bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An exploratory study on women single parents’ experiences in coping with socioeconomic insecurity
Authors: Munir Misbahul , Yuda Tauchid Komara , Kusumah Echo Perdana , Suwandi Maygsi Aldian 
Published: March 2024

PurposeSocial welfare scholarship has not paid adequate attention to the phenomenon of single-parent women in Asia, especially in terms of their economic and social vulnerabilities. This study aims to explore the strategies employed by women who are single parents to secure their families from socioeconomic issues. It also delves into the experiences and viewpoints of families regarding the social institutions they turn to for assistance during times of hardship – whether it be the state, market, or informal networks.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through 33 semi-structured interviews, with informants selected using the purposive sampling technique in South Sumatra Province, Indonesia, from February 2023 to July 2023. This number was obtained based on informants who were included in the criteria the researchers determined, which included “being a female single parent” and “being over the age of 17,” which is the minimum age for Indonesians to marry. Others included “having dependents to support, be they children and/or the respondent’s family” and occupying the main role as “household head” – all of which defined whether someone belongs to the “vulnerable group.”FindingsThe study highlights the significance of informal support for single mothers facing economic hardship. Still, overreliance on it can lead to concerns about the sustainability of the everyday social safety net they receive. Social exclusion is also problematic due to societal assumptions about divorce and widowhood. The last highlight is how 'deskilling' among single parents has complicated the challenges women face to re-enter the workforce.Originality/valueThis study’s outcomes provide crucial insights into analyzing the patterns of single-parent families in Indonesia and serve as a framework for further research on the resilience of single parents in developing countries.
Market context matters: the impact of corporate diversification on REIT performance in Malaysia and Singapore
Authors: Cheong Calvin W.H. , Chan Ling-Foon 
Published: March 2024

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of corporate diversification and growth opportunities on the performance of real estate investment trusts (REIT) in Malaysia and Singapore before and during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consists of 33 public-listed REITs across Singapore and Malaysia. A dynamic panel system generalized method of moments (DPS-GMM) estimation is used to account for unobservable factors and a relatively short sample period (2009–2022).FindingsResults indicate that the impact of diversification is contingent on the market where the REIT is based and other institutional factors. The estimates also show that diversified REITs are better able to weather period of economic uncertainty.Practical implicationsWe provided a definitive answer as to why corporate diversification leads to conflicting outcomes – market and institutional factors, strategic intent and the overall economic environment. We also show that the impact of typical firm controls (i.e. free cash, size) can differ. Future firm-level work should thus study similar phenomenon more contextually and carefully consider these varying effects.Originality/valueThe literature is divided on the impact of diversification on firm performance. By using a two-country sample, we show conclusive evidence that this contradictory outcome is due to market and institutional factors. We also show evidence that strategic intent is an important factor that influences the outcomes of diversification, regardless of market. We also infer that excess cash aids the resilience of the firm, contrary to the negative perception of excess cash during normal times. Firm size, in contrast, does not contribute to firm performance during a crisis.
Ontogeny of superorganisms: Social control of queen specialization in ants
Authors: Majidifar Vahideh , Psalti Marina N. , Coulm Martin , Fetzer Ebru , Teggers Eva‐Maria , Rotering Frederik , Grünewald Judith , Mannella Luca , Reuter Maxi , Unte Dennis , Libbrecht Romain 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The functioning of biological systems relies on the cooperation of specialized components and understanding the processes that produce such specialization is a major challenge in biology. Here, we study the ontogeny of biological systems at a new phenotypic level: the superorganisms (i.e. insect societies with specialized individuals).

We investigate how founding queens, the earliest developmental stage of ant colonies, transition from expressing behavioural pluripotency to becoming strictly specialized in egg production.

We demonstrate that the presence of workers both initiates and maintains this queen specialization, and propose that such a social control of queen behaviour is common in ants and regulated by ancestral mechanisms.

These findings contradict the traditional view of social insect queens as being intrinsically specialized in egg production and may reshape our understanding of the division of labour in insect societies.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Unintended consequences of planting native and non‐native trees in treeless ecosystems to mitigate climate change
Authors: Moyano Jaime , Dimarco Romina D. , Paritsis Juan , Peterson Tess , Peltzer Duane A. , Crawford Kerri M. , McCary Matthew A. , Davis Kimberley T. , Pauchard Aníbal , Nuñez Martin A. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Naturally treeless ecosystems are being replaced by native and non‐native trees worldwide, often through deliberate afforestation using forestry tree species. By introducing species having novel traits, such as relatively rapid growth, many afforestation efforts also produce numerous changes in ecosystems, at the landscape scale.

Trees are considered critical for climate change mitigation; indeed, many current carbon sequestration strategies rely on trees. Planting trees or allowing trees to naturally colonize through range expansions can be seen as an ideal way to increase atmospheric carbon capture. For example, a snapshot approach may show that introducing trees into treeless ecosystems enhances aboveground accumulation of carbon, helping increase ecosystem carbon storage.

However, considering other impacts such as reductions in soil carbon or albedo and increased fire severity (through increases in fuel loads and connectivity) reduces the effectiveness of afforestation strategies for climate change amelioration. Additional negative impacts of afforestation are also likely, such as the reduction of native biodiversity and productivity, substantial water yield losses, and changes in nutrient cycles, which can exacerbate other global change drivers. Further, tree invasions originating from afforestation can exacerbate these negative impacts.

Synthesis. This review highlights that the positive and negative impacts of planting trees in naturally treeless ecosystems as a strategy to mitigate climate change are idiosyncratic, depending on the location where trees are introduced, the time period trees are allowed to grow, and risks of spread and impacts associated with specific tree species. Although planting trees can potentially be a tool to fight climate change, a greater consideration of their impacts is required to minimize the unexpected negative consequences of afforestation efforts.
Determinants of illicit capital movement in China‐Africa trade: Evidence of trade misinvoicing
Authors: Ndoricimpa Arcade , Araral Eduardo 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIllicit financial flows have been an issue of great concern over the past decades due to the challenge they present for economic development in Africa. Illicit financial flows undermine the productivity and growth of African economies as countries lose foreign exchange and tax revenues. Countries lose financial resources needed for development programs, hence undermining social service delivery and retarding poverty reduction. To effectively combat illicit financial flows, it is imperative to examine their determinants. This study seeks to examine the determinants of illicit capital movement in the China‐Africa trade through the mechanisms of trade misinvoicing over the period 1990–2019. The IMF's Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) database is used to estimate trade misinvoicing. Estimates using mirror trade data indicate that both exports of Africa to China and imports from China to Africa are mainly underinvoiced. The net effect shows that trade misinvoicing in the China‐Africa trade results in net illicit capital outflow for about 44% of countries in Africa. The results from panel data regressions indicate that tax evasion is one of the major factors behind misinvoicing in China‐Africa trade. In addition, corruption control is found to reduce export underinvoicing, while political stability reduces both export overinvoicing and import overinvoicing. Export misinvoicing increases with the presence of natural resources in the exporting country. Other factors associated with trade misinvoicing in China‐Africa trade include openness to trade, current account deficit, and real exchange rate. The study suggests ways to reduce trade misinvoicing in China‐Africa trade.
School‐based anti‐bullying approaches for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities: A systematic review and synthesis
Authors: Badger Julia R. , Nisar Atiyya , Hastings Richard P. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractMainstream anti‐bullying interventions can reduce primary school‐level victimisation by 15–16% and bullying perpetration by 19%–20% (Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2019; 45: 111–133). Less is known about anti‐bullying interventions for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) even though they are at least 2–4 times more likely to be involved in bullying. This systematic review aimed to identify reported anti‐bullying approaches for pupils with SEND, what the evidence is for these approaches reducing bullying and which design factors are linked to a reduction in bullying. We searched 10 databases and four grey literature sources for articles that evaluated school‐based anti‐bullying strategies for children and young people aged 4–18 years with SEND. This review included 15 studies and used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality and risk of bias. Ten reported a reduction in bullying involvement, but the evidence was variable. A further 27 articles formed a ‘suggested strategies’ review which synthesised articles without evaluations of interventions but that suggested anti‐bullying strategies for use with pupils with SEND. The main suggestion was encouraging social skills and networks. Interventions should be evaluated for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness. High‐quality randomised controlled trials are required to build an evidence base to support pupils with SEND.
Considerations for age estimation accuracy: Method‐derived outcomes and practitioner interpretations
Authors: Hughes Cris , Yim An‐Di , Juarez Chelsey 
Published: March 2024

AbstractRecent research observed 92% accuracy for age‐at‐death estimations by U.S. forensic anthropologists. The present study compares this case report level accuracy to method level accuracy for the most commonly used methods in U.S. casework, drawing from the Forensic Anthropology Database for Assessing Methods Accuracy (FADAMA). Method application rate (i.e., how often a method is used in casework) was analyzed for n = 641 cases and identified 15 methods with an application rate >45 cases, and the present study focused further analyses on these 15 methods. Of the 15, only four yielded accuracies greater than or equal to the 92% documented for case‐report level accuracy. The other 11 methods produced accuracy rates ranging from 54% to 91%, with six of these below 70% This disconnect between highly accurate age estimations at the case report level compared to the poor performance at method level suggests that practitioner interpretation and synthesis of the methods' outcomes is a critical step for increasing the accuracy rates of the age estimations as reported on the final case report. This inference was further supported by the study's results which indicated that practitioner interpretations of frequently used method combinations improve accuracy and age range width of age estimation. The study also performed a Fisher's Exact test to assess whether case report‐level accuracy differed with the number of aging methods used in a case, and found no significant differences.
Towards maintaining canine training aid integrity: Effects of environmental factors and operational use on the triacetone triperoxide polymer odor capture‐and‐release system
Authors: Cropper Emily , Riley Paige , Simon Alison G. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThere are many factors that may affect the longevity of or guide the use of canine training aids. Literature to date has mainly focused on identifying the headspace volatiles associated with training aids or odors and only minimal research exists into how different variables may alter those volatiles. The current study examines several factors affecting canine training aids: humidity, air flow, transportation, and operational deployment, using the triacetone triperoxide polymer odor capture‐and‐release canine training aid (TATP POCR) as the target. The TATP POCR is an absorption‐based canine training aid developed to be used to safely train canines to detect the odor of the explosive TATP in operational settings. Comparisons of the TATP POCR to neat TATP are made throughout the manuscript. First, humidity increased the background components of the POCR matrix, as well as the amount of TATP recovered was above the POCR. Humidity thus affected the amount of TATP detected but did not prevent detection. Second, air flow lessened the lifetime of the TATP POCR. Third, the practice of using primary and secondary containment successfully prevented contamination, cross‐contamination, and significant target loss, thereby maintaining kit integrity. Finally, the absorption of background odors from training environments was not observed. TATP headspace concentrations between a Deployed and Control POCR kit were not significantly different at time 0 (i.e., upon opening), which suggests that the operational use does not affect the function of the TATP POCR system. This information provides pivotal evidence for explosives detection canine handlers or trainers who utilize the TATP POCR.
Tracheomediastinal fistula induced by concurrent chemoradiotherapy in small cell lung cancer: A case report and literature review
Authors: Yamamoto Yoshihiro , Shibahara Daisuke , Mori Taro , Otsubo Kohei , Shiraishi Yoshimasa , Yoneshima Yasuto , Iwama Eiji , Tanaka Kentaro , Oda Yoshinao , Okamoto Isamu 
Published: March 2024

AbstractTracheomediastinal fistula is a rare but life‐threatening complication of cancer. We report a case of tracheomediastinal fistula induced by concurrent chemoradiotherapy in limited stage small cell lung cancer. Despite the treatment response, the metastatic paratracheal lymph node increased gradually during concurrent chemoradiotherapy, resulting in the occurrence of tracheomediastinal fistula and mediastinitis. Without any surgical intervention, the patient achieved successful recovery from mediastinitis through antibiotic treatment, although the tracheomediastinal fistula remained open. In this report, we also review previous studies of tracheomediastinal and bronchomediastinal fistulas and summarize the clinical features.
Sexual selection in Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is shaped by contrasting geographic adaptations, but does it matter for area‐wide sex pheromone control tools?
Authors: Aigbedion‐Atalor Pascal , Upfold Jennifer , Coombes Candice , Moore Sean , Hill Martin 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a quarantine pest for certain export markets due to its phytosanitary status in affected crops in sub‐Saharan Africa, including citrus. Consequently, there is a zero‐tolerance policy for T. leucotreta in export markets. In South Africa, an integrated pest management strategy, incorporating a systems approach is used to achieve complete control of T. leucotreta. Preharvest management is multi‐faceted, including reliance on sex pheromone tools such as monitoring, attract‐and‐kill, mating disruptions, and sterile insect technique (SIT). Geographically isolated populations of T. leucotreta occur in South Africa, and there is speculation concerning the possible loss of sexual communication between these isolated populations, thereby compromising the efficiency of sex pheromone tools. To investigate this possibility, we collected samples from five geographically isolated populations of T. leucotreta and a population used for SIT in South Africa. These were subjected to sexual attraction trials under choice and no‐choice scenarios in a semi‐natural environment. Results of the choice tests revealed that males of each population preferred their corresponding population females, except irradiated males. However, when we deprived males of their preferred females, these preferences dissipated, and they were equally attracted to females from all populations. These results indicate that local adaptation and other selection forces in contrasting environments are important in sexual communication and selection in T. leucotreta but do not necessarily prevent recognition of sexual signals and attraction between geographically isolated populations. These findings are crucial for area‐wide IPM and precision control of T. leucotreta.
The prevalence of substance use disorders among people in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish prisons: A multi‐national cohort study, 2010–19
Authors: Bukten Anne , Virtanen Suvi , Hesse Morten , Thylstrup Birgitte , Kvamme Timo Lehmann , Seid Abdu Kedir , Chang Zheng , Skjærvø Ingeborg , Tverborgvik Torill , Stavseth Marianne R. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAimsWe estimated the prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) in the Norwegian, Danish and Swedish prison populations and compared the prevalence of SUDs in the national prison populations with country‐specific general population prevalence rates.DesignA multi‐national cohort study using data from the National Prison Registries linked to the National Patient Registries in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.Setting and participantsWe used data from the PriSUD‐Nordic study, including national prison populations aged 19 years and older in Norway (2010–19), Denmark (2010–18) and Sweden (2010–13). A total of 119 507 Individuals (108 971 men and 10 536 women) contributing to 191 549 incarcerations were included in the study (Norway: 45432 men; 5429 women, Denmark: 42 162 men; 3370 women, Sweden: 21 377 men; 1737 women).MeasurementWe calculated a study prevalence and prevalence at entry to prison for all types of SUDs before imprisonment each consecutive year of observation in each prison population. We also extracted country‐specific 1‐year prevalence rates from the Global Burden of Diseases database to calculate comparative national prevalence ratios.FindingsThe study prevalence of any SUD was approximately 40% [Norway: 44.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 43.6–44.5%; Denmark: 39.9%, CI = 39.5–40.4%; Sweden: 39.1%, CI = 38.4–39.7%] in all three countries. Women had a significantly higher study prevalence of any SUD compared with men (Norway: 55.8 versus 42.6%, P < 0.001; Denmark 43.1 versus 39.7%, P = 0.004; Sweden: 51.7 versus 38.0%, P < 0.001). Prevalence estimates were higher for SUDs among people in prison than in the general population. We observed an increasing proportion of people with SUDs entering prison in Norway (P = 0.003), while the proportion was more stable in Denmark and Sweden.ConclusionsSubstance use disorders (SUDs) appear to be highly prevalent among the Scandinavian prison populations compared with the general population, especially among women. In Norway, there was a relative increase in SUDs from 2010 to 2019.
Expertise acquisition in Congress
Authors: Fong Christian , Lowande Kenneth , Rauh Adam 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAccording to many, the US Congress desperately needs reform because its capacity to govern has declined. Congressional capacity cannot be understood without examining how the expertise available to members is fostered or discouraged. We present a theory of expertise acquisition and apply it to the problem of overseeing the Executive. We use this theory to organize a dataset of congressional staff employment merged with new records of invitations, applications, and attendance at training sessions produced by three nonprofit organizations in Washington, DC. We find that staffers are more likely to acquire expertise when their jobs are more secure and there are more opportunities to use their expertise in careers outside of Congress—most notably, when their party takes control of the presidency. Our analysis suggests that oversight expertise is generally not sufficiently valuable outside of Congress to entice many staffers to acquire it without subsidies.
Birding under fire
Authors: Guarasci Bridget 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBirding for nature conservation becomes violent in war when foreign states and industry use it to extract value from countries like Iraq. In wartime Iraq, birding became a pathway to multinational resource extraction by producing “eco‐value,” a form of economic value for species life and, by extension, the ecosystems they inhabit. Iraqi marshland conservationists, including private contractors, produced eco‐value in the context of extreme violence for the purposes of environmental rehabilitation. This eco‐value was then leveraged to mine natural resources that were embedded in the same geological field. Compounding the violence of extraction was the violence conservation introduced for Iraqi citizens who alone performed the dangerous labor of birding; they were recruited to do this in order to safeguard the lives of foreign experts, who did not travel to the marshes of Iraq. The result was a form of nature conservation that made Iraqi lives uniquely expendable in the project of building the occupation's lifeforce.
Safety and feasibility of instituting a robotic pancreas program in the Australian setting: a case series and narrative review
Authors: McKay Bartholomew , Brough David , Kilburn Daniel , Cavallucci David 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundMinimally invasive pancreatic resection has been gathering interest over the last decade due to the technical demands and high morbidity associated with these typically open procedures. We report our experience with robotic pancreatectomy within an Australian context.MethodsAll patients undergoing robotic distal pancreatectomy (DP) and pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) at two Australian tertiary academic hospitals between May 2014 and December 2020 were included.ResultsSixty‐two patients underwent robotic pancreatectomy during the study period. Thirty‐four patients with a median age of 68 years (range 42–84) were in the PD group whilst the DP group included 28 patients with a median age of 60 years (range 18–78). Thirteen patients (46.4%) in the DP group had spleen‐preserving procedures. There were 13 conversions (38.2%) in the PD group whilst 0 conversions occurred in the DP group. The Clavien‐Dindo grade ≥III complication rate was 26.4% and 17.9% in the PD and DP groups, respectively. Two deaths (5.9%) occurred within 90‐days in the PD group whilst none were observed in the DP group. The median length of hospital stay was 11.5 days (range 4–56) in the PD group and 6 days (range 2–22) in the DP group.ConclusionRobotic pancreatectomy outcomes at our institution are comparable with international literature demonstrating it is both safe and feasible to perform. With improved access to this platform, robotic pancreas surgery may prove to be the turning point for patients with regards to post‐operative complications as more experience is obtained.