Groups In Other Countries Research Articles

Developments with CROSS – Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures

CROSS (Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures) was formed in 2005 to capture structural safety concerns and events from confidentially submitted reports, and to share lessons learned from them. The objective is to identify precursors and help prevent future failures and loss of life. Reports are published on-line, and examples of reported concerns and safety events will be given. In 2017, a fire in Grenfell Tower in London resulted in 72 deaths. In response, an independent review of building regulations and fire safety recommended that CROSS should be expanded to include fire safety. Results from CROSS about structural and fire safety are available to all at no cost, thanks to funding support from UK professional institutions. As CROSS became established, there was interest from like-minded groups in other countries, and currently there are schemes in the US and Australasia with interest from others including in German. The ultimate aim is to have a global network of CROSS communities who exchange reports and publish material that will help to keep users of buildings safer. This will be a resource for owners, design practitioners, builders, regulators, academics and of course the public.

Understanding Students’ Attitudes Towards Affirmative Action Policy in Higher Education in India

To mitigate the severe educational horizontal inequalities in India, affirmative action (AA) measures in higher education (HE) have been implemented for socially excluded groups, such as the Scheduled Castes (former “untouchables”), the scheduled tribes (whose status resembles indigenous groups in other countries), and other classes lower in the caste hierarchy. Despite the introduction of AA measures, societal attitudes generally remain resistant to caste‐based reservation policies. Interestingly, very few studies in India have examined AA support among the most directly affected group of people when it comes to AA measures in HE—college students. The current article aims to fill this gap. It asks: Which factors (such as students’ background characteristics, pre‐college credentials, experience in college, and caste‐based beliefs) underlie college students’ attitudes (support or resistance) towards AA? This study builds on a large‐scale survey conducted among 3200 students studying in 12 public higher education institutions across six provinces in India. The results of the empirical analysis indicate that students’ attitudes towards AA are shaped and influenced by their social identity and educational experiences in college. It is also noteworthy that caste‐based biases and prejudices affect students’ attitudes particularly and may explain opposition to AA.

The UK Insecticide Resistance Action Group – IRAG-UK

The ‘Insecticide Resistance Action Group – UK' (IRAG-UK) held its 50th biannual meeting in April 2023. The founding meeting was on 12th June 1997 and so the group has been in existence for 27 years. This anniversary provided a good opportunity to reflect on insecticide resistance in the UK and the value of IRAG-UK and its activities. IRAG-UK does not exist in a vacuum, as there are also national sister groups: the Fungicide Resistance Action Group (FRAG-UK) and the Weed Resistance Action Group (WRAG) plus the agrochemical industry’s Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC), which has a global remit. The stated aim and objectives of IRAG-UK are: To provide information on resistance avoidance and management strategies for use by UK farmers and growers, advisers, and regulatory authorities by: - Establishing a multi-sector forum for the exchange and interpretation of information on insecticide resistance. - Producing guidelines for combating resistance and agreed statements to the media. - Identifying knowledge gaps and suggesting research needs to appropriate funding agencies. - Establishing links to exchange information and ideas with similar groups in other countries and with the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC)

Influence of horse demographics, country of training and race distance on the rating of Thoroughbreds.

The aim of the research was to assess how age, sex, sire, country of foaling, country of training and race distance influenced the international racing and performance of Thoroughbreds. The research was based on performance ratings of 6216 horses assigned by the International Federation of Racing Authorities between 2004 and 2022. The most common sex was stallion (58.54 %) and more than half of the population consisted of 3- and 4-year-old horses (54.68 %). The majority of the horses had the USA as their country of foaling (25.92 %) and also as their country of training (24.87 %). The sire with the largest number of offspring in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) databases was Galileo (IRE) (193 horses). Four of the 10 most frequently represented sires belonged to the Sadler's Wells (USA) paternal line. The analysis of the statistics in the database as a whole established a significant () influence of all observed factors. Stallions achieved a significantly higher rating (117.85) compared to geldings (117.17) and mares (117.13). The horses originating in Ireland achieved a statistically higher rating (117.99) than horses from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, a group of other countries designated "Others" and South Africa. Statistically conclusive differences were found between horses trained in Ireland (118.80) and all other countries except Great Britain and France. Five of the 10 sires with the best offspring rating belong to the Mr. Prospector (USA) paternal line.

Effectiveness of Community Health Worker-Led Interventions in Enhancing Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake in Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

The colorectal cancer (CRC) screening uptake rate is substantially lower in ethnic minority populations than in the general population. Racial and ethnic minority individuals experience more barriers in obtaining a screening test for CRC when compared with the non-Hispanic White population. To examine the effectiveness of community health worker-led interventions in improving the CRC screening uptake rate in racial and ethnic minority populations. Five databases, EMBASE, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, and PubMed, were systematically searched, and reference lists of the identified articles were manually searched for relevant articles in May 2022. Only randomized controlled trials were included. A total of 10 randomized controlled trials conducted in the United States were included in this review. The findings of the meta-analysis showed that CRC screening uptake was enhanced in participants receiving community health worker-led interventions compared with those receiving no intervention (odds ratio, 2.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.48-3.44; P < .001). The subgroup analysis by diverse racial and ethnic groups and number of components (single vs multiple) of the community health worker-led interventions showed that multicomponent interventions were more effective in increasing the CRC uptake rate among all racial and ethnic groups regardless of their background. Multicomponent community health worker-led interventions can improve CRC screening uptake in racial and ethnic minority populations. The findings of the present review show that multicomponent community health worker-led interventions are shown to be effective to improve the CRC screening uptake targeting other racial and ethnic minority groups in other countries.

Do left-wingers discriminate? A cross-country study on the links between political orientation, values, moral foundations, and the Covid-19 passport

To increase Covid-19 vaccine uptake and protect vulnerable people, many countries have introduced a Covid-19 passport in 2021, allowing vaccinated individuals to access indoor facilities more freely and travel to foreign countries. However, the passport has had unintended consequences as it discriminates against those who do not want to get vaccinated for medical, religious, or political reasons, or those who do not have access to vaccines. The present study (N = 678) assessed across Brazil, UK, USA, and a group of other countries, the links between political orientation, human values, and moral foundations, and attitudes towards the Covid-19 passport and whether people perceive it as a discriminatory measure. Results showed that left-wingers, typically more inclined to recognize discrimination, favor the passport more and perceive it as less discriminatory than right-wingers. This pattern remains consistent even after controlling for human values and moral foundations, independently predicting attitudes towards the passport. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into a context in which left-wingers support measures that involuntarily discriminate against certain groups.

A network psychometric validation of the Children Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (COHQoL) questionnaire among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children.

In Australia, research evidence has shown that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children experience a higher burden of oral health diseases compared to other non-Indigenous children. The impact of oral health diseases on children’s functional and psychosocial outcomes led to the development of several instruments to evaluate child oral health-related quality of life (COHQoL), such as the Parental-Caregiver Perception Questionnaire (P-CPQ) and the Family Impact Scale (FIS). However, the psychometric properties of these instruments have been evaluated only in Western cultures and have not been investigated for Aboriginal children in Australia. The current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the short-forms P-CPQ and FIS for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–3 years. Data were collected from the South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC), including 270 Aboriginal children aged 2–3 years. Network psychometric models were used to investigate dimensionality, item redundancy, structural consistency and item stability, model fit, internal consistency reliability and criterion validity. We propose an instrument named Aboriginal Children’s Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (A-COHQoL). Our findings indicated that, after the exclusion of four problematic items, the A-COHQoL showed a three-dimensional structure (“Parent/Family Activities”, “COHQoL” and “Family Conflict”) with good model fit and reliability. The A-COHQoL is a psychometrically robust and sensitive instrument that is readily available for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–3 years in Australia and can be adapted in the future for Indigenous child groups in other countries.

Green roof as an effective tool for sustainable urban development: An Australian perspective in relation to stormwater and building energy management

Green infrastructure could provide a suite of benefits, including stormwater management and climate change impact mitigation. While European countries, the USA and Canada are increasingly adopting green roofs, Australia is lagging behind. This study specifically reviews the performance of green roofs in terms of stormwater retention, runoff quality, building energy consumption and life cycle cost analysis, as well as policy development in the Australian context. Research studies on these topics within Australia are identified, collated and analysed with respect to other studies reported by reputable research groups in other countries, where the green roof system has already matured. It should be mentioned that the results related to energy consumption were from simulation studies and empirical evidence derived from limited case studies, as reported in the literature. This study found that the average water retention capacity (worldwide) of a green roof is around 66.2%, which is within to the values (60–70%) reported in Australian studies. Because of the high water retention capacity, green roofs limit the export of pollution for most storm events. But when green roofs are saturated, they may be a source of pollution. However, the concentration of the pollutant decreases significantly over time. The temperature reduction by green roofs in buildings ranges between 4 and 6 °C. There is a potential for energy savings in building heating and cooling, but the findings from the literature are highly variable (ranges between 9 and 50%). The average payback period reported for a green roof is about 16 years. However, this depends on the initial cost, maintenance and assumed discount rate in the study. It has been shown that government policies and public awareness are important to increase the green roof adoption rate. Finally, current challenges in adopting this technology and future research directions are summarised.

National Business Cultures as a System‑forming Factor of the “Lublin Triangle”

Considering the evolution of the scientific knowledge on the topic the authors define “national business cultures” as a complex interdisciplinary basic phenomenon of modern comparative studies and international entrepreneurship. Using the accepted in the world comparative studies methodology – indicative parameters of national business cultures and considering the authors’ corresponding empirical developments a systematic comparative analysis of the national business cultures of the founding countries of the new cooperation platform in Central and Eastern Europe – the “Lublin Triangle” (Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine) – is carried out. The close similarity and wide complementarity of the national business cultures of these countries are revealed. This is largely predetermined not only by their common, centuries‑old history, but also by a number of other institutional and economic factors, as well as natural conditions. The priority sectors and spheres of integration of the three countries are determined both at the interstate level and at the level of the interaction of their business structures. Implementing this approach will ensure an increase in the competitive positions of Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine and, as a result, the Lublin Triangle as a whole, in the system of the modern international division of labor. Based on the similarity and complementarity of the national business cultures, a group of other countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria) was selected. Under certain conditions, they could also become members of the Lublin Triangle, which would further strengthen and develop the European Union.

Adaptation of the Brain Injury Questionnaire of Sexuality Into Bangla and Initial Findings From a Sample Of Bangladeshi Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

Bangladesh is an over populated country with a high incidence of traumaticbrain injury (TBI) for which neuropsychological services are only just emerging.In this context the present study undertook in a culturally sensitive manner totranslate into Bangla (Bengali) the Brain Injury Questionnaire of Sexuality (BIQS)and to present findings from a sample of TBI patients. Standard proceduresincluding back translation for scale adaptation were followed. The Banglaversion of BIQS (BIQS-B) were applied on 30 TBI and 53 healthy sample. Factorand principle component analysis of the BIQS-B yielded three components as inthe original scale explaining 75.3% of the total variance. Reliability is satisfactory,matching that of the English version. The TBI sample scored lower on the BIQS-Bthan did the healthy controls by virtue of not reporting the positive changes insexuality over time that the health controls reported (means of 43.90 vs 52.02, p &lt;0.001). In a very different culture, the factor structure of the BIQS-B is in factsimilar to the English version and has acceptable reliability and validity, hencecontributing to the goal of improving access to services not just in Bangladeshbut in Bangla speaking minority ethnic groups in other countries. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 31(1): 183-191, 2022 (January)

State Support for Rebels and Interstate Bargaining

AbstractSince the end of World War II, leaders have frequently supported rebel groups in other countries as a coercive strategy in international disputes. However, the strategic rationale by which rebel groups gain international support is non‐obvious. Many recipient groups are too weak to viably win and are hostile to the sponsoring state's goals. Using a formal model, I explain that the fundamental objective of transnational rebel support is to gain bargaining leverage against a rival state by depleting its resources to counter internal and external challenges. This subversive effect provides a sufficient incentive for sponsoring the rebels even when favourable conditions suggested by previous studies are absent. Sponsoring rebels is attractive even if conventional warfare is not comparatively costly and even if rebel and sponsor preferences diverge. Moreover, given the goal of destabilizing rival regimes, potential sponsors prefer to support weaker rebel groups and provide more support to them.

Las crónicas feministas de La Fronde. Asociacionismo femenino en un París intersecular

La Fronde (1897-1905), fundada por la insigne Marguerite Durand (1864-1936), fue un proyecto eminentemente femenino, donde la intervención de los hombres fue casi inexistente. En su seno, sólo participaban mujeres, que, con salarios análogos a sus equivalentes masculinos, se encargaban de su redacción, administración, fabricación y distribución. Las temáticas que se trataban confluían, todas ellas, en la mejora de las condiciones de las mujeres en la sociedad francesa. Una de las secciones de la publicación fue “Chronique féministe”, donde se abordaban todas aquellas cuestiones relacionadas con la denuncia de las injusticias sufridas por las mujeres, la lucha por sus derechos y todos aquellos proyectos en pro de la consecución de un estado de ciudadanía plena. Estas crónicas, nos permiten, además, conocer qué asociaciones existían en ese París intersecular, así como el posicionamiento del diario feminista frente a éstas y otras habidas en el extranjero.

Социальный капитал и аккультурационные ожидания принимающего населения: медиативная роль воспринимаемой угрозы (на примере г. Москвы)

Background. Russia ranks fourth in the World in terms of the influx of migrants (of which 12 million currently live within the country). At the same time, the factors accompanying the process of acculturation can be quite different and lead to contradictions and conflicts between the groups. As far as migrants are concerned, the study of mediative role of the perceived threat in formation of acculturation expectation sremains an under researched topic in cross-cultural psychology. Objective. The study is aimed at determining whether the perceived threat from migrants has a mediating effect on the relationship between social capital and the acculturation expectations of the host population towards migrants. Design. The study was carried out in an online format by a questionnaire given to young adults living in Moscow (N = 214). The participants answered the questions that determined the level of trust, ethnic tolerance, perceived threat, and acculturation expectations. Results. The results of the study revealed that the perceived threat (especially the cultural one) turned out to be a mediator of the connection between ethnic tolerance and acculturation expectations of “melting pot” and “exclusion”. In case of connection of the indicators of trust and ethnic tolerance with “segregation”, only the perceived physical threat played a mediating role. The role of ethnic tolerance has been confirmed in the above three acculturation expectations, while trust turned out to be significant only in the “segregated” models. The meditative role of the perceived threat in the relationship between the three indicators of social capital and the acculturation expectation of “multiculturalism” has been completely refuted. Conclusion. The results of the research make it possible to determine the role of the perceived threat in acculturation attitudes and expectations towards migrants. The main limitation of this study is the fact that it took place only in Moscow. In the nearest future, it is planned to compare the results obtained in Russia from Russian-speaking test-groups with the results of other groups in other countries.

Mental health literacy about depression among rural left-behind children in China: a comparative and cross-sectional study

Background Mental health literacy (MHL) is vital for raising mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and improving health-related decision making, which may have lifelong consequences for patients with mental disorders. Aims To examine MHL about depression among rural left-behind children (LBC) in China and explore differences between LBC and non-left-behind children (NLBC). Methods A total of 3456 rural school children (mean age = 13.02 years) in fourth to ninth grades who were living in Sichuan, Anhui, and Henan provinces were surveyed in April and July 2018 using stratified random cluster sampling. Results More NLBC correctly recognized depression compared with LBC (p < 0.05). The most common sources of mental health information were the TV and the Internet. LBC felt more uneasy if they asked for help (p < 0.01). Statistical differences in help-seeking barriers were observed between LBC and NLBC (p < 0.05). Conclusions Respondents showed low levels of depression-related MHL compared with peer groups in other countries, LBC showed lower MHL than NLBC in terms of the correct recognition rate of depression, attitude toward seeking help, etc. More school-based interventions should be implemented in rural schools, and parent involvement and digital-based educational strategies should be considered.

Connectedness under social distancing - a support group practice report

ABSTRACT The purpose of the brief report is to describe a form of community support group used during the Covid-19 virus epidemic in China. We describe the impetus for the support group (“Community Conversation Hour”), theoretical considerations, the structure of the group, and the recruitment process, and summarize participant responses and facilitator reflections to the group. Remarks regarding institutional support and the impact of the group are provided, as well as considerations for similar support groups in other countries.

Perspectives of Afghan refugee mothers on the experience of caring for a child with cancer: a qualitative analysis.

Cancer in children causes many challenges for the family. When a refugee family experiences it, its impacts may be different and more specific considerations for care may be needed. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Afghan mothers living in the Islamic Republic of Iran who had a child with cancer. This was a qualitative study, conducted in 2017, of Afghan refugee women with children diagnosed with cancer and referred to a cancer referral hospital in Tehran; they were selected through purposive sampling. Face-to-face, semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted for data collection until data saturation was reached. Conventional content analysis was done. MAXQDA 10 was used for organizing the data. Nine Afghan mothers were interviewed. They were aged 24-44 years and the children were aged 2-9 years. A primary theme called "passive acceptor" was found with five subthemes: chronic suffering, health issues, lack of skills, maladaptive coping and enthusiasm. The mothers were struggling to cope with the challenges of caring for a child with cancer both financially, physically and emotionally. In spite of many issues in common with similar groups in other countries, Afghan mothers appear to need to greater assistance when it comes to seeking help and understanding for the care for their child with cancer, possibly because of cultural barriers to self-empowerment. Tailored care plans are recommended for Afghan refugee mothers in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Soldiers of Songbun: Militarization, Human Rights Abuse and Childhood Experiences of North Korean Youth

North Korea is an enigma. The United Nations (UN) states that it is “…without parallel in the contemporary world …” in terms of abuse, exploitation and lack of civil rights. No other rogue state commands the attention and mystique as the isolated nation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Despite an increasingly prevalent international front, including warming relations with South Korea and the threat of nuclear weapons, everyday citizens remain hidden. Public displays of Olympic cheerleaders or the admittance of “K-Pop” stars across the Korean Demilitarization Zone (DMZ) distract from the widespread human rights abuses and public indoctrination that is second nature in the country. But this is no surprise; In the DPRK, the leader is above all else. While marginalized groups in other countries may be granted a voice by international organizations, the vulnerable in North Korea are obscured in the shadow of the great leader’s actions.

Translating the international scientific spinal cord injury exercise guidelines into community and clinical practice guidelines: a Canadian evidence-informed resource

Study designKnowledge translation (KT) study.ObjectivesTo demonstrate how to use systematic, community-engaged methods to (1) translate the international scientific spinal cord injury (SCI) exercise guidelines into community and clinical practice guidelines, and (2) develop supporting resources.SettingCanada.MethodsAn expert panel of SCI researchers and stakeholders translated the guidelines and developed a supporting resource, using a KT process guided by an adapted version of the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II Instrument. Pilot tests with end-users were conducted throughout.ResultsThe panel recommended (1) the two scientific exercise guidelines be combined and presented in a single message titled “The Canadian SCI physical activity guidelines”; (2) development of an online supporting resource, with educational and motivational information presented in “layers” to address the needs and preferences of diverse end-users. The top layer presents and explains the Canadian SCI physical activity guidelines. The deeper layers include information on benefits, overcoming barriers, activity examples, safety tips, and links to existing resources. Interviews with adults with SCI (n = 8) and survey-data from end-users (n = 90) showed that the guidelines and supporting resource were perceived as clear, useful, and appropriate.ConclusionUsing community-engaged methods, the two scientific SCI exercise guidelines were combined into one single physical activity guideline message. This KT process provides a template for groups in other countries to translate the scientific SCI exercise guidelines to their local settings using a similar systematic, community-engaged approach.SponsorshipRick Hansen Institute; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

BDNF Gene Frequency Distribution in Li and Han Ethnic Groups in Hainan Province and Its Comparison with Other Countries and Regions

Objective: To explore the distribution characteristics of BDNF gene frequency in Li and Han nationalities in Hainan province. Methods: In June 2018-2019 and march to the people’s hospital of Hainan province health volunteers, 152 cases (Li 80, Han, 72), the application of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method to detect the polymorphism of BDNF gene (rs6265), and compared with other countries and regions of ethnic comparison between BDNF gene frequency distribution. Results: No statistical difference was found in rs6265 genotype distribution of BDNF gene in Li and Han ethnic groups (P = 0.3358, P = 0.0892, P = 0.1549). Comparison of BDNF allele frequency between Li and other ethnic groups showed statistically significant differences with other ethnic groups in China and Europe (P = 0.0384, P = 0.0000), but not statistically significant differences with Japan (P = 0.1164). Conclusion: BDNF gene (rs6265) has polymorphism in both Li and Han ethnic groups in Hainan Province. Compared with ethnic groups in other countries and regions, the polymorphism distribution is ethnically different.

Do Women Face a Glass Ceiling at Home? The Division of Household Labor among Dual-Earner Couples

In this paper we ask how the division of household labor varies across heterosexual dual-earner couples with different relative wages with a focus on differences between Southern and Western Europe. Using the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions we first show that high income married or cohabiting women do twice as much housework as single women in Southern Europe. Further, their time spent in household production relative to their spouses’ time in Southern Europe is the same regardless of their relative wages, while in Western Europe we find positive elasticity of substitution in household production with respect to relative wages. We thus present positive evidence for the presence of a “second-shift” that women face in Southern Europe, which may stem from regional gender norms. Our findings hold after instrumenting for relative wages using the relative wages of similar socio-economic groups in other countries.