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Aston University signs City of Sanctuary pledge

City of Sanctuary supports groups and organisations to build a culture of welcome and hospitality Aston University has become a supporting organisation of City of Sanctuary It is committed to achieving University of Sanctuary status. Aston University has become a supporting organisation of City of Sanctuary UK to demonstrate its commitment to helping people fleeing violence and persecution. City of Sanctuary is a charity supporting a network of groups across the UK and Ireland working to build a culture of welcome and hospitality within their communities. Earlier this year, the University opened a new Centre for Migration and Forced Displacement. The centre officially launched with an event bringing together designers, artists and academics to discuss how to investigate and publicise violence against migrants. Other initiatives set up by Aston University to support refugees and asylum seekers include: a new sanctuary scholarship scheme for students who have sought refuge in the UK the student-led Enactus Society Chance for Change project, facilitating integration and employment for refugees supporting the Kozminski Foundation run by Kozminski University in Poland, which provides support for victims of the war in Ukraine students in the University’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship undertaking PhD research into refugee entrepreneurship funding for an emergency training package for Ukrainian interpreters, supporting local organisations in contact with Ukrainian refugees. Dr Angela Jeffery, director of regional strategy at Aston University, said: “Aston University recently launched its Civic University Agreement, outlining our commitment as an anchor institution to improving the economic, social, environmental and cultural life of our local communities. “Becoming a supporting organisation of the City of Sanctuary is one of many steps the University is taking to support our region and society. We endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter and agree to act in accordance with its values. We are committed to achieving University of Sanctuary status by welcoming asylum seekers and refugees into the university community and fostering a culture of welcome and inclusion for all.” City of Sanctuary chair, David Brown, said: “As a diverse and vibrant university in a diverse and vibrant city, Aston University is in a really strong position to welcome and support asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants as they seek to build new lives in the UK, and to contribute their skills and energy to the University community, to Birmingham and to the Midlands. “With colleagues in the City of Sanctuary movement, I warmly welcome Aston University’s commitment to become a University of Sanctuary.”

Black culture expert on history and significance of Juneteenth

Tracy Sharpley-Whiting, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies, is available for inquiries on Juneteenth. Tracy is an expert in comparative Black cultural movements and African American literature and culture. Her research examines Black culture and the impacts of politics and society. She can discuss the history and significance of Juneteenth, the continuing relevance of African American history (including slavery) today and the work still yet to be done.

There's a lot more to bats than their spooky reputation

By Emma Richards More than 50,000 students call the University of Florida home, and while that is a lot of Gators, the campus is home to even more bats. Hundreds of thousands of the misunderstood mammals live across from Lake Alice, where they dwell in the world’s largest occupied bat houses. The colony of bats was initially discovered at the UF track and tennis stadiums in 1991. In the spots where fans were cheering, bats were roosting – causing a mess and a notable stench. That same year, the UF Athletics Association built a house to rehome the bats from the stadiums. But the night after they were transported to their new home, all the bats left, and did not return for three years. Now, the houses are primarily occupied by around 400,000 to 500,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats that remain at UF year-round and do not hibernate or migrate. “They do all these great things for us and then we turn around and we're scared of them,” Mathis said. Verity Mathis, the mammal collections manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History says bats are the only mammals that can fly, and the Brazilian free-tailed species found at UF are tremendous at it. “They’ve actually been documented to go as fast as 100 miles an hour in like short bursts, which is just amazing to think about,” she said in an episode of the From Florida podcast. “This one species is just capable of so much.” Along with their fast flight, Brazilian free-tailed bats can go as high as 9,000 to 10,000 feet in the air and venture over 30 miles a night forging for insects like mosquitos, moths, beetles and flies. Despite being associated with blood-sucking vampires in popular culture, only three out of 1,400 bat species drink blood and they aren’t located in North America. Bats do not want to attack humans; in fact, they avoid people using their vision and echolocation skills. Bats can live for many decades and are more closely related to humans than they are to rodents. They also provide critical environmental services such as pest control, fertilization and pollination. Mathis says bats are misunderstood. “They do all these great things for us and then we turn around and we're scared of them,” she said. “We want to be respectful of them and of their lifestyle and we don't want to encroach upon them and bother them.” Mathis says if people do encounter an injured bat, they should not touch it with their bare hands because bats can carry rabies. It is best to put on thick gloves, place the bat into a container and call a local wildlife rehabilitation center. There are 13 bat species in Florida, and two of them are endangered. The Florida Wildlife Commission is actively monitoring those populations. In Alachua County, people and businesses, including Swamp House Brewery and Lubee Bat Conservancy, have bat houses on their properties. Mathis advises those interested in putting a bat house in their yard to do research to ensure that the right kind of house is purchased and that it is placed in the proper location to align with Florida’s specific requirements, which can be found here on the UF/IFAS website. For Mathis, these are all steps toward accepting a widely misunderstood mammal. “I think as long as we continue these conversations about telling people how cool bats are then maybe eventually pop culture will catch up to that,” she said. To hear more about bats, listen to the episode on From Florida at this link. Listen to other episodes in the From Florida podcast here. Watch a recent video featuring Verity Mathis here: https://youtu.be/vbFZfVwGwYE

Georgia Southern launches Asian Studies Digital collection

Georgia Southern University Libraries and Nalanda Roy, Ph.D., recently launched a digital collection, “An Integral History: Asian Studies Digital Archive.” The archive provides a curated collection of multidisciplinary resources in support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the United States. Contributions are curated from Digital Commons, the University’s open-access institutional repository, and highlight Georgia Southern’s scholarly and cultural assets related to the Asian Studies minor. The collection represents faculty and student research, books, videos, community resources and campus events. “The Asian Studies Digital Archive is an important addition to Georgia Southern’s collections because developing an understanding of other cultures will create a cultural awareness,” said Roy, an associate professor of international studies and Asian politics and coordinator of the University’s Asian Studies program. “It will also teach us to have more meaningful interactions with others around us, and celebrate our differences and similarities.” Each May, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed to recognize the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have contributed to American history, society and culture. The Asian Studies Digital Archive will carry that legacy forward, and continue to grow, as faculty are encouraged to participate in the initiative. “As the coordinator of the Asian Studies program at Georgia Southern University, creating the Digital Archive has been a dream project,” said Roy, who is a Certified Diversity Executive and a former Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellow at Georgia Southern. “I am very happy to work with the Georgia Southern Libraries to create a resource that will be helpful to both the Georgia Southern and local communities.” For more information on the Asian Studies Digital Archive, visit: Facts about Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month *U.S. Census Bureau 1978 — Congress passed a resolution creating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. 1992 — The observance expanded to a month (May), timed to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States (May 7, 1843) and completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869 (the majority of workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants). 2020 — Total Asian population in the U.S. is roughly 6% or 20 million. 5.1 million — The estimated number of the Asian population of Chinese, except Taiwanese, descent in the U.S. in 2020. The Chinese (except Taiwanese) population was the largest Asian group in the U.S. 690,000 — The estimated number of total Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population in the U.S. 607,010 — Native Hawaiian residents make the largest NHPI group in the U.S If you're a reporter looking to know more about "An Integral History: Asian Studies Digital Archive" - then let us help with your coverage and stories. Nalanda Roy, Ph.D., is available to answer your questions - simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.

Georgia Southern students expand communication disorder awareness amidst Deaf Culture Renaissance

At Georgia Southern, a group of students is taking courses to grow the number of interpreters in their communities and their fields. Each student comes to class with their own motivations to learn ASL. “Most of the deaf people, myself included, feel kind of depressed,” signed Angellia Burnett, a volunteer assistant in Georgia Southern University’s American Sign Language (ASL) course. “We miss a lot of things in life, because it has always been a struggle with communication.” Burnett grew up deaf, and is the only person in her family who is deaf. Members of her family speak ASL, but she said many in the Deaf community continue to be left out of family conversations because not everyone will sign all of the time. This leaves Deaf family members feeling isolated even within their own homes. “Not everyone accepts my deafness,” Burnett signed. “They need to know Deaf culture. They need to accept that.” One of the most effective ways of accepting someone is by understanding the challenges they face. Over the past few years, the world has experienced a Deaf culture renaissance, where the inclusion of people who are deaf becomes more mainstream. Recently, the film “CODA,” which stands for “children of deaf adults,” won the 2022 Academy Award for Best Picture. This brought Deaf culture further into the spotlight, opening many eyes into the lives of those with hearing impairments. “What that means is it embraces the entire community,” said Dana Taylor, Ph.D., Georgia Southern adjunct professor and sign language interpreter. “It’s not isolating one group as being different. Individuals get to see the struggles and challenges and the triumphs that people experience.” At Georgia Southern, a group of students is taking courses to grow the number of interpreters in their communities and their fields. Each student comes to class with their own motivations to learn ASL. Some are learning sign language because they have people in their lives with hearing impairments or other communication disorders where sign can be advantageous. Others are there to develop their Sign skills as a professional tool. “If I had a client who spoke ASL, I’d be able to communicate with them better or make them feel more comfortable,” said Ricki Botsford, speech pathology student. “I’ve learned a lot about how broad communication can be, because there are so many ways to communicate outside of the verbal option.” When the students were asked if they had tried learning other languages like Spanish or French, every hand was raised. When asked if they stuck to learning them, all but a few went down. So what makes Sign different? “It’s a lot easier to integrate into every day,” said Adia Greer who’s studying to be an athletic trainer for Deaf athletes. “I can speak it verbally, but I can also sign it. I’ve picked up signing to my cat a lot. She doesn’t understand it, but it allows me to practice.” While the students practice Sign with their pets and favorite TV shows, Burnett continues to come to class to help show her students the world they share, but not the one they see. Georgia Southern has a network of Student Accessibility Resource Centers on the Statesboro and Savannah campuses providing interpreters for students who want to attend classes and interact with their environment, as well as many other resources for students who are hard of hearing. “The whole world needs to learn Sign,” Burnett signed. “I want to see people motivated to learn. I see a lot of Hearing people who are motivated to learn, and a lot of Deaf people that want to help make them successful. I’m really proud that I can help in that.” If you're a reporter looking to know more about this important topic - then let us help with your coverage and stories. Dana Taylor, Ph.D., is available to answer your questions - simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.

Covering the music beat? Then tune in and get in touch with our resident hip-hop expert

Augusta University Professor Adam Diehl is an expert in hip-hop culture, lyrical analysis, rap as a form of literature and specifically, the works of Kendrick Lamar. Diehl gives an update on what's new in hip-hop and of course, answers questions about Lamar and his highly anticipated new album.  How has the hip-hop music scene changed over the last 5 years? The hip-hop music scene has changed faster than any other genre the last five years. Whereas country still uses radio play and music videos to gauge success (along with album sales and streaming numbers) and rock uses touring to supplement and offset recording costs, pop and hip-hop have a great advantage in that they can raise people to stardom almost overnight. In fact, several of the biggest pop stars like Billie Eilish and Post Malone made their rapid ascents through the same channel many of the top hip-hop stars did: Soundcloud. Because this platform allowed new artists the chance to put their music alongside heavyweights, it democratized the listening process. What sent Soundcloud soaring? To put it succinctly, Soundcloud was the great reset of the hip-hop world. But when COVID hit and musicians couldn't tour for upwards of two years, the hip-hop community soared past country and rock (which they were already outselling pre-pandemic) because they didn't base their profit model on touring. Even pop stars were at a disadvantage, because the TV appearances and interviews they used to promote their new releases were few and far between for at least a year, and virtual events just couldn't replicate award show appearances and performances. Hip-hop, meanwhile, continued to be "Black America's CNN" and reported on the protests and outrage following the high-profile deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The resurgence of Black Lives Matter brought mainstream media and cultural attention to the Black community, and as such the importance of hip-hop grew, just as it did in the wake of the Rodney King verdict and the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. How has the economy of music changed? Most people under 20 don't own any CDs. What money these kids don't spend on music can now go to a modern cultural institution: the music festival. Increasingly, cities are hosting these previously camping-required concerts, which has been a particular advantage for hip-hop artists, who don't need roadies or sometimes even other people on stage. All they need is a setlist with six to 10 catchy songs, an entrancing light show, a DJ/engineer and a strong stage presence, and they can captivate the audience as easily as some of the all-time greats of any genre. Going forward, the music industry is going to be about return on investment. Instead of developing artists over a five-year period and then letting them blossom for two to three decades, they are looking for someone to explode in popularity instantly, stay in the spotlight and public consciousness consistently for three to five years, and then maybe stick around. TikTok is, in many ways, analogous to this career arc: the videos are short, the makers are -- to some extent -- largely forgettable, and the popularity relies heavily on a "hook." It's no surprise that hip-hop has been the most adopted genre by TikTokers: the genre has been more effective than any other in terms of codifying "catch phrases." And that's what TikTok is going for: something to hook viewers into watching more. Did the Super Bowl appearance by hip-hop artists take the genre to a whole new level as far as mainstream music? If the Super Bowl halftime show in 2022 did anything, it showed that rap and hip-hop are now as household friendly as rock, country and pop. Perhaps because so many best-selling rock acts had already played the halftime show, and perhaps because the pop acts of recent years had failed to maintain the public's attention, the 2022 halftime show featured one of hip-hop's founding fathers: Dr. Dre. His menagerie of artists' careers stretched over 30 years, and the time constraints of the show made hip-hop the ideal soundtrack. In a 13-minute set, six performers all got their moment in the California sun, and the mega-mix model so often used in clubs was perfect to segue from artist to artist. What 30 to 35 years ago was "Parental Advisory" is now the music that parents listen to. The target demo of the Super Bowl would've thought someone like Simon & Garfunkel or The Eagles much more risky picks than Dr. Dre & Co., even if their music was more family-friendly. Many casual music fans thought Kendrick Lamar was the head-scratcher because of his shorter tenure in the spotlight, but the younger generations watching were much more interested in what Kendrick did than "old heads" like Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige. Was this new album by Kendrick Lamar overdue? The new Kendrick Lamar album comes right on time: it is the definitive COVID album. If he had released in spring/summer 2020 when he originally intended (i.e. if the early March 2020 pgLang rollout was foreshadowing his record release), this would be a substantially different work of art. Instead, the project voices what so many people have endured in the pandemic: domestic turmoil. The tracks cover a vast array of topics -- from vaccinations to transgenderism to cancel culture -- but the unifying theme is therapy. As much emphasis as physical health got over the past two years, the pandemic was arguably just as bad if not worse for people's mental health. Accordingly, this album goes into dark valleys in Kendrick's and his family's trials and traumas: child abuse, sex addiction, separation/divorce, deaths, etc. In the two years that society has been persevering through the pandemic, countless marriages and millions of lives have been shaken to their cores. Listening to this double-album adds another tremor to our already-jostled souls. Tracks like "We Cry Together" capture the rapid-fire romantic arguments that can quickly escalate from disappointment to suicidal ideation, and "United in Grief" recreates the sense of a panic attack with its intensifying lyric delivery and drumbeats. Anxiety and depression are the recurring moods of this album, and the track list ranges in sonic textures -- from Lamar's tried-and-true vintage gangsta rap beats to the utterly unpredictable piano flourishes that come straight from a spoken word poetry reading -- to reflect the all-too-familiar combination of monotony and chaos that the world has undergone for the last two years. It is unforgettable -- just like COVID-19 -- but also, perhaps, something we'd rather not relive. Why do some consider Lamar the most influential rapper of our generation? Kendrick Lamar only has two real rivals for most influential rapper of the generation: Kanye West and Drake. Although Kanye is 10 years older, his career overlaps to a large degree with Kendrick's. Kanye's influence certainly comes more in the production of songs than in lyrical delivery, but his subject matter has been very contagious. Kendrick's mentioning of a Birkin bag in "N95" would never have happened if not for Kanye's lyrical (and career) forays into high fashion. Drake, on the other hand, is probably the rapper most influenced by Kanye...who went on to influence the most artists. Without Drake, many rappers wouldn't have had the blueprint for being singers as well as MCs. What Kendrick brings to the conversation is, in a way, more elusive; however, he without a doubt has raised the bar for lyrical delivery and flow, such that rappers have a better chance at success if they are comically basic than if they are merely competent. It's as if Kendrick took Eminem's velocity and used it to speak on bigger picture issues. Kendrick has also proven to be a fashion-forward rapper, collaborating with Reebok, Nike and Converse over the last few years. His influence might be most prominent in the "realness" of his lyrics: without Kendrick's "everyday life music," the emergence and popularization of "Soundcloud rap" might have been significantly limited. Instead, he uses Kodak Black -- one of the most successful of all Soundcloud-era rappers -- on Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. If Kendrick isn't the most influential rapper of his generation, it's because his ambition and execution have placed him with the all-time greats, and oftentimes that puts artists at odds with their contemporaries. In 100 years, people won't remember some big acts because popularity wears off, but they will still celebrate Kendrick because his work is excellent. Looking to know more? Hit up Adam Diehl today -- simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview.

A Big Week in the Measurement of Expertise: How the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) Results Will Impact Universities

How should we measure faculty expertise? This week the UK provides its answer to this question via its highly significant and formal (government-directed) assessment of academic research - which grades academic teams on a scale of 1* to 4* for their ability to deliver, share and create impact globally outstanding research. This process is known as the REF (the Research Excellence Framework) - and the results will be publicly released this Thursday (12th May) with universities themselves finding out how they’ve performed in advance today (Monday 9th May). The process was last carried out 8 years ago and has been delayed by a year due to the pandemic. Why is the Research Excellence Framework (REF) Significant? The Research Excellence Framework steers the level of UK public funds - allocated via research councils - that will be invested in research for each academic department (or so-called “Unit of Assessment”) for the next few years. It is also a way of comparing performance against other universities that are offering similar research expertise, and of strengthening (or weakening) global research reputations. During the next three days, UK universities will be digging into the detail of their REF gradings and the accompanying feedback. There will be some very nervous university leaders and research heads delving into why this peer-assessed review of their research has not gone as well as they expected and why their percentages in each of the four grade areas have dropped - or even been given the “unclassified” career-damaging stamp. How are the REF Scores for Universities Determined? The measurement process is based on three aspects: Quality of outputs (such as: publications, performances, and exhibitions), Impact beyond academia The environment that supports research The preparation, participation, and assessment process takes a massive amount of time, attention and energy. Last time (2014) there were 1,911 submissions to review. Research teams, designated REF leaders and senior staff will have spent long hours across many months preparing their submissions and making sure they are presenting hard evidence and the best case possible to meet the above criteria at the highest possible level. There are 34 subject areas that are covered in the latest REF - and three tiers of expert panels (some with about 20 or more senior academics, international subject leaders, and research users) will have reviewed each submission and compared notes to come to decisions. How do these Key Categories within the REF Contribute to the Rating for a University? The Research Excellence Framework is actually an intensive and highly important approach to expert assessment. These are the key factors and their definitions (with the assigned weighting of each of the criteria in steering final grades): Outputs (60%): the quality of submitted research outputs in terms of their ‘originality, significance and rigour’, with reference to international research quality standards. This element will carry a weighting of 60 per cent in the overall outcome awarded to each submission. Impact (25%): the ‘reach and significance’ of impacts on the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life that were underpinned by excellent research conducted in the submitted unit. This element carries a weighting of 25 per cent. Environment (15%): the research environment in terms of its ‘vitality and sustainability’, including the approach to enabling impact from its research, and its contribution to the vitality and sustainability of the wider discipline or research base. This element accounts for 15 per cent. Taking a Closer Look at the Categories - Are We Focusing Enough on Research Impact? In 2014 a formal review was carried out in order to improve and evolve the REF process which made a number of recommendations. Most notably the weighting for “impact” was increased by five percent, with “outputs” being reduced by the same percentage. This is certainly a recognition that the external contribution difference that research makes is more important - but is it enough? Should there be greater emphasis on the return on investment from a beneficiaries and user experience perspective? Many argue that academic research should retain a strong element of ‘”blue sky” experimentation - where outright evidence of impact may take several years (even decades) and so can’t demonstrate such immediate value. A particularly notable benefit of the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of this in REF deadlines has allowed the extended assessment period for ‘proof of impact’ from 1 August 2013 to 31 December 2020. This is an extension from the previous end date of 31 July 2020. The extension has been put in place to enable case studies affected by, or focusing on the response to, COVID-19 to be assessed in REF 2021. Going back to the original question: how should we measure faculty expertise? It will be interesting to monitor the views and responses of university leaders and faculty members at the end of this week as to whether they feel that - standing back from it all - this UK-centric method of measurement is the best that can be done, a neat compromise or isn’t really what we really need. For more information on the Research Excellence Framework visit www.ref.ac.uk/ Justin Shaw Justin is UK and Ireland Development Director for ExpertFile and Chief Higher Education Consultant at Communications Management. An authority on University strategy and communications, he has worked in and with leadership teams at UK universities for over 30 years. In his role he has advised universities on how to promote their expertise and on communications strategies related to the REF.

INNOVATORS BRING AI INTO IMAGING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Originally from CHT Magazine By Jerry Zeidenberg October 30, 2019 Two Ontario hospital organizations – encompassing six sites – will soon deploy artificial intelligence to help with continuous learning and peer review in their imaging departments. By automatically detecting the types of cases being read by radiologists at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Hamilton Health Sciences, the system will deliver the latest journal findings, as well as personal pattern recognition and error avoidance, direct to their desktops. While radiologists at all Canadian hospitals are experts in their field, with years of education and experience, our understanding of diseases and illnesses is rapidly expanding and new insights are constantly appearing. To ensure that they’re aware of the latest research and best practices, many radiologists conduct journal and web searches while they’re reading cases at the hospital, or at night, from home. “Our radiologists and physicians spend a lot of time reading and searching for literature,” said Shairoz Kherani, who until recently was Director of Diagnostic Services at HHS. (She has since moved to Halton Health Care, in nearby Oakville, Ont., where she is Director of Diagnostic Services and Laboratory.) “Finding the right information can be a daunting process. Now it will be readily available.” “There are hundreds of new findings every day,” said Ian Maynard, CEO of RealTime Medical, of Mississauga, Ont., the company that’s providing the AI-powered solution, called AICloudQA™. “Radiologists can spend two or more hours a day searching independent medical data sources,” said Maynard. “Our solution saves radiologists a significant amount of time and effort by searching multiple data sources simultaneously, relative to the case at hand. We’re like a Google search on steroids for relevant medical data, helping radiologists apply the latest findings to their patient care”. Indeed, RealTime Medical is collaborating with Google Cloud and Sightline Innovation to deliver its AI-fueled solutions. The project is also supported by the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), resulting in a collaboration between these organizations and the hospitals using the solution. Not only does the automated searching save time and contribute to better medical outcomes for patients, but it helps reduce radiologist “burnout”, a serious issue today as radiologists feel overloaded by the demands placed on them, Maynard said. St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Hamilton Health Sciences will introduce AICloudQA for peer learning and skills development across their sites by the end of this year. The hospitals will probably start with one site, or one physician group across all sites, and then steadily roll out the solution. The context-sensitive provision of journal articles and other sources of medical information is expected to be of great help to the radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, cardiologists and other clinicians who use the system. There are 70 to 80 radiologists and medical imaging experts at Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton who will be the prime users of AICloudQA. RealTime Medical’s Ian Maynard said the importance of timely and accurate information cannot be underestimated. As they’re reading cases, radiologists want the latest literature and personal pattern recognition notifications of what to be on the lookout for. “What they don’t want our patients and their families coming back to them later, asking why they didn’t know about the latest finding from Cleveland Clinic for example,” said Maynard. Dr. Karen Finlay, radiologist and Interim Chief of Radiology at Hamilton Health Sciences, agreed that radiologists are currently taking “a lot of time for research”. “If a radiologist steps off a case for five to 10 minutes to go to Google Scholar, that can really add up over the course of a day,” she said. Additionally, for those familiar with the impact of interruptions on the efficiency of the diagnostic process, that time impact can be significantly magnified to the detriment of diagnostic efficiency, which collectively impacts system-wide efficiency. The feed from AICloudQA, by contrast, is instantaneous, meaning the radiologist doesn’t have to stop what they are doing. Notably, the RealTime Medical system also uses AI to scan the readings done by radiologists, and to provide feedback on areas where they might want to focus on or look more closely in future. “It’s like the blind-spot warning system in your car, only it’s anonymously helping you avoid possible gaps in your own reading patterns,” said Maynard. “This is very valuable,” said Kherani. “The system can do intelligent sampling and note where a radiologist may want to improve. It can even spot patterns, time of day and other conditions when they may be more vulnerable.” Dr. Finlay observed that AICloudQA will also transform the process of peer learning at Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. It will do this, in one way, by increasing the pool of radiologists participating. One of the limitations of current peer review methods is that there’s often a limited number of potential reviewers, especially when a sub-specialty is involved – such as breast or neuro-imaging. RealTime Medical’s cloud-based solution offers the potential to connect with other hospitals across the province and the country, creating a critical mass of peers with a cross-section of experiences in each sub-speciality. This will enable a level of peer learning and best practice sharing that’s simply not possible with site-based systems. Increasing the number of radiologists in the peer learning pool also helps with the issue of anonymity. With site-based solutions, it’s sometimes possible to guess the identity of the radiologist or clinician being assisted, as physicians are often familiar with the reporting styles of their peers. Like all physicians – and people in general – radiologists don’t like to be judged. By making the system more anonymous, the Real Time Medical system makes peer learning more objective, valid and hence palatable for participants. This part of what is being called a “just culture” approach, that physicians are calling for in such solutions. AICloudQA embraces the “just culture” principles that physicians want and deserve. It is not punitive, and the information is not shared. Instead, it’s sent privately to the participating radiologist or clinicians, who can use it for self-improvement. At Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, the peer-reviewing will be prospective – that is, it’s done before the results are reported to the referring physician. Of course, there are only so many cases that can be reviewed before the process becomes counter-productive. The need for continuous learning must be balanced with the extra burden that’s placed on reviewers. “The trick is to make it a rich and rewarding learning experience, but not burdensome,” said Dr. Finlay. Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton currently aim to review 2 percent of the cases, which is in keeping with other Canadian programs. Kherani noted there are other potential benefits to the AICloudQA platform. It has a workload balancing function, where it uses its intelligence to feed cases to the appropriate radiologist – based on availability and expertise. That not only offers the organization advantages with workflow and wait times, but it also benefits patients, as they obtain the most expert radiologist available. She said the system can eventually support different types of physicians involved in imaging, such as cardiologists, and not only radiologists. “It’s a multi-ology solution.” Dr. Finlay noted the system also supports critical results reporting – so that urgent findings are quickly sent to referring doctors. It can also be tweaked to include notification of unexpected findings – flagging colleagues about problems that were unanticipated, but should be addressed.

In a post-COVID workplace, do employees hold the cards when it comes to work-life balance?

For the most part, COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror for the businesses, restaurants and workplaces it played havoc with for the better part of two years. As Americans pivot back to normal, there are a few things the pandemic may have changed for good. How we work and the dynamics of the traditional American workplace are likely among those permanent changes. For some Americans, the novelty of working from home may shift back to the traditional workplace, but experts say that is dependent on industry, job roles and location. Meanwhile, some employers are now realizing the benefits and efficiencies of working from home with less rigid 9-5, Monday-to-Friday schedules. Employees are working more, costing less and still delivering. The new workplace is a topic that is top of mind. Work-life integration is quickly becoming part of policy and procedure for employers as it remains a priority for employees. "Some employers simply don’t have a choice," said Melissa Furman, a leading management consultant and lecturer in the James M. Hull College of Business at Augusta University.  "If they are not recognizing the needs of their employees, they are going to have a hard time recruiting and retaining employees. 'Work-life balance' is a dated term that is recognized by the older generations.  "The younger generations are seeking 'work-life integration' and in some cases view their jobs as 'side hustles' to support their career of 'life.'" There are many different mindsets present in the workplace and employers need to better understand the needs and preferences of their employees and “one size does not fit all,” adds Furman. "This environment has created some new/unique challenges for organizational leaders." There are a lot of questions to consider when it comes to how America adapts to the new working environment, and if you are a journalist covering this topic, that’s where Augusta University can help. Furman is a respected leader in management with over 20 years of business coaching, mentoring and higher education administration. She's available to speak with media; simply click on her icon to schedule an interview today.

'A Fundamental Part of Being Human' - UConn Expert on the Ritual of Caring for the Dead

The War in Ukraine has brought images of death and mourning onto screens across the globe and directly into public consciousness.  Funerary rights, explains UConn expert Dimitris Xygalatas, are among the traits that archeologists find distinguishing between humans and other species. While those rituals are ostensibly about the dead, their importance, he writes in a new essay published in The Conversation, lies in the roles they play for those still living: They allow them to grieve, seek comfort, face the reality of death and find the strength to move on. They are deeply human acts, which is why being deprived of them can feel devastating and dehumanizing. This is what is happening in Ukraine. In besieged cities, people cannot retrieve the bodies of their loves ones from the streets out of fear of being killed. In other cases, Ukrainian officials have accused the Russian army of burying victims in mass graves to hide war crimes. Even when they are retrieved, many of the corpses have been mutilated, making them difficult to identify. To people who have lost their loved ones, the lack of a proper send-off can feel like a second loss. The need for closure is widely recognized to be indispensable – not only by anthropologists and psychologists, but also first responders, governments and international organizations. This is why armies go to great lengths to return the remains of fallen soldiers to their families, even if that takes decades. The right to a burial is acknowledged even for one’s foes. The Geneva Convention stipulates that belligerents must ensure that the bodies of enemies are “honorably interred” and that their graves are respected and “properly maintained and marked so that they may always be found.” Given the importance of those rites, it is also striking that the Russian defense ministry has reportedly been reluctant to bring their own dead back home, because they are concerned with covering up the scale of the losses. This seeming indifference to the suffering of Russia’s own people and their need for closure may be yet another act of dehumanization. Professor Xygalatas is an anthropologist and cognitive scientist at the University of Connecticut who specializes in some of the things that make us human, including ritual, music, cooperation, and the interaction between cognition and culture. He is available to speak with media, simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.