scholarly journals Dream Activity in Narcoleptic Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Scarpelli ◽  
Valentina Alfonsi ◽  
Anita D'Anselmo ◽  
Maurizio Gorgoni ◽  
Alessandro Musetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Dream Recall ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Medication Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

Some studies highlighted that patients with narcolepsy type-1 (NT1) experience high lucid dream frequency, and this phenomenon has been associated with a creative personality. Starting from the well-known “pandemic effect” on sleep and dreaming, we presented a picture of dream activity in pharmacologically treated NT1 patients during the Italian lockdown. Forty-three NT1 patients completed a web-survey during Spring 2021 and were compared with 86 matched-controls. Statistical comparisons revealed that: (a) NT1 patients showed greater sleepiness than controls; (b) controls showed higher sleep disturbances than NT1 patients, and this result disappeared when the medication effect in NT1 was controlled; (c) NT1 patients reported higher lucid dream frequency than controls. Focusing on dreaming in NT1 patients, we found that (a) nightmare frequency was correlated with female gender, longer sleep duration, higher intrasleep wakefulness; (b) dream recall, nightmare and lucid dream frequency were positively correlated with sleepiness. Comparisons between low and high NT1 lucid dreamers showed that patients more frequently experiencing lucid dreams reported a greater influence of dreaming during wakefulness, especially concerning problem-solving and creativity. Overall, our results are consistent with previous studies on pandemic dreaming carried out on healthy subjects. Moreover, we confirmed a link between lucidity and creativity in NT1 patients. Considering the small sample size and the cross-sectional design, our findings cannot provide a causal relationship between lucid dreams and the COVID-19 lockdown. Nevertheless, they represent a first contribution to address future studies on this issue, suggesting that some stable characteristics could interact with changes provoked by the pandemic.

scholarly journals Italian Children’s Well-Being after Lockdown: Predictors of Psychopathological Symptoms in Times of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11429
Author(s):  
Marcella Caputi ◽  
Barbara Forresi ◽  
Ludovica Giani ◽  
Giovanni Michelini ◽  
Simona Scaini
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Novelty Seeking ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

The first Italian lockdown imposed to fight the spread of COVID-19 caused important disruptions in families’ everyday lives. The main aim of this research was to investigate the predictors of psychopathology in children aged 5–10 years, immediately after the national 2-month lockdown. A total of 158 Italian parents (148 mothers, 10 fathers, mean age = 41 years) were recruited and asked to complete an online research concerning their 158 children (76 boys, mean age = 7.4 years). Parents completed questionnaires on parent–child conflict, resilience, temperament, behavior, and previous adverse childhood experiences. Hierarchical regressions showed that children’s psychopathology was predicted by low child resilience, high novelty seeking and harm avoidance, adverse experiences, and high flooding levels. Moreover, girls exposed to adverse experiences appeared more vulnerable to psychopathology. The recruitment of a convenience sample, the small sample size, and the cross-sectional design of our study limit the generalizability and interpretation of the present findings. Nonetheless, this research extends our knowledge of children’s functioning in such an exceptional period. Shedding light on predictors of children’s psychopathology following prolonged quarantine can indeed guide effective psychological interventions now and in future similar situations.

scholarly journals Study of the relationship between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and parathyroid hormone levels in patients undergoing hemodialysis, Isfahan, Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e19-e19
Author(s):  
Azar Baradaran ◽  
Sayed Mohsen Hosseini ◽  
Reyhaneh Shirvani ◽  
Parin Hedayati ◽  
Zahra Hoseini
Keyword(s):  
Parathyroid Hormone ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Hemodialysis Patients ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Neutrophil To Lymphocyte Ratio ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Lymphocyte Ratio

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive and irreversible disorder that now is introduced as one of the most important problems of general health (1). Serum levels of inflammatory mediators such as C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) elevate in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Systemic inflammation is correlated with cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, parathyroid hormone (PTH) causes releasing of IL-6 from liver and osteoblast. IL-6 increases lifetime and activity of neutrophils. Therefore, PTH may have a direct correlation with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine the performance of NLR in hemodialysis and its possible correlation with PTH. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study to evaluate the correlation of NLR and serum intact PTH (iPTH), Ca (calcium) and P (phosphorus) and also Ca×P products (mg2 /dL2 ) in a group of stable hemodialysis patients, including male and female gender subgroups, diabetic versus non-diabetic patients, and also patients with or without chronic hypertensive disease. Results: This study consisted of 136 hemodialysis patients. Our study showed no statistically significant correlation between iPTH (intact parathormone) and NLR in hemodialysis patients (P>0.05). In addition, we test their correlation in other subgroups including hypertensive and normotensive, diabetic and non-diabetics, and male versus female patients. We found no significant correlation between iPTH and NLR in the mentioned subgroups, too. Conclusion: Observed correlation between PTH and NLR in hemodialysis patients may be due to our small sample size. Therefore, further studies on this subject are suggested.

scholarly journals #3100 A service evaluation of the experiences of patients with functional neurological disorders within the NHS

2021 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. A15.2-A15
Author(s):  
Shauna OKeeffe ◽  
Ibrahim Chowdhury ◽  
Anila Sinanaj ◽  
Iberedem Ewang ◽  
Camilla Blain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Structured Care ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Patient Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

Objectives/AimsPrevious research into Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) has shown that there are significant barriers in providing multidisciplinary, patient-centred care for these patients, including stigmatising attitudes, poor knowledge about FND, and a lack of structured care pathways. However, there has been no specific research into patient experiences of care for FND within NHS services to date, and whether these experiences meet the standards of care expected for long-term neurological conditions (LTNCs). The current study thus aimed to investigate the types of problems experienced by FND patients, and whether they differed in frequency and type to patients with another LTNC, multiple sclerosis (MS).MethodsBoth FND (n = 40) and MS patients (n = 37) were recruited from tertiary neurology clinics at an NHS hospital and completed two questionnaires on their experiences of health and social care services and on their level of disability.ResultsThe results indicated significant differences in experiences of care between the two patient groups, with FND patients reporting significantly more problems (p<0.001)overall. These problems were reported in relation to their diagnosis and treatment, relationships with healthcare professionals, and difficulties in accessing services. This was despite FND patients reporting significantly higher levels of disability (p=0.001), highlighting the burden of care experienced by FND patients as a result of these difficulties in accessing and receiving care. A small sample size, specificity to a single neurology centre, and a cross-sectional design are acknowledged as limitations.ConclusionsTogether, these results suggest that current care for FND patients is not meeting the standards expected for LTNCs, and highlight the need for further research and the development of structured, multidisciplinary pathways with a patient-centred approach.

From Potential Absorptive Capacity to Knowledge Creation in Organisations: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Storage and Realised Absorptive Capacity

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (01) ◽  
pp. 1850006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vítor Costa ◽  
Samuel Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Human Resources Managers ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Internal Knowledge

The present research explores the role of knowledge storage and documentation and realised absorptive capacity as mediating variables between potential absorptive capacity and internal knowledge creation. The theoretical model is developed and further tested with a sample of 111 organisations from multiple industry sectors. The results show that the technology-driven process of knowledge storage and documentation, as well as the realised absorptive capacity of the respondent companies, reinforces the human-driven process of internal knowledge creation, and mediates, individually and jointly, the relationship between potential absorptive capacity and intra-firm knowledge creation. Mediation analysis relies on the use of bootstrapping confidence intervals. The authors draw practical implications for organisational psychologists and human resources managers. The small sample size and the cross-sectional design limit the generalisation of the present findings. Further research should explore the complementarity of absorptive capacity phases with other knowledge management processes that could enable the creation of new knowledge in organisations.

scholarly journals The Role of Servant Leadership in Church Workers’ Commitment

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-25
Author(s):  
Seth Akhilele
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Servant Leadership ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Church Workers ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

The study was an examination of the role of servant leadership in worker's commitment to the Xander church (Pseudonym). In Xander church, workers' commitment is shallow, as reflected in attendance and service. A cross-sectional design was used to study 38workers using nonprobability purposive sampling. The hypotheses were: H1 Is there a statistically significant relationship between servant leader behaviors and workers' commitment? H2: Is there a statistically significant relationship between the servant leadership behavior of empowerment and church workers' reported commitment due to the length of stay? The eight dimensions servant leadership survey instrument measured servant leadership, while workers' commitment was measured with the 15-item Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. The data were analyzed with Spearman’s Rho correlation because of a small sample size. The results revealed that servant leadership predicted commitment, and the servant leadership survey element, behavior empowerment, was not predicted by the worker's length of stay. I recommend that further research be conducted to ascertain reasons for a low commitment since servant leadership behavior impacted commitment. Keywords: Servant leadership, commitment, church workers, empowerment, and leadership behavior.

scholarly journals A Service Evaluation of the Experiences of Patients With Functional Neurological Disorders Within the NHS

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shauna O'Keeffe ◽  
Ibrahim Chowdhury ◽  
Anila Sinanaj ◽  
Iberedem Ewang ◽  
Camilla Blain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Services ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Patient Centred Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Structured Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

Previous research into Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) has shown that there are significant barriers in providing patient-centred care. However, there has been no specific research into whether patient experiences of care for FND meet the current standards of care. This study aimed to investigate the types of problems experienced by FND patients, and whether these differed to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). FND (n = 40) and MS patients (n = 37) were recruited from NHS tertiary neurology clinics and completed questionnaires on their experiences of health care services. Significant differences in experiences of care between the two patient groups were found, with FND patients reporting significantly more problems in their diagnosis and treatment (p = 0.003), patient-centred care (p &lt; 0.001), relationships with healthcare professionals (p &lt; 0.001), and in accessing community care (p = 0.001). Limitations include a small sample size, specificity to a single centre, and cross-sectional design. The results suggest that current care for FND patients is not meeting expected standards for long-term neurological conditions, highlighting the need for structured care pathways and patient-centred care.

Trust antecedents: emotional intelligence and perceptions of others

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne M.H. Christie ◽  
Peter J. Jordan ◽  
Ashlea C. Troth
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Workplace Performance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine if teachers’ trust in others is predicted by their perceptions of others and their emotional intelligence. Employees need to trust others to achieve outcomes, and a lack of trust can have a negative impact on workplace performance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper surveys a sample of 84 employed teachers. Findings – Our findings show that perceptions of others’ ability, benevolence and integrity are strongly and positively associated with trust. The emotional intelligence ability to perceive emotions is also related to trust. Regression analysis showed that perceptions of others (ability and integrity) and an individual’s emotional intelligence (perceiving) combined to predict a large portion of the variance in trust. Research limitations/implications – This study was limited by a small sample size and the use of a cross-sectional design. These issues were addressed in our analysis. Originality/value – The majority of trust research examines employee-to-manager trust. Our study is one of the few to examine trust among co-workers. This study also contributes to research on the emotional intelligence and trust relationship by showing that the ability to perceive one’s own and others emotions significantly predicts increases in trust. It also reaffirms that perceptions of others’ integrity and ability are strongly linked to trust, but that further investigation of the benevolence construct is required.

Validating the Factor Structure of the Stigma of Suicide Scale–Short Form Spanish Version Among Healthcare Students

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Ruthmarie Hernández-Torres ◽  
Paola Carminelli-Corretjer ◽  
Nelmit Tollinchi-Natali ◽  
Ernesto Rosario-Hernández ◽  
Yovanska Duarté-Vélez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Spanish Version ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthcare Students ◽  
Spanish Speaking

Abstract. Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among Spanish-speaking individuals. Suicide stigma can be a risk factor for suicide. A widely used measure is the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form (SOSS-SF; Batterham, Calear, & Christensen, 2013 ). Although the SOSS-SF has established psychometric properties and factor structure in other languages and cultural contexts, no evidence is available from Spanish-speaking populations. Aim: This study aims to validate a Spanish translation of the SOSS-SF among a sample of Spanish-speaking healthcare students ( N = 277). Method: We implemented a cross-sectional design with quantitative techniques. Results: Following a structural equation modeling approach, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the three-factor model proposed by Batterham and colleagues (2013) . Limitations: The study was limited by the small sample size and recruitment by availability. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the Spanish version of the SOSS-SF is a valid and reliable tool with which to examine suicide stigma among Spanish-speaking populations.

scholarly journals A Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate the Effects of Age and Duration of HIV Infection on Anxiety and Depression in Cisgender Men

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Gianella ◽  
Rowan Saloner ◽  
Genevieve Curtin ◽  
Susan J. Little ◽  
Anne Heaton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Results

AbstractThis observational cross-sectional study of 152 people with HIV (PWH) examined the effects of age and estimated duration of HIV infection (EDI) on depressive and anxiety symptoms. All participants were cisgender men and completed the Profile of Moods State (POMS), a self-report inventory of current (i.e., past week) mood states. Overall, study results confirmed higher levels of anxiety and depression in PWH compared to individuals without HIV. Age group (< 50 or ≥ 50 years) moderated the effect of EDI (< 3 or ≥ 3 years) on mood disturbance. Specifically, younger PWH with early diagnosed infection exhibited the highest levels of depression and anxiety, whereas depression and anxiety were attenuated in older PWH with early infection such that their POMS scores did not significantly differ from the HIV-negative and chronically HIV-infected groups. Despite the small sample size and other important limitations in our study design, our preliminary findings confirm previous observations that older people may have some adaptive ability to better handle the acute psychological stressors associated with recent HIV infection.

Perceptions and Understanding of Diabetes Mellitus Technology in Adults with Type 1 or Type 2 DM: A Pilot Survey from Pakistan

2021 ◽  
pp. 193229682110111
Author(s):  
Sarah Nadeem ◽  
Uswah Siddiqi ◽  
Russell Seth Martins ◽  
Kaleemullah Badini
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Diabetes Care ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cost Of Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Specific Patient

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus technology (DMT) is increasingly used for routine management in developed countries, yet its uptake in developing countries is not as consistent. Multiple factors may influence this, including country specific patient perception regarding DMT. We conducted a pilot study in Pakistan to understand this important question which has not been studied yet. Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in Pakistan. An anonymous survey exploring perceptions of diabetes technology was circulated on social media platforms, collecting responses over 2 weeks. Target population included adults (≥18 years) living in Pakistan, with DM1 or 2. Results: A total of 40 responses were received. The majority (36/40) reported using conventional glucometers. Nine used continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Thirty-two of 40 patients believed DMT improved diabetes care, 22 felt it helped decreased risk of Diabetes-related complications. 15/40 stated that DMT results in increased cost of care. Sixteen reported their diabetes care teams had never discussed wearable DMT options whereas 11 disliked them because they did not want a device on their self. Conclusion: In our pilot study we have identified broad themes of opportunity and challenges to DMT use in Pakistan. Patients’ perceptions regarding DMT were generally positive but significant barriers to its acceptance included high cost, lack of discussion between doctor and patient about available technology and personal hesitation. Limitations of our study include sampling bias (online survey) and small sample size, but this data can help inform larger studies, to look at this important topic in greater detail.

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