Relative Frequency Of Responses Research Articles

Google Gemini’s Performance in Endodontics: A Study on Answer Precision and Reliability

(1) Background: Large language models (LLMs) are revolutionising various scientific fields by providing advanced support tools. However, the effectiveness of these applications depends on extensive, up-to-date databases to ensure certainty and predictive power. Transparency about information sources in Medicine remains a significant issue. (2) Methods: To evaluate Google Gemini’s accuracy and reproducibility in endodontic diagnosis and treatment, 60 questions were designed based on the European Society of Endodontology Position Statements. Thirty questions were randomly selected and answered using Gemini during April 2023. Two endodontic experts independently scored the answers using a 3-point Likert scale. Discrepancies were resolved by a third expert. The relative frequency and absolute percentage of responses were detailed. Accuracy was assessed using the Wald binomial method, and repeatability was assessed using percentage agreement, Brennan and Prediger’s coefficient, Conger’s generalised kappa, Fleiss’ kappa, Gwet’s AC, and Krippendorff’s alpha, all with 95% confidence intervals. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA software. (3) Results: A total of 900 answers were generated. The percentage of correct answers varied from 0% to 100% per question. Overall accuracy was 37.11% with a 95% confidence interval of 34.02–40.32%; (4) Conclusions: Gemini is not currently designed for medical use and therefore needs to be used with caution when considered for this purpose.

Development of consensus quality indicators for cancer supportive care: a Delphi study and pilot testing

BackgroundHigh quality supportive care is fundamental to achieve optimal health outcomes for people affected by cancer. Use of quality indicators provides comparative information for monitoring, management, and improvement of care within and across healthcare systems. The aim of this Australian study was to develop and test a minimum viable set of cancer supportive care quality indicators that would be feasible to implement and generate usable data for policy and practice.MethodsA two-round, modified reactive Delphi process was employed firstto develop the proposed indicators. Participants with expertise in cancer control in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada rated their level of agreement on a 7-point Likert scale against criteria assessing the importance, feasibility, and usability of proposed indicators. Relative response frequencies were assessed against pre-specified consensus criteria and a ranking exercise, which delivered the list of proposed indicators. Draft indicators were then presented to a purposive sample of clinicial and health management staff via qualitative interviews at two acute care settings in Melbourne, Australia for feedback regarding feasibility. Desktop audits of online published health service policy and practice descriptions were also conducted at participating acute care settings to confirm health service data availability and feasibility of collection to report against proposed indicators.ResultsSixteen quality indicators associated with the delivery of quality cancer supportive care in Australian acute healthcare settings met pre-specified criteria for inclusion. Indicators deemed ‘necessary’ were mapped and ranked across five key categories: Screening, Referrals, Data Management, Communication and Training, and Culturally Safe and Accessible Care. Testing confirmed indicators were viewed as feasible by clinical and health management staff, and desktop audits could provide a fast and reasonably effective method to assess general adherence and performance.ConclusionsThe development of quality indicators specific to cancer supportive care provides a strong framework for measurement and monitoring, service improvement, and practice change with the potential to improve health outcomes for people affected by cancer. Evaluation of implementation feasibility of these expert consensus generated quality indicators is recommended.

TransCare Initiative: An Institutional Knowledge-to-Action Project for Surgery and Gender Equity Education

The transgender/gender nonconforming (TGNC) population is growing exponentially, but surgeon education has not advanced accordingly. Our objective was to assess department-wide understanding, awareness, and comfort in treating TGNC patients and identify specific gaps in education and training needs. A survey covering 4 domains (personal perceptions; prior healthcare training/experience; comfort providing care; barriers to access) regarding TGNC patients was distributed to surgery faculty and trainees at an urban referral center. The survey contained 24 5-point Likert scale and 6 multiple choice demographic items. There was a 4-week response window. Descriptive statistics assessed the relative frequency of responses. The main outcome measures were the gaps and variation in each domain. There was a 47.59% (89/187) response rate and split evenly between trainees and attendings. Over half (51.21%, n = 44) reported formal TGNC training, mainly in medical school (27.5%, n = 22). Most knew (72.41%, n = 63) and had experience caring for TGNC patients (74.71%, n = 65). There was disparity understanding general concepts, with disagreement on definitions (8.99%, n = 8) and gender choice (14%, n = 12). Most reported comfort with communication, and could initiate conversations on pronouns (75.6%, n = 65) and gender identity (71.7%, n = 65). Over 40% could not complete a comprehensive history and admitted discomfort performing physical exams. Despite this, 88.51% (n = 77) felt they could provide an adequate level of care. Most respondents recognized unique TGNC health risks (91.86%, n = 79) and access barriers (82.76%, n = 72), including providers' lack of TGNC cultural competency (82.76%, n = 72). Disparities existed across all domains needed for inclusive TGNC surgical care. Respondents were aware of unique health needs and barriers to access. Provider self-perceived experience did not match the knowledge and skill required to provide optimal care for TGNC patients.

Transcare: A Knowledge-to-Action Project for Gender and Equity Education in Surgery

INTRODUCTION: The transgender/nonbinary (TGNB) population is growing exponentially, and patients face discrimination and barriers to healthcare access. There is a need to improve communication and make their healthcare environment more inclusive. We sought to assess the understanding, awareness, and comfort treating TGNB patients. METHODS: A 4-domain survey (personal perceptions, previous healthcare training/experience, comfort providing care, barriers to access) for TGNB patients was sent to all faculty and trainees in a single urban surgery department. The survey was based on the validated Mayo Alix instrument, with 24 5-point Likert items and 6 multiple choice demographic questions. The link was sent electronically, with a 4-week study period. Distribution statistics assessed the relative frequency of responses. Main outcome measures were the gaps and variation in each domain. RESULTS: There was a 47.6% participation rate; respondents were split evenly between trainees and attendings. Most experienced caring for TGNB patients (74.7%). There was disparities understanding general concepts; over 1/3 disagreed on definitions and considered TGNB a choice. Most could initiate pronoun (75.6%) and gender identity (71.7%) conversations. But almost half could not complete a comprehensive history and all admitted discomfort performing physical exams. Somehow, 88.5% felt they could provide the same level of care. The majority recognized TGNB patients have unique health risks (91.86%) and providers lack cultural competency, which was a barrier to care (82.76%), (Fig.1).Figure 1CONCLUSION: Disparities exist across all domains needed for an inclusive environment. Providers were aware of unique needs and access barriers, but lack of training created gaps in ability to provide ideal care. Standardized education could guide equitable healthcare.

Comparison of relative frequency of treatment response and complications incidence in two therapeutic groups of patients with hypoparathyroidism treated with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol referred to clinics of Ahwaz educational hospitals in the years 2010–2020

Comparison of relative frequency of treatment response and complications incidence in two therapeutic groups of patients with hypoparathyroidism treated with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol referred to clinics of Ahwaz educational hospitals in the years 2010–2020

Profile of Producers and Production of Dry-Aged Beef in Brazil.

No information is currently available on the profile of producers and production process of dry-aged beef in Brazil, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. We surveyed 37 Brazilian companies that were producing dry-aged beef in 2020 to investigate this market. The absolute and relative frequency of responses was calculated to obtain the sum, average, minimum, and maximum values. From the respondents, dry-aged beef was first produced in 2009, and most producers are located in big cities. Most respondents control and monitor chamber temperature; however, humidity and air velocity only are monitored. The aging period (mostly between 22 to 60 days) was the main indicator of product readiness. The process losses (water loss and crust trimming) can reach 65%. Some producers perform microbiological analyses to ensure product safety and others use tools such as GMP and SOP. The results of this survey may help governmental institutions to develop a standardized industrial protocol for producing dry-aged beef in Brazil.

Acute pain impairs sustained attention.

Pain affects the lives of many individuals by creating physical, psychological, and economic burdens. A critical psychological factor negatively affected by pain is one's ability to sustain attention. In order to better understand the effect of pain on sustained attention we conducted three experiments utilizing the psychomotor vigilance task, thought probes, and pupillometry. In Experiment 1, participants in acute pain exhibited overall poorer task performance. However, this effect was localized to the relative frequency and duration of the participants' slowest responses with their faster responses being equivalent to a no-pain control group. In Experiment 2, we replicated the procedure and included periodic thought probes to overtly measure subjective experiences during the task. Participants in pain reported fewer "on-task" thoughts and more thoughts directed toward the source of their pain. In Experiment 3, we replicated the procedure while simultaneously tracking pupillary dynamics using an eye-tracker. Participants in pain had smaller task-evoked pupillary responses, which is thought to be an indicator of task engagement. However, the behavioral effects of pain from Experiments 1 and 2 were not replicated in Experiment 3. Taken together, pain led to poorer performance in the form of an increase in the relative frequency and extremeness of slow responses, increases in off-task thoughts, and reductions in a physiological indicator of task engagement. These data speak to theories of how pain competes with task goals for attention and negatively impacts behavior. The broader implications of this work are the identification of a low-level mechanism by which pain can interfere with normal cognitive functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Uso de Agrotóxicos por trabalhadores rurais no Município de Paty do Alferes-RJ/Brasil

O objetivo do estudo foi entender como trabalhadores rurais de Paty do Alferes lidam com os riscos da exposição aos agrotóxicos nas lavouras de tomate. Para o alcance deste objetivo, realizou-se um estudo descritivo exploratório de abordagem quantitativa. Para a coleta de dados foi apresentado um formulário aos trabalhadores de 02 Lavouras de tomate do referido município, sendo a análise dos dados foram realizadas mediante o cálculo da frequência relativa das respostas. Participaram da pesquisa 50 trabalhadores rurais, 100% do sexo masculino, 28% na faixa etária de 36 a 40 anos, 66% relataram que não receberam capacitação para processo de trabalho com o agrotóxico, sendo a bota de borracha como EPI mais utilizado relatado por 30% dos trabalhadores. Em relação ao descarte das embalagens dos agrotóxicos 36% dos trabalhadores relataram descarte inadequado, o que acarreta contaminação ambiental trazendo fatores de risco ao adoecimento. Sobre o armazenamento do agrotóxico no local de trabalho, 40% dos trabalhadores, relataram que o mesmo é armazenado na própria embalagem, porém a céu aberto. Conclui-se com o estudo que há um entendimento deficiente em relação ao processo de trabalho com o agrotóxico no município de Paty do Alferes onde, conforme apresentado, os trabalhadores tem pouco entendimento sobre os riscos que este produto traz a sua saúde e do ambiente. Lidando de forma precária a sua segurança com o uso deste produto, apresentando estratégias deficientes de atenção a sua saúde diante dos riscos apresentados no uso do agrotóxico.

A „kompromisszumos választás” szerepe a fogászati kezeléssel kapcsolatos döntések során. 676 magyar önkéntes részvételével végzett vizsgálat

Introduction: The compromise effect is a well-known phenomenon in the world of marketing, but it is rarely examined in medical settings. In dental setting, the patient often has to make treatment-related decisions with price as the only available and comprehensible information to help informed choice. Aim: We sought to determine if the compromise effect plays a role in dental treatment choices, and if yes, how the effect is modified by factors such as perceived quality, professional jargon in the explanations, or the importance of keeping one's own teeth intact. Method: 676 volunteers participated in this questionnaire-based study. The questionnaires were filled in anonymously. Altogether 8 versions of the same questionnaire were generated, in which the following information was given in varying combinations: the names of five different dental treatments from cheap to expensive, their possible prices, and additional information about the treatment. Statistical analysis: The significance of the relationship between the relative frequency of responses and the available additional information was determined by chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Results: The respondents did not approach dental treatment-related decisions on a heuristic basis by default, most probably because of their preconceptions and previous experiences in connection with dental treatments. Esthetics turned out to be of utmost importance and expectable lifespan was also information that significantly influenced the choices. Conclusion: Extra information can and does influence informed dental treatment choice on the patient side, provided it is offered in a clear, proper, and intelligible form, which points out the importance of professional communication. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(38): 1503-1509.

Diversité d’usages et Statut de conservation de Syzygium guineense (Willd.) DC. subsp. macrocarpum (Engl.) F. White (Myrtaceae) au Bénin

ABSTRACT The objective of this study is to categorize the endogenous knowledge related to Syzygium guineense subsp. macrocarpum, a nectariferous plant in Benin, and to evaluate the impact of the use of different plant parts on its sustainability. The assessment of knowledge was based on the relative frequency of response, diversity index and equity index. In addition, the impact of different uses was measured by the degree of threat in the natural environment. Investigations identified many uses that have been categorized into 7 types, of which the most represented being energy (78%) and medicinal (51%). There is a significant variation in usage knowledge among ethnic groups (P-Value = 0.00). The degree of threat ranged from 15.17% to 46.39%. This study shows that S. guineense subsp. macrocarpum is a species for domestic, medicinal and oral use.

Retrieval of semantic knowledge in language pre-surgical mapping. A MEG study.

Retrieval of semantic knowledge in language pre-surgical mapping. A MEG study.

Conocimientos, actitudes, prácticas y estado de salud bucal en adolescentes de la ciudad de Córdoba, Argentina

Adolescence is a critical period in the appropriation of knowledge, attitudes and health practices. Objective: To analyze the experience of caries in relation to the level of knowledge, to attitudes and oral health practices in adolescents. Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out in 52 adolescents attending the Provincial Dental Institute in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. The study included a clinical dental examination and a self-administered survey. All participating subjects provided an informed consent signed by their parents or guardians. The DMFT index and relative frequency of responses were calculated. Indices of "knowledge", "attitudes" and "practices" were created. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between indices and a linear regression model with respect to the DMFT index were applied. Results: Mean age was 16.57±2.27 years. Female subjects accounted for 57.7% of participants. Between 92% and 96% of adolescents acknowledged that the presence of bacteria and a lack of oral hygiene could promote tooth decay. Ninety-six per cent reported using toothbrush and toothpaste, 32% reported using fluoride toothpaste, and only 19% used dental floss. The DMFT index was 4.7±4.0; component C 4.4±2.9. There was a significant correlation between the indices of knowledge and attitudes about oral health (p<0.05). The linear regression analysis showed as main predictors the questions: “Does brushing teeth prevent cavities?” And “How important is it for you to clean your teeth?” Conclusion: Although participants have information on some oral health care practices, it is necessary to design strategies that involve the participation of young people, with contents that take into account the interests and characteristics of the target population.

Indigenous knowledge of pastoralists on respiratory diseases of camels in northern Kenya

The camel disease terminology of pastoralists in northern Kenya differentiates between two respiratory disease complexes of camels. Participatory epidemiology data were collected in 2011 in three camel keeping communities (Gabra, Garri, and Somali) and analysed to assess the validity of this differentiation. Further queries assessed recurrence of the disease in the same animal, most affected age group, relative frequency of occurrence, morbidity rates, mortality rates and response to antibiotic treatment. Based on matrix scoring the cardinal symptom nasal discharge was significantly correlated with Respiratory Disease Complex 1 (RDC1; Somali Hergeb, Gabra & Garri Furri) while cough was correlated with Respiratory Disease Complex 2 (RDC2; Somali Dhuguta, Gabra Qufa, Garri Dhugud). RDC1 appears to occur regularly every year and does not respond to antibiotic treatments while outbreaks of RDC2 are only observed at intervals of several years and treated cases do generally respond to antibiotics. While RDC1 is more severe in calves, RDC 2 is mostly associated with respiratory disease in adults. Elements of this differentiation appear to be in agreement with other authors who differentiate between camel influenza (PI3 virus) and bacterial camel pneumonia, respectively.

The impact of response frequency on spatial stimulus–response correspondence effects

The present study explored how response preparation, varied by relative response frequency, affects response conflict as expressed in the Simon effect. Previous studies showed that valid response cues, when presented before the imperative stimulus, increase rather than decrease the Simon effect. This finding was explained by the hypothesis that response cues trigger shifts of attention to the side of the prepared response, and that these attention shifts modulate processing of the imperative stimulus. We investigated whether cues are necessary for inducing shifts of attention and thereby modulating the Simon effect, or whether response preparation without cues is sufficient. In two experiments, participants performed a Simon task with one response being more frequent than the other. Results showed larger Simon effects for the more frequent (i.e. prepared) response than for the less frequent (i.e. unprepared) response. These results suggest that response preparation (rather than the cue that induces the preparation) triggers a shift of spatial attention which modulates the Simon effect.

The Pregnant Mothers' Knowledge About Breastfeeding in Semnan, Iran

Background: Breastfeeding is accepted as the most desirable method of infant nurturing. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate pregnant mothers’ knowledge about breastfeeding as well as to study its associated factors. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study evaluating the knowledge of 400 pregnant mothers who were referred to Semnan Province health centers. Data collection was performed via questionnaires and the scores were calculated. One point was considered for correct answers and zero for incorrect or “do not know” replies. The Relative frequency of correct responses for every person was calculated. Mothers who answered less than 20% of the questions correctly were considered to have a very poor knowledge. Scores between 2.0 and 3.9 were the ones with poor knowledge, those with 4.0 to 5.9, 6.0 to 7.9, and larger than or equal to 8.0 were considered to have an average, good, and very good knowledge, respectively. Results: Overall, 1%, 5%, 43.8%, 42.5%, and 7.8% of mothers had very poor, poor, average, good, and very good level of knowledge about breastfeeding. There was a significant association between mothers’ knowledge and mothers’ education, breastfeeding history, and parity; however, no significant association was found with age and the month of pregnancy. The most frequent source of obtaining information was health centers’ personnel (34.3%) followed by family and friends. The highest percentage of proper response, i.e. 95.5% and 90.5%, were related to questions on necessity of exclusive breastfeeding and its continuation for six month of life, respectively; the lowest percentage of proper response, i.e. 11.8% and 18%, belonged to questions concerning expressed milk storage time in the refrigerator and freezer, respectively. Conclusions: A significant number of pregnant mothers had average knowledge that indicating necessity of interventional programs by health system, particularly for pregnant mothers with lower education level.

An Investigation Into Semantic and Phonological Processing in Individuals With Williams Syndrome

The current study examined semantic and phonological processing in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS). Previous research in language processing in individuals with WS suggests a complex linguistic system characterized by "deviant" semantic organization and differential phonological processing. Two experiments explored these representations in individuals with WS. The first experiment analyzed the relative typicality and frequency of participants' responses to a semantic and phonological fluency task. The second experiment tapped into online language processing through a semantic priming task and an online sentence reading task measuring the effects of word frequency. Thirteen participants with WS were matched to a group of participants on reading grade level and a group of participants on chronological age. The results of the semantic fluency task, semantic priming task, and word frequency task suggest that semantic organization in individuals with WS appears commensurate with their reading level rather than deviant. The pattern of results suggests that individuals with WS do not appear to have deviant semantic organization, while confirming that online tasks that tap into these processes are a promising direction in investigations that include atypically developing populations. These findings for the phonological tasks warrant further research into phonological processing in individuals with WS.

Val/Val genotype of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism is associated with a better response to OROS-MPH in Korean ADHD children

Research on psychostimulants, analysis of animal models and genetic association studies all suggest that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF) may be a good candidate for pharmacogenetic studies of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet to date there have been no pharmacogenetic studies of BDNF in ADHD. A total of 102 drug-naive ADHD children (8.7±2.1 yr) were treated with osmotic release oral system-methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) for 12 wk, and four kinds of response criteria were applied, based first, on a combined threshold of the ADHD Rating Scale - IV (ARS) and the Clinical Global Impression - Improvement scale (CGI-I); second, on scores of 1 or 2 vs. 3-7 on the CGI - Severity scale; third, on a >50% reduction in ARS scores; and fourth, on satisfaction of all of the aforementioned criteria. The Val⁶⁶Met polymorphism of BDNF and six single nucleotide polymorphisms from the SLC6A2, ADRA2A and NTF-3 genes were tested for association with each criterion. Relative to other genotypes, homozygosity for the Val allele of the BDNF Val⁶⁶Met polymorphism was associated with a greater relative frequency of good response under all four response criteria (after controlling for baseline ARS score, age, gender, final dose (mg/kg) of OROS-MPH at 12 wk, and level of academic functioning). This association was significant at the uncorrected level for the first and third response criteria (p=0.013 and p=0.018, respectively) and significant at a Bonferroni-corrected level for the second and fourth response criteria (p=0.0002, p=0.0003, respectively). Our findings support an association between homozygosity for the Val allele of BDNF and better response to OROS-MPH in Korean ADHD children as assessed by four different response criteria.

Immunogenicity of Ra1A and its Tissue-Specific Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

In order to understand the immunogenicity of a tumor-associated antigen (TAA), Ras family small GTP binding protein (Ra1A) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), autoantibody responses to RalA were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay in sera from patients with HCC and sera from normal individuals. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) study with tissue array slides was also performed to analyze protein expression profiles of RalA in HCC and control tissues. This study demonstrated that RalA had a relative higher frequency of autoantibody response in HCC (20.1%) compared to liver cirrhosis (3.3%), chronic hepatitis (0%), and normal individuals sera (0%). RalA also showed a stepwise increased expression from normal liver tissues (26.7%), liver cirrhosis tissues (45.0%) to HCC tissues (63.3%). Sensitivity and specificity of anti-RalA antibody in detection of HCC was 20.1% and 99.3%, respectively. The data suggested that RalA might contribute to liver malignant transformation, and could be used as a potential tumor marker in HCC detection.

Measurement of device parameters using image recovery techniques in large-scale IC devices

Devices that respond to radiation on a cell level will produce distributions showing the relative frequency of cell response to radiation damage, i.e., a probability distribution of a cell to be damaged a certain amount. The measured distribution is the convolution of distributions from radiation responses, measurement noise, and manufacturing parameters. A method of extracting device characteristics and parameters from measured distributions via mathematical and image subtraction techniques is described.

The paired preference test and the ‘No Preference’ option: was Odesky correct?

After experimenting with questionnaires, Odesky had recommendations for eliminating ‘No Preference’ responses in a paired preference test. He concluded that, judges who had chosen the ‘No Preference’ option would, if forced to choose, express preferences in the same pattern as those who had actually expressed a preference. Using questionnaire, food and personal product stimuli, this conclusion was found to be commonly violated. Odesky’s recommendation, to ignore or distribute ‘No Preference’ responses in the same proportion as expressed preferences was sometimes seen to distort data, sometimes not, depending on relative response frequencies and extent of violation of his conclusion regarding forced preferences. When the number of ‘No Preference’ responses is not insignificantly small, to eliminate them, runs the risk of distortion of the overall pattern of preferences.