scholarly journals Accountability and Reporting in the Fight against Corruption: Preliminary Evidences from the Italian Setting

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Rosanna Spanò ◽  
Luca Ferri ◽  
Clelia Fiondella ◽  
Marco Maffei
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Research Question ◽  
National Context ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Poor Reporting ◽  
Degree Of Heterogeneity ◽  
Regional Governments

This paper aims to explain how Italian Regional Governments reacted to the introduction of the Anti-Corruption Plans in order to understand the degree of thoroughness. To answer the research question 20 Anti-Corruption Plans prepared by Italian Regional Governments for the years 2013-2016. The plans were examined using a meaning-oriented content analysis. This analysis allows us to detect the degree of compliance with the National Anticorruption Plan (NAP). Also we investigated the characteristics of the information, as well as the degree of thoroughness of the reports. Our findings highlight the existence of high degree of heterogeneity in the Anti corruption plans that characterises the national context. Also, our findings reveal the existence of a wide presence of regions employing poor reporting practices.

scholarly journals Look Up in the Sky: Latent Content Analysis of the Real Life Superhero Community

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel White ◽  
Marianna Szabo ◽  
Niko Tiliopoulos ◽  
Paul Rhodes ◽  
Michael Spurrier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
The Real ◽  
Internet Forums ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Latent Content ◽  
Degree Of Heterogeneity

The Real Life Superhero (RLSH) subculture is a growing global community of individuals who adopt the superhero motif and are motivated by prosocial goals. Although the community has been the focus of documentaries, news articles and numerous internet forums, little academic research has been conducted on the composition of this subculture. Through the use of an online survey, socio-demographic information about this community was collected. This data was compiled and analysed via qualitative means to develop not only an overarching review of the composition of the subculture but also how members perceived themselves and other members. Membership and identity within the community was strongly tied to the activities and focus of each member, predominantly community and crime prevention orientated. The study identified a high degree of heterogeneity within the community with subdivisions focused on the perceptions of legal boundaries, focus of activities and level of authenticity.

Quirky Neighbors or the Cult Next-Door?

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-211
Author(s):  
Bernard Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Political Involvement ◽  
Television Programs ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Media Transformation

Beginning in 2005 the tiny Christian sect then known as the Exclusive Brethren suddenly underwent a media transformation from a virtually unknown or ignored group of quirky and old-fashioned Protestant sectarians to being touted as “Australia’s biggest cult” by tabloid television programs. This explosion of controversy came on the heels of media revelations about the involvement of Brethren members in providing financial donations to conservative political causes across the globe and a snowballing effect in response which brought forth a number of ex-members eager to expose their former group. This article looks at how this media transformation has been received by the wider Australian public. By studying the hitherto little utilized data contained in readers’ letters to Australia’s three mainstream broadsheet newspapers this article identifies which events or undertakings had the most impact on public perceptions of the Exclusive Brethren and which specific articles and issues struck the most responsive chord with readers. This content analysis found that Australian public opinion toward the Exclusive Brethren, while on the whole negative, was more indicative of their political involvement than their beliefs. The study also found that prior to what I call “The Brethren Controversy” the Exclusive Brethren had maintained a high degree of “sectarian tension” in Australia for almost four decades with little public outcry or media vilification.

scholarly journals Precision radiogenomics: fusion biopsies to target tumour habitats in vivo

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireia Crispin-Ortuzar ◽  
Evis Sala
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Serous Ovarian Cancer ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Degree Of Heterogeneity

SummaryHigh-grade serous ovarian cancer lesions display a high degree of heterogeneity on CT scans. We have recently shown that regions with distinct imaging profiles can be accurately biopsied in vivo using a technique based on the fusion of CT and ultrasound scans.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Impact of Atrial Fibrillation in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2490
Author(s):  
Giulio Francesco Romiti ◽  
Bernadette Corica ◽  
Gregory Y. H. Lip ◽  
Marco Proietti
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Cardiovascular Complications ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Degree Of Heterogeneity

Background: In patients with COVID-19, cardiovascular complications are common and associated with poor prognosis. Among these, an association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and COVID-19 has been described; however, the extent of this relationship is unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the epidemiology of AF in COVID-19 patients and its impact on all-cause mortality. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed and reported according to PRISMA guidelines, and a protocol for this study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021227950). PubMed and EMBASE were systematically searched for relevant studies. A random-effects model was used to estimate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Overall, 31 studies were included in the analysis, with a total number of 187,716 COVID-19 patients. The prevalence of AF was found to be as high as 8% of patients with COVID-19 (95% CI: 6.3–10.2%, 95% prediction intervals (PI): 2.0–27.1%), with a high degree of heterogeneity between studies; a multiple meta-regression model including geographical location, age, hypertension, and diabetes showed that these factors accounted for more than a third of the heterogeneity. AF COVID-19 patients were less likely to be female but more likely older, hypertensive, and with a critical status than those without AF. Patients with AF showed a significant increase in the risk of all-cause mortality (OR: 3.97, 95% CI: 2.76–5.71), with a high degree of heterogeneity. A sensitivity analysis focusing on new-onset AF showed the consistency of these results. Conclusions: Among COVID-19 patients, AF is found in 8% of patients. AF COVID-19 patients are older, more hypertensive, and more likely to have a critical status. In COVID-19 patients, AF is associated with a 4-fold higher risk of death. Further studies are needed to define the best treatment strategies to improve the prognosis of AF COVID-19 patients.

scholarly journals Compliance with materiality in G4-sustainability reports by electric utilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Slacik ◽  
Dorothea Greiling
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Electric Utility ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Actual Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Reporting Practice ◽  
Sustainability Reports

Purpose Materiality as an emerging trend aims to make sustainability reports (SR) more relevant for stakeholders. This paper aims to investigate whether the reporting practice of electric utility companies (EUC) is in compliance with the materiality principle of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) when disclosing SR. Design/methodology/approach A twofold content analysis focusing on material aspects (MAs) is conducted, followed by correlation analysis. Logic and conversation theory (LCT) serves to evaluate the communication quality of documented materiality in SR by EUC. Findings The coverage and quality of documented MAs in SR by EUC do not meet the requirements for relevant and transparent communication. Materiality does not guide the reporting practice and is not taken seriously. Research limitations/implications Mediocre quality of coverage and communication in SR shows that stakeholders’ information needs are not considered adequately. The content analysis is limited in focusing on merely documented aspects rather than on actual performance. Originality/value This study considers the quality of communication of documented materiality through the lens of LCT. It contributes to the academic debate by introducing LCT as a viable theoretical perspective for analyzing SR. The paper evaluates GRI-G4 reporting practices in the electricity sector, which, while under-researched is crucial for sustainability. It also contributes to the emerging body of empirical research on the relevance of materiality as a guiding principle for sustainability reporting.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statements in the U. S. Creative Sector: Progress, or More Bullshit?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-46
Author(s):  
Antonio C. Cuyler
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Arts Organizations ◽  
The Public ◽  
Cultural Organizations ◽  
The Status ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

This article represents a snapshot and analysis of U. S. service arts organizations’ DEI statements and activities in 2018. At that time, many primarily White-serving U. S. cultural organizations responded defensively to accusations of elitism and a harmful rigged funding system that maintained the status quo by awarding most cultural funding to these organizations while undermining the health and vitality of cultural organizations by and for historically oppressed communities (Sidford, 2011). Furthermore, Helicon Collaborative (2017) found that even with a host of cultural equity, “diversity” projects (Tseng 2016), and public-facing DEI statements, little had changed within six years. Therefore, this study uses directed and summative content analysis to investigate the research question “what do cultural equity and diversity statements communicate about cultural organizations’ positions on DEI?” This study also uses Frankfurt’s (2005) essay On Bullshit and Laing’s (2016) two-prong definition of accountability as a theoretical framework to examine if and how cultural organizations hold themselves accountable for achieving DEI in the creative sector. Lastly, readers should keep in mind that the public murder of Geor-ge Floyd in 2020 has hastened all of the service arts organizations’ access, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) work examined in this study.

scholarly journals Similarly Lethal Strains of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Trigger Markedly Diverse Host Responses in a Zebrafish Model of Sepsis

mSphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia E. Barber ◽  
Brittany A. Fleming ◽  
Matthew A. Mulvey
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Host Responses ◽  
Inflammatory Condition ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Zebrafish Model ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Care Costs ◽  
Variable Impact ◽  
Degree Of Heterogeneity

ABSTRACT Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory condition that is initiated by the presence of microorganisms in the bloodstream. In the United States, sepsis due to ExPEC and other pathogens kills well over a quarter of a million people each year and is associated with tremendous health care costs. A high degree of heterogeneity in the signs and symptomology of sepsis makes this disease notoriously difficult to effectively diagnose and manage. Here, using a zebrafish model of sepsis, we find that similarly lethal but genetically distinct ExPEC isolates can elicit notably disparate host responses. These variances are in part due to differences in the levels and types of flagellin that are expressed by the infecting ExPEC strains. A better understanding of the variable impact that bacterial factors like flagellin have on host responses during sepsis could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these often deadly infections. In individuals with sepsis, the infecting microbes are commonly viewed as generic inducers of inflammation while the host background is considered the primary variable affecting disease progression and outcome. To study the effects of bacterial strain differences on the maladaptive immune responses that are induced during sepsis, we employed a novel zebrafish embryo infection model using extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) isolates. These genetically diverse pathogens are a leading cause of sepsis and are becoming increasingly dangerous because of the rise of multidrug-resistant strains. Zebrafish infected with ExPEC isolates exhibit many of the pathophysiological features seen in septic human patients, including dysregulated inflammatory responses (cytokine storms), tachycardia, endothelial leakage, and progressive edema. However, only a limited subset of ExPEC isolates can trigger a sepsis-like state and death of the host when introduced into the bloodstream. Mirroring the situation in human patients, antibiotic therapy reduced ExPEC titers and improved host survival rates but was only effective within limited time frames that varied, depending on the infecting pathogen. Intriguingly, we find that phylogenetically distant but similarly lethal ExPEC isolates can stimulate markedly different host transcriptional responses, including disparate levels of inflammatory mediators. These differences correlate with the amounts of bacterial flagellin expression during infection, as well as differential activation of Toll-like receptor 5 by discrete flagellar serotypes. Altogether, this work establishes zebrafish as a relevant model of key aspects of human sepsis and highlights the ability of genetically distinct ExPEC isolates to induce divergent host responses independently of baseline host attributes. IMPORTANCE Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory condition that is initiated by the presence of microorganisms in the bloodstream. In the United States, sepsis due to ExPEC and other pathogens kills well over a quarter of a million people each year and is associated with tremendous health care costs. A high degree of heterogeneity in the signs and symptomology of sepsis makes this disease notoriously difficult to effectively diagnose and manage. Here, using a zebrafish model of sepsis, we find that similarly lethal but genetically distinct ExPEC isolates can elicit notably disparate host responses. These variances are in part due to differences in the levels and types of flagellin that are expressed by the infecting ExPEC strains. A better understanding of the variable impact that bacterial factors like flagellin have on host responses during sepsis could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these often deadly infections. Podcast: A podcast concerning this article is available.

scholarly journals Sustainability Reporting Practices: Evidence from Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Sumaiya Akhter ◽  
Pappu Kumar Dey
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Employee Benefits ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Product Responsibility

The objective of this paper is to examine the nature and extent of sustainability reporting practices by the listed companies in Bangladesh. In order to fulfill this objective, the research has examined the content analysis of annual report (2015-2016) and website of the top 50 listed companies (according to market capitalization). Based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines, the study investigates three broad areas i.e. economic, environmental and social with 40 indicators. The findings of the study demonstrate that organizations in Bangladesh address few sustainability issues. Companies focus more on community development which is 90%, followed by employment and employee benefits (67%). The level of disclosures in website is meagre where only 26% of the sample companies disclose at least one indicator. Organizations’ attention on issues like environment, human rights and product responsibility is limited in relation to other issues. The extent of disclosure is also poor that is 66% of the companies use less than 25 sentences in sustainability reporting. Moreover, only 16% of the sample companies use separate sustainability reporting section. The limited disclosures on sustainability issues may be because of voluntary sustainability reporting in Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Developing a conceptual model for the relationship between rituals and the city based on the Theory of Sense of Place: the case of the historical texture of Gorgan, Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoumeh Livani ◽  
Hamidreza Saremi ◽  
Mojtaba Rafieian
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Sense Of Place ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Data Coding ◽  
Library Research ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City ◽  
Oriented Approach

Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate how the city is influenced by the ritual of Muharram. The main research question is: what is the relationship between the city and the ritual of Muharram? To answer this question, we examined different intangible layers of this ritual heritage. This study is based on the three components of the sense of place. The research method is qualitative and a context-oriented approach is adopted. The context of the study is the historical texture of the city of Gorgan, Iran. The data were collected through library research and immediate observation. Next, content analysis and data coding were used to obtain a set of thematic categories. The results suggest that, as a kind of ritual-social behavior, the ritual of Muharram has had remarkable, enduring effects on the city over centuries. The non-urban-development dimension has thus allowed for the formation of sense of place in the relationship between people and the urban environment through a different process.

scholarly journals Reel Cops: Exploring the Representation of Policing on Police Ten 7

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gabrielle Margaret Podvoiskis
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Reality Television ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Street Crime ◽  
The Past ◽  
Administrative Functions ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Main Components

<p>Cop shows have been a perennial on prime time television for the past fifty years. Over the past two decades, however, the increasing popularity of reality television means that it is now competing for ascendency with traditional police-centered “soap operas”. For example, at the time of writing a search of the television scheduling by genre on TVNZ on demand reveals 92 reality television programmes compared to 65 dramas, 36 comedies and 22 news programmes. New Zealand, despite its limited production capacity has also cashed in on reality television with recent New Zealand offerings including Motorway Patrol, Illegal NZ, Drug Bust and Emergency 111. The most popular, award winning reality crime programme currently screening on New Zealand television, now in its 20th season, is Police Ten 7. The principle research question driving this thesis is: “To what extent does Police Ten 7 reflect the actual reality of contemporary policing in New Zealand?” This research question was explored through a content analysis of the entire 2010 season of Police Ten 7, consisting of 15 episodes. To assess the extent to which Police Ten 7 reflects the known realities of policing, the content analysis was broken into three main components. The first examined the demographic makeup of police. The second explored types of offences and offenders featured and the third explored the types of police activities depicted on Police Ten 7. These were then contrasted against the known realities of police, offenders and offending patterns in New Zealand. In short, the focus was on who was featured on Police Ten 7, what were they portrayed as doing and how this compares to what we actually know about crime and policing in New Zealand. The main findings were that while some aspects of policing and offending were depicted reasonably accurately, for example gender and ethnicity of police, other aspects were significantly skewed. Police Ten 7 consistently misrepresents the types of offences most commonly committed in New Zealand, over-representing traditional “street” crime such as drug and antisocial offending and violence and under-representing and even ignoring completely other common offences such as dishonesty crimes. Similarly, white individuals depicted in Police Ten 7 are much more likely to be police than offenders, while the opposite is true for non-white individuals who are also depicted more commonly as being involved in violent offending than their white counterparts. As a vehicle for the presentation of the reality of policing Police Ten 7 was found to significantly misrepresent the work undertaken by the typical police officer, over-emphasising the exciting and action-packed aspects of the job and under-emphasising the service and administrative functions of police. The conclusion reached as a result of this research is that Police Ten 7 does not in fact show audiences “a glimpse into the real working lives of New Zealand police” (TVNZ, 2011b). Instead it creates a specific, pro-police vision of policing and crime in New Zealand which features real police and offenders but as a result of the symbiotic relationship between the producers and the police combines to misrepresent the reality of both policing and offending for the majority of police and offenders.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document