Revisiting Therapeutic Communication as an Evidence-Based Intervention to Decrease Violence by Patients Against Staff on Psychiatric Wards-A Quality Improvement Project.

Background: Violence against healthcare workers continues to be a widespread problem and adversely impacts both healthcare providers and consumers.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a staff education and training program in therapeutic communications in decreasing violence by patients against staff in an acute inpatient behavioral hospital. Further, the project measured the effect of the training on the self-efficacy and knowledge level of the 15 recruited staff in the use of therapeutic communications, and its overall impact on the participants' reaction, learning, behavior and observed results at the hospital.

Kidney transplant cases in US: study of determinants of variance in hospital charges and inpatient care.

We investigate the factors that influence the variance in hospital charges and inpatient care for kidney transplant cases in the US. Using the AHRQ's (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) HCUP's (Hospital Cost and Utilization Project) NIS (National Inpatient Sample) database, we find that variance in hospital charges and inpatient care is driven by patient demographics and hospital variables. We find that variance in hospital charges and inpatient care is determined by patient-specific factors including age, gender, race, and income, and hospital factors such as size, type, and location.

Reducing Violence by Patients against Healthcare Workers at Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals: An Integrative Review.

Violence by patients against healthcare workers is of global concern among both producers and consumers of health care. The US is among the countries with the highest reports of workplace violence, and the majority of the violent incidents occur in healthcare settings. The purpose of this integrative review is to identify, analyze and appraise the best interventions for reducing violence by patients against healthcare workers in adult acute psychiatric hospitals.

The Role of Biomarkers in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Different Stages of Melanoma.

 is a skin cancer arising from melanocytes, the cells responsible for synthesizing melanin pigment, which gives the skin its color. Early diagnosis and treatment of melanoma increase survival rates. Clinical examination and biopsy are the primary tools used to diagnose melanoma.

Impact of Long-Term Steroid Use on the Disposition of Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Retrospective Nationwide Sample Analysis.

Background Chronic steroid use is debilitating to health, but, in some cases, it is necessary. We examined the effect of chronic steroid use on the discharge disposition of people undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods We queried the National Inpatient Sample Database (NIS) from 2016 to 2019.

Middle Age and Older Adults: Their Nutrition and Physical Activity Needs and How Best to Address Them.

This cross-sectional study assessed the nutrition and physical activity (PA) needs, practices, and programming preferences of adults ages 40+ years from seven states ( = 1,250). Respondents were mostly educated, White, food-secure, adults ages 60+ years. Many were married, suburban-residing, and interested in health programming.

Variance in Hospital Charges and in-Patient Care for Liver Transplants: Examining Non-Clinical Predictors and Implications.

The significant and apparent variance in hospital charges and inpatient care in the U.S. has perplexed the general public including many stakeholders such as the healthcare regulators and insurers.

Deep Neural Networks for Human's Fall-risk Prediction using Force-Plate Time Series Signal.

Early and accurate identification of the balance deficits could reduce falls, in particular for older adults, a prone population. Our work investigates deep neural networks' capacity to identify human balance patterns towards predicting fall-risk. Human balance ability can be characterized based on commonly-used balance metrics, such as those derived from the force-plate time series.

The use of the normal tissue non-complication probability (NTCP0) methodology as a new alternative of assessing side-effects in brachytherapy treatments.

Background: The NTCP methodology evaluating side-effects (S-Es) was initially used in radiotherapy (RT), and later was extended to brachytherapy (BT). The NTCP0 methodology has been recently introduced in RT. Given the advantages, this methodology could replace NTCP.

The use of the normal tissue non-complication probability (NTCP0) in the safety evaluations as a new alternative of assessing the side-effects of the radiation oncology treatments.

Purpose: To encourage the use of the NTCP0 for evaluating safety as a new alternative of assessing the S-Es of the radiation oncology treatments; and the use of the 'NTCP0cal' methodology that calculates/estimates NTCP0.

Method: Revisions of studies related to use of the NTCP in the evaluations of S-Es. Development of the first version of the Matlab application of our methodology, which provides three options, two of them employ the well-known aspects of a phenomenological model, or the relationship with the TNTCP; where NTCP0 = 100%-TNTCP; and the third option determines NTCP0 from an assumed NTCP discrete probabilistic distribution from the binomial distribution, where one of its parameters is automatically defined from a databased of the Disease locations Vs.

A machine learning approach to epileptic seizure prediction using Electroencephalogram (EEG) Signal.

This study investigates the properties of the brain electrical activity from different recording regions and physiological states for seizure detection. Neurophysiologists will find the work useful in the timely and accurate detection of epileptic seizures of their patients. We explored the best way to detect meaningful patterns from an epileptic Electroencephalogram (EEG).

Proposals of models for new formulations of the current complication-free cure (P+) and uncomplicated tumor control probability (UTCP) concepts, and total normal tissue complication probability of late complications.

This study proposes phenomenological models for total normal tissue complication probability (TNTCP) and NTCP0. NTCP0 is a new acronym for reformulating the current complication-free cure (P+) and uncomplicated tumor control probability (UTCP) concepts, and TNTCP will reformulate the current NTCP involving multiple organs at risks. The current probabilistic concepts are incoherently formulated with mathematical operations of tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) that are associated with different stochastic processes and random variables.

Physical and Radiobiological Evaluation of Accelerated Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer and Comparison with Short-Term Clinical Outcomes.

Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the accelerated intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of head and neck (HandN) treatments using physical indices and radiobiological models with its clinical correlation using histogram analysis in radiation therapy (HART). The radiobiological evaluation in terms of tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) indices were compared with acute toxicity. Materials and Methods: A total of twenty patients with stage III and IV of HandN cases treated with accelerated IMRT using 6MV photons were chosen for the study.

Acoustoelasticity Analysis of Transient Waves for Non-Invasive In Vivo Assessment of Urinary Bladder.

A non-invasive method for measurement of the bladder wall nonlinear elastic behavior is presented. The method is based on acoustoelasticity modeling of the elasticity changes in bladder tissue modulus at different volumetric strain levels. At each volume, tissue strain is obtained from the real-time ultrasound images.

Dosimetric and radiobiological comparison for quality assurance of IMRT and VMAT plans.

Introduction: The gamma analysis used for quality assurance of a complex radiotherapy plan examines the dosimetric equivalence between planned and measured dose distributions within some tolerance. This study explores whether the dosimetric difference is correlated with any radiobiological difference between delivered and planned dose.

Methods: VMAT or IMRT plans optimized for 14 cancer patients were calculated and delivered to a QA device.

Influence of biosolids compost on the bradyrhizobial genotypes recovered from cowpea and soybean nodules.

The interaction of biosolids compost application to soil and bradyrhizobial genotypes recovered from nodules was examined. Among 170 isolates, seven genotypes were recovered from soils receiving either no biosolids application or rates of 73 or 146 Mg/ha for three successive years. With the exception of one genotype, the distribution of the bacterial genotypes recovered from nodules was interrelated with the level of biosolids.

Nervous system of Schistosoma mansoni cercaria: organization and fine structure.

As observed by transmission electron microscopy of serially sectioned Schistosoma mansoni cercaria, the nervous system is distributed throughout the three anatomic segments of the larva-i.e., the anterior organ (oral sucker), the body (midsegment), and the tail.