Use of Virtual Reality to Improve the Quality of the Hospital Stay for Patients in Neurosurgery

Background: Virtual Reality (VR) technologies have numerous beneficial applications for patients during hospitalization (through complete immersion in a virtual, distant place allowing to “escape” from the context of hospitalization). Their positive effects in pain and anxiety management, neurorehabilitation and psychotherapy have been demonstrated. Here, we evaluated the effects of VR on the quality of hospitalization and postoperative pain after neurosurgery.Methods: Patients hospitalized in our department between 2019 and 2020 were prospectively enrolled and divided into a group that received a personal, 30-minutes-long, VR session using an Oculus Go ™ VR headset (VR group) or not (non-VR group). Surgeries were classified in simple or complex spinal and simple or complex cranial. Patient‘s overall satisfaction was considered as primary outcome, with secondary outcomes encompassing duration of hospitalization, pain reduction and patients’ opinion regarding VR.Results: 161 patients were enrolled (77 in the VR group and 84 in the non-VR group). There was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding satisfaction. The VR group presented with a significantly longer duration of hospitalization and higher maximal pain. Interestingly, pain reduction during hospitalization was significantly higher in the VR group, particularly in simple surgeries and spine surgeries. A vast majority of the VR group patients appreciated their VR experience (89.2%) and advocated for its systematic use (83.8%).Conclusion: VR can improve pain reduction during hospitalization after neurosurgery, particularly for simple spine surgeries. Furthermore, patients experiencing VR appear to appreciate it and advocate for its systematic use in neurosurgery. Further research is warranted to identify patients for whom addition of VR during hospitalization might bring the most benefit.

Philibaetis gen. nov., a new genus from the Philippines (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae)

Investigations of type material and new material from the Philippines (Luzon) revealed that Baetis luzonensis Müller-Liebenau, 1982 and B. realonae Müller-Liebenau, 1982 do not belong to Baetis Leach, 1815. A new genus, Philibaetisgen. nov., is described to accommodate both species and both are re-described based on larvae. The new genus is characterised by having a rectangular labrum with a submarginal row of long, simple setae on the dorsal surface and ventrally on lateral margins long, simple, spine-like setae, on anterolateral margins long, feathered setae and medially long, bifid setae and a partial, submarginal row of lanceolate setae. Both mandibles have blade-like incisors and dorsally, a mediolateral patch of long, spine-like setae; additionally, the left mandible has a tuft of long, partly branched setae at the base of the subtriangular process. Philibaetisgen. nov. is further characterised by a hypopharynx with a medial tuft of stout setae and anterolaterally, two smaller tufts of stout setae, a galea-lacinia with the distal denti-seta tooth-like and directed against canines, a fore femur apically with stout setae, both on anterior and posterior side and without a femoral patch and a claw with one row of denticles and two or three subapical setae. The protogonostyli under the cuticle of male last instar larvae are folded in the Labiobaetis type, excluding their affiliation to the genus Baetis. COI sequences were obtained from both species. The genetic distance (Kimura 2-parameter) between them is 17.5% on average. Very limited genetic distances of 0% to 3% (0.75% on average) were found between specimens of P. luzonensiscomb. nov.

EMBODIED COMPUTATION: APPLYING THE PHYSICS OF COMPUTATION TO ARTIFICIAL MORPHOGENESIS

We discuss the problem of assembling complex physical systems that are structured from the nanoscale up through the macroscale, and argue that embryological morphogenesis provides a good model of how this can be accomplished. Morphogenesis (whether natural or artificial) is an example of embodied computation, which exploits physical processes for computational ends, or performs computations for their physical effects. Examples of embodied computation in natural morphogenesis can be found at many levels, from allosteric proteins, which perform simple embodied computations, up through cells, which act to create tissues with specific patterns, compositions, and forms. We outline a notation for describing morphogenetic programs and illustrate its use with two examples: simple diffusion and the assembly of a simple spine with attachment points for legs. While much research remains to be done — at the simulation level before we attempt physical implementations — our results to date show how we may implement the fundamental processes of morphogenesis as a practical application of embodied computation at the nano- and microscale.

Some observations on the biology and morphology of the immature stages of Psychodopygus wellcomei fraiha, shaw and lainson, 1971: (Diptera: psychodidae)

Under laboratory conditions, the development from egg to adult of P. wellcomei takes an average of 42 days. The larval tages are similar to those of P. arthuri, described by barretto (1941), but can be distinguished from this species by the ratio of the first to second antennal segment, by the form of the lateral head seate and prothoracic dorsolateral setae. The pupal stage of P. wellcomei is characterized by a trifid pre-alar seta and simple spine-like thoracic and abdominal setae.