Daily Situations Research Articles

Sensory Navigation System for Indoor Localization and Orientation of Users with Cognitive Disabilities in Daily Tasks and Emergency Situations

Sensory Navigation System for Indoor Localization and Orientation of Users with Cognitive Disabilities in Daily Tasks and Emergency Situations

‘We are changed yet the same…we can make a difference’: using a critical, creative, collaborative inquiry process to understand and develop professional artistry in nursing

ABSTRACT Professional practice in health and social care is embodied by the practitioners concerned, embedded in practice contexts and creative in nature. It is therefore complex to investigate, understand and develop. Current health and social care contexts can present practitioners with increasingly constraining circumstances and spaces that can feel closed instead of open to exploration and development of practice. The collaborative, critical and creative inquiry methodology presented here was developed among nurses practising in such challenging circumstances. It enables nurses and other health and social care practitioners to reveal, explore and develop their embodied practices, systematically and collaboratively, amid busy daily practice situations. However ‘small’ the space they are in, the process described here can help practitioners to enlarge their space for becoming. The iterative cycle and the use of participatory arts help illuminate otherwise hidden and difficult to articulate aspects of practice, enable the involvement of stakeholders in coming to new understandings and lead to an expanded view of professional practice and its potential for transformation. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, to present the methodology, methods and lessons learned during the doctoral study in which this approach was developed. Second, to reveal the professional artistry of facilitating this space for becoming and of supporting professionals to reveal their own and others’ professional artistry. Lastly, to offer inspiration and a guide for others considering similar participative inquiry work and to encourage debate and critique of the approach taken.

Don't Throw Away Your Notebook: Effects of Task Difficulty and Presentation Medium on Memory Performance.

People are increasingly reliant on various electrical devices for learning and memory, yet the implications and consequences of this dependence remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate how learning through electrical media impacts recall under varying task difficulties. During this study, participants encoded information related to daily life situations (low difficulty), academic conceptual knowledge (middle difficulty), or associative word pairs (high difficulty), presented on smartphones, computers, or paper. At test, they recalled the omitted content based on the provided cue information. A significant screen-inferiority effect was observed for both computers and smartphones. However, the impairment related to computers disappeared in the retrieval of daily life situations and academic conceptual knowledge, whereas the impairment associated with smartphones was consistently present across all tasks. These results suggest that memory performance is modulated by the interaction between the presentation medium and the specific demands of the task, highlighting a more pronounced screen-inferiority memory effect when the media restrict the depth of processing or when the memory tasks pose greater external challenges. A deeper understanding of these factors can guide the optimization of electrical devices to enhance human memory abilities and functions.

Coping with modesty during radiotherapy for breast cancer: a multicentric study.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed tumour, representing nearly 30% of all new cases in women. Radiotherapy (RT) plays a crucial role in the management of breast cancer. The objective of this study is to assess modesty in patients undergoing RT for breast cancer and take their suggestions and ideas into consideration to enhance the quality of treatment in this regard. The study enrolled 555 breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant RT in three Italian centres. Patients completed a self-test questionnaire assessing their comfort level concerning modesty during therapy and their relationship with strangers and healthcare professionals. The impact of religious views and potential changes in sexuality were also examined. Results showed that modesty was a common concern across the overall cohort of patients, with discomfort in being undressed during RT correlating with discomfort experienced in other daily life situations. Most patients felt more at ease with same sex healthcare workers. Age was also a major factor with younger patients generally feeling more comfortable with healthcare workers of the same age group. Interestingly, the surgical technique used (mastectomy vs. quadrantectomy) did not significantly influence modesty perceptions. Patients provided valuable suggestions to improve privacy and modesty during RT. This study demonstrates that modesty is an important issue for women undergoing RT, which can be influenced by personal characteristics and hospital-related factors. A reflection about the need to address modesty concerns and to incorporate dedicated interventions for protecting patients' physical and emotional well-being is warranted. Initiatives to improve communication, involvement, and body image support should also be integrated into the care path of patients to better their overall therapeutic experience. This study paves the way for broader research and interventions in daily cancer care.

PROVERBS AND SAYINGS REFLECTED IN GIBI BITHAI

Proverbs and sayings are a form of verbal art. They enhance the appeal of speakers, singers, and authors, making them more intriguing and relatable by facilitating a stronger connection with their audiences or readers. Proverbs and sayings are powerful tools for sharing knowledge due to their interesting, relatable, and culturally meaningful nature. Although they are different, most of them are similar. One of the only epic works of the Bodos, GibiBithai, has a large number of folklore elements. GibiBithai is a verse relating to Bathouism, and there are many good examples of proverbs and sayings in various chapters. These are closely related to Bathouism and Bodo society. The study has been done through descriptive analysis with a close reading method. In GibiBithai, the author BihuramBoro has used proverbs and sayings to enhance the quality of the epic or to make it attractive to the recipients or the reader. These are often said in a tricky or indirect way to make you think and help you understand. These are like wisdom puzzles that you have to think about to solve. The proverbs and sayings of the GibiBithai are collected and gathered from the Bodo society prevalent among them. These are mostly related to their daily conversations and different situations. They serve as timeless guidelines for navigating numerous elements of life and making ethical decisions. BihuramBoro has employed proverbs and sayings to improve the quality of his work by making it more appealing to the receivers or readers. Furthermore, by documenting these in the book, many forgotten and endangered proverbs and sayings have been brought back to life.

Virtual Reality-Based Psychoeducation for Dementia Caregivers: The Link between Caregivers' Characteristics and Their Sense of Presence.

In neuropsychology and clinical psychology, the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) experiences for knowledge acquisition and the potential for modifying conduct are well documented. Consequently, the scope of VR experiences for educational purposes has expanded in the health field in recent years. In this study, we sought to assess the effectiveness of ViveDe in a psychoeducational caregiver program. ViveDe is a VR application that presents users with possible daily life situations from the perspective of individuals with dementia. These situations can be experienced in immersive mode through 360° video. This research aimed to ascertain the associations between the sense of presence that can be achieved in VR and some users' psychological characteristics, such as distress and empathetic disposition. The study involved 36 informal caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. These participants were assessed using scales of anxiety and depression, perceived stress, empathy, and emotional regulation. They were asked to participate in a six-session psychoeducation program conducted online on dementia topics, in addition to experiencing the ViveDe application. The immersive VR sessions enabled the caregivers to directly experience the symptoms of dementia (e.g., spatial disorientation, agnosia, difficulty in problem-solving, and anomia) in everyday and social settings. The results indicated that although the experience in ViveDe (evaluated using the XRPS scale and five questions about emotional attunement) showed efficacy in producing a sense of first-person participation in the symptoms of dementia, further research is needed to confirm this. The structural equation model provided evidence that the characteristics of individuals who enjoy the VR experience play a determining role in the perceived sense of presence, which in turn affects the efficacy of the VR experience as a psychoeducational tool. Further research will be conducted to ascertain the potential role of these elements in conveying change in the caregivers of people with dementia. This will help us study the long-term effectiveness of a large-scale psychoeducation program in VR.

Attentional demands in the visual field modulate audiovisual interactions in the temporal domain.

Attention and crossmodal interactions are closely linked through a complex interplay at different stages of sensory processing. Within the context of motion perception, previous research revealed that attentional demands alter audiovisual interactions in the temporal domain. In the present study, we aimed to understand the neurophysiological correlates of these attentional modulations. We utilized an audiovisual motion paradigm that elicits auditory time interval effects on perceived visual speed. The audiovisual interactions in the temporal domain were quantified by changes in perceived visual speed across different auditory time intervals. We manipulated attentional demands in the visual field by having a secondary task on a stationary object (i.e., single- vs. dual-task conditions). When the attentional demands were high (i.e., dual-task condition), there was a significant decrease in the effects of auditory time interval on perceived visual speed, suggesting a reduction in audiovisual interactions. Moreover, we found significant differences in both early and late neural activities elicited by visual stimuli across task conditions (single vs. dual), reflecting an overall increase in attentional demands in the visual field. Consistent with the changes in perceived visual speed, the audiovisual interactions in neural signals declined in the late positive component range. Compared with the findings from previous studies using different paradigms, our findings support the view that attentional modulations of crossmodal interactions are not unitary and depend on task-specific components. They also have important implications for motion processing and speed estimation in daily life situations where sensory relevance and attentional demands constantly change.

Relationship quality perceived by family caregivers of people with dementia in the context of a psychoeducational intervention: A qualitative exploration.

Caring for a person with dementia can be a challenging experience, often associated with chronic stress and a heavy burden on family caregivers. Dementia also impacts the relationship between the caregiver and the person with dementia. The quality of this relationship is, in turn, an important factor influencing the well-being of both dyad members. The psychoeducational intervention "Learning to feel better . . . and help better" has shown positive results regarding family caregivers' subjective burden, psychological distress, and self-efficacy. However, relationship quality has not been addressed in the context of this intervention. A longitudinal constructivist grounded theory approach was used to explore relationship quality as perceived by caregivers, possible changes and intervention components facilitating or preventing such changes. Three qualitative, semi-structured interviews (before, during and after the intervention) were performed with 13 family caregivers from three different intervention groups. The resulting 39 interviews were analysed regarding individual caregiver trajectories, per time point for all caregivers and regarding specific caregiver subgroups. A model focusing on sustaining relationship quality in dementia was developed. It shows strategies that family caregivers develop and apply to facilitate positive interactions and feelings of connectedness with their family members with dementia. It also indicates that mastering such strategies requires reflective skills based on specific knowledge of dementia and coping strategies, which can be enhanced through active skills training, in which caregivers are guided to work on their individual stressful situations. Factors hampering change included difficulties in accepting dementia-related changes. Findings suggest that psychoeducation, with active skills training based on caregivers' current daily life situations, providing systematic procedures to handle daily challenges and specific knowledge about the impact of the disease, could support them in developing and applying supportive strategies to sustain or improve their relationship to their family member with dementia.

Beyond frequency: Evaluating the validity of assessing the context, duration, ability, and botherment of depression and anxiety symptoms in South Brazil.

Assessment tools for depression and anxiety usually inquire about the frequency of symptoms. However, evidence suggests that different question framings might trigger different responses. Our aim is to test if asking about symptom's context, ability, duration, and botherment adds validity to Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, and Patient-Related Outcome Measurement Information Systems depression and anxiety. Participants came from two cross-sectional convenience-sampled surveys (N = 1,871) of adults (66% females, aged 33.4 ± 13.2), weighted to approximate with the state-level population. We examined measurement invariance across the different question frames, estimated whether framing affected mean scores, and tested their independent validity using covariate-adjusted and sample-weighted structural equation models. Validity was tested using tools assessing general disability, alcohol use, loneliness, well-being, grit, and frequency-based questions from depression and anxiety questionnaires. A bifactor model was applied to test the internal consistency of the question frames under the presence of a general factor (i.e., depression or anxiety). Measurement invariance was supported across the different frames. Framing questions as ability (i.e., "How easily …") produced a higher score, compared with framing by context (i.e., "In which daily situations …"). Construct and criterion validity analysis demonstrate that variance explained using multiple question frames was similar to using only one. We detected a strong overarching factor for each instrument, with little variances left to be explained by the question frame. Therefore, it is unlikely that using different adverbial phrasings can help clinicians and researchers to improve their ability to detect depression or anxiety. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Association Between Pain During Pregnancy and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms in Adolescent and Adult Women

IssuePostpartum depressive symptoms may be more prevalent and/or severe in vulnerable populations. BackgroundPostpartum depression represents a serious mental health problem associated with maternal suffering. Despite the relevance and clinical implications of investigating pain during pregnancy and the association with postpartum depression, there is limited research on this topic. AimWe evaluated the association between pain during pregnancy and postpartum depression symptoms in adolescent and adult women. MethodsThis study included 86 pregnant women (42 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years and 44 adults aged 23 to 28 years) from Trairi region, Northeastern Brazil. The evaluation of pain intensity and postpartum depression symptoms was conducted using the validated instruments of the Pelvic Pain Assessment Form and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), respectively. Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests compared depressive symptoms in relation to pain status. FindingsOverall, pregnant women reporting moderate to intense pain presented more depressive symptoms, with emphasis to “deep pain with intercourse” (p = .09), “burning vaginal pain after sex” (p = .01), “pelvic pain lasting hours or days after intercourse” (p = .06), and “pain with urination” (p = .09). When stratified by age group, significant associations were found only for the adolescents. DiscussionOur results suggest that women reporting pain in different daily situations have higher EPDS scores. ConclusionPain during pregnancy is associated with postpartum depression symptoms, mainly among adolescents. Adequate screening and pain management during pregnancy may improve women's quality of life.

Hearing Aid apps: are they safe, practical and beneficial for children and teens in challenging situations?

An adult version of an app giving users the control over the level of the volume, microphone directionality and noise reduction was adapted for children. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of changes made to microphone directionality and noise reduction in the myPhonak Junior (the app) on Speech intelligibility in challenging listening environments in children and teens. The randomized, non-blinded interventional study with a single group of subjects involved two study visits with a home trial in-between. In the final study session speech assessment in noise was conducted in three different, randomly assigned conditions: default mode (Autosense Sky OS), preffered (self-adjusted) and the extreme condition. Questionnaire based assessment was conducted to assess the subjective benefit of using the app in different daily situations. The best scores (speech results in noise) were achieved with the preferred setting and the default Autosense Sky OS setting was significantly better than the extreme setting. The self-reported benefit through the questionnaire indicates significantly better result when adjusting the hearing aids through the app. The app is an easy-to-use way of controlling the level of noise reduction and the beam forming for children 11 years and older. It has the potential to help customizing the hearing aids beyond the default setting and helping to improve speech understanding in noise.

Why Do I Have to Learn this Stuff? Using AI to Assist Secondary Teachers in Teaching Future-Ready Practical Life Skills with any Social Studies Lesson

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in secondary social studies education is revolutionizing the way students prepare for their future. By embedding 'Future Ready Practical Life Skills' into the curriculum, educators can effectively address the question, "Why do I have to learn this?" and equip students with the necessary competencies for success in college, careers, and active civic life in an AI-dominant future. This article explores how AI nurtures critical thinking, digital literacy, adaptability, ethical reasoning, and civic engagement -- skills that are crucial not only for navigating advanced technologies but also for dealing with daily life situations. By creating a dynamic and personalized learning experience, AI-driven social studies education fosters vital competencies for students to confidently face challenges and make informed decisions in their personal and civic lives. This paradigm shift in teaching and learning sets students up for success in an AI-shaped future while empowering them to navigate the complexities of daily life.

An exploratory investigation of the association between severities of the adverse impact of stuttering and co-occurring disorders

ABSTRACT Stuttering is a multi-dimensional disorder that affects diverse life aspects of people who stutter. This study aimed to investigate the association between severities of the adverse impact of stuttering and co-occurring disorders. Thirty adults who stutter (mean age, 37.6 ± 14.1 years; 26 males and four females) participated in this study. The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-J), Autism-Spectrum Quotient short form (AQ-10-J), and Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS) were used to assess symptoms of social anxiety disorders (SAD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), respectively. The index of ratio of disfluencies (RDF) was calculated to assess cluttering. The Japanese version of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering for Adults (OASES-A-J) was used to assess the adverse impact of stuttering. A moderate positive correlation was found between the LSAS-J and OASES-A-J scores. Inattention and ADHD symptoms total scores were significantly correlated with the OASES-A-J scores. The adverse impact of stuttering was associated with symptoms of co-occurring disorders, namely, SAD, ADHD, and cluttering. A negative correlation was observed between the RDF and OASES-A-J Section III score. Cluttering symptoms were associated with less communication impact in daily situations. This study sheds light on the importance of comprehensive assessments from professionals with relevant expertise for adults who stutter.

Explicit discrimination among Brazilian dental students: A multicenter study

To test the association between socioeconomic and sociodemographic status of Brazilian dental students with discriminatory experiences suffered by them. This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted with 531 undergraduate dental students from four different Brazilian states. The Explicit Discrimination Scale (EDS) was used to measure the experience of discrimination in several daily situations. A questionnaire about sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, form of admission, and permanence in dental schools was developed and validated by experts and six dental students through cognitive interviews. The EDS and questionnaire were sent to students by an online platform using snowball sampling. Descriptive analysis, bivariate tests, and multiple Poisson regression were performed. Among the participants, most were female, white, heterosexual, and cisgender. The mean EDS total score was higher among those students who used Brazilian Affirmative Actions for higher education access and permanence (p<0.005). The multiple analysis indicated that students who were black (prevalence ratio [PR]=1.484; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.291-1.705), women (PR=1.227; 95%CI: 1.030-1.462), had lower monthly income (PR=1.212; 95%CI: 1.043-1.409) and were lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, pansexual, and plus (LGBTQIAP+) (PR=1.466; 95%CI: 1.238-1.735) showed a higher probability of discriminatory experiences when compared to white, male and heterosexual students with higher monthly income. There is a racial and social class pattern among dental students. The exclusionary factors such as black race, female gender, lower monthly income and being LGBTQIAP+ make students more vulnerable to discriminatory experiences.

Stylistic and Rhetoric Elements on Memes in Education Context: A Critical Discourse Analysis

In this digital age, the presence of internet memes becomes a common way to share information online. People may use different stylistic and rhetoric elements to communicate their ideas and convey a particular meaning. This paper aimed to analyze stylistic and rhetoric elements employed in the selected memes in education context by using Van Dijk Critical Discourse Analysis. The data were forty memes related to education which were collected from four Instagram groups, namely itb.receh, school_life memoriess, 9gag.com, and memeindonesia.real. This research utilized descriptive qualitative method. The result showed that in stylistic, the most dominant dictions used were slang and denotative. The high frequency of using slang is done as a strategy to express a sense of familiarity to audiences and to show portrait of daily basis situation in students’ lives, while the use of denotative dictions conveys clear understanding and avoid misinterpretation toward these memes. Furthermore, in rhetoric elements, no metaphor is found in the selected memes while graphics is mostly used in the memes to highlight important parts. It was delivered through the production of words in bigger size, bold, different colour, different type of fonts, words which are crossed out, and the use of emoticon. Graphic provides a visual representation for audiences and these highlighted words help them comprehend messages and values which the writer is trying to deliver.

The Influence of State Authenticity on the Sense of Meaning in Life of Middle School Students: Evidence from a Daily Diary Investigation and an Authenticity Enhancement Experiment.

Authenticity is a positive force for adolescent development. Taking middle school students as the main research objects, this paper examines the causal mechanism between state authenticity (SA) and sense of meaning in life through two studies: the diary method and authenticity level increase experiment. In study 1, through the daily diary data tracking investigation of 130 middle school students in daily life situations, the basic psychological needs (BPNs) and satisfaction with life (SWL) play a chain mediating role between state authenticity and sense of daily meaning in life. State authenticity has a one-way prediction effect on sense of meaning in life. In study 2, 140 participants were randomly divided into two groups (experimental group and control group). Middle school students in the experimental group were activated to recall the authenticity experience events to enhance the level of personal authenticity, and it was found that the subjects reported a higher sense of meaning in life. This study reveals the causal mechanism between authenticity and sense of meaning of life, which has positive practical significance for exploring ways to enhance the sense of meaning of life of middle school students.

The dynamics of hybrid-immune and immunodeficient susceptible individuals and the three stages of COVID-19 vaccination

The World Health Organization has disclosed that the hybrid-immune and immunodeficient individuals are two distinct classes of individuals susceptible to the COVID-19 virus. To model this unique characteristics of two distinct categories of susceptible individuals and the dynamics of the three phases of a vaccination program implemented by the World Health Organization in Malaysia, which have not been accounted for in previous studies, a twelve compartmental SSVEIHQR-D epidemiological model was developed. This model aimed to accurately capture the spread of the COVID-19 virus by fitting real-life data to the model and obtaining updated estimates of the reproduction number. The study also focused on assessing current control measures and exploring strategies to eradicate the virus and mitigate future outbreaks. Mathematical analyses of the model included investigations into stability, equilibrium points, the basic reproduction number R0, optimal control strategies, and sensitivity analyses. Estimation and fitting of the model parameters were conducted using daily situation reports from the Ministry of Health of Malaysia. The obtained value of the basic reproduction number, based on fitted parameter values, indicated stability and reflected the current pandemic situation more realistically. Additionally, the herd immunity threshold was calculated and interpreted in the context of the study findings. Finally, practical insights and recommendations derived from the model’s results were provided to inform government agencies, public health organizations, and intervention bodies, aimed at controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Motivational impact, self-reported fear, avoidance, and harm perception of shoulder movements pictures in people with chronic shoulder pain

Objectives (1) to represent in pictures a group of items from the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) that represent daily situations; (2) to compare valence and arousal evoked by these pictures between chronic shoulder pain and pain-free control groups and assess self-reports of fear, avoidance, and harm perception. Methods This is a cross-sectional observational study and approved by Research Ethics Committee. Selected pictures representing items from the ICF were judged by members of the general public using an online form. We used the set of International Affective Picture System and the Self-Assessment Manikin to compare valence and arousal between groups. The chronic shoulder pain group answered questions regarding self-reports of fear, avoidance, and harm perception. Results The protocol consisted of 58 pictures. A repeated measures ANOVA for valence revealed a main effect of group, F(1, 9)=24.81;p < 0.005, and no effect on the arousal, F(1,9)=2.00;p < 0.190. The shoulder pain group judged shoulder pictures more aversive. The picture that represents the movement of carrying on shoulder presented the highest medians of self-reports of fear, avoidance, and harm perception 10(8-10). Conclusion The pictures represent daily activities that correspond to the items from the ICF. The valence of the shoulder pictures was different between the groups, shoulder pictures were considered more aversive for the group with chronic shoulder pain. The responses of avoidance, fear, and harm perception showed higher median in the carrying on shoulders, hip, and back picture.

De la obra construida al conocimiento proyectado. Estudio de los proyectos Amairis y Parque Educativo Saberes Ancestrales

Traditionally, architectural projects are analyzed based on an understanding of the triad site, activity, and technique. This research highlights how the analysis of architectural projects extends beyond previous studies. Instead, spaces are shaped through users and events that unfold over time. A performative cartography of users is employed for this purpose, revealing the unplanned actions and versions of the projected spaces. The investigation begins with built work as a generic support, anticipating certain forms of use and utilization of its elements, allowing for the observation, examination, and analysis of usage production. Projected knowledge is connected to the interpretation of the ordinary and every day, capturing and making visible (re-presenting) users' daily situations and scenarios. This representation consists of multiple spatial scenes where the time factor engages with units of spaces and users.

A Study of Influence of Yoga on the Mental Health of Adolescents

Mental health refers to an individual’s overlall adjustment in behaviour which is socially desirable to achieve a maximum of satisfaction and happiness, enabling ability to face and deal with the daily life situations effectively. The present research paper explored to comparative study the level of mental health among adolescents who are routinely performing Yoga. The present study consisted sample of 120 subjects divided in two groups (Boys and Girls), each group has 60 subjects, considered for six different parameters. These all subjects came from class IX from four local english medium schools. No group was further subdivided. Mental Health Battery (ISBN 93-87452-59-X) authered by Dr. Arun Kumar Singh &amp; Dr Alpana Sen Gupta of National Psychological Corporation, Agra, was used as tool for the assessment of mental health. For statistical analysis and hypothesis testing, mean score and t-test were applied. The findings show that there was no significant difference in the influence on the mental health of adolescent of both sexes. On the basis of the findings in the presented study, it may be concluded that in adolescents who were performing Yoga routinely, gender has no influential factor in mental health.