR data cannot resolve any reflection signals of the vertical fractures, so the features of vertically enlarged fractures filled by soils cannot be seen from the GPR images. Moreover, large uncertainties of resistivity at the interface between soils or fractures and bedrock limit the identification of an irregularly distributed subsurface structure. Despite the limitations of individual techniques, the combination of ERT and GPR enhances the delineation of the soil–bedrock interface and identification of the fracture network, which can allow an enhanced geological interpretation of shallow subsurface features in the karst areas.
The Redundant Researcher: Fieldwork, Solidarity, and Migration
Authors: Galis Vasilis
Published: November 2021

This chapter poses questions about research on a phenomenon that is polluted by politics, personal tragedies, ideological loyalties, and hazards for the subject of research. Is it possible to conduct research that contributes to freedom of movement, while reflecting on the emotions and political loyalties of the researcher? The chapter suggests four concrete principles for an emancipatory migration research paradigm and considers reflections, emotions, and narrations during and after the conduct of fieldwork at the Greek islands of Lesvos and Chios in the winter of 2019. This is also a call for future publications from researchers who have faced similar emotions, and dead ends in the field, and wish to engage in research compatible with solidarity with migrants.
Emotional Introspection: The Politics and Challenges of Contemporary Migration Research
Authors: Sørensen Ninna Nyberg
Published: November 2021

Field-based research increasingly involves working in complex, sometimes insecure, and often emotionally challenging situations. While most researchers are trained in issues pertaining to security, ethics, and responsibility, less preparation goes into the emotional aspects of conducting fieldwork and, upon return, dealing with the retrospective processing of often hard real-life experiences in our analysis and writing. Based on long-term observation and more recent systematic interviews with colleagues who all have worked in emotionally challenging situations, this chapter discusses the particularities of doing migration research in times of stricter migration policy and practice. Special emphasis is put on the institutional cultures and structures surrounding our research, the implications of emotions in the field, and the unequal relationship between the people being studied and the local co-researchers with a view to what can be doneprior to,duringandaftergoing to the field to maintain both security and emotional engagement, to “do no harm”, and to avoid occupational hazards of burnout, compassion fatigue or secondary traumatic stress among those involved.
Introduction
Authors: DeJaeghere Joan , Murphy-Graham Erin
Published: November 2021

This chapter provides an overview of how life skills are conceptualized and taken up in curriculum, teaching, and measurement in different educational settings around the world, as discussed in the chapters in this book. We focus on life skills programming in low- and middle-income countries because bilateral and multilateral aid organizations have significantly shaped discourse and programming in life skills education. We intentionally included studies utilizing a variety of research methodologies, which allow for a deep understanding of both the micro level (curriculum, pedagogy, and youth engagement and outcomes) and macro level (organizational processes and assumptions) in life skills programming and policy. Chapters in the book highlight a disconnect between the dominant individualistic behavioral approach used by many organizations and programs and the life skills that youth and local communities emphasize as important to change social and economic problems. To respond to this disconnect, this chapter provides an overview of a capabilities approach to life skills, with the purpose of focusing on wellbeing. We suggest that life skills education should develop the capabilities that societies and individuals have reason to value.
Life Skills Education in Ethiopia: Afar Pastoralists’ Perspectives
Authors: Yitbarek Sileshi , Wogasso Yohannes , Meagher Margaret , Strickland Lucy
Published: November 2021

Pastoralists constitute a large proportion of the population of Ethiopia, representing an estimated 14–18% of the population (MoE, A standard and manual for upgrading Alternative Basic Education (ABE) Centers, Level 1–4 to Level 1–6. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2018a). The provision of formal education through a school-based delivery model has failed to deliver the desired outcomes for Afar children and youth in terms of inclusion and participation, and quality of and relevance of education in support of building pastoralists’ skills for life and thriving. Formal education for pastoralists should be concerned with curricular relevance as experienced from the perspective of the pastoralists’ daily reality and extant knowledge that is well-adapted to environmental conditions and emphasizes collective community wellbeing (Krätli & Dyer, Mobile pastoralists and education: strategic options. International Institute for Environment and Development, 2009). This chapter explores the ways in which the current curriculum in the Afar region addresses Krätli and Dyer’s (Mobile pastoralists and education: strategic options. International Institute for Environment and Development, 2009) four dimensions of curricula necessary for pastoralist education to be considered relevant. It also explores key stakeholders’ perspectives about which life skills matter most to the Afar pastoralist community and the extent to which the current curriculum reflects and incorporates these skills. This chapter offers a new perspective on how to reconceptualize and teach these skills through the education system, highlighting recommended adaptations to the curriculum aligned with national and international development goals and notions of quality and relevance. These adaptations respond to the knowledge, attitudes, values, skills, mobility patterns, and calendars grounded in pastoralist populations’ values to maintain a complex and sustainable equilibrium among pastures, livestock, and people.
Social and Emotional Learning: From Conceptualization to Practical Application in a Global Context
Authors: Brush Katharine E. , Jones Stephanie M. , Bailey Rebecca , Nelson Bryan , Raisch Natasha , Meland Emily
Published: November 2021

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an effective way to promote positive learning, health, and wellbeing outcomes among children and youth, but the field lacks consensus about which skills and competencies are most important, what they should be called, and how they should be promoted and measured across diverse global contexts. SEL is also referred to by many names, often overlapping with life skills education (LSE) and other initiatives to improve learning, health, and developmental outcomes for children and youth. This chapter begins by describing SEL and its relationship to LSE and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. It then showcases where clarity and cohesion do or do not exist within the field of SEL by exploring how SEL is conceptualized, measured, and promoted in different settings around the world. We draw on data collected over a series of research projects in which we applied a common coding system to SEL frameworks, programs, and measurement/assessment tools in order to identify areas of overlap and divergence between them. The chapter summarizes key findings from these projects while highlighting the need for deeper contextualization and localized research and development and concludes by discussing implications for research and practice.
Empowering Girls Through Sport: A Gender Transformative Approach to Life Skills?
Authors: Kwauk Christina Ting
Published: November 2021

From the Pacific Islands to Sub-Saharan Africa, development organizations have positioned sport as an ideal tool for building important life skills that can be transferred from the playing field to day-to-day realities. Sport has also been positioned as a key space for girls’ empowerment, especially in contexts where gender norms limit girls’ mobility and/or their opportunities to engage in activities stereotyped as being for boys. But an approach that solely focuses on empowering girls through sport by depositing in her useful life skills ignores the structural conditions that have disempowered her in the first place. This chapter examines the gender transformative potential of sport-based life skills programs by exploring the skills that are being targeted, especially for girls’ empowerment, by the sport for development (SFD) community. The chapter then examines the implications for our understanding of life skills approaches to gender transformative social change, particularly as it pertains to addressing the conditions that have held girls back.
Life Skills Education for Urban Youth in Honduras and Guatemala: A Capability Analysis of the Sports-Based Job Training Program A Ganar
Authors: Murphy-Graham Erin
Published: November 2021

Drawing upon an extensive case study of a sports-based, life skills job training program for at-risk youth in Honduras and Guatemala, this chapter examines how program participants described the process of building skills, and how, if at all, this skill-building led to greater well-being. Second, it asks, to what extent are these experiences of program participants aligned with theories of education within the capability approach? These questions are addressed through a qualitative case study that was embedded within an experimental design (a randomized control trial) that took place over 5 years in urban areas of Honduras and Guatemala. The analysis suggests that the combination of exposure to new ideas and information in the three phases of the A Ganar program, coupled with concrete opportunities to test out such ideas, enabled youth to experience changes in their attitudes and behaviors around work, around themselves, and to develop new relationships and friendships. Based on these empirical results, the chapter identifies several elements that might better inform life skills education research and practice in s in the future. These include: (1) conceptualizing life skills as preconditions of capabilities (some of which might be better classified as values); (2) conceptualizing life skills as both ends and means of interventions, and (3) giving more consideration to the conversion factors, meaning the ability to convert resources into functionings, that limit the robustness of capabilities that life skills programs develop.
Explorative Experiments and Digital Humanism: Adding an Epistemic Dimension to the Ethical Debate
Authors: Schiaffonati Viola
Published: November 2021

The rise of Digital Humanism calls for shaping digital technologies in accordance with human values and needs. I argue that to achieve this goal, an epistemic and methodological dimension should be added to the ethical reflections developed in the last years. In particular, I propose the framework of explorative experimentation in computer science and engineering to set an agenda for the reflection on the ethical issues of digital technologies that seriously considers their peculiarities from an epistemic point of view. As the traditional epistemic categories of the natural sciences cannot be directly adopted by computer science and engineering, the traditional moral principles guiding experimentation in the natural sciences should be reconsidered in the case of digital technologies where uncertainty about their impacts and risks is very high.
Fictionalizing the Robot and Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Weidenfeld Nathalie
Published: November 2021

This text explores the contemporary fascination with robots and digitality and points out how this distorts our view on what digitization can do for us. It pleads for a realist and non-fictionalized view on robots and artificial intelligence.
Social Robots: Their History and What They Can Do for Us
Authors: Thalmann Nadia Magnenat
Published: November 2021

From antiquity to today, some scientists, writers, and artists are passionate about representing humans not only as beautiful statues but as automatons that can perform actions. Already in ancient Greece, we can find some examples of automatons that replaced servants. In this chapter, we go through the development of automatons until the social robots of today. We describe two examples of social robots, EVA and Nadine, that we have been working with. We present two case studies, one in an insurance company and the other one in an elderly home. We also mention the limits of the use of social robots, their dangers, and the importance to control their actions through ethical committees.
The Curation Chokepoint
Authors: Larus James
Published: November 2021

A key rationale for Apple and Google’s app stores was that they curate apps to ensure that they do not contain malware. Curation has gone beyond this goal and now unduly constrains the apps that you can use on your smartphone. It needs to stop. App quality should be ensured with other techniques and by a wider range of organizations than just Apple and Google.
Business Model Innovation and the Rise of Technology Giants
Authors: Parker Geoffrey G.
Published: November 2021

Technology giants owe much of their success to fundamental improvements in the science and technology of information and communications technology. However, complementary advancements were also necessary, and, much as firms had to learn to incorporate electricity in the last nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, we posit that the giant platforms have learned to harness the contributions of external actors in order to grow more rapidly than would otherwise have been possible. Thus, the drivers of the dramatic rise of the tech giant platform firm can be viewed as a business model innovation as well as a technical innovation. As orchestration business models become better understood, we expect that firms in non-platform sectors are increasingly likely to adapt practices that also allow them to participate in and benefit from external value creation. At the same time, we expect regulatory scrutiny to increase as the power and reach of technology giants increases and their influence is felt across the economy.
Data, Models, and Decisions: How We Can Shape Our World by Not Predicting the Future
Authors: Popper Niki
Published: November 2021

Modelling and simulation can be used for different goals and purposes. Prediction is only one of them, and, as this chapter highlights, it might not be the main goal—even if it was in the spotlight during the COVID-19 crisis. Predicting the future is a vanity. Instead, we aim to prevent certain events in the future by describing scenarios, or, even better, we try to actively shape the future according to our social, technological, or economic goals. Thus, modellers can contribute to debate and social discourse; this is one of the aims of Digital Humanism.
Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Fuggetta Alfonso
Published: November 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a tragic and profound impact on our planet. Thousands of lives have been lost, millions of jobs have been destroyed, and the life of billions of people has been changed and disrupted. In this dramatic turmoil, digital technologies have been playing an essential role. The Internet and all its services have enabled our societies to keep working and operating; social networks have provided valuable channels to disseminate information and kept people connected despite lockdowns and the block of most travels; most importantly, digital technologies are key to support researchers, epidemiologists, and public officers in studying, monitoring, controlling, and managing this unprecedented emergency.

After more than a year, it is possible and worthwhile to propose some reflections on the strengths and weaknesses we have experienced and, most importantly, on the lessons learned that must drive our future policies and roadmaps. This is unavoidable not just to improve our ability to react to these dramatic situation, but, most importantly, to proactively design and develop a better future for our society.
Return to Freedom: Governance of Fair Innovation Ecosystems
Authors: Akkermans Hans , Gordijn Jaap , Bon Anna
Published: November 2021

The Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism attaches great importance to the innovation processes shaping the digital society. The digital humanism question we pose in this chapter is: if innovation is a shaping force, can it itself be shaped by humans and based on human values of a just and democratic society? Nowadays, innovation is commonly theorized in policy and academic research in terms of ecosystems. Although this framing makes room for multiple stakeholders and their interaction, it is limited as it still positions innovation as a natural process. Thus, it underplays the human value and societal design dimensions of technosocial innovation. We discuss some ideas and proposals for the governance of digital innovation ecosystems such that they are fair and equitable. Design-for-fairness has as its basis a just and democratic societal conception of freedom.
Decolonizing Technology and Society: A Perspective from the Global South
Authors: Bon Anna , Dittoh Francis , Lô Gossa , Pini Mónica , Bwana Robert , WaiShiang Cheah , Kulathuramaiyer Narayanan , Baart André
Published: November 2021

Despite the large impact of digital technology on the lives and future of all people on the planet, many people, especially from the Global South, are not included in the debates about the future of the digital society. This inequality is a systemic problem which has roots in the real world. We refer to this problem as “digital coloniality.” We argue that to achieve a more equitable and inclusive global digital society, active involvement of stakeholders from poor regions of the world as co-researchers, co-creators, and co-designers of technology is required. We briefly discuss a few collaborative, community-oriented technology development projects as examples of transdisciplinary knowledge production and action research for a more inclusive digital society.
The Global Greyfields Transition: Why Urban Redevelopment in Low-Density, Car-Based Middle Suburbs Needs a New Model
Authors: Newton Peter W. , Newman Peter , Glackin Stephen , Thomson Giles
Published: November 2021

This chapter provides the framework and rationale forGreening the Greyfieldsand its two new models for greyfield precinct regeneration (GPR): place-activated and transit-activated GPR. They provide a basis for regenerative urban redevelopment in the middle-ring greyfield suburbs of fast-growing, low-density cities. Place-activated GPR advances a new development model for the ‘missing middle’ in cities: new medium-density housing at precinct scale. Transit-activated GPR extends new sustainable modes of mobility into car-dependent suburbs. Both processes are required for retrofitting suburbia to fix the shortcomings of mid- to late-twentieth-century urban planning and development.
The Greyfield Challenge to Australian Governments
Authors: Newton Peter W. , Newman Peter W. G. , Glackin Stephen , Thomson Giles
Published: November 2021

Between 2000 and 2020, Australia’s population grew almost 24% to 25 million. Most of this growth occurred in Australia’s major cities, acutely exacerbating sprawl, which has been a planning challenge since the mid- to late twentieth century. The urban-policy response has been toward more compact cities via ‘infill’—redevelopment within existing urban boundaries. This chapter distinguishes between former industrial ‘brownfield’ infill and the more challenging ‘greyfield’ infill. Greyfields comprise ageing, under-capitalised, low-density suburbia. Most metropolitan planning strategies enable small-scale, ad hoc greyfield redevelopment that tends to erase suburban qualities while only slightly increasing density. As a result, infill targets are not being met. But there is another way, outlined here as ‘greyfield precinct regeneration’: larger-scale integrated redevelopment facilitated through land assembly and supportive state and municipal planning policy.