Verbal Interviews Research Articles

Manajemen Konflik dalam Penertiban Pedagang Kaki Lima Di Kawasan Pantai Padang

This research aims to determine conflict management in controlling street vendors (PKL) in Padang Beach area. This research was conducted using qualitative methods with the data source derived from verbal interviews with street vendors who were directly affected by efforts to implement the Padang City Regional Regulations, Law Number 3 of 2014 concerning the Arrangement and Empowerment of Street Vendors, and observation. The indicators contained in this research are the factors that cause conflict, the impact of conflict, and conflict resolution. Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that conflict resolution between street vendors and the government has not run optimally. This conflict also has a positive impact on the city's spatial management, but it has a negative impact on street vendors due to reduced income generated

Individual versus sequential: the potential of comic creation in art therapy

ABSTRACT Background: Research suggests that comics are effective at conveying narratives, promoting literacy, empowerment, and as a therapeutic intervention. However, there is a gap in research on the use of comics in art therapy. Aims: This study explored the potential of comics within an art therapy and narrative therapy framework. The primary research question explored the effectiveness of comics compared to single images in evoking narratives from past problems. The secondary research question examined differences in the representation of an event between the two formats. To address these questions, the process of depicting a past problem as a single image was compared to depicting the same problem as a comic. Methods: This study recruited 15 adult participants through convenience sampling. This was a non-clinical population consisting of individuals with no known psychological difficulties or history of psychological disorders. Participants evaluated the formats through a survey and verbal interview. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed to determine the formats’ effectiveness. Participants’ artwork was analysed for unique characteristics the comic evoked. Results: Data analysis indicated participants responded positively to the comic, which seemed especially effective at facilitating the narrative therapy technique of deconstructing. Artwork analysis indicated the comic evoked increased word inclusion, and unique representations of time and movement. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that comics are at least as effective than single images in eliciting narratives from past problems, and evoke unique characteristics. Implications: This study suggests the potential of comics in art therapy, encouraging further research and application.

A - 148 Pre-Injury Personality and Engagement in Inpatient Rehabilitation Following TBI.

We sought to evaluate the relationship between pre-injury motivational systems and engagement in inpatient rehabilitation (IR) following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI). We recruited 20 individuals, aged 18-80years, from IR with msTBI as evidenced by a GCS score < 13, loss of consciousness ≥60minutes, post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) of at least 24hours, and/or positive findings on neuroimaging. After emergence from PTA, participants reported on their general behavior and personality prior to their injury in a verbal interview, which included the 24-item BIS/BAS Scale. This scale measures the behavioral inhibition system (BIS), which motivates avoidance of aversive outcomes, and the behavioral activation system (BAS), which motivates approach to goal-oriented outcomes. Rehabilitation therapists rated participants' engagement in each physical (PT), occupational (OT), and speech therapy (ST) session using the Rehabilitation Intensity of Therapy Scale. We assessed the relationship between BIS/BAS scores and average level of engagement in each rehabilitation discipline using Pearson's correlation. The sample was 65% male and 65% white with a mean age of 38.95years (SD = 19.57) and a mean education of 13.45years (SD = 2.61). Engagement in PT was significantly correlated with BAS Drive, r(18) = -0.55, p = 0.012; BAS Fun-Seeking, r(18) = -0.55, p = 0.013; and BAS Reward Responsiveness, r(18) = -0.56, p = 0.010. There were no significant correlations between the BIS/BAS subscales and engagement in OT or ST. Pre-injury motivation to approach goal-oriented outcomes predicts engagement in inpatient PT following msTBI, which may impact treatment benefit and subsequent functioning.

Verbal Autopsy to Assess Postdischarge Mortality in Children With Suspected Sepsis in Uganda.

Reducing child mortality in low-income countries is constrained by a lack of vital statistics. In the absence of such data, verbal autopsies provide an acceptable method to determining attributable causes of death. The objective was to assess potential causes of pediatric postdischarge mortality in children younger than age 5 years (under-5) originally admitted for suspected sepsis using verbal autopsies. Secondary analysis of verbal autopsy data from children admitted to 6 hospitals across Uganda from July 2017 to March 2020. Structured verbal autopsy interviews were conducted for all deaths within 6 months after discharge. Two physicians independently classified a primary cause of death, up to 4 alternative causes, and up to 5 contributing conditions using the Start-Up Mortality List, with discordance resolved by consensus. Verbal autopsies were completed for 361 (98.6%) of the 366 (5.9%) children who died among 6191 discharges (median admission age: 5.4 months [interquartile range, 1.8-16.7]; median time to mortality: 28 days [interquartile range, 9-74]). Most deaths (62.3%) occurred in the community. Leading primary causes of death, assigned in 356 (98.6%) of cases, were pneumonia (26.2%), sepsis (22.1%), malaria (8.5%), and diarrhea (7.9%). Common contributors to death were malnutrition (50.5%) and anemia (25.7%). Reviewers were less confident in their causes of death for neonates than older children (P < .05). Postdischarge mortality frequently occurred in the community in children admitted for suspected sepsis in Uganda. Analyses of the probable causes for these deaths using verbal autopsies suggest potential areas for interventions, focused on early detection of infections, as well as prevention and treatment of underlying contributors such as malnutrition and anemia.

Relationship Between Asthma Control Status and Health-Related Quality of Life in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study.

There is limited information regarding multidimensional relationships between asthma control and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work productivity, and asthma symptom burden in Japan. Furthermore, systematic qualitative investigations about asthma burden have not been performed. This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study included Japanese patients (≥ 20years) with asthma adherent to inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β2-agonists (ICS/LABA). The primary endpoint was impact of asthma on HRQoL, measured using the Asthma Health Questionnaire-33 (AHQ-33). Secondary endpoints were cough burden (Japanese-adapted Leicester Cough Questionnaire [J-LCQ]) and impact of asthma on work/activities (asthma-specific Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire [WPAI:Asthma]). Quantitative data were assessed for the overall population and for well-controlled (WC) and not well-controlled (NWC) asthma subgroups. Qualitative verbal interviews further assessed the impact of NWC asthma on patients' HRQoL; emergent themes were extracted using thematic analyses. Of 454 patients, 45.2% (n = 205) had NWC asthma. Patients with NWC asthma had significantly worse asthma- and cough-related HRQoL across all AHQ-33 and J-LCQ domains and significantly greater work and activity impairment versus patients with WC asthma, across all assessed WPAI:Asthma domains. AHQ-33 total score was highly correlated with J-LCQ total and domain scores (r = -0.8132 to r = -0.7407). Nine themes emerged from qualitative interviews and confirmed that patients with NWC asthma had considerable HRQoL impairment due to asthma symptoms. Patients with NWC asthma had higher symptom burden and worse HRQoL than patients with WC asthma, despite ICS/LABA adherence. Cough burden correlated with HRQoL, suggesting cough may be one of the key markers to inform treatment strategy for patients with asthma.

Training mental imagery skills of elite athletes in virtual reality

Mental imagery practice is widely used to help athletes prepare for competitions, as it can produce motor actions that enhance performance. The goal of imagery training for athletes is to create realistic images in their minds and to familiarize them with certain procedures, environments, and other aspects related to competition. Traditional imagery training methods use still images or videos, and athletes study the pictures or watch the videos in order to mentally rehearse. However, factors such as distractions and low realism can affect the training quality. In this paper, we present a Virtual Reality (VR) solution and a study that explores our hypotheses that H1: high-fidelity VR systems improve mental imagery skills, that H2: the presence of elements such as virtual onlookers or photographers in the VR environment arouse stronger emotional reactions and affect, and that H3: the presence of elements such as onlookers or photographers in the VR environment results in better mental imagery skill improvement. For that purpose, seven elite snow sports athletes were exposed to three training methods, Video, VR-Empty, and VR-Crowded. Our results show that a VR simulation with virtual onlookers (VR-Crowded) can significantly increase heart rate, which can induce increased emotional arousal. The results from validated questionnaires show no significant difference for the three training methods in terms of mental imagery and affect, but the results show an ascending trend for the athlete’s arousal from Video to the VR-Crowded condition. Gaze detection heat maps of interest areas for the two VR conditions support hypothesis H2 that environmental factors such as the presence of photographers, staff, and onlookers can increase head and eye movement, possibly indicating an increase in emotional arousal during imagery training. According to verbal feedback and interviews, athletes are more likely to use innovative training methods (e.g., the high-fidelity VR method) than traditional video-training methods.

Pregnancy-related mortality up to 1 year postpartum in sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of verbal autopsy data from six countries.

To compare the causes of death for women who died during pregnancy and within the first 42 days postpartum with those of women who died between >42 days and within 1 year postpartum. Open population cohort (Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems). Ten Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) in The Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa. 2114 deaths which occurred within 1 year of the end of pregnancy where a verbal autopsy interview was conducted from 2000 to 2019. InterVA5 and InSilicoVA verbal autopsy algorithms were used to attribute the most likely underlying cause of death, which were grouped according to adapted International Classification of Diseases-Maternal Mortality categories. Multinomial regression was used to compare differences in causes of deaths within 42 days versus 43-365 days postpartum adjusting for HDSS and time period (2000-2009 and 2010-2019). Cause of death and the verbal autopsy Circumstances of Mortality Categories (COMCATs). Of 2114 deaths, 1212 deaths occurred within 42 days postpartum and 902 between 43 and 365 days postpartum. Compared with deaths within 42 days, deaths from HIV and TB, other infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases constituted a significantly larger proportion of late pregnancy-related deaths beyond 42 days postpartum, and health system failures were important in the circumstances of those deaths. The contribution of HIV and TB to deaths beyond 42 days postpartum was greatest in Southern Africa. The causes of pregnancy-related mortality within and beyond 42 days postpartum did not change significantly between 2000-2009 and 2010-2019. Cause of death data from the extended postpartum period are critical to inform prevention. The dominance of HIV and TB, other infectious and non-communicable diseases to (late) pregnancy-related mortality highlights the need for better integration of non-obstetric care with ante-, intra- and postpartum care in high-burden settings.

A new group-based online job interview training program using computer graphics robots for individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

Job interviews are a major barrier to employment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). During the coronavirus pandemic, establishing online job interview training at home was indispensable. However, many hurdles prevent individuals with ASD from concentrating on online job interview training. To facilitate the acquisition of interview skills from home for individuals with ASD, we developed a group interview training program with a virtual conferencing system (GIT-VICS Program) that uses computer graphics (CG) robots. This study investigated the feasibility of the GIT-VICS Program in facilitating skill acquisition for face-to-face job interviews in pre-post measures. In the GIT-VICS Program, five participants were grouped and played the roles of interviewees (1), interviewers (2), and human resources (2). They alternately practiced each role in GIT-VICS Program sessions conducted over 8 or 9 days over three consecutive weeks. Before and after the GIT-VICS Program, the participants underwent a mock face-to-face job interview with two experienced human interviewers (MFH) to evaluate its effect. Fourteen participants completed the trial procedures without experiencing any technological challenges or distress that would have led to the termination of the session. The GIT-VICS Program improved their job interview skills (verbal competence, nonverbal competence, and interview performance). Given the promising results of this study and to draw clear conclusions about the efficacy of CG robots for mock online job interview training, future studies adding appropriate guidance for manner of job interview by experts are needed.

Using remote evaluations to cognitively test African American communities reduces racial disparities and enhances Alzheimer’s disease awareness

AbstractBackgroundAfrican Americans are at greater risk for cognitive decline and development of Alzheimer’s Disease than any other ethnic population. Systemic and financial barriers block access to healthcare in many African American communities, preventing possibility for evaluation and treatment. During the COVID pandemic, Neurobehavioral Systems, Inc (NBS) augmented the California Cognitive Assessment Battery to become a take‐home and remote administered platform that ensured a convenient and safe cognitive evaluation. Preliminary analysis assessed the usability of the tablets among healthy African American adults.MethodTwelve out of the 20 participants recruited from East Oakland, California, took part in this study. The average participant age was 52.58 (SD = 15.22), ranging from 22 to 69 years old, 58.3% were female. About 33.3% of the participants obtained a higher education after high school, the level of education ranging from high school diploma to graduate degree. Symptoms of dementia were not reported.Participants were repeat tested two times between March and April 2021. Testing kits contained a Microsoft Pro tablet, charger, headset, mouse, modem, and USB port, provided by NBS. Units were set up and taken down in participants’ homes by an NBS staff before and after each cognitive evaluation, respectively. The tablet’s software, California Cognitive Assessment Battery, or CCAB, was created by NBS to maintain communication between a remote evaluator and the test‐taker throughout testing.ResultTwelve African Americans adults, 58.3% women and 33.3% holding a degree higher than a high school diploma, were evaluated consecutively for two days from March through April 2021. In general, the 30‐test battery could be completed within 2 hours. Of those participating, 100% completed all 30 tests within the allotted time.ConclusionDuring a verbal exit interview with their examiner, participants preferred the remote evaluation for its comfortability and convenience, and the test helped show their cognitive ability and areas that needed work. These results demonstrated that remotely monitored cognitive evaluations administered at home have great promise in reducing healthcare disparities between African Americans and other ethnicities.

(059) Surrogate Treatment- A Case Study of 151 male clients and surrogacy coaching.

Abstract Introduction Surrogate Treatment: A retrospective case-based study of 151 male clients obtained from the archives of three professional surrogate coaches. Surrogate Treatment is also known as Sex Surrogate therapy/Partner Therapy was created in the 1960s by the Medical and Sex Research team of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson. It is significant in aiding clients to improve their social and sexual problems, as well as remedy diagnosed disorders. This research identifies social and sexual barriers which inhibit clients from experiencing healthy relationships and the feeling of sexual well-being. To overcome these barriers, the surrogate treatment enables the client to experience medical, psychological, social, and sexual healing. It is a treatment that combines the integration of physical and mental health. This research defines and examines the surrogate treatment, surrogate coaches, and the clients that participate in this treatment. It also demonstrates the medical and mental health role in Masters &amp; Johnson’s “Triadic model”. The triad consists of body practitioners, therapists, and the patient/client. Inside this examination will include a description of sensate focus body-focused techniques that are the center of M&amp;J’s surrogate treatment. Objective The purpose of this study is two-fold: 1) to evaluate the degree of success in the correction of the client's stated physical and mental problem and 2) the clinical and mental/sexual resolution of their diagnosed social and/or sexual disorder. Methods The result of this analysis is presented quantitatively in tables and qualitatively reported in a narrative-expository form. A number of themes emerged based upon the verbal interviews, with the three professional surrogate coaches as well as the data recorded during the medical and psychological clients' history-taking process. These are representational descriptions of the stated problem as self-defined by the clients and/or the referring physician. These themes are categorized as follows: 1) fear of women, 2) lack of social and sexual confidence and experience, 3) shyness and anxiety around social and sexual situations, 4) inability to develop intimate relationships, 5) lack of social and sexual education, 6) inability to perform sexually, 7) emotional and mental pain of childhood abuse and 8) lack of sexual desire. Results The implications of this study are that socioeconomics, education, age, religious backgrounds or sexual practices do not limit the success of the sensate focus and socialization techniques in surrogate treatment. Conclusions The statistical data demonstrates that clients who complete sensate focus exercises, as well as other body-focused or somatic practices also achieve resolution of their diagnosed disorder. Disclosure No

Investigating the differences in human behavior between conventional machining and CNC machining for future workforce development: A case study

Due to the high efficiency and consistent product quality, CNC machining has gained a dominant role in the modern machining industry. However, conventional machining still has its significance for certain production settings, e.g. prototyping, and machining workforce preparation. CNC and conventional machining require particular skills and knowledge, which can be unique to specific types of machine tools or overlap to a certain extent. With increasing production volume demands and an aging workforce, a need for efficient quantification, preservation and transfer of said skillsets arises to ensure effective preparation of future professionals and the undisrupted operation of the manufacturing industry. Moreover, the observed shift towards human-centered manufacturing systems in the Industry 4.0 necessitates obtaining an in-depth understanding of human roles in machining. The following paper proposes a novel research approach based on collection and analysis of eye-tracking and video data supplemented by verbal interviews, surveys and self-assessment. A conducted case study spans the entirety of the machining process, from part evaluation, cutting strategy determination, machining operations, to process re-evaluation and optimization. The results show that far greater variability in cutting strategy in terms of operation order, number of operations and used production tooling between consecutive production runs can be observed for conventional machining, with little variation in those terms noted for CNC-based production. Overall, the collected data has allowed to gain an insight into the machinist's decision-making processes and the rationale for observed cutting strategy changes, allowing for potential future application of the proposed research method in improving the machining training and potentially aiding process design by applying the outcomes of studies performed with the use of presented research method to expert systems and future CAM/CAE software solutions.

Countrywide Mortality Surveillance for Action in Mozambique: Results from a National Sample-Based Vital Statistics System for Mortality and Cause of Death.

Sub-Saharan Africa lacks timely, reliable, and accurate national data on mortality and causes of death (CODs). In 2018 Mozambique launched a sample registration system (Countrywide Mortality Surveillance for Action [COMSA]-Mozambique), which collects continuous birth, death, and COD data from 700 randomly selected clusters, a nationally representative population of 828,663 persons. Verbal and social autopsy interviews are conducted for COD determination. We analyzed data collected in 2019-2020 to report mortality rates and cause-specific fractions. Cause-specific results were generated using computer-coded verbal autopsy (CCVA) algorithms for deaths among those age 5 years and older. For under-five deaths, the accuracy of CCVA results was increased through calibration with data from minimally invasive tissue sampling. Neonatal and under-five mortality rates were, respectively, 23 (95% CI: 18-28) and 80 (95% CI: 69-91) deaths per 1,000 live births. Mortality rates per 1,000 were 18 (95% CI: 14-21) among age 5-14 years, 26 (95% CI: 20-31) among age 15-24 years, 258 (95% CI: 230-287) among age 25-59 years, and 531 (95% CI: 490-572) among age 60+ years. Urban areas had lower mortality rates than rural areas among children under 15 but not among adults. Deaths due to infections were substantial across all ages. Other predominant causes by age group were prematurity and intrapartum-related events among neonates; diarrhea, malaria, and lower respiratory infections among children 1-59 months; injury, malaria, and diarrhea among children 5-14 years; HIV, injury, and cancer among those age 15-59 years; and cancer and cardiovascular disease at age 60+ years. The COMSA-Mozambique platform offers a rich and unique system for mortality and COD determination and monitoring and an opportunity to build a comprehensive surveillance system.

Comparison of COVID and influenza vaccine hesitancy among clients of the San Antonio Food Bank

Background&#x0D; The COVID-19 pandemic has continued despite large-scale public health measures. Some people are still hesitant to receive the COVID vaccine. The San Antonio Food Bank (SAFB) is an organization that wants to gather opinions of clientele regarding vaccinations. A prior study at the SAFB captured reasons for influenza vaccine hesitancy. &#x0D; Objectives&#x0D; &#x0D; Identify reasons for COVID vaccine hesitancy.&#x0D; Compare reasons for COVID vaccine hesitancy from this study to reasons for influenza vaccine hesitancy from a prior study.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methods&#x0D; Student pharmacists partnered with SAFB leaders to create and administer English and Spanish surveys regarding client demographics, COVID vaccination status, and COVID vaccine hesitancy in those who had not yet received the COVID vaccine. Investigators completed paper surveys with clients during verbal interviews. Information from this COVID vaccine hesitancy study was compared to previous information from a 2019-2020 influenza vaccine hesitancy study also conducted at the SAFB. &#x0D; Outcomes&#x0D; COVID vaccination rates in this study were higher than influenza vaccination rates observed in a prior study at the SAFB. When comparing the reasons for hesitancy, several differences were identified regarding what clients said about the COVID and influenza vaccines: too expensive, not knowing where to get it, and afraid of getting sick.&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; This study indicates that reasons for vaccine hesitancy differ between COVID and influenza vaccines, suggesting a need to provide accurate information about each vaccine. Healthcare providers can make an impact by educating the community regarding COVID vaccine misconceptions and helping them navigate where and how to receive influenza vaccines.

The Impacts of Farmers-Herders Conflicts in the North-Central Zone of Nigeria

The study x-rayed farmers-herders conflict in the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. Exploratory research was employed; focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interview (KII) were used to collect primary data from the respondents. The data generated were transcribed and recorded verbatim (word-for-word account of verbal interview) and they were converted into written form. Data were enumerated and thematic analysis and categorization were provided. Secondary data were sourced from the internet and relevant books. This study adopted the social theory. The findings of the study revealed that the destruction of farmlands by cattle is one of the major causes of the farmers-herdsmen crisis in the north-central zone. It also revealed that the harassment of herders by the host community, that is, the youths, is another factor which instigates animosity thereby leading to a farmers and herdsmen crisis in the North-Central zone. It discovered that farmers-herders conflict has reduced the quality of the social relationship between both the farmers and herdsmen, and resulted in the loss of human life, houses and properties worth billions of naira in the zone of North-Central. The paper recommended that government at all levels and critical stakeholders should exercise good leadership and political will by bringing the warring parties to a dialogue table while meting punishment and rewards where necessary so as to restore peace, order and trust in the populace. The level of destruction incurred by the warring parties should be assessed, and both governmental and non-governmental organisations should work towards financial assistance for the victims of farmer-herdsmen conflicts. The findings corroborate the gaps which the researchers intended to fill.

What emotions do male prisoners experience in the lead-up to suicide and violence? A participatory visual method study

ABSTRACT Rates of suicide and violence are higher amongst male prisoners than the general population. This study aimed to explore the emotional experiences of male prisoners in the distal and immediate lead-up to acts of suicide and violence. Nine male prisoners created drawings of their emotions in the lead-up to an act of suicide and/or violence. Accompanying verbal interview data was collected to explore the narrative of these drawings. Polytextual thematic analysis was conducted on both the visual and audio data. Three themes were found. ‘The outside picture’ depicted the emotions that male prisoners exhibited externally. ‘The inside picture’ illustrated the internal emotions felt by male prisoners which were often complex and abstract. ‘The complexity of the picture’ denotes the complicated relationship between emotions and suicide/violence. Male prisoners experience a range of emotions in the lead up to acts of suicide and violence, with a similar set of emotions being experienced immediately prior to both suicide and violence. This study has illustrated the benefits of using a novel and creative methodology, and has demonstrated that future research with male prisoners could benefit from adopting a participatory visual methodology.

Genetic Validation of Psoriasis Phenotyping in UK Biobank Supports the Utility of Self-Reported Data and Composite Definitions for Large Genetic and Epidemiological Studies

Genetic Validation of Psoriasis Phenotyping in UK Biobank Supports the Utility of Self-Reported Data and Composite Definitions for Large Genetic and Epidemiological Studies

Statistical Analysis of Domestic Water Demand and Supply for Kaduna North, Kaduna State

Water is life when it’s safe. Water demand means the quantity produced by treatment plants in order to meet all water needs in the community. While water supply is the process of accumulation, transmission, treatment, and distribution. In this study, first-hand information was derived through the process of distributing questionnaires and verbal interviews. The secondary data was obtained from related books, journals, published and unpublished texts, documents magazines, conference articles, government ministries, and agencies. The ministry concerned is of Water Resources. The generated data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Interactive linear regression of the data was also employed on R software. The correlation coefficient, R2 of water demand and supply in the area is 1 (i.e.100%). This means there is a strong positive linear correlation between water demand and water supply in Kaduna North. The p-value was obtained as 2.2 x 10-16 which shows that the regression model is statistically significant and negates the null hypothesis. Also, it can be derived from the study Kabala has the largest population with the highest water demand and supply while Ungwan Rimi has the smallest population with the lowest water demand and supply. It is discovered in the study that water demand is more than the water supply in Kaduna North. So, more effort should be put to a water supply to meet the people's demand.

The Impact of Star Teacher Characteristics on Teacher Selection and Retention in Urban High Poverty Schools: A Qualitative Analysis

A qualitative content analysis was employed to examine what factors contributed to effective teachers’ selection and retention in urban high poverty schools. First, the Star Teacher Interview was used to identify effective urban educators. Then, verbal interviews were conducted with star subjects to determine factors that contributed to their selection and decision to remain in urban high-poverty districts. An inductive analysis process revealed emerging and reoccurring themes. Four major factors were identified that influenced STAR teachers’ decision to begin their career in an urban school district and/or Title I school: Giving back to the community, diversity, location, and autonomy. Three major factors were identified that influenced STAR teachers’ decision to continue their career beyond 5 years in an urban school district and/or Title I school: Job satisfaction, effective with population, and perseverance. Implications of this study suggest that urban districts work closely with practicum and observation students from the universities who show promise in working with culturally diverse children. Providing teacher candidates with rich experiences in urban schools may positively impact their decision to work in urban settings.

Genetic risk factors for ME/CFS identified using combinatorial analysis

BackgroundMyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating chronic disease that lacks known pathogenesis, distinctive diagnostic criteria, and effective treatment options. Understanding the genetic (and other) risk factors associated with the disease would begin to help to alleviate some of these issues for patients.MethodsWe applied both GWAS and the PrecisionLife combinatorial analytics platform to analyze ME/CFS cohorts from UK Biobank, including the Pain Questionnaire cohort, in a case–control design with 1000 cycles of fully random permutation. Results from this study were supported by a series of replication and cohort comparison experiments, including use of disjoint Verbal Interview CFS, post-viral fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia cohorts also derived from UK Biobank, and compared results for overlap and reproducibility.ResultsCombinatorial analysis revealed 199 SNPs mapping to 14 genes that were significantly associated with 91% of the cases in the ME/CFS population. These SNPs were found to stratify by shared cases into 15 clusters (communities) made up of 84 high-order combinations of between 3 and 5 SNPs. p-values for these communities range from 2.3 × 10–10 to 1.6 × 10–72. Many of the genes identified are linked to the key cellular mechanisms hypothesized to underpin ME/CFS, including vulnerabilities to stress and/or infection, mitochondrial dysfunction, sleep disturbance and autoimmune development. We identified 3 of the critical SNPs replicated in the post-viral fatigue syndrome cohort and 2 SNPs replicated in the fibromyalgia cohort. We also noted similarities with genes associated with multiple sclerosis and long COVID, which share some symptoms and potentially a viral infection trigger with ME/CFS.ConclusionsThis study provides the first detailed genetic insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning ME/CFS and offers new approaches for better diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Using the Health Belief Model to Explain the Experience of Diabetic Patients About Referring to Rural Health Centers

Background: Diabetes is a chronic disease that leads to numerous complications. To prevent these complications, regular and timely visits of diabetic patients to receive health care services are necessary. Objectives: This study aimed to understand the experience of diabetic patients visiting rural health in Ahvaz. Methods: This qualitative study is a directed content analysis research that was conducted for six months in 2016 - 2017 in rural health centers in Ahvaz. A semi-structured verbal interview was conducted with 14 diabetic patients, 6 health care workers (behvarz), 3 physicians, and 3 family members of patients. The collected data was analyzed by MAXQDA 12 software with the content analysis method. Results: Data analysis resulted in the extraction of 285 initial codes that were categorized into 5 categories of health belief models (perceived threats, perceived benefits, perceived berries, guide to action, and self-efficacy). Conclusions: Findings of this study provide in-depth understanding o factors affecting rural health centers appointments among patients with type 2 diabetes and also can use by decision-makers to choose the most suitable methods and strategies to change these factors and increase the number of regular visits by patients to the health centers to prevent probable complications.