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Abstract The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has become the world’s largest comparative assessment of academic achievement. While hundreds of studies have examined the factors predicting student achievement in PISA, a comprehensive overview of the main predictors has yet to be completed. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review of factors predicting mathematics performance in PISA. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of human development, we synthesized the findings of 156 peer reviewed articles. The analysis identified 135 factors that fall into five broad categories: individual student, household context, school community, education systems and macro society. The analysis uncovered seven factors that are consistently associated with math achievement in PISA. Student grade level and overall family SES (socio-economic status) are consistently positively associated with math achievement while five factors are consistently negatively associated with math achievement: student absenteeism and lack of punctuality, school repeating and dropout rate, school prevalence of students’ misbehavior, shortage of teachers and general staff, and student-centered instruction. Fourteen factors tend to be positively or negatively associated with math achievement. The explanatory power of many other factors, however, remain mixed. Explanations for this result include methodological differences, complex interactions across variables, and underlying patterns related to national-cultural context or other meso or macro-level variables. Implications for policy and research are discussed.

Introduction: There is growing recognition that daily stressors, such as social and material deficiencies, can be highly detrimental to the mental health of refugees. These stressors are in addition to stressful life events, which have been widely studied in the context of migration and forced displacement. Despite increasing evidence for an ecological model, there is still no consensus regarding the conceptualization of these highly influential factors. In particular, the demarcation of daily stressors from stressful life events and the categorization of daily stressors require further examination in order to develop usable and accurate tools for researchers, design effective interventions for practitioners and assist politicians in designing meaningful policies. Methods: To address these challenges, we used data from a sample of 392 unaccompanied young refugees from diverse backgrounds and employed network analysis to examine the relationships between daily stressors, stressful life events, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Results: Our findings highlight the significant relationship between daily stressors and mental health, particularly depression. Meaningful clusters of daily stressors include material stressors, social stressors, and social exclusion stressors. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the importance of considering daily stressors in the mental health of refugees and suggest that using a network approach offers a viable way to study these complex interrelationships. These findings have implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding and addressing the mental health needs of refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses in-depth, qualitative interviews to examine the facilitators/supports and barriers/challenges faced by parents reentering their communities after incarceration. Findings are framed within the context of Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework. Parents reentering their communities after incarceration often face a host of challenges related to their reentry experience (e.g. finding housing/employment) and their parenting experience (e.g. navigating familial relationships). Parenting scholars have urged communities to adopt holistic intervention methods at each level of the ecological model—including an individual's microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem to help families experiencing this trauma thrive. In order to examine which areas within the ecological system families are receiving support (and which areas are still lacking), this study uses qualitative data from 14 semi-structured interviews with parents who recently reentered their communities after incarceration and had a minor child at the time of reentry. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded based on a priori themes. Participants listed both barriers/challenges and facilitators/strengths at reentry that fell into three main categories including 1. Access to children or resources, 2. Social connections, 3. Personal introspection related to parenting. Barriers and supports are described within each level of the ecological model. Findings suggest interventions are needed to buffer, support, and help reentering parents gain parenting skills/knowledge, spend quality time with their children, and access reentry programs to help parents/children develop healthy attachment and promote smoother reintegration into their community. These interventions should be implemented at various levels within the ecological model. Highlights: We examine the experiences of parents during incarceration and reentry using Bronfenbrenner's ecological model. At the microsystem level, parent/child relationships were strained because of lack of connections, problematic behavior, and lack of social support. At the mesosystem level, parents experienced challenges with reentry programming, prison policies, and custody issues. At the exosystem level, parents discussed difficulty finding housing/employment that was sufficient for their families. At the macrosystem level, parents described how wide-spread policies (e.g., background checks, prison policies) impacted them on an individual level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Street-based sexual harassment is a prevalent but understudied form of gender-based violence that restricts women's access to public spaces. Drawing on adaptations of the ecological model that identify the root causes of gender-based violence in patriarchy, in this study, we explore the causes of street harassment in informal areas of Greater Cairo. Our analysis is based on qualitative interviews and focus groups with male and female youth aged 13–29 years, parents of youth and community leaders in two informal areas. We supplement the qualitative data with descriptive analysis of a representative, 2016 survey of youth in informal areas of Cairo that measured experiences with and attitudes toward harassment. Harassment was prevalent in the study areas, and respondents tended to place the blame for harassment at the individual level of the ecological model, particularly women's behavior. However, there were also community- and societal-level factors that contributed to the prevalence of harassment. Patriarchal norms and stigmatization of women who are harassed reinforced victim-blaming, such that most young women were afraid to report experiences of harassment due to social censure. In this context, educational or awareness raising interventions are unlikely to be effective in combating harassment, which is widely acknowledged to be a problem. Rather, interventions are needed along the different levels of the ecological model to target peer group and community norms that encourage harassment, address harassment in schools and strengthen reporting mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) are associated with health and well-being later in life. Although prior studies have identified individual-level predictors of SPA, the role of neighborhood social context in SPA remains largely unexplored. A neighborhood social environment may act as a critical avenue for older adults to remain healthy and socially active, contributing to their evaluations of how they grow old. The present study aims to fill the previous research gap by examining the relationship between neighborhood social environment and SPA, and how age may moderate this relationship. This study is guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecology of Human Development theory and Lawton's Ecological Model of Aging, positing that an individual's aging experience is deeply rooted in their residential environment. Research Design and Methods Our sample includes 11,145 adults aged 50+ from the 2014 and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. We included 4 social and economic aspects of neighborhoods: (1) neighborhood poverty; (2) percentage of older adults; (3) perceived social cohesion; and (4) perceived disorder. Results Multilevel linear regression models showed that respondents in neighborhoods with higher percentages of the older population and with perceptions of high neighborhood disorder reported more negative SPA. Those who perceived their neighborhoods as more socially cohesive reported more positive SPA. Controlling for individual socioeconomic and health status, only neighborhood social cohesion remained significant. We also found significant interaction effects between neighborhood social cohesion and age: The effects of neighborhood cohesion on SPA were stronger in middle age than in old age. Discussion and Implications Our findings provide insights into how neighborhood social context is associated with SPA, suggesting that a socially cohesive neighborhood may be important to promote more favorable perceptions of aging, particularly for middle-aged residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Breastfeeding provides all the necessary energy and nutrients for an infant and provides many benefits for mothers and babies. The effects of colonisation have contributed to reduced prevalence and duration of breastfeeding among Australian Aboriginal women and widespread use of infant formula as a substitute for breastmilk. This review aimed to synthesise qualitative evidence about the factors that influence breastfeeding and infant feeding practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families. Methods MEDLINE, CINAHL, Informit and Google Scholar were systematically searched for qualitative studies that included the perspective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families about the factors influencing infant feeding decisions. Included studies were appraised using an Indigenous quality assessment tool and were synthesised via inductive thematic analysis informed by an ecological framework. Results The search identified 968 studies with 7 meeting the inclusion criteria. Key factors influencing breastfeeding and infant feeding practices of Aboriginal women included cultural practices, normalisation of bottle feeding, shame associated with breastfeeding in public, access to culturally safe nutrition education, support services and health professionals, family/partner support, knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding, experiences with previous babies and concern that the baby was not getting enough milk. Conclusion The perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women must be considered when providing breastfeeding and infant feeding advice. This can be achieved through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people designing, implementing, and leading the delivery of education and information regarding breastfeeding and health infant feeding practices that have been influenced by the priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Abstract Background HRQoL is an indicator of individuals’ perception of their overall health, including social and environmental aspects. As a multidimensional concept, HRQoL can be influenced by a multitude of factors. Studies of HRQoL and factors associated with it among home-dwelling older adults have often been limited to inpatient settings or to a sub-population with a chronic disease. Studying HRQoL and its correlating factors among this population, by providing an ecological lens on factors beyond the individual level, can provide a better understanding of the construct and the role of the environment on how they perceive their HRQoL. Thus, we aimed to assess the HRQoL and investigate the correlates of HRQOL among home-dwelling older adults, guided by the levels of the ecological model. Methods This is a cross-sectional population survey conducted in 2019 in Canton Basel-Landschaft, in northwestern Switzerland, and includes a sample of 8786 home-dwelling older adults aged 75 and above. We assessed HRQoL by using the EQ-index and the EQ-VAS. The influence of independent variables at the macro, meso and micro level on HRQoL was tested using Tobit multiple linear regression modelling. Results We found that having a better socio-economic status as denoted by higher income, having supplementary insurance and a higher level of education were all associated with a better HRQoL among home-dwelling older adults. Furthermore, being engaged in social activities was also related to an improved HRQoL. On the other hand, older age, female gender, presence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy as well as social isolation and loneliness were found to all have a negative impact on HRQoL. Conclusions Understanding factors related to HRQoL by using an ecological lens can help identify factors beyond the individual level that impact the HRQoL of home-dwelling older adults. Our study emphasises the importance of social determinants of health and potential disparities that exists, encouraging policymakers to focus on policies to reduce socio-economic disparities using a life-course approach, which consequently could also impact HRQoL in later stages of life.

Abstract Background Unmet needs for home support occur when any support services perceived by older people as needed are not being received. Not meeting these needs can negatively impact older adults’ quality of life, and increase health care utilization, hospitalizations, institutionalizations, or death. To date there is no consensus in how to define and assess these unmet needs. In parallel, previous research of factors associated with unmet needs for home support has mostly focused on factors at the micro level. Thus, this paper aims to identify the prevalence of unmet needs for home support among a home-dwelling older population and the factors at the macro, meso and micro levels contributing to them. Methods Using an ecological approach we identified multi-level factors associated with the presence of unmet needs for home support among the home-dwelling older population (aged 75+) in Switzerland. This is a secondary cross-sectional analysis of the INSPIRE Population Survey of home-dwelling older adults (n = 8,508) living in Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland, conducted as part of the TRANS-SENIOR Project. Prevalence of perceived unmet needs for home support was self-reported, using a dichotomized question. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations of factors at each level with unmet needs for home support. Results 4.3% of participants reported unmet needs for home support, with a median age of 81 years. 45.1% had private health insurance and 6.3% needed additional government support. Being a recipient of other type of government support (OR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.17–2.29) (macro-); the use of transportation services (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.15–2.57) (meso-); and feeling depressed (OR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.06–1.85) or abandoned (OR = 2.60; 95% CI = 1.96–3.43) (micro-) increased odds of having perceived unmet needs for home support. Having a private health insurance (macro-) (OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.49–0.80), speaking Swiss-German (OR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.24–0.88) or German (OR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.24–0.98), having a high level of education [primary (OR = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.24–1.02); secondary (OR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.25–1.03); tertiary (OR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.19–0.82); other (OR = 0.31 (0.12–0.75)], having a high score of self-perceived health status [score ≥ 76 (OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.20–0.96)] and having informal care (OR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.45–0.73), among others (micro-) were associated with decreased odds of having perceived unmet needs for home support. Conclusion Our study findings highlight the role of socio-economical inequality in the perception of unmet needs for home support in home-dwelling older adults. In order to address unmet needs in home-dwelling older adults, healthcare leaders and policy makers should focus on strategies to reduce socio-economic inequalities at the different levels in this population.

STEM higher education in the U.S. has long been an uninviting space for minoritized individuals, particularly women, persons of color, and international students and scholars. In recent years, the contemporary realities of a global pandemic, sociopolitical divides, and heightened racial tensions, along with elevated levels of mental illness and emotional distress among college students, have intensified the need for an undergraduate STEM education culture and climate that recognizes and values the humanity of our students. The purpose of this article is to advance a more humanized undergraduate STEM education and to provide a framework to guide efforts toward achieving that vision. We argue that humanizing approaches recognize and value the complexity of individuals and the cultural capital that they bring to their education, and that this is particularly important for empowering minoritized students who are subordinated in status in STEM higher education. A STEM education that centers students’ humanity gives rise to equity and promotes human well-being and flourishing alongside knowledge acquisition and skill development. We then offer a guiding framework for conceptualizing the broader ecosystem in which undergraduate STEM students are embedded, and use it to outline the individual and collective roles that different stakeholders in the ecosystem can play in humanizing STEM education.

BackgroundChild sexual abuse is a major public health problem with adverse consequences for victims’ physical, mental, and reproductive health. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of child sexual abuse and its associated factors among 15- to 17-year-old adolescents in mainland China.MethodsFrom September 8, 2019 to January 17, 2020, a total of 48,660 participants were recruited by 58 colleges and universities across the whole country to complete the self-administered, structured, online questionnaire. This analysis was restricted to 3,215 adolescents aged between 15 and 17 years in mainland China. Chi-square tests and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify individual, relationship, and community factors associated with child sexual abuse.ResultsThe overall prevalence of child sexual abuse was 12.0%. More specifically, 13.0% of girls and 10.6% of boys reported that they were sexually abused prior to 18 years of age. At the individual level, being female, sexual minority identity, younger age, and higher levels of knowledge, skills and self-efficacy regarding condom use were significantly related to increased odds of reporting sexual abuse. At the relationship and community level, adolescents from disrupted families and those entering into a marriage, having casual sexual partners, and having first intercourse at a younger age were more likely to report sexual abuse. On the contrary, those who had never discussed sex-related topics with their family members at home and were offered school-based sexuality education later (vs. earlier) were less likely to report sexual abuse.ConclusionMultilevel prevention programs and strategies, including targeting adolescents with high-risk characteristics, educating young children and their parents about child sexual abuse prevention and optimizing the involvement of parents, school, community, society and government in comprehensive sexuality education, should be taken to reduce child sexual abuse among 15- to 17-year-old adolescents.

Student behaviour is a perennial concern for educators, parents, and policy-makers alike. The present study involved an ecological analysis of teacher perceptions of, and responses to, student unproductive behaviour in primary school classrooms in the Republic of Ireland. Online survey data from 1035 primary school teachers revealed that the most frequent unproductive behaviours were non-disruptive or low-level disruptive behaviours, with perceived frequency being influenced by teaching experience, school disadvantage status, and teacher self-efficacy. Encouragingly, the most frequently used classroom management strategies were ecologically-informed, evidence-based preventative approaches, whereas the least frequently used were reactive, unplanned, punitive practices. However, relational practices, skills teaching and partnership with parents did not feature prominently. Giving due regard to the limitations of self-report data from a convenience sample, it is suggested that boosting teachers’ understanding and use of practices both to connect with students and parents and to enhance student social-emotional competence is a fundamental target for teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projections of coral reefs under climate change have important policy implications, but most analyses have focused on the intensification of climate‐related physical stress rather than explicitly modelling how coral populations respond to stressors. Here, we analyse the future of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) under multiple, spatially realistic drivers which allows less impacted sites to facilitate recovery. Under a Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 CMIP5 climate ensemble, where warming is capped at ~2°C, GBR mean coral cover declined mid‐century but approached present‐day levels towards 2100. This is considerably more optimistic than most analyses. However, under RCP4.5, mean coral cover declined by >80% by late‐century, and reached near zero under RCP ≥6.0. While these models do not allow for adaptation, they significantly extend past studies by revealing demographic resilience of coral populations to low levels of additional warming, though more pessimistic outcomes might be expected under CMIP6. Substantive coral populations under RCP2.6 would facilitate long‐term genetic adaptation, adding value to ambitious greenhouse emissions mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health in All Policies approaches support the integration of health considerations into the policies of traditionally siloed governance systems. These siloed systems are often ignorant of the fact that health is created outside of the health system and starts long before you see a health professional. Thus, the purpose of Health in All Policies approaches is to raise the importance of the broad‐based impacts on health from these public policies and to implement healthy public policy that delivers human rights for all. This approach requires significant adjustments to current economic and social policy settings. A well‐being economy similarly aspires to create policy incentives that increase the importance of social and non‐monetized outcomes, such as increased social cohesion environmental sustainability and health. These outcomes can evolve deliberately alongside economic benefits and are impacted by economic and market activities. The principles and functions underpinning Health in All Policies approaches, such as joined‐up policy making can be helpful to transition towards a well‐being economy. Governments will need to move beyond the currently held principle of "economic growth and profit above all else" if countries are to tackle growing societal inequity and catastrophic climate changes. Rapid digitization and globalization have further entrenched the focus on monetary economic outcomes rather than other aspects of human welfare. This has created an increasingly difficult context within which to prioritize social policies and efforts aimed to achieve primarily social and not profit‐oriented goals. In the face of this larger context, alone, Health in All Policies approaches will not bring about the needed transformation to achieve healthy populations and economic transition. However, Health in All Policies approaches do offer lessons and a rationale that is aligned with, and can support the transition to, a well‐being economy. Transforming current economic approaches to a well‐being economy is imperative to achieve equitable population health, social security and climate sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in adolescent distress and mental health symptoms has been clearly documented since the COVID‐19 pandemic, as has increased exposure to adverse childhood experiences. Layer on top of these stressors being a youth of divorcing or separating high conflict families, and adolescent symptomatology can suddenly become a flashpoint for parental attention, division and conflict. Approaching cases using an ecological and family systems framework is necessary for accurate conceptualization and assessment of best interests in the context of child custody evaluations. Doing so ensures that adolescent mental health does not become a red herring in high conflict cases, leading to undue focus on the adolescent's mental health without considering other salient factors in the case, such as the broader parent conflict. Programs offered at the Center of Excellence for Children, Families & the Law at William James College designed to improve the lives of youth by addressing parental conflict are described. Key points for the family court community: Multiple layers of an adolescent's ecology can create vulnerability to mental health symptomatology, and was especially true during the COVID‐19 pandemic.When a youth with mental health issues also lives in the context of high conflict divorcing or separating parents, such issues can become red herrings for the broader conflict between the parents.Child custody evaluators must avoid the pitfalls of being led astray by such red herrings, by utilizing an ecological approach to understanding family dynamics, and keeping the youth's mental health issues properly prioritized against the parental conflict.Two intervention programs focused on the parents, but designed to improve the lives of their children will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment is the property of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has become the world's largest comparative assessment of academic achievement. While hundreds of studies have examined the factors predicting student achievement in PISA, a comprehensive overview of the main predictors has yet to be completed. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review of factors predicting mathematics performance in PISA. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development, we synthesized the findings of 156 peer reviewed articles. The analysis identified 135 factors that fall into five broad categories: individual student, household context, school community, education systems and macro society. The analysis uncovered seven factors that are consistently associated with math achievement in PISA. Student grade level and overall family SES (socio-economic status) are consistently positively associated with math achievement while five factors are consistently negatively associated with math achievement: student absenteeism and lack of punctuality, school repeating and dropout rate, school prevalence of students' misbehavior, shortage of teachers and general staff, and student-centered instruction. Fourteen factors tend to be positively or negatively associated with math achievement. The explanatory power of many other factors, however, remain mixed. Explanations for this result include methodological differences, complex interactions across variables, and underlying patterns related to national-cultural context or other meso or macro-level variables. Implications for policy and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-standard Lagrangians do not display any discernible energy-like terms, yet they give the same equations of motion as standard Lagrangians, which have easily identifiable energy-like terms. A new method to derive non-standard Lagrangians for second-order nonlinear differential equations with damping is developed and the limitations of this method are explored. It is shown that the limitations do not exist only for those nonlinear dynamical systems that can be converted into linear ones. The obtained results are applied to selected population dynamics models for which non-standard Lagrangians and their corresponding null Lagrangians and gauge functions are derived, and their roles in the population dynamics are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Size inclusive physical activity settings may help mitigate the impact of physical activity-related weight stigma. In this interpretive description study, we aimed to understand how women with larger bodies experienced size inclusive physical activity settings. The study was informed by a settings-based approach to health promotion. Method: We interviewed nine women with larger bodies who participated in size inclusive physical activity and used an inductive approach to analyze the data. Findings: At the individual level, size inclusion was experienced as an enhancement of well-being, self-worth, and belonging. This was closely tied to the interpersonal level, whereby weight-neutral practices used by fitness instructors and lack of judgment from other exercisers contributed to experiences of size inclusion. At the organizational level, the organization's culture, marketing, programs, and physical spaces could enhance or limit inclusion and participation. However, weight stigma was prevalent in women's experiences outside the physical activity setting. Conclusion: We provide recommendations to improve size inclusion in physical activity settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) remains one of the leading sources of non-genetic intellectual and developmental disabilities globally. South Africa (SA) could be considered to bear the greatest burden of FASD globally with the recorded prevalence of FASD ranging from 29 to 290 per 1000 live births. Despite several efforts to reduce the incidence and prevalence of FASD in SA, its incidence and prevalence remain high. In this study, we examined the factors behind the sustained high incidence and prevalence of FASD in SA. Using an exploratory qualitative design, we explored the perspectives and experiences of 10 policymakers and 65 service providers on why FASD remains unabated despite various efforts to address the problem in SA. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with policymakers and nine focus group discussions were conducted with the service providers in the Western Cape Province of SA. Data were analyzed inductively using the thematic analysis approach and emerging themes were deductively classified using the ecological model. Our findings revealed several reasons for the sustained high prevalence and increasing incidence of FASD in SA. At the individual level, late antenatal booking, alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and socio-economic conditions of individuals were identified as relevant factors driving the FASD prevalence in SA. Inadequate support groups for women were reported at the interpersonal level. The widespread availability of illegal liquor stores and inadequate specialized prevention programs were reported as community-level challenges. At the institutional level, the reasons included inadequate training of professionals and inadequate collaboration between government departments. At the policy level, the absence of a specific policy addressing FASD constitutes a significant barrier to the unabated FASD. The study findings suggest a cascade effect within the different levels of the ecological model highlighting the need for a holistic and systemic approach to preventing FASD in SA. The design and implementation of holistic, human rights-based, and inter-department policies and programs addressing the social determinants of FASD should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We aimed to investigate whether high community-level health literacy, beyond individual-level health literacy, is associated with a low prevalence of frailty among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A large cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among citizens in Maizuru City, Kyoto, Japan, aged 65 years or older who were not certified as "support" or "care" level according to Japan's public long-term care insurance system, who could perform basic activities of daily living, and who did not have dementia or Parkinson's disease. Frailty status was assessed using the Kihon Checklist, with a score ≥ 8 indicating frailty. Health literacy was assessed using the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy Scale. The mean health literacy score of 20 school districts was used as the community-level health literacy index. We investigated demographic data and other potential confounding factors, including education, living arrangement, body mass index, comorbidity, smoking status, depressive symptoms, social networks, and community-level covariates. Results: The primary analysis included 6230 individuals (mean age = 74.3 years [SD = 6.1]). In each school district, the prevalence of frailty was 21.2–34.2% (mean: 26.2%), and community-level health literacy index was 3.1–3.5 (mean: 3.4). Multilevel logistic regression model including school district as random effect showed that the community-level health literacy was significantly associated with frailty (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 0.28 [0.08 to 0.96]) after adjusting for the covariates. Conclusions: Not only high individual-level health literacy but also high community-level health literacy is associated with a low prevalence of frailty in community-dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Changjiang nutrient inputs serve as an important nutrient source for Chinese coastal waters. Its nutrient flux into the estuary has increased significantly over recent several decades, which may affect regional primary production and the sulfur cycle. Using a well-validated three-dimensional biophysical and geochemical model, we quantified the response of dimethylsulfide (DMS), a biogenic volatile sulfur that could affect the Earth's climate, to the intensified Changjiang nutrient inputs. The results showed that the enhancement in the oceanic DMS fluxes (FDMS) exceeded 30% off the coastal waters including the Zhejiang coastal area, the Changjiang estuary, east of the Changjiang estuary, and Subei Shoal given the acceleration in nutrient inputs. In addition, a phenology change in the FDMS was found in the Changjiang estuary and east of the Changjiang estuary. Furthermore, the increase in the FDMS in the Changjiang estuary and Subei Shoal was ascribed primarily to the elevated surface phytoplankton biomass, while the changes in the surface phytoplankton community contributed considerably to the changes in the FDMS in the Zhejiang coastal area and east of the Changjiang estuary. And the sensitivity experiments demonstrated that mainly the elevated Changjiang dissolved inorganic phosphorus inputs led to the increase of the DMS release off these coastal waters. The ratio between the surface concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen ([DIN]) and dissolved silicate ([DSi]) might be a crucial indicator for predicating the surface DMS concentration ([DMS]) under the intensified human activities; a significant positive correlation was found between the change in the surface [DMS] and [DIN]:[DSi] ratio off the coastal area in the East China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives When staff experience responsive behaviors from residents, this can lead to decreased quality of work life and lower quality of care in long-term care homes. We synthesized research on factors associated with resident responsive behaviors directed toward care staff and characteristics of interventions to reduce the behaviors. Research Design and Methods We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review with quantitative and qualitative research. We searched 12 bibliographic databases and "gray" literature, using 2 keywords (long-term care, responsive behaviors) and their synonyms. Pairs of reviewers independently completed screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. We developed a coding scheme using the ecological model as an organizing structure and prepared narrative summaries for each factor. Results From 86 included studies (57 quantitative, 28 qualitative, 1 mixed methods), multiple factors emerged, such as staff training background (individual level), staff approaches to care (interpersonal level), leadership and staffing resources (institutional level), and racism and patriarchy (societal level). Quantitative and qualitative results each provided key insights, such as qualitative results pertaining to leadership responses to reports of behaviors, and quantitative findings on the impact of staff approaches to care on behaviors. Effects of interventions (n  = 14) to reduce the behaviors were inconclusive. Discussion and Implications We identified the need for an enhanced understanding of the interrelationships among factors associated with resident responsive behaviors toward staff and processes leading to the behaviors. To address these gaps and to inform theory-based effective interventions for preventing or mitigating responsive behaviors, we suggest intervention studies with systematic process evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today the relevance of the issues of environmental consequences of technological human intervention in the world around us is beyond doubt. The rapid development of technique and technology entails the development of new ways and methods of environmental protection. At the same time, issues of theoretical research, the creation of mathematical, and then computer models of the studied phenomena, play an important role. The article considers the influence of pollution of stationary filtration flows of an incompressible multicolored liquid on the environment. The problems of mathematical modeling of the filtration flows of multicolored liquids are solved. It is assumed that pollution does not significantly change the properties of the filtered liquid, its density and viscosity. Liquids do not mix and have a clear interface, which does not have a harmful effect on the environment.

Low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a high burden of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, there are no reviews assimilating the factors affecting risk of IPV in LMICs. This systematic review (2010–20) identifies risk and protective factors of IPV in LMICs. We followed the PRISMA guidelines to review 399 studies and included 32 studies. Studies were of ever-partnered women living in an LMIC, aged 15 years and above, who had ever faced IPV from a male partner. Disaggregating factors using the ecological framework, we found that women less than 45 years of age face increased risk of IPV. Secondary and higher education levels of men lower the risk. Both employment and unemployment of women increase the risk. Male partner's dependence on alcohol or substances increases the risk. Prior exposure to abuse of either partner increases risk of IPV. Similarly, justification of wife-beating by any partner increases risk. Intimate relations which are more gender-equal experience lowered risk. Women who have no children, stay in smaller-sized families and reside in rural areas, face lower risks. The review found that risk factors outnumber protective factors. Protective factors are much more context-dependent, while risk factors are more universalizable for the LMIC world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question of why young Australians with intellectual disability (ID) remain underrepresented in open employment despite significant investment by various stakeholders. It uses the analogy of Whack-a-Mole (an arcade game) to draw attention to the complexity young people face during transition, and to illustrate how addressing one barrier in isolation is unlikely to result in successful transitions. In response to repeated calls for more holistic understandings of the transition process for young adults with ID, the paper draws upon the work of Urie Bronfenbrenner to present an adaptation of his model to map the ecologies of young people with ID's as they seek to transition from school to open employment. The model illustrates the complexity of transition, a proliferation of stakeholders, and traces how transition is contingent on much more than young adults with ID's capabilities. It invites further consideration of, and utility for, an ecological model as a basis for imagining possibilities to increase the number of people with ID in open employment and concludes by raising some questions that stakeholders might ask. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RumeliDE Journal of Language & Literature Research / RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of RumeliDE Uluslararasi Hakemli Dil & Edebiyat Arastirmalari Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a major cause of illness and death in cattle; however, its global extent and distribution remain unclear. As climate change continues to impact the environment, it is important to understand the environmental factors contributing to BRD's emergence and re-emergence. In this study, we used machine-learning models and remotely sensed climate data at 2.5 min (21 km2) resolution environmental layers to estimate the risk of BRD and predict its potential future distribution. We analysed 13,431 BRD cases from 1727 cities worldwide between 2005 and 2021 using two machine-learning models, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT), to predict the risk and geographical distribution of the risk of BRD globally with varying model parameters. Different re-sampling regimes were used to visualise and measure various sources of uncertainty and prediction performance. The best-fitting model was assessed based on the area under the receiver operator curve (AUC-ROC), positive predictive power and Cohen's Kappa. We found that BRT had better predictive power compared with MaxEnt. Our findings showed that favourable habitats for BRD occurrence were associated with the mean annual temperature, precipitation of the coldest quarter, mean diurnal range and minimum temperature of the coldest month. Similarly, we showed that the risk of BRD is not limited to the currently known suitable regions of Europe and west and central Africa but extends to other areas, such as Russia, China and Australia. This study highlights the need for global surveillance and early detection systems to prevent the spread of disease across borders. The findings also underscore the importance of bio-security surveillance and livestock sector interventions, such as policy-making and farmer education, to address the impact of climate change on animal diseases and prevent emergencies and the spread of BRD to new areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social participation of older adults occupies a central position in international discourse regarding ageing, the ecological model makes it possible to examine and assess the different factors that influence the understanding of what encourages social participation by older adults. This study used the ecological model to analyse how personal, community and environmental factors are related to satisfaction with social participation among Chilean older adults, a majority of whom are indigenous, living in rural areas (n = 800). The results confirmed that satisfaction with social participation was related to personal factors (feelings of depression, functioning into basic activities of daily living (ADL) and autonomy), community factors (perceived social support from social group) and environmental factors (accessibility of physical setting within the village). Our findings confirmed a high level of social participation among indigenous adults, with rural and indigenous surroundings appearing to be a factor that protects and promotes social integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While intention is considered the proximal determinant of behaviour, scholars point to an intention–behaviour gap, calling for research that accounts for the environmental moderators that constrain or facilitate the intention–behaviour relationship. Adopting an ecological perspective, the study examined the potential moderating influence of five leisure constraints and facilitators on the running intention–behaviour relationship within the context of community running clubs. Employing a repeated measures design with members of four community running clubs across the Midwest United States, results of the multi-level modelling indicate running intentions and time significantly predict actual running behaviours. The findings provide no evidence that the leisure constraints and facilitators (leisure constraints, leader autonomy support, perceived motivational climate, club operations and club programmes) influenced the relationship between running intention and running behaviour. These results add further evidence to support the intention–behaviour relationship and suggest this relationship may fluctuate across contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puppy development, much like child development, is almost unlimited in its potential complexity. Puppies are not raised in a vacuum; their development depends on their unique personality, physical characteristics, previous experience, different environments they have access to, individuals they interact with, as well larger forces, such as local laws and culture. While capturing every puppy development factor in a single study is impossible, use of an ecological model can help researchers be more mindful of this complexity during study design and data analysis. Authors of this paper recommend that puppy development researchers apply an ecological model such as Bronfenbrenner's bioecological human development theory to guide future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial co-culture studies using synthetic gut microbiomes have reported novel research designs to understand the underlying role of bacterial interaction in the metabolism of dietary resources and community assembly of complex microflora. Since lab-on-a-chip mimicking the gut (hereafter "gut-on-a-chip") is one of the most advanced platforms for the simulative research regarding the correlation between host health and microbiota, the co-culture of the synthetic bacterial community in gut-on-a-chip is expected to reveal the diet–microbiota relationship. This critical review analyzed recent research on bacterial co-culture with perspectives on the ecological niche of commensals, probiotics, and pathogens to categorize the experimental approaches for diet-mediated management of gut health as the compositional and/or metabolic modulation of the microbiota and the control of pathogens. Meanwhile, the aim of previous research on bacterial culture in gut-on-a-chip has been mainly limited to the maintenance of the viability of host cells. Thus, the integration of study designs established for the co-culture of synthetic gut consortia with various nutritional resources into gut-on-a-chip is expected to reveal bacterial interspecies interactions related to specific dietary patterns. This critical review suggests novel research topics for co-culturing bacterial communities in gut-on-a-chip to realize an ideal experimental platform mimicking a complex intestinal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aims to identify physical inactivity-related challenges and motives, based on reviews and supplemented by expert interviews with Danish national experts on physical inactivity, providing a general discussion of the subject ultimately generating knowledge useable in a Scandinavian context. Methods: This study is framed as a narrative review of scientific review literature on physical inactivity, limited to the general population. The review is supplemented by expert interviews with Danish national experts on physical inactivity. We used thematic coding of the included reviews, while using hermeneutic interpretation analysis for the expert interviews. Results: Based on 11 included reviews, we highlighted four themes based on our analysis of reviews: (a) socioeconomic determinants of physical activity; (b) life-course perspective; (c) physical inactivity and older adults aged 60+ years; and (d) intervention recommendations. The supplementary expert interviews revealed three additional themes: (a) the individual history with physical activity; (b) sporting organisation importance; and (c) society responsibility for physical inactivity. Conclusions: Collectively this study concludes, based on review and expert interviews, that a number of determinants and correlations for physical inactivity affect the individual from various socioecological levels. Based on this review, we suggest moving beyond the 'upstream' public health approach of randomised controlled trials and consider complex interventions targeting physical inactivity from several levels. Physical inactivity should be acknowledged as a 'wicked problem' that requires a systems-based approach instead of a single quick fix. Future work with physical inactivity would profit from focus on the life-course perspective, sporting clubs' responsiveness and physical literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding penal decision-making has become a central concern of criminologists over recent decades. Although scholars acknowledge the complex, multi-faceted, and contextual nature of penal decision-making, many rely on a single level of analysis to study the process. There is a rich literature on the socio-political, organizational, and individual context of decision-making, but few studies consider the impact of multiple influences simultaneously. To address this gap, this article uses a multi-level framework to shed light on the systems, processes, and actors that shape penal decision-making in Ireland. It draws on two case studies, namely probation and parole, to demonstrate that macro-, meso-, micro-, and individual-level influences must be considered to achieve a comprehensive understanding. Our analysis shows that macro-level systems such as legal and political processes play an important role in shaping probation and parole decisions. At the meso-level, institutional policies, values, and culture come into play while practitioner agency operates at the micro-level to support, alter, or subvert macro- and meso-level developments. Finally, the characteristics and behavior of victims and offenders can shape decision-making at the individual level. The article concludes with a reflection on the implications of this analysis for criminological knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterprise innovation ecology plays a vital role in the operation and development of enterprises. It can enable enterprises to have benign and sustainable progress space in action. At the same time, it can also make the innovation ability of enterprises grow unprecedentedly, which is a crucial factor related to the survival and lifeline of enterprises. However, enterprise managers are often too immersed in concept innovation and structural optimization in the actual innovation and ecological construction of enterprises. Still, they do not pay attention to the problems in actual construction. This would cause the actual operation of the system to be restricted by key influencing factors such as environmental protection policies, making it difficult to achieve effective progress. In this regard, the purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss the enterprise innovation ecological philosophy based on the human–computer interaction mental model. Therefore, this paper comprehensively considers four key factors that affect the construction of enterprise innovation ecology, namely, the promotion of enterprise technology, the competitiveness of enterprise market, the innovation characteristics of enterprises, and the environmental constraints of innovation ecology, and improves and perfects the innovation ecosystem from these factors. Finally, an efficient ecological model of enterprise innovation was designed, and the scientific construction was carried out through the human–computer interaction mental model combining human–computer interaction technology and cognitive psychology. At the same time, the model is applied to the actual enterprise operation, and the naive Bayesian algorithm is adopted to optimize the relevant performance of the algorithm model. The experimental results showed that the highest sample accuracy of the algorithm reaches 92.9%, which greatly improved the operation efficiency of enterprise innovation ecological construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Non-communicable diseases have risen markedly over the last decade. A phenomenon that was mainly endemic in high-income countries has now visibly encroached on low and middle-income settings. A major contributor to this is a shift towards unhealthy dietary behavior. This study aimed to examine the complex interplay between people’s characteristics and the environment to understand how these influenced food choices and practices in Western Kenya. Methods This study used semi-structured guides to conduct in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with both male and female members of the community, across various socioeconomic groups, from Kisumu and Homa Bay Counties to further understand their perspectives on the influences of dietary behavior. Voice data was captured using digital voice recorders, transcribed verbatim, and translated to English. Data analysis adopted an exploratory and inductive analysis approach. Coded responses were analyzed using NVIVO 12 PRO software. Results Intrapersonal levels of influence included: Age, the nutritional value of food, occupation, perceived satiety of some foods as opposed to others, religion, and medical reasons. The majority of the participants mentioned location as the main source of influence at the community level reflected by the regional staple foodscape. Others include seasonality of produce, social pressure, and availability of food in the market. Pricing of food and distance to food markets was mentioned as the major macro-level influence. This was followed by an increase in population and road infrastructure. Conclusion This study demonstrated that understanding dietary preferences are complex. Future interventions should not only consider intrapersonal and interpersonal influences when aiming to promote healthy eating among communities but also need to target the community and macro environments. This means that nutrition promotion strategies should focus on multiple levels of influence that broaden options for interventions. However, government interventions in addressing food access, affordability, and marketing remain essential to any significant change.

Prey refuge from predators can play an important role in stabilising an ecological system by reducing interactions between species, while Allee effects can arise from a range of biological phenomena, such as anti-predator vigilance, genetic trends and feeding deficiencies. We develop a predator–prey model that combines these phenomena, considering variable prey refuge with additive Allee effect on the prey species, with a Holling type II response function for the prey growth function. We use the predator and prey nullclines to determine the existence and stability of interior equilibria. We also investigate all possible local and global bifurcations that the system could undergo, showing that prey refuge and a strong Allee effect can lead to saddle-node bifurcations, Hopf bifurcations or Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation. We have investigated the appearance of Hopf bifurcations in a neighborhood of the unique interior equilibrium point of the dynamical system. The rich behaviour of the dynamics suggests that both prey refuge and a strong Allee affect are important factors in ecological complexity.

Sense of belonging (SB) has been linked to increased academic engagement, enjoyment, and motivation. This paper explored international graduate students(IGS)' SB in leisure spaces and its lessons for leisure educators. The paper addressed the following questions: (a) How do IGS' leisure experiences change after migrating to the US? Furthermore, (b) How does the orientation of IGS towards leisure spaces post-immigration impact their sense of belonging? In the context of leisure, three themes emerged from the intersectional autoethnographic vignettes of five doctoral students. Utilizing Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Model, we highlight how these themes relate to IGS' different life systems and we propose a new model for studying IGSs' sense of belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Few studies have examined the impact of ecological health promotion interventions on organizational practices over time, especially in faith-based settings. This statewide dissemination and implementation study examined change in organizational practices and their predictors across a 24-month period, as well as maintenance of change. Methods Using a pre-post quasi-experimental design, church coordinators from 92 United Methodist Churches in South Carolina (42% predominantly African American congregations) completed surveys at baseline, and immediate, 12-, and 24-months post-training regarding physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) organizational practices consistent with the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program (opportunities, policies, pastor support, messages) and possible predictors. The study was guided by the RE-AIM framework and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Mixed model repeated measures analyses examined change in organizational practices over time. Regression models examined CFIR predictors of 24-month PA and HE organizational practices, controlling for baseline practices. Churches were also classified as maintainers (implemented at 12 and 24 months), non-sustained implementers (implemented at 12 but not 24 months), delayed implementers (implemented at 24 but not 12 months), and low implementers (implemented at neither 12 nor 24 months) for each FAN component. Results PA and HE organizational practices increased over time (p

The widely used species-occurrence-based models that predict the realized climate niche of plants can be too restrictive and do not reflect among-population variation in assessing climate change impact and guiding assisted migration for adaptation to future climates. To mitigate this deficiency, this study built a fundamental climate niche model for lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.) based on 20-year tree height from wide-ranging provenance trials as a case study. The model was built through comparisons and optimizations of two candidate models, universal response function (URF) and universal transfer function (UTF), with linear and linear mixed-effect forms, against varying sample sizes based on the comprehensive provenance trials. We found that URF and UTF models had similar performances, while URF models were more straightforward in identifying optimal provenances for planting sites. Linear mixed-effect models did not show clear advantages over linear models in our case but prevented including additional predictors, which are often critical. We selected the linear model of URF and predicted the fundamental climate niche of lodgepole pine on a global scale and revealed a great potential of using this species for climate change adaptation beyond its native distribution, representing a significant step in forest genecology. Our study presented a new approach for assisted migration at the species and the population levels to optimize adaptation and productivity under a changing climate.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges to the women dependent on the healthcare and tourism industries for the livelihood of their families. These challenges opened opportunities for organisations to alter their traditional forms of assistance into modalities that address the effects of the pandemic. I explore the Asian Women Empowerment Project (AWEP), a Japanbased organisation dedicated to helping poor women in Asian countries attain economic power. During the pandemic, AWEP attuned its programmes to respond to its challenges. Using ecofeminist theologian Sallie McFague's ecological model, I demonstrate that AWEP reveals Japanese women's acute understanding of a need for an ecological ethics of solidarity that includes ecological interests, a consciousness of solidarity, and cooperation through global sisterhood, which posits that women the world over share everyday experiences regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, class, or economic status and, therefore, should help one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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