Wilcoxon Test Research Articles

Investigating the relationship between self-efficacy and quality of life in Iranian women

BackgroundWomen’s quality of life and self-efficacy play pivotal roles in task accomplishment and overall health improvement within families and society. This study determination the intricate relationship between quality of life and self-efficacy among women utilizing care services from Mashhad health centers.MethodsA cross-sectional study involving 366 women accessing Mashhad health centers in 2023 was conducted. Clustering sampling was employed, and data were gathered using the Schwartz self-efficacy questionnaire and the short form of quality of life. Statistical analysis utilized Spearman correlation coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Wilcoxon test, and Chi-square test in SPSS25, with a significance level set at 0.05.ResultsParticipants’ mean age was 36.42 ± 11.13 years. A statistically significant relationship was observed between self-efficacy and total quality of life score, as well as its dimensions (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, social environment and quality of life, and general health) (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe study underscores a significant association between self-efficacy and both the overall quality of life and its specific dimensions among women. These findings highlight the reciprocal influence of self-efficacy and quality of life. Consequently, tailored interventions aimed at enhancing self-efficacy and quality of life are recommended.

Improvements in clinical signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease using photobiomodulation: a five-year follow-up

BackgroundParkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by clinical motor signs and non-motor symptoms that severely impact quality of life. There is an urgent need for therapies that might slow, halt or even reverse the progression of existing symptoms or delay the onset of new symptoms. Photobiomodulation is a therapy that has shown potential to alleviate some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in animal studies and in small clinical trials.ObjectiveTo assess long-term effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy in a cohort of Parkinson’s disease individuals after five years of continuing therapy.MethodsEight participants of the initial 12 in a previously published study agreed to be reassessed after five years. Seven of these participants had continued home-based, self-applied photobiomodulation therapy three times per week for five years. One participant had discontinued treatment after one year. Participants were assessed for a range of clinical motor signs, including MDS-UPDRS-III, measures of mobility and balance. Cognition was assessed objectively, and quality of life and sleep quality were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. A Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test was used to evaluate change in outcome measures between baseline (before treatment) and after five years, with the alpha value set to 0.05.ResultsOf the seven participants who had continued photobiomodulation therapy, one had a preliminary diagnosis of multisystem atrophy and was excluded from the group analysis. For the remaining six participants, there was a significant improvement in walk speed, stride length, timed up-and-go tests, tests of dynamic balance, and cognition compared to baseline and nonsignificant improvements in all other measures, apart from MDS-UPDRS-III, which was unchanged and one measure of static balance (single leg stance, standing on the unaffected leg with eyes open) which declined. Five of six participants either improved or showed no decline in MDS-UPDRS-III score and most participants showed improvement or no decline in all other outcome measures. No adverse effects of the photobiomodulation therapy were reported.ConclusionsThis study provides a signal that photobiomodulation therapy might safely reduce important clinical motor signs and non-motor symptoms in some Parkinson’s disease patients, with improvements maintained over several years. Home-based photobiomodulation therapy has the potential to complement standard therapies to manage symptoms and potentially delay Parkinson’s symptom progression.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, registration number ACTRN12618000038291p, registered on 12/01/2018.

Sanguineous cardiopulmonary bypass prime accelerates the inflammatory response during pediatric cardiac surgery.

The inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in pediatric patients remains an unresolved challenge. Sanguineous CPB prime, composed of allogenic blood products, is one potentially important stimulus. This study aims to identify specific inflammatory mediators active in sanguineous CPB prime and their impact on the inflammatory response at CPB initiation. In a post-hoc analysis of a prospective observational cohort study (NCT05154864), where pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB were enrolled after informed consent, patients were grouped by CPB prime type (sanguineous vs crystalloid). Arterial samples were collected post-sternotomy as a baseline and again at CPB initiation from all patients. In the sanguineous group, CPB prime samples were also collected after buffered ultrafiltration but before CPB initiation. Luminex® measured concentrations of 24 inflammatory mediators for comparison between groups. Statistical analyses were by Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Data are presented as median [IQR]. Forty consecutive pediatric patients participated. The sanguineous group (n = 26) was younger (4.0 [0.2 - 6.0] vs 48.5 [39.0 - 69.5] months; p = 2.6 × 10-7) and smaller (4.9 [34 - 6.6] vs 17.2 [14.9 - 19.6] kg; p = 2.6 × 10-7) than the crystalloid group (n = 14). Despite this, baseline concentrations of 20 complement and cytokine concentrations were comparable between groups (p > 0.05) while four showed differences between groups (p < 0.05). The sanguineous prime contained supraphysiologic concentrations of complement mediators: C2, C3, C3a, C3b, and C5a. Correspondingly, upon CPB initiation, patients receiving sanguineous prime exhibited a significantly larger burden of C2, C3, C3b, C5, and C5a (p < 0.001) relative to the crystalloid group. Cytokine and chemokine mediators were present at trace levels in the sanguineous prime. Sanguineous prime contains activated complement that accelerates the inflammatory response at CPB initiation in neonates and infants. Immunomodulatory interventions targeting complement during CPB prime preparation could offer substantial benefits for these vulnerable patients.

Improved liver fat and quantification at 0.55 T using locally low-rank denoising.

To improve liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and quantification at 0.55 T by systematically validating the acquisition parameter choices and investigating the performance of locally low-rank denoising methods. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to design a protocol for PDFF and mapping at 0.55 T. Using this proposed protocol, we investigated the performance of robust locally low-rank (RLLR) and random matrix theory (RMT) denoising. In a reference phantom, we assessed quantification accuracy (concordance correlation coefficient [ ] vs. reference values) and precision (using SD) across scan repetitions. We performed in vivo liver scans (11 subjects) and used regions of interest to compare means and SDs of PDFF and measurements. Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed (p < 0.05 considered significant). In the phantom, RLLR and RMT denoising improved accuracy in PDFF and with >0.992 and improved precision with >67% decrease in SD across 50 scan repetitions versus conventional reconstruction (i.e., no denoising). For in vivo liver scans, the mean PDFF and mean were not significantly different between the three methods (conventional reconstruction; RLLR and RMT denoising). Without denoising, the SDs of PDFF and were 8.80% and 14.17 s-1. RLLR denoising significantly reduced the values to 1.79% and 5.31 s-1 (p < 0.001); RMT denoising significantly reduced the values to 2.00% and 4.81 s-1 (p < 0.001). We validated an acquisition protocol for improved PDFF and quantification at 0.55 T. Both RLLR and RMT denoising improved the accuracy and precision of PDFF and measurements.

The Effect of Occupational Safety and Health Counseling on the Use of Personal Protective Equipment at the Special UPTD of the Medan Hajj Hospital

The development of occupational safety and health science in the work environment can be seen with the development of advanced science and technology as well as the emergence of new innovations in the work environment and encouraging companies to improve the knowledge and skills of their human resources. The purpose of this study is to determine the Influence of Occupational Safety and Health Education (K3) on the Behavior of Using Personal Protective Equipment at the Special UPTD of Haji Medan Hospital. This research includes quasi-experimental research. This study uses a one group pretest and pottest design. The population in this study is emergency room nurses at the Special UPTD of Haji Medan Hospital which totals 50 nurses in June-August 2024. The sampling technique in this study is total sampling. The measuring tool in this study uses a univariate and bivariate distribution of non-parametric data with the Wilcoxon test. The results of the Wilcoxon statistical test of both knowledge and attitude obtained a P-value of 0.000. This means that at alpha 5% there is a significant difference in median score between before and after counseling. Meanwhile, in the aspect of action, there was an increase in the number of PPE users between before and after counseling. Because the results of Asymp.Sig of knowledge, attitudes and actions are less than 0.05, H0 is rejected so that there is an influence of occupational health and safety counseling (K3) on the behavior of using PPE. In conclusion, there is an influence of Occupational Safety and Health Counseling (K3) on the behavior of using personal protective equipment at the Special UPTD of Haji Medan Hospital. The suggestions are expected to increase the frequency of counseling and provide information on the importance of using personal protective equipment in the workplace, provide strict sanctions against nurses who do not use personal protective equipment at work, increase the frequency.

Electromyographic activity of shoulder muscles on two preventive exercise programmes for swimmer's shoulder: elastic band versus weight.

Strength programmes have shown good results in preventing swimmer's shoulder. However, there aren't studies based on electromyographic (EMG) analysis in these programmes. This study aims to compare an EMG activity of the middle trapezius (MT), lower trapezius (LT), infraspinatus (IS), serratus anterior (SA), and pectoralis major (PM) in two swimmer's shoulder preventive programmes - one performed with elastic band and the other with weights. Twenty competitive swimmers performed two strength programmes consisting of five exercises each, while the analysis of EMG activity in MT, LT, IS, SA, and PM for each exercise was recorded. The superficial EMG was used to collect data at a sampling frequency of 1000 hz. The Paired Sample T-test or the Wilcoxon test was applied to compare EMG activity between programmes. The internal rotation at 90º (p < 0.001) and external rotation at 90º (p ≤ 0.01) exercises produced high myoelectric shoulder muscle activity with an elastic band. Conversely, scapular punches (p < 0.001) exercise has high shoulder EMG activity when performed with weights. Performing the same preventive exercise programme with two different instruments produces great variability in the myoelectric activity of the shoulder muscles.

Ethical self-efficacy among healthcare professionals caring for people with dementia: a brief pre- and post-report on the CARE intervention

BackgroundInterventions targeting healthcare professionals’ confidence in managing ethical issues in dementia care are limited despite documented positive effects of educational programs on staff knowledge and self-efficacy. However, inconsistencies in the literature regarding the impact of educational programs underscore the need for targeted interventions. The CARE intervention, specifically designed to enhance confidence in ethical decision-making, aims to address this gap. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the CARE intervention in enhancing the ethical self-efficacy of healthcare professionals caring for people with dementia, particularly those with initially low levels of self-efficacy.MethodsUsing a non-experimental pre-post evaluation design, the CARE intervention was administered to healthcare professionals (n = 86), measuring ethical self-efficacy pre-and post-intervention. We hypothesized significant differences in ethical self-efficacy mean scores pre- and post-intervention for all participants, particularly those with low pre-measurement scores, whom we expected to benefit most from the intervention. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests and Wilcoxon tests for the low pre-measurement subgroup analysis.ResultsWhile no significant change was observed in the entire sample, participants with low initial self-efficacy showed a statistically significant improvement post-intervention.ConclusionsThe CARE intervention holds promise in improving ethical self-efficacy among healthcare professionals with initial low confidence levels. Targeted interventions are essential in addressing confidence gaps in managing ethical challenges in dementia care, with implications for professional well-being and quality of care. Further research should explore long-term effects and expand sample size to enhance generalizability and sustainability of findings.

A Survey of Patient Utilization and Trust of Emergency Medical Services

Little is known about patients’ decisions to come to the Emergency Department (ED) via emergency medical services (EMS) versus privately owned vehicle (POV); this is problematic as trust in EMS systems impacts patient care decisions. Furthermore, no studies exist that evaluate patients’ trust of the EMS system as it relates to a patient’s race. Patients completed a multi-method survey during their ED stay. Quantitative data included: patient demographics (age, gender, race) income, insurance status, previous medical training, highest level of education, self-reported medical and social history, number of ED visits in the past three months, and two scales assessing trust and empathy: the Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale and the Jefferson Scale. Characteristics of patients who came to the ED via EMS versus POV were shown. A Wilcoxon signed rank test described differences in EMS trust scales by race. Logistic regression showed which factors contribute to the decision of EMS or POV. Qualitative comments described patients’ rationale for EMS versus POV. 23/72 (31.94%) patients utilized EMS transport and 49/72 (68.06%) utilized POV. 59.09% of patients self-identified as Black and 40.91% self-identified as White. The Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale found Black patients had less trust in the EMS system (p=0.0001), while the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perception of Physician Empathy showed no significant difference in patient perceptions of EMS provider empathy (p=0.608). Logistic regression indicated that age predicted the use of EMS over POV (p&lt;0.001). Lack of access to POV, physical limitations, cost, speed, perception of emergency, and fear were identified as reasons that supportg patients’ decision to use EMS or POV. Many factors can influence patients’ transportation decisions and this study highlights trust, age, and other social and economic factors. These findings could inform policy decisions and ensure emergency care systems that are accessible for all patients.

Optimized classification of diabetes using dynamic waterwheel plant optimization algorithm.

The classification of chronic diseases has been a prominent research focus in public health, extensively leveraging machine learning algorithms. One of these chronic diseases that has significant rates of occurrence all around the world is diabetes, which is a disease by itself. Many academics are working to construct robust machine-learning algorithms for accurate categorization, given the prevalence of this chronic disease. A revolutionary methodology that can accurately categorize diabetic disease is the focus of this study, which aims to provide new methods. The proposed technique in this work is based on developing a novel feature selection method, DWWPA, which stands for dynamic waterwheel plant algorithm. The DWWPA algorithm is utilized in the process of optimizing the K-nearest neighbors (KNN) model in order to improve the accuracy of its classification. In the feature selection process, a binary representation of this method is called binary DWWPA (bDWWPA). Several different machine learning models and optimization techniques are compared to the strategy that has been presented. When categorizing diabetes cases in the dataset, the findings demonstrate the superiority and success of the proposed method. Furthermore, several different statistical analysis techniques, such as Analyses of variance (ANOVA) and Wilcoxon signed-rank test, are carried out to investigate the statistical difference and importance of the suggested strategy in contrast to the other ways at the same level of competition. The conclusions of these tests were consistent with what was anticipated they would be. Based on the suggested feature selection and the optimization of the KNN model, the proposed method has an accuracy of 98.9% when taken as an entire. The suggested method was useful in accurately classifying diabetic disease, as evidenced by the fact that it achieved a higher level of accuracy than the contemporary approaches.

Pengaruh Pemberian Seduhan Kunyit Asam Terhadap Penurunan Tingkat Dismenorea pada Siswi SMPN 19 Bandar Lampung Provinsi Lampung

Background: Menstruation is the process of shedding of the uterine wall (the inner layer of the endometrium) which is accompanied by bleeding that occurs repeatedly every month, except during pregnancy. Dysmenorrhea consists of primary and secondary dysmenorrhea. This study aims to determine the impact of giving sour turmeric infusion on changes in the level of dysmenorrhoea. Giving tamarind turmeric infusion on changes in desmenorrhea in female students at SMPN 19 Bandar Lampung. Research Objective: To determine the impact of giving sour turmeric infusion on changes in the level of dysmenorrhoea in female students at SMPN 19 Bandar Lampung Research Method: The type of research used is quantitative with a cross sectional approach. Pre-experimental research design with a one group pretest-posttest design without a control group. The sampling technique uses the Accidental Sampling technique. The data analysis technique used is the Wilcoxon test. Research result : Giving tamarind turmeric is a feasible intervention given to reduce dysmenorrhea pain experienced by young women. Suggestion for health workers to provide knowledge about treatment non-pharmacological dysmenorrhoea by administering tamarind turmeric drink. Conclusion : Giving tamarind turmeric is a suitable intervention to reduce dysmenorrhea pain experienced by young women. Suggestions for health workers to provide knowledge about non-pharmacological treatment of dysmenorrhoea by giving tamarind turmeric drinks

ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND COMPANY SHARES BEFORE AND AFTER SEASONED EQUITY OFFERINGS

Seasoned Equity Offerings (SEO) is a company strategy to increase capital by issuing new shares to existing investors. The goal of this study is to evaluate the financial success of the corporation prior to and following search engine optimization (SEO) by examining indicators such as current ratio, debt to equity ratio, return on assets, price to book value, and stock returns. This research uses secondary data from 76 companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) that carried out SEO in the 2017-2021 period. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to see notable differences between financial performance and stock performance before and after SEO. The research results show that there are significant differences in the proxies for current ratio, dept to equity ratio, price to book value and stock returns after SEO, but there are no significant differences in the proxies for return on assets.

Abrasive challenge effects on enamel and dentin from irradiated human teeth: an in vitro study.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of radiotherapy (RT) and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on the wear and surface roughness of in vitro irradiated human enamel and dentin subjected to abrasive challenge. Enamel and dentin specimens (n = 42) were prepared from teeth donated by healthy patients and those with head and neck cancer who had received radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The specimens were categorized into three groups: control, RT, and CRT (n = 14 per group for both enamel and dentin). These samples were subjected to an in vitro abrasive experiment using a brushing machine, followed by wear and surface roughness assessments with a confocal laser scanning microscope conducted before and after the abrasive challenge, considering both exposed and non-exposed areas. Statistical analysis used Shapiro-Wilk tests for normality, Wilcoxon tests for comparing two means, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. A significance level of 5% was adopted. In enamel specimens, wear profile values ​​of CRT and RT groups were not different from the control (p > 0.05). The RT group presents lower step values than the CRT and control groups (p < 0.001). No significant difference in final surface roughness was observed in all groups (p > 0.05). In dentin specimens, no significant difference in wear profile and step was observed in all groups (p > 0.05). However, CRT and RT groups present higher values in final surface roughness (p < 0.001). The exposure to ionizing radiation (associated or not to chemotherapy) influenced the surface roughness of dentin and the wear (step) of enamel after the in vitro abrasive challenge.Trial registration: Ethical procedures were approved by the FORP/USP Research Ethics Committee (CAAE: 61308416.4.0000.5419), and Hospital do Câncer de Barretos/Fundação Pio XII (CAAE: 61308416.4.3001.5437).

Justice-centered best practices for accessibility to public buildings in a tier II city: Insights from a Delphi expert consensus

Background Despite beneficial progress in policies, awareness and advocacy, accessibility gaps exist in public buildings in India. Challenges achieving full inclusivity still exist, due to a lack of clear guidance for implementing accessible solutions. Retrofitting older buildings, particularly in developing tier II cities is a major challenge. The authors of this paper aimed to address this issue using a four-round Delphi method to generate a Justice-Centered Best Practices (JCBPs) for accessibility provisions for individuals with mobility disabilities. Methods Conducted in Udupi, the study involved experts including administrators, policy implementers, auditors, advocates, healthcare professionals, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. In the first round, a 117-item list was generated through triangulation of three methods. In subsequent rounds, experts rated each item using a 5-point Likert scale on feasibility, affordability and priority. Responses were considered valid if the agreement reached ≥80% on the total score. The prioritised list of JCBPs was finalised at a consensus meeting. Results Out of forty-eight experts who began the study, 16 participated in the final meeting. The Wilcoxon signed rank test (p value&gt;0.05) of expert ranking indicated that the scoring of items remained consistent between the two rounds. A machine learning decision tree analysis identified items securing ≥ 80% agreement as the most reliable decision with an accuracy=71.43%. The McNemar’s Test p value=0.79 confirmed consistency of expert scoring on the items with high agreement rates. Conclusion Finally, 33 built and non-built environment items scored highest rank. Stakeholder engagement, use of low-cost technology solutions, coordination between public administrations, funding, good governance practice, awareness, and advocacy were few of the solutions that can help ensure accessibility is in place for individuals with mobility disabilities. The study methodology and findings create a robust foundation for evidence-based JCBPs for accessibility provisions for individuals with mobility disabilities.

A community engagement program to improve awareness for credible online health information

Background: The volume of online health information available makes it difficult to navigate and check its validity and reliability. A community-based MedlinePlus training program was developed to improve participants’ ability to access credible online health information. Case Presentation: The program was a public-private partnership between a managed care organization and four local public libraries. A total of eight programs were held between October and November 2017. Each program had a 30-minute cooking demonstration followed by a 30-minute training on access to and navigation of the MedlinePlus website. Program participants were Medicaid beneficiaries, dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and community members from a Pennsylvania county (n=39). A pre-and post-training questionnaire was administered to assess participants’ knowledge and practice, and their ability to access health information on the MedlinePlus website. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the data collected during the MedlinePlus trainings. Results from the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test indicated no statistically significant change in participants’ ability to access information (Z= -1.41, p=0.16) after attending the program. Conclusion: Although the median pre-to post-program responses improved from ‘incorrect’ to ‘correct,’ the number of programs held, and low attendance might be the reason for non-significant results. Participants reported that the program was informative, the website was comprehensive and user friendly, and they were impressed by the healthy and inexpensive meal preparation from discount store-bought food. Holding MedlinePlus training programs in conjunction with a cooking program and collaborating with local public libraries might be a promising format that needs additional research.

Experience of observation skill workshop intervention for ophthalmologists in fellowship training

Background To gauge the impact of an interventional workshop conducted to measure the observation skills of 34 postgraduates during induction into an ophthalmology fellowship. Methods A seven-hour workshop was conducted with the ophthalmology trainees. Trainees from the 2022 batch of ophthalmology fellowships (21 females and 13 males) were included in the study. The pre-workshop assessment comprised two non-clinical images to spot the difference and five clinical images from various subspecialties of ophthalmology. This was followed by workshop and Post workshop assessment. The pre- and post-observation grades of participants were then compared by masked ophthalmologists. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare scores at two time points, with a p-value &lt; 0.05 for statistical significance. Results Statistical analysis revealed that the observation skill score was significantly higher after the workshop intervention (Md = 4.00, n = 34) compared to the pre-workshop score (Md = 1.85, n = 34), p-value = 0.000. Conclusions Workshops on specific/selected foundational skills, such as observation skills and communication skills, must be integrated into the curricula of basic medical degree and specialty medicine to equip medical professionals with attentive observation and deep learning.

Soft and hard tissue evaluation for vestibular socket therapy of immediately placed implants in infected and non-infected sockets: a 1-year prospective cohort study

BackgroundImmediate implant placement using vestibular socket therapy (VST) proved to offer a successful treatment option in compromised sockets. However, the presence of active signs infection complicates immediate implants in sockets with defective labial plates, due to the possible contamination of the implant or the bone graft with existing infected tissues or oral environment via the fistula. This study, therefore, aims to explore the success of immediate implant placement using VST in managing infected compromised sockets.MethodsWe included 26 age- and sex-matched patients with 41 implants sites. Thirteen patients had 19 infected (group I) and 13 had 21 non-infected type 2 sockets (group N). Both groups were treated using vestibular socket therapy (VST) and a 6-day protocol. Implant survival, changes in facial bone thickness, and mid, mesial, and distal mucosal levels were evaluated 1 year after implant placement. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare both groups. Furthermore, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to study changes with time within each group. The statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05.ResultsAll implants survived; no significant difference was found between groups N and I regarding apical, mid, and crestal bone thickness and soft tissue level, except at the mesial papilla, where the recession was significantly more in group N than in group I. Changes over time were statistically significant in the apical, mid, and crestal bone thickness in both groups. The mean bone thickness gain ranged from 0.85 to 2.4 mm and 0.26–1.63 mm in groups I and N, respectively. Additionally, the mean mucosal recession ranged from 0.29 to 0.51 mm and 0.39–1.47 mm in groups I and N, respectively.ConclusionWithin the limitations of this study immediate implant placement in type II infected sockets using the 6-day protocol and VST achieved 100% implant survival, while maintaining the regenerated facial bone thickness with minimal mucosal recession.Trial registrationThe protocol for this study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov at 3/10/2021 (registration number NCT04787224).

Effect of acupuncture on the sleep quality of hemodialysis patients in a capital city in the Northeast of Brazil

Objective: Analyze the effect of auricular acupuncture on the sleep quality of hemodialytic patients with chronic pain in a capital city in the Northeast of Brazil. Methods: This study includes double-blind, randomized in blocks and allocated at a rate of 1:1, controlled trial that was conducted in two hemodialysis clinics, with 94 chronic renal patients with chronic pain (auricular acupuncture [AA]: 47, sham acupuncture [SA]: 47). Both received 12 sessions for three months. We collected data using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data were analyzed using t-tests, Wilcoxon test and ANOVA. Results: Comparing the SA and AA groups, there was a statistically significant difference at baseline (p &lt; 0.001), a significant intergroup difference, and the AA group had better sleep quality than the SA group during and at the end of the 12 sessions (&lt; 0.001). A high magnitude of the effect of auricular acupuncture on sleep quality was found at the end of the sessions (D= -1.94). Conclusion: The auricular acupuncture intervention proved to be effective in improving the subjective sleep classification of renal patients.

Unveiling the main drivers of tree decline in Zagros semi-arid forests

Abstract Tree decline in arid and semi-arid forest ecosystems causes severe socioeconomic and ecological problems and thus needs to be thoroughly quantified and monitored across space and time. This study investigates tree and forest decline in Iran’s Zagros forests, considering environmental factors (e.g. topographic, soil, and climatic variables). We used field data from Chaharmahal-and-Bakhtiari (a study area covering 165 km2) and environmental data derived from freely available databases. Relationships between tree, forest decline, and environmental data were analyzed using generalized additive models. Our findings reveal that slope and the BioClim-16 variable (precipitation of the wettest quarter) significantly influence tree decline across various decline classes (P-values: slope = .009, BioClim-16 = .02). The best multivariate model for forest decline incorporated soil organic carbon and silt as predictive variables, with soil organic carbon emerging as the key factor (P-value = .04). Additionally, a spectral analysis of bare soil in declining and non-declining areas consistently demonstrated reduced reflectance values in declining regions across 10 Sentinel-2 bands, with VNIR-3, SWIR-2, red, green, and blue bands consistently showing significant differences as unveiled by the Wilcoxon test in all seasons except winter. These reduced reflectance values may indicate that forests stocked on soils with larger grain size (a higher fraction of sand) and/or higher organic carbon content may be more vulnerable to decline. This study contributes to our hitherto understanding of the main drivers of tree and forest decline in semi-arid forests, among others underscoring the potential utility of the spectral properties of bare soil in sparse semi-arid forests to predict the likelihood of tree decline.

HUBUNGAN SENAM PROLANIS TERHADAP PENURUNAN KADAR GULA DARAH SEWAKTU PADA PASIEN DIABETES MELLITUS TIPE 2 DI PUSKESMAS SEI LEKOP

Background : Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels in the body due to insulin resistance or inadequate insulin production. The purpose of this study is to investigatethe relationship between physical activity and blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus who participated in the PROLANIS program at the Sei Lekop Community Health Center in 2023. Methods : This study is an observational research with an analytical cohort design. Data collection was obtained from the medical records of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are registered under BPJS. The data analysis methods include univariate analysis and bivariate analysis, with a standard error of estimate set at 5% or 0.05 Results : The results of the Wilcoxon test showed that PROLANIS exercise had a relationship with reducing blood sugar levels during type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at the Sei Lekop Community Health Center in 2023. The results of the Wilcoxon test were p = 0.001. Conclusion : Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that there is a relationship between PROLANIS exercise and random blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at Sei Lekop Health Center in 2023 Keywords : Diabetes Mellitus, Blood Glucose Levels, and PROLANIS Exercise.

Improving mathematical proof based on computational thinking components for prospective teachers in abstract algebra courses

Understanding and constructing mathematical proofs is fundamental for students in abstract algebra courses. The computational thinking approach can aid the process of compiling mathematical proofs. This study examined the impact of integrating computational thinking components in constructing mathematical proofs. The researcher employed a sequential explanatory approach to ascertain the enhancement of algebraic proof capability based on computational thinking through the Wilcoxon test. A total of 32 prospective teachers in mathematics education programs were provided with worksheets for seven meetings, which were combined with computational thinking stages. Quantitative data were collected from initial and subsequent test instruments. Moreover, three prospective teachers were examined through case studies to investigate their mathematical proof capability using computational thinking components, including decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, and algorithmic thinking. The study's findings indicated that CT intervention enhanced students' logical reasoning, proof-writing abilities, and overall engagement with abstract algebra concepts. The findings illustrate that integrating computational thinking into learning strategies can provide a framework for developing higher-order thinking skills, especially in proving, which are essential for studies in mathematics education programs.