Views Of Experts Research Articles

Updated and revised Russian consensus on the use of multilevel injections of abobotulinumtoxin A in children

One of the modern components of complex rehabilitation of patients with spasticity is the use of botulinum toxin type A (BTA) preparations. International experience with the use of botulinum therapy in children spans more than 30 years. Abobotulinum toxin A has been used to treat spasticity since 1994. Clinical studies have shown the high efficacy of abobotulinumtoxin A in relieving spasticity of the lower and upper extremities in cerebral palsy (CP) and other disorders, which is associated with a significant increase in muscle tone, thereby increasing motor skills and achieving individual patient goals. The article presents a consensus of Russian experts on the approach to selecting target muscles and calculating the dose of abobotulinumtoxin A in multilevel injections, and discusses the planning of repeat injections, ethical and legal aspects of botulinum therapy in children, the combination of botulinum therapy with other methods of correcting spasticity in CP, the use of BTA in dystonia and sialorrhea, and factors potentially influencing the effectiveness of botulinum therapy. This consensus summarizes the views of Russian experts on creating an injection protocol depending on individual clinical data and treatment goals, which can be used as a guide for practical work.

The Impact of Teaching Style and Course Structure on Intermediate Accounting Students Understanding

Many students face great difficulties in completing Intermediate Accounting courses well. One of the factors that is considered influential is the teaching style. Another factor that can affect students' understanding in studying Intermediate Accounting is the learning structure (course structure). A good learning must include the correct and coherent choice of topics in order to present the learner's point of view and not only from the point of view of experts, in this case lecturers (experts). Based on the results of the research test, the following results can be obtained: 1) Teaching Style has a significant positive effect on students' understanding of the Intermediate Accounting Course; 2) Course Structure has a significant positive effect on Student Understanding in the Intermediate Financial Accounting Course. The implication of this study is that the application of the theory of interpersonal behavior is answered. The results show that this theory can be a valuable tool for understanding and improving interpersonal relationships, and for identifying strategies for solving problems. Furthermore, the practical implications show that the existence of the right teaching style and a course structure that is structured and based on the principle of interrelation between materials can increase student learning motivation because students feel that they can follow the learning flow better. With a clear structure, students tend to understand the concept thoroughly and uninterruptedly

Leveraging Expert Perspectives to Explore Key Elements in Integrating Sustainability and Statistics Education

The integration of sustainability education across subjects is an effort to instill concern in students for preserving global well-being. However, experts are required to be involved in organizing effective strategies to ensure that the targeted goals are achieved through the integration of sustainability education across subjects. Our research explored expert views on the elements that need to be emphasized in integrating sustainability education and statistics education. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to collect data from 13 experts, including lecturers, curriculum developers, and teachers. The continuous comparative analysis of the collected data produced four themes, discovering elements that must be present in integrating sustainability education and statistics education, namely (i) statistics education, (ii) sustainability education, (iii) statistical data, and (iv) learning strategies. The findings of this study significantly contribute to contemporary curriculum development by identifying key components necessary for merging sustainability education with statistics education. Hence, the difficulty of school teachers to integrate sustainability education into statistics education should be recognized, so as to input teachers and curriculum developers in providing relevant learning experiences in the objectives of statistics education and sustainability education.

Priorities for a Healthy City: Comparing Expert and Public Views in Small and Midsized Cities

Healthy City policies are often enforced based on expert assessments, which calls for research on the presence and occurrence of mismatches between experts’ and public opinions. Additionally, the unique challenges in small and midsized cities (SMCs) are often ignored. In this study, we compared the values of experts and the public on achieving a healthy SMC. A survey with both experts and public participants was conducted. An explorative factor analysis (EFA) and fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) were adopted to identify the key factors and their importance hierarchy. Both the experts and the public highlight the importance of Environmental Quality and Governance/Service (EQ). More attention could be given to public participation and urban form to reflect the public’s perceptions better, as they prioritized these factors more than the experts did. Both similarities and mismatches between experts and the public were revealed in this study, indicating that more studies are necessary to understand heterogeneous values and achieve mutual understanding. Thus, public participation and involvement are recommended to construct a Healthy City for more comprehensive benefits. Our results also offer valuable insights from the public to plan Healthy Cities in the future, avoiding reactive decision making.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 Climate Action and Efforts of UK Banks Toward a Low Carbon Economy?

Banks are increasingly motivated to align their business operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as this can help them attract investors and build a more loyal customer base in the long run. This paper explores whether major UK banks (HSBC Holdings Plc, Lloyds Banking Group Plc, Barclays Plc, Standard Chartered Plc, and NatWest Group Plc) are increasing their involvement in green banking by transitioning away from fossil fuels. The research gathered expert and policymaker views on decarbonization (reducing carbon footprint) at the Scotland Policy Conference UK in 2022 to support its findings. The results reveal slow progress toward a green banking regime, as the banks continued underwriting fossil fuel IPOs and bond issuances, and funding carbon-intensive industries. Their portfolios primarily consist of fossil fuel projects, with implications for insufficient effort toward meeting UN SDGs related to global climate commitments. The study proposes a policy recommendation: governments should introduce regulations requiring banks to develop a minimum percentage of financial products and services designed to support SDG-related activities, fostering a low-carbon economy.

CANADA AND ECONOMIC SECURITY: THE WAY AHEAD

In August-September 2024, Global Affairs Canada held public consultations on “Potential New Measures to Advance and Defend Canada’s Economic Security Interests.” The inputs provided will help the Government of Canada update or develop approaches and measures that would advance Canada’s economic security interests. The following analysis and recommendations were submitted by the author in response to the call for expert views on the subject. The author argues that, in addition to public consultations, Canada still needs a strategic framework to think about national security, prosperity and economic security in a comprehensive, whole-of-governmet fashion and makes five specific recommendations. Canada should: 1. Develop, promulgate and implement a whole-of-government National Economic Security Strategy; 2. Undertake an in-depth intelligence-based all-source threat assessment of foreign economic threats to Canada, including an unclassified version for Canadians, prior to deciding on the measures to be taken in the National Economic Security Strategy to secure Canada’s economic security and prosperity; 3. Undertake a full cost analysis of the gains and losses to the Canadian economy and individual economic security from the applications of all the measures delineated in the National Economic Security Strategy; 4. Undertake an in-depth analysis of how allies and other states would respond to the implementation of a new National Economic Security Strategy (taking into account the best, worst and most likely outcomes) and develop options, to be included in the Strategy, to mitigate the risk of harmful outcomes; and 5. Consider developing a National Industrial Strategy and an International Trade Strategy alongside or as key components of the National Economic Security Strategy. Received: 09-24-2024 Revised: 10-25-2024

Neuropsychological Validity Assessment Beliefs and Practices: A Survey of North American Neuropsychologists and Validity Assessment Experts.

The present study sought to identify changes in neuropsychological validity assessment beliefs and practices relative to surveys of North American neuropsychologists conducted in 2015 and 2016, obtain a more nuanced understanding of such beliefs and practices, and examine salient validity assessment topics not addressed by previous surveys. Adult focused neuropsychologists (n = 445) and neuropsychological validity assessment experts (n = 16) were surveyed regarding their perceptions and practices related to the following topics: (i) importance of validity testing; (ii) multiple performance validity test (PVT) administration and interpretation; (iii) suspected causes of invalidity; (iv) reporting on malingering; (v) assessment of examinees of diverse language, culture, and nation of origin; (vi) terminology; and (vii) most frequently utilized validity measures. There was general agreement, if not consensus, across multiple survey topics. The vast majority of neuropsychologists and experts view validity testing as mandatory in clinical and forensic evaluations, administer multiple PVTs regardless of setting, believe validity assessment to be important in the evaluation of all individuals including older adults and culturally diverse individuals, and view evaluations with few to no validity tests interspersed throughout the evaluation as being of lesser quality. Divergent opinions were also seen among respondents and between neuropsychologists and experts on some topics, including likely causes of invalidity and assessment and formal communication of malingering. Current results highlight the necessity of formal validity assessment within both clinical and forensic neuropsychological evaluations, and findings document current trends and reported practices within the field.

Russia–China Strategic Alignment: Are They Headed Towards a Military Alliance?

In a short span, Moscow and Beijing have transformed their ties from Cold War hostility to a remarkably cordial and dynamic partnership. This transition enables them to expand their regional influence, resist Western pressure and play a dominant role in the Global South. Together, they possess resources, demonstrate determination and have military capability to challenge the superiority of the West. However, their growing strategic cooperation has fuelled speculations about a potential military alliance. This article addresses the following questions: first, how deep is the partnership between the two states? Second, how has US policy contributed to closer ties between the two states? Third, what is the extent of military co-operation between the two states? Are they headed towards a formal military alliance? And finally, how has this partnership fared during the Russia–Ukraine war? This article critically examines policy documents, statements of important leaders and views of experts from Russia, China and the United States. It draws inferences from data on Russia–China economic exchanges, defence agreements and declarations at bilateral and multilateral forums.

‘Par mesure de prudence’. Flood prevention and river regulation in Demer-Dijle confluence area (NE Belgium), 1840s–1880s

Abstract This article analyses the views of experts and political discourse on river regulation, its objectives, and flood prevention in the rural Demer-Dijle catchment areas, the 1840s–1880s – a period marked by climatological extremes and agricultural transition. Via a close read of state archives and parliamentary discussions, we unravel different opinions and interests and find that not all flooding was unwanted. While the Ministry of Public Works, at first, aimed to better regulate water discharge and to improve watercourses for navigational purposes, it later prioritised agricultural interests. However, managing rivers coherently and efficiently was challenging because river powers were dispersed over ministerial departments, provinces, and municipalities that made coordinating upstream and downstream river works difficult. Floods often resulted in the drawing up of new plans, but their implementation often failed to materialise because the government had other worries and insufficient resources available while parliamentarians prioritised the interests of their constituencies.

Expert consensus on workflow of PET/CT with long axial field-of-view.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging has been widely used in clinical practice. Long axial field-of-view (LAFOV) systems have enhanced clinical practice by leveraging their technological advantages and have emerged as the new state-of-the-art PET imaging modalities. A consensus was conducted to explore expert views in this emerging field to comprehensively elucidate the proposed workflow in LAFOV PET/CT examinations and highlight the potential challenges inherent in the workflow. A multidisciplinary task group formed by 28 experts from six countries over the world discussed and approved the consensus based on the published guidelines, peer-reviewed articles of LAFOV PET/CT, and the collective experience from clinical practice. This consensus focuses on the workflow that allows for a broader range of imaging protocols of LAFOV PET/CT, catering to diverse patient needs and in line with precision medicine principles. This consensus describes the workflows and imaging protocols of LAFOV PET/CT for various imaging scenarios including routine static imaging, dynamic imaging, low-activity imaging, fast imaging, prolonged imaging, delayed imaging, and dual-tracer imaging. In addition, imaging reconstruction and reviewing specific to LAFOV PET/CT imaging, as well as the main challenges facing installation and application of LAFOV PET/CT scanner were also summarized. This consensus summarized the various imaging workflow, imaging protocol, and challenges of LAFOV PET/CT imaging, aiming to enhance the clinical and research applications of these scanners.

"You Can either Blame Technology or Blame a Person..." --- A Conceptual Model of Users' AI-Risk Perception as a Tool for HCI

AI-powered systems pose unknown challenges for designers, policymakers, and users, making it more difficult to assess potential harms and outcomes. Although understanding risks is a requirement for building trust in technology, users are often excluded from risk assessments and explanations in policy and design. To address this issue, we conducted three workshops with 18 participants and discussed the EU AI Act, which is the European proposal for a legal framework for AI regulation. Based on results of these workshops, we propose a user-centered conceptual model with five risk dimensions (Design and Development, Operational, Distributive, Individual, and Societal) that includes 17 key risks. We further identify six criteria for categorizing use cases. Our conceptual model (1) contributes to responsible design discourses by connecting the risk assessment theories with user-centered approaches, and (2) supports designers and policymakers in more strongly considering a user perspective that complements their own expert views.

Identifying and Prioritizing the Educational Needs Professors of Medical Sciences in the Field of E-Learning with the Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach

Background: Professors in universities and educational institutions hold a crucial role in crafting educational approaches utilizing cutting-edge technologies. They need to possess significant expertise in e-learning and tackle the obstacles associated with delivering education and utilizing Information and communication technologies within higher education. To effectively navigate these challenges and adaptations, professors need to equip themselves with new educational techniques through training and readiness to adeptly incorporate emerging technologies into their teaching practices, thus enhancing the educational journey for students. By identifying, understanding, and ranking professors' requirements and preferences, effective and diverse educational initiatives can be tailored to meet their needs. Objectives: This research aimed to recognize the educational needs of medical science professors in the field of e-learning from the experts' point of view and prioritize these needs utilizing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Methods: This practical study was conducted in 2022 using a process-oriented approach and AHP. The main stages included the creation of a hierarchical structure, comparative judgment, and determining priorities. In the first step, 13 criteria were identified, which were derived from scientific articles and previous research. In the second step, the pairwise comparison matrix was used for comparative judgment, and the weight of each criterion was calculated. The third step involved determining priorities based on the weight of each criterion and the inconsistency ratio. The participants of this study included professors of basic and clinical sciences from different faculties. Results: The results of this study demonstrated that from the point of view of experts and participants, among the 13 criteria, the skills of virtual teaching (with weights of 0.146 and 0.148), electronic content production (with weights of 0.093 and 0.092), and holding online training courses (with the weights of 0.092 and 0.100) formed the three main needs of medical science professors in the field of e-learning and had the highest degree of importance and necessity compared to other criteria. Conclusions: Identifying the educational needs of medical science professors for organizing and designing necessary programs to enhance knowledge, skills, and empowerment will lead to improving the quality of e-learning, and eventually, reducing professors’ concerns in this area.

Development and preliminary psychometric properties of the Scale of Health Belief Model for Sleep

Abstract Background Sleep-related problems are a serious risk to physical and emotional health, academic success, and safety in adolescents. A measurement tool is needed to comprehensively evaluate adolescents’ sleep and plan the steps necessary for behavioral change. This study aimed to develop a scale based on the Health Belief Model that can reliably and validly evaluate adolescent individuals’ beliefs towards sleep. Methods This methodological study was conducted with 494 adolescents between September and October 2022 in Antalya, Turkey. Initially, 81 items about sleep were created according to the Health Belief Model. Validity was assessed as content and construct validity and reliability was assessed as internal consistency. Content validity was evaluated with ten expert views The scale was tested for construct validity with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), after which the scale’s reliability was evaluated for item-total correlations using Pearson’s correlation analysis and for internal consistency with Cronbach’s Alpha. Results In the first EFA, sixteen factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 explained 63.80% of the total variance. Items with factor loadings of less than .30 and those that appeared in more than one factor with differences of less than %10 were removed from the scale one by one and the analysis was repeated. In the last EFA of the 46-item scale, six factors were found with an eigenvalue greater than 1 that explained 57.7 % of the total variance. The scale’s item-total correlations ranged between .26 - .79. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha of subscales was found .92 for perceived susceptibility, .90 for perceived severity, .90 for perceived benefits, .81 for self-efficacy, .79 for motivation and .69 for perceived barriers. Conclusions The validity and reliability properties of the scale of Health Belief Model for sleep have been found good levels in Adolescents. Its intercultural adaptation for use with adolescents in other countries is recommended. Key messages • The newly developed the scale of Health Belief Model for sleep was found to be valid and reliable. • It can be used to assess adolescents’ beliefs about sleep.

Research on the Current Status of Pension Models for Individuals with Mental Disorders in China

Objective: By analyzing the existing literature, this paper aims to explore the current situation of the pension model for patients with mental disorders in China and put forward corresponding suggestions for improvement. How: This study analyzes the current situation of the pension model for patients with mental disorders in China by referring to the views of experts and scholars, relevant cases and statistical data through the literature and review of CNKI. Focusing on the existing elderly care service system, policy support and social cognition, this paper reveals the main characteristics and existing problems of the current Chinese elderly care model for people with mental disabilities. By comparing the advanced pension models at home and abroad, this paper puts forward some suggestions on strengthening policy support and improving service system. Results: The research shows that China's existing pension models mainly include family care, institutional pension and community service. The main problems facing: insufficient service supply, shortage of professional talents, social cognition and discrimination. Home care is still the main way, more than 70% of people with mental disorders rely on home care, but face great pressure and challenges; The construction of institutional elderly care and community service systems is gradually developing, but there are still insufficient resources, low service quality, and uneven distribution between urban and rural areas. Policy suggestions: Strengthen the construction and improvement of community support system; Improve professional training to ensure service quality; Use scientific and technological means to assist the elderly and ease the shortage of human resources. It is suggested that we should strengthen the construction of community support system and improve the level of professional service in the future. Conclusion: In China, the mode of nursing care for patients with mental disorders is in the transition period, and family nursing is still the mainstream, but it also faces great challenges. Institutional care and community services have developed, but they are not yet sufficient to replace the role of the family. The future development direction should be multi-dimensional, forming a diversified and three-dimensional elderly care service network.

Xenotransplantation ethical and legal challenges

This work examines xenotransplantation, a rising medical practice that seeks to mitigate the shortage of organs for transplantation. Xenotransplantation essentially involves the transfer of organs, tissues, or cells from animals to humans and represents a promising medical solution. The research will focus on the potential benefits of this technique, highlighting its crucial role in saving lives and improving the quality of life for future patients The analysis will cover aspects of xenotransplantation in Brazil and the experiences of xenotransplantations already conducted worldwide, aiming to understand the scope of the problems and challenges faced by patients and healthcare professionals. The study will seek to understand various perspectives on xenotransplantation, considering the views of different authorities and experts in the field. Finally, it will examine the demand for transplants in Brazil and address issues related to public policies, legislative aspects, and resolutions of competent bodies, to comprehend how xenotransplantation practice is regulated in Brazil.

Informed consent in the age of smart technologies

Technology is increasingly being brought into the home care of older people. Digitalization is seen as an enabler for efficient and resource-saving operations. In the use of technology, informed consent is considered an ethical practice and part of a responsible home care service system. The aim of this article is to describe the problem of informed consent in situations where emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and mass data, are used as part of welfare services and home care for older people. The article discusses principles and ways to better integrate informed consent as an ethical practice into a responsible home care service system. A qualitative study was carried out to gather the views of experts in the field of elderly care and ethics. A content analysis of a semi-structured focus group was used to explore perceptions of the changing nature of informed consent. According to our findings, the informed consent model requires updating. The key is to embrace the idea that consent is a living process designed to respect people's autonomous choices and protect them from risk. If the nature of the use of the data collected from individuals changes significantly in the future, the consent should also be updated to reflect this change. This aspect is important because new technologies will change the nature of the collection and use of the data. Mass data collection combines multiple databases so that the resulting data can be used even far from the original purpose or context in which it was collected. Therefore, consent should always be tailored to the context, allowing sufficient time for the person seeking and giving consent to clarify the content of the consent. This process highlights the importance of understanding the agency of the consent giver.

Enhancing older care services: a comprehensive internet + community home indicator system

ObjectiveConstructing a demand-oriented Internet + community home care service indicator system, starting from the actual needs of the elderly, and quantifying the demand into specific service contents that can be provided, so as to realize the effective supply of services. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for the government to formulate relevant aging policies and provide a reference basis for promoting the innovation and development of the Internet + elderly care model.MethodsBased on existence needs, relationship needs and growth needs abbreviated as “Existence, Relatedness, Growth (ERG)” demand theory, through the discussion in the group meeting, form the expert consultation questionnaire of the demand-oriented Internet + community home care service indicator system, select experts in related fields to conduct two rounds of Delphi expert consultation, summarize the experts’ opinions to determine the indicator system items, and use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to construct the judgment matrix to derive the weighting coefficients of the indicators, and establish the ultimate demand-oriented Internet + community home care service indicator system.ResultsThe effective recovery rates for the two rounds of expert consoulation questionnaires were 100%, with expert authority coefficients of 0.852 and 0.868, respectively. The Kendall coefficients for the second round of expert views varied from 0.226 to 0.431, with coefficients of variation for all indexes less than 0.25.The finalized demand-oriented Internet + community home care service indicator system includes 3 first-level indicators, 10 s-level indicators, and 46 third-level indicators. The consistency ratios of indicator judgment matrices at all levels are less than 0.10, suggesting that the hierarchical analysis findings are consistent, implying that the weight coefficient distribution is appropriate.ConclusionThe demand-oriented Internet + community home care service Indicator System, which was created through expert consultation and AHP method, has reasonable content and is more dependable as an evaluation tool for reliably assessing demand for elderly servic.

Evaluating the Promise and Pitfalls of India’s National Education Policy 2020: Insights from the Perspectives of Students, Teachers, and Experts

The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) is a comprehensive and ambitious plan to transform India’s education system. However, its implementation has sparked debates among stakeholders, including students, teachers, and experts. This paper evaluates the promise and pitfalls of NEP 2020 based on the perspectives of these stakeholders. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach to compare and elucidate the views of students, teachers, and experts from diverse backgrounds. The subject experts have a more positive outlook on the promises of the policy, lauding its expansive and comprehensive vision. While the multiple entry-exit options and the new credit systems are viewed to be more beneficial by the students, teachers believe that they require further capacity building and training to deliver the range of subjects and skills envisioned in the policy. All the respondents are confident that NEP 2020 will harbinger reforms to enhance the quality of education in India. We conclude with recommendations for policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of NEP 2020 and the achievement of its goals.

Views of Assessment and Evaluation Experts on Assessment and Evaluation Units in Schools

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the views of assessment and evaluation experts on assessment and evaluation units in schools. Participants were selected from the schools where the assessment and evaluation unit is located and from among the schools that the researchers could easily contact. In this context, seven assessment and evaluation experts were selected from schools where the unit existed as participants. In order to seek answers to the research problems, expert opinions were obtained through a semi-structured interview form and by interview technique. According to the results of the research, assessment and evaluation experts stated that traditional and complementary assessment and evaluation approaches are mostly used together in schools. According to another result, it was stated that an assessment and evaluation unit affected the behaviors of teachers, administrators, and parents positively. In teacher-administrator and teacher-parent relations, that this department provides objective data with unbiased evaluation provides an objective perspective on transferring shortcomings. In addition, it was concluded that the coordinated and harmonious relationship of this unit with other departments (such as the curriculum development unit and counseling unit) positively affects the school climate as it increases the quality of the school education policy and ensures that all educational activities are carried out systematically. In line with the results of the research, it is recommended that assessment and evaluation units be established in schools to coordinate with Assessment and Evaluation Centers.

Expert views on screening for tuberculosis infection in patients commencing treatment with a biologic agent.

Many biologic agents cause some degree of immunosuppression, which can increase the risk of reactivation of tuberculosis infection (TBI). This risk is variable between individual biologics. We aimed to assess current (and recommended) clinical practice of TBI screening and treatment among patients initiating treatment with biologic agents. An online questionnaire was distributed via email to members of the Global Tuberculosis Network and associated professional organisations to seek insights into the screening for and treatment of TBI in patients treated with biologics. A total of 163 respondents in 27 countries answered at least one question. For all biologics described in the questionnaire, respondents advised increasing screening relative to current practice. Observed and supported TBI screening rates in patients treated with TNF-a inhibitors were high, especially for older TNF-a inhibitors. Most participants supported TBI screening in patients treated with B- or T-cell inhibitors but not in those treated with interleukin inhibitors. Guideline awareness was higher for TNF-a inhibitors than for other biologic classes (79% vs. 34%). Although respondents stated that TBI screening rates are lower than what they consider ideal, there was a tendency to recommend TBI screening in patients treated with biologics not known to be associated with an increased risk of TBI. As a result, there is a potential risk of over-screening and over-treatment of TBI, potentially causing harm, in patients treated with biologics other than TNF-a inhibitors. There is a need to research the risk of TBI associated with biologics and for guidelines to address the spectrum of TBI risk across all types of biologics.