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Decline processes in technological innovation systems: Lessons from energy technologies
Get PDFTechnology decline is gaining attention in sustainability transitions because it can accelerate the adoption of sustainable alternatives and mitigate the lingering impacts of polluting technologies. However, a systematic analysis of the processes driving the decline of established technologies remains absent. This paper addresses this gap by introducing the concept of “decline functions,” inspired by the functional analysis of technological innovation systems (TIS). While traditional TIS functions make emerging systems thrive, decline functions contribute to the unravelling of faltering systems. Four decline functions are suggested: delegitimation, guidance toward exit, market decline, and resource demobilization. These functions are applied to four energy-technology cases: incandescent light bulbs, oil-based heating, nuclear power and internal combustion engine cars. Data were collected through a directed literature review. Our analysis reveals that all four decline functions were present and played important roles across the cases. These functions offer a systematic framework for analyzing and comparing cases of declining TIS and can provide actionable insights for policymakers to accelerate sustainability transitions
Fair Use Deep Dive Slides
No full textThese slides were created and presented by Rachel Bridgewater and Elsa Loftis for the "Copyright Basics and Fair Use Deep Dive" workshop at Portland State University on Friday, January 31, 2025. This workshop was hosted by the Western Copyright Alliance and Library Copyright Institute
Identifying Misinformation About Unproven Cancer Treatments on Social Media Using User-Friendly Linguistic Characteristics: Content Analysis.
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Health misinformation, prevalent in social media, poses a significant threat to individuals, particularly those dealing with serious illnesses such as cancer. The current recommendations for users on how to avoid cancer misinformation are challenging because they require users to have research skills. OBJECTIVE: This study addresses this problem by identifying user-friendly characteristics of misinformation that could be easily observed by users to help them flag misinformation on social media. METHODS: Using a structured review of the literature on algorithmic misinformation detection across political, social, and computer science, we assembled linguistic characteristics associated with misinformation. We then collected datasets by mining X (previously known as Twitter) posts using keywords related to unproven cancer therapies and cancer center usernames. This search, coupled with manual labeling, allowed us to create a dataset with misinformation and 2 control datasets. We used natural language processing to model linguistic characteristics within these datasets. Two experiments with 2 control datasets used predictive modeling and Lasso regression to evaluate the effectiveness of linguistic characteristics in identifying misinformation. RESULTS: User-friendly linguistic characteristics were extracted from 88 papers. The short-listed characteristics did not yield optimal results in the first experiment but predicted misinformation with an accuracy of 73% in the second experiment, in which posts with misinformation were compared with posts from health care systems. The linguistic characteristics that consistently negatively predicted misinformation included tentative language, location, URLs, and hashtags, while numbers, absolute language, and certainty expressions consistently predicted misinformation positively. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis resulted in user-friendly recommendations, such as exercising caution when encountering social media posts featuring unwavering assurances or specific numbers lacking references. Future studies should test the efficacy of the recommendations among information users
Assessing health equity inconsistencies in the World Health Organization’s Urban HEART initiative: findings from key informant interviews
Get PDFBackground To date, no studies have assessed how the World Health Organization’s (WHO) work operationalizes health equity in practice. To fill the gap, this study investigates the WHO’s Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART) that focuses on assessing and responding to inequities within cities. This qualitative research answers the question: “how does Urban HEART and associated policy and practice align (or not) with inconsistent approaches to health in/equity?” In other words, asking if past findings from investigating WHO key texts also transpire into Urban HEART and its practices. Methods Purposive sampling was employed to undertake synchronous electronic interviews with key informants to glean a multi-faceted perspective of how equity was operationalized through Urban HEART. Data was collected from 18 key informants who had diverse experiences with Urban HEART. Results The results of this study provided insights on how the WHO’s Urban HEART fares with respect to the three inconsistencies. For the first inconsistency, measurement, Urban HEART was evaluated to measure inequities across districts and neighbourhoods, but not inter-city, demonstrating alignment with WHO texts discussing measurement across groups and not individuals. For the second inconsistency, the goals or approaches sought in striving for health equity, despite Urban HEART presenting “three main approaches to reduce health inequities,” informants expressed the most alignment of Urban HEART action with only one of these approaches (“targeting disadvantaged population groups or social classes”). However, informants also shared how actions taken as part of Urban HEART largely aligned with “striving for a baseline level of health for all,” which is not explicitly specified by the WHO as a main approach. And lastly, in assessing the third inconsistency of whether Urban HEART aligned with addressing inequity through focusing on socioeconomic status/position versus broader social determinants of health, Urban HEART was strongly aligned with the latter. Conclusions This study presents disconnects between WHO’s intentions and actions that followed from Urban HEART. Moving forward, it would be important to discuss goals or approaches sought, prior to any global health initiatives, whether explicitly focused on health equity or not
Prenatal gene editing for neurodevelopmental diseases: Ethical considerations
Get PDFNeurodevelopmental diseases (NDDs) are notoriously difficult to treat because clinical symptoms stem from developmental processes that begin before birth. Prenatal gene editing could fill the treatment gap for NDDs by targeting and permanently correcting the genetic variants that underlie these pathogenic developmental processes. At the same time, there is a risk of unintended edits to the fetus or the pregnant person that could result in serious adverse consequences that are difficult, if not impossible, to undo. This raises ethical concerns that make the development of prenatal gene editing especially challenging. To date, there are no frameworks for considering the steps necessary for an ethical path forward for prenatal gene editing specifically. The 60-year history of in utero therapy has included the development of frameworks for other therapies that can provide starting points for addressing the unique issues of prenatal gene editing. We identified 12 themes from 17 ethical frameworks, literature, consensus statements, and government reports on prenatal interventions that could set precedents for prenatal gene editing interventions. In considering these alongside current criteria for postnatal gene therapies for NDDs, we discuss a path forward for prenatal gene editing interventions of NDDs
Friendship Bench intervention to address depression and improve HIV care engagement among adolescents living with HIV in Malawi: Study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Comorbid depression is prevalent among adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) and poses numerous challenges to HIV care engagement and retainment. We present a pilot trial designed to investigate feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of an adapted and an enhanced Friendship Bench intervention (henceforth: AFB and EFB) in reducing depression and improving engagement in HIV care among ALWH in Malawi. METHODS: Design: Participants will be randomized to one of three conditions: the Friendship Bench intervention adapted for ALWH (AFB, n = 35), the Friendship Bench intervention enhanced with peer support (EFB, n = 35), or standard of care (SOC, n = 35). Recruitment is planned for early 2024 in four clinics in Malawi. Participants: Eligibility criteria (1) aged 13-19; (2) diagnosed with HIV (vertically or horizontally); (3) scored ≥ 13 on the self-reported Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II); (4) living in the clinic's catchment area with intention to remain for at least 1 year; and (5) willing to provide informed consent. Interventions: AFB includes 6 counseling sessions facilitated by young, trained non-professional counselors. EFB consists of AFB plus integration of peer support group sessions to facilitate engagement in HIV care. SOC for mental health in public facilities in Malawi includes options for basic supportive counseling, medication, referral to mental health clinics or psychiatric units at tertiary care hospitals for more severe cases. Outcomes: The primary outcomes are feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the AFB and EFB assessed at 6 months and 12 months and compared across 3 arms. The secondary outcome is to assess preliminary effectiveness of the interventions in reducing depressive symptoms and improving HIV viral suppression at 6 months and 12 months. DISCUSSION: This pilot study will provide insights into youth-friendly adaptations of the Friendship Bench model for ALWH in Malawi and the value of adding group peer support for HIV care engagement. The information gathered in this study will lead to a R01 application to test our adapted intervention in a large-scale cluster randomized controlled trial to improve depression and engagement in HIV care among ALWH. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06173544)
Developing a Novel Index for Individual-Level Social Determinants and Cardiovascular Diseases in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study
Get PDFBackground: Social determinants of health (SDH) have been found to contribute to cardiovascular risk and the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, few studies have examined early-life exposure to SDH and the combined effect of multiple SDH measures on CVD. There is an urgent need to develop an SDH index for use in practice and clinical settings. Methods: A total of 3189 participants from the CARDIA Study who had chest CT scans at the year-25 (Y25) visit were included in this study. Personal and parental SDH measures, including education, occupation, income, financial strain, and childhood family environment, were obtained through interviews. The participants’ coronary artery calcification (CAC) was measured using chest CT scans, and left-ventricular mass (LVM) was measured using M-mode echocardiography. The values of the individual social determinants of health (iSDH) index were determined based on individual-level measures and CAC using a supervised learning method—the Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) model. This index’s association with the LVM index (LVMI) was evaluated as an external validation using linear regression models adjusting for race, sex, BMI, smoking status, alcohol intake, and physical activity. Results: Each one-standard-deviation (SD) increase in the iSDH index was associated with an increase in LVMI ranging from 0.376 (95% CI −0.016, 0.767) at year 0 to 0.468 (95% CI 0.115, 0.821) at year 20. The association between the iSDH index and the LVMI was more pronounced as the participants aged. Also, the iSDH indices were more strongly associated with LVMI among Black participants (β = 0.969, 95% CI = 0.081, 1.858) than White participants (β = 0.202, 95% CI = −0.228, 0.633) at year 5. Conclusions: Higher iSDH indices in early adulthood were associated with increased LVMI values in midlife. The association between the iSDH index and CVD was stronger among Black adults than with White adults
Resource allocation for environmental health services in healthcare facilities: A qualitative case study from Niger
Get PDFWater, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, and other environmental health services are critical for safe health systems, but global access is lacking. Adequate financing is a key barrier, and understanding resource allocation can help identify solutions in resource-limited contexts. We conducted a qualitative case examining resource allocation in rural Niger. Our objectives were to understand resource allocation processes, key actors and their roles, and contextual factors that influenced resource allocation. We interviewed thirty-three healthcare workers, community leaders, and government officials. We found that resource allocation followed formal and informal processes. Formal processes encompassed annual budgets and monthly supplies through government channels, while informal processes depended on healthcare workers’ out-of-pocket expenses, unpaid labor, in-kind community support, healthcare facility revenue, and contributions from non-governmental and United Nations agencies, and the diaspora. Informal resource allocation was critical to fill the gap when formal processes were slow or insufficient. Resource allocation was highly decentralized with minimal influence of national policies and legal frameworks at the local level. Key contextual factors influencing resource allocation included politicization of budgets at the commune level, sometimes leading to inefficiency or inequity. We observed that healthcare facility actors who were most knowledgeable of needs often held the least decision-making power. We concluded that informal processes were complementary to formal processes, not conflicting. In contexts where government funding is severely limited, informal mechanisms may be the only viable short-term option to ensure the availability of services, demonstrating greater flexibility and adaptability. However, ultimately informal processes are an interim solution that should be explored to ensure service delivery without undermining long-term government systems strengthening. We recommend that funders commit to long-term initiatives promoting local government democratic decision-making, account for local actors’ capacities and incentives, and acknowledge dynamic formal and informal resource allocations to optimize investments and trade-offs
Using the fused graphical lasso to explore the motivational self-system after a multimedia self-regulated learning training: a brief research report
Get PDFIntroduction: The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of a randomized control trial designed to test the effect of a brief intervention used to improve self-regulated learning (SRL) in gateway biology courses using joint estimation of graphical models. Methods: Students (N = 265; n = 136) from three sections of a hybrid-format introductory biology course were randomly assigned to participate in the multimedia science of learning to learn or a multimedia control condition. All participants completed a self-report battery of motivational measures. Course performance data was also collected. Results: Network structures of motivation variables were estimated in two sub-groups (Treatment and Control). These networks showed a high level of correspondence in the relative magnitudes of the edge weights, however there were non-trivial differences in the edge weights between groups that may be attributed to the treatment and differences in predictability. While these findings suggest meaningful differences in motivational structures, the relatively small sample size may limit the stability of the estimated network models. The SRL strategy based interventions may have positioned the students motivationally to approach the challenging exam through activating the role of value and self-efficacy in their learning. Discussion: Many of the ways analyses of typical intervention studies are conducted ignore the underlying complexity of what motivates individuals. This study provides preliminary evidence how Gaussian Graphical Modeling may be valuable in preserving the integrity of complex systems and examining relevant shifts in variations between motivational systems between groups and individuals