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Age-related resting state EEG differences in learning and memory performance during a spatial learning task
No full textHealthy aging is associated with a decline in spatial cognition, with older adults learning spatial environments more slowly and with less precision compared to younger adults. This study investigated whether resting-state EEG measures could be used to predict differences in spatial learning/memory performance in a virtual water maze task among younger and older adults. We recorded eyes-open resting-state EEG from 22 older adults (aged 60–76) and 31 younger adults (aged 18–40) before they completed the NavWell virtual water maze task. Our analysis focused on five EEG frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma) and their relationship with age and behavioural measures: spatial learning (path length & escape latency) and spatial memory (percentage of time spent searching in the goal quadrant). Principal component analysis was used to reduce the absolute and relative power EEG variables to component scores, which were then used as predictors. Results revealed that age was a significant, strong predictor of all performance-related outcomes. Though resting-state EEG was not a significant predictor of spatial learning/memory ability, EEG component loadings differed between older and younger adults. Specifically, older adults demonstrated reduced low-frequency (delta) and greater high-frequency (beta/gamma) power compared to younger adults. These findings suggest that while resting-state EEG dynamics differ by age, they do not explain age-related differences in spatial learning performance
Interventions to increase uptake in a fecal-immunochemical test population-based colorectal cancer screening program: A quasi-experimental study of first-time invitees
No full textBackground: Many countries have established organized colorectal cancer screening programs because they can reduce mortality and incidence from the disease; however, they rely on high participation rates, which are often suboptimal. This study examined the effectiveness of two reminder interventions on uptake rates in Ireland’s population-based BowelScreen program.
Method: Employing a quasi-experimental design, one intervention mailed the fecal-immunochemical test (FIT) directly to clients not responding to an initial invitation; the other mailed a reminder letter modified with behavioral insights. Interventions were tested separately and in combination and compared to the standard reminder letter (1: standard reminder letter [SRL]; 2: modified reminder letter [MRL]; 3: SRL + FIT direct [FITD]; and 4: MRL + FITD). Primary outcome: overall uptake rate (test completion at 5 months); Subgroup outcome: uptake rate among only those receiving reminders. Outcomes were modeled using multivariable logistic regression with group allocation as a fixed effect, adjusted for sex and deprivation.
Results: Uptake was significantly higher in the FITD groups (SRL: 48%; MRL: 50%; SRL + FITD: 54%; MRL + FITD: 54%; p < .001). After adjustment, compared to the SRL group, FITD groups had significantly higher odds of uptake (MRL: odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96–1.23; SRL + FITD: OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14–1.48; MRL + FITD: OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.11–1.44). This was also the case for subgroup analysis. The MRL did not result in higher uptake compared to SRL.
Conclusion: Mailing the FIT kit directly to nonresponders resulted in improved FIT uptake. Organized FIT-based screening programs not reaching uptake targets should consider implementing this strategy if not already in place
Efficient Privacy-Preserving Convolutional Neural Networks with CKKS-RNS for Encrypted Image Classification
No full textThe rise of security concerns in cloud-shared infrastructures has introduced significant challenges for maintaining privacy in data processing. Although standard encryption methods provide robust protection for data at rest and during transmission, vulnerabilities arise when data must be decrypted for processing, exposing sensitive raw information to potential privacy risks. This issue is particularly pronounced in sectors governed by stringent regulatory requirements, such as healthcare, genomics, smart government, and finance, among many others, where protecting confidential data is critical. Homomorphic Encryption (HE) cryptosystems are solutions to address privacy concerns by providing encrypted data computations. HE allows a non-trustworthy third-party resource to process encrypted information without disclosure. However, the main challenge toward deploying lattice-based HE schemes in Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models lies in overcoming the high computational costs associated with these cryptosystems. Efficient cryptographically compatible methods become imperative for designing a privacy-preserving CNN with HE (CNN-HE). This paper proposes a method to improve the performance of CNN-HE using the Residual Number System (RNS)-based Cheon-Kim-Kim Song (CKKS) HE scheme, which enables approximate arithmetic over encrypted real numbers. The CNN-HE with CKKS-RNS enables encrypted inputs to be decomposed into several parts and propagated homomorphically and independently in parallel across the model. The RNS representation enables parallel processing in our models, significantly reducing processing time. Experimental analysis on the MNIST optical character recognition benchmark dataset demonstrates that the proposed CNN-HE-RNS models reduce classification latency concerning state-of-the-art CNN-HE solutions without compromising security and accuracy
Healthcare Support Staff Attitudes Towards Older Adults
No full textIreland is experiencing a rise in the population of older adults with the improvement of health services and life expectancy. Ageism can negatively affect older adults and quality of care received. This study aimed to investigate ageism in healthcare support staff. The study also aimed to investigate if gender, age, duration of employment, education and occupation are associated with ageist attitudes. The study was conducted using a quantitative, cross-sectional approach. There were 48 participants recruited from a hospital in Ireland. Participants completed an online survey. Demographic and occupational information were collected. Ageism was assessed using the Fraboni Scale of Ageism. Nurses, MTAs and HCAs have positive attitudes towards older adults. Multiple regression analyses found ageism was not predicted by age, gender, occupation, educational achievement and duration of employment. Additional analyses resulted in no significant associations between ageism and education, duration of employment or age. Gender was also not associated with ageism. There were no significant differences in attitudes by occupation. Education, age, gender, occupation, duration of employment or occupation may not be predictive or associated with ageism. Possible implications for cultural research to be conducted on ageism, and longitudinal research is also required to further investigate the development of ageism
The Impact of Family Dynamics on Emotional Resilience and Self-Esteem in Adults
No full textThe current study examined the impact of family dynamics, specifically family functioning and family structure, on emotional resilience and self-esteem in adults. While previous research has established the influence of family dynamics on psychological well-being, much of it has focused on children, often overlooking the long-term effects on adults. The present study aimed to address this gap in literature by focusing on adults, with participants recruited through snowball sampling and convenience sampling (N = 141). Findings from Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient revealed that positive family functioning is associated with greater self-esteem and emotional resilience. Findings from Kruskal Wallis test revealed kinship family structure reported the highest levels of self-esteem and emotional resilience. Findings provide a greater understanding of the complexity of family dynamics, emphasising the importance of a cohesive family environment in promoting emotional resilience and self-esteem across the lifespan. Implications of these findings suggest mental health professionals develop programmes focusing on improving family function as well as the promotion of parental education
Internal and External Expectations Effect on Stress and Academic Achievement
No full textThe aim of this study is to explore how stress comes about through personal expectations of academic achievement and through societal expectations of academic achievement, and how these two factors are related to one another, as well as how they affect actual academic achievement. A series of one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with students via open-ended questions. In total 12 participants were interviewed: 9 were female, 2 nonbinary, and 1 male. The age range for participants was between 20-40 years. A thematic analysis of the interviews was conducted, revealing four main themes: (i) self-betterment, (iia) perfectionism with the subtheme of (iib) self-doubt (iii) lack of overt expectations, and (iv) seeking approval. The findings show that there is an internalised connection between external and internal expectations of achievement, highlighting how internal expectations were more prevalent in dictating actual achievement and higher stress levels than external expectations. This holds important implications for educational institutions and their approaches to academic achievement, of which are discussed
The effect of pornography use and sex education on rape myth acceptance
No full textResearch investigating possible contributors to rape myth acceptance (RMA) has found that pornography use and sex education may have a significant impact on levels of RMA. The current study aimed to expand upon this topic by investigating how the interaction between pornography use and sex education affects RMA. The hypotheses presented were that both pornography use and sex education would have an impact on RMA and that the interaction between pornography use and sex education would impact RMA, all while controlling for demographic variables including gender, age, sexual orientation and ethnicity. Participants were recruited via social media (n=81). Participants completed an online survey including demographic information, the Problematic Pornography Use Scale, sex education type and the Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Results of a hierarchal regression analysis found no significant relationships between pornography use, sex education and RMA. This study suggests that the relationships between the variables may be more complex than previously thought and might require a more nuanced model. Policies aimed at promoting general media literacy might be more effective in reducing RMA than focusing specifically on pornography use. Focus should also be aimed at providing more resources and information about sex education both inside and outside of school
Exploring Perceived Social Support Grief and Its Impact on Grieving Individuals
No full textThis study explored how grieving individuals perceive and experience social support following significant loss. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were undertaken with nine participants (aged 19 – 56) who had each experienced the death of a loved one. Reflexive thematic analysis, as outlined by Braun & Clarke (2006), was used to interpret the data, revealing three central themes: Social Discomfort and the Awkwardness of Grief, Inadequate Grief Support and Emotional Disconnect and Support That Heals: Connection, Compassion and Feeling Seen. Findings suggest that experiences of grief support, as perceived by bereaved individuals, are deeply influenced by societal expectations and attitudes toward grief as well as the unique needs of grieving individuals themselves. Participants described the forms of support they received while grieving, distinguishing between those that felt helpful and unhelpful, and the impact each form of support had on their grieving journeys. The findings reflect a need for more attuned and individualized bereavement support practices that respect the emotional complexity and nonlinear nature of grieving
ASSET: A Parallel Lightweight Cryptographic Framework for IoT and Cloud Security
No full textLightweight cryptography is very important for securing Internet of Things (IoT) environments which demands encryption models that balance performance, diffusion and latency. Traditional models like Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) while highly secure, suffer from high computational costs, making them less suitable for real-time IoT applications. Lightweight alternatives such as SPECK and SIMON gives better performance but compromise on security and avalanche effect. Traditional models proposed a modified AES-based lightweight cryptographic scheme (LWC-AES) that partially addressed performance issues by removing MixColumns and using continued fractions. However, their approach remained sequential, resulting in persistent latency and reduced diffusion. This study introduces a novel parallel hybrid cryptographic model that combines AES, SPECK, and SIMON (ASSET) in a multi-threaded architecture. Unlike prior layered methods, this model encrypts plaintext in parallel segments, drastically reducing latency and enhancing diffusion through diversified cipher strengths—AES for security, SPECK for speed, and SIMON for diffusion. It has been implemented using Python, Flask and AWS Cloud9. The model performs good than LWC-AES in encryption/decryption speed, avalanche effect and CPU usage. This study gives a scalable and secure cryptographic solution for high performance, real-time cloud and IoT environments
Mental Health Risks Between Positively and Negatively Reinforced Alcohol Intake
No full textAims: The goal of the current study is to further outline the drinking motives (Cooper, 1994) behind positively and negatively reinforced alcohol intake and if these motives have an effect on the individual’s mental health risks such as depression, anxiety or stress.
Method: A questionnaire was completed online by participants (n=105) assessing their levels of positive and negative reinforcing behaviours associated with alcohol, using a scale by Cho and colleagues (2019) and their symptoms of mental health risk, using the DASS-21 scale. Demographic questions were included to fulfil hypotheses within the study.
Result: Significant findings were found associating negatively reinforced alcohol with mental health risks (r=0.208). Anxiety was the only symptom to have significant findings, being associated with both positive (r= 0.245) and negative (r= 0.205) reinforcement.
Conclusion: Findings do outline the potential mental health risks associated with negatively reinforced alcohol intake more so than positive. Further research would be improved through the use of a longitudinal design to causality opposed to correlation