Background/Objectives: Patients increasingly use large language models (LLMs) to understand orthodontic conditions, yet little is known about how leading models compare on the same patient-communication task or how performance varies with the recipient addressed. Methods: In this blinded pilot, five LLMs—Claude (claude-opus-4-7), GPT (gpt-5.5-2026-04-23), Gemini (gemini-2.5-pro), DeepSeek (deepseek-v4-flash), and Grok (grok-4.3)—each explained three orthodontic malocclusions while adopting three clinician personas and addressing three recipient profiles of differing professional background in a complete balanced 5 × 3 × 3 × 3 design (135 responses in Turkish). Three orthodontists independently scored each response on a seven-axis rubric (1–5). Differences used Kruskal–Wallis, Friedman, and Scheirer–Ray–Hare tests with Holm corrections, epsilon-squared effect sizes, and bootstrap confidence intervals. Results: Inter-rater reliability was good (composite ICC [2, 1] = 0.79). Composite scores differed modestly across models (p = 0.044), but no pairwise model difference survived correction; separation was driven by terminology (p = 0.005). Among factors, the recipient profile showed the largest effect size (epsilon-squared = 0.058 vs. 0.045 for model); the engineer profile scored lower than a healthcare worker or layperson (both corrected p < 0.05), with no statistically significant model × recipient interaction detected. Neither persona nor malocclusion affected quality. Conclusions: Because these were prompted profiles and outcomes were expert-rated, deployment and oversight may benefit from attention to audience fit and terminology rather than model choice alone.
Background/Objectives: Wearable devices offer a scalable approach to repeated cardiovascular assessment through ambulatory spot measurements and have demonstrated adequate performance in measuring heart rate (HR). However, their reliability for blood pressure (BP) assessment remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate BP and HR measurements obtained with the HUAWEI WATCH D2 smartwatch by comparison with standard reference devices under controlled postural conditions. Methods: A total of 30 participants (15 women and 15 men; age range, 21–88 years) were enrolled. One participant could not undergo smartwatch measurement because of wrist-size limitations, and measurement acquisition failed in another participant. Consequently, paired measurements obtained in the seated and upright positions were analyzed for 28 participants. Smartwatch-derived systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and HR were compared with a digital sphygmomanometer, an analog sphygmomanometer, and a digital pulse oximeter. Agreement was assessed using percentage error and Bland–Altman analysis, complemented by linear regression to evaluate proportional bias. Results: In the seated position, the smartwatch showed agreement with percentage errors below 4% for SBP and DBP, with concordance coefficients indicating good agreement. In the upright position, accuracy decreased, with percentage errors up to 14%, increased variability, wider limits of agreement, and the presence of systematic and proportional discrepancies. Measurement performance was influenced by device placement, and isolated failures highlighted sensitivity to anatomical and technical factors. Conclusions: Smartwatch-based BP monitoring is feasible under controlled conditions but remains dependent on posture and measurement conditions. These findings support the use of wearable devices for scheduled spot-check cardiovascular assessment under controlled conditions and underscore the need for standardized measurement protocols before their implementation in ambulatory or long-term monitoring applications.
Background: Female healthcare professionals with young children may experience maternal employment guilt when they perceive that paid work limits the time and attention they can give their children. This study examined the relationship between parenting sense of competence and maternal employment guilt among nurses and midwives with children aged 0–6 years. It also explored associated sociodemographic and work-related factors during the COVID-19 post-lockdown transition. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and August 2021 in hospital and primary healthcare settings in western Türkiye. Of 174 eligible healthcare professionals, 150 participated. Data were collected using the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale–Mother Form (PSOC), the Maternal Employment Guilt Scale (MEGS), and a personal information form. Group comparisons, Spearman correlations, and multivariable linear regression were performed. Results: The mean total PSOC score was 55.89 ± 7.47, and the mean MEGS score was 62.27 ± 15.72. Parental satisfaction showed the largest observed inverse correlation with maternal employment guilt among the PSOC scores examined (ρ = −0.324; p < 0.001). The correlation with total PSOC was smaller (ρ = −0.177; p = 0.030), and total PSOC was not statistically significant in the adjusted linear model (p = 0.071). The overall adjusted linear model was not statistically significant (p = 0.089). In supplementary exploratory models, satisfaction remained inversely associated with guilt after adjustment (Holm-adjusted p = 0.015), although its overall model test was nonsignificant (p = 0.081). Day-only work and a 40-h working week were associated with higher scores on some PSOC measures in exploratory comparisons. Conclusions: Among nurses and midwives with young children, maternal employment guilt was inversely associated with satisfaction in the parenting role. Work schedule and weekly working hours were also associated with some parenting sense of competence scores. These cross-sectional findings highlight specific aspects of healthcare professionals’ work–family experience for further investigation.
Background: This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the burden of depressive disorders and their subtypes (major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymia) in Asia, with particular attention to periods overlapping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We examined the burden of depressive disorders, including the numbers and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) across Asian nations. We also assessed the proportion of MDD-related DALYs attributable to three risk factors within the GBD 2023 framework. Stratified analyses were conducted by sex, age, disease subtype, and geographic location. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to examine temporal trends. Results: From 1990 to 2023, the burden of MDD in Asia consistently exceeded that of dysthymia. China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea showed relatively limited ASDR fluctuations across 2019–2021 and 2021–2023 compared with several other Asian countries and territories. As for dysthymia, it showed relatively stable trends in ASRs across Asian nations during 1990–2023. However, India showed the largest increases in ASIR, ASPR, and ASDR (EAPCs: 0.30, 0.36, and 0.38, respectively), far exceeding those of the second-ranking country. In 2023, MDD-related DALY rates peaked among individuals aged 15–19 years, whereas dysthymia-related DALY rates peaked among those aged 65–69 years. Additionally, in 2023, IPV accounted for the largest proportion of MDD-related DALYs among the three risk factors examined in Asian females (8.64%). Conclusions: The depressive disorder burden in Asia showed distinct temporal patterns, with more pronounced short-term fluctuations in MDD and relative stability in dysthymia, highlighting the potential value of a dual-track mental health strategy that combines flexible response capacity for MDD with sustained, long-term care for chronic dysthymia.
Background: Contemporary tools for assessing caregiver adaptation are often developed in Western contexts, limiting their applicability to capturing authentic caregiving experiences in diverse cultural settings such as Thailand. To address this gap, this study developed and validated a psychometric scale to assess family adaptation and caregiving role engagement among relatives of individuals with first-episode psychosis in Thailand. Method: Using a sequential mixed-methods design, focus group interviews were initially conducted with 17 caregivers to identify key experiential dimensions. The resulting instrument was subsequently administered to 171 caregivers evaluated using exploratory factor analysis and to 172 caregivers evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. The final 23-item scale comprises four dimensions: Consequences at the illness onset, Caregiving consequences, Psychosis recognitions, and Transportation and uncontrolled behavior challenges. Result: All dimensions demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with factor loadings ranging from 0.83 to 0.95, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients exceeding 0.94, and satisfactory model fit indices. Conclusions: Ultimately, this 23-item scale provides mental health professionals with a practical and reliable instrument to systematically identify caregiver needs, enabling tailored interventions that can improve care outcomes for individuals experiencing psychosis and their families.
