bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of covalently functionalized Indian bentonite clay on thermal, mechanical strength and morphology structure of extrusion/injection‐molded nylon 6 composites
Authors: Shanmugam Kumaresan , Rokade Dhammaraj S. , Ingole Pravin G. , Pol Harshawardhan V. , Arunachalam Saravanakumar , Bajaj Hari C.
Published: May 2024

The research and development of functional polymer composites and their production have posed significant challenges, particularly in creating high mechanical strength and thermal stability composites. In this study, we utilized a micro corotation extruder and injection molding to produce covalently functionalized Indian bentonite clay‐nylon 6 high‐strength nanocomposites. For comparison, two different amines, 3‐aminopropyl trimethoxysilane and N‐[3‐(trimethoxysilyl) propyl] ethylene di‐amine, were used to functionalize bentonite clay. Additionally, 3% and 5% less amino clay filler was added in the nanocomposite to manufacture the polymer composite. Analytical techniques such as Powder X‐Ray Diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, thermal gravimetric analysis, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area were used to characterize the molecular orientation of amine functionalization on clay minerals. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscope were used to characterize the nylon 6 intercalated in amino clay nanocomposite and the polymer structure morphology. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were used to investigate the crystalline thermal behavior of clay‐nylon 6 composites. From the results, it was observed that the composition containing 5 wt.% amino clay demonstrated a significant improvement in tensile strength when compared with the composition containing 3 wt.% amino clay. The mechanical strength and the thermal behavior showed a significant improvement of ⁓200% for 5% amino clay‐nylon 6 nanocomposite.
Radiolabeled peptides and their expanding role in clinical imaging and targeted cancer therapy
Authors: Aloj Luigi , Mansi Rosalba , De Luca Stefania , Accardo Antonella , Tesauro Diego , Morelli Giancarlo
Published: May 2024

There is an expanding body of evidence showing that synthetic peptides in combination with radioactive isotopes can be utilized for medical purposes. This area is of particular interest in oncology where applications in diagnosis and therapy are at different stages of development. We review the contributions in this area by the group originally founded by Carlo Pedone in Naples many years ago. We highlight the work of this group in the context of other developments in this area, focusing on three biologically relevant receptor systems: somatostatin, gastrin‐releasing peptide, and cholecystokinin‐2/gastrin receptors. We focus on key milestones, state of the art, and challenges in this area of research as well as the current and future outlook for expanding clinical applications.
About birds and bees, snails and trees: Children's ideas on animal and plant evolution
Authors: Adler Isabell K. , Fiedler Daniela , Harms Ute
Published: May 2024

Evolution is the integrative framework of the life sciences. Even though the topic is often not formally introduced before high school, young children already have various ideas about evolutionary principles (variation, inheritance, and selection) and their underlying key concepts (e.g., differential fitness, reproduction, and speciation). Describing and refining those ideas has increasingly received attention over the last two decades. However, we see two scopes of improvement in the field: (1) There is a need to examine children's ideas about evolutionary concepts holistically rather than focusing at specific aspects. (2) Although research has shown that older students have different ideas about animal and plant evolution, there is little data on children's ideas about plant evolution to compare with their ideas about animal evolution. All of this results in an incomplete record of children's pre‐existing ideas that would help to design assessments or interventions. Consequently, we developed a set of questions, about the evolutionary principles and interviewed 24 kindergarten children. Most children had basic ideas about individual variation in animals and plants but experienced a lack of knowledge about the origin of variation. Most children seemed to acknowledge plants as living beings and reasoned equally about animals and plants for most concepts. However, many children failed to reason about reproduction and inheritance in plants because they believed plants would not reproduce sexually. Confronted with a selection scenario, most children struggled applying concepts previously shown on an individual level to a population level. Considering our findings, we propose ideas about how to measure and foster children's pre‐existing ideas about evolution.
Enhancing Photocatalytic Activity, Stability, and Separability of TiO2 through Synthesis of Fe3O4@Fibroin‐TiO2 Composite
Authors: Garjaei Soheila Samadi , Koukabi Nadiya , Parouch Ahmad Nouri
Published: May 2024

This report uses a low‐cost and straightforward technique to synthesize a highly active, magnetically separable, and optically active nano‐biocomposite. The nanocomposite was created by combining Fibroin, TiO2, and Fe3O4. The analyses confirmed the formation of a core‐shell structure of Fibroin and Fe3O4, which was then combined with titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The incorporation of nanoparticles reduced the band gap of the system from 3.2 eV in bare titanium oxide to 1.8 eV. This enhancement improved its light absorption and charge generation. Additionally, the nano‐biocomposite showed improved chemical stability and photocatalytic activity when compared to bare TiO2 in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol under visible light (With 99 % yield and over 99 % selectivity). These results suggest that our nano‐biocomposite is a promising catalyst for photocatalytic applications under visible light.
Heat and Mass Transfer of Water During Activated Carbon Adsorption
Authors: Tang Lin , Li Liqing , Yao Xiaolong
Published: May 2024

In order to investigate the dynamic process of the heat and mass transfer phenomenon of water vapor on activated carbon, a fixed‐column adsorption unit and two kinds of activated carbon were used as adsorbent for water vapor adsorption under the adsorption temperature 293.15 K, 303.15 K and 313.15 K, respectively. A coupled model was developed by mass and energy balance, mass transfer and simplified DO adsorption equilibrium equation. The effects of physical parameters on heat and mass transfer were theoretically investigated. Results show that the numerical model match well with the experimental data (R2>0.993). The axial diffusion coefficient (DL) increases from 1.226×10−6 m2 s−1 to 4.062×10−6 m2 s−1 for RAC and 1.425×10−6 m2 s−1 to 4.030×10−6 m2 s−1 for MAC, mass transfer coefficient (k) increases from 8.171 s−1 to 27.083 s−1 for RAC and 9.499 s−1 to 26.864 s−1 for MAC. Concurrently, the breakthrough time of adsorption water vapor gradually shorten from 1000 s to 780 s with temperature increasing from 293.15 K to 313.15 K. The effect of axial diffusion coefficient (DL) on mass transfer is not obvious. Furthermore, the influence of the mass transfer coefficient (k) on temperature variation rate surpasses that of the internal heat transfer coefficient (h).
CO2‐Steam Bi‐Reforming of Methane Over La1−xSrxNi0.8Zr0.2O3 Perovskite Catalysts to Generate Hydrogen Rich Syngas
Authors: Mallikarjun G. , Kumari Rashmi , Chandrashekar P. , Yedukondalu N. , Soujanya Y. , Sumana C. , Lingaiah N.
Published: May 2024

The present study proposes La and Sr‐containing La1−xSrxNi0.8Zr0.2O3 (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) perovskites as potential catalysts for bi‐reforming of methane (BRM) with CO2 and steam to produce hydrogen rich syngas. The catalysts were prepared by sol‐gel method and characterized using various techniques such as XRD, H2‐TPR, BET, CO2‐TPD and CHNS analysis. The characterization studies revealed that metal‐support interaction increased with the increase in the composition of Sr and the reduction behavior of Ni found to vary with the addition of Sr. The total energy calculations reveal that the addition of Sr to the LNZ system shirnks the volume due to low atomic and high ionic radii of Sr over La, which increases the total energy of system driving towards instability with increasing doping concentration of Sr. CO2‐TPD results suggest that a small amount of Sr can change the basicity of the support. The BRM activity results revealed that La0.8Sr0.2Ni0.8Zr0.2O3 perovskite is the most promising and active catalyst. The proposed catalysts are found to be advantageous w.r.t less carbon deposition due to the increased dispersion, small crystalline size, and required basicity of the support. The disclosed catalyst has shown excellent stability for a studied period of 100 h.
Growth of Single Crystalline 2D Materials beyond Graphene on Non‐metallic Substrates
Authors: Gao Wenjin , Zhi Guoxiang , Zhou Miao , Niu Tianchao
Published: May 2024

The advent of 2D materials has ushered in the exploration of their synthesis, characterization and application. While plenty of 2D materials have been synthesized on various metallic substrates, interfacial interaction significantly affects their intrinsic electronic properties. Additionally, the complex transfer process presents further challenges. In this context, experimental efforts are devoted to the direct growth on technologically important semiconductor/insulator substrates. This review aims to uncover the effects of substrate on the growth of 2D materials. The focus is on non‐metallic substrate used for epitaxial growth and how this highlights the necessity for phase engineering and advanced characterization at atomic scale. Special attention is paid to monoelemental 2D structures with topological properties. The conclusion is drawn through a discussion of the requirements for integrating 2D materials with current semiconductor‐based technology and the unique properties of heterostructures based on 2D materials. Overall, this review describes how 2D materials can be fabricated directly on non‐metallic substrates and the exploration of growth mechanism at atomic scale.
An optimal exact interval for the risk ratio in the 2×2$$ 2\times 2 $$ table with structural zero
Authors: Wang Weizhen , Cao Xingyun , Xie Tianfa
Published: May 2024

The table with a structural zero represents a common scenario in clinical trials and epidemiology, characterized by a specific empty cell. In such cases, the risk ratio serves as a vital parameter for statistical inference. However, existing confidence intervals, such as those constructed through the score test and Bayesian methods, fail to achieve the prescribed nominal level. Our focus is on numerically constructing exact confidence intervals for the risk ratio. We achieve this by optimally combining the modified inferential model method and the ‐function method. The resulting interval is then compared with intervals generated by four existing methods: the score method, the exact score method, the Bayesian tailed‐based method and the inferential model method. This comparison is conducted based on the infimum coverage probability, average interval length and non‐coverage probability criteria. Remarkably, our proposed interval outperforms other exact intervals, being notably shorter. To illustrate the effectiveness of our approach, we discuss two examples in detail.
Reviewing forgotten “Pre‐Linnaean” generic names validly published in the third volume of Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie in 1753
Authors: Martinez Agustina , Pastore José Floriano Barêa
Published: May 2024

This paper presents a comprehensive review of previously overlooked names published in the third volume of the Encyclopédie by Diderot and d'Alembert in 1753. These names primarily originate from Tournefort's pre‐Linnaean work, including textual copies of Tournefort's descriptions. We identified 21 names as having been validly published. Notably, among these are five generic names (Castanea, Chamaemelum, Chrysanthemoides, Citreum, Cydonia) wherein the taxonomic authorship shifts from Miller to Daubenton according to priority. Consequently, by our typifications, Miller's names from 1754 are later isonyms. Additionally, the generic name Chamaebuxus takes priority over Polygaloides. As a result, we propose a new combination, Chamaebuxus paucifolia and designate types for 31 generic names and isonyms: Caprifolium, Castanea, Chamaebuxus, Chamaecerasus, Chamaemelum, Chamaerhododendros, Chrysanthemoides, Cichorium, Cicuta, Cicutaria, Clandestina, Clymenum, Colocynthis, Citreum, Clematitis, Coa, Comaroides, Cydonia, Gramen, Scorpioides, and Sisarum, and lectotypes for two species names: Chamaebuxus paucifolia and Polygala uniflora.
Sources, fate, distribution, impact, and treatment of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in drinking water
Authors: Yuniarto Adhi , Hadibarata Tony
Published: May 2024

This review examined the global issue of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in drinking water, including their sources, health effects, and the efficacy of advanced treatment technologies like biodegradation and photocatalytic degradation, using case studies. Recently, endocrine disrupting substances or disruptors in drinking water have become a global issue. Emerging pollutants including endocrine disrupting chemicals can enter the body through water drinking. Endocrine disruptors affect gene expression and damage the endocrine system, harming humans, wildlife, and the environment. Pesticides, detergents and surfactants, plasticizers, industrial compounds, medicines, natural plant derivatives, and heavy metals are endocrine disruptive compounds in water. These endocrine disrupting substances enter raw water bodies by untreated and treated wastewater discharges, runoff, and leachate. However, the convectional drinking water treatment facility cannot cleanse and process endocrine disruptive substances from raw water intakes, resulting in inefficient eliminations and health risks. Mechanisms, benefits, and drawbacks of new water treatment technologies such biodegradation, photocatalytic degradation, and oxidation for endocrine disruptive chemicals are reviewed. Thus, many case studies from the Philippines, Mexico, and Egypt will be examined to highlight the health dangers of EDC exposure.
Advanced multimaterial shape optimization methods as applied to advanced manufacturing of wind turbine generators
Authors: Sethuraman Latha , Glaws Andrew , Skinner Miles , Parans Paranthaman M.
Published: May 2024

Currently, many utility‐scale wind turbine generator original equipment manufacturers are dependent on imported rare earth permanent magnets, which are susceptible to market risks from cost instability. To lower the production costs of these generators and stay competitive in the market, several small wind manufacturers are pursuing continuous improvements to both generator design and manufacturing. However, traditional design and manufacturing methods have yielded marginal improvements in wind power performance. This work presents novel methods to redesign a baseline 15‐kW wind turbine generator with reduced rare‐earth permanent magnets by leveraging cutting‐edge three‐dimensional (3D) printed polymer‐bonded permanent magnets and steel. Symmetric, asymmetric, and multimaterial‐magnet parametrization methods are introduced for shape optimization. We extend the symmetric and asymmetric methods to the back iron in the stator to further investigate the impact and opportunities for performance improvements with lesser active materials. We employ a design‐of‐experiments approach with parametric computer‐aided design for shape generation and evaluate different designs by magneto‐thermal modeling and finite‐element analysis. We use adaptive sampling technique to identify better performing designs with lesser magnet mass, higher efficiency, and lower cogging torque when compared with the baseline generator. Asymmetric pole designs resulted in a magnet mass in the range of 4.77–5.37 kg, which was 27%–35% lighter than the baseline generator, suggesting that a new design freedom exists that can be enabled by advanced manufacturing, such as 3D printing. Shaping the back iron in the stator resulted in material savings in electrical steel of up to 14.62 kg, which was 20% lighter than the baseline stator. We conducted a structural analysis to evaluate an optimized asymmetric rotor design from the point of view of mechanical integrity and air‐gap stiffness. The magnetically optimal shape profile was shown as having a positive impact on the radial stiffness, and an optimal solution was discovered to reduce the structural mass by nearly 30 kg, which was 29% lighter than the baseline.
Highly effective ultrafiltration membranes based on plastic waste for dye removal from water
Authors: Mansor Eman S. , Abdallah Heba , Shaban A. M.
Published: May 2024

Applicable and low‐cost ultrafiltration membranes based on waste polystyrene (WPS) blend and poly vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were effectively cast on nonwoven support using phase inversion method. Analysis was done into how the WPS ratio affected the morphology and antifouling performance of the fabricated membranes. Cross flow filtration of pure water and various types of polluted aqueous solutions as the feed was used to assess the performance of the membranes. The morphology analysis shows that the WPS/PVDF membrane layer has completely changed from a spongy structure to a finger‐like structure. In addition, the modified membrane with 50% WPS demonstrated that the trade‐off between selectivity and permeability is met by a significant improvement in the rejection of the membrane with a reduction in permeate flux due to the addition of PVDF. With a water permeability of 50 LMH and 44 LMH, respectively, the optimized WPS‐PVDF membrane with 50% WPS could reject 81% and 74% of Congo red dye (CR) and methylene blue dye (MB), respectively. The flux recovery ratio (FRR) reached to 88.2% by increasing PVDF concentration with 50% wt. Also, this membrane has the lowest irreversible fouling (Rir) value of 11.7% and lowest reversible fouling (Rr) value of 27.9%. The percent of cleaning efficiency reach to 71%, 90%, and 85% after eight cycles of humic acid (HA), CR, and MB filtration, respectively, for the modified PS‐PVDF (50%–50%). However, higher PVDF values cause the membrane's pores to become clogged, increase the irreversible fouling, and decrease the cleaning efficiency. In addition to providing promising filtration results, the modified membrane is inexpensive because it was made from waste polystyrene, and as a result, it could be scaled up to treat colored wastewater produced by textile industries.

Practitioner Points

Recycling of plastic waste as an UF membrane for water/wastewater treatment was successfully prepared and investigated.

Mechanical properties showed reasonable response with adding PVDF.

The modified membrane with 50% PS demonstrated that the trade‐off between selectivity and permeability is met by a significant improvement in the rejection.
Intrahousehold empowerment patterns, gender power relations, and food security in Uganda
Authors: Barak Farzaneh , Efitre Jackson , Odong Robinson , Melgar‐Quiñonez Hugo
Published: May 2024

This study examined (a) the relationship between women's empowerment, men's empowerment, and food security within households and (b) the effect of gender power in households on the food security status of women and men in Uganda's fishing villages using NutriFish project data (N = 762). An inaugural intersectional gender analysis approach applied the project‐level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro‐WEAI), categorizing indicators into five domains: decision making, labor sharing, resource access, norms and beliefs, and gender parity within households. Binary logit models were computed, including interactions between the empowerment of women and men, controlling for individual‐ and household‐level characteristics, and stratified by gender and occupation (i.e., fishing vs. non‐fishing) to account for context differences. Results showed that empowering women in non‐fishing groups enhanced food security for both genders, regardless of men's empowerment. In fishing groups, women's food security improved most when their partners were already empowered, while men's empowerment remained relatively unaffected. Notably, the norms and beliefs domain was strongly linked to food security, except for non‐fishing men. Context‐specific gender interventions and analyses are vital to address food security disparities and critical to informing project implementers and policymakers in gender‐ and nutrition‐sensitive development projects to target the most vulnerable groups.
Initial Experiences of Electronic Medical Record Simulation Environment in eHealth Education Course for Medical Students in Finland
Authors: Kuikka Petra , Veikkolainen Paula , Salmijärvi Tiina , Tuovinen Timo , Kulmala Petri , Reponen Jarmo
Published: May 2024

Different electronic medical record systems (EMR) have established themselves as part of the Finnish health care service provision. There is a need to ensure health care professionals’ competence and training for such systems. The MEDigi project, aimed to modernize and harmonize the Finnish basic medical education, recognized EMR systems as a key competence area for medical professionals in eHealth topics. The project also led to the development of a new eHealth course and an EMR simulation environment targeted for medical students based on the Esko EMR system already in production use.

A new simulation environment was developed in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine at University of Oulu and Esko Systems Ltd. The simulation environment was implemented as an optional exercise in a cross-institutional web-based course teaching eHealth topics to medical students in the spring 2023. Students’ experiences with the simulation environment and associated exercise were collected with a feedback survey using 5- and 10-point Likert scales.

An EMR simulation environment “TrainingEsko” was successfully implemented into the “Basics in eHealth for Medical Students” course. Up to 11 medical students took part in the exercise, of which two participated in the associated feedback survey. They expressed satisfaction with the performance of the simulation environment and the associated exercise.

Our initial experiences with the EMR simulation environment give support for the further use of the EMR simulation environment in future course implementations. According to the feedback the students found the environment effective and the exercises beneficial for learning about EMR systems.
The Role of Digital Care Pathway for Epilepsy on Patients’ Treatment Burden: Clinicians’ Perspective
Authors: Polus Manria , Keikhosrokiani Pantea , Uusimaa Johanna , Komulainen-Ebrahim Jonna , Annunen Johanna , Khan Sehrish , Behutiye Woubshet , Vieira Päivi , Isomursu Minna
Published: May 2024

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder, requiring long-term treatment. The workload and impact of treatment causes a significant burden to patients. Digital care pathways may have potential for reducing treatment burden, but there also may be concerns of additional burden caused by digital healthcare. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of digital care pathway on treatment burden for patients with epilepsy. This was a single case study with the digital care pathway for epilepsy in the Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia (Pohde), in Finland, as a unit of analysis. The data was collected by observing an expert meeting of three clinicians. The meeting focused on five pre-defined domains of treatment burden: Medication burden, Time and travel burden, Financial burden, Social and emotional burden, and Healthcare access burden. The data was analyzed qualitatively and organized based on the pre-defined categories. The results suggest that the digital care pathway supports patients with treatment burden for all the pre-defined domains. Reported benefits include reduced travel, options for remote appointments, providing informational support and easier ways to contact healthcare professionals (HCPs). The main concerns clinicians had was could the use of digital care pathway cause rushed treatment decisions, difficulties of building trust and seeking support from HCPs, and difficulties of using the digital systems. A new theme emerged from the data, Diverse burdens, highlighting the variety of patients with epilepsy with differing needs for treatment.
Design Sustainability Goals for Digital Care Pathway for Epilepsy: A Healthcare Professionals’ Perspective
Authors: Khan Sehrish , Keikhosrokiani Pantea , Uusimaa Johanna , Annunen Johanna , Komulainen-Ebrahim Jonna , Polus Manria , Vieria Paivi , Isomursu Minna
Published: May 2024

The healthcare systems across the world are transitioning towards sustainable development of digital health solutions such as digital care pathway (DCP) to meet the growing needs of healthcare services. DCP is a digital health solution to provide facilities like making online appointments, ease of access to connect with a healthcare professional (HCP), sharing symptoms and tracking progress of the disease. In this paper, a team of researchers and healthcare professionals (HCP) examine and propose the sustainability goals for Digital Care Pathway for Epilepsy (DCPE) project from the economic, social, and environmental perspectives. The project is a DCPE for children, adolescents, and adult patients with epilepsy. The research methodology is a single case study approach based on the DCPE in Northern Ostrobothnia Wellbeing County (Pohde), in Finland as a unit analysis. Furthermore, the data was collected using feedback from a co-design session with four HCPs all working as clinicians in epilepsy care at Oulu University Hospital. The analysis from the co-design session resulted in various factors to achieve sustainability goals like reduction in travel to hospital, cost efficient, time saving, ease of access to connect with HCPs, and lower CO2 emission. However, there are several challenges such as adaptation to the online treatment options, proper management, and scheduling of online appointments, and building trust in epilepsy patients for remote treatment. Despite the challenges, HCPs confirm that the DCPE can be useful for treating patients with epilepsy through remote consultation along with the traditional ways.
Factors Affecting Marginalized Older Peoples’ Digital Exclusion Evaluated by Gerontological Social Work Professionals
Authors: Paananen Virpi , Rivinen Susanna , Tohmola Anniina , Elo Satu
Published: May 2024

Digitalization is one of today’s megatrends, and the increased development and use of various digital services emphasize the importance of sufficient guidance, support, and digital skills. The purpose of this study was to describe factors that can lead to an increased possibility of digital exclusion of marginalized older people evaluated by gerontological social work professionals. The aim was to obtain knowledge for developing age-friendly digital literacy education for older people. The research was qualitative: data was collected from gerontological social work professionals (n = 23) through an open-ended electronic survey and analyzed by using inductive content analysis. Professionals considered that marginalized older people had personal difficulties reaching or adopting digital services with deteriorating cognitive and physical abilities, such as impaired functioning, a lack of motivation or fears, and missing equipment. The possibility of digital exclusion of older people can also be increased by external factors, such as a lack of support and counseling resources, and competence from professionals. Therefore, to be able to utilize digital services, marginalized older people need plenty of support from care workers which should be considered in the service time. In addition, the digitalization of services prevents marginalized older people from managing their own lives unnecessarily early. There is a need to develop facilitating services, and support for acquiring digital skills and advocacy.
Adaptive Security in 6G for Sustainable Healthcare
Authors: Ahmad Ijaz , Ahmad Ijaz , Harjula Erkki
Published: May 2024

6G will fulfill the requirements of future digital healthcare systems through emerging decentralized computing and secure communications technologies. Digital healthcare solutions employ numerous low-power and resource-constrained connected things, such as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). However, the current digital healthcare solutions will face two major challenges. First, the proposed solutions are based on the traditional IoT-Cloud model that will experience latency and reliability challenges to meet the expectations and requirements of digital healthcare, while potentially inflicting heavy network load. Second, the existing digital healthcare solutions will face security challenges due to the inherent limitations of IoMT caused by the lack of resources for proper security in those devices. Therefore, in this research, we present a decentralized adaptive security architecture for the successful deployment of digital healthcare. The proposed architecture leverages the edge-cloud continuum to meet the performance, efficiency, and reliability requirements. It can adapt the security solution at run-time to meet the limited capacity of IoMT devices without compromising the security of critical data. Finally, the research outlines comprehensive methodologies for validating the proposed security architecture.
Decentralized Pub/Sub Architecture for Real-Time Remote Patient Monitoring: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Haque Kazi Nymul , Islam Johirul , Ahmad Ijaz , Harjula Erkki
Published: May 2024

The confluence of the Internet of Things (IoT) within the healthcare sector, called Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), has ushered in a transformative approach to real-time patient monitoring. Traditional methods that typically involve the direct transmission of medical sensor data to the cloud, falter under the constraints of medical IoT devices. In response, Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC), as defined by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), brings forth an innovative solution by relocating computing resources closer to the origin of data. However, MEC alone does not fully address the exigencies of constrained medical IoTs in the realm of real-time monitoring. Our architecture advances the computing continuum by seamlessly integrating local edge computing for direct data capture, MEC for nuanced data processing, and cloud computing for the comprehensive synthesis and presentation of data. This synergy is further enhanced by the introduction of a robust message queue mechanism, assuring data resilience and uninterrupted data streaming during network disruptions. With a steadfast commitment to security, our system employs stringent measures to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive patient data during transmission. This architecture represents a significant leap in healthcare technology, emphasizing the criticality of patient safety, data security, and meticulous data management. The implications of this study are profound, indicating a trajectory for future exploration into the integration of sophisticated data types and AI-driven models to further refine patient monitoring and healthcare outcomes.
A Skewness-Based Harmonic Filter for Harmonic Attenuation of Wearable Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals
Authors: Ferdinando Hany , Ilvesmäki Martti , Kananen Janne , Moradi Sadegh , Myllylä Teemu
Published: May 2024

Harmonics is an unavoidable phenomenon, even before we knew about digital circuits. In our sleep study, we found harmonic artefacts (HA) in our functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signal. Interestingly, it was neither device- nor subject-dependent. The fundamental frequency was around either 0.5 Hz or 1 Hz. It appeared to be very sharp peaks and they were within the band of interest, i.e., respiratory (0.1–0.6 Hz) and cardiac (0.6–5 Hz) bands. Since the exact location might change, we proposed a skewness-based harmonic filter (sbHF) to identify the fundamental frequency and attenuate HA. Since suppressing certain frequencies may change signal characteristic, spectral entropy was used to evaluate it based on Wilcoxon-test at a 0.05 significant level. 25 controls (6 females, age: 39.0 ± 8.5 years, height: 175.6 ± 8.0 cm, weight: 80.3 ± 10.8 kg) and 16 sleep apnea patients (1 female, age: 48.3 ± 12.4 years, height: 177.3 ± 6.0 cm, weight: 93.6 ± 17.1 kg) were recruited for our sleep study. sbHF showed good performance to identify fundamental frequency and attenuate HA from our raw fNIRS signals and 5% of the signal experienced changes in signal characteristics based on the spectral entropy analysis. Combining sbHF with a certain motion artefact reduction, we found that specific order of operation to get appropriate chromophore concentration was needed. This method is not only for problems in wearable fNIRS, but also can be modified for other problems by adjusting the suspected area or sweeping the frequency range to identify a fundamental frequency.
Drug Recommendation System for Healthcare Professionals’ Decision-Making Using Opinion Mining and Machine Learning
Authors: Keikhosrokiani Pantea , Balasubramaniam Katheeravan , Isomursu Minna
Published: May 2024

The concern has been raised regarding errors in drugs prescription and medical diagnostics that need to be carefully thought through. Both patient diagnosis and medication prescription are the responsibilities of healthcare providers. As the number of people with health issues rises, the healthcare professionals’ burden is increased. Medical errors may occur in the healthcare sector as a result of healthcare professionals prescribing drugs medicines based on inadequate information related to patient history and drug side effects. Therefore, this study aims to propose a drug recommender system to assist healthcare providers in decision making when prescribing drugs for patients depending on their diagnoses. Drug reviews sentiments are analyzed to find the drug effectiveness among the users. Furthermore, the most suitable recommender algorithm for recommending drugs based on the data from healthcare professionals are selected for this study. Opinion mining is applied on drug reviews, and a hybrid method is implemented to overcome the limitations of content-based and collaborative filtering methods, such as the cold start problem and increasing client preference. The system is developed and tested successfully. The proposed system can assist healthcare professionals in drug decision making and sustain the whole digital care pathway for various diseases.
Experimental Study of In-Body Devices Misalignment Impact on Light-Based In-Body Communications
Authors: Fuada Syifaul , Särestöniemi Mariella , Katz Marcos , Soderi Simone , Hämäläinen Matti
Published: May 2024

Optical wireless communication (OWC) has emerged as a promising technology for implantable medical devices because it provides private and secure wireless links for patients, low-power consumption, and high-speed data transmission. The OWC system’s receiving end typically relies on a photodetector with a limited field-of-view, necessitating direct line-of-sight connections for effective transmission. The directional nature of light-tissue interaction on the in-body communication can be problematic as the quality of the optical signal is rapidly deteriorated due to the properties of biological tissues, including scattering, absorption, and reflection, leading to a substantial loss of optical beam power reaching the photodetector’s sensitive area. In this sense, any misalignment that occurs in the in-body device can directly impact the power level and further degrade the received signal quality. Numerous studies have been conducted on this topic in free-space environments; nevertheless, only a few results have been found for in-body cases. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate the impact of the in-body device misalignment on the OWC-based in-body communication system. Three cases were investigated: aligned systems, as well as lateral and angular misalignments. We considered an 810 nm Near-infrared (NIR) LED as a transmitter because the optical signal of the mentioned wavelength propagates better than other wavelengths through biological tissues. For the experiments, we used pure muscle and fat tissues with 15 mm thickness at different temperatures (23 ℃ and 37 ℃). We also tested with thicker meat samples (30 mm, 38 mm, and 40 mm, consisting of muscle + fat layers) at 37 ℃. This study adhered to ANSI.Z136.1–2007 safety standards. First, the results reveal that optical power still reaches the receiver in an aligned reference case at a meat thickness of 40 mm. Second, the in-body device misalignment significantly degrades the optical power density received, which is more pronounced under lateral than angular conditions. These misalignment effects must be carefully considered for further system enhancement when using OWC for the in-body communication system.
A Persuasive mHealth Application for Postoperative Cardiac Procedures: Prototype Design and Usability Study
Authors: de Oliveira Renata Savian Colvero , Dal Sasso Grace T Marcon , Iyengar Sriram , Oinas-Kukkonen Harri
Published: May 2024

The global burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a worldwide public health problem. In 2019, 18.6 million people died from CVD, representing a 17.1% increase compared to 2010. Also, some individuals who experience a cardiovascular event will require some form of cardiovascular procedure, such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator insertion, aneurysm repair, or heart valve replacement. Mobile health (mHealth) is a valuable tool for supporting individuals with CVD in self-management, providing medical recommendations, virtual consultations, reminders, and disease monitoring notifications. The main objective of this research was to enhance postoperative care for cardiac procedures. To achieve this, the research involved the development of a new mHealth application and the subsequent evaluation of its usability. The study constituted technological and usability research by using Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM). The design of the mobile application followed the principles of Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) model, which encompass a clear definition of the main task, user interaction through dialogue, system credibility, and social support, aiming to help change user behavior. The sample was non-probabilistic for convenience, and System Usability Scale (SUS) was applied to physicians and nurses as well as individuals in the information technology field. The sample comprised 18 participants, of whom 55.6% were female. The participants rated the application positively, with a median final SUS score of 95 (IQR 90–97.5). Finally, the mobile application presented high usability and user acceptance.
Urinary Incontinence in Active Female Young Adults: Healthcare Preferences, Priorities and Experiences
Authors: Newark Rebecca L. , Thompson Rachel
Published: May 2024

Introduction and Hypothesis

There is a paucity of evidence on the healthcare preferences of active female young adults with urinary incontinence (UI). This research is aimed at examining the population’s healthcare preferences and priorities and their characteristics and experiences to improve access to and use of services.

Methods

This cross-sectional online survey study used a convenience community sample. Participants resided in Australia, were 18–30 years old, had self-reported engagement in physical activity of any frequency and self-reported urine leakage in the previous 4 weeks and met other eligibility criteria. Data were analysed using descriptive analyses.

Results

Thirty-nine participants took part in the study. The majority engaged in recreational exercise (74.2%) and experienced UI of slight to moderate severity (82.9%). Participants preferred to access information and support anonymously online (71.4%) from general practitioners (58.8%), medical specialists (50.0%) or physiotherapists (44.1%). All participants wanted to be involved in the UI management decision-making process. Participants prioritised knowing information over cost (38.2%), changes to daily habits (35.3%) and potential risks or side effects (23.5%) when making decisions about management of UI.

Conclusion

The results highlight the diversity among active female young adults with UI. They emphasise the need for shared decision making and highlight key information needs, providing the basis for the development of decision-making tools and protocols specific to this population. They demonstrate the need for anonymous online information and support, and draw attention to the presence of UI among young recreational exercisers, highlighting the importance of ensuring that information and support is available within this demographic.
Dopamine, activation of ingestion and evaluation of response efficacy: a focus on the within-session time-course of licking burst number
Authors: D’Aquila Paolo S.
Published: May 2024

Rationale

Evidence on the effect of dopamine D1-like and D2-like receptor antagonists on licking microstructure and the forced swimming response led us to suggest that (i) dopamine on D1-like receptors plays a role in activating reward-directed responses and (ii) the level of response activation is reboosted based on a process of evaluation of response efficacy requiring dopamine on D2-like receptors. A main piece of evidence in support of this hypothesis is the observation that the dopamine D2-like receptor antagonist raclopride induces a within-session decrement of burst number occurring after the contact with the reward. The few published studies with a detailed analysis of the time-course of this measure were conducted in our laboratory.

Objectives

The aim of this review is to recapitulate and discuss the evidence in support of the analysis of the within-session burst number as a behavioural substrate for the study of the mechanisms governing ingestion, behavioural activation and the related evaluation processes, and its relevance in the analysis of drug effects on ingestion.

Conclusions

The evidence gathered so far suggests that the analysis of the within-session time-course of burst number provides an important behavioural substrate for the study of the mechanisms governing ingestion, behavioural activation and the related evaluation processes, and might provide decisive evidence in the analysis of the effects of drugs on ingestion. However, further evidence from independent sources is necessary to validate the use and the proposed interpretation of this measure.
Prediction of Subsequent Vertebral Fracture After Acute Osteoporotic Fractures from Clinical and Paraspinal Muscle Features
Authors: Xiong Yuchao , Zhang Cici , Chen Xiaopei , Wu Li , Liang Shaohua , Zhang Ye , Huang Junbing , Guo Wei , Zeng Xuwen , Xu Fan
Published: May 2024

To construct a nomogram based on clinical factors and paraspinal muscle features to predict vertebral fractures occurring after acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). We retrospectively enrolled 307 patients with acute OVCF between January 2013 and August 2022, and performed magnetic resonance imaging of the L3/4 and L4/5 intervertebral discs (IVDs) to estimate the cross-sectional area (CSA) and degree of fatty infiltration (FI) of the paraspinal muscles. We also collected clinical and radiographic data. We used univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to identify factors that should be included in the predictive nomogram. Post-OVCF vertebral fracture occurred within 3, 12, and 24 months in 33, 69, and 98 out of the 307 patients (10.8%, 22.5%, and 31.9%, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that this event was associated with percutaneous vertebroplasty treatment, higher FI at the L3/4 IVD levels of the psoas muscle, and lower relative CSA of functional muscle at the L4/5 IVD levels of the multifidus muscle. Area under the curve values for subsequent vertebral fracture at 3, 12, and 24 months were 0.711, 0.724, and 0.737, respectively, indicating remarkable accuracy of the nomogram. We developed a model for predicting post-OVCF vertebral fracture from diagnostic information about prescribed treatment, FI at the L3/4 IVD levels of the psoas muscle, and relative CSA of functional muscle at the L4/5 IVD levels of the multifidus muscle. This model could facilitate personalized predictions and preventive strategies.
Phenolic compound profiling and antioxidant potential of different types of Schisandra henryi in vitro cultures
Authors: Jafernik Karolina , Kubica Paweł , Sharafan Marta , Kruk Aleksandra , Malinowska Magdalena Anna , Granica Sebastian , Szopa Agnieszka
Published: May 2024

Schisandra henryi is an endemic species of medicinal potential known from traditional Chinese medicine. As part of this study, a complex biotechnological and phytochemical assessment was conducted on S. henryi with a focus on phenolic compounds and antioxidant profiling. The following in vitro cultures were tested: microshoot agar and callus, microshoot agitated, and suspension, along with the microshoot culture in PlantForm bioreactors. Qualitative profiling was performed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector coupled with ion-trap mass spectrophotometry with electrospray ionization and then quantitative analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector using standards. In the extracts, mainly the compounds from procyanidins were identified as well as phenolic acids (neochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid) and catechin. The highest content of phenolic compounds was found for in vitro agar microshoot culture (max. total content 229.87 mg/100 g DW) and agitated culture (max. total content 22.82 mg/100 g DW). The max. TPC measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay was equal to 1240.51 mg GAE/100 g DW (agar microshoot culture). The extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant potential by the DPPH, FRAP, and chelate iron ion assays. The highest potential was indicated for agar microshoot culture (90% of inhibition and 59.31 nM/L TEAC, respectively). The research conducted on the polyphenol profiling and antioxidant potential of S. henryi in vitro culture extracts indicates the high therapeutic potential of this species.

Key points

• Different types of S. henryi in vitro cultures were compared for the first time.

• The S. henryi in vitro culture strong antioxidant potential was determined for the first time.

• The polyphenol profiling of different types of S. henryi in vitro cultures was shown.