Participant Gender Research Articles

Linguistic Insecurity and Dialect Divergence in Southwestern Saudi Arabia: A Study of the Malki Dialect

Malki is an under-researched Arabic dialect spoken by an isolated speech community in Southwestern Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study is to uncover whether Malki dialect speakers experience linguistic insecurity and do environment, age, and gender as variables affect linguistic confidence? Data was gathered for quantitative analysis via survey on the Malki dialect using a five-point Likert scale. A descriptive statistical analysis and ANOVA test were conducted on 257 surveys, identifying eight groups determined by age and gender. Results showed that more formality of the environment and age of the participant were the most significant variables affecting attitudes about the Malki dialect. The greatest disparity occurred between the oldest age group (51+) and the youngest age group (18-25). Participant gender had no significant effect on linguistic insecurity.

A Study on Gender Participation and Types of Bamboo Products Prepared by Artisans in Northern Karnataka

Aim: To study the gender participation in bamboo making products and to know the products prepared by the bamboo artisans.
 Study Design: Exploratory design was used.
 Place and Duration of Study: Study was conducted in Northern Karnataka districts of Dharwad, Belgavi and Uttar Kannada in the year 2019-2020.
 Methodology: Random sampling method was applied to select a sample size of 120 bamboo artisans’ family (Forty respondents from each district). The respondents were interviewed personally to elicit the primary information by using self structured interview schedule.
 Results: Bamboo enterprise activities were mainly dominated by women (66.66%). In Dharwad district, majority of the respondents prepared bamboo articles like rotti basket (87.50%), chibla (75.00%) and hand fan (60.00%) and as far as Belagavi district is concerned, all most all the respondent’s prepared religious basket (yellaman butti) followed by yellaman jaga (religious basket) (90.00%), further in Uttar Kannada district, all the respondents prepared mara followed by sieve (57.50%).
 Conclusion: Bamboo products making is lead by women in Northern Karnataka districts. Each district has its own dominating product i.e., Rotti basket, Chibla and Religious basket in Dharwad, Belgavi and Uttar Kannada districts respectively.

Situational Awareness and Proactive Engagement Predict Higher Time in Range in Adolescents and Young Adults Using Hybrid Closed-Loop.

Adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes have high HbA1c levels and often struggle with self-management behaviors and attention to diabetes care. Hybrid closed-loop systems (HCL) like the t:slim X2 with Control-IQ technology (Control-IQ) can help improve glycemic control. The purpose of this study is to assess adolescents' situational awareness of their glucose control and engagement with the Control-IQ system to determine significant factors in daily glycemic control. Adolescents (15-25 years) using Control-IQ participated in a 2-week prospective study, gathering detailed information about Control-IQ system engagements (boluses, alerts, and so on) and asking the participants' age and gender about their awareness of glucose levels 2-3 times/day without checking. Mixed models assessed which behaviors and awareness items correlated with time in range (TIR, 70-180 mg/dl, 3.9-10.0 mmol/L). Eighteen adolescents/young adults (mean age 18 ± 1.86 years and 86% White non-Hispanic) completed the study. Situational awareness of glucose levels did not correlate with time since the last glucose check (p = 0.8). In multivariable modeling, lower TIR was predicted on days when adolescents underestimated their glucose levels (r = -0.22), received more CGM alerts (r = -0.31), and had more pump engagements (r = -0.27). A higher TIR was predicted when adolescents responded to CGM alerts (r = 0.20) and entered carbohydrates into the bolus calculator (r = 0.49). Situational awareness is an independent predictor of TIR and may provide insight into patterns of attention and focus that could positively influence glycemic outcomes in adolescents. Proactive engagements predict better TIR, whereas reactive engagement predicted lower TIR. Future interventions could be designed to train users to develop awareness and expertise in effective diabetes self-management.

Public Chronic Pain Stigma and the Role of Pain Type and Patient Gender: An Experimental Vignette Study

Research exploring the specific manifestations of chronic pain (CP) public stigma is scarce. One potential factor influencing public stigma manifestations may be the CP type, that is, the presence (secondary CP) or absence (primary CP) of a clearly identifiable pathophysiology. Furthermore, patient gender may play a key role, whereby pain-related gender stereotypes may evoke distinct gender role expectations towards men and women experiencing CP. The aim of the research was 2-fold. First, by means of an experimental vignette design, the general population’s cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses were investigated, both towards primary versus secondary CP and towards men versus women. Second, a potential interaction was examined between CP type and patient gender. The research is divided into 2 separate samples: individuals with CP (N = 729) and individuals without CP (N = 283). Factorial ANOVA models were estimated with CP type, patient gender, and participant gender included as factors, age as control variable. The findings support, partly, the general hypothesis of higher (perceived) public stigma towards individuals with primary (vs secondary) CP. No main effects of patient gender were observed. Gender bias in stigmatizing manifestations only emerged in certain contextual circumstances (ie, pain type and participant gender). Different interaction effects (with a combination of gender, patient gender, or CP type) were significant for the distinctive outcome variables. Interestingly, throughout the findings, different patterns of results are found in both samples. The study contributes to the literature on CP stigma, as well as the psychometric examination of items assessing stigmatizing manifestations. PerspectiveThis study examined the role of contextual factors chronic pain type and patient gender into cognitive, affective, and behavioral stigmatizing manifestations coming from the general population towards individuals with chronic pain through an experimental vignette study. The study contributes to the chronic pain stigma literature, as well as the psychometric examination of items assessing stigmatizing manifestations.

Intensive assessment of executive functions derived from performance in cognitive training games

Traditional neuropsychological tests accurately describe the current cognitive state but fall short to characterize cognitive change over multiple short time periods. We present an innovative approach to remote monitoring of executive functions on a monthly basis, which leverages the performance indicators from self-administered computerized cognitive training games (NUP-EXE). We evaluated the measurement properties of NUP-EXE in N= 56 individuals (59% women, 60-80 years) at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (APOE-ϵ4 carriers with subjective cognitive decline) who completed a 12-month multimodal intervention for preventing cognitive decline. NUP-EXE presented good psychometric properties and greater sensitivity to change than traditional tests. Improvements in NUP-EXE correlated with improvements in functionality and were affected by participants' age and gender. This novel data collection methodology is expected to allow a more accurate characterization of an individual's response to a cognitive decline preventive intervention and to inform development of outcome measures for a new generation of intervention trials.

Association of Total Serum Calcium Level with Obesity Markers (Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference) among Healthy Young Saudis

Background & Objective: The pathophysiology of obesity and comorbid diseases may be associated with the levels of intracellular and extracellular calcium. This study aimed to investigate the association between overweight/obesity measures and the total serum calcium level in young Saudis. Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study that involved 121 healthy young Saudi participants of both genders. Venipuncture was performed to obtain blood samples of 4 ml. Serum specimens were extracted and aliquoted into Eppendorf tubes, then preserved at a temperature of -20°C until the time of analysis. Anthropometric Measures (BMI and WC) were measured. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. The measurement of total serum calcium was conducted through the utilization of a Human Diagnostics kit (Wiesbaden, Germany) on a hospitex Diagnostics Eos-bravo Autoanalyzer. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS software. Results: The sample population consisted of 87.6% males, 27.3% smokers, 57% students, and 66.9% individuals with a university degree or higher. Nearly 50% of participants were 15–23 years old. Obese subjects had considerably lower total serum calcium than normal weight subjects. BMI and WC inversely correlated with calcium levels. Conclusion: The present study confirms the inverse relationship between total serum calcium level and obesity in the Saudi healthy population. Calcium supplementation could lower obesity-related chronic disease mortality and morbidity and hence reduce healthcare expenses and increases healthy life years. Keywords: calcium; obesity; overweight; waist circumference; body mass index; Saudi Arabia.

GROUP DYNAMICS AND CREATIVITY: A RESEARCH WITH YOUNG ADULTS IN REGGIO EMILIA, ITALY

Modern society demands innovativeness and creativity. Few studies have examined group dynamics’ influence on individuals’ creativity. This study explores creativity in group settings and how the gender of participants influences group dynamics and the creative process by observing specific behaviors, including social interaction and play, creative action, and creative thinking. In groups of three, thirty participants (20–25 years) were asked to create mosaics representing a “learning community” using Lego DOTS. Relationships between group dynamics and creativity, creative thinking and creative action, gender of participants and their orientation to creativity and group dynamics were explored. Results showed negative relationships between group processes, creative thinking, and creative actions: the more intense the group dynamics were, the less the creativity. Surprisingly, female participants were more oriented to the creative task; male participants were more oriented to group dynamics. Further investigation of the relationship between creativity and cultural stereotypes on gender roles is needed.

Gender dan Antikorupsi di Sektor Kehutanan di Kabupaten Sorong Selatan Provinsi Papua Barat

West Papua's forests are the lungs of the world, because it has the largest remaining forest and it is hoped that its sustainability will be maintained. Community life in the forest has become part of people's lives in South Sorong Regency, West Papua, which is very dependent on natural forests. Forest management activities by local communities are still dominated by men, this is in accordance with the local cultural system which recognizes the patrilineal system which prioritizes men who are more powerful and traditional leadership and village administration than women. Therefore, the issue of gender is very appropriate to be raised and discussed in this research in order to realize equality in adat and leadership in government. In addition, gender issues are linked to the anti-corruption context in the forestry sector in South Sorong Regency. The data used is primary data including data on 1) identity, 2) characteristics of household members, 3) household understanding of forests, 4) gender and forest utilization activities, 5) gender participation in forest management, 6) gender and corruption in forestry sector, and 7) understanding of and participation in the anti-corruption program, while secondary data is in the form of forest area data, Forest Management Units, Forest Farmers Groups, Forest Management Institutions; number of households in forest area, forestry profile of south sorong district, forestry statistics, forestry service annual report. The results of the study show that in terms of gender, men play a greater role in forest management, but also more involved in committing acts of corruption in the forestry sector.Keywords: gender, anticorruption, forest, participation

Inflammatory biomarkers in overweight and obese Iranian women are associated with polyphenol intake

BackgroundThe evidence shows that obesity is associated with chronic inflammation in obese subjects. Polyphenols are a complex group of plant secondary metabolites that may play a role in reducing the risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases. Given the scarcity of evidence on the association between inflammatory markers and dietary polyphenols intake in overweight/obese Iranian women, the current study aims to investigate this link.MethodThe present cross-sectional study was conducted on 391 overweight and obese Iranian women aged 18–48 years (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2). A 147-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary intake, as well as anthropometric indices including weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) and biochemistry parameters including triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (Chole), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), galactin-3 (Gal-3), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), interleukin-1 beta (IL_1β), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PA-I), serum leptin concentrations, and C-reactive protein of high sensitivity (hs-CRP) in all participants. The inflammatory markers were assessed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultThe findings revealed a significant negative association between flavonoids intake and MCP-1 (P = 0.024), lignans intake and MCP-1 (P = 0.017), and Gal-3 (P = 0.032). These significant associations were observed between other polyphenols intake and IL_1β (P = 0.014). There was also a significant positive association between other polyphenol intake and TGF-β (P = 0.008) and between phenolic acid intake and TGF-β (P = 0.014).ConclusionOur findings suggest that a high polyphenol intake may help individuals to reduce systemic inflammation. Further large studies involving participants of different ages and genders are highly warranted.

Endorsement and promoting sport and physical activity to young people: exploring gender and the career status of athlete endorsers

ABSTRACT Rationale/Purpose We investigated the role of gender (both endorser and audience) and career status on young people’s attitude, participation intention and perception of fit in the context of a social marketing campaign promoting sport and physical activity participation. Design/Methodology/Approach In a 2 × 2 × 2 experiment, the eight conditions were based on endorser gender (female and male), endorser career status (current and former) and participant gender (female and male). Participants were aged between 16 and 24 years. Findings Endorser’s gender, career status and participants’ gender had no significant effect on attitude and intention related to the social marketing campaign. However, endorser gender significantly influenced participants’ perceptions of gender fit, and perceptions of career status fit. Either a current or former female athlete was perceived as a better fit than a male athlete endorser. Furthermore, the career status of an endorser significantly impacted perception of career status fit, but only for participants who were highly involved in sport and physical activity. Practical Implications Using former athletes is a more-than-viable strategy, and both male and female endorsers are equally likely to facilitate behaviour change in young adults. Research Contribution Social marketing campaigns promoting promote sport and physical activity can leverage the celebrity capital of retired athletes.

Practising cultural identities: British Indians' use of Indian classical dance

AbstractThe Indian diaspora has faced many obstacles including the challenge of navigating their dual identities, in order to belong in the UK. Music and dance are popular ways of practising cultural identities, which could mean that British Indians (BIs) use Indian Classical Dance (ICD) for maintaining cultural continuity and establishing a strong cultural identity. This qualitative study explores the reasons behind ICD practice, the relationship between ICD practice and the cultural identities of BIs, and the role served by themes of cultural continuity in their talk about identity. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 10 UK‐based, Indian classical dance artists and analysed them using Thematic Analysis to identify the following themes: (1) Dual‐Identity Struggle (Sub‐themes: Confusion and Isolation and Racism and Stereotypes), (2) Parental Influence, (3) Embracing Dual‐Identity (Sub‐themes: Growth with Age and Impact of a Diverse Community), (4) Benefits of ICD (Sub‐themes: Education & Connection to Indian religion and history and Expressing & Understanding Identity) and (5) ICD: Authenticity versus Modernity (Sub‐themes: Authentic ICD in UK and Modernising ICD). The results from this piece of exploratory research have generated further data that improves our understanding of how BIs maintain a sense of collective continuity, and how they practise their Indian identity in daily life. Limitations of this study include the lack of balance between participants of different genders and dance styles. Therefore, further research can be developed including large‐scale studies on the role of ICD between genders, nationalities or generations.

Determinants of smallholder livestock farmers’ adoption decisions of improved fodder technologies in Insiza District

The study investigated the factors that influence the extent of the use of fodder technologies in the Insiza District of Zimbabwe, as well as the reasons for their low adoption and the lower participation of women than men in fodder interventions. A mixed methods approach was used and data were collected using a structured questionnaire, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. The multi-stage sampling approach was used to generate a sample of 224 respondents who received training on fodder production from the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) intervention. Using the ordered probit regression model, factors such as gender, education level attained, cattle herd size, total livestock units, land size, willingness to invest more in fodder, engagement in farm enterprises, and intensity of collaborations were found to significantly influence the number of improved fodder technologies adopted. In addition, farmers perceived that fodder technologies are beneficial. The imposition of externally determined innovations, as well as the scarcity of seed for fodder crops, were cited as the primary reasons for the low adoption of fodder technologies promoted prior to the ZRBF intervention. Findings also suggested the existence of gender-specific constraints emanating from the prevalence of a powerful patriarchal culture as the major factor limiting women’s participation in fodder interventions relative to men. Thus, the study recommends that the ZRBF and the government design well-packaged rural development policies, promote equitable gender participation and adopt participatory approaches when proffering solutions to local community problems. The study’s original contributions include the use of a mixed methods approach, a focus on the extent of fodder technology adoption rather than the probability of adoption, and an investigation into the reasons for women’s lower participation than men in fodder intervention.

Prevalence of dyslipidaemia among diabetic patients at the Namibia Institute of Pathology, Windhoek

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) is considered as one of the deadly disorders of current times. Diabetes is associated with abnormalities in blood lipids and lipoprotein levels commonly referred to as dyslipidaemia. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of dyslipidaemia in diabetic patients in Windhoek, Namibia. The inherent danger and attendant paucity of information concerning the condition in the community motivated the study. MethodsThis was a retrospective study using state diabetic patient records at the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) for the period between January 2016 and December 2018. Only patients with available records of Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and lipid profiles and aged above 18 years were considered. A total of 4,332 (1800 diabetic and 2532 non-diabetic control) cases were eventually reviewed and data was reported under 8 different age groups namely; 18–25, 26–30, 31–35, 36–40, 41–55, 56–60, 61–65 and above 65 years. 58.7% of participants were female while male participants constitute 41.3%. ResultsThe study revealed a prevalence of dyslipidaemia among diabetic patients with the older patients and females patients being more prone to the anomaly. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between abnormalities in lipid profile components and blood levels of glycosylated hemoglobin of diabetic patients in Windhoek. The age, gender and diabetes status of participants were statistically significant predictors for dyslipidaemia (P-values ˂ 0.05) and the odds for dyslipidaemia in diabetic patients is 1.51 times higher than the odds in non-diabetic control participant. ConclusionsIt was concluded from the findings of this study that diabetic patients in Windhoek, especially the female and elderly ones have a high risk of developing dyslipidaemia. Improved awareness of this finding among health providers may be instrumental in improving the management of diabetes mellitus.

KARAKTERISTIKE OBITELJSKOG OKRUŽENJA I ZADOVOLJSTVO OBITELJSKIM ŽIVOTOM IZ PERSPEKTIVE ADOLESCENATA

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FAMILY AND ADOLESCENTS’ FAMILY LIFE SATISFACTION ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to determine adolescents’ family life satisfaction and to investigate whether there are differences in adolescents’ family life satisfaction depending on the personal characteristics of the study participants (gender, age) and family characteristics (family structure, education and employment of parents). The study involved 10,138 students from all grades of high schools from five major Croatian cities: Zagreb, Osijek, Split, Pula, and Varaždin. The quota sample was stratified with respect to three Croatian secondary school programs, three- and four-year vocational schools and grammar schools, and individual orientations within each of the schools. In the total sample, 47.5% were young men (N = 4,595) and the mean age was Mage = 16.2 (SDage = 1.16). Of the total number of participants, 4.5% (N = 456) did not report their gender. The results show that there are differences in adolescents’ family life satisfaction in terms of gender, age, living with both parents or one parent, and parents’ educational and work status. The results point to the need for a timely implementation of effective parenting skills programs and preventive interventions aimed at the family or parents, considering the gender of adolescents. Low levels of parental education and unemployment are associated with lower levels of adolescents’ satisfaction with their family life. Systematic investments through national policies and programs that increase opportunities for (lifelong) education and employment for parents seem to be important for investing in the quality of the family environment. Key words: adolescents; family life satisfaction; family environment

Underrepresentation of Women Participants in Exercise Science and Physiology Research is Associated with Authorship: A Historical Perspective

The historically low representation of women as participants in exercise science and physiology research has led to a lack of understanding in the response of women to exercise and other therapeutic interventions. We hypothesize (1) the number of women authors and participants will increase over the last 30 years, and (2) a larger representation of women authors will be associated with an increase in the number of women participants. METHODS: Original research articles (n = 971) were analyzed from three journals (Journal of Applied Physiology, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, and British Journal of Sports Medicine) in 1991 and 2021. These journals were chosen based on the following inclusion criteria: consistently ranked in the top 15 exercise science and physiology research journals, impact factor >3.5, ≥50 years of publications, and were accessible online. Articles were chosen from the following inclusion criteria: original research and not a review, included humans and not animals and did not solely use computational models. ANOVA and modified Pearson-Filon (ZPF) were used to statistically analyze the data. Data are reported as mean ± standard deviation. RESULTS: The number (percentage) of women authors was less in 1991 than 2021 (16 ± 22% vs. 31 ± 24%, p < 0.001) as well as the number of women participants (22 ± 32% vs. 36 ± 30%, p < 0.001). The percentage of women participants were less when the last author was a man compared to when the last author was a woman in 1991 (20 ± 30% vs. 34 ± 42%, p = 0.002) and in 2021 (32 ± 28% vs. 52 ± 33%, p < 0.001). Of all studies, 51% were authored by men only in 1991, which declined to 18% in 2021. In contrast, 1.8% in 1991 and 1.1% in 2021 were authored by women only. The correlation between authorship gender (number of women/total authors ratio) and participant gender (number of women/total participants ratio) grew between 1991 and 2021 (r = 0.27 vs. r = 0.42, p = 0.020). CONCLUSION: While the number of women authors and participants increased from 1991 to 2021, these numbers do not represent the current number of women in the population (~51%). Our data shows the historical underrepresentation of woman authors influences the low number of woman participants. Specifically, women authors included participants of both genders (men and women) at equitable numbers in exercise science and physiology research in 2021. The low representation of women as participants in exercise science and physiology research could be resolved by encouraging authors who are men to research equitable numbers of each gender. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Full-scale experimental study on evacuation behavior characteristics of underwater road tunnel with evacuation stairs under blocked conditions

In recent decades, with the rapid development of the economy and tunnel construction technology, an increasing number of underwater road tunnels have been constructed in China. Underwater road tunnels play a crucial role in transportation hubs that connect cities and regions. Underwater tunnels have strong closures, which makes evacuation and rescue difficult. Therefore, personnel evacuation in emergencies, such as fires, has become a critical problem that needs to be solved. A full-scale evacuation experiment in an underwater shield tunnel with 188 participants was conducted to explore the characteristics of personnel evacuation behavior under the blocked condition of an underwater shield tunnel in the case of fire. The time of fire detection and personnel response, alighting time of passengers from vehicles, opening time of the stair-cover plate, evacuation capacity of stairs, and relationship between the evacuation speed and age and gender of participants were obtained. The experimental results showed that the driver’s actions had a strong demonstrative effect, and the improvement of the driver’s efficiency in handling emergencies could promote the evacuation process. The average alighting time per bus passenger was 1.41 ± 0.53 s, and proper personnel guidance, good road conditions, and increased tunnel familiarity reduced it. The average evacuation capacity of the stairs was 33.3 ± 4.1 person/min. When the proportion of older adults increased from 0 % to 10.64 %, the evacuation capacity of stairs decreased by approximately 8.5 %. The evacuation capacity of stairs can be significantly improved through reasonable organization and evacuation guidance. However, as the number of people gathered at the stair entrance gradually increased, the “bottleneck” effect became significant, and the evacuation capacity was primarily controlled by its structure at this time. The average evacuation speed for male and female was the same in good road conditions, about 1.39 m/s, but decreased significantly in blocked conditions, to 0.72 m/s and 0.48 m/s, respectively. Further, it decreased to 1.27 m/s and 1.23 m/s, respectively, in the secure channel, which may be related to the psychological state of relaxation and slackening and the increase in road pavement roughness.

Frequency of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome amongst patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding

Objective: To assess the frequency of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with solitary rectal ulcer syndrome. Materials and method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a single center in order to find the frequency of lower GI bleeding in patients with solitary rectal ulcer syndrome from January 2022 to March 2023 at the Department of Gastroenterology, Qazi Hussain ahmad medical complex Nowshera after approval from the institutional review board of the hospital. A total of 176 participants of both genders were selected through a convenient sampling technique and the data was collected through a well-structured questionnaire, and through a physical examination, in addition to endoscopic and histopathology results. All the data was analyzed by using the latest version SPSS 24. Results: A total of 176 of the participants were selected with an age range from 20- 70 years with a mean age of 35.23 years and a standard deviation of 13.13.

COVID-19'lu Yaşlı Hastalarda Komorbidite, Laboratuvar Bulguları ve Klinik Sonuçların Değerlendirilmesi

Background: In this study, we aimed to analyze the underlying diseases, laboratory findings and clinical outcomes of elderly patients infected with COVID-19. We also investigated the value of laboratory parameters in the estimation of critical cases and mortality in elderly patients. Materials and Methods: The study included 314 elderly patients aged 60 years and older who were diagnosed with COVID-19.The patients were divided into two groups according to age, as young old patients (60-74 years) and old old patients (≥75 years). Participants' age, gender, underlying diseases, laboratory findings, disease severity and survival data were obtained from hospital records. Results: The most common comorbidities in elderly patients were hypertension (57.6%), diabetes mellitus (33.8%) and cardiovascular disease (28%). Old old patients had higher rates of critical type (63.4% vs 30.8%, P<0.001) and death (41.9% vs 21.3%, P<0.001) compared to young old patients. The leukocyte count, neutrophil count, urea, creatinine, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, ferritin, troponin T, creatine kinase-MB, prothrombin time and D-dimer values were higher in the old old group compared to the young old group. In contrast, hemoglobin and albumin values were lower in the old old group. The areas under the curve (AUC) of albumin, CRP, procalcitonin, ferritin, troponin T and prothrombin time were greater than 0.80 to predict critically elderly COVID-19 patients. Ferritin had the highest AUC for predicting death (AUC: 0.819) followed by CRP (AUC: 0.805) and procalcitonin (AUC: 0.796). Conclusions: We found higher rates of critical type and death in old old patients compared to young old patients. In addition, ferritin, CRP, and procalcitonin were strong predictors of both disease severity and mortality in COVID-19-infected elderly subjects.

Alcohol's harm to others in 2021: Who bears the burden?

Alcohol's harm to others (AHTO) has become a key driver of national and international alcohol policy. This study aimed to produce a contemporary, comprehensive estimate of the correlates and harms from others' drinking in 2021 in Australia. Across Australia, 2574 adults (1380 women; 1172 men) were sampled via two cross-sectional survey modes: a random-digit dial mobile phone sample of 1000 people and 1574 people from the Life in Australia™ panel survey. In 2021 participants were asked about harms they had experienced from the drinking of family, friends, co-workers and the public in the past year. Applying combined sample weights from each mode, bivariable and adjusted multivariable logistic regressions were used to analyse differences in rates of AHTO by participant gender, age, residence in rural or metropolitan regions, country of birth, education and employment. In 2021, 23.6% reported being negatively affected by strangers' drinking and 21.3% by the drinking of someone they knew, with 34.3% reporting being negatively affected a lot or a little by either; 42.4% of respondents reported specific harms from strangers' drinking. Thus, 48.1% of respondents reported any harm (negative effects or specific harms) from others' drinking. Women, younger people, Australian-born and heavier episodic drinkers reported significantly higher rates of AHTO compared with other respondents. Smaller percentages (7.5%) of participants reported being harmed substantially by others' drinking, including by people they knew (5.8%) or strangers (2.3%). Stratified analyses showed that heavier drinking, furloughed, younger men who were born overseas in English-speaking countries were affected by others' drinking, whereas women were affected regardless of these factors (apart from age). More than one-third of Australian adults appear to have been negatively affected by others' drinking in 2021, with women, younger people and heavier drinkers at greater risk. Substantial harm appears to be more likely to arise from the drinking of people Australians know than from strangers' drinking.

Participation of Diverse Gender in Negros Occidental in the Production of Goats

Aims: This study aims to identify the demographic profile of each involved in goat raising and to identify the different practices of each gender involved in goat raising.
 Study Design: The study used the descriptive type of research design using a structured questionnaires based on the Philippine Recommend for Goat Production.
 Place and Duration of Study: Sample: All cities and municipalities of the Province of Negros Occidental conducted from February 2021 to April 2021.
 Methodology: It employed a purposive sampling technique where 25 respondents were surveyed in each municipality and/or city. The interviewed respondents were based on the farmer’s database of the local agriculture office. A total of 580 backyard goat raisers were interviewed in this study. Data gathered were coded and analyzed using the SPSS statistical software. Interpretation of data was determined using frequencies, mean, and standard deviation.
 Results: Among 580 goat raisers, 57.6 % were male while the remaining 42.4% is female. In the said production, 50 years old and above dominantly engaged with 31% age, followed by 40-49, 30-39, and 20-29 age groups with 30%, 28.3%, and 9.8% respectively. Most of them were married with 81.9%. Females (46.7%) tend to raise goats for breeding purposes while males (71.6%) raised goats for meat purposes.
 The majority of the male (49.1%) practice crop-livestock integration while most of the females (44.3%) practice mono-farming. Both genders have almost the same percentages when it comes to diversified farming. Moreover, in terms of goat raising system, tethering was dominantly practiced by both gender (F-91.9% & M-95.8%) followed by range (F-12.6 & M-16.5%) and feedlot (F-3.7% & M-0.9%).
 Conclusion: This study observed that there are declining number of young men and women involved in livestock farming, indicating less interest in the next generation to venture into agriculture. It has also been found out that males raised goats for meat type as a source of income, practice crop-livestock integration, and feed their goats in tether and range systems. On the other hand, females raised goats for breeding for easy care, practiced mono-farming, and feed goats in the feedlot system for them to do other household activities.