scholarly journals Smart Patch for Skin Temperature: Preliminary Study to Evaluate Psychometrics and Feasibility

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1855
Author(s):  
Heejung Kim ◽  
Sunkook Kim ◽  
Mingoo Lee ◽  
Yumie Rhee ◽  
Sungho Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Temperature ◽  
Lower Limit ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Dropout Rate ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Healthy Adults ◽  
Body Temperatures ◽  
Altman Plot ◽  
Bland Altman Plot

There is a need for continuous, non-invasive monitoring of biological data to assess health and wellbeing. Currently, many types of smart patches have been developed to continuously monitor body temperature, but few trials have been completed to evaluate psychometrics and feasibility for human subjects in real-life scenarios. The aim of this feasibility study was to evaluate the reliability, validity and usability of a smart patch measuring body temperature in healthy adults. The smart patch consisted of a fully integrated wearable wireless sensor with a multichannel temperature sensor, signal processing integrated circuit, wireless communication feature and a flexible battery. Thirty-five healthy adults were recruited for this test, carried out by wearing the patches on their upper chests for 24 h and checking their body temperature six times a day using infrared forehead thermometers as a gold standard for testing validity. Descriptive statistics, one-sampled and independent t-tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plot were examined for body temperatures between two measures. In addition, multiple linear regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and qualitative content analysis were conducted. Among the 35 participants, 29 of them wore the patch for over 19 h (dropout rate: 17.14%). Mean body temperature measured by infrared forehead thermometers and smart patch ranged between 32.53 and 38.2 °C per person and were moderately correlated (r = 0.23–0.43) overall. Based on a Bland-Altman plot, approximately 94% of the measurements were located within one standard deviation (upper limit = 4.52, lower limit = −5.82). Most outliers were identified on the first measurement and were located below the lower limit. It is appropriate to use 37.5 °C in infrared forehead temperature as a cutoff to define febrile conditions. Users’ position while checking and ambient temperature and humidity are not affected to the smart patch body temperature. Overall, the participants showed high usability and satisfaction on the survey. Few participants reported discomfort due to limited daily activity, itchy skin or detaching concerns. In conclusion, epidermal electronic sensor technologies provide a promising method for continuously monitoring individuals’ body temperatures, even in real-life situations. Our study findings show the potential for smart patches to monitoring non-febrile condition in the community.

scholarly journals 1342 Screening Patients’ Temperature in COVID-era Outpatient Clinics: An Overreliance on Unreliable Devices?

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Allman ◽  
M McKenna ◽  
D Leopard ◽  
S Backhouse
Keyword(s):  
Body Temperature ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Surrogate Marker ◽  
Outpatient Services ◽  
False Negatives ◽  
Altman Plot ◽  
Mean Body Temperature ◽  
Bland Altman Plot ◽  
Lower Temperature ◽  
Missed Opportunity

Abstract Aim The Covid-19 pandemic continues to impair patient access to hospital clinics. One way of enabling outpatient services to continue safely is to screen for pyrexia by checking patients’ temperature prior to their clinic appointment. Infrared tympanic thermometers (ITT) are commonly used as a surrogate marker of core temperature. Non-contact infrared cutaneous thermometers (NICT) are increasingly favoured as they require no direct contact with patients. The aim was to measure the concordance of temperature readings between ITT and NICT on patients attending ENT outpatient clinic at one hospital. Method Body temperature was recorded using ITT and NICT on 63 sequential patients. Agreement was tested using a Bland-Altman plot with 95% confidence interval and paired T-tests. Results Mean body temperature was significantly lower (p < 0.05) for the NICT [36.3 °C (95% CI 36.2 °C-36.4 °C)] compared with the ITT [36.6 °C (95% CI 36.5 °C-36.7 °C)]. The NICT measured on average 0.34 °C (95% CI 0.33 °C-0.35 °C) lower than the ITT. The Bland-Altman plot showed moderate agreement of the two methods (SD 0.46 °C; limits -1.25 °c to 0.57 °c); however, disagreement was greater at higher and lower temperature extremes. Conclusions Screening patients for pyrexia aims to help prevent spread of COVID-19. False negatives result in a missed opportunity to break the chain of transmission. A significant proportion of false negatives may reverse any intended benefit. NICT are convenient but may be more susceptible to false negatives when assessing for pyrexia and may provide little more than false reassurance when used for pyrexia screening.

scholarly journals Using an Accelerometer-Based Step Counter in Post-Stroke Patients: Validation of a Low-Cost Tool

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 3177
Author(s):  
Francesco Negrini ◽  
Giulio Gasperini ◽  
Eleonora Guanziroli ◽  
Jacopo Antonino Vitale ◽  
Giuseppe Banfi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Altman Plot ◽  
Step Counter ◽  
Bland Altman Plot ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Walking Tests

Monitoring the real-life mobility of stroke patients could be extremely useful for clinicians. Step counters are a widely accessible, portable, and cheap technology that can be used to monitor patients in different environments. The aim of this study was to validate a low-cost commercial tri-axial accelerometer-based step counter for stroke patients and to determine the best positioning of the step counter (wrists, ankles, and waist). Ten healthy subjects and 43 post-stroke patients were enrolled and performed four validated clinical tests (10 m, 50 m, and 6 min walking tests and timed up and go tests) while wearing five step counters in different positions while a trained operator counted the number of steps executed in each test manually. Data from step counters and those collected manually were compared using the intraclass coefficient correlation and mean average percentage error. The Bland–Altman plot was also used to describe agreement between the two quantitative measurements (step counter vs. manual counting). During walking tests in healthy subjects, the best reliability was found for lower limbs and waist placement (intraclass coefficient correlations (ICCs) from 0.46 to 0.99), and weak reliability was observed for upper limb placement in every test (ICCs from 0.06 to 0.38). On the contrary, in post-stroke patients, moderate reliability was found only for the lower limbs in the 6 min walking test (healthy ankle ICC: 0.69; pathological ankle ICC: 0.70). Furthermore, the Bland–Altman plot highlighted large average discrepancies between methods for the pathological group. However, while the step counter was not able to reliably determine steps for slow patients, when applied to the healthy ankle of patients who walked faster than 0.8 m/s, it counted steps with excellent precision, similar to that seen in the healthy subjects (ICCs from 0.36 to 0.99). These findings show that a low-cost accelerometer-based step counter could be useful for measuring mobility in select high-performance patients and could be used in clinical and real-world settings.

Digital Axillary and Non-Contact Infrared Thermometers for Children

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Franconi ◽  
Carmen La Cerra ◽  
Anna Rita Marucci ◽  
Cristina Petrucci ◽  
Loreto Lancia
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Temperature Measurement ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Mean Difference ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Altman Plot ◽  
Bland Altman Plot ◽  
Body Temperature Measurement

Axillary digital thermometers (ADTs) and non-contact (infrared) forehead thermometers (NCIFTs) are commonly used in pediatric settings, where an incorrect body temperature measurement may delay treatments or lead to incorrect diagnoses and therapies. Several studies comparing ADT or NCIFT with other methods have found conflicting results. To investigate whether ADT and NCIFT can be used interchangeably, a comparative observational study was conducted involving 205 children aged 0 to 14 years who were consecutively admitted to the pediatric emergency department. The Bland–Altman plot illustrated agreement between the two methods. A total of 217 pairs of measurements were compared; axillary measurements showed average values significantly higher than forehead measurements (37.52°C and 37.12°C; t = 7.42, p = .000), with a mean difference of 0.41°C between the two methods (range = −1.80 and +2.40). In this setting and population, ADT and NCIFT cannot be used interchangeably.

scholarly journals A validation study on smart wearable body sensors for the assessment of physical activity levels in the elderly population in the real-life environment (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Martinato ◽  
Giulia Lorenzoni ◽  
Tommaso Zanchi ◽  
Alessia Bergamin ◽  
Alessia Buratin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Wearable Devices ◽  
Altman Plot ◽  
Bland Altman Plot ◽  
Real Life Setting

BACKGROUND Regular physical activity (PA) contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and to reduce the risk of premature death. Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and for a variety of chronic disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, bone and joint diseases (e.g., osteoporosis and osteoarthritis), depression and colon and breast cancer. Population aging, and the related increase in chronic diseases, has a major impact on the healthcare systems of most Western countries and will produce an even more significant effect in the future. Monitoring PA is a valuable method of determining whether people are performing enough PA so as to prevent chronic diseases or if they are showing early symptoms of those diseases. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to estimate the accuracy of wearable devices in quantifying the PA of elderly people in a real-life setting. METHODS Participants aged between 70 and 90 years old with the ability to walk safely without any walking aid for at least 300 m, who had no walking disabilities or previous episodes of falling while walking in the last 12 months, were asked to walk 150 m at their preferred pace wearing a vívoactive® HR device by Garmin®, and actual steps were monitored and tallied by a researcher using a hand-tally counter to assess the performance of the device at a natural speed. A Bland-Altman plot for the difference between manually counted steps and wearable device measured steps is reported. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was also computed (with a 95% confidence interval) between step measurements. The generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) ICCs were also estimated, providing a random effect term (random intercept) for the individual measurements (Gold Standard and Device). Both adjusted and conditional ICCs were computed for the GLMM models considering separately the effect of age, sex, BMI, and obesity. Analyses were performed using R software with the rms package. RESULTS Twenty-three females and twenty-six males were enrolled in the study. The median age of the participants was 75 years. The Bland-Altman plot revealed that, excluding one observation, all the differences across measurements were in the confidence bounds, demonstrating the substantial agreement between the step count measurements. Such results are also confirmed by an ICC equal to 0.98 (0.96-0.99), demonstrating excellent agreement between the two sets of measurements. CONCLUSIONS The level of accuracy of wearable devices in quantifying the PA of elderly people in a real-life setting that was found in this study supports the idea of considering twist-wearable nonmedical devices (widely available in nonspecialized stores) as reliable tools for measuring the level of PA in an elderly population. Both healthcare professionals and informal caregivers could monitor the level of PA of their patients.

scholarly journals Ethnic Specific body fat percent prediction equation as surrogate marker of obesity in Ethiopian adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Makeda Sinaga ◽  
Melese Sinaga Teshome ◽  
Tilhun Yemane ◽  
Elsah Tegene ◽  
David Lindtsrom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Fat ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Surrogate Marker ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Prediction Equation ◽  
Prediction Equations ◽  
Altman Plot ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Bland Altman Plot ◽  
Body Fat Percent

Abstract Background Application of advanced body composition measurement methods is not practical in developing countries context due to cost and unavailability of facilities. This study generated ethnic specific body fat percent prediction equation for Ethiopian adults using appropriate data. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried ifrom February to April 2015 among 704 randomly selected adult employees of Jimma University. Ethnic specific Ethiopian body fat percent (BF%) prediction equation was developed using a multivariable linear regression model with measured BF% as dependent variable and age, sex, and body mass index as predictor variables. Agreement between fat percent measured using air displacement plethysmography and body fat percent estimated using Caucasian prediction equations was determined using Bland Altman plot. Results Comparison of ADP measured and predicted BF% showed that Caucasian prediction equation underestimated body fat percent among Ethiopian adults by 6.78% (P < 0.0001). This finding is consistent across all age groups and ethnicities in both sexes. Bland Altman plot did not show agreement between ADP and Caucasian prediction equation (mean difference = 6.7825) and some of the points are outside 95% confidence interval. The caucasian prediction equation significantly underestimates body fat percent in Ethiopian adults, which is consistent across all ethnic groups in the sample. The study developed Ethnic specific BF% prediction equations for Ethiopian adults. Conclusion The Caucasian prediction equation significantly underestimates body fat percent among Ethiopian adults regardless of ethnicity. Ethiopian ethnic-specific prediction equation can be used as a very simple, cheap, and cost-effective alternative for estimating body fat percent among Ethiopian adults for health care provision in the prevention of obesity and related morbidities and for research purposes.

scholarly journals Assessing Overall Diet Quality: Development and Evaluation of the Performance of a Short Self-Administrated Questionnaire SCASA

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 677
Author(s):  
Maaike Kruseman ◽  
Angeline Chatelan ◽  
Eddy Farina ◽  
Isabelle Carrard ◽  
Jeremy Cela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diet Quality ◽  
Quantitative Assessment ◽  
Construct Validation ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
The Self ◽  
Food Record ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Altman Plot ◽  
Bland Altman Plot ◽  
French Speaking

Several tools assessing diet quality have been developed over the last decades, but their use in public health and clinical practice is limited because they necessitate detailed quantitative assessment of food intake. Our goal was to develop and validate a score (Score d’Alimentation Saine, SCASA) based on a short self-administrated online questionnaire to assess overall diet quality. SCASA targets the adult population in French-speaking Switzerland, but it was designed in a way enabling its adaptation for other regions. The choice of the items involved experts and lay volunteers. Construct validation and inter-method reliability were assessed by screening meal plans and by comparing the self-rated scores with food-record derived scores (kappa and Bland–Altman). SCASA (17 components) discriminated adequately balanced from imbalanced meal plans (93–95% and 44–46% of maximal score). Agreement between self-assessed and food record-based scores ranged between >90% (3 items), 80–89% (3 items), 70–79% (4 items), and <70% (5 items). The Bland–Altman plot showed a mean difference of −1.60 (95% CI −2.36 to −0.84), indicating a slight overestimation of the self-assessed diet quality compared to the food record. SCASA offers a reliable way to assess overall diet quality without requiring burdensome data collection or nutrient calculations.

Body temperature regulation and oxygen consumption in young chicks fed thyroid hormone

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1842-1847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory K. Snyder ◽  
Joseph R. Coelho ◽  
Dalan R. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Thyroid Hormone ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Cold Exposure ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Body Temperatures ◽  
Serum Thyroid Hormone ◽  
Regulate Body Temperature ◽  
Young Chicks

In chicks the ability to regulate body temperature to adult levels develops during the first 2 weeks of life. We examined whether the ability of young chicks to regulate body temperature is increased by elevated levels of the thyroid hormone 3,3′5-triiodothyronine. By 13 days following hatch, body temperatures of chicks were not significantly different from those expected for adult birds. Furthermore, at an ambient temperature of 10 °C, 13-day-old control chicks were able to maintain body temperature, and elevated serum thyroid hormone levels did not increase rates of oxygen consumption or body temperature above control values. Six-day-old chicks had body temperatures that were significantly lower than those of the 13-day-old chicks and were not able to regulate body temperature when exposed to an ambient temperature of 10 °C. On the other hand, 6-day-old chicks with elevated serum thyroid hormone had significantly higher rates of oxygen consumption than 6-day-old control chicks, and were able to maintain constant body temperatures during cold exposure. The increased oxygen consumption rates and improved ability to regulate body temperature during cold exposure were correlated with increased citrate synthase activity in skeletal muscle. Our results support the argument that thyroid hormones play an important role in the development of thermoregulatory ability in neonate birds by stimulating enzyme activities associated with aerobic metabolism.

Mainstream Superhero Comics and Gendered Representations of Social Control

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hope Hutchins
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Women Police Officers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Media Constructions ◽  
Women Police

In the context of increasing familiarity with mainstream superhero comics and their characters, a wide range of readers are being exposed to the values regarding gender and social control being communicated in this genre. Therefore, it is important to assess whether social control is signified differently for males and females in superhero comics. This presentation will begin with a discussion of why it is important to study comics and graphic novels. I will then outline the concept of social control and criminological theories centered on this idea before demonstrating why superheroes may be understood as agents of social control. This will bring me to a discussion of preliminary findings of a qualitative content analysis of issues of Batman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Ms Marvel, Justice League of America, and New Avengers comics released from May to October 2007. In examining the leadership positions, the formal and informal methods employed, those over whom social control is exercised, and relative success of each superhero in these issues, I am seeking to assess whether social control is portrayed as being exercised by male and female superheroes in different ways and to identify how this happens. The results of this content analysis will be compared with previous studies of women police officers to assess whether representations of female agents of social control in superhero comics are consistent with the experiences of real‐life criminal justice practitioners. Finally, the reasons for and implications of the nature of such media constructions will be briefly explored to encourage other students to study comics and graphic novels.

Rancang Bangun Pengukur Suhu Tubuh Dengan Multi Sensor Untuk Mencegah Penyebaran Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 543-549
Author(s):  
Helmy Yudhistira Putra ◽  
Utomo Budiyanto
Keyword(s):  
Body Temperature ◽  
Temperature Measurement ◽  
Temperature Sensor ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Temperatures ◽  
Heat Measurement ◽  
Turn On ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
Door Lock ◽  
Body Heat

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of preventive equipment such as masks and hand sanitizers has increased significantly. Likewise, thermometers are experiencing an increase and scarcity, this tool is also sought after by many companies for screening employees and guests before entering the building to detect body temperatures that are suspected of being positive for COVID-19. The use of a thermometer operated by humans is very risky because dealing directly with people who could be ODP (People Under Monitoring/Suscpected ) or even positive for COVID-19, therefore we need tools for automatic body temperature screening and do not involve humans for the examination. This research uses the MLX-90614 body temperature sensor equipped with an ultrasonic support sensor to detect movement and measure the distance between the forehead and the temperature sensor so that the body heat measurement works optimally, and a 16x2 LCD to display the temperature measurement results. If the measured body temperature is more than 37.5 ° C degrees Celsius then the buzzer will turn on and the selenoid door lock will not open and will send a notification to the Telegram messaging application. The final result obtained is the formation of a prototype device for measuring body temperature automatically without the need to involve humans in measuring body temperature to control people who want to enter the building so as to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission

scholarly journals Effect of Hypothermia in the Emergency Department on the Outcome of Trauma Patients: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Min Hsieh ◽  
Pao-Jen Kuo ◽  
Shiun-Yuan Hsu ◽  
Peng-Chen Chien ◽  
Hsiao-Yun Hsieh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Propensity Score ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Body Temperatures ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Mortality Outcome

This study aimed to assess whether hypothermia is an independent predictor of mortality in trauma patients in the condition of defining hypothermia as body temperatures of <36 °C. Data of all hospitalized adult trauma patients recorded in the Trauma Registry System at a level I trauma center between 1 January 2009 and 12 December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed in order to identify factors related to mortality. In addition, hypothermia and normothermia were defined as temperatures <36 °C and from 36 °C to 38 °C, respectively. Propensity score-matched study groups of hypothermia and normothermia patients in a 1:1 ratio were grouped for mortality assessment after adjusting for potential confounders such as age, sex, preexisting comorbidities, and injury severity score (ISS). Of 23,705 enrolled patients, a total of 401 hypothermic patients and 13,368 normothermic patients were included in this study. Only 3.0% of patients had hypothermia upon arrival at the emergency department (ED). Compared to normothermic patients, hypothermic patients had a significantly higher rate of abbreviated injury scale (AIS) scores of ≥3 in the head/neck, thorax, and abdomen and higher ISS. The mortality rate in hypothermic patients was significantly higher than that in normothermic patients (13.5% vs. 2.3%, odds ratio (OR): 6.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.86–9.01, p < 0.001). Of the 399 well-balanced propensity score-matched pairs, there was no significant difference in mortality (13.0% vs. 9.3%, OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 0.94–2.29, p = 0.115). However, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with low body temperature were significantly associated with the mortality outcome. This study revealed that low body temperature is associated with the mortality outcome in the multivariate logistic regression analysis but not in the propensity score matching (PSM) model that compared patients with hypothermia defined as body temperatures of <36 °C to those who had normothermia. These contradicting observations indicated the limitation of the traditional definition of body temperature for the diagnosis of hypothermia. Prospective randomized control trials are needed to determine the relationship between hypothermia following trauma and the clinical outcome.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document