scholarly journals ICF-Based Analysis of Communication Disorders in Dementia of Alzheimer's Type

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Basheer Badarunisa ◽  
Daly Sebastian ◽  
Raghunath Rao Rangasayee ◽  
Baby Kala

Purpose: Dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) is a major cognitive communication disorder. The present study attempted to analyse communication disorders in DAT in the International Classification of Functions (ICF) framework. The study investigated the impact of the severity of communication disorders in persons with DAT on activity participation and environment components of the ICF. Method: Thirty bilingual individuals with DAT in the age range of 65-88 years were classified into three groups of mild, moderate and severe degree of dementia. Forty-three items of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults (ASHA FACS) were linked to the ICF framework. A few additional items were also added for a complete profiling of DAT. A total of 50 (ASHA FACS + ICF) items were rated and administered for the purpose of the study. Results: The study revealed a disproportionate impact of the severity of DAT on activity participation and environment components of the ICF. Conclusion: The present study investigated the utility of the ICF framework for profiling the functionality of persons with DAT. This profiling highlighted the need for ensuring effective communication and quality of life in the DAT population.

Linguaculture ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-131
Author(s):  
Ioana-Carmen Păștinaru

The internationalisation process of European higher education over the past years largely encouraged the translation into English of many university websites. However, the (deliberate or nondeliberate) presence of culture-bound terms on the English version of university websites represents an issue of debate, considering the worldwide provenance of visitors accessing the websites and the purpose of these texts. The main goal of this article is to analyse the appropriateness of translation strategies used for the culture-bound terms on university websites. The practical part of this research uses Aixelá’s classification of translation strategies for the analysis of the culture-bound terms identified on some Romance language university webpages translated into English, allowing a series of suggestions and recommendations in each case. The study results have demonstrated that the strategy of conservation through repetition is used most often. Last but not least, this paper intends to raise awareness as to the translator’s role and the impact of the quality of translations of university webpages into English as a lingua franca.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e046537
Author(s):  
Sheera Sutherland ◽  
Kirsty E Durley ◽  
Kirsty Gillies ◽  
Margaret Glogowska ◽  
Daniel S Lasserson ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of the death of a patient in the haemodialysis unit on fellow patients.MethodsWe interviewed patients on dialysis in a tertiary dialysis centre using semistructured interviews. We purposively sampled patients who had experienced the death of a fellow patient. After interviews were transcribed, they were thematically analysed by independent members of the research team using inductive analysis. Input from the team during analysis ensured the rigour and quality of the findings.Results10 participants completed the interviews (6 females and 4 males with an age range of 42–88 years). The four core themes that emerged from the interviews included: (1) patients’ relationship to haemodialysis, (2) how patients define the haemodialysis community, (3) patients’ views on death and bereavement and (4) patients’ expectations around death in the dialysis community. Patients noticed avoidance behaviour by staff in relation to discussing death in the unit and would prefer a culture of open acknowledgement.ConclusionStaff acknowledgement of death is of central importance to patients on haemodialysis who feel that the staff are part of their community. This should guide the development of appropriate bereavement support services and a framework that promotes the provision of guidance for staff and patients in this unique clinical setting. However, the authors acknowledge the homogenous sample recruited in a single setting may limit the transferability of the study. Further work is needed to understand diverse patient and nurse experiences and perceptions when sharing the knowledge of a patient’s death and how they react to loss.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 500
Author(s):  
Zong Zhao ◽  
Yong Liu ◽  
Hongyan Jia ◽  
Wensheng Sun ◽  
Angang Ming ◽  
...  

Objective: To investigate the impact of different slope directions on the quantity and quality of the soil seed bank and seedling germination process of Castanopsis hystrix plantations. Method: Fixed sample plots in forest stands of Castanopsis hystrix were established on different slope directions (sunny slope, semi-sunny slope, semi-shady slope, and shady slope). The characteristics of the forest stand were investigated, and per-wood scaling was carried out. The temporal dynamics of the seed rain and seed bank were quantified using seed rain collectors and by collecting soil samples from different depths. The quantity and quality of the seeds were determined, and the vigor of mature seeds was measured throughout the study. Results: (1) The diffusion of Castanopsis hystrix seed rain started in mid-September, reached its peak from late October to early November, and ended in mid-December. (2) The dissemination process, occurrence time, and composition of the seed rain varied between the different slope directions. The seed rain intensity on the semi-sunny slope was the highest (572.75 ± 9.50 grains∙m−2), followed by the sunny slope (515.60 ± 10.28 grains∙m−2), the semi-shady slope (382.13 ± 12.11 grains∙m−2), and finally the shady slope (208.00 ± 11.35 grains∙m−2). The seed rain on the sunny slope diffused earliest and lasted the longest, while the seed rain on the shady slope diffused latest and lasted the shortest time. Seed vigor and the proportion of mature seeds within the seed rain were greatest on the semi-sunny slope, followed by the sunny slope, semi-shady slope, and the shady slope. (3) From the end of the seed rain to August of the following year, the amount of total reserves of the soil seed banks was highest on the semi-sunny slope, followed by the sunny slope then the semi-shady slope, and it was the lowest on the shady slope. The amount of mature, immature, gnawed seeds and seed vigor of the soil seed bank in various slope directions showed a decreasing trend with time. The seeds of the seed bank in all slope directions were mainly distributed in the litter layer, followed by the 0–2 cm humus layer, and only a few seeds were present in the 2–5 cm soil layer. (4) The seedling density of Castanopsis hystrix differed significantly on the different slope directions. The semi-sunny slope had the most seedlings, followed by the sunny slope, semi-shady slope, and the shady slope. Conclusions: The environmental conditions of the semi-sunny slope were found to be most suitable for the seed germination and seedling growth of Castanopsis hystrix, and more conducive to the regeneration and restoration of its population.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Atalla M. Alqotaish ◽  
Adel M. Qatawneh

The Impact of Accounting of Environmental Costs to Improve the Quality of Accounting Information in the Jordanian Industrial Companies is a study aimed to explore the importance of accounting on environmental cost in the improve of the quality of accounting information. Data were collected through from the Jordanian companies and a questionnaire distributed among the workers of offices and departments of accounting in the industrial companies listed in Jordan stock market. The study came up with the following findings: The study has shown that there exists a significant statistical relationship between the size of environmentally-related accounting disclosure of information for publicly owned companies and the adequacy of financial listing of such companies. The study has shown that there exists a significant statistical relationship between Investors decisions and the information provided by the collective performance disclosure. As per the study results, we recommend the following: The necessity of accountants' obligation towards environmentally-related auditing information provided with the financial reports, and the necessity of emphasizing on information importance as provided by the environmentally-related collective performance.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Klimczak ◽  
Wojciech Kotłowski ◽  
Dagmara Oszkiewicz ◽  
Francesca DeMeo ◽  
Agnieszka Kryszczyńska ◽  
...  

<p>The aim of the project is the classification of asteroids according to the most commonly used asteroid taxonomy (Bus-Demeo et al. 2009) with the use of various machine learning methods like Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes, Support Vector Machines, Gradient Boosting and Multilayer Perceptrons. Different parameter sets are used for classification in order to compare the quality of prediction with limited amount of data, namely the difference in performance between using the 0.45mu to 2.45mu spectral range and multiple spectral features, as well as performing the Prinicpal Component Analysis to reduce the dimensions of the spectral data.</p> <p> </p> <p>This work has been supported by grant No. 2017/25/B/ST9/00740 from the National Science Centre, Poland.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Sahar A. Abd-El Mohsen ◽  
Nagwa M. Ahmed

Background and objective: Inadequate epileptic patient’s knowledge regarding their disorder may affect the quality of their life. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of epileptic patient’s knowledge on the quality of their life.Methods: Research design: a descriptive study was conducted in the period from February to April 2017 to determine the impact of epileptic patient's knowledge on the quality of their life. Setting; this study was carried out in the neurology department and neurology outpatient clinic of Assiut Neurology University Hospital. Patients; a sample of sixty epileptic male and female patients, with an age range between 18 to 65 years was included. Two tools were used: Tool I: Structured patient interview questionnaire sheet and it included two parts: Part one: Sociodemographic data about of the studied patients, Part two: knowledge assessment regarding their disorder using Epilepsy Patient Knowledge Questionnaire (EPKQ). Tool II: Quality of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE 31).Results: The highest percentage of the studied sample was male, married, their mean age was 38.97 ± 11.21, and their duration of epilepsy was 16.82 ± 9.7. 58.3% were having satisfactory level of knowledge regarding their condition.Conclusions and recommendation: The present study concluded that: epileptic patients are lacking knowledge regarding their condition (58.3% vs. 41.7%). There was No significant correlation between total QOL and score of knowledge. Recommendation: A self-management program is needed for patients with epilepsy in order to improve their knowledge regarding their disease. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-403
Author(s):  
Silvia Tanzi ◽  
Francesco Venturelli ◽  
Stefano Luminari ◽  
Franco Domenico Merlo ◽  
Luca Braglia ◽  
...  

BackgroundEarly palliative care together with standard haematological care for advanced patients is needed worldwide. Little is known about its effect. The aim of the review is to synthesise the evidence on the impact of early palliative care on haematologic cancer patients’ quality of life and resource use.Patients and methodsA systematic review was conducted. The search terms were early palliative care or simultaneous or integrated or concurrent care and haematological or oncohaematological patients. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CINHAL and Scopus. Additional studies were identified through cross-checking the reference articles. Studies were in the English language, with no restriction for years. Two researchers independently reviewed the titles and abstracts, and one author assessed full articles for eligibility.ResultsA total of 296 studies titles were reviewed. Eight articles were included in the synthesis of the results, two controlled studies provided data on the comparative efficacy of PC interventions, and six one-arm studies were included. Since data pooling and meta-analysis were not possible, only a narrative synthesis of the study results was performed. The quality of the two included comparative studies was low overall. The quality of the six non-comparative studies was high overall, without the possibility of linking the observed results to the implemented interventions.ConclusionsStudies on early palliative care and patients with haematological cancer are scarce and have not been prospectively designed. More research on the specific population target, type and timing of palliative care intervention and standardisation of collected outcomes is required.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020141322.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sônia Rodrigues Dutra ◽  
Henrique Pretti ◽  
Milene Torres Martins ◽  
Cristiane Baccin Bendo ◽  
Miriam Pimenta Vale

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to assess the impact of malocclusion on the quality of life of children aged 8 to 10 years attending public elementary schools in Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: The Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 8-10 (CPQ8-10) was used to evaluate oral health-related quality of life. The children were examined for the diagnosis of malocclusion using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). The data were analyzed by bivariate and multivariate descriptive statistics using Poisson regression at a 5% significance level. A total of 270 children participated in the study. Results: Children with normal occlusion or mild malocclusion (DAI ≤ 25) were 56% less likely (95%CI: 0.258-0.758; p= 0.003) to have their quality of life affected compared with children diagnosed with extremely severe malocclusion (DAI ≥ 36). Children with a maxillary anterior overjet ≥ 3 mm had higher CPQ8-10 mean scores (19.4; SD = 17.1) than those with an overjet < 3 mm (13.6; SD = 11.7; p= 0.038). Conclusions: Extremely severe malocclusion and pronounced maxillary anterior overjet were associated with a negative impact on quality of life.


1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Hebert

Health care organizations are under increasing pressure to become more efficient while at the same time maintaining or improving the quality of care. Information technology (IT), with its potential to increase efficiency, accuracy and accessibility of information, has been expected to play an important role in supporting these changes. We report the impact of patient care information systems on health care professionals in five community hospitals. The study framework incorporated both quality of care in Donabedian's elements of structure–process–outcome and Grusec's three levels of IT impact: direct substitution, proceduralization and new capabilities. The study results suggest that, for specific tasks, IT increased efficiency and productivity—a single employee was able to complete more tasks. However, this produced other consequences not predicted. Participants noted this change did not ‘free up time’ to spend with patients, but meant there were potentially more opportunities to provide services and more tasks to complete. Other effects included: reduced job satisfaction as more time was spent on the computer; less frequent interactions with patients and for shorter duration; and an increasingly ‘visible’ accountability as performance was easily monitored. There were also changes in roles and responsibilities as the computer enabled tasks to be carried out from a number of locations and by a variety of personnel. When innovations are introduced into organizations there are both expected and unexpected consequences. Increased awareness of the interactive relationship between computer users and the technology helps organizations better understand why results do, or do not, occur. One must look beyond just simply increasing productivity by replacing manual tasks with automated ones, to examining how the changes influence the nature of work and relationships within the organization.


2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2039-2049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Augusto Monteiro ◽  
Renata Bertazzi Levy ◽  
Rafael Moreira Claro ◽  
Inês Rugani Ribeiro de Castro ◽  
Geoffrey Cannon

This paper describes a new food classification which assigns foodstuffs according to the extent and purpose of the industrial processing applied to them. Three main groups are defined: unprocessed or minimally processed foods (group 1), processed culinary and food industry ingredients (group 2), and ultra-processed food products (group 3). The use of this classification is illustrated by applying it to data collected in the Brazilian Household Budget Survey which was conducted in 2002/2003 through a probabilistic sample of 48,470 Brazilian households. The average daily food availability was 1,792 kcal/person being 42.5% from group 1 (mostly rice and beans and meat and milk), 37.5% from group 2 (mostly vegetable oils, sugar, and flours), and 20% from group 3 (mostly breads, biscuits, sweets, soft drinks, and sausages). The share of group 3 foods increased with income, and represented almost one third of all calories in higher income households. The impact of the replacement of group 1 foods and group 2 ingredients by group 3 products on the overall quality of the diet, eating patterns and health is discussed.


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