Search

Bullying is a public health issue of great concern worldwide. The occurrence of student bullying is affected by many factors. However, the impact of teachers' behaviors on student bullying remains to be further discussed. This study explores gender differences in the influencing factors of teenagers' bullying behavior and the moderating effects of teachers' praise/criticism on teenagers' bullying behavior. Data were derived from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS). A total of 9449 students aged 14-15 years were followed from grade 7 through grade 8 (4937 boys, 4512 girls). The chi-square test was used to determine the gender distribution of bullying behavior. Logistic regression was used to analyze the moderating effects of teachers' behaviors on students' bullying behavior, and interaction diagrams were generated. Three times as many boys (15.57%) than girls (5.14%) had ever bullied vulnerable students in the past year (p < 0.001). Teacher praise or criticism had moderating effects on the relationships between different individual/peer factors and bullying behavior among boys and girls (p < 0.05, p < 0.01 or p < 0.001). Moreover, teenagers with bullying behavior had significantly higher levels of cursing or saying swearwords, quarreling, fighting, engaging in antisocial behaviors, tobacco/alcohol usage, surfing the Internet, and playing games in cyber cafes. The abovementioned externalizing/substance addictive behaviors may be risk signals for the occurrence of bullying (all p < 0.001 by the chi-square test for trend or t-test). It may be beneficial for school officials to be alert to specific behaviors that may lead to bullying others. Furthermore, teachers can actively play the role of 'gatekeepers' for bullying through standardized training and intervention to protect 'the second home of students'., Author(s): Xian Li [sup.1] , Chun-Yang Lee [sup.2] , Yu-Jung Lin [sup.3] , Meijie Chu [sup.1] , Xiaorui Qin [sup.1] , Shi Zhang [sup.1] , Shuoxun Zhang [sup.4] , Yi-Chen [...]

Virtual microscopy (VM) has been utilized to improve students' learning experience in microscope laboratory sessions, but minimal attention has been given to determining how to use VM more effectively. The study examined the influence of VM on academic performance and teacher and student perceptions and compared laboratory test scores before and after VM incorporation. A total of 662 third-year students studying histology and 651 fourth-year students studying pathology were divided into two groups. The light microscopy (LM) group used a light microscope in 2014 and 2015, while the LM + VM group used the VM platform and a light microscope in 2016 and 2017. Four factors positively predict laboratory scores (R square, 0.323; P < 0.001): (1) the pathology course and test-enhanced learning; (2) the VM platform and experience; (3) medical students and lecture scores; and (4) female students. The LM + VM group exhibited less score variability on laboratory examinations relative to their mean than the LM group. The LM + VM group was also associated with fewer failing grades (F grade; odds ratio, 0.336; P < 0.001) and higher scores (A grade; odds ratio, 2.084; P < 0.001) after controlling for sex, school, course, and lecture grades. The positive effect of the VM platform on laboratory test grades was associated with prior experience using the VM platform and was synergistic with more interim tests. Both teachers and students agreed that the VM platform enhanced laboratory learning. The incorporation of the VM platform in the context of test-enhanced learning may help more students to master microscopic laboratory content.

Aim: We aimed to investigate the long‐term impact of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1 RAs) on thyroid function, cardiovascular health, renal outcomes and adverse events in individuals with obesity and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and Methods: In this observational cohort study, we used propensity score matching to construct comparable cohorts of individuals with obesity and without T2D who were new to GLP‐1 RA treatment and those who did not receive glucose‐lowering medications. In total, 3,729,925 individuals with obesity were selected from the TriNetX Global Network, with an index event between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2024. The primary outcomes were safety, cardiovascular, thyroid and clinical biochemical profile outcomes occurring within 5 years following the index event. Results: After propensity score matching, the study included 12,123 individuals in each group. GLP‐1 RA treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.23; 95% confidence interval 0.15–0.34) and several cardiovascular complications, including ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, hypertension, stroke and atrial fibrillation (all p < 0.05). GLP‐1 RAs were also associated with a lower risk of acute kidney injury and allergic reactions. These protective effects were consistent across various subgroups and regions. Conclusions: In this large observational study, GLP‐1 RAs showed long‐term protective effects on cardiovascular health, renal outcomes and adverse events in individuals with obesity and without T2D. Our findings suggest that GLP‐1 RAs may offer a comprehensive approach to managing obesity and its related comorbidities, potentially improving overall health and survival in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]