The Public\u27s Perception of Medical Ultrasound

Ultrasound (sonography) is a primary imaging modality predominantly used in the Diagnostic Radiology department to aid in the findings of internal pathological conditions. Sonography has been used for medical diagnosis since the early 1970’s; however, in comparison to other imaging modalities, it is relatively young and evolving. Since Ian Donald’s discovery in obstetrical ultrasound, there has been a significant growth in Maternal and Fetal Medicine as well as an explosion in the use of non-medical obstetrical imaging, better known as keepsake or entertainment ultrasound. Unlike all other imaging examinations, in obstetrics, family members accompany the patient for viewing where the sonographer can provide narrative on the fetal anatomic structures but not give a diagnosis. The sonographer does not interpret or make the diagnosis of the case, therefore they can not share any results with the patient. Ultrasound’s historical and progressive development of use, slow development of formal education, lack of requirement of national certification, and minimal research to support any bioeffects when used for medical purposes, stereotypes of what the role of ultrasound is and the role of the sonographer stereotypes are in existence. Derived from these stereotypes, a survey was designed to assess the public’s understanding and perception of diagnostic medical ultrasound and the role of the sonographer. The responses from the survey contradicted the researchers’ hypothesis; however, results indicate the opportunity to improve the public’s knowledge.https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2021/1006/thumbnail.jp

On The Anisotropy Of Perceived Ground Extents And The Interpretation Of Walked Distance As A Measure Of Perception

Two experiments are reported concerning the perception of ground extent to discover whether prior reports of anisotropy between frontal extents and extents in depth were consistent across different measures (visual matching and pantomime walking) and test environments (outdoor environments and virtual environments). In Experiment 1 it was found that depth extents of up to 7 m are indeed perceptually compressed relative to frontal extents in an outdoor environment, and that perceptual matching provided more precise estimates than did pantomime walking. In Experiment 2, similar anisotropies were found using similar tasks in a similar (but virtual) environment. In both experiments pantomime walking measures seemed to additionally compress the range of responses. Experiment 3 supported the hypothesis that range compression in walking measures of perceived distance might be due to proactive interference (memory contamination). It is concluded that walking measures are calibrated for perceived egocentric distance, but that pantomime walking measures may suffer range compression. Depth extents along the ground are perceptually compressed relative to frontal ground extents in a manner consistent with the angular scale expansion hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)(journal abstract

The Social Psychology Of Perception Experiments: Hills, Backpacks, Glucose, And The Problem Of Generalizability

Experiments take place in a physical environment but also a social environment. Generalizability from experimental manipulations to more typical contexts may be limited by violations of ecological validity with respect to either the physical or the social environment. A replication and extension of a recent study (a blood glucose manipulation) was conducted to investigate the effects of experimental demand (a social artifact) on participant behaviors judging the geographical slant of a large-scale outdoor hill. Three different assessments of experimental demand indicate that even when the physical environment is naturalistic, and the goal of the main experimental manipulation was primarily concealed, artificial aspects of the social environment (such as an explicit requirement to wear a heavy backpack while estimating the slant of a hill) may still be primarily responsible for altered judgments of hill orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)(journal abstract

Switching Costs and Loyalty: Understanding How Trust Moderates Online Consumers’ Ties to Merchants

Information technology has transformed how travelers interact with travel service providers. Due to fierce competition in the online air travel industry, e-ticketing services have focused attention on fostering customer loyalty. This is an important strategy because, in general, initial transactions with new customers are less profitable than transactions with existing customers. Drawing on research on customer loyalty, switching costs, and trust, this study develops, and proposes an empirical test, for a model incorporating trust as a moderator of the relationship between switching costs and online customer loyalty. We propose that in the presence of high customer trust, e-businesses should have less need to rely on switching costs as a driver of customer loyalty. If supported, this proposition will extend understanding of customer loyalty, switching costs, and trust in e-commerce environments and provide practical, theory-driven, guidelines to e-businesses seeking to develop customer loyalty programs

Standards of Best Practices Environmental Education & Interpretation Professionals

This document provides guidelines about the knowledge and skills needed to provide effective Environmental Education and Interpretation (EE&I) experiences in the state of Nevada. Effective experiences not only further the mission of the organization but also inspire understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of Southern Nevada’s environment. Standards of Best Practices for Nevada Environmental Education & Interpretation (NEE&I) Professionals is a guide for providers working at public lands, nature centers, museums, zoos, aquaria, schools, and all nature and heritage-rich places. It is designed to help NEE&I providers develop and implement the highest quality experiences for all possible audiences. It is a tool for NEE&I providers to use as they develop new experiences, deliver programs, or evaluate the effectiveness of the experience. Because EE&I experiences come in many forms, not every part of this document will apply to every EE&I experience

Utility of the Severity-of-Illness Score for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SCORTEN) in Pediatric Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Patients

Introduction The Severity-of-Illness Score for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SCORTEN) is a scoring system that seeks to predict in-hospital mortality for disorders affecting skin integrity. The scoring system has been validated and widely utilized in adults, but not pediatrics. This study aims to determine the accuracy of the SCORTEN in pediatrics. Methods A retrospective review of pediatric patients admitted at a verified pediatric burn center with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SJS/TEN) from 2008 to 2022 was performed. Results Twenty-seven eligible SJS/TEN patients were identified. Three patients were excluded due to incomplete data, allowing twenty-four patients to be analyzed. Ten patients had 0-1 risk factors (3.2% mortality rate), thirteen had 2 risk factors (12.1% mortality risk) and one had 3 risk factors (35.1% mortality risk). There was no correlation between initial BUN, bicarbonate, glucose, or initial heart rate on the length of ICU stay or ventilator days. Student T-tests were performed comparing the 0-1 vs. 2 risk factor groups. Those with 2 risk factors had significantly higher TBSA affected on admission (32.72 ± 20.55 vs 8.26 ± 13.55 p = .0005). Interestingly, hospital length of stay, ICU length of stay, and ventilator days were not statistically significant between those having 0-1 and 2 risk factors. Conclusion A higher SCORTEN category did not correlate to a longer hospital stay, ICU days, or ventilator days. This study suggests that the SCORETEN system is not accurate in pediatric patients. A different scoring system is needed to estimate the disease severity in pediatric SJS/TEN patients

IL-1R1 is required for dendritic cell-mediated T cell reactivation within the CNS during West Nile virus encephalitis

Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) with cytopathic viruses require efficient T cell responses to promote viral clearance, limit immunopathology, and enhance survival. We found that IL-1R1 is critical for effector T cell reactivation and limits inflammation within the CNS during murine West Nile virus (WNV) encephalitis. WNV-infected IL-1R1(−/−) mice display intact adaptive immunity in the periphery but succumb to WNV infection caused by loss of virologic control in the CNS with depressed local Th1 cytokine responses, despite parenchymal entry of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells. Ex vivo analysis of CD4(+) T cells from WNV-infected CNS of IL-1R1(−/−) mice revealed impaired effector responses, whereas CD8(+) T cells revealed no cell intrinsic defects in response to WNV antigen. WNV-infected, IL-1R1(−/−) mice also exhibited decreased activation of CNS CD11c(+)CD11b(−)CD103(+) and CD11c(+)CD11b(−)CD8α(+)Dec-205(+) cells with reduced up-regulation of the co-stimulatory molecules CD80, CD86, and CD68. Adoptive transfer of wild-type CD11c-EYFP(+) cells from WNV-infected CNS into WNV-infected IL-1R1(−/−) mice trafficked into the CNS restored T cell functions and improved survival from otherwise lethal infection. These data indicate that IL-1R1 signaling promotes virologic control during WNV infection specifically within the CNS via modulation of CD11c(+) cell–mediated T cell reactivation at this site