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Growth mindset, the belief that personal attributes such as intelligence are malleable, has previously been related to more effort investment. Here, we investigated how undergraduates' mindset (N = 114) relates to the choice to invest effort during an arithmetic task, indexed by whether they make low vs. high effort-related choices. Social cognitive theory suggests that past performance experiences (mastery vs. failure) and physiological state are important sources for competence self-evaluations. Therefore, in addition to mindset, we also investigated how effort-related choices are influenced more dynamically, by failures and physiological responses during the task. Growth mindset and physiological effort mobilization did not predict effort-related choices but making mistakes did predict lower effort choices in the subsequent round. This study further supports the importance of mastery experiences for effort investment and provides a novel approach for integrating different levels of influence on effort-related choices during an educationally-relevant task.

As women age, there is an overall decrease in androgen production due to decline of ovarian and adrenal function during menopause. Androgens have been demonstrated to play an important role in sexual motivation in women. As a result, many postmenopausal women experience Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) which are a group of disorders that pertain to sexual arousal, desire, orgasm, and pain. A prevalent manifestation of FSD is Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) or the absence of sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or desire for or receptivity to sexual activity. There is gaining interest in the use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for the treatment of HSDD in postmenopausal women. This article reviews the literature on the relationship of androgen decline and HSDD, describes our methodology for evaluation, diagnosis of HSDD, and the use of TRT in treating postmenopausal women with HSDD. Our results conclude that testosterone is a vital hormone in women in maintaining sexual health and function. TRT is an effective treatment option for postmenopausal people with HSDD. There is still limited data on the effectiveness in premenopausal people with HSDD. Further research in the strengths and weaknesses for the long-term effect of TRT in women of all ages is needed.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a new human disease with few effective treatments.sup.1. Convalescent plasma, donated by persons who have recovered from COVID-19, is the acellular component of blood that contains antibodies, including those that specifically recognize SARS-CoV-2. These antibodies, when transfused into patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, are thought to exert an antiviral effect, suppressing virus replication before patients have mounted their own humoral immune responses.sup.2,3. Virus-specific antibodies from recovered persons are often the first available therapy for an emerging infectious disease, a stopgap treatment while new antivirals and vaccines are being developed.sup.1,2. This retrospective, propensity score-matched case-control study assessed the effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy in 39 patients with severe or life-threatening COVID-19 at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Oxygen requirements on day 14 after transfusion worsened in 17.9% of plasma recipients versus 28.2% of propensity score-matched controls who were hospitalized with COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75-0.98; chi-square test P value = 0.025). Survival also improved in plasma recipients (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13-0.89; chi-square test P = 0.027). Convalescent plasma is potentially effective against COVID-19, but adequately powered, randomized controlled trials are needed. Convalescent plasma for treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is associated with improved survival in a retrospective comparison with matched controls, supporting further study in randomized controlled trials., Author(s): Sean T. H. Liu [sup.1] [sup.2] , Hung-Mo Lin [sup.3] , Ian Baine [sup.4] , Ania Wajnberg [sup.5] , Jeffrey P. Gumprecht [sup.1] , Farah Rahman [sup.1] , Denise [...]

Introduction: A popular intervention for paediatric clients, Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI) must adhere to sensory integration (SI) fidelity. This study describes fidelity adherence in ASI intervention by occupational therapy practitioners in Malaysia. Methods: A questionnaire on ASI fidelity was developed before being tested for its validity by seven experts and for its internal consistency and test-retest reliability by 30 occupational therapists. The questionnaire was then used nationally to collect data on ASI practitioners. Data were collected from 161 occupational therapists working in various settings. Results: The mean of the sub-scales I-CVI was excellent, ranging between 0.97 and 1.00. The total S-CVI/Ave of the form was also reported as excellent, at 0.98, with subscales S-CVI ranging between 0.75 and 1.00. Cronbach's alpha was 0.80 for the questionnaire's internal consistency and the ICC for test-retest reliability ranged from 0.80 to 0.95. The survey received 161 responses, indicating that most respondents perceived themselves as having 'moderate competence' and showing 'high interest' in ASI implementation. Most fidelity aspects were addressed in their practices. Majority of the respondents adhered to the process elements. It was indicated that three aspects of physical space under the structural elements could not be provided by most occupational therapists in the study. Conclusion: To implement evidence-based practice, adherence to fidelity when providing ASI is important to ascertain its effectiveness. Improvements to ensure optimal space, ASI certification, and more related training are the first steps that can be taken by the related agencies to ensure effective ASI intervention could be delivered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]