An analytical cross-sectional study on the relationship of perceived social connectedness and burnout symptoms in medical students from a private tertiary institution in Metro Manila enrolled in an online curriculum for the academic year 2020-2021 / The Health Sciences Journal

INTRODUCTION@#Online learning was put at the forefront for the safe continuation of education amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This study determined the association of the level of social connectedness and symptoms of burnout in a purely online academic curriculum.@*METHODS@#This analytical cross-sectional study design included medical students enrolled in a private tertiary institution in the National Capital Region as respondents in an online survey. The perceived social connectedness and symptoms of burnout were objectively measured, using previously validated questionnaires, the Social Connectedness Scale - Revised (SCS-R), and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). The prevalence risk ratio (PRR) was computed.@*RESULTS@#Of the 119 respondents, majority reported reduced levels of social connectedness (72.3%) and experienced symptoms of burnout (85.7%). Among those with reduced levels of social connectedness (PRR: 1.25; 1.00, 1.55), there was a higher risk of having symptoms of burnout.@*CONCLUSION@#Amid the implementation of a purely online curriculum, medical students with reduced social connectedness had an increased risk of experiencing symptoms of burnout.

Social Isolation, Social Support, and Psychological Distress Among the Elderly During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study from Central India

Background: In the present COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures have been advised to protect elderly from infection which might have led to poor mental health state. Objective: A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the magnitude of social isolation, social support, and psychological distress among the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Central India. Methods: The estimated sample size was 1535. The sample was equally distributed among rural, semiurban, and urban strata of districts. Social isolation was measured using Lubben’s Social Network Scale?Revised, and psychological distress was assessed using Kessler K10 Psychological Distress Scale. Other parameters such as a history of COVID-19 illness and COVID-19 vaccination were assessed. Results: The prevalence of social isolation was higher at 23.6% during the COVID?19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic period (15.0%). The majority perceived a high level of social support during the pandemic (55.3%) and 39.9% received moderate support. Overall, 18.4% of the respondents had psychological distress. Out of them, 56.2% had mild distress, 20.1% had moderate distress, and 23.7% had severe distress. Significant predictors of psychological distress were female gender, lower socioeconomic status, history of COVID-19 disease among the participants, social isolation, and lack of social support. Conclusion: Social isolation and lack of social support were significant predictors of psychological distress among the elderly during the pandemic.

Ajuste escolar, empatía y conectividad con el medio ambiente natural en el marco de la educación ambiental en educación secundaria en España / School adjustment, empathy and connectedness with the natural environment in environmental education in Spanish secondary education

Resumen En investigaciones recientes se ha constatado que la empatía y la conectividad con el medioambiente natural son variables predictoras de la conducta proambiental. Sin embargo, no se han realizado trabajos en los que se analicen las relaciones entre estas dimensiones y el ajuste en la escuela, un escenario en el que tienen lugar gran parte de los programas relacionados con la educación ambiental y cuya finalidad es la de promover conductas proambientales. Con el presente trabajo se pretende analizar las relaciones entre el ajuste escolar, la empatía y la conectividad con el medioambiente natural en función del género. La muestra estuvo constituida por 881 estudiantes (47.2 % chicos), escolarizados en centros de educación secundaria (España), con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 17 años (M = 13.67 y SD = 1.32). Se administró una batería de instrumentos para medir el ajuste escolar, la empatía y la conectividad con el medioambiente natural. Se realizó un MANOVA para el análisis de los datos. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que el ajuste escolar, la empatía y la conectividad se relacionan significativamente y que el género desempeña un rol significativo en estas relaciones. También se observó que chicos y chicas con alto ajuste escolar diferían en empatía emocional, pero no en conectividad. Se discuten los resultados obtenidos y se recomienda la incorporación del ajuste escolar en los estudios y programas relacionados con la educación ambiental.

Abstract In recent research it has been observed that empathy and connectedness with the natural environment are relevant predictive variables of pro-environmental behaviour. However, no work has been done in which the relationships between these dimensions and the adjustment in the school are analysed, a context in which most of the programs related to environmental education, whose purpose is to promote pro-environmental behaviours, take place. The general aim of this paper is to analyse the relationships between school adjustment, empathy and connectedness with the natural environment according to gender. School adjustment is defined as the adolescent's ability to adapt to this context and includes aspects such as academic performance, adaptation to school rules, respect for the teacher as an authority figure, the student's attitude towards school and participation in school activities. Empathy is conceptualized as the awareness of the emotions and cognitions of others, and it is important in the school context for the promotion of coexistence and prevention of aggressive behaviors. Like empathy with people, empathy with the natural environment is a social-emotional process. It is a process that focuses on the ability to feel and understand everything related to that medium. In this line, an essential aspect of empathy is its influence on the attitudes and behaviors of people in general and towards the natural environment. An aspect related to empathy is connectedness which refers to the identification of human beings with the natural environment and the relationships they establish with it. In such a way that to study the connection with nature is to try to understand how people build their relationships and identify themselves with it. Connectedness to the natural environment is related in a negative sense to selfish beliefs and attitudes and in a positive sense to the development of attitudes towards the natural environment and ecological behavior in general. These aspects are taken into account in this work. The sample was composed of 881 students (47.2 % boys), enrolled in secondary education (Spain), aged between 12 and 17 (M = 13.67 y SD = 1.32). A battery of instruments to measure school adjustment, empathy and connectedness with the natural environment was administered. A MANOVA was used for data analysis. The results showed that the school adjustment, empathy and connectedness were significantly related and that gender had a significant role in these relationships. It was also observed that boys and girls with high school adjustment differed in emotional empathy, but not in connectedness. Results obtained are discussed and the inclusion of the school adjustment in the studies and programs related to environmental education is recommended. These results raise the idea that school adjustment, connectedness and empathy should be the subject of further analysis because their results would help to incorporate new ideas and proposals into education and intervention programs regarding the natural environment. It was expected that environmental connectedness in adolescents had the same sign as their connectedness with school, family, etc. because many studies have observed that girls have greater connectedness in these scenarios than boys; however, this result deserves a greater exploration regarding gender and its relationships with other connectedness It is recommended that the results presented be considered in future environmental education programs, mainly aimed at students and their families. All this will benefit these educational programs and interventions aimed at enhancing respect and awareness of the natural environment. In short, the promotion of pro-environmental behaviors should be defended through environmental education that seeks to ensure the health and well-being of all citizens.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Social Connectedness Scale / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To revise the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised （SCS-R） so as to explore the factor structure of SCS-R in the context of Chinese culture and test its reliability and validity. 【Methods】 Totally 900 college students were asked to complete the Chinese version of the Social Connectedness， and 850 valid questionnaires were collected. In addition， the Distress Disclosure scale （DDI） and UCLA Loneliness Scale were used as the criteria. One month later， 100 students were randomly selected for retest. 【Results】 ① The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that one factor with more than one eigenvalue was selected， and the cumulative variance explained was 62.44%. ② Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the data fit well （χ2=33.438， df=14， χ2/df=2.388， RMSEA=0.04， CFI=0.996， TLI=0.991）. ③ The Chinese version of the social connectedness scale is a one-dimensional scale. Its internal consistency coefficient is 0.916 and test-retest reliability is 0.845. ④ Social connectedness is significantly positively correlated with distress disclosure and negatively correlated with loneliness， indicating that the scale has good criterion-related validity. 【Conclusion】 The Chinese version of the social connectedness scale has satisfactory reliability and validity， and has cross-cultural adaptability.

Contacto con la Naturaleza: Favoreciendo la Conectividad con la Naturaleza y el Bienestar / Contact with Nature: Favoring Connectedness to Nature and Well-being

Resumen Las personas interactúan con la Naturaleza tanto a nivel físico como cognitivo y emocional, y la investigación científica ha puesto de manifiesto la capacidad de la Naturaleza de procurar el bienestar de las personas. Con el objetivo de conocer si el contacto con la Naturaleza se relaciona con mayores niveles de conectividad con la Naturaleza como de bienestar, se realizaron dos estudios. El primero se llevó a cabo con dos muestras diferentes: una de adolescentes (n = 283) y otra de adultos (n = 447), quienes respondieron un cuestionario mediante el que se evaluó la conectividad con la Naturaleza y el bienestar. A partir de los resultados de una prueba t de Student se observó mayor conectividad con la Naturaleza y bienestar en personas con un contacto frecuente con la Naturaleza, en ambas muestras. En el segundo estudio (n = 63), se investigó dicha relación en personas tras realizar un recorrido por un entorno natural artificial. Los resultados del análisis de varianza muestran que las personas que realizaron el recorrido obtuvieron mayores niveles de conectividad y afecto positivo, respecto a la línea base, que quienes no vivieron esta experiencia. Este trabajo evidencia las ventajas de la intervención psicológica mediante el contacto con la Naturaleza.

Abstract Humans relate to nature at a physical, cognitive, and emotional level, and scientific research has shown how this relation impacts on people's well-being. Two studies were carried out to determine whether contact with nature is related to higher levels of connectedness and well-being; one consisted of adolescents (n = 283) and the other of adults (n = 447), who responded to a questionnaire aimed at assessing connectivity with Nature and well-being. A greater connectedness and well-being were observed in people with frequent contact with nature. In the second study (n = 63), this relationship was studied in people after taking a tour through an artificial natural environment. The results show that the people who took the tour had higher levels of connectedness and positive affect, with levels increasing with respect to the baseline. In this study, the advantages of psychological intervention through contact with nature are evident.

Translation and adaptation of the Social Connectedness Scale to portuguese / Tradução e adaptação da Escala de Conectividade Social para o português / Traducción y adaptación de la Escala de Conectividad Social para el portugués

The goal of the present study was to adapt the social connectedness scale (SCS) to Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its psychometric properties. A survey was conducted with 222 participants. They answered the SCS, the positive and negative affective schedule (PANAS), the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), two pictorial measures of social connectedness, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. The original one factor solution was supported by the data. The SCS-derived score was significantly associated with the other measures in the expected directions. The results described in the present study are favorable regarding the internal consistency and evidence of validity of SCS scores. The study offers three social connectedness measures that can be used to investigate the impacts of social connectedness on cognition, behavior and health of Brazilians. (AU)

O objetivo do presente estudo foi adaptar a Escala de Conectividade Social (SCS) para o português brasileiro e avaliar suas propriedades psicométricas. Um levantamento de dados foi realizado com 222 participantes. Eles responderam à SCS, o Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS), o Índice de Religião da Duke University (DUREL), duas medidas pictóricas de conectividade social e um questionário sociodemográfico. A solução original de um fator foi apoiada pelos dados. O escore derivado da SCS esteve significativamente associado com as outras medidas nas direções esperadas. Os resultados descritos no presente estudo são favoráveis quanto à consistência interna e à evidência de validade dos escores da SCS. O estudo oferece três medidas de conectividade social que poderão ser usadas para investigar os impactos da conectividade social na cognição, comportamento e saúde dos brasileiros. (AU)

El objetivo del presente estudio fue adaptar la escala de conectividad social (SCS) para el portugués brasileño y evaluar sus propiedades psicométricas. Se realizó una encuesta de datos con 222 participantes. La muestra respondió al SCS, el positive and negative affective schedule (PANAS), el Índice de Religión de la Universidad de Duke (DUREL), dos medidas pictóricas de conectividad social, además de un cuestionario sociodemográfico. La solución original de un factor fue respaldada por los datos. Los resultados derivados de la SCS se asociaron significativamente con las otras medidas en las direcciones esperadas. Los resultados descritos en el presente estudio son favorables con respecto a la consistencia interna y la evidencia de validez de los escores de la SCS. El estudio ofrece tres medidas de conectividad social que se pueden utilizar para investigar los impactos de la conectividad social en la cognición, el comportamiento y la salud de los brasileños. (AU)

Assessment programs and their components: a network approach / Programas de avaliação e seus componentes: uma abordagem de rede

Exams and other assessments in health science education are not random events; rather, they are part of a bigger assessment program that is constructively aligned with the intended learning outcomes at different stages of a health science curriculum. Depending on topical and temporal distance, assessments in the program are correlated with each other to a more or lesser extent. Although correlation does not equate causation, once we come to understand the correlational structure of an assessment program, we can use that information to make predictions of future performance, to consider early intervention for students who are otherwise likely to drop out, and to inform revisions in either assessment or teaching. This article demonstrates how the correlational structure of an assessment program can be represented in terms of a network, in which the assessments constitute our nodes and the degree of connectedness between any two nodes can be represented as a thicker or thinner line connecting these two nodes, depending on whether the correlation between the two assessments at hand is stronger or weaker. Implications for educational practice and further research are discussed.

Exames e outras avaliações na educação em ciências da saúde não são eventos aleatórios. Ao contrário, eles fazem parte de um programa de avaliação mais amplo, alinhado construtivamente com os resultados de aprendizagem pretendidos em diferentes estágios de um currículo de ciências da saúde. Dependendo da distância local e temporal, as avaliações no programa são correlacionadas entre si em maior ou menor grau. Embora a correlação não equivalha à causalidade, uma vez que entendemos a estrutura correlacional de um programa de avaliação, podemos usar essas informações para fazer previsões de desempenho futuro, considerar intervenções precoces para estudantes com probabilidade de desistência e informar revisões em avaliação ou ensino. Este artigo demonstra como a estrutura correlacional de um programa de avaliação pode ser representada em termos de uma rede, na qual as avaliações constituem nossos nós e o grau de conexão entre dois nós pode ser representado como uma linha mais grossa ou mais fina que conecta esses dois nós, dependendo se a correlação entre as duas avaliações em questão é mais forte ou mais fraca. Implicações para a prática educacional e mais pesquisas são discutidas.

A Study on Factors Affecting Suicidal Tendency of the Elderly Living Alone on Care Services

OBJECTIVES: The high suicide rate has risen as a main concern in South Korea. Given the complexity of the mechanism resulting in complete suicide, studies targeting various populations are needed for broader understanding of its risk factors. This study aims to analyze the factors affecting the suicidal tendency in the population of the elderly living alone in Seoul depending on basic elderly-care services. METHODS: A total number of 415 people participated in the study. Home-visit interviews were administered by trained interviewers. Suicidal tendency was measured by the Korean version of mini international neuropsychiatric interview (K-MINI). Health-related quality of life was measured by a brief version of the World Health Organization Quality-of-life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF). Alcohol problem was assessed by the Korean version of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT-K). Among total subjects of 415 interviewees, the actual responses of 408 people were used for the final analysis. RESULTS: The result showed that the suicide risk was high in persons isolated from social support [odds ratio (OR) = 4.49], having depression (OR = 14.85), and having low quality of life (OR = 4.39). CONCLUSIONS: We found that social support, depression and health-related quality of life are associated with suicidal tendency in the elderly living alone on basic services. Our evidence will contribute to suicide prevention policy for the elderly living alone on care services.

Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors among North Korean Defectors

OBJECTIVE: Despite the increasing number of North Korean defectors, research on their mental health conditions and suicidal thoughts and behaviors has not been conducted systematically. We examined the prevalence and risk factors of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in North Korean defectors. METHODS: This study focused on 300 North Korean defectors recruited from regional resettlement centers in South Korea. In-person interviews based on the North Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview were conducted to diagnose mental disorders and assess suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between suicidal thoughts and behaviors and socio-demographic variables, and DSM-IV mental disorders. RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts were 28.3, 13.3, and 17.3%, respectively. Female sex (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0–3.9), presence of health problems in the past year (2.6, 95% CI: 1.4–4.6), and absence of both South Korean acquaintances (1.9, 95% CI: 1.0–3.4) and North Korean family (1.7, 95% CI: 1.0–2.9) were associated with higher odds of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, after adjusting for participant age, sex, and education. Presence of a mental disorder was associated with a significantly increased odd of suicide ideation, plan, and attempt. Of all mental disorder categories, agoraphobia had the strongest association with suicidal ideation (6.5, 95% CI: 2.0–21.6), plans (7.7, 95% CI: 2.5–23.2) and attempts (12.0, 95% CI: 3.5–40.8). CONCLUSION: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors among North Korean defectors are higher than the general population in South Korea, especially show high rates in transit countries. Further study should focus on the changes in suicidal thoughts and behaviors according to the settlement process and early prevention.

Propriedades psicométricas da escala de atitudes ambientais para crianças e da escala infantil de satisfação com o ambiente / Psychometric properties of the children's environmental attitudes scale and the children's environmental satisfaction scale

RESUMO: O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da Escala de Atitudes Ambientais para Crianças (EAAC) e da Escala Infantil de Satisfação com o Ambiente (EISA) por meio de análises de componentes principais, consistência interna e análises fatoriais confirmatórias. Participaram 1.746 crianças (53,5% meninas) com idades entre oito e 13 anos (M = 10,17; DP = 1,492) residentes em Porto Alegre (54,9%) e interior do Rio Grande do Sul. A EAAC apresentou composição unifatorial, consistência interna adequada e bons índices de ajuste. Na EISA, foram identificados dois componentes (Satisfação com o entorno e Conectividade) com consistência interna moderada e índices de ajuste satisfatórios. O estudo contribuiu para o desenvolvimento de instrumentos de mensuração da relação criança-ambiente no idioma português brasileiro.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Children's Environmental Attitudes Scale and the Children's Environmental Satisfaction Scale through principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability analysis. Participants were 1,746 children (53.5% girls) between 8 and 13 years of age (M = 10.17; SD = 1.492) residents of Porto Alegre (54.9%) and inner municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul State. The first scale presented an unifactorial solution, adequate internal consistency and good fit indices. Two components were identified in the second scale (Satisfaction with the environment and Connectivity) with moderate levels of internal consistency and satisfactory fit indices. The study contributed to the development of instruments concerning child-environment relationship in Brazilian Portuguese language.

Escala de conexão com a natureza: evidências psicométricas no contexto brasileiro / Connectedness to nature scale: psychometric evidence in Brazil

Este artigo objetivou reunir evidências de validade e precisão da Connectedness to Nature Scale no contexto brasileiro. Dois estudos foram realizados. No Estudo 1, participaram 204 pessoas com idade média de 33 anos (Desvio Padrão = 13,83), as quais responderam a referida escala e perguntas demográficas. Os resultados de uma análise de componentes principais indicaram uma estrutura unifatorial (a = 0,81). No Estudo 2, participaram 220 estudantes universitários com idade média de 23 anos (Desvio Padrão = 5,82), os quais responderam a escala adaptada e perguntas demográficas. Uma análise fatorial confirmatória (estimador ML) confirmou a adequação da estrutura unifatorial (e.g., Comparative Fit Index = 0,91, Root-Mean-Square Error of Approximation = 0,064), obtendo consistência interna satisfatória (a = 0,83). Concluindo, a Connectedness to Nature Scale mostrou ser uma medida psicometricamente adequada para avaliar um fator geral de conexão com a natureza, podendo ser empregada em estudos futuros.

This article aimed to gather evidence of validity and reliability of the Connectedness to Nature Scale in Brazil. Two studies were conducted. A total of 204 people of mean age 33 years (Standard Deviation = 13.83) participated in Study 1 and responded to the demographic questions and Connectedness to Nature Scale items. The results of the principal component analysis showed a one-factor structure (a = 0.81). Two hundred and twenty undergraduate students of mean age 23 years (Standard Deviation = 5.82) participated in Study 2 and responded to demographic questions; an adapted version of the Connectedness to Nature Scale was used. Confirmatory factor analysis (ML estimation) confirmed the adequacy of the one-factor structure (Comparative Fit Index = 0.91, Root-Mean-Square Error of Approximation = 0.064), indicating satisfactory internal consistency (a = 0.83). In conclusion, the Connectedness to Nature Scale proved to be a psychometrically appropriate measure to assess general connectedness to nature, and it can therefore be used in future studies.

Social Connectedness in Physical, Mental and Social Health

We are constantly reminded to take care of ourselves. We need a healthy and balanced diet, with regular exercises, and good quality rest. However, research has shown that social connectedness also plays an essential and critical function to our physical and mental well-being. Many studies have shown that lack of social connection is a predictor of social isolation, resulting in greater detriment to health. Strong social connectedness is associated with increased longevity, strengthening of ones’ immune system, faster recovery from disease and, hence, a lengthening of one’s life. Studies have also shown that people who feel more connected to others in relationships tend to generate a positive feedback loop in communicating and maintaining healthy social and emotional well-being with others in the family, workplace and community. This decreases the propensity to antisocial behaviour, isolation behaviour or poor mental health. Individuals with strong connectedness were observed to have lower rates of anxiety and depression; and higher self-esteem and were more empathic towards self and others, resulting in better emotional and psychological well-being. Social connectedness is a broad topic and can be reviewed from various perspectives. This article will review the concept from a psychological perspective of self, exploring the importance of practicing compassion intervention in social connectedness and self-care.

Examining the emerging ideas of connection within nursing practice and education

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>AIM:</strong> The purposes are to (a) examine the emerging concepts of connection within nursing practice and education; (b) evaluate current measures of connections within nursing practice and education; and c) identify strategies for enhancing connections between nursing educators and students and for nurses and patients.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Nursing and other disciplines rely on connections, although the term has evolved significantly in recent years due to changes of perceptions and expectations within other disciplines and within society. The lack of an empirical tool and defined attributes has constrained research and knowledge development. The initial exploration provided the first step in understanding the context and meaning of the word connect within the nursing profession. Three specific components were identified in this initial exploration within the nursing perspective: (a) respect, (b) trust, and (c) mutuality. Although the foundation of nursing care is based on the relationship and connections between the nurse and the patient, it is further identified in the first article that the need to further investigate the emerging ideas of connection within nursing practice and education.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>METHODS:</strong> A detailed literature review was used to explore the phenomena of connection. The review of literature was performed through searches of CINAHL, EBSCO, and PubMed utilizing resources from the disciplines of transportation, business, technology, and nursing. Criteria for inclusion were (a) peer--reviewed articles; (b) articles published in English; and c) articles published between 2000 and 2014. Search terms included: connect, connection, connected, connectedness, and nursing. The search yielded a total of 114 articles; 33 were selected for inclusion. Definitions and related attributes were organized and classified based on relevance and frequency within the literature.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RESULTS:</strong> The attributes that were consistently found in the literature within the nurse to patient connection were: (a) interactions between the person and the object of connection; (b) an inherent need to be part of a social system; (c) use of communication in verbal, written, non­verbal, physical or virtual format; (d) the occurrence of meaningfulness, trust, mutuality and respect; (e) polychronicity; and (f) technology based emphasis. Instruments that measure connections and connectedness provide valuable insight into the concept. However, they do not adequately address the concept of connection as it relates to nursing practice and education with current technological.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CONCLUSIONS:</strong> While connection is a common term and fundamental to the role of the nurse/patient relationship, the defining attributes of connect have dynamically changed, and therefore require new understanding. It is critical to restructure the nurse to patient connection and to redefine the term within nursing practice and education with the inclusion of the multifaceted technological advances that define our current generations. Strategies that would enhance the nursing educator and student connection include: a) creation of additional nursing educational based Apps and Apps that focus on self-instruction tutorials and remediation techniques for non-successful students; b) integration of technological learning modalities into nursing curricula in both undergraduate and graduate programs; c) reduction of use of textbooks and inclusion of technology based learning; d) development of learning communities inside and outside of the classroom; e) creation of virtual resource support with simultaneous communication and valuable nursing information; f) and increased use of virtual environment and virtual communication.</p>

Risk and culture: variations in dioxin risk perceptions, behavioral preferences among social groups in South Korea

OBJECTIVES: This study examined variations in the perceptions of dioxin risk among social groups defined by geographical living location, environmental education, and occupation. Dioxin risk perceptions were analyzed according to values, risk awareness, knowledge, and behavioral preferences. METHODS: A quasi-experimental survey was designed and conducted on individuals from seven experimental groups in Jeonju city, South Korea, including: people living near incineration facilities; people living far from incineration facilities; governmental experts; nongovernmental organization members; office workers in developmental institutes or banks; students who were enrolled in environmental-related classes; and students who were enrolled in business-related classes. RESULTS: The results show variations among groups in values, awareness and behavioral preferences. Particular attention should be given to the result that groups with higher connectedness- to-nature values show higher willingness-to-act (WTA) for risk reduction. Result s can be summarized as follows. First, awareness is associated with one's geographical setting. Second, values and WTA behaviors are related to one's environmental-related education and occupation. Third, values are significantly related to WTA behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Different cultures, in terms of values or worldview, among groups influence their perceptions of dioxin risk and choices of risk reduction behaviors. It is important to consider values in communicating complicated long-term risk management involving public participation. Further research should be continuously conducted on the effects of multiple dimensions of values on one's WTA for risk reduction behaviors.

Educación ambiental: itinerario en la naturaleza y su relación con conectividad, preocupaciones ambientales y conducta / Environmental education: itineraries in nature and their relationship with connectedness, environmental concerns and behavior

Resumen Las excursiones e itinerarios a través de entornos naturales son frecuentes en la educación ambiental, pero existe poca evidencia empírica de investigaciones que aporten resultados que permitan comprender mejor los efectos de las experiencias de contacto directo con ambientes naturales, y menos aún acerca de su relación con la conectividad con la naturaleza, las preocupaciones ambientales y el comportamiento proambiental. Se llevan a cabo dos estudios, en el primero participan 286 estudiantes de psicología, quienes completan un cuestionario que mide conectividad, preocupación ambiental, conducta y variables sociodemográficas y socioculturales. En el segundo estudio, 40 alumnos participan en una excursión por un ambiente natural, completando medidas pre y post de conectividad. Los resultados indican que la preocupación ambiental está relacionada con variables sociodemográficas y socioculturales como el género, la ideología política y la religiosidad; no así la conectividad con la naturaleza, que solo aumenta tras el contacto con un ambiente natural. Se discuten los alcances de los resultados del estudio para la educación ambiental.

Abstract Albeit there is research about basic concepts involved in environmental education, enough evidence is lacking about the experiences of contact with natural environments, so common in this field, and even less about his relationship with Connectedness with Nature, Environmental Concerns and Pro-environmental Behavior. We report results of two studies; the first involving 286 psychology students who completed a questionnaire measuring Connectedness, Concerns, Behavior and Socio-demographic and Sociocultural variables. In the second study, 40 students participated in an excursion across a natural environment, completing pre and post measures of Connectedness. The main results show that the concerns are related to demographic and socio-cultural variables such as gender, political ideology and religiosity, but not to Connectedness with Nature, which only increases after contact with a natural environment. We discuss the implications of the findings for environmental education.

Segmentação do lúmen em imagens de IOCT usando Fuzzy Connectedness e Reconstrução Binária Morfológica / Lumen Segmentation in IOCT images using Fuzzy and Binary Morphological Reconstruction

No ano 2010, doenças cardiovasculares (CVD) causaram 33% do total das mortes no Brasil. Tomografia Ótica Coerente Intravascular (IOCT) é uma tecnologia que oferece imagens in vivo para detecção e monitoramento da progressão de CVD. O exame de IOCT permite mais precisão no diagnóstico; contudo, ainda é pequena a variedade de métodos quantitativos aplicados a IOCT na literatura, em comparação à outras modalidades relacionadas. Portanto neste trabalho é proposto um método de segmentação do lúmen, baseado em uma combinação de Fuzzy Connectedness, com múltiplas funções de afinidade, e Operações Morfológicas. As funções de afinidade usadas neste trabalho são: (I) Clássica, (II) Pesos Dinâmicos e (III) Bhattacharyya. Esta última é baseada no coeficiente de Bhattacharyya, utilizado habitualmente para speckle tracking. Primeiro, características não desejadas da imagem são atenuadas. Depois, informações da parede do vaso são obtidas utilizando Fuzzy Connectedness e um processo de binarização dinâmico. Finalmente, operações morfológicas são realizadas para melhorar o lúmen segmentado. Para avaliar o método proposto, um conjunto de 130 imagens advindas de humanos, porcos, e coelhos foram segmentadas e comparadas com seus respectivos "Gold Standards" feitos por especialistas. Uma média de verdadeiros positivos (TP%) = 98,08 e de falsos positivos (FP%) = 2,34 foram obtidas. Com isso, o método proposto resultou em uma maior eficácia do que os estudos publicados anteriormente, encorajando seu uso.

In 2010 cardiovascular disease (CVD) caused 33% of the total deaths in Brazil. Intravascular Optical Coherent Tomography (IOCT) is an imaging technology that provides in vivo detection and monitoring of the progression of coronary heart disease. IOCT exam allows more accurate diagnoses; nonetheless, the set of quantitative methods applied to IOCT in the literature is small compared to other related modalities. Therefore, the proposed approach presents a lumen segmentation method, based on a combination of Fuzzy Connectedness, with multiple affinity functions, and Morphological Operations. The affinity functions used in this work are: (I) classical, (II) Dynamic weights (III) Bhattacharyya. The latter is based on the Bhattacharyya coefficient, commonly used for speckle tracking. Firstly, unwanted features of the image are attenuated. Then, vessel-wall information is obtained using Fuzzy Connectedness and dynamic binarization process. Finally, morphological operations are performed to improve the segmented lumen. To evaluate the proposed method, a set of 130 images from humans, pigs and rabbits were segmented and compared to their corresponding gold standard made by experts. An average of true positive (TP%) = 98.08, and false positive (FP%) = 2.34 were obtained. Hence, the use of the proposed method is suggested since it has yielded higher efficiency than previously published studies.

Visibilização de artérias coronárias epicárdicas em imagens ecocardiográficas tridimensionais com contraste de microbolha / Visualization of the epicardial coronary arteries in microbubble contrasted tri-dimensional echocardiographic images

Com os avanços tecnológicos das últimas décadas, a ecocardiografia surgiu como uma alternativa de diagnóstico por imagem de relativo baixo custo, que não faz uso de energia ionizante ou radioativa. Recentemente, o advento dos agentes de contraste por microbolhas e dos transdutores matriciais tornou possível a visualização tridimensional da anatomia das artérias coronárias. Neste projeto, é proposta a avaliação de métodos de segmentação capazes de visibilizar as artérias coronárias epicárdicas em Imagens de ecocardiografias tridimensionais com contraste de microbolhas. Esse é o primeiro passo para o desenvolvimento de ferramentas computacionais eficazes e eficientes na assistência não invasiva ao acompanhamento do quadro clínico de pacientes, do diagnóstico ao pós-operatório. Propõe-se, uma metodologia que facilite o acesso às coronárias a partir de imagens de ecocardiografia tridimensionais com aplicação de contraste por microbolhas. Dentre as metodologias estudadas, as técnicas baseadas na teoria Fuzzy Connectedness (FC) foram identificadas como as mais promissoras. Estudou-se, portanto, seis abordagens baseadas nessa teoria, três delas são descritas na literatura (Generalized FC GFC; Relative FC RFC; Dynamic Weighted FC DyWFC) e três proposições originais (Area of Search FC ASFC; Ultrasound-k FC USFC; Guided FC GuFC). Para avaliar a acurácia desses algoritmos, confeccionou-se um conjunto de imagens simuladas, composto por 360 imagens, e selecionou-se um conjunto de imagens de exames reais, composto de 10 imagens reais de pacientes com quadro de Cardiomiopatia Hipertrópica. Para as imagens simuladas, os métodos da literatura alcançaram acurácia de 85,5% para GFC, 89,5% para RFC e 92,0% para DyWFC. Enquanto isso, os métodos propostos alcançaram acurácia de 88,9% para ASFC, 91,7 % para USkFC e 95,2% para GuFC...

With the technological advances of recent decades, echocardiography has emerged as a relatively low cost imaging diagnostic alternative, that does not use ionizing or radioactive energy. Lately, the advent of micro bubble-based contrast agents and array transducers turned possible the visualization of three-dimensional coronary arteries anatomy. The present project proposes to evaluate segmentation methods able to deal with the visualization of the epicardial coronary arteries in microbubble-based three-dimensional echocardiography images. This is the first step towards the development of effective and efficient computational tools for diagnosis and prognosis assistance of cardiac pacient. We propose a methodology to facilitate the access to epicardial coronary arteries in tridimensional echocardiographic images. Among the studied approaches, Fuzzy Connectedness based segmentation methods were identified as being the most promising. We studied six approaches based on this theory, three of them are described in the literature (Generalized FC GFC; Relative FC RFC; Dynamic Weighted FC DyWFC) and three original contributions (Area of Search FC ASFC; Ultrasound-k FC USFC; Guided FC GuFC). To evaluate the accuracy of these algorithms, a set composed of 360 simulated images were created. We also selected a set of 10 real images, composed of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients. For simulated images set, the methods of literature achieved accuracy of 85.5% for GFC, 89,5% for RFC and 92,0% for DyWFC, meanwhile, the proposed method achieved accuracy of 88.9% for ASFC, 91,7 % for USkFC and 95,2% for GuFC. Using the real images set, the methods converged to good results for clinical purposes. These results demonstrate that the proposed method GuFC has shown a better performance than the others, becoming a candidate to the segmentation step in a computational tool for coronary arteries visualization in the future...