50716 research outputs found
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Un(der)served: exploring the supply of microinsurance in Zambia
No full textPurposeThis paper aims to explore the factors influencing the underwriting and supply of microinsurance products by insurers and insurance-affiliated organisations in Zambia.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analysed semi-structured interview data collected from a purposive sample of 14 participants representing organisations such as insurers, InsurTechs and non-distribution providers using thematic qualitative data analysis to explain the motivations for underwriting and the distribution of microinsurance in Zambia.FindingsFrom the thematic analysis of interview data, the paper identified distribution, business case viability, operational considerations and exogenous factors as the drivers of microinsurance supply in Zambia.Practical implicationsThe paper recommends the strengthening of partnerships among insurance providers and member-based organisations, the tracking of key performance indicators in microinsurance metrics to minimise information asymmetry during product design and the creation of innovative tailored solutions to cater to the diverse needs of consumers in the microinsurance industry.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper documents the lived experiences and unique insights of insurers and insurance-related organisations on the supply-side factors for underwriting microinsurance in an emerging economy. Specifically, the paper documents the role of market penetration and development, product development and distribution channels as the strategy for growth by insurers and insurance-related organisations
The road to young-onset dementia diagnosis:Findings from the Joint Solutions Project
No full textINTRODUCTION: Diagnosis of young-onset dementia (YOD) is often delayed due to atypical presentations and lack of awareness. This study explored diagnostic experiences in Australia.METHODS: This Joint Solutions sub-study employed a mixed-methods approach. Surveys and focus groups targeted people with YOD, caregivers, and clinicians across Australia. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparisons, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis.RESULTS: There were 313 participants, mostly female and nearly half representing lived experience. The average age at symptom onset was 55.8 years, and at diagnosis, 57.9 years. Positive aspects included timely diagnoses and involvement of specialized clinicians. Clinicians emphasized comprehensive history-taking and a multifaceted diagnostic approach. Geographical barriers, variations in diagnosis delivery, and caregiver education needs were noted.DISCUSSION: This study highlights improved diagnostic timelines but ongoing barriers in YOD knowledge and equitable access to care. Raising awareness, improving clinician education, and streamlining referral processes are essential.HIGHLIGHTS: Timeliness of younger-onset dementia diagnosis appears to have improved in Australia. Access to care varies in availability and quality, with no standardized pathways. Knowledge of younger-onset dementia is lacking in both healthcare and the community. Comprehensive history-taking and a multifaceted diagnostic approach are crucial. Clinician sensitivity is valued, balanced with tailored education on diagnosis.</p
The Synergy and Accumulation Model for Analysis (SAMA):A Novel Approach to Transforming Risk Analysis in Construction with a Focus on the Deepwater Horizon Disaster Case
No full textRisk analysis is critical for preventing catastrophic failures in complex systems, as exemplified by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, a stark reminder of systemic vulnerabilities in offshore drilling operations, where inadequate appraisal of overlapping failures led to severe environmental and human losses. This study addresses the absence of a predictive framework capable of capturing cumulative risk interactions across both time stages and defensive layers. To fill this gap, and by drawing on prior frameworks such as the Swiss Cheese Model (SCM) and the Risk Matrix (RM), as well as critiques of their limitations, we introduce the Synergy and Accumulation Model for Analysis (SAMA). This model defines project life-cycle stages and risk recipients, characterizes each risk by four parameters (the focus of impact, suddenness, frequency, and effectiveness), and calculates horizontal (RFh) and vertical (RFv) risk factors. We applied SAMA to fifteen identified failure modes of the Macondo well, categorizing them across two time stages (operational and construction) and four defensive layers. Horizontal analysis revealed that the regulatory-laws layer accumulated the highest risk factors, RFh1laws = 129.25 during the operational stage and RFh2laws = 95.98 during the construction stage. Vertical analysis showed that the safety objective experienced the greatest systemic vulnerability, with RFvsafety = 135.8 across ten overlapping risks, followed by the quality objective at RFvquality = 128.39. These findings demonstrate SAMA’s enhanced capability to identify critical collapse paths often overlooked by conventional models. For researchers, SAMA offers a transparent, parameter-driven methodology applicable across engineering and construction domains. For industry stakeholders, regulators, project managers, and safety engineers, this model provides actionable insights to prioritize resource allocation and strengthen specific defensive layers, thereby enhancing both preventive planning and resilience against future disasters.</p
Repeatome Dynamics and Sex Chromosome Differentiation in the XY and XY<sub>1</sub>Y<sub>2</sub> Systems of the Fish Hoplias malabaricus (Teleostei; Characiformes)
No full textThe wolf fish Hoplias malabaricus is a Neotropical species characterized by remarkable karyotypic diversity, including seven karyomorphs (KarA-G) with distinct sex chromosome systems. This study investigated the homologous XY (KarF) and XY1Y2 (KarG) sex chromosome systems present in this species by integrating cytogenetics and genomics to examine sex chromosomes’ composition through characterization of repeatome (satellite DNA and transposable elements) and sex-linked markers. Our analysis indicated that both karyomorphs are little differentiated in their sex chromosomes content revealed by satDNA mapping and putative sex-linked markers. Both repeatomes were mostly composed of transposable elements, but neither intra- (male versus female) nor interspecific (KarF x KarG) variations were found. In both systems, we demonstrated the occurrence of sex-specific sequences probably located on the non-recombining region of the Y chromosome supported by the accumulation of sex-specific haplotypes of HmfSat10-28/HmgSat31-28. This investigation offered valuable insights by highlighting the composition of homologous XY and XY1Y2 multiple sex chromosomes. Although homologous, the large Y chromosome in KarF corresponds to two separate linkage groups (Y1 and Y2) in KarG implying a specific meiotic arrangement involving the X chromosome in a meiotic trivalent chain. This scenario likely influenced recombination rates and, as a result, the genomic composition of these chromosomes.</p
A Shift to Metapopulation Genetic Management for Persistence of a Species Threatened by Fragmentation:The Case of an Endangered Australian Freshwater Fish
No full textIn a world where habitats are degrading and the climate is warming and becoming unpredictable, biodiversity conservation efforts and funding remain grossly inadequate. As part of a multifaceted approach to halting extinctions, shifting from preserving small, remnant populations to a practice of genetically connecting populations that recreate larger and more diverse populations is expected to be beneficial. This harnesses key evolutionary processes to promote species' abilities to adapt to changing environments and to increase the likelihood of population persistence. Here, we use the endangered Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica) as a case study to develop a genetic strategy for metapopulation management aimed at promoting population growth and persistence. The Macquarie perch's range has been highly fragmented and its remaining habitat is at risk of catastrophic degradation due to climate change. We integrate results of new and existing genetic analyses to illustrate how genetically depauperate populations can benefit from admixture, and how the outcomes of management interventions can be quantified through genetic monitoring. We also develop the pipeline JeDi (https://github.com/drobledoruiz/JeDi) for estimating unbiased individual heterozygosity, population nucleotide diversity, and pairwise-population divergence, using reduced-representation genome sequencing data and an assembled reference genome. We use this pipeline to estimate baseline data for monitoring of Macquarie perch populations and show that combining two genetic sources of migrants during population restoration resulted in a doubling of nucleotide diversity compared to either source. Genetic diversity estimates using our pipeline are comparable across studies, data sets and species, and suitable for evaluating the rate of global biodiversity change.</p
Relationships Between Effort, Rate of Perceived Exertion, and Readiness During a Warm-Up for High-Speed Sprinting
No full textObjectives: The aim of this study was to investigate how a sprint warm-up with increasing prescribed effort relates to actual effort and how this influences RPE and readiness for a maximal 50 m sprint performance. Methods: A total of 19 subjects (17 men and 2 women age: 43.8 ± 12.6 yrs., height: 1.78 ± 0.08 m, body mass: 78.7 ± 9.5, 100 m PB: 13.07 ± 1.0) undertook a short specific warm-up of 8 × 50 m runs with 60 s rest in between (10 min in total) where a dynamic exercise was performed. The first 50 m run was performed at a self-estimated effort of around 60% of estimated maximal sprint speed. Each subsequent 50 m repetition required a 5% increase in sprint speed until it reached 95% of maximal self-estimated intensity, followed by a maximal 50 m sprint performance. Every 50 m time was measured together with the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and readiness to perform a maximal 50 m sprint. Results: The main findings were that actual percentage of effort was generally higher than prescribed efforts, especially in the initial test, while alignment improved in the retest, except at higher intensities (80–90%). Furthermore, both RPE and readiness had a significant positive correlation with the percentage of effort, though RPE was consistently lower, and readiness was slightly reduced at lower efforts in the retest. In addition, test–retest reliability indicated consistent sprint performance and perceptual measures across sessions. Conclusions: It was concluded that this short, structured warm-up is suitable for maximal sprint performance as shown by the readiness and RPE.</p
Adapting two pain assessment tools for young people with cerebral palsy:a multi-stakeholder consensus study
No full textIntroduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of childhood physical disability. Chronic pain is a common comorbidity of CP; however, holistic pain assessment is challenging due to few available self-report tools for people with CP and diverse cognitive, communication, and functional abilities. Previous research has identified 2 tools for potential use in CP (Fear of Pain Questionnaire for Children-Short Form [FOPQ-C-SF] and Modified Brief Pain Inventory [mBPI]), along with potential modifications. Objectives: To gain consensus on modifications required to the FOPQ-C-SF and mBPI for use with children and young people with CP and chronic pain. Methods: A 2-round modified electronic Delphi study with people with lived experience (n 5 19 and 16) and clinicians (n 5 25 and 21) was conducted. Ethics was obtained through the Women’s and Children’s Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee (2022/HRE00154). A total of 37 modification suggestions to the FOPQ-C-SF and mBPI were rated on a 5-point Likert scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree). Consensus was determined as $75% of participants rating the suggestion as strongly agree/agree, or strongly disagree/disagree. Results: Seven modifications reached consensus for inclusion in the FOPQ-C-SF and 21 for the mBPI. No modifications reached consensus for exclusion for either tool. Modifications primarily focused on refining wording, enhancing visual representation of the tool for improved understanding and reducing the number of response options. Conclusion: Consensus has been reached on modifications to the FOPQ-C-SF and mBPI for young people with cerebral palsy. Future research will examine the comprehensibility of the adapted tools across the population.</p
A systematic review and meta-aggregation of the experiences and perceptions of menstrual and hormonal contraceptive cycle-related symptoms in female athletes
No full textObjectives: Symptoms related to the menstrual cycle impact the participation, perceived performance, and quality of life of the individual. Yet, the way these symptoms are experienced has not been synthesised, missing the opportunity to reconcile our understanding of best avenues for support. Design: This systematic review and meta-aggregation focused on female athletes' experiences and perceptions of cycle-related symptomatology. Methods: Guided by the Preferred Reporting of Systematic and Meta-Analyses protocol, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched between January 2000 and November 2024. Included qualitative studies focused on female athletes (tiers 2 to 5) and exercisers (tier 1) of reproductive age (13 to 45 years) and reported on their experiences of cycle-related symptoms. Findings were pooled using the Joanna Briggs Institute System for the Unified Management of the Assessment and Review of Information and rated using ConQual. Results: Seventeen original studies were included. The review generated 4 meta-aggregated findings: (1) myriad cycle-related symptoms negatively affected athletes; (2) performance and participation were hindered by cycle-related symptoms; (3) adaptation to and/or concealing cycle-related symptoms helped athletes to continue to train and compete; and (4) frustration with support and communication about cycle-related topics. Conclusions: Overall, a surging number of qualitative studies report cycle-related symptoms affect athletes in numerous ways. Better understanding of ways to manage symptoms and open conversations about how menstrual and hormonal contraceptive cycles are experienced are needed to support sports participation.</p
