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Appropriate assessment of fetal growth is essential for safe clinical care. There have been many recent strategies to improve the detection of aberrant fetal growth patterns, one of which has been to optimize fetal growth centile charts. Over recent years there has been ongoing debates regarding the optimal growth chart for clinical usage. Controversy can arise where growth charts have demonstrated wide variance in the proportion of fetuses classified within the extremities of growth. Standards for growth charts need to be evidenced based and validated against pregnancy outcomes to demonstrate clinical utility and widespread usage. They should be supplied by high quality methodological reasoning and ideally evidenced through large prospective multicentre studies. Given the variable terminology to classify growth centile charts, including the variety of charts available, a complete understanding by healthcare professional can be troublesome to achieve. This practical guide aims to provide clarity on this diverse subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To establish a standardized method of reformatting axial images for computed tomography (CT) brain examinations. Methods An anatomic line between the superior orbital rim and the base of the occipital bone (SOR-BS line) was chosen as the standardized reference line. In June 2022, CT technologists at a tertiary care center received an educational presentation and a 1-page reference handout on making standardized CT reformats. This was the quality-of-care intervention. Subsequently, 100 CT brain examinations performed on July 1 to 10, 2020 (preintervention) were analyzed and compared with 100 CT brain examinations performed on July 1 to 10, 2022 (postintervention). Results There were no significant differences in the mean angle differences measured between the preintervention (6.2 ± 5.8°) and the postintervention (5.8 ± 4.7°) groups (P = .67). However, the number of CT brain studies with an angle difference of more than 20° decreased from 4 studies to 1 study. In addition, the number of CT brain studies without reformatted images decreased from 5 to 2 studies. Discussion The cause for the less-than-optimal adoption of the expected change in CT workflow might be complex and multifactorial. However, the institution in this study is a busy tertiary care center with a chronic shortage of CT technologists. The busy workflow might have contributed to lack of significance for the parameters assessed. Conclusion There was a slight but not significant improvement between preintervention and postintervention data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is no standardized practice in pediatric pain assessment with burn injuries in the outpatient clinic setting. Objective: This review aims to identify reliable, validated tools to measure pain in the pediatric burn clinic population. Methods: The literature search for this integrative review was conducted using the databases of PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, and Embase from 2011 to 2023. Quality and relevance were appraised using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model. Reporting was done according to a Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analysis checklist. Results: Fourteen articles and two clinical practice guidelines met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Conclusion: The Pain Observation Scale for Young Children and the COMFORT Behavior Scale tools have shown good reliability and construct validity and can be safely used to measure background and procedural pain in daily burn practice. Further research on reliable, validated pain assessment techniques in the pediatric burn population is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Physical Education / Tiyu Xuekan is the property of Journal of Physical Education Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to compare short-term functional outcomes and conversion rates to reverse shoulder arthroplasty between patients who underwent total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) using a modular metal-backed glenoid component, a hybrid glenoid component, and an all-polyethylene component. A retrospective review of individuals undergoing TSA between October 2014 and December 2020 was performed. Inclusion criteria included patients undergoing primary TSA for osteoarthritis during this time frame by 1 surgeon. Preoperative and postoperative variables included demographic information, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (ASES), and range of motion. Revision rates were also documented. Summary statistics were performed, using a 1-way analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc pairwise comparisons when the outcome reached significance. Fifty-two patients were included with age averaging 68 ± 8.1 years, with body mass index of 31 ± 5.8. 54% of patients were female with 12% having diabetes and only 2% were smokers. Follow-up averaged 42 months with patients undergoing metal-backed glenoid having longer follow-up at 56.5 months (P <.001). ASES, forward elevation, and external rotation (ER) for every implant type improved significantly postoperatively (P <.001) besides internal rotation and ER within the poly group (P =.072). No difference was found between the 3 groups for preoperative and postoperative ASES scores, forward elevation, internal rotation, and ER (P >.05). Two patients within the poly group required revision due to rotator cuff tear (P =.225). At 2 years, functional outcomes and patient-reported outcomes are similar in all 3 glenoid groups. There were slightly higher revision rates within the all-polyethylene group. If outcomes are similar among all groups, modular implant systems may be favorable to make conversion to revision TSA easier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As is the case for other accelerated light-ageing methods, microfade test results are usually rated against the responses of the International Standards Organisation's Blue Wool Fading Standards, the production of which is regulated by the International Standards Organisation. The suitability and convenience of the ISO Blue Wools for this purpose have been questioned on various grounds, including wavelength sensitivity, manufacturing or batch response variations, and the effect of their woven texture on systematic errors. In the present article, the effect of manufacturing variations was assessed by carrying out microfade testing on samples of ISO Blue Wools from various suppliers and manufacturers spanning more than 20 years. Our results confirm that the first three ISO Blue Wools, which are of most relevance to locating colourants at risk of significant light-fading on display in museums, had measurable batch-to-batch and/or manufacturer variations in fading rates, most significantly in the case of Blue Wool 2. Different batches were often also distinguishable by their colour and the texture of the wool fabric. It is argued that while texture-related systematic errors and manufacturing variations are inconvenient, they are not significant in light of the other potential sources of disparity between the results of accelerated exposure tests of any kind and fading at ambient light levels, and it is concluded that the advantages of the use of ISO Blue Wools as internal standards for microfade testing outweigh their disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do green information technology (IT) standards and organizational strategies jointly influence firms’ environmental sustainability and financial performance? This is an important question, as many firms adopt green IT standards without considering the fit with their organizational strategies and therefore face uncertain or mixed outcomes. We address this question by developing a theory-driven conceptual framework and collecting archival data on green IT standards and green IT organizational strategies from more than 230 firms in India. Our analysis yields two main findings. First, an environment-focused green IT organizational strategy has a stronger positive moderating effect than a cost-focused green IT organizational strategy on the association between green IT standards and sustainability-monitoring capability. Similarly, an environment-focused green IT organizational strategy has a stronger positive moderating effect than a cost-focused green IT organizational strategy on the association between green IT standards and financial profit. Second, a dual-focused green IT organizational strategy positively moderates the association between green IT standards and profit. This study provides a theoretical explanation and empirical evidence to support the salience of green IT standards and complementary organizational strategies in advancing environmental sustainability and financial performance objectives. It also informs managerial decision-making about how firms can choose the appropriate green IT organizational strategy to enhance sustainability-monitoring capability and the financial benefits of green IT standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the potential impact of the legal vulnerability created by ubiquitous information technology (IT) and provide insights into its unintended consequences in a typical healthcare screening context. Screening policies determine the level of care provision (i.e., whether to conduct a test) based on patient risk information. If IT shares risk information with physicians in the testing stage, follow-up decisions may be more accurate. Yet, physicians may also face heightened legal risk from increased information visibility. In this context, we examine the socially optimal screening (based on risk information) and follow-up policies (based on risk and test information). Litigation is generally associated with the overutilization of health care because of physicians' defensive medicine practices. In contrast, we find that the strategic underprovisioning of health care through screening policies could be a consequence of information sharing in the presence of litigation concerns. The underprovisioning of health care is aggravated if the precision of risk information relative to that of the medical test increases or the physician becomes more self-interested and less patient oriented. However, limits on malpractice damages can alleviate the underprovisioning of health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (SAAHE) issued new standards and criteria for universities quality management systems in 2020 (SAAHES-IS 2020). Requirements and criteria determined in the SAAHES-IS 2020 are based on the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). However, some Slovak universities implemented and maintained their quality management system (QMS) according to the ISO 9001 standard in the past. The object of the research presented in our paper is a Slovak university certified according to the ISO 9001. The subject of the research is employee's awareness about selected requirements of both standards, ISO 9001 and SAAHES-IS 2020. The main objectives of the research are: (1) to identify common requirements of both standards, (2) to explore employees awareness related to the identified common requirements and (3) to create decision assumptions how processes should be assured, either in accordance with ISO 9001 or SAAHES-IS 2020. This paper has also a methodological benefit. It allows to compare any standardized management systems that have common requirements. Employees awareness of the selected quality requirements has three elementary pillars in our research. They are the knowledge about requirement definition, how the given requirement is assured in the management practice and how employee contributes in the given requirement assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last few years there has been a steady increase in sustainability-linked financial products. This article examines in particular sustainability-linked bonds, loans and derivatives. The focus is on the development of international private law standards which have arisen in this market, similar to those present in a wide range of "usual" financial products. Some difficulties remain, such as performance measurements and verification. This raises the risk of green washing. Various regulatory initiatives, complementing or partially replacing private law standards, and which are aimed at addressing these issues, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children receiving cancer therapy have particular dietary needs. Most have issues with eating. The combination of extended duration of treatment, high frequency admissions and prolonged length of stay impacts more on this group of children than most others. With advancements in more effective diagnosis and tailored multimodal therapy more children than ever are being treated with increasingly intense therapeutic regimens. Hence, more children are also surviving new second and third line treatments for relapsed disease. This has increased the number of children with cancer who are susceptible to nutritional problems associated with their disease treatment and survivorship. It is important that health professionals are aware of predisposing factors which can lead to inadequate nutrition. Understanding can help alleviate them and prompt recognition and treatment can help prevent nutrition becoming a problem for these children. This article provides an overview of the particular problems faced by children with cancer obtaining adequate nutrition, nutritional risk factors and highlights why good nutrition status is essential for any child undergoing cancer therapy. The aims of nutritional therapy, a guide to nutritional assessment/interventions and long-term nutritional considerations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to evaluate how closely Jordanian and Palestinian university professors follow the recommendations of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Researchers analyzed a population of all academic staff members teaching at private or public universities in Jordan and Palestine using a descriptive-analytical methodology. A sample of 358 persons was chosen. The questionnaire was distributed and assessed the degree to which faculty members in Jordanian and Palestinian universities adhere to the ISTE requirements. It was found that the degree of adherence to the ISTE standards by faculty members in Jordanian and Palestinian universities was very large. However, it was found that there were no statistically significant differences at the level (α≤0.05) in the degree of adherence to the ISTE standards by faculty members in Jordanian and Palestinian universities according to the variables (country and type university). the study identified a number of recommendations for enhancing Palestinian universities, including scholars, professors, and administrators, complies with the standards established by the International Society of Technology. The report also suggests using technology into the teaching and learning process more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to analyze the safety implications of an autonomous agricultural machine (TerraPreta) using the standards ISO 18497 (ISO, 2018) and ISO 12100:2012 (ISO, 2012), as well as to investigate the ergonomics associated with the use of the autonomous agricultural machine. First, three engineers involved in the robot's manufacturing process were asked to evaluate the robot's functionalities compliance with the applicable safety standards and protective measures outlined in standard ISO 18497 (ISO, 2018). Second, while the robot was planting cover crop seeds, an attempt was made to identify and evaluate every risk connected to the robot using the risk assessment techniques outlined in ISO 12100:2012 (ISO, 2012). (1) Half (50%) of the functionalities of the autonomous agricultural machine complied with the safety requirements and protective measures described within the standard ISO 18497 (ISO, 2018). (2) The heavy reliance on past incident data of the risk assessment procedure described within the standard ISO 12100:2012 (ISO, 2012) makes it ineffective for new and revolutionary technologies such as autonomous agricultural machines where such data are not available. (3) Lifting a bag to fill the robot hopper with seeds was found to be a moderately hazardous activity associated with human-robot interaction. Multiple tentative solutions were provided to avoid this moderately hazardous activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revisions to the UK Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards of proficiency for diagnostic radiographers came into effect on September 1st 2023. Changes include an increase of proficiencies in CT and extended to MRI imaging. As workforce support the development of learners to meet stage outcomes in practice, this study aimed to understand the radiographers' expectations of future learners' training to meet the new standards of proficiency. Snowball sampling was used to invite practice educators/student supervisors and department leads within the 21 NHS Trusts in the North East and Yorkshire region providing diagnostic radiography practice placements. Online focus groups used a semi structured topic guide to explore the expectations of student performance during different stages of their training, and on different types of pre-registration programmes. Participants views were sought on considerations for appropriate assessment. Thematic analysis was supported by NVivo software. Fifteen diagnostic radiographers across 11 NHS trusts participated in 5 focus groups in November 2022. The findings showed consistency in expectations of student performance in projectional radiography, patient care and communication. Participants felt some standards of proficiency were beyond threshold competency, or current practices were a barrier in supporting learning. Participants felt assessment over a period and range of examinations in the clinical environment gave a fairer picture of student performance. There is uncertainty and perceived barriers in supporting future diagnostic radiography training in the practice setting. Further work will be needed to identify and support appropriate learning opportunities and stage outcomes if learners are to meet the breadth of HCPC standards of proficiency with some consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advocates and researchers have made many recommendations for forensic science improvement in the United States. These proposals are often motivated by wrongful convictions related to false or misleading forensic evidence. In many cases, the connection between the proposals and the actual experience of wrongful convictions has not been well defined. Further, recommendations may not have been realizable given the structure of the criminal justice system in the United States and the practical realities of forensic science laboratories. Finally, limited attempts have been made to assess recommendations over time to determine the progress of forensic science improvement and elucidate continuing gaps. Reports from the Department of Justice, the National Academy of Sciences, and the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology are assessed to determine the extent to which their recommendations have been implemented, whether the recommendations align with the actual experience of wrongful convictions, and how the American forensic science community has implemented forensic science improvement. The most successful proposals reflect a broad movement toward quality assurance, improved standards, and organizational improvement in the forensic sciences. Less successful proposals are associated with calls for large federal investments, difficulties in community-wide implementation, or uncertain linkage to foundations in science and practice. Significant progress has been made in the standardization of reporting and testimony, assessment of the foundational reliability of the disciplines, and DNA mixture interpretation. Significant gaps remain to improve medicolegal death investigation, governance, and the implementation of standards. Improved allocation and use of resources will be required to meet continuing challenges in capacity building, training, and proficiency testing, although past experience indicates that both federal and non-federal funding will be required to address these issues. Continued improvement is needed to address the issues associated with wrongful convictions, although forensic science leaders have demonstrated the ability to prioritize improvement initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recherches en Sciences de Gestion is the property of ISEOR and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Water treatment plant operators need to understand federal and state laws as well as the standards that apply to water treatment systems. They should also understand how drinking water regulations are administered and why compliance is essential to providing safe drinking water to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1983 Orphan Drug Act in the United States (US) changed the landscape for development of therapeutics for rare or orphan diseases, which collectively affect approximately 300 million people worldwide, half of whom are children. The act has undoubtedly accelerated drug development for orphan diseases, with over 6,400 orphan drug applications submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 1983 to 2023, including 350 drugs approved for over 420 indications. Drug development in this population is a global and collaborative endeavor. This position paper of the International Society for Central Nervous System Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM) describes some potential best practices for the involvement of key stakeholder feedback in the drug development process. Stakeholders include advocacy groups, patients and caregivers with lived experience, public and private research institutions (including academia and pharmaceutical companies), treating clinicians, and funders (including the government and independent foundations). The authors articulate the challenges of drug development in orphan diseases and propose methods to address them. Challenges range from the poor understanding of disease history to development of endpoints, targets, and clinical trials designs, to finding solutions to competing research priorities by involved parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing development is an investment from which flows a number of consumer services. Hence, this paper evaluates the level of compliance to standards among agencies for housing development in Taraba State, Nigeria using both primary and secondary types and sources of data in a 399 structured questionnaire and interview section. The results showed that all respondents affirmed that limited resources on the part of concerned agencies contributes to the challenges of compliance (3.33), inadequacy of regulatory frameworks affects compliance (3.22), favoritism in the course of discharge of duties undermine the enforcement of standards (3.29), corruption compromises the quality of housing development (3.22), nepotism also leads to lack of safety of housing units (3.24), inadequate funding affects agencies to ensure standard compliance (3.31), lack of awareness among stakeholders also affects the level of compliance to standard (3.31) as well as inadequate equipment necessary for monitory compliance (3.18) were all above the acceptance value of 2.50. Furthermore, the hypothesis which states that factors affecting level of compliance to standard among agencies do not significantly impact on housing development was tested using Chi-Square. The p-value (Sig) is .000 which implies that there is a significant impact of factors affecting level of compliance with standard among agencies on housing development in Taraba State. From the findings, the study recommends that fight against bribery and corruption should be initiated at all government levels (Federal, State, and LGAs) especially in Taraba State in order to maintain standards and compliance. Also, funds and resources should be made available for the agencies responsible for housing development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Takeaways: In 2010, the United Nations (UN) embarked on formally recognizing the human right to water, although safe water had been in its scope as early as 1977. Departments, committees, councils, and other bodies within the UN have outlined standards, definitions, and goals to serve as a universal framework for working toward safe, affordable, accessible water. The UN has provided guidance to countries and governments worldwide, helping developing as well as developed nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a crowdsourcing website that has become a popular participant recruitment tool in social science research. MTurk provides access to a large, diverse, and inexpensive pool of willing participants, and the unique clinical characteristics of MTurk participants may be of particular interest to rehabilitation researchers. In this article, the authors provide a step-by-step guide to set up and conduct a Qualtrics online survey study via MTurk. Several considerations including quality control of data, cost reduction, and ethical considerations are discussed, and strategies to improve data quality and promote research ethics are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021 and 2022, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) released revised versions of their foundational documents intended to guide practice in the field of postsecondary disability: the Code of Ethics; Professional Competencies; and Program Domains, Standards, and Performance Indicators. These new documents reflect and complement the overarching vision and mission of the Association and provide its members and the profession with foundational guidance on professional values, critical skills, and service delivery and operation. These revised documents have been carefully created by working groups that sought to ensure alignment with the AHEAD mission, perspectives of the AHEAD membership, and best practices articulated in the professional literature. As a result, key themes are reflected across the three documents. This manuscript identifies and discusses these key themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Program standards and professional competencies can serve as a roadmap or compass, orienting us both practically and philosophically to our work and, in essence, to disability. A unique aspect of work in disability resources is that we make decisions about access for disabled students often through an individualized, caseby-case process. Each request is unique and, as such, must be explored in its own curricular or cocurricular context; our process does not lend itself to a menu or flowchart with predetermined outcomes. We must rely on agreed upon standards and ethics to develop good professional and defensible judgement. The Association on Higher Education and Disability's (AHEAD) Standards and Competencies are resources to inform not just our decision-making, but our outreach and engagement, as well as our ongoing professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Social Affairs is the property of Journal of Social Affairs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Key Takeaways: Public water systems should assess their compliance with regulatory requirements and be prepared for additional scrutiny from regulators. The US Environmental Protection Agency may apply pressure to include climate‐related assessments in Section 1433 risk and resilience plans. Regulators have the authority to seek information from utilities and inspect facilities. Utilities operating in overburdened communities should be especially aware of regulatory requirements and be prepared for more inspections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Takeaways: As critical infrastructure, water systems must be designed to withstand seismic hazards where earthquakes are expected. While several planning tools and design solutions exist for seismic hazards, they are not standardized for the water community. Designing buried infrastructure to withstand differential ground movement and severe shaking comes with several challenges for water systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the healthcare industry continues to thrive competitively, organizations hold a great dependency on data, especially with the increase in cybersecurity regulations and potential privacy threats. When operating with electronic health information, the United States’ healthcare sector bears a significant amount of responsibility in order to ensure adequate cybersecurity protection. Organizations ought to ratify comprehensive cybersecurity frameworks and relevant standards that encompass the industry’s compliance needs and particular organizations’ security requirements. Health organizations are culpable and required by US law to enforce all necessary security measures and policies to safeguard patient data. This research study presents a narrative review of opportune cybersecurity frameworks, regulations, and their corresponding comparisons based on existing peer-reviewed papers in the healthcare cybersecurity landscape. The study further analyzes the selection of cybersecurity frameworks that sufficiently adhere to healthcare regulatory compliance and privacy conditions. The study examines how cybersecurity frameworks can be transformed to drive security enhancements in the healthcare sector. In consonance with the present research analysis, healthcare organizations can acquire significant advantages from the integration of HITRUST and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. In conclusion, the research demonstrates the detailed strategies that assist organizations to comply with US cybersecurity regulations and standards to ensure effective data privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June 2023, National Health Service (NHS) England published a Long-Term Workforce Plan 'to put staffing on a sustainable footing and improve patient care.' The plan falls in to three main areas: train, retain and reform. Currently there are around 7,500 medical school places available annually in England, but it is proposed to increase this to 10,000 by 2028 and to 15,000 by 2031. Five new medical schools were approved in the 2018 expansion and others are preparing applications in anticipation of future expansion. In this article, we discuss what factors might shape a new medical school, ensuring it meets the standards required by the UK regulator (General Medical Council) set out in Promoting Excellence and in Outcomes for Graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home automation represents the integration of computerized or automatic control into various commonplace electrical and electronic systems within residences. Beyond resolving lighting concerns, this sophisticated technology paves the way for a centralized home entertainment system and offers comprehensive mastery over home security. Given the rapid escalation in resource consumption, there exists a compelling inclination to conserve our resources through every feasible means. A significant contributor to energy wastage is the absence of remote control and access to appliances. This project unveils a user-friendly home automation system, operable wirelessly via wifi on a smartphone. The Firebase real-time database, a cutting-edge IoT solution, serves as the conduit between the hardware and the mobile application. Facilitating automated control of up to eight appliances through a mobile app, the system also incorporates sensors that enable gas leak detection within the home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal: American Water Works Association is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS) is a clinically useful measure of upper-limb (UL) capacity, which assesses both basic and advanced capacities. To examine the reliability, construct validity, and interpretability of the SULCS-Brazil with community-dwelling individuals with stroke. The SULCS-Brazil and measures of impairment (handgrip strength and motor function of the paretic UL), capacity (manual and digital dexterities), and performance were applied during the first session, to establish construct validity (80 patients). The SULCS-Brazil was applied again during a second session (a sub-set of 30 patients), to investigate test–retest reliability. Test–retest reliability was evaluated using kappa statistics (k) for the individual items, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the total scores, standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC), and Bland-Altman plot. For the evaluation of construct validity, pre-defined hypotheses were created to estimate the strength of the correlations between the SULCS-Brazil scores and established measures of UL function, using Spearman correlation coefficients. Interpretability was investigated by evaluating both ceiling/ floor effects. High level of agreement was found between the SUCLS-Brazil total scores obtained on both applications (ICC = 0.98; 95%CI:0.96–0.99) and 80% of the individual items had almost perfect agreement (k= 0.81–1.0). The SEM (0.46) and the MDC (1.27) showed clinically acceptable values. All pre-defined hypotheses were confirmed, indicating adequate construct validity of the SULCS-Brazil. No significant ceiling/floor effects were observed. The SULCS-Brazil showed to be reliable and valid for the evaluation of upper-limb capacity of individuals with stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available, effective methods of virus detection adequately address the risks in treating water for potable reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal suicide, once overlooked in mortality rates, is now recognized as a major contributor to pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. Recent data highlighting a surge in general population suicides underscores the urgency of addressing maternal suicide. It ranks among the top three causes of pregnancy-related deaths, accounting for up to 20% of maternal fatalities. While data collection challenges persist, state Maternal Mortality Review Committees are enhancing consistency in reviewing and documenting maternal deaths. Mental health conditions, particularly suicide, are identified as a key underlying cause, contributing to nearly 23% of pregnancy-related deaths, with 80% considered preventable. Recognizing the lasting societal impact, preventive efforts for maternal suicides should be prioritized. The effects of maternal mental distress and suicidality on child development emphasize the need for interventions across clinical, systemic, and policy domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most sociolinguistic work on variation focuses on how rates of occurrence or mean measurements differ between speech communities and speakers. However, speakers and communities also differ in variability – that is, in dispersion around the mean. The current study investigates the effects of speech style and multilingualism on variation and variability, by measuring the degree of intervocalic /bdɡ/ spirantization in spontaneous and careful speech. Data come from two varieties of Uruguayan Spanish, one monolingual (Montevideo) and one in contact with Brazilian Portuguese (Rivera). The results from a variation analysis confirm expected linguistic and social effects on gradient spirantization. An analysis of variability shows that, at the group level, careful speech is more variable than spontaneous speech, and the data from Rivera is more variable than that from Montevideo. Variability at the individual level differs slightly, suggesting that the group-level variability arises from between-speaker variability and within-speaker variability in different contexts. I propose that multilingualism in Rivera may heighten variability because contact with Portuguese provides a wider range of available pronunciations, and that careful speech may increase variability because the available pronunciations are subject to conflicting standards that are most active in this style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the external motive (i.e., the signaling purpose) according to which small- and medium-size firms are increasingly adopting a strategy of multiple certification at international standard-setting bodies (e.g. ISO), possibly to increase their chances of being selected as suppliers by large global players. We investigate how firms select their certification strategy, choosing between no accreditation at all, and a strategy requesting one or even multiple certified management system standards. Two types of potential suppliers (the high- and low-types) are envisaged, featuring different costs of accreditation for every selected level, and yielding different utility to their customer. Our analysis suggests that, by seeking multiple certification, firms may expand the space for separation, which also goes to the benefit of the buyer. We then study how different contract provisions may alter the equilibrium outcomes, e.g. showing that contractual penalties may either expand or even shut down the space for separation between types, depending on their size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of industrial wireless networks has been growing continuously and has become an alternative to cable based networks. One of the main elements of an industrial wireless network is the network manager, which is responsible for tasks related to network construction and maintenance. This work presents the development of a network manager compatible with WirelessHART protocol, which can be customized to allow modifications in its main tasks in order to carry out improvements within this protocol. The results obtained through case studies showed manager's validation by using it in developing protocol improvements, which were not allowed to be executed in commercial devices. Details of the case studies are presented. The manager is used for studies related to communications scheduling, adaptive channel mapping, and mobility applications, showing that the developed manager allows research from different aspects of the protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the challenges regarding building ontologies and ontology-based tools with the purpose of using them in the architectural analysis of cyber-physical systems (CPSs). This research explores the main knowledge of CPSs architecting considering that the recent maturation of the existent standards about description, processes and evaluation of software intensive systems architecture can support better a systematic understanding and knowledge sharing to develop ontologies and smart tools based on ontologies. A tool that uses ontology knowledge aids the analyst to conduct a complex analysis method providing him/her more relevant and consistent guidance and more complete results. The ontology that formalize the consensus knowledge codified in standards and of the architecture analysis methods could be integrated in an application tool that becomes more trustable and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yoshi is a very skilled experimentalist and modeler, and he has greatly influenced my thinking about fundamental aspects of organic micropollutant adsorption in the presence of dissolved organic matter, including the mathematical description of adsorption data. Detlef's research efforts have advanced our fundamental understanding of activated carbon adsorption, resulting in improved best practices for carbon selection for the removal of specific organic contaminants from drinking water. Keywords: Research; Awards; Environment; Engineering; Contaminants; AWWA; Organics; Activated Carbon Treatment; Education; Adsorption; Water Industry; Water Supply; Construction; North Carolina; Standards; Illinois; Organic Compounds; Water Quality; Carbon; Engineers; Personnel Management EN Research Awards Environment Engineering Contaminants AWWA Organics Activated Carbon Treatment Education Adsorption Water Industry Water Supply Construction North Carolina Standards Illinois Organic Compounds Water Quality Carbon Engineers Personnel Management 10 18 9 07/07/23 20230701 NES 230701 The A.P. Black Research Award was established in 1967 in honor of Alvin Percy Black to recognize outstanding research contributions to water science and water supply rendered over an appreciable period of time. PFAS are a good example, where current EPA methods target only 29 of the thousands of PFAS that are on EPA's PFAS Master List. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Revista Cubana de Ciencias Informáticas is the property of Universidad de las Ciencias Informaticas (UCI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A utility's water main repair was a triple‐bottom‐line success, thanks to having a plan in place that considered efficiency, costs, and customer service, allowing the utility to respond quickly to unforeseen events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Prudentia Iuris is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Key Takeaways: In the United States, US Environmental Protection Agency sanitary surveys provide valuable interaction between primacy agencies and public water system operators and managers. Water safety plans (WSPs), often used worldwide, can be an additional tool for sanitary surveys to integrate multiple barriers of public water systems and focus on prioritized hazards and conditions. WSPs are reasonable for implementation because they use existing regulatory compliance means as well as operational standards of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and wastewater laboratories have many similarities, but they also have unique differences that allow them to generate data that protect public health and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]