Search results for: electronic health questionnaire

Authors: Xinyuan Zou, Qihui Tang, Shujian Wang, Yulin Huang, Jie Gui, Xiangping Liu, Gang Liu, Yanqiang Tao

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Childhood trauma can have a long-lasting influence on individuals and contribute to mental disorders, including depression and anxiety. The current study aimed to explore the symptomatic and developmental patterns of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents who have suffered from childhood trauma. A total of 3,598 college students (female = 1,617 (44.94%), Mean Age = 19.68, SD Age = 1.35) in China completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and 2,337 participants met the selection standard based on the cut-off scores of the CTQ. The symptomatic network and directed acyclic graph (DAG) network approaches were used. The results revealed that males reported experiencing significantly more physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse compared to females. However, females scored significantly higher than males on all items of DASS-21, except for “Worthless”. No significant difference between the two genders was observed in the network structure and global strength. Meanwhile, among all participants, “Down-hearted” and “Agitated” appeared to be the most interconnected symptoms, the bridge symptoms in the symptom network, as well as the most vital symptoms in the DAG network. Apart from that, “No-relax” also served as the most prominent symptom in the DAG network. The results suggested that intervention targeted at assisting adolescents in developing more adaptive coping strategies with stress and regulating emotion could benefit the alleviation of comorbid depression, anxiety, and stress.

Keywords: symptom network, childhood trauma, depression, anxiety, stress

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Authors: Michele L. Tilstra, Tiffany J. Peets

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Interprofessional collaboration in behavioral healthcare education is increasingly recognized for its value in training students to address diverse client needs. While interprofessional education (IPE) is well-documented in occupational therapy education to address physical health, limited research exists on collaboration with counselors to address mental health concerns and the psychosocial needs of individuals receiving care. Counseling education literature primarily examines the collaboration of counseling students with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists. This pretest/posttest survey research study explored changes in attitudes toward interprofessional teams among 56 Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) (n = 42) and Counseling and Human Development (CHD) (n = 14) students participating in the Counselors and Occupational Therapists Professionally Engaged in the Community (COPE) program. The COPE program was designed to strengthen the behavioral health workforce in high-need and high-demand areas. Students accepted into the COPE program were divided into small MOT/CHD groups to complete multiple interprofessional multicultural learning modules using videos, case studies, and online discussion board posts. The online modules encouraged reflection on various behavioral healthcare roles, benefits of team-based care, cultural humility, current mental health challenges, personal biases, power imbalances, and advocacy for underserved populations. Using the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education- Revision 2 (SPICE-R2) scale, students completed pretest and posttest surveys using a 5-point Likert scale (Strongly Agree = 5 to Strongly Disagree = 1) to evaluate their attitudes toward interprofessional teamwork and collaboration. The SPICE-R2 measured three different factors: interprofessional teamwork and team-based practice (Team), roles/responsibilities for collaborative practice (Roles), and patient outcomes from collaborative practice (Outcomes). The mean total scores for all students improved from 4.25 (pretest) to 4.43 (posttest), Team from 4.66 to 4.58, Roles from 3.88 to 4.30, and Outcomes from 4.08 to 4.36. A paired t-test analysis for the total mean scores resulted in a t-statistic of 2.54, which exceeded both one-tail and two-tail critical values, indicating statistical significance (p = .001). When the factors of the SPICE-R2 were analyzed separately, only the Roles (t Stat=4.08, p =.0001) and Outcomes (t Stat=3.13, p = .002) were statistically significant. The item ‘I understand the roles of other health professionals’ showed the most improvement from a mean score for all students of 3.76 (pretest) to 4.46 (posttest). The significant improvement in students' attitudes toward interprofessional teams suggests that the unique integration of OT and CHD students in the COPE program effectively develops a better understanding of the collaborative roles necessary for holistic client care. These results support the importance of IPE through structured, engaging interprofessional experiences. These experiences are essential for enhancing students' readiness for collaborative practice and align with accreditation standards requiring interprofessional education in OT and CHD programs to prepare practitioners for team-based care. The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the integration of IPE in behavioral healthcare curricula to improve holistic client care and encourage students to engage in collaborative practice across healthcare settings.

Keywords: behavioral healthcare, counseling education, interprofessional education, mental health education, occupational therapy education

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Authors: H. Scholz, P. Kuehne, G. Heckenberger

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Problems during the calving period (December until May) often are results in a high body condition score (BCS) at this time. At the end of the grazing period (frequently after early weaning), however, an increase of BCS can often be observed under German conditions. In the last eight weeks before calving, the body condition should be reduced or at least not increased. Rations with a higher amount of crude fiber can be used (rations with straw or late mowed grass silage). Fermentative digestion of fiber is slow and incomplete; that’s why the fermentative process in the rumen can be reduced over a long feeding time. Viewed in this context, feed intake of suckler cows (8 weeks before calving) in different rations and fermentation in the rumen should be checked by taking rumen fluid. Eight suckler cows (Charolais) were feeding a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) in the last eight weeks before calving and grass silage after calving. By the addition of straw (30 % [TMR1] vs. 60 % [TMR2] of dry matter) was varied the amount of crude fiber in the TMR (grass silage, straw, mineral) before calving. After calving of the cow's grass, silage [GS] was fed ad libitum, and the last measurement of rumen fluid took place on the pasture [PS]. Rumen fluid, plasma, body weight, and backfat thickness were collected. Rumen fluid pH was assessed using an electronic pH meter. Volatile fatty acids (VFA), sedimentation, methylene-blue, and amount of infusorians were measured. From these 4 parameters, an “index of rumen fermentation” [IRF] in the rumen was formed. Fixed effects of treatment (TMR1, TMR2, GS, and PS) and a number of lactations (3-7 lactations) were analyzed by ANOVA using SPSS Version 25.0 (significant by p ≤ 5 %). Rumen fluid pH was significantly influenced by variants (TMR 1 by 6.6; TMR 2 by 6.9; GS by 6.6 and PS by 6.9) but was not affected by other effects. The IRF showed disturbed fermentation in the rumen by feeding the TMR 1+2 with a high amount of crude fiber (Score: > 10.0 points) and a very good environment for fermentation during grazing the pasture (Score: 6.9 points). Furthermore, significant differences were found for VFA, methylene blue, and the number of infusorians. The use of rations with a high amount of crude fiber from weaning to calving may cause deviations from undisturbed fermentation in the rumen and adversely affect the utilization of the feed in the rumen.

Keywords: rumen fermentation, suckler cow, digestibility organic matter, crude fiber

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Authors: My Ha, Suwei Lin, Huiying Zou

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This study aimed at investigating the association between teacher support and academic resilience in a developing country. Using the data from PISA 2018 Student Questionnaire and Cognitive Tests, the study provided evidence of the significant impact teacher support had on reading literacy among 15-year-old students from low socio-economic status (SES) homes in Vietnam. From a total of 5773 Vietnamese participants from all backgrounds, a sample of 1765 disadvantaged students was drawn for analysis. As a result, 32 percent of the low SES sample was identified as resilient. Through their response to the PISA items regarding the frequency of support they received from teachers, the result of Latent Class Analysis (LCA) divides children into three subgroups: High Support (74.6%), Fair Support (21.6%), and Low Support (3.8%). The high support group reported the highest proportion of resilient students. Meanwhile, the low support group scored the lowest mean on reading test and had the lowest rate of resilience. Also, as the level of support increases, reading achievement becomes less dependent on socioeconomic status, reflected by the decrease in both the slope and magnitude of their correlation. Logistic regression revealed that 1 unit increase in standardized teacher support would lead to an increase of 29.1 percent in the odds of a student becoming resilient. The study emphasizes the role of supportive teachers in promoting resilience, as well as lowering educational inequity in general.

Keywords: academic resilience, disadvantaged students, teacher support, inequity, PISA

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Authors: Anjana Aggarwal, Sheilja Walia

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Prevalence of obesity and overweight is increasing due to sedentary lifestyles and busy schedules of people that spend less time on physical exercise. To reduce weight, people are finding easier and more convenient ways. The easiest solution is the use of dietary supplements and fat burners. These are products that decrease body weight by increasing the basal metabolic rate. Various reports have been published on the consumption of fat burners leading to heart palpitations, seizures, anxiety, depression, psychosis, bradycardia, insomnia, muscle contractions, hepatotoxicity, and even liver failure. Case reports and series are reporting that the ingredients present in the fat burners caused acute liver failure (ALF) and hepatic toxicity in many cases. Another contributing factor is the absence of regulations from the Food and Drug Administration on these products, leading to increased consumption and a higher risk of liver diseases among the population. This systematic review aims to attain a better understanding of the dietary supplements used globally to reduce weight and document the case reports/series of acute liver failure caused by the consumption of fat burners. Electronic databases like PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar, etc., will be systematically searched for relevant articles. Various websites of dietary products and brands that sell such supplements, Journals of Hepatology, National and international projects launched for ALF, and their reports, along with the review of grey literature, will also be done to get a better understanding of the topic. After discussing with the co-author, the selection and screening of the articles will be performed by the author. The studies will be selected based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The case reports and case series that will be included in the final list of the studies will be assessed for methodological quality using the CARE guidelines. The results from this study will provide insights and a better understanding of fat burners. Since the supplements are easily available in the market without any restrictions on their sale, people are unaware of their adverse effects. The consumption of these supplements causes acute liver failure. Thus, this review will provide a platform for future larger studies to be conducted.

Keywords: acute liver failure, dietary supplements, fat burners, weight loss supplements

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Authors: Pavitra Sharma, Anuradha Singh, Nupur Mathur

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There exist more than 100 trillion bacteria in the digestive system of human-beings. Such bacteria are referred to as gut microbiota. Gut microbiota comprises around 75% of our immune system. The bacteria that comprise the gut microbiota are unique to every individual and their composition keeps changing with time owing to factors such as the host’s age, diet, genes, environment, and external medication. Of these factors, the variable easiest to control is one’s diet. By modulating one’s diet, one can ensure an optimal composition of the gut microbiota yielding several health benefits. Prebiotics and probiotics are two compounds that have been considered as viable options to modulate the host’s diet. Prebiotics are basically plant products that support the growth of good bacteria in the host’s gut. Examples include garden asparagus, aloe vera etc. Probiotics are living microorganisms that exist in our intestines and play an integral role in promoting digestive health and supporting our immune system in general. Examples include yogurt, kimchi, kombucha etc. In the context of modulating the host’s diet, the key attribute of prebiotics is that they support the growth of probiotics. By developing the right combination of prebiotics and probiotics, food products or supplements can be created to enhance the host’s health. An effective combination of prebiotics and probiotics that yields health benefits to the host is referred to as synbiotics. Synbiotics comprise of an optimal proportion of prebiotics and probiotics, their application benefits the host’s health more than the application of prebiotics and probiotics used in isolation. When applied to food supplements, synbiotics preserve the beneficial probiotic bacteria during storage period and during the bacteria’s passage through the intestinal tract. When applied to the gastrointestinal tract, the composition of the synbiotics assumes paramount importance. Reason being that for synbiotics to be effective in the gastrointestinal tract, the chosen probiotic must be able to survive in the stomach’s acidic environment and manifest tolerance towards bile and pancreatic secretions. Further, not every prebiotic stimulates the growth of a particular probiotic. The prebiotic chosen should be one that not only maintains 2 balance in the host’s digestive system, but also provides the required nutrition to probiotics. Hence in each application of synbiotics, the prebiotic-probiotic combination needs to be carefully selected. Once the combination is finalized, the exact proportion of prebiotics and probiotics to be used needs to be considered. When determining this proportion, only that amount of a prebiotic should be used that activates metabolism of the required number of probiotics. It was observed that while probiotics are active is both the small and large intestine, the effect of prebiotics is observed primarily in the large intestine. Hence in the host’s small intestine, synbiotics are likely to have the maximum efficacy. In small intestine, prebiotics not only assist in the growth of probiotics, but they also enable probiotics to exhibit a higher tolerance to pH levels, oxygenation, and intestinal temperature

Keywords: microbiota, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics

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Authors: Karolina Pietras, Joanna Fryt, Aleksandra Gronostaj, Tomasz Smolen

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Young women and men differ from their parents in preferred values. Those differences enable their adaptability to a new socio-cultural context and help with fulfilling developmental tasks specific to young adulthood. At the same time core values, with special importance to family members, are transmitted within families. Intergenerational similarities in values may thus be both an effect of value transmission within a family and a consequence of sharing the same socio-cultural context. These processes are difficult to separate. In our study we assessed similarities and differences in values within four intergenerational family dyads (mothers-daughters, fathers-daughters, mothers-sons, fathers-sons). Sixty Polish young adults (30 women and 30 men aged 19-25) along with their parents (a total of 180 participants) completed the Schwartz’ Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ-21). To determine which values may be transmitted within families, we used a correlation analysis and pseudo dyad analysis that allows for the estimation of a baseline likeness between all tested subjects and consequently makes it possible to determine if similarities between actual family members are greater than chance. We also assessed whether different strategies of measuring similarity between family members render different results, and checked whether resemblances in family dyads are influenced by child’s and parent’s gender. Reported similarities were interpreted in light of the evolutionary and the value salience perspective.

Keywords: intergenerational differences in values, gender differences, pseudo dyad analysis, transmission of values

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Authors: Ramya Rachel S.

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For women in a developing country like India, poverty is an ever-clinging problem which has rooted itself without any trace of absolute abolition. Poverty is a deprivation of many imminent needs and must be measured accordingly. Therefore, it is important to study the dimensions of education, health, and standard of living to understand the true nature of the impoverished. The study focused on studying the deprivation on these aspects using the Alkire-Foster methodology to estimate the Multidimensional Poverty Index. The study has utilized the individual data of women aged 15 to 49 of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) for the year 2015-16. Findings reveal that women in India still face extreme levels of deprivation in various dimensions. More than one-third of the total women aged 15 to 24 in India were multidimensionally poor. Dimensional breakdown of the levels of multidimensional poverty indicates that the dimension of Education is the highest contributor to poverty. Decomposition of the multidimensional poverty among various demographic sub-groups, reveals that the multidimensional poverty level increases with age. Results point out that deprivations were higher among widowed and married women, and among women who lived alone. There was also a huge rural-urban divide with respect to poverty. The basic needs of these women must be targeted and met so that they are withdrawn from all forms of poverty.

Keywords: deprivations, multidimensional poverty, sub-group decomposition, women

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Authors: Jeremiah Madzimure

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In order to stay competitive in business and improve performance, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) need to make use of business networking and logistics integration. Strategic networking and logistics integration in business companies have become critical as they allow supplier partnering, exchange of vital information/ access to valuable resources allowing innovation, gaining access to additional resources, sharing risks and costs which is required for enhancing company performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of strategic networks and logistics integration on company performance: the case of small and medium enterprises in South Africa. A quantitative research design was adopted in this study, and 137 SMEs owners and managers completed and returned the survey questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted using the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS), version 24.0 to assess psychometric properties of the measurement scales. Path modelling techniques were used to test the proposed hypothesis. Three research hypotheses were postulated. The results indicate that strategic networks had a positive and significant influence on logistics integration and company performance. As well logistics integration had a strong positive and significant influence on company performance. This study provides a useful model for analysing the relationship between strategic networks and logistics integration on company performance. Moreover, the findings of the study provide useful insights into how SMEs should benefit from business networking and logistics integration so as to improve their performance. The implications of the study are discussed, and finally, limitations and recommendations are indicated.

Keywords: strategic networking, logistics integration, company performance, SMEs

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Authors: Aroona Hashmi

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Parental Involvement is a strategic key to both traditional and contemporary way of ‘face-to-face’ schooling, including public/private schools and home schooling. Present research is destined to find out whether this connection happens in Pakistani schools, a land which faces educational hurdles. This study aims to find out the parental involvement in schooling of female students and its impact on their achievement at elementary level. In this study quantitative research approach is used. Survey is conducted by utilizing reliable and valid instrument named as Parental Involvement Project Questionnaire (PIP). A stratified random sampling technique applied to select twenty schools in total from District Lahore. Schools were selected from public and private sectors. All selected schools were registered with Punjab Examination Commission (PEC), therefore standardized tests are conducted by PEC for class 8 every year in Punjab province, Pakistan. In total 1000 students and their 1000 parents constituted the sample. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 17. T-test and Regression was applied to independent samples to test the null hypotheses. The result of this study indicated that parents of female students showed more involvement as compared to parents of male students at elementary level. There was significant difference in the impact of parental involvement on achievement of female students and male students i.e. there was more impact of parental involvement found on achievement of female students as compared to male students.

Keywords: parental involvement, achievement, schooling, elementary level, PEC

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Authors: Nilam Bano, Uzma Iram

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Globally, the dilemma of undernutrition has become a notable concern for the researchers, academicians, and policymakers because of its severe consequences for many centuries. The nutritional deficiencies create hurdles for the people to achieve goals related to live a better lifestyle. Not only at micro level but also at the macro level, the consequences of undernutrition affect the economic progress of the country. The initial five years of a child’s life are considered critical for the physical growth and brain development. In this regard, children require special care and good quality food (nutrient intake) to fulfill their nutritional demand of the growing body. Having the sensitive stature and health, children specially under the age of 5 years are more vulnerable to the poor economic, housing, environmental and other social conditions. Beside confronting economic challenges and political upheavals, Pakistan is also going through from a rough patch in the context of social development. Majority of the children are facing serious health problems in the absence of required nutrition. The complexity of this issue is getting severe day by day and specially children are left behind with different type of immune problems and vitamins and mineral deficiencies. It is noted that children from the well-off background are less likely affected by the undernutrition. In order to underline this issue, the present study aims to highlight the existing nutritional inequalities among the children of under five years in Pakistan. Moreover, this study strives to decompose those factors that severely affect the existing nutritional inequality and standing in the queue to capture the consideration of concerned authorities. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-13 was employed to assess the relevant indicators of undernutrition such as stunting, wasting, underweight and associated socioeconomic factors. The objectives were executed through the utilization of the relevant empirical techniques. Concentration indices were constructed to measure the nutritional inequalities by utilizing three measures of undernutrition; stunting, wasting and underweight. In addition to it, the decomposition analysis following the logistic regression was made to unfold the determinants that severely affect the nutritional inequalities. The negative values of concentration indices illustrate that children from the marginalized background are affected by the undernutrition more than their counterparts who belong from rich households. Furthermore, the result of decomposition analysis indicates that child age, size of a child at birth, wealth index, household size, parents’ education, mother’s health and place of residence are the most contributing factors in the prevalence of existing nutritional inequalities. Considering the result of the study, it is suggested to the policymakers to design policies in a way so that the health sector of Pakistan can stimulate in a productive manner. Increasing the number of effective health awareness programs for mothers would create a notable difference. Moreover, the education of the parents must be concerned by the policymakers as it has a significant association with the present research in terms of eradicating the nutritional inequalities among children.

Keywords: concentration index, decomposition analysis, inequalities, undernutrition, Pakistan

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Authors: A. Myrzabekova, D. Nurmukhamed, K. Nurumov, A. Zhulbarissova

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It is widely believed that stress can affect teachers’ intention to change the workplace. While existing research primarily focuses on the intrinsic sources of stress stemming from the school climate, the current attempt analyzes educational policies as one of the determinants of teacher’s intention to leave schools. In this respect, Kazakhstan presents a unique case since the country endorsed several educational policies which directly impacted teaching and administrative practices within schools. Using Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018 (TALIS) data with the country specific questionnaire, we construct a statistical measure of stress caused by the implementation of educational policies and test its impact on teacher’s intention to leave through the logistic regression. In addition, we control for sociodemographic, professional, and students related covariates while considering the intrinsic dimension of stress stemming from the school climate. Overall, our results suggest that stress caused by the educational policies has a statistically significant positive effect on teachers’ intentions to transfer between schools. Both policy makers and educational scholars could find these results beneficial. For the former careful planning and addressing the negative effects of the educational policies is critical for the sustainability of the educational process. For the latter, accounting for exogenous sources of stress can lead to a more complete understanding of why teachers decide to change their schools.

Keywords: educational policies, Kazakhstani teachers, logistic regression factor analysis, sustainability education TALIS, teacher turnover intention, work stress

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Authors: Rose Chapman Rodriguez

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Problem: Evidence-based practice (EBP) attributes are significantly associated with EBP implementation science, which improves patient care outcomes. Nurses influence EBP, yet little is known of the specific EBP attributes of pediatric nurses in their clinical sub-specialties. Aim: This study aims to investigate the relationship between nursing academic degree, years of experience, and clinical specialty, with mean survey scores on EBP belief, organizational culture, and implementation scales across all levels of nursing in a Children’s Hospital. Methods: A convenience sample of nurses (n=185) participated in a descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study in May 2023. The electronic surveys comprised 11 demographic questions and nine survey items from the short-version EBP Beliefs Scale (Cronbach α = 0.81), Organizational Culture and Readiness Scale for System-wide Integration Scale (Cronbach α = 0.87), and EBP Implementation Scale (Cronbach α = 0.89). Findings: EBP belief scores were notably higher in nurses working in neonatology (m=4.33), critical care (m=4.47), and among nurse leaders (m=4.50). There was a statistically significant difference in EBP organizational culture among nurse leaders (m = 3.95, p=0.039) compared to clinical nurses (m = 3.34) and advanced practice nurses (m = 3.34). EBP implementation was favorable in neonatology (m=4.20), acute care (m=4.05), and nurse leaders (m=4.33). No significant difference or correlation was found in EBP belief, organizational culture, or implementation mean scores related to nurses' age, academic nursing degree, or years of experience in our cohort (EBP beliefs (r = -.06, p = .400), organizational readiness (r = .02, p = .770), and implementation scales (r = .01, p = .867). Conclusions: This study identified nurse’s EBP attributes in a Children’s Hospital using key variables studied in EBP social cognitive theory and learning theory. Magnet status, shared governance structure, specialty certification, and nurse leaders play a significant role in favorable EBP culture and implementation. Nurses’ unit level ‘group culture’ may vary depending on the EBP attributes and collaborative efforts of local teams. Opportunities for mentoring were identified, which may continue to enhance EBP implementation science across all nursing roles in our pediatric organization.

Keywords: evidence-based practice, peditrics, nursing roles, implementation

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Authors: D. Motlhanka, M. Mine, T. Bagaketse, T. Ngakane

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There is a plethora of evidence from numerous sources that highlights the triumph of naturally derived medicinal plant metabolites with antioxidant capability for repurposed therapeutics. As post-COVID-19 syndromes and non-communicable diseases are on the rise, there is an urgent need to come up with new therapeutic strategies to address the problem. Non-communicable diseases and Post COVID-19 syndromes are classified as socio-economic diseases and are ranked high among threats to health security due to the economic burden they pose to any government budget commitment. Research has shown a strong link between accumulation of free radicals and oxidative stress critical for pathogenesis of non-communicable diseases and COVID-19 syndromes. Botswana has embarked on a robust programme derived from ethno-pharmacognosy and drug repurposing to address these threats to health security. In the current approach, a number of medicinally active plant-derived polyphenolics are repurposed and combined into new medicinal tools to target diabetes, Hypertension, Prostate Cancer and oxidative stress induced Post COVID 19 syndromes such as “brain fog”. All four formulants demonstrated Free Radical scavenging capacities above 95% at 200µg/ml using the diphenylpicryalhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay and the total phenolic contents between 6899-15000GAE(g/L) using the folin-ciocalteau assay respectively. These repurposed medicinal tools offer new hope and potential in the fight against emerging health threats driven by hyper-inflammation and free radical-induced oxidative stress.

Keywords: drug repurposed plant polyphenolics, free radical damage, non-communicable diseases, post COVID 19 syndromes

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Authors: Adegboyega Adedolapo Ola

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Globally, a country’s maritime security has a significant impact on its national development because it serves as a major source of a commercial contact and food supply. However, the country has been faced with a number of problems, such as piracy, kidnapping, illegal bunkering and oil theft. As such, the study examined the contribution and the relationship between maritime security and Nigeria’s development, as well as the prospects and challenges of maritime security in Nigeria. The study utilized a questionnaire and focused group discussion/interview as instruments for data collection. The method of analysis employed in the study is descriptive. A total of Three Hundred and Ninety (390) respondents were randomly selected. The result of the study showed that maritime security contributes to national development in Nigeria by guaranteeing food security in Nigeria, creating employment opportunities as well as increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the economy. It was also found that maritime security is yet to provide sufficient support for national development in Nigeria. It is further established that it has prospects for development through the creation of employment opportunities, increase in foreign earnings, and fostering improved living standards for citizens. The study concluded that the high level of corruption, piracy and kidnapping, lack of political will by the government and the porosity of the Nigerian borders are serious obstacles, among others. In attempting to solve the problem of piracy and kidnapping in Nigerian maritime, to contribute to National development, it is primordial to address the cancer of corruption, poverty, and youth unemployment. In view of this, the study recommends: among other things, that the maritime industry should be well secured by removing its constraints/bottlenecks so as to enhance its contributions to national development.

Keywords: maritime security, national development, terrorism, piracy

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Authors: Tris Kee

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This research investigates social sustainability factors in transitional housing projects and their impact on fostering healthy living environments that promote physical activity and social interaction for residents. Social sustainability is integral to individual health and well-being, as emphasized by Goal 11 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which highlights the importance of safe, affordable, and accessible transport systems, green spaces, and public spaces catering to vulnerable populations' needs. Communal spaces in urban environments are essential for fostering social sustainability, as they serve as settings for physical activities and social interactions among diverse socio-economic groups. Factors such as neighborhood social atmosphere, historical context, social disparity, and mobility can influence the relationship between existing and transitional communities. Mental health effects can be measured through housing segregation, mobility and accessibility, and housing tenure. A significant research gap exists in understanding the living environment of transitional housing in Hong Kong and the social sustainability factors affecting residents' mental and physical health. To address this gap, our study employs a mixed-methods approach combining survey questionnaires and interviews to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. This methodology will provide comprehensive insights into residents' experiences and perceptions. Our research's main contribution is identifying key social sustainability factors in transitional housing and their impact on residents' well-being, informing policy-making and the creation of inclusive, healthy living environments. By addressing this research gap, we aim to provide valuable insights for future housing projects, ultimately promoting the development of socially sustainable transitional communities.

Keywords: social sustainablity, affordable housing, transitional housing, high density housing

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Authors: Punam Shaw

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Relationship often refers to the acquaintance or association between two or more things, which are interrelated and interdependent. The socio-economic status is obviously a blending of two states, would, therefore, be a ranking of an individual by the society he or she lives in, and in terms of his/her material belonging, cultural possessions along with the degree of respect, power and influence wield. Hence, education, income and occupation of an individual play a significant role in society. Positive mental attitude leads to achieve the set goal, and improve performance particularly in team cohesiveness, which may be determined by various interrelated aspects, which can predict the future assessment in their respective field accordingly. The study intended to examine and explore the relationship between Socio-economic Status and Mental Toughness of cricketers. For the present study descriptive survey research method was used and selected 40 (male=20 female=20) U-17 years registered players under Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), as the sample population. Modified Socio-Economic Status Scale was used to collect the data regarding players, socioeconomic Status and to assess the mental toughness; Scott Barry Kaufman questionnaire was used. The data had been analysed through applying Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and t-test as statistical techniques. The findings of the study showed that there is a positive correlation between socioeconomic Status and Mental Toughness among cricketers, it was found that significant difference was presented between male and female SES group. It was further revealed that there is no significant difference between male and female cricketers and in their different socioeconomic class with respect to their mental toughness.

Keywords: cricketers, mental toughness, relationship, socio-economic status

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Authors: Bartlomiej S. Witkowski, Lukasz Wachnicki, Sylwia Gieraltowska, Rafal Pietruszka, Marek Godlewski

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Zinc oxide is extensively studied II-VI semiconductor with a direct energy gap of about 3.37 eV at room temperature and high transparency in visible light spectral region. Due to these properties, ZnO is an attractive material for applications in photovoltaic, electronic and optoelectronic devices. ZnO nanorods, due to a well-developed surface, have potential of applications in sensor technology and photovoltaics. In this work we present a new inexpensive method of the ultra-fast growth of ZnO nanorods from the aqueous solution. This environment friendly and fully reproducible method allows growth of nanorods in few minutes time on various substrates, without any catalyst or complexing agent. Growth temperature does not exceed 50ºC and growth can be performed at atmospheric pressure. The method is characterized by simplicity and allows regulation of size of the ZnO nanorods in a large extent. Moreover the method is also very safe, it requires organic, non-toxic and low-price precursors. The growth can be performed on almost any type of substrate through the homo-nucleation as well as hetero-nucleation. Moreover, received nanorods are characterized by a very high quality - they are monocrystalline as confirmed by XRD and transmission electron microscopy. Importantly oxygen vacancies are not found in the photoluminescence measurements. First results for obtained by us ZnO nanorods in sensor applications are very promising. Resistance UV sensor, based on ZnO nanorods grown on a quartz substrates shows high sensitivity of 20 mW/m2 (2 μW/cm2) for point contacts, especially that the results are obtained for the nanorods array, not for a single nanorod. UV light (below 400 nm of wavelength) generates electron-hole pairs, which results in a removal from the surfaces of the water vapor and hydroxyl groups. This reduces the depletion layer in nanorods, and thus lowers the resistance of the structure. The so-obtained sensor works at room temperature and does not need the annealing to reset to initial state. Details of the technology and the first sensors results will be presented. The obtained ZnO nanorods are also applied in simple-architecture photovoltaic cells (efficiency over 12%) in conjunction with low-price Si substrates and high-sensitive photoresistors. Details informations about technology and applications will be presented.

Keywords: hydrothermal method, photoresistor, photovoltaic cells, ZnO nanorods

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Authors: Kazem Shakouri, Alireza Pishgahi, Homayoun Sadeghi-bBazargani, Shahla Dareshiri

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Introduction: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has numerous nonsurgical treatments including splint, physical therapy and corticosteroid injections. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an ultrasound guided treatment procedure, for individuals with severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Materials and Method: 20 patients with an electrodiagnostic evidence of severe carpal tunnel syndrome were treated by an office-based ultrasound guided procedure (combination of percutaneous needle release of carpal tunnel and corticosteroid injection). Electrodiagnostic (nerve conduction study), clinical (Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, grip strength) and ultrasonic (median nerve and carpal tunnel cross-sectional area) measurements were recorded at baseline and one month after intervention. Results: Our preliminary data analysis showed that in one month follow up, patients had a significantly smaller cross-sectional area of the median nerve compared to pretreatment values (mean difference 0.06; 95%CI: 0.02-0.1; p < 0.001). In addition, patients had significantly less functional impairment (mean difference 35; 95% CI:28.7-43.4 ; p < 0.001), and an improved hand grip strength in one month follow up (mean difference 5.4; 95%CI: 3.1-7.8; p < 0.001;). There were no significant complications. Conclusion: Patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome, who are candidates for surgical intervention, can consider office-based ultrasound guided needle release of carpal tunnel as an alternative safe treatment.

Keywords: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, needle release, pain, ultrasound

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Authors: Mohammad Tipu Sultan, Farzana Sharmin, Ke Xue

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Social media create a better opportunity for travelers to search for travel information, select destination and share their personal experiences of the travel. This study proposes a framework which describes the relationships between social media, and positive or negative tourism experience sharing impact on destination choice. To find out new trends of travelers behavioral intention, we propose an extended theoretical model, the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). We conducted a survey to analyze three external factors, subjective norms, and positive and negative experience influence on travel destination choice. Structural questionnaire analysis was employed to confirm the proposed research hypothesis within the relationship between consumer influences on the shared experience of social media. The results of the study confirm that sharing positive experiences influence the positive effect of destination choice, while negative experiences decrease the destination selection option. The results indicate that attitudes, subjective norms are passively influenced by shared experience. Moreover, we find that sharing live pictures of travel experiences through social media helps to reduce negative perceptions of the destination brand. This research contribution is useable to the research field as a new determination factor and the findings could be used by destination organization management (DMO) to enhancing their tourism promotion through social media.

Keywords: destination choice, tourism experience sharing, Theory of Reasoned Action, TRA, social media

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Authors: S. Kershaw, P. J. Barry, K. Webb

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Background: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a chronic lung disease where patients have chronic lung infection punctuated by acute exacerbations that require intermittent intravenous (IV) antibiotics during their lives. With time, peripheral venous access can become difficult and limited. Accessing these veins can become arduous, traumatic, painful and unworkable. A permanent intravascular access device or Port is a small device that is inserted into the central venous system that allows the delivery of medicine eliminating the need for peripheral venous access. Ports represent a convenient and efficient method when venous access is required on a permanent basis however they are also associated with significant vascular complications. Superior Vena Cava Obstruction (SVCO) is a rare but significant vascular complication of ports in this setting. Objective: We aimed to look at a single CF centre’s experience of port-related SVCO over a thirty year period. Methods: Retrospective data was extracted using patient’s notes, electronic radiological reports and local databases over a period in excess of 30 years from 1982 to 2014. Results: 13 patients were identified with SVCO as a result of their port. 11 patients had CF (9 female, 2 male), one male patient had Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia and one female patient had severe Asthma. The mean port function was 1532 days (range 110 – 4049) and the mean age at SVCO was 24 years (range 11.1 to 36.5 years). The most common symptoms were facial oedema (n=8, 61.5%) and dilated veins (n=6, 46.2%). 7 patients had their Ports removed after SVCO. 6 patients underwent attempted stenting (46.2%) and 6 did not. 4 out of the 6 who underwent stenting required/had re-intervention. 3 of the 6 patients who underwent stenting had symptom resolution, however, 4 of the 6 patients who were not stented had symptom resolution also. Symptom resolution was not guaranteed with stenting and required re-intervention in two-thirds. Conclusion: This case series represents the experience of one of the longest established CF units in the UK and represents the largest cohort ever reported in the literature.

Keywords: ports, Superior Vena Cava Obstruction, cystic fibrosis, access devices

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Authors: Jayakant Singh, Enu Anand

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Background: Child marriage is widely prevalent in India. It is a form of gross human right violation that succumbs a child bride to be subservient to her husband within a marital relation. We investigated the relationship between age at marriage of women and her level of empowerment with physical violence experienced 12 months preceding the survey among young women aged 20-24 in two culturally distinct states- Bihar and Tamil Nadu of India. Methods: We used the information collected from 10514 young married women (20-24 years) at all India level, 373 in Bihar and 523 in Tamil Nadu from the third round of National Family Health Survey. Empowerment index was calculated using different parameters such as mobility, economic independence and decision making power of women using Principal Component Analysis method. Bivariate analysis was performed primarily using chi square for the test of significance. Logistic regression was carried out to assess the effect of age at marriage and empowerment on physical violence. Results: Lower level of women empowerment was significantly associated with physical violence in Tamil Nadu (OR=2.38, p<0.01) whereas child marriage (marriage before age 15) was associated with physical violence in Bihar (OR=3.27, p<0.001). The mean difference in age at marriage between those who experienced physical violence and those who did not experience varied by 7 months in Bihar and 10 months in Tamil Nadu. Conclusion: Culture specific intervention may be a key to reduction of violence against women as the results showed association of different factors contributing to physical violence in Bihar and Tamil Nadu. Marrying at an appropriate age perhaps is protective of abuse because it equips a woman to assert her rights effectively. It calls for an urgent consideration to curb both violence and child marriage with stricter involvement of family, civil society and the government. In the meanwhile physical violence may be recognized as a public health problem and integrate appropriate treatment to the victims within the health care institution.

Keywords: child marriage, empowerment, India, physical violence

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Authors: Sireen Irsheid

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Despite concerted efforts to improve education attainment with progress in recent years, student achievement and attainment remain among the most significant challenges for school districts across the United States. Many scholars have argued that students who do not complete high school do not drop out of school voluntarily but are ‘pushed out’ of schools through multiple mechanisms related to structural and socioeconomic barriers, behavioral health challenges, pedagogical practices, and administrative procedures. Extant literature has shown that living in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods or attending under-resourced schools exacerbates student-level risk factors for grade retention and school pushout. Most efforts to respond to the school pushout phenomenon have focused on individual characteristics of students, with relatively little attention to addressing these multiple system-level characteristics related to perpetuating inequities. This study is built on a growing body of social justice-oriented research concerned with the systemic influences that shape the experiences and mental health challenges of young people. Specifically, this study examined how young people who have been experiencing education inequities make meaning and navigate the structural factors related to neighborhood and school disinvestment and access to resources and supports, and their risk for school pushout. Furthermore, schools as political, cultural, and ideologically reproductive spaces often serve as sites of resistance and can support students who are impacted by educational inequity. Study findings provide education, neighborhood, school psychology, social work practice, and policy considerations.

Keywords: education policy, mental health, school prison nexus, school pushout, structural trauma

Procedia PDF Downloads 48

Authors: Norazharuddin Shah Abdullah, Harshita Aini Haroon, Norazian Mohmad Azman, Erlane K. Ghani, Ismie Roha Mohamed Jais, Kamaruzzaman Muhammad, Azleen Ilias

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This study examines the factors that influence academics' decisions to accept or decline leadership roles in Malaysian universities. A questionnaire survey was distributed to a total of 1771 academics from public and private institutions in Malaysia. This study shows that the majority of academics in universities, regardless of whether they are public or private, have a reluctance to take on administrative roles. In particular, this study shows that female academics in public universities have no ambition for administrative roles, while female academics in private universities show a strong enthusiasm for taking up administrative positions. In terms of age, academics of all age groups made comparable choices, but academics who are under 30 years old have a greater propensity to aspire to an administrative position. Associate professors at private universities also opt for an administrative position. The factors that influence academics' decisions to accept or decline an administrative position are categorised into five categories: career development, skills and experience, preferences, perceptions, and organization. The findings of this study suggest that the increasing number of academics not seeking institutional leadership positions is a concern, as universities need a sufficient pool of potential successors to effectively fulfil the purpose and vision of the university. This study suggests the implementation of awareness and training initiatives to inspire academics, especially young academics, to take up leadership roles within the institutions.

Keywords: academics, institutional leadership, leadership, universities, Malaysia

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Authors: Ghanim A. Bekr

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Project success is what must be done for the project to be acceptable to the client, stakeholders and end-users who will be affected by the project. The study of project success and the critical success factors (CSFs) are the means adopted to improve the effectiveness of project. This research is conducted to make an attempt to identify which variables influence the success of project implementation. This study has selected, through an extensive literature review and interviews, (83) factors categorized in (7) groups that the questionnaire respondents were asked to score. The responses from 66 professionals with an average of 15 years of experience in different types of construction projects in Jordan were collected and analyzed using SPSS and most important factors for success for various success criteria are presented depending on the relative importance index to rank the categories. The research revealed the significant groups of factors are: Client related factors, Contractor’s related factors, Project Manager (PM) related factors, and Project management related factors. In addition the top ten sub factors are: Assertion of the client towards short time of the project, availability of skilled labor, Assertion of the client towards high level of the quality, capability of the client in taking risk, previous experience of the PM in similar projects, previous experience of the contractor in similar projects, decision making by the client/ the client’s representative at the right time, assertion of client towards low cost of project, experience in project management in previous projects, and flow of the information among parties. The results would be helpful to construction project professionals in taking proactive measures for successful completion of construction projects in Jordan.

Keywords: construction projects, critical success factors, Jordan, project success

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Authors: Fatima Majeed Almonajim

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Panucum miliaceum L is a plant from the genus Gramineae, In the world, millets are regarded as a significant grain, however, they are very little exploited. Millet grain is abundant in nutrients and health-beneficial phenolic compounds, making it suitable as food and feed. The plant has received considerable attention for its high content of phenolic compounds, low glycemic index, the presence of unsaturated fats and lack of gluten which are beneficial to human health, and thus, have made the plant being effective in treating celiac disease, diabetes, lowering blood lipids (cholesterol) and preventing tumors. Moreover, the plant requires little water to grow, a property that is worth considering. This study provides an overview of the nutritional and health benefits provided by millet types grown in 2 areas Iraq and Iran, aiming to compare the effect of climate on the components of millet. In this research, millet samples collected from the both Babylon (Iraqi) and Isfahan (Iranian) types were extracted and after HPTLC, the resulted pattern of the two samples were compared. As a result, the Iranian millet showed more terpenoid compounds than Iraqi millet, and therefore, Iranian millet has a higher priority than Iraqi millet in increasing the human body's immunity. On the other hand, in view of the number of essential amino acids, the Iraqi millet contains more nutritional value compared to the Iranian millet. Also, due to the higher amount of histidine in the Iranian millet, compiled to the lack of gluten found from previous studies, we came to the conclusion that the addition of millet in the diet of children, more specifically those children with irritable bowel syndrome, can be considered beneficial. Therefore, as a component of dairy products, millet can be used in preparing food for children such as dry milk.

Keywords: HPTLC, phytochemicals, specialty foods, Panucum miliaceum L, nutrition

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Authors: Shannon Rappe, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi

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Postpartum women with an opioid use disorder (OUD) are at high risk for treatment disengagement, leaving them vulnerable to overdose and death between seven and twelve months postpartum. Intensive case management programs have been proposed as an effective strategy to reduce barriers and increase treatment engagement among postpartum women. The purpose of this project is to determine the effects of early engagement in an intensive case management program on postpartum engagement and infant health outcomes among postpartum women with opioid use. This retrospective review of secondary data was collected on 225 infants, and 221 postpartum women enrolled in an intensive case management program in Tennessee between May 1, 2019, and May 5, 2020. Chi-squares were computed to examine the timing of engagement during pregnancy, maternal treatment outcomes, and infant health outcomes, including neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), birth weight, gestational age, and length of stay. The mean prenatal program engagement was 109 days (SD = 67.6); 16.7% (n = 37) enrolled during the first trimester, 37.6% (n = 83) in the second trimester, and 45.7% (n = 101) in the third trimester. Of the 221 women engaged, 45.2% (n = 100) remained engaged in the case of management at the time of data collection, and 40% (n = 89) remained engaged in MAT at the time of data collection. Twenty- five percent (n = 25) of mothers who graduated sustained engagement in MAT. Of 225 infants 28.9% (n = 65) had a positive NAS status, mean birth weight was 6.5 lbs. (SD = 19.3); mean gestational age was 38.3 weeks (SD = 19.3) and mean length of stay was 8.19 days (SD = 9.8). This study's findings identified that engaging mothers during pregnancy in a program designed to meet their unique challenges positively impacts both the mother and infant outcomes, regardless of their timing.

Keywords: intensive case management, neonatal abstinence syndrome, opioid addiction, opioid crisis, opioid use in pregnant women, postpartum addiction

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Authors: Amichai Ben ari, Daniella Margalit

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Medical procedures, such as surgery, may have traumatic significance for some children. This study examines the relationship between maltreatment in children and the development Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress (PMTS). To this end, differences in the level of distress of children after surgery were examined between two groups: children who were maltreated ("children at risk") and children from the control group ("children who are not at risk"). The study involved 230 parents of children who came to the hospital to undergo surgery. Parents filled out demographic questionnaires to measure socioeconomic variables and psychological questionnaires to measure the distress of the child and parent before surgery. After 6 months from the time of surgery, the parents again filled in the questionnaire measuring the child's distress. The results of the study showed that the level of distress experienced by children at risk after surgery was significantly higher relative to children who are not at risk. It was also found that the level of distress experienced by parents of children at risk in relation to their child’s surgery is significantly higher compared to parents of children who are not at risk. Finally, it was found that the variables: (1) pre-morbid psychological functioning of the child. (2) Parental and family functioning in daily life. (3) Exposure of the child to traumatic events. (4) Support factors for the family. Are variables that predict the development of PMTS in children after surgery, but only for children at risk and not for children who are not at risk. The significance of the findings in relation to the need to identify at-risk populations in the hospitals and the policies derived from them were discussed, and several directions were raised for further research.

Keywords: children at risk, pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS), PTSD, medical procedures

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Authors: Bavneet Kaur Sidhu, Manoj Tiwari

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Global Developmental Delay (GDD) is a common pediatric condition. Etiologies of GDD might, however, differ in developing countries. In the last decade, sporadic families are being reported in various countries. As to the author’s best knowledge, many risk factors and their correlation with the prevalence of GDD have been studied but its statistical correlation has not been done. Thus we propose the present study by targeting the risk factor, prevalence and their statistical correlation with GDD. FMR1 gene was studied to confirm the disease and its penetrance. A complete questionnaire-based performance was designed for the statistical studies having a personal, past and present medical history along with their socio-economic status as well. Methods: We distributed the children’s age in 4 different age groups having 5-year intervals and applied structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, Karl Pearson correlation coefficient, and chi-square test.Result: A total of 1100 families were enrolled for this study; among them, 330 were clinically and biologically confirmed (radiological studies) for the disease, 204 were males (61.8%), 126 were females (38.18%). We found that 27.87% were genetic and 72.12 were sporadic, out of 72.12 %, 43.277% cases from urban and 56.72% from the rural locality, the mothers' literacy rate was 32.12% and working women numbers were 41.21%. Conclusions: There is a significant association between mothers' age and GDD prevalence, which is also followed by mothers' literacy rate and mothers' occupation, whereas there was no association between fathers' age and GDD.

Keywords: global developmental delay, FMR1 gene, spearman’ rank correlation coefficient, structural equation modeling

Procedia PDF Downloads 117

Authors: Fazlul Hoque, Tahmina Akter Joya, Asma Akter, Supawat Rungsuriyawiboon

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Rice is the staple food in Bangladesh, and therefore, self-sufficiency in rice production remains a major concern. However, Bangladesh is experiencing insufficiency in rice production due to high production cost and low national average productivity of 2.848 ton/ha in comparison to other rice-growing countries in the world. This study aims to find out the profit efficiency and determinants of profit efficiency in Boro rice cultivation in Manikganj and Dhaka districts of Bangladesh. It also focuses on technology adoption and effect of technology adoption on profit efficiency of Boro rice cultivation in Bangladesh. The data were collected from 300 households growing Boro rice through face to face interviews by one set structured questionnaire; Frontier Version 4.1 and STATA 15 software were employed to analyze the data according to the purpose of the study. Maximum likelihood estimates of the specified profit model showed that profit efficiency of the farmer varied between 23% and 97% with a mean of 76% which implied as 24% of the profit is lost due to a combination of technical and allocative inefficiencies in Boro rice cultivation in the study area. The inefficiency model revealed that the education level of the farmer, farm size, variety of seed, and training and extension service influence the profit inefficiency significantly. The study also explained that the level of technology adoption index affects profit efficiency. The technology adoption in Boro rice cultivation is influenced by the education level of the farmer, farm size and farm capital.

Keywords: farmer, maximum likelihood estimation, profit efficiency, rice

Procedia PDF Downloads 119