Ongoing Experience Research Articles

PET/MRI evaluation of hepatobiliary tumors.

Positron-emission tomography magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) has emerged as a powerful hybrid molecular imaging technique in clinical practice, overcoming initial technical challenges to provide comprehensive anatomic and metabolic information. This advanced modality combines the superior soft tissue contrast of MRI with the metabolic insights of PET, offering advantages in hepatobiliary imaging, including improved detection of small liver metastases and reduced radiation exposure. The evolution of PET/MRI technology has been marked by significant advancements, such as the development of MRI-compatible PET detectors and sophisticated motion compensation techniques. These innovations have enhanced image quality and co-registration accuracy, crucial for hepatobiliary imaging. The integration of time-of-flight capability and silicon photomultipliers has further improved spatial resolution and sensitivity. PET/MRI protocols for liver imaging typically involve a whole-body scan followed by a targeted liver examination, utilizing radiotracers like FDG and DOTATATE. This approach allows for comprehensive staging and detailed liver assessment in a single session, potentially altering management decisions in up to 30% of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. While PET/MRI excels in characterizing various hepatobiliary lesions, including hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, challenges remain in differentiating certain benign entities like small hemangiomas from metastases. Ongoing research and clinical experience continue to refine the role of PET/MRI in hepatobiliary imaging, promising improved diagnostic accuracy and patient care.

The architecture of the future: neuroscience and design for human spaces

This contribution aims to explore the relationship between the built environment, society, and neuroscience through some reflections and ongoing research experiences in Italy. The architectural design sector is facing a long-standing crisis rooted in the rapid changes of society, in a modernity that already hints at the future but sometimes seems uncontrollable. The phenomenon of mass tourism, the improper reuse of ancient buildings, and sophisticated but user-unfriendly technologies show today's architects the limits of a design that has only partially succeeded in addressing the concept of "future design". The newly emerging discipline of neuroarchitecture, which combines the world of design with neuroscience and the study of human behavior, can address some questions about our perception of buildings and cities, providing objective measurements to inspire future evidence-based architectural design. Neuroscience can provide control tools that will be valuable beyond the present time because they are centered on the psyche and the well-being of human beings.

Exploring the Relational Commitments of Negotiating Narrative Accounts in Narrative Inquiry

The purpose of this article is to discuss and make clear the methodological commitments of co-composing and negotiating narrative accounts in narrative inquiry. The negotiation of interim texts is a widely used practice across a range of methodologies and paradigms (i.e., member checking, member validation, member reflections, and narrative accounting), yet there is little discussion on the varied philosophical underpinnings that shape the meaning and purpose of negotiating interim texts with participants. By drawing on the authors experiences of negotiating narrative accounts across projects this article will clarify the relational commitments that underpin this aspect of narrative inquiry as a move toward mutuality, co-composition, friendship, and ongoing attentiveness ordinary lived experience.

Mental simulation of the approximal future: Imagining what might happen next.

In the course of daily life, various events-such as driving in suboptimal weather conditions, going on a first date, or walking home alone at night-evoke cognitions about what might happen next in the context of ongoing experience. Nonetheless, little is currently known about the phenomenological experience of anticipating events that might occur next-or what we refer to as simulation of the approximal future. We present novel evidence from a retrospective survey, a diary study, and an experimental laboratory study indicating that people commonly experience simulations of the approximal future, and that simulations of the approximal future can be reliably distinguished, in terms of their valence and function, from simulations of future events that are expected to occur in spatiotemporal contexts that are distinct from ongoing experience. Simulation of the approximal future represents an understudied mental experience that carries important implications for understanding the nature of constructive perceptual and memory-based processes as they pertain to event cognition, threat detection, individual differences, and psychopathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Toward sustainable energy switch in built environment: learning from ongoing experiences

Abstract The contribution addresses the topic of the ecological transition of energy production and supply systems of built environment, mean as an evolution towards sustainable forms of reorganization of human communities. To this end, focuses its attention on the most recent application experiences, to compare what has been outlined at the political and financial level, with the output generated by the concrete interventions, by the energy, environmental and social point of view. A broad and varied picture emerges, in which the actions ranges from the energy solarization of individual or complex of buildings, to the solar use of large portions of territory. The analysis and classification of each initiative it made possible to understand which are the most widespread solutions and which requires greater support to be accepted at the local community level. It also consented to understand the need to integrate each initiative within a design process oriented towards preserving the quality of urban and rural landscape. This innovative approach, based on a bottom-up operational models founded on a public-private partnerships, a multidisciplinary of actors and an active participation of citizens, constitutes the next objective assumed by research work, oriented to define an operative design based procedure, able to support public and private actors in the choices formulation.

Which perceptual categories do observers experience during multistable perception?

Multistable perceptual phenomena provide insights into the mind's dynamic states within a stable external environment and the neural underpinnings of these consciousness changes are often studied with binocular rivalry. Conventional methods to study binocular rivalry suffer from biases and assumptions that limit their ability to describe the continuous nature of this perceptual transitions and to discover what kind of percept was perceived across time. In this study, we propose a novel way to avoid those shortcomings by combining a continuous psychophysical method that estimates introspection during binocular rivalry with machine learning clustering and transition probability analysis. This combination of techniques reveals individual variability and complexity of perceptual experience in 28 normally sighted participants. Also, the analysis of transition probabilities between perceptual categories, i.e., exclusive and different kinds of mixed percepts, suggest that interocular perceptual competition, triggered by low-level stimuli, involves conflict between monocular and binocular neural processing sites rather than mutual inhibition of monocular sites.

Trauma Healing through Psalms 136–139: a Trauma-Informed Canon-Critical Framework

Abstract This article draws together insights from trauma theory and the conversation in Psalms scholarship known as “Psalmenexegese und Psalterexegese” or as the question of “shape and shaping” to propose a reading of Pss 136–139 as a pathway to trauma healing. This sequence of psalms moves participants toward healing by preparing them for the work of trauma healing through a mantra-like focus (Ps 136), unleashing the full range of human stress-responses to trauma (Ps 137), directly answering each of these stress-responses (Ps 138), and then—in a dramatic resolution—characterizing God as intimately concerned with human biology and life while continuing to acknowledge ongoing experiences of pain and injustice (Ps 139). The article illustrates the proposed framework for trauma healing with examples from pastoral work with asylum-seekers.

Experiences of service and diagnosis among immigrant families of young children with suspected or diagnosed developmental disabilities

ABSTRACT Objectives While early diagnosis is fundamental to the development of children with developmental disabilities (DD), limited attention has been paid to immigrant parents’ experience of early encounters with systems when they begin seeking supports for their children with DD. This study aimed to contribute to better understanding of immigrant parents’ experiences of early encounters with services for families and children with suspected or diagnosed DD. Design A longitudinal, qualitative approach was adopted. Over 12 months, multiple interviews were conducted with four immigrant families with children aged between two and four years who were attending a mobile playgroup offering early learning supports for children with suspected or diagnosed DD in communities with low access to formal supports. During the first three months of the study, families were accompanied by the first author on weekly visits to the playgroup. Participant observations and informal discussions with staff delivering early intervention supports via the playgroup provided further insight into families’ initial and on-going encounters with services and supports. During the remaining nine months, multiple interviews were conducted with participating families, to document their on-going experiences and encounters with medical practitioners and therapists. Results Thematic analysis of data generated four key themes: Initial encounters with medical professionals, Confusion and ‘missed’ diagnosis, Gaps in understanding, collaboration and communication, and Families’ desire to learn and implement strategies. Conclusion Families made concerted efforts to locate appropriate supports. They also faced barriers including a lack of openness and genuine consultation, particularly in their encounters with health professionals. These barriers resulted in a level of mistrust and detachment from formalised supports. Results highlight the critical importance for health professionals of ‘tuning into’ family concerns through relationship-based approaches, in order to establish shared understanding and mutual respect between professionals and families, particularly for immigrant families seeking support for their young children.

Exploring the Impact of an Arts Exposure Programme for Individuals Experiencing Housing Vulnerability

Participatory art-based activities (e.g. dancing, drumming, painting, singing) are beneficial for individuals experiencing housing vulnerability. Less is known about how receptive arts engagement (e.g. visiting a museum) may or may not be beneficial for similar populations. In a large U. S. Midwestern city, a homelessness services provider partnered with a local arts organisation to develop an arts exposure programme for a group of individuals experiencing housing vulnerability. Using qualitative methods, including observation and focus groups, this study explored the impact of the programme on participants. Findings show most participants had prior and ongoing experiences with and interests in the arts. In focus group discussions, participants reflected on their unique access to the events, experiences of cultural resonance, and new perspectives gained from the events. These findings suggest receptive arts engagement offers similar benefits as participatory arts-based activities, including opportunities for empowerment, critical dialogues around issues of power, oppression, and privilege, and social connection. They also underscore the need for additional research in this area and increased arts accessibility for individuals experiencing housing vulnerability.

Risk factors for psoriatic arthritis development in psoriasis patients: myths, pitfalls, and pearls.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) predominantly emerges in individuals previously diagnosed with psoriasis (PsO), offering a unique opportunity to study the transition from PsO to PsA. This progression provides a window to identify characteristics of PsO patients who may develop PsA, facilitating early intervention and potentially informing prevention and treatment strategies. This review evaluates a wide array of research focusing on various risk factors for PsA development. These factors span demographic characteristics, concomitant diseases and habits, characteristics of skin and nail psoriatic disease, and symptoms and imaging abnormalities associated with PsA. By summarising the existing literature, this review critically examines each risk factor, highlighting the strengths and limitations inherent in the studies. Each section of the review not only summarises the current state of knowledge but also includes an expert opinion, culminating in a final concluding remark. This integration allows physicians to utilise the confluence of established literature and ongoing clinical experience, facilitating a rationalised decision-making process that is deeply informed by both empirical evidence and practical insights.

Influence of Hotel Design on Guest Experience and Satisfaction in Kenya

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the influence of hotel design on guest experience and satisfaction in Kenya. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low-cost advantage as compared to field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study indicated that aesthetic appeal, functionality, and comfort of hotel interiors significantly contribute to guest satisfaction. Elements such as room layout, furniture design, lighting, and color schemes can create a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere, enhancing the perceived quality of the stay. Additionally, common areas like lobbies, restaurants, and recreational facilities also impact guests' first impressions and ongoing experiences. The design must cater to diverse guest needs, offering both communal and private spaces that facilitate social interactions and personal relaxation. Moreover, incorporating local culture and unique design elements can provide a memorable and authentic experience, further boosting guest satisfaction. Sustainable and eco-friendly design practices are increasingly valued by guests, reflecting their growing environmental consciousness. Overall, a well-thought-out hotel design can significantly enhance guest experience, leading to higher satisfaction, repeat visits, and positive reviews, which are vital for the hotel's success in a competitive market. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Environmental psychology theory, services cape theory and expectancy-disconfirmation theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the influence of hotel design on guest experience and satisfaction in Kenya. Hotels should prioritize investing in visually appealing and unique design elements, especially in common areas like lobbies. Policymakers should encourage and incentivize sustainable design practices in the hospitality industry.

Improved Outcomes Among Octogenarians with Ruptured Aneurysms: Endovascular Treatment as Right-of-First-Refusal in the Second Post-trial Decade

BackgroundTreatment outcomes of octogenarians with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), are often considered poor. With ongoing advancements and experience in endovascular technology, we sought to evaluate the outcomes of octogenarians treated for aSAH in the second post-ISAT/BRAT trial decade. MethodA single-center database of aSAH was reviewed to identify patients aged 80 or above undergoing aneurysm treatment. Mortality and favorable neurological outcome (defined as mRS <3) were assessed among the series and compared across several subgroups. ResultsOctogenarian patients constituted 6% of the aSAH cohort (38/619) over the reviewed period. Twenty-one percent were high grade (Hunt-Hess IV-V). Endovascular treatment was the first-line modality in 90% of patients. During a median follow-up of 17 months, the overall mortality was 39%. Higher mortality was associated with poor Hunt-Hess grade (100% for Grade-V, 47% for III-IV, 13% for I-II, P=0.004) and non-independent baseline function status (100% mortality for non-independent vs. 28% for independent group, P=0.002). At last follow-up, 53% of patients achieved a favorable neurological outcome. The stratified rate was 80% in Hunt-Hess grade I-II and over 60% in patients with premorbid independent function status or less than 5 frailty components (P≤0.02 vs. poorer counterparts). ConclusionNeurological outcomes of octogenarian patients with aSAH are improving in the second post-trial decade, particularly given the preponderance of endovascular treatment. Baseline functional status and comorbidities of octogenarians should be considered in addition to the Hunt-Hess grade in prognostication.

Organizational and patient factors associated with positive primary care experiences for veterans with current or recent homelessness.

To identify organizational service features associated with positive patient ratings of primary care within primary care clinics tailored to accommodate persons with ongoing and recent experiences of homelessness (PEH). PEH receiving primary care in 29 United States Veterans Health Administration homeless-tailored clinics were surveyed about their primary care experience using the validated Primary Care Quality-Homeless (PCQ-H) survey. Characteristics of the clinics were assessed through surveys of clinic staff using a new organizational survey developed through literature review, site visits, statistical analysis, and consensus deliberation. Cross-sectional examination of patients' ratings of care based on surveys of patients, and of clinic characteristics, analyzed with Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis, a form of machine learning. Patient surveys (n = 3394) were obtained from a random sample of enrolled patients by both mail and telephone by an external survey contractor. Staff (n = 52 from 29 clinics) were interviewed by telephone. This analysis identified service features that impact patient experience favorably, including aspects of patient-centeredness, team identity, strong external leadership support, and service that reach beyond traditional primary care clinic confines. Results varied according to the patient experience scale analyzed. Individual characteristics of PEH, such as degree of social support, general health, and unsheltered status, were also correlated with how they rate care. Organizational characteristics correlate with ratings of primary care from patients with recent and ongoing homelessness. Primary care programs serving homeless individuals can assure better care based on who they hire, how they foster team identity, what services they provide, and the strength of leadership support to protect a homeless-focused mission.

Shifting more‐than‐human relationships amidst social–ecological disturbance

Abstract Social–ecological disruptions, such as changing climate, extreme weather‐related events and the COVID‐19 pandemic, can have cascading and long‐term consequences for people, ecosystems and multispecies relationships. As the early COVID‐19 pandemic disrupted people's lives through isolation and restricted human contact, more‐than‐human relationships played a heightened role in individuals' day‐to‐day lives with potential long‐term impacts on multispecies justice. We analysed 72 interviews conducted during the early (May–June 2020) COVID‐19 lockdown in the United States to investigate how social–ecological disruptions and spatial re‐orderings, exemplified by the pandemic, reassemble more‐than‐human relationships. We consider new relational values through a transformative multispecies justice framing, which contends that times of uncertainty can inspire meaningful connections with the more‐than‐human world, facilitating care and reciprocal relationships during times of disruption. Among interviewee accounts, we find that disorderings of daily life during the pandemic interweave with past and ongoing experiences of inequity to form mosaics of disruption. These mosaics of disruption created circumstances in which interviewees formed new connections with the more‐than‐human world. The more‐than‐human connections of interviewees sat along a spectrum and did not universally represent the same strength of relational values. The more‐than‐human connections were defined by individual's positionality and restricted geographies of the circumstances. However, the newly formed relationships seemed to be ephemeral, indicating that they would not necessarily endure outside of an early‐pandemic context. Thus, while individuals reported rearranged relationships out of pandemic precarity, their transitory qualities do not directly promise long‐term transformational multispecies connections. Our findings suggest that moments of disruption alone do not necessarily produce durable change and there is a need to go beyond merely recognizing relationality. Policy implications: Transformative multispecies justice requires long‐term, routine commitment to deepening relationships with the more‐than‐human world. While future social–ecological and spatial disturbances can be a window of opportunity to initiate multispecies relationships, future initiatives and policies must actively support and foster these relationships and strong relational values beyond the disturbances—recognizing the long‐term, non‐linear processes of transformation needed to address our future challenges. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The Role of War-Related Marketing Activism Actions in Community Resilience: From the Ground in Ukraine

Extant literature considers marketing activities as instrumental for postwar recovery and peace-building. However, war is an ongoing lived experience for numerous societies across the world. Focusing on the role of marketing during war, this article presents a study examining how and why people living in war adversity deploy, perceive, and respond to war-related marketing activism actions (MAA). War-related MAA are acts through which brands/organizations and consumers create or draw on marketing meanings to convey and to enact stances and experiences related to war. This study adopts a multimodal qualitative methodology integrating photo elicitation and in-depth interviews with consumers and with marketing and management professionals in Ukraine, the country enduring invasion and war by Russia at the time of this article’s publication. Analyses through a community resilience theoretical lens generate a conceptualization that demonstrates how war-related MAA are harnessed and serve as a medium in community dialogues concerning envisaged resilience trajectories (survival, creativity and growth, and recovery). The article advances understanding of marketing activism during war by illuminating its potential and boundary conditions for serving as a community resilience resource. It also offers public policy development directions for marketing practice, organizations, and governments.

Stressful life events and tinnitus : Reflections and speculations.

The role of life events has not been extensively studied in the context of tinnitus. There is, however, evidence about the psychological impact of tinnitus and about the influence of psychological processes as mediators of the tinnitus experience. On the basis of this evidence, the possibility that stressful life events can act as atrigger for tinnitus is discussed; although the evidence is fragmentary and indirect, the possibility cannot be discounted. It is argued that the onset of tinnitus and the associated clinical encounters can constitute an acute stressful life event, and the ongoing experience of tinnitus can be regarded as achronic stressful life event. Interactions between ongoing tinnitus and other life events are discussed. Possible mechanisms in terms of stress influencing predictive processing and signal detection judgments are considered.

“But I’m not a professional” − How women with high-risk pregnancies voice the experiences of home-based telemonitoring; a qualitative interview study

ObjectivesTelemonitoring of high-risk pregnancy complications is a new approach that offers remote obstetric caregiving using mobile and wireless technologies. New evidence shows that home-based obstetric telemonitoring is not only feasible but also a safe alternative to inpatient or frequent outpatient care. As little is known how performing obstetric telemonitoring is perceived, this study examined how women with pregnancy complications experienced performing home-based telemonitoring. MethodsA qualitative, semi-structured interview study was conducted with women with ongoing experience in performing home-based telemonitoring procedures for high-risk pregnancy complications. Purposeful sampling strategy and data saturation were applied followed by verbatim transcription. The data were analyzed using systematic text condensation. ResultsFifteen informants participated in the study and four major themes emerged. The study revealed that performing telemonitoring was overall positively experienced as an ‘Empowering yet challenging responsibility’ as well as an ‘Extended patient-clinician partnership.’ There were pros and cons as to the influence of telemonitoring in everyday life; ‘Tele-comfort yet ambivalence’ and that it could be accompanied by annoying practical issues; ‘Accompanying remote issues.’ ConclusionsPerforming obstetric telemonitoring was experienced as an empowering yet challenging responsibility as well as an extended partnership between the clinician and the pregnant woman. Pros and cons were voiced as to the influence and ambivalence of telemonitoring in everyday life, and that it could be accompanied by annoying practical issues. Patient aspects and experiences of telemonitoring are important clinical knowledge that must be considered when a telemonitoring plan is tailored preferably in a shared decision-making process.

Promoção de territórios saudáveis: assessoria técnica à habitação social no Setor 1 da Colônia Juliano Moreira

ABSTRACT The article proposes to contribute to reflection on health promoting principles and strategies in vulnerable territories, aiming at the specific objective to evaluate the role that can be played by a local, permanent, and participatory policy and public service, developed through technical assistance with a focus on improving the housing space and the habitat that favors the most vulnerable population and promotes positive solutions in their quality of life. The work has its theoretical methodological foundation in the field of urban health, referenced from the critical perspective of the complexity of the health-disease phenomenon, more specifically when it relates the social and environmental vulnerability and the conditions of the built environment to collective health. The article uses as a reference the experience developed by FIOCRUZ Mata Atlântica, of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, and seeks to verify the identification of social determinants and processes of social determination of health as well as the appropriation of principles and strategies of action of this disciplinary field. The partial results of this ongoing experience have advances not only in the objective transformations of determining factors related to the built environment, but also in the social organization and intersectoral articulation in this context, as well as the construction of references for public policies.

Studying and stimulating a sense of community through co‐productive zine‐making in public libraries

AbstractThis paper reports on our ongoing experiences of using co‐productive zine‐making as a creative and participatory method in a research project on public libraries as social infrastructures. Engaging different audiences, including library management and staff, patrons and urban government authorities, the project aims to simultaneously study and stimulate a sense of community in public libraries. While many libraries already deploy zine‐making programmes as a low‐cost visitor activity, we use it as both a data collection and community‐building tool. Co‐productive zine‐making offers opportunities for reflection and mutual understanding to foster education, exchange and encounter between different stakeholders. It challenges the traditional power dynamics of knowledge production in academia and beyond. Zine‐making can act as a creative tool that pushes researchers to be more (self‐)reflexive. Yet, despite these benefits, zine‐making does not come without challenges, and therefore requires a specific researchers' skillset. This paper provides insight into both practical and ethical issues we encountered before, during and after the organisation of the first out of five zine‐making workshops in our project, held with community librarians in Rotterdam.

EVALUATION OF WOUND HEALING IN POST-SURGICAL PATIENTS CAESAR THOSE USING ANTIBIOTIC DRUGS AT TANJUNG PURA HOSPITAL

Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 5-15% of births globally are surgical cesarean section. Indonesian Health 2017 shows that 17.02% of deliveries in Indonesia are cesarean sections. Surgical wound infections are infections from wounds obtained after surgery. This infection can occur 30-90 days after surgery. Appropriate use of prophylactic antibiotics intraoperatively can reduce Surgical wound infections. Antibiotics are the most widely used class of drugs related to bacterial infectious diseases. Types of research used is prospective survey research with an approach of studying and testing hypotheses related to ongoing experience. Sample studies were 20 respondents. This research uses quantitative descriptive data analysis with a prospective research design. Research results At the Pharmacy Installation at the Tanjung Pura Regional General Hospital, surgical wounds began to close/dry as much as 70% (14 patients) for compliance with the use of antibiotics according to the right indication, right dose, right patient, right drug. Conclusion of this research is that administering antibiotics affects wound healing in patients and can ensure accuracy in suitability. It is recommended that the hospital review the cleanliness of the surgical area in order to improve the quality of the hospital.