Vocabulary Size Tests of Different Modality and Their Relationships with L2 Reading and Listening Comprehension by Korean EFL Learners in Middle School

The present research intends to compare the orthographic and phonological vocabulary sizes of Korean EFL students in middle school and to address the relationship between the two different types of vocabulary size tests and L2 reading and listening comprehension. The participants were found to have greater orthographic vocabulary knowledge than phonological knowledge. Specifically, their vocabulary knowledge, regardless of its modality, drastically decreased in frequency level from 1,000 to 2,000 and from 3,000 to 4,000. Although both types of vocabulary knowledge exhibit a correlation with each other, as well as with reading and listening comprehension, orthographic vocabulary size was shown to be the most predictive in terms of the variance found in both reading and listening. The findings of the study contribute to existing research on L2 vocabulary acquisition by providing further evidence of the non-parallel development of phonological and orthographic vocabulary knowledge by EFL students, and by suggesting the significant predictive value that orthographic vocabulary knowledge has on the performance of students in reading and listening comprehension tests employed in Korea

Initial Development of the Chest Pain Conception Questionnaire

Background: Even though “chest pain” is often highlighted as a key heart attack symptom for which individuals should seek care, little is known about the ways that the lay public conceives of chest pain related to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Objectives: The purpose of this four-step process was to develop an instrument to measure the lay public’s conceptions of chest pain related to ACS. Methods: The Chest Pain Conception Questionnaire (CPCQ) was drafted based on the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms and findings from the published literature. We then leveraged two rounds of expert feedback to calculate item-level and scale-level content validity indices. Two rounds of pilot testing (N = 51 and N = 300) were conducted with members of the target population. Psychometric testing was also conducted, including exploratory factor analysis. Results: The multi-step development process resulted in an instrument that is comprised of 23 items (2 open-ended questions, 13 short scenarios with Likert-type ratings, and 8 multiple-choice questions) and written at a 7th grade level. The scale-level content validity index was 0.99. Exploratory factor analysis findings also supported construct validity. Conclusions: This paper provides preliminary evidence of the CPCQ’s validity

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the ACS-Response Index in Adults Without Diagnosed Heart Disease

Background & Purpose: To report on the psychometric properties of the Acute Coronary Syndrome Response Index in adults without heart disease. Methods: Participants were enrolled online, using social media platforms and an email listserv. The sample of 1,040 was randomly split into two sub-samples for exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Exploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution for the knowledge subscale, a one-factor solution for the attitudes subscale, and a two-factor solution for the belief subscale. Subsequent confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated an excellent fit for the attitudes and beliefs subscales and an acceptable fit for the knowledge subscale. Conclusions: The Acute Coronary Syndrome Response Index can be used with individuals without diagnosed heart disease. However, researchers may wish to omit the incorrect items in the original version of this instrument

Predictors of Acute Coronary Syndrome Symptom Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs in Adults without Self-Reported Heart Disease

Background: The time of symptom onset to the time an individual decides to seek care is the most significant contributor to total treatment delay. Objectives: To explore predictors of ACS symptom knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs in adults without diagnosed heart disease. Methods: We used a cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational design, employing an online survey including the ACS Response Index and the avoidance subscale of the Coping Strategy Indicator. We leveraged social media platforms and a university email list-serv to enroll participants. Stepwise hierarchical linear regressions were used. Results: We analyzed responses from 981 participants, with a mean age of 35.2 years (SD 16.5) and 75% female. The regression analyses yielded models that explained 14%, 23%, and 25% of the variance for knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes, respectively. Ethnicity, race, exposure to ACS symptom information (in the media or by teaching), and perceived health were the predictors of ACS symptom knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs with the largest effect, though others were statistically significant. Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of community education to raise awareness of ACS symptoms while considering social determinants of health. Future research and clinician interventions for ACS symptom knowledge, attitudes and beliefs should be expanded with a focus on ethnicity and gender

The Lay Public\u27s Knowledge of the Most Common Acute Coronary Syndrome Symptoms Experienced by Women and Men

Background Although extensive research and public education for the last 2 decades has focused on symptom differences experienced by men and women, little is known about what acute coronary syndrome symptoms the lay public associates with men, with women, and with both men and women. Objective The aim of this study was to describe what acute coronary syndrome symptoms the lay public associates with men, with women, and with both men and women and to explore whether differences in participant gender affect how these symptoms are associated. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used, using an online survey. We recruited women (n = 209) and men (n = 208) living in the United States from the crowdsourcing platform Mechanical Turk in April and May 2021. Results Most participants (78.4%) selected a chest symptom as the most common acute coronary syndrome symptom experienced by men, compared with only 49.4% who selected a chest symptom as the most common for women. Almost half (46.9%) of women indicated that they believe men and women have “fairly different” or “very different” acute coronary syndrome symptoms, compared with 17.3% of men. Conclusions Whereas most participants associated symptoms with both men and women\u27s experiences of acute coronary syndrome symptoms, some associated symptoms in ways that are not reflected in the literature. Additional research is needed to further understand the impact of messaging on acute coronary syndrome symptom differences between men and women and the lay public\u27s interpretation of these messages

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Department Triage Nurses\u27 Response to Patients With Potential Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic added challenges to patient assessment and triage in the emergency department (ED). Objective: To describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on ED triage nurse decisions for patients with potential ACS. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data from a descriptive, electronic, survey-based study. Participants were asked two questions: whether the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their triage and/or assessment practices for patients with potential ACS and if so, how. Descriptive statistics were used to compare characteristics of participants. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze responses to the open-ended questions about the pandemic’s effect on the triage process. Results: Participants from across the US had a mean age of 41.7 (12.3) years; 358 (80.6%) were women. The participants had a median of 10.0 (IQR 16.0) years of experience as a registered nurse, with a median 7.0 (IQR 11.0) years of ED experience. A total of 180 of 444 (40.5%) participants indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic affected their triage processes and assessment of potential ACS patients; 156 (86.7%) provided a response to the open-ended question. Responses revealed four themes, 1) Delays in Triage and Treatment; 2) Ambiguous Patient Presentation; 3) Heightened Awareness of COVID-19 Complications and Sequalae; and 4) Process Changes. Conclusions: Forty percent of ED triage nurses participating reported that triage processes for patients with potential ACS were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most expressed barriers that resulted in delayed assessment and treatment of patients and often resulted from overlapping cardiac symptoms and COVID-19

Mediating effect of life satisfaction and depression on the relationship between cognition and activities of daily living in Korean male older adults

This study investigated the mediating effects of life satisfaction and depression on the relationship between cognition and activities of daily living (ADL) among male older adults. A secondary analysis was conducted utilizing data from the 2020 Elderly Survey. The participant pool consisted of 4035 Korean male older adults aged 65 years and above, selected from the total survey population of 10,097. The study focused on four variables: cognition, Korean Activities of Daily Living (K-ADL), life satisfaction and depression. The main analysis employed Hayes’s PROCESS Macro for SPSS v.4.0, and Model 6 was applied to determine the mediating effect of life satisfaction and depression on the relationship between cognition and ADL. The analysis revealed a negative correlation between ADL and cognition scores. ADL scores exhibited positive correlations with both life satisfaction and depression scores. A positive correlation emerged between life satisfaction and depression scores. The examination unveiled an indirect mediating effect between life satisfaction and depression scores. It is necessary to establish an intervention strategy that considers life satisfaction and the degree of depression when establishing a strategy to predict and prevent the decline in daily living ability in older adults with cognitive decline

Friction force measurement and analysis of the rotating liner engine

textAs emissions regulations become more stringent and fuel prices increase at a significant rate, the fuel efficiency of piston engines becomes more important than ever. Since most of the engine’s friction losses are from the piston/ring assembly, it is indispensable to reduce the piston/ring assembly friction for better fuel economy. The Rotating Liner Engine (RLE) was developed to remove the boundary lubrication of the piston/ring assembly friction through cylinder liner rotation. Even though the RLE was initially developed mainly by Dr. Dardalis several years ago, the friction reduction effect of the RLE was not confirmed except via preliminary motoring tests using a crude dynamometer. The main purpose of this dissertation is to confirm the RLE effect on piston assembly friction reduction using sophisticated measurement methods. Three different friction measurement methods were applied in measuring the friction force difference between a baseline engine and a prototype RLE. Through the use of three different friction measurement methods, the friction reduction of the RLE has been confirmed via this dissertation research and each of the friction measurement methods is also compared based on its measurement results. The analysis of the friction mechanism of the baseline engine was performed using the instantaneous IMEP method and a commercial simulation program called RINGPAK. Through the use of experimental methods and the simulation, the friction mechanism of the piston/ring assembly is analyzed. The limitation of the experimental and the calculation methods is also discussed.Mechanical Engineerin

Factors Influencing the Health-Related Quality of Life of Workers According to the Type of Work

This paper describes a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted to identify and compare the factors affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) according to the type of work. The method involved a secondary analysis of 4131 workers who participated in the first year of the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019). In this study, a complex sample plan file was created and then weighted and analyzed. For the analyses, frequency, χ2-test, t-test, and linear regression analyses were used for complex sample analysis. Factors that significantly affected the HRQoL of daytime workers were educational background, living with a spouse, regular work, depression for two consecutive weeks, and suicidal thoughts. The explanatory power was 18.9% (p < 0.001). The factor that significantly affected the HRQoL of shift workers was whether they took dietary supplements for 2 weeks or more during the past year, and the explanatory power was 17.6% (p = 0.007). This study confirmed that the factors affecting HRQoL differ according to the type of work. Based on the results of this study, when developing a program to improve the HRQoL of workers, it is necessary to establish a differentiated strategy according to the type of work