Technology-Induced Stress, Sociodemographic Factors, and Association with Academic Achievement and Productivity in Ghanaian Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic affected many nations around the globe, including Ghana, in the first quarter of 2020. To avoid the spread of the virus, the Ghanaian government ordered universities to close, although most of them had only just begun the academic year. The adoption of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) had adverse effects, such as technostress, notwithstanding its advantages for both students and academic faculty. This study examined two significant antecedents: digital literacy and technology dependence. In addition, the study scrutinized the effects of technostress on two relevant student qualities: academic achievement and academic productivity. A descriptive correlational study method was used to discern the prevalence of technology-induced stress among university students in Ghana. The technostress scale was used with a sample of 525 students selected based on defined eligibility criteria. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to calculate the measurement models and structural models. The divergent validity and convergent validity were estimated with the average variance extracted (AVE) and coefficients of correlation between the constructs. The online survey of 525 university students inferred that technology dependence and digital literacy contributes significantly to technostress. Additionally, technostress has adverse effects on academic achievement and academic productivity. Practical implications, limitations, and future directions for the study were also discussed.

Optical discs in zoological nomenclature: problems and proposed solution

According to the Code currently in force, taxonomic works presenting nomenclatural novelties published on optical discs may be nomenclaturally available only if published between 1985 and 2013, and respecting some conditions allowing their nomenclatural promulgation. These works will remain accessible to readers only as long as the technologies allowing to read such discs are available to all, but will become inaccessible when these technologies become obsolete. In order to overcome this technology dependence, the Linz Zoocode Committee has decided to publish facsimiles of these works, both on paper and online. For this to be possible, a list of these works needs to be built. We are therefore sending an appeal to the international community to provide information on all taxonomic works including nomenclatural novelties published so far on optical discs, whether available or not under the current Code.

Initiating technology dependence to sustain a child’s life: a systematic review of reasons

BackgroundDecision-making in initiating life-sustaining health technology is complex and often conducted at time-critical junctures in clinical care. Many of these decisions have profound, often irreversible, consequences for the child and family, as well as potential benefits for functioning, health and quality of life. Yet little is known about what influences these decisions. A systematic review of reasoning identified the range of reasons clinicians give in the literature when initiating technology dependence in a child, and as a result helps determine the range of influences on these decisions.MethodsMedline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Web of Science, ASSIA and Global Health Library databases were searched to identify all reasons given for the initiation of technology dependence in a child. Each reason was coded as a broad and narrow reason type, and whether it supported or rejected technology dependence.Results53 relevant papers were retained from 1604 publications, containing 116 broad reason types and 383 narrow reason types. These were grouped into broad thematic categories: clinical factors, quality of life factors, moral imperatives and duty and personal values; and whether they supported, rejected or described the initiation of technology dependence. The majority were conceptual or discussion papers, less than a third were empirical studies. Most discussed neonates and focused on end-of-life care.ConclusionsThere is a lack of empirical studies on this topic, scant knowledge about the experience of older children and their families in particular; and little written on choices made outside ‘end-of-life’ care. This review provides a sound basis for empirical research into the important influences on a child’s potential technology dependence.

Evaluasi atas Implementasi PP Nomor 23 Tahun 2018 dan Implikasinya Terhadap Penerimaan Pajak dan Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak UMKM di Banjarmasin

The aims of this study are to evaluate the implementation of PP No. 23 of 2018 at KPP Pratama Banjarmasin Utara and Selatan, to analyze the implications of the implementation of PP No. 23 of 2018 on tax revenue and compliance of SME taxpayers, and to find out the challenges and obstacles in implementing regulations at KPP Pratama Banjarmasin Utara and Selatan. The research method used are the qualitative method of library research and field research in the form of interviews and observations. The results of the research are based on observation, interviewing informants and evaluating the implementing regulations, PP No. 23 of 2018 has been implemented properly. PP No. 23 of 2018 has a positive effect on the revenue and number of SME taxpayers who make tax payments, but it has not made a positive contribution to the compliance of SME taxpayers in reporting annual tax return. This is known through the percentage of SME taxpayers’s annual tax return reporting compared to the number of SME taxpayers registered in Banjarmasin less than 20%. The challenge in implementing this PP is in providing education and awareness of taxpayers who are still low. The perceived obstacles are that taxpayers are not familiar with technology, dependence of taxpayers on officers, and double taxation.

Nomofobia: uma análise bibliométrica

Nomofobia, advindo da expressão “No-Mobile-Phone-Phobia”, designa-se ao transtorno ou fobia motivados por ficar sem o contato com o telefone celular. Objetiva-se mapear e quantificar a produção científica sobre o tema dependência tecnológica e nomofobia dentro do contexto mundial. A pesquisa foi realizada nos bancos de dados SciELO, LILACS e PubMed com os descritores (nomofobia) or (dependência tecnológica) or (nomophobia) or (technological dependence) or (technology dependence) or (dependencia tecnológica). Para serem incluídos no trabalho deveriam ser artigos originais publicados em revistas de acesso gratuito, em inglês, espanhol e/ou português. Inclui-se 31 artigos, nos quais verificou-se que o primeiro trabalho publicado foi em 2014, o país que mais publicou foi a Espanha, e que apenas um autor teve maior participação nas pesquisas, com 4 trabalhos. Conclui-se que existe uma predominância de estudos descritivos e nenhum relacionado com exercício físico ou atividade física.

Medication safety for children with medical complexity

Due to advances in medical care and innovations in health technology, many children with life-limiting conditions are now living longer. These children are often referred to as ‘children with medical complexity (CMC)’, and they are characterized by chronic conditions, increased health care utilization, and technology dependence. Their complexity of care and inherent fragility lead to higher risk for medication errors, both in-community and in-hospital. High rates of care fragmentation, miscommunication, and polypharmacy in CMC increase opportunities for error, particularly as children transition between health care settings and practitioners. Data on the factors contributing to higher risk of medication errors in this population and how they can be effectively addressed are lacking. This practice point provides clinical guidance for health care professionals to ensure medication safety when caring for CMC, with focus on practical strategies for outpatient and inpatient care.

Approaches to the initiation of life-sustaining technology in children: A scoping review of changes over time

Little is understood about the dynamic circumstances within which the initiation of technology dependence takes place in children. The aim of this scoping review was to identify the influences on the initiation of technology dependence and the issues that require further exploration and consideration. Scientific literature that directly or indirectly discussed the initiation of technology dependence in children was identified. A three-stage screening process of title and abstract scrutiny, full-text scanning and in-depth full-text reading resulted in 63 relevant articles from 1133 initially reviewed. These were then subjected to descriptive and thematic analysis. Articles ranged from the 1970s to the present, reflecting the evolution of ethical debates around the approaches to clinical practice and changes in cultural and societal attitudes. Three themes emerged: how technology alters the meaning of futile care, dissonance in the perspectives of decision makers and increasing support for joint decision-making. Only articles in English and predominantly from the clinician’s rather than the patient’s perspective were included. Societal and cultural factors as well as the structural, financial and cultural environment influence the initiation of technology dependence in children. However, to what extent these overt and implicit influences guide decision-makers in this field remains largely unknown.

Stuck on Life Support

Children with medical complexity are living longer with greater technology dependence. However, with each new technology, families face a new decision with new benefits and burdens. Parents in online communities share details of their child’s medical care, which sometimes leads them to inquire about medical interventions they may have learned about from another parent whose child has the same disease. Palliative care teams often help families make decisions with regard to new medical technology. This chapter discusses common decisions families face concerning initiating new medical technology and what families want to hear from their providers before making these difficult decisions.