Informal Search Research Articles

Delivery platforms for reaching adolescents with nutrition interventions in low- and middle-income countries.

Adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are a vulnerable population given increased nutritional needs as puberty approaches. School-based nutrition programs exist in some settings, but the comprehensive provision of nutrition services requires knowledge of the mechanisms to reach out-of-school adolescents. A comprehensive scopingreview was performed using formal and informal search strategies to landscape all potential delivery platforms with nutrition services to reach adolescents. Peer-reviewed studies, institutional strategies, program evaluations, and programmatic reports in LMICs were reviewed, including gray literature. A total of 87 out of 270 identified publications and reports describing nutrition programs for adolescents were identified. Although nutrition programs targeted at adolescents were sparse, various innovative and inclusive delivery platforms were included, such as school feeding programs, school-based anemia control, and nutrition-friendly school initiatives; health facility-based, youth-friendly health and nutrition services; social safety nets targeted at adolescents; community-based approaches targeting youth development and peer education within youth centers and faith-based settings; and technology-based platforms, including digital health services and mass media communication sensitization and mobilization efforts. Existing delivery mechanisms and platforms in health and other sectors that target adolescents offer great potential to extend nutrition interventions to this vulnerable yet hard-to-reach population.

Wage Bargaining Power of Internal Migrant Workers: Evidence from Urban Labor Market in China

This study analyses the wage bargaining power of employers and internal migrant workers in the urban labor market in China using a two-tiered SFA model. The findings indicate that bargaining power decreases the observed wage relative to the benchmark wage which is associated with worker’s actual productivity. The availability of migrant labor is identified to be a key variable in the wage bargaining process. This study reveals that the migrant workers who obtain jobs via informal job search methods stand in a weak bargaining position relative to those using formal search methods which is consistent with limited choices hypothesis. Additionally, the migrant workers in the manufacturing and construction industries or producing and processing occupations extract surplus nearly identical to other groups.

A Manual Therapy in Need of a Manual: Conceptualizing and Comparing Existing Vocal Massage Protocols and Their Use in the Treatment of Voice Problems

ABSTRACT Vocal manual therapy (VMT) is a heterogenous term used to describe a variety of touch-based approaches to voice rehabilitation and maintenance. VMT aims to use manipulation, massage, and reposturing to change how the voice sounds and feels. Since first described in 1990, there has been a proliferation in the use of VMT in the treatment of voice problems, with increasing interest in its usefulness within clinical and non-clinical voice settings. This forum article presents a narrative review of 42 studies investigating the use of VMT in a vocal health context. The aim was to identify the theoretical orientations of VMT protocols, draw links between the techniques employed in their administration, and highlight similarities and differences in use of language across VMT protocols. Relevant articles for review were identified via informal literature search using forward and backward citation screening and then described using narrative synthesis. Theoretical orientations were broad and influenced by speech pathology research as well as Finnish massage, naprapathy and yoga. 26 ostensibly different protocols were identified across the 42 studies, with considerable variation in protocol length and frequency. Language was highly varied across protocols. The forum article therefore advocates for greater shared understanding in VMT research and practice.

Red-faced lies: a qualitative analysis of online misinformation and conspiracy theories in rosacea.

Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with a complex aetiology and major psychological impact, rendering patients susceptible to misinformation. We aimed to assess the content of rosacea-related misinformation online. A formal review of PubMed was performed, using the terms 'rosacea' AND 'misinformation' OR 'disinformation' OR 'conspiracy theory', along with informal Google searches using combinations of these terms, and further targeted searches on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Key areas of misinformation identified in the search included mislabelling of rosacea as adult acne; falsehoods about rosacea only occurring in older adults or in individuals with lightly pigmented skin; incorrect causes of rosacea such as makeup or diet; and misleading 'cures', some of which may lead to exacerbation of the underlying rosacea. Dermatologists must be aware of the large amount of rosacea misinformation trending online and be prepared to counteract them with evidence to optimize patient care.

P12 #corticophobia: a review of misinformation related to topical steroids

Abstract Misinformation in healthcare is now at crisis level worldwide, with the internet as the primary source of prevarication. Topical corticosteroids (TCS) are a safe and effective treatment used in multiple conditions in paediatric dermatology. Nonadherence to prescribed TCS can be due to phobia secondary to misinformation, and poor compliance is a common obstacle to disease control. TCS phobia is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon that exploits children with skin disease and obstructs their path to successful treatment. This study aims to examine the content of TCS-related misinformation available online. A formal review of PubMed was performed in June 2022, using the terms ‘topical corticosteroids’ AND ‘misinformation’ OR ‘disinformation’ OR ‘conspiracy theory’, along with an informal Google search using combinations of these terms, and further targeted searches on social media applications including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The main fears expressed by children and parents regarding TCS included potential adverse effects (skin thinning, stunted growth/development). ‘Topical steroid withdrawal’, ‘red skin syndrome’ or ‘TCS addiction’ is a particularly prevalent myth currently being propagated on social media, with most content suggesting that eczema is due to a ‘leaky gut’ and not skin inflammation. Numerous websites promoting misinformation were frequently endorsed by companies advertising ‘natural’ products as treatment alternatives, including ‘herbal’ remedies which can contain significant quantities of corticosteroids or other potent ingredients. The paediatric dermatology community should be vigilant of the type of TCS-related misinformation online, and actively attempt to counteract it with evidence-based advice.

Find your match! How emerging economy firms combine different forms of openness to innovate

This study investigates how combining different forms of formal collaboration (i.e., developed vs. emerging economy collaborations) and informal search (i.e., search breadth vs. depth) affects the innovation performance of emerging economy firms. The open innovation literature has primarily focused on the effect of individual open innovation practices, generating conflicting results. We argue that outcomes depend on specific combinations of open innovation practices. Drawing on the notion of external absorptive capacity routines, we argue that combining forms of openness that rely on the same absorptive capacity routine positively affects innovation performance. We specifically ask whether broad or deep search, which rely on different routines, is more appropriate for emerging economy firms who are collaborating with developed or other emerging economy partners. We test our hypotheses using responses from 659 manufacturing and service firms to two waves of the Turkish Innovation Survey. Using Tobit regression analysis, we generate findings consistent with our expectations. We find that deep search is appropriate when collaborating with developed economy partners, whereas broad search is appropriate when collaborating with other emerging economy partners. These confirm the importance of combining forms of openness with matching routines. Overall, we illustrate the importance of finding the right combination of different forms of openness.

A-64 The Impact of a Sports-Related Concussion on Emotional Beliefs of Collegiate Athletes.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on the effects of sports-related concussion on an athlete’s emotional beliefs. Emotional beliefs are an individual’s beliefs on whether emotions are controllable, as well as useful or unwanted. Understanding how a concussion affects an athlete’s emotional beliefs can assist in determining appropriate interventions for treatment. Data Selection: The informal literature search was conducted through EBSCOhost and PsychINFO databases from August 2022 through February 2023 for articles containing CONCUSSIONS plus one of the following: EMOTIONAL BELIEFS, COLLEGIATE ATHLETES, EMOTIONS. Inclusion criteria included data collected from a collegiate sample, article presented original research, articles published in 2000 or later, and articles contained relevant information regarding emotional beliefs in collegiate athletes. Due to the dearth in the literature regarding emotional beliefs, only five studies were reviewed. Results Currently within the literature, there is debate about the construct of emotional beliefs. The literature is mixed on how to define emotional beliefs as well as how to distinguish emotional beliefs from cognition. Within the literature there is agreement that emotional beliefs are additionally influenced by a myriad of factors. Although emotional changes are observed in concussed athletes, there has been little research on how concussions impact athlete's beliefs about their emotions. Baseline concussion testing often does not include any mood measures, thus limiting post-injury assessment to strictly cognitive domains. Conclusions Sustaining a concussion can lead to increased stress and exacerbate pre-existing psychological disturbances. Changes in emotional beliefs can affect an athlete’s mental well-being, which in turn can affect their athletic and academic performance. In sum, there is a need for further research on the effects of concussions on cognitive and emotional beliefs in the field of sports neuropsychology.

Education, Off-the-Job Vocational Training, and Early Employment Outcomes: Evidence from Italy

Education and training are primary sources of individual human capital. We explored the relationship between education and off-the-job vocational training and the impact of training programmes on youth employment in Italy. We focused on three outcomes: employment probability, use of formal/informal job search channels, and skill matching. We identified programme effects by comparing the outcomes of treatment and control groups using propensity score matching with a robustness check to assess the potential bias due to unobservable characteristics. Individuals with vocational high school degrees are more likely to participate in vocational training programmes, but in southern regions, individuals with technical or generalist high school degrees also attend vocational training programmes. Vocational training programmes have positive effects on youth employment outcomes, reduce the use of informal job search channels, and improve skill matching, especially in the centre-northern regions.

The causal effect of informal job search on wage and job satisfaction: evidence from Egypt and Jordan using random forest method

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of finding a job through family and friend contacts on employees' wages and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses machine learning techniques in economics to estimate the causal effect of being hired through informal contacts on wages and job satisfaction using cross-sectional data from the Higher Education Graduates Survey 2012 (HEGS, 2012) in Egypt and Jordan.FindingsThe author's results confirm that negative and positive consequences are likely to occur. In Egypt, a wage penalty of 28% is estimated in the starting wage, but the impact diminishes in the last wage. By contrast, in Jordan, no penalty is captured in the starting wage, but a premium of 10% is estimated in the last wage. Job satisfaction is negatively affected by the penalty in the starting wage.Social implicationsJob market search methods that allow for professional job referrals, facilitate more efficient information transfer between job-seekers and employers and provide opportunities for job-seekers with weak social capital should be implemented to lower dependence on informal search methods.Originality/valueThe research provides comprehensive evidence about finding a job through informal contact with employees' well-being. The consequences of finding a job using family and friends' contacts, whether positive or negative, cannot be ignored. Future research could benefit from the findings of this study.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2022-0318.

Approaches used to prevent and reduce the use of restrictive practices on adults with learning disabilities: Protocol for a realist review.

The use of restrictive practices has significant adverse effects on the individual, care providers and organisations. This review will describe how, why, for whom, and in what circumstances approaches used by healthcare organisations work to prevent and reduce the use of restrictive practices on adults with learning disabilities. Evidence from the literature will be synthesised using a realist review approach - an interpretative, theory-driven approach to understand how complex healthcare approaches work in reducing the use of restrictive practices in these settings. In step 1, existing theories will be located to explore what approaches work by consulting with key topic experts, holding consultation workshops with healthcare professionals, academics, and experts by experience, and performing an informal search to help develop an initial programme theory. A systematic search will be performed in the second step in electronic databases. Further searches will be performed iteratively to test particular subcomponents of the initial programme theory, which will also include the use of the CLUSTER approach. Evidence judged as relevant and rigorous will be used to test the initial programme theory. In step three, data will be extracted and coded inductively and deductively. The final step will involve using a realist logic of analysis to refine the initial programme theory in light of evidence. This will then provide a basis to describe and explain what key approaches work, why, how and in what circumstances in preventing and reducing the use of restrictive practices in adults with learning disabilities in healthcare settings. Findings will be used to provide recommendations for practice and policymaking. In accordance with the guidelines, this realist review protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 4th December 2019 (CRD42019158432).

Innovating in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms: exploring the effects of a variety of internal and external knowledge sources on goods and service innovations

AbstractAlthough knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms experiencing high growth and generating innovations are widely acknowledged as important for economic growth, surprisingly little is known about how such firms achieve and maintain a high level of knowledge intensity through which to innovate. Our article further develops the concept of knowledge intensity by proposing that it is augmented by external and internal search activities carried out by the entrepreneurial firm and analyzes how these activities affect innovation performance. We use principal component analysis to derive formal and informal search channels from summated rating scales—measuring reliance on internal and external sources of knowledge—and then use fractional logit regression to explore how these channels relate to a firm’s innovative performance, i.e., the share of innovative goods and services sold. We find that searching via informal channels, and formal channels toward scientific and technological knowledge, improves innovation performance of both goods and services, while searching via formal channels toward market knowledge positively affects only innovative goods. Overall, informal channels matter more than formal channels. Lastly, we find substitution rather than complementarity effects between external and internal search channels in their effect on innovation performance in both goods and services. Thus, we interpret that building up knowledge intensity per se through search matters more for innovation performance than whether search is internally or externally focused. Our work contributes to the growing literature on knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, to the related literature on new technology-based firms and young innovative firms, and to the general understanding of knowledge intensity at the firm level.

Spotting fake news: a qualitative review of misinformation and conspiracy theories in acne vulgaris.

Acne vulgaris is an extremely common disorder of the pilosebaceous unit, typically manifest as a highly visible facial and upper trunk dermatosis, with teenagers most frequently affected. This cohort is markedly susceptible to misinformation, given their impressionable age, distress about their appearance and high internet usage. This study aimed to assess the content of acne‐related misinformation available online. A formal review of PubMed was performed in March 2022, using the terms ‘acne’ AND ‘misinformation’ OR ‘disinformation’ OR ‘conspiracy theory’, along with an informal Google search using combinations of these terms, and further targeted searches on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Key themes of acne‐related misinformation included diet and other ‘causes’ of acne, unconventional acne ‘cures’ and a distrust of conventional acne treatments. Websites promoting misinformation were frequently affiliated with companies selling products that promised to cure acne, often in a remarkably short time. Dermatologists should be aware of the nature of acne‐related misinformation available online and be prepared to counter it with scientific principles and facts.

Driving Sustainable Innovation in New Ventures: A Study Based on the fsQCA Approach

With the external environment becoming increasingly complex and changeable, how we can effectively enhance the innovation of companies in sustainability has become the focus of research. For startups, due to their lack of resources and poor independent innovation capabilities, they need to search for external knowledge from outside to meet their own needs. Therefore, obtaining external knowledge sources and adopting appropriate methods for knowledge search is the key to affecting innovation in sustainability. Moreover, enterprise capability is also an important factor restricting sustainable innovation. In this paper, we construct an integrated framework of resources and capabilities based on theoretical learning and practice between 2018 and 2021, containing technical knowledge, market knowledge, a formal search, an informal search, organizational learning, and strategic flexibility. Taking 450 new ventures in China as the research sample, we adopt the fsQCA method and derive the path driving the sustainable innovation of new ventures. The results show that resources and enterprise capabilities combine to influence sustainable innovation, and there are two configuration paths driving the sustainable innovation of new ventures. In the first pathway, a technical knowledge search, a market knowledge search, organizational learning and strategic flexibility are the core conditions; in the second pathway, a formal search, an informal search, organizational learning, and strategic flexibility are the core conditions.

Zenoviy Flinta’s artistic ceramics of 1960-80s: Stages of development of the author’s creative manner and influence of artist’s painting on his artistic ceramicsand Ukrainization

The works of Zenovia Flint, an outstanding artist, teacher and nonconformist ceramist, who embodied in his ceramic works of the 1960s and 1980s his own picturesque informal searches and philosophical images-allegories in the author’s manner, are analyzed. For the first time, the systematization of directions and stages of formation of Z. Flint’s authorial style in the field of artistic ceramics was performed, as well as an art analysis of the influence of the artist’s painting on his ceramics.

Development of Culinary and Self-Care Programs in Diverse Settings: Theoretical Considerations and Available Evidence.

Culinary-based self-care programs are innovative and increasingly utilized models for catalyzing behavior change and improving health and well-being. The content, duration, and delivery of existing programs vary considerably. Between January and August 2019, we developed a teaching kitchen and self-care curriculum, which was administered as part of a year-long worksite well-being program to employees at an academic healthcare system. The curriculum domains included culinary skills, nutrition, physical activity, yoga, stress management, mindful eating, and ethnobotany. An informal systematic literature search was performed to assemble and evaluate key principles and practices related to self-care domains, learning methodologies, and programmatic design considerations. Here, we provide a qualitative summary of the evidence-informed development of the curriculum intervention.

Informal job search method and labour market outcomes: evidence from urban Chinese workers

ABSTRACT Using a representative sample of Chinese urban employees, we empirically study the impact of the utilization of informal job search through social networks on wage. We find a premium of initial wage associated with job referral, but the wage premium diminishes over tenure. We also find that the effect of job referral on initial wage reduces when human capital plays a more important role, or the recruitment process and the economic system are more market-oriented. Our findings are consistent with the learning theory that job referral can reduce information asymmetry between employees and employers at the beginning they meet, but the informational advantage diminishes over time as the employers know non-referred workers gradually.

Sustaining community-based interventions for people affected by dementia long term: the SCI-Dem realist review

ObjectivesCommunity-based support for people with earlier-stage dementia and their care partners, such as regularly meeting groups and activities, can play an important part in postdiagnostic care. Typically delivered piecemeal in...

Social Capital and Its Effect on Labour Market (Mis)match: Migrants\u2019 Overqualification in Germany

If a person is overqualified in the sense that an employee’s level of training exceeds the job requirements, then some human capital lies idle and cannot be converted into appropriate (monetary and non-monetary) returns. Migrants are particularly at risk of being overqualified in their employment; however, this phenomenon cannot be fully explained by differences in human capital or socio-economic characteristics. This paper examines whether social capital plays a decisive role in migrants’ risk of overqualification in Germany. Using data from the German IAB-SOEP Migration Sample, we analyse the job search process of migrants to determine whether social networks influence their risk of being employed below their acquired educational level. We estimate logistic regression models and find that social capital influences the adequacy of migrants’ jobs: We show that migrants are at a greater risk of overqualification if they use only informal job search strategies such as relying on friends or family members. Moreover, we find that homophilous migrant networks and jobs in employment niches are risk factors for overqualification. We conclude that the combination of informal job search modes and homophilous migrant networks leads to a comparably high risk for migrants of being overqualified in their employment in the German labour market.

The Effect of Fertility on Female Labor Supply in a Labor Market with Extensive Informality

This paper presents new evidence on the causal relationship between fertility and female labor supply. We particularly focus on how informal employment affects post-fertility labor supply behavior of mothers. We employ an instrumental variable strategy based on an unused data source for twin births in Turkey—a large developing economy with extensive labor informality. We find that fertility causally affects female labor supply. After the first twin birth, female labor supply declines significantly and the ones who drop out of the labor force are mostly the informally employed women. Following further increases in family size introduced by multiple second and third births (i.e., unanticipated increase from 1 kid to 3 kids, and from 2 kids to 4 kids), formally employed females start dropping out of the labor force and hours of work decline. Wages and job search intensity also decline for females as fertility increases. We also investigate the impact of fertility on labor supply of fathers. Unlike females, males increase their labor supply, which mostly comes from the increase in informal employment—possibly due to a decline in reservation wages. Accordingly, wages decline, hours of work increase, and job search activity shifts from formal to informal search methods for males. Overall, these results suggest that informally employed women tend to quickly drop out of the labor force after giving birth. Fathers, on the other hand, become more likely to accept inferior, low-pay, and informal job offers as fertility goes up. The results are robust to using alternative IV specifications based on sex composition of children.

The sustainability of community interventions for people affected by dementia: A realist review

AbstractBackgroundCommunity‐based support for people with dementia and their care partners (family/friends), such as regularly‐meeting groups and activities, can play an important part in post‐diagnostic care: from combating isolation and maintaining positive self‐image, to delaying decline and hospitalisation. However, in countries such as the UK these are typically delivered piecemeal by a variety of agencies with inconsistent funding. This has led to fragmented provision with significant gaps and, to add to this, many such interventions are forced to fold after only a short period. The SCI‐Dem review is investigating what can promote, or get in the way of, community interventions for people affected by dementia becoming sustainable over time.MethodThis review is utilising a Realist approach. Key sources of evidence were gathered using formal searches of electronic databases and grey literature, together with informal search methods such as citation tracking and snowballing. Data were interrogated, assessed and organised with the aid of NVivo software, and a Realist logic of analysis was applied to trace context‐mechanism‐outcome configurations as part an overall programme theory, indicating what works for whom, in what circumstances, in what respects and how, with regards to sustaining community interventions. Consultation with stakeholders, involved with a variety of such interventions in various roles, informed this process throughout.ResultDue to complete in September 2020, this review will produce an evidence‐informed programme theory mapping how different contexts can trigger mechanisms (processes in people and organisations) to produce outcomes that help or hinder the sustainability of a community group or activity. Early findings suggest a range of factors affecting four key areas for sustainability: whether a group or activity can get or keep 1) members; 2) appropriate staff and volunteers; 3) necessary resources; 4) necessary funding.ConclusionConclusions will focus upon how best to implement community‐based interventions, with recommendations to those commissioning, planning or running such schemes, based upon our programme theory. Accessible publications and online materials will be produced, aiming to provide an evidence‐informed ‘blueprint’ for other community settings. Recommendations about what could be useful at both regional and national policy and infrastructure levels will also be made.