bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cruel optimism, affective governmentality and frontline poverty governance: ‘You can promise the world’
Authors: England Edith 
Published: September 2024

AbstractCruel Optimism’ (Berlant, 2011) sustains neoliberalism by promising freedom and autonomy through adherence to and performance of competitive behaviours. As Brown (2003) observes, neoliberalism is a discourse which operates, not through repression or restriction, but through promising self‐fulfilment and happiness. The role of emotion‐management in poverty governance has been widely acknowledged. However, this has focused on cultivation of population‐level punitive, negative emotions (such as shame, stigma, or resentment). It is widely acknowledged that welfare provision has been specifically targeted by neoliberal discourse, justifying intensifying interventions aimed at reshaping the subjectivities and aspirations of poor and marginalised individuals and households to serve the needs of deregulated markets. However, little attention has been paid to the importance of positive, hopeful emotion management in legitimising and effecting co‐operation. Drawing on interviews with 54 workers in the Welsh homelessness system, I argue that workers systematically create and sustain optimism in their clients as a mechanism to enable them to survive within an increasingly hostile housing system, as part of a deliberate, if reluctant, strategy to cultivate empowered, ‘ethical’ welfare selfhood against a backdrop of citizen abandonment. A three‐stage approach deployed by workers includes (1) destabilisation of expectations of state help (2) re‐orientation, through cultivation of belief in neoliberal promise (3) development of maintenance strategies. Improving applicant capacity to perform neoliberal welfare citizenship was perceived as an urgent, moral and pragmatic necessity, and justified by care logics. I demonstrate how this extends not only our understanding of welfare implementation, but also shows how positive emotion‐management generally, and Berlant's Cruel Optimism specifically, can be used to understand the practicalities of welfare governance.
Mortality inequality in Chile
Authors: Locks Gedeão 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis paper analyses trends in mortality inequality in 330 Chilean communes from 1990 to 2010 for different age groups and both genders. Chile had substantial inequalities in local‐level mortality rates in 1990 but by 2010 these disparities had significantly decreased, especially among infants, children and the elderly. The only exception was Chilean men aged 20–39, for whom inequality in mortality remained persistently high. Robust economic growth and targeted health interventions in the 1990s contributed to declining mortality rates and mortality inequality. From 2000 to 2010, efforts to expand safety nets and improve health‐care access continued, with a greater impact on adults aged 49 years and above. Despite these advances, child mortality remains significantly higher than in developed countries, and the increasing number of female suicides in younger age groups represents a concerning trend.
Racial inequities in cesarean use among high‐ and low‐risk deliveries: An analysis of childbirth hospitalizations in New Jersey from 2000 to 2015
Authors: McGregor Alecia J. , Garman David , Hung Peiyin , Tosin‐Oni Motunrayo , Orona Kaitlyn Camacho , Molina Rose L. , Ciraldo Katrina J. , Kozhimannil Katy Backes 
Published: September 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo examine racial inequities in low‐risk and high‐risk (or “medically appropriate”) cesarean delivery rates in New Jersey during the era surrounding the United States cesarean surge and peak.Study Setting and DesignThis retrospective repeated cross‐sectional study examined the universe of childbirth hospitalizations in New Jersey from January 1, 2000 through September 30, 2015. We estimate the likelihood of cesarean delivery by maternal race and ethnicity, with mixed‐level logistic regression models, stratified by cesarean risk level designated by the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM).Data Sources and Analytic SampleWe used all‐payer hospital discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's State Inpatient Discharge Database and linked this data to the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. ZIP‐code Tabulation Area (ZCTA)‐level racialized economic segregation index data were from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey. We identified 1,604,976 statewide childbirth hospitalizations using International Classification of Diseases‐9‐CM (ICD‐9) diagnosis and procedure codes and Diagnosis‐Related Group codes, and created an indicator of cesarean delivery using ICD‐9 codes.Principal FindingsAmong low‐risk deliveries, Black patients, particularly those in the age group of 35–39 years, had higher predicted probabilities of giving birth via cesarean than White people in the same age categories (Black‐adjusted predicted probability = 24.0%; vs. White‐adjusted predicted probability = 17.3%). Among high‐risk deliveries, Black patients aged 35 to 39 years had a lower predicted probability (by 2.7 percentage points) of giving birth via cesarean compared with their White counterparts.ConclusionsThis study uncovered a lack of medically appropriate cesarean delivery for Black patients, with low‐risk Black patients at higher odds of cesarean delivery and high‐risk Black patients at lower odds of cesarean than their White counterparts. The significant Black‐White inequities highlight the need to address misalignment of evidence‐based cesarean delivery practice in the efforts to improve maternal health equity. Quality metrics that track whether cesareans are provided when medically needed may contribute to clinical and policy efforts to prevent disproportionate maternal morbidity and mortality among Black patients.
Are suicides underreported? The impact of coroners versus medical examiners on suicide reporting
Authors: Fernandez Jose Manuel , Jayawardhana Jayani 
Published: September 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate if state death investigation systems affect the reporting of suicides, particularly when comparing medical examiners to coroners.Data Sources and Study SettingWe used restricted‐access state mortality data from National Vital Statistics System between the years 1959 to 2016. These data were matched with state‐level changes in death investigation systems reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database on the Public Health Law Program: Coroner/ME Laws.Study DesignWe used difference‐in‐differences and event study methods for the analysis. We estimated the relative per capita changes in suicides, accidental deaths, and homicides when comparing coroner‐only states with other death investigation types. Sub‐analyses estimated differences by sex, race, and if coroners were required to receive training.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsNot Applicable.Principal FindingsCoroners‐only states underreported suicides by 17.4% (p < 0.05) and performed 20.4% (p < 0.05) fewer autopsies compared to states with county coroners and a state medical examiner. This pattern is consistent by sex and race. Required coroner training did not affect death determination significantly.ConclusionCoroners‐only states underreported suicides compared to states with county coroners and a state medical examiner. The disparity in the use of autopsies is a potential mechanism for underreporting of suicides by coroners. If all coroners‐only states adopted a state medical examiner, suicide reporting would increase by 2243–3100 deaths in the United States annually.
Community representation and policing: Effects on Black civilians
Authors: Risi Joseph , Graif Corina 
Published: September 2024

AbstractDoes increased representation of Black individuals in the police force lead to less aggressive policing of Black individuals? The current study uses a Chicago panel data set with monthly police unit observations between 2013 and 2015 to understand 1) how police units’ representation of Black individuals affects the number of stops of Black residents and 2) how individual police officers patrol differently depending on the racial/ethnic background of co‐working officers. Using fixed‐effects negative binomial regression, we found that increasing racial congruence between police officers and the community being patrolled was associated over time with fewer stops of Black residents. Individual analyses showed that Black (vs. White) officers stopped fewer Black civilians, with larger effects in police units with higher percentages of Black officers, indicating a unit group effect. Furthermore, as the number of Black officer co‐workers in a shift increased, Black civilian stops declined for all officers, including White officers, which is consistent with active representation. These findings indicate that a more diverse and representative police force can reduce aggressive policing of minority communities by mitigating group threat and cultivating positive cross‐racial exchanges within police organizations and smaller peer groups.
Reactive guardianship: Who intervenes? How? And why?
Authors: Barnum Timothy C. , Herman Shaina , van Gelder Jean‐Louis , Ribeaud Denis , Eisner Manuel , Nagin Daniel S. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractGuardianship is a core tenet of routine activity theory and collective efficacy. At its outset, routine activity research assumed that the mere presence of a guardian was sufficient to disrupt many forms of crime. More recent research, however, has taken as a starting point that would‐be‐guardians must take on an active role for a reduction in crime to occur. Integrating research on bystander intervention and guardianship‐in‐action, the current study elaborates the individual‐level motivations and decision processes of guardianship to answer the following questions: Who serves as a reactive guardian? How do they do so? And why? We tasked young adults (N = 1,032) included in the recent waves of the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z‐proso) to assess a 70‐second video depicting a sexual harassment event. We examined participants’ willingness to engage in a range of intervention options as a function of their prosocial attitudes, safety considerations, socioemotional motivations, and moral considerations. Results show a complex decision process leading to whether and how a would‐be guardian decides to intervene to disrupt sexual harassment, such that prosocial motivations and emotional reactions are weighed against perceptions of danger when deciding on a specific course of action.
Understanding the role of street network configurations in the placement of illegitimately operating facilities
Authors: de Vries Ieke , Davies Toby 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe role of street networks in shaping the spatial distribution of crime has become a foundational component within environmental criminology. Most studies, however, have focused on opportunistic crime types, such as property offenses. In this study, we instead research a theoretically distinct phenomenon by examining the placement of venues that host criminal activity. In particular, we study the relationship between network structure and the placement of illicit massage businesses, which operate on the intersections of illicit and legitimate activity by hosting illicit commercial sex under the guise of legitimate massage. We model their placement as a function of two network metrics: betweenness, which measures a street's usage potential, and a variant called “local betweenness,” which measures the potential of nearby streets. Multilevel models are used to examine the importance of these street‐level metrics while accounting for tract‐level covariates. Our findings demonstrate that, unlike property crimes, illicit massage businesses tend to be located on streets that are themselves quiet but that are close to areas of high activity. Such locations seem to combine accessibility and discretion, and therefore, represent ideal conditions for such businesses to thrive. Our findings can inform problem‐oriented approaches to prevent the harms associated with illegitimately operating businesses.
Have native insect pests associated with a native crop in Maine declined over the past three to five decades?
Authors: Drummond F. A. , Fanning Philip , Collins Judith 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Lowbush blueberry is an important berry crop in Maine (USA), Quebec and the Maritime provinces of Canada. The other economically important crops in Maine are potato, dairy and organic mixed vegetable produce. Lowbush blueberry is a complex of 1–4 Vaccinium species, primarily dominated by Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton. All but one of the insect pest species in this crop system are native to the regions where it is managed in North America.
Insect decline has been shown to be a recent global phenomenon although it has rarely been studied in agricultural ecosystems. Long‐term datasets of insect species abundances are a powerful tool for insect population trends.
To determine if native insect pests have declined over the past several decades in Maine lowbush blueberry, we surveyed three native species. All surveys were conducted in commercial blueberry fields; although, none of the sample sites were sprayed with insecticides. Insect pest sampling comprised two surveys (1961–2014 and 1998–2017) conducted on the larval stage of the blueberry maggot fly (Rhagoletis mendax Curran), one survey (1981–2016) on the larval stage of the blueberry spanworm (Itame argillacearia (Packard)), and one survey (1983–2019) on the larval stage of the blueberry flea beetle (Altica sylvia Malloch).
Based upon the analysis of our long‐term population‐level datasets, we found no evidence that insect decline has occurred in this native blueberry insect pest complex intimately associated with the lowbush blueberry, a native crop plant in North America, despite recent documentation of rapid climate change occurring in the lowbush blueberry production areas.
‘It's not a solution to keep telling me to lose weight!’ Exploring endometrial cancer survivors’ experiences of nutrition and well‐being advice: A qualitative study
Authors: Williams Linda , Henry Claire , Simcock Bryony , Amataiti Tutangi , Perelini Olivia , Filoche Sara 
Published: September 2024

AimsThe aim was to explore Endometrial cancer (EC) survivors' experiences of being offered nutrition and well‐being advice.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted at two tertiary centres in Aotearoa New Zealand. Semi‐structured conversations with people who had completed treatment for EC in the past 12 months were undertaken to explore how they were offered nutrition and well‐being advice as part of standard follow‐up care. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsFifteen people of Pacific, Māori and European ethnicity participated. Five themes were derived: (i) isolation and vulnerability, (ii) importance of language, (iii) inconsistent availability and relevance of nutrition and well‐being information, (iv) competing priorities and influences and (v) holistic and culturally responsive support. People often experienced judgement associated with their weight as part of their care, with limited understanding of their lived realities. Nutrition and well‐being advice was not widely available or accessible, and people had to explicitly ask for it. Social and environmental factors were barriers to making changes to health behaviours. A need for culturally safe holistic care was identified.ConclusionEnhancing survivorship after EC is ultimately premised on providing culturally safe and responsive care. Expanding workforce training in communication around high weight as well as education and self‐assessment of cultural safety could enable aspects of this. A holistic care program could facilitate wider access to nutrition and well‐being advice and better meet the needs of this population.
Gender representation in obstetrics and gynaecology leadership
Authors: Holmes Belinda , Ibiebele Ibinabo , Nippita Tanya A.C. 
Published: September 2024

BackgroundWomen in leadership in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand have historically been underrepresented, despite forming a significant portion of the workforce. This study extends prior research from 2017, examining shifts in gender representation, attitudes, and perceived leadership barriers within the specialty.AimsThe study aims to evaluate changes in gender diversity among leadership positions in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) and accredited training hospitals since 2017. Additionally, it seeks to understand current attitudes toward leadership and identify perceived barriers among RANZCOG consultants and trainees.Materials and MethodsA cross‐sectional approach was employed, utilising publicly available information, a survey distributed to RANZCOG members, and data from accredited training hospitals. Gender representation in leadership positions was analysed, and survey responses were collected from consultants and trainees to evaluate attitudes and perceived barriers.ResultsThe study reveals an increase in women's representation in RANZCOG leadership, particularly on the council and in clinical leadership positions. While the proportion of women trainees remained stable, there was a noteworthy increase in women specialists. Survey responses revealed shared perceptions on leadership qualities but diverged on barriers, with more women expressing concerns about skillsets, caring responsibilities, and mentorship support.ConclusionsThe findings underscore substantial progress in achieving gender equity in obstetrics and gynaecology leadership roles, attributed to RANZCOG initiatives, societal changes, and improved policies. Ongoing efforts, including structured mentorship and flexible arrangements, are recommended to sustain and further enhance gender representation and address specific barriers identified by women in the specialty.
Fiscal legibility and state development: Theory and evidence from colonial Mexico
Authors: Garfias Francisco , Sellars Emily A. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWe examine how fiscal legibility, the ability of central authorities to observe local conditions for the purposes of taxation, shapes political centralization and state development. When rulers lack information about the periphery, they may benefit from ceding autonomy to tax‐collecting intermediaries to encourage fiscal performance. As information quality improves, rulers become better able to monitor and sanction local officials, allowing them to tighten control over taxation and establish more direct state presence. Centralization, in turn, encourages investment in improving fiscal legibility, leading to long‐term divergence in state development. We study the consequences of a technological innovation that dramatically improved the Spanish Crown's fiscal legibility in colonial Mexico: the discovery of the patio process to refine silver. We show that political centralization differentially accelerated in affected districts and that these areas subsequently saw disproportionate state investment in informational capacity, altering the trajectory of state development.
Competence and advice
Authors: Denisenko Anna , Hafer Catherine , Landa Dimitri 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWe develop a theory of policy advice that focuses on the relationship between the competence of the advisor (e.g., an expert bureaucracy) and the quality of advice that the leader may expect. We describe important tensions between these features present in a wide class of substantively important circumstances. These tensions point to the presence of a trade‐off between receiving advice more often and receiving more informative advice. The optimal realization of this trade‐off for the leader sometimes induces her to prefer advisors of limited competence—a preference that, we show, is robust under different informational assumptions. We consider how institutional tools available to leaders affect preferences for advisor competence and the quality of advice they may expect to receive in equilibrium.
Medicinal cannabis extracts are neuroprotective against Aβ1–42‐mediated toxicity in vitro
Authors: Marsh Dylan T. , Shibuta Mayu , Kato Ryuji , Smid Scott D. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundPhytocannabinoids inhibit the aggregation and neurotoxicity of the neurotoxic Alzheimer's disease protein β amyloid (Aβ). We characterised the capacity of five proprietary medical cannabis extracts, heated and non‐heated, with varying ratios of cannabidiol and Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol and their parent carboxylated compounds to protect against lipid peroxidation and Aβ‐evoked neurotoxicity in PC12 cells.MethodsNeuroprotection against lipid peroxidation and Aβ1–42‐induced cytotoxicity was assessed using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Transmission electron microscopy was used to visualise phytocannabinoid effects on Aβ1–42 aggregation and fluorescence microscopy.ResultsTetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA)‐predominant cannabis extracts demonstrated the most significant overall neuroprotection against Aβ1–42‐induced loss of PC12 cell viability. These protective effects were still significant after heating of extracts, while none of the extracts provided significant neuroprotection to lipid peroxidation via tbhp exposure. Modest inhibition of Aβ1–42 aggregation was demonstrated only with the non‐heated BC‐401 cannabis extract, but overall, there was no clear correlation between effects on fibrils and conferral of neuroprotection.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the variable neuroprotective activity of cannabis extracts containing major phytocannabinoids THC/THCA and cannabidiol (CBD)/cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on Aβ‐evoked neurotoxicity and inhibition of amyloid β aggregation. This may inform the future use of medicinal cannabis formulations in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Annual and seasonal dry matter production, botanical species composition, and nutritive value of multispecies, permanent pasture, and perennial ryegrass swards managed under grazing
Authors: Shackleton Jane , Boland Tommy M. , Kennedy Jean , Grace Cornelia , Beaucarne Gaspard , Kirwan Stuart F. , Schmidt Olaf , Sheridan Helen 
Published: September 2024

AbstractReduced reliance on inputs such as fertilizer is fundamental to sustainable grazing systems. This two‐year study compared four sward types, including multispecies swards (MSS), for herbage dry matter (DM) production, species contribution to DM, and herbage nutritive value under grazing. The systems were: (1) Lolium perenne L. monoculture (PRG; 170 kg N ha−1 year−1); (2) permanent pasture (PP; 135 kg N ha−1 year−1), (3) six species sward consisting of two grasses, two legumes and two herbs (6S; 70 kg N ha−1 year−1), (4) twelve species sward consisting of three grasses, four legumes and five herbs (12S; 70 kg N ha−1 year−1). Herbage samples were collected for DM yield, botanical composition, and nutritive value. Mean annual DM production for PRG, PP, 6S, and 12S was 11,374, 8526, 13,783, and 13,338 kg DM ha−1 respectively. Herb proportions decreased in 6S and 12S from 2020 to 2021 while grass proportions increased. Mean crude protein levels were similar across all systems (p > 0.05), with higher ash content in 6S and 12S compared to PRG (p < 0.001). Organic matter digestibility was lowest in PP compared to PRG (p < 0.001) while neutral detergent fibre content of PP and PRG were greater than 6S and 12S (p < 0.001). Water soluble carbohydrate content was highest in PRG (p < 0.0001). Over 2 years, MSS delivered increased herbage DM yield and nutritive quality relative to PRG and PP swards, from reduced N inputs. However, maintenance of the herb component of MSS is a challenge.