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Preventing sport-acquired brain damage in children: ‘If in doubt, sit them out’ on its own is not good enough
Get PDFInverse Counterfactual for AI-Assisted Decision Support: Enhancing Knowledge Elicitation for Capturing Aircraft Pilot Decisions
Get PDFIntegrating AI into decision-support systems (DSS) for safety-critical domains like aviation requires aligning system behavior with pilot mental models to provide relevant information. Using the Cognitive Shadow—a DSS that models operator decisions and notifies discrepancies—we evaluated a novel knowledge-elicitation technique: the inverse counterfactual. After selecting their preferred option, users modified a single factor to make their second-best option preferable, creating paired cases across their decision boundary. In a simulated adverse-weather avoidance task, 44 participants completed 130 baseline trials and generated counterfactuals for 20 additional cases. Contrary to expectations, the current implementation of the technique did not enhance human-AI model similarity, as measured by the degree of agreement in a 20-case test phase. However, when counterfactuals involved minimal edits—remaining near the decision boundary—predictive accuracy improved and DSS recommendations were more often accepted. Larger edits degraded performance. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of counterfactual elicitation for improving model alignment with user mental models
Impact of Audio Delay and Quality in Network Music Performance
Get PDFNetwork Music Performance (NMP) refers to network-based remote collaboration when applied to music performances, such as musical education, music production and live music concerts. In NMP, the most important parameter for the Quality of Experience (QoE) of the participants is low end-to-end audio delay. Increasing delays prevent musicians’ synchronization and lead to a suboptimal musical experience. Visual contact between the participants is also crucial for their experience but highly demanding in terms of bandwidth. Since audio compression induces additional coding and decoding delays on the signal path, most NMP systems rely on audio quality reduction when bandwidth is limited to avoid violating the stringent delay limitations of NMP. To assess the delay and quality tolerance limits for NMP and see if they can be satisfied by emerging 5G networks, we asked eleven pairs of musicians to perform musical pieces of their choice in a carefully controlled laboratory environment, which allowed us to set different end-to-end delays or audio sampling rates. To assess the QoE of these NMP sessions, each musician responded to a set of questions after each performance. The analysis of the musicians’ responses revealed that actual musicians in delay-controlled NMP scenarios can synchronize at delays of up to 40 ms, compared to the 25–30 ms reported in rhythmic hand-clapping experiments. Our analysis also shows that audio quality can be considerably reduced by sub-sampling, so as to save bandwidth without significant QoE loss. Finally, we find that musicians rely more on audio and less on video to synchronize during an NMP session. These results indicate that NMP can become feasible in advanced 5G networks
Isolation and evaluation of flavonoids from propolis against triple-negative breast cancer cells: Insights from in vitro and in silico studies
Get PDFBee propolis, a resinous substance synthesized by honeybees, has been widely recognized for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This study focused on isolating and characterizing the bioactive phytoconstituents from the methanolic extract of bee propolis while simultaneously evaluating propolis’ anticancer activity. Three bioactive flavonoids, which are apigenin, pinocembrin, and castillicetin-2, were successively separated by column chromatography and their structures elucidated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Using a cell viability assay, their cytotoxic activity was evaluated against the triple-negative breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). It was found that castillicetin-2 had a significant cytotoxic effect at EC 50 of 7.7 ± 0.6 μg/mL, apigenin at 10.82 ± 0.7 μg/mL, and pinocembrin at 25.24 ± 0.8 μg/mL. Further evaluation of the compounds revealed that these compounds, alongside their respective molecular docking, proved to have strong binding ability to benefit important targets to breast cancer, such as HER2 and CDK6, which provided more insight into these compounds being useful as potential therapeutic agents. These findings demonstrated the bioactive efficacy of the flavonoids derived from propolis and how these findings augment concerns associated with the increased attention towards the treatment of breast cancer
Leveraging internet of things data for real-time marketing: Opportunities, challenges, and strategic implications
Get PDFThis paper explores the transformative potential of Internet of Things (IoT) data in enabling real-time marketing by providing unprecedented opportunities for personalized, context-aware consumer engagement. It investigates the challenges posed by data privacy, security, and ethical considerations within this dynamic landscape, emphasizing the need for robust strategic frameworks. The study aims to offer valuable insights into leveraging IoT-driven data analytics to enhance marketing effectiveness while addressing inherent risks and operational complexities. Ultimately, this research highlights the critical role of IoT data in shaping the future of responsive and innovative marketing strategies
Nanomaterials for bacterial enrichment and detection in healthcare
No full textBacterial infections in the blood (sepsis) have been recognized as a leading cause of mortality in the clinical field due to limitations in the detection of bacteria at low concentration and their resistance to antibiotics by excessive misuse. Some of the common symptoms are fever, chills, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, confusion, and changes in mental status with occasionally pale, clammy, and mottled skin. Early diagnosis and identification are the keys to a successful treatment for sepsis patients. Researchers have developed nanoparticles to enrich bacterial populations followed by detection and applied them to conventional methods such as phenotypic and molecular diagnostics to enhance different detectors’ responses toward pathogens. This short review systematically overviews steps that are followed in clinical labs for bacterial detection, identification, and their drawbacks. In this context, we discuss the role that nanoparticles can play in overcoming the limits of traditional microbiology methods in terms of turnaround times (TATs) and accuracy. We believe that this short review will provide up-to-date information about the applications of nanoparticles in the enrichment, separation, and identification of bacterial infection in the clinical field and, therefore, a way of rapid treatment
Surgical endodontics
No full textThis article aims to provide general dentists with an overview into the applications of surgery in endodontics. The article will discuss the following: apical surgery; surgical management of perforations; surgical management of external cervical root resorption; intentional replantation; and functional crown lengthening in conjunction with endodontics
Young People’s Accounts of their Violence and Abuse Towards Parents: Causes, Contexts, and Motivations
Get PDFPurpose
The purpose of this study was to explore young people’s perspectives on using violence towards their parents – a perspective currently underrepresented in the child-to-parent violence literature, where the accounts of parents and practitioners are prioritized.
Methods
This paper reports on a thematic analysis of in-depth interview data from 13 young people aged 14 to 18 reporting violent/abusive behavior towards parents. The sample was drawn purposively from a larger mixed methods study involving 221 young people from education and youth justice settings in England, UK.
Results
Young people’s accounts of the drivers/contexts of their harmful behavior highlighted significant experiences of past and ongoing child abuse, domestic abuse, and peer violence. Aggression was described as being both reactive and instrumental, framed as a form of emotional release, a way of hurting or punishing parents (mothers), gaining control over privileges, space and movement, expressing distress, and defending or retaliating in the face of family abuse. The paper presents an ecological, systemic framework for explaining how intersecting factors such as stress, trauma, emotion regulation, parenting, gender, and communication appeared to shape the dynamic in these cases.
Conclusions
The findings highlight the need for sustained specialist and therapeutic support to improve the emotional wellbeing of mothers and children and address their past/shared experiences of trauma; support young people’s emotion regulation capacities; improve parent–child communication; and reduce intra/extra-familial stressors. The systemic and ecological model has potential to inform practice assessments and intervention approaches through focusing holistically on young people’s contextualized understandings of violence
Common factors affecting quality of life scores for patients with newly formed stomas: A review of the literature
Get PDFIntroduction: Nurses have a key role in promoting and optimising the quality of life of patients adapting post-operatively to newly formed stomas. There are common factors negatively impacting on nursing care such as inconsistent Government strategy, poor evidence-based care informing organisations and inadequate resource allocation in localised care. Due to the number of patients living with stomas expected to rise to impact on service provision, this literature review aims to identify key factors nurses should be aware of when promoting health-related quality of life care post-operatively.
Methodology: A search was conducted using CINAHL Ultimate and Medline to identify key factors affecting the quality of life of patients with newly formed stomas. n=66 papers were identified using search-specific criteria between 2014 and 2024. n=26 research studies were retrieved, and after inclusion and exclusion criteria were considered, n= 7 papers were critically appraised.
Findings: Common factors identified were the importance of quality-of-life assessment tools used to assess health related quality of life, peristomal skin issues (inflammation, injury or damage to surrounding), and a lack of available suitable facilities affecting privacy.
Discussion: It is important to understand the difficulties ostomates face post-operatively and follow evidence-based guidelines irrespective of national pandemic emergencies.
Conclusion: This paper highlights a significant research gap into the facilities available for people living with a stoma; and the evidence identifies negative factors impacting on quality-of-life scores for both male and female ostomates
Serial quantitative optical coherence tomography for luminal volume changes following either paclitaxel or sirolimus coated balloon in de novo small coronary artery lesions
Get PDFBackground
Drug coated balloons (DCB) are a treatment option for lesions in small coronary arteries, with treatment using paclitaxel coated balloons (PCB) associated with less angiographic late lumen loss than sirolimus coated balloons (SCB).
Methods
This single-center sub-study of the TRANSFORM-I study compared quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) data in patients with de novo lesions in small coronary arteries treated with the MagicTouch (SCB) or SeQuent Please Neo (PCB). The relationship between the lumen volume of the treated segment immediately post procedure and at 6-month follow-up was evaluated. Late lumen volume loss (LLVL, mm3) was defined as the post-procedural lumen volume – lumen volume at 6 months.
Results
Serial OCT analysis was performed in 19 patients with 21 lesions (SCB: 9 patients/11 lesions; PCB: 10 patients/10 lesions). There was a significant decrease in lumen volume between post-procedure and 6 months in the SCB group (97.35 ± 71.09 mm3 vs 87.96 ± 61.48 mm3, p = 0.03), but not in the PCB group (69.67 ± 38.24 mm3 vs 71.64 ± 42.22 mm3, p = 0.64). The LLVL was 9.39 ± 12.76 mm3 and − 1.97 ± 12.90 mm3 in the SCB and PCB group, respectively (SCB vs PCB, p = 0.06). A trend for interaction between SCB and PCB was observed in the relationship between dissection volume and LLVL (SCB: LLVL = 1.28 ∗ dissection volume + 7.42, p = 0.37; PCB: LLVL = −2.84 ∗ dissection volume + 4.51, p = 0.12; p for interaction = 0.07).
Conclusion
In de novo lesions of small coronary arteries, treatment with an SCB lead to a significant decrease in lumen volume at 6-months compared to post-procedure, with no significant change observed after treatment with a PCB