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Cultural adaptation process of six stigma assessment scales among Kannada speaking population in South India
No full textFor several years stigma researchers in India have relied on Western instruments or semi-structured stigma scales in their studies. However, these scales have not been rigorously translated and adapted to the local cultural framework. In the current study, we describe the cultural adaptation of six stigma scales with the purpose of using it in the native language (Kannada) based on translation steps of forward translation, expert review and synthesis, cultural equivalence, back translation and cognitive interview processes. Several items were modified in the target language at each stage of the cultural adaptation process as mentioned in the above steps across all scales. Cultural explanations for the same have been provided. Concepts such as “community forest” and “baby sitting" was replaced with equivalent native synonyms. We introduced native cultural and family values such as “joint family system” and modified the item of housing concept in one of the tools. The concept of “privacy” in the Indian rural context was observed to be familial than individual-based and modification of corresponding items according to the native context of “privacy”. Finally, items from each scale were modified but retained without affecting the meaning and the core construct
Understanding the characteristics of unpaid carers living in financial hardship: risks and vulnerabilities
No full textProviding care for longer hours is associated with detrimental effects on carers’ employment and earnings. However, very little is known about carer financial hardship, especially from an intersectional perspective. This study makes use of the UK Household Longitudinal Study to investigate associations between providing care and poverty. Findings show that unpaid carers are more likely to face poverty than non-carers and that this gap has become wider over time. Employment and older age seem to be protective characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of poverty. These findings support the recognition of the many challenges faced by unpaid carers
Mapping socioeconomic factors driving antimicrobial resistance in humans: an umbrella review
No full textIntroduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest public health challenges of our time. National Action Plans have failed so far to effectively address socioeconomic drivers of AMR, including the animal and environmental health dimensions of One Health. Objective: To map what socioeconomic drivers of AMR exist in the literature with quantitative evidence. Methods: An umbrella review was undertaken across Medline, Embase, Global Health, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, supplemented by a grey literature search on Google Scholar. Review articles demonstrating a methodological search strategy for socioeconomic drivers of AMR were included. Two authors extracted drivers from each review article which were supported by quantitative evidence. Drivers were grouped thematically and summarised narratively across the following three layers of society: People & Public, System & Environment, and Institutions & Policies. Results: The search yielded 6300 articles after deduplication, with 23 review articles included. 27 individual thematic groups of drivers were identified. The People & Public dimensions contained the following themes: age, sex, ethnicity, migrant status, marginalisation, sexual behaviours, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, household composition, maternity, personal hygiene, lifestyle behaviours. System & Environment yielded the following themes: household transmission, healthcare occupation, urbanicity, day-care attendance, environmental hygiene, regional poverty, tourism, animal husbandry, food supply chain, water contamination, and climate. Institutions & Policies encompassed poor antibiotic quality, healthcare financing, healthcare governance, and national income. Many of these contained bidirectional quantitative evidence, hinting at conflicting pathways by which socioeconomic factors drive AMR. Conclusion: This umbrella review maps socioeconomic drivers of AMR with quantitative evidence, providing a macroscopic view of the complex pathways driving AMR. This will help direct future research and action on socioeconomic drivers of AMR
Wealth and income stratification by social class in five European countries
No full textWealth is a central determinant of life chances and intergenerational status persistence in modern societies. Despite increasing attention, sociologists traditionally overlooked its role in class-based economic disparities, while most economists focused on the elites’ accumulation. This article combines sociological and economic perspectives to test whether big occupational classes, the most standardised and operationalisable approach, depict the wealth distribution. Drawing from the Luxembourg Wealth Study (2002–2018) in five European countries, we explore (1) how wealth is distributed and stratified by big occupational classes over time and cross-nationally and (2) to what extent classes account for aggregate wealth inequality trends compared with income. Unlike bold claims on class 'death' or 'decomposition', inequality of outcomes in wealth accumulation is firmly rooted across big occupational classes in contemporary capitalism, potentially harming social mobility in future generations. Still, occupational classes better capture between-group income inequality and stratification than wealth, emphasising the importance of economic resources beyond labour market attachment. Against the backdrop of previous research and our findings, we discuss the role of wealth in contemporary class analysis
Leading with paradox: promoting self‐leadership and positive work behaviours through leader‐member exchange
No full textThis study investigates the role of self‐leadership in mediating the relationship between paradoxical leadership and innovative work behaviour, with emphasis on the moderating impacts of leader‐member exchange (LMX). Study 1 featured 307 service industry employees in a 6‐month longitudinal survey, whereas Study 2 included 288 employees in an experimental design. The results indicate that paradoxical leadership significantly enhances innovation by balancing directive and empowering behaviours, with self‐leadership and high‐quality LMX relationships serving as critical mediators and moderators. Employees demonstrate higher innovation levels when they feel empowered and supported by their leaders. Empowering leaders with paradoxical skills and nurturing strong LMX relationships can spark innovation, boost employee creativity, and fuel a competitive advantage. This study adds compelling empirical support to the leadership and innovation literature regarding the transformative impact of combining seemingly contradictory leadership behaviours to foster an innovative and dynamic organizational culture
Comprehensive genomic profiling: a public health system perspective
No full textIntroduction: Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is gaining ground in modern precision oncology for its ability to potentially analyze multiple tumor alterations and identify actionable ones, guiding targeted anticancer treatments. However, integrating CGP into healthcare systems demands consideration of the available evidence and collaboration between shareholders. Areas covered: This review explores CGP’s cost-effectiveness and feasibility across diverse healthcare settings, based on searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, gray literature, and extensive snowballing. We further aimed to elucidate barriers to routine CGP implementation and discuss potential solutions. Expert opinion: Patients generally express satisfaction with CGP, especially if publicly funded, yet face difficulties in understanding test results, and managing lack of actionable mutations and access to novel treatment avenues. Physicians exhibit confidence in recommending and interpreting CGP for patients with refractory disease and considerable life expectancy and performance status, albeit acknowledging potential treatment delays. Health economic studies support CGP’s cost-effectiveness, highlighting increased survival, productivity, reduced medical service utilization, and cost diversion to trial sponsors. Nonetheless, challenges persist, including reimbursement policies, limited testing accessibility, and the imperative for physician training and infrastructure enhancement. Addressing these issues through collaborative efforts and policy adjustments is paramount for realizing the full potential of CGP in advancing precision oncology
Artificial intelligence-driven optimization of carbon neutrality strategies in population studies: employing enhanced neural network models with attention mechanisms
No full textWith the growing severity of global climate change, achieving carbon neutrality has become a central focus worldwide. The intersection of population studies and carbon neutrality introduces significant challenges in predicting and optimizing energy consumption, as demographic factors play a crucial role in shaping carbon emissions. This paper proposes a model based on a Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN) and Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), enhanced with a dual-stage attention mechanism for optimization. The model automatically extracts key features from complex demographic and carbon emission data, leveraging the attention mechanism to assign appropriate weights, thereby capturing the behavioral patterns and trends in energy consumption driven by population dynamics more effectively. By integrating multi-source data, including historical carbon emissions, population density, demographic trends, meteorological data, and economic indicators, experimental results demonstrate the model's outstanding performance across multiple datasets
Green Credit Guidelines and financial resilience: implications for green innovation in heavily polluting enterprises
No full textThis paper examines the impact of China’s 2012 Green Credit Guidelines (GCG) on the green technological innovation of heavily polluting enterprises (HPEs). Using a panel dataset of 491 listed companies from 2009 to 2018, the study employs a Matched Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to analyse the policy’s effects, complemented by Triple and Quantile DID models to explore underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that, contrary to expectations, the GCG negatively impacts green innovation among HPEs, particularly affecting private, smaller-scale, financially constrained, and low-profit firms in highly competitive markets. However, the adverse effect is short-term, with firms that have greater financial resilience, access to subsidies, stronger initial green innovation capabilities, and market power better able to withstand financial restrictions. The findings highlight the need for more tailored green credit policies that consider firm-specific characteristics to effectively promote green innovation
Seeking safety: identifying protection gaps for artists in South Sudan
No full textProtection of artists during times of conflict has no specific framework in international humanitarian law. However, cultural sites, artefacts and institutions are protected. Advocates working from the position of ‘cultural rights’ understand that artists who are specifically persecuted should be protected for defending human rights. Artists are targeted during conflict just like material culture for their symbolic contribution to society. During times of armed conflict, artists have few places to go. This worsens in protracted conflicts that drag on for generations. In contemporary South Sudan, conflict has driven out artists seeking protection and freedom of expression. This article contributes empirical evidence from South Sudan to reveal how artists experience the protection gap and how they become informal protection stakeholders. Identifying self-protection strategies gives insights for opening up further research on social and political phenomena impacting disputed territories or places impacted by long-term symbolic violence. In these contexts, this chapter shows the pathways artists take to not only seek shelter but to continue their work in exile
Some critical thoughts on "How stereotypes deceive us"
No full textThe goal of this paper is to identify and discuss the weaker aspects of some of the arguments in Kathy Puddifoot’s fascinating and thought-provoking book. Section 1 deals with Puddifoot’s treatment of the “single factor view” and the “dual factor view” of stereotyping. Section 2 deals with Puddifoot’s treatment of egalitarian attitudes. Section 3 deals with Puddifoot’s treatment of the moral encroachment approach to stereotyping. Finally, section 4 deals with Puddifoot’s theory of evaluative dispositionalism. The sections can be read independently