Degree Of Autonomy Research Articles

Impact of Strategic Management Accounting on Operating Performance: Research in Public Universities of Vietnam

Purpose: The study aims to evaluate the impact of strategic management accounting (SMA) on the operating performance of Vietnamese public universities in terms of autonomy, student size, and number of years of establishment. Theoretical framework: The paper is based on the theory of strategic management accounting, including the use of strategic management accounting as well as the characteristics of organizations in general and universities in particular. Design/Methodology/Approach: Survey data were collected from 142 accountants of 102 public higher education institutions, cleaned data, and used regression analysis by SPSS 22 software. Findings: The results showed that with 07 factors of SMA stands for Strategic Application (AD), Strategic Planning (LKH), Strategic Management Accounting (KT), Financial Measures (TC), Non-Financial Measures (PTC), Reporting strategy (BC), and Strategic Management Decision Making (RQD), there are only 3 factors that have an impact on the performance of quality universities (Application of Strategy, Quality Management Accounting Techniques, and Financial Measures). Considering the control variable, only the degree of autonomy, and the number of students have a positive effect on the impact of quality management accounting information and the performance of universities. Research, practical & social implications: The results contribute to additional evidence for managers to pay more attention to quality management accounting information, thereby improving the universites' operational performance. In addition, this study complements the literature review documents related to the content of SMA and the impact of using SMA on the performance of universities. Originality/Value: The study provided an extension on the impact of SMA on the performance of universities as well as the mediating role of the control variable on the relationship between SMA and performance. Research results provide useful references for research on related issues.

Vehicle Environmental Efficiency Evaluation in Different Regions in China: A Combination of the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Methods

The efficiency of the same vehicle can vary in different regions, posing unique challenges and implications for electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) within a country. However, most studies have regarded countries as single entities, and it is difficult to assess differences in efficiency between similar entities by simply using the life cycle analysis (LCA) method. To provide the specific environmental efficiency of vehicles in each region, in this study, we used data from 100 cities in 30 provinces in China (4 provinces are not discussed due to a lack of data) and constructed a new road congestion indicator that simulated different road conditions at different times and in different regions. A more effective method, which consisted of LCA, two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) and a slack-based model (SBM), was integrated to reflect the phases of LCA more clearly. The results show that the well-to-wheel (WTW) emission range of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) is 288.28–217.40 CO2-eq g/km, while it is 248.20–26.67 CO2-eq g/km for EVs, which means the WTW carbon emissions of EVs are generally lower than those of ICEVs (except in Heilongjiang Province). Furthermore, it was concluded that provinces with a high proportion of hydropower and a high degree of power autonomy could adjust the proportion of thermal power and inter-provincial power transmission to enhance environmental sustainability, and this would not change provincial environmental efficiency. The analysis suggests that provinces should consider both environmental protection and electricity sustainability when planning their own power development, rather than only focusing on improving environmental efficiency.

An "in vivo" analysis of crafts practices and creativity-Why affordances provide a productive lens.

Scholars are increasingly recognizing that creativity is grounded in the active sensorimotor engagement with the environment and materiality. Affordances-recognizable pointers to action opportunities in the ecology-provide a helpful prism for analyzing how this happens. Creative practitioners, as they seek aesthetic opportunities or innovation, depend on their sensitivity toward potentialities in their action space. Presently, we apply a high-zoom lens to a crafts process, giving our micro-genetic research design an affordance focus. By investigating one of the authors, a ceramicist and a practitioner-researcher, through her process of making of a vase, we tracked how affordances are responded to, developed, shaped, invited or, where necessary, rejected, as the ceramicist "routes" her creative trajectory. Several insights emerge: (1) The ceramicist's decisions-initially about general directions, then about aesthetic details-unfold while engaging with the clay; they emerge in stepwise fashion, but with a holistic orientation. (2) Choosing among affordances requires parallel sensitivities to object functionality, aesthetics and creativity, as well as technical feasibility; adhering to the proper technical procedure that provides the very basis for creatively relevant affordances to later arise. (3) While the hands and eyes engage with short-lived affordances the ceramicist must keep in view higher-timescale affordances that ensure a good task progression for making a vase, and affordances for the material's overall "workability". (4) The ceramicist typically relates to momentary affordances in light of expected as well as imagined others, to ensure a coherent end product. (5) Affordances contribute to material creativity in more ways than typically recognized in the literature. They range from serendipitous "finds" to options developed with a large degree of creative autonomy; affordances may also be indirectly invited and practitioners strategically change probability distributions as well as providing an enabling background for generative action. Thus, a crafts practitioner brings forth unconventional affordances through active engagement, using a mix of exploration, strategy, and imaginative potential. Affordance theorists err when stressing the possibility to just "find" creative options or that perceptual acuity is the sole skill.

Family farmers' strategies to develop autonomy through agroecological and solidarity economy practices: The case of BioVida in the Ecuadorian Andes

AbstractConsidering the global restructuring affecting agrarian landscapes, we build on the concept of autonomy proposed by van der Ploeg and colleagues (but extended and critically complemented) to analyse how family farmers can build this autonomy to face rural capitalist tendencies and maintain their activities and identity. We offer insights from a case study in the Ecuadorian Andes, the BioVida organization that is linked to agroecological and social and solidarity economy movements. Our findings show that family farming autonomy is not being achieved homogeneously for the whole household but must be analysed through an intersectional approach. Furthermore, there are simultaneous processes to achieve different degrees of autonomy and (inter‐)dependency, which are co‐constitutive along gender and age lines and are conditioned by structural constraints. Therefore, for our case study area, agribusiness and family farming processes and spaces seem to operate co‐constitutively rather than antagonistically in practical terms. Agroecology‐based achievements so far act as a localized buffer against adversity rather than an emancipative territorial project of autonomy.

Perceived Impact of University Education on Practices of Graduate Nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Nigeria

Introduction: Nurses globally have made giant strides in the development of nursing, which has moved nurses' education from hospital-affiliated schools into Universities and colleges. The study determined the impact of the knowledge of the University level of education on nursing practices at Federal Medical Center, Owo. Method: A descriptive research design was adopted. Using a convenient sampling technique, a total of 133 nurses were accessed. Data were collected using a self-designed structured questionnaire which consists of five sections and a checklist to observe the practice of both graduate and diploma nurses. Data collected were analyzed with SPSS software using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: There are many benefits of university education as identified by the respondents as follows: it brings job satisfaction (89.5%), it helps to give the best care (86.3%), it gives room for competitiveness (89.5%), it encourages leadership role (92.6%), it increases the degree of autonomy in the nursing profession (90.5%), it helps to give best care (86.3%), and so on. The factors affecting the practices of graduate nurses include understaffing (86.4%), unavailability of necessary equipment (88.4%), Lack of role differentiation (86.3%), and Hospital policy (92.6%) and poor working condition of equipment and instruments (100.0%). There is a significantly higher degree of expertise in health care delivered by graduate nurses over diploma nurses; and their ability to plan, implement and evaluate patient care outcomes (P=0.009). In addition, a significant relationship exists between knowledge acquired by graduate nurses and their nursing care practices determines to be P= 0.004. In Conclusion, graduate nurses have a greater impact on healthcare delivery than diploma nurses. Therefore, they should be employed in larger numbers for better healthcare delivery in hospitals.

Integrated Conceptual Design and Parametric Control Assessment for a Hybrid Mobility Lunar Hopper

The lunar lava tubes are envisioned as possible hosting structures for a human base in the Moon’s equatorial regions, providing shelter from radiations, micrometeoroids, and temperature excursion. A first robotic mission is set to scout the habitability of these underground architectures in the near future. The communication inside these underground tunnels is heavily constrained; hence, the scouting system should rely on a high degree of autonomy. At the same time, the exploration system may encounter different types of terrain, requiring an adaptable mobility subsystem able to travel fast on basaltic terrain while avoiding considerable obstacles. This paper presents a cave explorer’s mission study and preliminary sizing targeting the lunar lava tubes. The study proposes using a hybrid mobility system with wheels and thrusters to navigate smoothly inside the lava tubes. The peculiar mobility system of the cave explorer requires an accurate study of the adaptability of its control capabilities with the change of mass for a given set of sensors and actuators. The combination of conceptual design techniques and control assessment gives the engineer a clear indication of the feasible design box for the studied system during the initial formulation phases of a mission. This first part of the study focuses on framing the stakeholders’ needs and identifying the required capabilities of the cave explorer. Furthermore, the study focuses on assessing a design box in terms of mass and power consumption for the cave explorer. Following different mission-level assessments, a more detailed design of the cave explorer is discussed, providing an initial design in terms of mass and power consumption. Finally, the objective shifts toward studying the performances of the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms varying the mass of the cave explorer. The GNC significantly impacts the design box of the surface planetary system. Hence, investigating its limitations can indicate the feasibility of mass growth to accommodate, for example, more payload.

Impact of Pharmacist-Provided Education Using New Information Sheets on Activation in Patients Treated with Oral Antineoplastic Drugs (IMPACT-OAD Project).

Oral antineoplastic drugs (OADs) play an increasing role in the treatment of cancer. Patients must have a high degree of understanding and autonomy to manage the numerous adverse effects at home. In Quebec, recommendations have been made for oncology pharmacists to systematically counsel all patients who are starting an OAD. To measure the impact of education provided by oncology pharmacists on patient activation. In this prospective, single-centre, observational cohort study, patients starting an OAD received education from oncology pharmacists, who used the 2020 updated version of information sheets from the Groupe d'étude en oncologie du Québec (GEOQ, www.geoq.info). The Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13) questionnaire was used to measure patients' activation before and after the intervention. Of the 43 patients recruited in the intention-to-treat analysis, 41 were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. The mean difference between PAM-13 scores before and after the intervention was 2.30 (standard deviation [SD] 11.85) (p = 0.22) in the intention-to-treat analysis and 3.63 (SD 10.33) (p = 0.032) in the modified intention-to-treat analysis; these differences were less than the 5 points required for a result to be considered clinically meaningful. None of the effect-modifying variables for which data were collected had a significant impact on the degree of activation; however, a weak negative correlation was observed between the level of health literacy and the change in PAM-13 score. The study did not show a clinically meaningful change in patient activation following pharmacist-provided education, according to the updated GEOQ information sheets. Further studies are needed to evaluate these data in a larger population and to determine whether the impact of education persists beyond the first treatment cycle.

Cooperative care for companion dogs: emotional health and wellness

Traditionally, humans treated their companion dogs with absolute authority. Furthermore, much of human behaviour towards dogs is cloaked in myths and driven by human-centric labels such as ‘good,’ ‘bad,’ ‘stubborn’ or ‘friendly’ to describe behaviours, emotions, traits or personalities. This has meant that companion dogs have little, if any, autonomy or choice in what happens to them, and this can be traumatic and emotionally damaging. However, providing dogs with the opportunity to make choices when and where it is safe and appropriate to do so may improve their optimism and is part of a clear two-way system of communication between humans and dogs. This translates to reduced stress and enhanced positive welfare that includes their emotional wellness. Cooperative care is a training protocol that provides some measure of predictability and clarity. It removes ambiguity and thus reduces stress from handling. Because it allows the animal to choose to participate or not, it builds trust and grants for some degree of bodily autonomy. The practical applications have additional effects on overall wellness and also reduce the chances of aggressive behaviours that may lead to human injury and veterinary care can be improved, with benefits to the dog, staff and clients.

Political uncertainty and Corporate Philanthropy: Evidence from China

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between political uncertainty and corporate philanthropy in emerging markets, using China as the research setting. The growth of companies in China depends largely on various national policies which are also the main drivers on Chinese economic development. Those polices are actually executed by local leaders with a certain degree of autonomy. Each leader has a personal style of policy implementation in his/her jurisdictions. Once the local leader shifts, enterprises in the region may face the risk of policy implementation changes. Leadership transitions in Chinese cities were chosen to represent political uncertainty. After a change in local government leadership, more philanthropic activities and higher charitable spending were identified for listed companies in the region. The trend was exceptionally prominent for companies with higher regulatory risks. In that regard, companies in the private sector or owned by the local government, from pollution-intensive industries, or with a considerable size were riskier. In addition, the study identified the potential of charitable giving in lessening administrative punishments for the donating companies. The research expanded the literature on political uncertainty and corporate philanthropy by illustrating the effectiveness of the former as a response to the latter.

China vs India in the Himalayas: Comparing economic development in Tibet and Ladakh

The Himalayas are of great strategic importance for China and India but the remote region remains relatively underdeveloped. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of China's Tibet and India's Ladakh with the aim of identifying common and idiosyncratic factors relevant for local economic development. A descriptive analysis explores the administrative, military, demographic, and economic factors in each region. Moreover, we use an ARDL model to examine the long-run relationship between fiscal transfers and regional growth. Lastly, three measures are employed to investigate the extent of integration between the Himalayan regions and the rest of their respective countries. The results indicate that Tibet and Ladakh exhibit many similarities related to a limited degree of regional autonomy, a strong military presence, and the importance of agriculture and services. The empirical investigation confirms the cointegration between transfers and growth. Regional integration is furthered by increasing inflows of domestic tourists and expanding freight traffic.

ANALYTICAL DESIGN OF COMPOSITES IN TERMS OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

Introduction. The development of composite materials is considered with account for the shifts of paradigms based on the basic models of the continuous self-developing environment towards paradigms based on the models of the structured self-developing environment using the ideas and methods of the system approach and synergetics. The system approach can: reduce or even eliminate the uncertainty inherent to the problem to be solved; reconstruct it in models meeting the objectives of the study; identify objects, properties, and relationships in the system under consideration, taking into account the mutual influence of the external environment. Methods. It is shown that the structural organization of the material determines the design of the product or structure and largely determines the functional properties of the entire system. Composite materials are considered as large, complex systems formed based on a modular principle; material properties are determined on the basis of autonomous studies of individual subsystems. Results. It is assumed that individual subsystems have a certain degree of autonomy; it is possible to introduce customizable reference models with the simultaneous decentralization of modules by inputs; the conditions for transferring the results of autonomous studies to the system as a whole are determined by the completeness of understanding the processes of the formation of the structure and properties of the system. In the development of composites, the relative importance, the mutual utility of the quality criteria, a reasonable balance between the internal logic of science and its practical significance are taken into account. Partial criteria are analyzed, and a generalized quality criterion for the building material is formalized. The following is considered: the complexity of the object of study (multi-dimensionality, multi-connectedness, incompleteness of diagnostic information), diagnostic interpretation of the analyzed factors, the probabilistic nature of diagnostic information (using methods of both concrete and abstract-logical cognition; each new logical stage continues the previous one and serves as a prerequisite for the previous one).

A city profile of Macau—The rise and fall of a casino city

Macau, one of China's two special administrative regions (SARs), is an island city famous for its flourishing gambling industry. As Macau is the only place in Greater China where gambling is legal, it initially experienced explosive economic growth with the rapid expansion of its gambling sector. Although the meteoric rise of Macau's gambling industry gave the city a glamorous reputation, it also created a homogeneous and fragile industrial structure, which has begun to pose serious problems for Macau. In recent years, Macau has faced increasing political and economic pressure due to dramatic changes in the external environment. In particular, the tremendous impact of COVID-19 and Beijing's expectation of Macau's deeper involvement in China's development agenda, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area, have made it untenable for Macau to maintain a slow pace of economic reform. This city profile examines the continuous decentralization of China's political authority since its reform and opening up and considers the unique central–local relationship between Beijing and Macau from the perspective of intergovernmental relations theory. As an exploratory case study, we focus on how Macau, a SAR with a “high degree of autonomy” promised and claimed by Beijing, has responded to concerns about its industrial restructuring, administrative reform, and sustainable urban development in the face of interventions from Beijing and scrutiny from residents. We argue that Macau's current form of local autonomy is insufficient, and that the Macau government should use an optimal mix of localization strategies to address the concerns of all parties while also complying with Beijing's assertive planning and guidance. We close by analyzing future economic opportunities and political challenges, extracting lessons from history, and offering practical suggestions for enhancing Macau's governance capacity, improving its tourism destination image, and hedging against major risks to the city in the rapidly changing global environment.

Improving adherence to unguided Internet-based therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundAdherence to internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) is often low, possibly reducing its potential. The current study set out to test whether adherence and effects of unguided iCBT for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) could be improved by varying the degree of autonomy in which modules are completed (free choice vs. fixed order). MethodsWe randomized 151 individuals with OCD to either an unguided iCBT with a fixed (iCBTfixed) or a free-choice (iCBTfree+) order of the modules. We assessed participants at baseline (t0), eight weeks (t1), and 16 weeks (t2). Primary outcomes were adherence (utilization time, modules completed) and change in OCD severity (Y-BOCS). Secondary outcomes included depression, self-esteem, and treatment satisfaction. We calculated intent-to-treat (ITT) and complete case (CC) analyses. ResultsAnalyses showed that both iCBT programs significantly reduced OCD severity. While groups did not differ on the ITT analyses, for the CC analyses, a greater improvement was found in the iCBTfixed in comparison to the iCBTfree+ group regarding OCD severity and quality of life, with medium effect sizes from t0 to t1 (ηp2 = 0.067–0.077). Time of utilization and number of modules completed did not differ between groups. LimitationsNo placebo control group, short follow-up period, self-report assessment. ConclusionsiCBT is effective in improving OCD. Despite similar adherence in the fixed versus the free-choice module order, the study offers tentative evidence that a fixed order of content is associated with better effects. More research on the effects of adherence on outcome is necessary.

Síndrome de Burnout en profesionales sanitarios en un hospital universitario de España

ObjectiveTo evaluate the risk of Burnout in the health professionals of the Huesca University Hospital, 50 years after its inauguration, to investigate the variables related to the work motivation of the hospital health personnel and to assess the predisposing and protective factors of the risk of Burnout. Material and methodsAn observational, analytical, prospective and unicentric study was conducted from September 2017 to April 2019, evaluating all the health professionals who worked at the Hospital San Jorge de Huesca (n=209). ResultsThe mean age was 42.86 years. 72.2% were women. 12.4% had moderate risk of burnout. There was 12.4% of high emotional exhaustion, 36.8% of high depersonalization and 44.5% of low personal accomplishment. Burnout was statistically significant associated with the professional category (P=.010), work experience (P=.026), hours of work per week (P=.036), choice of the same profession (P=.001) and recommendation to the offspring (P<.001). ConclusionsOne tenth of the sample had a moderate risk of burnout. Almost half of the health workers confirmed a high degree of satisfaction with the work environment and the majority expressed an adequate use of well-being strategies and a high degree of autonomy, recognition and satisfaction at work.

Community Forest Management: Weak States or Strong Communities?

Community forest management (CFM) has become an influential approach in the sustainable use, management, and conservation of forests worldwide. It ranges from community-based self-governance of local village forests to co-management approaches with state forest agencies in public forests. However, analyses show complex relationships between states and communities in CFM. At least three ideal types can be identified. The first refers to local communities that collectively decide to manage surrounding forests themselves due to a lack of state involvement. As a manager of the public good, such absence of the state may easily lead to deforestation and forest degradation that such communities wish to avoid. A second type refers to the co-management approaches of local communities and state forest agencies. Here, forest officials and community members cooperate in managing local forests. A final type refers to indigenous communities with strong customary forest institutions whose territorial claims are recognized by the state. While communities always need specific institutions, knowledge, and tenure rights in place to make CFM perform, each ideal type presupposes various degrees of state capacity and state autonomy. The article concludes that weak states (to some degree) and strong communities (of a certain kind) may indeed form a “convincing liaison” in CFM, although it is not the only arrangement that may produce (some) positive social and environmental impacts on the ground, as the cases explored illustrate.

#3795 EARLY AND LATE PATIENT OUTCOMES IN URGENT-START PERITONEAL DIALYSIS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF UNPLANNED INITIATION OF CHRONIC DIALYSIS

Abstract Background and Aims Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has become a well-established complementary alternative to hemodialysis (HD) as the first-line renal replacement modality. Unlike the temporary catheter for hemodialysis that can be used immediately after implementation, the PD catheter usage period remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the short- and long-term outcomes in patients under peritoneal dialysis according to the delay of starting the dialysis after catheter placement. Method This observational prospective study was conducted over an eight-year and four-month period (from April 2014 to August 2021), including all patients treated with peritoneal dialysis for 18 months (from April 2014 to October 2015). The patients were divided into two groups according to whether the catheter was used during the first 15 days (PD-E) or 15 days after (PD-L) catheter placement. The primary outcomes were early complications (mechanical and infectious) within 90 days. Secondary outcomes included technique survival. Results Among the 36 patients included in the study, 14 started PD early (38.8%), while 22 started it 15 days after catheter placement (61.2%). The mean age between the two groups was not significantly different (41 ± 17 years vs 35 ± 16 years, p: not significant). There were no significant differences in the Charlson comorbidity index or the degree of autonomy. The incidence of infections was not significantly different between the two groups (13.6% in PD-L vs 21.4% in PD-E, p: not significant). The total number of mechanical complications was not significantly higher in the PD-E group compared to the PD-L group (42.8% vs 27.3%, respectively, p: not significant). Kaplan-Meier estimates of technique survival were comparable between the groups (log Rank: 1.908, p: 0.67). Conclusion Our study showed no increase in the risk of complications associated with early use of the PD catheter and no difference in technique survival. PD can be used as first-line renal replacement therapy in the unplanned initiation of chronic dialysis.

#3546 “SURPRISE QUESTION”: IS IT A USEFUL TOOL IN CKD STAGES 4 TO 5?

Abstract Background and Aims The “Surprise Question” (SQ) (“would you be surprised if this patient died in 6 months/one year?”) has proven to be an interesting prognostication tool in a range of settings. However, its reliability in non-dialysis-dependent CKD is still unclear. Our aim was to study the applicability of the SQ to an outpatient CKD-EPI stages 4 to 5 and correlate it with mortality. Method Observational, prospective and single center study. Baseline comorbid conditions, cause of CKD, degree of autonomy, literacy, social support and baseline laboratory values (i.e., serum creatinine/ estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum albumin and hemoglobin) were collected. Results A total of 269 patients completed the study, mean age 65 years old; 256 patients (85.3%) had hypertension and 124 (41.3%) had diabetes. The main causes of renal disease were diabetic kidney disease (n = 53; 17.7%), hypertension (n = 15; 5%) and IgA nephropathy (n = 11; 3.7%). The etiology of kidney disease was undetermined for 24 patients (8.0%). Average CKD-EPI was15.5±7.4 mL/min/1.73 m2. A total of 188 patients (63%) were independent for daily living activities and 68 (23%) were professionally active and 45 (48%) were accompanied by family members or caregivers in outpatient consultation to discuss and define the care of plan regarding end stage renal disease. Mean follow up time of the study was 365±254 days, and 27 (9%) patients died during this time period. Using the SQ, providers responded Yes and No for 162 (54%) and 92 (31%) patients, respectively. There were no differences in CKD-EPI stage, arterial hypertension, cerebrovascular disease and dyslipidemia. The No group was older (73±16 vs. 63±16, p&amp;lt;0.001) and had more diabetes (n = 46, 55%, p = 0.015). About 8 (30%) and 18 (67%) of Yes and No patients died, respectively (P&amp;lt;0.001). In the Cox-proportional hazard model adjusted to diabetes, the risk of all-cause mortality was significantly increased by around 5.700 times in patients with a No answer by the providers to the SQ (95%CI, 2.340-13.900; p&amp;lt;0.001) and around 1.045 times with increasing age (95%IC, 1.012-1.080; p = 0.007). The model of the SQ to have predictive capacity for occurrence of death had an area under the ROC curve of 0.684 (95%CI, 0.580-0.790; p = 0.002). Conclusion SQ proved to be a support tool in order to identify patients at high risk of death, who might not have a full benefit of starting dialysis. The choice around kidney replacement therapy is a shared decision-making process, in which competing risks and benefits must be considered. It is essential and urgent to identify means of support for patients, caregivers and health providers to provide and discuss personalized prognostic information.

The Role of Ultrasound Muscle Parameters for Myosteatosis and Myofibrosis Measurement in Young, Older, and Obese Subjects

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to compare quantitative and qualitative ultrasound parameters between healthy young adults and post-acute hospitalized older adults with and without physical disability, as well as between normal weight and overweight/obese persons. DesignCross-sectional observational study. Setting and ParticipantsA total of 120 individuals were recruited: 24 healthy young adults, 24 normal weight and 24 overweight/obese community-dwelling adults, and 48 post-acute hospitalized older adults with different degrees of functional autonomy. MethodsThe rectus femoris cross-sectional area (CSA), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) thickness, echogenicity, strain elastography, and compressibility were measured with ultrasound echography. ResultsPost-acute older adults with a good level of autonomy showed higher echogenicity, a higher compressibility index and elastometry strain, and lower rectus femoris thickness and CSA as compared with young persons. Post-acute individuals with physical disability showed lower echogenicity and a greater stiffness compared with their still autonomous counterparts. Normal weight individuals showed lower stiffness as evaluated with elastometry and a lower SCAT thickness, as compared with individuals with age-matched overweight or obesity.From multiple regression analyses, using CSA as an independent variable, an inverse association with female sex and age was observed, explaining 16% and 51% of variance.Echogenicity was directly associated with age (34% of variance) and with the Barthel index (6% of variance). Elastometry showed association with age and body mass index (BMI), 30% and 16% of variance, respectively.Considering compressibility as a dependent variable, a direct association with age and an inverse association with BMI were observed, with 5% and 11% of variance respectively. Conclusions and ImplicationsMuscle mass decreases with age and with physical disability. Echogenicity, which increases with age and disability level, seems to be associated with myofibrosis. Conversely, elastometry seems useful in the characterization of muscle quality in overweight or obese individuals and as a reliable indirect measure of myosteatosis.

Affiliative Parent−Adolescent Bedtime and Waketime Interactions are Associated with Adolescent Sleep

ABSTRACT Objectives The current study examined whether evening and morning affiliation (i.e., warmth) and autonomy (i.e., more or less in charge) around sleep routines predicted adolescent sleep on weekdays. Method Participants were 28 parent (Mage = 43.19; 85.17% mothers) and adolescent (Mage = 12.34 years) dyads who completed the same electronic diaries morning and evening for 10 days, with a total number of 221 nights observed across dyads. Sleep duration and sleep quality were assessed via the Pittsburgh Sleep Diary; degree of affiliation and autonomy around bedtime and waketime routines were assessed with single items on a visual analog scale. Multilevel modeling was utilized to evaluate the effects of more or less affiliation or autonomy on sleep outcomes (i.e., duration and quality) between and within dyads. Results Across all participants, adolescents who reported more affiliative interactions with their parent around bedtime and waketime slept longer and had better sleep quality at night. Further, when adolescents experienced greater than average affiliative interactions with their parent than was typical for them, they had better sleep quality that night. Adolescent sleep quality and duration were not impacted by whether or not adolescents were in charge of their bedtime and waketime routines. Conclusions Findings support parents’ role in social and emotional security and highlight the importance of affiliative parent interactions around the sleep period for optimal sleep for young adolescents.

Cooperative care for companion dogs: emotional health and wellness

Traditionally, humans treated their companion dogs with absolute authority. Furthermore, much of human behaviour towards dogs is cloaked in myths and driven by human-centric labels such as ‘good,’ ‘bad,’ ‘stubborn’ or ‘friendly’ to describe behaviours, emotions, traits or personalities. This has meant that companion dogs have little, if any, autonomy or choice in what happens to them, and this can be traumatic and emotionally damaging. However, providing dogs with the opportunity to make choices when and where it is safe and appropriate to do so may improve their optimism and is part of a clear two-way system of communication between humans and dogs. This translates to reduced stress and enhanced positive welfare that includes their emotional wellness. Cooperative care is a training protocol that provides some measure of predictability and clarity. It removes ambiguity and thus reduces stress from handling. Because it allows the animal to choose to participate or not, it builds trust and grants for some degree of bodily autonomy. The practical applications have additional effects on overall wellness and also reduce the chances of aggressive behaviours that may lead to human injury and veterinary care can be improved, with benefits to the dog, staff and clients.