Use Of Specific Strategies Research Articles

What you say matters: preservice teacher classroom management initial development

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores preservice teachers’ (PSTs) beliefs about classroom management advice and support. The authors seek to explore PSTs’ initial classroom management development by identifying what was most salient upon entering preparation, what they remember at completion, and who they are learning from. The authors draw from open-response survey items of over 900 PSTs from an entry/exit survey design in one of the largest teacher preparation programs in Texas. Results indicate that PSTs focus on the use of specific strategies, the classroom environment, and select components of classroom management. Notably, entry responses highlight learning from previous professors, while exit surveys highlight clinical teaching experiences. Implications of this study inform teacher preparation programs to consider addressing misconceptions that PSTs enter with as well as to embed evidence-based practices within coursework that are simultaneously integrated throughout clinical teaching.

FORMULATION OF A SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION FOR «CORPORATE GOVERNANCE» BASED ON THE COGNITIVE METHOD OF TWO-LEVEL TRIADIC DECRYPTION

The concept of corporate governance has been analyzed, and its general and specific characteristics have been identified. The study explores various approaches to defining corporate governance. The first perspective, advocated by international foundations and some defined scholars, views corporate governance as a system of rights and responsibilities. The second perspective considers corporate governance as a set of firm practices. This entails the use of specific strategies and methods to achieve company goals, including decision-making, strategy development, and risk management. The third perspective emphasizes balancing finances, labour, technology, and management to harmonize the interests of various stakeholders and the company. This involves considering the needs of shareholders, employees, clients, and other participants, as well as ensuring mutually beneficial relationships among them. The research results indicate that corporate governance can be approached from different angles, but all are aimed at achieving effective and sustainable company operation. Taking these aspects into account is crucial for successful enterprise activity. The study proposes the use of the triadic decryption method to formulate the definition of corporate governance. Applying this theory allowed for the systematization and generalization of key aspects of this concept, which is an important step in understanding and analyzing the principles and mechanisms of effective corporate governance. By using the triad mutations method, a rearrangement of secondary concepts in the original categorical scheme was made, reflecting the essence of corporate governance constructed as a result of applying the two-tier triadic decryption method. The generalization of three hierarchically structured concepts enabled the formulation of a definition in which corporate governance is considered to be a systematic and planned activity aimed at ensuring balance in the relationships between all participants in this process (owners (shareholders), founders, directors, managers, and other stakeholders). This approach allows enterprises to take a systematic approach to corporate governance and consider its dynamic nature, contributing to further research on the essence and peculiarities of using this concept in modern business practice.

2 Untangling Subjective and Objective Memory in Aging: The Effects of Strategy Use and Gender Differences on Associative Memory Performance

Objective:In normative aging, there is a decline in associative memory that appears to relate to self-reported everyday use of general memory strategies (Guerrero et al., 2021). Self-reported general strategy use is also strongly associated with self-reported memory abilities (Frankenmolen et al., 2017), which, in turn, are weakly associated with objective memory performance (Crumley et al., 2014). Associative memory abilities and strategy use appear to differ by gender, with women outperforming men and using more memory strategies (Hertzog et al., 2019). In this study, we examine how actual performance and self-reported use of specific strategies on an associative memory task relate to each other and to general, everyday strategy use, and whether these differ by gender.Participants and Methods:An international sample of older adults (N = 566, 53% female, aged 60-80) were administered a demographic questionnaire and online tasks, including 1. the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ) which measures self-reported memory ability, satisfaction, and everyday strategy use (Troyer & Rich, 2018); and 2. the Face-Name Task which measures associative memory (Troyer et al., 2011). Participants were also asked about specific strategies that were used to complete the Face-Name Task.Results:On the Face-Name Task, participants who reported using more strategies performed better (F(3, 562) = 6.51, p < 0.001, n2 = 0.03), with those who reported using three or four strategies performing best (p < .05). There was a significant difference in performance based on the type of strategy used (p(2, 563) = 11.36, p < 0.001, n2 = 0.04), with individuals who relied on a “past experiences/knowledge” strategy performing best (p < .01). Women (M = 0.79, SD = 0.19) outperformed men (M = 0.71, SD = 0.20), f(545) = -4.64, p < 0.001, d = -0.39. No gender differences were found in the number (X2(3, N = 564) = 2.06, p = 0.561) or type (x2(2, N = 564) = 5.49, p = 0.064) of strategies used on the Face-Name Task. Only participants who reported using no strategies on the Face-Name Task had lower scores on the MMQ everyday strategy use subscale (p < .05). A multiple-regression model was used to investigate the relative contributions of the number of strategies used on the Face-Name Task, MMQ everyday strategy subscale score, gender, age, education, and psychological distress to Face-Name Task performance. The only significant predictors in the model were gender (B = 0.08, t(555) = 4.55, p < 0.001) and use of two or more strategies (B = 0.07, f(555) = 2.82, p = 0.005).Conclusions:Reports of greater self-initiated strategy use, and use of a semantic strategy in particular, related to better performance on an associative memory test in older adults. Self-initiated, task-specific strategy use also related to everyday strategy use. The findings extend past work on gender differences to show that women outperform men on an associative memory task but that this is unlikely to be due to self-reported differences in strategy use. The results suggest that self-reported strategy use predicts actual associative memory performance and should be considered in clinical practice.

The Diversity of Strategies Used in Working Memory for Colors, Orientations, and Positions: A Quantitative Approach to a First-Person Inquiry.

The study of individual experience during the performance of a psychological task using a phenomenological approach is a relatively new area of research. The aim of this paper was to combine first- and third-person approaches to investigate whether the strategies individuals use during a working memory task are associated with specific task conditions, whether the strategies combine to form stable patterns, and whether the use of specific strategies is related to task accuracy. Thirty-one participants took part in an experiment in which they were instructed to remember colors, orientations, or positions of stimuli presented in a change detection task. After every 7th-15th trial, participants took part in an in-depth phenomenological interview in which they described their experiences during the trial that immediately preceded the interview. Qualitative analysis revealed a set of 18 strategies that participants used while performing the task, which we divided into active and passive strategies of encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. Quantitative analysis revealed that while many strategies were used in all task conditions, some strategies and their combinations may be better suited to the specific task demands, while others are more general in nature. The results also suggest a distinction between strategies for encoding object identity and spatial features. Finally, our results did not provide robust evidence for a relationship between specific strategies and taskaccuracy.

GAMIFICATION ELEMENTS AND ENGAGEMENT: exploring students’ perception in an English reading course

Gamification has been widely employed as a pedagogical tool for fostering interaction and learning in class, including in foreign language teaching contexts. The gamification process may modify the structure or the content of a course with the use of specific strategies, such as the attribution of points and acknowledgements, ranking systems, storytelling, and others. Still, there is a lack of formal methodological procedures on how to design such strategies, as well as how they affect the engagement of students. As an attempt to expand the studies on the use of gamification as a pedagogical tool, this research aims at identifying which elements are likely to promote or limit engagement opportunities in class according to the student’s perception. Data was generated through a questionnaire, which was applied on a remote instrumental reading course, and components of quantitative and qualitative research were used to analyze responses to open-ended and Likert-scale questions. The results indicate positive and challenging aspects of certain gamification elements. High importance was attributed to elements that provided task guidance and content feedback, fostered decision-making opportunities towards content, and created moments for interaction with the environment and peers. Elements that appeared to limit engagement were related to individual collaboration in group work, content complexity regarding the target language, introduction of new digital tools and systems, and personal topics of interest; accordingly, these items require careful implementation.

GAMIFICATION ELEMENTS AND ENGAGEMENT: exploring students’ perception in an English reading course

Gamification has been widely employed as a pedagogical tool for fostering interaction and learning in class, including in foreign language teaching contexts. The gamification process may modify the structure or the content of a course with the use of specific strategies, such as the attribution of points and acknowledgements, ranking systems, storytelling, and others. Still, there is a lack of formal methodological procedures on how to design such strategies, as well as how they affect the engagement of students. As an attempt to expand the studies on the use of gamification as a pedagogical tool, this research aims at identifying which elements are likely to promote or limit engagement opportunities in class according to the student’s perception. Data was generated through a questionnaire, which was applied on a remote instrumental reading course, and components of quantitative and qualitative research were used to analyze responses to open-ended and Likert-scale questions. The results indicate positive and challenging aspects of certain gamification elements. High importance was attributed to elements that provided task guidance and content feedback, fostered decision-making opportunities towards content, and created moments for interaction with the environment and peers. Elements that appeared to limit engagement were related to individual collaboration in group work, content complexity regarding the target language, introduction of new digital tools and systems, and personal topics of interest; accordingly, these items require careful implementation.

Leadership Through Discursive Strategies in Abiy Ahmed’s Welcoming Speech at the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly

Diplomatic language and political discourse have always been inseparable and have wielded effects in terms of power, control, and domination. These effects depended on how language was used and for what purpose. The article stems from the premise that the use of specific strategies, particularly discursive strategies, enables users to convey power and leadership. Consequently, this article analyzes the political discourse, specifically the diplomatic language, used in the welcoming speech delivered by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the African Union (AU) Assembly. The analysis is conducted based on Reisigl and Wodak's Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) theory, focusing on their five discursive strategies. The goal is to uncover the discursive strategies employed by Abiy Ahmed to achieve unity and, through unity, convey Africa's power in general, in the face of foreign intrusion, as well as Ethiopia's power specifically. The analysis reveals that the discursive strategy of predication predominated throughout the speech, both individually and in combination. Predication was employed to showcase notions of power, positivity, independence, and sovereignty of Ethiopia. By utilizing these discursive strategies, Abiy emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts to overcome any obstacles that arise in Africa.

Persuasive Strategies in Imam Al-Hassan’s (p.b.u.h) Preaches

Language is a means of communication through which one can transmit one’s ideas and thoughts. The way of handing over convincing ideas can be adhered to through the use of specific strategies in certain genres. Preaching is an example of these genres where speeches are presented to influence people on a particular occasion with the aim of convincing them to accept or abandon an idea or a course of action; expressly to exhort an officious or tiresome manner. This specific issue, i.e. persuading people through preaching has not been given enough scholarly investigative attention from a pragmatic perspective. Thus, this study attempts to bridge this gap in the literature. To do so, it scrutinizes the homilies delivered by one of the infallible people in the Islamic culture: Imam Al-Hassan (peace be upon hem) who is used to utilizing various strategies in his preaches to persuade the populace to accept moral issues that they can take benefit from their life to gain salvation.
 This study attempts to identify the pragmatic persuasive strategies used by Imam Al-Hassan (peace be upon him) in his preaches, among which are the pragma-rhetorical devices to convince people to accept ideas and arguments discussed by him.
 To accomplish the above aim and test the above hypothesis, specific preaches of Imam Al-Hassan’s are pragmatically analyzed by means of a model developed for this purpose.

Strabismus Surgery in Orthophoric Patients With Symptomatic, Asymmetric Vertical or Horizontal Incomitance

To report the indications, operative strategies, and surgical outcomes of patients who undergo vertical and horizontal rectus muscle surgery for incomitant strabismus despite being orthophoric in primary gaze. Retrospective, interventional case series. The setting for this study was an academic practice at Boston Children's Hospital. The patient population comprised 8 orthophoric patients who underwent strabismus surgery to treat vertical/horizontal incomitance. Observation procedures included review of surgical strategies, strabismus measurements in diagnostic gaze positions, and development of postoperative diplopia. The main outcome measures were preserved single vision in primary gaze, comitance, reoperation rate, and patient/surgeon satisfaction. Surgical strategies included the following: (1) simultaneous recession of ipsilateral antagonist rectus muscles; (2) recession or resection of 1 rectus muscle with balancing surgery on the fellow eye; (3) restricting the range of 1 muscle (combined resection and recession or posterior fixation suture); and (4) creating an acceptable deviation in primary gaze. Mean follow-up was 5.4 months (median, 2 months; range, 2-25 months). No patient had new-onset primary gaze diplopia. The median incomitance improved by 9.5 prism diopters. No patient required additional surgery. Patient satisfaction and surgeon assessment of outcomes were high. Although the risk of operating on orthophoric patients with incomitant strabismus may discourage surgeons from offering treatment, the use of specific strategies to address incomitance can preserve alignment in primary gaze while improving patient satisfaction. These strategies may also benefit patients with incomitant strabismus that is symptomatic in primary gaze.

Validity of Emotion Regulation Questionnaire in Diverse Mexican Samples Using Two Different Spanish Translations

Individual differences in emotion regulation, the use of specific strategies to influence various aspects of one’s emotional thoughts or behaviors, are predictive of individual variation in psychopathology as well as wellbeing. The current manuscript sought to investigate reliability and validity of the emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ) in three different Mexican samples. A Spanish translation previously validated in Spain was used for two samples (student; n = 238 and young school children guardian; n=200). To investigate if language differences led to variation in psychometric properties and factorial structure, an in-house Mexican Spanish translation was used for the third sample (community; n= 617). We found that although reliability, factor structure and validity remained somewhat the same, there were differences in the number of items in each factor. Importantly, consistent with previous research, emotion regulation strategies assessed were associated with predicted outcomes such as mood and anxiety symptoms, resilience, and wellbeing. These results highlight the importance of adapting scales to specific contexts and attending to the characteristics of the sample.

Alcohol-impaired driving enforcement priorities and strategies in a nationwide sample of U.S. law enforcement agencies

Objective Excessive alcohol consumption leads to a range of public health problems and social and financial burdens. Traffic crashes resulting from alcohol-involved driving are a major contributor to the overall health consequences of alcohol. Various laws and enforcement strategies aim to prevent alcohol-involved driving. The extent to which law enforcement agencies prioritize enforcement of alcohol-impaired driving laws can help to reduce alcohol-impaired driving. Among law enforcement agencies in the US, we examined prioritization of alcohol-impaired driving enforcement and how it is associated with use of specific enforcement strategies, as well as agency and community characteristics. Methods We conducted a survey of a national sample of 1,024 US police and sheriff agencies in 2019. We assessed prioritization of alcohol-impaired driving enforcement, use of specific enforcement strategies (saturation patrols, sobriety checkpoints, open container law enforcement, training field officers to identify driving impairment), and agency and jurisdiction characteristics. We assessed how priority of enforcement (high vs. low) was associated with use of specific strategies, and agency and jurisdiction characteristics using regression models that accounted for agencies nesting within states. Results A majority of agencies (68%) placed a high priority on alcohol-impaired driving enforcement. Almost all agencies (93%) reported performing at least one alcohol-impaired driving enforcement strategy and the most common strategy used was saturation patrols. Agencies that prioritized alcohol-impaired driving enforcement were more likely to use sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols, conduct enforcement of open container laws and train field officers in identifying driving impairment (p < 0.05). They were also more likely to have an officer assigned primarily to alcohol enforcement, have an alcohol division, and serve jurisdictions that had fewer Black residents (p < 0.05). Conclusions Many law enforcement agencies utilize strategies to address alcohol-impaired driving, however, some strategies are underutilized and an opportunity exists for agencies to incorporate additional strategies to help prevent alcohol-impaired driving. Agencies that made alcohol-impaired driving enforcement a priority were more likely to conduct related enforcement strategies. Encouraging police and sheriff agencies to prioritize alcohol-impaired driving enforcement may be an effective approach for preventing alcohol-related harms.

How to deal with vessel diameter mismatch in left main bifurcation stenting.

Left main coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention is particularly complex when stenting across the distal bifurcation is required in the presence of a diameter mismatch between the proximal main and distal branches. A suboptimal procedural result increases the risk of thrombosis and restenosis. Considering the paucity of data published on this topic, our objective was to provide technical solutions to deal with this complex anatomy. We described four cases showing the use of devices and techniques which allowed us to overcome a diameter discrepancy between adjacent coronary segments: (1) self-expanding nitinol stent; (2) stent platform with noteworthy expansion capacity; (3) the 'extended skirt' technique; (4) the 'trouser-leg' technique. In conclusion, the use of specific strategies and devices allows a safe and effective approach to be used to perform treatment that respects the coronary anatomy, and to optimize percutaneous coronary intervention results in complex scenarios.

The degradation of gelatin/alginate/fibrin hydrogels is cell type dependent and can be modulated by targeting fibrinolysis.

In tissue engineering, cell origin is important to ensure outcome quality. However, the impact of the cell type chosen for seeding in a biocompatible matrix has been less investigated. Here, we investigated the capacity of primary and immortalized fibroblasts of distinct origins to degrade a gelatin/alginate/fibrin (GAF)-based biomaterial. We further established that fibrin was targeted by degradative fibroblasts through the secretion of fibrinolytic matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) and urokinase, two types of serine protease. Finally, we demonstrated that besides aprotinin, specific targeting of fibrinolytic MMPs and urokinase led to cell-laden GAF stability for at least forty-eight hours. These results support the use of specific strategies to tune fibrin-based biomaterials degradation over time. It emphasizes the need to choose the right cell type and further bring targeted solutions to avoid the degradation of fibrin-containing hydrogels or bioinks.

A daily diary study of emotion regulation as a moderator of negative affect-binge eating associations.

While negative affect (NA) typically increases risk for binge eating, the ultimate impact of NA may depend on a person's ability to regulate their emotions. In this daily, longitudinal study, we examined whether emotion regulation (ER) modified the strength of NA-dysregulated eating associations. Women (N=311) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry first reported dimensional binge eating symptoms and broad ER difficulties (e.g., limited emotional awareness, difficulty controlling emotional impulses). Participants then rated use of adaptive (cognitive reappraisal, social sharing, situation modification, and acceptance) and maladaptive (rumination, expressive suppression, and self-criticism) ER strategies, emotional eating (EE), objective binge eating (OBE), and NA once daily for 49 consecutive days. There were several main effects of ER on binge-eating pathology in both between-person (i.e., comparing women who differed on average) and within-person (i.e., examining fluctuations in variables day-to-day) analyses. Between-person, greater broad ER difficulties, greater maladaptive strategy use, and lower adaptive strategy use were all associated with greater binge-eating pathology. Within-person, greater maladaptive strategy use was associated with greater odds of OBE on that day and on the following day. However, neither broad ER difficulties nor use of specific strategies moderated associations between NA and dysregulated eating in between- or within-person analyses. While ER is independently associated with risk for dysregulated eating, it may not fully mitigate the impact of NA. Additional strategies (e.g., decreasing environmental stressors and increasing social support) may be needed to minimize NA and its impact on dysregulated eating. Negative affect (NA; e.g., sadness, guilt) increases dysregulated eating risk. Because NA is sometimes unavoidable, we examined whether emotion regulation (ER; i.e., how a person responds to their emotions) might impact whether NA leads to dysregulated eating. Although more effective ER was associated with less dysregulated eating overall, ER did not impact the association between NA and dysregulated eating. Other approaches may therefore be needed to mitigate NA-dysregulated eating associations.

The Relationship between Gross Anatomy Performance and the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) Among Physician Assistant Students

BackgroundSelf‐regulated learning (SRL) is defined as the processes that one carries out to accomplish goals through self‐directed use of specific strategies. In essence, it involves how someone becomes the master of their own learning processes and comprises behaviors of skill, will, and self‐regulation. Evidence supports that high levels of SRL are correlated with better grades and higher academic achievement. Tools exist to measure SRL in higher education, with the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) being one such tool (Weinstein et al., 2016). It is a 60‐item inventory that measures 10 subscales including motivation, anxiety, test strategies, time management, and selecting main ideas.ObjectiveThis study aims to address whether there is a correlation between LASSI subscales and gross anatomy performance in a sample of physician assistant (PA) students. While growing numbers of medical and dental programs utilize the LASSI to examine SRL, its use in allied health student populations has not been explored extensively. I hypothesized that there is a positive relationship with anatomy performance and LASSI scales such as motivation, test taking skills, and use of academic resources and a negative relationship with anxiety.MethodsFirst year students enrolled in a physician assistant program were invited to participate in the study during the second semester of their first year, following the completion of a four‐credit gross anatomy course and other basic science coursework taken during the first semester of the first year. The timing of LASSI administration was chosen as it was thought to more accurately reflect their SRL as a PA student, as opposed to administration upon program entry when it would measure their SRL prior to graduate school. It was a programmatic requirement to complete the LASSI, however participation and use of educational records in the study was voluntary, with written consent given. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate the association between the LASSI subscales and the average grade of four sets of exams (written and practical), as well as final grade. Analyses were performed using SPSS Version 27 and significance level was set at p&lt;0.05.ResultsA total of 49 students completed the LASSI and 5 students opted out of the study, rendering an 89.8% response rate (n=44). Two LASSI subscales had significant positive correlations with anatomy performance 1) test strategies: exam 1 (r=.618, p&lt;0.01), exam 2 (r=.451, p&lt;0.01), exam 3 (r=.343, p&lt;0.05), exam 4 (r=.325, p&lt;0.01), and final anatomy grade (r=.502, p&lt;0.01) and 2) selecting main ideas: exam 1 (r=.374, p&lt;0.05).Conclusion and ImplicationsThe hypothesis that anatomy performance would be negatively correlated with anxiety and positively correlated with test strategies and other LASSI subscales was partially supported. This preliminary study reveals that only two LASSI subscales had significant positive correlations with anatomy performance: test strategies and selecting main ideas. Anxiety did not have a significant correlation with anatomy performance. It is unsurprising that a relationship exists between test‐taking strategies and anatomy grades, and the strength of this relationship decreased as students progressed through the semester. This research suggests that explicit instruction of test taking skills, SRL, and metacognitive awareness early in the curriculum may improve anatomy performance.

Improving the feasibility of fidelity measurement for community-based quality assurance: Partial- versus full-session observations of supervisor adherence and competence.

Clinical supervision is a common quality assurance method for supporting the implementation and sustainment of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) in community mental health settings. However, assessing and supporting supervisor fidelity requires efficient and effective measurement methods. This study evaluated two observational coding approaches that are potentially more efficient than coding full sessions: a randomly selected 15-min segment and the first case discussion of the session. Data were leveraged from a randomized trial of an Audit and Feedback (A&F) intervention for supervisor Adherence and Competence. Supervisors (N = 57) recorded and uploaded weekly group supervision sessions for 7 months, with one session observationally coded each month (N = 374). Of the coded sessions, one was randomly selected for each supervisor, and a random 15-min segment was coded. Additionally, the first case discussion was coded for the full sample of sessions. Across all models (and controlling for the proportion of the session covered by the partial observation), Adherence and Competence scores from partial observations were positively and significantly associated with scores from full sessions. In all cases, partial observations were most accurate when the level of Adherence and Competence was moderate. At lower levels, partial observations were underestimates, and at higher levels, they were overestimates. The results suggest that efficient observational measurement can be achieved while retaining a general level of measurement effectiveness. Practically, first-case discussions are easier to implement, whereas 15-min segments have fewer potential threats to validity. Evaluation of resource requirements is needed, along with determining whether A&F effects are retained if feedback is based on partial observations. Nevertheless, more efficient observational coding could increase the feasibility of routine fidelity monitoring and quality assurance strategies, including A&F, which ultimately could support the implementation and sustainment of effective supervision practices and EBIs in community practice settings.Plain Language Summary: When delivering evidence-based mental health interventions in community-based practice settings, a common quality assurance method is clinical supervision. To support supervisors, assessment methods are needed, and those methods need to be both efficient and effective. Ideally, supervision sessions would be recorded, and trained coders would rate the supervisor's use of specific strategies. In most settings, though, this requires too many resources. The present study evaluated a more efficient approach. The data came from an existing randomized trial of an Audit and Feedback intervention for enhancing supervisor Adherence and Competence. This included 57 supervisors and 374 sessions across seven months of monitoring. Instead of rating full supervision sessions, a more efficient approach was to have coders rate partial sessions. Two types of partial observations were considered: a randomly selected 15-minute segment of the session and the first case discussion of the session. The aim was to see if partial observations and full observations led to similar conclusions about Adherence and Competence. In all cases, they did. The scores were most similar for sessions with moderate levels of Adherence and Competence. If Adherence and Competence were low, partial observations were underestimates, but if they were high, partial observations were overestimates. Observing partial sessions is more efficient, but in terms of accuracy, the benefits and limitations should be evaluated in light of how the scores will be used. Additionally, future research should consider whether Audit and Feedback interventions have the same effect if feedback is based on observations of partial sessions.

How have people been coping during the COVID-19 pandemic? Patterns and predictors of coping strategies amongst 26,016 UK adults

BackgroundIndividuals face increased psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s unknown whether choice of coping styles are influenced by COVID-19 in addition to known predictors.MethodsData from 26,016 UK adults in the UCL COVID-19 Social Study were analysed from 12/4/2020 15/5/2020. Regression models were used to identify predictors of coping styles (problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidant, and socially-supported): model 1 included sociodemographic variables, model 2 additionally included psychosocial factors, and model 3 further included experience of COVID-19 specific adverse worries or events.ResultsSociodemographic and psychosocial predictors of coping align with usual predictors of coping styles not occurring during a pandemic. However, even when controlling for the wide range of these previously known predictors specific adversities were associated with use of specific strategies. Experience of worries about finances, basic needs, and events related to Covid-19 were associated with a range of strategies, while experience of financial adversities was associated with problem-focused, emotion-focused and avoidant coping. There were no associations between coping styles and experiencing challenges in meeting basic needs, but Covid-19 related adversities were associated with a lower use of socially-supported coping.ConclusionsThis paper demonstrates that there are not only demographic and social predictors of coping styles during the COVID-19 pandemic, but specific adversities are related to the ways that adults cope. Furthermore, this study identifies groups at risk of more avoidant coping mechanisms which may be targeted for supportive interventions.

Equity and the Cuban National Health System's response to COVID-19.

ABSTRACTCuba’s National Health System has managed to guarantee an effective and equitable response to COVID-19. Universal and free health coverage, based on primary care, follows the principle of equity and the greatest resources are allocated to areas of the lowest socioeconomic stratum (where higher risk is concentrated), followed by those of medium and high strata, in that order. This allowed for similar mortality rates in the three strata, and Cuban national mortality rate was one of the lowest in the Region of the Americas. Before the first case was identified in Cuba, a Plan for Coronavirus Prevention and Control was elaborated with multisectoral participation, and when the first case was confirmed the Temporary National Working Group to Fight COVID-19 was created as an advisory body of the government. The actions to face the pandemic began with preventive measures in the community, continued in the isolation centers and ended again in the community with actions of surveillance and follow up of recovered patients. Following the principle of territoriality, molecular diagnosis laboratories were created in the provinces that did not have one. Free medical care and treatment; the preparation of a single national intersectoral government plan; the use of particular strategies for research, diagnosis and case tracing; and the implementation of a universal protocol for disease prevention and treatment of confirmed cases made it possible to control the disease with a health equity perspective.

Changes over time in language learning strategy use by foreign language learners

This study explores the reported changes over time of the use of language learning strategies based on periodic self-reports of undergraduates that studied Spanish as a foreign language for three years. The purpose was to gain a better understanding of how the use of particular strategies evolved and consolidated or disappeared as students became progressively more proficient in Spanish. By using Oxford’s taxonomy that differentiates and classifies language learning strategies according to their function, and employing a mixed-method approach that combined successive administrations of Oxford’s Strategy Inventory of Language Learning with in-depth interviews, this study found that the most frequently used strategies as reported by students who started as absolute beginners and continued studying Spanish for three consecutive years were metacognitive strategies in the first year, social strategies in the second year and cognitive strategies in the third year. This study analysed and discussed these findings.

Development of national physical activity recommendations in 18 EU member states: a comparison of methodologies and the use of evidence

ObjectivesThe aim of the study is to compare how member states of the European Union (EU) develop their national physical activity (PA) recommendations and to provide an overview of the...