Search

Studies have shown the importance of program evaluation in Extension and its value in communicating Extension program successes. This current study was conducted to assess Extension educators' motivation toward program evaluation using the self-determination theory. Respondents perceived that they were not competent enough to engage in program evaluation but greatly valued program evaluation. Further analysis of our theory-informed survey data revealed that perceived competence and value positively predicted interest in program evaluation. Our findings contribute to Extension professional development discourse.

BACKGROUND: Rib fractures are one of the most common traumatic injuries and may result in significant morbidity and mortality. Despite growing evidence, technological advances and increasing acceptance, surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) remains not uniformly considered in trauma centers. Indications, contraindications, appropriate timing, surgical approaches and utilized implants are part of an ongoing debate. The present position paper, which is endorsed by the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), and supported by the Chest Wall Injury Society, aims to provide a review of the literature investigating the use of SSRF in rib fracture management to develop graded position statements, providing an updated guide and reference for SSRF. METHODS: This position paper was developed according to the WSES methodology. A steering committee performed the literature review and drafted the position paper. An international panel of experts then critically revised the manuscript and discussed it in detail, to develop a consensus on the position statements. RESULTS: A total of 287 studies (systematic reviews, randomized clinical trial, prospective and retrospective comparative studies, case series, original articles) have been selected from an initial pool of 9928 studies. Thirty-nine graded position statements were put forward to address eight crucial aspects of SSRF: surgical indications, contraindications, optimal timing of surgery, preoperative imaging evaluation, rib fracture sites for surgical fixation, management of concurrent thoracic injuries, surgical approach, stabilization methods and material selection. CONCLUSION: This consensus document addresses the key focus questions on surgical treatment of rib fractures. The expert recommendations clarify current evidences on SSRF indications, timing, operative planning, approaches and techniques, with the aim to guide clinicians in optimizing the management of rib fractures, to improve patient outcomes and direct future research.

The study is an analysis of the reaction of students in a faculty of natural and agricultural sciences (NAS) to subtitles and also includes an investigation of their responses thereto. Reception of and responses to academic English (close to verbatim transcription), plain English, and keyword English subtitles were explored by showing participants subtitled videos related to the content of their module. Participants were then asked to complete demographic and affective questionnaires, and participated in focus group interviews to investigate their reception of the various subtitles. The results show that participants responded particularly well to plain English subtitles. The focus group interviews indicated that they found all three sets of subtitles useful for note-taking purposes, adjusting the speed at which they accessed and processed information by pausing the videos, highlighting important information in the study materials, and being able to engage aurally and visually with the materials. From a higher education perspective, this emphasises students' readiness for subtitles as an academic mediation tool. Contribution: This article aims to fill existing gaps in the fulfilment of higher education institutions' language policies, which have been exposed by the thrust for multilingualism in higher education. Research into academic subtitling as an academic mediation tool can be used to bridge this gap, thereby supporting innovative research in higher education.

Writing numbers for counting and record-keeping predates the art of writing by a considerable margin. Never in the history of humankind has the urge to count and to measure everything been so prevalent as today. Numbers were traditionally used to count, measure, and label, but simple numbers have transformed into ‘DATA’, which has become an important, intrinsic, and all invasive part of life. Furthermore, the transformation from data to useful knowledge (and maybe some wisdom) requires, inter alia, the application of statistical analysis and mathematical modelling. Two applications illustrating this process will be presented: The possible existence of an association between some human characteristics — for example, neck circumference and general health — will be investigated, and a model based on nonlinear regression presented. A system dynamics model to investigate the dynamic characteristics of a human sub-system will be developed and discussed. This paper is merely an attempt to investigate the possibility and viability of developing data-dependent models of a medical nature.

Given the state of uncertainty in the world, decision analysis and decision-making under conditions of uncertainty are becoming more important. However, any rational decision-making requires a criterion on which to base the decision — which implies the availability of a value system. This paper will provide a short introduction to the basic principles of some value systems and related concepts such as the value of money, the flaw-of-averages, interest and discount rates, utility theory, and decision analysis. It will employ a Monte Carlo simulation approach to investigate the possible influence of the flaw-of-averages on interest calculations, net present value calculations, and decision trees. It will show that, under certain circumstances, the flaw-of-averages might be present and significant.

BACKGROUND: The trauma mortality rate is higher in the elderly compared with younger patients. Ageing is associated with physiological changes in multiple systems and correlated with frailty. Frailty is a risk factor for mortality in elderly trauma patients. We aim to provide evidence-based guidelines for the management of geriatric trauma patients to improve it and reduce futile procedures. METHODS: Six working groups of expert acute care and trauma surgeons reviewed extensively the literature according to the topic and the PICO question assigned. Statements and recommendations were assessed according to the GRADE methodology and approved by a consensus of experts in the field at the 10th international congress of the WSES in 2023. RESULTS: The management of elderly trauma patients requires knowledge of ageing physiology, a focused triage, including drug history, frailty assessment, nutritional status, and early activation of trauma protocol to improve outcomes. Acute trauma pain in the elderly has to be managed in a multimodal analgesic approach, to avoid side effects of opioid use. Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended in penetrating (abdominal, thoracic) trauma, in severely burned and in open fractures elderly patients to decrease septic complications. Antibiotics are not recommended in blunt trauma in the absence of signs of sepsis and septic shock. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis with LMWH or UFH should be administrated as soon as possible in high and moderate-risk elderly trauma patients according to the renal function, weight of the patient and bleeding risk. A palliative care team should be involved as soon as possible to discuss the end of life in a multidisciplinary approach considering the patients directives, family feelings and representatives desires, and all decisions should be shared. CONCLUSIONS: The management of elderly trauma patients requires knowledge of ageing physiology, a focused triage based on assessing frailty and early activation of trauma protocol to improve outcomes. Geriatric Intensive Care Units are needed to care for elderly and frail trauma patients in a multidisciplinary approach to decrease mortality and improve outcomes.

The current small study utilised prospective data collection of patterns of prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure (PAE and PTE) to examine associations with structural brain outcomes in 6-year-olds and served as a pilot to determine the value of prospective data describing community-level patterns of PAE and PTE in a non-clinical sample of children. Participants from the Safe Passage Study in pregnancy were approached when their child was ∼6 years old and completed structural brain magnetic resonance imaging to examine with archived PAE and PTE data (n = 51 children-mother dyads). Linear regression was used to conduct whole-brain structural analyses, with false-discovery rate (FDR) correction, to examine: (a) main effects of PAE, PTE and their interaction; and (b) predictive potential of data that reflect patterns of PAE and PTE (e.g. quantity, frequency and timing (QFT)). Associations between PAE, PTE and their interaction with brain structural measures demonstrated unique profiles of cortical and subcortical alterations that were distinct between PAE only, PTE only and their interactive effects. Analyses examining associations between patterns of PAE and PTE (e.g. QFT) were able to significantly detect brain alterations (that survived FDR correction) in this small non-clinical sample of children. These findings support the hypothesis that considering QFT and co-exposures is important for identifying brain alterations following PAE and/or PTE in a small group of young children. Current results demonstrate that teratogenic outcomes on brain structure differ as a function PAE, PTE or their co-exposures, as well as the pattern (QFT) or exposure.

The Dark Triad encompasses the concepts of Machiavellianism, subclinical psychopathy, and subclinical narcissism. Since a core characteristic of the Dark Triad traits is interpersonal dysfunction, this study investigated where these traits position themselves on the interpersonal circumplex in terms of agency (“getting ahead”) and communion (“getting along”) when explored within a multi-cultural South African context. Analysis of self-report data from 280 undergraduate students revealed that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were positioned in Quadrant II (dominant-hostile), whereas narcissism was positioned in Quadrant I (dominant-friendly). These findings support the notion that the three traits each have a unique interpersonal profile and concur with the results of studies conducted in other cultures. Therefore, although the behavioural expression of the Dark Triad traits may vary in different cultures, their position on the IPC is similar to that found in other studies.

The concept of Benford’s law, also known as the first-digit phenomenon, has been known to mathematicians since 1881. It is counter-intuitive, difficult to explain in simple terms, and has suffered from being described variously as ‘a numerical aberration’, ‘an oddity’, ‘a mystery’ – but also as ‘a mathematical gem’. However, it has developed into a recognised statistical technique with several practical applications, of which the most notable is as a fraud detection mechanism in forensic accounting. This paper will briefly discuss and demonstrate the special numerical characteristics of Benford’s law. It will attempt to investigate the law’s possible application to the detection of data manipulation and data tampering that might exist in papers published in engineering and scientific journals. Firstly, it will be applied to an investigation of the so-called Fisher-Mendel controversy. Secondly, Benford’s analysis will be applied to six recently published papers selected from the South African Journal of Industrial Engineering.

Uncertainty is ever-present and is an integral part of life. Recognising the existence of uncertainty and its possible effects on decision-making may be important for the profitability, financial success, or even survival of an organisation. A relatively new discipline, - known as probability management, - has recently emerged as part of operations research/management science. This paper will attempt to provide a brief introduction to the concepts of probability management and the motivation behind its development. One of the major driving forces resulting in this development is the phenomenon known as the ‘flaw-of-averages’. The flaw-of-averages has important consequences in industrial engineering, financial, business, and economic models. The classic newsvendor problem will be used as an illustrative example. However, the main purpose of this paper is to discuss the most important characteristics of the flaw-of-averages. It will investigate and attempt to quantify some of the generic factors that may have an influence on the existence and severity of the flaw-of-averages and its expected consequences. Various models will be developed, and experiments will be conducted using Microsoft Excel as a modelling tool and an experimental approach based on Monte Carlo simulation modelling.

Scholars have recommended hybrid learning to combat education problems in emerging economies due to their challenging contexts. It potentially offers a means to address growing demand without sacrificing quality or increasing costs. In this article we report on a new "hybrid" distance teacher education programme in which we sought to address the requirements of new policies (both institutional and national) by combining the blended and distance education approach. We adopted a pragmatic qualitative approach, rooted in a communitarian perspective and distance education theory. Although progressing slower than expected, the programme's implementation to date has provided lessons that bolster the value of blended learning theory and practice in a hybrid model. The study also highlighted the critical role that the mode adopted for teacher training can play in shaping teachers' practice. However, to work more effectively in an emerging economy, a more substantial teaching presence is suggested, coupled with modularised and ongoing information and communication technology (ICT) training and support for staff and students as areas for further research.

Expertise in wildlife and vertebrate pest management (VPM) within the U.S. University Land Grant system is increasingly rare, and very few Extension educators have the knowledge and tools to address VPM practices in this very specialized area. Yet, Extension educators (i.e., agents) receive a myriad of inquiries from the public searching for information on resolving conflicts associated with wildlife. Our team developed and launched an online survey to assess the needs of Extension educators in western region states and territories of the U.S. to determine the desired content and format of educational resources concerning VPM. We plan to review and compile current VPM educational materials (e.g., factsheets, videos, etc.), revealed in the needs assessment or recognized by our team, and determine their applications for wider use, or for revision/enhancement to address resource shortfalls. Our end goal is to use the survey data to identify current gaps in VPM resources and develop new or revised materials for Extension educators and volunteers. Because these educators frequently serve as “first responders” for people seeking solutions for conflicts with vertebrate pests, Extension staff need unbiased, science-based resources and training materials to counter the misinformation on the internet and fraudulent products in the marketplace. We will also determine how to best format and deliver this information to key audiences and stakeholders.

Researchers have long been interested in understanding and closing the “reading gap” that exists between White and racially marginalized students. This study explored whether group differences in inference strategies (i.e., bridging and elaboration) and comprehension performance existed among college readers. Three hundred college participants who self-identified as White, Black, or Hispanic completed a think-aloud task along with measures of reading proficiency and comprehension. Results from hierarchical regression models indicated that group differences in elaborative strategies were present, but differences in bridging strategies and comprehension performance disappeared when foundational skills in reading were included in the models. The results are explained in terms of inequities in educational experiences prior to entering college.