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Purpose: Contrary to guidelines, many cancer patients are not screened for cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and do not receive information or adequate treatment. As physicians play a key role in cancer therapy, their knowledge of this common sequela and perspectives on its management are of major interest. Methods: For an online survey, physicians working in oncology in Germany were systematically drawn from registers and invited by using institutional newsletters or colleagues. Descriptive analyses, logistic regression analysis of physicians’ knowledge, and Mann‒Whitney U tests were performed. Results: Two-thirds of the 148 surveyed physicians felt (rather) well informed about CRF and capable of counseling patients. Only 32% of the sample were aware of CRF-specific guidelines. Despite of this, participants rated the scientific evidence for recommending physical activity, exercise programs, and psychotherapeutic interventions in accordance with guidelines as being mostly (very) strong. However, despite 82.4% of the physicians being (rather) aware of its evidence, only 56.1% often to almost always recommended psychotherapeutic interventions. CRF was rarely covered in medical studies and medical specialist training. The completion of advanced training for palliative care increased the likelihood of knowing guidelines (OR = 2.6, 95% CI [1.1–6.0], p < 0.05). Suggestions for improving training included the mandatory coverage of CRF in medical training or its consideration in interprofessional supportive care workshops. Conclusion: Although awareness and recommendation rates were adequate for some interventions in CRF treatment (such as physical activity), there were lower recommendation rates for others, including psychotherapy. Studies are required assessing for the reasons of this knowledge-to-practice gap. Moreover, training is needed among physicians in order to enhance knowledge of CRF guidelines. Trial registration: , identifier: NCT04921644. Registered in June 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed stress distribution, maximum stress values and fatigue life of experimentally designed NiTi rotary files with different cross‐sectional geometry and pitch length using finite element analysis (FEA). Four cross‐sectional shapes (Convex triangle, S‐shaped, Triple helix and Concave triangle) and two pitch lengths (2 mm and 3 mm) were tested in simulated root canals with curvatures of 30°, 45° and 60°. The FEA results indicated that convex triangle and triple helix geometries exhibited lower stress values compared to the S‐shaped and concave triangle designs. Increasing the canal curvature angle resulted in higher stress values, with the S‐shaped instrument showing the most significant increase (up to 12%). Instruments with shorter pitch lengths showed more even stress distribution enhancing fatigue life. The maximum stress was concentrated 5–8 mm from the tip, varying across cutting edges, with S‐shaped sections experiencing the lowest forces but higher stress due to lower moments of inertia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAfrican American smokers have 2.5 times higher risk for stroke compared with nonsmokers (higher than other races). About 50% of the African American population carry 1 or 2 genetic variants (G1 and G2; rare in other races) of the apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1). Studies showed these variants may be associated with stroke. However, the role of the APOL1 risk variants in tobacco-related stroke is unknown.Methods and resultsIn a cross-sectional study, we examined whether APOL1 risk variants modified the relationship between tobacco smoking and stroke prevalence in 513 African American adults recruited at University of California, San Francisco. Using DNA, plasma, and questionnaires we determined APOL1 variants, smoking status, and stroke prevalence. Using logistic regression models, we examined the association between smoking (ever versus never smokers) and stroke overall, and among carriers of APOL1 risk variants (1 or 2 risk alleles), and noncarriers, separately. Among participants, 41% were ever (current and past) smokers, 54% were carriers of the APOL1 risk variants, and 41 had a history of stroke. The association between smoking and stroke differed by APOL1 genotype (Pinteraction term=0.014). Among carriers, ever versus never smokers had odds ratio (OR) 2.46 (95% CI, 1.08-5.59) for stroke (P=0.034); OR 2.00 (95% CI, 0.81-4.96) among carriers of 1 risk allele, and OR 4.72 (95% CI, 0.62-36.02) for 2 risk alleles. Among noncarriers, smoking was not associated with a stroke.ConclusionsCurrent and past smokers who carry APOL1 G1 and/or G2 risk variants may be more susceptible to stroke among the African American population.

Burns affect 11 million people worldwide annually. Electrical burns (EBs) are renowned for inflicting extensive harm and long-term consequences that can lead to severe illnesses and fatalities. People in both occupational and nonoccupational settings may be exposed to EBs, leading to functional or anatomical consequences. We identified sociodemographic features related to EBs in both settings. A cross-sectional design, using an open dataset of electrical shock injuries that occurred in Colombia during the 2010-2021 period, was carried out. Sociodemographic features of people injured in occupational and nonoccupational settings were described in counts (%), incidence per 100 000 people (I 0; 95% CI). To identify related factors (age-sex adjusted) with injuries in occupational and nonoccupational settings, we applied a binary logistic regression. Over the 12-year period, there were 1.274 EBs (I 0: 2.47; 2.34-2.61), 287 in the occupational setting (I 0: 1.35; 1.20-1.51), and 987 in the nonoccupational setting (I 0: 3.25; 3.05-3.46). Age median was 31 years, and most cases were distributed in middle adulthood (52.8%), males (88.1%), high school/technician (42.8%), urban location (73.7%), weekdays (95.3%), and daytime hours (85.5%). Factors related to EBs in the occupational setting were males, middle adulthood, high school/technician, Thursday, and daytime hours. Other factors related to EBs in the nonoccupational setting were early childhood, primary school, urban location, and weekends. Both settings pose a risk of injuries to individuals. We have identified sociodemographic factors related to these injuries in both occupational and nonoccupational settings, which could aid in preventing damages and long-term complications, especially among vulnerable subgroups such as those determined above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between internet addiction and adolescents' learning engagement, with a specific focus on the mediating sequential roles of future orientation and cognitive reappraisal. A survey encompassing 1200 high school students was conducted, utilizing instruments such as the Internet Addiction Scale, Learning Engagement Scale, Future Orientation Scale, and Cognitive Reappraisal Scale. The findings of this investigation yielded the following outcomes: (1) Internet addiction exhibited a pronounced negative correlation with high school students' learning engagement, future orientation, and cognitive reappraisal. Furthermore, future orientation and cognitive reappraisal demonstrated mutually positive associations with learning engagement. (2) Future orientation and cognitive reappraisal jointly mediated the relationship between internet addiction and learning engagement among adolescents, forming a sequential mediation process. These findings suggest that enhancing adolescents' future orientation and cognitive reappraisal abilities can contribute to mitigating the deleterious impact of internet addiction on academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious threat to first-time pregnancy. Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among pregnant women on antenatal appointment in government approved healthcare facilities in Nigeria and also to establish the significant correlation and association within sociodemographic variables. Methods: It was a facility-based cross-sectional study, conducted in government-approved healthcare facilities in Nigeria, from January to March, 2023. A total of 1750 pregnant women were sampled and surveyed using convenient sampling technique. Data were collected using an adapted questionnaire "Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Questionnaire" with 0.87 reliability index. Statistical analysis was completed using IBM SPSS version 22. Frequency, percentage, odds ratio statistics, and chi-square test were applied for data analysis. All computations were deemed statistically significant at p value ≤ 0.05. Results: Out of 1750 eligible participants, 1488 (88.4%) valid responses were analyzed. The study showed that 69% knew about GDM, 65% had positive attitude, and 79% had desirable GDM practice. Statistically, there were strong correlation between KAP regarding GDM and age, marital status, education level, and parity status (odds ratio ≥ 1). Furthermore, the KAP regarding GDM was significantly associated with alcohol consumption, education, parity status, and resident (p value < 0.05), respectively. Conclusion: Approximately three-quarter of the pregnant women knew about GDM, had positive attitude, and had desirable GDM practice. The KAP regarding GDM was strongly correlated and significantly associated with sociodemographic variables. Facility-based interventions on KAP regarding GDM are paramount to be incorporated in the national health programs to improve knowledge and enhance attitude and GDM practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: Subjective well-being is an essential component of college students' mental health, and the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being among college students and to examine the mediating role of social support and self-efficacy between the physical activity and subjective well-being. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional design with a stratified whole group sample of 989 college students (Mage = 19.65 years, SD = 1.1) from three universities in Guangdong Province, China, and used the Physical Activity Scale, Subjective Well-Being Scale, Social Support Scale, and Self-Efficacy Scale for data collection. In this study, SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis of the collected data. Harman's one-way method was used to test for common method bias. Results: (1) Physical activity, subjective well-being, social support and selfefficacy were significantly correlated with each other. Among them, physical activity was significantly and positively correlated with subjective well-being (r = 0.36), physical activity directly predicted subjective well-being (β = 0.125, t = 3.992, p< 0.01). (2) Physical activity positively predicted social support (β = 0.386, t = 12.505, p < 0.01) and self-efficacy (β = 0.358, t = 11.793, p< 0.01), social support significantly positively predicted subjective well-being (β = 0.332, t = 11.370, p<0.01) and self-efficacy (β = 0.254, t = 8.744, p<0.01), self-efficacy significantly and positively predicted subjective well-being (β = 0.255, t = 8.251, p<0.01). (3) Not only did social support and self-efficacy play an independent mediating role between physical activity and subjective well-being, but social support and self-efficacy played a chain mediating role between physical activity and subjective well-being. Conclusion: This study enriched the theoretical guidance for physical activity in promoting college students' subjective well-being. In the practical teaching of promoting college students' subjective well-being, in addition to paying attention to stimulating physical activity, special attention should be paid to the promotion of social support and self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the cognitive-behavioral model of pathological internet use and the risk buffering model, the current study explored how and when the sense of security reduces problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) among Chinese freshmen. Specifically, we investigated the underlying mechanism of PMPU by testing a moderated mediation model, in which relatedness needs satisfaction moderated the mediating role of negative attention bias on the relation between sense of security and PMPU. A sample of 458 freshmen in China (76.20% females), with a mean age of 19.58 years (SD = 1.03, range = 16–23), were surveyed using the sense of security scale, the attention to negative information subscale, the relatedness needs satisfaction subscale, and the mobile phone addiction index. Mediation analysis indicated the sense of security decreased freshmen' PMPU by reducing negative attention bias. Moderated mediation analysis further demonstrated that high relatedness needs satisfaction ameliorated the adverse impact of negative attention bias on PMPU among freshmen, while low relatedness needs satisfaction sharpened the adverse impact of negative attention bias on PMPU among freshmen. This study highlights the mediating and moderating mechanisms linking the sense of security to PMPU. More importantly, it has prominent implications for the prevention and intervention of PMPU among freshmen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Multiple studies claim that depression was a triggering factor for smartphone addiction among college students. But we still know very little about the underlying mechanisms of smartphone addiction. The aim was to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of smartphone addiction from the perspective of depression and emotional exhaustion, to provide alternative paths for university administrators to address smartphone addiction among college students. Methods: A total of 2764 Chinese college students participated in the survey. They independently filled out self-assessment questionnaires including the Cell Phone Addiction Scale, Beck Depression Inventory II, and Emotional Exhaustion Scale. Subsequently, mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro developed by Hayes (v 4.0; Model 4). Results: Statistical analysis showed that depression was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion and smartphone addiction, emotional exhaustion was positively correlated with smartphone addiction, all of which were statistically significant. In addition, the effect of depression on smartphone addiction among college students was partially mediated by emotional exhaustion. Conclusion: The impact of depression and emotional exhaustion on smartphone addiction had been preliminarily explored, which had certain value for further understanding of smartphone addiction among college students. This study could provide references for universities to develop intervention measures for smartphone addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Articulating a clear scope of practice for all nursing categories is essential for improving patient safety, quality of care, and nurse retention. However, this is not the case in many countries, including Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to analyze the actual scope of practice for nursing staff in Saudi Ministry of Health hospitals. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional exploratory design. The sampling method used in the study was the quota sampling technique. The scale utilized in this study was the Actual Scope of Practice (ASCOP) scale. Data were collected in March 2021 through an electronic form questionnaire completed by 286 nurses in two hospitals in Al-Hasa province in Saudi Arabia. Results: The overall mean score for ASCOP was 4.64 out of 6. When participants were grouped according to select characteristics (various nursing staff categories, educational levels, years of experience, nationality, gender, and type of work setting), the results revealed no statistically significant differences in overall ASCOP mean scores, except for gender and nationality. Conclusions: The overall mean scores of nursing activities performed in practice do not significantly differ across nurses with different professional categories (health assistant, nursing technician, nursing specialist, and senior nursing specialist), indicating no clear scope of practice for each nursing category, in turn leading to role overlap among them in practice. The current study's findings can guide decision-makers to develop a clear scope of practice for nurses. The findings should also urge the decision-makers to reevaluate the usefulness of having multiple professional categories of nurses who are allowed to carry out almost the same job duties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-compassion could safeguard well-being under challenging circumstances. Nevertheless, limited literature explored self-compassion and the general well-being of COVID-19 patients in the Chinese context. Based on the perceived control theory and the protective model, this study analyzed the connection between self-compassion and the general well-being of infected patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it explored a moderated mediation model that involved perceived control and positive coping as underlying mechanisms in this association. A number of 312 COVID-19 patients (182 females; Mage = 38.99, SD = 12.58) completed the General Well-Being Scale, Self-Compassion Scale, Psychological Security Questionnaire, and Coping Scale. Results indicated that self-compassion may contribute to improved general well-being. Additionally, perceived control played a partial mediating role in this relationship. Specifically, self-compassion exhibited a positive correlation with perceived control, which subsequently positively impacts well-being. Notably, this link between self-compassion and perceived control was solid among individuals with limited positive coping strategies. These findings emphasize the significance of self-compassion in enhancing the psychological health of COVID-19 patients in China, with perceived control playing a crucial role, especially for those with fewer coping resources. Highlights: Self-compassion may enhance the general well-being of COVID-19 patients in China. Self-compassion may contribute to a greater perceived control, which could positively impact general well-being. Particularly for individuals with limited positive coping skills, self-compassion might offer a notable boost to their perceived control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family incivility, as a new form of family interaction, is more common in daily life and has negative effects on adolescents. The current study explored the association between family incivility and suicidal ideation and tested a moderated mediation model to examine the role of hopelessness, self-esteem, sex, and age in this relationship. A total of 857 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.7 years, SD = 1.68) completed self-report measures of family incivility, suicidal ideation, hopelessness, and self-esteem. The findings revealed that family incivility had a positive predictive effect on adolescents' suicidal ideation, which was mediated by hopelessness. Self-esteem moderated the relationship between family incivility and hopelessness. Sex moderated the relationship between family incivility and hopelessness, as well as the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Age moderated the relationship between family incivility and suicidal ideation as well as the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Our study is the first to identify that family incivility is a new risk factor for adolescents' suicidal ideation, which has important theoretical and practical significance for preventing or intervening in adolescents' suicidal ideation from school and family aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are few studies that examine relationships between cognitive function, illness perceptions, and medication adherence after heart transplantation, limiting the development of effective adherence-promoting interventions. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe relationships between cognitive function, illness perceptions, and medication adherence among heart transplant recipients. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational design was used. Measures included the telephone-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (t-MoCA©), Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone, Basel Assessment of Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medications Scale, and the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, point-biserial correlations, Pearson's correlations, and logistic regression were used to describe relationships. Results: Of the 35 participants (mean age: 61 years [SD: 10.3], 71.4% male, 71.4% white), 31.4% (n = 11) were classified as nonadherent to their immunosuppression medications. Higher immediate word recall, indicating better episodic memory (memory for autobiographical and recent events), and higher illness coherence scores were associated with not missing doses of medication. Higher t-MoCA© total scores, indicating normal cognitive function, and lower depression scores were associated with taking medications on time. More than 22% (n = 8) of participants scored less than 19 on the t-MoCA©, an indication of mild cognitive impairment. Conclusion: Cognitive impairment may be more common among heart transplant recipients than what is currently recognized, and specific domains of cognitive function were related to medication adherence after transplantation in this study. Future studies should include longitudinal evaluations of cognitive function, depression, and medication adherence. Consideration of these relationships is needed when designing adherence-promoting interventions for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of work engagement has been emphasised due to the increasing demand for health‐ and social care and the shortage of skilled labour. Improving organisational and managerial factors is important when enhancing professionals' work engagement. The association between management and work engagement has only been established in previous studies at a general level, but the association between appreciative management and work engagement has not received equivalent research interest. Aim: This study aimed to describe the association between appreciative management and work engagement among health‐ and social care professionals. Methods: The study used a cross‐sectional survey design. The data were collected in five health and social services centres in one city in Finland from September to October 2022 using the Appreciative Management Scale 2.0 and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale‐9. A total of 182 health‐ and social care professionals participated. The data were analysed using correlations, linear regression analyses, independent samples t‐tests and two‐way analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Results: A moderate association was found between appreciative management and work engagement and its dimensions of vigor, dedication and absorption. Systematic management had the strongest association and equality had the weakest association with work engagement. Among the dimensions of work engagement, appreciative management had the strongest association with vigour and the weakest association with absorption. Appreciative management and work type predicted 18% of the variance in work engagement. Full‐time employees reported higher levels of work engagement and all its dimensions than did part‐time employees. Conclusion: The results indicate that appreciative management and full‐time work predict work engagement among health‐ and social care professionals. Due to this positive association, it is important to promote managers' appreciative management skills by educating them to understand how appreciative management enables and supports professionals' vigour, dedication and absorption in health‐ and social care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study's aim is to find the prevalence of two of the common indicators of mental health - depression and anxiety – and any correlation with socio-demographic indicators in the Pakistani population during the lockdown from 5 May to 25 July 2020. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire sent to volunteer participants. A total of 1047 participants over 18 were recruited through convenience sampling. The survey targeted depression and anxiety levels, which were measured using a 14 item self-reporting Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Out of the total sample population (N=354), 39.9% suffered from depression and 57.7% from anxiety. Binary logistical regressions indicated significant predictive associations of gender (OR=1.410), education (OR=9.311), residence (OR=0.370), household income (OR=0.579), previous psychiatric problems (OR=1.671), and previous psychiatric medication (OR=2.641). These were the key factors e associated with a significant increase in depression. Increases in anxiety levels were significantly linked to gender (OR=2.427), residence (OR=0.619), previous psychiatric problems (OR=1.166), and previous psychiatric medication (OR=7.330). These results suggest depression and anxiety were prevalent among the Pakistani population during the lockdown. Along with other measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, citizens' mental health needs the Pakistani government's urgent attention as well as that of mental health experts. Further large-scale, such as healthcare practitioners, should be undertaken to identify other mental health indicators that need to be monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a cross-sectional study tracing possible changes in primary teachers' self-efficacy in teaching mathematics across various points in their professional careers, involving both novice and experienced pre-service teachers (PSTs) and in-service teachers (ISTs). In the relevant literature, self-efficacy appears to be operationalised differently for PSTs and ISTs. Here, we conceptualise it as a unidimensional construct when measuring the future-oriented beliefs teachers hold regarding their own ability to explain mathematics to others, with a focus on understanding the underlying mathematical concepts and procedures. To measure teacher self-efficacy, we used a previously developed and validated 20-item instrument. Participants included novice PSTs (n = 191), experienced PSTs (n = 130), novice ISTs (n = 119) and experienced ISTs (n = 194). Rasch analysis enabled a comparison of the results from the four groups, confirming the theory-based expectation that self-efficacy in teaching mathematics develops with experience. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of our work, as well as directions for further research. For example, future studies could shed light on the conditions under which the development of self-efficacy can be supported more effectively at different transition points of mathematics teachers' professional careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: evaluate empathy and its dimensions in two different annual periods and determine the strengths and weaknesses observed in empathy and its dimensions. Material and methods: non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The population was made up of Colombian dental students. The sample consisted of two cohorts: n=326 students, 100% of the population (cohort 2016) and n=207 students, 87.34% of the population (cohort 2022). Empathy was measured by the JES-HPS instrument. A confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and invariance was applied. Comparisons of empathy between cohorts were performed by factorial analysis of variance. Results. the three-dimensional theoretical model was met in both cohorts studied. Reliability levels were acceptable. No relevant statistical differences were found between the cohorts and a decline is observed in the second and fifth grades of empathy and dimensions in general. Conclusions. the values of empathy and its dimensions have remained unchanged over time and empathy is classified as “medium level.” As a consequence of the above, medium levels of empathy could be associated with a deficit in the ability to understand the subjectivity of thought. of the patient and, this situation, complicates a normal empathic attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Messenger marketing is part of global digital trend that acts as a new avenue for tour firms to adopt based on convenience in interaction, ability to reach more audiences and collaboration with customers. The study aimed to examine the effect of messenger marketing on performance of tour operating companies in Kenya. The study was anchored on diffusion innovation theory. Cross-sectional and correlational research design were utilized. The study applied census approach to a target population of 212 general managers of tour operating companies. Online and physical questionnaires were used to collect primary data. The supervisors and experts were used to examine validity of the instrument while Cronbach Alpha was adopted to test reliability was 0.783 which was above a threshold of 0.7, hence reliable. Descriptive statistics consisting of mean and standard deviations were used to summarize data while simple linear regression was used to test significance at 5%. The results revealed that messenger marketing platform was practiced by the tour operating companies through using mobile services platform for sending messages, chatting and soliciting sales. It also assisted in obtaining customer feedback, blogging and chatting with customers. However, the Chatbots were hardly used by firms which adopted artificial intelligence in communicating, sending random messages and could be integrated to existing online platforms. The results indicated that messenger marketing had positive significant effect on the performance of tour operating companies (ß1=0.428, P = 0.000<0.05). The study concludes that messenger marketing platform marketing significantly influenced performance of tour operating companies. The study recommends tour operating companies should apply Chatbots, mobile service, mobile commerce and conversation commerce to enhance customer relationship and improve performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general insurance industry in India, established in the late 19th century, has undergone significant transformations including nationalization and liberalization. Despite recent challenges, it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15% over the next five years, aided by technological advancements like digitalization, AI, Blockchain, and Data Analytics. Digitalization, AI, Blockchain, and Data Analytics have significantly impacted the insurance industry. These technologies have streamlined processes, improved customer experience, increased efficiency, and enabled better risk assessment and fraud detection. The study aims to understand the new face of the Indian general insurance Industry and comprehend the technological and general reforms of recent times. The research adopts a cross-sectional design to investigate the evolving Indian general insurance industry. Primary data is gathered through structured questionnaires, with statistical analysis employed for interpretation. The findings reveal a positive impact of technology and digitalization on the Indian general insurance industry. However, there is a need for better communication with those who express uncertainty or perceive no significant impact. The study also highlights a diverse range of information sources used by individuals to stay informed about changes in the general insurance industry. Key suggestions include incorporating advanced technological solutions for personalized policies, leveraging technology for streamlined processes, enhancing customer services through digital technologies, and launching awareness and educational initiatives. The study acknowledges limitations such as restricted time for data collection and analysis, potential response bias due to flexibility in data collection methods, and feasibility issues that may have resulted in missed research papers or books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ImportanceThe United States (US) Medicare claims files are valuable sources of national healthcare utilization data with over 45 million beneficiaries each year. Due to their massive sizes and costs involved in obtaining the data, a method of randomly drawing a representative sample for retrospective cohort studies with multi-year follow-up is not well-documented.ObjectiveTo present a method to construct longitudinal patient samples from Medicare claims files that are representative of Medicare populations each year.DesignRetrospective cohort and cross-sectional designs.ParticipantsUS Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes over a 10-year period.MethodsMedicare Master Beneficiary Summary Files were used to identify eligible patients for each year in over a 10-year period. We targeted a sample of ~900,000 patients per year. The first year's sample is stratified by county and race/ethnicity (white vs. minority), and targeted at least 250 patients in each stratum with the remaining sample allocated proportional to county population size with oversampling of minorities. Patients who were alive, did not move between counties, and stayed enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) were retained in the sample for subsequent years. Non-retained patients (those who died or were dropped from Medicare) were replaced with a sample of patients in their first year of Medicare FFS eligibility or patients who moved into a sampled county during the previous year.ResultsThe resulting sample contains an average of 899,266 ± 408 patients each year over the 10-year study period and closely matches population demographics and chronic conditions. For all years in the sample, the weighted average sample age and the population average age differ by

The present cross-sectional study attempted to investigate if the relationship between the past involvement of parents' fathers and father involvement is mediated by the variables representing four ecological systems: the exosystem – parents' perceived social support; the mesosystem – fathers' work-family conflict; the microsystem – mothers' gender role attitudes, maternal gatekeeping, and the quality of the spousal relationship; the ontogenic system – paternal competence. The sample consisted of 718 Turkish adolescents aged 10–14 years (Mage = 12.00, SD = 1.20) and their mothers (Mage = 38.60, SD = 5.13) and fathers (Mage = 42.60, SD = 5.18). In this study, we administered three separate measurement batteries covering valid and reliable scales to the participating fathers, mothers, and adolescents. Our analyses revealed that the accepted model demonstrated a good model-data fit [p <.001, χ2/df = 2.195, GFI =.94, AGFI =.93, NFI =.96, NNFI =.98, CFI =.98, IFI =.98, SRMR =.047, and RMSEA =.041 (90% CI for RMSEA = 0.036; 0.046)] and that the indirect effects were all statistically significant. Accordingly, we concluded that the exosystem, mesosystem, microsystem, and ontogenic system variables were found to be significant mediators of the relationship between the past involvement of parents' own fathers and father involvement. Moreover, the past involvement of the fathers' own fathers was found to be directly and positively related to father involvement. Besides discussing the results through the existing knowledge, it is believed that catching possible predictors of father involvement will likely guide future intervention programs, as father involvement is highly emphasized for ensuring the well-being of children and other family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A positive conception of sexuality among people with intellectual disabilities is crucial and relies on several social and interpersonal contexts. The goal of this study is to analyse the interaction and impact of three different contextual groups: individuals with intellectual disabilities, their parents, and professionals working with them. Methods: Survey data were collected from 330 people with intellectual disabilities attending occupational centres in eastern Spain, 330 parents, and 100 professionals. Results: Correlation and variance analyses of dyad‐level data show significant differences among the three groups in all variables. Professionals perceived people with intellectual disabilities to have higher knowledge of socio‐sexual norms than people with intellectual disabilities actually appear to be, but they are also more concerned about aspects related to this area of people with intellectual disabilities. Compared to people with intellectual disabilities and professionals, parents perceived people with intellectual disabilities to have lower sexual knowledge. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates inconsistent perceived knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities' socio‐sexual norms and sexual knowledge among the three groups, leading to disparate levels of concern regarding people with intellectual disabilities sexuality. Thus, the need to collect information from different perspectives for more accurate reporting and the critical need for sex education programs that involve the target population, but also parents and professionals who frequently interact with people with intellectual disabilities are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is on ongoing debate as to whether managerial ties trigger or impede frugal innovation. By integrating social networking with the situational leadership theory, this article hypothesizes and tests whether the relationship between managerial (business and political) ties and frugal innovation is moderated by the perceived leadership style (sustainable vs. transformational). Surveying 256 representatives of SMEs in Pakistan, the findings indicate that both types of managerial ties are positively associated with frugal innovation. Transformational leadership did not affect the relationships between independent variables (both types of managerial ties) and independent (frugal innovation) variable. However, the conditional impact of sustainable leadership as compared to transformational leadership was significant and positive. From both the theoretical and practical perspectives, our study offers important implications for relationship management in fostering frugal innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background African American smokers have 2.5 times higher risk for stroke compared with nonsmokers (higher than other races). About 50% of the African American population carry 1 or 2 genetic variants (G1 and G2; rare in other races) of the apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1). Studies showed these variants may be associated with stroke. However, the role of the APOL1 risk variants in tobacco‐related stroke is unknown. Methods and Results In a cross‐sectional study, we examined whether APOL1 risk variants modified the relationship between tobacco smoking and stroke prevalence in 513 African American adults recruited at University of California, San Francisco. Using DNA, plasma, and questionnaires we determined APOL1 variants, smoking status, and stroke prevalence. Using logistic regression models, we examined the association between smoking (ever versus never smokers) and stroke overall, and among carriers of APOL1 risk variants (1 or 2 risk alleles), and noncarriers, separately. Among participants, 41% were ever (current and past) smokers, 54% were carriers of the APOL1 risk variants, and 41 had a history of stroke. The association between smoking and stroke differed by APOL1 genotype (Pinteraction term=0.014). Among carriers, ever versus never smokers had odds ratio (OR) 2.46 (95% CI, 1.08–5.59) for stroke (P=0.034); OR 2.00 (95% CI, 0.81–4.96) among carriers of 1 risk allele, and OR 4.72 (95% CI, 0.62–36.02) for 2 risk alleles. Among noncarriers, smoking was not associated with a stroke. Conclusions Current and past smokers who carry APOL1 G1 and/or G2 risk variants may be more susceptible to stroke among the African American population.

The strength and development of the relationship between mathematical and motor skills is explored across three age groups of normally developing children. The presence of this relationship is postulated in classical accounts of human development. In contemporary research, the existence of a relationship between motor development and the development of abstract concepts may inform theories of embodied cognition. Existing work supports a link between fine motor skills and various numerical and mathematical tasks in young children; however, few attempts have been made to investigate this relationship across different ages. We use a cross-sectional design to investigate the link between fine motor and mathematical skills in samples of 81–96 Kindergarten, 2nd-grade, and 4th-grade children. Bayesian correlations were performed to explore the relationship between fine motor skills and mathematical skills at different time points. The results show that correlational patterns vary across the three ages: in Kindergarten, manual dexterity of the dominant hand is related to math skills, in 2nd grade, the manual dexterity of the nondominant hand is related to math skills; and finally in 4th grade no such correlations are observable. These findings contribute to understanding the developmental trajectory of the relationship between motor skills and mathematical abilities and the internalization of numerical embodiment. Further investigation is needed to determine if fine motor skills can serve as an early indicator of mathematical skill development risk. Future work could also explore whether incorporating spatial and motor elements into mathematical tasks through whole-body or finger movement training supports the development of mathematical skills.

This study investigates the primary sources of information used by individuals for self-medication and evaluate their perceived trustworthiness, thereby providing insights into the influence of information sources on selfmedication behavior and health decision-making. Adopting Quantitative Methodology and Cross-sectional Design, data was collected from individuals frequently engaging in self-medication for common health issues such as headaches, colds, allergies, or minor injuries. Stratified Random Sampling yielded a sample size of 366 respondents from a pool of 75,00 patients across Dir Lower seven tehsil hospitals. A structured interview schedule facilitated data collection, covering demographics, self-medication practices, information sources, trustworthiness perceptions, and health outcomes. Analysis involved SPSS for frequency and percentage as a descriptive and Chi-square Test for inferential statistics. The study shows that people prefer getting health information from both informal (family and friends) and formal (healthcare professionals and the internet) sources. Trust in these sources varies depending on how credible they seem. People are willing to self-medicate, especially for certain conditions, influenced by factors like limited healthcare access, trust in self-medication sources, and cultural beliefs. Many respondents are confident in finding and understanding health information for self-medication. This research underscores the importance of cultural and social factors in healthcare decisions, highlighting the need for tailored interventions and education programs to address local dynamics in Dir Lower, KP, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyberscams, such as romance scams, are prevalent and costly online hazards in the general community. People with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) may be particularly vulnerable and have greater difficulty recovering from the resultant emotional and financial hardships. In order to build capacity in the neurorehabilitation sector, it is necessary to determine whether clinicians currently encounter this issue and what prevention and intervention approaches have been found effective. This scoping study aimed to explore clinicians' exposure to and experiences with cyberscams in their adult clients with ABI. Method: Participants were clinicians recruited from multidisciplinary networks across Australia and New Zealand. Eligible participants (n = 101) completed an online customised survey. Results: More than half (53.46%) the participants had one or more clients affected by cyberscams, predominantly romance scams. Cognitive impairments and loneliness were reportedly associated with increased vulnerability. Cyberscams impacted treatment provision and were emotionally challenging for participants. No highly effective interventions were identified. Conclusions: These findings indicate that cyberscams are a clinical issue relevant to neurorehabilitation providers, with prevalence studies now required. The lack of effective interventions identified underscores the need for the development of evidence-based prevention and treatment approaches to ultimately help people with ABI safely participate in online life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The five times sit to stand (5STS) test is widely used to measure functional lower extremity strength. However, the psychometric properties of the 5STS test when performed remotely is unknown. This study determined the feasibility, reliability, and safety of the remote five times sit to stand test (5STS) in 37 patients scheduled to undergo gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Participants completed the 5STS test both face-to-face and remotely, with the order randomised. The study provides supporting evidence that the remote 5STS test is feasible, reliable, and safe in patients with gastrointestinal cancer and can be used in both clinical and research settings. Background: To determine the feasibility, reliability, and safety of the remote five times sit to stand test (5STS) test in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. Methods: Consecutive adult patients undergoing surgical treatment for lower gastrointestinal cancer at a major referral hospital in Sydney between July and November 2022 were included. Participants completed the 5STS test both face-to-face and remotely, with the order randomised. Outcomes included measures of feasibility, reliability, and safety. Results: Of fifty-five patients identified, seventeen (30.9%) were not interested, one (1.8%) had no internet coverage, and thirty-seven (67.3%) consented and completed both 5STS tests. The mean (SD) time taken to complete the face-to-face and remote 5STS tests was 9.1 (2.4) and 9.5 (2.3) seconds, respectively. Remote collection by telehealth was feasible, with only two participants (5.4%) having connectivity issues at the start of the remote assessment, but not interfering with the tests. The remote 5STS test showed excellent reliability (ICC = 0.957), with limits of agreement within acceptable ranges and no significant systematic errors observed. No adverse events were observed within either test environment. Conclusions: Remote 5STS for the assessment of functional lower extremity strength in gastrointestinal cancer patients is feasible, reliable, and safe, and can be used in clinical and research settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the off-label use of repurposed ivermectin for SARS-CoV-2 infection and argues that it should be banned by authorities unless its efficacy is proven. The author critiques a cross-sectional study conducted in Malaysia, pointing out limitations in the study design, sample size, and data analysis. The author also highlights the potential side effects of ivermectin and emphasizes the need for controlled studies to confirm its effectiveness before widespread use. The article concludes that while the off-label use of repurposed drugs is understandable in emergencies, it should only be permitted in the context of controlled studies and after confirming their effectiveness. [Extracted from the article]

Increasing attention has been given to the role of anxiety symptoms in influencing problematic smartphone use (PSU). However, less is known about potential moderation mechanisms underlying this relationship. In the present study, we examined the relationship between anxiety symptoms and PSU severity, and whether this relationship was moderated by perceived social support. College students (N = 723) from China were recruited to complete questionnaires assessing anxiety symptoms, perceived social support, and PSU severity. The results showed that anxiety symptoms were positively associated with PSU severity, while perceived social support was negatively associated with PSU severity. Moreover, perceived social support positively moderated the relationship between anxiety symptoms and PSU severity; this relationship was significant at higher but not lower levels of perceived social support. These findings highlight the important role of perceived social support as a potential buffering factor for anxiety on PSU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression and anxiety often reduce people's ability to cope with everyday occupations. There is a lack of knowledge about such problems in people of working age with depression and anxiety. To describe which problems people with depression or anxiety disorders experience when performing everyday occupations and which occupations are affected. Data based on the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure was used in this cross-sectional study. A total of 118 participants aged 18–65 years, with depression or anxiety, were recruited from primary healthcare and general mental healthcare services. The data were analysed with descriptive statistics and directed content analysis. The participants rated a low level of occupational performance, and their satisfaction with performance even lower. They described a great number of problems with their everyday occupations. The most frequent problem areas concerned household management, socialization and personal care. Detailed descriptions of which type of problem they experienced during everyday occupations are included. This study provides knowledge of which problems people with depression and anxiety disorders experience in everyday occupations within self-care, productivity, as well as leisure. Furthermore, they rate performance and satisfaction with performance of the five occupations they find the most important to change in everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right to die is an international dilemma. Some countries and states already have laws regulating one of the most common applications of this right, the active voluntary euthanasia. The evidence from these countries highlights the importance of a bioethical framework to limit some of its applications. In this regard, the evaluation of attitudes towards euthanasia in medical personnel will allow to understand the attitudes of these professionals and how they can deal with such requests, whether this assisted death is decided by the patients or their surroundings. Consequently, the aim of this study was to develop a brief scale to evaluate attitudes, as well as to determine their significance according to the gender and seniority of the professionals in this situation. A double design strategy was followed. On the one hand, a psychometric design with an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and, on the other, a descriptive analytical design for the comparison of groups. A six-item scale (AE-PM) and two factors were extracted. The first focuses on attitudes towards euthanasia to alleviate suffering for medical reasons and the second one to alleviate the patient’s emotional suffering. The scale (AHE-PM) is useful for the rapid exploration of attitudes towards euthanasia in physicians, a professional group with limited free time, who may also encounter relatively frequent requests for active voluntary euthanasia. The two factors obtained allow attitudes to be assessed from a bioethical perspective, providing information on the application under apparent medical justification and in situations based on the patient’s subjective emotional suffering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Communities around the world have expressed concern about the safety and side effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The adverse effects of the Covid-19 vaccines played a critical role in public trust in the vaccines. The current study aimed to provide evidence on the side effects of the BNT163b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech®); ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca®); BBIBP-CorVvaccine (Sinopharm®) COVID-19 vaccines. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was performed from April 26th, 2021, to June 3rd, 2021. Convenience sampling was used to select respondents; face validity was performed to the mandatory multiple-choice items questionnaire to cover the respondent’s demographic characteristics, coronavirus-19 related anamneses, and the side effect duration of coronavirus-19 vaccines, the data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Results: The 588 participants enrolled in the current study. ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine received 49.7%, followed by BNT163b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and BBIBP-CorV (39.5% and 10.9%). The most common complaint was headache (61.2%), followed by vaccine injection site discomfort (58.8%), fatigue (49.7%), fever (48.3%), muscle discomfort (42.9%), and approximately (10.5% and 10.2%) had injection site swelling and nausea, respectively. Most of those surveyed had postvaccine symptoms for one to two days (25.2%), (41%), and only a small percentage (3.7%) experienced them for over one month. ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine handled 53% of the side effects, followed by BNT163b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (42%) and BBIBP-CorV vaccines (5%). Conclusion: Prevalence of various local and systemic vaccines side effects, such as headache, fever, and pain at the injection site, was observed. Almost all participants had mild symptoms and were well-tolerated .AstraZeneca® vaccine has the most side effects, followed by the Pfizer® vaccine, and the Sinopharm® vaccine has the least. More independent studies on vaccination safety and public awareness are critical to improving public trust in vaccines.

Accessible Summary: What is known about the subject?: Poor recovery will cause harm to the quality of life and well‐being of residents and that the scope of influence includes the self, family and society.No study to date has investigated empowerment and the other multiple factors associated with personal recovery among psychiatric nursing home residents. What does the paper add to existing knowledge?: The factors associated with personal recovery are empowerment, social support and global functioning.This pioneer study contributes new evidence that personal recovery is mainly predicted by empowerment, social support and global function, with empowerment exhibiting the highest predictive value. What are the implications for practice?: Strengthening empowerment in mental health nursing may contribute more to the personal recovery of psychiatric nursing home residents than improving global function or social support.Mental health professionals should shift to empowerment‐oriented care to improve individuals' personal recovery, such as offering more opportunities to achieve autonomy, encouraging individuals' involvement in decision‐making and promoting individuals' motivation for achieving their goals. Introduction: Individuals diagnosed with mental illness have a need for recovery. No study to date has investigated empowerment and the other multiple factors associated with personal recovery among psychiatric nursing home residents. Aim: The study aimed to identify the factors associated with personal recovery among psychiatric nursing home residents. Methods: This was a cross‐sectional study with convenience sampling. Participants were recruited from a psychiatric nursing home in Northern Taiwan between April and June 2018. Data were collected through self‐reported, structured questionnaires with verified reliability and validity. Descriptive and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. The present study followed the STROBE guidelines. Results: The study included 158 participants. The factors associated with recovery according to bivariate associations were religious belief, psychotic symptoms, global function, social support and empowerment. In the hierarchical regression, empowerment, social support and global function were the main predictive factors of recovery, with the explained variation reaching 40.8%. Empowerment exhibited the highest predictive value for the recovery. Implications for clinical practice: Strengthening empowerment in mental health nursing may contribute more to the personal recovery of psychiatric nursing home residents than improving global function or social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the perception that students have about their own cognitive processes is a key aspect that allows for a deeper assimilation of the different factors that affect school performance. However, there is limited evidence explaining the link between students' perception of their own cognitive functions and their academic performance. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between perception of cognitive functions, such as memory, processing speed, attention, execution of complex tasks and nervousness, and academic performance in Chilean schoolchildren from the province of Biobio. A cross-sectional analytic design was conducted. The sample consisted of 590 elementary school students (12 ± 1.3 years old; 48.3% female) from Chilean public schools. The academic performance was measured by means of the accumulated final grades in the language, mathematics, physical education and health subjects, and the grade point average (GPA) of each student. Moreover, a survey to measure the cognitive functions of the participants was applied. The results show that 20.3% of the students perceived themselves as very nervous and 16.8% felt distracted. Differences in marks were observed in all the measured subjects, as well as in GPAs, depending on the perception of cognitive functions. Thus, the students with low to moderate perceptions of their cognitive functions received lower marks than those who reported a high perception. These results were consistent after a multivariate analysis adjusted for a socio-educational variables model. In conclusion, one in five public school students in the Biobío Region of Chile expressed a low perception of their cognitive functions, which is consistent with their weaker school performance. Therefore, it is believed that integrating curricular activity and cognitive work could potentially boost the perception of said functions, and thus reduce the risk of poor academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection of appropriate study design and analytical methods is critical for producing robust research, as the design and analytical approach used can ultimately shape results and their interpretation. The objective of this research was to examine how findings from a large repeat cross-sectional data system compare to those from a sample of longitudinal data nested within the same data system, using milk and milk alternative consumption as a case study. Overall, the repeat cross-sectional and longitudinal findings were consistent, and this article highlights the strengths and limitations of both methodologies under examination. Application to social research and public health and policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using levels of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), we evaluate the successful Chilean SARS-CoV-2 vaccine campaign, which combines different vaccine technologies and heterologous boosters. From a population-based study performed in November 2021, we randomly selected 120 seropositive individuals, organized into six groups of positive samples (20 subjects each) according to natural infection history and the five most frequent vaccination schemes. We conclude that the booster dose, regardless of vaccine technology or natural infection, and mRNA vaccines significantly improve nAbs response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of studies have examined the association between depressive symptoms and sleep quality, however, the psychological mechanism underlying the association remains nebulous. Using moderated mediation analysis, the present study aimed to examine to what extent the association was mediated by rumination and whether the mediation effect was moderated by self-compassion. Self-reported measures on depressive symptoms, rumination, self-compassion, and sleep quality were collected from 564 college students. The results showed that (a) rumination mediated the association between depressive symptoms and sleep quality, and (b) self-compassion moderated the mediation effect. Specifically, the mediating effect of rumination was stronger for students with low self-compassion than those with high self-compassion. These findings suggest that self-compassion may be a useful intervention target for health care practitioners to evaluate and improve sleep quality for individuals suffering from depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The older adult population of society is exposed to multiple stressors daily, such as the loss of loved ones, dysfunctional mobility, financial dependence, and suffering from numerous chronic illnesses. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Anxiety about Aging Scale among older adults in Iran. (2) Methods: A sample of 703 community-dwelling older adults was recruited and screened using a standardized tool. The mean age of participants was 69.4 ± 8.1 years. The majority of participants were male (59.2%), married (66.6%), and illiterate (79.7%). A ‘forward-backward’ translation method was used in developing the Iranian version of the AAS for assessing the psychometric properties among older adults. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the Rasch model were used for construct validity. (3) Results: Applying CFA indicated that the model’s four original factors are the best solution, representing 55% of the total variance. The result of the CFA showed that this four-factor model had a good fit for the data. The findings were also confirmed by Rasch analysis. (4) Conclusions: The Persian version of the AAS is valid and reliable for measuring aging anxiety among Iranian older adults.

Abstract Background Conflict between physicians and patients is an increasingly serious problem, leading to the disrepute attached to Chinese physicians’ social image and position. This study assesses the status of physicians’ self-perceived professional reputation damage and explains it’s the adverse outcomes including withdrawal behavior and workplace well-being. Moreover, potential causes of Chinese physicians’ disrepute have been outlined. Methods Primary data were collected through a cross-sectional online survey of physicians from 10 provinces in China, who were invited to complete an anonymous survey from December 2018 to January 2019. A total of 842 physicians (effective response rate: 92.22%) were recruited as participants. Results About 83% of the participants self-perceived professional reputation damage from the sense of the public opinion concept. Approach half of participants exhibited the idea of turnover intention (47.3%) and one or more symptoms of burnout (46.4%). About 74.9% of the participants experienced a degree of stress. Additionally, three out of five participants reported low-level subjective well-being. More than 70% of the participants disapproved of their offspring becoming a physician. Four factors leading to physicians’ damaged professional reputations are those addressed: conflict transfer, cognitive bias, improper management, and individual deviance. Stigmatised physicians are more likely to practice high-frequent defensive medicine (β = 0.172, P

Objective To investigate sex- and gender-based differences linked to SARS-COV-2 infection and to explore the role of hormonal therapy (HT) in females. Study design Data from the self-administered, cross-sectional, web-based EPICOVID19 survey of 198,822 adults living in Italy who completed an online questionnaire during the first wave of the epidemic in Italy (April-May 2020) were analyzed. Main outcomes measures Multivariate binary logistic and multinomial regression models were respectively used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for positive nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) test results and severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results The data from 6,873 participants (mean age 47.9 ± 14.1 years, 65.8% females) who had a known result from an NPS test were analyzed. According to the multivariate analysis, females had lower odds of a positive result from the NPS test (aOR 0.75, 95%CI 0.66-0.85) and of having a severe infection (aOR 0.46, 95%CI 0.37-0.57) than did their male counterparts. These differences were greater with decreasing age in both sexes. In addition, females aged ≥60 years receiving HT (N = 2,153, 47.6%) had a 46% lower probability of having a positive NPS test (aOR 0.54, 95%CI 0.36-0.80) than their same-aged peers who had never used HT; there were no differences in the younger age groups with respect to HT status. Conclusion Female sex was associated with an age-dependent lower risk of having a severe SARS-CoV-2 infection than their male counterparts. Age seemed to modify the relationship between HT status and infection: while the two were not related among younger participants, it was negative in the older ones. Future prospective studies are needed to elucidate the potential protective role sex hormones may play. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04471701. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article was to introduce the χ2 test for the data of four-fold tables collected from the cross-sectional design and the realization of SAS and R software. Specifically， three methods were introduced， namely " Pearson΄s χ2 test"， "corrected Pearson΄s χ2 test" and "likelihood ratio χ2 test". The contents involved the test hypotheses， calculation principles and formulas， prerequisites， implementation of SAS and R software， interpretation of results and statement of conclusions of the aforementioned three statistical analysis methods.

This study investigated the moderating role of family factors on victimization experiences and internalizing and academic outcomes. Data (collected 2017-2019) on 471 Black urban ninth graders (51% male; M age  = 14 years) with elevated externalizing symptoms were analyzed and we explored how the interaction between (self-reported) racial socialization, parent relations, and (teacher-reported) family academic involvement and (self-reported) violence exposure, racial discrimination, and (teacher-reported) bullying potentially influenced (student- and teacher-reported) anxiety and depression, and (student-reported) academic engagement and negative school attitudes. High racial socialization and parent relations were associated with lower internalizing symptoms for youth with discrimination and heard violence, respectively. High academic involvement and parent relations were linked with higher internalizing symptoms for youth with discrimination and high parent relations were linked with higher anxiety for bullied youth. Racial socialization and parent relations may help offset the potential influence of discrimination and heard violence, respectively, for adolescents., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

There are increasing calls to introduce computational thinking in schools; the arguments in favor call upon research suggesting that even kindergarten children can successfully engage in coding. This contribution presents a cross-sectional study examining the coding practices and computational thinking of fifty-one primary school children using the ScratchJr software; children were organized in two cohorts (Cohort 1: 6–9 years old; Cohort 2: 10–12 years old). Each cohort participated in a six-hour intervention, as part of a four-day summer club. During the intervention children were introduced to ScratchJr and were asked to collaboratively design a digital story about environmental waste management actions, thus adopting a disciplinary perspective to computational thinking. Data analyses examined children's final artifacts, in terms of coding practices and the level of computational thinking demonstrated by each cohort. Furthermore, analysis of selected groups' storyboard interviews was used to shed light on differences between the two cohorts. Results are presented and contrasted across the two age cohorts via a developmental perspective. The findings of this study can be useful in considering the instructional support that is necessary to scaffold the development of primary school children's coding practices and computational thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caring behavior is fundamental in the healthcare setting. This study examined the moderation role of workload in predicting the relationship between emotional intelligence and caring behavior in healthcare organizations. This study is a quantitative, cross-sectional survey, and data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The sample comprises 121 healthcare professionals, including medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and medical records officers in publicly-owned hospitals. The sample size consists of 30% males and 70% of females with a mean age of 41.32 years (SD = 10.25). Results revealed that emotional intelligence has a positive and significant predictive relationship with caring behavior, and that workload has a negative but non-significant interaction effect in the relationship. The findings suggest that emotional intelligence and the volume of work tasks employees are engaged in could have an impact on work outcomes. This knowledge has practical implications for human resource management in terms of recruitment, selection, job assignment, and further training of employees.

Abstract Background Recognition of loneliness as a health concern among adults stresses the need to understand the factors associated with loneliness. Research into factors of influence in the various phases of the adult life span (19–65 years) is scarce. Therefore, the associations between demographic, social and health-related factors and loneliness among young (19–34 years), early middle-aged (35–49 years) and late middle-aged adults (50–65 years) were explored. Methods A secondary analysis with a large cross-sectional dataset was performed. Data was collected from September to December 2016 in the Netherlands, by a self-report survey. Loneliness was measured using the De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale. In total, 26,342 adults (19–65 years) participated (response rate: 34%). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations between demographic, social and health-related factors as independent variables, and loneliness as dependent variable among the three age groups. Results Prevalence of loneliness among young, early and late middle-aged adults was 39.7, 43.3 and 48.2%, respectively. Living alone, frequency of neighbour contact, perceived social exclusion, psychological distress, psychological and emotional wellbeing were consistently associated with loneliness across the groups. The association between ethnicity and loneliness was stronger among young and early middle-aged adults, compared to late middle-aged adults. Young adults showed the strongest association between contact frequency with friends and loneliness. The strength of association between financial imbalance and loneliness gradually decreased from young to late middle-aged adults. Educational level was associated with loneliness among young adults only, while an association between employment status and loneliness was found solely among early middle-aged adults. For late middle-aged adults only, perceived health was associated with loneliness. Frequency of family contact was associated with loneliness, only among early and late middle-aged adults. Conclusion This study indicates that factors associated with loneliness across the adult life span may be understood from an age-normative life-stage perspective. Accordingly, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reduce loneliness among adults, suggesting that a variety of interventions or an indirect approach may be necessary. Future research should focus on causal relations between factors and loneliness in different age groups, using a longitudinal research-design with, preferably, an even broader set of factors.

Background: Acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocations are common but evidence regarding the epidemiology of these injuries is incomplete. This study aims to describe the incidence, injury mechanisms, distribution of classifications, risk factors, and patient characteristics for ACJ dislocations in a general population. Methods: Inclusion was performed prospectively during a 4-year period with the following criteria; age 18-75 years, shoulder trauma within 2 weeks, a clinical suspicion of ACJ dislocation, and radiographs that excluded fracture. The injuries were classified according to the Rockwood system, and epidemiologic variables were obtained. Rockwood types 1-2 were defined as low-grade injuries and types 3-6 as high-grade. Age groups were defined with a young group (18-39 years), an intermediate group (40-59), and an old group (60-75). Results: A total of 158 patients were included; 139 were male and the mean age was 39 years (range 18-74). There were 73 low-grade and 85 high-grade injuries. The incidence was 2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.7-2.4] per 10,000 person-years, gradually decreasing with higher age, groupwise. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for men vs. women was 7.6 (95% CI = 4.7-12.6) and IRR >1 was seen comparing younger age groups to older. Odds ratio calculations showed that risk factors for high-grade injury were older age and traffic accidents. Conclusion: The incidence of ACJ dislocations was 2.0 per 10,000 person-years in a general population. Male gender and younger age group were risk factors for injury, whereas the risk for high-grade injuries were greater in older patients and after traffic accidents.

Objectives: Nurse empowerment is essential to ensure delivery of the best quality patient care and attaining positive nurse outcomes. Studies describe its relationship to retention, patient safety, commitment, productivity, job satisfaction, and positive outcomes. The study aimed to determine the level of empowerment of nurses in a tertiary university hospital during the pandemic crisis., Methods: The study was an exploratory descriptive cross-sectional design. Participants (N = 176, Nurses) were randomly selected through a sampling frame. The validated self-administered questionnaire, the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire II, was used for data collection. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between the means of the participants' empowerment scores when grouped according to their demographic profile., Results: The study found that the nurses in the tertiary university hospital have an overall moderate level of empowerment (TSE x ¯ = 22.69, SD = 3.53; GE x ¯ = 3.72, SD = 1.01). It was also found that there were statistically significant differences between the means of their total structural and global empowerment scores when grouped according to their age group, civil status, length of service, level of position, and area designation; while no statistically significant difference existed when grouped by their sex and level of education., Conclusion: Since nurse empowerment leads to positive nurse and patient outcomes, improving levels of empowerment is thus essential. The results of this study will help administrators identify groups of nurses with relatively lower levels of empowerment and in turn develop programs that will help improve their levels of empowerment., Competing Interests: All authors declared no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 Acta Medica Philippina.)