Search results for: participant

Authors: Betül Ersoy, Deniz Özalp Kizilay, Gül Gümüşer, Fatma Taneli

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Introduction: Peak bone mass is reached in late adolescence in females. Age at menarche influences estrogen exposure, which plays a vital role in bone metabolism. The relationship between age at menarche and bone mineral density (BMD) is still controversial. In this study, we investigated the relationship between age at menarche, BMD, socioeconomic status (SES) and body composition in female university student. Participant and methods: A total of 138 healthy girls at late adolescence period (mean age 20.13±0.93 years, range 18-22) were included in this university school-based cross-sectional study in the urban area western region of Turkey. Participants have been randomly selected to reflect the university students studying in all faculties. We asked relevant questions about socioeconomic status and age at menarche to female university students. Students were grouped into three SES as lower, middle and higher according to the educational and occupational levels of their parents using Hollingshead index. Height and weight were measured. Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m2 ) was calculated. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed using the Lunar DPX series, and BMD and body composition were evaluated. Results: The mean age of menarche of female university student included in the study was 13.09.±1.3 years. There was no significant difference between the three socioeconomic groups in terms of height, body weight, age at menarche, BMD [BMD (gr/cm2 ) (L2-L4) and BMD (gr/cm2 ) (total body)], and body composition (lean tissue, fat tissue, total fat, and body fat) (p>0.05). While no correlation was found between the age at menarche and any parameter (p>0.05), a positive significant correlation was found between lean tissue and BMD L2-L4 (r=0.286, p=0.01). When the relationships were evaluated separately according to socioeconomic status, there was a significant correlation between BMDL2-L4 (r: 0.431, p=0.005) and lean tissue in females with low SES, while this relationship disappeared in females with middle and high SES. Conclusion: Age at menarche did not change according to socioeconomic status, nor did BMD and body composition in female at late adolescents. No relationship was found between age at menarche and BMD and body composition determined by DEXA in female university student who were close to reaching peak bone mass. The results suggested that especially BMDL2-L4 might increase as lean tissue increases.

Keywords: bone, osteoposis, menarche, dexa

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Authors: Mariam A. Abu-Alim

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The purpose of this study was to validate muscle activation amplitudes of two field base dynamic balance tests that are used as strengthen and motor control exercises too in the activation of selected hip and knee stabilizer muscles. Methods: Eighteen college-age females students (21±2 years; 65.6± 8.7 kg; 169.7±8.1 cm) who participated at least for 30 minutes in physical activity most days of the week volunteered. The wireless BIOPAC (MP150, BIOPAC System. Inc, California, USA) surface electromyography system was used to validate the activation of the Gluteus Medius and the Adductor Magnus of hip stabilizer muscles; and the Hamstrings, Quadriceps, and the Gastrocnemius of the knee stabilizer muscles. Surface electrodes (EL 503, BIOPAC, System. Inc) connected to dual wireless EMG BioNormadix Transmitters were place on selected muscles of participants dominate side. Manual muscle testing was performed to obtain the maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in which all collected muscle activity data during the three reaching direction: anterior, posteromedial, posterolateral of the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and the Y-balance Test (YBT) data could be normalized. All participants performed three trials for each reaching direction of the SEBT and the YBT. The domanial leg trial for each participant was selected for analysis which was also the standing leg. Results: the selected hip stabilizer muscles (Gluteus Medius, Adductor Magnus) were both greater than 100%MVIC during the performance of the SEBT and in all three directions. Whereas, selected knee stabilizer muscles had greater activation 0f 100% MVIC and were significantly more activated during the performance of the YBT test in all three reaching directions. The results showed that the posterolateral and the postmedial reaching directions for both dynamic balance tests had greater activation levels and greater than 200%MVIC for all tested muscles expect of the hamstrings. Conclusion: the results of this study showed that the SEBT and the YBT had validated high levels of muscular activity for the hip and the knee stabilizer muscles; which can be used to represent the improvement, strength, control and the decreasing in the injury levels. Since these selected hip and knee stabilizer muscles, represent 35% of all athletic injuries depending on the type of sport.

Keywords: dynamic balance tests, electromyography, hip stabilizer muscles, nee stabilizer muscles

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Authors: Mimoza Canga, Irene Malagnino, Gresa Baboci, Edit Xhajanka, Vito Antonio Malagnino

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Background: Diabetes mellitus is regarded as a very problematic chronic disease that has an effect on a considerable number of people around the world and it is straightforwardly associated with the oral health condition of the patients. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze and evaluate the impact of diabetes mellitus on oral health. Materials and methods: In the present research were taken into consideration 300 patients with an age range of 11 to 80 years old. The study sample was composed of 191 males, respectively 63.7% of them and 109 females 36.3% of the participants. We divided them into seven age groups: 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, and 71-80 years.This descriptive and analytical research was designed as a longitudinal study. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 23.0 statistics. Results: The majority of patients participating in the study belonged to the age range from 41 to 50 years old, precisely 20.7% of them, while 27% of the patients were from 51 to 60 years old. Based on the present research, it resulted that 24.4% of the participant had high blood sugar values 250-300 mg/dl, whereas 19 % of the patients had very high blood sugar values 300-350 mg/dl. Based on the results of the current study, it was observed that 83.7% of patients were affected by gingivitis. In the current study, the significant finding is that 22% of patients had more than 7 teeth with dental caries and 21% of them had 5-7 teeth with dental caries, whereas 29% of the patients had 4-5 dental caries and the remaining 28% of them had 1-3 dental caries. The present study showed that most of the patients, 27% of them had lost more than 7 teeth and 22% of the participants had lost 5-7 teeth, whereas 31% of the patients had lost 4-5 teeth and only 20 % of them had lost 1-3 teeth. This study proved that high blood sugar values had a direct impact on the manifestation of gingivitis and there it was a strong correlation between them with P-value = .001. A strong correlation was found out between dental caries and high blood sugar values with P-value ˂.001. Males with diabetes mellitus were more affected by dental caries and this was proved by the P-value= .02, in comparison to females P-value=.03. The impact of high blood sugar values affects missing teeth and the correlation between them was statistically significant with P-value ˂ .001. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that diabetes mellitus is a possible risk factor in oral health for the reason that Albanian patients over 51 years old, respectively 43% of them have over 5 teeth with dental caries as compared with 49% of the patients who had over 5 missing teeth, whereas the majority 83.7% of them suffered from gingivitis. This study asserts that patients who do not have periodical check-ups of diabetes mellitus are at significant risk of oral diseases.

Keywords: dental caries, diabetes mellitus, gingivitis, missing teeth

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Authors: Shu-Yen Wang, Shyh-Huei Hwang

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Designated as an important architectural complex of settlement by the Ministry of Culture, Hua-Zhai Settlement located in Wang-An Township, Peng-Hu County, of Taiwan has been progressively restored year by year and is now at the revitalization and reutilization stage. Over the last 5 years, YunTech has participated in the restoration project while being in compliance with the Bureau of Cultural Heritage’s spirit of 'Living Heritage Conservation'. In this study, reflections have been made to evaluate the contemporariness of traditional settlement development from the aspects of revitalization and reutilization. On the one hand, the connection between settlers’ experiences and emotions have been clarified through the living nodes, collective memory, and social-cultural connotation. On the other hand, activity design has promoted the reconstruction of living nodes and facilitated the reconnection of collective memory, enabling us to explore the contemporariness of living nodes after the reconstruction. With the adoption of literature review, participant observation, and interview analysis methods, this study concludes the following results: 1) The node reconstruction brings back the memories and makes emotional connections: the spatial collective memory is composed of different components. During the reconstruction of node space, villagers participated not only in the narration of the history but also in the restoration of the space. This process enables villagers to bring back their memories and make emotional connections thereto. 2) Villagers’ understanding towards revitalization has been facilitated through node reconstruction: as a medium of this project, activity design has facilitated node reconstruction by offering villagers a natural environment to build up emotional connections to the settlement. This also enables us to better understand the meaning of settlement activation for the local community. 3) New connections are established in life between villagers and the university through the construction of living nodes: through the local implementation of node reconstruction, new connections have been established in life between villagers who participated in the project and the university. In the meantime, the university’s entrance to the community has also been revalued.

Keywords: collective memory, local sense of belonging, reconstruction of living nodes, the important architectural complex of Wang-An Hua-Zhai settlement

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Authors: Yu-Wen Lin, Li-Ni Liu

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Introduction: Fatigue is the most common symptoms experienced by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Patients receiving anticancer therapies develop a higher proportion of fatigue compared with patients who do not receive anticancer therapies. Fatigue has significant impacts on quality of life, daily activities, mood status, and social behaviors. A warm-water footbath (WWF) at 41℃ promotes circulation and removes metabolites resulting in improving sleep and relieving fatigue. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of WWF for relieving fatigue with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: This is a single-center, prospective, quasi-experimental design study in the oncology ward in Taiwan. Participants in this study were assigned to WWF group as experimental group and standard care group as a control group by purposive sampling. In the WWF group, the participants were asked to soak their feet in 42-43℃ water 15 minutes for consecutive 6 days at one day before chemotherapy. Each participant was evaluated for fatigue level by the Taiwanese version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-T). BFI-T was completed for consecutive 8 days of the study. The primary outcome was compared the BFI-T score of WWF group to the standard care group. Results: There were 60 participants enrolled in this study. Thirty participants were assigned to WWF group and 30 participants were assigned to standard care group. Both groups have comparable characteristic. The BFI-T scores of both groups were increased associated with the days of chemotherapy. The highest BFI-T scores of both groups were on the day 4 of chemotherapy. The BFI-T scores of both groups were decreased since day 5 and significantly decreased in WWF group on day 5 compared to standard care group (4.17 vs. 5.7, P ＜ .05). At the end of the study the fatigue at its worse were significantly decreased in WWF group (2.33 vs. 4.37, P ＜ .001). There was no adverse event reported in this study. Conclusion: WWF is an easy, safe, non-invasive, and relatively inexpensive nursing intervention for improving fatigue of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. In summary, this study shows the WWF is a simple complementary care method, and it is effective for improving and relieving fatigue in a short time. Through improving fatigue is a way to enhance the quality of life which is important for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Larger prospective randomized controlled trial and long-term effectiveness and outcomes of WWF should be performed to confirm this study.

Keywords: chemotherapy, warm-water footbath, fatigue, Taiwanese version of the brief fatigue inventory

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Authors: Ali Mahamat

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This paper explores the application of Functional Communication Training (FCT) as an intervention to decrease maladaptive behaviors among individuals diagnosed with Intellectual Disability (ID) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) within an extensive support needs residential program. Evidence suggests that FCT can be ef ective in promoting positive behavioral changes and enhancing communication skills in this population. The prevalence of maladaptive behaviors in individuals with ID and ASD is a significant concern for caregivers and professionals in residential programs. These behaviors can include aggression, self-injury, and disruptive activities, which can impede the individual's quality of life. Functional Communication Training (FCT) has been identified as a potential solution to these challenges, providing individuals with the communication skills needed to express their needs and desires effectively. Method: A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the effectiveness of FCT in a residential setting for individuals with ID and ASD. Participants included individuals with varying degrees of ID and ASD who exhibited maladaptive behaviors. A baseline was established for each participant's behavior before introducing FCT as an intervention. The FCT intervention involved teaching the individuals alternative, functionally equivalent communication behaviors to replace maladaptive behaviors. The training was implemented in the participants' natural environment and was incorporated into their daily routines. The intervention period lasted for six months, with follow-ups conducted at three months and six months post-intervention.Results indicated a significant decrease in maladaptive behaviors for individuals who received the FCT intervention. In addition, an enhancement in communication skills was observed, with the majority of participants demonstrating an increased ability to express their needs and desires appropriately. The findings of this study provide support for the effectiveness of FCT in reducing maladaptive behaviors in individuals with ID and ASD in a residential setting. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of incorporating functional communication skills training in the daily routines of these individuals. By providing these individuals with an effective means of communication, FCT not only reduces the occurrence of maladaptive behaviors but also improves the quality of life for these individuals. However, future research should explore the long-term effects of FCT and consider the influence of individual differences on the effectiveness of the intervention.

Keywords: functional communication training, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, maladaptive behavior, residential program

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Authors: Joyce K. Anastasi, Bernadette Capili

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Community Engagement Strategies to Assist with the Development of an RCT Among People Living with HIV Our research team focuses on developing and testing protocols to manage chronic symptoms. For many years, our team designed and implemented symptom management studies for people living with HIV (PLWH). We identify symptoms that are not curative and are not adequately controlled by conventional therapies. As an exemplar, we describe how we successfully engaged PLWH in developing and refining our research feasibility protocol for distal sensory peripheral neuropathy (DSP) associated with HIV. With input from PLWH with DSP, our research received National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding support. Significance: DSP is one of the most common neurologic complications in HIV. It is estimated that DSP affects 21% to 50% of PLWH. The pathogenesis of DSP in HIV is complex and unclear. Proposed mechanisms include cytokine dysregulation, viral protein-produced neurotoxicity, and mitochondrial dysfunction associated with antiretroviral medications. There are no FDA-approved treatments for DSP in HIV. Purpose: Aims: 1) to explore the impact of DSP on the lives of PLWH, 2) to identify patients’ perspectives on successful treatments for DSP, 3) to identify interventions considered feasible and sensitive to the needs of PLWH with DSP, and 4) to obtain participant input for protocol/study design. Description of Process: We conducted a needs assessment with PLWH with DSP. From our needs assessment, we learned from the patients’ perspective detailed descriptions of their symptoms; physical functioning with DSP; self-care remedies tried, and desired interventions. We also asked about protocol scheduling, instrument clarity, study compensation, study-related burdens, and willingness to participate in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a placebo and a waitlist group. Implications: We incorporated many of the suggestions learned from the need assessment. We developed and completed a feasibility study that provided us with invaluable information that informed subsequent NIH-funded studies. In addition to our extensive clinical and research experience working with PLWH, learning from the patient perspective helped in developing our protocol and promoting a successful plan for recruitment and retention of study participants.

Keywords: clinical trial development, peripheral neuropathy, traditional medicine, HIV, AIDS

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Authors: Mochamad Nuruz Zaman, Mangatur Rudolf Nababan, M. A. Djatmika

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Both society and education areas teach to have good communication for building the interpersonal skills up. Everyone has the capacity to understand something new, either well comprehension or worst understanding. Worst understanding makes the language errors when the interactions are done by someone in the first meeting, and they do not know before it because of distance area. “The Space between Us” movie delivers the love-adventure story between Mars Boy and Earth Girl. They are so many missing conversations because of the different climate and environment. As the moviegoer also must be focused on the subtitle in order to enjoy well the movie. Furthermore, Indonesia subtitle and English conversation on the movie still have overlapping understanding in the translation. Translation hereby consists of source language -SL- (English conversation) and target language -TL- (Indonesia subtitle). These research gap above is formulated in research question by how the language errors happened in that movie and their effects on translation quality which is deepest analyzed by translation study toward discourse analysis approach. The research goal is to expand the language errors and their translation qualities in order to create a good atmosphere in movie media. The research is studied by embedded research in qualitative design. The research locations consist of setting, participant, and event as focused determined boundary. Sources of datum are “The Space between Us” movie and informant (translation quality rater). The sampling is criterion-based sampling (purposive sampling). Data collection techniques use content analysis and questioner. Data validation applies data source and method triangulation. Data analysis delivers domain, taxonomy, componential, and cultural theme analysis. Data findings on the language errors happened in the movie are referential, register, society, textual, receptive, expressive, individual, group, analogical, transfer, local, and global errors. Data discussions on their effects to translation quality are concentrated by translation techniques on their data findings; they are amplification, borrowing, description, discursive creation, established equivalent, generalization, literal, modulation, particularization, reduction, substitution, and transposition.

Keywords: discourse analysis, language errors, The Space between Us movie, translation techniques, translation quality instruments

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Authors: Piyawan Srisuruk, Janya Boonmeeprasert, Romwarin Gamlunglert, Benjamaporn Choikhruea, Ornjira Jaraepram, Jarin Boonsuchat, Sakdadech Singkibud, Kusalaporn Chaiudomsom, Chanatiporn Chonprai, Pornchanaka Tana, Suchat Paholpak

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Objective: To develop an Intensive and comprehensive program (ICP) for the Inclusive Class Teacher (ICPICT) to teach elementary students (ES) with ASD in order to enhance the students’ academic and social skills (ASS) and to study the effect of the teaching program. Methods: The purposive sample included 15 Khon Kaen inclusive class teachers and their 15 elementary students. All the students were diagnosed by a child and adolescent psychiatrist to have DSM-5 level 1 ASD. The study tools included 1) an ICP to teach teachers about ASD, a teaching method to enhance academic and social skills for ES with ASD, and an assessment tool to assess the teacher’s knowledge before and after the ICP. 2) an ICPICT to teach ES with ASD to enhance their ASS. The project taught 10 sessions, 3 hours each. The ICPICT had its teaching structure. Teaching media included: pictures, storytelling, songs, and plays. The authors taught and demonstrated to the participant teachers how to teach with the ICPICT until the participants could display the correct teaching method. Then the teachers taught ICPICT at school by themselves 3) an assessment tool to assess the students’ ASS before and after the completion of the study. The ICP to teach the teachers, the ICPICT, and the relevant assessment tools were developed by the authors and were adjusted until consensus agreed as appropriate for researching by 3 curriculum of teaching children with ASD experts. The data were analyzed by descriptive and analytic statistics via SPSS version 26. Results: After the briefing, the teachers increased the mean score, though not with statistical significance, of knowledge of ASD and how to teach ES with ASD on ASS (p = 0.13). Teaching ES with ASD with the ICPICT could increase the mean scores of the students’ skills in learning and expressing social emotions, relationships with a friend, transitioning, and skills in academic function 3.33, 2.27, 2.94, and 3.00 scores (full scores were 18, 12, 15 and 12, Paired T-Test p = 0.007, 0.013, 0.028 and 0.003 respectively). Conclusion: The program to teach academic and social skills simultaneously in an intensive and comprehensive structure could enhance both the academic and social skills of elementary students with ASD. Keywords: Elementary students, autism spectrum, academic skill, social skills, intensive program, comprehensive program, integration.

Keywords: academica and social skills, students with autism, intensive and comprehensive, teaching program

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Authors: Vasupradaa Manivannan, Santosh Maruthy

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Background/Aims: Preliminary evidence suggests that code-switching and code-mixing may act as one of the voluntary coping behavior to avoid the stuttering characteristics in children and adults; however, less is known about the types and patterns of code-mixing (CM) and code-switching (CS). Further, it is not known how it is different between children to adults who stutter. This study aimed to identify and compare the CM and CS patterns between Kannada-English bilingual children and adults who stutter. Method: A standard group comparison was made between five children who stutter (CWS) in the age range of 9-13 years and five adults who stutter (AWS) in the age range of 20-25 years. The participants who are proficient in Kannada (first language- L1) and English (second language- L2) were considered for the study. There were two tasks given to both the groups, a) General conversation (GC) with 10 random questions, b) Narration task (NAR) (Story / General Topic, for example., A Memorable Life Event) in three different conditions {Mono Kannada (MK), Mono English (ME), and Bilingual (BIL) Condition}. The children and adults were assessed online (via Zoom session) with a high-quality internet connection. The audio and video samples of the full assessment session were auto-recorded and manually transcribed. The recorded samples were analyzed for the percentage of dysfluencies using SSI-4 and CM, and CS exhibited in each participant using Matrix Language Frame (MLF) model parameters. The obtained data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software package (Version 20.0). Results: The mean, median, and standard deviation values were obtained for the percentage of dysfluencies (%SS) and frequency of CM and CS in Kannada-English bilingual children and adults who stutter for various parameters obtained through the MLF model. The inferential results indicated that %SS significantly varied between population (AWS vs CWS), languages (L1 vs L2), and tasks (GC vs NAR) but not across free (BIL) and bound (MK, ME) conditions. It was also found that the frequency of CM and CS patterns varies between CWS and AWS. The AWS had a lesser %SS but greater use of CS patterns than CWS, which is due to their excessive coping skills. The language mixing patterns were more observed in L1 than L2, and it was significant in most of the MLF parameters. However, there was a significantly higher (P<0.05) %SS in L2 than L1. The CS and CS patterns were more in conditions 1 and 3 than 2, which may be due to the higher proficiency of L2 than L1. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of assessing the CM and CS behaviors, their patterns, and the frequency of CM and CS between CWS and AWS on MLF parameters in two different tasks across three conditions. The results help us to understand CM and CS strategies in bilingual persons who stutter.

Keywords: bilinguals, code mixing, code switching, stuttering

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Authors: Chiara Magliacane

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This project aims to analyse the relationship between the post-conflict Northern Irish environment and youth trauma in deprived areas. Using an anthropological perspective and methodology, the study investigates the possible contribution that a socio-cultural perspective can give to the current research on the field, with a special focus on the role of transgenerational trauma. The recognition of the role that socio-economic determinants have on health is usually a challenge for social researchers. In post-conflict Northern Ireland, the overall lack of research about connections between the social context and youth trauma opens the way to the present project. Anthropological studies on social implications of mental disorders have achieved impressive results in many societies; they show how conditions of sufferance and poverty are not intrinsically given, but are the products of historical processes and events. The continuum of violence and the politics of victimhood sustains a culture of silence and fear in deprived areas; this implies the need of investigating the structural and symbolic violence that lies behind the diffusion of mental suffering. The project refers to these concepts from Medical Anthropology and looks at connections between trauma and social, political and economic structures. Accordingly, the study considers factors such as poverty, unemployment, social inequality and gender and class perspectives. At the same time, the project problematises categories such as youth and trauma. 'Trauma' is currently debated within the social sciences since the 'invention' of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 1980. Current critics made to its clinical conception show how trauma has been mainly analysed as a memory of the past. On the contrary, medical anthropological research focuses on wider perspectives on society and its structures; this is a new and original approach to the study of youth trauma considering that, to author’s best knowledge, there is no research of this kind regarding Northern Ireland. Methods: Qualitative interviews, participant observation. Expected Impact: Local Northern Ireland organizations, i.e. specific charities that provide mental health support. Ongoing and present connections will ensure they will hear about this research.

Keywords: health and social inequalities, Northern Ireland, structural violence, youth

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Authors: Yan-Shen Yang, Bai-Chen Xie

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Background and significance of the study: Both green power trading schemes and interregional power transmission are effective ways to increase green power absorption and achieve renewable power development goals. China accelerates the construction of interregional power transmission lines and the green power market. A critical issue focusing on the close interaction between these two approaches arises, which can heavily affect the green power quota allocation and renewable power development. Existing studies have not discussed this issue adequately, so it is urgent to figure out their relationship to achieve a suitable power market design and a more reasonable power grid construction.Basic methodologies: We develop an equilibrium model of the power market in China to analyze the coupling effect of these two approaches as well as their influence on power generation and interregional transmission in China. Our model considers both the Tradable green certificate (TGC) and green power market, which consists of producers, consumers in the market, and an independent system operator (ISO) minimizing the total system cost. Our equilibrium model includes the decision optimization process of each participant. To reformulate the models presented as a single-level one, we replace the producer, consumer, ISO, and market equilibrium problems with their Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions, which is further reformulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) and solved in Gurobi solver. Major findings: The result shows that: (1) the green power market can significantly promote renewable power absorption while the TGC market provides a more flexible way for green power trading. (2) The phenomena of inefficient occupation and no available transmission lines appear simultaneously. The existing interregional transmission lines cannot fully meet the demand for wind and solar PV power trading in some areas while the situation is vice versa in other areas. (3) Synchronous implementation of green power and TGC trading mechanism can benefit the development of green power as well as interregional power transmission. (4) The green power transaction exacerbates the unfair distribution of carbon emissions. The Carbon Gini Coefficient is up to 0.323 under the green power market which shows a high Carbon inequality. The eastern coastal region will benefit the most due to its huge demand for external power.

Keywords: green power market, tradable green certificate, interregional power transmission, power market equilibrium model

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Authors: Sung Hyun Kim

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Introduction: Sleep disturbance is common in children with developmental disorders (D.D.). Sleep disturbance has a variety of negative effects, such as behavior problems, medical problems, and even developmental problems in children with D.D. However, to our best knowledge, there has been no proper treatment for sleep disorders in children with D.D. Therefore, we conduct this study to know the positive effects of intensive rehabilitation therapy in children with D.D. on the degree of sleep disturbance. Method: We prospectively recruited 22 patients with a diagnosis of D.D. during the period of January 2022 through May 2022. The inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) a patient who would participate in the intensive rehabilitation therapy of our institution; 2) the age participant under 18 years at the time of assessment; 3) a child who has consented to participate in the study by signing the consent form by the legal guardian. We investigated the clinical characteristics of participants by the medical record, including sex, age, underlying diagnosis of D.D., and Gross Motor Function Measures (GMFM). Before starting the intensive rehabilitation therapy, we conducted a Sleep disturbance scale for children (SDSC). It contains 26 questions about children’s sleep, and those questions are grouped into six subscales, such as Disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS), Sleep Breathing Disorders(SBD), Disorders of arousal(DOA), Sleep-Wake Transition Disorders(SWTD), Disorders of excessive somnolence(DOES) and Sleep Hyperhydrosis(SHY). We used the t-score, which was calculated by comparing the scores of normal children. Twenty two patients received 8 weeks of intensive rehabilitation, including daily physical and occupational therapy. After that, we did follow up with SDSC. The comparison between SDSC before and after intensive rehabilitation was calculated using the paired t-test, and P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Demographic data and clinical characteristics of 22 patients are enrolled. Patients were 4.03 ± 2.91 years old, and of the total 22 patients, 14 (64%) were male, and 8 (36%) were female. Twelve patients(45%) were diagnosed with Cerebral palsy(C.P.), and the mean value of participants’ GMFM was 47.82 ± 20.60. Each mean value of SDSC’s subscales was also calculated. DIMS was 62.36 ± 13.72, SBD was 54.18 ± 8.39, DOA was 49.59 ± 7.01, SWTD was 58.95 ± 9.20, DOES was 53.09 ± 15.15, SHY was 52.14 ± 8.82, and the total was 59.86 ± 13.18. These values suggest that children with D.D. have sleep disorders. After 8 weeks of intensive rehabilitation treatment, the score of DIMS showed improvement(p=0.016), but not the other subscale and total score of SDSC. Conclusion: This result showed that intensive rehabilitation could be helpful to patients of D.D. with sleep disorders. Especially intensive rehabilitation therapy itself can be a meaningful treatment in inducing and maintaining sleep.

Keywords: sleep disorder, developmental delay, intensive rehabilitation therapy, cerebral palsy

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Authors: Zurina Mahadi, Hukil Sino

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United Nations resolved 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to complete what Millennium Development Goals did not achieve. Accommodating 17 goals and 169 targets, Sustainable Development Goals are designated to be achieved over the next 15 years. A survey was conducted in July 2019 among the undergraduate students of a public university in Selangor, Malaysia, to learn their selection over Sustainable Development Goals, which they think is the most critical in the Malaysian scenario. This study adopted a qualitative approach, and data is gathered from a single instruction questionnaire administered to a purposive sample of participants. 13 goals were selected by the participants which are Goal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17 while none has selected Goal 7, 9, 14 and 15 which are ‘Affordable and Clean Energy’; ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’; ‘Life Below Water’ and ‘Life On Land’ respectively. The selected goals are then ranked according to the number of participants who chose that particular goal. Goal 8 is found to be at the highest position of the ranking while Goal 5, 6, 10, and 13 accommodating the lowest position. Goal 8, which is ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ is chosen by 13 participants as the most critical goal in Malaysia while Goal 5,6 10, and 13, which are ‘Gender Equality’; ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’; ‘Reduced Inequalities’ and ‘Climate Action’ respectively, are chosen by only one participant each. Issues highlighted by the participants are themed into 10 themes, which are job availability, cost of living, well-being, corruption, education, environment, gender, development planning, consumption, and partnership. The theme of the cost of living has the highest number of issues, followed by the theme of job availability and the environment. The theme of gender has the least number of issues, followed by the theme of corruption and development planning. In principle, these findings, therefore, conclude that from a public university students’ point of view, the most critical sustainable development goal is decent work and economic growth while the most concerning issue is the cost of living. The implications of these findings are students’ knowledge towards the current issues of development, and their views of future sustainable development are considerably high. This study, therefore, suggests their views be inculcated into local, sustainable development frameworks to increase the inclusiveness of the young generation as they are the future SDGs stakeholders.

Keywords: cost of living, inclusiveness, job availability, sustainable development goals

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Authors: P. Renjitha, P. Hari Prakash

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Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) is an auditory disorder with normal cochlear outer hair cell function and disrupted auditory nerve function. It results in unique clinical characteristic with absent auditory brainstem response (ABR), absent acoustic reflex and the presence of otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and cochlear microphonics. The lesion site could be at cochlear inner hair cells, the synapse between the inner hair cells and type I auditory nerve fibers, and/or the auditory nerve itself. But the literatures on synchrony at higher auditory system are sporadic and are less understood. It might be interesting to see if there is a recovery of neural synchrony at higher auditory centers. Also, does the level at which the auditory system recovers with adequate synchrony to the extent of observable evoke response potentials (ERPs) can predict speech perception? In the current study, eight ANSD participants and healthy controls underwent detailed audiological assessment including ABR, auditory middle latency response (AMLR), and auditory late latency response (ALLR). AMLR was recorded for clicks and ALLR was evoked using 500Hz and 2 kHz tone bursts. Analysis revealed that the participant could be categorized into three groups. Group I (2/8) where ALLR was present only for 2kHz tone burst. Group II (4/8), where AMLR was absent and ALLR was seen for both the stimuli. Group III (2/8) consisted individuals with identifiable AMLR and ALLR for all the stimuli. The highest speech identification sore observed in ANSD group was 30% and hence considered having poor speech perception. Overall test result indicates that the site of neural synchrony recovery could be varying across individuals with ANSD. Some individuals show recovery of neural synchrony at the thalamocortical level while others show the same only at the cortical level. Within ALLR itself there could be variation across stimuli again could be related to neural synchrony. Nevertheless, none of these patterns could possible explain the speech perception ability of the individuals. Hence, it could be concluded that neural synchrony as measured by evoked potentials could not be a good clinical predictor speech perception.

Keywords: auditory late latency response, auditory middle latency response, auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder, correlation with speech identification score

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Authors: S. Haider, B. Bhushan

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Eye Gaze behaviour of individuals with and without intellectual disability are investigated in an eye tracking study in terms of sensitivity to Nonaccidental (NAPs) and Metric (MPs) shape properties. Total fixation time is used as an indirect measure of attention allocation. Studies have found Mean reaction times for non accidental properties (NAPs) to be shorter than for metric (MPs) when the MP and NAP differences were equalized. METHODS: Twenty-five individuals with intellectual disability (mild and moderate level of Mental Retardation) and twenty-seven normal individuals were compared on mean total fixation duration, accuracy level and mean reaction time for mild NAPs, extreme NAPs and metric properties of images. 2D images of cylinders were adapted and made into forced choice match-to-sample tasks. Tobii TX300 Eye Tracker was used to record total fixation duration and data obtained from the Areas of Interest (AOI). Variable trial duration (total reaction time of each participant) and fixed trail duration (data taken at each second from one to fifteen seconds) data were used for analyses. Both groups did not differ in terms of fixation times (fixed as well as variable) across any of the three image manipulations but differed in terms of reaction time and accuracy. Normal individuals had longer reaction time compared to individuals with intellectual disability across all types of images. Both the groups differed significantly on accuracy measure across all image types. Normal individuals performed better across all three types of images. Mild NAPs vs. Metric differences: There was significant difference between mild NAPs and metric properties of images in terms of reaction times. Mild NAPs images had significantly longer reaction time compared to metric for normal individuals but this difference was not found for individuals with intellectual disability. Mild NAPs images had significantly better accuracy level compared to metric for both the groups. In conclusion, type of image manipulations did not result in differences in attention allocation for individuals with and without intellectual disability. Mild Nonaccidental properties facilitate better accuracy level compared to metric in both the groups but this advantage is seen only for normal group in terms of mean reaction time.

Keywords: eye gaze fixations, eye movements, intellectual disability, stimulus properties

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Authors: Hana Drštičková

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The paper describes the findings of a qualitative, engaged research focused on the intersection between transgender and autistic identity in a politically engaged setting of activist (trans, queer, crip, disability justice or any combination thereof) groups. It explores the relationship that autistic and trans people have towards activism and how do they feel their identity(ies) impact the kind of political action they take. Geographically, the research terrain is located mainly in Czechia; however, there are important overlaps with other Eastern European countries. The basis of the research’s approach is built on the interconnected principles of the feminist theory of intersectionality, queer/trans studies, disability studies and the concept of the Neurodiversity Paradigm. This paper argues that the social phenomenon of autism and transness is formed differently in Czechia/Eastern Europe and, therefore, deserves additional attention. Nevertheless, it points out that, even though the socio-political context is different, the fact that these identities have a radical political potential to disrupt normative structures in society remains the same. The measure of oppression these structures generate, and the near absence of any public discourse beyond the pathological paradigm in the chosen terrain contributes to the emergence of mainly queer and trans-activist, and to a lesser extent crip, disability justice or mad activist groups, that attract trans and autistic membership. The subsections of the research focus on the topics of the mutual influence of both identities in flux within individual participants, the perceived (dis)connection of networks of oppression or, conversely, support and identification with the community or communities, and the question of how the trans* and autistic members feel their presence affects the activity, internal dynamics, thematic scope and general values of the activist groups they participate in. The research methodology includes participant observation and active participation in groups where the researcher acts as a partial insider, semi-structured in-depth interviews and a critical participatory methodology. Also included is the reflection of not only the combination of researcher and insider roles but also the combination of research and activist intent.

Keywords: activism, autism, queer, neurodiversity, neuroqueer, transgender

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Authors: Zineb Emrane

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This abstract addresses the issue of radicalization of young people in a context with background of radicalization, in North of Morocco, 5 terrorist of Madrid's Attacts on 11th March, were coming from this context. It were developed a study pilot that describing young people perception about the main causes that lead and motivate for radicalization. Whenever we talk about this topic, we obtain information from studies and investigations by specialists in field, but we don’t give voice to the protagonists who in many cases are victims, specifically, young people at social risk because of social factors. Extremist radicalization is an expanding phenomenon, that affect young people, in north of Morocco. They live in a context with radical background and at risk of social exclusion, their social, economic and familiar needs make them vulnerable. The extremist groups take advantage of this vulnerability to involve them in a process of radicalization, offering them an alternative environment where they can found all they are looking for. This study pilot approaches the main causes that lead and motivates young people to become radicals, analyzing their context with emphasis on influencing factors, and bearing in mind the analysis of young people about how the radical background affect them and their opinion this phenomenon. The pilot study was carried out through the following actions: - Group dynamics with young people to analyze the process of violent radicalization of young people. -A participatory workshop with members of organizations that work directly with young people at risk of radicalization. -Interviews with institutional managers -Participant observation. The implementation of actions has led to the conclusion that young people define violent radicalization as a sequential process, depending on the stage, it can be deconstructed. Young people recognize that they stop feeling belonging to their family, school and neighborhood when they see behavior contrary to what they consider good and evil. The emotional rupture and the search for references outside their circle, push them to sympathize with groups that have an extremist ideology and that offer them what they need. The radicalization is a process with different stages, the main causes and the factors which lead young people to use extremist violence are related their low level of belonging feeling to their context, and lack of critical thinking about important issues. The young people are in a vulnerable stage, searching their identity, a space in which they can be accepted, and when they don't find it they are easily manipulated and susceptible to being attracted by extremist groups.

Keywords: exclusion, radicalization, vulnerability, youth

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Authors: Karolína Augustovaá

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Turkey’s eastern borders have been at the center of criticism by the European Commission who condemns restrictions against Kurdish civilians as the result of Turkey’s military operations against terrorist organizations (namely PKK). Yet, the Commission has launched economic and political support for numerous military projects along the Iran-Turkey border to fight cross-border crime (namely “illegal” migration) along its external borders. Whilst border externalization has been extensively examined in the EU’s wide neighborhood, its analysis from the ground in conflict zones is emerging. The existing analysis also rarely considers the impact of external border management beyond international migration - on the local context and its people. However, tough externalization policies at borders, where local wars are fought, are fundamental to scrutinize as they invite us to question the effects of EU’s migration management on diverse communities navigating their life along external borders. To fill this research lacunae, this article examines intersections between the local military operations and international (EU-Turkey) migration management at the Turkey’s border with Iran and questions their impact on the everyday struggles of people living at and migrating across the border. To do so, it applies critical feminist and military literature to border studies. Methodologically, the article draws upon ethnographic research in Van (Eastern Turkey), using participant observations and interviews with sixty participants. This article argues that the EU’s externalization policies add to the violence generated by the local militarized conflict and eventually (re-)produce it in the forms of push-backs and physical violence against people who daily cross the border irregularly for their physical/economic survival. By doing so, I suggest that (inter)national fears of terrorism and migration inter-sect, materialize and affect everyday sites of diverse racialized groups living at and moving across external borders, such as international migrants (Afghans) and the local residents (Kurds) at the Turkey-Iran border. This article highlights the need to analyze the local border context in tandem with international migration management in the EU’s wider neighborhood to understand how conflict and violence evolves there.

Keywords: european union border externalization, eastern turkey, migration, conflict, kurdish question

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Authors: Li (Claudia) Chen

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With the rapid development of the global economy, the growing prevalence of customer health consciousness has arisen over the last decade. Consumers are considered more healthy lifestyles and wellness routines in their daily life, and likewise, they are inclined to invest disposable incomes in enhancing their health and wellness, beauty, and social identity. Nowadays, visiting spas has become a popular activity; particularly, millennials are increasingly prone to visiting spas. It has now become one of the major places for relaxation, rejuvenation, revitalization, and enjoyment by providing various types of spa services such as hotel and resort spas, destination spas, mineral, and thermal spring spas, medical spas, and so forth. The hotel and resort spa has been becoming increasingly popular among other spas, which is the largest number of spas and revenue over the last five years, and has now surpassed day/salon spas as the industry revenue leader. In the hotel and resort spa industry, sensory experience plays a vital role in the customer journey, and it encompasses all aspects of the sense that can affect the overall experience. Consumers use senses-sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste to gather the information that contributes to the establishment of an experience, and all senses interacting together form the foundation of sensory experiences. Sensory marketing as a marketing strategy engages consumers' senses and affects their behaviour, yet consumers are often unaware of the way senses interact with their day-to-day experiences. Indeed, it is important to understand consumer sensory experience in terms of how it influences consumer consumption behaviour. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the sensory experiences of consumers and the ways that sensory experiences shape consumer behaviour in the hotel and resort spa industry. This paper consists of in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant-observation methods to collect data from different stakeholders. The findings reveal that multisensory experiences play vital roles in consumer spa experiences and are highly influential in consumer perception, cognition, and behaviour. Moreover, the findings also demonstrate that sensory stimuli bring positive or negative effects on consumer experience in the hotel spa industry. Ultimately, the findings also offer additional insight to managers on sensory marketing strategy to stimulate brand experience that can establish customer loyalty.

Keywords: sensory marketing, senses, consumer behaviour, multi-sensory marketing, hotel and resorts spa industry, qualitative research

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Authors: Petros Dlamini, Bethiweli Malambo, Maggie Masenya

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Knowledge management practices are very important in public libraries, especial in the era of the information society. The success of public libraries depends on the recognition and application of knowledge management practices. The study investigates the value and challenges of knowledge management practices in public libraries. Three research objectives informed the study: to identify knowledge management practices in public libraries, understand the value of knowledge management practices in public libraries, and determine the factors hampering knowledge management practices in public libraries. The study was informed by the interpretivism research paradigm, which is associated with qualitative studies. In that light, the study collected data from eight librarians and or library heads, who were purposively selected from public libraries. The study adopted a social anthropological approach, which thoroughly evaluated each participant's response. Data was collected from the respondents through telephonic semi-structured interviews and assessed accordingly. Furthermore, the study used the latest content concept for data interpretation. The chosen data analysis method allowed the study to achieve its main purpose with concrete and valid information. The study's findings showed that all six (100%) selected public libraries apply knowledge management practices. The findings of the study revealed that public libraries have knowledge sharing as the main knowledge management practice. It was noted that public libraries employ many practices, but each library employed its practices of choice depending on their knowledge management practices structure. The findings further showed that knowledge management practices in public libraries are employed through meetings, training, information sessions, and awareness, to mention a few. The findings revealed that knowledge management practices make the libraries usable. Furthermore, it has been asserted that knowledge management practices in public libraries meet users’ needs and expectations and equip them with skills. It was discovered that all participating public libraries from Umkhanyakude district municipality valued their knowledge management practices as the pillar and foundation of services. Noticeably, knowledge management practices improve users ‘standard of living and build an information society. The findings of the study showed that librarians should be responsible for the value of knowledge management practices as they are qualified personnel. The results also showed that 83.35% of public libraries had factors hampering knowledge management practices. The factors are not limited to shortage of funds, resources and space, and political interference. Several suggestions were made to improve knowledge management practices in public libraries. These suggestions include improving the library budget, increasing libraries’ building sizes, and conducting more staff training.

Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge management practices, storage, dissemination

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Authors: Lindsey Carruthers, Alexandra Willis, Rory MacLean

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Introduction: It has been proposed that distractibility, a key diagnostic criterion of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), may be associated with higher creativity levels in some individuals. Anecdotal and empirical evidence has shown that ADHD is therefore beneficial to creative problem-solving, and the generation of new ideas and products. Previous studies have only used one or two measures of attention, which is insufficient given that it is a complex cognitive process. The current study aimed to determine in which ways performance on creative problem-solving tasks and a range of attention tests may be related, and if performance differs between adults with and without ADHD. Methods: 150 adults, 47 males and 103 females (mean age=28.81 years, S.D.=12.05 years), were tested at Edinburgh Napier University. Of this set, 50 participants had ADHD, and 100 did not, forming the control group. Each participant completed seven attention tasks, assessing focussed, sustained, selective, and divided attention. Creative problem-solving was measured using divergent thinking tasks, which require multiple original solutions for one given problem. Two types of divergent thinking task were used: verbal (requires written responses) and figural (requires drawn responses). Each task is scored for idea originality, with higher scores indicating more creative responses. Correlational analyses were used to explore relationships between attention and creative problem-solving, and t-tests were used to study the between group differences. Results: The control group scored higher on originality for figural divergent thinking (t(148)= 3.187, p< .01), whereas the ADHD group had more original ideas for the verbal divergent thinking task (t(148)= -2.490, p < .05). Within the control group, figural divergent thinking scores were significantly related to both selective (r= -.295 to -.285, p < .01) and divided attention (r= .206 to .290, p < .05). Alternatively, within the ADHD group, both selective (r= -.390 to -.356, p < .05) and divided (r= .328 to .347, p < .05) attention are related to verbal divergent thinking. Conclusions: Selective and divided attention are both related to divergent thinking, however the performance patterns are different between each group, which may point to cognitive variance in the processing of these problems and how they are managed. The creative differences previously found between those with and without ADHD may be dependent on task type, which to the author’s knowledge, has not been distinguished previously. It appears that ADHD does not specifically lead to higher creativity, but may provide explanation for creative differences when compared to those without the disorder.

Keywords: ADHD, attention, creativity, problem-solving

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Authors: Rahul Bishnoi

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Theatre, as Ann Ubersfld calls it, is a paradox. At once, it is both a literary work and a physical representation. Theatre as a text is eternal, reproducible, and identical while as a performance, theatre is momentary and never identical to the previous performances. In this dual existence of theatre, who is the author? Is the author the playwright who writes the dramatic text, or the director who orchestrates the performance, or the actor who embodies the text? From the poststructuralist lens of Barthes, the author is dead. Barthes’ argument of discrete temporality, i.e. the author is the before, and the text is the after, does not hold true for theatre. A published literary work is written, edited, printed, distributed and then gets consumed by the reader. On the other hand, theatrical production is immediate; an actor performs and the audience witnesses it instantaneously. Time, so to speak, does not separate the author, the text, and the reader anymore. The question of authorship gets further complicated in Augusto Boal’s “Theatre of the Oppressed” movement where the audience is a direct participant like the actors in the performance. In this research, through an experimental performance, the duality of theatre is explored with the authorship discourse. And the conventional definition of authorship is subjected to additional complexity by erasing the distinction between an actor and the audience. The design/methodology of the experimental performance is as follows: The audience will be asked to produce a text under an anonymous virtual alias. The text, as it is being produced, will be read and performed by the actor. The audience who are also collectively “authoring” the text, will watch this performance and write further until everyone has contributed with one input each. The cycle of writing, reading, performing, witnessing, and writing will continue until the end. The intention is to create a dynamic system of writing/reading with the embodiment of the text through the actor. The actor is giving up the power to the audience to write the spoken word, stage instruction and direction while still keeping the agency of interpreting that input and performing in the chosen manner. This rapid conversation between the actor and the audience also creates a conversion of authorship. The main conclusion of this study is a perspective on the nature of dynamic authorship of theatre containing a critical enquiry of the collaboratively produced text, an individually performed act, and a collectively witnessed event. Using practice as a methodology, this paper contests the poststructuralist notion of the author as merely a ‘scriptor’ and breaks it further by involving the audience in the authorship as well.

Keywords: practice based research, performance studies, post-humanism, Avant-garde art, theatre

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Authors: Cui Li, Xu Yuping

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Based on the question of, "Are short video creators who are digital workers controlled by platform rules?" this study discusses the specific ways of platform rules control and the impact on short video creators. Based on the theory of digital labor, this paper adopts the method of in-depth interview and participant observation and chooses 24 producers of short video content of Tiktok to conduct in-depth interview. At the same time, through entering the short video creation field, the author carries on the four-month field investigation, obtains the creation process related data, and analyzes how the short video creator, as the digital labor, is controlled by the platform rule, as well as the creator in this process of compromise and resistance, a more comprehensive presentation of the short video creators of the labor process. It is found that the short video creators are controlled by the platform rules, mainly in the control of traffic rules, and the creators create content, compromise and resist under the guidance of traffic. First, while the platform seems to offer a flexible and autonomous way for creators to monetize, the threshold for participating in the event is actually very high for creators, and the rules for monetizing the event are vague. Under the influence of the flow rule, the creator is faced unstable incomes and high costs. Therefore, creators have to follow the rules of traffic to guide their own creation, began to flow-oriented content production, mainly reflected in the need to keep up-to-date, the pursuit of traffic to ride on the hot spots, in order to flow regardless, set up people "Born for the show", by the label solidified content creation. Secondly, the irregular working hours lead to the extension and overwork of the working hours, which leads to the internal friction of the short video creators at the spiritual level, and finally leads to the Rat Race of video creation. Thirdly, the video creator has completed the internalization and compromise of the platform rules in practice, which promotes the creator to continue to create independently, and forms the intrinsic motive force of the creator. Finally, the rule-controlled short video creators resist and fight in flexible ways, make use of the mechanism and rules of the platform to carry on the second creation, carry on the routine production, purchase the false flow, transfer the creation position to maintain own creation autonomy.

Keywords: short videos, tiktok, production, digital labors

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Authors: P. Pérez-Martín, G. Pedrós, P. Martínez-Jiménez, M. Varo-Martínez

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In recent decades, family habits related to children’s displacements to school have changed, increasing motorized travels against active modes. This entails a major negative impact on the urban environment, road safety in cities and the physical and psychological development of children. One of the more common actions used to reverse this trend is Walking School Bus (WSB), which consists of a predefined adult-scorted pedestrian route to school with several stops along the path where schoolchildren are collected. At Tirso de Molina School in Cordoba (Spain), a new ICT-based methodology to deploy WSB has been tested. A mobile app that allows the geoposition of the group, the notification of the arrival and real-time communication between the WSB participants have been presented to the families in order to organize and register the daily participation. After an initial survey to know the travel mode and the spatial distribution of the interested families, three WSB routes have been established and the families have been trained in the app usage. During nine weeks, 33 children have joined the WSB and their parents have accompanied the groups in turns. A high recurrence in the attendance has been registered. Through a final survey, participants have valued highly the tool and the methodology designed, emphasizing as most useful features of the mobile app: notifications system, chat and real-time monitoring. It has also been found that the tool has had a major impact on the degree of confidence of parents regarding the autonomous on foot displacement of their children to school. Moreover, 37,9% of the participant families have reported a total or partial modal shift from car to walking, and the benefits more reported are an increment of the parents available time and less problems in the travel to school daily organization. As a consequence, It has been proved the effectiveness of this user-centric innovative ICT-based methodology to reduce the levels of private car drop offs, minimize barriers of time constraints, volunteer recruitment, and parents’ safety concerns, while, at the same time, increase convenience and time savings for families. This pilot study can offer guidance for community coordinated actions and local authority interventions to support sustainable school travel outcomes.

Keywords: active travel, mobile app, sustainable mobility, urban transportation planning, walking school bus

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Authors: Anila Naz, Arusa Lakhani, Kiran Mubeen, Yasmeen Amarsi

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Pakistan's neonatal mortality rate has the highest proportion in the South Asian region and it is higher in the rural areas as compared to the urban areas. Poor resuscitation techniques and lack of basic newborn resuscitation skills in birth attendants, are contributing factors towards neonatal deaths. Based on the significant outcomes of the Helping Baby Breath (HBB) training, a similar training was implemented for Community Midwives (CMWs) in a low resource setting in Gujrat, Pakistan, to improve their knowledge and skills. The training evaluation was conducted and participant feedback was obtained through both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings of the quantitative assessment of the training evaluation will be published elsewhere. This paper presents the qualitative evaluation of the training. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the perceptions of HBB trained CMWs about the effectiveness of the HBB training, and the challenges faced in the implementation of HBB skills for newborn resuscitation, at their work settings. The qualitative descriptive design was used in this study. The purposive sampling technique was chosen to recruit midwives and key informants as participants of the training. Interviews were conducted by using a semi-structured interview guide. The study included a total of five interviews: two focus group interviews for CMWs (10 in each group), and three individual interviews of key informants. The content analysis of the qualitative data yielded three themes: the effectiveness of training, challenges, and suggestions. The findings revealed that the HBB training was effective for the CMWs in terms of its usability, regarding improvement in newborn resuscitation knowledge and skills. Moreover, it enhanced confidence and satisfaction in CMWs. However, less volume of patients was a challenge for a few CMWs with regards to practicing their skills. Due to the inadequate number of patients and less opportunities of practice for several CMWs, they required such trainings frequently, in order to maintain their competency. The CMWs also recommended that HBB training should be part of the Midwifery program curriculum. Moreover, similar trainings were also recommended for other healthcare providers working in low resource settings, including doctors and nurses.

Keywords: neonatal resuscitation technique, helping baby breathe, community midwives, training evaluation

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Authors: Guler Duru Asiret, Cemile Kutmec Yilmaz, Gulcan Bagcivan, Tugce Turten Kaymaz

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This descriptive study was conducted to determine the relationship between caregiver burden and life satisfaction who give home care to elderly individuals. The sample was recruited from the internal medicine unit and palliative unit of a state hospital located in Turkey on June 2016-2017. The study sample consisted of 231 primary caregiver family member, who met the eligibility criteria and agreed to participate in the study. The inclusion criteria were as follows: inpatient’s caregiver, primary caregiver for at least 3 months, at least 18 years of age, no communication problem or mental disorder. Data were gathered using an Information Form prepared by the researchers based on previous literature, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software version 20.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). The descriptive characteristics of the participant were analyzed using number, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The suitability of normal distribution of scale scores was analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk test. Relationships between scales were analyzed using Spearman’s rank-correlation coefficient. P values less than 0.05 were considered to be significant. The average age of the caregivers was 50.11±13.46 (mean±SD) years. Of the caregivers, 76.2% were women, 45% were primary school graduates, 89.2% were married, 38.1% were the daughters of their patients. Among these, 52.4% evaluated their income level to be good. Of them, 53.6% had been giving care less than 2 years. The patients’ average age was 77.1±8.0 years. Of the patients, 55.8% were women, 56.3% were illeterate, 70.6% were married, and 97.4% had at least one chronic disease. The mean Zarit Burden Interview score was 35.4±1.5 and the Satisfaction with Life Scale score was 20.6±6.8. A negative relationship was found between the patients’ score average on the ZBI, and on the SWLS (r= -0.438, p=0.000). The present study determined that the caregivers have a moderate caregiver burden and the life satisfaction. And the life satisfaction of caregivers decreased as their caregiver burden increase. In line with the results obtained from the research, it is recommended that to increase the effectiveness of discharge training, to arrange training and counseling programs for caregivers to cope with the problems they experienced, to monitor the caregivers at regular intervals and to provide necessary institutional support.

Keywords: caregiver burden, family caregivers, nurses, satisfaction

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Authors: Nada Basset

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Purpose: To examine the nature of the civil service sector as an employer through identifying the likely ways to develop employees’ commitment towards change in the civil service sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: a qualitative research approach was followed. Data was collected via a triangulation of interviews, non-participant observation and archival documents analysis. Non-probability sampling took place with a case-study method applied on a sample of 33 civil servants working in the Egyptian Ministry of State for Administrative Development (MSAD) which is the civil service entity acting as the change agent responsible for managing the government administrative reforms plan in the civil service sector. All study participants were actually working in one of the change projects/programmes and had a minimum of 12 months of service in the civil service. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed in the form of MS-Word documents, and data transcripts were analyzed manually using MS-Excel worksheets and main research themes were developed and statistics drawn using those Excel worksheets. Findings: The results demonstrate that developing the civil servant’s commitment towards change may require a number of suggested solutions like (1) employee involvement and participation in the planning and implementation processes, (2) linking the employee support to change to some tangible rewards and incentives, (3) appointing some inspirational change leaders that should act as role models, and (4) as a last resort, enforcing employee’s commitment towards change by coercion and authoritarianism. Practical Implications: it is clear that civil servants’ lack of organizational commitment is not directly related to their level of commitment towards change. The research findings showed that civil servants’ commitment towards change can be raised and promoted by getting them involved in the planning and implementation processes, as this develops some sense of belongingness and ownership, thus there is a fair chance that low organizationally committed civil servants can develop high commitment towards change; given they are provided a favorable environment where they are invited to participate and get involved into the move of change. Originality/Value: the research addresses a relatively new area of ‘developing organizational commitment in modern bureaucracies’ by virtue of investigating the levels of civil servants’ commitment towards their jobs and/or organizations -on one hand- and suggesting different ways of developing their commitment towards administrative reform and change initiatives in the Egyptian civil service sector.

Keywords: change, commitment, Egypt, bureaucracy

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Authors: Nalan Hakime Nogay

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Childhood obesity is a significant health issue that is currently on the rise all over the world. In recent years, the relationship between childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease risk has been pointed out. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between some of the anthropometric indicators and blood lipid levels in adolescents. The present study has been conducted on a total of 252 adolescents -200 girls and 52 boys- within an age group of 12 to 18 years. Blood was drawn from each participant in the morning -after having fasted for 10 hours from the day before- to analyze their total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels. Their body weight, height, waist circumference, subscapular skinfold thicknesses and triceps skinfold thicknesses measurements were taken and their individual waist/height ratios, BMI and body fat ratios were calculated. The blood lipid levels of the participants were categorized as acceptable, borderline and high in accordance with the 2011 Expert Panel Integrated Guidelines. The body fat ratios, total blood cholesterol and HDL levels of the girls were significantly higher than the boys whereas their waist circumference values were lower. The triglyceride levels, total cholesterol/HDL, LDL/HDL, triglyceride/HDL ratios of the group with the BMI ≥ 95 percentile ratio (the obese group) were higher than the groups that were considered to be overweight and normal weight as per their respective BMI values, while the HDL level of the obese group was lower; a fact that was found to be statistically significant. No significant relationship could be established, however, between the total blood cholesterol and LDL levels with their anthropometric measurements. The BMI, waist circumference, waist/height ratio, body fat ratio and triglyceride level of the group with the higher triglyceride level ( ≥ 130mg/dl) were found to be significantly higher compared to borderline (90-129 mg/dl) and the normal group (< 90 mg/dl). The BMI, waist circumference, waist/height ratio values of the group with the lower HDL level ( < 40 mg/dl) were significantly higher than the normal ( > 45 mg/dl) and borderline (40-45 mg/dl) groups. All of the anthropometric measurements of the group with the higher triglyceride/HDL ratio ( ≥ 3) were found to be significantly higher than that of the group with the lower ratio (< 3). Having a high BMI, waist/height ratio and waist circumference is related to low HDL and high blood triglyceride and triglyceride/HDL ratio. A high body fat ratio, on the other hand, is associated with a low HDL and high triglyceride/HDL ratio. Tackling childhood and adolescent obesity are important in terms of preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: adolescent, body fat, body mass index, lipid profile

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Authors: Ross Hawkes

Abstract:

The rise of hyperlocal journalism and its role in the wider local news ecosystem has been debated across both industry and academic circles, particularly via the lens of structures, models, and platforms. The nuances within this sphere are now allowing for the semi-professional journalist to emerge as a key component of the landscape at the fringes of journalism. By identifying and framing the labour of these individuals against a backdrop of change within the professional local newspaper publishing industry, it is possible to address wider debates around the ways in which participants enter and exist in the space between amateur and professional journalism. Considerations around prior experience and understanding allow us to better shape and nuance the hyperlocal landscape in order to understand the challenges and opportunities facing local news via this emergent form of semi-professional journalistic production. The disruption to local news posed by the changing nature of audiences, long-established methods of production, the rise of digital platforms, and increased competition in the online space has brought questions around the very nature and identity of local news, as well as the uncertain future and precarity which surrounds it. While the hyperlocal sector has long been associated as a potential future direction for local journalism through an alternative approach to reporting and as a mechanism for participants to pass between amateurism towards professionalism, there is now a semi-professional space being occupied in a different way. Those framed as semi-professional journalists are not necessarily transiting through this space at the fringes of the professional industry; instead, they are occupying and claiming the space as an entity within itself. By framing the semi-professional journalist through a lens of prior experience and knowledge of the sector, it is possible to identify how their motivations vary from the traditional metrics of financial gain, personal progression, or a sense of civic or community duty. While such factors may be by-products of their labour, the desire of such reporters to recreate and retain experiences and values from their past as a participant or consumer is the central basis of the framework to define the semi-professional journalist. Through understanding the motivations, aims and factors shaping the semi-professional journalist within the wider journalism and hyperlocal journalism debates and landscape, it will be possible to better frame the role they can play in sustaining the longer term provision of local news and addressing broader issues and factors within the sector.

Keywords: hyperlocal, journalism, local news, semi-professionalism

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