Non-professional Use Research Articles

Investigation of Underwater Photogrammetry Method with Cost-Effective Action Cameras and Comparative Analysis between Reconstructed 3D Point Clouds

Currently, digital cameras and equipment used underwater are often inaccessible to the general public due to their professional-grade quality and high cost. Therefore alternative solutions have been sought that are both cost-effective and suitable for nonprofessional use. A review of the literature shows that researchers primarily use GoPro action cameras, while other action cameras with similar capabilities are rarely used. This study thus examines underwater photogrammetry methods using a widely recognized action camera as a reference and compares it with another camera of similar characteristics as a potential alternative. For a comprehensive temporal analysis in underwater studies, both cameras were used to capture photographic and video imagery, and the resulting 3D point clouds were compared. Comparison criteria included data collection and processing times, point cloud densities, cloud-to-cloud analysis, and assessments of surface density and roughness. Having analysed, the study concluded that the proposed alternative action camera can feasibly be used in underwater photogrammetry.

Portable luminescent fiber- and glove-based nanosensor for multicolor visual detection of tetracycline in food samples.

Anintelligent fluorescent nanoprobe (lignite-CDs-Eu) was constructed by an effective and facile method based on lignite-derived carbon dots (CDs) and lanthanide europium ions (Eu3+), which exhibited high sensitivity, low detection limit (13.35nM) and visual color variation (from blue to red) under ultraviolet light towards tetracycline (TC) detection. Significantly, portable and economical sensors were developed using lignite-CDs-Eu immobilized fiber material of filter paper and wearable glove with the aid of colorextractingandimage processing application (APP) in the smartphone. Facile, fast and real-time visual detection of TC in food samples was realized. Moreover, logic gate circuit was also designed to achieve intelligent and semi-quantitative inspection of TC. To some extent, this study extended the cross-application of intelligent computer software in food analytical science, and provided a certain reference for the development of small portable detection sensors which were suitable for convenience and non-professional use in daily life.

A digital teleneuropsychology platform for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment: from concept to certification as a medical device.

Innovative digital solutions are shaping a new concept of dementia care, opening additional venues for prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Hereby, we report the development of a tablet-based teleneuropsychology platform (Tenèpsia®), from concept to certification as Medical Device (MD) Class IIA, as per new MD regulation 745/2017. The platform was designed for the remote cognitive evaluation and created thanks to the effort of a collaborative working group including experts from three Italian scientific societies and Biogen Italia S.r.l. (hereafter "Biogen"), and developers from Xenia Reply and Inside AI. The development strategy was guided by converting traditional paper-and-pencil tests into digital versions while maintaining comparable neuropsychological features and optimizing patient accessibility and user experience. The experts focused on the choice and adaptation of traditional neuropsychology measures for a 45-min teleneuropsychology assessment. The developers created a web and a mobile interface, respectively, for the professional (neuropsychologist) and non-professional (patient and caregiver) use. Recording of voice, drawing and typing information was enabled. Instant dashboards provide a quick overview of the patient's condition. Simulation activities were performed to obtain MD certification, valid across Europe. Neuropsychology services will benefit from the implementation in clinics of harmonized digital tools with adequate scientific and technological standards. The use of digital cognitive testing for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment is expected to enhance patient and clinician outcomes through simplified, digital objective data collection, sparing of time and resources, with a positive impact on healthcare costs and access to treatments, reducing inequalities and delays in diagnosis and cure.

Personalized Hotel Recommender System Based on Graded Logic with Asymmetric Criteria

Personalizing hotel recommendations for tourists is challenging because it needs to model a logical aggregation of multiple criteria in terms of the user’s decision process and preferences. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical multi-criteria hotel evaluation model that includes important hotel properties as well as hotel ratings by previous customers. The recommender system proposed, called HR.LSP, applies different graded logic aggregation operators following the method of Logic Scoring of Preference (LSP). Asymmetric aggregation is used for some of the criteria, where the user can not only define the importance of inputs, but also indicate if they are mandatory or optional. This is the first recommender system based on graded logic and the first non-professional use of LSP. The application of graded logic operators significantly improves the decision-making process of hotel selection for each user. The case of Riohacha (an emerging tourist destination in Colombia) is studied. In addition to quality and location criteria, some security information is included in the model as it is of utmost importance to provide to travelers a secure experience at the destination.

WHO IS CONSUMER? DEFENDING A UNIFORM AND COHERENT LEGAL DEFINITION OF CONSUMER IN LAW NO. 24/96, OF 31 JULY

The Consumer Protection Law, approved by Law No. 24/96 of 31 July (“LdC”), establishes in its article 2, no. 1, that “[c]onsidered a consumer is anyone to whom goods are supplied, services provided or any rights transmitted, intended for non-professional use, by a person who professionally exercises an economic activity to obtain benefits”. The legal definition of consumer is usually structured with reference to four elements: subjective (“anyone”), objective (“[to whom] goods are supplied, services provided or any rights transmitted”), teleological (“intended for non-professional use”) and relational (“by a person who professionally exercises an economic activity to obtain benefits”). Nowadays, this general and supplementary definition of consumer does not have any logical and systematic coherence with the one contained in special consumer laws, which have transposed several European Union (EU) directives into national law, nor with the orientation that has been adopted in decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) and even of our higher courts, not even with the definition of consumer used in the main continental European law and common law systems. Therefore, in the end, we will defend the need to change the text of article 2, no. 1 of the Consumer Protection Law, definitively delimiting the subjective element of the definition to natural persons, but also introducing changes in the other elements that compose the definition of consumer in the LdC, in order to explicitly cover other relationships beyond the consumer contract, to receive the criteria of predominant use and also to remove potential doubts about the requirements imposed by the relational element.

Velocity-Based Strength Training: The Validity and Personal Monitoring of Barbell Velocity with the Apple Watch.

Velocity-based training (VBT) is a method to monitor resistance training based on measured kinematics. Often, measurement devices are too expensive for non-professional use. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy and precision of the Apple Watch 7 and the Enode Pro device for measuring mean, peak, and propulsive velocity during the free-weighted back squat (in comparison to Vicon as the criterion). Velocity parameters from Vicon optical motion capture and the Apple Watch were derived by processing the motion data in an automated Python workflow. For the mean velocity, the barbell-mounted Apple Watch (r = 0.971-0.979, SEE = 0.049), wrist-worn Apple Watch (r = 0.952-0.965, SEE = 0.064) and barbell-mounted Enode Pro (r = 0.959-0.971, SEE = 0.059) showed an equal level of validity. The barbell-mounted Apple Watch (Vpeak: r = 0.952-0.965, SEE = 0.092; Vprop: r = 0.973-0.981, SEE = 0.05) was found to be the most valid for assessing propulsive and peak lifting velocity. The present results on the validity of the Apple Watch are very promising, and may pave the way for the inclusion of VBT applications in mainstream consumer wearables.

Hypersensitivity to permanent tattoos: Literature summary and comprehensive review of patch tested tattoo patients 1997-2022.

We outline constituents of tattoo and permanent make-up ink with regard to inflammatory tattoo reactions and population-based confounders. The comprehensive review of patch-tested tattoo patients between 1997 and 2022 shows that tattoo allergy cannot be reliably diagnosed via patch testing with today's knowledge. Weak penetration and slow haptenization of pigments, unavailability of pigments as test allergens and a lack of knowledge concerning relevant epitopes hamper the diagnosis of tattoo allergy. Patch testing p-phenylenediamine and disperse (textile) dyes is not able to close this gap. Sensitization to metals was associated with all types of tattoo complications, although often not clinically relevant for the tattoo reaction. Binders and industrial biocides are frequently missing on ink declarations and should be patch tested. The pigment carbon black (C.I. 77266) is no skin sensitizer. Patch tests with culprit inks were usually positive with cheap ink products for non-professional use or with professionally used inks in patients with eczematous reactions characterized by papules and infiltration. Tape stripping before patch testing and patch test readings on Day 8 or 10 may improve the diagnostic quality. The meaningfulness of the categorical EU-wide ban of Pigment Green 7 and Pigment Blue 15:3 is not substantiated by the presented data.

What Is the Current Ergonomic Condition of Chainsaws in Non-Professional Use? A Case Study to Determine Vibrations and Noises in Small-Scale Agroforestry Farms

Agroforestry or agricultural forestry is an important resource for the exploitation of wood resources commonly based on a low level of mechanization and integrating agriculture crops land-management. Agroforestry areas consist often of buffer strip forest along the farms’ boundaries or on small forest stands within the same farms. Felling is commonly based on the use of chainsaws which are used occasionally, and are often aged models and with little maintenance done on them. In this context, the present study analyzes the vibration and noise generated by chainsaws in the specific contest of the agroforestry farms. The aim is to verify the hand-arm vibrations and noise level, which self-employed agroforest operators are exposed with the occasional use of aged and rarely maintained chainsaws. The main results show that vibration exposures are significantly affected by the model and condition of use of the chainsaw and at lower level, but still significant, by the wood and the position of the handle. Regarding noise levels, the chainsaw model and condition of use also has significant effects. In summary, this study highlights that the importance of the condition of use of the chainsaw has an important effect on the vibrations and noise exposition and that these, although limited due to the limited daily use by operators, must be carefully taken into consideration, and provide for containment actions through adequate information and training.

Evidence of a sudden increase in α-chloralose poisoning in dogs and cats in the Netherlands between 2018 and 2021.

After changes in European Union biocide legislation, the Dutch Poisons Information Center observed a strong increase in information requests concerning dogs and cats exposed to α-chloralose. To investigate whether α-chloralose-based rodenticides are safe for non-professional use, additional information regarding poisoning scenarios and clinical course was collected. Veterinarians reporting α-chloralose exposure over a 2.5-year period were contacted by mail for follow-up information concerning exposure scenario, product formulation, clinical course and treatment, and outcome. In total, information was collected for 96 dogs and 41 cats. Fifty-three of 96 dogs and 17 of 19 cats known to have been exposed to α-chloralose-based rodenticides developed signs of central nervous system (CNS) depression or sensory-induced CNS excitation. Mortality in dogs and cats following exposure was 1% and 18%, respectively. An additional 22 cats presented with clinical signssuggestive of α-chloralose poisoning, with a mortality of 5%. Exposure to α-chloralose was not confirmed by biochemical analyses. Dogs and especially cats were at risk of poisoning from α-chloralose. If criteria such as acute toxicity and risk of (secondary) poisoning are applied during the approval of α-chloralose-based rodenticides, similar to anticoagulant-based rodenticides, it can be concluded that α-chloralose is also not safe for non-professional use.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance quartz sand.

The conclusions of the EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessments carried out by the competent authorities of the rapporteur Member State, Latvia, and co‐rapporteur Member State, Romania, for the pesticide active substance quartz sand and the considerations as regards the inclusion of the substance in Annex IV of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 are reported. The context of the peer review was that required by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 844/2012, as amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2018/1659. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative field uses of quartz sand as a game repellent on deciduous and coniferous trees (professional use and non‐professional use), orchards, ornamental shrubs and trees in forestry (professional use and non‐professional use) and seedlings of conifer and deciduous trees in forestry (professional use). The reliable end points, appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment are presented. Missing information identified as being required by the regulatory framework is listed. No concerns are identified.

Smartphone and app usage amongst South African anaesthetic service providers

Background: Mobile medical applications have evolved rapidly in the 21st century, making it easier for anaesthetic service providers to utilise these for work-related queries. However, there is no South African data available to determine if this technology is being utilised. The usage patterns of mobile medical health applications and the accessibility of this technology to a resource-limited environment, along with a focus on what apps South African anaesthetic service providers are using was assessed and quantified. Secondly, the favourability of a South African-based app and any possible barriers to entry were examined. Methods: A prospective, contextual, descriptive study was conducted amongst anaesthetic service providers attending the 2018 South African Society of Anaesthesiologists National Congress in Cape Town. Two hundred and thirty-two (116 specialists and 116 registrars) surveys were completed voluntarily between 4 to 8 April 2018, and analysed. Results: 100% of participants utilise smartphones for work-related queries. 169/232 (72%) participants favoured a South African-based app. Drug referencing and calculator functionality were the most frequently used mobile applications. Specialists were more likely to admit to nonprofessional use of smartphones in theatre. High data costs contribute to decreased usage amongst respondents. Conclusions: A South African-based pharmacology app would be welcomed and utilised by the South African anaesthetic community. Smartphone and app usage patterns, as well as limitations to this technology usage in South Africa appear to reflect those seen worldwide. Poor internet connectivity and high data costs were limiting factors to technology utilisation.

Psychophysiological Therapy from a Distance: The Art of Sharing

Psychophysiological Therapy from a Distance: The Art of Sharing

Assessing the Regulatory Requirements of Lead-Based Perovskite Photovoltaics

Nicole Moody, Samuel Sesena, Dane W. deQuilettes, Benjia Dak Dou, Richard Swartwout, Anna Johnson, Udochukwu Eze, Roberto Brenes, Matthew Johnston, Vladimir Bulovic, and Moungi G. Bawendi are members of Tata-MIT GridEdge Solar, an interdisciplinary research program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology working toward scalable design and manufacturing of lightweight, flexible solar cells. Joseph T. Buchman and Christy L. Haynes are part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, a multi-institutional partnership aimed at understanding the fundamental chemical and physical processes that govern the transformations and interactions of nanoparticles in the environment.

Jak (z)rozumieć obcy język pokrewny? Słowiańska adaptacja "techniki siedmiu sit" (na materiale czesko-polskim)

The article is a demo version of "The Seven Sieves Technique" in its author’s adaptation to the Slavic languages family. The illustration (based on Czech-Polish material) is preceded by a theoretical introduction related to the background of research on intercomprehensiveness and methodological assumptions of the technique. "The Seven Sieves Technique" allows you to acquire the informational value of a message written in a closely related foreign language to your native one in the following steps („sieves”). Uses linguistic competences from native language extended only by elementary knowledge of interlingual analogies. It is an alternative to the classic glottodidactic process in the field of non-professional (i.e. primarily active and normative) use of a foreign language. The article refers to prior publications that have dealt with the issue of the phenomenon of inter-language communication, mutual comprehensibility and interpretation of the phenomenon of interlanguage homonymy (Hofmański 2018, 2019).

Teamwork and Patient Education as Tools to the Reduce Overuse of Antibiotics - An Interview Study with Nursing Students at Hanoi Medical University

The overuse of antibiotics due to poor health and suffering is a threat to global health. In Vietnam, overuse is a widespread problem because of the high availability of antibiotics and lack of knowledge about their use, and nurses have a significant role in informing and helping patients experience higher levels of health and well-being. The aim of this study was to describe Vietnamese nursing students' experience with antibiotics in healthcare. A qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used based on six semistructured interviews with nursing students at Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam. The results formed one category, Uncertainty regarding antibiotic use, and three subcategories: To obtain limited knowledge, To contribute to improved knowledge, and To manage self-medication without the support of a health professional. Limited knowledge influences health professionals as well as patients and causes poor health, which contributes to the nonprofessional use of antibiotics. In conclusion, increased learning regarding antibiotics (e.g., evidence-based knowledge) as well as pedagogic skills and a sense of coherence (SOC) can be used to reduce the overuse of antibiotics, and interprofessional health education can facilitate patient education and professional teamwork.

Head Injuries due to Ladder-related Falls

We examined the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients who had fallen from ladders and statistically analyzed the prognostic factors, highlighting the impact of the coexistence of head injuries on their prognoses. The clinical records of patients who had experienced ladder-related falls who were admitted to the Advanced Emergency Medical Service Center at Kurume University Hospital between April 2013 and August 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 86 patients were enrolled. The mean patient age was 69.2 years, and 82 patients were male. The median fall height was 2.55 m. Sixty patients fell during non-professional use of the ladder. Forty-four patients experienced some type of head injury. Although the older patients had more frequent complications with head injuries, the height of the fall was not related statistically. The group of patients with head injuries exhibited trends of older age, lower Glasgow Coma Scale scores, higher Injury Severity Score, and poorer outcomes than those of the group of patients without head injuries. Multivariate analysis showed that head injury and non-professional use were independent risk factors for poor outcomes. Our results revealed that ladder-related falls with head injury can occur when older people are working at home, even if they have fallen from a low height. Especially when older men work with the ladder at home, local community-based education and guidance for the prevention of ladder-related fall injuries are needed.

Nonprofessional Investors Use of Biased Disclosures in Decision Making

We report the results of an experiment where management discloses in the audited financial statements a firm-specific capital structure that is susceptible to manipulation (i.e., subjective). This disclosure is allowed under current IAS 1 rules. In our study, if used by nonprofessional investor participants, the firm-specific capital structure disclosure will lead to higher firm values than would capital structures commonly determined from the firm’s balance sheet. Our results show that when participants received the disclosure it was used to determine firm value; this was despite the participants recognizing the bias in the disclosure. We also found that when the participants who received the disclosure were cautioned of management’s ability to manipulate the disclosure, the warning had no effect. This finding differs from prior research. Explanatory analysis reveals that the disclosure itself activated participant skepticism removing a mechanism by which cautionary guidance can help protect nonprofessional investors from misleading management disclosures. A mediation analysis reveals that a misleading disclosure impacts investor stock purchasing decisions through investment attractiveness. Our study adds to the disclosure literature and has important implications for investors, standard setters, and auditors.

Effect of Temperature, Simulated Breathingand Storage Conditions on the Filtration Efficiency of Biodegradable Bioactive Filters

In the case of exposure to inhalation of pathogenic microorganisms, it is necessary to usefiltering respiratory protective equipment (FRPE). When this problem concerns the sphere of non-professional use it is important to ensure the disposal of waste equipment in an environmentally safe way. The use of biodegradable nonwovens with biocidal properties in the construction of FRPE could be a good solution to this problem as their degradation time is short in comparison with traditionally used polypropylene. Bioactivity of the nonwoven would ensure the elimination of biological contaminants collected within the filtering material. However, due to the biodegradability, the properties of such materials might change during use. At the same time there are no testing procedures allowing the evaluation of protective parameter changes during the use and storage of FRPE made of biodegradable polymers. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of temperature, simulated breathing and storage conditions on the filtration efficiency of biodegradable bioactive filters prepared by melt-blowing from poly(lactic) acid polymer modified with biocidal agent. The results showed that elevated temperature greatly affects the filtration efficiency of biodegradable filters. A statistically significant decrease in the filtration efficiency after breathing simulation and storage was also observed.

Several cases of undesirable effects caused by methacrylate ultraviolet-curing nail polish for non-professional use.

Ultraviolet (UV)-curing nail polishes based on acrylates or methacrylates are currently also available for non-professional use. The Swedish Medical Products Agency recently prohibited one brand of UV-curing polish, because several consumers reported undesirable effects after using it. To investigate whether consumers with undesirable effects after using the UV-curing nail polish that was later prohibited were contact allergic to the polish and its individual ingredients. Eight patients who had reported severe skin reactions after the use of the UV-curing polish were patch tested with two coatings of the nail polish and its ingredients at five dermatology departments in Sweden. All patients tested except one showed contact allergic reactions to one or several of the acrylate-based or methacrylate-based ingredients in the nail polish. The non-professional use of UV-curing nail polishes poses a risk of sensitization from acrylates and methacrylates.

Practical IMRT QA dosimetry using Gafchromic film: a quick start guide.

This work outlines a method for using Gafchromic film for dosimetry purposes, by scanning it with currently available commercial scanners. The scanners used were: Epson V800, Epson V700, Epson V37 series, specifically a V370 and a Canon multi-function office printer/scanner. The Epson scanners have 16 bit RGB resolution, the Canon has 8 bit RGB (Red Green Blue) resolution, and the V800 and V700 allow scanning in transmission mode. The V700 uses an Epson White Cold Cathode Florescent Lamp; the recently released V800 uses an Epson light emitting diode (LED) light source, while the V37 series uses a reflective mode and the Epson LED light source. The Epson V37 series scanners are designed for non-professional use so the cost has been kept at a low "entry level" point, so they would be a suitable option for a department wanting to use Gafchromic film or with limited needs that did not justify a more sophisticated and expensive unit. Note that the V800 or V700 scanners are not expensive in context, costing approximately the same as a 25 sheet box of Gafchromic film. The Canon was included to demonstrate that a scanner with 8 bit RGB resolution can be used for dosimetry. These general multi-function units are available in most departments, and they would allow Gafchromic film to be evaluated as a dosimetry tool without a significant investment. Furthermore, they are generally capable of scanning large format film (425×350mm) in one part. Although this is not necessary for dosimetry, it is often useful for machine QA, where dividing the film into two parts to ensure accurate measurements is not practical. Moreover, this analytical method uses software that is freely or commonly available, particularly the image processing package ImageJ. Note ImageJ v1.48 was the version used. The results demonstrate that this method used with the scanners evaluated is a practical method of using Gafchromic film as a dosimeter for IMRT QA.