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- Alshaikh, Zahra, et al.
(author)
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Nurses' knowledge about palliative care in an intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia
- 2015
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In: Middle East Journal of Nursing. - 1834-8742. ; 9:1, s. 7-13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Most patients die in hospital settings either in intensive care unit (ICU), emergency department (ED) or other departments. In Saudi Arabia, approximately 23,000 persons are diagnosed with cancer every year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), palliative care is a holistic activity that involves physical, psychosocial and spiritual human needs to enhance quality of life for patients and their families. Palliative care is an essential aspect to be applied for patients with chronic diseases to improve their quality of life. Earlier studies have shown that physicians, nurses and nurse assistants who work in long-term care settings lack the knowledge to enforce palliative care principles due to lack of education. According to the WHO, health care professionals should be educated and trained to apply palliative care.Aim: The aim of this study was to explore nurses' knowledge about palliative care in an intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia. Method: Eight individual qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Manifest content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The palliative care concept was not familiar for most ICU nurses but it was applied in their daily work. Most nurses provided physical care at the end of life to keep the body intact. Some nurses highlighted that dying patients did not feel pain to be treated and did not have emotions to be supported.Conclusions: Nurses had insufficient knowledge of palliative care and how to apply it in ICU setting. The provision of additional education in palliative care is recommended in order to improve the knowledge of palliative care among nurses.
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- Bagheri, Zahra M, et al.
(author)
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Properties of neuronal facilitation that improve target tracking in natural pursuit simulations.
- 2015
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In: Journal of the Royal Society Interface. - : The Royal Society. - 1742-5662 .- 1742-5689. ; 12:108
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although flying insects have limited visual acuity (approx. 1°) and relatively small brains, many species pursue tiny targets against cluttered backgrounds with high success. Our previous computational model, inspired by electrophysiological recordings from insect 'small target motion detector' (STMD) neurons, did not account for several key properties described from the biological system. These include the recent observations of response 'facilitation' (a slow build-up of response to targets that move on long, continuous trajectories) and 'selective attention', a competitive mechanism that selects one target from alternatives. Here, we present an elaborated STMD-inspired model, implemented in a closed loop target-tracking system that uses an active saccadic gaze fixation strategy inspired by insect pursuit. We test this system against heavily cluttered natural scenes. Inclusion of facilitation not only substantially improves success for even short-duration pursuits, but it also enhances the ability to 'attend' to one target in the presence of distracters. Our model predicts optimal facilitation parameters that are static in space and dynamic in time, changing with respect to the amount of background clutter and the intended purpose of the pursuit. Our results provide insights into insect neurophysiology and show the potential of this algorithm for implementation in artificial visual systems and robotic applications.
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- Bagheri, Zahra, et al.
(author)
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Robustness and real-time performance of an insect inspired target tracking algorithm under natural conditions
- 2015
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In: Proceedings - 2015 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, SSCI 2015. - 9781479975600 ; , s. 97-102
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many computer vision tasks require the implementation of robust and efficient target tracking algorithms. Furthermore, in robotic applications these algorithms must perform whilst on a moving platform (ego motion). Despite the increase in computational processing power, many engineering algorithms are still challenged by real-Time applications. In contrast, lightweight and low-power flying insects, such as dragonflies, can readily chase prey and mates within cluttered natural environments, deftly selecting their target amidst distractors (swarms). In our laboratory, we record from 'target-detecting' neurons in the dragonfly brain that underlie this pursuit behavior. We recently developed a closed-loop target detection and tracking algorithm based on key properties of these neurons. Here we test our insect-inspired tracking model in open-loop against a set of naturalistic sequences and compare its efficacy and efficiency with other state-of-The-Art engineering models. In terms of tracking robustness, our model performs similarly to many of these trackers, yet is at least 3 times more efficient in terms of processing speed.
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- Baichoo, Shakuntala, et al.
(author)
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H3ABioNet computational metagenomics workshop in Mauritius : training to analyse microbial diversity for Africa
- 2015
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In: Standards in Genomic Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1944-3277. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the context of recent international initiatives to bolster genomics research for Africa, and more specifically to develop bioinformatics expertise and networks across the continent, a workshop on computational metagenomics was organized during the end of 2014 at the University of Mauritius. The workshop offered background on various aspects of computational biology, including databases and algorithms, sequence analysis fundamentals, metagenomics concepts and tools, practical exercises, journal club activities and research seminars. We have discovered a strong interest in metagenomics research across Africa, to advance practical applications both for human health and the environment. We have also realized the great potential to develop genomics and bioinformatics through collaborative efforts across the continent, and the need for further reinforcing the untapped human potential and exploring the natural resources for stronger engagement of local scientific communities, with a view to contributing towards the improvement of human health and well-being for the citizens of Africa.
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- Bayati, Zahra, 1958, et al.
(author)
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Nytt centrum mot rasism får fel vetenskaplig inriktning
- 2015
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In: Göteborgs Posten. - 1103-9345. ; :2015-06-14
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Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- När rasism ska förstås som något som kan lösas genom att lära ut tolerans undergrävs förtroendet för regeringens satsning. Dessutom saknas det etnisk/rasifierad mångfald bland forskargruppen.
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- Delfani, Payam, et al.
(author)
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ZAP70 (zeta-chain (TCR) associated protein kinase 70kDa)
- 2015
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In: Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology. - : The Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology. - 1768-3262.
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Review on ZAP70, with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated.
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- Dessne, Petter, et al.
(author)
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OTEC matters 2015
- 2015
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- For mankind as a whole, and in many respects, the world is becoming a better place each year. In both rich and poor countries the standard of living has improved steadily for a very long time. This progress has a serious drawback, the negative effects on Earth’s climate. It is clear that the only way we can live sustainably is by consuming much less. However, this is not enough: there is an undeniable need for new energy sources. As the world’s population grows, many countries will also face more severe shortages of food and of fresh, disease-free water. Most developing countries are situated in tropical regions and are therefore hit hard by increasing tropical storms and similar weather-based disasters, adding to these problems. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology has been proven to be an ideal candidate for addressing and resolving all of these problems for small island developing states (SIDS), and a few months ago, the EU set aside€72 million euros for constructing OTEC plants outside Martinique. Built on a much larger scale, OTEC can, as the only technology known to man, supply the world with its total energy and fresh water needs, increase seafood production many times over, and cooling off parts of the sea surface when they become too hot – all this without any atmospheric emissions. Thus, it is with great excitement that this very first issue of the only journal dedicated to OTEC is being published. The publication covers many facets of OTEC and related matters, such as OTEC technology, sustainability including gender and other social studies, renewable energy, marine biology, metallurgy, and research on developing countries. The publication is aimed at two different audiences, scientists directly or indirectly involved with OTEC technology, and a more diverse group of people consisting of scientists from non-technical fields, industry people, politicians, investors, educators, and more. This volume is published as part of the publication series of the University of Borås, a progressive Swedish university with a high interest in and knowledge about sustainability.
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- Ebrahimi, Zahra, et al.
(author)
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Self-rated health and health-strengthening factors in community-living
- 2015
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In: Journal of Advanced Nursing. - : Wiley. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 71:4, s. 825-836
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract Aim. The aim of this study was to analyse the explanatory power of variables measuring health-strengthening factors for self-rated health among communityliving frail older people. Background. Frailty is commonly constructed as a multi-dimensional geriatric syndrome ascribed to the multi-system deterioration of the reserve capacity in older age. Frailty in older people is associated with decreased physical and psychological well-being. However, knowledge about the experiences of health in frail older people is still limited. Design. The design of the study was cross-sectional. Method. The data were collected between October 2008 and November 2010 through face-to-face structured interviews with older people aged 65–96 years (N = 161). Binary logistic regression was used to analyse whether a set of explanatory relevant variables is associated with self-rated health. Results. The results from the final model showed that satisfaction with one’s ability to take care of oneself, having 10 or fewer symptoms and not feeling lonely had the best explanatory power for community-living frail older peoples’ experiences of good health. Conclusion. The results indicate that a multi-disciplinary approach is desirable, where the focus should not only be on medical problems but also on providing supportive services to older people to maintain their independence and experiences of health despite frailty.
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