Short Training Research Articles

Smartphone-based drug testing in the hands of patients with substance-use disorder-a usability study.

A clinical study was performed to test the usability of a smartphone eye-scanning app at a needle exchange facility to detect drug use to support therapy. The study recruited 24 subjects who visited the facility one to three times, making a total of 40 visits. During each visit the subjects underwent testing for non-convergence (NC), nystagmus (NY), and pupillary light reflex (PLR) using a smartphone-based eHealth system. The collected eye data were transformed into key features that represent eye characteristics. During each visit, a time-line follow-back interview on recent drug use and a usability questionnaire were completed. Technical usability of the smartphone eye-scanning app was good for PLR and NC, where key features were generated in 82%-91% of the cases. For NY, only 60% succeeded due to cognitive problems to follow instructions. In most cases, subjects were under the influence of drugs when participating in the tests, with an average of 2.4 different drugs ingested within the last 24 h. The key features from PLR could distinguish use of opioids from central stimulants. The usability questionnaire results indicate that 23 of the 24 subjects could perform the eye-scanning by themselves after a short training, even when under severe influence of drugs. The caregiver assessed that 20 out of the 24 challenging subjects could potentially perform these tests in an indoors, home-like environment. Smartphone-based eye-scanning is functional in a patient population with heavy drug use, also when under the influence of drugs. The use of central stimulants can be distinguished from the use of opioids.

O05 TERMINAL DIGIT PATTERN IN COMMUNITY-BASED HYPERTENSION SCREENING PROGRAMS: 5-YEAR ANALYSIS FROM MAY MEASURE MONTH NEPAL

Background and Objectives: Terminal digit preference leads to misclassification of hypertension. Despite strong promotion of community-based hypertension screening, the extent of terminal digit preference in such programs is not well understood. We aimed to identify the proportion of blood pressure (BP) ending in zero, and factors associated with the most repeated digit. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from May Measure Month (MMM) Nepal 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Participants with available data on the type of BP monitors were included. In MMM Nepal, adults≥18 years of age were eligible and recruited via convenience sampling. Data enumerators are community health workers or college students trained for BP measurement through short trainings. Without bias, the proportion of BP ending in zero is expected to be 10% and 20% for automated and manual monitors, respectively. Results: A total of 48,442 participant were included with 29.2% age≥50 years and 51.8% females. BP appeared to be normally distributed with “spikes” at terminal digits of zero (Figure 1). 90.9% of participants were measured their BP with automated monitors and 8.1% with manual monitors. The proportion of BP ending in zero was about 1.7 and 4.8 times greater than the expected proportion using automated and manual monitors, respectively (automated: 17.0% [SBP], 16.7% [DBP], manual: 95.3% [SBP], 93.8% [DBP]). Logistic regression showed age≥50 (OR 1.13 [95%CI 1.06, 1.20]) and SBP≥140mmHg (1.63 [1.49, 1.78]) were associated with SBP ending in zero, and age≥50 (1.14 [1.08, 1.22]) and DBP≥90 mmHg (2.11 [1.96, 2.28]) were associated with DBP ending in zero, both after controlling for sex, smoking, alcohol use, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, antihypertensive medicine use, and the type of BP monitors used. Conclusion: The proportion of BP ending in zero was higher than expected with any type of BP monitors used. More studies are needed to investigate whether these distributions were by chance or due to errors.

A Comparative Analysis of High-Intensity Technique-Specific Intervals and Short Sprint Interval Training in Taekwondo Athletes: Effects on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Anaerobic Power.

Technique-specific high-intensity interval training (HIITTS) has been proven to be an effective method to enhance the sport-specific bio-motor abilities of taekwondo athletes. However, studies regarding its effects on comprehensive measures of cardiorespiratory fitness are limited. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity regarding the extent of individual adaptations to this method compared to HIIT in the form of repeated sprints (HIITRS). This study compared the individual adaptations to HIITRS and HIITTS on cardiorespiratory fitness and anaerobic power in trained taekwondo athletes (age = 19.8 ± 1.3 years; body mass = 75.4 ± 9.1 kg; height = 1.73 ± 0.0 .m). All participants completed three sessions per week of a 60-minute regular taekwondo training. Following the 60-minute training, participants completed 3 sets of 10 × 4 s all-out HIITRS or same sets of repeated kicks with both legs (HIITTS) over a 6-week training period. In both groups, rest intervals were set at 15 seconds between efforts and one minute between sets. Before and after the training period, participants underwent a series of lab- and field-based tests to evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness and bio-motor abilities. Both interventions resulted in significant improvements in maximum oxygen uptake (V̇O2max), O2 pulse (V̇O2/HR), first ventilatory threshold (VT1), second ventilatory threshold (VT2), cardiac output (Q̇max), stroke volume (SV), peak power output (PPO), average power output (APO), squat jump (SJ), and countermovement jump (CMJ). However, linear speed (20-m speed time) and taekwondo-specific agility test (TSAT) only responded to HIITRS. HIITRS resulted in greater changes in V̇O2max, V̇O2/HR, VT2, and Q̇max, and higher percentage of responders in measured parameters than HIITTS. In addition, HIITRS elicited lower inter-individual variability (CV) in percent changes from pre- to post-training in all measured variables. These results suggest that incorporating 3 sessions per week of HIITRS into regular taekwondo training results in significantly greater and more homogenized adaptations in cardiorespiratory fitness and bio-motor abilities than HIITTS among trained taekwondo athletes.

Analyzing electroencephalogram signals with machine learning to comprehend online learning media

<p>In E-learning, evaluating students' comprehension of lecture video content is significant. The surge in online platform usage due to the pandemic has been remarkable, but the pressing issue is that learning outcomes still need to match the growth. Addressing this, a scientific system that gauges the comprehensibility of lecture videos becomes crucial for the effective design of future courses. This research paper is based on a cognitive approach utilizing EEG signals to determine student's level of comprehension. The study involves the design, evaluation, and comparison of multiple machines learning models, aiming to contribute to developing an efficient learning system. Fifteen distinct machine learning (ML) classifiers were implemented, among them AdaBoost (ADA), gradient boosting (GBC), extreme gradient boosting (XGboost), extra trees (ET), random forest (RF), light gradient boosting machine (light gum), and decision tree (DT) algorithms standouts. The DT exhibited exceptional performance across metrics such as area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, recall, F1 score, Kappa, precision, and matthews correlation coefficient (MCC). It achieved nearly 1.0 in these metrics while taking a short training time of only 1.7 seconds. This reveals its potential as an efficient classifier for electroencephalography (EEG) datasets and highlights its viability for practical implementation.</p>

UPGRADE OF PROFESSIONAL SKILLS OF UNIVERSITY TEACHERS BASED ON MICROQUALIFICATION

The integration of Kazakhstan into the world political and economic space makes it necessary to promptly respond to the ongoing fundamental changes. At the same time, it is natural to modernize the process of training pedagogical specialists. An effective way to solve the problem is associated with the revision of the content of educational programs, the introduction of didactic innovations. Such a transformation of education is influencing a new trend –to take the first steps towards the introduction of short training programs (microcalifications) and systems called micro degrees. The use of such education in higher schools and in the practice of subsequent steps will ensure that future specialists meet their personal interests and needs, intentions, and, secondly, they will be useful to society by mastering new skills required by the time in an accessible and short time.The purposeof the scientificarticleisto studyanddevelopa methodologythat allowsto significantlyimprovethe professionalskillsof universityteachersusingthe principlesof microqualification,contributingto improvingthe qualityof the educationalprocessandtrainingof studentsas aresultof professionalretrainingof a universityteacher.

Pendidikan Hak Asasi Manusia dalam Kurikulum ‘Presisi’: Studi Sekolah Polisi Negara di Sumatera Utara

This article focuses on the Indonesian Police (Polri) efforts in the realization of human rights-based policing, as well as its articulation in the forming education (pendidikan pembentukan/ DIKTUKBA) of Polri, specifically at the State Police School (Sekolah Polisi Negara/SPN) in North Sumatra, established in 1960-s and one of the oldest SPN in Indonesia. Since 2021, Polri has acknowledged and developed the ‘presisi’ curriculum to become a starting point for transformation agenda and, of course, to strive Polri’s obligation in the implementation of human rights values, principles and standards in the police functions. The research applied a qualitative approach with a descriptive design. Data collection was employed using documents, FGD, observations and literature relevant to police and human rights issues. Respondents were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data validation was carried out by extending observations and triangulation and analyzed using the spiral technique. Human rights-based policing through the DIKTUKBA POLRI level at the SPN Poldasu brings the vision of ‘presisi’ police through the ‘presisi’ curriculum. The ‘presisi’ curriculum offers good ways to achieve the transformation of the Polri. However, the increasingly short training period for the DIKTUKBA POLRI represents a challenge to improve human rights-based policing. The challenges affirm the correlation between human rights and policing in a dynamic police workspace. In this context, the instructors’s capacity must continuously acquire knowledge and experience. Therefore, collaboration and innovation in using learning models and methods such as group learning, problem-solving, discussion, and active involvement of students can be continuously developed.

Advancing endovascular neurosurgery training with extended reality: opportunities and obstacles for the next decade.

Extended reality (XR) includes augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). Endovascular neurosurgery is uniquely positioned to benefit from XR due to the complexity of cerebrovascular imaging. Given the different XR modalities available, as well as unclear clinical utility and technical capabilities, we clarify opportunities and obstacles for XR in training vascular neurosurgeons. A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted. Studies were critically appraised using ROBINS-I. 19 studies were identified. 13 studies used VR, while 3 studies used MR, and 3 studies used AR. Regarding specific educational applications, VR was used for simulation in 10 studies and anatomical modeling in 3 studies. AR was only used for live intra-operative guidance (n = 3 studies). MR was only used for modeling and intra-operative teaching. Considering disease-specific uses, XR enhanced trainee understanding of intracranial aneurysms (n = 12 studies) and stroke (n = 7). XR trained surgeons in diverse neurosurgical procedures, including aneurysm coiling (n = 5 studies), diagnostic angiography (n = 5), and thrombectomy (n = 5). Anatomical modeling with VR and MR enhances neurovascular anatomy education with patient-specific, 3-D models from imaging data. AR and MR enable live intra-operative guidance, allowing experienced surgeons to remotely instruct novices, potentially improving patient care and reducing geographic disparities. AR overlays enhance instruction by allowing the surgeon to highlight key procedural aspects during training. Inaccurate tracking of surgical tools is an XR technological barrier for modeling and intra-operative training. Importantly, the most reported application of XR is VR for simulation-using platforms like the Mentice VIST and Angio Mentor. 10 studies examine VR for simulation, showing enhanced procedural performance and reduced fluoroscopy use after short training, although long-term outcomes have not been reported. Early-stage trainees benefited the most. Simulation improved collaboration between neurosurgeons and the rest of the surgical team, a promising role in interprofessional teamwork. Given the strength of VR for simulation, MR for simulation is an important gap in the literature for future studies. In conclusion, XR holds promise for transforming neurosurgical education and practice for simulation, but technological research is needed in modeling and intra-procedural training.

EPMITS: An efficient prediction method incorporating trends and shapes features for chemical process variables

With the transformation of industrial production digitization and automation, process monitoring has been an indispensable technical method to realize the safe and efficient production of chemical process. Accurate prediction of process variables in chemical process can indicate the possible system change to reduce the probability of abnormal conditions. Current popular deep learning prediction methods trained with MSE or its variants may exhibit limitations in extracting shape features of chemical process data. In this paper, we proposed an efficient prediction method incorporating trends and shapes features (EPMITS) for chemical process variables. Specifically, we introduced a novel differentiable loss function Efficient Shape Error (ESE) to quantify shape differences between two time series of equal length in chemical process data. Then we trained deep learning models with MSE and ESE as loss function by two steps in training stage, to effectively acquire both trend and shape features of chemical process data. The proposed method was evaluated by the Tennessee Eastman process datasets and a real fluid catalytic cracking dataset from a petrochemical company. The results indicate that EPMITS models exhibit high prediction accuracy and short model training time across various time scales. These findings demonstrate the considerable feasibility and significant potential of EPMITS for future fault prognosis applications.

Impact and effect of preoperative short-term preoperative pulmonary-related training on patients with gastric cancer: a randomized controlled single center trial

PurposeThis study aimed is to evaluate the impact of pre- and postoperative pulmonary-related training, including respiratory and aerobic training, on postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after radical resection of gastric cancer (GC). MethodsWe conducted a randomized controlled trial of 121 participants who received a systematic, comprehensive, high-intensity pulmonary exercise regimen for 5 days preoperatively and at least 5 days postoperatively. The control group received standard preoperative care. We analyzed the occurrence of PPCs in both groups as the primary outcome ResultsA total of 43 of 121 participants (35.5%) were diagnosed as having PPCs, and the incidence of PPCs was markedly lower in the training group than in the control group (26.2% [16 of 61] vs 45.0% [27 of 60]; P = .031). Moreover, the duration of the postoperative hospital stay was shorter in the training group (8.69 ± 1.92 days) than the control group (9.57 ± 2.16 days; P = .020) and reduced hospitalization costs, amounting to €9605.1 ± €2556.26 in the training group and €10,594.6 ± €2560.7 in the control group (P = .035). ConclusionOur study established that a perioperative pulmonary-related training notably diminishes the incidence of PPCs, curtails the duration of hospitalization, and mitigates hospitalization expenses for patients undergoing GC surgery.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use by patients: Impact of modular educational training on pharmacists' questioning, counselling and risk assessments

BackgroundNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-related morbidity and mortality can be reduced through medication counselling and risk reduction. ObjectivesThis study evaluated the impact of short online modular NSAID training on the type and quality of questions asked, risk factors assessed, and counselling offered by community pharmacists to NSAID users. MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire-guided survey conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria, among 87 pharmacists evaluated the frequency of counselling, NSAID risk factor assessment and barriers to risk assessment. Additionally, a before-and-after RCT was used to evaluate the impact of short online modular NSAID training for the intervention group (IG) on the type and quality of the questions asked, counselling provided, and risk assessed by the pharmacists. Eight standardised patients, aged 25–43 years, four at pre- and postintervention, presented four standardised scenarios at community pharmacies [IG, n = 22, control group (CG, n = 30)] to assess these outcomes. The quality of each outcome (questions asked, counselling offered and risk assessed) was classified as poor (0–≤20%), fair (>20–≤40%), moderate (>40 – ≤60%), or optimal (>60–100%). The data are presented with descriptive statistics. ResultsThe community pharmacists reported counselling patients on NSAID precautions (80–86%) and dosages (51–69%). Gastrointestinal bleeding risk was assessed by 61–89% of the pharmacists, and time constraints (39–42%) and patient impatience (47–75%) were some barriers to risk assessment. Online modular educational intervention significantly improved the types and quality of questions asked by pharmacists (CG: poor to fair, 16%–21%; IG: poor to moderate, 14%–45%), NSAID risk factors assessed (CG: poor to poor, 10%–9%; IG: poor to fair, 11%–27%) and counselling offered (CG: poor to poor, 6%–7%; IG: poor to fair, 6%–22%). ConclusionsShort online modular educational training on NSAIDs improved the types and quality of the questions asked, NSAID risk factors assessed, and counselling provided by community pharmacists to patients during consultations.

Point-of-care ultrasound to assess left ventricular ejection fraction in heart failure in unselected patients in primary care: a systematic review.

Heart failure (HF) is the most frequent cardiovascular pathology in primary care. Echocardiography is the gold standard for diagnosis, follow-up, and prognosis of HF. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is of growing interest in daily practice. This study aimed to systematically review the literature to evaluate left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessment of unselected patients in primary care by non-expert physicians with cardiac POCUS (cPOCUS). We searched in Medline, Embase, and Pubmed up to January 2024 for interventional and non-interventional studies assessing LVEF with cPOCUS in unselected patients with suspected or diagnosed HF in hospital or outpatient settings, performed by non-expert physicians. Forty-two studies were included, involving 6598 patients, of whom 60.2% were outpatients. LVEF was assessed by 351 non-expert physicians after an initial ultrasound training course. The LVEF was mainly assessed by visual estimation (90.2%). The most frequent views were parasternal long/short axis, and apical 4-chamber. The median time of cPOCUS was 8 minutes. A strong agreement was found (κ = 0.72 [0.63; 0.83]) compared to experts when using different types of ultrasound devices (hand-held and standard), and agreement was excellent (κ = 0.84 [0.71; 0.89]) with the same device. Training course combined a median of 4.5 hours for theory and 25 cPOCUS for practice. The use of cPOCUS by non-expert physicians after a short training course appears to be an accurate complementary tool for LVEF assessment in daily practice. Its diffusion in primary care could optimize patient management, without replacing specialist assessment.

Comparison of deep learning algorithms for site detection of false data injection attacks in smart grids

False Data Injection Attacks (FDIA) pose a significant threat to the stability of smart grids. Traditional Bad Data Detection (BDD) algorithms, deployed to remove low-quality data, can easily be bypassed by these attacks which require minimal knowledge about the parameters of the power bus systems. This makes it essential to develop defence approaches that are generic and scalable to all types of power systems. Deep learning algorithms provide state-of-the-art detection for FDIA while requiring no knowledge about system parameters. However, there are very few works in the literature that evaluate these models for FDIA detection at the level of an individual node in the power system. In this paper, we compare several recent deep learning-based model that proven their high performance and accuracy in detecting the exact location of the attack node, which are convolutional neural networks (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), attention-based bidirectional LSTM, and hybrid models. We, then, compare their performance with baseline multi-layer perceptron (MLP)., All the models are evaluated on IEEE-14 and IEEE-118 bus systems in terms of row accuracy (RACC), computational time, and memory space required for training the deep learning model. Each model was further investigated through a manual grid search to determine the optimal architecture of the deep learning model, including the number of layers and neurons in each layer. Based on the results, CNN model exhibited consistently high performance in very short training time. LSTM achieved the second highest accuracy; however, it had required an averagely higher training time. The attention-based LSTM model achieved a high accuracy of 94.53 during hyperparameter tuning, while the CNN model achieved a moderately lower accuracy with only one-fourth of the training time. Finally, the performance of each model was quantified on different variants of the dataset—which varied in their l2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{l}}_{2}$$\\end{document}-norm. Based on the results, LSTM, CNN obtained the highest accuracy followed by CNN-LSTM and lastly MLP.

Performance During a Task That Simulates Passive Sonar Operator Duties Under Conditions of Varying Workloads.

It is critical to develop and implement lab-based computer experiments that simulate real-world tasks in order to characterize operational requirements and challenges or identify potential solutions. Achieving a high degree of laboratory control, operational generalizability, and ease-of-use for a task is challenging, often leading to the development of tasks that can satisfy some facets but not all. This can result in insufficient solutions that leave real-world stakeholders with unsolved problems. This issue is addressed using a customized passive sonar simulator application that provides extensive researcher control over the design and manipulation of a sonar task; a visual appearance and cognitive demand similar to a true submarine-based sonar task; and a convenient and short training routine for sonar novices. The task requires participants to watch for multiple signal sources of varying appearance and salience and subsequently classify these signals into their respective categories. The current study investigated the effects of stimulus signal strength and signal density on sonar task performance-including metrics of classification accuracy, classification confidence, and response times-finding an interaction between signal density and signal strength that resulted in greater performance errors with high signal density at the weakest signal strength. The lab-based sonar application provides new possibilities for research, not limited to signal intensity and signal density but also through the manipulation of parameters such as the number of unique targets, target appearance, and task duration. This application may illuminate the operational demands that each of these factors may have on operator behavior within the dynamic tasks.

Jump Squat Vs. Resisted Sprint Training Programs Applied to Elite Youth Soccer Players: Effects on Sprint and Power-Related Performance.

Loturco, I, Pereira, LA, Mercer, VP, Oliveira, LP, Zanetti, V, Lima, L, Bastos, T, Moura, TBMA, and McGuigan, MR. Jump squat vs. resisted sprint training programs applied to elite youth soccer players: effects on sprint and power-related performance. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-This study examined the effectiveness of 2 different and widely used training programs on the sprint and power-related performance of youth soccer players. Two distinct training strategies-vertically oriented jump squats (JSs) or horizontally oriented resisted sprints (RSs)-were executed under the same absolute loading conditions (i.e., 30% of the athletes' body mass [BM]) during a 4-week preseason period. Training schemes, loading intensities (based on %BM), and the number of experimental sessions were designed in conjunction with the soccer club's coaching staff, considering the calendar, available resources, and regular training programs. Twenty-five under-17 soccer players performed a series of speed, power, and jump tests before and after 10 resisted training sessions, consisting solely of loaded JS or RS. Overall, neither group (i.e., JS or RS training groups) exhibited any improvement in linear sprint and change-of-direction (COD) speed. Conversely, vertical jumping ability and peak velocity in the loaded JS increased significantly only in the JS group, which may positively affect players' performance and training prescription during short soccer preseasons. Given the challenges in enhancing sprint speed among soccer players during preseasons (and even over the competitive season), coupled with the limited effectiveness of RS in improving sprinting, COD, and jumping capabilities within congested and short training phases (i.e., ≤4 weeks), the regular use of RS training methods during these phases may be highly questionable. Coaches should carefully consider these critical limitations and potential disadvantages when designing neuromuscular training programs for soccer players during the preparatory phases of the annual training season.

Simulation training in mammography with AI-generated images: a multireader study.

The interpretation of mammograms requires many years of training and experience. Currently, training in mammography, like the rest of diagnostic radiology, is through institutional libraries, books, and experience accumulated over time. We explore whether artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated images can help in simulation education and result in measurable improvement in performance of residents in training. We developed a generative adversarial network (GAN) that was capable of generating mammography images with varying characteristics, such as size and density, and created a tool with which a user could control these characteristics. The tool allowed the user (a radiology resident) to realistically insert cancers within different regions of the mammogram. We then provided this tool to residents in training. Residents were randomized into a practice group and a non-practice group, and the difference in performance before and after practice with such a tool (in comparison to no intervention in the non-practice group) was assessed. Fifty residents participated in the study, 27 underwent simulation training, and 23 did not. There was a significant improvement in the sensitivity (7.43 percent, significant at p-value = 0.03), negative predictive value (5.05 percent, significant at p-value = 0.008) and accuracy (6.49 percent, significant at p-value = 0.01) among residents in the detection of cancer on mammograms after simulation training. Our study shows the value of simulation training in diagnostic radiology and explores the potential of generative AI to enable such simulation training. Using generative artificial intelligence, simulation training modules can be developed that can help residents in training by providing them with a visual impression of a variety of different cases. Generative networks can produce diagnostic imaging with specific characteristics, potentially useful for training residents. Training with generating images improved residents' mammographic diagnostic abilities. Development of a game-like interface that exploits these networks can result in improvement in performance over a short training period.

A Vestibular Training to Reduce Dizziness

Many situations can induce dizziness in healthy participants, be it when riding a carrousel or when making head movements while wearing a head-mounted display. Everybody—maybe with the exception of vestibular loss patients—is prone to dizziness, albeit to widely varying degrees. Some people get dizzy after a single rotation around the body axis, while others can perform multiple pirouettes without the slightest symptoms. We have developed a form of vestibular habituation training with the purpose of reducing proneness to dizziness. The training consists of a short (8 min) exercise routine which is moderate enough that it can easily be integrated into a daily routine. Twenty volunteers performed the training over the course of two weeks. We measured subjective dizziness before and after each daily session. We also performed several vestibular tests before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the two-week training period. They included exposure to a rotating and pitching visual environment while standing upright, as well as a physical rotation that was abruptly stopped. The results show that the dizziness induced during a given daily session decreased over the course of the two weeks. The dizziness induced by the rotating visual stimulus was significantly less after completion of the training period compared with the initial pre-test. Also, postural stability and post-rotatory spinning sensations had improved when comparing the post-test with the pre-test. We conclude that a short regular vestibular training can significantly improve proneness to dizziness.

Reliability and Diagnostic Performance of Transient Hepatic Elastography in Chronic Hepatitis C during the Training Phase

Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is estimated to affect 58 million people worldwide and around 700,000 individuals in Brazil. Various non-invasive markers of hepatic fibrosis have been proposed, such as transient hepatic elastography (THE) using FibroScan®. However, the reliability of the performance, by operators in the training phase is undetermined, which hinders its applicability in clinical practice. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of training an inexperienced operator to perform the examinations using FibroScan® in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Specifically, the frequency of unreliable results throughout the training was assessed. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection including compensated chronic hepatitis C patients who underwent the examinations using FibroScan® between March 2014 and December 2016, performed by two researchers. Included patients were divided into two groups based on the operator's experience in the examination: the Experienced Examiner (EE) group and the Examiner in Training (ET) group, with the latter divided into two phases: phase 1, consisting of the first 100 examinations, and phase 2, comprising subsequent examinations. For the reliability analysis, parameters such as success rate (SR), interquartile range (IQR) to median (Md) ratio (IQR/Md), and reliability criteria of Castéra, et al. and Boursier, et al. were used. Results: Between March 2014 and December 2016, 771 adult HCV-infected individuals were evaluated and divided into EE group (n = 161), ET phase 1 (n = 100), and ET phase 2 (n = 158), showing similar demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics. SR and IQR/Md ratios were similar among EE, ET phase 1, and ET phase 2 groups. The proportion of reliable results was comparable in all three groups, using Castéra, et al. reliability criteria (92.5%, 92.0%, and 97.5%, respectively) and Boursier, et al. criteria (96.9%, 95.0%, and 98.1%, respectively). Conclusion: A short training period (up to 100 examinations) seems to be sufficient for them to have good clinical applicability in the hands of an operator with initial experience in the method.

Demographic status and training needs of aesthetic plastic surgeons in government and private hospitals: evidence from Guangdong, China

Purpose: This study aims to survey the demographic status of aesthetic plastic surgeons in an economically developed region and to investigate their continuing training needs in contents, training methods, and barriers in private and government hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with a self-administered questionnaire was conducted from January to December, 2022 in Guangdong, China. In-depth interviews were conducted with key informants to gain insights on the current demographic status. Demographic data and training needs assessment were collected and compared with the chi-square test, Fisher’s test, Mann-Whitney U-test using R software. Results: The disparity of surgeons’ demographic data between private and government hospitals was small. Over 60% of practicing aesthetic plastic surgeons transferred from other specialties, and one third of them had less than three years of working experience. Half of surgeons attended training less than three times with an affordable expense of 1000-5000RMB. Almost 80% of them had strong willingness to attend a continuing training program. They prefer to attend further study in a tertiary hospital, with a short topic-focused training course and operation demonstrations. Their favorable training contents were rhinoplasty, eye surgery, and new technologies. Our questionnaire survey revealed the likelihood that the surgeons had a graduate degree in government hospitals outweighed those in private hospitals (P<0.05). Results also showed that the government hospitals focused more on repair and reconstructive surgery and academic research, whereas, private hospitals focused on market needs and were more profit-driven, where the organizational needs had influence on their different training needs for aesthetic plastic surgeons. Conclusion: It would be favorable to take the demographic status of aesthetic plastic surgeons and organizational needs into consideration in designing a continuing training program in plastic surgery.

Peningkatan Hardskill Ibu Rumah Tangga Sebagai Upaya Meningkatkan Penghasilan Keluarga Melalui Pelatihan Pembuatan Telur Asin Di Desa Bajo Kecamatan Soromandi

Counseling on "increasing the hard skills of housewives as an effort to increase family income through training in making salted eggs in Bajo Village, Soromandi District" was carried out in August by involving various community groups including duck breeders, Soromandi Village officials, and the community around the service location. This activity was carried out through counseling and discussion as well as short training through demonstration and practice on salted egg making. This extension involved more than 37 participants from the planned 20 participants and also involved 3 students who were in their final semester. The results of the extension showed that the extension participants were very enthusiastic about this training meter can be seen from active participation in all activities, especially during discussion and practice sessions and increased understanding of salted egg making in an effort to increase the added value of duck eggs produced including to increase egg storage time so that it can be consumed in a relatively longer period of time than ordinary consumption eggs and increase the selling value of eggs. Keywords: Eggs, salted eggs, dedication, Bajo Village

The experience of self-compassion training among NHS healthcare professionals.

Self-compassion in healthcare professionals (HCPs) is under-researched and undervalued. Promoting self-compassion within healthcare could have far-reaching benefits. This research study explores the experience of four NHS HCPs receiving a single short self-compassion training, with recommended at-home practices completed over 4 weeks. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews gathered information about their experience, resultant wellbeing and any impact on colleagues and patients. The main themes emerging from analysis of the interviews were motivation, permission and prioritisation. The motivation to practise self-compassion, and share this learning resulted from improved understanding of its potential benefits. Permission ties in with the notion of common humanity in self-compassion and its impact on negative self-talk and negative attitudes to self-compassion in a workplace. Prioritisation acknowledges the challenges for HCPs of investing time in self-compassion practice despite overstretched HCP workloads. Further consideration of these themes may help to better target any future research into strategies for enabling self-compassion among HCPs.