11237 research outputs found
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Delineation of Optimized Single and Multichannel Approximate DA-Based Filter Design Using Influential Single MAC Strategy for Trans-Multiplexer
No full textIn this paper, a multichannel FIR filter design based on the Time Division Multiplex (TDM) approach that incorporates one multiply and add unit, regardless of the variable coefficient length and varying channels, by associating the resource sharing doctrine is suggested. A multiplier based on approximate distributed arithmetic (DA) circuits is employed for effective resource optimization. Although no explicit multiplication was conducted in this realization, the radix-8 and radix-4 Booth algorithms are utilized in the DA framework to curtail and optimize the partial products (PPs). Furthermore, the input stream is truncated with an erratum mending unit to roughly construct the partial products. For an aggregation of PPs, an approximate Wallace tree is taken into consideration to further minimize hardware expenses. Consequently, the suggested design’s latency, utilized area, and power usage are largely reduced. The Xilinx Vertex device is expedited, given the synthesis of the suggested multichannel realization with 16 taps, which is simulated using the Verilog formulary. It is observed that the filter structure with one channel produced the desired results, and the system’s frequency can support up to 429 MHz with a reduced area. Utilizing TSMC 180 nm CMOS technology and the Cadence RC compiler, cell-level performance is also achieved.</p
Enhancing the Properties of Liquid Crystal Polymers and Elastomers with Nano Magnetic Particles
No full textSide-chain liquid crystal polymers have been mixed with ferromagnetic particles, and the formation of a monodomain in magnetic fields studied. At relatively low concentrations, the presence of ferroparticles substantially speeds up the rate of formation of a monodomain within the magnetic field, and, at a given concentration of ferroparticles, that rate is independent of the magnetic field’s strength. In this way, the rapid formation of a monodomain is possible at magnetic field strengths far lower those required for the liquid crystal polymer alone. This is anticipated to be very helpful in the fabrication of devices based on monodomain liquid crystal elastomers. Wide-angle x-ray scattering has been used to monitor the formation of the monodomain and small-angle x-ray scattering gives some indication of the ferroparticles’ behaviour. A model is developed to explain their behaviour. The alignment properties of the ferroparticles are related to their ability to form chains under the influence of very low magnetic fields; these chains are of relatively low stability and may become disrupted after long periods of time, high magnetic fields, or high concentrations. In general, the best results for alignment were at volume fractions below 1%, and under these conditions there is the potential for producing monodomain samples with improved properties; in particular, shape changes with temperature are significantly larger as a result of improved backbone orientation. Experiments involving monodomain formation and director realignment suggest that the presence of ferroparticles results in a modification of the mechanism for alignment development, driven by the organization of the polymer backbone, as a consequence of the constraints offered by the morphology of the chains of the ferroparticles
Transitional care for older adults with chronic illness: A qualitative inquiry
No full textBackground: Improved public health strategies and medical advancements have expanded older adults' survival after acute insults from chronic diseases. The resultant increase in disability and care requirements among older adults is significant. However, transitional care interventions to support the efficient transition from acute care settings to home are primitive in developing countries like India.ObjectiveThis qualitative survey aimed to estimate the transitional care requirements of older adults with chronic illness discharged from acute care facilities.MethodsDescriptive phenomenological approach was utilised for this qualitative study. The older adult‐family caregiver dyads fulfilling the inclusion criteria were interviewed until the achievement of information saturation. The transcribed narratives between the researcher, older adults and their caregivers were thematically analysed. Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) served as the framework for reporting this research.ResultsThirteen older adult‐caregiver dyads participated in the semi‐structured interview, which yielded six themes. Older adults have a hidden self with characteristics ranging between a continuum of ‘insistence’ to ‘giving up’. Caregiver attributes identified from this inquiry were exhaustion, engagement and empowerment. The remaining four themes which constitute the framework for the ‘transitional care progression’ model include ‘complications are mature when identified among older adults’, ‘medication knowledge is proportionate with its compliance’, ‘ignorance of supportive care increases caregiver burden’ and ‘deficient follow‐up practices compromise health’.Conclusions: Transitional care for older adults with chronic illness is premature in developing countries. However, the needs of older adults with chronic disease and their caregivers evolved from the present study align with global perspectives. Themes generated from the current qualitative interview, blended with evidence‐based interventions, yielded the transitional care progression model, which serves as the only available framework for implementing transitional care in the region.Implications for PracticeFuture research to establish the feasibility and validity of the ‘transitional care progression model’ is forecasted. The model requires inclusion within the healthcare curriculum. Professional nurses prepared to implement coordinated transitional care pathways are recommended.</p
Teachers’ Curriculum Making as Relational Practice: The Mediatory Role of Reflexivity and Networks
No full textTeachers often find ways to mediate their curriculum making practices, even in most centralized contexts. In order to delve into this mediation process, this chapter offers a philosophical and methodological framework to investigate the role of reflexivity and networks. Following a critical realist approach, I argue that there are three generative mechanisms underlying teachers’ curriculum making practices that can help us to understand why teachers act in different ways. First, teachers’ modes of reflexivity, distinctive ways of projecting actions, based on teachers’ concerns and by means of their environment, offer strong explanations of why teachers take certain standpoints, follow particular reasoning processes, and act upon curriculum reforms in various ways. Second, relational assets (relational goods and evils) that emerge from teachers’ curriculum making relationships offer explanations as to why certain practices might be enhanced or inhibited. Finally, the national and organizational context, more particularly, schools’ formal organization, curriculum reform as a chain of organic interactions, and performativity culture, explains teacher mediation of curriculum making.</p
Association between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and risk of suicidality: A comprehensive analysis of the global pharmacovigilance database
No full textAim:To evaluate the potential association between suicidality and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), as well as other medications used for obesity and diabetes, using comprehensive global data.Materials and Methods:This study utilized the World Health Organization's pharmacovigilance database, encompassing adverse drug reaction reports from 1967 to 2023, from 170 countries (total reports, N = 131 255 418). We present the reported odds ratios (RORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and information component (IC) with IC025 regarding the association between GLP-1RA use and suicidality.Results:Although reports of GLP-1RA-associated suicidality increased gradually from 2005 to 2023 (n = 332), no evidence of an association was observed (ROR 0.15 [95% CI 0.13 to 0.16]; IC −2.77 [IC025 −2.95]). The lack of evidence of an association persisted regardless of whether GLP-1RAs were used for diabetes treatment (ROR 0.13 [95% CI 0.11 to 0.14]; IC −2.95 [IC025 −3.14]) or obesity treatment (ROR 0.44 [95% CI 0.34 to 0.58]; IC −1.16 [IC025 −1.62]). However, an association was found between suicidality and other diabetes medications excluding GLP-1RAs (ROR 1.13 [95% CI 1.10 to 1.15]; IC 0.17 [IC025 0.13]). Similarly, the potential association with suicidality was observed in medications used to treat obesity excluding GLP-1RAs (ROR 1.08 [95% CI 1.01 to 1.14]; IC 0.10 [IC025 0.01]).Conclusions:The suspected association between GLP-1RA use and suicidality, as raised by the European Medicines Agency, was not found in our global analysis. This indicates that the sporadic reports of GLP-1RA-associated suicidality are likely influenced by factors such as comorbidities present in the GLP-1RA user population.</p
Analyzing Radicalization Dynamics in the Language of Non-Violent Extremists Online in the UK (2016–2021): A Longitudinal Analysis of Britain First, 5 Pillars, and Earth First!
No full textSocietal crises, such as COVID-19, produce societal instability and create a fertile ground for radicalization. Extremists exploit such crises by distributing disinformation to amplify uncertainty and distrust. Based on these developments, this study presents a longitudinal analysis across three different non-violent extremist ideologies in the UK (Islamist, far right and eco-radicals). As part of the study, public social media channels Twitter/X, Facebook, and Telegram) of Britain First, 5 Pillars, and Earth First! were analyzed using a computational language classifier of over 36,000 posts between 2016 and 2021. The increasing prevalence of conspiracy narratives, as well as violent, hateful, and threatening language among the corpus indicates that radicalization dynamics were present and heightened, pre-, during, and post-Pandemic
Combined use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Symbol Digit Modalities Test improves neurocognitive screening accuracy after cardiac arrest: A validation sub study of the TTM2 trial
No full textAim
To assess the merit of clinical assessment tools in a neurocognitive screening following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).
Methods
The neurocognitive screening that was evaluated included the performance-based Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the patient-reported Two Simple Questions (TSQ) and the observer-reported Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly-Cardiac Arrest (IQCODE-CA). These instruments were administered at 6-months in the Targeted Hypothermia versus Targeted Normothermia after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (TTM2) trial. We used a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery from a TTM2 trial sub-study as a gold standard to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the neurocognitive screening.
Results
In our cohort of 108 OHCA survivors (median age = 62, 88% male), the most favourable cut-off scores were: MoCA
Conclusion
The MoCA and SDMT have acceptable diagnostic accuracy for screening for neurocognitive impairment in an OHCA population, and when used in combination the sensitivity improves. Patient and observer-reports correspond poorly with neurocognitive performance.</p
Editorial: Evidence-based approaches in aging and public health
No full textThe past decade has seen a significant increase in aging research, driven by scientific breakthroughs and the need created by a growing global aging population. Clinical trials have made remarkable progress in providing insights into the underlying mechanisms of aging and exploring new treatments. However, it is crucial to recognize that human aging is a complex phenomenon that involves an intricate interplay of biological, social, cultural, and environmental factors. Any effective approach to aging research must therefore embrace this complexity...</p
Association of soda drinks and fast food with allergic diseases in Korean adolescents: a nationwide representative study
No full textIntroduction: A high consumption of carbonated soft drinks (i.e., soda drinks) and fast food is potentially asso?ciated with the observed global rise in adolescent allergic diseases. Thus, our study aimed to examine the potential associations between the consumption of soda drinks and fast food and allergic conditions, identifying specific re?lationships across subgroups and each allergic condition (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis). Methods: This study uses large-scale data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (total n = 865,614). Soda drinks and fast food were defined by a self-reported questionnaire and allergic conditions by physician-diagnosed within Jinyoung Jeong, Hyesu Jo, and Yejun Son contributed equally as first authors. Edited by: Angela Haczku, Sacramento, CA. [email protected] www.karger.com/iaa © 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel Correspondence to: Jaeyu Park, qkrwodb980 @ gmail.com Selin Woo, dntpfls @ naver.com This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- Dong Keon Yon, yonkkang @ gmail.com NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC) (http://www. karger.com/Services/OpenAccessLicense). Usage and distributionfor commercial purposes requires written permission. Downloaded from http://karger.com/iaa/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000539518/4247630/000539518.pdf by Anglia Polytechnic University user on 26 July 2024 1 year. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the weighted odds ratios (ORs), along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), for allergic diseases associated with the intake of soda drinks and fast food. Results: Among 865,614 adolescents in grades 7–12 (male, 51.40%), pa?tients with asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis were 18,568 (2.15%), 153,536 (17.74%), and 59,014 (6.82%), respectively. Current asthma was associated with soda drinks (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03–1.12) and fast food con?sumption (1.25; 1.17–1.33). Interestingly, stronger associ?ations were observed for female high schoolers, compared to male high schoolers and middle schoolers, in relation to the consumption of soda drinks (1.31; 1.19–1.44) and fast food (1.46; 1.26–1.69) with asthma. Current allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis had no significant association with fast food consumption and soda drinks. Conclusion: This first large-scale study suggests that fast food and soda drinks consumption are potentially associated with current asthma, with stronger associations observed in females than males, underscoring the need for sex-specific allergy prevention programs </p
The role of the World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management’s risk stratification algorithm in predicting falls: a retrospective analysis of the Osteoarthritis Initiative
No full textIntroduction
Recurrent falls are observed frequently among older people, and they are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to verify sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management (WGFPM) falls risk stratification algorithm using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI).
Methods
Participants aged between 40 and 80 years were stratified as ‘low risk’, ‘intermediate risk’ or ‘high risk’ as per WGFPM stratification. Data from the OAI cohort study were used, a multi-centre, longitudinal, observational study focusing primarily on knee osteoarthritis. The assessment of the outcome was carried out at baseline and during the follow-up visit at 24 months. Data about sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were reported.
Results
Totally, 4796 participants were initially included. Participants were aged a mean of 61.4 years (SD = 9.1) and were predominantly women (58.0%). The population was divided into three groups: low risk (n = 3266; 82%), intermediate risk (n = 25; 0.6%) and high risk (n = 690; 17.3%). WGFPM algorithm applied to OAI, excluding the intermediate-risk group, produced a sensitivity score of 33.7% and specificity of 89.9% for predicting one or more falls, with an accuracy of 72.4%.
Conclusion
In our study, WGFPM risk assessment algorithm successfully distinguished older people at greater risk of falling using the opportunistic case finding method with a good specificity, but limited sensitivity, of WGFPM falls risk stratification algorithm.</p
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