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In recent decades, residents and community organizations in the ethnically diverse neighborhood of Albany Park, on Chicago’s northwest side, have been resisting gentrification, emerging as one of the city’s most active neighborhoods in anti-displacement organizing and policy setting. We seek to understand how a multiplicity of actors, human and non-human, have coalesced to achieve a modicum of success in stalling, subverting, and overcoming gentrification and its attendant displacement of low-income residents. We draw on the work of urban assemblage theorists to build a temporal and spatial analysis, showing the complex assemblage of resistance actors, their experiences, and their narratives over a 20-year time span. Despite the fear of many scholars and residents, Albany Park shows that once started, gentrification is not inevitable. We introduce the concept of “inplacement” to show resistance to displacement is possible through the work of civil society organizations and other neighborhood actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating pedestrian safety disparities across sociodemographic groups is essential for enhancing traffic safety. This study examines the impact of sociodemographic and built environment characteristics on pedestrian crashes. It introduces a comprehensive macro spatial analysis framework that includes a global regression model, spatial autoregressive models, and a local spatial regression model. Three measures of pedestrian injury are analyzed. The findings reveal that a higher percentage of the high-income population significantly correlates with lower rates of pedestrian injuries across all three measures. Conversely, a higher percentage of the low-income population shows a significant positive correlation with the proportion of crashes involving the Black population, and with the proportion of severe pedestrian crashes involving the Black population. Pedestrian-oriented network density is negatively associated with fatal or severely injurious crashes involving the Black population. These results emphasize the need to account for spatial variations and equity when addressing pedestrian safety disparities. • A comprehensive spatial modeling framework using OLS, SAR, and MGWR explores spatial autocorrelation and non-stationarity in pedestrian crashes. • The research analyzes disparities in pedestrian safety and evaluates pedestrian crash rates and Black population involvement in total and severe crashes. • Higher-income areas have lower pedestrian injury rates, while low-income areas see more severe crashes involving the Black population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety concerns continue to be challenging amid racially segregated communities of urban concentrated disadvantage. Although contributing factors to crime in such neighborhoods have been described, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how social isolation and perceptions of safety impact community health. This qualitative study explored how minoritized residents (N = 23) from an urban community of economic disadvantage perceived the influence of environmental and residential conditions on their health. Use of the grounded theory method produced conceptual insights into the process of how safety concerns led to fear, which created stress and prevented residents from using outdoor public spaces. Additionally, results indicated how the cyclical nature of such physical withdrawal reinforced social isolation and stigma by those outside the community, ultimately affecting residents’ ability to maintain healthy living. Implications include implementing a multi-pronged public health policy that addresses safety perceptions, crime exposure, and social inclusion to improve health conditions in low-income communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the perspectives of Jonathan Swift, a renowned writer and satirist in the early 18th century, on population and poverty. Swift criticized the prevailing belief that population growth was beneficial for the ruling class but left the working population impoverished. He advocated for population growth through natural means and talent selection rather than immigration. Swift's famous work, "A Modest Proposal," satirically proposed using the children of the poor as a trade surplus to address poverty. The article also mentions Swift's parody of political arithmetic, which aimed to calculate a country's population value. It is important to note that Swift's proposal was meant to be ironic and not a serious suggestion. [Extracted from the article]

This text provides a summary of various interviews with Bruno Latour, a scholar known for his interdisciplinary work on ecology and the socioecological crisis. Latour discusses topics such as the origins and spread of COVID-19, the acceleration of the world system after 1989, the concept of the Anthropocene, redefining territory, the role of universities, the intersection of ecology and religion, the social construction of science, the impact of digital networks on politics, the importance of philosophy, and his hopes for the future. While some may disagree with Latour's arguments, he is recognized as a thought-provoking and influential scholar. [Extracted from the article]

Transgender persons need to regularly interact with health services and practitioners for both gender-transition purposes and routine care. Communication between clinicians and patients is a key element of health care. However, barriers to communication with transgender people in the health care context are usual. They typically include a lack of willingness among health staff to care for trans patients, an adherence to cisnormativity and misgendering by clinicians, and the existence of a displeasing climate during the interaction. Miscommunication generates a series of adverse consequences, including the avoidance of health care by patients and the social marginalization of transgender people. The implementation of novel health policies and organizational restructuring are important steps to create a safe environment for the trans population within health systems. Modification of administrative procedures as well as training and advice for health practitioners are also necessary to facilitate communication with trans people and improve health outcomes among this underprivileged population. The establishment of a society with equal rights among its members and a life without discriminations is the ultimate goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the potential benefits of Institutional Special-Needs Plans (I-SNPs) for nursing homes, focusing on how these plans could improve care quality and reduce costs. Topics discussed include the financial and clinical implications of I-SNPs, the role of on-site clinicians in enhancing care, and the challenges faced in integrating these plans within the broader Medicare and Medicaid systems.

This document provides a summary of three books that discuss the divergent histories of Columbus and Cleveland, two cities in Ohio. The authors shed light on the successes and shortcomings of these cities, contributing to the growing literature on cities in the Midwest. The books explore topics such as business development, environmental change, urban revitalization, and economic shifts. They provide valuable insights into the history and development of these two Ohio cities, highlighting the consequences of deindustrialization and the challenges they faced in establishing a positive image. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides an overview of the history and development of co-ownership, specifically in the form of co-ops and condos, in the United States. It discusses the factors that contributed to the spread of co-ownership, such as societal changes and increased affordability after World War II. The article also explores the financialization of housing and its impact on co-ownership, as well as the potential for progressive forms of co-ownership in the future. The authors present different perspectives on the future of co-ownership, with some being more optimistic than others, but overall, co-ownership is seen as a lasting and evolving model of housing. [Extracted from the article]

This study explores the impact of migration on the access and utilisation of sexual and reproductive health services by women living in an informal settlement in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 16 in-depth interviews were conducted in March and April of 2019 with women (18–49 years old) who had migrated from rural areas to Dhaka. They reported continued economic insecurity while receiving minimal support from the state. All women reported financial and infrastructural barriers to accessing formal sexual and reproductive health services and tended to seek resources and support through social networks within the slum and from informal health services. Compared with more recent migrants, women who had migrated and resided in the slums for longer found it easier to utilise social networks and resources for sexual and reproductive health. Women had more agency in experimenting with contraceptives but had less power in making decisions during pregnancy and when seeking health care. Menstrual health was a neglected aspect of public health. The study indicates that public health policy targeting the urban poor needs to address the unique challenges faced by migrant women in informal settlements to rectify inequities in health services that leave significant portions of the urban poor population behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A report from the Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) found that a lack of government oversight has allowed for fraud and abuse in the student finance system at franchised higher education providers. The report highlighted that two-thirds of franchised providers were not registered with the Office for Students (OfS), which sets conditions for registered institutions to protect students and ensure quality. The report also noted that students lack transparency and information about their studies at franchised providers, and that some providers rely on franchising to remain financially viable. The PAC recommended that the Department for Education (DfE) strengthen oversight of franchised providers and improve transparency for students. [Extracted from the article]

This article utilizes the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to demonstrate how disadvantages in healthy life expectancies accumulated across generations create disparate kin structures among African American families in the United States. The analysis quantifies the overlap in parents' healthy years with their adult children's healthy life expectancies and examines how much the overlap coincides with the adult children's childrearing years. Non-Hispanic Black adults experienced parental illness and death sooner than non-Hispanic White adults, and their parents' poor health coincided longer with their own health declines. Non-Hispanic White adults, on the other hand, enjoyed more years in good health with two healthy parents. The intergenerational accumulation of unequal healthy life expectancies directly translated into unequal kin structures for the subsequent third generation. Race inequities in the intergenerational kin structure and health were greater among women than among men, and non-Hispanic Black women spent the most years raising children in poor health with unhealthy or deceased parents. Disparities in the intergenerational tempos of fertility, mortality, and morbidity are building profound structural racial inequities within a fundamental social institution—the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a summary of Richard Rorty's book, "Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America." Rorty examines the perspectives of American intellectuals on poverty, income disparities, and foreign affairs. He criticizes intellectuals on both the left and right for prioritizing cultural issues over economic ones and questions the future of American egalitarianism in the face of globalization. Rorty also discusses the decline of Western power and emphasizes the need for practical solutions to global challenges. His ideas continue to be relevant today, and he is remembered as a respected scholar. [Extracted from the article]

Although actual experiences of upward social mobility are historically low, many adolescents and adults express a belief in social mobility (e.g., that social status can change). Although a belief in upward mobility (e.g., that status can improve) can be helpful for economically disadvantaged adolescents and adults, a belief in upward social mobility in adults is also associated with greater acceptance of societal inequality. While this belief might have similar benefits or consequences in children, no previous work has examined whether children are even capable of reasoning about social mobility. This is surprising, given that elementary‐aged children exhibit sophisticated reasoning about both social status, as well as about the fixedness or malleability of properties and group membership. Across an economically advantaged group of 5‐ to 12‐year‐old American children (N = 151, Mage = 8.91, 63% racial majority, 25% racially marginalized; Mhousehold income = $133,064), we found evidence that children can reason about social mobility for their own families and for others. Similar to research in adults, children believe that others are more likely to experience upward than downward mobility. However, in contrast to adult's typical beliefs—but in line with economic realities—between 7‐ and 9‐years‐old, children become less likely to expect upward mobility for economically disadvantaged, versus advantaged, families. In sum, children are capable of reasoning about social mobility in nuanced ways; future work should explore the implications of these beliefs. Research Highlights: Despite harsh economic realities, a belief in upward social mobility and the American Dream is alive and well.Between 7 and 9 years of age, economically advantaged, American children begin to expect economically disadvantaged families to experience less upward mobility than economically advantaged families.Children's beliefs about social mobility better accord with reality than adults' do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing concepts of water political economy focus on political bargaining within relatively static institutional and climactic environments. This article adds 'post' to water political economy to explore how non-stationary climate interacts with endogenous political institutions to create and magnify policy and behavioural uncertainties. These post-water political economy ideas are then applied to food security to explore potential future scenarios. The implications are terrible for poor people living in water-scarce, food-importing countries, but not much better for everyone else. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with global imbalances as an increasingly important issue in our age. While the literature establishes that current accounts are inversely related to the ratio of income to consumption inequality in OECD, our study finds that this relationship is reversed in Asia. That ratio has much to do with various schemes of consumption smoothing, which are affected by policy interventions to alleviate the effects of rising income inequality. Different policies may generate opposite outcomes. In OECD, policy encourages consumer credit and deficit spending among low-income people so that consumption inequality is kept artificially low, leading up to a current account deficit. In Asia, policy promotes output growth via high savings with no well-developed smoothing schemes designed to help poor households, so that consumption inequality moves in line with income inequality, with excess savings recycled into a current account surplus. Hence, any reduction in global imbalances requires both regions to adjust their policies for mitigating income inequality and optimizing smoothing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, microinsurance witnessed an upward trend in India, accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting its necessity. Despite this, research indicates that microinsurance penetration remains limited, especially in Developing Countries like India. This study aims to evaluate the reach of micro-term insurance and the challenges faced by the underprivileged in accessing its benefits. Secondary data reveals that microinsurance failed to reach Poor People. However, Primary data underscores that the primary barriers are lack of awareness and the amount of premium. Moreover, we found that individuals outside the poverty demographic perceive microinsurance as advantageous for themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New York City (NYC) subway system accommodates 5.5 million daily commuters, and the environment within the subway is known to have high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. Naturally, subway air pollution varies among individuals according to their mobility patterns, introducing the possibility of inequality in PM2.5 exposure. This study aims to evaluate individual and community-level exposure to subway PM2.5. We simulated the intracity home-to-work trip patterns using the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) records of 3.1 million working commuters across 34,169 census blocks in four boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx) of NYC. We incorporated the on-platform and on-train measured PM2.5 concentration data for the entire subway system. The mean underground platform concentration in the city was 139 μg/m3 with a standard deviation of 25 μg/m3, while the on-train concentration when underground was 99 μg/m3 with a standard deviation of 21 μg/m3. Using a network model, we determined the exposure of individual commuters during their daily home-work trips. We quantified the mean per capita exposure at the census block level by considering the proportion of workers within the blocks who rely on the subway for their work commute. Results indicate statistically significant weak positive correlation between elevated subway PM2.5 exposure and economically disadvantaged and racial minority groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the ecumenical dialogue between the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF) from 2016 to 2022, exploring their shared beliefs, challenges, and opportunities for deeper unity in Christ. It highlights the dialogue's evolution, significant themes discussed, and the commitment to achieving greater cooperation between these distinct Christian traditions.

There is a long history of examining the connection between crime and delinquency and economic well-being and employment quality. Despite this vast literature, there still remains unanswered questions surrounding these associations, including whether the timing of adolescent delinquency is associated with adulthood economic disadvantage and job quality, whether different types of adolescent delinquency maintain differential associations with measures of economic disadvantage and employment quality in adulthood, and whether any associations between delinquency and economics/employment are invariant between males and females. The current study sought to address these issues by exploring the associations between adolescent involvement in nonviolent and violent delinquency (measured at two times in adolescence) and adulthood economic disadvantage and job quality. To do so, data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were analyzed. The results revealed consistently null associations between the measures of adolescent delinquency and economic disadvantage and job quality for males. For females, however, the results were consistently significant, indicating that females who self-reported greater involvement in delinquency were more likely to be economically disadvantaged as adults and to have lower quality jobs. These results indicate that the associations between delinquency and economic disadvantage and job benefits differs between males and females, with females, in comparison with males, paying a significantly greater toll for engaging in acts of violent and nonviolent delinquency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A previous network meta-analysis established 16-week relative efficacy with bimekizumab, an inhibitor of interleukin (IL)-17F in addition to IL-17A, versus other treatments for patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA; i.e., ankylosing spondylitis), including the IL-17A inhibitors secukinumab and ixekizumab. This matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) assessed 52-week relative efficacy of bimekizumab versus secukinumab and ixekizumab. Methods: Individual patient data from BE MOBILE 2 (bimekizumab 160 mg; N = 220) were matched to pooled summary data from MEASURE 1/2/3/4 (secukinumab 150 mg), MEASURE 3 (secukinumab 300 mg; escalated dose for inadequate responders), COAST-V (ixekizumab) and COAST-V/-W (ixekizumab). BE MOBILE 2 patients were reweighted using propensity score weights based on age, sex, ethnicity, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) exposure, weight, baseline ASDAS and BASFI (secukinumab) and baseline BASDAI (ixekizumab), and 52-week efficacy outcomes from the trial recalculated. Odds ratios (OR) or mean difference for unanchored comparisons are reported with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: At week 52, MAIC demonstrated that patients may have higher likelihood of improvement in key efficacy outcomes with bimekizumab versus secukinumab 150 mg (e.g., ASAS40: [OR (95% CI): 1.48 (1.05, 2.10); p = 0.026]; effective sample size [ESS] = 177). Differences in 52-week efficacy outcomes between bimekizumab and secukinumab 300 mg dose escalation were non-significant (ESS = 120). Bimekizumab versus ixekizumab 80 mg comparisons (COAST-V only; ESS = 84) also suggested that differences were non-significant for most key efficacy outcomes. Other ixekizumab comparisons (COAST-V/-W; ESS = 45) suggested bimekizumab may have higher comparative efficacy for many of the same efficacy outcomes, however ixekizumab analyses were limited by poor population overlap, likely due to the greater proportion of patients with previous TNFi exposure. Conclusions: Patients treated with bimekizumab may have a higher likelihood of achieving improved longer-term efficacy versus secukinumab 150 mg, suggesting bimekizumab may be a favorable therapeutic option for r-axSpA. Differences in efficacy outcomes with bimekizumab versus ixekizumab 80 mg were mostly non-significant, depending on the populations considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is still a global problem that must be immediately eradicated by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, namely ending poverty anywhere and in any form. In 2021, West Papua province will have the 2nd most significant percentage of poor people after Papua province, with 21.84% of the poor population. Poor households in West Papua province are dominated by families, with the Head of Household (KRT) working in the agricultural sector at 65.10 %. In this research, joint modelling was carried out between the level of household welfare and the employment sector of the head of the household in the West Papua province. It is suspected that these two variables have endogeneity problems, where one of the response variables becomes a predictor variable in the other equation, so a recursive bivariate binary probit regression model is used. Recursive bivariate binary probit regression parameter estimation uses Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), but the results are not closed form, so it is continued using the Newton-Raphson iteration method. The results of hypothesis testing show that partially, variables that significantly influence the level of household welfare include the variable marital status, KRT formal/informal workers, health complaints, asset ownership status, migration status, number of household members, classification of area of residence (Village/City), age of head of household, and employment sector of head of household. Meanwhile, variables that significantly influence the choice of working in the agricultural sector include the director of household education, classification of area of residence (rural/city), and the age of the head of household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor environmental education aims to immerse students in environmental spaces and create opportunities for classroom learning to be applied in the field. However, students from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities often have less access to these educational opportunities. This study examined the environmental education programs of nine community organizations in the San Francisco (SF) Bay Area. Through twenty-one interviews with program educators, we assessed two areas: (1) place-based learning being used as a connective tool for students and the community, and (2) ways in which access barriers to programming were addressed. Findings showed that community spaces, like gardens, brought students and the community together to reinforce the mission of place-based learning. Additionally, the findings contribute to the field of outdoor environmental education and place-based education by addressing how local organizations strategized to support equitable access through tactics like financial support and multilingual programming and materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant narrative in much of the world is that public safety is provided by policing, evidenced by supportive rhetoric from institutional forces including politicians, media, and large budget allocations in all levels of government. Alongside a long history of police violence, especially against Black, Brown, poor, and other marginalized people, many social movements reject the idea that policing provides safety and seek other methods for community wellness. The present study utilizes critical narrative analysis (CNA) to describe how marginalized residents of a small city in Iowa construct their understanding of personal and community safety. Their stories and the dialectic exchange during interviews illustrated several counternarratives and moments of conscientization for participants and researchers where safety was deconstructed and understood outside the power of recycled institutional narratives. Participants rejected popular notions of safety such as police, and instead embraced safety through robust relationships, community resources, and forms of self‐knowledge such as mental health. We analyzed their interviews as efforts to be humanly recognized within violent white supremacist structures, and their stories help to radicalize popular messages about safety. We highlight their world‐making abilities as they craft their own networks of community and safety outside of the state and police. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to strengthen governance institutions and fisheries restrictions and laws is needed to improve conservation and management of common‐pool resources. We evaluated the potential for stimulating change with modest interventions by studying fishing village households before and after a 27‐month intervention period in a high‐priority coral reef conservation area. Interventions included training in catch monitoring, stock assessment, mapping fishing grounds, microcredit, gender inclusion, theatrical skills, fuel efficient stoves, and participation in the planning of a conservation proposal. There was a background increase in reported formal education, household size, group membership, and household wealth but a decrease in fish consumption and public services. Of conservation importance, the perceived strength of 13 governance institutions and benefits of 6 fisheries restrictions increased over the intervention period. Finally, correspondence between knowledge of and agreement with recent national fisheries laws was moderate to high and positively correlated. The intervention period was stronger than demographic factors that often influence perceptions, such as village, government services, gender, household size, membership in community groups, and age responses. In general, perceptions of strengths of governance and benefits of restrictions increased more among women and youth than adult men respondents. The largest changes in perceptions of increased benefits were among strict restrictions initially ranked low, specifically fisheries closures, parks, and species restrictions. Consequently, capacity building overrode demographic factors common to poor people with limited employment capacity that can have negative perceptions of strict conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines Tianqiao, the largest commercial and entertainment centre, which underwent a significant transformation into the most popular public space in Republican Beijing. Spatial informality has often been overlooked in planning history, due to its deviation from traditional disciplinary norms, tools, and materials, yet it can offer valuable insights into Chinese urban public spaces and their social values. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including government documents, newspapers, social surveys, and personal records, this paper elucidates how everyday life and popular culture emerged as effective strategies for the poor population to exert their political power and passively resist the state's incomplete urban regularization efforts. This exemplifies a distinct type of Chinese public space that acts as a mediator between the state and society, particularly from a bottom-up perspective of urban modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent do journalists differ in their vulnerability to pressure from actors outside media organizations? This study complements research on such external interference by introducing the interference-vulnerability model. It typologizes three types of interference—professional, economic, and violent—that damage three basic motivations of journalists: professional status, economic status, and physical security. Further, it explains journalists’ experience of the three types of interference by their differing vulnerabilities, which stem from their value to external actors and the costs of noncompliance with interference. This argument builds on the theorized dynamic interaction between media professionals and external actors and applies the theory of routine activities and of rational choice. Multivariate regression of 567 journalists’ responses to a survey in Switzerland confirms the proposed model. Professional interference is aimed at informationally vulnerable journalists who publish on sensitive and investigative topics and have a wide reach. Economic interference is aimed at financially vulnerable journalists who cover consumer-oriented topics, have financial decision-making power, and work in economically competitive structures. Violent interference is directed against journalists who are vulnerable because of their identities: women and marginalized minorities. The model helps to explain external interference more comprehensively and to counter threats to journalistic autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the civil rights movements in Texas during the 1960s and 1970s, with a focus on the efforts of African Americans and ethnic Mexicans to achieve equality. It discusses the tensions between older, more moderate leaders and younger, more radical activists, and highlights the role of Reverend Reynell Parkins, a Black man and Latino immigrant who bridged the gap between different generations and ethnic groups. The article argues that understanding Parkins' activism provides a new perspective on the conflicts and collaborations within minority communities during this era. It also discusses Parkins' accomplishments as a social worker, Episcopal minister, and community organizer, including his work towards racial integration, housing improvement, and addressing racial exclusion within the Episcopal Church. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the Supreme Court case Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education which deals with educational choice. Topics mentioned include the impact of race and housing patterns on educational policies, the conflict between equal opportunity and diversity over liberty and individual rights, and effect of the city's desegregation policies on student achievement.

Bangladesh's complicated socioeconomic background serves as an example of the 21st-century worldwide environmental challenges. With a land area of 10,200 km2, the 'Sundarbans' is the world's biggest mangrove forest, a hotspot for biodiversity, and home to several rare or endangered birds, reptiles, and mammals. Issues with biodiversity and climate change are linked here. Bangladesh and India share this important carbon sink ecosystem downstream of the Ganges Brahmaputra Meghna River complex. The Sundarbans are extremely beneficial to the local population because they produce beeswax, honey, and an abundance of seafood. They also prevent saltwater intrusion onto arable land, accumulate sediment as sea levels rise, and lessen the effects of seasonal droughts and monsoon floods. The mangrove is the main source of food and money for a large number of the impoverished residents that live in and around this forest, mostly from farming and fishing. The negative effects of climate change are becoming more and more evident. Preserving this worldwide treasure is of utmost importance; nevertheless, how can this forest be sustained over the long haul? In order to ensure the effective conservation of this globally significant ecosystem in the context of climate mitigation, this paper evaluates the advantages of the Sundarbans ecosystem's good ecosystem function and lays out an integrated approach at the national (Bangladesh), bi-national (India-Bangladesh), and regional (with all countries of the Sundarbans river catchment system) levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of energy poverty in the Global South is identified by the lack of basic access to modern fuels and energy carriers. Impoverished people have traditional biomass and human power as their only sources of energy. This situation of deprivation of basic resources, in which (according to estimates of international agencies) almost one third of the world's population lives, masks other relevant characteristics of energy poverty. Current assessments of energy poverty in impoverished areas and the mitigation strategies being implemented are derived from the development agenda and, with variations in detail and scope, highlight electricity connections and access to clean cooking fuels as guarantors of progress. However, a comprehensive understanding of energy poverty requires focusing beyond basic access, building on the interactions between the supply of energy sources and carriers, the provision of energy services, and their impact on decent living conditions. To deal with the effects of these interactions on the energy poor, several studies have attempted in the last decade to construct an assessment framework centred on energy services. This work discusses the relevant dimensions in the framework (supply, services, and impact on wellbeing), reviews the multidisciplinary work available in each aspect, presents a range of proposed taxonomies, and discusses the different issues. A detailed framework is proposed for the integrated assessment of the supply of energy carriers and energy equipment, the provision of relevant energy services, and the improvements obtained in living conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many European countries employ Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in the administration of public benefits. However, there is limited understanding of how RPA is applied at the client level. This article investigates the utilization and impact of RPA use on social assistance (SA) distribution in Sweden, drawing on a sample of 800 SA applications in four Swedish municipalities. The results show that RPA use correlates with applicants' country of birth, age and duration of SA receipt. Additionally, RPA implementation coincides with less generous decisions, disproportionately affecting financially vulnerable groups. Rather than a correlation between generosity and the technology itself, the results suggest a conflict between the reorganisation of SA administration during RPA implementation and the principle of individualized judgments inherent in SA casework. Hence, public organisations are encouraged to ensure that their adoption of RPA neither exacerbates unequal access to services nor compromises professional discretion in favour of efficiency‐driven measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has highlighted the importance of thermal comfort and its health-related outcomes, particularly for the most vulnerable members of society living in social housing. Due to their vulnerable living conditions, low-income people are more exposed to negative outcomes of overheating and cold indoor temperatures in buildings. Previous studies suggest that there is a significant risk of overheating in retrofitted buildings both for the current and future weather scenarios. The UK government has introduced new building regulations to assess and limit the risk of overheating in new buildings; however, there is still a need to assess and improve conditions for existing and retrofitted properties. This study aims to evaluate the effect of retrofit strategies on thermal comfort and the risk of overheating in social housing under current and future climatic conditions. A typical case study building was simulated in DesignBuilder to assess thermal comfort conditions for upgraded building fabric to Part L of the UK building regulations and Passive House standards. The summer results were analyzed according to CIBSE TM59 while the Predicted Mean Vote index (PMV) was used for winter analysis. Findings revealed that the south-facing bedrooms are most exposed to overheating. Risk of overheating significantly increased for the future weather scenarios by up to 10 times while winter thermal comfort improved for the retrofitted scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an array of studies documenting community preparedness to flooding in towns and cities, particularly those in countries of the developing global south. However, fewer studies have investigated how cultural and social factors influence flood preparedness. In this article, we discuss the role of cultural and social attributes and how these can influence a community's preparedness to extreme flood events, with a focus on selected urban communities in Nigeria. Study revealed that despite, the effects of floods on the urban poor residents, they are actively involved and engaged in finding ways to build their adaptive capacity and resilience against flood events by deploying different strategies inspired through cultural and social attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Within the last 20-years, Medicare reimbursements for microsurgery have been declining, while physician expenses continue to increase. As a result, hospitals may increase charges to offset revenue losses, which may impose a financial barrier to care. This study aimed to characterize the billing trends in microsurgery and their implications on patient care. Methods The 2013 to 2020 Provider Utilization and Payment Data Physician and Other Practitioners Dataset was queried for 16 CPT codes. Service counts, hospital charges, and reimbursements were collected. The utilization, weighted mean reimbursements and charges, and charge-to-reimbursement ratios (CRRs) were calculated. The total and annual percent changes were also determined. Results In total, 13 CPT codes (81.3%) were included. The overall number of procedures decreased by 15.0%. The average reimbursement of all microsurgical procedures increased from $618 to $722 (16.7%). The mean charge increased from $3,200 to $4,340 (35.6%). As charges had a greater increase than reimbursement rates, the CRR increased by 15.4%. At the categorical level, all groups had increases in CRRs, except for bone graft (−49.4%) and other procedures (−3.5%). The CRR for free flap breast procedures had the largest percent increase (47.1%). Additionally, lymphangiotomy (28.6%) had the second largest increases. Conclusion Our analysis of microsurgical procedures billed to Medicare Part B from 2013 to 2020 showed that hospital charges are increasing at a faster rate than reimbursements. This may be in part due to increasing physician expenses, cost of advanced technology in microsurgical procedures, and inadequate reimbursement rates. Regardless, these increased markups may limit patients who are economically disadvantaged from accessing care. Policy makers should consider legislation aimed at updating Medicare reimbursement rates to reflect the increasing complexity and cost associated with microsurgical procedures, as well as regulating charge markups at the hospital level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]