50716 research outputs found
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Modelling factors associated with the probability of seeking traditional care after dog bites in Sierra Leone
No full textEvidence suggests a rising incidence of dog bites in Sierra Leone despite ongoing efforts to prevent rabies. However, little is known about the factors influencing the decision to seek medical care following a dog bite. To address this gap, we developed a probabilistic model to examine factors associated with the likelihood of seeking traditional care in Sierra Leone. Among the 2558 respondents who completed the survey, 31 % (782/2558) indicated that they would seek traditional care after a dog bite. The posterior distributions of our model estimates indicated that the probability of seeking traditional care was higher among respondents with lower levels of education, those residing in rural areas, individuals lacking knowledge about rabies virus transmission and its hosts, and those who owned vaccinated dogs. Conversely, respondents living in locations with a livestock officer or veterinary establishment had lower odds of seeking traditional remedies compared with those uncertain about access. We observed a negative relationship between the percentage of health facilities and the probability of seeking traditional care, with higher percentages associated with a decreased likelihood of seeking traditional remedies. We also found regional variation in the probability of seeking traditional care. Respondents in the Eastern and Western Area were less likely to seek traditional remedies than those in the Northern and Southern Provinces. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational campaigns to raise awareness about rabies and the importance of timely medical care after exposure. Improving healthcare access in rural areas and fostering collaboration with traditional healers are also essential for reducing reliance on traditional care and strengthening rabies prevention and control efforts
Pain intensity estimation via multimodal fusion:Leveraging ternary textures of derivatives in EDA and PPG signals
No full textIn the event of pain, the autonomic nervous system reacts by affecting different physiological parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, skin conductance, and perspiration levels, among others. This research presents an innovative approach to pain intensity recognition through a multimodal system that fuses bio-information from the skin (Electrodermal Activity or EDA) and heart (Photoplethysmograph or PPG) signals. The study involved a self-collected dataset from 61 healthy participants and encompassed two pain intensity levels (low and high) experienced at different anatomical locations (hand and forearm). Employing IIR bandpass filters, the collected EDA and PPG signals were preprocessed. A novel feature extraction method named Ternary Textures of Derivatives (TTD) is proposed, which, when fused with statistical features, exhibited robust potential as a pain intensity biomarker. Feature selection using Joint Mutual Information preceded the utilisation of an Ensemble classifier. The developed multimodal fusion-based pain recognition system outperformed the unimodal (PPG and EDA) approaches by achieving notable accuracies: 83.1%±8.8% for No Pain vs. Low Pain, 87.1%±6.7% for No Pain vs. High Pain, and 74.5%±6.8% for the No Pain vs. Low Pain vs. High Pain scenario. This approach offers an objective means of pain assessment that can furnish valuable insights to clinical teams, aiding in treatment evaluation, surgical decision-making, and overall patient care quality assessment.</p
Synergies Strategies for Cost Contingency: Uniting Reference Class Forecasting and Probabilistic Risk Analysis in Infrastructure Project Delivery
No full textEstablishing robust contingency estimates is pivotal to managing unforeseen challenges and accurately assessing project risks in today’s complex project environments. This study investigates the integration of Reference Class Forecasting (RCF) and Estimating using Risk Analysis (ERA) to enhance cost estimation in large-scale infrastructure projects. Drawing upon 33 completed projects valued at over HK$36 billion in Hong Kong, the study compares both methods using analytical and statistical approaches. RCF (P70, P80) delivers the most accurate estimates overall (mean percentage errors = -1.25%, -7.53%), compared with ERA (-17.16%). It outperforms ERA in 18 (55%) of the 33 projects, particularly in Civil and Road Works, while ERA performs better in Drainage Works. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test confirms a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). This paper provides rare empirical evidence on RCF–ERA performance, identifies project-type-specific estimation patterns, and conceptually outlines how this combined approach can improve contingency estimation in complex infrastructure projects
Early informal fraction knowledge matters: a longitudinal investigation between first and second grades
No full textEighty children were studied from the start of first grade (mean age = 6.68, range 6.03–7.48) through to the end of second grade to characterize initial informal fraction knowledge and its relation to later informal fraction knowledge and mathematics achievement. Children’s understanding of informal fractions grew across first and second grade, despite little formal fraction instruction. Children showed relatively higher performance in nonsymbolic fraction items compared with symbolic items. Gains in understanding the concept of ‘half’ characterized first grade, with higher gains in understanding “thirds” and “fourths” in second grade. There were large individual differences at all timepoints in informal fraction knowledge. Variation in informal fraction knowledge at the start of first grade predicted later mathematics achievement at the end of second grade, even when including number sense in the model. These findings suggest that early informal fraction knowledge is a foundational number skill, whose growth is intertwined with growth in facility with integers
Synergies Strategies for Cost Contingency: Uniting Reference Class Forecasting and Probabilistic Risk Analysis in Infrastructure Project Delivery
No full textEstablishing robust contingency estimates is pivotal to managing unforeseen challenges and accurately assessing project risks in today’s complex project environments. This study investigates the integration of Reference Class Forecasting (RCF) and Estimating using Risk Analysis (ERA) to enhance cost estimation in large-scale infrastructure projects. Drawing upon 33 completed projects valued at over HK$36 billion in Hong Kong, the study compares both methods using analytical and statistical approaches. RCF (P70, P80) delivers the most accurate estimates overall (mean percentage errors = -1.25%, -7.53%), compared with ERA (-17.16%). It outperforms ERA in 18 (55%) of the 33 projects, particularly in Civil and Road Works, while ERA performs better in Drainage Works. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test confirms a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). This paper provides rare empirical evidence on RCF–ERA performance, identifies project-type-specific estimation patterns, and conceptually outlines how this combined approach can improve contingency estimation in complex infrastructure projects
Midwifery student experiences in continuity and public hospital models of care:A cross-sectional survey
No full textBackground Midwifery professional practice experience (MPE) is critical to student learning. Midwifery education standards in Australia prescribe that students must complete midwifery continuity of care experiences across pregnancy, birth and postnatally for ten women. Midwifery Professional Experience (MPE) can occur in partnering health facilities and in midwifery continuity of care models. Aim To compare the MPE experiences of midwifery students in public hospital maternity and continuity of midwifery care models using the validated Mid wifery St udents' E xperience of P ractice (MidSTEP) Tool. Methods Recruitment was via university learning management systems. Data were collected via REDCap using the validated MidSTEP tool. Demographics, program information and 26 Likert-style responses were included. Categorical data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Likert responses were dichotomised and compared between public hospital maternity care and midwifery continuity of care using McNemar’s test (significance 0.05). Open text questions were thematically analysed. Findings 92 responses were received, 96.7 % MPE was in public maternity models of care and 3.3 % in a midwifery continuity of care model. Midwifery student responses to the MidSTEP scale favoured learning experiences through midwifery continuity of care. Open text responses were coded into four themes, culture, implicit values of the maternity service, support for students and experiences with midwifery continuity of care models. Conclusion This study demonstrates learning in MPE is optimised when students are embedded within continuity of midwifery care models. Prioritising student feedback using the MidSTEP tool aligns with midwifery philosophy and should be prioritised.</p