Practical Level Research Articles

The Duality of Technological Innovation and Dynamic Capabilities: The Micro-Foundation of China's Construction Machinery Industry's Rise up the Global Value Chain

In the context of global value chain reconstruction, Chinese construction machinery enterprises are facing the dual challenges of technological innovation and global competitiveness improvement. Based on organizational learning theory and dynamic capability perspective, this study constructs a theoretical framework of dual integration of technological innovation (exploratory innovation and pioneering innovation) and dynamic capability, and explores its impact mechanism on the global value chain upgrading of Chinese construction machinery enterprises. The study adopts a mixed research method, combining large-scale patent data analysis and in-depth case study, and constructs a longitudinal data set of 146 Chinese construction machinery enterprises from 2005 to 2022. By using structural equation modeling, dynamic panel regression and machine learning algorithms, this study reveals the following main conclusions: (1) The relationship between technological innovation duality and the global value chain position of enterprises is inverted U-shaped, and there is an optimal equilibrium point; (2) Dynamic capabilities partially mediate the relationship between technological innovation duality and global value chain climbing, among which absorptive capacity and reconstruction capacity are particularly critical; (3) The degree of internationalization of enterprises positively moderates the impact of technological innovation duality on dynamic capabilities; (4) The quality of the institutional environment moderates the relationship between technological innovation duality and dynamic capabilities, and a high-quality institutional environment strengthens the positive relationship between the two. The theoretical contributions of this study are: (1) it expands the global value chain theory and incorporates the duality of technological innovation into the analytical framework; (2) it reveals the mediating mechanism of dynamic capability theory in innovation and value chain climbing, enriching the dynamic capability theory; (3) it provides new empirical evidence for organizational learning theory and clarifies the dynamic process of exploration and utilization equilibrium. At the practical level, the research results provide guidance for engineering machinery companies to formulate innovation strategies and enhance global competitiveness, and also provide a basis for the government to formulate industrial upgrading policies. Future research can further explore the long-term evolution path of technological innovation duality and its differences in cross-cultural contexts.

A Study on Existing Hygiene Practices of Rural Women of Assam, India

Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases. It can be defined as the practice of certain habits to maintain a good health both at the personal level (personal hygiene – cleanliness, physical exercise, proper rest, sleep, bathing, avoiding smoking, drinking alcohols, drugs etc.) and at the community level (social hygiene – proper disposal of waste) (WHO, Jan, 2016). About 75% of health facilities are concentrated in urban areas where only 27% of the total population lives. Contagious, infectious and waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, amoebiasis, typhoid, infectious hepatitis, worm infestations, measles, malaria, tuberculosis, whooping cough, respiratory infections, pneumonia, reproductive tract infections etc. dominate the morbidity pattern, especially in rural areas [1]. The study was carried out in the state of Assam (India) with 270 randomly selected rural women of 3 districts, viz., Tinsukia, Nagaon and Barpeta districts to find the existing practice of respondents on hygiene. More than half of the respondents (57.04 %) belonged to ‘moderate category’ of practice level on hygiene. Majority of the respondents belonged to ‘moderate category’ of practice level on hygiene, namely Barpeta (56.67%), Nagaon (53.33%) and Tinsukia (61.11%). It is also observed that the Nagaon district had highest percentage (24.44%) of respondents that belonged to ‘poor category’ of practice level on hygiene as compared to the other two districts.

Knowledge, attitude and practice toward to artificial intelligent patient-controlled analgesia among anesthesiologists: a cross-sectional study in east China’s Jiangsu Province

BackgroundInadequate postoperative analgesia greatly affects the recovery of patients, can poses a substantial health and economic burden. Patient-controlled analgesia is the most commonly used method for postoperative pain relief. However, the situation of inadequate analgesia still exists. Artificial intelligent Patient-controlled analgesia (Ai-PCA) system can make it easier for medical staff to understand the pain level of patients in order to deal with it in time. So far, several studies have investigated anesthesiologists’ knowledge and management of Ai-PCA.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the degree of anesthesiologists’ knowledge, attitude and their practice (KAP) towards Ai-PCA in east China’s Jiangsu Province.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 396 anesthesiologists working in tertiary hospitals. The data were collected using a pretested, structured and self-administered KAP questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Independent t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression tests.ResultsFive hundred twelve questionnaires were collected, 396 anesthesiologists (190 Male, and 206 Female) were included in our study for statistical analysis. The score of knowledge, attitude, practice was 5.49 ((SD = 1.65; range:0–8), 37.45 (SD = 4.46; range:9–45), and 26.41 (SD = 9.61; range:9–45), respectively. Among the participants, 309 (78%) and 264 (66.7%) had good knowledge and positive attitudes toward Ai-PCA, respectively. However, only 81 (20.5%) of the participants exhibited good practice regarding Ai-PCA. Participation in Ai-PCA training showed a significant correlation with knowledge, attitude and practice scores. Besides, age, years of experience and professional titles of anesthesiologists were correlated with knowledge scores. The title of the anesthesiologist was associated with attitude scores. And the marital status of anesthesiologists was correlated with practice scores.ConclusionOur findings revealed the score of practice regarding Ai-PCA are very poor among anesthesiologists in east China’s Jiangsu Province. The utilization of Ai-PCA was found to be impacted by whether the individual had received training. This calls for a comprehensive approach should be conducted for raising the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of anesthesiologist on using Ai-PCA and more Ai-PCA training to be included in the daily learning.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn; 27/10/2023; ChiCTR2300077070).

Communities’ knowledge, perceptions and preventive practices on soil-transmitted helminthes in Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia: Formative mixed study

Background Soil-transmitted helminthes (STH) infections are one of the most common neglected tropical diseases. It has become one of a significant public health problem programmatically aimed for prevention and control in Ethiopia. Limited evidence is available on communities’ knowledge, perceptions, and practices regarding STH particularly in rural settings of Jimma, Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study triangulated with the qualitative method was conducted. The survey included 732 sampled rural households. Linear regression was used to assess association between predictors of knowledge and preventive practices of STH; likewise logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of hand washing practice at critical times. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were done to test differences in median risk perception score by socio-demographic factors. Qualitative data were collected through 7 key informant interviews, 6 focus group discussions and 7 expert group discussions then transcribed verbatim. Then, the data were coded, categorized and thematized using the Atlas ti.7.1.4 software package. Results Almost all of the respondents (99.6%) had heard of STH. The prevalence of comprehensive knowledge, risk perception and preventive practices towards STH were 46.7%:(95%CI:43.2, 50.4), 55.2%: (95%CI:51.2,59) and 44.4%:(95%CI:40.8, 48.2) respectively. Likewise, the magnitude of knowledge and practice of hand washing at critical times were 42.5%: (95%CI: 38.7,45.9) and 43.9%: (95%CI: 40, 47.5) respectively. Risk perception and comprehensive knowledge towards STH varied significantly across districts and by respondents’ educational status. Ownership of improved latrine was associated to comprehensive knowledge of STH. The STH preventive practice that varied across districts was predicted by the overall and knowledge specific to washing hands at critical times. The practice of washing hands at critical times was significantly associated to knowledge of hand washing, owning improved latrine, and age from 15 to 34 year compared to >45 year. Moreover, qualitative findings were supportive of the findings. Conclusion Despite reported exposures to STH communication opportunities, the study found modest levels of knowledge, perceptions, and preventive practices related to STH among rural communities where the burden of STH was the programmatic concern. These levels of knowledge, perceptions, and practices varied across the districts. Educational and latrine status predicted overall knowledge, whereas knowledge specific to hand washing and overall knowledge were predictors of STH preventive practice. Furthermore, washing hands during critical times was moderately improved among the young-aged, ownership of improved latrine and knowledgeable on hand washing. This study underscores the need for locally tailored and contextualized community behavioral change interventions needs to be strengthened toward improved STH preventive practices.

Nanofiber aerogel with layered array with structure coupled photothermal/magnetothermal effect for continuous seawater desalination

The solar evaporation is susceptible to intermittent solar irradiation as well as salt crystallization deposition on the surface severely limits the evaporation efficiency. In this work, subject to inspiration of the transpiration, groove array structure and antifouling performance of banana leaves, a multifunctional photothermal/ magnetothermal coupled three-dimensional(3D) aerogel evaporator with layer-by-layer array structure was prepared by blow-spun technology which can achieve mass produced. The unique super hydrophilic vertical array structure has multi-scale high-efficiency water transport channels and the SnSe-Fe3O4 evaporation layer realizes super hydrophobic self-cleaning and excellent photothermal and magnetothermal conversion performance, which can achieve all-weather seawater desalination. The vertical array structures facilitate the reflection and refraction of light and promote the seawater convection and salt crystals absorption coupling. It could improve the photothermal conversion efficiency and salt resistance of the evaporator. Which resulted in an evaporation rate of 2.53 kg m−2h−1 under 1 sun, with solar energy conversion efficiency of 105 % and the evaporation rate is about 4.54 kg m−2h−1 at a magnetic field. Furthermore, it could purify organic pollutants in industrial wastewater and use waste heat to generate electricity. This evaporator provides a new economical and environmentally friendly solution for seawater desalination and sewage treatment.

Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers of oncology nurses in promoting physical activity in cancer survivors: a cross-sectional survey in China

PurposeTo explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Chinese nurses in promoting physical activity among cancer survivors and the relationships between these attributes and to identify the factors hindering nurses’ clinical practice.MethodsNurses from oncology-related departments of 10 public tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province completed self-administered questionnaires that included information about demographics; knowledge, attitudes, and practices of physical activity promotion; and barriers to clinical practice. The STROBE statement for observational studies was applied.ResultsA total of 502 valid questionnaires were obtained. The average standardized scores of knowledges, attitudes, and practice were 75.33%, 82.36%, and 62.60%, respectively. Oncology specialist nurses and nurses who had received relevant training had higher levels of knowledge, nurses from general hospitals reported higher levels of practice, and nurses who had learned the relevant guidelines were better in terms of knowledge, attitude, and level of practice. Attitude had a statistically significant mediating effect between knowledge and practice. Lack of time, lack of multidisciplinary clinical teams, and lack of clear guidelines were the most frequently reported barriers to practice.ConclusionIn China, nurses have a moderate level of knowledge and practice in promoting physical activity among cancer survivors, but a positive attitude. Numerous barrier factors present challenges in nurses’ clinical practice. Attitude plays a partial mediating role between knowledge and practice.

Mediation/moderation effects of engagement, foreign language enjoyment, and ambiguity tolerance in metaverse-based foreign language learning

This study investigates how engagement (E), foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and ambiguity tolerance (AT) exert mediation/moderation in metaverse-based foreign language learning (FLL). Featuring augment/simulation-based experiences and self-fulfillment/external-control-oriented mechanics, metaverse provides virtualized interactive circumstances involving individuals’ embodied presence/behaviors, aligning with FLL that emphasizes social interaction. Based on the quantified survey data, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analyses investigate the significance and positivity of the mediation/moderation relations. According to the results, E exerts fully positive mediation in the effect of intrinsic motivation (IM) on learning effectiveness (LE), FLE exerts partially positive mediation in the effect of classroom social climate (CSC) on E, and AT exerts negative moderation in the positive effect of E on LE. Notably, FLE exerts insignificant mediation in the effect of growth mindset (GM) on E. Therefore, efficient metaverse-based FLL requires synergies of affective factors, i.e., intrinsic motivation, perceptions of classroom social climate, moderate degrees of ambiguity tolerance, and engagement, for sustainable and long-term language learning progress in virtual interactive experiences. At the theoretical level, the findings extend the FLL-related models and advance the understanding of FLL. At the practical level, the findings provide references for more efficient metaverse implementations in FLL.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Pediatricians for Eye Care of Children: A Personal Survey in Saudi Arabia.

To review the level, determinants, and sources of knowledge (K), attitude (A), and practice (P) of pediatricians regarding eye care of children in Saudi Arabia in 2024. In this cross-sectional survey, 120 pediatricians from central Saudi Arabia were invited to participate in a one-on-one study. A questionnaire included demographic and work profiles, 20 questions on knowledge, five on attitude, and five on practices. Responses were graded using a Likert scale. Median scores were associated with independent variables. We surveyed 113 pediatricians. The excellent knowledge, attitude, and practice grades were 78.8%, 30.1%, and 41.6% of participants, respectively. The knowledge score was not associated with any demographic variable. The attitude score was associated with the younger age group (P = 0.03), seniority (P = 0.001), and higher knowledge score (P = 0.01). The practice score was associated with females (P = 0.02) and hospitals with eye departments (P = 0.001), who underwent eye care training (P = 0.004), knowledge score (P < 0.001), and A score (P = 0.001). Reading journals, attending conferences, and eye care workshops were current sources of knowledge. However, the desired sources were eye care, which should be included in the curriculum, Google and PubMed searches, and interactions with ophthalmologists. Pediatricians' high level of knowledge of eye care is promising. However, based on the demography variations noted, their attitude and practices need strengthening. Policies for eye screening and referrals from pediatricians to ophthalmologists may be discussed in conferences, workshops, and policy documents. Knowledge should be disseminated using the modes preferred by pediatricians.

Pengembangan Video Pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam Dan Budi Pekerti Menggunakan Aplikasi Capcut Di SMA PP. Dr. M. Natsir Alahan Panjang

This research and development was based on problems that occurred at SMA PP.Dr.M.Natsir Alahan Panjang where students' lack of interest in learning in the subjects of Islamic Religious Education and Character and the learning carried out was less varied, making students bored and less active so they were distracted by other things. Learning videos can be an alternative in solving problems at school. This research aims to determine the level of validity and practicality of learning videos using the Capcut application.This type of research is development research using the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) model. The resulting learning video media using the Capcut application has been tested as valid with a percentage of media design experts of 94,3% (very valid), and tested practically with a practicality test by teachers with a percentage of 87,2% ( very practical) and the student response test percentage was 87,8% (very practical). From these results it was concluded that the learning video using Capcut was valid and practical so that trials could be carried out on the resulting product.

Curriculum Mapping Practices of Teachers as Determinants of their Collective Efficacy in Public Elementary Schools

This study aimed to explore how teachers' curriculum mapping practices relate to their collective efficacy in public elementary schools within Tugbok District, Davao City. The study used the non- experimental quantitative research design utilizing correlational method. The respondents of this study composed of 107 teachers using a universal sampling. The statistical tools used were Mean, Pearson Product Moment Coefficient Correlation or Pearson r and Regression Analysis. The findings revealed that the teachers achieved a high level on curriculum mapping practices. Meanwhile teachers established a high level in collective efficacy in public elementary schools. There was a significant relationship between curriculum mapping practices of teachers and their collective efficacy in public elementary schools. The domains of curriculum mapping practices of teachers were significantly influenced to their collective efficacy in public elementary schools. It is articulated in this study that collective efficacy of teachers in public elementary schools should be raised in a very high level. It was concluded that the high level of curriculum mapping practices of teachers would also increase to their collective efficacy in public elementary schools.

The Relevance of Off-Campus Activities to the Achievement of College Students

When students finally face the work scene, they practice the theories and teaching methods they have learned in the classroom discussion with teachers, and their learning can be best reflected, which we call off-school activities. In fact, not everything can be studied in the four walls of the classroom. When students begin to explore outside the classroom, they can learn so much during their off-campus activities. In todays education ecology, after-school education activities, as an effective extension and enrichment of school education, are increasingly important, and their forms are more diversified, which accurately meet the diversified learning and development needs of students and parents. However, the rapid development of after-school education is also accompanied by the lack of norms, weak theoretical research and other problems, leading to the confusion in the practical and theoretical levels. The main problems include the vague definition of the nature, the policy system is not perfect, and the management system needs to be improved. Off-campus educational institutions are faced with challenges such as insufficient radiation force, limited resources, and the urgent need for improving facilities and teachers. Especially for college students, the increased participation in extracurricular activities highlights the seriousness of off-campus academic education, but the leading role of public institutions is limited, and the overall participation is insufficient. Therefore, it is very important to explore and solve these problems, to promote the healthy development of college students extracurricular education and to build a perfect theoretical framework of after-school education.

PENGEMBANGAN LKPD BERBASIS STEM UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS DI SEKOLAH DASAR MATERI PERUBAHAN WUJUD BENDA

Critical thinking is very important for every individual in facing various problems in everyday life in order to solve their own problems. Data collection methods in this study include observation, questionnaires, and tests, the tests here include the initial test (pre-test) and the final test (post-test). The level of validity of STEM-based LKPD on the material of changes in the form of objects is said to be very valid, according to the results of the assessment of three experts, namely material experts, namely 84% (very valid), media experts, namely 87.5% (very valid), and class teachers at MIN 7 Medan by 86.3% (very valid). The level of practicality of STEM-based LKPD to improve critical thinking skills on the material of changes in the form of objects is categorized as practical, according to the results of small-scale trials with a percentage of 89.2% with a very practical category, and large-scale trials with a percentage of 91.0% with a very practical category. The level of effectiveness of STEM-based LKPD on the material of changes in the form of objects with an N-Gain score scale assessment is categorized as high, namely 0.73 and is categorized as high to improve critical thinking skills in students with a post-test score of 83.6%. From all the results above, it can be concluded that STEM-based LKPD can improve critical thinking skills in elementary schools, and is suitable for use in the school environment.

Effects of health education intervention on menstrual hygiene knowledge and practices among the adolescent girls of Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal.

Poor menstrual hygiene practices are one of the major public health problems in Nepal. Due to persistent taboos and socio-cultural constraints, adolescent girls are often unaware of scientific facts, knowledge, and practices related to menstrual hygiene. This paper aims to assess the effects of health education intervention on menstrual hygiene knowledge and practices among adolescent girls in Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal. A true experimental study was conducted in two government basic schools in Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal. The study population was adolescent girls who had attended the menarche. Firstly, a pretest with the help of a self-administered questionnaire was done to find out the socio-demographic information, knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene. Next, health education sessions were conducted among the intervention group. Finally, after one month of intervention, a post-test was conducted among the intervention and non-intervention group. Data analysis was done through descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed significant improvement in the knowledge and practice level of adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene after health education intervention. Participants in the intervention group showed a significant increase in knowledge scores from 10.0% to 67.0%, while the non-intervention group remained unchanged at 7.5%. Good menstrual hygiene practices scores in the intervention group increased significantly from 22.5% to 67.0%, whereas the non-intervention group saw a slight rise from 20.0% to 22.5%. Regarding observed practice scores in menstrual hygiene, significant improvement was observed in the intervention group (45.0% to 100.0%) in contrast to the non-intervention group (25.0% to 27.5%). This study highlights the crucial role of school health education interventions in promoting menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls. It emphasizes the importance of comprehensive educational programs tailored to early teenage girls, addressing timing, content, and delivery methods alongside ensuring the availability of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities.

Research on the System of First Violation without Penalty

With the continuous deepening of the construction of a digital rule of law government and the implementation of the principle of inclusive and prudent supervision in multiple fields represented by the business sector, the latest revised Administrative Penalty Law of the People's Republic of China in 2021 has for the first time stipulated the first violation without penalty system in Article 33. The "first violation without penalty " system draws on the "minor violation without punishment" system and conforms to the trend of government function transformation, which is a novel measure in the field of administrative law enforcement. In this article, the author will analyze the system from two levels. At the theoretical level, the connotation of the system will be explained through its origin, practical significance, and comparison with "minor non punishment"; At the practical level, analyze the practicality of the system by combining the "first violation without penalty " lists from multiple regions. The author will also analyze the problems that exist during the implementation of the system and provide their own suggestions.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Radiologists and Paramedics Towards Accident and Emergency Preparedness and the Role of Biomedical Engineering in Prehospital Emergencies

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of radiologists and paramedics regarding accident and emergency preparedness in hospitals in the southern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and how to improve their role. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive, cross‑sectional online survey that was carried out among radiologists and paramedics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A self-structured, close-ended questionnaire that was administered that consisted of 19 questions was included. The questionnaire validity and reliability were evaluated for vetting and remarks. The questions were circulated through Google Forms, and it was circulated among the study participants through online mode. The data were collected systematically, and SPSS Statistics version 26.0 was used for data analysis Results: There were 139 responses, (77 specialist's radiology and 62 paramedics) participated in the study through Google Forms. In the study group, 84 (61.4%) were know the main steps for emergency response in major emergencies (p-value 0.000). Among the 19 questions used to assess the KAP, 12 questions were significant with a p-value less than 0.05. More than 72.6% agree the Management must be adequately prepared when emergencies and accidents occur. The respondents’ attitude toward emergency preparedness was generally positiveو Only a minority, that is, 43 (30.9%) of the respondents think it is possible for cooperation between radiologists and paramedics to interpret emergency cases and develop treatment plans in the emergency department. Conclusion: The level of knowledge was satisfactory among the radiologists and paramedics with a neutral level of attitudes, practice and knowledge regarding disaster preparedness. Follow-up research is essential to maximize the preparedness of the accident and emergency department.

Scalable crystal structure relaxation using an iteration-free deep generative model with uncertainty quantification

In computational molecular and materials science, determining equilibrium structures is the crucial first step for accurate subsequent property calculations. However, the recent discovery of millions of new crystals and super large twisted structures has challenged traditional computational methods, both ab initio and machine-learning-based, due to their computationally intensive iterative processes. To address these scalability issues, here we introduce DeepRelax, a deep generative model capable of performing geometric crystal structure relaxation rapidly and without iterations. DeepRelax learns the equilibrium structural distribution, enabling it to predict relaxed structures directly from their unrelaxed ones. The ability to perform structural relaxation at the millisecond level per structure, combined with the scalability of parallel processing, makes DeepRelax particularly useful for large-scale virtual screening. We demonstrate DeepRelax’s reliability and robustness by applying it to five diverse databases, including oxides, Materials Project, two-dimensional materials, van der Waals crystals, and crystals with point defects. DeepRelax consistently shows high accuracy and efficiency, validated by density functional theory calculations. Finally, we enhance its trustworthiness by integrating uncertainty quantification. This work significantly accelerates computational workflows, offering a robust and trustworthy machine-learning method for material discovery and advancing the application of AI for science.

Changes in Religiosity as a Challenge to Family Catechesis: the Situation in Poland

The concept ‘catechesis’ has always been vital to pastoral mission in Roman Catholic Church and has been used officially with a basic fidelity to its etymological roots (an echoing of faith between believers and with fidelity to its context in the early Christian Church (systematic formation and participation in experiences within a faith community). However today, when official Roman Catholic Church documents recall family catechesis, at the practical level, family catechesis is still ambiguous. This article opens a new window on a very topical issue in contemporary catechesis: strengthening the family as an important agent of catechesis. The author (taking into consideration the changes of religiosity of Catholics) proposes different models in which the family can be supported to assume its primary function as an educator for the faith using the example of Poland.

Emergency admission predictive risk stratification models: assessment of implementation consequences (PRISMATIC 2): protocol for a mixed methods study.

Emergency admissions are costly, increasingly numerous, and associated with adverse patient outcomes. Policy responses have included the widespread introduction of emergency admission risk stratification (EARS) tools in primary care. These tools generate scores that predict patients' risk of emergency hospital admission and can be used to support targeted approaches to improve care and reduce admissions. However, the impact of EARS is poorly understood and there may be unintended consequences. To assess effects, mechanisms, costs, and patient and healthcare professionals' views related to the introduction of EARS tools in England. Quasi-experimental mixed methods design using anonymised routine data and qualitative methods. We will apply multiple interrupted time series analysis to data, aggregated at former Clinical Commissioning Group level, to look at changes in emergency admission and other healthcare use following EARS introduction across England. We will investigate GP decision-making at practice level using linked general practice and secondary care data to compare case-mix, demographics, indicators of condition severity and frailty associated with emergency admissions before and after EARS introduction. We will undertake interviews (n~48) with GPs and healthcare staff to understand how patient care may have changed. We will conduct focus groups (n=2) and interviews (n~16) with patients to explore how they perceive that communication of individual risk scores might affect their experiences and health seeking behaviours. Findings will provide policymakers, healthcare professionals, and patients, with a better understanding of the effects, costs and stakeholder perspectives related to the introduction of EARS tools.

Assessment of Knowledge and Practice on Prevention of Pressure Ulcer among Nurses in Palestine- Cross Sectional Study

Pressure Ulcers (PUs) are localized skin injuries caused by long-term compression of soft tissue between an external pressure source and a bony prominence. They are one of the iatrogenic causes of extra morbidity for hospitalized patients. This study aimed to assess knowledge and practices regarding preventing PUs among nurses in Palestine. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 430 nurses in various Palestinian hospitals and health centers between February 15, 2024, and April 14, 2024. Convenience sampling was used to collect samples for this study. The collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 27. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics. The study showed that 65.61% of participants correctly answered questions about PU prevention. Regarding practice, 55.3% of nurses demonstrated a good level, with an average score of 2.37. Additionally, there was a significant association between demographic variables and levels of knowledge and practice in PU prevention, with P values ranging from 0.01 to 0.05. The study found that male nurses had higher knowledge and practice scores than female nurses, with significant differences in mean scores. The overall level of knowledge and practice among Palestinian nurses was found to be good; however, there is room for improvement in several aspects of both knowledge and practice. Variables such as gender, age, marital status, qualification, and job experience were found to have significant correlations with the level of knowledge and practice among nurses.

Nurses’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding infection control at neonatal departments in Benghazi public hospitals

The acquisition and transmission of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) can have a direct impact on the prognosis of neonates, the effectiveness of treatment, and posing significant challenges to clinical care. As nurses have direct contact with neonates, their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) are critical for the prevention and control of infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The purpose of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of infection control among nurses in neonatal departments in Benghazi public hospitals. A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and December 2021. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data from 61 neonatal nurses. The collected data were reviewed, coded, and transferred to SPSS version 23 for analysis. The study found that about 55.7% of nurses had satisfactory knowledge. Nurses with bachelor's degrees had higher knowledge scores, were more likely to know the risks of acquiring HCV and HIV, and also showed good attitudes. In terms of practice, nurses with intermediate diplomas showed good practice, but no significant differences were found between the three groups (P = 0.5). Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the nurses in the current study have a good practice level and a positive attitude regarding infection control. However, their overall knowledge didn’t reach a satisfactory level.