Context Of Change Research Articles

“I will find the best method that will work for me”: navigating contraceptive journeys amongst South African adolescent girls and young women

BackgroundGiven that South Africa has one of the highest rates of pregnancy amongst adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) globally, the provision of contraceptives to this group has been a key focus in recent years. Pregnancy prevention involves an on-going continuum of decision-making around contraceptive method choice, uptake, use, experience, continuation, and discontinuation.MethodsThis paper presents analysis of data from a cross-sectional survey with 2376 AGYW, as well as qualitative in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 54 AGYW, inclusive of contraceptive journey narratives. We examine the preferences, valued characteristics, choices, beliefs, understandings and experiences of choosing and using contraceptives amongst AGYW in two South African communities characterised by high rates of pregnancy.ResultsThese findings shed light on the preferences towards, beliefs about, and experiences of choosing, using and discontinuing contraceptive methods amongst this population, with survey data suggesting that the most popular methods were the injection, followed by the implant, and then the oral pill. Findings illustrate the complexity and dynamic nature of contraceptive decision-making and the varied embodied and lived experiences of contraceptive use, and how these are impacted by contraception service provision.ConclusionsOur findings show that contraception experiences of each individual are cumulative, and comprise a continuum of method initiation, use, discontinuation, method switching and on-going circular decision-making influenced by multiple social, structural, contextual and interpersonal factors, combined with shifting preferences, values and needs. To maximise the use of contraceptives amongst South African AGYW, it is necessary to provide responsive contraception service provision to reflect the changing contexts and preferences of users, in order to ensure that pregnancy prevention needs are catered for throughout their reproductive life course.

Novel framework for quantifying dam construction, climate change, and land-use change impacts on flow regime: A case study in Ganjiang River Basin, China

Study regionThis study was conducted in the Ganjiang River Basin, situated in eastern China. Study focusPrevious studies often quantified the impacts of climate change, land use, and dam construction on flow regime by only focusing on two of these factors at one time. In addition, the previous method used to quantify the deviation in the timing of annual extreme water conditions has a flaw. Therefore, this study improved the formula for calculating the deviation in the timing of annual extreme water conditions. Moreover, we proposed a novel framework for quantifying the impacts of dam construction, climate change, and land-use change on flow regime. New hydrological insights for the regionThe study observed significant alterations in the flow regime of the Ganjiang River Basin. These modifications were predominantly influenced by dam construction and climate change. Dam construction led to a notable increase in dry season flow and minimum flow indicators, while decreasing maximum flow indicators. Conversely, climate change resulted in a reduction of minimum flow indicators and an increase in maximum flow indicators. Climate change has also led to an increase in the frequency and duration of flow pulses. Intriguingly, dam construction and climate change played offsetting roles for 77 % of the indicators. Considering the global climate change context, judicious dam operation could to mitigate the impact of climate change on the flow regime.

Extreme Heat in the Caribbean: Impacts on Wellbeing and Buildings Energy Infrastructure—The 2023 Summer Case

Abstract The summer of 2023 in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands witnessed an unprecedented surge in extreme heat, surpassing historical norms prompting the analysis of the broader implications for the Caribbean region. This study presents the initial analysis of this remarkable heatwave, the broader context of global climate change, and its potential impacts on people's well-being and energy demand. Historical and 2023 summer daily maximum heat index (HI) are calculated using local stations and regional gridded data. The results show that summer 2023 exhibited a significant departure from the historical climate. For about 70% of summer days, HI values above 100 °F were recorded. It was found that the extreme summer is part of a broader regional pattern. The summer of 2023 recorded higher sea surface temperatures with anomalies above 2.07 °C and the weakening of the Azores High resulting in reduced wind speed in the region. This diminished the cooling effect associated with cooler maritime air aiding the stagnation of air masses over the region. The analysis sets a threshold of HI of 103 °F to assess human exposure. A significant portion of the region's population, especially in urban areas, was exposed to HI above this threshold. Concurrently, the intense heat led to increased energy demands, with about a 25% increase in peak energy demand in buildings. Per capita consumption exceeded 200 kWh/month for cooling and human comfort and anomalies adding around 15 kWh/month. The study is a step forward in developing adaptive strategies to safeguard vulnerable communities due to global warming-induced extreme events.

Tropical Cyclone Storm Surge‐Based Flood Risk Assessment Under Combined Scenarios of High Tides and Sea‐Level Rise: A Case Study of Hainan Island, China

AbstractIn the context of climate change, coastal flood risk is intensifying globally, particularly in China, where intricate coastlines and frequent tropical cyclones make storm surges a major concern. Despite local government's efforts to initiate coastal monitoring networks and qualitative risk guidelines, there remains a gap in detailed and efficient quantitative assessments for combinations of multiple sea‐level components. To address this, we develop the Tropical Cyclone Storm Surge‐based Flood Risk Assessment under Combined Scenarios (TCSoS‐FRACS). This framework integrates impacts of storm surges, high tides, and sea‐level rise using a hybrid of statistical and dynamic models to balance reliability and efficiency. By combining hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, it incorporates economic and demographic factors for a deeper understanding of risk composition. Applying TCSoS‐FRACS to Hainan Island reveals that the combined effects of storm surges, high tides, and sea‐level rise significantly amplify local coastal flood risk, increasing economic losses to 4.27–5.90 times and affected populations to 4.96–6.23 times. Additionally, transitioning from Fossil‐fueled Development (SSP5‐8.5) to Sustainability (SSP1‐1.9) can reduce the risk increase by approximately half. The equivalence in flood hazard between current high tides and future sea level under a sustainable scenario boosts confidence in climate change adaptation efforts. However, coastal cities with low hazard but high exposure need heightened vigilance in flood defense, as future risk could escalate sharply. Our study provides new insights into coastal flood risk on Hainan Island and other regions with similar profiles, offering a transferable and efficient tool for disaster risk management and aiding in regional sustainable development.

Intergenerational Confrontation and Organizational Change in the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Context

Intergenerational Confrontation and Organizational Change in the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Context

EXPLORANDO AS PERSPECTIVAS DA PSICOLOGIA ORGANIZACIONAL NAS ROTINAS ADMINISTRATIVAS DENTRO DAS ORGANIZAÇÕES

The study addressed here explores the evolution and importance of Organizational and Occupational Psychology over time, highlighting the lack of clarity in initial conceptions of human beings in organizations and the concept of work. Currently, Organizational Psychology aims to understand the worker and promote human dignity in work relationships, representing a significant transformation in perspective over the years. Noted, in the face of rapid changes in the work context, the role of Organizational and Occupational Psychology has expanded beyond simple personnel assessment and selection. The approach has evolved, incorporating aspects such as interests, motivations, employee satisfaction, and the development of systems and teams focused on safety, health, comfort, and productivity. Currently, organizational psychologists play crucial roles in practices related to mental health at work, training planning, and staff development, in addition to addressing labor issues such as stress reduction, absenteeism, retirement, and the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in appropriate positions. The role of psychologists in organizations is summarized as being facilitators and consciousness raisers for various groups in the institution, considering the health and subjectivity of individuals, business dynamics, and integration into the broader context of the organization. The activities performed by organizational psychologists, grounded in psychological techniques and instruments, have the potential to promote not only the company’s development but also the individual growth of workers and a positive impact on society. In summary, the text provides a comprehensive view of the evolution and role of Organizational and Occupational Psychology, highlighting adaptation to changes in the work environment and the increasing complexity of labor relations. By exploring the perspectives of Organizational Psychology in Administration, we understand how this discipline plays a crucial role in the effective management of organizations, positively influencing not only the individual aspects of employees but also the overall functioning and sustainability of companies.

Pappus phenotypes and flight performance across evolutionary history in the daisy family.

Diversity in pappus shapes and size in Asteraceae suggests an adaptive response to dispersion challenges adjusting diaspore to optimal phenotypic configurations. Here, by analysing the relationship among pappus-cypsela size relationships, flight performance and pappus types in an evolutionary context, we evaluate the role of natural selection acting on the evolution of diaspore configuration at a macro-ecological scale in the daisy family. To link pappus-cypsela size relationships with flight performance we collected published data on these traits from 82 species. This allowed us to translate morphometric traits in flight performance for 150 species represented in a fully resolved backbone phylogeny of the daisy family. Through ancestral reconstructions and evolutionary model selection we assessed whether flight performance was associated with and constrained by different pappus types. Additionally, we evaluated, through phylogenetic regressions, whether species with different pappus types exhibited evolutionary allometric pappus-cypsela size relationships. The setose pappus type had the highest flight performances and represented the most probable ancestral state in the family. Stepwise changes in pappus types independently led from setose to multiple instances of pappus loss with associated reduction in flight performance. Flight performance evolution was best modelled as constrained by five adaptive regimes represented by specific pappus types which correspond with specific optimal diaspore configurations that are distinct in pappus-cypsela allometric relationships. Evolutionary modelling suggests natural selection as the main factor of diaspore configuration changes which proceeded towards five optima, often overcoming constraints imposed by allometric relationships and favouring evolution in certain directions. With the perspective that natural selection is the main process driving the observed patterns, various biotic and abiotic are suggested as principal drivers of transitions in diaspore configurations along space and time in the daisy family history. Results also allow discussion of evolutionary changes in a historical context.

A Bird's Eye View: The Past and Future of Activity-Focused Treatment.

Throughout her career, Audrey Holland advocated for persons with aphasia, urging clinicians and others to view each person in the context of their needs and desires in navigating daily life. In this article, we acknowledge her ideas about functional treatment, and consider their influence on contemporary, activity-focused aphasia treatment. Three criteria define activity-focused treatment: (1) activity-specific goals, (2) personally relevant targets, and (3) near-real-life practice settings. Elements of treatment design, activities, and outcome measurement described here exemplify Audrey's beliefs in person-centered clinical aphasiology. Operationalizing treatment elements and designing a context as close to real life as possible are clinical actions that support these beliefs. Activity-focused treatment and other life participation approaches have often been relegated to the last phase of treatment; following Audrey's example, we advocate beginning with activity-focused treatment based on a client's communication needs and desires. Activity-focused treatment benefits persons with aphasia, their families, clinicians, and other stakeholders by presenting outcomes that reflect communication change in a real-life context and that are individually relevant. Such outcomes foster an individual's inclusion in their communication environments, respect the WHO platform of functional treatment, and prepare a clinician to present outcome data relevant to that individual.

Assessment of ability realization using the 4th version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure

Context Change in ability realization reflects the main contribution of rehabilitation to improvement in the performance of daily activities after spinal cord lesions (SCL). Objective To adapt a Spinal Cord Ability Realization Measurement Index (SCI-ARMI) formula to the new Spinal Cord Independence Measure version 4 (SCIM4). Methods Using data from 156 individuals for whom American Spinal Injury Association Motor Score (AMS) and SCIM4 scores were collected, we obtained an estimate for the highest possible SCIM4 given the patient’s AMS value, using the 95th percentile of SCIM4 values at discharge from rehabilitation (SCIM95) for patients with any given AMS at discharge. We used the statistical software environment R to implement the quantile regression method for linear and quadratic formulas. We also compared the computed model with the SCIM95 model obtained using data from the present study group, positioned in the SCIM95 formula developed for SCIM3. Results The coefficients of the computed SCIM95 formula based on SCIM4 scores were statistically non-significant, which hypothetically reflects the small sample relative to the goal of estimating SCIM4 95th percentile. Predicting the ability using SCIM4 scores positioned in the SCIM95 formula used for SCIM3, however, yielded SCIM95 values, which are very close to those of the new SCIM95 formula (Mean difference 2.16, 95% CI = 1.45, 4.90). Conclusion The SCI-ARMI formula, which is based on the SCIM95 formula developed for SCIM3, is appropriate for estimating SCI-ARMI at present, when SCIM4 scores are available. When sufficient additional data accumulates, it will be appropriate to introduce a modified SCI-ARMI formula.

Towards dynamic decision-making in government as service organization: insights from systems thinking

Purpose Service organizations operate in an increasingly complex and uncertain context that makes decision-making challenging. Despite well-recognized changes in the operational context of government as service organization, service literature has given surprisingly limited attention to what these changes imply for organizational decision-making. This study aims to face with the lack of fit of decision-making theorizing with the reality, within which most service practitioners operate, in order to foster the relevance of decision-making in service research and properly approach the false assumptions and misguided instructions for action. Design/methodology/approach To rectify the situation, the purpose of this paper is to advance a more holistic understanding of decision-making in government as service organization. The authors do so by reviewing the sparse, though insightful, prior literature on decision-making in service research and identifying four foundational assumptions of decision-making in the service context, that radically differ from the traditional assumptions of decision-making within the wider management literature. Findings The authors contribute to service research by further advancing the emerging dynamic understanding of decision-making by developing eight systems thinking-informed research propositions and a connected research agenda. In doing so, the paper offers the essential ground work that can revitalize the field of service management and equip it for facing the challenges that government as service organization is encountering in the 21st century. Originality/value The formulated eight research propositions demonstrate that decision-making in a government as service organization occurs within complex adaptive systems composed of multiple subsystems and is characterized by a high degree of unpredictability. It is a process influenced by multiple actors part of the system and subsystems, through multiple feedback loops, where the implications of prior decisions inform the future decisions.

Distribution and habitat database of fluvial Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Coleoptera from Sierra Nevada, Spain

Sierra Nevada (southern Iberian Peninsula) harbours a great biodiversity and the studies on some aquatic insect groups have been and continue to be numerous there. This database brings together information on Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Coleoptera inhabiting running waters of this mountain system above 800 m of altitude. It includes data on the number, life stage and sex of individuals as well as the available information on abiotic characteristics of their habitats. The dataset is composed of 1,718 sampling events carried out between 1901 and 2022 in approximately 60 different water bodies, 15,347 occurrences pertaining to more than 203,000 individuals, and 10,173 records of associated measurements (23 physico-chemical parameters). The dataset is the result of a comprehensive review of scientific literature and of integrating data from recent research projects and the Sierra Nevada Global-Change Observatory’s long-term monitoring data. This information is valuable for those studying past distributions and abundances of the species in the dataset, for building predictive models or just studying temporal trends in the current context of climate change.

Implementation of a fluid balance control strategy in critically ill patients: POINCARE-2 trial process evaluation

BackgroundPOINCARE-2 trial aimed to assess the effectiveness of a strategy designed to tackle fluid overload through daily weighing and subsequent administration of treatments in critically ill patients. Even in highly standardized care settings, such as intensive care units, effectiveness of such a complex intervention depends on its actual efficacy but also on the extent of its implementation. Using a process evaluation, we aimed to provide understanding of the implementation, context, and mechanisms of change of POINCARE-2 strategy during the trial, to gain insight on its effectiveness and inform the decision regarding the dissemination of the intervention.MethodsWe conducted a mixed-method process evaluation following the Medical Research Council guideline. Both quantitative data derived from the trial, and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with professionals were used to explain implementation, mechanisms of change of the POINCARE-2 strategy, as well as contextual factors potentially influencing implementation of the strategy.ResultsScore of actual exposure to the strategy ranged from 29.1 to 68.2% during the control period, and from 61.9 to 92.3% during the intervention period, suggesting both potential contamination and suboptimal fidelity to the strategy. Lack of appropriate weighing devices, lack of human resources dedicated to research, pre-trial rooted prescription habits, and anticipated knowledge of the strategy have been identified as the main barriers to optimal implementation of the strategy in the trial context.ConclusionsBoth contamination and suboptimal fidelity to POINCARE-2 strategy raised concerns about a potential bias towards the null of intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses. However, optimal fidelity seemed reachable. Consequently, a clinical strategy should not be rejected solely on the basis of the negativity of ITT analyses’ results. Our findings showed that, even in highly standardized care conditions, the implementation of clinical strategies may be hindered by numerous contextual factors, which demonstrates the critical importance of assessing the viability of an intervention, prior to any evaluation of its effectiveness.Trial registrationNumber NCT02765009

Changing Trends of Marriage: Emerging Complication, Paradoxical Thinking and Social Transformation

Marriage is one of the most ancient, indispensable, significant and universal social institution in all societies and cultures which has constructed since the beginning of human civilization. Marriage is a universal social phenomenon and it is a permanent bond between husband and wife which is intended to fulfill the economic, social, cultural, biological and emotional goals. Similarly, marriage establishes a new family which supports in giving facilities for the reproduction and upbringing of children. In changing context, individual freedom is greater matter rather than marital burden and partner’s ambiguity. In this modern era, there are various marriage allied complications, contradictions and changing trends. Sociological observations of marriage have brought out multifaceted marriage systems and its challenging transformations. Similarly, the change in gender relationship and independence between men and women has resulted in a considerable rise in the instability of marriage and its implication in the society. In this circumstance, this paper tries to analyze the conceptual and rational debates of orthodox and customary established marriage, marriage practice and its social, cultural, biological and emotional implications. Likewise, this study provides an analysis of contradictory thinking and declining trends of marriage in this contemporary society.

Redefining Successful Teaching and Learning in Australia’s Education System

This paper proposes a redefinition of successful teaching and learning within Australia’s evolving educational system, framed by the context of global economic, societal, and environmental changes. It highlights the interconnectedness of these shifts with the Australian education system and introduces six essential habits of practice that can effectively prepare learners to navigate and shape their futures. To ensure the success of education in Australia, it is critical not only to respond to current challenges but also to equip students with the ability to make contributions to society, the economy, and the environment. The paper emphasises the importance of embedding these six habits into educational practices, which are critical for fostering the necessary skills, knowledge, and values in students. Furthermore, it discusses how the economic, social, and environmental contexts of Australia will demand specific capabilities from individuals, which can be nurtured through targeted educational practices.

Interactionally negotiating power in ‘War for Talent’ job interviews

Job interviews (JIs) are often described in the literature as asymmetrical gatekeeping encounters. This power imbalance is expected to be visible, for instance, in how the differential distribution of discursive resources favors the interviewer, whose interactional rights surpass those of the candidate. However, this view on job interviews has been criticized for not sufficiently taking into account the agency of the participants, and in this article, we develop this line of research further by also integrating context as a crucial factor for a correct understanding of power. There have been important changes in the recruitment context recently – which, especially in some sectors, has moved to a ‘War for Talent’ (WarFT) – and we argue that this may unsettle the job interview’s ‘traditional’ power dynamic and even result, sometimes, in ‘reversed gatekeeping’. We scrutinize the traces of this trend by adopting a micro-oriented, multimodal discourse analytical method to study the interactional processes typically linked to power in twelve WarFT job interviews. We argue that in this WarFT context interactional power may indeed shift as a result of the agentive choices of the JI participants and may at times even result in a reversal of this interactional power dynamic. This shows the importance of the interface between agency and context in understanding how power is negotiated in interaction.

The influences of international master's students' feedback seeking behaviour on their feedback literacy and feedback contexts: An ecological perspective

Previous research has found that L2 student writers use inquiry and monitoring to elicit feedback, but few studies have investigated the impact of feedback seeking behaviours (FSB) on student feedback literacy and their learning contexts. To address these issues, the current study drew on an ecological perspective to explore two international master's students' self-initiated FSB in the UK academic environment. Qualitative data analysis of interview transcripts revealed that both students proactively sought feedback, albeit from distinct sources (i.e., peer feedback vs. teacher feedback). As they chose to seek feedback from their preferred sources, they created greater learning opportunities, which in turn enhanced their dispositions to seek and use feedback, capabilities of eliciting, evaluating feedback and judging their own work, and knowledge about feedback and assessment. The process of seeking feedback also enabled them to construct connections with a wider range of feedback interactants, access more artefacts, and therefore cultivate a more supportive feedback ecology with richer affordances. The uncovered incremental but unbalanced development of student feedback literacy facilitated by FSB, as well as the changes of feedback contexts induced by FSB, provides new insights into the close relationship between FSB, student feedback literacy, and feedback ecology.

Medieval Arles through the Lives of Its Founding Bishop

Texts recounting the careers of saints were foundational to Christian worship and historical construction in medieval Europe. They were also fluid, living works that evolved over time as individual saints’ stories were revised, adapted, and retold. These texts changed in response to changing contexts in which they were used and understood. This article undertakes a case study to see how the evolution of one urban saint’s legend reflects the history of that saint’s city. Specifically, it analyzes the numerous Latin and vernacular texts produced between the mid-fifth and late twelfth centuries that recount the deeds of Saint Trophimus, first bishop of Arles. It argues that shifts in the saint’s story reflect broad changes in the political, religious, and social life of Arles. It also demonstrates that the number of parties recounting the legend multiplied over time, and that dissonances within the story arose as these groups adapted the tale to their own interests.

Quantifying stability and resilience of eco-social keystone species complexes for coastal marine ecosystems of the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific: applications in conservation and monitoring programmes.

The local stability and resilience of 13 eco-social keystone species complexes (eco-social KSCs)-considered as conservation and monitoring units-were quantified in coastal marine ecosystems located in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Based on Routh-Hurwitz's criterion and Levins' criteria, the eco-social KSCs corresponding to Islas Marietas National Park (Mexico) emerged as the most locally stable and resilient ecosystem. To the contrary, the eco-social KSCs determined for Guala Guala Bay (Chile) and Xcalak Reef National Park (Caribbean) were the least stable and resilient, respectively. In terms of sensitivity, the eco-social KSCs corresponding to El Cobre Bay (Chile) presented the greatest number of sensitive components. The ecological section of the KSCs is formed by a tri-trophic network, dominating self-negative feedbacks. In the case of the socio-economic section, the fisher could exhibit the three types of self-feedbacks, and instead, the demand should be controlled. The identification of eco-social KSCs and the quantification of their stabilities and resiliences allow us to approach ecosystem-based fisheries management under a climate change context. Therefore, we suggest assessing and monitoring the persistence of the eco-social KSCs herein analysed over time, as a way to conserve the fundamental network structure of these ecosystems intervened by fishing.This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.

The Historical Changes and Evolutionary Logic of Transitional Community Governance in China

Effective transitional community governance is an objective requirement for achieving efficient grassroots governance. Analyzing the basic context, internal logic, and development drivers of transitional community governance changes is of positive significance for promoting the modernization of the national grassroots governance system and governance capabilities. Based on the perspective of historical institutionalism, China's transitional community governance has roughly gone through three stages: a government led unitary control system, a core diversified system, and a community governance system. The basic logic of its transformation is from "management" to "governance", from "extensive" to "refined", and from "government led" to "diversified co governance". Further looking ahead to the governance of transitional communities, the main directions lie in three aspects: firstly, continuously absorbing diverse entities and balancing the governance structure of transitional communities; The second is to empower communities with technology through digital empowerment; The third is to promote community cultural construction and eliminate the tension of community governance.

Diversity of carbon cycle-linked phyllosphere microorganisms: A key driver of CO2 flux in macrophyte-dominated aquatic systems

Planktonic microorganisms have been recognized as important components in biogeochemical cycling in lakes. However, research into the impact of phyllosphere microorganisms, particularly those involved in carbon cycling, on CO2 fluxes in macrophyte-dominated lakes within the context of global environmental changes remains scarce. Here, by employing high-throughput sequencing techniques, we experimentally tested how nutrient enrichment, top-down effects of fish and increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) affect CO2 exchange flux at the water-air interface by altering the community structure and functioning of phyllosphere bacteria on macrophytes. We found that our mesocosm ecosystems exhibited a net absorption of CO2, but nutrient enrichment significantly decreased the absorption ability. Mantel tests and multiple regression modeling also showed that eutrophication-associated parameters (total nitrogen, total phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen), pH, and extinction coefficient were the key drivers influencing abundance of phyllosphere functional microorganisms. In addition, these experimental treatments significantly altered the composition, diversity and co-occurrence networks of carbon cycling-associated phyllosphere microorganisms, which impacted the CO2 flux. Structural equation models and linear regression further showed that the Shannon Index of phyllosphere functional microorganisms related to carbon cycling (rather than plant volume inhabited - PVI) had a significant positive impact on CO2 fixation. This means that environmental changes—especially eutrophication—may hinder carbon sequestration by decreasing the diversity of phyllosphere microorganisms rather than reducing the abundance of submerged macrophytes. This study increases our understanding of carbon cycling processes in aquatic environments from a management perspective by emphasizing the importance of protecting the diversity of phyllosphere microorganisms in macrophyte-dominated lakes.