Sound Expertise Research Articles

Automatized self-supervised learning for skin lesion screening

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has seen a steady increase in incidence rates worldwide, posing a significant challenge to dermatologists. Early detection is crucial for improving patient survival rates. However, performing total body screening (TBS), i.e., identifying suspicious lesions or ugly ducklings (UDs) by visual inspection, can be challenging and often requires sound expertise in pigmented lesions. To assist users of varying expertise levels, an artificial intelligence (AI) decision support tool was developed. Our solution identifies and characterizes UDs from real-world wide-field patient images. It employs a state-of-the-art object detection algorithm to locate and isolate all skin lesions present in a patient’s total body images. These lesions are then sorted based on their level of suspiciousness using a self-supervised AI approach, tailored to the specific context of the patient under examination. A clinical validation study was conducted to evaluate the tool’s performance. The results demonstrated an average sensitivity of 95% for the top-10 AI-identified UDs on skin lesions selected by the majority of experts in pigmented skin lesions. The study also found that the tool increased dermatologists’ confidence when formulating a diagnosis, and the average majority agreement with the top-10 AI-identified UDs reached 100% when assisted by our tool. With the development of this AI-based decision support tool, we aim to address the shortage of specialists, enable faster consultation times for patients, and demonstrate the impact and usability of AI-assisted screening. Future developments will include expanding the dataset to include histologically confirmed melanoma and validating the tool for additional body regions.

Medical extended reality in digital emergency medicine : From education to clinical application

Emergency medicine faces the challenge of providing optimal care with limited resources. Especially in rare but critical situations (high-acuity low occurrence [HALO] situations), sound expertise is essential. Previous training approaches are time-limited and resource-intensive. Medical extended reality (MXR) offers promising solutions. This article gives insight into the different areas of MXR and shows the application of MXR in emergency medicine using the HALO-MXR concept as an example. MXR encompasses augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR). AR overlays digital information on the real world, enhancing perception and enabling interactive elements. VR creates an artificial three-dimensional (3D) environment in which the user is immersed. MR combines real and virtual elements. MXR offers advantages such as location-independent learning, virtual mentoring and scalability. However, it cannot replace existing training formats, but should be embedded in an overall concept. The HALO-MXR concept at Inselspital Bern includes e‑learning, simulation-based training in VR and on-site, and HALO-Assist support through augmented reality. HALO-Assist provides around-the-clock AR support for HALO procedures via audio and video communication as well as overlayed annotations, objects and flowcharts. The integration of MXR into emergency medicine promises more efficient use of resources and enhanced training opportunities. The HALO-MXR concept demonstrates how MXR effectively combines simulation-based training in VR and AR assist to enhance the application of HALO procedures.

Shared mental representations underlie metaphorical sound concepts

Communication between sound and music experts is based on the shared understanding of a metaphorical vocabulary derived from other sensory modalities. Yet, the impact of sound expertise on the mental representation of these sound concepts remains blurry. To address this issue, we investigated the acoustic portraits of four metaphorical sound concepts (brightness, warmth, roundness, and roughness) in three groups of participants (sound engineers, conductors, and non-experts). Participants (N = 24) rated a corpus of orchestral instrument sounds (N = 520) using Best–Worst Scaling. With this data-driven method, we sorted the sound corpus for each concept and population. We compared the population ratings and ran machine learning algorithms to unveil the acoustic portraits of each concept. Overall, the results revealed that sound engineers were the most consistent. We found that roughness is widely shared while brightness is expertise dependent. The frequent use of brightness by expert populations suggests that its meaning got specified through sound expertise. As for roundness and warmth, it seems that the importance of pitch and noise in their acoustic definition is the key to distinguishing them. These results provide crucial information on the mental representations of a metaphorical vocabulary of sound and whether it is shared or refined by sound expertise.

New Trends in Digital Technology-Based Psychological and Educational Assessment.

The emergence of digital technology in the field of psychological and educational measurement and assessment broadens the traditional concept of pencil and paper tests. New assessment models built on the proliferation of smartphones, social networks and software developments are opening up new horizons in the field. This study is divided into four sections, each discussing the benefits and limitations of a specific type of technology-based assessment: ambulatory assessment, social networks, gamification and forced-choice testing. The latest developments are clearly relevant in the field of psychological and educational measurement and assessment. Among other benefits, they bring greater ecological validity to the assessment process and eliminate the bias associated with retrospective assessment. Some of these new approaches point to a multidisciplinary scenario with a tradition which has yet to be created. Psychometrics must secure a place in this new world by contributing sound expertise in the measurement of psychological variables. The challenges and debates facing the field of psychology as it incorporates these new approaches are also discussed.

Transfer and persistence of DNA on items routinely encountered in forensic casework following habitual and short-duration one-time use

Empirical data obtained from controlled experiments is necessary to ensure that sound expert opinion evidence is provided regarding transfer and persistence of DNA in criminal proceedings. Knowledge in this area is also required at the outset of criminal investigations, to ensure that the proposed examinations can assist with answering questions that are relevant to forensic investigations. This study aimed to provide such data by examining the relative and absolute quantities of DNA deposited on items that are routinely submitted to the forensic laboratory by a habitual user, defined as someone who used it for ~1 week, and a subsequent one-time user. We found that the quantity of DNA deposited on routine household items spanned a broad range. The habitual user’s DNA was detected on most items as the major donor, regardless of whether it was subsequently handled by another person for a short period of time. The one-time, short duration, user’s DNA was detected on approximately two thirds of the items, albeit typically at quantities lower than the habitual user. Most of the household items we examined also had detectable DNA deposits from at least one other, unknown individual, typically in low quantities. Attempts to clean non-porous items with readily available household cleaners were partially effective but failed to completely eliminate detectable DNA from a habitual user in most cases.

Evidentiary Basis Development with Support of Forensic Research Assessment

Increased attention to the development of modern approaches to probabilistic evaluation of research results in the field of forensic science is attributed to the trends of critical analysis of the current state of forensic science and requirements for clear characteristics of limitations of research results, including indicators of uncertainty of the data obtained and associated estimated probabilities. One of the fundamental provisions of the modern theory of evaluating judicial evidence, along with the admissibility and desirability of using probabilities, is the principle of comparing these probabilities in the light of their conditionality by competing versions arising from the adversarial nature of justice. In this regard, the purpose of this article is to develop methodological approaches to the use of the likelihood ratio as the most appropriate form of determining the significance of conclusions sent by an expert to the court for the formation of evidence. The empirical basis of the article is based on a brief review of publications from 2000 to 2018, devoted to the application of the concept of the likelihood ratio in forensic activities. According to many scientists, the use of this concept can provide a real assessment of the reliability of the evidence. In legal proceedings, evidence is generally understood as information about facts obtained in accordance with the procedure provided for by law, on the basis of which the presence or absence of circumstances that are important for the proper consideration and resolution of the case is established. In this publication, the term «evidence» is considered through an expert-technological prism and is presented as various quantitative continuous measurements (properties and characteristics of objects of forensic expertise), which are used when comparing a known and questioned sample to solve the question of their origin from one or from different sources. The article discusses the most common normal distribution of continuous data and a general approach to calculating the likelihood ratio (LR) using probability density functions (pdf). It is shown that in order to account for the variability of compared samples, three databases are required for calculatingLR: a potential database, a control database of a known sample, and a comparative database of a questioned sample. Examples of calculating theLRand strength of evidence performed for various types of examinations are given. The procedures for calculatingLRare generally the same, but the authors suggest different techniques to calculate and graphically represent the strength of the proof. In more detail, the publications present the so-called value of the cost or penalty for an incorrect forecast (ClLR), introduced the terms of trueness and reproducibility, as well as the confidence interval of this value. The article highlights a number of features of calculatingLRfor multidimensional continuous data. Of great interest is the use of the speaker model in sound recording expertise in the form of a weighted sum of Gaussian densitiesMcomponents (Gaussian mixture models —GMM). Each density component in this sum is aD-dimensional Gaussianpdfwith an average vector value and a covariance matrix. It can be assumed that the use ofGMM-pdfinLRcalculations is effective not only for forensic examination of speaker recognition, but also for other types of examinations. The universality of assessing the similarity/difference of objects of forensic research using the likelihood ratio indicates the prospects for applying the concept.

Promoting water infrastructure investment to accelerate access to water in Tanzania: A legal analysis

Access to water in Tanzania is reportedly low. However, Tanzania is endowed with plenty of water resources both on the surface and underground. Notably, the uneven occurrence and natural distribution of such water resources limit many communities’ access to water. To guarantee access to water, there is a need to invest in the relevant infrastructures for extraction, treatment and supplying of water from water resources-rich areas to water-scarce areas. Investments in such infrastructures require a sound investment climate, finance, and technological expertise, which seem to be lacking in Tanzania and many other African countries. The absence of a robust legal framework that will cater to the promotion of investment in the water sector seems to be a contributory factor on poor infrastructure in the water sector leading to low access to water. This is because the poor legal framework limits private sector involvement and investment in the water sector due to fear of the risks involved, the lack of awareness of such investment opportunity, and the unclear framework of their participation to name but a few challenges. This article reviews the African regional (African Ministerial Council on Water Declarations) initiative on investment in the water sector and relevant domestic laws on water sector investments. The review reveals that Tanzania’s policy and legal framework is desirous to foster private water infrastructure investment. However, there are legal challenges in respect of the absence of water sector-specific investment incentives, inadequate data on the water sector and investment opportunities, limited human resources, narrow scope of domestic resource mobilisation and overlapping mandate of the established institutions, among others. To guarantee improved access to water Tanzanian water sector laws must address these challenges inhibiting the potential of private sector investment.

Strategies in Promoting Eco-policies: The Case of Toyama City, Japan

Despite its relatively small population size and limited resources, Toyama City, Japan has been successful in promoting its eco-policies. Because of its substantial work and efforts to address environmental and socio-economic issues, the city was designated as an eco-model city in 2008 and eco-future city in 2011 by the Japanese government as well as a model city of the United Nation’s Sustainable Energy for All Initiative in 2014 and the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient City Initiative in 2014. Through literature reviews and interviews with personnel from the Environmental Policy section at Toyama City Hall, this article describes Toyama City’s eco-policies and examines how the city has succeeded in promoting eco-policies at both national and international levels. This study may provide other eco-cities with some insights to promote their eco-policies: Toyama City’s case can promote good practices and sound expertise for other cities around the world that have faced similar problems and share lessons learned.

Inter-comparison of parameters and exposure scenarios in risk-assessment methodologies for radiological and chemical soil contamination

Various guidelines and models exist to assess the dose resulting from a radiological soil contamination. Analogous methodologies have been published to assess the chemical risk from non-radioactive pollutants present in soil. Although most of these methodologies insist on the need to use as much as possible site-specific parameters in the assessment-process, they also suggest a set of default or example parameters. In this study, we compare the suggested parameter values of four different national guidelines for risk-assessment of contaminated soil from France, Germany, Britain and Belgium. The Belgian methodology had been developed for the assessment of chemical risk while the three others are specifically dedicated to radiological risk. Significant discrepancies are found between the parameters of different national guidelines, which stresses the need for carefulness and sound expert judgment in the choice of the parameters of a risk-assessment process.

Systematic Analysis of Evidence and Sound Expert Assessment: Two Enablers of Evidence-Based Decision-Making in Health.

This commentary discusses attributes, membership, and modus operandi of advisory committees in the health sector, taking examples of a few committees operating internationally. It concludes on the importance of transparency and legitimacy for the credibility of their outcomes.

A Case Concerning Children's False Memories of Abuse: Recommendations Regarding Expert Witness Work

Expert witnesses can play a major role in legal cases concerning the reliability of statements. Abuse cases frequently contain only the memories of eyewitnesses/victims without the presence of physical evidence. Here, it is of the utmost importance that expert witnesses use scientific evidence for their expert opinion. In this case report, a case is described in which 20 children reported being sexually abused by the same teachers at their elementary school. The investigative steps that were taken by the police and school authorities are reviewed, including how they probably affected memory. In order to provide a sound expert opinion regarding the reliability of these statements, three recommendations are proposed. To reduce the effect of confirmation bias and increase objectivity, it is argued that expert witnesses’ reports should contain alternative scenarios, be checked by another expert, and focus on the origin and context of the first statement.

The labour of leisure: the work of square dance calling

ABSTRACTAttention is increasingly being paid to the work involved in the production of leisure activities. In this article we offer an ethnographic description of the work of square dance calling and its role in the square dance community. Square dance is a form of social dance carried out by groups of four pairs of dancers arranged in a square, moving in response to on-the-spot instructions of a square dance caller. Callers’ labour is at the centre of the square dance community. Calling on concepts of immaterial labour, affective labour, and virtuosity, we describe the mostly hidden work of the square dance caller, the goal of which is to produce a fun dance evening for participants. The multi-faceted labour of being a caller includes being a singer, an entertainer, an expert in calling, a teacher, a sound equipment expert, a business person, and an emotional worker instrumental in producing other people’s pleasure in what is for them a leisure activity and thereby contributing to maintaining the square dance community.

Safety of Birth: A Comparative Analysis of the Legal Guarantees in Maternity Care (Belgium--France--The Netherlands).

The birth process is crucial for the child's later motor and intellectual development. Abroad review of medical liability proceedings in Belgium, France and The Netherlands shows that the chances of a safe birth can be maximised if four conditions are met. Well-educated midwives and obstetricians with sound expertise in foetal heart rate monitoring is the first condition. The second is recognition of an obstetric risk or pathology. The third condition is making the appropriate choice of medical intervention: instrumental or caesarean delivery. Adequate use of the instruments is the last condition. Not answering to these 'standards of safe birth' can involve the medical liability of the midwife and obstetrician. In accordance with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Belgium, The Netherlands and France offer procedural guarantees to the parents of an injured baby to determine the liability.

From Silos to Multilingual Science

Scientists who can communicate across disciplines are essential to fluid translation and must be developed systematically through targeted training.

The Effects of Service Quality and Relationship Benefits on Relationship Commitment and Customer Loyalty in Membership Fitness Club

Abstract Relationship marketing is not a new phenomenon, but is now one of the most important topics in marketing academia and the business community. For marketing practitioners, greater benefits may arise by perceiving relationship marketing as an underlying philosophy of caring for customers. In the Academy, many scholars have suggested a new marketing paradigm based on relationship marketing. The rationale behind relationship marketing is to create, enhance, and maintain relationships with customers. Increasing and securing loyalty is central to many corporate strategies because obtaining new customer is costly and customer retention is connected to long-term profitability. Commitment is recognized as the key component in the relationship marketing paradigm and social exchange theory. The health care industry is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing industries. The modern health care sector is divided into many sub-sectors, and depends on interdisciplinary teams of trained professionals and p...

Wealth Management “Manufacturing”: Delivering More Value?

1. Magali Dubosson 1. is a professor at the Haute École de Gestion de Genève in Carouge GE, Switzerland. (magali.dubosson{at}hesge.ch) 2. Emmanuel Fragnière 1. is a professor at the Haute École de Gestion de Genève in Carouge GE, Switzerland and a lecturer at the University of Bath. (%0Aemmanuel.fragniere{at}hesge.ch%0A) 3. Nils S Tuchschmid 1. is a professor at the Haute École de Gestion de Genève in Carouge GE, Switzerland. (%0Anils.tuchschmid{at}hesge.ch) <!-- --> 1. To order reprints of this article, please contact Dewey Palmieri at dpalmieri{at}iijournals.com or 212-224-3675. Academic literature on wealth management is often devoted to portfolio optimization. It is important to remember, however, that wealth management exists as a way for financial institutions to cater to wealthy clients. The discipline of services marketing teaches us that a service will generate a profit if clients perceive it as sufficiently valuable that they are willing to pay for it. The business model of wealth management has long been grounded on “hidden fees.” Increasingly stringent regulations have imposed greater transparency of these fees. Additionally, investors have become more sophisticated and expect sound expertise from wealth managers. This article conducts a thorough literature review related to the production aspects of wealth management. The authors then describe the investment process schematically as it has been adopted by most “industrialized”wealth management entities. They conclude with several arguments that could lead to new research directions in wealth management. TOPICS: [Wealth management][1], [portfolio construction][2] [1]: https://www.pm-research.com/topic/wealth-management [2]: https://www.pm-research.com/topic/portfolio-construction

Information Ambidexterity: an Exploratory Case Study of Skills Development

Organizations face increasing challenges in managing their information despite the expansion in available technologies used to capture and exploit diverse forms of data. Managers want to make decisions based on the needed information not constrained by the available skills and technologies.Yet, historically, information skills have been differentiated by the relative structure of the data. Technologies to manage structured data originated as programs and files evolving into applications such as enterprise resource planning and data warehouses. Unstructured data was previously managed in paper form by librarians and record managers. More recently, technologies to manage unstructured data such as content management, document management and search engines have become increasingly prevalent. An integrated information architecture needs to span both structured and unstructured data.A further distinction in the management of information is that of control and exploitation. Historically the focus of information technologies and skills was more on control through operational databases. Exploiting information for strategic decision-making has been driven by technologies for both business intelligence and knowledge management.Working with senior information executives, a tentative information framework was developed that combines these dimensions. The proposition is that information ambidexterity represents a target skills position for organizations. This paper explores the development of skills in an award- winning case organization and compares the results to the IM framework.Yell has been on a six year journey starting with the appointment of a commercial data manager and reaching a position where it has acquired sound expertise in developing information governance, information architecture and information capabilities. This research analyses Yell’s progress to establish what have been the critical skills for its information management journey and what recommendations emerge for other organizations. The results are evaluated in the context of the information management framework and proposals are made for further research.

The Nice Treaty and Voting Rules in the Council: A Reply to Moberg (2002)

AbstractThis response to Moberg (2002) demonstrates that some of his figures and calculations require more thorough analysis. His dismissal of the risk of inertia in the Council after enlargement, his measurement of blocking power of individual EU states and his figures on relative under‐ and over‐representation of EU states in the Council are disputed. The article pleads for a dialogue between academics and practitioners in order to avoid random outcomes and ad hoc deals, such as those resulting from the political bargaining during the 2000 Nice summit meeting. Sound expert advice on voting rules and their effects is desirable for achieving more transparent, equitable and sensible institutional solutions, and allocation of voting weights and seats in the EU Council and Parliament.

Fluid resuscitation in pre-hospital trauma care: a consensus view

Fluid administration for trauma in the pre-hospital environment is a challenging and controversial area. The available evidence does not clearly support any single approach. Nevertheless, some provisional conclusions may be drawn. We believe that the following guidelines represent a sound expert consensus. It is intended that they will be modifi ed as future research brings clarity to the area. When treating trauma victims in the pre-hospital arena cannulation should take place en route where possible. Only two attempts at cannulation should be made. Transfer should not be delayed by attempts to obtain intravenous access. Entrapped patients require cannulation at the scene. Normal saline may be titrated in boluses of 250 ml against the presence or absence of a radial pulse (caveats; penetrating torso injury, head injury, infants).

On the soundness and safety of expert systems

The problems of developing sound and safe expert systems are discussed, with particular reference to medicine. The concepts, notations, methods, results and technologies which have emerged from the study of mathematical logic as a computational paradigm offer many benefits for improving the quality of expert systems. Logic programming offers a better discipline for design, specification and implementation than ad hoc development methodologies. When logic programming is combined with software engineering methods, such as a software development life-cycle, the probability of routinely developing large-scale yet efficient and sound applications will be increased. However, although soundness is a necessary property of any technology it is not sufficient for assuring safety. Established methods for improved software safety are discussed, and a number of approaches to improving the safety of medical expert systems is identified. The possibility of introducing an appropriately extended life-cycle, and the potential benefits of a formal theory of safety are discussed.