Search results for: public health insurance
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 12836

Search results for: public health insurance

11396 Quality of Life of Elderly and Factors Associated in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Chitwan: A Mixed Method Study

Authors: Rubisha Adhikari, Rajani Shah

Abstract:

Introduction: Aging is a natural, global and inevitable phenomenon every single person has to go through, and nobody can escape the process. One of the emerging challenges to public health is to improve the quality of later years of life as life expectancy continues to increase. Quality of life (QoL) has grown to be a key goal for many public health initiatives. Population aging has become a global phenomenon as they are growing more quickly in emerging nations than they are in industrialized nations, leaving minimal opportunities to regulate the consequences of the demographic shift. Methods: A community-based descriptive analytical approach was used to examine the quality of life and associated factors among elderly people. A mixed method was chosen for the study. For the quantitative data collection, a household survey was conducted using the WHOQOL-OLD tool. In-depth interviews were conducted among twenty participants for qualitative data collection. Data generated through in-depth interviews were transcribed verbatim. In-depth interviews lasted about an hour and were audio recorded. The in-depth interview guide had been developed by the research team and pilot-tested before actual interviews. Results: This study result showed the association between quality of life and socio-demographic variables. Among all the variables under socio-demographic variable of this study, age (ꭓ2=14.445, p=0.001), gender (ꭓ2=14.323, p=<0.001), marital status (ꭓ2=10.816, p=0.001), education status (ꭓ2=23.948, p=<0.001), household income (ꭓ2=13.493, p=0.001), personal income (ꭓ2=14.129, p=0.001), source of personal income (ꭓ2=28.332,p=<0.001), social security allowance (ꭓ2=18.005,p=<0.001), alcohol consumption (ꭓ2=9.397,p=0.002) are significantly associated with quality of life of elderly. In addition, affordability (ꭓ2=12.088, p=0.001), physical activity (ꭓ2=9.314, p=0.002), emotional support (ꭓ2=9.122, p=0.003), and economic support (ꭓ2=8.104, p=0.004) are associated with quality of life of elderly people. Conclusion: In conclusion, this mixed method study provides insight into the attributes of the quality of life of elderly people in Nepal and similar settings. As the geriatric population is growing in full swing, maintaining a high quality of life has become a major challenge. This study showed that determinants such as age, gender, marital status, education status, household income, personal income, source of personal income, social security allowance and alcohol consumption, economic support, emotional support, affordability and physical activity have an association with quality of life of the elderly.

Keywords: ageing, chitwan, elderly, health status, quality of life

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11395 Reintegrating Forensic Mental Health Service Users into Communities in the Western Cape, South Africa

Authors: Zolani Metu

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The death of more than 140 psychiatric patients who were unethically deinstitutionalized from the Life Esidimeni hospital Johannesburg, in 2016, shined a light on South Africa’s failing public mental healthcare system. Compounded by insufficient research evidence on African deinstitutionalization, this necessitates inquiries into deinstitutionalized mental healthcare, reintegration and community-based mental healthcare within the South African context. This study employed a quantitative research approach which utilized a cross-sectional research design, to investigate experiences with the reintegration of institutionalized forensic mental health service users into communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. A convenience sample of 100 mental health care workers from different occupational and organizational backgrounds in the Western Cape was purposively selected using the Western Cape Health Directorate as a sampling frame. A self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) was used as the data collection instrument. The results of the study indicate that criminogenic factors such as substance use, history of violent behaviour, criminal history and disruptive social behaviour complicate the reintegration of forensic mental health service users into communities. The current extent of reintegration of forensic mental health service users was found to be 'poor' (46%; n= 46); and financial difficulties, criminogenic factors and limited Community-Based Care (CBC) facilities were identified as key barriers to the reintegration process. 56% of all job applications for forensic mental health service users were unsuccessful, and 53% of all applications for their admission into CBC facilities were declined. Although social support (informal) was found to be essential for successful reintegration, institutional support (formal) through assertive community treatment (35%; n= 35) and CBC facilities (21%) and the disability grant (DG=50%) was found to be more important for family coping and reintegration. Moreover, 72% of respondents had positive perceptions about the process of reintegration; no statistically significant relationship was found between years of experience and perceptions about reintegration (P-value = 0.062); and perceptions were not found to be a barrier to reintegration. No statistically significant relationship was found between years of working experience and understanding the legislative framework of deinstitutionalization (P-Value =.0.061). However, using a Chi-square test, a significant relationship (P-value = 0.021) was found between sex and understanding the legal framework involved in the process of reintegration. The study recommends a post-2020 deinstitutionalization agenda that factors-in criminogenic realities associated with forensic mental health service users, and affirms the strengthening of PHC and community based care systems as precedents of successful deinstitutionalization and reintegration of mental health service users.

Keywords: forensic mental health, deinstitutionalization, reintegration, mental health service users

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11394 Analyzing and Determining the Ideal Response Force for Combatting Terrorist Groups

Authors: Erhan Turgut, Salih Ergün, Abdülkadir Öz

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Terror is a modern war strategy which uses violence as a means of communication in order to achieve political objectives. In today’s security environment narrowing the propaganda field of terrorist organization is the primary goal for the security forces. In this sense, providing and maintaining public support is the most necessary ability for security units. Rather than enemy and threat-oriented approach, homeland security oriented approach is essential to ensure public support. In this study, terror assumed as a homeland security issue and assigning the law enforcement forces with military status is analyzed.

Keywords: terrorism, counter-terrorism, military status law-enforcement, terrorist groups

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11393 The Impact of AI on Consumers’ Morality: An Empirical Evidence

Authors: Mingxia Zhu, Matthew Tingchi Liu

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AI grows gradually in the market with its efficiency and accuracy, influencing people’s perceptions, attitude, and even consequential behaviors. Current study extends prior research by focusing on AI’s impact on consumers’ morality. First, study 1 tested individuals’ believes about AI and human’s moral perceptions and people’s attribution of moral worth to AI and human. Moral perception refers to a computational system an entity maintains to detect and identify moral violations, while moral worth here denotes whether individual regard an entity as worthy of moral treatment. To identify the effect of AI on consumers’ morality, two studies were employed. Study 1 is a within-subjects survey, while study 2 is an experimental study. In the study 1, one hundred and forty participants were recruited through online survey company in China (M_age = 27.31 years, SD = 7.12 years; 65% female). The participants were asked to assign moral perception and moral worth to AI and human. A paired samples t-test reveals that people generally regard that human has higher moral perception (M_Human = 6.03, SD = .86) than AI (M_AI = 2.79, SD = 1.19; t(139) = 27.07, p < .001; Cohen’s d = 1.41). In addition, another paired samples t-test results showed that people attributed higher moral worth to the human personnel (M_Human = 6.39, SD = .56) compared with AIs (M_AI = 5.43, SD = .85; t(139) = 12.96, p < .001; d = .88). In the next study, two hundred valid samples were recruited from survey company in China (M_age = 27.87 years, SD = 6.68 years; 55% female) and the participants were randomly assigned to two conditions (AI vs. human). After viewing the stimuli of human versus AI, participants are informed that one insurance company would determine the price purely based on their declaration. Therefore, their open-ended answers were coded into ethical, honest behavior and unethical, dishonest behavior according to the design of prior literature. A Chi-square analysis revealed that 64% of the participants would immorally lie towards AI insurance inspector while 42% of participants reported deliberately lower mileage facing with human inspector (χ^2 (1) = 9.71, p = .002). Similarly, the logistic regression results suggested that people would significantly more likely to report fraudulent answer when facing with AI (β = .89, odds ratio = 2.45, Wald = 9.56, p = .002). It is demonstrated that people would be more likely to behave unethically in front of non-human agents, such as AI agent, rather than human. The research findings shed light on new practical ethical issues in human-AI interaction and address the important role of human employees during the process of service delivery in the new era of AI.

Keywords: AI agent, consumer morality, ethical behavior, human-AI interaction

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11392 A Comparative Study of Maternal Health among Urban Slums and Non-Slums Women (Special Reference to Indore City, Madhya Pradesh, India)

Authors: Shiksha Thakur, Rashmi Jain

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Maternal health is the most crucial element in the primary health care delivery system of any healthy society. We aware that the maternal health situation in India has been a cause of concern for us, in spite of the rapidly progressing socio-economic environment overall. India has realized impressive gains in Mother & Child survival over the last two decades. MMR as per 2012-2013 in India is 167 as per MMR bulletin, though there are variations between states in the Country. In 2013, an estimated 2,89,000 women worldwide died from complications arising from pregnancy & childbirth. In view of the above facts, a study was conducted in Indore to analyse the maternal health status among urban slums and non-slums women.

Keywords: antenatal care, postnatal care, JSY, maternal health, child health, reproductive health

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11391 Analysis of Trends in Equity of Maternal Health Care in South India

Authors: Anushree S. Panikkassery

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The paper analyses the pattern and trend of maternal health care in south Indian states. It studies the interstate disparities in terms of maternal health care. It also compares the trends in terms of achieving the target of sustainable development Goal is related to maternal health. The maternal health care (MHC) development is one of the key indicators for the development of health sector in the country and assumes significance from the socioeconomic and developmental perspectives. Maternal health care mainly consists of composite care during pregnancy, child birth as well as postpartum period. Antenatal care, identification, referral and management of high risk pregnancies, safe and healthy child birth and early postnatal care are some of the important issues pertaining to maternal health. Data is collected from national family health survey 1992-93, 1998-99, 2005-06, and 2015-16. A concentration index is used to study the disparities in equity of maternal health among south Indian states. The study shows that there has been an improvement in maternal health care in south Indian states with Kerala topping among the states. But there exist disparities among the south Indian states.

Keywords: antenatal care, disparities, equity, maternal health

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11390 Stigmatization of Individuals Who Receive Mental Health Treatment and the Role of Social Media: A Cross-Generational Cohort Design and Extension

Authors: Denise Ben-Porath, Tracy Masterson

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In the past, individuals who struggled with and sought treatment for mental health difficulties were stigmatized. However, the current generation holds more open attitudes around mental health issues. Indeed, public figures such as Demi Lovato, Naomi Osaka, and Simone Biles have taken to social media to break the silence around mental health, discussing their own struggles and the benefits of treatment. Thus, there is considerable reason to believe that this generation would hold fewer stigmatizing attitudes toward mental health difficulties and treatment compared to previous ones. In this study, we explored possible changes in stigma on mental health diagnosis and treatment seeking behavior between two generations: Gen Z, the current generation, and Gen X, those born between 1965-1980. It was hypothesized that Gen Z would hold less stigmatizing views on mental illness than Gen X. To examine possible changes in stigma attitudes between these two generations, we conducted a cross-generational cohort design by using the same methodology employed 20 years ago from the Ben-Porath (2002) study. Thus, participants were randomly assigned to read one of the following four case vignettes employed in the Ben-Porath (2002) study: (a) “Tom” who has received psychotherapy due to depression (b) “Tom” who has been depressed but received no psychological help, (c) “Tom” who has received medical treatment due to a back pain, or (d) “Tom” who had a back pain but did not receive medical attention. After reading the vignette, participants rated “Tom” on various personality dimensions using the IFQ Questionnaire and answered questions about their frequency of social media use and willingness to seek mental health treatment on a scale from 1-10. Identical to the results 20 years prior, a significant main effect was found for diagnosis with “Tom” being viewed in more negative terms when he was described as having depression vs. a medical condition (back pain) [F (1, 376) = 126.53, p < .001]. However, in the study conducted 20 years earlier, a significant interaction was found between diagnosis and help-seeking behavior [F (1, 376) = 8.28, p < .005]. Specifically, “Tom” was viewed in the most negative terms when described as depressed and seeking treatment. Alternatively, the current study failed to find a significant interaction between depression and help seeking behavior. These findings suggest that while individuals who hold a mental health diagnosis may still be stigmatized as they were 20 years prior, seeking treatment for mental health issues may be less so. Findings are discussed in the context of social media use and its impact on destigmatization.

Keywords: stigma, mental illness, help-seeking, social media

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11389 Knowledge and Attitude towards Helicobacter pylori: Awareness about Health Impacts of H. pylori Gastric Ulcer and Its Carcinogenic Potential among Adults in Sharjah

Authors: Abdullah Malek, Muzn Al Khaldi, Lian Odeh, Atheer Tariq, Mohammad Al Fardan, Hiba Barqawi

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H. pylori bacterium is a known underlying agent for gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer and is believed to infect half of the world’s population. Even with the ubiquity of H. pylori bacterium, there is lack of knowledge regarding its modes of transmission, associated diseases, carcinogenic effect and means of prevention; especially in the UAE. A cross sectional study of 500 participants, of which 58% (n= 289) of the respondents were female, and 42% (n=210) were male, was conducted in Sharjah to assess the knowledge, and explore the attitudes and practices among UAE residents towards Helicobacter Pylori and its associated PUD as well as its carcinogenic nature. A structured self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the target population to establish their demographic background and selected aspects of their lifestyle. General knowledge about H. Pylori was poor, only 24.6% stated they have heard of H. pylori. Attitudes towards prevention and practices were relatively poor as well. Subjects who suffered from severe symptoms (ALARM symptoms) had significantly lower habit scores than those with mild and moderate symptoms (p=0.0078**). To the authours’ knowledge, no previous studies were conducted in the United Arab Emirates regarding the epidemiology of the infection to detect the extent of H. Pylori’s impact on the public health. The results of this study can be used to draw conclusions about the average knowledge of the UAE population regarding H. pylori. It can also be a starting point to devise new education programs and campaigns that raise awareness of this health issue which could be easily avoided with early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment.

Keywords: chronic gastritis, community health, gastric cancer, Helicobacter pylori, peptic ulcers

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11388 Analyzing Competition in Public Construction Projects

Authors: Khaled Hesham Hyari, Amjad Almani

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Construction projects in the public sector are commonly awarded through competitive bidding. In the last decade, the Construction projects environment in the Middle East went through many changes. These changes have been caused by different factors including the economic crisis, delays in monthly payments, international competition and reduced number of projects. These factors had a great impact on the bidding behaviors of contractors and their pricing strategies. This paper examines the competition characteristics in public construction projects through an analysis of bidding results of contractors in public construction projects over a period of 6 years (2006-2011) in Jordan. The analyzed projects include all categories of projects such as infrastructure, buildings, transportation and engineering services (design and supervision contracts). Data for the projects were obtained from the General Tender’s Directorate in Jordan and includes 462 projects. The analysis performed in this projects includes, studying the bid spread in all projects as it is an indication of the level of competition in the analyzed bids. The analysis studied the factors that affect bid spread such as number of bidders, Value of the project, Project category and years. It also studying the “Signal to Noise Ratio” in all projects as it is an indication of the accuracy of cost estimating performed by competing bidders and bidder´s evaluation of project risks. The analysis performed includes the relationship between signal to noise ratio and different parameters such as project category, number of bidders and changes over years. Moreover, the analysis includes determining the bidder´s aggressiveness in bidding as it is an indication of competition level in such projects. This was performed by determining the pack price which can be considered as the true value of the project and comparing it with the lowest bid submitted for each project to determine the level of aggressiveness in submitted bids. The analysis performed in this project should prove to be useful to owners in understanding bidding behaviors of contractors and pointing out areas that needs improvement in preparing bidding documents. Also the project should be useful to contractors in understanding the competitive bidding environment and should help them to improve their bidding strategies to maximize the success rate in obtaining contracts.

Keywords: construction projects, competitive bidding, public construction, competition

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11387 Establishment of Nursing School in the Backward Region of Nepal

Authors: Shyam lamsal

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Introduction: Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (KAHS) has been established in 2011, by an Act of parliament of Nepal, in Jumla, to provide health services in easy way in backward areas, to produce skilled health professionals & conduct research. The backward areas mentioned in act of KAHS are Humla, Jumla, Kalikot, Dolpa, Mugu districts of Karnali zone, Jajarkot district of Bheri zone & Bajura, Baghang & Achham districts of Seti zone in Nepal occupying around 25 % of the total national geography. Backward area of Nepal is specific to having worst health indicators with life expectancy (47 years), HDI (0.35), Literacy rate (58%), global acute malnutrition (13%), crude birth rate (33.6), crude death rate (9.6), Total fertility rate (4.2), infant mortality rate (61.5 per 1000 live births), under five mortality rate (59 per 1000 live births) and maternal mortality ratio (400 per 1000 live births). History of health facilities in backward region: All the nine districts of this region have a district hospital with very few grass root level health manpower. Government of Nepal regularly deploys one or two medical officers to each district who generally are not regular to their care. Jumla district itself was having one medical officer before the establishment of KAHS. Development activities: Establishment of 100 bedded specialty teaching hospital with 10 medical officers and five specialists, accredited its own nursing school for running diploma nursing programme, started “Karnali health survey” which covers 55 thousand households of backward region, started community care and school health camps, planning phase completed for 300 bedded teaching hospital construction. Future Plan: Expansion of the teaching hospital to 300 beds within 3 years, start health assistant and bachelor midwifery course in 2015 AD, start bachelor in laboratory and bachelor in public health course in 2016 AD and start MBBS course in 2018 AD. Deploy the medical officers and family physicians to all the district hospitals within 3 years. KAHS provides reservation up to 45% students from backward region with the commitment to stay for at least five years of their service period. Conclusion: This institution may be the example for the rest of the world in providing nursing care, education in remote areas as well as the best model for nursing manpower retention in remote areas of developing countries.

Keywords: backward area, nursing school

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11386 When the Rubber Hits the Road: The Enactment of Well-Intentioned Language Policy in Digital vs. In Situ Spaces on Washington, DC Public Transportation

Authors: Austin Vander Wel, Katherin Vargas Henao

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Washington, DC, is a city in which Spanish, along with several other minority languages, is prevalent not only among tourists but also those living within city limits. In response to this linguistic diversity and DC’s adoption of the Language Access Act in 2004, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) committed to addressing the need for equal linguistic representation and established a five-step plan to provide the best multilingual information possible for public transportation users. The current study, however, strongly suggests that this de jure policy does not align with the reality of Spanish’s representation on DC public transportation–although perhaps doing so in an unexpected way. In order to investigate Spanish’s de facto representation and how it contrasts with de jure policy, this study implements a linguistic landscapes methodology that takes critical language-policy as its theoretical framework (Tollefson, 2005). Specifically concerning de facto representation, it focuses on the discrepancies between digital spaces and the actual physical spaces through which users travel. These digital vs. in situ conditions are further analyzed by separately addressing aural and visual modalities. In digital spaces, data was collected from WMATA’s website (visual) and their bilingual hotline (aural). For in situ spaces, both bus and metro areas of DC public transportation were explored, with signs comprising the visual modality and recordings, driver announcements, and interactions with metro kiosk workers comprising the aural modality. While digital spaces were considered to successfully fulfill WMATA’s commitment to representing Spanish as outlined in the de jure policy, physical spaces show a large discrepancy between what is said and what is done, particularly regarding the bus system, in addition to the aural modality overall. These discrepancies in situ spaces place Spanish speakers at a clear disadvantage, demanding additional resources and knowledge on the part of residents with limited or no English proficiency in order to have equal access to this public good. Based on our critical language-policy analysis, while Spanish is represented as a right in the de jure policy, its implementation in situ clearly portrays Spanish as a problem since those seeking bilingual information can not expect it to be present when and where they need it most (Ruíz, 1984; Tollefson, 2005). This study concludes with practical, data-based steps to improve the current situation facing DC’s public transportation context and serves as a model for responding to inadequate enactment of de jure policy in other language policy settings.

Keywords: Urban landscape, language access, critical-language policy, spanish, public transportation

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11385 Prenatal Can Reduce the Burden of Preterm Birth and Low Birthweight from Maternal Sexually Transmitted Infections: US National Data

Authors: Anthony J. Kondracki, Bonzo I. Reddick, Jennifer L. Barkin

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We sought to examine the association of maternal Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and treponema pallidum (TP) (syphilis) infections with preterm birth (PTB) (<37 weeks gestation), low birth weight (LBW) (<2500 grams) and prenatal care (PNC) attendance. This cross-sectional study was based on data drawn from the 2020 United States National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Natality File. We estimated the prevalence of all births, early/late PTBs, moderately/very LBW, and the distribution of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) according to maternal characteristics in the sample. In multivariable logistic regression models, we examined adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PTB and LBW subcategories in the association with maternal/infant characteristics, PNC status, and maternal CT, NG, and TP infections. In separate logistic regression models, we assessed the risk of these newborn outcomes stratified by PNC status. Adjustments were made for race/ethnicity, age, education, marital status, health insurance, liveborn parity, previous preterm birth, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, PNC status, smoking, and infant sex. Additionally, in a sensitivity analysis, we assessed the association with early, full, and late term births and the potential impact of unmeasured confounding using the E-value. CT (1.8%) was most prevalent STI in pregnancy, followed by NG (0.3%), and TP (0.1%). Non-Hispanic Black women, 20-24 years old, with a high school education, and on Medicaid had the highest rate of STIs. Around 96.6% of women reported receiving PNC and about 60.0% initiated PNC early in pregnancy. PTB and LBW were strongly associated with NG infection (12.2% and 12.1%, respectively) and late initiation/no PNC (8.5% and 7.6%, respectively), and ≤10 prenatal visits received (13.1% and 10.3%, respectively). The odds of PTB and LBW were 2.5- to 3-foldhigher for each STI among women who received ≤10 prenatal visits than >10 visits. Adequate prenatal care utilization and timely screening and treatment of maternal STIs can substantially reduce the burden of adverse newborn outcomes.

Keywords: low birthweight, prenatal care, preterm birth, sexually transmitted infections

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11384 Mental Illness on Youtube: Exploring Identity Performance in the Virtual Space

Authors: P. Saee, Baiju Gopal

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YouTube has seen a surge in the recent years in the number of creators opening up about their mental illness on the video-sharing platform. In documenting their mental health, YouTubers perform an identity of their mental illness in the online world. Identity performance is a theory under identity research that has been readily applied to illness narratives and internet studies. Furthermore, in India, suffering from mental illnesses is regarded with stigma, making the act of taking mental health from a personal to a public space on YouTube a phenomenon worth exploring. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyse the mental illness narratives of Indian YouTubers for understanding its performance in the virtual world. For this purpose, thematic narrative analysis on the interviews of four Indian YouTubers was conducted. This data was synthesized with analysis of the videos the YouTubers had uploaded on their channel sharing about their mental illness. The narratives of the participants shed light on two significant presentations that they engage in: (a) the identity of a survivor/fighter and (b) the identity of a silent sufferer. Further, the participants used metaphors to describe their illness, thereby co-constructing a corresponding identity based on their particular metaphors. Lastly, the process of bringing mental illness from back stage to front stage on YouTube involves a shift in the audience, from being rejecting and invalidating in real life to being supportive and encouraging in the virtual space. Limitations and implications for future research were outlined.

Keywords: cyber-psychology, internet, media, mental health, mental illness, technology

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11383 Evaluating the Perception of Roma in Europe through Social Network Analysis

Authors: Giulia I. Pintea

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The Roma people are a nomadic ethnic group native to India, and they are one of the most prevalent minorities in Europe. In the past, Roma were enslaved and they were imprisoned in concentration camps during the Holocaust; today, Roma are subject to hate crimes and are denied access to healthcare, education, and proper housing. The aim of this project is to analyze how the public perception of the Roma people may be influenced by antiziganist and pro-Roma institutions in Europe. In order to carry out this project, we used social network analysis to build two large social networks: The antiziganist network, which is composed of institutions that oppress and racialize Roma, and the pro-Roma network, which is composed of institutions that advocate for and protect Roma rights. Measures of centrality, density, and modularity were obtained to determine which of the two social networks is exerting the greatest influence on the public’s perception of Roma in European societies. Furthermore, data on hate crimes on Roma were gathered from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). We analyzed the trends in hate crimes on Roma for several European countries for 2009-2015 in order to see whether or not there have been changes in the public’s perception of Roma, thus helping us evaluate which of the two social networks has been more influential. Overall, the results suggest that there is a greater and faster exchange of information in the pro-Roma network. However, when taking the hate crimes into account, the impact of the pro-Roma institutions is ambiguous, due to differing patterns among European countries, suggesting that the impact of the pro-Roma network is inconsistent. Despite antiziganist institutions having a slower flow of information, the hate crime patterns also suggest that the antiziganist network has a higher impact on certain countries, which may be due to institutions outside the political sphere boosting the spread of antiziganist ideas and information to the European public.

Keywords: applied mathematics, oppression, Roma people, social network analysis

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11382 A Primer to the Learning Readiness Assessment to Raise the Sharing of E-Health Knowledge amongst Libyan Nurses

Authors: Mohamed Elhadi M. Sharif, Mona Masood

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The usage of e-health facilities is seen to be the first priority by the Libyan government. As such, this paper focuses on how the key factors or elements of working size in terms of technological availability, structural environment, and other competence-related matters may affect nurses’ sharing of knowledge in e-health. Hence, this paper investigates learning readiness assessment to raise e-health for Libyan regional hospitals by using e-health services in nursing education.

Keywords: Libyan nurses, e-learning readiness, e-health, nursing education

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11381 Barriers and Enablers to Climate and Health Adaptation Planning in Small Urban Areas in the Great Lakes Region

Authors: Elena Cangelosi, Wayne Beyea

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This research expands the resilience planning literature by exploring the barriers and enablers to climate and health adaptation planning for small urban, coastal Great Lakes communities. With funding from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Climate Ready City and States Initiative, this research took place during a 3-year pilot intervention project which integrates urban planning and public health. The project used the CDC’s Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework to prevent or reduce the human health impacts from climate change in Marquette County, Michigan. Using a deliberation with the analysis planning process, interviews, focus groups, and community meetings with over 25 stakeholder groups and over 100 participants identified the area’s climate-related health concerns and adaptation interventions to address those concerns. Marquette County, on the shores of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, was selected for the project based on their existing adaptive capacity and proactive approach to climate adaptation planning. With Marquette County as the context, this study fills a gap in the adaptation literature, which currently heavily emphasizes large-urban or agriculturally-based rural areas, and largely neglects small urban areas. This research builds on the qualitative case-study, survey, and interview approach established by previous researchers on contextual barriers and enablers for adaptation planning. This research uses a case study approach, including surveys and interviews of public officials, to identify the barriers and enablers for climate and health adaptation planning for small-urban areas within a large, non-agricultural, Great Lakes county. The researchers hypothesize that the barriers and enablers will, in some cases, overlap those found in other contexts, but in many cases, will be unique to a rural setting. The study reveals that funding, staff capacity, and communication across a large, rural geography act as the main barriers, while strong networks and collaboration, interested leaders, and community interest through a strong human-land connection act as the primary enablers. Challenges unique to rural areas are revealed, including weak opportunities for grant funding, large geographical distances, communication challenges with an aging and remote population, and the out-migration of education residents. Enablers that may be unique to rural contexts include strong collaborative relationships across jurisdictions for regional work and strong connections between residents and the land. As the factors that enable and prevent climate change planning are highly contextual, understanding, and appropriately addressing the unique factors at play for small-urban communities is key for effective planning in those areas. By identifying and addressing the barriers and enablers to climate and health adaptation planning for small-urban, coastal areas, this study can help Great Lakes communities appropriately build resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change. In addition, this research expands the breadth of research and understanding of the challenges and opportunities planners confront in the face of climate change.

Keywords: climate adaptation and resilience, climate change adaptation, climate change and urban resilience, governance and urban resilience

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11380 Prescribed Organization of Nursing Work and Psychosocial Risks: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors: Katerine Moraes dos Satons, Gisele Massante Peixoto Tracera, Regina Célia Gollner Zeitoune

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To analyze the psychosocial risks related to the organization of nursing work in outpatient clinics of university hospitals. Cross-sectional epidemiological study developed in 11 outpatient units linked to the three public universities of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Participants were 388 nursing professionals who worked in patient care at the time of the research. Data were collected from July to December 2018, using a self-applicable instrument. A questionnaire was used for sociodemographic, occupational and health characterization, and the Work Organization Scale. The bivariate analyses were performed using the odds ratio (OR), with a confidence interval of 95%, significance level of 5%. The organization of nursing work received an assessment of medium psychosocial risk by the professionals participating in the research, demanding interventions in the short and medium term. There was no association between sociodemographic, occupational and health characteristics and the organization of outpatient work. Interventional measures should be performed in the psychosocial risk factors presented in this research, with a view to improving the work environment, so that the importance of maintaining satisfactory material conditions is considered, as well as the adequate quantity of human resources. In addition, it aims to expand the spaces of nursing participation in decision- making, strengthening its autonomy as a profession.

Keywords: occupational risks, nursing, nursing team, worker’s health, psychosocial risks

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11379 Emerging Issues of Non-Communicable Diseases among Older Persons in India

Authors: Dhananjay W. Bansod, Santosh Phad

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Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) are major contributing factors to the disease burden in the world as well as in India. With a growing proportion of older persons in India gives rise to several challenges. With the advancement of age, elderly is exposed to various kinds of health problems more specifically NCDs. Therefore, an effort has been made to examine the prevalence of NCDs among older persons and its treatment-seeking behaviour, also it is tried to explore the association between the NCDs and its effect on the overall wellbeing of older persons. Data used from “Building Knowledge Base of Population Ageing Survey” conducted in 2011 in seven states of India. Six chronic diseases used (non-communicable diseases) namely Arthritis, Hypertension, Cataract, Diabetes, Asthma and Heart diseases to understand the issues related to NCDs. Also seen the effect of NCDs on the wellbeing of the elderly, the subjective well-being consists of nine questions from which SUBI score generated for mental health status, which ranges from 9 to 27. This Index indicates that lower the score better is the mental health status. Further, this index modified and generated three categories of Better (9-15), Average (16-20) and Worse (21-27). The reliability analysis is carried out with the coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) of the scale was 0.8884. The result shows that Orthopedic / musculoskeletal ailments involving arthritis, rheumatism and osteoarthritis are the most common type of ailment followed by hypertension. Two-thirds of the elderly reported suffering from at least one chronic ailment. Most chronic illness conditions received some form of treatment and mainly depend on public health facilities. Financial insecurity is the primary obstruction in seeking treatment for most of the chronic ailments which typically require a longer duration of medication and repeated medical consultations, both having significant economic implications. According to SUBI index, only 15 per cent of the elderly are in Better mental health status, and one-third of the elderly are with the worse score. Elderly with the ailments like Cataract, Asthma and Arthritis have worse mental health. It depicts that the burden of disease is more among the elderly and it is directly affecting the overall wellbeing of older persons.

Keywords: NCD, well-being, older person, India

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11378 Identifying the Barriers Facing Chinese Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Public Supports

Authors: A. Yongsheng Guo, B. Obedat. Abdulazeez, C. Xiaoxian Zhu

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This study aimed to identify the barriers to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China and build a theoretical framework to evaluate the support provided by the authorities and institutions. A grounded theory approach was adopted to collect and analyze data. 32 interviews were conducted with SME managers, and open, axial and selective coding was utilized to develop themes. Based on institutional theory, grounded theory models were used to present findings. The findings showed that the main barriers in the business environment were defaulting on contracts, bureaucracy in procedures, lack of financial and legal support, limited intermediaries and channels, and poor quality of products and services. This study found that many programs were provided to support SMEs. A theoretical framework was developed to evaluate the performance of the programs from the managers’ perspective. The concepts of economy, efficiency and effectiveness were used to evaluate the perceived value of the programs. This study suggests that specialized programs are needed to suit sector-specific requirements, and creative packages are helpful in supporting SMEs' growth.

Keywords: business support, public economics, public programme, SME

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11377 Advancing Equitable Healthcare for Trans and Gender-Diverse Students: A Community-Based Participatory Action Project

Authors: Al Huuskonen, Clio Lake, K. M. Naude, Polina Petlitsyna, Sorsha Henning, Julia Wimmers-Klick

Abstract:

This project presents the outcomes of a community-based participatory action initiative aimed at advocating for equitable healthcare and human rights for trans, two-spirit, and gender-diverse individuals, building upon the University of British Columbia (UBC) Trans Coalition's ongoing efforts. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was chosen as the research method with the goal of improving trans rights on the UBC campus, particularly regarding equitable access to healthcare. PAR involves active community contribution throughout the research process, which in this case was done by way of liaising with student resource groups and advocacy leaders. The goals of this project were as follows: a) identify gaps in gender-affirming healthcare for UBC students by consulting the community and collaborating with UBC services, b) develop an information package outlining provincial and university-based health insurance for gender-affirming care (including hormone therapy and surgeries), FAQs, and resources for UBC's trans students, c) make this package available to UBC students and other national transgender advocacy organizations. The initiative successfully expanded the UBC AMS Student Health and Dental Plan to include gender-affirming procedural coverage, developed a care access guide for students, and advocated for improved health records inclusivity, mechanisms for trans students to report negative care experiences, and increased access to gender-affirming primary care through the on-campus health clinic. Collaboration with other universities' pride organizations and Trans Care BC yielded positive outcomes through broader coalition building and resource sharing. Ongoing efforts are underway to update provincial policies, particularly through expanding coverage under fair pharma care and addressing the compounding effects of the primary care crisis for trans individuals. The project's tangible results include improved trans rights on campus, especially in terms of healthcare access. Expanding healthcare coverage through student care benefits thousands of students, making the ability to undergo important affirming procedures more affordable. Providing students with information on extended coverage options and communication with their doctors further removes barriers to care and positively impacts student wellbeing. This initiative demonstrates the effectiveness of community-based participatory action in advancing equitable healthcare for trans and gender-diverse individuals and serves as a model for other institutions and organizations striving to promote inclusivity and advocate for marginalized populations' rights.

Keywords: equitable healthcare, trans and gender-diverse individuals, inclusivity, participatory action research project

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11376 Anti-Graft Instruments and Their Role in Curbing Corruption: Integrity Pact and Its Impact on Indian Procurement

Authors: Jot Prakash Kaur

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The paper aims to showcase that with the introduction of anti-graft instruments and willingness of the governments towards their implementation, a significant change can be witnessed in the anti-corruption landscape of any country. Since the past decade anti-graft instruments have been introduced by several international non-governmental organizations with the vision of curbing corruption. Transparency International’s ‘Integrity Pact’ has been one such initiative. Integrity Pact has been described as a tool for preventing corruption in public contracting. Integrity Pact has found its relevance in a developing country like India where public procurement constitutes 25-30 percent of Gross Domestic Product. Corruption in public procurement has been a cause of concern even though India has in place a whole architecture of rules and regulations governing public procurement. Integrity Pact was first adopted by a leading Oil and Gas government company in 2006. Till May 2015, over ninety organizations had adopted Integrity Pact, of which majority of them are central government units. The methodology undertaken to understand impact of Integrity Pact on Public procurement is through analyzing information received from important stakeholders of the instrument. Government, information was sought through Right to Information Act 2005 about the details of adoption of this instrument by various government organizations and departments. Contractor, Company websites and annual reports were used to find out the steps taken towards implementation of Integrity Pact. Civil Society, Transparency International India’s resource materials which include publications and reports on Integrity Pact were also used to understand the impact of Integrity Pact. Some of the findings of the study include organizations adopting Integrity pacts in all kinds of contracts such that 90% of their procurements fall under Integrity Pact. Indian State governments have found merit in Integrity Pact and have adopted it in their procurement contracts. Integrity Pact has been instrumental in creating a brand image of companies. External Monitors, an essential feature of Integrity Pact have emerged as arbitrators for the bidders and are the first line of procurement auditors for the organizations. India has cancelled two defense contracts finding it conflicting with the provisions of Integrity Pact. Some of the clauses of Integrity Pact have been included in the proposed Public Procurement legislation. Integrity Pact has slowly but steadily grown to become an integral part of big ticket procurement in India. Government’s commitment to implement Integrity Pact has changed the way in which public procurement is conducted in India. Public Procurement was a segment infested with corruption but with the adoption of Integrity Pact a number of clean up acts have been performed to make procurement transparent. The paper is divided in five sections. First section elaborates on Integrity Pact. Second section talks about stakeholders of the instrument and the role it plays in its implementation. Third section talks about the efforts taken by the government to implement Integrity Pact in India. Fourth section talks about the role of External Monitor as Arbitrator. The final section puts forth suggestions to strengthen the existing form of Integrity Pact and increase its reach.

Keywords: corruption, integrity pact, procurement, vigilance

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11375 Comparison of the Common Factors of the Top Academic Elementary Schools to the Average Elementary Schools in California: Looking beyond School Leadership

Authors: Lindy Valdez, Daryl Parker

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Introduction: There has been much research on academic achievement in elementary schools. Most of the research has been on school leadership. While research has focused on the role of leadership on school improvement, little research has examined what variables the top elementary schools have in common. To undertake school improvement, it is important to understand what factors the best schools share. The purpose of this study was to examine data of the “Best Elementary Schools in California,” based on academic achievement as rated by three prominent websites and determine if these schools had any common factors which were different than the statewide averages. The variables examined included access to subject matter specialists (physical education, art, and music), librarians, after school programs, class size, socioeconomic status, and diversity. The participants consisted of the top public elementary schools in California based on the websites i)https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-schools/, ii)https://www.finder.com/best-schools-california,and iii)https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schoolrank.aspx. The data for subject matter specialists (physical education, art, and music), librarians, after school programs, class size, socioeconomic status, and diversity were collected from these top schools and compared to California statewide averages. Results indicate that top public elementary schools in California have a high number of subject matter specialists that teach physical education, art, and music. These positions are on the decline in the average public elementary school in California, but the top schools have abundant access to these specialists. The physical education specialist has the highest statistically significant difference between the nationwide average and the top schools—librarians, and after school programs are also most commonly high in top public elementary schools in California. The high presence of these programs may be aiding academic achievement in less visible ways. Class size is small, socio-economic status is high, and diversity is low among top public elementary schools in California when compared to the statewide average public elementary schools in California. The single largest area of discrepancy was between physical education specialists in a top school and their state and nationwide averages. The socioeconomic status of schools and parents may be an underlining factor affecting several other variables. This affluence could explain how these schools were able to have access to subject matter specialists, after-school activities, and, therefore, more opportunities for physical activity and greater learning opportunities affecting academic achievement.

Keywords: academic achievement, elementary education, factors, schools

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11374 Keys of Success in Regional Entrepreneurial Media Collaboration Linked With a New Concept of Citizenship

Authors: Rianne Voet

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This paper uses a literature review to search for keys of success for entrepreneurial regional media collaborations in the Netherlands and elsewhere. It specifies keys on general aspects: a digital-first strategy, innovation, a particular journalistic mission and a new role for the public. It outlines keys in practicalities: competencies, revenue model, legal structure, communication structure and organization structure. The paper elaborates on a new public function and a new concept of citizenship which, according to several authors in the literature, are required in order to be successful. Finally, it offers a model of keys for success in regional entrepreneurial media collaboration.

Keywords: media collaboration, factors of success, keys of success, regional media cooperation

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11373 The Role of Citizen Journalism on the Rising of Public Awareness in the Kurdistan Region Government-Iraq

Authors: Abdulsamad Qadir Hussien

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The development of new technology in recent years has offered ordinary people various online digital platform tools and internet access to provide news stories, information, and subjects of public interest in the Kurdistan Region Government-Iraq (KRI). This shifting aspect has offered more chances for ordinary people to engage with other individuals on many issues in order to discuss and argue matters relating to their everyday lives. The key purpose of this research project will examine the role of citizen journalism in the increase of public awareness in the Kurdish community in the KRi; particularly, citizen journalism provides a new opportunity for ordinary people to raise their voices about problems and public matters in the KRI. The sample of this research project encompasses ordinary people who use social media platforms as sources of information and news concerning the KRI government policy. In the research project, the focus is on the ordinary people who are interacting with the blogs, posts, and footage that are produced by citizen journalism. The questionnaire was sent to more than 1,000 participants in the Kurdish community; this aspect produces statistically acceptable numbers to obtain a significant result for this research project. The sampling process is mainly based on the survey method in this study. The online questionnaire form includes many sections, which are divided into four key sections. The first section contains socio-demographic questions, including gender, age, and level of education. The research project applied the survey method in order to gather data and information surrounding the role of citizen journalism in increasing awareness of individuals in the Kurdish community. For this purpose, the researcher designed a questionnaire as the primary tool for the data collection process from ordinary people who use social media as a source of news and information. During the research project, online questionnaires were mailed in two ways – via Facebook and email – to participants in the Kurdish community, and this questionnaire looked for answers to questions from ordinary people, such as to what extent citizen journalism helps users to obtain information and news about public affairs and government policy. The research project found that citizen journalism has an essential role in increasing awareness of the Kurdish community, especially mainstream journalism has helped ordinary people to raise their voices in the KRI. Furthermore, citizen journalism carries more advantages as digital sources of news, footage, and information related to public affairs. This study provides useful tools to fore the news stories that are unreachable to professional journalists in the KRI.

Keywords: citizen journalism, public awareness, demonstration and democracy, social media news

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11372 Attitudes, Knowledge and Perceptions towards Cervical Cancer Messages among Female University Students

Authors: Anne Nattembo

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Cervical cancer remains a major public health problem in developing countries, especially in Africa. Effective cervical cancer prevention communication requires identification of behaviors, attitudes and increasing awareness of a given population; thus this study focused on investigating awareness, attitudes, and behavior among female university students towards cervical cancer messages. The study objectives sought to investigate the communication behavior of young adults towards cervical cancer, to understand female students recognition of cervical cancer as a problem, to identify the frames related to cervical cancer and their impact towards audience communication and participation behaviors, to identify the factors that influence behavioral intentions and level of involvement towards cervical cancer services and to make recommendations on how to improve cervical cancer communication towards female university students. The researcher obtained data using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions targeting 90 respondents. The semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out through one-on-one discussions basis using a set of prepared questions among 53 respondents. All interviews were audio-tape recorded. Each interview was directly typed into Microsoft Word. 4 focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 37 respondents; 2 female only groups with 10 respondents in one and 9 respondents in another, 1 mixed with 12 participants 5 of whom were male, and 1 male only group with 6 participants. The key findings show that the participants preferred to receive and access cervical cancer information from doctors although they were mainly receiving information from the radio. In regards to the type of public the respondents represent, majority of the respondents were non-publics in the sense that they did not have knowledge about cervical cancer, had low levels of involvement and had high constraint recognition their cervical cancer knowledge levels. The researcher identified the most salient audience frames among female university students towards cervical cancer and these included; death, loss, and fear. These frames did not necessarily make cervical cancer an issue of concern among the female university students but rather an issue they distanced themselves from as they did not perceive it as a risk. The study also identified the constraints respondents face in responding to cervical cancer campaign calls-to-action which included; stigma, lack of knowledge and access to services as well as lack of recommendation from doctors. In regards to sex differences, females had more knowledge about cervical cancer than the males. In conclusion the study highlights the importance of interpersonal communication in risk or health communication with a focus on health providers proactively sharing cervical cancer prevention information with their patients. Health provider’s involvement in cervical cancer is very important in influencing behavior and compliance of cervical cancer calls-to-action. The study also provides recommendations for designing effective cervical cancer campaigns that will positively impact on the audience such as packaging cervical cancer messages that also target the males as a way of increasing their involvement and more campaigns to increase awareness of cervical cancer as well as designing positive framed messages to counter the negative audience frames towards cervical cancer.

Keywords: cervical cancer communication, health communication, university students, risk communication

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11371 Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Analyze the Interplay between Social Vulnerability Index and Mobility Dynamics in Pandemics

Authors: Joshua Harrell, Gideon Osei Bonsu, Susan Garza, Clarence Conner, Da’Neisha Harris, Emma Bukoswki, Zohreh Safari

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The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) stands as a pivotal tool for gauging community resilience amidst diverse stressors, including pandemics like COVID-19. This paper synthesizes recent research and underscores the significance of SVI in elucidating the differential impacts of crises on communities. Drawing on studies by Fox et al. (2023) and Mah et al. (2023), we delve into the application of SVI alongside emerging data sources to uncover nuanced insights into community vulnerability. Specifically, we explore the utilization of SVI in conjunction with mobility data from platforms like SafeGraph to probe the intricate relationship between social vulnerability and mobility dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic. By leveraging 16 community variables derived from the American Community Survey, including socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics, SVI offers actionable intelligence for guiding targeted interventions and resource allocation. Building upon recent advancements, this paper contributes to the discourse on harnessing AI techniques to mitigate health disparities and fortify public health resilience in the face of pandemics and other crises.

Keywords: social vulnerability index, mobility dynamics, data analytics, health equity, pandemic preparedness, targeted interventions, data integration

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11370 Localized Variabilities in Traffic-related Air Pollutant Concentrations Revealed Using Compact Sensor Networks

Authors: Eric A. Morris, Xia Liu, Yee Ka Wong, Greg J. Evans, Jeff R. Brook

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Air quality monitoring stations tend to be widely distributed and are often located far from major roadways, thus, determining where, when, and which traffic-related air pollutants (TRAPs) have the greatest impact on public health becomes a matter of extrapolation. Compact, multipollutant sensor systems are an effective solution as they enable several TRAPs to be monitored in a geospatially dense network, thus filling in the gaps between conventional monitoring stations. This work describes two applications of one such system named AirSENCE for gathering actionable air quality data relevant to smart city infrastructures. In the first application, four AirSENCE devices were co-located with traffic monitors around the perimeter of a city block in Oshawa, Ontario. This study, which coincided with the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020 and subsequent lockdown measures, demonstrated a direct relationship between decreased traffic volumes and TRAP concentrations. Conversely, road construction was observed to cause elevated TRAP levels while reducing traffic volumes, illustrating that conventional smart city sensors such as traffic counters provide inadequate data for inferring air quality conditions. The second application used two AirSENCE sensors on opposite sides of a major 2-way commuter road in Toronto. Clear correlations of TRAP concentrations with wind direction were observed, which shows that impacted areas are not necessarily static and may exhibit high day-to-day variability in air quality conditions despite consistent traffic volumes. Both of these applications provide compelling evidence favouring the inclusion of air quality sensors in current and future smart city infrastructure planning. Such sensors provide direct measurements that are useful for public health alerting as well as decision-making for projects involving traffic mitigation, heavy construction, and urban renewal efforts.

Keywords: distributed sensor network, continuous ambient air quality monitoring, Smart city sensors, Internet of Things, traffic-related air pollutants

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11369 Alignment between Governance Structures and Food Safety Standards on the Shrimp Supply Chain in Indonesia

Authors: Maharani Yulisti, Amin Mugera, James Fogarty

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Food safety standards have received significant attention in the fisheries global market due to health issues, free trade agreements, and increasing aquaculture production. Vertical coordination throughout the supply chain of fish producing and exporting countries is needed to meet food safety demands imposed by importing countries. However, the complexities of the supply chain governance structures and difficulties in standard implementation can generate safety uncertainty and high transaction costs. Using a Transaction Cost Economics framework, this paper examines the alignment between food safety standards and the governance structures in the shrimp supply chain in Indonesia. We find the supply chain is organized closer to the hierarchy-like governance structure where private standard (organic standard) are implemented and more towards a market-like governance structure where public standard (IndoGAP certification) are more prevalent. To verify the statements, two cases are examined from Sidoarjo district as a centre of shrimp production in Indonesia. The results show that public baseline FSS (Food Safety Standards) need additional mechanism to achieve a coordinated chain-wide response because uncertainty, asset specificity, and performance measurement problems are high in this chain. Organic standard as private chain-wide FSS is more efficient because it has been achieved by hierarchical-like type of governance structure.

Keywords: governance structure, shrimp value chain, food safety standards, transaction costs economics

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11368 The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Families Dealing with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Authors: Alexis Winfield, Carly Sugar, Barbara Fenesi

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The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted regular routines forcing many children to learn from home, requiring many adults to work from home, and cutting families off from support outside the home. Public health restrictions associated with the pandemic caused widespread psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, increased fear, panic, and stress. These trends are particularly concerning for families raising neuroatypical children, such as those with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as these children are already more likely than their typically developing peers to experience comorbid mental health issues and to experience greater distress when required to stay indoors. Families with children who have ADHD are also at greater risk for experiencing heightened familial stress due to the challenges associated with managing ADHD behavioural symptoms, greater parental discord and divorce, and greater financial difficulties compared to other families. The current study engaged families comprised of at least one child diagnosed with ADHD to elucidate 1) the unique ways that the COVID-19 pandemic affected their mental health and 2) the specific barriers these families faced to maintaining optimal mental wellbeing. A total of 33 participants (15 parent-child dyads) engaged in virtual interviews. Content analysis revealed that the most frequently identified mental health effects for families were increased child anxiety and disconnectedness, as well as deteriorating parental mental health. The most frequently identified barriers to maintaining optimal mental well-being were lack of routine, lack of social interaction and social support, and uncertainty and fear. Findings underscore areas of need during times of large-scale social isolation, bring voice to the families of children with ADHD, and contribute to our understanding of the pandemic’s impact on the wellbeing of vulnerable families. This work contributes to a growing body of research aimed at creating safeguards to support mental wellbeing for vulnerable families during times of crisis.

Keywords: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, COVID-19, mental health, vulnerable families

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11367 Reliability Analysis of a Life Support System in a Public Aquarium

Authors: Mehmet Savsar

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Complex Life Support Systems (LSS) are used in all large commercial and public aquariums in order to keep the fish alive. Reliabilities of individual equipment, as well as the complete system, are extremely important and critical since the life and safety of important fish depend on these life support systems. Failure of some critical device or equipment, which do not have redundancy, results in negative consequences and affects life support as a whole. In this paper, we have considered a life support system in a large public aquarium in Kuwait Scientific Center and presented a procedure and analysis to show how the reliability of such systems can be estimated by using appropriate tools and collected data. We have also proposed possible improvements for systems reliability. In particular, addition of parallel components and spare parts are considered and the numbers of spare parts needed for each component to achieve a required reliability during specified lead time are calculated. The results show that significant improvements in system reliability can be achieved by operating some LSS components in parallel and having certain numbers of spares available in the spare parts inventories. The procedures and the results presented in this paper are expected to be useful for aquarium engineers and maintenance managers dealing with LSS.

Keywords: life support systems, aquariums, reliability, failures, availability, spare parts

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