Search results for: healthcare segment

Authors: Mandayachepa C. Nyando, Lauren Suchman, Innocencia Mtalimanja, Address Malata, Tamanda Jumbe, Martha Kamanga, Peter Waiswa

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Background: Subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC) is a new innovation in contraceptive methods that allow users to inject themselves with a hormonal contraceptive in their own homes. Self-injection (SI) of DMPA-SC has the potential to improve the accessibility of family planning to women who want it and who are capable of injecting themselves. Malawi started implementing this new innovation in 2018. SI was incorporated into the DMPA-SC delivery strategy from its outset. Methodology: This study involved two districts in Malawi where DMPA-SC SI was rolled out: Mulanje and Ntchisi. We used a qualitative cross-sectional study design where 60 in-depth interviews were conducted with women of reproductive age group stratified as 15-45 age band. These included women who were SI users, non-users, and any woman who was on any contraceptive methods. The women participants were tape-recorded, and data were transcribed and then analysed using Dedoose software, where themes were categorised into mother and child themes. Results: Women perceived DMPA SC SI as uniquely private, convenient, and less painful when self-injected. In terms of privacy, women in Mulanje and Ntchisi especially appreciated that self-injecting allowed them to use covertly from partners. Some men do not allow their spouses to use modern contraceptive methods; hence women prefer to use them covertly. “… but I first reach out to men because the strongest power is answered by men (MJ015).” In addition, women reported that SI offers privacy from family/community and less contact with healthcare providers. These aspects of privacy were especially valued in areas where there is a high degree of mistrust around family planning and among those who feel judged or antagonized purchasing contraception, such as young unmarried women. Women also valued the convenience SI provided in terms of their ability to save time by injecting themselves at home rather than visiting a healthcare provider and having more reliable access to contraception, particularly in the face of stockouts. SI allows for stocking up on doses to accommodate shifting work schedules in case of future stockouts or hard times, such as the period of COVID-19, where there was a limitation in the movement of the people. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SI may meet the needs of many women in Malawi as long as the barriers are eliminated. The barriers women mentioned include fear of self-inject and proper storage of the DMPA SC SI, and these barriers can be eliminated by proper training. The findings also set the scene for policy revision and direction at a national level and integrate the approach with national family planning strategies in Malawi. Findings provide insights that may guide future implementation strategies, strengthen non-clinic family planning access programs and stimulate continued research.

Keywords: family planning, Malawi, Sayana press, self-injection

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Authors: Mwafak Shakoor

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The purpose of this study was to reduce patient waiting times, improve system throughput and improve resources utilization in radiology department. A discrete event simulation model was developed using Arena simulation software to investigate different alternatives to improve the overall system delivery based on adding resource scenarios due to the linkage between patient waiting times and resource availability. The study revealed that there is no addition investment need to procure additional scanner but hospital management deploy managerial tactics to enhance machine utilization and reduce the long waiting time in the department.

Keywords: discrete event simulation, radiology department, arena, waiting time, healthcare modeling, computed tomography

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Authors: Francis Gyapong, Denis Yar

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The use of cell phones has become an indispensable tool in the hospital's settings. Cell phones are used in hospitals without restrictions regardless of their unknown microbial load. However, the indiscriminate use of mobile devices, especially at health facilities, can act as a vehicle for transmitting pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms. These potential pathogens become exogenous sources of infection for the patients and are also a potential health hazard for self and as well as family members. These are a growing problem in many health care institutions. Innovations in mobile communication have led to better patient care in diabetes, asthma, and increased in vaccine uptake via SMS. Notwithstanding, the use of cell phones can be a great potential source for nosocomial infections. Many studies reported heavy microbial contamination of cell phones among healthcare workers and communities. However, limited studies have been reported in our region on bacterial contamination on cell phones among healthcare workers. This study assessed microbial contamination of cell phones of health care workers (HCWs) at the Mampong Municipal Government Hospital (MMGH), Ghana. A cross-sectional design was used to characterize bacterial microflora on cell phones of HCWs at the MMGH. A total of thirty-five (35) swab samples of cell phones of HCWs at the Laboratory, Dental Unit, Children’s Ward, Theater and Male ward were randomly collected for laboratory examinations. A suspension of the swab samples was each streak on blood and MacConkey agar and incubated at 37℃ for 48 hours. Bacterial isolates were identified using appropriate laboratory and biochemical tests. Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used to determine the antimicrobial sensitivity tests of the isolates. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. All mobile phones sampled were contaminated with one or more bacterial isolates. Cell phones from the Male ward, Dental Unit, Laboratory, Theatre and Children’s ward had at least three different bacterial isolates; 85.7%, 71.4%, 57.1% and 28.6% for both Theater and Children’s ward respectively. Bacterial contaminants identified were Staphylococcus epidermidis (37%), Staphylococcus aureus (26%), E. coli (20%), Bacillus spp. (11%) and Klebsiella spp. (6 %). Except for the Children ward, E. coli was isolated at all study sites and predominant (42.9%) at the Dental Unit while Klebsiella spp. (28.6%) was only isolated at the Children’s ward. Antibiotic sensitivity testing of Staphylococcus aureus indicated that they were highly sensitive to cephalexin (89%) tetracycline (80%), gentamycin (75%), lincomycin (70%), ciprofloxacin (67%) and highly resistant to ampicillin (75%). Some of these bacteria isolated are potential pathogens and their presence on cell phones of HCWs could be transmitted to patients and their families. Hence strict hand washing before and after every contact with patient and phone be enforced to reduce the risk of nosocomial infections.

Keywords: mobile phones, bacterial contamination, patients, MMGH

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Authors: Sina Dehghani, Zhikang Rong

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Historically, a variety of approaches have been taken to forecast commodity prices due to the significant implications of these values on the global economy. An accurate forecasting tool for a valuable commodity would significantly benefit investors and governmental agencies. Silver, in particular, has grown significantly as a commodity in recent years due to its use in healthcare and technology. This manuscript aims to utilize the Geometric Brownian Motion predictive model to forecast silver commodity prices over multiple 3-year periods. The results of the study indicate that the model has several limitations, particularly its inability to work effectively over longer periods of time, but still was extremely effective over shorter time frames. This study sets a baseline for silver commodity forecasting with GBM, and the model could be further strengthened with refinement.

Keywords: geometric Brownian motion, commodity, risk management, volatility, stochastic behavior, price forecasting

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Authors: A. Zecchin, E. Vallicella, I. Alberi, A. Dalle Carbonare, A. Festi, F. Galeone, S. Garzon, R. Raffaelli, P. Pomini, M. Franchi

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Introduction: Severe endometriosis is a multiorgan disease, that involves bowel in 31% of cases. Disabling symptoms and deep infiltration can lead to bowel obstruction: surgical bowel treatment may be needed. In these cases, colorectal segment resection is usually performed by inferior mesenteric artery ligature, as radically as for oncological surgery. This study was made on surgery based on intestinal vascular axis’ preservation. It was assessed postoperative complications risks (mainly rate of dehiscence of intestinal anastomoses), and results were compared with the ones found in literature about classical colorectal resection. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study based on 62 patients with deep infiltrating endometriosis of the bowel, which undergo segmental resection with intestinal vascular axis preservation, between 2013 and 2016. It was assessed complications related to the intervention both during hospitalization and 30-60 days after resection. Particular attention was paid to the presence of anastomotic dehiscence. 52 patients were finally telephonically interviewed in order to investigate the presence or absence of intestinal constipation. Results and Conclusion: Segmental intestinal resection performed in this study ensured a more conservative vascular approach, with lower rate of anastomotic dehiscence (1.6%) compared to classical literature data (10.0% to 11.4% ). No complications were observed regarding spontaneous recovery of intestinal motility and bladder emptying. Constipation in some patients, even after years of intervention, is not assessable in the absence of a preoperative constipation state assessment.

Keywords: anastomotic dehiscence, deep infiltrating endometriosis, colorectal resection, vascular axis preservation

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Authors: Ezinne M. Igwe

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Statements of facts have been made about Nollywood, a segment of the Nigerian film industry that has in recent times become phenomenal due largely to its quantity of production and specific production style. In the face of recent transformations reshaping the industry, matters have been arising which have not been given due academic attention from an industry player perspective. While re-addressing such issues like structure, policy and informality, this study benefits from a new perspective – that of a community member adopting participant observation to research into a familiar culture. With data drawn from an extensive ethnographic study of the industry, this paper examines these matters with an emphasis on structure and the industry’s overall political economy. Drawing from discourses on the new and old Nollywood labels and other current matters arising within the industry such as the MOPICON bill redraft, corporate financing and possibilities of regeneration, this paper examines structure and power struggle within Nollywood. These are championing regenerative processes that bring about formalization, professionalism and the quest for a transnational presence, which have only been superficially evaluated. Focused essentially on Nollywood’s political economy, this study critically analyses the transforming face of an informal industry, the consistent quest for structure, quality and standard, and issues of corporate sponsorship as possible trends of regeneration. It evaluates them as indicators of regeneration, questioning the possibilities of their sustenance in an industry experiencing increased interactions with the formal economy and an influx of young professionals. With findings that make sustained regeneration both certain (due to increased formal economy interaction) and uncertain (due to the dysfunctionality of the society and its political system), it concludes that the transforming face of the industry suggests impending gentrification of the industry.

Keywords: formalisation, MOPICON, Nollywood, structure

Procedia PDF Downloads 280

Authors: Robert L. Fine, Zhiyong Yang, Christy Spivey, Bonnie Boardman, Maureen Courtney

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Importance: Barriers to traditional advance care planning (ACP) and advance directive (AD) creation have limited the promise of ACP/AD for individuals and families, the healthcare team, and society. Reengineering ACP by using a web-based, consumer-driven process has recently been suggested. We report early experience with such a process. Objective: Begin to analyze the potential of the creation and use of ACP/ADs as generated by a consumer-friendly, digital process by 1) assessing the likelihood that consumers would create ACP/ADs without structured intervention by medical or legal professionals, and 2) analyzing the responses to determine if the plans can help doctors better understand a person’s goals, preferences, and priorities for their medical treatments and the naming of healthcare agents. Design: The authors chose 900 users of MyDirectives.com, a digital ACP/AD tool, solely based on their state of residence in order to achieve proportional representation of all 50 states by population size and then reviewed their responses, summarizing these through descriptive statistics including treatment preferences, demographics, and revision of preferences. Setting: General United States population. Participants: The 900 participants had an average age of 50.8 years (SD = 16.6); 84.3% of the men and 91% of the women were in self-reported good health when signing their ADs. Main measures: Preferences regarding the use of life-sustaining treatments, where to spend final days, consulting a supportive and palliative care team, attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), autopsy, and organ and tissue donation. Results: Nearly 85% of respondents prefer cessation of life-sustaining treatments during their final days whenever those may be, 76% prefer to spend their final days at home or in a hospice facility, and 94% wanted their future doctors to consult a supportive and palliative care team. 70% would accept attempted CPR in certain limited circumstances. Most respondents would want an autopsy under certain conditions, and 62% would like to donate their organs. Conclusions and relevance: Analysis of early experience with an all-digital web-based ACP/AD platform demonstrates that individuals from a wide range of ages and conditions can engage in an interrogatory process about values, goals, preferences, and priorities for their medical treatments by developing advance directives and easily make changes to the AD created. Online creation, storage, and retrieval of advance directives has the potential to remove barriers to ACP/AD and, thus, to further improve patient-centered end-of-life care.

Keywords: Advance Care Plan, Advance Decisions, Advance Directives, Consumer; Digital, End of Life Care, Goals, Living Wills, Prefences, Universal Advance Directive, Statements

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Authors: Okunola Oluseye Ademola

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The study investigated various socio-cultural factors influencing adherence to antiretroviral drugs among people living with HIV in a University Teaching Hospital in South-western Nigeria. The objectives are to examine the perception of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, investigate the influence of socio-cultural factors on adherence of PLWHA to treatment regimen in the study area and assess the prevalence of adherence to ART among PLWHA in the study area. It was a cross-sectional where both qualitative and quantitative research methods were adopted. The participants were HIV diagnosed patients attending clinic at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex in Ile-Ife between the ages of 18 and 60 years. Also three healthcare delivery personnel working in the clinic were interviewed. Out of the 3007 patients receiving treatment, using Fischer’s formula of sampling technique, 336 patients living with HIV/AIDS were selected for the study. These participants had been on antiretroviral drugs for more than six months prior to the study and were selected using simple random sampling technique. Two focus group discussion sessions comprising of 10 male and 10 female living with HIV and currently on ART were conducted. These groups were purposively selected based on their being on ART for more than one year. Also in-depth interviews were conducted among three purposively selected healthcare givers (an experienced nurse, a doctor and a pharmacist) who are working in this clinic. All the participants were interviewed at the clinic on the various clinic days. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, an interview guide and tape-recorder. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Content analysis was employed to analyse responses from IDI and FGD sessions. The findings from the study revealed a very positive perception to ART among PLWHA which was about 86.3% while the level of adherence to ART was 89.0% among the respondents. There was a very strong relationship between social and family supports and the degree of adherence to ART in the PLWHA. Nutrition, polygamy, difficulty in financing transportation fare to the clinic, unemployment, drug hawkers, religion, excuse duty from work and waking up very early were highlighted as socio-cultural barriers to adherence to ART. Fear of death, strong family support, religion belief, not seeking alternative treatment, absence of rituals and perceived improved health status were identified as very strong facilitators to adherence. The study concluded that to achieve a very optimal outcome in the management of HIV among PLWHA, various social and cultural contexts should be taken into consideration as this study was able to ascertain the influence of various socio-cultural factors militating and facilitating adherence to ART.

Keywords: ART, HIV, PLWHA, socio-cultural

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Authors: Bashir Abdu Muzakkari, Aisha Umar Sulaiman, Mohamed Afendee Muhamad, Sanah Abdullahi Muaz

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The field of the Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly expanding and has the potential to completely change how we work, live, and interact with the world. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the term used to describe a network of networked physical objects, including machinery, vehicles, and buildings, which are equipped with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity. This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of IoT, including its definition, key components, development history, and current applications. The paper will also discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by IoT, as well as its potential impact on various industries, such as healthcare, agriculture, and transportation. In addition, this paper will highlight the ethical and security concerns associated with IoT and the need for effective solutions to address these challenges. The paper concludes by highlighting the prospects of IoT and the directions for future research in this field.

Keywords: internet of things, IoT, sensors, network

Procedia PDF Downloads 171

Authors: Lik Hang Gary Wong

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Background: Practice learning is crucial for preparing the healthcare profession to meet the real challenge upon graduation. Students are required to demonstrate their competence in managing interpersonal challenges, such as teamwork with other professionals and communicating well with the service users, during the placement. Such competence precedes clinical practice, and it may eventually affect students' actual performance in a clinical context. Unfortunately, there were limited studies investigating how such competence affects students' performance in practice learning. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate how self-rated interpersonal competence affects students' actual performance during clinical placement. Methods: 40 occupational therapy students from Hong Kong were recruited in this study. Prior to the clinical placement (level two or above), they completed an online survey that included the Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale (ICCS) measuring self-perceived competence in interpersonal communication. Near the end of their placement, the clinical educator rated students’ performance with the Student Practice Evaluation Form - Revised edition (SPEF-R). The SPEF-R measures the eight core competency domains required for an entry-level occupational therapist. This study adopted the cross-sectional observational design. Pearson correlation and multiple regression are conducted to examine the relationship between students' interpersonal communication competence and their actual performance in clinical placement. Results: The ICCS total scores were significantly correlated with all the SPEF-R domains, with correlation coefficient r ranging from 0.39 to 0.51. The strongest association was found with the co-worker communication domain (r = 0.51, p < 0.01), followed by the information gathering domain (r = 0.50, p < 0.01). Regarding the ICCS total scores as the independent variable and the rating in various SPEF-R domains as the dependent variables in the multiple regression analyses, the interpersonal competence measures were identified as a significant predictor of the co-worker communication (R² = 0.33, β = 0.014, SE = 0.006, p = 0.026), information gathering (R² = 0.27, β = 0.018, SE = 0.007, p = 0.011), and service provision (R² = 0.17, β = 0.017, SE = 0.007, p = 0.020). Moreover, some specific communication skills appeared to be especially important to clinical practice. For example, immediacy, which means whether the students were readily approachable on all social occasions, correlated with all the SPEF-R domains, with r-values ranging from 0.45 to 0.33. Other sub-skills, such as empathy, interaction management, and supportiveness, were also found to be significantly correlated to most of the SPEF-R domains. Meanwhile, the ICCS scores correlated differently with the co-worker communication domain (r = 0.51, p < 0.01) and the communication with the service user domain (r = 0.39, p < 0.05). It suggested that different communication skill sets would be required for different interpersonal contexts within the workplace. Conclusion: Students' self-perceived interpersonal communication competence could predict their actual performance during clinical placement. Moreover, some specific communication skills were more important to the co-worker communication but not to the daily interaction with the service users. There were implications on how to better prepare the students to meet the future challenge upon graduation.

Keywords: interpersonal competence, clinical education, healthcare professional education, occupational therapy, occupational therapy students

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Authors: S. M. Ismail, H-H Yen, C. M. Murray, H. M. S. Davies

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A recent study reported a 33% incidence of complete sacrocaudal fusion in greyhounds compared to a 3% incidence in other dogs. In the dog, the median sacral crest is formed by the fusion of sacral spinous processes. Separation of the 1st spinous process from the median crest of the sacrum in the dog has been reported as a diagnostic tool of type one lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LTV). LTV is a congenital spinal anomaly, which includes either sacralization of the caudal lumbar part or lumbarization of the most cranial sacral segment of the spine. In this study, the absence or reduction of fusion (presence of separation) between the 1st and 2ndspinous processes of the median sacral crest has been identified in association with sacrocaudal fusion in the greyhound, without any feature of LTV. In order to provide quantitative data on the absence or reduction of fusion in the median sacral crest between the 1st and 2nd sacral spinous processes, in association with sacrocaudal fusion. 204 dog sacrums free of any pathological changes (192 greyhound, 9 beagles and 3 labradors) were grouped based on the occurrence and types of fusion and the presence, absence, or reduction in the median sacral crest between the 1st and 2nd sacral spinous processes., Sacrums were described and classified as follows: F: Complete fusion (crest is present), N: Absence (fusion is absent), and R: Short crest (fusion reduced but not absent (reduction). The incidence of sacrocaudal fusion in the 204 sacrums: 57% of the sacrums were standard (3 vertebrae) and 43% were fused (4 vertebrae). Type of sacrum had a significant (p < .05) association with the absence and reduction of fusion between the 1st and 2nd sacral spinous processes of the median sacral crest. In the 108 greyhounds with standard sacrums (3 vertebrae) the percentages of F, N and R were 45% 23% and 23% respectively, while in the 84 fused (4 vertebrae) sacrums, the percentages of F, N and R were 3%, 87% and 10% respectively and these percentages were significantly different between standard (3 vertebrae) and fused (4 vertebrae) sacrums (p < .05). This indicates that absence of spinous process fusion in the median sacral crest was found in a large percentage of the greyhounds in this study and was found to be particularly prevalent in those with sacrocaudal fusion – therefore in this breed, at least, absence of sacral spinous process fusion may be unlikely to be associated with LTV.

Keywords: greyhound, median sacral crest, sacrocaudal fusion, sacral spinous process

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Authors: Badiy Elmabrouk, Abdelhamid Boujarif, Zhiguo Zeng, Stephane Borrel, Robert Heidsieck

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In an era where sustainability is paramount, this paper introduces a machine learning-driven testing protocol to accurately predict diode failures, merging reliability engineering with failure physics to enhance repair operations efficiency. Our approach refines the burn-in process, significantly curtailing its duration, which not only conserves energy but also elevates productivity and mitigates component wear. A case study from GE HealthCare’s repair center vividly demonstrates the method’s effectiveness, recording a high prediction of diode failures and a substantial decrease in energy consumption that translates to an annual reduction of 6.5 Tons of CO2 emissions. This advancement sets a benchmark for environmentally conscious practices in the electronics repair sector.

Keywords: maintenance, burn-in, failure physics, reliability testing

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Authors: Theo Welch

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Background: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a depressant of the central nervous system with euphoric effects. It is being increasingly used recreationally in the United Kingdom (UK) despite associated morbidity and mortality. Due to the lack of evidence, healthcare professionals remain unsure as to the optimum management of GHB acute toxicity. Methods: A literature review was undertaken of its pharmacology and the emergency management of its acute toxicity.Findings: GHB is inexpensive and readily available over the Internet. Treatment of GHB acute toxicity is supportive. Clinicians should pay particular attention to the airway as emesis is common. Intubation is required in a minority of cases. Polydrug use is common and worsens prognosis. Conclusion: An inexpensive and readily available drug, GHB acute toxicity can be difficult to identify and treat. GHB acute toxicity is generally treated conservatively. Further research is needed to ascertain the indications, benefits, and risks of intubating patients with GHB acute toxicity. instructions give you guidelines for preparing papers for the conference.

Keywords: GHB, gamma-hydroxybutyrate, prehospital, emergency, toxicity, management

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Authors: Noura Al-Ajmi, Mohammed A. Almulla

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With the increased utilization of technology devices around the world, healthcare and medical diagnosis are critical issues that people worry about these days. Doctors are doing their best to avoid any medical errors while diagnosing diseases and prescribing the wrong medication. Subsequently, artificial intelligence applications that can be installed on mobile devices such as rule-based expert systems facilitate the task of assisting doctors in several ways. Due to their many advantages, the usage of expert systems has increased recently in health sciences. This work presents a backward rule-based expert system that can be used for a headache diagnosis and medication recommendation system. The structure of the system consists of three main modules, namely the input unit, the processing unit, and the output unit.

Keywords: headache diagnosis system, prescription recommender system, expert system, backward rule-based system

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Authors: Mehrnaz Mostafavi

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The assessment and categorization of incidental lung nodules present a considerable challenge in healthcare, often necessitating resource-intensive multiple computed tomography (CT) scans for growth confirmation. This research addresses this issue by introducing a distinct computational approach leveraging radiomics and deep-learning methods. However, understanding local services is essential before implementing these advancements. With diverse tracking methods in place, there is a need for efficient and accurate identification approaches, especially in the context of managing lung nodules alongside pre-existing cancer scenarios. This study explores the integration of text-based algorithms in medical data curation, indicating their efficacy in conjunction with machine learning and deep-learning models for identifying lung nodules. Combining medical images with text data has demonstrated superior data retrieval compared to using each modality independently. While deep learning and text analysis show potential in detecting previously missed nodules, challenges persist, such as increased false positives. The presented research introduces a Structured-Query-Language (SQL) algorithm designed for identifying pulmonary nodules in a tertiary cancer center, externally validated at another hospital. Leveraging natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, the algorithm categorizes lung nodule reports based on sentence features, aiming to facilitate research and assess clinical pathways. The hypothesis posits that the algorithm can accurately identify lung nodule CT scans and predict concerning nodule features using machine-learning classifiers. Through a retrospective observational study spanning a decade, CT scan reports were collected, and an algorithm was developed to extract and classify data. Results underscore the complexity of lung nodule cohorts in cancer centers, emphasizing the importance of careful evaluation before assuming a metastatic origin. The SQL and NLP algorithms demonstrated high accuracy in identifying lung nodule sentences, indicating potential for local service evaluation and research dataset creation. Machine-learning models exhibited strong accuracy in predicting concerning changes in lung nodule scan reports. While limitations include variability in disease group attribution, the potential for correlation rather than causality in clinical findings, and the need for further external validation, the algorithm's accuracy and potential to support clinical decision-making and healthcare automation represent a significant stride in lung nodule management and research.

Keywords: lung cancer diagnosis, structured-query-language (SQL), natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, CT scans

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Authors: Praveen S. Muthukumarana, Achala C. Aponso

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A large percentage of global crop harvest is lost due to crop diseases. Timely identification and treatment of crop diseases is difficult in many developing nations due to insufficient trained professionals in the field of agriculture. Many crop diseases can be accurately diagnosed by visual symptoms. In the past decade, deep learning has been successfully utilized in domains such as healthcare but adoption in agriculture for plant disease detection is rare. The literature shows that models trained with popular datasets such as PlantVillage does not generalize well on real world images. This paper attempts to find out how to make plant disease identification models that generalize well with real world images.

Keywords: agriculture, convolutional neural network, deep learning, plant disease classification, plant disease detection, plant disease diagnosis

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Authors: Sami Alanazi

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Teamwork practices have been recognized as a significant strategy to improve patient safety, quality of care, and staff and patient satisfaction in healthcare settings, particularly within the emergency department (ED). The EDs depend heavily on teams of interdisciplinary healthcare staff to carry out their operational goals and core business of providing care to the serious illness and injured. The ED is also recognized as a high-risk area in relation to service demand and the potential for human error. Few studies have considered the perceptions and experiences of the ED staff (physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and administration staff) about the practice of teamwork, especially in Saudi Arabia (SA), and no studies have been conducted to explore the practices of teamwork in the EDs. Aim: To explore the practices of teamwork from the perspectives and experiences of staff (physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and administration staff) when interacting with each other in the admission areas in the ED of a public hospital in the Northern Border region of SA. Method: A qualitative case study design was utilized, drawing on two methods for the data collection, comprising of semi-structured interviews (n=22) with physicians (6), nurses (10), allied health professionals (3), and administrative members (3) working in the ED of a hospital in the Northern Border region of SA. The second method is non-participant direct observation. All data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: The main themes that emerged from the analysis were as follows: the meaningful of teamwork, reasons of teamwork, the ED environmental factors, the organizational factors, the value of communication, leadership, teamwork skills in the ED, team members' behaviors, multicultural teamwork, and patients and families behaviors theme. Discussion: Working in the ED environment played a major role in affecting work performance as well as team dynamics. However, Communication, time management, fast-paced performance, multitasking, motivation, leadership, and stress management were highlighted by the participants as fundamental skills that have a major impact on team members and patients in the ED. It was found that the behaviors of the team members impacted the team dynamics as well as ED health services. Behaviors such as disputes among team members, conflict, cooperation, uncooperative members, neglect, and emotions of the members. Besides that, the behaviors of the patients and their accompanies had a direct impact on the team and the quality of the services. In addition, the differences in the cultures have separated the team members and created undesirable gaps such the gender segregation, national origin discrimination, and similarity and different in interests. Conclusion: Effective teamwork, in the context of the emergency department, was recognized as an essential element to obtain the quality of care as well as improve staff satisfaction.

Keywords: teamwork, barrier, facilitator, emergencydepartment

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Authors: Joao Paulo Matheus, Renan Fangel

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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, systemic and progressive disease that affects the synovial joints bilaterally, causing definitive orthopedic damage. It has a higher prevalence in postmenopausal female patients. It is a disabling disease that causes joint deformities that may compromise the functionality of the affected segment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of low-intensity therapeutic laser on the perception of pain and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This is a randomized clinical study involving 6 women with a mean age of 56.8+6.3 years. Exclusion criteria: patients with acute pain, chronic infectious disease, underlying acute or chronic underlying disease. An AsGaAl laser with 808nm wavelength, 100mW power, beam output area of 0.028cm2, power density of 3.57W/cm2 was used. The laser was applied at pre-defined points in the interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints, totaling 24 points, 2 times a week, for 4 weeks, totaling 8 sessions. The Pain Inventory (IBD) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used for the analysis of pain and for the WHOQOL-bref quality of life assessment. There was no statistical difference between the onset (5.67±2.66) and the final (4.67±3.78) of treatments (p=0.70). There was also no statistical difference between the beginning (5.67±2.66) and the final (4.67±3.78) of the treatments in the VAS analysis (p=0.68). The overall mean quality of life obtained by the questionnaire at the start of treatment was 42.3±7.6, while at the end of treatment it was 58.5±7.6 (p=0.01) and the domains of the questionnaire with significant differences were: psychological domain 42.9±6.8 and 66.7±12.9 (p=0.004), social domain 39.9±5.7 and 68.1±6.3 (p=0,0005) and environmental domain 36.3±7.3 and 56.3±12.5 (p=0.003). It can be concluded that the low-intensity therapeutic laser did not produce significant changes in the painful period of rheumatoid arthritis patients. However, there was an improvement in patients' quality of life in the psychological, social and environmental aspects.

Keywords: laser therapy, pain, quality of life, rheumatoid arthritis

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Authors: Nasreen Abdulmannan

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Fetal abnormalities are categorized as a structural abnormality, non-structural abnormality, or a combination of both. Fetal structural abnormalities (FSA) include, but are not limited, to Down syndrome, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and cleft lip and palate. These abnormalities can be detected in the first weeks of pregnancy, which is almost around 9 - 20 weeks gestational. Etiological factors for FSA are unknown; however, transmitted genetic risk can be one of these factors. Consanguineous marriage often referred to as inbreeding, represents a significant risk factor for FSA due to the increased likelihood of deleterious genetic traits shared by both biological parents. In a country such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), consanguineous marriage is high, which creates a significant risk of children being born with congenital abnormalities. Historically, the practice of consanguinity occurred commonly among European royalty. For example, Great Britain’s Queen Victoria married her German first cousin, Prince Albert of Coburg. Although a distant blood relationship, the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II married her cousin, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark—both of them direct descendants of Queen Victoria. In Middle Eastern countries, a high incidence of consanguineous unions still exists, including in the KSA. Previous studies indicated that a significant gap exists in understanding the lived experiences of Saudi women dealing with an FSA-complicated pregnancy. Eleven participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format for this qualitative phenomenological study investigating the lived experiences of pregnant Saudi women carrying a child with FSA. This study explored the gaps in current literature regarding the lived experiences of pregnant Saudi women whose pregnancies were complicated by FSA. In addition, the researcher acquired knowledge about the available support and resources as well as the Saudi cultural perspective on FSA. This research explored the lived experiences of pregnant Saudi women utilizing Giorgi’s (2009) approach to data collection and data management. Findings for this study cover five major themes: (1) initial maternal reaction to the FSA diagnosis per ultrasound screening; (2) strengthening of the maternal relationship with God; (3) maternal concern for their child’s future; (4) feeling supported by their loved ones; and (5) lack of healthcare provider support and guidance. Future research in the KSA is needed to explore the network support for these mothers. This study recommended further clinical nursing research, nursing education, clinical practice, and healthcare policy/procedures to provide opportunities for improvement in nursing care and increase awareness in KSA society.

Keywords: fetal structural abnormalities, psychological distress, health provider, health care

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Authors: Launcelot McGrath

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The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly around the world, resulting in high mortality rates and very large numbers of people requiring medical treatment in ICU. Management of patient hospitalisation is a critical aspect to control this disease and reduce chaos in the healthcare systems. Remote monitoring provides a solution to protect vulnerable and elderly high-risk patients. Continuous remote monitoring of oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, heart rate, and temperature, etc., provides medical systems with up-to-the-minute information about their patients' statuses. Remote monitoring also limits the spread of infection by reducing hospital overcrowding. This paper examines the potential of remote monitoring for Covid-19 to assist in the rapid identification of patients at risk, facilitate the detection of patient deterioration, and enable early interventions.

Keywords: remote monitoring, patient care, oxygen saturation, Covid-19, hospital management

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Authors: Temesgen Geremew

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Functionalized nanoparticles have emerged as a revolutionary class of materials with immense potential in various biomedical applications. These engineered nanoparticles possess unique properties tailored to interact with biological systems, offering unprecedented opportunities in drug delivery, imaging, diagnostics, and therapy. This research delves into the design, synthesis, and characterization of functionalized nanoparticles for targeted biomedical applications. The primary focus lies on developing nanoparticles with precisely controlled size, surface chemistry, and biocompatibility for specific medical purposes. The research will also explore the crucial interaction of these nanoparticles with biological systems, encompassing cellular uptake, biodistribution, and potential toxicity evaluation. The successful development of functionalized nanoparticles holds the promise to revolutionize various aspects of healthcare. This research aspires to contribute significantly to this advancement by providing valuable insights into the design and application of these versatile materials within the ever-evolving field of biomedicine.

Keywords: nanoparticles, biomedicals, cancer, biocompatibility

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Authors: Bergun Meric Bingul, Cigdem Bulgan, Ozlem Tore, Mensure Aydin, Erdal Bal

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The aim of the study was to compare the effects of impact forces and some kinematic parameters with two different straight punch stance positions in boxing. 9 elite boxing athletes from the Turkish National Team (mean age± SD 19.33±2.11 years, mean height 174.22±3.79 cm, mean weight 66.0±6.62 kg) participated in this study as voluntarily. Boxing athletes performed one trial in straight punch technique for each two different stance positions (orthodox and southpaw stances) at sandbag. The trials were recorded at a frequency of 120Hz using eight synchronized high-speed cameras (Oqus 7+), which were placed, approximately at right- angles to one another. The three-dimensional motion analysis was performed with a Motion Capture System (Qualisys, Sweden). Data was transferred to Windows-based data acquisition software, which was QTM (Qualisys Track Manager). 11 segment models were used for determination of the kinematic variables (Calf, leg, punch, upperarm, lowerarm, trunk). Also, the sandbag was markered for calculation of the impact forces. Wand calibration method (with T stick) was used for field calibration. The mean velocity and acceleration of the punch; mean acceleration of the sandbag and angles of the trunk, shoulder, hip and knee were calculated. Stance differences’ data were compared with Wilcoxon test for using SPSS 20.0 program. According to the results, there were statistically significant differences found in trunk angle on the sagittal plane (yz) (p<0.05). There was a significant difference also found in sandbag acceleration and impact forces between stance positions (p < 0.05). Boxing athletes achieved more impact forces and accelerations in orthodox stance position. It is recommended that to use an orthodox stance instead of southpaw stance in straight punch technique especially for creating more impact forces.

Keywords: boxing, impact force, kinematics, straight punch, orthodox, southpaw

Procedia PDF Downloads 325

Authors: M. K. Witek-Hajduk, T. M. Napiórkowski

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A number of studies discussed the topic of benefits of retailers-manufacturers cooperation and coopetition. However, there are only few publications focused on the benefits of cooperation and coopetition between retailers and their suppliers of durable consumer goods; especially in the context of business model of cooperating partners. This paper aims to provide a clustering approach to segment retailers selling consumer durables according to the benefits they obtain from their cooperation with key manufacturers and differentiate the said retailers’ in term of the business models of cooperating partners. For the purpose of the study, a survey (with a CATI method) collected data on 603 consumer durables retailers present on the Polish market. Retailers are clustered both, with hierarchical and non-hierarchical methods. Five distinctive groups of consumer durables’ retailers are (based on the studied benefits) identified using the two-stage clustering approach. The clusters are then characterized with a set of exogenous variables, key of which are business models employed by the retailer and its partnering key manufacturer. The paper finds that the a combination of a medium sized retailer classified as an Integrator with a chiefly domestic capital and a manufacturer categorized as a Market Player will yield the highest benefits. On the other side of the spectrum is medium sized Distributor retailer with solely domestic capital – in this case, the business model of the cooperating manufactrer appears to be irreleveant. This paper is the one of the first empirical study using cluster analysis on primary data that defines the types of cooperation between consumer durables’ retailers and manufacturers – their key suppliers. The analysis integrates a perspective of both retailers’ and manufacturers’ business models and matches them with individual and joint benefits.

Keywords: benefits of cooperation, business model, cluster analysis, retailer-manufacturer cooperation

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Authors: P. Halder, A. Zaman

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It is estimated that heart disease accounts for one in ten deaths worldwide. United States deaths due to heart disease are among the leading causes of death according to the World Health Organization. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for one in four U.S. deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to statistics, women are more likely than men to die from heart disease as a result of strokes. A 50% increase in men's mortality was reported by the World Health Organization in 2009. The consequences of cardiovascular disease are severe. The causes of heart disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, abnormal pulse rates, etc. Machine learning (ML) can be used to make predictions and decisions in the healthcare industry. Thus, scientists have turned to modern technologies like Machine Learning and Data Mining to predict diseases. The disease prediction is based on four algorithms. Compared to other boosts, the Ada boost is much more accurate.

Keywords: heart disease, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, feature selection, random forest, AdaBoost, SVM, decision tree

Procedia PDF Downloads 151

Authors: M. Valentini, D. Melisi, M. A. Nitti, R A. Picca, M. C. Sportelli, E. Bonerba, G. Casamassima, N. Cioffi, L. Sabbatini, G. Tantillo, A. Valentini

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In recent years antimicrobial coatings are receiving increasing attention due to their high demand in medical applications as well as in healthcare and hygiene. Research and technology are constantly involved to develop advanced finishing which can provide bacteriostatic growth without compromising the other typical properties of a textile as durability and non-toxicity, just to cite a few. Here we report on the antimicrobial coatings obtained, at room temperature and without the use of solvents, by means of the ion beam co-sputtering technique of an Ag target and a polytetrafluoroethylene one. In particular, such method allows to conjugate the well-known antimicrobial action of silver with the anti-stain and water-repellent properties of the fluoropolymer. Moreover, different Ag nanoparticle loadings (φ) were prepared by tuning the material deposition conditions achieving a fine control on film thickness and their antimicrobial/anti-stain properties.

Keywords: antimicrobial, ion beam sputtering, nanocoatings, anti-stain

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Authors: Christopher Wearmouth, Jacob Smith

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Administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces all-cause mortality in trauma patients when given within 3 hours of injury. Due to geographical distance and lack of emergency medical services patients often present late, following trauma, to our emergency department. Additionally, we found patients that may have benefited from TXA did not receive it, often due to lack of staff awareness, staff shortages out of hours and lack of equipment for delivering infusions. Our objective was to develop a protocol for nurse-led administration of TXA in the emergency department. We developed a protocol using physiological observations along with criteria from the South African Triage Scale to allow nursing staff to identify patients with, or at risk of, significant haemorrhage. We will monitor the use of the protocol to ensure appropriate compliance and for any adverse events reported.

Keywords: emergency department, emergency nursing, rural healthcare, tranexamic acid, trauma, triage

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Authors: Emine Öğüt, Mehtap Öztürk, Adem Öğüt

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Affective commitment is defined as a strong belief in and acceptance of the organization’s goals and values. Organizational justice is an antecedent of the organizational commitment and it has the potential to create powerful benefits for organizations and employees alike. When perceived unfairness among employees increases, affective commitment decreases and absenteeism increases accordingly. In this research, relationships between organizational justice perception, affective commitment and absenteeism is analysed. In this regard, a field study has been conducted over the physicians working in the hospitals of the Health Ministry and University Hospitals in the province of Konya. The partial least squares (PLS) method is used to analyse the survey data. The findings of the research shows that there is a positive statistically significant relationship between organizational justice perception and affective commitment while there is a negative statistically significant relationship between organizational justice and absenteeism.

Keywords: organizational justice, affective commitment, absenteeism, healthcare management

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Authors: A. Chenafa, S. Boulenouar, M. Zitouni, M. Boukouria

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The sterilization of medical devices constitutes for all the medical professions, an inescapable obligation. It has for objective to prevent the infectious risk, both for the patient and for the medical team. The Dental surgeon as every healthcare professional has to master perfectly this subject and to train his staff to the various techniques of sterilization. It is the only way to assure the patients all the security for which they are entitled to wait when they undergo a dental care. It’s for it, that we undertook to lead an investigation aiming at estimating the sterilization practice at the dental surgeon of Sidi bel Abbes. The survey result showed a youth marked with the profession with a majority use of autoclave with cycle B and an almost total absence of the sterilization controls (test of Bowie and Dick). However, the majority of the dentists control and validate their sterilizers. Finally, our survey allowed us to describe some practices which must be improved regarding control, regarding qualification and regarding staff training. And suggestions were made in this sense.

Keywords: dental surgeon, medical devices, sterilization, survey

Procedia PDF Downloads 398

Authors: Fahad Suleiman

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Queuing, in medical system is the process of moving patients in a specific sequence to a specific service according to the patients’ nature of illness. The term scheduling stands for the process of computing a schedule. This may be done by a queuing based scheduler. This paper focuses on the medical consultancy system, the different queuing algorithms that are used in healthcare system to serve the patients, and the average waiting time. The aim of this paper is to build automatic queuing system for organizing the medical queuing system that can analyses the queue status and take decision which patient to serve. The new queuing architecture model can switch between different scheduling algorithms according to the testing results and the factor of the average waiting time. The main innovation of this work concerns the modeling of the average waiting time is taken into processing, in addition with the process of switching to the scheduling algorithm that gives the best average waiting time.

Keywords: queuing systems, queuing system models, scheduling algorithms, patients

Procedia PDF Downloads 351

Authors: Diab Z., Hamad A., Dixit A., Al-Rikabi M., Keshaverzi F.

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Introduction: According to the NICE guidelines, 2020Prasugrel is the recommended first line treatment in adults with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), defined as ST elevation or new left bundle branch block on ECG , that cardiologists intend to treat with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The current literature suggests that this is largely due to safety and efficacy, and cost effectiveness. We wanted to do an audit to examine the adherence of the MRI hospital with guidelines in using prasugrel as first-line therapy in patients with STEMI and undergoing PPCI. AIM: To examine the adherence of the MRI hospital with guidelines in using prasugrel as first-line therapy in patients with STEMI and undergoing PPCI Methods: We looked at the patients presented to MRI during1^st of January 2022 to 28th February 2022. We included all the people who were above 18 and were brought to the hospital through the PPCI pathway and diagnosed as ACS and underwent PPCI. We excluded Patients who were brought to the hospital through the PPCI pathway and underwent coronary angiography and their diagnosis was found other than STEMI or if the outcome was death before discharge or they were above age >75 (as per guideline increase bleeding risk of prasugrel in a person aged 75 or older). Results: The total number of patients was 100. There were a total of seventy patients who had STEMI and fit the criteria for inclusion. Out of these, only 72.9% (51) were given Prasugrel as a first line. Seventeen (17) 24.3% STEMI patients were candidates for prasugrel as first-line therapy but were instead offered (clopidogrel/ticagrelor). Two 2 (2.9%) STEMI patients were not given prasugrel as first-line therapy because of C/I (CVA) or the use of anticoagulant Nine 9 (9%) of them died before discharge. Eleven 11 (11%) were above the age of 75. Ten 10 (10%) of patients had a diagnosis other than STEMI. Conclusions and recommendations: Our audit has shown the need to increase awareness amongst staff re: the first line use of Prasugrel as per NICE guidelines. We aim to arrange awareness sessions for staff and increase visibility of the guidelines for the staff to encourage them to adhere to the guideline. Further research is needed to find the optimum treatment in patients above 75.

Keywords: pasurgrel, PCI, NICE, STEMI

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