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Validation of the Professionalism of Healthcare Professionals Scale : A Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Full text linkBackground A shared sense of professionalism among healthcare professionals enhances team-based care through interprofessional collaboration. This study aimed to develop a reliable and valid scale for assessing healthcare professionals’ professionalism. Methods This study targeted 1,162 healthcare professionals aged ≥ 20 years, including physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, clinical laboratory technologists, radiologic technologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language-hearing therapists. A preliminary 90-item scale was developed, and an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted. Construct validity was examined through item, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analyses. Reliability and criterion-related validity were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Pearson’s correlation analyses, respectively. Results A lot of 393 responses were received (response rate: 33.8%). Responses from 347 participants without missing data were analyzed (valid response rate: 88.3%). Item and exploratory factor analyses produced a preliminary model of 36 items across five factors: Factor 1, “Practice Based on Advanced Skills and Knowledge;” Factor 2, “Understanding Patients and Their Surrounding Environment;” Factor 3, “Contribution to Health, Medical, and Welfare Policy;” Factor 4, “Implementation of Team-Based Medical Care;” and Factor 5, “Adherence to Ethics.” Confirmatory factor analysis and model modifications were conducted based on the modification indices in collaboration with three researchers. Finally, a five-factor model consisting of 32 items was constructed. The model fit indices were as follows: comparative fit index = 0.885, goodness of fit index = 0.764, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.731, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.085. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire scale was 0.972, ranging from 0.884 to 0.950 across the five factors. The correlation coefficient between the model and the Vocational Identity Scale for Company Employees was 0.355. Conclusion The findings provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the scale for healthcare professionals
Effectiveness of Providing Educational Leaflet after Screening on Hazardous and Harmful Alcohol Use in the Workplace : Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
No full textBackground : Despite evidence regarding the effectiveness of screening and brief interventions for excessive alcohol consumption, these interventions are not widely used. Although several studies have suggested that face-to-face interventions in the workplace may be effective, developing an implementable intervention strategy for alcohol users, including light drinkers, is warranted. This study aimed to develop a study protocol to evaluate the effect of providing an educational leaflet at the workplace on reducing hazardous or harmful alcohol use. Methods : A randomized controlled trial involving employees (aged ≥ 20 years) of a local administrative office in Japan who were screened using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) is ongoing. Participants were randomized into “Educational leaflet” and “Control (no intervention)” groups. The primary outcome was the difference in negative status on the AUDIT (proportion of participants scoring < 8 points on the AUDIT) between the intervention and control groups in the following year. For the secondary outcomes, laboratory marker data at annual health checkups were collected and assessed. Results : A total of 400 participants were randomized into educational leaflet (n = 200) and control (n = 200) groups. The basic characteristics of all participants included sex (men 79.3%; women 20.8%), mean (standard deviation) of age 48.5 (9.7 years), 40.0% of AUDIT ≥8 points, 46.8% of drinking alcohol ≥ 4 times a week, and 33.8% of heavy episodic drinking. No significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups in terms of the baseline variables. Conclusions : This study protocol developed the first trial in Japan to investigate the impact of providing an educational leaflet after screening for hazardous and harmful alcohol use in a workplace setting. The findings of this study can provide the first evidence that an implementable alcohol intervention strategy targeting alcohol users, including light drinkers in the workplace, is effective in reducing hazardous or harmful alcohol use
Microglial xCT Is a Novel Therapeutic Target for Traumatic Brain Injury in Model Mice
No full textBackground, Brain injury accompanied by hemorrhage, such as cerebral contusion or intracerebral hemorrhage, leads to the accumulation of activated microglia around the lesion. In addition, microglia at the site of injury can act either damagingly or protectively, depending on the time; for instance, it is damaging in the acute phase and protective in the chronic phase. Moreover, during brain injury, glutamate-induced excitotoxicity leads to secondary damage to neurons. However, the source of glutamate released from cells remains largely unknown. Our previous studies have revealed that cystine/glutamate antiporter system xc-(xc-) in microglia is an important source of glutamate release and that the induction of expression of xCT, a component molecule of xc-, is vital. Methods, We investigated the effect of microglial xCT on traumatic brain injury using xCT-deficient mice.Results, In cultured microglia supplemented with crude brain extract and the affected side of the brain injury model accompanied by hemorrhage, the expression level of xCT was increased on the affected side, and induction was observed mainly in microglia. In addition, EAAT2 levels on the affected side decreased. On the affected side, the number of CD80-positive microglia was significantly increased, and the xCT expression rate was elevated in CD80-positive cells. Assuming that xCT in microglia is important, we investigated xCT-deficient mice and microglia-specificxCT knockdown mice and found that the extent of brain damage was milder than in wildtype mice. The proportion of CD80-positive microglia was lower than that in wild-type mice. Assuming that microglial xCT could be a therapeutic target, we performed an experiment using the xCT inhibitor SSZ administered intraperitoneally. The extent of damage was narrowed, and the ratio of CD80-positive microglia was reduced, demonstrating a therapeutic effect. Conclusion, Thus, microglial xCT is important in the pathology of brain injury accompanied by bleeding and is considered a promising therapeutic target
Relationship Between Bystanders’ Willingness to Perform Basic Life Support and Their Personality Traits : A Secondary Analysis of a Nationwide Japanese Survey
No full textBackground, Survival rates improve significantly if basic life support (BLS) is administered for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA); however, it has a low rate of implementation. Even though bystanders’ low willingness to administer BLS may be a contributing factor, the factors influencing their willingness have not been sufficiently elucidated. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between personality traits and the willingness to administer BLS in a large cohort. Methods, In a previous study, we found an association between the willingness to perform BLS and facilitative and obstructive factors. In this study, we used the same cohort and performed a secondary analysis of the willingness to perform BLS and the big five personality traits. This observational study assessed Japanese respondents’ willingness to perform three BLS techniques (with varying levels of intervention) and the big five personality traits, using a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using logistic regression. Results, Responses were obtained from 937 Japanese residents aged 20–65 years who had no experience performing BLS. The willingness to perform low-intervention actions—such as checking the victim’s condition and seeking assistance—was significantly and positively correlated with extraversion and agreeableness. Conversely, the willingness to perform higher-intervention actions—such as performing chest compressions and related actions—was positively correlated with openness and negatively correlated with neuroticism. Conclusion, Certain personality traits are related to the willingness to perform BLS. Hence, training methods based on personality traits may increase BLS implementation rates. For instance, creating awareness of affected individuals’ pain or joy of survival through anecdotes may be effective for individuals with low levels of agreeableness, whereas providing correct knowledge for dispelling anxiety and instilling prepared mindsets may be effective for individuals with high levels of neuroticism. Overall, the findings indicate the potential effectiveness of training methods tailored to individual personality trait
The Formation Process of Regional Government and the Transition of Urban Development Policies in Vancouver Metropolitan Area
No full textThis paper examines the long-term transition of regional administration and regional planning efforts centered on the British Columbia government and the regional government of the Vancouver metropolitan area, which was highly evaluated as the most livable city in the world in the early 21st century. Three unique points that have had a major impact to this day were found. The first is the turning point of the realization of the livable city as an urban development orientation that is characteristic of Vancouver, and the continuous efforts to realize a desirable urban image shared by many residents, from the policies that prioritized efficiency and industrial growth up to that point. The second is the importance of the work of the regional districts, a regional government system unique to BC, which is the main actor in realizing this. The third is the ability to flexibly review and respond to serious issues caused by the backlash of the growth management policy used as a method of spatial development. As a result, despite being located on the North American continent, a compact urban area with high living convenience was formed, and a sustainable and livable metropolitan area was realized in response to the challenges associated with the progress of motorization and population growth
ネッショウ ニヨル ＨＭＧＢ１ ホウシュツ ハ 、 ハイサイボウカン バリア ハカイ オ カイシテ ハイソンショウ オ ヒキオコス
No full text鳥取大学Tottori University博士（医学
Funeral practice at an early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement in Masyoon (Northwest Saudi Arabia)
No full textWestern Asia is known as the birthplace of a unique funeral practice involving secondary burials, such as the cranial cache. According to earlier studies, this funeral practice was geographically limited to the “Fertile Crescent.” This case study reports the funeral practices followed for three human skeletal remains from the early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement of Masyoon in northern Hijaz, beyond the southwestern edge of the conventional Fertile Crescent. The results of anatomical and corpse taphonomic analyses suggest that the three human remains were buried at some intervals in either a crouching position or a flexed lateral decubitus. They were interred close together near the floor of an abandoned house and covered by slate and soil, suggesting that they were the primary burial; a secondary funeral had probably been scheduled but was never carried out. Hence, they underwent defleshing in the temporary grave. The skull’s morphological appearances and cranial and postcranial bones’ morphometrical evaluation suggest that all are adult males, which dovetails with the fact that cranial cache usually focuses on males. The study’s results not only expand the regional scope of the funeral practices of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B but also provide important insights into the social background of the transition from hunting and gathering to (semi-)sedentary farming in northern Hijaz
Finger-Softness Feature for Writer Verification Based on Finger-Writing of a Simple Symbol
Full text linkAs a form of biometric authentication, we proposed writer verification based on finger-writing of a simple symbol on a smartphone screen. Because everyone writes the same one symbol, verification based on differences in handwriting shape cannot be expected. Therefore, it is desirable to extract features that are independent of handwriting shape. In this study, we investigate the relationship between finger contact area and finger pressure, which change when a finger is pressed against a smartphone screen. These are independent of handwriting shape. Specifically, time-series data of finger pressure and contact area is plotted on a two-dimensional graph, this relationship is approximated with a straight line, the slope and intercept are extracted from the straight line, and they are fused as a new two-dimensional finger softness feature. Via a comparison with two-dimensional features produced by fusing the finger pressure with the contact area, our results confirm that the proposed feature is superior to conventional features
