Search

Background: Including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities through consultation has been a key feature of policy implementation throughout the Australian Government's "Closing the Gap" (CTG) strategy. However, consultation often reinforces power imbalances between government and local community and can undervalue or marginalise Indigenous knowledge and leadership. Occupational therapy has a short history of examining colonial power structures within the profession, but there has been limited progress to decolonise consultation and practice., Methods: Drawing on decolonising research methodology and positioned at the interface of knowledge, comparative case studies were used to understand policy implementation in two regions. In Shepparton, Victoria, CTG policy was implemented predominately through an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, and in Southern Adelaide, South Australia, CTG policy was implemented through mainstream state government and non-government providers in the absence of a local Aboriginal-controlled organisation. Findings were examined critically to identify implications for occupational therapy., Results: Our case studies showed that policy stakeholders perceived consultation to be tokenistic and partnerships were viewed differently by Aboriginal and non-Indigenous participants. Participants identified the need to move beyond a rhetoric of "working with" Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to promote Aboriginal leadership and really listen to community so that policy can respond to local need. The findings of this research show that Aboriginal-controlled services are best positioned to conduct and respond to community consultation., Conclusion: A decolonising approach to consultation would shift the status quo in policy implementation in ways that realign power away from colonial structures towards collaboration with Indigenous leadership and the promotion of Aboriginal-controlled services. There are lessons for occupational therapy from this research on policy implementation on authentic, decolonised consultation as a key feature of policy implementation. Shifting power imbalances through prioritising Indigenous leadership and honouring what is shared can drive change in CTG policy implementation processes and outcomes., (© 2024 The Authors. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Occupational Therapy Australia.)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore how resilience is manifested in the experiences of emerging adults who were subjected to bullying victimization in school and have high levels of psychological functioning in emerging adulthood., Methods: Fifteen Swedish emerging adults (M age  = 29.13, SD = 0.52) who, despite experiences of bullying victimization at age 10, had high levels of psychological functioning as emerging adults were interviewed. The interviews focused on experiences of bullying victimization and the long-term outcomes of these experiences. Qualitative methods were used in the analysis, with a specific focus on resilience., Results/conclusion: The findings illustrate how long-term outcomes of bullying victimization in school, in relation to resilience, comprise a dynamic process between personal agency and social resources in the environmental context., (© 2024 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published by Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Heritage guidelines recognize odors as a value associated with a place. This study aims to clarify the connection between heritage and volatile organic compounds at the molecular level. At variance with previous studies, usually focused only on book-related compounds from accelerated degradation tests, the whole air of one of the most significant historical libraries in Italy was studied. A sampling of the volatiles off-gassing from the two most iconic rooms, respectively open and forbidden to visitors, was performed via a non-invasive, nondestructive green method, solid-phase-micro-extraction. The gas-chromatographic analyses resulted in the appraisal of olfactory contributions from books, storage environment, and, for the first time, anthropic activities and pollution.Concerning the paper decay process, for the very first time, the presence of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol in the chromatographic signature of the library air is rationalized according to the Guerbet reaction. The presence of all other compounds is explained by the paper decay process, anthropic sources, and pollution. Indoor air comprises analytes related to paper decay, identified by previous studies, and additional compounds never found before.Most volatile compounds are aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes, and terpenoids. Odor contributions from a selected number of analytes were pinpointed. Alkanes dominate the volatiles chromatographic signature, and impart a slight hydrocarbon smell. Aromatics supplement their characteristic aromatic odor. Aldehydes' very low odor threshold makes them strongly contribute to both fruity and fatty descriptors. Benzaldehyde, furfural, vanillin, and camphor add, respectively, an hint of almond, bread, vanilla, and camphor. Alcohols such as 2-ethyl hexanol have a floral scent. Wood-related terpenes and terpenoids contribute to the woody smell of the library.The digital molecular fingerprint of the "scent of knowledge" enables documentation, conservation, and future chemical reproduction of the historical library odor., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This paper investigates changes in political participation following a disaster. Drawing on the electoral results and flood declarations after the 2010 flood in Slovakia, a dataset was constructed that illustrates when and how often each municipality was affected by disastrous conditions before the elections. The analysis revealed that experiencing a flood significantly increased the level of political participation in a municipality. However, the effect of flooding on elections is conditional. First, significantly higher turnout occurs only when a flood affects the municipality on election day. Second, repeated flooding before the elections does not change the overall participation rate. In contrast, it is the one-time, continuous extreme weather event that most mobilises voters. Third, only severely affected municipalities demonstrated a significant turnout effect. Lastly, the timing variable is crucial in determining the impact of repetition and severity. This paper distinguishes between different kinds of flood events that can influence disaster behaviour., (© 2023 ODI.)

Coping and recovery capabilities in disasters depend to a large part on the social resilience of the societies or regions that are hit by the respective disruptions. Prior disaster studies suggest a variety of indicators to assess social resilience in the natural hazard context. This paper discusses whether the most common disaster-related social resilience indicators, including social cohesion and support, can meaningfully capture social resilience in pandemic crises, since pandemics typically entail physical distancing and other social restrictions. Based on a review of frequently used social resilience measures, this study proposes pandemic-tailored indicators of social resilience to map a society's or region's coping and recovery capabilities in a meaningful way. Applying the suggested set of indicators to a sample of 1,500 residents surveyed in Switzerland during the summer 2020 phase of the COVID-19 crisis revealed low levels of social support and community engagement, but a high level of willingness to help others., (© 2023 The Authors. Disasters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of ODI.)

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is widely considered the premier leader development institution in the United States. Since first admitting women in 1976, few studies have examined factors that may influence female cadets to perform as leaders in this environment. The present study analyzed archival data collected during a unique longitudinal study of leader development conducted at West Point during the years 1993-2000, the Baseline Officer Leader Development Study (BOLDS). Personality hardiness, transformational and transactional leadership styles were evaluated as potential predictors of performance as leaders, according to supervisor ratings. Regression results showed that female cadets excel as leaders, outperforming male cadets as a group. Hardiness and transformational leadership style predicted leader performance for both male and female cadets. Additional analyses indicated it is the transformational leadership element of "charismatic" (or idealized influence) leadership that accounts for this finding. The transactional component "management by exception-active" also predicted leader performance, but for male cadets only. This study confirms that hardiness and charismatic leadership style are important for leadership performance of both male and female cadets. For male cadets, leader performance was also tied to actively identifying and addressing failures in subordinates. Leader development programs for both men and women may thus be enhanced by including programs to develop personality hardiness and transformational leadership qualities., (© 2023 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This paper analyses findings of the 'PROWELLMIGRANTS' 2 project, which qualitatively investigated COVID-19 impacts on migrants' well-being and mental health in Kerala, India. It draws on a novel conceptual framework that combines assemblage-thinking with theories of social contracts in disasters. The paper first explores how past development processes and contemporary migration policies in Kerala, and India more widely, generated conditions of vulnerability for migrant workers in Kerala prior to the pandemic. Next it shows that Government of Kerala interventions, in some cases supported by the central Government of India, temporarily addressed these vulnerabilities during the pandemic. In acknowledging the helpful response of the Kerala government, we problematise its stance on migrant workers during 'normal' times and speculate that permanently addressing these conditions of vulnerability would be a more logical approach. We acknowledge this involves overcoming many wider barriers. Thus, the paper also contains national-level policy implications., (© 2023 The Authors. Disasters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of ODI.)

Humanitarian organisations are increasingly utilising biometric data. However, we know little about the extent and scope of this practice, as its benefits and risks have attracted all the attention so far. This paper explores the biometric practices of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations World Food Programme, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, and World Vision International. The study analysed relevant documents published over the past two decades and 17 semi-structured interviews with humanitarian workers conducted between June 2021 and June 2022. The findings reveal that humanitarian organisations use diverse types and functions of biometric data for different services, collaborate with many actors, and employ various data protection measures. Ultimately, challenging the straightforward generalisations about the use of such data, the paper argues that variational applications of biometrics in the humanitarian context require case-by-case analysis, as each instance will likely produce a different outcome., (© 2023 The Authors. Disasters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of ODI.)

There has been growing awareness in recent years of the wide-ranging negative impacts that counter-terrorism measures and sanctions impose on humanitarian action. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with the staff of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), this paper examines these impacts on INGOs based in the United Kingdom. This is a context where a particularly complex array of laws, policies, and regulatory regimes have emerged alongside an increasingly hostile political and media setting for INGOs, creating an environment characterised by uncertainty. The paper shows that counter-terrorism measures and sanctions are leading INGOs to adopt more conservative approaches to partnership in areas controlled by proscribed groups, undermining broader commitments to the localisation agenda. The analysis reveals that perceptions of risk within INGOs vary considerably, but that despite this, INGOs have developed strategies to reduce the impacts of counter-terrorism measures, which over time, have led to improved coordination, and in some instances, a willingness to push back against regulations., (© 2023 The Authors. Disasters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of ODI.)

This functional magnetic resonance imaging study delves into the impact of experience and pitcher handedness on the pitch-calling behavior of baseball umpires. Expert and intermediate umpires were asked to make ball/strike calls on videotaped pitches of left- and right-handed pitchers and rate their certainty for the call while undergoing scanning. Behavioral results replicated previous findings that expert umpires were more certain but not more accurate or quicker than intermediate umpires, suggesting that, as sports officials, umpires may learn to project confidence to maintain control of the game. At the neural level, expert umpires exhibited more extensive and pronounced activations within the action observation network, dorsal striatum, and cerebellum. These heightened neural responses were probably associated with their enhanced visual processing abilities for pitching action and ball trajectory, honed over years of officiating. Notably, both expert and intermediate umpires exhibited decreased accuracy when judging pitches from left-handed pitchers compared to right-handed ones. These challenges in accuracy corresponded with weaker neural activations in the aforementioned brain regions, implying difficulties in processing specific visual details of the rarely encountered left-handed pitchers. Moreover, slightly longer reaction times and reduced uncertainty were observed particularly for left-handed ball pitches, as revealed by lower activation in the right premotor cortex, highlighting issues with predictive processing. In summary, our findings shed light on the influence of pitcher handedness on the pitch-calling behavior of baseball umpires and extend the current understanding of the perceptual and decision-making behavior of sports officials., (© 2024 Society for Psychophysiological Research.)

Introduction: Participation in work and employment is a milestone of adulthood. People returning to work after burn injury may have physical, psychological, social, and environmental barriers to overcome in order to resume their pre-injury employment. The aim of this paper is to evaluate qualitative findings regarding return-to-employment after burn injury., Methods: A qualitative synthesis was conducted based on the qualitative findings of an earlier mixed methods review. A pre-determined scoping review protocol was used in the earlier review to search MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, CCRCT, and CDSR databases between 2000 and Aug 2021. Any papers presenting qualitative data from previously employed adults with cutaneous burn injuries were included., Findings: A total of 20 papers with qualitative data on return-to-employment after burn injury were found. Only six included studies focused on return-to-employment outcomes and the remaining studies reporting on quality of life and life experiences after burn injury. Common themes included impairments that develop and change over time; occupational identity and meaning; temporal aspects of burn recovery; burn rehabilitation services and interventions; attitudes, knowledge and support of service providers; workplace environments supporting work re-engagement after burn injury; usefulness of work accommodations; family and social supports, individuals attributes that influence re-engaging in employment; and accepting and rebuilding., Conclusion: Resumption of work after burn injury is regarded as a key marker of recovery for working-aged adults by burn survivors and burn care professionals. Support at transition points during the burn recovery process and peer-led programmes were important. However, limited information currently exists regarding clinical practices, service gaps, and understanding of return-to-employment outcomes after burn injury., (© 2023 The Authors. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Occupational Therapy Australia.)

The gut hormone ghrelin drives food motivation and increases food intake, but it is also involved in the anticipation of and response to rewards other than food. This pre-registered study investigated how naturally varying ghrelin concentrations affect the processing of touch as a social reward in humans. Sixty-seven volunteers received slow caressing touch (so-called CT-targeted touch) as a social reward and control touch on their shins during 3T functional imaging on two test days. On one occasion, participants were fasted, and on another, they received a meal. On each occasion, plasma ghrelin was measured at three time points. All touch was rated as more pleasant after the meal, but there was no association between ghrelin concentrations and pleasantness. CT-targeted touch was rated as the most pleasant and activated somatosensory and reward networks (whole brain). A region-of-interest in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) showed lower activation during all touches, the higher the ghrelin concentrations were. During CT-targeted touch, a larger satiety response (ghrelin decrease after the meal) was associated with higher mOFC activation, and this mOFC activation was associated with higher experienced pleasantness. Overall, higher ghrelin concentrations appear to be related to a lower reward value for touch. Ghrelin may reduce the value of social stimuli, such as touch, to promote food search and intake in a state of low energy. This suggests that the role of ghrelin goes beyond assigning value to food reward., (© 2023 The Authors. Psychophysiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Psychophysiological Research.)

Mesozooplankton is a very diverse group of small animals ranging in size from 0.2 to 20 mm not able to swim against ocean currents. It is a key component of pelagic ecosystems through its roles in the trophic networks and the biological carbon pump. Traditionally studied through microscopes, recent methods have been however developed to rapidly acquire large amounts of data (morphological, molecular) at the individual scale, making it possible to study mesozooplankton using a trait-based approach. Here, combining quantitative imaging with metabarcoding time-series data obtained in the Sargasso Sea at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site, we showed that organisms' transparency might be an important trait to also consider regarding mesozooplankton impact on carbon export, contrary to the common assumption that just size is the master trait directing most mesozooplankton-linked processes. Three distinct communities were defined based on taxonomic composition, and succeeded one another throughout the study period, with changing levels of transparency among the community. A co-occurrences' network was built from metabarcoding data revealing six groups of taxa. These were related to changes in the functioning of the ecosystem and/or in the community's morphology. The importance of Diel Vertical Migration at BATS was confirmed by the existence of a group made of taxa known to be strong migrators. Finally, we assessed if metabarcoding can provide a quantitative approach to biomass and/or abundance of certain taxa. Knowing more about mesozooplankton diversity and its impact on ecosystem functioning would allow to better represent them in biogeochemical models., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Resources published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

How does male out-migration impact women's experience of post-disaster reconstruction? This paper employs survey data collected by Nepal's Housing Recovery Reconstruction Platform in 2018 to establish robust associations between male out-migration and three indicators of women's participation in rebuilding their private houses after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake: (i) knowing where to consult for information; (ii) visiting a local government official by oneself; and (iii) signing a rebuilding agreement with the local government. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews conducted in 2022 further revealed that women whose husbands were abroad undertook roles that they would not have performed had their spouse been present, including in relation to management and decision-making. However, the interviews also highlighted challenges that women had to overcome, such as a lack of knowledge of procuring materials and difficulties leading the process as a woman. This study advances the literature by establishing a relationship between male out-migration and variation in women's post-earthquake rebuilding experiences., (© 2023 The Authors. Disasters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of ODI.)

Disasters and conflicts are both widely recognised as 'drivers' of internal displacement. Yet, despite a growing body of research and policy, there has been little consideration to date of how the different features of each 'context' shape the micro-level dynamics of internal displacement. Where and why are these dynamics similar across the two contexts and how do they differ? This paper draws on general concepts from the disaster field to develop a comparative analytical model of internal displacement dynamics in the disaster and conflict contexts. Based on inferences from the patchy extant data across the two contexts, it identifies and explains points of convergence and divergence between internal displacement dynamics in both the disaster and conflict contexts. This 'contextual' model of the micro-level dynamics of internal displacement has implications for academic debates, as well as for policy and practice, in the disaster, conflict, peace, climate change, and forced migration/displacement fields., (© 2023 The Authors. Disasters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of ODI.)

Natural hazards can turn into disasters when not managed well. An important part of disaster risk reduction is to understand how well communities are prepared for natural hazards and how well they can cope with and recover from shocks in the long term. This research assesses self-reported community resilience and asks what makes a community resilient, using Australia as a case study. It reports on an Australian-wide online survey which included questions related to the Conjoint Community Resiliency Assessment Measurement, a subjective indicator, as well as questions about risk perception, well-being, and self-efficacy. Community resilience was found to be moderately high but scores for community leadership and preparedness were low. Perceived community resilience was positively correlated with age and those with high scores for self-efficacy and well-being. There was, as expected, an inverse relationship between reliance on external support during natural hazards and self-efficacy. The results complement previous studies which used different measures of community resilience., (© 2023 The Authors. Disasters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of ODI.)

Background: A novel semiconductor cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) gamma camera system using a block sequential regularized expectation maximization (BSREM) reconstruction algorithm is now clinically available. Here we investigate how a multi-purpose ring-configurated CZT system can be safely applied in clinics and describe the initial optimization process., Method: Seventy-six patients (bone-, cardiac- and lung scan) were scanned on a conventional gamma camera (planar and/or single-photon emission computed tomography [SPECT]/SPECT-CT) used in clinical routine and on the ring-configurated CZT camera Starguide (GE Healthcare). These data were used to validate and optimize the Starguide system for routine clinical use., Results: Comparable image quality for the Starguide system, to that of the conventional gamma camera, was achieved for bone scan (4 min/bed position [BP] using a relative difference prior [RDP] with gamma 2 and beta 0.4, along with 10 iterations and 10 subsets), cardiac scan (8 min [stress] and 3 min 20 s [rest] using median root prior [MRP] with beta 0.07 non attenuation corrected and 0.008 attenuation corrected and 50 interations and 10 subsets for both stress and rest) and lung scan (10 min [vent] and 5 min [perf] using RDP with gamma 0.5 and beta 0.03 [vent] and 0.02 [perf] and 20 interations and 10 subsets for both vent and perf)., Conclusions: It was possible to transition from a conventional gamma camera to the Starguide system as part of the clinical routine, with acceptable image quality. Images from the Starguide system were deemed to be at least as good as those from a conventional gamma camera., (© 2023 The Authors. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine.)

Image processing (IP) in digital radiography has been steadily refined to improve image quality. Adaptable settings enable users to adjust systems to their specific requirements. This prospective, analytical study aimed to investigate the influence of different IP settings and dose reductions on image quality. Included were 20 cadaveric equine limb specimens distal to the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints. Images were processed with the Dynamic Visualization II system (Fujifilm) using five different IP settings including multiobjective frequency processing, flexible noise control (FNC), and virtual grid processing (VGP). Seven criteria were assessed by three veterinary radiology Diplomates and one veterinary radiology resident in a blinded study using a scoring system. Algorithm comparison was performed using an absolute visual grading analysis. The rating of bone structures was improved by VGP at full dose (P < .05; AUC VGC  = 0.45). Überschwinger artifact perception was enhanced by VGP (P < .001; AUC VGC  = 0.66), whereas image noise perception was suppressed by FNC (P < .001; AUC VGC  = 0.29). The ratings of bone structures were improved by FNC at 50% dose (P < .05; AUC VGC  = 0.44), and 25% dose (P < .001; AUC VGC  = 0.32), and clinically acceptable image quality was maintained at 50% dose (mean rating 2.16; 95.8% ratings sufficient or better). The favored IP setting varied among observers, with higher agreement at lower dose levels. These findings supported using individualized IP settings based on the radiologist's preferences and situational image requirements, rather than using default settings., (© 2023 The Authors. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Radiology.)

This S3 guideline was created based on the European S3 guideline, with special consideration of the medical conditions in the German-speaking region and incorporating additions from the previous German-language version. The interdisciplinary guideline commission consisted of representatives from the German Dermatological Society, the Professional Association of German Dermatologists, the Austrian Society of Dermatology and Venereology, the Swiss Society of Dermatology and Venereology, the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology, the German Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, the Professional Association of Pediatricians and Adolescent Medicine, the Society for Pediatric Allergology and Environmental Medicine, the German Society for Pediatric Rehabilitation and Prevention, the German Society for Psychosomatic Medicine and Medical Psychotherapy, the German Network for Health Services Research, the German Eczema Association and the German Allergy and Asthma Association. This first part of the guideline focuses on the definition and diagnostic aspects of atopic dermatitis (AD), addressing topical therapy as well as non-pharmacological treatment approaches such as UV therapy, psychoeducational therapy, dietary interventions for AD, allergen immunotherapy for AD, and complementary medicine. This part of the guideline also covers specific aspects of AD in children and adolescents, during pregnancy and lactation, and in the context of family planning. Additionally, it addresses occupational aspects of AD and highlights the perspective of the patients. The second part of the guideline, published separately, addresses the systemic therapy of AD., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft.)

Scholars of disaster politics debate how far natural hazards cause or catalyse political change. This paper builds on recent scholarship on tipping points and social contracts to argue that two case studies of historical earthquakes in 1930s British-colonised India invite a focus on the dynamics of cooperation and conflict between state and non-state actors. Officials of the colonial state and its nationalist rivals cooperated after one earthquake even though they otherwise bitterly opposed each other. Cooperation broke down after the second event, just one year later. Yet, in both cases, officials and nationalist leaders shared a broad vision for Indian society, which pushed both sides actively to seek to recover the social and economic status quo ante, preventing potential tipping points from crystallising. These case studies reveal how and why highly fraught social contracts can survive major disasters. The colonial state's transient and reactive approach to disaster governance continued to impact on post-independence India., (© 2023 The Authors. Disasters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of ODI.)

Herd health is one of the key problems influencing the efficiency of the dairy industry. Genetic selection, with a focus on animal health, is important for herd improvement. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for health traits and their correlations with fertility and milk production traits in dairy cattle. Based on records from 58,549 lactating cows calved between 2015 and 2021, a total of 24 health traits (six composite health traits and 18 independent health traits), four fertility traits and five milk production traits were analysed. First, linear and threshold animal models were used to estimate the variance components and heritabilities of the health traits. Second, a bivariate linear animal model was used to estimate genetic correlations among all 24 health traits. Finally, a bivariate linear animal model based on records from the first lactation was used to estimate the correlations between health traits and fertility or milk production traits. The results showed that all health traits had low heritabilities, ranging from 0.002 (0.001) to 0.048 (0.004) in the linear model and from <0.001 (0.021) to 0.226 (0.035) in the threshold model. Genetic correlations between health traits across categories were generally low, whereas the relatively high genetic correlations were found between health traits within the same category. In this study, only a few significant and moderate genetic correlations were observed between health traits and fertility or milk production traits. Clinical mastitis showed relatively moderate correlations with fertility traits, ranging from 0.277 (0.113) (interval from first to last insemination) to 0.401 (0.104) (calving interval). Moreover, there were moderate genetic correlations between hoof health and milk production traits. The results from the current study will support balanced dairy breeding to genetically improve disease resistance in dairy cows., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Family Check-up (FCU) was introduced in Sweden more than a decade ago. Little is known about what parents experience as FCU's key mechanisms leading to changes in parenting. The aim of this study was to investigate Swedish parents' satisfaction with FCU, and their experiences of facilitators and barriers for making changes in their parenting. A mixed methods approach was employed using a parent satisfaction questionnaire (n = 77) and focus groups (n = 15). General satisfaction with FCU was adequate, with an average rating of 4 on a five-point scale (range 3.1-4.6). The analysis of quantitative and qualitative data resulted in eight themes representing facilitators and four themes representing barriers, organized into three categories: (1) access and engagement; (2) therapeutic process; and (3) program components. Ease of access to FCU facilitated initial engagement. Individual tailoring and access to FCU during different phases of change facilitated sustained engagement and change. Therapeutic process facilitators were a meaningful, supportive relationship with the provider, psychological benefits for parents and benefits for the whole family. Program components that facilitated change in parenting were new learning of parenting strategies and use of helpful techniques such as videotaping and home practice. Negative experiences with service systems prior to starting FCU, parent psychological barriers, and parent-provider mismatch were described as potential barriers. Some parents desired other program formats that were not offered, and some felt that new learning was insufficient to improve child behavior. Understanding the parent perspective can contribute to successful future work with implementing FCU., (© 2023 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Newspaper sentiment and framing have the power to represent and inform public opinion on a variety of important issues. This study examines local news articles after Hurricane Florence struck North Carolina in the United States in September 2018 to understand the framing efforts undertaken by the outlets that produced these reports, as well as their impact on news sentiment towards the flood recovery efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The results indicate that while most articles published in the wake of Florence have a neutral sentiment, there are a significant number of both positively and negatively coded articles that illuminate important information about how the public engaged with and comprehended the role of FEMA during recovery from the disaster, and how the media chose to cover its involvement. Such scrutiny will continue to inform how public, private, and government actors understand FEMA's role and whether it achieves its goals in the future., (© 2022 The Authors Disasters © 2022 ODI.)

This paper examines, both theoretically and empirically, the relationship between rapid-onset disasters and women's economic freedom. Rapid-onset disasters create difficulties for all involved, but without proper discussion of and changes to women's economic status in society, they will continue to suffer disproportionately. The study answers the following question: 'how do disasters impact women's economic empowerment?'. It argues that there are underlying factors contributing to unequal economic opportunities that are exacerbated by disasters. Current literature discusses how disasters affect women's economic and political rights, but often it does not account for variables that may not have been captured in contemporary indices. The paper assesses women's burden of care, restrictions on mobility, formal economic employment, and access to recovery resources with respect to their economic empowerment. And it analyses 180 countries and territories that experienced disasters between 1981 and 2019 to uncover their effects on women's economic freedom. This research could facilitate and help to alter the overall narrative on women's empowerment., (© 2023 The Authors Disasters © 2023 ODI.)

Amartya Sen, the economist and philosopher, defines entitlement as command over resources that permits a household to have access to essential goods and services to sustain life within legal and established social norms and practices. Entitlement failure occurs when a household's command over all available combinations of resources does not ensure sufficient provisions of food to avoid starvation. This paper provides an overview of the literature on causal relations between civil war and household entitlements. It suggests a conceptual framework for empirically analysing the ramifications of armed political conflict on household entitlements. In addition, it develops a composite index as a tool to investigate the effect of civil war on household entitlements and to guide policy in the context of conflict-related international humanitarian interventions. The paper's key contribution is to suggest an empirical framework for quantitative measurement of the impact of civil war on household entitlements and to improve targeting criteria in post-conflict rehabilitation efforts., (© 2023 The Authors Disasters © 2023 ODI.)

Since the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, debates about the localisation of humanitarian aid have intensified. Dominant discourse focuses on reform, although calls for the broader decolonisation of aid are mounting. This paper examines the impact of neoliberal-inspired competition that incentivises institutional expansion and clashes with localisation. It introduces the concept of the 'conflict paradox' to illustrate how armed conflict and restricted humanitarian access for international actors can both empower and disempower local and national humanitarian actors (LNHAs). These themes are then demonstrated using case studies of Myanmar, Somalia, and Somaliland, revealing the potential for LNHAs to demand humanitarian system change, as well as the challenges to doing so. The paper concludes that for localisation to progress towards decolonisation, fundamental ideological shifts away from the neoliberal competitive mindset are essential. Notably, there is a need to move from low-quality localisation (subcontracting) to high-quality localisation grounded in solidarity and an emancipatory agenda., (© 2022 The Authors Disasters © 2022 ODI.)

Hypertonia in childhood may arise because of a variable combination of neuronal and non-neuronal factors. Involuntary muscle contraction may be due to spasticity or dystonia, which represent disorders of the spinal reflex arch and of central motor output respectively. Whilst consensus definitions for dystonia have been established, definitions of spasticity vary, highlighting the lack of a single unifying nomenclature in the field of clinical movement science. The term spastic dystonia refers to involuntary tonic muscle contraction in the context of an upper motor neuron (UMN) lesion. This review considers the utility of the term spastic dystonia, exploring our understanding of the pathophysiology of dystonia and the UMN syndrome. An argument is advanced that spastic dystonia is a valid construct that warrants further exploration. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: There is no single universally accepted definitions for terms commonly used to describe motor disorders. Spasticity and dystonia are phenomenologically and pathophysiologically distinct entities. Spastic dystonia represents a subset of dystonia, but with pathophysiological mechanisms more in common with spasticity., (© 2023 Mac Keith Press.)

Disaster corruption is a vexing problem, damaging state legitimacy and exacerbating human suffering. Mexico has a history of both major disasters and persistently high levels of corruption. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake in 2017 provided an opportunity to study change over time in expectations and tolerance of corruption in disaster relief. Twenty years earlier, Mexico City residents expected, on average, essentially three out of 10 hypothetical trucks loaded with humanitarian assistance to be lost to corruption but expressed near zero tolerance of such conduct. By 2018-19, Mexico City residents expected more than one-half of all relief, six out of 10 trucks, to be stolen, and could tolerate three out of 10 trucks being pilfered. Similar results were found at the national level. Hence, Mexicans appear to be giving up on the state. Addressing corruption in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian relief specifically might provide a template for improving public trust across other state institutions., (© 2023 The Authors Disasters © 2023 ODI.)

Violence against humanitarians is a commonplace phenomenon in contemporary armed conflict. This paper examines how the manipulation of international legal principles for political or military purposes, a practice known as 'lawfare', impacts humanitarian security in conflict-affected areas. Drawing on a case study of the Syrian conflict (2011-), it finds that lawfare has been used to legitimate systematic civilian targeting by pro-government forces and to delegitimise the delivery of aid to opposition-held areas of the country. Efforts to use legal measures to promote civilian welfare-by way of sanctions or demands for cross-border humanitarian access-have been taken as evidence of Western attempts to politicise humanitarian considerations and international law. In practice, this has meant increased security risks for aid workers and impunity for those implicated in the violence. The paper concludes by calling for more critical research on lawfare and politicisation of international law as part and parcel of civilian protection in conflict-affected areas., (© 2023 The Authors Disasters © 2023 ODI.)

The full potential for using DNA barcodes for profiling functional trait diversity has yet to be determined in plants and animals; thus, we outline a general framework for quantifying functional trait diversity of insect community DNA and propose and assess the accuracy of three methods for achieving this. We built a novel dataset of traits and DNA barcodes for wild bees in China. An informatics framework was developed for phylogeny-based integration of these data and prediction of traits for any subject barcodes, which was compared with two distance-based methods. For Phylogenetic Assignment, we additionally conducted a species-level analysis of publically available bee trait data. Under the specimen-level dataset, the rate of trait assignment was negatively correlated with distance between the query and the nearest trait-known reference, for all methods. Phylogenetic Assignment was found to perform best under several criteria; particularly, it had the lowest false-positive rate (rarely returning a state prediction where success was unlikely; where the distance from query to the nearest reference was high). For a wider range of compiled traits, conservative life-history traits showed the highest rates of assignment; for example, sociality was predicted with confidence at 53%, parasitism at 44% and nest location at 33%. As outlined herein, automated trait assignment might be applied at scale to either barcodes or metabarcodes. With further compilation and databasing of DNA barcode and trait data, the rate and accuracy of trait assignment is expected to increase to the point of being a widely viable and informative approach., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This paper investigates the impact of a community disaster awareness training on subjective disaster preparedness, focusing on the case of a Republic of Korean aid-supported disaster risk reduction project in the Ayeyarwaddy region of Myanmar. A subsequent survey by the authors of a total of 182 households, an equal number of project participating and control households, produced encouraging results regarding the endeavour. Although both ordinal logistic regression and ordinary least squares models support overall robust effectiveness of participating in the project, the results also reveal different effects of specific activities. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) awareness meetings and trainings, and personal visits to share knowledge and/or to distribute informative flyers, are important. In contrast, the significance of drills or community activities, in mass, is lost in a combined model. Consequently, 'personalising risk' should be prioritised in any DRR undertaking, as well as, and in particular, development cooperation aimed at increasing confidence in disaster preparedness., (© 2023 The Authors Disasters © 2023 ODI.)

The consensus-based guideline "Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of hand eczema (HE)" provides concrete instructions and recommendations for diagnosis, prevention, and therapy of HE based on an evidence- and consensus-based approach. The guideline was created based on the German guideline "Management von Handekzemen" from 2009 and the current guideline of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) "Guidelines for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of hand eczema" from 2022. The general goal of the guideline is to provide dermatologists and allergologists in practice and clinics with an accepted, evidence-based decision-making tool for selecting and conducting suitable and sufficient therapy for patients with hand eczema. The guideline is based on two Cochrane reviews of therapeutic and preventive interventions for HE. The remaining chapters were mainly developed and consented based on non-systematic literature research by the expert group. The expert group consisted of members of allergological and occupational dermatological professional associations and working groups, a patient representative, and methodologists. The proposals for recommendations and key statements were consented by using a nominal group process during a consensus conference on September 15, 2022. The structured consensus-building process was professionally moderated. This guideline is valid until February 22, 2028., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft.)

The population of non- or low-literate adult immigrants studying a new language is large and growing in many countries. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new instrument for the assessment of cognitive impairment that may hinder literacy learning in adult non- or low-literate L2 learners, the Cognitive Assessment of Literacy Learning Difficulties (CALL), in a language center setting. This was a case-control study in which the CALL was validated in adult non- or low-literate students, or students who were not literate in the Latin alphabet, in nine Danish language centers. Educator classification of students with very slow progression in learning basic Danish literacy was used as a benchmark for literacy learning difficulties. Classification was further based on the number of lessons participants had required to pass tests during Danish language program levels. An acceptable discriminative validity (AUC 0.76; specificity 0.94, sensitivity 0.64) for literacy learning difficulties (n = 32) versus schooling and sex matched control participants (n = 28) was found. In comparison, years of formal schooling had an AUC of 0.58. Age had a small effect on the ability of the CALL to predict literacy learning difficulties (OR = 1.097, p = 0.013), whereas sex and years of schooling did not. CALL was found to be a valid instrument for identification of cognitive impairment that may hinder literacy learning in adult non- or low-literate L2 learners in a Danish language center setting., (© 2023 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published by Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We analysed the robustness of species identification based on proteomic composition to data processing and intraspecific variability, specificity and sensitivity of species-markers as well as discriminatory power of proteomic fingerprinting and its sensitivity to phylogenetic distance. Our analysis is based on MALDI-TOF MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry) data from 32 marine copepod species coming from 13 regions (North and Central Atlantic and adjacent seas). A random forest (RF) model correctly classified all specimens to the species level with only small sensitivity to data processing, demonstrating the strong robustness of the method. Compounds with high specificity showed low sensitivity, that is identification was based on complex pattern-differences rather than on presence of single markers. Proteomic distance was not consistently related to phylogenetic distance. A species-gap in proteome composition appeared at 0.7 Euclidean distance when using only specimens from the same sample. When other regions or seasons were included, intraspecific variability increased, resulting in overlaps of intra and inter-specific distance. Highest intraspecific distances (>0.7) were observed between specimens from brackish and marine habitats (i.e., salinity probably affects proteomic patterns). When testing library sensitivity of the RF model to regionality, strong misidentification was only detected between two congener pairs. Still, the choice of reference library may have an impact on identification of closely related species and should be tested before routine application. We envisage high relevance of this time- and cost-efficient method for future zooplankton monitoring as it provides not only in-depth taxonomic resolution for counted specimens but also add-on information, such as on developmental stage or environmental conditions., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Resources published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Humanitarian and development agencies intervening in Latin American cities increasingly face the challenge posed by criminal armed groups (CAGs). Yet, there is a need for evidence-based comparative studies on how international agencies deal with them. Drawing on data collected in Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Mexico, this paper presents a novel typology of humanitarian organisations' access strategies that distinguishes between different levels of interaction with CAGs. The paper shows how humanitarian agencies assess a variety of risks and balance the potential consequences of their engagement with CAGs with the need to maintain constructive and trustful relationships with the state and the community with which they work. It finds that indirect dialogue or negotiation with CAGs via community leaders who act as intermediaries might provide a low-risk alternative to direct negotiation with CAG leaders, provided that 'do no harm' and humanitarian protection considerations vis-à-vis communities and intermediaries play a central role., (© 2022 The Authors Disasters © 2022 ODI.)

Event-related potentials that follow feedback in reinforcement learning tasks have been proposed to reflect neural encoding of prediction errors. Prior research has shown that in the interval of 240-340 ms multiple different prediction error encodings appear to co-occur, including a value signal carrying signed quantitative prediction error and a valence signal merely carrying sign. The effects used to identify these two encoders, respectively a sign main effect and a sign × size interaction, do not reliably discriminate them. A full discrimination is made possible by comparing tasks in which the reinforcer available on a given trial is set to be either appetitive or aversive against tasks where a trial allows the possibility of either. This study presents a meta-analysis of reinforcement learning experiments, the majority of which presented the possibility of winning or losing money. Value and valence encodings were identified by conventional difference wave methodology but additionally by an analysis of their predicted behavior using a Bayesian analysis that incorporated nulls into the evidence for each encoder. The results suggest that a valence encoding, sensitive only to the available outcomes on the trial at hand precedes a later value encoding sensitive to the outcomes available in the wider experimental context. The implications of this for modeling computational processes of reinforcement learning in humans are discussed., (© 2023 The Authors. Psychophysiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Psychophysiological Research.)

Displacement in the context of disasters and climate change has gained considerable attention in international policy processes pertaining to migration and displacement over the past few years. However, analysis of currently dominant understandings of disaster displacement and its solutions at the global level, and how these translate into practice in relation to operational realities at the national level, remains scarce. This paper seeks to promote greater reflections on the discourse of displacement solutions in the context of disasters and climate change. It examines both the advancements and remaining gaps in approaches to disasters, displacement, and solutions and how these collectively shape the conceptualisation of solutions to disaster displacement. The inquiry sheds light on the dominant framings and their underlying assumptions and highlights the implications that they entail for understanding and responding to disaster displacement. It also underscores the importance of critical engagement with discursive practices at the international and national level., (© 2022 The Authors Disasters © 2022 ODI.)

Objective: To evaluate the reporting of key items associated with risk of bias and weak study design over a 10-year period., Design: Literature survey., Setting: Not applicable., Animals: Not applicable., Interventions: Papers published in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care between 2009 and 2019 were screened for inclusion. Inclusion criteria consisted of prospective experimental studies describing in vivo or ex vivo research (or both), containing at least 2 comparison groups. Identified papers had identifying information (publication date, volume and issue, authors, affiliations) redacted by an individual not involved with paper selection or review. Two reviewers independently reviewed all papers and applied an operationalized checklist to categorize item reporting as fully reported, partially reported, not reported, or not applicable. Items assessed included randomization, blinding, data handling (inclusions and exclusions), and sample size estimation. Differences in assessment between reviewers were resolved by consensus with a third reviewer. A secondary aim was to document availability of data used to generate study results. Papers were screened for links to access data in the text and supporting information., Measurements and Main Results: After screening, 109 papers were included. Eleven papers were excluded during full-text review, with 98 papers included in the final analysis. Randomization was fully reported in 31.6% of papers (31/98). Blinding was fully reported in 31.6% of papers (31/98). Inclusion criteria were fully reported in all papers. Exclusion criteria were fully reported in 60.2% of papers (59/98). Sample size estimation was fully reported in 8.0% of papers (6/75). No papers (0/99) made data freely available without a requirement to contact study authors., Conclusions: There is substantial room for improvement in reporting of randomization, blinding, data exclusions, and sample size estimations. Evaluation of study quality by readers is limited by the low reporting levels identified, and the risk of bias present indicates a potential for inflated effect sizes., (© Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2023.)

As climate change accelerates, adaptive social protection programmes are becoming increasingly more popular than conventional social assistance programmes, since they are seen to enhance people's resilience and well-being outcomes. Despite this upsurge, little is known about the impacts of adaptive programmes on resilience and well-being outcomes as compared to conventional programmes. This paper examines the economic functions that both types of social protection programmes offer through empirical studies in two climate-vulnerable zones in Bangladesh. By operationalising a simplified analytical framework to comprehend subjective resilience, the qualitative data reveal that the adaptive programme is more effective in enhancing beneficiaries' perceived resilience to climate risks. Regrettably, neither programme is found to contribute much significantly in terms of enabling beneficiaries to achieve the desired well-being outcomes that one might expect to see. The paper offers rich insights into the design components of the programmes, affording an on-the-ground understanding of their implications for resilience and well-being., (© 2022 The Authors Disasters © 2022 ODI.)

Aim: To explore the feasibility of using an adaptive behaviour profile (ABP) assessment generated from a well-known measure-the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II)-as an instrument for outcome measures in adolescents and adults with Dravet syndrome., Method: We administered the VABS-II to 35 adolescents and adults with Dravet syndrome (15 males; mean age 24 years, SD 8 years, range: 12-46 years) and collected epilepsy history and neurological features at the time of assessment. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of VABS-II raw scores and performed cluster analysis to identify different subgroups. We then explored possible relationships between clinical and epilepsy features, ABPs, and age., Results: Most participants obtained the minimum standard scores in the various VABS-II subdomains, while the raw score analysis outlined interindividual and intraindividual differences among skills. We found two subpopulations: one with a 'lower' ABP and one with a 'higher' ABP, corresponding respectively to individuals in whom myoclonic seizures or generalized spike-and-wave activity were present ('complete phenotype') or absent ('incomplete phenotype') on electroencephalography., Interpretation: This study further delineates the natural history of Dravet syndrome. The assessment of an ABP through the VABS-II raw score analysis provides a means by which to illustrate profiles of adaptive behaviour in adolescents and adults with Dravet syndrome but shows limitations related to poor sensitivity in measuring fine clinical details. There is a need for new and more specific tools to monitor patients with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies., What This Paper Adds: Most adults with Dravet syndrome obtained the minimum standard scores in the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II) subdomains. The VABS-II raw score analysis showed interindividual and intraindividual variability. Individuals with myoclonic seizures and/or generalized spike-and-wave activity on electroencephalography showed a worse adaptive behaviour profile., (© 2022 Mac Keith Press.)