Significance Level Alpha Research Articles

Detection and Estimation of Change Point in Volatility Function of Foreign Exchange Rate Returns

This work aims at detection and estimation of a change point in conditional variance function of a Nonparametric Auto-Regressive Conditional Heteroscedastic model. The conditional mean and conditional variance functions are not specified a priori but estimated using Nadaraya Watson kernel. This is because inferences based on nonparametric approaches are robust against misspecification of the conditional mean function and the conditional variance function of returns. The squared residuals obtained after estimating the regression function of the returns are used in estimating the conditional variance function. Further, the squared residuals are used in developing a test statistic for unknown abrupt change point in volatility of the exchange rate returns. The test statistic takes into consideration the conditional heteroskedasticity of the disturbances, dependence of the returns, heterogeneity and fourth moment of returns. This does not require prior knowledge of the marginal or the conditional densities of the returns as opposed to maximum likelihood estimation methods. The estimator for change point is considered as the augmented maximum of the test statistic. The consistency of the estimator is stated as a theorem. The asymptotic distribution associated with the test for unknown break points is the Bessel process distribution. The Bessel process distributions have no known simple closed-form expression for the distribution function which makes it difficult to compute exact p-values. Also, the Bessel process distributions depend on two parameters which makes it hard to tabulate the critical values hence one needs to simulate them. After simulating the critical values, hypothesis testing is done in the presence and absence of a change point in volatility of a simulated time series and the test is shown to reject the null hypothesis in the presence of a change point at alpha level of significance. Further, the test fails to reject the null hypothesis in the absence of a change point at alpha level of significance. An application to United States Dollar/Kenya Shilling historical exchange rates returns is made from 1^st January 2010 to 27^th November 2020 where the sample size n = 2839 is done. Through binary segmentation method, three change points are detected, estimated and accounted for. A significant improvement in describing a time series is expected if a point in time for volatility change has been detected and estimated.

Coping with cancer and a history of health-related events.

Cancer is a source of stress related to the resulting change in lifestyle. The processes which take place when a patient is coping with a disease may be explained in terms of the transactional concept of psychological stress (Lazarus, Folkman) and the critical life events model (Filipp). These two complementary theoretical approaches set the direction and aim of the study which was to determine the role played by earlier events responsible for health loss due to a chronic, serious disease in the course of a stress transaction in cancer patients. The study involved 121 patients with either breast or colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy as part of their treatment. They were asked to complete a purpose-designed set of questionnaires which included Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R), the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer (Mini-MAC) questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS). The interdependencies between variables were determined using difference significance tests (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis) and the Dunn's correction test. The significance level (alpha) of 0.05 was assumed appropriate for the study. Patients with previous health-related events were found to expect the struggle with cancer to be a greater and more serious challenge. Those patients had suffered loss of health prior to getting cancer and their emotional reactions were heightened. This finding allowed the identification of patients more prone to creating a negative view of their disease. When planning a psychological treatment of patients with cancer, an account must be taken of their past life events and earlier experiences of being ill, in order to implement appropriate psychological intervention aimed at reducing their emotional stress.

Knowledge Of Legal Liability In Sports Among Sports Council Personnel In South-South, Nigeria.

A study on knowledge of legal liability in sports, among male athletes in sport councils in South-South Nigeria. Nine research questions and six null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha levels. The population for this study comprised of all the 3,321 athletes and coaches in south south Nigeria with a sample size of 645 respondents (140 coaches and 505 athletes). The study adopted the cross sectional survey design. The sampling technique used was multi stage sampling procedure. The research instrument was subject to both face and content validation by the researcher’s supervisor and two experts in the field of measurement and evaluation. The reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistical analysis. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation for the research questions, while multiple regression were used for the testing of the null hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The findings established that: 401 (62.2%) Sport personnel in South-South Nigeria possessed good knowledge of legal liability in sports while 244 (37.8%) do not. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that: Ministry of sport should introduce sporting activities, training and retraining from time to time in order to improve the knowledge of Sports personnel with issues relating to legal liability in sport.

MP15-04 PRESENCE OF HPV IN PROSTATE TISSUE FROM PATIENTS SUBMITTED TO PROSTATE BIOPSY

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP15-04 PRESENCE OF HPV IN PROSTATE TISSUE FROM PATIENTS SUBMITTED TO PROSTATE BIOPSY Nalisson Pereira, Emerson Martins, Mateus Quintela, Arthur Cunha, and Jaques Waisberg Nalisson PereiraNalisson Pereira More articles by this author , Emerson MartinsEmerson Martins More articles by this author , Mateus QuintelaMateus Quintela More articles by this author , Arthur CunhaArthur Cunha More articles by this author , and Jaques WaisbergJaques Waisberg More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003235.04AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer among men. Environmental and hereditary factors are assumed to play crucial roles in prostate carcinogenesis. In addition, increasing epidemiological evidence, along with molecular research, suggests that viral infection would be a potential cofactor for the development of PCa. Recently, it has been estimated that virus infection represents approximately 10% of the worldwide cancer burden. HPV, one of the most important oncogenic viruses. Based on the genomic sequence of L1, the gene encoding the main capsid protein, more than 200 types of HPV have been identified and characterized, with at least 14 high-risk types which may cause cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of HPV in prostate tissue in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy and its possible relationship with prostate cancer. METHODS: 157 prostate tissue samples were obtained from patients undergoing screening for PCa by transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy, collected at IOM (Instituto de Oncologia e Mastologia de Macapá, Amapá, Brazil) from December 2018 to January 2021. One fragment was placed in a microcentrifuge tube with 1mL of RNAlater. After collection, the vials were stored at -20C until being processed. Total DNA extraction was performed in the Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory of the Federal University of Amapá (UNIFAP). The Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) method was used for HPV detection. The analysis to investigate the relationship between the presence of HPV and cancer was the extension of Fisher's exact test and the alpha significance level equal to 5% was applied. RESULTS: 157 patients, 95 (60.5%) with PCa, 55 (35.0%) without cancer, and 7 (4.5%) as inconclusive (ASAP). The presence of HPV was 7/95 =(7.4%) in patients with cancer, and 2/55 =(3.6%) in those without evidence of cancer or inconclusive diagnosis ASAP. The inferential results revealed that the presence of HPV was not related to the diagnosis of cancer when the ASAP diagnosis was considered in the analysis (p=0.663) and, also when the ASAP diagnosis was not included (p=0.487). CONCLUSIONS: There was no L1 gene expression and significant levels of HPV L1 in prostate tissue. These findings suggest no oncogenic activity of HPV in PCa. Source of Funding: None © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e192 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Nalisson Pereira More articles by this author Emerson Martins More articles by this author Mateus Quintela More articles by this author Arthur Cunha More articles by this author Jaques Waisberg More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Influence of health institution related factors on health seeking behaviors among men suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms attending surgical outpatient clinic at a county referral hospital Meru Kenya

Background: Currently there is an increase in cases of men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) especially in low resource countries. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of health institution related factors on health seeking behaviors among men suffering from LUTS attending surgical outpatient clinic at Meru county referral hospital, Kenya. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Population involved 120 men suffering from LUTS, 2 physicians and 2 nurses. The study tools used were questionnaires, key informant interview guides and focus group discussion guides. The quantitative data was analyzed using chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Hypothesis testing was done at an alpha level of significance of 0.05 such that any p-values below the alpha were deemed significant. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically Results: Health institutional related factors which included adequate personnel 2.57 [95% CI=1.09-6.06, p=0.032], adequate drugs 3.14 [95% CI=1.36-7.23, p=0.007], treated well by the health care workers 2.95 [95% CI=1.18-7.36, p=0.021], short duration time taken to be served in the hospital 2.40 [95% CI=1.12-5.16, p=0.025] and distance to the health facility 2.21 [95% CI=1.01-4.84, p=0.047], significant parameters associated with health seeking behaviors Conclusions: There was significance influence of health institution related factors on health seeking behaviors among men suffering from LUTS.

Conversational Skills, Speech Production and Academic Achievement Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Special Needs Schools in Rivers State, Nigeria

This study investigated the relationship between conversational skills, speech production and academic achievement among children with autism spectrum disorder in special needs schools. The study adopted a correlational survey design. Four research questions and four corresponding hypotheses were raised and formulated to guide the study. The population for this study consists of all 80 male and female pupils diagnosed with ASD in seven special needs schools in Rivers State. The research instrument that was used in this study is a modified four-point Likert type scale questionnaire titled “Conversational Skills, Speech Production and Academic Achievement Questionnaire” (CSSPAAQ). Cronbach Alpha statistics was used to estimate the reliability of the instrument and the reliability coefficients of 0.81 for conversational skills, 0.70 for speech production and 0.92 for academic achievement were obtained. Data was collected and analysed using simple regression while t-test and beta value associated with simple regression was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level of significance. From the data analyzed, it was found that conversational skills and speech production are significantly related to academic achievement among children with ASD in special needs schools. Based on these findings the following recommendations were made: Counsellors, teachers, school administrators and caregivers of children with ASD should encourage conversational skills by supplementing intervention strategies that draw from a variety of theories and involve varying degrees of adult-directed activities with child-centered activities in order to increase interaction and generalization of learnt skills to new settings and communication partners; and teachers, caregivers, and parents of children with ASD should encourage speech production by engaging the use of video modelling technique in teaching and during play activities and everyday routines to encourage the use of new words in different contexts.

SEVTAR-A multicenter randomized controlled trial to investigate the impact of prophylactic endoluminal placed vacuum sponge for prevention of anastomotic leakage after low rectal resections.

Low anterior resection for rectal cancer is commonly associated with a diverting stoma. In general, the stoma is closed 3 months after the initial operation. The diverting stoma reduces the rate of anastomotic leakage as well as the severeness of a potential leakage itself. Nevertheless, anastomotic leakage is still a life-threatening complication and might reduce the quality of life in the short and long term. In case of leakage, the construction can be converted into a Hartmann situation or it could be treated by endoscopic vacuum therapy or by leaving the drains. In recent years, endoscopic vacuum therapy has become the treatment of choice in many institutions. In this study, the hypothesis is to be evaluated, if a prophylactic endoscopic vacuum therapy reduces the rate of anastomotic leakage after rectal resections. A multicenter parallel group randomized controlled trial is planned in as many as possible centers in Europe. The study aims to recruit 362 analyzable patients with a resection of the rectum combined with a diverting ileostoma. The anastomosis has to be between 2 and 8 cm off the anal verge. Half of these patients receive a sponge for 5 days, and the control group is treated as usual in the participating hospitals. There will be a check for anastomotic leakage after 30 days. Primary end point is the rate of anastomotic leakages. The study will have 60% power to detect a difference of 10%, at a one-sided alpha significance level of 5%, assuming an anastomosis leakage rate of 10%-15%. If the hypothesis proves to be true, anastomosis leakage could be reduced significantly by placing a vacuum sponge over the anastomosis for 5 days. The trial is registered at DRKS: DRKS00023436. It has been accredited by Onkocert of the German Society of Cancer: ST-D483. The leading Ethics Committee is the Ethics Committee of Rostock University with the registration ID A 2019-0203.

LEARNING STYLES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF GRADE 11 HUMSS STUDENTS IN EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE IN TITAY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL: BASIS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

This study was undertaken to determine any significant difference in learning styles and academic performance. Specifically, it answered the following questions 1) What is the learning style of the respondents? 2) What is the level of academic performance of Grade 11 HUMSS students? 3) Is there a relationship between learning styles and academic performance of the respondents? 4) Is there a significant difference between learning styles and academic performance when respondents are grouped according to profile? 5) On the basis of findings, what instructional development plan can be designed? The researcher was able to utilized quantitative descriptive design to answer the research question of the study. Moreover, this study also utilized another type of research design, the correlational study. It is used to find out the association between two or more variables. The study revealed that the respondents of the study have moderately applied visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. However, the highest and lowest grade among respondents is 98 and 82.00, respectively which has a verbal description of Outstanding and Average, respectively. The mean of the academic performance of the respondents is 91.00 with a standard deviation of 2.900 and verbal description of Very Good. The results of Pearson r correlation coefficient between the learning style and the academic performance revealed that the learning styles of the respondents in terms of visual learning with r=- 0.341 has moderate positive correlation with the academic performance of the students at p-value of 0.031** with an assumed alpha level of significance of 0.05. The findings revealed that the significant difference does exist in the learning style in terms of kinesthetic learning (t=-2.102) with p values lesser than alpha = 0.05 level of significance when the data is analyzed according to the respondents gender. Moreover, the result of t-test uncorrelated in the learning style when the data is analyzed according to the ethnicity of the respondents. As disclosed in the findings, the significant difference does exist in the learning style in terms of visual learning (t=2.814) with p values lesser than alpha= 0.05 level of significance when the data is analyzed according to the respondents ethnicity. The significant difference does not exist in the learning style in terms of visual learning (t=0.897), auditory (t=1.248), and kinesthetic (t=0.665), with p values greater than alpha=0.05 level of significance. The data imply that the socio-economic status has no significant bearing on the learning style of the respondents. An instructional development plan was proposed.

Interference of the Political Class in Public Senior Secondary School Leadership in Rivers Southeast Senatorial District of Rivers State.

This study focuses on the Interference of the Political Class in Public Senior Secondary School Leadership in Rivers southeast Senatorial District of Rivers State. The study adopted a Descriptive research design. The population comprised 234 respondents (78 Principals, 78 Vice Principal Administration, and 78 Academics. Census was used to select the population. The questionnaire was used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was obtained using test-retest method statistics. Twenty senior secondary school principals were administered the questionnaire, and a reliability index of 0.739 and 0.81 was obtained through Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistics. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer research questions 1-4, while an independent t-test was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 alpha significance level. The findings showed no significant difference between the mean ratings of principals and vice principals in the interference of politics on the appointment, promotion, posting of staff personnel, etc. From the findings, the study concludes that government should come up with acceptable criteria for appointing principals to ensure proper management of the schools, and the government should support the in-service training of staff to ensure teacher competency.

Quality of Financial Reporting: Differences Before and After IFRS Adoption in Basic and Chemical Industry Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange

The purpose of this study was to obtain empirical evidence about the differences in the quality of financial reporting before and after International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption in basic and chemical industry companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The sample in this research was basic and chemical industry companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange 2007-2010, two years before the adoption of IFRS and two years in the stage of adoption of IFRS by the total number sample was 192. This study used quantitative research methods, multiple regression analysis to test the model attributes of quality of financial reporting. Meanwhile, differences in the quality of financial reporting before and after International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption tested by using a comparative test, paired sample t-test. The results of the study that were presented did not indicate differences of the quality of financial reporting as measured by earnings management. Based on the results of tests performed standard deviation values obtained from the equation of DACC amounted 0.2412570 for SAK GAAP and 0.2586949 for SAK IFRS with a significance value was 0.130 at the significance level (alpha) 0.05. Similarly, the results of testing the quality of financial reporting differences as measured by the relevance of values before and after the adoption of IFRS did not show any significant differences. Based on statistical tests, R2 from the equation of RET was 0.078 to SAK GAAP and 0,021 for SAK IFRS. The comparative test (T Test) showed a significance value 0.865 at the significance level (alpha) 0.05.

Effect of Computer-Assisted Instruction on Pupils’ Performance in Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning

There seem to be a low attention towards the use of computer as a medium of instruction to optimize education especially in primary schools. This paper, through a quasi-experiment examined the effects of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) on pupils’ performance in Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning. The population for the study comprised all the public primary school pupils in Lagos State. The target population consists of all the primary five pupils in Lagos State public primary schools. The study purposively sampled 2 Government owned schools based on the availability of computer facility in them and randomly sampled 154 primary school pupils. The research instrument that was used for the study was a researcher-made model. The data generated were analyzed using percentages while the hypotheses formulated in this study were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The findings show that CAI has a significant positive effect on pupils’ performance in Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning. Based on the tested hypotheses, it is hereby recommended that government should provide CAI devices to all public primary schools in Lagos State and proffer the means of using the CAI devices (electricity).

Security Challenges and Sustainability of Gender Equality in Access to Quality Education in South-East Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of security challenges on the sustainability of gender equality in access to quality education in South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to ascertain forms, causes and consequences of security challenges on the sustainability of gender equality in access to quality education in the South-Eastern states of Nigeria. Five research questions and five corresponding hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised estimated 63, 935 respondents that comprised 22,576 male and female teachers and 41, 359 parents in the study area. Multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted and 759 respondents comprising 378 teachers and 381 parents were randomly selected. The instrument for data collection was a 46-item structured questionnaire on a 4-point modified Likert scale designed by the researchers with response options ranging from Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), to Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD). Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics involving mean and standard deviation, while hypotheses were tested at a .05 level of significance using independent sample t-test statistics. Results of the study revealed among others that human, perceived socio-political Exclusion, cultural and internal factors which resulted in agitation for self-rule through the instrumentality of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), constitute security challenges to sustainability of gender equality in access to quality education in the South-East Nigeria which affect sustainability of gender equality in access to quality education as it increases school dropout rate, and unfriendly learning environment. The study recommended among other things that, Federal and South-East state governments should use dialogue and strategic communication framework to curb security challenges that threaten quality education in the South-Eastern Nigeria and that constructive engagement of youths through Technical and vocational education, and the unconditional release of the IPOB leader could curb the security challenges in the area.

Roles of School Counsellors in Addressing Factors Responsible for Political Reconstruction in Nigeria

This study investigated the roles of school counsellors in addressing factors responsible for political reconstruction in Nigeria. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study was descriptive survey. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select a total of fifty-two (52) school counsellors in Ondo West Local Government Area. The research instrument used was a structured questionnaire titled “roles of school counsellors in addressing factors responsible for political reconstruction” with reliability co-efficient of 0.84 and well established validity. Two research questions were raised and six research hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The data was analysed using frequency count and percentage, mean, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that factors responsible for political reconstruction in Nigeria involve bad governance, corruption, election rigging etc. The school counsellors’ roles in addressing factors responsible for political reconstruction in Nigeria include organizing seminars/workshops on how to tackle contemporary issues, inculcating conflict resolution skills, encouraging the youth to indulge in politics with the motives of making positive impact, rehabilitating the restive youth, reinforcing socially-acceptable behaviours among in-school adolescents etc. The study also revealed that there was no significant difference in the roles of school counsellors in addressing factors responsible for political reconstruction based on respondents’ gender, age and qualification. The study concluded that factors responsible for political reconstruction are prevalent in Nigeria. It is therefore, recommended that the school counsellors should organize seminars and workshops on how to checkmate factors responsible for political reconstruction in Nigeria.

Perceived Impact of Accreditation on the Management of Universities in North Central Nigeria.

The higher education sector in North Central Nigeria is experiencing a notable shift, focusing more on accreditation as a crucial tool to evaluate university quality. Accreditation ensures that institutions meet set standards, aiming to enhance the region’s higher education system. However, there’s an urgent need to understand how accreditation affects university management, specifically in terms of staffing sufficiency and environmental cleanliness in public universities. The study investigated the perceived impact of accreditation on the management of universities in North Central Nigeria, utilizing two research questions and two hypotheses as a guide. A survey research design was employed for this study. Out of the population of 14,347 academic and senior non-academic staff members from Federal and State Universities in the North Central States of Nigeria, a sample of 388 staff members was selected. The sample selection was determined using the Taro Yamane formula for sample size determination and involved a multi-stage sampling procedure. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled “Accreditation and Management of Public Universities Questionnaire” (AMOPUQ). To ascertain the instrument’s reliability, a trial-test was conducted in the South-East Geo-political Zone. The collected data were analyzed using the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient to determine the internal consistency. An overall internal consistency reliability coefficient of 0.87 was obtained. The structured questionnaire developed by the researcher underwent scrutiny by two experts in Educational Administration and Planning, one from Agricultural Education and one from Measurement and Evaluation, both from the College of Agricultural and Science Education, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi. Additionally, an expert from Education Management at Benue State University provided input. They assisted in vetting the instrument, ensuring content clarity, accuracy, and relevance to elicit the required information. Descriptive statistics, such as mean and standard deviation, were used to answer the research questions. Furthermore, the hypotheses were tested using Chi-square (χ2) test of independence statistics at the 0.05 alpha level of significance with SPSS version twenty. The study found that accreditation has a significant impact on the adequacy of teaching and non-teaching staff and environmental sanitation in public universities in North Central Nigeria. Among the recommendations made, accreditation bodies should establish mandatory staffing standards as part of the accreditation process. This would necessitate organizations seeking accreditation to meet specific staffing requirements, ensuring their commitment to adequate staffing levels. The implementation steps would include defining clear staffing standards, incorporating them into accreditation criteria, conducting regular audits, providing support and resources, monitoring and improving staffing levels, and collaborating with stakeholders.

Effects Of Noise Electrical Stimulation On Proprioception, Force Control, And Corticomuscular Functional Connectivity.

Sensory afferent inputs play an important role in neuromuscular functions. Subsensory level noise electrical stimulation enhances the sensitivity of peripheral sensory system and improves lower extremity motor function. The current study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of noise electrical stimulation on proprioceptive senses and grip force control, and whether there are associated neural activities in the central nervous system. Fourteen healthy adults participated in 2 experiments on 2 different days. In day 1, participants performed grip force and joint proprioceptive tasks with and without (sham) noise electrical stimulation. In day 2, participants performed grip force steady hold task before and after 30-min noise electrical stimulation. Noise stimulation was applied with surface electrodes secured along the course of the median nerve and proximal to the coronoid fossa EEG power spectrum density of bilateral sensorimotor cortex and coherence between EEG and finger flexor EMG were calculated and compared. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests were used to compare the differences of proprioception, force control, EEG power spectrum density and EEG-EMG coherence between noise electrical stimulation and sham conditions. The significance level (alpha) was set at 0.05. Our study found that noise stimulation with optimal intensity could improve both force and joint proprioceptive senses. Furthermore, individuals with higher gamma coherence showed better force proprioceptive sense improvement with 30-min noise electrical stimulation. These observations indicate the potential clinical benefits of noise stimulation on individuals with impaired proprioceptive senses and the characteristics of individuals who might benefit from noise stimulation.

Comparison between two methods of the immediate post-placental insertion of copper intrauterine device in vaginal birth—a protocol for a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundEnsuring effective and long-term contraception in the immediate postpartum period is an effective strategy for reducing unplanned pregnancies. In the meantime, the intrauterine device (IUD) is an excellent option. The aim of our study was to evaluate the best way to insert post-placental IUDs in the immediate postpartum period. Discomfort during insertion, expulsion rate, uterine perforation rate, and proper positioning 40–60 days postpartum will be analyzed.MethodsRandomized, controlled, open clinical trial. The study group will be composed of women between 18 and 43 years old who are admitted for vaginal birth at the Women’s Hospital of the State University of Campinas and who wish to use the IUD as a contraceptive method. The sample will be randomized into two insertion groups: manual and forceps. To calculate the sample size, the method of comparing the proportion between 2 groups was used, setting the level of significance alpha at 5% (alpha=0.05) and the power of the sample at 80% (beta=0.20). Based on the results, it was estimated that a sample of n=186 women (n=93 with manual insertion and n=93 with forceps) would be representative for comparison of expulsion between the 2 groups. All participants will undergo a postpartum consultation 40–60 days after birth with transvaginal ultrasound to assess the proper placement of the IUD.DiscussionInsertion of an IUD in the immediate postpartum period has been considered a good option to increase coverage and access to contraception, and its benefit outweighs the inconvenience of a higher expulsion rate.Trial registrationThis study was approved by the Ethics and Research Commission of UNICAMP (CAAE: 50497321.4.0000.5404) and the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (REBEC) (number RBR-4j62jv6). This is the first version of the study protocol approved on 11/12/2021 prior to the start of participant recruitment.

Titanium-base abutments may have similar long-term peri-implant effects as non-bonded one-piece abutments.

Design A single-centre (private practice), prospective, longitudinal, split-mouth, single-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial reported peri-implant parameters of individualised abutments bonded to titanium (Ti) bases during a five-year follow-up. The study complied with the ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration and the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines. It was approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of the University of Freiburg (013/1630) and registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00006163).Case selection The included subjects had to be over 17 years of age, have an American Society of Anaesthesiologists score of 1, be a non-smoker, have a full-mouth plaque index (PI) below 20%, full-mouth bleeding index (BI) 20%, and planned with at least two dental implants but not adjacent to each other. Participants were excluded if they required simultaneous augmentation, were pregnant or breastfeeding, or had a history of periodontitis. Marginal bone loss (MBL) was the main clinical outcome, while local bleeding on probing (BoP), probing pocket depth (PPD), plaque Index (PI), local recession (REC), and relative attachment level (RAL) were also evaluated. The study timeline consisted of a screening (visit 1) and implant surgery (visit 2). Stage two was three months after implant surgery (visit 3), impression was two weeks after stage two (visit 4), followed up by baseline with a standardised radiograph (visit 5), one-year follow-up with radiographic and clinical parameters (visit 6), two-year follow-up (visit 7), three-year follow-up (visit 8), four-year follow-up (visit 9) and five-year follow-up (visit 10). In total, 24 subjects received two bone-level implants (Conelog, Camlog Biotechnologies, Basel, Switzerland) in the same arch and region up to 1 mm subcrestally. Their implant-abutment connection was an internal 7.5 degree conical connection platform-switch. Each subject received two abutments (one control and one test) as per the split-mouth design. The control abutments consisted of individualised, one-piece, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) titanium abutments, whereas the test abutments were CAD/CAM titanium abutments bonded to Ti-bases. The decision which implant was restored and in which way was made by a coin flip. The surgeon, patient and prosthodontist were blinded regarding the treatment allocation.Data analysis Descriptive measures and quantitative parameters were obtained from means, standard deviations, minimum and maximum values and 95% confidence intervals. The means of clinical parameters (six sites per implant) were MBL, BoP, PPD, PI, REC, and RAL. Paired t-tests were used for intragroup comparisons at different intervals as well as for intergroup comparisons within each time point. All data collected were considered until participants dropped out (that is, intention-to-treat principle). The significance level alpha was set to 0.05. The post-hoc power calculation of the MBL intergroup comparison dammed this trial as underpowered (power = 34%).Results All implants were osseointegrated after the healing stage and no implants were lost during the trial. Two subjects dropped out (one after the two-year follow-up and the other at the last appointment). Regarding MBL, no significant intergroup differences were found between the abutment groups. Nonetheless, significant intragroup differences were found at several visits (visit 6 to visit 10) compared to the baseline MBL (visit 5), indicating continuous bone level alterations. Concerning the BoP, no significant differences were identified. In terms of PPD, significant intergroup differences were found at visits 9 (p = 0.006) and 10 (p = 0.024), favouring Ti-base abutments. There were significantly intergroup differences in terms of REC (p = 0.014) at visit 10, with higher values in the one-piece abutment group. No differences were found in terms of PI.Conclusions A preliminary conclusion of this underpowered trial was that Ti-base abutments have a similar long-term effect to one-piece abutments on human peri-implant tissues.

Assessment of Encarta Software in the Teaching and Learning of Vocabulary in Senior Secondary Schools in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State

The study accessed the use of Encarta software in the teaching and learning of vocabulary in senior secondary schools in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study adopted the quasi-experimental research design, which consisted of two groups, the experimental group and the control group. The population of the study comprised of 100 students from two schools which were divided into 50 for the experimental group and 50 for the control group. Students in the two schools were administered the EVAT as a pretest before the commencement of the treatment. The students in the experimental group were taught vocabulary using Microsoft Encarta software while instruction was given to the control group using the normal traditional method of teaching. At the end of the lesson, the post test was administered to both groups and data was collected after it was marked. The mean and standard deviations were used to analyze the research questions while Analysis of Variance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the hypotheses. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. Recommendations were made that trainings/workshops should be organized for English language teachers in secondary schools on the use of Microsoft Encarta software.

Assessment of Encarta Software in the Teaching and Learning of Vocabulary in Senior Secondary Schools in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State

The study accessed the use of Encarta software in the teaching and learning of vocabulary in senior secondary schools in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study adopted the quasi-experimental research design, which consisted of two groups, the experimental group and the control group. The population of the study comprised of 100 students from two schools which were divided into 50 for the experimental group and 50 for the control group. Students in the two schools were administered the EVAT as a pretest before the commencement of the treatment. The students in the experimental group were taught vocabulary using Microsoft Encarta software while instruction was given to the control group using the normal traditional method of teaching. At the end of the lesson, the post test was administered to both groups and data was collected after it was marked. The mean and standard deviations were used to analyze the research questions while Analysis of Variance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the hypotheses. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. Recommendations were made that trainings/ workshops should be organized for English language teachers in secondary schools on the use of Microsoft Encarta software.

Pengaruh Profitabilitas Dan Kebijakan Deviden Terhadap Nilai Suatu Perusahaan Yang Bergerak Di Bidang Farmasi Periode 2012 S.D 2019

This study aims to determine and analyze the effect of profitability and dividend policy on company value in the manufacturing sector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The independent variable X1 in this study is profitability proxied by Return On Equity (ROE). The independent variable X2 is the dividend policy proxied by the Dividend Payout Ratio (DPR). Moreover, the dependent variable Y is company value proxied by Price to Book Value (PBV). in pharmaceutical companies in the 2012-2019 period.
 The sample was selected using the time series method with 32 financial reports from 2012 to 2019. The data testing technique uses multiple linear regression with a significant alpha level of 5%.
 The results of the study Y = 248.903 + 164.246 (ROE) – 9.111 (DPR) + ɛ. This study proves that profitability has a significant positive effect on firm value, while dividend policy significantly negatively affects firm value. Therefore, simultaneously profitability and dividend policy affect firm value.