Pop-up Messages Research Articles

Scam Call Detection Using NLP and Naïve Bayes Classifier

Financial fraud, particularly credit card fraud, is a pressing concern in the realm of digital transactions. The number of phone scams is increasing daily as con artists use phone calls to target victims for nefarious ends. Individuals are falling for con artists' proposals, becoming victims and giving up their personal information, leaving them open to abuse. Effective detection techniques are becoming more and more necessary. In this study, we offer an efficient approach to scam call identification utilizing speech-to-text libraries and the machine learning technique Naïve Bayes classifier. Our technology, which translates voice to text, uses this text to evaluate conversations in real time. It looks for trends and suspicious phrases that point to attempted scams, including asking for credit card numbers, passwords, or other sensitive information. The user will be able to decide whether or not to trust and continue with the call by using the alert prompt that appears as a pop-up message if the words are found to be suspicious. The user will take certain measures, such as ending the conversation right away, blocking the number, and reporting it further, if they don't trust the call. Our strategy is to successfully handle scam calls through ongoing adaptation and learning, boosting user security and confidence in phone conversations. The user will be able to decide whether or not to trust and continue with the call by using the alert prompt that appears as a pop-up message if the words are found to be suspicious. The user will take certain measures, such as ending the conversation right away, blocking the number, and reporting it further, if they don't trust the call. Our strategy is to successfully handle scam calls through ongoing adaptation and learning, boosting user security and confidence in phone conversations. Keyword: Spam Detection, Naïve Bayes, Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning.

Intervening on high-risk responses during ecological momentary assessment of suicidal thoughts: Is there an effect on study data?

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is increasingly used to study suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). There is a potential ethical obligation for researchers to intervene when receiving information about suicidal thoughts in real time. A possible concern, however, is that intervening when receiving responses that indicate high risk for suicide during EMA research may impact how participants respond to questions about suicidal thoughts and thus affect the validity and integrity of collected data. We leveraged data from a study of adults and adolescents (N = 434) recruited during a hospital visit for STBs to examine whether monitoring and intervening on high-risk responses affects subsequent participant responding. Overall, we found mixed support for the notion that intervening on high-risk responses influences participants' ratings. Although we observed some evidence of discontinuity in subsequent responses at the threshold used to trigger response-contingent interventions, it was not clear that such discontinuity was caused by the interventions; lower subsequent responses could be due to effective intervention, participant desire to not be contacted again, or regression to the mean. Importantly, the likelihood of completing surveys did not change from before to after response-contingent intervention. Adolescents were significantly more likely than adults, however, to change their initial suicidal intent ratings from above to below the high-risk threshold after viewing automated response-contingent pop-up messages. Studies explicitly designed to assess the potential impact of intervening on high-risk responses in real-time monitoring research are needed, as this will inform effective, scalable strategies for intervening during moments of high suicide risk. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Unveiling the Multifaceted Dance of Distractions: Thumbing Through the On-Screen Distractions Throughout Memrise MALL Experience

The detrimental impact of screen distractions, including heightened cognitive-emotional engagement and reduced concentration spans, remains to be fully explored. This case study investigates EFL students’ perceptions of screen distractions in mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) and explores their potential implications on learning outcomes. The study employs a descriptive methodology and purposively samples 46 first-year university students who are not majoring in English as participants. During a two-week trial, the participants use the Memrise English learning app to complete Beginner’s levels (A1 and A2). Screen recordings, user account credentials, and interview excerpts are collected from shared Google Drive folders and focus-group sessions. Thematic data analysis is conducted to gain insights into the participants’ perception of screen distractions. Results reveal that social networks and entertainment apps (63.43%) are the primary sources of distraction, followed by web browsing (22.29%), incoming notifications and pop-up messages (11.45%), and incoming calls (2.83%). Participants perceive these distractions as driven by a psychological impulse to avoid missing updates. While the participants demonstrate an impressive aptitude for adapting to and navigating Memrise MALL resources, they lack necessary support to manage distractions, resulting in a failure to meet learning objectives. The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating set times for learning and optimizing screen learning to be distraction-free. Furthermore, it highlights the negative consequences of multitasking and interruptions on students’ MALL performance, underscoring the need for structured use of social media to enhance engagement and academic achievement. Students’ perception of Memrise MALL is generally positive, with reported benefits such as improved recall, concentration, motivation, and engagement. However, distraction management and material connection are essential contributors in successful MALL experience.

The Effects of Social Proof Marketing Tactics on Nudging Consumer Purchase

A wide variety of marketing tactics can be used to nudge consumer purchases on e-commerce websites particularly through methods known as social proof, which stress the importance of conformity to the norms of a social group. Although many types of social proof-based messages are used in digital marketing – such as testimonials, influencer endorsements, and social media shares – the inclusion of positive product reviews and pop-up messages about product purchases by other buyers are common marketing tactics used to persuade shoppers to purchase advertised goods and services. Though studies on the impact of these tactics on adult consumers have been conducted, there is little to no information on impacts on adolescent consumers. What is also unclear is whether the impacts of these marketing tactics combined are greater than their impacts individually. Using a survey that displayed images of hypothetical products and various combinations of positive product reviews and pop-up messages, this study found that 1) positive product reviews significantly increased the likelihood of adolescent consumer purchasing, 2) pop-up messages had little to no effect, and 3) combining pop-up messages regarding the purchases of other buyers reduced the impact that positive product reviews had on nudging adolescent consumers to buy the marketed goods.

The Association between Neighborhood Walkability and Physical Activity in a Behavioral Weight Loss Trial Testing the Addition of Remotely Delivered Feedback Messages to Self-Monitoring

Adding feedback messages (FB) to self-monitoring (SM) may reinforce behavior change. However, socio-environmental conditions (e.g., limited access to parks or low walkability) may limit one’s ability to respond to FB focused on physical activity (PA). In this analysis, we hypothesized that high neighborhood walkability will positively modify the treatment effect of FB on PA, and residents of high walkability neighborhoods will achieve higher PA levels at 12 months than those in low walkability neighborhoods. The study is a secondary analysis of a 12-month behavioral weight-loss trial. Adults with overweight/obesity were randomized to SM + FB (n = 251) or SM alone (n = 251). SM + FB group received smartphone pop-up messages thrice/week tailored to their PA SM data. The assessment included neighborhood walkability via Walk Score (low [<50] vs. high [≥50]), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and step count via Fitbit Charge 2™, and weight via smart scale. We report adjusted linear regression coefficients (b) with standard errors (SE). The analysis included participants who were primarily white, female, and with obesity. In adjusted models, neighborhood walkability did not moderate the effect of treatment assignment on log-transformed (ln) MVPA or steps count over 12 months. The SM + FB group had greater lnMVPA than the SM group, but lnMVPA and steps were similar between walkability groups. There were no significant interactions for group and time or group, time, and walkability. These findings suggest that adding FB to SM had a small but significant positive impact on PA over 12 months, but neighborhood walkability did not moderate the treatment effect of FB on PA.

Phishing Websites Spotting with Help of using Machine Learning Tools

Abstract: Phishing assaults cost internet users billions of dollars every year and are a constantly growing hazard in the cyberspace. It is illegal to gather sensitive information from consumers through a number of social engineering techniques. Email, instant messaging, pop-up messages, web pages, and other forms of communication can all be used to identify phishing tactics. This work offers a model that can determine whether a URL link is genuine or fraudulent. The data set used for the classification was sourced from the University of New Brunswick dataset bank, which has a collection of benign, spam, phishing, malware, and defacement URLs, as well as from an open source service called "Phish Tank," which contains phishing URLs in multiple formats such as CSV, JSON, etc. Phishing URLs are identified using a combination of deep neural network methods and more than six machine learning models. The goal of this study is to create a web application software that can identify phishing URLs from a database of more than 5,000 URLs that have been randomly selected, divided into 80,000 training samples and 20,000 testing samples, and then divided again into equal portions of phishing and legitimate URLs. To distinguish between legal and phishing URLs, the URL dataset is trained and tested using feature selections like address bar-based features, domain-based features, HTML &amp; JavaScript-based features. Finally, the study provided a model for classifying URLs as phishing or legitimate. This would be extremely useful in assisting individuals and businesses in identifying phishing attacks by authenticating any link provided to them to prove its validity.

IoT System for Real-Time Posture Asymmetry Detection

The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) has enabled the development of measurement systems dedicated to preventing health issues and monitoring conditions in smart homes and workplaces. IoT systems can support monitoring people doing computer-based work and avoid the insurgence of common musculoskeletal disorders related to the persistence of incorrect sitting postures during work hours. This work proposes a low-cost IoT measurement system for monitoring the sitting posture symmetry and generating a visual alert to warn the worker when an asymmetric position is detected. The system employs four force sensing resistors (FSR) embedded in a cushion and a microcontroller-based read-out circuit for monitoring the pressure exerted on the chair seat. Java-based software performs the real-time monitoring of the sensors’ measurements and implements an uncertainty-driven asymmetry detection algorithm. The shifts from a symmetric to an asymmetric posture and vice versa generate and close a pop-up warning message, respectively. In this way, the user is promptly notified when an asymmetric posture is detected and invited to adjust the sitting position. Every position shift is recorded in a web database for further analysis of the sitting behavior.

Usability Testing of a Web-Based Empathy Training Portal: Mixed Methods Study.

The prepandemic period saw a rise in web-based teaching. However, web-based tools for teaching the essential clinical skill of cognitive empathy (also known as perspective taking) remain limited. More of these tools are needed and require testing for ease of use and understanding by students. This study aimed to evaluate the usability of the In Your Shoes web-based empathy training portal application for students using quantitative and qualitative methods. This 3-phase formative usability study used a mixed methods design. In mid-2021, we conducted a remote observation of student participants interacting with our portal application. Their qualitative reflections were captured, followed by data analysis and iterative design refinements of the application. Overall, 8 third- and fourth-year nursing students from an undergraduate baccalaureate program at a Canadian university, in the western province of Manitoba, were included in this study. Participants in phases 1 and 2 were remotely observed by 3 research personnel while engaged in predefined tasks. In phase 3, two student participants were asked to use the application as they liked in their own environments, after which a video-recorded exit interview with a think-aloud process was conducted as participants responded to the System Usability Scale. We calculated descriptive statistics and performed content analysis to analyze the results. This small study included 8 students with a range of technology skills. Usability themes were based on participants' comments on the application's appearance, content, navigation, and functionality. The biggest issues that participants experienced were with navigating the application's "tagging" features during video analysis and the length of educational material. We also observed variations in 2 participants' system usability scores in phase 3. This may be because of their different comfort levels with technology; however, additional research is required. We made iterative refinements to our prototype application (eg, added pop-up messages and provided a narrated video on the application's "tagging" function) based on participant feedback. With increasing engagement in web-based teaching, technology has become an essential medium for receiving health care education. We developed a novel prototype application as a supplemental classroom tool to foster students' self-directed learning of empathy. This study provided direction for refinements to optimize the usability of and satisfaction with this innovative application. Qualitative feedback revealed favorable input toward learning perspective taking place on the web and helpful recommendations for improving user experiences with the application. We could not fully assess the application's key functions owing to the COVID-19 protocols. Thus, our next step is to obtain feedback from a larger sample of student users, whose experiences performing "live" video capture, annotation, and analysis will be more authentic and wholesome with the refined application. We discuss our findings in relation to research on nursing education, perspective taking, and adaptive e-learning.

Abstract P235: The Association Between Neighborhood Walkability and Physical Activity in a Behavioral Weight Loss Trial Testing the Addition of Remotely Delivered Feedback Messages to Self-Monitoring

Background: Adding feedback messages (FB) to self-monitoring (SM) may reinforce behavior change. However, socio-environmental conditions (e.g., limited access to parks and low walkability) may limit one’s ability to respond to FB focused on physical activity (PA). Hypothesis: Residents of high walkability neighborhoods will achieve higher PA levels at 12 months than those in low walkability neighborhoods regardless of whether FB was randomly assigned. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a 12-month behavioral weight loss trial, where adults with overweight or obesity were randomized to SM+FB (n=251) or SM alone (n=251). The SM+FB group received a smartphone pop-up message every other day tailored to their PA data. Assessment included neighborhood walkability via Smart Walk Score (low [&lt;50] vs. high [≥50]), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) minutes and step count via Fitbit Charge 2™, and weight via digital smart scales. We report adjusted regression coefficients (b) with 95% confidence intervals from linear mixed modeling. To normalize the residual distribution, we applied a natural log transformation (ln) to MVPA. Results: Participants (N=502) were primarily white (82.5%), female (79.5%), well-educated (16.4±2.8 years), mean age of 45±14.4 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 33.10±3.93 kg/m 2 . Compared to those from neighborhoods with high walkability, participants from neighborhoods with low walkability were more likely to be White (75.3% vs. 87.8%, P ==.0003) and older (41.4±14.7 vs. 47.7±13.6 years, P &lt;.0001) at baseline. After adjusting for these characteristics, baseline BMI and exercise self-efficacy, neighborhood walkability did not moderate the effect of treatment assignment on lnMVPA (b±SE=-0.20±0.15, P =.170) or steps (b±SE=-816.48±484.83, P =.092) over 12 months. lnMVPA (b±SE=0.12±0.10, P =.244) and steps (b±SE=415.05±344.50, P =.228) were on average similar between walkability groups. Both lnMVPA (b 6mo ±SE=0.003±0.07, P =.968; b 12mo ±SE=-0.23±0.08, P =.009) and steps (b 6mo ±SE=-416.18±195.68, P =.034; b 12mo ±SE=-1443.75±227.49, P &lt;.0001) declined over time. On average, the SM+FB group had greater lnMVPA (b±SE=0.23±0.12, P =.047) and marginally greater number of steps (b±SE=674.84±392.91, P =.086) than SM group. There were no significant interactions for group and time or group, time, and walkability ( P ≥.05). Conclusion: On average, FB had a small but significant positive impact on PA over 12 months, but neighborhood walkability did not moderate the treatment effect of FB on PA. The small effect of FB on PA may have limited our ability to detect moderation of neighborhood walkability on the treatment effects of FB on PA. Future studies need to replicate this analysis in a trial with larger treatment effects and a more diverse sample.

Effects of a feedback intervention on antibiotic prescription control in primary care institutions based on a Health Information System: a cluster randomized cross-over controlled trial

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics are major factors in the development of antibiotic resistance in primary care institutions of rural China. In this study, the effectiveness of a Health Information System-based, automatic, and confidential antibiotic feedback intervention was evaluated. A randomized, cross-over, cluster-controlled trial was conducted in primary care institutions. All institutions were randomly divided into two groups and given either a three-month intervention followed by a three-month period without any intervention or vice versa. The intervention consisted of three feedback measures: a real-time pop-up warning message of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions on the prescribing physician's computer screen, a 10-day antibiotic prescription summary, and distribution of educational manuals. The primary outcome was the 10-day inappropriate antibiotic prescription rate. There were no significant differences in inappropriate antibiotic prescription rates (69.1% vs. 72.0%) between two groups at baseline (P=0.072). After three months (cross-over point), inappropriate antibiotic prescription rates decreased significantly faster in group A (12.3%, P < 0.001) compared to group B (4.4%, P < 0.001). At the end point, the inappropriate antibiotic prescription rates decreased in group B (15.1%, P < 0.001) while the rates increased in group A (7.2%, P < 0.001). The characteristics of physicians did not significantly affect the rate of antibiotic or inappropriate antibiotic prescription rates. A Health Information System-based, real-time pop-up warnings, a 10-day prescription summary, and the distribution of educational manuals, can effectively reduce the rates of antibiotic and inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions.

The Cost of Snooping: How Reading Others’ Personal Correspondences Divides Attention

Given the prevalence of public use of devices to send private messages, these messages are prone to be snooped upon by others. Advances in technology have raised privacy concerns, however, little is known about what is typically sought after and the characteristics of those more likely to snoop. People are socially curious and drawn to gossip, suggesting that personal information that is dramatic or salacious may be more tempting for individuals to access when given the opportunity. In addition, certain personality characteristics relate to negative behaviors online, however, it is unknown what individual differences are related to snooping behaviors. Therefore, we designed novel studies in which participants watched videos where pop-up text message notifications, supposedly for the researcher, appeared. Using eye-tracking, we assessed what factors led to fixation on these fake texts. Results showed participants were more likely to fixate on gossipy texts during passive videos (Z = 303.50, p = .01, d = 0.48), and higher conscientiousness was related to lower snooping, r(26) = –.50, p = .01, 95% CI [–.78, –.22]. Further, individual fear of missing out predicted higher fixation only of gossipy texts, r(22) = .55, p = .01, 95% CI [.15, .79], but independent of text type, greater fixation to texts led to divided attention and poorer memory of video content, r(46) = –.50, p &lt; .001, 95% CI [–.73, –.33]. Together, data suggest that there are costs to private information being made public, both to the individual whose information is on display and the snooper.

Challenges faced in the peer review system in open access journals

Challenges faced in the peer review system in open access journals

How traditional and digital analytics interventions can enhance lung-protective ventilation strategies during general anaesthesia: A two-year quality improvement project analysis

PurposeThis quality improvement project evaluated interventions implemented to enhance individual adherence to a lung-protective ventilation strategy and its triad: low tidal volume, PEEP ≥ 5, recruitment manoeuvres. MethodsFor two years, nine anaesthesia workstations were connected to an automated cloud-based analytics software tool, which automatically recorded ventilation parameters as soon as a new patient case was opened. Four quality improvement periods were determined over the first year: baseline, intervention, no intervention, intervention + digital. In the second year, the digital strategy was continued for nine months, followed by a final “overtime” period. Baseline and no intervention periods included no training. The intervention period included both conventional and educational programs. The digital period included pop-up messages, which automatically appeared on the screen of the anaesthesia data management system when patients were intubated. The primary endpoint was provider adherence to the recommended triad. ResultsFrom October 2018 to December 2020, 12,883 procedures were performed. Data were available for 8968 procedures: baseline (n = 2361), intervention (n = 2423), no intervention (n = 1064), intervention + digital (n = 1862), overtime (n = 1258). Age, Predicted Body Weight, ASA score, type of surgery and airway management were similar between periods. At baseline, 75.2% of procedures reported low tidal volume but only 6.9% involved the complete triad. At over time, Triad was 22% (p < 0.001). Over study period, each parameter of the Triad (RM, Vt and Peep) increased (p < 0.001 vs. baseline), driving pressure decreased although EtCO2 and plateau pressure had not changed. ConclusionTraining with the help of digital apps improved LPV adherence over time.

An experiment on the perceived efficacy of fear-based messages in online roulette

ABSTRACT The current study examined the emotional and cognitive evaluations as well as the perceived efficacy of fear-based, text-only pop-up messages. The pop-up messages were presented when viewing a 3-minute prerecorded video of online roulette play. Fifty-nine people who gamble online viewed both low- and high-threat messages that reflected, by random assignment, either the financial (n= 27) or social (n= 32) consequences of gambling. Participants then reported their emotional and cognitive evaluations of the messages, as well as their perceived efficacy to facilitate responsible gambling. Eye-tracking was used as an objective measure of attention to the message. A 2 (message theme: social, financial) x 2 (threat level: low, high) mixed-model ANOVA was used to examine the evaluations and efficacy of the messages. The main effects of message theme/threat level were not significant. The 2 × 2 interaction for the outcome of overall effectiveness was significant, whereby the high-threat and social message combination was rated more effective than other combinations. For eye-tracking, there were no significant findings. The results suggest that fear-based social messaging may be more effective than non-fear inducing or financially-oriented messages. Further research can explore if messages that are perceived to be effective likewise lead to lower-risk gambling.

Learners’ web navigation behaviour beyond learning management systems: A way into addressing procrastination in online learning?

The attractiveness of online games, social media, and mobile apps is frequently considered a challenge for online learners. Procrastinatory behaviour is often associated with a relative lack of self-regulatory skills that would otherwise help learners to resist distractions and to progress in learning. This paper reports a pilot study, conducted with 49 online learners, in which we describe the use of a virtual learning assistant as a tool for collecting online learners' web navigation behaviour. As this virtual learning assistant operates as an extension to the Chrome web browser, it is possible that data collection is achieved independently of, and beyond specific learning management systems. Furthermore, the study opens up the possibility of leveraging the collected dataset for visual learning analytics and pattern mining. To demonstrate the potential utility of the virtual learning assistant, we present an example for a detailed examination of a learner's web navigation behaviour. The results of the detailed examination of a single learner's web navigation behaviour over 333 days, presented as a case study, revealed the presence of seasonality in accessing certain web resources and stable sequential patterns in the learner's web navigation that can be associated with procrastinatory behaviour. • a browser-based online learning assistant is introduced. • Behaviour traces of online learners are recorded over a year. • Behavioural data are analysed and visualised. • Sequential pattern mining enables the identification of procrastinatory behaviour. • Procrastinatory behaviour can be addressed in real time via pop-up messages.

Abstract 12776: Neighborhood Walkability is Not Associated With Attaining Recommended Physical Activity in a Behavioral Weight Loss Trial Testing Remotely Delivered Feedback Messages

Background: Adding feedback messages (FB) to self-monitoring (SM) can help reinforce behavior change. However, socio-environmental barriers such as limited access to parks and sidewalks (i.e., low walkability) may limit one’s ability to respond to FB focused on physical activity (PA). Hypothesis: Residents of high walkability neighborhoods receiving FB will have higher PA levels than those not receiving FB. Methods: Secondary analysis of a 12-month behavioral weight loss intervention (SMARTER trial) in which participants were randomized to either SM+FB (n=251) or SM alone (n=251) groups. The SM+FB group received a smartphone pop-up message every other day that was tailored to their PA patterns. Neighborhood walkability was assessed via Walk Score (0-100), PA via Fitbit Charge 2 tracker, and weight via Tanita scale. Key study variables included the walkability of neighborhoods (Walk Score: low [&lt;50] vs. high [≥50]), and recommended PA (moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) ≥150 min/week or step count ≥7500/day). Generalized linear mixed model results are reported as adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The sample with complete PA data (n=297) was white (87.9%), female (78.1%), well educated (82% with ≥4 years of college), and on average 48.9±13.7 years of age. Compared to high walkability neighborhoods, low walkability neighborhoods had a higher proportion of the sample who were non-white (18.1% vs 8.3%, p=.011), &lt;45 years of age (45.7% vs 31.5%, p=.013), and with household income &lt;$60,000 (p&lt;.0001) at baseline. After adjusting for these baseline differences and exercise self-efficacy, on average neighborhood walkability did not moderate the effect of FB on the attainment of the recommended MVPA (AOR=1.48, 95% CI: 0.72 - 3.06) or step count (AOR=1.05, 95% CI: 0.48 - 2.29) goal at 12 months. Furthermore, there were no significant treatment or time main effects or interactions observed (p≥0.05), suggesting that there was no significant change in PA over 12 months for both treatment groups. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that FB and neighborhood walkability did not have significant impact on attaining PA goals in the SMARTER weight loss trial. More studies are needed to replicate our work in a more diverse sample.

Development of a concept for a mobile application to support orofacial myofunctional therapy

This study aimed to develop a concept for a mobile health application, an app-based exercise tool, to support the treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders by speech-language therapists (SLTs). Method:A sequential mixed research design combining qualitative research and user-centered software development was applied. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with eight SLTs, one patient and three relatives to gather ideas for an app to support orofacial myofunctional therapy. On the basis of the findings, a paper-based prototype was developed, which was then evaluated by seven end users, to refine the concept of the app. Results: Qualitative data on desirable functionalities were clustered into topics and related subcategories containing general ideas for the app – a control mechanism, a reward system, the visualization of exercises, and pop-up messages for reminders and recommendations. The paper prototype was developed that addressed these functionalities. Discussion: An app-based exercise tool is considered to have added value for orofacial myofunctional therapy. A prototype for a mobile application is ready for programming and subsequent testing in the treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders by conducting additional interviews to ascertain patients’ perceptions.

Trends, Sociodemographic and Hospital-Level Factors Associated With Palliative Care Utilization Among Multiple Myeloma Patients Using the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2018).

Several factors are reported to be associated with palliative care utilization among patients with various cancers, but literature is lacking on multiple myeloma (MM) specific factors. MM patients have a high symptom burden and early involvement of palliative could increase their quality of life. We examined factors associated with palliative care utilization among MM patients and explored prevalence trends in palliative care utilization among patients with MM. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using the National Inpatient Sample data collected between 2016 and 2018. Descriptive analyses were used to explore prevalence trends in palliative care utilization over time. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine sociodemographic and hospital-level factors associated with palliative care utilization in MM patients. Overall prevalence of palliative care utilization in our population was 7.7% with a trend of increasing use of palliative care from 7.3% in 2016 to 8.2% in 2018. MM patients aged 70 years and above had 1.30 times higher odds (95% CI: 1.20-1.42) of receiving palliative care relative to those younger than 70 years. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.86; 95% CI: 0.79-0.94) were less likely to utilize palliative care. Patients on Medicaid (AOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.08-1.49), private insurance (AOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.16-1.39) and other insurance types (AOR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.79-2.47) had significantly higher odds of receiving palliative care when compared to those on Medicare. Other factors identified were hospital region, location, patient disposition, admission type, length of stay, and number of comorbidities. Our findings highlight the urgent need for education of hospital physicians on the need for early palliative care involvement in the care of hospitalized MM patients. Messaging interventions such as the delivery of pop-up messages in electronic medical records to serve as reminders for physicians can be explored as a potential way to increase palliative care consultations for patients who need them.

Impact of Warning Pop-Up Messages on the Gambling Behavior, Craving, and Cognitions of Online Gamblers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Many features of Internet gambling may impact problem severity, particularly for vulnerable populations (availability, anonymity, a convenience and ease of play, digital forms of payment, and a higher level of immersion). To prevent the risks associated with excessive gambling and to inform gamblers, we need responsible gambling strategies. Gambling-related warning messages are one possible strategy that can help minimizing gambling-related harm.Methods: Our experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of self-appraisal and informative pop-up messages compared to a control condition (blank pop-up messages), for both at-risk (ARG) and low risk/non-problem Internet gamblers (LR/NPG) according to their favorite type of game, in a semi naturalistic setting and with a 15-day follow-up. During the experimental session, participants were invited to gamble on their favorite website with their own money in the laboratory. Effectiveness was investigated through the impact of pop-ups on gambling behavior (money wagered and time spent), craving, cognitive distortions, and gambling experience, taking into account message recall. We analyzed data from 58 participants, playing preferentially either to skill and chance bank games (sports betting, horse race betting) and skill and chance social games (poker).Results: We observed a significant decrease in the illusion of control for ARG in the informative pop-up condition at the 15-day follow-up. A significant effect of self-appraisal pop-ups compared to blank pop-up messages was also demonstrated only for sport and horse bettors, with a decrease on time spent gambling and an increase of gambling-related expectancies at the follow-up. Finally, we also observed that a majority of the participants were disturbed and irritated by pop-ups during their gambling session.Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrated the limited impact of pop-up warning messages on gambling behavior and cognition in Internet gamblers according to the type of game and the status of gamblers. The limited impact of warning messages on gambling behavior and the inconvenience of the pop-ups for Internet gamblers lead us to only consider warning messages as one piece of a larger responsible gambling strategy.Trial Registration Number: NCT01789580 on February 12, 2013.

Quarter of pig farmers readily viewed information on Toxoplasma gondii infection in pigs provided in a data exchange system of a Dutch slaughter company

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a food safety hazard causing a substantial human disease burden. Because infected pig meat is estimated to attribute 12 % to this disease burden, it is important to control T. gondii infection in pigs. Providing pig farmers with information on T. gondii infection in general, and more specific on the status on their farm, could motivate them to take actions. In this study, we analysed the strategy pig farmers used to view specific T. gondii information provided for the first time on webpages in an existing data exchange system of a Dutch pig slaughter company. The available information for farmers comprised a webpage displaying the farm-level T. gondii seroprevalence and a webpage with information on risk sources and control measures for T. gondii infection in pigs and on human health consequences of a T. gondii infection.A total of 1404 owners of pig farms logged in the data exchange system. Of these, a quarter viewed the webpage with information on T. gondii seroprevalence, and about of third of them also viewed the webpage with the information on risk sources and control measures. T. gondii seroprevalence exceeded 2.0 % at only 0.6 % of these 1404 farms. The seroprevalence level on a particular farm neither influenced the likelihood of the farmer viewing the webpage with the T. gondii seroprevalence, nor the likelihood of them continuing to the webpage with the additional information. In the days when the pop-up message was included, the number of views registered on the seroprevalence and the additional information webpages rose nine and two times, respectively.Since the majority of views was in the period with a pop-up message pointing to this information we conclude that a targeted pop-up might help to transfer needed information to farmers with higher T. gondii seroprevalence at farm-level. More general, our study provides valuable insight into pig farmers’ viewing strategies of new information on food safety hazards provided in a slaughter data exchange system.