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Studies are largely optimistic about the ability of standardized procedures to constrain decision-makers' biases and produce more equitable results across fields. However, work that embraces standardization as an equalizing force stands in contrast to research on standardization and street-level bureaucrats, which asserts that standardized procedures are not self-actuating and cannot be understood apart from the environments in which they are used. I examine how frontline workers vary in their approach to an actuarial-based tool intended to standardize judgments. In a highly controlled decision-making environment, child welfare workers whose racial and sex characteristics afford them higher status report subverting the tool; conversely, workers in the same position whose ascriptive characteristics yield them lower status in terms of race and sex describe following the rules. In an environment where the same tool is adopted only ceremonially, all workers experience decision-making as unconstrained, regardless of their ascriptive characteristics. This work fills gaps in knowledge about how social status and organizational context intersect to affect rule abidance. Examining these dynamic relationships advances understanding of how organizations reproduce inequality and the limits and potential for standardization to transform social hierarchies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disparities continue to pose major challenges in various aspects of science. One such aspect is editorial board composition, which has been shown to exhibit racial and geographical disparities. However, the literature on this subject lacks longitudinal studies quantifying the degree to which the racial composition of editors reflects that of scientists. Other aspects that may exhibit racial disparities include the time spent between the submission and acceptance of a manuscript and the number of citations a paper receives relative to textually similar papers, but these have not been studied to date. To fill this gap, we compile a dataset of 1,000,000 papers published between 2001 and 2020 by six publishers, while identifying the handling editor of each paper. Using this dataset, we show that most countries in Asia, Africa, and South America (where the majority of the population is ethnically non-White) have fewer editors than would be expected based on their share of authorship. Focusing on US-based scientists reveals Black as the most underrepresented race. In terms of acceptance delay, we find, again, that papers from Asia, Africa, and South America spend more time compared to other papers published in the same journal and the same year. Regression analysis of US-based papers reveals that Black authors suffer from the greatest delay. Finally, by analyzing citation rates of US-based papers, we find that Black and Hispanic scientists receive significantly fewer citations compared to White ones doing similar research. Taken together, these findings highlight significant challenges facing non-White scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a large body of studies has captured macro financial inclusion on the supply side, this research paper contributes significantly to the literature on determining financial inclusion in Vietnam from the demand side. The primary target of this paper is to measure an overall financial inclusion index by employing micro data of 1,002 respondents in Vietnam from the World Bank. Additionally, based on the calculation of financial inclusion index, we investigate the determinants of financial inclusion and examine the barriers to financial inclusion in Vietnam. The ordinary least squares regression analysis and logit regression are employed to estimate the effect of demographic characteristics and the barriers to financial inclusion. The main findings reveal that people who are female, wealthier, more educated, or in the workforce exhibit a higher financial inclusion index. Besides, the financial inclusion level of high-income people is not affected by working status, while this level of middle and low-income people does. Women are also less likely to be financially included because they complain that financial institutions are too far away or because another family member has an account. Older people are more concerned about lack of documentation, lack of trust, and demand reasons. To achieve the purposes of robustness, the measurement of financial inclusion was changed following previous studies to confirm robust and stable baseline results. Accordingly, these findings contribute to issuing adequate policies that break the barriers to financial inclusion and enhance financial inclusion, especially for less educated, poor, out of the workforce, and old people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Electronic applications are increasingly being used in hospitals for numerous purposes. Objective: Our aim was to assess differences in the characteristics of patients who choose paper versus electronic questionnaires and to evaluate the data quality of both approaches. Methods: Between October 2012 and June 2013, 136 patients participated in a study on diagnosis-induced stress and anxiety. Patients were asked to fill out questionnaires at six different moments during the diagnostic phase. They were given the opportunity to fill out the questionnaires on paper or electronically (a combination of tablet and Web-based questionnaires). Demographic characteristics and completeness of returned data were compared between groups. Results: Nearly two-thirds of patients (88/136, 64.7%) chose to fill out the questionnaires on paper, and just over a third (48/136, 35.3%) preferred the electronic option. Patients choosing electronic questionnaires were significantly younger (mean 47.3 years vs mean 53.5 in the paper group, P=.01) and higher educated (P=.004). There was significantly more missing information (ie, at least one question not answered) in the paper group during the diagnostic day compared to the electronic group (using a tablet) (28/88 vs 1/48, P<.001). However, in the week after the diagnostic day, missing information was significantly higher in the electronic group (Web-based questionnaires) compared to the paper group (41/48 vs 38/88, P<.001). Conclusions: Younger patients and patients with a higher level of education have a preference towards filling out questionnaires electronically. In the hospital, a tablet is an excellent medium for patients to fill out questionnaires with very little missing information. However, for filling out questionnaires at home, paper questionnaires resulted in a better response than Web-based questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A healthy diet is one of the most important aspects of health. Nowadays, scrutinizing dietary patterns rather than specific nutrients have prime importance. The purpose of this study is to dietary patterns among adults in Gonabad City in 2019. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 250 individuals aged 18-70 years living in Gonabad were selected by multistage random sampling from urban zones 1, 2, and 3 covered by community health centers. Regular dietary intakes of individuals over the past year were obtained using the food frequency questionnaire, and demographic characteristics were obtained via face-toface interviews. Factor analysis was used to identify dominant dietary patterns. The relationship between dominant dietary patterns and demographic characteristics was assessed employing a Chi-square test. Results: Participants' ages range from 36.40±13.16 years, of whom 44.8% were male, 82.4% were married and 60% were employed. Two healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns were identified. There was a statistically significant relationship between healthy dietary patterns and variables of age (P<0.001), sex (P=0.01), and occupation (P<0.001). Moreover, there was a statistically significant relationship between unhealthy dietary patterns with variables of age (P<0.001), sex (P=0.014), and the number of family members (P=0.035). Demographic characteristics are among the influential factors affecting the type of adult food pattern in Gonabad. It is suggested to consider demographic factors in determining the relationship between dietary patterns and disease. Conclusion: Demographic characteristics are among the influential factors affecting the type of adult food pattern in Gonabad. It is suggested to consider demographic factors in determining the relationship between dietary patterns and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worldwide, there are regional and demographic differences in the prevalence of pelvic floor complications (PFCs) during childbirth. Pelvic floor complications have been found to occur more frequently in some studies than others, despite some studies reporting a low incidence. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to identify which types of PFCs were seen to occur most frequently in the studies chosen, as well as to provide an updated and thorough summary of the incidence and risk factors associated with various types of PFCs during childbirth. Methods: Search terms derived from free text words and medical topic headings (MeSH) were used to comb through a number of significant web databases. The first stage in the study selection strategy involved a search using keywords related to "pelvic floor," "childbirth," "complications," and "risk factors," which originally produced 759 papers. Results: 10 studies relevant to our objectives were ultimately selected for the investigation. In majority of the studies, urinary incontinence (UIT) and anal incontinence (AIT) were found to be the most commonly occurring PFCs, with stress urinary incontinence (SUT), overactive bladder syndrome (OAB), pelvic organ prolapse (POP) being incidental in decreasing order. The meta-analysis also reported the effects of UIT to be of significant impact in the studies in which it occurred. Although one study did report the occurrence of certain depressive symptoms following childbirth, the inference obtained was not very significant. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for further research on the prevention and management of pelvic floor complications during childbirth, particularly in relation to UIT and AIT. Clinicians should be aware of the high prevalence of these conditions and their associated risk factors (especially psychosocial and psychological health) to provide appropriate care for affected women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community gardens are more popular than ever, yet we know little about how leadership structure and neighborhood characteristics relate to programming. Hence, this paper analyzes how the racial/ethnic backgrounds of the community garden leaders are related to the activities the garden undertakes. What types of initiatives do gardens undertake to reduce food insecurity? The paper analyzes how the location of the garden impacts what it does. The article presents novel findings on the impact of leadership and neighborhood characteristics on community garden operations and outcomes. Hence, the essay examines how the race/ethnicity of garden managers and their sex and neighborhood characteristics, such as poverty rate, household income, and racial composition, are related to garden initiatives. Finally, the paper examines how community gardens responded to increased demands for food and services during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. We studied 53 community gardens in Michigan from the summer 2020 through the winter 2021. Whites manage 66% (35) of the gardens, while People of Color manage 34% (18). Roughly half of the gardens are managed by males and the remainder by females. The gardens, which lack paid staff, rely heavily on volunteers. Almost 53% of the gardens are in low-income census tracts (with median income of $40,000 or less). During the pandemic, 31% of the gardens reduced their staff, 51.4% had fewer volunteers than in pre-pandemic times, and 51.9% had increased amounts of people seeking food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this paper we investigate how young consumers see family-owned firms and products provided by this group of business entities. Design/methodology/approach: The study was designed to be conducted on a population of young consumers who are currently at the stage of increasing their knowledge about the principles of market operation and running a business. The structured online web interview (CAWI) method was selected. A total sample of N = 1069 consumers aged 20-25 years completed the survey. A series of C&RT was conducted. In order to test the model's generalizability and provide an insight on how the model will predict new independent data such an unknown dataset, a procedure of k = 10-fold cross validation was used, using a randomly selected sample called Train Data. Findings: Results of the study revealed that consumers are positively oriented towards products made by family-owned companies. They are highly convinced that signing products with family-owned trademarks emphasizes their family character. About 20% consumers declare to notice family firm trademarks in the products offered. The most important values sought in products by young consumers are: product quality, price and quality of ingredients, while three most significant features of family-owned businesses perceived by young consumers are tradition, low scale of production and high quality of products indicating high reputation of family-owned businesses. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of this study results from the lack of full representativeness of the examined sample. The research looked at young consumers, so the conclusions cannot be applied to consumers with different demographic characteristics. The second limitation is the type of research tool used. The questionnaire allowed only to diagnose subjective beliefs about one's own preferences and attitudes, and not to study real shopping behavior. Practical implications: The findings complement the current discussion of the uniqueness of family firms. They might also help family business owners to increase efficacy of their marketing activities. Originality/value: The paper explores the research gap in the area of the attitudes of young consumers, who have knowledge of market mechanisms, towards family businesses and products offered by this group of business entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Performance in virtual teams, which faces cultural and demographic differences, is a relevant phenomenon that has been widely investigated in recent decades, but with opportunities in exploring other levels of analysis as individual and project. This current research aims to understand how multicultural virtual teams affect individual, team and project performance. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis to capture 273 papers from the Web of Science (WoS) database using a snowball approach. In a second approach, the authors selected 130 papers to conduct a content analysis. Findings: The authors presented a longitudinal overview regarding the adoption of virtual teams in project management (PM) literature. A conceptual framework was proposed to explore the relationship between multicultural virtual teams and performance with three levels of analysis: individual, teams and project. The authors contributed with research hypotheses to be explored in future empirical studies not only at the team perspective but also at the project and individual levels. The thematic analysis suggested that the literature focus has shifted from hard to soft aspects faced by virtual teams. Social identity/categorization theory was the most prominent theory in this body, but it is not fully explored in PM literature. Other opportunities of future studies are to understand the impact of cultural diversity, the sense of belongingness, the project life cycle and the development of a knowledge management program. Originality/value: The authors developed a 3-level conceptual framework for future empirical studies and demonstrated that cultural differences are mainly approached at the national level in the literature, bringing suggestions for future empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a global point of view, the Republic of Serbia has favorable conditions for cattle breeding and beef production, because there are favorable soil and climatic conditions, high production of roughage and fodder, available workforce, installed capacities of meat processing industries (for the production of beef and meat products) etc. However, it is not the only, or exclusive, parameter of the development of cattle production, because there are significant differences in the racial composition and production potential of cattle in certain production districts of the Republic of Serbia. The paper shows the period of the movement of the number of cattle, as one of the potentials for the production of beef, and the heifers that provide new heads for fattening. In the observed time period from 2012 to 2022, it is in permanent decline. According to the obtained data of the calculated value of base and chain indices for the observed time period of ten years, there is no hint of stabilization of breeding and increase in the number of cattle for slaughter. The average number of cattle in the Republic of Serbia was 898 thousand head with a tendency to decrease from 2.5% to 3.0%. At the end of 2022, the estimate of slaughter outside slaughterhouses in December was reduced to 16 thousand heads, however, the number of slaughtered heads increased from May and reached its maximum in October with 20.61 thousand heads and in November when there were 26.45 thousand heads. From this data, it can be seen that the total number of heads has been decreasing since December, which means that there has been stagnation in the number of slaughtered heads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Effective construction safety training has been considered to play a significant role in reducing the incidence of accidents. However, the current safety training methods pay less attention to the relationship between workers' personalized characteristics and their learning needs, which results in workers' low learning participation and poor training effect. The purpose of this paper is to improve the participation and effect of safety training for construction workers with a persona-based approach. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents a persona-based approach to safety tag generation and training material recommendation. By extracting the demographic characteristics and behavior patterns tags of construction workers, a neural network algorithm is introduced to calculate the learning needs tags of workers, and the collaborative filtering recommendation method is integrated to enrich the innovation of recommendation results. Offline experiments and online experiments are designed to verify the rationality of the proposed method. Findings: The results show that the learning needs of workers are closely related to their background. The proposed method can effectively improve workers' interest in materials and the training effect compared with conventional safety training methods. The research provides a theoretical and practical reference for promoting active safety management and achieving worker-centered safety management. Originality/value: First, a persona-based approach is introduced to establish a novel framework for solving the problem of personalized construction safety management. Second, an artificial intelligence algorithm is used to automatically extract the learning needs tag values and design a hybrid recommendation method for construction workers' personalized safety training. The collaborative filtering method is integrated to enrich the innovation of recommendation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational commitment gets significant attention from both scientists and practitioners alike since the 1950s. This interest is evident in the literature in the area of management and organizational behaviour, in an impressive number of studies exploring the nature, antecedents, and outcomes of organizational commitment. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the clarification of the relationship between employees' demographic characteristics and their organizational commitment, since research studies imply mainly inconsistent results about this relationship. The empirical research was carried out in Croatia. The research sample includes 304 employees. A self-developed questionnaire was used for data collection, specifically about gender, age, tenure, education, and marital status. In order to assess organizational commitment, the Organizational Commitment Scale was applied. Research results showed no differences in organizational commitment regarding the employees' gender or marital status, while the differences in employees' organizational commitment exist regarding employees' age, tenure in organization and education. Dwelling into these differences, this paper demonstrates that the level of organizational commitment varies according to different subcategories of each demographic characteristic. In addition, this paper explains the origin and possible reasons of differences in organizational commitment regarding the different subcategories of each demographic characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Most intracranial aneurysms (IAs) can be treated either with microsurgical clipping or endovascular techniques. In a few cases, simultaneous treatment utilizing both modalities in a hybrid operation room may be favorable. This study analyzes the indication and benefits of a true hybrid approach (tHA) that combines simultaneous endovascular and microsurgical procedures for treatment of IAs in one session. (2) Methods: All patients receiving a true hybrid procedure between 2010 and 2022 in our institution were included. Demographic characteristics, neurological symptoms, pre-interventional treatments, angiographic findings, and postoperative clinical and radiological outcomes were analyzed. Results are discussed in the light of a systematic literature review on reported true hybrid procedures for IA treatment. (3) Results: In total, 10 tHAs were performed. Of these, coiling and concomitant decompressive craniectomy or hematoma evacuation was performed on six occasions. In two patients, multiple IAs were treated with different modalities during the same procedure. In two patients, intraoperative conditions did not allow for complete IA clipping, and the remnant was coiled in the same session. The review of the literature revealed nine papers comprising 58 IAs treated with a tHA. (4) Conclusions: The need for a tHA for IA treatment is rare and limited to highly selective cases. In our experience, tHAs have been most valuable in an emergency setting concerning ruptured IAs. Furthermore, tHAs may also be considered in patients with multiple aneurysms in different vascular territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this theoretical paper is to introduce a conceptual model to investigate e-learning persuasion through gamification elements using the social psychology theory of elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Design/methodology/approach: The author systematically reviewed several theoretical and empirical papers which applied the ELM in various settings. Based on the literature, the author identified six research prepositions which facilitate to investigate e-learning persuasion through gamification. Findings: This study contributes to the existing literature by identifying an ELM-based conceptual model which can be used to empirically investigate the e-learning persuasion using gamification elements. Accordingly, the central route persuasion could be conducted through argument quality, demographic differences and technology context facilitated through gamification elements. The peripheral route persuasion could be conducted through variables such as source credibility, social presence and message content. Practical implications: This study contributes important findings to the e-learning research by introducing a conceptual model–based on the social psychology theory of ELM. Thereby, this study introduces a method for the future researchers, to investigate the e-learning persuasion using gamification elements. Further, future researchers can use this model to investigate the e-learning persuasion through gamification in different contexts including primary, secondary and tertiary educational levels. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this study can be considered as the first theoretical paper which developed an ELM-based conceptual model to investigate the e-learning persuasion through gamification in education context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the data of ethnic and religious identities in a multiethnic and multicultural context, this paper provides research-based evidence to explain whether and how significantly such data could be reliable from a social and demographic perspective. The explanation is based on population census that also provides unique nation-wide data sources on 'religious affiliation'. The field of this study is the multiethnic and multicultural context of Australia that holds a large variety of ethnic, religious and cultural groups from throughout the world. According to the findings of the present analysis, this paper argues that if ethnic migrants belonging to the same category of religious affiliation are considered as a single group without taking their ethnic origins into account, this will lead to insufficient, incomplete, and misleading knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Micrographia and bradygraphia are classic features of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the relevance of quantifying them in the clinical exam with pen and paper is unclear. Materials/patients and methods Twenty-five patients with PD (72 ± 8 years, 8F; time since diagnosis 9.8 ± 5.1 years; Hoehn and Yahr 2.5 ± 0.6) and 26 age-matched healthy controls (HC, 71 ± 16 years, 8F) wrote three times the same standard sentence in the OFF state. We measured changes from sentence 1 (S1) to sentence 3 (S3), in writing speed (WS), sentence length (SL), heights of first and last Ps (H1P, H3P), mean inter-words interval (IWI) and ratio total inter-word interval/sentence length (TIWI/SL). We also explored correlation with classical parameters of parkinsonism, including delay since diagnosis (DSD), UPDRSIII, and gait parameters such as the coefficients of ambulation speed increase (CSI) on a modified 20-meter up and go test. Results Raw values were: WS, 7.6 ± 2.4 (S1) and 8.8 ± 2.6 mm/s (S3) in HC (S1 vs S3, p = 0.000003) vs 6.4 ± 2.8 and 6.5 ± 3.0 mm/sec in PD (S1 vs S3, p = 0.65); H3P, 8.2 ± 2.4 (S1) and 8.4 ± 2.9 mm (S3) in HC (S1 vs S3; NS) vs 7.2 ± 3.2 and 6.3 ± 3.1 mm in PD (S1 vs S3, p < 0.05); IWI, 5.0 ± 1.4 (S1) and 4.8 ± 1.3 mm (S3) in HC (S1 vs S3, p < 0.05) vs 4.8 ± 1.7 and 4.2 ± 1.5 mm in PD (S1 vs S3, p < 0.001). The between-group differences in changes from S1 to S3 involved: WS, increased in HC (+ 15%) more than in PD (+ 2%; p = 0.003, ANCOVA); H3P, decreased in PD (–13.5%) while increased in HC (+ 2.6%; p = 0.012); IWI, decreased more in PD (–11.5%) than in HC (–4.5%; p = 0.048). WS, H3P and IWI did not correlate with time since diagnosis or UPDRS III. However, the coefficient of writing speed increase correlated negatively to CSI (r = –0.52, p = 0.006). Discussion/Conclusion From first to last sentence, the lack of speed increase seems to best distinguish PD patients from healthy subjects. It also correlates with markers of parkinsonism in ambulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the demographic characteristics of consumers, their knowledge of the concept of CSR and the awareness of CSR activities undertaken by enterprises. This paper intends to examine whether the consumer knows the CSR activities undertaken by PKN ORLEN. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used a survey to assess the consumers' perception of activities undertaken by PKN ORLEN in the area of CSR. The survey was an electronic survey. The questionnaires were administered to consumers from southern Poland. In order to test the hypotheses, cross-tabulation analyzes were performed along with the chi-square test of independence and Mann-Whitney U tests. Findings: The research revealed that demographic characteristics do not influence the knowledge of activities undertaken by PKN Orlen in the area of CSR or the knowledge of the Orlen Foundation run by the surveyed company. The only factor that influences the awareness of CSR activities of the examined company is knowledge of the CSR concept. The results suggest that consumers who have knowledge about CSR are more aware of the activities that companies undertake in this area. It was also identified that the factors influencing knowledge of the CSR concept are gender and level of education, with people who demonstrated higher knowledge of CSR being men and people with university education. Research limitations/implications: The research was conducted on the Polish market, it concerned the activities of a large and very well-known brand in Poland (a multi-industry concern operating, among others, in the fuel and energy industry). The research can be repeated for other brands and other countries. Practical implications: Research results suggest that an important aspect that increases the effectiveness of communication of CSR activities should be the educational aspect in the area of CSR. Originality/value: The article obtained an interesting result that demographic characteristics do not influence customers' knowledge about companies' CSR activities, but the knowledge (understanding) of the CSR concept is such a factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty is one of the three major crises of the global energy system. It tends to deepen as a result of the imbalance between supply and demand, energy transition and financial factors, especially in rural areas of developing countries. This paper took rural household energy poverty as the subject and collected 27 Chinese papers and 44 English papers from Google Scholar, Sci-hub, CNKI and other academic websites in the academic field on the definition, identification methods, influencing factors and governance countermeasures of energy poverty. It focused on analyzing the influence of income level, geographic location, urban–rural differences, demographic characteristics and other factors on energy poverty, as well as the profound impact of energy poverty on the population's health, the population's economic status, social equity, welfare of the population, the national economic development, etc. It finally landed on the government's countermeasures to govern energy poverty so as to provide references for solving the problem of energy poverty by systematically sorting out the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores the empirical relationship between population age structure and bilateral trade. Design/methodology/approach: The author includes age structure in both log and Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) formulations of the gravity equation of trade. The author studies relative age effects, using differences in the demographic structure of each country-pair. Findings: The author finds that a relatively larger share of population in working age increases bilateral exports. This is robust to various estimation models, as well as to changes in the method of specifying the demographic controls. Old-age shares have a negative, but less robustly estimated impact on trade. Estimating instead the balance of trade between trading partners produces similar results, with positive effects of age structure peaking later in working life. Practical implications: Global populations are poised to undergo a massive transition. Trade a crucial way that the demographic deficits of one country may be offset by the dividends of another as comparative advantages shift along with the size and strength of their underlying workforce. Originality/value: The author's work is among the first to quantify the effect of relative age structure between two countries and their bilateral trade flows. Focusing on the aggregate flows, relative age shares and PPML estimates of the trade relationship, this paper provides the most comprehensive picture to date on how age structure affects trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes a Cultural Studies approach to thematic analysis of four public murals in Kingston and urban St. Andrew, Jamaica, which comprise a case study. The Vision 2030 mural in Southside, Kingston, is an independent interpretation of Vision 2030, the government's plan for Jamaica's optimal development by the target year. Two Liv Gud! murals, one outside Southside and another near Swallowfield in urban St. Andrew, were commissioned by the Jamaican government as part of a violence reduction campaign. The fourth, on the Gleaner Company media house's Kingston office, collates prominent elements of Jamaican life. Each mural was observed in its physical context, photographed from several angles, and analysed thematically, utilising Representation (Cultural Studies) and Social Representation Theory (Social Psychology) theories, for its depiction of race, gender and national identity, before comparative analysis of the individual outcomes. The paper finds that there is an imbalance in the murals' racial and gender composition, contributing to a limited depiction of Jamaican identity ahead of its 60th anniversary of Independence on August 6, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The international experience of top managers is an evolving research within the upper echelon theory; therefore this literature review summarizes everything made so far. Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of international experience within the theory of the upper echelons. Methods/Approach: We reviewed the literature from the beginning of the theory formation and tried to understand the direction in which it develops, particularly in the context of international experience. We conducted a bibliometric analysis in order to understand the research area better. Results: We have found that 38 papers were published in 25 different journals by 72 authors. We have concluded that the area of research is very narrow and that most of the research is concentrated on finding out the impact of demographic characteristics and international experience of top managers on internationalization strategy mostly with MNC-s. Conclusions: After two decades of international experience in the upper echelon theory there is a significant possibility of uniformity of the theory but only if researchers are able to prove equal results among different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight important contemporary themes in international marketing strategy from the perspective of Sub-Saharan African firms.Design/methodology/approach The approach adopted is a review and synopsis of the existing body of research on international marketing research in Sub-Saharan Africa, and a discussion of the manuscripts included in the special issue.Findings International marketing in Sub-Sahara Africa is growing steadily, driven largely by rapid changes in socio-economic and demographic characteristics of consumers in this market. The growing appetite of multinational enterprises to explore new growth opportunities on this continent and the increasing intra-Africa cross-border transactions is driving unique approaches to international marketing that are predicated on using non-traditional means to produce, communicate and distribute products and services.Research limitations/implications While the international marketing opportunities and challenges discussed in this paper are not exhaustive, the paper highlights important research themes that need consideration regarding international marketing research in Sub-Saharan Africa.Originality/value This introductory paper emphasizes the unique international business landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa and discusses its international marketing strategy implications. The paper further draws attention to a number of unanswered research questions that require additional research, and thus bring Sub-Saharan Africa to international marketing scholarly enquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits the potential of Global Positioning System datasets sourced from mobile phones to estimate the racial composition of road users, leveraging data from their respective Census block group. The racial composition data encompasses approximately 46 million trips in the Chicago metropolitan region. The research focuses on the relationship between camera tickets and racial composition of drivers vs. police stops for traffic citations and the racial composition in these locations. Black drivers exhibit a higher likelihood of being ticketed by automated speed cameras and of being stopped for moving violations on roads, irrespective of the proportion of White drivers present. The research observes that this correlation attenuates as the proportion of White drivers on the road increases. The citation rate measured by cameras better matches the racial composition of road users on the links with cameras than do stops by police officers. This study therefore presents an important contribution to understanding racial disparities in moving violation stops, with implications for policy interventions and social justice reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of consumers are buying organic foods, resulting in an enhancement of the value of this market, which recorded constant growth both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns for health, environmental protection, animal welfare, and support for the local economy contribute to greater purchases of organic foods, whereas high prices, lack of trust in certification, scarce supply, and unavailability of organic products represent obstacles to their purchase. This paper examined the prevalence of certain types of organic food in purchasing, as well as its relationship with the level of physical activity, gender, education, and age of the consumer. The sample consists of 600 respondents with different socio-demographic characteristics. The SPSS program was used for data processing. In addition to descriptive statistics, non-parametric techniques were also used due to the distribution of scores on the tested variables, which significantly deviates from the normal. The results obtained indicate that among the organic foods in the Republic of Serbia, fruits and vegetables are the most purchased, and that females, persons with higher education, and older people are the most typical buyers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a review of the recent literature on attitudes toward consensual non-monogamy (CNM). These attitudes are constrained to evaluations of people who practice CNM, CNM relationships, and CNM concepts; willingness to engage in or personal interest in practicing CNM is not included in this review. Relevant published research was located through database searches, as well as by perusing references and citations. Based on over two dozen investigations, it is concluded that average attitudes toward CNM are around neutral, with some slightly negative and some slightly positive. Studies taking a comparative perspective—whereby monogamous couples are pitted against CNM couples—overwhelmingly find more favorable attitudes toward monogamy. This literature supports assertions of the prevalence of monocentrism/compulsory monogamy. Further, some researchers investigated sociodemographic and psychological variables as predictors of CNM attitudes. Considering demographic characteristics, those who identify as monogamous and heterosexual tend to be more negative toward CNM relative to their counterparts, and most of the research suggests there are no gender differences in CNM attitudes. In terms of psychological variables, those reflecting authoritarian ideological values tended to predict CNM attitudes the best. The psychological variables are interpreted within the broader dual-process motivational model of prejudice with attention to authoritarianism and social dominance. To conclude, measurement issues are discussed, existing instruments are critiqued, and recommendations are made for which instruments are appropriate for different research goals. Specifically, the Attitudes towards Polyamory scale is a concise, unidimensional instrument with sound psychometric properties, making it a good general assessment of polyamory or CNM. Created using excellent test construction techniques, the Multidimensional Measurement of Attitudes toward Consensual Non-Monogamy (MACS) is a very promising belief-based CNM attitudes scale with three factors. Finally, directions for future research are discussed with an emphasis on differentiating between beliefs and attitudes as suggested by attitude theory, with most CNM attitude scales conflating the former with the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Women's Health Needs Study (WHNS) collected information on the health characteristics, needs, and experiences, including female genital mutilation (FGM) experiences, attitudes, and beliefs, of women aged 18 to 49 years who were born, or whose mothers were born, in a country where FGM is prevalent living in the US. The purpose of this paper is to describe the WHNS design, methods, strengths and limitations, as well as select demographic and health-related characteristics of participants. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey from November 2020 –June 2021 in four US metropolitan areas, using a hybrid venue-based sampling (VBS) and respondent-driven sampling (RDS) approach to identify women for recruitment. Results: Of 1,132 participants, 395 were recruited via VBS and 737 RDS. Most were born, or their mothers were born, in either a West African country (Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, The Gambia) (39.0%) or Ethiopia (30.7%). More than a third were aged 30–39 years (37.5%) with a majority who immigrated at ages ≥13 years (86.6%) and had lived in the United States for ≥5 years (68.9%). Medicaid was the top health insurer (52.5%), followed by private health insurance (30.5%); 17% of participants had no insurance. Nearly half of women reported 1–2 healthcare visits within the past 12 months (47.7%). One in seven did not get needed health care due to cost (14.8%). Over half have ever used contraception (52.1%) to delay or avoid pregnancy and 76.9% had their last pelvic and/or Papanicolaou (pap) exam within the past 3 years. More than half experienced FGM (55.0%). Nearly all women believed that FGM should be stopped (92.0%). Conclusion: The VBS/RDS approach enabled recruitment of a diverse study population. WHNS advances research related to the health characteristics, needs, and experiences of women living in the US from countries where FGM is prevalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban parkland, as a critical component of urban green space, reflects the distribution of public resources. Combined with the concept of the 15-min Living Circle, this paper comprehensively evaluated the equity of urban parkland in the Central Area of Zhengzhou from a process-outcome perspective and established an evaluation method for assessing the equity of parkland in high-density urban areas. The objective of this approach is to provide a systematic and applicable evaluation method for metropolises that is more comprehensive than traditional evaluation methods, which rely solely on accessibility. In terms of process equity, spatial equity values were calculated using the Three Step Catchment Area Method (3SFCA) with walking and bicycle travel models. For outcome equity, Zone Entropy was utilized with demographic characteristics. The results illustrated that the overall accessibility and equity of urban parkland layout in the Central Area of Zhengzhou were inferior, with an extensive number of blind service areas and serious polarization. The Zone Entropy varied considerably among streets, which indicated significant differences in the allocation of parkland and population. Further analysis illustrated that economic factors, such as house prices, were not significantly relevant to parkland equity. Instead, geographic factors such as location and intensity of development had a remarkable impact on parkland equity. Although urban parkland layout has been prone to the elderly, the total number of park spaces is still insufficient. In the long run, the construction of the 15-min Living Circle still needs to be vigorously promoted in the research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To strengthen palliative care for children in the Nordic countries, an updated status of current needs, resources, clinical services, education, and research is necessary to align and consolidate future research. A Nordic research collaboration initiative for children with palliative care needs was assembled in 2023. Building on this initiative, this paper presents an overview of pediatric palliative care (PPC) in the Nordic countries' (a) population characteristics, (b) care models and setting of care, (c) education and training, and (d) research. Methods: The Nordic initiative researchers collaboratively gathered and assessed available data on the characteristics of PPC within Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Sweden, and Åland. Data were compiled in a matrix with population characteristics, models- and setting of care, education and training, and areas of research in a Nordic context. The findings are narratively and descriptively presented, providing an overview of Nordic PPC. Results: In total, the Nordic child population comprises around six million children (0–19 years), of which about 41.200 are estimated to be living with a life-limiting and/or life-threatening condition. Healthcare services are provided through various care models, ranging from specialized care to homecare settings. Overall, there remain few opportunities for education and training with some exceptions. Also, Nordic research within PPC has been shown to be a growing field although much remains to be done. Conclusion: This overview is the first outline of the current PPC in Nordic countries. Although some differences remain important to acknowledge, overall, the strengths and challenges faced within PPC in the Nordic countries are comparable and call for joint action to increase evidence, services, and education to better serve the children, families, and healthcare personnel within PPC. Despite the varying structural premises for PPC, research endeavors aiming to provide evidence in this field seem increasing, timely and relevant for the Nordic countries, as well as the international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the older adult population rise globally, technologies to monitoring activities of daily living (ADL) may have a role in supporting aging in place for older adults. The objective of this systematic literature review was to study the scope, diversity and readiness of technologies developed to monitor ADL in older adults. We systematically searched two scientific databases (CINAHL and IEEE), following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We included studies on technologies used to monitor older adults' ADL in the home but excluded studies focused on communication technologies (phone calls, text messages) or monitoring postures alone. The JBI checklist for case series was used for quality assessment. Extracted details included population characteristics, ADL assessment outcomes, types of monitoring technology, and technology readiness and usability. The search found 147 papers, with 16 papers included in the final analysis. The literature described 48 types of technologies. Of moderate quality studies, five studies used wearables at technology readiness level 4–6 to monitor basic ADL (walking, transfers and walking up stairs) and one used ambient sensors to detect urinary incontinence. Monitoring technologies remain at development stages. More research is needed to strengthen technologies that monitor activities of daily living. Monitoring activities of daily living at home remains focused on using wearables to assess in-home functional mobility to support rehabilitation. Technologies remain a 4–6 readiness level and there is a lack of evidence to recommend in-home monitoring technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous reviews of smoking prevalence among individuals with primary psychosis have largely been internationally focused, with little attention given to within- and among subgroup comparisons of U.S. individuals with such disorders. Nationally, smoking prevalence has been decreasing among the general population. We aimed to review national and divisional samples to determine if this downward trend is being reflected among individuals with primary psychotic disorders, if geographical differences exist, and which demographic characteristics are associated with reported rates. We conducted a systematic search of the PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane databases using a floor of 2010. Studies found during a review of references, and studies previously known to the authors but not found during the initial search, were also reviewed. We found 7 papers which reported the prevalence of smoking among individuals with psychotic disorders, and 2 papers which reported the prevalence of general tobacco and/or vaped nicotine use in this population. One eligible paper was excluded due to the same authors publishing more recent data of the same sample. In all, 1 national and 7 divisional samples were included for analysis. Individuals with psychotic disorders still smoke at rates far higher than the general population. We did not find strong support for a downward trend in smoking in this population but did find support for geographical heterogeneity. Smoking interventions must be tested and implemented nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Selcuk University Journal of Science Faculty / Selçuk Üniversitesi fen Fakültesi fen Dergisi is the property of Selcuk University Journal of Science Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Giving specific reference to the place of culture, this paper examines the patterns and determinants associated with demographic swings from cultural perspectives. The discussion is based on the analysis of observations in a country that has experienced substantial changes in family formation resulting in one of the world's most spectacular falls in birth rate ever experienced in human history: Iran. Facing fundamental historical experiences and substantial socio-cultural changes over the past decades, the context of this study acts as a unique 'social and cultural laboratory' to survey the intergenerational comparisons. The results of this analysis show substantial intergenerational transition, which provide further evidence and fresh research findings to support the substantially important and inevitable place of cultural believes in demographic trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses Individual Deprivation Measure data from Indonesia and South Africa to demonstrate the effects of coverage bias associated with mobile phone-based sampling and data collection approaches that restrict sampling frames to those who own or have access to a mobile phone – a increasingly common method. Analysis of this data demonstrates substantial differences across multiple living standards indicators and demographic characteristics between those who own a mobile phone, individuals with access to a phone and those who neither own nor access mobile phones. This paper highlights the implications of such sampling approaches, and calls for the explicit consideration of the limitations of inferences that can be drawn from qualitative and quantitative analyses because of these substantive differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the consumer behavior on term insurance through demographic analysis in India. It provides an overview of the meaning and relevance of term life insurance or term insurance and the structure of the insurance industry in India. It also analyzes the demographic trends and burden, life expectancy, and sex ration as well as the emerging financial products in the country and the factors that influence that changes in the preferences of consumers for term insurance.

In this paper we attempt to evaluate the results of the database building process executed within the framework of the project HAS-RCH "Lendület" Ten Generations. Instead of the regional approach used in our previous studies, this paper focuses on other dimensions of inequalities. Using data from the 18th-century conscriptions and censuses aggregated at settlement level, we seek to analyze the differences in the socio-economic-demographic behaviour of different ethnic and religious groups before the reform era, and to trace, which linguistic-religious groups were over- and under-represented among the most underdeveloped settlements. We also investigated how the development level of the basic cultural infrastructure or the quality of land related to other socio-economic indicators, and what socio-economic-demographic differences characterized settlements of different legal status/ population/hierarchical level in the 18th century. Finally, we examined if distance from the market left any imprint on socio-economic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the sources of faculty's personal information and the reasons for creating information. We tested the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their choice of sources of personal information. This study's population comes from four public universities and two private universities in Ghana. A sample survey research design and a sample of 235 faculty were used, and data were collected using a questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using Multinomial Logistic Regression in addition to frequency distributions. Demographic characteristics of faculty relate aptly to their personal information sources and be integrated into information literacy activities. Improving the PIM performance of faculty will require understanding their personal information sources to improve productivity and promote good health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marketing (0354-3471) is the property of SEMA - Srpsko udruzenje za Marketing i Ekonomski fakultet Beograd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Financial access is key to achieving several economic goals in developing countries. This paper aims to construct a longitudinal village-level measure of financial access in India and understand the role of RBI's policies and village characteristics in influencing the access. Design/methodology/approach: The authors adopt a spatial approach in developing a metric of financial access. In particular, they measure the distance of each unbanked village in India to the nearest banked-centre from 1951 to 2019. The authors use this measure to conduct two exercises. First, a descriptive study is undertaken to assess how RBI's policies on bank branch expansion from 1951 to 2019 influenced the proximity to bank branches. Second, the authors conduct regression analyses to investigate how socio-economic and demographic characteristics of villages influence their proximity to bank branches. Findings: The average distance of an unbanked village to the nearest banked-centre has declined from 43.5 km in 1951 to 4.2 km in 2019. The gain in bank access has varied geographically and over time. In 2001, bank branches were relatively distant from villages with under-privileged caste groups and proximate to areas with better infrastructure. This relationship worsened after 2005 when RBI introduced liberalized branch expansion policies. By 2019, proximity responds much more adversely to the presence of underprivileged groups. At the same time, banks have moved closer to economically better-off villages and villages with workforce in non-farm enterprises rather than agriculture. Originality/value: First, studies in the Indian context focus on state-level determinants of bank branching, this is the first study to develop a longitudinal measure of financial access at the village level. This helps to understand spatial heterogeneity in bank branch access within states, which other studies are unable to do. Second, the paper analyses the role of village-level socio-economic and demographic characteristics in proximity to bank branches. This analysis helps in discovering micro-foundations of growth of bank branch network. The granularity of the approach adopted here overcomes the confoundedness problems that the studies at a more aggregate level face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]