Gender Characteristics Research Articles

Closing the gender pay gap for executives

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings The number of female executive directors can be restricted due to conventional prejudices and stereotyping. This typically leads to lower compensation compared to male counterparts, a situation that can be further affected by the tendency of women to work in smaller firms where remuneration is lower. Differences in gender characteristics and associated behaviors might also be significant, although these can erode over time. Scope to narrow the pay divide increases when women are appointed to the nomination and remuneration committee (NRC) and are given decision-making responsibilities. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ADULT PATIENTS WHO SUFFERED FROM COVID-19 IN THE KEMEROVO REGION – KUZBASS (ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL REGISTRY OF COVID-19 PATIENTS)

HighlightsThe article presents the results of the analysis of age and gender characteristics of patients, epidemiological and clinical features of the course of the new coronavirus infection, and appropriate patient care strategies in the Kemerovo region – Kuzbass in 2020–2022 according to the Federal Registry of COVID-19 patients. AnnotationAim. To analyze age and gender characteristics of patients, epidemiological and clinical features of the course of the new coronavirus infection (NCI, COVID-19), and the aspects of patient care strategies for this cohort of patients in the Kemerovo region – Kuzbass in 2020–2022 using the data from the Federal Registry of COVID-19 patients.Methods. The object of the study was the Federal Registry of COVID-19 patients (for the Kemerovo region – Kuzbass). The data was presented in the format of data as of January 10, 2023 and in dynamics – from June 14, 2020 to December 31, 2022. The subject of the retrospective study included: age and gender of patients, prevalence and morbidity associated with COVID-19, mortality from NCI, type of medical care/treatment and its absence (outpatient, inpatient, including treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU)), severity of NCI (mild, moderate, severe, extremely severe), etc. The unit of analysis was the adult population (18 years and older) permanently residing in the Kemerovo region – Kuzbass and included in the Federal Registry of COVID-19 patients with U07.1 and U07.2 ICD-10-CM codes.Results. The authors analyzed the data of 345,588 patients diagnosed with NCI. The median age was 53.2 (38.7; 66.0) years. The majority of participants were female (61%), the number of males was much lower (39%). The prevalence of the disease in 2020 was 2,593.1 cases per 100 thousand population of Kuzbass, in 2021 it was 6,764.5 cases, in 2022 it was 7,468.8 cases in the analyzed age group. The majority cases were people with mild (78.3%) and less often moderate severity (16.8%) of the disease. The authors noted that the cases with severe (2.9%) and extremely severe (2.0%) course were detected with the same frequency. The majority of patients were undergoing outpatient treatment (75.9%), a quarter of patients (23.7%) were undergoing inpatient treatment, 0.4% of patients refused treatment. The median duration of outpatient treatment was 11 (7.0; 15.0) days, inpatient treatment lasted 10.0 (7.0; 14.0) bed-days. The inpatients were 16.7 years older than the outpatients. In the ICU, 7,025 patients received treatment during the analyzed period, which accounted for 2% of all patients aged≥ 18 years and 8.6% of those who were hospitalized. 75.1% of patients treated in the ICU needed mechanical ventilation. During the analyzed period, 3.9% of the patients with NCI included in the analysis died. Mortality from NCI in 2020 amounted to 124.6 cases per 100 thousand population, in 2021 – 392.5 cases, in 2022 – 136 cases. The median age of the deceased persons was 72 (64.4; 81.8) years, the deceased women were 3.6 years older than men.Conclusion. The study made it possible to systematize data on gender and age characteristics of patients, epidemiological and clinical features of the course of NCI, as well as aspects of medical care for this cohort of patients in the Kemerovo region – Kuzbass in 2020-2022 according to the Federal Registry of COVID-19 patients. The results obtained can be used for rational allocation of healthcare resources.

Investigating the Roles of Gender, Age, and Sport Characteristics on School and Sport Burnout in Finnish Lower Secondary School Student Athletes.

School sport programs for lower secondary school in Finland (i.e., Grades 7-9) show great promise in helping student athletes prepare for careers in both sport and academic pursuits. However, it has also been found that participation in these programs is highly competitive and demanding and may result in poor mental health outcomes like burnout for some students. The purpose of the current study was to investigate how burnout in sport and school in Finnish lower secondary school students was associated with gender, age, training loads, level of competition, and sport type. A sample of 856 lower secondary school students (Grades 7-9, ages 13-15 years old) completed measures of sport and school burnout and provided information on their demographics and sport. Gender, age, training loads, level of competition, and sport type predicted a small but significant portion of variance in sport-related exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy, and in school-related exhaustion, but not school cynicism or inadequacy. Females and student athletes with higher training loads generally reported higher levels of burnout, while only a small number of effects related to age, competition level, and type of sport were observed. Lower secondary sports schools in Finland might aim to understand the difficulties encountered by student athletes, particularly females and those with higher training loads. This understanding can guide them in taking informed, practical measures to safeguard the mental health of these students and optimize their performance both academically and athletically.

ANALYSIS OF EYE TRAUMA OVER THE 5 YEARS BASED ON THE DATABASE OF THE NATIONAL OPHTHALMOLOGY CENTRE NAMED AFTER ACADEMICIAN ZARIFA ALIYEVA

Purpose – to analyze the frequency of occurrence, the structure and dynamics of ophthalmic injuries based on patients referrals to the National Ophthalmology Centre named after Academician Zarifa Aliyeva (NOC). Material and methods Based on NOC reporting forms according to outpatient (form №25) and inpatient cards (form f-003/u) for 2019-2023. The dynamics of the incidence of injuries to the organ of vision and the indicator of the structure of ophthalmic injuries, gender and age characteristics of appealability were studied. According statistical reporting, the age of the patients was standardized into two categories: “0-18 years” and “over 18 years”. Statistical data processing was carried out using the MSO Excel software package. Results According to statistics, over the years there has been a decrease in the number of patient visits and hospitalizations with eye injuries. On average, 72.9±5.8% of all applied patients were men. In 2022-2023, there is a growing trend in the proportion of women with eye injuries. The proportion of household injuries is statistically significantly higher among the age category “0-18 years” compared to older patients. An increase in the proportion of eye injuries indicates the need to take effective measures to work with the population in order to reduce ophthalmic injuries in general. Conclusion The material obtained in this work dictates the need for a more detailed study of not only the causes of injuries to the organ of vision among patients who applied, but also the timeliness of treatment, the structure and type of the injury, its possible complications due to the development of a secondary infection, etc. Key words: ophthalmic injuries, structure of ophthalmic traumatism, National Ophthalmology Centre named after Academician Zarifa Aliyeva

Analysis of hepatitis B mortality trends in China from 2006 to 2021

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis B mortality among Chinese residents from 2006 to 2021 and predict the mortality trends from 2022 to 2027, providing reference for hepatitis B prevention and control efforts. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using hepatitis B mortality data from 2006 to 2021 published by the Chinese Center For Disease Control And Prevention. Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) were calculated based on the 2000 Chinese population as the standard population. The crude mortality rate (CMR) and ASMR were analyzed for temporal, regional, gender, and age distribution characteristics. The Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze trends, and the grey model was applied to predict CMR and ASMR from 2022 to 2027. Results: From 2006 to 2021, a total of 77 722 hepatitis B deaths were recorded, with an average CMR of 2.69/10 thousands and an ASMR of 2.00/10 thousands. The ASMR showed an overall decreasing trend for both males (AAPC=-5.4%, 95%CI: -8.1 to -2.7, P<0.001) and females (AAPC=-5.7%, 95%CI: -8.4 to -3.0, P<0.001). Declining trends were also observed in urban areas (AAPC=-5.0%, 95%CI: -7.7 to -2.2, P=0.001) and rural areas (AAPC=-5.7%, 95%CI: -9.0 to -2.4, P=0.001). Regional analysis indicated that the western, central, and eastern regions had average ASMRs of 2.86/10 thousands, 2.05/10 thousands, and 1.42/10 thousands, respectively, all showing downward trends. The grey model predicted that from 2022 to 2027, the CMR would decrease annually from 2.36/10 thousands to 2.03/10 thousands, while the ASMR would decline from 1.37/10 thousands to 1.04/10 thousands. Conclusions: Hepatitis B mortality rates in China, reflected by CMR and ASMR, have shown a consistent downward trend, indicating progress in hepatitis B prevention and control. Future efforts should prioritize targeted screening and preventive measures for rural populations, western regions, and males to further reduce mortality.

The impact of text format on the quality of students' reading performance

Introduction. The rapid proliferation of digital technologies and the widespread adoption of electronic texts in the educational process have raised the question of the impact of text presentation mode on the quality of students' reading. This issue is especially important during the period of development of reading skills in primary school. This article describes the results of an experimental study conducted to investigate the influence of text presentation mode on the reading performance of primary and secondary school students. Materials and methods. To achieve the research goals and objectives, an experimental design with repeated measures and control of additional variables using counterbalancing was developed. Participants were asked to read simplified and complicated texts in electronic and print formats sequentially. The experiment was conducted in two stages to assess the reading quality of simplified narrative texts and texts with a complex rhetorical structure. The experiment involved 107 primary school students aged 7 to 10 years (mean age = 9.33, 53.33% girls) and 30 secondary school students aged 11 to 15 years (mean age = 12.33, 53.33% girls). Results. The study found no significant differences in younger students' reading speed, memorization performance, and comprehension of simple narrative texts presented in electronic and print formats (163≤T≤648; 0,24≤p≤0,97). As students matured, they showed higher memorization performance for simple electronic texts compared to printed texts (χ 2 =5,98; p=0,047 – text «MA»; χ 2 =8,79; p=0,012 – text «AA»). However, the text format did not affect reading speed. The significance of the text presentation mode was amplified when perceiving complex texts. Girls showed a slower reading speed for complex electronic texts (T=89,5; p=0,0097), boys – lower remembering (T=12; p=0,019) and comprehension (T=56; p=0,039). All the groups showed lower memorization quality of electronic texts compared to printed texts (T=292; p=0,024). Conclusion. The study results demonstrated that the text presentation format (electronic/print) influences the reading performance of primary and secondary school students. However, this influence is not uniform and depends on several factors, such as the content of the text, its complexity, age, gender, and individual psychological characteristics of the readers. The results highlight the importance of a selective approach to the use of electronic texts in school education.

성적 괴롭힘 피해연예인을 위한 인권행동의사에 정서적 성숙이 미치는 영향과 신체매력 후광효과인식 및 인권인식의 매개효과 검증

This study investigates the impact of emotional maturity on intentions to engage in human rights actions for celebrities who have experienced sexual harassment, with a focus on the dual mediating roles of perceived physical attractiveness halo and human rights awareness, alongside moderating effects of gender and generational differences (pre-MZ vs. MZ generation). Data were gathered from a nationwide sample of 624 adults aged 25 to 59 and analyzed using structural equation modeling with AMOS and Mplus. Results indicate that while women show higher human rights awareness than men regarding sexually harassed celebrities, gender differences are not observed in human rights action intentions. Additionally, the pre-MZ generation demonstrates higher human rights awareness compared to the MZ generation, with no significant generational difference in action intentions. Emotional maturity positively correlates with human rights action intentions across genders and within the MZ generation, mediated in part by increased human rights awareness. For the pre-MZ generation, emotional maturity indirectly affects action intentions via full mediation through human rights awareness. Finally, among women and the MZ generation, heightened perception of the physical attractiveness halo effect weakens the positive impact of emotional maturity on action intentions, illustrating this perception’s mediating effect. No similar effect is found in men or the pre-MZ generation, underscoring the moderating role of gender and generational characteristics. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Analysis of Mortality in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction after Revascularization

Annotation. The objective of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the clinical and functional characteristics of the course of acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) after revascularization in patients who died and those who survived. The study included 286 patients with an average age of 62.8±9.8 years. Among the participants, 202 (70.6%) were men and 84 (29.4%) were women. All patients were hospitalized within 12 hours from the onset of pain syndrome, and all underwent urgent coronary angiography and stenting of the infarct-related artery. All patients underwent a general clinical examination, laboratory diagnostics including the determination of hemoglobin, glucose, creatinine, cystatin C, troponin I, C-reactive peptide; coronaroventriculography, 12-lead electrocardiography, and echocardiography according to the standard protocol. Statistical analysis of the obtained results was performed using the STATISTICA 6.1 software package, version No. ВХХR901E246022FA, and Microsoft Excel. It was found that 28 individuals (9.8%) died during the hospitalization stage. The average age of the deceased was 62.5 (55.5; 70.5) years, which does not significantly differ from that of the surviving patients. There was no statistical difference in gender characteristics either, with 21 (75.0%) men among the deceased and 181 (70.2%) men among the survivors, p=0.59. In the group of deceased patients, there was a significantly higher number of individuals with multivessel coronary artery disease, specifically 13 (46.4%) compared to 74 (28.7%), p=0.005. Among the surviving patients, there was a significantly higher number of individuals with single-vessel disease: 6 (21.4%) compared to 102 (39.5%), p=0.06. Among the deceased patients, acute heart failure Killip IV, p=0.009, and conduction disorders, p=0.01, were significantly more frequently diagnosed. In the group of deceased individuals, the levels of C-reactive peptide were significantly higher at 13.2 (5.5; 19.5) compared to 10.0 (6.0; 16.0), p=0.05; cystatin C levels were 1.61 (0.98; 1.51) compared to 1.23 (0.97; 1.38), p=0.05; and glucose levels were 8.8 (5.8; 12.1) compared to 7.1 (5.9; 10.0), p=0.05. So, among patients with STEMI, 28 individuals (9.8%) died during the hospital stage after urgent revascularization. Among the deceased patients, acute heart failure Killip IV and conduction disorders (sinoatrial and atrioventricular block) were significantly more frequently diagnosed, which became the cause of death. One of the most clinically and statistically significant factors distinguishing the comparison groups was the predominance of patients with multivessel disease. In the group of patients who died in the hospital, significantly higher levels of CRP, cystatin C, and glucose were noted. The level of cystatin C is a more sensitive diagnostic criterion in deceased patients compared to creatinine.

Ascertaining provider-level implicit bias in electronic health records with rules-based natural language processing: A pilot study in the case of prostate cancer.

Implicit, unconscious biases in medicine are personal attitudes about race, ethnicity, gender, and other characteristics that may lead to discriminatory patterns of care. However, there is no consensus on whether implicit bias represents a true predictor of differential care given an absence of real-world studies. We conducted the first real-world pilot study of provider implicit bias by evaluating treatment parity in prostate cancer using unstructured data-the most common way providers document granular details of the patient encounter. Patients ≥18 years with a diagnosis of very-low to favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer followed by 3 urologic oncologists from 2010 through 2021. The race Implicit Association Test was administered to all providers. Natural language processing screened human annotation using validated regex ontologies evaluated each provider's care on four prostate cancer quality indicators: (1) active surveillance utilization; (2) molecular biomarker discussion; (3) urinary function evaluation; and (4) sexual function evaluation. The chi-squared test and phi coefficient were utilized to respectively measure the statistical significance and the strength of association between race and four quality indicators. 1,094 patients were included. While Providers A and B demonstrated no preference on the race Implicit Association Test, Provider C showed preference for White patients. Provider C recommended active surveillance (p<0.01, φ = 0.175) and considered biomarkers (p = 0.047, φ = 0.127) more often in White men than expected, suggestive of treatment imparity. Provider A considered biomarkers (p<0.01, φ = 0.179) more often in White men than expected. Provider B demonstrated treatment parity in all evaluated quality indicators (p>0.05). In this pilot study, providers' practice patterns were associated with both patient race and implicit racial preferences in prostate cancer. Alerting providers of existing implicit bias may restore parity, however future assessments are needed to validate this concept.

Clinical and immunological characteristics of full-term newborns from mothers with COVID-19 during pregnancy

The long-term consequences of COVID-19 still remain among priority issues. Special attention should be paid to the state of health of newborns whose mothers suffered a coronavirus infection during pregnancy. The aim of our study was to evaluate clinical and immunological parameters in full-term newborns from mothers who underwent COVID-19 during pregnancy. We have performed a prospective cohort comparative study. A group of full-term newborns from mothers who had mild or moderate COVID-19 at different stages of pregnancy (n = 134) was compared with a group of newborns from mothers who were not exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection during their pregnancy (n = 84). Individual health indices and immunological characteristics were also evaluated at the age of 3 months of infants’ life. For statistical analysis, the Microsoft Excel computer software package (2010), SPSS Statistics version 22.0 (IBM Microsoft, USA) was used. Statistical hypotheses about the absence of intergroup differences in quantitative characteristics were tested using the Mann–Whitney U criterion, the Student’s criterion, and binary characteristics were assessed with Chi-square test (÷2). Qualitative data are presented as an absolute value (n) and percentages. The results were considered reliable at a significance level of p0.05. It was found that, in the neonatal period, there were no statistically significant differences in gender characteristics, anthropometric characteristics and Apgar scores between the groups. There were no differences in the incidence rate in the neonatal period. At the age of 3 months of life, there was a higher incidence of somatic and neurological morbidity in children whose mothers had suffered a new coronavirus infection during pregnancy (OR = 3.78 (1.5; 9.51); p0.001). It was found that the levels of hematocrit (p = 0.001), lymphocytes (p0.001), platelets (p0.001) were statistically significantly lower in newborns in group I. When analyzing the levels of umbilical cord blood cytokines in the two groups, it was found that the levels of TNF, IL-6, VEGF-A, IL-10, IL-1á, IL-1â, IL-8 (p ≤ 0.001) were higher in group I compared with group II. The levels of cytokines in their mothers showed a positive correlation with appropriate indexes in umbilical cord blood. Strong positive associations were found in the mother-child pairs on the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, in terms of TNFá, IL-1â, moderate positive correlations were revealed for IL-8, IL-10. Hence, despite the absence of clinical manifestations of infectious process and other disorders of early neonatal adaptation, the laboratory changes in general blood counts and active expression of proinflammatory cytokines in newborns whose mothers suffered COVID-19 during pregnancy may suggest the presence of a fetal systemic inflammatory response. An increased morbidity at the age of 3 months may be the result of low-level inflammation.

Pulmonary embolism in young women: statement of problem in internist’s point of view

the high morbidity and mortality in so-called "provoked" pulmonary embolism (PE) have recently attracted a lot of attention to this problem. In real clinical practice, there is a constant increase in the prevalence of PE, which to some extent is due to the improvement of its detection due to the introduction of modern methods of laboratory diagnostics and imaging, which made it possible to identify a larger number of clinically insignificant emboli of small branches of the pulmonary artery. Young women are more likely to be suspected of PE than age-matched men, and the risk modifiers are somewhat different from those in the male population. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to highlight the gender characteristics of venous thrombosis in general and PE, in particular, in women, with the description of risk factors inherent in the female population, as well as the stratification of PE and the justification of the choice of treatment strategy depending on risk groups and taking into account gender. After an analytical search of recent publications related to venous thromboembolism and PE in both men and women, female risk modifiers were detailed. It is noted that in the case of suspected PE, the pretest probability does not always take into account gender. Given that venous thromboembolism, unlike arterial thrombosis, occurs at a younger age, suspicion of PE in women is sometimes underestimated, and risk modifiers for thromboembolism in women are not always taken into account. Determination of D-dimer and troponin levels remain an important step in the diagnostic search today. The article shows gender differences in the level of troponin as a marker of right ventricular damage. Attention is paid to imaging research methods, in particular spiral computed tomography and its importance in the diagnosis of thromboembolic complications. The attention of specialists and the tactics of treatment selection, which is based on risk assessment and taking into account hemodynamic stability, are drawn.

Accelerating Awareness: Hidden Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Learning Outcomes within an Immersive Classroom Activity

This work addresses the challenge of meaningfully introducing engineering students to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles. Traditionally, tertiary education introduces these concepts through online modules and/or workshops, often ‘down-selling’ them compared to technical courses. This paper proposes a more impactful experiential approach targeting the affective learning domain. In collaboration with the Centre for Student Wellness, instructors designed a lesson integrating EDI principles into an interactive car simulation game. Students form teams and customize their cars based on survey responses, with rewards and penalties reflecting real-world inequalities. For instance, certain car colors or gender characteristics may result in penalties, mirroring observed racism and gender biases in STEM fields. This innovative approach aims to foster critical thinking about the role of personal privilege in decision-making, offering a dynamic learning experience beyond conventional methods.

What influences the community well-being of Chinese living in metropolitan areas? A scale validation and invariance test across gender, age, and hukou

BackgroundRapid socioeconomic development has congregated urban dwellers in various communities, and it remains unclear whether raising income has brought greater happiness or well-being in China. The study aims to validate the Multi-dimensional Community Well-being Scale (MCWS) in the context of Chinese metropolitan areas.MethodsMultistage stratified sampling from North, East, and West China yielded a total of 4786 community-dwelling adults (mean age = 54.66 years; 33.8% female). Exploratory factor analysis identified a four-factor pattern of habitability, accessibility, relation, and satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) further verified the structure, and multigroup CFA tested the measurement invariance upon different genders, age groups, and hukou statuses.ResultsAll the subscales and the total scale (α = 0.852) had satisfactory internal consistency. In addition, significant community well-being disparities exist between communities with and without elderly care and child care services. Also, the mean scores of accessibility, relation, and satisfaction grow steadily with age, except for habitability.ConclusionsOverall, this study filled the research gap in China by presenting a reliable and valid instrument to measure community well-being, showing gender, age, and hukou-related characteristics in community well-being and enabling cross-cultural comparisons in urban studies.

Functional connectivity of paired default mode network subregions in patients with eye trauma.

To study functional brain abnormalities in patients with eye trauma (ET) and to discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms of ET. Totally 31 ET patients and 31 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The age, gender, and educational background characteristics of the two groups were similar. After functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning, the subjects' spontaneous brain activity was evaluated with the functional connectivity (FC) method. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to classify the data. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between FC values in specific brain regions and clinical behaviors in patients with ET. Significantly increased FC between several regions was identified including the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and left hippocampus formations (HF), the MPFC and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), the left IPL and left medial temporal lobe (MTL), the left IPL and right MTL, and the right IPL and left MTL. No decreased region-to-region connectivity was detected in default mode network (DMN) sub-regions in patients with ET. Compared with HCs, ET patients exhibited significantly increased FC between several paired DMN regions, as follows: posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and right HF (HF.R, t=2.196, P=0.032), right inferior parietal cortices (IPC.R) and left MTL (MTL.L, t=2.243, P=0.029), and right MTL (MTL.R) and HF.R (t=2.236, P=0.029). FC values in multiple brain regions of ET patients are abnormal, suggesting that these brain regions in ET patients may be dysfunctional, which may help to reveal the pathophysiological mechanisms of ET.

The Influence of Social Media Platforms and Advertisements on Consumer Purchasing Behavior: A Study of Demographic Variations in Nepalese Youth

Background: The growing influence of social media platforms on consumer behavior, particularly in developing countries like Nepal, has been a subject of increasing interest. As social media usage rises, the impact of advertisements on purchasing decisions becomes a critical area of exploration, especially among the youth. This study seeks to understand how demographic factors, including age and gender, affect social media usage patterns and the influence of advertisements on purchasing behaviors. Objective: The primary objective of this research is to examine the relationship between social media usage and consumer purchasing decisions, with a focus on the demographic characteristics of age and gender among Nepalese youth. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 123 respondents from different age groups, ranging from 16 to above 35 years. Descriptive data analysis was employed to assess demographic distributions and social media usage patterns, while a Chi-Square test was used to analyze the influence of gender on purchasing behavior due to social media advertisements. Respondents were asked about their preferred social media platforms, purchasing behaviors, and their views on the influence of social media advertisements. Findings: The results revealed that Instagram is the most popular social media platform across all age groups, with a notable gender difference in platform preferences. Social media advertisements were found to influence purchasing behavior, with a majority of respondents either agreeing or being uncertain about their impact. The Chi-Square test showed no significant relationship between gender and the influence of social media advertisements on purchasing decisions. The majority of participants, particularly those aged 16-25, indicated that they were influenced by social media ads in their purchasing choices. Conclusion: This study highlights the substantial impact of social media advertisements on the purchasing decisions of Nepalese youth, particularly among those aged 16-25. Gender did not appear to significantly influence the effectiveness of these advertisements. The findings suggest that social media platforms, especially Instagram and Facebook, play a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior, and advertisers should focus on these platforms to target younger audiences. Novelty: This study provides valuable insights into the specific impact of social media advertisements on consumer behavior in Nepal, a developing market, and explores the role of demographic factors in shaping these behaviors.

Gender and age characteristics of JAK2 V617F mutation allelic burden and CALR and MPL driver mutations detection during primary examination of patients with suspected myeloproliferative neoplasms

Background. Detection of a somatic mutation in the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) gene, along with mutations in the CALR and MPL genes, is one of the main criteria for diagnosing Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MN). At the same time, the JAK2 617F mutation is often associated with agedependent clonal hematopoiesis of undetermined potential (CHI). As a rule, the indicator reflecting the number of blood cells transformed by mutation – the mutant allelic burden (MA) of JAK2 617F in CHI does not exceed 1–2 %, however, there is no clear boundary between the level of this indicator separating CHI and MN. The previously described “JAK2 paradox”, according to which JAK2 617F positive CHI predominates in men, and for women this mutation is more associated with MN, suggests a different attitude to the diagnostic value of MA between men and women. A separate issue concerns the detection of low MA levels in combination with other MN driver mutations.Aim. To analyze the database of JAK2 617F mutation allelic burden quantitative assessment results and to identify CALR and MPL genes driver mutations in patients depending on their age and gender.Materials and methods. Data from records on the age and gender of 6210 patients (3061 men and 3149 women) were analyzed, in whom the JAK2 gene 617F somatic mutation in a quantitative format and MPL and CALR genes mutations were simultaneously determined. Of these, mutations were identified in 1226 women and 826 men with symptoms of MN. Statistical analysis was performed using Excel spreadsheets and Statistica 10 package.The results. The data obtained indicate that in women, compared to men, the frequency of the 617F mutation is higher in all age ranges. omen are also more likely to have mutations in the CALR and MPL genes. The gender and age dependence of identifying quantitative values of MA JAK2 617F differ significantly in the range of &gt;1 and ˂ 1%. Also noteworthy is the fact of high detection (up to 17–27 %) of additional combined mutations in the CALR and MPL genes in patients with low MA JAK2 617F values.Conclusion. The data support the gender “JAK2 paradox”, which suggests differential interpretation of test results in men and women. To more clearly assess the characteristics of the diagnostic value of MAN JAK2 617F low levels and its dependence on the gender and age of patients, controlled multicenter clinical studies using standardized diagnostic test systems are needed.

Interaction between acceptability and probability: Evidence from predicate agreement with a coordinated subject in Russian

The study aims to establish whether language models trained on unlabeled text data can parametrize agreement variation. We compared the acceptability judgments made by native speakers and the probability metrics predicted by the language model ruBERT without fine-tuning. As a specific linguistic phenomenon, we considered predicate agreement with a coordinated subject in Russian. We analyzed in detail which syntactic, morphological, and semantic factors influenced sentence acceptability and probability. The experimental data enables us to reveal the role of each factor and their interaction. Besides the standard logarithmic probability, we considered sentence length and unigram probability. We assumed that the model would assign the highest probability to the most acceptable agreement strategy. However, our hypothesis was not confirmed: the correlation between probability and acceptability is lower for sentences with agreement variation than for sentences without variation. The linear position — the subject-predicate order and the conjuncts’ order — turned out to be the only factor which equally influences the acceptability and probability of a sentence. If the gender features of conjuncts match, the acceptability of singular agreement increases while the probability does not change. The animacy of conjuncts and the predicate symmetry influence neither acceptability nor probability. Our research demonstrates that ruBERT cannot be used to parametrize predicate agreement with a coordinated subject. The acceptability of a sentence is based on subtle linguistic contrasts which are not significant for the computer evaluation of its probability.

Cut-off value for the posterior tibial slope indicating the risk for retear of the anterior cruciate ligament.

The significance of the posterior tibial slope (PTS) has increasingly come into focus in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction being a risk factor for ACL graft failure. Nevertheless, inconsistent data on the critical value of the PTS exist. The purpose of this study was to define a cut-off value for the PTS in ACL surgery. In a retrospective cohort study, 350 revision ACL reconstructions (ACL-RR) with a failed ACL hamstring graft and 350 primary ACL reconstructions (ACL-R) were matched according to age, gender, concomitant injuries and graft characteristics and compared to a healthy control group. Using the proximal anatomic axis, lateral knee radiographs were evaluated for the PTS, interrater reliability was defined, ROC curves, Fischer's exact test and Baptista-Pike method were applied to define specificity and the odds ratio for a critical PTS value. Radiographic evaluation proved excellent interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.969). Evaluation of the PTS revealed 10.0 ± 2.2 (5-15) degrees in the ACL-RR group, 7.8 ± 1.8 (4.2-13) degrees in the ACL-R group and 6.6 ± 1.9 (3.6-12) degrees in the control group with significant differences between the groups (p < 0.001). A PTS value of 10.1 degrees proved a specificity of 98% for the prediction of an ACL graft failure and indicated an 11-fold risk for a retear of the ACL. A PTS exceeding 10.1 degrees carries an 11-fold risk for ACL graft failure and, therefore, should be considered in ACL reconstruction. These findings might serve as a cut-off value for the indication of a slope-reducing high tibial osteotomy in ACL surgery. Level III.

Gender differences in the incidence of saphenous vein graft intervention

BackgroundSaphenous vein graft percutaneous coronary intervention (SVG PCI) following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is commonly used procedure for patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Emerging evidence suggests gender-based differences influencing SVG intervention clinical outcomes. This study aimed to analyze the impact of gender and various patient characteristics, procedural intricacies, anatomical considerations, and perioperative factors as potential risk determinants for SVG failure post-CABG surgery.MethodsA retrospective, single-center, analysis was conducted on post-CABG patients at Barzilai Medical Center Ashkelon from 2010 to 2023 to assess gender-based differences in SVG PCI incidence.ResultsOf the 72 ACS patients undergoing SVG PCI, a notably higher incidence was observed in men. However, graft failure occurred earlier in women compared to men (13.50 ± 6.59 SD years vs. 22.13 ± 5.66 SD years). Women exhibited a 1.2 times higher likelihood of earlier PCI than men (OR 1.24 CI 1.077 to 1.487, p = 0.0066) after adjusting for age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.ConclusionGender differences in the incidence of SVG PCI and graft failure denote the need for gender-tailored follow-up and early intervention to optimize graft patency and potentially enhance long-term clinical outcomes. Integrating gender-specific approaches into post-CABG management could significantly improve patient care and prognosis.

Arabic Profession-Denoting Nouns and Gender: A Morphosyntactic Analysis of Agreement

The goal of this paper is to present a minimalist feature-based analysis that captures the verbal agreement triggered by female referent profession-denoting nouns in Modern Standard Arabic. In this language, nouns are classified as masculine or feminine based on the natural gender of their referents. Masculine nouns trigger masculine agreement on verbs, whereas feminine nouns trigger feminine agreement. However, some profession-denoting nouns are sometimes gender-neutralized; a masculine noun could be used when the natural gender of its referent is female. In this case, the masculine noun triggers feminine agreement on the verb. This unexpected type of agreement requires analysis under the latest assumptions of the Minimalist Program. The paper shows that the gender-neutralized nouns are initially selected from the numeration and introduced into the derivation with their gender feature specified as feminine. After their features are valued in narrow syntax, these nouns undergo a post-syntactic morphological operation that targets and deletes the feminine morphemes, leaving behind the masculine roots.