bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Men’s transformative health service use: rethinking customer experience of vulnerability
Authors: McGraw Jacquie , Russell-Bennett Rebekah , White Katherine M. 
Published: January 2024

PurposePreventative health services are keen to identify how to engage men and increase their participation, thus improving health, well-being and life expectancy over time. Prior research has shown general gender norms are a key reason for men’s avoidance of these services, yet there is little investigation of specific gender norms. Furthermore, masculinity has not been examined as a factor associated with customer vulnerability. This paper aims to identify the relationship between gender norm segments for men, likely customer vulnerability over time and subjective health and well-being.Design/methodology/approachAdult males (n= 13,891) from an Australian longitudinal men’s health study were classified using latent class analysis. Conditional growth mixture modelling was conducted at three timepoints.FindingsThree masculinity segments were identified based on masculine norm conformity:traditional self-reliant,traditional bravadoandmodern status. All segments had likely customer experience of vulnerability. Over time, the likely experience was temporary for themodern statussegment but prolonged for thetraditional self-reliantandtraditional bravadosegments. Thetraditional self-reliantsegment had low subjective health and low overall well-being over time.Practical implicationsPractitioners can tailor services to gender norm segments, enabling self-reliant men to provide expertise and use the “Status” norm to reach all masculinity segments.Originality/valueThe study of customer vulnerability in a group usually considered privileged identifies differential temporal experiences based on gender norms. The study confirms customer vulnerability is temporal in nature; customer vulnerability changes over time from likely to actual for self-reliant men.
An exploratory study of the concept of social procurement in the construction industry in Botswana: contractor's perspective
Authors: Kuruneri Joseph , Zivanai Wiston 
Published: January 2024

PurposeGovernments worldwide seek to optimize value in public project bids. Social procurement (SP) has become a global tool for achieving project goals. The purpose of this study is to assess the understanding of SP among contractors and identify its drivers to optimize the value associated with public projects.Design/methodology/approachA total of 15 major contractors were interviewed to obtain their views on SP, appreciate their current practices and identify the main drivers of SP in projects. A semistructured interview was used to gather relevant data. Neo-institutional theory is the lens of the study used to provide the focus of the research. The collected data were analyzed using the thematic data analysis technique.FindingsThe study found that SP is understood as corporate social responsibility and is not handled in a structured manner guided by policies or clearly defined procedures. Additionally, research has shown that compliance requirements, rather than value and goodwill, are the main inspiration for SP practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s limitation is the fact that it was conducted in the context of Botswana and only used the interview technique as the solo data collection method. The other limitation is the lack of empirical literature on SP concerning the lack of SP policy in Botswana.Originality/valueThis study raises awareness of the concept of SP among contractors in Botswana and eases its implementation within the industry.
The Arctic summer microbiome across Fram Strait: Depth, longitude, and substrate concentrations structure microbial diversity in the euphotic zone
Authors: Wietz Matthias , Engel Anja , Ramondenc Simon , Niwano Matomo , von Appen Wilken‐Jon , Priest Taylor , von Jackowski Anabel , Metfies Katja , Bienhold Christina , Boetius Antje 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe long‐term dynamics of microbial communities across geographic, hydrographic, and biogeochemical gradients in the Arctic Ocean are largely unknown. To address this, we annually sampled polar, mixed, and Atlantic water masses of the Fram Strait (2015–2019; 5–100 m depth) to assess microbiome composition, substrate concentrations, and oceanographic parameters. Longitude and water depth were the major determinants (~30%) of microbial community variability. Bacterial alpha diversity was highest in lower‐photic polar waters. Community composition shifted from west to east, with the prevalence of, for example, Dadabacteriales and Thiotrichales in Arctic‐ and Atlantic‐influenced waters, respectively. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon peaked in the western, compared to carbohydrates in the chlorophyll‐maximum of eastern Fram Strait. Interannual differences due to the time of sampling, which varied between early (June 2016/2018) and late (September 2019) phytoplankton bloom stages, illustrated that phytoplankton composition and resulting availability of labile substrates influence bacterial dynamics. We identified 10 species clusters with stable environmental correlations, representing signature populations of distinct ecosystem states. In context with published metagenomic evidence, our microbial‐biogeochemical inventory of a key Arctic region establishes a benchmark to assess ecosystem dynamics and the imprint of climate change.
Unveiling the drivers of Africa's digital financial inclusion journey
Authors: Elouaourti Zakaria , Ibourk Aomar 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis study aimed to unveil the evolving landscape of digital financial inclusion in African countries during the post‐COVID‐19 era. We examined factors influencing the access and usage of digital financial services and identified population segments facing increased exclusion due to the digital divide. First, by applying principal component analysis to data collected at the country level from 39 African countries in 2014, 2017, and 2022, we developed a digital financial inclusion index. Second, the empirical research utilized a microlevel dataset of 29,042 adults from 29 countries, sourced from the World Bank's Global Findex 2021 database, employing the instrumental variable probit methodology. Comparative analysis showed improvements in digital financial inclusion rankings for Kenya, Lesotho, and Botswana, while Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Niger experienced declines, indicating limited access. Our empirical findings suggest that certain groups, such as women and individuals with limited education and lower incomes, encounter obstacles in accessing digital financial services. Factors such as education level, labor market participation and access to technology and internet infrastructure emerged as crucial in promoting digital financial inclusion. Our sample's representative nature enhances the study's practical implications, guiding public policies and international institutions to accelerate digital financial inclusion in Africa.
Using enrollment records to evaluate self‐reports of monthly coverage in the redesigned current population survey health insurance module
Authors: Pascale Joanne , Fertig Angela R. , Call Kathleen Thiede 
Published: January 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the veracity of self‐reports of month‐level health insurance coverage in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS).Data Sources and Study SettingThe CHIME (Comparing Health Insurance Measurement Error) study used health insurance enrollment records from a large regional Midwest insurer as sample for primary data collection in spring 2015.Study DesignA sample of individuals enrolled in a range of public and private coverage types (including Medicaid and marketplace) was administered the CPS health insurance module, which included questions about month‐level coverage, by type, over a 17–18‐month time span. Survey data was then matched to enrollment records covering that same time frame, and concordance between the records and self‐reports was assessed.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsSample was drawn by the insurer's informatics specialists and Census Bureau interviewers conducted the survey. Following data collection, updated enrollment records were matched to the survey data to produce a person‐level file of coverage by type at the month‐level.Principal FindingsFor 91% of the overall sample, coverage status and type were reported accurately for at least 75% of observed months. Results varied somewhat by stability of coverage. Among those who were continuously covered throughout the 17–18 month observation period (which comprised 64% of the overall sample), that level of reporting accuracy was observed for 94% of the sample; for those who had censored spells (34% of the overall sample), the figure was 87%; and among those with gaps and/or changes according to the records (2% of the overall sample), for 82% of the group at least 75% of months were reported accurately.ConclusionsFindings suggest that reporting accuracy of month‐level coverage in the CPS is high and that the survey could become a valuable new data source for studying the dynamics of coverage, including the Medicaid unwinding.
Environment and traits affect parasite and host species positions but not roles in flea–mammal networks
Authors: KRASNOV Boris R. , SHENBROT Georgy I. , KHOKHLOVA Irina S. , LÓPEZ BERRIZBEITIA M. Fernanda , MATTHEE Sonja , SANCHEZ Juliana P. , VAN DER MESCHT Luther 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe studied spatial variation in the effects of environment and network size on species positions and roles in multiple flea–mammal networks from four biogeographic realms. We asked whether species positions (measured as species strength [SS], the degree of interaction specialization [d′], and the eigenvector centrality [C]) or the roles of fleas and their hosts in the interaction networks: (a) are repeatable/conserved within a flea or a host species; (b) vary in dependence on environmental variables and/or network size; and (c) the effects of environment and network size on species positions or roles in the networks depend on species traits. The repeatability analysis of species position indices for 441 flea and 429 host species, occurring in at least two networks, demonstrated that the repeatability of SS, d′, and C within a species was significant, although not especially high, suggesting that the indices’ values were affected by local factors. The majority of flea and host species in the majority of networks demonstrated a peripheral role. A value of at least one index of species position was significantly affected by environmental variables or network size in 41 and 36, respectively, of the 52 flea and 52 host species that occurred in multiple networks. In both fleas and hosts, the occurrence of the significant effect of environment or network size on at least one index of species position, but not on a species’ role in a network, was associated with some species traits.
Audit firm tenure disclosure and nonprofessional investors' perceptions of auditor independence: The mitigating effect of partner rotation disclosure
Authors: Judge Sarah , Goodson Brian M. , Stefaniak Chad M. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIn 2017, the PCAOB began requiring audit firm tenure disclosure within the audit report for SEC registrant clients. Many commenters raised the concern that prominent disclosure of firm tenure would lead investors to inappropriately infer a negative relation between audit quality and long tenure. This is particularly troubling given that empirical evidence generally does not support this concern. In our first experiment, we predict and find that disclosing an audit firm's long tenure within the audit report increases investors' perceptions that the audit firm's independence was impaired while conducting the audit. However, we also identify an intervention that mitigates the effects of disclosing long tenure—an accompanying disclosure in the audit report of the firm's adherence to the SEC's mandatory partner rotation requirement. We find that such a disclosure moderates the effect of long tenure disclosure such that in the absence (presence) of a partner rotation disclosure, investors do (do not) perceive increased independence impairment when long firm tenure is disclosed. In a second experiment, we predict and find that long firm tenure disclosure reduces investors' preference to invest in an otherwise quantitatively optimal investment and that this relation is driven, in part, by perceptions of independence impairment. Again, this result is attenuated by partner rotation disclosure. Our results should be useful to regulators in understanding the effects of their disclosure mandate and to audit firms in understanding a practical way in which they might mitigate the implications of such effects.
FAMeLeS: A multispecies and fully automated method to measure morphological leaf traits
Authors: Montès Nicolas , Tosini Lorène , Laffont‐Schwob Isabelle , Le Bagousse‐Pinguet Yoann , Folzer Hélène 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Leaf shape parameters are of key importance to explain the role of energy balance and water economy in plant species distribution, plant productivity and, more generally, in plant–environment interactions. Yet, leaf shape measurements based on image processing are still challenging due to the high diversity of leaf shapes, colours and sizes leading to the development of time‐consuming methods with a narrow field of applicability, sometimes species‐specific or often limited to a few species.

We developed a fully automated method for measuring multiple leaf shape parameters (area, perimeter, length, width, circularity and solidity) based on a large image sampling of leaf diversity (including litter) belonging to 587 species and spread over 232 countries worldwide. To evaluate the accuracy of the method to detect small objects, the sampling particularly targeted Mediterranean ecosystems (32 species and 25,205 leaves), in which small leaves often represent methodological challenges.

We compared our approach and found that its mean error in leaf area measurement (+0.46%) was 1.7–148 times lower than four existing methods. It was also the only one capable of detecting and measuring all leaves in the test data set, even variegated and small leaves (less than 1 mm2). Its reliability was extensively checked on the largest and most diversified data set ever used.

Our method, accessible to the broader scientific community, was simple, rapid and effective on multiple image file types and on a high diversity of leaf size, shape and colour. As such, our approach allows measurement not only on fresh leaves but also on dry leaves, such as leaf litter or leaves from herbaria. This tolerance to leaf characteristics is crucial to increase large‐scale sampling efforts and paves the way for a standardized multispecies approach to measuring leaf morphological traits for ecological and agricultural studies.
Daily activity profiles over the lifespan of female medflies as biomarkers of aging and longevity
Authors: Chen Han , Müller Hans‐Georg , Rodovitis Vasilis G. , Papadopoulos Nikos T. , Carey James R. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe relationship between the early‐age activity of Mediterranean fruit flies (medflies) or other fruit flies and their lifespan has not been much studied, in contrast to the connections between lifespan and diet, sexual signaling, and reproduction. The objective of this study is to assess intra‐day and day‐to‐day activity profiles of female Mediterranean fruit flies and their role as biomarker of longevity as well as to explore the relationships between these activity profiles, diet, and age‐at‐death throughout the lifespan. We use advanced statistical methods from functional data analysis (FDA). Three distinct patterns of activity variations in early‐age activity profiles can be distinguished. A low‐caloric diet is associated with a delayed activity peak, while a high‐caloric diet is linked with an earlier activity peak. We find that age‐at‐death of individual medflies is connected to their activity profiles in early life. An increased risk of mortality is associated with increased activity in early age, as well as with a higher contrast between daytime and nighttime activity. Conversely, medflies are more likely to have a longer lifespan when they are fed a medium‐caloric diet and when their daily activity is more evenly distributed across the early‐age span and between daytime and nighttime. The before‐death activity profile of medflies displays two characteristic before‐death patterns, where one pattern is characterized by slowly declining daily activity and the other by a sudden decline in activity that is followed by death.
Excessive processing and acetylation of OPA1 aggravate age‐related hearing loss via the dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics
Authors: Zhang Andi , Pan Yi , Wang Hao , Ding Rui , Zou Tianyuan , Guo Dongye , Shen Yilin , Ji Peilin , Huang Weiyi , Wen Qing , Wang Quan , Hu Haixia , Wu Jichang , Xiang Mingliang , Ye Bin 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe pathogenesis of age‐related hearing loss (ARHL) remains unclear. OPA1 is the sole fusion protein currently known to be situated in the inner mitochondrial membrane, which is pivotal for maintaining normal mitochondrial function. While it has already been demonstrated that mutations in OPA1 may lead to hereditary deafness, its involvement in the occurrence and development of ARHL has not been previously explored. In our study, we constructed D‐gal‐induced senescent HEI‐OC1 cells and the cochlea of C57BL/6J mice with a mutated SUMOylation site of SIRT3 using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. We found enhanced L‐OPA1 processing mediated by activated OMA1, and increased OPA1 acetylation resulting from reductions in SIRT3 levels in senescent HEI‐OC1 cells. Consequently, the fusion function of OPA1 was inhibited, leading to mitochondrial fission and pyroptosis in hair cells, ultimately exacerbating the aging process of hair cells. Our results suggest that the dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics in cochlear hair cells in aged mice can be ameliorated by activating the SIRT3/OPA1 signaling. This has the potential to alleviate the senescence of cochlear hair cells and reduce hearing loss in mice. Our study highlights the significant roles played by the quantities of long and short chains and the acetylation activity of OPA1 in the occurrence and development of ARHL. This finding offers new perspectives and potential targets for the prevention and treatment of ARHL.
Perceptions and reality in fisher coexistence with aquatic predators in the Peruvian Amazon
Authors: Recharte M. , Lee P. , Meza D. , Vick S.‐J. , Bowler M. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractHumans and large aquatic predators compete for fish and negative interactions are widely reported as ‘human–wildlife conflicts’. When aquatic predators are perceived to damage fisheries or fishing equipment, lethal control can occur. The perceptions and reality of damage are infrequently compared, but this relationship is key to determining how negative outcomes can be mitigated. We examine coexistence between people and six large aquatic piscivores (two caiman, two dolphins, two otters) in Amazonian Peru. We determine the extent of damage to fishing equipment caused by each species and compare this to the amount of damage perceived by fishers. Giant otter populations have recently recovered in some areas, so we expected different perceptions relating to experiences with otters. We trained fishers to complete fishing registers (n = 278, 1173 h of fishing) to record damage to nets by wildlife. We interviewed 302 people from three sites to determine perceptions of damage by predators, and attitudes towards giant otters. Rates of damage to nets reflected the presence and populations of different aquatic predators at each site, but when present, dolphins and caimans damaged nets more than otters, which rarely damaged nets. People living where giant otters had recently recovered perceived higher relative levels of damage to nets by them and had more negative attitudes about them, compared to people from areas where giant otters had been present for longer, aquatic predators were more abundant, and community resource management was longer‐established. Better knowledge and more experience with a species may lead to more accurate perceptions of damage and increased tolerance. Where humans and animals compete for natural resources, conflict mitigation rarely includes better resource management. If tolerance of predators is greater where predators are common, and resources have not been overexploited, resource management may yield greater gains for stakeholders than other commonly prescribed forms of mitigation.
Who speaks my language? Linguistic diversity among people living in Australian residential aged care facilities
Authors: O'Dwyer Monica , Porter Tabitha , Rittinghausen Nikolaus , Tribuzio Lisa , Polacsek Meg 
Published: January 2024

AbstractObjectivesAustralia's migration programs mean that an increasing number of people living in residential aged care (RAC) were born in a non‐main English‐speaking country (NMESC) and have a preferred language other than English (LOTE). This study describes the number of such residents in aged care facilities in Australia and discusses the implications for their care.MethodsThis study presents a secondary analysis of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Aged Care Data Clearinghouse 2020–2021 to examine the country of birth and preferred language of people living in RAC in each state and territory and the number of residents who are lone speakers of their language in their facility.ResultsLess than half (45 per cent) of the residents born in a NMESC had a preferred LOTE. Of those, 50 per cent spoke Italian, Greek or Cantonese. At least 60 other preferred languages were recorded, the majority with very few speakers. Australia‐wide, more than one in five residents with a preferred top 20 LOTE are the lone speaker of their language in their facility. The proportion of lone speakers is highest in Tasmania, the ACT and Queensland.ConclusionsUnderstanding the extent of language diversity, location and linguistic isolation of people living in RAC is essential for planning to ensure residents with a preferred LOTE receive high‐quality, individualised care. There is a need for consistent and timely data collection about the diversity of aged care residents and workers in this sector.