E-mail Address Research Articles

The pattern of antibiotics prescription for endodontic infections in Malaysia: Cross sectional survey study.

This study aimed to assess the antibiotic prescribing pattern for endodontic infections among general dental practitioners (GDPs) and endodontic specialists in Malaysia. A 22-questions survey on demographic and general information on antibiotic prescribing patterns for endodontic infection was delivered to the email addresses of general dentists and specialists via the Dental Practitifoner Information Management System database. Collected data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression tests at the significance level of 0.05. A total of 372 responses were collected. 94% of respondents were GDPs, and 6% endodontists. Clinical experience and frequency of endodontic treatment performance were the significant factors in prescribing antibiotics (p < 0.05). The common reasons for antibiotic prescription were to control the spread of infection and fever (88%). Endodontists have better knowledge of antibiotic prescription than GDPs. The majority of GDPs had inappropriately prescribed antibiotics. Improving the knowledge of GDPs in Malaysia regarding antibiotics-indications in endodontics is mandatory.

An international, cross-sectional survey of preprint attitudes among biomedical researchers

Background Preprints are scientific manuscripts that are made available on open-access servers but are not yet peer-reviewed. Although preprints are becoming more prevalent, uptake is not optimal. Understanding researchers’ opinions and attitudes toward preprints is valuable to optimize their use. Understanding knowledge gaps and researchers’ attitudes toward preprinting can assist stakeholders, such as journals, funding agencies, and universities, to use preprints more effectively. Here, we aimed to collect perceptions and behaviours regarding preprints across an international sample of biomedical researchers. Methods Corresponding authors of articles published in biomedical research journals were identified from a random sample of journals from the MEDLINE database. Their names and email addresses were extracted to invite them to our anonymous, cross-sectional survey, which asked participants questions about their knowledge, attitudes, and opinions regarding preprinting. Results The survey was completed by 730 respondents providing a response rate of 3.20% and demonstrated a wide range of attitudes and opinions about preprints with authors from various disciplines and career stages worldwide. Most respondents were familiar with the concept of preprints but most had not previously posted one. The lead author of the project and journal policy had the greatest impact on decisions to post a preprint, whereas employers/research institutes had the least impact. Supporting open science practices was the highest ranked incentive, while increasing authors’ visibility was the highest ranked motivation for publishing preprints. Conclusions Although many biomedical researchers recognize the benefits of preprints, there is still hesitation among others to engage in this practice. This may be due to the general lack of peer review of preprints and little enthusiasm from external organizations such as journals, funding agencies, and universities. Future work is needed to determine optimal ways to improve researchers’ attitudes through modifications to current preprint systems and policies.

Exploring paruresis (‘shy bladder syndrome’) and factors that may contribute to it: a cross-sectional UK survey study

ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence and severity of paruresis (‘shy bladder syndrome’) in a population of university staff and students and to determine if there was any relationship between demographics, self-esteem, presence of social anxiety disorders and negative toilet experiences and paruresis.DesignWe undertook an anonymised cross-sectional online survey using Microsoft Forms. We invited participants aged 18 and over to complete the survey which included demographic information; any pre-existing medically or self-diagnosed anxiety-related conditions; Shy Bladder Scale (SBS); Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and questions about using school toilets in their younger life. We defined ‘mild’ and ‘severe’ paruresis based on total SBS cut-off scores of greater than or equal to 31 and greater than or equal to 40. We calculated prevalence of paruresis, and explored differences in self-esteem, school toilet experience and social anxiety disorders between individuals with and without paruresis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine which variables had any influence on having a ‘mild’ and ‘severe’ paruresis diagnosis.SettingWe distributed the survey to all staff and students via their university email address as well as promoting the survey on university social media sites.ResultsWe received responses from 356 individuals. Most participants (237, 66.6%) were within the 18–30 year age category and most (277, 77.8%) were white. There were 221 (62.1%) females, 119 (33.4%) males and 16 (4.5%) other genders. The prevalence of ‘mild’ paruresis was 25.8% and of ‘severe’ paruresis 14.9% in this sample. 73.0% indicated that they had at least one medically or self-diagnosed anxiety disorder. There was a statistically significant difference in the total SBS score between individuals with and without an existing anxiety disorder (8 vs 19, &lt;0.001). The adjusted odds of ‘mild’ paruresis were higher for men than women (OR 3.39; 95% CI 1.90 to 6.06), lower for those with a lower RSES score (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.85 to 0.96), lower for those for a lower school toilet experience score (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.78 to 0.99) and higher for those with at least one anxiety disorder (OR 3.164; 95% CI 1.52 to 6.59). The adjusted odds of ‘severe’ paruresis were higher for men than women (OR 2.60; 95% CI 1.32 to 5.12), lower for those with a lower RSES score (OR 0.90; CI 0.84 to 0.97) and higher for those with at least one anxiety disorder (OR 2.99 (1.18–7.56)).ConclusionLarge organisations should consider measures to help manage anxiety and improve toilet experiences. These could include resources and signposting to manage anxiety disorders and single-occupancy toilets and toilets in quiet areas to limit anxiety associated with shy bladder syndrome.

Arab-Latin American Literary Perspectives on the Palestinian Exile

Latin America has been deeply involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with some countries taking a firm stance for one side or the other. While some countries have been vocal in their support, common threads run through the region’s perspective on the conflict: believing in the importance of a two-state solution and focusing on human rights. But beyond the political and economic support provided to the Palestinian cause, Latin American countries have also served as cultural exclaves and safe spaces for Palestinian communities across Latin America. In this essay, we aim to delve into the functions of these cultural exclaves for Palestinian exiles and safe spaces for Palestinian diasporic communities, as well as their impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as reflected in the following texts: Miguel Littin’s documentary film Crónicas palestinas: caminos de la ira (2002) and his drama film La última luna (2005), Alberto Nazal’s Beit Jala Forever (2006), and the collections of Arab and Jewish short stories in Spanish complied in the books Caminos para la paz (2007), edited by Ignacio López-Calvo and Cristián H. Ricci, and Delta de las areas (2013), edited by Rose Mary Salum. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]

Editorial policy and procedure

The Journal of Vocational, Adult and Continuing Education and Training (JOVACET) recognises the need for critical engagement through studies in TVET and Adult and Continuing Education and Training, and for encouraging critical scrutiny of this expansive knowledge area on the African continent. The voices and experiences of practitioners, reflecting on all aspects of teaching and learning within vocational education and adult education settings, should be heard through publication of empirical and robust research. While the journal clearly wishes to take forward academic scholarship, it also seeks to strengthen opportunities for reflective practice that makes a scholarly contribution to the field. New knowledge emerging out of complex developmental contexts has significant value and needs to be showcased beyond existing geographical and political boundaries. The journal is therefore committed to also supporting the development of emerging researchers by providing them with a space to present and defend their research among a network of global scholars. Within the field of vocational and continuing education there is substantive ‘grey literature’ that remains in project report form. The journal is potentially a vehicle for the translation of this important work into an academic contribution to a wider community of practice and thereby enhancing its value. The JOVACET will appear at least once a year. Unsolicited articles are welcome for consideration and should be uploaded onto the JOVACET’s website online journal or else emailed to the journal’s managing editor. The editors are accountable for everything published in the journal and should therefore:• work towards improving the contents of the journal;• adopt peer-review methods best suited for the journal and the research communityit serves;• ensure that all manuscripts have been reviewed by appropriate reviewers;• ensure quality assurance processes are in place for the material that is published; and• uphold the highest standards of integrity, intellectual rigour and ethics. The editors will not disclose any information about the submitted manuscripts or their authors to anyone other than the author(s) and reviewer(s), as appropriate. Submitted articles will be reviewed by two anonymous external referees in a ‘blind’ peer-review process. Appropriate papers will be reviewed according to their significance and soundness. Articles that have been submitted must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere. The editors are responsible for deciding which of the manuscripts submitted to the journal will be published. The editors’ decision to accept or reject a manuscript should be based on the importance of the manuscript, its originality and clarity, the validity of the study and its relevance to the journal’s scope. Considerations will also include current legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. Submissions may not exceed the 8 000-word limit and must contain a title, abstract of not more than 200 words and be correctly and completely referenced according to the Harvard system of referencing. Footnotes should be kept to a minimum. Tables should be positioned where they are referred to and not be submitted separately. Authors are requested to consult the author’s guidelines on the website. The article should not contain any identification of the author and should be anonymised as far as possible. The name(s) and affiliations of the author(s), as well as their email address, should appear on a separate page. The Journal of Vocational, Adult and Continuing Education and Training (JOVACET) is an open access, peer-reviewed journal committed to disseminating the latest research in post-school education to the global community as widely as possible. The journal content is freely and openly available after publication on the website, www.jovacet.ac.za, and can be read, downloaded, copied, distributed and printed without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.

Expressions and Forms of Exile in Vintilă Horia

One of the most fascinating representatives of the Romanian exile, even though he is less famous when compared to his great contemporaries Mircea Eliade, Eugène Ionesco or E.M. Cioran, Vintilă Horia represents an interesting example of artistic capacity to empathize with the protagonists of his own work. All his great novels (The Knight of Resignation, A Tomb in the Sky or God Was Born in Exile) include the recurrent image of tragic exiles unexpectedly confronted with the harsh reality of uprooting and forced to come to terms with the new world they reach, sometimes after a challenging or dangerous journey. The Latin poet Ovid in God Was Born in Exile (Dieu est né en exil, 1960) is perhaps Horia’s most remarkable character, the protagonist’s exile to Tomis representing an expression of the author’s own painful exile after World War II, when he was forced to leave Romania for good. Ovid’s exile and then his journeys stand for a complex process of initiation, completed only when the poet also has the revelation of his future possible symbolic rebirth and foresees his way to spiritual redemption. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]

El exilio metafórico de la identidad en relatos escogidos de Milia Gayoso Manzur y Edmundo Paz Soldán

This study proposes an interpretation of exile in metaphorical terms, namely a binary association which relates territorial uprooting to a distance that a sick subject carries out either from the socio-cultural context of reference or from his own subjective identity. We intend to analyze the disease as a factor of de-territorialization, in order to see how the pathological condition may cause a withdrawal of the Egoidentity that leads, in the sick subject, to: a) a renunciation of existence (it goes from the extreme “thanatic impulse” to less traumatic forms of isolation and confinement) or b) a refusal to reintegrate into the human dimension, turning down all possible forms of recovery/rehabilitation. For our symbolic approach we selected the short stories “Con las alas rotas” and “La mirada ausente”, included in the volume Gorriones bajo la lluvia (2020), authored by the Paraguayan Milia Gayoso Manzur, and the story “El croata” which the Bolivian Edmundo Paz Soldán wrote for the thematic anthology Excesos del cuerpo (2009). The limitations related to a pathological state are seen as a set of factors which can break the ties that the individuals maintain with their social environment and with the perception of their own body: an experience of detachment or exile in loco. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]

The Revelations of Violence in the Novel Senselessness by Horacio Castellanos Moya

For decades up to the present, Central America has undergone violence in opposition to its self-determination, resulting in the death, disappearance, and displacement of countless people. In the case of Guatemala, what would be described as genocide was carried out against its Mayan population. Through an analysis of the novel Senselessness (2008) – originally published in Spanish in 2004 as Insensatez – by the Salvadoran writer born in Honduras, Horacio Castellanos Moya, I will try to elucidate both the ontological origin of this violence and what it reveals with respect to human nature and the effects (among which geographical and existential displacement stands out) it can have on its victims. To achieve this goal, I will use the ideas of Bolívar Echeverría, Sigmund Freud, and Georges Bataille, among others. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]

“Mad Hot” Multiculturalismo: Identidad cultural dominicana a través de la música y la danza

In 1994, a ballroom dance program for 5th graders was implemented in New York public schools. By 2005, more than 6,000 kids from 60 schools in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn were required to take this 10-week course. The very same year, Marilyn Agrelo directed the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom Dance (2005). The documentary tells the story of the preparation, instruction, and rehearsal of various school teams for the Colors of the Rainbows final competition. New York is one of the most multicultural states in the United States with the student population coming from different countries and backgrounds. There are Dominicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, European Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. Through the music used in this Public-School program (merengue, tango, rumba, and swing), students find an outlet for their feelings and a way to “construct their subjectivities”, as Charles Keil would suggest. It is through dance that, a public school becomes a space of alterity or paratopia; a Korean boy dances a tango with a Dominican girl, whereas a Jewish-American boy dances a merengue with an African-American girl. In this essay, I will argue, among other things, that the ballroom dance program teaches students from different races, religions, and cultural backgrounds not only how to dance but also how to mingle and interact, thus reinforcing the possibility of greater multicultural integration. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]

Exile and Inner-Exile in Euclides da Cunha

In this essay, I analyze the relationship between literature and exile from the point-of-view of the renowned Brazilian engineer and writer Euclides da Cunha (1866-1909). I chose this author for his unique use of the concept of exile pertaining to his own human condition, but also for his paradoxical perspective on the Amazonian rubber tappers during the 1900s. Da Cunha himself did not experience personal displacement in the conventional sense of being expatriated. However, his work and ideas often touched upon the notion of exile, especially in the context of cultural, emotional, and intellectual separation. As a writer, sociologist, and journalist in Brazil, Euclides da Cunha was always critical and provocative. He also held various academic and governmental positions, as his work continued to explore themes related to Brazilian society, history, and culture. And while not a traditionally exiled individual during two dictatorial regimes, his ideas and perspectives sometimes put him at odds with the predominantly intellectual and political norms of fin-de-siècle Brazil. His analytical and critical approach to Brazilian society, as evident in his magnum opus Rebellion in the Backlands (1902), challenged prevailing beliefs and led to conflicts with established authorities. His book exposed the brutality of the government’s military campaign against Canudos and raised questions about the treatment of marginalized communities in Brazil. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity among primary school children in Ireland

Abstract Background The containment measures implemented during COVID-19 to curb the virus’s spread disrupted family life globally and profoundly impacted children’s daily behaviours. A decrease in children’s physical activity during COVID-19 is one such health behaviour change that was observed in many European countries. This study aimed to understand the pandemic’s impact on primary school children’s physical activity in Ireland which is important given the epidemic of childhood obesity and chronic diseases in the long term. Methods All Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) participating countries (n = 45) could voluntarily implement the COVID study as part of their COSI Round 6 (R6) data collection or separately. The parents of First and Second-class primary school children (n = 2,784) who consented to participate in COSI-Ireland R6 were invited to complete the family survey which included the standardised COVID study. The COVID module assessed children’s lifestyles and health behaviours before and during the pandemic through 12 questions. Consenting parents supplied their email or postal address and completed the survey in hardcopy or electronically using LimeSurvey. Descriptive statistics were then calculated on the cleaned pseudonymised dataset (n = 1,060) using IBM SPSS Statistics 27. Results The time spent playing actively outside school hours remained the same for some children on both weekdays and weekends (24.2% and 37.1%, respectively). An increase rather than a decrease in the time spent in active play was also observed among almost twice as many children across Ireland on both weekdays (47.3% and 24.2% respectively), and weekends (40.10% and 21.80% respectively). Conclusions The positive findings show that the public health messaging from the Irish Government which emphasized the importance of staying active during COVID-19 may have been effective. Further research to assess children’s physical activity during COVID-19 is warranted to inform future pandemics. Key messages • In Ireland, unlike in many European countries, a substantial number of primary school children increased their time spent playing actively during the COVID-19 pandemic. • A unique trend in Irish children’s physical activity levels compared to their European counterparts.

Profiling patterns of patient experiences of access and continuity at team-based primary healthcare clinics (Canada): a latent class analysis

BackgroundAccess to primary healthcare services is a core lever for reducing health inequalities. Population groups living with certain individual social characteristics are disproportionately more likely to experience barriers accessing care. This study identified profiles of access and continuity experiences of patients registered with a family physician working in team-based primary healthcare clinics and explored the associations of these profiles with individual and organizational characteristics.MethodsA cross-sectional e-survey was conducted between September 2022 and April 2023. All registered adult patients with an email address at 104 team-based primary healthcare clinics in Quebec were invited to participate. Latent class analysis was used to identify patient profiles based on nine components of access to care and continuity experiences. Multinomial logistic regression models were fit to analyze each profile’s association with ten characteristics related to individual sociodemographics, perceived heath status, chronic conditions and two related to clinic area and size.ResultsBased on 87,155 patients who reported on their experience, four profiles were identified. “Easy access and continuity” (42% of respondents) was characterized by ease in almost all access and continuity components. Three profiles were characterized by diverging access and/or continuity difficulties. “Challenging booking” (32%) was characterized by patients having to try several times to obtain an appointment at their clinic. “Challenging continuity” (9%) was characterized by patients having to repeat information that should have been in their file. “Access and continuity barriers” (16%) was characterized by difficulties with all access and continuity components. Female gender and poor perceived health significantly increased the risk of belonging to the three profiles associated with difficulties by 1.5. Being a recently arrived immigrant (p = 0.036), having less than a high school education (p = 0.002) and being registered at a large clinic (p < 0.001) were associated with experiencing booking difficulties. Having at least one chronic condition (p = 0.004) or poor perceived mental health (p = 0.048) were associated with experiencing continuity difficulties.ConclusionsThese results highlight individual social and health characteristics associated with increased risk of experiencing healthcare access difficulties, such as immigration status and education level and/or continuity difficulties when having a chronic condition and poor perceived mental health. Facilitating appointment booking for recently arrived immigrants and patients with low education, integrating interprofessional collaboration practices for patients with chronic conditions and improving care coordination and communication for patients with mental health needs are recommended.

Comparison of Deep Learning and Machine Learning Model for Phishing Email Classification

Email is a medium in business communication that people use everyday and not only holds sensitive information but also identity for the user and organization. The uniqueness of information contained make phishing detection and remedy cannot be applied generally. Existing method applied in common on security software such as blacklisting keyword or email address is not enough to outpace evolving phishing method. Nowadays the implementation of machine learning and deep learning grow rapidly fast and the method used by machine learning and deep learning that can learn pattern of inputs and natural language processing making classification to detect email phishing promising, this study present proposed method of phishing mail classification by comparing the use of machine learning and deep learning model, The algorithm used in this paper are recurrent convolutional neural network and random forest with tf-idf and fasttext word embedding. The Dataset contain phishing and legitimate of an email gathered from a trading company in Indonesia. The dataset will be split into 70% for training and 30% for testing. As a result of this comparison, the random forest model with tf-idf word embedding achieve highest accuracy of 100% for the dataset used and the highest accuracy for recurrent convolutional neural network model with fasttext is 98.21%.

Indications of digital literacy during Latino-focused, community-based COVID-19 testing implementation.

We sought to characterize indicators of digital literacy among persons testing for COVID-19 and community health workers (CHWs) providing testing via a digital platform in low-income, majority-Latino communities in California. From March 2021 to March 2022, we trained CHWs to provide community-based COVID-19 testing that relied on a digital platform for registration, recording and reporting of results. Among community members, we examined factors associated with accessing test results digitally and time to results receipt. Among CHWs, we evaluated factors associated with self-reported difficulty using the digital platform and improvement post-training. Overall, 5044 community members were tested for COVID-19. Accessing results digitally vs non-digitally was associated with younger age (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.02 [95% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.01-1.03], for each year decrease), rural residence (OR:1.61 [95% CI, 1.30-1.99]), and providing an email address at registration (OR: 2.18 [95% CI, 1.80-2.65]). The likelihood of providing an email address at registration was increased among younger, non-Latino, English-speaking, female, and rural testers. Among persons accessing results digitally, median time from testing to result receipt was 41 min, with increased time associated with rural residence and older age. Among 42 CHWs surveyed, 29 (68%) reported technology-related challenges when providing testing: those reporting challenges were more likely to be older and rural CHWs. Rural CHWs were less likely to report technical skill improvement post-training. Email provision may be an indicator of digital literacy among persons testing for COVID-19 in low-income, majority-Latino communities. Rural and older CHWs may need more intensive digital training. Efforts to improve digital literacy in underserved communities are likely needed to realize the full potential of community-based health interventions that utilize digital platforms.

Investigating Effectiveness of Informing Users About Breach Status of Their Email Addresses During Website Registration

The ever-increasing number of data breaches targeting user credentials has become undeniable reality in our digital age. Although there are third-party breach notification services (e.g., Have I Been Pwned, Firefox Monitor) that allow users to check whether their credentials have been involved in data breaches, the number of users who are aware of or use such services may be limited. To better inform users about the breach status of their accounts, we designed a prototype registration system where the website uses readily available information (e.g., email address) to check whether this account was involved in a data breach, and then inform the user about the breach status of the email address while signing up for a website. We investigated the effectiveness of this system by performing an online study (n = 373) in which participants were asked to register to a mock-up website that presented them with a data breach notification based on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). We found that 64% of participants were exposed in one or more breaches. A follow-up survey, 3 days after the initial survey, was conducted to determine if there were any behavior changes (e.g., changing passwords) of participants whose accounts were involved in some data breaches. We found that 40% of the participants changed their passwords on their some accounts. Finally, we present our qualitative data analysis to shed light on participants’ motivations behind their decisions as well as their perceptions of the integration of our prototype registration system.

The tipping point: Financial and emotional costs of care for Medicare patients with cancer.

260 Background: As cancer-related health care expenses are increasing, a greater proportion of treatment costs are shifting directly to the patient, resulting in an increased financial burden for many patients. In addition to growing healthcare costs, the inflationary environment in the US has also increased the costs of daily living expenses. Although the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) encompasses measures for negotiating prices of specific high-cost medications within Medicare Parts B and D, given the expenses associated with cancer treatment IRA negotiation provisions will likely have limited impact on patients’ financial burden. We sought to capture the financial and emotional experiences of Medicare cancer patients about their costs of care prior to the implementation of the IRA. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used data from a nationwide survey distributed in February 2024 by Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF). Inclusion criteria included a valid email address, age &gt;19, self-reported cancer diagnosis and Medicare coverage. Frequencies were calculated for categorical variables. Additional information about financial challenges will be collected on a subset of cancer survey respondents in May 2024. Results: A total of 331 survey respondents with cancer completed the survey. Most respondents were female (61%), age≥56 (86%), white (73%), retired (59%), married (47%), household income &lt;$48,000 (69%), and rural location (24%). The most common cancer types were multiple myeloma (47%) and breast (26%); 25% were diagnosed &lt; 2 years prior, 87% were receiving cancer treatment and 52% experienced financial challenges prior to diagnosis. Almost half (45%) reported a negative change in their financial situation in the past 12 months; caused by increased living (63%), food (60%), medical care (47%) and medication (39%) costs. Overwhelming/above average financial stress (40%) was reported on the day of the survey; 30% reported spending at least 25% of their monthly income on medical costs; 69% reported financial burden due to their illness. Fifty-nine percent reported that finances impacted their emotional wellbeing. Common coping strategies to alleviate financial distress included positive attitudes, family/friend support and spiritual beliefs. Conclusions: To mitigate the impact of inflation on low-income cancer patients, it is essential for policymakers, healthcare providers, and community organizations to work together to ensure access to affordable healthcare, support services, and financial assistance programs. Additionally, raising awareness about the challenges faced by this vulnerable population and advocating for policies that address their needs can help alleviate some of the burdens imposed by inflation. While the IRA is a step in the right direction, its financial impact on patients appears limited.

Variable practice patterns in the surgical management of renal hyperparathyroidism

BackgroundHyperparathyroidism is common among patients with chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease, and kidney transplant. The American Association for Endocrine Surgery published clinical practice guidelines that address the surgical treatment of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. The purpose of this study is to determine practice patterns for the surgical management of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism prior to guideline publication. MethodsWith the approval of the American Association for Endocrine Surgery, a Qualtrics email survey was sent to the Association’s membership in 2022 about current clinical decision making for surgical treatment of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Respondents were divided into groups based on surgical subspecialty (endocrine surgery versus non-endocrine surgery), yearly parathyroidectomy volume, and yearly parathyroidectomy volume for surgical treatment of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Descriptive statistics were performed; the role of volume was evaluated. ResultsThere were 142 responses from 795 solicited email addresses (18% response rate); 114 (84%) identified as endocrine surgeons. The majority (62%) perform >50 parathyroidectomies yearly, but most perform <10 parathyroidectomies for surgical treatment of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism per year (<10/y, 53.7%; 10–30/y, 41.9%; >30/y, 4.4%). Subtotal parathyroidectomy is most commonly performed for surgical treatment of secondary (83%) and tertiary (52%) hyperparathyroidism, but transcervical thymectomy variably performed for both. There was no consensus regarding starting calcitriol preoperatively (always 43%, never 25%, depends on vitamin D levels 24%) or stopping cinacalcet (2 weeks prior 28%, day of surgery 29%, postoperatively 20%). Surgeons who perform >10 parathyroidectomies per year for surgical treatment of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism were less likely to consider the patient's preoperative vitamin D levels to inform their decision to start calcitriol before surgery (<10 cases/year, 34%; ≥10 cases/year 15%; P = .023), were more likely to have a postoperative hypocalcemia protocol managed by the surgical team (<10 cases/year, 49%; ≥10 cases/year, 58%; P = .029), and were more likely to use intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring for tertiary hyperparathyroidism (<10 cases/year, 70%; ≥10 cases/year, 87%; P = .046). ConclusionThe majority of respondents perform <10 parathyroidectomies yearly for surgical treatment of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Subtotal parathyroidectomy was most commonly performed, but there was little other consensus regarding preoperative management, intraoperative decision-making, and postoperative care. Opportunity exists through guideline dissemination to improve heterogeneity of care provided to surgical treatment of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism patients.

USING HOT POTATOES APP AS TEACHING METHOD FOR VOCABULARY SUBJECT

To learn to read, write, talk, and listen, students must master vocabulary. To get good at the four basic English skills, you need to learn new words. Learners can easily access the Hot Potatoes app from anywhere with an internet connection and a simple computer browser. There are exercise templates in the Hot Potatoes programs that can be used to make web-based tasks that can be uploaded to servers and made available to students. There are six different kinds of web-based workouts that Hot Potatoes can make. These can be used on their own or connected to other workouts or activities to make a number of tasks. The app Hot Potatoes is helpful because it lets students revise and change their work by giving them hints and then giving them comments in the target language. Teachers can also choose which email address will receive student grades by using the Hot Potatoes program. The purpose of this study is to find out what happens to tenth-grade students at SMKN 2 Palangka Raya when they use Hot Potato-based learning materials to improve their language. This study examines how Hot Potatoes used in SMKN 2 Palangka Raya tenth graders. This research topic is whether Hot Potatoes improve students' vocabularies before and after teaching. The research utilizes a pre-experimental design, the one-group pretest-posttest approach, because consists of only one group serving as both the control and experimental groups. In the one-group pretest-posttest design, a single group is monitored both before and after receiving therapy.To address the study topic, the researcher calculates pre- and post-test scores using paired sample t-test. H0 is rejected by paired sample t-test. The 2-tailed Sig. value is 0.000 &lt; 0.05. Students' vocabulary scores changed significantly between pre- and post-test. Paired Sample Statistic showed that the mean before teaching with Hot Potatoes was 52.73 and after was 82.42. Hot Potatoes is alternative for the students in learning English especially in vocabulary. This reason is based on the result of test after getting treatment. The activity using the Hot Potatoes makes the students are easy to understand the material. In addition, this activity invites the students to be active and creative. Active here means that the students participate in studying of English and they feel fun. Meanwhile, creative here means that the students do the gap-fill exercise and matching exercise. The implementation Hot Potatoes in teaching and learning gives positive effect on the students’ achievement. It can be done because by fun learning, information can be understood and maintained well Teachers are suggested to use the media as one of the variations in teaching English and they can use technology as integrated media at school. The other researchers can do the similar research with other media or authoring tool besides Hot Potatoes such as Quizlet, Notion, Kahoot and so on

Digital literacy competencies among students in higher learning institutions in Kazakhstan

Purpose This study aims to assess the digital literacy competencies among students in higher learning institutions in Kazakhstan. Design/methodology/approach A survey design was used. Simple random sampling was used to draw sample. Primary data were collected using Web/online questionnaires (Google Form). A total of 370 online questionnaires were disseminated to the respondents to their email addresses. Quantitative data collected were analyzed using MS Excel 2010. Thus, descriptive statistics were computed and the results were further presented in tables, charts and figures. Findings Results reveal that students are very competent in using digital technologies to communicate and share their educational digital contents, whereas they indicate moderate competence and incompetence in other essential digital literacy skills crucial for their academic pursuits. Furthermore, this study revealed that students frequently use digital technologies for educational purposes, with statistical analysis [t(381) = 4.562, p &lt; 0.00001, two-tailed] indicating a significant difference between the extent and purpose of their digital usage. Moreover, findings identified health issues, technical issues and the constantly changing of hardware and software as primary challenges faced students when engaging with digital technologies. Originality/value This study is new in the context of Kazakhstan analyzing the digital literacy competencies among students, with a particular focus on elucidating the five fundamental facets of such competencies. This study therefore, recommends the implementation of comprehensive and consistent training programs aimed at imparting necessary digital literacy skills to students.

No IT Background? No Problem: Develop Your HRM Application Using Google Workspace

An organization can boost its human resource management performance by implementing digital technology. While such notion is widely acceptable, in practice, not all organizations can afford the technology. For small medium enterprises, digital technology for HRM can be costly. Neither having their own IT team nor outsourcing the project to a third party is within the budget for most SMEs. If there was any budget for digital technology, most SMEs would prefer the technology that can lower production costs and increase revenue. The author seeks a way to empower SMEs’ HR people, who usually have no IT background, with Application Development Capability, thus increasing their productivity. This situation raises 2 questions: 1) Is there any possibility of developing a digital application for employees without IT background? 2) If such a thing is possible, will the non-IT HR employees be able to learn the method and implement it in their daily activities? The literature discusses how to empower people without IT background with application development capability being still scarce. This study reveals that free Google Workspace applications can be used to create a tailor-made application. When people fill in the google form and click the Submit button, the data can be automatically processed to meet our purpose and in a couple of minutes, if not faster, the report is automatically sent to the designated email address. The second finding makes it clear that, following this method, the non-IT HR employees are able to develop HR applications on their own.