Search

Identification of unidentified human remains, and long-term missing persons (LTMP) is imperative, allowing for missing persons to be reunited with their families, which could provide closure to families experiencing ongoing ambiguity surrounding the situation. However, identification remains problematic for several reasons, including the absence of DNA provision in the investigation. The research reported here is the second in a two-part series exploring public/family support for providing DNA in LTMP cases. In the first study, quantitative results showed that participants had concerns when asked if they thought there would be implications for a person providing DNA to police in LTMP cases. The aim of this second study was to explore further using qualitative methods the nuances and themes underpinning concerns for providing DNA in LTMP cases. Participants described their concerns about providing DNA in four hypothetical LTMP case scenarios (a child, an adult with dementia, a runaway 19-year-old adolescent, and an estranged adult). Through thematic content analysis, ten themes were identified. Nine themes run across all four LTMP case scenarios. The tenth theme was only observed in two scenarios; cases involving adolescents with a history of runaway, and in cases involving adults estranged from their family. Results showed public concerns differed according to LTMP case circumstances. Key findings point to public education about how DNA is used in LTMP investigations, the applicable legislation relating to police use of DNA in investigations and increasing public awareness around the benefits of DNA use in LTMP investigations. Potentional policy options are discussed that could guide the future development of nuanced police practice in different types of LTMP cases., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Drug reimbursement decisions that spark public controversy are potential signals that processes used to reach such decisions do not adequately reflect society's goals. Such controversial decisions appear to be a characteristic of Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY)-based Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER)-dominated decision-making systems. QALY-based ICER-heavy systems have several known weaknesses that lead to individual and societal preferences being either ignored or considered in an unsystematic and inconsistent manner., Areas Covered: We reprise some of the key inadequacies of QALY-based ICER analyses and suggest that there are other means including multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) and cost-benefit analysis based on willingness to pay (WTP) measures by which to partially mitigate these weaknesses., Expert Opinion: For long, the inadequacies of QALY-based ICER-heavy decision-making systems have been rationalized with the answer: 'while the method is a second best, it is the best we currently have.' In light of the equally well-developed and widely utilized alternatives available, this resistance to improve assessment processes should not be accepted by policy makers. Health technology assessment bodies should consider and, with appropriate modifications, adopt these alternatives as they have the potential to result in more comprehensive, systematic, and accountable decision-making.

Abstract Emergency general surgeons often provide care to severely ill patients requiring surgical interventions and intensive support. One of the primary drivers of morbidity and mortality is perioperative bleeding. In general, when addressing life threatening haemorrhage, blood transfusion can become an essential part of overall resuscitation. However, under all circumstances, indications for blood transfusion must be accurately evaluated. When patients decline blood transfusions, regardless of the reason, surgeons should aim to provide optimal care and respect and accommodate each patient’s values and target the best outcome possible given the patient’s desires and his/her clinical condition. The aim of this position paper was to perform a review of the existing literature and to provide comprehensive recommendations on organizational, surgical, anaesthetic, and haemostatic strategies that can be used to provide optimal peri-operative blood management, reduce, or avoid blood transfusions and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Legal Literacies for Text Data Mining - Cross-Border (“LLTDM-X”) is a National Endowment for the Humanities Level 1 Advancement Grant project addressing legal and ethical issues faced by U.S. digital humanities (DH) practitioners whose text data mining (TDM) research and practice intersects with foreign-held or - licensed content, or involves international cooperations.LLTDM-X ​​is a collaboration between the University of California Berkeley Library and Internet Archive, and builds upon the previous NEH-sponsored institute, Building Legal Literacies for Text Data Mining (Building LLTDM). That institute provided guidance and strategies to DH TDM researchers on navigating legal literacies for text data mining (including copyright, contracts, privacy, and ethics) within a U.S. context.A common challenge highlighted during Building LLTDM was the fact that TDM practitioners encounter numerous and complex legal problems in cross-border TDM research. These occur when: (i) the materials practitioners want to mine are housed in a foreign jurisdiction, or are otherwise subject to foreign database licensing or laws; (ii) the human subjects they are studying or who created the underlying content reside in another country; or, (iii) the colleagues with whom they are collaborating reside abroad, yielding uncertainty about which country’s laws, agreements, and policies apply.We designed LLTDM-X to identify and better understand the cross-border issues that DH TDM practitioners face, with the aim of using these issues to inform prospective research and education. We also hoped that LLTDM-X would yield preliminary guidance to benefit researchers in the meantime, as instructional materials are being developed. In early 2023, we hosted a series of three online round tables with U.S.-based cross-border TDM practitioners (“Practitioners”), and law and ethics experts (“Experts”) practicing in six countries. The round table conversations were structured to illustrate the empirical issues that researchers face, and also for the Practitioners to benefit from guidance on legal and ethical challenges. Upon the completion of the round tables, the LLTDM-X project team created a robust and hypothetical case study that (i) reflects the observed cross-border LLTDM issues and (ii) contains analysis to facilitate the development of future instructional materials.

Abstract Structured reporting in radiology continues to hold substantial potential to improve the quality of service provided to patients and referring physicians. Despite many physicians’ preference for structured reports and various efforts by radiological societies and some vendors, structured reporting has still not been widely adopted in clinical routine. While in many countries national radiological societies have launched initiatives to further promote structured reporting, cross-institutional applications of report templates and incentives for usage of structured reporting are lacking. Various legislative measures have been taken in the USA and the European Union to promote interoperable data formats such as Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) in the context of the EU Health Data Space (EHDS) which will certainly be relevant for the future of structured reporting. Lastly, recent advances in artificial intelligence and large language models may provide innovative and efficient approaches to integrate structured reporting more seamlessly into the radiologists’ workflow. The ESR will remain committed to advancing structured reporting as a key component towards more value-based radiology. Practical solutions for structured reporting need to be provided by vendors. Policy makers should incentivize the usage of structured radiological reporting, especially in cross-institutional setting. Critical relevance statement Over the past years, the benefits of structured reporting in radiology have been widely discussed and agreed upon; however, implementation in clinical routine is lacking due—policy makers should incentivize the usage of structured radiological reporting, especially in cross-institutional setting. Key points 1. Various national societies have established initiatives for structured reporting in radiology. 2. Almost no monetary or structural incentives exist that favor structured reporting. 3. A consensus on technical standards for structured reporting is still missing. 4. The application of large language models may help structuring radiological reports. 5. Policy makers should incentivize the usage of structured radiological reporting. Graphical Abstract

Emergency general surgeons often provide care to severely ill patients requiring surgical interventions and intensive support. One of the primary drivers of morbidity and mortality is perioperative bleeding. In general, when addressing life threatening haemorrhage, blood transfusion can become an essential part of overall resuscitation. However, under all circumstances, indications for blood transfusion must be accurately evaluated. When patients decline blood transfusions, regardless of the reason, surgeons should aim to provide optimal care and respect and accommodate each patient's values and target the best outcome possible given the patient's desires and his/her clinical condition. The aim of this position paper was to perform a review of the existing literature and to provide comprehensive recommendations on organizational, surgical, anaesthetic, and haemostatic strategies that can be used to provide optimal peri-operative blood management, reduce, or avoid blood transfusions and ultimately improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools are ideal settings to promote adolescent physical activity (PA), yet school-based interventions have shown limited long-term impact. This position paper presents key issues surrounding school-based PA interventions. Collaborative conceptual thinking drawing on multi-author expertise and available evidence advanced our understanding and opinion. Key arguments: 1) the adoption of a systems approach, which maximizes partnership action and leverages policy, is crucial for understanding the complexities of implementing whole-school programs; 2) a reorientation to an assets perspective optimizes existing strengths and resources allowing greater emphasis on the full range of physical, cognitive, emotional and social benefits that PA provides, and 3) a move beyond traditional positivist research designs to advance our knowledge of what works better, for whom and in what context is needed for greater progress We provide suggestions, specifically advocating for systems approaches, as a realistic way to improve how we support PA in schools in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how the leading Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking communicate their environmental sustainability policies through their websites. Specifically, this paper analyses the presence of sustainability-related sustainable development goals on the websites of the top 100 universities in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking (2021). In the area of university social responsibility, sustainability is less commonly communicated, hence the need to delve deeper into the presence of these messages, carrying out a descriptive study using content analysis as a form of data extraction. The conclusion is that neither position in the ranking nor geographic area are decisive for developing better communication about sustainability. In terms of content, sustainability features on the websites are in three key dimensions of the communication of HEIs worldwide ("Climate change, Efficiency of sustainable cities and communities and Striving for peace and justice"). Thus, the areas for improvement are around the positioning of this sustainability-related content on their home pages, improving location and format (especially video). Moreover, reinforcing reputational messages, through plans or programmes, as well as improving engagement working on the multi-directionality to other social media, is required.

China's carbon market is an important way to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Blockchain technology can solve the problems of low trading efficiency, poor liquidity and regional heterogeneity in China's current carbon market. this paper explores the scenario of applying blockchain technology to China's carbon market. Firstly, this paper considers the allocation of carbon quota in the carbon market based on blockchain technology under policy regulation. The study found that the development of carbon trading pilots was uneven, and some pilot carbon trading volumes were low, presenting a situation of "no market price". Secondly, it describes the enhancement effect of blockchain technology on the carbon market from the perspective of technology and multiple factors. Considering only the technical factors, the enhancement process is an "inverted L" shape, while considering the superposition factors, the enhancement effect is approximately an "S" shape. Finally, based on the social learning model of major technological changes, the paper describes the process of dynamic utilization of blockchain technology by carbon trading enterprises and simulates the evolution law. The government should introduce relevant policies to guide the implementation of blockchain technology in the carbon market to strengthen the vitality of the carbon market and meet the expectation of carbon emission reduction. This paper provides theoretical support for the integration of blockchain technology into China's carbon market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive sugar consumption is the main cause of dental caries. Dental caries is highly prevalent and negatively impacts the quality of life at all stages. Furthermore, sugar consumption is associated with other noncommunicable conditions and diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this paper is to propose recommendations at the individual and population levels for health professionals, families, educators, stakeholders, and public officials to reduce the burden of dental caries and other noncommunicable diseases that are caused by the excessive sugar intake. A systematic search was performed in PubMed and Cochrane databases to investigate the effectiveness of strategies and policies aiming to reduce sugar consumption as well as the impact of different patterns of sugar consumption on the occurrence of dental caries. Reference list of the identified papers and practice guidelines were manually reviewed as well. Based on the best evidence available, the Brazilian Academy of Dentistry recommends not to offer sugars to children younger than 2 years of age, and to limit total sugar consumption to

The purpose of this position paper by the South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFPs) is to inform decision making on human resources for health policy in South Africa and the placement of family physicians (FPs) in the district health system. National policies have been marred by misunderstanding of the roles and contribution of FPs; and there is unhelpful variability in how FPs are positioned in the health services between provinces. In the private sector, medical aid schemes have discriminated against FPs by failing to remunerate them as specialists and to recognise their scope of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the White Paper, Opportunity for all, published by the UK Government's Department for Education (DfE) in March 2022. This has a number of recommendations for schools in an attempt to 'level up'. In particular, there is a promise to deliver 'a fully trust-led system with a single regulatory approach [and] a clear role for every part of the school system'. Such a system provides a serious challenge to the way that Religious Education (RE) structures in England are currently built: in short, when Local Authorities no longer have schools under their control – what is the point of a SACRE? Arguing that the 'local settlement' for RE serves two purposes – a curricular purpose and support and monitoring purpose – this paper will suggest that future RE curricula will be planned at the Trust level, with the monitoring and support functions being moved from the local to the regional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this position paper by the South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFPs) is to inform decision making on human resources for health policy in South Africa and the placement of family physicians (FPs) in the district health system. National policies have been marred by misunderstanding of the roles and contribution of FPs; and there is unhelpful variability in how FPs are positioned in the health services between provinces. In the private sector, medical aid schemes have discriminated against FPs by failing to remunerate them as specialists and to recognise their scope of practice.

The European Union (EU) legislation suggests that EU member states progressively adopt and implement policies that are primarily in line with the broader European interests, and secondarily with specific national interests. Yet, citizens from various EU member-states often oppose these EU directives and adopt attitudes that favour national interests. The current study investigates whether EU citizens progressively comply with-or digress from-the directives of the superordinate EU group during the Russia-Ukraine war. In a two-wave study we investigated the role of instrumental reasons (i.e., maximisation of material gain) to cooperate with an EU outgroup, namely Russia, in Greeks' (an EU member state) compliance with the EU directives over time during the Russia-Ukraine war. We hypothesised and found that instrumental reasons to cooperate with Russia: (a) encourage EU citizens to support digressing from EU directives and (b) predict decreased identification with the superordinate identity of EU over time. Moreover, since NATO's approach to the Russian invasion closely mirrors that of the EU, we further investigated the effects of instrumental reasons to cooperate with Russia on Greeks' identification with a different superordinate group, namely NATO. Results were largely similar to those we obtained when focusing on EU as a superordinate group., (© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Union of Psychological Science.)

The advent of digitalization has brought about profound changes in the global value chain, raising significant concerns about environmental sustainability. However, the environmental consequences resulting from the interplay between global value chain participation and digitalization have not been adequately explored, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). To address this gap, our research delves into the impact of global value chain participation on environmental sustainability in 15 MENA countries from 1996 to 2018. We also investigate the moderating effects of two critical policy variables: digitization and institutional quality, employing the SYS-GMM Panel method and Random Effects method. Empirical findings reveal that participating in the global value chain has positive environmental implications for MENA countries. These results hold true and remain consistent when considering forward value participation linkages and oil-importing nations. Furthermore, we observe that the proposed moderators play a significant role in shaping the environmental impact of the global value chain. Specifically, institutions and global value chains work in synergy to promote environmental sustainability in MENA, encompassing both oil-importing and oil-exporting groups. However, the interaction between the global value chain and digitalization generates a negative net effect, which diminishes beyond a specific digitalization threshold of 10.23%. Consequently, implementing complementary policies becomes crucial when digitization is below this threshold. Additionally, our study supports the resource curse hypothesis for the MENA region, suggesting that natural resources contribute to environmental degradation. These insights offer valuable guidance for enhancing global value chain integration while preserving a sustainable environment in MENA., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a continuous and robust impact on world health. The resulting COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating physical, mental and fiscal impact on the millions of people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In addition to older age, people living with CVD, stroke, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, and hypertension are at a particularly greater risk for severe forms of COVID-19 and its consequences. Meta-analysis indicates that hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and thrombotic complications have been observed as both the most prevalent and most dangerous co-morbidities in COVID-19 patients. And despite the nearly incalculable physical, mental, emotional, and economic toll of this pandemic, forthcoming public health figures continue to place cardiovascular disease as the number one cause of death across the globe in the year 2020. The world simply cannot wait for the next pandemic to invest in NCDs. Social determinants of health cannot be addressed only through the healthcare system, but a more holistic multisectoral approach with at its basis the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is needed to truly address social and economic inequalities and build more resilient systems. Yet there is reason for hope: the 2019 UN Political Declaration on UHC provides a strong framework for building more resilient health systems, with explicit calls for investment in NCDs and references to fiscal policies that put such investment firmly within reach. By further cementing the importance of addressing circulatory health in a future Framework Convention on Emergency Preparedness, WHO Member States can take concrete steps towards a pandemic-free future. As the chief representatives of the global circulatory health community and patients, the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health calls for increased support for the healthcare workforce, global vaccine equity, embracing new models of care and digital health solutions, as well as fiscal policies on unhealthy commodities to support these investments.

Cognitive dissonance is an important element in adult learning in that it challenges previously held ideas in favor of new knowledge. In-class simulations and game-based learning are used as innovative and effective pedagogical tools in challenging adult learners and enhancing the students' ability to think critically about larger societal needs. This paper will review the literature relevant to cognitive dissonance, adult learning, and game and simulation practices in higher education. The authors present the results of one simulation activity in a quasi-experimental non-random comparison group conducted across five universities within multiple undergraduate and graduate level social work policy courses. Findings of this research on the use of simulations in social work policy courses can be used to guide other social work programs with embedding this effective educational practice into their programs. Institutions of higher education, specifically within the discipline of social work, can play an important role in continuing the research and evaluation of this effective pedagogical practice through measuring outcomes on student critical thinking and changes in student beliefs and biases.

Life expectancy can reflect both health benefit and implementation cost of climate policy. Nevertheless, little research has quantified the relation between life expectancy and climate policy in literature. In this paper, we attempt to narrow the research gap by studying how life expectancy is related to the Chinese nationwide emission trading scheme (CNETS). To achieve this research target, a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model is employed to simulate the operation of the economic system and the policy shock from emission abatement. The CGE model results show that life expectancy is prolonged by GDP but shortened by emissions, and the GDP impact on life expectancy is larger than the emission impact. Climate policy has dual effects on life expectancy because it relieves both negative emission impacts and positive GDP impacts on lifespan; its net effect on life expectancy is positive. Life expectancy positively impacts GDP, and this impact is moderated by climate policy; specifically, climate policy reinforces the positive impact of life expectancy on GDP. Life expectancy minimally affects carbon emissions during climate policy implementation; in other words, it has minimal impacts on emission abatement. These findings imply that climate policy and life expectancy complement each other; the government could implement climate policy to increase lifespan or prolong life expectancy to facilitate policy implementation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A comprehensive review of the non-timber forest product (NTFP) sector from 1980 to 2022 was undertaken. The study employed a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, incorporating explicit keywords. The results indicate that NTFPs underwent significant evolution, including research and development changes, particularly following the Rio de Janeiro summit. Most published research originated from the United States, accounting for 24% of the total; Brazil and India each contributed 10% of the published research. We included 316 potential research items: 262 articles, 19 book chapters, 27 review articles, and eight conference papers. The review analysis highlighted that NTFPs are crucial in meeting food requirements, obtaining specific medicinal resources, and acquiring material inputs for rural households, serving as a safety net during agrarian distress. NTFPs play a crucial role in promoting the development of the bio-economy. In low- and high-income nations with abundant bio-resources, NTFP value chains are increasingly pertinent for generating revenue, enhancing livelihoods, and reducing poverty in forest dependent communities. Further, the analysis emphasized that NTFP consumption, utilization, and sales occur at the household level, and its comprehensive assessment is challenging, leading to the need for a reevaluation of approaches that include value chain analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experience of serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) results in complex physical disability and psychosocial trauma amplifying poverty and multi-generational trauma and impeding long-term recovery. We use data from a representative sample of victims in the case Prosecutor V. Dominic Ongwen brought before the International Criminal Court. Thirteen years after the 2004 massacre, the victims were significantly worse off than the general war-affected population that did not experience serious violations of IHL. The differences in health and wellbeing persisted for individuals and their households, including children born after the massacre. The victims have significantly lower availability of appropriate health services and medications, including significantly greater distance to travel to these services. These findings call attention to the needs of people having experienced IHL violations, for provision of physical and emotional trauma care to allow for recovery, and better understanding of the short- and long-term impacts of IHL violations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

With carbon emissions becoming more and more closely related to human activities and China being the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, the cost of environmental quality deterioration is high and environmental sustainability is low. Against this background, it is urgent to implement low-carbon recycling and green development by introducing green funds based on the role of environmental regulation intensity. Therefore, based on the data of 30 provinces from 2004 to 2019, the paper considers the dynamic impact of environmental regulation intensity and green finance development on regional environmental sustainability. The provincial data involve specific spatial locations and focus on the economic interactions among provinces, and the spatial econometric model is very applicable. Based on the spatial econometric model, this paper empirically examines the direct effect, spatial spillover effect, and total effect, considering both spatial and temporal patterns. The research shows that (1) China's provincial environmental sustainability shows a noticeable spatial agglomeration effect, which is significantly and spatially autocorrelated and clustered. (2) Based on the national level, an increase in the intensity of environmental regulation will significantly increase regional environmental sustainability, and the development of green finance will also significantly increase regional environmental sustainability. Additionally, the environmental regulation intensity has a significant positive spatial spillover effect, which may increase environmental sustainability in neighboring provinces. There is also a significant positive spatial spillover effect of the impact of green finance development on environmental sustainability. (3) Based on the provincial level, the impact of environmental regulation and green financial development on environmental sustainability in each region is significantly positive, with the most significant impact in the western region and the smallest coefficient in the eastern region. The paper proposes policy and managerial implications to promote regional environmental sustainability based on the above findings., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This comparative case study examines the policies of two new immigrant destinations in the United States and Canada that in the past 20 years experienced a rapid influx of immigrants. Using an integrated framework of policy design theory and the context of reception, this paper analyzes the framing of immigrant students in the state, district, and school-level policies. Interviews with immigrant students in these communities show how these policies shaped their schooling experiences and communicated important messages to them about their role in their new communities, thus shaping their political identities. The findings highlight the important interplay of these different policymakers in shaping the contexts of receptions students encountered. The paper concludes by discussing educators' role in working to craft more equitable policies.