Holistic Assessment Research Articles

SIDU-TXT: An XAI algorithm for NLP with a holistic assessment approach

Explainable AI (XAI) is pivotal for understanding complex ’black-box’ models, particularly in text analysis, where transparency is essential yet challenging. This paper introduces SIDU-TXT, an adaptation of the ’Similarity Difference and Uniqueness’ (SIDU) method, originally applied in image classification, to textual data. SIDU-TXT generates word-level heatmaps using feature activation maps, highlighting contextually important textual elements for model predictions. Given the absence of a unified standard for assessing XAI methods, to evaluate SIDU-TXT, we implement a comprehensive three-tiered evaluation framework – Functionally-Grounded, Human-Grounded, and Application-Grounded – across varied experimental setups. Our findings show SIDU-TXT’s effectiveness in sentiment analysis, outperforming benchmarks like Grad-CAM and LIME in both Functionally and Human-Grounded assessments. In a legal domain application involving complex asylum decision-making, SIDU-TXT displays competitive but not conclusive results, underscoring the nuanced expectations of domain experts. This work advances the field by offering a methodical holistic approach to XAI evaluation in NLP, urging further research to bridge the existing gap in expert expectations and refine interpretability methods for intricate applications. The study underscores the critical role of extensive evaluations in fostering AI technologies that are not only technically faithful to the model but also comprehensible and trustworthy for end-users.

Textbook outcome of laparoscopic hepatectomy in the context of precision surgery: A single center experience

ObjectiveLaparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) has become a common surgery for the treatment of liver tumor. To evaluate the surgical quality of laparoscopic hepatectomy under the context of precision surgery with Textbook outcome (TO), a comprehensive and holistic assessment approach. MethodsA total of 1056 patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy from May 2016 and December 2022 were enrolled in the study. All the patients were performed hepatectomy. The rate of TO and factors associated with achieving TO were examined. ResultsAmong the 1056 patients, 75 % patients achieved TO. The main reason limited patients achieving textbook outcomes was prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS). The univariate analysis indicated that age>65, ASA classification ≥3, liver cirrhosis, tumor size > 3 cm, tumor number ≥2, type of primary cancer, and IWATE DSS were significantly associated with non-achievement of TO. The multivariate analysis indicated that the ASA classification ≥3 and advanced difficulty level in IWATE DSS independent factors associated with achieving TO. Reaching TO can significantly prolong the postoperative recurrence time and overall survival time of hepatocellular carcinoma patients. ConclusionIn the context of precision surgery, 75 % patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy achieved a TO. Patients who achieved TO had significantly improved survival.

Diversifying laboratory assessment modes broadens engagement with practical competencies in life science students.

Laboratory practicals in life science subjects are traditionally assessed by written reports that reflect disciplinary norms for documenting experimental activities. However, the exclusive application of this assessment has the potential to engage only a narrow range of competencies. In this study, we explored how multiple modes of laboratory assessment might affect student perceptions of learned skills in a life science module. We hypothesized that while a mixture of assessments may not impact student summative performance, it might positively influence student perceptions of different skills that varied assessments allowed them to practice. This was informed by universal design for learning and teaching for understanding frameworks. In our study, in a third-year Bioscience program, written reports were complemented with group presentations and online quizzes via Moodle. Anonymous surveys evaluated whether this expanded portfolio of assessments promoted awareness of, and engagement with, a broader range of practical competencies. Aspects that influenced student preferences in assessment mode included time limitations, time investment, ability to practice new skills, links with lecture material, and experience of assessment anxiety. In particular, presentations were highlighted as promoting collaboration and communication and the quiz as an effective means of diversifying assessment schedules. A key takeaway from students was that while reports were important, an overreliance on them was detrimental. This study suggests that undergraduate life science students can benefit significantly from a holistic assessment strategy that complements reports with performance-based approaches that incorporate broader competencies and allow for greater student engagement and expression in undergraduate modules.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study suggests that undergraduate life science students can benefit significantly from a holistic assessment strategy that complements reports with performance-based approaches that incorporate broader competencies and allow for greater student engagement and expression in undergraduate modules.

Barriers, Benefits, and Enablers of Acute Home-Based Care (Hospital In The Home) in Australia for Older People: A Systematic Review

To determine the barriers, benefits, and enablers of acute home-based care in Australia for older people (aged 65 and over). A systematic review for people aged 65 and over receiving acute home-based care in Australia was conducted using various databases (CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, Informit) and citation searching in September 2023. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) was used to assess the quality of the evidence and a thematic analysis approach was utilized to narratively synthesize results. Ten studies were included, consisting mostly of cohort studies in metropolitan areas. Barriers included inefficacy, patient demographics, and carers. Benefits included efficacy, high satisfaction, and medical management. Enablers included education, holistic assessments, and support interventions. Within the literature there was a significant research gap regarding HITH for older people in rural areas of Australia. Patient outcomes were closely aligned with admission pathways.

Psychosocial and Educational Vulnerability of Overweight Children from Urban Schools

Childhood obesity is a pervasive health issue, with multifaceted implications for developmental trajectory. Participants included 5,573 K-5 students enrolled in a high-poverty urban public-school setting. Through an informal yet holistic assessment process, students identified as exhibiting overweight issues were compared to peers not designated as overweight across several relevant categories. Overweight students were more likely to be from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; have a high association with special education service needs; represent a more intensive overall risk level as perceived by student support staff; and mostly exhibit decreased performance in report card grades, standardized test scores, and academic engagement. Results confirm previously documented disparities in school functioning and consideration for at-risk status; this is especially relevant in an underserved context, in which regular access to services may be limited. Therefore, reliance on initial screening measures becomes necessary as a preventative mechanism to better assist children in need and to facilitate intervention planning.

Pseudo-class part prototype networks for interpretable breast cancer classification

Interpretability in machine learning has become increasingly important as machine learning is being used in more and more applications, including those with high-stakes consequences such as healthcare where Interpretability has been regarded as a key to the successful adoption of machine learning models. However, using confounding/irrelevant information in making predictions by deep learning models, even the interpretable ones, poses critical challenges to their clinical acceptance. That has recently drawn researchers’ attention to issues beyond the mere interpretation of deep learning models. In this paper, we first investigate application of an inherently interpretable prototype-based architecture, known as ProtoPNet, for breast cancer classification in digital pathology and highlight its shortcomings in this application. Then, we propose a new method that uses more medically relevant information and makes more accurate and interpretable predictions. Our method leverages the clustering concept and implicitly increases the number of classes in the training dataset. The proposed method learns more relevant prototypes without any pixel-level annotated data. To have a more holistic assessment, in addition to classification accuracy, we define a new metric for assessing the degree of interpretability based on the comments of a group of skilled pathologists. Experimental results on the BreakHis dataset show that the proposed method effectively improves the classification accuracy and interpretability by respectively 8%\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$8 \\%$$\\end{document} and 18%\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$18 \\%$$\\end{document}. Therefore, the proposed method can be seen as a step toward implementing interpretable deep learning models for the detection of breast cancer using histopathology images.

Enhancing the quality of competency assessment for elementary school students in modern education

The paper aims to explore strategies to enhance the quality of competency assessment for elementary school students in the context of modern education. Through a comprehensive study conducted from February 2022 to January 2024 in Hai Phong city, data were collected from 112 educational administrators and 564 teaching professionals. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys and interviews to gather insights into current assessment practices and challenges. Findings underscored the critical role of competency assessments in facilitating student development. They revealed a need for tailored assessment methods aligned with contemporary educational standards and student-centered approaches. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of continuous professional development for educators to improve their assessment literacy and competency evaluation skills. Overall, the research suggests that implementing targeted strategies can lead to more accurate and holistic assessment practices, ultimately fostering student growth and development in elementary education.

112 Nutritional, feed safety, and environmental benefits and limitations of using soybean co-products in swine diets

Abstract Various types of soybean co-products are used in swine diets which have benefits and limitations related to protein quality, environmental impact, and feed safety. To address these concerns for sustainable pork production, methodologies have evolved. Soybean processing and storage methods affecting protein oxidation have been studied less than lipid oxidation. Protein carbonyl concentrations were measured and compared among diverse samples of soybeans and soybean meal from different regions of the US and processed by mechanical or solvent extraction. Mechanically extracted soybean meal had greater concentrations of protein carbonyls than solvent extracted soybean meal which were associated with a greater concentration of residual oil. Soybeans and their co-products also contain antioxidants that may protect against more extensive lipid and protein oxidation. Understanding the interactions between natural antioxidants and oxidation of lipid and proteins in soy co-products is important for optimizing nutritional efficiency and health in sustainable pork production systems. Because soybean meal is a major component of swine diets, its origin and environmental footprint affects the environmental impact of feed, manure, and pork production. Using a spatially explicit lifecycle assessment of feed ingredients and regional manure management programs, we compared the effect of using four feeding programs on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land use, and embedded water consumption in 3 major U.S. pork production regions assuming they would provide equal growth performance and carcass composition. Although environmental impacts varied among regions, the corn-soybean meal feeding program resulted in the greatest land and water use of all grower-finisher feeding programs, and more GHG emissions than feeding low protein amino acid supplemented (LP) diets and diets containing 8% supermarket food waste, but less overall GHG emissions than the distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) feeding program. Results from a subsequent study showed that feeding corn-soybean meal diets optimized growth performance and carcass composition while simultaneously reducing impacts on climate change, marine and freshwater eutrophication, and fossil resource use compared with feeding DDGS and LP diets. Lastly, the extended survival of infectious agents such as African swine fever virus in feed ingredients has important implications for biosecurity and prevention of transboundary transmission of swine diseases. We developed a risk-free in situ surrogate non-animal assay (RISNA) to estimate survival of ASFV in various feed ingredients and conditions, and results indicate greater thermal stability than previously observed, and comparable extended survival among corn- and soybean-based ingredients. These new insights will be useful in revising feed biosecurity protocols to prevent introduction and transmission of ASFV in feed supply chains. In conclusion, holistic assessments of feed ingredients, like our evaluation of soybean co-products, are needed to achieve a more sustainable, One Health approach to pork production.

An assessment of nanotechnology-based interventions for cleaning up toxic heavy metal/metalloid-contaminated agroecosystems: Potentials and issues

Heavy metals (HMs) are among the most dangerous environmental variables for a variety of life forms, including crops. Accumulation of HMs in consumables and their subsequent transmission to the food web are serious concerns for scientific communities and policy makers. The function of essential plant cellular macromolecules is substantially hampered by HMs, which eventually have a detrimental effect on agricultural yield. Among these HMs, three were considered, i.e., arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, in this review, from agro-ecosystem perspective. Compared with conventional plant growth regulators, the use of nanoparticles (NPs) is a relatively recent, successful, and promising method among the many methods employed to address or alleviate the toxicity of HMs. The ability of NPs to reduce HM mobility in soil, reduce HM availability, enhance the ability of the apoplastic barrier to prevent HM translocation inside the plant, strengthen the plant's antioxidant system by significantly enhancing the activities of many enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants, and increase the generation of specialized metabolites together support the effectiveness of NPs as stress relievers. In this review article, to assess the efficacy of various NP types in ameliorating HM toxicity in plants, we adopted a ‘fusion approach’, in which a machine learning-based analysis was used to systematically highlight current research trends based on which an extensive literature survey is planned. A holistic assessment of HMs and NMs was subsequently carried out to highlight the future course of action(s).

Benefits of Digital Storytelling Towards Holistic Pain Assessment Among Nursing Students: A Validation Study Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling

Benefits of Digital Storytelling Towards Holistic Pain Assessment Among Nursing Students: A Validation Study Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling

Clinical Implementation of Total-Body PET in China.

Total-body (TB) PET/CT is a groundbreaking tool that has brought about a revolution in both clinical application and scientific research. The transformative impact of TB PET/CT in the realms of clinical practice and scientific exploration has been steadily unfolding since its introduction in 2018, with implications for its implementation within the health care landscape of China. TB PET/CT's exceptional sensitivity enables the acquisition of high-quality images in significantly reduced time frames. Clinical applications have underscored its effectiveness across various scenarios, emphasizing the capacity to personalize dosage, scan duration, and image quality to optimize patient outcomes. TB PET/CT's ability to perform dynamic scans with high temporal and spatial resolution and to perform parametric imaging facilitates the exploration of radiotracer biodistribution and kinetic parameters throughout the body. The comprehensive TB coverage offers opportunities to study interconnections among organs, enhancing our understanding of human physiology and pathology. These insights have the potential to benefit applications requiring holistic TB assessments. The standard topics outlined in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine were used to categorized the reviewed articles into 3 sections: current clinical applications, scan protocol design, and advanced topics. This article delves into the bottleneck that impedes the full use of TB PET in China, accompanied by suggested solutions.

Music Classroom Assessment Methods based on Core Literacy

This paper explores the integration of core literacy into music education, proposing strategies for a holistic and growth-oriented classroom assessment. By diversifying evaluation subjects, content, methods, and ensuring the continuity and value-added nature of assessments, educators can nurture well-rounded students with a lifelong passion for music. The strategies aim to enhance students' creativity, cultural awareness, and critical thinking, aligning with the core literacy framework.

Melasma: A Step-by-Step Approach Towards a Multimodal Combination Therapy.

Melasma is a common challenge in the field of pigmentary skin disorders, exerting a significant emotional and psychosocial burden on patients. The persistent and recurring nature of melasma complicates its management in routine clinical practice. This comprehensive review outlines a stepwise, practical approach encompassing diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic strategies for the management of melasma. A thorough exploration of aggravating and exacerbating factors, including sun exposure, hormonal imbalances, photosensitizing medication and cosmetics, is essential for a holistic assessment of the disease. With an emphasis on consistent and effective photoprotection, initial topical treatment modalities target the melanin production and/or the transfer of melanosomes to keratinocytes. Topical tyrosine inhibitors emerge as the first choice for reducing and preventing hyperpigmentation, with compounds such as thiamidol or tranexamic acid (TXA) being preferred for their safety profile over hydroquinone (HQ), kojic acid and arbutin. Combination with chemical peels can further enhance the therapeutic efficacy, even in cases with resistant melasma. In more severe cases, laser- and light-based interventions may be considered, but with the caveat of the likelihood of recurrence within 3-6 months. Assisted TXA delivery, via either fractional non-ablative laser or microneedling techniques, can further improve clinical outcomes. In conclusion, an optimal melasma management strategy is a multimodal approach, which includes effective photoprotection and a mix of different topical treatments targeting melanin synthesis, the anti-inflammatory environment, senescence and vascularity. Complementary procedures, such as chemical peels, and laser, light-based or microneedling procedures, with or without TXA, can further expedite melanin clearance in more severely affected instances. Individual discussions with patients regarding treatment expectations, recurrence likelihood and potential side effects are paramount to a comprehensive and successful therapeutic journey.

The Redesign of Logistics Network of Fresh Fruit in Guangxi Province of China

This study aims to investigate the distribution characteristics of China's agricultural industry and its logistics network design. The study is based on the theory and method of hub-and-spoke logistics network design, takes the logistics of agricultural products in China as the research area, and focuses on the fresh fruit industry. The specific case study took the fruit industry in Guangxi Province as an object and analyzed the overall spatial distribution from 2014 to 2022. By considering the factors of economic development, logistics development and fruit industry development, 11 indicators were selected to construct a comprehensive evaluation index system of logistics-level node cities within the logistics network. This index system aims to provide a holistic assessment of the logistics capabilities of these cities. The hub cities and spoke cities of the fresh fruit industry logistics network were determined by cluster analysis based on factor analysis. The cities are identified using the gravitational model and the logistics affiliation degree. As a result, a hub-and-spoke logistics network for the fresh fruit industry is centered on Nanning, Liuzhou and Guilin, which are designated as the key hub cities. Yulin, Qinzhou, Guigang and Baise are the secondary spoke nodes, while Beihai, Wuzhou, Chongzuo, Fangchenggang, Hezhou, Laibin and Hechi are the tertiary and quaternary spoke nodes. In order to better develop the fresh fruit industry in Guangxi, proposals are made to guide the layout of the fruit industry, improve the logistics infrastructure in the node cities, and ensure the quality of fruit transportation.

Green Assets and Global Portfolio Tail Risk? A Stress-Testing exercise under multiple asset classes under distinct market phases

Despite a burgeoning literature in the sphere of cryptocurrencies and green assets, yet, as of date, the literature fares poorly in terms of a holistic assessment of all asset classes, let alone stress testing such global portfolio risk under various market conditions. Our paper fulfills such a gap in the literature. Findings reveal that, irrespective of bearish or bullish market phases, green assets should be incorporated to mute down portfolio tail risk. Robustness tests performed either via different distribution type or CVaR analysis do not materially alter the main findings of our paper. The confluence of two forces substantially boosts tail risk, namely, passive investment strategy coupled with a crypto-augmented base model. Overall, our paper advocates the inclusion of green assets not as a choice but as an obligation to portfolio managers in view of curtailing both VaR and CVaR risk levels, all geared towards hitting two birds with one stone-simultaneously buttressing a greener world while effectively mitigating global portfolio tail risk.

Evaluation of the hydrating benefits of a cationic hyaluronic acid: From biological evaluation to consumer home use trial.

Active ingredients are often assessed based on physiological measurements, but innovative technologies to measure skin sensations can provide a holistic volunteer assessment of the use of an ingredient. In this paper, the hydrating benefits of a cationic hyaluronic acid (HA) were evaluated alongside clinical biometrics and innovative cognitive measurements to determine how biological benefits correlated with volunteers' feelings and perceptions of hydration. The results demonstrated that cationic HA provides hydrating benefits at the clinical level due to its film-forming properties. Through the use of innovative behavioural measurement tools, we were able to show that these outcomes are perceived by naïve consumers in real-life conditions. In addition, the benefits of cationic HA reported by users were in accordance with the mental representation they had related to the use of HA, thus the product achieved complete sensorial embodiment. We can conclude that the combination of clinical evaluations and home use trials consolidates product assessment when seeking to measure consumer satisfaction with proven biological benefits.

Parkinson’s Detection Using Voice Features and Spiral Drawings

Parkinson's is a dynamic neurodegenerative disease that presents multiple symptoms that advance over time. Our project proposes an innovative Parkinson's discovery machine learning model that combines both voice examination and spiral drawings assessments to capture numerous angles of the disease's symptomatology. Our approach looks for developing a comprehensive Parkinson’s detection model over different stages and symptoms of the disease. By integrating voice analysis techniques to discern subtle changes in speech patterns and spiral drawing assessments to evaluate motor function, our method aims to provide a more holistic assessment of PD symptoms. By leveraging the complementary strengths of voice analysis and spiral drawing assessments, our proposed PD detection project aims to overcome the limitations of existing approaches and provide clinicians with a more comprehensive model for early detection, diagnosis and monitoring of Parkinson's Disease. Ultimately, this initiative strives to enhance patient outcomes, improve treatment efficacy, and advance our understanding of PD progression.

Dental caries and school readiness in 5-year-olds: A birth cohort data linkage study.

To describe the association between dental caries and school readiness in 5-year-old children taking part in the Born in Bradford (BiB) birth cohort, UK. The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) assesses the school readiness of young children and is strongly predictive of future academic attainment. Children are recorded as 'emerging' (below expected), 'expected', or 'exceeding' in five key learning areas. The Oral Health Survey of 5-year-olds (OHS5) is undertaken biennially in England, assessing caries experience at a dentine threshold (d3mft). EYFSP and OHS5 were available for a proportion of children participating in BiB. Odds ratios and confidence intervals for caries experience were established, and odds ratios adjusted for significant sociodemographic variables. EYFSP and OHS5 data were available for 2.5% (n = 346) BiB participants. Nearly half (45.2%) had caries. A measure of socio-economic status, receiving free school meals, was the only demographic variable strongly related to caries experience (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.6-4.9). After adjustment, children 'emerging' in EYFSP learning areas had 1.6- to 2.2-fold (95% CI: 1.0-3.8) higher odds of experiencing caries. Children 'exceeding' EYFSP learning areas had 2.3- to 4-fold (95% CI: 0.1-0.9) lower odds of caries experience. This is the first study to explore the association between caries experience and school readiness using a holistic assessment tool. The association was found across different learning areas and was comparable to and independent of socio-economic status. The findings indicate oral health-related absenteeism is not a causative factor. EYFSP shows potential to enhance the targeting of preventive interventions at a child, class or school level.

A coupled PSR-based framework for holistic modeling and flood resilience assessment: A case study of the 2022 flood events in five southern provinces of China

In the context of global climate change, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events has led to increasingly severe disaster situations. Traditional disaster management approaches are inadequate for addressing these challenges; thus, the concept of resilience has gradually been integrated into disaster management strategies. This study addresses this gap by developing a semi-quantitative evaluation framework for flood resilience on a large, regional scale. This framework combines the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model with a dynamic representation of flood resilience processes, incorporating pre-disaster resistance, during-disaster absorption, and post-disaster recovery. A comprehensive regional flood resilience index system (RFRI) is constructed to provide a holistic assessment of flood resilience throughout the disaster cycle. This study quantified flood resilience and utilized Geographic Information System spatial analysis to evaluate the spatial patterns of flood resilience at the municipal level. The evaluation framework was applied to a real flood disaster that affected five southern provinces of China in 2022. The results indicate that: (1) The overall flood resilience levels in the five southern provinces were relatively low, with only 6% of the units having a Flood Resilience Index (FRI) exceeding 0.6; and (2) in terms of pre-disaster resistance, 74% of municipalities in the five southern provinces of China exhibited a moderate or higher level of resilience. However, the overall performance of these provinces is relatively poor in terms of absorption during disasters and post-disaster recovery; (3) The development of flood resilience systems in the five provinces was severely imbalanced, with only two municipal-level cities having an FRI above 0.8, both of which are located in Guangdong Province. The evaluation framework established in this study enables rapid and accurate quantitative assessment of flood resilience at the municipal level. It aids in identifying deficiencies in the flood resilience systems of various regions, thereby strengthening efforts to build flood resilience.

Wound care in older people: overcoming the challenges of assessment and management.

Age-related skin changes lead to increased susceptibility to skin damage and delayed wound healing, which is exacerbated by comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. In some cases, wound healing is not achievable or realistic and this needs to be reflected in the wound management plan. To improve outcomes and experience in older people presenting with wounds it is important to select wound management products that protect the wound bed and surrounding skin, minimise trauma, reduce symptoms and/or promote healing. This article explores how conducting holistic wound assessments, setting realistic treatment aims, and using wound management strategies tailored to each person's needs and wishes can have a positive effect on older people's quality of life.