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Deutsches Arzteblatt International May 2024
Topics: Humans; Urologic Surgical Procedures; Operating Rooms; Elective Surgical Procedures; Germany
PubMed: 38934070
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0025 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2024The aim of this study is to determine the steps of a training program utilizing Head-Mounted Display (HMD) based Virtual Reality Technology to enhance nursing students'...
Designing and implementing a training program on surgical hand scrubbing, wearing surgical cap and surgical mask, gowning, and gloving using HMD-based virtual reality technologies for nursing students: an exploration of student perceptions.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to determine the steps of a training program utilizing Head-Mounted Display (HMD) based Virtual Reality Technology to enhance nursing students' skills in surgical hand scrubbing, wearing surgical cap and surgical mask, gowning and gloving, and to evaluate students' perceptions toward the program.
METHODS
The study aimed to investigate the potential applications of HMD-Based Virtual Reality Technology in Surgical Hand Scrubbing, Wearing Surgical Cap and Surgical Mask, Gowning and Gloving Program for nursing students, as well as students' perceptions toward this technology. The research was conducted with a focus group consisting of second-year nursing students in Osmaniye/Turkey, between January and June 2022, and the training program was implemented in five stages: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The program was evaluated with a focus group of nursing students. Focus group discussions were conducted to provide insights into students' experiences, feedback, and perceptions of the program.
RESULTS
A vast majority of participants (92.5%) reported feeling fully immersed in the operating room environment during the virtual reality (VR) experience. Notably, all students acknowledged the potential of HMD-Based Virtual Reality Technology to enrich their understanding of surgical hand scrubbing, wearing surgical cap and surgical mask, gowning and gloving procedures, surpassing conventional instructional models. While many participants found the experience exhilarating (85.1%), a considerable portion reported a decline in engagement after repeated exposures (88.8%). Overall, participants welcomed the integration of VR technology into education, expressing optimism about its capacity to facilitate additional instructional modules (74.4%). Moreover, they conveyed satisfaction with the opportunity to engage with the VR application, emphasizing its significant educational value (81.4%).
CONCLUSION
Based on these findings, we can suggest that virtual reality technology has the potential to have an impact on nursing students' education. The majority of students expressing a sense of presence in the operating room highlights the value of this method in education. However, the reported boredom after repeated experiences by most participants underscores the importance of diversifying the program and introducing innovative approaches to keep students engaged.
PubMed: 38933115
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1364465 -
Polymers Jun 2024Zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage. The side reactions of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and zinc dendrite growth are...
Zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage. The side reactions of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and zinc dendrite growth are major challenges for developing high-performance zinc-ion batteries. In this paper, a supramolecular gel electrolyte (BLO-ILZE) was self-assembled in an ionic liquid (EMIMBF) with zinc tetrafluoroborate (Zn(BF)) on the separator in situ to obtain a gel electrolyte used in zinc-ion batteries. BLO-ILZE is demonstrated to significantly enhance conductivity over a broad temperature range between -70 and 100 °C. Interestingly, through testing and fitting, it is found that the supramolecular gel electrolyte satisfies the liquid state law over a wide temperature range, and even achieves high conductivity (2.12 mS cm) at -40 °C. It is equivalent to the conductivity of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZnSO/HO) at -10 °C, which is 2.33 mS cm. Moreover, the supramolecular gel electrolyte can effectively inhibit the HER, thus exhibiting a longer lifetime in Zn/Zn cells for 3470 h at 1 mA cm compared to the aqueous zinc-ion batteries with the Zn(BF) aqueous electrolyte (400 h at 1 mA cm). The assembled VO/BLO-ILZE/Zn full cells also showed cycling performance, with 5000 cycles at 0.5 mA g at room temperature, a capacity of 98%, and a coulombic efficiency of about 100%.
PubMed: 38932030
DOI: 10.3390/polym16121680 -
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The establishment of a compliant radiopharmacy facility within a university setting is crucial for supporting fundamental and preclinical studies, as well as for the...
The establishment of a compliant radiopharmacy facility within a university setting is crucial for supporting fundamental and preclinical studies, as well as for the production of high-quality radiopharmaceuticals for clinical testing in human protocols as part of Investigational New Drug (IND) applications that are reviewed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This manuscript details the design and construction of a 550 ft facility, which included a radiopharmacy and a radiochemistry laboratory, to support radiopharmaceutical development research and facilitate translational research projects. The facility was designed to meet FDA guidelines for the production of aseptic radiopharmaceuticals in accordance with current good manufacturing practice (cGMP). A modular hard-panel cleanroom was constructed to meet manufacturing classifications set by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), complete with a gowning room and an anteroom. Two lead-shielded hot cells and two dual-mini hot cells, connected via underground trenches containing shielded conduits, were installed to optimize radioactive material transfer while minimizing personnel radiation exposure. Concrete blocks and lead bricks provided sufficient and cost-effective radiation shielding for the trenches. Air quality was controlled using pre-filters and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to meet cleanroom ISO7 (Class 10,000) standards. A laminar-flow biosafety cabinet was installed in the cleanroom for preparation of sterile dose vials. Noteworthy was a laminar-flow insert in the hot cell that provided a shielded laminar-flow sterile environment meeting ISO5 (class 100) standards. The design included the constant control and monitoring of differential air pressures across the cleanroom, anteroom, gowning room, and controlled research space, as well as maintenance of temperature and humidity. The facility was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for quality control and release testing of radiopharmaceuticals. Administrative controls and standard operating procedures (SOPs) were established to ensure compliance with manufacturing standards and regulatory requirements. Overall, the design and construction of this radiopharmacy facility exemplified a commitment to advancing fundamental, translational, and clinical applications of radiopharmaceutical research within an academic environment.
PubMed: 38931348
DOI: 10.3390/ph17060680 -
Micromachines Jun 2024Low-dimension materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have received extensive research interest and investigation for electronic and optoelectronic...
Low-dimension materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have received extensive research interest and investigation for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Due to their unique widely tunable band structures, they are good candidates for next-generation optoelectronic devices. Particularly, their photoluminescence properties, which are fundamental for optoelectronic applications, are highly sensitive to the nature of the band gap. Monolayer TMDCs in the room temperature range have presented a direct band gap behavior and bright photoluminescence. In this work, we investigate a popular TMDC material WSe's photoluminescence performance using a Raman spectroscopy laser with temperature dependence. With temperature variation, the lattice constant and the band gap change dramatically, and thus the photoluminescence spectra are changed. By checking the photoluminescence spectra at different temperatures, we are able to reveal the nature of direct-to-indirect band gap in monolayer WSe. We also implemented density function theory (DFT) simulations to computationally investigate the band gap of WSe to provide comprehensive evidence and confirm the experimental results. Our study suggests that monolayer WSe is at the transition boundary between the indirect and direct band gap at room temperature. This result provides insights into temperature-dependent optical transition in monolayer WSe for quantum control, and is important for cultivating the potential of monolayer WSe in thermally tunable optoelectronic devices operating at room temperature.
PubMed: 38930731
DOI: 10.3390/mi15060761 -
European Journal of Medical Research Jun 2024
PubMed: 38926869
DOI: 10.1186/s40001-024-01935-z -
BMC Emergency Medicine Jun 2024Emergency medical service providers are frequently exposed to a variety of stressors as a result of their work environment. These stressors can have detrimental effects...
BACKGROUND
Emergency medical service providers are frequently exposed to a variety of stressors as a result of their work environment. These stressors can have detrimental effects on both the physical and mental well-being of individuals. This study was conducted with the aim of exploring stress management strategies in emergency medical service providers.
METHODS
This study was conducted in 2023 using a qualitative approach and content analysis method. A purposive sampling method was used to include 16 emergency medical system providers from Hamadan city. Semi-structured interviews, with a duration of 45-60 min, were conducted for data collection. The Data were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis approach.
RESULTS
The analysis of the interview data revealed three themes: readiness for the worst conditions, assistance based on supportive partnerships, and striving for balance. The six categories within these three themes were mental preparation, risk management, collaborations in emergency response, supportive communication, adaptive behaviors, and maladaptive responses.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study shed light on the various stress management strategies employed by emergency medical service providers. Understanding and implementing effective stress management strategies can not only enhance the well-being of emergency medical service providers but also improve the quality of patient care. Further research and action are essential to promote the resilience and mental health of these professionals, ensuring their overall well-being and job satisfaction.
Topics: Humans; Iran; Qualitative Research; Male; Female; Adult; Emergency Medical Services; Interviews as Topic; Occupational Stress; Adaptation, Psychological; Emergency Medical Technicians; Middle Aged; Risk Management; Stress, Psychological; Health Personnel
PubMed: 38926678
DOI: 10.1186/s12873-024-01024-8 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Efficiently converting solar energy into chemical energy remains a formidable challenge in artificial photosynthetic systems. To date, rarely has an artificial...
Efficiently converting solar energy into chemical energy remains a formidable challenge in artificial photosynthetic systems. To date, rarely has an artificial photosynthetic system operating in the open air surpassed the highest solar-to-biomass conversion efficiency (1%) observed in plants. In this study, we present a three-dimension polymeric photocatalyst achieving a solar-to-HO conversion efficiency of 3.6% under ambient conditions, including real water, open air, and room temperature. The impressive performance is attributed to the efficient storage of electrons inside materials via expeditious intramolecular charge transfer, and the fast extraction of the stored electrons by O that can diffuse into the internal pores of the self-supporting three-dimensional material. This construction strategy suppresses the interlayer transfer of excitons, polarizers and carriers, effectively increases the utilization of internal excitons to 82%. This breakthrough provides a perspective to substantially enhance photocatalytic performance and bear substantial implications for sustainable energy generation and environmental remediation.
PubMed: 38926358
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49373-z -
Journal of Anaesthesiology, Clinical... 2024
PubMed: 38919416
DOI: 10.4103/joacp.joacp_411_22 -
The Iowa Orthopaedic Journal 2024Per the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 6.5% of practicing orthopedic surgeons are female and a majority subspecialize in pediatrics, hand, and foot and ankle...
BACKGROUND
Per the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 6.5% of practicing orthopedic surgeons are female and a majority subspecialize in pediatrics, hand, and foot and ankle surgery. The study purpose is to evaluate influences of orthopedic subspecialty selection, specifically factors such as perceived strength, lifestyle, and mentorship influence on subspecialty decisions and to identify if gender plays a role in these perceptions.
METHODS
An IRB approved cross-sectional study was conducted via email distribution of a REDCap survey to U.S. licensed orthopedic surgeons. Data regarding demographics, professional degree, training and current practice location, and perceptions regarding orthopedic surgery was obtained using Likert rating scales. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with two-tailed student's t-tests (α=0.05).
RESULTS
The survey yielded 282 responses (182 females and 100 males). Overall, the distribution of residents (28%), fellows (6%), and attendings (66%) correlates well with the prevalence of each respective physician category in the field of orthopedic surgery. The study demonstrated no difference in subspecialty choice based on mentorship, work-life-balance, career advancement, subspecialty culture, salary potential, family planning, or schedule. However, a statistically significant difference exists regarding stereotypes, perceived strength required, and perception of discrimination from pursuing a specific orthopedic subspecialty. 27% of females and 10% of males reported discouragement from any subspecialty (p<0.05). Adult reconstructive and oncology were most frequently discouraged. Women reported not choosing a subspecialty because of perceived physical demands more often than men (p<0.001). Women reported an increased use of adaptive strategies in the operating room (p<0.001). Women were also more likely to report feeling discouraged from pursuing a subspecialty due to their gender (p<0.001). Both men and women reported mentorship as the most influential factor in subspecialty selection.
CONCLUSION
Women and men reported different factors were important in their decision of subspecialty. Women were more likely to be discouraged from a subspecialty and experience discrimination based on their perceived strength compared to male peers. Residents, fellows, and attending surgeons valued mentorship as the most influential in their subspeciality choice. This study suggests intrinsic and extrinsic influences that may differentially affect male and female orthopedic surgeons when they choose a subspecialty. .
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Male; Orthopedics; Career Choice; United States; Sex Factors; Adult; Orthopedic Surgeons; Surveys and Questionnaires; Physicians, Women; Mentors
PubMed: 38919343
DOI: No ID Found