The feasibility of conducting acute sarcopenia research in hospitalised older patients: a prospective cohort study

Purpose To assess feasibility of conducting acute sarcopenia research in complex populations of hospitalised older adults. Methods Patients ≥ 70 years old were recruited to three cohorts: elective colorectal surgery, emergency (abdominal) surgery, medical patients with infections. Participants were recruited to the elective cohort in preoperative assessment clinic, and acutely admitted participants from surgical and medical wards at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Serial measures of muscle quantity (ultrasound quadriceps, bioelectrical impedance analysis), muscle function (hand grip strength, physical performance), and questionnaires (mini-nutritional assessment, physical function) were performed at baseline, within 7 (± 2) days of admission/surgery, and 13 (± 1) weeks post-admission/surgery. Feasibility outcomes were assessed across timepoints including recruitment and drop-out rates, and procedure completion rates. Results Eighty-one participants were recruited (mean age 79, 38.3% females). Recruitment rates were higher in elective (75%, 24/32) compared to emergency surgery (37.2%, 16/43), and medical participants (45.1%, 41/91; p = 0.003). Drop-out rates varied from 8.3 to 19.5% at 7 days, and 12.5–43.9% at 13 weeks. Age and gender did not differ between patients assessed for eligibility, approached, or recruited. Completion rates were highest for ultrasound quadriceps (98.8%, 80/81 across all groups at baseline). Gait speed completion rates were lower in medical (70.7%, 29/41) compared to elective participants (100%, 24/24) at baseline. Conclusion Higher participation refusal and drop-out rates should be expected for research involving recruitment of participants from the acute setting. Assessment of muscle quantity/quality through ultrasound is recommended in early-stage trials in the acute setting, where completion rates of physical performance testing are expected to be lower.

Early Drop-Out from Sports and Strategic Learning Skills: A Cross-Country Study in Italian and Spanish Students

The search for overarching factors involved in both sport and broader lifestyle and achievement domains may help to understand the early drop-out phenomenon. This study aimed to analyze the association between early sport drop-out and strategic learning skills, checking for the individual and joint role of nationality, school type, gender, age and sport habits. Six hundred and fourteen Italian and Spanish students aged 14–18 years completed two self-assessment questionnaires concerning physical activity, sports habits and learning strategies. Outcomes were analyzed with frequency analysis. Higher affective–motivational strategic learning skills were associated with lower drop-out rates in Italian but not Spanish students. In high schools with an enhanced sports curriculum, drop-out rates were negligible compared to other Italian and Spanish curricula. A lack of persistence in the same sport type was significantly associated with a higher drop-out rate in males but not in female students, who had overall higher drop-out rates. This study suggests that overarching personal skills, cultural characteristics and sports habits may independently and jointly contribute to sport drop-out. Specifically, affective–motivational learning skills may play a key role in sport persistence and in strategies tailored to drop-out prevention.

Differences in Perception Matter – How Differences in the Perception of Training Quality of Trainees and Trainers Affect Drop-Out in VET

The dual system of vocational education and training (VET) and its quality have recently been receiving scientific attention, partly due to high drop-out rates and to politically-motivated efforts to increase participation in the system (Le Mouillour, 2018). However, it remains controversial as to how quality within training companies should be measured, and from whose perspective, and how the quality of training affects drop-out. Empirical studies mostly target the quality perceptions of trainees or of trainers in isolation. The extent to which output factors such as drop-out rates are influenced by variations in perceptions of quality between both these parties has to this point not been tested. The object of the present study was to present a novel bilateral approach to assessing training quality. For this reason, the effects on drop-out intention of differences in the perception of in-company training quality (incongruences) between trainees and trainers from the same company were examined. An online survey was conducted involving 311 commercial trainees and training officers from 30 German companies. A framework model of workplace learning (Tynjälä, Vocations and Learning,6(1), 11–36, 2013) and a short questionnaire “VET-LQI” (Böhn and Deutscher, Zeitschrift für pädagogische Psychologie: ZfPP, 33, 49–70, 2020) served as the theoretical basis and test instrument respectively. Responses from trainees were matched to those of their corresponding trainers, in order to determine possible differences for every item and scale. Following a weighting method regarding the absolute rating level, 15 input- and process-quality factors of divergence, so called “difference accounting multi-perspective scores” were used as independent variables in multiple regression analyses. The results show that differences in perception of quality not only have a significant effect on drop-out intentions, but also explain drop-out intentions more generally, and with a higher predictive power than the conventional method of merely focusing on the quality perceptions of trainees (adjusted R2 = .439 > .333).

Analysis of Feasibility, Adherence, and Appreciation of a Newly Developed Tele-Rehabilitation Program for People With MCI and VCI

Background: Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI) are at a high risk of progressing to dementia. Recent guidelines indicate the importance of promoting multidimensional and multi-domain interventions to prevent further decline. Due to its growing effectiveness, comparable to conventional face-to-face interventions, the use of technology is gaining relevance. Tele-rehabilitation systems have the potential to engage patients in multi-dimensional activity programs and to guarantee a low-cost continuum of care through remote control. A possible limitation of such programs is represented by the lack of familiarization with technology and computers in elderly people. The purpose of this study is to describe the feasibility, adherence, and appreciation of the GOAL Tele-R system, administered by a web-application through remote control in patients with MCI/VCI.Methods: Feasibility of the Tele-R system was evaluated by means of distribution of patients' attrition along the study phases, controlling for potential systematic bias in drop-out rates due to the technological device. Adherence was evaluated analyzing drop-out rates and indexes of carried out activities. Patients' appreciation was analyzed through ad hoc satisfaction questionnaire items.Results: Out of 86 approached patients, 25 (29%) were not enrolled, 30 (35%) dropped-out after randomization, and 31 (36%) completed the study (standard care group n = 12, the tele-R group n = 19). Compared to the tele-R group, rates of drop-outs resulted significantly higher for the standard care group (34 vs. 62%, respectively, p = 0.029). Taking into account baseline characteristics, females resulted in a statistically significant higher rate of drop-outs compared to males (66 vs. 27%, respectively, p = 0.003). Overall adherence to the proposed activities was 84% (85% for cognitive module and 83% for physical activity module). Concerning satisfaction, participants provided a good mean level of appreciation (3.7 ± 0.8, range 1–5), a positive feedback for usability, and a subjective perception of cognitive, emotional, and physical benefits due to the training.Conclusion: The GOAL Tele-R system seems a feasible technological rehabilitation program, reaching an acceptable level of adherence and appreciation in patients with an MCI/VCI condition.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03383549 (registration date: 26/dec/2017).

Runner’s Perceptions of Reasons to Quit Running: Influence of Gender, Age and Running-Related Characteristics

Physical inactivity has become a major public health concern and, consequently, the awareness of striving for a healthy lifestyle has increased. As a result, the popularity of recreational sports, such as running, has increased. Running is known for its low threshold to start and its attractiveness for a heterogeneous group of people. Yet, one can still observe high drop-out rates among (novice) runners. To understand the reasons for drop-out as perceived by runners, we investigate potential reasons to quit running among short distance runners (5 km and 10 km) (n = 898). Data used in this study were drawn from the standardized online Eindhoven Running Survey 2016 (ERS16). Binary logistic regressions were used to investigate the relation between reasons to quit running and different variables like socio-demographic variables, running habits and attitudes, interests, and opinions (AIOs) on running. Our results indicate that, not only people of different gender and age show significant differences in perceived reasons to quit running, also running habits, (e.g., running context and frequency) and AIOs are related to perceived reasons to quit running too. With insights into these related variables, potential drop-out reasons could help health professionals in understanding and lowering drop-out rates among recreational runners.

Valades ousitanes, architettura e rigenerazione

It hasn’t even been half a century since, in 1977, the famous book by Nuto Revelli entitled Il mondo dei vinti was published. A symbolic image, which summed up with powerful evocative efficacy the dramatic process of depopulation and dissolution of traditional Alpine societies during the twentieth century. A phenomenon that found its epicenter in the valleys of Carnia and in the south-east of France, and especially in the Piedmont’s valleys of the Cuneo area, with drop-out rates that will reach even 80-90% of the population. A little over forty years have passed by since Nuto Revelli’s book was published and since then a lot seemed to have changed. Today many prestigious and successful tourist and winter centers are experiencing a growing crisis of image and public, while the once neglected Valades ousitanes live an unprecedented season, focused on enhancing the trinomial of natural, historical, and cultural heritage. Maira Valley, Ostana in the Po Valley, Paraloup and Rittana in the Stura Valley, the upper Varaita Valley, the phenomena of rebirth are affecting all the Occitan valleys, with interesting resettlement processes that have their engine in who are defined «the new mountaineers». This renaissance of the Occitan valleys is accompanied by new forms of architecture that focus on the theme of the recovery and reuse of heritage, of dialectical confrontation with environmental and historical contexts, but without forgetting the contemporary and technological innovation.

Does study language (Dutch versus English) influence study success of Dutch and German students in the Netherlands?

We investigated whether the language of instruction (Dutch or English) influenced the study success of 614 Dutch and German first-year psychology students in the Netherlands. The Dutch students who were instructed in Dutch studied in their native language (L1), the other students in a second language (L2). In addition, only the Dutch students studied in their home country. Both these variables could potentially influence study success, operationalised as the number of European Credits (ECs) the students obtained, their grades, and drop-out rates. The L1 group outperformed the three L2 groups with respect to grades, but there were no significant differences in ECs and drop-out rates (although descriptively, the L1 group still performed best). In conclusion, this study shows an advantage of studying in the L1 when it comes to grades, and thereby contributes to the current debate in the Dutch media regarding the desirability of offering degrees taught in English.

Korean medicine students' entrance factors and satisfaction with their college experience: a quantitative nationwide study

Background Korean medicine (KM) has equal legal rights with conventional Western medicine in South Korea and is taught at KM colleges. To date, no research has been conducted on the entrance factors and satisfaction of KM college students. Thus, this study attempts to fill this gap in the literature. Methods Content validity tests and face validity tests were conducted during the development of the questionnaires used in this study. The scores of each item and the correlation between items and sub-items were analyzed and factors were correlated with students’ satisfaction and willingness to re-enter KM colleges. Results A total of 420 students responded to the survey. The mean of the item considering stable incumbency and examination scores was the highest. The highest correlation between an item and sub-item concerned interaction with people. The questionnaire items or sub-questionnaire items that showed moderate high correlation with the questionnaire items asked whether participants were willing to re-enter the KM college and were both about independent choices. Conclusions Identifying college entrance factors can contribute to increasing current students’ academic satisfaction and decreasing drop-out rates. College entrance factors that are closely related to students’ motivation to become KM doctors may increase the current academic satisfaction of KM students and decrease drop-out rates. This study highlights factors that can be applied in college curriculum or subject teaching, such as interest in research on KM.