Actionable Guidance Research Articles

Health Service Access Among Homeless Veterans: Health Access Challenges Faced by Homeless African American Veterans.

Veteran homelessness is a public health crisis, especially among the disproportionate number of minority veterans in the homeless veteran population. African American homeless veterans in particular face unique challenges accessing appropriate health care services to meet their medical needs. Their needs are often underrepresented in the literature on veteran homelessness. Drawing together over 80 studies and government reports from the last two decades, this review provides a timely synopsis of homeless veterans’ health care access, with a particular focus on the barriers faced by African American veterans. This review employs Penchansky and Thomas’ Access Model to frame health access barriers faced by homeless veterans, dialing in on what is known about the experience of African American veterans, within the five dimensions of access: Availability, Accessibility, Accommodation, Affordability, and Acceptability. Actionable guidance and targeted interventions to address health access barriers for all veterans are delineated with a focus on the need to gather further data for African American homeless veterans and to consider tailoring interventions for this important and underserved group.

When you are talking to yourself, is anybody listening? The relationship between inner speech, self-awareness, wellbeing, and multiple aspects of self-regulation

This correlational study of 433 adults (260 college students and 173 Mechanical-Turk workers) examined how the selfreported functions and experienced phenomenology of habitual inner speech (action guidance, problem solving/search, memory/attention regulation, emotion regulation, evaluate/motivate, other voices, inner dialogue, condensed speech) relate to self-awareness (self-reflection and controlled sense-of-self in the moment), potentially influence high-level aspects of self-regulation (self-preoccupation, self-compassion, wisdom, and the moral foundations of individualizing and binding), and psychological wellbeing. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed partial and mutual mediation between inner speech variables and self-awareness variables. Self-awareness was more consistently associated with self-regulation. The only inner speech variables associated with self-regulation in a beneficial way were memory/attention regulation (for wisdom about the self and the individualizing moral foundation) and evaluate/motivate (for the binding moral foundation). These findings suggest that, with the exception just described, inner speech (with the present dependent variables, and in adults) is easiest understood as an epiphenomenon.

Communication as Transmission and as Ritual: Dewey’s Account of Communication and Carey’s Cultural Approach

Abstract James W. Carey saw a tension between two views of communication in John Dewey’s work: a transmission view which takes communication as transmission of messages for the control of distance and people, and a ritual view which conceives communication as constructing and maintaining a cultural world. This article shows how Dewey may be seen to apply both views in analysing two complementary aspects of communication. It points out how Dewey’s naturalistic perspectives on culture and meaning provide a basis for his analysis and have affinities with Carey’s cultural approach to communication. The article further considers Dewey’s analysis through Carey’s critical reminder that models of communication serve both as representations and as guidance for action. Finally, Dewey’s and Carey’s approaches are contrasted by focusing on their epistemological and ontological underpinnings.

An online COVID-19 self-assessment framework supported by IoMT technology

AbstractAs COVID-19 pandemic continued to propagate, millions of lives are currently at risk especially elderly, people with chronic conditions and pregnant women. Iraq is one of the countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, in Iraq, there is a need for a self-assessment tool to be available in hand for people with COVID-19 concerns. Such a tool would guide people, after an automated assessment, to the right decision such as seeking medical advice, self-isolate, or testing for COVID-19. This study proposes an online COVID-19 self-assessment tool supported by the internet of medical things (IoMT) technology as a means to fight this pandemic and mitigate the burden on our nation’s healthcare system. Advances in IoMT technology allow us to connect all medical tools, medical databases, and devices via the internet in one collaborative network, which conveys real-time data integration and analysis. Our IoMT framework-driven COVID-19 self-assessment tool will capture signs and symptoms through multiple probing questions, storing the data to our COVID-19 patient database, then analyze the data to determine whether a person needs to be tested for COVID-19 or other actions may require to be taken. Further to this, collected data can be integrated and analyzed collaboratively for developing a national health policy and help to manage healthcare resources more efficiently. The IoMT framework-driven online COVID-19 self-assessment tool has a big potential to prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed using real-time data collection, COVID-19 databases, analysis, and management of people with COVID-19 concerns, plus providing proper guidance and course of action.

A novel application of SMART on FHIR architecture for interoperable and scalable integration of patient-reported outcome data with electronic health records.

Despite a proliferation of applications (apps) to conveniently collect patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from patients, PRO data are yet to be seamlessly integrated with electronic health records (EHRs) in a way that improves interoperability and scalability. We applied the newly created PRO standards from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to facilitate the collection and integration of standardized PRO data. A novel multitiered architecture was created to enable seamless integration of PRO data via Substitutable Medical Apps and Reusable Technologies on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources apps and scaled to different EHR platforms in multiple ambulatory settings. We used a standards-based approach to deploy 2 apps that source and surface PRO data in real-time for provider use within the EHR and which rely on PRO assessments from an external center to streamline app and EHR integration. The apps were developed to enable patients to answer validated assessments (eg, a Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System including using a Computer Adaptive Test format). Both apps were developed to populate the EHR in real time using the Health Level Seven FHIR standard allowing providers to view patients' data during the clinical encounter. The process of implementing this architecture with 2 different apps across 18 ambulatory care sites and 3 different EHR platforms is described. Our approach and solution proved feasible, secure, and time- and resource-efficient. We offer actionable guidance for this technology to be scaled and adapted to promote adoption in diverse ambulatory care settings and across different EHRs.

A framework for real-time compaction guidance system based on compaction priority mapping

The quality of hot mixed asphalt (HMA) is heavily dependent on the quality of the compaction. However, this operation is very complex, where a large number of parameters (e.g., logistics, weather condition, the skill level of operators, paver speed, etc.) play a role in the operation. To ensure high-quality compaction, operators and site managers need to process a large volume of data in real-time. The high dependency of compaction quality on the largely tacit knowledge of the operators introduces a considerable variability to the quality of compaction operations. In recent years, several compaction support systems are developed to provide operators and site managers with real-time temperature and compaction information. However, these support systems mostly provide the support data in a descriptive manner, i.e., just indicating the current status of the asphalt layer in terms of temperature and compaction maps. In this sense, the operators and managers still need to analyze and interpret the provided data and develop compaction strategies. As a result, it is argued that these systems not only do not reduce the dependency on the tacit knowledge but also can increase the cognitive load on the decision-makers and thus affect the compaction adversely. This research argues that for any compaction support systems to be more effective, it is necessary to provide more prescriptive feedback, i.e., translate the sensory data into actionable guidance that requires less interpretation from the operators and decision-makers. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to develop a framework for compaction guidance systems that can translate the temperature and compaction count (i.e., descriptive) data into clear suggestions for compaction strategies (i.e., prescriptive). A novel priority mapping method is developed to translate the data of (1) the temperature and compaction status of the asphalt mat, and (2) the location of compactors into an index representing the compaction priorities of different parts of the asphalt at any given time. Also, a novel effective compaction rate (ECR) index is proposed in this research to enable an objective and quantitative assessment of compaction operation quality. A prototype is developed and implemented in a case study to investigate the feasibility of the proposed framework. The effectiveness of the proposed guidance system is then assessed through a case study where the proposed method was tested in terms of the extent to which it improves the efficiency of the compaction. It is shown that the transition from the descriptive compaction support system to a more prescriptive guidance system can improve the efficiency of compaction up to 115%. Nevertheless, it is discovered that such a transition may not resonate well with the operators who tend to perceive a loss of control over the compaction strategy as a drawback of the guidance systems. This suggests that the technological transition to compaction guidance systems should coincide with a change of operators' mindset towards new ways of interaction with the collected sensory data

Beescape: Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping

Pollinators, particularly managed honey bees, are crucial for global food systems. However, declines in populations of both wild and managed pollinators have been reported across the world. In the United States, approximately 30% of managed honey bee colonies die each year. The factors underlying these losses are well understood and include reductions in the abundance and diversity of flowering plants that pollinators depend on for food, increased insecticide use, and reduced nesting habitat for wild bees. However, translating pollinator research findings into actionable knowledge for beekeepers presents a sizable spatial decision support challenge. In this work we evaluate the utility and usability of a prototype system called Beescape which intends to support environmental decision-making for beekeepers and other stakeholders. Beescape includes tools for exploring and visualizing maps that link to modeled environmental factors that impact managed bees, including honey bees, and wild bee health. Thirty beekeepers were recruited to take part in an online user study that included task analysis and survey components to elicit user input on areas of improvement for future Beescape development. The results of our evaluation of usability and utility metrics for Beescape highlighted the need for spatially-specific foraging information, better descriptions of modeled habitat quality measures, and actionable guidance to help them manage their hives. The results of our study highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with providing decision support systems that attempt to translate emerging environmental science for audiences that may be motivated by a common goal to improve honey bee survival, but who have a diverse range of technical backgrounds, applied practices, and reasons for their interest.

CSAO-1. Interrogative Biology: Unraveling insights into causal disease drivers by use of a dynamic systems biology and Bayesian AI to identify the intersect of disease and healthy signatures

Abstract The past decade has been witness to an explosive proliferation of data analytics modalities, all seeking to unravel insight into large-scale data sets. Machine learning and AI methodologies now occupy a central role in analyses of data sets that range in nature from genomics, “omics”, clinical, real-world evidence, and demographic data. Despite advances in data analytics/machine learning, access to complex population level clinical and related datasets, translating information into actionable guidance in human health and disease remains a challenge. Interrogative Biology, a systems biology/AI platform generates an unbiased, data-informed network for identifying targets (disease drivers) and biomarkers for disease interception at the point of transition to dysregulation, preceding clinical phenotype. The data topology is enabled by a systematic acquisition and interrogation of longitudinal bio-samples of clinically annotated human matrices (e.g. blood, urine, saliva, tissues) subjected to comprehensive multi-omic (genomic, proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics) profiling over time. The molecular profiles are integrated with clinical health information using Bayesian artificial intelligence analytics, bAIcis, to generate causal network maps of overall health. Differentials between “health” and “disease” network maps identifies drivers (targets and biomarkers) of disease and are rapidly validated in orthogonal wet-lab disease specific perturbed model systems. Target information imputed into the bAIcis framework can define therapeutic strategies including identification of existing drugs and bio-actives for corrective response. Using a combination of clinic based sampling and dried blood spot analysis for longitudinal dynamic monitoring of markers of health-disease status provides opportunity for proactive clinical management and intervention for corrective response in advance of major deterioration of health status. Taken together, the approach herein allows for health surveillance based on in-depth biological profiling of alterations in the patient narrative to guide treatment modalities and strategies in a longitudinal and dynamic manner to identify, track, intercept, and arrest human disease.

Environmental sustainability in management: existing conditions and guidance for action

In this study, the authors substantiate the need for introducing environmentally sustainable management (as a measure of sustainable development) into the public administration system of a separate state using the example of Russia. For this, the authors analyzed the primary sources that establish the legal framework for sustainable development and sustainable management. The indicators of environmental pollution in dynamics were also studied, the results obtained were critically assessed from the standpoint of determining the causes of the ecological state. Identified internal threats to the formation of environmental sustainability, which generally hinder the achievement of the planned goals of sustainable development. In conclusion, measures are proposed to introduce environmental friendliness into the structure of public administration.

The Application of Action Oriented Teaching Method in the Computer Teaching Reform of Colleges and Universities

In the computer teaching reform of colleges and universities, teachers combine their different learning characteristics with the teaching materials structure of National University, and create a variety of teaching situations for students by means of modern simulation teaching method, and stimulate students' interest in computer science and technology research. Then, the teaching methods of task, project and brainstorming are taken as action guidance to guide students to explore the relationship between computer operating system and scientific and technological work in various forms of teaching activities, so that they can find more scientific and technological knowledge in the process of computer operation exercise and accumulate more computer operation experience in the ocean of scientific and technological knowledge. It is not only conducive to improve the students' communication ability of cooperation with people, to train the students' computer practical operation ability, but also to cultivate students' self-study consciousness, to develop good learning habits, and to consolidate their comprehensive ability.

Entrepreneurship at a crossroads: Meta‐analysis as a foundation and path forward

Research SummaryThis special issue on “Advancing Entrepreneurship Research through Meta‐analysis” was commissioned in the belief that many entrepreneurship research topics have reached a crossroads. As a maturing, dynamic, and growing field, researchers are generating ever more empirical evidence regarding the field's central questions. Researchers can continue down this road, but for many topics, it seems time to pause and take stock of what has been learned—a task meta‐analysis was created to accomplish. We describe how the special issue articles accumulate and clarify what is known about important questions. Two of the studies highlight that entrepreneurial organizations are in fact different from other organizational settings, and all lay foundations that open new avenues for inquiry. We conclude by summarizing the types of questions meta‐analysis can help answer going forward and the advanced meta‐analytic techniques that are becoming increasingly important for answering such questions.Managerial SummaryThis special issue was commissioned because many entrepreneurship research streams contain mixed evidence about the nature of important relationships. Such a situation makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to leverage academic findings as they make decisions and for researchers to understand what is known. Meta‐analysis is a set of statistical tools that allows for the reconciliation of evidence that points in different directions and thereby provides actionable guidance for entrepreneurs and a solid foundation for researchers to build on. This introduction summarizes the special issue articles and describes their contributions. One key overall implication that arises from this collection of studies is that much of what works in traditional organizations is likely to work quite differently in entrepreneurial contexts.

Expert Consensus Statement on the Perioperative Management of Adult Patients Undergoing Head and Neck Surgery and Free Tissue Reconstruction From the Society for Head and Neck Anesthesia.

The perioperative care of adult patients undergoing free tissue transfer during head and neck surgical (microvascular) reconstruction is inconsistent across practitioners and institutions. The executive board of the Society for Head and Neck Anesthesia (SHANA) nominated specialized anesthesiologists and head and neck surgeons to an expert group, to develop expert consensus statements. The group conducted an extensive review of the literature to identify evidence and gaps and to prioritize quality improvement opportunities. This report of expert consensus statements aims to improve and standardize perioperative care in this setting. The Modified Delphi method was used to evaluate the degree of agreement with draft consensus statements. Additional discussion and collaboration was performed via video conference and electronic communication to refine expert opinions and to achieve consensus on key statements. Thirty-one statements were initially formulated, 14 statements met criteria for consensus, 9 were near consensus, and 8 did not reach criteria for consensus. The expert statements reaching consensus described considerations for preoperative assessment and optimization, airway management, perioperative monitoring, fluid management, blood management, tracheal extubation, and postoperative care. This group also examined the role for vasopressors, communication, and other quality improvement efforts. This report provides the priorities and perspectives of a group of clinical experts to help guide perioperative care and provides actionable guidance for and opportunities for improvement in the care of patients undergoing free tissue transfer for head and neck reconstruction. The lack of consensus for some areas likely reflects differing clinical experiences and a limited available evidence base.

Examining engineering students\u2019 participation in entrepreneurship education programs: implications for practice

BackgroundRecent research has demonstrated the importance of entrepreneurship education programs (EEPs) in the professional development of engineering students. Numerous universities have adopted various forms of EEPs which are typically offered as elective programs. To create suitable programs that will encourage students to seek out EEPs, it is critical to understand the factors that influence student participation in EEPs. Using qualitative research methods, we examined the question “What influences engineering students’ participation in entrepreneurship education programs?” The purpose of our work is to identify and understand the factors impacting engineering student participation in EEPs.ResultsAnalysis of 20 semi-structured interviews of undergraduate engineering students was conducted using the first and second cycle coding methods to determine key factors that inform students’ participation in EEPs. We found that student decisions to participate in EEPs are influenced by several factors: entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial intent, attitude, subjective norm, goals, academic transitions, information and resources, social capital, opportunities and challenges, and past participation in EEPs.ConclusionsFindings demonstrate that students’ non-compulsory participation is not a result of a single act, but is regulated by multiple factors. Explication of these factors using our qualitative results provides actionable guidance for EEPs to encourage engineering students’ participation and offers directions for future research.

Konseling Kelompok Menggunakan Teknik Self Control Untuk Mencegah Stres Menghadapi Ujian Nasional

Stress is a non-specific body response to any burden over it, stress is a physical reaction to the problems of life experienced. The purpose of this research is the implementation of a group counseling service with self-control technique to prevent stress facing national exam-based computer students of Grade XII SMA cooperative Pontianak. This method of research is action research, the form of research is the study of Action guidance and Counseling (PTBK). Data collector techniques used (1) direct communication techniques, and (2) indirect communication techniques. The data collector tools (1) Interview guide and (2) psychological scale. The research was conducted in class XII of Pontianak Cooperative High School with a total of 12 members, taking the subject of research purposive sampling from the results of the distribution of stress scales. Research results: Students ' stress attitudes in facing national computer-based exams with a percentage of 26.4%, the process of implementing group counseling with self- control techniques in preventing stress facing national computer-based exams covering the formation phase, switching stage, activity stage, and closing stage. Stress facing a national exam-based computer can be reduced using counseling group with self-control technique with a percentage of 17.9%.

ALPINE: Active Link Prediction Using Network Embedding

Many real-world problems can be formalized as predicting links in a partially observed network. Examples include Facebook friendship suggestions, the prediction of protein–protein interactions, and the identification of hidden relationships in a crime network. Several link prediction algorithms, notably those recently introduced using network embedding, are capable of doing this by just relying on the observed part of the network. Often, whether two nodes are linked can be queried, albeit at a substantial cost (e.g., by questionnaires, wet lab experiments, or undercover work). Such additional information can improve the link prediction accuracy, but owing to the cost, the queries must be made with due consideration. Thus, we argue that an active learning approach is of great potential interest and developed ALPINE (Active Link Prediction usIng Network Embedding), a framework that identifies the most useful link status by estimating the improvement in link prediction accuracy to be gained by querying it. We proposed several query strategies for use in combination with ALPINE, inspired by the optimal experimental design and active learning literature. Experimental results on real data not only showed that ALPINE was scalable and boosted link prediction accuracy with far fewer queries, but also shed light on the relative merits of the strategies, providing actionable guidance for practitioners.

Visual experience in the predictive brain is univocal, but indeterminate

Among the exciting prospects raised by advocates of predictive processing [PP] is the offer of a systematic description of our neural activity suitable for drawing explanatory bridges to the structure of conscious experience (Clark, 2015). Yet the gulf to cross seems wide. For, as critics of PP have argued, our visual experience certainly doesn’t seem probabilistic (Block, 2018; Holton, 2016).While Clark (2018) proposes a means to make PP compatible with the experience of a determinate world, I argue that we should not rush to do so. Two notions of determinacy are conflated in the claim that perception is determinate: ‘univocality’ and ‘full detail’. The former, as Clark argues, is only to be expected in any PP agent that (like us) models its world for the purpose of acting on it. But as Husserl argued, and as perceptual psychology has borne out, we significantly overestimate the degree of detail with which we perceive a univocal world.This second form of indeterminacy is due not to the probabilistic nature of PP’s model, but rather to its hierarchical structure, with increasingly coarse-grained representations as we move further from the sensory periphery. A PP system may, or may not, deliver a univocal hypothesis at each of these levels. An action-oriented PP system would only be expected to do so only at the level needed for successful action guidance. A naïve reporter’s overestimation of the degree of determinate detail in their visual experience can thereby be accounted for with a more gradual version of the ‘refrigerator light’ effect: we experience determinate details just to the degree that they’re needed – immediately as they’re needed.

Effectiveness of personal letters to healthcare professionals in changing professional behaviours: a systematic review protocol

BackgroundLetters are regularly sent by healthcare organisations to healthcare professionals to encourage them to take action, change practice or implement guidance. However, whether letters are an effective tool in delivering a change in healthcare professional behaviour is currently uncertain. In addition, there are currently no evidence-based guidelines to support health providers and authorities with advice on how to formulate the communication, what information and behaviour change techniques to include in order to optimise the potential effect on the behaviour of the receivers. To address this research gap, we seek to inform such guidance through this systematic review, which aims to provide comprehensive evidence of the effectiveness of personal letters to healthcare professionals in changing their professional behaviours.Methods/designA comprehensive literature search of published and unpublished studies (the grey literature) in electronic databases will be conducted to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that meet our inclusion criteria. We will include RCTs evaluating the effectiveness of personal letters to healthcare professionals in changing professional behaviours. The primary outcome will be behavioural change. The search will be conducted in five electronic databases (from their inception onwards): MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library and CINAHL. We will also conduct supplementary searches in Google Scholar, hand search relevant journals, and conduct backward and forward citation searching for included studies and relevant reviews. A systematic approach to searching, screening, reviewing and data extraction will be applied in accordance with the process recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. Two researchers will examine titles, abstracts, full-texts for eligibility independently. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool for randomised controlled trials. Disagreements will be resolved by a consensus procedure.DiscussionHealth policy makers across government are expected to benefit from being able to increase compliance in clinical settings by applying theories of behaviour to design of policy communications. The synthesised findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42020167674

Perceived Stress among Students in Medical/Dental and Allied Health Universities in Pakistan due to COVID-19 Pandemic


 Objective: Aim of the study was to explore the perceived stress in students at various medical and dental universities across Pakistan during the COVID 19 pandemic, using a validated scale.Materials and Methods: The study took place at the Institute of Psychiatry (IOP) Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU). Results: About 400 medical students participated countrywide. The final analysis was conducted on 333 participants who completed the survey form. Study participants comprised 69.1% female and 30.9% male students. About 74.5% of the participants represented Punjab province, 1.2% were from Sindh, another 1.2% belonged to Baluchistan, 2.4% were from KPK, and 1.5% were from AJK while 19.2% of them resided in Islamabad. The majority of participants were enrolled in MBBS (78.4%) while the rest were from BDS (3%), Allied Health Sciences (12.9%), Clinical Psychology (3.6%), and Pharm D (2.1%).The mean perceived stress score was 21.34, SD=4.90 suggesting high perceived stress levels. Approximately 4.5% of students perceived low levels of stress, 80.2% perceived moderate stress, whereas 15.3% scored high on the perceived stress scale. Male students had statistically significant (p=0.38) lower stress levels (M=19.99, SD=5.91) as compared to females (M= 21.95, SD= 4.26). Conclusions: Perceived stress level in medical students was alarmingly high and requires urgent intervention by the Medical and Dental Universities for immediate action and policy guidance for early identification and effective management. This can be achieved by delivering targeted e-workshops and evidence-based e-trainings for stress management like psychological first aid and mindfulness techniques.

Improving philosophical dialogue interventions to better resolve problematic value pluralism in collaborative environmental science

Environmental problems often outstrip the abilities of any single scientist to understand, much less address them. As a result, collaborations within, across, and beyond the environmental sciences are an increasingly important part of the environmental science landscape. Here, we explore an insufficiently recognized and particularly challenging barrier to collaborative environmental science: value pluralism, the presence of non-trivial differences in the values that collaborators bring to bear on project decisions. We argue that resolving the obstacles posed by value pluralism to collaborative environmental science requires detecting and coordinating the underlying problematic value differences. We identify five ways that a team might coordinate their problematic value differences and argue that, whichever mode is adopted, it ought to be governed by participatory virtues, pragmatic resolve, and moral concern. Relying on our experiences with the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative, as well as with other dialogical approaches that support team inquiry, we defend the claim that philosophical dialogue among collaborators can go a long way towards helping teams of environmental scientists and fellow travelers detect their problematic value differences. Where dialogical approaches fare less well is in helping teams coordinate these differences. We close by describing several principles for augmenting philosophical dialogue with other methods, and we list several of these methods in an appendix with brief descriptions and links for further learning. Overall, the article makes three main contributions to the research collaboration and values in science literatures: (1) It deepens our understanding of problematic value pluralism in team science; (2) It provides actionable guidance and methods for improving values-oriented philosophical dialogue interventions; and (3) It demonstrates one way of doing engaged philosophy.

Coup or Not Coup: The African Union and the Dilemma of “Popular Uprisings” in Africa

ABSTRACT Since 2011, Africa witnessed 7 different forms of popular uprisings leading to the overthrow of ruling heads of state. This includes the situations in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia in 2011, Burkina Faso in 2014, Zimbabwe in 2017 as well as the recent cases in Algeria and Sudan in 2019. During these uprisings, the African Union (AU) is criticized for its lack of responsiveness to government crackdown, but quick action to condemn the military-supported revolution. Using the case of Sudan, this article examines the complexities of popular uprisings in Africa and AU’s challenge in managing the situation. The paper argues that the AU faces the dilemma of protecting the rights of peaceful protesters in a sovereign state and ensuring long-term stability, including preventing the history of military adventurism on the continent. Yet, its role has often leaned disproportionately toward maintaining stability, which raises criticisms that it favors state regimes as opposed to its human-centric and democratic commitments. To enhance its credibility, the AU must adopt proactive roles to protect protesters against government crackdowns. Additionally, the AU needs to augment its existing African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) with actionable policy guidance for protesters, governments, and security agencies during popular uprisings.