scholarly journals Dreamwork Principles and Approaches for Palliative Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Craig Webb
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Real World ◽  
Time Of Death ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Physical Healing ◽  
Science Philosophy ◽  
Interpersonal Patterns ◽  
Inner Compass ◽  
Insight Into

Remembering and working with dreams can be of great benefit in life and especially in connection with death and palliative care not only for the dying, but also for friends and relatives, and even for the caregiver(s).Inevitably, dreams around the time of death of both the dying and their loved ones will be offering incredible opportunities for vital emotional release, insight into deep unresolved interpersonal patterns, and a source of communication between personality and spirit for acceptance of death itself.Dreams of the dying, friends, relatives, and caregivers alike also often act as a daily inner compass and source of wisdom for health and treatment.Caregivers may use dreamwork and related appraoches as powerful tools even with patients who are unable to communicate, not very lucid, or even in a coma.Research shows that anyone can learn to recall dreams and tap their wisdom for daily guidance, and social/emotional, mental, and even physical healing, including the dying, visitors, and caregivers alike. In this way, dreams can become the source of insight and transformation they are meant to be.The presentation will cover the science, philosophy, and real-world examples of practical applications of dreams, such as for healing and caregiving, and will touch upon concepts and methods for inducing, remembering and working with dreams that can provide opportunities for healing, greater fulfillment, enhanced treatment, and a personal soul connection around the time of death.  

scholarly journals A Novel Rail-Network Hardware Simulator for Embedded System Programming

Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Balaji M ◽  
Chandrasekaran M ◽  
Vaithiyanathan Dhandapani
Keyword(s):  
Embedded Systems ◽  
Embedded System ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Real World ◽  
Time Constraints ◽  
Network Simulator ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Rail Network ◽  
Knowledge Enhancement

A Novel Rail-Network Hardware with simulation facilities is presented in this paper. The hardware is designed to facilitate the learning of application-oriented, logical, real-time programming in an embedded system environment. The platform enables the creation of multiple unique programming scenarios with variability in complexity without any hardware changes. Prior experimental hardware comes with static programming facilities that focus the students’ learning on hardware features and programming basics, leaving them ill-equipped to take up practical applications with more real-time constraints. This hardware complements and completes their learning to help them program real-world embedded systems. The hardware uses LEDs to simulate the movement of trains in a network. The network has train stations, intersections and parking slots where the train movements can be controlled by using a 16-bit Renesas RL78/G13 microcontroller. Additionally, simulating facilities are provided to enable the students to navigate the trains by manual controls using switches and indicators. This helps them get an easy understanding of train navigation functions before taking up programming. The students start with simple tasks and gradually progress to more complicated ones with real-time constraints, on their own. During training, students’ learning outcomes are evaluated by obtaining their feedback and conducting a test at the end to measure their knowledge acquisition during the training. Students’ Knowledge Enhancement Index is originated to measure the knowledge acquired by the students. It is observed that 87% of students have successfully enhanced their knowledge undergoing training with this rail-network simulator.

scholarly journals Modeling Diagnostic Strategies to Manage Toxic Adverse Events following Cancer Immunotherapy

2021 ◽  
pp. 0272989X2110027
Author(s):  
Frederik van Delft ◽  
Mirte Muller ◽  
Rom Langerak ◽  
Hendrik Koffijberg ◽  
Valesca Retèl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Scenario Analysis ◽  
Real World ◽  
Model Calibration ◽  
Positive Test ◽  
Test Accuracy ◽  
Test Sensitivity ◽  
False Positive Test ◽  
Test Outcomes

Background Although immunotherapy (IMT) provides significant survival benefits in selected patients, approximately 10% of patients experience (serious) immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The early detection of adverse events will prevent irAEs from progressing to severe stages, and routine testing for irAEs has become common practice. Because a positive test outcome might indicate a clinically manifesting irAE that requires treatment to (temporarily) discontinue, the occurrence of false-positive test outcomes is expected to negatively affect treatment outcomes. This study explores how the UPPAAL modeling environment can be used to assess the impact of test accuracy (i.e., test sensitivity and specificity), on the probability of patients entering palliative care within 11 IMT cycles. Methods A timed automata-based model was constructed using real-world data and expert consultation. Model calibration was performed using data from 248 non–small-cell lung cancer patients treated with nivolumab. A scenario analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of changes in test accuracy on the probability of patients transitioning to palliative care. Results The constructed model was used to estimate the cumulative probabilities for the patients’ transition to palliative care, which were found to match real-world clinical observations after model calibration. The scenario analysis showed that the specificity of laboratory tests for routine monitoring has a strong effect on the probability of patients transitioning to palliative care, whereas the effect of test sensitivity was limited. Conclusion We have obtained interesting insights by simulating a care pathway and disease progression using UPPAAL. The scenario analysis indicates that an increase in test specificity results in decreased discontinuation of treatment due to suspicion of irAEs, through a reduction of false-positive test outcomes.

scholarly journals Living in dual liminal states: Navigating the loss of my father and my clinical career during a pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 138-141
Author(s):  
Jennifer Currin-McCulloch
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Rites Of Passage ◽  
Developmental Transitions ◽  
The World ◽  
Professional Conflicts ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Insight Into

Drawing from Van Gennep and Caffee’s conceptualization of liminality, this autoethnographic narrative portrays the author’s rites of passage into academia and through the death of her father. These fundamental developmental transitions and losses emerged concomitantly within the backdrop of a pandemic, further cloaking the world in grief and disequilibrium. Incorporating the voice of the personal as professional, the author portrays her existential struggles in relinquishing her cherished role as a palliative care social worker and living through her dad’s final months during a time of restricted social interaction. Interwoven throughout the narrative appear stories of strife, hope, grief, and professional epiphanies of purpose and insider privilege. The paper embraces both personal and professional conflicts and provides insight into the ways in which the unique setting of a pandemic can provide clarity for navigating the liminal states of separation, transition, and incorporation.

scholarly journals Children's palliative care: examination of a nursing rotation programme

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-29
Author(s):  
Lisa Whiting ◽  
Mark Whiting ◽  
Julia Petty ◽  
Michele O'Grady
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Comfort Zone ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Support Mechanisms ◽  
Hospital Wards ◽  
Competency Assessments ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Future Plans

Background: An 8-month rotation programme was implemented for five nurses employed in two kinds of children's palliative care environments: hospital wards and hospices. This study reports the views of the nurses completing the rotation. The research drew on appreciative inquiry and involved a pre- and post-rotation interview and questionnaire. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed seven themes: adjusting to the rotation programme; support mechanisms; being safe; new knowledge and skills; knowledge exchange; misconceptions; future plans. These were supported by the questionnaire findings. Although the nurses identified some frustration at having to undertake competency assessments relating to previously acquired skills, as well as being out of their ‘comfort zone’, all the participants highly recommended the programme. They commented very positively on the support they received and the overall learning experience as well as the new insight into different aspects of care. In addition, they were able to share their newfound knowledge and expertise with others.

scholarly journals There's no Place like Home: Oklahoman's Preferences for Site of Death

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. PCRT.S1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Matzo ◽  
Kamal Hijjazi
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Terminal Illness ◽  
Income Level ◽  
Stated Preferences ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Dying At Home ◽  
Palliative Care Needs ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
At Home

Objective This study sought to document Oklahomans knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding palliative care; this paper focuses on subjects stated preferences for where they would choose to die. Design Quantitative study used a random state-wide telephone sample of Oklahoma residents. Subjects Data from 804 residents in the State of Oklahoma between November and December (2005). Results An overwhelming majority of the respondents (80%) reported preference to die at home in the event that they suffer a terminal illness. The proportion of respondents under the age of 65 who preferred to die at home (80.9%) was slightly higher than those aged 65 and over (74.8%). Also, while 81.4% of the female respondents reported preference for dying at home, 75.8% of the male respondents shared such preference (P < 0.05). More married respondents (82.7%) than non-married respondents (74.7%) reported preference for dying at home (P < 0.01). A significant association (P < 0.05) between income level and preference for dying at home was noted. While 84.3% of those with income level at $21,000 or more reported reference for dying at home, 76.4% of those with income below $21,000 reported the same preference. Conclusions This paper offers insight into factors that influence Oklahoman's stated preferences for site of death that can assist the statewide agenda in the planning and provision of palliative care. This information can be adapted in other states or countries to determine palliative care needs.

Of dilemmas and tensions: a qualitative study of palliative care physicians’ positions regarding voluntary active euthanasia in Quebec, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle Bélanger ◽  
Anna Towers ◽  
David Kenneth Wright ◽  
Yuexi Chen ◽  
Golda Tradounsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Patient Autonomy ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Interpretive Description ◽  
Active Euthanasia ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Voluntary Active Euthanasia ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Insight Into

ObjectivesIn 2015, the Province of Quebec, Canada passed a law that allowed voluntary active euthanasia (VAE). Palliative care stakeholders in Canada have been largely opposed to euthanasia, yet there is little research about their views. The research question guiding this study was the following: How do palliative care physicians in Quebec position themselves regarding the practice of VAE in the context of the new provincial legislation?MethodsWe used interpretive description, an inductive methodology to answer research questions about clinical practice. A total of 18 palliative care physicians participated in semistructured interviews at two university-affiliated hospitals in Quebec.ResultsParticipants positioned themselves in opposition to euthanasia. Their justifications were framed within their professional commitment to not hasten death, which sat in tension with the value of patients’ autonomy to choose how to die. Participants described VAE as unacceptable if it impeded opportunities to evaluate and alleviate suffering. Further, they contested government rhetoric that positioned VAE as a way to improve end-of-life care. Participants felt that VAE would diminish the potential of palliative care to relieve suffering. Dilemmas were apparent in their narratives, about reconciling respect for patient autonomy with broader palliative care values, and the value of accompanying and not abandoning patients who make requests for VAE while being committed to neither prolonging nor hastening death.ConclusionsThis study provides insight into nuanced positions of experienced palliative care physicians in Quebec and confirms expected tensions between an important stakeholder and the practice of VAE as guided by the new legislation.

Market Opportunity Analysis in Thailand: Case of Individual Power Sources by Thermoelectric-Generator Technology for Portable Electronics

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (03) ◽  
pp. 1950027
Author(s):  
Surapree Maolikul ◽  
Thira Chavarnakul ◽  
Somchai Kiatgamolchai
Keyword(s):  
Thermoelectric Generator ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Technology Commercialization ◽  
Market Opportunity ◽  
Business Research ◽  
Power Sources ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Portable Electronics ◽  
Decision Factors ◽  
Insight Into

Thermoelectrics, an energy-conversion technology, has been developed for its potential to support portable electronics with an innovative power source. Primarily focusing on the metropolitan market in Thailand, the study, thus, aimed at the market insight into portable electronics users’ characteristics and opinions of thermoelectric-generator (TEG) technology commercialization. The business research was conducted to analyze their behaviors for power-supply lacking problems, encountering heat or cold sources, purchasing decision for a TEG-based charger and key decision factors. For practical applications, an innovative TEG-based charger should be more flexible by harnessing various heat or cold sources from ambient situations to generate electrical power.

Improving Techniques in Statically Equivalent Serial Chain Modeling for Center of Mass Estimation

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingjue Li ◽  
Andrew P. Murray ◽  
David H. Myszka
Keyword(s):  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Original System ◽  
Rigid Bodies ◽  
Joint Angles ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Serial Chain ◽  
System Of Rigid Bodies ◽  
Final Development ◽  
Data Error ◽  
Insight Into

Any articulated system of rigid bodies defines a Statically Equivalent Serial Chain (SESC). The SESC is a virtual chain that terminates at the center of mass (CoM) of the original system of bodies. A SESC may be generated experimentally without knowing the mass, CoM, or length of each link in the system given that its joint angles and overall CoM may be measured. This paper presents three developments toward recognizing the SESC as a practical modeling technique. Two of the three developments improve utilizing the technique in practical applications where the arrangement of the joints impacts the derivation of the SESC. The final development provides insight into the number of poses needed to create a usable SESC in the presence of data collection errors. First, modifications to a matrix necessary in computing the SESC are proposed. Second, the problem of generating a SESC experimentally when the system of bodies includes a mass fixed in the ground frame are presented and a remedy is proposed for humanoid-like systems. Third, an investigation of the error of the experimental SESC versus the number of data readings collected in the presence of errors in joint readings and CoM data is conducted. By conducting the method on three different systems with various levels of data error, a general form of the function for estimating the error of the experimental SESC is proposed.

scholarly journals Source identification of infectious diseases in networks via label ranking

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245344
Author(s):  
Jianye Zhou ◽  
Yuewen Jiang ◽  
Biqing Huang
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Real World ◽  
Source Identification ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Ranking Algorithms ◽  
Label Ranking ◽  
Infection Source ◽  
And Control ◽  
Complete Observation

Background Outbreaks of infectious diseases would cause great losses to the human society. Source identification in networks has drawn considerable interest in order to understand and control the infectious disease propagation processes. Unsatisfactory accuracy and high time complexity are major obstacles to practical applications under various real-world situations for existing source identification algorithms. Methods This study attempts to measure the possibility for nodes to become the infection source through label ranking. A unified Label Ranking framework for source identification with complete observation and snapshot is proposed. Firstly, a basic label ranking algorithm with complete observation of the network considering both infected and uninfected nodes is designed. Our inferred infection source node with the highest label ranking tends to have more infected nodes surrounding it, which makes it likely to be in the center of infection subgraph and far from the uninfected frontier. A two-stage algorithm for source identification via semi-supervised learning and label ranking is further proposed to address the source identification issue with snapshot. Results Extensive experiments are conducted on both synthetic and real-world network datasets. It turns out that the proposed label ranking algorithms are capable of identifying the propagation source under different situations fairly accurately with acceptable computational complexity without knowing the underlying model of infection propagation. Conclusions The effectiveness and efficiency of the label ranking algorithms proposed in this study make them be of practical value for infection source identification.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document