24762 research outputs found
Sort by
Book review : Statehood à la carte in the Caribbean and the Pacific : secession, regionalism and postcolonial politics
No full textIt must be obvious that political self-determination is an empty goal or achievement
unless it comes with, or leads to, economic development. However, judging by the outcomes
of the decolonisation struggles of the latter half of the 20th century, the pursuit of political
independence and sovereign statehood has been littered with failed development,
indebtedness, corruption, mismanagement, ethnic strife and civil war, coups, military
adventures and autocracy. Even for countries that have significant natural resources, their
post-colonial situation leaves much to be desired. Many scholars continue to dissect the
reasons behind these dashed hopes.peer-reviewe
Cholecystokinin as a novel marker of gallstones risk factor
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: cholecystokinin plays a role role in both the regulation of digestion and appetite as well as its association with the development and management of gallstones.OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the cholecystokinin hormone and the formation of gallstones.METHODS: The study collected a total of 97 samples of gallstones from both sexes, with an additional 83 samples used as a control group.RESULTS: There was a significant (p= 0.001) decrease in the cholecystokinin hormone levels in patients with gallstones. Furthermore, the study also observed a significant increase (p= 0.001) in various lipid markers such as cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and atherosclerosis risk factor. The incidence of gallstones was found to be three times higher in females compared to males.CONCLUSION: This study shed light on the role of the cholecystokinin hormone in the formation of gallstones. It revealed a significant decrease in cholecystokinin hormone levels in patients with gallstones, along with an increase in lipid markers associated with gallstone formation. Additionally, the study highlighted the gender disparity in the incidence of gallstones and provided reference ranges for the cholecystokinin hormone. These findings have the potential to contribute to the development of new diagnostic and treatment approaches for gallstone-related conditions.peer-reviewe
Predicting emergency severity index (ESI) level, hospital admission, and admitting ward in an emergency department using data-driven machine learning
Get PDFPredicting Emergency Severity Index (ESI) level, hospital admission, and admitting ward iIntroduction Emergency departments (EDs) are critical for ensuring timely patient care, especially in triage, where accurate prioritisation is essential for patient safety and resource utilisation. Building on previous research, this study leverages a comprehensive dataset of 653,546 ED visits spanning six years from Mater Dei Hospital, Malta. This dataset enables detailed trend analysis, demographic variation exploration, and predictive modelling of patient prioritisation, admission likelihood, and admitting ward. Methods Two predictive models (Stage 1 and Stage 2) were developed using the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm. In Stage 1, predictions were made at the triage level using basic demographic and presenting symptom data. Stage 2 incorporated critical blood test results (e.g., Haemoglobin, C-Reactive Protein, Troponin T, and White Blood Cell Count) alongside the demographic and symptom data from Stage 1 to refine and enhance predictions. Key steps in data preprocessing, such as handling missing values, balancing class distributions with SMOTE, and feature encoding, are discussed. Model evaluation employed comprehensive metrics, including AUC-ROC and calibration curves, to assess both performance and reliability. This enhanced description provides a clear roadmap of the model development process, reinforcing the study’s rigor and contribution to advancing machine learning applications in emergency care. Results The models demonstrated significant predictive capabilities. Key metrics showed improvement between Stage 1 and Stage 2. For example, patient prioritisation accuracy improved from 0.75 to 0.76, admission prediction accuracy rose from 0.80 to 0.82, and admitting ward prediction accuracy increased from 0.80 to 0.86. These enhancements underscore the value of incorporating clinical data to optimise predictions. Discussion The integration of early predictions into ED workflows has the potential to improve patient flow, reduce wait times, and enhance resource allocation. By leveraging XGBoost’s capabilities and integrating both demographic and clinical data, this study provides a robust framework for advancing decision-making processes in triage environments. Conclusions This research demonstrates the efficacy of machine learning models in predicting key ED outcomes, highlighting their potential to transform emergency care through data-driven insights. an emergency department using data-driven machine learning.peer-reviewe
Management of transmission and distribution infrastructure as part of the national energy security system
Get PDFPURPOSE: The purpose of the article is to identify the importance of transmission and
distribution infrastructure management for ensuring national energy security. The authors
analyse the role of planning, organisation and supervision of energy networks in the context
of the security of electricity, gas and heat supply. The article aims to assess the impact of
infrastructure quality and management activities on the energy system's resilience to
technical, economic, and political threats. It provides guidance on enhancing Poland's
energy security management.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research involved an analysis of literature sources,
legal acts, strategic documents, and reports from national and international institutions. The
analysis covered, among other things, the provisions of the Energy Law, European Union
directives and regulations on energy supply security, as well as the case law of the Court of
Justice of the European Union. Comparative analysis and critical literature review were also
used to identify key factors in transmission and distribution infrastructure management. The
research question was formulated as follows: How do the condition and management of
transmission and distribution networks affect a country's energy security? Based on this
problem, the following research hypothesis was formulated: Effective management of
transmission and distribution infrastructure, including development planning, protection and
modernisation of networks, significantly increases the level of national energy security by
ensuring the continuity and stability of energy supply.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The analysis results indicate several practical implications for
managing transmission and distribution infrastructure. First and foremost, the need for
integrated planning of energy network development based on national energy strategies,
climate policy and EU regulations was emphasised. It is essential to strengthen the risk
management capabilities of transmission system operators and to introduce practical tools
for monitoring technical and cyber threats. The article also highlights the need to establish
national sources of financing for infrastructure investments and to ensure the balanced development of the network throughout the country, particularly in less industrialised
regions. Another important implication is the need to strengthen the physical and ICT
protection of critical infrastructure and to limit its excessive visibility, which may prevent
acts of sabotage or external interference. The need to develop the competences of
management and technical staff in the areas of cybersecurity, crisis management and
incident response was also highlighted. All these measures should lead to the creation of an
integrated transmission infrastructure security management system based on cooperation
between public administration, system operators and energy supervisory institutions.FINDINGS: The analysis confirmed that effective management of transmission and distribution
infrastructure is a key element of the national energy security system. An efficient, fail-safe,
and modern transmission network guarantees the continuity of energy supply and the
stability of the economy. It has been demonstrated that a lack of investment, insufficient longterm planning, and weak ICT security can result in reduced transmission capacity and an
increased risk of energy crises. The results of the study also indicate that effective
infrastructure management requires synergy between national policy and European Union
regulations, as well as consistent action in the areas of network development, investment and
risk management.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The article brings new cognitive value through its interdisciplinary
approach to the issue of energy infrastructure management in the context of national
security. The authors combine technical, legal, and organisational perspectives, highlighting
the relationship between network management efficiency and a country's resilience to energy
threats.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The originality of the work is evident in its comprehensive analysis of the
organisational and regulatory factors of critical infrastructure management, as well as in the
formulation of practical recommendations of significance for public administration, system
operators, and entities responsible for the country's energy security.peer-reviewe
The design of a new digital signal processing system for the upgraded Northern Cross Radio Telescope
Get PDFThe Italian Northern Cross radio telescope is undergoing a remarkable upgrade with the complete refurbishment of this radio astronomical instrument. The effort will include the installation of a new digital infrastructure for the acquisition and processing of all antenna signals. The planned activities for the development of this system are targeted towards the monitoring of orbiting objects in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and to study the radio transients, in particular the Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). In this paper, an overview of the digital system architecture is presented with a description of the main functional blocks.peer-reviewe
Long short-term memory neural networks for forecasting sea level and seiche occurrences in the Maltese Islands
Get PDFThe ability to predict seiches can help prevent the damage and mitigate the risks associated with these natural phenomena. This paper presents a novel approach for seiche prediction in Marsaxlokk, Malta, using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network models. The LSTM models are implemented on time series data obtained from two tide gauge stations installed in Marsaxlokk and Portomaso, Malta. Two recurrent neural networks, the Vanilla recurrent neural network (RNN) models and gated recurrent unit (GRU) models, along with time-lagged multiple linear regression models are also fitted as baseline models. Due to the presence of missing data, this paper also explores the use of gap filling methods to obtain complete datasets for the recurrent neural network model training and testing. Two variants of each recurrent neural network model are presented. These are trained on the Portomaso dataset and tested on the Marsaxlokk dataset with the second version of each model involving calibration. The significantly superior calibrated LSTM model was able to identify with good precision the seiches that occurred on November 28, 2021 and June 30, 2022 and to also model the long-term dependencies that are important for predicting sea levels with enough lead time.peer-reviewe
Intercultural competencies of managers in Podkarpackie enterprises employing Ukrainian workers : research insights
Get PDFPURPOSE: The article aims to examine the assessment of intercultural competencies among
managers and Podkarpackie enterprises employing Ukrainian workers. Conducting a
comparative analysis allows for identifying the degree of similarities and differences both
within the group of managers and across their respective organizations.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research procedure employed the method of critical
analysis of scientific publications concerning managerial competencies in the context of
managing foreign employees, as well as the diagnostic survey method using structured
interviews conducted with managers of Podkarpackie enterprises employing workers from
Ukraine. The research tool was a questionnaire developed based on an intercultural
competence model.FINDINGS: The obtained results indicate a partial consistency between the three competencies
identified as key for organizations and those declared as the three most developed personal
competencies. The greatest alignment was observed in the areas of intercultural
communication and emotional management, which may suggest their central importance in
the practice of intercultural management. The analysis also revealed significant competency
gaps in coping with uncertainty and understanding the behavior of foreign partners.
Although these competencies were recognized as important for organizations, they were
much less frequently declared as well-developed by the respondents themselves.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The analysis revealed significant competency gaps in the areas of
coping with uncertainty and understanding the behavior of foreign partners. Although these
competencies were recognized as important for organizations, they were much less
frequently declared as well-developed by the managers themselves. This discrepancy
indicates the need for targeted development initiatives that could enhance managerial
effectiveness in the context of the volatility and complexity of contemporary international
markets.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study identifies the competence gap in intercultural competencies
between managers and enterprises of medium and large companies in the Podkarpackie
region employing workers from Ukraine.peer-reviewe
Human rights implications of the European Union migration and asylum pact in search and rescue operations
No full textThis article focuses on the legal aspects of the search and rescue considerations in
the European Union Migration and Asylum Pact. It provides a considered overview of the core instruments making up the European Union Migration and Asylum Pact and considers how these relate
to each other and interact with one another. Particular attention is given to the evaluation of the
human element in the light of the difficulties surrounding disembarkations following rescue at sea.
Building on this legal analysis, the article also highlights the persistent tensions between State sovereignty and the obligation to uphold and respect the principles of international law. The evolving
nature of irregular migration places further pressure on legislative frameworks. The authors also reflect on efforts hat aim to operationalize solidarity, while noting that implementation must not come
at the cost of weakening obligations under international refugee and human rights law. The authors
conclude that, although the Pact represents a positive step in the progressive development of the
law in this area, considering the significant efforts made to address migration through cooperation
and development, a number of legal and practical challenges remain, which could endanger fundamental human rights protections, therefore continuous monitoring and evaluation is paramount.peer-reviewe
Current practices on prescribing and deprescribing for patients on long-term antibiotic treatment for chronic pulmonary conditions : an umbrella review by the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP)
Get PDFPurpose: Chronic pulmonary conditions require complex treatment strategies involving
long-term antibiotic treatment, which carries the highest risk of antimicrobial resistance
and adverse drug events (ADE). Specific guidance on prescribing and deprescribing can
help reduce these risks and improve therapy effectiveness. The aim of the study was to
determine prescribing and deprescribing practices for long-term antibiotic treatment
(≥30days) in preventing exacerbations of stable chronic pulmonary conditions in adult
patients across all healthcare settings.
Patients and methods: This umbrella review was part of a larger registered study
(PROSPERO, CRD42022381268) including systematic reviews and meta-analyses retrieved
from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PsycInfo. Outcomes of interest included condition,
antibiotic, dose, duration, (de-) prescribing advice. Standardized methodological tools
were used to assess methodological quality of the selected publications (ROBIS),
facilitate data extraction (EPOC), and guide narrative summary of findings (PRIOR).
Results: In total, n=14 publications were analyzed. (De-)prescribing advice is
summarized for treatment (≥30days) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma,
non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome.
Macrolides are the most commonly recommended antibiotic for stable chronic
pulmonary conditions. ADEs are the main reason for antibiotic discontinuation. Little
consideration is given to emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Conclusion: There is a significant paucity of literature providing specific (de-)prescribing
advice for clinical practice. More precise recommendations are required in view of
patient safety.peer-reviewe
Augmented reality marketing in family ecotourism : cognitive and behavioral drivers of destination branding
Get PDFMost ecotourism destinations have not yet fully explored the benefits of augmented reality (AR) marketing in relation to family vacations. Although AR improves travel experiences and destination branding, there is limited research on parents’ perceptions of AR when traveling with children. This study combines the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) with the concept of sustainability education to investigate how parents’ perceptions of AR technology shape visit behavior and destination branding, improve family vacations, and strengthen ecotourism sustainability. A mixed methods approach was applied, combining partial least structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). An online survey questionnaire (distributed via the Prolific platform) was completed by 181 parents who visited Romanian ecotourism destinations with their children and had previous AR experience. The PLS-SEM results indicate that facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, social influence, and sustainability education have significant effects on parents’ intentions to use AR technology. Furthermore, these intentions significantly influence destination visit behavior and AR branding. The fsQCA results show that sustainability education is the sole necessary condition for AR technology to influence families’ ecotourism experiences, possibly enhancing destination branding. The findings provide new theoretical and practical implications for ecotourism stakeholders interested in using AR to enhance their branding for families traveling with children.peer-reviewe