Search

Computational thinking (CT) is an important 21st-century skill. This paper aims at investigating predictors of CT self-efficacy among high-school students. The hypothesized predictors are grouped into three areas: (1) student characteristics, (2) home environment, and (3) learning opportunities. CT self-efficacy is measured with the Computational Thinking Scales (CTS) that comprises five dimensions: creativity, algorithmic thinking, cooperativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. N = 202 high-school students act as the sample, linear regression as the analysis method. The best prediction is possible for algorithmic thinking (R[superscript 2] = 0.511). For cooperativity, the explanatory power of our model it is weak (R[superscript 2] = 0.146). Across all five CTS dimensions, CT self-concept is the best predictor for CT self-efficacy. [For the full proceedings, see ED636095.]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has far-reaching implications for education. Within organizations, especially companies, human resource development (HRD) enables and supports learning processes among employees. In a similar way to teachers and lecturers, HRD professionals play an important role in implementing AI in HRD. However, there is a lack of quantitative empirical evidence about this process. The aim of this paper is to shed light on how HRD professionals position themselves with respect to AI. The concept of Davenport and Kirby's augmentation strategies, adapted to HRD, act as the theoretical background. The core idea of augmentation lies in human-AI collaboration. In our study, we empirically validate this concept of augmentation strategies and predict the extent to which HRD professionals pursue the five strategies: step in, step up, step forward, step aside, and step narrowly. The predictors are grouped into three areas: attitudes, competence beliefs, and goal orientation. HRD professionals (N = 330) from German-speaking countries act as the sample. Covariance based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) act as the method for data analysis. The findings reveal the crucial impact of cognitive attitudes towards digitalization and AI anxiety when pursuing the augmentation strategies. AI competence beliefs are an important predictor for collaboration with AI. General digital competence beliefs can only indirectly predict the augmentation strategies. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Computational thinking (CT) is an important 21st-century skill. This paper aims at more useful CT assessment. Available evaluation instruments are reviewed; two generally accepted CT evaluation tools are selected for a comprehensive CT assessment: the CTt, a performance test, and the CTS, a self-assessment instrument. The sample comprises 202 high school students from German-speaking Switzerland. Concerning the CTt, Rasch-scalability is demonstrated. Utilizing the approach of the PISA studies, proficiency levels are formed that comprise tasks with specific characteristics that students are systematically able to master. This could help teachers to offer individual support to their students. In terms of the CTS, the original version is refined using confirmatory factor and measurement-invariance analysis. A latent profile analysis yielded four profiles, two of which are of particular interest. One profile comprises students with, on the one hand, moderate to high creative thinking ability, cooperativity, and critical thinking skills and, on the other hand, low algorithmic thinking ability. The second remarkable profile consists of students with particularly low cooperativity. Based on these strength and weakness profiles, teachers could offer support tailored to student needs.

IntroductionExtracellular ATP (eATP) released from damaged cells activates the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) ion channel on the surface of surrounding cells, resulting in calcium influx, potassium efflux and inflammasome activation. Inherited changes in the P2X7R gene (P2RX7) influence eATP induced responses. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of P2RX7 influence both function and signaling of the receptor, that in addition to ion flux includes pathogen control and immunity.MethodsSubjects (n = 105) were admitted to the ICU at the University Hospital Ulm, Germany between June 2018 and August 2019. Of these, subjects with a diagnosis of sepsis (n = 75), were also diagnosed with septic shock (n = 24), and/or pneumonia (n = 42). Subjects with pneumonia (n = 43) included those without sepsis (n = 1), sepsis without shock (n = 29) and pneumonia with septic shock (n = 13). Out of the 75 sepsis/septic shock patients, 33 patients were not diagnosed with pneumonia. Controls (n = 30) were recruited to the study from trauma patients and surgical patients without sepsis, septic shock, or pneumonia. SNP frequencies were determined for 16 P2RX7 SNPs known to affect P2X7R function, and association studies were performed between frequencies of these SNPs in sepsis, septic shock, and pneumonia compared to controls.ResultsThe loss-of-function (LOF) SNP rs17525809 (T253C) was found more frequently in patients with septic shock, and non-septic trauma patients when compared to sepsis. The LOF SNP rs2230911 (C1096G) was found to be more frequent in patients with sepsis and septic shock than in non-septic trauma patients. The frequencies of these SNPs were even higher in sepsis and septic patients with pneumonia. The current study also confirmed a previous study by our group that showed a five SNP combination that included the GOF SNPs rs208294 (C489T) and rs2230912 (Q460R) that was designated #21211 was associated with increased odds of survival in severe sepsis.DiscussionThe results found an association between expression of LOF P2RX7 SNPs and presentation to the ICU with sepsis, and septic shock compared to control ICU patients. Furthermore, frequencies of LOF SNPs were found to be higher in sepsis patients with pneumonia compared to those without pneumonia. In addition, a five SNP GOF combination was associated with increased odds of survival in severe sepsis. These results suggest that P2RX7 is required to control infection in pneumonia and that inheritance of LOF variants increases the risk of sepsis when associated with pneumonia. This study confirms that P2RX7 genotyping in pneumonia may identify patients at risk of developing sepsis. The study also identifies P2X7R as a target in sepsis associated with an excessive immune response in subjects with GOF SNP combinations.

Abstract A case of severe diarrhoea associated with synergistic human bocavirus type 1 (HBoV) and human herpes virus type 6 (HHV6) is reported. The case supports the hypotheses that HBoV infection under clinical conditions may depend on helper viruses, or that HBoV replicates by a mechanism that is atypical for parvoviruses, or that HBoV infection can be specifically treated with cidofovir.

The genus Alphavirus harbors arboviruses of great concern, such as the Chikungunya virus and the equine encephalitis viruses. Transmission of pathogenic alphaviruses by mosquitoes could be influenced by insect-specific alphaviruses such as Eilat virus (EILV). However, insect-specific alphaviruses are rarely found in wild mosquitoes and only a few have been described in the literature. Here, we report the detection of EILV in a Culex univittatus mosquito from the north-eastern Namibian Zambezi region. Full genome analysis of MP458-NA-2018 showed 94.5% nucleotide identity to an EILV isolate from Israel. MP458-NA-2018 grouped with EILV in phylogenetic analysis and was placed within the clade of insect-specific alphaviruses. The virus was isolated in mosquito cells and shown to be restricted to insects as hosts by the inability to infect different vertebrate cell lines and a complete block of virus replication at 34°C. We further showed that infection of cells with EILV MP458-NA-2018 reduced production of infectious particles of Sindbis virus by 2000-fold over the entire course of infection, whereas reduction rates of Bagaza and Middleburg virus were approximately 3-10-fold and dependent on time after infection. While production of infectious particles of cells superinfected with the Chikungunya virus were approximately 30-fold reduced and more pronounced at a lower multiplicity of infection of 0.01, EILV seemed to enhance production of West Nile virus infectious particles by >5-fold when superinfected at a multiplicitiy of infection of 0.1. In summary, EILV from the Namibian Zambezi region influences in vitro replication of endemic flavi- and alphaviruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the acceptance of social robots by higher education students in the social sciences. Pepper, a humanoid social robot from SoftBank Robotics, provided a sample of its capabilities during a first semester, large-scale, university course, "Introduction to academic writing."From this course, 462 freshmen participated in our survey. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) acts as the conceptual framework, and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) as the method for data analysis. The four perceived characteristics--trustworthiness, adaptiveness, social presence and appearance--all predict the intention to use the robot for learning purposes; anxiety regarding making mistakes in handling the robot and about privacy issues are not significant predictors. An importance-performance map analysis indicated adaptiveness as the robot's most important characteristic for predicting student behavioural intention. Overall, however, the study shows that students do not have the intention to rely on social robots for learning purposes at the current level of state-of-the-art technology: behavioural intention reaches only 36.6% of the theoretical maximum.

Introduction The evolution of technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics has already begun to shape the future of health care delivery and will have an undeniable impact on patient experiences over the next decades. In times of shortened human resources, especially in the field of health care settings, we should also consider robots as assistance for existing treatment settings. The use of robotic assisted surgery has already found its way into clinical practice and allows doctors to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility and control. Nevertheless, to date, the use of robotics in the field of psychiatry is sparse, at least in European countries. Socially assistive robots (SARs) are robotic technology platforms with audio, visual, and movement capabilities that are being developed to interact with individuals while also assisting them with their management of their well-being. Robots could support classic psychiatric treatment by training cognition and motivation as well as educating patients. Objectives The robot “Pepper” has found its home at the Medical University of Graz, Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapeutic Medicine in Austria in summer 2022. It is friendly and positive, around 1,30m tall, can make conversations, learn people’s tastes, preferences, and habits to help personalize responses and better address needs. He can also offer games, make music and dance. Methods In our ongoing studies we use the robot “Pepper” in the context of psychoeducational settings on different mental diseases, training of cognitive functions as well as motivational aspects in inpatients with psychiatric disorders. It can also react and suggest a break during the sessions if he has the impression that participants are stressed or overstrained with content. We collect personal feedback of the patients and associated employees in the hospital through the ongoing usability study, as well as perform a randomized controlled trial to test effects of cognitive and motivational training aspects in comparison to standardized treatment settings. Results It is time to apply new technologies in healthcare, especially in times when the staff is decreasing. Better integrating and expanding on the mental health implications of social robots will complement the ongoing drive in the field of psychology and psychiatry to better assist clients with supportive exercises and education, cognitive training, and an asynchronous care option. Conclusions Although the use of SARs in mental health research is not yet widespread, new robots and programming are constantly changing, adapting and expanding. There is an abundance of opportunity for growth, expansion, and exploration to triangulate SARs usability and efficacy as the next step in advancing this field. We should not be afraid of this new and expanding technology but come to use it as soon as possible as a support in psychiatric treatment. Let‘s make fiction become reality! Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Introduction The COVID-19 outbreak is a serious global public health issue with wide-ranging negative effects on people’s lives, which is reflected in steadily rising mental health problems. In order to appropriately respond to the increased occurrence of psychiatric illness, protect mental health and strengthen resilience it is necessary to include new technologies, such as extended reality (XR) or socially assistive robots (SAR) in not only psychiatric treatment but also in the prevention of psychiatric diseases. In this context, the use of new technologies offers innovative ways to strengthen resilience, self-efficacy and stress coping skills and plays an important role in improving psychological wellbeing. Objectives Preliminary results from studies at the Clinical Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine in Graz, Austria, dealing with new technologies in psychiatry, show new options for psychiatric settings. Methods Project AMIGA: The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of a cognitive training session, conducted with the SAR named Pepper. In this randomized controlled trial, the effectiveness of SAR on depressive symptoms and correlates is evaluated in a sample of 60 individuals with major depression. While the intervention group will receive cognitive training with the SAR Pepper, the control group will receive “treatment-as-usual” therapy with a common PC software. Participants will receive 30 minutes of training 2 times per week over a period of 3 weeks. Project XRes4HEALTH: The aim of this study is to develop an XR resilience training to increase resilience and stress coping mechanisms in healthcare workers. A total of 40 people will be included. To test the effectiveness of the resilience training, 3 XR training sessions of 15 minutes each will be held. A pre-post measurement will test the effectiveness of the training on wellbeing and stress levels as well as the acceptance and satisfaction with the training. Project AI-REFIT: The overall goal of this study is to explore key information to increase resilience in healthy individuals who are at increased risk for mental health problems. Through a usability study, the artificial intelligence-based prototype app of the resilience training will be tested for acceptance, usability, functionality, and efficiency. During the resilience training, participants are wearing a smartwatch which measures psychophysiological parameters. Conclusions about the success of the therapy can be drawn based on digital data acquisition. Results New technologies including XR and SAR support classical psychiatric treatment in the topics of resilience and cognitive training as an add-on therapy in times of reduced availability of healthcare workers. Conclusions The rapid development of new technologies holds a lot of potential in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, which is why it is important to scientifically evaluate those innovative tools. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Introduction Patients with bipolar disorder have a hig risk of becoming overweight and obese, associated with an increased risk of somatic diseases and premature mortality. The Austrian BIPFAT/BIPLONG study aims at investigating lipid metabolism, psychosocial functioning, and cognitive parameters in bipolar disorder (BD). Objectives The aim was to investigate to what extent overweight, obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are associated with clinical symptoms (e.g. suicidality, depressive symptoms) and cognitive factors (attention, memory, executive function) in BD. Methods In addition to anamnestic interview and psychological tests, all participants were tested with a neuropsychological test battery including the Trail Making Test A/B, the Stroop Color and Word Interference Test, the d2 Test of Attention Revised, Digit Span, Digit-Symbol-Test, and the California Verbal Learning Test. Additionally, body mass index (BMI) and variables defining MetS including waist circumference, serum triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, blood pressure, and fasting glucose levels have been collected in DSM-5 diagnosed patients with BD and healthy controls. Results In our Austrian bipolar cohort (n=290), the median BMI was 27.9 (SD=5.9), 30.5 % of the patients were overweight (BMI = 25.5-29.9) and 24.6% of the patients were obese (BMI ≥ 30.0). In the control group (n=183), the median BMI was 24.5 (SD=4.8), 15.2% were overweight and 8.0% were obese. A sub-analysis in 215 patients showed that compared to overweight patients, normal weight patients showed more suicidal ideation in psychiatric history (χ2(2)=7.97, p=.019). In addition, there was a significant association between suicidal ideation and glucose (r=.15, p=.043) and cholesterol (r=−.17, p=.028). In another sub-analysis with 148 euthymic bipolar patients, we found a high prevalence of MetS in patients with BD (30.4% versus 15.4% in healthy controls) associated with impaired executive function compared to patients without MetS or healthy controls with and without MetS (p=.020). Clinical variables (illness duration, suicidality, number of affective episodes, medication, age of onset, and history of psychosis) did not relate to MetS in BD (p > .05). A longitudinal analysis in 52 patients (35 without MetS and 17 with MetS) did not find an association of MetS on the one-year trajectory of cognitive decline in BD. In contrast, high baseline BMI predicted a decrease in the patient’s performance in working memory in the 12-months observation period. Conclusions The BIPFAT/BIPLONG study demonstrated a high prevalence of overweight, obesity and MetS in bipolar patients with adverse effects on cognitive function. Clinical variables such as suicidality were not related to the presence of obesity or MetS. Clinical impact and further (unpublished) results will be presented. Disclosure of Interest None Declared