Social Sciences Research Articles

Impact of family history of breast disease on knowledge, attitudes, and breast cancer preventive practices among reproductive-age females

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, presenting an increasing public health challenge, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. However, data on the knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices regarding breast cancer and the associated factors among females in Wollo, Ethiopia, remain limited. AIM To assess the impact of family history (FH) of breast disease on knowledge, attitudes, and breast cancer preventive practices among reproductive-age females. METHODS A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in May and June 2022 in Northeast Ethiopia and involved 143 reproductive-age females with FH of breast diseases and 209 without such a history. We selected participants using the systematic random sampling technique. We analyzed the data using Statistical Package for Social Science version 25 software, and logistic regression analysis was employed to determine odds ratios for variable associations, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS Among participants with FH of breast diseases, the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices were found to be 83.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 77.9-89.9], 49.0% (95%CI: 40.8-57.1), and 74.1% (95%CI: 66.9-81.3), respectively. In contrast, among those without FH of breast diseases, these levels were significantly decreased to 10.5% (95%CI: 6.4-14.7), 32.1% (95%CI: 25.7-38.4), and 16.7% (95%CI: 11.7-21.8), respectively. This study also indicated that knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices related to breast cancer are significantly higher among participants with FH of breast diseases compared to those without HF breast diseases. CONCLUSION Educational status, monthly income, and community health insurance were identified as significant factors associated with the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices regarding breast cancer among reproductive-age females.

Entrepreneurial resilience and the wellbeing of women entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industry of Uganda

Purpose The purpose of the study is to establish the impact of entrepreneurial resilience on the wellbeing of women entrepreneurs. The study also examines how individual dimensions of entrepreneurial resilience (hardiness, optimism and resourcefulness) impact the wellbeing of women entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industry of Uganda. Design/methodology/approach This study is cross-sectional and used a self-administered questionnaire to gather data from women entrepreneurs. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences to run the descriptive, correlational and multiple regression analyses. Findings The results indicate that entrepreneurial resilience as a global variable significantly impacts wellbeing of women entrepreneurs and at the dimensional level, only hardiness significantly impacts the wellbeing of women entrepreneurs unlike optimism and resourcefulness. Originality/value This study is one of the limited investigations that have interrogated resilience and the wellbeing of women entrepreneurs using evidence from a developing nation where government and non-government organizations are still grappling with uplifting the position of women, including those engaged in entrepreneurial activities. The major contribution of this study lies in its focus on how the dimensions of entrepreneurial resilience explain the wellbeing of women entrepreneurs operating in Uganda’s hospitality and tourism industry which is mostly dominated by women compared to their male counterparts.

Endoscopic evaluation of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in high-risk populations for hepatitis B and C: A cross-sectional study

Objective This cross-sectional study investigates the prevalence and clinical outcomes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) among patients at a tertiary care center. It focuses on esophageal varices and their association with hepatitis C and B infections. Methods A total of 383 patients aged 18 and above who presented with UGIB were included. Data was collected from the hospital’s endoscopy department and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and R package. Key variables included age, gender, endoscopic findings, and the presence of esophageal varices. Fisher’s exact test was used to evaluate the association between hepatitis infections and variceal bleeding. The statistical significance cut-off was p-value <0.05. Results The mean age of the 383 patients was 56 ± 11 years, with a male predominance (55.4%). Esophageal varices were the most common finding (78.3%) and were strongly associated with hepatitis C (p <0.001), with 70.7% of hepatitis C patients presenting with varices. Hepatitis B had a much weaker association, with only 1.7% of patients with varices also testing positive for hepatitis B. Acid peptic disease, present in 11% of cases, was more common in females. The statistical analysis confirmed a significant relationship between hepatitis C and esophageal varices. The study highlights the need for routine variceal screening and hepatitis C management in high-risk populations. Conclusion Esophageal varices are the leading cause of UGIB in this population, particularly in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The findings underscore the importance of early intervention and management of hepatitis C to reduce the incidence and mortality associated with variceal bleeding in chronic liver disease (CLD) patients.

Assessment on the Impacts of Betting towards Income Generation Behavior amoung Youth: A Case Study of Arumeru District in Arusha Region

This study was conducted in three wards such as Akheri, Seela sing’isi and Kikwe, Arumeru district council in Arusha region. The main objective of this study was to examine the impacts of betting towards income generation behavior among youth. Specific objectives of this study were; to examine the factors which influence the youth to engage on betting; to assess the negative economic impacts towards income generation behavior among youth; to determine the negative social impacts towards income generation behavior among youth; to assess the best alternative sources of income generation behavior among the youth; to examine the opinions of elders about betting towards income generation behavior among youth. In this study, the researcher used three data collection methods, which involved a questionnaire, an interview guide, and a focus group discussion in data collection to gather primary data in order to meet the objectives of the study. secondary data were also collected from various published sources. A total of 300 respondents by using a simple randomly selectected from three wards and key informants were purposeful sampled. Quantitative data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Microsoft office Excel in which descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used. The findings from the study provide valuable insights into these objectives. The results indicate that there are various factors which influence the youth to engage on betting, including unemployment, accessibility to finance, peer pressure and poverty. The results indicate that there are negative impacts of betting, particularly among the surveyed population indicates the negative impacts of betting involves economic and social impacts towards income generation behavior among youth. The study recommends that; educate youths and community members about the negative consequences of impacts of betting towards income generation behavior. Integrate betting education into the curriculum to raise awareness among students about the negative impacts and teach them about the best alternative sources of income generation behavior and financial literacy.

An Evaluation of Stakeholder Management Performance in County Government-Funded Construction Projects: A Case of Machakos County

Stakeholder management is a pivotal aspect of construction projects funded by county governments in Kenya. Effective stakeholder management is essential for aligning project objectives with the diverse needs of all the stakeholders involved. In Kenya, public infrastructure projects often face challenges such as delays and budget overruns. Therefore, robust stakeholder management practices are essential for ensuring successful project implementation. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the current state of stakeholder management performance in County government-funded construction projects, to establish the existing stakeholder management practices in County Government-funded construction projects, and to establish the influence of stakeholder management practices on stakeholder management performance in County Government-funded construction projects. The study adopted a survey research design. The data was collected using questionnaires and measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Simple stratified sampling was used to identify the 254 respondents. The respondents included contractors, project consultants, end users, ward development officers, PMC representatives, ward administrators, and village administrators. The collected data was coded and entered into Statistical Packages for Social Scientists (SPSS) and analysed using descriptive statistics. The multiple regression analysis method was used to determine if a relationship existed between the dependent and independent variables. The overall level of stakeholder management performance had a mean of 2.25. This research established that stakeholder management practices are statistically significant in explaining the stakeholder management performance in construction projects funded by the County in Machakos County. Additionally, this study concluded that the level of stakeholder management performance was low in Machakos County. Finally, the study recommended that counties should prioritise stakeholder management training through well-organised awareness campaigns.

A note on the topic of single-author articles in science

Abstract It is now common practice for scientists to collaborate in teams and publish multi-author articles. Consequently, the number of single-author articles has been declining. This decline was assumed to follow an exponential model, which was verified using data from various research areas, including Engineering, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities and the Arts, for the period from 2000 to 2023. In the fields of Engineering and Natural Sciences, the number of co-authors has consistently increased over time. Conversely, in Social Sciences and Humanities & the Arts, single-author articles continue to prevail over multi-author ones. Single-author articles were evaluated based on the number of references and the ranking of the journals in which they were published. In the field of Theatre, most articles contained up to 20 references. However, in fields such as Chemical Engineering, Biology, and Economics, the majority of articles had between 20 and 60 references. In 2023, more than 25% of single-author articles in Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering, Economics, History, Law, Biology, Immunology, Mathematics, and Astronomy & Astrophysics were published in Q1 journals. This study provides an exploration of the scientific literature across selected research areas. It demonstrates that single-author articles are unlikely to disappear entirely, as individual researchers continue to pursue independent research and publication.

How can education address the global metacrisis? 21 education goals for the 21st century

Decades of research confirms that human activity is steadily polluting the Earth, disrupting Earth’s climate, degrading ecosystems, reducing biodiversity, and generally eroding Earth’s ability to support life, including human life. Simultaneously, social science research reveals serious and growing problems with the social fabric of modern civilization. Despite these intertwined ecological and societal crises, most P-16 education still pursues the same types of goals that it pursued when humans were creating these problems in the first place. By intertwining Indigenous worldviews with environmental, psychological, and sociological research, 21 new education goals are proposed for preparing P-16 graduates to transform society to help resolve the ecological and societal crises that are likely to dominate the 21st century. Challenges, benefits, and suggestions for making these goals central to P-16 education are discussed.

Climbing the academic ladder: how social class and habitus mediate academic careers

ABSTRACT Higher education research has intensively investigated how social class and academic education work together to create social selectivity at the college level. However, little is known about the relationship between social class and academic careers. This paper discusses how social class influences dispositions, strategies, and positioning in the academic field and what it means for an individual’s habitus to traverse across class boundaries. Results from a grounded theory study on the social sciences in Germany show that academics from the lower classes with resistant habitus may be likely to be successful if they have already established a distinct position within the field, whereas middle-class academics with conformist habitus and strong meritocratic beliefs are especially likely to be excluded from high positions in academia. The paper points to the differences in strategies within academic careers and shows that a good student will not necessarily become a successful scientist.

Accountability of Agency Performance Government in Preventing Fraud With Commitment Organization as Mediator (Case Study in District Fifty Cities)

The weak accountability of the performance of government agencies is reflected in the results of the 2021 BPK audit in Fifty Cities Regency which found irregularities in honorarium payments and the use of the budget not in accordance with regional price standards, indicating the weakness of the internal control system and the competence of the apparatus in managing government finances. The purpose of this study was to analyze the accountability of government agency performance in preventing fraud through organizational commitment. The population of the study was the regional apparatus organizations (OPD) in Limapuluh Kota Regency totaling 43 OPDs with sampling using purposive sampling so that the research sample totaled 43 data samples. The data collection technique used a quantitative method approach, namely using a questionnaire filled out by the research sample. Data analysis used path analysis and was processed with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27. The results of the study found that: (1) the internal control system has an effect on agency performance accountability; (2) the competence of the apparatus has an effect on agency performance accountability; (3) the internal control system has an effect on organizational commitment; (4) the competence of the apparatus has an effect on organizational commitment; (5) organizational commitment has an effect on agency performance accountability; (6) organizational commitment mediates the effect of the internal control system on agency performance accountability; and (7) organizational commitment mediates the effect of apparatus competence on agency performance accountability. The implication of the results of this study is that emphasizing the strengthening of organizational commitment must be the main focus because it is proven to play a significant mediator role between the internal control system and the competence of the apparatus on performance accountability. The recommendation of this study is that the Fifty City Regency Government strengthen its internal control system through periodic audits, transparent reporting, and strict supervision procedures to prevent fraud

Knowledge and perception of Moroccan Onco-Radiotherapists on the contribution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to their practices

Introduction: The introduction of AI into medical practice has become obvious. Practitioners, the health system, and others involved in the sector in Morocco must support this change to maximize the expected benefits of this technology. Objective: This retrospective study aimed to explore the knowledge and perceptions of Moroccan onco-radiotherapists regarding the contribution of artificial intelligence to their practices. Materials and methods: A standardised anonymous questionnaire of 19 questions was sent via email address to two groups of participants: the onco-radiotherapists (G1) and the Onco-Radiotherapy Residents (G2). To compare the responses between the two groups of participants, Fisher’s exact test of the statistical tool for the social sciences (SPSS version 21.0) was used. The value P < 0.05 indicates that the difference is statistically significant. Results: 60% of the G1s stated that they had moderate knowledge of AI, whereas 72% of the G2s stated that they had little knowledge of AI. 50% of

Work Motivation and Human Resource Management in Enhancing Lecturer Productivity at University of Dili

The University of Dili (UNDIL) offers a wide range of academic programs in disciplines such as social sciences, engineering, and health sciences, aiming to produce qualified graduates who are competitive in the job market. This study investigates the influence of human resource development (HRD) and work motivation on lecturer productivity. Key HRD factors include training, promotion, recognition, health security, and participation in decision-making. The study involved all permanent lecturers at UNDIL (n = 130), using a census method. Descriptive analysis was conducted with SPSS, while structural relationships were tested using SmartPLS 4.0. The findings show that HRD does not have a significant direct effect on productivity (β = 0.291, T = 1.033, P = 0.302). However, work motivation significantly influences productivity and serves as a mediating factor between HRD and productivity. These results highlight that motivation—both intrinsic and extrinsic—is essential to translating HRD initiatives into improved academic performance, aligning with the university’s vision for quality education and institutional development.

Integration of research support services (RSS) and research data management (RDM) strategies to enhance research efficiency and impact: a scientometric study

Purpose This study aims to review the scientific landscape of research support services (RSS) and research data management (RDM) provided by libraries, focusing on their application in research and learning contexts. This research seeks to examine the growth of literature in this field, identify the most influential authors, countries, affiliations and journals and assess collaboration across different geographical regions. In addition, the study will identify the most impactful paper based on the highest citation count and Altmetric Attention Score and analyse keywords to determine research trends in this subject area. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a Scientometric and Altmetric approach to analyse a decade (2014–2023) of research outputs from Scopus. Data was retrieved with a keyword-based search strategy and visualized for science mapping (author, country, organization collaborations and keyword co-occurrence) using VOSviewer. Dimension.ai was used to determine Altmetric scores and Mendeley readership of influential works. Findings This study analyses 1,085 RSS and RDM publications (2014–2023), showing global growth but lagging citations. Christina Ribeiro leads with 21 publications. Key sources include the Data Science Journal and the University of Pittsburgh. RDM has more focus than RSS, which needs further study. RSS and RDM simplify research tasks, widely used in social and computer sciences. Top works are mainly in library science. Effective RSS in libraries can enhance research and redefine their academic role. Originality/value This study examines global scientific literature to assess libraries’ awareness of RSS and RDM services for research and learning. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous study has applied Scientometrics and Altmetrics to these aims and objectives before.

Artificial Intelligence Driven Learning for Sustainable Education:

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with technology-enhanced learning platforms has the potential to improve education and presents a transformative approach to addressing educational challenges. Despite its beneficial impacts on education, concerns about students’ AI literacy have prompted empirical investigations on the perceived AI presences in connection with its usage, benefits, and related risks in classroom instructional practices. This study examined higher vocational students’ perceptions and attitudes on artificial intelligence-driven learning based on survey results. The respondents were 372 undergraduate students in one of higher vocational institutions in Indonesia. The data was collected through questionnaire survey distributed through students’ class WhatsApp group. The questionnaire consisted of two main sections including demographic information and integrated constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results show that the means scores for each item in the dataset exceeded 3 indicating positive attitudes towards AI usage and effectiveness in academic settings, they mostly agree that AI tools were beneficial in enhancing their academic performance and engagement in their daily college life. This empirical investigation hopefully offers insights for educators, policymakers, and institutions to make informed decision regarding the integration of AI in the instructional practices.

Husband as Head?: Diverse Perspectives on Gendered Marital Hierarchy From Highly Religious Wives and Husbands.

Although religious beliefs often connect with gendered hierarchy in social science research, religion also relates to numerous positive marital outcomes, and very few studies have examined religion and gendered hierarchy within intimate relationships. To bridge this divide, our study used a diverse, exemplar sample to explore how highly religious, heterosexual married couples view and navigate the possibility of gendered hierarchy. Interviews from 74 highly religious, highly satisfied couples provided insight into the following themes: (1) potential harm in viewing hierarchy as sacred, (2) the correct view of sacred hierarchy, (3) hierarchy rejected for sacred equal partnership, and (4) holding hierarchy as sacred. Views simultaneously embracing egalitarian and hierarchical ideas indicate some nuance regarding the construct of gendered hierarchy. Data drawn directly from interviews provide detailed support in the paper for each finding. For participants who accepted the principle of gendered hierarchy, devotion to God and belief in sacred roles appeared as partial explanations for that belief. Whether participants accepted gendered hierarchy or rejected it, unity, love, and respect between partners emerged as central to navigating power dynamics in marriage. Implications for clinicians include careful assessment for indications of abuse of power or intimate partner violence, entering the worldview of religious clients, and willingness to respect expectations viewed as sacred.

Comparison of clinical outcomes of phacoemulsification with implantation of two new aspheric intraocular lenses: Real-world data.

This study aims to compare the visual and refractive outcomes of two new aspheric intraocular lenses (IOLs), that is, Clareon (Model CNA0T0) and Tecnis Eyhance (Model ICB00), in patients undergoing phacoemulsification cataract surgery. A retrospective comparative analysis was conducted at a tertiary referral institute in South India. A total of 132 eyes (91 patients) were included, with 66 eyes implanted with Clareon IOL (group 1) and 66 eyes with Tecnis Eyhance IOL (group 2). Preoperative and postoperative data were collected from January 2022 to April 2024. Primary outcomes included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA), spherical equivalent, and refractive cylinder, measured at 3 weeks postoperatively. Statistical analysis was performed using an independent sample t-test and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, with P values <0.05 considered significant. The mean log of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) UDVA in group 1 was 0.14 (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.11, 0.17]) and in group 2 was 0.16 (95% CI [0.13, 0.19]) (P value 0.16). The mean logMAR UNVA in group 1 was M = 0.55 (95% CI [0.53, 0.58]) and in group 2 was M = 0.5 (95% CI [0.48, 0.52]) (P value 0.0006). The mean add required for group 1 was + 1.76 (95% CI [1.66, 1.86]) and for group 2 was M = 1.56 (95% CI [1.49, 1.62]) (P value 0.0005). At 3 weeks postoperatively, both IOLs provided excellent visual outcomes. Tecnis Eyhance IOL offered enhanced near-vision performance.

A Corpus-based Study of Research Trend of Chinese Academic Translation Project (2010-2023)

As an important project funded by the National Social Science Foundation of China, the “Chinese Academic Translation” project has made great contributions to promoting the international dissemination of Chinese academic achievements and enhancing the influence of Chinese academics in the international academic community. This paper analyses the development dynamics of the “Chinese Academic Translation” project over the years by using corpus and statistical research methods. From a macro-perspective, the analyses mainly include the number of funded projects, the subjects of funded projects, language version of funded projects, and the topics of funded projects in “Chinese Academic Translation” project; from a micro-perspective, the analyses mainly cover work unit of initiators, multiple duplicate projects and funding distribution. The results of the research show that the current “Chinese Academic Translation” project needs to enhance the awareness of national translation of Chinese academic achievements, balance the imbalance in the development of subjects in the project, orient the translation of the target language, and cooperating with experts at home and abroad in selecting and choosing innovative topics.

The Threat of Paper Mills to Biomedical and Social Science Journals: The Case of the Tanu.pro Paper Mill in Mind, Brain, and Education

The Threat of Paper Mills to Biomedical and Social Science Journals: The Case of the Tanu.pro Paper Mill in <i>Mind, Brain, and Education</i>

Project Resource Management and Implementation of Affordable Housing Construction Projects in Mombasa County, Kenya.

Kenya's housing construction industry is encumbered by many challenges including building technology, planning and design, resource allocation, housing policies, and quality control. Overruns in scope, cost and schedule coupled with poor quality and scope creep have become more common over time. The main objective of this study is to examine the influence of project resource management on implementation of affordable housing construction projects in Mombasa County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study are; to determine the influence of resource planning, to assess the influence of resource scheduling, to evaluate the influence of resource allocation and to examine the influence of resource tracking on implementation of affordable housing construction projects in Mombasa County, Kenya. The study was anchored by resource-based theory, theory of constraints, contingency theory and resource dependence theory. The first level target population of the study was six (6) affordable housing construction projects being undertaken in Mombasa County, while the second level was the accessible population made up of 30 specialist staff from the Housing department of Mombasa County, contracting firms’ staff and consultants working on the various housing projects. The research employed cross-sectional survey research design and proportionate stratified random sampling method was used to choose the study sample. Pilot study was carried out to check the reliability and validity of the research instrument, with results showing satisfactory returns from the various measures. Internal consistency of the instrument was measured using Cronbach’s coefficient alpha to test for reliability while expert opinion from practitioners in construction project management tested face and content validity; while KMO and Bartlett’s test were used in checking the construct validity of the questionnaire. Pilot data collection was undertaken using questionnaires and the obtained data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 26 and presented in tables and graphs with clear interpretations based on the findings. In the final study, multiple linear regression analyses were done to give inferential statistics where F-test was undertaken to test the significance of the overall model and t-test gave the significance of each of the specific variables. The study established that resource planning, resource scheduling, resource allocation and resource tracking had a significant influence on implementation of affordable housing construction projects in Mombasa County, Kenya. This study recommends that project organizations must always match resources to tasks to ensure optimization of the same for better allocation to relevant sections of the project throughout the project lifecycle.

Wealth and marriage at the Cape: consanguineous unions as a strategy

ABSTRACT Marriage is among the most fundamental social relationships undergirding the transmission of cultural norms and family property. How marital partnerships are formed is of considerable interest to a broad range of social scientists, particularly when and whether partners are sought from within the family or from the outside. We study the relatively high levels of cousin marriage characteristic of European settler families in the Cape Colony in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, using a unique linked data sample that combines marital choices with information on taxable wealth, and frontier settlement. This permits us to test two common explanations for cousin marriage in the European demographic literature, a wealth-consolidation strategy versus a geographic isolation hypothesis. While we do find that parents of cousin marriages were wealthier, we find no evidence of these marriages facilitating differential wealth consolidation in the next generation, suggesting that if this was a deliberate strategy to accumulate wealth, it was not a very successful one. Higher rates of cousin marriage in frontier areas suggest a role for geographic isolation.

Research citations building trust in Wikipedia: Results from a survey of published authors.

A short survey was distributed to 40,402 authors of papers cited in Wikipedia (n=21,854 surveys sent, n=750 complete responses received). The survey gathered responses from published authors in relation to their views on Wikipedia's trustworthiness in relation to the citations to their published works. The unique findings of the survey were analysed using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods using Python, Google BigQuery and Looker Studio. Overall, authors expressed positive sentiment towards research citation in Wikipedia and researcher engagement practices (mean scores >7/10). Sub-analyses revealed significant differences in sentiment based on publication type (articles vs. books) and discipline (Humanities and Social Sciences vs. Science, Technology, and Medicine), but not access status (open vs. closed access). This study provides unique insights into author perceptions of Wikipedia's trustworthiness. Further research is needed to deepen the understanding of the benefits for researchers and publishers including academic citations in Wikipedia.