Health literacy research in primary healthcare services - A scoping review.

Association of Exposure to Online Harassment and Stigma With Mental Health Among Transgender and Nonbinary Young Adults in the United States.

Racial and gender disparities in patient-centered communication among older adults in the United States.

Social Media Posts to Encourage In-Person Connections: Online Experiment With Young Adults.

The development of essentialist beliefs about social status categories in China.

Sharing a task in the real world can be more efficient than doing it alone. However, psychology experiments using shared task paradigms have often revealed a cognitive cost from working together. Research on joint action has shown how people track and prioritise the actions and intentions of task partners even when this generates cognitive interference and impairs performance. In contrast, we present four experiments using the picture-word interference (PWI) task in which joint action removed cognitive interference and facilitated performance. In the standard PWI task performed alone, participants respond to target pictures while ignoring distractor words written on top. If picture-word pairs are related (e.g., apple-orange) then responses are slowed compared to when they are unrelated (e.g., apple-book), known as semantic interference. In our joint version of the task, we removed semantic interference by telling participants they would be collaborating with a partner who was responsible for the distractor words (Experiment 1, N=77). Furthermore, interference was only removed when participants believed that their partner was responding specifically to the words (Experiment 2, N=78), was perceived as high in social status (Experiment 3, N=80), or high in task competence (Experiment 4, N=76). We propose this demonstrates how people can deprioritise information associated with partners on shared tasks. In doing so, they can reduce their own cognitive demands by leveraging the cognitive resources of others to support an efficient division-of-cognitive-labour. We term this social offloading.

Influence of laying hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) social behaviour on the performance of natural behaviours and the utilization of enrichments in alternative housing systems

A social hierarchy is an ordered ranking of individuals that arises through their interactions and governs relative access to resources and social influence. This form of social organization is pervasive across animal species and has a crucial role in shaping survival and reproductive outcomes. Across species, the routes to high status vary widely. As social groups become more complex, the basis of hierarchy shifts from simple residency rules to fighting-based dominance and finally to alliance-based systems. In this Review, we first examine the neuroendocrine and subcortical mechanisms that support status transitions in residency-based hierarchies. We then discuss plasticity within hypothalamic and mesolimbic circuits that underlie fighting-outcome-based social learning, through which fighting-based hierarchies emerge. Finally, we explore alliance-based hierarchies in cognitively complex species, in which individuals attain status through coalition formation, cooperation and reputation. We review evidence that cortical regions encode information about the strengths, emotions, experiences and intentions of other individuals and use this to navigate complex social interactions and attain status. As social hierarchies have shifted from primarily fighting-based to increasingly alliance-based strategies over evolutionary time, neural control of status has, thus, transitioned from subcortical social behaviour circuits to a more elaborated cortical network in humans.

Cichlid fish as a model for understanding social dysfunction.

The worldwide exponential growth of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) associated with robotization, the globalization of markets, and the detriment of the workforce, have made the service industry an attractive sector for emerging technological innovation (Tuomi et al., 2021). Service robots are beginning to perform service deliveries that used to be completed by human employees. The service industry has been recognized for achieving customer satisfaction in any service delivery through the emotional intelligence skills that are naturally given to human employees, so it is expected that the mission of service robots is to maintain this satisfaction in customers (Sayed and Proches, 2021; Torres et al., 2019). Previous research has shown that replacing traditional employees with service robots has generated customer dissatisfaction and decreased quality-of-service provision. Although high technology and artificial intelligence have taken over service robots, the lack of emotional intelligence skills in service robots has hindered their popularity from customers' perception. (Paluch and Wirtz, 2020; Park and del Pobil, 2013). The purpose of this current study is to explore the importance of the customer-machine relationship in the provision of services and the role that emotional intelligence plays in the perception of customers. It reviews the literature on the importance of emotions in the service industry and offers three propositions. The literature review indicates that, despite the natural abilities given to clients, they prefer to delegate the execution of repetitive tasks to robots. The development of social/emotional skills in service robots is essential to fit into the service industry and maintain the social status of service robots by providing customer satisfaction. Once these social/emotional skills, technological advances, and artificial intelligence enhancements are fully developed in robots, the impact on customer and employee perception will likely be more substantial.

Promoting physical activity among the general population as well as among people with a history of migration is a crucial aspect of health promotion. However, we still lack a general understanding of physical activity levels and their potential correlates among adults with a history of migration living in Germany. The GEDA Fokus study, conducted by the Robert Koch Institute from 11/2021 to 05/2022, is a nationwide cross-sectional health interview survey of adults (18-79 years) with Croatian, Italian, Polish, Syrian or Turkish citizenship living throughout Germany (n = 6,038). The Aims of this study were (1) to assess the physical activity levels of adults with selected citizenships in Germany, specifically, adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for aerobic activity and muscle strengthening, and in addition, cycling as a means of transport and (2) to identify sociodemographic, migration-related and psychosocial correlates of their physical activity behaviour. Approximately 70% of the participants reported not achieving the WHO recommendations for aerobic physical activity and 75% did not achieve the recommendation for muscle strengthening. The physical activity levels among the participants were associated with a number of sociodemographic, migration-related and psychosocial factors. Multivariable regression analyses showed that men compared to women, adults with higher educational levels, higher subjective social status, better German language proficiency and a higher level of social support were more likely to achieve the WHO recommendations for physical activity. In addition, men compared to women and adults with higher educational levels were more likely to cycle as a means of transport. Overall, the study found that physical activity levels among adults of Croatian, Italian, Polish, Syrian or Turkish citizenship living in Germany were low in comparison to the general population, and there were significant associations between their physical activity behaviour and a range of sociodemographic, migration-related and psychosocial factors. Further in-depth research is needed, both from a public health and health sociology perspective, to identify barriers to physical activity among people with a history of migration and to derive appropriate measures for intervention planning.

Mass dog vaccination to control rabies usually involves centralized planning and team-led annual campaigns. We evaluated the implementation processes of a decentralized, community-based continuous approach to mass dog vaccination (CBC-MDV), delivered as an arm of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) across the Mara region, Tanzania. We employed the socio-anthropological framework to assess the implementation process of the CBC-MDV approach. We embedded a mixed method process evaluation into the RCT and conducted in-depth interviews with district and village-level implementers, focus group discussions with ward-level implementers and community leaders and members, non-participant observation of the campaigns, and an audit of the vaccination campaign activities. We analyzed the resulting data following the five domains of the socio-anthropological framework. Refining the five domains, we report that 1) Environmental context affected CBC-MDV campaigns, which were interrupted by rainy and farming seasons, school schedules, market days and funerals, whilst village size and routes of access reduced their reach. 2) Social difference and pressures, and community involvement influenced delivery; cultural celebrations and social statuses of implementors hindered delivery, while by-laws and perceived rabies risk improved delivery. Community involvement facilitated implementation, but there was a need to strategically select who did what and how. 3) Strategies and incentives affected implementers, who were motivated by training and resources provided, and delivered 88% of components as planned. 4) Socio-materiality and resilience of intervention strategies and tools made it feasible to deploy the required equipment across a wide geographic scale, with adequate vaccination opportunities, but implementers found house-to-house and on-demand strategies demanding and less effective than central point delivery. 5) Governance also affected delivery with closer supervision by veterinary officials and community leaders, and co-reflexive appraisal of implementation with communities constrained by resource limitations. CBC-MDV with local storage of dog vaccine can be deployed across the rural landscape of Tanzania. Deeper involvement of communities in planning when and how campaigns are conducted, and in the appraisal of outcomes can significantly address barriers to dog-owner participation. The socio-anthropological framework provides a useful framing for understanding intervention delivery but not refinement for use cases.

Primary intraosseous carcinoma not otherwise specified (PIOC NOS) is an extremely rare jawbone cancer, accounting for approximately 1-2% of all oral cancers. Considering its rarity, no established standard treatment exists for postoperative recurrence or metastasis. This study aimed to analyse the clinical manifestations of this disease and identify novel genomic abnormalities to aid identification of potential treatment strategies. We examined the clinical information of 14 PIOC NOS cases treated at our institution in recent years and compared it with previous reports. Genomic analysis was conducted on seven formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded surgical specimens, assessing 523 DNA and 55 RNA cancer-related genes using next-generation sequencing. Our findings, along with previous literature, revealed the posterior mandible as the primary site in most cases, though this was rarely identified at the time of initial diagnosis. Recurrence within two years of surgery was common. Hotspot mutations in PIK3CA were observed in 60% of cases. Additionally, one patient had high TMB status. Given the challenges in diagnosis and the potential for rapid recurrence or metastasis, early detection is crucial. Comprehensive genomic profiling is highly desirable, as genomic analysis may direct the development of targeted therapeutic agents to treat relapse.

ABSTRACT Teaching in Türkiye has long been discussed in relation to working conditions, social status, and professional satisfaction. Rather than reiterating these challenges, this study examines the structural and experiential factors shaping teachers’ professional satisfaction and their identification with the profession. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 226 primary school teachers through a job satisfaction scale, and qualitative data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with 85 teachers. The findings show that many teachers express strong emotional attachment to teaching and derive meaning from working with children and contributing to society. At the same time, a substantial proportion of participants reported a desire to work in alternative professions, particularly legal fields, which they associated with social status, meritocracy, and the pursuit of justice. This tension indicates that professional satisfaction in teaching cannot be understood solely through individual motivation or commitment. Drawing on international literature on teacher professionalism and professional identity, the study demonstrates how positive affect towards teaching can coexist with weakened perceptions of professional status, autonomy, and career security. The findings contribute to broader debates on teacher professionalism in contexts characterised by centralised governance and fragmented employment structures.

ABSTRACT Objective Recent studies show that former professional football players have an increased mid-life risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including hypertension related to their prior concussion exposure while playing football. Adolescent football players at risk of concussion are exposed to biopsychosocial risk factors of CVD that increase the likelihood of stroke in adulthood. This study aims to examine the association between concussion history and hypertension among adolescent football athletes, adjusting for health-related anthropometric measures, post-concussion symptoms, and behavioral/environmental factors. Methods Data were drawn from a prospective cohort study’s cross-sectional baseline containing self-reported concussion history. A total of 390 adolescent football athletes (mean age = 15.8 ± 1.2 years) in secondary schools participated in the study. The primary exposure included concussion history (yes/no). Other independent variables included post-concussion symptom scale (PCSS) severity, subjective social status (SSS), sleep disturbance score, and anthropometric measures (waist circumference, BMI, body fat, obesity level). The main outcome variable was blood pressure in the hypertensive range, defined as a binary-coded variable (SBP ≥130 mmHg, DBP ≥80 mmHg). A multivariable logistic regression model was conducted with complete cases (n = 327). Results A total of 31.4% of individuals (n = 121) had blood pressure in the hypertensive range. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that body fat is significantly and positively associated with blood pressure in the hypertensive range (AOR = 1.06, p = 0.03). However, concussion history, PCSS severity, SSS, sleep disturbance, waist circumference, and obesity level were not significantly associated (all ps > 0.05). Conclusion Body fat percentage was positively associated with blood pressure in the hypertensive range in this sample, whereas no association with concussion history was observed. The results suggest that risk factors noted in former professional football athletes may not strongly impact blood pressure in adolescence but could raise concerns for increased CVD risk as these athletes move through the lifespan.

This article describes aregional study performed in patients with bone metastases from prostate cancer hypothesizing that intensified radiotherapy (metastases directed and prostate directed) may result in longer overall survival. Aretrospective study of 246 consecutive male patients who received 347 courses of radiotherapy in the time period 2011-2025 was performed. Patients were stratified into three cohorts spanning 5‑year intervals (2011-2015, 2016-2020, 2021-2025). Survival was analyzed in allcomers and separately in patients without visceral metastases treated within the first year after diagnosis (n = 119). Median overall survival was shortest in the earliest phase of the study (2011-15). The two recent cohorts had similar survival. Outpatients with high performance status irradiated early after diagnosis and to all known sites of disease experienced superior survival. In the subgroup of 119 patients, simultaneous prostate radiotherapy prolonged survival (numerically better than no prostate RT, median 40vs.26months, 5‑year rate 47vs.18%, p = 0.11). The impact of bone radiotherapy dose (dichotomized < 3 Gy × 13 or its biological equivalent vs. higher doses) was significant (if synchronous metastases, 5‑year rate 64vs.17%, p = 0.026; if metachronous metastases, 5‑year rate 48vs.8%, p < 0.001). Bone dose remained significant in multivariate analyses, together with clinical baseline parameters. In our healthcare region, outcomes largely resemble those of prospective trials. Comprehensive radiotherapy to the prostate and bone oligometastases plus guideline-based systemic therapy resulted in favorable 5‑year survival.

Abstract The study presents the reconstruction and interpretation of two necklaces discovered in grave no. 206 at the Luzino cemetery, the easternmost burial ground of the Dębczyno group in northern Poland. The assemblage, comprising 174 beads of amber, glass, and a single crinoid specimen, represents one of the best-preserved examples of bead ornaments within this cultural horizon. Based on the spatial arrangement of the finds and typological analyses, two necklaces were identified: a shorter, homogeneous strand of amber beads and a longer, mixed composition of amber and glass beads. Their reconstruction was based on in situ documentation, analogies from other Dębczyno cemeteries (Dębczyno, Kowalki), and comparative studies within the Wielbark culture. Beyond typological classification, the study explores the necklaces as communicative and symbolic elements of attire. The arrangement, color, and material of the beads are interpreted as deliberate choices reflecting the wearer’s identity, social status, and possibly her role within the community. Although skeletal remains were not preserved, associated artifacts suggest that the grave contained an adult woman. The necklaces, worn around the neck and reaching mid-chest, are considered components of ceremonial dress that expressed both individual and group identity. In a broader perspective, the Luzino necklaces exemplify how adornments functioned as social markers and visual signs within contemporary societies. Their composition and symbolism point to the existence of a codified language of attire, in which color and form convey information about origin, status, and personal history. The study thus contributes to understanding the cultural and social significance of bead ornaments in the Dębczyno group and the wider Wielbark cultural milieu.

Validation and psychometric properties of the Spanish Curvy Ideal Internalization scale (CII-S) in Colombian women.

This qualitative case study examines the factors influencing childbearing reluctance among university-employed couples with favorable socioeconomic status in Iran. Through semi-­structured interviews with twelve participants from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, the research highlights the complex interplay of cultural, social, policy-related, economic, and individual factors. Cultural and social concerns were the most significant, including ideological conflicts, diminished optimism about future societal conditions, and anxiety about child-rearing in limited educational and recreational environments. Participants frequently cited social tensions, the erosion of traditional values, and the fear of exposing children to an uncertain future as key deterrents, reflecting broader societal anxieties. Policy-related barriers were also significant, such as insufficient maternity leave, lack of support for working mothers, and ineffective fertility-promoting initiatives. While economic pressures, especially the rising cost of quality education and childcare, were acknowledged, they did not consistently overshadow cultural or policy-related issues. Individual circumstances like caregiving responsibilities, professional demands, and health constraints were less influential. The study found that uniform policies can’t motivate childbearing in diverse groups, so Tailored interventions that target cultural challenges, institutional deficiencies, and psychosocial needs are essential for influencing fertility behaviors.

BackgroundPhosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) signaling promotes tumor progression and immune evasion in various solid malignancies. However, its specific prognostic role and association with the tumor microenvironment (TME) in biliary tract cancer (BTC) remain poorly defined. We sought to develop a robust transcriptomic pSTAT3 activity score to stratify BTC patients and elucidate the biological drivers of therapeutic resistance.MethodsWe analyzed transcriptomic data from 198 BTC patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center and utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA-CHOL, n = 30 matched samples) for validation. A pSTAT3 activity score was constructed as the geometric mean of six canonical downstream targets (SOCS3, BCL2, MYC, MMP9, HGF, IL6) using the formula:16∑i=16log2 (Expression+i1)We correlated this score with proteomic data (RPPA), clinical outcomes (mPFS, mOS), and 29 established immune gene signatures to characterize the TME (Bagaev, Cancer Cell 2021).ResultsThe 6-gene mRNA score demonstrated a positive correlation with proteomic pSTAT3 levels in TCGA, validating its biological relevance. In the MD Anderson cohort, High pSTAT3 status was a significant negative prognostic factor across all stages. High pSTAT3 patients exhibited significantly shorter median progression-free survival (2.3 vs. 6.9 months, p < 0.0001) and overall survival (7.5 vs. 15.4 months, p < 0.0001) compared to the Low pSTAT3 group. TME deconvolution revealed that High pSTAT3 tumors are characterized by a distinct immunosuppressive phenotype, significantly enriched for Treg and Th2 signatures, angiogenesis, and inflammation (PTGS2/COX-2), while showing downregulation of the gemcitabine transporter SLC29A1. Notably, first-line immunotherapy did not confer a survival benefit in the High pSTAT3 subgroup.ConclusionsThe proposed 6-gene pSTAT3 score robustly identifies a high-risk BTC subclass characterized by primary chemotherapy resistance and a Treg-enriched immunosuppressive TME. These findings suggest standard chemo-immunotherapy is ineffective for this subgroup, highlighting the need for novel targeted strategies to reverse this aggressive phenotype.