Face Additional Difficulties Research Articles

The impact of artificial intelligence on women's empowerment, and work-life balance in Saudi educational institutions.

Gender prejudice and stereotypes are prevalent in the workplace, particularly for women in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry, where they can significantly hinder professional development and limit prospects for growth. These challenges contribute to the underrepresentation of executives in AI. However, with the right measures, these barriers can be overcome, leading to a more inclusive and diverse AI industry. Women in this demanding technological domain often face additional difficulties in achieving a work-life balance, further constraining their professional advancement and engagement in the industry. This research aims to examine the implications of AI capabilities on work-life balance and the empowerment of female faculty members in enhancing the efficiency of educational institutions. The research performs a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, using a survey conducted on female faculty of Saudi Arabian universities. The study specifically considers moderating variables such as age, education level, experience, and marital status. The findings, which reveal that AI managerial capability, as well as AI infrastructure agility, impacts work-life balance and empowerment of women faculties in educational institution efficiency, underscore the significance of considering demographic factors when analyzing women's empowerment and work-life balance as outcomes. By exploring these factors, the research provides a comprehensive understanding of how AI capabilities impact women's empowerment and their ability to maintain a work-life balance, ultimately contributing to the efficiency and effectiveness of educational institutions. These results emphasize the value of increasing women's empowerment and raising the standard of performance evaluation systems in educational sectors.

OS DESAFIOS ENCONTRADOS EM CRIANÇAS COM EXCESSO DE PESO E PORTADORAS DE DIABETES MELLITUS TIPO 1

Introduction: The increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus and obesity in children is a cause for global concern. These health conditions are interconnected and have serious implications for children's physical and emotional well-being. Additionally, obesity can contribute to other risk factors associated with diabetes, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Objective: Discuss childhood obesity, its impacts and its correlation with diabetes mellitus, mainly type 1. Methodology: The integrative review is based on the guiding question ´´ What are the impacts of childhood obesity and its correlation with type 1 diabetes mellitus? 1´´. The research was carried out during the months of January to February 2024, in the LILACS, IBECS and MEDLINE databases with the help of the Boolean AND. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 06 articles remained used to construct the present study. Results and discussion: It was observed that among the articles selected for the construction of the research, around 66% (04) were published in 2023. While in the years 2022 and 2024, 17% (01) of the selected studies were published in each respective year. Obese children with type 1 diabetes may face additional difficulties adopting a healthy lifestyle. Final considerations: Importance of health education and promotion, as well as changing lifestyle habits.

Academic Essay On Equitable Access To Mental Health Services In Brazil

Equitable access to mental health services in Brazil faces complex and interconnected challenges. Among the main issues are regional inequalities, socioeconomic barriers, and the stigma associated with mental disorders. Regional inequality results in significant differences in the quality and availability of mental health services between urban and rural areas. While large cities such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have advanced infrastructure and qualified professionals, rural areas and urban outskirts suffer from a lack of resources and professionals, limiting access to necessary care. Socioeconomic barriers also play a crucial role. Low-income populations face additional difficulties, such as lack of transportation and inadequate health insurance, which restrict access to mental health services. The lack of information and the stigmatization of mental disorders worsen the situation, discouraging individuals from seeking treatment due to fear of discrimination and prejudice. To address these challenges, it is essential to adopt integrated strategies. Expanding mental health infrastructure in underserved areas and creating integrated care networks are fundamental. Public policies should reduce socioeconomic inequalities by providing financial support and improving transportation. Awareness campaigns about mental health can overcome informational barriers and stigma. Continuous training of health professionals and community participation are also crucial to ensure inclusive and locally adapted care. With a coordinated effort, it is possible to promote more just and comprehensive access to mental health services in Brazil.

Challenges Met by Intermediate Fast-Learner Classes on Communication Skills

This study explored the challenges faced by intermediate fast learner classes in five central schools of the Division of Surigao City in developing communication skills. Through interviews with 15 high-performing and 15 average-performing learners, challenges in reading, writing, speaking, and listening were identified and analyzed using thematic analysis. High-performing students struggle with comprehension, time management, and confidence, while average performers face additional difficulties in complex language and self-doubt. Strategies include resource use, external help, cognitive coping, and emotional regulation. Both groups employ various techniques to improve comprehension, fluency, and active listening

Focus-marking in a tonal language: Prosodic differences between Cantonese-speaking children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

Abnormal speech prosody has been widely reported in individuals with autism. Many studies on children and adults with autism spectrum disorder speaking a non-tonal language showed deficits in using prosodic cues to mark focus. However, focus marking by autistic children speaking a tonal language is rarely examined. Cantonese-speaking children may face additional difficulties because tonal languages require them to use prosodic cues to achieve multiple functions simultaneously such as lexical contrasting and focus marking. This study bridges this research gap by acoustically evaluating the use of Cantonese speech prosody to mark information structure by Cantonese-speaking children with and without autism spectrum disorder. We designed speech production tasks to elicit natural broad and narrow focus production among these children in sentences with different tone combinations. Acoustic correlates of prosodic focus marking like f0, duration and intensity of each syllable were analyzed to examine the effect of participant group, focus condition and lexical tones. Our results showed differences in focus marking patterns between Cantonese-speaking children with and without autism spectrum disorder. The autistic children not only showed insufficient on-focus expansion in terms of f0 range and duration when marking focus, but also produced less distinctive tone shapes in general. There was no evidence that the prosodic complexity (i.e. sentences with single tones or combinations of tones) significantly affected focus marking in these autistic children and their typically-developing (TD) peers.

“If You Prayed More, You Would Feel Better”: The Dual Nature of Religion and Spirituality on Black Youths’ Mental Health and Access to Care in Canada

This study explores Black Canadian youth’s relationship with religion and the impact religion has on their mental health and wellbeing. In addition, we probed promising practices for religious leaders and service providers who want to improve Black youth’s access to care. The results of this article draw from a larger study that aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to mental healthcare for Black youth in Ontario, Canada. 128 (n = 66 youth, n = 35 service providers, n = 27 family and community members; 91% Black, 24% people of colour, 67% white) participants from six regions across Ontario were engaged in 23 qualitative focus groups held virtually between March 2020 and August 2021. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: The stigma and taboo nature of mental illness, the influence of religion and mental health and suggestions to improve care for Black youth. Mental illness is stigmatized in specific ways in Black communities and intergenerational differences exist in how mental illness is conceptualized. In addition, Black Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and other diverse or marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities (2SLGBTQ+) youth face additional difficulties in relation to stigma. Religion and religious affiliation stigmatized mental illness yet, both were considered important for inclusion in traditional mental health supports. To improve access to care for Black youth, there is a need for community-practitioner partnerships, incorporating religion into traditional mental healthcare, and increasing mental health awareness in religious and community spaces. This study is among the first to explore the impact of religion on Black youth’s mental health, findings can contribute to increased access to affirming and responsive care for this population.

FAMILY SUPPORT OF GERIATRICS IN COVID-19 ERA: A PANACEA FOR CREATING HAPPINESS

As the population of elderly people continues to climb, the number of dependent persons in the majority ofdeveloping countries appears destined to rise. To pinpoint the proper preventative and intervention services,especially in Nigeria during COVID-19, health systems require improved data to identify the health hazardsolder people experience. The percentage of people who have at least three of the six health risk factors(physical inactivity, current tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, a high-risk waist-hip ratio,hypertension, or obesity) increases with age, but the patterns and percentages differ by country, accordingto data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (2010). Households in emerging nations willlikely face additional difficulties in caring for elderly relatives as a result of changing family structures, suchas fewer families and a decreased incidence of multigenerational cohabitation. Therefore, this articleexamines how the country's aging population's health and wellbeing are affected by the changing familystructure.

Exploring the concurrent use of standardised and idiographic measures to assess cognitive behavioural therapy in a university student with autistic spectrum condition – a single case experimental design

Abstract Limited research has directly addressed the challenges of higher education for students with autism, who face additional difficulties in navigating social, personal and academic obstacles. With more students experiencing mental health difficulties whilst at university, therapeutic interventions on offer need to be suitable for those accessing support. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is widely used to support university students, as it is firmly established as an effective treatment for a range of issues, including social and generalised anxiety in typically developing populations (NICE, 2013; NICE, 2019). However, the efficacy of CBT for individuals with autistic spectrum condition (ASC) is less well known, despite the high prevalence rates of anxiety in this population. This paper seeks to address a gap in the literature and uses a single-case (A-B) experimental design over 16 sessions to reduce co-morbid social and generalised anxiety in a university student with high-functioning ASC. Clark’s (2001) cognitive model of social anxiety and Wells’ (1997) cognitive model of generalised anxiety were employed to formulate anxiety experienced in this case. Standardised outcome measures were used for social anxiety, i.e. the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), and generalised anxiety, i.e. the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), in conjunction with idiographic ratings to assess the impact of therapy. Findings indicate that CBT was an acceptable and useful intervention with mixed results; discrepancies were found between clinical change recorded on standardised measures compared with idiographic ratings. This paper discusses the use of standardised measures of anxiety for individuals with ASC and identifies directions for further research. Key learning aims (1) To appreciate the unique mental health challenges of university students with ASC. (2) To identify psychological interventions that are suitable for individuals with ASC. (3) To consider the value in employing more than one evidence-based cognitive model of anxiety when clients present with co-morbid mental health issues. (4) To question the utility of using standardised outcome measures compared with idiographic measures in therapy.

Orthodontic retreatment: positive effects on the patient's self-esteem and quality of life.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: An increasing percentage of the world’s population has had access to orthodontic treatment within the last few decades. Consequently, a larger number of patients seeking for correction of their malocclusions, nowadays, present with a history of previous orthodontic therapy. Orthodontists performing retreatments in their practice may have to face additional difficulties, and one of them is treating individuals that may be even more demanding for excellent results and efficient treatments. Objectives: This manuscript discusses the challenges faced when performing orthodontic retreatments. It illustrates a two-phase retreatment of a pre-adolescent and the ortho-surgical retreatment of a young adult with high demands for fast and exceptional results. Finally, this paper elaborates on the positive impacts that these retreatments had on the patients’ self-esteem and quality of life.

Distributed min-projection control: A switching consensus protocol for switched affine multi-agent systems

In this study, a distributed control problem is addressed for switched affine multi-agent systems. In dynamical systems with an affine control input, the use of error feedback is essential for the realization of consensus protocols, but different from most existing results with affine control multi-agent systems, switched affine multi-agent systems face additional difficulties in the analysis and control; meanwhile, affine diffusive coupling consensus algorithms are not applicable. For this reason, a switching signal is considered as a control mechanism. We study switched networks in which the leader’s state is accessible only for a portion of agents, and the Lyapunov matrix-based min-projection control strategy is proposed to determine the active mode for each agent based on the state information of the neighbors. Using parameter-dependent stability analysis, a range of different reference points can be tracked by distributed min-projection switching without any redesigning. Also, benefiting from the hybrid dynamical system, min-projection switch is modified such that a periodic time-triggered sampled control is introduced to obtain finite switching frequency. Finally, a multi-motor system fed by DC–DC buck–boost converters is simulated for a stepwise changing of leader signal and different dwell-time switching, and the effectiveness of proposed method is assessed.

Distributed adaptive switching control of uncertain switched affine multi-agent systems

In this paper, motivated by the need for distributed control of multi-agent networks consist of switched affine systems, a distributed leader following consensus controller is developed. Different from most existing methods with affine control multi-agent systems, switched affine multi-agent systems face additional difficulties in the analysis and control, meanwhile affine diffusive coupling consensus algorithms are not applicable. So, in this paper switching signal is considered as the only control mechanism. Two consensus algorithms are proposed based on min-switching control and a new distributed embedded pulse width modulation (PWM) technique, in which local and neighbors output feedback are used to construct control input via an adaptive observer. Proposed observer-based distributed adaptive switching strategies guarantee stability of the overall network in the presence of uncertain affine term. Finally, proposed distributed control algorithms are verified by simulation of a switched affine multi-agent system.

Development of fricative production in French-speaking school-aged children using cochlear implants and children with normal hearing

In the course of productive phonological development, fricatives are among the last speech sounds to emerge and to be mastered by children, probably because of the high degree of articulatory precision they require or because of difficulties with their perception. Children with cochlear implants (CI) face additional difficulties with fricative perception, since high spectral frequency components are shown to be especially difficult to perceive with a cochlear implant. Studying fricative production in children with CIs allows to study how the partial transmission of speech sounds by cochlear implants influences children’s speech production, and therefore to explore how perceptual abilities influence the late stages of phonological development.This acoustic study focuses on fricative production at three places of articulation (i.e., /f/, /s/ and /ʃ/), comparing productions by two groups of children (20 children with normal hearing (NH) vs. 13 children with CIs, all aged 5;7 to 10;7 years), and taking into account their consistency in coarticulation and the stability of their production across two different tasks (word-repetition and picture-naming). Statistical analyses were carried out by means of linear mixed-effect models.The results show that while both groups produce /ʃ/ with similar acoustic characteristics, between-group differences are found for /f/ and /s/. Furthermore, effects of consonant-vowel coarticulation are found for children with NH, and are absent for children with CIs. Effects of chronological age are only found for children with CIs (production in older children with CIs nearing that of children with NH).Our study shows that the development of fricative production of five- to 11-year-old children with CIs is affected by the children’s hearing abilities and late access to auditory information. These limitations however do not prevent the children from eventually reaching a consistency similar to that of children with NH, as suggested by the fact that their production is still evolving during that age span. The results also show that the acquisition of coarticulation strategies can be impeded by degraded or delayed access to audio.

The Problem of Confidence in Schoolteachers in The Context of New Normality

The authors of the article have conducted a sociological study of the problem of confidence in schoolteachers in the Moscow region in autumn of 2019. They have interviewed teachers, students and their parents in the suburbs of Ramenskoye and the city of Orekhovo-Zuevo (these cities are located at different distances from Moscow), which has made it possible to see more clearly the socio-cultural specificity of the studied problem. In the article, the authors pay particular attention to the factors that affect mutual understanding between all the actors of the learning process. The authors conclude that the problem of confidence in schoolteachers is becoming more urgent, and the need for its systematic monitoring in schools appears. Considering the spread of distance learning, the authors of the article suggest that schoolteachers will face additional difficulties in building trusting relationships with students and their parents. The experience of the study, presented in the article, will be useful for finding solutions to the problem of confidence between all the actors of the learning process in changing conditions.

Design and Implementation of a Smart Baby Crib

Many people are so busy that they face additional difficulties with everyday life. Parents in particular may have many responsibilities, yet babies and infants continue to need special care. This paper proposes a smart baby crib to help both parents and baby in several ways by providing numerous services in two modes, manual and automatic. In manual mode, the user can control the crib’s swing and start music playing wirelessly using an application installed on a smart phone. In automatic mode, the crib starts swinging automatically when the baby cries, and swings continuously until the baby stops crying alongside playing music to make a baby be quit and sleep. In addition, if the motion and music do not calm the baby, the crib messages the designated parent’s mobile phone using Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) technology to seek immediate attendance. The system is implemented using a microcontroller, a D.C motor, a sound transducer, an h-bridge, and a rechargeable battery, and this has been tested in real time environments. Experimental results show its efficiency and simplicity.

Effects of covering inter-row orchard floor with reflective films on light distribution, photosynthesis, coloration and quality of ‘Fuji’ apples

The effect of hot and dry summers, typical of Mediterranean climates, together with inappropriate canopy management, strongly restricts apples red color development. The ‘Fuji’ apples market demands not only fruits with larger sizes, crunchy textures and sweet flavors but also with intense and complete red coloration skin. Portuguese growers face additional difficulties by the predominance of old clones and fast-changing needs of the market, requiring a different technical approach and the introduction of new technologies. The use of reflective materials between tree rows is known by its effects on enhancing red color development without reducing fruit quality and it was tested in Portuguese conditions in an orchard of ‘Fuji Fubrax’ apple (Malus domestica). White polypropylene UV-stabilized reflective film, Reflectex® (Carreta Tessitura, Carre, Italy), was installed 22 days before the first harvest, in alternate rows, leaving uncovered the first 50 cm closer to the trunk. PAR reflection measured at 50 cm height, in the middle of the rows with spontaneous vegetation increased from 9.1 to 53.6% when covered with white reflective film. In spite of soil PAR reflection measured under the canopy at solar noon be low, average reflection in the first linear meter increased from 3 to 11% in the west side and from 1 to 6.5% in the east side, with significant gains in the first 50 cm due to the effect of the film. There was also a positive effect on the side of the trees without film, resulting from reflected radiation into the canopy. These differences were responsible for higher photosynthetic rates measured outside and inside the trees with the film placed laterally, some of these results being supported by chlorophyll content index and specific leaf area measurements. Covering the orchard floor with reflective films was very effective in improving fruit coloration (lower hue values, so redder fruits), showing significant differences and similar color between fruits harvested inside the canopy from the side with the film and fruits from the outside of the canopy without film. Positive effects were also found in average fruit weight, firmness and total soluble solids (increase of about 5-10% in Brix values). These results should be confirmed in a long-term program and others reflective materials assessed.

Exploring reasons for differences in performance between UK and international medical graduates in the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners Applied Knowledge Test: a cognitive interview study

ObjectivesInternational medical graduates (IMGs) perform less well in national postgraduate licensing examinations compared with UK graduates, even in computer-marked multiple-choice licensing examinations. We aimed to investigate thought processes of candidates...

To be young, unmarried, rural, and female: intersections of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Maldives

This paper explores sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among young people, identifying intersecting factors that create inequities in access to services, health-seeking behaviour, and ultimately health outcomes. Based on qualitative interviews with young people in the Maldives, it demonstrates how these intersectional experiences are contrary to what is often assumed in official data, policies, and services. Three factors were found to shape young people’s experiences: marital status, gender, and urban/rural differences. Non-marital sexual activity is illegal in the Maldives, but it is somewhat expected of unmarried men, while unmarried women are stigmatised for being sexually active. Although access to SRH services is restricted for all unmarried people, young women face additional difficulties, as the risk of being exposed is much greater in small island communities. Maldivian island communities are extremely small and characterised by an inward-looking culture that exerts considerable social pressure, particularly on unmarried women. For an unmarried woman, being known to be sexually active, or worse, pregnant outside of marriage, has severe social consequences including stigma and isolation from the community, and their own family. This concern is more prevalent among rural young women, as they live in smaller communities where stigma is inescapable. The need to avoid public scrutiny and humiliation contributes to making unsafe abortion a common solution for many unintended pregnancies. Failure to acknowledge these intersecting factors in SRHR experience and access has led to inequities among an already overlooked population, shaping their experiences, knowledge, health-seeking behaviour, and health outcomes.

Does Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards Affect Firm Performance?

This current literature review focuses on the diversity of members on the board of directors in corporations. By exploring contemporary literature in finance, this article seeks to understand the effects of board member gender diversity on firm financial performance. Firstly, diversity in board members is shown to have mixed results on firm performance. Secondly, heterogeneous board members’ different life experiences and demographic characteristics lead them to solve problems and make decisions in various ways which could ultimately impact the financial performance of the firms they serve. Thirdly, gender diversity is a topic that has gained much attention on modern corporate boards. Appointing women to executive boards has proven to have effects on firm performance. In addition, governments around the world have taken action to promote gender equality by enacting gender quota legislation or by implementing codes of good governance. Furthermore, when appointed to the executive board, women face additional difficulties once in the boardroom. Lastly, the effects of gender diversity on firm performance are found to be mixed and varied.

Debate: can we achieve universal health coverage without a focus on disability?

BackgroundThe achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a key aim of the global health agenda, and an important target of the Sustainable Development Goals. There is increasing recognition that some groups may fall behind in efforts to achieve UHC, including the 1 billion people globally living with disabilities. A fundamental question for debate is – can UHC be achieved without the inclusion of people with disabilities?Main textPeople with disabilities are more likely to experience poor health. They will therefore have greater need for general healthcare services, as well as rehabilitation and specialist services, related to their underlying impairment. People with disabilities also frequently face additional difficulties in accessing healthcare, incur greater costs when seeking healthcare and often report experiencing worse quality services than others. As a consequence of these different challenges, people with disabilities face specific and added difficulties across three dimensions of UHC: coverage, access to services needed, and at reasonable cost. A focus on people with disabilities is therefore essential to achieving UHC, particularly since they constitute 15% of the global population. To ensure the realisation of UHC is inclusive of and addresses the needs of people with disabilities, health systems need to adapt. A twin-tracked approach is recommended, which means that there is a focus on including people with disabilities in mainstream services, as well as targeting them with specific services needed. There also must be efforts to improve the quality of services (e.g. through healthcare staff training) and enhance cost protection for people with disabilities (e.g. through social protection). A key challenge to changing UHC strategies to be more inclusive is the lack of evidence on what is needed and works, and more research is needed urgently on this topic.ConclusionsIt will be difficult to achieve UHC without a focus on people with disabilities. Changes made to improve coverage for people with disabilities will likely benefit a wider group, including older people, ethnic minorities, and people with short-term functional difficulties. Disability-inclusive strategies will therefore improve health system equity and ensure that we “Leave no one behind” as we move towards UHC.

Better use of available radiology resources for women's health in Latin America and the Caribbean.

ABSTRACTDespite the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, women in numerous countries still face many challenges in obtaining good-quality health care. For example, various nations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) do not have access to complex radiology technologies. However, conventional radiography, ultrasound, mammography, and computed tomography are available and can be used to address such women's health concerns as breast and cervical cancers, postpartum bleeding, and tuberculosis. LAC countries face additional difficulties in radiology services with respect to quality human resources, quality assurance programs, standardization, and functioning of diagnostic imaging units. These deficiencies affect the quality of the services rendered. Appropriate measures must be implemented to produce quality services and quality images and to reduce adverse events. These steps will ensure better outcomes and consequently reduce mortality and morbidity.