Secondary Sources Research Articles

The State of Knowledge of CCA Diversity in the Caribbean Coral Reefs

Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are a diverse and ecologically important species found in most of the world’s oceans. The current lack of taxonomic knowledge and relative abundance compromises our ability to predict species diversity numbers and, thus, their ecological roles and impacts on coral reefs. To gather a better understanding of the state of knowledge of crustose coralline algae taxonomy in the Caribbean, 107 different research papers, and other primary and secondary literature were studied; any source with taxonomical information, species identification, or genetic markers for identification was recorded. All Genebank codes were collected and sorted by supposed species marker and then ran through the National Center of Biotechnology Information. The location these genetic markers were gathered from was compared to the natural habitat range of the species, based on the Algaebank habitat description. Of the supposed 83 described species of crustose algae in the Caribbean, based on morphological characteristics, only 24 total were confirmed by DNA markers. This leaves at least 59 species of CCA to be confirmed in the Caribbean Sea with molecular markers. This indicates the importance of DNA barcode survey studies to assess the accurate diversity of this group in the region. With this limited knowledge apparent, it should be seen that a CCAs phylogenetic and taxonomical review must be done. An in-depth assessment should be conducted on CCA collections to identify the Caribbean species correctly and thus know their biodiversity in local habitats.

Barriers of Three-Dimensional Printing in Craniofacial Plastic Surgery Practice: A Pilot Study and Literature Review.

Three-dimensional printing (3Dp) and modeling have demonstrated increasing utility within plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS). This study aims to understand the prevalence of how this technology is utilized in craniofacial surgery, as well as identify barriers that may limit its integration into practice. A survey was developed to assess participant demographics, characteristics of 3Dp use, and barriers to utilizing three-dimensional technologies in practice. The survey was distributed to practicing craniofacial surgeons. A secondary literature review was conducted to identify solutions for barriers and potential areas for innovation. Fifteen complete responses (9.7% response rate) were analyzed. The majority (73%) reported using three-dimensional modeling and printing in their practice, primarily for surgical planning. The majority (64%) relied exclusively on outside facilities to print the models, selecting resources required to train self and staff (55%), followed by the cost of staff to run the printer (36%), as the most common barriers affecting 3Dp use in their practice. Of those that did not use 3Dp, the most common barrier was lack of exposure (75%). The literature review revealed cost-lowering techniques with materials, comparability of desktop commercial printers to industrial printers, and incorporation of open-source software. The main barrier to integrating 3Dp in craniofacial plastic and reconstructive surgery practice is the perceived cost associated with utilizing the technology. Ongoing literature highlights the cost-utility of in-house 3Dp technologies and practical cost-saving methods. The authors' results underscore the need for broad exposure for currently practicing attendings and trainees in 3Dp practices and other evolving technologies.

The Current State of Evidence Regarding Audiologist-Provided Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for the Management of Tinnitus: A Scoping Review

Background: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for tinnitus management is effective and widely recommended by national and international practice guidelines. However, all the evidence for CBT so far has come from Psychologist-led programs, and the potential role of Audiologists in providing CBT for tinnitus remains an important consideration. Objectives: This study sets out to systematically map the body of literature relating to Audiologist-provided CBT for tinnitus, in order to summarise the current state of evidence and determine directions for future research. Eligibility criteria: Sources were eligible for inclusion if they addressed the concept of Audiologist-provided CBT. No restrictions were imposed on the date of publication. Only sources published in English were included. Sources of evidence: A wide range of primary and secondary literature sources were sought. Charting methods: Data from included sources were charted systematically using a pre-designed data charting form. Results: Of the 267 identified sources, 30 were included in this review. This included both primary and secondary literature sources. Primary sources were compared and showed variation across Audiologist-provided CBT programs both in terms of procedural details and from a research standpoint. Conclusions: A growing body of evidence has addressed the concept of Audiologist-provided CBT. Directions for future research include further primary research with an increased focus on face-to-face Audiologist-provided CBT, and a comparison of the outcomes of Audiologist-provided vs. Psychologist-provided CBT.

The Influence of Leadership and Motivation on Employee Work Discipline at Fave Hotel Olo Padang

The study was undertaken to explore how leadership and motivation impact employee work discipline at Fave Hotel Padang. The primary objective is the investigation of the correlation between leadership, motivation, and work discipline. The research methodology employed was quantitative in nature. The data utilized in the study comprised both primary and secondary sources. The study's target population encompassed the staff of Fave Hotel Padang. A sample size of 30 employees was selected using a non-probability sampling technique. Data collection was facilitated through a questionnaire designed with a Likert scale, which was pretested for validity and reliability. The collected data were subjected to analysis using SPSS 25.00 software.The findings of the study revealed that leadership was classified as moderately satisfactory (46.67%). Furthermore, the motivational aspect was rated positively (80%), while the variable of work discipline garnered an agreeable response (76.67%). The influence exerted by leadership (X1) and motivation (X2) on work discipline (Y) was determined to be 24.1% and 75.9% respectively, with other factors contributing to the remaining impact. Further analysis unveiled that the leadership variable (X1) displayed a Beta or Standardized Coefficient value of 0.086, surpassing the threshold of 0, accompanied by a T-count value of (0.400) with a significance level of 0.002, lower than 0.05. Hence, it can be deduced that the leadership variable (X1) exhibits a significant and favorable impact on work discipline (Y). Similarly, the hypothesis stemming from the motivation segment of the research displayed a Beta or Standardized Coefficient value of 0.110, surpassing the threshold of 0, coupled with a calculated T-value of (0.511) at a significance level of 0.013, also less than 0.05. This underscores the fact that the motivational (X2) significantly and positively affects work discipline (Y).

Indicators of Sovereign Risk of South Africa’s International Monetary Fund Loan: The Nexus Between Political Risks and Economic Growth

Upon the approval of the 70 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan for South Africa, concerns have emerged over the affordability of this loan and its impact on the economy and sovereignty of the country. South Africa’s ability to pay its IMF loan is assured because its track record of loan repayment is good, considering that the loan is repayable in five years at an interest rate of 1.1%. This study explores political and economic indicators of sovereign risk of South Africa’s IMF loan taken in 2020. The tenets of sovereign risk are being explored in a South African context. The significance of this study lies in understanding sovereign risk from a South African context and forecasting the country’s capacity and sustainability of servicing its IMF debt. This study presents a special and underexplored case of sovereign risk mainly due to 2020 being the first time South Africa has taken an IMF loan since the inception of a democracy in 1994. This qualitative study heavily relies on secondary literature, theories, and predictive forecasting models and is aided by descriptive statistics to reach its conclusion. Findings from the Council of Foreign Relations used the CFR Sovereign risk tracker designed to gauge the susceptibility of emerging economy to default on external debt.

Implementation of Technological Upgradation in Public Distribution System in India for Ensuring Availability, Accessibility and Affordability

The largest initiative to reduce poverty in India is the public distribution system (PDS), which uses a network of fair-pricing shops to supply highly subsidised food grains in order to fulfil necessities of households living below poverty line. PDS's primary objective is to buy food grains from farmers. This is to ensure that grain is distributed, stored, and transported so that people in need have access to food. The Indian government has thus upgraded the PDS's technology in an attempt to increase its transparency. To close this gap between technology and citizen benefits, e-government makes use of technical intermediaries like ration Integrated Weight Management System (IWMS), Management Information System (MIS), Inventory management system, etc. The focus of the government is to enact a number of administrative and technological changes under the centralised online real-time electronic public distribution system in order to empower end users of the PDS supply. In this context this paper deals with the number of difficulties when distribution system switches from manual to automated transactions, dealer of fair price shop, who employs the technologies. Based on secondary literature, the objective of this paper is to understand the challenges associated with implementing technology at the point of sale during distribution, as well as study the status of the implementation technological based distribution system. Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 11, Issue-(1-2): 1-6.

The population trend of the largest breeding colony of the Indian Swiftlet Aerodramus unicolor: is it on the verge of extinction?

Fluctuations in animal populations are indicators of environmental change. Populations of the Indian Swiftlet Aerodramus unicolor on the Burnt and Old Lighthouse islands of Vengurla rocks, Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra were assessed using the logistic growth model. The study used secondary literature and primary surveys to estimate breeding population sizes on both islands. To understand population dynamics, we calculated the carrying capacity (K) using the Verhulst population growth model, and the percent rate of change in populations. Swiftlet populations on both islands are considered to be the maximum size their habitat can sustain, not exceeding 5,000 and 246 birds on Burnt and Old Lighthouse islands, respectively. These populations were observed to fluctuate between 2020 and 2023, with change rates of 5.5% on Burnt Island, and -53% on Old Lighthouse Island. The logistic growth model indicates that these Indian Swiftlet populations are fluctuating near the carrying capacities of their habitats, which could gradually lead to extinction. This highlights the urgent need for conservation and regular monitoring of these populations in Vengurla rocks.

A decolonial analysis of religious medicalisation of same-sex practices in South African Pentecostalism

Same-sex practices are commonly medicalised in various global spaces. Some societies view same-sex practices as some form of disease that needs to be cured. In Africa, the influence of Christianity has prompted many communities to conclude that there are spiritual forces behind same-sex orientations and practices. Therefore, same-sex practices are demonised, and those identifying with these sexualities and gender identities are viewed as sick, or as having some form of mental illness. As a fast-growing and influential movement in South Africa, Christianity plays a critical role in this narrative. Against this backdrop, this article examined how some Pentecostal pastors in South Africa use God-talk to propel the narrative that medicalises same-sex practices and how these pastors claim to have miraculous powers to heal these practices. Consequently, the gender and sexuality commonly accepted within African religiosity and spirituality are pushed to the peripheries. Therefore, it is argued in this article that the colonial-missionary discourses regarding African sexualities and genders are at play within the religious medicalisation of same-sex narratives. Thus, there is a need to problematise and transform this narrative. This act can contribute to delinking African genders and sexualities from Western repressions and subjugation agendas. The discussion moved from the premise of decoloniality while adopting a multidisciplinary approach that incorporated theology, gender and sexuality studies, psychology, health, and socio-political sciences. Again, the article used secondary literature analysis to examine this phenomenon and to gain a thorough understanding of how African Pentecostalism continues to use God-talk to medicalise same-sex practices in contemporary South Africa and the repercussions thereof.Contribution: The study contributed to the existing knowledge that addresses religious challenges faced by people identifying with non-normative sexualities and genders in Africa. This can contribute to the transformation of religious medicalisation of same-sex practices in South Africa, and elsewhere.

Challenges and Institutional Barriers to Forest and Landscape Restoration in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

Preventing, halting, and reversing ecosystem degradation is now a global priority, partly due to the declaration of the United Nations (UN) Decade on Ecosystem Restoration by the UN General Assembly 2021–2030 on 1 March 2019. Apart from the most recent global target to protect 30% of the natural planet by 2030 as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed during COP15, there are several other global goals and targets. The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has also pledged to restore 0.75 million hectares of forests as part of the Bonn Challenge. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh contain almost one-third of the country’s state-owned forests and are home to 12 ethnic communities, whose livelihoods are dependent on forests. Although once rich in biodiversity, the majority of the forests in the region are highly degraded due to faulty management, complex institutional arrangements, and land disputes with locals. The CHT, therefore, represent the most promising region for ecosystem restoration through forest and landscape restoration (FLR). Here, using the secondary literature, we examine the current institutional arrangements and drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the CHT region and potential benefits and modalities to make FLR successful in the region. Based on our study, we suggest that institutional reform is essential for successful FLR in the CHT. We also discuss key interventions that are necessary to halt ecosystem degradation and to secure community participation in natural resources management in the region.

The Salvation Army, Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof

This article explores the convergences and divergences between the Salvation Army, Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof up to 1939. While the secondary literature makes passing reference to the influence of the Salvation Army on Arnold, no study has examined what it was about this movement which initially attracted him to it and would lead to lifelong appreciation of the Booths and their Army. This article addresses this gap in the literature. It argues that it was the Salvationist presentation of a living, Spirit-filled Christianity as opposed to a dead and establishment-oriented faith in Arnold's mind that best constitutes this relationship.

Characterising CSCW Research on Human-Robot Collaboration

Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) is an increasingly prominent topic in CSCW. From telepresence systems through field robots for extreme missions to social robots in homes, HRC is becoming a recurring theme across a broad range of CSCW research. Based on the growing interest, we explore the coupling of the field of CSCW and research on robotics at this critical time. This paper presents a primary and secondary literature review of CSCW proceedings and venues for robotics research. We identified 29 CSCW papers that contribute to the body of HRC research and analyse the foundations on which these papers rely. Then, we identified 138 papers published in robotics outlets that either (1) cite one or more CSCW papers, or (2) use the term CSCW. We discuss how CSCW is currently contributing to HRC research through five research topics: Sociomateriality, teamwork, awareness, embodiment, and communication. The paper contributes by offering three key future pathways for expanding this area of research, outlining questions and gaps that have yet to be explored for (1) expanding the application domains and diversifying robot types for HRC, (2) methodological implications for HRC, and (3) learning from human collaboration.

Macroeconomic determinants of multidimensional risk of Islamic banks across the world

Banking system crises and bank failures can have painful impacts. Being an Islamic Bank is riskier than being a conventional bank. As IBIs risk management emphasizes risk-sharing, conventional banks transfer their risk to borrowers. In our study, we have taken 4 risk factors which are Rate of Return Risk, Operational Risk, Credit Risk and Liquidity Risk, as a proxy of all the risks faced by IBIs and developed a Composite Risk Index using these major risk indicators of Islamic banks. Further, this study has proposed indicators like Size1 for liquid assets and Size2 for fixed assets, as in Islamic banks, there is no concept of money markets. The data for the research was collected from the secondary sources of Islamic banks’ financial statements, the EIKON database and World development indicators. The data for 96 Islamic banks were analyzed. The data was analyzed through Python, R and Stata. This study is instrumental in using the unsupervised machine learning clustering algorithm known as KMeans to estimate the prevalent risk level of the bank by aggregating four-dimensional risk indicators to form a single indicator. Moreover, the study explored macroeconomic determinants i.e., Asymmetric Stock Market, Real Business Cycle (GDP), Regulatory Quality and Economic Globalization of the Composite Risk Index and developed a channel via which it affects the risk level of banks. The results showed that in a country, better regulatory quality, higher fixed assets and economic boom in the business cycle play an important role in reducing the risk level of Islamic banks. This study provides a quantified contribution of Islamic banking to social welfare, compared to focusing on the numbers of risk indicators only and comparing it with fixed boundaries developed for the case other indicators.

The spectre of Ma Phyu? Loyalty, competence, and the spatial dynamics of imperial administration in colonial Burma

Abstract This article explores the spatial dynamics of imperial administration in colonial Burma through the lens of gender, bureaucracy, and frontier. Focusing on the story of Hugh Ernest McColl, a British administrative officer in Burma who struggled for promotion as a result of his marriage to a Burmese woman, the article sheds light on the spatial dynamics regarding loyalty, competence, and political priorities in the imperial administration of frontiers. Such spatial dynamics were most clearly manifested in the diverging attitudes between central authorities and local governments towards McColl’s case. Drawing on archival sources and secondary literature that contextualize McColl’s case within the broader textures of colonial governance, this article argues that McColl’s case reveals the internal contradiction of the imperial administration, which saw a constant tension between the ideological imperatives of control and the practical demands of how to control. McColl’s story is therefore a story of broader significance—of the inherent structural contradiction of colonial rule and its inability to overcome it.

Rescuing Hegel from Eurocentrism: Oriental Reconstructions of Hegel's Orient

Abstract Hegel's Eurocentrism has become something of an elephant in the room, too obvious to merit discussion. The secondary literature on Hegel often concedes that many of Hegel's comments about the Orient are misguided and uninformed, and then declares that such remarks are of no consequence to his philosophy. However, recently, some scholars have contended that Hegel's view of freedom is fundamentally connected to his negative vision of the Orient and Africa. For example, Alison Stone asserts that Hegel's idea of freedom is premised on his Eurocentrism and colonialism. Drawing on Peter Sahota's essay on Hegel and Hinduism, she argues that Hegel's idea of freedom as liberation from nature tends to exclude non-Western conceptions of freedom. If Stone's contention is true, there would be no way to, as she puts it, save Hegel from himself. I argue that we can move some way towards rescuing Hegel by noting how scholars from modern Asia incorporated some of Hegel's ideas to struggle against Eurocentrism. This essay will read Hegel's comments on the Orient in light of his larger philosophy and then examine how Japanese scholars, specifically Okakura Tenshin (1863–1913) construct what could be called a Hegel-inspired defense of the concept of Asia or the Orient. I claim that if one understands the excesses of Western life to be linked to a vision of freedom based merely on self-interest and pleasure, when scholars and activists from Asia question Western culture, they actually follow Hegel's insights. Okakura, who studied Hegel in college, rethought Asia as overcoming the abstract individualist freedom of the West and replacing it a more holistic, and partially, Hegelian form of freedom.

Land reform in the United States: Lost cause or simply a cause that has been lost?

In this commentary, I consider the topic of “land reform” in the United States, addressing the status of land reform as a key concept and goal among agrifood scholars, food/farm movements, and government actors. I do so in order to encourage sustainable food advocates to consider land reform’s importance, its social basis, and its challenges. Informed by secondary literature and my own thinking and doing over 20 years of food systems activism and research, I ask: Why isn’t land reform more prominent as a central objective? What dynamics keep land reform off the agenda of U.S. agrarian and food movements? What can previous histories of land reform agitation teach us? How can the elements necessary to advance toward land reform in the United States be built? I explore land reform’s lack with an eye especially to those explanations that open up potential avenues for action, in order to spark conversation on potential barriers to land reform efforts, and to suggest potential ways to overcome them. I discuss political-economic, ideological, and organizational barriers and emphasize the role of anticommunism in shaping today’s land politics among food and farming movements. It is hoped that the commentary offers researchers and practitioners actionable insights into the need for a land reform agenda, potential strategies toward a land reform agenda, and an honest assessment of the impediments to that agenda’s advance.

Global pharmaceutical care approaches to autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review protocol.

The aim of the review is to map the literary evidence on pharmaceutical care approaches and trends being seen globally in the treatment of the signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition synonymous with sliding-scale behavioral, communication, and social problems. Causes include genetic and environmental factors. Pharmaceuticals are prescribed to treat the behavioral patterns of ASD. This review will incorporate studies that report on the pharmaceutical care approaches used to treat the signs and symptoms of ASD as well as to identify the global trends related to their use. Studies not falling under the ASD umbrella will be excluded. All primary, secondary, and gray literature will be included. No language restrictions will be applied. Studies from January 1, 1984 will be included. This review will be conducted in line with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. A preliminary search of MEDLINE will be followed by searches of Emcare (Ovid), Nursing and Allied Health Premium (ProQuest), and Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts and extract data from selected sources. A third reviewer will adjudicate any conflicts until consensus is reached. The findings will be presented in a narrative summary with accompanying gap maps, figures, and tables. Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/C234M.

The functional and psychological impact of delayed hip and knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 89,996 patients

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the impact of presurgical waiting times on pre-/post-operative joint specific pain and function, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and perspectives of patients awaiting primary elective total hip (THR) and knee (TKR) replacements. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PUBMED, and CENTRAL databases were searched from inception until 30th January 2023 (CRD42022288128). Secondary literature and unpublished datasets containing paediatric, non-elective, partial, or revision replacement populations were excluded. PRISMA 2020 reporting and GRADE certainty of evidence guidelines were followed. Residual maximum likelihood meta-analysis and linear meta-regression was performed to elucidate the influence of presurgical waiting time. Twenty-six studies were eligible for systematic review and sixteen for meta-analysis, capturing 89,996 patients (60.6% female, mean age 67.4 years) between 2001 and 2022. A significant deterioration in joint function (mean difference (MD):0.0575%; 95% CI 0.0064, 0.1086; p = 0.028(4d.p.); I2 = 73.1%) and HRQOL (MD: 0.05%; 95% CI − 0.0001.0009; p = 0.011(4 d.p.); I2 = 80.6%) was identified per additional day of waiting. Despite qualitative evidence, meta-analysis could not observe a relationship with postoperative outcome data. Patient responses to delayed THR and TKR surgery were unanimously negative. Immediate action should seek to reduce the increased patient anxiety and significant reductions in pre-operative joint functionality and HRQOL associated with prolonged pre-surgical waiting time, whilst mitigating any potential deleterious post-operative effects.

“We know what we do”: an agency-structure analysis of political vigilantism in Ghana

Political vigilantism has come out as an offshoot of the violence that characterises multi party elections in Ghana. Several studies on political vigilantism give primacy to the role of structural factors in explaining the phenomenon in Ghana. However, such a notion deprives political vigilantes of any sense of agency and further evades how the understanding of the interaction between agency and structure can offer deeper insights into the phenomenon of political vigilantism. The paper argues that political vigilantes should be characterised as agents who can make decisions about the actions that they undertake and not solely determined by the constraints of structure. The actions of political vigilantes are mediated through social structures that shape the options available to them. Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, 41 key informants were selected for the study in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale. The study employed both primary and secondary data sources. Whereas secondary data was sourced from desk reviews, primary data was collected through interviews and focus group discussions. The narratives were thematically analysed. The study findings show that members of political vigilante groups are conscious agents and for that matter decide and act either autonomously or relationally despite existing pressures from social structures. In addition, the paper shows that the exercise of agency among the vigilantes is inseparable from structure as the structure is reproduced and changed through the actions of the political vigilantes who in turn are shaped through the structures that they occupy. Therefore, policy responses to political violence should consider the two sides of the equation by working simultaneously on the behaviour of political actors and resolving the circumstances that facilitate political violence

Source genres in history writing

ABSTRACT Sources need categorisation to ensure that from an overabundance of material the most relevant sources are used. Commonly, the separation between tradition and relics, or between primary and secondary sources has been used for this and was taught in history courses as well as used in bibliographies of historiographies. The use of these categorizations, however, are at least since the cultural turn controversially discussed, and their significance is questioned. The need for categorizations for the ever-growing stock of sources available to historical researchers has, nonetheless, not diminished. This article discusses different approaches to source genres, how and why it matters if they are categorized as tradition, relic, primary or secondary source. Furthermore, suggestions are offered on how the cultural and social historian may preselect their sources, what it means to categorise sources for the research questions and the possible results, and what alternatives to approaching and selecting sources could look like. Based on a discussion of historiographical works on the later Stuart period, this article will show how source genres can be used to further historical research after the cultural turns.

Entanglement Detection: A Scoping Review

Quantum entanglement is a critical physical process in quantum mechanics and quantum information theory. It is a required process in quantum computing, quantum teleportation, and quantum cryptography. Entanglement detection affects the performance of quantum information processing tasks. Entanglement detection has grown in popularity over the years, and various entanglement detection methods are available, though some have application and system scale limitations. This scoping review sought to identify various measurement methods for entanglement detection in both bipartite and multipartite entanglement systems. Secondary resource indexed literatures were selected based on specific keywords from literatures published between 2017 and 2021. The goal of this study is to present a proposed conceptual framework of entanglement detection based on previous work as a guidance and reference founded on one’s specific requirements.