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Background: Vulvar lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis which can progress to precursor lesion differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (dVIN) and vulvar squamous cell carcin- oma (VSCC). The risk of developing recurrent vulvar cancer following LS-associated VSCC is high. Evidence suggests that treatment of LS with topical corticosteroids (TCS) can prevent progression to dVIN, VSCC and recurrences. However, current guidelines do not give any recommendation on the management of LS following surgery for VSCC. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey among all registered gynaecologic oncologists (GOs) in the Netherlands to evaluate the current management of LS patients without a history of VSCC (LSnoVSCC) and patients with LS following surgery for VSCC (LSVSCC). Methods: An online survey was distributed to all registered GOs in the Netherlands. Primary outcome measures were the frequency, type and duration of TCS treatment prescribed for LSnoVSCC and LSVSCC patients, separately. As a secondary outcome measure, reasons for treating or not treating patients with LSnoVSCC and LSVSCC with TCS were analysed. Results: Forty-four GOs completed the survey, resulting in a response rate of 75%. TCS were prescribed more often to patients with LSnoVSCC as compared to patients with LSVSCC (86% versus 52%, respectively, p < 0.001). If treatment was initiated, ultra-potent (class IV) TCS were most commonly prescribed for an indefinite period of time for both patient groups. The most reported reason for treating patients in both groups with TCS was symptoms, followed by clinical aspects of the lesion and prevention of progression to dVIN and VSCC. Conclusion: The majority of GOs who participated in our study endorse the utilisation of long-term ultra-potent TCS therapy in both patients with LSnoVSCC and LSVSCC. Nevertheless, Dutch GOs are currently prescribing TCS more frequently to patients with LSnoVSCC than to patients with LSVSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on Automated Vehicle (AV) transportation services has largely concentrated on specific cases, leading to a narrow comprehension of wider public mobility requirements in AV deployment. Additionally, the impacts of socio-demographics on AV transportation preferences remain underexplored, hindered by limitations in current modeling methodologies. Moreover, mediating roles of safety between socio-demographics and AV transportation preferences lack quantitative validation. This study aims to uncover the reasons behind public preference for AV-based services and investigate safety’s mediating effects on these preferences. In a survey conducted in Kentucky, USA, with 673 responses, the most preferred uses for AV services were post-alcohol rides, airport shuttles, and long-distance travel. Urban areas showed a higher preference for AV services. Age, gender, urbanization, affordability, travel needs, and exposure to AV technology significantly influenced these preferences. The study underscores a high demand for AV services while validating safety concerns as a major barrier to their widespread adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a possible decline in public pension benefits, private savings will become critical for maintaining desired living standards, yet most people undersave. We focus on one of the possible explanations for this: trust in the state. Using data from a dedicated survey and applying structural equation modeling, this study demonstrates that Polish citizens cherish the unconditional, albeit subconscious, belief in the state as a potential rescuer of last resort in life-threatening situations. This trust plays an essential role in people's propensity to save for the future. We discuss potential explanations of this phenomenon and its consequences for social policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to high quality and accessible online health information (OHI) is critical for reducing disparities, overcoming barriers, and improving the health of women with disabilities. This study aimed to understand women with physical disabilities' use of the Internet to access OHI, most often searched health topics, perceived usefulness of OHI, and self-reported eHealth literacy and challenges in OHI seeking. We conducted a national online survey with 508 women with physical disabilities who used the Internet. Respondents utilized a wide variety of OHI resources. They searched a broad array of health and disability-related topics, with bowel/bladder and finding a physician the most highly searched topics. They generally had confidence in their eHealth literacy skills and ability to understand statistics in OHI. Nevertheless, although our sample consisted of a majority of highly educated internet-users, a sizeable percentage found OHI seeking difficult and frustrating, did not find the information very helpful, and had concerns about the quality of information. This study serves as a call to action to disability and rehabilitation scientists, health care providers, and other health professionals to enhance the availability and accessibility of OHI critical to empowering women with physical disabilities to make well-informed health decisions. Access to high quality online health information (OHI) is critical for reducing disparities, overcoming barriers, and improving the health of women with disabilities. Many of the women with disabilities in our study found OHI seeking difficult and frustrating, did not find the information very helpful, and had concerns about the quality of the information. Disability and rehabilitation scientists, health care providers, and public health and health policy professionals need to do more to enhance the availability and accessibility of OHI and resources critical to empowering women with physical disabilities to make well-informed health decisions. Physical medicine and rehabilitation scientists are encouraged to develop and improve assistive technologies needed for accessing OHI, which in turn can promote the independent functioning of people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To facilitate interpretation and clinical utility of patient-reported outcomes, normative data provide a reference for a person's score on a particular outcome in relation to the general population. This study reports Danish general population norms for four mental health indicators, assessing social functioning (Sheehan Disability Scale, SDS) personal recovery (Brief INSPIRE-O), symptom burden (Symptom Check List-10, SCL-10) and subjective well-being (WHO-5). The study was a cross-sectional survey study organized by the State's statistical authority among the general population of adult Danish residents in Denmark, ranging in age between 18 to 79 years. A total of 8003 citizens were contacted including reminders from 2 March 2019 to 11 April 2019 by electronic letters, resulting in 2819 (35%) citizens providing complete responses. Female gender, higher age, Danish origin and living with a partner were associated with increased participation, and decreased participation was observed in male immigrants. We found a mean score of subjective well-being slightly lower than the population norm typically found in Danish general population studies. Elderly persons, Danes, and persons living with a partner reported better subjective mental health. Subjective well-being and personal recovery were positively correlated with social contacts and self-reported general health rating, and negatively correlated with social functioning and symptoms of depression and anxiety. This normative data provides a reference for interpreting mental health status. Our findings indicate slightly poorer subjective mental health than previously found. There is a need for special attention to engaging male immigrants in studies on mental health in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the approval of the COVID-19 vaccines, their safety and efficacy has been widely demonstrated in patients with cancer. However, there remain patients with reservations regarding vaccination. We aimed to assess genitourinary cancer patients' perceptions of the vaccines as well as barriers and influencers of decision-making through the completion of a questionnaire. While vaccine-associated concerns were observed, most patients with genitourinary cancers were willing to receive the vaccine. Moving forward, differing strategies could be considered to enhance patient education on the utility of vaccination in the setting of cancer and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spillover of racism towards welfare opinions has previously been studied in several countries. This paper analyses how racism and welfare are formed intertwined in Austria. This remains an important topic, as the welfare state not only distributes material resources but is also seen as a site of socialization – at least within the German-speaking literature. Besides identifying a potential spillover effect within survey data for Austria, the article also discusses how the topics of the racialized, especially in the form of the migrant "other" and welfare state and support, are rhetorically linked within newspaper articles. Four rhetorical strategies are distinguished within the empirical material using the notion of the undeserving "other" to argue, among others, for general welfare state cutbacks. These strategies also introduce arguments for extreme cases of social exclusion within the welfare state that affect existing views on, and possibly also, society and social life itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess variations in midwives' practices of cord clamping (early versus delayed) and to identify factors potentially associated with delayed clamping. This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey by self-administered online questionnaire among French midwives working in delivery rooms from March to July 2018. We obtained complete responses from 350 midwives. Only 120 (34.3%) reported always or sometimes performing delayed cord clamping at one minute or more after birth. Delayed cord clamping was significantly associated with midwives' experience (adjusted OR 3.99; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.10, 7.83 for experience >10 years), maternity unit written protocol (adjusted OR (aOR) 5.17; 95% CI 1.88, 16.00), knowledge of guidelines (aOR 3.33; 95% CI 1.98, 5.71) and neonatal care level 1 (aOR 2.95; 95% CI 1.53, 5.78).Impact StatementWhat is already know on this subject? Despite benefits and the safety of delayed cord clamping, many newborns likely had their umbilical cords clamped immediately after delivery as part of routine care or because providers were not convinced of the benefits of delayed clamping.What do the results of this study add? Most of the midwives surveyed did not systematically delay cord clamping. Individual and organisational factors were associated with adherence to guidelines regarding delayed cord clamping.What are the implications of these findings for clinical and/or further research? A protocol should be implemented in every maternity unit with information about the benefits and risks of delayed cord clamping to reduce variations in practice and improve the safety of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sweden, an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening programme was gradually implemented from 2009 to reduce the incidence of rupture and thereby mortality. AAA screening introduces a variety of unintended, but generally unavoidable, harms, e.g. stress and worry. Such psychosocial consequences have previously only been investigated with generic measures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe and compare the psychosocial consequences in men with a screening detected AAA to men with a normal screening result after they participated in the Swedish national AAA-screening programme using a validated psychometric instrument. This study was a cross-sectional survey. Data were originally collected to validate the COS-AAA and has previously been published in details. The Consequences of Screening in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (COS-AAA) questionnaire was sent to 250 men with a screening detected AAA and 500 with a normal screening result who were randomly selected from a Swedish population-based screening register. In total, 158 (63%) men with a screening detected AAA and 275 (55%) men with a normal screening result completed the COS-AAA. We found that men with a screening detected AAA reported negative psychosocial consequences to a greater extent in 10 of 13 COS-AAA Part 1 scales, all statistically significant except three (behaviour, sleep and negative experiences from examination). For COS-AAA Part 2, there was a statistically significant difference between groups in four of five scales. Men diagnosed with a screening detected AAA, reported more negative psychosocial consequences compared to men with a normal result. Screening for abdominal aorta aneurism (AAA) introduces intended benefits and unintended harms. Adequate measures are necessary to determine the balance between them. This study applied a condition-specific questionnaire with high content validity and adequate psychometric properties to measure psychosocial consequences in men participating in AAA screening. We found that men with a screening detected AAA reported more negative psychosocial consequences than men with a normal aorta size. The risk of negative psychosocial consequences is important to include in the decision making on whether to participate in screening or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey study explores how teacher educators perceive relevant aspects of professional learning in their practice. These aspects were considered as important by teacher educators in a previous review study. A total of 583 Dutch and Chinese teacher educators completed a digital questionnaire regarding the content of teacher educators' learning, their learning activities, and reasons for learning. Most teacher educators perceived all professional learning aspects as relevant for their practice. The professional learning scales showed correlations with several background variables, such as educational degree and how teacher educators perceive their identity in the teacher education institutes. When comparing Dutch and Chinese teacher educators, significant differences were only found in their perceptions of research-related scales and the scale "getting input from others". It can be concluded that all aspects are essential for learning and functioning. The differences between Dutch and Chinese teacher educators were related to the contexts in which they work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the challenges of the global Education 2030 Agenda (i.e. to guarantee inclusive and equitable quality education for all), this study was designed to ascertain to what extent inclusive education policies are applied in public primary schools in Catalonia (Spain). The objective was to identify the level of inclusion (LI) of the schools through an online questionnaire, and to determine the relationship of LI to the students’ academic performance in the schools, as measured by the Catalan external evaluation exam in their last year of primary education. Our findings showed advances in applying more inclusive education in the 615 participating schools. On ascertaining the LI we classified the schools according to levels of consolidation of inclusive practices, identifying both the most well-established areas and barriers to inclusion. Hence we obtained a wide spectrum of the application of inclusion in the Catalan education system. The study also showed that there was no relationship between inclusive practices and pupils’ academic performance in the schools taking part. The rigour of the procedures used and the breadth of the sample can promote evidence-based practices for the development of policy in the Catalan education system and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID19-Pandemic has forced educators to transform their lessons into online versions in a short period of time. This study compares teachers' perception regarding their online teaching expectations (prior to the transition to remote teaching) and experiences (after a month of online teaching). Two surveys were completed by 200 Dutch teachers. Results demonstrated a significant change in the perception of teachers regarding their resolutions to implement technology in their lessons in a post-corona era. In this regard, teachers' gender and prior experiences with the use of ICT seem to play a small role. Findings of this study provide implications for the professionalisation of teachers, such as characteristics of teachers and intentions to implement technology in teaching, as well as experienced positive and negative aspects of online teaching. Future research should focus on constructing and testing educational design principles for effective professionalisation of teachers in adopting technology in their educational practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over recent decades university tutoring has attracted much attention. The research carried out has taken many formsemphasising the importance of developing good instruments for investigating this complex reality and its numerous perspectives. This article provides a psychometric analysis of a questionnaire that aims to assess the perceptions of students and professors regarding their perception of the importance and reality of tutoring at university in the current context. The questionnaire was analysed using applied statistical techniques, cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling, using a sample of 569 university professors and 679 students from different universities in the Community of Madrid (Spain). The results showed that the questionnaire contains several useful psychometric properties. This study contributes significantly to existing models in the literature. We confirm that tutoring at university has three dimensions (personal-social, academic and professional), which various authors on the subject consider to be key components. This study proposes a finer division of tutoring dimensions and characterises more analytically the role of the university tutor, in pursuit of the integral education of university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and assess preferences for medical treatment attributes to obtain information of the relative importance of the different attributes in a Danish population with ulcerative colitis (UC).Methods: We used data from an online survey collected in March 2018 among people with self-reported UC. A total of 302 eligible respondents answered the HRQoL questionnaires (EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) and the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ)), and 212 also completed the discrete choice experiment (DCE). The probability of choosing an alternative from a number of choices in the DCE was estimated using a conditional logit model.Results: The respondents had an average SIBDQ score of 4.5 and an HRQoL score of 0.77, applying the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. HRQoL correlated with disease severity, and the respondents had lower HRQoL than did a gender- and age-matched subset of the Danish population. The most important medical treatment attribute was efficacy within eight weeks. Additionally, respondents stated a preference for avoiding taking steroids, for fast onset of effect and for oral formulations.Conclusions: HRQoL correlates with disease severity, and patients with UC have lower HRQoL than the general population. The most important treatment attribute was efficacy, but patients also would like to avoid steroids, value fast onset of effect and prefer oral formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cronbach's alpha is the most frequently used measure to investigate the reliability of measurement instruments. Despite its frequent use, many warn for misinterpretations of alpha. These claims about regular misunderstandings, however, are not based on empirical data. To understand how common such beliefs are, we conducted a survey study to test researchers' knowledge of and beliefs about alpha. For this survey, we selected authors from recent papers, in which alpha was used. The results provide empirical evidence for the claims that researchers have difficulty interpreting alpha in a proper way. At the same time, we expounded the claims, by showing that whereas some beliefs are fairly typical, others are not so often seen. This non-technical paper, aimed at both statisticians and substantive researchers, is concluded by providing a few suggestions that could be helpful to get us out of the current stalemate regarding the usability of alpha and its alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined partners of cancer patients intention to use a web-based psychological intervention, their preferences regarding its preconditions, functionalities and topics, and factors related to their intention. One hundred and sixty-eight partners completed a questionnaire about these aspects. Forty-eight percent of the partners would (maybe) make use of a web-based intervention. Partners who intended to participate were significantly younger, used the Internet more often, and perceived more caregiver strain. Most partners preferred an intervention that takes less than 1 hour/week, lasts five weeks or more, and contains information and peer support. Half of the partners would like to receive online guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Taking into consideration that shift work has a wide-ranging impact on circadian and sleep functioning, it seems likely that shift work increases the risk of a general sleep disturbance, spread out over a multitude of comorbid sleep disorders. The aim of the present study is to analyze and present the sleep disorder data of 250 shift workers and 971 permanent day workers, taken from a nationally representative sample. Additional data concerning duration, timing, and quality of sleep, daytime functioning and social/family variables were added to the analyses. The results showed that the shift workers experienced significantly more difficulties with the variability of their sleep times, reported more napping and considered themselves more as poor sleepers than the day workers. Most importantly, shift work, in comparison with day work, appeared associated with a significantly higher prevalence of the clinical, International Classification of Sleep Disorders’ defined symptoms of nearly all main sleep disorders (including shift work disorder). For shift workers, the prevalence of a general sleep disturbance was 39.0% (95%CI 33.2 – 45.2), significantly higher than for day workers (24.6%, 95%CI 22.0 – 27.4). Moreover, shift workers were characterized by high levels of sleep disorder comorbidity. In addition, exclusively for shift workers, the prevalence of disordered sleep systematically decreased across decades of life and was considerably higher for single versus partnered shift workers. This study adds to the insight into the interacting factors that determine shift work coping and may play a role in occupational health interventions aimed at reducing sleep problems and thus improving the resilience and tolerance of the shift worker. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study aims to improve the prediction accuracy of the rational standard thermal comfort model, known as the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) model, by (1) calibrating one of its input variables "metabolic rate," and (2) extending it by explicitly incorporating the variable running mean outdoor temperature (RMOT) that relates to adaptive thermal comfort. The analysis was performed with survey data (n = 1121) and climate measurements of the indoor and outdoor environment from a one year-long case study undertaken at Hermitage Amsterdam museum in the Netherlands. The PMVs were calculated for 35 survey days using (1) an a priori assumed metabolic rate, (2) a calibrated metabolic rate found by fitting the PMVs to the thermal sensation votes (TSVs) of each respondent using an optimization routine, and (3) extending the PMV model by including the RMOT. The results show that the calibrated metabolic rate is estimated to be 1.5 Met for this case study that was predominantly visited by elderly females. However, significant differences in metabolic rates have been revealed between adults and elderly showing the importance of differentiating between subpopulations. Hence, the standard tabular values, which only differentiate between various activities, may be oversimplified for many cases. Moreover, extending the PMV model with the RMOT substantially improves the thermal sensation prediction, but thermal sensation toward extreme cool and warm sensations remains partly underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objectives This study was designed to evaluate how the anesthesiologists in Cairo University Hospitals are adherent in their practice to the latest ASA guidelines for management of difficult airway in order to stand on the current status and establish a basis for improvement. Methods This is a survey study included 190 anesthesiologists from the faculty members of Cairo university hospitals. All of them completed the study questionnaire. Main results A 77.9% of the responders admitted their use of the ASA Algorithm during their practice. For anticipated difficult airway, 74% would employ regional anesthesia as first choice while 52% and 54% would use Supraglottic airway devices and awake Fiberoptic respectively. For unanticipated failed intubation with adequate mask ventilation, 90% would use a supraglottic airway device as their first choice while 85% and 90% would wake up the patient, perform awake fiberoptic intubation and make an emergency invasive airway access respectively. For failed intubation with difficult/impossible mask ventilation, 87% would use a supraglottic airway device while 51% and 28% would perform needle cricothyroidotomy and percutaneous tracheostomy respectively. Awake fiberoptic intubation and intubation with direct laryngoscope using intravenous induction and succinylcholine were the most frequently used techniques in different clinical scenarios. Conclusion The practice of anesthesiologists in Cairo university hospitals is close to the recommendations of the ASA guidelines for management of difficult airway. There is increased skills in fiberoptic bronchoscopes and SGA with increased frequency of difficult airway managements training courses; however, they need to improve their skills in awake fiberoptic intubations technique and they need to be trained on invasive airway management access to close the discrepancy between their theoretical choices in different situations and their actual skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the application of knowledge creation learning and innovation to higher education in construction. The objectives are to demonstrate the application of the course based on knowledge creation learning to mass teaching and to analyse whether knowledge creation learning improves student motivation and learning. The empirical data (n = 120) consist of the results of a student survey from two university-level courses. The first course, Basics of Construction Management and Economics (n = 79), was developed on the basis of knowledge creation, and the second course, Building Project (n = 41), was implemented using the case-based learning method. The results, based on student self-assessments, showed that case-based learning supported the learning process more effectively than did the course based on knowledge creation. On the other hand, the results showed the relevance of applying knowledge creation-based learning to the mass teaching of construction in higher education. The findings of this empirical study suggest that more attention should focus on developing students' metacognitive skills in engineering education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While key conceptions and the status of environmental education (EE) have been reported at various international, regional, national and local levels, those in play in the schools of Quito (Ecuador) are still relatively unknown. Of particular interest to this study are private schools: they are considerable in number in Ecuador and elsewhere, yet remain largely underrepresented in national and local studies. Therefore, a survey with a focus on conceptions of EE was administered to teachers (74) and pupils (748) of the third-, fourth- and fifth-years (7–10 years old) of elementary education, in 22 private schools in Quito. Using Sauvé's categorization of conceptual currents in EE, findings suggest a strong conservationist theme among teachers whereas pupils approach EE from both conservationist and naturalist perspectives. In terms of the status of EE, implementation is still limited to classrooms and in teacher professional education and development. Consideration of diverse conceptual currents is strongly recommended in teacher professional development, and the strengthening of EE-related partnerships between schools, homes and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Women with pregestational diabetes are advised to plan their pregnancies to optimize glycemia and reduce fetal complications. We evaluated the adequacy of pregnancy planning effort and medical planning in pregnant women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Methods. This retrospective cohort study surveyed pregnant women with pregestational diabetes mellitus between 2006 and 2008 in Ontario, Canada. We evaluated three measures of pregnancy planning: pregnancy planning effort, medical planning based on prepregnancy glycemic control, and folic acid use. We compared women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and explored predictors of pregnancy planning. Results. Of the 163 women studied (89 type 1, 74 type 2 diabetes), 47%% reported high pregnancy planning effort, 58%% reported attempts to optimize glycemic control, and 56%% took folic acid before pregnancy. Of those who reported high pregnancy planning, 20%% did not medically plan their pregnancies. Rates were similar between women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The most important predictor of pregnancy planning was having discussed plans with their physician. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that pregnancy planning is suboptimal in women with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, highlighting a need to improve preconception counseling for all women with pregestational diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate people's perception of information security and to unveil the factors that influence people's perception of different threats to information security. In the survey study, 602 respondents were asked to evaluate one of 21 common threats to information security with regard to its rank related to each of the 20 threat-related features. An exploratory factor analysis was then conducted, and a six-factor structure was derived, which includes factors of Knowledge, Impact, Severity, Controllability, Possibility and Awareness. Using this factor structure, the characteristics of the five most dangerous threats (hackers, worms, viruses, Trojan horses and backdoor programs) and the five least dangerous threats (spam, piratical software, operation accidents, users' online behaviour being recorded and deviation in quality of service) were discussed and compared. The relationships between the factors and the perceived overall danger of threats were found and then tested by multiple regression analyses. Significant effects were also found in people's perception of information security related to computer experience and types of loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deviant service behaviour (DSB) is examined among employees of a cinema chain in the Netherlands. Behaviours that were reported in interviews with 47 employees of one theatre were phrased as items and were used in a survey conducted in three other theatres of the same chain (n = 115). Virtually all employees reported some DSB, but overall the frequency of incidence was low. Younger employees and those who had a negative attitude towards management reported it more frequently. Gender; education; full-time study; tenure; contract hours; location; and attitudes towards the company or co-workers were not related to DSB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical features of entry-, junior- and advanced-level robot contests are presented. The RoboCup educational survey method is considered. Characteristic data on the team members, their activities and motivation to participate in the program, as indicated by the questionnaire results, are discussed. New initiatives directly related to education are derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]