Search

Resumo Nos últimos anos, uma série de movimentos de dados abertos tem surgido ao redor do mundo, assegurando aos cidadãos mais oportunidades para acessar informações, sendo a transparência um fator associado à confiança nas organizações públicas e no governo. A transparência em algoritmos traduz-se no conhecimento dos passos realizados e critérios adotados para a obtenção de determinado resultado. O objetivo deste estudo consiste em identificar as características de transparência e accountability do sistema eletrônico de votação brasileiro. Por meio do estudo de caso, foram confrontadas recomendações e boas práticas de transparência - que propiciam controle e fiscalização por parte da sociedade em algoritmos - com as particularidades do sistema de votação eletrônico brasileiro. Este estudo avança na discussão da influência das novas tecnologias na democracia, situando o sistema eletrônico de votação brasileiro nos limites da transparência e accountability de algoritmos e do governo em geral. Resumen En los últimos años, han surgido varios movimientos de datos abiertos en todo el mundo, que garantizan a los ciudadanos más oportunidades para acceder a la información, y la transparencia es un factor asociado con la confianza en las organizaciones públicas y el gobierno. La transparencia en los algoritmos se traduce en el conocimiento de los pasos realizados y los criterios adoptados para obtener un resultado determinado. El objetivo de este estudio es identificar las características de transparencia y responsabilidad del sistema electoral electrónico brasileño. A través del estudio de caso, las recomendaciones y las buenas prácticas de transparencia se confrontaron con las particularidades del sistema electoral electrónico brasileño, que proporciona control y supervisión por parte de la sociedad en algoritmos. Este estudio avanza en la discusión sobre la influencia de las nuevas tecnologías en la democracia, colocando el sistema electoral electrónico brasileño dentro de los límites de transparencia y responsabilidad de los algoritmos y del gobierno en general. Abstract In recent years a number of open data movements have emerged around the world, ensuring citizens more opportunities to access information, transparency being a factor associated with trust in public organizations and government. The transparency in algorithms translates into the knowledge of the steps performed and the criteria adopted to obtain a certain result. The objective of this study is to identify the characteristics of transparency and accountability of the Brazilian electronic voting system. Through the case study, recommendations and good practices of transparency in algorithms were examined with the particularities of the Brazilian electronic voting system, which provides control and oversight to society. This study advances the discussion on the influence of new technologies on democracy, placing the Brazilian electronic voting system within the limits of transparency and accountability of algorithms and the government in general.

Resumo Nos últimos anos, uma série de movimentos de dados abertos tem surgido ao redor do mundo, assegurando aos cidadãos mais oportunidades para acessar informações, sendo a transparência um fator associado à confiança nas organizações públicas e no governo. A transparência em algoritmos traduz-se no conhecimento dos passos realizados e critérios adotados para a obtenção de determinado resultado. O objetivo deste estudo consiste em identificar as características de transparência e accountability do sistema eletrônico de votação brasileiro. Por meio do estudo de caso, foram confrontadas recomendações e boas práticas de transparência - que propiciam controle e fiscalização por parte da sociedade em algoritmos - com as particularidades do sistema de votação eletrônico brasileiro. Este estudo avança na discussão da influência das novas tecnologias na democracia, situando o sistema eletrônico de votação brasileiro nos limites da transparência e accountability de algoritmos e do governo em geral.

Altres ajuts: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The development of standardized data collection as part of routine clinical care through Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions (MS PATHS) was developed and implemented at CC, JH, and CEMCAT in partnership with Biogen. Biogen did not have involvement in study design, data analysis or interpretation, or manuscript preparation. People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be at higher risk for complications from the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic due to use of immunomodulatory disease modifying therapies (DMTs) and greater need for medical services. To evaluate risk factors for COVID-19 susceptibility and describe the pandemic's impact on healthcare delivery. Surveys sent to MS patients at Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Vall d'Hebron-Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya in April and May 2020 collected information about comorbidities, DMTs, exposures, COVID-19 testing/outcomes, health behaviors, and disruptions to MS care. There were 3028/10,816 responders. Suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases were more likely to have a known COVID-19 contact (odds ratio (OR): 4.38; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 18.54). In multivariable-adjusted models, people who were younger, had to work on site, had a lower education level, and resided in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas were less likely to follow social distancing guidelines. 4.4% reported changes to therapy plans, primarily delays in infusions, and 15.5% a disruption to rehabilitative services. Younger people with lower socioeconomic status required to work on site may be at higher exposure risk and are potential targets for educational intervention and work restrictions to limit exposure. Providers should be mindful of potential infusion delays and MS care disruption.

To increase adherence with intensive care unit mobility by developing and implementing a mobility training program that addresses nursing barriers to early mobilisation.An intensive care unit mobility training program was developed, implemented and evaluated with a pre-test, immediate post-test and eight-week post-test. Patient mobility was tracked before and after training.A ten bed cardiac intensive care unit.The training program's efficacy was measured by comparing pre-test, immediate post-test and 8-week post-test scores. Patient mobilisation rates before and after training were compared. Protocol compliance was measured in the post training group.Nursing knowledge increased from pre-test to immediate post-test (p0.0001) and pre-test to 8-week post-test (p0.0001). Mean test scores decreased by seven points from immediate post-test (80±12) to 8-week post-test (73±14). Fear significantly decreased from pre-test to immediate post-test (p=0.03), but not from pre-test to 8-week post-test (p=0.06) or immediate post-test to 8-week post-test (p=0.46). Post training patient mobility rates increased although not significantly (p=0.07). Post training protocol compliance was 78%.The project successfully increased adherence with intensive care unit mobility and indicates that a training program could improve adoption of early mobility.

Objectives Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a disproportionate burden of illness in low- and middle- income countries. This study sought to provide a proof-of-concept pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of a trauma registry in the Western Honduras Hospital. Methods A cross-sectional, observation study was performed that included all admitted, transferred, or deceased trauma patients presenting to the Western Honduras Hospital from February 4, 2019 until April 4, 2019. Descriptive statistics were utilized to describe patient demographics and injury characteristics. Results 268 patients were enrolled. The average age was 27.5 years (SD ±21.3). 10% of injuries were due to interpersonal violence. The most common mechanisms of injury were falls (33.6%) and motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) (22.4%). The mean Modified Kampala Trauma Score (M-KTS) was 12 (SD ±1.4). The mortality rate was 1.1% (N = 3). 94.5% of data points were complete. Conclusions A continuous injury surveillance system in the Western Honduras Hospital is feasible and provides valuable information. The data completeness was suboptimal, but the current data collection system may be improved via modifying and utilizing the registry form as both a clinical and data collection instrument.

Aims The aim of the study was to examine ventricular remodelling in patients free of cardiac risk factors, before, and 6 months post-bariatric surgery with the new imaging modality of three-dimensional (3D) strain and the comparison of two surgical techniques: sleeve gastrectomy vs. gastric bypass. Methods and results Fifty-two consecutive patients referred to the Bariatric Services of Imperial College NHS Trust were examined with conventional 2D and 3D strain echocardiography, prior to and 6 months after bariatric surgery. They were all free from cardiac disease. The study cohort's mean age was 44.2 ± 8.7 years and body mass index of 42.4 ± 4.6 g/m2 prior to surgery. Eighteen patients (34.6%) underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and 34 laparoscopic gastric bypass. On 3D speckle tracking, there was significant reverse remodelling post-bariatric surgery [left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF): pre-surgery: 59 ± 8% vs. post-surgery: 67 ± 7%, P < 0.001 and right ventricular (RV) EF: pre-surgery: 60 ± 9% vs. post-surgery: 68 ± 8.2%, P = 0.0001]. Furthermore, there was significant regression of mass (LV mass: pre-surgery: 111 ± 23.5 g vs. post-surgery: 92.8 ± 15.5 g and RV mass: pre-surgery: 95.2 ± 19.8 vs. post-surgery: 67.3 ± 16.3, P < 0.001). RV and LV global strain improved 6 months post-bariatric surgery: global RV strain: pre-surgery −11.7 ± 4 vs. post-surgery −17.52 ± 3.7, P < 0.001; global LV strain: pre-surgery: −20.2 ± 1.7 vs. post-surgery: −26.5 ± 1.86, P < 0.001. Sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass had comparable effects. Conclusion Bariatric surgery has an important effect in reverse LV and RV remodelling and it substantially improves RV longitudinal strain.

Background: Investigators aim to publish their research papers in top journals to disseminate their findings to the widest possible audience. Systematic reviews of the literature occupy the highest position in currently proposed hierarchies of evidence. We hypothesized that the number of citations (a measure of scholarly interest) for systematic reviews (or meta-analyses) published in leading orthopaedic journals would be greater than the number of citations for narrative reviews published in the same journals. Methods: We identified fifteen journals that had high Science Citation Index impact factors for the orthopaedic subspecialty and were believed to have a higher yield of studies and reviews of scientific merit and clinical relevance. For the year 2000, six research associates applied methodological criteria to each article in each issue of the fifteen journals to determine whether the article was scientifically sound (rigorous versus nonrigorous). Of the 3916 articles identified, 2331 were original or review articles. We queried the ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) Web of Science database to ascertain, as of March 2003, the number of subsequent citations to each one of the reviews after its original publication in all journals that published both narrative and systematic reviews. Results: Of the 2331 articles published across the fifteen journals in the year 2000, 110 were review articles. Only seventeen (15%) of the 110 reviews met our criteria for systematic reviews with rigor. Rigorous systematic reviews received more than twice the mean number of citations compared with other systematic or narrative reviews (13.8 compared with 6.0, p = 0.008). The rigor of a review was a significant predictor of the number of citations in other orthopaedic journals (p = 0.01). In addition, rigor was significantly associated with the number of citations in nonorthopaedic journals (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that journal editors and authors can improve the relevance and scholarly interest in their reviews (as shown by the number of citations) by meeting standard guidelines for methodological rigor.

“I have felt like working three times as hard as ever since I came to understand that my Lord was coming back again,” reported revivalist Dwight L. Moody, the most prominent of nineteenth-century premillennialists. Moody's testimony to the motivating power of premillennialism points to the crucial role of that eschatology in conservative Protestantism since the late nineteenth century—a role delineated by several studies within the past twenty-five years. As a comprehensive interpretation of history which gives meaning and pattern to past, present, and future, and a role for the believer in the outworking of the divine program, premillennialism has been a driving force in the fundamentalistand evangelical movements.

Six years into the mission, Chandra data processing operations has reached a stage of maturity that allows nearly complete automation as well as dynamic flexibility to accommodate future changes in mission and instrument status and constraints. We present a summary of the procedural and technical solutions that have been developed since the launch of Chandra to meet unanticipated challenges in the area of data processing. Lessons learned concerning data processing are discussed, including an explanation of the source of each problem and the Chandra team's response to the problem. Potential pitfalls that might affect future projects are also included. The user interface, data quality screening, and quicklook software developed specifically to address issues identified after launch have proved valuable in meeting the goals of low-cost, efficient, and flexible mission operations for the Chandra mission and can provide insight for future mission designs.

Aboriginally is a matter of family connections and a history of marginalisation and disadvantage. Aboriginal health and social inclusion are intractable problems for government. This project contributes to redressing family violence and social inclusion issues through participatory action research (PAR) with Neporendi Forum Inc (an Aboriginal organization) to enhance social justice. The research enables an integration of activities across networks that span researchers based at two universities, local youth organizations, schools and local government (see Fals-Borda & Rathman, 1991; Edgar 2001; Duhl 2001). PAR builds the capacity of participants to work holistically across the organizations and community settings. It is sustainable, addresses socio-economic concerns and uses an intergenerational and interactive design.

Background Systematic reviews summarize all pertinent evidence on a defined health question. They help clinical scientists to direct their research and clinicians to keep updated. Our objective was to determine the extent to which systematic reviews are clustered in a large collection of clinical journals and whether review type (narrative or systematic) affects citation counts. Methods We used hand searches of 170 clinical journals in the fields of general internal medicine, primary medical care, nursing, and mental health to identify review articles (year 2000). We defined 'review' as any full text article that was bannered as a review, overview, or meta-analysis in the title or in a section heading, or that indicated in the text that the intention of the authors was to review or summarize the literature on a particular topic. We obtained citation counts for review articles in the five journals that published the most systematic reviews. Results 11% of the journals concentrated 80% of all systematic reviews. Impact factors were weakly correlated with the publication of systematic reviews (R2 = 0.075, P = 0.0035). There were more citations for systematic reviews (median 26.5, IQR 12 – 56.5) than for narrative reviews (8, 20, P Conclusions A few clinical journals published most systematic reviews. Authors cited systematic reviews more often than narrative reviews, an indirect endorsement of the 'hierarchy of evidence'.

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine left ventricular (LV) echocardiographic indices, 4D volumes and ejection fraction of bariatric patients (BMI >40). Methods Forty-nine consecutive normotensive bariatric patients (31 women (63.2%), 43 Caucasian, mean age: 45.7±9.7 years, BMI ≥40 kg/m 2 ) were examined with 3D and speckle tracking echocardiography pre-bariatric surgery and they were compared with an age-matched group of 30 healthy volunteers. Exclusion criteria were coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS V.14.0 and Medcalc softwares. All indices were indexed to body surface area and heart rate, where appropriate. Results Common comorbidities comprised diabetes mellitus (N=7), fatty liver (N=8), hypertension (N=8) and sleep apnoea (N=12). 2D echocardiography demonstrated dilatation of the left atrium in bariatric patients when compared to healthy volunteers (39.2±1.9 vs 32.3±2.6 mm, p Conclusions Bariatric patients demonstrate increase of LV mass, dilatation of the ventricle and signs of diastolic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

This report documents the design and development of a Booz, Allen and Hamilton (BAH) Vision Environments system, and contributions by BAH to the design of the ARPA Image Understanding Environment (lUE).

Tax limitation measures and reduced transfers from the federal government to local governments have increased local governments' need to examine their revenue sources. User charges are one area rec...

Renewed interest in incorporating measures of uncertainty in public investment decisions is a welcome addition to applied benefit-cost analysis. Taylor and North's (T-N) recent effort in this Journal to incorporate the consideration of uncertainty in benefit-cost analysis follows a technique that we have endorsed for some time (Mercer and Morgan 1975a, b, and 1976; Stacy and Buxbaum). This paper logically follows T-N by illustrating a more general procedure and demonstrates that inclusion of uncertainty in benefit-cost analysis need not be limited to the triangular distribution. The probability distribution used here is the Weibull. The major advantage of the Weibull distribution is its generality. It does not depend on fixed (absolute) estimates of endpoints (range) and thus offers increased capability to test for sensitivity to uncertainty. Use of the Weibull distribution is illustrated here by application to the Spewrell Bluff project and comparison of the results to those of T-N.

The rate of return on invested capital can be used as a guide to resource allocation by municipal water departments (MWD's) in the same way it is used in the private sector. To achieve economic efficiency, the target rate of return for MWD's should be the market rate of return as an approximation to the opportunity cost of capital. The actual internal rate of return for a sample of 30 California MWD's for the period 1970-1982 is calculated for this study. The operating internal rate of return varies across the sample MWD's from less than 2 percent to 14 percent. If 10 percent is taken as the opportunity cost of capital, 25 of the 30 MWD's were inefficient; i.e., earned less than 10 percent. Half the sample earned less than 5 percent. An examination of potential causes of low rates of return shows that low average water prices are the primary reason for the low rates of return. For efficient operation, MWD's should set a target rate of return equal to the opportunity cost of capital and adjust water prices so as to achieve that target.

The property rights theory of the firm is evaluated by comparing the cost structures of a sample of water agencies under two alternative modes of ownership - public and investor owned. On the basis of the sample, investor owned water agencies appear to have lower cost structures.

IT is quite obvious that one who depends upon a single method in the treatment of malignant disease may not hope to obtain anything but a limited degree of success. Experience has taught us that operative surgery, electrothermic methods, radium, and X-rays are all factors of such importance that none of them can be eliminated from our armamentarium if the maximum of success is to be realized. All of these methods are employed in our institution, either alone or in combination, to meet particular indications; and we have learned from experience that, if it were necessary to eliminate any one of them, we should be seriously handicapped in our work. The status of surgery, radium, and the X-rays is well known, owing to the wide and continuous promulgation of knowledge concerning them in medical schools, and through the writings of capable exponents. Permanent recognition of these methods is assured, since their great value has been demonstrated by numerous critical tests. Knowledge concerning the electrotherm...

Discussion of the role of internally generated funds as a dynamic and influential determinant of investment decisions has been renewed lately in the macroeconomic investment literature. While there is a current revival, the hypothesis is not a new one. In the classic study of the financial history of eight leading American automobile manufacturers over the period 1910 to 1926, Lawrence H. Seltzer concludes that “the greatest part of the growth in their capital resources was derived from reinvested profits; and that this source accounts for much the greater part of their present invested capital.” He estimates that for the period through 1926 net aggregate reinvested profits were equal, on average, to almost 80 percent of the value of tangible invested capital.3 Seltzer suggests that this remarkably high percentage was the result of the unique situation of the automobile industry, although carefully pointing out that the general importance of internal funds may be greater than commonly realized.

In the last few years water conservation measures have included increased media campaigns on how to use water more productively; the installation of such water-saving devices as flow restrictors; the introduction of new water-saving technology (drip irrigation); and the provision of financial incentives by changing rate structures, raising prices, or establishing surcharges when water use exceeds some designated amount.* For many agencies several conservation measures or campaigns are established and implemented simultaneously, making it very difficult to separate the effects of one conservation measure from another. To aid in the evaluation of such conservation measures, this paper reports on the water conservation efforts of a single campaignthe installation of conservation kits in a residential neighborhood in Southern California. By mid-1977 the intensity of the drought in Southern California was at its peak. The city of Oxnard, Calif., decided to conduct an active conservation effort by distributing a water conservation kit free of charge to a large, single geographic area. Coordinated by a student intern from the University of California at Santa Barbara and two CETA employees, distribution of an estimated 3200 water conservation kits was accomplished in a large residential neighborhood during August 1977. The water conservation kits contained three separate components: a water guard or dam to reduce the quantity of water flushed in the toilet; a plastic shower head flow restrictor; and a packet of vegetable dye tablets to detect leaks from toilet storage tanks. The Oxnard water conservation team returned one month after distributing the water kits and interviewed 637 households that received the water conservation kit. The socioeconomic characteristics of the households that used and installed the water conservation kits were determined, as was the impact of these kits on water savings, including estimates of the cost effectiveness of this specific conservation effort.

Background With the information explosion, the retrieval of the best clinical evidence from large, general purpose, bibliographic databases such as MEDLINE can be difficult. Both researchers conducting systematic reviews and clinicians faced with a patient care question are confronted with the daunting task of searching for the best medical literature in electronic databases. Many have advocated the use of search filters or "hedges" to assist with the searching process. The purpose of this report is to describe the design and methods of a study that set out to develop optimal search strategies for retrieving sound clinical studies of health disorders in large electronics databases. Objective To describe the design and methods of a study that set out to develop optimal search strategies for retrieving sound clinical studies of health disorders in large electronic databases. Design An analytic survey comparing hand searches of 170 journals in the year 2000 with retrievals from MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for candidate search terms and combinations. The sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy of unique search terms and combinations of search terms were calculated. Conclusion A study design modeled after a diagnostic testing procedure with a gold standard (the hand search of the literature) and a test (the search terms) is an effective way of developing, testing, and validating search strategies for use in large electronic databases.