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This paper proposes a novel camera–LiDAR calibration method that utilizes an iterative random sampling and intersection line-based quality evaluation using a foldable plane pair. Firstly, this paper suggests using a calibration object consisting of two small planes with ChArUco patterns, which is easy to make and convenient to carry. Secondly, the proposed method adopts an iterative random sampling to make the calibration procedure robust against sensor data noise and incorrect object recognition. Lastly, this paper proposes a novel quality evaluation method based on the dissimilarity between two intersection lines of the plane pairs from the two sensors. Thus, the proposed method repeats random sampling of sensor data, extrinsic parameter estimation, and quality evaluation of the estimation result in order to determine the most appropriate calibration result. Furthermore, this method can also be used for the LiDAR–LiDAR calibration with a slight modification. In experiments, the proposed method was quantitively evaluated using simulation data and qualitatively assessed using real-world data. The experimental results show that the proposed method can successfully perform both camera–LiDAR and LiDAR–LiDAR calibrations while outperforming the previous approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a random permutation Τn uniformly distributed on the set of all per- mutations of degree n whose cycle lengths lie in a fixed set A (the so-called A-permutations). Let ζn be the total number of cycles, and let ηn(1) ≥ ηn(2) ≥ • • • ≥ ηn(ζn) be the ordered sample of cycle lengths of the permutation Τn. We consider a class of sets A with positive density in the set of natural numbers. We study the asymptotic behavior of ηn(m) with numbers m in the left-hand and middle parts of this series for a class of sets of positive asymptotic density. A limit theorem for the rightmost terms of this series was proved by the author of this note earlier. The study of limit properties of the sequence ηn(m) dates back to the paper by Shepp and Lloyd [Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., 121 (1966), pp. 340--357] who considered the case A = N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

the paper analyzed the challenges facing Lagos State Public Procurement Agency in the implementation of procurement law. The paper adopted both the primary and secondary sources of data; data were collected through administration of questionnaires on the identified respondents. The study population of workers in the selected ministries, agency, contractors, and civil society organization consisted of 1398. A proportionate random sampling technique was used in selecting a sample size of 210 respondents representing 15% of the study population. Secondary data were obtained from books, academic journal official documents of LSPPA, and internet. Data collected were analyzed with the use of percentage, frequency, and mean. The result of the study revealed that the challenges facing Lagos State Public Procurement Agency; namely: poor ethical standard (58.9%, x̅ =2.5), shortage of manpower (72.2%, x̅ =2.1), and delay in the adjudication of contract malpractices (65.8%, x̅=2.1) were largely insubstantial challenges facing LSPPA in the implementation of public procurement law of the state amongst the ten acknowledged challenges. On the other hand, the paper further shown the challenges that were largely substantial for the LSPPA in the implementation of public procurement law in the state; such as: interference from political office holders (67.4, x̅=2.9), poor ethical standard (63.9%, x̅=2.6), delay in the release of appropriated budget (57.4%, x̅=2.7), political will and commitment to prosecute offenders (54.5, x̅=2.7), sharp practices in the award of contract (65.8%, x̅=2.8), politicized civil society organization (78.2%, x̅ =3.0), and submission of procurement plan (60.9%, x̅=2.8) substantially hampers LSPPA in the quest to achieve efficiency, probity, openness, value for money, accountability, and fair pricing amongst others. The study therefore, concludes that the challenges facing LSPPA, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency in the implementation of public procurement law in the state is largely substantial, and decelerates the policy objective targets of procurement law of the State. It was further evident from seven claims confirmation as against three claims that negated it respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomised Control Trials (RCT) serve as the gold standard in research design, offering valuable insights into evaluating the impact of nursing interventions on patient health outcomes. This paper explores the methodological considerations and challenges inherent in designing and conducting RCTs within the nursing context. The inclusion criteria involved a thorough search across reputable databases, including CEINAHL, EBSCO, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library, spanning any period due to the scarcity of relevant material. Articles were selected based on their alignment with key considerations such as randomisation, blinding, sample size calculations, outcome measures, and ethical aspects. Data extraction involved findings related to methodological considerations and challenges faced by nurse researchers in RCT design and implementation. Various challenges arise when applying these considerations due to the nature of nursing interventions and ethical concerns. Proposed solutions include comprehensive informed consent, mixed-methods approaches, and the cluster-randomization process. This paper underscores the role of nurse researchers in overcoming challenges and fostering evidence-based practice. Integrating robust methodological strategies and ethical considerations ensures the validity and reliability of nursing RCTs, contributing to improved patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional models for semantic segmentation in point clouds primarily focus on smaller scales. However, in real-world applications, point clouds often exhibit larger scales, leading to heavy computational and memory requirements. The key to handling large-scale point clouds lies in leveraging randomsampling, which offers higher computational efficiency and lower memory consumption compared to other sampling methods. Nevertheless, the use of random sampling can potentially result in the loss of crucial points during the encoding stage. To address these issues, this paper proposes cross-fusion self-attention network (CFSA-Net), a lightweight and efficient network architecture specifically designed for directly processing large-scale point clouds. At the core of this network is the incorporation of randomsampling alongside a local feature extractionmodule based on cross-fusion self-attention (CFSA). This module effectively integrates long-range contextual dependencies between points by employing hierarchical position encoding (HPC). Furthermore, it enhances the interaction between each point’s coordinates and feature information through cross-fusion self-attention pooling, enabling the acquisition of more comprehensive geometric information. Finally, a residual optimization (RO) structure is introduced to extend the receptive field of individual points by stacking hierarchical position encoding and cross-fusion self-attention pooling, thereby reducing the impact of information loss caused by random sampling. Experimental results on the Stanford Large-Scale 3D Indoor Spaces (S3DIS), Semantic3D, and SemanticKITTI datasets demonstrate the superiority of this algorithm over advanced approaches such as RandLA-Net and KPConv. These findings underscore the excellent performance of CFSA-Net in large-scale 3D semantic segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we aim to propose a new method for improving the design effect of household surveys based on a two-stage design in which the first stage clusters, or Primary Selection Units (PSUs), are stratified along administrative boundaries. Improvement of the design effect can result in more precise survey estimates (smaller standard errors and confidence intervals) or in the reduction of the necessary sample size, i.e. a reduction in the budget needed for a survey. The proposed method is based on the availability of a previously conducted poverty maps, i.e. spatial descriptions of the distribution of per capita consumption expenditures, that are finely disaggregated in small geographic units, such as cities, municipalities, districts or other administrative partitions of a country that are directly linked to PSUs. Such information is then used to select PSUs with systematic sampling by introducing further implicit stratification in the survey design, so as to maximise the improvement of the design effect. Since per capita consumption expenditures estimated at PSU level from the poverty mapping are affected by (small) standard errors, in the paper we also perform a simulation study in order to take into account this addition variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charles J. Hirsch was an accountant and controller for the Golden Nugget casino from 1950 to 1970. He contributed to a movement in the 1950s and 1960s to advance the use of statistical sampling and analysis in the accounting profession. This manuscript is based on analysis of Hirsch's professional papers, held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Libraries Special Collections and Archives. Hirsch used statistical sampling and analysis at Golden Nugget when statistical techniques had not yet been widely accepted or implemented by practicing accountants and auditors. Beginning in 1959, Hirsch made numerous conference presentations describing his work. In addition, Hirsch explicitly challenged the accounting profession to follow his lead and integrate statistical sampling and analysis into existing practice. In doing so, he joined an exclusive group of individuals, including Robert Trueblood, who were early advocates for using statistical techniques to improve the practice of accounting and auditing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquiring information about one's child's cancer diagnosis is a complex and ever-changing process, and parents' needs change over time. As yet, we know little about what information parents require at different stages of their child's illness. This paper is part of a larger randomized control trial studying the parent-centered information given to mothers and fathers. The aim of this paper was to describe the topics addressed in person-centered meetings between nurses and parents of children with cancer and how those changed over time. Using qualitative content analysis, we analyzed nurses' written summaries of 56 meetings with 16 parents and then computed for each topic the percentage of parents who brought it up at any time during the intervention. The main categories were Child's disease and treatment (addressed by 100% of parents), Consequences of treatment (88%), Emotional management for the child (75%), Emotional management for the parent (100%), Social life of the child (63%), and Social life of the parent (100%). Different topics were addressed at different points in time, and fathers raised more concerns about the child's emotional management and the consequences of treatment than mothers. This paper suggests that parental information demands change over time and differ between fathers and mothers, implying that information should be person-centered. Registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02332226). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This scoping review reports on studies that collect survey data using quantitative research to measure self-reported oral health status outcome measures. The objective of this review is to categorize measures used to evaluate self-reported oral health status and oral health quality of life used in surveys of general populations. Methods: The review is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) with the search on four online bibliographic databases. The criteria include (1) peer-reviewed articles, (2) papers published between 2011 and 2021, (3) only studies using quantitative methods, and (4) containing outcome measures of self-assessed oral health status, and/or oral health-related quality of life. All survey data collection methods are assessed and papers whose methods employ newer technological approaches are also identified. Results: Of the 2981 unduplicated papers, 239 meet the eligibility criteria. Half of the papers use impact scores such as the OHIP-14; 10% use functional measures, such as the GOHAI, and 26% use two or more measures while 8% use rating scales of oral health status. The review identifies four data collection methods: in-person, mail-in, Internet-based, and telephone surveys. Most (86%) employ in-person surveys, and 39% are conducted in Asia-Pacific and Middle East countries with 8% in North America. Sixty-six percent of the studies recruit participants directly from clinics and schools, where the surveys were carried out. The top three sampling methods are convenience sampling (52%), simple random sampling (12%), and stratified sampling (12%). Among the four data collection methods, in-person surveys have the highest response rate (91%), while the lowest response rate occurs in Internet-based surveys (37%). Telephone surveys are used to cover a wider population compared to other data collection methods. There are two noteworthy approaches: 1) sample selection where researchers employ different platforms to access subjects, and 2) mode of interaction with subjects, with the use of computers to collect self-reported data. Conclusion: The study provides an assessment of oral health outcome measures, including subject-reported oral health status and notes newly emerging computer technological approaches recently used in surveys conducted on general populations. These newer applications, though rarely used, hold promise for both researchers and the various populations that use or need oral health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inscriptions are defined as traces of scientific research production that are embodied in material artifacts and media, which encompass a wide variety of nonverbal forms such as graphs, diagrams, and tables. Inscription serves as a fundamental rhetorical device in research outputs and practices. As many inscriptions are deeply rooted in a scientific research paradigm, they can be used to evaluate the level of scientificity of a scientific field. This is specifically helpful to understand the relationships between research traditions in digital humanities (DH), a highly cross‐disciplinary between various humanities and scientific traditions. This paper presents a quantitative, community‐focused examination of how inscriptions are used in English‐language research articles in DH journals. We randomly selected 252 articles published between 2011 and 2020 from a representative DH journal list, and manually classified the inscriptions and author domains in these publications. We found that inscriptions have been increasingly used during the past decade, and their uses are more intensive in publications led by STEM authors comparing to other domains. This study offers a timely survey of the disciplinary landscape of DH from the perspective of inscriptions and sheds light on how different research approaches collaborate and combat in the field of DH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the presented paper, authors propose a new estimator by combining two already exist ratio estimators and estimate the population mean in simple random sampling. Authors also determine the mean square error (MSE) of this estimator. In the last of this paper, they show that the presented estimator is more efficient than the existing ratio estimators theoretically and numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a discussion on the article 'A Theory of Statistical Models for Monte Carlo Integration,' by A. Kong, P. McCullagh, X.-L. Meng, D. Nicolae and Z. Tan, which formulated a task of estimating an integral by Monte Carlo methods as a statistical model using simulated observations as data. Most provocative part of the paper, according to Michael Evans; Criticism on the paper; Key aspect of the variance reduction by group averaging that is suggested in the paper.

The present study aims to review the quality of open-access nursing journals listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals that published papers in 2013 with a nursing focus, written in English, and were freely accessible. Each journal was reviewed in relation to their publisher, year of commencement, number of papers published in 2013, fee for publication, indexing, impact factor, and evidence of requirements for ethics and disclosure statements. The quality of the journals was assessed by impact factors and the requirements for indexing in Pub Med. A total of 552 were published in 2013 in the 19 open-access nursing journals that met the inclusion criteria. No journals had impact factors listed in Web of Knowledge, but three had low Scopus impact factors. Only five journals were indexed with PubMed. The quality of the 19 journals included in the review was evaluated as inferior to most subscription-fee journals. Mental health nursing has some responsibility to the general public, and in particular, consumers of mental health services and their families, for the quality of papers published in open-access journals. The way forward might involve dual-platform publication or a process that enables assessment of how research has improved clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to develop and test the feasibility of using an electronic tool to ascertain falls and their circumstances (TASeFALL) in people aged over 60 years. Methods: Forty participants (mean age: 69.3 ± 5.4 years, 55% women) were randomised to receive a monthly paper‐based questionnaire (control group n = 19), compared with the same questionnaire sent via email with LimeSurvey software (TASeFALL n = 21). Falls and their circumstances were recorded prospectively over 12 months in all participants. The main outcomes were feasibility of enrolment, number of falls, adherence to completion of questionnaires and cost. Results: The incidence, number of falls and adherence to the completion of the questionnaire over the 12‐month follow‐up were similar in both the TASeFALL and control groups. However, the monthly paper‐based questionnaire approach was 45% more expensive. Conclusions: The TASeFALL is a feasible and cost‐effective method of falls ascertainment for older people with email access that could have a wide research uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we proposed a class of ratio estimators using auxiliary information for the estimation of population mean under stratified sampling. The proposed estimator in this work is based on the Yadav and Baghel (2021) estimator. The expression of the mean square error for this class of estimators is derived and the performance of the proposed estimator is compared with competing estimators. Numerical illustration of efficiency comparison is also worked out in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of a macroeconomic policy would lead to a jump of financial data and the presence of jump behaviors might make the statistical methods for high-frequency sampling data to face new challenges. This paper will use the threshold function technique to disentangle the continuous part and the jump part from the high frequency financial data. Moreover, in the financial practices, the abnormal observations contained in the data could cause bias from nonparametric estimation based on least squares. The paper will employ the local M estimation to provide a robust estimator for the unknown diffusion coefficient of the diffusion model with jumps under high frequency sampling data. Under certain conditions for the initial values, this paper further considers one-step local M estimation for the unknown diffusion coefficient which can reduce the calculation quantity under the estimation efficiency. The Monte Carlo numerical simulation results verify that compared with the local linear threshold estimator, the threshold one-step local M estimator is more accurate and more robust. Finally, the threshold one-step local M estimator in this paper is applied to the Shanghai composite index of 2015 and 2020 in China and the Nasdaq index of 2020 in USA, which illustrates the method considered in this paper possesses good finite sample properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As the population ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment is expanding. Given the recent pandemic, there is a need for remote testing modalities to assess cognitive deficits in individuals with neurological disorders. Self-administered, remote, tablet-based cognitive assessments would be clinically valuable if they can detect and classify cognitive deficits as effectively as traditional in-person neuropsychological testing. Methods: We tested whether the Miro application, a tablet-based neurocognitive platform, measured the same cognitive domains as traditional pencil-and-paper neuropsychological tests. Seventy-nine patients were recruited and then randomized to either undergo pencil-and-paper or tablet testing first. Twenty-nine age-matched healthy controls completed the tablet-based assessments. We identified Pearson correlations between Miro tablet-based modules and corresponding neuropsychological tests in patients and compared scores of patients with neurological disorders with those of healthy controls using t tests. Results: Statistically significant Pearson correlations between the neuropsychological tests and their tablet equivalents were found for all domains with moderate (r > 0.3) or strong (r > 0.7) correlations in 16 of 17 tests (p < 0.05). All tablet-based subtests differentiated healthy controls from neurologically impaired patients by t tests except for the spatial span forward and finger tapping modules. Participants reported enjoyment of the tablet-based testing, denied that it provoked anxiety, and noted no preference between modalities. Conclusions: This tablet-based application was found to be widely acceptable to participants. This study supports the validity of these tablet-based assessments in the differentiation of healthy controls from patients with neurocognitive deficits in a variety of cognitive domains and across multiple neurological disease etiologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a tablet-based participation measure and to evaluate its reliability and acceptability to an older Chinese population in rehabilitation settings. Method: A multidimensional, self-reported participation measure, the Participation Measure–3 Domains, 4 Dimensions (PM-3D4D), was programed into mobile application software and presented on tablet computers. To explore the reliability of the tablet-based PM-3D4D, 80 adults in rehabilitation outpatient settings aged ≥65 years completed the tablet and the paper versions of the measure at baseline and at 1-week follow-up. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated for concordance and test-retest reliability. Participants' acceptability toward the two versions of the measure was described. Results: The tablet-based PM-3D4D showed good to excellent test-retest reliability (Intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.79 ∼ 0.96) and high concordance with the paper-form (Intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.74–1.00). Approximately, 44% participants reported preference for the tablet-based measure, and 20% reported preference for the paper-form measure. Many participants found the tablet-based measure user-friendly, convenient, and environmentally-friendly. Conclusions: Findings of this study provide supportive evidence for administering the tablet-based PM-3D4D to an older Chinese population in rehabilitation settings and suggest a promising measurement methodology for future clinical practice. The developed tablet-based participation measure, the Participation Measure–3 Domains, 4 Dimensions (PM-3D4D), fills a critical void for an efficient and reliable rehabilitation outcome measure tailored to the needs of older adults in rehabilitation settings. The tablet-based PM-3D4D is a reliable outcome measure. Most of the older adults in rehabilitation settings preferred to use the tablet-based participation measure than the paper-form measure; and very few of them reported difficulty with using the tablet-version measure. A high concordance was found between data collected by the tablet version PM-3D4D and data collected by the paper version PM-3D4D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Literature suggests that college (ie, post-secondary) students experience food insecurity (FI) at alarming rates. However, the commonly used FI questionnaires have undergone limited evaluations for accuracy in this sub-population. The objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate if FI estimates among college students differ by survey distribution modality. Methods: A test-retest study was conducted from October to December 2017. A random sample of undergraduate students (N = 343) participated in an online survey. After completing the survey, a random sample of these students (N = 66; 29%) completed the same items in paper-and-pencil format. Responses were compared with percent agreement and kappa (κ) coefficients. Results: Students were less likely to affirm each item on paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Percent agreement ranged from 71.2% to 96.9% across items, and κ coefficients ranged from poor to fair. FI prevalence differed by 15% between online and paper-and-pencil assessments (40.9% and 25.8%, respectively). Percent agreement for FI categorization was 75.8% and κ=0.47. Conclusions: Differing survey modalities resulted in varying FI classifications in a sample of undergraduate students. Though limited by size and representativeness, this supports the need for further testing of FI surveys, as accurate FI estimates are essential to serving college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major international guidelines recommend mental health screening during the perinatal period. However, substantial barriers to screening have been reported by pregnant and postpartum women and perinatal care providers. E-screening offers benefits that may address implementation challenges.Objective: The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Web-based mental health e-screening compared with paper-based screening among pregnant women. A secondary objective was to identify factors associated with women's preferences for e-screening and disclosure of mental health concerns.Methods: Pregnant women recruited from community and hospital-based antenatal clinics and hospital-based prenatal classes were computer-randomized to a fully automated Web-based e-screening intervention group or a paper-based control group. Women were eligible if they spoke or read English, were willing to be randomized to e-screening, and were willing to participate in a follow-up diagnostic interview. The intervention group completed the Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale on a tablet computer, while controls completed them on paper. All women completed self-report baseline questions and were telephoned 1 week after randomization by a blinded research assistant for a MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Renker and Tonkin's tool of feasibility and acceptability of computerized screening was used to assess the feasibility and acceptability of e-screening compared with paper-based screening. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. To identify factors associated with preference for e-screening and disclosure, variables associated with each outcome at P<.20 were simultaneously entered into final multivariable models to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% CIs.Results: Of the 675 eligible women approached, 636 agreed to participate (participation rate 94.2%) and were randomized to the intervention (n=305) or control (n=331) groups. There were no significant baseline differences between groups. More women in the e-screening group strongly or somewhat agreed that they would like to use a tablet for answering questions on emotional health (57.9%, 175/302 vs 37.2%, 121/325) and would prefer using a tablet to paper (46.0%, 139/302 vs 29.2%, 95/325), compared with women in the paper-based screening group. There were no differences between groups in women's disclosure of emotional health concerns (94.1%, 284/302 vs 90.2%, 293/325). Women in the e-screening group consistently reported the features of e-screening more favorably than controls (more private or confidential, less impersonal, less time-consuming). In the multivariable models, being in the e-screening group was significantly associated with preferring e-screening (AOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.66-3.17), while no factors were significantly associated with disclosure.Conclusions: The findings suggest that mental health e-screening is feasible and acceptable to pregnant women.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01899534; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01899534 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ntWg1yWb). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we derive the asymptotic distributions of AugmentedDickey-Fuller (ADF) tests under very mild conditions. The tests were originally proposed and investigated by Said and Dickey (1984) for testing unit roots in finite-order ARMA models with i.i.d, innovations, and are based on a finite AR process of order increasing with the sample size. Our conditions are significantly weaker than theirs. In particular, we allow for general linear processes with martingale difference innovations, possibly having conditional heteroskedasticities. The linear processes driven by ARCH type innovations are thus permitted. The range for the permissible increasing rates for the AR approximation order is also much wider. For the usual t-type test, we only require that it increase at order o(n[sup ½]) while they assume that it is of order o(n[sub K]) for some k satisfying 0 < k ≤ 1/3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated how the gender composition of top-cited authors within different subfields of research has evolved over time. We considered 9,071,122 authors with at least 5 full papers in Scopus as of September 1, 2022. Using a previously validated composite citation indicator, we identified the 2% top-cited authors for each of 174 science subfields (Science-Metrix classification) in 4 separate publication age cohorts (first publication pre-1992, 1992 to 2001, 2002 to 2011, and post-2011). Using NamSor, we assigned 3,784,507 authors as men and 2,011,616 as women (for 36.1% gender assignment uncertain). Men outnumbered women 1.88-fold among all authors, decreasing from 3.93-fold to 1.36-fold over time. Men outnumbered women 3.21-fold among top-cited authors, decreasing from 6.41-fold to 2.28-fold over time. In the youngest (post-2011) cohort, 32/174 (18%) subfields had > = 50% women, 97/174 (56%) subfields had > = 30% women, and 3 subfields had = <10% women among the top-cited authors. Gender imbalances in author numbers decreased sharply over time in both high-income countries (including the United States of America) and other countries, but the latter had little improvement in gender imbalances for top-cited authors. In random samples of 100 women and 100 men from the youngest (post-2011) cohort, in-depth assessment showed that most were currently (April 2023) working in academic environments. 32 women and 44 men had some faculty appointment, but only 2 women and 2 men were full professors. Our analysis shows large heterogeneity across scientific disciplines in the amelioration of gender imbalances with more prominent imbalances persisting among top-cited authors and slow promotion pathways even for the most-cited young scientists. An evaluation of the top-cited scientists across science shows a wide range in the amelioration of gender imbalances across scientific disciplines; many scientific disciplines still have fewer women among the top-cited scientists, even among the youngest age cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests parental ability to recognise when their child has overweight is limited. It is hypothesised that recognition of child overweight/obesity is fundamental to its prevention, acting as a potential barrier to parental action to improve their child's health-related behaviours and/or help seeking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of an intervention (MapMe) to improve parental ability to correctly categorise their child as having overweight one-month post-intervention, and reduce child body mass index (BMI) z-score 12 months post-intervention. MapMe consists of body image scales of known child BMI and information on the consequences of childhood overweight, associated health-related behaviours and sources of support. We conducted a three-arm (paper-based MapMe, web-based MapMe and control) randomised control trial in fifteen English local authority areas with parents/guardians of 4–5- and 10–11-year-old children. Parental categorisation of child weight status was assessed using the question 'How would you describe your child's weight at the moment?' Response options were: underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and very overweight. Child weight status and BMI z-scores were calculated using objectively measured height and weight data and UK90 clinical thresholds. There was no difference in the percentage of parents correctly categorising their child as having overweight/very overweight (n = 264: 41% control, 48% web-based, and 43% paper-based, p = 0.646). BMI z-scores were significantly reduced for the intervention group at 12 months post-intervention compared to controls (n = 338, mean difference in BMI z-score change −0.11 (95% CI −0.202 to −0.020, p = 0.017). MapMe was associated with a decrease in BMI z-score 12 months post-intervention, although there was no direct evidence of improved parental ability to correctly categorise child overweight status. Further work is needed to replicate these findings in a larger sample of children, investigate mechanisms of action, and determine the use of MapMe as a public health initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the economic sector transitions to digitalization, Indians now have access to the best goods and services from the best companies, even in the most remote regions of their nation. E-marketing is booming in India, a nation that is both highly populated and home to millions of people who utilise social media and mobile devices. Internet-based marketing is essential for everyone who wants to grow their company and advertise their goods and services globally because it has no territorial restrictions. To scatter the needs paper aims at analysing the connections between e-Marketing tools and marketing performance among SMEs in India, in addition to the dearth of studies examining the adoption of e-Marketing by small enterprises. A structured questionnaire with both openended and closed-ended questions in Vijayawada & Guntur Areas of the Andhra Pradesh State was chosen from a list of 1,200 SMEs that employ fewer than 50 people using a simple random sampling method. Findings revealed that the internet tools were showing positive effect on the market performance in the companies. The rest of the paper consists of implications, and scope for the future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining sector in most developing countries including Tanzania has become an important sector for the economy. However, the sector still faces many challenges to realize its full potential. This paper assesses whether mining companies complied with the regulatory framework of the mining sector based on community perspectives in Kahama District. A total of 215 households were sampled for the study based on Bailey’s method using a sampling per cent of 9.3%. Within villages, respondents were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using questionnaire, focus group discussions, observations and document reviews. While content analysis was used to analyse primary qualitative data, factor analysis was employed to reduce variables which were then analyzed to find extent of compliance of large-scale mining companies with regulatory framework for sustainable mining, and documentary review was used to analyse secondary data. The findings show that consultation for views on issues, publication of anticipated effects and benefits in communities were positively attained by the mining companies. However, mining companies’ operations to a large extent have negatively affected the qualities of water, soil, air and use of the available resources within operation areas. The paper concludes that although large mining companies are required in Tanzania, addressing the existing challenges would lead to achieving sustainable mining practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Night-time vehicle detection plays a vital role due to the high incidence of abnormal events in our daily security field. However, existing studies mainly focus on vehicle detection in autonomous driving and traffic intersection scenes, but ignore urban scenes. There are vast differences between these scenes, such as viewpoint, position, illumination, etc. In this paper, the authors present a night-time vehicle detection dataset collected from urban scenes, named Vehicle Detection in Night-Time Urban Scene (VD-NUS). The VD-NUS dataset consists of more than 100 K challenging images, comprising a total of about 500 K labelled vehicles. This paper introduces a vehicle detection framework via an active auxiliary mechanism (AAM) to reduce the annotation workload. The proposed AAM framework can actively select the informative sample for annotation by estimating its uncertainty and locational instability. Furthermore, this paper proposes a computer-assisted detection module embedded in the AAM framework to help human annotators to rapidly and accurately label the selected data. AAM outperformed the baseline method (random sampling) by up to 0.91 AP and 3.0 MR−2 on the VD-NUS dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics (MD) is the method of choice for understanding the structure, function, and interactions of molecules. However, MD simulations are limited by the strong metastability of many molecules, which traps them in a single conformation basin for an extended amount of time. Enhanced sampling techniques, such as metadynamics and replica exchange, have been developed to overcome this limitation and accelerate the exploration of complex free energy landscapes. In this paper, we propose Vendi Sampling, a replica-based algorithm for increasing the efficiency and efficacy of the exploration of molecular conformation spaces. In Vendi sampling, replicas are simulated in parallel and coupled via a global statistical measure, the Vendi Score, to enhance diversity. Vendi sampling allows for the recovery of unbiased sampling statistics and dramatically improves sampling efficiency. We demonstrate the effectiveness of Vendi sampling in improving molecular dynamics simulations by showing significant improvements in coverage and mixing between metastable states and convergence of free energy estimates for four common benchmarks, including Alanine Dipeptide and Chignolin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive computer simulations are commonly used as pedagogical tools to support students' statistical reasoning. This paper examines whether and how these simulations enable their intended effects. We begin by contrasting two theoretical frameworks—dual processes and grounded cognition—in the context of people's conceptions about statistical sampling, setting the stage for the potential benefits of simulations in learning such conceptions. Then, we continue with reviewing the educational literature on statistical sampling simulations. Our review tentatively suggests benefits of the simulations for building statistical habits of mind. However, challenges seem to persist when more specific concepts and skills are investigated. With and without simulations, students have difficulty forming an aggregate view of data, interpreting sampling distributions, showing a process-based understanding of the law of large numbers, making statistical inferences, and context-independent reasoning. We propose that grounded cognition offers a framework for understanding these findings, highlighting the bidirectional relationship between perception and conception, perceptual design features, and guided perceptual routines for supporting students' meaning making from simulations. Finally, we propose testable instructional strategies for using simulations in statistics education. Significance: Interactive computer simulations are popularly used to teach statistical sampling and inference. A substantial body of classroom-based design research has emerged over the last two decades on this topic, paralleling the interest of cognitive psychologists in statistical reasoning. This review bridges the gap by synthesizing diverse literature, from laboratory-based cognitive research to classroom-based design research, to investigate people's reasoning about statistical sampling with interactive computer simulations. We organize the commonly occurring findings from these studies under a grounded cognition framework. Using this framework, we also identify instructional design strategies that future empirical researchers can test and statistics and data science practitioners can adopt. First, we highlight the importance of repeated exposure to simulations in a way that fosters creating perception–action routines aligned with mathematical principles. Second, we argue that intuitive representations ground students' meaning making from simulations, and idealized representations help generalize learning. Third, we recommend that visual routines be guided during activities with simulations. Fourth, we note the separate affordances of simulations and verbal materials. Lastly, we propose that statistical processes depicted in the simulations should be reified as foundations for more advanced concepts and practices. Overall, the paper contributes to the learning theories and instructional design in the context of simulation-based learning in statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper describes a UK-based study, SPICES-Sussex, which aimed to co-produce and implement a community-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment and reduction intervention to support underserved populations at moderate risk of CVD. The objectives were to enhance stakeholder engagement; to implement the intervention in four research sites and to evaluate the use of Voluntary and Community and Social Enterprises (VCSE) and Community Health Worker (CHW) partnerships in health interventions. Methods: A type three hybrid implementation study design was used with mixed methods data. This paper represents the process evaluation of the implementation of the SPICES-Sussex Project. The evaluation was conducted using the RE-AIM framework. Results: Reach: 381 individuals took part in the risk profiling questionnaire and forty-one women, and five men participated in the coaching intervention. Effectiveness: quantitative results from intervention participants showed significant improvements in CVD behavioural risk factors across several measures. Qualitative data indicated high acceptability, with the holistic, personalised, and person-centred approach being valued by participants. Adoption: 50% of VCSEs approached took part in the SPICES programme, The CHWs felt empowered to deliver high-quality and mutually beneficial coaching within a strong project infrastructure that made use of VCSE partnerships. Implementation: Co-design meetings resulted in local adaptations being made to the intervention. 29 (63%) of participants completed the intervention. Practical issues concerned how to embed CHWs in a health service context, how to keep engaging participants, and tensions between research integrity and the needs and expectations of those in the voluntary sector. Maintenance: Several VCSEs expressed an interest in continuing the intervention after the end of the SPICES programme. Conclusion: Community-engagement approaches have the potential to have positively impact the health and wellbeing of certain groups. Furthermore, VCSEs and CHWs represent a significant untapped resource in the UK. However, more work needs to be done to understand how links between the sectors can be bridged to deliver evidence-based effective alternative preventative healthcare. Reaching vulnerable populations remains a challenge despite partnerships with VCSEs which are embedded in the community. By showing what went well and what did not, this project can guide future work in community engagement for health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine expropriation, valuation, compensation and rehabilitation practices and their impacts on expropriated households. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a mixed research approach. The target populations of the study were expropriated households in Debre Markos City from 2019 to 2022. The study uses purposive and systematic random sampling techniques. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, narration and thematic clustering. Findings: The findings of this study revealed that the expropriation process was not participatory and the right holders were not treated as what is expected. It is further found that economic losses, moral damage and social disturbance payments were not considered in the compensation package. The displacement compensation given was also inadequate and sometimes delayed and the time value of money was not taken into account for delayed payments. This creates social and economic problems. The rehabilitation and resettlement program was inadequate and ineffective. The expropriation, valuation, compensation and rehabilitation practice in general lack transparency and accountability. Practical implications: To ensure efficient and effective expropriation, valuation and compensation, there should be a well-organized government system that provides an accurate valuation on the one hand and restores the livelihood of the displaced on the other. Originality/value: This paper is the first on expropriation, valuation, compensation and rehabilitation within the framework of transparency, accountability, effective rehabilitation and resettlement and institutional arrangements to ensure the sustainable livelihoods of affected households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Errors in medication administration by qualified nursing staff in hospitals are a significant risk factor for patient safety. In recent decades, electronic medical records (EMR) systems have been implemented in hospitals, and it has been claimed that they contribute to reducing such errors. However, systematic research on the subject in Israel is scarce. This study examines the position of the qualified nursing staff regarding the impact of electronic medical records systems on factors related to patient safety, including errors in medication administration, workload, and availability of medical information. Methods: This cross-sectional study examines three main variables: Medication errors, workload, and medical information availability, comparing two periods– before and after EMR implementation based on self-reports. A final sample of 591 Israeli nurses was recruited using online private social media groups to complete an online structured questionnaire. The questionnaires included items assessing workload (using the Expanding Nursing Stress Scale), medical information availability (the Carrington-Gephart Unintended Consequences of Electronic Health Record Questionnaire), and medical errors (the Medical Error Checklists). Items were assessed twice, once for the period before the introduction of electronic records and once after. In addition, participants answered open-ended questions that were qualitatively analyzed. Results: Nurses perceive the EMR as reducing the extent of errors in drug administration (mean difference = -0.92 ± 0.90SD, p < 0.001), as well as the workload (mean difference = -0.83 ± 1.03SD, p < 0.001) by ∼ 30% on average, each. Concurrently, the systems are perceived to require a longer documentation time at the expense of patients' treatment time, and they may impair the availability of medical information by about 10% on average. Conclusion: The results point to nurses' perceived importance of EMR systems in reducing medication errors and relieving the workload. Despite the overall positive attitudes toward EMR systems, nurses also report that they reduce information availability compared to the previous pen-and-paper approach. A need arises to improve the systems in terms of planning and adaptation to the field and provide appropriate technical and educational support to nurses using them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore Effects of Classroom Environment on Student Learning at Elementary Level. The present paper seeks to identify the effects of Classroom Environment on students' learning and to evaluate the effects of classroom management at elementary level students. Descriptive research method was used by the researcher. Narowal division selected as a population, and district Narowal selected for sample of the study. This study restricted the sample to elementary school students who responded that the Effects of Classroom Environment on Student Learning at Elementary Level. In the 1st phase through convenience sampling teaching for select district Narowal from division Gujranwala. In 2nd phase researcher used simple random technique to select schools, teachers. Simple random sampling technique was used to collection data. Questionnaire was used as data collection tool. In the current study, out of the total 1,043 school, 72 schools (urban, rural) selected through simple random sample technique for the purpose of data collection. In present study 530 female teacher's responses received. Frequency, percentage, mean score and standard Deviation tests were used to analyses the data collected through SPSS version 25.0. The responses paint a favorable view of the circumstances. Frequency, Percentage, mean score, religion, origins or gender is more prevalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of motivational interviewing based on the trans‐theoretical model promoting physical activity in older adults. Methods: A randomized controlled trial study was conducted with 117 older adults (intervention group: 58, and control group: 59) between April and November 2019. The data were collected via a questionnaire, trans‐theoretical model scales, the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, the Katz Activities of Daily Living scale and a pedometer. The 24‐week intervention consisted of regular motivational interviewing. The control group received usual care at the family health centre. Results: Following the intervention, the Intervention Group showed significant improvements Exercise Processes of Change Scale, Exercise Self‐Efficacy Scale and Perceived Benefits of the Decisional Balance Scale for Exercise. There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of stages of change. In the Intervention Group, 81.5% were in the contemplation stage in the pre‐test, while in the post‐test, 70.4% had transitioned to the action stage. In contrast, in the control group, 62.5% were in the contemplation stage initially, but in the post‐test, only 9.3% had reached the action stage. The mean number of step counts increased significantly in favour of the Intervention Group, as did the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly total score. Conclusion: The trial indicated that after the trans‐theoretical model‐based motivational interviewing, the stages of change among the older adults improved, as did their exercise behaviours. It is recommended that the trans‐theoretical model and motivational interviewing be used by nurses to improve healthy lifestyle stage behaviours in older adults. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Physical immobility ranks fourth among the leading risk factors for mortality globally.Older adults constitute the age group which leads the most sedentary life in society and is most affected by physical inactivity.In Turkey, one out of every two people undertakes insufficient physical activity, and this rate increases with advancing age. What this paper adds? Nurse‐led motivational interviewing based on the trans‐theoretical model was effective in increasing the physical activity levels of the older adults. The implications of this paper: It is recommended that the trans‐theoretical model and motivational interviewing should be used by nurses to improve healthy lifestyle behaviours in older adults.It is recommended that studies be conducted to assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting physical activity in older adults via both qualitative and quantitative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study examined the preliminary effects of a nurse‐led self‐management education and support programme on the self‐management behaviours and quality of life among people with type 2 diabetes in Western Ethiopia. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted between January and August 2021. Participants were recruited in the hospital and randomly assigned to the control arm to continue usual care (n = 38) or the intervention arm to receive usual care and the diabetes self‐management education and support programme (n = 38) in the community. Self‐management behaviours and quality of life were assessed using a 10‐item summary of diabetes self‐care activity (expanded) scale and a 34‐item diabetes quality of life measure, respectively, at baseline and 2 months after follow‐up. Generalized estimating equation models were used to examine the preliminary effects of the programme on the outcomes. Results: Preliminary results indicated that the programme outperformed usual care in self‐management practise, with large effect sizes immediately postintervention and at 2 months after the intervention, and quality of life at 2 months after the intervention. Conclusion: A nurse‐led diabetes self‐management education and support intervention, including the families of people with diabetes, may be an option to boost the self‐management practise and quality of life of patients with diabetes. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Family‐supported diabetes self‐management education intervention produced inconclusive effects on self‐management behaviour and quality of life. What this paper adds? A social‐cognitive theory‐guided, culture‐tailored, and community‐based diabetes self‐management education and support programme resulted in a preliminary effect on improving self‐management behaviour and quality of life.A nurse‐led diabetes self‐management education and support programme intervention, including the families of patients, may be an option to boost the self‐management practise and quality of life of people with diabetes. The implications of this paper: Culturally tailored diabetes self‐management education and support programme could be an option to improve self‐management behaviour and enhance quality of life.Community‐based nurse‐delivered diabetes self‐management education and support can improve self‐management behaviours and enhance quality of life in 2 months duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS) among a sample of Turkish university students. Methods: This study was conducted with 291 university students. The SHIS was evaluated in terms of language equivalence, validity and the reliability. Content validity was assessed with the content validity index (CVI). Construct validity was determined by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was used for the analysis of internal consistency, a Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for parallel form reliability, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for the test–retest technique. Results: The CVI of the SHIS was between 0.80 and 1.00. When the results of the CFA were examined, the factor loadings of all items were above 0.50. A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between the SHIS and the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scores for parallel form reliability (r = 0.489). Within the scope of the test–retest analysis, an ICC = 0.762 was determined (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings obtained from this validity and reliability study carried out on a sample of Turkish university students showed that the SHIS was both valid and reliable. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? In recent years, as awareness of the impact of stress on human life has grown, the significance of the salutogenesis concept has increased, resulting in an upsurge in related studies.Several studies have shown the robust psychometric properties and validity of the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS).SHIS, being a semantic type of scale, sets it apart from other measurement scales in the literature that assess positive health and salutogenic health due to its structure. What this paper adds? The results of this adaptation study, which was carried out on a sample of Turkish university students, showed that the SHIS is a valid and reliable tool for measuring health in Turkish culture. The implications of this paper: A culturally and developmentally appropriate, valid and reliable tool can enable individuals to recognize health indicators, resources and coping skills.SHIS can be utilized by healthcare professionals, particularly nurses responsible for patient care, researchers, educators and university students. It proves valuable in conducting comprehensive evaluations of health, positive health and well‐being care, as well as in the planning, development and evaluation of suitable intervention programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to (i) evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness‐based interventions in improving self‐efficacy, reducing stress and anxiety among peritoneal dialysis patients, and (ii) compare the most effective method of mindfulness based interventions. Methods: This randomized three‐arm controlled trial recruited first‐time peritoneal dialysis patients from the peritoneal dialysis outpatient clinic in Singapore. Patients were randomly allocated to either video‐assisted mindfulness training, therapist‐assisted mindfulness training or treatment‐as‐usual. All groups received 4.5 days of structured peritoneal dialysis training at the peritoneal dialysis centre, while video‐assisted mindfulness training and therapist‐assisted mindfulness training groups were taught additional mindfulness‐based techniques. The perceived stress scale, self‐efficacy, and anxiety (State and Trait Anxiety Inventory) were measured at baseline, 4‐ and 12 weeks post‐randomization, using reliable and valid instruments. Results: Thirty‐nine patients were recruited (13 in each group). All the therapies showed a significant time trend in anxiety. Only therapist‐ and video‐assisted mindfulness training showed a significant trend in perceived stress scale scores but not treatment‐as‐usual. All Intervention X Time interactions were not significant. Patients in therapist‐ and video‐assisted mindfulness training groups had reduced perceived stress scale scores compared to treatment‐as‐usual at week 12. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the potential of mindfulness‐based interventions in reducing stress among first‐time PD patients. Summary Statement: What is already known about this topic? Mindfulness‐based interventions have been recommended to mediate stressful events.Mindfulness‐based interventions as complementary therapy can be taught to patients who are starting peritoneal dialysis for the first time; however, the best method to guide mindfulness‐based interventions is unknown. What this paper adds? The findings showed that mindfulness‐based interventions can potentially reduce stress and anxiety but have no statistically significant effect on self‐efficacy for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis for the first time.Video‐ or therapist‐guided mindfulness training is just as effective in teaching mindfulness‐based interventions. The implications of this paper: Nurses hold an essential role in improving the experience of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis by advocating and facilitating the use of MBI during dialysis, especially those who display high levels of stress and anxiety, as well as signs of coping issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Self‐Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory on a sample of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China. Background: Measuring the self‐care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is vital to promote the performance of effective self‐care behaviours. However, few instruments have been developed to measure self‐care in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the existing instruments lack theoretical support and satisfactory psychometrics properties. The Self‐Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory based on Middle‐Range Theory of Self‐Care of Chronic Illness has been developed and tested previously in Italian and US population. Design: A cross‐sectional instrument development study. Methods: Construct validity was tested by confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis testing, and reliability internal consistency using factor score determinacy coefficients. Results: A convenience sample of 185 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was recruited from September 2020 to January 2022. The instrument consists of three scales: self‐care maintenance, self‐care monitoring and self‐care management. Confirmatory factor analysis performed on the three scales produced good fit indices. The internal consistency was adequate with factor score determinacy coefficients ranging from 0.891 to 0.953 in Self‐Care Maintenance Scale, 0.990 to 0.993 in Self‐Care Monitoring Scale and 0.750 to 0.976 in Self‐Care Management Scale. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the Self‐Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory has acceptable reliability and validity. Some differences from the original instrument were identified. Further validation studies should be conducted to confirm the psychometric properties of the instrument in Chinese population. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? The Middle‐Range Theory of Self‐care of Chronic Illness has been used to direct clinical nursing practice for coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic illnesses and has been shown to have good guiding significance for clinical nursing practice for the self‐care of clinical chronic illness.In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, self‐care has a significant positive effect on preserving disease stability and enhancing health‐related quality of life.There is a shortage of moderate length evaluation instruments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease self‐care with comprehensive theoretical assessment content, but the Self‐Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory, based on the Middle‐Range Theory of Self‐care of Chronic Illness, has been demonstrated to have positive application effects in Italy and the United States. However, its applicability in China is unclear. What this paper adds? This paper indicates that the Chinese version of the Self‐Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory has good reliability and validity and can reflect the self‐care ability of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China. The implications of this paper: The results show that the Chinese version of the Self‐Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory is simple and accessible, and nurses can use it to assess patients' capacity for self‐care regularly.The Chinese version of the Self‐Care Scale has different dimensions from the original scale, indicating that different medical backgrounds and varying understanding of concept of self‐care in various nations may result in various self‐care behaviours.To ensure its wider application, the development of this scale necessitates cross‐cultural adaptation of populations in more countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Psychological insulin resistance is a common barrier to initiation and persistence with insulin therapy that affects approximately 42.7% of people living with type II diabetes mellitus, which may negatively impact self‐management. This study aimed to assess patients' levels of psychological insulin resistance and to identify factors associated with self‐management in patients with type II diabetes mellitus treated with insulin therapy. Methods: We adopted a cross‐sectional design. Subjects from the metabolism and endocrinology outpatient departments of a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan were recruited by consecutive sampling. Patients were assessed for psychological insulin resistance and self‐management using the barriers to insulin treatment questionnaire and the partners in health scale. Results: A total of 222 patients with type II diabetes mellitus were recruited. Patients had an average psychological insulin resistance score of 3.14 (maximum of 8). Positive self‐management was associated with insulin therapy injection by patient, fewer expectations regarding positive insulin‐related outcomes, no diabetes‐related complications, less fear of injection and self‐testing, no hypoglycaemia within the previous year, and younger age. Conclusion: Insulin therapy injection by patient and no diabetes‐related complications were the most common factors associated with overall self‐management and with each domain of self‐management in patients with type II diabetes mellitus treated with insulin therapy. Insulin therapy education should be offered to improve patients' beliefs about insulin therapy and enhance patients' ability to perform self‐management. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Psychological insulin resistance is a common psychological barrier to initiation and persistence with insulin therapy.Psychological insulin resistance causes poor glycaemic control and diabetes‐related complications.Psychological insulin resistance may negatively impact self‐management in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. What is the contribution of this paper? Positive self‐management was associated with insulin therapy injection by patient, fewer expectations regarding positive insulin‐related outcomes, no diabetes‐related complications, less fear of injection and self‐testing, no hypoglycaemia within the previous year, and younger age.Insulin therapy injection by patient and no diabetes‐related complications were the most common factors associated with overall self‐management and with each domain of self‐management in patients with type II diabetes mellitus treated with insulin therapy.Patients with poor self‐management had statistically significantly higher levels of overall psychological insulin resistance, fear of injections and self‐testing, expectations regarding positive insulin‐related outcomes, and stigmatization by insulin injections, compared to those with appropriate self‐management. What are the implications of this paper? Knowing in advance the factors associated with diabetes self‐management will allow healthcare professionals prevent psychological insulin resistance in patients with type II diabetes mellitus treated with insulin therapy.Healthcare professionals can design and provide patient‐centred diabetes education based on education level to enhance self‐management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to examine the relationship between heart failure knowledge, self‐efficacy, social support, grit and self‐care behaviour in patients with heart failure and to identify factors associated with patients' self‐care behaviour. Background: Most patients with heart failure are not as active in implementing self‐care behavioural practices as recommended by the guidelines. Design: This descriptive cross‐sectional study was designed based on Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory. Methods: This study included 138 patients who were diagnosed with heart failure in an outpatient department of cardiology at a tertiary hospital in Korea. Data were collected between July and October 2020 using a structured questionnaire and electronic medical records. Data were analysed using the SPSS/WIN 27.0 program. Results: Grit had the strongest association with self‐care behaviour among patients with heart failure, followed by social support, self‐efficacy and heart failure knowledge. These variables accounted for approximately 52% of the variance in self‐care behaviour. Conclusions: Health‐care professionals should assess patients' grit and develop patient‐tailored grit enhancement programmes. Based on the social cognitive theory, nursing intervention programmes that can simultaneously manage cognitive (knowledge and self‐efficacy), social and environmental (social support) and behavioural support (grit) factors should be developed and applied to nursing practices to promote self‐care. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Most patients with heart failure are not as active in implementing self‐care behavioural practices as recommended by the guidelines.Social cognitive theory is conceptualized as cognitive, social, environmental and behavioural in nature.Self‐care behaviour can be influenced by multi‐dimensional factors, including cognitive factors, such as knowledge and self‐efficacy, and social and environmental factors, such as social support. What this paper adds? Grit—a behavioural supporting element—was confirmed as a factor influencing the self‐care behaviour of patients with heart failure. The implications of this paper: Interventions for enhancing patients' grit should be developed; self‐efficacy, social support and heart failure knowledge for patients with heart failure should be considered in clinical nursing settings.Health‐care professionals should assess patients' grit and develop patient‐tailored grit enhancement programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to explore the association between medication literacy and blood pressure control among hypertensive patients. Background: Blood pressure control is a challenge for global health systems. Medication literacy is essential for medication self‐management in hypertensive patients and a basis for managers to develop comprehensive intervention strategies for hypertension medication use. Design: A cross‐sectional observational study was conducted. Methods: A total of 378 hypertensive patients was selected by convenience sampling from two tertiary hospitals and four community health service centres from December 2021 to January 2022 in Changsha, China. Associations between medication literacy and blood pressure control were identified with chi‐square, independent samples t‐tests and logistic regression analyses. Results: The average medication literacy score of the hypertensive patients investigated was low. Over a third of patients had uncontrolled blood pressure. Logistic regression analysis showed that medication literacy was an influencing factor for blood pressure control rate in hypertensive patients. Conclusions: Medication literacy and blood pressure control among hypertensive patients was poor. Medication literacy was a facilitator of blood pressure control so improving medication literacy may be of value to improve blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Medication literacy is essential for medication self‐management in hypertensive patientsThe association between medication literacy and blood pressure control in hypertensive patients is unclear. What this paper adds? Medication literacy and blood pressure control rates among hypertensive patients were poor and in need of urgent improvement.Medication literacy was a facilitator of blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. The implications of this paper: Clinical nurses may enhance hypertension management by improving medication literacy.Findings provide a base for implementing medication literacy intervention strategies and promoting blood pressure management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety and depressive disorders typically emerge in adolescence and can be chronic and disabling if not identified and treated early. School-based universal mental health screening may identify young people in need of mental health support and facilitate access to treatment. However, few studies have assessed the potential harms of this approach. This paper examines some of the potential mental health-related harms associated with the universal screening of anxiety and depression administered in Australian secondary schools. Methods: A total of 1802 adolescent students from 22 secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, were cluster randomised (at the school level) to receive either an intensive screening procedure (intervention) or a light touch screening procedure (control). Participants in the intensive screening condition received supervised self-report web-based screening questionnaires for anxiety, depression and suicidality with the follow-up care matched to their symptom severity. Participants in the light touch condition received unsupervised web-based screening for anxiety and depression only, followed by generalised advice on help-seeking. No other care was provided in this condition. Study outcomes included the increased risk of anxiety, depression, psychological distress, decreased risk of help-seeking, increased risk of mental health stigma, determined from measures assessed at baseline, 6 weeks post-baseline, and 12 weeks post-baseline. Differences between groups were analysed using mixed effect models. Results: Participants in the intensive screening group were not adversely affected when compared to the light touch screening condition across a range of potential harms. Rather, participants in the intensive screening group were found to have a decreased risk of inhibited help-seeking behaviour compared to the light touch screening condition. Conclusions: The intensive screening procedure did not appear to adversely impact adolescents' mental health relative to the light touch procedure. Future studies should examine other school-based approaches that may be more effective and efficient than universal screening for reducing mental health burden among students. Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12618001539224) https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=375821. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to critically examine the effects of COVID-19 social discourses and policy decisions specifically on older adult volunteers in the UK, comparing the responses and their effects in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, providing perspectives on effects of policy changes designed to reduce risk of infection as a result of COVID-19, specifically on volunteer involvement of and for older adults, and understand, from the perspectives of volunteer managers, how COVID-19 restrictions had impacted older people's volunteering and situating this within statutory public health policies. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a critical discourse approach to explore, compare and contrast accounts of volunteering of and for older people in policy, and then compare the discourses within policy documents with the discourses in personal accounts of volunteering in health and social care settings in the four nations of the UK. This paper is co-produced in collaboration with co-authors who have direct experience with volunteer involvement responses and their impact on older people. Findings: The prevailing overall policy approach during the pandemic was that risk of morbidity and mortality to older people was too high to permit them to participate in volunteering activities. Disenfranchising of older people, as exemplified in volunteer involvement, was remarkably uniform across the four nations of the UK. However, the authors find that despite, rather than because of policy changes, older volunteers, as part of, or with the help of, volunteer involving organisations, are taking time to think and to reconsider their involvement and are renewing their volunteer involvement with associated health benefits. Research limitations/implications: Working with participants as co-authors helps to ensure the credibility of results in that there was agreement in the themes identified and the conclusions. A limitation of this study lies in the sampling method, as a convenience sample was used and there is only representation from one organisation in each of the four nations. Originality/value: The paper combines existing knowledge about volunteer involvement of and for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares two optimization methods considering random variations in design parameters. One is reliability-based design optimization, which depends on the availability of the joint probability density function. A more practical alternative is robust optimization, which does not require the estimation of failure probability. It accounts for the random response of the structure through definitions of objective functions and constraints, incorporating mean values and response variances. An important element of the algorithm involves approximating unknown responses of the structures and employing efficient statistical moment estimation methods. The kriging method was used in this paper. Additionally, the article evaluates two experimental plan techniques: the classical random sampling plan and the OLH plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to describe the development and implementation of a co-designed value-based healthcare (VBHC) framework within the public dental sector in Victoria. Methods: A mixed-method study was employed. Explorative qualitative design was used to examine patient, workforce and stakeholder perspectives of implementing VBHC. Participatory action research was used to bring together qualitative narrative-based research and service design methods. An experience-based co-design approach was used to enable staff and patients to co-design services. Quantitative data was sourced from Titanium (online patient management system). Results: Building a case for VBHC implementation required intensive work. It included co-designing, collaborating, planning and designing services based on patient needs. Evidence reviews, value-stream mapping and development of patient reported outcomes (PROMs) and patient reported experience measures (PREMs) were fundamental to VBHC implementation. Following VBHC implementation, a 44% lower failure to attend rate and 60% increase in preventive interventions was reported. A higher proportion of clinicians worked across their top scope of practice within a multi-disciplinary team. Approximately 80% of services previously provided by dentists were shifted to oral health therapists and dental assistants, thereby releasing the capacity of dentists to undertake complex treatments. Patients completed baseline International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement PROMs (n = 44,408), which have been used for social/clinical triaging, determining urgency of care based on risk, segmentation and tracking health outcomes. Following their care, patients completed a PREMs questionnaire (n = 15,402). Patients agreed or strongly agreed that: the care they received met their needs (87%); they received clear answers to their questions (93%); they left their visit knowing what is next (91%); they felt taken care of during their visit (94%); and they felt involved in their treatment and care (94%). Conclusion: The potential for health system transformation through implementation of VBHC is significant, however, its implementation needs to extend beyond organisational approaches and focus on sustaining the principles of VBHC across healthcare systems, policy and practice. What is known about the topic? Value-based healthcare (VBHC) has gained significant momentum within the healthcare sector and is seen as a driver for improving patient outcomes and equitable use of resources. What does this paper add? The paper describes firsthand experience and lessons learnt from implementing VBHC within a Victorian public healthcare system; the learnings are applicable to other organisations wanting to implement VBHC. What are the implications for practitioners? In implementing a co-designed VBHC framework, we ensured that its principles are applicable at both patient and population levels, centres on equity of access to care, achieves the best possible health outcomes and sustainable use of resources. This article belongs to the Special Issue: Value-based Healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore undergraduate nursing and midwifery student perspectives of using digital patient systems on clinical placements. Design: This was an interpretative qualitative design study. Methods: Undergraduate nursing and midwifery students in a large Australian metropolitan university were invited to participate in two focus groups from April to June 2019. Twenty (20) students participated and data on their perspective of using digital systems on placement were collected. Thematic analysis using NVivo 12 software was undertaken. Findings: Students identified benefits and challenges when moving between paper records and digital systems. Whilst paper reporting was more efficient for some processes, the students recognised the advantages of digital technology, such as enabling greater confidentiality and consolidation of patient data in one place. However, they also reported difficulty with student access and the size of the portal digital workstation at the bedside. Generally, the lack of preparation and access was considered frustrating and mitigated some of the benefits described when using digital systems. Conclusions: Nursing and midwifery students prefer to be prepared for both paper and digital record keeping. Whilst students identify the benefits of digital platforms, not having direct access mitigates the benefits of these systems. Students identified the use of simulation and interactive modules prior to commencement of clinical practice to enable them to feel more confident with using the systems in patient care. Impact: Health care students require direct access to digital health platforms whilst on clinical placement to facilitate their learning. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are in a unique position to work with health care providers to better prepare health care professionals, including nurses and midwives, to work with digital health care systems. Further research is needed to develop the educational preparation for nurses, midwives, and other health care professionals to work with digital systems in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Segmentation helps an organization or institution better understand the people it serves and adjust products or services to their needs. This article presents the results of the segmentation of Polish readers and library users. The study was based on 1,010 computer-assisted telephone interviews with a representative random sample of adult Polish residents. The two-step cluster analysis method was used for segmentation. Based on the average number of books read in the 3 months before the interviews, the frequency of reading the press, reading electronic texts, and the use of libraries, five segments were distinguished: almost absolute nonreaders, (news)paper enthusiasts, library lovers, occasional users, and short-form surfers. The distinguished segments were described in terms of 5 behavioral and 12 descriptive variables. Segmentation of library readers and users enables us to understand the population of actual and potential users better than traditional measures (i.e., statistics). The article also discusses the possibilities and advantages of the application of the two-step cluster analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison was made between upscaled model results of nitrogen (N) fluxes to air and water from 450 sites within the EU27 and results derived for the entire EU27 area using the model INTEGRATOR. The 450 sites were selected using stratified random sampling, dividing the EU27 into 150 strata and selecting three sites at random within each stratum. The strata were based on important environmental factors influencing N fluxes. Hierarchical divisive cluster analysis was used to reduce the numerous combinations of environmental factors to the required total of 150, such that the heterogeneity of environmental factors within strata was as small as possible. Modelled NH3, N2O and NOx emissions and N leaching/runoff obtained were scaled up from the 450 sites to the entire EU27 and were within 10% of results obtained by running the model for the whole of the EU27. This implies that a reliable estimate of N fluxes for EU27can be made by upscaling results of the 450 selected sites suggesting that dramatic reductions in computation time can be achieved without substantial deterioration of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]