Significant Effect Of Gender Research Articles

Study of Human Visual Comfort Based on Sudden Vertical Illuminance Changes

Rapid changes in vertical illuminance trigger visual fatigue. Therefore, controlling the illuminance ratio of adjacent spaces can ensure the satisfaction and comfort of users. This study takes reaction time as the measure of adaptation and explores the correlation between visual adaptation and comfort in different light environments. The Landolt C ring was selected as the visual standard for the experimental test, the degree of visual comfort was assessed using a Likert scale, and experimental parameters were formulated according to relevant criteria. By analyzing the subjective visual comfort, visual task performance and physiological evaluations of the participants under different changing illuminance levels, we have concluded that there is a significant correlation between reaction time and visual comfort, and no significant effect of gender on visual comfort. Therefore, under the condition of meeting the required value of illumination standard, the smaller the illuminance ratio of adjacent rooms, the more the comfort and visual acuity of users can be guaranteed, and visual fatigue can also be avoided. The study is a useful resource for improving comfort and pleasure in a light environment as well as for lighting design.

Sociolinguistic Variation in Mouthings in British Sign Language: A Corpus-Based Study.

Mouth activity forms a key component of all sign languages. This can be divided into mouthings, which originate from words in the ambient spoken language, and mouth gestures, which do not. This study examines the relationship between the distribution of mouthings co-occurring with verb signs in British Sign Language (BSL) and various linguistic and social factors, using the BSL Corpus. We find considerable variation between participants and a lack of homogeneity in mouth actions with particular signs. This accords with previous theories that mouthings constitute code-blending between spoken and signed languages-similar to code-switching or code-mixing in spoken languages-rather than being a phonologically or lexically compulsory part of the sign. We also find a strong association between production of plain verbs (which are body-anchored and cannot be modified spatially) and increased mouthing. In addition, we observe significant effects of region (signers from the south of the United Kingdom mouth more than those from the north), gender (women mouth more than men), and age (signers aged 16-35 years produce fewer mouthings than older participants). We find no significant effect of language background (deaf vs. hearing family). Based on these findings, we argue that the multimodal, multilingual, and simultaneous nature of code-blending in sign languages fits well within the paradigm of translanguaging. We discuss implications of this for concepts of translanguaging, code-switching, code-mixing, and related phenomena, highlighting the need to consider not just modality and linguistic codes but also sequential versus simultaneous patterning.

Revisiting Retake Policy: Analyzing the Success Rates of Examinees With Multiple Attempts on the United States Medical Licensing Examination.

A testing program's decision making on retake policy considers a number of factors, including fairness to examinees, examination security, examination purpose, and classification accuracy. For high-stakes licensure and certification examinations charged with protection of the public, this includes balancing fairness issues inherent in the potential for false negatives with the public protection need to minimize false positives. Since 2012, the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) has maintained a policy of ≤ 6 attempts on any examination component. The purpose of this study was to empirically examine the appropriateness of existing USMLE retake policy. A sample of over 300,000 examinees who were administered each Step examination between 2008 and 2018 was examined to address how pass rates (per attempt and cumulatively) differed for examinees and examinee subgroups via graphic depictions of pass rates, the impact of restricting the number of attempts on examinees and examinee subgroups via logistic regression analyses, and the impact of restricting the number of attempts on classification error via classification error analyses. Repeaters displayed consistently lower pass rates on subsequent attempts. Regardless of Step, most passing examinees did so by their fourth attempt. Models predicting the log odds of examinees taking ≥ 5 attempts showed a significant effect of gender, race, and medical school status, although the associated sample sizes are small. Misclassification analyses showed that, as attempts increased, the percentage of false passers increased and percentage of false failers decreased. These considerations led to the USMLE's decision to reduce its attempt limit from 6 to 4 on any Step or Step component effective July 2021. This change balances the competing interests of fairness and examination access to the examinee population, while simultaneously maintaining a minimum standard consistent with the mission of the USMLE program to protect the public.

Differences in post-traumatic growth: Individual quarantine, COVID-19 duration and gender.

ObjectiveThis study focuses on positive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to identify associations between gender, individual quarantine and duration of the COVID-19 (short- medium- and long-term pandemic), and posttraumatic growth (PTG).MethodThe data was collected via an online survey in Israel, and included 1,301 participants, 543 participants experienced short-term pandemics, 428 participants experienced medium-term pandemics and 330 participants experienced long-term pandemics. Most of the participants were female (73.6%), ranging from 18 to 89 years-old. The participants answered questions about their demographic background, individual quarantine experiences and ranked their PTG level.ResultsThe results indicate a significant main effect of gender and pandemic duration (short-, medium- and long-term pandemic). Women reported higher PTG levels than men, and participants experiencing short-term pandemic reported significantly lower PTG levels than participants experiencing medium- or long-term pandemic. There was also a significant interaction between gender and pandemic duration regarding PTG and a significant interaction in PTG by gender, pandemic duration and individual quarantine.ConclusionThe discussion addresses the findings in the context of traditional gender roles and gender differences in finding meaning and worth in home confinement situations.

Development and Validation of a Daily Habit Scale.

Habits are defined as automatic behaviours triggered by cues and performed without awareness. They are difficult to control and mentally efficient, which contrasts with goal-directed behaviour, which is characterised by active thought, high computational effort, and the ability to modify this behaviour in response to a changing environment and contextual demands. Habits are not only defined by the frequency with which a behaviour is performed but represent a complex construct that also includes the strength and automaticity of the habitual behaviour. We report here the development and validation of a Daily Habit Scale (DHS) to assess the frequency, automaticity, and strength of daily habits in healthy individuals. Item reduction based on factor analysis resulted in a scale with 38 items grouped into eight factors explaining 52.91% of the variance. The DHS showed very good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.738) and test-retest reliability (Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.892, p<0.001) as well as convergent and divergent reliability compared to other scales measuring habits. We found a significant effect of age, gender, anxiety, and depression on the DHS. Considering certain limitations of the DHS, such as not considering the context of performance of habits, and the absence of certain items, such as transportation use, the results of this study suggest that DHS is a reliable and valid measure of daily habits that can be used by both clinicians and researchers as a measure of daily habits.

AI at Home: An Urgent Urban Policy and Research Agenda

ABSTRACT This article makes the case for considering conversational AI devices a critical urban challenge, particularly as the home gains importance in everyday life. Drawing on excerpts from conversations with Alexa – the market-leading digital voice assistant designed and manufactured by Amazon – the article illustrates how this device’s friendly feminine personality masks significant environmental and gender effects. Building on the author’s ongoing research on the smart home, the article considers how the “feminist reboot” proposed by Strengers & Kennedy in The Smart Wife could provide promising routes for urban scholars seeking to disrupt and intervene in the troubling trajectories of feminised AI.

You can't hold the tide with a broom: Cryptocurrency payments and tourism in South Korea and China

Cryptocurrencies are modifying the very nature of how travelers use and manage payment systems. Bearing in mind that cryptocurrencies in tourism and hospitality are solving the issue of isolation of money and liquidity, this study explored travelers' adoption of cryptocurrency payments in the South Korea and China context. The originality of the present study lies on introducing risk, security, and attitude variables into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. We found that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and security are antecedents of attitude, while attitude, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions have significant effect on intention to use cryptocurrency payments in tourism. We also outline the significant moderating effect of age and gender on travelers' adoption of cryptocurrency payments. This study can help policy makers to understand the utility of cryptocurrency payments in tourism.

The double-edged sword of social media usage during the COVID-19 pandemic: demographical and cultural analyses

PurposeThis exploratory research aims to (1) investigate the bright and dark sides of social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) explore the impact of demographic factors on social media usage; and (3) assess the effects of cultural dimensions on social media usage.Design/methodology/approachThe data are collected through an online survey. Factors derived from grounded theories and models such as affordance theory and Hofstede's cultural framework were considered. Spearman correlation and nonparametric analysis were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results revealed that social media usage was positively associated with healing and affiliation, and negatively associated with self-control. There are also positive associations between social media usage and sharing information related to COVID-19 without verification, perceived reliability of COVID-19 information on social media and relapse. The impact of demographic and cultural factors indicated significant effects of gender, age, marital status, educational level, power distance and collectivism on social media usage, sharing information, perceived information reliability, healing and affiliation.Originality/valueThis study contributes to technology affordances by examining social media's positive and negative affordances in a new context (COVID-19 pandemic). From the positive side, this study explores the use of social media for healing and affiliation. As for the negative impact of social media during the pandemic, this study assesses the user's addiction to social media use (relapse) and perception of the social media information reliability and information sharing without verification. It is among few research endeavors conducted in a non-Western country. This study also examines the influence of demographic and cultural factors on social media users. The results provide insights for both researchers and policymakers regarding social media usage.

The effect of calf gender on milk lactation traits and lactation gain of Holstein and Simmental cows

Considering the challenging market conditions for dairy farms, calf gender management should be one of the tools used to increase profitability. The objective of this paper was to examine the effect of calf gender on lactation milk traits in Holstein and Simmental cows. Holstein cows that calved a female calf had a higher milk yield (p&lt;0.0001) and lower milk fat and protein content (p&lt;0.01) in the first lactation. The favourable effect of female calf on milk yield was also found in the second lactation of Holstein cows (p&lt;0.0001). Simmental cows that calved female calves in the first and the second lactation also had higher milk yield and lactation gain, however the differences were not significant. Although no statistically significant effect of calf gender on milk yield was determined in the Simmental population, indications of positive effect of female calf gender on lactation milk yield impose the need for further research. Using gender selected semen as a tool for calf gender management could enable to increase the milk yield of Holstein cows and the profitability of Holstein farms as well.

Evidence of gender equity in pupils’ achievement in phonics, when exposed to adult and children-generated illustrations

The study examined evidence of gender equity in pupils achievement in phonics, when exposed to adult and children-generated illustrations in Njikoka Local Government Area of Nigeria. The study employed a non‐equivalent quasi‐experimental 2 x 2 factorial research design. Some 158 primary two pupils from 4 schools were used for the study. The English Achievement Test (EAT) was used to collect data. Three hypotheses were tested. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that there was a significant main effect for the mode of illustration on pupils’ achievement in phonics F(1,153) = 21.315, p=.000; there was no significant main effect of gender F(1,153) = 1.082, p =.300, and there was no significant interaction effect of mode of illustration and gender F(1,153) = .701, p =.404. The study recommended that since the children-generated illustrations were more effective in teaching phonics and enhancing pupils achievement in phonics, the Ministries of Education should ensure that textbook authors incorporate children-generated illustrations in the instructional materials for pupils in primary schools. Mode of illustration had no differential effects on male and female pupils achievement in phonics.

Bridging the Gap in Learning Differences Among Biology Students Using 4 mode Application Techniques

This study is on bridging the gap in learning differences among biology students using 4MAT Application Techniques. We carried out the study in Abakaliki, Nigeria. We adopted a quasi-experimental design for the study. We used 138 SS-II students from two schools. Moreover, two hypotheses were tested. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Hierarchical Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that there was a significant main effect of instructional method on student’s achievement in biology F (7,121) =12.654, p=0.000, partial η2=0.39; there was no significant main effect of gender on student’s achievement in biology F (1,121)=1.240, p=0.268, partial η2=0.004. We highlighted the educational implications of the findings and the recommendations. We also made some limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies.

Examining the influence of rurality on frequency of cannabis use and severity of consequences as moderated by age and gender

AimA number of important health disparities associated with place of residence have been reported in the literature. The Remoteness Index (RI) was developed to account for community size, population density, and proximity to larger population centres. This exploratory analysis uses the RI to examine community level associations related to cannabis use. DesignThis secondary analysis uses data collected as part of a randomized controlled trial of a brief cannabis intervention. Participants’ place of residence was matched to a corresponding value on the RI. Univariate regressions of RI and cannabis related outcomes were modeled with age and gender as moderating variables. Three outcomes were analyzed separately: 1) total number of days of cannabis use in the past 30 days; 2) risk of experiencing cannabis related problems; and 3) number of self-reported consequences related to cannabis. FindingsParticipants living in more remote areas were significantly more likely to drive within an hour of using cannabis, but also reported fewer consequences and less risky cannabis use. Although the overall regression models tested in the moderation analyses were significant, there were no interaction effects between RI and age or gender. ConclusionWhile this analysis did not find significant conditional effects of age or gender on the relationship between cannabis use and place of residence, further research is needed to investigate other factors which may contribute to health disparities related to substance use between individuals living in different geographic regions.

How background visual complexity influences purchase intention in live streaming: The mediating role of emotion and the moderating role of gender

There is growing evidence that visual complexity plays a crucial role in consumer purchase behavior. However, existing research on background visual complexity’s effect on individuals’ purchase intention in live streaming is limited. This study explores the relationships between live background visual complexity, emotional states, and purchase intention, by drawing on the stimulus-organism-response theory. A 3 × 2 between-subjects online experiment was developed with participants’ emotional and intention data. The results indicate that the background visual complexity of the livestream room influences consumers’ purchase intention positively via the evoked emotional states (pleasure and arousal). Background visual complexity exhibits an inverted U-shaped effect on consumers’ emotions. Additionally, the results reveal a significant moderating effect of gender on the relationship between background visual complexity and purchase intention. Women exhibit an inverted U-shaped effect on emotion and purchase intention, whereas men show a positive linear relationship when faced with complexity.

Enhancing students’ attitude towards biology using concept mapping and cooperative mastery learning instructional strategies

The effects of Concept Mapping (CM) and Cooperative Mastery Learning (CML) strategies on students' attitudes towards biology were investigated in this study to instill a positive attitude in students toward biology. The study adopted a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design with pre-and post-tests. A total of 449 senior secondary students (SS2) from Nyamagabe District, Rwanda was studied. Pre- and post-administration of biology Attitude Questionnaire (BAQ) with the reliability (α= 0.95) was used to obtain data. Mean, standard deviation, analysis of covariance, and Bonferroni test were applied for data analysis. The findings showed that students exposed to the CM and CLM strategies have a significantly higher attitude towards biology than those taught using conventional teaching methods (CTM) (F (2, 445) =26.717, p=.000&lt;.05). There was no significant difference in mean attitude scores between male and female students who were taught biology using CM (F (1,148) =.635, p=.427&gt;0.05) and CML (F (1,141) =. 670, p=.796&gt;0.05). Also, the results showed no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on the attitude of students towards biology (F (2,442) =.586, p=.557&gt;0.05). The study concluded that the CM and CML are effective teaching strategies in raising students’ attitudes towards biology regardless of gender. It is recommended among other things that biology teachers should adopt the CM and CML strategies during instruction to help students develop a positive attitude toward biology.

Acoustic Cues of /ħ/ and /ʕ/ in Hourani Jordanian Arabic: Investigating Sociolinguistic Variation

This paper examines the interaction between the coarticulatory effects of pharyngeals on adjacent vowels and the speakers’ age and gender in Hourani Jordanian Arabic. To this end, 28 participants were recorded reading a list of 24 words containing a pharyngeal sound (/ħ/ or /ʕ/) preceded (word-finally) or followed (word-initially) by a short or long vowel. A total of 1344 tokens were extracted and then analyzed in PRAAT. The first three formant frequencies (F1, F2, F3) of each vowel were manually measured at the midpoint. The measurements were then normalized using Nearey’s (1977) intrinsic formula to reduce the effect of physiological differences between male and female speakers. The findings of the study show no significant effects of age or gender on the production of the adjacent vowels word-initially or word-finally. This suggests that, unlike the case of pharyngealized sounds (e.g., Omari and Jaber (2019)), pharyngeal-to-vowel coarticulation is not affected by the sociolinguistic variables of age and gender. Keywords: Coarticulation; Extralinguistic variables; Hourani Jordanian Arabic; Pharyngeals.

Obesity and Dyslipidemia in Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shanghai, China.

This study examined the association of obesity and dyslipidemia according to body measurements among Chinese adults in Shanghai, a place in the process of rapid urbanization. Using the baseline data of the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank study (SSACB), the subjects completed questionnaires and physical examinations, and fasting blood was collected for biochemical assays. We estimated the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) by multivariable logistic regression. The prevalence was 12.9% and 28.8% in both general and central obesity, respectively. Compared with the non-obese, the general or central obesity participants had a higher level of TC, TG, LDL-C and lower level of HDL-C. The OR (95%CI) for dyslipidemia was 1.79 (1.69–1.91) and 1.91 (1.83–2.00) in general or central obesity, respectively. Positive associations were also observed between obesity and high TC, high LDL-C, low HDL-C and high TG, with the adjusted OR ranging from 1.11 to 2.00. Significant modifying effect of gender, age, hypertension, and diabetes were found in the association of obesity and different forms of dyslipidemia. The findings of our study indicated that participants with obesity, including general or central obesity, have a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia and gender, age, hypertension, and diabetes might be potential modifiers of the association. More effective attention and interventions should be directed to managing body weight to reduce the prevalence of dyslipidemia.

Musical Preferences of Students in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Musical preferences are an extremely complex phenomenon formed under the influence of many factors. The paper investigates whether there are gender- and age-related differences in the preferences of primary school students from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and whether there is a connection between music familiarity and preferences for certain musical excerpts. To examine students’ preferences for musical excerpts, a general data questionnaire and an assessment scale were administered to a sample of 253 participants, including second, third, seventh, and eighth grade primary school students from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results show gender- and age-related differences in the preferences for classical music, whereby female students, compared to male students, and younger students, compared to older students, show higher preferences for classical music. A significant interaction effect of gender and age on classical music preferences was found. Furthermore, the results show that male and female students do not differ in their preferences for world music, while age-related difference was observed, with younger students, compared to older students, showing greater preferences for this musical style. A significant interaction effect of gender and age on world music preferences was found. Finally, it was confirmed that students show higher preferences for familiar musical excerpts compared to unfamiliar musical excerpts. The obtained results represent a significant contribution to the study of musical preferences from the aspect of music psychology and music pedagogy.

Effects of circle-the-sage strategy on secondary schools students' numerical ability in physics in Nigeria

The study examined effect of circle the sage instructional strategy on students’ numerical ability in Physics in senior secondary schools in Ikere local government of area of Ekiti state. A sample of sixty (60) students was selected for the study. A self-structured Physics Numerical Ability Test was used for data collection. A pre-test post-test quasi experimental research design was employed for the study. Two secondary schools in Ekiti state were chosen for the study. A test-retest method was employed to ascertain the reliability of the instrument, using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Three (3) hypotheses were formulated for the study. Self constructed twenty items multiple choice questions was used to collect the date and the data collected were analysed using ANCOVA. The findings of the study revealed that there was no significant effect of treatment on numerical ability of students in Physics, there was no significant effect of gender on numerical ability of students in Physics and there was no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on numerical ability of students in Physics. Therefore, the study recommended that, though there was no effect of circle the sage strategiy on students’ numerical ability but cicle the sage with other strategies should be used to teach Physics at all level and be incorporated into the teaching of Physics at the secondary school level.

Impostor phenomenon in healthcare simulation educators

Impostor phenomenon is the overwhelming feeling of intellectual phoniness and has been linked to decreased job satisfaction and increased levels of stress, depression and burnout. As education and healthcare institutions rely on simulation to train the current and future healthcare workforce, there is a need to improve our understanding of impostor phenomenon in the healthcare simulation context. This study investigated the prevalence of impostor phenomenon in simulation educators and examined the effect of work-related characteristics on impostor phenomenon in the simulation educator community. In total, 148 simulation educators from nine countries participated in an online survey. Along with questions related to demographic characteristics, impostor phenomenon was measured using two scales, the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) and the Leary Impostorism Scale (LIS). Independent variables included gender, time spent on simulation activities per week, years working in simulation and team size. Impostorism was identified in 46.6% of simulation educators. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed no statistically significant interactions or main effects of gender, time spent on simulation activities per week, years working in simulation and team size on impostor phenomenon. Impostor phenomenon does not discriminate based on gender; it does not disappear with experience; and it is present regardless of the size of team. Impostor phenomenon is prevalent across the healthcare simulation educator community. Given the negative impact impostor phenomenon has on well-being and career development, educators, employers and professional societies need to acknowledge the prevalence of impostor phenomenon and start a conversation to build awareness about impostor phenomenon in the healthcare simulation community. Bringing the conversation into the open is the first step to acknowledging feelings of impostorism and developing strategies to break the cycle.

Improved microvascular reactivity after aged garlic extract intake is not mediated by hydrogen sulfide in older adults at risk for cardiovascular disease: a randomized clinical trial.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of AGE on microvascular reactivity, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in older individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Urinary thiosulfate was also investigated as an indirect marker of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) synthesis. The study was conducted in a randomized, double-blind, crossover, and placebo-controlled way. Twenty-eight participants (14 male), 67 ± 6years old with CVD risk factors, ingested 2.4g of AGE or placebo (PLA). Near-infrared spectroscopy evaluated tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) during a vascular occlusion test (30s baseline, 5min occlusion, and 2min reperfusion). The upslope of StO2 signal after cuff release was calculated to measure microvascular reactivity. Urinary thiosulfate levels were measured using a high-performance liquid chromatography system. The upslope of StO2 was significantly faster after AGE (1.01 ± 0.37%s-1) intake compared to PLA (0.83 ± 0.35%s-1; P < 0.001; d = 0.50). Relative changes in Δ% SBP from pre- to post-AGE intake (-5.17 ± 5.77%) was significantly different compared to Δ% PLA (0.32 ± 5.99%; P = 0.001; d = 0.93). No significant changes in urinary thiosulfate concentrations were observed between interventions. Moreover, no significant gender effect in any parameter assessed was found. This study demonstrated that a single dose of AGE improved microvascular reactivity in older adults at risk of CVD despite such an effect was not linked with urinary thiosulfate levels. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04008693 (May 19, 2020).