Global Online Research Articles

How U.S. Presidential elections strengthen global hate networks

Local or national politics can be a catalyst for potentially dangerous hate speech. But with a third of the world’s population eligible to vote in 2024 elections, we need an understanding of how individual-level hate multiplies up to the collective global scale. We show, based on the most recent U.S. presidential election, that offline events are associated with rapid adaptations of the global online hate universe that strengthens both its network-of-networks structure and the types of hate content that it collectively produces. Approximately 50 million accounts in hate communities are drawn closer to each other and to a broad mainstream of billions. The election triggered new hate content at scale around immigration, ethnicity, and antisemitism that aligns with conspiracy theories about Jewish-led replacement. Telegram acts as a key hardening agent; yet, it is overlooked by U.S. Congressional hearings and new E.U. legislation. Because the hate universe has remained robust since 2020, anti-hate messaging surrounding global events (e.g., upcoming elections or the war in Gaza) should pivot to blending multiple hate types while targeting previously untouched social media structures.

Research on the Impact of Big Data and Enterprise Digitalization on the E-commerce Industry and Coping Strategies

Abstract: Big data, enterprise digitalization, and e-commerce all have one thing in common: they were born from the Internet. Since the onset of the 21st century, the global Internet industry has experienced rapid growth, with e-commerce emerging as a key player. Participants in e-commerce engage with both the global online marketplace and the physical market, utilizing modern communication networks and information technology to conduct business activities through e-commerce platforms or service platforms. E-commerce embodies characteristics such as market globalization, rapid transactions, virtualization, and cost-effectiveness, making it highly favored by enterprises. Presently, e-commerce relies heavily on robust databases, as well as the data collection, processing, and analysis capabilities of big data. This reliance compels traditional enterprises to undergo digital transformation. This study delves into the impact of big data and enterprise digitalization on the e-commerce industry, exploring the mechanisms underlying their influence on cross-border e-commerce. By examining these dynamics, the study aims to provide insights into the evolving landscape of e-commerce and the transformative potential of big data and digitalization in shaping its future trajectory.

Analysis and modelling of global online public interest in multiple other infectious diseases due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previous research has demonstrated the applicability of Google Trends in predicting infectious diseases. This study aimed to analyze public interest in other infectious diseases before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 via Google Trends data and to predict these trends via time series models. Google Trends data for 12 common infectious diseases were obtained in this study, covering the period from 1 February 2018 to 5 May 2023. The ARIMA, TimeGPT, XGBoost, and LSTM algorithms were then utilized to establish time series prediction models. Our study revealed a significant decrease in public interest in most infectious diseases at the beginning of the pandemic outbreak, followed by a rebound in the post-pandemic era, which is consistent with reported disease incidences. Furthermore, our prediction models demonstrated good accuracy, with TimeGPT showing unique advantages. Our study highlights the potential application value of Google Trends and large pre-trained models for infectious disease prediction.

Nursing students' knowledge and related factors towards palliative care: A systematic review

The objective of this systematic review is to assess the extent of nursing students' knowledge concerning palliative care and identify potential factors that may impact it. To carry out their comprehensive and review research, items were searched from the starting point to March 1, 2023, applying keywords gathered from Medical Subject Headings such as "knowledge", "palliative care", and "nursing students" in global online databases involving Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Iranian electronic library including Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database. Using the assessment instrument for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool), the quality of the studies included in this systematic review was determined. In total, 4,320 nursing students participated in eleven cross-sectional studies. The age mean of the students was 21.48 (standard deviation [SD]=2.32) years. The study comprised 71.43% female participants and 97.92% single. The average nursing student's knowledge of palliative care was 8.94 (SD=3.57) out of 20; the results have shown an insufficient level of knowledge. Factors such as age, female gender, encounter with terminally ill patients, receiving a non-university educational session, year of study, being mature, and receiving a university educational session have a potential positive correlation with nursing students' knowledge of palliative care. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the following variables had a statistically significant association with nursing students' level of knowledge in palliative care: academic year, perception of death as the cessation of life, receipt of university educational sessions, teaching content related to palliative care, type of university, academic grade, gender, place of birth, monthly family income, religious beliefs, and experience of providing care to a dying family member. The outcomes of this review suggest that nursing students possess inadequate knowledge in the domain of palliative care. Thus, it is recommended that future studies focus on implementing appropriate interventions for nursing students to enhance their level of knowledge regarding palliative care.

Global perspectives on tongue-tie assessment of one to ten year-old children in speech-language pathology

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are essential in evaluating tongue structure and function. Due to limited psychometrically validated assessment tools, evidence-based practitioners often rely on clinical expertise to inform their assessment and clinical decision-making. This study aimed to explore how SLPs assess tongue structure and function in children aged 1 to 10 years suspected of having a tongue-tie by examining global practice patterns. Methods: A total of 194 practicing, English-speaking SLPs participated in a global online survey. The survey gathered information on participant demographics, classification tools used, and methods for assessing tongue structure and function, oral motor function and speech production in children with suspected tongue-tie. Results: Participants reported using various measures, including case history, oral examination, and clinical assessment. These measures encompassed evaluation of tongue structure, oral motor tasks and functional measures, including observation of speech, feeding, and swallowing. Notably, 40% of participants indicated they did not use any published assessment tool. While over 90% of participants evaluated feeding skills through parent questionnaires, only 55% observed feeding during mealtimes. Additionally, SLPs in the United States reported using different classification tools for tongue-tie compared to their counterparts in Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries. Conclusion: There is a global trend of limited use of published tongue-tie assessment tools in clinical practice. Most clinicians rely on various measures to evaluate tongue structure and function in children with suspected tongue-tie. These findings highlight the need for a specialized assessment tool that is designed and validated for evaluating tongue structure and function in children beyond infancy.

Characteristics of inpatient and outpatient respiratory syncytial virus mortality in Gavi-eligible countries

The current understanding of the RSV-related mortality age distribution in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) relies on a limited number of disease incidence studies reporting wide age bands, and lacking specificity to Gavi-eligible countries. Understanding the age distribution of RSV-related deaths is crucial for the implementation of RSV interventions in LMICs that rely on support from Gavi. This study aims to provide the age profile of RSV mortality specifically in Gavi-eligible countries.Utilizing data from the RSV GOLD project, an ongoing global online mortality registry focusing on children under the age of 5 with laboratory-confirmed RSV infection, we employed two models (Complete Data Model and Prospective Data Model) to estimate the age profiles. To mitigate biases related to age group representation, we applied post-stratification weighting in our analysis.We included 423 pediatric deaths, including 145 from the community, under 2 years of age from 15 Gavi-eligible countries. Both models identified a peak age at 1 month and found that the majority of RSV-related mortality cases (59–77 %) from Gavi-eligible countries occur before 6 months of life. However, the models exhibited disparities in other age-related metrics. We present fitted age-at-time-of-death probability distributions to aid impact and cost-effectiveness studies.We expect that implementing infant RSV immunization strategies, such as maternal vaccination or infant immunoprophylaxis, will have high impact on RSV-related mortality in Gavi-eligible countries. The divergent results from the two models underscore the importance of carefully considering potential biases in retrospective and surveillance data when interpreting the age profile of RSV mortality cases in future research.

Validation of a global method for the simultaneous analysis of polar and non-polar pesticides by online extraction and LC-MS/MS

BackgroundMulti-residue methods for pesticide analysis in food are available for many compounds, but polar pesticides are not generally included due to their specific properties, which include high polarity and low molecular weight. Single residue methods are therefore needed for sample preparation, while chromatographic separation often requires derivatization, ion paring, or dedicated methods suitable for polar compounds, mostly ion chromatography and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). These challenges affect the important pesticide glyphosate and the related compounds aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and glufosinate. There are only a few methods including these compounds in large-scale analysis, mostly complex methods based on multidimensional chromatography. ResultsA new method, for the global online extraction and analysis of pesticides in beer was developed and validated. The method exploited an online trapping device, with reversed-phase (RP) and anion exchange properties, that can trap small molecules from liquid samples. The ion exchange mechanism was used to retain the very polar pesticides glyphosate, AMPA, and glufosinate. The hydrophobic properties of the trapping column were also exploited to trap pesticides suitable for multi-residue investigations. The chromatographic separation was optimized by comparison of HILIC and RP C30, which could separate pesticides, including the polar ones, with modulation by the trapping column after proper selection of the mobile phase composition and basic modifier. The validation for beer provided recoveries in the range 71–112 %, with <15 % RSD, and LOD and LOQ values of 0.02–1 and 0.3–3 μg L−1, respectively. The result was competitive with previous methods on polar pesticide analysis in beer. SignificanceThe method was validated for 15 pesticides, over the log Kow range from −4.4 to 4.5, using a methodology with single and fast chromatographic separation under conditions compatible with multi-residue analysis by RP-LC-MS/MS. In the case of beer, for which the method was validated, the sample preparation was also performed online, after simple degassing, and sample dilution.

Global invasion and biosecurity risk from the online trade in ornamental crayfish.

Trade in undomesticated ornamental animals has rapidly expanded beyond brick-and-mortar retail stores to now include growing numbers of internet marketplaces. The growing volume, diversity, and origins of invasive non-native species in trade challenge already weak national biosecurity policies. Despite widespread focus on vertebrates, many knowledge gaps exist regarding the online global trade of ornamental invertebrates. We conducted the first global assessment of the online trade in and associated invasion risk of freshwater crayfishes, which are increasingly popular aquarium animals. We systematically examined e-commerce marketplaces in multiple languages, scrapping information that included species identity, price, quantity, and shipping designation from each crayfish listing. Next, we combined geographic pathways of shipping associated with online trade (introduction risk) and environmental suitability modeling (establishment risk) to estimate global risk of non-native crayfish invasion risk. We identified hundreds of online marketplaces and thousands of sale listings in 33 countries (5 continents) involving 60 species and representing a selling value of ∼US$1.5 million. Invasion risk of non-native crayfish in trade was widespread, with geographic hotspots coinciding with both elevated opportunities for introduction (greater shipping offerings) and establishment. Precise characterization of the online species trade is fundamental to support new and reformed biosecurity policies, build industry partnerships, and design educational campaigns to prevent species invasions through trade. We found that the taxonomy, geography, and economics of the global online ornamental crayfish trade are vast and require greater attention.

Opportunities for self-preferencing in international online marketplaces

PurposeLarge digital platforms face intense scrutiny over self-preferencing, which involves a platform provider favoring its own offers over those of competitors. In online marketplaces, also called retail or e-commerce platforms, much of the academic and regulatory debate focuses on determining whether the marketplace provider gives preference to its own private labels, such as “Amazon Basics” or Walmart’s “Great Value” products. However, we outline, both conceptually and empirically, that self-preferencing can also occur through other dimensions of vertical integration – namely, retailing and fulfillment.Design/methodology/approachThis article contributes by conceptualizing three dimensions of vertical integration in online marketplaces – private labels, retailing and fulfillment. Then, two studies empirically assess (1) which of the 20 most-visited global online marketplaces vertically integrates which dimension and (2) which share of 600 m available offers is vertically integrated to which degree in eleven international Amazon marketplaces.FindingsThe majority of the leading marketplaces vertically integrate all three dimensions, implying ample opportunities for self-preferencing. Across international Amazon marketplaces, only 0.02% of available offers consist of an Amazon private-label product. However, Amazon is a retailer for around 31% and fulfills around 38% of all available offers in its marketplaces. Hence, self-preferencing on Amazon can occur most frequently through retailing and fulfillment but comparatively infrequently through private-label offers. Still, these shares differ substantially by country – every second offer is vertically integrated in the USA, but only one in ten in India.Originality/valueMost of the self-preferencing debate often focuses on private-label products. Instead, we present large-scale empirical results showing that self-preferencing on Amazon could occur most often through retailing and fulfillment because these channels affect much larger shares of offers. We also measure the variation of these shares across countries and relate them to regulatory environments.

Artificial intelligence for marketing product strategy in the online education market

The online education market has experienced tremendous growth, creating a competitive landscape where effective marketing solutions are crucial for success. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool, offering innovative ways to enhance product marketing strategy. The purpose of the article was to highlight the integration of artificial intelligence into marketing product strategies in the online education market and to evaluate the chances of success for launching a new training course implemented through AI algorithms. A systematic review of advanced technologies and products in the AI market was carried out, along with a comparative analysis based on data from various authors and reports from organisations, considering the aspects of interpreting qualitative and quantitative market characteristics. Leaders in the global and Ukrainian online education market were analysed, and research was conducted on the marketing product strategy measures of successful players, indicating qualitative and quantitative data using SimilarWeb and Semrush online services. These results allowed for an analysis of the connection between the identified market segments and influencing factors to make practical recommendations for improving elements of marketing based on the identified issues of products and the online education market. To demonstrate the relevance and effectiveness of the proposals, an approach was applied to test if a product with enhanced AI marketing would fit into the market using the example of the Projector Institute company. The assessment obtained from the calculations showed that AI can strengthen the marketing of online education products, as they will fully meet the interests of interested economic counterparts. The results of the study could be used by marketing, AI experts, product experts, business owners in marketing, etc. to enhance marketing solutions

Writing globally: South Korean adolescents' digital multimodal composing practices in a global online community

AbstractThis design‐based study explored the digital and linguistic practices of South Korean adolescents from a rural area within the Write4Change global online community, emphasizing their use of image‐driven tools. Framed within the cosmopolitan literacies perspective, these adolescents adeptly merge local and global dimensions, integrating their multilingual identities, and compelling visual narratives into their work. They navigate English, the dominant language of the online community, while incorporating multilingual elements to enrich community dialogues. These practices reflect their linguistic adaptability and digital literacies and underscore the significant role of cosmopolitan literacies in transforming literacy studies. The study highlights the impactful digital practices of South Korean adolescents, contributing to a broader understanding of inclusivity and diversity in global literacies.

Transition from Paediatric to Adult Diabetes Care in People with Type1 Diabetes: An Online Survey from France.

The transition from paediatric to adult diabetes care (TPA) of children/adolescents with type1 diabetes (T1D) represents a unique challenge and remains a critical phase in the T1D care pathway. This study aims to describe and understand the experience of the transition process from a participant's perspective in young adults who are living in France with T1D and to measure their satisfaction. An online questionnaire was presented to people with T1D in France on a global online participant community platform. The questionnaire was developed by a scientific committee including paediatric and adult diabetologists and refined by a group of participants. Thematic qualitative analysis was performed on the responses. A total of 104 respondents were included in the survey (mean age 24.4years [95%CI 23.8-25.0]; 61.5% female). The mean age at the time of transition was 18.4years (95%CI 17.8-18.9), and 56% of respondents had their first adult diabetology follow-up in the same institution. During TPA, of the 76 participants who experienced personal issues, 74% experienced at least one issue with their diabetes management in the months following the transition. In the following months, 61% experienced new or unexpected problems in monitoring their diabetes after transition and 44% reported unusual glycaemic imbalances, including hypoglycaemia (8%) and hyperglycaemia (9%) requiring hospitalisation. Presence of personal issues during TPA was significantly associated with occurrence of problems with diabetes management or glycaemic imbalance. Three factors identified for a successful transition were (i) early meeting with the 'adult' diabetes care team, (ii) letting the participants choose the right age to leave paediatric clinic and (iii) having good diabetes control at the beginning of the TPA process. Most young adults with T1D report experiencing issues around TPA with significant consequences on their disease management. Hence, it is necessary to identify these issues to better support them and improve diabetes management during this phase.

Surgeon-Scientists Going Extinct: Last Call for Action or Too Late?

To define the concept of surgeon-scientists and identify the root causes of their decline in number and impact. The secondary aim was to provide actionable remedies. Surgeons who conduct research in addition to patient care are referred to as "surgeon-scientists." While their value to society remains undisputed, their numbers and associated impact have been plunging. While reasons have been well identified along with proposals for countermeasures, their application has largely failed. We conducted a systematic review covering all aspects of surgeon-scientists together with a global online survey among 141 young academic surgeons. Using gap analysis, we determined implementation gaps for proposed measures. Then, we developed a comprehensive rescue package. A surgeon-scientist must actively and continuously engage in both patient care and research. Competence in either field must be established through protected training and criteria of excellence, particularly reflecting contribution to innovation. The decline of surgeon-scientists has reached an unprecedented magnitude. Leadership turning hospitals into "profit factories" is one reason, a flawed selection process not exclusively based on excellence is another. Most importantly, the appreciation for the academic mission has vanished. Along with fundamentally addressing these root causes, surgeon-scientists' path to excellence must be streamlined, and their continuous devotion to innovation cherished. The journey of the surgeon-scientist is at a crossroads. As a society, we either adapt and shift our priorities again towards innovation or capitulate to greed for profit, permanently losing these invaluable professionals. Successful rescue packages must not only involve hospitals and universities but also the political sphere.

Experience of living with psoriasis in Brazil: a Global Psoriasis Atlas online survey.

Psoriasis significantly burdens patients' lives, but there is limited data on this in Brazil. Between May 2022 and January 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 563 Brazilian residents aged ≥18 years who had been diagnosed with psoriasis. Spearman's correlation (r) was used to test the correlation between self-assessed disease severity (Simplified Psoriasis Index [saSPI] extent score; range 0 [clear/minor] to 40 [widespread/severe]) and health-related quality of life (QoL, score of 1 means perfect health) and capability (ICECAP-A: score of 1 means full capability) measures. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify predictors of QoL and capability. A thematic analysis examined the free-text responses and identified common themes. The mean age of participants was 42.1 ± 12.4 years, and over half had at least one other long-term condition. The mean QoL score was 0.59 ± 0.25, and the mean capability score was 0.71 ± 0.21. At the time of survey completion, over 80% of respondents reported some level of pain and/or discomfort, and 86% reported feeling anxious and/or depressed. The mean self-assessed saSPI was 7.8 ± 8.6, which negatively correlated with health-related QoL (r = -0.49, P < 0.05) and capability (r = -0.44, P < 0.05). Significant predictors of poorer QoL and reduced capability included high saSPI, number of psoriasis flares and comorbidities, female gender, Black ethnicity, and employment status (unemployed, long-term sick). Frequently reported areas that impacted patients were social stigma/prejudice, powerlessness, lack of education and public awareness, and difficulty obtaining appropriate care/treatment. We found that the clinical manifestations, severity, and associated comorbidities of psoriasis negatively impacted health-related QoL and capability, along with feelings of stigmatization and barriers to specialist treatment. This highlights the need for better access to care and awareness of the disease to improve the lives of people living with psoriasis in Brazil.

Development Of E-Commerce Transactions And Its Influence On Labor Absorption

Global online retail is experiencing rapid growth, as reflected in the value of e-commerce, which is estimated to have grown by over 230 percent to $4.48 trillion, or Rp60.467 trillion, in 2021, from just $1.8 trillion in 2014. Online shopping has now become a popular pastime worldwide, particularly among young people. In addition to exciting new experiences, the prices of purchased items are also cheaper compared to traditional shopping. This sort of research is qualitative, utilizing secondary data obtained through literature reviews and statistical data. The research findings indicate that the value of e-commerce grew by over 230 percent to $4.48 trillion, or Rp60.467 trillion, in 2021, from just $1.8 trillion in 2014. In 2020 alone, the total turnover of the Asian continent reached $1.7 trillion USD. Moreover, this growth is projected to continue increasing in 2025, with an expected 51% increase to $2.5 trillion. China had sales of $1.3 trillion and is projected to grow to nearly $2 trillion by 2025. These figures exceed sales in Europe and North America. In 2020, the turnover of the European continent was $460 billion and North America was $588 billion. These values are significantly lower compared to China's sales. E-commerce in Indonesia also experienced strong growth since the beginning of 2020 due to the pandemic. The trading business grew by around 33% in 2020, and its main value increased rapidly from Rp 253 billion to Rp 337 billion. The role of business law in e-commerce transactions applies similarly to other purchasing and trading activities. With regulations in place regarding this matter, legal certainty is provided for the conduct of electronic transactions in Indonesia and internationally.

Social Innovation in a University: Accelerator Programs of a Center for Social Entrepreneurship in the Philippine Setting

The paper traces the managerial plans and decisions made towards the development of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines under the auspices of the School of Business and Economics and Santa Clara University's Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship in California. Using the action research approach, the Center and its two Accelerator Programs namely the Global Social Benefit Institute Boost and Online Accelerator Programs were studied. Participants for the first cohorts were called Potential Social Enterprises (PSEs) and Mature Social Enterprise (MSEs) for the Boost and Online Accelerator Programs, respectively. A total 27 PSEs and 5 MSEs joined the first cohort. Few scholars have studied accelerators that support social enterprises. In contrast to incubators, accelerators expose social entrepreneurs to market forces and provide the intense process of mentoring, education, and expansion of networks which have a lasting impact on participants. Overall, both Boost and Online Accelerator Programs proved effective in developing the competencies of the social enterprises. The results presented in this paper covers the period of implementation from the time the center was launched in February 2018 to February 2019. This study will cover the progress towards the center's goals, verifiable indicators, activities conducted, survey results, key insights and initial recommendations moving forward. The findings of the study support similar findings of other authors that accelerators for social enterprises play an important role in developing social ventures. Accelerators can contribute to the development of new ventures at several stages.

How context shapes international English teachers’ TPACK in reflective writings in online training

This study explores how the individual contexts of 146 international English teachers influence their TPACK developed in a Global Online Course (GOC). Employing an explanatory sequential design, the study investigates how teachers evaluated a technologically mediated collaborative writing task in ways revealing their likelihood of TPACK adoption in future pedagogy. Our findings show that teachers from different countries described similar intersections of TPACK shaped by micro situational contexts, seen in evaluations of classroom actions and practices. However, discourse analysis indicates that teachers from different regions differed in evaluating their own and students’ behavior and reactions to TPK, with some teachers not maximizing the affordances of Google Docs. This study provides new avenues for directly understanding how context shapes teachers’ forms of TPACK via analyzing reflective writing.

P-473 Assessing patient perceptions: emotional support and clinic culture in fertility care. Examining changes in emotional support and clinic culture over 4 years

Abstract Study question How do patients perceive emotional support and clinic culture in the context of fertility care, what factors contribute to their overall experiences within fertility clinics? Summary answer Patients find clinic support lacking, rated 4.8/10, with &amp;lt;45% perceiving a supportive clinic culture. Despite increased awareness, emotional support perception declined from 2019 to 2023. What is known already Despite abundant research emphasising the necessity of psychosocial care in fertility treatment, notably by ESHRE, patients’ experiences indicate clinics are not consistently following these guidelines or offering sufficient emotional support. UK studies by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Fertility Network emphasise the genuine emotional toll of fertility treatment, revealing that 40% of women undergoing treatment have experienced suicidal thoughts. These findings underscore the critical need for robust emotional support throughout the treatment journey. Study design, size, duration This study involved surveying 210 respondents undergoing fertility treatment. Employing an online survey format, disseminated within my online support communities (approx. 7,000 individuals), the study incorporated both qualitative and quantitative questions. Responses were collected across two distinct periods, 2019 and 2023, providing a comprehensive understanding of patients’ emotional experiences over the 4-year interval. Participants/materials, setting, methods The study gathered insights from 210 global respondents (97% receiving treatment in the UK, 3% in Europe and the USA), all participants were fertility patients undergoing treatment. Cohorts were surveyed in 2019 and 2023, responding to a 10-question online survey. This design enabled a comprehensive exploration of diverse perspectives on emotional support within fertility care over the specified 4-year period. Main results and the role of chance The study reveals a significant disparity between perceived and actual emotional support in fertility clinics. Despite clinics asserting excellence in support, patients rated the emotional support they received at 4.8 out of 10. An alarming 58% expressed scepticism about their clinic fostering a culture of support embraced by all staff, showcasing a disconnect between clinic claims and patient experiences. The study determined a decline in perceived support levels from 2019 to 2023, from 5.3/10 in 2019 to 4.6/10 in 2023. This downward trend raises concerns about the efficacy of efforts to enhance emotional support over the years despite an escalating focus and awareness surrounding the emotional challenges of fertility treatment. The participants’ qualitative responses unveiled a recurring theme across 2019 and 2023, indicating a persistent lack of improvement in emotional support. Patients felt like part of a production line, reduced to mere numbers in the clinic during their treatment journey. A resounding 66% of respondents expressed a desire for more accessible support services within their clinics. This study’s comprehensive findings shed light on the critical need for clinics to re-evaluate and fortify their emotional support infrastructure, ensuring it aligns with patient expectations and contributes positively to their overall experience. Limitations, reasons for caution Differences in participant demographics over study years may influence individual perspectives. Feedback could be influenced by participants’ mood on the survey day, and the global online distribution encompassing diverse clinics adds variability to responses. Wider implications of the findings The study reveals a gap in emotional support provision despite extensive research on IVF’s emotional impact. Patients hesitate to voice concerns, contributing to treatment dropout rates. Addressing this, the study suggests guidelines to help clinics establish a supportive culture from initial contact, potentially reducing dropout rates and improving patient experiences. Trial registration number not applicable

Gender Differences in Perceptions of Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Impact, Management, and Physician Interactions: Results from a Global Patient Survey.

We evaluated the impact of gender on disease severity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), treatment management, and patient-healthcare professional (HCP) interactions from the perspectives of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Data were collected from a global online patient survey conducted by The Harris Poll (November 2, 2017 to March 12, 2018). Eligible patients were aged ≥ 18years, with a self-reported diagnosis of PsA for > 1year, had visited a rheumatologist/dermatologist in the past 12months, and had reported previously using ≥ 1 conventional synthetic or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. Data were stratified by gender and analyzed descriptively, inferentially by binomial (chi-square) tests, and by multivariate logistic regression models. Data from 1286 patients who participated were included: 52% were female, 48% were male. Varying perceptions of disease severity between males and females were indicated by differences in symptoms leading to a diagnosis of PsA, and in symptoms reported despite treatment; more females than males reported joint tenderness, skin patches/plaques, and enthesitis. More females than males reported a major/moderate impact of PsA on their physical activity and emotional/mental well-being. Reasons for switching medication differed between genders, with more females switching because they perceived their medication to not be effective enough related to their joint symptoms. More females than males were very satisfied with their communication with their rheumatologist and were more likely to discuss the impact of PsA on their daily lives, their treatment satisfaction, and treatment goals with their rheumatologist. Patients' perceptions of the impact of PsA on HRQoL, treatment management, and interactions with HCPs varied between males and females. More females than males reported major/moderate physical and emotional impacts of PsA. When treating patients, it is important for HCPs to consider the potential impact of gender on patients' experience of PsA and its symptoms. Graphical plain language summary available for this article.

Food security governance: taming the endemic starvation for peace and sustainable development in Africa

This study investigated food security governance in relation to taming the endemic starvation for peace and sustainable development in Africa. Food and nutrition security remain a multi-dimensional concept to ensure sustainability of the food system by 2030. It is a prerequisite to meaningful development as starving people are not capable of learning, innovating, nor prioritizing sustainable development. The COVID-19 preventive measures such as lockdowns and curfews, and persistent conflict in Africa, plunged deteriorating food insecurity into steep descent that necessitates collaborative efforts and partnerships to change the trajectory. The partnerships will restore livelihoods, and eliminate starvation, disease, abject poverty, wars and eventually restore peace. Data for the study were collected through systematic review of scholarly reviewed publications obtained from Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) database, University of Nairobi and Google search engines. The objectives of this paper, therefore, are to analyse underlying causes of persistent starvation in Africa, examine the factors that contribute to food security issues degenerating into conflict, and highlight the role of governance in finding lasting solutions to persistent starvation in the continent. However, it was revealed that, there is congruence that conflict and disease (COVID-19) may require more attention, with unanimous calls for the adoption of multilateralism in food governance as strategy to handle the nexus issues on food, water, energy, climate, economy, conflict and disease. Attention is also required to be focused on innovations supporting small-scale farmers, especially women farmers who are the most vulnerable, to benefit from autonomous measures (such as climate-smart agriculture practices) and adaptation to climate extremes. Conclusions are drawn on the best possible strategies available to mitigate endemic starvation in Africa, the urgent need for joint efforts to eliminate conflict –induced food insecurity, and emphasis on a systems approach to tackle nexus issues (Food-Water-Energy-Climate-Economy-Conflict and Disease) to ensure sustainable development. Key words: Food security, Starvation, Conflict, Peace, Sustainable development, Africa