Realistic Goals Research Articles

Evolving Concepts in Treat-to-Target Strategies for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that is characterised by a wide range of symptoms and a risk for irreversible organ damage, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. To improve long-term outcomes, innovative therapeutic goals have been explored, including attainment and maintenance of remission or low disease activity, with minimal use of glucocorticoids. Other goals encompass early diagnosis, potent yet less toxic therapies, appropriate glucocorticoid tapering, and better quality of life for the patients. Implementing a treat-to-target (T2T) approach involves treatment adjustments to achieve predefined objectives. Evidence from other chronic diseases, like hypertension and diabetes, supports the success of target-based approaches. In rheumatic diseases, the multitude of clinical features adds complexity to T2T strategies, but in rheumatoid arthritis, T2T has yielded improved outcomes. The application of T2T in SLE requires realistic therapeutic goals and practical tools for their measurement. International task forces have developed T2T recommendations for SLE, focusing on limiting disease activity, preventing organ damage, and minimising glucocorticoid use, while considering patients' quality of life. Advancements in defining clinically meaningful remission and low disease activity states, coupled with promising novel therapies, have spurred progress in the management of SLE.

Unlocking the power of emotional intelligence in medical writers

Emotional intelligence (EI), the ability to recognise and understand emotions (one’s own and those of other people), is a valuable attribute for medical writers (MWs). MWs play a pivotal role in communicating medical and scientific information to regulators, patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. EI helps MWs to understand the needs of the audience, develop effective communication skills, author impactful content, and collaborate efficiently with multiple stakeholders. It is thus essential for MWs to develop strong EI skills, i.e., be self-aware and self-motivated, be able to self-regulate, take ownership and responsibility for actions, be problem solvers, show empathy, foster healthy relationships, evaluate feedback positively, and implement balanced solutions. To enhance their EI, MWs can adopt EI-focussed training and development sessions at workplace, practice mindfulness daily, assess EI using multi-rater feedback scales, seek EI coaching, and set realistic goals.

RESEARCH ON THE STRATEGIC CONSENSUS OF EMPLOYEES IN THE PROCESS OF ENTERPRISE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION (THE CASE OF “XDF DONG YUHUI ESSAY INCIDENT”)

In contemporary enterprise development, digital transformation is an important trend. Its success depends not only on technical capabilities, but also on the support of organizations and teams. Employee strategic consensus, as an important dimension of corporate strategy execution, plays a decisive role in the smooth advancement of digital transformation. On the basis of reviewing the development history of the concept of strategic consensus, this article focuses on exploring the mechanism of employee strategic consensus in the digital transformation of enterprises. The article analyzes the potential negative impact of a lack of strategic consensus among employees, using the "New Oriental Dong Yuhui Essay Incident" as an example. Research shows that employee strategic consensus helps accelerate decision-making and execution, improve adaptability to change, promote innovation and collaboration, and improve employee satisfaction and loyalty. Enterprises can effectively establish and maintain strategic consensus among employees by strengthening strategic communication, promoting broad participation, establishing incentive mechanisms, and conducting in-depth research on feedback, thereby promoting the realization of digital transformation goals. As digital transformation has a profound impact on enterprises' internal structure and culture, employee strategic consensus will continue to be a key issue in corporate strategic management and organizational performance improvement.

The Real Existing Real Reality 2022. Article 1. From the Victory of Neo-Liberalism to the Self-Destructive World Society

The present study ‘The Real Existing Real Reality 2022’ consists of two related articles. These are reflections on societies, and perhaps the world on the road to self-destruction. The author wanted to add a subtitle to the article ‘The three-quarter time waltz of the self-destructive society, the new social structure of the Three Societies and a war, where good can at least fight against evil.’ In this work we discuss the currently urgent issue of how to interpret the rapidly increasing peaceful and non-peaceful transformations in the definitive global world. We point out the common features of the current events. Our title (The Real Existing Real Reality 2022) goes back to Boris Ponomarjov's phrase about ‘real existing socialism,’ which should have been higher than all ‘utopian’ concepts. All references to ‘reality’ seem to have two different directions. In the first case, ‘reality’ is more valuable than utopias (as in Ponomarjov). In the second case, reality is poor and negative compared to the ideas. But we have actually to deal with a third case. ‘Reality’ becomes the highest value, because the possession of the definition of Reality becomes the real goal of the present war. In the first article, ‘From the Victory of Neo-Liberalism to the Self-Destructive World Society,’ we show the ‘real’ process, and not yet reflected, of the political and social transformations. The triumphant neo-liberalism has appeared in every point and as the personification of every value in the current discussions. The greatest problem of the present is to identify liberalism with the monetarist economic system. The really existing socialism of the 1970s and 1980s was the subject against which a classical political liberalism of the human rights, a neo-liberal epistemology (Karl R. Popper) and a market-economy neo-liberalism could unite. Real socialism did not misunderstand this new situation. It has simply not recognized it. A new description of global society is only possible with a hypothesis of three ‘societies’ of this global world. The first society would be the society of the good will, for which the value-oriented life of this year (1989) can no longer be an open problem. We define the second society as the one that is not fundamentally constituted by the good will described above. We see the third society in that political class or elite whose power came into being in the year 1989. The ‘third’ society is the object of self-identification of the ‘first’; the ‘first’ is the product of 1989. The ‘second’ society, as the majority, lived in the shadows for a long time after 1989, its emancipation began after the first elementary shocks (economic crises or the imperialist turn) of globalization. When we talk about the further social embedding of these Three Societies, the phenomenon of public debt seems to be one of the most relevant constitutive factors of our society in the plan. The correlations are more than obvious. The third society suggests to the first society that the heavily indebted state is not a really relevant social fact. It also suggests that today's world economy is the realm of normality, in which only the bad and undisciplined policies of individual governments or the oil price are the real movers.

Research on Green Technology Innovation Issues and Paths in the Green Development of Sichuan Counties

With the urgent need for China's economic transformation and sustainable development, the green development of counties in Sichuan Province has become the focus of today's society. This study aims to explore the problems and paths faced by green technology innovation in this context. First, the current status of green technology innovation in Sichuan counties is analyzed, and then the problems of green technology innovation in the green development of Sichuan counties are analyzed. The necessity of research on green technology innovation and policy coordination in Sichuan counties is emphasized, and finally the path to promote green technology innovation in Sichuan counties is proposed. Through the analysis and discussion of this study, it is expected to provide feasible technology innovation paths and policy recommendations for the green development of Sichuan counties, and promote its realization of sustainable development goals.

Global elimination of HBV: Is it really achievable?

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of premature death worldwide. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for HBV elimination and set up very ambitious elimination targets. The development of effective vaccines, accurate diagnostic tools and safe antiviral drugs make HBV elimination a realistic goal. However, the most constrained-resource regions, which bear the highest burden of HBV, are facing major challenges in implementing strategies to reduce HBV incidence and mortality. Developing simplified approaches adapted to resource-limited settings and scaling up interventions for the prevention and control of HBV globally are urgently needed. Whether HBV elimination will be achieved in an equitable manner and in a reasonable timeframe remains highly uncertain.

Indian energy policies amidst urban population and economic growth: Sourcing evidence from time-frequency domain analysis

Relying solely on fossil fuel-driven economic growth could prove unsustainable, particularly in India, where the adverse environmental impact of this growth trajectory is increasingly affecting overall economic development. This challenge may hinder the realization of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the country. Therefore, to address this policy concern, an empirically investigation on the influence of various growth drivers on India's economic growth from 1965 to 2019 was conducted by this present study. Leveraging time-frequency estimators like gradual shift causality tests and Wavelet Coherence, the study yields a range of findings that can inform the formulation of an SDG-oriented policy framework. These outcomes not only acknowledge the detrimental environmental consequences of economic growth but also provide insights into addressing energy security issues. Ultimately, this research enhances to the literature by suggesting a comprehensive and adaptable policy framework aimed at advancing SDGs 7, 8, 12, and 13.

Understanding emerging schools of social work in Tanzania through the Ubuntu perspective

The article presents a comprehensive assessment of the emerging social work schools in Tanzania through the Ubuntu perspective. Ubuntu formed the basis of educational pedagogy in pre-colonial Tanzania but colonial rule imported Western social work approaches in the 1940s to replace it. The challenges include fragmented training with an influence of inherited colonial structure, outdated curricula, training materials that do not replicate African ecology and cultural values, indigenization of training, and lack of indigenous inputs even as graduates do not fit into the global market. Despite the challenges, emerging social work training schools have rendered several opportunities including social work research and consultancy, the emergence of indigenization of social work, abundance of social work indigenous elites and literature, TESWEP transformed into ASSWOT that advocated and participated in social welfare policies review that contain more African requirements. The paper recommends that key stakeholders should develop a comprehensive social work policy and related legislation to control the quality of training and practice for realization of Ubuntu goals. Also, Ujamaa competence should be restored in the training package while TASWO, and ASSWOT should address the gap between educators and practitioners while speeding up the indigenization of social work education with Ubuntu values.

"I will attend to college to give my family a better life": Indebtedness with the family and the challenges of building occupational plans for Peruvian adolescents.

Identifying a future occupation is an important achievement during adolescence, a process particularly complex for Peruvian adolescents. Perú is a postcolonial country with many forms of inequality, and one of them is the opportunity gap to attend a college. However, most adolescents aspire to go to university as a way out of poverty, and, since Perú is a collectivist society, this is a family task: it is adolescents' responsibility to go to college in order to give a better life to their families. Theories developed for WEIRD societies (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) do not provide an accurate explanation of Peruvian adolescents' occupational projects because they envision a person with autonomy and resources to choose a career. Thus, our goal is to analyze adolescents' occupational plans considering the role adolescent-caregivers relationships play in this configuration. This study is part of the project "Being an adolescent in Perú" (PUCP-UNICEF) which characterized Peruvian adolescence by studying 14 variables through a qualitative study with 66 participants. In depth interviews were conducted and the data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results of the thematic analysis are organized in three topics that explain the relationship between occupational plans and adolescent-caregiver relationship (1) adolescents have occupational aspirations rather than achievable projects that are that are built alone, without adult support; (2) attending college as an occupational aspiration belongs to the family, not to the individual operating also a kind of "debt" to pay to their caregivers for being financially supported to be able to study in high school; and (3) caregivers do not have the possibility or resources of being able to accompany their adolescent's occupational plans. We conclude that Peruvian adolescents think about their future within the framework of their family's needs, rather than linked to personal and occupational goals, impeding adolescents from exploring and selecting a realistic occupational goal consistent with their interests. The results allow us to discuss the relevance of studying adolescent development taking into account the particularities of the adolescents' cultural and socioeconomic contexts as well as the core role that relationship with caregivers plays in this process in Perú.

Размитата логика в изкуствения интелект – философски основания и области на приложение

The article discusses and analyzes from a philosophical-logical and methodological perspective the importance of fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory in artificial intelligence (AI). It is discussed whether and to what extent they have the capacity to contribute to the realization of AI's main goals. In this regard, some of their main areas of application in the mentioned shpere are presented.

Discussion on the prevention and control strategies of chronic hepatitis B: experience from AIDS prevention and control in China

Hepatitis B is a major infectious disease that seriously endangers the health of the people of China. Patients with hepatitis B have a large base in our country, and the core indicators such as detection and antiviral treatment ratio are far from the real goal of eliminating the public health threat of uiral hepatitis.Notably, the chronic hepatitis B prevention and control system lacks a wide targeted strategies. This paper systematically analyzes our country's main successful experience with AIDS prevention and control and, on that basis, proposes the ideas and strategic paths for the construction of a chronic hepatitis B prevention and control system, analyzes and discusses the current difficulties and problems in prevention and control, and looks forward to future prevention and control efforts.

Integration of Smart Cities and Building Information Modeling (BIM) for a Sustainability Oriented Business Model to Address Sustainable Development Goals

The construction industry, business models, and smart cities are recognized as pivotal domains with profound implications for fostering sustainability, prompting extensive research endeavors. However, there remains a dearth of interdisciplinary integration within this sphere aimed at fostering sustainable development. Nevertheless, current studies suggest that research in this area could provide theoretical and practical guidance for the sustainable transformation of society and make a positive contribution to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, this paper aims to utilize an innovative mixed research approach combining macro-quantitative bibliometric analysis with subsequent micro-qualitative content examination based on the SDGs to explore the relationship between BIM and smart cities in promoting a sustainability-oriented business model, which provides a comprehensive understanding of the overall situation and development of research topics in the field and contributes to the improvement of the SDGs. The results show that, during the last 13 years (from the year 2011 to 2023), the period from the year 2011 to 2016 was the initial stage of the field, followed by a rapid growth after the year 2018, of which “BIM”, “Smart City”, “Business Model”, “Building Life Cycle”, “Urban Management”, and “Business Model Innovation” are the keywords representing the current research hotspots. The circular economy model that has been developed since 2021 has contributed to life cycle stages, including “briefing stages” and “procurement stages”. As such, the “whole life cycle”, “strategic urban planning frameworks”, and “sustainable business models” have become future research trends, whilst real-world applications such as “smart tourism”, “e-government”, and “green building” have emerged. Further, the key partnerships of “city managers”, “corporate enterprises”, and “public participation” for smart cities contribute to the achievement of SDGs 8 and 17 in terms of integrating urban information technology and urban infrastructure, policy regulation, knowledge-sharing, improving economic efficiency, and promoting sustainable economic growth.

Distinct patterns of cigarette smoking intensity and other substance use among women who experience housing instability

BackgroundRecent insights into substance use cessation suggest that outcomes short of long-term abstinence are clinically meaningful and may offer more realistic incremental goals, particularly for highly vulnerable individuals. With the goal of informing tobacco treatment programs, we examined distinct patterns of cigarette smoking and their association with the ongoing use of other substances in women who experience housing instability. MethodsWe recruited participants from a longitudinal study of women experiencing housing instability. Between June 2017 and January 2019, participants completed six monthly survey interviews regarding social conditions and the use of multiple substances. We examined associations between cigarette smoking intensity, including number of cigarettes smoked per day, heavy smoking, and an increase in number of cigarettes smoked from the previous 30-days, and other substance use in the past 7-days. ResultsOf the 243 participants, 69 % were current smokers and 58 % were daily smokers. Number of cigarettes smoked per day (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.02, 95 % CI 1.00–1.03), heavy cigarette smoking, compared to none or light smoking (AOR 2.02, 95 % CI 1.46–2.79), and an increase in number of cigarettes smoked from the previous 30-days (AOR 1.06, 95 % CI 1.01–1.12) were all significantly associated with methamphetamine use in the past 7-days. Associations with other substance use were not as strong. ConclusionsIn a sample of unstably housed women, where almost half used multiple substances, methamphetamine use was associated with higher cigarette smoking intensity. Our findings highlight a potential role for integrating tobacco and methamphetamine use treatment to reduce tobacco use among unstably housed women.

Delivering Strategic Values in the Tourism Industry: What Roles do Effective Planning Plays?

Purpose of Study: This study evaluated the roles effective planning plays in delivering strategic values in the Nigerian tourism industry. Method: Cross-sectional survey design was used and questionnaire was administered to three hundred and ninety-three (393) employees of selected tourism firms. The study employed three (3) dimensions to measure effective planning – plan-flexibility, plan-comprehensiveness and implementation-flexibility. Data obtained in the survey were analyzed using descriptive, post-estimation and inferential statistical techniques Results and Conclusion: Results indicated that dimensions to measure effective planning have positive and significant link with strategic value. Implication of the Research: Impliedly, for tourism firms to be able to deliver strategic values, they should be flexible and comprehensive in the planning phase so as to enhance goals realization. Originality/Value: Consequent upon the above, management of tourism firms should focus on improved measures aimed at delivering strategic values via effective planning, which is vital for the survival and sustainability of the tourism industry. In addition, tourism firms should adopt, apply and implement effective plans to maximize the use of resources so as to achieve corporate objectives.

Examining the Access, Quality, and Relevance Gaps in Liberia’s Educational Policy Environment

Examining the Access, Quality, and Relevance Gaps in Liberia’s Educational Policy Environment

Loneliness and regular sports participation among people of Turkish and Moroccan origin and native Dutch people in the Netherlands. A longitudinal study

ObjectiveSports participation is lower in people of Turkish and Moroccan origin in the Netherlands than in native Dutch people. Addressing this inequality calls for better insights into antecedents of sports participation in different ethnic groups. Theorists suggested that loneliness may hamper sports participation, and levels of loneliness are high among people of Turkish and Moroccan origin. This study assessed the longitudinal association between loneliness and regular sports participation among Turkish origin, Moroccan origin and native Dutch people. MethodsData are from Turkish origin (n = 394), Moroccan origin (n = 387) and native Dutch (n = 1663) people who participated in Wave 1 (2008–2010) and Wave 2 (2013) of the Netherlands Longitudinal Lifecourse Study. Regular sports participation at follow-up was regressed on loneliness at baseline in logistic regression models adjusted for baseline sports participation and a range of confounders. Models were stratified by ethnic group. ResultsTurkish and Moroccan origin people had lower rates of regular sports participation and higher levels of loneliness than native Dutch people. Loneliness at baseline was negatively associated with sports participation at follow-up for people of Turkish and Moroccan origin. No evidence of a longitudinal association between loneliness and sports participation among native Dutch people was found. ConclusionsThe demonstrated positive longitudinal association between loneliness and regular sports participation in people of Turkish and Moroccan origin potentially opens new ways to encourage physical activity in these groups. An integrated approach to addressing loneliness and physical inactivity among people with a non-western migration background may benefit the realization of both goals.

Sentiment analysis of online reviews of energy-saving products based on transfer learning and LBBA model

With the exacerbation of global climate change and the growing environmental awareness among the general public, the concept of green consumption has gained significant attention across various sectors of society. As a representative example of green consumer products, energy-saving products play a crucial role in the timely realization of dual carbon goals. However, an analysis of online comments regarding energy-saving products reveals that the majority of these products still exhibit shortcomings in terms of efficacy, noise level, cost-effectiveness, and particularly, energy-saving appliances. This study focuses on the user-generated online comments data from the Taobao e-commerce platform for Grade 1 energy-saving refrigerators. By employing text mining techniques, the study aims to extract the essential information and sentiments expressed in the comments, in order to explore the consumption characteristics of Grade 1 energy-saving refrigerators. Moreover, the LBBA (LDA-Bert-BiLSTM-Attention) model is utilized to investigate the consumer topics of interest and emotional features. Initially, the LDA model is adopted to identify the attributes and weights of consumer concerns. Subsequently, the Bert model is pre-trained with the online comment data, and combined with the BiLSTM algorithm and Attention mechanism to predict sentiment categories. Finally, a transfer learning approach is utilized to determine the sentiment inclination of user-generated online comments and to identify the primary driving factors behind each sentiment category. This research employs sentiment analysis on online comments data regarding energy-saving products to uncover consumer sentiment attributes and emotional characteristics. It provides decision-makers with a comprehensive and systematic understanding of public consumption intentions, offering decision support for the efficient operation and management of the energy-saving product market.

Strategic Management Practices and Organisational Performance in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service

The study centered on strategic management practices and organisational performance in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service Commission. The survey research design was used in the study. Two objectives, two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated for the study. The population of the study was 886 staff of the studied ministries, while the sample size was 276. A proportional and simple random sampling technique was applied in the study. Using simple linear regression analysis, results from the analysis showed that strategic planning has a positive and significant influence on the performance of Akwa Ibom State Civil Service Commission (R2 = 0.685, < P.0.000) and strategic choice has a positive and significant effect on the performance of Akwa Ibom State Civil Service Commission (R2 = 0.793, < P.0.000). It was concluded that strategic management process has a significant and positive effect on the performance of Akwa Ibom State Civil Service Commission. It was recommended that the strategic planning process in the studied ministries should be improved through adequate resource allocation as this will improve the performance of the organisation, and strategic choices should be made based on the prevailing economic developments to ensure optimal realisation of corporate goals.

Underpaid, undervalued, and overworked: The working conditions of cooks in India's school lunch programme

AbstractMotivationSchool feeding programmes employ more than 4 million people globally and have the potential to contribute to the realization of multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including decent work and reducing inequalities. However, the working conditions and experiences of workers in these programmes have received little attention from academics and policy‐makers alike. Consequently, it is currently unclear what the impacts of the employment generated are and whether this employment reduces or perpetuates inequalities.PurposeThis article examines the extent to which school feeding programmes can generate beneficial employment by examining the experiences of cooks in the world's largest school lunch programme, India's Midday Meal Scheme. The article focuses on five key areas: who is employed; their pay; their workload; their access to social protection; and the effects of privatization.Approach and methodsTo examine these five areas, data from three sources are combined: primary data collected in Rajasthan; state‐level secondary data; and the analysis of national‐level documents.FindingsThe findings show that national policy creates a system in which cooks in the Midday Meal Scheme are underpaid, undervalued, and overworked. These working conditions are underpinned by a series of assumptions and narratives which are all too common in perceptions of care work: that the work is unskilled, not time consuming, and motivated by altruism. The state's lack of regard for these workers is evident in the growing privatization of the scheme.Policy implicationsOverall, the findings show that policy on school feeding programmes, including those in India, needs to ensure that those working in the scheme are treated as employees and receive sufficient pay and benefits. Providing decent work in these programmes has the potential to not only reduce poverty and inequalities but also to improve the implementation of school feeding programmes.

A review on application and innovation of wind-solar power generation technologies based on dual carbon targets

With the increasing depletion of traditional energy sources, the greenhouse effect is becoming increasingly serious, mankind is in urgent need of clean and renewable new energy demand is increasing, in order to support the carbon peak&carbon neutral goal, in the future a longer period of time, the improvement of wind power age innovation is the principal procedure for the advancement of numerous nations today, many countries and international organizations to vigorously promote the development of wind power and photovoltaic power generation system will also continue to accelerate the development of new energy generation systems in China. Chinas renewable power age framework, which is basically founded on wind power and will keep on progressing, is being fiercely promoted by many nations and international organizations. This thesis mainly exemplifies the many applications of wind power generation technology in China based on the dual-carbon target through the approaches of literature reviews, and incorporates the inventive innovation model of wind power age innovation and different methodologies. Combined with domestic and international cases, this review summarizes how to solve the dilemmas faced by renewable energy technologies and how to optimize the operation and improve the efficiency of power generation by using innovative technologies, which can provide technical support for the realization of the dual-carbon goal.