bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Precision and reliability study of hospital infusion pumps: a systematic review
Authors: Silva Mayla dos S. , Araújo Joabe Lima , Nunes Gustavo A. M. de A. , Rosa Mário Fabrício F. , Luz Glécia V. da Silva , Rosa Suélia de S. R. F. , Piratelli-Filho Antônio
Published: March 2023

Background

Infusion Pumps (IP) are medical devices that were developed in the 1960s and generate fluid flow at pressures higher than that of normal blood pressure. Various hospital sectors make use of them, and they have become indispensable in therapies requiring continuity and precision in the administration of medication and/or food. As they are classified Class III (high risk) equipment, their maintenance is crucial for proper performance of the device, as well as patient and operator safety. The principal consideration of the pump is the volume infused, and the device demands great attention to detail when being calibrated. A lack of necessary care with this equipment can lead to uncertainty in volume and precision during the administration of substances. Because of this, it is essential to evaluate its reliability, to prevent possible failures at time of execution. This control aims at the quality of the intended infusion result, becoming an indication of quality.

Methods

This systematic review summarizes studies done over the last 10 years (2011 to December 2021) that address the reliability and accuracy of hospital infusion pumps, in order to identify planning of maintenance and/or other techniques used in management of the equipment. The Prisma method was applied and the databases utilized were Embase, MEDLINE/Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Science Direct. In addition, similar reviews were studied in Prospero and the Cochrane Library. For data analysis, softwares such as Mendeley, Excel, RStudio, and VOSviewer were used, and Robvis helped in plotting risk of bias results for studies performed with Cochrane tools.

Results

The six databases selected produced 824 studies. After applying eligibility criteria (inclusion and exclusion), removing duplicates, and applying filters 1 and 2, 15 studies were included in the present review. It was found that the most relevant sources came from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and that the most relevant keywords revolved around the terms (“device failure”, “infusion pumps”, “adverse effects”, “complications”, etc.). These results made clear that there remains substantial room for improvement as it relates to the study of accuracy and reliability of infusion.

Conclusions

We verified that the reliability and precision analysis of hospital infusion pumps need to be performed in a more detailed and consistent way. New developments, considering the model and IP specification, are intended, clearly explaining the adopted methodology.
A diagnostic circulating miRNA signature as orchestrator of cell invasion via TKS4/TKS5/EFHD2 modulation in human gliomas
Authors: Díaz Méndez Ana Belén , Sacconi Andrea , Tremante Elisa , Lulli Valentina , Caprara Valentina , Rosanò Laura , Goeman Frauke , Carosi Mariantonia , Di Giuliani Marta , Vari Giulia , Silvani Antonio , Pollo Bianca , Garufi Carlo , Ramponi Sara , Simonetti Giorgia , Ciusani Emilio , Mandoj Chiara , Scalera Stefano , Villani Veronica , Po Agnese , Ferretti Elisabetta , Regazzo Giulia , Rizzo Maria Giulia
Published: March 2023

Background

Altered microRNA profiles have been observed not only in tumour tissues but also in biofluids, where they circulate in a stable form thus representing interesting biomarker candidates. This study aimed to identify a microRNA signature as a non-invasive biomarker and to investigate its impact on glioma biology.

Methods

MicroRNAs were selected using a global expression profile in preoperative serum samples from 37 glioma patients. Comparison between serum samples from age and gender-matched controls was performed by using the droplet digital PCR. The ROC curve and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to evaluate the diagnostic/prognostic values. The functional role of the identified signature was assessed by gain/loss of function strategies in glioma cells.

Results

A three-microRNA signature (miR-1-3p/−26a-1-3p/−487b-3p) was differentially expressed in the serum of patients according to the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes mutation status and correlated with both patient Overall and Progression Free Survival. The identified signature was also downregulated in the serum of patients compared to controls. Consistent with these results, the signature expression and release in the conditioned medium of glioma cells was lower in IDH-wild type cells compared to the mutated counterpart. Furthermore, in silico analysis of glioma datasets showed a consistent deregulation of the signature according to the IDH mutation status in glioma tumour tissues. Ectopic expression of the signature negatively affects several glioma functions. Notably, it impacts the glioma invasive phenotype by directly targeting the invadopodia-related proteins TKS4, TKS5 and EFHD2.

Conclusions

We identified a three microRNA signature as a promising complementary or even an independent non-invasive diagnostic/prognostic biomarker. The signature displays oncosuppressive functions in glioma cells and impacts on proteins crucial for migration and invasion, providing potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
circMMD reduction following tumor treating fields inhibits glioblastoma progression through FUBP1/FIR/DVL1 and miR-15b-5p/FZD6 signaling
Authors: Xu Shengchao , Luo Chengke , Chen Dikang , Tang Lu , Cheng Quan , Chen Ling , Liu Zhixiong
Published: March 2023

Background

Tumor treating fields (TTF) is the latest treatment for GBM. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been demonstrated to play critical roles in tumorigenesis. However, the molecular mechanism of TTF remained largely unknown and the role of circRNA in TTF was not reported. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role and mechanism of circMMD in TTF treatment of GBM.

Methods

Divergent primer was designed to verify the existence of circMMD in GBM cells. The prognostic role of circMMD was explored in glioma specimens. The knockdown and overexpressed plasmids were used to evaluate the effect of circMMD on GBM cell proliferation and TTF efficacy. RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation were performed to identify binding proteins of circMMD. Subcutaneous and intracranial tumor models were established to validate findings in vivo.

Results

The expression of circMMD was elevated in GBM and its high expression indicated poor prognoses. TTF intervention could reduce circMMD synthesis, which suppressed GBM proliferation and increased TTF-mediated apoptosis. The reduction of circMMD promoted the interaction between FUBP1 and FIR, which decreased DVL1 transcription. Meanwhile, decreased circMMD would promote the activity of miR-15b-5p to degrade FZD6. Finally, the diminished expression of DVL1 and FZD6 expression suppressed the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Conclusions

Our study revealed a novel mechanism of TTF that TTF-mediated reduction of circMMD could inhibit Wnt/β-catenin pathway to suppress GBM proliferation.
l-amino acids affect the hydrogenase activity and growth of Ralstonia eutropha H16
Authors: Iskandaryan Meri , Blbulyan Syuzanna , Sahakyan Mayramik , Vassilian Anait , Trchounian Karen , Poladyan Anna
Published: March 2023

Ralstonia eutropha H16 is a chemolithoautotrophic bacterium with O2-tolerant hydrogenase (Hyds) enzymes. Hyds are expressed in the presence of gas mixtures (H2, O2, CO2) or under energy limitation and stress conditions. O2-tolerant Hyds are promising candidates as anode biocatalysts in enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs). Supplementation of 0.5% (w/v) yeast extract to the fructose-nitrogen (FN) growth medium enhanced H2-oxidizing Hyd activity ~ sixfold. Our study aimed to identify key metabolites (l-amino acids (l-AAs) and vitamins) in yeast extract that are necessary for the increased synthesis and activity of Hyds. A decrease in pH and a reduction in ORP (from + 240 ± 5 mV to − 180 mV ± 10 mV values) after 24 h of growth in the presence of AAs were observed. Compared to the FN-medium control, supplementation of 7.0 μmol/ml of the l-AA mixture stimulated the growth of bacteria ~ 1.9 to 2.9 fold, after 72 h. The whole cells’ H2-oxidizing Hyd activity was not observed in control samples, whereas the addition of l-AAs, mainly glycine resulted in a maximum of ~ 22 ± 0.5 and 15 ± 0.3 U, g CDW−1 activity after 24 h and 72 h, respectively. Our results suggest a correlation between ORP, pH, and function of Hyds in R. eutropha H16 in the presence of key l-AAs. l-AAs used in small amounts can be proposed as signaling molecules or key components of Hyd maturation. These results are important for the optimization of O2-tolerant Hyds production as anode biocatalysts.
Fetal hypoxia results in sex- and cell type-specific alterations in neonatal transcription in rat oligodendrocyte precursor cells, microglia, neurons, and oligodendrocytes
Authors: Kremsky Isaac , Ma Qingyi , Li Bo , Dasgupta Chiranjib , Chen Xin , Ali Samir , Angeloni Shawnee , Wang Charles , Zhang Lubo
Published: March 2023

Background

Fetal hypoxia causes vital, systemic, developmental malformations in the fetus, particularly in the brain, and increases the risk of diseases in later life. We previously demonstrated that fetal hypoxia exposure increases the susceptibility of the neonatal brain to hypoxic-ischemic insult. Herein, we investigate the effect of fetal hypoxia on programming of cell-specific transcriptomes in the brain of neonatal rats.

Results

We obtained RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from neurons, microglia, oligodendrocytes, A2B5+ oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and astrocytes from male and female neonatal rats subjected either to fetal hypoxia or control conditions. Substantial transcriptomic responses to fetal hypoxia occurred in neurons, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and A2B5+ cells. Not only were the transcriptomic responses unique to each cell type, but they also occurred with a great deal of sexual dimorphism. We validated differential expression of several genes related to inflammation and cell death by Real-time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Pathway and transcription factor motif analyses suggested that the NF-kappa B (NFκB) signaling pathway was enriched in the neonatal male brain due to fetal hypoxia, and we verified this result by transcription factor assay of NFκB-p65 in whole brain.

Conclusions

Our study reveals a significant impact of fetal hypoxia on the transcriptomes of neonatal brains in a cell-specific and sex-dependent manner, and provides mechanistic insights that may help explain the development of hypoxic-ischemic sensitive phenotypes in the neonatal brain.
Asymptotic behavior of plate equations driven by colored noise on unbounded domains
Authors: Yao Xiao Bin
Published: March 2023

This paper investigates mainly the asymptotic behavior of the nonautonomous random dynamical systems generated by the plate equations driven by colored noise defined on$\mathbb{R}^{n}$Rn. First, we prove the well-posedness of the equation in the natural energy space. Secondly, we define a continuous cocycle associated with the solution operator. Finally, we establish the existence and uniqueness of random attractors of the equation by the uniform tail-ends estimates methods and the splitting technique.
Yeast hydrolysate attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses and intestinal barrier damage in weaned piglets
Authors: Fu Runqi , Liang Chan , Chen Daiwen , Tian Gang , Zheng Ping , He Jun , Yu Jie , Mao Xiangbing , Luo Yuheng , Luo Junqiu , Yu Bing
Published: March 2023

Background

Intestinal inflammation is the main risk factor causing intestinal barrier dysfunction and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can trigger inflammatory responses in various eukaryotic species. Yeast hydrolysate (YH) possesses multi-biological effects and is received remarkable attention as a functional ingredient for improving growth performance and promoting health in animals. However, there is still inconclusive on the protective effects of dietary YH supplementation on intestinal barrier of piglets. This study was conducted to investigate the attenuate effects of YH supplementation on inflammatory responses and intestinal barrier injury in piglets challenged with LPS.

Methods

Twenty-four piglets (with an average body weight of 7.42 ± 0.34 kg) weaned at 21 days of age were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments (12 replications with one pig per pen): a basal diet or a basal diet containing YH (5 g/kg). On the 22nd d, 6 piglets in each treatment were intraperitoneally injected with LPS at 150 μg/kg BW, and the others were injected with the same amount of sterile normal saline. Four hours later, blood samples of each piglet were collected and then piglets were euthanized.

Results

Dietary YH supplementation increased average daily feed intake and average daily gain (P < 0.01), decreased the ratio of feed intake to gain of piglets (P = 0.048). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection induced systemic inflammatory response, evidenced by the increase of serum concentrations of haptoglobin (HP), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Furthermore, LPS challenge resulted in inflammatory intestinal damage, by up-regulation of the protein or mRNA abundances of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) and phosphor-nuclear factor-κB-p65 (p-NFκB-p65) (P < 0.01), and down-regulation of the jejunal villus height, the protein and mRNA abundances of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin (OCC; P < 0.05) in jejunal mucosa. Dietary YH supplementation decreased the impaired effects of ACTH, cortisol, HP, IL-1β and diamine oxidase in serum (P < 0.05). Moreover, YH supplementation also up-regulated the jejunal villus height, protein and mRNA abundances of ZO-1 and OCC (P < 0.05), down-regulated the mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β and the protein abundances of TNF-α, IL-1β, TLR4 and p-NFκB-p65 in jejunal mucosa in LPS-challenged pigs (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Yeast hydrolysate could attenuate inflammatory response and intestinal barrier injury in weaned piglets challenged with LPS, which was associated with the inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway activation.

Graphical Abstract
Rendering algorithms for aberrated human vision simulation
Authors: Csoba István , Kunkli Roland
Published: March 2023

Vision-simulated imagery―the process of generating images that mimic the human visual system―is a valuable tool with a wide spectrum of possible applications, including visual acuity measurements, personalized planning of corrective lenses and surgeries, vision-correcting displays, vision-related hardware development, and extended reality discomfort reduction. A critical property of human vision is that it is imperfect because of the highly influential wavefront aberrations that vary from person to person. This study provides an overview of the existing computational image generation techniques that properly simulate human vision in the presence of wavefront aberrations. These algorithms typically apply ray tracing with a detailed description of the simulated eye or utilize the point-spread function of the eye to perform convolution on the input image. Based on the description of the vision simulation techniques, several of their characteristic features have been evaluated and some potential application areas and research directions have been outlined.
Cardiotoxicities of Novel Therapies in Hematologic Malignancies: Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy and Bispecific T-Cell Engager Therapy
Authors: Marar Rosalyn I. , Abbasi Muhannad Aboud , Prathivadhi-Bhayankaram Sruti , Daryanani Andres , Villarraga Hector , Anavekar Nandan , Bhatt Vijaya Raj , Paludo Jonas
Published: March 2023

The field of malignant hematology is transforming with novel immunotherapeutic approaches. Unfortunately, quality of life, treatment efficacy, and life expectancy are negatively affected by cardiotoxic side effects of treatment. To date, the exact mechanism and incidence of cardiotoxicity associated with these therapies is unclear. These events are believed to be triggered or occur concurrently with cytokine release syndrome. Furthermore, there are no formal guidelines to provide evaluation, treatment, and surveillance. We aim to synthesize available literature with updates on the cardiotoxic effects of novel therapies used in malignant hematologic disorders, with a focus on chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and bispecific T-cell engager therapy, along with a proposed algorithm that may guide pretreatment evaluation, monitoring during treatment, and post-treatment surveillance.
Post-Automation Poetics; or, How Cold-War Computers Discovered Poetry
Authors: Slater Avery
Published: March 2023

This article examines early Cold War attempts to generate poetry using computers. Set between the end of World War II and the rise of personal computing, computer-generated poetry from this period was shaped not only by artists but also the university lab, the defense-contactor, and the corporation. Computer-generated poetry from this era often participated in the larger project of fostering public conception of the power and prestige of computers. This ethos of “post-automation poetics” was also informed by computer science experiments with computation’s linguistic-processing powers—from machine translation to early AI. This article contextualizes the computer poetry of Alison Knowles, Nanni Balestrini, and others within the scientific concerns of mathematicians like Theo Lutz and linguists like Margaret Masterman. Framed by governmental power, university funding, and corporate ambition, “post-automation poetics” engages with computation’s relevance to literary production: from Cold War mainframes to contemporary large language models (LLMs) like GPT-3.
All the Microworld’s a Stage: Realism in Interactive Fiction and Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Donahue Evan
Published: March 2023

Early in the history of the field of artificial intelligence (AI), a paradigm known as microworlds emerged in which researchers constructed computer simulations of aspects of the real world from which their nascent AI systems could learn. Although microworlds were ultimately abandoned, AI researchers have recently called for their return, this time borrowing from the literary genre of interactive fiction, whose forms and conventions they might use to represent the world in text for the purpose of teaching machines to speak. This confluence of literary form and scientific method invites a closer examination of the relationship between word and world in AI research. The author argues for a reading of microworlds research and of AI more broadly through the lens of literary realism and through the literary texts that comprise its data sets and from which researchers expect artificially intelligent machines to learn about the world. The question of what kind of knowledge literature represents lies at the heart of AI research and thus presents an opportunity for a deeper engagement between AI research and literary, game, and media studies.
Investigation of the Interaction Between Au and Brookite TiO2 Using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Density Functional Theory
Authors: Tada Kohei , Hinuma Yoyo , Ichikawa Satoshi , Tanaka Shingo
Published: March 2023

Au/TiO2 systems are typical nano-gold catalysts and have been widely studied as models for functional nano-interfaces. The crystal shape is important for functional nano-interfaces and influences the activity and durability of Au/TiO2 catalysts. Of the three stable TiO2 crystal systems, rutile and anatase have been investigated thoroughly with respect to Au/TiO2 interfaces. However, knowledge of the Au/brookite TiO2 interaction is scarce. We prepared a Au/brookite TiO2 catalyst, which is active in low-temperature CO oxidation, and performed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation of its interface structure. TEM revealed that the Au nano-particles were adsorbed on brookite TiO2 (101). This new Au/TiO2 interface has not yet been investigated theoretically. The TiO2 (101) slab model was optimised using theoretical density functional theory calculations, and the Au/brookite TiO2 (101) interaction was investigated. The calculated results revealed that brookite TiO2 (101) can adsorb Au atoms more strongly than the other TiO2 surfaces can. In Au/brookite TiO2, an O2−-Au+-O2− linear coordination structure can be formed, and 2 eV stabilisation can be achieved by surface complex formation. This result indicates that Au atoms can be anchored even on stoichiometric and non-polar surfaces without defect sites or doping.
Evaluation of ensemble strategy on the development of multiple view ankle fracture detection algorithm
Authors: Cheng Chi-Tung , Hsu Chih-Po , Ooyang Chun-Hsiang , Chou Chia-Yi , Lin Nai-Yu , Lin Jia-Yen , Ku Yi-Kang , Lin Hou-Shian , Kao Shao-Ku , Chen Huan-Wu , Wu Yu-Tung , Liao Chien-Hung
Published: March 2023

Objective:

To identify the feasibility and efficiency of deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) in the detection of ankle fractures and to explore ensemble strategies that applied multiple projections of radiographs.

Ankle radiographs (AXRs) are the primary tool used to diagnose ankle fractures. Applying DCNN algorithms on AXRs can potentially improve the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency of detecting ankle fractures.

Methods:

A DCNN was trained using a trauma image registry, including 3102 AXRs. We separately trained the DCNN on anteroposterior (AP) and lateral (Lat) AXRs. Different ensemble methods, such as “sum-up,” “severance-OR,” and “severance-Both,” were evaluated to incorporate the results of the model using different projections of view.

Results:

The AP/Lat model’s individual sensitivity, specificity, positive-predictive value, accuracy, and F1 score were 79%/84%, 90%/86%, 88%/86%, 83%/85%, and 0.816/0.850, respectively. Furthermore, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the AP/Lat model was 0.890/0.894 (95% CI: 0.826–0.954/0.831–0.953). The sum-up method generated balanced results by applying both models and obtained an AUROC of 0.917 (95% CI: 0.863–0.972) with 87% accuracy. The severance-OR method resulted in a better sensitivity of 90%, and the severance-Both method obtained a high specificity of 94%.

Conclusion:

Ankle fracture in the AXR could be identified by the trained DCNN algorithm. The selection of ensemble methods can depend on the clinical situation which might help clinicians detect ankle fractures efficiently without interrupting the current clinical pathway.

Advances in knowledge:

This study demonstrated different ensemble strategies of AI algorithms on multiple view AXRs to optimize the performance in various clinical needs.
Η Στρατηγική Εθνικής Ασφάλειας των ΗΠΑ: Ιστορικό, Πρόσφατες Εξελίξεις και Μελλοντικοί Προβληματισμοί Σχετικά με το Διεθνές Περιβάλλον Ασφάλειας
Authors: Κουκάκης Γεώργιος
Published: March 2023

Η Στρατηγική Εθνικής Ασφάλειας είναι το επίσημο έγγραφο υψηλής στρατηγικής, σύμφωνα με το οποίο ασκείται η εξωτερική πολιτική των ΗΠΑ. Η τελευταία Στρατηγική Εθνικής Ασφάλειας των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών δημοσιεύτηκε τον Οκτώβριο του 2022 και αναμένεται να επηρεάσει σημαντικά τις σχέσεις των ΗΠΑ με τους υπόλοιπους παγκόσμιους δρώντες. Η παρούσα ανάλυση πραγματοποιεί μια σύντομη αναφορά στις προηγούμενες Στρατηγικές, επισημαίνει τα κυριότερα σημεία της πιο πρόσφατης και παραθέτει ορισμένους προβληματισμούς σχετικά με τη διαμόρφωση του μελλοντικού περιβάλλοντος ασφάλειας.
Non-emergency medical transportation practice in Shanghai
Authors: Lu Weidong , Xu Wei , Shen Long
Published: March 2023

Background: To describe the current landscape of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services in China’s mainland, and analyze information obtained from a private NEMT company in Shanghai.

Methods: With regards to the NEMT environment in China’s mainland, we collected relevant NEMT policies from the websites of local Health Commissions, and collected business operating data from a Chinese enterprise information query tool, Qichacha. With regards to NEMT service in Shanghai, we analyzed operating data from 3426 trips by a professional NEMT company. Descriptive statistics were used to explain the characteristics of NEMT trips, and log-linear analyses were performed to compare the trips inside Shanghai with trips to/from other areas.

Results: Of the 3426 trips in this study, there were 2962 trips inside Shanghai (86.5%) and 464 trips to/from other areas (13.5%), and the number of trips to/from each province was related to the distance to Shanghai. When comparing transportation types between trips inside Shanghai and to/from other areas, there was a significant difference (χ2=144.87, p<0.001), with a significantly larger proportion of trips for discharge to/from other areas, and a significantly larger proportion of referrals in trips inside Shanghai. Over 50% of trips were to orthopedics-featured class A tertiary hospitals.

Discussion and Conclusion: To lower the NEMT service costs and bring benefit to patients with a broader spectrum of diseases, medical insurance could completely or partially cover NEMT services, and companies could initiate rideshare services. Shanghai is an attractive place for patients, with the highest level of healthcare resources. Transportation combining high-speed trains and NEMT vehicles ensures patients who live further away can access health care in Shanghai.
International transportation
Authors: Arhipov Anatoliy , Maslennikov Sergey , Buneev Viktor , Sevryukov Ivan
Published: March 2023

The textbook gives a general description of international transportation and the world transport system. The regulatory and legal bases of international transportation are considered. Information is provided on technical means, organization and indicators of international transportation.
Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation.
The textbook is intended for students of the areas of training "Water transport management and hydrographic support of navigation" and "Technology of transport processes" in the discipline "International transportation". It can be used by water transport specialists, undergraduates and postgraduates.
Impact of blue light exposition to alertness of shift workers, patients with sleep deprivation, Alzheimer’s disease, or post-traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Żołnierek Maja , Siekierko Nikola , Lubczyńska Zuzanna , Świętochowski Jakub , Lewandowski Mateusz , Kotusiewicz Wiktoria , Popravko Yevheniia , Bienia Grzegorz
Published: March 2023

Introduction and purpose:

 

In certain professions it is necessary to work at night and to maintain alertness and concentration at that time. Additionally in some conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder sleep deprivation is both a symptom and an aggravating factor. A non-pharmacological method is needed to impact the maintenance of concentration and to help the workers adapt to shift work as well as improve their sleep quality. The purpose of this paper is to present recent scientific findings on the effects of blue light on improving concentration and attentiveness in shift workers and people suffering from sleep disorders, Alzheimer's disease, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

 

 

A brief description of the state of knowledge:

Circadian rhythm is a mechanism, which regulates daily functioning of humans and a variety of other species. Light exposure, especially to blue light, is the most crucial factor disrupting circadian consistency. The relationship between the time maladjustment, biological rhythms and factors from the outside world is called phase angle of entrainment.

Summary:

 

Studies conducted on various groups have shown the effectiveness of modified light interventions on concentration and focus during shift work at night.

Exposure to blue light appears to be a safe method that can improve work quality, concentration and focus in people who work at night. Exposure to light brings hope for improving the quality of life of people with Alzheimer's disease and maintaining their independence longer, which can ease the burden on their caregivers. Establishing some routine in the form of blue light exposure in people with post-traumatic stress disorder also appears to be an easy and accessible method for reducing the severity of PTSD symptoms, especially sleep disturbances.
Extended Generativity Theory on Digital Platforms
Authors: Fürstenau Daniel , Baiyere Abayomi , Schewina Kai , Schulte-Althoff Matthias , Rothe Hannes
Published: March 2023

The assumption that generativity engenders unbounded growth has acquired an almost taken-for-granted position in information systems and management literature. Against this premise, we examine the relationship between generativity and user base growth in the context of a digital platform. To do this, we synthesize the literature on generativity into two views, social interaction (expansion of ecosystem boundaries) and product view (expansion of product boundaries), that jointly and individually relate to user base growth. Both views help us explain how opening a platform relates to the emergence and resolution of conflicting expectations in a platform ecosystem that result in new functions and expanded use. We adopt a panel vector autoregressive approach combining data from six large transaction platforms that engaged with open-source developer communities. We found that the dominant narrative of generativity engendering growth, although generally supported by our analysis, obscures the fact that the inverse is also true; that is, growth can lead to expansion of product boundaries (inverse generativity) and that generativity can be bounded; that is, growth can stabilize ecosystem boundaries (bounded generativity). Against this background, we propose an extended generativity theory that presents generativity and growth in an integrative view and raises awareness about the limitations of the “unbounded growth” claim. We conclude that there is value in separating the two views of generativity conceptually and analytically, along with their relationship to user base growth, and we call for research on the pathways through which generativity produces growth.

History: Ola Henfridsson, Senior Editor; Robert Wayne Gregory, Associate Editor.
Health and Economic Impacts of Lockdown Policies in the Early Stage of COVID-19 in the United States
Authors: Boloori Alireza , Saghafian Soroush
Published: March 2023

Lockdown policies, such as stay-at-home orders, are known to be effective in controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019. However, concerns over economic burdens of these policies rapidly propelled U.S. states to move toward reopening in the early stage of the pandemic. Decision making in most states has been challenging, especially because of a dearth of quantitative evidence on health gains versus economic burdens of different policies. To assist decision makers, we study the health and economic impacts of various lockdown policies across U.S. states and shed light on policies that are most effective. To this end, we make use of detailed data from 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia on various factors, including number of tests, positive and negative results, hospitalizations, ICU beds and ventilators used, residents’ mobility obtained from cellphone data, and deaths. Our analyses allow quantifying the total cost versus the total quality-adjusted life year (QALY) associated with various lockdown policies. We utilize a compartmental model with Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the spread of disease. To calibrate our model separately for each U.S. state, we make use of empirical data on the intensity of intervention policies, age, ratio of Black/Hispanic populations, per capita income, residents’ mobility, and number of daily tests and feed them to a longitudinal mixed-effect model. Finally, we utilize a microsimulation model to estimate the total cost and total QALY for each state and perform cost-effectiveness analysis to identify policies that would have worked best. Our results show that, compared with no intervention during March–June 2020, the policies undertaken across the United States saved, on average, about 41,284.51 years’ worth of QALY (per 100K capita), incurring $164.01 million (per 100K capita). Had the states undertaken more strict policies during the same time frame than those they adopted, these values would be 44,909.41 years and $117.28 million, respectively. By quantifying the impact of various lockdown policies separately for each state, our results allow federal and state authorities to avoid following a “one size fits all” strategy and instead enact policies that are better suited for each state. Specifically, by studying the trade-offs between health gains and economic impacts, we identify the particular states that would have benefited from implementing more restrictive policies. Finally, in addition to shedding light on the impact of lockdown policies during our study period (March–June 2020), our results have important implications on curbing future fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus or other related potential epidemics.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/serv.2023.0321 .
Evidencing best practice for teaching empathy skills to healthcare professionals: literature review
Authors: Di Gesaro Antonella
Published: March 2023

Introduction:

Research into patients’ perception of empathy has revealed that patients with stomas feel unsupported by healthcare professionals, who can lack an understanding of how it feels to live life with a stoma. A literature review was undertaken to explore what is the evidence for best practice for teaching empathy skills to healthcare professionals and how this can be applied to caring for people with a stoma.

Search strategy:

Included studies were required to explore teaching empathy or measuring levels of empathy in pre- and post-graduate nurses and in healthcare professionals caring for patients with a stoma. Excluded studies were those involving paediatric and mental health nursing, as these domains of nursing were considered to differ in clinical specialism and any other healthcare professional discipline outside the nursing profession such as doctors or allied healthcare professionals.

Results:

Given the number of articles reporting that empathy is lacking in stoma care, it is remarkable that so little original research has been carried out in this area, specifically the lack of qualitative research. A variety of interventions were used to assess empathy in pre- and post-graduate nurses, from multiple nations with diverse cultures.

Conclusions:

Results from the data revealed several themes for the best practice of teaching empathy skills to healthcare professionals, including essential nurse attributes, innate nurse characteristics, nurse experience and the contribution of experiential learning.
Foreseeing everyday life for older postoperative patients with gastrointestinal cancer: a constructivist grounded theory
Authors: Horibe Mitsuhiro
Published: March 2023

Background:

With the rapid ageing of societies worldwide, the number of older individuals diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer is expected to increase.

Aims:

This study aimed to describe nursing practices foreseeing everyday life after discharge in older patients following resection for gastrointestinal cancer.

Methods:

Data were collected using participant observation and semi-structured interviews and analysed using Charmaz's grounded theory method. Categories and subcategories were constructed using theoretical sampling until theoretical sufficiency was reached.

Findings:

Overall, 19 nurses (16 women and three men) and two patients (one man in his 80s and one woman in her 70s) were included. The following three categories were constructed: ‘establishing everyday foundation,’ ‘maintaining the rhythm,’ and ‘foreseeing a new everyday life,’ which were further divided into subcategories.

Conclusion:

The nursing practice identified here describes the process of encouraging older patients to incorporate physical changes while maximising their independent activities following resection of gastrointestinal cancer.
Kindness in nursing leadership
Authors: Harrison Penny
Published: March 2023

Penny Harrison examines the role of kindness in nursing leadership roles
Effectiveness of wound contact layers in enabling undisturbed wound management: a case series
Authors: Barrett Simon , Rippon Mark G , Rogers Alan A
Published: March 2023

Objective:

Wound contact layers (WCLs) are intended to protect and support wounds during the healing process. An open, non comparative, case series clinical evaluation was undertaken to assess the impact of these dressings on establishing an undisturbed wound environment that supports effective wound management, and to allow the establishment of limits of duration of the wear time for the experimental WCLs.

Method:

The primary objectives of this clinical evaluation were to assess the ability of the WCLs to prevent tissue disturbance to the wound and surrounding skin and for the clinicians to have confidence to extend the wear time of the WCL dressings. For them to have confidence in leaving the dressings in place for extended periods, the assessment of the wound and periwound skin condition and an assessment of patient comfort was performed: assessment of wound and periwound condition in relation to tissue adherence of the dressing to the wound resulting in tissue damage/bleeding (to wound and/or periwound skin) and cellular infiltration into the WCL; assessment of patient wearing comfort and satisfaction; assessment of WCL wear time, relating to times between dressing changes as judged by the clinician.

Results:

Based upon five parameters used to assess the extent to which the WCLs Atrauman, Atrauman Silicone and Atrauman Ag (HARTMANN, Germany) disturbed the underlying tissues—bleeding, wound tissue damage, periwound skin damage, tissue ingrowth and dressing adherence—the majority (>95%) of assessments indicated low or no disturbance of tissue. Over the 14 days of study assessment, the mean (±standard deviation) wear time was 7.3±1.2 days for the Atrauman group, 9.9±2.8 days for the Atrauman Silicone group, and 5.8±1.0 days for the Atrauman Ag group. All dressings were well tolerated by patients and rated highly in terms of in-use dressing performance.

Conclusion:

The results indicate that Atrauman WCLs are suitable for the management of a variety of wounds as they promote an undisturbed wound environment, including extended wear time.
Treatment of complex extremity wounds with MatriDerm: first clinical experience in the US
Authors: Hones Keegan M , Hones Jaime , Satteson Ellen S , Chim Harvey
Published: March 2023

Objective:

Coverage of upper and lower extremity wounds with exposed vital structures such as tendon and bone is reliant on pedicled and free flaps. However, a population of patients with medical comorbidities or other social issues may not be suitable for flap coverage. We present the first in patient clinical experience in the US with MatriDerm (Billerbeck, Germany) for treatment of difficult extremity wounds, all with exposed bone or tendon.

Method:

MatriDerm dermal matrix has been popular in Europe for coverage of wounds. However, MatriDerm only received full approval for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021. Here we review our clinical experience.

Results:

Locations (n=11) treated included forearm (n=1), hand (n=4), leg (n=3), and feet (n=3). Vital structures in wounds exposed included bone (n=3), bone and tendon (n=1), and tendon (n=7). Mean area of the wound treated was 59.2cm2 (range: 2 to 230). In our series, eight out of 11 wounds healed, with MatriDerm only (n=6) or following delayed skin grafting (n=2). Mean time to healing in the patients treated only with MatriDerm was 49 days (range 7 to 84). Mean time to split-thickness skin grafting in the remaining two patients was 44.5 days (range 32 to 57).

Conclusion:

MatriDerm has potential for treatment of complex extremity wounds, which would otherwise require flap coverage, in patients who are not good candidates for flap surgery.
Psychometric validation of the Korean Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool
Authors: Ryu Jung Mi , Kim Myoung Soo , Kim Jung Yoon
Published: March 2023

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties, including content validity, validity of multiple choice items, and the reliability of the Korean version of the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool (K-PUKAT 2.0), using classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT).

Method:

Linguistic validation process and factor analysis were conducted among wound care nurses, staff nurses and nursing students. Items were analysed according to the CTT and IRT using a two-parameter logistic model. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to examine reliability.

Results:

A total of 378 wound care nurses, staff nurses and nursing students participated in this study. While most items showed moderate difficulty based on the CTT, difficulty index values based on the IRT were more broadly distributed (low: 5 items; moderate: 9 items; high: 1 item). The intraclass correlation coefficient for K-PUKAT 2.0 was 0.72.

Conclusion:

The K-PUKAT 2.0 demonstrated concise and good psychometric properties. Based on the results of this study, repetitive use of K-PUKAT 2.0 will not only help in distinguishing whether an individual has sufficient clinical knowledge, but will also play a key role in supporting learning.
Getting ahead of the attackers
Authors: Garcia Dan
Published: March 2023

Security is often reactive – responding to new forms of attack and trying to patch vulnerabilities before threat actors exploit them. It often seems difficult to get ahead of the curve, to secure the organisation in a considered and systematic way, rather than just firefighting the latest disaster.
Determinants of participation in a longitudinal survey during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of a low-infection country
Authors: Biddle Nicholas , Sollis Kate
Published: March 2023

A large-scale crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has the potential to affect non-response in cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys. This study utilises a longitudinal survey, conducted prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, to examine the factors associated with participation in longitudinal surveys during the COVID-19 period, and how this has changed from prior to the pandemic. We find that a number of demographic groups are more likely to be non-responders to COVID-19 surveys, despite having completed pre-COVID surveys, as well as a number of other economic and personality factors. Reassuringly though, there were many more factors that did not have an association. The findings also highlight that two simple questions (with a low time cost) on subjective survey experience early in the pandemic were highly useful in predicting future survey participation. These findings can help to support survey practitioners and data collection companies to develop more robust response improvement strategies during the COVID-19 period.
Towards a typology of negotiating care in families: a qualitative multiple perspectives study in Austria
Authors: Nagl-Cupal Martin , Parisot Viktoria , Stöhr Doreen , Zartler Ulrike
Published: March 2023

The study explored how family care is developed and maintained in families in cases where more than one family member is involved in care. A total of 43 family carers in Austria participated in this qualitative study. Family care is a process of ongoing communication, in which responsibilities, coordination and conditions are negotiated among the family members involved. Three distinct care network types emerged from the data, which differ in terms of the individual perception of roles and responsibilities, and the distribution of care. Responsibilities for one another, awareness of being a family carer and the availability of resources are preconditions for the composition of these networks.
Optical axis determination method
Authors: Wang Jiarong , He Bo
Published: March 2023

To overcome the shortcomings of the existing optical axis determination method’s optical path is a complex, cumbersome operation with difficulty in identifying criteria. According to Huygens’ drawing principle, this paper establishes a mathematical model between incident light and the outgoing distance of o-light and e-light, analyzes the optical system between the incident angle and refraction angle, deduces the relationship between the incident angle and the distance between two beams of light, designs a distinction scheme between o-light and e-light, proposes a distance method to determine the optical axis based on the difference between the two optical mathematical models, and verifies that although e-light does not meet the refraction law in birefringence, its optical path is reversible. The designed optical axis determination method is simpler, easier to operate, and simpler in identifying criteria than the existing optical path. The validity of the analysis is verified by experiments.
Response times of a degenerately doped semiconductor based plasmonic modulator
Authors: Vinnakota Raj K. , Dong Zuoming , Briggs Andrew F. , Bank Seth R. , Wasserman Daniel , Genov Dentcho A.
Published: March 2023

We present a transient response study of a semiconductor based plasmonic switch. The proposed device operates through active control and modulation of localized electron density waves, i.e., surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at degenerately doped In0.53Ga0.47As based PN++ junctions. A set of devices is designed and fabricated, and its optical and electronic behaviors are studied both experimentally and theoretically. Optical characterization shows far-field reflectivity modulation, a result of electrical tuning of the SPPs at the PN++ junctions for mid-IR wavelengths, with significant 3 dB bandwidths. Numerical studies using a self-consistent electro-optic multi-physics model are performed to uncover the temporal response of the devices’ electromagnetic and kinetic mechanisms facilitating the SPP switching at the PN++ junctions. Numerical simulations show strong synergy with the experimental results, validating the claim of potential optoelectronic switching with a 3 dB bandwidth as high as 2 GHz. Thus, this study confirms that the presented SPP diode architecture can be implemented for high-speed control of SPPs through electrical means, providing a pathway toward fast all-semiconductor plasmonic devices.
Optical analog computing enabled broadband structured light
Authors: Wang Yan , Yang Qiang , Shou Yichang , Luo Hailu
Published: March 2023

Mathematically, any function can be expressed as the operation form of another function. Here, the idea is introduced into an optical system to generate structured light. In the optical system, a mathematical function is represented by an optical field distribution, and any structured light field can be generated by performing different optical analog computations for any input optical field. In particular, optical analog computing has a good broadband performance, as it can be achieved based on the Pancharatnam–Berry phase. Therefore, our scheme can provide a flexible way to generate broadband structured light, and this is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated. It is envisioned that our work may inspire potential applications in high-resolution microscopy and quantum computation.