Significant Positive Correlation Research Articles

Physicians' Perspectives with the E-prescribing System in Five Teaching Hospitals.

Despite the evidence suggesting the potential of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing), this system also faces challenges that can lead to inefficiency and even failure. This study aimed to evaluate physicians' perspectives on the efficiency, effectiveness, opportunities, and challenges associated with the e-prescribing system. In 2023, a descriptive analytics cross-sectional study was carried out. Due to the finite population size, all the physicians from five studied hospitals who agreed to participate in the study were included through the census method (n = 195). Data collection was conducted using a validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive (mean, standard deviation, and frequency) and analytical (Pearson's correlation coefficient, two-sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear multiple regression model) statistics. The mean scores of efficiency and effectiveness were 47.47 ± 14.46 and 36.09 ± 10.67 out of 95 and 65, respectively. Removing the illegibility of the prescriptions (n = 22) was the most frequent opportunity and internet connectivity problem (n = 37) was the most frequent challenge associated with the e-prescribing system. There was a strong positive significant correlation between efficiency and effectiveness (r = 0.850, p < 0.01). Moreover, age was found to have a significant negative correlation with efficiency (B = -7.261, p = 0.004) and effectiveness (B = - 5.784, p = 0.002). Physicians believe that e-prescribing enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of their work. There are many opportunity and challenges to the use of e-prescription. Assessing the needs of physicians, actively participating and training them in the stages of design and implementation, and conducting regular evaluations of the e-prescribing system are crucial to overcome the challenges. Our finding offers insightful information about how doctors see the e-prescribing system at teaching hospitals and provide a basis for managers and policy makers at the local and national levels to support the implementation of this system and plan for improvement of its shortcomings.

Effect of Pender model-based educational program on selected outcomes among menopausal women with musculoskeletal health problems in Cairo

Background Menopause is a critical period in every woman’s life, in which women usually struggle with various bio-psycho-social problems. Aim The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effect of Pender model-based educational program on selected outcomes among menopausal women with musculoskeletal health problems in Cairo. Design A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest was used. Setting The study was conducted in Outpatient Maternity Clinics at El-Manil Hospital. Sample A purposive sample consisting of 70 menopausal women. Results Showed that there is a significant increase in the total score of knowledge and practice at the poststage. The mean knowledge score increased from 1.1 to 11.4 while the mean practice score increased from 3.8 to 10.2. Conclusions Findings demonstrated menopausal women who received a health educational program had a strong significant direct correlation between knowledge, practice, total benefits, total self-efficacy, and total interpersonal influences, while there is a strong significant inverse correlation between total barriers and all other variables. Recommendation Organizing training programs for menopausal women on musculoskeletal health problems that cover all Outpatient Maternity Clinics in different settings in Egypt.

Friendship Quality and Its Relationship to School Engagement and Academic Achievement among High School Students in Jordan

This study aimed to explore the relationship between friendship quality and school engagement, and academic achievement and their levels among high school students for academic year 2020- 2021 in Amman. The sample of the study consisted of (300) male and female students, whose schools were chosen randomly. The results showed: highest level of friendship qualities was for help dimension (mean 3.98), followed by closeness (mean 3.94), highest level of school engagement was for behavioral (mean 3.93), cognitive engagement was second (3.46), and lowest level was for emotional (mean 3.40), level of academic achievement was very good (mean 81.57). Moreover, a positive significant correlation between companionship, security, closeness with behavioral engagement, while a significant negative correlation between conflict and behavioral engagement. A positive significant correlational relationship was found between all dimensions of friendship qualities except for conflict dimension. And all friendship dimensions correlated positively with cognitive engagement. As for academic achievement, it correlated with three dimensions of friendship (closeness, help, security).

The Predictive Ability of Moral Identity with Moral Emotions among the Students of the University of Jordan

This study aimed to identify the level of moral identity and emotions, in addition to predictive ability of the capacity of moral identity in moral emotions among a sample of University of Jordan students. The study was applied to a convenience sample from the study population, consisting of 800 students: 398 male and 402 female students. The study used the descriptive correlational methodology, and used the scales of: moral identity, and moral emotions to achieve the study's objectives, which have been developed by the two researchers, and the reliability and validity for them were extracted; in order to ensure their relevance to the study, as the two scales had appropriate validity and reliability indications. The results of the study revealed that the level of emotional identity was in medium level by arithmetic mean of (3.03) at the overall level, and level of moral emotions was in medium level too, with arithmetic average (6.15) at the overall level. The results also showed that there was a positive significant correlation between the moral identity and moral emotions, as it is statistically significant at the level (α ≤ .05), where the results of the regression analysis showed that the value of the correlation coefficient between emotional identity and moral emotions was (0.741) it is a statistical function at (α ≤ .05), and the emotional identity has explained the ration (54.9%) of variation in moral emotions, which is a predictor of moral emotions. The study recommended including the curriculum and syllabus with topics related to moral identity and moral emotions.

The Correlation Between Protein Intake And Muscle Mass in Breast Cancer Patients at Dr. H. Abdul Moeloek Regional Hospital

Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of death among women. Since protein serves as a building ingredient for cells, muscles, and tissues, eating enough of it is thought to be essential for gaining muscle mass. The cornerstone for cancer patients to maintain and/or gain muscle mass will be an adequate protein intake. In this study, breast cancer patients' muscle mass was measured and a 24-hour recall of their weekdays and weekends was conducted. The average amount of protein consumed by participants was 31.22 grams, and the average percentage of muscle mass was 24.02%. The purpose of this study is to ascertain how breast cancer patients' protein consumption and muscle mass relate to one another. This study uses quota sampling as the sample method and a cross-sectional design. There were fifty-six responders in the sample. This research uses the Spearman rank. The normality test results show that the significance value for muscle mass is p value = 0.016 (p &lt; 0.05), it can be concluded that the data is distributed abnormally. Meanwhile, the normality test results for protein intake p-value = 0.200 (p &gt; 0.05) can be concluded that the data is normally distributed, so it is continued with the Spearman rank correlation test. Based on the results of the Spearman rank correlation test, a correlation coefficient value of 0.488 was obtained with a significance p-value of 0.0001. So there is a positive significant correlation between protein intake and muscle mass in breast cancer sufferers at Dr. H. Abdul Moeloek Regional Hospital of Lampung Province p value = 0.0001 (p&lt;0.05).

The Impact of Medical Physical Training and a Structured Personalized Exercise Training Program on Hemodynamic Parameters and Arterial Stiffness in Pregnant Women.

In developed countries, heart disease is the primary cause of maternal mortality during pregnancy. Arterial stiffness, an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and a predictor of cardiovascular complications, can be assessed using the augmentation index (AIx) and pulse wave velocity (PWV). In this prospective study, we aimed to evaluate diverse hemodynamic parameters and arterial stiffness in pregnant women before and after participating in a structured, personalized exercise training program. Forty healthy pregnant women, non-smokers, who agreed to participate daily for 12 weeks in a physical exercise training program under the supervision of a team made up of an obstetrician, a cardiologist, and a physiotherapist were included. Anthropometric characteristics, arterial function, and physical activity data were collected from the participants at two different time points: at the beginning of the exercise training program (T0) and at the end, after 12 weeks (T1). Upon conducting a statistical analysis, it was discovered that there were noteworthy disparities (p = 0.05) in body mass index, brachial AIx, systolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure values between the two time points. The regression analysis for the AIx brachial values and the PWVao values from Trim II (T0) and Trim III (T1) showed major differences between these two time points; the association between the AIx brachial values in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy revealed a strong direct significant correlation (p < 0.001), and the correlation between the PWVao values in the second (T0) and third trimester (T1) of pregnancy was weak and insignificant (p = 0.12). The findings of our study indicate that a personalized exercise training program positively impacts the physical and psychological well-being of pregnant women, leading to a reduction in PWV.

The associations of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers with obesity in Iranian population: MASHAD cohort study

BackgroundLow-grade inflammation and stress oxidative condition play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity, and the serum levels of these markers, such as pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and uric acid may indicate obesity progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between obesity with PAB, hs-CRP, and uric acid in the Iranian population.MethodsThis study was derived from the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorder (MASHAD) study. A total of 7985 subjects aged 35 to 65 years were divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI) as: normal, overweight and obese groups. Anthropometric indices and biochemical parameters such as PAB, superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1), hs-CRP, and uric acid were measured in all the participants. We evaluated the association of obesity with inflammatory factors by using multivariate regression analysis. Also, those participants with hypertension, an endocrine disorder, history of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study.ResultsThere was a positive significant correlation between BMI and serum PAB, hs-CRP and uric acid (p < 0.001). While no statistically significant relation was observed between BMI and SOD1 (p = 0.85). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the risk of overweight and obesity increased 1.02 and 1.03-fold according to increase 10 units of PAB raise in comparison to reference group (normal weight) [(odds ratio (OR): 1.02, 95% CI (1.01–1.03)] and [OR: 1.03, 95% CI (1.01–1.04)], respectively). In addition, hs-CRP serum concentration was significantly associated with a high risk of obesity [(OR: 1.02; 95% CI (1.01–1.03)]. While the high levels of serum uric acid were associated with increased odds of overweight and obesity risk [OR: 1.4; CI (1.39–1.58) and OR: 1.76; CI (1.63–1.89), respectively].ConclusionsGenerally, we showed a significant association between BMI and serum PAB, hs-CRP values and uric acid levels, suggesting the role of these factors as risk stratification factors for obesity.

Нарушения углеводного обмена у пациентов с боевыми травмами

Aim. To investigate the prevalence and some aspects of the carbohydrate metabolism pathology in patients with combat limb injuries. Materials and methods. 210 patients who suffered from combat injuries of the lower and/or upper extremities from 4 to 58 days (mean 15.9±8.7 days) before admission to the hospital were enrolled in the study. All study participants were men. The mean age of the patients was 36.0±8.4 years (19–59 years). Fasting venous blood glucose concentrations were determined in all patients. Patients with hyperglycemia underwent a study of the glycemic profile and HbA1c. Stress-induced hyperglycemia, estimated mean glucose level over the past 3 months (ADAG), and glycemic gap were calculated. Insulin in fasting blood plasma was determined and the HOMA-IR insulin resistance index was calculated. Results. The incidence of hyperglycemia was 23.3%. In the general group of patients, the mean glucose concentration was 5.5±1.0 mmol/l (3.1–9.73 mmol/l). In the group of patients with hyperglycemia, the mean blood glucose level reached 6.7±0.9 mmol/l, in patients with normal glucose concentration – 5.1±0.5 mmol/l (p&lt;0.000001). The mean fasting blood glucose concentration in patients aged 40 years and older reached 5.7±1.1 mmol/l, those under 40 years old – 5.2±0.8 mmol/l (p=0.005). A significant direct correlation was registered between the fasting glucose level upon admission to the hospital and the age of the patients (r=0.26; p=0.00003). The relative risk of hyperglycemia in patients aged 40 years and older was 1.84 (confidence interval 1.005–3.37; p=0.01). The mean time elapsed since injury in patients with hyperglycemia reached 13.2±5.7 days, with normal glucose concentration – 16.7±9.2 days (p=0.02). Patients with hyperglycemia had lower levels of total protein (58.3±10.2 and 62.1±6.9 g/l, respectively; p=0.004), albumin (31.2±4.6 and 33.2±4.9 g/l; p=0.04), hemoglobin (97.7±18.9 and 105.9±16.9 g/l; p=0.004), but higher levels of C-reactive protein (61.0±55.4 and 32.9±38.1 mg/l; p=0.0001), leukocytes (10.6±4.4 and 9.3±3.4×109/l; p=0.02), count of neutrophils (7.8±4.3 and 6.4±2.9×109/l; p=0.01), proportion of neutrophils (71.6±9.6% and 67.7±7.7%; p=0.004), as well as fibrinogen concentration (5.7±1.4 and 4.8±1.2 g/l; p=0.0002) than patients with normal blood glucose levels. In patients with hyperglycemia, the mean HbA1c level was 5.3±0.6%, stress-induced hyperglycemia – 1.4±0.2 mmol/l. The median glycemic gap reached 1.51 mmol/l (Q1–Q3: 0.88–2.1 mmol/l). The median insulin concentration was 12.9 µIU/ml (Q1–Q3: 9.2–27.0 µIU/ml), the insulin resistance index was 3.3 (Q1–Q3: 2.1–8.8). The mean fasting blood glucose concentration at the last determination in patients with initial hyperglycemia reached 5.8±1.3 mmol/l. During observation, in 64.6% of the patients with hyperglycemia upon admission, glucose levels returned to normal, while in 35.4% mild hyperglycemia remained. The median time to normalization of fasting blood glucose concentration or to the last determination of this indicator was 17.5 days (Q1–Q3: 8–30 days). Conclusions. The study results indicate a frequent detection of hyperglycemia in patients with combat limb injuries. In most cases the increase in fasting glucose levels is small and in most patients this indicator returns to normal within a relatively short time. It is necessary to continue research of stress-induced hyperglycemia in the patients with combat injuries and to elucidate the pathogenetic basis of this pathology.

Interplay between Organizational Learning and Departmental Performance: Implications for Change in Ethiopian Public Research Universities

Literacy abilities are crucial for economic progress and community welfare, with higher education recognizing them as vital for problem-solving, critical thinking, continuous learning, and effective functioning for both experienced educators and the new student cohorts. The study examined the interplay between organizational learning and departmental performance, and its implications for changes in Ethiopian Public Research Universities. The researchers used the framework that focuses on seven distinct dimensions of organization learning (OL) namely continuous learning, inquiry and dialogue, collective and collaborative efforts of organizational members, empowerment, embedded system, system connection and strategic leadership and departmental performance (DP) which consists of three dimensions teaching-learning, research and community services. The researchers employed embedded mixed methods design (QUAN + qual) to examine the interplay between organizational learning (OL) and departmental performance (DP). The researchers selected four public research universities using simple random sampling technique. Then, they selected 1,176 respondents (969 instructors and 207 department heads) from target population using simple random sampling technique. The researchers adapted standardized questionnaires and collected quantitative data using questionnaires, and analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean standard deviation), and inferential statistics (multiple correlations, multiple regressions structural equation modeling). Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interview from 14 key informants who were selected using the purposive sampling technique based on their rich lived experiences of teaching-learning, research and leadership in higher education institutions. The qualitative data was thematically analyzed. The finding of the study showed that the structural equation model fit to the data. It was also found that the correlations between the different dimensions of organizational learning practices and departmental performance ranged between low and moderate. There were positive significant and moderate correlations between each dimension of organizational learning and departmental performance. The organizational dimensions accounted the largest cumulative variance to departmental performance dimensions; research (R2 = 40.70%; β =.638, p.001); community service (R2 = 33.50%; β =.579, p.001) and teaching-learning (R2 = 24.60%; β =.496, p .001). The study showed that the presence of formal and informal organizational learning cultures in universities enhance departmental performances. Therefore, the Ethiopian public research universities should create effective organizational learning systems to improve departmental performances.

Feeding ecology of Chaeturichthys stigmatias during autumn in Haizhou Bay

Research about feeding ecology of fish is important to understand individual behavior and population development, which is also the basic to analyze trophic structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. Chaetrichthys stigmatias is one of the key species in the Haizhou Bay fisheries ecosystem, which has critical ecological niche within the food web. In this study, we collected samples through bottom trawl surveys during the fall of 2018 in the Haizhou Bay, and analyzed the feeding ecology of C. stigmatias based on both stomach content analysis and stable isotope technology. The results showed that the primary diet groups for C. stigmatias were Ophiuroidea and Shrimp, including Ophiothrix marenzelleri, Ophiopholis mirabilis, Ophiura sarsii, Penaeidae, and Alpheus japonicus. The range of δ13C values of C. stigmatias was from -19.39‰ to -15.74‰, with an average value of (-18.07±0.87)‰, which had no significant correlation with body length. The range of δ15N values was from 8.16‰ to 12.86‰, with an average value of (10.14±1.51)‰, which was positively correlated with body length. The trophic level of C. stigmatias showed a positive relationship with body length, with an average value of (3.74±0.34) and a range value of 3.32 to 4.20 among different size groups. The contribution rates of different prey groups varied significantly. Based on the structural equation modeling, we found that the feeding intensity of C. stigmatias was primally influenced by body length, sea bottom salinity, sea bottom temperature, and water depth, with a particularly signi-ficant positive correlation with body length. The combination of stable isotope technology and stomach content analysis methods could contribute to comprehensive understanding on the feeding ecology of C. stigmatias, providing essential data and foundation for research on trophic structures and resource conservation in the Haizhou Bay ecosystem.

Investigating tedium as a predictor of personality and techno-stress in school teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic

Being a demanding profession, teaching involves the intrinsic components of stress, tiredness along with sensations of inner uneasiness. This directed the current investigation which focused on exploring the predictive nature of tedium in reference to the constructs of personality and techno-stress levels experienced by school teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Through a cross-sectional correlation design a non-probability purposive sample of 200 (including n = 92 men and n = 108 women) school teachers from private sector, with an age range of 22-57 years (M = 35.2, SD = 8.54) were recruited. Following the APA-mandated guidelines, the participants provided sociodemographic information and their responses to study variables on the Big-Five Personality Scale, Teacher’s Techno-stress Levels Defining Scale, and Burnout Measure. Findings suggested that tedium had a significant positive correlation with both neuroticism, and techno-stress, while a significant negative association with extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Moreover, neuroticism and techno-stress were found to be the positive predictors of tedium, while conscientiousness and agreeableness negatively predicted tedium. Gender differences indicated that women teachers reported more tedium than their male counterparts. The results highlighted the need to seriously address the factors responsible for the decline in teachers’ efficiency and competence.

Individual vital rates respond differently to local‐scale environmental variation and neighbour removal

Abstract Understanding how plant fitness varies along natural gradients is critical for predicting responses to environmental change. However, individual vital rates are often used as fitness proxies without knowing how other vital rates vary along the same gradients. We investigated how canopy cover, plant–plant interactions, water availability and soil properties influenced the emergence, survival, seed production and population growth rates of eight annual plant species in semi‐arid Western Australia. We sowed seeds into sun‐exposed and shaded blocks across a reserve, removed all neighbouring plants from half of the interaction neighbourhoods, and used rainout shelters to reduce and increase precipitation relative to ambient plots. Canopy cover had strong negative effects on emergence, but few direct impacts on other vital rates and population growth rates. Direct competitive effects on survival and seed production were rare, although evident for population growth rate for 3/8 species. Competition was stronger in open than shaded plots for half of the species. Canopy cover also interacted with the watering treatment to influence survival of half of the species, but watering alone had few direct impacts on species' vital and population growth rates. We found only positive significant correlations between pairs of rates, and survival and seed production were far more frequently correlated with population growth rate than emergence. Synthesis. Our study illustrates that vital rates can respond to the same local‐scale environmental variation in different ways that are likely not driven by life history trade‐offs. We caution against using emergence as a proxy for population growth rate and emphasise that no single vital rate was a reliable fitness proxy overall. Interactions among abiotic and biotic factors were important drivers of vital and population growth rates for some species, highlighting the need to account for plant–plant interactions when predicting population responses to environmental change.

The role of 3D speckle-tracking echocardiography in predicting long-term outcomes after a first myocardial infarction

Aim. To determine the role of 3D echocardiography parameters in the prognosis of long-term cardiovascular complications in patients with a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Materials and methods. А prospective, single-center, observational study included 46 patients with a first AMI and successful PCI without a history of heart failure (HF) and shortness of breath upon admission. The examination of patients was performed in accordance with the Russian standards of medical care provision. Additionally, 3D echocardiography was performed, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was determined. The main outcomes assessed were hospitalization with HF, sudden cardiac death, and combined endpoint. Median follow-up was 554 days (IQR 550–785).Results. During the follow-up period, 9 hospitalizations with HF, 3 sudden cardiac deaths, and 12 combined endpoints were registered. The effect of 3D echocardiography parameters on the development of sudden cardiac death and combined endpoint has not been revealed. The effect of the studied parameters on the development of HF during the follow-up period that required hospitalization was evaluated. A statistically significant increase in the LV sphericity index was revealed in the group of patients with the registered outcome. We found significant direct correlations of left ventricular volume indices with prescription of diuretics in the post-discharge period; hospitalization with HF in the post-infarction period with the level of NT-pro-BNP, left atrial volume with the duration of index hospitalization, duration of eventless survival with ST elevation. We found a negative correlation of radial strain with prescription of diuretics in the post-discharge period. Predictors of hospitalization with HF in the post-infarction period were identified – parameters of radial strain, area strain, and circumferential strain, which were included in the model for calculating the risk of the outcome under study.Conclusion. In patients with the first AMI in the absence of clinical signs of HF, to calculate the risk of hospitalization with HF within 550 days after MI, it is advisable to take into account the level of radial strain and use a prognostic model (1), including parameters of circumferential and area strain (according to 3D echocardiography data).

Development of an Incest Scale in the Turkish Language and Culture: Validity and Reliability Study

This study aims to develop a valid and reliable tool for measuring beliefs and attitudes regarding incest. Incest can be considered a widespread social problem. Despite the prevalence of incest, a tool that can measure knowledge of and attitudes toward incest in Turkey is still a necessity. In this study, 457 adults participated in the first and 255 adults in the second stage. To collect the data, Incest Scale, Childhood Emotional Incest Scale and demographic form were used. Exploratory/Confirmatory factor analysis, parallel analysis, reliability analysis were performed, and criterion validity was tested. A 23-item and 5-factor scale was obtained. The fit indexes obtained as a result of confirmatory factor analysis were satisfactory. Positive significant correlations were found between incest and childhood emotional incest. The reliability coefficients ​​were found to be within acceptable limits. This study is expected to fill a significant gap in the field, promote awareness regarding incest, and make an important contribution to the field to combat incest effectively.

Physical therapy interventions for people experiencing homelessness to improve pain and self-perceived health status

BackgroundHomeless shelters have emerged as components of the social services network, playing an important role in providing health care to the homeless population. The aim of this study was to evaluate an individualized physical therapy intervention for people experiencing homelessness and to determine the relationship between self-perceived variables.MethodsPre and post study, setting at the “Santa y Real Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Refugio y Piedad” homeless shelter in Zaragoza, Spain. Participants were people experiencing homelessness with musculoskeletal disorders who attended a physical therapy service at shelter facilities. A physical therapy program was implemented including health education, exercise and manual therapy, electrotherapy, thermotherapy and bandaging. Demographic variables (age and gender), nationality, employment situation, educational level, pain location, number of painful areas, feeling of loneliness (3-Item Loneliness Scale; values from 3 to 9), pain intensity (Numerical Pain Rating Scale [NPRS]; from 0 to 10) and self-perceived health (Clinical Global Impression [CGI]; from 1 to 7).ResultsSixty-four homeless people (age of 46.4 ± 10.9 years) participated in the study. Musculoskeletal pain was reported by 98.4% of subjects, with moderate pain intensities (6.1), and 48.4% presenting with pain at multiple sites. Perceptions of loneliness were low (3.7 ± 2.5) and self-perceived health status was moderately ill (3.5 ± 1.7). Positive significant correlations were identified between pain intensity and self-perceived health. The average number of sessions was 1.5 (± 0.8), with manual therapy (35.6%) followed by health education (23.5%) being the most frequently used techniques. Both pain and self-perceived health improved after treatment, even following a brief intervention.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the potentially negative impact of untreated pain on the self-perceived health of homeless individuals with musculoskeletal disorders that should be targeted for consideration. The findings suggest that a paradigm shift in pain management, including a physical therapy service in shelters, is needed to address the rehabilitation demands of these individuals in a real-life context. This study was approved by the Aragon Ethics Committee (PI19/438) and performed according to the Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND) statement.

Working from home is associated with changes in sleep hygiene practice.

Sleep hygiene habits and self-reported sleep quality of those who work from home have yet to be fully understood. As working from home was widely implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, the period might be a convenient model for studying the measures, as mentioned earlier. This study aimed to assess sleep hygiene habits and self-reported sleep quality in people working from home in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began. This study was designed as a cross-sectional web-based survey. An anonymous questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic variables and questions about personal habits, e.g., exercise activities and caffeine consumption. The outcome measures to assess sleep hygiene and sleep quality were the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) before and after the home office (HO) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A total of 204 responses were received. The prevalence of significant sleep disturbance (PSQI > 5) was 51 %. The mean PSQI and SHI scores were 6.15±3.385 and 17.67±7.836, respectively. PSQI and SHI showed a significant mutual positive correlation at the level of significance p < 0.001. The total score for SHI was similar before and after working from home (p = 0.982). However, differences were observed in its components. The total score on SHI did not change when compared before and during HO. However, working from home was associated with sleep hygiene malpractice in some individual components of SHI. On the other hand, some aspects of sleep hygiene behavior improved during HO.

Phenotypic plasticity of okra for yield and associated traits

Background: The genetic improvement of okra for the agro-ecological conditions requires adequate genetic background for understanding the inheritance of the traits and genetic control.Aim: To evaluate collection of okra accessions for their phenotypic plasticity and their relationships among tested accession.Setting: Field trail laid in a randomised complete block design of three replication.Methods: A total of 24 okra accessions were planted at Loskop Research Station in Limpopo province, South Africa, during the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons.Results: The analysis of variance showed significant differences among the accessions for yield and related traits measured. The principal components analysis revealed 68.85% total variation. The genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) was higher than phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV) for all the measured parameters. The study revealed medium heritability for yield (33%), high (≥ 60%), for hundred-seed weight and number of fruits per plant. A positive significant correlation between grain yield and fruit yield per plant (r = 0.39) was observed.Conclusion: The study recommended accessions Acc No. 1859.2.3.1, Acc No. 1181.2.1.1 and Acc No. 1900.2.3.1 to be used as breeding lines in future okra breeding programme.Contribution: The accessions identified as potential parents for okra improvement programme, based on complementary agronomic traits could be used for direct cultivation by small-scale farmers and parental lines for breeding population.

The role of circulating neutrophils in the progression of kidney cancer

Introduction. Currently, the question of the role of neutrophils in the progression of kidney cancer remains relevant. Neutrophils are capable of exhibiting protumor properties through the secretion of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, which is determined by the expression of genes for these molecules. And the functional heterogeneity of neutrophils is characterized by differences in gene expression patterns.Aim. To assess the role of circulating neutrophils in the progression of kidney cancer.Materials and methods. In circulating neutrophils of patients with verified clear cell kidney cancer at stages I–III according to Tumor, Nodus and Metastasis (TNM) (n = 88) before surgical treatment and conditionally healthy donors (control group) (n = 20), the expression of NGAL genes was determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, MMP-13 and VEGF-A.Results. There was an increase in NGAL gene expression in circulating neutrophils (p = 0.05) at the initial stage and a decrease in it at advanced stages of kidney cancer (p = 0.03). High expression of the MMP-13 gene by circulating neutrophils was detected at all stages of kidney cancer relative to control values (at stage I p = 0.005; at stage II p = 0.003; at stage III p = 0.0008). A significant direct correlation was observed between the expression of the NGAL and MMP-13 genes in neutrophils at stage I kidney cancer (r = 0.696; p = 0.003). In the group of patients with kidney cancer, a direct correlation was found between the expression of the NGAL and VEGF-A genes (r = 0.322; p = 0.049). A multivariable Cox regression model for disease-free survival revealed the predictive value of VEGF-A and NGAL genes expression in circulating neutrophils. With an increase in the expression of the VEGF-A and NGAL genes in neutrophils by 1 unit, the risk of metastases increases by 0.80 (0.65–0.99; p = 0.043) and 1.42 (1.01–2.00; p = 0.046) times, respectively. The Kaplan–Meier analysis of disease-free survival in patients with kidney cancer showed the influence of NGAL expression in circulating neutrophils on progression-free time. In the group of patients with high NGAL expression, the median follow-up was 31.7 months, and in the group with low NGAL expression – more than 36 months (log-rank-test; p = 0.017).Conclusion. Thus, the data obtained suggest that circulating neutrophils play a leading role in the progression of kidney cancer. The level of expression of NGAL in circulating neutrophils can be used to predict the relapse-free period in patients with kidney cancer.

Prognostic Significance of Lymph Node Ratio in Predicting the Outcome of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma - A Retrospective Study.

The lymph node status is a very important prognostic factor in head-and-neck cancer. The presence of metastatic lymph nodes will reduce the overall survival by 50%. Lymph node ratio (LNR) is defined as the ratio of the number of positive lymph nodes to the total number of lymph nodes dissected. The aim of the study was to investigate the prognostic value of LNR in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Medical records of pathologically confirmed OSCC patients who reported with loco-regional recurrence from January 2017 to January 2022 were analysed. LNR and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated for each patient. The endpoint of the study was disease-free survival. Spearman's correlation was used to establish a correlation between DFS and LNR. A total of 33 patients were included in the study. DFS was calculated for all the patients. LNR was calculated in patients with pathological N+ neck. There was a negative significant moderate correlation between LNR and DFS (Spearman's rho = -0.593, P < 0.001). A higher LNR value of more than 0.01 was associated with a shorter DFS period. T4 tumour stage had significantly higher LNR. A positive significant moderate correlation was found between LNR and tumour stage (Spearman's rho = 0.703, P = 0.01). As the T stage increased, the LNR ratio also increased. In the present study, tumour subsite tongue was associated with significantly higher LNR (P = 0.001). LNR can be considered an independent prognostic parameter for DFS in OSCC patients with cervical lymph node metastasis.

Evaluation of Common Bean (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Phaseolus vulgaris &amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;L) Cultivars for Yield and Yield-Related Traits at Sekoru District, South Western Ethiopia

The low productivity of common beans is attached to many yield constraints such as lack of improved varieties; poor management practices, biotic and abiotic factors. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of improved common bean varieties for yield and yield related traits in the Sekoru district of the Jimma zone and identify high-yielding varieties for the study area. Eleven released and one local common bean variety were tested in two locations (Yero Sekoru and Inkure), using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected for 12 quantitative traits and subjected to analysis using SAS software. The interaction effect of genotype by location showed a highly significant variation for all traits except for plant height, dry biomass yield, and hundred seed weight. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation for all traits. Higher The phenotypic coefficient of variation was recorded for 100 seed weight (52.78), pod length (28.9), pods per plant (27.63), harvest index (25.94) and seed yield (24.6) and also a high genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) was observed for 100 seed weight (20.24) and pods per plant (20.34). Low (20) and high (93.5) heritability in broad sense were recorded in days to 50% flowering and dry biomass yield, respectively. At the phenotypic level, all traits had a positive phenotypic significant correlation with seed yield per hectare except for primary branches per plant day to 95% physiological maturity and hundred seed weight, while a negative significant correlation with seed yield per hectare was observed for days to 50% flowering. Genotypic path coefficient analysis indicates that the traits studied showed a positive direct effect on seed yield per hectare, while plant height, primary branches and secondary branches per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to 95% physiological maturity and 100 seed weight exhibited a negative direct effect. However, a positive direct phenotypic effect was observed for traits such as dry biomass yield, pod length, primary branches per plant, seeds per pod, and days to 95% physiological maturity. Among the varieties tested in both locations, the highest yield was recorded for the Ser119 variety (2865.2 kg/ha) followed by the Ser125 variety (2699.2 kg/ha). Therefore, recommending these varieties to farmers in the study area is very important to increase production and income.