Large Effect Sizes Research Articles

Co-design and evaluation of a digital serious game to promote public awareness about pancreatic cancer

BackgroundPancreatic cancer, ranking seventh in global cancer-related deaths, poses a significant public health challenge with increasing incidence and mortality. Most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in low survival rates. Early diagnosis significantly impacts prognosis, making symptom awareness crucial. Symptoms are often subtle, leading to delayed help-seeking behaviour. Patients and their carers prioritise increased public awareness, indicating a need for innovative approaches to promote awareness of the disease.MethodsThis study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design to assess the relationship between a serious game and pancreatic cancer awareness. Members of the public (N = 727) were recruited internationally, via social media and with signposting by relevant organisations. Participants completed measures of symptom awareness and help-seeking intentions before and after playing the game. The serious game, co-designed with experts by lived experience, patient advocates and healthcare professionals, presented participants with a human anatomy diagram, with each section linked to a question about pancreatic cancer.ResultsThe serious game demonstrated a statistically significant improvement on pancreatic cancer awareness based on matched paired t-tests. Due to missing data, paired comparisons were only possible for 489 cases. Symptom awareness scores exhibited a statistically significant increase from pre-test to post-test, with a large effect size (p < 0.001, d = 1.43). Help-seeking intentions also markedly improved, showing a significant increase from pre-test to post-test, with a large effect size (p < 0.001, d = 1.10). Independent-samples t-tests were also conducted to determine if there were any group differences on pre- to post-test changes based on age, gender, and previous knowledge and/or experience of pancreatic cancer. Participants overwhelmingly endorsed the game’s usability and educational value, suggesting its potential as an effective tool for enhancing public awareness and proactive health-seeking behaviour.DiscussionThis study is the first to explore a serious game’s utility in pancreatic cancer awareness. Results suggest that such interventions can effectively increase public awareness and influence help-seeking intentions. The co-design process ensured content relevance, and participant satisfaction was high. Findings highlight the game’s potential as an accessible and convenient tool for diverse populations.

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN PELATIHAN TERHADAP PENGETAHUAN DAN PERILAKU CUCI TANGAN PAKAI SABUN (CTPS) PADA SISWA SD INPRES MAPOLI KECAMATAN KOTA RAJA TAHUN 2022

Health education is a number of experiences that have a beneficial effect on habits, knowledge and behavior related to individual health. Washing hands with soap (CTPS) is one of the sanitation measures by cleaning hands and fingers using water and soap to keep them clean. This study aims to analyze the effect of training on knowledge and behavior of handwashing with soap (CTPS) in students of SD Inpres Mapoli, Kota Raja subdistrict in 2022. This research is a type of quasi-experimental research with population in this study is 130 students. The research sample consisted of 60 students divided into an experimental group of 30 students and a control group of 30 students taken using simple random sampling. Collecting data using questionnaires and observation sheets. The data analysis used repeated measures ANOVA test. The results of this study indicate that there is a significant increase in knowledge with a large effect size (p &lt;0.001 and partial eta squared 0.588). This training can also increase the occurrence of changes in students CTPS behavior with p &lt; 0.001 and a large effect size (partial eta squared of 0.801). From the test results, it was found that p value &lt; 0.05 means that H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted, which means that there is an effect of handwashing with soap training on knowledge and behavior of hand washing in elementary school children. It was concluded that in connection with this research, training on handwashing and soap should be carried out routinely in schools

Effects of Pitavastatin on Coronary Artery Disease and Inflammatory Biomarkers in HIV: Mechanistic Substudy of the REPRIEVE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased in people with HIV (PWH) and is characterized by premature noncalcified coronary plaque. In the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE), pitavastatin reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 35% over a median of 5.1 years. To investigate the effects of pitavastatin on noncalcified coronary artery plaque by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and on inflammatory biomarkers as potential mechanisms for MACE prevention. This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial enrolled participants from April 2015 to February 2018 at 31 US clinical research sites. PWH without known CVD who were taking antiretroviral therapy and had low to moderate 10-year CVD risk were included. Data were analyzed from April to November 2023. Oral pitavastatin calcium, 4 mg per day. Coronary CTA and inflammatory biomarkers at baseline and 24 months. The primary outcomes were change in noncalcified coronary plaque volume and progression of noncalcified plaque. Of 804 enrolled persons, 774 had at least 1 evaluable CTA. Plaque changes were assessed in 611 who completed both CT scans. Of 611 analyzed participants, 513 (84.0%) were male, the mean (SD) age was 51 (6) years, and the median (IQR) 10-year CVD risk was 4.5% (2.6-7.0). A total of 302 were included in the pitavastatin arm and 309 in the placebo arm. The mean noncalcified plaque volume decreased with pitavastatin compared with placebo (mean [SD] change, -1.7 [25.2] mm3 vs 2.6 [27.1] mm3; baseline adjusted difference, -4.3 mm3; 95% CI, -8.6 to -0.1; P = .04; 7% [95% CI, 1-12] greater reduction relative to placebo). A larger effect size was seen among the subgroup with plaque at baseline (-8.8 mm3 [95% CI, -17.9 to 0.4]). Progression of noncalcified plaque was 33% less likely with pitavastatin compared with placebo (relative risk, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.52-0.88; P = .003). Compared with placebo, the mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased with pitavastatin (mean change: pitavastatin, -28.5 mg/dL; 95% CI, -31.9 to -25.1; placebo, -0.8; 95% CI, -3.8 to 2.2). The pitavastatin arm had a reduction in both oxidized low-density lipoprotein (-29% [95% CI, -32 to -26] vs -13% [95% CI, -17 to -9]; P < .001) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (-7% [95% CI, -11 to -4] vs 14% [95% CI, 10-18]; P < .001) compared with placebo at 24 months. In PWH at low to moderate CVD risk, 24 months of pitavastatin reduced noncalcified plaque volume and progression as well as markers of lipid oxidation and arterial inflammation. These changes may contribute to the observed MACE reduction in REPRIEVE. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02344290.

Co-surgeon versus Single-surgeon Outcomes in Free Tissue Breast Reconstruction: A Meta-analysis.

Autologous breast reconstruction offers superior long-term patient reported outcomes compared with implant-based reconstruction. Universal adoption of free tissue transfer has been hindered by procedural complexity and long operative time with microsurgery. In many specialties, co-surgeon (CS) approaches are reported to decrease operative time while improving surgical outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes the available literature to evaluate the potential benefit of a CS approach in autologous free tissue breast reconstruction versus single-surgeon (SS). A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE from inception to December 2022. Published reports comparing CS to SS approaches in uni- and bilateral autologous breast reconstruction were identified. Primary outcomes included operative time, postoperative outcomes, processes of care, and financial impact. Risk of bias was assessed and outcomes were characterized with effect sizes. Eight retrospective studies reporting on 9,425 patients were included. Compared with SS, CS approach was associated with a significantly shorter operative time (SMD -0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.01 to -0.29, p < 0.001), with the largest effect size in bilateral reconstructions (standardized mean difference [SMD] -1.02, 95% CI -1.37 to -0.67, p < 0.00001). CS was also associated with a significant decrease in length of hospitalization (SMD -0.39, 95% CI -0.71 to -0.07, p = 0.02). Odds of flap failure or surgical complications including surgical site infection, hematoma, fat necrosis, and reexploration were not significantly different. CS free tissue breast reconstruction significantly shortens operative time and length of hospitalization compared with SS approaches without compromising postoperative outcomes. Further research should model processes and financial viability of its adoption in a variety of health care models.

Genotype-specific spinal cord damage in spinocerebellar ataxias: an ENIGMA-Ataxia study

BackgroundSpinal cord damage is a feature of many spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), but well-powered in vivo studies are lacking and links with disease severity and progression remain unclear. Here we characterise...

Efficacy of Intervention of Participation and Executive Functions (I-PEX) for Adults Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Preliminary Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Participation restrictions following traumatic brain injury are associated with executive function (EF) deficits (EFDs). The subacute recovery phase’s specific characteristics (enhanced brain plasticity and impaired self-awareness) and contextual factors (inpatient setting) warrant adjusting cognitive rehabilitation protocols. The Intervention of Participation and Executive Functions (I-PEX) was designed to improve EFDs during subacute inpatient rehabilitation. Objective To investigate the I-PEX’s preliminary efficacy to improve EFDs during the performance of complex daily activities and enhance self-awareness, cognitive self-efficacy, participation, and quality of life postdischarge. Methods A pilot pre-, post-, and follow-up double-blind randomized controlled trial with 25 participants randomly allocated to the I-PEX (n = 13) or treatment-as-usual (n = 12) group. Cognitive assessments were administered pre- and postintervention, and quality of life and participation questionnaires 1-month postdischarge. Data analysis included repeated measures analysis of variance mixed design and independent t-tests, extracting effect sizes. Results Significant group-by-time interaction effect with a medium effect size was found for the primary outcome measure; EFs manifested in complex daily activities, indicating a larger improvement for the experimental group. The group effect was not significant. The experimental group’s mean delta score (pre–post improvement) was significantly higher (1.75 ± 2.89; t(23) = 2.52, P = .019), with a large effect size (d = 1.012, 95% confidence interval [0.166-1.840]). We found no significant group and interaction effects for EFs, self-awareness, and cognitive self-efficacy or no significant differences in participation or quality of life postdischarge. Conclusions Results provide initial evidence for the I-PEX efficacy in treating EFDs in the subacute phase and could help determine effect size for future studies. Clinical Trial Registry Number: ClinicalTrial.gov NCT04292925.

Effect of robotic gait training on muscle and bone characteristics in spinal cord transected rats.

Osteoporosis and loss of muscle mass are secondary issues with spinal cord injury. Robotic gait training has provided evidence of increasing bone density and muscle mass, but its effect on bone strength is undetermined. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a 6-week robotic locomotion training program on skeletal muscle mass and bone characteristics. Twelve female Sprague-Dawley rats received a mid-thoracic spinal cord transection at 5 days old and at 3 weeks old were assigned to a Control or Trained Group. The Trained Group performed 5-min sessions on the Rat Stepper 5 days a week for 6 weeks with 90% of body weight supported. At the end of the 6 weeks, body mass was obtained and right femurs and four lower extremity muscles were harvested. Femur bone mineral density was measured with DXA and mechanical characteristics of the femur were determined via 3-point bending testing. Independent t-tests, effects sizes and percent differences were computed between the two groups (p < 0.05). The Trained Group had significantly larger normalized femur mass (p = 0.007) and normalized soleus muscle mass (p = 0.033) when compared to the Control Group. There was a medium or large effect size with the Trained Groups' femurs having larger mass, bone mineral density, rupture loads, cortical wall thickness, shaft cross sectional area, soleus mass, normalized gastrocnemius mass, and smaller shaft inner diameters compared to the Control Group. These changes may contribute to decreasing osteoporosis and fracture risk in those with spinal cord injuries.

Commercial airline pilots' job satisfaction before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparative study

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world's commercial aviation industry was unprecedented. National lockdowns and border closures effectively prohibited passenger air travel. Airlines responded by reducing operations, parking aircraft and making staff, including pilots, redundant. This research aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on commercial airline pilots' job satisfaction before and during the pandemic and identify the workplace factors that affect it. Empirical data was gathered via an online survey which was distributed to members of three commercial airline pilot unions in Europe and Australasia in November 2021. 346 complete responses were received. Using Herzberg's 16 workplace factors as a theoretical frame for the survey and subsequent analysis, the findings showed that, overall, job satisfaction decreased during the pandemic. The largest effect sizes were observed for Salary, Job Security and Working Conditions while the smallest effect sizes were observed for Impacts on Personal Life, Responsibility and Recognition. The importance of effective communication between airline management and pilots was highlighted. The findings and recommendations regarding employee compensation, benefits and support packages are of relevance not only to airlines but also to other transport and economic sectors facing future disruptive events.

Effects of Proprioceptive Insoles and Specific Core Training on Postural Stability for Preventing Injuries in Tennis.

Tennis is a complex sport based on unpredictability that requires adequate physical and psychological preparation to prevent injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 8-week specific core stability training on postural stability in competitive adolescent tennis players, aged between 14 and 19 years old. Sixty-one participants were randomly allocated into two groups: experimental (n = 32) and control (n = 29) groups. The first group wore proprioceptive insoles 8 h a day and performed a detailed training 3 times a week for 8 weeks; the second group only received proprioceptive insoles to wear 8 h a day for 8 weeks. The postural stability parameters (center-of-pressure length, center-of-pressure velocity, and 95% confidence ellipse sway area) included three assessment times: baseline (T0), intermediate test (T1), post-test (T2), and retention test (T3). Data analysis showed a significant improvement in the experimental group compared with the control group, indicating a large effect size in center-of-pressure length, ellipse sway area, and center-of-pressure velocity at T2 and T3 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that a specific and detailed core stability training plays a significant role in improving balance and postural stability in young tennis players, especially in terms of preventing the risk of injury.

Does the presence of chronic pain affect scores on cognitive screening tests/brief cognitive measures for dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cognitive screening tests can identify potential dementia by indicating a concerning level of cognitive impairment. The older populations for whom this is most relevant are more likely to experience chronic pain, which also impairs cognitive function, but pain's impact on cognitive screening tests specifically remains unknown. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis (SR/MA) following PRISMA guidelines evaluating cognitive screening scores in studies involving participants with chronic pain compared with a pain-free control group. Our question was whether the presence of chronic pain (self-reported or based on diagnosis) was associated with poorer performance on these screens, and to identify the heterogeneity across groups and screens. The 51 studies identified yielded 62 effect size estimates. The pooled g was 0.76 (95% confidence interval 0.57 to 0.95). Heterogeneity was high for the full model (= 93.16%) with some reductions in sub-analyses. Around half of the studies were identified as being at a low risk of bias. There was no evidence of publication bias. As a whole, this analysis suggests medium to large effect sizes on cognitive screen performance when people are living with chronic pain. We suggest that clinicians should consider the effect of chronic pain when cognitive screens are employed to investigate dementia. Further research could clarify the effect pain has on different screen sub-domains to aid their effective use with these populations.

Feasibility Trial of a Newly Developed Brief Psychological Trauma Intervention for Children Surviving Sexual Abuse in India

ABSTRACT Given the alarming increase in incidences of child sexual abuse (CSA), the present study was conceived to conduct a feasibility trial for a brief CSA-focused cognitive-behavioral intervention for children. A quasi-experimental single-group pre-post design with convenient sampling was adopted. The intervention module was administered to 20 children aged 7–13 years (M = 10.4, SD = 1.3) with a CSA history. The intervention was spread across a minimum of six required sessions and a maximum of 12 sessions held weekly for approximately 90 to 120 minutes’ duration to restore the child’s functioning and to assist the child in processing and managing trauma effectively along with initiating the process of growth. Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS), Children’s Impact of Events Scale−13 (CRIES-13), Developmental Psychopathology Checklist (DPCL), Multidimensional Scale for Child Sexual Abuse (MSCSA) and Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) were used to measure the impact of the intervention on the children. Estimation of improvement was done using Wilcoxon signed rank test, effect size and subjective feedback from children. Feasibility assessment was done across five parameters: recruitment, data collection, attrition, adherence and improvement. We found that the intervention led to significant improvement in scores of all scales with a large effect size of .50 for MSCSA and CRIES-13 and medium effect size for CGAS, CRIES-13 (Intrusion & Avoidance), CPSS, and DPCL. Feasibility was estimated to be high across all five parameters of the assessment. Thus, the newly developed intervention was found to be helpful in restoring the child’s functioning, and assisting the child in processing, and managing trauma effectively.

Factors influencing Fintech adoption for women in the post-Covid-19 pandemic

Understanding the factors influencing women in adopting and utilizing financial technology (Fintech) services will not only contribute to reduce the gender gap but will also accelerate financial inclusion. The main objective of this research is to examine the antecedents of behavioral intention and use behavior by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) of women in Indonesia, considering the mediating effect of government support, digital financial literacy and value of status quo in post-Covid-19 pandemic. Further, this study explores the potential differences in the determinants of use behavior between urban and rural respondents. By analyzing 403 Indonesian women respondents using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS SEM), this study revealed that attitude has the most significant effect in explaining behavioral intention and value of status quo gained the greatest impact on use behavior in post-Covid-19 outbreak. Government support and digital financial literacy play a significant role with small effect size, while value of status quo has large effect size, in mediating the relationship between behavioral intention and use behavior. The finding also documented that the impact of government support on use behavior differs between urban and rural individuals. These findings highlight the need for a different government strategy to increase Fintech adoption for women residing in both urban and rural areas in Indonesia.

Treatment of Binge-Eating Disorder Across the Lifespan: An Updated Review of the Literature and Considerations for Future Research.

The present review describes the recent literature on treatment for binge-eating disorder (BED) in adults and youth, with a particular focus on research gaps, emerging treatments, and future research directions. Evidence supports the efficacy of several treatment modalities in adults, including self-help treatment, clinician-led psychotherapy, and pharmacotherapy; the largest effect sizes have been found for psychotherapies, most of which were cognitive-behavioral in orientation. Adapted psychotherapies for youth also show promise but lack a robust body of evidence. Predictors, moderators, and mediators of treatment outcome remain poorly understood; individuals with BED continue to experience significant barriers to treatment; and research is needed to address suboptimal treatment response. Recent work has highlighted the potential of adaptive interventions and investigation of novel mechanisms to address these gaps. Research on BED treatment continues to grow, though critical questions must be answered to improve treatment efficacy across the lifespan.

Long term outcomes of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in post covid condition: longitudinal follow-up of a randomized controlled trial

In our previous randomized controlled trial, we documented significant improvements in cognitive, psychiatric, fatigue, sleep, and pain symptoms among long Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) patients who underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the enduring 1 year long term effects of HBOT on long COVID syndrome. This longitudinal long-term follow-up included 31 patients with reported post COVID-19 cognitive symptoms, who underwent 40 daily sessions of HBOT. Participants were recruited more than one year (486 ± 73) after completion of the last HBOT session. Quality of life, assessed using the short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire revealed, that the long-term results exhibited a similar magnitude of improvement as the short-term outcomes following HBOT across most domains. Regarding sleep quality, improvements were observed in global score and across five sleep domains with effect sizes of moderate magnitude during the short-term evaluation, and these improvements persisted in the long-term assessment (effect size (ES1) = 0.47–0.79). In the realm of neuropsychiatric symptoms, as evaluated by the brief symptom inventory-18 (BSI-18), the short-term assessment following HBOT demonstrated a large effect size, and this effect persisted at the long-term evaluation. Both pain severity (ES1 = 0.69) and pain interference (ES1 = 0.83), had significant improvements during the short-term assessment post HBOT, which persisted at long term. The results indicate HBOT can improve the quality of life, quality of sleep, psychiatric and pain symptoms of patients suffering from long COVID. The clinical improvements gained by HBOT are persistent even 1 year after the last HBOT session.

Dexamphetamine increased speech and visual unimodal illusions in healthy participants without affecting temporal binding window.

Stimuli received beyond a very short timeframe, known as temporal binding windows (TBWs), are perceived as separate events. In previous audio-visual multisensory integration (McGurk effect) studies, widening of TBWs has been observed in people with schizophrenia. The present study aimed to determine if dexamphetamine could increase TBWs in unimodal auditory and unimodal visual illusions that may have some validity as experimental models for auditory and visual hallucinations in psychotic disorders. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, counter-balanced crossover design with permuted block randomisation for drug order was followed. Dexamphetamine (0.45mg/kg, PO, q.d.) was administered to healthy participants. Phantom word illusion (speech illusion) and visual-induced flash illusion/VIFI (visual illusion) tests were measured to determine if TBWs were altered as a function of delay between stimuli presentations. Word emotional content for phantom word illusions was also analysed. Dexamphetamine significantly increased the total number of phantom words/speech illusions (p<0.01) for pooled 220-1100ms ISIs in kernel density estimation and the number of positive valence words heard (beta=2.20, 95% CI [1.86, 2.55], t=12.46, p<0.001) with a large effect size (std. beta=1.05, 95% CI [0.89, 1.22]) relative to placebo without affecting the TBWs. For the VIFI test, kernel density estimation for pooled 0-801ms ISIs showed a significant difference (p<0.01) in the data distributions of number of target flash (es) perceived by participants after receiving dexamphetamine as compared with placebo. Overall, healthy participants who were administered dexamphetamine (0.45mg/kg, PO, q.d.) experienced increases in auditory and visual illusions in both phantom word illusion and VIFI tests without affecting their TBWs.

Cognitive and immunological effects of yoga compared to memory training in older women at risk for alzheimer’s disease

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) accompanied by cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) are known to increase the risk of developing dementia. Mind-body practices such as yoga and meditation, have been recognized as safe techniques with beneficial effects on cognitive functions in older adults at risk for cognitive decline. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to assess the efficacy of Kundalini yoga training (KY) compared to memory enhancement training (MET) on mood and cognitive functioning in a group of older women with CVRFs and SCD (clinicaltrials.gov = NCT03503669). The KY intervention consisted of weekly, 60-min in-person classes with a certified instructor for 12 weeks, with a 12-min guided recording for daily homework practice at home. MET involved 12 weekly in-person group classes with 12-min daily homework exercises. Objective and subjective memory performance were the primary outcomes. Peripheral whole blood samples were collected at baseline, 12-weeks, and 24-weeks follow-up for RNA sequencing and cytokine/chemokine assays. A total of 79 patients (KY = 40; MET = 39) were randomized, and 63 completed the 24-week follow-up (KY = 65% completion rate; MET = 95%; χ2(1) = 10.9, p < 0.001). At 24-weeks follow-up, KY yielded a significant, large effect size improvement in subjective cognitive impairment measures compared to MET. KYOn a transcriptional level, at 12- and 24-week follow-up, KY uniquely altered aging-associated signatures, including interferon gamma and other psycho-neuro-immune pathways. Levels of chemokine eotaxin-1, an aging marker, increased over time in MET but not KY participants. These results suggest clinical and biological benefits to KY for SCD, linking changes in cognition to the anti-inflammatory effects of yoga.

Physical activity status and its association with quality of life among children with down syndrome in Saudi Arabia: A comparative cross-sectional study.

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes physical and cognitive challenges. Identifying the impact of sedentary behavior and physical activity on people with Down syndrome is crucial for early intervention. The purpose of this study is to compare physical activity and sedentary behavior among children with Down syndrome and typically developing children, as well as assess their relationship with quality of life. In the cross-sectional study, 67 children between the ages of 6 and 12 were enrolled: 29 in the Down syndrome group and 38 in the typically developing group. Each child wore an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT for seven days. Accelerometer data and quality of life data were analysed. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were not significantly different between the Down syndrome and typically developing groups (p ˃ .05). With large effect sizes (partial eta squares ranging from 0.21 to 0.59), typically developing children had a significantly better quality of life than children with Down syndrome. There was a weak positive correlation between moderate physical activity and school performance in children with Down syndrome. For typically developing children, there is a weak negative correlation between light physical activity and physical function, school function, and total paediatric quality of life scale scores. This study indicates that children with Down syndrome have participated in more physical activities, resulting in a reduction in differences between them and typically developing children. Additionally, typically developing had higher quality of life than children with Down syndrome. For healthcare professionals and educators, these findings provide valuable insights into developing strategies to enhance physical activity for children with developmental disabilities.

Effects of Kinesiotape versus Low-Dye Tape on Pain and Comfort Measures in Patients with Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Bandages are commonly used to relieve pain in patients with plantar fasciitis. The goal was to compare the effects of using kinesiotape versus low-dye tape in the acute phase of plantar fasciitis on pain and comfort measures. Forty individuals with plantar fasciitis were allocated to the kinesiotape or low-dye tape interventions. The patients were assessed at baseline and every 24 h until the fifth day. The primary measure was a visual analog scale of pain. The other measures were comfort, mobility, durability, personal hygiene, sweating, and allergies. The effects were compared with an ANOVA test, 95% CI. Kinesiotape was more effective in reducing pain; the greater effect occurred during the first day, with a between-group difference of 2.0 (95% CI: 1.8 to 2.2). The pain differences between the treatments progressively reduced each day from the second day. Kinesiotape offered significantly higher performance than low-dye tape in mobility, comfort, and comfort in hygiene, sweating, and durability, with a large effect size d > 0.8. Kinesiotape could be more effective than low-dye tape in relieving pain in patients with plantar fasciitis, with a significant clinical impact on the first day of treatment. Kinesiotape can also provide higher performance in terms of comfort.

Assessing primary school preservice teachers’ confidence to apply their TPACK in specific categories of technologies using a self-audit survey

AbstractInternationally, university teacher educators have acted on the requirement that practising teachers need to be operational users of technologies. In response, coursework has been restructured to develop preservice teachers’ (PSTs) use and application of educational technologies for teaching and learning purposes. This paper presents the development and use of a self-audit survey designed to guide primary school PSTs’ self-directed learning and assessments in 10 specific categories of technologies, and to improve their confidence to apply their knowledge. The survey was administered to 296 PSTs in a pre- and post-course design and validated post hoc with Rasch analysis. Pre- and post-course comparison of responses showed significant increases in the PSTs’ self-assessed confidence in their abilities across all ability categories with medium to large effect sizes (r = .42–.82). The survey had utility, providing each PST with a customised report with which to identify their technology learning needs; it also provided PSTs with the agency to be self-directed in their learning. The survey has the potential to provide teacher educators with fine-grained information regarding which technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) being currently taught can be adopted, adapted, or rejected to maximise PSTs’ TPACK development.

Zelfopoffering, onderwerping en pleasing bij vrouwen met CVS in vergelijking met vrouwen met reumatoïde artritis: een observationele studie

Self-sacrifice, subjugation and approval-seeking in women with CFS in comparison to women with rheumatoid arthritis: an observational study CFS is a disorder with a multifactorial pathogenesis in which symptoms arise when precipitating factors combine with predisposing factors. An increasing body of research points to a dysfunction of the stress axis and finds evidence for a high prevalence of early childhood trauma, one of the most important vulnerability factors. Several pathways are conceivable through which early trauma may contribute to the vulnerability to or maintenance of the stress response and the symptoms. In this study, the authors used self-report questionnaires to identify maladaptive patterns that often stand out in clinical practice and may play both a predisposing and a maintaining role. These interpersonal patterns have often been adaptive in an early childhood context, but become harmful when they generalize and remain active in adult life. The authors investigated a group of 49 female CFS patients using 3 subscales of the Young Schema Questionnaire measuring the interpersonal styles of self-sacrifice, approval-seeking and subjugation. They included 45 women with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis as a control group. The authors found significantly higher scores in the CFS group for the 3 variables, with a large effect size for each. The present findings have implications for the further research and treatment. These interpersonal patterns are usually very rigid and serve to protect self-esteem and sense of security. The standard treatment of graded exercise and a limited number of sessions of psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral therapy is often insufficient to allow recovery and prevent relapse. Further research is required to substantiate which is the most optimal treatment strategy to mitigate these patterns.