Journal articles on the topic 'Section of Public Utility'
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1
Piotrowska-Woroniak, Joanna. "The Photovoltaic Installation Application in the Public Utility Building." Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S 24, no. 4 (December 1, 2017): 517–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/eces-2017-0034.
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Abstract The article presents the use of photovoltaic installation in a building with office space and a section for kindergarten to support the production of electricity using solar energy. Accepted technological installation solution, capital expenditures to be incurred for the project and payback time are shown. Paper presents the results of the performance simulation of the PV system adopted depending on the angle of photovoltaic panels. Designed photovoltaic installation consists of 62 panels with a total nominal power of 15.5 kW. The use of photovoltaics in the facility allow reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by approximately 52%. In Poland, most of the electricity produced is still based on coal and lignite. Photovoltaics is one of the renewable sources of energy, so-called “Green” energy. The investment could be made thanks to the Regional Operational Programme Podlaski, Activity 5.2 Development of local infrastructure, environmental protection 2007-2013.
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Parmaksız, Umut. "Making sense of the postsecular." European Journal of Social Theory 21, no. 1 (December 15, 2016): 98–116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1368431016682743.
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This article critically examines the postsecular literature with the aim of dispelling the scepticism about the concept’s theoretical import, critical power and analytical utility. It first presents an overview of the literature identifying two major fields, social theology and politics, within which three major critical leitmotifs are developed: (1) disenchantment and the loss of community; (2) the impossibility of absolute secularity; and (3) the exclusion of religion from the public sphere. In the second section, the shortcomings of problematizations (1) and (2) are highlighted, originating from social theology, and it is argued that they have limited critical potential as they intend to renaturalize the religious. Instead, it is asserted that the concept has critical power when used within the context of a postreligious denaturalization of the secular. In the last section, the focus shifts to the analytical utility of the concept, and the article examines ‘postsecular society’ and ‘postsecularization’ in the light of the previous discussion.
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Clark, Alistair. "The relationship between political parties and their regulators." Party Politics 23, no. 6 (November 9, 2015): 646–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1354068815616027.
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Political parties are in a unique situation, being able to change electoral rules and regulations to minimise any potential negative effects on their electoral prospects. Attempts to influence regulators, however, can be complex and include voicing concerns, public pressure and the regulatory capture of electoral regulators. Little is known about this relationship between parties and their regulators. This article focuses on this crucial electoral relationship through a study of political parties’ relations with the UK Electoral Commission. The first section addresses the background to the legal regulation of political parties. The second section proposes a framework through which parties’ reactions to regulation may be understood. The third part introduces the British case, providing evidence to demonstrate the broad utility of the framework. The final section analyses the issues that parties have raised with their regulators.
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Varshney, Gaurav, Modi Manankumar R, Rajesh Maheshwari, Tirth Chhabhaiya Chhabhaiya, and Bikram Kumar. "Justice : A Predicting Criminal Acts According To IPC Section." International Journal of Scientific Research in Computer Science, Engineering and Information Technology 10, no. 2 (March 12, 2024): 129–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.32628/cseit2490215.
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The AI-driven IPC Section Prediction for Crime Classification project is a groundbreaking initiative with far- reaching implications for the legal and law enforcement sectors in India. Traditional crime classification and the assignment of the appropriate IPC section are often time-consuming and prone to human error. Our web application addresses these challenges by offering an efficient, accurate, and user-friendly solution. One of the key strengths of our application lies in its adaptability. It can process a wide range of crime descriptions, including those involving complex legal language or colloquial terms, ensuring its utility in diverse scenarios. Additionally, our system is designed to continuously learn and evolve. It adapts to changes in legal terminology, updates in the IPC, and emerging crime trends, thereby maintaining its relevance and precision over time. The social impact of this project cannot be overstated. By streamlining crime classification, it empowers law enforcement agencies to allocate resources more efficiently and prioritize cases based on severity and relevance. It also aids legal professionals by expediting case preparation and documentation. Moreover, it facilitates greater public engagement with the legal system, enabling citizens to better understand and navigate the complexities of the IPC. In conclusion, our AI-driven IPC Section Prediction web application is a pioneering tool that has the potential to revolutionize crime classification and legal processes. Its adaptability, continuous improvement, and positive societal impact make it an asset for law enforcement, legal practitioners, and the general public alike.
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Bathke, John P. "Ocotillo Wind: A Case Study of how Tribal-Federal Governmental Consultation is Failing Tribal Governments and their Spiritual Landscapes through Renewable Energy Development." Human Geography 7, no. 2 (July 2014): 46–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/194277861400700204.
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In an effort to mitigate climate change, the federal government of the United States has recently opened public lands to the development of utility-scale renewable energy projects. The federal government is processing the applications for these projects arbitrarily fast, particularly in southern California and western Arizona. Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), federal projects trigger government-to-government consultations between the federal government and Tribal governments. The Quechan Indian Nation, whose traditional lands encompass many of these projects, has been forced to defend its cultural resources from destruction by these projects. However, because the federal government has treated these applications in a “fast-track” manner, the tribal consultation process has become extremely rushed, thus not allowing Tribal governments enough time and/or resources to adequately protect their sacred sites on public lands from development. In particular, the Ocotillo Wind Express Facility, within a spiritual landscape important to the Quechan and other Indian Nations, highlights how Tribal governments may not be able to rely on Section 106 tribal consultation and the nomination of landscapes as Traditional Cultural Properties (TCP) to protect their spiritual heritage embedded in public land. The current tools of Section 106 consultation and TCP nomination have proven useless to preserve a cultural landscape, spiritually important to Quechan, from being devastated by a 112-turbine wind project. This article examines how the underlying nature of tribal consultation does not offer Tribal governments any reliable method of protecting their cultural resources on public lands. The federal government diminishes any benefit of tribal consulting when it arbitrarily accelerates the environmental review process on many current renewable energy projects.
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Burch, Patricia. "Educational Policy and Practice From the Perspective of Institutional Theory: Crafting a Wider Lens." Educational Researcher 36, no. 2 (March 2007): 84–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0013189x07299792.
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Institutional analyses of public education have increased in number in recent years. However, studies in education drawing on institutional analyses have not fully incorporated recent contributions from institutional theory, particularly relative to other domains such as law and health policy. The author sketches a framework that integrates recent institutional theorizing to guide scholarship on these and other issues in K–12 public education in the United States. The author argues that although concepts such as “loose coupling” have been widely used, education researchers have not fully tapped institutional theories that have emerged more recently. The author introduces three interrelated constructs and applies them to a case study of district reading and mathematics reform. In the final section, the author considers how current developments in the governance of public schooling increase the utility of institutional perspectives and identify critical issues that need to be addressed in future work.
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Iunes, Roberto Fontes. "On the economic analysis of response to preventive measures." Revista de Saúde Pública 25, no. 4 (August 1991): 243–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0034-89101991000400002.
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There are many circumstances in which the effectiveness of preventive measures depends to a large extent on the compliance of the patient in changing his or her behavior or lifestyle. It is shown how economic techniques can be used (i) to describe the rationale of individuals and predict their behavior (Section 2); and (ii) to assess preventive measures that, by requiring a change of conduct, imply "costs" to the individual due to a decline in the quality of life (Appendix). Cigarette smoking and coronary heart disease are used as an illustration. While the analysis of Section 2 uses graphical techniques, a simple textbook-type of lifetime utility model with a mathematical emphasis is used in the Appendix. It is also shown that techniques often used to assess health care programs such as the QALYs (Quality-Adjusted Life Years) are inappropriate to the evaluation of preventive programs aiming at behavioral changes. Finally, topics that call for further research are indicated.
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Ayah, Richard, Dismas Ongore, and Alfred T. O. Agwanda. "Measuring the effectiveness of maternal delivery services: A cross-sectional and qualitative study of perinatal mortality in six primary referral hospitals, Kenya." F1000Research 7 (June 12, 2018): 732. http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.14862.1.
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Background: The effective performance of hospitals is critical to overall health system goal achievement. Global health system performance frameworks are often used as part of global benchmarking, but not within low and middle-income countries as part of service delivery performance measurement. This study explored the utility of perinatal mortality as a measure of hospital effectiveness. Methods: A cross sectional, mixed methods study of six primary referral hospitals, differentiated by ownership, was conducted from 10th June to 9th October 2015. Monthly summary hospital data of maternal delivery services (MDS) were abstracted to determine the perinatal mortality. Tests of associations were used to correlate bed turnover, skilled staffing, method of delivery and perinatal mortality. Additionally, 40 questionnaire interviews were held with hospital board members and the management team to assess the availability of standard operating procedures (SOP) in MDS. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. Results: All six hospitals reported having SOP in managing MDS. The average perinatal mortality rate for all the hospitals was 24.63 per 1,000 live births. However, a perinatal death was 2.6 times more likely in public hospitals compared to private hospitals (29.8 vs 11.4 per 1,000 births respectively). The average caesarean section rate for all hospitals was 25.9%, but the odds of a caesarean section were 1.67 higher in a private hospital compared to a public hospital (P<0.001 95% CI: 1.58-1.77). Perinatal mortality was associated with bed turnover ratio (R squared 0.260, P=0.001), and skilled staff availability (R squared 0.064,P<0.001). Discussion: The high perinatal mortality reported in public hospitals may be due to high bed turnover and relatively low caesarean section rate. Input measures of performance such as reporting standards of care and staffing levels are not useful performance indicators. Perinatal mortality as a performance indicator may be an ideal measure of the effectiveness of hospitals.
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Bulkeley, Rip. "Cold war whaling: Bellingshausen and the Slava flotilla." Polar Record 47, no. 2 (June 15, 2010): 135–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003224741000015x.
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ABSTRACTOn 7 December 1945 a captured German whaling factory, Wikinger, was allocated to the Soviet Union under the terms of the Potsdam Agreement between that country, the United States and the United Kingdom. In the first section, this article presents the first detailed account of how Wikinger was seized by the Royal Navy and eventually transferred to Soviet ownership. The second section illustrates the hostile attitudes of western governments towards the Slava whaling flotilla during the cold war, and the degree to which their suspicions were focused on the work of scientists assigned to the flotilla. The next four sections trace the fluctuating perceptions and presentations, during the Tsarist and early Soviet periods, of the Imperial Russian Navy's Antarctic expedition of 1819–1821, the problems in respect of Antarctica which confronted Soviet diplomacy and propaganda in the 1940s, and the new story, about Russians having been the first people to discover Antarctica, which was developed in order to address them. It is then possible, in the seventh section, to explain the political utility of the Slava flotilla in the early 1950s. An eighth section sketches the divergent cultural fortunes of the Bellingshausen expedition and the Slava flotilla after the period under consideration.This article discusses the use of whaling and history in support of Soviet Antarctic policy between the end of World War 2 and the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957–1958. But the Slava whaling flotilla did not just play a part in the historicisation of Soviet Antarctic policy. It was itself a historically constituted object, fraught with meanings on both sides of the cold war. For that reason the opportunity is taken to give a more detailed account of the flotilla's origins than has been available hitherto. The author notes that two contributors to this journal have preceded him in some of these matters (Armstrong 1950, 1971; Gan 2009). He ventures to suggest, however, that the connections between whaling, historiography and public information management in Soviet Antarctic policy have not been fully demonstrated before this.
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Hitch, H. P. Y. "Pressure cabins of elliptic cross section." Aeronautical Journal 92, no. 916 (July 1988): 207–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0001924000016158.
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Some observers believe that there will be such growth in the travelling public and such constraint on airport and airspace usage that, by early in the 2000s. very large passenger carrying aircraft will be required. By ‘very large’ is meant anything from 1,000 to 2,000 seaters. Whilst the problems which come to mind when musing on this possibility are mostly those of ‘passenger flow’ in the widest sense and rather less related to the vehicle itself, there are some issues related to the vehicle which suggest themselves. One is the choice of fuselage cross section. Because cabins have to be pressurised (10 psi is a typical figure for cruise altitudes up to say 40,000 ft), it has been the norm to utilise circular cross sections (or double-bubble type) since the pressure forces are contained by hoop loads only, without frame bending, which affords a light and fatigue-insensitive structure (Fig. 1).
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Sloyer, Kristin E., Mileyka Santos, Eddier Rivera, Lawrence E. Reeves, Jean Paul Carrera, Amy Y. Vittor, Anayansi Valderrama, and Nathan D. Burkett-Cadena. "Evaluating sampling strategies for enzootic Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus vectors in Florida and Panama." PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 16, no. 4 (April 13, 2022): e0010329. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010329.
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Determining effective sampling methods for mosquitoes are among the first objectives in elucidating transmission cycles of vector-borne zoonotic disease, as the effectiveness of sampling methods can differ based on species, location, and physiological state. The Spissipes section of the subgenus Melanoconion of Culex represents an understudied group of mosquitoes which transmit Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV) in the Western Hemisphere. The objective of this study was to determine effective collection methods that target both blood-engorged and non-engorged females of the Spissipes section of Culex subgenus Melanoconion to test the hypothesis that favorable trapping methods differ between species and by physiological status within a species. Mosquitoes were collected using two commercially available traps, (CDC-light trap and BG-Sentinel trap), two novel passive traps (a novel mosquito drift fence and pop-up resting shelters), and two novel aspirators, (a small-diameter aspirator and a large-diameter aspirator) in Darién, Panama, and Florida, USA. The total number of female mosquitoes collected for each species was compared using rarefaction curves and diversity metrics. We also compared the utility of each trap for collecting total females and blood-engorged females of four Spissipes section mosquito species in Florida and Darién. In Darién, it was found that both blood-engorged and unfed females of Cx. pedroi were most effectively collected using the mosquito drift fence at 57.6% and 61.7% respectively. In contrast, the most unfed Cx. spissipes were collected using the mosquito drift fence (40.7%) while blood-engorged females were collected effectively by pop-up resting shelters (42.3%). In Florida, the best sampling technique for the collection of blood-engorged Cx. panocossa was the large diameter aspirator at 41.9%, while the best trap for collecting Cx. cedecei was the pop-up resting shelter at 45.9%. For unfed female Spissipes section mosquitoes in Florida, the CDC light trap with CO2 collected 84.5% and 98.3% of Cx. cedecei and Cx. panocossa respectively in Florida. Rarefaction analysis, and both the Shannon and Simpsons diversity indices all demonstrated that the mosquito drift fence was capable of collecting the greatest diversity of mosquito species regardless of location. The finding that the proportions of unfed and blood-engorged mosquitoes collected by traps differed both among and between species has implications for how studies of VEEV vectors will be carried out in future investigations. In Florida a combination of pop-up resting shelters and use of a large-diameter aspirator would be optimal for the collection of both VEEV vectors for host-use studies. Results demonstrate that traps can be constructed from common materials to collect mosquitoes for VEEV vector studies and could be assessed for their utilization in vectors of other systems as well. Unfortunately, no single method was effective for capturing all species and physiological states, highlighting a particular need for assessing trap utility for target species of a study.
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Silva, Sanderson Ximendes, and Francisco José Viana de Souza. "Novo relatório do auditor independente: uma análise sobre os principais assuntos de Auditoria presentes nos relatórios dos auditores independentes de empresas listadas na B3." Somma: Revista Cientifica do Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Piauí 5, no. 2 (December 30, 2019): 39–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.51361/somma.v5i2.151.
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In 2016, due to the need to align accounting and auditing standards with international standards, Brazil adopted the New Independent Audit Report, making it more informative. Among the changes, the insertion of the main audit matters section. The objective of this work is to identify the elements of economic and financial information most communicated in the new section and to analyze whether there has been an increase in reports issued with a modified opinion since the adoption of the New Report. This work is relevant for exploring the line of audit research in the accounting scientific community. Topics such as: accounting, internal and external auditing, convergence to international standards and capital markets were addressed. The methodology characterized as quali-quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and documentary and used statistical software for data analysis. 14 companies from the non-cyclical consumption, financial and public utility sectors were analyzed, resulting in 46 main audit matters, 16 of which were different. As a complementary result, the analysis of companies in the period from 2013 to 2018, separating them into two groups, one before the new report and the other after, it was noticed, through the graph, that the number of reports with modified opinions had a upward trend since the adoption of the New Report.
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Valsamakis, Alexandra. "Molecular Testing in the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Hepatitis B." Clinical Microbiology Reviews 20, no. 3 (July 2007): 426–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/cmr.00009-07.
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SUMMARY Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an enveloped virus with a small (3.2-kb) partially double-stranded DNA genome that causes acute and chronic infections. The impact of these infections on public health worldwide is enormous, with an estimated prevalence of 2 billion acute infections and 360 million chronic infections globally. This review focuses on chronic hepatitis B and the molecular assays used in its diagnosis and management. Background information, including that about features of the hepatitis B virion, viral replication, and epidemiology of infection, that is important for understanding chronic hepatitis B and molecular diagnostic tests for HBV is provided. To facilitate an understanding of the utility of molecular testing for chronic hepatitis B, the four stages of chronic hepatitis B infection that are currently recognized, as well as an additional entity, occult hepatitis B, that can be diagnosed only by sensitive nucleic acid amplification methods, are reviewed in detail, including available therapeutic agents. The molecular diagnostic content focuses on tests for HBV DNA quantification, genotyping, and mutation detection (including precore/core promoter and antiviral resistance mutations). The discussion of these tests encompasses their current utility and performance characteristics, drawing from current clinical guidelines and other studies from the literature. In recognition of the continual evolution of this field, the final section describes emerging molecular markers with future diagnostic potential.
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Kudzinesta, Mtungwazi, Mwangana Mubita, Francis Kalemeera, Brian Godman, Ester Hango, and Dan Kibuule. "Utility of medicines information leaflets in hypertensive care in a setting with low health literacy: A cross-sectional study." Medicine Access @ Point of Care 4 (January 2020): 239920262091003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2399202620910031.
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Introduction: Higher levels of health literacy improve utilization of health information, medication adherence and outcomes. Few studies evaluate the utility of medicines information in hypertensive care in settings with low health literacy. Aim: To determine the level of health literacy and utility of medicines information leaflets (MILs) among hypertensive patients in public health care in Namibia. Methods: A hospital-based survey among hypertensive patients receiving care at a referral hospital in Namibia from the 8 June 2018 to 29 June 2018. Patient’s health literacy and utility of MIL were assessed using three literacy tools and a survey questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic content analysis for factors associate with the utility of the MIL. Results: Of the 139 patients, 63% were female and the mean age was 45.7 (range: 19.0–84.0) years. Over 85.6% had of low literacy skills (Rapid Estimate of Literacy in Medicine (REALM) score <44, that is, unable to read simple health materials), 38.8% had positive Single Item Literacy Screener (SILS) scores (⩾2, require help to read medicines information) and 66.9% had inadequate skills for comprehension, appraisal and decision-making with regard to health information (Health Literacy Skills Instrument-Short Form (HLSI-SF) score <70%). The level of access to and utility of MIL were low, 32.4% and 34.6%, respectively. The main factors associated with poor utility of the MIL were low patient health literacy, lack of guidelines on the use of MIL and MIL written in non-native languages. Conclusion: Low rates of health literacy and utility of MIL were observed among hypertensive patients in Namibia. The integration of health literacy programmes, and MIL guidelines are needed to promote utility of medicine information and improve medication adherence.
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Parvez, Mazed. "Effectiveness of Participatory Planning for Community Development: A Case Study on Ward No-6 in Pabna Municipality." Electronic Journal of Education, Social Economics and Technology 1, no. 1 (August 30, 2020): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.33122/ejeset.v1i1.3.
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In modern-day global, network participation is taken into consideration as the prerequisite of sustainable urban improvement. Its levels from just informing people approximately the plan or improvement projects utilizing the humans. However, public participation in neighborhood authorizes led applications is nonetheless confined in Bangladesh. Increasingly, community participation is considered important in ensuring the sustainability of community utility services. In return, better access to all service facilities such as water supply, gas supply, transportation, health care, recreational area, electricity supply, etc. are important in the development of the living standard of the communities of an area. As the rate of community participation, this paper reconnoiters the extent of public participation in spatial planning performs in the Pabna municipality built totally on the citizen’s responses. Data were collected from community service facilities of ward no-06 in Pabna Municipality, Pabna District. Community Effect Index (CEI) and User Satisfaction Index (USI) were used to assess the performance of the community level utility services. The results indicate whether community-level utility services were effective or not. There is a general need to improve the quality and quantity of other services facilities like recreation facility, market facility, health facility, solid waste management system and transportation facility, and a need to improve authorized sections i.e. Municipality authority as well as NGOs to provide better services in this area.
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Nguyen, Katherine D., Belinda Hara, and Rowan T. Chlebowski. "Utility of Two Cancer Organization Websites for a Multiethnic, Public Hospital Oncology Population: Comparative Cross-Sectional Survey." Journal of Medical Internet Research 7, no. 3 (July 1, 2005): e28. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/jmir.7.3.e28.
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Derlatka, Anna, Piotr Lacki, Paweł Kania, and Shan Gao. "Study of Innovative Connector for Steel–Concrete Composite Structures." Applied Sciences 14, no. 7 (April 3, 2024): 3003. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app14073003.
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The paper presents an analysis of the innovative connector for manufacturing a steel–concrete composite beam. The connector consists of a corrugated metal sheet in the shape of a dovetail and shot nails. The nails are shot through the sheet fold into the flange of the steel I-section. Experimental studies of push-out tests were carried out. The conducted tests proved that the proposed solution can be applied as the fastener for steel–concrete composite beams for the construction of ceilings in utility public buildings with small beam’s span. Considering the criteria presented in the Eurocode 4 standard and the results of the experiments, it was proven that all analyzed types of fasteners are ductile. The connector made of sheet with a thickness of 1.00 mm and 2 nails is characterized by a breaking load of 30.83 kN. The load-bearing capacity of the fastener can be adjusted by changing the corrugated sheet thickness and changing the number of nails shot in the single fold of the sheet.
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Shen, Hua, and Tianchen Ma. "Research on Strategic Communication Analysis of Interpersonal Communication." Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal 7, no. 9 (September 10, 2020): 119–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.79.8945.
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In this paper, we have discussed interpersonal communication. Basically, communication is strategic when behaviors (utterances, nonverbal displays) are formulated in a particular way because it is projected that they will have social utility. And Strategic interpersonal communication assumes certain characteristics that are common to behavior.
As Communication is a vehicle that organizations should use to initiate, develop, maintain, and repair mutually productive organization- public relationships.
We discusses many aspects of Strategic Interpersonal Communication such as its multi-dimensions, Relationship negotiation and Interpersonal Communication and Public Relations.
In methodology section we have carried out study. This study was intended to recognize and measure the perceptions of sophomore and junior semester college students toward feelings of anxiety experienced throughout foreign language learning as measured by the FLCAS scale. This study results that anxiety in foreign language university students by diminishing their indifference and disinterest in the curriculum that is distinct to their needs, educators have to give meaningful content that is similar to their particular disciplines. An instance of this approach would be to expand curricula for professional disciplines, such as health career, business, science and technology, and law, and diversely curricula for educational purposes, for example, for students majoring in the language or for those practicing their undergraduate or postgraduate studies out of the country.
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Ringwalt, Chris L., and Mallie J. Paschall. "The Utility of Keg Registration Laws: A Cross-Sectional Study." Journal of Adolescent Health 48, no. 1 (January 2011): 106–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.05.012.
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Hasan, Umair, Andrew Whyte, and Hamad AlJassmi. "A Microsimulation Modelling Approach to Quantify Environmental Footprint of Autonomous Buses." Sustainability 14, no. 23 (November 24, 2022): 15657. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su142315657.
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In this study a novel microsimulation-based methodology for environmental assessment of urban systems is developed to address the performance of autonomous mass-mobility against conventional approaches. Traffic growth and microsimulation models, calibrated using real data, are utilised to assess four traffic management scenarios: business-as-usual; public bus transport case; public-bus rapid transit (BRT) case; and, a traffic-demand-responsive-autonomous-BRT case, focusing on fuel energy efficiency, headways, fleet control and platooning for lifecycle analysis (2015–2045) of a case study 3.5 km long 5-lane dual-carriageway section. Results showed that both energy consumption and exhaust emission rates depend upon traffic volume and flow rate factors of vehicle speed-time curves; acceleration-deceleration; and braking rate. The results measured over-reliance of private cars utilising fossil fuel that cause congestions and high environmental footprint on urban roads worsen causing excessive travel times. Public transport promotion was found to be an effective and easy-to-implement environmental burden reduction strategy. Results showed significant potential of autonomous mass-mobility systems to reduce environmental footprint of urban traffic, provided adequate mode-shift can be achieved. The study showed utility of microsimulations for energy and emissions assessment, it linked bus network performance assessment with environmental policies and provided empirical models for headway and service frequency comparisons at vehicle levels. The developed traffic fleet operation prediction methodology for long-term policy implications and tracking models for accurate yearly simulation of real-world vehicle operation profiles are applicable for other sustainability-oriented urban traffic management studies.
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Sharma, Shweta R., Rounak Chahal, Anshuman Srivastava, Umar Farooq, Sudhir Singh, Vasundhara Sharma, and Imran Ahamad. "Determination of anti-streptolysin – O titer in suspected cases of streptococcal infection." IP International Journal of Medical Microbiology and Tropical Diseases 7, no. 4 (November 15, 2021): 279–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.18231/j.ijmmtd.2021.057.
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The Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus has remained a major human infective agent for hundreds of years. Group 'A' beta hemolytic streptococcus related ailment and sequelae keep on affecting general public and national economy as they mostly influence kids and youthful grown-ups. Current research aimed to determination of anti-streptolysin –o titer in suspected cases of streptococcal infection. : Determination of anti-Streptolysin-O (ASO) titer in suspected cases of streptococcal infection. The measurement of ASO levels was done by semi-quantitative analyzer analyzer on photometric and colorimetric systems. 107 blood samples were taken in our study. This study was conduct in serological section of microbiology department of Teerthanker Mahaveer Hospital & research centre Moradabad. A total 107 samples were tested in this study. Of these, 23(21.5%) were found to be positive for the presence of ASO having titre of >200IU/mL. This study will be useful to evaluate utility of sero-diagnosis in our catering population and found useful in early diagnosis and treatment of these pathogens. Treatment can be initiated at an early stage leading to reduction in complications and associated mortality.
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Borys, Michał, Beata Potręć-Studzińska, Paweł Kutnik, Justyna Sysiak-Sławecka, Elżbieta Rypulak, Tomasz Gęca, Anna Kwaśniewska, Mirosław Czuczwar, and Paweł Piwowarczyk. "The Effectiveness of Transversus Abdominis Plane and Quadratus Lumborum Blocks in Acute Postoperative Pain Following Cesarean Section—A Randomized, Single-Blind, Controlled Trial." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 13 (June 30, 2021): 7034. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18137034.
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Acute pain intensity related to cesarean section (CS) may be extensive and is often underestimated. This may influence mothers’ quality of life and their children’s development. Regional analgesia techniques that include transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) and quadratus lumborum block (QLB) have proven their efficacy in the postoperative period after CS. Although several randomized controlled studies and one meta-analysis have investigated the utility of TAPB and QLB in the reduction of acute and chronic pain after CS, only one study directly compared both types of regional blocks and revealed superiority of QLB over TAPB. Our study aimed to reevaluate the effectiveness of transversus TAPB and QLB in controlling acute postoperative pain after CS. We recruited 197 women with singleton pregnancies undergoing CS under spinal anesthesia. The patients were randomized to receive either TAPB or QLB after CS. The acute postoperative pain was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h after the operation. No significant difference in acute postoperative pain intensity between the groups was found. The patients who received TAPB had a higher demand for supplemental morphine injections (p < 0.039). In our study, none of the evaluated regional blocks demonstrated an advantage over the other regarding acute postoperative pain management.
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Mallon, K., G. Doherty, and R. Burns. "P1152 Health-related quality of life among Irish Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients: a cross-sectional survey using the EQ-5D-5L." Journal of Crohn's and Colitis 18, Supplement_1 (January 1, 2024): i2061. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjad212.1282.
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Abstract Background Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, lifelong illness that has multiple impacts on patients’ physical and mental health. Approximately 40,000 individuals in Ireland have IBD and the burden on quality of life is expected to be substantial. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) utilises quality weights (utilities), measured on a ‘0’ to ‘1’ scale where ‘0’ is defined as a health state equivalent to being dead and ‘1’ is full health, and is often used as a measure of population health status to inform public health and health care policy. Previous evidence has shown that a reduced HRQoL in patients with IBD is associated with higher disease activity, increased medication use, increased sick leave, decreased work participation, smoking, rheumatic symptoms, female gender, and having CD. Despite this evidence, there is a paucity of data on the impact of IBD on the HRQoL of IBD patients in Ireland. Methods A cross-sectional, online study was developed aimed at IBD Patients in Ireland and patients were recruited through study invites advertised on The Crohn's and Colitis Ireland social media channels and among patient representatives of INITIative IBD. Information on quality of life was collected using the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. Descriptive statistics describe sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Categorical variables are summarized as frequencies and percentages. Utility scores are presented as the mean and standard deviation (SD). To evaluate factors correlating with HRQoL in IBD patients, a univariate regression model was applied. Significant variables (p<0.05) were further included in a multivariable ordinal least squares regression model. Results A total of 161 IBD patients were recruited. The average EQ-5D-5L utility score was 0.76. Average utility scores were similar for UC (0.76) and CD (0.75) patients, with IBDU patients scoring slightly higher (0.80). Average utility scores were highest for those aged 50-59 years (0.93), with an average utility score for those aged 30-39 of 0.71. Average utility scores were higher in males (0.78). Utility scores ranged from .133 to 1. When compared with those in remission, patients with severe disease severity had significantly lower utility scores (β=-.261; p=0.000). Conclusion Findings suggest that HRQoL in IBD patients in Ireland varies according to disease severity. These findings may indicate that follow-up care should include generic HRQoL measurements along with disease-specific as an objective tool for monitoring IBD disease course. This research offers important information for policy-makers for developing better strategies for IBD patients, as well as clinicians, academics and IBD patients.
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Daya, Shyam, and Kenneth I. Berns. "Gene Therapy Using Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors." Clinical Microbiology Reviews 21, no. 4 (October 2008): 583–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/cmr.00008-08.
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SUMMARY The unique life cycle of adeno-associated virus (AAV) and its ability to infect both nondividing and dividing cells with persistent expression have made it an attractive vector. An additional attractive feature of the wild-type virus is the lack of apparent pathogenicity. Gene transfer studies using AAV have shown significant progress at the level of animal models; clinical trials have been noteworthy with respect to the safety of AAV vectors. No proven efficacy has been observed, although in some instances, there have been promising observations. In this review, topics in AAV biology are supplemented with a section on AAV clinical trials with emphasis on the need for a deeper understanding of AAV biology and the development of efficient AAV vectors. In addition, several novel approaches and recent findings that promise to expand AAV's utility are discussed, especially in the context of combining gene therapy ex vivo with new advances in stem or progenitor cell biology.
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Wilkerson, Amanda H., Manoj Sharma, Robert E. Davis, Philip M. Stephens, Richard W. Kim, Deepak Bhati, and Vinayak K. Nahar. "Predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors associated with opioid addiction helping behaviour in tri-state Appalachian counties: application of the PRECEDE–PROCEED model–cross-sectional analysis." BMJ Open 13, no. 5 (May 2023): e066147. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066147.
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ObjectivesThe overdose epidemic was designated a ‘Public Health Emergency’ in the USA on 26 October 2017, bringing attention to the severity of this public health problem. The Appalachian region remains substantially impacted by the effects from years of overprescription of opioids, and subsequently opioid non-medical use and addiction. This study aims to examine the utility of the PRECEDE–PROCEED model constructs (ie, predisposing, reinforcing and enabling factors) to explain opioid addiction helping behaviour (ie, helping someone who has an opioid addiction) among members of the public living in tri-state Appalachian counties.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingRural county in the Appalachian region of the USA.ParticipantsA total of 213 participants from a retail mall in a rural Appalachian Kentucky county completed the survey. Most participants were between the ages of 18 and 30 years (n=68; 31.9%) and identified as men (n=139; 65.3%).Primary outcome measureOpioid addiction helping behaviour.ResultsThe regression model was significant (F(6, 180)=26.191, p<0.001) and explained 44.8% of the variance in opioid addiction helping behaviour (R2=0.448). Attitude towards helping someone with opioid addiction (B=0.335; p<0.001), behavioural skills (B=0.208; p=0.003), reinforcing factors (B=0.190; p=0.015) and enabling factors (B=0.195; p=0.009) were all significantly associated with opioid addiction helping behaviour.ConclusionsPRECEDE–PROCEED model constructs have utility to explain opioid addiction helping behaviour among individuals in a region greatly impacted by the overdose epidemic. This study provides an empirically tested framework for future programmes addressing helping behaviour related to opioid non-medical use.
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Zhu, Zhu, Wu Yan, Xuanxuan Wang, Dan Hu, Ya Zhu, and Jiaying Chen. "Physical Activity, Blood Pressure Control, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Hypertensive Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jiangsu Province, China." Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health 33, no. 5 (May 21, 2021): 539–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10105395211014650.
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Hypertension has become one of the most serious chronic diseases that threaten public health. Regulating self-management is considered a priority and in which physical activity plays a vital role. Based on the Fifth National Health Service Survey (NHSS, 2013), a total of 6079 patients with hypertension were investigated by stratified cluster random sampling. This study explored the relationships between blood pressure control and physical activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Tobit regression and generalized linear regression analysis were used to explore the relationships among participants’ socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviors, and HRQoL. The results showed that 4712 respondents (77.51%) had no problems in any aspect, but the proportion of respondents with problems increased significantly with age ( P for trend <.001). Blood pressure control was significantly correlated with the health utility value ( P < .001). Patients who participated in physical activity and maintained normal daily blood pressure also showed higher health utility value. Physical activity was significantly related to blood pressure control and HRQoL. Therefore, regular physical activity is recommended for hypertensive residents to improve HRQoL.
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Qu, Shuiling, Ailing Wang, Xiaoyan Wang, Yehuan Yang, Xiaoping Pan, and Tong Zhang. "Health-Related Quality of Life of HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Pregnant Women in an Impoverished Area: Cross-sectional Study." JMIR Public Health and Surveillance 8, no. 4 (April 5, 2022): e29906. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/29906.
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Background Liangshan prefecture of Sichuan province was an impoverished mountainous area in China, where the annual number of HIV-positive pregnant women accounted for approximately 10% of China’s total population in the decades before 2020. In general, pregnant women living here are likely to be physically and mentally different from those in other places. Objective This study aims to explore the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of pregnant women living with HIV in an impoverished area. Methods From December 2018 to January 2019, HIV-positive and HIV-negative parturients within 18 months after delivery were recruited in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Questionnaires were designed to collect their demographic data, while the EuroQol 5-Dimension, 3-Level questionnaire was used to measure their HRQoL when they were in the second trimester from 4 to 6 months of pregnancy, and their quantitative health scores were converted to corresponding healthy utility values by using the Chinese Utility Value Integral System (time trade-off coefficient). Results A total of 250 pregnant women (133 HIV-positive and 117 HIV-negative) were enrolled in the study. Among them, 55 (41.35%) and 75 (64.10%) of HIV-positive and HIV-negative pregnant women self-reported full health (healthy state 11111), respectively. The median health utility value of the 250 pregnant women was 0.961 (IQR –0.046 to 0.961), and those of the HIV-positive and HIV-negative pregnant women were 0.875 (0.424-0.961) and 0.961 (IQR –0.046 to 0.961), respectively. We observed a significant difference only in the dimension of anxiety or depression between the two groups (P=.002) and no significant difference in the distribution of health utility indices between the two groups in terms of maternal age, education level, occupation, annual household income, prenatal care visits, family size, and medical insurance category. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR] 0.62, P<.05) and prenatal care visit (OR 0.29, P<.01) were independent risk factors for health status. Conclusions Most pregnant women self-reported satisfactory HRQoL in this impoverished mountainous area. HIV-negative pregnant women had an edge over HIV-positive pregnant women, and there were significant differences in anxiety or depression dimensions between the two groups.
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Smirnov, Oleg O., and Sergey B. Sivaev. "Routing Utility Transit Infrastructure: A Social Welfare Theory Approach." Journal of Applied Economic Research 23, no. 2 (2024): 341–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/vestnik.2024.23.2.014.
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The construction of real estate for a wide range of purposes necessitates the creation of new infrastructure. This paper shows that the existing methodology for paying for connection to water supply and sanitation systems contains a significant drawback in the form of the creation of many overlapping networks instead of the construction of one common transit network. This approach leads to welfare losses for both society and developers. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the ineffectiveness of the network routing approach, which is used in the methodology of payment for connection to water supply and sewerage systems from the standpoint of the theory of social welfare. The scientific hypothesis is that the creation of a large-diameter transit network in the future turns out to be less expensive than many separate sections of distribution networks of smaller diameter. In order to prove this point, the cost of construction and maintenance of networks is estimated in these two approaches, for which 118 tariff decisions for 85 regional capitals were analyzed. The data for the assessment is taken as the average of connection tariffs per unit length of a network of the corresponding diameter for 2022. Additionally, the potential for increasing the efficiency of land use in each of the two approaches was assessed. According to the results of the study, it was demonstrated that a fee from the developer, which involves the creation of common transit networks, is more preferable for all participants in the connection. This means that the sum total of costs within the local optimum will be higher than in the case of one global optimum for the territory as a whole, that is, the second case can be called the most subordinate to public interests. The theoretical significance of the work carried out lies in the graphic justification of the need to apply fees from developers when developing infrastructure. The practical significance of the work lies in the substantiation of the construction of a morphologically correct structure of the network economy.
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Ahmed, Mohammed Sarosh, Padmaja R. Walvekar, Sameeran S. Chate, and M. D. Mallapur. "Utility of Geriatric Depression Scale-15 for Assessment of Depression among Elderly: A Cross Sectional Study." Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development 7, no. 4 (2016): 150. http://dx.doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2016.00208.4.
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Goswami, Sarah, and Vicki Lane. "Building Evaluation Capital in Government: A Queensland Departmental Approach." Evaluation Journal of Australasia 17, no. 4 (December 2017): 39–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1035719x1701700405.
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Increasingly, government departments are being held accountable for investment in public services. In Queensland the Financial Accountability Act 2009 (Queensland Treasury, 2016) requires that accountable officers and statutory bodies ‘achieve reasonable value for money by ensuring the operations of the department or statutory body are carried out efficiently, effectively and economically’ (Section 61). Whilst there is a directive for agencies to evaluate and demonstrate value for money, it has in practice been difficult to embed long term, as many systems and decision makers have neglected the role of organisation-wide evaluation capital. This paper will outline the work being undertaken in the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) to implement an Impact and Investment Framework, which will support and embed evaluation in a multidisciplinary setting. A central tenant of this framework is ‘business empowerment and learning'—building the evaluation culture in the organisation by first establishing evaluation building blocks, through business empowerment, support and utility. The framework is comprised of five key elements and is built on the principles of evaluation and evaluation capacity building disciplines. It has been designed to be low-cost, effective and efficient, whilst enabling business improvement, meeting accountability needs and allowing the department to demonstrate the value of its work.
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Cui, Jie, Yueer Gao, Jing Cheng, and Lei Shi. "Study on the Selection Model of Staying Adjustment Bus Lines along Rail Transit." Journal of Advanced Transportation 2020 (February 1, 2020): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/6385359.
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To fully achieve effective rail transit, prevent the waste of conventional bus capacity along a rail transit line, and relieve the urban traffic congestion problem, it is necessary to screen for the adjustment of conventional bus lines prior to the operation of rail transit to provide a basis for further optimization of bus lines. Based on the analysis of spatial relationships between a rail transit line and conventional collinear bus lines and considering the time advantage characteristics of rail transit in rush hours, a model of the generalized travel time costs and travel time savings proportion in the collinear section of rail transit and bus was proposed. To evaluate the utility of rail transit relative to conventional bus collinear lines, the conventional bus lines to be adjusted were determined. Taking Xiamen as an example, the bus lines of Hubin East Road Station as the endpoint of metro line 1 were employed to calculate the model using GPS data of the buses, and the bus lines to be adjusted in the Hubin East Road were determined. The results show that the model is effective in the elastic selection of conventional bus lines that need to be adjusted and provides decision-making support for urban comprehensive public transport planning.
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Beusterien, Kathleen M., John Davies, Michael Leach, David Meiklejohn, Jessica L. Grinspan, Alison O'Toole, and Steve Bramham-Jones. "Population preference values for treatment outcomes in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a cross-sectional utility study." Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 8, no. 1 (2010): 50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-8-50.
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Andrés-Sánchez, Jorge de, Mario Arias-Oliva, and Jorge Pelegrin-Borondo. "Citizens’ Perception of COVID-19 Passport Usefulness: A Cross Sectional Study." Behavioral Sciences 12, no. 5 (May 12, 2022): 140. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/bs12050140.
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This paper assesses the influence on people’s perception of the utility of the immunity passport (IP) program by sociodemographic factors, infectivity status, and the objective of its use. The material of this paper is a cross-sectional survey of 400 residents in Spain. The relation between utility perception and input variables is fitted with ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and linear quantile regression (LQR). The principal explanatory variable of usefulness perception is being vaccinated, especially when the objective of the IP is regulating mobility. The OLS estimate of the coefficient regression is (cr) = 0.415 (p = 0.001). We also found a positive and significant influence of that factor in all LQRs (cr = 0.652, p = 0.0026 at level (τ) = 0.75; cr = 0.482, p = 0.0047 at τ = 0.5 and cr = 0.201, p = 0.0385 at τ = 0.25). When the objective of the IP is regulating leisure, being vaccinated is relevant only to explain the central measures of usefulness perception. If the IP is used to regulate traveling, variables related to interviewees’ infectivity have greater relevance than sociodemographic factors. When its objective is ruling assembly, the more important variables than being vaccinated are gender and age. To create an effective implementation of the IP, it is advisable to have a general agreement among the population on its convenience. Therefore, the findings in this study have important implications for public health decision-makers.
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Eriksson, T. "PMH45 CROSS-SECTIONAL EVALUATION OF HEALTH STATE UTILITY IN SWEDISH OUTPATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER." Value in Health 9, no. 6 (November 2006): A323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1098-3015(10)63576-0.
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Hawryluk, Gregory W. J., Andres M. Rubiano, Annette M. Totten, Cindy O’Reilly, Jamie S. Ullman, Susan L. Bratton, Randall Chesnut, et al. "Guidelines for the Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: 2020 Update of the Decompressive Craniectomy Recommendations." Neurosurgery 87, no. 3 (August 6, 2020): 427–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/neuros/nyaa278.
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Abstract When the fourth edition of the Brain Trauma Foundation's Guidelines for the Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury were finalized in late 2016, it was known that the results of the RESCUEicp (Trial of Decompressive Craniectomy for Traumatic Intracranial Hypertension) randomized controlled trial of decompressive craniectomy would be public after the guidelines were released. The guideline authors decided to proceed with publication but to update the decompressive craniectomy recommendations later in the spirit of “living guidelines,” whereby topics are updated more frequently, and between new editions, when important new evidence is published. The update to the decompressive craniectomy chapter presented here integrates the findings of the RESCUEicp study as well as the recently published 12-mo outcome data from the DECRA (Decompressive Craniectomy in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury) trial. Incorporation of these publications into the body of evidence led to the generation of 3 new level-IIA recommendations; a fourth previously presented level-IIA recommendation remains valid and has been restated. To increase the utility of the recommendations, we added a new section entitled Incorporating the Evidence into Practice. This summary of expert opinion provides important context and addresses key issues for practitioners, which are intended to help the clinician utilize the available evidence and these recommendations. The full guideline can be found at: https://braintrauma.org/guidelines/guidelines-for-the-management-of-severe-tbi-4th-ed#/.
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Du Bois, Mikhalien. "State Use Provisions for Patent Law, and Expropriations: Some Comparative Law Guidelines for South Africa during the Covid-19 Crisis and Beyond." Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal 23 (September 15, 2020): 1–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2020/v23i0a8150.
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This article views section 4 of the Patents Act 57 of 1978 against section 25 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and Article 31 of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights of 1994 (hereafter TRIPS). The purpose is to find a suitable framework for the state/government use/utilisation of patented products or processes for public purposes. A comparison is done with the Crown use provisions in United Kingdom, Australian and Canadian law to find a suitable approach to questions relating to remuneration for state use, the prior negotiations requirement set by Article 31 of TRIPS, and the public purposes and exclusive patent rights that would be included under state use. The COVID-19 international pandemic has caused a state of national disaster in South Africa, which is exactly the kind of situation of extreme urgency envisioned by the exception in Article 31 of TRIPS, which permits the state use of patents without requiring prior negotiations with the patent owner. In the battle against COVID-19 and its concomitant fallout, the South African government (and authorised private parties) would be permitted to utilise patent rights without explicit authorisation from the patent owner and without prior negotiations, but subject to the payment of reasonable remuneration by the government and other terms and conditions as agreed upon or as determined by a court. This may include making (manufacturing), using, exercising, and importing patented products (for example, personal protective equipment, pharmaceuticals, ventilators and diagnostic tests) deemed necessary in the fight against COVID-19. Foreign jurisdictions considered in this article indicate that section 4 of the Patents Act 57 of 1978 may certainly benefit from an update to provide detailed guidance on the state use of patented products or processes for public purposes. In the interest of a timeous offensive against the COVID-19 virus, the patent provisions need a speedy update to allow state use compliant with TRIPS and the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
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Grimwade, Olivia, Julian Savulescu, Alberto Giubilini, Justin Oakley, Joshua Osowicki, Andrew J. Pollard, and Anne-Marie Nussberger. "Payment in challenge studies: ethics, attitudes and a new payment for risk model." Journal of Medical Ethics 46, no. 12 (September 25, 2020): 815–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106438.
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Controlled Human Infection Model (CHIM) research involves the infection of otherwise healthy participants with disease often for the sake of vaccine development. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the urgency of enhancing CHIM research capability and the importance of having clear ethical guidance for their conduct. The payment of CHIM participants is a controversial issue involving stakeholders across ethics, medicine and policymaking with allegations circulating suggesting exploitation, coercion and other violations of ethical principles. There are multiple approaches to payment: reimbursement, wage payment and unlimited payment. We introduce a new Payment for Risk Model, which involves paying for time, pain and inconvenience and for risk associated with participation. We give philosophical arguments based on utility, fairness and avoidance of exploitation to support this. We also examine a cross-section of the UK public and CHIM experts. We found that CHIM participants are currently paid variable amounts. A representative sample of the UK public believes CHIM participants should be paid approximately triple the UK minimum wage and should be paid for the risk they endure throughout participation. CHIM experts believe CHIM participants should be paid more than double the UK minimum wage but are divided on the payment for risk. The Payment for Risk Model allows risk and pain to be accounted for in payment and could be used to determine ethically justifiable payment for CHIM participants.Although many research guidelines warn against paying large amounts or paying for risk, our empirical findings provide empirical support to the growing number of ethical arguments challenging this status quo. We close by suggesting two ways (value of statistical life or consistency with risk in other employment) by which payment for risk could be calculated.
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Guerrero, Andrés. "Echoes arising from two cases of the private administration of populations." Focaal 2012, no. 63 (June 1, 2012): 90–112. http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/fcl.2012.630109.
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The article simultaneously explores three lines of reflection and analysis woven around the comparative reverberations (in space and time) between citizenship and the administration of populations (states of exception) in the Republic of Ecuador during the nineteenth century and the Kingdom of Spain in the twenty century. The first thread tries to answer the question whether it is possible for concepts generated in a country of the Global South to be used usefully in analyzing a different Northern reality, inverting the usual direction in the flows of transfer and importation of “theory.“ The second theme of comparative reverberation explores a network of concepts concerning the citizenship of common sense and the administration of populations, that is the “back-patio“ aspect of citizenship, particularly its historical formation in the domination of populations in the Republic of Ecuador during the nineteenth century. It is centered on the process of identification in the daily exchanges between interpares citizens and extrapares non-citizens. The last section involves testing concepts forged in the author's studies of Ecuadorian history for their utility in analyzing the current situation of modern sub-Saharan immigrants in Spain (using concrete examples), and their reclusion to the private sphere in spaces of exception and abandonment. Here, the article concentrates on the difference between the public administration of populations and the private administration of citizens. The article uses documentary material relating to nineteenth-century Ecuador and twentieth-century Spain and Senegal.
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Proudfoot, Judith, Gordon Parker, Matthew Hyett, Vijaya Manicavasagar, Meg Smith, Sue Grdovic, and Leah Greenfield. "Next Generation of Self-Management Education: Web-based Bipolar Disorder Program." Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 41, no. 11 (November 2007): 903–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048670701634911.
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Objective: Education and self-management training assist patients with bipolar disorder to take control of their condition and to reduce disability, but the timeliness and availability of the education are important. A free Web-based bipolar education program has been recently developed to provide accessible evidence-based information for patients, carers and health professionals. The present paper describes the nine-module program, reports usage data and user profiles, and overviews the aims and methodology of a randomized controlled trial to measure its impact. Methods: Customized Web reports were developed to measure usage of the Web-based program, and to profile its users on a month-by-month basis. Data on the percentage of completers of each module were also collected. A randomized controlled trial evaluating the program in people with newly diagnosed bipolar disorder was also commenced. Results: More than 8000 visitors used the online program in its first 6 months. Users were predominantly female, of a broad cross-section of ages, 43.5% with bipolar disorder, and with the remainder describing themselves as health professionals, carers/family/friends of a person with bipolar disorder or members of the general public. The majority (76%) completed the sessions they commenced. Conclusions: The Web-based education program is attracting a steady stream of users and is exhibiting good completion rates. This preliminary support for the program's utility requires validation from our randomized controlled trial before definite conclusions can be drawn.
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Sarchielli, Guido, Giovanni De Plato, Mario Cavalli, Stefano Albertini, Ilaria Nonni, Lucia Bencivenni, Arianna Montali, Antonio Ventura, and Francesca Montali. "Is medical perspective on clinical governance practices associated with clinical units’ performance and mortality? A cross-sectional study through a record-linkage procedure." SAGE Open Medicine 4 (January 1, 2016): 205031211666011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2050312116660115.
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Objective: Assessment of the knowledge and application as well as perceived utility by doctors of clinical governance tools in order to explore their impact on clinical units’ performance measured through mortality rates and efficiency indicators. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study with a deterministic record-linkage procedure. The sample includes n = 1250 doctors (n = 249 chiefs of clinical units; n = 1001 physicians) working in six public hospitals located in the Emilia-Romagna Region in Italy. Survey instruments include a checklist and a research-made questionnaire which were used for data collection about doctors’ knowledge and application as well as perceived utility of clinical governance tools. The analysis was based on clinical units’ performance indicators which include patients’ mortality, extra-region active mobility rate, average hospital stay, bed occupancy, rotation and turnover rates, and the comparative performance index as efficiency indicators. Results: The clinical governance tools are known and applied differently in all the considered clinical units. Significant differences emerged between roles and organizational levels at which the medical leadership is carried out. The levels of knowledge and application of clinical governance practices are correlated with the clinical units’ efficiency indicators (bed occupancy rate, bed turnover interval, and extra-region mobility). These multiple linear regression analyses highlighted that the clinical governance knowledge and application is correlated with clinical units’ mortality rates (odds ratio, −8.677; 95% confidence interval, −16.654, −0.700). Conclusion: The knowledge and application, as well as perceived utility by medical professionals of clinical governance tools, are associated with the mortality rates of their units and with some efficiency indicators. However, the medical frontline staff seems to not consider homogeneously useful the clinical governance tools application on its own clinical practice.
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Thi Thanh Tran, Huyen, Shota Saito, Shinichi Noto, and Kenji Suzuki. "Quality of Life and Eligibility for Specific Financial Assistance for Medical Expenses: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Japan." Gastrointestinal Disorders 2, no. 2 (May 3, 2020): 123–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/gidisord2020012.
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Specific financial assistance for people with rare and intractable diseases is part of Japan’s public health system. This survey aimed to clarify the relationship between eligibility for this specific financial assistance and quality of life (QOL) among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Japan. A nationwide, web-based survey was conducted in Japan among 300 people with IBD. Questionnaire items covered socioeconomic characteristics and QOL, assessed with the five-dimension, five-level EuroQol (EQ-5D-5L). The percentage of respondents who were ineligible for specific financial assistance was 11.0% among those with Crohn’s disease (CD) and 34.0% among those with ulcerative colitis (UC). For those with CD, the median EQ-5D-5L utility weight did not differ significantly between the non-assistance and assistance groups (p = 0.2222). For those with UC, the median EQ-5D-5L utility weight was significantly higher in the non-assistance group than in the assistance group (p = 0.0034). The present study demonstrated that the revision of the law on intractable and rare diseases has not had a negative influence on the QOL of patients with IBD in Japan. Based on our findings, further research on patient-reported outcomes among individuals with IBD may be necessary to inform health policy makers.
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Rogerson, Shane, Matt Brearley, Rudi Meir, and Lyndon Brooks. "Influence of age, geographical region, and work unit on heat strain symptoms: a cross-sectional survey of electrical utility workers." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 17, no. 11-12 (November 16, 2020): 515–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2020.1834112.
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Wang, Yang, Yibo Wu, Hongling Chu, Zhijie Xu, Xinying Sun, and Hai Fang. "Association between Health-Related Quality of Life and Access to Chronic Disease Management by Primary Care Facilities in Mainland China: A Cross-Sectional Study." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 5 (February 28, 2023): 4288. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054288.
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The integration of chronic disease management (CDM) services into the essential public health services offered by primary care facilities has been a major strategy in China’s healthcare reform since 2009. We aimed to measure the percentage of patients with chronic diseases in China who believed that they could easily obtain CDM services at a nearby primary care facility in mainland China and determine its association with the EQ visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) score and the utility index of the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L). A cross-sectional survey was conducted nationwide between 20 June 2022 and 31 August 2022, involving 5525 patients with chronic diseases from 32 provincial-level administrative divisions, of which 48.1% (n = 2659) were female with a median age of 55.0 years. The median EQ-VAS score was 73.0 and the utility index of the EQ-5D-5L was 0.942. A majority of patients reported definite (24.3%) or mostly (45.9%) easy access to CDM services from nearby primary care facilities. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that easy access to CDM services in primary care facilities was positively associated with higher HRQoL. Our findings indicate that, as of 2022, approximately 70% of patients with chronic diseases in mainland China had easy access to CDM services provided by primary care facilities, which was significantly and positively associated with their health status.
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Mehta, Anurag, Anuj Parkash, and Meenu Bhatia. "Cross-Sectional Study to Establish the Utility of Serum Tumor Markers in the Diagnosis of Lung Cancer." Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 22, no. 8 (August 1, 2021): 2569–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.31557/apjcp.2021.22.8.2569.
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Ewen, Shane, and Michael Hebbert. "European Cities in a Networked World during the Long 20th Century." Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 25, no. 3 (June 2007): 327–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/c0640.
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In this paper we argue that the contemporary revival of European municipalism should be examined within the rich context of the ‘long’ 20th century and the many and varied links forged between municipalities across national borders. In the first two sections we trace the emergence of the networked European municipality from the ad hoc individual connections made during the final decades of the 19th century, through the golden age of municipal internationalism during the interwar years, to the intensive cross-national cooperation pursued in the aftermath of the Second World War. We argue that the historical experience of these municipal connections was an essential prerequisite of the long-term move towards the multilevel networking experienced by European municipalities today. In the final section we focus on Eurocities, the main European municipal lobby group since the late 1980s, to show how municipalities have continued to utilise networking as their main tool within a supranational Europe, in effect to reinvent themselves within a globalised postindustrial economy.
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Moshina, Nataliia, Ragnhild S. Falk, Edoardo Botteri, Marthe Larsen, Lars A. Akslen, John A. Cairns, and Solveig Hofvind. "Quality of life among women with symptomatic, screen-detected, and interval breast cancer, and for women without breast cancer: a retrospective cross-sectional study from Norway." Quality of Life Research 31, no. 4 (October 26, 2021): 1057–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11136-021-03017-7.
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Abstract Purpose Breast cancers detected at screening need less aggressive treatment compared to breast cancers detected due to symptoms. The evidence on the quality of life associated with screen-detected versus symptomatic breast cancer is sparse. This study aimed to compare quality of life among Norwegian women with symptomatic, screen-detected and interval breast cancer, and women without breast cancer and investigate quality adjusted life years (QALYs) for women with breast cancer from the third to 14th year since diagnosis. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study was focused on women aged 50 and older. A self-reported questionnaire including EQ-5D-5L was sent to 11,500 women. Multivariable median regression was used to analyze the association between quality of life score (visual analogue scale 0–100) and detection mode. Health utility values representing women’s health status were extracted from EQ-5D-5L. QALYs were estimated by summing up the health utility values for women stratified by detection mode for each year between the third and the 14th year since breast cancer diagnosis, assuming that all women would survive. Results Adjusted regression analyses showed that women with screen-detected (n = 1206), interval cancer (n = 1005) and those without breast cancer (n = 1255) reported a higher median quality of life score using women with symptomatic cancer (n = 1021) as reference; 3.7 (95%CI 2.2–5.2), 2.3 (95%CI 0.7–3.8) and 4.8 (95%CI 3.3–6.4), respectively. Women with symptomatic, screen-detected and interval cancer would experience 9.5, 9.6 and 9.5 QALYs, respectively, between the third and the 14th year since diagnosis. Conclusion Women with screen-detected or interval breast cancer reported better quality of life compared to women with symptomatic cancer. The findings add benefits of organized mammographic screening.
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Zadarko-Domaradzka, Maria, Marek Sobolewski, Edyta Nizioł-Babiarz, Zbigniew Barabasz, Krzysztof Warchoł, Klaudia Niewczas-Czarna, and Emilian Zadarko. "An Investigation of the Utility of Waist Circumference Predicting Cardiorespiratory Fitness in School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 1 (January 2, 2023): 851. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010851.
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The early identification of modifiable risk factors and their monitoring, also within school physical education (PE) classes, are becoming indispensable in the context of public health. The aim of this study was to test whether making use of waist circumference (WC) measurements increases the possibility of predicting the results of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in school-age children, as compared with body mass index (BMI) and other somatic indicators related to body fat. The cross-sectional study covered 190 children aged 10 to 15 years, participating in school PE classes. Body height (BH), body weight (BW), WC, hip circumference (HC) and percentage of body fat (BF%) were measured. BMI, waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated, and a CRF test was performed by means of a 20 m shuttle run test (20mSRT). The peak heart rate (HRpeak) of the children was also measured. The regression model that was developed showed that WC (R2 = 47.1%), beyond BF% (R2 = 50.3%) and WHtR (R2 = 50.0%), was a useful measure of CRF, and stronger than BMI (R2 = 45.8%) or WHR (R2 = 39.2%). The risk of obtaining the CRF result classified below a good level (below the percentile range of P60-P80) was significantly higher in children with a larger WC (odds ratio (OR) for the WC change of 1 cm equals 1.14 (95% CI: 1.09–1.20; p < 0.001)). The simplicity of measuring WC and the possibility of using this measurement in the calculation of WHtR with reference to CRF indicate its usefulness in the prophylactic exams of school children.
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Pérez, C., R. Gálvez, J. Insausti, C. Martínez-Valero, M. Ruíz, P. González, S. Díaz, and J. Rejas. "PPN9 HEALTH STATUS AS MEASURED BY PATIENT UTILITY DETERMINATION AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAIN: RESULTS FROM A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY." Value in Health 8, no. 6 (November 2005): A142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1098-3015(10)67584-5.
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Plihal, H., F. Kretschmer, D. Schwarz, and Th Ertl. "Innovative sewer inspection as a basis for an optimised condition-based maintenance strategy." Water Practice and Technology 9, no. 1 (March 1, 2014): 88–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2014.010.
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Currently, around 100,000 km of public sewers are operated in Austria, with cleaning as one of the main tasks for a wastewater utility. Due to the precarious financial situation of many cities and municipalities sewer cleaning represents a considerable financial burden, resulting in the extension of cleaning intervals and the delay of required cleaning activities. Different approaches to sewer management can be distinguished. If a selective strategy is adopted, only pipe sections with deposits are cleaned. Thus, detailed information regarding the amount of deposits is required. A simple and quick method to inspect the sewer system and assess the degree of sediments is by means of a manhole-zoom camera. The current research project INNOKANIS investigates the operational condition assessment of sewers by means of different manhole-zoom cameras. So far the data suggest that the majority of investigated pipe sections belongs to the self-cleaning category. Only 1% of the pipe sections of combined sewers and 11% of sanitary sewers require additional cleaning. The example of the city of Salzburg illustrates the potential savings in connection with sewer cleaning if a selective approach is adopted. Following a strategic change, the sewer cleaning expenses decreased by 60% within a year.
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García-Granja, M. J., E. B. Blázquez-Parra, Guido Cimadomo, and F. Guzmán-Navarro. "Development of an Innovative Seat Reservation System for University Buildings Based on BIM Technology." Buildings 12, no. 11 (October 25, 2022): 1786. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/buildings12111786.
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The usefulness of building information modeling (BIM) for facilities management, although widely demonstrated, has not been extended to use management in university spaces. In public facilities with free access, it is uncommon to be able to check the availability of seats, which causes capacity problems. In addition, while several studies show that the use of BIM makes the graphic communication of useful information about buildings more attractive and intuitive for its users, there are still challenges regarding how to make it accessible to the public, taking into account their preferences. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the benefits of implementing BIM in a real-time seat occupancy management system to enable reservations tailored to the user’s needs by offering various means of consulting model information. The research method focuses on the utility model designed for a university library in Malaga, Spain. The results, based on data obtained from a survey, indicate that users positively assessed the quality of the information offered, showed great interest in its use, and also considered it comparatively superior to other reservation systems used. The Results and Discussion and Conclusions sections also show the potential of the system to control social distancing and energy expenditure.