Structural Factors Research Articles

Unlocking the Potentials of Sustainable Livelihoods in Chattogram Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

The Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT), home to diverse ethnic communities locally known as tribals, lags behind in socioeconomic development, with widespread poverty and precarious livelihoods. This paper, using diverse sources of literature, examines the existing livelihood challenges faced by the tribal people of CHT and explores various livelihood options that could improve their well-being. Our analysis revealed that a variety of factors, including geographic, economic, social, historical, and political, affect the livelihoods of tribal people in the CHT. The region's difficult topography, remoteness, poor infrastructure, and past conflicts have hindered development efforts and deterred both private and public sector investments. Although over 60% of the tribal people depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods, many of them are landless. Moreover, tribal communities have limited access to finance, education and training, health services, and markets due to their remote locations, poor infrastructure, and lack of transportation facilities. Our findings suggest that, despite many challenges, there is huge potential to improve the livelihoods of the tribal people. However, it would require a holistic and coordinated approach of managing natural resources, improving human, social, physical, and financial capital, as well as addressing underlying structural and institutional factors. Priority should be given to managing natural resources, improving governance, resolving land disputes, investing in infrastructure, improving access to markets and financial services, and developing skills and knowledge. This paper outlines a framework to address the existing challenges and harness the opportunities to promote sustainable livelihoods in CHT.

Decoding the mechanism governing the structural stability of wheat germ agglutinin and its isolated domains: A combined calorimetric, NMR, and MD simulation study.

Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) demonstrates potential as an oral delivery agent owing to its selective binding to carbohydrates and its capacity to traverse biological membranes. In this study, we employed differential scanning calorimetry and molecular dynamics simulations to comprehensively characterize the thermal unfolding process of both the complete lectin and its four isolated domains. Furthermore, we present the nuclear magnetic resonance structures of three domains that were previously lacking experimental structures in their isolated forms. Our results provide a collective understanding of the energetic and structural factors governing the intricate unfolding mechanism of the complete agglutinin, shedding light on the specific role played by each domain in this process. The analysis revealed negligible interdomain cooperativity, highlighting instead significant coupling between dimer dissociation and the unfolding of the more labile domains. By comparing the dominant interactions, we rationalized the stability differences among the domains. Understanding the structural stability of WGA opens avenues for enhanced drug delivery strategies, underscoring its potential as a promising carrier throughout the gastrointestinal environment.

Manipulating cationic ordering toward highly efficient and zero-thermal-quenching cyan photoluminescence

Developing effective design principle in crystalline materials for superior optical properties remains a critical challenge. Herein, we establish the cationic ordering strategy to build rigid framework and significantly improve phosphor performance. As a proof of concept, the NaHf2-xYx(PO4)3:Eu2+ (x = 0.05–0.2) phosphor series is constructed, which possesses absolutely cationic ordered structure and the linked outstanding photoluminescent properties. Structurally, heterovalent substitution in the lattice maintains the single-site occupancy of Na+ ions in NaHf2-xYx(PO4)3:Eu2+, as confirmed by Rietveld refinements and NMR spectroscopy. This cationic arrangement keeps the cation/vacancy ordered distribution that ensures high structural rigidity, with Debye temperature, as the indicator of rigidity, extracted from low temperature heat capacities exceeding 379 K. The resultant high structural rigidity, coupled with intrinsic defects, induces zero-thermal-quenching luminescence up to 150 °C. Moreover, the substitution of Y3+ at Hf4+ site facilitates effective Eu3+ to Eu2+ reduction, making them excellent cyan emitters with quantum efficiency exceeding 90 % and intense violet absorption. This work provides an impetus for the discovery of the currently state-of-the-art cyan phosphors for practical applications and gives insight into the structural factors influencing luminescent properties.

Explaining the Dynamics of Transition to an Integrated WEF System: Two Cases of Irrigated Agriculture in Oregon, USA

In recent years, the integrated Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus approach has gained traction as a more effective way to manage these interdependent and essential resources. A growing number of traditional food and water irrigation systems in Oregon, USA are transitioning to modernized, holistic, and sustainable Hydro-Irrigation-Restoration Systems that embrace the WEF Nexus approach (Weber 2017). The question is: what factors explain the successful transition? Two cases of irrigation modernization in Hood River, Oregon demonstrate that system transitions follow a pattern of socio-technical change wherein four structural factors are key: economic incentives, changing values expressed in regulations, technological innovation, and external shocks (e.g., major disasters). Yet, while the structural variables associated with the social-technical change approach are necessary for explaining the transitions to new WEF systems in Hood River, they are not sufficient. The case studies display the crucial importance of individual agency, or the actor dynamics capable of enabling or hindering system transformations (see Van Driel and Schot 2005, 54). Chief among these “agency” factors are (1) facilitative, visionary, trust-worthy leadership, (2) the cultivation of trust and collaborative problem-solving capacity, (3) the willingness to embrace risk and trade short-term costs for the potential of long term gains (e.g., low discount rates), and (4) the adoption of a new set of ideas, or shared norms, governing decision-making which embraced the idea that an integrated, modernized system could simultaneously promote economic, environmental, and energy sustainability.

Reinforcing Institutional Power: The Discourse of Normalcy in European Union Governance

Abstract This paper examines the notion of normalcy within the discourse of the European Union (EU), with a focus on its response to transformative dynamics and challenges, especially post-2008. I analyse how the EU, facing diminishing ideological supremacy, has reinforced its institutional power through the framework of normalcy. By emphasizing constitutionalisation and integration through legal means, bodies such as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) have expanded their roles, promoting "integration through law" to counter alternative political projects invariably labelled as populist, thereby giving rise to anti-populism as a discursive tool. Drawing on crisis discourse and diagnostic practice, this paper explores how normalcy legitimises and perpetuates existing power structures within EU governance, subtly coercing member states and citizens into accepting its norms and values, thus shaping perceptions of normalcy and also inevitability. At the core of this framework lies the rule of law (RoL), which establishes legal boundaries in the first place, but in the same move shapes political contexts.My paper argues that the exclusive focus on legalistic interpretations obscures the underlying structural factors perpetuating power dynamics and economic disparities among member states, constraining adaptive responses. I examine the narrative of "growing up to democracy" and its impact on the European project discourse, particularly in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. I then scrutinise the roles of experts and the “juristocracy” in reinforcing this narrative while simultaneously masking underlying inequalities and power differentials. Furthermore, the paper explores the strategic deployment of language and discourse by EU institutions during crises, highlighting their implications for public understanding, political action, and outcomes. Finally, it investigates the EU's strategic use of crisis discourse and diagnostic practices, focusing particularly on the ascendancy of the judiciary, but also highlighting how this trajectory may also have negative influence of legislative and executive bodies as their role diminishes in the process.

Black Americans' Diminished Health Returns of Professional Occupations: A Thirty-Year Follow-Up Study of Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

Occupational classes exert substantial effects on both subjective and objective health outcomes. However, it remains unclear whether the health impact of similar occupational classes varies across racial groups among middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Grounded in the theory of Minorities' Diminished Returns (MDRs), which posits that health benefits from resources such as employment are systematically weaker for racial minority populations, particularly Non-Latino Black individuals, this study tested Black-White disparities in the effects of similar occupational classes on health outcomes in middle-aged and older adults. Utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we employed a 30-year longitudinal design with a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Six occupational classes-operator, managerial, professional specialty, sales, clerical/admin, and service-served as the key predictor variables (independent variables), with race as the moderator. Various health outcomes, including self-rated health, chronic disease, body mass index (BMI), activities of daily living (ADL), and cognitive function, were measured longitudinally from wave 1 to wave 15 (from baseline to 30 years later). Statistical analyses, incorporating logistic regression models, were conducted to assess associations between occupational class and health outcomes overall and based on race. Our analysis included 7538 Non-Latino White or Non-Latino Black participants followed for up to 30 years. Initial findings revealed positive health effects of professional occupations on cognitive function and self-rated health over 30 years of follow-uWe also identified significant interactions between race and professional occupational class on all health outcomes, indicating notable racial differences in the effects of professional occupations on health outcomes across domains. The effects of professional occupational class were weaker for Non-Latino Black individuals than for Non-Latino White individuals. Consistent with the Minorities' Diminished Returns theory, our findings indicated less pronounced positive effects of professional occupations on a wide range of health outcomes for Non-Latino Black individuals compared to Non-Latino Whites. These disparities emphasize the critical need to address structural factors that contribute to the diminished returns of prestigious occupations for Non-Latino Black populations.

Opting out of cardiac rehabilitation in local community healthcare services: Patients'perspectives and reflections.

Despite cardiac rehabilitation and medical treatment being integrated parts of the pathway of patients with cardiovascular disease, as well as the well-establish positive effect, cardiac rehabilitation remains underutilised. In recent years, cardiac rehabilitation has increasingly been moved from the hospitals to the community healthcare services. This transition may be challenging for patients with cardiovascular disease. To investigate reflections and perspectives of patients opting out of cardiac rehabilitation in community healthcare services to improve participation and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation in the future. A total of eight patients opting out of cardiac rehabilitation participated in individual interviews. Opting out of cardiac rehabilitation is defined as never enroled or did not complete cardiac rehabilitation. The Interpretive Description methodology was used in the analysis where two themes and six subthemes were identified: (1) 'Structural and organisational factors' with three subthemes; Being a patient in the healthcare system, Enroling into CR when it is meaningful, and Getting back to work is vital, and (2) 'Patients'internal factors' with three subthemes; Feeling a desire to regain control, Seeing yourself as recovered, and Being aware of own needs. The analysis indicates that patients'decision to opt out of CR was multidimensional and based on a combination of factors. Ensuring that the healthcare professionals in the community have sufficient information regarding the patient and a clear communication plan between the healthcare professionals and the patient may reduce the transition causing confusion and frustrations for patients. Incorporating a vocational element in CR and ensuring that employers understand the importance of CR may hamper returning to work as a challenge to CR. Ensuring timely CR referral and enrolment and a transition coordinator may reduce the challenge of patients not viewing CR as meaningful. However, further studies are needed to fully understand how CR could become meaningful for patients opting out of CR.

Stuck in the comfort zone? The influence of customer concentration on digital innovation in manufacturing firms

ABSTRACT Digital innovation has become an inexorable trend for manufacturing firms in the digital era. Though the motivations for digital innovation have been largely focused on in the literature, the barriers for manufacturing firms to implementing digital innovation remain underdeveloped. Actually, it is not that manufacturing firms are unaware of the benefits of digital technology, but the structural factors embedded in firms that hinder them from adopting digital innovation. In this context, this study aims to empirically investigate how and why customer concentration could be an obstacle to digital innovation in manufacturing firms, and thus provide insights for managers to break free from the trap of customer concentration and turn to embrace digital innovation. By conducting empirical analyses based on panel data of listed manufacturing firms in China between 2008 and 2019, we find that customer concentration has a significantly negative effect on the adoption of digital innovation in manufacturing firms. Moreover, the negative effect of customer concentration on the adoption of digital innovation is more pronounced when top executives have a relatively higher existing-oriented attention focus, and when the firm has spent more on relationship-specific investments. In addition, the presence of chief information officers (CIOs) can weaken the negative influence of customer concentration on the adoption of digital innovation.

Synergetic Responses of Multiple Functions Induced by Phase Transition in Molecular Materials.

Materials that integrate magnetism, electricity and luminescence can not only improve the operational efficiency of devices, but also potentially generate new functions through their coupling. Therefore, multifunctional synergistic effects have broad application prospects in fields such as optoelectronic devices, information storage and processing, and quantum computing. However, in the research field of molecular materials, there are few reports on the synergistic multifunctional properties. The main reason is that there is insufficient awareness of how to obtain such material. In this brief review, we summarized the molecular materials with this characteristic. The structural phase transition of substances will cause changes in their physical properties, as the electronic configurations of the active unit in different structural phases are different. Therefore, we will classify and describe the multifunctional synergistic complexes based on the structural factors that cause the first-order phase transition of the complexes. This enables us to quickly screen complexes with synergistic responses to these properties through structural phase transitions, providing ideas for studying the synergistic response of physical properties in molecular materials.

A political economy analysis of changes and continuities in Iran–Africa trade relations: a case of South–South dependency?

This paper provides a political economy analysis of the bilateral trade relations and patterns of exchange that existed between Iran and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 1962 to 2021. The paper contributes to the growing literature on Iran–Africa relations by empirically delineating not just the changes, but also the continuities between Iran and its African trading partners before and after the Iranian Revolution. It also adds nuance to the broader scholarship on South–South cooperation by showing the disparity between the rhetoric of South–South solidarity and reciprocity between Iran and SSA, on one side, and their low and fluctuating trade volumes, on the other. These volumes resulted from historical inertia or path dependency and structural factors, including trade complementarities and geopolitical conditions, more than demographic, cultural, or religious realities. They were also shaped by the agency and decision-making of Iranian and African leaders and officials regarding the extent to economically engage with each other.

Exploration of the Challenges of COVID-19 from the Perspective of Emergency Medicine Specialists

Background. Emergency physicians are at the forefront of the medical system in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Identifying the challenges, along with the strategies and effective measures implemented by them in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, can be a roadmap for future crisis management planning. This study aims to explain the challenges faced by emergency physicians regarding COVID-19. Methods. This study is a qualitative content analysis. Data were collected using individual and semistructured interviews. Twenty-seven emergency medical specialists in Fars University of Medical Sciences, Iran, participated in the study by purposive sampling method and were interviewed using semistructured interviews. Results. Participants’ experience of COVID-19 led to the extraction of four main themes, including structural factors, threats to the health of the medical team, fluctuations of extremism and wastage in the face of COVID-19, and the country’s policymaking hierarchy. Conclusions. Emergency physicians face challenges such as structural factors, health threats, extreme fluctuations, and national policymaking. To avoid surprises and threats, they must predict acute scenarios, provide necessary equipment, address skilled manpower shortages, and adopt appropriate management policies. This includes culture-building, cross-sector coordination, planning, and efficient management to prevent virus spread.

Structural and Electronic Factors behind the Electrochemical Stability of 3D-Metal Tungstates under Oxygen Evolution Reaction Conditions.

Transition metal tungstates (TMTs) possess a wolframite-like lattice structure and preferably form via an electrostatic interaction between a divalent transition metal cation (MII) and an oxyanion of tungsten ([WO4]2-). A unit cell of a TMT is primarily composed of two repeating units, [MO6]oh and [WO6]oh, which are held together via several M-μ2-O-W bridging links. The bond character (ionic or covalent) of this bridging unit determines the stability of the lattice and influences the electronic structure of the bulk TMT materials. Recently, TMTs have been successfully employed as an electrode material for various applications, including electrochemical water splitting. Despite the wide electrocatalytic applications of TMTs, the study of the structure-activity correlation and electronic factors responsible for in situ structural evolution to electroactive species during electrochemical reactions is still in its infancy. Herein, a series of TMTs, MIIWVIO4 (M = Mn/Fe/Co/Ni), have been prepared and employed as electrocatalysts to study the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under alkaline conditions and to scrutinize the role of transition metals in controlling the energetics of the formation of electroactive species. Since the [WO6]oh unit is common in the TMTs considered, the variation of the central atom of the corresponding [MO6]oh unit plays an intriguing role in controlling the electronic structure and stability of the lattice under anodic potential. Under the OER conditions, a potential-dependent structural transformation of MWO4 is noticed, where MnWO4 appears to be the most labile, whereas NiWO4 is stable up to a high anodic potential of ∼1.68 V (vs RHE). Potential-dependent hydrolytic [WO4]2- dissolution to form MOx active species, traced by in situ Raman and various spectro-/microscopic analyses, can directly be related to the electronic factors of the lattice, viz., crystal field splitting energy (CFSE) of MII in [MO6]oh, formation enthalpy (ΔHf), decomposition enthalpy (ΔHd), and Madelung factor associated with the MWO4 ionic lattice. Additionally, the magnitude of the Löwdin and Bader charges on M of the M-μ2-O-W bond is directly related to the degree of ionicity or covalency in the MWO4 lattice, which indirectly influences the electronic structure and activity. The experimental results substantiated by the computational study explain the electrochemical activity of the TMTs with the help of various structural and electronic factors and bonding interactions in the lattice, which has never been realized. Therefore, the study presented here can be taken as a general guideline to correlate the reactivity to the structure of the inorganic materials.

Psychological safety in an ECMO retrieval team: a qualitative study to inform improvement

IntroductionIn healthcare teams, psychological safety is associated with improved performance, communication, collaboration and patient safety. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) retrieval teams are multidisciplinary teams that initiate ECMO therapy for patients...

Sexual lives and reproductive health outcomes among persons with disabilities: a mixed-methods study in two districts of Ghana

IntroductionPeople with disabilities (PwDs) constitute a large and diverse group within the global population, however, their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs are often neglected, particularly in low-and middle-income countries. This may result in adverse outcomes, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies, and experience of interpersonal violence (IV). This study aimed to assess the factors that influence the sexual lives of PwDs in two districts of Ghana.MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design was used to collect data from PwDs. Quantitative data were obtained from 402 respondents using a pretested questionnaire, and qualitative data gathered from 37 participants using in-depth interviews. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while the qualitative data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsMost PwDs (91%) reported that they have ever had sex, which was associated with age, disability severity, and household size. The prevalence of poor SRH status, STIs, unintended pregnancy, pregnancy termination, and unsafe abortion were 10.5%, 5.7%, 6.4%, 21.6%, and 36.9% respectively. These outcomes were influenced by education, income, health insurance subscription, and proximity to a health facility. The prevalence of IV was 65%, which was related to disability type and severity. The qualitative data revealed five main themes: curiosity to engage in sexual activities, feelings of despair and insecurity with abled partners, preference for sexual relationships with other PwDs, IV and its perpetrators, and adverse SRH outcomes.ConclusionThe study findings indicate that most adult PwDs have ever had sex and they face various challenges in their sexual lives. They experience multiple forms of abuse and neglect from different perpetrators at different levels of society, which have negative impacts on their well-being. There is a need for comprehensive and inclusive interventions that address the SRH needs of PwDs, as well as the underlying social and structural factors that contribute to their vulnerability. Further research is recommended to explore the perspectives of stakeholders on how to improve the SRH outcomes of PwDs.

Discrimination, disadvantage and disempowerment during COVID-19: a qualitative intrasectional analysis of the lived experiences of an ethnically diverse healthcare workforce in the United Kingdom

BackgroundHealthcare workers (HCWs) in the United Kingdom (UK) have faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these arising out of their social positions. Existing literature explicating these challenges (e.g., lack of appropriate PPE, redeployment, understaffing) have highlighted inequities in how these have been experienced by HCWs based on ethnicity, gender or, job role. In this paper, we move a step ahead and examine how the intersection of these social positions have impacted HCWs’ experiences of challenges during the pandemic.MethodsWe collected qualitative data, using interviews and focus groups, from 164 HCWs from different ethnicities, gender, job roles, migration statuses, and regions in the United Kingdom (UK) between December 2020 and July 2021. Interviews and focus groups were conducted online or by telephone, and recorded with participants’ permission. Recordings were transcribed and a hybrid thematic analytical approach integrating inductive data-driven codes with deductive ones informed by an intersectional framework was adopted to analyse the transcripts.ResultsThematic analysis of transcripts identified disempowerment, disadvantage and, discrimination as the three main themes around which HCWs’ experiences of challenges were centred, based on their intersecting identities (e.g., ethnicity gender, and/or migration status). Our analysis also acknowledges that disadvantages faced by HCWs were linked to systemic and structural factors at the micro, meso and macro ecosystemic levels. This merging of analysis which is grounded in intersectionality and considers the ecosystemic levels has been termed as ‘intrasectionalism’.DiscussionOur research demonstrates how an intrasectional lens can help better understand how different forms of mutually reinforcing inequities exist at all levels within the healthcare workforce and how these impact HCWs from certain backgrounds who face greater disadvantage, discrimination and disempowerment, particularly during times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Utilizing Random Forest algorithm for identifying mafic and ultramafic rocks in the Gameleira Suite, Archean-Paleoproterozoic basement of the Brasília Belt, Brazil

Geological mapping techniques have continuously advanced, particularly with the increasing use of remote data acquisition methods, such as aerogeophysical data analysis and the use of machine learning techniques, both has become essential for mapping and understanding geological environments. Mafic-ultramafic bodies, which may be linked to metallic ore deposits, can be mapped using these innovative techniques. In Brazil, the Tocantins Province is reknown for its primary Cu–Co–Ni–Cr ore deposits, which are found in mafic-ultramafic rocks. The Tocantins Province contains several mafic-ultramafic bodies that have received less attention than the well-known deposits in the Brasília Belt. The Gameleira Suite is a geological unit located in the basement of the North Brasília Belt. Our study aims to use machine learning to identify new potential mafic-ultramafic occurrences in the Gameleira Suite. To achieve this, aerogeophysical surveys data, including magnetometry and radiometry, were used in conjunction with remote sensing. The data collected from aerogeophysics surveys were compiled into a database. The Random Forest algorithm was used to analyze this database, with 1.96% (from a total of 84.535 samples) used for training and generating the predictive map. Three approaches were used to verify and evaluate the data: analyzing magnetic lineaments to assess the influence of structural tectonic factors on body positioning, collecting field samples, and utilizing Magnetic Vector Inversion (MVI) to analyze the magnetic properties of the projected bodies at depth. This was done because the Gameleira Suite bodies display magnetic remanence. Our findings suggest that the utilization of these methods, in conjunction with the verification techniques employed, aids in the mapping and identification of mafic-ultramafic rocks. Machine learning can improve cartography by identifying new occurrences or indicating areas that need more detailed mapping. The use of additional geological knowledge and information not included in the model is crucial because the predictive map does not inherently represent geological truth. It is necessary to interpret the results from a geological perspective.

Investigation on Fluorescence Origin and Spectral Heterogeneity in Carbon Dots: A Dynamic Perspective

AbstractHeterogeneity in the fluorescence of carbon dots (CDs) has been hard to figure out so far. This could potentially be related to structural factors, size or intermediate fluorophores, especially when employing the bottom‐up synthesis. Herein, we unveil the origin of fluorescence and spectral heterogeneity of CDs using a simple dynamic method. This work reports the room light‐excited green fluorescence and dual‐emissive N‐doped CDs synthesized using a hydrothermal method. Studies were carried out considering the factors of fluorescence phenomena, such as excitation‐independent emission, fluorescent impurities, aggregation and solvation dynamics. The new steady‐state, Excitation‐resolved area‐normalized emission spectroscopy (ERANES) and ensemble measurements, including time‐resolved studies reveal that a heterogeneous environment exists in the ground state. Eventually, the results show the existence of core, edge and surface states in the CDs. Additionally, the fluorescence characteristics depend on the structural functionalization that occurs in both the intrinsic and extrinsic states of the CDs and it is proven that this does not violate the Kasha‐Vavilov rule. Although a highly purified material could still exhibit heterogeneity due to the ensemble emissive states and structural variations. Our results provide insights into the enduring debates about fluorescence and a deeper understanding of the structure‐ property relationship of CDs.

Electro-Chemo-Mechanical Model for the Damage in Porous Electrodes of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract An electro-chemo-mechanical model is developed for lithium-ion battery (LIB) considering the damage of active material (AM) particles. The established model is used to evaluate the effect of stress and the effect of damage on the electro-chemo-mechanical behavior of cathode. Computational results suggest that moderate stress is beneficial for the battery performance, while damage generated by high stress can considerably degrade the battery capacity. Three ways to model the structure of electrodes are compared. The ordered stacking particles lead to an underestimation of battery performance, while the nonoverlapped random stacking particles lead to an overestimation of battery performance. The impact of several structural factors on the electro-chemo-mechanical behaviors of LIB is investigated in detail. Smaller particle size is beneficial for the battery performance. Furthermore, an increasing particle size from the separator to the current collector leads to higher capacity compared with decreasing gradient or no gradient. The fundamental understanding of electro-chemo-mechanical behaviors of LIB can benefit the design of novel electrodes with more stable performance and a longer lifespan.

Community Health Work and Social Work Collaboration: Integration in Health Care and Public Health Settings: A Conceptual Framework.

Community health worker (CHW) and social worker (SW) collaboration is crucial to illness prevention and intervention, yet systems often engage the 2 workforces in silos and miss opportunities for cross-sector alignment. In 2021, a national workgroup of over 2 dozen CHWs, SWs, and public health experts convened to improve CHW/SW collaboration and integration across the United States. The workgroup developed a conceptual framework that describes structural, systemic, and organizational factors that influence CHW/SW collaboration. Best practices include standardized training, delineated roles and scopes of practice, clear workflows, regular communication, a shared system for documentation, and ongoing support or supervision.

Semigroups, keis and groups induced by knot diagrams: an experimental investigation with automated reasoning

AbstractWe apply automated reasoning to investigation of finite factors of algebraic structures associated with knot diagrams. We refute “double size” conjecture about cancellative semigroups and keis.