Life Situations Research Articles

Longitudinal Comparisons in Health, Participation, Life Satisfaction, and Depressive Symptoms From Pre– to Post–COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Spinal Cord Injuries

ObjectiveTo identify changes in health, health care utilization, participation, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms from before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic to after among ambulatory and nonambulatory participants with spinal cord injury. DesignLongitudinal study with the first measurement taken within 3 months prior to pandemic restrictions and 2 follow-ups at approximately 1-year intervals. SettingMedical university. ParticipantsAdult participants (N=219) with spinal cord injury, including ambulatory (n=155) and nonambulatory (n=64). InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresSelf-report assessment of health outcomes from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; health service utilization including physician visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations; items from the Craig Handicap Assessment Reporting Technique; 3 life satisfaction scales from the Life Situation Questionnaire; and the brief version of the Patient Health Questionnaire. ResultsAfter using a z score correction for nonnormality, none of the time effects or interaction effects of time by ambulatory status were significant. Six comparisons between ambulatory and nonambulatory were statistically significant. Ambulatory participants reported 3 more days in poor physical health (P=.02; statistically significant) and 2 more days feeling worried, tense, or anxious in the last 30 days (P=.03). They visited the emergency department on 0.3 fewer occasions (P=.02) while reporting leaving the house 1 more day every week (P=.02), 2 hours more of sitting tolerance (P<.01), and 1 higher score of vocational satisfaction (P=.03). ConclusionsThe absence of statistically significant changes from before to after the pandemic and the absence of time by ambulatory status interactions suggest stability of outcomes, even in the presence of pandemic challenges.

The association between the years and modes of sports training and levels of moral competence across eleven sports

Background and Study Aim. Research on moral competency in sports is rare, and findings are inconsistent. These findings point to moral development as a multifaceted and complex process. This process is mediated by various life situations and dilemma choices. Sport can play a crucial role in this area with its often ‘role-taking’ experience and confrontations with personal moral standards. This study aimed to analyze the relationship of competency levels and sport experience across different sports. Material and Methods. A sample of university students in sport-related faculties (N = 947) was assessed with the use of Moral Competence test (MCT). The group was divided into 11 predetermined types of sports, training modes (amateur/professional), and indicated years of training practice. Results. The general moral competency level in the overall researched sample of students was low, but similar to their peer-age reference groups found in relevant literature. The findings indicated some differences in moral competency levels between amateurs and professionals. Amateurs showed a higher competency levels in five types of sports (non-invasion games, martial arts/fighting sports, aquatic boating sports). In contrast, professionals showed a higher competency level in dance sports. The only positive, moderate correlation between years of training and moral competency level was found with professional athletes in aquatic boating sports: the longer they trained, the higher their moral competency level was. Conclusions. These results offer new insight into the impact of sports on moral development and can act as a solid foundation for further in-depth research in this area.

ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PILOT PROJECT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR THE FORMATION OF VITALITY IN TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES

State policy in the field of social protection is designed to promote the well-being of people by providing support to the population at the level of territorial communities. Especially people who find themselves in difficult life situations and the most unprotected categories of the population need such support: persons with disabilities, war veterans and their family members, large families, orphans, internally displaced persons, etc. The introduction of a new social service aimed at helping people and increasing their internal potential, maintaining mental health is fully justified.The purpose of the article is to analyze the implementation of a pilot project for the introduction of a social service for the formation of sustainability in certain territorial communities. A number of tasks were solved during the research. The content of the concept of «sustainability» was analyzed, and the personal qualities necessary for the formation of vitality were determined. We consider resilience as a person's ability to resist trials and stresses, maintain emotional and psychological stability and continue to develop even in difficult situations. It has been found that resilience as a skill can be formed, developed, and taught to others even in crisis conditions.The regulatory and legal documents that determine the specifics of the implementation of the social service for the formation of sustainability have been analyzed, and the conditions for the implementation of the project have been disclosed. Attention is drawn to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine «On the implementation of an experimental project on the introduction of a comprehensive social service for the formation of vitality», Order of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine «On the approval of sample forms of documents and reports for the implementation of an experimental project on the introduction of a complex social service on the formation of vitality», orders and orders of individual territorial communities related to the implementation of the project.The activity of the Smilian, Uman and Mliiv territorial communities of Cherkasy region on the implementation of the project on the introduction of social services for the formation of sustainability was analyzed. The expediency of implementing a social service for the formation of vitality in the OTG has been proven.

MYTHOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION IN MODERN INDONESIAN NOVELS

In the factuality, there are many fictional works that raise myth elements and use as reference in writing. Literary works inevitably exist in communities that have cultures and this is well acknowledged by writers who eventually receive them actively-productively. The present study is aimed at identifying these matters in modern Indonesian literature including myth sources, author’s attitudes that are hypogrammed, and myth functions. The study is conducted on five novels produced in the 2000s. Various myth stories contain life values that can be used as inspirations and culturel references in the writing of modern Indonesian novels and, simultaneously, as allegories and metaphors of life in the present time. The novels are partly set as they are in the myth stories, while partly are transformed into the life background of the present time. Even though the novels are set in the time background of the myth stories, the personalities and life philosophy of the characters reflect the life situations of the present time. The writers’ attitudes towards myths are partly continuing and augmenting the myth conventions although through the transformations of plots and characters (myth of concern), and, on the contrary, partly freeing, deviating, and rebelling (myth of freedom). In the case of rebellion to the myth conventions (Roro Jonggrang), it seems that it is due to the influences of the feminist ideas that emphasize the importance of life equalities between men and women. Women need not be always defeated or dominated by men.

Benefits and challenges of using assistive technology in the education and rehabilitation of Individuals with visual impairments

Purpose: Individuals with visual impairments use assistive technology in various aspects of life. Professionals who work with visually impaired people need to know about assistive technologies. The purpose of this study was to analyse the benefits and challenges of assistive technologies by assessing the degree of satisfaction with assistive technologies in different life situations expressed both by users and by professionals.Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 36 individuals with visual impairments and 27 professionals using online questionnaires. Further information was obtained from five individuals with visual impairments through focus group interviews.Results: The results show that 26 (72.2%) individuals with visual impairments and almost all professionals (N = 25; 92.6%) acknowledge the benefits of using assistive technology. They recognise the importance of assistive technology in independent living for individuals with visual impairments. However, 27 (75%) individuals with visual impairment and 26 (96.3%) professionals consider financial constraints to be the biggest problem.Conclusion: More cost-effective technologies need to be developed, and social policies and opportunities created so that every individual with visual impairment can obtain assistive technologies that meet their needs. This would increase the independence of individuals with visual impairments in all areas of life.

Mathematical Connection of Prospective Mathematics Teachers in Constructing Graph-Based Real-life Problem

Mathematical connection ability is one of the important abilities that students should have. Connecting real-world problems to mathematical concepts can make learning mathematics more meaningful for students. In everyday life, there is a lot of information presented in graphs. Graphing competence consists of graph interpretation and graph construction. Even though graph construction is a crucial yet neglected skill. From the previous explanation, the purpose of this study is to describe the ability of students to construct a graph based on a real-life problem. This descriptive qualitative study is collected from 37 prospective mathematics teachers in a university. All students had to answer one question about constructing a graph based on a real-life situation given. The result of this study, students’ mathematical connection between everyday life and mathematics itself was still low. Using indicators in this study: 10.81% of the students could not represent the real-life situation in the graph that they constructed; 75.68% of the students made graphs but many features of the graphs did not represent the situation well; and 13.51% of the students made more representing graph but some features of the graph did not relevant. Therefore, in mathematics learning the teacher should give more experience to the students to explore everyday life situations using mathematics and encourage students to write their thoughts down so that mathematics becomes meaningful for students. Keywords: constructing graph-based real-life problem, mathematical connection, prospective mathematics teachers

Experimentul online, cunoaștere și autocunoaștere în învățământul teatral

The conveyance of emotions through the screen is more constrained than in a face-to-face interaction. Theatre, as an art form, relies on the direct interaction between the audience and actors. Although communication through the screen may limit the ability to convey emotions, modern technology can provide a range of tools to overcome these limitations and facilitate the transmission of emotions and experiences in an advantageous manner. In some situations, these constraints can be viewed as obstacles to be overcome in order to foster creativity, while in others, they may be perceived as impediments inhibiting the development of creativity. Encouraging the discovery and reinforcement of motivation aids in navigating challenging situations that arise in social contexts and contributes to strengthening one’s resilient personality. In difficult life situations, when individuals are subjected to constraints, vulnerability emerges. The actor examines their own vulnerabilities in order to tap into the human experience, thereby enhancing their capacity to comprehend the authentic emotional essence they possess. This understanding enables them to approach the emotions, behavior, actions, and thoughts of their character without dismissing or deeming it a weakness, as it serves as a tool to connect with their play character on the stage.

Interrelation between subjective assessment of mental state and perception of family relations by relatives caring for patients with addiction

The addictive disorder often becomes a difficult experience for the all family. Studying the factors influencing the level of psychological distress of addicted patients’ relatives is necessary to create an effective system of psychological assistance for them.Purpose: to reveal the interrelations between the subjective assessment of the mental state and the perception of family relationships among relatives of patients with pathological gambling (PG) and relatives of patients with stimulant use disorder (SUD).Materials and methods. In a cross-sectional study 100 and 41 patients’ relatives were included in the PG and SUD groups respectively. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Family Environment Scale (FES) was used as an assessment tools. Socio-demographic and clinical data were also collected.Results. The analysis of interrelations between the severity of psychopathological symptoms and the perception of family relationships in the studied groups determined both general and specific correlations. In both groups there are multiple negative correlations between the majority of SCL-90-R scales and the “Cohesion” scale (FES). The specific interrelations included, for example, multidirectional correlations between the “Expressiveness” scale (FES) and psychopathological symptoms scales of the SCL-90-R. Increased expressiveness in the PG group was associated with less severity of psychopathological symptoms and level of distress, and, on the contrary, a greater severity of psychological distress in respondents of the SUD group. Analysis of the correlations in PG compared to SUD showed greater predictability of the connections between psychopathological symptoms and perception of family relationships in the PG group. Thus, the indicators of psychopathological symptoms and psychological distress are negatively associated with parameters reflecting the perception of family cohesion, trust in intrafamily relations, social activity and family organization and, at the same time, have positive interrelations with the indicator of conflict in family relationships.Conclusion. The perception of the family cohesion function as the intrapsychic protection that facilitate the relatives’ adaptation in the emerging life situation, regardless of the form of patients’ addiction.

Impact of Learning on Ordering Policy for Deteriorating Imperfect Quality Items with Promotion Dependent Demand, Partial Trade-Credit and Shortages

Objective: The objective of the developed inventory model is to find the optimal solution for the retailer, while performing inspection for the defectives, and also to offer partial credit periods, where shortages are allowed. Methods: To derive the required solution which benefits the retailer, the partial derivatives method for the decision variables where used and to solve the complicated differential equations the necessary and sufficient conditions has been derived and the theorem and its proofs are given. Findings: In this research findings, the optimal credit period policy and promotional effort dependent demand pattern that offers more profit to the retailer, provided with inspection policy for finding defective items in the lot. Shortages are allowed and completely backordered. Numerical examples and sensitivity analysis are performed to verify the reliability of the developed model. Novelty: This study presents a new model wherein the retailer offers credit period and with shortages that will apt the real life situation as the model developed here is for deteriorating items, which is inevitable to maintain the perfect system. Keywords: Multi­Echelon Inventory Model, Sustainability, Shortages, Credit Period Offers, Learning In Inspection

Neurogenic, non-obstructive urinary retention: diagnosis and treatment

Neurogenic, non-obstructive urinary retention has a varied aetiology. The condition can be caused by central-nervous diseases as well as by disorders of the peripheral nervous system. The formation of residual urine may lead to considerable problems that can have a significant impact on a patient's everyday life. A treatment appropriate for the lower urinary tract dysfunction and suited to the patient's situation in life is only possible if a differentiated diagnostic evaluation has been performed. Both conservative and surgical therapeutic strategies are available, while drug treatment approaches are less relevant. Neuromodulative procedures are particularly suitable for causal treatment of the dysfunction. For patients requiring artificial bladder voiding, intermittent self-catheterization is generally preferable to using an indwelling catheter.

Criminal Profiling as a Method of Detecting Lies in Nonverbal Communication

The exponential growth of crime, violence, and wrongdoing is linked to dysfunction in restraining aggressive impulses, leading to neglect and disrespect of others’ feelings, rights, and needs. Two basic forms of communication, verbal and nonverbal, serve individuals to interact and exchange ideas and attitudes with other people in everyday life situations, including within the framework of criminal investigations and criminal justice. The purpose of this study was to draw an analogy between verbal communication (oral speech, written speech) and nonverbal communication (body language, gestures, and silence), with the tendency to explore different components of nonverbal communication and place them in the context of criminal profiling as a method for detecting lies in nonverbal communication. The aim of this study was to emphasize the importance of nonverbal communication as an equal part of the communication process, and often a predominant one in this domain, which helps us demystify suspects, perpetrators, and criminal acts.

Using of innovative methods during swimming lessons summary

The article offers theoretical and practical material on teaching swimming using innovative technologies during physical classes. In the modern scientific field, various concepts of swimming training have been developed, including holistic-separate, sequential, sequential-parallel and accelerated models, as well as those that use support and technical means. Within these models, different teaching methods and strategies are used, focused on specific pedagogical tasks and audience characteristics. Swimming is considered as a complex skill that requires the separate development of each swimming element: holding your breath, diving, surfacing, lying down, sliding, hand work, leg work, proper breathing. For ego acquisition, the method of repeated repetition of swimming exercises in water is used, which is a combination of studied exercises. Mastering a wide range of swimming movements in all types of swimming, from elementary to sports and elements of applied swimming, initially facilitates the choice of a simpler method, which facilitates the further study of others. In classes, not only standard, but also modular equipment should be used. This approach allows you to reduce the time needed to master swimming skills. The use of innovative technologies in the process of learning to swim contributes to the formation of interest in a healthy lifestyle, increases the level of swimming readiness and functional capabilities of the body. Swimming lessons are innovative in nature and are designed to develop skills that allow you to stay afloat in non-standard situations of everyday life. The article examines and summarizes data on the use of modern innovative methods and technologies of teaching swimming. When introducing innovative technologies into the process of learning to swim, it is necessary to adhere to such technological criteria as efficiency, systematicity, structuredness, scientificity, and procedurality. Innovative methods of teaching swimming include modern approaches and technologies that are designed to facilitate and improve the process of learning this skill. Similar methods can be gradually introduced into the process of physical education.

Meta-membrane electric nanotrap enables instant and efficient water disinfection

Waterborne pathogenic diseases serve as a driving force for the development of effective water disinfection technologies to ensure safe drinking water. However, current water disinfection methods fail to simultaneously achieve instant biocide action, low energy consumption, and high throughput. Here, we design a meta-membrane electric nanotrap, assembled from Ag nanowires self-assembled within a SiO2 nanofibrous framework. By capitalizing on the synergistic effects of trapping and electroporation, this innovative nanotrap configuration enables instant and efficient sterilization. To demonstrate it, we present a disinfection unit equipped with the above membranes that exhibits a swift killing rate (over 6-log antibacterial efficacy within 0.053 s), operating at a high flux (11,200 L m−2 h−1) and an ultra-low driving voltage (1 V). This scalable and highly effective water disinfection technology possesses significant potential for application in daily life and emergency response situations.

Poststroke Communication Ability Predicts Patient-Informant Discrepancies in Reported Activities and Participation.

Participation in life situations has been identified by people with aphasia (PWA) as an ultimate outcome of rehabilitation and is often measured with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) or informant-reported measures. It is known that PWA and informants do not always produce similar scores on measures of activities and participation. However, systematic differences between PWA and informants and the causes of these differences are not well understood. Here, we investigated these differences as a function of language impairment, perceived level of activity and participation success, and depressive symptoms. Participants were 29 PWA-informant dyads who completed a performance-based language assessment and three measures related to different aspects of activities and participation. Outcome variables were PWA-informant difference scores in the activities and participation measures. PWA ratings of activities and participation were not statistically significantly associated with performance-based language severity. Hierarchical regression models with both language impairment and informant-reported scores as predictor variables explained 53%-71% of the variance in PWA-informant difference scores (all p < .05). In particular, mild communication challenges were associated with the PWA reporting significantly worse participation than the informant perceived. In contrast, more severe communication challenges were associated with the PWA reporting significantly better participation than the informant perceived. These findings highlight the importance of measuring participation by PROM. The PWA's experience of participation is not related to their level of language impairment and is predictably different from their care partners' perspective. As others have also reported, "mild" aphasia is not so mild to the PWA. Similarly, "severe" may not be so severe to the PWA. Further research is needed to connect these findings with counseling and caregiver education. Research on response processes (e.g., response shift) is also warranted.

PARENTS' ASSESSMENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND QUALITY OF RECREATION OF CHILDREN OF VULNERABLE CATEGORIES

Creating conditions for recreation and health improvement for children in Russia is a priority area of social policy. Special attention is paid to creating conditions for recreation for certain categories of children in difficult life situations and providing them with preferential vouchers. The article analyses the assessments of parents of children of privileged categories who have spent their holidays in children's recreation and health improvement institutions over the past two years. The results of a nationwide survey conducted by the Russian State Social University in 2023 were used for the analysis. Parents who indicated that their family belonged to the preferential category took part in the survey (N = 973). Based on the survey data, the authors distinguish groups of problems related to awareness of the opportunities to receive preferential vouchers, preparation for recreation, its organization, and the quality of services. The identified problems indicate the need to develop national projects for recreation and health improvement for children in privileged categories and take additional measures to improve the quality of recreation and implement state guarantees for this category of children. On the basis of parents' opinions, the authors have compiled a modal portrait of families of privileged categories that are most dissatisfied with their children's recreation. The results obtained can be used to improve measures related to the implementation of state policy in the field of children's recreation.

ТВОРЧЕСТВО КАК ПУТЬ ПРЕОДОЛЕНИЯ ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ТРАВМ: ВАРИАНТ СУДЬБЫ ЭЛЬЗЫ СКИАПАРЕЛЛИ

Using the example of the biography of Elsa Schiaparelli, one of the most prominent figures in the fashion world, the role of creativity, which became the object of this study, in the life of a neurotic personality is shown. It is proved that creativity acts as a protective mechanism against psychological trauma and internal conflicts, helping to redirect the attention and energy of the individual into a creative channel. As a child, Elsa Schiaparelli had a traumatic experience associated with the understanding of her uselessness in the family, lack of love and care from her mother, and ugliness in comparison with her older sister. In the future, the psychological trauma was aggravated by the husband's neglect of the woman and his departure from the family where the sick girl was born. The dramatic life situation, without breaking Elsa, contributed to her rebellion. Thanks to him, Schiaparelli turned to creativity and made an ascent in the fashion world. Her education and enormous resources of imagination contributed to this. The life of Elsa Schiaparelli demonstrates the positive potential of creativity, contributing to the self-realization of the individual.

Participation experiences of young people with cerebral palsy in key life situations: A qualitative study.

To explore the participation experiences of adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy (CP) in key life situations of young adulthood and investigate the impact of a government-funded, disability insurance scheme on participation and health service access. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews. Sixteen young people with CP (aged 16-30 years; mean age = 24 years 4 months) participated. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim before thematic analysis. An overarching theme of 'branching out into adulthood' was identified. Participants described early adulthood as a time of change, choice, and challenge. The sub-themes were: (1) making sense of my CP as an adult; (2) people's attitudes towards disability and the impacts on me; (3) roadblocks and workarounds; and (4) participation at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants reported complex views on the new disability insurance scheme. While access to services and support increased, participants experienced significant difficulty negotiating appropriate funding, resulting in frustration and reduced confidence in the scheme. Young people with CP experience complexity as they participate during young adulthood. Alongside exploring how their identity is intertwined with having CP, they face significant barriers to participation when navigating relationships, accessing services, and being involved in the community.

Contextual mathematical tasks as a means of developing students� functional literacy in school mathematics course

Relevance. The relevance of the research is conditioned upon the existence of a contradiction between the predominantly abstract-theoretical nature of the conventional school course of mathematics and the objective need to develop students� skills in the practical application of mathematical knowledge and tools to solve specific applied problems in real-life situations. Purpose. The purpose of the research is to identify and comprehensively justify the role and place of contextual mathematical tasks in the development of students� functional literacy, understood as the ability to apply mathematical knowledge in life situations. Methodology. The study employed methods of historical and comparative analysis, curriculum and educational policy analysis, and the generalization of best practices. Results. The work analyses the historical evolution of advanced national systems of mathematics education from the perspective of integrating the practice-oriented contextual approach into them. It is demonstrated that in many countries there has been a gradual transition to more applied mathematics education through the inclusion of realistic contextual tasks. The high effectiveness of school students solving mathematical problems contextualised in everyday scenarios for developing competence in applying abstract mathematical knowledge and skills in real-life situations has been proved. A set of factors stimulating the introduction of the contextualised approach in mathematics teaching, such as the results of international assessments, has been explored in detail. Conclusions. Key pedagogical, methodological and organisational conditions for the successful implementation of this approach in the school system, including the development of teaching materials, teacher training and assessment tools, are identified. The results expand the understanding of the possibilities of contextual tasks in the development of students� functional literacy, which is significant for the improvement of mathematics education. Keywords: mathematics education; practice-oriented learning; application of knowledge; pedagogical practices; curriculum

&lt;span&gt;Some cultural pratices in Vietnamese and American weddings&lt;/span&gt;

This article investigates the similarities and differences between Vietnamese and American weddings. Two articles “Vietnamese Weddings: From Marx to Market” by Nguyen and Belk (2012) and “Our Family Functions: Functions of Traditional Weddings for Modern Brides and Postmodern Families” by Barnes (2014) are used to analyze as evidence of traditional weddings in each country because of their detailed records of wedding components. Based on these records of wedding rituals, ceremonies, and practices, the author has highlighted the similarities and differences in the two wedding cultures, which may provide a great contribution to second language learners and teachers to avoid embarrassing cross-cultural situations in life, especially in weddings of these two cultures.

Qualities of Older Adults' Family and Friendship Relationships and Their Association with Life Satisfaction.

While family and friendship relationship qualities are associated with life satisfaction, evidence on how these types of relationships interact to contribute to older adults' life satisfaction is sparse. This study examined how family and friendship relationship qualities may be supportive of (compensatory) or conflict with (competing) older adults' life satisfaction. We adopted a cross-sectional design to analyze data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 1178, females = 54.8%, mean age = 67.9 years, SD = 9.3 years) to examine compensatory (as in social support) and competing (as in social strain) qualities of family and friendship social relationships and their association with life satisfaction in older adults. For greater explanatory power, we also controlled for life satisfaction by sociodemographic variables of age, gender, education, self-reported general health, physical health and activity, depression, and personality traits. Our findings indicate that the spouse/partner support relationship contributes to older adults' life satisfaction overall and is associated with greater social support and less social strain. Friendship support is associated with improved life satisfaction for older adults reporting spouse/partner strain. Relationship support for the life satisfaction of older adults should consider their need for social support from their social network while minimizing the risk of social strain from adversarial relationships in life situations.