Variability In Gender Research Articles

Cystatin C as a Marker of Kidney Function in Children.

This review examines the reliability of cystatin C as a biomarker for kidney function in paediatric populations. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects a significant number of children globally, leading to severe health complications such as anaemia, hypertension, and growth disorders. Traditionally, kidney function has been assessed using the estimated glomerular filtration rate derived from serum creatinine, though this method is flawed due to variability in muscle mass, age, gender, and diet. Cystatin C offers an alternative as it is less influenced by these factors. Evidence from various studies indicates that cystatin C provides a more accurate assessment of kidney function, especially in neonates and children with urinary tract malformations. Additionally, it is more reliable in early detection of acute kidney injury in paediatric intensive care units. Despite its potential, cystatin C is not yet widely adopted in clinical guidelines, primarily due to a lack of large-scale paediatric studies. Nonetheless, existing research supports its utility in providing a consistent and precise measure of kidney function across different paediatric age groups, suggesting that it could enhance early diagnosis and management of CKD in children if more extensive validation studies are conducted.

COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative study

IntroductionHealth literacy is crucial in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV2 and preventing infection, as well as preparing healthcare systems for situations that require immediate response. The aim of this study was to evaluate older people's health literacy towards disease prevention, as well as the motivators and barriers they experienced when adopting preventative measures. MethodsWe conducted in-depth interviews with 16 participants aged 65 and beyond. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants, accounting for variability in gender, age and educational level. The transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis methods. The interview guide was developed using Sørensen's conceptual model of health literacy. ResultsFive main themes and 16 sub-themes were identified in this study. Knowledge and perception on preventive measures (with two sub-themes), sources of Covid-19 information (with two sub-themes), appraise the health information (with two sub-themes), perceived practice (with five sub-themes), barriers and motivators (with five sub-themes) were the major themes. This study discovered aspects of SEM may influence preventive measure adoption and the impact of different levels of SEM on seniors' decision-making for preventive measure adoption. ConclusionThis study examined older adults' experiences with CoviD-19-related health literacy (access, comprehend, assess, and apply), as well as their preventative behaviours, barriers, and motivators. Future disease outbreak mitigation measures should consider the SEM approach in order to improve health communication and promote healthy behaviour.

"More than Scabs and Stitches": An Interview Study of Burn Survivors' Perspectives on Treatment and Recovery.

Sustaining a burn injury often results in a life-long recovery process. Survivors are impacted by changes in their mobility, appearance, and ability to carry out activities of daily living. In this study, we examined survivors' accounts of their treatment and recovery in order to identify specific factors that have had significant impacts on their well-being. With this knowledge, we may be better equipped to optimize the care of burn patients. We conducted inductive, thematic analysis on transcripts of in-depth, semistructured interviews with 11 burn survivors. Participants were purposefully selected for variability in age, gender, injury size and mechanism, participation in peer support, and rurality. Survivors reported varied perceptions of care quality and provider relationships. Ongoing issues with skin and mobility continued to impact their activities of daily living. Many survivors reported that they did not have a clear understanding or realistic expectations of the recovery process. Wound care was often described as overwhelming and provoked fear for many. Even years later, trauma from burn injury can continue to evolve, creating fears and impediments to daily living for survivors. To help patients understand the realistic course of recovery, providers should focus on communicating the nature of injury and anticipated recovery, developing protocols to better identify survivors facing barriers to care, and referring survivors for further support.

Living with advanced heart failure: A qualitative study.

IntroductionInformation about how patients with advanced heart failure (HF) live and cope with their disease remains scarce. The objective of this study was to explore, from phenomenological and holistic perspectives, the experiences of patients suffering from advanced HF, attended at home in the primary care setting in 2018.Materials and methodsQualitative study conducted in 4 primary healthcare centers in Barcelona (Spain). Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted in advanced HF patients, aged over 65 and visited regularly at home. We developed a purposeful sampling, accounting for variability in gender, age, and socioeconomic level. Leventhal’s framework was used to analyze the interviews.ResultsParticipants received insufficient and contradictory information about HF. They talked about their cognitive representation and claimed a better communication with healthcare professionals. Due to their advanced age, subjects considered their daily living limitations to be normal rather than as a consequence of HF. Gender differences in emotional representation were clearly observed. Women considered themselves the keystone of correct family “functioning” and thought that they were not useful if they could not correspond to gendered societal expectations. Cognitive coping strategies included specific diets, taking medication, and registering weight and blood pressure. Nevertheless, they perceived the locus of control as external and felt unable to manage HF progression. Their emotional coping strategies included some activities at home such as watching television and reading. Social support was perceived crucial to the whole process.ConclusionsLocus of control in advanced HF was perceived as external. Healthcare professionals should adapt emotional health interventions in patients with advanced HF based on a gender perspective. Social support was found to be crucial in facing the disease. Patients reported poor communication with healthcare professionals.

562 “A Long process:” a Qualitative Analysis of Burn Survivors’ Treatment and Recovery Process

Abstract Introduction The treatment and recovery from a burn injury is a long process that can affect a survivor’s appearance, mobility, daily function, and emotional wellbeing. In this study, we sought to identify various factors in survivors’ treatment and recovery process. Methods We conducted thematic analysis on transcripts of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 11 burn survivors who had been treated at a Midwest tertiary facility. Survivors were purposefully selected for variability in age, gender, injury size, injury mechanism and quality of life responses. All transcripts were coded by at least two authors. We managed coded results in MAXQda, a qualitative data management software program. Results The mean age of interviewees was 51 years (35–63 years) and time from the injury was 5.4 years (2 months to 26 years). Their burn sizes ranged from < 10% in 4 people to 70–79% in one. Participants reported varied perceptions of care quality and provider relationships from the initial hospital stay. Some recalled communication issues from the hospital throughout the long recovery process. Many used graphic terms for the unfamiliar treatment methods. Survivors reported ongoing issues with their skin and mobility that continued to impact activities of daily living even years later. Many did not have clear or realistic expectations or understanding of the recovery process. Wound care was overwhelming and provoked fear for many survivors even with formal instruction. Most participants developed different ways to treat their injuries at home. Barriers to recovery included finances, comorbidities, and environmental characteristics, including rurality. Conclusions Even years later, the burn injury can continue to evolve, create fears, and affect daily living for survivors. To help patients understand the realistic course of recovery, providers could focus on clear communication about the injury and recovery. Providers should recognize survivors with barriers who may need referrals for further support. Applicability of Research to Practice Reflecting on the subjective accounts of survivors will help identify opportunities to improve patient experiences during treatment and throughout the recovery process.

Examining Gender- and Drug-Specific Arrest Counts: A Partial Test of Agnew’s General Strain Theory

ABSTRACT Despite Agnew`s extension of general strain theory to the macro-level, little attention has been devoted to assessing of the link between community characteristics and gender-specific drug arrests. Prior studies have also neglected to explore gender-based disparities in aggregate arrests for specific drugs. This study examines the influence of community characteristics in explaining variability in gender- and drug-specific arrest counts across 165 cities. Results highlight that the influence of police per capita, drug-specific mortality, and region on drug arrests vary significantly by gender, while the influence of structural disadvantage is relatively consistent between genders.

A non-contact infection screening system using medical radar and Linux-embedded FPGA: Implementation and preliminary validation.

ObjectivesIn this study, an infection screening system was developed to detect patients suffering from infectious diseases. In addition, the system was also designed to deal with the variability in age and gender, which would affect the accuracy of the detection. Furthermore, to enable a low-cost, non-contact and embedded system, multiple vital signs from a medical radar were measured and all algorithms were implemented on a Field Programmable Gate Array, named PYNQ-Z1.MethodsThe system consisted of two main stages: digital signal processing and data classification. In the former stage, Butterworth filters, with flexible cut-off frequencies depending on age and gender, and a time-domain peak detection algorithm were deployed to compute three vital signs, namely heart rate, respiratory rate, and standard deviation of heart beat-to-beat interval. For the classification problem, two machine learning models, Support Vector Machine and Quadratic Discriminant Analysis, were implemented.ResultsThe Student's t-test showed that our proposed digital signal processing algorithms coped well with the variability of human cases in age and gender. Meanwhile, the f1-score of roughly 98.0% represented the high sensitivity and specificity of our proposed machine learning methods.ConclusionThis study outlines the implementation of an infection screening system, which achieved competent performance. The system might be beneficial for fast screening of infected patients at public health centers in underdeveloped areas, where people have little access to healthcare.

Digital Screen Time Limits and Young Children's Psychological Well-Being: Evidence From a Population-Based Study.

There is little empirical understanding of how young children's screen engagement links to their well-being. Data from 19,957 telephone interviews with parents of 2- to 5-year-olds assessed their children's digital screen use and psychological well-being in terms of caregiver attachment, resilience, curiosity, and positive affect in the past month. Evidence did not support implementing limits (<1 or <2hr/day) as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, once variability in child ethnicity, age, gender, household income, and caregiver educational attainment were considered. Yet, small parabolic functions linked screen time to attachment and positive affect. Results suggest a critical cost-benefit analysis is needed to determine whether setting firm limits constitutes a judicious use of caregiver and professional resources.

How perceptions of organizational politics influence self-determined motivation: The mediating role of work mood

Abstract The relationship between perceptions of organizational politics (POPs) and self-determined work motivation has yet to be understood rigorously. Drawing on self-determination theory, affective events theory, and emotion-associated theories, we propose (1) that organizational politics is a crucial factor affecting self-determined motivation in organizations and (2) that work mood (e.g. anxiety and depression) is a psychological mediator affected by POPs and affecting self-determined motivation. We tested the model by using a Taiwanese sample of considerable variability in gender, hierarchical level, and tenure. Analysis results indicate that POPs diminish intrinsic motivation, autonomous extrinsic motivation, and controlled extrinsic motivation, but increase amotivation. Anxiety is a partial mediator in the POPs–intrinsic motivation, POPs–autonomous extrinsic motivation, and POPs–controlled extrinsic motivation relationships, but anxiety does not mediate the relationship between POPs and amotivation. In contrast, depression is a partial mediator in the POPs–intrinsic motivation and POPs–amotivation relationships, and it is a complete mediator in the POPs–autonomous extrinsic motivation and POPs–controlled extrinsic motivation relationships. Given that work motivation is an important determinant of employee work behaviors; our results specify a possible link between POPs and employee outcomes. The distinct mediating roles of anxiety and depression in the POPs-work motivation relationships imply that different types of political behavior might induce distinctive work moods that produce divergent organizational outcomes.

Effects of radiation emanating from base transceiver station and mobile phone on sleep, circadian rhythm and cognition in humans – a review

The electromagnetic fields (EMF) are ubiquitous. The base transceiver station (BTS) and mobile phones (MPs) contribute to the generation of EMF around their locations and are regarded as important sources of non-ionizing radiations. The use of mobile phone has increased dramatically in recent years so also the skepticism regarding its effects. In this review, we have made an attempt to scan the key research papers those aimed at elucidating the effects of EMF starting from extreme low frequency (ELF) to radio frequency (RF) through low frequency (LF). We have selected papers that dealt with the effects of radiations emanating from the BTS and MPs on human sleep, circadian rhythm, and cognition. Mostly, we have concentrated on papers published in the last 15 years. We came across conflicting reports. The findings reported in many papers suggest that the exposure to EMF has potentiality to compromise parameters related to sleep quality; in contrast, there are several reports those have given a clean sheet to the EMF exposure. The effects of EMF on circadian rhythms also remain inconclusive. The EMF exposure while did not produce any effect on circadian rhythm of heart rate and blood chemistry, it modulated the rhythms in cortisol and melatonin characterized by a decline in their 24-h circulating levels. The effects of exposure to EMF on cognitive parameters, like performance and memory, are also equivocal. The existing contradictory findings could be attributed to inter-individual variability in tolerance, gender-, and age-dependent differences in response, latitudinal differences in efficacy, variability among employed methodologies and differences in specific absorption rate, frequency of the mobile phone usage, and interaction of EMF with other physiological and environmental factors, among others. The future research should be carried out with added focus on elucidating the modulatory effects of these factors to put an end to the existing controversies on the biological effects of low/RF EMF radiations.

Variation in reproductive investment and floret gender ratios in two gynodioecious mat daisies (Raoulia, Asteraceae)

ABSTRACTWidespread species could be expected to demonstrate greater among-population variation in reproductive traits than species with limited distributions. We investigated variability in floret gender and capitula number in populations of two gynomonoecious mat daisies, the widespread Raoulia australis and the alpine specialist Raoulia hectori in Central Otago, lower South Island. Gynomonoecy (female and hermaphrodite florets in a capitulum) is common in the daisy family Asteraceae. Varying gender ratios within capitula could allow for plasticity in reproductive investment in relation to environment and life-history stage. We found that the ratio of female to hermaphrodite florets within capitula did not vary significantly among populations or with plant size for either Raoulia species. Instead, the number of capitula produced varied among populations within species, independent of plant size, and showed different patterns in relationship to plant size between the two species. Smaller plants of the alpine specialist R. hectori consistently showed a proportionally greater allocation to reproduction than larger plants, whereas the relationship between plant size and reproductive allocation varied markedly among populations of R. australis. These results suggest that allocation to capitula may be a key component of reproduction in Raoulia species, and is potentially responsive to environment and life-history stage. However, as our study included few populations and did not follow through to seed production, this hypothesis requires further testing. Moreover, our values for floret gender ratios differed from standard species descriptions, so broader geographic variation in floret gender ratios may still exist.

DeitY-TU face database: its design, multiple camera capturing, characteristics, and evaluation

The development of the latest face databases is providing researchers different and realistic problems that play an important role in the development of efficient algorithms for solving the difficulties during automatic recognition of human faces. This paper presents the creation of a new visual face database, named the Department of Electronics and Information Technology-Tripura University (DeitY-TU) face database. It contains face images of 524 persons belonging to different nontribes and Mongolian tribes of north-east India, with their anthropometric measurements for identification. Database images are captured within a room with controlled variations in illumination, expression, and pose along with variability in age, gender, accessories, make-up, and partial occlusion. Each image contains the combined primary challenges of face recognition, i.e., illumination, expression, and pose. This database also represents some new features: soft biometric traits such as mole, freckle, scar, etc., and facial anthropometric variations that may be helpful for researchers for biometric recognition. It also gives an equivalent study of the existing two-dimensional face image databases. The database has been tested using two baseline algorithms: linear discriminant analysis and principal component analysis, which may be used by other researchers as the control algorithm performance score.

The Impact of Group Diversity and Kunja Leadership on Group Performance

This article studied the impact of group diversity and kunja leadership on group performance and studied the moderating effect of kunja leadership on the relationship between group diversity and group performance from a social capital perspective. Group diversity was evaluated in terms of demographic, job-related, and values-based measures. Demographic diversity was measured by the degree of variability in age and gender within a team. Job-related diversity was measured by the degree of variability within a team in education levels, positions, types of jobs and team members' tenure worked with current team leader. Value diversity was measured by the degree of separation in both Confucian values and in Western values found within a team. Specially, the Confucian values were measured in Ryu(2007)' Korean Confucian values, while the level of Western values using the Rokeach Value Survey. Kunja leadership refers to a team leader exhibiting moral virtues of a kunja-an ideal person in Confucian society. Group performance was evaluated by the company's executive directors. Data were collected from 288 team members, 66 team leaders and 12 executive directors in 66 teams of 10 Korean corporations. The results were as follows: Of the control variables, group size and the degree of group formalization were positively related to group performance, while a leader's tenure was negatively related to group performance. Of the independent variables, team members' tenure diversity, Western values diversity, and kunja leadership were positively related to group performance. In addition, the facets of kunja leadership of humanity, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and trustworthiness were positively related to group performance, with courtesy having the most positive relationship. Kunja Leadership was found to positively moderate the relationship between diversity in educational levels and group performance, and to positively moderate the relationship between diversity in Confucian values and group performance. However, kunja leadership negatively moderated the relationship between diversity in Western values and group performance.

The Impact of Group Diversity and Kunja Leadership on Group Performance

This article studied the impact of group diversity and kunja leadership on group performance and studied the moderating effect of kunja leadership on the relationship between group diversity and group performance from a social capital perspective. Group diversity was evaluated in terms of demographic, job-related, and values-based measures. Demographic diversity was measured by the degree of variability in age and gender within a team. Job-related diversity was measured by the degree of variability within a team in education levels, positions, types of jobs and team members' tenure worked with current team leader. Value diversity was measured by the degree of separation in both Confucian values and in Western values found within a team. Specially, the Confucian values were measured in Ryu(2007)' Korean Confucian values, while the level of Western values using the Rokeach Value Survey. Kunja leadership refers to a team leader exhibiting moral virtues of a kunja-an ideal person in Confucian society. Group performance was evaluated by the company's executive directors. Data were collected from 288 team members, 66 team leaders and 12 executive directors in 66 teams of 10 Korean corporations. The results were as follows: Of the control variables, group size and the degree of group formalization were positively related to group performance, while a leader's tenure was negatively related to group performance. Of the independent variables, team members' tenure diversity, Western values diversity, and kunja leadership were positively related to group performance. In addition, the facets of kunja leadership of humanity, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and trustworthiness were positively related to group performance, with courtesy having the most positive relationship. Kunja Leadership was found to positively moderate the relationship between diversity in educational levels and group performance, and to positively moderate the relationship between diversity in Confucian values and group performance. However, kunja leadership negatively moderated the relationship between diversity in Western values and group performance.

Colonic movements in healthy subjects as monitored by a Magnet Tracking System

The Magnet Tracking System (MTS) is a minimally-invasive technique of continuous evaluation of gastrointestinal motility. In this study, MTS was used to analyse colonic propulsive dynamics and compare the transit of a magnetic pill with that of standard radio-opaque markers. MTS monitors the progress in real time of a magnetic pill through the gut. Ten men and 10 women with regular daily bowel movements swallowed this pill and 10 radio-opaque markers at 8 pm. Five hours of recordings were conducted during 2 following mornings. Origin, direction, amplitude and velocity of movements were analysed relative to space-time plots of the pill trajectory. Abdominal radiographs were taken to compare the progress of both pill and markers. The magnetic pill lay idle for 90% of its sojourn in the colon; its total retrograde displacement accounted for only 20% of its overall movement. Analysis of these movements showed a bimodal distribution of velocities: around 1.5 and 50 cm min(-1), the latter being responsible for 2/3 of distance traversed. There were more movements overall and more mass movements in males. Net hourly forward progress was greater in the left than right colon, and greater in males. The position of the magnetic pill correlated well with the advancement of markers. MTS showed patterns and propulsion dynamics of colonic segments with as yet unmet precision. Detailed analysis of slow and fast patterns of colonic progress makes it possible to specify the motility of colonic segments, and any variability in gender. Such analysis opens up promising avenues in studies of motility disorders.

Methodological agreement between two‐compartment body‐composition methods in children

Increases in childhood obesity have emphasized the importance of accurate and accessible body composition assessment, especially in monitoring prevention and treatment efforts. Previous pediatric studies, comparing measures from air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and anthropometry (ANTH, skinfold measures), were performed in small numbers of children or in children across large age and body-size ranges. The objectives of this study were: 1) to compare body fat percentage (%BF), fat mass (FM), and fat-free mass (FFM) from ADP with DXA and ANTH, to determine the agreement between techniques; 2) to identify factors that influence agreement or lack of agreement; and 3) to determine if the agreement is constant over a range of body fatness. Healthy children (n = 125), 7-10 years old, participating in a longitudinal pediatric bone health study, were evaluated. Body composition was assessed by ADP, DXA, and ANTH to determine %BF, FM, and FFM. ADP underestimated %BF compared to DXA and ANTH by 5.0% and 1.4%, respectively. Agreement between techniques was influenced by body fatness, height, age, and gender (all P < 0.05). Relatively good agreement was observed between ADP and both DXA and ANTH for FM and FFM. In conclusion, the underestimation of %BF by ADP compared to DXA may be of a magnitude that is clinically significant, especially when using %BF in children to confirm a diagnosis of obesity. Further development of body-composition techniques for young children need to account for variability in age, gender, and level of fatness.

Determinants of resting energy expenditure in obese and non-obese children and adolescents.

Resting energy expenditure (REE) is the largest component of total daily energy expenditure. Objectives of this study were to examine whether differences in REE exist after obesity develops in a group of children and adolescents, and to determine the effects of body composition, gender, age, pubertal development and parental obesity on REE. In 116 Caucasian children and adolescents (57 obese and 59 non-obese), aged 7.8 to 16.6 years, REE was assessed by open-circuit indirect calorimetry and different anthropometric variables and bioelectrical impedance were obtained (weight, height, skinfold thicknesses, waist and hip circumferences). Anthropometric indices and body compartments were calculated: the body mass index, surface area (SA), fat-free mass (FFM), fat-mass (FM) and percentage of FM. Differences between obese and non-obese subjects were tested and stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed with REE as dependent variable. Results show that REE was significantly higher in obese than in non-obese children and adolescents but REE/FFM ratio was not significantly different between these groups. In the non-obese group, FFM explained 73.1% of the variability in REE and gender, age and SA added 3.8%, 2.6%, and 2.6% to it, respectively. In the obese group, FFM was also the most powerful predictor of REE with 72.3%, followed by waist circumference and age with 2.5% and 2.1%, respectively. These results show that REE differences between obese and lean children do not seem to justify the maintenance of obesity. The main determinant of REE is FFM in both groups. No significant contribution of FM, pubertal development or parental obesity in REE was found in children and adolescents.

Dichogamy, gender variation and bet-hedging inPseudowintera colorata

Temporal patterns of variability in the longevity of the male and female phases of individual flowers and in the gender expression of plants of a dichogamous New Zealand tree,Pseudowintera colorata (Winteraceae), were documented in field studies. Two measures for the duration of phases in a dichogamous flower are distinguished; the nominal phases based on morphological features of the flower, and the effective phases reflecting the duration of their functions. Flower and phase longevity and phenotypic gender varied considerably throughout the season and among individuals. Temporal variability in phenotypic gender was loosely synchronized among the 12 plants sampled. Three effects of an environmental factor (temperature) were noted. First, increased temperatures shortened the duration of the female phase but had no effect on the duration of the male phase. Second, pollination frequency was positively correlated with temperature. These results indirectly suggest that increased pollination may shorten the duration of the female phase. Third, average population maleness, measured as the proportion of open flowers in the population on a given day which were in the male phase, was positively correlated with temperature. It is postulated that temperature indirectly influences temporal patterns of gender expression in the population through its differential effects on the longevity of the male and female phases in individual flowers. A theoretical model of bet-hedging shows that, if the direction of an environmental effect on the proportions of the sexual phases is irreversible, selection favours asynchronous dichogamy and reduces the temporal variability as much as possible. If the direction of the response is reversible, heterodichogamy is favoured.

Size-dependent variation of gender in high density stands of the monoecious annual, Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asteraceae).

We examined the relationship between size variability and the distribution of functional gender in stands of the monoecious, wind-pollinated annual Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Populations of 60 individuals were grown in the greenhouse at a density of 372 m-2 and at two nutrient levels. Among the surviving plants, after self-thinning, variability in above-ground biomass and gender was higher in the high nutrient treatment. Among individuals there was a significant positive correlation between maleness and both height and biomass. Fecundity was also positively correlated with both measures of size. Based on the pattern of distribution of male and female flowers within the plant, it appears that the increase in maleness in larger plants is due to increased branching and axis elongation. These results demonstrate that competitive interactions, which lead to increased variability in biomass and fecundity, can also generate variability in gender within populations.