Absence Of Accurate Information Research Articles

Traditional Chinese medicine for sjögren’s syndrome: a national survey of attitudes and perceptions among Chinese patients and rheumatologists

BackgroundThis study explored similarities and differences among Chinese patients and rheumatologists in their attitudes towards and perceptions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), including analyzing factors that influenced their decision making.MethodsAn anonymous questionnaire was used to conduct a multicenter survey among patients with SS at three tertiary care medical centers in Beijing and among rheumatology clinicians at several hospitals across China. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsThere were 942 valid questionnaires from patients from 31 provinces and cities in China, with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 1:14, a mean age of 48.81 years, and a median disease duration of 7 (4, 10) years. There were 320 valid questionnaires from rheumatologists, covering 30 provinces and cities in China, with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 0.87:1, a mean age of 48 years, and a median work duration of 10.5 (6, 15) years. The rheumatologists treated a median of 15 (11, 50) SS cases per month, and the median proportion of SS to all rheumatic diseases was 6.66% (6–10%). Many patients believed TCM could cure the root of the disease, and the most expected TCM therapies were TCM patent prescriptions and medicinal teas. Conversely, rheumatologists placed high value on the efficacy of TCM, and most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal decoctions. Most doctor-patient groups were positive about TCM treatment, citing the low side effects as the major advantage. Regression analysis showed that for patients over 40 years old with a course of disease > 4 years, the probability of using TCM has increased by 1–6 times; the probability of recommending TCM in clinical work of doctors who have worked for more than 15 years, TCM and integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine has increased 1–2 times.ConclusionsTCM has become widely accepted and earned attention from doctor-patient groups, especially among older patients and experienced rheumatologists. However, negative prejudices and absence of accurate information about TCM treatments and SS itself require improvement. The contradiction between TCM dosage form and efficacy is a major problem, and patient demand for convenient and efficient TCM patent preparations suggests future work should focus on developing TCM patent preparations with clear compositions and mechanisms.

"We thought we were stronger than we were": adopters' narratives about the adoption journey and disruption.

Although the majority of adoptive families remain stable, some of them break up prematurely. Adopting a qualitative approach, this study gave voice to seven adoption applicants who began the adoption journey with one or more children but did not complete the legal process. Our goal was to understand their experiences throughout the adoption process and disruption. The results show how adoption applicants went, in a short period, from the excitement of finding a child or sibling group to disillusionment and trauma. The main risk factors that hinder adoption stability include unrealistic expectations, intuitive choice of the child in the absence of accurate information, challenges posed by the child's particular characteristics, and lack of professional support. Our study highlights the need for adopters to be assisted throughout the entire process by specialists, to be better prepared to deal with the complex needs of children in the protection system, and to facilitate their access to a complex of specialized services to meet the different needs of every family.

Deadly silence: the (lack of) access to information by deaf Brazilians in the context of Covid-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Although Brazilian Sign Language - Libras - was legally recognized in 2002 as the national language for deaf people, their access to interpreted information (i.e., information in their own language), especially in the media, is still very precarious. In the context of the pandemic, having access to information and guidance in one’s first language can be decisive in caring for and maintaining life. With this in mind, this paper aims at pointing out the barriers experienced by deaf people in Brazil, considering the absence of Brazilian Sign Language translators and interpreters in mainstream journalism and in channels of organizations that are responsible for explanations and guidelines regarding care and prevention. We also seek to reflect about the socio-emotional effects caused by the lack of clear information, and how this may risk causing excessive concern and panic. In order to achieve that, we adopt a qualitative perspective of investigation stemming from the collection of testimonies from deaf people about their experiences in the context of the pandemic. The testimonials, collected by means of a semi-structured questionnaire, allowed us to point out the urgency for greater accessibility in the media context, and the risks resulting from the absence of accurate information both for deaf and hearing people.

Determinants of Household Solid Waste Generation and Composition in Homs City, Syria.

The absence of accurate information on the state of waste is a challenge to the solid waste management system in Syria. The local authorities commonly estimate the quantity of waste produced and its characterisation, which is the starting point for solid waste management planning. So, this paper aims to evaluate the generation and composition of household solid waste in Homs city, Syria. Also, the study presents factors influencing the waste generation rate and the waste composition. The study was carried out in 300 families from four zones in Homs city, and three sampling stages were conducted during the study duration, which started in July 2017 and ended in February 2019. The outcomes show that an average of 0.68 kg/per/day solid waste generated was calculated for the entire study area in Homs city. Also, the data analysis presents that organic waste constitutes the largest component in the waste mixture (69.1%) followed by plastic (10.6%), inert materials (8.7%), paper (4.6%), textile (2.5%), metal (1.2%), glass (1.1%), wood (0.6%), and hazardous materials (1.6%). The multiple linear regression results showed that the adjusted R2 value was found to be 0.557, 0.839, and 0.709 for the waste generation per capita, the daily household organic waste generation, and the daily household packaging waste generation, respectively. Also, according to Pearson's coefficient values, a positive correlation was found between household waste generation and monthly income (r = 0.626), household size (r = 0.37), and age of the household head (r = 0.517), whereas a negative correlation was found between household waste generation and the education level of the household head (r = −0.649).

Has the Experience of Hepatitis C Diagnosis Improved Over the Last Decade? An Analysis of Canadian Women's Experiences.

Background In Canada, incidents of new hepatitis C virus infections are rising among women aged 15-29 years and now comprise 60% of new infections among this age group. A negative diagnosis experience continues to be a problem affecting women living with hepatitis C virus. With new effective treatments, nurses will have more involvement in hepatitis C virus care and diagnosis, which is a critical time to facilitate appropriate education and management. Purpose This study explored Canadian women's experience of hepatitis C virus diagnosis in order to develop recommendations to improve care at the point of diagnosis. Methods Purposive sampling was used to recruit and interview 25 women. Using narrative inquiry, we examined Canadian women's experience of hepatitis C virus diagnosis. Results Women's diagnosis experiences were shaped by the context of diagnosis, factors prompting the testing, the testing provider, and information/education received. The context of diagnosis foreshadowed how prepared women were for their results, and the absence of accurate information magnified the psychological distress that can follow an hepatitis C virus diagnosis. Conclusion Our findings provide a compelling case for a proactive nursing response, which will improve women's experiences of hepatitis C virus diagnosis and, in turn, enhance women's access to hepatitis C virus care and other healthcare services.

High-resolution circulation forecasting of the Maenggol Channel, south coast of Korea

The Maenggol Channel and Uldolmok Strait, located on the south-west coast of Korea, have notably strong and complex currents due to tidal effects and to local geological factors. In these areas, electric power has been generated using strong tidal currents, the speed of which is more than 3 m/s during spring tides. The region also provides a shortcut for navigation. These tidal conditions are therefore sometimes useful, but may also cause terrible accidents or severe economic damage, in the absence of accurate information regarding ocean conditions. In April 2014, the passenger ferry MV Sewol capsized in the Maenggol Channel, with 295 passengers killed and 9 still missing. While this was unquestionably a man-made disaster, strong currents were one of the contributing causes. It was also difficult to conduct scuba diving rescue operations given strong current speeds, and accurate prediction of the time when the tide would turn was thus critically needed. In this research, we used the high-resolution coastal circulation forecasting system of KOOS (Korea Operational Oceanographic System) for analysis and simulation of strong tidal currents in such areas with many small islands, using measurements and modeling from this research area. For accurate prediction of tidal currents, small grid size-modeling was needed, and in this study, we identified a suitable grid size that offers efficiency as well as accuracy.

Beginning and duration of pregnancy in automated health care databases: review of estimation methods and validation results.

To describe methods reported in the literature to estimate the beginning or duration of pregnancy in automated health care data, and to present results of validation exercises where available. Papers reporting methods for determining the beginning or duration of pregnancy were identified based on Pubmed searches, by consulting investigators with expertise in the field and by reviewing conference abstracts and reference lists of relevant papers. From each paper or abstract, we extracted information to characterize the study population, data sources, and estimation algorithm. We then grouped these studies into categories reflecting their general methodological approach. Methods were classified into 5 categories: (i) methods that assign a uniform duration for all pregnancies, (ii) methods that assign pregnancy duration based on preterm-delivery or health care related codes, or codes for other pregnancy outcomes, (iii) methods based on the timing of prenatal care, (iv) methods based on birth weight, and (v) methods that combine elements from 2 and 3. Validation studies evaluating these methods used varied approaches, with results generally reporting on the mistiming of the start of pregnancy, incorrect estimation of the duration of pregnancy, or misclassification of drug exposure during pregnancy or early pregnancy. In the absence of accurate information on the beginning or duration of pregnancy, several methods of varying complexity are available to estimate them. Validation studies have been performed for many of them and can serve as a guide for method selection for a particular study.

Are waterpipe users tobacco-dependent?

Jawad and colleagues (1) argue that waterpipe tobacco smoking has the potential to become the next public health priority, as the global prevalence of waterpipe smoking is increasing, especially among younger users. They note that, across a number of geographical regions, users typically lack knowledge about the health risks of waterpipe tobacco smoking. A number of misbeliefs appear to be common, such as that the water in the waterpipe bowl acts as a filter for harmful chemicals, that waterpipe tobacco has fewer toxic chemicals than cigarettes, and that the aromatic flavour and smell of waterpipe tobacco (something that is regulated for cigarettes in many countries) implies safety. Although these misbeliefs are worrying, there is also a lack of reliable evidence on the health effects of waterpipe tobacco smoking. There have been relatively few studies investigating the effect of waterpipe tobacco smoking on health, and those that have been conducted are typically of limited quality. Similarly, research on the relative level of toxicant exposure resulting from waterpipe tobacco smoking (compared with cigarette smoking) is misleading, due to the differing patterns of use between the two. In many groups, particularly those where it is a recent phenomenon, waterpipe is often infrequent and more social in nature. It may therefore not be associated with the same pattern of dependence seen in regular, habitual cigarette smokers.

Resolving the contribution due to Förster-type intramolecular electronic energy transfer in closely coupled molecular dyads

This work examines the electronic energy-transfer (EET) processes inherent to a molecular dyad in which aryl polycycles attached to a boron dipyrromethene (Bodipy) dye act as ancillary light harvesters for near-UV photons. The solvent, being methyltetrahydrofuran, is compressed under applied pressure to such an extent that, over the accessible pressure range, there is a 25% decrease in molar volume. This effect serves to increase the effective concentration of the solute and increases fluorescence from Bodipy when this chromophore is excited directly. Illumination into the aryl polycycles, namely pyrene and perylene derivatives, leads to rapid intramolecular EET to Bodipy but fluorescence from these units is partially restored under high pressure. The argument is made that applied pressure restricts torsional motions around the linkages and imposes a near orthogonal geometry for transition dipole moment vectors on the reactants. In turn, this pressure-induced conformational restriction switches off Forster-type EET within the system, leaving the electron-exchange contribution. For the target dyad, the Forster component is ca. 5% for pyrene and ca. 25% for perylene. Such contributions are not inconsistent with calculations made on the basis of Forster theory but modelling is rendered difficult by the absence of accurate information about the nature of the conformational motion. Two possibilities have been considered. In the first case, the appendages remain stiff but pressure reduces the extent of displacement from the lowest-energy position. The results can be accounted for in a quantitative sense on the basis of small deviations from the lowest-energy conformation; the actual amount of displacement needed to explain the pressure effect depends on the method used to compute the Forster rates and ranges from ca. 4° for the ideal dipole approximation to only 0.5° for the extended dipole method. Secondly, pressure is assumed to bend each appendage into a banana-like shape. Again, the full effect of applied pressure can be accounted for by way of minor curvature of the linkage.

Factors Influencing the Adoption and Usage of Online Services in Saudi Arabia

AbstractAdvances in electronic service technology have created great opportunities as well as threats to organizations in various business and services sectors. As such businesses, either willingly or reluctantly, are increasingly embracing the Internet as distribution channel in order to remain competitive or gain market share. With particular reference to e‐services, absence of accurate information on factors that have influenced users’ behaviour to adopt or use e‐services could mislead an organization into adopting unhelpful solutions as it strives to accelerate the implementation of e‐services. This study, based on the diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory leveraged into the online environment, investigates factors that influence adoption and usage of e‐service, especially, in Saudi Arabia. Factors were empirically tested against data collected from 651 participants using survey questionnaires. Perceived Complexity was found to be the most significantly related factor affecting e‐service adoption in Saudi Arabia, followed in turn by Privacy and Compatibility. Quality of the Internet and its relative advantage also had a notable affect on e‐service usage and adoption in Saudi Arabia.

The price function of toxicity

The high and accelerating price of new anticancer drugs is giving rise to increased concern. However, monetary price is not the only way to value chemotherapy. Toxic effects can also be seen as a form of payment in which "units" of wellbeing are exchanged for "units" of efficacy. Although this trading analogy is not perfect, a proposal can be made that toxicity is a type of price, and that one of its functions is to signal valuation, similar to the crucial signalling function of monetary price in the real economy. This price function of toxicity, to the extent where there is transparency about the real amounts of toxicity, can have two important and helpful consequences: acting as a brake on the increasing monetary price of new drugs, via a damping effect on demand; and assisting individual patients in the informed contemplation of chemotherapy decisions. However, there are two problems that currently impede the effective dissemination of this highly desirable toxicity information. First, a prediction of toxicity in individual patients is difficult. Second, the vast database of real toxic effects in community practice is rarely made available for public scrutiny. Both of these problems, which together constitute a form of hidden cost, are potentially resolvable at least to some extent. In the absence of accurate information on toxic effects, it is easy for monetary price to progressively diverge from true value. We believe that improved transparency with respect to toxic effects, and better toxicity prediction, offer a better and more genuinely market-orientated solution to the issue of price distortions than the bureaucratic imposition of price controls.

Negotiating Gender and Disability in Rural Haryana

This paper argues that disability is gendered, culturally constituted and socially negotiated. It explores the nature and form of disability afflicting the individual and social life of women in rural Haryana, in terms of both physical and mental parameters. It describes the community and the family strategies for supporting disabled women in negotiating family, work, economy and society. It also highlights the social effects of physical disability on various stages of their life cycle. Disability remains an obstruction in attaining the full potential of an individual. Each community has its characteristic way of understanding disability and coping with its disabled population. Disability locates the individual in a compromised position not only for biological reasons, but also as a consequence of a complex combination of such non-biological factors as gender, caste, class, neighbourhood relations, and the nature of kinship and family structure. This paper explores the conceptual and empirical implications of the proposition that ‘disability is culturally constructed and socially negotiated’. If disability creates obstacles for individuals in discharging their social responsibilities, th ere are inbuilt cultural mechanisms and social networks available to them as coping strategies within the family, kinship, caste and community. Voluntary agencies and the state machinery, through various empowerment initiatives, are making consistent efforts to minimi se, if not eliminate, the social hindrances and constraints that result from physical disability. 1 Since a large number of the disabled lives in rural areas, the absence of accurate information on the magnitude of the problem has hampered planning of realistic policies and services for them. In urban areas, the disabled are recognised as a social category for their special needs. There are attempts to integrate them into the social mainstream through institutions like special schools and training centres. The situation is different in rural areas. Here the disabled do not constitute a socially recognised group; they often continue to function as normal members of society. In order to understand disability in a rural area, it is necessary to re cognise its social organisation of production, cultural values and the structure of gender relations.

Land market feedbacks can undermine biodiversity conservation

The full or partial purchase of land has become a cornerstone of efforts to conserve biodiversity in countries with strong private property rights. Methods used to target areas for acquisition typically ignore land market dynamics. We show how conservation purchases affect land prices and generate feedbacks that can undermine conservation goals, either by displacing development toward biologically valuable areas or by accelerating its pace. The impact of these market feedbacks on the effectiveness of conservation depends on the ecological value of land outside nature reserves. Traditional, noneconomic approaches to site prioritization should perform adequately in places where land outside reserves supports little biodiversity. However, these approaches will perform poorly in locations where the countryside surrounding reserves is important for species' persistence. Conservation investments can sometimes even be counterproductive, condemning more species than they save. Conservation is most likely to be compromised in the absence of accurate information on species distributions, which provides a strong argument for improving inventories of biodiversity. Accounting for land market dynamics in conservation planning is crucial for making smart investment decisions.

Rejoinder: Misunderstanding the Problem of Out-of-Field Teaching

<i>Rejoinder</i>: Misunderstanding the Problem of Out-of-Field Teaching

Life Before Polls: Ohio Politicians Predict the 1828 Presidential Vote

Candidates covet votes. They exert extraordinary effort and expend vast resources seeking to win as many votes as possible. Yet, the costly pursuit of votes occurs under great uncertainty concerning both the strategic correctness of their positions on issues and the efficiency of their campaigns. Of course, prudent candidates dedicate some resources to learning how voters are responding to their appeals, generally by commissioning polls of public opinion.Candidates' early adoption of scientific survey technology (Converse 1987) and the important role polls play in modern campaigns invite the question of how candidates ever got on without them. Before polls, did public opinion reside on a vast terra incognita on which candidates staked out issue positions oblivious to the whereabouts of the median voter? If so, campaigns must have been riddled with mistakes and inefficiency. John G. Greer (1991) made just this argument in claiming that the absence of accurate information about shifts in the electorate's preferences allowed political parties to be blindsided by what became realigning elections.The historical record offers few clues as to the extent to which nineteenth-century candidates labored under strategic ignorance. Yet, accounts of politicos and pundits alike tallying newspaper endorsements and carefully gauging attendance at campaign rallies do survive. However questionable these indicators' validity, even to contemporaries, they represented some of the few quantifiable barometers of voter sentiment available to that era's politicians. Some candidates kept “their ear to the ground” (a nineteenth-century dictum) by engaging in more active forms of voter research.

Life Before Polls: Ohio Politicians Predict the 1828 Presidential Vote

Candidates covet votes. They exert extraordinary effort and expend vast resources seeking to win as many votes as possible. Yet, the costly pursuit of votes occurs under great uncertainty concerning both the strategic correctness of their positions on issues and the efficiency of their campaigns. Of course, prudent candidates dedicate some resources to learning how voters are responding to their appeals, generally by commissioning polls of public opinion.Candidates' early adoption of scientific survey technology (Converse 1987) and the important role polls play in modern campaigns invite the question of how candidates ever got on without them. Before polls, did public opinion reside on a vast terra incognita on which candidates staked out issue positions oblivious to the whereabouts of the median voter? If so, campaigns must have been riddled with mistakes and inefficiency. John G. Greer (1991) made just this argument in claiming that the absence of accurate information about shifts in the electorate's preferences allowed political parties to be blindsided by what became realigning elections.The historical record offers few clues as to the extent to which nineteenth-century candidates labored under strategic ignorance. Yet, accounts of politicos and pundits alike tallying newspaper endorsements and carefully gauging attendance at campaign rallies do survive. However questionable these indicators' validity, even to contemporaries, they represented some of the few quantifiable barometers of voter sentiment available to that era's politicians. Some candidates kept “their ear to the ground” (a nineteenth-century dictum) by engaging in more active forms of voter research.

Mathematical method for the assessment of the metal test efficiency and optimization of the pressure vessels and pipes periodic tests

A mathematical approach for the assessment of the metal test efficiency and optimization of the pressure vessels and pipes periodic tests in the case of the absence of accurate information is described. The procedure is of successive corrections of the initial flaw and strength characteristics on the base of metal test results. The Bayes approach is used. It is intended for analysis of the efficiency and optimization of material controls for use in potential hazardous production where high reliability is demanded. This approach used the computer code OPTIM.