19683 research outputs found
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The health care experiences of people with head and neck cancer: A scoping review
No full textBackground: Understanding health care experience in head and neck cancer (HNC) is becoming increasingly important due to changes in the disease profile, survivorship, and a greater appreciation of patient health care experience as an important outcome measure. People with HNC encounter many different types of health care professionals and health care touchpoints. Method: Through systematic database searching, this scoping review of qualitative English-language studies describes the self-reported care experiences of those with HNC across the health care continuum, and describes the current state of the literature. Results: Overall, the 95 studies identified were heterogeneous and investigated a broad range of topics. Trends across studies showed research centered on hospital-based care, conducted in developed countries, with more studies on feeding than other aspects of care. Generic qualitative research frameworks, with individual interviews, were the preferred method of data collection. Conclusion: Despite identifying many studies, there are significant gaps in our understanding of the HNC patient experience
Roadmap of Concept Drift Adaptation in Data Stream Mining, Years Later
No full textAs machine learning models are increasingly applied to real-world scenarios, it is essential to consider the possibility of changes in the data distribution over time. Concept drift detection and adaptation refers to the process of identifying and tracking these changes and updating the model accordingly. Researchers have devoted significant efforts to develop various techniques and tools for concept drift detection and adaptation, as this paper provides a generic roadmap and review of the field. In this paper, we begin by reviewing the background of data stream classification and its assumptions and requirements. Then, we explore the historical development of concept drift detection and adaptation and highlight the key points of approaches that have emerged over time. Next, we summarize the major findings, challenges, and limitations of past research, and provide insights into potential future directions of the field. The paper can benefit researchers and practitioners who seek to navigate the challenges and opportunities in concept drift detection and adaptation
Interactive clinical supervision training added to self-education leads to small improvements in the effectiveness of clinical supervision of physiotherapists: a randomised trial
No full textQuestion: Does adding an interactive clinical supervision training program to self-education improve the effectiveness of clinical supervision of physiotherapists, reduce burnout, decrease intention to leave and increase participation in clinical supervision? Design: Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis. Participants: Physiotherapists (n = 58) working at a publicly funded health service. Intervention: Participants in both groups received a self-education clinical supervision training package. In addition, participants in the experimental group received interactive clinical supervision training consisting of three 90-minute workshops. Outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was effectiveness of clinical supervision 4 months after training measured using the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale (MCSS-26). Secondary outcomes were the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Intention to Leave Scale, and participation in supervision. Focus groups were also used to gauge impressions of the intervention. Results: The addition of interactive clinical supervision training slightly improved effectiveness of clinical supervision, with a between-group mean difference of 6.3 units (95% CI 0.3 to 12.3) on the MCSS-26. The estimate of the effect on the proportion of physiotherapists reporting effective clinical supervision (ie, MSCC-26 score ≥ 73) was unclear (OR 1.97, 95% CI 0.50 to 7.81). Physiotherapists in the experimental group reported slightly lower levels of depersonalisation (MD –3.0 units, 95% CI –4.6 to –1.3). There were negligible or uncertain effects on the other burnout domains, intention to leave and participation in clinical supervision. Qualitatively, participants reported that the workshops made them realise that supervisees could take greater ownership of where supervision focused. Conclusion: Adding interactive clinical supervision training to self-education leads to small improvements in the effectiveness of clinical supervision of physiotherapists. Registration: osf.io/yz3kx
Differences in shift and work-related patterns between metropolitan and regional/rural healthcare shift workers and the occupational health and safety risks
No full textObjectives: To explore if there are differences in shift patterns and work-related factors between metropolitan and regional/rural healthcare shift workers and their risk of poor sleep and mental health. Furthermore, explore whether these factors impact on medical errors, workplace and car/near car accidents. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: An anonymous online survey of healthcare shift workers in Australia. Participants: A total of 403 nurses, midwives and paramedics completed the survey. Main outcome measures: Sample characteristics, employment location, shift work-related features, sleep and mental health measurements, workplace accidents, medical errors and car/near car accident post shift. Results: Regional/rural healthcare shift workers were significantly older, had more years' experience, worked more nights, on-call and hours per week. Those in metropolitan areas took significantly longer (minutes) to travel to work, had higher levels of anxiety, increased risk of shift work disorder, reported significantly more workplace accidents and were more likely to have a car/near car accident when commuting home post shift. Both groups reported ~25% having a medical error in the past year. Workplace accidents were related to more on-call shifts and poor sleep quality. Medical errors were associated with fewer years' experience, more evening shifts and increased stress. Car accidents were associated with metropolitan location and increased depression. Conclusion: Differences in work-related factors between metropolitan and regional/rural healthcare shift workers were observed. Some of these factors contributed to occupational health and safety risks. Further exploration is needed to understand how to reduce occupational health and safety risks, and improve employee and patient safety both in both regional/rural and metropolitan areas
People do change their beliefs about conspiracy theories—but not often
No full textRecent research has produced a significant body of knowledge about the antecedents and consequences of individual differences in belief in conspiracy theories. What is less clear, however, is the extent to which individuals’ beliefs in conspiracy theories vary over time (i.e., within-person variation). In this descriptive and exploratory study, we therefore aimed to describe within-person variability in belief in conspiracy theories. We collected data from 498 Australians and New Zealanders using an online longitudinal survey, with data collected at monthly intervals over 6 months (March to September 2021). Our measure of conspiracy theories included items describing ten conspiracy theories with responses on a 5-point Likert scale. While there was substantial between-person variance, there was much less within-person variance (intraclass r = 0.91). This suggests that beliefs in conspiracy theories were highly stable in our sample. This stability implies that longitudinal studies testing hypotheses about the causes and consequences of belief in conspiracy theories may require large samples of participants and time points to achieve adequate power. It also implies that explanations of belief in conspiracy theories need to accommodate the observation that beliefs in such theories vary much more between people than within people.</p
Trends in monitoring of Australia’s threatened birds (1990–2020): much improved but still inadequate
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Modular, multi-barcode amplicon sequencing for improved species-level detection of fungal phytopathogens: A case study of pipeline establishment targeting the Ophiostomatales
No full textRecent advances in the field of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding have produced a promising platform for early detection and broad-spectrum monitoring of plant pests and pathogens. To date, the majority of fungal metabarcoding assays have relied upon universal primers amplifying segments of the ribosomal DNA, to ensure broad taxonomic coverage while studying changes in community composition, or more recently, to screen for presence/absence of target species. In a diagnostics framework however, single, universal molecular barcodes do not discriminate accurately enough for many groups of important fungal phytopathogens at the required species level. Here, a modular, multi-barcode amplicon sequencing pipeline was established to provide rapid and reliable diagnostics targeting the Ophiostomatales, an order containing economically important phytopathogens vectored by bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae). Using compositionally varied mock communities, we evaluated five barcoding loci: ITS1, ITS2, the large ribosomal sub-unit (LSU), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1α) and calmodulin (CAL), for their ability to provide species-level resolution. The sensitivity and detection limit of the assay was established by spiking genomic DNA of the exotic Dutch elm disease pathogen, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi Brasier, into both the controlled mock communities and eDNA sampled from Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff) beetles collected in New South Wales, Australia. The TEF1α barcode successfully detected the Dutch elm pathogen DNA with 100% accuracy down to approx. 5 pg/μl, while the ITS1 barcode had a 100% accuracy down to approx. 0.4 pg/μl within a given sample. Our results demonstrate that a dual-barcode approach targeting the ITS1 and TEF1α regions simultaneously is sufficient for accurate species level detection and characterisation of the Ophiostomatales and offers confident detection of low-abundance taxa (relative read abundances of 0.1%–0.01%). Multi-barcode metabarcoding provides a framework which can quickly and efficiently be adapted to new targets when establishing high throughput diagnostics for post-border biosecurity surveillance of fungal phytopathogens
Technology in Social Welfare: Analysis and Mapping of Scientific Literature
No full textTechnology plays an important role in service delivery and service management. Social welfare is one of the service sectors that highly rely on the advancement of technologies. The emergence of varied technologies in social welfare helps this sector to manage and monitor service delivery efficiently and effectively. This paper aims to explore the phenomenon of technology inclusion in social welfare through a systematic literature review in search of its advancement in the past two decades using thematic analysis following the PRISMA guidelines. Specifically, it focuses on the introduction of applications (apps), information communication technologies (ICT), blockchain technology, the emergence of virtual reality (VR), and the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI). This paper delves into the motivations behind the adoption of these technologies, their applications, and the solutions achieved. The review concludes with the identification of research and practical opportunities to improve the inclusion of technologies in social welfare to make the sector successful and more beneficial.</p
Hausdorff dimension for sets of continued fractions of formal Laurent series
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Structural Foot Characteristics in People With Midfoot Osteoarthritis: Cross-Sectional Findings From the Clinical Assessment Study of the Foot
No full textObjective: This study compared radiographic measures of foot structure between people with and without symptomatic radiographic midfoot osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of adults aged 50 years and older registered with four UK general practices who reported foot pain in the past year. Bilateral weightbearing dorsoplantar and lateral radiographs were obtained. Symptomatic radiographic midfoot OA was defined as midfoot pain in the last 4 weeks, combined with radiographic OA in one or more midfoot joints (first cuneometatarsal, second cuneometatarsal, navicular-first cuneiform, and talonavicular). Midfoot OA cases were matched 1:1 for sex and age to controls with a 5-year age tolerance. Eleven radiographic measures were extracted and compared between the groups using independent sample t-tests and effect sizes (Cohen's d). Results: We identified 63 midfoot OA cases (mean ± SD age was 66.8 ± 8.0 years, with 32 male and 31 female participants) and matched these to 63 controls (mean ± SD age was 65.9 ± 7.8 years). There were no differences in metatarsal lengths between the groups. However, those with midfoot OA had a higher calcaneal-first metatarsal angle (d = 0.43, small effect size, P = 0.018) and lower calcaneal inclination angle (d = 0.46, small effect size, P = 0.011) compared with controls. Conclusions: People with midfoot OA have a flatter foot posture compared with controls. Although caution is required when inferring causation from cross-sectional data, these findings are consistent with a pathomechanical pathway linking foot structure to the development of midfoot OA. Prospective studies are required to determine the temporal relationships between foot structure, function, and the development of this common and disabling condition.</p