Relevant Dimensions Research Articles

Explainable online health information truthfulness in Consumer Health Search.

People are today increasingly relying on health information they find online to make decisions that may impact both their physical and mental wellbeing. Therefore, there is a growing need for systems that can assess the truthfulness of such health information. Most of the current literature solutions use machine learning or knowledge-based approaches treating the problem as a binary classification task, discriminating between correct information and misinformation. Such solutions present several problems with regard to user decision making, among which: (i) the binary classification task provides users with just two predetermined possibilities with respect to the truthfulness of the information, which users should take for granted; indeed, (ii) the processes by which the results were obtained are often opaque and the results themselves have little or no interpretation. To address these issues, we approach the problem as an ad hoc retrieval task rather than a classification task, with reference, in particular, to the Consumer Health Search task. To do this, a previously proposed Information Retrieval model, which considers information truthfulness as a dimension of relevance, is used to obtain a ranked list of both topically-relevant and truthful documents. The novelty of this work concerns the extension of such a model with a solution for the explainability of the results obtained, by relying on a knowledge base consisting of scientific evidence in the form of medical journal articles. We evaluate the proposed solution both quantitatively, as a standard classification task, and qualitatively, through a user study to examine the "explained" ranked list of documents. The results obtained illustrate the solution's effectiveness and usefulness in making the retrieved results more interpretable by Consumer Health Searchers, both with respect to topical relevance and truthfulness.

HOW DIFFERENT ARE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS? EMPIRICAL TYPOLOGY OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The purpose of the research is to extract an empirical typology presenting the diverse types of PMSs. For creating empirical typology, a Two-Step cluster analysis was applied. The types of PMSs are characterized by the variables extracted from the chain model found in the literature. We discovered two relevant dimensions specifying the PMSs: the importance of strategy for the firms and the multitude of organizational levels. Based on these, we extracted four clusters (types) of PMS along the dimensions of strategy focusing and organizational level. The findings show that the most advanced PMSs are found in the Strategy-focused Multi-level cluster, before the Strategyfocused One-level cluster. We also linked the dimensions within the four aspects of PMSs: strategic, alignment and process, usage, and information aspects. We found that the expected success of PMSs is positively related to the strategy-focus and multiplicity of levels. These findings broaden the common typologies of PMS and add the intrinsic features of the firm to the types of PMS reflecting strategy orientation and the multitude of hierarchy levels of the firm.

Data-Driven Pupil Response Profiles as Transdiagnostic Readouts for the Detection of Neurocognitive Functioning in Affective and Anxiety Disorders

BackgroundNeurocognitive functioning is a relevant transdiagnostic dimension in psychiatry. As pupil size dynamics track cognitive load during a working memory task, we aimed to explore if this parameter allows identification of psychophysiological subtypes in healthy participants and patients with affective and anxiety disorders. MethodsOur sample consisted of 226 participants who completed the n-back task during simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging and pupillometry measurements. We used latent class growth modeling to identify clusters based on pupil size in response to cognitive load. In a second step, these clusters were compared on affective and anxiety symptom levels, performance in neurocognitive tests, and functional magnetic resonance imaging activity. ResultsThe clustering analysis resulted in two distinct pupil response profiles: one with a stepwise increasing pupil size with increasing cognitive load (reactive group) and one with a constant pupil size across conditions (nonreactive group). A larger increase in pupil size was significantly associated with better performance in neurocognitive tests in executive functioning and sustained attention. Statistical maps of parametric modulation of pupil size during the n-back task showed the frontoparietal network in the positive contrast and the default mode network in the negative contrast. The pupil response profile of the reactive group was associated with more thalamic activity, likely reflecting better arousal upregulation and less deactivation of the limbic system. ConclusionsPupil measurements have the potential to serve as a highly sensitive psychophysiological readout for detection of neurocognitive deficits in the core domain of executive functioning, adding to the development of valid transdiagnostic constructs in psychiatry.

Focalization and ideological meanings in a digital multimodal narrative: implications for the construction of the pedagogy of multiliteracies

Abstract This article aims to contribute to the construction of the pedagogy of multiliteracies. It presents a study developed to answer the following research question: How does focalization construct ideological meanings in digital multimodal narratives? A case study of a story app was developed involving multimodal critical discourse analysis. Findings reveal that focalization productively inscribes ideological meanings in the multimodal narrative through a complex layering of meanings resulting from the use of specific semiotic resources and the establishment of intermodal meaning processes. The findings suggest that focalization is a relevant dimension in the enactment of critical analysis of multimodal narratives, pointing into its importance in the enactment of the pedagogy of multiliteracies. Findings and implications are discussed with reference to extant research.

Whether Live or Online, Participation is Unequal: Exploring Inequality in the Cultural Participation Patterns in the United States

Cultural participation is an individual activity with relevant social dimensions. Democratic societies are concerned about the representation of social groups in cultural audiences and promote policies to increase participation focusing on planning aspects, such as in creative placemaking, or educational policies and social interventions targeted at some underrepresented social groups. Using the data derived from the 2017 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts from the United States, we estimate generalized entropy indexes to explore the more relevant dimensions to explain divides in cultural participation across the U.S. adult population, considering geographical and sociodemographic variables. Cultural engagement is characterized by the participation by highbrow, lowbrow, passive, active, live, and digital activities. Overall, we find that spatial and racial characteristics are not the most relevant, while education appears to be the most important source to explain access inequality. The pattern of digital participation is remarkably similar to the pattern of physical participation, thus showing some evidence that the divide and stratification of cultural practices in the real world translates to digital practices.

‘Fixing’ destitute children: The relational geography of an early twentieth century children's home through its archives

AbstractDrawing from early twentieth century documents from the Home for Destitute Children in Burlington, Vermont, USA, I explore the notion of the archive as a site of knowledge, politics, and ethics. Despite the absence of children's own perspectives in this archive, I propose taking a geographical relational poverty approach to gain insights by examining power relations between middle‐class adult women and ‘destitute’ children. Specifically, I use records generated by women in charge of the Home (the matrons and the Board of Directors) to identify three dimensions of relational relevance. First, the women exerted power in constructing the Home as a place through ordering temporal rhythms, influencing sensory experiences, and imposing social boundaries and material conditions. Second, I review discourses such as the ‘desirable child’, ‘innocence’, and eugenicist notions of ‘feeblemindedness’ employed by the women to ‘fix’ children, both to repair them and to keep them in place. Third, I provide a reflection on the possibilities of combining manuscript archives with digitized sources such as the census to uncover adults' production and containment of ‘destitute children’.

Otantik Liderlik ile Sosyal Girişimciliğe İlişkin Niyet Oluşumunun Kavramsal Kesişimi

ABSTRACT 
 Founders of social enterprises become the initiators of their institutions by prioritizing their missions, and dedicating their efforts and time. Their goals become real as a result of hard work of a group of people, who unite around their missions. Based on the literature of authenticity and authentic leadership (AL), and social entrepreneurial intention formation; it was realized that there is a high degree of intersection between some of the authenticity concepts and the previously proposed antecedents of social entrepreneurial intention. The purpose of this paper is to conceptually merge the relevant dimensions of AL with a previously suggested social entrepreneurial intention (SEI) model. The strength of SEs is often based on their values, resilience, and personal experiences of solving problems. Based on the Constructivist Self Development Theory, it is suggested in this paper that a reason why these people do their best to solve others’ – often similar- problems, may be their increased levels of authenticity throughout their challenging life experiences.

Energy-Resolved Femtosecond Hot Electron Dynamics in Single Plasmonic Nanoparticles.

Efficient excitation and harvesting of hot carriers from nanoscale metals is central to many emerging photochemical, photovoltaic, and ultrafast optoelectronic applications. Nevertheless, direct experimental evidence of the energy-dependent femtosecond dynamics in ubiquitous tens-of-nanometer gold structures remains elusive, despite the potentially rich interplay between interfacial and internal plasmonic fields, excitation distributions, and scattering processes. To explore the effects of nanoscale structure on these dynamics, we employ simultaneous time-, angle-, and energy-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of single plasmonic nanoparticles. Photoelectron velocity and electric field distributions reveal bulk-like ballistic hot electron transport in different geometries, lacking any signatures of surface effects. Energy-resolved dynamics are measured in the 1-2 eV range and extrapolated to lower energies via Boltzmann theory, providing a detailed view of hot electron lifetimes within nanoscale gold. We find that particles with relevant dimensions as small as 10 nm serve as exemplary platforms for studying intrinsic metal dynamics.

Early Stages of the Fablab Movement: A New Path for an Open Innovation Model

FabLabs, also known as digital fabrication laboratories, are a groundbreaking phenomenon that is contributing to the democratization of innovation and technology. Despite their potential influence, this emerging area has received little attention in the literature. This paper examines the initial stages of the FabLab movement using a mixed-sequential exploratory methodology. Qualitative methodologies were employed to identify relevant dimensions and establish research hypotheses, while quantitative methodologies were used to evaluate and validate these hypotheses and generate a predictive model for the innovation process through binary logistic regression. The information obtained through the participation of 124 laboratories in the online FabLab Global Survey was used. The results indicate that collaborations with large companies and a majority focus on research in FabLab projects promote the development of innovative projects compared to those laboratories affiliated with educational institutions or primarily used by students.

Appraisal of male privilege: On the dual role of identity threat and shame in response to confrontations with male privilege

Interventions that confront men with male privilege can threaten their social identity. Past research on White privilege confrontations has suggested group-image threat is a positive predictor of positive privilege attitudes. However, research on emotional appraisals of ingroup transgressions demonstrates that feelings of shame elicited by the ingroup's negative image lead to less constructive responses while feelings of shame elicited by the ingroup's moral failure motivate more positive reactions. To reconcile these different predictions, we examined how relevant dimensions of threat (to the ingroup's image or to moral values of the group) and subsequent experiences of shame (image shame, moral shame) affect men's privilege attitudes in response to male privilege confrontations. Across three preregistered experiments (N = 1463 men), we found that male confronters were evaluated more positively, which was explained through lower levels of image concerns toward male confronters. We also found evidence that morality concerns are related to more positive responses. Although the total effects on privilege attitudes were small, our findings highlight the importance for future research and practice to distinguish between the positive effects of moral threat through moral shame and the negative effects of group-image threat through image shame in privilege interventions.

Co-creating Experiences in Cultural Events: The Case of Three Portuguese Festivals

Experience co-creation has received much attention in tourism, events, and festivals literature. Often shared and consumed collectively, those experiences positively affect visitors’ satisfaction, the volume of expenditure, and levels of happiness, being essential for businesses, attractions, and destinations. As add-ons, co-creation experiences can play a significant role in diversifying and differentiating the supply of cultural events while contributing to fostering events and festivals as tools of territorial development. Within this context, this exploratory research aims to analyse the characteristics of co-creation experiences developed in three cultural events. Considering participation and personalisation as two relevant dimensions of experience co-creation, this paper analyses how they can be applied in the context of cultural events. The study follows a comparative approach, describing three cases of cultural events on the central coast of Portugal (Aveiro region). The methodology was based on participant observation and documental analysis of secondary data, namely the events and festivals characteristics, cultural programs, websites, and promotional materials. Major results indicate that two of the three events analysed have better conditions for the participation of visitors and the local communities, mainly due to the considerable number of activities that provide active participation and learning. On the other hand, one of the festivals fosters better conditions for the personalisation of services and experiences compared to the others, mainly due to the venue's characteristics and the way the program is designed. In that sense, the paper highlights the potential for the inclusion of co-creation experiences in events and festivals, providing a set of good practices for events and festival organisers and other tourism agents such as tourism businesses, tourism professionals, and local communities.

Sustainable socioeconomic development service for suburban population: A case study in East Malaysia

Sustainable socioeconomic development service dimensions, determining the suburban residents’ satisfaction from the residents’ perspectives, have yet to be contextually identified for more effective policies and strategies to benefit the targeted households. This case-based empirical research paper aims to examine the relevant sustainable suburban socioeconomic service dimensions from the residents’ perspectives. Interviews and questionnaire survey data were employed to identify the numerous dimensions and items in relevance. Batu Kawa suburban in Kuching (Sarawak, Borneo), Malaysia, was chosen based on its exemplary socioeconomic development and multi-ethnicity. The survey involved 283 respondents. The findings reveal that there were ten dimensions for the sustainable socioeconomic development service dimensions. The findings also indicate that the residents were generally satisfied, but there is still room for further improvement, especially in terms of public transport system, road traffic, safety and security, sport facilities, pollution, and job opportunities. The results suggested that there were differences between two geographical areas separated by the Sarawak River.

Pathways between Adverse Change in Employment and Alcohol Use among U.S. Women during a Global Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Conformity to Masculine Norms

Background This study examined changes in reported alcohol use among women during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relations to adverse changes in employment (e.g. job loss, furlough, reduced pay). Further, this study assessed how the relation between changes in alcohol use and experiencing an adverse change in employment was moderated by four theoretically relevant dimensions of conformity to masculine norms (CMNI, i.e. risk-taking, winning, self-reliance, and primacy of work). Methods The sample for the present study is a subset of a survey that was conducted in the spring of 2020 among U.S. adults and includes 509 participants who met the inclusion criteria. We assessed pandemic-related employment change status, changes in reported frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed, and four CMNI dimensions. Relations between these variables were assessed with a multinomial logistic regression path model. Results Experiencing an adverse change in employment early in the pandemic was related to increased alcohol use when moderated by the CMNI dimension primacy of work. For people higher on primacy of work, an adverse change in employment was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting an increase in frequency, but not quantity, of drinking (rather than a decrease or no change). Not experiencing an adverse change in employment early in the pandemic was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting an increase for quantity but not frequency. Conclusion The results highlight the importance of considering how work-oriented women may be at risk for increasing alcohol use when confronted with changes in work status.

Evaluation of a short instrument for measuring health-related quality of life in oncological patients in routine care (HELP-6): an observational study.

Patient-reported outcomes have not been sufficiently implemented into the routine care of cancer patients because the existing instruments are often too long and complex or not cancer-specific. The aim of this study is the determination of psychometric properties and item reduction of a newly developed health-related quality of life (HrQoL) questionnaire for use in oncological clinical routines. This observational study with a repeated measurements design included oncological inpatients and outpatients. A total of 630 patients participated at the first point of measurement and 404 at the second point of measurement. To evaluate the instrument, we conducted hierarchical confirmative factor analyses and for further validation correlated the resulting factors with standardized and validated HrQoL measurements. Test-retest reliability and responsiveness to change were tested. The developed questionnaire "HELP-6" ("Hamburg Inventory for Measuring Quality of Life in Oncological Patients") has a six-factor structure and has moderate-to-good convergent validity (r= -0.25 --0.68). Test-retest reliability was moderate-to-good (r =0.56-0.81, p < 0.001). Indications for responsiveness to change were found for three dimensions. The final version of the questionnaire HELP-6 has six dimensions with one item each. With the HELP-6 instrument for measuring HrQoL in cancer patients, we provide a short and practical patient-reported outcome instrument. Though responsiveness to change could not be confirmed for all dimensions in this study, the HELP-6 includes time-efficient completion and evaluation and is informative in relevant HrQoL dimensions of cancer patients. Therefore, the HELP-6 poses an important addition to inpatient and outpatient routine cancer care. This study was registered at Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/y7xce/), on 9 June 2018.

STUDENT-GENERATED CONNECTIONS IN LEARNING ABOUT COMPOUND PROBABILITY AND THEIR EMERGENCE DURING INSTRUCTION

In this report, we analyze students’ learning of compound probability by describing connections they generated during individual interviews and group lessons. Several of their connections were compatible with the development of expertise, such as recognizing the need to determine sample spaces across a variety of situations and noting structural similarities among tasks, even when their task solutions were incomplete from a normative standpoint. Students reasoned about dimensions of context, variation, mathematical structure, sample space, and probability quantification. We describe the extent to which they coordinated these dimensions. We also describe teaching moves, such as posing idealized situations and shifting to structurally similar tasks, which prompted students to attend to multiple relevant task dimensions.

When Do Supply Chains Strengthen Biological and Cultural Diversity? Methods and Indicators for the Socio-Biodiversity Bioeconomy

The bioeconomy has gained traction among the broader discourses on sustainable development, ecological transition, and the circular economy. Governments in the Global North and international institutions maintain that the bioeconomy can gradually replace fossil-based raw materials and nonrenewable resources with biomass and biological renewables. The Global South has increasingly adopted the approach, but with important variations across mega-biodiverse regions. In these regions, the bioeconomy must encourage economic activities that preserve biodiversity and strengthen local communities, promoting their well-being and cultural diversity. This paper argues that conventional research methods and indicators are not fit for this purpose. We therefore propose an alternative method and indicators and present an initial validation of the approach with an application to the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) value chain in the Brazilian Amazon. By applying a bottom-up approach to evaluation that considers the perspective of the individuals and communities involved, the proposed methodology captures relevant dimensions of the value chain—including trade-offs—-while identifying bottlenecks and the role of institutions. It also allows for verification of the achievement of the objectives of the socio-biodiversity bioeconomy in this model. The application to the case study finds that the managed pirarucu fisheries are a viable value chain associated with improved fish stocks and lower than average forest loss. Socio-economic benefits include the generation of reasonable income and greater participation by women. Income remains a complement to other sources of livelihood, however, and attractiveness to local communities is an issue. Positive outcomes are owed largely to local knowledge, collective action, and the role played by meta-organizations, while negative ones such as overfishing have resulted from institutional failures. Conventional analysis would likely not have considered these factors and missed these policy lessons. This corroborates the view that alternative methods and indicators are needed for the socio-biodiversity bioeconomy. While the application to the case study suggests the method and the indicators are conceptually suitable, we identify a number of shortcomings regarding the identification of interventions, attribution, and monitoring of the sustainability of the model.

Synergy of inorganic and organic inks in bioprinted tissue substitutes: Construct stability and cell response during long-term cultivation in vitro

Microextrusion bioprinting, within the emerging field of biofabrication, holds great promise for developing in vitro tissue models or implantable constructs that mimic complexity of native tissues. Despite the considerable progress made fabricating cell-laden scaffolds, mono-material approaches often cannot reproduce complex tissue architecture or satisfy biomechanical requirements, a particular challenge for hard, mineralized bone tissue. Thus, in this work, we focus on the fabrication of high-strength, partly-mineralized composite bone substitutes via multi-channel (bio)printing of inorganic and organic (bio)inks – with the aim of synergistically integrating the advantages of both phases. A hydroxyapatite (HAp) matrix-mimicking, clinically approved, ready-to-use calcium phosphate cement (CPC) ink as a stiff, mechanically robust phase is combined with an organic eggwhite-functionalized bioink of alginate-methylcellulose (AlgMC + EW) delivering cells in a spatially defined distribution. As proven in a novel systematic assessment, cell-free CPC ink and cell-laden AlgMC + EW bioinks exhibited excellent co-printability and shape fidelity in simple, more complex and anatomically shaped biphasic designs. The mechanical properties of such biphasic constructs were tailored via adjusting the ratio of inorganic and organic component. The survival and fate of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and primary human pre-osteoblasts (hOB) in bioprinted inorganic/organic biphasic structures in response to CPC and EW functionalization during a long-term cultivation were investigated, revealing a defined, cell-friendly bioink delivery which allows cells to migrate and proliferate, as well as proving great potential for 3D osteogenesis. In line with further suggested technological refinements, this creates a toolbox for targeted design and construction of possibly pre-vascularized bone structures in clinically relevant dimensions.

Spatial Analysis of Flood Exposure and Vulnerability for Planning More Equal Mitigation Actions

The issue of spatial equity of Nature-Based Solutions in cities generally concerns the spatial distribution of their benefits to local residents and other city users. In the context of flood risk management, planners are challenged to identify effective mitigation and adaptation measures that can generate benefits to the higher number of people and, more specifically, to people with highest levels of exposure and vulnerability. To address these issues, an essential step is to identify the geography of needs for mitigation, intended as prior areas in which to locate measures for flood risk mitigation. This study combines geospatial layers of multiple dimensions of exposure and vulnerability to flooding and identifies prior areas suitable for design scenarios for mitigation of flooding risk, for a regional case study located in Sicily. The results show patterns of exposure and vulnerability that vary according to locally relevant physical and social urban dimensions. Based on these results, proposals for mitigation actions are advanced with the overall objective of generating equal benefits to the most vulnerable exposed social subjects. Moreover, this study argues about the particular implications of implementing stormwater green infrastructure planning for equal beneficial distribution of the potentially achievable risk reduction.

Vulnerability and resilience to food and nutrition insecurity: A review of the literature towards a unified framework

Current approaches to measuring food and nutrition security (FNS) mainly consider past access to food, while assessing vulnerability and resilience to food insecurity requires a dynamic setting and sound predictive models, conditional to the entire set of food-related multiple-scale shocks and stresses as well as households’ characteristics. The aim of this work is twofold: i) to review the state of the relevant literature on the conceptualization and the empirical measurement of vulnerability and resilience to food insecurity; ii) to frame the main coordinates of a possible unifying framework aiming at improving ex-ante targeting of policy interventions and resilience-enhancing programs. Our argument is that clarifying the relationships existing between vulnerability and resilience provides a better understanding and a more comprehensive picture of food insecurity that includes higher-order conditional moments and non-linearities. Furthermore, adopting the proposed unified framework, one can derive FNS measures that are: scalable and aggregable into higher-level dimensions (scale axiom); inherently dynamic (time axiom); conditioned to various factors (access axiom); applicable to various measures of food and nutrition as dependent variables (outcomes axiom). Unfortunately, the proposed unified framework shows some limitations. First, estimating conditional moments is highly data-demanding, requiring high-quality and high-frequency micro-level panel data for all the relevant FNS dimensions, not mentioning the difficulty of measuring risks/shocks and their associated probabilities using short panel data. Hence, there is a general issue of applicability of the proposed approach to typically data-scarce environments such as developing contexts. Second, there is an inherent tradeoff between the proposed approach in-sample precision and out-of-sample predictive performance. This is key to implement effective early warning systems and foster resilience-building programs.

Sustainability, perceived quality and country of origin of farmed salmon: Impact on consumer choices in the USA, France and Japan

Technological advancements that enable countries to produce farmed seafood domestically, including land-based production, could potentially improve sustainability measures. However, whether consumers prefer domestic farmed seafood to imported seafood is unclear. This paper aims to fill this gap by employing hypothetical choice experiments from the US, France, and Japan. We find that, in each country, there is a sizable consumer segment (varying from one-quarter to two-thirds of the market) with a strong preference for domestic farmed salmon, including those from land-based production. These consumers associate domestic origin with higher qualities in all relevant dimensions and are willing to pay a price premium. There is also a segment of consumers with a strong preference for imported Norwegian salmon (from one-fifth to two-thirds of the market), linking Norwegian origin to higher qualities, and willing to pay higher prices. Consumers’ attitudes towards the environment and food, usage of label information, age, income, and consumption frequencies, are among the characteristics that explain consumer heterogeneity. Our results show the market potential for domestic farmed seafood, thus, providing consumers with reliable origin information for farmed seafood that also covers land-based production would be important. At the same time, the existence of a segment with a preference for imported seafood implies that active trade will remain, indicating the importance of continued international corporation for a holistic and transparent policy framework and common standards for a sustainable aquatic food system.