Statistical Package For Social Sciences Research Articles

Social support and achievement motivation: Can they alleviate burnout in swimming athletes?

Background and Study Aim. In the world of sport, boredom is detrimental because it can affect performance and decrease achievement. Coaches and athletes should pay attention to boredom as an early potential warning signal to potentially become more severe. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of social support and achievement motivation in alleviating burnout in swimming athletes. Materials and Methods. This quantitative research employs an ex post facto approach. The participants in this study were members of the Sleman Regency swimming club in Yogyakarta, totaling 73 athletes (43 males, 30 females). The social support instrument used was The Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire (PASSQ), the motivation instrument used was The Sports Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), and the burnout instrument used was the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ). The analysis was performed using regression techniques in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 software. Results. The results showed that social support (t = ‑2.773, p = 0.007) and achievement motivation (t = ‑2.777, p = 0.007) had a negative and significant effect on burnout in swimming athletes. Conclusions. It can be concluded that social support and achievement motivation can alleviate burnout in swimming athletes, with an influence of 31.20%.

Midwives’ Knowledge, Perceptions and Practices on Utilization of the Partograph at Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital

Globally, maternal death has been an issue of concern, while obstructed and prolonged labour are among the top five causes of these deaths in Africa and Zimbabwe particularly. Proper and effective utilization of the Partograph significantly helps in preventing and reducing the high numbers of birthing complications of such a nature. A Partograph is a labour monitoring chart that provides a pictorial overview of maternal and foetal well-being during the intrapartum period. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practices on the utilization of the Partograph among midwives working at Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital. A descriptive cross sectional design was used, and a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 60 participants chosen using the purposive sampling technique. Data were collected and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22) and presented using charts, tables, and narration. The study identified that midwives were knowledgeable, although they had a negative attitude towards the Partograph attributed by a lack of motivation caused by the absence of support from mentors and supervisors, lack of workshops, and on-the-job training on the use of the graphical chart. Underutilization of the tool, which pointed to poor practice, was attributed to understaffing of midwives, high workload, and burnout syndrome among the labour ward midwives. These implications could lead to omissions, litigations, poor maternal service delivery, and lawsuits. Periodic workshops, symposiums, on-the-job training would go a long way in improving attitudes. The study concluded that the Partograph is a very important tool that should be effectively used in the labour ward so that complications are picked up early, thereby improving maternal outcomes. Support for the midwives, supervision, mentorship, non-monetary incentives, and increased staffing with an acceptable midwife-patient ratio of probably 1:2 would improve practice and yield a positive birthing outcome of a live and healthy mother and baby.

Mechanical properties of 3D-printed resin denture teeth: An in vitro study.

The purpose of this study was to compare the wear, fracture strength, and mode of failure of various brands of 3D-printed resin denture teeth with prefabricated acrylic resin. Additionally, the study aimed to analyze the different modes of failure exhibited by these teeth. The study utilized 90 3D-printed and 30 prefabricated, 3D-printed resin teeth from three brands: L = Optiprint Lumina, A = ASIGA DentaTooth, P = Power resins, along with prefabricated acrylic teeth from M = Major Super Lux. Each of the 30 samples per main group was divided into two subgroups: The first subgroup samples (M1, A1, L1, P1) were subjected to thermal cycling and mechanical loading; M2, A2, L2, and P2 were not aged and tested directly. A scan of a prefabricated acrylic tooth was taken using an intraoral scanner, and then the STL file was printed using an Asiga 3Dprinter. The specimens underwent aging to simulate 5 years of clinical use with 10,000 thermal cycles and 1,200,000 dynamic load cycles on a chewing simulator. Surface roughness parameters (Rz, Ra, Rq) were measured using a 3D Optical Profilometer, fracture resistance was assessed using a universal testing machine, and SEM analysis was performed to observe failure modes. Statistical analysis using T-test, one-way analysis, and two-way analysis processed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 23.0 (SPSS: Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was done with a level of significance set at <0.05. The results showed that the difference in surface roughness parameters (Rz, Ra, Rq) before and after aging for Group M, Group A, Group L, and Group P was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Two-way ANOVA for wear resistance between aging and groups on dependent variable Rz (p = 0.002), Ra (p = 0.001), Rq (p = 0.001) were significant. Multiple comparisons for surface roughness parameters showed Group A and Group L were lower than Group P and Group M (p < 0.05). For fracture strength, One-way ANOVA showed a significant difference between groups for fracture strength either without or after the aging procedure (p < 0.05). Multiple comparisons for fracture strength without aging showed no significant difference between Group M, Group A, and Group L (p > 0.05). After the aging procedure fracture strength for Group M was higher than Group A, Group L, and Group P (p < 0.05). 3D-printed resin teeth showed a greater and comparable wear resistance to prefabricated acrylic teeth. Fracture strength was comparable between prefabricated acrylic teeth and 3D-printed resin (Asiga and Lumina) before aging, but after aging 3D-printed resin teeth showed less fracture strength.

Effect of Information Sharing on Organizational Commitment in Insurance Companies in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Purpose: To assess the effect of information sharing on organizational commitment in insurance companies in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya Materials and Methods: Quantitative techniques were used for both data collection and analysis. The target population was 754 respondents who were drawn from the insurance companies in Uasin Gishu County. the sample size was 260 determined using Krejcie and Morgan table 1970. After the sample size of 260 respondents. Simple random sampling was used to select the respondents to participate in the research study, but after it had been determined how many from each of the insurance companies participated. Under Inferential Statistics, Multiple Regressions was used to determine the effect of a set of independent variable (high involvement work systems) on dependent variable (organizational commitment), Co-efficient of Correlation using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 package Findings: Regression between information sharing and organizational commitment were was positive and significant ((b=0.322,p=0.000). Based on the t-test results the null hypothesis was rejected. Thus, there is a significant effect of information sharing on Organizational Commitment in insurance companies in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Information sharing ensure that employees receive for their job responsibilities and relevant extra role duties for purposes of their commitment to the organization. In this regard the insurance companies should ensure their information sharing criteria meets the threshold of information quality dimensions, such as timeliness and correctness accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, validity, and uniqueness so as to engender positive employee behaviors as organizational commitment.

Assessment of Quality of Life of Doctors during Corona Pandemic in a Tertiary Hospital in Dhaka City

Background: Corona pandemic is an event where there is a rupture of the normal life pattern. The healthcare professionals specially doctors had faced an unknown potential threat to life that made them work in an intense and fearful situation. So, their quality of life (QOL) was affected in that pandemic. Objectives: To assess the physical health, psychological, social relationship, and environmental domains of quality of life of doctors during COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary level hospital. Methods: It was a cross sectional study that included 100 doctors who were working during corona pandemic in BSMMU. Then they were interviewed with a semi-structured socio-demographic questionnaire. Quality of life was assessed by validated Bengali version of World Health Organization quality of life scale brief (WHOQOL-BREF). Data analysis was performed by statistical package for social science (SPSS), version-20. Results: Among the four domains, the environmental domain had the lowest score followed by physical health and psychological health domain and the social relationship domain showed a relatively higher score. Besides, environmental health scores of female doctors were significantly higher than those of male doctors. Perceptions of quality of life were significantly poor among doctors who were in current economic struggle (p=0.034) or in fear of future economic struggle (p=0.009). Score of environmental health domain were significantly low among doctors who were in current economic struggle (p=0.0137) as well as in fear of future economic struggle (p=0.015). Conclusion: All domains of quality of life were impaired in doctors during COVID-19 pandemic situation. Among the four domains of WHOQOL-BREF scale, environmental domain was mostly affected. Environmental health of male doctors was worse than female doctors during COVID-19 pandemic. Current as well as fear of future economic struggle in COVID-19 pandemic detrimentally affected perception of quality of life among responded doctors. These also caused poor environmental health among doctors in COVID-19 pandemic. J Com Med Col Teachers Asso Jan 2024; 28(1): 09-13

Probabilistic Inventory Models and Productivity of Selected Manufacturing Firms in Port Harcourt

This study examines the relationship between probabilistic inventory models and productivity of selected manufacturing firms in port Harcourt. Correlational survey research design was adopted for this study as this study seek to determine the relationship between the two variables. The population of this study is thirty-two (32) manufacturing companies in Rivers State which are registered with the Rivers State branch of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). This gave us a total of ninety-two (92) for the study. Structured questionnaire instrument title” Probabilistic inventory models and productivity of selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. questionnaire was developed on five- point likert scale. The result of the Cronbach's Alpha reliability test indicates .800 which is above .70 which implies that the items are reliable. Pearson product moment correlation was used to test the hypotheses using SPSS (statistical package social sciences). The study revealed that there is a significant relationship between Continuous Review Models and Productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. There is a significant relationship between Periodic Review Models and Productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. There is a significant relationship between Single-Period Models and Productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The study concluded that Probabilistic inventory models play a crucial role in optimizing inventory management for manufacturing firms. The study recommended that Manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt should consider implementing probabilistic inventory models such as continuous review, periodic review, and single-period models to optimize their inventory management processes.

Factors affecting the level of commercialization of smallholder pig farmers in the west rand district municipality of gauteng, South Africa

This study aimed to analyse the factors influencing the smallholder pig farmers’ level of commercialization in the agricultural markets in the West Rand District of Gauteng Province, South Africa. A total population sampling was used, where data was collected from 84 smallholder pig farmers by a semi-structured questionnaire. Version 28.0 of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), binary logistic regression, and multinomial logit models were used to analyse the collected data. The results showed that 78.6% of the smallholder pig farmers lacked commercialization. The results further indicated that the pig unit size, level of the farmers’ commercialization, number of piglets per sow, and farmers’ affiliation had a significant influence on the smallholder pig farmers' access to high-value markets. Variables such as credit availability, market accessibility, and the quantity of the piglets per sow significantly impacted the level of commercialization among the interviewed smallholder pig farmers. Smallholder farmers’ access to commercial and high-value pig markets is not easily accessible; therefore, the municipalities and local agricultural departments should make provision for an agricultural extension program that will prioritize and concentrate on the smallholder farmers’ access to the high-value market.

THE EFFECT OF MARKETING CONTENT AND E-WOM ON THE TIKTOK APPLICATION ON PURCHASE DECISIONS STUDY ON STREET BOBA CONSUMERS IN TANGERANG CITY

This study aims to analyze the effect of content marketing (X1) and e-WOM (X2) on purchasing decisions (Y) on Street Boba products (studies on consumers in Tangerang City). This research is quantitative research and survey research. The samples taken in this study were 102 respondents. Data was obtained from distributing questionnaires. Primary data processing uses ms. excel and Statistical Package For Social Science (SPSS) version 26 as evaluation. While the data analysis used in this study includes: instrument tests, classical assumption tests, multiple linear analysis, correlation analysis, and hypothesis testing. The results of this study indicate that the variables Marketing Content (X1) and E-WOM (X2) have a positive and significant influence on Purchasing Decisions as evidenced by the results of the study where in the coefficients table the sig value is 0.000 &lt;0.1 and the F hitung value is 150.626 &gt; F table 2.36.

Does Prior Experience Matter? Intention to Undergo Cervical Cancer Screening among Rural Women in South-Central Ethiopia

Early screening for cervical cancer has substantially reduced the morbidity and mortality attributed to it. This study aimed to assess factors that affect the intention to undergo cervical cancer screening among rural women attending primary healthcare facilities in south-central Ethiopia. A health-facility-based, cross-sectional study design was employed for which the calculated required sample size was 427. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was adapted from previously published research and used to collect data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 was used for the statistical analysis. A logistic regression model was used to determine the factors that influenced the women’s intention to undergo cervical cancer screening. A total of 420 women participated in this study, with a response rate of 98%. The mean score from the questionnaire that was used to assess the women’s intention to undergo cervical cancer screening was 10.25 (SD ± 2.34; min 3, max 15). The absence of previous screening experience (AOR: 0.498; 95% CI 0.27–0.92) and high degree of perceived behavioural control (AOR, 0.823; 95% CI 0.728–0.930) were significantly negatively associated with women’s intention to undergo cervical cancer screening. Previous screening experience and perceived behavioural control significantly influenced the intention to undergo cervical cancer screening. Women in rural areas could, therefore, benefit from awareness-creation programmes that focus on these factors.

THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND BRAND IMAGE ON PURCHASING DECISIONS ON ERIGO STORE PRODUCTS

This study aims to analyze the influence of social media marketing factors (X1) and brand image factors (X2) on purchasing decisions (Y) for Erigo Store consumers in Tangerang City. This research is a quantitative research and survey research. The samples taken in this study were 100 respondents. Data obtained from distributing questionnaires. Primary data processing uses ms.excel and Statistical Package For Social Science (SPSS) version 25 as evaluation. While the data analysis used in this study includes: descriptive statistical analysis, classical assumption test, linear regression analysis, correlation analysis, coefficient of determination test and hypothesis testing. The results of this study indicate that the Social Media Marketing Factor (X1) and Brand Image Factor (X2) simultaneously have a positive and significant effect on Purchase Decision (Y) indicated by the Fcount&gt;Ftable value of 319.453 &gt; 3.09 with a significant value of 0.000 &lt; 0.05..

Design and validation of a questionnaire on the perception of learning differential equations using sofware in university students

Introduction: Differential equations' complexity and abstractness make teaching challenging in university settings. The use of educational software emerges as a valuable pedagogical tool to enhance the learning process.Objective: This research aimed to design and validate a questionnaire to know university students' perception of learning differential equations through software.Method: This mixed-methods research employed descriptive-explanatory methods to investigate the topic. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, key aspects of the study topic were identified, the target population and sample were determined, experts were selected, an initial 27-question questionnaire was developed, content validity and reliability were assessed, and data were analyzed. Content validity was established using the Delphi method with eight mathematics experts and validated further using Aiken's V coefficient. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and Omega McDonald's coefficients, employing Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software.Results: The experts assessed the adequacy, relevance, and clarity of the questions, ultimately validating 17 questions with an Aiken's V greater than 0.80 (with a 95% confidence interval). For reliability, an Alpha of 0.799 and an Omega of 0.798 were obtained, confirming that the 17 questions are well-correlated and consistently measure the same construct.Conclusions: A 17-item questionnaire was developed with validated and consistent questions to gather reliable and accurate information on the perception of learning differential equations using educational software.

Post COVID-19 mucormycosis in critical care settings: A prospective cohort study in a tertiary care center in Egypt

BackgroundThe emergence of mucormycosis as a life-threatening fungal infection after the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a major concern and challenge, but there is limited information on the risk factors for mortality in patients. MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study from May 2021 to April 2022 to determine the in-hospital outcomes of post-COVID-19 mucormycosis during the intensive care unit (ICU) stay. The sample of the study was collected as consecutive sampling using all accessible patients in the study period. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25 (IBM, Chicago, Illinois, USA) was used for statistical analysis. ResultsAmong 150 patients with post-COVID-19 mucormycosis, the majority had a primary sinus infection (86.0 %), while 11.3 % had both sinus and ocular infections, and 2.7 % had sinus and cutaneous infections. Around 21 % (n = 31) of patients deceased after staying in the ICU for a median (range) of 45.0 (10.0–145.0) days. The majority of the patients who deceased had pneumonia patches on computed tomography (CT) (90.3 %) while none of the patients who were discharged had pneumonia patches (p < 0.001). The deceased group had higher rates of pulmonary embolism (93.5 %) compared to the surviving groups (21.8 %). In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, the risk of death was higher in older patients above 60 years old (hazard ratio (95 %CI): 6.7 (1.73–15.81)), increase among patient with history of steroid administration (hazard ratio (95 %CI): 5.70 (1.23–10.91)), who had facial cutaneous infection with mucormycosis (hazard ratio (95 %CI): 8.76 (1.78–25.18)), patients with uncontrolled diabetes (hazard ratio (95 %CI): 10.76 (1.78, 65.18)), and total leukocytic count (TLC>10 ×103 mcL) (hazard ratio (95 %CI): 10.03 (3.29–30.61)). ConclusionsIdentifying high-risk patients especially old diabetic patients with corticosteroid administration and detecting their deterioration quickly is crucial in reducing post-COVID-19 mucormycosis mortality rates, and these factors must be considered when developing treatment and quarantine strategies.

Novel combination with maca improves sperm parameters in vitro of asthenozoospermic men

BACKGROUND: Infertility is an inability to conceive after a reasonable period of time (12 months) without the use of contraception or due to a person’s incapacity to procreate, whether independently or with a spouse. Problems with the production and maturation of sperm are the most common causes of male infertility additionally; the motility is the major functional character that determines the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. Therefore the goal of this study is to get better certain sperm function parameters in vitro of asthenozoospermic patient. OBJECTIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) and many studies considered the infertility as a disease and so many couples complaining from unsuccessful assisted reproductive technologies (ART) procedures to overcome their problem. The goal of this study is to improve certain sperm function feature in vitro of asthenozoospermic semen patients by using combination of motility inducing namely; Maca, L-carnitine and Pentoxifylline that enhance the medium to improve certain sperm characters that might be utilized for ART centers. METHODOLOGY: Semen aliquots were collected from ninety patients with asthenozoospermia who participated in present study, the volume of semen samples with normal ejaculate when was ranged between 1.4-6ml and can be measured by using a measure pipette or conical graduated tube; Inclusion criteria was Asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia and teratozoospermia men, Infertile idiopathic men also, fertile normozoospermic men. While Exclusion criteria was Azoospermic men, Alcoholic, Patients under treatment with antibiotics and men with Varicocele. The samples split into two equal groups at random. Using Ham’s F12 medium, one portion served as the control group, and the other was the treatment group, which was mixing by combining the following ingredients, Maca powder extracts (Lepidium meyenii) (M) 1 mg/ml, 0.5 mg/ml of L-Carnitine (LC), and 10 mg/ml of Pentoxifylline (PTX). The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The descriptive statistics including frequency, range, mean and standard error, Data from treated and control groups were expressed as mean ± SEM and to compare value between experimental and control groups using Students t-test. Layering approach is used to investigate sperm parameters before and after in vitro activation. RESULTS: The information showed a very large (p&lt; 0.001) increase in active sperm motility grade A, percentage of progressive motility with significant increase in morphologically normal sperm (MNS) with decreased in DNA fragmentation index after activation by layering technique with novel combination medium compared to Hams F12 medium and before activation. CONCLUSION: The present work stated that novel combination medium (LC, maca and PXT) have potential effects to improve sperm characters in male infertility factors and suggested to be used for sperm preparation and activation in ART programs.

SUICIDE IDEATION: GENDER AND VARIATION OF CORRELATES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN NYANZA REGION, KENYA

The prevalence of suicide behavior among university students has been an issue of great concern because of its upward trend. This paper examines suicide ideation in relation to gender and the variation of correlates in different universities among university students in the Nyanza region, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to determine gender differences in relation to suicide ideation and how the correlates vary among individual universities. A correlational research design was employed. Four public universities and university counselors were selected using purposive sampling. Stratified sampling was thereafter employed to select undergraduate students based on their year of study. A sample size table developed by Krejcie and Morgan (1970) was used to select 1477 undergraduate students randomly. Data collection instruments included: a student questionnaire, interview schedule and counseling records. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS V20). Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used and thereafter, quantitative data was analyzed using chi-square and ANOVA. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The findings revealed gender differences in relation to suicide ideation. The findings further revealed that there is variation in sexual abuse, romantic breakup, COVID-19, alcohol addiction, HIV/AIDS, elections and cyber suicide experiences across the universities. However, there is no variation in financial crisis across universities. The study recommends that the university counseling department should equip female students with skills on how to adjust to campus lifestyle without engaging in activities which might end up stressing them. The university should also develop prevention strategies as well as organize follow-up for suicide survivors.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0010/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Evaluation of colour change, marginal adaptation, fracture strength, and failure type in maxillary and mandibular premolar zirconia endo-crowns

ObjectivesThe objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of different preparation designs on the mean colour change (ΔE*), marginal adaptation, fracture resistance, and fracture types of maxillary and mandibular premolar endocrowns (ECs).MethodologyA total of 40 extracted maxillary and mandibular premolars were treated endodontically, and each type was subdivided according to the remaining axial height (remaining walls on all surfaces; 2–4 mm) and 2 mm inside the pulp chamber. Specimens were immersed in coffee for 14 days, ΔE* was determined, marginal adaptation was observed, fracture forces test was conducted, and the samples were examined visually at 10× magnification to evaluate failure type and identify fracture origin. The data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, and significance between and within groups was evaluated through ANOVA. The p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe ΔE* values of the maxillary premolar with 2 mm axial height were the highest (6.8 ± 0.89 units), whereas the lowest value was observed in the mandibular premolar with 4 mm axial height (2.9 ± 0.53 units). Significant differences (p < 0.05) in teeth and design were observed. The marginal adaptation of the mandibular premolar with 4 mm axial height was the highest (30.20 ± 1.53 μm), whereas the lowest marginal adaptation was observed in the maxillary premolar with 2 mm axial height (14.38 ± 0.99 μm), and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The maximum fracture force was observed in maxillary premolars with 2 mm axial height (2248.15 ± 134.74 N), and no statistically significant difference (p = 0.07) was observed between maxillary and mandibular premolars at 4 mm axial height.ConclusionThe recorded ΔE* values of the ECs were within clinically acceptable values or slightly higher, and the marginal adaption values were within acceptable and recommended clinical values in µm. EC preparation with 2 mm axial height in both arches recorded the highest fracture forces. Type III (split fracture) failure was recorded as the highest in the maxillary and mandibular premolar ECs with different axial wall heights.

Research on Difficulties Associated with Webcam Application in Virtual Medical Training during Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced an immediate change in medical education toward online platforms, which include webcams for remote training and teaching. The shift has created a number of challenges for students that are considering about taking part in online medical education. To maximize virtual learning opportunities and ensure the continuous provision of excellent healthcare instruction during the pandemic, it is vital to comprehend the challenges related to webcam applications in such an environment. The research was carried out in Indian medical students, received the survey on social media between July 8, 2022 and October 25, 2023 by the Google form. Total is 3 550 respondents, women made up 47 % (n =1 682) and males made up 52,7 % (n =1 868) responses. The study highlights challenges faced by medical students using webcams in virtual medical teaching due to the Covid-19 pandemic, technological issues and privacy concerns and data analyzed using statistical package social sciences (SPSS). Males prefer blended learning, while females prefer social media. The study emphasizes the need to improve webcam application is privacy and the COVID-19 pandemic; increase the technological support infrastructure for online medical education.

Resistance Pattern of Klebsiella pneumoniae in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia: A Ten-Year Hospital-Based Study.

Background and Objectives: The frequency of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDRKP) has dramatically increased worldwide in recent decades, posing an urgent threat to public health. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of K. pneumoniae in the Aseer region and explore the corresponding antimicrobial resistance profile over the last ten years. Materials and Methods: A record-based retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary hospital during the period of 2013 to 2022. The study targeted laboratory samples taken from patients admitted to the hospital and sent for K. pneumoniae culturing. We included only samples taken from the patient and confirmed by the lab. Data were extracted using a pre-structured data extraction sheet to avoid data-collection bias and confirm the inter-rater precision. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was employed for statistical analysis. All relationships were tested using Pearson X2 test for categorical data or chi-square for linear trend for resistance rate over years. Results: We obtained 3921 samples of isolated K. pneumoniae out of 28,420 bacterial samples. The isolation rate began at 11.3% in 2013, decreased to 6.1% in 2016, and then increased to a peak of 16.3% in 2021, before slightly decreasing to 12.8% in 2022. In total, 23.7% of K. pneumoniae samples were identified in urine samples, 19% in sputum samples, 14% in wound samples, and 11.7% in blood samples. The overall antibiotic resistance rate of K. pneumoniae from 2013 to 2022 showed a significant increase, particularly during 2020 and 2021, before decreasing again in 2022. The resistance rate decreased from 22.2% in 2013 to 18.6% in 2016 and increased to 54.6% and 56.4% during 2020 and 2021, respectively (p = 0.039). Conclusions: We observed a significant shift in K. pneumoniae resistance for some antibiotics during the study period, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced antimicrobial stewardship and infection-control measures.

Factors Affecting The Integrity of Company Financial Statements

This research aims to test and gather empirical evidence of Factors Affecting the Integrity of the Company's Financial Statements. Factors examined in this study include Audit Committee, Board of Commissioners, Institutional Ownership, Audit Tenure, Auditor Industry Specialization and Financial Distress as independent variables. Meanwhile, the dependent variable is the Integrity of Financial Statements. The sample chosen for this study is Consumer Goods Industry Sector Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) during 2020-2022, then purposive sampling method was implemented as the sampling technique. This study uses secondary data: the company's financial statements and annual reports. The collected data were then analysed by multiple linear regression using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. The study’s findings reveal that the Audit Committee positively affects the integrity of Financial Statements. Meanwhile, the Board of Commissioners, Institutional Ownership, Audit Tenure Auditor Industry Specialization, and Financial Distress do not affect the Integrity of Financial Statements. It is recommended that further research consider adding variables as independent variables, moderating variables or intervention variables that have the potential to increase their influence on the integrity of financial reports.

Correlation between serum heavy metals and the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral potentially malignant disorders

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a serious public health problem in various Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, and a combination of cultural practices, lifestyle factors, and genetic predispositions influences the incidence of these cancers. The examination of the connection between exposure to heavy metals and the probability of developing oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and OSCC has been limited in its scope, and the overall consequences of such exposure remain largely unknown. This study aims to clarify the link between serum levels of heavy metals and the risk of OSCC and OPMD. The concentrations of seven heavy metals—namely, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)—were analyzed in serum samples from 60 cases and 15 controls in the Sri Lankan cohort. The Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for the analysis. Subsequently, the data underwent statistical evaluation via the Kruskal–Wallis H test, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 software, with a confidence interval set at 95%. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The cohort consisted of 48 men and 27 women, with 15 patients each diagnosed with OSCC, OSF, OLK, and OLP, and 15 healthy controls. The study used the Kruskal–Wallis Test to compare metal concentrations across groups, finding significant differences for all metals except As and Pb. Significant associations were observed between age, past medical history, drug history, gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, and betel chewing. The Spearman Correlation test showed significant correlations between the concentrations of Cr, Co, Cu, As, and Zn and the presence of cancer/precancer conditions. The study’s findings suggest that heavy metal contamination may be linked to the development of OSCC and precancerous conditions. When comparing OSCC and OPMD cases with controls, the serum concentrations of As and Pb did not differ significantly. However, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, and Zn exhibited significantly higher concentrations among cases compared to controls (p < 0.05). This study observed significant variations in the levels of these five heavy metals among cancerous (OSCC), premalignant (OPMD), and healthy tissues, suggesting a potential role in the progression of malignancies. These findings underscore the importance of environmental pollution in this specific context.

Midwifery educators' knowledge of antenatal exercises in selected Nigerian midwifery schools.

Exercise during pregnancy is beneficial to both the pregnant woman and the foetus. Midwifery educators play a crucial role in ensuring that midwifery students receive the knowledge and training needed to demonstrate antenatal exercises. To ensure that their students understand and deliver adequate antenatal care, midwifery educators should be highly knowledgeable in pregnancy-related exercises. The study was conducted to determine the knowledge of midwifery educators about antenatal exercise. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted of the knowledge about antenatal exercises by midwifery educators. A purposive total population of 54 midwifery educators from three midwifery schools in Cross River State, Nigeria, was included in the study. Questionnaires were used for data collection, and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 was used for data analysis. Ethical issues and rigour were maintained. The study revealed that antenatal exercises are included in the midwifery curriculum and exercise demonstration were mainly done by midwifery educators and clinical instructors. The majority (n= 34, 66.7%) of the respondents were knowledgeable about World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for exercise during pregnancy and had an average knowledge of the ideal antenatal exercises. Midwifery educators have average knowledge of the ideal antenatal exercises, which prompts the development of an exercise programme to guide midwifery training and practice. Midwifery educators should collaborate with exercise specialists to teach and demonstrate antenatal exercises.Contribution:The study highlighted the need for midwifery educators to obtain more information on antenatal exercises to adequately prepare midwifery students for evidence-based exercise care for pregnant women.