Assessment by telematic means and artificial agents: A new challenge for psychometrics?

During the COVID-19 restrictions, the administration of psychodiagnostic tools not through direct interaction with the psychologist, but administered electronically and/or with artificial agents, opened a new challenge. A change of setting and interactive conditions are introduced which can alter the reliability and validity of tools consolidated for diagnostic use in face-to-face assessments. A sample of 122 licensed psychologists participated in the study. They were either attending or teaching post-graduate specialization courses of different theoretical-methodological focus. The participants were given an online survey via Google forms that included a questionnaire composed of 21 items on a 5-point scale, built according to the UTAUT model and adapted for the acceptability and willingness to use online questionnaires for mental well-being, and a semantic differential for evaluating the attitude towards technology in general. The overall attitude of the psychologists toward the innovative modalities of assessment is positive, and the intention to use online testing is very high. The predictors of the positive attitude and intention of use are analyzed. A multidimensional analysis suggested that the attitude towards online testing, and the intention to use it, are located in the crossing dimensions of technical (psychometric) aspects and concrete usability. The administration of tests electronically or through artificial agents requires adaptation studies and in many cases a reformulation of the tools that are offered using these modalities. The need to raise awareness amongst psychologists about the new forms of assessment, and to train those who intend to use them, has be underlined. © 2023, Giunti Psychometrics. All rights reserved.

Intrapersonal and social factors for problematic internet use among students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: During the lockdown due to COVID-19. Internet use may become more frequent in students. with possible negative consequences on mental health. In this emergency situation. variables such as depression. anxiety and external locus of control could be related to a Problematic Internet Use;on the other hand. self-esteem. internal locus of control. self-efficacy. and social support can play the role of protective factors for Problematic Internet Use. The present survey aims to verify the impact of these intrapersonal and social factors on Problematic Internet Use in college and High School students during the COVID-19 pandemic through a web-based cross-sectional study. Subjects and methods: 191 students from Lombardy. one of the Italian Regions among the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. were included in the study. An online questionnaire has been administered during the first Italian period of forced lockdown. A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess intrapersonal and social factors as predictors of Problematic Internet Use. Result(s): Analysis highlighted a higher risk of Problematic Internet Use (5.77 times more) in males compared to females. Individuals with high external locus of control and severe depression have respectively 6.56 and 2.84 times more the risk of presenting Problematic Internet Use. In contrast. social support. self-efficacy. and self-esteem were negatively related to Problematic Internet Use. In total sample. the percentage of Problematic Internet Use was high (55.5%). Conclusion(s): An increasing use of the Internet has been observed during lockdown. leading to a progressive increase in the diffusion of Problematic Internet Use. Gender. depression and external locus of control emerge as risk factors for Problematic Internet Use. while social support. self-efficacy and self-esteem represent protective factors. The current research identifies some intrapersonal and social factors in an epidemic context for which the development of effective behavioural. supportive and/or educational interventions would be appropriate. Copyright © Medicinska naklada - Zagreb. Croatia

The Successful Use of De Novo Belatacept with Reduced Dose Tacrolimus to Mitigate the Risks of Delayed Graft Function in Kidney Transplantation

Purpose: The new kidney allocation system has caused increased organ travel times and therefore increased cold ischemia time. Furthermore, the change in the priority to larger transplant centers has caused deprioritized centers to accept higher risk extended criteria donors. These factors lead to increased risk of delayed graft function (DGF). Method(s): To mitigate these risk factors of delayed graft function we have adopted an immunosuppression regimen of de novo belatacept with reduced dose tacrolimus with trough goal level of 5. We hypothesize that the use of belatacept will allow protection against rejection while allowing the renal allogaft to recover from ischemia reperfusion injury without concomitant calcineurin toxicity or vasoconstriction. The delayed addition of low dose tacrolimus can then aid in rejection prevention in addition to belatacept. Result(s): In a cohort of 83 patients we observed one graft loss, two episodes of rejection and three deaths. Of the 130 standard dose tacrolimus with no belatacept we observed no graft losses, seven rejections and one death. Two patients were converted from tacrolimus alone therapy to belatacept plus tacrolimus therapy after the diagnosis of rejection with concomitant tacrolimus toxicity. The belatacept group had a lower rate of rejection, but a higher rate of patient death with a P value <0.001 as calculated with the Z score test. The death in the tacrolimus group was due to covid. Two of the deaths in the belatacept group were cardiovascular, one was a cerebrovascular accident possible related to skull based osteomyelitis. The graft loss in the belatacept group was related to non-compliance. Conclusion(s): Despite initial reports of increased rates of rejection;we report decreased rejection with our belatacept for DGF regimen. We believe this regimen can be a useful tool to utilize more extended criteria donor kidneys in the new kidney allocation system.

SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS APPLIED TO THE COVID-19 SYNDEMIC

The pandemic nature of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus requires extraordinary efforts in all areas of management and the formulation of public health policies to contain the number of contagion cases and deaths inflicted on the world population. However, it is possible to develop and encourage follow-up practices that can help reduce the number of contagion cases. This work aims to collect sociodemographic indicators associated by the scientific literature with the spatial distribution of COVID-19. Methodologically, it is a case study that aims to build a knowledge management model based on sociodemographic data collection. Their comparison with the viral RNA measurements in wastewater obtained at different points would allow managers to predict the possibility of an early warning of the onset of the disease, the future increase or decrease in the number of cases or the end of the pandemic in location. Regarding government action, associating the information related to the virus with the sociodemographic indicators of the region where the wastewater is collected, its managers can design preventive measures with greater precision and accuracy.

BUSINESS ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN TIMES OF COVID-19

This article aims to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on corporate social responsibility and corporate governance policies. We endorse Corporate Governance oriented by ethics and morality as an essential organizational posture that needs to be adopted in order to respond to the crises effectively. The study has a qualitative and exploratory character in order to foster an important discussion on organizational behavior. Regarding the prescriptions founded, we can highlight as an initial step towards a solution would involve the creation of a special committee to manage the crisis. The largest obstacle to overcome would be the protection of different social groups, where inequality margins impact the outcome of the crises.