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Multidrug-resistant organism infections are a serious health problem globally, and can result in patient mortality and morbidity. In this descriptive study, we produced the first web application for transmission prevention specific to the situation based on nursing experience, knowledge, and practice guidelines and to evaluate web application satisfaction among Thai nurses. The sample comprised 282 Thai registered nurses experienced in caring for patients with multidrug-resistant organisms in a tertiary hospital. A demographic form and knowledge test were completed anonymously online. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The application emphasized crucial topics for which participants had low preliminary knowledge and included tutorial sessions, pictures, video clips, drills, and a post-test. The application was piloted with a random sample of 30 nurses, and an instrument tested their satisfaction with this. Results revealed that preliminary knowledge scores for preventing transmission were moderate, and participants were highly satisfied with the application. Findings suggest the application is suitable for Thai nurses and could be applied to nursing practice elsewhere. However, further testing is recommended before implementing it into nursing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly impairing condition with important public health impacts. Despite the availability of treatment options for AUD, research shows that few people receive treatment, and even fewer can maintain abstinence/low‐drinking levels. This study investigated the role of personality traits in past‐year alcohol use among individuals with severe AUD who ever attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a widespread and easily accessible self‐help group for alcohol problems. Methods: Univariable and multivariable regressions were performed separately in females and males with alcohol consumption as an outcome. Socioeconomic factors, genetic liability, and psychopathology were included as covariates in the analyses. Results: Results from the multivariable model indicated that in females who attended AA, greater alcohol use was related to both positive and negative urgency and low sensation seeking, while in males, greater alcohol use was related to positive urgency. Results also showed that, in both sexes, younger age and lower educational levels were associated with greater alcohol use. Moreover, single males and individuals with lower AUD severity were at higher risk of using alcohol in the past year. Conclusions: These findings highlight sex‐specific correlates of drinking in individuals with AUD who engaged in self‐help groups. These findings may help to improve treatment options, as personality encompasses modifiable traits that can be targeted in psychological interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We conducted a prospective observational service evaluation across the United Kingdom on the use of total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) for obstetric surgery between November 2022 and June 2023. The primary aim was to describe the incidence of TIVA for obstetric surgery within participating units, with secondary aims to describe maternal and neonatal postoperative recovery indicators. Of 184 maternity units in the United Kingdom, 30 (16%) contributed data to the service evaluation. There were 104 patients who underwent caesarean delivery under TIVA and 19 patients had TIVA for other reasons. Infusions of propofol and remifentanil were used in 100% and 84% of cases, respectively. Fifty‐nine out of 103 live neonates (57%) required some form of respiratory support. Of the neonates with recorded data, 73% and 17% had Apgar scores < 7 at 1 and 5 min respectively. No neonates were recorded to have Apgar scores < 7 at 10 min. Further prospective research is required to investigate the impact of obstetric TIVA on maternal and neonatal outcomes and inform best practice recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess prevalence of elevated blood pressure readings, rates of established hypertension diagnosis, and blood pressure control medication prescription rates in a cohort of older people experiencing unsheltered homelessness presenting to a Street Medicine clinic in Miami‐Dade County, Florida. In addition, we will compare outcomes found in the study cohort to that of the general population. Methods: Demographic information, clinical history, blood pressure control medication prescription, and blood pressure measurements were taken by a Street Medicine team of medical providers. The team routinely provides medical evaluations and care for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness who reside in rough sleeper tent encampments located on the street. Clinical information and vitals were recorded in REDCap. De‐identified data from patients 65 years and above were downloaded and compared to a general population data set—the Centers for Disease Control National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (CDC NHANES) 2017–2020 Pre‐pandemic cohort. Data analysis was performed using R Studio version 4.3.2. Results: Blood pressure was reported in 120 distinct interactions with older people experiencing homelessness. Compared to the age‐matched NHANES data, older people experiencing unsheltered homelessness were at significantly increased relative risk for elevated blood pressure within the range of Stage 1 Hypertension (RR: 3.914, 95% CI: 2.560–5.892, P < 0.001), and within range of Stage 2 Hypertension (RR: 5.550, 95% CI: 4.272–7.210, P < 0.001). According to NHANES, 49.6% of adults over 60 with diagnosed hypertension receive treatment. Of study participants, 69% of those with elevated blood pressure had previously received a diagnosis of hypertension and 15.9% on medication to control blood pressure. Conclusion: Our cohort of older people experiencing unsheltered homelessness had higher rates of elevated blood pressure and reduced rates of hypertension diagnosis and treatment as compared to the general population. Older people experiencing unsheltered homelessness are a growing population, and future research should seek to evaluate and understand older adult care vulnerabilities, including chronic disease management, to improve health outcomes for those who are aging, hypertensive, and unhoused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pregnant women are vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection. Neutralizing antibodies against the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike (S) protein protect from severe disease. This study analyzes the antibody titers to SARS‐CoV‐2 S protein in pregnant women and their newborns at delivery, and six months later. Methods: We conducted a prospective study on pregnant women with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and newborns. Antibody (IgG, IgM, and IgA) titers were determined using immunoassays in serum and milk samples. An angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor‐binding inhibition assay to the S protein was performed on the same serum and milk samples. Results: At birth, antibodies to SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein were detected in 81.9% of mothers' sera, 78.9% of cord blood samples, and 63.2% of milk samples. Symptomatic women had higher antibody titers (IgG, IgM, and IgA) than the asymptomatic ones (P < 0.05). At six months postpartum, IgG levels decreased drastically in children's serum (P < 0.001) but remained high in mothers' serum. Antibody titers correlated positively with its capacity to inhibit the ACE2–spike protein interaction at baseline in maternal sera (R2 = 0.203; P < 0.001), cord sera (R2 = 0.378; P < 0.001), and milk (R2 = 0.564; P < 0.001), and at six months in maternal sera (R2 = 0.600; P < 0.001). Conclusions: High antibody levels against SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein were found in most pregnant women. Due to the efficient transfer of IgG to cord blood and high IgA titers in breast milk, neonates may be passively immunized to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Our findings could guide newborn management and maternal vaccination policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grit, a personality trait characterized by having passion and perseverance for long‐term goals, has been linked to increased performance, retention, and well‐being in various fields. In the 15 years since the original grit scale was published, many studies have investigated factors that promote grit. However, a scale has not yet been developed measuring characteristics that can contribute to higher levels of grit. This study aimed to develop a novel scale to measure the psychological resources of grit. The Delphi technique was used to obtain consensus from a national and international panel of academics and practitioners who are experts in grit and related constructs. A total of 30 participants rated 100 scale items over three rounds of online surveys. Experts agreed that items selected for the final scale (n = 20) were essential, with 85% rating them as important or very important. The scale, called the Grit Psychological Resources Scale, has promise as a helpful tool for practitioners involved in staff development and building capabilities that contribute to goal achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges and strengths that child welfare professionals experience in non‐metro areas, with a secondary focus on how they encounter and respond to substance use in families and communities. We conducted three focus groups in non‐metro counties (n = 35). We used thematic analysis supported by Dedoose, beginning with line by line coding, then thematic identification and mapping. Emergent themes focused on challenges and strengths experienced in non‐metro communities, including (Community context)—unique community attributes; the call for treatment; (Challenges)—uphill battles; reporting; access to appropriate care; funding; interacting with state systems; and (Strength)—finding strengths and creative solutions. Child welfare professionals in non‐metro communities embody and respond to both challenges and strengths. They feel frustrated by standards that do not take available resources into account, yet they effectively leverage social capital to complete their work. Giving voice to child welfare professionals can enhance policy making and create more sustainable systems for child welfare practice in non‐metro settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that used a web application designed to test the hypothesis that visual updates showing care progression would impact patient experience compared to standard of care. Highlights include accessibility to the application via the patient's mobile device or a provided in-room tablet, extraction of demographic data from the electronic health record, and the novel use of an innovative model of testing a pilot program using concepts not used in health care settings.

X‐ray free‐electron laser (XFEL) pulses from SPring‐8 Ångstrom Compact free‐electron LAser (SACLA) with a temporal duration of <10 fs have provided a variety of benefits in scientific research. In a previous study, an arrival‐timing monitor was developed to improve the temporal resolution in pump–probe experiments at beamline 3 by rearranging data in the order of the arrival‐timing jitter between the XFEL and the synchronized optical laser pulses. This paper presents Timing Monitor Analyzer (TMA), a software package by which users can conveniently obtain arrival‐timing data in the analysis environment at SACLA. The package is composed of offline tools that pull stored data from cache storage, and online tools that pull data from a data‐handling server in semi‐real time during beam time. Users can select the most suitable tool for their purpose, and share the results through a network connection between the offline and online analysis environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Disease risk calculators are increasingly web-based, but previous studies have shown that risk information often poses problems for lay users. Objective To examine how lay people understand the result derived from an online cardiometabolic risk calculator. Design A qualitative study was performed, using the risk calculator in the Dutch National Prevention Program for cardiometabolic diseases. The study consisted of three parts: (i) attention: completion of the risk calculator while an eye tracker registered eye movements; (ii) recall: completion of a recall task; and (iii) interpretation: participation in a semi-structured interview. Setting and participants We recruited people from the target population through an advertisement in a local newspaper; 16 people participated in the study, which took place in our university laboratory. Results Eye-tracking data showed that participants looked most extensively at numerical risk information. Percentages were recalled well, whereas natural frequencies and verbal labels were remembered less well. Five qualitative themes were derived from the interview data: (i) numerical information does not really sink in; (ii) the verbal categorical label made no real impact on people; (iii) people relied heavily on existing knowledge and beliefs; (iv) people zoomed in on risk factors, especially family history of diseases; and (v) people often compared their situation to that of their peers. Discussion and conclusion Although people paid attention to and recalled the risk information to a certain extent, they seemed to have difficulty in properly using this information for interpreting their risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim Online technologies are widely used in tertiary institutions for both learning and assessment. There is a paucity of research into the use of e-Portfolios for assessment in the field of occupational therapy and other allied health disciplines. This study aimed to determine if a new assessment platform, using a flexible online learning platform, PebblePad™, is appropriate and feasible for use with allied health university staff and students in their first and second year of study. Methods A mixed methods approach was employed in two phases, before the development of a new assessment (Phase 1) and after completion of the new assessment (Phase 2), aimed to generate a comprehensive analysis of the appropriateness and feasibility of the new assessment platform. Inductive thematic analysis was used to investigate participants' focus group responses in both phases. To assess learning outcomes survey responses were analysed using t-tests, and descriptive ratings of the assessment and current use of online platforms were extracted. Results Triangulated results indicate that the assessment did not meet all five domains of appropriateness. Negative experiences and a lack of social and ecological validity were attributed to the PebblePad™. The PebblePad™ was not feasible, requiring extensive support in implementation. Conclusions While PebblePad™ did not meet all domains of appropriateness and was not feasible, students reported learning gains after completing the assessment, suggesting that content may be more important than the assessment platform. More rigorous research is needed to determine the best online platform for assessment in the allied health disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of social network sites offers many potential social benefits, but also raises privacy concerns and challenges for users. The trade-off users have to make between using sites such as Facebook to connect with their friends versus protecting their personal privacy is not well understood. Furthermore, very little behavioral research has focused on how personal privacy concerns are related to information disclosures made by one's friends. Our survey study of 116 Facebook users shows that engaging with friends through tagging activity and third-party application use is associated with higher levels of personal Facebook usage and a stronger emotional attachment to Facebook. However, users who have high levels of personal privacy concern and perceive a lack of effectiveness in Facebook's privacy policies tend to engage less frequently in tagging and app activities with friends, respectively. Our model and results explore illustrate the complexity of the trade-off between privacy concerns, engaging with friends through tagging and apps, and Facebook usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Existing measures for DSM-IV eating disorder diagnoses have notable limitations, and there are important differences between DSM-IV and DSM-5 feeding and eating disorders. This study developed and validated a new semistructured interview, the Eating Disorders Assessment for DSM-5 (EDA-5). Method Two studies evaluated the utility of the EDA-5. Study 1 compared the diagnostic validity of the EDA-5 with the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) and evaluated the test-retest reliability of the new measure. Study 2 compared the diagnostic validity of an EDA-5 electronic application ('App') with clinician interview and self-reported assessments. Results In Study 1, the kappa for EDE and EDA-5 eating disorder diagnoses was 0.74 across all diagnoses ( n = 64), with a range of κ = 0.65 for other specified feeding or eating disorder/unspecified feeding or eating disorder to κ = 0.90 for binge eating disorder. The EDA-5 test-retest kappa coefficient was 0.87 across diagnoses. For Study 2, clinical interview versus App conditions revealed a kappa of 0.83 for all eating disorder diagnoses ( n = 71). Across individual diagnostic categories, kappas ranged from 0.56 for other specified feeding or eating disorder/unspecified feeding or eating disorder to 0.94 for BN. Discussion High rates of agreement were found between diagnoses by EDA-5 and the EDE, and EDA-5 and clinical interviews. Because this study supports the validity of the EDA-5 to generate DSM-5 eating disorders and the reliability of these diagnoses, the EDA-5 may be an option for the assessment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Additional research is needed to evaluate the utility of the EDA-5 in assessing DSM-5 feeding disorders. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:452-463) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) and has been associated with an increased stroke risk. The aim of our project was to assess the clinical value of a web-based application, Discovery Link AFinder, in improving AF detection in CIED patients. Methods and Results Seven Italian hospitals performed an observational study consisting of four phases. During phase 1, expert nurses and cardiologists prospectively followed-up CIED patients via in-hospital examinations and remote monitoring, and classified clinically relevant events, particularly AF occurrence. During phase 2, Discovery Link AFinder was exploited to identify patients who had suffered AF in the previous 12 months through the systematic scanning of device data remote transmissions. Phases 3 and 4 were repetitions of phases 1 and 2, respectively, and were implemented 6 months after the previous phases. A total of 472 consecutive patients were included in phase 1; AF occurred in 170 patients, 61 of whom were identified as new AF patients. Evidence of AF during this phase prompted prescription of oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy in 30 patients. In phase 2, AFinder uncovered new AF, unidentified in phase 1, in 54 patients and prompted implementation of OAC therapy in 11 patients. During phase 3, 30 new AF patients were identified by means of remote monitoring, while during phase 4, a further three AF patients were identified by AFinder only. Conclusions The AFinder web-based software, applied on top of standard in-hospital and remote monitoring, improved AF detection and enabled OAC treatment to be undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since their introduction in 2010, much has been said and written about Apple's iPad (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) and its potential to transform when and how students learn. Much of this hype has focused on attributes of the device such as its touch screen interface, light and portable form factor, easy-to-use operating system, and large array of apps. Emerging studies mainly report positive outcomes for students from using iPads in specific learning situations. These studies have cited enhanced motivation and learner engagement, often linking this with improved learning outcomes. However, there is a dearth of research exploring how students interact with these devices, and the factors that affect the quality and learning value from that interaction. This article reports on the use of an innovative recording solution to capture video and audio data of young students using iPads to develop literacy, numeracy and problem-solving/ decision-making skills. The study offers insights into how students go about solving problems within apps, and highlights the importance of knowledge, affective and dispositional elements, and good app design to profitable interaction. It also flags considerations for teachers embarking on initiatives involving iPads, and suggests app developers need to work more closely with teachers to improve the learning value of their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates second and foreign language ( L2) learners' listening strategy use and factors that influence their strategy use in a Web-based computer assisted language learning ( CALL) system. A strategy inventory, a factor questionnaire and a standardized listening test were used to collect data from a group of 82 Chinese students enrolled in a required course in college English. A descriptive statistical analysis measures the frequency of these learners' use of overall strategies and strategy types. A multiple regression analysis identifies factors and their interactions that influence the learners' use of listening strategies. t-tests examine the characteristics and proficiency levels that affect the overall listening strategies and strategy types used by these learners. The results show that cognitive and metacognitive strategies are used most frequently. They also reveal that motivation, learning anxiety and learning styles significantly affect the learners' use of various listening strategies. The results of this study provide directions for future research into the listening strategies employed in Web-based CALL and suggest ways for strategy instruction that may improve listening comprehension for L2 learners with different characteristics in Web-based CALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggregation of web performance data (page count and visibility) of internal university units could constitute a more precise indicator than the overall web performance of the universities and, therefore, be of use in the design of university web rankings. In order to test this hypothesis, a longitudinal analysis of the internal units of the Spanish university system was conducted over the course of 2010. For the 13,800 URLs identified, page count and visibility were calculated using the Yahoo! API. The internal values obtained were aggregated by university and compared with the values obtained from the analysis of the universities' general URLs. The results indicate that, although the correlations between general and internal values are high, internal performance is low in comparison to general performance, and that they give rise to different performance rankings. The conclusion is that the aggregation of unit performance is of limited use due to the low levels of internal development of the websites, and so its use is not recommended for the design of rankings. Despite this, the internal analysis enabled the detection of, among other things, a low correlation between page count and visibility due to the widespread use of subdirectories and problems accessing certain content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge contributing has long been identified as a bottleneck in knowledge management since individuals tend to believe that their contributing would not be worth the effort, given high levels of expectation to receive some value in return. Self-perception theory posits that individuals come to 'know' their own internal beliefs by inferring them partially from observations of their own overt behavior. Building on self-perception theory and adhering to the principle that the relationship between behavior and beliefs is one of mutual influence, we develop a research model to explore the behavioral transfer from knowledge seeking to knowledge contributing and consider the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation. Data collected from 430 users of Web 2.0 applications were used to test the model. The mediating role of intrinsic motivation between knowledge seeking and knowledge contributing is confirmed. These findings and their implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Despite the increasingly ageing population, teaching geriatric medicine at medical schools is a challenge due to the particularities of this subspecialty and the lack of student interest in this subject. Methods We assessed a blended system that combines e-learning and person-to-person interaction. Our program offered the students a hands-on learning experience based on self-reflection, access to technology, interactive learning, frequent interaction with the multidisciplinary team, more exposure to patients, and regular feedback. Results Our results indicate that the students appreciate this system as a rich and effective learning experience demonstrated by their positive feedback and by their significant improvement in knowledge assessed at the end of their rotation. Conclusion Implementing an interactive blended system is a beneficial approach to teaching geriatric medicine in medical schools and to motivating medical students' interest in this important medical subspecialty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Academic, medical and research libraries frequently implement Web 2.0 services for users. Several reports notwithstanding, characteristics and effectiveness of services are unclear. Objectives: To find out: the Web 2.0 services implemented by medical, academic and research libraries; study designs, measures and types of data used in included articles to evaluate effectiveness; whether the identified body of literature is amenable to a systematic review of results. Methods: Scoping review mapping the literature on the topic. Searches were performed in 19 databases. Inclusion criteria: research articles in English, Italian, German, French and Spanish (publication date ≥2006) about Web 2.0 services for final users implemented by academic, medical and research libraries. Reviewers' agreement was measured by Cohen's kappa. From a data set of 6461 articles, 255 (4%) were coded and analysed. Results: Conferencing/chat/instant messaging, blogging, podcasts, social networking, wikis and aggregators were frequently examined. Services were mainly targeted at general academic users of English-speaking countries. Conclusions: Data prohibit a reliable estimate of the relative frequency of implemented Web 2.0 services. Case studies were the prevalent design. Most articles evaluated different outcomes using diverse assessment methodologies. A systematic review is recommended to assess the effectiveness of such services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews GIS interpolation software including Idrisi by Clark Labs, TNTMips product set by Microimage, and a suite of software products by ERDAS.