المؤلفون: Kamila Zdybał, Elizabeth Armstrong, Alessandro Parente, James C. Sutherland

المصدر: SoftwareX, Vol 23, Iss , Pp 101447- (2023)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Dimensionality reduction, Low-dimensional manifold, Reduced-order modeling, Artificial neural networks, Nonlinear regression, Python, Computer software, QA76.75-76.765

الوصف: We describe an update to our open-source Python package, PCAfold, designed to help researchers generate, analyze and improve low-dimensional data manifolds. In the current version, PCAfold 2.0, we introduce novel tools and algorithms for assessing and optimizing low-dimensional manifolds. This includes a method that generates a “map” of local feature sizes that can help pinpoint researchers to problematic regions on a manifold. We introduce a novel cost function that characterizes the quality of a manifold topology with a single number. We develop two algorithms for feature selection based on principal component analysis (PCA) that use the cost function as an objective function to minimize. We introduce a quantity of interest (QoI)-aware dimensionality reduction strategy where data projections are computed using an artificial neural network and are directly optimized towards representing various projection-independent and projection-dependent QoIs. We also introduce an implementation of partition of unity networks (POUnets) for efficient reconstruction of QoIs from low-dimensional manifolds based on combining neural network classification with localized polynomial regression. Our software can be broadly applicable in all domains of science and engineering that aim to reduce data dimensionality, as well as in the fundamental research on representation learning.

العلاقة: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711023001437Test; https://doaj.org/toc/2352-7110Test; https://doaj.org/article/de77343942f84f9ca4a3270a2eee7f7dTest

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2023.101447Test
https://doaj.org/article/de77343942f84f9ca4a3270a2eee7f7dTest

المؤلفون: Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah, Emmanuel Ofori, Ernest Alema-Mensah, Thomas Agyarko-Poku

المصدر: Frontiers in Reproductive Health, Vol 5 (2023)

مصطلحات موضوعية: HIV, HIV-related stigma, people living with HIV, HIV destigmatization, Ghana, Reproduction, QH471-489, Medicine (General), R5-920

الوصف: BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related stigma has been identified as one of the principal factors that undermines HIV prevention efforts and the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLWH) in many developing countries including Ghana. While studies have been conducted on HIV-related stigma reduction, very few have sought the views of PLWH on how this might be done. The purpose of the study was to (i) identify factors that cause HIV-related stigma in Ghana from the perspective of PLWH, (ii) identify challenges that HIV-related stigma poses to the treatment and care of PLWH, and (iii) to obtain recommendations from PLWH on what they think various groups (community members, health care providers, and adolescents) including themselves should do to help reduce HIV-related stigma in Ghana.MethodsA mixed methods cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 404 PLWH at the Suntreso Government Hospital in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana across six domains using Qualtrics from November 1–30, 2022. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 and the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) version 9.4. Qualitative data was analyzed using a thematic approach.ResultsMost of the study participants (70.5%) said HIV-related stigma in Ghana is due to ignorance. Of this population, 90.6% indicated that they had experienced stigma because they have HIV, causing them to feel depressed (2.5%), ashamed (2.2%), and hurt (3.0%). Study participants (92.8%) indicated that the challenges associated with HIV-related stigma has affected their treatment and care-seeking behaviors. Recommendations provided by study participants for HIV destigmatization include the need for PLWH not to disclose their status (cited 94 times), community members to educate themselves about HIV (96.5%), health care providers to identify their stigmatizing behaviors (95.3%), health care providers to avoid discriminating against PLWH (96.0%), and the need for adolescents to be educated ...

العلاقة: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frph.2023.1169216/fullTest; https://doaj.org/toc/2673-3153Test; https://doaj.org/article/84898249fd3145eaa22e331ce764a3b9Test

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.3389/frph.2023.1169216Test
https://doaj.org/article/84898249fd3145eaa22e331ce764a3b9Test

المؤلفون: Erin Godecke, Emily Brogan, Natalie Ciccone, Miranda L. Rose, Elizabeth Armstrong, Anne Whitworth, Fiona Ellery, Audrey Holland, Sandy Middleton, Tapan Rai, Graeme J. Hankey, Dominique Cadilhac, Julie Bernhardt

المصدر: Trials, Vol 23, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2022)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Treatment fidelity, Behavioural therapy, Stroke, Aphasia, Rehabilitation, Randomised control trial, Medicine (General), R5-920

الوصف: Background Treatment fidelity is inconsistently reported in aphasia research, contributing to uncertainty about the effectiveness of types of aphasia therapy following stroke. We outline the processes and outcomes of treatment fidelity monitoring in a pre-specified secondary analysis of the VERSE trial. Methods VERSE was a 3-arm, single-blinded RCT with a 12-week primary endpoint comparing Usual Care (UC) to two higher intensity treatments: Usual Care-Plus (UC-Plus) and VERSE, a prescribed intervention. Primary outcome results were previously reported. This secondary analysis focused on treatment fidelity. Video-recorded treatment sessions in the higher intensity study arms were evaluated for treatment adherence and treatment differentiation. Treatment components were evaluated using a pre-determined fidelity checklist. Primary outcome: prescribed amount of therapy time (minutes); secondary outcomes: (i) adherence to therapy protocol (%) and (ii) treatment differentiation between control and high intensity groups. Results Two hundred forty-six participants were randomised to Usual Care (n=81), Usual Care-Plus (n=82), and VERSE (n=83). One hundred thirty-five (82%) participants in higher intensity intervention arms received the minimum prescribed therapy minutes. From 10,805 (UC 7787; UC-Plus 1450; VERSE 1568) service events, 431 treatment protocol deviations were noted in 114 participants. Four hundred thirty-seven videos were evaluated. The VERSE therapists achieved over 84% adherence to key protocol elements. Higher stroke and aphasia severity, older age, and being in the UC-Plus group predicted more treatment deviations. Conclusions We found high levels of treatment adherence and differentiation between the intervention arms, providing greater confidence interpreting our results. The comprehensive systems for intervention fidelity monitoring and reporting in this trial make an important contribution to aphasia research and, we argue, should set a new standard for future aphasia studies. Trial ...

العلاقة: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06433-3Test; https://doaj.org/toc/1745-6215Test; https://doaj.org/article/80fb137940914ac185d494f54be397edTest

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06433-3Test
https://doaj.org/article/80fb137940914ac185d494f54be397edTest

المؤلفون: Kamila Zdybał, Elizabeth Armstrong, James C. Sutherland, Alessandro Parente

المصدر: Scientific Reports, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-19 (2022)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Medicine, Science

الوصف: In reduced-order modeling, complex systems that exhibit high state-space dimensionality are described and evolved using a small number of parameters. These parameters can be obtained in a data-driven way, where a high-dimensional dataset is projected onto a lower-dimensional basis. A complex system is then restricted to states on a low-dimensional manifold where it can be efficiently modeled. While this approach brings computational benefits, obtaining a good quality of the manifold topology becomes a crucial aspect when models, such as nonlinear regression, are built on top of the manifold. Here, we present a quantitative metric for characterizing manifold topologies. Our metric pays attention to non-uniqueness and spatial gradients in physical quantities of interest, and can be applied to manifolds of arbitrary dimensionality. Using the metric as a cost function in optimization algorithms, we show that optimized low-dimensional projections can be found. We delineate a few applications of the cost function to datasets representing argon plasma, reacting flows and atmospheric pollutant dispersion. We demonstrate how the cost function can assess various dimensionality reduction and manifold learning techniques as well as data preprocessing strategies in their capacity to yield quality low-dimensional projections. We show that improved manifold topologies can facilitate building nonlinear regression models.

العلاقة: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18655-1Test; https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Test; https://doaj.org/article/d622383cf9634f2685221b84d4aad5fcTest

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18655-1Test
https://doaj.org/article/d622383cf9634f2685221b84d4aad5fcTest

المؤلفون: Helen Badge, Tim Churches, Justine M. Naylor, Wei Xuan, Elizabeth Armstrong, Leeanne Gray, John Fletcher, Iain Gosbell, Chung-Wei Christine Lin, Ian A. Harris

المصدر: Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2022)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Patient-reported outcome measures, Total knee arthroplasty, Total hip arthroplasty, Complications, Prevention, Surgical site infection, Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270

الوصف: Plain English Summary Guidelines exist to advise surgeons on how to prevent blood clots and infections for people having total hip and knee joint replacements (arthroplasty surgery). Adhering to these guidelines is associated with a reduced chance of people experiencing blood clots and infections. However, it is not known if guideline compliance affects outcomes reported by the person, including changes in pain, functioning, mobility, and quality of life. This study aimed to determine whether care that adheres to guidelines to prevent blood clots and infection improves the pain, function and quality of life outcomes reported by the person. We assessed the relationship between compliance to these guidelines and outcomes reported by patients in 1838 patients undergoing primary elective hip or knee joint replacement in Australia. When care does not adhere to guidelines to prevent blood clots, the scores on measures of pain and disability due to the operated joint and general quality of life are slightly, but not meaningfully, lower. Care that adheres to guidelines to prevent infection does not affect outcomes reported by the person.

العلاقة: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41687-022-00502-6Test; https://doaj.org/toc/2509-8020Test; https://doaj.org/article/27785357f744422cb47198fed8b544e0Test

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41687-022-00502-6Test
https://doaj.org/article/27785357f744422cb47198fed8b544e0Test

المؤلفون: Helen Mary Badge (11725942), Tim Churches (81842), Justine M. Naylor (8606454), Wei Xuan (116563), Elizabeth Armstrong (9280763), Leeanne Gray (9013592), John Fletcher (3212946), Iain Gosbell (11725945), Christine Lin (8002940), Ian A. Harris (8606460)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Medicine, Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Physiology, Biotechnology, Marine Biology, Cancer, Science Policy, Hematology, Infectious Diseases, volume australian public, total knee replacement, primary total hip, 85 – 10, centre cohort study, 68 – 3, 17 – 3, vte ), surgical site infection, statistically significant associations, 59 – 5, found high rates, 4 %, aor, 2 %, 1 %, clinical guidelines increases, tkr surgery may, composite guideline )

الوقت: 87

الوصف: (DOCX)

العلاقة: https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Additional_results_/17044012Test

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260146.s001Test

المؤلفون: Louise M. Allen (9280760), Claire Palermo (5831582), Elizabeth Armstrong (9280763), Margaret Hay (1227633)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Medicine, Sociology, Cancer, Science Policy, Continuing professional development, faculty development, health professions education, impacts, survey development

الوصف: Evaluating continuing professional development (CPD) programs is essential to demonstrate their value to participants and their institutions, and to inform the improvement and quality of CPD programs. Existing surveys measure a narrow range of impacts. This study developed a survey that can measure a broad range of impacts of CPD programs, not just those that are easily measured such as knowledge, skills, attitudes and confidence. The development of the CPD Impacts Survey (CPDIS) was informed by best practice guidelines. A systematic scoping review, qualitative interviews, and existing survey instruments were used to develop the initial survey items. Past participants from two international health professions education institutes completed the survey ( n = 292). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to refine the survey. The PCA provided a three-component solution. Component 1 ( learnings and self-efficacy ), Component 2 ( networking and building community ), and Component 3 ( achievement and validation ) comprising 47, 14, and 13 items, respectively. The three components had high internal consistency ( α = .98, α = .95, α = .92, respectively). The CPDIS is the first survey to assess a broader range of impacts of CPD programs. Given the substantial financial and opportunity costs of participation in CPD, the CPDIS will allow more efficient and accurate evaluation of the utility and value of CPD programs.

العلاقة: https://figshare.com/articles/online_resource/Measuring_impacts_of_continuing_professional_development_CPD_The_development_of_the_CPD_impacts_survey_CPDIS_/14128485Test

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14128485.v1Test

المؤلفون: Helen Mary Badge, Tim Churches, Justine M. Naylor, Wei Xuan, Elizabeth Armstrong, Leeanne Gray, John Fletcher, Iain Gosbell, Christine Lin, Ian A. Harris

المصدر: PLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 11 (2021)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Medicine, Science

الوصف: Background Total hip and total knee replacement (THR/TKR) are common and effective surgeries to reduce the pain and disability associated with arthritis but are associated with small but significant risks of preventable complications such as surgical site infection (SSI) and venous-thrombo-embolism (VTE). This study aims to determine the degree to which hospital care was compliant with clinical guidelines for the prevention of SSI and VTE after THR/TKR; and whether non-compliant prophylaxis is associated with increased risk of complications. Methods and findings A prospective multi-centre cohort study was undertaken in consenting adults with osteoarthritis undergoing elective primary TKR/THR at one of 19 high-volume Australian public or private hospitals. Data were collected prior to surgery and for one-year post-surgery. Four adjusted logistic regression analyses were undertaken to explore associations between binary non-compliance and the risk of surgical complications: (1) composite (simultaneous) non-compliance with both (VTE and antibiotic) guidelines and composite complications [all-cause mortality, VTE, readmission/reoperation for joint-related reasons (one-year) and non-joint-related reasons (35-days)], (2) VTE non-compliance and VTE outcomes, (3) antibiotic non-compliance and any SSI, and (4) antibiotic non-compliance and deep SSI. Data were analysed for 1875 participants. Guideline non-compliance rates were high: 65% (VTE), 87% (antibiotics) and 95% (composite guideline). Composite non-compliance was not associated with composite complication (12.8% vs 8.3%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.41, 95%CI 0.68–3.45, p = 0.40). Non-compliance with VTE guidelines was associated with VTE outcomes (5% vs 2.4%, AOR = 2.83, 95%CI 1.59–5.28,p < 0.001). Non-compliance with antibiotic guidelines was associated with any SSI (14.8% vs 6.1%, AOR = 1.98, 95%CI 1.17–3.62,p = 0.02) but not deep infection (3.7% vs 1.2%,AOR = 2.39, 95%CI 0.85–10.00, p = 0.15). Conclusions We found high rates of clinical variation and ...

العلاقة: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8601457/?tool=EBITest; https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203Test; https://doaj.org/article/0cd9504c40644c1d80b4226e7405ea8fTest

الإتاحة: https://doaj.org/article/0cd9504c40644c1d80b4226e7405ea8fTest

المؤلفون: Sandra Thompson, Elizabeth Armstrong, Jane White, Judith M Katzenellenbogen, Rachel Skoss, Mandy J Stanley, Melanie Robinson

المصدر: BMJ Open, Vol 11, Iss 9 (2021)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Medicine

العلاقة: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/9/e046042.fullTest; https://doaj.org/toc/2044-6055Test; https://doaj.org/article/ab7c9e74ad314a24898c18b0f6e48e34Test

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046042Test
https://doaj.org/article/ab7c9e74ad314a24898c18b0f6e48e34Test

المؤلفون: Helen Mary Badge, Tim Churches, Justine M Naylor, Wei Xuan, Elizabeth Armstrong, Leeanne Gray, John Fletcher, Iain Gosbell, Christine Lin, Ian A Harris

المصدر: PLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 11, p e0260146 (2021)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Medicine, Science

الوصف: Background Total hip and total knee replacement (THR/TKR) are common and effective surgeries to reduce the pain and disability associated with arthritis but are associated with small but significant risks of preventable complications such as surgical site infection (SSI) and venous-thrombo-embolism (VTE). This study aims to determine the degree to which hospital care was compliant with clinical guidelines for the prevention of SSI and VTE after THR/TKR; and whether non-compliant prophylaxis is associated with increased risk of complications. Methods and findings A prospective multi-centre cohort study was undertaken in consenting adults with osteoarthritis undergoing elective primary TKR/THR at one of 19 high-volume Australian public or private hospitals. Data were collected prior to surgery and for one-year post-surgery. Four adjusted logistic regression analyses were undertaken to explore associations between binary non-compliance and the risk of surgical complications: (1) composite (simultaneous) non-compliance with both (VTE and antibiotic) guidelines and composite complications [all-cause mortality, VTE, readmission/reoperation for joint-related reasons (one-year) and non-joint-related reasons (35-days)], (2) VTE non-compliance and VTE outcomes, (3) antibiotic non-compliance and any SSI, and (4) antibiotic non-compliance and deep SSI. Data were analysed for 1875 participants. Guideline non-compliance rates were high: 65% (VTE), 87% (antibiotics) and 95% (composite guideline). Composite non-compliance was not associated with composite complication (12.8% vs 8.3%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.41, 95%CI 0.68-3.45, p = 0.40). Non-compliance with VTE guidelines was associated with VTE outcomes (5% vs 2.4%, AOR = 2.83, 95%CI 1.59-5.28,p < 0.001). Non-compliance with antibiotic guidelines was associated with any SSI (14.8% vs 6.1%, AOR = 1.98, 95%CI 1.17-3.62,p = 0.02) but not deep infection (3.7% vs 1.2%,AOR = 2.39, 95%CI 0.85-10.00, p = 0.15). Conclusions We found high rates of clinical variation and ...

العلاقة: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260146Test; https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203Test; https://doaj.org/article/d73364dc0bed4debafd831828fedfd21Test

الإتاحة: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260146Test
https://doaj.org/article/d73364dc0bed4debafd831828fedfd21Test