General Reference Research Articles

Long-Term Quality of Life After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Allocating resources to increase survival after cardiac arrest requires survivors to have a good quality of life, but long-term data are lacking. To determine the quality of life of survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest from 2001 to 2019. This survey study used the EuroQol Health Questionnaire, 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess the health-related quality of life of all adult survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest included in the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry between June 1, 2001, and August 31, 2019, who were alive in October 2020 (follow-up periods, 0-1, >1-2, >2-4, >4-6, >6-8, >8-10, >10-15, and >15-20 years since arrest). The survey was conducted from October 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021. All patients who experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Self-reported health was measured using the EuroQol Health Questionnaire index (EQ index) score and EQ visual analog scale. Physical and mental health were measured using the SF-12, and anxiety and depression were measured using the HADS. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis. Of 4545 survivors, 2552 (56.1%) completed the survey, with a median follow-up since their event of 5.5 years (IQR, 2.9-8.9 years). Age was comparable between responders and nonresponders (median [IQR], 67 [58-74] years vs 68 [56-78] years), and 2075 responders (81.3%) were men and 477 (18.7%) women (vs 1473 male [73.9%] and 520 female [26.1%] nonresponders). For the shortest follow-up (0-1 year) and longest follow-up (>15-20 years) groups, the median EQ index score was 0.9 (IQR, 0.7-1.0) and 0.9 (0.8-1.0), respectively. For all responders, the mean (SD) SF-12 physical health score was 43.3 (12.3) and SF-12 mental health score, 52.9 (8.3). All 3 scores were comparable to a general Danish reference population. Based on HADS scores, a low risk for anxiety was reported by 73.0% (54 of 74) of 0- to 1-year survivors vs 89.3% (100 of 112) of greater than 15- to 20-year survivors; for symptoms of depression, these proportions were 79.7% (n = 59) and 87.5% (n = 98), respectively. Health-related quality of life was similar in survivor groups across all follow-up periods. Among this survey study's responders, who comprised more than 50% of survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark, long-term health-related quality of life up to 20 years after their event was consistently high and comparable to that of the general population. These findings support resource allocation and efforts targeted to increasing survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

The effects of pain following disbudding on calf memory

Studies have found evidence of pain in the hours following hot-iron disbudding, but little is known about longer-lasting pain following this procedure. Work on humans and rats has shown that lasting pain can have negative effects on the formation and recall of memories. The objective of this study was to assess whether lasting pain following disbudding affects learning and memory in calves. A modified hole-board apparatus was used to assess how quickly calves were able to learn the locations of 4 bottles containing milk dispersed among 11 locations with empty bottles. At 14 d of age and after 6 d of training on this task, calves (n = 30) were randomly assigned to 3 treatments: disbudding with analgesic on the day of the procedure, disbudding with analgesic throughout the study, and sham disbudding. All calves were sedated, given a lidocaine cornual local block and a single injection of an nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Starting on the day after their disbudding treatment, calves were tested daily using the modified hole-board apparatus. After 12 d of testing, the locations of the 4 milk-containing bottles were switched, and calves then relearned the locations of the rewarded bottles over the next 6 daily test sessions. We found general working memory (i.e., short-term memory) and reference memory (i.e., long-term memory) increased over the 12 d of testing, declined when locations were switched on d 13, and then again increased over the final 6 d of testing. We did not find an effect of treatment on any measure, perhaps because there was no lasting pain or because effects were too minor to detect using this test of spatial memory.

Referral Strategies

Live chat services are now a commonplace communication channel in many libraries. This learning object is geared towards the academic library setting in particular and focuses on building two distinct skills among chat operators. First, recognizing when to refer and, second, strategies for making successful referrals. Utilizing the web-based platform Genially, this training resource is designed as an interactive presentation template that can be customized to suit local needs. The learning object includes four example chat scenarios, a review quiz, a collaborative bulletin board, and further readings. It is expected that chat operators will have varying degrees of familiarity with general reference work and aims to create a shared foundation of core referral skills on chat. This resource is envisioned as one part of what should be a broader training program, as opposed to a stand-alone resource.

Intravenous antibiotic therapy after laparoscopic appendectomy in acute complicated appendicitis: the patient clinical response is the key.

The guidelines about acute complicated appendicitis (ACA) recommend 3-5 days of postoperative intravenous antibiotics (IVA). Nevertheless, the time selected by the surgeon can vary according to patient clinical response, ACA type, and professional experience. Once an adequate clinical response is obtained, the change from IVA to oral antibiotic (OA) could be realized without the waiting time established with satisfactory results. Determine if a short course of IVA and/or switch to oral route is safe based on the patient clinical response. Observational prospective cohort study from a general surgery reference center database since July 2019. 48 patients with ACA intraoperative findings were included. Regarding postoperative antibiotic management, only preoperative IVA: 7 (14.58%), IVA 1-3 days: 1 (20.83%), IVA 1-3 days and change to OA: 21 (43.75%), IVA > 3 days: 6 (12.5%), and only OA: 3 (27.08%). The bivariate analysis did not show statistically significant differences in reconsultation (p = 0.81), rehospitalization (p = 0.44), and surgical site infection (p = 0.56) between the antibiotic scheme based on the postoperative clinical response and the traditional one regarding intra-abdominal collection rate, the hospital stays, and hospitalization costs.

Methodology for energy management strategies design based on predictive control techniques for smart grids

This article focuses on the development of a general energy management system (EMS) design methodology using on model-based predictive control (MPC) for the control and management of microgrids. Different MPC-based EMS for microgrids have been defined in the literature; however, there is a lack of generality in the proposed that would facilitate adapting to new architectures, energy storage system technology, nature of the bus, application, or purpose. To fill this gap, a novel general formulation that is parameterizable, simple, easily interpretable, and reproducible in different microgrid architectures is presented. This is the result of the development of a novel methodology, which is also presented. It considers the state space formulation of the controller from the initial modelling phase, from the dynamics of the energy storage systems represented by their models to the subsequent definition of the optimisation problem. This is developed through the design of the general cost function and the formulation of constrains, by means of general guidelines and reference values. To evaluate the performance of the developed methodology, simulation tests were carried out for four different microgrid architectures, with different applications and objectives, also considering different generation conditions, demand profiles, and initial conditions. The results showed that, with some simple guidelines and regardless of the case study, the developed MPC controller design methodology can address the technical-economic optimisation problem associated with energy management in microgrids in an easy and intuitive way.

New SAMHSA strategic plan focuses on preventing suicides

The 2023–2026 Strategic Plan for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) focuses reducing suicides. There is a stress on mental health, especially among the workforce, and a general reference to “behavioral” health care, which of course includes both mental health and addiction. The plan also includes a focus on reducing opioid overdoses.

Strategies of Controlling Iron Deficiency among Pregnant Women in the Peripheral Health Zones of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Anemia is the most widespread nutritional problem in the world. Its incidence rate is higher in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where it affects a large proportion of women and children. The problem is accentuated where intestinal parasitic infection and malaria are common and this increases the morbidity and mortality rate. The current study attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies involved in the control system of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women. This study comprised of a quantitative, cross-sectional, and analytical design. Two reference health structures were chosen, namely Kimbanseke General Reference Hospital and Kinkole General Reference Hospital. The sample size consisted of 250 pregnant women. The data collection involved hemoglobin, thick drop, and stool analysis to assess the hematological and health status of surveyed pregnant women. Moreover, a questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data. The chi-square test was used to compare the variables and logistic regression was used to determine the effectiveness of applied strategies in order to control iron deficiency. Respondents were assured about the confidentiality of their responses and interviews were conducted in a secluded setting. The findings showed that the predominant age group was 20-24 years (34.0%), while most respondents were in the second semester of pregnancy (49.6%). Furthermore, most respondents had a secondary education (69.2%), their main activity was selling (47.2%), and most of them were married (84.0%). The level of hemoglobin was less than 11g/dl in most of the respondents (55.6%), while 66% were multigravida with the space between pregnancy of 12-24 months (57.8%). The stool analysis of most respondents showed the presence of yeast (24%), although the presence of some parasites were observed as well. For the thick drop, most respondents were diagnosed with malaria (77.6%). The iron supplementation, deworming, and counseling during the antenatal sessions proved effective against iron deficiency anemia. Given the seriousness of the situation in pregnant women, it is necessary that these strategies of effectiveness must be applied for a good management of anemia.

Teacher personality domains and facets: Their unique associations with student-ratings of teaching quality and teacher enthusiasm

BackgroundPrevious research on the relationship between teacher personality and teaching performance yielded mixed results and typically considered only the broad personality domains while neglecting the narrower personality facets that constitute the domains. AimThe aim of this study was to examine the incremental value of teacher Big Five personality facets in explaining student-ratings of teaching quality and teacher enthusiasm. SamplesIn total, 1067 teachers and 18,814 of their students from 73 secondary schools in Croatia participated in the study. MethodTeachers self-reported their personality whereas students rated the teaching quality and displayed enthusiasm of their teachers. Each teacher was rated by one class of students. ResultsThe bifactor-(S-1) multilevel structural equation models for each Big Five personality domain showed that both the general reference factor and the specific factors explained the variance in student-ratings of teaching quality and teacher enthusiasm. ConclusionsA more fine-grained approach to examining the effects of teacher personality at different levels of hierarchy might be helpful for identifying specific parts of teacher personality with the greatest explanatory power in predicting teaching performance.

New SAMHSA strategic plan focuses on opioids and suicides

The 2023–2026 Strategic Plan for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) focuses on two main missions: reducing opioid overdoses and reducing suicides. There is a stress on mental health, especially among the workforce, and a general reference to “behavioral” health care, which of course includes both mental health and addiction.

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C viral co-infection and associated factors with HIV infection in children in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

BackgroundThe World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2030 goal of eradicating Hepatitis B and C viruses must also include HIV co-infected children. However, data on the prevalence of this condition are lacking in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is considered as one of the countries with high-prevalence of these viruses. The need to assess the extent of this co-infection in the children of this country is therefore important in order to capitalize on efforts to improve prevention and management of both infections.MethodologyThis is a comparative cross-sectional study conducted from February 04, 2015 to September 03, 2019 at 14 General Reference Hospitals with a pediatric HIV management programme in South Kivu province. The study compared the frequency of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) markers and factors associated with these two viruses in two equal groups: HIV-positive and HIV-negative children. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 20.0 software and the significance level was set at p-value less than 0.05.ResultsThe study involved a total of 594 children, 297 of whom were HIV-positive and 297 negative. HBsAg was found in 8.7% of HIV-positive patients and 0.7% for HCV antibodies. On the other hand, among the HIV-negative patients, the proportion of HBsAg was 0.7% but no cases with anti-HCV antibodies were detected. HIV status increases by 14 times the risk of co-occurring with HBV [OR 14.1 (95% CI: 3.33–60.2); p < 0.001] and this risk is not apparent for HCV (p = 0.297). Multivariate logistic regression showed that history of jaundice in the family (aOR:4.19;95% CI: 2.12–11.59), recent hospitalization (aOR:10.7;95% CI: 6.69–17.2), surgery (aOR: 3.24;95% CI: 1.18–8.92), piercing (aOR: 4.26;95% CI: 1.70–10.7) and transfusion in the last 6 months (aOR: 2.69;95% CI: 1.55–4.67) were significantly associated with higher risk of being HBV- HIV co-infected.ConclusionThis study investigated the importance of hepatitis viral co-infections in HIV-positive children in South Kivu. Particular attention should be paid to prevention and early detection of these co-infections in this population.

Chinese expert consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of Behcet's uveitis (2023)

Behcet's disease is a chronic and recurrent multisystemic inflammatory disease, and its etiology and pathogenesis are not completely clarified. Behcet's uveitis is one of the common types of uveitis with the highest rate of untreatable blindness among various uveitis entities in China. The blindness in patients with Behcet's uveitis is commonly caused by retinal vascular occlusion, retinal atrophy and optic nerve atrophy. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to preserve and improve visual function in these patients. To provide general guidance and reference in the diagnosis and treatment of Behcet's uveitis, consensus opinions have been developed through an extensive investigation on this disease by the experts in the Uveitis and Ocular Immunology Group of Chinese Ophthalmologist Association and the Ocular Immunology Group of Ophthalmology Society of Chinese Medical Association.

Chinese expert consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (2023)

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome is an autoimmune disorder characterized by bilateral granulomatous uveitis, and it is one of the common uveitis entities causing blindness in China. The clinical manifestations of VKH disease vary significantly at different stages. Most patients can achieve a complete control of the uveitis and good visual prognosis if appropriate treatment is initiated. Therefore, an extensive investigation and literature review on this disease have been performed by the experts in the Uveitis and Ocular Immunology Group of Chinese Ophthalmologist Association and the Ocular Immunology Group of Ophthalmology Society of Chinese Medical Association. Consensus opinions on VKH syndrome have been developed in an attempt to provide general guidance and reference in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Exploring University Students’ Justifications for Making Metacognitive Judgments of Learning

The accuracy of students’ judgments has important implications for their learning and performance in educational settings. However, little is known about how students make these judgments. This study explored university students’ justifications for making their judgments of learning in a developmental psychology course. Two independent samples were involved, including a total number of 115 senior sport students. Participants responded to a knowledge test and provided their judgments at the local (Sample 1) or at the global level (Sample 2) and then provided their justifications for making these judgments. Students’ justifications for making their judgments were classified in ten categories, including the study of the learning materials, the confidence for answering (or not) correctly, the memory, the general knowledge, the knowledge of the answer and a general reference to common sense, experience, lectures, and judgment. Variations in the frequency of these justifications were found across the local and the global level, low and high accurate students, and low and high performers. These results are discussed regarding their theoretical and practical implications for undergraduate students’ learning.

Reservations and References in Legislation: Correlation Aspects

The article discusses certain aspects of the correlation of norms-reservations and references used in the provisions of legislation. Applying complex general scientific and special research methodology, including: dialectical, comparative legal, and formal legal methods, based on elements of general and special norms-reservations and references in legislation, the author formulates provisions that clarify and develop the doctrine of the specialization of legislation, the legal technique of law-making, as well as proposes a vision of the fundamental basis of the norms-reservations. The reservation is seen as a kind of special legal regulation aimed at regulating specific legal relations. The thesis is argued that interacting with other technical and legal means and methods of legal regulation, primarily legislative references, the norm-reservation often acquires its legal expression. Based on the analysis of legislation, law enforcement practice and legal doctrine, the various functional potential of norms-reservations and legislative references is proved, their significance as means of legal influence is shown. The conclusions expressed by the author expand legal knowledge about the theory of the legal norm, and will also serve as the beginning of a scientific discussion regarding the independent perception of the norm-reservation, and will stimulate further scientific endeavor.

Diagnostic des quelques parasites intestinaux chez les patients fréquentant l’Hopital Général de Reference de Kintambo à Kinshasa en RDCONGO

This study was focused on the diagnosis of some intestinal parasites in patients attending the General Reference Hospital of Kintambo. The results showed that, among the causative agents of these pathologies, protozoa were diagnosed in large numbers, with the genus Antamoeba. Helminths were dominated by Ascaris lumbricoides.These results confirm that intestinal parasitosis remains a public health problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo in general and in Kinshasa in particular.This situation is explained by the absence of personal hygiene (washing of hands, cleanliness of food), good management of faecal peril which had to go through the installation of latrines, sewers and treatment of waste water.

Psychometric properties and general population reference values for PROMIS Global Health in Hungary

ObjectivesPatient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System–Global Health (PROMIS-GH) is a widely used generic measure of health status. This study aimed to (1) assess the psychometric properties of the Hungarian PROMIS-GH and to (2) develop general population reference values in Hungary.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey was conducted among the Hungarian adult general population (n = 1700). Respondents completed the PROMIS-GH v1.2. Unidimensionality (confirmatory factor analysis and bifactor model), local independence, monotonicity (Mokken scaling), graded response model fit, item characteristic curves and measurement invariance were examined. Spearman’s correlations were used to analyse convergent validity of PROMIS-GH subscales with SF-36v1 composites and subscales. Age- and gender-weighted T-scores were computed for the Global Physical Health (GPH) and Global Mental Health (GMH) subscales using the US item calibrations.ResultsThe item response theory assumptions of unidimensionality, local independence and monotonicity were met for both subscales. The graded response model showed acceptable fit indices for both subscales. No differential item functioning was detected for any sociodemographic characteristics. GMH T-scores showed a strong correlation with SF-36 mental health composite score (rs = 0.71) and GPH T-scores with SF-36 physical health composite score (rs = 0.83). Mean GPH and GMH T-scores of females were lower (47.8 and 46.4) compared to males (50.5 and 49.3) (p < 0.001), and both mean GPH and GMH T-scores decreased with age, suggesting worse health status (p < 0.05).ConclusionThis study established the validity and developed general population reference values for the PROMIS-GH in Hungary. Population reference values facilitate the interpretation of patients’ scores and allow inter-country comparisons.

Determinants of Customer Satisfaction in Internet Mobile: Study on College Student

This study aims to determine and analyze the impact of service quality, price and promotion on customer satisfaction of xl Axiata mobile internet among college students in South Tangerang. The type of research used is descriptive survey and explanatory research with verificative method. The population of the study was students from the three universities with a highest number of students in South Tangerang, the sample used the purposive sampling method by determining the sample size using the general reference of SEM sample, which is 5-10 times the number of indicators according to Hair in Supriyadi, 2014. The sample of 220 respondents. Data collected by questionnaires. The data analyzed with Sturctural Equation Modelling (SEM) and the tools using Lisrel 8.80. The result of the study revealed that service quality had a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction, price had a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction and promotion had a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction, simultaneously service quality, price and promotion have a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction.&#x0D; &#x0D;

Management of Abdominal Surgical Emergencies at the General Reference Hospital, What Place for Laparoscopic Surgery?

Aim of the study: The purpose of this article is to report the experience of the General Reference Hospital in the surgical management of abdominal emergencies. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective study over 3 years 5 months (08/12/2017 to 31/05/2021) which concerned patients operated for an abdominal emergency at the General Reference Hospital of Niamey. Results: We had 170 patients operated for an abdominal emergency (8.37%), with a male predominance (61.50%) and a sex ratio of 1.59. The average age was 36.08 years with a standard deviation of 17.46 and extremes of 2 to 79 years. Non-traumatic abdominal emergencies dominated with 96.47%. Abdominal ultrasound was performed in 92.35% (n=157) of patients and abdominal CT scan in 35.88% (n=61). General anesthesia was performed in 97.06% of cases (n=165). The approaches were laparotomy in 72.35% (n=123) and laparoscopy in 27.65% (n=47). The most reported intraoperative diagnoses were acute appendicitis 40.59% (n=69) followed by acute peritonitis 18.82% (n= 32) and acute cholecystitis 13,53% (n= 23). The main procedures performed by laparoscopy were appendectomies, cholecystectomies and acute peritonitis in respectively 15.29%, 10.59% and 1.76% of cases. Postoperative complications represented 2.35% (n=4) in laparoscopy and 9.41% (n=16) in laparotomy. Conclusion: Abdominal emergencies at the Reference General Hospital are frequent and postoperative complications are few especially at laparoscopy, which is a first way to encourage in our context; It gives better surgical outcomes than conventional surgery.

Post-acquisition correction of NMR spectra distorted by dynamic and static field inhomogeneity of cryogen-free magnets

Post-acquisition correction of NMR spectra is an important part of NMR spectroscopy that enables refined NMR spectra to be obtained, clean from undesirable out-phasing, broadening and noising. We describe analytical and numerical mathematical methods for post-acquisition correction of NMR spectra distorted by static and dynamic magnetic field inhomogeneity caused by imperfections of main superconducting coils and the cold head operation, typical for cryogen-free magnets. For the dynamic inhomogeneity, we apply a variant of the general reference deconvolution method, complemented with our mathematical analysis of spectral parameters. For the static inhomogeneity, we apply the method of a delayed Fourier transform, also supported with our analytical calculations. We verify our approach by correction processing of high-field experimental liquid-state 1H NMR spectra of water and ethanol as well as solid-state 13C MAS NMR spectra of adamantane and obtain good results for both static and dynamic field distortions. This work complements our previous work on instrumental suppression of dynamic distortions caused by the cold head operation. The results presented contribute well to the general field of processing NMR spectra and serve towards a more extensive use of cryogen-free magnets in high-resolution NMR spectroscopy.

Torque Ripple Reduction of Model Predictive Controlled Five-Phase PMSM Drives With Open-Circuit Faults

In this article, a fault-tolerant model predictive current control method is proposed to improve the fault-tolerant ability of a five-phase permanent synchronous magnet motor drive under single and multiple open-circuit faults operations. On the principle of the optimal current control, general reference currents are derived to suppress torque ripples. To obtain the reference currents, a Fast Fourier Transformation-based current estimation model is established. The torque ripple can be reduced by modifying the reference currents in the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">d3-q3</i> axis transformed from the estimation model. Finally, experimental results validate the effectiveness of the developed fault-tolerant control strategy and the robustness against operating points and motor parameter mismatches.