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Secondary school students’ perspectives on supports for overcoming school attendance problems: a qualitative case study in Germany
No full textIntroduction:
School attendance problems (SAPs) affect both the education and development of young learners. There is a need to better understand what supports are needed to overcome and prevent SAPs from students’ perspectives. The aim of the current study is to explore students’ perspectives on what challenges they faced, and what they perceived as helpful in overcoming attendance challenges on their pathways towards completing their education.
Method:
We conducted interviews with students (n = 9) in a local comprehensive school (Stadtteilschule) in the city-state Hamburg in Germany. Students were in their final year before obtaining a certificate that qualifies them for possible admission to post-secondary education. Data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Results:
Findings show that students experienced complex challenges to school attendance that were associated with emotional distress, negative school experiences, and reduced well-being. Our findings point to common protective mechanisms in students’ perceptions of what helped them overcome SAPs. The key drivers of school attendance are located within students and their social contexts, including personal resilience, supportive relationships at school, and the social environment.
Discussion:
Based on students’ views, we present a model that illustrates the interconnectedness of perceived challenges and supports in the function of risk and protective factors moving across ecological systems in the development of SAPs. We highlight how these areas can guide prevention and intervention to support students in successfully completing their education and transitioning into multiple post-secondary pathways
Use of logit transformation within statistical analyses of experimental results obtained as proportions: example of method validation experiments and EQA in flow cytometry
No full textIn laboratory medicine, measurement results are often expressed as proportions of concentrations or counts. These proportions have distinct mathematical properties that can lead to unexpected results when conventional parametric statistical methods are naively applied without due consideration in the analysis of method validation experiments, quality assessments, or clinical studies. In particular, data points near 0% or 100% can lead to misleading analytical conclusions. To avoid these problems, the logit transformation—defined as the natural logarithm of the proportion/(1-proportion)—is used. This transformation produces symmetric distributions centered at zero that extend infinitely in both directions without upper or lower bounds. As a result, parametric statistical methods can be used without introducing bias. Furthermore, homogeneity of variances (HoV) is given. The benefits of this technique are illustrated by two applications: (i) flow cytometry measurement results expressed as proportions and (ii) probabilities derived from multivariable models. In the first case, naive analyses within external quality assessment (EQA) evaluations that lead to inconsistent results are effectively corrected. Second, the transformation eliminates bias and variance heterogeneity, allowing for more effective precision estimation. In summary, the logit transformation ensures unbiased results in statistical analyses. Given the resulting homogeneity of variances, common parametric statistical methods can be implemented, potentially increasing the efficiency of the analysis
Melanocortin-4 Receptor PLC Activation Is Modulated by an Interaction with the Monocarboxylate Transporter 8
No full textThe melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is a key player in the hypothalamic leptin–melanocortin
pathway that regulates satiety and hunger. MC4R belongs to the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs),
which are known to form heterodimers with other membrane proteins, potentially modulating re-
ceptor function or characteristics. Like MC4R, thyroid hormones (TH) are also essential for energy
homeostasis control. TH transport across membranes is facilitated by the monocarboxylate trans-
porter 8 (MCT8), which is also known to form heterodimers with GPCRs. Based on the finding in
single-cell RNA-sequencing data that both proteins are simultaneously expressed in hypothalamic
neurons, we investigated a putative interplay between MC4R and MCT8. We developed a novel
staining protocol utilizing a fluorophore-labeled MC4R ligand and demonstrated a co-localization
of MC4R and MCT8 in human brain tissue. Using in vitro assays such as BRET, IP1, and cAMP
determination, we found that MCT8 modulates MC4R-mediated phospholipase C activation but not
cAMP formation via a direct interaction, an effect that does not require a functional MCT8 as it was
not altered by a specific MCT8 inhibitor. This suggests an extended functional spectrum of MCT8 as
a GPCR signaling modulator and argues for the investigation of further GPCR-protein interactions
with hitherto underrepresented physiological functions
Compounded Effects of Multiple Global Crises on Mental Health: A Longitudinal Study of East German Adults
No full textThe early 2020s witnessed an unprecedented overlap of multiple global crises. This longitudinal study examined the compounded effects of multiple intersecting global crises on mental health outcomes in a representative cohort of East German adults. We investigated how perceived threats (PT) from climate change (PT-CLC), COVID-19 (PT-COV), the Russia–Ukraine War (PT-RUW), and rising costs of living (PT-RCL) will impact various aspects of mental health from 2021 to 2022. This research question addresses whether these crises exacerbate mental health issues and how their effects differ across various mental health outcomes. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study with 319 participants (mean age 49.9 years, 54.5% female) from the Saxony Longitudinal Study. Data were collected in two waves: March–July 2021 and September–December 2022. We used linear mixed-effects models to analyze both unadjusted group trends and adjusted individual-level effects on physical complaints, mental distress, sleep problems, life satisfaction, and self-rated health. Results: Unadjusted analyses revealed significant increases in mental distress and sleep problems over time, whereas physical complaints, life satisfaction, and self-rated health remained stable at the group level. Adjusted analyses showed that higher PT-RCL and PT-COV were significantly associated with increased physical complaints, mental distress, sleep problems, and decreased life satisfaction, even when group-level changes were not significant. Conclusions: This study highlights the complex impact of intersecting global crises on mental health, emphasizing the importance of considering both population-level trends and individual perceptions. The findings suggest that economic and pandemic-related stressors have more immediate effects on mental health outcomes compared to more distant threats, such as climate change or geopolitical conflicts
Maternal Exposure to Low-Dose BDE-47 Induced Weight Gain and Impaired Insulin Sensitivity in the Offspring
No full textMedication Reconciliation as Part of Admission Management—A Survey to Improve Drug Therapy Safety in a Urology Department
No full textResults of Adjustable Trans-Obturator Male System for Stress Urinary Incontinence after Transurethral Resection or Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: Results of Adjustable Trans-Obturator Male System for Stress Urinary Incontinence after Transurethral Resection or Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate
No full textBackground: Male stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after surgical treatment of benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) is an infrequent but dreadful complication and constitutes a therapeutic challenge. The efficacy and safety of the adjustable trans-obturator male system (ATOMS®) in these patients is rather unknown, mainly due to the rarity of this condition. We aimed to assess the results of ATOMS to treat SUI after transurethral resection (TURP) or holmium laser enucleation (HoLEP) of the prostate. Methods: Retrospective multicenter study evaluating patients with SUI after TURP or HoLEP for BPE primarily treated with silicone-covered scrotal port (SSP) ATOMS implants in ten different institutions in Europe and Canada between 2018 and 2022. Inclusion criteria were pure SUI for >1 year after endoscopic treatment for BPE and informed consent to receive an ATOMS. The primary endpoint of the study was a dry rate (pad test ≤ 20 mL/day after adjustment). The secondary endpoints were: the total continence rate (no pads and no leakage), complication rate (Clavien–Dindo classification) and self-perceived satisfaction (Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) scale 1 to 3). Descriptive analytics, Wilcoxon’s rank sum test and Fisher’s exact test were performed. Results: A total of 40 consecutive patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 23 following TURP and 17 HoLEP. After ATOMS adjustment, 32 (80%) patients were dry (78.3% TURP and 82.4% HoLEP; p = 1) and total continence was achieved in 18 (45%) patients (43.5% TURP and 47% HoLEP; p = 0.82). The median pad test was at a 500 (IQR 300) mL baseline (648 (IQR 650) TURP and 500 (IQR 340) HoLEP; p = 0.62) and 20 (IQR 89) mL (40 (IQR 90) RTUP and 10 (IQR 89) HoLEP; p = 0.56) after adjustment. Satisfaction (PGI-I ≤ 3) was reported in 37 (92.5%) patients (95.6% TURP and 88.2% HoLEP; p = 0.5). There were no significant differences between patients treated with TURP or HoLEP regarding the patient age, radiotherapy and number of adjustments needed. After 32.5 (IQR 30.5) months, median follow-up postoperative complications occurred in seven (17.5%) cases (two grade I and five grade II; three after TURP and four HoLEP) and two devices were removed (5%, both HoLEP). Conclusions: ATOMS is an efficacious and safe alternative to treat SUI due to sphincteric damage produced by endoscopic surgery for BPE, both TURP and HoLEP. Future studies with a larger number of patients may identify predictive factors that would allow better patient selection for ATOMS in this scenario
Study on Shoulder Joint Parameters and Available Supraspinatus Outlet Area Using Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Reconstruction
No full textStudies addressing the anatomical values of the supraspinatus outlet area (SOA) and the available supraspinatus outlet area (ASOA) are insufficient. This study focused on precisely measuring the SOA and ASOA values in a sample from the Chinese population using 3D CT (computed tomography) reconstruction. We analyzed CT imaging of 96 normal patients (59 males and 37 females) who underwent shoulder examinations in a hospital between 2011 and 2021. The SOA, ASOA, acromiohumeral distance (AHD), coracohumeral distance (CHD), coracoacromial arch radius (CAR), and humeral head radius (HHR) were estimated, and statistical correlation analyses were performed. There were significant sex differences observed in SOA (men: 957.62 ± 158.66 mm2; women: 735.87 ± 95.86 mm2) and ASOA (men: 661.35 ± 104.88 mm2; women: 511.49 ± 69.26 mm2), CHD (men: 11.22 ± 2.24 mm; women: 9.23 ± 1.35 mm), CAR (men: 37.18 ± 2.70 mm; women: 33.04 ± 3.15 mm), and HHR (men: 22.65 ± 1.44 mm; women: 20.53 ± 0.95 mm). Additionally, both SOA and ASOA showed positive and linear correlations with AHD, CHD, CAR, and HHR (R: 0.304–0.494, all p < 0.05). This study provides physiologic reference values of SOA and ASOA in the Chinese population, highlighting the sex differences and the correlations with shoulder anatomical parameters
