scholarly journals 3D Exoscope-Assisted Microvascular Anastomosis: An Evaluation on Latex Vessel Models

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 3373
Author(s):  
Valentina Pinto ◽  
Federico A. Giorgini ◽  
Maria Elisa Lozano Miralles ◽  
Achille Tarsitano ◽  
Maria Martina Panella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Quality Assessment Tool ◽  
High Definition ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Freedom Of Movement ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Surgical Field ◽  
Convenient Setting ◽  
User Friendly

Background. Over the last few years, advances in technologies and digital imaging have led to the introduction of systems that enable a new approach to microsurgery and supermicrosurgery. The exoscope is a new magnification system that provides a 3D image of the surgical field: microsurgical procedures can be performed with the aid of this instrument. Here, we describe our preliminary experience with a high-definition 3D exoscope (VITOM®, Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany), evaluating the characteristics of the instrument, and also its use as a magnification device for microanastomosis training. Methods. Six microsurgeons with various levels of experience were asked to perform three end-to-end anastomoses and two end-to-side anastomoses on latex vessel models, using, as a magnification system, the VITOM® 3D 4K exoscope. None of the surgeons involved had previous experience with the exoscope, with robotic surgery, with endoscopic surgery, nor with training simulators. Results. The results of the reported evaluation of the tool’s qualities, (VITOM Quality Assessment Tool) included: a good focusing of the surgical field; high image quality; strong luminance; good magnification; clear stereoscopy; and excellent freedom of movement. The exoscope proved to be user-friendly. A constant reduction in the time needed to perform the microsurgical anastomosis at each exercise was recorded. Among other advantages were the easy switching from the magnified image to the macroscopic view, superior ergonomics allowing a relaxed posture while performing the anastomosis, adequate space, and a convenient setting for the assistants to view the operating field. Conclusions. Our study showed that the exoscope VITOM 3D can be successfully used as a magnification tool for microsurgical anastomosis on synthetic vessels, and that it can also be helpful during training courses in microsurgery.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Healthcare Professionals’ Knowledge, Self-Efficacy and Attitudes Towards Working with Autistic People

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Corden ◽  
Rebecca Brewer ◽  
Eilidh Cage
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Narrative Synthesis ◽  
Quality Assessment Tool ◽  
Professional Background ◽  
Autistic People

AbstractHealthcare professionals play a vital role in identifying and supporting autistic people. This study systematically reviewed empirical research examining healthcare professionals’ knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes towards working with autistic people. Thirty-five studies were included. The included studies sampled a range of countries and professional backgrounds. A modified quality assessment tool found the quality of the included studies was moderately good. Narrative synthesis indicated that healthcare professionals report only moderate levels of autism knowledge and self-efficacy, and often lack training. Variation within and between countries and professional background was not explained by demographic factors. The reviewed evidence suggests health professionals’ limited knowledge and self-efficacy in working with autistic people is a challenge to the provision of healthcare for autistic individuals.

scholarly journals MicroRNA as Biomarkers for Platelet Function and Maturity in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Buchhave Pedersen ◽  
Erik Lerkevang Grove ◽  
Steen Dalby Kristensen ◽  
Peter H. Nissen ◽  
Anne-Mette Hvas
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Platelet Function ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Platelet Reactivity ◽  
Thrombus Formation ◽  
Quality Assessment Tool ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Potential Use

AbstractPatients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are at increased risk of suffering myocardial infarction. Platelets are key players in thrombus formation and, therefore, antiplatelet therapy is crucial in the treatment and prevention of CVD. MicroRNAs (miRs) may hold the potential as biomarkers for platelet function and maturity. This systematic review was conducted using the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). To identify studies investigating the association between miRs and platelet function and maturity in patients with CVD, PubMed and Embase were searched on October 13 and December 13, 2020 without time boundaries. Risk of bias was evaluated using a standardized quality assessment tool. Of the 16 included studies, 6 studies were rated “good” and 10 studies were rated “fair.” In total, 45 miRs correlated significantly with platelet function or maturity (rho ranging from –0.68 to 0.38, all p < 0.05) or differed significantly between patients with high platelet reactivity and patients with low platelet reactivity (p-values ranging from 0.0001 to 0.05). Only four miRs were investigated in more than two studies, namely miR-223, miR-126, miR-21 and miR-150. Only one study reported on the association between miRs and platelet maturity. In conclusion, a total of 45 miRs were associated with platelet function or maturity in patients with CVD, with miR-223 and miR-126 being the most frequently investigated. However, the majority of the miRs were only investigated in one study. More data are needed on the potential use of miRs as biomarkers for platelet function and maturity in CVD patients.

scholarly journals Testing a self-assessment tool for HP competencies with participants of training courses in Austria

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Lang
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Training Programmes

Abstract Background High quality health promotion (HP) depends on a competent workforce for which professional development programmes for practitioners are essential. The “CompHP Core Competencies Framework in HP” defines crucial competency domains but a recent review concluded that the implementation and use of the framework is lacking. The aim was to develop and validate a self-assessment tool for HP competencies, which should help evaluate training courses. Methods A brief self-assessment tool was employed in 2018 in Austria. 584 participants of 77 training courses submitted their post-course assessment (paper-pencil, RR = 78.1%). In addition, longitudinal data are available for 148 participants who filled in a pre-course online questionnaire. Measurement reliability and validity was tested by single factor, bifactor, multigroup, and multilevel CFA. A SEM proved for predictive and concurrent validity, controlling gender and age. Results A bifactor model (X2/df=3.69, RMSEA=.07, CFI=.95, sRMR=.07) showed superior results with a strong general CompHP factor (FL&gt;.65, wH=.90, ECV=.85), configurally invariant for two training programmes. On course level, there was only minimal variance between trainings (ICC&lt;.08). Structurally, there was a significant increase in HP competencies when comparing pre- and post-course measurements (b=.33, p&lt;.01). Participants showed different levels of competencies due to prior knowledge (b=.38, p&lt;.001) and course format (b=.16, p&lt;.06). The total scale had good properties (m = 49.8, sd = 10.3, 95%-CI: 49.0-50.7) and discriminated between groups (eg by training length). Conclusions The results justify the creation of an overall scale to assess core HP competencies. It is recommended to use the scale for evaluating training courses. The work compensates for the lack of empirical studies on the CompHP concept and facilitates a broader empirical application of a uniform competency framework for HP in accordance with international standards in HP and public health. Key messages The self-assessment tool provides a good and compact foundation for assessing HP competencies. It provides a basis for holistic, high quality and sustainable capacity building or development in HP.

Midsurface Abstraction From 3D Solid Models for Engineering Analysis

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Rezayat
Keyword(s):  
Feature Recognition ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Solid Models ◽  
Product And Process ◽  
Plastic Parts ◽  
3D Solid ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Analysis Models

Abstract An integral part of implementing parallel product and process designs is simulation through numerical analysis. This simulation-driven design requires discretization of the 3D part in an appropriate manner. If the part is thin or has thin sections (e.g., plastic parts), then an analysis model with reduced dimensionality may be more accurate and economical than a standard 3D model. In addition, substantial simplification of some details in the design geometry may be beneficial and desirable in the analysis model. Unfortunately, the majority of CAD systems do not provide the means for abstraction of appropriate analysis models. In this paper we present a new approach, based on midsurface abstraction, which holds significant promise in simplifying simulation-driven design. The method is user-friendly because very little interaction is required to guide the software in its automatic creation of the desired analysis model. It is also robust because it handles typical parts with complex and interacting features. Application of the method for feature recognition and abstraction is also briefly discussed.

LUU CHECKER: A Web-based Tool to Incorporate Emerging LUs in the SWAT Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 723-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gurdeep Singh ◽  
Dharmendra Saraswat ◽  
Naresh Pai ◽  
Benjamin Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Hydrologic Response Unit ◽  
User Friendly

Abstract. Standard practice of setting up Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) involves use of a single land use (LU) layer under the assumption that no change takes place in LU condition irrespective of the length of simulation period. This assumption leads to erroneous conclusions about efficacy of management practices in those watersheds where land use changes (LUCs) (e.g. agriculture to urban, forest to agriculture etc.) occur during the simulation period. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a user-friendly, web-based tool named LUU Checker that helps create a composite LU layer by integrating multiple years of LU layers available in watersheds of interest. The results show that the use of composite LU layer for hydrologic response unit (HRU) delineation in 2474-km2 L’Anguile River Watershed in Arkansas was able to capture changed LU at subbasin level by using LU data available in the year 1999 and 2006, respectively. The web-based tool is applicable for large size watersheds and is accessible to multiple users from anywhere in the world. Keywords: Land use, Web-based tool, SWAT, LUU Checker.

scholarly journals rnaQUAST: a quality assessment tool forde novotranscriptome assemblies: Table 1.

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (14) ◽  
pp. 2210-2212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Bushmanova ◽  
Dmitry Antipov ◽  
Alla Lapidus ◽  
Vladimir Suvorov ◽  
Andrey D. Prjibelski
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Quality Assessment Tool

scholarly journals A New Approach for Allocating a New Party's Budget during an Election Campaign

PCD Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-45
Author(s):  
Irit Talmor ◽  
Osnat Osnat Akirav
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Election Campaign ◽  
Pareto Principle ◽  
Election Campaigns ◽  
New Parties ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Confidential Data ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Campaign Advertising

During pre-election campaigns, parties make great efforts to persuade constituents to vote for them. Usually, new parties have smaller budgets and fewer resources than veteran parties. Generally, the more heterogeneous the party’s electorate, the more critical the issue of resource allocation. This paper presents a method for new parties to efficiently allocate campaign advertising resources and maximise voters. The model developed uses the Pareto principle and multi-criteria approach, integrating the party’s confidential data together with official open-to-all data. We implemented the model on a specific new party during the intensive political period before the April 2019 elections in Israel, finding that the model produced clear and unbiased results, and this made it effective and user-friendly for strategy teams and campaign managers.

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