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ICTs (information and communication technologies) have emerged as a potent new force. Digitalization, modernization, and automation of the manufacturing process are expected to facilitate ICT adoption, resulting in increased genuine environmental concerns. This research aims to examine the impact of ICTs on environmental quality and the relationship between ICTs, environmental quality, and economic growth. Dynamic panel threshold regression was employed, and the sample countries comprised 69 developing countries from 2010 to 2019. The threshold technique will identify the precise threshold value of ICTs and highlights the impacts of ICTs on the environmental quality nexus when above and below the threshold value in developing countries. Empirical evidence suggests that ICTs positively impact environmental quality (CO 2 ) when above the ICTs threshold value. However, ICTs provide a positive but insignificant impact on environmental quality when below the ICTs threshold value of 4.699. Additionally, ICTs affect the economic growth and environmental quality nexus, with increasing economic growth resulting in a decrease in CO 2 emissions in developing countries when ICTs are below the threshold value. Thus, the ICTs threshold value should be used to ensure that ICTs adoption promotes sustainable economic growth and resolves environmental degradation issues in developing nations., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Anthropological reports have long suggested that speaking to young children is very infrequent in certain populations (notably farming ones), which is in line with scattered quantitative studies. A systematic review was undertaken to use available literature in order to estimate the extent of population variation. Database searches, expert lists, and citation searches led to the discovery of 29 reports on the frequency of vocalizations directed to infants aged 24 months or younger, based on systematic observations of spontaneous activity in the infant's natural environment lasting at least 30 min in length. Together, these studies provide evidence on 1314 infants growing up in a range of communities (urban, foraging, farming). For populations located outside of North America, the frequency with which vocalization was directed to urban infants was much higher than that for rural infants (including both foraging and farming, medians = 12.6 vs. 3.6% of observations contained infant-directed vocalization behaviors). We benchmarked this effect against socio-economic status (SES) variation in the United States, which was much smaller. Infants in high SES American homes were spoken to only slightly more frequently than those in low SES homes (medians = 16.4 vs. 15.1% of observations contained infant-directed vocalization behaviors). Although published research represents a biased sample of the world's populations, these results invite further cross-population research to understand the causes and effects of such considerable population group differences., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Inaccessible services and poor communication are barriers to successful transitions between adolescent and adult mental health services, for which digital communications (DC) offer a possible solution. Aims: To investigate the role of DC, including smartphone apps, email and text, given the known barriers and facilitators of mental health service transitions reported in the literature. Methods: Use of Neale's (2016) iterative categorisation technique to undertake a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected for the Long-term conditions Young people Networked Communication (LYNC) study. Results: DC were used successfully by young people and staff in ways that ameliorated known barriers to service transitions. They engendered responsibility in young people, promoted service access and contributed to client safety, particularly in times of crisis. DC risks included over-familiarity between young people and staff, and the possibility that messages could go unread. Conclusions: DC have the potential to facilitate trust and familiarity during and after transition to adult mental health services. They can strengthen young people's perceptions of adult services as supportive, empowering and available. DC can be used for frequent 'check-ins' and remote digital support for social and personal problems. They provide an additional safety net for at-risk individuals, but require careful boundary setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person‐centred care, with its central focus on the patient in partnership with healthcare practitioners, is considered to be the contemporary gold standard of care. This type of care implies effective communication from and by both the patient and the healthcare practitioner. This is often problematic in the case of the paediatric population, because of the many communicative challenges that may arise due to the child's developmental level, illness and distress, linguistic competency and disabilities. The principle of universal design put forth in conventions and legislation means that the design of products and services should be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible. Augmentative and alternative communication encompasses strategies, for example pictures and apps, that are typically used with people with communication disability. In this position paper, we argue for the universal use of augmentative and alternative communication to support person‐centred communication and care for children, regardless of age or potential disability. Clinical examples are shared from three different paediatric care settings where pictorial supports were applied universally. Interviews were conducted with children and adolescents (with and without disabilities), parents and healthcare practitioners, and the principles of universal design were used as a framework to demonstrate how person‐centred communication is supported in paediatric care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the story of Einar, a Faroese man who always lived within a 500-meters radius on the island of Suðuroy, who never felt "stuck" or "immobile" in the literal sense of the word. Studies have shown that staying is a process, as much as mobility; yet while mobility studies mainly show that imagination is an incentive to move, we argue that imagination may also actively support staying. Combining sociocultural psychology with mobility studies, we propose to explore the entanglement of symbolic mobility (a form of imagination) and various forms of geographical (im)mobility. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and hours of conversation, we present the case study of Einar's life on his island. We follow the sociogenetic development of the island, and the expansion and contraction of the imaginative horizon over time. On this background, we then retrace the life of Einar and show how, within this transforming context, his imagination developed thanks to resources he could use from the mobility of technologies, ideas, and other people. Interestingly, at different bifurcation points, his symbolic mobility almost led him to move away but, at another point, helped him to refuse geographical mobility. Hence, he was always symbolically mobile while staying. We finally propose directions for generalising from this case study, and implications for cultural psychology and for mobility and migration studies., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Social determinants profoundly impact health. Many primary care practices now seek to screen their patients for health-related social needs (HRSN) and refer them to resources in the community. However, there is little empirical evidence to guide communication with patients in order to ensure their comfort with the process and increase the likelihood that it results in positive outcomes. This paper describes the first phase of the Improving Messaging Around Gaps in Needs and rEfferals (IMAGINE) study-a multi-phase study aiming to develop and test patient-centred messages about screening and referral for HRSN. In this initial qualitative phase, our objective was to identify communication strategies that might make western Colorado primary care patients more comfortable with the HRSN screening and referral process. From May to July 2020 we interviewed 10 staff members responsible for HRSN screening from primary care practices participating in the western Colorado Accountable Health Communities (AHC) initiative and 20 patients from 2 of these practices. We used a rapid qualitative analysis process that involved summarising interview transcripts across key domains of interest and then identifying emergent themes within each domain using a data matrix. Through this process, we examined current communication about HRSN screening, as well as suggestions for messages and other strategies that could improve communication. In most practices, the AHC Screening Tool was handed to patients by front desk staff at check-in with little explanation as to its purpose. Patients and staff alike recommended that patients be provided with information that: normalises the screening and referral process; assures privacy; clarifies that the purpose is to help and support rather than judge or report; emphasises community benefits; and respects patient autonomy. Interviewees also suggested broader strategies to support more effective communication, such as practice staff and clinicians building trusting relationships with patients and understanding and acknowledging the complex structural barriers that often prevent patients from accessing meaningful assistance. These findings provide actionable suggestions for improving communication about HRSN screening and referral in primary care settings. The next steps include developing specific messages based on these findings and testing their impact on screening tool completion rate, referral uptake, and patient-reported comfort with the process., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study focused on how adopted adults who have reunited with at least one birth family member experienced identity shifts related to their original birth certificates (OBCs). Framed by the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), 50 adopted adults discussed their experiences related to their OBCs and how their identities are connected to this symbol through three of the layers of CTI, the personal, enacted, and relational layers. Participants discussed the presence of an ambiguous and unsolvable identity that interpenetrated with their other identity layers. Findings extend CTI to include an additional layer for adoptees – phantom identity – which can explain the life adoptees would have lived had they not been adopted. This identity was salient for participants as it manifested in ways such as expressing frustration with obstacles in gaining access to their OBC and refocusing their professional life to support other adopted adults. Moreover, findings offer implications for the examination into current adoption record practices in the United States, additional state mutual consent registries, and increased access to adoption-competent counselors for adoptees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to discuss the need for improved intercultural communicative competence (ICC) training for pre-service Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) teachers who travel abroad to teach. Previous studies have shown that pre-service CSL teachers often struggle with intercultural communication, and this study investigates the reasons behind their difficulties and suggests ways to address them. The researchers used the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) and the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) to measure the ICC of 217 pre-service CSL teachers. The study found that while pre-service CSL teachers have strong intercultural communicative emotional ability, their behavioral ability in intercultural communication is weak. In particular, they lacked skills in interactive control, interactive relaxation, identity management, information skills, and behavioral flexibility. The study proposes several strategies to improve ICC training for pre-service CSL teachers. One potential approach is the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning to provide teacher-trainee students with opportunities to practice intercultural communication skills in simulated contexts, receive personalized feedback, and engage with authentic materials and cultural information relevant to their host country. CALL could also facilitate communication between pre-service CSL teachers and former CSL teachers, providing a platform for information exchange and additional psychological support. The study also suggests that pre-service training should distinguish between foreign language learning and intercultural communication skills training. Specifically, it recommends that foreign language proficiency should be improved, while training should focus on educational culture and work culture in the host country, rather than providing a general introduction to the national conditions of the country. Finally, the study proposes that pre-service training should establish contact between pre-service CSL teachers and former CSL teachers as early as possible so that trainees can learn specific relevant information in advance, which can help them get ready, avoid intercultural communication mistakes, and obtain additional psychological support. By incorporating CALL and addressing the areas of weakness identified in the study, pre-service CSL teachers can be better prepared to navigate the challenges of intercultural communication and provide effective and culturally sensitive instruction abroad., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper documents the existence of a 'formality effect' in government communications. Across three online studies and three field experiments in different policy contexts (total N = 67,632), we show that, contrary to researcher and practitioner predictions, formal government communications are more effective at influencing resident behaviour than informal government communications. In exploring mechanisms, we show that formality operates as a heuristic for credibility and importance. Recipients view the source of a formal letter as more competent and trustworthy, and view the request itself as more important to take action on, despite no evidence of change in comprehension or in perceived ease of taking action. These findings have immediate implications for government communicators and open the door for a renewed focus on how the design and presentation of information impacts behaviour., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Very young children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds often show poorer language development. Whilst there have been attempts to provide early intervention programmes, these sometimes miss the most disadvantaged groups., Aims: This report presents preliminary feasibility and effectiveness data for a novel language intervention designed for parents of toddlers in the United Kingdom., Methods and Procedures: In total, 43 UK families of 2-4-year-olds were recruited to the study, half of whom completed an 8-week course (Tots Talking) focussed on parent interaction, and half of whom acted as wait-list controls., Results and Outcomes: Results suggest that such programmes are feasible for families with 86% staying in the intervention. In addition, greater changes in underlying communication skills such as joint attention and gesture were evident compared to wait-list controls., Conclusions and Implications: We conclude that pre-verbal skills may be more important to measure as initial outcomes than language or vocabulary change in this population., What This Paper Adds: What is already known on the subject Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are at higher risk of communication difficulties and there is a need for community intervention programmes for very young children. What this study adds This study suggests that such programmes can be feasible and effective, but that very early/basic communicative skills (such as joint attention) may be boosted first rather than language or vocabulary. What are the clinical implications of this work? Children's centres and other community services could feasibly run short parent facing courses emphasising contingent communication in low SES families and other diverse groups. These may be more successful run with younger preschoolers. Joint attention may be a better focus of intervention before expecting vocabulary or language change. Community health professionals may find this information useful in referring and supporting families in need., (© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.)

Purpose: Few studies have examined the long-term impact of communication skills training for oncologists. We developed a year-long communication skills curriculum for medical oncology fellows with the primary goals of fostering life-long learning of patient-centered communication skills and internalization of associated attitudes and beliefs. We engaged learners through reflection, narrative methods, and action methods, thereby creating a non-threatening, team-based environment. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether learners perceived that they had acquired enduring skills, attitudes, and knowledge years after they participated., Methods: Former fellows completed an online cross-sectional survey from June to July 2019 that included demographic information, 21 items on a numerical scale, and 3 narrative prompts. Survey items pertained to 4 domains, including skills, attitudes, confidence with specific scenarios, and overall impressions. The numerical scale ranged from "strongly agree" = 1 to "strongly disagree" = 5., Results: A total of 114 fellows, including 27 teaching assistants, participated in the communication skills training over 8 years. The average time between the end of the training program and completion of the survey was 5.2 years. The response rate was 68/114 (64%). Forty-one (60%, 95% CI: 49.3-73.8) fellows agreed or strongly agreed that the curriculum profoundly impacted their practice of medicine. Forty-three (64%, 95% CI: 51.5-75.5) fellows strongly agreed or agreed that they often found themselves informally sharing lessons they learned during the series. Overall average domain scores were 1.89 (SD = 0.84) for skills, 2.16 (0.79) for attitudes, 2.05 (0.81) for confidence with specific challenges, and 2.38 (0.94) for lasting impressions. Results were significantly more favorable for teaching assistants than for others., Conclusion: Engaging, interactive, safe, and learner-centered communication skills training has an enduring and favorable impact on oncologists' self-perceived skills, confidence with specific challenges, and attitudes., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Does non-human communication, like language, involve meaning? This question guides our focus through an interdisciplinary review of the theories and terminology used to study meaning across disciplines and species. Until now, it has been difficult to apply the concept of meaning to communication in non-humans. This is partly because of the varied approaches to the study of meaning. Additionally, while there is a scholarly acknowledgement of potential meaning in non-human cognition, there is also scepticism when the topic of communication arises. We organise some of the key literature into a coherent framework that can bridge disciplines and species, to ensure that aspects of meaning are accurately and fairly compared. We clarify the growing view in the literature that, rather than requiring multiple definitions or being split into different types, meaning is a multifaceted yet still unified concept. In so doing, we propose that meaning is an umbrella term. Meaning cannot be summed up with a short definition or list of features, but involves multiple complexities that are outlined in our framework. Specifically, three global facets are needed to describe meaning: a Signal Meaning Facet, an Interactant Meaning Facet, and a Resultant Meaning Facet. Most importantly, we show that such analyses are possible to apply as much to non-humans as to humans. We also emphasise that meaning nuances differ among non-human species, making a dichotomous approach to meaning questionable. Instead, we show that a multifaceted approach to meaning establishes how meaning appears within highly diverse examples of non-human communication, in ways consistent with the phenomenon's presence in human non-verbal communication and language(s). Therefore, without further recourse to 'functional' approaches that circumvent the critical question of whether any non-human meaning exists, we show that the concept of meaning is suitable for evolutionary biologists, behavioural ecologists, and others to study, to establish exactly which species exhibit meaning in their communication and in what ways., (© 2023 The Authors. Biological Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Cambridge Philosophical Society.)

Collaborative-dialogic approaches to family therapy advise therapists to take a position of client-as-expert and promote an equality of multiple perspectives. This has led to debates about how to conceptualize power in dialogical therapies with scholars theorizing and researching power as social and negotiated through interaction. We aimed to understand power in dialogical therapy through reviewing discursive research on therapeutic conversations. We performed a systematic search of bibliographical databases PsycINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL. We reviewed the findings from 18 studies utilizing discursive analyses of collaborative-dialogical therapy sessions and examined their findings in relation to power within interactions. We found a strong focus on the practices of the therapist rather than on those of the client. The therapist was presented as a catalyst of dialogue using minimal and active responses to promote dialogical conversations. Therapists also utilized power in response to broader institutional and social demands that may not be consistent with some interpretations of dialogical therapy. We consider practice implications where the exercise of power to direct a session facilitates dialogical interactions., (© 2023 The Authors. Family Process published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Family Process Institute.)

This paper seeks to build on Carriere's (2022) work on the complex, pervasive, and dialogical nature of politics and extend this treatment to examine the politics of the transitional, liminal, and "in-between spaces." In particular, we analyze the theatrical nature of politics by examining how roads and streets become a "dynamic stage" (Valsiner, 2004, p. 2) where private and public policies enter into dynamic dialogical relationships. We distinguish between direct, direct but distanced, and indirect peripheral political participation and explore how roads and streets enable redundant and dramatic communicative processes that feed into the internalization/externalization meaning-making processes (Valsiner, 2014). Finally, we analyze the process of the emergence of roads and streets as a result of complex interactions between public policies, ordinances, and values. We extend this exploration to an illustrative case in Oahu, Hawai'i to demonstrate how streets become constructed and organized to provide affective guidance. We conclude by arguing that the absence of political messages or overt political actions does not mean the absence of politics - power dynamics are still at play in the liminal and transitional zones of human living., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Understanding how feedback is employed in various forms, positions, and contexts can provide valuable insights into improving communication and the design of human-machine dialogue systems. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of feedback in daily conversation and investigate how feedback is employed in various linguistic forms, position, preceding and following contexts, using a large corpus of telephone conversations. The study identifies three subclasses of feedback, including understandings, agreements, and answers, which account for almost one-third of the total utterances in the corpus. Acknowledge (backchannel) is the most frequently used subtype of feedback, accounting for almost 60% of the feedback, and is primarily used for conversational management and maintenance. Assessment/appreciation, on the other hand, is used less frequently, accounting for less than 10% of feedback, and is mainly realized by more creative, unpredictable, longer forms. The analysis also reveals that speakers are intentional in distinguishing the three subclasses of feedback based on various variables, such as position and the proximal discourse environment. Furthermore, the three subclasses of feedback are restricted by the function of preceding contexts, which shape the length of the remaining turn. The study suggests that future research should focus on exploring the individual differences and investigating the possible variations across different cultures and languages., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject?: The term 'complex emotional needs' (CEN) is used here to describe people with difficulties and needs that are often associated with the diagnostic label of 'personality disorder'.People with CEN might use out of hours services such as emergency departments and Crisis Resolution/Home Treatment (CRHT) teams more often when experiencing a mental health crisis.Very little is understood about the experiences of both those receiving, and those delivering care, for people with CEN within CRHT settings. What this paper adds to existing knowledge?: There are differences between priorities for those delivering and those receiving care within CRHT settings. CRHT staff members are likely to focus more upon those aspects of their role relating to risk issues. managing resources, anxieties and the expectations of others. Service users, meanwhile, focus upon the caring relationship, wanting staff to listen to them, and to feel supported and reassured.In the papers reviewed, service users experiencing CEN did not always feel 'listened to' or 'taken seriously' especially in relation to risk issues and decision‐making. What are the implications for practice?: Relating the findings to mental health nursing and CEN within the context of CRHT, to better understand the person experiencing a mental health crisis, mental health nurses need to focus more upon the person and when making decisions around their care and must be aware of the potential for power imbalances.Collaborative 'sense‐making' in relation to a person's risk behaviours may help. Background: A growing body of qualitative evidence focusing upon the experiences of care within Crisis Resolution/Home Treatment (CRHT) is emerging; however, a firm evidence base regarding both the giving and receiving of care for those with complex emotional needs (CEN) in this context is yet to be established. Objective: A qualitative evidence synthesis was used to develop a comprehensive understanding of how crisis care for people with CEN is experienced by both those giving and receiving care, within the context of CRHT. Method: Findings from 19 research papers considering both clinician and service users' experiential accounts of CRHT were synthesised using meta‐ethnography. Findings: Both the giving and receiving of care within a CRHT context was experienced across four related meta‐themes: 'contextual', 'functional', 'relational' and 'decisional'. Discussion: Service user accounts focused upon relational aspects, highlighting a significance to their experience of care. Meanwhile, clinicians focused more upon contextual issues linked to the management of organisational anxieties and resources. For those with CEN, a clinician's focus upon risk alone highlighted power differentials in the caring relationship. Conclusions: There is a need for nurses to connect with the experience of the person in crisis, ensuring a better balance between contextual issues and relational working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to verify the use of organisational culture and strategic management in the public sector, specifically in school management. To do this, a systematic literature was used. As a result, we presented a survey of the papers on the state of the art of the subject and analysed the heterogeneity of the returned papers. In addition, we analysed 348 papers presenting the search strings on the Web of Science and Scopus, the increase in the theme in recent years, the number of authors, the countries of the researchers, the research approaches, and the word cloud of returned themes. We also made a preliminary bibliometric analysis. We concluded the importance of a systematic review to point out a research gap and provided a systematic review protocol for the area and related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early Relational Health (ERH) focuses attention on family-baby relationships during the first 1000 days of life. Positive ERH enhances child health and development and family wellbeing. Universal, early identification of RH and vulnerability could add value to care. How to screen, when, where, and with whom is the question. Tools and models for screening are practitioner-centered. Bias can affect family engagement and outcomes. This may be problematic for African American families. Authors present findings of a discourse analysis and phenomenological study of experiences of African American families' and HealthySteps Specialists' (HSS) of color with screening ERH in Washington, D.C., USA (N = 13). Findings indicate relevance, acceptance and utility may be influenced by positionality, cultural context, issues of equity, and engagement in mutual reflection. A family-centered approach that opened space for non-dominant knowledge about ERH made positive differences in engagement and utility for families and practioners alike. Health and vulnerability were detected reliably using this approach. Outcomes include new theories about ERH-focused visits with African American families and infants, and a new model for centering ERH in pediatric practice, entitled Early Relational Health Conversations. ERH-C is a family reflection model, not necessarily dyadic. It may have value for other populations. Future directions in ERH-C research are suggested., (© 2022 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.)