Life Plans Research Articles

Digital Twins for Smarter Iranian Cities: A Future Studies Perspective

This study explores the future of Urban Digital Twin (UDT) in urban planning systems of developing countries, with a focus on Iran. Despite UDT's growing popularity, its implementation in developing countries is limited. The research identifies critical factors influencing UDT development, including organisational acceptance, urban infrastructure, policy and legislation, and technology and innovation. Using a futures studies approach, the study employs the Delphi method, MICMAC (Matrix Impact Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied to a Classification) technique, and SISMW (Strategic Uncertainties and Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats Matrix) methodologies to analyse these factors. The study reveals that international sanctions, organisational factors, technological factors, and infrastructure limitations hinder UDT development in Iran. However, UDT technology has the potential to transform urban planning in developing countries. The study provides a roadmap for collaboration between public and private sectors and research institutes to facilitate UDT implementation, highlighting the importance of legislative frameworks, digital infrastructure, innovation, and stakeholder engagement. Policy implications suggest that governments should prioritise supportive policies, investments in digital infrastructure, and collaborative efforts to address data privacy, security, and ownership issues. By addressing these challenges, developing countries can leverage UDT technology to improve urban planning, resource management, and quality of life.

Improving Black Maternal Health: Early Implementation Findings from California's Black Infant Health Program.

This paper reviews the scientific basis and reports initial implementation results of California's Black Infant Health Program, a statewide group-based program with complementary one-on-one life planning to improve maternal and infant health among Black mothers and birthing persons. Descriptive analyses were conducted at the participant and group session level using program evaluation data from the initial three years of program implementation to examine participation rates, rates of service delivery, and participants perceptions of the program. From 2015 to 2018, 3332 Black birthing persons received group and/or life planning and 386 10-session prenatal group series were initiated with an average of 5.9 participants per series. Most sessions delivered all required activities (86.1%) and met requirements for providing food (84.5%), transportation support (72.2%), and childcare (55.4%). More than 90% of responding participants agreed or strongly agreed that BIH helped them manage stress (94.5%), set (97.4%) and achieve (92.9%) goals, and build stronger social connections (94.5%). The program was developed in response to evolving scientific knowledge regarding racism as the root cause of health disparities for Black birthing people. Focusing on six interwoven strategies for improving maternal and infant health outcomes, the program is supported by current scientific knowledge and can be feasibly implemented at a level consistent with similar evidence-based models.

A WOMAN UNITED WITH THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST – BLESSED KLEMENSA STASZEWSKA OSU (1890–1943)

The aim of this article is to examine the charism of Blessed Klemensa Staszewska, with which she was endowed by God, and its relevance to all believers. The sources of this study are her “spiritual notes”, written at the instruction of her spiritual director, and her letters. The first stage of the study examines how Blessed Klemensa, accepting her Ursuline vocation, experienced the desire for a spousal bond with Jesus and to give to Him alone all that she is and all that she possesses. In the second part of the article, a study is carried out on the spiritual desire expressed by Blessed Klemensa in her plan of life, written on the day of her perpetual vows to unite herself to the Sacrifice of Christ and to His intentions and the inner disposition with which He offered Himself on the Cross. Here it was important to examine how Blessed Klemensa experienced all the tribulations and difficulties of life in union with Jesus. This dimension of her spiritual life can be regarded as prophetic for both consecrated and lay persons, because it concerns the universal priesthood resulting from baptismal consecration, which seems to be underestimated in Christian spirituality today. In the fourth and final part of the article, it is shown how Blessed Klemensa combined a deep spiritual life with her ministry of caring for children and the formation of young people. She maintained this life amidst her duties and responsibility for the Ursuline community throughout the hardships of World War II and when, after helping with heroic courage those sought by the Gestapo, she endured the cruelty of the concentration camp.

QOL-09. “I’VE DEFINITELY CHANGED WHO I AM”: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF CHALLENGES FACED BY PATIENTS WITH IDH-MUTANT GLIOMAS

Abstract BACKGROUND Despite their more favorable prognosis, patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant gliomas experience significant psychological distress across their disease trajectory. The specific drivers of distress in this population are poorly understood, and interventions to support these patients are lacking. We sought to better characterize drivers of distress and ways to enhance support for patients with IDH-mutant gliomas as they confront potentially prolonged but ultimately unpredictable survival with an incurable, progressive brain tumor. METHODS Eligible individuals were English-speaking adults ages 65 and younger diagnosed with an IDH-mutant glioma at a single academic medical center. We conducted semi-structured interviews (N=20) to better understand the distress patients experience as they progress along their illness trajectories. We audio-recorded and transcribed interviews and analyzed interview content using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS Distress among participating patients (female = 7/20; age <40 years = 10/20) was linked to their struggles to maintain a coherent sense of identity while adapting to 1) neurocognitive changes and 2) altered life plans amidst prognostic uncertainty. Patients described feeling self-conscious and distrustful of their cognitive capacities, frequently comparing their current performance to their premorbid functioning (e.g. by checking their symptoms and indexing perceived deficits against scan results). Patients felt overwhelmed by the need to make decisions and set priorities (e.g., regarding family planning, retirement) due to the uncertain timing of their tumor’s progression and its unclear impact on their future functioning. Patients identified the transition from treatment to surveillance as a time of heightened worry, as they shifted their focus from the logistics of cancer care to the task of planning – financially, occupationally, socially – for an uncertain future. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the need for tailored supportive care to help patients with IDH-mutant gliomas cope with the distress caused by significant changes to identity and ongoing uncertainties regarding their future.

Planning for autonomy and conservation: ‘Life Plans’ and communal reserves in the Amazonian borders of Peru

ABSTRACT State-promoted biodiversity conservation can either align with or diverge from Indigenous Peoples’ priorities, knowledge, and self-determined development paths. Drawing on fieldwork at the Amazon borders of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, this paper examines Indigenous organizations’ efforts to uphold territorial rights and pursue planning with Indigenous values in landscapes earmarked for conservation. The key question centers on how ‘border configurations’ affect grassroots planning and conservation focusing on the experience of Peruvian Secoya (Siékopai) People. Using expert interviews and ethnographic methods, the paper finds that conservation agencies risk losing credibility without genuine efforts toward social equity and well-being, constrained by mandates that often neglect local needs. The success of Life Plans depends on solidarity networks that balance conservation with viable economic alternatives, equitable power dynamics, and access to services. Ultimately, the paper shows that Life Plans empower Indigenous organizations, offering meaningful options for political self-representation within Amazonian conservation.

Transnational mobility and precarity in the shadow of pandemics: Chinese migrants in Africa

ABSTRACT Through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic, this paper examines the conditions of and responses to (im)mobilities and precarity among Chinese migrants in Africa. It emphasizes a relational and relative understanding of mobility–immobility as well as precarity–agency within the broader context of transnational migration. The empirical findings are based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Chinese migrants living in Ethiopia, Zambia, Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone during the pandemic. The analysis reveals a reconfiguration of (im)mobilities, not only between China and African host countries but also across different African destinations. This interplay between mobility and immobility exposes the dilemmas Chinese migrants faced during the pandemic while shedding light on the precarious life-worlds they navigate even in normal times. Although the pandemic exacerbated the precarity of their already unstable lives, it has also created spaces for community support, entrepreneurial ventures, and critical reflections on their businesses practices and life plans.

Strategic Planning is Dead. Long Live Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning is Dead. Long Live Strategic Planning

Interventions for left-behind children in Mainland China: A scoping review

BackgroundAs the discussion of Chinese left-behind children (LBC) continues, intervention programs dedicated to this population increase and diversify. While reviews have summarized intervention programs promoting LBC’s health and psychological wellbeing, there is no synthesis depicting a comprehensive picture. This scoping review systematically examines interventions tackling LBC’s various issues and identifies their design and foci. MethodWe performed a systematic literature search to extract intervention studies from four English (i.e., Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, & PsycINFO) and one Chinese (i.e., CNKI) database. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAT). Two main rounds of deductive coding were performed on Nvivo 12 plus to identify the design and foci of the interventions. ResultsThirty-three articles were identified for our final review. Twenty-six were published in Chinese and seven in English. Existing interventions have tackled multiple psychological, social, physical, developmental, and sexual problems or needs of Chinese rural left-behind children. Among them, LBC’s psychological wellbeing has drawn the most attention. The majority of the reviewed studies performed a randomized controlled trial (N=20). Quantitative evaluation is prevalent, with only one study applying a purely qualitative evaluation. In addition, only two studies adopted validated interventions, while the others are self-designed. ConclusionsThe review results indicate several gaps in intervention studies for LBC. First, many existing interventions have considered LBC’s psychological and social wellbeing, while little effort has been paid to address their educational and intellectual development. Further, while existing interventions are concerned with LBC’s temporary needs, their long-term life planning, as well as their current self-efficacy and self-concept driving their actions towards future self, were neglected. As for the intervention design, empirically validated interventions are recommended for future studies for their verified efficacy and evidence-based standardized practice. In addition, a qualitative evaluation should be considered because it might be more powerful in eliciting realistic and viable solutions to improve the effectiveness and reliability of the interventions from the participants.

Early integration of palliative care in haemato-oncology: latest developments.

This review aimed to explore recent progress made in the past five years towards early access to, and integration of palliative care services within the haemato-oncology context to address the unique needs of patients with Haematological malignancies (HMs). We included 14 articles in our review. We identified three themes, namely (i) disparities in the timing of referrals remain, (ii) specialist palliative care and impact on quality of life and (iii) perceptions on early integration. Patients with HM, receive less palliative care services, regardless of their higher symptom burden compared to patients with solid tumours. Structured approaches and models of early integration have shown substantial benefits, including improved pain and symptom management, shorter hospital stays and better end of life planning. Perceptions on existing barriers include the curative treatment focus, haematologists' personal perceptions on timing of palliative care and lack of palliative care training. For early integration to happen, it is crucial to address training gaps, improve communication skills, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Standardised organisational pathways can facilitate early and concurrent palliative care integration. System-level flexibility and supportive policies are essential to ensure that patients with HM receive comprehensive and high-quality care.

Ethnodevelopment and post-conflict: new challenges for the social construction of habitat with territorial justice in the Afro-Colombian Caribbean

ABSTRACT In Colombia, the ethnic and rural communities’ defense of their territories poses a complex and urgent challenge, even after the protracted peace process that culminated in the 2016 havana accords. With the uncertainties of the current post-conflict scenario, regulations and framework initiatives have generated an important debate that affects community life. The complexity of the Caribbean region involves historical, ethnic claims in the Montes de María, a place of permanent social struggle, where armed conflict has provoked intense forced displacement. This research encompasses the collective processes of territorial affirmation in this region. It investigates the scope, impact, and development of life plans by the Afro-Colombian community councils, as effective governance mechanisms that allow communities to remain in their territory with dignity. The author asserts that life plans based on Participatory Action Research (PAR) are an alternative to the development plans proposed by the government, as they suggest territorial affirmation from an ethnic differential approach and enable social renewal. This case study proposes a methodology to support communities in developing life plans, a process that can be replicated in similar contexts.

Asylum-seeker women: Coping strategies and mental wellbeing.

Asylum seekers in Australia are subjected to various punitive measures that can affect their psychological wellbeing. The capacity of asylum seekers to adapt and cultivate effective coping strategies can enhance their resilience, facilitate their settlement processes and promote their overall mental health. This study aims to explore the coping strategies employed by women who are asylum-seekersthat have the potential to enhance their resilience post migration. A semi-structured qualitative study was conducted with asylum-seeker women from Iran. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis. Seventeen participants described their experiences of applying various strategies to enhance their coping ability, resilience and maintain their mental wellbeing when facing ongoing challenges. Problem-solving strategies included social engagement, adjusting life plans and seeking support from formal and informal resources. Emotion-focussed strategies were positive thinking and maintaining hope, avoidance and spirituality. While emotion-focussed strategies enabled the women to manage their stresses temporarily, problem-solving strategies allowed them to effectively address the challenges they faced after migration. Providing supportive resources for asylum seekers, removing stigma and developing community ties may assist individuals in improving their coping skills, resilience and mental wellbeing.

Is happiness independent of income? Set point theory à la Kahneman

AbstractThe income–happiness nexus is paradoxical. One dataset shows that happiness tracks income, while another shows that, in rich countries, happiness does not. This paper focuses on the limits of set point theory (known also ‘hedonic treadmill’ or ‘hedonic adaptation’) to solve the income–happiness paradox. To keep it manageable, it focuses on Daniel Kahneman's attempt to solve the paradox. He first employs his distinction between ‘the experiencing self’ and ‘the remembering self’ to solve the paradox. While the distinction is useful for the study of heuristics, it is irrelevant for the question at hand, the solution of the income–happiness paradox. Sensing such irrelevance, Kahneman turns his attention to the ‘life evaluation’ measure. This measure ironically shows that happiness tracks income. However, Kahneman disputes such tracking, arguing instead that happiness tracks income only if people, when they were teenagers, designate income as a life goal. The appeal to ‘goals’ or ‘life plans’, however, is an endorsement of a sophisticated version of set point theory. Kahneman argues that happiness varies with the variation of the designated goal or life plan, not with income per se. However, if happiness varies with the designated goals or life plans, it ultimately means that happiness cannot be conceived as a set point. Thus, Kahneman's argument effectively sends us back to square one, failing to solve the income–happiness paradox.

The Potential Outcome-Modification Influences Introduced by ESKD Life Plan on eGFR Slopes.

The Potential Outcome-Modification Influences Introduced by ESKD Life Plan on eGFR Slopes.

Default mode network tau predicts future clinical decline in atypical early Alzheimer's disease.

Identifying individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) at greater risk of steeper clinical decline would enable better-informed medical, support, and life planning decisions. Despite accumulating evidence on the clinical prognostic value of tau positron emission tomography (PET) in typical late-onset amnestic AD, its utility in predicting clinical decline in individuals with atypical forms of AD remains unclear. Across heterogeneous clinical phenotypes, patients with atypical AD consistently exhibit abnormal tau accumulation in the posterior nodes of the default mode network of the cerebral cortex. This evidence suggests that tau burden in this functional network could be a common imaging biomarker for prognostication across the syndromic spectrum of AD. Here, we examined the relationship between baseline tau PET signal and the rate of subsequent clinical decline in a sample of 48 A+/T+/N+ patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to AD with atypical clinical phenotypes: Posterior Cortical Atrophy (n = 16), logopenic variant Primary Progressive Aphasia (n = 15), and amnestic syndrome with multi-domain impairment and young age of onset < 65 years (n = 17). All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), tau PET, and amyloid PET scans at baseline. Each patient's longitudinal clinical decline was assessed by calculating the annualized change in the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum-of-Boxes (CDR-SB) scores from baseline to follow-up (mean time interval = 14.55 ± 3.97 months). Atypical early AD patients showed an increase in CDR-SB by 1.18 ± 1.25 points per year: t(47) = 6.56, p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.95. Across clinical phenotypes, baseline tau in the default mode network was the strongest predictor of clinical decline (R2 = .30), outperforming a simpler model with baseline clinical impairment and demographic variables (R2 = .10), tau in other functional networks (R2 = .11-.26), and the magnitude of cortical atrophy (R2 = .20) and amyloid burden (R2 = .09) in the default mode network. Overall, these findings point to the contribution of default mode network tau to predicting the magnitude of clinical decline in atypical early AD patients one year later. This simple measure could aid the development of a personalized prognostic, monitoring, and treatment plan, which would help clinicians not only predict the natural evolution of the disease but also estimate the effect of disease-modifying therapies on slowing subsequent clinical decline given the patient's tau burden while still early in the disease course.

Authors' Reply: The Potential Outcome-Modification Influences Introduced by ESKD Life Plan on eGFR Slopes.

Authors' Reply: The Potential Outcome-Modification Influences Introduced by ESKD Life Plan on eGFR Slopes.

Decay hazard of wood exposed in-ground in changing climates in Germany

ABSTRACT The ability to identify locations that have a high risk of fungal decay is important for service life planning and analysing changes in risk can help inform scenarios where climate change may shift some areas into states that are more suitable for decay. The ERA5-Land database was used to obtain soil moisture and temperature data, which was applied in a dose–response model for in-ground wood decay. Dose was used as an indicator of decay risk and to produce hazard maps over Germany for the past two climate normals (1963–1992 and 1993–2022). There was an increase of 3.16 dose days over Germany. Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, had the highest decay risk in both climate normals and southern states experienced the lowest decay risk. In Germany, larger dose increases were seen in central to southern latitude regions and mid to high altitudes. With further climate change, conditions that are most suitable for in-ground wood decay may shift to locations that previously did not experience such risk. It is important to be informed of the durability requirements of wood products in areas where increased resistance may be required.

Regeneration, predatory inclusion, and migrant experiences in declining rural areas in Spain and Germany

ABSTRACT Declining rural areas have become central sites for migrant settlement. In the hope that migration will counteract rural shrinkage, migrants are increasingly portrayed as catalysts to revitalize communities. This article critically examines migration to declining rural areas vis-à-vis rural reception and regeneration policies. Drawing on qualitative research including interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations, we compare migrants’ settlement experiences and their positions in rural revitalization processes in northeast Spain and eastern Germany. Our research illustrates that local reception and regeneration policies do not only sideline the role of newcomers as rural place-makers, who contribute to the sustainment (or expansion) of local services and infrastructures. They also result in conditions of ‘predatory inclusion’, in which migrants’ settlement is shaped regarding their potential ‘use’ for revitalizing local economies and housing markets in exploitative terms and along racialized lines. Facing precarious labor and housing conditions, migrants tend to reside only temporarily in our investigated areas. This article contributes to a growing body of migration research in rural areas and explains that attempts at regeneration through migration can run the risk of ignoring migrants' structural conditions, needs, mobility aspirations and life plans, thereby reinforcing racial and class-based inequalities present in rural areas.

The user experience of university library: A text mining analysis of a Q&A platform in China

To gain a deeper understanding of the user experience in university libraries, an alternative channel for collecting user feedback was explored utilizing a prominent Chinese Question and Answer (Q&A) platform, Zhihu. A dataset consisting of 11 questions and 12,647 valid answers related to the user experience of university libraries on the Zhihu platform was collected. To analyze the collected user comments (answers) quantitatively, various techniques including word frequency analysis, semantic network analysis, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, and sentiment analysis were used. Findings revealed that factors influencing user experience can be categorized into six main groups: university life and future planning, choice and efficiency of study spaces, library resource management and staff behavior, seat usage behavior, noise issues, and the behavior of other users. Sentiment analysis revealed a mix of emotions in user experience. Positive experiences stemmed from quality learning environments and personal development support, while negative experiences were primarily caused by noise, seat scarcity, management issues, and other users' behavior. These varied emotional responses and suggested targeted improvements were explored. Findings could contribute to a deeper understanding of the user experience in university libraries and offer practical insights for improving library services.

Политика государственной поддержки и роль добровольчества в жизненных планах российских и белорусских студентов

The article reveals the role of volunteering in shaping the life plans of students in Russia and Belarus. Modern youth policy is aimed at actively and massively involving youth in various volunteer projects. Young people often get their first volunteer experience while studying at a university and it is important to understand how volunteering is included in the life plans of the most active youth groups – students. The authors analyze the results of a sociological survey of thirdyear university students in the Sverdlovsk region (Russia) and the Grodno region (Belarus) conducted in 2024 (N=3000, the sample is quoted by gender and educational profile of respondents). The life plans of Russian and Belarusian youth are studied, the characteristics and motivation of their volunteer activity are revealed. It is proved that Russian students prefer medium-term planning and practically do not use long-term prospects in their life strategies, while Belarusian youth are characterized by short-term planning mainly for the next year. The results of the study prove that the experience of students' volunteer activities has a direct impact on the horizon of their life planning.

'The abortion gave me my life back': the long-term impact of access to self-managed medication abortion through telemedicine on women's lives in legally restricted countries.

Approximately 753 million women (38%) of reproductive age live in countries with restrictive abortion laws. To overcome these legal constraints, women access safe self-managed medication abortions through telemedicine abortion services. This study aimed to explore the long-term impact of accessing a self-managed medication abortion through telemedicine service on women's lives in countries with restrictive abortion laws. We conducted interviews with eleven women (from eleven different countries) who accessed a self-managed medication abortion through online telemedicine between 2014 and 2018 in a legally restricted country. We analysed interviews thematically. Three key themes were developed: (1) access to abortion positively impacted life plans; (2) the negative influence of the legally restricted environment wore off and their well-being improved; (3) participants are now using their own experiences to help others by either sharing information or facilitating access to abortion. In summary, our findings highlight the positive impact of access to self-managed medication abortion and underline the importance of ensuring access to abortion for everyone.