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Abstract\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONIntroduction: The wheelchair service delivery process (SDP) is a large complex system and therefore has many potential points of failure; determining priorities for improvement is challenging. The complexities introduce several barriers to accessing and maintaining wheelchairs for individuals with mobility impairments. Given the breadth and depth of the barriers, it is important to know in which areas to focus future policy reform efforts.Purpose:The purpose is to explore the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the performance of the wheelchair SDP in the United States and guide future policy reforms.Methods: A cross-sectional, observational, online questionnaire was deployed. Questions were positive statements regarding the wheelchair SDP and participants rated their agreement with the statements on a standard six-point Likert scale. A snowball sampling strategy was used and consisted of emailing 42 organisations representing 5 stakeholder groups: (1) consumers/caregivers; (2) clinicians; (3) manufacturers; (4) payers; and (5) suppliers.Results: 1,052 responses were collected: 41% clinicians, 30% suppliers, 24% consumers/caregivers, 3% manufacturers, 2% payers. Stakeholders view the wheelchair SDP as not performing well. Less than 18% of all responses indicate a positive perception. Funding and procurement was viewed in the least positive light, with 5% positive responses. Follow-up, maintenance, and repair was the second least positive component with 9% positive responses. Fitting, training, and delivery was viewed most positively with over 42% positive responses.Conclusion: The wheelchair SDP is not viewed as performing well by its stakeholders. Funding, procurement, maintenance, and repairs are viewed particularly negatively, representing opportunities for focused system reform efforts.In the United States, 5.5 million adults use a wheelchair or other form of Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) to interact with the world and perform many of their activities of daily living.In the United States, the process of determining what CRT an individual needs, procuring that equipment, and delivering it is viewed as not performing well by multiple stakeholder groups.Policies regarding the CRT service delivery process are in need of reform.In the United States, 5.5 million adults use a wheelchair or other form of Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) to interact with the world and perform many of their activities of daily living.In the United States, the process of determining what CRT an individual needs, procuring that equipment, and delivering it is viewed as not performing well by multiple stakeholder groups.Policies regarding the CRT service delivery process are in need of reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation skills are valuable in the context of knowledge-based economy and they are present in many political agendas. This article adopts the European Union's perspective of lifelong learning and the role of innovation in the Strategic Framework - Education and Training 2020, and it intends to explore innovation training in a lifelong learning programme for unemployed in Catalonia (Spain). The study analyses quantitative and qualitative data of the 281 responses from students who have studied, or they were studying in the programme, in 2016. Through the exploration of the innovation skills we identified the following groups: new tools, innovative sectors, new methodologies, new work processes and ICT skills. The study also identified two types of strategies that favour training of the innovation skills, promoted either by the expert who teaches or by the centre's work philosophy. Finally, we discuss limitations and future research in this line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Health Promotion & Health Education is the property of National Taiwan Normal University, Department of Health Promotion & Health Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The detection rate of mental health problems among undergraduates has recently risen significantly. However, undergraduates underutilize mental health services; approximately a third only of undergraduates in need of treatment use school counseling resources. Based on a social psychological theoretical framework, the health belief model, factors of undergraduates' willingness to seek help when dealing with psychological problems were investigated. A cross-sectional online questionnaire and a snowball sampling method with 446 undergraduates investigated perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived behavioral benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action to understand how students' mental health-seeking behaviors are affected. We found that perceived susceptibility (p < 0.01), perceived severity (p < 0.01), perceived benefits (p < 0.01), perceived barriers (p < 0.01), self-efficacy (p < 0.01), and cues to action (p < 0.01) significantly correlated with behavioral intention. Encouragement or counseling from others would be more likely tomotivate undergraduates to seekmental health help. In addition, we used a bias-corrected Bootstrap approach to test the significance of the mediating effect, themediation effect of cues to action between undergraduates' perceived susceptibility and mental health help-seeking behavior was utterly significant [mediation effect value of 0.077, with an SE value of 0.027 and a 95% CI (0.028, 0.133)]. It demonstrated that those who perceived themselves to be at high risk of developing amental illness and who had received encouragement or counseling to seekmental health help weremore likely to bemotivated to seekmental health help. Multiple regression analyses indicated that self-efficacy (Z = 5.425, p<0.01) and cues to action (Z = 6.673, p < 0.01) independently influenced behavioral intentions. Encouragement or counseling from others would be more likely to motivate undergraduates to seek mental health help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted an online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study to clarify psychiatrists’ perspectives on virtual networking events. We compared two groups of respondents: those who had participated in virtual networking events (experienced group, n = 85) and those who had not (inexperienced group, n = 13). The experienced group had a greater level of agreement than the inexperienced group that virtual events were generally useful and helped with forming professional relationships and improving professional skills. Respondents in the experienced group considered the ease of participation and low financial burden to be advantages of virtual networking meetings and difficulties in building friendships and socialising to be disadvantages.

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) refers to the technology that enables electric vehicles (EVs) to push their battery energy back to the grid. The system's V2X integration includes key functions like V2G, V2H, V2B, etc. This paper explores the preferences of Swedish EV drivers in contributing to V2X programs through an online questionnaire. Respondents were asked to answer questions in three contexts: (1) claims related to their EV charging, (2) V2G application by EV, and (3) V2H application by EV. The respondents were questioned about the importance of control, pricing, energy sustainability and climate issues, impact on the battery, the acceptability of V2X, range anxiety, financial compensation, as well as how and where they prefer to charge the EV. The results of the survey indicate that Swedish EV drivers are more interested in the V2H application than in V2G. Additionally, they express more concern about range anxiety than battery degradation due to the V2X application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted an online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study to clarify psychiatrists' perspectives on virtual networking events. We compared two groups of respondents: those who had participated in virtual networking events (experienced group, n = 85) and those who had not (inexperienced group, n = 13). The experienced group had a greater level of agreement than the inexperienced group that virtual events were generally useful and helped with forming professional relationships and improving professional skills. Respondents in the experienced group considered the ease of participation and low financial burden to be advantages of virtual networking meetings and difficulties in building friendships and socialising to be disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the critical realm of teaching master students and, particularly, the communicative effectiveness embedded within the chosen course topics of «Communication Course for Master Students in Linguistics». The research is based on the questionnaire which elicits students’ evaluation of topics and text genres studied. The results of the study demonstrate that certain topics resonated more profoundly with students than others. Notably, the topics of «Tying the Knot» and «Parenting» emerged as the most highly rated, indicating a heightened level of engagement among the master’s students. Topics such as «When something went wrong» and «Getting through» garnered comparatively lower ratings, shedding light on potential areas for improvement or reconsideration in the curriculum. A further analysis reveals that the second year of the course received more positive feedback from students. The topic «Artificial Intelligence» stood out received the highest overall ratings among the diverse range of subjects covered in the course. This observation suggests a keen interest and appreciation for contemporary and cutting-edge themes among master’s students in linguistics. Among the various text genres employed in the course, short stories emerged as the most captivating for discussions. Following closely behind were articles, poems, book chapters, and novel extracts, each contributing to the multifaceted tapestry of the students’ learning experience. Students may lean towards complete short stories due to their preference for engaging, creative activities associated with literary analysis. Surprisingly, poems also garnered positive feedback, possibly because of the inventive tasks involved, like translation and responsive poem writing, fostering quick comprehension and facilitating discussions. This contrasts with more complex literary analysis, aligning with students’ interest in freely conversational topics found in articles.

Brunei Darussalam has the highest electricity consumption per capita among Southeast Asian countries. This high electricity consumption dramatically contributes to environmental issues because gas is the primary source of energy generation in Brunei. Hence, the government must come up with measures to counter the issues. However, before providing solutions, it is also vital to understand electricity consumption behaviour, especially in the residential sector. The residential sector in Brunei has the second highest electricity consumption, and the government heavily subsidizes it. This paper aims to study the residential load profiles in Brunei based on the locations of the households and the total monthly incomes per household. The data for this study was obtained through an online questionnaire to calculate household electrical appliance usage patterns. The result of the study shows that the residential load profiles are almost the same despite the different locations and salaries of the households. However, upon looking at the total daily consumption, Temburong has minor electricity consumption of 50 kWh, while the rest uses about 80 kWh daily. Also, the study showed that the higher the income, the higher the electricity consumption of the households. Lastly, air-conditioning shows the highest daily electricity consumption, more than 50% of the total usage.

The COVID-19 hurt various lifestyle aspects, especially the treatment and follow-up of patients with chronic diseases such as autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (RD). The new circumstances changed the frequency of medical examinations and the way patients with rheumatic diseases are followed up. The objective is to study the impact of COVID-19 on RD patients' satisfaction with access to medical services. A national multicenter observational cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted on patients with RD using a specially developed web-based platform and structured questionnaire https://rheumatologycovid19.bg/. The study was carried out with the support of intra-university project №6/2022 MU—Plovdiv. 1288 patients participated, with an average age of 47.03 (SD ± 12.80 years), of whom 992 (81.6%) were women. The questionnaire contained 41 questions grouped into 5 panels. Descriptive statistics were used—mean, alternative analysis, logistic regression and Decision Tree using the CRT (classification and regression trees) method. The study found that RD patients' satisfaction with access to medical services was influenced by communication type and the frequency of visits to the rheumatologist, difficulties in prescribing and finding medicines and the presence of comorbidities. The likelihood of patients' satisfaction with their rheumatologist was 5.5 and 3 times higher for in-person and other means of communication, respectively, compared to those without any communication. The relative share of patients who communicated by phone was larger (59%) compared to pre-pandemic (41%), where direct contact with the physician prevailed (80%). The results of the study confirmed the need to optimize remote access to medical care for patients with RD during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Natural health products (NHPs), including vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements, are the most common complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among cancer patients. Our survey determined the attitudes and behaviors of cancer patients toward natural complementary therapies that should be considered to implement an integrative approach in the future. Methods: Our survey was conducted in four hospitals in Belgium. Questionnaires were posted online from October 2020 to October 2021 for cancer patients. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. A χ 2 test was applied to study the type of NHP consumed according to diagnosis time. Fischer's exact test compared patients who had changed their consumption since diagnosis and those who had not. Results: Out of 349 questionnaires collected, only 59 met all inclusion criteria. 83.1 % of the patients agreed that conventional medicine (CM) could benefit from complementary therapies, but they did not estimate (72.3 % of the patients) that those latter are more effective than conventional medicine. More than half of the patients used five or more NHPs. The most frequent NHPs consumed daily were vitamins (64.4 %), followed by other products (i.e., probiotics, gemmotherapy, birch sap and omega 3/6) (42.4 %) and herbs (40.7 %). Almost all patients started taking NHPs before their cancer diagnosis, but 72.7 % have changed their consumption significantly (p = 0.009) since their diagnosis. Boosting the immune system (79.7 %) and limiting conventional treatment side effects (76.9 %) were the most common reasons for NHPs' use. 74.4 % of the patients did not take complementary therapies to delay or avoid conventional treatment. Conclusions: The combination and high diversity of NHPs consumption highlight the importance of educating patients and healthcare providers (HCPs) about the risk of drug interactions associated with these natural products. Most cancer patients are more interested in using this non-mainstream medicine to complement their conventional treatment than as an alternative. Knowing the patients' reasons and understanding patients' attitudes toward NHPs will be essential for HCPs to address NHPs' use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to define the typical groups of users of psychedelics and alike psychoactive substances in Czechia regarding various variables such as demographics, their patterns of use, or motivation for use. Data from 890 Czech respondents were collected through an online questionnaire as a part of The National Psychedelic Research Project. Subjects reported experience with the use of 29 selected substances by answering 133 questions of the questionnaire. Cluster analysis based on answers on last year use was performed, and descriptive statistics was used for 18 questions from the questionnaire. Six groups of users were identified with distinguished users and demographic characteristics, namely, The most experienced; Pure smokers; Highly educated mild users; Past-time users with families; Responsible (party) students and Deep meaning natural substance users. Groups differ mainly in the type of substances used, frequency of use last year, and demographics. Our findings highlight several patterns typical for psychedelics and alike psychoactive substances use in Czechia in each of the groups and the need for targeted drug prevention services, the raise of public awareness regarding this topic, and a possible reevaluation of the legal status of some substances. Results can be useful for health-care providers, social workers, and policy-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicine wastage has become a concern to the nation due to the detrimental impacts that it brings to the economy and environment. Therefore, this study aims to provide an overview of the various waste-minimizing activities performed by government pharmacists and pharmacy technicians A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2022 until April 2022. The data was collected through the snowball sampling method from the respondents via online platforms. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 4 segments was used. A total of 76 pharmacy personnel participated in this study. More than half of the participants carried out a variety of activities to reduce medicine waste throughout the stages of the medicine supply chain. 40.8% of the participants reported that prescribers could adjust and optimize the prescribed doses for patients, and 30.3% reported pharmacists would counsel the physicians on efficient prescribing practice. The respondents considered activities in the dispensing stage, particularly those associated with the pharmacy organization, the most attainable to be executed as a regular practice, whereas approaches in the prescribing phase are the most important in minimizing medication waste. Conclusion: Overall, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have carried out a variety of activities to reduce medicine waste throughout the stages of the medicine supply chain, though other potential activities have yet to be undertaken in government pharmacies. The participants acknowledged the importance of the activities to reduce wastage; however, the feasibility of the interventions for implementation as a standard practice is still questioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the closure of educational institutions worldwide. As a result, most educational institutions shifted to online learning platforms to keep up with instructional activities. This study aims to determine how teachers perceive the online teaching and learning context at the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureş (UMPhST), Romania. An online questionnaire was created in Google Forms and sent to the academic staff at the university to evaluate the efficacy, drawbacks, and benefits of online education. A total of 139 faculty members from different departments completed the questionnaire thoroughly. According to the findings, more than half of those questioned agreed that online teaching is essential during pandemic times, but it is not a long-term solution. The difficulty of engaging students in practical activities, the lack of feedback, and the difficulty in fulfilling online assignments are just some of the challenges that were brought about. Furthermore, the survey identifies the traits of online courses the respondents preferred and additional challenges they encountered throughout this demanding time.

Invasive species pose significant threats to ecosystems and biodiversity, necessitating effective management strategies to mitigate their impacts. One such invasive species of concern is the wild boar in Brazil, which has the potential to cause widespread environmental changes. A national plan for monitoring and controlling invasive species, including the wild boar, was developed in response to this threat. Despite this initiative, uncertainties persist regarding the presence of wild boars in protected areas (PAs) and the effectiveness of current management actions. This study intends to diagnose the situation of wild boars in protected areas within the southern region of Brazil, specifically focusing on their distribution, management techniques employed, and reasons for the lack of management actions. An online questionnaire was sent to 297 PAs, with 134 responding. The findings revealed that wild boars were present in 36 surveyed PAs, but management efforts were only being carried out in 14 of them. Cages and corrals were identified as the most commonly used techniques, with corn serving as the preferred bait. The study identified two primary reasons for the lack of management actions: the wild boar's low invasion intensity and management capacity limitations. To address these challenges effectively, this study advocates for a centralized organization of management actions and emphasizes the development of materials and resources to support successful management strategies. Implementing these measures is essential to safeguard the conservation of ecosystems and vulnerable species in Brazil's protected areas and ensure the long-term resilience of these valuable ecological assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish products are widely consumed in different European countries for their nutritional composition, such as their high protein content, omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and low carbohydrate content. Therefore, fishing provides important income and commercial opportunities in different Mediterranean coastal countries. As the increased consumption of fish products is leading to negative ecological impacts on marine flora and fauna, sustainability labels are increasingly emerging. Furthermore, to increase transparency in the fisheries sector and increase consumer confidence when purchasing, fish traceability is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the importance of fish traceability and the knowledge of some fish sustainability labels in two European coastal countries, Italy and Spain. The investigation was carried out through an online questionnaire filled out by 1913 consumers in Italy and Spain. The main results show that receiving traceability information was mainly important for the Italian population, while, although fish sustainability is increasingly important, respondents did not demonstrate that they frequently buy fish products with sustainability labels. The study also highlighted how the main characteristics of the respondents may influence their habits and perceptions regarding the issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Obesity and chronic diseases are significant public health issues in the Middle East and North Africa region. A robust body of evidence demonstrated the association between beverage consumption, obesity, and chronic diseases. Therefore, the assessment of beverage consumption is gaining more interest in health policy development, food industry partnerships, research expansion and community involvement. Although beverage-consumption assessment tools have been developed for various populations, none were developed for the Arabic population. In this study, we developed and validated an online Arabic Beverage Frequency Questionnaire (ABFQ) to assess the total beverage intake among Arabic speaking population. Methods A cross-sectional validation study was conducted among healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 years. Participants (n = 49) completed a 24-item ABFQ on two occasions and provided one 24-h urine sample. For validity, total beverage consumption (ABFQ1) was assessed against a 24-h urine sample using an osmolality test and correlation analysis. Reliability was assessed by comparing the participants’ consumption in total and for every 24 individual items from ABFQ1 with the total and individual items in ABFQ2 using correlation and paired sample t-test. Results The average daily consumption of beverages was 1504 ml/day, while the average urine osmolality/kg was 614. The validity assessment between ABFQ and urine osmolality indicates a negative correlation. However, the correlation was week and not statistically significant (rs = -0.2, p = 0.12). In reliability test, correlation analysis was positive and acceptable in all beverage categories (rs = 0.4 − 0.9; all p

Introduction: In line with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases from July to early August 2022, this paper aimed to analyze the perception of COVID-19 among Indonesians. Methods: A cross-sectional online study on COVID-19 risk perception was conducted in the first week of July 2022. A questionnaire adapted from ECOM (Effective Communication in Outbreak Management for Europe) was distributed online through social media to obtain information about the respondents’ knowledge, behavior, and risk perceptions on COVID-19. Results: There were 775 respondents. Most of them were female (61.3%), lived in the eight most targeted areas (84.1%), were unmarried (52.5%), held a bachelor’s degree (38.5%), and were Muslims (80.8%). The percentages of respondents who had been infected with COVID-19 were (43.8%). Most participants believed that their knowledge level of the disease was average and above average (>91%). Of the respondents, 83.6% perceived the seriousness of COVID-19 as serious and very serious. However, the anxiety level among these respondents was moderate (slightly and quite anxious). This indicates that even though most respondents still see COVID-19 as a serious disease, their level of fear is decreasing. Compared to a previous study, most respondents in the current study were more confident of their ability to control the risks associated with the transmission of the virus. Nevertheless, they still believe that outdoor activity and not using a face mask can significantly increase the probability of getting infected. Conclusion: The risk perception of COVID-19 in Indonesian community among our study population was appropriate.

George Michael N Sosuan,1 Pablito F Sandoval Jr,1 Aramis B Torrefranca Jr,1 Reginald Robert G Tan,1,2 Ruben Lim Bon Siong1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines; 2Eye Institute, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City, PhilippinesCorrespondence: George Michael N Sosuan, Email gmsosuan@yahoo.comObjective: This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of non-ophthalmic physicians-in-training regarding recognition and prevention of exposure keratopathy among patients admitted in a tertiary referral hospital.Methods: This study was a single-center cross-sectional study. An anonymous self-administered online questionnaire was distributed among non-ophthalmic physicians-in-training at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) using convenience and snowball sampling.Results: A total of 77 responses were recorded with a response rate of 37%. The majority of the respondents uniformly reported the absence of an established eye care protocol or policy being implemented for different subsets of patients at risk for developing exposure keratopathy. Ninety-six percent (96%) was aware of exposure keratopathy. The most urgent reason for referral to the ophthalmology service was the presence of whitish of opacity at 46.8%, while the least urgent reason was the presence of eye redness at 36.4%. Only 43% of the patients with incomplete eyelid closure was referred to the ophthalmology service. The most frequently used modality of prophylactic eye protection treatment was eyelid taping (84.4%) followed by lubricants (drops and gels, 79.1%). The most common reason for not referring was the absence of an established protocol on the appropriate indication for referral to the ophthalmology service.Conclusion: This study showed that the majority of non-ophthalmic physicians-in-training had adequate knowledge and favorable attitude regarding recognition and prevention of exposure keratopathy among patient admitted at the PGH; however, the absence or the unavailability of an eye care protocol among patients with inadequate eyelid closure in our institution on the prevention of exposure keratopathy and its early treatment and appropriate indications for ophthalmology referral resulted in non-uniformity and varied practice patterns on its management.Keywords: exposure keratopathy, practice pattern, tertiary referral hospital, online questionnaire

Individuals have multiple, competing identities that vary in importance to the self. Professional identity is a way in which individuals attribute meaning to their contribution to society and is influenced by complex factors. Globally, the roles and responsibilities of massage therapists (MTs) vary, making it challenging to articulate a cohesive professional identity. This article describes the investigation into the variables which influenced response regarding MTs' professional identity in Ontario, Canada. An online questionnaire was distributed to active MTs with available email addresses in the public register of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. Chi-square tests of independence were used to compare dependent variables with independent variables. Significance was adjusted post hoc, using Bonferroni's correction, to reduce the chance of a type I error occurring. The threshold for significance was adjusted from p≤0.05 to p≤0.01 as multiple analyses were conducted with a high response rate. The results provided insight into the variables associated with differences in responses. Variation was seen based on gender, primary practice setting, length in practice, additional education, additional roles within the profession, additional designation as a healthcare provider, and membership in the RMTAO (Registered Massage Therapists' Association of Ontario). While previous studies sought to describe the common and unifying features of MTs' identity, these findings provide insight into variables that determine differences in responses. These findings are valuable for the development of future studies. They provide a priori assumptions regarding the inclusion of these demographic items that can inform decisions regarding enrollment of the sample and data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recreational fishing with the principal motivation of leisure is associated with important economic, social and conservation values. Nonetheless, it is also a primary pathway for the introduction and spread of invasive non‐native species and aquatic animal disease. Several studies have explored the overall biosecurity risk posed by recreational anglers based on self‐reported behaviours and the awareness of biosecurity campaigns. Nonetheless, there has been little in‐depth exploration of the characteristics of key stakeholders who are implementing biosecurity best practices and the barriers that prevent anglers from undertaking biosecurity measures in the field. This study addresses this knowledge gap using an online questionnaire to collect information on angler socio‐demographic characteristics, voluntary biosecurity behaviour and barriers affecting the implementation of biosecurity best practices in Great Britain. The results indicated that cleaning behaviours vary considerably among anglers, with angling frequency and the number of pieces of equipment affecting how likely anglers were to clean and dry these items. High levels of disinfectant use were reported among anglers, potentially attributed to the concurrent advocation of disinfectant to prevent the spread of aquatic animal disease. Barriers affecting the implementation of correct cleaning behaviours included a combination of factors, such as practicality, disability, lack of available information and individual values. These findings illustrate the importance for fishery managers, water companies and policymakers to tailor prevention measures and facilities for anglers to maximise the practicality of biosecurity measures and encourage long‐term implementation of best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Íkala: Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura is the property of Universidad de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To date, most studies on building environments and walking behavior have utilized top-down approaches (e.g., big data or social media data) yet lack bottom-up approaches to verify their findings. Therefore, this study divided urban streets into three main settings (community streets, waterfront paths, and urban greenways) and collected data from a sample of 411 urban residents in Chengdu via an online questionnaire to examine the impact of street environmental factors on their choice of walking path. It was found that: (1) people with higher levels of education preferred streets with water bodies as walking paths; (2) the environmental quality of the physical and aesthetic aspects both had an impact on residents' choices, and the aesthetic environmental quality had a stronger impact; (3) the impact of most infrastructures on community streets was stronger than on other streets; (4) residents were more concerned about the environmental quality of waterfront paths and urban greenways. Based on these findings, three design patterns for residents' preferred street environments are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-grapefruits with unique sensory properties and potential health benefits provide added value to fruit wine production. This study aimed to explore consumers' fruit wine preferences and descriptors for the varied fruit wines. First, 234 consumers participated in an online survey concerning their preferences for different wines (grape, blueberry, hawthorn, goji, Rosa roxburghii, and apricot). In addition, their attitudes towards general health interests, food neophobia, alcoholic drinks, and sweetness were collected. Grape wine and blueberry wine were the most favored wines, and goji wine was the least liked fruit wine sample. Moreover, 89 consumers were invited to evaluate 10 commercial fruit wines by using partial projective mapping based on appearance, aroma, and flavor (including taste and mouthfeel) to obtain a comprehensive sensory characterization. Multifactor analysis results showed that consumers could differentiate the fruit wines. Participants preferred fruit wines with "sweet", "sour", and "balanced fragrance", whereas "bitter", "astringent", "deep appearance", and "medicinal fragrance" were not preferred. Attitudes toward health, food neophobia, alcohol, and sweetness had less influence than taste and aroma (sensory attributes) on the preferences for fruit wine products. More frequent self-reported wine usage resulted in higher consumption frequency and liking ratings compared to non-users. Overall, the main factors influencing consumer preference for fruit wines were the sensory characteristics of the products, especially the taste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nagla A El-Shitany,1 Amina M Bagher,2 Lenah Saeed Binmahfouz,2 Basma G Eid,2 Haifa Almukadi,2 Shaimaa M Badr-Eldin,3,4 Manal El-Hamamsy,5 Zuhair M Mohammedsaleh,6 Fayez M Saleh,7 Mohammed S Almuhayawi,8 Samar A Alghamdi,9 Rana A Arab,10 Soad S Ali,11,12 Steve Harakeh,12,13 Badrah S Alghamdi14,15 1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt; 2Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 5Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt; 6Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; 8Department of Medical Microbiology/Parasitology and Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 10Medicine Program, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 11Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 12Yousef Abdullatif Jameel Scientific Chair of Prophetic Medicine Application, Faculty of Medicine (FM), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 13King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 14Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Unit, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 15Pre-Clinical Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Nagla A El-Shitany, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt, Email nagla_fouad@yahoo.com; naglaa.fouad@pharm.tanta.edu.egBackground: Like other vaccines, Pfizer BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 virus infections begins to decline within a few months after the 2nd dose. On August 12, 2021, the FDA allowed additional Pfizer BioNTch’s COVID-19 vaccine dose (3rd or booster dose) for individuals with weakened immunity. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term adverse reactions (ADRs) of the 2nd and the 3rd doses of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.Methods: Information for this study was collected by Google Form questionnaire (online survey). The results included responses from 442 people, the majority from Saudi Arabia.Results: The most common local ADRs following the 3rd dose were injection site pain, injection site hypersensitivity, and axillary lymph node swelling. The most common systemic ADRs were fatigue, muscle pain, bone pain, headache, and fever less than 38ºC. Less common systemic ADRs were shivering, fever more than 38ºC, nasal congestion and rhinorrhea, arrhythmia, cough, abdominal pain, chest tightness, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and tachypnea. Rare systemic ADRs were constipation, dizziness and vertigo, lack of concentration, sore throat, excessive hair loss, dysmenorrhea and heavy menstruation, and Bell’s palsy. Severe allergic reactions were reported by 2.6% of participants after the 2nd dose, compared with none after the 3rd dose. Nasal congestion and runny nose are more frequent after the 3rd dose. The ADRs of the 2nd and 3rd doses were significantly more prevalent in females. 12% of participants reported ADRs lasting more than one week after the 3rd dose compared to 5% after the 2nd dose. People ≤ 60 years were more affected by the vaccine ADRs.Conclusion: Most of the ADRs reported after the 3rd vaccine dose were consistent with the Pfizer vaccine information sheet and similar to the 2nd dose ADRs.Keywords: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, adverse drug reactions, booster dose, second dose, injection site pain, fatigue, online questionnaire

Given the increase of non-English audiovisual content, translating through pivot templates is increasingly common. Yet, pivot templates have attracted scant scholarly attention. Several factors remain unclear. Among the first factors are the questions of who creates pivot templates, from what languages are they translated, into what languages are they translated, and what audiovisual products and channels are they for? Secondly, what are the challenges involved in the creation of templates? The third factor would be whether there is any training available for pivot template creators, and whether this training is effective. To provide more clarity on these issues, we distributed a questionnaire and elicited replies from 100 pivot templators and 75 subtitler trainers based in Europe. The results indicate that most pivot templators translate into English as L2. Because of this, diverse difficulties arise. Training in pivot template making seems rare, especially compared to training in subtitling in general. The training that is offered comes mainly from the industry and not academia. This is problematic for various reasons: (a) the former does not typically cover issues related to subtitler ethics or the sustainability of the profession, and (b) translator training and professional codes of conduct eye L2 translation with suspicion. Drawing on the respondents’ insights, we argue that much can be gained from teaching non-English-language native speakers how to create English-language templates.

• Nine novel AR interfaces for pedestrian-vehicle communication were evaluated using an online questionnaire study. • A total of 992 respondents from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom completed the study. • Interfaces that employed design elements from existing traffic, and head-up displays, received the highest ratings overall. • There were no statistically significant effects of country, age, and gender on interface acceptance. • The mean ratings of AR interfaces showed strong convergence for various facets of acceptance. Augmented Reality (AR) technology could be utilised to assist pedestrians in navigating safely through traffic. However, whether potential users would understand and use such AR solutions is currently unknown. Nine novel AR interfaces for pedestrian-vehicle communication, previously developed using an experience-based design method, were evaluated through an online questionnaire study completed by 992 respondents in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The AR indicated whether it was safe to cross the road in front of an approaching automated vehicle. Each interface was rated for its intuitiveness and convincingness, aesthetics, and usefulness. Moreover, comments were collected for qualitative analysis. The results indicated that interfaces that employed traditional design elements from existing traffic, and head-up displays, received the highest ratings overall. Statistical results also showed that there were no significant effects of country, age, and gender on interface acceptance. Thematic analysis of the textual comments offered detail on each interface design's stronger and weaker points, and revealed unintended effects of certain designs. In particular, some of the interfaces were commented on as being dangerous or scary, or were criticised that they could be misinterpreted in that they signal that something is wrong with the vehicle, or that they could occlude the view of the vehicle. The current findings highlight the limitations of experience-based design, and the importance of applying legacy design principles and involving target users in design and evaluation. Future research should be conducted in scenarios in which pedestrians actually interact with approaching vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quantitative approach in the form of an online questionnaire was used to identify challenges and desires related to the Care Records Transmission Process and Care Transition Records (CTR). The questionnaire was sent to nurses, nursing assistants, and trainees working in ambulatory, acute inpatient, or long-term care settings. The survey revealed that creating CTRs is time-consuming, and the lack of standardization of CTRs makes the process even more cumbersome. In addition, most facilities transmit the CTR by physically handing it over to the patient or resident, resulting in little or no preparation time for the individual(s) receiving care. The key findings also suggest that most respondents are only partially satisfied with the completeness of the CTRs and that they must conduct additional interviews to obtain missing information. However, most respondents hoped that digital transmission of CTRs would lead to less administrative burden and that standardization of CTRs would be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity and chronic diseases are significant public health issues in the Middle East and North Africa region. A robust body of evidence demonstrated the association between beverage consumption, obesity, and chronic diseases. Therefore, the assessment of beverage consumption is gaining more interest in health policy development, food industry partnerships, research expansion and community involvement. Although beverage-consumption assessment tools have been developed for various populations, none were developed for the Arabic population. In this study, we developed and validated an online Arabic Beverage Frequency Questionnaire (ABFQ) to assess the total beverage intake among Arabic speaking population. Methods: A cross-sectional validation study was conducted among healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 years. Participants (n = 49) completed a 24-item ABFQ on two occasions and provided one 24-h urine sample. For validity, total beverage consumption (ABFQ1) was assessed against a 24-h urine sample using an osmolality test and correlation analysis. Reliability was assessed by comparing the participants' consumption in total and for every 24 individual items from ABFQ1 with the total and individual items in ABFQ2 using correlation and paired sample t-test. Results: The average daily consumption of beverages was 1504 ml/day, while the average urine osmolality/kg was 614. The validity assessment between ABFQ and urine osmolality indicates a negative correlation. However, the correlation was week and not statistically significant (rs = -0.2, p = 0.12). In reliability test, correlation analysis was positive and acceptable in all beverage categories (rs = 0.4 − 0.9; all p < 0.05) except flavored milk (rs = 0.2; p < 0.181) and sweetened coffee (rs = 0.3; p < 0.022). Furthermore, no significant differences were found between the means of total consumption in both ABFQ1 and ABFQ2. Conclusions: The finding of this study suggest that the ABFQ is a reliable reproducible tool for assessing beverage consumption among Arabic-speaking consumers. However, the survey could not be validated using 24-h urine osmolality only and other methods such as multi dietary records may use in future re-assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Creating surgical access is a critical step in laparoscopic surgery. Surgeons have to insert a sharp instrument such as the Veress needle or a trocar into the patient’s abdomen until the peritoneal cavity is reached. They solely rely on their experience and distorted tactile feedback in that process, leading to a complication rate as high as 14% of all cases. Recent studies have shown the feasibility of surgical support systems that provide intraoperative feedback regarding the insertion process to improve laparoscopic access outcomes. However, to date, the surgeons’ requirements for such support systems remain unclear. This research article presents the results of an explorative study that aimed to acquire data about the information that helps surgeons improve laparoscopic access outcomes. The results indicate that feedback regarding the reaching of the peritoneal cavity is of significant importance and should be presented visually or acoustically. Finally, a solution should be straightforward and intuitive to use, should support or even improve the clinical workflow, but also cheap enough to facilitate its usage rate. While this study was tailored to laparoscopic access, its results also apply to other minimally invasive procedures.

Background: Stretch marks are atrophy of the skin due to stretching. The prevalence of people who have stretch marks almost reaches 80% of the population. Women and the 5-50 years age group have twice the risk of developing stretch marks. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of students who have stretch marks and to find out the level of knowledge and attitudes towards stretch marks in FK USU 2017 students. Methods: Descriptive research with cross-sectional design. The research population was 253 people and the sampling technique used was non-probability sampling, namely consecutive sampling and obtained a total sample of 155 people. Data collection used an online questionnaire of google form created by researchers who had been tested for validity. Results: The respondents who have stretch marks were 85 people (54.8%). The knowledge level of women, good (96,4%), moderate (3,6%), and men, good (91,7%), moderate (8,3%). The level of women's attitudes were good (55.4%), moderate (44,6%), while men, good (31,9%), moderate (66,7%), and less (1.4%). The level of knowledge for those who have stretch marks were good (95,3%), moderate (4,7%), and who do not have stretch marks were good (92,9%), moderate (7,1%). The level of attitudes with stretch marks were good (49,4%), moderate (50,6%), while without it was good (38,6%), moderate (60%), and less (1,4%). Conclusion: The majority of knowledge of the FK USU 2017 students were good (94,2%) and the majority of attitudes of the FK USU 2017 students were moderate (54,8%). Keywords: attitude, knowledge, online questionnaire, stretch marks Latar Belakang: Stretch marks merupakan penyakit atrofi pada kulit akibat peregangan. Prevalensi orang yang memiliki stretch marks hampir mencapai 80% dari populasi. Wanita dan kelompok usia 5-50 tahun mempunyai risiko dua kali lebih sering terkena stretch marks. Tujuan: Untuk mengetahui prevalensi mahasiswa dan mahasiswi yang memiliki stretch marksdan untuk mengetahui tingkat pengetahuan dan sikap mahasiswa dan mahasiswi terhadap stretch marks. Metode: Penelitian deskriptif dengan rancangan cross-sectional. Populasi penelitian berjumlah 253 orang dan teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan berupa non-probability sampling yaitu consecutive sampling dan didapatkan jumlah sampel sebanyak 155 orang. Pengumpulan data dilakukan menggunakan kuesioner online berupa google form yang dibuat oleh peneliti yang sudah dilakukan uji validitas. Hasil: Jumlah responden yang memiliki stretch marks sebanyak 85 orang (54,8%). Tingkat pengetahuan mahasiswi, baik (96,4%), cukup (3,6%), sedangkan pada mahasiswa, baik (91,7%), cukup (8,3%). Tingkat sikap mahasiswi, baik (55,4%), cukup (44,6%), sedangkan pada mahasiswa, baik (31,9%), cukup (66,7%), dan kurang (1,4%). Tingkat pengetahuan responden yang memiliki stretch marks, baik (95,3%), cukup (4,7%), sedangkan responden yang tidak memiliki stretch marks, baik (92,9%), cukup (7,1%). Tingkat sikap responden yang memiliki stretch marks, baik (49,4%), cukup (50,6%), sedangkan responden yang tidak memiliki stretch marks, baik (38,6%), cukup (60%), dan kurang (1,4%). Kesimpulan: Tingkat pengetahuan mahasiswa dan mahasiswi FK USU angkatan 2017 mayoritas baik (94,2%) dan tingkat sikap mahasiswa dan mahasiswi FK USU angkatan 2017 mayoritas cukup (54,8%). Kata Kunci: kuesioner online, pengetahuan, sikap, stretch marks

A representative sample of 2520 people was surveyed by completing an online questionnaire using the Tablet Assisted Personal Interviewing (TAPI) method to measure the digital readiness and administrative habits of the population. The data are available in tabular form from an open repository. Some topics were processed by measuring several latent variables and latent class analysis was applied. The database facilitated understanding of the stratification of the population according to digital literacy, preferences with regard to device usage, the purpose of Internet usage, fear of smart systems as well as technophilic and technophobic attitudes. The database revealed the population's administrative practices, particularly their attitudes towards e-government and future development needs. The survey is useful for planning e-government developments. Knowledge of the digital readiness of the population is useful for designing training programs, mapping labor market competencies in the era of Industry 4.0 and developing channels of communication campaigning. Through the regional demographic variables, all of the aforementioned topics can also be used in regional science to measure indices at NUTS 2 or NUTS 3 levels.

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Physical activity among people of all ages has been decreasing at an alarming rate in recent years. Active commuting is recognized as a public health strategy to increase physical activity. The objectives of the study were to determine the habit of active commuting and the associated factors of commute mode choice among university students in the secondary city of Sylhet, Bangladesh. The study was cross-sectional in nature, and information from three hundred and forty-eight students was collected through an online survey using Google Forms. In addition to basic statistical tools, a multiple logistic regression model was applied to identify the factors that were associated with the commuting mode choice of the students. The results have shown that the prevalence of using an active commuting mode is not at a satisfactory level (43%). No remarkable difference in commuting behavior was found between males and females. The "distance between campus and students' residences" and the "mode of commuting preferred by roommate or classmate" are the most significant factors influencing students' commuting choices and related actions. In addition, respondents with lower socio-economic conditions have more of a tendency to use active modes of commuting. Weather, time constraints, road safety, and family residence in rural or urban areas all have an impact on choosing an active mode of transportation for attending classes, but none is overly significant. It is recommended to promote the health and financial benefits of active commuting. Necessary facilities should be constructed to increase the level of active commuting, such as additional residential halls near campus and developing a built environment on the campus for walking and cycling for both male and female students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-cigarettes are believed to be less harmful than combustible tobacco. However, e-cigarettes have created divisions in public health: within and between academia, policy and practice. As e-cigarettes proliferate, and public health debates intensify, the best interests of those most at risk of smoking related illness can be lost in the furore. This article draws on 183 open-ended responses to a 2019–2020 questionnaire posted to various online vaping discussion forums to argue that emotion needs to become part of this discussion – particularly the emotional perspectives of vapers. The findings indicated that for many vapers, e-cigarettes are not just another potential harm reduction or alternative nicotine product. For many of the respondents, vaping is a social practice, but also more than this: an affective economy. In this economy, emotions do things, specifically they indicate the boundaries of a vaping community. This community is based on shared experiences of e-cigarettes creating positive new lifeworlds and changes to everyday life. However, it is also based on fears that these new lifeworlds are under threat. The aim of this article is to encourage more acknowledgment of this affective economy in the interests of reducing division and increasing reflexivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents analysis and evaluation of information usefulness efficiency for recipients with secondary and higher education using the example of information and shopping websites. Different levels of quality and information usefulness efficiency have an impact on different ways of processing information by users which, in turn, may result in different consumer behavior and their decisions. The study describes the basic methodological assumptions, the research evaluation procedure of information usefulness efficiency, and the forms of informational content and various forms of information presentation and visualization, as well as the results of data analysis from the study conducted on a group of respondents. In order to determine the factors that have the greatest impact on the perception of information usefulness on websites by users, the data obtained from the study using various methods, such as online questionnaire, usability testing and heuristic analysis, were analyzed using the DEA method, which is usually used for the analysis and evaluation of efficiency. The results of the research presented in this article can be useful in creating assumptions for methods of content presentation and visualization of various forms of content building for the needs of different user groups for information and business websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) reached the Netherlands in February 2020. To minimize the spread of the virus, the Dutch government announced an “intelligent lockdown”. Older individuals were urged to socially isolate completely, because they are at risk of a severe disease course. Although isolation reduces the medical impact of the virus, the non-medical impact should also be considered. Aim To investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures on the six dimensions of Positive Health in community-dwelling older individuals living in the Netherlands, and to identify differences within subgroups. Methods In May/June 2020, community-dwelling older individuals aged ≥ 65 years completed an online survey based on Huber’s model of Positive Health. Positive Health was measured regarding the appreciation of the six dimensions (categorized as poor/satisfactory/excellent) and a comparison with a year before (categorized as decreased/unchanged/increased) using frequencies (%) and a chi-square test. Results 834 older individuals participated (51% women, 38% aged ≥ 76 years, 35% living alone, 16% self-rated poor health). Most respondents assessed their bodily functions, mental well-being and daily functioning as satisfactory, their meaningfulness and quality of life (QoL) as excellent, and their social participation as poor. 12% of the respondents reported a deterioration of 4–6 dimensions and 73% in 1–3 dimensions, compared to the past year. Deterioration was most frequently experienced in the dimension social participation (73%), the dimension mental well-being was most frequently improved (37%) and quality of life was in 71% rated as unchanged. Women more often observed a deterioration of 4–6 dimensions than men (15% vs. 8%, p = 0.001), and individuals with self-rated poor health more often than individuals with self-rated good health (22% vs. 10%, p

Abstract Background Initiating discussion about death and dying is often considered a difficult topic for healthcare providers, thus there is a need for further research to understand this area, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to describe preferences for the initiation of end-of-life care discussions in Indonesia, comparing the general population and health care professionals. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive study analysed quantitative data from 368 respondents to an online questionnaire (255 general population (69%); 113 healthcare professionals (31%)) utilizing consecutive sampling and snowball sampling methods. Results Overall, most respondents (80%) stated that they would like to discuss end-of-life issues with a healthcare professional in the case of terminal illness. This was more marked amongst healthcare professionals compared with the general population (94% vs. 75%, respectively, p

Abstract Background Recently, decision-making process has become increasingly complex. But there is limited information on Chinese patients’ views of shared decision making (SDM) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This questionnaire investigation aimed to understand Chinese patients’ perspectives and expectations of SDM in IBD and analyze the possible factors that influence their views. Methods An online survey was conducted from July 19th to 24th, 2020. A total of 1118 patients completed the survey. Results One-third of patients were dissatisfied with the current decision-making model, and the satisfaction of inpatients was lower than that of outpatients. 84% of patients preferred to participate in SDM, who were young and had a high education level, high income, commercial insurance, strong learning ability and knowledge of SDM. Most of those who did not want to participate (72%) were worried about the cost. The kind of medicine (948, 84.8%), surgical indications (505, 45.2%) and operation methods (482, 43.1%) were the topics that patients thought most require SDM. Side effects of medicine (837, 74.9%), costs of therapy (675, 60.4%), and surgical risks (563, 50.4%) were considered to be the most influential factors for SDM. 52.7% of all patients hoped experts in different disciplines would participate in SDM. The most desirable amount of time for discussion was 30 to 60 min (562/1118, 50.3%), that were associated with the cost of SDM. Conclusion We can meet the needs of patients by reducing costs and strengthening online patient education and exploring a model suitable for Chinese IBD patients.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) and prediabetes are serious diseases that can lead to early disability and death. DM-2 can remain undiagnosed for many years; therefore, screening is one of the main assistants of a doctor in establishing a diagnosis, allowing to start treatment as early as possible. Research objective: early identification of patients with prediabetes and DM-2 using an online questionnaire. Materials and methods. The study was carried out online using the Google Forms platform, where a questionnaire was created based on Appendix 3 “Form of risk assessment of diabetes mellitus-2” of the Unified clinical protocol of primary and secondary (specialized) medical care “Type 2 diabetes mellitus”, approved by order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 1118 dated 12.21.2012, as well as additional questions on nutrition and physical activity. As of June 2021, the study involved 209 patients (151 women and 58 men) who did not have a documented diagnosis of DM-2 or prediabetes. Results. Most of the respondents (89 people) were overweight. 51 respondents had grade I obesity, 31 respondents had grade II, and 7 patients had a body mass index > 40 kg/m2, which corresponds to grade III obesity. Only 49 respondents had a healthy weight, which corresponds to a body mass index 18.5–24.9 kg/m2. 29 (19.21%) women had a history of childbirth with a child weighing more than 4 kg. The diagnosis of polycystic ovary disease (a risk factor for the DM-2) was in 34 (22.52%) women. Upon receipt of laboratory tests, we established a diagnosis of prediabetes in 28 (13.40%) patients, and a diagnosis of DM-2 in 17 (8.13%) people. Conclusions. It is necessary to search for new opportunities in communicating with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of which is online questionnaires based on regulatory documents.

The present survey explores the changes in the teaching of statistics modules during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impact of these changes on the students of the Department of Statistics and Insurance Science of the University of Piraeus. A questionnaire was prepared and administered online. The survey involved a total of 88 participants aged between 18 and 23. The main questions that were asked addressed: (i) the online structure of the statistics courses compared with the structure of the lifelong courses; (ii) the psychological adjustment of the participants to the contents and obligations of the regular courses; (iii) internet-based communication within the scope of the statistics modules and its role in developing skills relating to the use of statistical software and programming languages (i.e., SPSS, RATS, and R); and (iv) the degree of active participation in the online courses. Based on the outcomes of the survey, we concluded that the students did not notice any significant difference regarding their interest in the course or the transfer of knowledge between the online modules and the lifelong courses. Moreover, we found that courses using games and computers were more effective in terms of learning objectives, though they were more costly than conventional courses. Finally, we discovered that the students preferred the online courses over the regular ones, probably because they were richer and more versatile in structure.

As a profession, teaching is a process that involves teacher-student-teacher interaction. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives and ways of communication. Each day teachers and students faced difficulties in the teaching and learning process, challenges that they had to cope with by using their critical judgement and expertise. During this critical period, face-to-face teaching was switched to the online one, by ensuring students a teaching platform and giving them access to online materials. Working under stress and with limited resources, at first, teachers did their best to pave the way for online education. The aim of the present case study, based on an online questionnaire, was to shed light on the need to include and use modern student-centered teaching techniques and methods within the educational process at George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș to improve quality of education. In a world that is continuously changing and developing the use of innovative teaching methods will help students to improve their learning abilities, stimulate their critical thinking and engage them in the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents research on how household waste is collected. An online survey, with 348 participants, from the Romanian region of Bacau, was conducted from October 2018 to May 2019. The online questionnaire included a set of over 40 questions, some with the aim of identifying the nature of the people participating, but most of the questions being designed to determine the collection methods for household waste. The major goal of the current study, as previously stated, was to determine the primary way of collecting household garbage from the public, while also learning various details about the participants, including their residence location, gender, age, and level of education. Referring to the means used for collecting household waste, the following items were noted: trash cans, cardboard boxes, dumpsters, and raffia bags. As a result of the study carried out, the following conclusions were drawn: it was noticed that 70 percent of those who participated in the survey came from urban areas; a larger percentage of female respondents took part in the survey (128 from 348); the majority of respondents were aged 18–29 (182); 178 respondents had a higher education level; collection of household waste in garbage bags represented 62.9 percent of the total collection methods. Following statistical processing of the data, and an overview of the main ways in which household waste was collected, a number of connections were found between the characteristics of the respondents and their household waste collection. What is noteworthy is that the characteristics of the respondents could be grouped into cumulative factors that played an important role in household waste collection: the first group formed by level of education and location of the respondents, and the second group formed by age and gender of the respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]