Significant Strong Positive Correlation Research Articles

Evaluation of metacognition, difficulties in emotion regulation and addiction severity levels of individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder

ABSTRACT Aim This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between metacognition, difficulties in emotion regulation, and level of addiction severity in individuals with substance use disorder. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out with 121 participants at the Alcohol and Drug Addicts Treatment and Research Center between February and June 2023. The data were collected using the Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MTQ-30), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Brief Form (DERS-16), and Addiction Profile Index (API). Results All the participants were male and polysubstance users; the age of the onset of substance use was 16.43 ± 5.95; they had been receiving treatment for addiction for an average of 1.79 ± 2.16 years. There was a strong positive significant correlation between the mean total MTQ-30 score and the mean total DERS-16 and API scores (r = .704, p < .001; r = .776, p < .001) and a moderate positive significant correlation between the mean total DERS-16 score and the mean total API score (r = .628, p < .001). It was determined that metacognition had an effect at a rate of 60.3% and difficulty in emotion regulation had an effect at a rate of 39.5% on the addiction severity of individuals. Conclusion Addiction severity was found to increase as the levels of metacognitive impairment and difficulty in emotion regulation increased.

Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) Teachers’ Technology Proficiency and Instructional Module Writing Ability in the New Normal

This study aimed to determine the association between the technology proficiency and instructional module writing ability of TLE teachers as well as determining which of the indicators of the TLE teachers’ technology proficiency significantly influence their instructional module writing ability during the new normal learning modality at Molopolo National High School, Davao del Sur. This study used the non-experimental quantitative research design utilizing the descriptive-correlational method. The questionnaire was validated, and a convenience sampling procedure was done. The 100 Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers from the Grades 7, 8, and 9 are the study's respondents. Findings of this study resulted that the TLE teachers manifest a strong technology proficiency in the new normal as well as the TLE teachers manifest a strong instructional module writing ability in the new normal. Correlational findings showed that there is a strong significant positive correlation between the technology proficiency and instructional module writing ability of TLE teachers in the new normal learning environment. Furthermore, the regression analysis resulted that all of the indicators of TLE teacher’ technology proficiency significantly influenced their instructional module writing ability during the new normal learning modality.

Effect of maxillary distraction osteogenesis and LeFort-1 advancement orthognathic surgery on soft-tissue thickness and anterior soft-tissue to hard-tissue movement ratios among patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the soft-tissue thickness and anterior soft-tissue to hard-tissue movement ratios in patients with unilateral cleft lip and/or palate (UCLP) following maxillary distraction osteogenesis using rigid external distractor device and maxillary advancement at LeFort I level using lateral cephalograms. Material and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 20 patients with UCLP who underwent either LeFort I maxillary advancement or maxillary distraction osteogenesis. Non-syndromic patients with complete UCLP anomalies and skeletal class III patterns due to maxillary hypoplasia were included in the study. The patients with a pre-surgical negative overjet of ≥5 mm were treated by maxillary distraction osteogenesis, while a negative overjet of &lt;5 mm was managed with maxillary advancement orthognathic surgery. The growth completion in all the patients was assessed using the cervical vertebrae maturation index (CS 6) on a lateral cephalogram. The lateral cephalograms taken before surgery at (T0) and after a minimum interval of six months (T1) of surgery were assessed for changes in soft-tissue thickness and hard-tissue to soft-tissue movement ratios among the two groups. Paired t-test was used to compare the mean values obtained within the same group at two different time intervals. Unpaired t-test was used to compare mean values between the Groups 1 and 2. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) test was used to assess the associations between the mean changes in hard- and soft-tissue variables. Results: Group 1 showed significantly greater maxillary advancement compared to Group 2 with a mean difference of 5.80 mm at Point A and 7.65 mm at the upper incisal edge. Soft-tissue thickness decreased significantly after advancement in Group 1 at subnasale (P &lt; 0.05), labrale superius, stomion, and labrale inferius (P &lt; 0.01) and at subnasale (P &lt; 0.05), stomion and labrale inferius (P &lt; 0.01) in Group 2. There was a significantly strong correlation between the hard- and soft-tissue movement in sagittal plane in both Group 1 and Group 2. In Groups 1 and 2, a statistical highly significant strong positive correlation was found between vertical change in dU1 to soft-tissue dLs and dStms. In Group 2, a statistical highly significant strong positive correlation was found between vertical change in dA to soft-tissue dC and dStms. Conclusion: The soft-tissue thickness reduced in patients with UCLP after maxillary advancement in both groups. The soft tissue followed the hard tissue in both groups. There was a greater downward movement of the maxillary base and soft-tissue lengthening in Group 1 compared to Group 2.

How does chronic pain impact the lives of dogs: an investigation of factors that are associated with pain using the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid.

Chronic pain can profoundly affect the wellbeing of dogs and our understanding is limited regarding the multidimensional impact it has on dog quality of life. This study aimed to assess the factors that are significant and predictive of behavior problems in dogs using the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) to further understand what factors influence their welfare. Seventy six AWAG assessments were undertaken across 46 dogs that clinicians diagnosed as having musculoskeletal conditions that caused chronic pain. Wilcoxon-rank sum tests were used to assess the difference in scores between dogs with behavior disorders and a cohort of healthy dogs (n = 143). All physical factors besides body condition, and all psychological, environmental, and procedural factors were significantly different between healthy dogs and dogs with chronic pain, evidencing how chronic pain impacts all domains of a dog's life. Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient (RS) revealed several significant strong positive correlations such as the association between the severity of clinical symptoms with poorer mobility and the frequency at which the dog experienced fearful stimuli. Logistic regression showed that fears and anxieties frequency, the dog's reaction to stressors, engagement with enrichment, and social interactions were significant predictors of chronic pain in dogs. This highlights that typical signs of musculoskeletal disorders such as gait changes, stiffness, lameness might manifest after behavioral changes such as increased fearfulness, prolonged recovery from a stressful event, a reduced interested in social interactions, toys or play. Owners only seeking veterinary attention when the presence of physical signs of disease are evident may result in a delayed veterinary attention resulting in reduced welfare. Regular veterinary assessments combined with use of the AWAG can proactively identify these behavioral indicators and result in prompt treatment and improved quality of life.

Trypanosocidal activity of methanolic extract of lemon grass (&lt;i&gt;Cymbopogon citratus&lt;/i&gt;)

This study determined the in vitro trypanocidal activity of lemon grass(Cymbopogon citratus) methanolic extract against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and its bio infectivity in an in vivo study using male albino rat as the experimental animal. Five treatment levels were applied (0.002mg/ml, 0.02mg/ml, 0.2mg/ml, 2.0mg/ml and 0.0mg/ml). Trypanosome was inactive at all treatment levels of lemongrass. PCV was statistically the same at all exposure times whereas the control mice had significantly lower PCV than all treated mice apart from the control, all other treatments gave similar PCV results, but the highest grand mean value (51.87%) was obtained at 0.02mg/ml while week 4 recorded the highest value (51.53%). All treatment levels had equal effects on the mice’s rectal temperature, but exposure time had significant effects on the temperature parameter where the grand mean temperature readings significantly varied from 35.55oC in week 2 to 37.47oC in week 5. The weight of mice varied significantly with both treatment (F=16.01, p&lt;0.05) and time (F=5.10, p&lt;0.05) factors. The highest mean weight recorded was 38.37±2.46g at 2.0mg/ml treatment in week 5 thus, the weight of mice increased as lemon grass treatment concentration and exposure time increased. Treatment concentrations significantly affected mice PCV and weight where the control level had the lowest values for these physical parameters. Also, exposure time significantly affected both the temperature and weight of mice. A general fluctuation but decline in feed intake was observed in mice at different treatment levels of methanolic extracts of lemon grass from weeks 1-7. A strong positive significant correlation exists between PCV and feed intake (r= -0.930, p&lt;0.05) as well as between rectal temperature and weight of mice (r= -0.948, p&lt;0.05). PCV and weight had a strong positive correlation though insignificant (r= 0.728, p&gt;0.05). Therefore, lemon grass extract showed trypanocidal efficacy in the control of trypanosomiasis in Africa.

Estimating Surgical Duration for Surgeries: Towards an Efficient Schedule of Operating Theatre

Poor operation theatre (OT) scheduling is a common cause of case cancellation on the day of surgery. We analysed the accuracy of anaesthetists and surgeons in estimating the surgical time to complete an operation and investigated whether the estimated times was correlated with the actual surgical time. It was a prospective observational study with 369 elective cases from various surgical subspecialties which were performed within three months in a tertiary university hospital. Anaesthetists and surgeons were required to estimate the surgical time of the elective cases before the day of surgery. Their estimations were compared with the recorded actual surgical time. The primary outcome was the median time difference from the estimated surgical time. Anaesthetists accurately estimated surgical times of 82 cases (22%) and surgeons 59 cases (16%). Overall, anaesthetists overestimated the surgical time by 11 minutes of actual surgical times [interquartile range (IQR) -15 to 40 minutes]. Surgeons underestimated their surgical time by 15 minutes [IQR -60 to 20 minutes]. The median estimated surgical time difference between anaesthetists and surgeons was significantly different (p&lt;0.0001). Among the surgical subspecialties, the longest overestimation by anaesthetists was up to 48 minutes in colorectal surgeries. The most underestimated median time difference by surgeons was 65 minutes, seen in upper gastrointestinal surgeries. A significant strong positive correlation existed between overall anaesthetists' estimated and actual surgical times (rs = 0.735, p&lt;0.0001). At the same time, there was a weak correlation between surgeons’ overall estimation time upon booking and actual surgical times (rs = 0.492, p&lt;0.0001). In conclusion, both the anaesthetists and surgeons were significantly inaccurate in estimating the duration of surgical procedures. Although the anaesthetists tended to overestimate it while surgeons underestimated it, their estimations correlated strongly with the actual surgical times, whereas surgeons’ estimations were weakly correlated.

Psychological Experiences of Parents of Pediatric Cancer Patients during and after COVID-19 Pandemic.

Family members dealing with the devastating impact of a cancer diagnosis are now facing even greater vulnerability due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the already overwhelming trauma, they must also bear the distressing burden of the infection risks. The purpose of this study was to examine and explore the effects in parents of pediatric cancer patients two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to compare these data with the previous data. We conducted a single-center prospective observational study, enrolling 75 parents of 42 pediatric oncology patients. Four questionnaires (IES-R; PSS; STAI-Y and PedsQL) were given to the parents 2 years after the first evaluation. The bivariate matrix of correlation found a strong significant positive correlation between IES-R and PSS scores (r = 0.526, p < 0.001) as in T1. Stress symptoms (t = 0.00, p < 0.001) and levels of anxiety (trait) (t = 0.32, p < 0.001) remained unchanged; anxiety state levels appeared to have increased (t = 0.425, p < 0.001); there was a significant decrease in the PedsQL tot (t = 5.25, p < 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the levels of stress and anxiety of parents and the quality of life of patients, also correlating with the traumatic impact of the diagnosis.

Carnauba wax-based edible coatings retain quality enhancement of orange (Citrus sinensis cv. Moro) fruits during storage

Fruit coatings serve a dual purpose in preserving the quality of fruits. Not only do they act as a barrier against water evaporation and fungal infiltration, but they also enhance the fruit’s visual appeal in the market. Yet, their influence on the fruit’s quality components, which play a crucial role in determining its nutritional value, taste, and overall flavor, has remained relatively unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of carnauba wax coating on the quality of Moro oranges during storage. The selected fruits were meticulously chosen for uniformity in size. The experiment involved applying carnauba wax, a commonly used type among local producers, at four different concentrations: 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%. These treatments were applied during various storage periods, including immediately after fruits were harvested and after 40 and 80 days. Following the application of these treatments, the oranges were stored in a controlled environment (morgue) at a temperature of 4 ± 1 °C. Subsequently, several physicochemical parameters of both the fruit flesh and skin were examined. The results unveiled a decline in the overall ascorbic acid content of the fruits. In terms of phenol content, a general decreasing trend was observed after harvesting. At each sampling interval during storage, the phenol content in uncoated fruits consistently exceeded that of their waxed counterparts. Significant reduction in fruit weight was observed throughout the storage period. Both vitamin C and total acidity levels in the fruit exhibited decreases during the storage period. As time passed, fruit firmness gradually declined, while fruit decay increased during the 40- and 80-day storage periods for untreated Moro oranges. The anthocyanin content showed an increasing trend. The study also unveiled a decline in the antioxidant capacity of citrus fruits during storage. Strong significant positive correlations were observed between total phenol content and key parameters, such as antioxidant activity (0.941**), MDA (0.364*), vitamin C content, and total carbohydrate content (0.475**). Skin radiance showed a perfect correlation with chroma and hue (1.000**). Principal component analysis revealed that the first principal component accounted for 34.27% of the total variance, out of a total of five principal components that explained 77.14% of the variance. Through cluster analysis, the variables were categorized into three distinct groups; one associated with weight loss and another with ion leakage. Considering these findings, carnauba wax-based coating emerges as a promising solution for preserving Moro oranges. It effectively mitigates fruit weight loss and helps maintain fruit firmness during storage, making it a valuable tool for fruit preservation.

Employer Branding to Improve Employee Loyalty after a Business Merger in PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas

In today’s world, solid employer branding is important for any company or organization. Ambler &amp; Barrow (1996) defined employer branding as the process of building and promoting a company’s reputation as an employer. Ilyas et al. (2020) stated that employer branding has a strong positive relationship with employee loyalty and the extent to which employees are committed to their organization and its goals. When a business goes through a merger, employee loyalty becomes an important factor in ensuring the company’s productivity, which is something that PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas and some other Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises have gone through in recent years. The primary research objective of this study is to identify the specific aspects of employer branding that can be prioritized by PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas to enhance employee loyalty. The methodology used is primarily quantitative research with correlational analysis as the statistical model, however, additional qualitative data was also collected and analyzed. The primary data were acquired through an online questionnaire given to the employees of PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas. This study concludes that employer branding and employee loyalty have a strong positive significant correlation. Furthermore, it was also found that the employer branding dimensions with the strongest correlation with employee loyalty are organizational culture, ethics and corporate social responsibility, and diversity. PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas can focus on improving the organizational culture, ethics and corporate social responsibility, and diversity aspects of employer branding to improve employee loyalty. The research also provides actionable solutions for PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas to further strengthen its employer branding and improve employee loyalty.

Sinhala version of the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire: Cross-cultural adaptation and validation.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are highly prevalent among people who work in sedentary jobs. The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) is a valid tool to assess WMSDs, but is not available in the local language of Sri Lanka (Sinhala). To cross-culturally adapt the original CMDQ from English to Sinhala and evaluate its psychometric properties. The linguistic and cultural adaptation of the CMDQ to the Sinhala (Si-CMDQ) language followed international guidelines. The adapted pre-version was tested for comprehensibility among 32 subjects from different educational and occupational backgrounds. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was computed with ratings from five experts. The questionnaire was validated further by 111 security guards employed at the university. The tool was validated with reference to the Numeric Rating Scale. Test-retest reliability was assessed at two time points one week apart and internal consistency was tested. The Si-CMDQ showed adequate cross-cultural, content and construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. The Kappa coefficient showed excellent agreement between NRS and Si-CMDQ frequency scale. Spearman's correlation coefficients showed a moderate to a strong significant positive correlation between NRS and the severity scale of Si-CMDQ. The Kappa values for test-retest reliability were moderate to excellent for the three scales of CMDQ. The internal consistency was high. The Si-CMDQ fulfilled the psychometric requirement for questionnaires. This tool will be beneficial to assess WMSDs among sedentary workers in different occupations in Sri Lanka.

A Multidimensional Evaluation of the Factors in the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) That Are Associated with, and Predictive of, Behaviour Disorders in Dogs.

Behavioural disorders in dogs are common and have severe welfare consequences for dogs. This study aimed to assess the factors that are significant and predictive of behaviour problems in dogs using the animal welfare assessment grid (AWAG) to further understand what factors influence their welfare. 177 AWAG assessments were undertaken across 129 dogs that clinicians deemed to have a behavioural disorder. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to assess the difference in scores between dogs with behaviour disorders and a cohort of healthy dogs (n = 117). This analysis showed that all physical factors besides body condition, all procedural factors besides procedure pain, and all psychological, and environmental factors were significantly different between healthy dogs and dogs with behaviour disorders. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (RS) revealed several significant strong positive correlations including the procedural impact on the dog's daily routine with aggression towards unfamiliar people and procedure pain, as well as other correlations between the dog's behaviour during assessment with the frequency at which they encounter fears and anxieties, clinical assessment and procedure pain, and reaction to stressors and social interactions. These findings highlight the interdependent nature of the various influences of welfare. Logistic regression analysis identified that aggression towards the caregiver, fears and anxieties frequency, and choice, control, and predictability were all significant predictors of behaviour disorders. The findings have important implications for veterinary, behaviour, and animal welfare professionals as any changes across these factors may indicate poor welfare linked to emotional disorders in dogs.

Using the Health Belief Model to Predict Vaccination Intention in Unvaccinated Adults in Latvia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Vaccination is a global health development success story that saves millions of lives every year and reduces the risk of getting various infectious diseases, including COVID-19. At the end of 2021, a rapid increase in the size of the population infected with COVID-19 and a low vaccination coverage were observed in Latvia (Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2021). Also, despite the available vaccines, by the beginning of May 2022, only 60.6% of the population of Latvia had completed the full course of vaccination against COVID-19. According to the Ministry of Health, the vaccination process is characterised by variability and flexibility, and in general, vacci-nation rates have declined in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the vaccination predicting factors of unvaccinated adults in Latvia using the Health Belief Model (HBM) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sample consisted of 539 respondents aged 18 to 75 years (M = 45.35, SD = 15.70), who were not vaccinated against COVID-19 and who had to make a decision to vaccinate or not, and who were part of a representative sample of Latvian residents (n = 1017). The data was collected in September and were analysed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and multivariate linear regression analysis. A statistically significant moderate strong positive correlation was shown between vaccination intention and all six vaccination motives as perceived benefits (r = 0.40–0.44, p &lt; 0.01); statistically significant but weak positive correlation between vaccination intention and risk appraisal as perceived threat (r = 0.20, p &lt; 0.01) and COVID-19 experience as cues to action (r = 0.20, p &lt; 0.01); and statistically significant negative but weak correlation for vaccination intention and fear of vaccination as perceived barriers (r = –0.21, p &lt; 0.01). The results revealed a statistically significant positive association of vaccination intention and the components of HBM: perceived threats, perceived benefits and cues to action, as well as a statistically significant negative association with perceived barriers. The results revealed several factors that predict vaccination intention, explaining 32% of the variation in vaccination intention: education level, perceived threats, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action. Higher levels of education, higher perceived threat of contracting COVID-19, many different social motives for vaccination (e.g., to be able travel), confidence that the vaccine will not cause significant side effects and long-term consequences, and experience with COVID-19 are factors that predicts an individual’s intention to vaccinate against COVID-19.

Monitoring of rainwater quality in Kandy and Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

The composition of atmospheric deposition is a measure of air quality, an important aspect of the health of the ecosystem. Consequently, continuous monitoring of atmospheric deposition is crucial to obtain remedial measures to avoid undesirable aspects that would affect living things. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the rainwater quality at selected locations in Kandy and Peradeniya area of Sri Lanka, namely, Kandy, Polgolla, and University of Peradeniya (UOP), and to identify possible correlations between quality parameters through statistical means. Forty (40) rainwater samples from the UOP site and seven (07) samples each from the Kandy and Polgolla sites were collected from 18 May 2020 to 28 April 2021. The volume-weighted average (VWA) pH values of UOP, Kandy, and Polgolla sites were determined to be 7.44, 7.19, and 7.19, respectively, and moreover, acid rain (pH < 5.6) occurrences were not detected during the sampling period. The VWA values of rainfall, conductivity, salinity, TDS, and hardness at the UOP site were 40.12 mm, 51.93 μS cm-1, 0.0300 ppt, 26.59 mg L-1, and 13.55 mg L-1, respectively. The corresponding values of the Kandy site were 16.52 mm, 64.04 μS cm-1, 0.0361 ppt, 30.80 mg L-1, and 19.49 mg L-1, respectively; and those of the Polgolla site were 33.10 mm, 53.90 μS cm-1, 0.0310 ppt, 25.76 mg L-1, and 19.31 mg L-1, respectively. The VWA values of conductivity, salinity, and TDS were the highest at the Kandy site. Further, the VWA values of hardness at Kandy and Polgollasites were approximately equal, probably due to the spring of Ca2+ and Mg2+ particulates from the dolomite quarry located in Digana area. The most prominent anion was identified as Cl- in bulk deposition at all three sites, while NO3- showed the lowest concentration of all sites. Moreover, very strong significant positive correlations were identified between conductivity-TDS, conductivity-salinity, conductivity-hardness, TDS-hardness, TDS-salinity, salinity-hardness, SO42--Cl-, and NO3--Cl- according to the relevant Pearson correlation coefficients. It is thus concluded that the pollutants come from the same sources, either natural or anthropogenic.

Triple-P Panel (Procalcitonin, Presepsin and Pentraxin3) to Confirm Sepsis

A total of 65 blood samples (25 culture positive sepsis and 40 culture negative sepsis) from patients with sepsis symptoms who resided in the ICU of Hilla city hospitals, were collected, as well as 25 samples as a control (healthy persons) during a period from January to June 2022. Data was documented at the time of admission to the ICU. Regarding PSN and PCT concentration (P value= 0.001), the control group had a significant difference from both the two patients’ groups (culture positive and negative groups of sepsis). Whereas the difference was not significant for the PTX3 concentration among patients and control (P value = 0.56). Furthermore, PSN and PCT concentrations did not significantly differ between the culture positive and culture negative groups of sepsis (P value &gt; 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant strong positive correlation between PSN and PCT (r = 0.500; P &lt;0.001).

The Correlation Between GRACE Risk Score and SYNTAX Angiographic Score in Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) is used in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) to stratify the risk of mortality. The Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (SYNTAX) score explains the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) and guides to an appropriate treatment strategy. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the correlation between GRACE and SYNTAX scores. Methods: A total of 101 ACS patients were recruited in this case-control study. Coronary angiography (CA) was performed for all of the participants. Correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between GRACE risk and SYNTAX angiographic scores. Results: A total of 83 men and 18 women who had ACS with an average age of 57.2 ± 11.6 years (minimum of 33 and maximum of 89 years) were investigated. The SYNTAX angiographic score and the GRACE risk score for participants of this study were 15.09 ± 5.87 and 114.47 ± 26.2, respectively. A strong positive correlation, which was statistically significant, was demonstrated between the GRACE risk score and the SYNTAX angiographic score (r = 0.867, P &lt; 0.001) Conclusions: Our findings point out a significant strong positive correlation exists between GRACE risk score and SYNTAX angiographic score in patients with unstable angina (UA), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Validation of rapid fecal calprotectin assay using particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay for inflammatory bowel disease.

Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a promising biomarker for diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn's disease. An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is widely used for FC detection, though the considerable lag time, up to several days, causes clinical management delay. This study was performed to examine the new rapid kit fCAL-turbo, which is based on a particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (15 min), by comparing FC values with other EIAs (EliA, PhiCal, Bühlmann) and endoscopic scores. Using 94 samples, fCAL-turbo showed strong significant positive correlations with the other kits (Spearman's r = 0.9178-0.9886). Of 74 UC patients, 69 underwent an endoscopy and fCAL-turbo reflected endoscopic activity with a moderate correlation with Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) (r = 0.6945, others r = 0.6682-0.7013). Receiver operating characteristic analyses based on MES 0 versus 1-3 showed a similar efficacy as compared to the other kits (cut-off and area under the curve: 89.70 µg/g and 0.8592, respectively, others 62.35-138.4 µg/g and 0.8280-0.8611, respectively). Furthermore, multiple regression analysis confirmed that fCAL-turbo results significantly contributed to prediction of MES 0 with a higher t-value as compared to the other biomarkers. fCAL-turbo showed strong correlations with the other kits and also demonstrated excellent performance for predicting endoscopic remission of UC.

Effects of Parental Involvement in Education on the Academic Achievement of Students in Ghana

The study investigated the effect of parental involvement in education on students’ academic achievement in the Sekyere South District of Ghana. The study through purposive sampling technique sampled 363 parents. The study used a questionnaire to collect primary data from the parents. Secondary data on students’ academic achievements over two years (2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic years) were obtained from the Academic Units of the selected schools. Results show that the majority of parents were not communicating vital information to school authorities or teachers from time to time, did not support student ICT learning in the schools, did not help their students with their home learning and failed to discuss their students’ academic performances with teachers. However, the majority of parents attended school programmes, provided learning materials for their students, requested extra classes for their students, and were involved in the selection of textbooks for their students. This study found a strong significant positive correlation between parental involvement in education and students’ academic achievement. All the components of parental involvement in education impacted students’ academic achievement.

Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Technology-Based Teaching Styles in Mathematics Education Among Pre-Service Teachers in UPSI

Self-efficacy is defined as a task-specific belief in a person’s potential and ability to master a skill or a task. As the technology is getting sophisticated, teachers are encouraged to apply the technology as teaching aid tool in the class. This research is done to investigate the relationship between the self-efficacy and the technology-based teaching styles of Mathematics pre-service teachers among Sultan Idris University of Education (UPSI) undergraduates. The research design used in this study is correlational study at where 148 AT14 Bachelor of Education (Mathematics) course and AT48 Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) with Education students are the sample. The statistical method used in this study is descriptive statistic which is mean and inferential statistics through Pearson’s correlation were used to study the relationship. The findings show that the level of self-efficacy and practice of technology-based teaching of pre-service teachers is significantly high. The results showed that there was a strong positive significant correlation between the self-efficacy and the technology-based teaching styles of those pre-service teachers (r=0.656, p=0.00, p&lt;0.05). In conclusion, this study unequivocally demonstrates that UPSI’s pre-service teachers are well prepared to train themselves with higher self-esteem and hence applying technology-based teaching style while teaching Mathematics.

Assessment of some toxic elements (Co, Cr, Mn, Se, and As) in muscle, offal, hair, and blood of camels (Camelus dromedaries) and their risk assessment.

Camel meat tainted with heavy metals or trace elements may pose a health risk to consumers. Heavy metal contamination poses a severe danger due to both their toxicity and bioaccumulation in the food chain. To estimate the residual levels of heavy metals (Co, Cr, Mn, Se, and As) in muscle, liver, kidney, hair, and serum of three camel breeds (Magaheem, Maghateer, and Wadha) collected from Al-Omran abattoir, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. A total of 225 tissue samples (muscles, liver, kidney, serum, and hair) were taken and analyzed using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Health risk assessment was assessed using the guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Camel breed significantly (p < 0.05) influences Co, Cr, Mn, and Se accumulation and distribution in organs and muscle; however, arsenic accumulation was not significantly affected (p < 0.05) by camel breeds. The highest values of Co, Cr, Se, and Mn in all examined samples were detected in the liver samples of Maghateer and Magaheem breeds. Furthermore, significant strong positive correlation between serum and liver cobalt, chromium, manganese, and arsenic. The estimated daily intake owing to camel meat consumption was less than the tolerated daily intake. Heavy metals were distributed among different breeds of camel. Trace elements (Pb and Cd) in meat and offal were below the international maximum permissible limit. The correlation between samples reflects the role of hair as a good tool for the identification of heavy metal pollution.

Hand grip strength in young adults and its relation with anthropometry: A study in parts of Eastern India

Background: It is widely accepted that grip strength is the best and most reliable indicator to measure the functional integrity of the arm and the factors influencing the grip strength are muscle strength, age, nutritional status, restricted movement, body posture, etc. The synergistic interplay of flexor and extensor groups of muscles are the important determinants for muscle contraction and grip strength. Aim and Objective: The aim of the study is to assess and compare the maximum grip strength of young medical students (both male and female) from rural areas and also to study any association and correlation between anthropometric data and hand measurements (hand length, width, circumference, and forearm circumference) with maximum grip strength. Materials and Methods: Fifty-five young adults (both male and female) of age group 18–22 from rural areas of different parts of West Bengal were included by proper history and according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The parameters studied were height (using a stadiometer), BMI, waist–hip ratio, hand length and width, hand circumference, forearm circumference, hand grip strength by Jamar Analog Hand Dynamometer (0–100 kg, Inco, Ambala), and also the maximum grip strength (MGS). Statistical analysis was done by SPSS (version 21) and the significance of the difference between the groups was determined by the independent Students’ “t” test. The correlations among the variables were determined by Pearson’s correlation test. Results: There were significant (P = 0.0001) differences in mean MGS in dominant to non-dominant hands in females than males. Height had a significant (P = 0.0001) strong positive correlation (r = 0.738, r = 0.715), weight had a significant (P = 0.015) and moderate positive correlation (r = 0.325, r = 0.326), but BMI had a significant but mild negative correlation (r = −0.249) with MGS. In hand measurements, only hand circumference had a significant and strong positive correlation (r = 0.540, r = 0.551) with MGS both on the dominant and non-dominant hand. Conclusion: Grip strength on the dominant hand was significantly higher in rural population including males and females. Height, weight, waist/hip ratio, and not the BMI might be the better indicator of grip strength.