How obstetricians and pregnant women decide mode of birth in light of a recent regulation in Brazil

Background

In Brazil, 88% of births among women with private insurance are caesarean sections, even though a caesarean rate above 15% is associated with greater maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Aiming to reduce unnecessary caesarean sections in the private sector, in July 2015 the Brazilian government enacted Resolução Normativa 368, a regulation requiring the use of partograms, pre-natal cards to document pregnancies, and consent forms for elective caesareans, and recommending that obstetricians provide women with an informational letter about birth.

Automobility reconfigured? Ironic seductions and mundane freedoms in 16–21 year olds’ accounts of car driving and ownership

In the light of the ‘peak-car’ thesis, this paper explores the driving-related desires and practices of adults aged 16–21 and their parents from the UK. Tropes of freedom and independence were commonly evoked; but were pragmatically framed by concerns of finance, utility and risk. Car ownership was prized only for instrumental reasons, and as one tool in a mixed, collective transport network: it had been decoupled from automobility. Environmental sustainability was notably absent from discussions. It may be too early to herald the end of automobility but, for these participants, its seductions have been rendered ironic, rather than aspirational.     

Emoji: What does the scientific literature say about them?-A new way to communicate in the 21th century

Communication is really complex and beyond the verbal communication, it involves the transmission of abstract and concrete information using both verbal and nonverbal symbols. In June-July 2017 we performed a systematic search in the electronic database PubMed in order to better understand the impact of “emoji” in the scientific community. We considered eligible for the systematic review original articles, letters, brief reports, short communications web articles (written in English, French, Italian or Spanish) without any temporal limit and using the keyword “emoji” The literature search yielded 5 publications. The studies were published between 2015 and 2017. Two authors tried to associate emoji to specific feelings. Huesch et al. analyzed 1.7 million unique interactions and stories associated with breast cancer screening keywords generated on Facebook. Skiba in his short communication describes the history of emoji and proposed to develop a set of emoji that could be used to improve the management of their patients’ health. Bourzac in her short communication, says that at the first-ever Emojicon in California, a group of science enthusiasts and designers worked on proposals for several new science-themed emoji, in order to better express themselves. Although the scientific literature about emoji is very few, their psychological and emotional significance is very fascinating, and they could have an interesting application in public health to improve the physician–patient interaction.     

The human right to health: exploring disability,migration and health

Across the globe, an estimated one billion people are on the move today, of whom 244 million are international migrants. Not only have global horizons expanded in the realm of work and study; global conflict and exploitation have resulted in forced migration. Migration is a political issue, which raises questions of identity, citizenship, diversity and integration and is utilised to play upon the fear of the stranger, the ‘Other’ and difference in contemporary society. Disabled migrants are a hidden population whose experiences are often overlooked or subsumed within wider debates around disability and ethnicity. This article considers the intersection of disability and migration in contemporary society through the lens of healthcare access. Reflecting on the impact of citizenship rights on the realisation of human rights in the context of contemporary migration, using health as an example, the article considers the implications for disabled migrants, focusing primarily on the European Union.     

Regression modelling of the flows in an input–output table with accounting constraints

This paper details a method for estimating the unknown parameters of a regression model when the estimates of the dependent variable should be embedded in an input–output table with accounting constraints. Since in regression modelling the dependent variable is usually transformed either to achieve homoscedasticity of the residuals or for a better interpretation of the model, the estimating procedure becomes an optimization problem of an opportunely defined Lagrangian function with non-linear constraints. After detailing the algorithm and deriving the asymptotic distribution of the restricted estimator, the methodology is applied to estimate the flows of tourism within and between Italian regions with a gravity model. The procedure can be seen as an extension of Byron’s (J R Stat Soc Ser A 141:359–367, 1978) balancing method.     

The Actuarial Assessment and Experiential Reality of Risk in Childhood

All children face risks in their everyday lives, although some experience more than others. Age, gender, geography and relative disadvantage are among the factors making a difference. Assessing and managing these risks has generated enormous academic interest, political activity, public debate, and emotion, but a major tension has arisen. This is between the actuarial models of risk assessment widely advocated and imposed by agencies including the government, even if prompted by individual instance and public outrage, and experiential models of risk assessment commonly adopted by children and their families. This gives rise to the issue of whether children should be protected at all cost because of the risk from both visible and hidden dangers, or whether they should be exposed to challenge and adventure to allow them to learn to assess and manage risk for themselves. It is unclear whether or not the world is a safer place for children than in the past, and it is apparent that risks constantly change. The challenge is to ensure that young people remain safe while at the same time gaining opportunities to experience excitement and develop their independence.