Translation of a Falls Prevention Behavioral Intervention for Family Caregiver Administration

FallsTalk is a one-month evidence-based falls prevention (FP) program that focuses attention on causes of an individual’s falls and encourages new FP behaviors. We translated the program for family caregivers of persons with cognitive impairment or dementia (PwCID) to administer to the PwCID and examined the number of new FP behaviors (#newFPBs) reported during the intervention period by the Caregiver. Thirty-four Dyads (Caregiver+PwCID) were trained to conduct brief daily FP discussions together using paper (FTCGnoTech) or computerized (FTCGTech, n=20) guidance. Dyads had FallsTalk training, daily discussions and weekly check-in calls. FTCGTech included discussion suggestions tailored to Caregiver concerns. To examine the use of technology, Poisson regression models compared #newFPBs between FTCGnoTech and FTCGTech and included covariates age (<80 or >=80), Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE >25 or <=25) and interactions. To evaluate the influence of Caregiver participation, #newFPBs reported by 115 non-demented clinical trial participants (no Caregiver- FT-ClTrNoCG) were compared with the Caregiver outcomes. Dyads using technology reported significantly more #newFPBs (MeanFTCGnoTech=5.34(SEM=0.68), MeanFTCGTech=8.46(SEM=0.76); p=.004) during the intervention month. A significant interaction was observed whereby Dyads with MMSE<=25 using technology, reported significantly more #newFPBs than the non-technology group (MeanFTCGnoTech=4.23(SEM=0.72), MeanFTCGTech=9.01(SEM=0.90); p=.047). Caregiver (n=34) involvement substantially increased #newFPBs (MeanFT-ClTrNoCG=1.39(SEM=0.15), MeanCaregiver=7.21(SEM=0.49); p<.0001), independent of technology. Across studies, participants or Caregivers for those with MMSE<=25 and <80yo reported significantly more #newFMBs (Mean=4.38(SEM=0.55) than those 80+yo (Mean=2.06(SEM=0.30); p=.0026). FallsTalk Caregiver provides an effective means to promote new Dyad FP strategies. The influence of Caregiver involvement and technology show promise in encouraging behavioral change to prevent falls.

A technology-enhanced weight-loss program in multiple-cat households: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine whether a technology-enhanced weight-loss program, using a home pet health technology ecosystem, is an effective tool in feline weight-loss management in multiple-cat households and to evaluate its impact on cat behavior. Methods The study was a prospective parallel unmasked block-randomized controlled trial comparing two weight loss intervention groups: (1) traditional group with dietary restriction alone (n = 9); (2) technology group that used dietary restriction, digital scales, smart feeders, activity monitors and pet treat cameras (n = 6). A 12-week weight-loss program of client-owned indoor-only two- or three-cat households with at least one overweight cat was conducted in Canada and the USA. Owner impressions of the technology, weight loss rates, smart feeder data, activity monitor data and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed. Results The study was completed by 9/15 traditional group and 6/10 technology group cats. Dropouts were mainly due to owner issues unrelated to the study. The pet health technology ecosystem received favorable reviews (six responders). Smart feeders and home scales were perceived as valuable additions, while activity monitors and pet treat cameras were valued lower. The average weekly weight-loss rate (percent loss of initial body weight) was higher ( P = 0.036) in the technology group (0.694%) than in the traditional group (0.175%). Although not associated with weight-loss rates, technology group cats trended toward grazing feeding patterns and decreased daily activity counts, while HRQoL increased, on average, for all cats. Conclusions and relevance This introductory investigation suggests that a technology-enhanced weight-loss program would be accepted by cat owners and may deliver advantageous outcomes in multiple-cat households, providing an effective and practical tool in feline weight-loss strategies that will continue to evolve as new technologies become available. It also illustrates the potential value of data gathered from home monitoring devices and digital diaries, providing deeper insights into pet behavior.

Understanding the Barriers to Offshore Green-Hydrogen Production

The stage is set to begin making “green” hydrogen from the world’s abundant supply of seawater. But whether this niche-within-a-niche can stand on its own and become a competitive energy source remains uncertain. Today, only about 1% of man-made hydrogen is considered to be green, and not a single atom of it is produced offshore. In the offshore concept, the green label will be earned by splitting the hydrogen out of desalinated seawater with electrolyzers that run on renewable wind energy. This represents an opportunity for oil and gas companies to not just lower their carbon footprints, but to leverage billions of dollars’ worth of existing offshore infrastructure. Their platforms can host the electrolyzers. Their pipelines can transfer the product to shore. They may even be able to power their offshore facilities using the hydrogen produced at sea. Offshore producers should also have no problem finding a market. PriceWaterhouseCoopers said in a report from last year that green-hydrogen exports could be worth $300 billion annually by 2050, supporting some 400,000 jobs globally. However, the first set of offshore pilots are still in planning mode. It will take a few more years to assess the results once they start up. That means we may not know if offshore hydrogen is commercially viable until decade’s end. Some of the biggest barriers that must be overcome were highlighted by a panel of leading hydrogen experts at the recent Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston. Green Hydrogen in the Red “The major hurdle is still the cost,” explained René Peters. “The cost of hydrogen production with electrolysis is still extremely high compared to gray- and blue-hydrogen production.” Peters is the business director at the Dutch technology group TNO which is one of a dozen partners trying to launch PosHYdon, the pilot for offshore hydrogen production. Startup is expected by early 2023 on a normally unmanned oil and gas platform operated by independent oil and gas company Neptune Energy. Peters’ comments on cost were not relegated to the offshore aspect since all green hydrogen is made onshore today. In terms of tipping point for profitability, these are the relevant benchmarks.

Development of the Advanced Encryption Standard

Strong cryptographic algorithms are essential for the protection of stored and transmitted data throughout the world. This publication discusses the development of Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS) 197, which specifies a cryptographic algorithm known as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). The AES was the result of a cooperative multiyear effort involving the U.S. government, industry, and the academic community. Several difficult problems that had to be resolved during the standard’s development are discussed, and the eventual solutions are presented. The author writes from his viewpoint as former leader of the Security Technology Group and later as acting director of the Computer Security Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where he was responsible for the AES development.

Mobile Technology Improves Adherence to Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Propensity Score–Matched Study

Background Despite its established effectiveness, adherence to cardiac rehabilitation remains suboptimal. The purpose of our study is to examine whether mobile technology improves adherence to cardiac rehabilitation and other outcomes. Methods and Results We identified all enrollees of the cardiac rehabilitation program at Boston Medical Center from 2016 to 2019 (n=830). Some enrollees used a mobile technology application that provided a customized list of educational content in a progressive manner, used the patient’s smartphone accelerometer to provide daily step counts, and served as a 2‐way messaging system between the patient and program staff. Adherence to cardiac rehabilitation was defined as the number of attended sessions and completion of the program. Enrollees had a mean age of 59 years; 32% were women, and 42% were Black. Using 3:1 propensity matching for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, transportation time, diagnosis, and baseline depression survey score, we evaluated change in exercise capacity, weight, functional capacity, and nutrition scores. Those in the mobile technology group (n=114) attended a higher number of prescribed sessions (mean 28 versus 22; relative risk, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04–1.32; P =0.009), were 1.8 times more likely to complete the cardiac rehabilitation program ( P =0.01), and had a slightly greater weight loss (pounds) following rehabilitation (−1.71; 95% CI, −0.30 to −3.11; P =0.02) as compared with those in the standard group (n=213); other outcomes were similar between the groups. Conclusions In a propensity‐matched, racially diverse population, we found that adjunctive use of mobile technology is significantly associated with improved adherence to cardiac rehabilitation and number of attended sessions.

Development of vocational science learning devices to improve project based soft skills

This study aims to produce a Vocational High School Natural Science learning tool to improve project-based soft skills that are valid, practical and effective in developing student soft skills. The method used is Research and Development (R&D) referring to the 4-D model suggested by Thiagarajan with the stages namely define, design, develop, and disseminate. The population in this study were students of class XI in the machine technology group of SMK Negeri 2 Kudus in the academic year 2019/2020 (N = 61). The sample in the study were students of class XI with the expertise of machine technology (n = 34) who were taken by random sampling technique. The data were collected using the device validation sheet, the implementation observation sheet, the teacher's response questionnaire and the student response questionnaire. Data about the validity and practicality of the device in developing learning tools to improve project-based soft skills were analyzed using the right-hand t-test with ? of 0.05.

Collaborative Platform for Remote Manufacturing Systems Using Industrial Internet and Digital Twin in the COVID-19 Era

In the wake of COVID-19, significant influence on the manufacturing industries has been observed in the past year due to the restrictions of in-person communications and interactions. As a consequence, manufacturing efficiency has reduced remarkably all over the world. Despite the great harm to the industrial operations under the pandemic, the opportunities for remote collaborative manufacturing system also arise. Effective and efficient remote manufacturing systems for the real industries have been highly demanded. Through the integration of industrial internet and digital twin systems, the remote manufacturing system can be largely facilitated. This paper proposes a general framework for the remote manufacturing system during the COVID-19 era. The concept of the intelligent collaborative remote manufacturing system is firstly reviewed, as well as discussions of the current pandemic situation and its influence on the industries. The current commercial platforms of the systems are also presented. A case study on the lighthouse factories at the Foxconn Technology Group is finally presented for understanding the implementation of the proposed strategy. The effectiveness of the framework has been validated in the real industrial scenarios, and great economic and operational benefits have been obtained. The proposed framework offers a promising solution for the remote manufacturing system under the current pandemic.

PRODUCTION MACHINE INFORMATION SYSTEM BASED ON TECHNOLOGY GROUP IN RELATIONAL DATABASE ENVIRONMENT

The world is entering industry 4.0. The digital enlarges to machine maintenance known as troubleshooting. Troubleshooting is a series of actions needed to deal with machine damage treatment. Problems that often occur in troubleshooting are that technicians are not in the location, the information is still in the form of printed books, the risk of books being lost, books slipping, and the location of books far from the location of machine failure. This research was to solve this problem by developing an application called Production Machine Troubleshooting Information System (SITMEP) in relational database environment. This system was developed by integrating several methods such as machine damage knowledge obtained from tacit sourced from mechanical technicians, experts in their fields and explicit knowledge sourced from machine manual books. GT is to combine knowledge with machine hierarchies and it supports systems for database and SQL. The tool used was MS Access with VBA.

Comparative Assessment of Distributed Strain Measurement Technologies

Fibre optic (FO) distributed strain sensing technology has introduced a significant new capability for structural health monitoring (SHM). FO sensing (FOS) offers a simpler installation process with improved resistance to corrosion and electromagnetic interference compared to traditional electrical resistance foil strain gauges (FSGs) which unlike FOS is limited to single point measurements. Previous FO distributed strain measurement studies at the Defence Science and Technology Group showed good correlation between strain measurements derived from a proprietary continuous fibre grating system and FSGs. This paper compares a commercially available, non-proprietary FO sensing system and digital image correlation (DIC) against industry standard FSGs and finite element analysis (FEA) predictions.

Evaluation of Internal Fit and Marginal Adaptation of Provisional Crowns Fabricated with Three Different Techniques

Different techniques have been used to construct provisional crowns to protect prepared teeth. The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the internal fit and marginal discrepancy of provisional crowns made by different methods. A total of 48 provisional crowns were constructed and divided into three groups (n = 16) according to the fabrication methods: fabricated manually-group MAN; computer-aided design/computer aided manufacturing technology-group CAM; and 3-dimensional (3D)-printed technology-group 3DP. The same standard tessellation language (STL) file was used for both CAD/CAM and 3D-printed group. The silicone-checked method was used to measure the internal gap distance. The marginal discrepancy was measured by using the polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) replica method and swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning technique. Data were analyzed with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey tests at α = 0.05. At the central pit and axial walls, the gap distance mean values of group CAM were higher than those from group MAN and 3DP. The group 3DP was statistically significantly higher in gap distance at the location of occlusion than group MAN and group CAM (p < 0.05). The total gap distances assessed by silicone-checked method revealed there were no statistically significant differences between the tested groups (p > 0.05). The total mean values of absolute and horizontal marginal discrepancy of the group 3DP obtained by using the PVS-replica method and OCT scanning technique were significantly higher than the group MAN and CAM (p < 0.05). Regression correlation results of marginal discrepancy indicated a positive correlation (r = 0.902) between PVS-replica method and OCT scanning technique. The manually fabricated provisional crowns presented better internal fit and a smaller marginal discrepancy. Between different assessment techniques for marginal adaptation, PVS-replica method and OCT scanning technique have a positive correlation.