On Hölder calmness of solution mappings in parametric equilibrium problems
- Anh, Lam Quoc, Kruger, Alexander, Thao, Nguyen
- Authors: Anh, Lam Quoc , Kruger, Alexander , Thao, Nguyen
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: TOP Vol. 22, no. 1 (2012), p. 331-342
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: We consider parametric equilibrium problems in metric spaces. Sufficient conditions for the Hölder calmness of solutions are established. We also study the Hölder well-posedness for equilibrium problems in metric spaces.
- Authors: Anh, Lam Quoc , Kruger, Alexander , Thao, Nguyen
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: TOP Vol. 22, no. 1 (2012), p. 331-342
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: We consider parametric equilibrium problems in metric spaces. Sufficient conditions for the Hölder calmness of solutions are established. We also study the Hölder well-posedness for equilibrium problems in metric spaces.
Exploring monitoring, work environment and flexibility as predictors of job satisfaction within Australian call centres
- Annakis, John, Lobo, Antonio, Pillay, Soma
- Authors: Annakis, John , Lobo, Antonio , Pillay, Soma
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Business and Management Vol. 6, no. 8 (2011), p. 75-93
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this paper is to investigate predictors of workers’ job satisfaction from the labour process and equity theoretical perspectives. The study employed a qualitative approach and draws on data from in depth focus groups of customer service representatives (CSR). The sample for this study was drawn from three Australian call centres operating in a variety of business sectors. The study highlights that three dimensions: monitoring, flexibility and work environment are significantly correlated to CSR job satisfaction. Developing an understanding of these dimensions is critical to understanding CSR job satisfaction perceptions in an industry which exhibits high labour turnover and absenteeism. This study provides new insights on how to manage effectively job satisfaction within call centre environments through the incorporation of more multi-dimensional aspects that are considered to be strong determinants of CSR job satisfaction. The study contributes to the literature by investigating a more multi-dimensional approach to studying job satisfaction in call centre environments. The intensive case study approach highlights the implications for HRM.
- Authors: Annakis, John , Lobo, Antonio , Pillay, Soma
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Business and Management Vol. 6, no. 8 (2011), p. 75-93
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this paper is to investigate predictors of workers’ job satisfaction from the labour process and equity theoretical perspectives. The study employed a qualitative approach and draws on data from in depth focus groups of customer service representatives (CSR). The sample for this study was drawn from three Australian call centres operating in a variety of business sectors. The study highlights that three dimensions: monitoring, flexibility and work environment are significantly correlated to CSR job satisfaction. Developing an understanding of these dimensions is critical to understanding CSR job satisfaction perceptions in an industry which exhibits high labour turnover and absenteeism. This study provides new insights on how to manage effectively job satisfaction within call centre environments through the incorporation of more multi-dimensional aspects that are considered to be strong determinants of CSR job satisfaction. The study contributes to the literature by investigating a more multi-dimensional approach to studying job satisfaction in call centre environments. The intensive case study approach highlights the implications for HRM.
The impact of bilateral anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the premotor and cerebellar cortices on physiological and performance parameters of gymnastic athletes : a randomized, cross-over, sham-controlled study
- Anoushiravani, Sajjad, Alizadehgoradel, Jaber, Iranpour, Asgar, Yousefi Bilehsavar, Omid, Pouresmali, Asghar, Nitsche, Michael, Salehinejad, Mohammad, Mosayebi-Samani, Mohsen, Zoghi, Maryam
- Authors: Anoushiravani, Sajjad , Alizadehgoradel, Jaber , Iranpour, Asgar , Yousefi Bilehsavar, Omid , Pouresmali, Asghar , Nitsche, Michael , Salehinejad, Mohammad , Mosayebi-Samani, Mohsen , Zoghi, Maryam
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 13, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Professional sports performance relies critically on the interaction between the brain and muscles during movement. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique which modulates cortical excitability and can be used to improve motor performance in athletes. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of bilateral anodal tDCS (2 mA, 20 min) over the premotor cortex or cerebellum on motor and physiological functions and peak performance of professional gymnastics athletes. Seventeen professional gymnastics athletes participated in a randomized, sham-controlled, crossover study. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of two anodal tDCS protocols (2 mA, 20 min) with stimulation over the bilateral premotor cortex or cerebellum with the return electrodes placed over the opposite supraorbital areas. Power speed, strength coordination, endurance, static and dynamic strength, static and dynamic flexibility, and rating of perceived exertion were measured before and immediately after tDCS interventions (bilateral anodal tDCS over premotor cortices, anodal tDCS over the cerebellum, and sham tDCS). Additionally, physiological muscle performance parameters, including maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of upper body muscles, were assessed during tDCS. Bilateral anodal tDCS over the premotor cortex, compared to anodal tDCS over the cerebellum and sham tDCS conditions, significantly improved power speed, strength coordination, and static and dynamic strength variables of professional gymnastics athletes. Furthermore, bilateral anodal tDCS over the cerebellum, compared to sham tDCS, significantly improved strength coordination. Moreover, bilateral premotor anodal tDCS significantly increased MVIC of all upper body muscles during stimulation, while anodal tDCS over the cerebellum increased MVIC in only some muscles. Bilateral anodal tDCS over the premotor cortex, and to a minor degree over the cerebellum, might be suited to improve some aspects of motor and physiological functions and peak performance levels of professional gymnastics athletes. Clinical Trial Registration ID: IRCT20180724040579N2. © 2023, The Author(s).
- Authors: Anoushiravani, Sajjad , Alizadehgoradel, Jaber , Iranpour, Asgar , Yousefi Bilehsavar, Omid , Pouresmali, Asghar , Nitsche, Michael , Salehinejad, Mohammad , Mosayebi-Samani, Mohsen , Zoghi, Maryam
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 13, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Professional sports performance relies critically on the interaction between the brain and muscles during movement. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique which modulates cortical excitability and can be used to improve motor performance in athletes. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of bilateral anodal tDCS (2 mA, 20 min) over the premotor cortex or cerebellum on motor and physiological functions and peak performance of professional gymnastics athletes. Seventeen professional gymnastics athletes participated in a randomized, sham-controlled, crossover study. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of two anodal tDCS protocols (2 mA, 20 min) with stimulation over the bilateral premotor cortex or cerebellum with the return electrodes placed over the opposite supraorbital areas. Power speed, strength coordination, endurance, static and dynamic strength, static and dynamic flexibility, and rating of perceived exertion were measured before and immediately after tDCS interventions (bilateral anodal tDCS over premotor cortices, anodal tDCS over the cerebellum, and sham tDCS). Additionally, physiological muscle performance parameters, including maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of upper body muscles, were assessed during tDCS. Bilateral anodal tDCS over the premotor cortex, compared to anodal tDCS over the cerebellum and sham tDCS conditions, significantly improved power speed, strength coordination, and static and dynamic strength variables of professional gymnastics athletes. Furthermore, bilateral anodal tDCS over the cerebellum, compared to sham tDCS, significantly improved strength coordination. Moreover, bilateral premotor anodal tDCS significantly increased MVIC of all upper body muscles during stimulation, while anodal tDCS over the cerebellum increased MVIC in only some muscles. Bilateral anodal tDCS over the premotor cortex, and to a minor degree over the cerebellum, might be suited to improve some aspects of motor and physiological functions and peak performance levels of professional gymnastics athletes. Clinical Trial Registration ID: IRCT20180724040579N2. © 2023, The Author(s).
Defining timeliness in care for patients with lung cancer : protocol for a scoping review
- Ansar, Adnan, Lewis, Virginia, McDonald, Christine, Liu, Chaojie, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Authors: Ansar, Adnan , Lewis, Virginia , McDonald, Christine , Liu, Chaojie , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMJ Open Vol. 10, no. 11 (2020), p. 1-7
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and lung cancer is the single leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis of lung cancer is the key to better prognosis and longer survival. While there are substantial literature reporting delays in cancer diagnosis, there is a lack of consensus in the definitions and terms used to describe a € delay' in the treatment pathway. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and critically synthesise the operational definitions and terminologies used to describe the timely initiation of care and consequent treatments over the care pathway for patients with lung cancer. This scoping review will also compare how timeliness was operationalised in Western and Asian countries. Methods and analysis The scoping review will use the methodology described by Arksey and O'Malley and endorsed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO electronic databases will be searched. Grey literature sources and the reference lists of key studies will be used to identify additional relevant studies. The scoping review will include all studies, irrespective of study methodology and quality. Two reviewers will independently screen all titles and abstracts to identify eligible studies for inclusion. The full texts of identified studies will be further examined and charted using a data extraction form. A narrative synthesis will be performed to assess and categorise available definitions of timeliness. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not needed as this scoping review will be reviewing already published articles. The results produced from this review will be submitted to a scientific peer-reviewed journal for publication and will be presented at scientific meetings. ©
- Authors: Ansar, Adnan , Lewis, Virginia , McDonald, Christine , Liu, Chaojie , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMJ Open Vol. 10, no. 11 (2020), p. 1-7
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and lung cancer is the single leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis of lung cancer is the key to better prognosis and longer survival. While there are substantial literature reporting delays in cancer diagnosis, there is a lack of consensus in the definitions and terms used to describe a € delay' in the treatment pathway. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and critically synthesise the operational definitions and terminologies used to describe the timely initiation of care and consequent treatments over the care pathway for patients with lung cancer. This scoping review will also compare how timeliness was operationalised in Western and Asian countries. Methods and analysis The scoping review will use the methodology described by Arksey and O'Malley and endorsed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO electronic databases will be searched. Grey literature sources and the reference lists of key studies will be used to identify additional relevant studies. The scoping review will include all studies, irrespective of study methodology and quality. Two reviewers will independently screen all titles and abstracts to identify eligible studies for inclusion. The full texts of identified studies will be further examined and charted using a data extraction form. A narrative synthesis will be performed to assess and categorise available definitions of timeliness. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not needed as this scoping review will be reviewing already published articles. The results produced from this review will be submitted to a scientific peer-reviewed journal for publication and will be presented at scientific meetings. ©
Duration of intervals in the care seeking pathway for lung cancer in Bangladesh : a journey from symptoms triggering consultation to receipt of treatment
- Ansar, Adnan, Lewis, Virginia, McDonald, Christine, Liu, , Chaojie, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Authors: Ansar, Adnan , Lewis, Virginia , McDonald, Christine , Liu, , Chaojie , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 16, no. 9 September (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Timeliness in seeking care is critical for lung cancer patients survival and better prognosis. The care seeking trajectory of patients with lung cancer in Bangladesh has not been explored, despite the differences in health systems and structures compared to high income countries. This study investigated the symptoms triggering healthcare seeking, preferred healthcare providers (including informal healthcare providers such as pharmacy retailers, village doctors, and "traditional healers"), and the duration of intervals in the lung cancer care pathway of patients in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh among diagnosed lung cancer patients through face-Toface interview and medical record review. Time intervals from onset of symptom and care seeking events were calculated and compared between those who sought initial care from different providers using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Among 418 study participants, the majority (90%) of whom were males, with a mean age of 57 ±9.86 years, cough and chest pain were the most common (23%) combination of symptoms triggering healthcare seeking. About two-Thirds of the total respondents (60%) went to informal healthcare providers as their first point of contact. Living in rural areas, lower levels of education and lower income were associated with seeking care from such providers. The median duration between onset of symptom to confirmation of diagnosis was 121 days, between confirmation of diagnosis and initiation of treatment was 22 days, and between onset of symptom and initiation of treatment was 151 days. Pre-diagnosis durations were longer for those who had sought initial care from an informal provider (p<0.05). Time to first contact with a health provider was shorter in this study compared to other developed and developing countries but utilizing informal healthcare providers caused delays in diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Encouraging people to seek care from a formal healthcare provider may reduce the overall duration of the care seeking pathway. © 2021 Public Library of Science. All rights reserved.
- Authors: Ansar, Adnan , Lewis, Virginia , McDonald, Christine , Liu, , Chaojie , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 16, no. 9 September (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Timeliness in seeking care is critical for lung cancer patients survival and better prognosis. The care seeking trajectory of patients with lung cancer in Bangladesh has not been explored, despite the differences in health systems and structures compared to high income countries. This study investigated the symptoms triggering healthcare seeking, preferred healthcare providers (including informal healthcare providers such as pharmacy retailers, village doctors, and "traditional healers"), and the duration of intervals in the lung cancer care pathway of patients in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh among diagnosed lung cancer patients through face-Toface interview and medical record review. Time intervals from onset of symptom and care seeking events were calculated and compared between those who sought initial care from different providers using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Among 418 study participants, the majority (90%) of whom were males, with a mean age of 57 ±9.86 years, cough and chest pain were the most common (23%) combination of symptoms triggering healthcare seeking. About two-Thirds of the total respondents (60%) went to informal healthcare providers as their first point of contact. Living in rural areas, lower levels of education and lower income were associated with seeking care from such providers. The median duration between onset of symptom to confirmation of diagnosis was 121 days, between confirmation of diagnosis and initiation of treatment was 22 days, and between onset of symptom and initiation of treatment was 151 days. Pre-diagnosis durations were longer for those who had sought initial care from an informal provider (p<0.05). Time to first contact with a health provider was shorter in this study compared to other developed and developing countries but utilizing informal healthcare providers caused delays in diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Encouraging people to seek care from a formal healthcare provider may reduce the overall duration of the care seeking pathway. © 2021 Public Library of Science. All rights reserved.
Defining timeliness in care for patients with lung cancer : a scoping review
- Ansar, Adnan, Lewis, Virginia, McDonald, Christine, Liu, Chaojie, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Authors: Ansar, Adnan , Lewis, Virginia , McDonald, Christine , Liu, Chaojie , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: BMJ Open Vol. 12, no. 4 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives Early diagnosis and reducing the time taken to achieve each step of lung cancer care is essential. This scoping review aimed to examine time points and intervals used to measure timeliness and to critically assess how they are defined by existing studies of the care seeking pathway for lung cancer. Methods This scoping review was guided by the methodological framework for scoping reviews by Arksey and O'Malley. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO electronic databases were searched for articles published between 1999 and 2019. After duplicate removal, all publications went through title and abstract screening followed by full text review and inclusion of articles in the review against the selection criteria. A narrative synthesis describes the time points, intervals and measurement guidelines used by the included articles. Results A total of 2113 articles were identified from the initial search. Finally, 68 articles were included for data charting process. Eight time points and 14 intervals were identified as the most common events researched by the articles. Eighteen different lung cancer care guidelines were used to benchmark intervals in the included articles; all were developed in Western countries. The British Thoracic Society guideline was the most frequently used guideline (20%). Western guidelines were used by the studies in Asian countries despite differences in the health system structure. Conclusion This review identified substantial variations in definitions of some of the intervals used to describe timeliness of care for lung cancer. The differences in healthcare delivery systems of Asian and Western countries, and between high-income countries and low-income-middle-income countries may suggest different sets of time points and intervals need to be developed. ©
- Authors: Ansar, Adnan , Lewis, Virginia , McDonald, Christine , Liu, Chaojie , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: BMJ Open Vol. 12, no. 4 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives Early diagnosis and reducing the time taken to achieve each step of lung cancer care is essential. This scoping review aimed to examine time points and intervals used to measure timeliness and to critically assess how they are defined by existing studies of the care seeking pathway for lung cancer. Methods This scoping review was guided by the methodological framework for scoping reviews by Arksey and O'Malley. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO electronic databases were searched for articles published between 1999 and 2019. After duplicate removal, all publications went through title and abstract screening followed by full text review and inclusion of articles in the review against the selection criteria. A narrative synthesis describes the time points, intervals and measurement guidelines used by the included articles. Results A total of 2113 articles were identified from the initial search. Finally, 68 articles were included for data charting process. Eight time points and 14 intervals were identified as the most common events researched by the articles. Eighteen different lung cancer care guidelines were used to benchmark intervals in the included articles; all were developed in Western countries. The British Thoracic Society guideline was the most frequently used guideline (20%). Western guidelines were used by the studies in Asian countries despite differences in the health system structure. Conclusion This review identified substantial variations in definitions of some of the intervals used to describe timeliness of care for lung cancer. The differences in healthcare delivery systems of Asian and Western countries, and between high-income countries and low-income-middle-income countries may suggest different sets of time points and intervals need to be developed. ©
Factors influencing the timeliness of care for patients with lung cancer in Bangladesh
- Ansar, Adnan, Lewis, Virginia, McDonald, Christine, Liu, Chaojie, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Authors: Ansar, Adnan , Lewis, Virginia , McDonald, Christine , Liu, Chaojie , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Health Services Research Vol. 23, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: This study explored the factors associated with timeliness of care in the healthcare seeking pathway among patients with lung cancer in Bangladesh. Methods: A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from 418 patients with lung cancer through face-to-face interviews in three tertiary care hospitals. Log-rank tests were performed to test differences in the length of intervals between points in healthcare by socioeconomic characteristics and care seeking behaviours of the patients. Cox Proportional Hazard (PH) regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of the intervals after adjustment for variations in other variables. Results: A higher education level was associated significantly (p < 0.05) with a shorter interval between first contact with a healthcare provider (HCP) and diagnosis (median 81 days) and initiation of treatment (median 101 days). Higher monthly household income was associated significantly with a shorter time from first contact and diagnosis (median 91 days), onset of symptom and diagnosis (median 99 days), onset of symptom and treatment (median 122 days), and first contact with any HCP to treatment (median 111 days). Consulting with additional HCPs prior to diagnosis was associated significantly with longer intervals from first contact with any HCP and diagnosis (median 127 days), onset of symptom and diagnosis (median 154 days), onset of symptom and treatment (median 205 days), and first contact with any HCP to treatment (median 174 days). Consulting with informal HCPs was associated significantly with a longer time interval from symptom to treatment (median 171 days). Having more than one triggering symptom was associated significantly with a shorter interval between onset of symptoms and first contact with any HCP. Conclusion: The predictors for timeliness of lung cancer care used in this study affected different intervals in the care seeking pathway. Higher education and income predicted shorter intervals whereas consulting informal healthcare providers and multiple providers were associated with longer intervals. © 2023, The Author(s).
- Authors: Ansar, Adnan , Lewis, Virginia , McDonald, Christine , Liu, Chaojie , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Health Services Research Vol. 23, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: This study explored the factors associated with timeliness of care in the healthcare seeking pathway among patients with lung cancer in Bangladesh. Methods: A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from 418 patients with lung cancer through face-to-face interviews in three tertiary care hospitals. Log-rank tests were performed to test differences in the length of intervals between points in healthcare by socioeconomic characteristics and care seeking behaviours of the patients. Cox Proportional Hazard (PH) regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of the intervals after adjustment for variations in other variables. Results: A higher education level was associated significantly (p < 0.05) with a shorter interval between first contact with a healthcare provider (HCP) and diagnosis (median 81 days) and initiation of treatment (median 101 days). Higher monthly household income was associated significantly with a shorter time from first contact and diagnosis (median 91 days), onset of symptom and diagnosis (median 99 days), onset of symptom and treatment (median 122 days), and first contact with any HCP to treatment (median 111 days). Consulting with additional HCPs prior to diagnosis was associated significantly with longer intervals from first contact with any HCP and diagnosis (median 127 days), onset of symptom and diagnosis (median 154 days), onset of symptom and treatment (median 205 days), and first contact with any HCP to treatment (median 174 days). Consulting with informal HCPs was associated significantly with a longer time interval from symptom to treatment (median 171 days). Having more than one triggering symptom was associated significantly with a shorter interval between onset of symptoms and first contact with any HCP. Conclusion: The predictors for timeliness of lung cancer care used in this study affected different intervals in the care seeking pathway. Higher education and income predicted shorter intervals whereas consulting informal healthcare providers and multiple providers were associated with longer intervals. © 2023, The Author(s).
Automated segmentation of mouse OCT volumes (ASiMOV): Validation & clinical study of a light damage model
- Antony, Bhavna, Kim, Byung-Jin, Lang, Andrew, Carass, Aaron, Prince, Jerry, Zack, Donald
- Authors: Antony, Bhavna , Kim, Byung-Jin , Lang, Andrew , Carass, Aaron , Prince, Jerry , Zack, Donald
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS One Vol. 12, no. 8 (2017), p. e0181059-e0181059
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The use of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is becoming commonplace for the in vivo longitudinal study of murine models of ophthalmic disease. Longitudinal studies, however, generate large quantities of data, the manual analysis of which is very challenging due to the time-consuming nature of generating delineations. Thus, it is of importance that automated algorithms be developed to facilitate accurate and timely analysis of these large datasets. Furthermore, as the models target a variety of diseases, the associated structural changes can also be extremely disparate. For instance, in the light damage (LD) model, which is frequently used to study photoreceptor degeneration, the outer retina appears dramatically different from the normal retina. To address these concerns, we have developed a flexible graph-based algorithm for the automated segmentation of mouse OCT volumes (ASiMOV). This approach incorporates a machine-learning component that can be easily trained for different disease models. To validate ASiMOV, the automated results were compared to manual delineations obtained from three raters on healthy and BALB/cJ mice post LD. It was also used to study a longitudinal LD model, where five control and five LD mice were imaged at four timepoints post LD. The total retinal thickness and the outer retina (comprising the outer nuclear layer, and inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors) were unchanged the day after the LD, but subsequently thinned significantly (p < 0.01). The retinal nerve fiber-ganglion cell complex and the inner plexiform layers, however, remained unchanged for the duration of the study.
- Authors: Antony, Bhavna , Kim, Byung-Jin , Lang, Andrew , Carass, Aaron , Prince, Jerry , Zack, Donald
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS One Vol. 12, no. 8 (2017), p. e0181059-e0181059
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The use of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is becoming commonplace for the in vivo longitudinal study of murine models of ophthalmic disease. Longitudinal studies, however, generate large quantities of data, the manual analysis of which is very challenging due to the time-consuming nature of generating delineations. Thus, it is of importance that automated algorithms be developed to facilitate accurate and timely analysis of these large datasets. Furthermore, as the models target a variety of diseases, the associated structural changes can also be extremely disparate. For instance, in the light damage (LD) model, which is frequently used to study photoreceptor degeneration, the outer retina appears dramatically different from the normal retina. To address these concerns, we have developed a flexible graph-based algorithm for the automated segmentation of mouse OCT volumes (ASiMOV). This approach incorporates a machine-learning component that can be easily trained for different disease models. To validate ASiMOV, the automated results were compared to manual delineations obtained from three raters on healthy and BALB/cJ mice post LD. It was also used to study a longitudinal LD model, where five control and five LD mice were imaged at four timepoints post LD. The total retinal thickness and the outer retina (comprising the outer nuclear layer, and inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors) were unchanged the day after the LD, but subsequently thinned significantly (p < 0.01). The retinal nerve fiber-ganglion cell complex and the inner plexiform layers, however, remained unchanged for the duration of the study.
A systematic review of Lean in healthcare : a global prospective
- Antony, Jiju, Sunder, Vijaya, Sreedharan, Raja, Chakraborty, Ayon, Gunasekaran, Angappa
- Authors: Antony, Jiju , Sunder, Vijaya , Sreedharan, Raja , Chakraborty, Ayon , Gunasekaran, Angappa
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management Vol. 36, no. 8 (2019), p. 1370-1391
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose: Fostered by a rapid spread beyond the manufacturing sector, Lean philosophy for continuous improvement has been widely used in service organizations, primarily in the healthcare sector. However, there is a limited research on the motivating factors, challenges and benefits of implementing Lean in healthcare. Taking this as a valuable opportunity, the purpose of this paper is to present the key motivating factors, limitations or challenges of Lean deployment, benefits of Lean in healthcare and key gaps in the literature as an agenda for future research. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used the secondary data from the literature (peer-reviewed journal articles) published between 2000 and 2016 to understand the state of the art. The systematic review identified 101 articles across 88 journals recognized by the Association of Business Schools ranking guide 2015. Findings: The systematic review helped the authors to identify the evolution, current trends, research gaps and an agenda for future research for Lean in healthcare. A bouquet of motivating factors, challenges/limitations and benefits of Lean in healthcare are presented. Practical implications: The implications of this work include directions for managers and healthcare professionals in healthcare organizations to embark on a focused Lean journey aligned with the strategic objectives. This work could serve as a valuable resource to both practitioners and researchers for learning, investigating and rightly adapting the Lean in the healthcare sector. Originality/value: This study is perhaps one of the comprehensive systematic literature reviews covering an important agenda of Lean in Healthcare. All the text, figures and tables featured here are original work carried by five authors in collaboration (from three countries, namely, India, the USA and the UK). © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
- Authors: Antony, Jiju , Sunder, Vijaya , Sreedharan, Raja , Chakraborty, Ayon , Gunasekaran, Angappa
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management Vol. 36, no. 8 (2019), p. 1370-1391
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose: Fostered by a rapid spread beyond the manufacturing sector, Lean philosophy for continuous improvement has been widely used in service organizations, primarily in the healthcare sector. However, there is a limited research on the motivating factors, challenges and benefits of implementing Lean in healthcare. Taking this as a valuable opportunity, the purpose of this paper is to present the key motivating factors, limitations or challenges of Lean deployment, benefits of Lean in healthcare and key gaps in the literature as an agenda for future research. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used the secondary data from the literature (peer-reviewed journal articles) published between 2000 and 2016 to understand the state of the art. The systematic review identified 101 articles across 88 journals recognized by the Association of Business Schools ranking guide 2015. Findings: The systematic review helped the authors to identify the evolution, current trends, research gaps and an agenda for future research for Lean in healthcare. A bouquet of motivating factors, challenges/limitations and benefits of Lean in healthcare are presented. Practical implications: The implications of this work include directions for managers and healthcare professionals in healthcare organizations to embark on a focused Lean journey aligned with the strategic objectives. This work could serve as a valuable resource to both practitioners and researchers for learning, investigating and rightly adapting the Lean in the healthcare sector. Originality/value: This study is perhaps one of the comprehensive systematic literature reviews covering an important agenda of Lean in Healthcare. All the text, figures and tables featured here are original work carried by five authors in collaboration (from three countries, namely, India, the USA and the UK). © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Introduced birds in urban remnant vegetation: Does remnant size really matter?
- Antos, Mark, Fitzsimons, John, Palmer, Grant, White, James
- Authors: Antos, Mark , Fitzsimons, John , Palmer, Grant , White, James
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Austral Ecology Vol. 31, no. 2 (2006), p. 254-261
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduced birds are a pervasive and dominant element of urban ecosystems. We examined the richness and relative abundance of introduced bird species in small (1-5 ha) medium (6-15 ha) and large (>15 ha) remnants of native vegetation within an urban matrix. Transects were surveyed during breeding and non-breeding seasons. There was a significant relationship between introduced species richness and remnant size with larger remnants supporting more introduced species. There was no significant difference in relative abundance of introduced species in remnants of different sizes. Introduced species, as a proportion of the relative abundance of the total avifauna (native and introduced species), did not vary significantly between remnants of differing sizes. There were significant differences in the composition of introduced bird species between the different remnant sizes, with large remnants supporting significantly different assemblages than medium and small remnants. Other variables also have substantial effects on the abundance of introduced bird species. The lack of significant differences in abundance between remnant sizes suggests they were all equally susceptible to invasion. No patches in the urban matrix are likely to be unaffected by introduced species. The effective long-term control of introduced bird species is difficult and resources may be better spent managing habitat in a way which renders it less suitable for introduced species (e.g. reducing areas of disturbed ground and weed dominated areas).
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001638
- Authors: Antos, Mark , Fitzsimons, John , Palmer, Grant , White, James
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Austral Ecology Vol. 31, no. 2 (2006), p. 254-261
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduced birds are a pervasive and dominant element of urban ecosystems. We examined the richness and relative abundance of introduced bird species in small (1-5 ha) medium (6-15 ha) and large (>15 ha) remnants of native vegetation within an urban matrix. Transects were surveyed during breeding and non-breeding seasons. There was a significant relationship between introduced species richness and remnant size with larger remnants supporting more introduced species. There was no significant difference in relative abundance of introduced species in remnants of different sizes. Introduced species, as a proportion of the relative abundance of the total avifauna (native and introduced species), did not vary significantly between remnants of differing sizes. There were significant differences in the composition of introduced bird species between the different remnant sizes, with large remnants supporting significantly different assemblages than medium and small remnants. Other variables also have substantial effects on the abundance of introduced bird species. The lack of significant differences in abundance between remnant sizes suggests they were all equally susceptible to invasion. No patches in the urban matrix are likely to be unaffected by introduced species. The effective long-term control of introduced bird species is difficult and resources may be better spent managing habitat in a way which renders it less suitable for introduced species (e.g. reducing areas of disturbed ground and weed dominated areas).
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001638
Investigating lebanese primary school teachers’ perceptions of gifted and highly able students
- Antoun, Maya, Kronborg, Leonie, Plunkett, Margaret
- Authors: Antoun, Maya , Kronborg, Leonie , Plunkett, Margaret
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Gifted and Talented International Vol. 35, no.1 (2020), p. 39-57
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article outlines findings of a study that investigated perceptions of Lebanese primary school teachers in relation to gifted/highly able students. While there are no specific policy or formal school practices for gifted students in Lebanon, education is nonetheless highly regarded. The aim of the study was to determine whether there were cultural differences in the way giftedness in students was perceived and supported by teachers at the primary school level in comparison to Western conceptualizations and provisions. A study utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods underpinned the gathering of data from 281 teachers across three governorates of Lebanon. Of the 281 teachers who completed the survey, 12 also participated in the qualitative component, which involved individual semistructured interviews. Findings suggested a generally positive attitude by teachers but also an acknowledgment of limited awareness of evidence based on Western understandings and practices associated with gifted education. The resultant data provided insights regarding the implementation of effective teacher education and concomitant support to improve identification. © 2020, © 2020 World Council for Gifted and Talented Children.
- Authors: Antoun, Maya , Kronborg, Leonie , Plunkett, Margaret
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Gifted and Talented International Vol. 35, no.1 (2020), p. 39-57
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article outlines findings of a study that investigated perceptions of Lebanese primary school teachers in relation to gifted/highly able students. While there are no specific policy or formal school practices for gifted students in Lebanon, education is nonetheless highly regarded. The aim of the study was to determine whether there were cultural differences in the way giftedness in students was perceived and supported by teachers at the primary school level in comparison to Western conceptualizations and provisions. A study utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods underpinned the gathering of data from 281 teachers across three governorates of Lebanon. Of the 281 teachers who completed the survey, 12 also participated in the qualitative component, which involved individual semistructured interviews. Findings suggested a generally positive attitude by teachers but also an acknowledgment of limited awareness of evidence based on Western understandings and practices associated with gifted education. The resultant data provided insights regarding the implementation of effective teacher education and concomitant support to improve identification. © 2020, © 2020 World Council for Gifted and Talented Children.
Secure big data ecosystem architecture : challenges and solutions
- Anwar, Memoona, Gill, Asif, Hussain, Farookh, Imran, Muhammad
- Authors: Anwar, Memoona , Gill, Asif , Hussain, Farookh , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Eurasip Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking Vol. 2021, no. 1 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Big data ecosystems are complex data-intensive, digital–physical systems. Data-intensive ecosystems offer a number of benefits; however, they present challenges as well. One major challenge is related to the privacy and security. A number of privacy and security models, techniques and algorithms have been proposed over a period of time. The limitation is that these solutions are primarily focused on an individual or on an isolated organizational context. There is a need to study and provide complete end-to-end solutions that ensure security and privacy throughout the data lifecycle across the ecosystem beyond the boundary of an individual system or organizational context. The results of current study provide a review of the existing privacy and security challenges and solutions using the systematic literature review (SLR) approach. Based on the SLR approach, 79 applicable articles were selected and analyzed. The information from these articles was extracted to compile a catalogue of security and privacy challenges in big data ecosystems and to highlight their interdependencies. The results were categorized from theoretical viewpoint using adaptive enterprise architecture and practical viewpoint using DAMA framework as guiding lens. The findings of this research will help to identify the research gaps and draw novel research directions in the context of privacy and security in big data-intensive ecosystems. © 2021, The Author(s).
- Authors: Anwar, Memoona , Gill, Asif , Hussain, Farookh , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Eurasip Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking Vol. 2021, no. 1 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Big data ecosystems are complex data-intensive, digital–physical systems. Data-intensive ecosystems offer a number of benefits; however, they present challenges as well. One major challenge is related to the privacy and security. A number of privacy and security models, techniques and algorithms have been proposed over a period of time. The limitation is that these solutions are primarily focused on an individual or on an isolated organizational context. There is a need to study and provide complete end-to-end solutions that ensure security and privacy throughout the data lifecycle across the ecosystem beyond the boundary of an individual system or organizational context. The results of current study provide a review of the existing privacy and security challenges and solutions using the systematic literature review (SLR) approach. Based on the SLR approach, 79 applicable articles were selected and analyzed. The information from these articles was extracted to compile a catalogue of security and privacy challenges in big data ecosystems and to highlight their interdependencies. The results were categorized from theoretical viewpoint using adaptive enterprise architecture and practical viewpoint using DAMA framework as guiding lens. The findings of this research will help to identify the research gaps and draw novel research directions in the context of privacy and security in big data-intensive ecosystems. © 2021, The Author(s).
Regulation of the rabbit's once-daily pattern of nursing : A circadian or hourglass-dependent process?
- Apel, Sabine, Hudson, Robyn, Coleman, Grahame, Rodel, Heiko, Kennedy, Gerard
- Authors: Apel, Sabine , Hudson, Robyn , Coleman, Grahame , Rodel, Heiko , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Chronobiology International Vol. 37, no. 8 (2020), p. 1151-1162
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The European rabbitOryctolagus cuniculushas an unusual pattern of nursing behavior. After giving birth in a nursery burrow (or laboratory nest box), the mother immediately leaves the young and only returns to nurse for a few minutes once approximately every 24 h. It has been assumed this schedule, like a variety of other functions in the rabbit, is under circadian control. This assumption has been largely based on findings from mothers only permitted restricted access to their young once every 24 h. However, in nature and in the laboratory, mothers with free access to young show nursing visits with a periodicity shorter than 24 h, that does not correspond to other behavioral and physiological rhythms entrained to the prevailing 24 h light/dark (LD) cycle. To investigate how this unusual, apparently non-circadian pattern might be regulated, we conducted two experiments using female Dutch-belted rabbits housed individually in cages designed to automatically register feeding activity and nest box visits. In Experiment 1 we recorded the behavior of 17 mothers with free access to their young under five different LD cycles with long photo and short scotoperiods, spanning the limits of entrainment of the rabbit's circadian system. Whereas feeding rhythms were entrained by LD cycles within the rabbit's circadian range of entrainment, nursing visits showed a consistently shorter periodicity regardless of the LD regimen, largely independent of the circadian system. In Experiment 2 we tested further 12 mothers under more conventional LD 16:8 cycles but "trained" by having access to the nest box restricted to 1 h at the same time each day for the first 7 d of nursing. Mothers were then allowed free access either when their young were left in the box (n= 6), or when the litter had been permanently removed (n= 6). Mothers with pups still present returned to nurse them on the following days according to a similarly advancing pattern to the mothers of Experiment 1 despite the previous 7 d of "training" to an experimentally enforced 24 h nursing schedule as commonly used in previous studies of rabbit maternal behavior. Mothers whose pups had been removed entered the box repeatedly several times on the first day of unrestricted access, but on subsequent days did so only rarely, and at times of day apparently unrelated to the previously scheduled access. We conclude that the pattern of the rabbit's once-daily nursing visits has a periodicity largely independent of the circadian system, and that this is reset at each nursing. When nursing fails to occur nest box visits cease abruptly, with mothers making few or no subsequent visits. Together, these findings suggest that the rabbit's once-daily pattern of nursing is regulated by an hourglass-type process with a period less than 24 h that is reset at each nursing, rather than by a circadian oscillator. Such a mechanism might be particularly adaptive for rhythms of short duration that should end abruptly with a sudden change in context such as death or weaning of the young.
- Description: This work was supported by the Australian Federal Government via a Postgraduate PhD Scholarship for Sabibe Apel [APA SA 1].
- Authors: Apel, Sabine , Hudson, Robyn , Coleman, Grahame , Rodel, Heiko , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Chronobiology International Vol. 37, no. 8 (2020), p. 1151-1162
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The European rabbitOryctolagus cuniculushas an unusual pattern of nursing behavior. After giving birth in a nursery burrow (or laboratory nest box), the mother immediately leaves the young and only returns to nurse for a few minutes once approximately every 24 h. It has been assumed this schedule, like a variety of other functions in the rabbit, is under circadian control. This assumption has been largely based on findings from mothers only permitted restricted access to their young once every 24 h. However, in nature and in the laboratory, mothers with free access to young show nursing visits with a periodicity shorter than 24 h, that does not correspond to other behavioral and physiological rhythms entrained to the prevailing 24 h light/dark (LD) cycle. To investigate how this unusual, apparently non-circadian pattern might be regulated, we conducted two experiments using female Dutch-belted rabbits housed individually in cages designed to automatically register feeding activity and nest box visits. In Experiment 1 we recorded the behavior of 17 mothers with free access to their young under five different LD cycles with long photo and short scotoperiods, spanning the limits of entrainment of the rabbit's circadian system. Whereas feeding rhythms were entrained by LD cycles within the rabbit's circadian range of entrainment, nursing visits showed a consistently shorter periodicity regardless of the LD regimen, largely independent of the circadian system. In Experiment 2 we tested further 12 mothers under more conventional LD 16:8 cycles but "trained" by having access to the nest box restricted to 1 h at the same time each day for the first 7 d of nursing. Mothers were then allowed free access either when their young were left in the box (n= 6), or when the litter had been permanently removed (n= 6). Mothers with pups still present returned to nurse them on the following days according to a similarly advancing pattern to the mothers of Experiment 1 despite the previous 7 d of "training" to an experimentally enforced 24 h nursing schedule as commonly used in previous studies of rabbit maternal behavior. Mothers whose pups had been removed entered the box repeatedly several times on the first day of unrestricted access, but on subsequent days did so only rarely, and at times of day apparently unrelated to the previously scheduled access. We conclude that the pattern of the rabbit's once-daily nursing visits has a periodicity largely independent of the circadian system, and that this is reset at each nursing. When nursing fails to occur nest box visits cease abruptly, with mothers making few or no subsequent visits. Together, these findings suggest that the rabbit's once-daily pattern of nursing is regulated by an hourglass-type process with a period less than 24 h that is reset at each nursing, rather than by a circadian oscillator. Such a mechanism might be particularly adaptive for rhythms of short duration that should end abruptly with a sudden change in context such as death or weaning of the young.
- Description: This work was supported by the Australian Federal Government via a Postgraduate PhD Scholarship for Sabibe Apel [APA SA 1].
To remain, migrate abroad or resettle : a complex dynamic process affecting Pakistani physicians' career decisions
- Arif, Muhammad, Cruickshank, Mary, Fraser, John
- Authors: Arif, Muhammad , Cruickshank, Mary , Fraser, John
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management Vol. 14, no. 3 (2019), p.
- Full Text:
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- Description: OBJECTIVE This study investigated Pakistani physicians' decision-making concerning their decisions to stay in Pakistan, migrate abroad, or resettle back into their country after working abroad. METHODS This qualitative study employed a phenomenological research design. Thirteen Pakistani physicians characterised as 'stayers', 'leavers' and 'resettlers' were interviewed via telephone to explore their lived experience in 2008-2009. RESULTS Results show a dynamic nature of the physicians' career decision-making depending on their constant weighing of complex personal, family, professional and societal factors. Stayers, leavers and resettlers are not mutually exclusive groups but rather individual physicians' can move between these groups at different stages of career and life. Physicians vary in their decision making. Stayers and resettlers place more emphasis on personal and family reasons and societal factors providing there is a permanent job for them. Leavers focus on health system problems and recent societal problems of personal and societal insecurity. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study indicates that physician migration, retention and resettlement is a complex issue and there are multiple personal, social, political and economic factors that affect their decisions to stay, move abroad or resettle back into their countries. Therefore, it is recommended that future research focusing on health workers retention, migration and resettlement issues look at it from a holistic perspective rather than focusing only on the economic and professional imperatives. The findings of this study have international implications for health care managers dealing with a highly mobile international medical workforce. Strategies considering different stages of the physician career/ life cycle need to highlight the importance of identity, belonging and place as doctors weigh this with career goals. © 2019 Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management. All Rights Reserved.
- Authors: Arif, Muhammad , Cruickshank, Mary , Fraser, John
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management Vol. 14, no. 3 (2019), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: OBJECTIVE This study investigated Pakistani physicians' decision-making concerning their decisions to stay in Pakistan, migrate abroad, or resettle back into their country after working abroad. METHODS This qualitative study employed a phenomenological research design. Thirteen Pakistani physicians characterised as 'stayers', 'leavers' and 'resettlers' were interviewed via telephone to explore their lived experience in 2008-2009. RESULTS Results show a dynamic nature of the physicians' career decision-making depending on their constant weighing of complex personal, family, professional and societal factors. Stayers, leavers and resettlers are not mutually exclusive groups but rather individual physicians' can move between these groups at different stages of career and life. Physicians vary in their decision making. Stayers and resettlers place more emphasis on personal and family reasons and societal factors providing there is a permanent job for them. Leavers focus on health system problems and recent societal problems of personal and societal insecurity. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study indicates that physician migration, retention and resettlement is a complex issue and there are multiple personal, social, political and economic factors that affect their decisions to stay, move abroad or resettle back into their countries. Therefore, it is recommended that future research focusing on health workers retention, migration and resettlement issues look at it from a holistic perspective rather than focusing only on the economic and professional imperatives. The findings of this study have international implications for health care managers dealing with a highly mobile international medical workforce. Strategies considering different stages of the physician career/ life cycle need to highlight the importance of identity, belonging and place as doctors weigh this with career goals. © 2019 Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management. All Rights Reserved.
An exploratory study of factors influencing pakistani physicians' retention and resettlement career decisions
- Arif, Muhammad, Fraser, John, Cruickshank, Mary
- Authors: Arif, Muhammad , Fraser, John , Cruickshank, Mary
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad : JAMC Vol. 34 , no. 3 (2022), p. S649-S659
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: The recruitment, retention and migration of health workers is a global phenomenon. The literature shows push factors associated with leaving rural areas and developing countries in general are explored in depth. However importantly, some health workers behave differently and decide to stay in or return to a developing country. Less is known about the reasons/ pull factors of this groups' decision making. Methods: This paper aims to explore the perceptions of Pakistani physicians regarding their career decisions to remain in their country, or resettle back after working abroad for some time. Thirteen Pakistani physicians were interviewed via telephones who were working in Pakistan and Australia. Results: The motivation for Pakistani physicians to remain or resettle back into their country stems from the perceived better quality of life in Pakistan compared to the better standard of life overseas. Other reasons include a perceived differentiation between locals and non-locals abroad and the availability of a permanent job in Pakistan. Conclusion: The main factors that contributed to Pakistani physicians' retention and resettlement decisions were mostly personal and family or societal factors and there was a minimal role for professional or health system related factors in their career decisions, except for the availability of permanent jobs in Pakistan.
- Authors: Arif, Muhammad , Fraser, John , Cruickshank, Mary
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad : JAMC Vol. 34 , no. 3 (2022), p. S649-S659
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: The recruitment, retention and migration of health workers is a global phenomenon. The literature shows push factors associated with leaving rural areas and developing countries in general are explored in depth. However importantly, some health workers behave differently and decide to stay in or return to a developing country. Less is known about the reasons/ pull factors of this groups' decision making. Methods: This paper aims to explore the perceptions of Pakistani physicians regarding their career decisions to remain in their country, or resettle back after working abroad for some time. Thirteen Pakistani physicians were interviewed via telephones who were working in Pakistan and Australia. Results: The motivation for Pakistani physicians to remain or resettle back into their country stems from the perceived better quality of life in Pakistan compared to the better standard of life overseas. Other reasons include a perceived differentiation between locals and non-locals abroad and the availability of a permanent job in Pakistan. Conclusion: The main factors that contributed to Pakistani physicians' retention and resettlement decisions were mostly personal and family or societal factors and there was a minimal role for professional or health system related factors in their career decisions, except for the availability of permanent jobs in Pakistan.
Investigating smart home security : is blockchain the answer?
- Arif, Samrah, Khan, M. Arif, Rehman, Sabih, Kabir, Muhammad, Imran, Muhammad
- Authors: Arif, Samrah , Khan, M. Arif , Rehman, Sabih , Kabir, Muhammad , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Access Vol. 8, no. (2020), p. 117802-117816
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Smart Home automation is increasingly gaining popularity among current applications of Internet of Things (IoT) due to the convenience and facilities it provides to the home owners. Sensors are employed within the home appliances via wireless connectivity to be accessible remotely by home owners to operate these devices. With the exponential increase of smart home IoT devices in the marketplace such as door locks, light bulbs, power switches etc, numerous security concerns are arising due to limited storage and processing power of such devices, making these devices vulnerable to several attacks. Due to this reason, security implementations in the deployment of these devices has gained popularity among researchers as a critical research area. Moreover, the adoption of traditional security schemes has failed to address the unique security concerns associated with these devices. Blockchain, a decentralised database based on cryptographic techniques, is gaining enormous attention to assure security of IoT systems. The blockchain framework within an IoT system is a fascinating substitute to the traditional centralised models, which has some significant concerns in fulfilling the demand of smart homes security. In this article, we aim to examine the security of smart homes by instigating the adoption of blockchain and exploring some of the currently proposed smart home architectures using blockchain technology. To present our findings, we describe a simple secure smart home framework based on a refined version of blockchain called Consortium blockchain. We highlight the limitations and opportunities of adopting such an architecture. We further evaluate our model and conclude with the results by designing an experimental testbed using a few household IoT devices commonly available in the marketplace. © 2013 IEEE.
- Authors: Arif, Samrah , Khan, M. Arif , Rehman, Sabih , Kabir, Muhammad , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Access Vol. 8, no. (2020), p. 117802-117816
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Smart Home automation is increasingly gaining popularity among current applications of Internet of Things (IoT) due to the convenience and facilities it provides to the home owners. Sensors are employed within the home appliances via wireless connectivity to be accessible remotely by home owners to operate these devices. With the exponential increase of smart home IoT devices in the marketplace such as door locks, light bulbs, power switches etc, numerous security concerns are arising due to limited storage and processing power of such devices, making these devices vulnerable to several attacks. Due to this reason, security implementations in the deployment of these devices has gained popularity among researchers as a critical research area. Moreover, the adoption of traditional security schemes has failed to address the unique security concerns associated with these devices. Blockchain, a decentralised database based on cryptographic techniques, is gaining enormous attention to assure security of IoT systems. The blockchain framework within an IoT system is a fascinating substitute to the traditional centralised models, which has some significant concerns in fulfilling the demand of smart homes security. In this article, we aim to examine the security of smart homes by instigating the adoption of blockchain and exploring some of the currently proposed smart home architectures using blockchain technology. To present our findings, we describe a simple secure smart home framework based on a refined version of blockchain called Consortium blockchain. We highlight the limitations and opportunities of adopting such an architecture. We further evaluate our model and conclude with the results by designing an experimental testbed using a few household IoT devices commonly available in the marketplace. © 2013 IEEE.
Real-time big data processing for anomaly detection : a survey
- Ariyaluran Habeeb, Riyaz, Nasaruddin, Fariza, Gani, Abdullah, Targio Hashem, Ibrahim, Ahmed, Ejaz, Imran, Muhammad
- Authors: Ariyaluran Habeeb, Riyaz , Nasaruddin, Fariza , Gani, Abdullah , Targio Hashem, Ibrahim , Ahmed, Ejaz , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Information Management Vol. 45, no. (2019), p. 289-307
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The advent of connected devices and omnipresence of Internet have paved way for intruders to attack networks, which leads to cyber-attack, financial loss, information theft in healthcare, and cyber war. Hence, network security analytics has become an important area of concern and has gained intensive attention among researchers, off late, specifically in the domain of anomaly detection in network, which is considered crucial for network security. However, preliminary investigations have revealed that the existing approaches to detect anomalies in network are not effective enough, particularly to detect them in real time. The reason for the inefficacy of current approaches is mainly due the amassment of massive volumes of data though the connected devices. Therefore, it is crucial to propose a framework that effectively handles real time big data processing and detect anomalies in networks. In this regard, this paper attempts to address the issue of detecting anomalies in real time. Respectively, this paper has surveyed the state-of-the-art real-time big data processing technologies related to anomaly detection and the vital characteristics of associated machine learning algorithms. This paper begins with the explanation of essential contexts and taxonomy of real-time big data processing, anomalous detection, and machine learning algorithms, followed by the review of big data processing technologies. Finally, the identified research challenges of real-time big data processing in anomaly detection are discussed. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
- Authors: Ariyaluran Habeeb, Riyaz , Nasaruddin, Fariza , Gani, Abdullah , Targio Hashem, Ibrahim , Ahmed, Ejaz , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Information Management Vol. 45, no. (2019), p. 289-307
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The advent of connected devices and omnipresence of Internet have paved way for intruders to attack networks, which leads to cyber-attack, financial loss, information theft in healthcare, and cyber war. Hence, network security analytics has become an important area of concern and has gained intensive attention among researchers, off late, specifically in the domain of anomaly detection in network, which is considered crucial for network security. However, preliminary investigations have revealed that the existing approaches to detect anomalies in network are not effective enough, particularly to detect them in real time. The reason for the inefficacy of current approaches is mainly due the amassment of massive volumes of data though the connected devices. Therefore, it is crucial to propose a framework that effectively handles real time big data processing and detect anomalies in networks. In this regard, this paper attempts to address the issue of detecting anomalies in real time. Respectively, this paper has surveyed the state-of-the-art real-time big data processing technologies related to anomaly detection and the vital characteristics of associated machine learning algorithms. This paper begins with the explanation of essential contexts and taxonomy of real-time big data processing, anomalous detection, and machine learning algorithms, followed by the review of big data processing technologies. Finally, the identified research challenges of real-time big data processing in anomaly detection are discussed. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
Performance assessment of a solar dryer system using small parabolic dish and alumina/oil nanofluid : simulation and experimental study
- Arkian, Amir, Najafi, Gholamhassan, Gorjian, Shiva, Loni, Reyhaneh, Bellos, Evangelos, Yusaf, Talal
- Authors: Arkian, Amir , Najafi, Gholamhassan , Gorjian, Shiva , Loni, Reyhaneh , Bellos, Evangelos , Yusaf, Talal
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Energies Vol. 12, no. 24 (Dec 2019), p. 22
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this study, a small dish concentrator with a cylindrical cavity receiver was experimentally investigated as the heat source of a dryer. The system was examined for operation with pure thermal oil and Al2O3/oil nanofluid as the working fluids in the solar system. Moreover, the design, the development, and the evaluation of the dried mint plant are presented in this work. Also, the solar dryer system was simulated by the SolidWorks and ANSYS CFX software. On the other side, the color histogram of the wet and dried mint samples based on the RGB method was considered. The results revealed that the different temperatures of the solar working fluids at the inlet and outlet of the cavity receiver showed similar trend data compared to the variation of the solar radiation during the experimental test. Moreover, it is found that the cavity heat gain and thermal efficiency of the solar system was improved by using the nanofluid as the solar working fluid. Furthermore, the required time for mint drying had decreased by increasing the drying temperature and increasing air speed. The highest drying time was measured equal to 320 min for the condition of the air speed equal to 0.5 m/s and the drying temperature of 30 degrees C. A good agreement was observed between the calculated numerical results and measured experimental data. Finally, based on the color histogram of the wet and dried mint samples, it was concluded that intensity amount of the red color of the mint increased with the drying process compared to intensity amount of the red color of the wet mint sample.
- Authors: Arkian, Amir , Najafi, Gholamhassan , Gorjian, Shiva , Loni, Reyhaneh , Bellos, Evangelos , Yusaf, Talal
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Energies Vol. 12, no. 24 (Dec 2019), p. 22
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this study, a small dish concentrator with a cylindrical cavity receiver was experimentally investigated as the heat source of a dryer. The system was examined for operation with pure thermal oil and Al2O3/oil nanofluid as the working fluids in the solar system. Moreover, the design, the development, and the evaluation of the dried mint plant are presented in this work. Also, the solar dryer system was simulated by the SolidWorks and ANSYS CFX software. On the other side, the color histogram of the wet and dried mint samples based on the RGB method was considered. The results revealed that the different temperatures of the solar working fluids at the inlet and outlet of the cavity receiver showed similar trend data compared to the variation of the solar radiation during the experimental test. Moreover, it is found that the cavity heat gain and thermal efficiency of the solar system was improved by using the nanofluid as the solar working fluid. Furthermore, the required time for mint drying had decreased by increasing the drying temperature and increasing air speed. The highest drying time was measured equal to 320 min for the condition of the air speed equal to 0.5 m/s and the drying temperature of 30 degrees C. A good agreement was observed between the calculated numerical results and measured experimental data. Finally, based on the color histogram of the wet and dried mint samples, it was concluded that intensity amount of the red color of the mint increased with the drying process compared to intensity amount of the red color of the wet mint sample.
Feasibility of ANFIS model for prediction of ground vibrations resulting from quarry blasting
- Armaghani, Danial, Momeni, Ehsan, Abad, Seyed, Khandelwal, Manoj
- Authors: Armaghani, Danial , Momeni, Ehsan , Abad, Seyed , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Environmental Earth Sciences Vol. 74, no. 4 (2015), p. 2845-2860
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: One of the most significant environmental issues of blasting operations is ground vibration, which can cause damage to the surrounding residents and structures. Hence, it is a major concern to predict and subsequently control the ground vibration due to blasting. This paper presents two artificial intelligence techniques, namely, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and artificial neural network for the prediction of ground vibration in quarry blasting site. For this purpose, blasting parameters as well as ground vibrations of 109 blasting operations were measured in ISB granite quarry, Johor, Malaysia. Moreover, an empirical equation was also proposed based on the measured data. Several AI-based models were trained and tested using the measured data to determine the optimum models. Each model involved two inputs (maximum charge per delay and distance from the blast-face) and one output (ground vibration). To control capacity performances of the predictive models, the values of root mean squared error (RMSE), value account for (VAF), and coefficient of determination (R2) were computed for each model. It was found that the ANFIS model can provide better performance capacity in predicting ground vibration in comparison with other predictive techniques. The values of 0.973, 0.987 and 97.345 for R2, RMSE and VAF, respectively, reveal that the ANFIS model is capable to predict ground vibration with high degree of accuracy. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
- Authors: Armaghani, Danial , Momeni, Ehsan , Abad, Seyed , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Environmental Earth Sciences Vol. 74, no. 4 (2015), p. 2845-2860
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: One of the most significant environmental issues of blasting operations is ground vibration, which can cause damage to the surrounding residents and structures. Hence, it is a major concern to predict and subsequently control the ground vibration due to blasting. This paper presents two artificial intelligence techniques, namely, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and artificial neural network for the prediction of ground vibration in quarry blasting site. For this purpose, blasting parameters as well as ground vibrations of 109 blasting operations were measured in ISB granite quarry, Johor, Malaysia. Moreover, an empirical equation was also proposed based on the measured data. Several AI-based models were trained and tested using the measured data to determine the optimum models. Each model involved two inputs (maximum charge per delay and distance from the blast-face) and one output (ground vibration). To control capacity performances of the predictive models, the values of root mean squared error (RMSE), value account for (VAF), and coefficient of determination (R2) were computed for each model. It was found that the ANFIS model can provide better performance capacity in predicting ground vibration in comparison with other predictive techniques. The values of 0.973, 0.987 and 97.345 for R2, RMSE and VAF, respectively, reveal that the ANFIS model is capable to predict ground vibration with high degree of accuracy. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Pathogen genomics in public health
- Armstrong, Gregory, MacCannell, Duncan, Taylor, Jill, Carleton, Heather, Neuhaus, Elizabeth, Bradbury, Richard, Posey, James, Gwinn, Marta
- Authors: Armstrong, Gregory , MacCannell, Duncan , Taylor, Jill , Carleton, Heather , Neuhaus, Elizabeth , Bradbury, Richard , Posey, James , Gwinn, Marta
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: New England Journal of Medicine Vol. 381, no. 26 (2019), p. 2569-2580
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Authors: Armstrong, Gregory , MacCannell, Duncan , Taylor, Jill , Carleton, Heather , Neuhaus, Elizabeth , Bradbury, Richard , Posey, James , Gwinn, Marta
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: New England Journal of Medicine Vol. 381, no. 26 (2019), p. 2569-2580
- Full Text:
- Reviewed: