Decision Level Research Articles

Risk Factors for Developing Occupational Back Pain in Electronics Industry Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Back pain is an occupation-related problem among workforces. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of back pain and the risk factors of occupational back pain among workers in the electronics industry. In total, 354 electronics workers in Thailand participated in the study. Data were collected using the Musculoskeletal Disorders Severity and Frequency Questionnaire, the Job Content Questionnaire, and ergonomics risk assessment via the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Risk factors of back pain were identified by multiple logistic regression analysis, providing adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The study found that most workers were operators (92.09%) and had repetitive work (83.62%). A high ergonomics risk was observed in workers who stood during work (68.49%) and operated machines (71.70%). The 1-month prevalence of developing back pain was 20.62% and the significant factors correlated with back pain were low levels of job control and decision-making (ORadj = 2.26; 95% CI [1.26 ,4.05]), lack of exercise (ORadj = 8.30; 95% CI [1.35, 24.28]), repetitive work (ORadj = 2.94; 95% CI [1.19, 7.29]), and high ergonomic risk level (ORadj = 2.81; 95% CI [1.16, 5.07]). These findings suggest that measures should be implemented by empowering electronics workers to make decisions and control their jobs, as well as promoting health through muscle-stretching exercise, to support back pain prevention.

Students With LD and Decision Making for After High School: Emotions and Basic Psychological Needs

Little is known about how grade 12 students with learning disabilities (LD) face the complex and emotional task of deciding what to do after high school. To expand on current research, we explored the experiences, emotions, and support of students with LD from the theoretical perspective of basic psychological needs (BPNs). We conducted a triangulation mixed-method study that included survey data and interviews. Participants were asked to identify their emotions, and if their BPNs of autonomy (e.g., feeling in control), competence (e.g., feeling capable), and relatedness (e.g., feeling connected to others) were satisfied or frustrated. Based on survey questions, participants indicated high satisfaction with their BPNs during decision-making and low levels of negative emotions. We used a deductive analysis to link participant interviews to BPNs and found greater satisfaction with these needs than frustration. Moreover, the mixed-method analysis integrating the results in a joint display uncovered that participants identified more positive emotions when their BPNs of autonomy and relatedness were satisfied, and more negative emotions when their BPNs of relatedness and competence were frustrated. We discuss the emotional experience of making decisions after high school. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Leadership in Technical Fields Through a Gender Lens

Although women have fought for labor rights for many years, they continue to be underrepresented at almost all levels of decision-making. The present study aims to provide insights into female leadership in technical fields both in the EU and in Russia. The article examines the principal leadership aspects of women’s status and career experiences. To identify the ingredients of successful leadership, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and interviews were administrated to a sample of 200 mining students and 40 senior executives. The research data were processed by means of correlative, regressive, and autocorrelation analyses. To track the consistency of the identified leadership factors, female heads of enterprise divisions and university departments shared their views on career progress. The Mann–Whitney U test was employed to analyze the leadership factors. Studies indicate that the more senior the position is, the fewer women there are in leadership roles. Women’s progress in technical careers is hindered both by their own uncertainty and judgments made by others about their abilities. To rectify this situation, practices for encouraging young women to pursue technical careers are recommended along with approaches for maintaining them within the career structure. The research findings also indicate a positive emerging global trend towards increased gender diversity in technical fields.

Proposed Framework for Adopting Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage for Public Health Action.

To propose a framework for adoption of privacy-preserving record linkage (PPRL) for public health applications. Twelve interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs) were conducted virtually and coded using an inductive approach. A collaborative session was conducted with SMEs to identify key steps in the PPRL project lifecycle which informed development of a PPRL implementation checklist. This framework has 2 decision-making levels: the organization level and the project or program level. Organization-level considerations include PPRL governance, the optimal choice among approved PPRL solutions, the need for longitudinal linkages, the potential issue of vendor lock-in, and costs. Program-level considerations include characteristics of the PPRL use case, linkage quality and accuracy, data privacy and use, security thresholds, compatibility with data owners' data architecture, and trade-offs between open-source and commercial PPRL solutions. A PPRL implementation checklist was developed to guide public health practitioners considering PPRL for data linkage. The framework may be considered by public health entities to guide adoption and implementation of PPRL in public health research and surveillance. Public health experts may refer to this framework and the PPRL implementation checklist when determining the appropriateness of PPRL for specific use cases and implementation planning.

Integrating technical and business aspects in Software as a Service: Systematic literature review, trends, and research directions

One of the most salient problems currently confronting Software as a Service (SaaS) realization and scientific research is understanding how to efficiently connect software platforms using SaaS distribution models integrating the business functions. The extant empirical SaaS literature holds research gaps regarding the commercial and technical aspects of SaaS business models. To address these gaps, this article systematically reviews current empirical studies to understand how SaaS integration projects could be more efficiently managed in organizations by integrating technical and business aspects. Among other findings, we discover significant knowledge gaps in the field, mainly regarding the empirical validation of a coherent business strategy regarding the SaaS model and an integrated view of customer-perceived performance concerning SaaS architecture. Based on the analysis and synthesis of the findings, this study provides a framework for SaaS realization, including the principal dimensions to be considered in SaaS provision. Futhermore, a novel conceptual model proposed complements the framework by organizing 14 principal variables affecting SaaS integration on three decision-making levels, i.e., strategic, tactical, and operational. This study theoretically contributes to solidifying the SaaS integration literature by covering the three levels of decision-making and offering actionable insights into business practice and SaaS implementation. Regarding the practical contributions, this research guides managers in managing SaaS projects by emphasizing a holistic approach that incorporates all decision-making levels and perspectives, as well as interconnected technological and business aspects. Lastly, promising future research opportunities have been identified to move SaaS research forward.

The effect of role play prepared with video support on ethical decision-making and motivation levels of nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

Background: Since the increasingly complex structure of health care services brings many ethical problems, it is important to use different instructional technologies in the ethical education of future nurses.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of role play prepared with video support on ethical decision-making and motivation levels of nursing students.Research design: A quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design.Participants and research context: The research was conducted in the Nursing Department of a University located in Istanbul, Turkey between October 15 and November 15, 2024. The sample of the research consisted of 3rd year nursing students. Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Nursing Dilemma Test, and the Instructional Material Motivation Scale for Single-Use.Ethical considerations: Permission was obtained from Bezmialem Vakif University Non-Interventional Ethical Research Committee and the institution where the study was conducted for the implementation of the research. Written and verbal consent was obtained from all participants in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration.Findings: While there was no difference between the students' Ethical Dilemma Test Principled Thinking pre-test and post-test scores, their Practical Consideration (p = .005) and motivation levels (p = .037) post-test scores were found to be higher. There was a weak but significant negative correlation between academic achievement and pre-test teaching material motivation levels (r = -0.375, p = .041).Discussion: The use of different teaching methods and techniques in ethics education in nursing is important for future nurses to find more practical solutions to the ethical problems they will encounter during patient care.Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that the use of video-supported role play can be effective in teaching ethics courses in nursing education.

Coal-gangue sound recognition using hybrid multi-branch CNN based on attention mechanism fusion in noisy environments

The coal-gangue recognition technology plays an important role in the intelligent realization of fully mechanized caving face and the improvement of coal quality. Although great progress has been made for the coal-gangue recognition in recent years, most of them have not taken into account the impact of the complex environment of top coal caving on recognition performance. Herein, a hybrid multi-branch convolutional neural network (HMBCNN) is proposed for coal-gangue recognition, which based on improved Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) as well as Mel spectrogram, and attention mechanism. Firstly, the MFCC and its smooth feature matrix are input into each branch of one-dimensional multi-branch convolutional neural network, and the spliced features are extracted adaptively through multi-head attention mechanism. Secondly, the Mel spectrogram and its first-order derivative are input into each branch of the two-dimensional multi-branch convolutional neural network respectively, and the effective time-frequency information is paid attention to through the soft attention mechanism. Finally, at the decision-making level, the two networks are fused to establish a model for feature fusion and classification, obtaining optimal fusion strategies for different features and networks. A database of sound pressure signals under different signal-to-noise ratios and equipment operations is constructed based on a large amount of data collected in the laboratory and on-site. Comparative experiments and discussions are conducted on this database with advanced algorithms and different neural network structures. The results show that the proposed method achieves higher recognition accuracy and better robustness in noisy environments.

The slow pace of building and organizing for trust in internal collaboration within social services

ABSTRACT This study sets out to understand how trust-building is created in a municipal organization when the highest level of decision-makers decides to implement trust-based governance. The study focuses on the social services internal organization. The aim was to capture how the participants perception of trust-building during internal collaboration through time, and how the process unfolded over time. A qualitative longitudinal study was designed, and data was gathered comprising written reflection texts about internal collaboration and activities to promote collaboration, ratings of perceived emotions and trust, and meeting observations. The study uses abductive thematic analysis. The main finding illustrates that to social relations and trust between individuals was challenging, however there was perceived trust in the overall change process to become one unit and identify common work methods. This study reinforces the need for physical social relational ties to see beyond the focus on new internal collaborative working methods. It stresses the importance of acknowledging personal and social chemistry in transitioning to new roles, responsibilities and professional skills to build trust.

Integrated People and Freight Transportation: A Literature Review

Increasing environmental and economic pressures have led to numerous innovations in the logistics sector, including integrated people and freight transport (IPFT). Despite growing attention from practitioners and researchers, IPFT lacks extensive research coverage. This study aims to bridge this gap by presenting a general framework and making several key contributions. It identifies, researches, and explains relevant terminologies, such as cargo hitching, freight on transit (FoT), urban co-modality, crowd-shipping (CS), occasional drivers (OD), crowdsourced delivery among friends, and share-a-ride, illustrating the interaction of IPFT with different systems like the sharing economy and co-modality. Furthermore, it classifies IPFT-related studies at strategic, tactical, and operational decision levels, detailing those that address uncertainty. The study also analyzes the opportunities and challenges associated with IPFT, highlighting social, economic, and environmental benefits and examining challenges from a PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) perspective. Additionally, it discusses practical applications of IPFT and offers recommendations for future research and development, aiming to guide practitioners and researchers in addressing existing challenges and leveraging opportunities. This comprehensive framework aims to significantly advance the understanding and implementation of IPFT in the logistics sector.

Using Politeness Theory to Deconstruct How Preregistrant Pharmacists Approach Disagreement in the Workplace

ObjectiveUsing politeness theory, this study investigates how preregistrant pharmacists engage in workplace disputes. MethodsOverall, 56 students participated in 2 mock job judgment scenarios. In scenario A (n = 25), the conflict was with a colleague of lower hierarchical status, while in scenario B (n = 32), the conflict was with a colleague of equal hierarchical status. Using politeness theory, responses were coded into 3 tiers: (1) engagement in the face-threatening act (FTA); (2) use of on/off-record approaches; and (3) communicative strategies. For tier 1, reasons for engaging in the FTA were also coded. Results89% of the participants indicated they would unequivocally engage in the FTA. For scenario A, the pharmacist’s roles and responsibilities (40%) and for scenario B, situational urgency/safety (65%) were the key drivers. Scenario A participants were more likely to use an on-record approach (80%) than those in scenario B (68%). Empathetic approaches (56%) were more common in scenario A, while explanatory approaches (64%) were more frequent in scenario B. ConclusionThis study shows that preregistrant pharmacists are aware of the principles of face-work. While the study only reflects what participants believe they would do, not their actual ability in professional disputes, it supports current research that students need simulated low-stakes opportunities to practice communication skills before entering the workplace, especially where situational urgency is present. Integration of politeness theory in workshop and feedback design could help students to link awareness to actual interaction, although the theory should be expanded to integrate urgency as a factor impacting all levels of interactional decision-making.

Diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus using cross-modal specific transfer fusion technology based on infrared spectra and metabolomics

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Currently, the medical diagnosis of SLE mainly relies on the clinical experience of physicians, and there is no universally accepted objective method for diagnosing SLE. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design an intelligent approach to accurately diagnose SLE to assist physicians in formulating appropriate treatment plans. With the rapid development of intelligent medical diagnostic technology, medical data is becoming increasingly multimodal. Multimodal data fusion can provide richer information than single-modal data, and the fusion of multiple modalities can effectively enhance the richness of data features to improve modeling performance. ResultsIn this paper, a cross-modal specific transfer fusion technique based on infrared spectra and metabolomics is proposed to effectively integrate infrared spectra and metabolomics by fully exploiting the intrinsic relationships between features across different modalities, thus achieving the diagnosis of SLE. In this research, a Decision Level Fusion module is also proposed to fuse the representations of two specific transfers further, obtaining the final prediction scores. Comprehensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves the performance of SLE prediction, with accuracy and Area Under Curve (AUC) reaching 94.98 % and 97.13 %, respectively, outperforming existing methods. SignificanceOur framework effectively integrates infrared spectra and metabolomics to achieve a more accurate prediction of SLE. Our research indicates that prediction methods based on different modalities outperform those using single-modality data. The Cross-modal Specific Transfer Fusion module effectively captures the complex relationships within each single modality and models the complex relationships between different modalities.

A-107 Sample Matrix Matters: A Precision Study of BioRad, TechnoPath, and Patient Pooled Samples Across 20 High Volume Chemistries and Immunoassays

Abstract Background BioRad is a major provider of QC materials in the US with robust peer data, and Technopath has emerged as a recent competitor, especially on cost. While many factors are considered when selecting QC materials, primary considerations include commutability, matrix effects, decision levels, and acceptability limits. A couple studies comparing BioRad and Technopath QC performance were published in recent years. However, none have compared performance to patient-pooled samples. We undertook a comparison of BioRad/Technopath QC performance, with the addition of patient-pooled samples in order to assess potential matrix effects. Methods We compared precision for 20 high-volume chemistry/immunoassay tests (Table 1) across two levels of BioRad and Technopath QC and a patient pooled sample over 7 days on 2 Abbott Alinity-i and 4 Alinity-C instruments. Each immunoassay control level was run 5 times/day across 10 tests and 7 days per instrument, (i.e., 700 results/level), and the same for chemistry controls (1,400 results/level). Lithium-heparin plasma patient-pool was prepared by obtaining sufficient volume and preparing daily frozen aliquots (i.e., 1400 immunoassay and 2800 chemistry results). Results BioRad and Technopath Chemistry QCs were highly comparable with all levels demonstrating <1% CV difference. Notably, CO2, B12, FT4 pooled-patient CVs were >2% lower than the best performing high control. Additionally, greater differences in performance were observed across immunoassay controls with high BioRad QC performing better for 7 tests. Conclusions Chemistry QC for Technopath and BioRad are largely comparable (i.e., CV differences <1%). Overall, BioRad immunoassay control performance was slightly to somewhat better (i.e., B12, CA125, and CA15-3). B12 and CO2 were particularly unstable (as reflected by patient-pool CVs). That said, differences in performance were not untenable and could be handled based on a tailored approach of extending QC limits if assay/instrument performance allows, and/or changing control material or reagents on a tighter schedule.

A-342 Precision Evaluation of the pH, PO2 and PCO2 tests in the i-STAT® G3+ Cartridge using the i-STAT 1 System for Venous, Arterial and Capillary Whole Blood Specimens in Clinical Settings

Abstract Background Precise and accurate measurements of blood gases are important for the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of respiratory, metabolic, and acid-base disturbances. This study demonstrates the precision of the pH, partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) tests in the i-STAT G3+ cartridge with the i-STAT 1 System in arterial, venous, and capillary whole blood specimens in point-of-care or clinical laboratory settings. Methods The precision of the i-STAT pH, PO2, and PCO2 tests in the i-STAT G3+ cartridge was assessed at external clinical sites by end-users using whole blood specimens across the measurement range for each test: pH (6.500 - 7.800 pH units), PO2 (5 - 700 mmHg), PCO2 (5.0 - 130.0 mmHg). The study included venous whole blood samples from ∼140 adult subjects (≥ 18 years) and arterial whole blood samples from ∼140 adult subjects at 3 clinical sites. Each whole blood sample was run in duplicate on the i-STAT G3+ cartridge. In addition, ∼140 specimens were collected in capillary tubes using two fingerstick draws from adult subjects and ∼20 capillary heel-stick specimens were collected into two capillary tubes from neonate subjects (birth - 28 days) at two clinical sites. Specimens used in this study were prospectively collected venous, arterial, or capillary specimens under an Institutional Review Board approved informed consent or were de-identified leftover venous or arterial specimens. For each specimen type, duplicates from each subject were grouped into subintervals based on their mean values. The subintervals included the medical decision levels of 7.300, 7.350 and 7.450 pH units for pH, 30, 45 and 60 mmHg for PO2 and 35, 45, 50 and 70 mmHg for PCO2. The estimates of the pooled standard deviation (SD) and pooled coefficient of variation (%CV), as well as their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each subinterval. Results Across all specimen types (excluding outliers), the pooled SD for pH ranged from 0.00591 - 0.01747 pH units for subintervals 6.500 - 7.300, >7.300 - 7.450, >7.450 - 7.800 pH units. For PO2, the pooled SD ranged from 0.71 - 3.76 mmHg for subintervals 10 - 40 mmHg and >40 - 50 mmHg and the pooled %CV ranged from 1.63 - 8.76 %CV for subintervals >50 - 100 mmHg, >100 - 250 mmHg and >250 - 700 mmHg. For PCO2, the pooled SD ranged from 0.000 - 1.709 mmHg for subintervals 5.0 - 35.0 mmHg, >35.0 - 50.0 mmHg and >50.0 - 62.5 mmHg and the pooled %CV ranged from 1.10 - 3.62 %CV for subinterval >62.5 - 130.0 mmHg. Conclusions The precision study demonstrated that the pH, PO2 and PCO2 tests in the i-STAT G3+ cartridge when tested using the i-STAT 1 System deliver precise results within ∼2 minutes for venous, arterial, and capillary whole blood patient specimens when tested by end users in a point-of-care or clinical laboratory setting. These studies were funded by Abbott Laboratories.

A-045 Analytical and Clinical Evaluation of A1c Test by HPLC - Lifotronic™ H100Plus Analyzer - in a Brazilian Clinical Laboratory

Abstract Background Over the years, the measurement of Glycated Hemoglobin (A1c) has solidified as an important risk marker for pre-diabetic patients and for the diagnosis and control of diabetic patients. The High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (CLAE) method has been adopted in prospective studies such as the DDCT, and international certification by the NGSP is available. In this study, analytical performance metrics including imprecision, correlation, linearity, carryover, and detection of hemoglobin variants were evaluated for the Lifotronic® H100 Plus analyzer from China. Methods The results were evaluated following CLSI guidelines on samples within stability, collected according to standardized procedures. For the comparative method, 40 patient samples ranging from 4 to 15.4% were analyzed, and two concentrations of internal quality control material were used for intra-assay (5 repetitions per day) and inter-assay (over five days) imprecision testing. Linearity was assessed using samples at two concentrations, one low (4.5%) and another high (17.2%). For carryover evaluation, low (4.98%), intermediate (9.97%), and high (14.96%) concentrations were assayed in an interleaved manner. Hemoglobin variants found in the studied population were determined using the same method employed in correlation tests (HbS, HbF, HbC, HbE, and HbD). Results The method comparison study revealed a Total Error for decision levels of 5.6%: 2.23% and 6.5%: 1.70%, which were lower than the maximum allowable Total Error of 3.3% (EFLM - EuBIVAS). The difference plot showed that 95% of the results fell within acceptable limits. Positive bias was observed in 7 out of 40 tested samples, predominantly in samples with concentrations above 6,5%, although the medical team assessed it as having no clinical impact. For intra-assay imprecision, the obtained result was 0.86%, and for inter-assay imprecision, it was 0.87%, both deemed acceptable according to the 3.0 % specification proposed by the supplier for the two tested levels.Linearity tests were approved for concentrations proposed by the manufacturer between 3 and 18%, and no carryover was found between samples. All hemoglobin variants previously detected in the comparative method were also identified in the test method without exception, although the specific type of Hb variant was not identified. Conclusions The Lifotronic™ H100Plus analyzer demonstrated approved analytical performance with some notable observations: positive bias was observed in samples with concentrations above 6,5%, though it was not considered clinically relevant, the throughput of 58 tests per hour could be a limitation for laboratories with high testing volumes and the analyzer detected the presence of Hb variants, although it did not identify their specific types.

A-341 Precision Evaluation of the i-STAT® Glucose Test in the i-STAT G Cartridge using thei-STAT 1 System for Venous, Arterial and Capillary Whole Blood Specimens in Clinical Settings

Abstract Background Precise and accurate measurements of whole blood glucose levels are important for the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from diabetes and hypoglycemia. This study demonstrates the precision of the i-STAT G cartridge with the i-STAT 1 System in arterial, venous, or capillary whole blood in point of care or clinical laboratory settings. Methods The precision of the i-STAT G cartridge was assessed at external clinical sites by intended end users with whole blood specimens across the measurement range of 20 - 700 mg/dL. The study included testing venous whole blood samples from 154 adult (≥ 18 years) patients and arterial whole blood samples from 173 adult patients at three clinical sites. Each whole blood sample was run in duplicate on the i-STAT G cartridge. In addition, 139 capillary whole blood specimens from both adult subjects and neonate subjects (birth - 28 days) were collected and tested for capillary whole blood precision. Duplicate fingerstick draws were collected in capillary tubes from 119 adult subjects at two clinical sites and duplicate heel-stick specimens were collected in capillary tubes from 20 neonate subjects at two clinical sites. Specimens used in this study were prospectively collected venous, arterial, or capillary specimens under an Institutional Review Board approved informed consent or were de-identified leftover venous or arterial specimens. For each specimen type, duplicates from each subject were grouped into subintervals based on their mean values. The subintervals included the glucose medical decision levels of 45 mg/dL, 120 mg/dL and 180 mg/dL. The estimates of the pooled standard deviation (SD) and pooled coefficient of variation (%CV), as well as their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each subinterval (20-90 mg/dL, >90-150 mg/dL, >150-250 mg/dL, >250-700 mg/dL or >250-400 mg/dL and >400-700 mg/dL, as applicable). The precision estimates for each subinterval were compared against an acceptance criteria of the greater of 3 mg/dL or 5% of the mean (mg/dL) of the subinterval. Results The whole blood precision was found to be less than or equal to 5.00 %CV for all subintervals for each specimen type. For venous specimens, the %CV ranged from 0.35% to 0.43%; for arterial specimens the %CV ranged from 0.26% to 0.46% and for capillary specimens (adult and neonate combined), the %CV ranged from 1.38% to 2.71%. Conclusions The study demonstrated that the i-STAT Glucose test in the i-STAT G cartridge when tested using the i-STAT 1 System delivers precise results within ∼2 minutes for venous, arterial, and capillary whole blood patient specimens across a glucose range of 20 - 700 mg/dL when tested by end users in a point of care or clinical laboratory setting. The studies were funded by Abbott Laboratories.

A-334 Vital one: a point-of-care platform for rapid, comprehensive, central-lab quality blood testing

Abstract Background Diagnostic tools are fundamental to informed healthcare decisions, but the current state of in vitro diagnostics presents barriers to providing timely access to a wide menu of tests. This poster discusses a method for overcoming these challenges with a novel and miniaturized point-of-care (PoC) solution, the VitalOneTM. While many PoC solutions have limited test menus tailored for specific scenarios, Vital Biosciences introduces a comprehensive test menu in a compact PoC format that uses centrifugal microfluidic workflows to deliver quantitative results for over 50 analytes spanning hematology, clinical chemistry, and immunoassay modalities, ensuring central-lab quality results for a wide variety of use cases in a 20-min time frame (or 15 min for a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) lipid panel, and liver panel). The VitalOneTM is designed to perform a complete blood count (CBC), a comprehensive panel with a full array of immunoassays and clinical chemistry assays, returning over 50 results with as little as 300-750 µL of whole blood. This poster provides a comprehensive and transparent view of both our results and underlying methods of operation. By comparing the VitalOneTM system with established benchmarks like Roche, Sysmex, and Beckman Coulter instrument systems, we demonstrate consistent assay performance, resilience to interference, and performance that is compliant with CLIA Total Allowable Error standards. Methods A method comparison analysis of measurements on VitalOneTM platform was performed against predicate instruments that are commonly used in centralized laboratories (Roche Cobas, Beckman AU480, Beckman Coulter DxH500, Beckman Access 2, and Sysmex 140). Additionally, a 5-8 point calibration curve was generated for each analyte across the desired assay measuring range (AMR) using commercially available validation kits on three separate days, resulting in a master calibration curve. To check for sensitivity to potential interferences that may be present in patient samples, endogenous and exogenous interference testing was performed following Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Lastly, robustness testing was carried out to mimic the extremes of variances in volumes, times, or temperatures that may be encountered when running an assay protocol. Results The method comparison analysis (n = 840 samples) and precision studies revealed that the VitalOne exhibited a strong correlation with the benchmark instruments and were in compliance with CLIA's total allowable error limits, reinforcing the reliability and clinical relevance of our diagnostic system. Assays across Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, and immunoassays demonstrated >95% of data within CLIA TEa% and run-to-run imprecision ≤ 5%. Additionally, linearity studies revealed that each analyte AMR spans across physiologically relevant concentrations, defined by medical decision levels and reference intervals for each analyte. Our robustness and endogenous and exogenous interference testing performed as per CLSI guidelines has demonstrated that the VitalOneTM system closely matches, and in certain parameters, such as biotin interference, even surpasses that of the predicate instruments. Conclusions In summary, the VitalOneTM platform represents a significant advancement in point-of-care diagnostics, offering a comprehensive, accurate, and efficient alternative to traditional laboratory testing. This innovation is poised to transform the way clinicians approach diagnostics, enabling more informed decision-making and ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.

Exploring the decision-making experience of elderly diabetes patients regarding their health-seeking behaviour: a descriptive qualitative study

BackgroundDiabetes has emerged as a critical global public health issue. The burden of diabetes is escalating in developing countries, including China. For individuals with diabetes, making informed and rational decisions...

Совершенствование подхода к управлению мерами государственной поддержки предприятий в ходе реализации промышленной политики

Issues of the effectiveness of the implementation of industrial policy and measures of state support for industrial enterprises have reached the level of state strategic decisions in connection with the emergence of new external and internal challenges facing Russia today. The main problem that urgently needs to be solved is the development of mechanisms for implementing state policy in terms of the application of state support measures in the context of ongoing sanctions and political pressure. The authors of the article presented an evolutionary cross-section of the content of industrial policy, provided criteria for classifying its instruments and forms of implementation through a description of government support measures. Consideration of industrial policy from the historical and functional side at the macro- and meso- levels (specific territory and specific industry) contributed to the systematization of government support measures for industrial enterprises. The relevance of the research interest is related to the fact that with a significant number of publications in Russia and abroad concerning the issues of improving industrial policy and measures of state impact on industrial facilities, the problem of appropriate effective methodological and practical support for the management of state support measures remains unsolved. The article presents a systematization of state support measures for industrial enterprises, a critical analysis of the methodology for selecting enterprises receiving state support, an assessment of the results of the implementation of the applied system of support measures, as well as the reasons for the gap between the stated goals of industrial policy and its actual results. In this scientific article, the authors propose to improve the approach to assessing enterprises that are recipients of government support in order to ensure that their choices comply with the goals of industrial policy.

Integrating life cycle assessment and multi criteria decision making analysis towards sustainable cocoa production system in Indonesia: An environmental, economic, and social impact perspective

Sustainable Cocoa production practices should be investigated comprehensively to address sustainability requirements and mitigate Cocoa production issues in Indonesia. This study aims to identify the sustainable Cocoa production system considering the environmental, economic, and social impacts. Life cycle framework and multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) were integrated to obtain the study's objectives by comparing Cocoa monocropping system (CM) and Cocoa intercropping systems (IC). The result indicated that in the environmental sustainability aspect, the monocropping system (CM) showed higher performance as indicated by the lower environmental impact in all indicators; for example, CM emitted a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) that has a lower margin of 34.5–55.9 % compared to the intercropping system (IC-I and IC-II). In the economic aspect, both on the short-term and long-term analysis, the Cocoa intercropping system (IC-II) generated higher value-added and economic feasibility, with a higher profit margin of 150–205 % compared to CM and IC-1. Along with the increase of economic benefits in IC II, this system also significantly provides social benefits, as presented by the higher social index margin of 4.9–23.7 % compared to other systems. Furthermore, by applying decision-making analysis, the result determines the highest index on the Cocoa intercropping system II (IC-II). These findings highlight that applying the intercropping system II is recommended to overcome the cocoa issue at the farmer and decision-maker levels. Additionally, the proposed method that combined LCA-MCDM can be applied to another agricultural commodity to achieve sustainable agriculture production.

The Relationship between Information Technology and the Modernization of the National Governance System

Currently, a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation is emerging. New-generation information and communication technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, evolve rapidly and profoundly impact economic and social development. They provide strong momentum for the modernization of national governance systems and capabilities. As an emerging governance resource, big data holds vast potential for promoting the modernization of national governance systems. It can enhance the decision-making level of governance, awareness of data openness and sharing, capabilities in public service, and risk management. Artificial intelligence presents opportunities for building a modern national governance system, facilitating precision, intelligence, and efficiency. National governance should seize the development opportunities of information technology, increasing its contribution to building a modern governance system.