Usability and effectiveness of inhaled methoxyflurane for prehospital analgesia - a prospective, observational study

Background Pain relief in the prehospital setting is often insufficient, as the administration of potent intravenous analgesic drugs is mostly reserved to physicians. In Australia, inhaled methoxyflurane has been in routine use by paramedics for decades, but experience in Central European countries is lacking. Thus, we aimed to assess whether user friendliness and effectiveness of inhaled methoxyflurane as sole analgesic match the specific capabilities of local ground and air-based EMS systems in Austria. Methods Observational study in adult trauma patients (e.g. dislocations, fracture or low back pain following minor trauma) with moderate to severe pain (numeric rating scale [NRS] ≥4). Included patients received a Penthrop® inhaler containing 3 mL of methoxyflurane (maximum use 30 min). When pain relief was considered insufficient (NRS reduction < 3 after 10 min), intravenous analgesics were administered by an emergency physician. The primary endpoint was effectiveness of methoxyflurane as sole analgesic for transport of patients. Secondary endpoints were user friendliness (EMS personell), time to pain relief, vital parameters, side effects, and satisfaction of patients. Results Median numeric pain rating was 8.0 (7.0–8.0) in 109 patients. Sufficient analgesia (reduction of NRS ≥3) was achieved by inhaled methoxyflurane alone in 67 patients (61%). The analgesic effect was progressively better with increasing age. Side effects were frequent (n = 58, 53%) but mild. User satisfaction was scored as very good when pain relief was sufficient, but fair in patients without benefit. Technical problems were observed in 16 cases (14.7%), mainly related to filling of the inhaler. In every fifth use, the fruity smell of methoxyflurane was experienced as unpleasant. No negative effects on vital signs were observed. Conclusion In prehospital use, inhaled methoxyflurane as sole analgesic is effective for transport of trauma patients (62%) with moderate to severe pain. Older patients benefit especially from inhaled methoxyflurane. Side effects are mild and vital parameters unaffected. Thus, inhaled methoxyflurane could be a valuable device for non-physician EMS personnel rescue services also in the central Europe region.

Green Synthesis and Thermal Encapsulation of Organic Cathode for Aqueous Zn Battery

Aqueous zinc batteries are increasingly gaining attention of the researchers in recent years because of their environmental and user friendliness as well as the economic benefits of the zinc metal. Herein we report a ferrocene based organic cathode synthesized by following green chemistry principle and stabilized by low temperature thermal encapsulation in multiwalled carbon nano tubes (MWCNTs) for stable electrochemical performance. Successful intercalation was confirmed by XRD, Raman, FTIR spectra, TEM-HAADF imaging. Without encapsulation, material exhibited initial capacity of 64.7 mAhg-1 which was drastically faded with time due to dissolution of active material. However, by low temperature thermal encapsulation, the capacity was remarkably improved to 71.3 mAhg-1 with 94% columbic efficiency and 91% capacity retention at a current density of 75mAg-1 in a 100 charge/discharge cycles. The stability of the electrode has been explained on the basis of a friendly host-guest interaction between CNTs and the organic molecules by π-π stacking, dipole-dipole and dipole induced dipole interactions with detailed electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization. From this study we conclude that the thermal intercalation in MWCNTs has been found to be excellent method to stabilize the electrode materials in battery application.

DIGITIZATION OF THE HAKKA ANCESTOR WORSHIP CEREMONY

«Мировая церемония предков хакка» - одна из самых влиятельных церемоний поклонения предкам в Китае. В 2011 году это мероприятие было включено в Национальный список нематериального культурного наследия. Благодаря слиянию и сосуществованию нескольких моделей взаимодействия в «церемонии поклонения предкам» и точному пониманию намерений мультимодального взаимодействия синхронизировано представление многоканального восприятия (визуального, звукового и сенсорного). На основе Node.js и Three.js технологий авторами была реализована цифровая система для «церемонии поклонения предкам». Цифровая модель представляет действия в двух залах: Хуайцзу, где можно выразить свои чувства памяти и помолиться за свои семьи, и Юйпин, где можно произвести интерактивные операции, такие как подношение свечей, подношение благовоний и т.п. Тесты показывают, что в системе достигается баланс между производительностью и удобством для пользователя, что дает реальное решение для оцифровки нематериального культурного наследия ритуального типа. Цифровой контент церемонии не ограничен во времени и пространстве, не требует использования сторонних плагинов и имеет быструю доступность, что может способствовать быстрому распространению и развитию «Церемонии предков мира хакка». The Hakka World Ancestor Ceremony is one of the most influential ancestor worship ceremonies in China. In 2011, this event was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Due to the fusion and coexistence of several interaction models in the "ancestor worship ceremony" and an accurate understanding of the intentions of multimodal interaction, the representation of multi-channel perception (visual, sound and sensory) is synchronized. Based on Node.js and Three.js technologies, the authors implemented a digital system for the "ancestor worship ceremony". The digital model represents actions in two halls: Huaizu, where you can express your feelings of memory and pray for your families, and Yuping, where you can perform interactive operations, such as offering candles, offering incense, etc. Tests show that the system achieves a balance between performance and user-friendliness, which provides a real solution for digitizing intangible cultural heritage of the "ritual" type. The digital content of the ceremony is not limited in time and space, does not require the use of third-party plug-ins and has rapid availability, which can contribute to the rapid spread and development of the "Ceremony of the Ancestors of the Hakka World".

Mitigating Motion Sickness in Automated Vehicles with Vibration Cue System

<p>Motion sickness is very common in road transport. To guarantee ride comfort and user experience, there is an urgent need for effective solutions to motion sickness mitigation in semi- and fully-automated vehicles. Considering both effectiveness and user-friendliness, a vibration cue system is proposed to inform passengers of the upcoming vehicle movement through tactile stimulation. By integrating the motion planning results from automated driving algorithms, the vibration cueing timing and patterns are optimized with the theory of motion anticipation. Using a cushion-based prototype of vibration cue system, 20 participants were invited to evaluate this solution in two conditions of driving simulator experiments. Results show that with the proposed vibration cue system, it could also help participants to comprehend the cues and to generate motion anticipation. The participants’ motion sickness degrees were significantly lowered. This research may serve as one foundation for the detailed system development in practical applications.</p><p>(This article has been accepted for publication in <i>Ergonomics</i>, published by Taylor & Francis.)</p><br>

AN APPLICATION OF CADASTRAL FABRIC SYSTEM IN IMPROVING POSITIONAL ACCURACY OF CADASTRAL DATABASES IN MALAYSIA

Cadastral fabric is perceived as a feasible solution to improve the speed, efficiency and quality of the cadastral measurement data to implement Positional Accuracy Improvement (PAI) and to support Coordinated Cadastral System (CCS) and Dynamic Coordinated Cadastral System (DCCS) in Malaysia. In light of this, this study aims to propose a system to upgrade the positional accuracy of the existing cadastral system through the utilisation of the cadastral fabric system. A comprehensive investigation on the capability of the proposed system is carried out. A total of four evaluation aspects is incorporated in the study to investigate the feasibility and capability of the software, viz. performance of geodetic least squares adjustment, quality assurance techniques, supporting functions, and user friendliness. This study utilises secondary data obtained from the Department of Surveying and Mapping Malaysia (DSMM). The test area is coded as Block B21701 which is located in Selangor, Malaysia. Results show that least square adjustment for the entire network is completed in a timely manner. Various quality assurance techniques are implementable, namely error ellipses, magnitude of correction vectors and adjustment trajectory, as well as inspection of adjusted online bearings. In addition, the system supports coordinate versioning, coordinates of various datum or projection. Last but not least, user friendliness of the system is identified through the software interface, interaction and automation functions. With that, it is concluded that the proposed system is highly feasible and capable to create a Cadastral Fabric to improve the positional accuracy of existing cadastral system used in Malaysia.

Exploratory Study on User Satisfaction of E-HRM

With the high demands to provide service quality, growing workforce, and globalization of economy, HR has transformed into an inevitable power of technology that transforms HRM into electronic human resource management (E-HRM) systems. Brunei Darussalam without exception is also practicing E-HRM in the government sector called government employee management system (GEMS). This chapter investigates the user satisfaction of E-HRM by examining the current status of GEMS in Brunei Darussalam. The user satisfaction was studied through seven elements: the implementation of E-HRM, training, user-friendliness, infrastructure, data security, technical support, and user support. Qualitative interview and descriptive quantitative method were conducted on HR officers from the public organization. Findings revealed that the GEMS are not able to provide satisfactory system. This chapter has developed a theoretical framework as a recommendation to integrate relevant elements, together with the influence of age, gender, and years of service that impact user satisfaction.

EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF MS TEAMS IN CONDUCTING WEBINAR: EVIDENCE FROM INTERNATIONAL ONLINE PROGRAM CONDUCTED IN OMAN

The quick adoption of digital platforms in the education sector will always give credit to covid-19. The imposition of lock downs and closure of border as remedial measures forced educational institutes to shift to online platforms for their routine teaching and learning activities. The higher education institutes (HEIs) were found to be more dynamic, as they utilised their online presence in interacting with external members by way of other online activities predominantly webinars. The researchers suggest that online learning will remain to be a vital part of higher education and is going to stay along with other online activities like webinar as it is flexible, accessible, and convenient for the larger section of the students. This study examines the MS team’s platform from the learner’s perspective through technology acceptance model. The 320 responses were gathered from the participants of 22 countries who participated in one-week international webinar organised by two leading HEIs in Oman an online feedback form was analysed through PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 3.3.3. The study aimed to test the degree to which the participants were able to accept MS teams, a popular online learning platform in Oman, as a suitable webinar platform. The results indicate that MS teams is found to be a sufficiently good platform to conduct webinars however, it lags in terms of ease of use or user-friendliness. The study also confirms that attitude towards e-learning influences behavioural intention that subsequently influences the actual use of the platform.

CALCULUS LEARNING VIA SCREENCAST-O-MATIC DURING THE PANDEMIC: AN EXPLORATION TOWARDS STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF MATH ANXIETY

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the learning system into an online mode, where students' anxiety became the spotlight for educators to create a learning environment that actively engages them. Many educators are competing in maximizing the use of technology to ensure students are engaged in the learning process. The study aims to explore students’ perception of math anxiety through the implementation of Screencast-O-Matic in calculus learning. This study involves 41 students at the university level and is conducted in mixed methods, using statistics and narrative descriptives. Questionnaires and open-ended questions are used to investigate students’ testimonies about the video made by Screencast-O-Matic and their perceptions of math anxiety after learning with the video given. The results showed that the implementation of Screencast-O-Matic video gradually reduces students’ mathematics anxiety during online calculus learning. Screencast-O-Matic offers educators the opportunity to build a web-based lecture learning system in audio-visual media to minimize students' anxiety levels. Furthermore, the most important things to consider while creating an educational video are clarity of message, user-friendliness, good visualization, and easy access to students anytime and anywhere.

Effects of Hospital Information System on the Performance of Management Units in Public Hospitals Analysis in Southwestern Iran

: The current study examines the effects of a hospital information system (HIS) on the performance of management units in Ahvaz public hospitals, Iran. The HIS supports hospital activities at practical, tactical, and strategic levels. In other words, this system establishes a connection between patient care and administrative information in all hospital activities. This descriptive-analytic research was an applied study with a correlational method. The hypotheses were tested by correlation model, structural equation modeling, one-sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test using the SPSS software version 20 and LISREL. The findings of this study indicated that an automated HIS can be a powerful tool helping managers with the process of hospital management and decision-making, leading to significantly improved hospital performance. Therefore, continuous training courses are beneficial in enhancing information quality and modern technology usage, which in turn improve the quality of services offered to patients and clients and make them less time-consuming. As a result, an effective step is taken in improving health services. The present study showed that the characteristics of HIS, including user-friendliness, speed, quality, being up-to-date, conformity with working conditions, and proficiency, have positive and significant impacts on the performance of management units.