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• Field experiment in mandatory recycling scheme tests effectiveness of door stepping. • Majority of households in mandatory recycling schemes separates waste correctly. • Minority of households is responsible for most miss sorting. • Door stepping does not influence behavior of households in mandatory schemes. • Door stepping can improve recycling behavior in voluntary recycling schemes. Household organic waste has great potential for closing nutrient cycles in agriculture. This requires proper waste separation by households. Personal communication at the doorstep potentially improves household waste separation behaviour but it is expensive and findings from existing research are mixed. Based on results of previous studies and from a quasi-experiment with non-equivalent groups design in two German municipalities, this paper argues that efficiency of personal communication depends on its context. It can positively influence behaviour when recycling is voluntary and participation rates are low. However, it has no significant effects if recycling is mandatory. One explanation could be different perceptions of recycling in mandatory and voluntary schemes. In voluntary schemes door stepping can activate the intrinsic motivation of households. In mandatory schemes, all households need to participate irrespective of intrinsic motivation. This research shows that this creates a situation in which a small share of households is responsible for almost all contamination. This can be overcome by considering extrinsic factors that affect recycling behaviour. The paper recommends further research to understand which combination of incentives, sanctions and information is efficient in affecting behaviour change in mandatory recycling schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary attempts to offer a practitioner's perspective on Chan (2019), which looks at how the communication skills of senior managers have changed throughout their careers. The findings of the study suggest that educators in ESP and higher education should prepare future leaders in a more long-term and holistic way so that they can become successful members of the business community. As they take up leadership functions, they will not only need an advanced proficiency of English but will have to use it as a lingua franca in business combined with relationship building, which requires relational language and soft skills. This repertoire will not only empower them but also create a company culture of trust and integrity for all the stakeholders. Educators in ESP and higher education need to prepare their learners to become holistic leaders and to overcome the challenges of workplace communication using English. This commentary discusses how Chan's findings could also be used to inform corporate training/coaching. It also provides tasks intended to support course participants in learning more about themselves, their own values, and their beliefs that are important for long-term relationship building. • A business English trainer's perspective on C. Chan's (2019) paper. • Language and communication strategies developed beyond formal learning. • English proficiency combined with soft skills and coaching throughout career. • Facilitating on-the-job learning via communities of practice and real-life experiences. • Long-term and holistic view for educators in ESP and higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias, is the principal contributor to the perpetuation of discrimination and is a robust determinant of people's decision-making. Unconscious bias occurs despite conscious nonprejudiced intentions and interferes with the actions of the reflective and conscious side. Education and self-awareness about implicit bias and its potentially harmful effects on judgment and behavior may lead individuals to pursue corrective action and follow implicit bias mitigation communication strategies. Team physicians must follow existing communication strategies and guidelines to mitigate unconscious bias and begin an evolution toward nonbiased judgment and decision-making to improve athlete care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the problem of distributed event-triggered tracking control in mobile sensor networks (MSNs) with a jointly connected topology (JCT). Two schemes are proposed for linear and Lipschitz nonlinear MSNs to estimate and track a mobile target. The proposed schemes are established using an event-triggered method to avoid continuous exchange of information between sensor nodes. In comparison with the other research under event-triggered communication strategies where states of the target are available, this paper considers that the states of the target are not available and two event-triggered algorithms are established for sensor nodes to estimate and follow the states of the continuous-time targets that can be seen in various real-world applications. Also, the proposed schemes are designed for the JCT with disconnected graphs which means the communication topology of the MSN is not required to be connected for all time instants. By employing the Cauchy convergence criterion and a common Lyapunov function, sufficient conditions are also established to ensure event-based tracking control subject to JCT. The effectiveness of the proposed work is verified by presenting simulation examples. • Two new event-triggered tracking control (ETC) schemes for mobile sensor networks. • The ETC is obtained without requiring continuous communication among sensor nodes. • The proposed schemes can be applied to networks with jointly connected topology. • The stability of the schemes is also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic received considerable attention from public relations scholars and research publications after the pandemic exploded. This study provides an overview of the status of COVID-19 public relations research in terms of topics, regional focuses, organization-public relationships, public relations approaches and themes, stages of the pandemic, and theoretical and methodological frameworks. This study also investigated how public relations research has described the characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed 126 articles published in peer-reviewed journals using quantitative and qualitative content analyses. We expect that this review provides new insights based on the current literature to advance public relations research in today's fast-changing society. • We analyzed 126 COVID-19 public relations research papers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals from the height of the pandemic in 2020 to February 2023. • Public Relations Review was the largest publication venue in COVID-19 public relations research (n = 17, 13.5%). • The most common topics in COVID-19 public relations research were relationship management (n = 43, 34.1%), crisis/risk management (n = 37, 29.4%), and issue management (n = 24, 19.0%). • Public Relations research papers described the COVID-19 pandemic situation commonly with six characteristics: transboundary impacts, uncertainty, global-scale event, health crisis, calling for sophisticated communication strategies, and an external crisis event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Revealing the transient synchronization instability phenomenon and mechanism. • Unreasonable grid dispatching strategy and communication delay will lead to LOS phenomenon. • Deriving the synchronization stability criteria of multi-paralleled system for different dispatching strategies. • Proposing a novel cluster control strategy optimization method. In this article, the transient synchronization process of multi-paralleled grid forming (GFM) inverters is studied detailly. Firstly, based on the multi-paralleled inverters control structure and complementary cluster center of inertia relative motion (CCCOI-RM), the single machine infinite bus (SMIB) system is proposed. Subsequently, the power angle characteristic (PAC) equation of multi-paralleled inverters for different dispatching strategies with simplified damping coefficient is built. Meanwhile, a grid dispatching strategy considering communication delay is proposed, which avoiding the cascading failures of grid faults. Furthermore, according to the grid dispatching strategy, a cluster control strategy optimization method including critical cluster identification (CCI) method and transient stability prediction analysis method is designed, which is proposed to identify unstable cluster in multi-paralleled inverters. In addition, the synchronization stability criteria for dispatching strategies of multi-paralleled inverters are obtained based on the PAC equation, in which the transient instability phenomenon and mechanism for different fault stages is explained by extended equal area criterion (EEAC) method. Finally, the simulations results validate the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis and proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated communication strategies clinicians reported using to navigate differences of opinion with patients regarding medical decisions. Twenty physicians of various specialties participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their strategies for maintaining mutual respect when disagreeing with a patient. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied. Enrollment concluded upon theme saturation. In an attempt to limit disagreements, physicians learned to gauge patient values, often deferring to clinicians being the expert on medicine and patients being the expert on themselves. Physicians noticed that disagreements were reinforced by prioritizing educational approaches. Strengthening the relationship by validating patient emotions was seen as a more effective strategy. Clinicians found it difficult to weigh relative potential for benefit to the relationship and feelings of moral distress in capitulating to patient preferences they disagreed with. Physicians recognized the value of moving from educational to relationship building strategies to help limit and navigate disagreements. Key strategies include prioritizing gauging the patient's values and validating their emotions. Anticipating disagreement, training clinicians to limit teaching, and instead prioritize a strong relationship to maintain trust and collaboration has the potential to improve patient health, with more limited resource use, and better experiences of care. • When navigating disagreement s , physicians may capitulate to save the relationship. • Physician moral distress may arise from acting against clinical evidence/expertise. • Physicians found it useful to gauge patient values early on to limit disagreements. • Physicians shifted to compassionately guiding patients instead of just educating. • Validating patient emotions and establishing boundaries can help navigate disagreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based guidance for oncologists on how to communicate prognosis is scarce. To investigate the effects of prognostic communication strategies (prognostic disclosure vs. communication of unpredictability vs. non-disclosure; standard vs. standard and best-case vs. standard, best- and worst-case survival scenarios; numerical vs. word-based estimates) on prognostic perceptions, treatment decision-making and end-of-life anticipation in advanced cancer. This experimental study used eight videos of a scripted oncological consultation, varying only in prognostic communication strategies. Cancer-naive individuals, who imagined being the depicted patient, completed surveys before and after watching one video (n = 1036). Individuals generally perceived dying within 1 year as more likely after prognostic disclosure, compared to communication of unpredictability or non-disclosure (P < 0. 001), and after numerical versus word-based estimates (P < 0. 001). Individuals felt better informed about prognosis to decide about treatment after prognostic disclosure, compared to communication of unpredictability or non-disclosure (P < 0. 001); after communication of unpredictability versus non-disclosure (P < 0. 001); and after numerical versus word-based estimates (P = 0. 017). Chemotherapy was more often favored after prognostic disclosure versus non-disclosure (P = 0. 010), but less often after numerical versus word-based estimates (P < 0. 001). Individuals felt more certain about the treatment decision after prognostic disclosure, compared to communication of unpredictability or non-disclosure (P < 0. 001). Effects of different survival scenarios were absent. No effects on end-of-life anticipation were observed. Evidence for moderating individual characteristics was limited. If and how oncologists discuss prognosis can influence how individuals perceive prognosis, which treatment they prefer, and how they feel about treatment decisions. Communicating numerical estimates may stimulate prognostic understanding and informed treatment decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Participants will be able to demonstrate effective communication strategies for hospice clinicians to elicit patients' concerns and hopes when they inquire about medical aid in dying. 2. Participants will be able to describe resources to support staff experiencing moral distress around medical aid in dying and to craft educational resources and policy to guide hospice staff when patients inquire about medical aid in dying. Approximately 20% of Americans reside in a jurisdiction where Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) is legal. Hospices have an obligation to provide high-quality care for patients pursuing this option, whether the hospice directly participate in MAID or not. The session will review the development of hospice policy, patient and staff support, and educational resources regarding MAID. Nearly one in five Americans live in a jurisdiction with legalized medical aid in dying (MAID), i.e., the ability for a competent, terminally ill patient to request a prescription for a lethal drug combination with the intent to end their life at a time of their choosing rather, than awaiting death from their terminal illness. Because U.S. statutes governing MAID require two providers to attest that the patient has a life expectancy of 6 months or less, patients eligible for MAID are also hospice eligible and the overwhelming majority patients who pursue MAID are receiving hospice care. Hospices have an obligation to support both patients and staff when MAID is being considered. Specific responsibilities include effectively communicating when a patient inquires about MAID, addressing the moral weight that hospice staff may experience when encountering this subject, and developing clear organizational guidelines. Medical directors for two hospice agencies, one within a large Catholic health system which does not directly participate in MAID and one without religious affiliation which does directly participate, will provide an overview of how their agencies and health system drafted policies, communication strategies, and resources to support patients, families, and hospice staff when a patient is considering MAID. A social worker within the non-religiously affiliated hospice will provide additional perspective on the operational aspects of a fully participating hospice program. Each presenter was centrally involved in developing their agency and health system's policy, protocols, communication strategies, and support resources. Advocacy / Policy / Regulations / Interdisciplinary Teamwork / Professionalism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of police reassurance callbacks to victims who reported crimes online, focusing on their rating of satisfaction with their reporting experience, perceived legitimacy, procedural justice, trust, and police performance. It also seeks to explore whether variations in the communication strategies used by the police – i.e., sending letters, a call from the investigator, or the reassurance callback – affect the participants' scores differently. A posttest-only control group design, with victims who reported crimes online in the Southern District of Israel but whose cases were closed by the police. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a callback from the police based on the tenets of procedural justice (treatment group) or not (control group). Telephone interviews inquired about satisfaction, trust, security, and procedural justice. t and χ2 statistics were then applied to measure the differences between the treatment and control conditions. Analyses of variance and Tukey's honestly significance difference test were used to estimate how different communication strategies affect victims' perceptions. No statistically significant differences in victims' ratings of satisfaction, procedural justice, trust in police, overall opinion of the police, or sense of security were observed between the treatment and control groups. However, based on the ad hoc analyses, compared to no contact at all following victims' initial reporting to the police, we show that (a) receiving only a letter from the police did not improve victims' satisfaction or overall rating of the police, whereas (b) a phone call from an investigator did lead to significant improvement in victim satisfaction and perceptions of procedural justice; however, (c) an additional procedural justice callback did not further enhance the investigator's phone call. Trust and security scores were not elevated under any of these conditions. When added to an initial callback from the police, consequent to online crime reporting, a second call based on the tenets of procedural justice does not significantly improve victims' satisfaction or perceptions of procedural justice beyond the first contact, and a letter-only communication does not improve victims' perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Healthy foods were positively associated with Non-processed foods , and Health and wellbeing. • Industrialized and ultra-processed foods were associated to Processed foods , and Negative perceptions. • Industrialized foods were associated with Convenience and Commercial brands , despite the negative perception. • The associations with the three concepts were influenced by the interest in health and sociodemographic profile. • Low education associated the concepts with Doubts and lack of knowledge about "Industrialized Food" and "Ultra-processed Food. • Participants did not differentiate between "Industrialized" and "Ultra-processed" foods. Food processing includes operations that transform raw materials into new products, ensuring the preservation and supply of safe food; however, this view is not always understood by consumers who tend to associate any type of processing with something negative and harmful to health. Given this, the objective of this study was to explore the associations of Brazilian consumers in relation to healthy foods, industrialized foods, and ultra-processed foods, as well as to evaluate the role of socio-demographic characteristics and interest in health in these associations. To this end, 512 Brazilians completed a word association task on these three concepts and then answered a questionnaire about interest in health and socio-demographic issues. In general, participants associated "Healthy food" mainly with "Unprocessed products." Conversely, "Industrialized foods" and "Ultra-processed foods" were associated with "Processed products," "Negative perceptions," "Health harm," and "Industry". Despite this, it was found that "Industrialized foods" were also perceived positively, mainly due to convenience. Consumer associations were influenced (p ≤ 0.05) both by interest in health and by socio-demographic profile. Individuals with a high interest in health mainly associated "Industrialized foods" and "Ultra-processed foods" with the presence of preservatives, additives, and pesticides, and with diseases. As for those with low interest in health, there was a greater lack of knowledge of the concepts. Doubts and lack of knowledge were observed for "Industrialized foods" and "Ultra-processed foods," mainly among consumers with low educational level. The results indicate the need to develop communication strategies that reach consumers to facilitate understanding and, in this way, help them to make more conscious food choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the event-triggered distributed state estimation problem for a class of discrete time-varying systems in the presence of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, where each sensor node selectively shares its local information with neighbors. In contrast to the previous studies where the DoS attacks are considered on sensor-to-filter channels, we deal with the situation that DoS attacks jam each filter-to-filter communication channel independently. To reduce the communication rate and save network resources, a novel event-triggered communication strategy is presented that takes into account the impact of DoS attacks and is specialized for each communication channel. Based on the covariance intersection fusion rule and weight rearrangement method, a distributed state estimation algorithm is proposed. Further, the consistency of estimates and mean-square boundedness of estimation errors are proved under system collective observability and some other mild assumptions. Lastly, a numerical simulation is conducted to demonstrate the developed results and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. • Denial-of-service attacks are considered to act independently on filter-to-filter channels. • A novel event-triggered scheme is specialized for each communication channel under attacks. • A distributed state estimation algorithm is derived with the result shown to be consistent. • Mean-square boundedness of estimation errors are also ensured under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine conservation programs face significant challenges engaging different audiences to participate in conservation actions. While it is understood that images can play a crucial role in shaping people's behaviours, in the context of marine conservation, research has focused on the effect of words. We know little about the effect of images on influencing people's intentions. Thus, there is scant guidance for marine conservation programs wanting to use images to improve communication and engagement strategies. This study addresses this gap by assessing how images are used in social media in Australian turtle conservation programs. Specifically, using visual framing analysis and online surveys, we assessed whether images of conservation actions or conservation threats increase participants emotions, self-efficacy, and intentions to engage in pro-conservation behaviours, using flatback turtles as a case study. We find that 1) images of animals are commonly used on social media, with certain types of images (e.g. landscapes, conservation actions) generating higher user engagement; 2) images on Twitter and Instagram generated higher user engagement than on Facebook; 3) images of conservation actions increased feelings of hope and self-efficacy, while images of conservation threats increased feelings of fear and reduced self-efficacy; and 4) feelings of self-efficacy increased participants' intentions to support low-effort conservation actions. Results suggest that the types of images posted on social media can influence viewers' emotions and intentions to engage in pro-conservation behaviours. Our findings provide guidance for conservation programs and managers to develop improved communication and engagement strategies through visual media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]