Verbal Descriptors Research Articles

The Effect of Effleurage Massage on Reducing the Intensity of Pain in the First Stage of Active Labor

Childbirth is a process of expelling the results of fertilization through a flask from inside the uterus out of the uterus through the vagina spontaneously. Pain is an experience of feeling uncomfortable and unpleasant from a person's sensory and emotional side. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Mensage Effinage on reducing the intensity of labor pain in the first active phase. This study used a one-group pre-test post-test design experiment with a sample of 34 respondents. Data was collected using a Verbal Descriptor Scale (VDS) monitoring observation sheet. Data analysis using the normality test on the Wilcoxon Sign Ronk Anamis pararsenic test because the data is not normally distributed or has Wilcoxon status. The results of the study showed that the intensity of pain in the first stage of labor in the active phase can be reduced through effluent massage therapy. This is evidenced by the results of data analysis where p = 0.000 <0.05 so that the Ho result is rejected, H1 is accepted. Effluent Massage Therapy can be used as an alternative that needs to be applied to reduce pregnancy pain in mothers giving birth in the first phase of pregnancy. The conclusion is that massage effluent can reduce the intensity of pain in pregnant women in phase 1.

Disorders of Gut-brain Interaction on the US-Mexico Border: A Survey Using Rome IV Criteria.

Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) cause a substantial health burden. Herein we studied the prevalence and characteristics of DGBI and symptoms of bloating/distension in El Paso, Texas on the US-Mexico border, providing a unique opportunity to study the effects of acculturation. Subjects from community centers completed the Rome IV questionnaire for DGBI, short acculturation scale for Hispanics questionnaire, and bloating/distention Pictograms. Data were presented as prevalence (95% CI) and compared using χ2. Of 216 participants, 197 (127 Hispanics, 90 with English acculturation) were included and 177 completed the Pictograms. Fifty-one [25.9% (20 to 32.6)] subjects fulfilled the criteria for at least one DGBI. Globus and functional dyspepsia were the most common upper DGBI, each in [3.0% (1.1 to 6.5)]. Unspecified functional bowel disorders [8.6% (5.1 to 13.5)], followed by functional abdominal bloating/distention [8.1% (4.7 to 12.9], and irritable bowel syndrome [6.1% (3.2 to 10.4] were the most common functional bowel disorder. Ninety-one (51.4%) reported bloating and/or distension with Pictograms; more frequently in those with DGBI (80.9% vs 40.8%, P < 0.001). Bloating and/or distension were reported by Pictograms in 30% of those not reporting it in the Rome IV Questionnaire. There were no differences based on acculturation or in Hispanics versus non-Hispanics. On the US-Mexico border, we found a lower prevalence of DGBI than in the US or Mexico. functional abdominal bloating/distention was more prevalent on the US-Mexico border than in either country. Bloating/distension was more commonly reported with Pictograms than with verbal descriptors. There were no differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanics, suggesting shared environmental/acquired including dietary factors as the underlying mechanisms.

Abstract 2249: Clinical outcomes of discontinuing long-term opioid therapy among older cancer survivors in nursing homes

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate associations of discontinuing vs continuing long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) with pain, physical function, and depressive symptoms among older cancer survivors who resided in nursing homes. Pain is prevalent and use of LTOT is common among patients with cancer, including those living in nursing homes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain—United States recommends tapering or discontinuing LTOT for patients with chronic pain when risks outweigh the benefits of LTOT. Despite the guideline explicitly stating that its recommendation does not apply to patients with cancer, doctors including oncologists have been prescribing fewer opioid medications for older patients, raising a question regarding the benefit and risk of discontinuing LTOT for cancer survivors who depend on opioids for pain relief. Study Design: We conducted a cohort study using a 100% Medicare nursing home sample linked to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) from 2010 to 2021. Participants included older (≥65 years of age) long-term (≥2 years) residents with a diagnosis of cancer who received LTOT for ≥90 days in a 12-month nursing home stay. Residents entered the cohort on the 90th day of the latest LTOT episode. Residents who received palliative or hospice care were excluded. The key exposure was discontinuation of LTOT, defined as no opioid refills for ≥90 consecutive days in 1 year after cohort entry. The primary outcomes were pain (measured using a numerical rating scale or categorical verbal descriptor scale), physical function (9-item activities of daily living scale), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) from baseline to quarterly assessments during 1-year follow-up after the discontinuation of LTOT. Results: In total, 53,141 cancer survivors who received LTOT were identified (mean [SD] age, 82.9 [8.7] years; 39,522 [74.4%] female; 46678 [87.8] Whites), consisting of 62,387 patient observations during the 10-year study period. Of 62,387 patient observations, 51,357 residents (82.3%) continued LTOT, and 11,030 (17.6%) discontinued LTOT. Residents who discontinued (vs continued) LTOT had lower odds of worsening pain (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.64, 95% CI, 0.59-0.59, P &amp;lt; .001) and depressive symptoms (AOR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.85-0.99]; P = .033), with no difference in physical function (AOR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.89-1.03]; P = .226) during the 1-year follow-up. Conclusion: Among older nursing home residents with cancer, discontinuing vs continuing LTOT was associated with lower odds of worsening pain and depressive symptoms. Funding source: NIH/NIA R01AG073442. Citation Format: Yu-Jung Jenny Wei, Almut G. Winterstein, Siegfried Schmidt, Roger B. Fillingim, Michael Daniels, Steven T. DeKosky, Ben Kinder, Ting-Yuan David Cheng. Clinical outcomes of discontinuing long-term opioid therapy among older cancer survivors in nursing homes [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2249.

Concurrent validation of the resistance intensity scale for exercise for monitoring velocity-based training with elastic bands

The aim was to evaluate the concurrent validity and reliability of the Resistance Intensity Scale for Exercise [RISE], which uses verbal descriptors, to quantify the intensity in velocity-based training with elastic bands. Eighteen trained volunteers performed parallel squats at maximum speed at 40%, 55%, 70%, and 85%1RM in four sessions, two for familiarization and two for reliability. Each set was stopped at a 10% intra-set velocity loss. Participants reported the perceived effort (easy-low-moderate-hard-maximal) at the first and last repetition. The concurrent validation was conducted with external load (i.e., mean propulsive velocity, weight, repetitions, and maximum power) and internal load parameters (i.e., heart rate). Participants' relative strength was calculated to assess its influence on the dependent variable. Acceptable concurrent validity and reliability (ICC>0.77, CV<21%) were observed, with the perceived effort being appropriate to differentiate between intensities and not being influenced by the participants’ relative strength (p = 0.88). A categorical linear regression showed significant (p < 0.001) associations between the RISE scores and the weight, repetitions, and mean propulsive velocity (r = 0.43–0.63). The findings certify the usefulness of the perceived exertion for quantifying the intensity during velocity-based training with elastic bands. The perceived exertion of the first and last repetition favors a proper dosage of the training load.

Development and Validation of a Photonumeric Scale to Assess Marionette Lines.

A validated scale is needed for objective and reproducible comparisons of marionette lines before and after treatment in clinical studies. To describe the development and validation of a 5-point photonumeric marionette lines scale. The scale was developed to include an assessment guide, verbal descriptors, and real and morphed subject images for each scale grade. Intrarater and interrater reliability was evaluated in initial scale validation (web-based review) ( N = 51 ) and live-subject validation ( N = 75 ) studies, each completed during 2 sessions. In the initial scale validation study, intrarater agreement for 2 physician raters was near perfect (weighted kappa = 0.92 and 0.94). Interrater agreement was excellent during sessions 1 and 2 (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.94 and 0.95, respectively). In the live-subject validation study, intrarater agreement for 3 physician raters showed a strong correlation (mean weighted kappa = 0.77). Interrater agreement was high during live-subject validation sessions 1 and 2 (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.89 for both sessions). This new marionette lines scale is a validated and reliable scale for physician rating of marionette line severity.

Understanding the Main Correlates of Annoyance of Home-Type Laser Printer Noise

Printer noise has always been considered to a major source of annoyance in open-plan offices. However, the increasing home office times after pandemics also raised questions about the annoyance from the noise of home-type printers. Primarily due to their dominant tonal characteristics, home-type laser printers were selected as example in this study. First, laser printers available in the market were investigated in terms of their price, printing speed, weight and declared sound power level (if available). Then, some printers were selected and their sounds were recorded under anechoic conditions. Variations in signal characteristics were observed in terms of both acoustic and psychoacoustic parameters. New variations were generated by level changes and filtering out strong tonal components from the existing recordings. At the end, a listening test was conducted to understand the main correlates of noise annoyance and to obtain the verbal descriptors of the noise from the participants.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Anesthesia Staff on Pain in the Hospitals of Niamey

Aim of the study: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of anesthesia staff on the management of pain in the hospitals of Niamey. Patients an method: This was a multicenter descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in five hospitals in Niamey (Republic of Niger) from July 3rd to December 3rd, 2021. Were been included in the study, all the anesthesia staff who agreed to answer the questionnaire. The variables studied were: age, gender, seniority, sector of activity and qualification, definition of pain, different types of pain, the impact of pain on the body, tools used for assessment of pain, difference between acute and chronic pain, knowledge about analgesics, the practical attitudes of pain management. The data were intered and processed with Epi info 7.2 software and the Microsoft Office 2019 pack. Results: Our study concerned 106 agents from the anesthesia and resuscitation department of the hospitals that served as our study framework. There is a female predominance of 55.42% with a sex ratio of 0.80. The 45-54 age group was the most represented with 40.07% of cases. The average age of respondents was 44.95 ± 8.9 years. Anesthesia nurses were the most represented with 90.36%. The operating theatre unit was the most represented sector of activity with 85.54%. All the respondents knew the definition of pain. The different types of pains were known by 45.78% of respondents. The most used pain scales were visual analog scale (VAS) and verbal descriptor scale (VDS) respectively in 53.01 % and 12.05 % of cases. Tramadol and paracetamol were the mostly used analgesics respectively in 98.80 % and 97.59%. Intravenous morphine titration was known to 67.47% of the respondents. Only 18.07% of the respondents benefited from a training on the management of pain. Conclusion: The knowledge and attitudes of anesthetists on pain deserve to be updated through theorical and practical training to improve the management of pain in our hospitals.

Perceptual metrics for odorants: Learning from non-expert similarity feedback using machine learning.

Defining perceptual similarity metrics for odorant comparisons is crucial to understanding the mechanism of olfactory perception. Current methods in olfaction rely on molecular physicochemical features or discrete verbal descriptors (floral, burnt, etc.) to approximate perceptual (dis)similarity between odorants. However, structural or verbal descriptors alone are limited in modeling complex nuances of odor perception. While structural features inadequately characterize odor perception, language-based discrete descriptors lack the granularity needed to model a continuous perception space. We introduce data-driven approaches to perceptual metrics learning (PMeL) based on two key insights: a) by combining physicochemical features with the user's perceptual feedback, we can leverage both structural and perceptual attributes of odors to define dissimilarity, and b) instead of discrete labels, user's perceptual feedback can be gathered as relative similarity comparisons, such as "Does molecule-A smell more like molecule-B, or molecule-C?" These triplet comparisons are easier even for non-experts users and offer a more effective representation of the continuous perception space. Experimental results on several defined tasks show the effectiveness of our approach in evaluating perceptual dissimilarity between odorants. Finally, we investigate how closely our model, trained on non-expert feedback, aligns with the expert's similarity judgments. Our effort aims to reduce reliance on expert annotations.

THE EFFECT OF BINAURAL BEATS ON PREGNANT WOMEN PRIMIGRAVIDA 3RD TRIMESTER TO REDUCE PAIN IN THE 1ST STAGE OF LABOR PROCESS

Third-trimester primigravida mothers typically experience anxiety. Serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA are the three primary neurotransmitters responsible for anxiety. Labor pain may be impacted by anxiety. Relaxation music can help with anxiety. Binaural beats are a sort of relaxation music that are thought to be an inexpensive, safe, and side-effect-free approach to ease anxiety and pain in patients, according to various studies. The aim of this study was to ascertain how binaural beats affected anxiety and pain during the early stages of labor. The HRS-A questionnaire was used in a quasi-experimental study with a control group for the pretest and posttest. The participants in this study are 36 primigravida moms who are 36 weeks along. The participants were then split into four groups: control, alpha, beta, and gamma. Two weeks prior to delivery, the intervention was conducted by listening to 20 minutes of the group's preferred genre of music or binaural beats. The labor pain scale was calculated using the Verbal Descriptor Scale. The collected data will be examined with Paired-Sample T-Test, One-Way ANOVA, and Regression Linear tests in SPSS. The result of alpha and beta groups, when the anxiety scale affects the pain scale of the initial stage of labor, there is a considerable drop in the anxiety scale. Binaural beats' alpha and beta waves hence effectively lower the initial stage of labor's pain scale.

Clinical analysis of qualitative and quantitative pain characteristics in patients with acute and chronic vertebrogenic lumbosacral pain syndromes

Diverse approaches exist for diagnosing and treating patients afflicted with acute and chronic low back pain syndromes (LBP), thereby necessitating a comprehensive evaluation of the pain syndrome and a meticulous analysis of the neuropathic component to enhance our scholarly comprehension of the distinct differences in pain progression among these individuals. A total of 125 individuals (56 females and 69 males) diagnosed with vertebral lumbar pain syndromes (LBP), aged between 20 and 68 years (42.8 ± 11.1 years), underwent comprehensive evaluation. Stratification into two distinct groups was based on the duration of the pain syndrome: an acute pain group (pain lasting up to 3 months) and a chronic pain group (pain persisting beyond 3 months). Pain assessment, administered upon hospitalization, involved utilizing of well-established tools such as the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), DN4 Questionnaire, and McGill Pain Questionnaire. The initial pain intensity, measured by VAS upon admission, was recorded as 7.15 ± 1.17 in the acute pain group and 6.08 ± 0.96 in the chronic pain group. Analysis of responses to the DN4 questionnaire revealed that patients with acute pain syndrome obtained an average score of 2.26 ± 1.01, whereas those in the chronic pain group scored 4.53 ± 1.02. The presence of a neuropathic component was identified in 38 % of patients with acute pain and 56 % of patients with chronic pain. Correlational analyses indicated a weak positive correlation (r = 0.12, p &lt; 0.05) between VAS scores and the assessment of neuropathic pain using the DN4 questionnaire in the acute pain group. However, the chronic pain group observed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.41, p &lt; 0.001). Patients experiencing chronic LBP expressed their pain sensations in a more emotionally descriptive manner. Notably, the chronic pain group exhibited a statistically significant elevation in the number of selected descriptors according to the Index of Chosen Descriptors (ICD) on the sensory scale, as well as an increased Pain Rank Index (PRI) on both sensory and affective scales, compared to the acute pain group. To summarize, individuals with chronic LBP exhibit a more prevalence of the neuropathic component. Moreover, patients in the chronic pain group demonstrated higher scores indicative of sensory and psychosocial aspects of pain. Key words: acute pain, chronic pain, neuropathic component of pain, verbal descriptors, McGill Pain Questionnaire

Cross-cultural adaptation and concurrent validity of the children’s OMNI scale of perceived exertion for Arm-Crank activity in Spina Bifida

Purpose To perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the OMNI verbal descriptors to Brazilian-Portuguese and examine the validity of the Brazilian version for arm-crank activity. Materials and methods Cross-cultural adaptation stages were: permission, translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, pretesting, and submission and appraisal. For the concurrent validity, a Brazilian OMNI-Wheel scale was used to obtain rating of perceived exertion for the overall body (RPEOverall) and arms (RPEArms) in participants (n = 9, 10–17 years) with spina bifida. Cardiopulmonary exercise test was used to measure heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (VO2). Repeated Measures Correlation (rrm) was used to examine the scale validity. Results The cross-cultural adaptation produced equivalence between English and Brazilian-Portuguese verbal descriptors based on successful translation and pretesting. The Brazilian OMNI-wheel was validated based on strong associations of RPEOverall with VO2 (rrm (35) = 0.86, 95% CI [0.93, 0.73], p < 0.001) and HR (rrm (35) = 0.89, 95% CI [0.94, 0.79], p < 0.001) and RPEArms with VO2 (rrm (33) = 0.82, 95% CI [0.91, 0.66], p < 0.001) and HR (rrm (33) = 0.82, 95% CI [0.91, 0.66], p < 0.001). Conclusions The OMNI scale was cross-culturally adapted to Brazilian-Portuguese. The Brazilian OMNI-Wheel was validated based on strong associations of RPE with HR and VO2. Implications For Rehabilitation The original English OMNI was cross-culturally adapted to Brazilian-Portuguese. A Brazilian wheelchair OMNI was concurrently validated for Arm-Crank Activity in adolescents with spina bifida. This OMNI scale version may aid health providers in monitoring perceived exertion in Brazil.

ShotBlocker versus cryotherapy for reducing pain and anxiety associated with subcutaneous injection

Abstract Objective To determine and compare the abilities of ShotBlocker and cryotherapy for reducing pain and anxiety associated with subcutaneous injections. Subcutaneous injection has been used excessively for continuous, low-dose administration of drugs. Considering that these drugs may require prolonged administration, new devices and methods of injection are needed to decrease pain and anxiety associated with repeated drug injections. Methods A quasi-experimental study design on a purposive sample of 54 patients comprised of both sexes has been utilized. The subjects were divided into 2 equal groups (group 1, ShotBlocker; group 2, cryotherapy), and 3 tools were used, namely the socio-demographic and medical data sheet, Verbal Descriptor Scale for measuring pain, and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Results A significant reduction in pain and anxiety mean scores was observed after using cryotherapy and ShotBlocker techniques during subcutaneous injection. In addition, the ShotBlocker group exhibited significantly lower pain and anxiety mean scores compared with the cryotherapy group. Conclusions Our findings revealed that ShotBlocker and cryotherapy were effective non-pharmacological methods for reducing pain and anxiety levels associated with repeated subcutaneous injections.

PCR239 Patient-Driven Development of Meaningful Change Estimates in Chronic Pain

To develop patient estimates of meaningful change on a verbal descriptor scale in chronic pain.

Is there a continuum of agentive awareness across physical and mental actions? The case of quasi-movements

While humans routinely distinguish between physical and mental actions, overt movements (OM) and kinesthetically imagined movements (IM) are often viewed as forming a continuum of activities. Here, we theoretically conceptualized this continuum hypothesis for agentive awareness related to OM and IM and tested it experimentally using quasi-movements (QM), a little studied type of covert actions, which is considered as an inner part of the OM-IM continuum. QM are performed when a movement attempt is minimized down to full extinction of overt movement and muscle activity. We asked participants to perform OM, IM and QM and collected their electromyography data. According to participants’ reports, they experienced QM as OM in terms of intentions and expected sensory feedback, while the verbal descriptors were independent from muscle activation. These results do not fit the OM-QM-IM continuum and suggest qualitative distinction for agentive awareness between IM and QM/OM.

Pain Assessment Disparities by Race, Ethnicity, and Language in Adult Hospitalized Patients

AimNurses assess patients’ pain using several validated tools. It is not known what disparities exist in pain assessment for medicine inpatients. Our purpose was to measure differences in pain assessment across patient characteristics, including race, ethnicity, and language status. MethodsRetrospective cohort study of adult general medicine inpatients from 2013 to 2021. The primary exposures were race/ethnicity and limited English proficiency (LEP) status. The primary outcomes were 1) the type and odds of which pain assessment tool nursing used and 2) the relationship between pain assessments and daily opioid administration. ResultsOf 51,602 patient hospitalizations, 46.1% were white, 17.4% Black, 16.5% Asian, and 13.2% Latino. 13.2% of patients had LEP. The most common pain assessment tool was the Numeric Rating Scale (68.1%), followed by the Verbal Descriptor Scale (23.7%). Asian patients and patients with LEP were less likely to have their pain documented numerically. In multivariable logistic regression, patients with LEP (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.58-0.65) and Asian patients (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.70-0.78) had the lowest odds of numeric ratings. Latino, Multi-Racial, and patients classified as Other also had lower odds than white patients of numeric ratings. Asian patients and patients with LEP received the fewest daily opioids across all pain assessment categories. ConclusionsAsian patients and patients with LEP were less likely than other patient groups to have a numeric pain assessment and received the fewest opioids. These inequities may serve as the basis for the development of equitable pain assessment protocols.

Pictograms to assess bloating and distension symptoms in the general population in Mexico: Results of The Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study.

There is no term for bloating in Spanish and distension is a very technical word. "Inflammation"/"swelling" are the most frequently used expressions for bloating/distension in Mexico, and pictograms are more effective than verbal descriptors (VDs) for bloating/distension in general GI and Rome III-IBS patients. However, their effectiveness in the general population and in subjects with Rome IV-DGBI is unknown. We analyzed the use of pictograms for assessing bloating/distension in the general population in Mexico. The Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study (RFGES) in Mexico (n = 2001) included questions about the presence of VDs "inflammation"/"swelling" and abdominal distension, their comprehension, and pictograms (normal, bloating, distension, both). We compared the pictograms with the Rome IV question about the frequency of experiencing bloating/distension, and with the VDs. "Inflammation"/"swelling" was reported by 51.5% and distension by 23.8% of the entire study population; while 1.2% and 25.3% did not comprehend "Inflammation"/"swelling" or distension, respectively. Subjects without (31.8%) or not comprehending "inflammation"/"swelling"/distension (68.4%) reported bloating/distension by pictograms. Bloating and/or distension by the pictograms were much more frequent in those with DGBI: 38.3% (95%CI: 31.7-44.9) vs. without: 14.5% (12.0-17.0); and in subjects with distension by VDs: 29.4% (25.4-33.3) vs. without: 17.2% (14.9-19.5). Among subjects with bowel disorders, those with IBS reported bloating/distension by pictograms the most (93.8%) and those with functional diarrhea the least (71.4%). Pictograms are more effective than VDs for assessing the presence of bloating/distension in Spanish Mexico. Therefore, they should be used to study these symptoms in epidemiological research.

Association between Risk Communication Format and Perceived Risk of Adverse Events after COVID-19 Vaccination among US Adults.

The format used to communicate probability-verbal versus numerical descriptors-can impact risk perceptions and behaviors. This issue is salient for the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), where concerns about vaccine-related risks may reduce uptake and verbal descriptors have been widely used by public health, news organizations and on social media, to convey risk. Because the effect of risk-communication format on perceived COVID-19 vaccine-related risks remains unknown, we conducted an online randomized survey among 939 US adults. Participants were given risk information, using verbal or numerical descriptors and were asked to report their perceived risk of experiencing headache, fever, fatigue or myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccine. Associations between risk communication format and perceived risk were assessed using multivariable regression. Compared to numerical estimates, verbal descriptors were associated with higher perceived risk of headache (β = 5.0 percentage points, 95% CI = 2.0-8.1), fever (β = 27 percentage points, 95% CI = 23-30), fatigue (β = 4.9 percentage points, 95% = CI 1.8-8.0) and myocarditis (β = 4.6 percentage points, 95% CI = 2.1-7.2), as well as greater variability in risk perceptions. Social media influence was associated with differences in risk perceptions for myocarditis, but not side effects. Verbal descriptors may lead to greater, more inaccurate and variable vaccine-related risk perceptions compared to numerical descriptors.

Analysis of Wattpad E-Community: A Model-Based Virtual Collaboration

This study conducted an Analysis of Wattpad E-Community: A Model-Based Virtual Collaboration. Specifically, it sought to answer the following: (1) What information can be obtained based on the analysis of Wattpad E-Community in terms of (a) strengths, (b) weakness, (c) opportunities, and (d) threats?; and (2) What program can be proposed based on the S.W.O.T analysis of Wattpad E-Community?. This descriptive-quantitative research collected data via survei which were analyzed and interpreted using Weighted Mean, ranking, and verbal descriptors. The SWOT analysis indicated that ideal platform, learning experience, and sociable environment are among the group’s strengths, whereas excessive liberty, technical difficulties, and exclusivity belong to its weaknesses. In addition, the discovered opportunities in the group include possibility to meet and learn from professionals/expert, development of online learning community, and potential feasibility in data gathering, while possibility to transfer to another e-community, cyber security hazards, and frequent power outages are considered as threats. Therefore, it is recommended to propose the implementation of Project VIBE (Virtual, Interactive, and Boundless Engagement), alongside the application of the improvements and revisions generated from the results of the SWOT Analysis.

Characteristics of Diverse Verbal Pain Descriptors in South Korean Patients With Peripheral Neuropathic Pain: 'Jeorim' (Tingling) and 'Sirim' (Cold) as Key Neuropathic Pain Descriptors.

The description of pain is the most-important indicator leading to the adequate treatment of patients with neuropathic pain (NeP). The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the unique features of Korean verbal descriptions in patients with peripheral NeP. This study included 400 patients (167 males and 233 females) and their 1,387 pain-description responses. Patients with peripheral NeP freely described their symptoms in Korean. Collected verbal descriptions were grouped according to terminologies with similar meanings. Participants completed validated patient-reported outcome scales including the neuropathic pain symptom inventory (NPSI) and painDETECT questionnaire (PD-Q). The frequencies of each verbal pain descriptor were compared between the NPSI and PD-Q scores. 'Jeorim' (tingling) was the most common among 17 types of organized verbal pain descriptors, and the 'Sirim' (cold) symptom had a significantly higher rate of use in the 2 high-severity groups when participants were classified by their total scores on the NPSI and PD-Q. Korean verbal NeP descriptors were significantly diverse. The Jeorim (tingling) and Sirim (cold) descriptors can be utilized in evaluations of Korean patients with NeP.

Kollegiale Hospitation im frühen Deutsch-als-Fremdsprache-Unterricht

The paper presents the Language Input Observation Scheme I (LIOS I). The LIOS I was developed at the University of Bozen-Bolzano during the project “Observation of linguistic input quality in L2 German and L3 English in Italian kindergartens in South Tyrol (Italy)” and is adapted to the South Tyrolean reality of multilingual, inclusive kindergartens. The LIOS I is presented and compared with the Input Quality Observation Scheme (IQOS, Weitz 2015) on which it was based. Afterwards the corresponding verbal descriptors are explained, which were elaborated in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Keywords: language input, peer observation, German-as-a-foreign-language, early second language acquisition, observation sheet