Accessible Form Research Articles

Early social communication through music: State of the art and future perspectives

A growing body of research shows that the universal capacity for music perception and production emerges early in development. Possibly building on this predisposition, caregivers around the world often communicate with infants using songs or speech entailing song-like characteristics. This suggests that music might be one of the earliest developing and most accessible forms of interpersonal communication, providing a platform for studying early communicative behavior. However, little research has examined music in truly communicative contexts. The current work aims to facilitate the development of experimental approaches that rely on dynamic and naturalistic social interactions. We first review two longstanding lines of research that examine musical interactions by focusing either on the caregiver or the infant. These include defining the acoustic and non-acoustic features that characterize infant-directed (ID) music, as well as behavioral and neurophysiological research examining infants’ processing of musical timing and pitch. Next, we review recent studies looking at early musical interactions holistically. This research focuses on how caregivers and infants interact using music to achieve co-regulation, mutual engagement, and increase affiliation and prosocial behavior. We conclude by discussing methodological, technological, and analytical advances that might empower a comprehensive study of musical communication in early childhood.

Feminizing Decentralized Renewable Energy Programs: A Study of a Community Renewable Energy Project from India

The increasing impact of global forces on local communities in the 21st century has necessitated a shift in focus from macro narratives to the micro-politics of planning. One of the critical areas of such micro-politics is energy policy-making in the Global South. It is argued that a bottom-up approach to energy intervention would increase the control and access of the end consumer to the sites of production, shift away from colonial energy production systems, and create more avenues for equitable community development. Within this context, this study critically evaluates a community-based renewable energy project from a feminist perspective. The study is based on data provided by Barefoot College International (BCI), which is one of the leading non-governmental organizations working towards fulfilling SDG goals. The study has used a document analysis approach to produce rich documentation of the community energy program under study. Findings from the study indicate that the current approach to gender inclusion within energy transition lacks a focus on the interlocked subordinations that exist within a community, and the lack of intersectionality in its model design could potentially reinforce the existing inequalities in the form of gendered resource access, livelihoods, and labor work. The study calls for further research on evaluating decentralized renewable energy programs to examine whether the way the energy transition to a low-carbon intensive future will produce equitable outcomes across genders.

Penerapan Sistem Informasi Pelayanan Pengaduan Pasien Sebagai Solusi Dalam Meningkatkan Kualitas Layanan

Excellent service or service excellence in hospitals is needed to provide trust and service according to standards. In an effort to improve services, a patient complaint service is needed to respond to each service and realize the rights received by patients. The availability of patient complaint services in Hermina Arcamanik Hospital is currently still using google form and sending complaints using whatsapp, the media used is still considered less effective and efficient so that it is vulnerable to data manipulation or errors when inputting data. Based on these obstacles, it is important that the complaint process can be resolved properly, appropriate data processing and ease of access to online services by patients can be fully and thoroughly. So a Patient Complaint Service Information System was made in the form of a web to facilitate access, this Information System was created using the PHP programming language and has an interface with Bootstrap and is equipped with Javascript, a storage database using MySQL and a local hosting server from Apache using the XAMPP program.The research results of designing a web-based complaint service information system in the form of service access that can be used easily and connected to the internet quickly and appropriate data processing.

Isolation and Identification of a Phosphate-Solubilizing Pantoea dispersa with a Saline-Alkali Tolerance and Analysis of Its Growth-Promoting Effects on Silage Maize Under Saline-Alkali Field Conditions.

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are microorganisms that can dissolve insoluble phosphorus (P) to accessible forms. This study aimed to screen saline-alkali-tolerant PSB and analyze its growth promoting properties, and evaluate its effects on the growth, quality, soil nutrient balance, and enzyme activities of silage maize in the field. We isolated six phosphate-solubilizing strains from rhizosphere soil of silage maize planted in saline-alkali land, and FC-1 with the best P-solubilizing effect was used for further study. The morphological, physiological and biochemical analysis, and 16S rDNA and housekeeping gene atpD sequencing were performed for identification. FC-1 was identified as Pantoea dispersa and had high P solubility. The phosphate solubility of FC-1 using four P sources ranged from 160.79 to 270.22 mg l-1. FC-1 produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)and decreased the pH of the growth media by secreting organic acids, including citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, and acetic acid. The results of a field experiment indicated that FC-1 treatment increased the height, stem diameter, fresh weight, dry weight, starch content, crude protein content, and total P content of silage maize by 9.8, 9.2, 12.6, 11.7, 12.6, 18.3, and 17.4%, respectively. The nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and organic matter contents in the rhizosphere soil of silage maize increased by 29.8, 17.1, 17.9, and 25.3%, respectively; urease, catalase, sucrase, and alkaline phosphatase levels also increased by 24.7, 26.7, 24.0, and 19.5%, respectively. FC-1 promoted the growth of silage maize by improving nutrient metabolism and enzyme activities in saline-alkali soil and may be an effective alternative to fertilizers.

‘There is a sense of bravery in having to make a mark’: Resilience and art therapy in South Africa

This article is located within the complex landscape of South Africa’s mental healthcare system and its associated challenges regarding socioeconomic and historical injustices. Despite decades of enquiry across diverse fields, the concept of resilience remains subjective. Although tentative connections to creativity, artmaking, and art therapy exist, a contextually relevant South African-focused investigation is missing, providing the gap for this research. Using a constructivist-interpretivist framework and qualitative methodology, discoveries as to how training art therapists conceptualise, utilise, and safeguard their resilience through artmaking were generated. Data was gathered using individual, semi-structured interviews amongst five purposively sampled training art therapist participants and thematic analysis was used to present the findings. Results provide insight into how training art therapists foster resilience through artmaking which equips them to offer similar opportunities for their clients. Findings also suggest that resilience is as crucial for practitioners as it is for clients, especially if the modality is to be sustained long term. Some suggestions for safeguarding practitioner resilience are offered. Consequently, the article offers some evidence as to how and why art therapy offers an accessible and alternative form of healing for people living in South Africa.

Electronic Resources as a Technological Infrastructure for Reading in Libraries

The purpose of the article is to improve and modernize the electronic resources introduced into the work of children’s library institutions in Ukraine in order to accelerate the process of document delivery to users and provide quality service. The research methods are based on applying the analytical and synthetic approach as a general scientific principle of implementing technological library processes through electronic resources to attract schoolchildren to libraries. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the further study and disclosure of creative forms of activities using information technology in libraries for children that activate reading. New library concepts such as “service fair”, “e-governance”, and “corporate project” are revealed. The children’s library becomes an active participant in the market start-up, which begins to build its work based on innovations and creative technologies. The effectiveness of the work is assessed by real cases that are carried out using the design methodology. The results of research on children’s libraries in Ukraine show that today’s young information consumer is a qualitatively new type of user, the “web generation”, the “Internet generation”. For the library to attract these students, it is necessary to change the forms of activity, improve professional skills, and actively introduce new services based on the study and implementation of modern information technologies. Library staff often reformat some of their socio-cultural events to the virtual space. As for the Volyn children’s libraries, they remain centres of communication, learning, reading, and the development of creative and intellectual abilities. Combining traditional and creative forms and methods of work, librarians work to encourage students to read, to make them interested in books (through mass events), and to stimulate the use of information resources available in the library. Libraries aim to enhance the social role, provide free access to information, enrich the spiritual culture of users and deepen their knowledge of the historical past of the Ukrainian people; promote national and patriotic education of users, form a reading culture, create a safe, comfortable environment and provide positive conditions for the creative abilities’ development. Conclusions. The research has examined and analyzed the range of new library services in children’s libraries of Ukraine, particularly Volyn, based on the use of Internet resources of modern information technologies. In library activities today, the most important thing is to inform schoolchildren about the role of the modern library in society, the new opportunities provided by modernized creative service departments; encouraging participation in project activities, and promoting them among students and parents. In the current operating environment, libraries are obliged to adapt more actively to providing services to children with special needs: disabled, socially vulnerable, temporarily displaced and internally displaced children; to provide users with free, barrier-free and unhindered opportunities to receive virtual information from any department in accessible forms.

Особливості розробки комунікативного паспорту як засобу формування комунікативної взаємодії у дітей з тяжкими порушеннями мовлення

The communicative process is the basis of communication, the organization of which depends on understanding the system and structure of the process, as well as the nature of the communicative act. Children with severe speech disorders experience difficulties in implementing communication skills. Developmental disorders significantly hinder and limit the full communication of a child with severe speech disorders. One of the means that can help children of this category to interact with the surrounding people is the use of a communicative passport in everyday life. It was determined that the communicative passport of a student with severe speech disorders is a document that displays the basic information about the child necessary for the organization of his full-fledged life in society. This is a practical and individualized method of supporting children, adolescents and adults who find it difficult to talk about themselves. A passport combines versatile information about a person, which is presented in a clear and simple form. In order to develop a communicative passport, an observation of a child with speech disorders, a conversation and a questionnaire of parents were conducted aimed at finding out: assessment of communicative, cognitive, linguistic, psychosocial and motor abilities of a child with severe speech disorders. The results were reflected in the child's communicative passport in an accessible form, taking into account the student's current and potential communicative needs. The content of the communicative passport of a child with speech disorders includes the following sections: informative (this is a personal first page - information about yourself and close adults); communicative (information about how the child expresses his thoughts, how best to communicate with him, how he reacts to strangers, etc.); cognitive and behavioral (here the basic skills of the child and its character, inclination, warning about the emotional features of the child, about possible negative manifestations in its behavior are described); medical (this block includes a set of medical indications and contraindications for the child, which drugs may be vitally necessary). It was determined that the use of a communicative passport for a student with severe speech disorders is a necessary condition for her optimal and full socialization in the modern world. In the process of collecting information for filling out the communicative passport, the accumulated information about the child is updated and revised, both by parents and by pedagogical workers interacting with the student. The result of such cooperation is a communicative passport that meets the needs of the child, the requests of parents and the teaching staff.

Migration atlas of the Russian Federation 2022

The article is a review of the Migration Atlas of the Russian Federation prepared by a team of authors under the scientific editorship of S.V. Ryazantsev (Moscow: ITD “Perspektiva”, 2022. 180 p.). The atlas is a result of the three-year research project “The impact of immigration on the ethnic-demographic processes in the Russian Federation and approaches to improving the migration policy concerning the integration of immigrants into the Russian society”. The authors use the results of the migration and cartographic studies to present in an accessible visual form the migrations of the Russian population since the collapse of the USSR to the present. The authors focus on the directions, scale, social-demographic structure and ethnic features of the Russian migrations, including in the regional perspective. The atlas is both a source of information on some rarely studied aspects of migration and a successful presentation of the already known data in a systematic form. The atlas will be useful for different readers - civil servants, social workers, scholars, teachers and students, because the authors succeeded in presenting the migration data in an accessible and interesting form for both experienced researchers of migration and those who just start their studies in this field.

Applying national-regional component in teaching a professionally oriented foreign language to undergraduates of agrarian specialties

The article considers proven in practical teaching methodological techniques and strategies that are effective for the development of oral speech skills for undergraduates of agricultural specialties. Individual tasks and group projects based on the national-regional component are offered, facilitating the adaptation of probation specialists in the professional field and contributing to the development of professional communication skills in a foreign language. An integrative approach, methods of general scientific analysis, and a descriptive method are used. The introduction of a national-regional component is proposed using supportive tables and schemes that facilitate the comprehension of professional information. Visualization of agrotechnical information allows a student to select and apply the necessary amount of data for analyzing to discuss in a concise and accessible form, in a systematic and consistent presentation without the need to memorize. The article presents 2 types of tables useful to perform specific tasks aimed to develop professional competencies in the process of learning a foreign language. The data of the survey proposed to the students are given, the most relevant goals are highlighted in the opinion of undergraduates, achieved with the introduction of a regional component. The introduction of a regional component in the process of learning a professional foreign language contributes to the development of general professional competencies. Besides, it allows you to bring the learning process closer to the conditions of practical work and apply the acquired skills and knowledge of a foreign language to solve specific agrotechnical tasks. The ability to systematize information in the form of tables, formulate a related statement based on the data from a table or a diagram also contribute to the development of professional communication skills in a foreign language, useful for students in later professional activities.

Religious Digital Literacy of Students in Indonesia and Malaysia

Advances in information and communication technology are so fast, capable of dynamically changing the order of human life. Everyone is increasingly dependent on technology in every inch of their activities, including in the realm of education. The use of technology products in the form of internet access and social media has been massively used by millions of people in the world. Learning, which initially only focused on meeting in class and relying only on printed books, is now developing with the presence of a new era, namely digital literacy, including in religious learning. This study aims to photograph the implementation of digital literacy, the use of digital religious resources and their impact on learning in Indonesia and Malaysia. This study is a type of qualitative research with a systematic literature review (SLR) approach. Primary data sources come from research journal articles and books that are in accordance with the theme of the discussion while secondary data is used as explanatory data related to the theme. The data analysis technique uses content analysis. The findings or results of the research are that digital literacy in Indonesia and Malaysia both utilize information and communication technology media that relies on internet access, websites and social media. Problems are still found in the two countries, namely related to equity, where in some regions or regions they have not been able to reach the internet optimally and certainly have not been able to fully implement digital literacy. Digital religious literacy of students in Indonesia and Malaysia is by utilizing interesting and free-access content and materials available on the internet and social media. Access to religious material in digital space by students has proven to be able to increase understanding of the material.

Accuracy of positive airway pressure titration through telemonitoring of auto-adjusting positive airway pressure device connected to a pulse oximetry in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

In COVID-19 era, all forms of access of patients to the sleep units should be reduced as much as possible when implementing telemedicine. In the field of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) therapy with positive airway pressure (PAP) devices, telemedicine includes the use of built-in software (BIS) and storage of PAPs and remote-controlled data (BISrc data) that are processed and transmitted daily to sleep units. We compared two methods of evaluating the final residual severity of OSA patients in home PAP titration: BISrc data versus nocturnal portable multichannel monitoring (PM) data in PAP (reference method) and to verify whether the efficacy PAP therapy guided by BISrc data was clinically adequate. We conducted a real-life prospective study in newly diagnosed patients with OSA. Patients used an auto-adjusting positive airway pressure (AirSense 10 ResMed) with a pulse oximeter that allows daily transfer of BISrc data (apnea hypopnea index [AHI] and SaO2 ) and remote changes in ventilator setting. Once the PAP titration was completed, the pressure value or ranges were kept constant for 3 days and home PM was repeated. There were 41 patients with moderate to severe OSA who completed the study. When considering AHI only, the diagnostic accuracy of BISrc on the third day was equal to 97.5%; when considering AHI > 10/h, ODI > 10/h, and SaO2 < 90%, the diagnostic accuracy slightly decreased to 90.2%. In clinical practice, the two measurement methods are equivalent. The use of BISrc data for home titration would reduce the access to sleep units. We urge that widespread use of BISrc be promoted in the current practice of management of OSA.

DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM TRAVEL PATTERNS IN LAU BAGOT TOURISM VILLAGE DAIRI DISTRICT

One place that has great tourism potential is the Dairi district. Just like other regions in North Sumatra, Dairi Regency has many tourist destinations that have the potential to be big enough to attract tourists. Lau Bagot Tourism Village is one of the leading tourist villages in Dairi Regency. Data collection techniques used to obtain data include interviews, observations, literature studies, and documentation studies. As well as conducting in-depth interviews, this study included the following participants: the head of the Lau Bagot Tourism Village Pokdarwis, the head of Lau Bagot Village, Hamlet Head, and members of the Lau Bagot Tourism Village Pokdarwis. Data analysis techniques used in this study were qualitative. The single point and chaining loop travel patterns are travel schemes that are well implemented in Lau Bagot Tourism Village because in the single point travel pattern, the willingness is in the form of road access that only has one lane so that the departure and return routes will follow the same route. Whereas in the chaining loop pattern on other routes, when going to travel between tourist attractions, the paths that are passed back are not the same, so they don't go through the same route, so the travel pattern is in the form of a chaining loop.

Digital-social construction of willingness to pay in online marketplace: Economic sociology of the digital functional food market in Indonesia

This study explores the phenomenon of digital-social construction in the form of anonymous transactions, asymmetric information, and unlimited access in online marketplace. The study was conducted by processing digital data of 5131 comments, descriptions, and rating records of 1988 IDs of functional food products sold at Bukalapak, one of the largest marketplaces in Indonesia. Using Python and Google Studio software, digital-social interactions are mapped and visualized based on four conceptual frameworks of economic sociology, namely social embeddedness of market, product standardization, intersubjective construction of symbolic value, and willingness to pay. This study marks a new chapter in the study of contemporary economic sociology, in which conventional conceptual frameworks are applied to uncover digital market phenomena using research methods that fully process and analyze big data in the business field.

Peran Signifikan Media Sosial Terhadap Pemasaran Produk Kemasan UMKM Pada Daerah Karawang

Peran Signifikan Media Sosial Terhadap Pemasaran Produk Kemasan UMKM Pada Daerah Karawang

Социальная политика государства в сфере охраны детства и материнства в 1950–1970-е годы (по материалам периодической печати Ростовской области)

The article is devoted to the reflection in the periodical press of the Rostov region of 1950-1970 of the social policy of the state aimed at the development of state support for women, protection of mother-hood and childhood, improvement of living conditions of the Soviet family. The article reflects the activities of the state in the implementation of individual measures and the response of society to the initiatives of the Soviet government. Special attention is paid to the materials of the periodical press, on the pages of which the problems of motherhood and childhood in the Rostov region are reflected, the priority of solving certain issues by state authorities is revealed. The importance of publications in newspapers on this subject is noted, as the most accessible and mass forms of periodicals for broadcasting the necessary vector of state policy to society. It is concluded that with the help of printing in the Rostov region, an ideal inseparable image of a working woman and a woman-mother was purposefully constructed. In addition, there was a popularization of the thesis about the purposeful efforts of the leadership of the country&amp;#x27;s social services of the necessary conditions for a work-ing woman during her employment at work, and the simultaneous upbringing of children in kindergartens and nurseries.

#6656 PATIENTS' PERSPECTIVES ON HAEMODIALYSIS ACCESS: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY

Abstract Background and Aims Vascular access is an essential requirement for haemodialysis (HD). There is strong evidence that an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is preferable to access via a central venous catheter (CVC) for long term haemodialysis, yet many patients opt for access via a CVC. We performed a cross-sectional study to assess patient preferences regarding vascular access. The quantitative component of this work is presented here. Method Questionnaires were administered to patients attending dialysis at four sites in the East Anglia region of the UK (n = 380). Additional patient data was collected from medical records. Analysis was performed using the R software. Results 63% (n = 238) of patients completed the survey. The median age of respondents was 75 years (range 24-95 years), 64% were male (n = 153), the median length of time on dialysis was 23 months, and 64% (n = 152) were using an AVF. There was no significant association between age and form of access (p = 0.11). 65% of respondents believed that an AVF was the best access route for health, 10% believed a CVC was the best route, and 25% were unsure. This was not significantly affected by the participant's access route at the time of the study (p = 0.91) or self-reported pre-dialysis education (p = 0.09). Respondents who believed that the health professionals caring for them preferred AVFs were significantly more likely to believe that AVFs were best for their health (p &amp;lt; 0.0001 for both medical and nursing staff preference). However, overall, there was uncertainty about the preferred haemodialysis access of health professionals, with 40% and 47% of respondents unsure regarding the preference of medical and nursing staff, respectively. These patients were also more likely to respond as ‘unsure’ as to which access type was better for their health. We asked participants to rate 16 possible concerns they may have about access on a 1-9 scale (Figure 1). The most highly rated concerns were related to sleeping, pain, bleeding and access longevity, each receiving a rating of ≥2 in nearly 40% of participants. Notably, infection risk was rated as the lowest priority concern, only receiving a rating of ≥2 in 5% of participants. Concerns were similar regardless of the active form of access. 63% (n = 54) of respondents with a CVC would not consider changing to an AVF. The decision to switch from CVC to AVF was not significantly associated with age (p = 0.69), or the number of AVF operations a patient had undergone in the six years prior to the study year (p = 0.94). The decision was also not associated with respondent belief regarding the best access type for health (p = 0.84). Differences in access concerns could not significantly explain the decision to or not to switch from CVC to AVF. However, analysis of free-text responses identified peer experiences as a strong influence on the decision to switch. Conclusion Most HD patients are aware that an AVF is associated with better health outcomes than a CVC. Despite this, a large proportion of patients dialysing via a CVC do not wish to change their access, with many reporting concerns of bleeding, needling pain, and difficulty sleeping. Infection risk was not a consideration for most patients. Additionally, we found that patients reported significant uncertainty about doctor and nurse preference for haemodialysis access. These findings are mirrored by analysis of the free text responses to the questions in this study. In particular, peer experiences were a significant determinant of the decision to switch from a CVC to AVF. The findings suggest that when we discuss vascular access with patients, a broad scope of topics should be addressed, beyond health outcomes alone, to allow for effective shared decision making. They also suggest that there is room to improve the communication of our perspectives as healthcare workers, both from a nursing and medical perspective.

Znanstvenoinformatički centar "Bugarska enciklopedija"

The Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Centre is a constituent part of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, responsible for the compilation and publication of encyclopedias and encyclopedic reference books. Its work follows the tradition of encyclopedic knowledge in Bulgarian culture dating back to medieval collections from the court of Tsar Simeon I in the 9th to 10th centuries. Encyclopedic content is also contained in the first Bulgarian schoolbook, published in 1824, and in the growing interest in reference publications before and after the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. The first Bulgarian general encyclopedia, the Encyclopedic Dictionary, was published in 1899–1907, followed by the popular Bulgarian Encyclopedia A-Ya in 1936. A specialised unit for the preparation of encyclopedias and encyclopedic reference literature was established at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1955 under the name Bulgarian Encyclopedia, and was renamed the Bulgarian Encyclopaedia Scientific Information Centre in 2003. The Centre’s mission is to disseminate scientific knowledge widely and in an accessible form. The Centre’s main activities include the compilation and preparation of general one-volume and multi-volume encyclopedias, the development of methodological guidelines and technologies for new publications, the preparation of thematic vocabularies of the articles and illustrations of the editions, and editorial and compiling work. The publications of the Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Centre are of a high academic level, and the editorial and compilation work is carried out by experienced scientific encyclopedic editors, which guarantees the high professional standards of the publications. Multiple editions of the Bulgarian Encyclopedia have been published, covering a wide range of topics such as history, science, culture, and more. The Centre has also published thematic encyclopedias and electronic versions of its work, and collaborates with various organisations and publishers to continue its responsible activity of national importance

#5737 THE ASSOCIATION OF SERUM IRISIN WITH EARLY PATENCY LOSS OF ARTERIOVENOUS FISTULA

Abstract Background and Aims In patients receiving hemodialysis (HD), arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred form of vascular access owing to its long-term patency and low risk of infection. Early patency loss of AVF (≤1 year) is associated with higher risk of mortality and morbidity. Irisin is thought to play a protective role in the regulation of endothelial function and vascular calcification. However, the relationship between serum irisin level and early patency loss of AVF is unclear. Method In 73 end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients, including pre-dialysis patients who receive AVF placement for the first time (n = 10), HD patients with early patency loss of AVF (n = 24), HD patients that lose AVF function more than 1 year (n = 39), fasting (&amp;gt;8 hours) serum irisin levels and other biochemical parameters (hemoglobin, serum albumin, calcium, phosphate, intact parathyroid hormone, triglyceride, total cholesterol, D-Dimer, fibrinogen, FGF23, C-reactive protein) were measured before receiving access placement or after AVF thrombosis. All patients had radial-cephalic fistula. Results Among 73 patients (median age 58 years, 60.3% male, 31.5% diabetes mellitus (DM)), patients with early patency loss of AVF had significantly higher serum irisin levels, and lower fibrinogen, compared with other two groups. Other characteristics had no significant difference among these three groups (shown in Table 1). Conclusion HD patients with early patency loss of AVF had higher serum irisin levels compared with pre-dialysis patients and HD patients whose AVF patency maintained more than 1 year. The increase of irisin may be related to its putative role in compensatory mechanisms against vascular injury, which is then lost with longer dialysis duration and aggravated vascular damage.

#4626 EFFECTS OF HEMODYNAMIC PARAMETERS OF THE BRACHIAL ARTERY ON AVF FLOW

Abstract Background and Aims Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) remains the preferred form of vascular access for hemodialysis, although dealing with the high rate of maturation failure. Many factors are found to be influencing the AVF outcome, however the diameter of the blood vessels, both arteries and veins, is recognized as the most important predictor. Aim of this study was to evaluate hemodynamic parameters of the brachial artery (Ab) on the change of volume flow (VF) during AVF maturation. Method This single-centre observational study included patients in whom AVF was created between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients underwent pre-operative physical and Color Doppler Ultrasound (CDU) measurements of the radial artery (Ar), brachial artery and cephalic vein (Vc). AVF maturation was evaluated by CDU consecutively 1, 14 and 28 days after AVF creation. As the hemodynamic parameters of the arteries, peak systolic volume (PSV), end-diastolic volume (EDV) and resistance index (RI) were measured. Results Study included 33 patients (81.8% male, mean age 64±10). VF was 346.55±126.86, 491.26±183.51, and 608.28±275.10 at day 1, 14 and 28, respectively (p = 0,000). Univariate regression analysis showed PSV (Beta = 0,456; p = 0,008) and EDV (Beta = 0,551; p = 0,001), both measured on Ab at day 1 post-AVF creation, are statistically significant predictors of flow change during 28 days of maturation. In the linear regression model EDV measured on Ab at day 1 post-AVF creation (Beta = 0,683; p = 0,003) and diameter of Ab (Beta = 0,441; p = 0,004) remained significant (Fig. 1 and 2). The vast majority of the study population undergone the first AVF puncture between 15-30th day post-creation (48.5%), while 12 (36.4%) and 5 (15.1%) experienced AVF puncture after more than 30 days and at the 14th day, respectively Conclusion Hemodynamic parametres of the brachial artery, precisely peak systolic volume and end-diastolic volume at the first day post-AVF creation, play a significant role in AVF maturation. CDU measurements of those hemodynamic parameters at day 1 may be useful for an early identification of AVF maturation outcomes.

Effects of long-term Ashtanga Yoga practice on psychological well-being

PurposeIn recent years, Yoga practice has seen a rapid rise in popularity with many positive consequences, both physical and mental attributed to its practice. Ashtanga Yoga has been less well researched in this area and is the specific focus on this work. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible positive impact of long-term Ashtanga Yoga on psychological well-being.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 213 long-term Ashtanga Yoga practitioners were asked to complete the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment (PERMA) 23 scale (Butler and Kern, 2016) which measures psychological well-being. The values given by these individuals were then compared against a larger sample of 31,966 representative of the general population.FindingsScores were then compared with a PERMA data set representative of the general population (see Butler and Kern, 2016), primarily using a test of difference to compare samples. Secondly, the causal relationship between time spent in practice upon well-being scores.Research limitations/implicationsFindings indicated that those individuals engaged in long-term Ashtanga Yoga practice significantly outperformed the control group on all dimensions of psychological well-being.Practical implicationsThis work has demonstrated specific benefits to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga on psychological well-being. Yoga is a form of exercise that is now widely available across the globe, and as such, represents an accessible form of physical practice, which has important psychological benefits.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work investigating differences in psychological well-being profiles using PERMA, as a function of Yoga practice.