Artificial Night Research Articles

Effect of the Artificial Night with Facilitated Tucking and Artificial Night Alone on the Physiological Indices of Premature Infants

Background: Preterm birth and admission to neonatal intensive care unit as stressors can cause physiologicalinstability that may lead to prolong hospitalization and mortality. This study aimed to determine the effect of artificialnights and facilitated tucking on the physiological indices of premature infants.Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 60 preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive careunit at Shohadaye Kargar Hospital in Yazd, Iran, during 2017-18. The infants were selected through a convenientsampling method, and were randomly assigned into three groups of arti icial nights with facilitated tucking (group 1)(n=20), arti icial nights (group 2) (n=20) and control group (group 3) (n=20). Subsequently, the physiological indices(i.e., heart rate, respiration rate, arterial oxygen saturation) were measured twice a day at 7:00 a.m. and 19:00 p.m. for3 days. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 20). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statisticallysignificant.Results: There was a significant difference among the three groups in terms of mean values of heart, respiratory, andarterial oxygen saturation rates (P<0.05). The irst experimental group obtained a greater reduction in heart rate andrespiratory rate on the third day (at 19:00 p.m.), as well as a greater increase in arterial oxygen saturation rate on thesecond (at 19:00 p.m.) and third days (at 7:00 a.m. and 19:00 p.m.), compared to the other two groups (P<0.05).Additionally, , the mean value of heart and respiratory rates were lower and arterial oxygen saturation rates werehigher in the intervention group 1, compared to the other groups.Conclusion: According to the results of the study, the simulation of the mother’s womb environment through creatingartificial night and maintaining facilitated tucking resulted in the improvement of physiological indices of thepremature infants. Furthermore, artificial night together with facilitated tucking leads to better results, compared toartificial night alone.

Cool Beats and Timely Accents

Cool Beats and Timely Accents

Influence de l'intensité lumineuse, de la température nocturne de l'air et de la concentration en CO2 sur la croissance de semis d'épinette noire (Piceamariana) produits en récipients en serres

Growth of containerized black spruce seedlings grown in greenhouses was studied in relation to factors known to influence plant growth. Artificial light intensity (3.80 and 72.04 μmol•m−2•s−1) and night air temperature (5, 10, 12.5, 15, and 20 °C) were considered in a first experiment and artificial light intensity (4.24 and 59.57 μmol•m−2•s−1) and CO2 air concentration (ambient and 1000 μL•L−1) in a second one. Higher light intensity and CO2 enrichment increased dry biomass of seedlings as well as growth in height and stem diameter. Both factors similarly enhanced the last two parameters since height/diameter ratios showed little variation among treatments. Reducing night air temperature down to 10 °C did not significantly influence height growth nor biomass increase when high intensity light was provided. Lower light intensity raised the threshold to 12.5 °C. Shoot height, diameter, and dry biomass as well as the number of branches and buds per millimeter were strongly reduced by a 5 °C night air temperature. High intensity light enhanced growth of containerized black spruce seedlings more than CO2 enrichment or a 5 °C night air temperature. When used simultaneously, these growth enhancing factors had a synergistic effect during most of the treatment period; thereafter, the effect became partially additive. The relative growth rate peaked at the onset of exponential shoot growth and decreased after this point. However, the enhancing factors were still efficient since absolute growth differences between seedlings grown under the most favorable conditions and controls kept increasing. The faster growing pace imposed by these growth enhancing conditions during the treatment period was maintained over the entire first growing season.