Personal Response Research Articles

Functional Data Analysis and Person Response Functions

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to illustrate the use of functional data analysis (FDA) as a general methodology for analyzing person response functions (PRFs). Applications of FDA to psychometrics have included the estimation of item response functions and latent distributions, as well as differential item functioning. Although FDA has been suggested for modeling PRFs, there has been relatively little research stressing this application. FDA offers an approach for diagnosing person responses that may be due to guessing and other sources of within-person multidimensionality. PRFs provide graphical displays that can be used to highlight unusual response patterns, and to identify persons that are not responding as expected to a set of test items. In addition to examining individual PRFs, functional clustering techniques can be used to identify subgroups of persons that may be exhibiting categories of misfit such as guessing. A small simulation study is conducted to illustrate how FDA can be used to identify persons exhibiting different levels of guessing behavior (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%). The methodology is also applied to real data from a 3rd grade science assessment used in a southeastern state. FDA offers a promising methodology for evaluating whether or not meaningful scores have been obtained for a person. Typical indices of psychometric quality, such as standard errors of measurement and person fit indices, are not sufficient for representing certain types of aberrance in person response patterns. Nonparametric graphical methods for estimating PRFs that are based FDA provide a rich source of validity evidence regarding the meaning and usefulness of each person’s score.

Using patient-derived tumor organoids from common epithelial cancers to analyze personalized T-cell responses to neoantigens

Adoptive cell transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) can mediate durable complete responses in some patients with common epithelial cancers but does so infrequently. A better understanding of T-cell responses to neoantigens and tumor-related immune evasion mechanisms requires having the autologous tumor as a reagent. We investigated the ability of patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTO) to fulfill this need and evaluated their utility as a tool for selecting T-cells for adoptive cell therapy. PDTO established from metastases from patients with colorectal, breast, pancreatic, bile duct, esophageal, lung, and kidney cancers underwent whole exomic sequencing (WES), to define mutations. Organoids were then evaluated for recognition by autologous TIL or T-cells transduced with cloned T-cell receptors recognizing defined neoantigens. PDTO were also used to identify and clone TCRs from TIL targeting private neoantigens and define those tumor-specific targets. PDTO were successfully established in 38/47 attempts. 75% were available within 2 months, a timeframe compatible with screening TIL for clinical administration. These lines exhibited good genetic fidelity with their parental tumors, especially for mutations with higher clonality. Immunologic recognition assays demonstrated instances of HLA allelic loss not found by pan-HLA immunohistochemistry and in some cases WES of fresh tumor. PDTO could also be used to show differences between TCRs recognizing the same antigen and to find and clone TCRs recognizing private neoantigens. PDTO can detect tumor-specific defects blocking T-cell recognition and may have a role as a selection tool for TCRs and TIL used in adoptive cell therapy.

Machine Learning Application Identifies Germline Markers of Hypertension in Ovarian Cancer Patients Treated with Carboplatin, Taxane and Bevacizumab.

Pharmacogenomics studies how genes influence a person's response to treatment. When complex phenotypes are influenced by multiple genetic variations with little effect, a single piece of genetic information is often insufficient to explain this variability. The application of machine learning (ML) in pharmacogenomics holds great potential; namely, it can be used to unravel complicated genetic relationships that could explain response to therapy. In this study, ML techniques were used to investigate the relationship between genetic variations affecting more than 60 candidate genes and carboplatin-, taxane-, and bevacizumab-induced toxicities in 171 patients with ovarian cancer enrolled in the MITO-16A/MaNGO-OV2A trial. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiles were examined using ML to find and prioritise those associated with drug-induced toxicities, specifically hypertension, hematological toxicity, non-hematological toxicity, and proteinuria. The Boruta algorithm was used in cross-validation to determine the significance of SNPs in predicting toxicities. Important SNPs were then used to train eXtreme gradient boosting models. During cross-validation, the models achieved reliable performance with a Matthews correlation coefficient ranging from 0.375 to 0.410. A total of 43 SNPs critical for predicting toxicity were identified. For each toxicity, key SNPs were used to create a polygenic toxicity risk score that effectively divided individuals into high-risk and low-risk categories. In particular, compared with low-risk individuals, high-risk patients were 28- fold more likely to develop hypertension. The proposed method provided insightful data to improve precision medicine for ovarian cancer patients, which may be useful for reducing toxicities and improving toxicity management.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЖИТТЄВОЇ ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ ВИМУШЕНИХ ПЕРЕСЕЛЕНЦІВ ПІД ЧАС ОЗБРОЄНОГО КОНФЛІКТУ В УКРАЇНІ

The article provides theoretical analysis of the problem of the peculiarities of life prospects of forced migrants during the armed conflict in Ukraine. Critical situations, natural disasters, and armed conflicts usually have a negative impact on the psyche of those who are involved in these events. The impact of traumatic events extends not only to direct victims but also to a wide range of individuals. The consequences of traumatization affect their families, surroundings, rescuers, and other workers. The authors present their views on life planning, based on three components. Life perspective is opened for those who have already created a system of life relations and support that become more valuable. Achieving life goals helps to reach life limits and, in a certain sense, guarantees the future. The main components of life planning are awareness of goals, determination of ways to achieve them, and understanding the significance of their implementation. Life perspective is a dynamic phenomenon that depends on the constant changes and adjustments in a person’s plans and goals. A person’s life position and value system are formed as a result of this process and determine the individual’s future. Planning a life perspective involves setting goals, defining ways to achieve them, and understanding the significance of realizing life plans. It is a constant process that depends on changes and adjustments in plans and goals, as well as on the realization of one’s values and the formation of a life plan. Today, there is information about 4 million people in the Unified Information Database on Internally Displaced Persons. Of these, over 2 million are people who were displaced due to the imposition of martial law. And of those, 1.9 million were forcibly displaced for the first time. The article mentions six main problems faced by forced migrants. It is stated that problems with adaptation to new conditions limit access to basic social services such as healthcare and education. It is emphasized that it is important to carry out social programs and projects aimed at improving the socio-economic situation of forced migrants. It is noted that an important component of social support is providing information about available services and resources that can help in adapting to a new environment. At the same time, it is stated that it is necessary to provide the opportunity for learning the language and culture of the country they have resettled in. It is necessary to consider the gender aspect and provide equal opportunities for men and women in the process of adaptation and obtaining social and psychological support. It is also noted that attention should be paid to the problems that arise in children of forced migrants. Children may need additional psychological support and education. It’s important to raise awareness among the public about the problems faced by forced migrants. This can be done through media, social networks, cultural events and so on. Coping behavior – a set of conscious conflict resolution strategies to deal with internal tension and discomfort – is an important form of the adaptation process and personality response to stressful situations, in addition to psychological protection. At the same time, there is a “balanced temporal orientation”, which is an idealized cognitive structure that allows a person to flexibly switch between the past, present, and future depending on the demands of the situation, resource assessments, or personal and social evaluations.

Testing Behavior Change Techniques to Increase Physical Activity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Protocol for a Randomized Personalized Trial Series.

Being physically active is critical to successful aging, but most middle-aged and older adults do not move enough. Research has shown that even small increases in activity can have a significant impact on risk reduction and improve quality of life. Some behavior change techniques (BCTs) can increase activity, but prior studies on their effectiveness have primarily tested them in between-subjects trials and in aggregate. These design approaches, while robust, fail to identify those BCTs most influential for a given individual. In contrast, a personalized, or N-of-1, trial design can assess a person's response to each specific intervention. This study is designed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a remotely delivered personalized behavioral intervention to increase low-intensity physical activity (ie, walking) in adults aged 45 to 75 years. The intervention will be administered over 10 weeks, starting with a 2-week baseline period followed by 4 BCTs (goal-setting, self-monitoring, feedback, and action planning) delivered one at a time, each for 2 weeks. In total, 60 participants will be randomized post baseline to 1 of 24 intervention sequences. Physical activity will be continuously measured by a wearable activity tracker, and intervention components and outcome measures will be delivered and collected by email, SMS text messages, and surveys. The effect of the overall intervention on step counts relative to baseline will be examined using generalized linear mixed models with an autoregressive model that accounts for possible autocorrelation and linear trends for daily steps across time. Participant satisfaction with the study components and attitudes and opinions toward personalized trials will be measured at the intervention's conclusion. Pooled change in daily step count will be reported between baseline and individual BCTs and baseline versus overall intervention. Self-efficacy scores will be compared between baseline and individual BCTs and between baseline and the overall intervention. Mean and SD will be reported for survey measures (participant satisfaction with study components and attitudes and opinions toward personalized trials). Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a personalized, remote physical activity intervention for middle-aged and older adults will inform what steps will be needed to scale up to a fully powered and within-subjects experimental design remotely. Examining the effect of each BCT in isolation will allow for their unique impact to be assessed and support design of future behavioral interventions. In using a personalized trial design, the heterogeneity of individual responses for each BCT can be quantified and inform later National Institutes of Health stages of intervention development trials. clinicaltrials.gov NCT04967313; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04967313. RR1-10.2196/43418.

A Theological Reflection on a Visit to a Dairy Farm

This article is a personal response to and reflection upon experiences of the writer on a visit to an intensive dairy farm, written by an Anglican priest, theological educator and a vegan. It explores the ethical and theological issues raised by modern intensive dairy farming and the emotional nature of the modern debate over animal welfare, especially from the point of view of being in a minority as a vegan within the Christian community. It explores the role of the Enlightenment project in providing the setting for the intensification of farming in the modern era and the ethical implications of this for animal welfare.

Linear epitopes on the capsid protein of norovirus commonly elicit high antibody response among past-infected individuals

BackgroundHuman norovirus (HuNoV) is the leading cause of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis globally, and its infection is usually self-limited, so most people become past Norovirus (NoV)-infected individuals. It is known that some antibody responses may play a critical role in preventing viral infection and alleviating disease; however, the characteristics and functions of particular antibody responses in persons with previous infections are not fully understood. Capsid proteins, including VP1 and VP2, are crucial antigenic components of NoV and may regulate antibody immune responses, while epitope-specific antibody responses to capsid proteins have not been comprehensively characterized.MethodsWe prepared purified VP1 and VP2 proteins by ion exchange chromatography and measured serum antigen-specific IgG levels in 398 individuals by ELISA. Overlapping 18-mer peptides covering the full length of VP1 and VP2 were synthesized, and then we identified linear antigenic epitopes from 20 subjects with strong IgG positivity. Subsequently, specific antibody responses to these epitopes were validated in 185 past infected individuals, and the conservation of epitopes was analyzed. Finally, we obtained epitope-specific antiserum by immunizing mice and expressed virus-like particles (VLPs) in an insect expression system for a blockade antibody assay to evaluate the receptor-blocking ability of epitope-specific antibodies.ResultsThe IgG responses of VP1 were significantly stronger than those of VP2, both of which had high positive rates of over 80%. The overall positive rate of VP1-IgG and/or VP2-IgG was approximately 94%, which may be past NoV-infected individuals. Four linear antigenic B-cell epitopes of capsid proteins were identified, namely, VP1199–216, VP1469–492, VP297–120, and VP2241–264, all of which were conserved. The IgG response rates of the above epitopes in past NoV-infected individuals were 38.92%, 22.16%, 8.11% and 28.11%, respectively. In addition, VP1199–216- and VP1469–492-specific antibodies can partially block the binding of VLPs to the receptor histo-blood group antigen (HBGA).ConclusionThis is the first study to describe specific antibody responses of VP2 and to identify its B-cell epitopes. Our findings offer data for a more thorough understanding of norovirus capsid protein-specific IgG responses and could provide useful information for designing and developing vaccines.

A Systematic Review of the Factors That Influence Teachers’ Occupational Wellbeing

Teachers belong to a high-demand occupational group and experience work-related challenges and discretely diverse emotional turmoils of varying intensity while teaching and interacting with students. These experiences often result in high stress levels that contribute to burnout and, consequently, a breach of teachers’ occupational wellbeing. Promoting positive teacher wellbeing substantially influences teaching quality, with a flow-on effect on student wellbeing and academic development. This literature review utilised a framework to systematically explore the factors that impact the occupational wellbeing of kindergarten, primary, and secondary schoolteachers. Thirty-eight (38) studies from an initial 3766 peer-reviewed articles sourced from various databases (CINAHL, Emcare, PychINFO, Scopus, ERIC, and PsycARTICLES) were utilized for this systematic review. Four major factors were identified, including personal capabilities, socioemotional competence, personal responses to work conditions, and professional relationships. Findings highlight the importance of teachers’ occupational wellbeing in dealing with numerous challenges and competing demands, with the need for a high level of self-efficacy for instruction and behavioural management being critically significant. Teachers require adequate organisational support to successfully carry out their roles with stronger resilience and efficient job execution. Teachers also need to have social–emotional competence to be able to create a high-quality classroom environment and a conducive atmosphere that supports healthy teacher–student relationships, reduces stress and increases the occupational wellbeing of teachers. Collaborating with other relevant stakeholders such as parents, colleagues, and a school’s leadership team is critical for creating a positive work environment. A good workplace has the potential to contribute to teachers’ occupational wellbeing and provide a supportive platform for student learning and engagement. This review clearly points to the beneficial effects of prioritising teachers’ occupational wellbeing and its intentional inclusion in the professional development plan of practising teachers. Finally, while primary school teachers and secondary school teachers share many similarities in terms of the challenges they face, there are also some differences in how these challenges impact their wellbeing, and these warrant further investigation.

P110 Change in sweat chloride concentration after elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor initiation: results from 12 months follow-up in the Danish cystic fibrosis cohort

Pulmonary function tests are the gold standard for evaluating disease status and treatment response in persons with cystic fibrosis (CF). Pulmonary function, however, is an outcome influenced by multiple circumstances. Sweat chloride (SwCl) concentration is a reliable outcome, solely reflecting the activity of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator protein. In the present study, we aim to evaluate the effect of ETI treatment on SwCl concentration.

Review on low glycaemic index functional food products

A low-GI diet is a menu plan based on how meals affect blood sugar levels. Low glycemic index diets cause hypoglycemia and insulin responses in healthy persons and enhance glycemic control in those with type 1 and well-controlled type 2 diabetes. For those with prediabetes or diabetes, low-GI diets may help with body weight loss and glycemic control. A diet with a high glycemic index may raise postprandial levels of insulin and blood sugar, increasing the chance of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) The amount of processing an item has gone through, together with its nutritional composition, cooking method, ripeness, and cooking duration, all have an impact on its glycemic index. Foods high in refined carbohydrates and sugar are absorbed more rapidly and typically have a high GI, whereas those high in protein, fat, or fibre frequently have a low GI. As a result of not containing any carbs, foods including meat, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and oils don't have a GI. The three GI ratings are as follows: Low, Medium, and High. As part of a well-balanced low glycemic diet, foods without a GI rating or with a very low GI can also be consumed. It can be much simpler to stick to a low glycemic diet if you know where your favourite foods rank on the glycemic index.

Protocol of a feasibility study of a virtual personalized (N-of-1) trial for increasing low-intensity physical activity in older adults via habit formation

BackgroundPersonalized interventions that can be delivered remotely are needed to increase physical activity (PA) in older adults to reduce risk of CV disease and mortality. Prior research indicates that Behavioral Change Techniques (BCTs) (e.g., goal setting, self-monitoring, behavioral repetition) can instill a habit for increasing daily walking. However, past interventions relied on between-subject randomized clinical trials, which can only only be informative about response of the hypothetical average person. Personalized trial designs can identify the benefits of an intervention for a specific individual although extended periods are required for collecting frequent measurements within-subject. Advances in remote, virtual technologies (e.g., text messaging, activity trackers), integrated with automatic platforms, can meet these requirements because they capacitate delivery of BCT interventions, and collection of data during daily life without personal contact. This Stage I-b trial is designed test whether a virtual, personalized intervention is feasible and acceptable to older adults, can elicit participant adherence and exhibit preliminary evidence for efficacy. MethodsA series of up to 60 single-arm, personalized trials, involving no personal contact, will recruit adults, 45–75 years of age, to wear an activity tracker during a 2-week baseline and a 10-week intervention. Five BCT prompts to execute a walking plan will be delivered on a daily basis during the intervention phase. Participants will rate satisfaction with personalized trial components and whether automaticity of the walking plan can be achieved. Step-counts, adherence to the walking plan and self-monitoring of step-count will also be recorded.

Charles Dickens: But for You, Dear Stranger by Annette Federico

Reviewed by: Charles Dickens: But for You, Dear Stranger by Annette Federico Chelsey Pinney (bio) Annette Federico. Charles Dickens: But for You, Dear Stranger. Oxford UP, 2022. Pp. vii + 164. £18.99. IBSN: 978-0-1928-4734-8 (hb). Annette Federico’s But for You, Dear Stranger exemplifies how nuanced and analytical personal responses to literature can be. Rather than solely thinking our way through Dickens’s corpus, Federico demonstrates the rewards to be reaped from feeling our way through as well. She achieves this quietly, but unashamedly, unapologetically, and with admirable honesty. Federico has previous form with such an approach, as evidenced in her 2020 project, My Victorian Novel: Critical Essays in the Personal Voice, and it shows. The narrative that unfolds is highly creative, at times poetic and even therapeutic through its combined personal and critical engagement with Dickens’s novels. Despite the modest admission from the outset that “I never thought of myself as a Dickens expert” (ix), the breadth and depth of her knowledge and thinking around Dickens, his life and his work are never in question: more importantly for this book, neither is her love for them. But for You, Dear Stranger underscores how personal experience can be used effectively to revitalize areas of literary study and how the personal is not the enemy of the critical. Federico outlines in the preface that this book, in line with Dickens’s own ethos, is part of an attempt to “grow more childish,” to go on “a pilgrimage away from mere intellectual knowingness toward some other kind of knowledge” (xi), through a consideration of her past, her relationships and herself. This pilgrimage takes the form of three chapters, each one dedicated to a focal novel–Oliver Twist (1837), David Copperfield (1850) and Little Dorrit (1857), consecutively–with a concluding section about A Tale of Two Cities (1859). In chapter one, entitled “Where Is Love?,” Federico begins by revealing the loss of her parents and thoughtfully examines her relationships with them. She describes an 1895 decorative plate owned by her parents depicting the [End Page 254] first meeting between the Artful Dodger and Oliver (a photo is included), and it is this object which acts as a springboard to reminisce about her and her father’s mutual love of the story. Carol Reed’s film adaptation (1968) of the Oliver! musical, in particular, plays a mythologizing role in this parental relationship, but also in the development of Federico’s consideration of the novel. The film/musical’s central song, “Where Is Love?,” cleverly becomes the hook line–the refrain–of the chapter: a way for Federico to variously probe and tease out the differing forms of love in the novel. In particular, the readings of Nancy stand out here. Love in Dickens is certainly not a new topic, yet Federico’s interweaving of anecdotes and social comparisons breathes new life into this habitual theme. The second chapter, “Blessed Little Room,” changes focus. It contemplates the role of the reader and the multifarious forms the act of reading can take in relation to David Copperfield. Federico describes her experience of teaching a Dickens course prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. What emerges is a reassuring and relatable insight into how the lockdowns affected her teaching and reading processes. At some point, amongst the restrictions and remote classes, Federico stopped worrying about teaching Dickens and really enjoyed reading the texts. She proposes that “[s]ometimes we have to read with what Marion Milner has called ‘wide attention’ […] without determined purposefulness” (55). Federico convincingly demonstrates the benefits of such reading through observations of “Dickens’s throwaways, the strange, superfluous details that he can’t resist” (55). Stripped of a rigid, critical agenda, just as David “is not a studious, critical reader” (54), she runs through what reading can phenomenologically mean within and without David Copperfield. Reading is “power, it is validating,” “intimacy,” “security” and “projection” (63–64 original emphasis). With these attributes in mind, the theme of marriage in the novel becomes the focus, and a way for Federico to explore her own marital relationships: love and reading are likened, especially when approached with wide attention. In the...

First year junior doctors and medical uncertainty - a qualitative study.

Few studies have investigated how doctors in Norway deal with medical uncertainty. The purpose of the study was to explore how first year junior doctors perceive and manage uncertainty in clinical practice. Ten first year junior doctors at two hospitals in Norway were recruited for interviews following response pattern analysis from a mapping questionnaire. The interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation. The analysis revealed three main themes in the interviews: dealing with medical uncertainty, personal response to medical uncertainty, and working environment, feedback and preparation. Within all three thematic areas, the informants used the words 'certain/uncertain' and 'secure/insecure' interchangeably. The first year junior doctors struggled with the inherent uncertainty of medicine and felt a marked sense of insecurity, particularly at the start of their training period. How the doctors were welcomed in the workplace and the feedback they were given were important factors. Their undergraduate medical education had not sufficiently prepared the first year junior doctors for how to deal with medical uncertainty in clinical practice.

Antibody response elicited by the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster in patients with multiple sclerosis: Who gains from it?

Although two doses of COVID-19 vaccine elicited a protective humoral response in most persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), a significant group of them treated with immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) showed less efficient responses. This prospective multicenter observational study evaluates differences in immune response after a third vaccine dose in pwMS. Four hundred seventy-three pwMS were analyzed. Compared to untreated patients, there was a 50-fold decrease (95% confidence interval [CI] = 14.3-100.0, p < 0.001) in serum SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in those on rituximab, a 20-fold decrease (95% CI = 8.3-50.0, p < 0.001) in those on ocrelizumab, and a 2.3-fold decrease (95% CI = 1.2-4.6, p = 0.015) in those on fingolimod. As compared to the antibody levels after the second vaccine dose, patients on the anti-CD20 drugs rituximab and ocrelizumab showed a 2.3-fold lower gain (95% CI = 1.4-3.8, p = 0.001), whereas those on fingolimod showed a 1.7-fold higher gain (95% CI = 1.1-2.7, p = 0.012), compared to patients treated with other DMTs. All pwMS increased their serum SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels after the third vaccine dose. The mean antibody values of patients treated with ocrelizumab/rituximab remained well below the empirical "protective threshold" for risk of infection identified in the CovaXiMS study (>659 binding antibody units/mL), whereas for patients treated with fingolimod this value was significantly closer to the cutoff.

Rasch analysis of the International Personality Item Pool Big Five Markers Questionnaire: Is longer better?

The 50-item International Personality Item Pool version of the Big Five Markers (IPIP-BFM) is an open-source and widely used measure of the big five personality traits. A short version of this measure (IPIP-BFM-25) has been developed using the classical test theory approach. No study was performed to examine the psychometric properties of a longer and shorter version of IPIP-BFM Indonesia using modern test theory. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Indonesian version of IPIP-BFM as well as IPIP-BFM-25 using Rasch analysis. The analysis was conducted in order to test their dimensionality, rating scale functioning, item properties, person responses, targeting, reliability, and item bias on 1003 Indonesian samples. The findings showed that both IPIP-BFM and IPIP-BFM-25 Indonesia have some adequate psychometric properties, especially regarding category function, item properties, reliability, and item bias. However, the emotional stability and intellect scales did not meet the assumption of unidimensionality, and all items on the scales were too easy to endorse by participants. In general, longer measures outperformed shorter measures in terms of person separation and reliability. Further testing and refinement must be conducted.

National Guard Deployment in Support of COVID-19: Psychological and Behavioral Health.

The National Guard (NG) served as a critical component of the USA's response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while concurrently managing their personal responses to the pandemic. Determining whether the activation of NG service members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a greater psychological strain can identify NG's needs for mental health support. We surveyed 3993 NG unit (NGU) service members (75% Army NG, 79% enlisted, 52% 30-49 years old, and 81% males) during the COVID-19 pandemic, with surveys administered between August and November 2020. Almost half (46%) of NGU service members reported being activated in response to COVID-19 (mean activation length = 18.6 weeks). Activated service members completed the survey approximately 2 to 3 months post-activation. Surveys assessed demographics, service-related characteristics, unit cohesion and positive leadership skills (leadership), and COVID-19 activation, and outcomes including probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), clinically significant anxiety and depression, and anger. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. In all, 9.7% met the criteria for probable PTSD, 7.6% reported clinically significant anxiety and depression, and 13.2% reported feeling angry/anger outbursts. Multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusting for demographic and service-related characteristics, indicated that COVID-19 activation was not associated with a greater risk of PTSD, anxiety and depression, or anger. Regardless of activation status, NGU service members with low levels of unit cohesion and leadership were more likely to report PTSD and anger, and low levels of unit cohesion were associated with clinically significant anxiety and depression. COVID-19 activation did not increase the risk of mental health difficulties among NGU service members. However, low levels of unit cohesion were associated with the risk of PTSD, anxiety and depression, and anger, and low levels of leadership were associated with the risk of PTSD and anger. The results suggest a resilient psychological response to COVID-19 activation and the potential for strengthening all NG service members through enhancing unit cohesion and leadership support. Future research on specific activation exposures, including the type of work tasks in which service members are engaged, particularly those associated with high-stress work conditions, is needed to help better understand their activation experience and how it may influence post-activation responses.

Psychological Factors Associated With Mental Adjustment to Breast Cancer: A Hospital-Based Observational Study

This study examined mental adjustment to breast cancer, that is, coping strategies. Participants were 130 women undergoing breast cancer treatment in two medical settings in Accra, Ghana. They completed questionnaires assessing mental adjustment to cancer, psychological distress (anxiety and depression), negative religious coping, body change stress, and illness perceptions. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression. Results showed that patients who reported higher depression were more likely to engage in anxious preoccupation (worry and thinking about breast cancer). Higher depression was associated with a greater sense of helplessness/hopelessness. Moreover, patients higher in negative religious coping were more likely to experience a greater sense of helplessness/hopelessness. Illness perception facets of personal control and emotional response were positively associated with fatalism and anxious preoccupation, respectively. The results suggest that screening breast cancer patients for psychological morbidity could help identify patients with increased risks for maladaptive adjustment to the disease.

Scoring of Essays in L1 in the Secondary School-Leaving Exam

The article is a comparative analysis of nine different types of essays as a part of the secondary school-leaving exam in L1 on a literary topic from the point of view of their scoring systems. In terms of scoring, two different types of essays have been found. On the one hand, there are essays that give a higher percentage of points in the category of language that is understood as the correct use of grammar, punctuation, etc. On the other hand, there are essays that give a lower percentage of points for the category of language that is understood differently, namely as efficient communication, and give a higher percentage of points for the categories pertaining to content – literary knowledge, argumentation, etc. The Slovenian essay is categorised as the first type; possible changes are proposed for it to be based on the characteristics of the second type of essay. In other words, the use of a descriptive-criteria scoring system is proposed, with a stronger emphasis on literary knowledge, argumentation and personal response.

Yes we can? Effects of a participatory visioning process on perceived climate efficacy

Lack of perceived efficacy can be an important barrier to climate mitigation action at various scales. Here, we study how a participatory visioning process, the Climate Modernity workshop in Styria, Austria, affected participants' efficacy outcomes. To this end, we conducted two survey waves eliciting self- and response efficacy regarding possible mitigation measures. We estimate difference-in-differences models and corroborate the findings using qualitative participant feedback. The results indicate that the intervention tended to decrease personal self-efficacy, in particular with regard to controversial topics like the transformation of the transport system. This suggests that participatory stakeholder processes can draw attention to the conflict potential and complexity of specific mitigation policies, decreasing the perceived feasibility of implementing them. The workshop, however, tended to increase particpants' personal response efficacy, particularly regarding voting for pro-environmental candidates. Accordingly, participatory processes could raise trust in the democratic process and in the effectiveness of making a green voting decision.

COVID-19 Pandemic Responses among National Guard Service Members: Stressors, Coping Strategies, Sleep Difficulties and Substance Use

The National Guard (NG) served as a critical component of the US COVID-19 response while concurrently managing personal COVID-19 responses. Understanding pandemic-related concerns, sleep difficulties, increased substance use, and stress management strategies can promote readiness for subsequent disasters. We surveyed 3221 NG service members (75% Army; 79% enlisted; 52% 30-49 years; 81% male) during COVID-19 (August-November 2020). Almost half were activated in response to COVID-19 (mean = 18.6 weeks) and completed the survey 2-3 months post-activation. Service members indicated great concern about family health (39%), the indefinite nature of the pandemic (35%), and their financial situation (23%). Over one-third reported changes in usual sleep amount, 33% described poor sleep quality, and 21% had trouble falling/staying asleep. Increased substance use was reported by 30%, including increased alcohol (13.5%), tobacco (9%), and caffeine/energy drinks (20.1%) consumption. Chi-square analyses and analyses of variance found those who activated reported more increased tobacco and caffeine/energy drink use versus non-activated, with no sleep difficulties nor alcohol use differences. Helpful stress management strategies included spending time outdoors (53%), exercising (48%), talking to family/friends (38%), and having a daily routine (38%). Specific health-, financial-, and job-related stressors were associated with COVID-19. Incorporating stress management in planning/preventive efforts promotes resilience during disasters.