Assessing subjective workload for live captioners.

Live captioning is a challenging task that requires intense concentration to convert audio to text in real-time. Despite the importance of live captioning for accessibility, little is known about the subjective workload of captioners in this context. This study aimed to measure the subjective workload of live captioners using the NASA-TLX and to explore the factors that contribute to their mental workload. Thirty live captioners participated in the study, completing questionnaires and interviews. Results showed that the subjective mental workload of live captioners is high, similar to that of neurosurgeons. The mental workload was found to be associated with caption paraphrasing and employment status. The challenges of the job, such as the speed of speaking in live content, cognitive tasks involved in paraphrasing, the concern about poor performance, the impact on audiences, and the lack of control over job scheduling contribute to this high workload. These findings suggest the need for modulating the scheduling of the workers, having longer breaks, and working in teams rather than independently. Introducing paradigm changes for live captioning workflow, such as reducing the human effort of typing by adopting auto-generated captions, so that captioners become decision-makers or managers of generational AI systems should also be considered. By addressing these issues, we can help improve the well-being of live captioners and the quality of captions, ultimately enhancing accessibility for all.

Impact of C-reactive protein test results on evidence-based decision-making in cases of bacterial infection.

BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein (CRP) is widely used to detect bacterial infection in children. We investigated the impact of CRP test results on decision-making and summarized the evidence base (EB) of CRP testing. METHODS: We collected information from the hospital records of 91 neonates with suspected sepsis and of 152 febrile children with suspected infection on the number of ordered CRP tests, the number of EB-CRP tests, and the impact of the test results on decision-making. CRP diagnostic accuracy studies focusing on pediatric infections were reviewed critically. The main outcomes were the proportion of CRP tests that were EB and the proportion of tests that affected decision-making. A secondary outcome was the overall one-year expenditure on CRP testing. RESULTS: The current EB for CRP testing in pediatric infections is weak and suggests that CRP is of low diagnostic value. Approximately 54.8% of tests performed for suspected neonatal sepsis and 28% of tests performed for other infections were EB; however, the results of only 12.9% of neonatal sepsis tests and of 29.9% of tests on children with other infections informed decision-making. The one-year overall cost for CRP testing and related health care was $26,715.9. CONCLUSIONS: The routine ordering of CRP for children with infections is based on weak evidence. The impact of the CRP test results on decision-making is rather small, and CRP ordering may contribute to unnecessary health care expenditures. Better quality research is needed to definitively determine the diagnostic accuracy of CRP levels in children with infections.

Detection of ON1 and novel genotypes of human respiratory syncytial virus and emergence of palivizumab resistance in Lebanon.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of respiratory tract infections in children and immunocompromised individuals. A multi-center surveillance of the epidemiologic and molecular characteristics of RSV circulating in Lebanon was performed. The attachment (G) and fusion (F) glycoproteins were analyzed and compared to those reported regionally and globally. 16% (83/519) of the nasopharyngeal swabs collected during the 2016/17 season tested positive for RSV; 50% (27/54) were RSV-A and 50% (27/54) were RSV-B. Phylogenetic analysis of the G glycoprotein revealed predominance of the RSVA ON1 genotype, in addition to two novel Lebanese genotype variants, hereby named LBA1 and LBA2, which descended from the ON1 and NA2 RSV-A genotypes, respectively. RSV-B strains belonged to BA9 genotype except for one BA10. Deduced amino acid sequences depicted several unique substitutions, alteration of glycosylation patterns and the emergence of palivizumab resistance among the Lebanese viruses. The emergence of ON1 and other novel genotypes that are resistant to palivizumab highlights the importance of monitoring RSV globally.

Molecular epidemiology and genetic characterization of influenza B virus in Lebanon during 2016-2018.

BACKGROUND: Influenza B viruses are a major cause of serious acute respiratory infections in humans. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from subjects with influenza-like illness during October 2016-June 2018 and screened for influenza A and B. The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of the Lebanese influenza B specimens were sequenced and phylogenetically compared with the vaccine strains and specimens from the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Europe. RESULTS: Influenza A and B viruses co-circulated between October and May and peaked between January and March. During the 2016-2017 season, A/H3N2 (33.4%) and B/Yamagata (29.7%) were the predominantly circulating viruses followed by B/Victoria and A/H1N1pdm09 viruses. During the 2017-2018 season, A/H3N2 (31.5%) and A/H1Npdm09 (29.3%) were most prevalent with co-circulation of B/Yamagata and to a lesser extent B/Victoria viruses. The B/Yamagata specimens belonged to clade-3 while the B/Victoria belonged to clade-1A. None of the analyzed specimens had a mutation known to confer resistance to NA inhibitors (NAIs). CONCLUSION: Multiple subtypes of influenza co-circulate each year in Lebanon with a peak between January and March. The trivalent vaccine included a B/Victoria strain which mismatched the B/Yamagata lineage that predominated during the study period, highlighting the importance of quadrivalent vaccines.

Neonatal acute lymphocytic leukaemia: an unusual presentation of a rare disease.

Infantile acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) seldom presents within the first month of life. Most are diagnosed before birth. Postnatal diagnoses are easily recognisable when characteristic features are present, namely hepatosplenomegaly, leukaemia cutis or infiltrative disease of the extramedullar and central nervous system. However, some children present with vague and non-specific symptoms masquerading as other diseases. We report an unusual presentation of infantile ALL in a 19-day-old infant, who struggled with feeding after a diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease since birth. To the best of our knowledge, this is the youngest case report of neonatal ALL, presenting with vomiting, lethargy and dehydration. The neonate presented to our paediatric assessment unit acutely due to progression of her symptoms. General physical examination was unremarkable apart from signs of lethargy and dehydration. Blood investigation revealed an incidental finding of high white cells, including 90% blast cells. Early diagnosis in this case meant early treatment and a good prognosis.

A história do consumo de drogas e a sua proibição no ocidente / The history of drugs consumption and its prohibition in the West

Estas notas esboçam uma 'genalogia das drogas'. Quanto à 'genealogia', trata-se de explorar o processo de emergência e acompanhar as ondas de propagação do que nos habituamos a denominar, não sem hesitações, controvérsias e inúmeras torções, como drogas. Nesse percurso não se pretende buscar um ponto originário a partir do qual seria possível traçar uma linha direta de continuidade que uniria a situação atual com o que inicialmente existia apenas em potência. O propósito deste capítulo é outro: considerar os processos de emergência e de difusão das drogas como constituídos por séries sucessivas e irregulares de ondas que agregam e arrastam elementos heterogênceos, ao mesmo tempo em que aceleram, deslocam ou detêm outras séres que irradiam alhures relacionando elementos outros ou compondo de outro modo os mesmos elementos. Em outras palavras, trata-se de acompanhar os movimentos intersticiais constituídos pelas e em torno das drogas, e de fazê-lo propondo uma narrativa genealógica que se desenvolve em ziguezague e que freqüentemente ramifica de modo imprevisto ou se interrompe de modo inesperado, enquanto cruza ou se depara com elemetos estranhos e planos diferentes; propondo, em suma, uma narrativa embaralhada que considera uma miríade de acontecimentos entrelaçados.

Drogas, dignidade e inclusão social: a lei e a prática de redução de danos / Drugs, dignity and social inclusion: the law and the practical one of reduction of damages

Estuda a relação entre redução de danos, saúde coletiva, ética e a legislação. Analisa o contexto histórico e as questões contemporâneas em relação ao uso de dorgas e a redução de danos.