Novice Volunteers Research Articles

Creating large, high-quality geospatial datasets from historical maps using novice volunteers

Unlocking data from historical maps for landscape analysis is costly. Automatic extraction using Machine Learning (ML) requires extensive preparation and expertise. Crowdsourcing scales better than direct digitisation by experts, but requires an appropriate platform and the technical skills to adapt it. Existing research provides little guidance as to when investments in these approaches become worthwhile. Here we present a customisation of the Field Acquired Information Management Systems (FAIMS) Mobile platform tailored to offer a streamlined, collaborative system for crowdsourcing map digitisation by volunteers with no prior GIS experience. Deployed in Bulgaria as an ancillary activity during 2017–2018 archaeological fieldwork, FAIMS Mobile was used to digitise 10,827 mound features from Soviet military topographic maps. This digitisation required 241 person-hours (57 from staff; 184 from novice volunteers), with an error rate under 6%. The resulting dataset was consistent, well-documented, and ready for analysis with a few hours of processing. A conservative estimate based on our work suggests our crowdsourcing approach is most efficient for digitisation projects of 10,000–60,000 features, but may offer advantages for datasets as small as a few hundred records. Furthermore, it indicates that systems designed for field data collection, running on mobile devices, can be profitably customised to serve as participatory geospatial data systems accessible to novice volunteers.

Parents’ views on coaching in youth community sport settings

Parents play a major role as enablers and motivators of their children’s sport participation and retention. However, parents are often not considered in the data collection pertaining to youth sport coaching initiatives. We investigated parent perceptions of community youth sport coaching within the context of a Coach Developer Program which was trialled across 6 community sport clubs. 17 parents contributed qualitative data via interview. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the themes: expectations of coaching; limitations in coach development; parents’ ability to notice change, and sustainability of coach development programs. There was a mismatch between parent expectations of coaches and their recognition that the coaching role is multi-faceted with coach development difficult where coaching is largely undertaken by novice volunteers. Findings from this study add to the limited literature that considers the role of parent perceptions and expectations of coaching when providing coach development programs in community youth sport settings.

Mindfulness meditation experiences of novice practitioners in an online intervention: Trajectories, predictors, and challenges.

The benefits of mindfulness interventions are well-known, but their challenges and individual differences in reactions to these challenges are much less clear. The study used a mixed-methods design to investigate the individual trajectories of daily experiences during meditation in a sample of novice volunteers participating in a 3-week, distance-based, guided meditation intervention (N= 175). Multilevel modelling revealed individual differences in the change trajectories of the experiences of effort, meaning, and boredom during meditation, indicating that meditation gradually became less effortful, less boring, more interesting, and more important over the 3 weeks. The individual differences in the levels of these experiences and their change trends were associated with baseline differences in well-being, reflective processes, self-management, and self-control skills, as well as autonomous motivation to engage in the course. Individuals who are initially more autonomous and mindful find it easier to engage with online mindfulness interventions and draw more benefits from the process, whereas those with lower self-regulation skills or higher proneness to rumination are more likely to experience mindfulness as effortful and boring, and, eventually, to give it up.

Individual- and group-level network-building interventions to address social isolation and loneliness: A scoping review with implications for COVID19.

Worldwide mandates for social distancing and home-quarantine have contributed to loneliness and social isolation. We conducted a systematic scoping review to identify network-building interventions that address loneliness and isolation, describe their components and impact on network structure, and consider their application in the wake of COVID19. We performed forward and backward citation tracking of three seminal publications on network interventions and Bibliographic search of Web of Science and SCOPUS. We developed data charting tables and extracted and synthesized the characteristics of included studies, using an iteratively updating form. From 3390 retrieved titles and abstracts, we included 8 studies. These interventions focused on building networks at either individual- or group-levels. Key elements that were incorporated in the interventions at varying degrees included (a) creating opportunities to build networks; (b) improving social skills; (c) assessing network diagnostics (i.e. using network data or information to inform network strategies); (d) promoting engagement with influential actors; and (e) a process for goal-setting and feedback. The effect of interventions on network structures, or the moderating effect of structure on the intervention effectiveness was rarely assessed. As many natural face-to-face opportunities for social connection are limited due to COVID19, groups already at risk for social isolation and loneliness are disproportionately impacted. Network-building interventions include multiple components that address both the structure of individuals' networks, and their skills and motivation for activating them. These intervention elements could be adapted for delivery via online platforms, and implemented by trained facilitators or novice volunteers, although more rigorous testing is needed.

Novice vs expert inter-rater reliability of the balance error scoring system in children between the ages of 5 and 14

BackgroundThe Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is a tool to measure balance, however, no studies have shown its reliability between novice and expert raters. Research QuestionWhat is the inter-rater reliability of BESS measurements when performed by novice raters compared to experts, and does completion of a focused, online training module increase the inter-rater reliability among novice raters? MethodsIn this reliability study, 5 novice volunteers were asked to independently rate BESS tests from 50 random prerecorded BESS videos of normal healthy subjects aged 5–14. Novice raters regraded the same 50 videos after receiving a formal training. The novices’ scores before and after the formal training were compared to one another and then the scores were compared to 4 expert scores. Intraclass correlation (ICC) with 95 % confidence intervals or percent agreements were calculated and compared across groups. ResultsFor the total BESS score, novice raters showed good reliability (ICC 0.845) which did not change with a formal training (ICC 0.846). Expert raters showed excellent reliability (ICC 0.929). Poor to moderate reliability was noted in the foam stance-single leg in the untrained novice and trained novice group (ICCs 0.452 and 0.64 L respectively). SignificanceBESS testing by novice raters with only written instruction and no formal training yields good inter-rater reliability. In contrast, BESS testing by expert raters yields excellent reliability. A focused training for novice raters conferred a small improvement in the reliability of the scoring of the single leg stance on foam condition but not a significant difference to the overall BESS score. While novices demonstrated promising reliability for overall BESS scores, optimizing clinical research using the BESS with expert raters show the highest reliability.

Impacts of different fabric scissor designs on physical demands and performance in simulated fabric cutting tasks

While there is wide evidence that the occupational use of hand tools increases the risk of musculoskeletal disorder, evidence is limited regarding manual scissors, commonly used by custom tailors for bespoke garment production. We assessed whether scissor design impacts physical demands (muscle activity, perceived discomfort, and wrist posture) and task performance (quality and perceived efficiency). Twenty-four novice volunteers each completed simulated cutting tasks in 24 conditions involving the factorial combinations of four scissor designs (SD), three workstation heights, and two fabric types. SD significantly affected all outcome measures, and differences between SDs were consistent across workstation heights and fabric types. Two wide-handles scissors appeared superior overall, which may be related to the distinct grip type employed with this type of design. These results suggest that careful scissor selection has the potential to both reduce injury risk and enhance performance during fabric cutting tasks, though future testing is needed under more realistic conditions.

Virtual Reality-based Control of Robotic Endoscope in Laparoscopic Surgery

Robotic laparoscopic surgery has provided various benefits, but during the surgery, the surgeons are experiencing uncomfortable positioning issue which leads to neck pain and back pain. So, for an enhanced & efficient ergonomic robot-assisted surgery, a novel virtual reality (VR)-based endoscope control system (ECS) is proposed in this research. The overall system in this study is composed of a da Vinci research kit (dVRK), 4-degree-of-freedom ECS, three-dimensional endoscope, and VR headset with a built-in attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) module. Also, the proposed VR headset could replace a stereo viewer in the dVRK which could reduce the size of surgical robot system. Furthermore, the three dimensional endoscope could be controlled by a built-in AHRS module in the VR headset. The proposed system has been verified with four novice volunteers. They showed rapid learning through the peg-transfer task. Additionally, a collision avoidance strategy for VR-based ECS control was developed and verified by performing computer-based simulations. The ergonomic VR-based ECS proposed in this research could greatly reduce surgeon’s pains in both neck and back which potentially reduce surgeon’s workload during the surgery.

Time crunch: increasing the efficiency of assessment of technical surgical skill via brief video clips

BackgroundVideo review for assessment of surgical performance is gaining popularity but is time consuming for busy expert reviewers, making review delays inevitable. Decreasing review time and including nonexpert reviewers may facilitate more timely reviews. We hypothesized that a shorter duration video clip would not affect the quality of expert ratings compared with full-length review. A secondary aim was to examine the reliability between expert and novice raters and how it was affected by video clip duration. MethodsVideos of laparoscopic suturing performed on a live porcine model by premedical students, surgery residents, and fully trained surgeons were edited into 3 different durations: full, part, and 30-second versions. Video clips (n = 36) were reviewed by experienced surgeons (n = 3) and novice volunteers (n = 4) using the validated Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills (GOALS) assessment. Videos were assigned randomly during 3 review cycles held 1 week apart. Each cycle included 1 iteration of the 12 performance videos. We assessed the impact of the duration of the video on reviewer scores and inter-rater reliability. ResultsVariance in scores for 2 of 4 GOALS domains was dependent on the duration of the video clip (P < .05). Total GOALS scores were greater for part and 30-second clips compared with full clips (P < .05). Inter-rater reliability was greatest for full clips (intraclass correlation = 0.68) and decreased significantly for shorter clips. ConclusionOur hypothesis was rejected as shorter video durations for surgical performance assessment led to inflated reviewer ratings both for expert and novice reviewers. Shortening duration of the video cannot be recommended for accurate performance assessment.

Development of stereo endoscope system with its innovative master interface for continuous surgical operation

BackgroundAlthough robotic laparoscopic surgery has various benefits when compared with conventional open surgery and minimally invasive surgery, it also has issues to overcome and one of the issues is the discontinuous surgical flow that occurs whenever control is swapped between the endoscope system and the operating robot arm system. This can lead to problems such as collision between surgical instruments, injury to patients, and increased operation time. To achieve continuous surgical operation, a wireless controllable stereo endoscope system is proposed which enables the simultaneous control of the operating robot arm system and the endoscope system.MethodsThe proposed system consists of two improved novel master interfaces (iNMIs), a four-degrees of freedom (4-DOFs) endoscope control system (ECS), and a simple three-dimensional (3D) endoscope. In order to simultaneously control the proposed system and patient side manipulators of da Vinci research kit (dVRK), the iNMIs are installed to the master tool manipulators of dVRK system. The 4-DOFs ECS consists of four servo motors and employs a two-parallel link structure to provide translational and fulcrum point motion to the simple 3D endoscope. The images acquired by the endoscope undergo stereo calibration and rectification to provide a clear 3D vision to the surgeon as available in clinically used da Vinci surgical robot systems. Tests designed to verify the accuracy, data transfer time, and power consumption of the iNMIs were performed. The workspace was calculated to estimate clinical applicability and a modified peg transfer task was conducted with three novice volunteers.ResultsThe iNMIs operated for 317 min and moved in accordance with the surgeon’s desire with a mean latency of 5 ms. The workspace was calculated to be 20378.3 cm3, which exceeds the reference workspace of 549.5 cm3. The novice volunteers were able to successfully execute the modified peg transfer task designed to evaluate the proposed system’s overall performance.ConclusionsThe experimental results verify that the proposed 3D endoscope system enables continuous surgical flow. The workspace is suitable for the performance of numerous types of surgeries. Therefore, the proposed system is expected to provide much higher safety and efficacy for current surgical robot systems.

Effects of a novel mental skills curriculum on surgical novices' attention

BackgroundSurgery is very cognitively demanding, particularly for novices. Novices are required to direct full attention on the procedure at hand, and additional demands can lead to cognitive overload. Through extensive practice, experts develop spare attentional capacity (SAC) for simultaneous tasks. However, little effort has been made to enhance novices' SAC. Mental skills may enhance attention management and increase SAC. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a novel mental skills curriculum (MSC) to enhance novices' attention management. MethodsSixty novice volunteers were randomly stratified to a control or MSC group based on baseline laparoscopic skill and mental skill use (assessed with the Test of Performance Strategies version 2 [TOPS-2]). All participants received laparoscopic training, whereas the MSC group received additional mental skills training. At all sessions, participants completed a secondary task during laparoscopy, which assessed SAC. Participants also completed the D2 Test of Attention and the TOPS-2 attention control subscale, which are valid attention measures. ResultsFifty-five novices completed the study. Both groups displayed significantly improved laparoscopic suturing ability (P < 0.001) and D2 performance (control: P < 0.005, MSC: P < 0.01), but there were no between-group differences in D2 or TOPS attention control scores. However, only the MSC group displayed significantly improved hit rate on the secondary task (P < 0.05). ConclusionsThe novel MSC implemented in this study enhanced surgical novices' SAC compared to controls, and it is clear that this curriculum may be effective at enhancing learners' ability to attend multiple task-relevant stimuli concurrently. Additional study of the impact of this MSC on learners' attentional capacity is currently underway.

A development of assistant surgical robot system based on surgical-operation-by-wire and hands-on-throttle-and-stick.

BackgroundRobot-assisted laparoscopic surgery offers several advantages compared with open surgery and conventional minimally invasive surgery. However, one issue that needs to be resolved is a collision between the robot arm and the assistant instrument. This is mostly caused by miscommunication between the surgeon and the assistant. To resolve this limitation, an assistant surgical robot system that can be simultaneously manipulated via a wireless controller is proposed to allow the surgeon to control the assistant instrument.MethodsThe system comprises two novel master interfaces (NMIs), a surgical instrument with a gripper actuated by a micromotor, and 6-axis robot arm. Two NMIs are attached to master tool manipulators of da Vinci research kit (dVRK) to control the proposed system simultaneously with patient side manipulators of dVRK. The developments of the surgical instrument and NMI are based on surgical-operation-by-wire concept and hands-on-throttle-and-stick concept from the earlier research, respectively. Tests for checking the accuracy, latency, and power consumption of the NMI are performed. The gripping force, reaction time, and durability are assessed to validate the surgical instrument. The workspace is calculated for estimating the clinical applicability. A simple peg task using the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery board and an in vitro test are executed with three novice volunteers.ResultsThe NMI was operated for 185 min and reflected the surgeon’s decision successfully with a mean latency of 132 ms. The gripping force of the surgical instrument was comparable to that of conventional systems and was consistent even after 1000 times of gripping motion. The reaction time was 0.4 s. The workspace was calculated to be 8397.4 cm3. Recruited volunteers were able to execute the simple peg task within the cut-off time and successfully performed the in vitro test without any collision.ConclusionsVarious experiments were conducted and it is verified that the proposed assistant surgical robot system enables collision-free and simultaneous operation of the dVRK’s robot arm and the proposed assistant robot arm. The workspace is appropriate for the performance of various kinds of surgeries. Therefore, the proposed system is expected to provide higher safety and effectiveness for the current surgical robot system.

Pneumatic-type surgical robot end-effector for laparoscopic surgical-operation-by-wire.

BackgroundAlthough minimally invasive surgery (MIS) affords several advantages compared to conventional open surgery, robotic MIS systems still have many limitations. One of the limitations is the non-uniform gripping force due to mechanical strings of the existing systems. To overcome this limitation, a surgical instrument with a pneumatic gripping system consisting of a compressor, catheter balloon, micro motor, and other parts is developed.MethodThis study aims to implement a surgical instrument with a pneumatic gripping system and pitching/yawing joints using micro motors and without mechanical strings based on the surgical-operation-by-wire (SOBW) concept. A 6-axis external arm for increasing degrees of freedom (DOFs) is integrated with the surgical instrument using LabVIEW® for laparoscopic procedures. The gripping force is measured over a wide range of pressures and compared with the simulated ideal step function. Furthermore, a kinematic analysis is conducted. To validate and evaluate the system’s clinical applicability, a simple peg task experiment and workspace identification experiment are performed with five novice volunteers using the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) board kit. The master interface of the proposed system employs the hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controller used in aerospace engineering. To develop an improved HOTAS (iHOTAS) controller, 6-axis force/torque sensor was integrated in the special housing.ResultsThe mean gripping force (after 1,000 repetitions) at a pressure of 0.3 MPa was measured to be 5.8 N. The reaction time was found to be 0.4 s, which is almost real-time. All novice volunteers could complete the simple peg task within a mean time of 176 s, and none of them exceeded the 300 s cut-off time. The system’s workspace was calculated to be 11,157.0 cm3.ConclusionsThe proposed pneumatic gripping system provides a force consistent with that of other robotic MIS systems. It provides near real-time control. It is more durable than the existing other surgical robot systems. Its workspace is sufficient for clinical surgery. Therefore, the proposed system is expected to be widely used for laparoscopic robotic surgery. This research using iHOTAS will be applied to the tactile force feedback system for surgeon’s safe operation.

Incorporating Molecular Genetics into Remote Expedition Fieldwork

Conservation expedition groups that use volunteer researchers are widespread in the United Kingdom and are growing in popularity around the world. These expeditions operate in regions of high biodiversity to study and protect the endemic species of these areas. New products have now made it possible to conduct molecular analyses in the field. We tested this in a volunteer-based conservation expedition to an area of tropical montane rainforest and cloud forest in Cusuco National Park, Honduras. Specifically, we (1) tested and modified recommended protocols for use of the new molecular techniques on a wide range of plant and animal species in the field, (2) tested the ability of novice volunteers to successfully use these techniques after minimal introductory training, and (3) used the novel techniques to conduct a small-scale population genetic study of Liquidambar styraciflua L. while on expedition. We found the techniques to be effective on all plant and animal species tested, with some modification of manufacturers' protocols. We also found that novice student volunteers were able to learn the required theory and protocols for the new technology, collect reliable data, and perform basic genetic analyses in a week-long DNA field sampling course. Finally, the Liquidambar case study demonstrated that genetic analyses can be successfully completed in primitive field conditions. These findings have exciting implications for work that can be done in remote locations, often areas of the greatest conservation significance.

Comparison of Two-Hand Kettlebell Exercise and Graded Treadmill Walking

Prevailing interest in the use of kettlebell (KB) exercises for rehabilitation and improvement of muscular strength has led to several recent studies, some suggesting that KB exercise may be useful for improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness. The purpose of this study was to determine whether KB exercise would produce similar cardiovascular stress to that of walking and thus provide an additional exercise mode for the improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness. It was hypothesized that a moderate-intensity, continuous KB protocol, would produce similar metabolic and cardiorespiratory responses as a brisk bout of graded treadmill (TM) walking, but greater rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Ten novice volunteers (5 men, 5 women) completed a preliminary session to determine body composition and VO2max and to familiarize participants with standardized KB exercise technique. Subsequently, they completed a 30-minute KB session that included 3 continuous 10-minute sets of 10 KB swings followed by 10 sumo deadlifts, with 3-minute rests between 10-minute exercise periods. The third session was a 30-minute TM regimen that began at the walking speed and 4% grade that matched the VO2 from the KB session and included 3-minute rest intervals after 10-minute TM exercise periods. VO2, respiratory exchange ratio, kcal·min, and blood pressure were similar for KB and moderate-intensity TM exercise, but RPE and heart rate were greater during KB exercise. Data indicate that a KB routine consisting of 2-hand swings and sumo deadlifts with 3-minute rest periods produces similar metabolic responses to those of a moderate-intensity TM walking protocol designed for the improvement of aerobic fitness.

Alleviating psychological distress of suicide survivors: evaluation of a volunteer care programme

The crisis level in the worldwide suicide rate has revealed a severe suicide problem in Taiwan that is now well above the world average of 16 per 100,000 individuals. Many countries have relied on suicide care volunteers training programmes to conduct suicide prevention programmes. However, there is a dearth of research evaluating the effect of volunteers on psychological distress and the impact of volunteer experience level. An evaluation of the impact of experienced and novice volunteers in alleviating psychological distress of suicide survivors was conducted. A supervised programme trained 15 volunteers at Years 1 and 2. Year 1 volunteers completed 400 h of service with continuing education. Programme evaluation occurred after Year 2 volunteers had completed training. Eighty-two suicide survivors were recruited. With 60 suicide survivors completing 3 month of volunteer care, a significant group difference with time interaction in suicide survivors who exhibited moderate to severe distress between the veteran care and novice care groups was found. Compared with novice volunteers, veteran volunteers with at least 1 year of experience are more effective with suicide survivors reporting higher psychological distress.

Complex Neuromonitoring in a Golf Putting Task

PURPOSE: For a complex neuromonitoring central (Electroencephalography=EEG) and peripheral (skin conductance level=SCL, heart rate=HR, temperature=TEMP, respiration rate=RESP) recordings were examined in novice and expert golfers during a golf putting performance. Aim of the study is to examine the efficiency and suitability of an instrument measuring learning processes and emotional/mental load during a sport performance using the golf putt as a model and in more detail to evaluate the influence of skill level and possible correlations between peripheral and central parameters. METHODS: Ten male experienced golfers (26,00±4,11 years; 84,33±8,53 kg; 188,25±3,85 cm;7,60±3,92 years golf experience; playing golf 13,78±7,00 hours/ week) with golf handicap of 8,32 ±7,54 were compared to ten male novice volunteers (24,2±3,43 years; 82,13±3,14 kg; 183,38±7,13 cm). Cortical activity was recorded with EEG (CATEEM, MediSyst Germany) using international standards (10:20 System) from frontal (F3, Fz, F4), central (C3, Cz, C4) and parietal (P3, Pz, P4) electrode positions during a 5x4 min putting series (P1-P5) with 2 min rest between the performances. The resulting power spectra2 were divided in 4 frequency bands: Theta, Alpha-1, Alpha-2, Beta-1. Additional to that SCL, HR, TEMP and RESP were measured during the task. RESULTS: The statistical analysis shows significant higher power during performance in the experienced golfers in peripheral SCL (P1-P5:p<05) and central Theta (Fz; P1-P3: p<05), Alpha 2 (Pz; P1-P5:p<05). The statistical correlation for Theta (Fz) and SCL are significant in four of five performance series: P1, P3, P4, P5 (p<05). CONCLUSIONS: The frontal Theta and pariental Alpha 2 frequency bands in the ongoing EEG and SCL seemed to be sensitive to skill level. The findings suggest that with increasing skill level golfers have developed task solving strategies which come along with focussed attention (frontal Theta (Fz), SCL), an economy in neural activity during sensory information processing (pariental Alpha 2) and results in a better putting performance. Therefore the results show that peripheral (SCL) and central parameters can be used to monitor different states of learning in a complex motor task.

Development and Evaluation of Just-in-Time Training to Provide Cardio-Pulmonary Resusciation

More than 350,000 people die annually of cardiac arrest. In response to this epidemic, automated defibrillators are advocated, but they do not provide important respiratory support. However, adding respiratory support makes the system more complex and difficult to use. To solve this problem we developed a graphical computer based “just-in-time” training that instructs a responder to follow a standard treatment protocol. We simulated a medical emergency in a patient simulator and asked novice volunteers to care for the patient. When using a paper-based version of the treatment protocol (based on a NASA protocol), subjects took significant longer to remove an obstruction from the airway and stabilize the injured person than when using an animated graphic treatment protocol. These findings validate the potential of graphically based just-in-time training to instruct novices in tasks they have not performed before.