Scaling Form Research Articles

Gastrointestinal health and serum proteins are associated with BMD in postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundWith increasing age, the social and economic burdens of postmenopausal osteoporosis are steadily increasing. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis.MethodsPostmenopausal women at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from January 2023 to December 2023 were recruited for BMD examination. The patients were divided into a normal group, an osteopenia group and an osteoporosis group according to their T value. Questionnaires, including the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale and Short Form 12, were administered through face-to-face interviews. Bone turnover markers and serum protein levels of Fasting venous blood were detected.ResultsA total of 222 postmenopausal women met the inclusion criteria were recruited. Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in age, education, BMI, supplementation with soy products, supplementation with dairy products, supplementation with other nutritional supplements, exercise frequency, gastrointestinal symptom score, quality of life, 25(OH)D, total protein, albumin and prealbumin among the three groups (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that gastrointestinal symptoms (r = -0.518, P < 0.01) was negatively correlated with BMD in postmenopausal women, while PCS (r = 0.194, P = 0.004), MCS (r = 0.305, P < 0.01), 25(OH)D (r = 0.531, P < 0.01), total protein (r = 0.324, P < 0.01), albumin (r = 0.341, P < 0.01) and prealbumin (r = 0.259, P < 0.01) were positively correlated with BMD. Logistic regression analysis revealed that both the gastrointestinal symptom score and serum 25(OH)D level were found to have a significant association with BMD (both P < 0.01). This association remained significant even after adjusting for age, BMI, education level, dietary habits, and exercise frequency.ConclusionGastrointestinal symptoms and serum 25(OH)D elevel are associated with increased risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and may be useful in predicting osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Effects of a synergic interaction between magnesium sulphate and ketamine on the perioperative nociception in dogs undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy: a pilot study

IntroductionMagnesium Sulphate (MgSO4) is commonly used in human medicine for the management of perioperative pain in different types of procedures. However, in veterinary medicine, the use of MgSO4 has not been evaluated for its analgesic efficacy in dogs, which has generated conflicts of opinion in this area of veterinary anesthesiology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perioperative analgesic efficacy of MgSO4 in combination with Ketamine in dogs undergoing Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO). Our hypothesis is that MgSO4 plus ketamine have a synergistic action in the management of intra-and postoperative pain.MethodsTwenty adult mixed breed dogs with average age 5.9 ± 2.6 years and weight 27.8 ± 9.2 kg were included in this prospective, clinical, randomized study. Dogs were randomly assigned to two groups. The MK group received ketamine (0.5 mg/kg as starting bolus followed by continuous infusion rate at 1 mg/kg/h). At the end of the ketamine bolus, MgSO4 (50 mg/kg over 15 min) was administered by the same route, followed by a constant rate infusion (CRI) at 15 mg/kg/h, IV. K group received a bolus of ketamine followed by a CRI at the same dosage described in MK group. Main cardiorespiratory parameters were recorded 10 min before the start of surgery (BASE), after the ketamine bolus (T1) and the MgSO4 bolus (T2), during the skin incision (SKIN), the osteotomy (OSTEOTOMY) and skin suturing (SUTURE). In the postoperative period, the short form of Glasgow Composite Pain scale (SF-CMPS) was used to assess pain at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min after extubation (Post30, Post60, Post120, and Post180, respectively). The main blood electrolytes (Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, K+) were analyzed at BASE, T2, OSTEOTOMY, SUTURE and T3 (one hour after stopping MgSO4 infusion). Number of rescue analgesia and administration times were recorded both in the intra-and postoperative period.ResultsIn K group 7 out of 10 dogs required intraoperatory rescue analgesia compared to MK group (3/10). Furthermore, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were significantly higher at OSTEOTOMY compared to BASE time in both groups. In the postoperative period, at T120, ICMPS-SF score was higher in K group than MK group.ConclusionThe administration of MgSO4 could guarantee better analgesia in the perioperative period in dogs undergoing TPLO, performing a synergistic action with ketamine.

The effect of listening to the voice recording of relatives on chest pain, anxiety and depression in patients hospitalized in the coronary intensive care unit: A randomized controlled trial.

After acute myocardial infarction, the prevalence of anxiety and depression is quite high in patients because of severe chest pain, distance from relatives, unfamiliar environment and orientation problems. To assess the effect of listening to the voice recordings of relatives of patients with acute myocardial infarction who were treated in the coronary intensive care unit (ICU) on chest pain, anxiety and depression parameters of the patients. In the study, which was conducted as a randomized controlled trial, voice recordings of the family members of the patients were created and played to the patients through a music pillow. The study was carried out with 60 patients, 30 experimental and 30 control groups. Three tests were applied to the patients 15 min before, and 15 and 30 min after the application. The data of the study were collected using the Patient Introduction Form, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, Visual Analogue Scale and Patient Follow-up Form. It was found that there was a significant decrease in the anxiety level of the patients in the intervention group after listening to the audio recording (p < .001, 95% CI: -3.796; -0.070). However, there was no significant difference between the pain and depression scores of the control and intervention groups (p > .05). In the ICUs of patients with acute myocardial infarction, it may be recommended to play audio recordings of their relatives to reduce the severity of anxiety. In the intensive care setting, the use of voice recordings of relatives can be used as an effective, non-pharmacological intervention to reduce anxiety in patients with acute myocardial infarction. This approach may potentially improve overall recovery by reducing patient anxiety in the intensive care setting.

Cognitive and Functional Capacity Assessment of Individuals Who Were Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit Due to COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study.

The goal of this study was to identify changes in cognitive and functional capacity after hospital discharge in those infected with COVID-19 who were admitted to the ICU. This is a prospective cohort study carried out with individuals who were admitted to a hospital, from July 2021 to May 2022. The evaluations happened in three moments: at hospital discharge, 30 days after discharge and 90 days after discharge. The instruments applied are the following: handgrip dynamometer, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic questionnaire (MoCA-B), Barthel Index (BI), timed up and go test (TUG), hospital anxiety and depressive scale (HADS) and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey questionary (SF-36). 74 individuals were eligible to participate in the study, 25 of which were followed for 90 days. Based on the results of the MoCA-b, there were no relevant cognitive changes after 3 months. According to the Barthel Index applied to each of the evaluations, the percentage of subjects that were classified as independent or minimally dependent was 48%, 92% then 96%, respectively, demonstrating that individuals can achieve a good degree of functional independence after 3 months. Despite that, the SF-36 demonstrated a score below the South Brazilian normal in some domains. The individuals studied did not present persistent cognitive changes after 3 months and functional capacity showed significant improvement during this period. However, when the assessment is about the self-perceived quality of life, the majority of domain values are still below expectations, deserving attention by the health professionals involved.

Revealing membrane integrity and cell size from diffusion kurtosis time dependence.

The nonmonotonic dependence of diffusion kurtosis on diffusion time has been observed in biological tissues, yet its relation to membrane integrity and cellular geometry remains to be clarified. Here we establish and explain the characteristic asymmetric shape of the kurtosis peak. We also derive the relation between the peak time , when kurtosis reaches its maximum, and tissue parameters. The peak shape and its position qualitatively follow from the adiabatic extension of the Kärger model onto the case of intra-cellular diffusivity time-dependence. This intuition is corroborated by the effective medium theory-based calculation, as well as by Monte Carlo simulations of diffusion and exchange in randomly and densely packed spheres for various values of permeability, cell fractions and sizes, and intrinsic diffusivity. We establish that is proportional to the geometric mean of two characteristic time scales: extra-cellular correlation time (determined by cell size) and intra-cellular residence time (determined by membrane permeability). When exchange is barrier-limited, the peak shape approaches a universal scaling form determined by the ratio . Numerical simulations and theory provide an interpretation of a specific feature of kurtosis time-dependence, offering a potential biomarker for in vivo evaluation of pathology by disentangling the functional (permeability) and structural (cell size) integrity in tissues. This is relevant as the time-dependent diffusion cumulants are sensitive to pathological changes in membrane integrity and cellular structure in diseases, such as ischemic stroke, tumors, and Alzheimer's disease.

Psychometric Properties of Turkish Versions of the Non-Attachment Scale Short Form

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Non-Attachment Scale Short Form in a Turkish sample. With the participation of 244 adults over 18 years of age, the Short Form of the Nonattachment Scale, the Resilience Scale and the Ontological Addiction Scale were used as data collection tools. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficient were used for the reliability of the Non-Attachment Scale Short Form. According to the results of the analyses, the internal consistency coefficient and McDonald's value were found to be .77 and .78, respectively. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to test the construct validity of the scale. The results of the analyses showed that the model fit and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) values were at an acceptable level. Item factor loadings ranged between .40 and .67 and the scale was found to have a single factor structure. The statistically significant difference between the 27% lower and upper groups among the participants showed that the item discrimination index of the scale was at a good level. According to the correlation findings conducted to test the criterion validity of the scale, non-attachment was found to have positive significant relationships with resilience (r = .60) and negative significant relationships with ontological dependence (r = -.39). As a result, adaptation of the Short Form of the Non-Attachment Scale can be said to be a valid and reliable measurement tool.

Evaluation of the Relationship between Sociodemographic Factors, COVID-19 Fear Levels and Vaccination Status in Patients Applying to Family Medicine Outpatient Clinics in a University Hospital

ABSTRACT Objective: This study has aimed to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors and COVID-19 fear levels in patients aged 18-65 years and their COVID-19 vaccination status. Methods: The study sample consists of 866 patients aged between 18-65 who applied to the Family Medicine Polyclinics of a university hospital between 01.03.2022 and 01.06.2022. Personal Information Form and Fear of COVID-19 Scale were used to collect data. As the score obtained from the scale increases, the level of fear of COVID-19 increases. The analyzes of the study were done in SPSS 21.0 package program. Kruskal Wallis test and Mann Whitney U test were used for comparisons. Results: 52.3% of the participants in the study were women and the mean age was 36.59±12.32 years. Compared to men, women's fear of coronavirus was statistically significantly higher. The coronavirus fear levels of those who received at least one dose of vaccine compared to those who did not get vaccinated at all, and those who received more doses of vaccines compared to those who received only one dose were found to be statistically significantly higher. Conclusion: As the level of fear of COVID-19 increased, it was determined that the vaccination behavior of individuals was positively affected. COVID-19 is a vaccine preventable disease. With vaccination in all healthcare institutions, it will be possible to prevent morbidity and mortality, as well as economic and social losses that may be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Effect of Authoritative Parenting and Self-Esteem on Prosocial Behavior in Adolescents in Palopo City

This research is motivated by the phenomenon of low prosocial behavior among high school teenagers in Palopo City. Authoritative parenting by parents and self-esteem are supporting factors for adolescents to increase prosocial behavior. Therefore, this study aims to prove the influence of authoritative parenting and self-esteem on prosocial behavior in high school teenagers in Palopo City. This research employed quantitative research with an ex-post facto type of research with a sample of 335 teenagers. The data collection technique used an accidental sampling technique with research instruments in the form of psychological scales, namely the prosocial behavior scale, authoritative parenting scale, and self-esteem scale. The validity test used the results of factor loading, and the reliability test used Cronbach's Alpha, with a reliability coefficient value for the prosocial behavior scale = 0.910, the self- esteem parenting scale = 0.885, and the self-esteem scale = 0.890. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis techniques. The study's results show that authoritative parenting and self-esteem influence prosocial behavior in adolescents (p=0.000). Therefore, it can be concluded that authoritative research and self-esteem influence prosocial behavior in adolescents. The regression line equation is 14.204 + 0.326 X1 + 0.539 X2. The effective contribution of authoritative parenting and self-esteem to prosocial behavior was 44.8%, consisting of authoritative parenting at 17.2% and self-esteem at 27.6%.

Time and space for social-ecological transformation: care-full commoning in and beyond the ecofeminist city

ABSTRACT The relevance of civil society participation is well established in literature on environmental politics. However, the ability to join initiatives or movements actively fighting for a socially just future within biophysical limits is not equally distributed within societies. The configuration of spatial and temporal infrastructures in cities shapes how individuals interact with each other and the environment, thereby reproducing or alleviating intersectional inequalities. We connect literature on care, the commons, feminist time politics, and insurgent planning to discuss spatio-temporal infrastructures that promote space and time for care and participation. Building on feminist critiques of disembedded and disembodied cities, we draw upon examples from European cities to formulate an ‘educated dream’ about what an ecofeminist city could look like. In discussing different forms of scaling (up, out, deep) and bottom-linked transformation, we propose tangible steps towards the realisation of such a concrete utopia.

Attitudes towards assistive technology among teachers working in special education and rehabilitation centres in Turkey

AbstractThis quantitative study used a survey model to examine the attitudes of teachers working in special education and rehabilitation centres (SERCs) towards assistive technology (AT). The sample consisted of 224 teachers working in 45 SERCs in Turkey. The Attitude Towards Assistive Technologies Scale (Aslan &amp; Kaan, 2017) and Personal Information form were used for data collection, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results found that the teachers had positive attitudes towards AT, with no difference in attitude according to gender. However, there were statistically significant differences in attitudes towards AT based on participation in in‐service training and professional seniority. The findings revealed that the AT training for teachers working in SERCs is limited and more in‐service training opportunities are needed.

Factors influencing the choice of specialization - a cross-sectional study with civilian medical students and prospective medical officers in Germany

BackgroundThe recruitment of physicians is an increasing challenge. The aim of the study was to explore factors that might influence future civilian and military doctors’ choice of specialization.MethodsA 28 item author developed questionnaire was used to survey civilian medical students and prospective medical officers. The questionnaire consisted of 20 items addressing choice of specialization, and eight socio-demographic factors. Response options were available in the form of open and closed questions as well as in the form of a Likert scale (1 ‘not at all’ to 6 ‘very much’). The questionnaire was completed online by prospective medical officer from June to September 2021 and by civilian students from November 2020 to March 2021.ResultsIn total, 2,030 students (56.1% female, mean age = 24, mean semester 6.5) participated in the survey, 1,553 civilian students and 477 prospective medical officers. Regular feedback and clear structures (mean = 5.35) followed by good teamwork (mean = 5.33) during postgraduate training was rated particularly important. Moreover, a secure job after graduation (mean = 5.23) and a compatibility of family and job (mean = 5.14) were important parameters for career choice. The specializations most frequently chosen were surgery (32.0%), internal medicine (27.1%) and anesthesiology (22.1%). The regression models showed that the choice depends on own attitude concerning the specialty would be a patient-orientation job, or a job with more manual work or more career option within in the job preferred.ConclusionsConsidering the value students place on receiving feedback and the structure of their specialist training, this seems to be a promising strategy for future recruitment. Good team dynamics and job security are key concerns for prospective physicians.

Insurance Coverage and Flood Exposure in the Gulf of Mexico: Scale, Social Vulnerability, Urban Form, and Risk Measures

Increasing flood losses in the Gulf of Mexico related to development patterns and climate hazards pose serious threats to resilience and insurability. The purpose of this study is to understand how scale, social vulnerability, risk, and urban form relate to National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy coverage and flood exposure. Our multilevel models identify that flooding is significantly clustered by region and counties, especially shoreline counties. Our measures of risk suggest that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) special flood hazard area (SFHA) underestimates risk and exposure when compared with the Flood Factor and that there is some compensation in terms of insurance coverage, suggesting a pattern of adverse selection. Older housing stock appears both less insured and less exposed, raising questions of whether current growth patterns are increasing risk independent of environmental change. Our models suggest that census tracts with higher percentages of black residents are less insured and more exposed, and a similar pattern exists for rural areas. Our results highlight the need to seek common solutions across the Gulf of Mexico, concentrating on the most flood-exposed counties, and that specific resilience strategies may be necessary to protect areas with socially vulnerable populations, especially in rural areas. Underlying challenges exist due to the spatial relationship between exposure and social vulnerability and the potential for adverse selection in insurance markets due to different measures of risk.

A Comparative Study of Women Empowerment among Rural and Urban Female Secondary School Teachers in Punjab State

Teacher empowerment means a teacher who has the power of taking decisions, opportunities to get knowledge and professional growth, and also have the recognition and autonomous power. The present research designed to study and compare the women empowerment of female secondary school teachers. The descriptive survey research method was used for the present study. A representative sample of 500 (250 rural and 250 urban) female secondary school teachers selected randomly from twenty (10 rural and 10 urban) randomly selected school from five randomly selected districts of Punjab. A self-constructed tool in the form of scale using Likert method of scale construction for measuring empowerment of female secondary school teacher. Mean, S.D. and t- test were used to draw the conclusions. Finding of the study shows that no significant difference was found between rural and urban female secondary school teachers on women empowerment.

Association between maternal stress and child sleep quality: a nationwide ECHO prospective cohort study.

Childhood sleep quality is associated with physical, cognitive, and behavioral health and predicts later sleep quality; it has many determinants, including developmental exposures. To examine associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and childhood sleep quality and determine whether postnatal stress mediates the association. Data from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes cohort were used. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) T-scores were the exposure measure. Outcome measures were preschool Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) sleep syndrome scale and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbance Parent Proxy short form 4a (PSD4a) T-scores at ages 4-8 years. Linear mixed-effects regression modeling was performed for each sleep outcome, adjusting for maternal age at delivery and education and child sex, gestational age at birth, and age at outcome ascertainment, with random intercepts for cohorts. Prenatal PSS score was associated with both CBCL (B = 0.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06, 0.11; p < 0.01) and PSD4a (B = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.12; p < 0.01) scores. Postnatal perceived stress mediated a proportion of the total effect of prenatal stress in both CBCL (66.3%) and PSD4a (95.9%) samples. Both pre- and postnatal maternal perceived stress appear to influence sleep quality during early life. Prenatal stress significantly associates with child sleep problems and disturbances at ages 4-8 years; postnatal maternal stress is a significant mediator of these associations. Research suggests a range of prenatal affective/distress exposures associated with child sleep problems, but the conclusions remain in doubt due to the mixture of exposures and outcomes employed. Ours is the first US-based effort to explore associations between perceived maternal stress during pregnancy and child sleep problems and disturbance in early and middle childhood. Even a small effect of a prevalent issue like psychosocial stress may have important public health implications at the population level.

The effect of structured psychoeducation for caregivers of ALS patients on perceived stress, psychological resilience and self-compassion.

Patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) become dependent on caregivers to meet their daily needs and perform personal care activities. For this reason, ALS is a disease that can challenge both the patient and the caregiver physically, mentally and socially. Supporting the caregiver indirectly affects the patient's quality of care and mental well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of a structured psychoeducation program on coping with stress, psychological resilience and self-compassion in caregivers of ALS patients. This quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test control group was conducted with caregivers of 62 ALS patients in Türkiye. The study was conducted between July 2023 and February 2024. A psychoeducation program was applied to five different groups via zoom application for 6 weeks each. The survey form, Perceived Stress Scale, Brief Resilience Scale and Short Form of Self-Compassion Questionnaire were used as measurement tools. The chi-squared test and paired samples t-test were used to analyze the data. While there was no significant difference between the intervention group and the control group in the pre-test in terms of their mean scores on the coping with stress inventory, short psychological resilience scale and self-compassion scale, at the post-test, psychological resilience and self-compassion scores were significantly higher in the intervention group. This study revealed that psychoeducational programs that support caregivers are effective in increasing psychological resilience and self-compassion.

Description and Outcomes of an Ultrasound-Guided Technique for Catheter Placement in the Canine Quadratus Lumborum Plane: A Cadaveric Tomographic Study and Clinical Case Series.

This study aimed to describe an ultrasound-guided technique for implanting catheters for local anesthetic administration into the quadratus lumborum (QL) inter-fascial plane in canine cadavers and assessing the spread along the vertebral bodies (VBs) by computed tomography (CT). Phase 1: eight canine cadavers received one catheter per hemiabdomen, followed by injection of contrast media solution [low volume (LV) 0.3 mL kg-1 or high volume (HV) 0.6 mL kg-1]. Phase 2: postoperative pain of five dogs was managed by injecting 0.3 mL kg-1 of ropivacaine 0.5% through QL catheters every eight hours, up to 72 h after abdominal surgery. Pain was assessed using the Short Form of the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale, and methadone 0.2 mg kg-1 was administered intravenously when the pain score was ≥6. The number of VBs stained by the contrast solution between the QL and psoas minor muscles was significantly higher in group HV than group LV. The catheter tip was visualized in the retroperitoneal space in 1/16 and 2/10 hemiabdomens in phases 1 and 2, respectively. Rescue analgesia was required in 3/5 dogs during the postoperative period. The QL catheter placement technique appears feasible and may be included in a multimodal analgesic approach for dogs undergoing abdominal surgeries.

Nature of Topological Phase Transition of Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquids.

We investigate the nature of the topological quantum phase transition between the gapless and gapped Kitaev quantum spin liquid phases away from the exactly solvable point. The transition is driven by anisotropy of the Kitaev couplings. At the critical point, the two Dirac points of the gapless Majorana modes merge, resulting in the formation of a semi-Dirac point with quadratic and linear band touching directions. We derive an effective Gross-Neveu-Yukawa-type field theory that describes the topological phase transition in the presence of additional magnetic interactions. We obtain the infrared scaling form of the propagator of the dynamical Ising order parameter field and perform a renormalization-group analysis. The universality of the transition is found to be different from that of symmetry-breaking phase transitions of semi-Dirac electrons. However, as in the electronic case, the Majorana fermions acquire an anomalous dimension, indicative of the breakdown of the fractionalized quasiparticle description.

Autologous platelet-rich plasma and fibrin-augmented minced cartilage implantation in chondral lesions of the knee leads to good clinical and radiological outcomes after more than 12 months: A retrospective cohort study of 71 patients.

The treatment of cartilage lesions remains a challenge. Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation has evolved to become the gold standard procedure. However, this two-step procedure has crucial disadvantages, and the one-step minced cartilage procedure has gained attention. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcome of an all-autologous minced cartilage technique in cartilage lesions at the knee joint. In this retrospective cohort study, 71 patients (38.6 years ± 12.0, 39,4% female) with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed grade III-IV cartilage defect at the medial femur condyle (n = 20), lateral femur condyle (n = 2), lateral tibia plateau (n = 1), retropatellar (n = 28) and at the trochlea (n = 20) were included. All patients were treated with an all-autologous minced cartilage procedure (AutoCart™). Clinical knee function was evaluated by the Tegner score, visual analogue scale, the subjective and objective evaluation form of the International Knee Documentation Committee and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). MRI analyses were performed by magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) 2.0 knee score. Follow-up examination was 13.7 ± 4.2 (12-24) months postoperative. All clinical scores significantly improved after surgical intervention (p < 0.0001), especially the subgroup sports and recreation of KOOS showed clear changes from baseline in the follow-up examination. In the postoperative MRI evaluation, 39 of 71 patients showed a complete fill of the cartilage defect without subchondral changes in 78% of the patients in the MOCART 2.0 score in the follow-up analysis. None of the patients showed adverse effects, which are linked to the minced cartilage procedure during the time of follow-up. An all-autologous minced cartilage technique for chondral lesions at the knee joint seems to be an effective and safe treatment method with good clinical and radiological short-term results. Level IV.

Psychometric properties of the Slovenian versions of the diabetes empowerment scale, long and short form, among the slovenian adults with type 2 diabetes

AimsTo determine the psychometric properties of the Slovenian versions of the Diabetes Empowerment Scale (DES), both the long form (S-DES-LF) and the short form (S-DES-SF). MethodsBetween April and September 2023, we recruited adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) using convenient sampling in five primary health centres. We examined internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion validity, and discriminant validity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) evaluated the fit of the one-and three-factor models for S-DES-SF and S-DES-LF, respectively. ResultsThe results of 288 individuals, with a mean age of 67 ± 9.2 years, including 132 men and 156 women, showed excellent internal consistency and strong test-retest reliability for both the S-DES-LF (Cronbach’s α=0.90; ICC=0.95) and S-DES-SF (α=0.91; ICC=0.92). Criterion validity of the S-DES-LF was confirmed through known-groups validity, with higher education (p=0.016) and absence of comorbid hypertension (p=0.034) associated with greater empowerment. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by the lack of significant correlations between the S-DES-LF and S-DES-SF scores with age or gender. CFA confirmed a good fit for the S-DES-SF's one-factor model but not for S-DES-LF three-factor model. ConclusionsS-DES-LF and S-DES-SF are valid and reliable tools for assessing diabetes empowerment in Slovenian people with T2D. Future research should further explore the convergent validity of scales.

Effects of Hydroxychloroquine on Maternal and Fetal Outcomes in Pregnant Patients with Lupus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The effects of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have not been fully elucidated in recent research. This study aimed to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of HCQ in pregnant patients with SLE. Methods: A systematic search of relevant articles was conducted using Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library from inception to October 4th, 2023. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or Cochrane's Quality Assessment Form. Data on maternal and fetal outcomes of the HCQ treatment groups (HCQ+) and control groups (HCQ–) were extracted, analyzed and evaluated. Pooled odds ratios (ORs), pooled relative risks (RRs), and weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for the meta-analysis using Stata/MP V.18. Results: This meta-analysis included 17 studies, involving a total of 2238 pregnant patients with SLE. Compared to the HCQ– groups, the HCQ+ groups exhibited a significant reduction in the incidence of preeclampsia (RR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.37–0.71), high lupus activity (RR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64–0.92), gestational hypertension (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.18–0.91), premature delivery (RR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.60–0.84), and fetal growth restriction (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43–0.85). Additionally, the HCQ+ groups exhibited a significant increase in fetal birth weight of 0.21 kg (95% CI: 0.09–0.33). No significant differences were revealed in the other 15 pregnancy outcomes between the two groups. Conclusions: Despite the presence of a certain heterogeneity among the included studies, this study provides a more comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of HCQ in pregnant patients with SLE.