Methodological Issues Research Articles

Environmental DNA reveals a presence of Anser fabalis (Bean Goose) and an absence of A. erythropus (Lesser White-fronted Goose) in Finnish Northern Lapland

Abstract Detecting rare and elusive species from vast wilderness areas poses significant challenges. The Fennoscandian population of Anser erythropus (Lesser White-fronted Goose) is among the most endangered bird populations in Europe, with only 25–30 breeding pairs remaining in Northern Norway. Historically, its former breeding range extended across the mountainous regions of Fennoscandia. Thanks to targeted conservation efforts during the 21st century, A. erythropus has started to recolonize some of its former breeding areas in Norway and possibly also in Finland. Anser serrirostris rossicus (Tundra Bean Goose) is classified as Endangered (EN) in Finland, with just a few breeding pairs in northernmost Finnish Lapland with a poorly known breeding range. It breeds in higher numbers in Finnmark Norway and is listed as Vulnerable (VU) in Norway. Anser fabalis fabalis (Taiga Bean Goose), classified as Endangered in Norway, can also breed in the same area in low numbers. To locate individuals of these elusive goose species during breeding seasons, we used environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from filtered lake water from selected lakes in northern Finland. We amplified and sequenced a short region of the mitochondrial control region to identify the species. Additionally, for positive controls, we sampled eDNA from the water of a Finnish spring staging site and known Norwegian breeding sites of the A. erythropus, from which eDNA of the A. erythropus was identified. eDNA of the A. erythropus was not detected within the former Finnish breeding range. Based on this, the A. erythropus has either not recolonized its former breeding habitats in Finland, the correct lakes were not sampled, the eDNA concentration was below detection limits, or due to other methodological issues. Anser serrirostris rossicus was detected in 3 lakes and A. fabalis fabalis in 10 lakes, providing new information about the breeding distribution of Bean Geese in Finnish Lapland.

Corporate social performance through instrumental stakeholder theory: a sector-specific perspective

PurposeThis study uses instrumental stakeholder theory to explore the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and financial performance in various market sectors. It aims to show how CSP, driven by stakeholder demands in different markets, affects financial outcomes.Design/methodology/approachUsing panel data analysis on data from 2007 to 2020, this research examines how stakeholder demand impacts a firm's ability to turn social performance into financial gains. The study ensures reliable results by addressing methodological and endogeneity issues related to CSP.FindingsThe results show that a firm's success in converting social performance into financial benefits depends on stakeholder demands in different markets. While better CSP generally leads to improved financial performance, the extent of this benefit varies based on stakeholder expectations. This highlights the importance of managers strategically addressing stakeholder demands to maximize financial returns from social initiatives.Originality/valueBy examining the CSP–financial performance link through the lens of market and stakeholder demands, this research provides new insights into how firms can strategically gain stakeholder support for financial benefits. It shows the long-term value of CSP as an investment that gains stakeholder support over time. This approach broadens the understanding of CSP by considering diverse stakeholder influences across industries, filling a gap in long-term CSP research.

Multi-Level Approach for Critical Discourse Analysis

This study addresses methodological issues of critical discourse analysis and shows how an analytical multi-level approach we developed can be useful in adding theoretical resources and systematization to its methods. The analytical approach is grounded on the macrostructure of human activity (activity, actions, operations) and appropriates resources from text linguistics and sociolinguistics. We crossed this approach with historical and positioning discourses to identify ways of talking, foregrounded, and concealed meanings and ideologies in the statement of the ex-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson as delivered to the House of Commons on Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Our results point out he established an agreement with the House through an explanatory statement with the predominance of the use of informing discursive procedures, which corresponded for almost half of his procedures. Most of the time Johnson spoke in the future tense through the intense use of the modal auxiliary verb “will”. These, among other linguistic choices, collaborated to conceal the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s roles in the invasion of Ukraine, framing responsibility solely on the president of Russia. In conclusion, we comment on the contributions and limitations of the analytical approach.

Relationships between self-esteem-related dream content and explicit and implicit measures of self-esteem

While there is evidence of continuity between waking life and dream content, findings with regard to personality are questionable due to methodological issues. In addition, previous studies have used explicit measures, although one could assume that dream content, which is formed implicitly, should have a closer relationship with implicit measures of personality. We investigated how explicit and implicit measures of self-esteem are related to two possibly pertinent variables of dream content. We analyzed 1359 dreams collected from 85 participants. We found that one dream content variable, the proportion of self-esteem-relevant dreams, was significantly related to self-esteem, corroborating the idea of a continuity between waking life and dreaming. Interestingly, the relationship was present only for dreams relevant to social self-esteem. This finding can be considered an example of the well-known sociality bias of dreams. Contrary to our expectations, these results were obtained only for explicit measures but not for implicit ones.

Dos and don'ts for conducting mediation analysis: A commentary with practical tips to avoid common problems.

Purpose: Mediation analyses allow for exploration of causal mechanisms that explain how a predictor is related to an outcome. Tests of mediation are fundamental to addressing some of the most consequential questions in rehabilitation science. In recent decades, the development of easy-to-use analytical tools has made conducting statistical tests of mediation more accessible to researchers. Unfortunately, there are persistent problems in the conceptual underpinning of many tests of mediation. Even in cases where the statistical analyses are correctly run, problems with the underlying rationale for the mediational analysis will render the results inconsequential, in the best case, or misleading, in the worst case. Method: In this commentary, I summarize the uses of mediation analysis and through a series of six main types of errors provide practical, plain language guidance ("Dos and Don'ts") for conducting a conceptually robust mediation analysis. Results: The "Dos and Don'ts" laid out in this commentary highlight that there are persistent issues with lack of understanding of mediation, confusion about the differences between moderation, mediation, and covariates, lack of strong theoretical justification for mediation, and lack of attention to methodological issues (e.g., measurement) in many mediation analyses. Conclusions: Promoting the use of mediation analysis in rehabilitation research will advance theory and effective practice in our field. Researchers undertaking mediation analysis are encouraged to prioritize developing a strong theoretical framework that justifies use of mediation analysis, ensuring study methodology supports and enables tests of mediation, as well emphasizing a strong statistical approach to conducting the test of mediation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Atrial hiPSC-CM as a Pharmacologic Model to Evaluate Anti-AF Drugs: Some Lessons From I Kur.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) and atrial hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) have entered the arena of preclinical atrial fibrillation research. A central question is whether they reproduce the physiologic contribution of atrial selective potassium currents (such as the ultrarapid potassium current, I Kur ) to repolarization. Of note, 2 studies in single atrial hiPSC-CM reported prolongation of action potential duration by I Kur block indicating that I Kur might in fact represent a valuable target for the treatment of human atrial fibrillation. However, the results and interpretation are at odds with the literature on I Kur block in human atria and the results of clinical studies. We believe that the discrepancies indicate that experiments in single atrial CM (both adult atrial CM and atrial hiPSC-CM) might be misleading. Under particular experimental conditions, atrial hiPSC-CMs may not closely resemble the electrophysiology of the human atrium. Therefore, we recapitulate here methodological issues evaluating potential value of the I Kur as an antiarrhythmic target when investigated in animal models, in human atrial tissues, and finally in atrial hiPSC-CM.

A Protocol for a Bibliometric Analysis of Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine Research Preprints

Background: Traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) has witnessed significant growth in interest globally. Despite its popularity, TCIM research encounters numerous challenges including funding, methodological issues, and risk of bias. Preprints (scientific manuscripts openly accessible before formal peer review) present a potential solution, and understanding the characteristics and impact of TCIM preprints could offer valuable insights.Methods: A bibliometric analysis will be conducted on all TCIM-related preprints, since inception, and posted on preprint servers with TCIM subject filters. Preprints will be sourced from servers listed in the Accelerating Science and Publication in Biology directory which allow filtering by TCIM-related categories. The preprint server and URLs, preprint server’s disciplinary scope, ownership type, screening processes, external content indexing, permanence of content, preservation of content, and comments will be extracted. The number of TCIM-related preprints yielded, and which TCIM-related term each preprint server uses will be noted. Data will be extracted from each eligible preprint: preprint server, title, DOI, preprint posted date, status of preprint, journal of final publication, final publication date, type of preprint, abstract of preprint, authors, author affiliation(s), country of corresponding author, funders, number of views, number of downloads, number of comments, number of citations, number of versions, and keywords. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize the bibliometric characteristics, and trend analysis will identify publication patterns over time.Conclusion: This protocol was developed for a study to identify trends in TCIM research dissemination, and contribute to a better understanding of how preprints are being used to advance the field

Neurocognitive correlates of cerebral mitochondrial function and energy metabolism using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy in older adults.

The goal of the current study was to learn about the role of cerebral mitochondrial function on cognition. Based on established cognitive neuroscience, clinical neuropsychology, and cognitive aging literature, we hypothesized mitochondrial function within a focal brain region would map onto cognitive behaviors linked to that brain region. To test this hypothesis, we used phosphorous (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to derive indirect markers of mitochondrial function and energy metabolism across two regions of the brain (bifrontal, left temporal). We administered cognitive tasks sensitive to frontal-executive or temporal-hippocampal systems to a sample of 70 cognitively unimpaired older adults with subjective memory complaints and a first-degree family history of Alzheimer's disease and predicted better executive function and recent memory performance would be related to greater frontal and temporal 31P MRS indirect markers, respectively. Results of separate hierarchical linear regressions indicated better recent memory scores were related to 31P MRS indirect markers of lower static energy and higher energy reserve within the left temporal voxel; these findings were associated with moderate effect sizes. Contrary to predictions, executive function performance was unrelated to 31P MRS indirect markers within the bilateral frontal voxel, which may reflect a combination of theoretical and/or methodological issues. Findings represent a snapshot of the relationship between cognition and 31P MRS indirect markers of mitochondrial function, providing potential avenues for future work investigating mitochondrial underpinnings of cognition. 31P MRS may provide a sensitive neuroimaging marker for differences in aspects of memory among persons at-risk for mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

DAPNet: A Dual-Attention Parallel Network for the Prediction of Ship Fuel Consumption Based on Multi-Source Data

The precise prediction of ship fuel consumption (SFC) not only serves to enhance energy efficiency to benefit shipping enterprises but also to provide quantitative foundations to aid in carbon emission reduction and ecological environment protection. On the other hand, SFC-related data represent typical multi-source characteristics and heterogeneous features, which lead to several methodological issues (e.g., feature alignment and feature fusion) in SFC prediction. Therefore, this paper proposes a dual-attention parallel network named DAPNet to solve the above issues. Firstly, we design a parallel network structure containing two kinds of long short-term memory (LSTM) and improved temporal convolutional networks (TCNs) for time-series analysis tasks so that different source data can be applied to suitable networks. Secondly, a local attention mechanism is included in each single parallel network so as to improve the ability of feature alignment from different-scale training data. Finally, global attention is employed for the fusion of all parallel networks, which can enrich representation features and simultaneously enhance the performance of SFC prediction. In experiments, DAPNet is compared with 10 methods, including baseline and attention models. The comparison results show that DAPNet and several of its variants obtain the highest accuracy in SFC prediction.

A Critical Evaluation of the Updated Transgender Attitudes and Beliefs Scale

ABSTRACT The article critiques the adaptation of the Transgender Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (TABS). While commending the modernization of language, the critique highlights methodological issues, including limited sample diversity, overemphasis on terminology changes, and a lack of test-retest reliability. Additionally, the study is criticized for inadequate theoretical engagement and insufficient exploration of practical applications, particularly in healthcare. Recommendations for future research include incorporating more diverse samples and deeper theoretical analysis to enhance the scale’s utility.

La construcción del conocimiento a partir de los proyectos de investigación de cátedra

Research has always been a challenge and, in the social imaginary, it is a task carried out by expert professionals, with extensive mastery of theoretical and methodological issues. This means that research practice is presented as a utopia that is, sometimes, unachievable by those who do not have the aforementioned expertise, distancing it as an alternative for intervention and articulation between theory and the contributions provided by the context. In this work, it will be presented how, from the Career of Bachelor in Psychopedagogy of the Catholic University of Santiago del Estero and thanks to the proposal generated from the Prosecretariat of Research of the Faculty of Health Sciences, the research processes, tied to the chairs of the curriculum, made it possible for both teachers and advanced students to carry out processes of inquiry into reality, from a psychopedagogical position, and, at the same time, to develop complex competencies linked to the research.

Non-Surgical Approaches to the Management of the Intrathoracic Goiter—A Systematic Review

Background: Intrathoracic goiters (ITGs) are usually managed by surgical excision, However, over recent years, non-surgical strategies are emerging as an alternatives for treating this condition. Methods: A systematic review of research published since 2017 in the PubMed database was conducted and a total of 39 articles were retrieved, along with methodological issues and future directions in the research on ITGs. Results: Several non-surgical treatments exist, including radio-iodine ablation (RIA) and mini-invasive approaches, such as transcervical microwave ablation (TcMA), transcervical radiofrequency ablation (TcRfA), or selective embolization of the thyroid arteries (SETA). Despite encouraging reports, their current use remains limited. Conclusions: Treatment of ITGs requires a multidisciplinary thyroid team, and when non-surgical options are chosen, patients need to be carefully selected, and their outcomes must be prudently considered and discussed with the patient.

The Office of Shaykh al-‘Aql of the Druze in Lebanon

This book forum centers on Said Abou Zaki's Arabic book, “The Office of Shaykh al-‘Aql of the Druze in Lebanon.” It includes contributions from various scholars, each offering a unique perspective on the historical and institutional analysis of Druze religious leadership in Lebanon: Tuba Yildiz, Yusri Hazran, Akram Khater, and Abdul Rahman M. Chamseddine. Yildiz acknowledges the lack of historical readings and erroneous information in early 20th-century works on the Druze. She appreciates Abou Zaki's comprehensive study of Lebanese and Ottoman perspectives, offering a broader understanding of the Druze religious institution's development and its connection with the Ottoman Empire's socio-religious policies. Hazran commends the book for providing a comprehensive historical study of the Druze community's religious and spiritual leadership, shedding light on its evolution from the 11th century through to the Ottoman Empire's fall. Although the book excels in its research methods and historical insights, Hazran suggests strengthening it by addressing specific methodological and historical issues, such as placing the discussion on existing narratives and substantiating Emir Bashir Shihab II's role in the schism. Khater highlights the internal tensions in Abou Zaki's book arising from its threefold goals: serving as a historiographical essay, an origins story, and a history of Mashyakhat al-‘Aql. Khater commends the work's critical review of existing literature and acknowledges the book's significant contribution to understanding the position of Shaykh al-‘Aql amidst political crises. Chamseddine praised Abou Zaki's critical historiographical approach and genealogical method. Chamseddine highlights the importance of integrating oral histories and local traditions into academic research. He notes that Abou Zaki's work sheds light on the Druze community's religious evolution, although he critiques the book's occasional lack of coherence due to abrupt transitions and unexplained terminology. The reviewers concluded that the book constitutes a significant contribution to Druze Studies.

Ultra-processed food intake and type 2 diabetes: A dose-response meta-analyses of prospective studies

Abstract Studies suggested a positive association between ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, the magnitude of association varies across studies due to differences in population characteristics and methodological issues. It is also unclear about the exact shape of the association and whether the association is independent of diet quality and adiposity. We conducted a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies to summarize the association between UPF intake and T2DM risk. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Embase were searched through Jan. 2024 to identify relevant studies. Using random-effects models, summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for each of the following unit increment in UPF intake: 10% (of total g/d), 100-g/d, and 1-serving/d. A non-linear dose-response meta-analysis was conducted using restricted cubic spline analysis. After screening 569 publications, 12 prospective cohort studies were included in this study. The summary RRs associated with every 10%, 100-g, and 1-serving increment in UPF intake were 1.13 (95% CI = 1.10-1.16), 1.05 (95% CI = 1.03-1.06), and 1.04 (95% CI = 1.03-1.05), respectively. The positive associations remained statistically significant after additional adjustment for diet quality, BMI, and total energy intake. The dose-response curve for g/d of UPF intake suggested evidence of nonlinearity (p-nonlinearity=0.0005), showing a steeper increase in risk at UPF intake >300 g/d. However, evidence for non-linearity was not observed with % and serving/d of UPF intake. The association did not significantly vary by method and timing of UPF assessment. Higher summary RRs were observed among studies from Europe and North America compared with those from other countries (p-heterogeneity=0.048). Our data suggest that higher UPF intake may increase T2DM risk, independent of diet quality and adiposity. Key messages • Higher intake of ultra-processed food is positively associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. • Public health strategies should encourage healthier dietary choices by emphasizing reduction of UPF intake in dietary guidelines and implementing regulations on manufacturing and labeling of UPF.

Health, an ageing labour force, and the economy: Does health moderate the relationship between population age-structure and economic growth?

Abstract Research often suggests that population ageing will be detrimental for the economy due to increased labour market exits and lost productivity, however the role of population health and disability at older ages is not well established. Identifying whether the health of older people affects economic outcomes is challenging due to methodological issues. Using country-level panel data, we estimate the relationship between the size of the older working age population (aged 55-69) and economic growth across 180 countries from 1990 to 2017. We run models using annual data and 5-year moving averages of real per capita GDP growth as dependent variables. This enables us to quantify the gains in real per capita GDP growth associated with a healthy older working-age population on a country-by-country basis. The initial models confirm an inverse-U or hump-shaped relationship between population age groups and economic growth. In the 5 year average GDP growth model, the coefficient for the inverse of YLDs among 55-69 year olds is positive and significant at p < 0.01. The interaction term is significant at p < 0.001 in the same model. Across all countries, a 5% improvement in YLDs is associated with at minimum 0.3% predicted additional annual real per capita GDP growth. While a larger share of the older working-age population at ages 55-69 has historically been associated with slower real per capita GDP growth, low levels of disability in this age group can reduce or even eliminate these adverse economic effects. We consistently find a significant positive interaction between disability and the share of the population at ages 55-69, suggesting that adverse economic effects are amenable to policy intervention.

Real-Time Monitoring of Visitor Carrying Capacity in Crowded Historic Streets Through Digital Technologies

This paper addresses methodological issues related to the identification and monitoring of visitor overcrowding and congestion situations in historic centres. Once the visitor carrying capacity was estimated for public spaces, taking into consideration the standards of quality and comfort for visitor experience and those related to the desired conditions for heritage assets’ conservation, digital real-time monitoring tools were implemented in an experimental urban area in Valencia, Spain, in order to know, through the establishment of proxemic triggers, when the standards were violated (or may soon be violated); then, the carrying capacity was exceeded, and management actions may be required. The results show that these digital monitoring tools are very efficient and accurate in micro-scale public spaces, user-friendly and affordably priced.

Decoding Metadiscourse Markers in Estonian Academic Texts: A Language-Specific Perspective

This article presents the development of a specialized data set for analyzing Estonian metadiscourse markers in academic usage, extending Hyland's interpersonal metadiscourse model to a non–Indo-European language. Our goal is to show how metadiscourse, as a feature of a writing tradition, can reveal aspects of writing in languages other than English, complementing the traditionally Anglo-centric perspective in metadiscourse research. By analyzing 21 Estonian linguistics research articles, we offer a transparent procedure to address methodological issues in metadiscourse studies and demonstrate the need for language-specific adjustments in the framework. We introduce statistical methods for analyzing multidimensional associations among marker categories, linguistic level, and rhetorical text structure. The findings suggest that Hyland’s metadiscourse model can be adjusted for specific languages, highlighting the influence of language structure on metadiscourse category variation and linguistic expression levels. The study reinforces that the distribution and manifestation of metadiscourse are shaped, among other factors, by unique writing traditions.

The economics of mental ill-health in the EU/EEA

Abstract This presentation will provide an overview of the challenges and costs of mental ill health in 29 EU/EEA countries and an economic assessment of options to address current policy gaps. Nearly 20% of people in the EU/EEA experience mental ill health, with a particularly high prevalence among vulnerable groups such as people on low incomes or young people. However, in the majority of cases, and particularly for those with milder forms, these conditions go undiagnosed. Even when diagnosed, access to quality health services is sub-optimal, mainly due to financial issues or waiting times. The European Union and its Member States have identified mental ill health as a major public health threat, but there are still significant policy gaps and a lack of evidence on the most effective and cost-effective interventions to implementation. Building on its methodology for identifying and evaluating better public health policies for better lives, the OECD has recently extended the scope of its economic work to mental health. This presentation will start by providing an estimate of the health and economic burden of mental ill health in EU/EEA countries and will present evaluations of best practices in this field recently introduced by EU Member States. The talk will not only present the results of the analyses but will also use the identified case studies to discuss the approach used and some of the methodological issues involved in carrying out economic analysis for a set of diseases with high burden but relatively low mortality.

Working on new applications: Use of economic evaluation in burden of disease estimates

Abstract Burden of disease (BoD) analyses provide policy-makers with useful evidence to prioritise policy responses to major public health threats. Increasingly, however, epidemiological data alone is not considered as sufficient to inform decisions, particularly when funding is allocated within a single government approach and different sectors compete for a larger share of the overall budget. Similarly, other funders, such as charities and foundations, may want to prioritise budget allocation between health and non-health objectives. In all these cases, traditional BoD analyses need to be complemented by economic evaluations. In its simplest form, the economic component may mean adding an assessment of the healthcare costs caused by the diseases in the study. A more comprehensive, though still with limitations, approach is to use monetary values to measure the extent to which individuals are willing to exchange their income - which can be spent on other things - for the health outcomes they experience. Finally, in its most advanced and comprehensive form, analyses can include assessments of a number of relevant dimensions, such as those in the OECD’s Better Life Index. The latter approach is also consistent with, and its results support the implementation of, a health in all policies approach. This presentation will look at traditional and innovative approaches that can be used to add an economic dimension to BoD analyses. After introducing the rationale and key methodological issues of each approach, the presentation will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each methodology and will identify areas where their use can be beneficial in guiding the decision-making process. Examples of the use of these methodologies in real-world analyses will also be presented to support the theoretical part of the discussion.

Is It Possible to Combine Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions in Schizophrenia? A Critical Review

In schizophrenia, it was suggested that an integrated and multimodal approach, combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, could improve functional outcomes and clinical features in patients living with schizophrenia (PLWS). Among these alternatives, evidence-based psychosocial interventions (EBPIs) and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) represent feasible treatment options targeting the clinical features that are unmet needs of PLWS (especially negative and cognitive symptoms). As no clear evidence is available on the combination of these non-pharmacological approaches, this review aimed to collect the available literature on the combination of EBPIs and NIBS in the treatment of PLWS. We demonstrated that the field of combining EBPIs and NIBS in schizophrenia is in its infancy, as only 11 studies were reviewed. In fact, only a few trials, with divergent results, combined these non-pharmacological modalities; while emerging evidence is available on the combination of cognitive remediation and rTMS/iTBS, inconclusive results were obtained. Conversely, albeit preliminary, more solid findings are available on the combination of HF-rTMS and family intervention. Moreover, despite the fact that cognitive activation could not be considered an EBPI, promising results are available in combination with tDCS to improve the working memory domain. To overcome these limitations, we considered several methodological issues to promote research in this field.