Terms Of Effect Size Research Articles

DIFFERENCES IN THE WISHES OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS ON INTEGRATION OF SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS IN BIOLOGY LESSONS

Smartphones and tablets have permeated various aspects of life. This study explores the differences in wishes between students, parents, and teachers regarding the use of smartphones and tablets in biology classes in the upcoming school year. An online questionnaire was used for the study, which provided eight different scenarios for the use of smartphones for teaching purposes. The data were collected from 934 participants, including 465 students, 282 parents, and 188 biology teachers from various Slovenian lower secondary schools. The principal component analysis revealed the unidimensional structure of the instrument, explaining 59.7% of the variance (alpha = .91). The results showed that the use of smartphones and tablets for distance learning, teaching purposes, schoolwork and homework is generally desirable. There was less consensus on their use for laboratory and field work, evaluation of knowledge, and biology lessons. The main finding was that the differences between the groups were small or even negligible in terms of effect sizes. Statistically significant differences were found between the focus groups, with students and teachers expressing greater agreement than parents. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing parents' concerns and understanding the perspectives of stakeholders in order to effectively integrate smartphones and tablets into the classroom. Keywords: differences in wishes, lower secondary school biology, mobile learning, smartphones and tablets integration, students and parents and teachers

Ecological, financial, social and societal motives for cooperative energy prosumerism: measuring preference heterogeneity in a Belgian energy cooperative

BackgroundEnergy cooperatives in Europe have become more prominent due to the growing interest in and development of renewable energy sources. Cooperatives are often seen as an instrument in the transition to a low-carbon future. The cooperative prosumer is gaining importance, taking on the role of both consumer and producer by setting up and joining electricity cooperatives as investors, shareholders and clients. As is the case with other cooperatives and social enterprises, there are tensions and trade-offs to be made between social, ecological and financial goals. To navigate these tensions and to work towards becoming a resilient institution, it is important that cooperatives preserve their support base made up of their members, who are both clients and shareholders. This study investigates the preference heterogeneity and motivations of members of a large energy cooperative in Belgium, by using stated-choice data from a Discrete Choice Experiment in combination with self-reported membership motives.ResultsDespite the significant presence of member preferences for participation and democratic voting rights, the financial and above all the ecological motives seem to be most important for being a member of the energy cooperative. Based on the stated-choice data, we classify three member types: the financial, the ecological and the social–societal member type. We find a small discrepancy in motives between members who joined early and members who joined later. Where early members care most about ecological aspects, members who joined later have more societal and financial considerations. In terms of effect size and willingness to pay per kilowatt hour, ecological motives prove to be by far the most important factor for cooperative energy prosumers in our sample. In addition, the latent-class analysis shows that over half of the member sample belongs to the ecological motives class.ConclusionsPreference heterogeneity is present to an extent, but there is an overarching preference for sustainability. Though, cooperatives should be aware that their legal form may not be the only factor that drives membership. Rather, keeping high levels of renewable energy, competitive pricing and being an interesting investment opportunity may be key to cooperatives’ resilience and further development on the energy market.

Poor maternal mental health is associated with a low degree of proactive control in refugee children.

This study assesses the development of proactive control strategies in 100 Syrian refugee families (394 individuals) with 6- to 18-year-old children currently living in Turkish communities. The results demonstrate that children's age and their mothers' post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with the degree of proactive control in their children, with worse mental health being associated with a larger reliance on reactive control and lesser reliance on proactive, future-oriented, control (measured via d' in the AX-CPT task). None of the following factors contributed to children's performance: fathers' experience with post-traumatic stress, parents' exposure to potentially traumatic war-related events, perceived discrimination, a decline in socio-economic status, religious beliefs, parents' proactive control strategies, or the education or gender of the children themselves. The association between mothers' mental health and proactive control strategies in children was large (in terms of effect size), suggesting that supporting mothers' mental health might have clear effects on the development of their children.

Construction of Outdoor Adventure Education Courses to Develop Psychological Resilience for University Students

Background and aims: Most schools only pay attention to the cultivation of students' bodies, knowledge, and skills, but neglect the development and training of university students' psychological skills. When university students exhibit some psychological problems, often will be given to students' mental health education centers to solve, due to the student's mental health education center teachers and the site being more limited. This study aims to evaluate the impact of outdoor adventure education courses on the psychological resilience of university students. Materials and methods: The researchers used an experience-based learning circle model, incorporating The Resiliency Wheel, Full value contracts, and guidance techniques. Using quantitative studies, interviews, and experimental data, participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The effect of the adventure education course as an 8-week intervention was studied using the psychological resilience Scale. Data were analyzed using a t-test and one-way ANOVA. The experimental group scored higher than the control group in the total scores of psychological resilience and the three components (tenacity, strength, optimism), and these results were statistically significant. Further, the experimental group shows marginal positive changes in the total resilience scale and its three dimensions in terms of effect size. The designed adventure education courses significantly improve the psychological resilience of university students. Results: The results found that the psychological resilience level of university students was significantly improved after the intervention, and the scores in the dimensions of tenacity, strength, and optimism significantly increased after the intervention. through the research of this paper, we can expand the analytical perspective of psychological resilience and provide a new way of thinking for the improvement of the psychological resilience of university students. Conclusion: The content of previous interventions on psychological resilience and the factors affecting psychological resilience, applying the concept of the psychological resilience wheel to this course, And the full value contract, guide technology, and outdoor adventure education courses are fully combined and designed.

Geographical immobility and local ancestral ties: a study of three generations of natives in Finland

ABSTRACT Research concerning internal migration has increasingly recognized family members outside the household as important factors for mobility decisions. Older generations and familiar environments constitute strong attractors thanks to location-specific capital and exchange of multigenerational support. Less is known about geographical immobility across generations. Wee study immobility patterns across three generations of native Finns by examining population register data that span over five decades. We analyse how geographical immobility in terms of a person’s place of residence at age 35 vs age 14 relates to the place of birth of their parents and grandparents. In this regard, Finland offers a highly useful case study because of its two main ethnolinguistic groups, Finnish and Swedish speakers, which are characterized by historically different mobility patterns and geographical concentrations. We find that geographical immobility relates strongly to local ancestral ties, that geographical immobility is much more common among Swedish than Finnish speakers, that the association between local ancestral ties and geographical immobility is stronger for Swedish than for Finnish speakers, and that it differs across geographical areas with different ethnolinguistic profiles. In terms of effect sizes, local ancestral ties have a large role in immobility behaviour, equally important as many socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Meta-Analysis of Clinicopathological and Biological Characteristics of Myeloid Sarcoma

Introduction Myeloid sarcoma (MS), is a rare neoplastic condition which can occur without bone marrow involvement as isolated MS, concurrently with bone marrow involvement as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or other myeloid malignancies, or as a secondary type which occurs as a result of therapy or relapse after achieving AML remission. Apart from the unique presentation, different reviews have reported both favorable and unfavorable outcomes in patients with MS when compared with AML. Literature involving systematic studies of MS patients are limited, with sample sizes of studies over the last two decades rarely exceeding 100 patients. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of the largest cohort of MS and describe clinical and pathological parameters in order to comprehensively characterize MS. Methods A PubMed literature search involving all available research articles pertaining to MS across all age groups from 1999-2023 was conducted using keywords and MeSH search terms. Results from the literature search were independently reviewed by two authors, and references of each study were also reviewed for any relevant additions. The primary meta-analytic approach for descriptive data was a random effects model to calculate the effect size in terms of proportion with 95% confidence interval (CI) (Neyeloff et al., 2012). Median age and survival data were analyzed using a meta-analysis of medians approach with a random effects model to calculate pooled estimates using R software (McGrath et al., 2023). I 2 statistic and Q-statistic were used to assess for heterogeneity. PROSPERO systematic review registration pending under ID# 450876. Results A total of 5178 patients with MS from 57 studies were included. After dividing studies by age group, the median age of adult patients was 52 ys. (95% CI: 49-56) and 5 ys. (95% CI: 3-6) for the pediatric population. The proportion of males was 56.7% (95% CI: 54.5-59), with an I 2 statistic of 0% suggesting homogeneity in reported gender data. Diagnosis of myeloid sarcoma with concurrent AML had a higher proportion of cases than isolated disease (64 vs. 38.6%). Presence of leukemia cutis was 28.8% (95% CI: 24.2-33.3). There was a higher proportion of patients with abnormal karyotype, including those with complex and intermediate/poor risk, compared to normal karyotype (43.6 vs. 29%). Pooled weighted median white blood cell count was 16.7 x10 3/mL (95% CI: 10.9-22.5), with hemoglobin of 11.6 g/dL (95% CI: 10.0-13.1) and platelet count of 140 x10 9/L (95% CI: 68.9-212). Pooled immunohistochemistry (IHC) data revealed highest proportions with markers MPO, CD117, and CD68 (61.5, 44.7, and 38.1%, respectively), and least with CD56 (18.6%). Proportions of gene mutations of FLT3, TP53, and NPM1, including both bone marrow and extramedullary samples, were 14.8% (95%CI: 9.6-19.9), 6% (95%CI: 2.6-9.4), and 15% (95%CI: 10-20), respectively. Median survival data was screened for complete data parameters including median survival of entire cohort and reported 95% CI. Outcomes data was pooled from 4 studies representing 301 patients, wherein 3 examined adult populations and 1 was mixed. Weighted median overall survival was 14 months (95% CI: 10.6-18.4). A large proportion of patients received intensive chemotherapy (82%), whereas 38.2% of patients received hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The proportion of those who received radiotherapy was 21.8%, and 10.4% of patients received only supportive measures. Conclusions Our large cohort meta-analysis of myeloid sarcoma patients further highlights the clinical and biologic characteristics of this rare presentation. The results of our study suggests a predilection for males, and further studies are needed to validate this finding. Further analysis including the effect on bone marrow transplant on MS outcomes will be presented at the ASH 2023 meeting.

H - 25 A Pilot Study of Coping and Cognition: Examining the Influence of Executive Functioning on Coping Strategies among Diverse Persons Living with Multiple Sclerosis.

Coping style has been identified as a potential strategy to lessen the impact of negative symptoms in persons with MS (pwMS). Prior work demonstrates that individuals with executive dysfunction are less likely to use effective coping strategies. Much remains unknown about the relationship between executive functioning (EF) and coping style, however, especially in diverse pwMS. The current pilot study aims to examine this relationship further. Eighteen middle aged pwMS (10 = Latino/a, 6 = African American, 1 = Asian, 1 = Biracial) underwent evaluations for EF and coping styles. EF was assessed using the Stroop Color-Word (SCW), Oral Trail Making Test B, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test. Coping was assessed using the three subscales of the Brief-COPE: problem-focused, positive emotion-focused, and avoidant coping. Given the small sample size, data were interpreted in terms of effect size rather than p-values. Bivariate correlations were conducted between each EF test and coping subscale. Results demonstrated a medium-high effect size (r = 0.447) between SCW and problem-focused coping, such that better performance on the SCW was associated with greater problem-focused coping. Similarly, there was a moderate effect size (r = 0.326) between SCW and positive emotion-focused coping, with better performance on SCW related to greater positive emotion-focused coping. There were no notable relationships between EF and avoidant coping. This study is among the first to demonstrate a relationship between EF and coping style in a sample of diverse pwMS. These results have implications for interventions that may improve coping, particularly among diverse groups who face unique challenges in coping with their disease.

Teacher self-efficacy in a multicultural classroom: a comparative analysis of International Baccalaureate (IB) and non-IB teachers

ABSTRACT There has been significant focus on multicultural education and particularly culturally responsive teaching (CRT), as classrooms experience an increasing cultural diversity. Within this broader context, this study explores International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers’ self-efficacy in a multicultural classroom. This study compares IB teachers with their counterparts in non-IB schools across eight societies. Utilizing large survey data, it was found that IB teachers are, on average, more likely than non-IB teachers to be confident in their ability to teach students from diverse cultural backgrounds. This group difference was statistically significant and was substantial in terms of effect size. Notably, the group difference was identified across all programme (or building) levels and all the eight societies. In contrast, within-group difference in IB teachers’ self-efficacy was relatively minimal. The study contributes to scholarly discussions on the role of IB school teachers in practicing and promoting CRT across various societies.

Pervasive Sharing of Causal Genetic Risk Factors Contributes to Clinical and Molecular Overlap between Sjögren's Disease and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

SjD (Sjögren's Disease) and SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) are similar diseases. There is extensive overlap between the two in terms of both clinical features and pathobiologic mechanisms. Shared genetic risk is a potential explanation of this overlap. In this study, we evaluated whether these diseases share causal genetic risk factors. We compared the causal genetic risk for SLE and SjD using three complementary approaches. First, we examined the published GWAS results for these two diseases by analyzing the predicted causal gene protein-protein interaction networks of both diseases. Since this method does not account for overlapping risk intervals, we examined whether such intervals also overlap. Third, we used two-sample Mendelian randomization (two sample MR) using GWAS summary statistics to determine whether risk variants for SLE are causal for SjD and vice versa. We found that both the putative causal genes and the genomic risk intervals for SLE and SjD overlap 28- and 130-times more than expected by chance (p < 1.1 × 10-24 and p < 1.1 × 10-41, respectively). Further, two sample MR analysis confirmed that alone or in aggregate, SLE is likely causal for SjD and vice versa. [SjD variants predicting SLE: OR = 2.56; 95% CI (1.98-3.30); p < 1.4 × 10-13, inverse-variance weighted; SLE variants predicting SjD: OR = 1.36; 95% CI (1.26-1.47); p < 1.6 × 10-11, inverse-variance weighted]. Notably, some variants have disparate impact in terms of effect size across disease states. Overlapping causal genetic risk factors were found for both diseases using complementary approaches. These observations support the hypothesis that shared genetic factors drive the clinical and pathobiologic overlap between these diseases. Our study has implications for both differential diagnosis and future genetic studies of these two conditions.

Psoas muscle quantified muscle status and long-term mortality after cardiovascular interventions

Background Psoas muscle area (PMA) and density (PMD) measured using computed tomography are potential surrogates for evaluating sarcopenia-related mortality risk among patients undergoing cardiovascular interventions. However, the optimal measurement method remains unclear. Methods A retrospective registry study of three observational cohorts comprising 2248 patients undergoing cardiovascular interventions (n = 828 for abdominal aortic aneurysms, n = 983 transcatheter aortic valve implantations, and 437 patients undergoing open surgery for thoracic aortic and aortic valve pathology) was conducted. Age-independent associations between mortality and PMA, PMD, PMA indexed to height or body surface area, and the combination of PMA and PMD (lean PMA) were meta-analyzed (using individual participant data) across cohorts after sex stratification with median follow-up times ranging from three to five years for each cohort. Results In the meta-analysis, psoas muscle measurements were significantly associated with mortality among men (p < 0.05), with high heterogeneity in the associations across all cohorts. There was very little difference in the association between PMA and PMD and mortality (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.69–0.99, p = 0.002; HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77–0.94, p = 0.041 for one SD increase in PMA and PMD in the random effects model). Combining PMA and PMD into one composite variable by multiplying their values together showed the most robust association in terms of the magnitude of the effect size in men (HR, 0.77; 95% CI 0.73–0.87, p < 0.001). Indexing PMA to body size did not result in any significant differences in this association. Among women, psoas muscle measurements were not associated with long-term mortality in this meta-analysis. Conclusions Different psoas muscle measurements were significantly and very similarly associated with mortality among men but not among women. No single measurement stands out, although combining PMA and PMD seems to be a slightly stronger estimate in terms of effect size and should be considered in further studies.

Category learning in autistic individuals: A meta-analysis.

Learning new categories is a fundamental human skill. In the present article, we report the first comprehensive meta-analysis of category learning in autism. Including studies comparing groups of autistic and nonautistic individuals, we investigated whether autistic individuals differ in category learning from nonautistic individuals. In addition, we examined moderator variables accounting for variability between studies. A multilevel meta-analysis of k = 50 studies examining n = 1,220 autistic and n = 1,445 nonautistic individuals based on 112 effect sizes in terms of the standardized mean difference revealed lower-level category learning skills for autistic compared with nonautistic individuals, g = -0.55, 95% CI = [-0.73, -0.38], p < .0001. According to moderator analyses, the significant amount of heterogeneity, Q(111) = 617.88, p < .0001, was explained by only one of the moderator variables under investigation-namely, study language. For the remaining variables-namely, age, year of publication, risk of bias, type of control group, IQ of autistic group, percentage of male autistic participants, type of category, type of task, and type of dependent measure-there were no significant effects. Although hat values and Cook's distance statistics confirmed the robustness of findings, results of Egger's test and a funnel plot suggested the presence of publication bias reflecting an overrepresentation of disadvantageous findings for autistic groups. Objectives for future work include identifying additional moderator variables, examining downstream effects of suboptimal category learning skills, and developing interventions.

How does background music affect drivers’ behaviours, emotions and mood behind the wheel?

The purpose of this study was to better understand how music listening impacts driving behaviours, two common activities. Driving behaviours were categorized into three levels of cognitive control (operational, tactical, and strategical) while the selection of the musical background experienced during simulated driving was left to participants. The following characteristics were considered as candidates to investigate driving behaviours changes: individual characteristics in terms of driving experience and music listener (i.e., individual sensitivity to music reward and frequency of music listening), music parameters (i.e., tempo, mode), and mood and emotional changes induced by music. Ninety-two drivers’ behaviours were analysed in a variety of simulated driving situations. The findings support the rationale that musical background has the potential to impact driving behaviours. Driving behaviours requiring an “operational” level of cognitive control were found to be the most influenced by the musical stimuli. Music listening was also found to generate mood and emotion changes, which can in turn influence driving behaviours, especially when the induced emotional valence is negative. However, background music's influence on driving behaviours, either direct or mediated by emotional or mood changes, seemed rather limited in terms of effect size.

The study of the spectrum of pharmacological activity of the new original NT-3 mimetic dipeptide GTS-302

BACKGROUND: The association of the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, depression, anxiety, and cognitive disorders with the deficit of neurotrophin-3 determines the prospect of creating drugs with a similar mechanism of action. Since the use of full-size neurotrophin-3 is limited by unsatisfactory pharmacokinetic properties, it is relevant to create low-molecular-weight mimetics of neurotrophin-3 that are active when administered systemically. A dimeric dipeptide mimetic of the 4th loop of neurotrophin-3, hexamethylenediamide bis(N--oxibutyryl-L-glutamyl-L-asparagine) GTS-302, which activates TrkC and TrkB receptors, has been developed at the V.V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology.&#x0D; AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the spectrum of pharmacological activity of GTS-302.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND МETHODS: The pharmacological effects of GTS-302 were investigated following its intraperitoneal administration. The antidepressant-like activity of GTS-302 was studied in the forced swim test in mice after acute and 7-day administration. The anxiolytic and cognitive activity of the dipeptide were studied in the elevated plus maze test in mice and the novel object recognition test in rats after acute administration, respectively. The effect of GTS-302 on pain sensitivity was studied in the hot plate test in mice after acute administration.&#x0D; RESULTS: It was found that GTS-302 exhibits antidepressant-like activity after acute administration at doses of 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 and 10 mg/kg. After 7-day administration, the antidepressant-like activity of GTS-302 was more pronounced in terms of effect size and statistical significance. The dipeptide GTS-302 at doses of 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg showed anxiolytic and cognitive activity and did not affect pain sensitivity.&#x0D; CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacological spectrum of the low-molecular-weight mimetic of neurotrophin-3, dipeptide GTS-302, revealed upon systemic administration includes a number of neuropsychotropic effects characteristic of the full-sized neurotrophin. This allows us to consider GTS-302 as a potential neuropsychotropic drug.

The propensity to trust in (automated) technology mediates the links between technology self-efficacy and fear and acceptance of artificial intelligence

The present study investigated the extent to which the concepts of the individual tendency to trust in (automated) technology, technology self-efficacy, accepting/fearing artificial intelligence and trust in AI overlap. This research question is of relevance because trust in automation literature is rich, whereas only a few studies exist in the context of studying attitudes towards AI (and their relationship with trust in AI).To close this gap in the literature, 289 participants completed three questionnaires related to the propensity to trust in automated technology, technology self-efficacy, and attitudes towards artificial intelligence (ATAI). Notably, the ATAI scale includes a single item assessing trust in AI.Results revealed robust positive correlations between the propensity to trust in (automated) technology, technology self-efficacy and ATAI's acceptance scale (including a positive association on single item level regarding trusting AI). Regarding the ATAI's fear scale, negative correlations with trust in automated technology and technology self-efficacy were observed. Mediation models are also reported in this study.Our work shows that the construct of trust in automated technology and attitudes towards AI (including the AI trust item) overlap small to moderate (in terms of effect sizes). This means that some of the existing research insights in the domain of the propensity to trust in automation might be transferred to the psychological foundation of attitudes and the interaction with artificial intelligence. However, it is also clear that considerable non-shared (unique) variance exists between the constructs, making it necessary to further understand how positive and negative attitudes towards AI are formed.

Computerized cognitive interventions for adults with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Treatments for adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are understudied, compared to children and adolescents with the same condition. In this systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis, we aim to evaluate the outcomes of computerized cognitive training (CCT) interventions in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including adults with ADHD. Cognitive outcomes and ADHD symptom severity were analyzed separately. In addition, the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities was used to categorize outcome variables into subdomains, which were analyzed separately in a subsequent analysis. The results revealed a small positive change in overall cognitive functioning, a measure of all cognitive outcomes in each study, for individuals who took part in CCT compared to controls (k = 9, Hedge's g = 0.235, 95% CI [0.002, 0.467], p = 0.048, τ² = 0.000, I² = 0.000). However, neither symptom severity nor specific cognitive outcomes (executive functioning, cognitive speed, or working memory) showed a significant improvement. We analyzed the risk of bias in the chosen studies and discuss the findings in terms of effect size. It is concluded that CCT has a small positive effect in adults with ADHD. Due to the lack of heterogeneity in intervention designs across the included studies, increased heterogeneity in future studies could help inform clinicians about the aspects of CCT, such as training type and length, that are most beneficial for this group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of Hypertension Patient Management During Family Medicine Trainee Education

Objective: Hypertension (HT) is a systemic disease manifested by high blood pressure and is a major health problem, common in the community and the cause of serious complications. Control of blood pressure levels is an essential step in reducing omit complications. The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of face-to-face HT training on the HT knowledge and awareness of the family medicine resident doctors and to understand their needs.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Our study was planned in a descriptive-cross-sectional research design. Just before and after the face-to-face training, participants were given a questionnaire developed by researchers based on two documents: the Turkish Hypertension Consensus Reports published in 2019, and the Hypertension Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines published by the Turkish Endocrinology and Metabolism Society in 2022.&#x0D; Results: In our study, we observed the effect of face-to-face education on 15 sub-categories of HT as an intervention research model. In the post-training evaluation, 12 of the 15 sub-categories involved theoretical questions, and three were case-based evaluation questions. The goal was to answer 50% or more of the questions correctly, and it was observed that, after the training, in five of the fifteen sub-categories, this target was generally achieved.&#x0D; Conclusion: Face-to-face training is effective in increasing knowledge and awareness, and evaluation capacity, which are two important elements of HT administration in primary care. A detailed examination of 15 sub-categories related to HT revealed the categories that were better in terms of effect size. Our study also detailed the effects on sub-categories related to HT management (such as resistance to first-stage HT management), which reveal interesting and somewhat unexpected results.

Twenty-year follow-up of promising clinical studies reported in highly circulated newspapers: a meta-epidemiological study

ObjectivesResearchers have identified cases in which newspaper stories have exaggerated the results of medical studies reported in original articles. Moreover, the exaggeration sometimes begins with journal articles. We examined what...

0839 Does CBT-I Dose Improve Depression and Anxiety in Patients Diagnosed with Breast and Prostate Cancer?

Abstract Introduction It has been widely reported in the literature that insomnia, depression, and anxiety are reciprocally related, and that CBT-I not only improves insomnia but also symptoms of depression and anxiety. With respect to cancer, patients of-ten report high co-morbidity of insomnia, fatigue, depression, and anxiety, with fatigue occurring in almost all patients diagnosed with cancer (irrespective of diagnoses and staging) and extending well into survivorship. The underlying mechanisms of fatigue are not well understood and, as such, there could be many contributing factors (e.g., insomnia and mood disturbance). The present analysis is based on a pilot study evaluating whether sleep continuity and CRF is improved by CBT-I dose (4 &amp; 8 [Low dose] vs 10 &amp; 12 [High dose] sessions). The present analysis evaluates whether dose of CBT-I effects depression and anxiety in patients diagnosed with breast and prostate cancer. Methods This descriptive analysis (percent change from pre to post treatment) includes 12 adult subjects (83.3% female, Mage 58.4±7.5yrs.; [Low dose, n=6], [High dose, n=6]). CBT-I was provided by a master therapist via video conferencing (telehealth CBT-I). Subjects were asked to complete sleep diaries and weekly measures of fatigue (FACIT), insomnia severity (ISI), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Results On the PHQ-9, subjects in the Low dose group exhibited a 57% improvement and subjects in the High dose group had a 52% improvement. On the GAD-7, this corresponded to a 26% improvement (High dose group) and 25% improvement. Conclusion As increasingly reported in the literature, CBT-I produced robust effects on depression as assessed by the PHQ-9. The effects on anxiety appear to be less robust. This may be the case because CBT-I’s effects on fatigue are likely to impact a variety of depressive symptoms, where this is less the case for anxiety. Analyses are ongoing, where the relative effects will be adjusted for insomnia-related items and rendered in terms of effect sizes. Support (if any) 5T32HL00795320;K24AG055602

Effects of virtual reality on creative performance and emotions: A study of brainwaves

Creativity is the basis for innovation and a source of national and industrial competitiveness. Thus, pedagogical enhancement of creativity is desirable, particularly via application of new technologies such as virtual reality (VR). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of VR on creativity (creative outcomes and the creative process), emotions, and brainwaves using a nonequivalent-group pre-post-test quasi-experimental design involving 76 tenth-grade students. An experimental group received training that incorporated VR elements, and a comparison group was taught via lectures combined with multimedia presentations. The main conclusions are as follows: VR exerted large positive effects on the elaboration, vividness, and novelty creative outcomes; VR exerted above-moderate positive effects on feasibility but not novelty; VR exhibited small effect sizes in terms of enjoyment, anger, and anxiety, but a large effect size for boredom, and these emotions positively influenced creativity; and beta and gamma brainwave activity during the ideation and elaboration stages, and delta brainwave activity during the latter stage, were significantly lower in the experimental than comparison group.

Efficacy of culturally adapted interventions for common mental disorders in people of Chinese descent: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Evidence suggests that culturally adapted psychological interventions have some benefits in treating diverse ethnic groups. However, the effect of such cultural adaptions specifically in Chinese ethnic groups has not been thoroughly reviewed. We aimed to systematically assess the evidence for the efficacy of different cultural adaptations in treating common mental disorders in people of Chinese descent (ie, ethnic Chinese populations). In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CNKI, and WANFANG to identify randomised controlled trials published in English and Chinese from database inception to March 10, 2023. We included trials of culturally adapted psychological interventions in people of Chinese descent (with at least 80% of Han Chinese descent) aged 15 years or older with a diagnosis or subthreshold symptoms of common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We excluded studies that included participants with severe mental disorders (eg, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder), neurodevelopmental disorders, or dementia. Study selection and data extraction were done by two independent reviewers, who extracted data for study characteristics, cultural adaptations, and summary efficacy. The primary outcome was post-intervention change in symptoms (both self-reported and clinician-rated). We used random-effects models to calculate standardised mean differences. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021239607). We identified 32 791 records, 67 of which were included in our meta-analysis (60 done in mainland China, four in Hong Kong, and one each in Taiwan, Australia, and the USA). We included 6199 participants (mean age 39·32 years [range 16-84]), of whom 2605 (42%) were male and 3247 (52%) were female. Culturally adapted interventions had medium effect sizes in terms of reducing both self-reported (Hedges' g 0·77 [95% CI 0·61-0·94]; I2 84%) and clinician-rated (0·75 [0·54-0·96]; 86%) symptom severity across all disorders at end of treatment, irrespective of adaptation types. We noted no difference in efficacy between culturally modified interventions and culturally specific interventions. Subgroup analyses showed considerable heterogeneity. Inadequate reporting in included studies largely restricted risk-of-bias appraisals across all domains. Psychological interventions can be transported across cultures with appropriate modifications. Adaptations to interventions can be made by modifying evidence-based interventions, or in culturally specific ways that are rooted in the sociocultural context. However, findings are limited by the insufficient reporting of interventions and cultural adaptations. None. For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.