Participation Group Research Articles

Neonatal Nutrition and Brain Structure at 7 Years in Children Born Very Preterm

Neonatal protein intake following very preterm birth has long lasting effects on brain development. However, it is uncertain whether these effects are associated with improved or impaired brain maturation. To assess the association of neonatal protein intake following very preterm birth with brain structure at 7 years of age. This cohort study involved children born very preterm before or after a change in neonatal intensive care unit nutritional protocol that increased protein intake at the National Women's Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. The children completed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning at 7 years. There were 128 children who were initially eligible. MRI data were ineligible for analysis if excessive head motion or clinical brain abnormalities were present. Data were collected from July 2012 to January 2016, and data analysis took place from January 2017 to March 2024. Neonatal intensive care unit nutritional protocol. Those who were born before the protocol change took place (July 2005 to December 2006) were in the old protocol group, while those who were born after the protocol change (January 2007 to October 2008) were in the new protocol group. Observers were blind to participant grouping. All actual enteral and parenteral intakes of protein, fat, energy, and breast milk for days 1 to 7 and days 1 to 14, and growth velocity to postnatal day 28 were calculated for each infant. Preplanned outcomes were group comparisons between regional brain volumes and diffusion parameters of major white matter tracts along with analyses with both groups combined exploring associations of nutrition with brain metrics. Data from 99 children were analyzed, including 42 in the old protocol group (26 female [55%]; mean [SD] gestational age at birth, 27 [2] weeks) and 57 in the new protocol group (27 female [47%]; mean [SD] gestational age at birth, 26 [2] weeks). Protein intake differed between the groups at both 7 days (old protocol: mean [SD] intake, 17 [2] g/kg-1; new protocol: mean [SD] intake, 21 [2] g/kg-1) and 14 days after birth (old protocol: mean [SD] intake, 41 [6] g/kg-1; new protocol: mean [SD] intake, 45 [7] g/kg-1). The new protocol group had smaller brain volume as a percentage of intercranial volume than the old protocol group (mean [SD], 80% [4%] vs 86% [7%]) but absolute brain volumes were similar. The new protocol group had significantly thinner lateral occipital and lateral parietal cortices than the old protocol group. With both groups combined, those with greater protein, fat, energy, and breast milk intake had more mature diffusion tensor metrics (higher fractional anisotropy and less diffusion) across multiple tracts, although this finding did not reach statistical significance for every tract. In this cohort of children born very preterm, children with greater neonatal protein intake had a more mature profile of brain metrics assessed with MRI at 7 years of age. These results contribute to the ongoing evaluation of optimal nutrition for infants born very preterm and suggest that the protein intake experienced by the new protocol group may promote brain maturation in a way that is still observable at 7 years of age.

Association Between Cardiothoracic Fellows and Clinical and Financial Outcomes in Coronary Surgery.

Mounting financial pressures on academic institutions highlight the need to understand the effect on outcomes from trainee involvement in cardiac surgery. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between cardiothoracic fellows and clinical and financial outcomes in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Data for all patients from 2017 to 2022 at a single institution who underwent nonemergent, isolated, open CABG were included in the study, with patients grouped by whether there was fellow operative participation. Financial and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups using multivariable regression and generalized estimating equations to control for variation in patient characteristics and attending cardiac surgeon practices. A total of 1997 patients met criteria for study inclusion, with 632 (31.5%) cases that had fellow participation and 1365 (68.4%) that did not. Patients in the fellow participation group had a 0.8% higher median preoperative risk score than those that did not have fellow participation. Fellow participation was associated with significantly longer total case length (61mins) but no differences in postoperative clinical outcomes. There was an increased median total hospitalization cost of approximately $2200 in cases with fellow participation, likely attributable to increased intraoperative costs from longer case times. While CT surgery fellow participation was associated with longer operative times and a small increase in hospitalization cost in CABG, there were no significant differences in clinical outcomes. Continuing to train cardiothoracic surgery fellows in this procedure is safe and would not be expected to significantly impact reimbursement under bundled payment models.

Predicting Anti-Coastal Reclamation Engagement: A Logistic Regression Analysis of Philippine Mainline Protestant Church-Members in Bacolod City

The Banago Coastal Reclamation Project is a 247-hectare reclamation initiative in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Proposed in August 2022, it is predicted to displace 6,000 families and damage surrounding mangrove ecosystems lining up coastlines of Banago, Bacolod. The political engagement of religious actors participating in anti-coastal reclamation movements has been evident in opposing such project, particularly in alliance-networks of mainline Protestant churches present in the area. In mainline Protestantism, the discourse on political participation involves integrating the practice of evangelism on the principles of social justice and ecological well-being. The focus of this study hinged on identifying the odds of political participation amongst mainline Protestant church-members in anti-coastal reclamation movements using logistic regression analysis. The study is only limited in exploring increments of political participation on five (5) Bacolod mainline Protestant churches – the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, United Methodist Church, Philippine Independent Church and the Salvation Army. The assumed predictor variables are personal resources, political motivational factors, group membership and demographic proximity. The logit model suggests church doctrinal stance (under the category of political motivation factors) is the only predictor which expresses a significant parameter for comparing the Political Participation with “Yes” response versus the Political Participation group with “No” response. A one-unit increase in the said predictor is associated with a 1.719 increase in the relative log odds for a mainline Protestant church-member to participate (or not participate) in anti-coastal reclamation movements.

Decrease in Facial Bone Density with Aging and Maintenance Effect of Calcium Maltobionate Ingestion in Japanese Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Trial.

Facial bone density, including the jawbone, declines earlier than that of the lumbar spine and calcaneus. Calcium maltobionate is reported to mitigate bone resorption and maintain bone density of the lumbar spine in post-menopausal women, but its effects on facial bone density remain understudied. Therefore, this study compared variations in facial bone mineral density with variations in calcaneal bone mineral density and bone resorption markers among healthy women, examining differences between pre- and post-menopause and the effects of continuous calcium maltobionate intake. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial involved 48 healthy Japanese women aged 30-69 years, divided into two groups. The test food group received tablets containing calcium maltobionate, while the placebo group received tablets containing a maltose and calcium carbonate mixture for 24 weeks. Calcaneal and facial bone densities were measured pre- and post-intervention in both groups. Post-intervention calcaneal bone mineral density and bone resorption marker deoxypyridinoline (DPD) showed no statistical difference between groups in pre-menopausal women. However, in post-menopausal women, the test food group exhibited significantly higher calcaneal bone density and lower DPD levels compared with the placebo group. Facial bone mineral density increased significantly in the test food group compared with the placebo group in post-menopausal participants, with similar trends observed in pre-menopausal participants. Facial bone mineral density could serve as a useful indicator for monitoring bone health from middle age onward. Moreover, continuous calcium maltobionate intake appears to mitigate bone density decline in pre- and post-menopausal women, contributing to osteoporosis prevention (UMIN-CTR ID: 000046391).

A self-guided e-learning program improves metamemory outcomes in healthy older adults: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives Aging brings memory changes that can be concerning for some older adults. Whereas in-person memory interventions can positively impact knowledge, mental health, and behavioural outcomes, self-guided e-learning programs may offer scalable and accessible alternatives to in-person programming. The current study aimed to evaluate efficacy of an e-learning program compared to no treatment. Method The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03602768). As part of a larger, multi-arm, controlled trial, healthy older adults (ages 60-84, 71% female) were randomized into an intervention or a delayed-start control condition. Data collection personnel were masked to participant grouping. Outcome measures were completed through telephone interviews and online questionnaires at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 6- to 8-week follow-up. Results Among 115 analyzed participants, there were larger improvements over time in memory knowledge, memory strategy acquisition and daily use, and self-reported memory satisfaction and ability in the group that completed the intervention than in the control group. There was no interaction effect for health-promoting behaviors. Intention-to-treat analyses showed attenuated but largely similar findings. Conclusion This self-guided e-learning memory program demonstrated similar clinical outcomes provided by in-person, facilitator-led programs. It may serve as an effective first-line treatment for older adults presenting with memory concerns in clinical settings.

The influence of anxiety on the structure of color associations

The subject of the study is the relationship between the level of anxiety and color associations with anthropologically significant concepts. The goal is an experimental test of the hypothesis that anxiety affects the structure, density and components of the color association system. The experiment involved 100 people (23 men and 77 women) aged 17 to 24 years (mean age 19.71, SD = 1.72). Their anxiety level was established using the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (TMAS) as adapted by V. G. Norakidze. Depending on the total score on the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, we formed 3 groups for participants with low, medium and high anxiety levels. The palette of the experiment included 9 color samples of the NCS natural color system, which were divided into "warm" and "cold". The participants compared the color samples of the palette with 26 anthropologically significant concepts. First, the experiment showed that the anxiety level related to the associative group of preferred colors: as the anxiety level increased, the number of "warm" colors significantly decreased, and "cold" ones increased. Second, in all three groups, "red" and "gray" associations dominated, the differences in the frequency of other selected hues, with the exception of red, blue-green and yellow-green, were quite weak. Third, a correlation between salient individual chromatic characteristics in the color association structure and the anxiety level was revealed: in groups with a higher anxiety level, we found a reduction in the number of connections and an increase in the dominance of individual associations. This study clarifies the relationship between the anxiety level and color cognition, primarily it concerns the color representation of a person’s own state and mood. The research can be continued through the study of other chromatic characteristics, cross-cultural and sociocultural specifics.

The Role of p16Ink4a as an Early Predictor of Physiological Decline during Natural Aging.

Cellular senescence is a prominent accomplice of aging. The expression of gene p16ink4a has been established as a biomarker of cellular senescence in humans and animal models. However, it has not been extensively studied in clinical settings in the context of natural aging and the development of age-related diseases. Here, we report the results of a natural aging study that provided an assessment of cellular senescence and a battery of measures of clinical status, quality of life (QOL), and physical performance in 250 community-dwelling participants across age continuum. This report focused on analyzing predictive relationships between cellular senescence and different clinical assessments. Our results suggest that clinical labs and QOL assessments produce distinct groupings of participants, yet both have strong predictive associations with p16ink4a. Furthermore, the highest accuracy of p16ink4a prediction requires subsets of measurements representing diverse aspects of each assessment, pointing towards a system-level role of p16ink4a. Our analysis also led to an assessment-based composite indexes that strongly correlate with p16ink4a expression. Our study underscores p16ink4a's association with both earlier signs of physiological decline (based on clinical labs) and the later onset of health issues limiting the quality of life.

Effect of an 18-month meditation training on cardiovascular risk in older adults: a secondary analysis of the Age-Well randomized controlled trial

BackgroundCardiovascular risk factors represent an important health issue in older adults. Previous findings suggest that meditation training could have a positive impact on these risk factors. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an 18-month meditation-based intervention on cardiovascular health.MethodsAge-Well was a randomized, controlled superiority trial with blinded end point assessment, including community-dwelling cognitively unimpaired adults 65 years and older enrolled between November 24, 2016, and March 5, 2018, in France. One hundred and thirty-four participants were included in this secondary analysis. Participants were randomly affected to an intervention group that received an 18-month meditation-based program or to comparison groups (active control group i.e. non-native language training or passive control group i.e. no intervention). The main outcome was change in the Framingham Risk Score (FRS); other outcomes were changes in cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors.ResultsThere was no difference in FRS change after 18 months between trial arms (p = .38). When assessing individual cardiovascular or metabolic risk factors, meditation training was associated with a greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure than the comparison group in participants with intermediate to high cardiovascular risk (FRS > 10%) at baseline (p = .03).ConclusionAn 18-month meditation training was not effective to increase overall cardiovascular health in older adults, but improved diastolic blood pressure in a subgroup analysis including at-risk participants. These results suggest a potential benefit of a long-term meditation intervention in older adults at-risk of cardiovascular diseases, and highlights the need for future research in more targeted populations.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02977819.

Association between mental health and male fertility: depression, rather than anxiety, is linked to decreased semen quality.

Infertility is increasingly recognized as a global health issue affecting couples of reproductive age, with male factors contributing to approximately 50% of infertility cases. However, the association between depression and anxiety-two of the most prevalent mental health conditions-and impaired male fertility remains a subject of ongoing debate. In this cross-sectional study, male participants seeking fertility counseling at an IVF clinic were recruited. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), respectively. Generalized linear regression models (GLMs) were employed to investigate the relationships between mental health status and semen parameters. Status of depression was negatively associated with semen quality parameters, whereas no statistically significant association was recognized between anxiety and semen quality except that sperm concentration was decreased by 25.60 (95% CI, 1.226 to 49.965, P=0.040) ×106/ml in moderate to severe anxiety group referring to normal group. Furthermore, when stratified by sleep duration, moderate to severe depression group showed a great decrease in progressive motility (PR), total motility, concentration and total sperm count (TSC) as referred to normal group in participants with sleep duration less than 7 hours. The present study revealed that depression rather than anxiety was a negative factor that affected semen quality, especially in individuals with shorter sleep duration.

Humor processing and its relationship with clinical features in patients with first-episode schizophrenia

Humor, a higher-order social cognitive process unique to humans, is commonly impaired in patients with chronic schizophrenia. However, humor processing and its association with the clinical characteristics in the early stage of the illness remain unknown. In this study, we investigated humor processing and its relationship with clinical features in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES). We recruited 45 patients with FES and 44 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and education level. The participants completed the Picture Humor Processing Task (HPT-p) and Video Humor Processing Task (HPT-v), which evaluated humor comprehension and appreciation, and a questionnaire assessing their humor styles. Clinical participants also completed clinical and social functioning measurements. Signal detection theory analysis was used to calculate the d' and β values, which represent the detection of humor signals in the comprehension phase and inner criteria of the humor appreciation phase, respectively. In the HPT-p, patients with FES showed a higher false alarm rate (p = 0.048) than healthy controls, whereas the hitting rate, signal recognition ability (d' value), and intrinsic evaluation criterion (β value) were comparable between the two participants groups. In the HPT-v, patients with FES showed lower within-group coherence in the funniness rating (p = 0.023) than healthy controls. In addition, the false alarm rate in the HPT-p and negative symptoms effectively predicted social functioning in patients with FES (R2 = 0.681, p < 0.001). Our results indicate that impairment of humor comprehension in patients with schizophrenia is generated in the first episode and contributes to social functioning deficits, which require early recognition and intervention.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Peptides in Saliva as Potential Therapeutic Agents Against Oral Pathogens in Pakistan.

Maintaining optimal oral health is essential for overall well-being; however, conditions such as dental caries and gingivitis remain prevalent in Pakistan and arefurther worsened by increasing antibiotic resistance. To evaluate the antimicrobial properties of salivary peptides as potential therapeutic agents against common oral pathogens in Pakistan. A one-year cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, at Sharif Medical and Dental College and Akhter Saeed Medical and Dental College, involving 384 participants aged 18-65 years.High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to isolate antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from oral swabs and saliva samples. Using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent test (ELISA), the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of histatin, defensin, and cathelicidin against Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans was determined. T-tests and other statistical analyses were used to assess the significance of the results across demographic variables. There were 210 men (54.69%) and 174 women (45.31%) in the participation group. A total of 298 individuals (77.60%) did not smoke, while 221 participants (57.56%) said they brushed their teeth every day. Moreover, 198 individuals (51.56%) had oral infections with S. mutans alone, 71 participants (18.49%) had oral pathogens with C. albicans alone, and 52 people (13.54%) had both. Histatin of 8.09 ± 2.13 µg/mL, defensin of 7.83 ± 2.31 µg/mL, and cathelicidin of 6.19 ± 1.57 µg/mL were the MIC values for salivary AMPs against S. mutans. MIC values for histatin, defensin, and cathelicidin against C. albicans were 10.57 ± 1.82 µg/mL, 9.01 ± 2.03 µg/mL, and 7.42 ± 1.73 µg/mL, respectively. Males had higher MIC values than females, and there were significant variations according to smoking status (p < 0.05) and age (p < 0.05), suggesting that smokers had lower AMP effectiveness. Salivary AMPs, particularly histatin, defensin, and cathelicidin, demonstrate strong potential as therapeutic alternatives against oral infections such as dental caries and gingivitis, suggesting a promising strategy to mitigate antibiotic resistance in Pakistan. Further research is needed to explore their application in clinical practice.

Associations of caring for grandchildren and great-grandparents with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction in Chinese grandparents: The moderating roles of urban-rural residence and social participation.

This study aims to investigate the associations of caring for grandchildren and/or great-grandparents with depressive symptoms, as well as life satisfaction in Chinese grandparents, and analyze the moderating roles of urban-rural residence and social participation. A nationally representative sample of 2973 grandparents in families with great-grandparents and grandchildren were selected from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-10) and the single-item were used to measure depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Social participation included participation in social and intellectual activities. The binary logistic regression model was employed to explore the relationship between caring and depressive symptoms, as well as life satisfaction in the whole participants, different urban-rural residence, and social participation groups, respectively. Caring was associated with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction (p < 0.05). A significant interaction existed between caring and urban-rural residence for depressive symptoms (interaction p = 0.029) and life satisfaction (interaction p = 0.027). Significant interactions were also found among caring, urban-rural residence, and social activities with depressive symptoms (interaction p = 0.025). In urban, caring for both was negatively related to depressive symptoms for the non-social activists, while in rural, caring for great-grandparents was positively associated with depressive symptoms for social activists (p < 0.05). Any new policy design related to preventing and reducing the possibility of mental disorders in Chinese grandparents should be tailored to heterogeneous subgroups who live in different rural-urban and social activities participation.

Community Empowerment pada Program One Product One RW (OPOR) Di Kota Cimahi

The aim of this research is to optimize the community empowerment model in Cimahi City through the One Product One RW (OPR) program after the Covid-19 pandemic. After the Covid-19 pandemic, Cimahi City became one of the cities in West Java Province that was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is hoped that by re-implementing the OPOR program, the community will be more efficient and able to compete to create a prosperous Cimahi City. descriptive research method with a Mixed Method Sequential Explanatory model approach. The data collection and processing process will predominantly use a quantitative approach, supported by an explanation of the qualitative approach. The survey results will be processed using SPSS version 20 and Ms. Excel, while the interview data will be processed using NVivo12. The research results for the implementation quality of the One Product One RW (OPOR) Program in Cimahi City in 2023 are at an implementation quality score of 85. A score of 85 for the implementation quality of the OPOR Program indicates high implementation quality. It can be identified that the highest score is in the dimension of compatibility between the user group and the OPOR implementing organization with an implementation quality score of 86.8. , an indicator with 93% of respondents agreeing that the OPOR Program needs to be evaluated if it is to be continued and an indicator with 88.4% of respondents agreeing that the OPOR Program will be continued. This value shows that more respondents tend to want the OPOR program to be evaluated first before continuing. If the OPOR Program is to be continued, note that there needs to be a grouping of participants based on their business clusters, because the implementation of OPOR in 2023 is considered to combine fashion clusters with food, drink and craft value is unfair in terms of assessment weight.

A Study of Group Work Intervention on Children’s Concentration in Lower Grades: A Case Study of Children’s Concentration Enhancement Group in Elementary Schools

According to the survey on the concentration level of children in the lower grades, the results show that most of the children have concentration deficits. Concentration ability plays a crucial role in children’s intellectual development. With the continuous development of science and technology, different types of electronic products are emerging, which will undoubtedly create a great temptation for children. This hinders the development of children’s ability to concentrate, which not only affects the development of their own ability but also poses a threat to their future development. Therefore, it becomes an essential course to improve children’s ability to concentrate. This paper adopts research methods such as participant observation method and interview method, based on social learning theory, social support theory, and other related theories, through the J City social work service agency selected six children in the lower grades who are not focused and voluntarily participate in this activity into group activities, analyzed the practical effect of group work intervention in the lower grades concentration and problems from the practical point of view. On this basis, corresponding countermeasures are proposed to improve the quality of group intervention services. This paper found that the practical effects of group work intervention on children’s concentration in the lower grades include: improving children’s concentration, promoting children’s self-knowledge, and enhancing children’s self-confidence. Problems include insufficient parental participation and insufficient peer group social interaction. The following countermeasures are proposed: building a platform for peer interaction to improve children’s concentration; constructing a social support network for children with the participation of multiple parties; social workers clarifying their own role positioning and flexibly switching their roles; and enhancing their professional competence and strengthening their practical work skills.

Muscle Quality and Physical Function in Men With and Without HIV.

People with HIV (PWH) experience faster physical decline than those without HIV (PWoH), despite antiretroviral therapy. We compared skeletal muscle density and area and their relationship with physical function among PWH and PWoH. Quantitative computed tomography scans were performed at the L4-L5 spinal region and the thigh to evaluate muscle groups in Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study participants at baseline. Using exploratory factor analysis, we summarized aggregated muscle measures based on factor loadings. Longitudinal associations between muscle area and density with gait speed and grip strength were examined using multivariable linear regression models with generalized estimating equations, adjusting for demographics, HIV serostatus, and other health metrics. We included 798 men (61% of PWH). The median age was 54 years (interquartile range: 49-59), 61% were White, 32% Black, and 10% Hispanic. Among them, 22% had a body mass index over 30kg/m2, and 14% had diabetes. Two factors emerged from the factor analysis explaining 55.9% of variance. Factor 1 (explained 32.5% of variance) encompassed all density measures. Factor 2 (explained 23.4% of variance) encompassed all area measures. Associations between muscle density and gait speed were more pronounced with aggregated measures than with individual ones. Specifically, each unit increase in overall muscle density correlated with a 0.028 m/s increase in gait speed (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.017, 0.038, p < .01). Grip strength was associated with aggregated measures of both muscle density and area, with overall muscle density associated with a 1.88kg increase in grip strength (95% CI: 1.29, 2.46, p < .01), and overall muscle area with a 1.60kg increase (95% CI: 1.02, 2.19, p < .01). Aggregated muscle density and area measurements were significantly associated with physical function. These correlations underscore the importance of interventions to enhance skeletal muscle to improve healthy aging for PWH and PWoH.

Impact of Human Resource Management on Innovation of Higher Education Lecturers: A Case Study at Local Universities in the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region of Vietnam

The study was conducted to measure the impact of human resource management on the innovation of higher education lecturers in Vietnam. The research data were collected through surveys of 223 lecturers working at local universities in the Northern Midlands and Mountainous region of Vietnam. The quantitative results indicated that 8 groups of HRM practices, including recruitment, training, career development, job assurance, performance-based appraisal, job description, financial compensation, and participation, have a positive influence on lecturers' innovation. Knowledge sharing and organizational commitment have been proven to be the mediators in the relationship between HRM and individual innovation results. Based on the research results, the authors proposed recommendations to improve HRM practices to motivate lecturers' innovation among lecturers for the development of the university and national higher education.

Leveraging the use of a social media app as a collaborative medical information and knowledge sharing tool—insights from experiential use and survey of a CME WhatsApp community

Background and aimContinuing Medical Education (CME) is crucial for physicians to stay current in the rapidly advancing field of medicine. A WhatsApp (WA) based community of physicians was initiated in 2016 ‘WhatsApp CME India Group’ to facilitate learning, knowledge sharing, and discussion among physicians. Due to participant size constraints of the technology, it evolved into seven distinct WA groups, overseen by a central administrator. A survey undertaken in the group’s 7th year aimed to evaluate its effectiveness in achieving its goals, measure participant engagement, and uncover the primary factors driving its usage.MethodsThe survey questionnaire was distributed to 3500 members across the 07 WhatsApp CME groups for voluntary participation. Data collected was analysed using SPSS version 24.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and reported using descriptive statistics.ResultsAmong the 581 survey respondents, the study found 43% of physicians use the WhatsApp academic groups for CME content, with 32% accessing their group over four times daily. The primary motivation for 77% was to discuss challenging cases and to gain knowledge updates from fellow physician (70%). Medical websites (57%), referral books (49%), and Google (43%) were other significant resources. Every participant (100%) found the WhatsApp CME India group the most beneficial resource for daily medical science updates. A significant portion (57%) of the respondents found the group valuable for real-time information exchange. Over 78% stated it kept them current with knowledge and guidelines. Notably, 94% viewed WhatsApp CME as complementary to physical conferences, not a replacement. The post-conference/webinar summaries were appreciated by 81% participants. Case discussions (31%) and update posts from fellow physicians sharing their insights and learnings (24%) were noted as activities of great academic interest.ConclusionThis study underscores the potential of digital platforms like WhatsApp in supplementing CME in India and potentially other comparable settings. The blend of digital and traditional resources suggests a balanced learning approach. While real-time engagement is a strength, challenges like information overload and privacy concerns require careful management. Striking a balance is crucial for ensuring content quality, structured discussions and privacy. As the digital age advances, professionals must critically assess shared information on these platforms to guarantee evidence-based and reliable knowledge dissemination.Trial registrationARK 001.

Quality of life and psychosocial impact on patients with blood disorders: An empirical study from patients' perspectives in Saudi Arabia.

this study aims to analyze QOL and psychosocial impact on patients with blood disorders. A cross-sectional survey design is adopted in this study. The survey questionnaire included SF-36 form for measuring quality of life (QOL), along with psychosocial impact assessment scale. Adult patients with different types of blood disorders were recruited for the survey. Out of the 417 responses received, 389 were considered for data analysis and the remaining were avoided due to incomplete data. In terms of psychosocial impact scales, the highest mean is observed for financial stress (4.09 ± 1.22), followed by social exclusion (3.76 ± 1.19) and relationship challenges (3.31 ± 1.18). Among the QOL scales, the highest mean was observed for pain (3.81 ± 1.17), followed by physical functioning (3.68 ± 1.12). Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed among the participants groups characterized by age and type of disorder. Strong positive correlations between social exclusion and general health (r = 0.513), as well as pain and relationship challenges (r = 0.735) were observed. Given the existing challenges in social exclusion, poor awareness, and support there is a need to develop comprehensive and personalized treatment plans integrating physical and mental support, awareness creation, and financial support.

Role of Public Art in Community Development

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the role of public art in community development. Materials and Methods: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study indicated that public art can act as a catalyst for community engagement, bringing together diverse groups of people and encouraging collective participation in community activities. It often reflects the unique cultural heritage of a community, helping to strengthen local identity and pride. Additionally, public art installations can attract tourism and investment, boosting local economies. They also improve the aesthetic appeal of public spaces, making them more inviting and conducive to social interactions. In urban settings, public art contributes to placemaking, creating landmarks and gathering spots that become central to community life. Moreover, it has been observed that public art projects can inspire local creativity and innovation, providing opportunities for local artists and fostering a sense of ownership and involvement among residents. Overall, the presence of public art in a community is a powerful tool for promoting social, cultural, and economic development. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social capital theory, place attachment theory and cultural policy theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the role of public art in community development. From a practical standpoint, integrating public art into community development projects requires a multifaceted strategy that emphasizes collaboration among stakeholders. On the policy front, there is an urgent need for governments to prioritize public art as a vital component of urban planning and community development agendas.

Heterogeneity of social participation in patients three months after total knee arthroplasty: a latent profile analysis

BackgroundSocial participation is an important index of rehabilitation and social reintegration in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, most existing studies focus on improving patients’ functioning and activities, with only a few examining the social participation among patients after TKA. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the heterogeneity of social participation in patients three months after TKA and analyze subgroup influencing factors, to promote functional exercise and postoperative follow-up in specific patients.MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited 255 patients who underwent TKA in a Tertiary Hospital in Jinan City, China, from March to July 2022. Three months after having undergone TKA, participants’ data were collected using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, the Chinese version of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Hospital for Special Surgery Knee-rating Scale, and Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire. Latent profile analysis was used to identify categories of patients’ social participation. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of the different subgroups.ResultsThree months after TKA, the patients were divided into three subgroups: low social participation group (17.9%), moderate social participation group (40.8%), and high social participation group (41.3%). The vast majority of patients who underwent TKA exhibited moderate-to-high level of social participation. The multiple logistic regression analysis results showed that age, degree of pain, knee function, and kinesiophobia were the influencing factors of the potential profiles of social participation in patients three months after TKA (p < 0.05).ConclusionThese results support a distinct categorical feature of social participation among patients three months after undergoing TKA. Medical staff need to provide targeted guidance according to the potential classification characteristics of social participation to improve the level of social participation and promote rehabilitation of patients.